Protectors of the Innocent - Chapter 6 (Part 2)

NOTE FROM AUTHOR: Please comment on what you think of the story so far. It is easy to become discouraged if one sees many people read the chapter, but only one or two, take the trouble to comment. To the people who already left a comment - good or bad - THANK YOU! The only way to learn what readers want is to read the comments.

At June's even breathing Matt turned around. Her long black hair fanned out on the pillow and two perfectly formed legs stuck out from the towel. She crooked one arm over her head and her mouth relaxed in a smile. Matt swallowed.

How long has it been since he saw a woman sleeping? When last did he have the urge to do so? He stared down at June again. She might make him forget, if he wanted to, if he allowed her to.

The memories came unbidden. He was twenty two again and worked his second month at Brixton Murder and Robbery Unit. His partner, Braam Gouws, taught him the ropes of investigation. Braam's tall lithe frame ended in a mop of red hair and freckles.

Matt's first morning at the Brixton Murder and Robbery unit started with Braam taking him through the procedures, step by step. Like teaching a child. Two months later, they solved their first big murder case. The husband of the deceased had a seemingly iron clad alibi. Until his mistress learned that he wasn't going to marry her and share the proceeds of the fat insurance policy with her. Hell hath no fury...

They drove up to the mansion in Sandton's newer suburbs. The excitement of the chase breathed inside Matt like a living organism. His hand shook as he pressed the intercom. The gate opened and Braam drove through. He barely had time to stop the car when Mister Husband rushed through the door.

Once inside Braam did all the talking. Matt listened and learned. Mister Husband must have suspected the reason for the visit. Braam moved towards him while reading him his rights. The husband pulled out a .38 short revolver. Matt stood rooted to the spot. A shot rang out. Braam fell.

Comprehension was slow to set in. Matt stared at the red stain spreading on Braam's chest for a second longer. Indecisive. Scared. The bullet burned through his right arm and the indecision ended. Matt drew his Z88 from his side and fired. He emptied the magazine inside the husband and only stopped firing when the slide remained stuck in the back position.

He called for backup and an ambulance, but Braam died on the scene. It was no consolation that the husband also met his Maker that day. That evening Matt and the Superintendent went to Braam's wife to deliver the news. Elize opened the door and stood motionless, clutching the two month old boy to her ample chest. Awareness slowly dulled her eyes. Pain etching lines next to her mouth, preparing the river banks for the tears shining in her blue eyes. Their formal uniforms delivered their message before their words could.

"May we come in please?" The Super's voice sounded as cold as the stone in Matt's stomach.

She ushered them inside and the three of them stood in the middle of the living room. Uncomfortable. Silent. The Superintendent spoke, confirming what she already knew.

Matt's guilt refused to be silenced. She demanded to know what happened and he told her. He told her everything. He told her how he had not been able to save her husband's life. Her shouts and accusations sliced through the twenty two year old man. They were still slicing. He took an oath that day. He never wanted to see that pain again. Never will he put a woman through that pain...ever.

Matt jerked back to the present, his ardor had cooled. His eyes focused on June again. The tiny frame lay defenseless in her deep sleep. His job was to protect, not listen to his hormones raging at thirty four.

He put his throbbing foot on the coffee table. A silent, but painful reminder of why he should concentrate on his job not make it more difficult. He cursed himself for being so stupid in the first place. The rules of being in nature weren't new to him, yet he broke the first cardinal rule. Never step where you can't see or haven't looked. His hormones raged so much that one would swear he never touched a woman before. And he had his fair share of them.

Matt shook himself. Get your mind out of your pants and think! He hoped Kevin realized something went wrong and managed to fix the problem. Gustav's goons were not stupid. Matt had nowhere to go but Nossob. And the goons would have had plenty of time to spring a trap.

A dull thud sounded on the patio. Matt drew the pistol from his belt. He scanned the room. June lay right in line with the door. He listened for any other sound and jumped when a knock sounded.

Three knocks. Silence. One knock. Silence. Kevin. Matt creaked the door open, keeping the pistol hidden behind the wood of the door. He blocked the swing of the door with his foot. Kevin's face emerged in the crack and he opened the door to let him in.

Matt pointed to June sleeping and Kevin nodded his understanding. They moved to the far end of the room.

"Where was the leak?" Matt's lips nearly touched Kevin's ear.

"The chopper pilot. He was paid to transmit your position to Gustav's men. He has been taken care of."

"And now?"

"They tampered with your car. I'm preparing June's at the moment for you to use. You need to get out of here during the night. I already arranged with the park officials."

"They found us?" Although Matt knew that they would be waiting he still found the efficiency with which Gustav's men operated, astounding. They have been here for just over an hour.

"Yes, and they have more motivation now. I let them know June figured out the identity of Gustav from the dockets."

"Holy shit. You don't believe in half measures, do you?" Kevin didn't reply immediately, he just stared at Matt for a couple of moments.

"Just keep pretending that nothing is wrong. Keep her calm and be ready at three in the morning."

"Yes, boss, I'm a novice boss. Shit, Kevin, I've done this before. Have you arranged for border crossings and traceable papers as we discussed?"

"Yes, it will be ready when you leave. You better be able to drive tomorrow. I arranged for you to be at the safe house at Tshauchab Lodge tomorrow evening." He watched Matt move towards the door. "You're limping, what happened?"

"Scorpion sting. It will be fine tomorrow. Where is the vehicle?"

"I'll fetch you and take you to it. Just be careful in the meantime."

"Right, I'll see you in the morning."

Kevin tiptoed to the door and let himself out. Matt locked the door behind him and set tripwires in front of the windows and door. He showered and lay down on the bed beside June.

Sleep evaded him. June's feminine scent assaulted his nostrils. Her dark hair formed a stark contrast on the white pillow. She lay on her back with her one arm curled above her head, the other arm slung over her midriff. The towel moved up a little and he had a glimpse of a rounded shoulder and the rise of a breast. Her mouth was slightly open and her breathing even. On the piece of exposed flesh from her stomach an angry red scar led upwards.

The anger of earlier returned. How could anyone not look beyond the physical of the petite body and see her for the beautiful woman she was? He suspected the scars on her skin couldn't compare to the emotional ones she hid inside. The glimpse he got about the trauma the unsuspecting fool caused her, tugged at his hart.

Matt watched as darkness descended over the room. Sleep still evaded him. June's breathing remained unchanged as he crept towards her and put his arm over her. She turned in his embrace and snuggled closer to him. Gathering her against him, his eyes drifted shut.
****
JUNE woke with heavy arm pinning her to the bed. She blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings. Matt's regular and deep breathing the only audible sound inside the chalet. He had to be exhausted. June lay perfectly still for a while, reveling in the security of his arms. Oh, she knew the danger they were in, but Matt's presence comforted her. Not ready to explore these feelings further, June wriggled out from under Matt's arm.

Her watch told her she had been sleeping for hours. She must have been more tired than she thought. After a long shower she wrapped a towel around her and inspected the luggage Matt brought from the vehicle.

Inside one of the ammunition boxes, June found woman's clothing, all in her size. Why didn't Matt give her some of these earlier? The louse! She unpacked all of it. The one sweater and drawstring pants seemed to be what she needed. The person shopping for these clothes obviously didn't consider buying underwear a priority and she smiled. It would have been ghastly stuff anyway. Oh how she longed for some of her leathers.

With a cup of coffee in her hand, June walked towards the door. She needed some fresh air. Her hand depressed the handle and stopped half way. A fine line spanned the width of the door. Matt must have rigged the door. She followed the line and after disconnecting it, she stepped outside.

The cool fresh air of the Kalahari whispered through her hair. She kept the lights off and sat down at the table on the patio. Stars littered the night sky. The camp was quiet except for a jackal calling to his mate in the distance. A small sliver of moon failed to penetrate the darkness of the night. She put her bare feet on one of the chairs and lifted her face to the sky.

In any other circumstances she would have had the holiday of her life. The remoteness and ruggedness of the terrain they drove through inspired peace and tranquility. Even while fleeing for her life, the beauty of the red dunes, contrasted with pale yellow grass were not lost on her. Here in the Nossob valley the tourists were more, but you still felt the vastness of the Kalahari Desert. The wide open sky with no light and noise pollution made you realize that you were a very small creature in God's wider universe.

She rubbed her arm and brought it closer to her nose. Matt's aftershave drifted into her nostrils. Why did she feel like jumping the man every time she looked at him? He used his hands to illustrate something and all she registered was a soft caress on her skin. When he spoke she felts his lips move on hers. It had to stop.

The splintering of the concrete wall behind her barely registered when Matt tackled her to the ground. Matt landed with half his body on top of her, a pistol gleaming in his hand. He motioned to her to crawl inside. The concrete next to her foot exploded again and June needed no further instructions. She crawled on her stomach through the door and kept going until she reached the bed. At the sound of the door closing she peeked around the bed. Matt crouched next to the door and fixed the wire trap again.

"Put off the light in the bathroom" June rushed to the switch.

Matt touched her arm and startled her. He moved so quietly she didn't hear him approach.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded in a harsh whisper."Don't you realize they want to harm you?"

"I didn't think anyone knew we were here." Her heart raced like an electric train and rammed against her rib cage.

"You didn't think. Shit, I can't even trust you for two hours on your own."

"I get the message, ok. Now please let go of my arm. You're hurting me." She tried to pull her arm away, but Matt wouldn't budge.

"No, until we can see properly, I am keeping you close. Even if I have to chain you to me."

"What do we do now?"

"We wait. Kevin will fetch us at three. They already tampered with our vehicle while we were inside. He'll take us to another car that he has hidden."

"Kevin is here?"

"Yes." June's temper threatened to erupt again at his short words. Hell, in any other circumstances he would surely receive a piece of her mind. She clamped down on her thoughts and tried to be civil.

"Oh. How are we going to drive out at three if the gates only open at six?" His hand tightened on her arm.
"Not you as well. Hell June, let me do my job and save the sarcasm for someone else."

Matt rubbed her arm absently with his thumb. The small circular movements inflamed her skin and her breath caught in her throat.

"Matt?"

"Hmmm?"

"Let go of me."

"Hmm hmm."

He moved his hand so that his knuckles grazed the outside her breast. The air vibrated with awareness and June swallowed past the dryness in her throat.

"How is your foot?" She tried to defuse some of the tension between them.
"I'll survive." His fingers stroked her upper arm. June forgot to breathe. Did he know what he was doing to her? Her nervous system changed into overdrive. His fingers moved upwards - the touch light as a feather. He buried his fingers in the tousled strands of hair behind her neck. She turned her head to look at him.

In the darkness, his features were indistinguishable. He pulled her closer to him and his head hid the little available light. His lips found hers - soft and gentle. He kissed her eyes, her nose, her cheeks and at last he found her lips again. His tongue probed for entry. June gladly obliged.

During the kiss, Matt lowered her to the ground. The coarse fibers of the rug in front of the bed stung through her thin sweater. He stroked her hair and the side of her face. Not breaking the kiss his hands traveled down the side of her body. His hand slipped under her sweater. June tensed.

"It's ok sweetheart. You're beautiful."

"But the scars..."

"They are part of what makes you beautiful. Trust me June."

His hand reaching the swell of her breast chased all coherent thought out the window. He traced the outline of her breast and June arched her back. Matt used her reaction to deepen the kiss even further. Heat spread from below her stomach to the rest of her body. When his skillful fingers found a nipple, it hardened to a painful peak. He rubbed it gently between his fingers and heat pooled between her legs. She wanted to feel his hands all over her body.

Matt pushed the sweater up and June tugged his shirt. Her breath rushed out in short gasps. Matt lifted himself off her just long enough to rip his shirt over his head. He replaced his hands with his mouth and as his warm moist mouth closed over the taught peak, June's hands raked over his back. Hard taught muscles bulged under her fingers. June's hands explored every inch of the broad back. Matt claimed her mouth again. The kiss robbed her of her breath. She arched her hips upwards.

"Honey, you're driving me crazy." Matt whispered - his voice hoarse with passion.

He tugged at the drawstring of her pants. June lifted her hips. The garment landed somewhere on the floor as he carried her to the bed. His mouth never left hers.

The comforter on the bed was cool on her bare back. Sanity returned momentarily, but his mouth wiped all reason away as it closed on one of the taught peaks again. Wave after wave of heat raked her body. She strangled her fingers through the blond hair and arched her back. Matt stroked her stomach, tracing each scar with his fingers. June lay perfectly still, afraid of what might come.

Matt replaced his fingers with his mouth. He followed every scar downwards until he reached her inner thigh. His fingers caressed the lips protecting her womanhood, seeking, exploring. June bucked gently against his hand until he found the small stub hidden in the folds of her womanhood.

Her whole body rocked with pleasure. She wanted more. She needed more. She needed Matt. She pushed against his hand. He slipped one finger into her womanhood and sensation exploded in her mind. He increased the stroking until June felt her body spasm. Wave upon wave of pleasure washed over her. Her womanhood throbbed.

"Easy, baby. Just ride it out." She barely registered his voice.

June's body went limp - muscles heavy with exhaustion. She floated back into consciousness. June reached out to touch Matt where he lay next to her with his manhood pressing against her leg.

"Matt, what about you?"

"It's not over June, not by a long shot" He put his words into action and his hands roamed over her. His kiss changed and became more insistent. His hands more possessive until June panted and rocked her hips as raw need settled in her belly.

Matt positioned himself between her legs. His rigid manhood pressed against her soft folds. Then he slowly entered her. When he reached a barrier, his whole body stiffened.

"Oh God, June. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Please don't stop. I'll die if you stop." her hoarse plea rung out in the darkness.

"You better be damn sure about this."

She answered him by pushing upwards with her hips. Matt increased the pressure. The barrier gave way and he remained perfectly still. The pain subsided and June moved her hips experimentally. The erotic rhythm overtook them - faster and faster. June spun out into space as a warm heat flooded her womanhood. She caught Matt's cry in her mouth.

He collapsed on top of her and moved so that his shoulder rests on the bed. When their breathing returned to normal, he slowly rolled off her and gathered her in his arms.

"I'm sorry June. I didn't know."

"Don't be sorry. I'm not. I never knew it would be like this." The smile on her face reflected in her voice.

"Hell June, you are one hell of a hot lady."

Drunk with their lovemaking they dozed off clutching each other. A few hours later, Matt startled awake when one of the alarms sounded.