by Kane, Joany
Together they remove their bottoms so they’re now both naked. They lay back down on the bed as they explore, with desperate desire, each other’s bodies, kissing and caressing.
Duke’s fingers travel up Claire’s inner thigh until they find her spot. He thrusts his fingers deep inside and finds her wet and wanting. “I want you inside of me,” she whispers breathlessly in his ear, spreading her legs further apart and arching her hips towards him.
Duke willingly obliges. He removes his fingers and positions himself directly on top of Claire. He enters her slowly. Their eyes locked as he pauses for a moment so they can relish the exquisite feel, the special moment. And then he begins to thrust, deeper and deeper, harder and harder. She grabs onto his back her hips thrusting with his. They’re completely in tune, in sync, lost in each other. The intensity and passion builds until they both explode together. They seal their climax with an impassioned kiss.
Duke remains inside of her, kissing her tenderly as they lay joined together on the bed. She gently touches his face; he moves his head to kiss her palm. “So far, that’s been the best memory of my life,” he says with love.
She doesn’t hesitate to respond with the same amount of love in her meaning. “Mine, too.”
Duke slowly pulls out of Claire. He lies partially on top of her, their eyes locked, their bodies mingled. He kisses her tenderly as she sensually runs her fingers down his back. Duke plays with her breasts, planting wet kisses on them, her nipples hardening again by his touch. Claire moans as she moves her hips against Duke’s, longing filling her body, her eyes.
Duke smiles at her, “I want to be back inside of you, too.” She reaches for his manhood and fondles it until it’s stiff and ready; she guides it inside of her. Duke’s back on top pushing himself deeper inside of her, their eyes locked; no words are needed, there is no greater feeling in the world for either of them.
*****
The SUV is parked around the corner from the motel. Whitmore, seated in the passenger seat, watches the tracking device. It hasn't moved.
“It's been over an hour, sir. Shall I drive by the motel again?” The driver asks.
“No,” Whitmore responds, emotionless.
Duke and Claire lay naked in bed, spooning and spent.
“I'm going to take a shower and then we should get going,” Claire says as she reluctantly pulls away from Duke.
“One more time?” He asks, flirtatiously. His come hither look is really damn hard to refuse.
But Claire manages to refuse it. She flirts back. “I caved to that question three times. Where did you get such stamina, especially after major surgery?”
“You inspire me,” he says, as he fondles one of her breasts.
Claire, showing resolve, pulls away. “Shower and we should get going.” Claire removes her bracelet and places it on the dresser top near the bathroom door. She enters the bathroom. Duke, smiling wide, hops out of bed.
In the bathroom, Claire turns on the shower and steps in. Duke enters the bathroom and joins Claire in the shower. They soap each other up exploring every inch of each other’s body. Duke is hard again and wanting. He lifts Claire up and gently pushes her back into the shower wall. She wraps her legs around his hips as he enters her. They make passionate love as the water cascades over their bodies.
After the shower and lovemaking, Duke leaves the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He heads towards the suitcase when he accidently knocks Claire’s bracelet off of the dresser.
As he picks it up he sees the tracking device. His expression sinks. He doesn't look pissed or vengeful. He looks completely heartbroken.
Moments later Claire, dressed in regular clothes, exits the bathroom.
She sees Duke seated on the first bed. He's dressed in the jeans and tee shirt she had gotten him. She also can see the heartbreak in his eyes even though he's trying to mask it.
She turns to the dresser and notices that her bracelet is in a different position. She's bright, she knows what has caused the change in Duke.
“Are we ready to go?” She asks.
“Yeah. I’m ready to go.”
Claire walks right past the bracelet, purposely leaving it on the dresser. Duke notices. Claire leaves the room. Duke follows.
Claire drives while Duke sits silently in the passenger seat looking out the window.
Duke's discovery of the tracking device hangs between them and even though Claire purposefully left it behind to demonstrate her true feelings for Duke, the trust has been broken. Not too mention the heart.
“I have a pretty good idea what you're thinking.” Claire says breaking the silence.
“I’m not so sure about that.” Duke quips. That one sentence laced with so many different emotions.
“Two people are dead, a newlywed and a mother. Your brother killed them in cold blood. And he left you in the alley to die. That's twice now he's left you holding the bag and I don't think that's a coincidence. There's some motive behind his actions that only you can discover. Justice needs to be served, Duke.”
“Then why did you leave the tracking device back at the motel?”
“Because you have somehow become more important to me than anything else.”
Duke stares out the window, expressionless.
Back at the motel the SUV pulls into the parking lot and drives to the room where Duke and Claire stayed. Whitmore hops out of the vehicle and hurries into the room, the door is wide open.
Whitmore looks around. He sees Claire's bracelet on the dresser. “Shit!”
He makes a call. “This is Whitmore. I need helicopter reconnaissance asap for a thirty to fifty mile radius west, north and east of mile marker four hundred and seven on interstate five.”
The Jaguar drives along a lonely, secluded, winding road. The awkward silence is so thick in the car a butter knife could slice it.
Until Claire slams on the brakes, burning rubber to a complete stop in the middle of the road, the back end of the car fishtailing to a halt. There are no other cars around, but that could change at any second.
“What the hell are you doing?!?” Duke hollers.
“The moment I knew that I had completely crossed the line and that there was turning back was the moment you could see again. From that moment on, every single moment between us was real. I felt it. I know you felt it and hopefully still feel it. I know I do.”
Duke doesn't respond. His expression is blank.
“Your brother is a killer, Duke. Without any back-up I'm walking into a death trap. The hero ball is in your court. What you’ve done in the past is over, you can’t change it. But you have complete control over your future. It’s up to you.”
Claire shifts gears and guns the car into drive like a drag racer seconds before a log truck comes barreling up behind her.
*****
The jaguar pulls up and parks behind the jeep parked next to Haley and Riker’s cabin.
As Duke and Claire get out of the car, Haley and Riker appear on the deck, guns cocked, aimed and pointed at Duke and Claire.
“Some welcoming committee,” Duke quips.
“Baby brother, welcome back from the dead. Who's your friend?”
“She's a cop. I seen her at the Last Chance, she's the one that busted Moose,” Haley informs Riker.
“Is that right? You a cop?” Riker asks Claire as he leers at her with menace.
“No I'm not,” She answers confidently. “I'm special agent Claire Gray with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, northwest branch.”
Everyone looks stunned that she had the balls to answer so honestly.
“My shield is in the glove compartment if you want to see it,” Claire continues.
“Well, ain't you got balls,” Riker responds, impressed. He looks at his brother. “You sure don't got brains, bringing a fed to my hideout.”
“She brought me,” Duke quips.
“Come on in, let's have a drink. Toast to life and death,” Riker encourages with his
gun.
Riker and Haley lead Claire and Duke into the cabin. “I’ll get the drinks, Haley offers as she heads for the bar.
Riker pushes his brother towards the couch. “Have a seat, baby brother.”
Claire goes to take a seat next to Duke when Riker stops her. “Not so fast, tough chick. Let's see if you're packing.”
Riker gives Claire a body search, a lecherous one. Duke stands up to stop it. “Cut it out, Riker.”
“Just making sure she ain't packing,” Riker shrugs.
Riker pushes Claire towards the couch. She stumbles but Duke steadies her as she takes a seat to the left of him.
Haley arrives with two cocktails. She hands one to Riker. Haley and Riker each have a gun in one hand and a drink in the other. They click glasses in a toast, then down the drinks.
“Okay, I say we kill them. I get the fed,” Haley giggles.
“It's not like you haven't killed before, right Riker? Twice now, a mother and a young agent,” Claire states.
“Three times actually, two mothers and a young agent,” Riker boasts.
Every word out of Riker's mouth stabs Duke.
“Why did you kill the jewelry store owner right in front of her daughter?” Claire wants to know.
“Because I have mommy issues. That's why I killed the security guard to make it look like Duke did it, so he could rot on death row,” Riker snarls as Duke grimaces, his heart breaking again this day.
“Oh come on, any idiot knows that just because two guns are the same make and model doesn't mean they shoot the same. You learn that in criminal 101.” Claire quips trying to deflate Riker’s cockiness.
Haley slugs Claire with the butt of the gun she's holding. It doesn't razz Claire in the slightest, but it does allow Claire an opportunity to check out the make and model of it.
“I'm betting the gun Trailer Park Tammy here is holding is the murder weapon.”
“Safe bet,” Riker replies, quite impressed with Claire, which riles Haley.
“Why?” Duke quietly asks.
“When mom was dying from cancer she called me in to see her. She was pretty drugged up and out of it, but damn she wanted to make a confession. She apologized for not loving me as much as she loved you.”
“That's not true,” Duke insists.
“Oh yeah it is, I always knew something was up, that I was never as good or worthy as you. You wanna know why? Because, baby brother, it turns out we have different daddy's.”
“No.” Duke is finding this hard to believe.
“Before mom got married some sick fuck forced himself on her. And then she had me. All those years growing up I tried to please her, never worked. So I said screw it, I'm gonna make dad happy. My real dad. My first stab at pleasing pappy...”
Riker picks up a throw pillow from a chair. “I suffocated our mother.”
“You killed mom?!” Duke is completely horrified.
“What the fuck, she was going to die anyway. I just sped things up,” Duke flaunts his unfeeling response in Duke’s face.
Claire looks heartbroken for Duke who is devastated by the news.
Claire glares at Riker. “You are one sick prick.”
“Baby brother, would you like to see how I killed our mommy?” Riker shoves the pillow in Claire's face, attempting to suffocate her.
Duke rises to stop him. Haley cocks her gun in his face.
Before Duke can disarm Haley, Claire swift knees Riker in the groin.
Using the heel of her hand, she shoves it in his throat, nearly shattering his wind pipe.
Claire grabs the pillow from Riker's hands as he stumbles backwards, coughing.
She slugs him with the pillow. In the confusion Duke disarms Haley and shoves her to the floor.
Riker rises to fight Duke just as Haley leaps up off of the floor and jumps on Claire's back. Haley pounds Claire in the head with her fist while Claire slugs Haley with the pillow trying to get the skank off of her back.
At the same time, Duke and Riker engage in a fist fight. Duke, certainly not at one hundred percent, takes a pummeling from his big brother.
Riker shoves Duke through the plate glass window. Duke lands on the deck.
Claire weakening under the weight of the feisty Haley still on her back, rolls on the couch and then elbows Haley in the gut to free herself.
Haley jumps up and starts throwing every thing she can find at Claire.
Claire admirably defends herself as Haley backs her up to the wall. Claire notices the logger equipment hanging on the wall.
Haley grabs the gun on the floor and is about to shoot Claire at close range when...
Claire grabs the hand saw hanging on the wall, whips around and slices through Haley's throat so adeptly that Haley didn't even have time to cock the gun. Haley, blood splattering out of her throat, falls dead to the floor.
Claire hurries to help Duke who has been thrown off of the deck by Riker. Duke has taken a serious beating from his brother.
Riker now holds a gun on Duke. “Adios, baby brother.” Riker is about to shoot Duke…
When Claire dives off of the deck, landing in front of Duke, taking the bullet that was meant for Duke in her gut.
She falls to the ground, looking like she's dead or close to it.
“No!!!” Duke cries out.
Duke rushes his brother. Riker tries to shoot but Duke has pushed the gun out of his hand.
Riker, stumbling, grabs a stick of firewood from a nearby wood pile and slugs Duke in the side of the head, the side where he had been shot and had surgery.
Duke falls to the ground, looking like he's dead or close to it.
Riker hears a helicopter flying above.
He runs into the cabin, grabs his velvet bag of jewels, hurries to an all-terrain vehicle and drives off into the woods.
Duke and Claire lay lifeless on the ground.
Until Duke stirs. He stumbles over to Claire.
He cradles her. She is not in good shape, bleeding from the gut, nearing unconsciousness.
“Don't you dare die on me!” He cries out.
Claire manages a smile. “Funny. I said the same thing to you when we first met in the alleyway after you had been shot. I added "you bastard," though.”
The comment makes Duke chuckle, they lock eyes for a long moment, both silently saying I love you. “Who do I call?” He asks.
“There's a cell-phone in the glove compartment. Dial 414-555-2222, ext. 2.” Claire responds, fighting to stay conscious.
Duke hurries to the jag, grabs the phone, makes the call, rushes back to Claire, cradling her again.
“Hold on. Please Jasmine, hold on,” he pleads.
The sound of a helicopter and police cars approaching relieves Duke.
“I hear the cavalry,” Claire states.
Duke kisses Claire's forehead. “I'm going to go get my brother. He needs to pay.”
Duke leaves Claire at the moment where help has arrived yet he can still make an escape.
*****
Whitmore is seated in a chair next to a hospital bed watching over Claire. She stirs, opens her eyes, sees Whitmore.
He manages a smile. “I bet you never figured you'd be back in this room so soon.”
“I'm surprised I'm not handcuffed,” she responds.
“You should be. That was a foolish stunt.”
“How'd it end?”
“We lost both brothers. They're gone.”
Claire processes the information, hearing Duke's words in her mind ‘I'm going to go get my brother.’
“Hold off on the ‘I told you so,’ okay, I might bust a stitch,” she attempts to quip.
Whitmore respond in all seriousness. “You better get some rest. I'll do what I can to cover your ass.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions, Whit.” Claire turns over as if she's planning on falling asleep.
Whitmore places Claire's bracelet on the night-stand before he leaves the room.
Once she hears Whitm
ore has gone, she hops out of bed. She gingerly puts on her clothes and sneaks out.
*****
In a Mexican cantina near a Baja beach Riker sits at the bar, slugging back shots of tequila, looking quite smug.
Until Duke shows up and points a gun at Riker's back. Riker knows it without even turning around. “God, you just won't die, baby brother.”
Riker stands up and faces Duke. Duke aims the gun wanting desperately to kill his psycho brother, but his hand shakes, which Riker notices.
“How's the fed?”
Claire, looking pekid from her wounds, enters the scene. “Just peachy as my Aunt Rita would say.”
Both Riker and Duke look surprised to see Claire. Claire approaches Duke. “Don't do it. Don't kill him, Duke.”
Duke cocks the gun, aims it squarely at Riker, his hand still shaking.
“You are not a killer. He is. Don't let him take any more of your life.” Claire tenderly puts her hand on Duke's hand, the one holding the gun. Duke lowers the gun.
Which gives Riker time to pull his gun hiding in the back of his pants and aims it at Claire with the intent to shoot to kill. Duke raises his gun and gets his shot off before Riker pulls the trigger.
Duke's shot hits Riker in his gun hand, blowing the gun out of his hand - and blowing a hole through his hand. Riker falls to the ground, crying out in pain.
Claire approaches Riker, forces him onto his belly with the power of her foot. She grabs both of his wrists, pulling them behind his back, and handcuffs them together.
“Riker Reeves, you are under arrest for nine counts of robbery and two counts of murder, one including special circumstances.” Claire's long-time goal has happened. She shares a look with Duke, a bittersweet look.
Claire, fully recovered, sits outside of a courtroom. She's dressed in a stylish yet conservative business suit, waiting to testify.
Whitmore, dressed in a suit, exits the courtroom. He locks eyes with Claire. He gives her a kind smile as if saying that all will eventually be right between them.
