Chapter 15: Things Got Hot

Gene had sat quietly for a long time, hours probably, the sobbing teen slowly growing quiet. He didn't know what to do, didn't have much will to think about it too long. He'd saved her life, that was good enough for the moment.

The girl spoke in a weak voice in a language that might have been Spanish. The dim light of the room made it hard to make out her features, but Gene thought her skin was a rich but light brown, her dark hair spilled over shoulders, tangled.

She spoke again, trembled as she rose. Gene tensed automatically, didn't raise his pistol. Her legs were just able to take her to the door. Gene followed her down the hallway where she slipped into a bathroom. She didn't close the door, and his eyes were drawn to where she slid down her panties and began to urinate.

He couldn't help notice the small mounds that barely pushed out from her chest, large, dark areole capping her firm young boobs. She ignored him, didn't make eye contact, wiped, and returned her panties to her waist, a quick glimpse of her pubic hair catching Gene's eyes.

She stood facing him, a pleading look on her face. Her eyes were bloodshot, raw. Gene figured it was time to find out what was happening, had seen no one since he'd nearly shot Anna. I'd have done it. I know I would. Goddamn if I wouldn't have.

He rose up on deck to find that the sun had risen, the boat cruising out of sight of land, the choppy grey water splashing heavily against the hull. The girl moved behind him as he walked to the bow.

Holly and Sofija were reclined on padded deck chairs, facing toward him. Both were naked. Only Holly had her legs splayed obscenely, her fingers slowly sliding over her genitals. Sofija's large clit was capped by a thin trail of dark hair that tapered off in a triangle.

Gene stepped closer, said, "Holly! Fuck sake..."

The blonde pushed down her sunglasses, didn't stop her fingers. "So, finally I get to meet the stowaway."

"Stowaway? This is her boat. We stole it."

"Our boat now. And she's along for the ride."

"Holly, please. Stop it."

The blonde paused her fingers, pulled them to her nose, sniffed them and smiled, held out her hand, "oh, fine, Gene. Fresh sample?"

Gene shook his head, for the moment revolted by the young woman's wanton display. Sofija never budged, might have been sleeping. Her large almond-tan breasts jiggled as the boat skipped across the waves, the woman's nipples small and hard.

"What are we doing, Holly? What's next?"

"On our way to Pantelleria, nearly there. We're gonna stop and make contact with Jesus soon. Sure you don't want to fool around while we have the chance?" The blonde again offered her fingers. Gene resisted the urge to sniff them.

"Not now, Holly. Do we have any clothes she could wear? She's nearly naked." The girl had sat on a bench behind him, her body shivering.

Sofija rose and didn't speak, walked back down the deck and disappeared on the lower level. She returned quickly with a jacket and a pair of thin black pants. "Try these."

The girl put them on quickly, sat holding her arms around herself. Sofija sat next to her and hugged her, the teen letting herself be drawn onto the naked woman's body.

Gene turned back to Holly, the blonde said without emotion, "Anna almost killed you. If you'd have been anyone else, she would have splattered your brains all over that pathetic creature."

"I never expected you to be the softer sister."

"Can't say that I wouldn't have done the same, Gene. Dead weight is dead weight. When we get to Pantelleria, she leaves. On her own or thrown overboard, I don't care. But she doesn't stay with us. We won't be in port long, I expect."

Holly called to the girl in a couple of languages before finding one that worked. They conversed a moment, the girl welcoming the communication. Holly said to Gene, "name's Nerea, from Spain, her parents owned the boat. They'd been traveling around the Mediterranean for two months, on their way to Turkey with several of her father's friends. She asked if we meant to kill her."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I said 'yes'."

"Holly..."

"Oh, fine. I told her she'd be fine, that we'd drop her off in the next port."

Gene eyed the girl, wondered again what had happened to his daughter, to all of his family. Israel had had no news of them the night before, and the longer they went without making contact, the more Gene began to believe they'd been killed.

"Your maiden name, Khouri. What is that?"

Tamara answered slowly, "Lebanese. My parents were from there."

"Ah. Still alive?"

"Who the hell knows? It's only been a week since I talked them, but now..." Tamara sat quietly at the small table, Hannigan watching her closely. The man had showed no reaction to the intimate moments in the night, never mentioned it when he'd roused her with a set of grey stretch pants and top, fresh underwear that fit her a little snuggly, and socks, a pair of thin black sneakers thrown at her feet. She'd donned the clothes while he watched, and she ignored the way his pants tented once more.

A young woman entered the room, whispered in Hannigan's ear. He listened expressionless and nodded, the woman leaving without a word to Tamara.

"So what do I do, Hannigan? Surely I'm not going to stay in this ... where are we?"

"Later, Mrs. Polanski. Need to think a moment."

"Please, Tamara."

"Tamara. I need to think. Just sit and stay calm, please."

Hannigan stood and paced as Tamara finished the dry toast and tangerine marmalade, ravenous. She downed a cup of coffee and poured another from the pitcher on the table. Usually she drank it black, but she poured sugar and powdered creamer in, not losing the opportunity to take in extra calories.

"Wait here. Don't go anywhere. It's not safe. I'll be back in less than five minutes. Wait here!"

The serious tone in his voice concerned her. Tamara wondered what had caused the man to appear agitated. She sat while he left the room, turned over in her mind thoughts of trying to escape. She didn't know where she was or what might wait down the hallway, but the urge to flee was a strong one.

She restlessly rocked her legs, her eyes darting all around. She eyed a small steak knife near the sink, grabbed it, kept it locked in her grip as she hid it behind her back, wondering if she had the nerve to run it across Hannigan's throat if she saw the chance to escape.

"Any of you handle a weapon before? Guns?"

Lauren spoke up, replied, "I have. A pistol ... a few days ago."

"Good. Here." She reached into a small leather bag and pulled out a small silver sidearm, pressed it into Lauren's hand. "Anyone else?"

Both boys shook there heads. Logan said, "I want one, though. Please."

"Sorry, kid. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but if you've never held one before, I don't want the first time to be on this run."

Lauren saw Logan pout for the first time, his eyes tight, his lips pursed. It almost made her smile. The cold steel between her fingers returned her to the reality of their situation.

They'd risen before dawn and huddled around the wooden table in the small kitchen. Panthea had served them muesli and blueberries, sat drinking her coffee next to Lauren. The plan was to head into the nearby town where the woman said she needed to make a call. Lauren hadn't asked why she couldn't just use the landline at the house.

Panthea had appeared paranoid all morning, barely slowing her movements enough to eat, her eyes constantly searching beyond the walls. The woman reached into the bag again, pulled out two clips, said flatly, "stick these in your pocket. Rather have them and not need them." She'd explained little other than that they were to stay in the car and wait while she ran her errand.

The woman had them up and ready to move after the quick breakfast, the light of the day drawing up over the distant mountain. They piled into the small square four-door and Panthea set them off down the winding dirt path she called a driveway. Lauren sat up front, the boys in the back. Panthea looked at the teen, said calmly, "remember the safety. Shit gets hot, remember the safety."

Lauren's stomach rolled as the car approached the shadowy valley.

The boat had idled for almost an hour while Anna tried to make contact with Jesus. The man had maintained silence and the short blonde was becoming frustrated.

"Goddamn him. We're just sitting here, exposed. Fucker's supposed to be on target already. Holly, goddammit, please put your clothes on and get ready!"

The younger blonde was sitting on the railing, her ass hanging over the water, piss streaming out of her snatch. She giggled as she urinated, rocked her hips a few times, and jumped down and headed toward the stern.

Gene was beside the stowaway, Nerea's head resting in his lap. She'd fallen asleep against Sofija. When it came time to slow and stop, the woman had looked at Gene softly, asked if he'd keep her company.

The girl's face was pressed into his crotch. He'd had to shift uncomfortably a couple of times to keep from becoming erect. It was an automatic response, one he mostly successfully vetoed.

Holly returned wearing her black suit, weapons and packs strapped to her waist and vest. She looked down at Nerea, a soft smile came to her face. "Maybe I wouldn't have killed her. She's quite pretty."

"Knock it off, Holly. Please."

"Can't help what we're attracted to, Gene. I suspect you know exactly what I mean."

The teen girl against him and Holly's suggestion led him to remember the sexual thoughts he'd had about his daughter. The dream where he fucked her, the moments he'd pressed his flesh onto her hip and her breast. His cock defeated his restraint and rose quickly to press against Nerea's cheek.

Holly smiled when he said nothing. "Hmm. Thought so. Anyway, still no luck with Jesus. Could be that things got hot. For now, we wait."

"Run, wait, run, wait. There's not grey between them these days."

"Life's a bitch, Gene." She approached him, knelt, ran her fingers under his nose. The scent of her pussy soaked into Gene's senses. "You know you love that."

He pushed her hand away, but it was with less firmness than he'd intended, the arousing odors keeping his cock hard. Holly giggled, looked down, held her fingers under Nerea's nose a few seconds, then stood, laughed, and walked back to the cabin.

"Put this on." Hannigan had swept into the dining area, a large grey bag over his shoulder. He handed Tamara a face mask. "Hurry."

"What's going--"

"No time. Put it on, follow me. Quickly!"

Tamara slipped the mask over her face. Hannigan adjusted the straps a bit too tight on her head, nodded, slipped on a similar mask, and headed out the door.

They ran down a hallway, thin tendrils of smoky air trickling down the stairs. Hannigan turned back, shouted, "just keep moving! Follow me!"

They ascended the steps, the grey-blue smoke becoming thicker. It was hard to see. Tamara's breath became heavy, she struggled to control her rising fear, the masking making her feel claustrophobic.

Hannigan took her hand, she could see a pistol in his other. They trotted steadily through a large hall and up another flight of stairs, the visibility reduced to a couple of feet. They raced on, Tamara barely trusting that Hannigan could see any better.

He pulled her to the right as they flew from the open doorway, the smoke clearing immediately. A truck sat idling and he practically threw her into the passenger seat. He ran around and climbed up, threw the vehicle in drive, and slammed the accelerator.

Heads turned toward them from all directions. There were shouts. Hannigan took a hard left, speed down the thin concrete drive. They passed small grey huts and a longer green building. He grunted, "hold on!"

The truck slammed through a metal gate and ramped into the air, coming down hard on the front axle. Tamara held the door grip with white knuckles, her pulse pounding above the sounds of the heavy truck.

Finch held onto the door grip tight as the small car took a sharp turn just before the tree-thick town came into view down the valley. Panthea had had nothing to say on the drive, keeping her thoughts to herself.

He wondered if Lauren was as frightened as he was. He knew from the look on Logan's face that the boy had a mix of fear and thrill, an occasional smile creeping onto his face. Finch wished he could so easily find pleasure in their adventures, but all he found was a hollow terror that he'd be killed at any moment.

They pulled up near a small diner. Panthea sat a moment, then turned to Lauren. She said, "stay here. Keep the doors locked. You see anything that looks like it might be sketchy, drive that way about two miles, and if no one follows you, wait by the big intersection."

Logan spoke up, "and if we're followed?"

"Keep going."

Lauren looked at her younger brothers, fear in her eyes. "Are you just going to leave us?"

Panthea opened her door, said quietly, "not if I can help it."

Gene tried his best to move the sleeping teen off his lap, but every time, her arms shot out and held onto some part of him. He started to believe she wasn't actually sleeping. Gene's cock continued to throb no matter what he did. The teen's warm face did little to help.

Wistin came up to the bow, walked slowly to the rail. "Dunno what's going on out there. Jesus is still silent. We wait no more than an hour before we gotta move."

"Move where."

"Still debating that."

"Making decisions without me? That's fucked up."

"Sorry, Gene. Nerea was so comfortable, no one wanted to disturb you." There was edge of bitter sarcasm in his voice. "Anyway, they're coming up in a few, the sisters ... wanted some time to themselves while we waited..."

Gene groaned as he understood the hidden meaning, his penis pulsing in his pants. He secretly wished he had taken Holly up on her earlier offer, it would have left him better able to focus on the situation they faced.

Nerea finally rose a bit. Her hand brushed past Gene's bulge, sending a shiver into his body. She paused, looking at his crotch, then looked up at him with a mouth slightly open, questioning look on her face.

"Sorry," he groaned weakly. The girl sat back, her eyes again looking down at this lap before darting away.

Holly, Sofija, and Anna joined them on the bow. Holly slid in beside Gene. He could smell the pussy on her breath as she leaned in close and kissed his cheek.

Anna started, "so. Jesus is mute, we gotta make a call. I figure there are two bad choices and a lot of worse ones. We can pull into Pantelleria, try to steal some fuel and move back to Xlendi to regroup. Other option is to use what fuel we have left to sprint to Kelibia."

Gene asked, "Kelibia?"

"Northeast Tunisia. About the closest point to where we are now. We have no assets available there, but we can't stay out here. This boat is hot, certainly tagged, can't stay on it much longer."

Gene thought a moment. "What advantages to going to Pantelleria?"

"Chance to find out what happened to Jesus. Small chance, mind you."

"And what can he do for us that makes it worth the risk?"

Holly answered, "turn water into wine."

Anna was harsh, "knock it off, Holly! We have to settle this and settle it now!"

Gene said firmly. "I vote Tunisia."

"Me too," Holly's voice had an edge of humor, "I go where Gene goes."