Chapter 23: Calypso's Campground

Sensing a means of escape, Simon and Arabella climbed into the back of the cab as it roared away from the curb. Squeezing into the narrow seat, they were immediately assaulted by the overwhelming odor of incense and the cacophonous noise coming from the stereo. Simon leaned up to the hole in the Plexiglas that separated the passengers from the driver.

"Downtown bus station" he shouted. Looking at Arabella, he said, "We'll get something to eat and then catch something moving back home."

The heavy, cloying sandalwood smell nauseated them as the driver slewed through the streets. The cab turned on to Harbor Drive and accelerated along the wide, straight road. Simon looked back and saw police vehicles converging on the arena.

"Looks like some folks are getting a little rowdy," he said, trying to start a conversation in the tense atmosphere of the back seat.

Penelope didn't respond, however. She pulled her hand-held computer out of her purse and leaned against Simon, her breast pressed against his arm and her thigh against his. Arabella noted how the black woman's skirt had ridden up, exposing her garters and the tops of her stockings.

"A little old fashioned, aren't they?" Arabella had to yell across the back seat to be heard over the wailing music.

"Excuse me?" Penelope said, trying to feign innocence. She met Arabella's gaze but smoothed her skirt back down to her knees without further comment.

The noise from the speakers sounded like a group of cats in heat, with a chainsaw as backup. When Simon asked the driver to turn down the noise, the man had just smiled through his bushy mustache and turned the music up louder, occasionally singing along. Penelope ignored the distractions. Arabella watched Penelope through the corners of her eyes.

Penelope turned back to Simon and shouted in his ear. "OK, look. Bobby Tyler was getting political cover from some place. Someone with real pull down in the Valley. Do you know who that could have been?"

Even though he was sitting next to the reporter, Simon had a hard time making himself heard. "Look I told you. My job was handling DPREs. I don't know anything about Tyler other than he was against establishing the refugee camps. He wanted to be in charge and didn't want the Federal government involved."

Penelope moved to the next item on her list. "And what about links with the Shoremen? Some of my sources have hinted about links between Bobby Tyler and the rebels."

Arabella's eyes snapped open. Quickly, she tried to hide her shock by pretending to yawn, but she was sure that Penelope had noticed. Arabella casually leaned against Simon, hoping to hear more.

Penelope searched through her notes, looking for the key piece of information that would entice her two guests to tell her what they knew. She felt that Simon was the key to uncovering Bobby Tyler's links to the criminals and rebels that were taking advantage of the country's chaotic situation. The fact that his girlfriend seemed interested in the rebels was an unexpected bonus.

Trying to relax her audience, Penelope changed the subject and started talking about the upcoming holiday. With all of the distractions inside the cab, Simon hadn't noticed where they were being taken. They had gone past the downtown area, crossed the bridge, and were on the wrong side of the river before he realized that they were going the out of the city rather than toward the downtown area. Looking out the window he saw that they were headed north toward Richmond.

"Where the hell are we going?" Simon yelled through the plastic barrier at the driver.

Penelope smiled back and calmly smoothed her clothes. "We need to find a nice quiet place for the weekend. We'll let the cops forget about us and maybe get to know each other a little better."

The driver took an exit ramp at full speed. Simon grunted as Arabella and Penelope slid across the seat.

Simon leaned up the glass and pounded on the Plexiglas barrier. "No. We want to go to downtown."

The taxi lurched to a stop in a wooded rest area. It was dusk and the streetlights were coming on, illuminating the long, thin parking area. A small brick building sat in an overgrown patch of grass on one side of the parking lot. Its sign said, "Visitor Information." Underneath some wag had added "Abandon hope all ye who enter."

Simon looked around and saw that they were the only ones in sight. The driver smiled, looked back, and held up one hand.

"Twenty dolla."

"No. Downtown."

"Twenty dolla."

Simon, his patience gone, had balled up his fists and pressed his nose against the barrier. Shouting, he repeated his command to be taken to the downtown only to have the driver repeat "Twenty dolla" without losing his idiotic grin. Things might have gotten ugly but Arabella laid her hand on Simon's arm and said, "Let's just get out. We'll find another cab."

Simon wearily agreed and climbed out of the cab, throwing the driver a twenty.

"No tip! You cheap bastad" the driver shouted and roared off in a cloud of blue smoke.

"OK," Simon swallowed his frustration and tried to smile, "now what do we do?"

Simon looked up to see that Penelope and Arabella had walked toward the building and were heading for a gravel road that led into the dense wood line. He jogged to catch up with them as they walked through thick pines along the overgrown road. A sagging barbed wire fence marked the edge of the rest area but the trio stepped over it and continued into the woods, losing sight of the dim streetlights as they walked. Ahead of them, Simon could hear boats on the river, their wakes lapping against the riverbank in soft waves.

The road turned and paralleled the river. Surrounded by pine trees, a small clapboard house emerged out of the darkness. Penelope climbed the steps without hesitation and knocked on the door. A dark haired young woman answered the door and immediately greeted Penelope with a tight hug. There were exclamations of how long it had been since they had seen each other.

"This is my special friend Calypso," Penelope said with a grin.

Calypso reached behind her neck to gather her long curly black hair, a broad smile full of white teeth shining under her bright black eyes. The movement stretched her peasant blouse tight across her tan bosom. Simon stared as he saw her dark circular nipples clearly defined beneath the translucent white cotton.

Seeing her boyfriend gaping like a schoolboy, Arabella bumped Simon aside as she stepped forward to offer her hand to Calypso.

"I'm Arabella Hood and this lump is my boyfriend Simon Woodsman."

Simon shuffled his feet and said hello; careful to keep his eyes fixed on Calypso's face.

"Calypso, sweetie," Penelope interrupted the introductions, "we need a place to hang out for the weekend. Someplace quiet."

Calypso gave Penelope an exaggerated wink. Quickly closing the door behind her, she took both Arabella and Penelope by the hand and led them from the porch. Calypso swung their arms like schoolgirls as she guided them around the side of the house.

"No baggage, no problem." Calypso shot a dazzling smile Simon's way. "Follow me folks, I've had a few vacancies recently and I think I have the perfect spot for you."

Pointing to a golf cart that had seen better days, Calypso hopped into the driver's seat.

"Climb aboard," she said as she released the brake and jammed her foot forcefully on the accelerator.

Simon, sitting in the back, held on for dear life as Calypso shot through the road's ruts and bumps rather than attempt to weave her way around them. While she drove she updated Penelope on mutual friends and acquaintances.

"... And the Wilson horde left yesterday. Seven kids, grandpa, and all the cousins crammed into that mini-van. Said that they were tired of living in a tent. As if there's anything better in D.C. these days."

Simon didn't hear Penelope's response but he sat up at Calypso's strange response. "We're just laying low and hoping that the blind pigs have other things to occupy their time."

Simon leaned over the seat and asked, "What do you mean 'blind pigs'?"

"PG. Public Guard," Penelope explained.

Calypso looked at Simon as if he were a moron. "You know, PG. Pig without an eye."

With an exasperated shake of her head, Calypso turned and continued her conversation with Penelope. Simon decided to concentrate on staying in the cart. He could see the twinkling of camp lanterns through the trees and saw the shadows of people as they walked in front of the lights. Without warning, Calypso turned off the rutted main track into a campsite.

"Here you go. Home sweet home," she said as she yanked on the hand brake.

Penelope jumped out of the cart and stood in front of a faded green canvas tent. "We can spend the weekend here," Penelope told Arabella as Simon gingerly dismounted the back of the golf cart.

Penelope threw back the tent flaps and led them all into dark, stifling interior. "We'll have to air it out of course," she said gaily.

Calypso stood just outside the tent, her hands on her hips. "Here's the deal, campers. You're more than welcome for the weekend, seeing as you're friends of Penelope. Donations are accepted, of course. But if you want to stay longer, I'll have to ask you to sign up for some chores. I've got a no work, no eat rule around here and I can't bend the rules for anyone."

Penelope emerged from where she had been checking out the tent's cots and joined her friend. "We'll all pitch in. Won't we." She looked at Simon and Arabella as if their agreement was taken for granted.

The hot, humid air inside the tent was dense and still. As they rearranged the cots and tied up the tent flaps, Simon passed the time chatting with Penelope. Arabella fiddled with the tent's lantern and tried to stay close enough to hear the conversation. She learned that Penelope's investigation had led to the conclusion that Bobby Tyler had made huge sums of money by playing the government against the rebels. The only losers had been the refugees, who Bobby had used as pawns in his game to maneuver himself into higher political office.

Despite Simon's casual chatting, Penelope still felt that he was holding back. Remembering the scene in the locker room, Penelope decided that since the direct approach wasn't moving fast enough she would try another way to get him to talk. She teased him with a peep show, flashing glimpses of brown skin from under her short skirt, and accidentally bumping into him as she moved around the cramped space inside the tent. Remembering Penelope's not-so-subtle familiarity in the taxi, Arabella started to look peeved. Simon sensed the growing tension between the two women and looked for a quiet corner to disappear into. Penelope, seeing that Arabella was the obstacle to getting the information she wanted, shifted her focus to the redhead.

"We need to change into some work clothes," Penelope took charge of the situation. "I stay her often and there's a cache of jeans and T-shirts in that foot locker." Turning to Arabella, Penelope's voice was saccharine sweet, "Why don't you try on some of my clothes?"

While Arabella looked in the footlocker for some clothes that fit, Penelope shooed Simon out of the tent and closed the tent flaps. With some good-natured joking, Simon went into the clearing and decided to make a quick call to his office. Returning to the center of the tent, Penelope found Arabella bent over trying to find some clothes in the small locker. Penelope silently unbuttoned her blouse and unsnapped her bra, allowing her large breasts to sway freely. Penelope gently stroked Arabella's back, causing shivers to run up and down the young woman's spine.

"I see you've gotten some sun," Penelope said in a soft voice. Her fingers paused at Arabella's belt line and played across the strip of pale skin that marked the redhead's tan line.

Uncertain of Penelope's intentions, Arabella stood up but she found herself trapped between the footlocker and the half naked reporter. A smoky look in her eyes, Penelope closed the gap between them, her bare breasts rubbing against Arabella's lacy bra. Penelope held Arabella's face lightly between her hands and leaned toward the redhead, her lips parted for a kiss. Arabella, still unsure of Penelope's sudden shift from investigative reporter to lesbian seductress, pulled free and stepped back from the other woman, bumping her calves against the footlocker.

Penelope showed no signs of slowing her advances, however. She hooked her thumbs under Arabella's bra straps and slid them from the smaller woman's shoulders.

The black reporter whispered softly, "Like china," as she exposed Arabella's firm round breasts.

Penelope leaned down and seized one of Arabella's coral nipples between her lips rolling her tongue around the rubbery button. Subconsciously enjoying the feeling of the woman's soft lips on her nipples, Arabella hesitantly reached out and stroked Penelope's breasts, weighing them in her cupped hands.

Penelope took this as a signal to proceed and, with a quick wet kiss on Arabella's neck, sank to her knees and left a trail of kisses across Arabella's firm, flat stomach to the top of her panties.

Arabella's confused mind spun in frantic circles. "I... I don't know... I don't think I want to."

Penelope responded with a soft chuckle. "Baby, your mouth might be saying no but your pussy's sure got other plans." She took a deep breath. "I can smell your poontang."

Penelope pressed her face against Arabella's musky crotch.

"I want to taste you. You want me to, don't you?"

Penelope firmly pulled Arabella's panties away from the redhead's resisting grasp and over her hips. "Yes, I think you want my mouth on your little white poontang."

Arabella knew that she should scream; call for Simon; anything to stop Penelope but her voice failed her. The black woman's mouth kissed and sucked her tender labia, lighting a fire inside her loins.

The sensation of Penelope's tongue plowing through her pussy's furrow made Arabella dizzy and she staggered over to fall on to a cot with Penelope's mouth still attached to her pussy. Lying back, Arabella's knees splayed obscenely and her stomach churned as Penelope's mouth worked its magic on her twat. Although Arabella tried to stifle her moans, the sounds of her soft cries soon filled the tent.

Outside of the tent, Simon was surprised that despite being in the middle of nowhere, he had found a signal and was quickly connected to Felicia. They chatted for a while, catching up on office gossip and the state of affairs in Staunton. He had just asked her to check on his house when the batteries died. Putting the useless phone back into its belt pouch, Simon realized that he hadn't heard anything from Arabella or Penelope since he'd come outside.

Curious, Simon stepped up to the tent's door and heard the faint sound of Arabella moans. He cautiously opened the tent flap. Illuminated by the lantern's soft light, he saw his lover laying on one of the cots with Penelope's head between her legs. Both women were half dressed and Simon's cock swelled as he appreciated the drastic contrast between Arabella's pale lithe body and Penelope's dark, Rubenesque form.

Simon stood behind Penelope's rounded hips and admired Arabella as she writhed on the cot, lost in the sensations emanating from her wet and sloppy cunt. He reached forward and unzipped Penelope's skirt, helping it slide onto the tent's floor. Without removing her tongue from the redhead's slit, Penelope wiggled her ass in invitation.

"Look who's come to join us," she said as she added her fingers to Arabella's snatch.

Arabella squirmed and grasped her own tits, pinching her nipples and thrashing around as Penelope tickled the sensitive inner lining of her love tunnel.

Smiling, Simon could tell from her erratic breathing and tiny cries that his girlfriend was nearing her climax. His eyes never left Arabella's face as he unbuckled his pants and freed his turgid prick from his briefs, stroking its thick shaft. Arabella's eyes half-opened and she saw Simon's cock pointing at Penelope's gently rounded hips.

"Fuck her. Fuck her while she eats my... Unhhh... pussy." Arabella's breath came in gasps as Penelope stabbing fingers brought her closer and closer to cumming.

Without bothering to remove Penelope's panties, Simon pulled the damp silk crotch aside to reveal her furry black bush. He rubbed the tip of his cock along the reporter's soggy slit, parting the wiry black hair and lubricating his bulbous cock head before placing it against her pussy's entrance.

Suddenly Arabella gasped spasmodically. Her slender body arched, straining to press her throbbing clit against the source of its pleasure as her pussy spurted against Penelope's chin. She clamped her thighs against the black woman's head as her pleasure consumed her.

Penelope was the next to cry out as Simon inserted his rampant cock halfway into her wet cunt. As Arabella recovered from her orgasm, Simon worked his cock into Penelope's chocolate colored pussy.

"Jesus. He's so big," Penelope moaned and rested her head against Arabella's belly, feeling the ebb tide of Arabella's climax.

Arabella gently lifted Penelope's face to hers as she slid from the cot to the floor. With Penelope on all fours, Arabella crawled underneath the larger woman's pendulous breasts and settled directly underneath her swollen labia.