ForevaXena's FanFic . . .
The Further
Adventures Of Jan And Mel
"Resistance And Resurrection"
by ArdentTly
Disclaimers: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Janice Covington and
Melinda Pappas all belong to the folks over at MCA, Universal and Renaissance
Pictures. No infringement of their
rights is intended.
Sexuality
Disclaimer: This story is an
uber xena story concerning Janice and Melinda.
It contains scenes of lesbian sex. It
is written with the premise that both these women are deeply in love.
They like to express themselves, as all lovers do.
Therefore, this story is intended for mature audiences.
So, if you aren't over the age of 18, please give this one a miss.
There are other stories out there under General Fiction.
Language
Disclaimer: Yes, folks.
There are naughty words ahead. We're
talking soldiers and Jan Covington
here. Both of whom are as subtle as
a screen door in a submarine.
Historical
Disclaimer: This story takes
place during the Second World War, specifically the European Theater.
Information on the Dutch Resistance is rather scanty, so I have taken
liberties with some of my information. I've
tried to be as accurate as possible.
Extra
Disclaimer: Okay, folks, this
one is not like my usual stuff. It
has a lot of accurate historical facts in it.
This was a very harsh and cold period in Europe.
As such, I feel bound (loved the movie!) to warn you that there is plot
here. Lots of it. I
tried to set the stage so you, the reader, could get a feel for what the Dutch
were going through. There is
violence, hurt/comfort, a lot of angst and some physical cruelty.
They were the worst of times, they were the best of times....
This
is a continuation of one of my stories called "The Further Adventures of
Jan and Mel - The Grecian Affair". While
it isn't imperative you read that one first, it certainly would clear up some
questions you might have regarding
some things in this story.
As always, input regarding my writing and its content are welcomed. You can write to me at ArdentTly@yahoo.com
BOOK
TWO
Chapter One
Amsterdam, Netherlands
August, 1943
Making her way carefully
through the forest, Jan continued to bundle her silk. She tilted her head, first one side then the other, groaning
as her vertebrae realigned themselves. Getting
caught in that damned tree had put a crick in her neck.
She checked her watch once
again and began looking for a suitable place to stow her chute.
What a jump! She thought, grinning. She'd
never done it from a bomber but she had to give the Brit's points when they
modified the Mosquito B XVII. Not
only did it have a pressurized cabin but was a night fighter, too.
She reached into her pack and
worked out her shovel. Unfolding
it, she began attacking the earth, making sure to only disturb a small area.
Satisfied, she bundled her chute and carefully compacted the earth back
on top.
She was just about to check her
watch once more when a low whistle emitted from the bushes off to her right.
She removed her 9mm Browning and crouched low near the trunk of the tree.
"Don't shoot.
You are Sergeant Covington, yes? I
am Frans. You will come now."
Frans van DeMeer made sure the
American was following and then began running, weaving through the trees.
Jan grabbed her shovel and began sprinting after him.
They stopped a few times, Jan
sharing her canteen, Frans giving her a few trail bars.
She looked the man over. More
like a big kid, she thought. Couldn't
be more than 20.
Although he wasn't tall, Frans
looked to be in pretty good shape. He
was slight of build, the wiry sort. His
thick head of dark hair reminded Jan of her wife.
She sighed and put the thought away for another time.
Then they were off again, Jan holding her pack so it didn't rattle.
Bellies slightly filled, she and Frans took off with renewed energy.
He put his hand up and they
took refuge near an old warehouse. He
motioned for her to stay put and then he was gone.
Jan slipped off her pack and lay in the dirt, weapon in hand.
The low whistle was heard again
and then Frans materialized beside her. Helping
her up, they headed for the back door. Jan rubbed a dirty hand across her forehead as they climbed
the stairs. And so it begins,
thought Jan, wishing she was in Mel's arms.
Checking her watch *again*,
Jan's temper began to flare. She
had been sitting in the cold building for two hours. Way past the meeting time.
What gives? she wondered.
Frans came into the room with a
woman, both talking rapidly in Dutch. The
woman looked quite upset but Frans seemed to be slightly amused.
Jan arched an eyebrow. A lover's spat?
"Sergeant Covington, this
is Jannie. She is part of the cadre
you will be joining."
Holding her hand out, Jan was a
bit miffed when it was ignored. Okaay.
She pulled her hand back and watched as the woman made her way over to a
bed roll, lay down and put her back to them both.
Frans smiled, shaking his head and left Jan to fume.
After the fifth day, Jan had
taken her weapon apart and cleaned every inch of its surface - three times!
Her jaw hurt from grinding her teeth so much.
Frans had showed her the layout of the village, helping her obtain
village clothing.
It was of little comfort to
Jan, knowing her gear was now safely under some hidden floor boards.
She couldn't fool anyone with her accent.
Or lack thereof, she snorted to herself.
If she had to eat one more
trail bar....Frans had tried to distract her with questions about America but
she could see he was getting restless himself.
Excusing himself Frans got up and told her he'd be back.
Probably with more hard tack, grumbled Jan.
Getting up, Jan stretched and
began to prowl the room. She didn't
like it. Where was her contact?
The meeting had been set up and it had been a full week before the rest
of the cadre had felt comfortable enough to set up a meet.
It seemed the leader, a Peter van Oppen by name, was a little skittish.
Jan stroked her chin, nodding.
I would be, too, she thought. Some
foreigner comes into my neck of the woods and I'm gonna just accept her? Don't think so. Not
on face value alone. No, sir.
She looked over at the girl
asleep on the floor. Jannie was 22
years old, had light brown hair and hazel eyes. Hard to tell as she squinted most of the time.
A gangly woman of about 5'9,
she moved awkwardly, as if unsure of how her bones and muscles interacted.
The woman began to move
erratically, caught up in another nightmare.
When they had first started, Jan had gone over to confront Jannie, but
after fending off the punches, decided that she'd just hang back, thank you.
Jan watched transfixed, as the
woman began to masturbate. Jannie
moaned out a name, over and over. "Anneke."
Just then, Frans came back up
the stairs carrying a bag of food and some soup. Janice gave him a look and motioned over to Jannie.
He smirked.
"Ja, she is missing Anneke.
They have been apart now for two weeks.
Easy it doesn't ever get when they are parted.
Anneke is the same. She
don't sleep, don't eat and gets very grouchy."
"Oh, Anneke is a woman's
name then?" Jan had a funny
look on her face.
"Oh, yes, Sergeant.
They have been lovers for two years.
You find them...repulsive? They
cannot help loving each other. You
must understand...they did not pick themselves to love; it just happened."
He looked uncomfortable, trying
to explain in a second language to a total stranger.
"Hey, look Frans.
No big deal. And call me
Janice or Jan, okay?" He
smiled and nodded, relieved that he wasn't putting the American off.
Europe had a more open view on sexuality.
Amsterdam was more broad minded when it came to homosexuality.
That is, until the Deutsche came to town.
Now it was very hard for everyone. The
Jewish population was under constant attack and other 'minorities' were finding
it better to just simply disappear.
"And just for the record,
I believe in love, okay? In all its
glory. Hell, I am married,
right?" she wiggled her ring
finger.
Jan didn't elaborate, choosing
to keep that bit of information to herself. Loose lips sink ships. That
was her motto.
As the smell of hot soup and
sandwiches filled the air, Jannie sat up and rubbed her face with her hands.
She yawned. Suddenly looking
guilty, she zipped up her pants and wiped her hand on the blanket.
She looked over at the Sergeant. Ze
is er zo enntje. Wa een kreng!
she muttered.
She shook her head.
Was it ever to be so? she
thought. Being away from Anneke was getting harder all the time.
She could hardly wait until the war was over.
She'd take her lover and they would raise some children and maybe run a
school.
She glanced over at the
Sergeant. She was a cold one, for
sure. All business.
Very curt and precise. She didn't know why Frans paid her any attention.
He must want something, she thought coldly.
Ze geft niks om ons!
She got up and sauntered over
to the table. Snatching up some
food, she gave Frans a dirty look. He
just returned it and smirked at Janice.
"Look here, Jannie.
We've gotta talk, okay?" Jan
said, turning to look at the woman.
"I know you miss
your...friend. I'm gonna tell you
something. You have to remain
focused on this, okay? You can't be
zoning out on me all the time. And
where is Peter? I thought you guys
said he was coming here tonight? That
was hours ago."
"Ja, he is!
He's busy with plannings. He
come when he feels safe." Jannie
blurted out.
A soft footstep was heard and
Jan took out her Browning high power automatic. She inched forward, trying to stay in the shadows.
"Don't worry, Sergeant. It
is I, Peter van Oppen. Please put
the weapon down before you shoot off your own foot."
He laughed and swung a duffle bag off his shoulders.
Jan wasn't impressed.
Cocky little bastard, she thought. I
guess he needs a couple of lessons on courtesy.
And I'm just the dame to show him.
"Nah, haven't shot any of
my toes off in....days, at least. So,
you're Peter, huh? Nice to meetcha. I've
heard some....good things about ya."
"As I have about you,
Janice Covington. You are a little
on the small side, yes? And rather
skinny. You must need that gun for
protection, yes?" He had a
look of amusement in his eyes. He
wanted to test this American. See
just how far he could push. It was
important, for mistakes were fatal in this business.
"Yeah, I don't have much
meat on these bones. But what I do
have, is choice. And as for the
gun. Nope, don't need it.
Won the highest mark in the hand to hand combat portion of my training.
You know all this. Why you
yankin my chain, Peter?"
He smiled and walked over to
her. Sticking out his left hand, he
introduced himself and then whistled low. Two
others came bounding up the stairs, smiles on their faces.
Jannie yelped in surprise and
ran over to a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Die is vast wel goed!"
Ah, thought Jan. This must
be...Anneke.
Anneke was about 30 and was
5'5. She looked to be about 160 lbs but there wasn't an inch of
fat on her anywhere.
Peter laughed and motioned to
the man who had come in with Anneke.
"This is Menno.
He is my weapons expert. There
will be one other to join us. He is
Jaap, Menno's brother. Jaap is our
demolition expert. He likes to play
with fire. He will come later
tonight. Perhaps the next day,
alright?"
Jan walked over and shook the
man's hand. His face was wreathed
in smiles. So, this was to be her
new family. She turned and watched
Anneke and Jannie still in each other's embrace.
Her heart felt like breaking.
Thoughts of Mel filled her mind and she ached to hold her wife in her
arms.
She looked away as the two
began to kiss. That's it! she
thought. I do not fuckin need this
right now. She cleared her throat
and walked over to the window.
Peter frowned.
Surely there wouldn't be a problem.
Not at this stage? There was a plan to blow up some train tracks in two week's
time. Well, they would have to work
things out as it was too late to get someone else.
Besides, Anneke and Jannie were perfect for recognizance.
They seemed to become part of the shadows.
The Sergeant would have to come to grips with her distaste of
homosexuality and move on.
He walked over to the window
and placed a tentative hand on Jan's arm. "You are disgusted with their love?
You must not think of it and just let them do their job."
"You don't understand.
Look, lets just forget it. I'm
not mad...at that, okay? It's
just...that I miss my...husband, okay?"
Peter frowned.
It hadn't mentioned anything about a marriage in Janice's documents.
"You are married?
When did this happen? It is
recent, yes?"
Jan smiled, lost in her
thoughts of Mel and how she looked and the time they had spent....She blinked
and cleared her throat.
"Yeah, got hitched ten
days before I was shipped out. And
it was a private ceremony, okay? You
don't have to know anything more."
"I may call you Jan?
Good. Now listen, we cannot have stress because of this.
They, Jannie and Anneke, they have loved each other for two years.
There is not a day that goes by that they are not in each other's
thoughts. They work well together
and that is that. You will have to
move past your...distaste of this type of love.
It is only considered unnatural by those who don't understand love.
Are you one of those?"
Jan clenched her teeth, and
looked sideways at Peter. What to
say, what not to say? she thought.
"Now look, you
condescending jerk. I am not 'one
of those' who don't understand love, okay.
I...I don't think its unnatural or wrong or whatever.
Hey, love finds you, you don't have a choice, alright?
I know what its like to love someone, body and soul..."
Peter's eyes opened wide. He
nodded.
"You are in love with a
woman?"
Jan pursed her lips and stuck
her jaw out. "Yeah.
Okay? Can we just leave
this?"
"But Jan, this is
wonderful! You must tell Jannie and
Anneke. They will accept you then.
Do you understand? They will feel a bond. You
must. You are embarrassed for this
love you feel for your wife? I
don't think so. You are afraid that
others will make fun of you?"
"Do NOT go there, Peter.
I am not ashamed of Mel. I
love her more than life itself. Hell,
we've been together for almost two years now as well.
Of course I'm not ashamed of her. She'd
be here with me if she didn't have damnedable flat feet!"
Peter pushed Jan in a friendly
way and jerked his head towards the two women who sat side by side, smiling at
each other. "Flat feet!"
he said, chuckling.
Jan turned from the window and
sighed. "I, uh, I have
something to say...I guess." She
shot Peter a dirty look.
After clearing her throat, she
went on. "I don't have any
problem with you two being lesbians, okay?
I am one. There..."
She cursed a long string of Greek obscenities and turned to the window
once more.
Anneke stood up and walked over
to the Sergeant. She was only a bit
taller but outweighed her because of her stocky build.
"I am glad to see you,
Sergeant. I am Anneke.
We, Jannie and me, we are glad you are here.
You are...like us?"
Jan turned and met the woman's
eyes. She saw compassion and hope
in the woman's eyes.
"Yeah, I am.
Me and Mel...my wife...just got married.
We've been lovers for almost two years.
I love her...very much. So,
I know how you feel..."
"Oh, Janice.
I can call you this? Yes,
Janice. I am very happy of you.
We, Jannie and me, want to be married, too. Her mutter, she likes me.
So, that is good. Jannie
thought you hate her. You see
her....pleasure herself, yes?
She tell me. She think you
are mad. She is embarrassed.
She want you to know she is sorry."
Jannie came over, head down,
and stood by her lover. She scuffed
her boots a little, feeling very awkward.
Jan lifted the woman's chin
with a finger. Their eyes met and
Jannie giggled. She made a little
curtsy and smiled. Jan chuckled and gave her a hug. Then Anneke stepped in and hugged them both.
Menno came over and hugged
Peter. Peter looked rather
nonplused. He grinned and decided
to just go with the feeling. Now,
the thought, now they could work together and get the job done.
Jan elbowed Jannie.
"You gotta do me a favour though.
No more....hand in pants, okay? You
were driving me crazy there, girl. I
mean, I miss my wife so bad, ya know? I
don't need you guys pushing it in my face, okay?"
Anneke leaned over and kissed
Jannie very deeply. "You mean
like this? You don't want to see
it? And this...."
She began running her hands over her lover's breasts.
Jan growled at swatted the two
women. Anneke whispered "I
hou van jou, Jannie", and their kisses almost made Jan catch fire.
"Peter!
Geez, where's a bucket of water when ya need one?"
She laughed and then the two women bent over in mirth.
The sight of a very flustered woman trying to be so strong had them in
gales of laughter.
Jan arched her eye brow, and
gave Menno a hug as the man waltzed over to her. He smiled very shyly.
"We are friend now?
You like us, we like you, yes?"
"Yes, Menno.
I like. Now lets eat and get
this show on the road."
Four pairs of eyes looked at
her quizzically. 'Show on the
road?' They were going to pretend
to be circus performers?
"Yeah, get going on our
mission. You know, the whole reason we're here together?
Aside from the love fest we seen to be enjoying, of course."
She snorted.
They laughed and gathered
around the table. Peter pulled out
some coffee and more food. Janice
felt like almost kissing him. Coffee!
Chapter Two
September, 1943
Peter sat on the back stairs
with Jan. He had a map on his knee
and the two of them were going over plans. Her tactical skills would be fully employed.
Jan leaned back on her elbows and watched as the man went on.
She smiled as he squinted at his homemade map.
He reached inside his breast pocket and pulled out a pair of wire rimmed
glasses. Jan noticed that he looked
younger wearing them. She could
see.....the young man he used to be.
She had read his file and was
very aware of the death of his fiancé at the hands of the Germans.
It must have pretty much destroyed the man she was getting a glimpse of.
He was so...intense...so enthusiastic.
She smiled again. Thoughts
of Mel entered her mind as she remembered how much fun they had together, going
to museums, checking out the Smithsonian, going over a site piecemeal.
Mel had some pretty wild thoughts about where life originated.
Jan smirked. They were never
going to agree on the subject of Origin of the Species and the Genesis of Man.
Peter turned his head and
furrowed his brows. "You don't
like the plans or is it the glasses you detest?"
"Nah, actually, I was
thinking about my Mel. We've had
some pretty hairy experiences together. She
seems to attract trouble. I
remember one time...it was when we found the first batch of the Xena
Scrolls..."
"You are *that* J.
Covington? That Professor Jan
Covington? I thought....I thought
it was a man. I...please accept my
apologies. I never dreamed...my
Anya, she gave me one of your books for a gift...it is my favorite subject,
archaeology."
His face was full of genuine
appreciation. He wore a look of
respect now, as if seeing Janice for the first time.
"But why?
Why do you come here when you have important discoveries to
make...freedom?
I don't understand why you would risk...everything?"
"Ya know, Peter, I've
asked myself that question more times than I'd like to admit.
Kinda hard to describe...how I feel about this.
Yes, I should be home...with Melinda.
I miss her so much...but...well, its like this, Peter.
I think I should try and make a difference in this war.
How can I sit back and watch others make our lives worth living, fighting
for freedom and our way of life? My
Dad fought along side friends in Mexico's civil war.
He was fighting against oppression then.
I'm fighting against it now."
Peter watched as an intense
light came into the woman's eyes. She
was one of those people who fought with zeal.
He nodded. This was good.
A smart woman, very capable in the art of war who had heart.
Very good combinations, he thought.
"Yes, Jan, I do
understand. I was...destroyed when
Anya...we were to be married. We
had such plans...names we were to call our children.."
He laughed bitterly. "How
very naive I was. We Dutch, we
seriously thought we could just ignore the problems around us and they would go
away. It has been...a very rude awakening, my friend."
Both sat in silence, lost in
their own thoughts, as the sky began to change from dark purple to pinks and
golds.
Menno stumbled outside and sat
himself down behind Peter. He wiped
the sleep out of his eyes and gave Peter a look.
"You didn't sleep again,
yes? Ga slapen, Peter."
He ruffled the man's hair and
gave him a push.
"Our mother hen, this
Menno. You must watch him, Jan, or
he will be bossing you around, too."
Peter got up and made his way
back to a sleep roll. Jan stretched
and yawned. Menno began to
massage the tightness out of her shoulders.
She groaned in response. She
rotated her neck and head and slumped forward.
She felt her eyes begin to
close and she sat up. "That's
all she wrote, Menno. I gotta get
some sack time. Thanks. That was really great. Hit
the spot."
After four hours, Peter was
shaking Jan awake. They had plans
to go over...again.
General Christiansen, Supreme
Commander of the German troops in Holland, had announced that all Dutch veterans
were now to report for internment in Germany.
All 300,000 of them. Massive
strikes were taking place all over Amsterdam and the police had announced a
state of siege was in effect.
It had been decided that
Christiansen was the next target. Peter
had been planning the assassination for weeks now. Jan found quite a few holes in them, much to Peter's
annoyance. She had been right, too.
They had since fine tuned every last detail.
Soon they would be ready.
Jaap, the demolitions expect,
showed up the next day. He
explained that he had been restricted to his home until he would sign an
agreement stating that he would go and work in a German factory after
graduation. It seemed all the able
bodied men were being sent to the front as Hitler announced his country was in a
state of total war.
Jaap finally decided that the
paper wouldn't be worth anything once the Americans pushed across the border so
he had finally acquiesced. He had
the bumps and bruises to show for his initial reluctance.
He looked very much like his
brother Menno. Both men were big
boned, heavily muscled and had high foreheads.
The looked every inch a Viking throw back. The facial hair was all that was missing.
That and a broad sword and funny helmet, of course.
The two were so much alike that
they frequently finished off each other's sentences.
Only sixteen months separated them in age but most thought of them as
twins. Their hatred of Hitler and
the Gestapo seemed to be at odds with their easy nature.
If one took the time to look closely into their eyes, they would have
seen the pain and hurt that each man had endured, watching everything they held
dear be taken away from them.
Menno and Jaap were Jewish.
They neither wore this truth as a badge of honour nor did they shun it.
It was simply who they were. Both
men were very honorable and dependable and Peter found them to be the back bone
of the unit. They held a special
place in his heart as they had been close friends with his Anya.
Peter looked across at Jannie
as she and Anneke lay nestled in each other's arms.
He hoped they would both get through this damnedable war.
Watching most of his friends either bending to the nazi will or dying at
their hands in protest had made Peter want to wail at the world.
Why couldn't the American's
push on faster? Why had the
Russians just dug in and waited the German's out? Didn't they know that lives were being lost on Dutch soil?
Soon, Peter thought, there would not be anything but the blood of his
countrymen left to mark their existence.
And yet love seemed to grow and
flourish. He stood and walked over
to the sleeping women. Anneke
jerked awake and looked at Peter with blurry eyes. She kissed her lover awake and both stretched on their sleep
rolls before rising and checking their weapons once again.
Chapter Three
Mel followed her new friend
into his curio shop. She wiped her
lips off on a napkin. My, those
spanakopito thingies were mighty good, she thought. Who'd a thought of putting spinach into a flakey pastry?
Them Griks were just so...talented.
Mikael Christopolis opened his
arms wide, trying hard to stretch his rather plump frame to his total height of
5' 9". With his shock of white
hair, he looked a bit like Santa Claus on vacation from both his red suit and
his long white beard and whiskers.
"You like the pastry?
I make dis morning. Very
good. My wife, she teach me.
She die lass year. Very sad.
Very sick. I am glad she no
see what go on in Europe now. She cry in heaven, I think."
Mel went over and placed her
hand on his shoulder. She patted it
a few times and brought her face close to his.
"You okay?
You need to sit down?"
"No, my dear lady, but you
might...come with me, yes?"
Mel watched as the old man's
face became wreathed in smiles. He
clapped his hands and took her by the arm. She felt herself caught up in his happiness and decided to go
along with it.
Down the stairway they went,
into the dark cold basement. It
felt so refreshing after the dry heat in his shop. Mel's skin became covered in goose bumps as the man switched
on the light.
The room was filled to the
ceiling with curios, artifacts and relics.
She spotted quite a few things she wanted to look closer at.
My, she felt like a child in a candy shop.
Christopolis smiled as he saw
the look of rapture on the woman's face. He
brought her over to the back of the basement and pulled aside a drape cloth.
Melinda's eyes grew wide as she
looked at the painting before her. It
was like looking in a mirror. Yes,
the engraving was all but faded and chipped and the stone tablet
was cracked with some of the main text missing but....there was no doubt.
Non whatsoever. Mel knew
without question that she was looking at her ancestor:
Xena of Amphipolis.
She clapped her hands to her
mouth and laughed. He scrunched his
forehead. This was not the response
he had expected. The American must
think it is a joke, he thought.
"No, no.
Is real. Look!
You see with glass. You see
the writing? Is real!"
Mel took the old man's hand and
gave it a squeeze. "Yes, Mr.
Christopolis. I know it's real.
Why, I know that face like I know my own.
This is a portrait of Xena: Warrior
Princess. Idn't it?
You knew, didja? Is that why
you came to me at the airport? Why
yer interested in me?"
She wasn't hurt by any means
but she did need to know why this man had sought her out and what he wanted.
"I did not know for sure.
Miss Pappas, you must understand. I
have this tablet...for many years. Very
old. In my family for long time.
I must tell you, yes, I find you out.
I am happy you know this warrior. She
is important, yes? You and....your
friend...yes, is not to worry. I
know you are married. Is good.
You are happy, she is happy. What
is problem? Love is love."
"But...but what do you
want, Mr. Christopolis? I don't
understand?"
"When I see your face, I
don't know the connection. You
looked so...family like...no, is not good word. You look like dis picture but my mind don't tell me.
I have to spend afternoon with you before my old brain make
connection."
He laughed and patted his
temple.
"I have been watching so
many of our national treasures go missing, leaving our country, never to be seen
again. I try hard to stop.
Is not good. Is our history. You
are Greek, Miss Pappas. Tell me you
understand this horror."
"Please, Mr. Christopolis.
Call me Mel. All my friends
do." She smiled at him and he
released the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding.
"Yes, Mel...is strange
name, yes?"
"It's um...well...short
for Melinda, if ya must know. I don't much like it, though.
My momma used to yell at me somethin fierce when I was younger.
Every time I hear it...well, it just makes me cringe.
Except when Jan calls me that. Now,
when she calls me anything, why, I just turn to mush.
Funny, isn't it?"
"You love this...Jan, yes?
More than life, I think. You
have a bond, very strong bond. I
see in your eyes when you talk of her. You
know the Greek myth about soul's separated, yes?
Good. Yes, could be this
way, no?"
"I think she is the other
side of my soul, yes, Mr. Christopolis. I
kinda feel her, even when she idn't here. I guess that's why I haven't been able to even think of
anything else. She's always on my
mind. Always..."
The old man patted Mel's hand
and went up to put some hot water on. Mel
began looking around. So much
stuff....
It was late when Melinda got
back to her house. She arched her
back and placed a hand on her tail bone. My,
so many things to inventory for Mr. Christopolis and just not enough time in the
day...She had been adamant about getting the afternoon off.
She just couldn't face Dr. Callisto's condescending looks, now that Jan
was gone.
How could she face their
bed....alone? She could barely
enter the dark foreboding house. Now
that her lover was gone, it seemed like a dark pall had descended on her very
soul.
She pushed open the front door
and dropped her hat and jacket off on the bench in the hall.
She kicked off her heels and gave each foot a nice massage before heading
off to the kitchen. Soon the house was bathed in lights and Mel began preparing a
light supper. Mr. Chrisopolis had
made her take some more of those tastey pastries and she had devoured them on the walk home.
A nice light salad with some
baklava would hit the spot, she thought as she pulled a stool up to the counter.
She sat sipping her hot apple tea, enjoying the rich bodied aroma.
Thanks goodness for Mr. Christopolis....
She found her mind wandering
now that her belly was full. She
idly licked her fingers, making sure all of the honey was removed...and thought
of Janice....
They walked along the secluded beach, one hand holding their shoes and
the other entwined, gazing into each other's eyes.
Neither said a word. It was
Jan had been so very romantic. She'd
laid in bed with Mel most of the morning, feeding her lover bits of cheese and fruit by hand. They had
Mel had stopped to look at a particularly glorious sunrise and had sat on
a rocky outcropping, lost in the moment.
Jan had come behind her and had
Jan had gently pulled down on the shoulders of the robe until it lay
pooled
"Have I told you how incredible you look tonight, love? Have I told you just
"Yes, Jan. You have
told me all of these things, and more. I
love you, too.
"Why, so...I...am....C'mere you..."
Jan turned her lover's face towards her kissed her very passionately. Mel
moaned and her hands moved slowly up
Jan's arms until they felt her lover's biceps.
Jan flexed her muscles and drew
Mel gasped as she felt Jan nibbling at her lower lip, her tongue being
sucked with abandon. Sometimes, the
strength of the mini dynamo before her took
She felt the straps to her bikini being slowly pulled down and then hot
kisses were strategically placed in all the right spots.
Jan always knew instinctively just where to kiss and suckle to bring out the most of
Mel's
Jan lowered her lover to the sand and shrugged off her shirt.
She lay it under
Jan's throat was dry as she watched Mel lick her lower lip. She bent over and
Sweeping her hair out of the way, Jan pushed her lover slowly down onto
the
Mel trailed her hand down between her legs and slipped them under her wet
Covington sucked the fingers into her mouth and moaned as they were being
Jan slowly inched the bikini down to Mel's knees and then slipped them
off. The sight of Mel's fingers buried deep into her vagina made Jan's
nostrils flare
The harder she sucked, the more Mel thrashed. Her hips rose and Jan squeezed in between them. Mel
wrapped her legs around Jan's middle and
Jan began rocking her hips into her lover, alternating her attention
between the two hardening nipples. Little cries began emitting from Mel as she
neared
her orgasm. She wiggled her
fingers deeper into herself and Jan increased
Jan could feel herself beginning to lose control....she could feel her
own orgasm just beyond her reach...
Just as Mel was feeling the first wave descend on her, Jan bit down on
her
Just as Mel was coming down from her orgasm, she felt another overtake
Jan whimpered and closed her eyes. Mel
removed her own fingers and
in between her lover's legs. Jan
moaned as she felt herself flipped over and then found herself looking up into the blue eyes she loved so well.
Her pants were pulled open, her underwear was pulled down, legs drawn up
Jan managed to grunt three times before she came.
She couldn't even manage to voice a single word. Just
noises...small cries of release.
She lay there, a silly grin on her face.
Mel kissed her roughly and then moved
Jan yelped as she felt teeth graze her sensitive clit. Then Mel's tongue caressed every inch of her throbbing sex before pushing deep inside.
Jan rocked her hips back and forth as Mel held her tightly.
Mel sucked hard on Jan's clitoris and then entered her again, her
tongue making alternating trips from opening to clit.
The sensations were intense
Jan yelled once and shuddered as Mel continued to milk her release.
Finally both women lay in the sand, Mel lying in her favorite spot at the
crook
Holding each other tightly, they murmured words of love, exchanging small
When Mel thought of that night,
she remembered being very surprised at the places she found sand in.
She'd had rug burns before but...sand burns?
She chuckled with the memory.
She cleared her dishes and
walked into the main bedroom. Switching
on the light only made things more lonely for Mel so she turned them off and
undressed in the darkness. She
clutched Jan's pillow to her face and inhaled the essence of the woman she
loved.
It was going to be a long
night. And an even longer war.
Mel wasn't sure what had
awakened her, but she sat up in bed, listening for some noise, an indication
that something was just not right.
She jumped out of bed as she
heard a crash. Reaching for the
baseball bat that her lover had bought back at Yankee Stadium, Mel inched closer
to the living room.
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse
of someone as they upturned her desk drawers and fled towards the front door.
Standing there in her slip, Mel
dropped the bat and began to shake. She
let out a cry as she heard the glass in the front door shatter.
She wasn't certain how she
managed to get to the phone and call the police but she did.
She sat in the overstuffed chair by the door and just waited.
She gave her deposition to the
policemen and was somewhat relieved when a man was posted to her front door.
A locksmith and carpenter had been called by a very compassionate chief
of police, assuring her that both would arrive early that morning.
Mel was escorted back to her
room and as she lay down on her bed, she wondered who would want to break into
her home. They had nothing.
Their house was very sparse and
austere. Jan wasn't one for pretension and all of Mel's finery was
still back in America.
She had hesitated to bring any
of her things because of the war. The
thought of her precious heirlooms sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean
made her positively cringe in horror.
Now she was glad she hadn't
pushed to have them sent. Anything
would be preferable to the look her Momma would give her upon learning of their
theft. Mel blinked at the vision of
her mother's disapproval.
It was bad enough that she
would never understand the love that she and Jan shared. That
she would hate her...but to lose a part of her heritage?
That would have been positively unforgivable.
The memory of her mother's
scolding voice is what filled Mel's thoughts as she fell into an uneasy
slumber....
Chapter Four
Jan watched with hooded eyes as
Jannie, Anneke and Frans made their way across the courtyard.
Jannie leaned over and kissed her lovers cheek.
Suddenly, a Dutch nazi soldier pointed to the two women and laughed.
A group of men sat and enjoyed the sport.
The tallest of the bunch walked
over to the women and began pushing them, yelling obscenities into their stoic
faces.
"Zeh
er zo eentije. Lesbiennes!! Kep
rennen zu kreng!" He began
slapping the women. Anneke tried to
position herself in front of most of the blows but this seemed to anger the
soldier more. Soon, both women were
huddled on the ground, trying to ride out the punishment.
Jan gritted her teeth and made
her way across to where they lay. The
soldier had stopped kicking the women after neither had made a move to do much
more than cover vital spots before his punishing boots.
His verbal abuse, however, continued.
Covington was dressed in the
usual non descript clothing of the lower class. She wore a scarf over her hair and tried not to look the man
in the eye. She put a calming hand
out to the soldier and smiled. He
furrowed his forehead, looking for deceit or aggression.
He frowned as Janice leaned
over and placed her hands on Anneke's back. "Je hebl je
bezeerd? Je bent gewond?"
Anneke looked up in puzzlement.
She shook her head and helped Jannie to her feet.
They kept their eyes cast downward and slowly made their way back out of
the courtyard.
The soldier didn't quite know
what to make of the scene as it unfolded before him.
Jan smiled gently and turned away. He
reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.
He spoke a few quite words and Jan nodded.
The man smiled and went back to his friends.
They patted him on the back for a job well done and Jan fought hard to
keep the smile on her face.
It left soon after she turned
away. If they could have seen the
hatred in her eyes, they might not have been so carefree.
She helped them around the
corner and they all leaned against the wall in relief.
"You do know that
eveything, all of our plans would have been dashed if that guy had've dragged
you in for questioning? You
can't...you just can't show any affection in public.
You have to understand this! You
make yourselves a target and that endangers all of us.
Do you understand?"
Anneke nodded, her face a stone
mask. Jannie's lower lip was cut
and bleeding. She nodded and took
her lover's bleeding hand into her own. She
tore off part of her shirt and began wiping at the wounds.
Anneke put her hand over the cloth and stopped Jannie's movements.
She turned and walked away.
Jannie's face briefly showed the hurt she was feeling and then she slowly
followed.
Jan took a quick look behind
her and checked the whereabouts of the soldier.
She had promised the man a little comfort in exchange for letting the two
women go. She wondered just
what the repercussions would be when she failed to show up at their meet.
She couldn't think about that
now. Her whole plan of maintaining
a low profile had suddenly gone straight out the window.
She couldn't leave the women to possible interrogation but now her face
would be remembered. She didn't know much Dutch and was pleased that she'd been
able to convey most of her wishes with a smile and a caress.
Chapter Five
The three skirted the city and
came up the back way to the warehouse. Jan
stopped every now and again to make sure they weren't being followed.
As they entered the warehouse,
Jan noticed something was wrong. Jaap
and Menno sat stoney faced while Frans and Peter were in deep discussion.
Peter jumped up when he saw the
blood on Jannie's face.
"Jannie!
Je hebtje bezeerd! Anneke?"
Neither woman would look him in the eye.
Janice came forward and told him what had happened.
Jannie broke into tears when
Anneke turned away and strode over to the window.
Jan frowned and went after Anneke.
"Anneke.
What's wrong with you? You
treated her like dirt out there. So,
she made a mistake! Yeah, one
moment of weakness and you won't forgive her?
I already have and I'm not having sex with her.
You love her and you can't forgive her?
What the hell is going on here?"
"Sergeant Covington. You
will not speak of this to me. It is
between Jannie and me. She...we
could have all been killed. You
know this. You say so earlier.
Why do you forgive now?"
"It is one thing to be
angry at the moment, Anneke. But
then you put it behind you and you forget it.
Move on! I know you hurt.
Your pride...you defended Jannie but let yourself be beaten.
I can understand why you'd be angry about that. Hell,
I wanted to spit down the guys neck after I'd torn his bloody head off!!
Instead, I had to swallow my pride and promise the SOB that I'd fuck him.
You want a reason to be pissed off?
Take mine. I gotta come up
with a way to either placate the bastard or..."
"Janice!
You will not go back there. I
will not condone this behavior. Yes,
you do it for the safety of the cadre. But
you are not expected to do....that. It
is beyond....no! I will not allow
it." Peter was livid at the
very thought of this fine woman with...."We are too close to reaching our
objective, Jan. Please."
Peter began to pace, his fists
opening and closing behind his back, chords in his neck standing out in relief.
"Besides...we have
trouble. Menno and Jaap were out
earlier trying to find the train route that Christiansen will follow from
Rottersdam. The Franks...they have
been found...after such a long time in hiding..."
Jan saw the look on his face
and came over to him. She hugged
him while I tried to remain stoic, aloof. She
felt his body shudder and then...the facade crumbled and Peter cried.
He held Jan's shoulders and buried his face in her neck.
Hot tears of anger and remorse soaked Jan's blouse.
Part of Jan wanted to run and
hide. She didn't do....this
sensitive stuff! What should she
say? Or do?
Not knowing either, she opted to just hold on and let him take the next
step.
She didn't understand many of
the words but knew that they concerned his girlfriend and how terrible life had
been, was and continued to be.
As she held Peter, Jaap spoke
up, detailing the arrest of the eight Jews that had spent a long and tortuous 25
months huddling behind a false wall in an old abandoned warehouse.
The Gestapo had made a big
announcement, urging all patriotic Dutchmen to follow the words of Hitler and
denounce every last enemy of the state.
A deathly pall had descended on
the beautiful city of Amsterdam. It
was as if each and every one of its citizens were trying to bury the shame of
the actions against its Jewish people.
Never had a cut been so deep as
when the Dutch Nazi Party declared that the Netherlands was "Judenrein"
- free of Jews.
As the end of the year came
closer, it was reported through
channels that over 100,000 Jews had been deported to death camps in Poland.
No longer would the Allies be able to sit back and ignore the truth.
No longer would the world be so innocent as to be blinded by words and
promises made by a madman.
Chapter Five
Mel sneaked another look at the
tablet fragment and then quickly deposited it back into her safe.
She carefully tucked her notes into the inside band of her hat and began
to straighten her desk.
As she heard the click clack of
high heels hitting the mezzanine floors of the museum, Mel found herself
clenching her jaw in response. What
was it about this woman, thought Melinda, that had her tied up in knots?
Just the sound of her voice set the southerner on edge.
"Well, Miss Pappas.
I see you're finishing up a tad early this evening.
Why, its not yet 5:00 o'clock. Was
there...somewhere you had to be? A...date,
perhaps?" She smiled wickedly
but her eyes remained stone cold.
Deciding that silence was the
better part of valor, Mel declined to answer, choosing to nod instead as she
grabbed her jacket.
"Oh, Melinda, dear.
Don't go forgetting your...hat...will you?
My word, dear, I do believe you'd forget your pretty little head if it
wasn't sewed on, wouldn't you?"
Melinda brought her hand
forward to retrieve her hat as it was pulled out of reach by the director.
"Ah, ah, ah.
I don't recall hearing 'Mother may I'.
Come on...you can say it...say 'Mother may I'."
"If you don't mind, Dr.
Callisto," said Mel as she finally grabbed her hat.
The motion caused the corner of her notes to peek out of the inside band.
This in turn caused the southerner to break out in a slight sweat.
"Why, Melinda.
Are you coming down with something?
You look like a goose just crossed your.....grave....dear.
Something I said?"
Mel had had it.
Her nerves were frayed as it was, what with working after hours at the
curio shop with Mr. Christopolis and then grabbing a few hours of sleep at her
house only to return to work and have to kowtow to this...this...bully.
It was getting to be just too much.
"I think we've had this
conversation before, Director Callisto. My
time is my own and my personal property is not up for grabs.
I'd appreciate it if ya all remembered that.
What's mine is...mine, Dr. Callisto.
And I intend on keepin it."
She looked pointedly at the
Director and fingered the necklace Jan had given her.
Dr. Callisto smiled coldly back at her.
Getting the horrid woman to lose her temper and therefore have a reason
to get her dismissed was proving harder than she'd thought.
Having Covington out of the way
had been a great stroke of luck. Why
the woman would want to go traipsing over to some dingy place in Sweden or where
ever, when she could be safely here with her....Amazon....was beyond Hudson.
It just didn't make any sense. However,
since it all worked in her favour, she'd go with it.
All she had to do now was get
rid of the snooping little bitch in front of her. She didn't know what the connection was with that Greek shop
keeper, but Hudson was suddenly finding her antique contacts drying up.
As if someone was buying the artifacts up as fast as they were being
stolen.
Hudson had thought herself very
fortunate that she'd gotten out of Covington's house before being discovered by
Pappas that night days before. She'd
only sustained a minor wound on the inside of her upper arm.
It had required stitches, of course, but she'd gotten some quack to take
care of it quietly. Wouldn't do to have news of that injury reach anyone's ears
here at the museum. Might cause
talk. And inquiries. And that might lead to an investigation as to how certain
items were appearing in the stock room and then disappearing just as quickly.
Hudson had thought she was
being smart by giving the Pappas woman extra work, trying to drive her to
distraction and into making a mistake in judgment. It hadn't worked out that way at all. In fact, the Archaeology Department was now running smoother
than before and she herself was finding it hard to have new items appear
unnoticed. The woman had all but catalogued
the whole back supply room. No
longer piled high to the ceiling, the boxes had been sorted, filed and catalogued
to perfection.
Hudson had no idea how the
woman was doing it but she did intend on finding a certain valuable piece that
she'd brought in a few weeks before. She
knew approximately where she'd stashed it...then.
However, things were not even in the same room anymore.
The director had been forced to search every last place in the museum and
then had even broken into Pappas' home residence in an effort to find the
whereabouts of said item.
Finding neither was pushing Dr.
Callisto beyond the point of no return. She had to get the item back and soon. It had been promised to a buyer in Istanbul and she'd already
been paid a king's ransom for it. Her
excuses for delay were becoming weak and transparent at best.
Hudson had no delusions as to
what would happen to her if she failed to retrieve the item in question.
She wasn't too sure what importance it held but felt it might have
something to do with an old dig Harry Covington and Melvin Pappas had been
working on back in '38.
Not that she cared.
Money was, after all, everything. The
sooner she re-established her black market pipeline and found the damned tablet,
the better things would be.
It had been extremely
fortuitous that Judith Carmichael hadn't broken down and confessed the name of
her international fence. It was
also lucky for the woman that she was behind bars.
The director had found out the woman had been stealing from her.
A rather large sum of money, she had calculated.
Regardless of how long she
looked or where she looked, she just couldn't find any trail of the missing
money at all. That damnedable Alan!
she cursed. She'd always been able
to wrap the silly man around her finger. Certainly
he'd known. But now the fool had
gotten himself killed and was of no further use to her.
Now where would Judith have
stashed the money? And the
artifact? Where would this Pappas
woman have hidden it? Providing she
had found it in the first place. And
discovered it's worth. Perhaps someone else had found it and taken out of the
museum?
She failed to see the look of
concern on Melinda Pappas' face as visions of her paranoia ran away with her.
Chapter Six
Amsterdam, October 1943
After the Allied Invasion, some
in the resistance were executing prominant Nazi's and their Dutch sympathizers.
For every German assassinated, several Dutchmen were shot.
It only stiffened the resolve of the resistance even more.
It was a matter of the greater
good. The lives of a few barely
weighed anything against the lives of the many. It was this thought that kept Peter and his cadre sane and
totally focused in their desire to hurt the nazi's strong hold on Dutch soil.
Jaap sat in the shadows of the
train station and re-checked his dynamite.
Yes, the blasting cap was in place, the cord was just the right
length....he looked up as Peter and Jan came around the corner...
Like wisps of shadows he
watched Anneke and Jannie silently make their way towards the guard's station.
Not a sound, not one thing out of place....only a gentle thud as the
guard was pulled into the bushes...the spirits wafting through the darkness
towards their next prey.
All in all, four Dutch nazi
soldiers lost their lives that night. Each
of them had their throats cut with thin piano wires.....neither woman taking
much glee out of the mode of death they inflicted but they did smile in
satisfaction as the men quietly succumbed without fuss.
Jan tilted her head and
listened for....yes, she could just barely hear the rumble of the train.
If they were lucky, they'd have five or six minutes to get over to the
switch box and plant the bomb. It
had been decided to cause as much damage as possible, and by taking out the
switching mechanism, they would tear up two tracks instead of just one...might
keep them out of circulation for the better part of a week at the least and
maybe even two if they were really lucky.
The scuttlebutt coming down the
line from her contacts in England was that the American troops were making their
way across France and Belguim, hard and bloody fighting at every step.
Menno and Jaap made their way
towards the switch box, carefully concealing themselves in every available
shadow.
They had just begun setting the
charge when a low bird call was heard. Peter recognized the signal first and made hand gestures to
Jan and Frans. The two women were
still busy trying to make their way back from the last post.
A car drove up and two soldiers
and a Gestapo officer jumped out. Jan
couldn't make out what they were saying...
"Ist
es ein Shnellzug oder ein Personenzug?" asked
the officer.
"Wie
lange halten wir hier? Hat der Zug
Verspatung?" The soldiers shook their heads and mumbled their replies.
The German officer sneered at these inferior Dutch nazis.
Ah well, nothing a little bullet won't fix.
Especially once the German army completely dominates the Netherlands, he
thought smuggly.
Jan tried to summon up her
smattering of German and barely made out a few of the words.
Peter whispered the translation and she nodded.
So, they were wondering where the train was, huh?
And not staying long at this station.
Well, all the better because soon the station would be out of order.
If they could take Christiansen and some high ranking mucky mucks, then
all the better.
The officer motioned the two
soldiers to go and do a reconnoiter in preparation for the General's arrival.
No one was to know of his plan to sneak in the back door here in
Rottersdam. No big show of support
for the pompous windbag, thought the German.
Just as well.
One of the soldiers looked
towards the tracks, a frown on his face. He
went to investigate and Jan felt Peter stiffen beside her.
He couldn't whistle, couldn't call out...he had to be patient and hope
that Anneke had seen the fool.
The soldier unslung his rifle
and moved cautiously over to the shadows...his every movement mirrored by Anneke
just off to his right by the trees. Just
as he was within 20 feet of where the two men lay, still trying to furiously
finish their work, Anneke threw her knife. It landed solidly in the soldier's neck and the man quietly
slumped to the ground.
The other soldier had taken
this opportunity to urinate off to the side. Jan could smell the tobacco as he finished up and lit a
cigarette. Oh, the smell of freshly
rolled homemades, she thought wistfully.
She tapped Peter's shoulder and
jerked her head towards the other soldier.
Then she began making her way towards the man.
She crept slowly forward, making sure of every foot fall, every branch
and twig.
She was within ten feet of him
now and he was still blissfully unaware of his impending doom.
Jan removed her knife and wiped the sweat from her hands as she readied
her strike....
And then it happened.
Call it good luck or bad, depended upon your point of view.
Call it karma, whatever. All
Janice saw was the look of recognition as the soldier glanced up and over to
where she crouched.
It was the Dutch nazi in the
courtyard. His eyes registered both
her presence and where he had last seen her and then he was in motion.
He turned, bringing his rifle up in one fluid motion.
To Jan, it seemed as if
everything slowed down...she leapt towards the man, he turned and began raising
his rifle, she seemed to float towards him as his finger found the trigger...and
then their bodies collided.
Things began to happen quickly.
The two men finished off their work and spun around at the sound of the
one soldier dying, a knife in his neck. Then
Anneke began to run towards the officer who had finally clued into the fact that
something was up. He had his
revolver out and was pointing it at the only clear target he had - Jannie.
As he brought up his weapon to fire, he was hit low by his knees as
Anneke crashed into him. He got off
a shot that narrowly missed Jannie but nicked Frans in the shoulder as he was
trying to knock the woman out of the way.
Janice found her hands around
the man's throat as he reined blow after blow on her face.
She grinned evilly and watched as the man's face purpled.
Her face registered total surprise as she felt a burning sensation in her
side. She held her breath in surprise and then Peter was holding
her, pressing something to her side.
Anneke kneed the officer and
then stood back as Menno jumped in and plunged his K Bar knife deeply into the
man's chest. The once pompous man
seemed to simply deflate as his life slowly bleed out from his wound.
After making sure that Jannie
was alright, Anneke went over to Frans and pulled him away towards where Peter
and Jan were.
"Je
bent gewond, Frans."
"Ja,
but it is nothing. It is
Janice...there is so much blood."
Jaap came running and alerted
them to the fact that the bomb was set and they had about 90 seconds to clear
the area.
Peter lifted Jan carefully and
Menno and Jaap helped Frans make their was deeper into the forest.
It was Jannie that acted as
rear lookout. She flitted through
the trees, hanging back about twenty feet.
They could hear the train now,
coming ever closer.
"Peter...let me down..I
can walk. We have to get outta
here...put me down." Peter
ignored her and stumbled on, unaware of the branches that wiped his face and the
sweat that ran down and dripped off his chin.
So much blood, his brain
screamed. He could feel the hot
sticky wetness on his lower chest as it soaked his clothing. NO! his mind screamed.
Just as they were about two
hundred yards from the railway station, they heard a whistle blow and the
deafening sound of the explosion. It
was followed by the screech of twisted metal and the second thundering explosion
as the engine blew up.
They were all knocked to the
ground as they felt the earth shudder beneath them.
The air seemed to sizzle with flying sinders as some of the trees caught
fire.
Anneke gained her feet and
began looking for Jannie. Menno and
Jaap had thrown themselves over Frans as bits and pieces of metal shrapnel fell
to earth.
Peter removed his sodden shirt
and bunched it up against Jan wound. He
spoke in Dutch, and stroked Jan's face. She looked up in wonder...why was he crying?
And it was so cold all of a sudden....she felt very...tired.
"I
kom terug voor jou."
Peter heard a strangled cry and
ran back the way they had come. There,
on her knees, was Anneke. She
cradled her lover close, rocking back and forth, murmuring soft child-like
noises.
Peter frowned and stepped
closer. Anneke turned her head
towards him and growled.
"No!
Stay back. You will not see
her like this. She is...she is just
sleeping. It has been such a long
day....and Jannie...and she is so....tired....eh, my love...look, Jannie, it's
Peter...he is here to help....you can help, yes, Peter?...you can stop the
blood? I love you, Jannie...I'm
sorry I was so angry with you...you'll forgive me, yes?...you come back
now...yes? Please, my
love....PLEASE!"
And then she wailed.
A strangled cry of anguish filled the air.
Peter dropped to his knees as he saw the iron pipe protruding threw
Jannie's upper chest. There was a
look of surprise on Jannie's gentle face. Some
of her hair had been burned away and her bright hazel eyes stared...as if
perhaps there was something left undone.
Peter slowly whispered into
Anneke's ear and began rubbing her back. It
seemed a long time before the woman nodded. She careful lowered her lover back down onto the ground and
stood up. She blinked a few times
and then roughly scrubbed her hands across her face.
She got about five feet away
from the body before another anguished cry rose from her very soul.
She clenched her fists and forced herself not to look back, to keep
walking, to keep going forward.
She saw how very pale Janice
was...the amount of blood soaking the temporary bandages.
She looked over at Peter and frowned.
"How did things go so bad
so quickly, Peter? We, we were
almost home free. We had it planned
so well. Why? Why did those men come?
I...I don't understand...any of it."
Peter winced at everything the
woman had said. It had been his job
to see every angle, every possible mistake...and try to find counter measures.
He had failed. One
was injured, one was dead and, quite possibly, another would die this
night.
All of their careful plans, the
nights spent going over every contingency. All for it to end like this.
Muffled shouts began to reach
them and Menno and Jaap came running.
"There are soldiers
everywhere...we must go. Hurry!"
Anneke looked back over to
where Jannie lay. Frans grabbed her
arm and began pulling her away. She
stumbled and cried as she was being lead away.
Peter heard a shot.
Then another and bent to lift Janice up.
Her eyes were half closed and her breath was coming in very shallow and
raspy. What could he do?
If he brought her with them, she was sure to die.
They hadn't the knowledge. Jannie
had been good with wounds, but...he dragged his mind away from the horrible
wound the woman had suffered. He
tried to erase the look on Jannie's face from his mind....the blood that soaked
into the earth beneath her.....
Jaap ran back to where the two
were and tried to help Peter lift Jan up.
"No.
Now Jaap. You must go.
Get the other's to safety. You
must....leave us here. I cannot
leave her, Jaap. She is my
responsibility and I failed. I
can't....I won't leave her....Now go."
"We are in this together,
Peter. We have been since the
beginning. We can...we will get her
to one of the other cadres. They
will have someone...they must."
He pushed Peter forward and
then bent to apply more pressure. He
removed his belt and tied it snuggly against the bandages pressed to Jan's side.
She moaned a little and began mumbling.
"Mel.....I...I love
you...I'm sorry.....have to get...home...to...Mel...have to.."
Her words trailed off and then she lapsed into unconsciousness.
Peter gave Jannie one last look and then he and Jaap picked Janice up.
Menno tried to pull Anneke
along but she just stood there. Anneke
felt an intense sense of loss as images of she and Jannie, their lives
together...the plans for the future...hit her full force.
She stumbled and then it was Frans that picked her up.
Jaap pushed them all forward and they seemed to just melt into the
shadows.
Chapter Seven
Greece
She
lay dying, her life's blood seeping into the ground beneath her...there seemed
to be a river of blood....her skin was so white, so sickly...she was all
alone...left to die in a forest somewhere....she was calling....holding her hand
out......
Melinda awoke with a
start....her head was pounding in rhythm with her galloping heart, a fine sheen
of sweat covering her face and chest...only a dream, she kept repeating to
herself...just a dream....she pulled absent mindedly at her damp night shirt.
She had begun wearing one of Jan's soon after she'd left.
Mel fingered the St.
Christopher medallion she wore around her neck.
She'd worn it every day since Jan had given it to her...it felt hot this
morning...almost burning.
The faint light of morning
began edging itself across the sky and Mel lay curled up with a worried look on
her face. She had been having such
vivid dreams lately...she'd originally put it down to the break-in a couple of
weeks ago...but now she wasn't so sure...where was Jan?
Because she was with Special Ops, there was no way to get in touch with
her...no way to find out if she was alright...Damnit!
Double, double damnit!! cursed
Melinda as she clutched the flimsy sheets to her breasts...
She rolled over and brought
Jan's pillow close to her in a loving embrace.
She inhaled the aroma...she hadn't been able to wash the pillow case and
held tightly to the comforting smell.
Even the smell brought forth
such images...such passionate visions...Mel found her nipples become erect...a
tear rolled slowly down her cheek. She
hated this! Just hated it.
When Jan came home....well, she was never, ever, EVER gonna let the woman
outta her sight again......not without me, she thought.
No matter what happens, we've got to go through this together....Their
lives together meant too much to spend apart...
Melinda clutched the pillow to
her and sobbed...she cried angry hot tears and prayed that Janice would be
alright...that her dreams meant nothing.
It was just six o'clock when
Mel looked over at the alarm clock and sighed. She'd laid a bed far too long already...she might as well get
up now...what was an hour anyway? She
could at least be bored sitting at the table eating some fruit...she sighed
again. Eating....no pleasure any
more. Just a function she performed
in order to exist...nothing more. Life
just held no...no spark without her Jan....her...wife.
Mel smiled with that thought
and began to dress...ah, yet another dreary day tryin not ta throttle the livin
daylights outta that horrible woman, she thought.
My, what lovely images that brought forth... she was still smiling about
it as she got through the front door of her office...
Melinda hunched over the file
cabinet in stock room, pouring over files as she sorted through the daily list
of things the Director had given her. She
took a sip of her apple tea and looked up in surprise as Dr. Callisto entered
the room with the Chief of Police behind her.
"Miss Pappas, dear.
There's a nice gentleman here that wishes to speak to you."
"Why, its Chief
Papandopolis, isn't it? Yes, I
remember you from a week ago. What
is it?"
"Miss Pappas, do you
recall some....unpleasantness last year...regarding the unfortunate Miss
Judith..." He checked his
notes again. "...Carmichael?"
‘Do I remember Miss
Judith...? And how!’ Mel thought,
narrowing her eyes.
Melinda's mind went immediately
to the scene where she and Jan had come upon the wretched woman making lo...no,
that certainly didn't qualify for what they were doin.
There was no love in that act...it was pure, unadulterated fucking. She
suddenly blushed, remembering just how turned on Jan had seemed.
Oh yes, she certainly
remembered a lot about Miss Judith. Yes
indeed. Why, just the memory of
having her horrible brother putting his hands on Jan....well!
And knowing that it had been she who'd arranged the murder of not only
her own dear father, but that of Jan's, too, had made this nice genteel southern
woman want to just wring the woman's neck...way past the point where it would
become unseemly. ‘Why, they'd
have to pry my cold dead fingers off'n her sorry body!’
Mel thought brutally.
Thoughts of her dear departed
father swam to the surface and threatened to reduce her to yet another bout of
crying. It seemed that every
important person, every anchor in her life these days, had been severed.
She'd discovered a lot about
herself this past year and a half. My,
she thought...it would be two years very soon...
She'd discovered that she was stronger than she ever imagined she could
be. But lately she'd been having
these terrible nightmares...
She was brought out of her
reverie as she felt a hand on her elbow.
"Miss Pappas?
Are you all right? You looked.... well, not yourself, dear."
She leaned in towards Melinda and whispered, "Why, I don't think
you're getting enough sleep, Melinda. Not
wondering about...Jan and who she might be with....are we?"
Mel shot her such a look of
pure malevolence that Dr. Callisto brought her head back with a jerk.
My, she thought with a smirk, so the kitten has claws....
Chief Papandopolis cleared his
throat. "If I may continue,
ladies? Ahem...we are not sure about any connection to the break in at your
house, you understand, however...it does seem to follow through that you and Miss
Covington would be the natural target.."
"What are ya talkin about?
You mean....you mean ta tell me that she...she's outta prison?
That horrid woman...that murdering..."
"Now, now, Melinda,
dear....why don't we listen to the good Captain...you are a Captain, aren't you
dear?"
"Ahem, why no, no I'm not.
It's Chief Papandopolis, dear lady."
"Why of course, silly of
me...and it's ma'am. I am no lady,
as I'm sure you've heard." She
shot Mel a dirty look and then gave the chief an ingratiating smile and took him
by the elbow. When she had him
comfortably seated, she nodded for him to continue.
"Well, to begin with, Miss
Pappas, no, she was not set free. If
we in Greece have anything to say about it, she will never be allowed out to see
the light of day. However, an
incident beyond our control...has...well, she has escaped.
We don't know how or by whom, but a great deal of money exchanged hands
with some of our less professional prison guards....who may never work again, I
might add."
Mel watched with interest as a
funny look passed over the face of Dr. Callisto. She wasn't sure, it happened so fast, but she thought she saw
fear there.... and perhaps a bit of...excitement, too.
Now why is that? An image of Judith's stiletto popped into her head and the
puzzle began to take form.
Melinda decided from that point
on to take particular interest in what the fine Director was up to...and perhaps
exactly what was coming into the museum and going back out....some of the files
she'd come across already seemed to have a lot of inconsistencies.
At first, she'd put it down to poor documentation, but now.....
Oh, Jan...where are you, love?
Where are you?!
Chapter Eight
Peter paced back and forth, his
hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowed.
Frans was cleaning Janice's wound again, the area looking angry and red.
"We must get to the next
rendezvous, Peter. She has
infection in the wound and needs medicine.
I don't have it. A high
fever will make her weaker than she already is.
She will not be able to fight this for long."
Peter set his jaw, thinking
about just how bad things had gotten in such a short time.
He looked over at Anneke and his heart hurt.
The love that she and Jannie had was so rich, so pure.
How would she ever recover from this, he thought.
"Ja, you stay with her,
you and Menno and Jaap. Anneke and
me, we will go for help. She cannot
be moved and we can move much quicker, yes?"
Anneke looked at Janice and
then back at Peter. She nodded once
and they were off.
Jaap and Menno took turns
placing cool cloths on the fevered woman's skin. Jan lapses in and out of consciousness but was never truly
lucid. This worried Frans as he had
seen wounds in his time with the resistance.
He knew the higher the temperature and the longer the patient remained
unresponsive, the worse things were.
Jan seemed to be wasting away
as the night wore on. Her breath
became shallow and raspy and nothing they did seemed to bring her temperature
any lower. As concerned as Frans
was to the state the Sergeant was in, he was oblivious to his own wound.
It had been merely a knick and hadn't bled much but was very painful.
His whole shoulder felt inflamed.
As he looked down at the
Sergeant, he remembered the first time he had seen her.
She had parachuted in and had been caught up in the branches of a tree.
He had been the one to go to the check point for her.
Seeing her caught in the tree
had made them think that perhaps this new Special Ops member was not all they
had been promised. He had
stood there thinking how much trouble this American was going to be when she had
cut the tangled lines to her chute and had dropped 30 feet to the ground.
He had stood uncertainly,
thinking of how he could possibly explain to Peter that the woman had cut her
own lines and killed herself. Surely
he couldn't be held responsible for the crazy woman's actions.
To his astonishment, the
American had rolled upon hitting the ground and bounced up again looking no
worse for wear. He was immediately
put at ease with her graceful movement.
He was so prepared to hate this
woman. She was being put in charge
of *their* cadre. She was replacing
their Peter, their founder and leader. It
was so unfair...Peter had proved himself again and again...but his mettle was as
yet untested.
Frans knew Peter was brash and
tended to make mistakes due to poor planning. Perhaps this new Special Ops member could correct that
defect. Looking at the self
assuredness, he made the decision to open his mind and let the Sergeant convince
him of her abilities.
She had done that time and time
again in the six weeks she had been there. Frans brushed the damp hair out of Jan's face.
This prompted more weak thrashing on the woman's part and Frans tried to
calm her.
Where could Peter and Anneke
be? It had been a good six hours
and dawn would be coming up shortly.
Menno talked him into lying
down and resting if not sleeping. His
shoulder was beginning to throb and he could see the wisdom in looking after
himself.
Just after six in the morning,
Jan's fever seemed to break. Frans
awoke to the woman's sweet voice requesting water.
Both Menno and Jaap had almost fallen over each other getting the water
ladle to Jan.
Frans made his way back over to
the Sergeant and inspected her wound again. Now that she was conscious, Frans felt very unsettled because
of her lack of clothing. They had
removed her shirt for easier access to the wound.
Frans found he couldn't meet
Jan's eyes and he seemed to fidget just sitting there.
Jan placed a hand on his arm and he seemed to feel at ease.
He looked up into the face of an angel.
The morning light glanced off the gold necklace that Jan seemed to be
constantly fingering.
"What it is you wear,
Janice? It is religious artifact?"
"Yeah.
This necklace, it's special, Frans.
I gave one just like it to Mel and this one is for me.
They match. It's a symbol, I
guess, of us being the same - the same soul.
Kinda hard to explain."
Frans was just getting into a
theological discussion with Jan regarding patron saints when the door opened and
Peter walked in with another man, followed closely by Anneke.
Jan was given some packets to
take with water for a week. She was
told in no uncertain terms not to get out of bed or do any strenuous lifting.
This was fine with her as she felt she'd been run over by a tank.
She looked down at her new
addition. Boy, was she going to
catch it from Melinda when she got home. She
smiled ruefully, thinking about the tongue lashing she'd get.
This set her mind going off on a completely different tangent.
Anneke saw the look on Jan's
face and came to sit with her. Frans
had fallen back to sleep after the doctor had checked him out and the other
three men were busy cutting wood and piling it for something to do.
"You are missing your
wife, yes? She is very
pretty?" Anneke cleared her
throat a few times and shyly looked over at Jan.
"No.
I don't guess you could call my Melinda pretty.
Nope. Down right gorgeous, yes.
Beautiful, oh yes. And
graceful and strong - smart, a great sense of humour and an accent that just
makes me smile."
"You love her very much,
yes?" Anneke paused and then
reached over to hold one of Jan's hands. "I
miss my Jannie. I love her very
much. You talk to Peter about part
of your soul. I understand this.
Jannie, she was that to me. I
never felt peace like I do with her. Now...now
my heart is...is empty."
"I know.
I don't...know how I could survive if anything happened to Melinda.
I think you are very strong, Anneke.
You are a great inspiration to those around you.
I know that Peter values your friendship very much.
He is hurting right now, too. He
feels this whole mission was a failure and was his fault."
"No.
No, is not true. We blow up train station and delay troops and supplies.
We kill that bastard Christensen. We
do it! Peter and you, you plan
perfect. Is not his fault for the
German gestapo to come."
"Well, Anneke, I really
wish you'd talk to him about this...I think its killing him every time he looks
at you. It's like his heart is
breaking." Anneke nodded, lost
in thought.
When she awoke hours later, Jan
was pleased to see Anneke and Peter sitting at the table lost in their memories
of Jannie. She shifted on her
mattress and then looked up as
Menno handed her a cup of broth. Already
feeling stronger, Jan could only count the hours until they could leave.
Now that they had succeeded
with their mission, Jan would be expected to repatriate back to the States.
She was to meet up in Denmark in two days for a rendezvous with the
underground and they would arrange her ride home, via a small single engine
plane.
She could hardly wait.
It had been a tough six months all told and Jan was going to be glad to
put the whole experience behind her. She'd
done her patriotic duty and now she would be content to devote the rest of her
life to Melinda Pappas. Where she
belonged.
Peter went with her when she
walked down to the waiting plane. The pilot swung her small kit bag up into the
belly and began preparing for lift off.
Peter gently took Jan into his
arms, mindful of her injury and just held her. They had shared so much together and Janice was loath to
sever their bond.
"Look, Peter.
I wanna ask you something, all right.
And don't take my head off. You
and Anneke. You love her, don't you?
I can see it in your eyes. Even
when Jannie was alive. You and she,
you have a history, right?"
"Yes, Janice.
Anneke was Anya's friend. We
were like the three musketeers. We
were always together, always laughing. We
both joined the resistance when Anya...when she...died.
Then Anneke found Jannie and..."
"If you love her, you'll
tell her. Hey, she can only say no,
right. Nice big handsome guy like
you? And if it doesn't work out,
there are lots of fish in the sea, Peter. You
come down to Greece sometime...Mel and I , we'll fix you right up.
Okay?"
Peter kissed her cheek and
ruffled Jan's hair. "Are
you always this destructive, Janice Covington?"
"I am...invincible!"
Jan shouted in her best Indiana Jones impersonation.
Peter grinned.
Why was he so attracted to the women he couldn't have, he thought.
He sighed as he watched Jan get into the plane and head down the
temporary runway.
"A safe trip, Janice
Covington. May God watch over you.
May God watch over us all." Peter
slowly made his way back up the beach.
He had many things to think about. Yes,
he would have to broach the subject with Anneke.
She couldn't be expected to forget Jannie just as he would never forget
Anya. But there was love and so there was hope.
And oh so many train stations
to wreck and mayhem to cause the Third Reich.
So many targets, so little time. Peter
chuckled as he made his plans. He
might just show up on Jan's door step some day.
He would like to see this Melinda. Yes,
someone who could steal Janice's heart must be a force of nature indeed.
Chapter Nine
Melinda paced back and forth as
Mr. Christopolis tried to soothe her fears.
"Now, my dear, please!
You are making me dizzy...please stop."
"I really don't know how
you can be so....so calm about this, Mr. Christopolis.
I mean, that horrible woman is stealing priceless antiquities right out
from under our noses! And using the museum to hide her operation.
Why, I am so stupid! How
could I have missed all the clues? Of
course, she would have been the one that headed the operation.
What I'd like to know, though, is who is her boss?
Someone must be pulling the strings to have gotten her this job
and...well, how is she gettin this stuff out of the country?"
"No, Miss Pappas.
I am NOT calm...it is hard to think of how many...they may be lost
forever...but, you must understand...we cannot do this by ourself...I do not
know who to trust...but is too hard for two peoples.
I do my best. I buy all
artifacts I can see."
"My, you don't know my
Jan. I swear, she could mop the
darned floor with that woman. All
by herself, too. Mr. Christopolis?
Who do *you* think we should trust?
I mean, what about that Chief Panandopolis, he was the one who told me
about Judith's escape?"
"Yes, perhaps.
Who help her get away? What
is motive for escape? She would try
to kill you? This does not seem
right. What does she want.
Maybe she does not come back for you...she wants something...we must find
what it is."
Chief Panandopolis sat in the
cafe with Mel and Mr. Christopolis and sipped his demitasse.
He nodded in all the correct places as the two shared their knowledge and
suspicions.
Suddenly, a thought came to
Melinda and she blurted out her knowledge of Judith Carmichael's Desoto.
Since Jan had been away, Mel had just left the hulking thing in the
driveway. Jan had always insisted it's upkeep was documented and a nice
drop cloth place over the monster when not in use...
The horrible black vehicle has
always given her the willies. Mel
shuddered as she thought of just how close it had been...their broken and
violated bodies could very well have been transported in the thing on the way to
some unnamed shallow grave.
After deciding that the car in
question was really the only reason for the woman's escape, the police chief
decided to conduct a private search from tip to top, back to bottom.
If there was something to be found, he was confident he would find it...
Melinda finished off her hot
apple tea and gave Mr. Christopolis a kiss on his temple.
"I'll see ya tonight,
right? I think we're just about
through with that cateloguing, huh?" Mel
arched her back and began thinking just how nice it would be to just lie in her
bed and relax....just one night of full sleep, no interruptions, nothing....
"No, Miss Pappas.
You are looking tired, yes. Very
much work we have done already. Is
good to have time to be alone. You
have heard from...your 'husband'?" he
asked diplomatically.
"Why, I might just take ya
up on that offer, Mr. Christopolis. I
am...feeling...kinda tired. And no,
'he' hasn't sent word. I didn't
imagine 'he' would, mindja, what with bein out in the field..."
Panandopolis looked from one to
the other, trying to figure out what he was missing.
He looked at the charming woman's finger and realized that she must be
pining away for her husband...maybe he had been one of the men that left for
overseas...hopefully not to Germany, he shuddered...too many terrible rumours
coming out of that theater of blood...
He had not realized that
Melinda Pappas was married. He
wondered where Janice Covington fit into the scheme of things...he stroked his
chin thoughtfully as he watched the beautiful woman walk down the street towards
her home.
"Tell me, Mikael, do you
know her husband well?" A
funny look played on Panandopolis' face.
Greece
Nicosia Airport
Jan walked stiffly down the
ramp. After spending four weeks in
the infirmary, she'd been able to convince the mucky mucks to put her on the
next troop plane home. Despite the
fact that her injury was healing nicely, Jan
milked as much sympathy out of the situation as possible.
She'd finally resorted to batting her eyes and talking about how much she
was missing her new husband....yadda, yadda, yadda.
Whatever...it had worked.
She hadn't even had time to get
a message to Mel. She stretched and
winced as a hot pain ran through her injured side.
Gotta be careful of those stitches, she thought.
She was beginning to resemble a
patch quilt...a very unappetizing thought...especially since she knew she was
gonna catch hell for it...at least she'd managed to get that chocolate she
wanted for Mel before leaving foggy old London.
She patted her uniform breast pocket a couple of times and went to
retrieve her baggage.
She sat with the rest of the
troops, waiting to be given leave passes and further assignments.
When the Captain got to her, he looked at the roster, then up at her
face, frowned and then looked at her with a funny look.
"Says here ya got block
leave...how'd ya get that? Geez, I
been on duty 24 hours a day for the past two weeks."
"I suppose it all depends
on who you know, doesn't it ducks?"
Jan spun around and found
herself being hugged by Captain Dan Butterworth. She'd lived through a nice little dog fight a few months ago
with the guy...not too many people can say they had a close encounter with a
pair of Junker Ju88's and lived to tell the tale.
"Fer Christ's sake!
By Hades left ball! Where
the hell dju come from? Hey, ya
look great, Dan....what're ya doin here?"
"I say, Janice...'by Hades
left ball'? You do have some
colourful idioms, don't you? And
I'm fine. You won't believe it.
I'm here in Greece on a vacation. Seems
I've flown my twenty flights so their booting me back to a desk job somewhere.
Life is beginning to look quite good, ducks. I've met this absolutely smashing woman...I do think this
might be the one, Jan."
"Well, blow my socks off
and suck my hair toes! By the look
on your face, yeah, I'd say she must be somebody special.
Well, good on ya!"
Dan rolled his head.
"Have you been sitting next to Pte. Witherspoon again?
That funny little man from the Ozarks?"
Jan grinned and nodded.
"Yeah. But some of his
stuff is just....poetry. Ya know?
I mean, this stuff is designed to stop conversation...completely.
I gotta try it on for size when I get back to work..."
The duty Captain handed over
her leave pass and the two friends sauntered out of the musty airport.
Dan hailed a cab and they spent a good hour reminiscing about the past
several months. Only in Greece,
thought Janice. Rush-hour-bloody
traffic at 6:30 in the evening. She
sighed. Well, at least she wouldn't
be late for supper...
Judith smiled as she took in
the site of the bumbling policeman...he hadn't a clue, not a bloody clue, she
thought smugly.
She crept along the side of the
house across the street. A yappy
dog began to bark as she worked her way over to the shrubs.
She glared at it and hissed. The
poor animal cringed in fear and scooted around the back, tail between it's legs.
Judith's head turned as someone
quickly walked up the road. My,
my...thought the Brit...this just keeps getting better all the time...
Mel was feeling very tired but
also a bit optimistic...maybe a good night's sleep would help...without
nightmares, thank you.
She stopped as she noticed the
police chief nosing around. The
spoke briefly and Mel dragged herself up the walk to the front door.
While Mel was inside getting
into something more comfortable, Judith was making her way around the opposite
side of Melinda's house, coming around the rear, out of sight.
Judith sneered as she came
within striking distance of the
policeman. She grinned as she
brought out the stiletto from her pocket. It
snicked open and the man turned in surprise.
He had time to put his hands up in defense before she was on him, like a
deranged bobcat...
He shouted in surprise and then
slumped to the ground, the knife sticking out from between his front ribs.
Judith carefully placed the tip of her shoe on his chest and pushed.
The man fell back, a slight groan rising from his lips.
Her smile increased as she
noted the blood begin to trickle from his mouth. Snagged a lung then? Oh,
goodie. She gave him a wicked kick
as she slowly made her way up the front steps.
Melinda had just stripped down
to her bra and panties and was preparing the shower so she didn't hear the glass
in the front door break.
She stepped into the shower and
began to hum a nice rendition of "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree".
She could see herself performing with The Andrew Sisters with Glenn
Miller orchestrating in the background... to a crowd of one - just for Jan, and
she was singing in the nude....her hand traveled slowly over her body as she
soaped herself.
Judith took in the somewhat
understated elegance of the Covington/Pappas home and grit her teeth.
Bloody Americans, she snorted. This
could have been all hers, except for those two nosey silly buggers.
Well, if she were lucky, that bitch Janice would get her pretty little
arse shot off in Europe and she'd take care of this one herself...
The memory of her humiliation
at the hands of that...that Amazon woman...well, it really was too much. Judith
considered herself somewhat of a sportswoman...she weighed in at about 165 lbs
and was tall for a woman. She
should have been able to simply throw the wretched woman about...however, she
hadn't been able to, much to her chagrin. The
woman was impressively strong...she wouldn't underestimate her this time...
Mel was lost in the thoughts of
her private singing lesson to Janice and didn't hear the bathroom door creak
open. She didn't hear the door
carefully closed and locked either. The
only indication that something was terribly wrong was when a shadow passing over
the shower curtain caught the corner of her eye.
As she turned, Judith grabbed
the edge of the curtain and yanked it open. Mel pivoted on her heel and brought both hands up in front of
her. Judith sneered and stabbed
forcefully with her stiletto. The
blade seemed to slowly cut through time and space, torpidly and unerringly
making its way towards Mel's mid section.
Mel took in the foggy
apparition before her...the unabashed hatred emanating from the woman before
her...the dart of the eyes just before she attacked with the knife....
Jan got out of the taxi and
grabbed her duffle bag from the boot of the car. She stretched and winced as she tried hard to keep her feet
in motion. Boy, she thought, that
bed of mine is looking awful good right now...and what I'll find in it ain't bad
either..
As she approached the first
step, she heard a low moan. Turning,
she could just make out a shoe by the shrubs.
She pushed away the foliage and
helped the man over to the wall of the house.
She could almost see stars, that's how weak she felt.
Just forcing her body to put one foot in front of the other was taxing
enough...
She checked his wallet and when
she saw his identification she knew something was up.
"Ju...dith....Car..."
was all the good police chief could get out before he lapsed back into
unconsciousness. Jan placed him in
the recover position and removed her uniform jacket.
She pushed it gently onto the wound and cinched it up with her belt.
Chapter Ten
She dug up what little reserves
she had and bounded up the stairs. Her
eye had a split second to register the broken glass before she banged the door
open.
Throwing caution to the wind,
she raced up the stairs. No one in
their bedroom, the spare room empty...the sitting room bare....that left the
guest bathroom...she threw her shoulder onto it when it wouldn't open.
"Mel!
Melinda! Goddamn it, open
this fuckin door before I...."
Melinda saw the blade racing
towards her stomach and managed to deflect the arch with her right arm.
The blade sank into the flesh and muscle of her upper arm and Judith
grinned wildly. She tried to remove it so that she could score another
hit...Mel was having none of that. She
barely registered the burning sensation in her arm as she grabbed her assailant
and they both crashed to the floor, grunting with the effort.
Mel kept Judith's one hand
pinned to her body as she tried to maneuver herself. Judith's face was twisted with rage, her lips drawn back in a
grimace.
She spat expletives and even
tried to sink her teeth into Mel's shoulder as the southerner finally managed to
gain the upper hand. She pinned
both of Judith's hands to the floor and then quickly bashed her in the face with
her forehead.
Momentarily dazed, Judith felt
the stiletto fall from her hands. Mel
was on her feet quickly and then pulled the disoriented woman up with her.
Grabbing her by the throat, she propelled Judith across the room until
she had her back against the wall.
It was then that she noticed
the door practically being rendered from its hinges.
As Judith began thrashing, she squeezed with one hand and watched the
woman's face begin to purple, her eyes begin to bulge.
"I
have been very," Judith
continued to claw at the hand that gripped her throat like a vice, "very,
patient with you, Judith." The
woman grabbed at Mel's arm and began digging into the wound.
Melinda gasped and threw Judith
against the wall again, making the woman feel her very teeth would come loose.
Her eyes widened when Mel's face came within inches of her own.
A deadly cold stare came over
Mel's countenance and she spoke very quietly to her would-be assassin.
"I'm gonna open this door
and you are NOT gonna move one muscle. You
got that? I mean, do you *really*
understand me?" She shook the
woman like a rag doll. Judith
gulped and nodded vigorously.
Mel turned slightly and reached
over to unlock the door. It swung
open and Jan came crashing onto the floor.
She slowly got to her feet and
looked at her hands...they were covered in blood as was the floor...and the
walls were smeared with it...Mel stood, one hand around the Carmichael woman's
throat, with blood running down her arm, covering her lower torso.
Jan felt the colour drain from
her face...Mel was...she was bleeding...from multiple stab wounds....?
"Oh God, please no.."
She scrambled over to her lover and made her way up the side of Mel using
any handhold she could.
"Mel?
Melinda? Are you...I mean,
you look...uh....Xena? Is that you?" She
hooked a finger under Mel's chin and stared intently into her lover's eyes.
Then she lowered her eyes and
took in the form before her. No
longer was there the rather soft demure looking southerner she had met and then
left behind. The soft rounded
figure of Melinda Pappas had been exchanged for a lean mean fighting machine.
Jan blinked, thinking 'flat feet...oh yeah...and that would be a good
reason to keep this powerhouse from fighting on our side!'
Mel leaned over and kissed Jan
right on the tip of her nose. "Nope.
I'd like to say I've got a little of her blood rushin threw my veins, but
no, she ain't here, Jan. Just
me."
"You...you...cleaned her
clock by yourself, didn't you? And...your
wounded, Mel. Where are you
cut?"
"I do believe this...nasty
piece of work...got in a 'lucky shot', I believe you call it?
In ma arm. Doesn't hurt
much, Jan. Really."
Judith began coughing and
clawing at her throat again. Mel
loosened her grip and at that moment, Jan could see the woman was going to try
something. Before Jan could even
bring her arm up, Mel cold cocked her with a left cross. Gasping with pain and surprise, Mel danced in a little
circle, shaking her fist out. "Oooh,
that had ta hurt!", grinned Jan.
"Ma Lord, Janice...how do
you do that and not just wanna scream? Owie,
owie."
As she stood over the
unconscious body of Judith Carmichael, Mel looked down at her own body and
grimaced. She took in her
reflection in the mirror and sighed. She
was a mess. A fine howdja
do...meeting yer wife looking like this.
Jan stood there, completely
nonplused. "Oh, Xena's there,
my love. Trust me.
Her blood is just raging threw your veins, no doubt about it."
She smirked and ran a hand up to the middle of Mel's back.
"Now lets get you cleaned
up so we can take a look at that wound." As she reached over to give her wife a nice welcome home
kiss, Jan heard the front door crash open and then the sound of running feet
were heard heading their way.
Dan Butterworth rounded the
corner and stopped as if he'd been shot. His
eyes were huge as he took in the condition the room was in....door almost off
its hinges, blood all over the floor and the walls smeared with the stuff...not
to mention two very gorgeous women...one completely nude....enjoying a loving
embrace.
He blinked and swallowed
quickly then turned around and walked back outside the bathroom.
My word, he thought as he felt a blush come up his collar.
Now I can say I've seen what Jan sees in her....my God!
What a pair of absolute beauties. Sigh.
He cleared his throat a few
times, trying to get their attention. Not
a word was heard. He tried again.
Nothing.
He quietly made his way back
downstairs and picked up the telephone. He
went back out to the front of the house and sat with the injured policeman.
Ten minutes went past and then
an ambulance and police car screeched up to the front door.
Dan sat on the steps and watched in a detached sort of way as the hustle
and bustle of men worked at getting the injured man into the vehicle.
With all the traveling he'd done today, he was just bone weary.
As one of the policemen tried
to make his way into the house, Dan stood up and put a hand on the man's arm.
"Don't bother, mate.
They're fine. Little bit of
blood...well, a whole lot of blood, actually.
But nothing Janice can't handle. Jack
of all trades, that one."
He called up the stairs to Jan
and then two figures wrapped in bathrobes came down the stair case.
Both looked squeaky clean, having washed the blood off in the shower.
Dan noted that Jan looked to have enjoyed a bit of a wash herself. He grinned. My
word, he thought, staring at Melinda. She
is...she is absolutely *gorgeous* wet. He
sighed.
"Hey, you...yeah, take a
few coppers and go up to the bathroom, will ya?
You'll find a nice little package waitin for ya."
Jan reached out and clasped
Dan's proffered hand. "Hey,
buddy. Nice timing.
You forget something?"
"Why, yes, 'Mad
Dog'." He dragged his eyes
away from Mel. "I...well, I
took your advice and...well...I wanted to ask you if you'd be my best ma...I
mean...would you stand up for me at my wedding?
I've asked Shelley if she'll marry me and she...she accepted!
I can't believe it, luv. We're
to be married in a month. Can you?
You know, stand up for me? I'd
ever so like it..."
Jan reached over and punched
his arm. He ruffled her damp hair
and they just grinned at each other. Mel
felt a lump in her throat as she watched their interaction.
The few letters that had gotten through from England were filled with
words of praise and admiration for Dan. They
seemed so close. The strong bond of
friendship was unmistakable. There
seemed to be a strong sense of deja vu associated with the man. Mel hmphed and let it go.
Karma, she muttered.
Jan wrapped her arm about Mel's
waist and the three of them hugged each other and laughed.
Dan reached over and kissed both women on the cheek.
Then Jan stood back and he led Mel over to the first aid attendant for
work on her arm.
Jan grinned as she picked up
the telltale signs of infatuation. No
doubt about it, this new Mel sure had animal magnetism.
She sighed. Yeah, and she's
all mine...
Jan and Dan both turned as
Judith was being carried downstairs. Her
arms and legs were tightly bound with towels, a face cloth stuffed in her mouth
for good measure. All the fight
seemed to have left the woman and she just let herself be loaded into the patrol
car without a fuss.
"Somethin you wanna tell
me, love? I think you'd better
bring me up to speed. But first, I
gotta sit down. My side is killing
me, I think I broke my shoulder gettin that damn door open and I haven't eaten
in....oh, about 36 hours. Not to
mention sleep deprivation. In
short, I'm a mess. I gotta sit down
or I'm gonna fall down."
She sighed as Dan lifted her up
and carried her over to the sofa and tried very hard not to just curl up and go
with the feeling of safeness. Being
with her two most favorite people just made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.
This was not a good thing.
Nope. Can't let herself fall into that trap...total feminine
vulnerability? I...don't...think...so!
"Geez, Dan.
Put me down, wouldja?" She
gave him a wack against his chest.
"Treatin me like an
invalid or somethin, let me down!"
Mel laughed softly as she and
Dan exchanged looks. For all of
Jan's bluster and hard exterior, she was really very much a cuddly teddy bear
underneath. Mel arched her brow at
Dan and he smirked in response. 'Mad
Dog Covington?' Nah.
Let her keep thinking we don't know the truth, they agreed silently.
Jan squinted her eyes and
peered at them both suspiciously. "What?"
"Why, nothing, dear."
Mel said, trying not to grin.
"Not a blood thing, Jan.
Don't know what your talking about.
You sure you didn't hit your head, love?"
"Didn't hit my goddamned
head, fer cryin out loud! The
fighting was all over by the time I got here.
Mel took care of that...I use the term
only because I'm in mixed company...*woman* just fine without me."
"Yes, I did, Jan.
But I don't want to. It's
nice to know I can, in a pinch, take care of myself and I may have to again,
but....your so much more capable than I am with things like this.
Isn't she, Dan? I mean, you
know Jan....just a little ole loose cannon, right?"
Jan smirked and planted a kiss
on Mel's lips. "Ya, well, just
so I'm good for somethin around here, right?"
"Oh, I can think of many
things you are more than capable of Jan, darling...and I do want to...explore
some of them..."
Dan jumped to his feet and
turned away in embarrassment. Watching
his two friends...being so intimate with each other...well, it was just not
cricket to be tagging along. He
tried to appear nonchalant as he turned around, but failed miserably.
"That's it!
I am leaving...time to get meself over to the police station to give my
statement. I shall leave you
two...alone. You
might...ahem...want to wait until the policemen leave, don't you agree?"
A policeman cleared his throat
and approached the two women, note book in hand.
Jan sighed...Mel smiled and Dan blushed from the doorway and left.
Chapter Eleven
It was two hours later by the
time Mel had been given stitches and a bandage and the two of them had made
their statements. Nearing the hour
of nine, both women slowly ushered the last of the men out the front door and
watched as one of them nailed a board up across the broken window.
Then they walked into the kitchen and had a small supper consisting of
olives, a salad and a few of the pastries the Mr. Christopolis made sure Mel got
every day.
Jan remarked on the lack of
food in the ice box. And the few
dishes sitting in the sink. The
package of half eaten chocolates lay between them.
"You do know that Dan has
a crush on you, right?" Mel
smiled and took Jan's hand.
"Probably just as much of
one as he has on you, love. Pretty
obvious to anyone who's watchin. Probably
a good thing he's getting married, huh? I'd
hate to break his heart and have to punch him in the nose and all.
Such a nice man, too. But...I
am the jealous kind, Janice."
Jan smirked and kissed the
woman passionately on the mouth. "Ditto,
Mel. Ditto."
They sat quietly, each lost in
their own thoughts. Mel stood to
put the cups away and when she turned, Jan could see just how loose her robe
really was.
"You've lost weight, Mel.
I don't think you've been taking care of yourself while I've been gone.
Whatja been up to?"
Mel got up and went through her
normal routine of making hot apple tea for herself and some nice rich coffee for
Jan. She told Jan of the break in,
Judith's escape from prison, the missing and stolen artifacts, the black market
ring and lastly, of her suspicions about their esteemed director.
Jan listened with increasing
anger. She should have been
here...that bitch wouldn't have had the nerve to try anything if she hadn't
been....
Mel saw the hurt look cross her
lover's face.
"You can't protect me all
the time, love. I've had to do a
lot of growin up since I met you, Janice. I'm
very thankful to you for that. I
don't think my Momma would recognize the silly debutante I used to be when I
first got here. I'd like to think I
can take care of myself, but Jan, I don't wanna have to.
I want us to be each other's defenders.
As partners."
She took Jan's hand in her own
and stroked the wedding band back and forth. Jan couldn't stop the flow of tears coursing down her face as
she put her face down in her hands.
Mel wanted to take her into her
arms and just hold her. She knew
that Jan had to get around this by herself. Jan Covington had a lot of pride and being vulnerable was just
not one of her strong suits.
"Geez, Mel.
I'm so sorry...I've been so selfish and...and pigheaded...I never ever
should have left you...and I'm so sorry. Can
you forgive me?"
"In the first place, Jan,
there is nothing to forgive. Yes, I
was hurt that you could just leave me and go off to some strange place, putting
your life and our happiness in danger. I
hate it, Jan. But...but I also know
that you had to do this. Had to
prove to yourself that you could make a difference...but I need to know if it's
outta your system, Jan. I don't
think I can...say goodbye to you again...not after...I kept having these
horrible nightmares, Jan...you were dying or dead...and I couldn't...help ya...I...can't
go through that again...not knowin if your even alive..."
"I know...I know.
God, Mel, I love you so much. I
guess I was taking what we have for granted...that we'd always have time
for...us. When I was stabbed this last time and got really
sick..." Mel's face blanched.
"well, I'll tell ya that story another time....but anyway, it really
put things into perspective for me, ya know?
I mean, I really saw just how short life really is...how fragile love can
be if you don't nurture it, help it grow...I don't ever want to lose what we
have..."
They talked late into the night
and it was decided that Jan would seek an early release.
Mel knew some senator's who'd been friends with her Daddy and well, what
ever strings could be pulled, would be. An
adventurer she'd always be, but foolhardy and reckless?
No, those days were gone.
Mel lay spread eagled as Jan
quoted poetry to her, interspersed with tender kisses and nips to her torso.
One poem, in particular, seemed to strike a chord in Mel to such a degree
that Jan recited it through twice.
How
do I love thee? Let me count the
ways.
I love thee to the depth and
breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling
out of sight
For the ends of Being and
ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level
of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and
candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive
for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn
from Praise.
I love thee with the passion
put to use
In my old griefs, and with my
childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed
to lose
With my lost saint, - I love thee
with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! -
I shall love thee better after death.{3}
{3}
Poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
As they lay in each other's
arms in the wee small hours of the morning, Jan inspected her lover's wound.
Mel ran a finger slowly over the stitches in Jan's side and they smiled
ruefully.
"Nice collection of scars
we're getting, Mel my love. I'm
finding the allure of my collection is being to pale. Now all I see is a sad bunch of reminders to some pretty
silly moments in my life. I don't
want that for you, too. I happen to
love every inch of your body just the way God made you...perfect."
Mel looped her arm around her
wife's neck and pulled her down for a nice wet kiss. Jan
groaned and bent in for another one. Their
breathing became ragged as hands roamed over the soft flesh before them.
They made sweet love, both
aware of what they had and what they could lose.
Just as Jan was drifting off to
sleep, Mel leaned over and said, "Did I tell you what I found back in one
of the boxes in the store room? Well,
you are not gonna believe this, but..."
Neither one heard the alarm
clock but whatever the reason, both awoke at about 9:00 that morning.
Jan cracked her knuckles as Mel
finished clearing the breakfast dishes away. Jan made the bed
and mentally went over just what kind of frontal assault she should try with the
director.
So lost in her thoughts of the
confrontation to come was she, that Jan didn't register Mel's presence until she
was directly behind her, molding their bodies together and nuzzling her neck.
She groaned and leaned back
into her lover, luxuriating in the softness, the warmth and the smell that was
Mel.
"If you keep that
up...we'll never get in to work. And
I'd like to see what you found."
Mel bit the nape of her wife's
neck and sucked an ear lobe into her hot mouth.
Her hands travelled up and around to cup Jan's breasts and slowly began
to knead the pliant flesh.
"It'll keep, love.
I just got off the phone....it seems our director has taken a powder...no
one can find her...so we're not needed at work today....at all...."
Jan felt the buttons on her
shirt being undone, a warm hand slipping in to stroke a nipple as her bra was
unclasped. She moaned and found her
hips rocking back into Mel's pelvis.
Mel snuck her fingertips under
the edge of the shirt and slowly pulled the fabric down Jan's arms.
With every inch of skin exposed, she kissed and licked with the tip of
her hot tongue, falling to her knees, both hands on the front of Jan's hips.
As her shirt was removed, Jan
felt an overwhelming calmness overtake her. There was only one person she would ever be this vulnerable
to...and that was the love of her life...Melinda Pappas.
Jan closed her eyes and bent so
that the palms of her hands were on the bed. She let her head drop and her golden hair fell into her face.
She felt Mel's hands undoing her belt then unzipping her trousers.
Her knees began to shake as she felt her pants fall to the floor.
Mel's hands slipped under the
fabric of her underwear and gently caressed the hidden flesh within.
She moaned as she felt a hot hand slip around and cup her sex, then
slowly her underwear was pulled down and soft kisses were placed on the
roundness of her buttocks, down to where they met the top of the leg.
Jan's legs began to tremble,
her breath coming in fast and shallow. Her shoulders tensed as she felt the wetness of Mel's tongue
travel up between the crevice of her buttocks, then sliding lower, ever lower...
She felt her knees being pushed
apart and then she cried out as she felt the heat of Mel's mouth on her center.
Mel worked her tongue back and
forth over Jan's opening, darting inside every now and again, teasing the hard
point of her clitoris with her fingers.
Jan wanted to turn and take her
Mel in her arms...to hold her, to feel her, taste her...but strong arms held her
in place. She found herself both restrained
by the force of Mel's newly found upper body strength and by the sheer
raw sexuality of the woman.
A hot tongue probed her opening
and then eased out. Suddenly, a
finger tip pushed just past the entry but went no further.
Jan tried to push back into Mel's hand but as quickly as that motion was
begun, Mel's finger eased back out. Jan
groaned in frustration, her arms quivering.
She bent her arms so that she was resting on her elbows, forehead on the
bed.
Mel's two hands began down at
her ankles and slowly, ever slowly, massaged their way up to Jan's buttocks,
massaging them, pulling them apart. She
felt a hot tongue slowly snake between her crevice and quickly probe her anus.
She groaned out her lover's name and waited.
A finger came back to her wet
vulva and slowly dipped in once more. Another
hand reached around and began a torpid exploration of her clitoris, pausing
every now and again to flick a nail over the hardening flesh.
The sexual energy was building
to such an extent that Jan was way past the point of this reality and was on a
plane of total ecstacy. She could
feel the love embrace her through Mel's fingertips, her presence felt by Jan's
very soul.
Wet kisses, licks and bites
were felt on every piece of flesh covering her ass.
Her anus was probed by a tongue again and Jan's heart rate felt like it
had just doubled. Sweat began to slowly trickle down her neck, pooling between
her breasts.
"Oh, gods.....Mel..."
Melinda moved her finger into
the wet center half an inch more and slowed down her actions on Jan's clit.
"More, Mel...oh...."
Jan gritted her teeth, trying
not to give in to the overwhelming urge to rock her hips.
She felt the finger wiggle a little and gasped.
Her senses were so heightened that the mere movement of her lover's
breath caused her vaginal muscled to clench in response.
It was torture, sheer torture
for Mel not to give her lover the release she so obviously wanted, needed.
She bit her lower lip and almost sobbed as she felt the muscles tremble
around her finger.
Jan's hands grabbed the
coverlet tightly and eased herself down, hips finally resting on the edge of the
bed, her knees buckling as she was probed again. Suddenly, her lower belly was pulled back towards her probing
tongue, delving as deep as she was able into Jan's anus.
Unable to resist the urge to
thrust backwards onto the probing muscle, Jan moaned in relief as Mel's finger
was joined by another and then they were filling her, pistoning in and out in an
intense rhythm.
As she felt the inner walls shudder around her fingers, Mel
couldn't resist biting the taut muscles covering Jan's buttocks.
And with that action, Jan roared her release.
She screamed out her pleasure until her voice was raw, her face purpled
with the exertion and still Mel pumped into her, her hand slapping in rhythm
against her buttocks.
Jan felt another wave of orgasm
pound over her and then she lay still, breath coming in great shuddering gasps.
Mel removed her fingers and
stood slowly. She placed kisses on
her lover's back, ending at Jan's nape.
Jan slowly rolled over and
opened her eyes. Mel stood above
her and slowly began to strip off her clothes.
She left her bra and panties on last and Jan felt the familiar heat rise
from her groin.
Mel ran her hands over her
breasts, tossing her hair back, exposing her neck, mouth slightly open.
Jan gulped and propped herself up on her elbows.
What a show!
One of Mel's hands slowly moved
down and began caressing her belly, moving lower and lower...
Jan's mouth went dry as she saw
the tip of Mel's tongue snake out and lick her lower lip.
Oh, gods! she thought,
feeling her abs tighten, her inner thighs begin to slicken once more...
Mel hooked the edges of her
panties and gradually drew them down, bending over and allowing Jan to ogle her
cleavage.
After stepping out, she arched
an eyebrow and grinned at her lover. She
through the panties up into the air and Jan deftly caught them.
She brought the article of clothing to her face and inhaled.
Mel gulped, momentarily awash
in her own sexuality. My word, she
thought. Here she was trying to be
this hot girlie for Jan and with one simple act, Jan had her absolutely flummoxed!
She cleared her throat and tried to regain her persona.
She ran her palms up and down
the sides of her torso, closing her eyes and trying to think how Xena did that
'look' that Gabrielle had written about.
She pictured herself in Xena's
leathers, the cool feeling of metal in her hand as she held a sword.
She smelled the musky odor of the leather mixed in with the sweat.
Her nipples grew hard and she felt a warmth wash over her.
She knew instinctively that she
had to get right into how a seductress would really feel.
She looked over at Janice and visions of what she wanted to do with her,
to her, popped into her head.
Jan watched as Mel's face
became feral looking...the lust plain on her face, radiating from her eyes.
Her heart rate increased along with her perspiration...oh, that look!
Mel turned, unhooked her
brassiere, eased it over her bandage and let it fall to the floor.
She gazed at Jan over her left shoulder and covered her breasts with the
palms of her hands. She slowly turned, her eyes never leaving those of Jan's, as
she walked over to the bed and came to stand between her lover's feet.
Jan scooted up and watched with
awe as the woman of her dreams proceeded to kneel before her and take each toe
slowly into her mouth. Jan gulped
as she watched Mel's fingers stroke her nipples to hard points.
She groaned as she watched each
digit slowly enveloped in her lover's hot wet mouth.
Mel sucked slowly, bringing each toe in and then out again.
Jan was totally hypnotized...her body running on what little battery there
was left...taking only the briefest amount of oxygen allowed to continue her
existence. She felt as if time
itself had simply ceased to exist.
Mel reached out her hands and
clasped both of Jan's ankles. Then
she moved them gradually up the inside. Jan
tried to keep her eyes open but the sensations were really too much and the
battle to keep her vision locked onto her lover was lost.
Running her tongue over the
tops of Jan's feet, Mel began to move up. Her
breasts brushed over Jan's highly sensitive skin, making the fine golden hairs
stand up in response.
Jan snapped her head up as she
felt the length of her slit tantalizingly probed. Then her stitches were being kissed, the skin around them
nuzzled by Mel's tender nose. When
her right nipple was hungrily beset upon, Jan felt the muscled of her vagina
contract in rhythm of every pull of Mel's mouth.
"Oh, gods, Mel...what you
do to me...oh...g..o..d..s..." A
light sheen of sweat ran down from her hairline, the rest of her body taking on
an glistening luster.
Jan watched, transfixed as Mel knelt
on her hands and knees over her, bottom swaying back and forth to a
hidden rhythm within her. Mel began
rocking her hips and groaning as she took the other breast into her mouth.
Then from the side of the bed,
she reached into the nightstand and withdrew a wooden phallus and Jan thought
she would simply die. As Mel began
to devour her nipples once more, Jan watched as she slowly ran the toy up and
down her own slit, the end dipping ever so softly between her enlarged labia.
She began pumping into herself
and lifted her eyes to watch Jan's response. Her response, however, was one not quite expected.
Jan slithered out from under
her lover and took up position behind her, running her hands up and down Mel's
flanks before settling onto her breasts. She
then knelt behind Mel and watched with wonder as the phallus probed deeper and
deeper, her lover's moans getting louder and louder.
Just having Jan behind her,
watching her put the toy in...there...was very erotic, thought
Mel...briefly...before she felt her snake under and attach her mouth to her
throbbing clitoris.
Then all thought was gone and
Mel felt her whole body shudder in response. Her sore arm began shaking and it was all she could do not to
collapse onto her lover.
Sensing the weakness that was
overcoming the southerner, Jan pulled her down on top and then rolled her over.
Mel was breathing very quickly,
her orgasm just pending. Jan opened
her legs and knelt between them. The
phallus was still imbedded and slick. Mel brought her hands up and ran them threw her long dark
tresses, her head rolling from side to side as she felt Jan slowly pumping into
her.
"No, no....Jan...come
here...I need...I need you on top...of me...close...closer...."
Jan lay her body atop her wife,
their glistening bodies sliding easily, adding to the erotic experience...
Mel took her lover's tongue
deep into her mouth and moaned. She
felt her orgasm building, past a level she'd ever reached before...
"Oh, gods, Melinda...I
love you so much....I love....you...", Jan gasped as she felt Mel's lower
abdominal muscles contract and spasm.
And then, with a flick of Jan's
thumb on her clitoris, Mel came with a loud groan, the muscles in her neck
standing out in relief.
Jan held her and waited until
the last wave had broken over her, and was receding.
She kissed her wife very softly, whispering words of love, brushing the
damp hair out of her eyes.
They lay in each other's arms
for a long time, both happy to feel the sweat drying and cooling on their skin.
Jan felt a shudder when she
removed the phallus, easing it out slowly.
"Boy, 'blow my socks off
and suck my hairy toes' really takes on a new meaning..", Janice said with
a snort. Mel raised her head and
frowned.
"Where in the Sam hill did
*that* come from?" Jan told
her of the man from the Ozarks. Funny
little guy and one hell of a soldier...he knew Audie Murphy.
Jan was suitably impressed.
"Where, ah, did you get
this...nice toy, Mel?"
Melinda chuckled, pushing Jan's
hair out of her eyes.
"Well, I got it for you,
darlin. I remembered
how...interested you were when we broke in on Judith and Trudie. My,
I must say, that *was* a show, wadn't it?"
"Ah, Mel?
Can we just stop talking and curl up for a short nap?
I'm just....worn out."
Mel responded by pulling the
sheets over them both and snuggled up close. They fell asleep like that and spent the afternoon in the
arms of Morpheus.
Chapter Twelve
It was just approaching seven
o'clock in the evening when the two women walked through the front door of the
museum. All the lights were out and
Mel had to use her keys to get in. Very
unusual for this time of light. There
was usually someone working late.
Mel, usually, thought Jan
sourly. She pushed open the
mezzanine doors for her wife and then flicked on the lights switch.
Bulb must be burned out, thought Jan.
Strange...
"Jan, I don't like this...somethin's
goin on...I can just feel it."
"Yeah, I gotcha...lets
take a look back in the supply room...let me go first...good thing I brought my
trusty Colt M1917, huh? Really felt
naked without it overseas." She wrapped her hand around the butt and felt reassuring
comfort...like an old friend.
Making their way to the back,
they stopped briefly to look into Dr. Callisto's office.
All dark with some drawers pulled out.
Some one had been in a hurry, thought Janice.
She was lost in thought,
wondering just what the hell was going on.
She turned around and Mel was gone.
Listening carefully, she made her way down the corridor, pausing at each
doorway.
Silent as a tomb, she thought.
This was not good. "Mel,"
she hissed quietly. Nothing.
She tucked her revolver into the back of her pants and took a step.
Then there was a crash, and Jan
bolted towards it. The supply room!
Maybe Mel had decided to get there first...
Just as she was feeling along
the wall for the light switch, a flashlight was shined into her face.
"Well, if it isn't the
conquering hero....I'd say 'welcome home' but I don't like to lie.
Do come in, Jan...have a seat. I'm
looking for something, and your...girlfriend here...is going to tell me.
Aren't you, Melinda?"
Mel yelped as she felt the
stiletto point prick her neck. She
swallowed convulsively and looked towards Jan, fear in her eyes.
Jan threw the director a dirty
look and slowly shook her head. Feeling
the weight of her gun at her back, covered by her ever present leather jacket,
Jan decided to play things nice and easy.
"Okay...okay, just what is
it you're lookin for, Hudson? I
figure we should be on first name basis if you're gonna fuck with me,
right?"
The director laughed evilly,
her eyes glittering brightly. She
motioned for Jan to turn the lights on and Mel sighed in relief.
Things could go awfully wrong in the dark, she thought.
Besides, she really wanted to be able to see this...yes, this bitch, get
her butt kicked. Mel tried not to
grin at the thought but wasn't too successful, judging by the look on Jan's
face.
Jan saw the look and winked.
Callisto grinned and dragged the southerner towards the back work table.
"There was something
hidden back here and now it's gone. I
want it back, Melinda, and I mean to have it...at any cost.
You have *no* idea just how mad this dealer is...sigh...men are just
so....unpredictable and moody. Can't
live with them, can't kill them. Well,
that's not entirely true, but we'll just move past that now, won't we,
Jan?"
"I don't know what you're
talking about Callisto. I have no
idea what you're looking for either, so lets just cut to the chase here,
okay?"
Mel yelped again and a small
trickle of blood began running down into her blouse. She brought up her hand
carefully and readjusted her spectacles. Callisto
noticed the woman's hands were sweaty and shaky.
This was a good thing. Made
them so much better to handle when they were scared shitless.
She smirked.
"There was a tablet, or
should I say, part of a tablet. I
'found' it on the black market and I want it back. You know, I always get what I want."
She dragged her tongue up the side of Mel's face, grinning evilly at Jan,
trying to provoke her. Mel cringed in disgust and tried to pull away.
"Ah ah ah.
Can't let you go yet, my pretty. Now,
SIT DOWN!" She pulled the
woman roughly down onto the chair and stood behind her.
Mel removed her hat and placed it on her lap.
Callisto snorted and dragged her fingers through the ebony hair,
releasing the hair clasp, letting her long hair fall down over her shoulders.
"Now, you don't want me to
have to 'hurt' her, do you, Jan? You
know, I really would take some pleasure out of that...but then, that's just the
type of girl I am. You do believe
me, now don't you, Melinda?"
Mel nodded stiffly, her hands
scrunching her hat, worrying the fabric with nervous fingers.
"So tell me, Calli.
I can call you that, can't I? Good. Well, Calli, you were the fence for Judith and her psycho
brother, weren't you? And where the
fuck did you dig up Demitrios? That
guy was really a piece of work. Both
dead, by the way. Judith killed
them both...her brother right here in the museum and the nazi sympathizer while
in prison. Now she is something,
huh? Did you break her out of
jail?"
"Yes, a great fuck, by the
way. But other than that...no, just
a liability, Jan dear. I suspect it was one of Alan's compatriots that arranged
that little break. Now, why don't
you tell your Aunty Callisto just where the tablet is, hmmm?"
She gave Mel another poke with the knife.
Jan winced, seeing the pain
cross her beloveds face. She grit
her teeth and forced herself to smile. No
good going off half cocked. Not
yet, anyway. Keep her talking, get
closer...beat the living shit out of her...Plan A.
"So, you get stuff from
other digs, what, either steal it or kill for it, what?
And then what? Smuggle it aboard a transport ship? Going to the Middle East, would be my guess."
She eased a little closer, looking at her surrounds, trying to appear
nonchalant.
"My, you are a smarty
pants, now aren't you? Why yes,
Jan, that is exactly right. I never
steal anything when I can simply kill the owner and take it..."
"And my next guess would
be...that you aren't the real director of anitquities either, right?"
Mel's mouth flew open, her eyes
wide. She had me workin my fingers
to the bone and wadn't even my boss? The
hours she had spent doing the backbreaking work, silently taking the insults,
the inneundo...her jaw clenched in response as she felt her temper rising.
Jan saw the look on her lover's
face and only hoped she'd be close enough to help when Mel blew.
"Stop wiggling, you silly
woman. And give me that damned hat!
No fashion sense whatsoever, eh, Melinda.
What could I expect..you are a southerner, after all."
Jan cringed as she saw the
volcano growing in Mel's face. Never...ever...assault
Mel's southern background....big mistake...very big..She edged even closer, her
hand going to the back of her pants. She
feined a sore back and stretched a little, covering her actions.
"Oh, you poor baby...tired
from the wars? I'm going to have
some fun with you after I'm finished with...her...Jan.
We'd be so good together..." she said wistfully, her head swimming
with the erotic images.
Mel shuddered and then...that
was it! She grabbed her hat back
and jammed her high heel down hard onto the director's instep.
Mel stood and the two women
began yanking the hat back and forth, both vying for purchase.
Suddenly, a piece of folded paper wafted out from the hat band and
fluttered to the floor.
Callisto shreiked and went for
it, pulling the knife across Mel's neck in an attempt to injure the woman
permanently. Mel shrank back just
in time and tried to bring her arm up in defence.
Unfortunately, it was her injured arm and so, was rather ineffective.
The director turned the blade
around and slammed the hilt into Mel's jaw. The southerner dropped like a bag of cement and lay still.
Callisto bent over and
retrieved the paper. She laughed as
she opened it.
"Ah, Melinda...had it in
your office safe the whole time, you little vixen. Well, Jan: it
was a merry chase, but it's over now...come one, Jan...let's play...a
little..you'd like that, wouldn't you? What
did you ever see in this...this Amazon woman?
Much too muscular for me...how about you?
You like soft curves, full breasts, nice rounded ass?
Ooh, me too." She began advancing on Jan, stiletto waving back and forth in
front of her face.
Jan could see the look of
partial madness just behind her eyes. This was even worse than she thought. Mel lay on the floor, blood seeping from the back of her
head, a crazy bitch with a knife in her hand, no one knew they were out here
alone, and...
"No, I don't think I want
to play with you, Calli. In fact,
I'd suggest you drop the blade. You
really don't want to make me mad. Trust
me."
Callisto snarled her response
and made stabbing motions towards Covington. A wicked and cruel look came over her face, her fists opening
and closing, a manic twitch appearing in her left eye.
A strange sense of calm washed
over Jan as she cooly watched the clearly insane woman coming closer.
Just as Callisto was going to
throw her stiletto, Jan reached behind and withdrew her 45.
She pointed it directly into the woman's left nostril, cocking the gun.
"You still want to play?
I call this game Plan B. We
can play if you want, Calli. We can
play all night long. You see, no
one knows we're here tonight. And I
can always say you attacked me and I *had* to kill you in self defence. Right? Now, I'm
not thrilled with you right now, Calli. In
fact, I'm down right pissed off just about now. I get home from being away for six fucking months, get sliced
and diced doing my patriotic duty, have to clean up the mess of your partner
Judith's attack on my...wife..only to have to deal with you? Yeah, I'm pissed off. You
could definitely say that, yeah."
"Your...wife?"
Mumbled the director, trying not to sound nasally, but failing miserably.
"Yeah, my wife.
We were married just before I left so you see, you have some payback due
you, and your account is *way* overdue."
She slammed her fist into
Callisto's stomach, grinning as the woman sank to her knees, gasping for breath.
Not once did the barrel of the gun leave her nose.
Jan pushed the barrel in a bit
more, causing the director to cry out. A
small trickle of blood began to drip from her nose as pressure was applied to
her frontal nasal cavity.
Jan became lost in the feeling
of rage that seemed to roar through her veins.
The image of Mel being cut, poked, verbally abused by this woman flashed
through her brain and she pressed the barrel in harder.
Tears of pain came falling down
the director's face, unbidden. And
still she wouldn't cry. She set her
jaw and just took it.
"I've taken worse than you
could ever give out, Janice. Go
ahead. Pain is good.
Lets us know we're alive. Does
it feel good to give me pain, Jan? Does
it turn you on? Make you feel
powerful?"
And with those few questions,
the red fog of hatred and battle lust lifted and Jan could see again.
She shook her head at the director in disgust then looked over at Mel,
who had begun to move weakly.
She pulled the director to her
feet, dragging her across to the chair. She
looked around the supply room and settled on some electrical wiring to truss up
her...friend.
Once Callisto was secured to
the chair, Jan bent to see how her lover was, removing her jacket and placing it
under the southerner's head. She
inspected the head wound and hoped that no stitches were required.
She'd have one helluva headache when she came to, not to mention the nice
black bruise on her cheek...Jan ground her teeth together again and shot
Callisto a look filled with hate.
Callisto flinched backwards,
her eyes wide. She'd seen that look
too often...on her own face. Now
she knew just what Janice Covington was capable of...that she had some of the
same rage boiling just under the surface.
Just as she was going to work
that to her advantage, Jan reached up and shoved Mel's hat in her mouth.
"Don't...even...think about it."
Jan made her way over to the
telephone and called the police station. Checking
the director's hands once more, she moved over to where Mel lay and pulled her
into a semi-reclining position.
She wiped the blood away from
her throat. Not too bad.
May leave a small scar..head doesn't look very good, though.
Coulda been alot worse. A
whole helluva lot, she mused.
A police siren could be heard
and Hudson Callisto tried to free her hands in vain.
The more she struggled, the tighter the wire became.
Knowing this, Jan completely dismissed the woman from her mind and
focused on Melinda.
Mel's eyes began to flutter
open, a groan escaping her puffy lips. She
tried to sit up but was held fast. She
frowned as she tried to focus...why couldn't she focus..then Jan placed her
glasses on her face and her vision cleared.
She smiled up at Jan. She
tried to raise her arm to stroke her wife's face but a sharp pain reminded her
of the injury she'd sustained earlier.
Two armed policemen rushed into
the room, taking in the scene before them. One woman bound to a chair with a hat stuffed into her mouth,
another on the floor, head bloodied, face bruised and swollen, and then another
looking grim-faced, gun laying beside her on the floor.
Jan pushed the revolver over
and raised her hands. One of the
policemen recognized her from the break and enter the day before and spoke to
the Lieutenant, assuring him that she was one of the good guys.
Jan added her two cents worth, shocking both men with her perfect dialect
and syntax. They both nodded and
one left for an ambulance.
Mel tried to assure Jan that
she could get up by herself, that she would be fine.
Jan was having non of it. The
past few days and just been too much...for anyone, herself included.
She felt a great weariness begin to overtake her.
The memories of the past months in Holland combined with the horror of
seeing Mel injured, bloodied and then tormented by a madwoman...well, it was too
much.
Jan sat holding her wife's
hand, turning her wedding ring around and around. Then she reached over and kissed Mel's hand.
Callisto snorted and tried to curse through the hat.
Jan never noticed. She was
completely focused on her lover, the love of her life, her wife.
Mel pulled Jan down into a
sweet kiss, neither noticing as the policeman turned so as not to disturb them.
"I'm glad you
didn't...lose your temper, Jan. Thank
you for that. I don't ever want to
lose you, love. And especially not
to the likes of her."
"I just couldn't...throw
all that we have away...not now. I have so much to lose now, Mel.
I don't ever want to jeapordize that again. I plan on growing very old with you, darling.
And I'll still be making love to you until the last breath leaves my
body. And we'll be together
forever.."
Mel knew it to be true.
Their eyes locked, and a sense of sharing took place.
Jan and Mel entwined their ring fingers and marveled at how well they
seemed to fit. Like they were made
for each other. As they were.
Epilogue
It was discovered that the real
director had been murdered days before she was supposed to get on the plane.
The Desoto was stripped down to the bare metal and a cache of money was
recovered along with some forged documents.
The tablet that Melinda had
discovered turned out to be from the dig their fathers' had worked on in Cyprus,
years before. It had been part of
Mr. Christopolis' Xena engraving, adding to the puzzle which Mel had finished
deciphered. Upon further
investigation and the detailed notes that Mel had made, it turned out to be
quite an important discovery. The
site was excavated, some rather rare antiquities were recovered and, praise be,
two more Xena Scrolls turned up. They
were dedicated to the museum set up in their fathers' name.
Judith cofessed all once she
was back in the confines of her cell. It
seemed her spirit had been broken, being beaten senseless by the same woman
twice.
Hudson Callisto was extradicted
back to the US and began her lengthy prison sentence, never having given up the
name or any further information regarding her contacts or the mysterious man in
the Middle East.
It was ascertained that Melinda
had suffered a concusion and did require a few stitches.
She spend a few days in hospital and Jan became a fixture, endearing
herself to the medical staff with her stories and parodies.
She was given an unconditional
discharge that was to take effect in six months and was on extended leave until
then. She was fully prepared to
risk going AWOL rather than leave Mel for one more day.
Luckily, Mel's contacts proved worthy and it didn't come to that.
Jan couldn't receive any medal
for her work overseas as it was Special Ops but it did go down on her records.
Captain Dan Butterworth and his
fiance Shelley Janes were married, Jan acting as best 'man'.
A contest ensued after the reception as the two friends tried to drink
each other under the table. Mel and
Shelley sat at the table with a bemused look.
What was it about those two? They
just seemed...so natural. Neither
woman felt even a twinge of jealousy and became good friends.
It was no surprise when Jan was
nominated for the position of Director. Jan worried about feeling tied down, their adventures over.
Mel smirked and assured her
that, no, it just meant they'd both have to go on them.
This certainly made for some rather vitriolic discussions.
And so it was that on June 6th,
1944, the Allied Forces began their trek to Berlin,
Hitler and his minions destroyed. However,
the world was never to be the same again when the truth of the concentration
camps was released. The collective
innocence was lost and things would never be quite so bright, so free again.
In September of the same year,
the Allies entered the strategic city of Antwerp, only 20 miles outside the
Dutch boarder.
Members of the National
Socialistische Beweging der Nederland, or the NSB, tried in vain to get out of
Holland and flee to Germany. Anyone
found to be aiding and abetting the enemy would be shot.
The Allies finally entered the
Dutch boarder and people ran up their Dutch flags.
However, the liberation of Holland had to wait.
It was a full week after the boarder was breached and it occured in the
small Dutch city of Maastricht.
Germany was not yet finished
with her rape and ruin of the Netherlands as she cut off food supplies.
The Dutch transportation was utterly destroyed by the retreating German
army and by 1945, there was no food, coal, wood, electricity or running water to
be had.
In April of that year, the
Allies successfully dropped food packages and a mere week later, Germany
surrendered. Canadian troops began
pouring into the northern provinces.
Next to Norway, it was the
country longest occupied by the Germans. However,
the resurrection of the Netherlands was at hand.
It had suffered such horrors during the occupation but was already making
headway in the rebuilding of their cities.
Jan began receiving letters
from Peter. Frans had been killed
fighting in Antwerp. Jan cried as
she told Mel of the brave young man she'd worked with.
Both Menno and Jaap were doing well and had decided to go back to
university for a degree in engineering. Jan
was sure they'd do well.
Peter and Anneke had stayed
friends, their memories binding them tightly. There was some talk of Peter coming to Greece the following
year. Jan got the distinct
impression that it wasn't going to be for a wedding celebration. Anneke had met a wonderful woman and she and Peter began to
spend less and less time together. It
saddened Jan to think of Peter alone. Well,
she mused, she had kinda promised a solution to that.
Mel began accusing Jan of being
a matchmaker. Jan didn't bother to
protest. She just smirked, saying
"I have many skills". It
was a point Mel was not willing to argue about.
The
End
Please
direct any and all constructive criticism to ArdentTly@yahoo.com.
I've had a ball and I hope you've all enjoyed the ride.
Thanks again to Shary for the belief and computer training...even though
I'm as thick as a brick in that area....grin.
See ya in the funny papers.
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