07-18-2020, 08:51 AM
It’s Saturday morning as I wake up and Ian is still lying next to me. He’s usually an early riser but not today as he sleeps off the effects of our lovemaking. It’s a weird habit I’ve developed but I always reach below to feel myself after we made love the night before. I feel the stickiness and wetness and feel satisfaction from that. I left the door open when I returned from the bathroom and now Baxter strolls into the room to check on us. “C’mere Baxter” I coax him, and he comes panting to my bedside. “Good boy” and I scratch him behind the ears and pet his head. He sits down and I continue petting and scratching, Baxter is obviously enjoying the attention. “You know, Baxter, none of these people love you as much as I love you.” Is it the sound of my voice, a woman’s voice, the softness of tone, that can promote relaxation in a dog? I don’t know the answer to that but Baxter’s presence makes me relaxed as I lie on the bed and tend to my new furry friend. “Don’t worry Baxter, I won’t let any of these meanies hurt you.”
The sound of Ian clearing his throat behind me interrupts my conversation’. “I’ll have you know that is the most loved dog in the world, prior to you showing up.”
“Oh hi dear” I reply, rolling to my back to face him. We’re both still naked from last night’s lovemaking. As I lie there, my breasts briefly distract Ian’s gaze but as he lies on his side next to me, supporting himself on his elbow, he reaches with his right hand to stroke my wavy, auburn hair. Our eyes gaze into each other’s and I feel an emotional connection like never before. Cupping my cheek with his hand, he leans over and into me, my eyelids close in anticipation of his kiss. As our bodies press together, my arms reach out to wrap around him, welcoming his embrace. I feel love like I've never felt before as I feel a gentleness in Ian’s kiss like never before. Our mouths unclench and Ian looks down at me as I smile up at him.
Looking upon me, Ian says, “God you are so beautiful to me, but it’s more than that. I just want to be with you always.” I can’t believe he’s opening like this to me...please don’t stop Ian. “Anne, I don’t know why I’ve been fighting these feelings but you need to know, I lo…” and that’s when Baxter jumps onto the bed.
‘Shit. Baxter. Wrong time for play time’ I think to myself. Baxter is jumping, then rolling all about us. Now voices call up to us, “hey, you two lovebirds want to come down for breakfast?” Ian is laughing like a little boy as he roughhouses with Baxter. Even though Baxter spoiled a romantic moment for us, I can’t help but smile and laugh at the two of them...a boy and his dog.
“Hey up there!”
I yell back, “we’re coming!” I hurry to the bathroom and shut the door.
Ian yells, “hey, I gotta go.”
“Then go downstairs!” It occurs to me that we banter like a married couple in love. Wetting a washcloth, I wipe away the remaining evidence of last night’s sex from my kitten. Donning a panty and my nightie, I cover myself with a robe and go bounding down the stairs to the kitchen area. Ian, Jean and Gary are conversing as I leap from a couple stairs, landing on a rug that slips on the polished floor causing my legs to fly out under me. I land on my butt with a loud thud, interrupting their conversation as three heads turn to look at me. Before anyone can say anything, Baxter rushes up to me and licks my face. “I’m ok Baxter” and I tilt my head to the side as I give them my biggest smile and start laughing.
“Mom, Dad, I told you she’s a spirited woman.”
Gary rushes up to me to help me up. “Indeed she is. Anne, my dear, I’m gonna have to sand down these wood floors if you’re going to do gymnastics.”
“Sorry Gary. I just felt really excited for breakfast”. Actually, I am really excited about connecting with Ian the way we did upstairs but I keep that to myself.
The smell of bacon and hot coffee fills the air and Jean has prepared an egg bake casserole. “Jean, this looks so delicious. Thank you for making this. I feel so guilty for sleeping late.”
“Nonsense dear. I love to make breakfast. You were probably tired from last night.”
That one hit me just as the fork with food was about to enter my mouth. My eyebrows raise and eyes shift to Ian as if to say ‘is she angry with us or me?’
Gary intervenes, “yeah, we shouldn’t have kept you two up so late after you drove for several hours.”
Ian and I look at each other and when I look at Gary and Jean, they both have mischievous grins as they look at each other. I blush and Ian, sensing my embarrassment, redirects the conversation. “Mom, Dad, I’m gonna take Anne out skiing today. Will you join us?”
“Sounds like a lot of fun. The boat’s all gassed up.”
Breakfast finished, Ian and I return upstairs to change. “Ian, I am so embarrassed. They heard us last night.”
“Relax sweetheart. They’re just having a little fun with us.”
“But they know what we were doing. I can barely look at them.”
Ian takes me in his arms. “You are a lovely grown woman. It’s not as if you’re preparing to enter the convent.”
“I’m not sure your words are making me feel better.”
“C’mon, let’s go have some fun. Or do you want to pack up and go home.”
“Ok, but my kitten says no more sex for you until we get home.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I pull out a Paula Hermanny two piece swimsuit and hold it in front of me. “Hey, what do you think?”
“Wow. You will look amazing in that but I wouldn’t wear it for water skiing. One wipeout and you’ll be on full display for everyone to see.”
“Ok. How about this?” I hold up an Aava one piece with a plunging neckline.
“You’ll look amazing in that too. Even after the wipeout.”
“Ha! I don’t plan to wipe out .”
“I love that competitive spirit in you.”
I’m undressed and bent over as I slip my legs through the leg holes. Ian’s enjoying the sight of my dangling breasts as they bounce and sway to my movements. 36DD’s tucked into place, I walk around Ian so he can look at the fabric tightly clinging to my twitching ass muscles.
“Those have to be the finest glutes I’ve ever seen”, he says.
“Fine lookin’ ass you got there yerself” and I give him a hard slap on his butt.
“Oww. Damn you.” And he’s off chasing me as I laugh running down the stairs. I run up to his dad and cower behind him. “Save me Gary, save me.”
“Now Ian, don’t force me to choose her over you.”
I give Gary a kiss on the cheek. “I knew you’d save me from that monster.”
Soon we are all in the boat, cruising around the lake. Jean is content to sit and watch while Gary and Ian each take a turn on the skis. Tips up, Ian gives the thumbs up sign and Gary guns the engines. As Gary steers the boat, Jean acts as a spotter, watching her son glide back and forth.
“Have you ever skied, Annie?” She loves calling me that.
“Snow, yes but water ski? This is my first time.”
“You might have trouble the first few times getting up but once you get up, you’ll have fun.” Jean and Gary tutor me on some tips and safety protocol. Ian lets go of the tow bar and sinks into the lake. On board, the skis are adjusted for my feet. Jumping into the water, I feel exhilarated as the coolness of the water is a bit shocking. Ian tosses the skis to me to slip on. Soon it’s tips up and Gary slowly motors the boat, taking the slack out of the tow line. Thumb up and the boat takes off. I am pulled out of the water and skimming across the surface on my first attempt, aided by the athleticism programmed into me. Cheers erupt from the boat and Jean is yelling something that sounds like “go girl” above the roar of the boat engines. As the boat races across the water, I am exhilarated at how effortlessly I skim along the water. My enhanced senses and muscular skills allow me to quickly turn back and forth across the wake. With each pass across the boat wake, I learn how to adjust to the motion of the boat in relation to the water and the wake it creates. Jean just about jumps out of her swimsuit as I use the wake to propel myself into the air and land on the water, adjusting my grip and tension on the tow rope to avoid wiping out. Even though he’s piloting the boat, Gary witnesses this and calls out to Ian, “I thought she said she never skied before!”
Ian doesn’t like it when I draw attention to myself like this but has to cover for me, “She hasn’t but she is a very athletically gifted woman.” ‘Damn it’, he thinks to himself. After a couple more jumps with some tight turns across the wake, I am done and signal to the boat as I let go of the tow bar and sink into the lake. As the boat taxis towards me and Gary yells, “Anne, that was the most amazing skiing by a beginner that I ever saw.
“That was so much fun but my arms were getting tired.”
I hand each ski to Ian and he has a look on his face that shows his frustration with me. Once on the boat, we cruise around the lake as Gary and Jean share stories.
Later that evening, after dinner, I watch from the deck as night takes over the northern woods. Ian is chatting with Jean as Gary steps outside. “Think I’ll take a stroll down the drive to clear my head.”
“I’ll come join you”, I volunteer.
“Thanks for offering, sweetheart, but I need to think over some things quietly on my own.”
“Ok. See you later.” As Gary walks down the drive and disappears around a bend, call it a woman’s intuition but I feel like Gary’s objection to my joining him is strange. Leaving the deck, I hurry to catch up to Gary but remain quiet and far enough back so as not to be seen. Stealthily, I follow Gary up the drive until he stops, almost to the county road. Gary flashes a flashlight two times and I see the dark silhouette of a car, flashing its headlights in return. A figure exits the car and approaches Gary. I need to hear their conversation so I creep closer to listen better.
“Dan, it’s Gary. How are you?”
“Hey, not so bad.” It’s obvious they must know each other well as they shake hands and embrace. “Elise says you and Jean need to get together with us some time. This retired life isn’t good for you. You’re all alone up here in the woods.”
“We absolutely got to get together but we do love it up here. The two of you need to get up here for a weekend. Were you able to look up info on this girl?”
“Yeah, I was. On the surface, she seems ok and legit. But…”
“But?”
“...but there seems something odd about her. I looked up her profile in the national database and everything she told you is there. But the IT guy says that the data codes used to create her info are recent, basically too recent to be proper codes used for older data. Like for her secondary school stuff, the codes are too new. Older codes would have been inputted into the system to register that older school info.”
“Did you try calling any of the schools?”
“I did try calling the one school in Germany and they had nothing about her in their system.”
‘Shit’ I think to myself as I listen to this. ‘Ian needs to know what’s going on here.’
“Nothing huh?”
“Nope. Nothing at all. I tried a couple others and the same thing. She seems a real mystery to me...like a figment of someone’s imagination.”
After a few more minutes of this, I pretty much got the gist of my predicament. Gary, the retired detective, is using his contacts to check me out.
They are ending their conversation so I need to get back to the cabin. Just as before, I stealthily creep away from them until I am far enough away to trot back to the deck. Watching from the rocker, I see Gary approaching from the driveway.
Acting as if I know nothing, I ask, “Was it a good walk?”
Gary gives me an odd look, as if he’s searching for the right words to say to me. “I got some answers but I have a lot more questions.” He walks into the cabin by Ian and Jean. No way I’m leaving him alone with Ian so I go inside as well. Gary is uncomfortable with my presence and appears to want to talk to Ian. watch and listen for Gary to say anything but he appears to be waiting for my absence to say anything to Ian or Jean. Eventually the night catches up with us all and we leave for the bedrooms. I want to say something to Ian but I’m not sure what to say. I don’t want to ruin the weekend for him so I decide to wait until we are home before I say anything about Gary’s meeting with his contact.
Sunday morning breaks and after breakfast, Jean and I decide to hike the nearby trail. Gary tries to prevent us, “Jean, I’d rather you didn’t go hike this morning. I have some things I need to discuss with you.”
“Nonsense”, she says, “it’s a beautiful morning and I’m going to take advantage of it. Annie, would you care to join me.”
“I’d love to join you. It’ll be fun.”
Ian intervenes, “Have fun hiking the trail but take this with you mom.” He hands her a Smith and Wesson .45 caliber handgun. “There’s been talk of a bear sow with its cubs roaming around here.” Jean straps on a holster and straps the gun, safety on. She’s no stranger to handling handguns.
“Such a loving son”, she chimes half jokingly. “Let’s go Annie.”
We walk down the unpaved driveway to the road. A quarter mile farther brings us to the trailhead. No cars are parked at the trailhead so we find ourselves all alone as we begin our steps into the woods. As we walk along we pass stands of pines, woody sentinels passing the test of time, casting their shadows upon all who pass beneath. Chipmunks scurry along the ground, foraging for the day’s meal. The sound of various warblers, common to the area, fill the air with their calls. Jean and I continue bonding with our stories of Gary and Ian. How I wish I could tell her my true story and that I am now the perfect woman for her son. How crazy would that be? Would she be shocked or just think I’m a lunatic? I’ve been with Ian for about 3 months. Is it too early to profess to her my love for her son? Perhaps it’s best to keep the subject matter light hearted for the time being. We have walked two miles along this out-and-back trail when the two bear cubs run across the path in front of us. We both freeze, wondering where the sow is when the bear charges out of the brush.
Reflexively I scream, “Jean!” She is closest to the bear when it slams into her. She has no chance to reach for the gun in her holster. Jean is slammed to the ground and the bear is on top of her with all its fury. She feels and smells the bear’s hot breath as it bites down upon her shoulder. Fangs and teeth tear through her top, tearing at flesh, blood spurts out of torn veins. Her arms flail at the beast in a fruitless attempt to fight it off. I look around me and pick up a large stone that I fling in a desperate attempt to distract the bear, but it harmlessly bounces off it. I feel so helpless as I hear Jean’s desperate screams. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Without thinking through a plan, I know something must be done to draw the bear off her or she will surely die. I take a couple steps and leap on top of its shoulders. Reaching over, I punch the bear in its snout, causing it to rear up and release Jean. Tossed to the ground, I have become its next intended victim. Confronting this animal that outweighs me by several hundred pounds, I am filled with fear and dread. This is unlike anything I have been programmed to deal with. The nanoprobes have no solutions for me when dealing with an enraged bear. I scream at the bear in hope that will scare it off but the creature only roars louder. I run along the trail and my ruse works. The bear takes off after me but now what? At 30 mph, the bear is twice as fast as me. I hurry behind a tree trunk, using it as a shield as massive paws swipe at me. Looking back at Jean, she has struggled to her knees. Her right arm hangs limp by her side as she reaches across her body with her left trying to unholster the.45. My situation is tenuous as the bear can easily reach around the tree with a limb to swipe with claws, eager to tear me apart. My position is forced as a paw reaches for me and I back away from the tree trunk to avoid it. Seeing my vulnerability, the bear begins its final attack, lunging to one side of the tree. Retreat is unthinkable for where would I retreat to? The bear would easily outrun me only to overtake and maul me. We have only one chance, Jean’s handgun.
Shots ring out as the slugs, in rapid fire, reach their target, all bullseyes. Looking at me through his safety glasses, Ian gives me that shitfaced grin of his that I adore.
“Woooo. That’s some amazing shooting”, I say excitedly.
Standing in our cubicle at the shooting range, I look up at Ian, happy eyes smile back at him through my own safety glasses. I’m wearing no makeup for this is serious training at the gun range, not a time for looking flirty. Ian flips the safety on and places the gun upon the bench, barrel pointed down range. “Your turn”, he says matter-of-factly and I take my place at the bench. Holding the .45 in my hand, I feel its heaviness in contrast to the Beretta 9mm. I palm the weapon, looking upon it. Information fires through my brain neurons. Does Ian truly understand the killing machine that the transition pill with its nanoprobes has turned me into? Raising the gun, lining up the target bullseye with the gunsights, my index finger squeezes the trigger with rapid motion. Instantly I reposition the gun after each recoil. Safety on, I place the gun once again on the bench top.
Ian looks at the results down range. “Damn girl, you’re as good as me.”
I think to myself ‘no Ian, I’m actually better. I only lack brute male strength and therefore cannot perform those physical acts requiring male strength.’ But there would be no purpose in saying that and would only serve to create animosity. I became a woman and love being a woman. Perhaps it’s all part of the mating dance, so I assuage his ego. “Coming from you, Ian, I’ll take that compliment” as I slap him on his butt.
We take several more turns with the .45. The atmosphere of the gun range raises my curiosity about Ian’s past. “Ian”, I ask, “was there ever a time you thought you were going to die?”
A somber look comes over him and it’s as if he’s gone back in time. “When I was in the rangers, my patrol was ambushed. I became separated and escaped terrorist insurgents as I ran down several streets. One however spotted me and I ducked down an alley, only to realize it was a dead end. He started shooting his AK at me and I took cover behind a dumpster. We took turns, spraying fire at each other, ducking for cover, but I couldn’t get a bead on him. It was only a matter of time before his friends showed up.”
“How did you get out?”
“I noticed that he and I were almost in a rhythmic pattern. He’d shoot and duck. I would shoot and duck. We were both hoping that one bullet would find its mark but the odds were against that ever happening. I had to change my strategy there or I was a dead man eventually. I went to one shot, one kill. I anticipated his next attempt to shoot so I stood up and aimed my rifle for one shot. Either I would get him or he would surely get me since I was exposed.”
“You got him or you wouldn’t be here with me.”
“Yes, but it took nerves of steel to maintain discipline for one shot, one kill. If I panicked, I probably wouldn’t be here.”
I take Ian’s hands into mine, “I’m glad you are here with me.”
“Let’s try to simulate something here. Take the.45 in your hand, safety on, barrel pointed upwards and not under your chin my dear. Keep your eyes closed and I will spin you several times. When I stop you facing the range, shoot your bullets rapid fire at the target.”
I load a full mag in the gun chamber and hold the gun as instructed. Closing my eyes, I call Ready. Ian spins my body, my feet turn in unison. Finally his hands clasp my shoulders to position and release me. In that instance, I open my eyes, steady the gun down range, safety off. But I am disoriented as I rapid fire at the target, missing the bullseye completely.
“I did terribly.”
“Yes, because of that unique situation, you lost focus of the target. Let’s do that again only this time, your focus is to fire only one shot. Take that extra split second to gather your senses, aim and shoot. One shot, one kill.”
Just as before, Ian spins me in place. Again, his hands stop me from spinning and release me. This time as I flip off the safety and extend my arm, though my senses are still spinning with disorientation, I force myself to take that extra split second to line up the bullseye within the gunsights. The trigger is squeezed and I feel the recoil as the slug exits the barrel for its target. As we both look downrange, there is a hole in the bullseye. I flip the safety on and place the gun on the benchtop. I turn to look up at Ian. He’s smiling down at me as I am at him. “One shot, one kill.”
As the bear lunges to one side of the tree trunk, I use it to temporarily block the bear and run to the other side towards Jean. I am sprinting as hard as I can but I hear the bear getting closer, it’s grunting getting louder. Jean is on her knees, holding the .45 in her left hand, her injured right arm hanging limp. Being right handed, she stands little chance of hitting the bear properly with the gun in her left hand. She struggles to yell “Annie” and probably wants me to move out of the way but I run straight towards her, blocking her aim with the bear. I want to yell to her to throw me the gun but I surmise she is probably too weak at this point. I can see the terror in Jean’s eyes and can only imagine what it must be like for her to see impending death. She’s looking at me and the bear is only several yards behind me. With a final push off one foot, I spin in the air so I can land facing towards the bear. Landing next to Jean, I grab the gun from her. Her eyes look at me wildly and with despair, as if I have stolen our only chance of survival. In an instant, I check the safety...it’s off. Raising the gun, I line up the bear’s mouth in the gunsights and scream “One shot, one kill, you bitch” as adrenaline courses through my veins. Squeezing the trigger, the round exits the chamber along its trajectory to the bear’s mouth. The slug enters the back of the bear’s throat, ripping apart flesh as it continues its trajectory to the spine, severing it and killing the bear. The momentum of the bear sends it crashing into us as it collapses into a heap upon the ground, sending the two of us sprawling. I am hurt from the impact of the bear but perhaps not badly. Gathering my wits, I glance at the bear and notice it isn’t moving. A quick search for the gun and I pick it up. For good measure, I point the barrel into its eye socket and fire several rounds to ensure its demise.
Now it’s time for triage and I rush to Jean’s side. She’s bleeding from her mouth and she has terrible wounds on her neck, shoulder and upper arm. She’s barely conscious as she looks up at me. Barely audible, she sputters, “Annie, oh God it hurts so bad.”
I yell to keep her attention, “Stay with me Jean.” I look at her arms and she’s losing too much blood. “Jean, I need to tourniquet your arm.” I pull off my top and rip a shred off of it. Tying it around her arm, I place a stick and tie more fabric over the stick. Next, I twist the stick, tightening the fabric around her arm until I think I have stopped the bleeding, then I finish tying it off. I place what remains of my top over her open wounds to try and staunch the bleeding in that area too. “Jean, we killed the bear!” She nods to acknowledge me. “Stay with me, Jean. Jean, can you hold my top here” and I place her hand over it. If I give her something to do, maybe she’ll stay conscious. I need to keep her from going into shock. I check my cell phone. Damn, no signal. I search Jean’s pockets for her cell phone. Damn, no signal for hers either. Leaning over Jean, I check her pupils and they are dilated. She is going into shock. “Jean, we can’t stay here. No cell signal. We have to go.” She seems to murmur something. Looking at my top, I can only think of one way to keep it on her. I unsnap my bra so I can wrap it over my top that has now become bloodsoaked and around Jean’s body to resnap it. I lift her lower body and she cries out in pain. I start to cry myself. Don’t panic, I think. Help her. I lift her up and she is wobbly. “Annie...hurts bad”, and she collapses. I only know one way to do this so I lift her up and throw her fireman style over my shoulders. I need to conserve my breath but I think to myself, ‘Jean, you need to lose a couple pounds.’ The phones are in my pockets and I start walking, stooped over. It’s extremely uncomfortable as my DD breasts are bouncing quite a bit with nothing to support them. ‘God, please give me strength’ I think to myself as I carry her, placing one foot in front of the other. I make it a quarter mile to a clearing so I stop to check the phones. Still, no signal. So I trudge onward, one foot in front of the other. I cannot tell if I have gone another quarter mile, maybe more as we reach another clearing. I dare not put her down as I don’t know if I have the strength to pick her up again. Oh my God, a signal. I hit the quick dial on my cell for Ian.
Ian answers with a relaxed voice, “Hey sweetie, how’s the hike?”
I struggle to talk while Jean is on my shoulders. “Ian, a bear attacked us. Jean’s hurt bad. ATV, now.”
The tone of his voice instantly changes, “is the bear still around?”
“It’s dead. Come now.”
“I’m keeping the line open. We’re on the way.” I keep trudging. For all I know, the next step might be the difference whether Jean lives or dies. Maybe she’s dead now. I keep going. Ian talks over the phone, encouraging me. It seems like forever before I hear the sound of an ATV engine approaching. Keep moving, I tell myself. Then, they are in view, racing as fast as possible. Stopping short of us, Ian and Gary jump out of the ATV. I collapse to my knees with Jean still over my shoulders. The sight of Ian and Gary causes me to break out in tears, I am just overcome with emotion at the sight of them. “Oh God, help her please. Is she alive?” Ian and Gary check her vitals and look over her. Ian looks worried and relieved at the same time. “She’s alive, but barely. We called in a Flight For Life that’s landing on the highway. Let’s go.” Ian cradles his mom in the back while I sit up front by Gary. In a misplaced exhibition of modesty, Gary starts to remove his shirt. I scream at him, “Fuck that! Go!!” He wheels the ATV around and accelerates as quickly as possible. Thankfully the trail is relatively flat but we still bounce and I have to hold onto the cab so I don’t fall out. My toplessness is on full display but no one notices, no one cares. As we approach the highway, we can see the helicopter approaching. By the time we arrive at the trailhead, emergency crews are on site to block the road for the helicopter. Paramedics rush to the ATV and Jean is laid upon the ground. I stand there with my hands to my mouth, tears fall along my cheeks to the ground. Someone notices the young topless woman with blood all over her and removes their shirt to give me. I gladly accept and put it on. A stretcher is brought and Jean is gently lifted. “1-2-3” and she is lifted off the ground as a paramedic holds an IV bag as she is rushed to the helicopter. Gary climbs into the helicopter, we watch as the blades begin to spin faster until the helicopter lifts off the ground and departs for the emergency center where medical attention awaits.
Ian looks skyward until the helicopter is virtually out of sight and turns his attention to me. Standing there, I am a mess. My hair is matted with Jean’s dried blood. I am covered with streaks of her blood over all of my body. Ian gasps, “Anne” as I rush up to him and throw my arms around him breaking into uncontrollable sobs. A torrent of emotions pours out of me as my tears begin to soak his shirt. We just stand there, holding each other until I finally gain my composure.
“Are you ok?”
“I think so” and we are approached by a couple of paramedics.
“Ma’am, if you don’t mind, we’d like to check you over.” Ian watches intently as they check my vitals. We are joined by a DNR warden and the county sheriff who need to complete their reports. The paramedics chime in, “did you apply that tourniquet to her arm?”
“Yes” and I explain what had happened.
“You just might have saved her life. Without that tourniquet, she would have definitely bled out and died.”
I look at Ian and I can see tears well up in his eyes as he looks at me and realizes how I reacted to the stresses of this situation. The warden and sheriff listen as I describe the entire situation from the cubs to my killing of the bear, to my carrying Jean to the ATV. The DNR warden confirms the dead bear and that he has recovered the .45 handgun. “I am amazed” says the warden, “that you carried her over a mile. You truly are a hero for what you endured. The majority of people I have encountered in my career would have shriveled in the face of such dire circumstances.”
I’m speechless at this praise. More information is gathered by the warden and sheriff to complete their reports. Someone has leaked information about this and soon the local news has arrived to get the story.
“Ian, we need to get to the medical center.”
We drive the ATV back to the cabin and I undress to step into the shower. I watch as rivulets of Jean’s blood rinse off my body and swirl down the drain. Once again I break down, crying inside the shower. Ian hears my sobs and steps into the shower, in his clothes, to hold me again. I sob into his shoulder. “Ian, it’s all so unreal. One minute we were enjoying our hike and the next we were fighting for our lives.”
Ian cradles my head between his hands and forces eye contact. “Anne honey, this is awful what’s happened. I’d be devastated if something had happened to you. I’d rather it had been me there to save my mom but if it couldn’t be me, in my own selfish way I’m glad you were there with your special skills to save her.”
“One shot, one kill.”
“What?”
“I took down the bear with one shot, one kill. Just like you trained me.” I describe the scene to him.
“Damn.”
“So Ian, you saved her too. If you hadn’t taught me, I might not be here. Jean would be gone too.” At that, Ian wraps his arms around me tight and hugs me. Soon I feel his body shudder and he is sobbing too. The shower water cascades over us, my naked body and he in his clothes.
“God, I am such a fool”, he calls out. I look up at him, into his eyes. “Anne, I love you. I want you and need you in my life.” Our mouths meet as only true lovers can.
Releasing our kiss, I look upon Ian. “Ian, I love you so much. I can’t imagine my life without you.” We embrace once more. Holding him in my arms, I never want to let go but harsh reality intervenes. “Ian, we need to hurry up. Your dad will need us.”
Coming up...Chapter 12 - Changing Attitudes
The sound of Ian clearing his throat behind me interrupts my conversation’. “I’ll have you know that is the most loved dog in the world, prior to you showing up.”
“Oh hi dear” I reply, rolling to my back to face him. We’re both still naked from last night’s lovemaking. As I lie there, my breasts briefly distract Ian’s gaze but as he lies on his side next to me, supporting himself on his elbow, he reaches with his right hand to stroke my wavy, auburn hair. Our eyes gaze into each other’s and I feel an emotional connection like never before. Cupping my cheek with his hand, he leans over and into me, my eyelids close in anticipation of his kiss. As our bodies press together, my arms reach out to wrap around him, welcoming his embrace. I feel love like I've never felt before as I feel a gentleness in Ian’s kiss like never before. Our mouths unclench and Ian looks down at me as I smile up at him.
Looking upon me, Ian says, “God you are so beautiful to me, but it’s more than that. I just want to be with you always.” I can’t believe he’s opening like this to me...please don’t stop Ian. “Anne, I don’t know why I’ve been fighting these feelings but you need to know, I lo…” and that’s when Baxter jumps onto the bed.
‘Shit. Baxter. Wrong time for play time’ I think to myself. Baxter is jumping, then rolling all about us. Now voices call up to us, “hey, you two lovebirds want to come down for breakfast?” Ian is laughing like a little boy as he roughhouses with Baxter. Even though Baxter spoiled a romantic moment for us, I can’t help but smile and laugh at the two of them...a boy and his dog.
“Hey up there!”
I yell back, “we’re coming!” I hurry to the bathroom and shut the door.
Ian yells, “hey, I gotta go.”
“Then go downstairs!” It occurs to me that we banter like a married couple in love. Wetting a washcloth, I wipe away the remaining evidence of last night’s sex from my kitten. Donning a panty and my nightie, I cover myself with a robe and go bounding down the stairs to the kitchen area. Ian, Jean and Gary are conversing as I leap from a couple stairs, landing on a rug that slips on the polished floor causing my legs to fly out under me. I land on my butt with a loud thud, interrupting their conversation as three heads turn to look at me. Before anyone can say anything, Baxter rushes up to me and licks my face. “I’m ok Baxter” and I tilt my head to the side as I give them my biggest smile and start laughing.
“Mom, Dad, I told you she’s a spirited woman.”
Gary rushes up to me to help me up. “Indeed she is. Anne, my dear, I’m gonna have to sand down these wood floors if you’re going to do gymnastics.”
“Sorry Gary. I just felt really excited for breakfast”. Actually, I am really excited about connecting with Ian the way we did upstairs but I keep that to myself.
The smell of bacon and hot coffee fills the air and Jean has prepared an egg bake casserole. “Jean, this looks so delicious. Thank you for making this. I feel so guilty for sleeping late.”
“Nonsense dear. I love to make breakfast. You were probably tired from last night.”
That one hit me just as the fork with food was about to enter my mouth. My eyebrows raise and eyes shift to Ian as if to say ‘is she angry with us or me?’
Gary intervenes, “yeah, we shouldn’t have kept you two up so late after you drove for several hours.”
Ian and I look at each other and when I look at Gary and Jean, they both have mischievous grins as they look at each other. I blush and Ian, sensing my embarrassment, redirects the conversation. “Mom, Dad, I’m gonna take Anne out skiing today. Will you join us?”
“Sounds like a lot of fun. The boat’s all gassed up.”
Breakfast finished, Ian and I return upstairs to change. “Ian, I am so embarrassed. They heard us last night.”
“Relax sweetheart. They’re just having a little fun with us.”
“But they know what we were doing. I can barely look at them.”
Ian takes me in his arms. “You are a lovely grown woman. It’s not as if you’re preparing to enter the convent.”
“I’m not sure your words are making me feel better.”
“C’mon, let’s go have some fun. Or do you want to pack up and go home.”
“Ok, but my kitten says no more sex for you until we get home.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I pull out a Paula Hermanny two piece swimsuit and hold it in front of me. “Hey, what do you think?”
“Wow. You will look amazing in that but I wouldn’t wear it for water skiing. One wipeout and you’ll be on full display for everyone to see.”
“Ok. How about this?” I hold up an Aava one piece with a plunging neckline.
“You’ll look amazing in that too. Even after the wipeout.”
“Ha! I don’t plan to wipe out .”
“I love that competitive spirit in you.”
I’m undressed and bent over as I slip my legs through the leg holes. Ian’s enjoying the sight of my dangling breasts as they bounce and sway to my movements. 36DD’s tucked into place, I walk around Ian so he can look at the fabric tightly clinging to my twitching ass muscles.
“Those have to be the finest glutes I’ve ever seen”, he says.
“Fine lookin’ ass you got there yerself” and I give him a hard slap on his butt.
“Oww. Damn you.” And he’s off chasing me as I laugh running down the stairs. I run up to his dad and cower behind him. “Save me Gary, save me.”
“Now Ian, don’t force me to choose her over you.”
I give Gary a kiss on the cheek. “I knew you’d save me from that monster.”
Soon we are all in the boat, cruising around the lake. Jean is content to sit and watch while Gary and Ian each take a turn on the skis. Tips up, Ian gives the thumbs up sign and Gary guns the engines. As Gary steers the boat, Jean acts as a spotter, watching her son glide back and forth.
“Have you ever skied, Annie?” She loves calling me that.
“Snow, yes but water ski? This is my first time.”
“You might have trouble the first few times getting up but once you get up, you’ll have fun.” Jean and Gary tutor me on some tips and safety protocol. Ian lets go of the tow bar and sinks into the lake. On board, the skis are adjusted for my feet. Jumping into the water, I feel exhilarated as the coolness of the water is a bit shocking. Ian tosses the skis to me to slip on. Soon it’s tips up and Gary slowly motors the boat, taking the slack out of the tow line. Thumb up and the boat takes off. I am pulled out of the water and skimming across the surface on my first attempt, aided by the athleticism programmed into me. Cheers erupt from the boat and Jean is yelling something that sounds like “go girl” above the roar of the boat engines. As the boat races across the water, I am exhilarated at how effortlessly I skim along the water. My enhanced senses and muscular skills allow me to quickly turn back and forth across the wake. With each pass across the boat wake, I learn how to adjust to the motion of the boat in relation to the water and the wake it creates. Jean just about jumps out of her swimsuit as I use the wake to propel myself into the air and land on the water, adjusting my grip and tension on the tow rope to avoid wiping out. Even though he’s piloting the boat, Gary witnesses this and calls out to Ian, “I thought she said she never skied before!”
Ian doesn’t like it when I draw attention to myself like this but has to cover for me, “She hasn’t but she is a very athletically gifted woman.” ‘Damn it’, he thinks to himself. After a couple more jumps with some tight turns across the wake, I am done and signal to the boat as I let go of the tow bar and sink into the lake. As the boat taxis towards me and Gary yells, “Anne, that was the most amazing skiing by a beginner that I ever saw.
“That was so much fun but my arms were getting tired.”
I hand each ski to Ian and he has a look on his face that shows his frustration with me. Once on the boat, we cruise around the lake as Gary and Jean share stories.
Later that evening, after dinner, I watch from the deck as night takes over the northern woods. Ian is chatting with Jean as Gary steps outside. “Think I’ll take a stroll down the drive to clear my head.”
“I’ll come join you”, I volunteer.
“Thanks for offering, sweetheart, but I need to think over some things quietly on my own.”
“Ok. See you later.” As Gary walks down the drive and disappears around a bend, call it a woman’s intuition but I feel like Gary’s objection to my joining him is strange. Leaving the deck, I hurry to catch up to Gary but remain quiet and far enough back so as not to be seen. Stealthily, I follow Gary up the drive until he stops, almost to the county road. Gary flashes a flashlight two times and I see the dark silhouette of a car, flashing its headlights in return. A figure exits the car and approaches Gary. I need to hear their conversation so I creep closer to listen better.
“Dan, it’s Gary. How are you?”
“Hey, not so bad.” It’s obvious they must know each other well as they shake hands and embrace. “Elise says you and Jean need to get together with us some time. This retired life isn’t good for you. You’re all alone up here in the woods.”
“We absolutely got to get together but we do love it up here. The two of you need to get up here for a weekend. Were you able to look up info on this girl?”
“Yeah, I was. On the surface, she seems ok and legit. But…”
“But?”
“...but there seems something odd about her. I looked up her profile in the national database and everything she told you is there. But the IT guy says that the data codes used to create her info are recent, basically too recent to be proper codes used for older data. Like for her secondary school stuff, the codes are too new. Older codes would have been inputted into the system to register that older school info.”
“Did you try calling any of the schools?”
“I did try calling the one school in Germany and they had nothing about her in their system.”
‘Shit’ I think to myself as I listen to this. ‘Ian needs to know what’s going on here.’
“Nothing huh?”
“Nope. Nothing at all. I tried a couple others and the same thing. She seems a real mystery to me...like a figment of someone’s imagination.”
After a few more minutes of this, I pretty much got the gist of my predicament. Gary, the retired detective, is using his contacts to check me out.
They are ending their conversation so I need to get back to the cabin. Just as before, I stealthily creep away from them until I am far enough away to trot back to the deck. Watching from the rocker, I see Gary approaching from the driveway.
Acting as if I know nothing, I ask, “Was it a good walk?”
Gary gives me an odd look, as if he’s searching for the right words to say to me. “I got some answers but I have a lot more questions.” He walks into the cabin by Ian and Jean. No way I’m leaving him alone with Ian so I go inside as well. Gary is uncomfortable with my presence and appears to want to talk to Ian. watch and listen for Gary to say anything but he appears to be waiting for my absence to say anything to Ian or Jean. Eventually the night catches up with us all and we leave for the bedrooms. I want to say something to Ian but I’m not sure what to say. I don’t want to ruin the weekend for him so I decide to wait until we are home before I say anything about Gary’s meeting with his contact.
Sunday morning breaks and after breakfast, Jean and I decide to hike the nearby trail. Gary tries to prevent us, “Jean, I’d rather you didn’t go hike this morning. I have some things I need to discuss with you.”
“Nonsense”, she says, “it’s a beautiful morning and I’m going to take advantage of it. Annie, would you care to join me.”
“I’d love to join you. It’ll be fun.”
Ian intervenes, “Have fun hiking the trail but take this with you mom.” He hands her a Smith and Wesson .45 caliber handgun. “There’s been talk of a bear sow with its cubs roaming around here.” Jean straps on a holster and straps the gun, safety on. She’s no stranger to handling handguns.
“Such a loving son”, she chimes half jokingly. “Let’s go Annie.”
We walk down the unpaved driveway to the road. A quarter mile farther brings us to the trailhead. No cars are parked at the trailhead so we find ourselves all alone as we begin our steps into the woods. As we walk along we pass stands of pines, woody sentinels passing the test of time, casting their shadows upon all who pass beneath. Chipmunks scurry along the ground, foraging for the day’s meal. The sound of various warblers, common to the area, fill the air with their calls. Jean and I continue bonding with our stories of Gary and Ian. How I wish I could tell her my true story and that I am now the perfect woman for her son. How crazy would that be? Would she be shocked or just think I’m a lunatic? I’ve been with Ian for about 3 months. Is it too early to profess to her my love for her son? Perhaps it’s best to keep the subject matter light hearted for the time being. We have walked two miles along this out-and-back trail when the two bear cubs run across the path in front of us. We both freeze, wondering where the sow is when the bear charges out of the brush.
Reflexively I scream, “Jean!” She is closest to the bear when it slams into her. She has no chance to reach for the gun in her holster. Jean is slammed to the ground and the bear is on top of her with all its fury. She feels and smells the bear’s hot breath as it bites down upon her shoulder. Fangs and teeth tear through her top, tearing at flesh, blood spurts out of torn veins. Her arms flail at the beast in a fruitless attempt to fight it off. I look around me and pick up a large stone that I fling in a desperate attempt to distract the bear, but it harmlessly bounces off it. I feel so helpless as I hear Jean’s desperate screams. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Without thinking through a plan, I know something must be done to draw the bear off her or she will surely die. I take a couple steps and leap on top of its shoulders. Reaching over, I punch the bear in its snout, causing it to rear up and release Jean. Tossed to the ground, I have become its next intended victim. Confronting this animal that outweighs me by several hundred pounds, I am filled with fear and dread. This is unlike anything I have been programmed to deal with. The nanoprobes have no solutions for me when dealing with an enraged bear. I scream at the bear in hope that will scare it off but the creature only roars louder. I run along the trail and my ruse works. The bear takes off after me but now what? At 30 mph, the bear is twice as fast as me. I hurry behind a tree trunk, using it as a shield as massive paws swipe at me. Looking back at Jean, she has struggled to her knees. Her right arm hangs limp by her side as she reaches across her body with her left trying to unholster the.45. My situation is tenuous as the bear can easily reach around the tree with a limb to swipe with claws, eager to tear me apart. My position is forced as a paw reaches for me and I back away from the tree trunk to avoid it. Seeing my vulnerability, the bear begins its final attack, lunging to one side of the tree. Retreat is unthinkable for where would I retreat to? The bear would easily outrun me only to overtake and maul me. We have only one chance, Jean’s handgun.
Shots ring out as the slugs, in rapid fire, reach their target, all bullseyes. Looking at me through his safety glasses, Ian gives me that shitfaced grin of his that I adore.
“Woooo. That’s some amazing shooting”, I say excitedly.
Standing in our cubicle at the shooting range, I look up at Ian, happy eyes smile back at him through my own safety glasses. I’m wearing no makeup for this is serious training at the gun range, not a time for looking flirty. Ian flips the safety on and places the gun upon the bench, barrel pointed down range. “Your turn”, he says matter-of-factly and I take my place at the bench. Holding the .45 in my hand, I feel its heaviness in contrast to the Beretta 9mm. I palm the weapon, looking upon it. Information fires through my brain neurons. Does Ian truly understand the killing machine that the transition pill with its nanoprobes has turned me into? Raising the gun, lining up the target bullseye with the gunsights, my index finger squeezes the trigger with rapid motion. Instantly I reposition the gun after each recoil. Safety on, I place the gun once again on the bench top.
Ian looks at the results down range. “Damn girl, you’re as good as me.”
I think to myself ‘no Ian, I’m actually better. I only lack brute male strength and therefore cannot perform those physical acts requiring male strength.’ But there would be no purpose in saying that and would only serve to create animosity. I became a woman and love being a woman. Perhaps it’s all part of the mating dance, so I assuage his ego. “Coming from you, Ian, I’ll take that compliment” as I slap him on his butt.
We take several more turns with the .45. The atmosphere of the gun range raises my curiosity about Ian’s past. “Ian”, I ask, “was there ever a time you thought you were going to die?”
A somber look comes over him and it’s as if he’s gone back in time. “When I was in the rangers, my patrol was ambushed. I became separated and escaped terrorist insurgents as I ran down several streets. One however spotted me and I ducked down an alley, only to realize it was a dead end. He started shooting his AK at me and I took cover behind a dumpster. We took turns, spraying fire at each other, ducking for cover, but I couldn’t get a bead on him. It was only a matter of time before his friends showed up.”
“How did you get out?”
“I noticed that he and I were almost in a rhythmic pattern. He’d shoot and duck. I would shoot and duck. We were both hoping that one bullet would find its mark but the odds were against that ever happening. I had to change my strategy there or I was a dead man eventually. I went to one shot, one kill. I anticipated his next attempt to shoot so I stood up and aimed my rifle for one shot. Either I would get him or he would surely get me since I was exposed.”
“You got him or you wouldn’t be here with me.”
“Yes, but it took nerves of steel to maintain discipline for one shot, one kill. If I panicked, I probably wouldn’t be here.”
I take Ian’s hands into mine, “I’m glad you are here with me.”
“Let’s try to simulate something here. Take the.45 in your hand, safety on, barrel pointed upwards and not under your chin my dear. Keep your eyes closed and I will spin you several times. When I stop you facing the range, shoot your bullets rapid fire at the target.”
I load a full mag in the gun chamber and hold the gun as instructed. Closing my eyes, I call Ready. Ian spins my body, my feet turn in unison. Finally his hands clasp my shoulders to position and release me. In that instance, I open my eyes, steady the gun down range, safety off. But I am disoriented as I rapid fire at the target, missing the bullseye completely.
“I did terribly.”
“Yes, because of that unique situation, you lost focus of the target. Let’s do that again only this time, your focus is to fire only one shot. Take that extra split second to gather your senses, aim and shoot. One shot, one kill.”
Just as before, Ian spins me in place. Again, his hands stop me from spinning and release me. This time as I flip off the safety and extend my arm, though my senses are still spinning with disorientation, I force myself to take that extra split second to line up the bullseye within the gunsights. The trigger is squeezed and I feel the recoil as the slug exits the barrel for its target. As we both look downrange, there is a hole in the bullseye. I flip the safety on and place the gun on the benchtop. I turn to look up at Ian. He’s smiling down at me as I am at him. “One shot, one kill.”
As the bear lunges to one side of the tree trunk, I use it to temporarily block the bear and run to the other side towards Jean. I am sprinting as hard as I can but I hear the bear getting closer, it’s grunting getting louder. Jean is on her knees, holding the .45 in her left hand, her injured right arm hanging limp. Being right handed, she stands little chance of hitting the bear properly with the gun in her left hand. She struggles to yell “Annie” and probably wants me to move out of the way but I run straight towards her, blocking her aim with the bear. I want to yell to her to throw me the gun but I surmise she is probably too weak at this point. I can see the terror in Jean’s eyes and can only imagine what it must be like for her to see impending death. She’s looking at me and the bear is only several yards behind me. With a final push off one foot, I spin in the air so I can land facing towards the bear. Landing next to Jean, I grab the gun from her. Her eyes look at me wildly and with despair, as if I have stolen our only chance of survival. In an instant, I check the safety...it’s off. Raising the gun, I line up the bear’s mouth in the gunsights and scream “One shot, one kill, you bitch” as adrenaline courses through my veins. Squeezing the trigger, the round exits the chamber along its trajectory to the bear’s mouth. The slug enters the back of the bear’s throat, ripping apart flesh as it continues its trajectory to the spine, severing it and killing the bear. The momentum of the bear sends it crashing into us as it collapses into a heap upon the ground, sending the two of us sprawling. I am hurt from the impact of the bear but perhaps not badly. Gathering my wits, I glance at the bear and notice it isn’t moving. A quick search for the gun and I pick it up. For good measure, I point the barrel into its eye socket and fire several rounds to ensure its demise.
Now it’s time for triage and I rush to Jean’s side. She’s bleeding from her mouth and she has terrible wounds on her neck, shoulder and upper arm. She’s barely conscious as she looks up at me. Barely audible, she sputters, “Annie, oh God it hurts so bad.”
I yell to keep her attention, “Stay with me Jean.” I look at her arms and she’s losing too much blood. “Jean, I need to tourniquet your arm.” I pull off my top and rip a shred off of it. Tying it around her arm, I place a stick and tie more fabric over the stick. Next, I twist the stick, tightening the fabric around her arm until I think I have stopped the bleeding, then I finish tying it off. I place what remains of my top over her open wounds to try and staunch the bleeding in that area too. “Jean, we killed the bear!” She nods to acknowledge me. “Stay with me, Jean. Jean, can you hold my top here” and I place her hand over it. If I give her something to do, maybe she’ll stay conscious. I need to keep her from going into shock. I check my cell phone. Damn, no signal. I search Jean’s pockets for her cell phone. Damn, no signal for hers either. Leaning over Jean, I check her pupils and they are dilated. She is going into shock. “Jean, we can’t stay here. No cell signal. We have to go.” She seems to murmur something. Looking at my top, I can only think of one way to keep it on her. I unsnap my bra so I can wrap it over my top that has now become bloodsoaked and around Jean’s body to resnap it. I lift her lower body and she cries out in pain. I start to cry myself. Don’t panic, I think. Help her. I lift her up and she is wobbly. “Annie...hurts bad”, and she collapses. I only know one way to do this so I lift her up and throw her fireman style over my shoulders. I need to conserve my breath but I think to myself, ‘Jean, you need to lose a couple pounds.’ The phones are in my pockets and I start walking, stooped over. It’s extremely uncomfortable as my DD breasts are bouncing quite a bit with nothing to support them. ‘God, please give me strength’ I think to myself as I carry her, placing one foot in front of the other. I make it a quarter mile to a clearing so I stop to check the phones. Still, no signal. So I trudge onward, one foot in front of the other. I cannot tell if I have gone another quarter mile, maybe more as we reach another clearing. I dare not put her down as I don’t know if I have the strength to pick her up again. Oh my God, a signal. I hit the quick dial on my cell for Ian.
Ian answers with a relaxed voice, “Hey sweetie, how’s the hike?”
I struggle to talk while Jean is on my shoulders. “Ian, a bear attacked us. Jean’s hurt bad. ATV, now.”
The tone of his voice instantly changes, “is the bear still around?”
“It’s dead. Come now.”
“I’m keeping the line open. We’re on the way.” I keep trudging. For all I know, the next step might be the difference whether Jean lives or dies. Maybe she’s dead now. I keep going. Ian talks over the phone, encouraging me. It seems like forever before I hear the sound of an ATV engine approaching. Keep moving, I tell myself. Then, they are in view, racing as fast as possible. Stopping short of us, Ian and Gary jump out of the ATV. I collapse to my knees with Jean still over my shoulders. The sight of Ian and Gary causes me to break out in tears, I am just overcome with emotion at the sight of them. “Oh God, help her please. Is she alive?” Ian and Gary check her vitals and look over her. Ian looks worried and relieved at the same time. “She’s alive, but barely. We called in a Flight For Life that’s landing on the highway. Let’s go.” Ian cradles his mom in the back while I sit up front by Gary. In a misplaced exhibition of modesty, Gary starts to remove his shirt. I scream at him, “Fuck that! Go!!” He wheels the ATV around and accelerates as quickly as possible. Thankfully the trail is relatively flat but we still bounce and I have to hold onto the cab so I don’t fall out. My toplessness is on full display but no one notices, no one cares. As we approach the highway, we can see the helicopter approaching. By the time we arrive at the trailhead, emergency crews are on site to block the road for the helicopter. Paramedics rush to the ATV and Jean is laid upon the ground. I stand there with my hands to my mouth, tears fall along my cheeks to the ground. Someone notices the young topless woman with blood all over her and removes their shirt to give me. I gladly accept and put it on. A stretcher is brought and Jean is gently lifted. “1-2-3” and she is lifted off the ground as a paramedic holds an IV bag as she is rushed to the helicopter. Gary climbs into the helicopter, we watch as the blades begin to spin faster until the helicopter lifts off the ground and departs for the emergency center where medical attention awaits.
Ian looks skyward until the helicopter is virtually out of sight and turns his attention to me. Standing there, I am a mess. My hair is matted with Jean’s dried blood. I am covered with streaks of her blood over all of my body. Ian gasps, “Anne” as I rush up to him and throw my arms around him breaking into uncontrollable sobs. A torrent of emotions pours out of me as my tears begin to soak his shirt. We just stand there, holding each other until I finally gain my composure.
“Are you ok?”
“I think so” and we are approached by a couple of paramedics.
“Ma’am, if you don’t mind, we’d like to check you over.” Ian watches intently as they check my vitals. We are joined by a DNR warden and the county sheriff who need to complete their reports. The paramedics chime in, “did you apply that tourniquet to her arm?”
“Yes” and I explain what had happened.
“You just might have saved her life. Without that tourniquet, she would have definitely bled out and died.”
I look at Ian and I can see tears well up in his eyes as he looks at me and realizes how I reacted to the stresses of this situation. The warden and sheriff listen as I describe the entire situation from the cubs to my killing of the bear, to my carrying Jean to the ATV. The DNR warden confirms the dead bear and that he has recovered the .45 handgun. “I am amazed” says the warden, “that you carried her over a mile. You truly are a hero for what you endured. The majority of people I have encountered in my career would have shriveled in the face of such dire circumstances.”
I’m speechless at this praise. More information is gathered by the warden and sheriff to complete their reports. Someone has leaked information about this and soon the local news has arrived to get the story.
“Ian, we need to get to the medical center.”
We drive the ATV back to the cabin and I undress to step into the shower. I watch as rivulets of Jean’s blood rinse off my body and swirl down the drain. Once again I break down, crying inside the shower. Ian hears my sobs and steps into the shower, in his clothes, to hold me again. I sob into his shoulder. “Ian, it’s all so unreal. One minute we were enjoying our hike and the next we were fighting for our lives.”
Ian cradles my head between his hands and forces eye contact. “Anne honey, this is awful what’s happened. I’d be devastated if something had happened to you. I’d rather it had been me there to save my mom but if it couldn’t be me, in my own selfish way I’m glad you were there with your special skills to save her.”
“One shot, one kill.”
“What?”
“I took down the bear with one shot, one kill. Just like you trained me.” I describe the scene to him.
“Damn.”
“So Ian, you saved her too. If you hadn’t taught me, I might not be here. Jean would be gone too.” At that, Ian wraps his arms around me tight and hugs me. Soon I feel his body shudder and he is sobbing too. The shower water cascades over us, my naked body and he in his clothes.
“God, I am such a fool”, he calls out. I look up at him, into his eyes. “Anne, I love you. I want you and need you in my life.” Our mouths meet as only true lovers can.
Releasing our kiss, I look upon Ian. “Ian, I love you so much. I can’t imagine my life without you.” We embrace once more. Holding him in my arms, I never want to let go but harsh reality intervenes. “Ian, we need to hurry up. Your dad will need us.”
Coming up...Chapter 12 - Changing Attitudes
Anne
