After Midnight

21
A HELL OF A GAL

Within a few seconds, the fire grew brighter. I added more sticks, and larger ones. They crackled and snapped, crawling with flames.
As I built up the fire, I kept watch on the front of the tent. It stayed shut. No light or sounds came from inside.
I added larger sticks and chunks of branches.
It seemed crazy, even to me. Had I lost my mind? Did I want to get caught?
Who knows?
I kept telling myself that nobody wakes up just because a fire outside the tent is getting larger.
But it was getting louder, too. A lot more snapping and crackling. And every so often, a burning stick would go off with a bam!
I refused to stop adding wood, though, until the fire was large and bright.
Bright enough for its light to spread over Judy.
When her skin gleamed like molten gold, I stood up. I started to step around the fire, then realized I’d forgotten to grab a rock.
Bending over, I patted a few of the rocks along the top of the fire circle. They all felt hot enough to scorch my fingers.
Neat play.
If I’d been taking care of business, I would’ve found one before building up the fire.
Too late, now.
But the far side of the wall wasn’t being lapped by flames, so I hurried over there. Sure enough, several of the rocks were only mildly warm.
After switching the pistol to my left hand, I used my right to pick up one I liked. It was shaped like a large wedge of pie, and must’ve weighed three or four pounds. Perfect.
On my way over to Judy, I turned around completely a couple of times. The clearing, now alive with firelight, looked deserted. Nobody seemed to be peering out at us from the woods. The tent was dark, its flaps still shut.
Judy’s head still hung down. She didn’t seem to know I was there.
I slipped the pistol into my pocket, held the rock behind my rump so she wouldn’t be able to see it, and walked up to her.
Where my shadow fell on Judy, her shine vanished. I stepped sideways enough to let the firelight reach her.
Her skin was so sweaty she looked as if she’d been rubbed with oil.
“Judy?” I whispered.
She didn’t stir.
I slid my left hand gently up her side. She was slick and smooth and hot.
“Judy?” I asked, a little louder.
She still didn’t respond. My hand was just below her armpit, so that’s where I patted her a few times.
“Judy. Wake up. It’s me.”
Nothing. So I gave her a good, solid smack in the same place. Her breasts lurched. With a gasp, she jerked her head up. She looked into my eyes.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m here to save you.”
Her eyes flicked from side to side, studying me. She moaned into her gag.
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure nobody was coming. Then I faced Judy again and went into my routine. “I thought you were dead,” I told her. “Somebody ambushed us and you went down. Do you remember?”
She shook her head slightly from side to side.
“I ran away. But you were gone when I came back. So I’ve been looking for you. I’ve been searching all over. I had no idea…Then I saw the firelight. Just hang on, I’ll get you out of here.”
She nodded, moaning again.
“I’ll take the gag off, but you’ve gotta be quiet.”
Keeping the rock out of sight, I reached up with my left hand and tried to work the bandana loose. It was too tight. So I stepped around behind her, set the rock down on the ground, and used both hands to work on the knot.
Why was I even bothering?
Why not just bash her head open and be done with it?
Maybe for the same reason I’d wasted time building up the fire. Whatever reason that might’ve been.
Just to delay things? To put off the moment when I would have to kill her?
Maybe.
How should I know? I’m not a shrink.
All I know is that I needed to take her gag off. After a minute or two, the knot came loose. I untied it and slipped the bandana out of her mouth. I stuffed it into my pocket, then picked up the rock and stepped around to her front.
She was taking deep breaths through her open mouth like someone who’d been held underwater way too long.
“Are you okay?” I whispered.
She nodded, and kept on taking huge breaths.
“Who did this to you?” I asked.
“Don’t…know.”
“You don’t know?”
“It’s all…dark. Blank.”
“Do you remember how you got here?”
Her head shook slightly.
“Or who beat you up?”
“No.”
“Or tied you like this?”
“Just…we were walking. You and me. Looking for Tony. And then…I don’t know. Somebody must’ve…brought me here.”
“But you don’t have any idea who?”
“Did Tony?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I told her. “I never saw who did it, either. But somebody shot you and then must’ve carried you here. Maybe it was Tony. Do you think he would shoot you?”
“I don’t know. Yeah. Maybe. He was awfully…crazy about me.”
“Does he own a gun?”
“Yeah.
“Maybe it was Tony,” I said. “Do you think he’s in the tent over there?”
“Don’t know.”
“He might be,” I told her. “I’m pretty sure someone’s in it.”
“Oh, God.”
She sounded frightened.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here.”
“Hurry, okay? Please?”
“Tell me if he comes out.”
She nodded.
“Tell me if anyone comes out. We don’t know for sure it’s Tony.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll have to untie you.”
“Okay.”
Not wanting to set the rock down again, I slipped it underneath my shirttail and shoved a corner of it down inside the right rear pocket of my shorts.
Then I reached high with both arms. As I stepped in against Judy, the front brim of her hat shoved me in the face. “Let’s get rid of this,” I whispered, and gently lifted the hat off her head.
She winced.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Her hair looked wet. Shiny golden curls were matted flat against her scalp. If there was blood, I couldn’t see any. But another red bandana, folded into a pad, was clinging to the side of her head above her ear. Her ear had a crusty nick on top. The pistol sight must’ve done that.
Turning away, I gave the hat a fling. It sailed across the firelit darkness and landed in some nearby bushes.
Just as I faced Judy again, the makeshift bandage lost its grip and fell. It dropped softly onto her shoulder. I stuffed it into a pocket, then looked closely at her gunshot wound.
The bullet had taken an upward course, gouging a path through her hair and scalp. The furrow looked shallow and about half an inch high. The hair around it was stained a rusty color, but the wound didn’t seem to be bleeding anymore.
“You were really lucky,” I whispered.
“I don’t feel so lucky.”
“It just nicked you.”
“It hurts like crazy.”
“You’re lucky you aren’t dead.”
“I feel like I’ve got the worst hangover in history.”
“Must’ve been the beer.”
“Sure,” she said. And a corner of her mouth tilted upward, trembling. I guess it was supposed to be a smile. The other corner of her mouth, red and swollen from when I’d worked her over with the stick, didn’t move at all.
“We’ll get you some aspirin,” I told her. “But first we have to get you out of here.” Reaching for the rope around her wrists, I leaned forward. Our bodies met. I couldn’t help that. It was necessary if I wanted to work on the rope. My shirt was open. We were bare against each other except for my shorts.
“Sorry about this,” I whispered.
“It’s fine.” When she said that, I felt her breath against my lips. I was slightly taller than Judy, but her head was tipped back. Every time she exhaled or spoke, soft air brushed my lips and entered my mouth.
Our difference in size made her breasts level with mine. Our nipples met. Hers were hard, too.
“Scared?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“Same here. But don’t worry. I’ll get you out of this.”
“Hurry, okay?”
“I’m trying. Where are your clothes?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe they’re in the tent.”
“Yeah.”
“Unless he burnt them. Or maybe he left them in the woods somewhere.”
“I…they’re just gone. I don’t know where. I was like this when I came to.”
“This is a tough knot,” I told her. Which was sort of a lie. I was only fiddling with the thing, not really trying to undo it.
“You can get it, can’t you?” Judy asked. She sounded worried.
“I’ll get it.”
“What if he comes out?”
“Just give me a warning. I’ll take care of him.”
“But he has a gun.”
“He does?” I asked, forgetting.
Judy hesitated a moment. Then she said, “He must have one. He shot me, didn’t he?”
“Yeah. I forgot about that for a second. My God, if he comes out with a gun, we’ve had it.”
“Maybe you oughta run and try to get help.”
“And leave you here? No way. We’re in this together. You and me, honey.”
Murmuring, “Thanks,” she eased her head forward. Her cheek brushed against my jaw. Then she rested her face against the side of my neck. “You’re risking your life for me,” she whispered.
“I’m a hell of a gal,” I told her.
“Yeah,” she said. “You are.”
A few moments later, I told her, “This knot’s really giving me trouble. I can hardly hold my arms up.” With that, I lowered them and put them around her. “Don’t worry, I’m not quitting. I just need to rest for a minute.” I gave her a gentle hug. She winced and stiffened. “Sorry. Did that hurt?”
“Yeah, a little.”
“He must’ve really done a number on you.”
“I guess so. I don’t even know what he did. But I’m…awfully sore. All over. Inside, too.”
“The dirty bastard.”
“He’d better not’ve made me pregnant.”
“Don’t worry about it. If we don’t get you out of here, it won’t matter.”
“Trying to cheer me up?”
“How am I doing?” I asked.
“A lousy job.”
I gave her rump a pat, then said, “I’d better get back to work.” Reaching high again, I started to fool with the knot.
“If you get me out of this,” she whispered, “I’ll owe you my life.”
“Forget about it,” I said.
“I’ll do anything for you.”
“Anything?”
“Anything.”