Chapter 6: An Assignment And A Walk In The Fresh Air

Katie O'Brien had finished her first assignment since resuming her duties. She had taken a few days rest and recuperation, following that bizarre and very uncomfortable kidnapping in Central Asia and then been sent to cover a meeting of industrialists in a south coast resort. It was Saturday now and Katie had decided to delay going back home, booking a couple more nights at a hotel now mercifully bereft of journalists and financiers. After all the compulsory socialising of the past few days she badly wanted time alone.

Heading out of the hotel, she decided to make for a coastal path leading up into rolling green hills. It took her only a minute or two to realise that she was overdressed, even though it was early November and the temperature was in the mid to high forties. She went back to her hotel room and took off her heavy coat, sweater, skirt and tights. She donned a sleeveless top which came down only to three inches above her navel, leaving a vast expanse of her gently swelling stomach bare to the wind. Walking shoes and tiny shorts completed her outfit. She had not known what was in her mind when she purchased these garments earlier in the week or when she put them into her luggage before coming down here. She knew now!

"Gosh, that's better!" She had been stifled for the past few days, stuck inside the conference room by day and forced to socialize in boozy, smoke filled bars by night, dressed in a business suit.

"Lets blow a few of those cobwebs away." She said, now that her time was her own at last.

The ecstatic Katie was soon out of the town and climbing a steep flight of steps up into the country park, finding herself walking over the springy down land turf, her hair streaming behind her in the breeze. All her cares and worries fell away from her. She felt wonderful. An elderly couple passed, going the other way and turned. They gazed open-mouthed at this reckless and lovely young woman as she strode energetically off into the distance.

"Mad as a hatter, that one - makes you feel cold just looking at her!"

"I know! We were never like that when we were her age. And it's too late now!"

This worthy old couple were not to know that Katie had endured weeks of highly uncomfortable exposure to far worse than this and had come to enjoy hardship, pushing her body up to its furthest limits, testing herself to destruction.

Katie, despite this recently acquired love of physical discomfort, would have been somewhat dismayed to know that there were those who wanted her trials and tribulations to continue and that these malevolent individuals were, even now, devising cunning ways to return her to some form of unpleasant captivity.

Her walk continued and soon she came to yet more steps, leading down to a valley. Up the other side was a steeper flight of steps. She ran all the way up and arrived at the top only a little out of breath and sweating, the fragrant incense of her body dissipated in the autumnal loneliness.

"This is the life." she thought. She continued running along the coastal path's gentle upward slope. Her legs were in great shape, even after a long involuntary confinement. Despite the mist, she could just make out the sea below.

Another steep downward slope with flights of steps cut into the pathway and she was at another valley. Here she saw a notice announcing the way to a beach.