Chapter 3

Biological clock. That’s it! That is why I woke up. Something in my sub-conscience mind telling me that the alarm will go now at any moment. It was a few minutes before the alarm would sound, so I opened my eyes and slowly surveyed my surroundings.

There’s a body next to me in bed. There’s a FOURTEEN-year-old girl next to me in bed! I turned my head and looked at the form lying next to me. She was curled up. Knees were drawn up to her chest, making a small loaf like a kitten snuggling.

Morning pressure was mounting in my bladder. I gently eased out of the bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. Little Miss Muffet was still away in dreamland. I did what I had to do and returned to the room. By now Tracy was stirring.

As in all B ‘n B’s around the country, there was a kettle and the makings of coffee. I got the kettle going and placed two mugs out to prepare coffee. The coffee here was a bit up-market but still of the powdered variety.

“Good Morning Don.” I heard from the vicinity of the bed. I looked over my shoulder. Big green eyes looked at me through sleepy disarray hair. She was small in the large queen size bed.

“Morning Sleepy Head. Coffee,” I asked.

“Coffee’s fine. Thank you, Don,” Tracy said as she stretched her arms above her head and yawned. “What time is it?

“Going on six-ten. We’re still good. No rush.”

“I need ... to ... go somewhere...” And for the second time, I saw what Tracy looked like when she blushed. The freckles on her nose and cheeks look like they could set fire to the curtains. She looked away for a moment and then jumped out of bed, racing to the bathroom. I heard an “Ouch” coming from the other side of the door. Tracy obviously still hurt, but she kept quiet and never mentioned any discomfort or pain. A little soldier, I suppose.

Tracy came back into the room after her bathroom run. I handed her a mug of coffee. She took the offered mug and took a sip.

“Mmmmm ... Yummy! Nothing like coffee in the morning.” she said. “I suppose I need to go to my own room.” Green eyes regarding me over the rim of the coffee mug.

“It may be a wise move,” I said. “Tracy ... Can I ask you something?” Tracy looked at me with those big green eyes.

“I don’t need to answer if I don’t want...” She said, looking a bit apprehensive.

“Tracy, I notice that you’re not comfortable. Like you are still sore after ... well you told me you were beaten. And ... well I need to know if you need medical attention.” I said, looking at her. Tracy stood in the middle of the room. She was quiet. As if making up her mind about something.

Then she stunned me. Tracy drained the last of her coffee, walked over to the little coffee table, and put her mug down. She straightened up, looking at me with eyes darting over my face. Biting her bottom lip. Making up her mind.

“I think a couple of Aspirins will help,” she said and turned around. She then pulled her t-shirt nightie up to around her shoulders, revealing to me her back, buttocks, and thighs. Her lower back and thighs were criss crossed with angry purple blue and red stripes. She had pinkish coloured hip hugger panties on. I could see the same colour stripes on the sides of her butt not covered by the panties. I gasped. She did not move.

After about two minutes Tracy dropped her nightie into place and turned to me. I held my arms out, not knowing what to say. Tracy just melted into my arms and looked up into my face with tears silently rolling down her cheeks. I held her. Lightly kissing her tears off her freckled covered cheeks. She did not pull away but kept on hugging me as if she did not want to let go.

“Go. Get dressed. We will go to breakfast and then I will get you some cream and painkillers. You need that as you have to sit for at least two hours on the plane.” I said, gently stroking her long red hair.

Tracy let me go and dried her tears on a towel. “Thank you, Don. I will go to my room now and get dressed.” She retrieved her slippers and nightgown she discarded next to the bed last night and slipped out of my room.

About thirty minutes later Tracy was back. This time dressed in a cream coloured blouse and jeans, hiding the beautiful long slender legs from the day before. I realized that the clothes and shoes were her purchases of yesterday. She looked beautiful. The red hair was now in a shiny long thick ponytail dropping down her back to just under her shoulders.

We went out into the passage, locked my door, and proceeded to search out breakfast. Breakfast was catered for on the terrace outside the side entrance of the Guest House main complex. There were a few other guests already around the tables set up out on the terrace.

I helped Tracy through the buffet supplied and made sure that she loaded up on a FULL English Breakfast. Lunch today will be a little late at around one thirty PM. Tracy ate her breakfast with a little more restraint than the burger of yesterday. I smiled.

With breakfast out of the way, we collected our luggage, I paid the bills and at eight-fifteen we hit the road towards the airport. I also stopped at the local pharmacy and picked up some painkillers, a little stronger than the ones I had in my S H T F bag. The use of the cream had to wait until she could use a lady’s room at the airport. I also checked the rear-view mirror a lot. Not that I was expecting a tail. But I was just a little bit uneasy about what those bozos might be up to.

Although I doubt the sleazes would take the time to see where I took her, I was never less being cautious. I also doubt the sleazes would be so bright as to try to get her back. I distinctly had the idea that they had overplayed their hand and needed to get rid of her and make something on the side. Not realising that she could be a valuable witness if they got arrested.

Will she be able to identify them in a line-up? Could she remember where the house was that they kept her in? Could she remember the ‘school’ where she stayed? This is what I had to discuss with Franks. He would know how to get the information. I will leave it to him.

The airport was also a new experience for Tracy. I did not enter from the standard airport entrance but drove right through a secondary security gate. A few crewmembers of the logistics Company had pushed the bird out onto the ramp. She was sitting there shining in the early morning sunlight. Her grey, light blue, and dark blue stripes over the overall white of the craft stood out prominently. The cargo door on the left side of the PC-24 was open and a forklift was gently depositing the return cargo box into the craft.

Tracy was wide-eyed looking at the scene. We got out of the car just as the rental guys showed up to reclaim their car. With all the manifest checking and seeing to it that the cargo was safely secured, I sort of lost track of Tracy, who was following me around like a puppy. One guy made a comment about how the return trip has a very nice stewardess for such an ugly piece of box in the back of the plane. We all laughed.

Then came the real airplane stuff. Checking the weather, both here and at the destination. Winds aloft and en-route. Refuelling the craft took another few minutes not taking much JET A1, seeing that she had more than half tanks still on-board. More than enough to make the return trip. She could do over five thousand kilometres with a full load, but I do want to play it safe.

“Better make a bathroom run before we go, Tracy,” I told her. “When our wheels lift off the ground it will be two hours before you get that chance again.”

“Rodger Capt’n!” she said and skipped into the FBO office. I just shook my head and followed a moment later to also attend to what Tracy was doing.

After attending to all needs and such, Tracy and I walked out to the Jet. I started the pre-flight walk-around of the Jet. Checking each control surface, each hatch, and cover. Every step of the way Tracy was there beside me and I explained every step and why I did it. Tracy looked on and I let her touch each of the surfaces I was checking. Tracy just drank everything in.

She was absorbing the info like a sponge. Here and there, she gave some feedback, and I got the impression that she did indeed understand all of the information. Not only understanding it but applied the science behind it in the correct way. I didn’t even know her for twenty-four hours, but she kept amazing me with the insight she had and the words that she uses in general conversation. Maybe her use of the English language was just a little juggled around. Not what I was used to, but the general idea was there. Listening to her I remembered a PC game I played years before and the words of the obvious Irish girl: - “We can move faster if you keep your eyes on the road and not me ass!” I chuckled softly by myself.