by Jenna Byrnes
Katy clenched her teeth but didn’t move a muscle.
Mac wanted to knock the man’s hand away, but at that moment he was more concerned about the expression on the second soldier’s face.
The shorter of the two men hadn’t removed his knit mask, but his eyes were visible and glued to Katy.
He recognizes her. Mac casually felt his pocket for the knife, but it wasn’t there. Damn it!
“Hey.” The shorter soldier looked at his partner. “The director told us to search this whole block. She’s going to be pissed if we don’t follow orders. Why don’t I take these two in and you keep looking?”
“Think you can handle both of them?”
The soldier scowled at them and aimed his gun at Katy. “I know I can handle them. If he gets frisky, she’s a goner.” He smiled at Mac grimly. “Look at it this way, it’ll save you a trip to the clinic.”
Mac raised his hands innocently. “Not getting frisky. No worries.”
“You sure?” The taller man scratched his head.
“Look, I’ll see that you get your share of credit for the capture. Now go on. We’ve got more places to check out before our shift ends.”
“All right.” He gave Katy one last, leering glance, covered his face and headed back out into the cold.
Their lone guard waved his gun at her. “Cover your face. We’ve got about two miles to walk.”
“Two miles?” Mac frowned. The closest director’s center loomed just a few blocks from the pub.
“Shut up!” The man snapped, then for just a moment, his tone softened. “Everything’s gonna be okay. Just stick with me, and don’t make trouble.” He motioned them out the door.
Mac exchanged glances with Katy as they headed out. What the fuck? He had no idea what the man was doing.
She patted her pocket.
She has the knife! He nodded subtly, and with prodding from the soldier behind them, they walked.
He tried to make conversation a few times, but the soldier would have none of it. They walked in silence. Their feet grew heavier after twenty minutes in the freezing cold. Mac took Katy’s arm and they supported each other enough to keep going. Every few minutes, the guard nudged one of them with his gun barrel.
The soldier guided them past where any director’s centers that Mac knew of might be located. As the dim morning suns rose, they walked down a residential street and up the sidewalk to a nice, large, older house.
“What is this?” Mac asked.
“Shut up,” the man replied. He looked both ways on the street before opening the door and shoving them inside.
“What’s going on?” Katy pulled the covering from her face.
The soldier moved past them into the living room and called, “Grandpa! Come here!”
An older, stooped man with a shock of white hair rivaling Albert Einstein’s entered the room. He looked at the soldier in surprise. “Scotty? What’s going on?”
“Look, Grandpa.” The man pointed to Katy. “It’s Katherine Garza. I found her coming out of a known hideout in Chic-L this morning.”
The old man’s eyes widened and he moved closer to look at her face. “Katherine Garza? Is it really you?”
“There’s been a mistake,” Katy answered. “My name’s Michelle Lewis. I’m a secretary at the Power Company—”
“Madame President.” The older man’s face creased into a warm smile. “What an honor to have you in my home. I’m Raymond Shell. This is my grandson, Scotty. Our family members are Libertarians from way back. We pretend to be Progressives, and do whatever we can to help the cause from this end.”
Mac caught his breath. Can this guy be telling the truth?
“Mr. Shell.” Katy seemed to choose her words carefully. “I appreciate what you’re saying, but I’m not sure I can trust—”
Raymond turned to his grandson. “Where did you say you found them?”
“At the Cock and Bull Pub.”
The old man’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Katy. “Mad Dog Gleeson! He and I go way back. His real name is Harold, you know. And he used to be a plumber.”
Mac exhaled in relief. He removed the scarf from his face. “He hates to be called Harold. And the fact you know his name is good enough for me.”
Raymond extended a hand to Mac and they shook. “Are you Mr. Garza, or one of her security officers?”
Katy spoke up quickly. “He’s not an officer, just a friend. My husband is dead.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Raymond said sympathetically, nodding with understanding. “Don’t worry, you two. I know what happens to people of your stature in the world today. I don’t enjoy the arena matches, myself. In fact, I’m sure a lot of people don’t. But it’s safer to go along with the Progressives some times.”
Katy frowned. “I believe it was Edmund Burke who said, ‘All that’s necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing’.”
Raymond smiled. “Actually, a similar line was in the English translation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. It was never officially attributed to Burke. I do, however, get your meaning. Not everyone can be a general, Madame President. Armies need foot soldiers, working in the trenches.”
She nodded in acceptance of his point. “Please, call me Katy. My friend is Mac.”
“Katy, Mac.” The older man waved them deeper into the house. “Come in and warm up. I was making some ham and potatoes. I might even check my rations and see if I can find an egg or two. I assume you could eat?”
“Eggs.” Mac closed his eyes briefly and smiled. “Can’t remember the last time I had an egg.” He’d thought Sloan’s fatback soup smelled good yesterday. The aroma of actual ham, wafting from the kitchen, smelled heavenly.
Raymond looked at his grandson. “Stay for breakfast, Scotty?”
“I can’t, Grandpa, but thanks.” He turned to Mac. “I need to talk to you privately.” To Katy, the soldier said, “Good luck.” He walked to the front door.
Mac followed, and wasn’t surprised when the man handed over his gun, butt first.
“I need you to hit me. Give me a good lump on the head.”
He understood, but hated to do it after the man had been so kind. “Scott, I—”
“I know.” Scott raised a hand. “When I recognized her, I knew right away what I had to do. The two of you would have been tortured at the director’s center. This way, you’ve got a chance to make a clean getaway, and I won’t be blamed for it.”
“Thank you.” Mac took the gun, got a good grip, and cracked Scott in the temple.
The man grunted and doubled over. When he rose, blood trickled from the cut on his head.
“Can you make it?” Mac’s gut churned.
“I’ll be okay. I have a cell phone. I’ll double back a mile and then call in.”
“Good luck.” Mac held the front door as Scott stumbled out.
“You too.” He covered his face and hurried down the street.
Mac locked the front door and went back into the house where he found Katy and Raymond cooking in the kitchen. He pocketed the gun, peeled off some outer layers of clothes, and reached for the steaming cup of coffee she held out to him. “Smells great.”
She smiled at him. “Ray has a truck driver friend with a license to legally travel between states. He can smuggle us to D.C. within a week.”
Mac raised his brows. “You have a place to stay once you get there?”
Katy sipped her coffee and nodded. “I still have friends there. I’m so excited. This is the first chance I’ve had in months to get back.”
“Great.” His immediate reaction was anything but great. Hiding in a truck for countless hours and hundreds of miles sounded not only dangerous, but pretty damned horrible.
She looked at him expectantly. “You interested?”
“I don’t know. Doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time.”
“But it’s important, Mac. Floundering here, doing nothing, is fruitless. I can’t believe, deep down inside, you don’t wa
nt to come with me and fight.”
He felt bad admitting it, but had to be honest with her. “Not sure I have much fight left in me.”
Her eyes flashed, but she didn’t reply.
Raymond glanced from Katy to Mac. He cleared his throat. “Sit down here and eat.” He served plates of ham, fried potatoes, and eggs. “When you’re done, I have showers and nice, warm beds upstairs. I might even have clean clothes to fit both of you.”
Mac nodded enthusiastically. “Now that sounds great.”
He ate until stuffed, then ate some more. When Ray eventually showed them upstairs to their rooms, he longed to fall into a bed and sleep for a week. But the lure of the shower was strong. He’d taken nothing but sponge baths for weeks. Mac stood under the spray, turning the nozzle so the water grew increasingly hotter. When the temperature was just short of scalding, he left it there and sighed.
There’d been days he thought he’d never be warm or clean again. Once he left here, there was no telling when he’d see another shower. He worked fragrant shampoo through his hair, and lathered his body three times with a green bar of soap smelling refreshingly like something from the past. When the water started to cool, he reluctantly turned it off and stepped out.
He reached for a thick, fluffy towel and slowly dried off. The bathroom was warm and steamy, and he used the towel to clear a spot on the fogged mirror. The man staring back from the mirror surprised him. Ribs protruded from a hollow gut that used to be pleasantly filled out. He could live with too-long hair, but the beard made him look like Mad Dog. Even that might have been tolerable, had it been long enough to hide the thick, shiny scars crisscrossing his neck.
Mac found a razor and some shaving cream, and had just removed all traces of facial hair when the bathroom door opened.
“Hey.” Katy stood in the doorway with a towel wrapped around her. Neatly combed wet hair fell around her shoulders. Her face was freshly scrubbed and pink.
She stood under the hot water as long as I did. “You look great. Water felt good, didn’t it?”
“Fabulous. I was especially happy to see a toothbrush.” She stepped in the room behind him. “Oh, look at that face. I liked your beard, but I believe I like this better.”
He rubbed his chin. “I was starting to feel like Mad Dog. Hang on, I’m almost done here.” He reached for the toothbrush and paste Ray had left, and brushed his teeth vigorously. In the mirror, he saw Katy drop her towel. She stood behind him, beautifully naked, her breasts as full and round as he’d imagined.
His cock sprang to life. She looks damned good. Her body still had some meaty flesh on it. She obviously hadn’t been on the run as long as he had, sleeping on the fly and catching a meal when he could. He was happy for her. She deserved so much better.
“Oh, Mac.” Her fingers traced three thick, ropey knife scars on his back.
Studying his appearance from the front, he’d forgotten about them for a blissful moment. Now, she was there, staring at the ugly reminders of the not-so-distant past.
“How did this happen?”
He rinsed his mouth and spat quickly, then wiped his mouth with a towel. He turned to face her and reached for her hands. “Arena fighting. I told you I’d been in a couple.”
She gazed into his eyes. “Those wounds were deep. It looks to me like you just barely survived.”
He nodded in acknowledgement, and then swallowed. Something needed to be said. His face reddened. “Look, Madame President. Last night you were tipsy, and we were in a whole different situation. We took warmth and comfort from each other. It was no big deal. I don’t blame you if you’re repulsed by this beat-up body in the light of day.”
She frowned. “I don’t have sex with just anybody. In fact, I haven’t—since my husband died. So yes, it was a big deal. And your body looks amazing to me. You could use a few good meals, sure. But scars you received in battle for your life and for our country—I could never be repulsed by those.” She ran her hands up his chest, touching the marks on his neck. “You’re an incredible man, Mac.” Katy cocked her head. “What’s your given name?”
He hesitated. His full name he associated with the past, and he didn’t really want to go there. But something in Katy’s eyes made him want to be truthful with her. “Robert Mackenzie. I used to be called Bob, but that brings back some memories I’d rather not think about.”
“I like Robert. Can I call you Robert?”
Mac smiled. “Yeah.” His erection bounced as she massaged his chest.
“I think we should go check out that lovely bed, Robert.”
“I totally concur.” He placed his hands on her full hips and turned her toward the door. He guided her to the bedroom, and the bed.
She tossed back the covers and dropped to her back. “Last night we fucked, and it was amazing. Today, I want you to make love to me, slow and sweet. I’m not sure how many more chances we’ll have to do this, before I go.”
“Don’t think about that.” He crawled between her knees, his cock leading the way. He’d ignore the throbbing tool for the moment. It was exciting to know they had time, didn’t have to rush. He intended to explore her body with his hands and tongue before his dick saw any action. “God, you’re beautiful.”
He kissed her neck, moving up slowly to nibble and suck one earlobe then the other. When she squirmed, he began the enjoyable trip down her body. He groaned when his face reached her tits. He cupped each, more than a handful, and proceeded to lick and suck the rosy nipples.
Katy moaned and arched her back, obviously urging him to take more, which he gladly did.
Light strokes of his tongue, alternating with deep, delicious sucking, had the nipples pleasantly swollen and extended in no time.
“More,” she gasped, wriggling her hips.
Mac traced a finger through her folds and found her pussy extremely wet. “Oh, yeah. Just the way I like it.” A waft of the musky aroma called to him, and he left the soft breasts and continued his downward trek.
Back between her legs, he spread her thighs wide. Her pussy lips glistened with moisture. Mac inhaled, dipped his tongue in for a taste. His groan of pleasure matched Katy’s. With smooth, lapping strokes, he licked the length of her folds and sucked on the button nubbin of her clit.
“Oh, God!” She squirmed wildly, legs thrashing. “Keep that up and I’ll come.”
“That’s the plan,” he murmured, lips against her pungent flesh. When he flicked his tongue with renewed vigor she climaxed, and a gush of nectar drenched his chin.
His aching cock, trapped between his body and the mattress, twitched with excitement. Wait just a little longer. He proceeded to lick every drop of juice he could find from her skin.
Her shudders subsided but he continued tonguing her pussy and fucking her with two fingers. She quickly resumed her writhing and moaning, begging him to fill her with more than his fingers.
“Got one more orgasm in there, first?” He added a third finger to her pussy and used his other hand to rub her puffy clit in circles.
“Oh, God!” she squealed, and shook.
Mac grinned and continued his stroking until she flopped back onto the bed, panting. He placed light kisses on her genitals before rising above her and spreading her legs wider with his knees.
He planted a hand on either side of her shoulders, and looked into her eyes, grinning. “I love this point in a relationship. When I’ve just figured out what it takes to make you wriggle with pleasure, and I can get away with it two or three times. Fucking amazing.”
She felt between them for his rock-hard cock. A dribble of pre-cum oozed from the slit, and she rubbed it over the crown with her thumb. “I was hoping to get my mouth on this amazing item. Lie on your back and let me suck you.”
He shook his head, the wicked grin not fading. “Not this time, lady love. You were begging me for something a few minutes ago, and I never ignore a begging woman.”
“You’ll ignore me just long enough to torment me, right?” She
pulled her hand off his prick and batted her lashes at him.
“Oh, definitely. Tell me you didn’t love it.” He moved a hand to his cock and nudged her wet opening.
“I loved it.” She sighed. “And I’m going to love it even more when that thing’s inside me. Fuck me, Robert. I want to feel you in me.”
“All in good time, my dear.”
She made an aggravated face at him. “Enough of the sweet stuff. It was beautiful, and I enjoyed it. But let’s fuck! Come on man, before I flip you over and take care of this myself.”
He chuckled and drove his cock deep inside her slick channel. “Mmm, now you’ve got me all excited thinking about that. Lying in bed, you riding me, your titties bouncing so pretty-like.”
Katy grabbed his neck and shoulders and clung to him. “See, we’ve got so much more to experience together. So many more things we want to try.”
He panted and thrust into her. “We’ll find time. We’ll make time for what’s important.”
“You’re so stubborn, damn it!”
Mac laughed. “Look who’s talking, Madame President. I know you’re used to calling the shots. It’s kinda sexy in bed, but I’m not sure I could live that way.”
She buried her face in his neck and growled, “Fuck me harder. Make me come, now.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He drove his cock in rapid thrusts, quick and deep, until she shattered. As Katy shook and moaned, he let his own orgasm take over, and grunted with each shot of creamy seed that filled her pussy.
They rode out the crest, and dropped to the mattress together. Panting, gasping for air, his lips found hers and they kissed. Mouths pressed together, they both murmured expressions of pleasure at the same time.
“So good,” he sighed, his breath going into her mouth.
“Perfect,” she replied, kissing him until they both needed air.
He placed his forehead against hers and watched a tear roll down her face. “Why are you crying?” he asked softly.
She swiped the drop away angrily. “I hate women who cry,” she muttered. “I’m stronger than that. I don’t need you, or any man, to see me through this.”
“I know you don’t.”
