Introduction:

"God damn, why in the hell do you always do this to me. It's been at least three fucking years since I've tried to take time off, much less a vacation," fumed Jessie as she paced agitatedly around the hotel room. Her dark, midnight black hair bounced as she moved round the room. Cobalt, clear blue eyes sparkled with anger as she walked over to the only other person in the room.

Jessica Fremont, as her colleagues knew her, stopped directly in front of the huge, robust man in a dark blue rumpled suit. Leaning her face within inches of his and looking at him eye to eye, she growled, "Forrester, this had better be the real thing and worth all this effort or I'm going to crush someone's balls with my bare hands."

She reached out and flicked the front of his pants as he took one step backward.

"Whoa there little lady," Forrester stated while looking over Jessie's six foot, muscular frame.

"Hummph," snorted Jessie, "little indeed." She flexed her biceps, making rock hard muscles jump to her tune.

"I'm just bringing you these gawd damn orders. Don't blame this shit on me and don't you dare take it out on me. Fuck, why'd you think they sent me?" His chest puffed out over his belt as he tried to suck in his beer belly. "I damn well refused to let anyone know exactly where you were in case you bailed on taking this assignment."

"FUCK!...... FUCK!..... FUCK! Why me?" she spit out the words while snarling and pacing again.

"Fremont, you know fuckin well you're the only operative in the area that knows this country like the back of your hand. You must have roamed every inch of it in the past ten years, any time you took time off." Forrester calmly stated.

"We need someone that can act as bodyguard and someone who can hide our client for the next week. Her very life depends on us doing a good, shit - no, excellent job protecting her." he finished while turning to sit down on the couch.


1

Jessie walked over to the large window overlooking the port of Callisto, situated on the Mediterranean Sea. She paused, silent, deep in thought. Slowly she turned toward Forrester, saying, "Let me get this straight. I'm to baby-sit a goddamn prima donna 'Doctor' that is affiliated with Doctors without Borders through the World Health Organization."

"Yeah," Forrester mumbled while reaching in his pocket for his cigarettes.

"Don't you light that up in here," barked Jessie as Forrester struck a match. He quickly shook out the lit match.

"Her daddy's a Senator or something like that. The Agency believes there's a renegade saboteur in camp trying to destroy the relief effort," said Forrester as he pushed his cigarettes back into his pocket. "She seems to be caught in the middle of it.

"Monday, her lab blew up with her in it, but we couldn't find anyone around who was willing to tell us what they saw. It had to be someone close to her, since it only affected her work bench," continued Forrester as he leaned back, crossing his legs.

"The Agency believes the saboteurs are trying to get the Senator to pull the relief effort out of here especially if they hurt his little darling. That old Texas cowpoke won't let a little thing like blood relative being a target stand in his way of making a name for himself with this charity drama. So it's up to us to protect her lily white ass," drawled Forrester still wishing he could light up his cigarette.

"That's where you come in. We are this close to picking up the leaders of the terrorists and if we shut down now, we'll lose all the months of hard work we've done," he continued while spreading his thumb and index finger an inch part. "We need to spirit her out of sight until the end of next week when we can settle accounts."

"Why in the hell do you think she'll go waltzing on a nice fucking hot jungle trek with me?" questioned Jessie, still bristling over the circumstances presented to her.

"Weeellllll, there's just a little complication from the blast…," Forrester mumbled as Jessie moved toward the middle of the room.

"What do you mean…..complication? Just what the fuck is that?" snapped Jessie, placing her hands on either side of her hips.

"Uhh,… mmmm,…. Huuuuh…," Forrester stumbled over the words.

"FUCK IT! WHAT!" Jessie demanded, raising her voice.

At the same time, the door leading to the hallway opened and two women walked into the room.


2

Sydney Boudreaux walked stiffly beside her nurse as she entered the hotel room. Because of the blast in her lab on Monday, Sydney's eyes were temporarily damaged, making day vision very difficult. The light made it nearly impossible for her to see anything but graying shadows. Her colleagues assured her that the damage was temporary and would soon subside. She could barely wait as she found having to rely on another person extremely tedious. She could make out a tall figure standing halfway across the room but could not tell whether it was a man or woman.

Jessie looked up as the door opened. She watched the visitors enter and move toward her. Her look quickly dismissed the woman in the white uniform and moved immediately to the other person.

Oh my God, Jessie thought to herself, she is beautiful.

Sydney was the classical blonde-haired woman. She was short, coming only to Jessie's shoulder, making her five feet five inches tall. Her hair was a warm golden honey blonde, cut boyishly to cup softly around her face. Her bangs made her look young as they bounced gently with each step she took. Sydney's lips were lush but drawn into a sharp line of pain. Her cheekbones were high and slightly flushed, making her glow with vitality. Jessie was unable to see the color of her eyes because of the heavy sunglasses Sydney was currently wearing.

As she drew nearer, Forrester rose from the couch to move next to Jessie. When Sydney was within arms distance, she and her companion stopped. Forrester turned toward Jessie stating, "Jessie, this is Dr. Sydney Boudreaux. She's the woman that I was talking to you about."

Jessie reached out her hand to shake hands with Sydney, saying as she did so, "Nice to meet you." Her voice trailed off as she watched Sydney stretch out her hand reaching away from her rather than toward her.

"GOD DAMMIT! You can't see, can you?" Jessie shouted as she turned and grabbed Forrester by the nape of his neck. "I ought to ring your fat neck for not telling me about this."

Forrester quickly pulled out of her grasp rushing past Sydney to stand behind her.

"Hold on just a moment. What does whether I see or not have to do with you?" Sydney interrupted.

Forrester reached out, placing his hands on Sydney's shoulders to let her know that he was standing behind her. Nervously he started, "Dr. Boudreaux, we decided that the only way we could keep you safe and get to the bottom of the explosion in your lab was to place you under twenty four hour protection. Jessie is your protector."

"What makes you think that I want a protector, or that I'll even go along with this scheme?" snapped Sydney as she felt the tension in the room.

"Oh, hell. Look at you. Do you think you're going to be capable of stopping anyone else from hurting you at this stage," grumbled Jessie while continuing to stare at Sydney.

"Hey, this is only temporary and I'm already getting back some of my sight. I can see much better at night than I could on Monday," replied Sydney.

"Good, then there should be no excuse for you not to come with me until all your vision returns. Until that time, there's no way you can stop anyone from sneaking up, or even just walking up, and causing you more harm. If your father weren't such a big figure in this overall mess, we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation," grumbled Jessie as she continued to stare at the blonde beauty.

Sydney bristled as she stood even straighter, trying to keep a reign on her own temper.

With precise enunciation she stated, "My father has nothing to do with me being here. I have told you people repeatedly that what happened in my lab was an accident. When is someone going to believe me?"

Forrester rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Jessie simply nodded her head back toward him while replying, "Ms Boudreaux, an accident hasn't been ruled out, but neither has sabotage. It'd be in your best interest and possibly, your health, if you become inaccessible until the end of next week. Either you have a choice to come with me amenably or I can place you under house arrest and take you anyway."

"God damn, what kind of choice is that?" Sydney snapped back, losing patience with the entire meeting.

As she turned with her nurse to leave the room, Jessie issued some further instructions, "Pick out the items you think you'll need for one week in the jungle. I'll be up in two hours to collect you and your supplies."

Jessie turned back toward the window and looked out once more upon the Mediterranean wondering what in the hell was she getting herself into with Sydney Boudreaux. She heard the door close crisply as Sydney left the room.


3

Jessie knocked on Sydney's door as the two-hour window ended. She heard a woman's voice call out, "It's open come on in."

Reaching out and turning the knob, the door opened allowing Jessie to enter the room. Sydney had stacked the items she wanted to take on the divan in the room. Jessie hefted the duffle bag she had in her hands and began sorting through the pile of clothing, selecting the items she knew would be need. When she was done, nearly every item but three sets of panties, socks, t-shirts, and jeans remained on the divan. She picked up the medical bag and placed it on top of the small bundle of clothing she allowed to be taken.

Turning back to the waiting Sydney, she reached out pulling her closer by grabbing her by the arm. Sydney dug in her heels and refused to move stating, "If you expect me to go with you then give me your arm so I can hold on rather than you jerking me around like a piece of meat."

Contrite for once, Jessie stepped back beside Sydney and crooked her elbow in order for her to have a place to hold. Quietly, they walked out the door and down to the front of the hotel where Jessie's jeep stood ready for them.

Jessie drove the jeep as deep into the jungle as she could before the vegetation became too thick to move further forward. She turned off the engine and sat quietly, listening to the sounds around her.

Sydney turned toward Jessie saying "Where are w……."

"SHhhhuuuu," whispered Jessie, "just listen."

"I don't hear anything," Sydney tilted her head listening intently.

"Good, that's exactly the same thing that I found, I don't hear a thing either. It's too quiet. Someone's out there scaring all the animals and birds. We've got to really be quiet from this point on," Jessie pointed out in a husky, low toned voice.

"Someone's waiting out there and I don't intend for them to find us," Jessie said as she leaped out of the jeep and walked around to help Sydney out.

Jessie reached up to help Sydney climb out of the jeep. Sydney rose up and turned, intending to back out of her seat. She missed the lip around the opening, causing her to tumble out the side.

Thank God, I was standing here. That would have been a nasty tumble. Jessie thought as Sydney fell into her arms. She wrapped her arms briskly around Sydney's body as she pulled her closer, keeping her from hitting the ground.

Sydney's warm body wrapped itself against Jessie's as her arms groped awkwardly trying to grab anything that would keep her from falling. She realized that she was being held in Jessie's arms within seconds of landing in them. They felt warm and strong as they absorb the full weight of her body.

It had been a long time since Sydney had been held in anyone's arms. Her traitorous body responded to being in Jessie's grasp. Her breasts began to tingle as she felt the strong pectoral muscles bunched up, pressing against her chest, holding her snuggly in place. She could smell Jessie's slightly musky odor as she leaned her head against her shoulder while Jessie turned away from the jeep.

Oh no, I'm in trouble thought Jessie as she walked a few feet from the jeep before setting Sydney on her feet. Damn, I could too easily get used to holding her in my arms. Remember, Jessie girl, this is a job.

"Stay here and don't move," Jessie hissed at Sydney as she turned back to get their gear from the jeep.

She had transferred all their clothing to one backpack, which she picked up and slung over one arm. Reaching behind the seat, she pulled out her revolver, a Glock nine millimeter, which she quickly fastened around her waist. Finally, Jessie lifted out a ten-foot section of rope.

Jessie walked back over to Sydney where she reached out and looped one end of the rope around Sydney's waist, while connecting the other end to her own belt loop. Sydney pulled on the rope, not understanding what was happening or able to see clearly enough what Jessie was doing.

"What's this about?" she asked, tugging on the rope around her waist.

"We've got to make quick tracks into the jungle and I won't be able to let you hold on to me through the narrow paths. This will keep us connected and let me know if you start to lag behind. You'll have to trust the ground under your feet and move as quickly as you can. We're sitting ducks where we are right now," Jessie remarked as she began moving toward the beginning of the dense vegetation.

Sydney felt the tug of the rope as the distance stretched out between them. With heavy reluctance and a wish that she were anywhere but here, she grasped the rope with her hand and started walking. God, I hope I don't fall flat on my face she mumbled as she carefully stepped forward moving deeper into territories that were foreign to her.


4

Jessie continued pushing forward through the thick underbrush, never stopping in her goal to move deeper into the jungle. She knew that their safety depended on her making sure that their trail was hidden from any other human eyes that might be looking for them.

She pushed back the brush rather than chopping it out of the way, allowing for it to spring back over the trail after they passed. It made for much more difficult travel but assured that they would be safer in the long run.

Jessie suddenly felt a sharp tug on the rope connected to her belt loop. She had nearly forgotten that she was attached to Sydney. She had to admit that Sydney surprised her by keeping up with the grueling pace she had set. She stopped, turned, and looked to see what was slowing them down.

Sydney was sitting down on the ground, knees drawn up, and her head resting on her knees. Her shoulders were bowed with fatigue. Jessie looked on in sympathy but knew that she could ill afford to have soft feelings at this time if she expected to keep them alive until the end of the week.

She walked back along the eight feet separating them and asked, "Are you okay? Have you hurt yourself or what?"

"Hell no! I'm not hurt, but I am tired, dirty, and hungry and fed up with this whole setup," Sydney remarked as she fanned her hand around while speaking of the area. "I can't see shit where we are going. My legs are killing me and I don't think I can go another step."

Jessie hunched down next to Sydney, pondering their options. "Humm," glancing at her watch, "I think we can take about a thirty minute break if we expect to get to the caves where we'll be staying tonight. Do you think that you'll be ready to continue if you rest?"

"Damn, I don't know. I'm so tired I could crawl up in a ball and sleep right where I am," Sydney answered in a fatigued voice.

Suddenly, Jessie heard sounds of a machete blade slinging through the underbrush in the direction they had just come. She swung around, pounced on top of Sydney, knocking her flat. She wrapped her arms around her and rolled with her into the dense undergrowth along the side of the path they had just traversed.

Sydney was incensed. She was exhausted. On top of that, she was being manhandled. She opened her mouth to protest, "What the f….." when Jessie's hand clamped down over her mouth.

"Shuuuuuuuu," Jessie whispered against her ear. "Someone's coming."

Sydney froze where she was, then panic set in. She tried to push Jessie off her chest but could not get her to budge. Opening her mouth, she started to tell Jessie to move off her body. Jessie did not know how to stop Sydney without hurting her. She had to make sure that Sydney didn't say a word until the danger passed. There was only one way she knew would work.

Taking Sydney's face in her hands, Jessie covered her mouth with hers in a deep kiss. She held her lips tight against Sydney's mouth. At first, Sydney tried to force Jessie off of her with her legs, but then it happened. Sydney began to feel a warm rush shooting through her as Jessie deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Jessie, pulling her tighter to her body.

Jessie opened her mouth wider, allowing Sydney to probe with her moist, hot tongue. She sucked Sydney's tongue deeper, moaning quietly…ummmm…yesssssss….under her breath as her body trembled from the onslaught of passion emanating from Sydney. Sydney angled her head to allow their lips to seal as they pressed their mouths more firmly to each other.

Sydney slid her hands along Jessie's back, down to her hips. She spread her fingers against Jessie's hips and pulled her tighter against her own body, feeling the lithe, muscular body, pressing against her breasts. Her own breath was coming in short, panting gasps. As abruptly as it began, it stopped.

Jessie pushed herself up and off Sydney. She sat beside her as she fought to get her own body under control. Never had she lost it as easily as she did with Sydney. She wondered what was it that drew her so rapidly to Sydney. She mused that she had many relationships but none that made her want to lose her self-control in someone else's arms.

Both women were silent. They no longer heard the thrashing of intruders moving along the trail. The monkeys and birds once again began their lively chatter as Jessie and Sydney contemplated their next moves.

Jessie rose slowly, turned, and reached back down, taking hold of Sydney's hand and pulling her to her feet. "We need to move on if you're able so that we can be in the caves before dark," she stated in a husky, passion-filled voice.

Sydney tightened her hand in Jessie's and allowed Jessie to pull her to her feet. "I'm ready, let's go," she said as she waited for Jessie to move.

The fast moving pace continued for the next two hours. Sydney was finding it harder to keep up as her body ached with muscles that had not been used in a long time. She had a headache from straining her eyes to try to see where they were heading. Her stomach was growling from hunger and her bladder was about to pop. She knew if they didn't stop soon, she was going to burst into tears.

Meanwhile, Jessie was worried about the pace she was setting. She knew it was vital to get to the caves before nightfall. Once there, Sydney could relax as much as she needed, at least until tomorrow. But then again, why couldn't they stay an additional day? she thought to her self.

Looking up, Jessie could see the dark shadows along the cliff walls, shadows that were actually the entry into the catacomb of caves that meandered along the low mountain range.
She had discovered the caves several years previously and had spent many days wondering from one passage to the next. Jessie was confident the caves would be a safe hideout from any unexpected intruders.

Jessie turned back to Sydney and grasped her hand again, placing it along her own arm.
She told her, "Hold tight to me. We have to climb about one hundred fifty feet before we'll be able to enter the first of the caves. Once we are inside, I'll light a fire to keep us warm. I have some MRE's in the pack so we at least can have some semblance of a hot meal tonight.

"Personally, I'm looking more forward to sitting, even lying down, then I am to eating. I ache all over," stated Sydney, her grip tightening on Jessie's arm as she felt the incline getting steeper beneath her feet. "What the heck is an MRE any way?"

Pulling Sydney along behind her, Jessie answered, "The MRE is a 'meals ready to eat' totally self-contained, flexibly-packaged meal used by U.S. soldiers and Marines in the field. It will have to do for us too, since we needed to travel lightweight this time around. The only good part about an MRE is the Cracker Jacks that they put inside."

"Ummm, I love Cracker Jacks," Sydney replied.


5

The next two days passed in solitude, undisturbed by only the local fauna. Neither Jessie nor Sydney noted any other humans in the area except for themselves. It was eerie and seemed almost surreal, but both of them knew it was just a matter of time before they would have to be moving on.

They had slipped into the habit of sitting around the fire most of the day, talking about incidental events in their lives such as their college years and the escapades they both had while in school. The similarities between them were unbelievable. Both had attended Southern colleges, strong rivals in the SEC college football bowls. Neither had siblings and both had only one parent left living.

There was plenty of fresh water, as a clear, underground stream ran not one hundred feet from where their camp was set up. The water was about four feet deep with a pearly white sandy bottom. Sydney had bathed earlier in the day while Jessie was out gathering some fresh fruit to have with the ever-constant MRE's.

Sydney also discovered that as each day went by her vision was slowly clearing. In fact, sitting in the semi darkness of the cave made her vision nearly perfect since the pupils had been staying artificially dilated from the blast injury. She was not nearly as blind as she was during the day when the sunlight simply allowed too much light into her eyes.

She had not mentioned the improvement to Jessie. She took advantage of it by watching Jessie clandestinely. The woman, who was her bodyguard, fascinated her. She liked what she saw. In fact, like was too mild a word for what she felt.

After dinner, Jessie stood up, stretched, and then rumbled around inside the backpack. She drew out a change of clothing with the intention of taking her bath. She turned back toward Sydney asking, "Will you be okay sitting here for a few more minutes while I grab a quick bath? I think we need to move on cross country tomorrow and this may be my last opportunity to bathe until the weekend."

Sydney smiled a sly little smile that was hidden by the darkness, knowing that she was going to be seeing a lot more of Jessie shortly. "Sure, I'll be fine, go ahead."

Jessie walked over to the edge of the pool and dropped her clothing to the ground. She stripped off her soiled clothes and walked into the stream. The water was very cold. She quickly dipped under the water, soaking her long hair. Rising back out of the water, she faced Sydney.

Sydney could see the upper portion of Jessie's body. Her breasts were well formed and pert. Her nipples were rigid from the cold water. Ummmmmmm, oh God, I want to taste those berries, she thought as she observed Jessie bathing. She watched as Jessie ran a small cloth around and under each breast. She was beautiful as the water trickled down her breast and dripped off the tips of her nipples. Sydney could feel the soft flesh in her mouth as her body reacted to seeing Jessie nude.

Jessie promptly finished her bath as she was freezing in the subnormal water. She moved quickly to walk out of the pool. As she got closer to the edge, she had the strong sensation that she was being watched. She rapidly looked around the cavern but saw no one except for Sydney. She noted that Sydney seemed to be staring at her. Boy, for a minute there I thought she was staring at me, she thought as she continued to watch Sydney while she walked all the way out of the water.

Still watching Sydney, she bent and picked up her soiled shirt to use as a drying cloth. She noticed Sydney's eyes move down the length of her body. My God… she can see…, she noted as she watched Sydney watching her. How long!!

She speedily picked up her bundle of clothes and walked back to the fire, holding the clothes over the front of her to hide her nudity.

"Why….why didn't you tell me you could see?" Jessie demanded as she walked closer.

Sydney looked up into Jessie faced and flushed with embarrassment.

"I….I've just started seeing again," Sydney stammered trying to figure out a way to get out of the current situation. "The shadows have begun to clear away and the light is not causing the blindness it did earlier," she tried to explain.

"Dammit! That doesn't give you the right to stare at me while I am bathing. I've respected your privacy, haven't I?" demanded Jessie.

"Uummm...yes, you have…always. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say," she paused for an instant before saying, "Except you are beautiful. Your body is gorgeous." She rose to her feet and walked over to stand in front of Jessie.

Standing in front of Jessie, Sydney tentatively laid the palm of her hand against Jessie's cheek. "Oh god, you are so soft," she murmured as she leaned closer.

Jessie had held back all that she could. She leaned forward and in one quick move, captured Sydney's lips in a searing kiss that sent red-hot tendrils of heat coursing through both their bodies. Their desire for one another that had reared its head two days ago on the trail began to overpower their senses.

Jessie dropped her clothing to the ground as she reached out and drew Sydney into her arms, pulling her up against her body. She leaned in and kissed Sydney hard and fast, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth as she moaned with her own feelings of passion.

She deepened the kiss, using her tongue to part Sydney's lips so she could delve inside and taste the liquid heat that waited for her.

Oh god… so good, Sydney thought to herself as she opened her mouth wider to allow Jessie to thrust deep inside. She wrapped her arms around Jessie's nude waist, pulling her tight up against her body. She could feel Jessie's hard nipples pressing into her chest as they kissed repeatedly.

Jessie swirled her tongue round inside Sydney's hot, wet mouth, tasting all of her. She reached her hands down along Sydney's back and pressed against her hips, pulling Sydney tight up against her crotch while she ground her leg between Sydney's legs.

MMMmmmmm, Sydney moaned as she arched into Jessie's arms, wanting more. Jessie responded by piercing her tongue in and out of Sydney's mouth, stopping only to take love bites on her bottom lip before pressing back inside her mouth.

They slowly sank to their knees as excitement coursed through their bodies, leaving them both panting for more. Jessie reached out and pulled Sydney's t-shirt loose from her jeans. With one swoop, she lifted it up over Sydney's head. Leaning closer, Jessie trailed her tongue along the tops of Sydney's breasts.

Sydney tilted her head back drawing in a hissing breath as liquid fire shot through her body. Jessie reached around Sydney's back and unclasped her bra, letting it slide over her arms to drop between their laps.

Moving her hands back to the front, Jessie lifted a breast in each hand, running her thumbs over each nipple as she did so. "Ahhhhhh…. Fuck," Sydney cried out as her nipples hardened and her womanhood starting throbbing.

Jessie leaned closer with her mouth open as she ran her tongue round each nipple in turn. She clamped her mouth on one breast and sucked deep as Sydney arched upward pressing her breast harder into Jessie's mouth. Working harder and sucking harder, Jessie could feel Sydney growing more excited as her breath quickened and she chanted repeatedly, "Yess…..Yessss…. Yessssss…"

Suddenly, Jessie pulled back; looking down at Sydney's flushed face and chest and realized what she was doing. Pulling back abruptly, she grabbed her handful of clothes and jumped up, walking toward the back of the cave.

Sydney felt adrift, not understanding what had happened. She felt hurt and deserted as tears trickled from her tightly squeezed eyes.

"Why…why did you stop?" Sydney quietly pleaded with Jessie.

Jessie slowly drew on her clothes before turning back to Sydney. She walked back over to her and gently helped Sydney slip back into her t-shirt before lifting her up and holding her close to her chest.

"Baby, I didn't want to stop but I couldn't go on. I'm here to protect you not ravage you," Jessie told her as she rub soft circles around Sydney's back in a comforting motion.

"It wasn't like that," answered Sydney, "I wanted you, too."

"I know baby, but I couldn't make love with you and then live with myself for having taken advantage of you. Please, don't make this any harder." Jessie begged Sydney.

"OH GOD..… I just want you," cried Sydney, "But…. I understand." She wrapped her arms back around Jessie's waist as they rocked quietly back and forth.

Sydney had to listen hard but finally she heard Jessie say, "Honey, it's not over, it's simply delayed." Sydney felt hope spring in her chest. She was willing to wait as long as she knew there was a chance.

"I think we need to get some sleep," Jessie whispered as she gently kissed the top of Sydney's head.

"Uh, huh, I agree," murmured Sydney as she released Jessie in order to turn and walk back to her blankets. Lying quietly on her back, she heard the sounds as Jessie moved to her bed to lie down too.

Both were lost in thought for a long time before sleep spread its quiet mantle. They knew that the future was uncertain but together they were willing to see where it led.


6


Sydney awakened slowly. Looking around, she realized that she was alone in the cave. Jessie was nowhere within the cave. She jumped up, filled with dread that something may have happened since Jessie usually told her when she was leaving the cave. As she quickly pulled on her clothes, Jessie came strolling back inside.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sydney demanded to know as she finished fastening her shoes. "I've been worried to death that something had happened to you. Why the heck didn't you wake me to let me know you were going out?" she continued in an angry voice.

"Wait just a minute. I've been out scouting to make sure there's no one else in the vicinity before we walk into an ambush. I left you sleeping because I know that you didn't get much sleep last night and we are going to have one long ass walk today. You are going to need all the stamina you can muster." Jessie replied.

"You scared the shit out of me. FUCK!" Sydney fumed as she walked away from Jessie.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I just didn't think you would wake up before I came back," Jessie explained further. She walked up behind Sydney and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her back against her warm body.

"Forgive me?" Jessie whispered as she nuzzled the back of Sydney's neck.

Sydney spun quickly around in Jessie's arms and kissed her hard on the lips. "Oh God, don't do that to me again, please," she pleaded as she hugged Jessie hard.

Jessie held her close, saying, "Never again, baby. I'll be sure you know where I am at all times." She held Sydney close for a few more minutes then pushed her gently back.

"Okay, baby. We need to get going. Are you ready?" Jessie asked.

"Yes, let's go. The quicker we get out of here, the sooner we return to civilization," replied Sydney.

They had been walking for several hours when the rains came. It was as if a huge dam had burst directly over their heads. Water poured from the sky making it nearly impossible to see two feet in front of them. They had been walking along, single file, trying to keep the path as small as possible. Jessie was leading with Sydney not more than three feet behind her. They were following the ridge along the hillside, still high enough up that they would spot any one coming upon them before they, themselves, were seen.

Suddenly, Jessie's feet shot out from under her as the rains washed away a portion of ridge she had been standing on. Sydney watched in horror as Jessie went tumbling, head over heels down the side of the cliff. She watched Jessie bounce back and forth, as she somersaulted the rest of the way down the hill. From her spot on the path, Sydney could see Jessie finally come to a stop, face down at the bottom of the hill.

Taking care not to follow the same path, Sydney scrambled down the hillside to get to Jessie. She ran over to Jessie and rolled her over onto her back. Sydney quickly felt for a pulse, assuring herself that she was still alive. She rapidly ran her hands over her arms and legs making sure there were no broken bones. Jessie remained unconscious throughout the quick examination. Sydney noted a large laceration area on her forehead where she must have hit a rock on her way down the hill.

With the rain still pouring heavily down upon them, Sydney knew she would have to do something to shield Jessie. She ran part way back up the hill to grab the backpack that had followed Jessie down the hill. Rummaging inside, she found one of the lightweight slickers she knew Jessie had brought along on the trip. With a snap, she flipped it open, spreading it over Jessie's upper torso, protecting her face from the rain.

Sydney crawled beneath the slicker and pulled Jessie into her arms, trying to share her body heat with her as much as she could. She hoped this would be enough to keep Jessie from going into shock. Sydney was worried about the possibility of internal injuries as well as a potential closed head injury. Head injuries were not her medical specialty but she felt she knew enough to take care of Jessie. There was little she could do now except keep her as warm as possible until the rains stopped.

The area under the slicker stayed warm and dry with Jessie pulled up onto Sydney's chest. Sydney continued to check Jessie's pulse regularly to assure her self that she was remaining stable. Within the next hour, the rain finally abated. Jessie slid out from under the slicker to see how everything looked. She was able to tell that they were lying in a small clearing at the foot of the hillside.

Sydney knew she was taking a big risk but she had to start a fire in order to warm Jessie up until she regained consciousness. Making sure Jessie was covered, Sydney quickly gathered as many semi-dry branches as she could find in the immediate area while still keeping Jessie in her vision. Using Jessie's Zippo lighter, she was finally able to get the damp wood to burn. There was quite a bit of smoke, but she couldn't worry about that at this time. Her main concern was Jessie.

Taking out the first aid kit, Sydney cleansed Jessie's forehead and applied three butterfly bandages to hold the laceration together. Jessie was still unconscious but her breathing and pulse were normal and strong. Sydney hoped it would be just a matter of time before Jessie woke up.

Several hours passed with no notable change in Jessie. The sun had set and darkness cast shadows everywhere but in the direct area of the fire. Jessie was finally warm and Sydney noted that she was beginning to move her arms some. Moving around to her side, she lifted Jessie head into her lap, holding her close as she continued to pray that everything would be all right. As she sat there quietly holding Jessie, she saw Jessie's eyes begin to flutter.

Jessie groaned loudly as she felt the tremendous pain in her head. She opened her eyes and looked directly into Sydney's deep green eyes as they looked at her with a worried expression. She felt Sydney stroking her hair and wondered how in the hell she ended up lying on the ground in Sydney's lap.

"What…what happened?" Jessie finally managed to get out of her very dry mouth.

"You had a fall, sugar. You bumped your head hard as you tumbled down the mountain," explained Sydney while still running her hand lightly through Jessie's hair. "Don't try to sit up yet, baby. You have a pretty nasty blow to your forehead and are going to be hurting for a while."

"Am I okay?" Jessie asked softly.

"Yes, as far as I can tell, you are going to be fine. You will be sore as the devil but now that you have awakened, it looks like everything is going to be okay," Sydney softly told her.

"Good…..good," Jessie finally said as she drifted off to sleep again.

This time, Sydney let Jessie sleep uninterrupted since she had been able to determine that the lump on Jessie's head was all that she had to worry about. Curling up spoon fashioned behind Jessie, Sydney finally allowed her eyes to close as they both slept through the rest of the night.

The loud howling of the monkeys awakened both women the following morning. The fire had died during the night but the day was already warm. Jessie sat up slowly, holding her head with her hands as she felt a slight dizziness with the movement. Sydney looked over to her to be sure that she was okay. She was pleased with what she saw.

Sydney stood up, stretching her body out to loosen it up. Turning to Jessie, she asked, "Jessie, how are you feeling this morning? Can you tell me if you feel any sharp pains anywhere?"

"Every God damn muscle on my body aches. I seem to be seeing two of everything but it's already better than when I first woke up. Did a Mack truck mow me down?" Jessie asked with some levity.

"It may as well have been one. Man, you worried me, baby. I was afraid that the fall had seriously hurt you and here I was in the middle of God knows where with no way to take care of you," Sydney continued.

"Sydney, you did just fine. Actually other than a horrific headache, I feel good. I have been much worse in my time, believe me," Jessie replied with more tolerance than she normally used.

Sydney started a small fire again so that she could heat up the ever-present MRE. As she and Jessie waited for the water to boil, they could hear loud noises from the path up above them. Jessie reached out and quickly poured water over the fire, putting it out. Sydney grabbed the backpack and they silently slipped back into the jungle, hiding from whom ever was on the path above them.

Moving briskly, Jessie led Sydney deeper into the heart of the jungle. Her destination this time was a secluded waterfall that had a ledge hidden behind its cascade of water. If they could reach the falls, Jessie knew that they would once more be safe from pursuit.

Jessie double-checked her holster to be sure her Glock was still in place. She hoped that she would not need to use it while Sydney was with her. She knew if Sydney's life were at stake, she would not hesitate to use it. The gun was still present although the holster was caked with dried mud. Jessie made a mental note to her self to clean the holster and to check the Glock once their destination was reached.


7

Sydney had never seen a more beautiful spot in her entire life. As she and Jessie walked along the fast flowing river, they could hear the waterfall crashing down over the rocks into the river below. Rounding the curve of the river, they were able to see the majestic falls as water shimmered like silvery shards of glass to drop seventy-five feet into the river. A huge, billowing mass of fine spray formed at the bottom of the falls where the blanket of water crashed hard against the rocks. As the sun shone through the trees, a multicolored rainbow could be scene spreading from one side of the river to the other.

If only circumstances were different, this would be a perfect spot to make love thought Sydney. Instead, here she was, running for her very life.

As Jessie and Sydney approached the falls, the roar of the water became louder. This would have to be the perfect hiding place, as they would never hear anyone coming upon them. Jessie moved forward toward a towering wall of rocks. As Sydney watched, Jessie stepped around a mountainous rock, disappearing from view. Sydney waited patiently for ten minutes. She began to shift from foot to foot as her worry for the missing Jessie increased. Just as she was ready to move forward, a shower of pebbles landed directly in front of her. Looking up, she saw Jessie standing behind the flowing mantle of water that was cascading down the cliffs. With a quick sweep of her arm, indicating to Sydney to come up, Jessie stepped back out of sight.

Sydney moved forward behind the same series of rocks that Jessie had skirted earlier. Behind the rocks, Sydney found an opening into the side of the cliffs. Entering the darkened tunnel, she was able to place her hands along either side of the opening and begin the steady climb up the sharp incline of the path. Halfway up, she came face to face with Jessie, who leaned forward, kissed her briefly on the lips before turning around and going back the way she had just come. Sydney watched Jessie's hips in front of her as they continued their ascent to the top.

Once the trip to the top ended, Sydney was able to see that the area behind the falls consisted of a twenty-foot wide long shelf. It was plenty big enough to house them for the night. It would not have made a prolonged shelter. The walls were damp with moisture but the ground was dry.

Sydney could tell that Jessie or some other traveler had already been in the area as there was a good-sized pile of wood stacked ready for a fire. Jessie walked over to the fire pit and set her backpack down, then folded down into a sitting position. Sydney could see that Jessie was in pain and more tired than she normally would have been from the journey they had made since that morning.

Sydney moved over to Jessie and sat down beside her. Neither spoke as they simply elected to rest comfortably together while they recovered from the grueling trek to get to the cliffs before nightfall.

As night descended, Jessie lit the fire to ward off the coolness of the ledge. They again heated their inevitable meal of RME's. Sydney wondered if she would ever be able to eat normal food again. Hell, yes, she thought to herself. This shit is like eating cardboard soaked in water.

After cleaning up the scraps left from their meal, Jessie and Sydney settled down around the glowing embers left from the fire. Sydney turned toward Jessie, asking, "What are the plans for tomorrow? Do you think it will be much longer before we are able to return to Callisto?"

Jessie hesitated briefly while she thought through her response, "We've got a one day walk over the top of this cliff that will get us to Manitobe. From Manitobe, we will be able to catch a local bus back to the pier where the ship is docked."

Jessie leaned back, stretching her legs out in front of her as she continued, "So far we have been really lucky. I know someone is out in the jungle looking for us but we have been able to dodge them to this point. I see no reason to think we can't stay hidden until we are good and ready to surface."

Sydney turned to her and said in a contrite manner, "I'm sorry I missed judge you when we first started out. I thought you were just pushing your weight around from anger and having to watch me but I realize, you have been dead serious in protecting me. How do I ever thank you?"

Jessie sat back up. She beckoned to Sydney to move closer. Sydney stood and walked over to Jessie. Reaching up, Jessie took her hand, turning her slightly while still tugging her down toward her. Sydney sank into a sitting position between Jessie's outstretched legs. Once seated, Jessie pulled her back so that Sydney's back was sheltered against Jessie's chest. Jessie wrapped her arms snuggly around Sydney and held her close.

"Baby, I am glad in a way that we have had this chance to get to know one another. I can't think of any other circumstances that would have caused our paths to cross. Look at the opportunity we would have missed if Forrester had thrown us together." Jessie quietly said as she held Sydney in her arms.

Tilting her head back further, Sydney was able to look up into Jessie's face. She saw nothing but sincerity. Reaching up her arm, she drew Jessie's head down toward hers, pressing her lips to Jessie's. She deepened the kiss as she felt Jessie's arms tighten even more around her shoulders.

Ummmmm, Jessie moaned, as she tasted Sydney's mouth. She opened her lips allowing her tongue to trace a light pattern around Sydney's mouth. Sydney's breathe quickened and she opened her mouth to receive the thrust of Jessie's tongue as the tempo of the kiss increased. Pulling her tighter, Sydney returned the passion filled kiss before drawing back. Snuggling closer, Sydney simply lay in Jessie's arms.

The kiss ended as quickly as it began, neither wanting to take it further in their current circumstances. They sat peacefully in unspoken silence as each pondered their feelings for one another. As if in mutual agreement, they both shifted to lie next to one another as sleep descended and silence reigned around them except for the steady flow of water as it dropped in front of their shelter, shielding them from their enemies.

Sydney and Jessie awakened to a louder than usual roaring sound that dwarfed the constant sounds of the falls. They could hear the powerful, pulsing sounds of helicopter blades and engine over the deafening roar of the sheet of water in front of them. Looking out through the blanket of water, they could see a helicopter circling over the river. It was veering off at an angle below the cliffs, heading back over the trail they had just traveled. Someone was still trying to find them. They must want them badly to send a helicopter to search for them.

Quickly they packed what meager supplies they had left and once again pushed their way back into the jungle.

Jessie and Sydney could hear the helicopter off in the distance. The sounds became fainter as it continued to fly away from them rather than toward them. This was good as it indicated they had not been spotted nor had their trail been picked up as they continued the journey to Manitobe.


8

The pace grew frenzied as Jessie pushed onward, wanting to get to the road to Manitobe before the afternoon bus ran its familiar route. The bus ran only once every twenty-four hours from Manitobe back into the city of Callisto. If they didn't catch this run, they would have to wait one more entire day before returning home.

Finally, the road was in sight. One more half hour and they would be where they needed to be. Jessie glanced at her watch, noting the time was two thirty pm. She knew that their journey was nearing its ending. She could only hope that nothing interfered with their return to Callisto.

Jessie and Sydney stood off the side of the road, still hidden from sight beneath the thick vegetation. They could see the road, which stretched endlessly before them. In the opposite direction, the road was hidden behind a sharp curve. It was from this direction that the bus would come.

Sydney sat down and leaned back against a tree as she watched Jessie pacing nervously while waiting on the bus. She knew that this inactivity must have been driving Jessie crazy. Looking at her, she wondered to herself, Oh baby, where do we go from here. There were so many doubts inside of her. Was this intimate feeling present only because of the danger they faced together? Was Sydney ready to have a physical relationship with another woman? What did Jessie really feel toward her? So many questions, so few answers.

Meanwhile Jessie thoughts were turned toward the final leg of the journey. She wondered if they would be able to get back to Callisto without any further incidents. As she walked back and forth, her ears picked up the sound of an approaching vehicle. She paused, looking back toward the curve in the road. She was ready to pull Sydney back into the jungle if it proved to be anything other than the bus.

To her relief, the old green and white bus lumbered around the curve. Its roof was stacked high with wooden cages holding chickens being taken to market. It rocked back and forth as it chugged forward, swaying side to side with its shocks worn out or missing entirely. The engine sputtered and clunked but the bus continued to run.

Jessie reached out, grabbing Sydney by the hand, pulling her to her feet as she continued moving forward toward the road. Stepping up onto the dirt road, she walked into the middle of the road, waving her hands above her head, flagging the bus to stop.

With a cloud of dust and a loud screeching of the brakes, the bus pulled to a stop. Riders hung their heads out of the windows to see what had stopped their journey. Jessie and Sydney moved up to the door of the bus. Jessie placed her hand at the small of Sydney's back, gently guiding her up onto the bus.

Just as Sydney placed her foot on the bottom step, a jeep roared around the curve. Jessie stepped back from Sydney and pulled the Glock from its holster. A collective gasp was heard from the bus as the passengers realized the danger they could all be in. Sydney moved to stand behind Jessie as a jeep pulled up behind the bus.

The bus driver pulled the door shut, released the brakes, and drove the bus on down the road, leaving Jessie and Sydney standing there in a face off with the occupant of the jeep.

They watched as a huge man climbed out of the jeep. Jessie lowered her pistol as she recognized Forrester climbing out of the jeep. He was dressed this time in a solid white, neatly pressed Linen suit, a pair of Birkenstock Monk strap sandals and white panama straw hat. This was so different from his normal attire that it was all Jessie could do not to laugh out loud.

"Where the hell have you two been," he demanded as he walked up to them.

"It's good to see you too," replied Jessie sarcastically. "What brings you out here?"

"God dammit," he growled. "I've spent the past five days looking for you two. I've sent crews through out the jungle to no avail. I've even sent out a helicopter yesterday and we didn't see hide nor hair of you. Fuck woman, if I ever need to hide, you're my choice any time."

"What do you mean, you've been trying to find us?" questioned Jessie walking up closer to Forrester.

"Ughhh….. shit. Damn!!! Well it seems that Ms. Boudreaux may have been right after all," Forrester stuttered as Jessie leaned directly into his face.

Sydney walked up and asked in a soft voice, "Right about what?"

Forrester turned toward her, trying to ignore Jessie and said, "Ms. Boudreaux, you were right. The explosion in your lab was caused by a leak in the gas piping to your Bunsen burner. The gas built up over night and when you stuck the match, the gases ignited causing the explosion. There were no terrorists after all." He finished after swallowing to relieve some of the fear he felt toward Jessie's reaction to the news.

To his relief, Jessie doubled over in laughter. Her relief was overwhelming in that she no longer had to worry about Sydney being in danger. With tears streaming from her eyes, she reached out and grabbed Sydney's hand, pulling her toward the jeep.

Forrester stood there with his mouth gaped open, trying to figure out where Jessie's legendary temper had gone. As he thought through the situation, he heard the cranking of the jeep. It roared to life. As it drove up to where he was standing, Jessie leaned out and tossed the backpack to him, calling out as she drove down the road, "The bus will be back around three tomorrow, have fun. We'll be back in a week or so."

Forrester caught the pack and watched as the jeep tore off down the road, leaving him stranded in the middle of a deserted road with a fine layer of red dust coating his pristine, white suit.

Jessie looked over at Sydney who still hadn't said a word. She reached over, picked up her hand, and held it to her mouth, giving Sydney a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "Baby, I've still got a week left of my vacation. Are you ready to find out if what we feel toward each other is real or not?"

Sydney looked at Jessie with growing love in her eyes and spoke gently, "Darling I will follow you anywhere."

Jessie simply replied "Good," as the jeep roared down the road.


Epilogue:

Jessie walked over to the large window overlooking the port of Callisto, situated on the Mediterranean Sea. She paused, silent, deep in thought. So much had happened this past week but then again nothing really happened except she had found the love of her life. Since returning from the jungle, she and Sydney had been inseparable. The newborn feelings of affection that began to grow during their trek through the jungle had sprung into full-blown love for one another.

They had spent the past week learning more about each other under circumstances that were more normal. She had taken Sydney site seeing around the island, teaching her more about the terrain then she probably wanted to know. They had been out dancing several times. Jessie realized that she loved holding Sydney's body close to hers, feeling the soft touch of her breasts pressed against her chest. She loved the subtle perfume that Sydney preferred. She cherished the way Sydney's honey blonde hair shimmered as they moved together. However, most of all, she loved the way they kissed, each taking and sharing equally.

As she stood looking out into the blackened sky, she heard Sydney calling to her. She turned, walked the short distance down the hall to the bathroom situated at the end of the suite. As she opened the door, candlelight greeted her vision. The room was lit only by the glow of the candles and nothing more. She looked over to the large garden tub and she could see Sydney leaning back against the end of the tub, beckoning with her finger to come closer. Jessie swallowed hard and moved over to the edge of the tub. In her slow Texan drawl, Sydney whispered, "Baby, you have way too many clothes on. I want you to join me. Please?"

Jessie quickly disrobed, dropping her clothes as she removed them. Finally, standing completely naked, she lifted her legs one by one and entered the tub. She sat at the opposite end of Sydney and slid her legs up either side of Sydney, fitting her long frame within the tub. For minutes, they simply stared at one another as soft strands of music swirled lightly around them. Jessie watch as Sydney slowly rose to her knees in the tub. Water and bubbles slid down the front of her body, making her breasts, stomach, and top of her pubis visible to Jessie view. Jessie drew in her breath and held it as Sydney leaned closer.

Sydney reached out and ran her hands over Jessie's face, drawing her closer as she prepared to kiss her. She leaned into Jessie, angling her lips in a deep kiss that led to the thrusting of their tongues in and out of each other's mouths. Sydney slid her body down against the front of Jessie and held herself there. Their breasts pressed against each other as their bodies found a comfortable position. The kiss deepened as Jessie reached up and held Sydney's head to her, not letting her draw back. She ran her tongue around Sydney's mouth before plunging deep inside again.

"OH GOD…. YESSSSSSSSSSS," Sydney hissed as Jessie kissed her again.

"Please, touch my breasts," Sydney asked in a tentative voice as Jessie finally let her pull back to catch her breath.

Sydney leaned back slightly as Jessie dipped her hands into the water to get them wet. She slid her damp hands over Sydney's breasts, lifting their weight into the palms of her hands. She groaned aloud from the pleasure of feeling Sydney's soft breasts in her hands. Jessie ran her thumbs over Sydney's nipples and watched as they hardened into firm nubs. She leaned forward and touched a nipple with the tip of her tongue. Sydney groaned deep in the back of her throat as she pressed her lower body tighter into Jessie's crotch.

"Hummm… so good," Jessie whispered as she took more of Sydney's breast into her mouth. She laved the nipple harder as she suckled her breast. Jessie moved one of her hands to slide it along Sydney's hips, pressing Sydney tighter against her crotch. She tilted her pelvis upward as Sydney ground down. Rubbing back and forth, grinding against each other harder as their passion soared.

Their breathing increased as they both arched into each other, trying to slide over the peak of ecstasy. Their pelvis's ground harder as they rocked faster and faster against each other. Sydney began to tremble as she felt herself ready to fall over the pinnacle. She pressed down harder on Jessie's pelvis as she again leaned in and kissed Jessie hard.

"OH, GOD…YES….BABY…YES…YES…YES," Jessie cried out as her body convulsed with her orgasm.

"CHRIST… YES…MY…GOD," shouted Sydney as her orgasm swiftly followed Jessie's.

Sydney collapsed into Jessie arms as Jessie wrapped her close, hugging Sydney tight against her body as Jessie's senses slowly returned to normal. She leaned down and kissed the top of Sydney's head then said, "I love you, Sydney. More than you can ever imagine."

Sydney hugged her back saying, "Baby, I love you too. God, how I love you."

Sydney pulled back and stood up holding her hand out to Jessie. Jessie rose stepping from the tub with Sydney as Sydney said, "Come, baby, let's go to bed. We have all of our tomorrows to show how much we love one another."

"Yes, Sweetheart we do," answered Jessie as she blew out the candles, following Sydney to bed.

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