0 comments/ 17234 views/ 0 favorites Bullets and Lace Ch. 01 By: Sweetcheekss Up until the last few hours I'd been waiting patiently at the Marriott Suites in Bethesda, Maryland for my contact from Washington to arrive with my money. It wasn't like Gerald Barnes to be late. If anything, he was either early or right on time. My patience was slowly turning to worry as the hours ticked slowly by. Gerald Barnes, a gentleman in his early fifties, had been my only contact with the Force Agency since I'd been recruited five years previous. Short and balding, he reminded me a lot of the cartoon character, Elmer Fudd but without the funny accent. He always looked tired, especially his pale blue eyes. Usually dressed in off-the-rack suits, his unkempt and frumpy appearance had become his trademark. Hearing a few quick knocks at the door startled me out of my catnap. Grabbing my Smith and Wesson Forty-Five from underneath my pillow, I made my way cautiously towards the door. Resting my thumb on the safety, I peered through the security sightglass in the door. I was relieved to see Gerald Barnes standing on the other side, looking calm and collected as usual. "Where the hell have you been?" I exclaimed, opening the door. "Well, that's a fine how do you do." Gerald responded, entering my room. "I was hoping for a hug and a kiss." "How about a kick in the butt instead?" I jested. "I've been waiting on you all day!" "You know how the traffic is around D.C." Gerald responded, tossing his black briefcase onto the bed. "I no sooner got out of one traffic jam then I got into another." "Is it all here?" I asked, opening the latches on the briefcase. "You ask me the same question every time and I always give you the same answer." He replied. "Yes, it's all there. Fifty-thousand dollars, same as always." "I oughta get a bonus." I asserted. "I had to take out Mancuso's chauffeur in order to get to him." "It was a lucky shot." Gerald declared with a laugh. "The chauffeur must have stepped in front of Mancuso just as you squeezed off the shot. The bullet went through his neck, severing an artery, then hit Manny between the eyes." "How'd you know I didn't plan it that way?" I jested, counting out the packets of one-hundred dollar bills. "You! You never go for show!" Gerald replied. "With you it's always a quick, clean shot." "What's this?" I asked, taking a manila folder out of the briefcase. "You're next assignment." He replied. "It's a group thing. You and two other shooters." "A group thing?" I questioned. "I don't think so! I work alone. You know that." "There's too many guys for you to take out all by yourself." Gerald affirmed. "You'll need help." "Then get yourself another shooter." I declared, transferring the money to my tan leather attaché. "I work alone or I don't work at all." "Is that your final answer?" He asked, tossing the manila folder back into his briefcase. "Yep. Call me if you get something else." I answered, grabbing up my purse and attaché." Gerald escorted me out to my car, giving me a hug before I left. I had a six-hundred mile drive ahead of me but having fifty-thousand dollars for a traveling companion would make the trip enjoyable. Working for the Force Agency, a top secret sector of the Federal Law Enforcement Authority, I traveled all over the country doing what I did best, snuffing the life out of people who evaded the legal system for one reason or another. More often than not it was some legal technicality that set the criminals free or a high-priced defense attorney duping the courts into setting their clients free. With the Force Agency getting involved, drug dealers, sexual predators and members of organized crime were gradually disappearing from the populace. It was vigilante justice but still justice all the same! I wasn't proud of what I did but I wasn't ashamed either. Killing people, even though they were criminals, wasn't something I could brag about. Knowing I was taking out people who indulged in illegal activities off the street was a reward in itself. The fifty grand a hit was just icing on the cake. And I had a sweet tooth...a virtual sugar craving! It was early morning when I arrived at my home on Lakeview Drive. As its name implied, my residence afforded me a great view of Lake Cumberland. Located in south central Kentucky, the deep water lake encompasses over sixty-three thousand acres with twelve-hundred miles of shoreline. After putting on a fresh pot of coffee, I ran through the shower to rejuvenate myself. Slipping into a terrycloth robe, I sat out on the rear deck to await the sunrise. Off in the distance, perhaps a mile or so down the lake, I could make out the mooring lights of a houseboat tied to the shore. It was around 7:00am when I finally went to bed. My sleeping habits were much like my private life, strange to say the least. I rarely slept for more than five or six hours at a time, sometimes settling for short naps to get me through the day. Sleeping alone was something I'd gotten used to but not something I wanted to continue living with. I didn't want another husband. Divorced at twenty-four, I'd given up on ever getting married again. A lover was what I really wanted, someone who didn't ask questions but was there for me when I needed a warm body to snuggle up to. At thirty years of age, I still had a damn good figure. I could wear a skimpy bikini as well as any woman younger than me. Five-foot, eight, I considered myself average height. My short, blonde hair I kept cut in a short shag to make it easier to manage. My eyes are best described as cold steel blue, much like the handguns I often use. I never drank to excess but my smoking habit had grown a little out of control. Two packs a day were the norm but often I smoked more if I had to wait to make a hit on someone. I jogged and rode a bicycle once in awhile to keep myself in decent physical shape but I didn't consider it sufficient exercise. Waking around noon, I headed for the bank to deposit my latest earnings. Somerset Community Bank was a small, privately-owned financial institution that never questioned my monetary transactions. Amanda Summers, granddaughter of the founder, who served as the bank's manager and I had grown to be good friends. We often went out to lunch or dinner since we enjoyed each other's company. Amanda was a very attractive woman in her mid-thirties. Twice married and twice divorced, she'd given up on hopes for a third husband. Like me, she wanted to enjoy life without having to answer to someone or return home every evening to a dull routine. Tall, slender and curvaceous with dark brown, shoulder-length hair, Amanda added blonde streak highlights, which really set her off in a crowd. We rarely asked each other questions, preferring to let the other person divulge whatever they wanted to about themselves. I rarely said much, preferring to listen while Amanda talked. She was a great talker and I was a good listener. I rarely gave her any advice unless she asked for my opinion. Maybe that's why the two of us got along so well. It was late afternoon when I returned home. My cell phone rang just as I entered the house. Checking the caller I.D. before I answered, I realized it was Gerald Barnes phoning me from Washington. "How about you and one other shooter?" Gerald inquired without so much as saying hello. "And I'll double your money." "If I have to shoot more than one person, I'd get double anyway." I responded. "You'll have to sweeten the deal a helluva lot more than just a hundred grand." "Then you'll do it!" Gerald exclaimed. "Great! I'll get Cole on a plane right away. Can you pick him up in Lexington?" "Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute!" I shouted into the cell phone. "Let's talk money first. And who's this Cole guy anyway?" "Let's not haggle over money." Gerald responded. "Name your price." "Half a mill." I replied. "I'll go a quarter of a million and not a penny more." He proclaimed. "Take it or leave it." "Who's this Cole character?" I inquired. "Some sharpshooter you recruited?" "Cole Thornton's familiar with two of the men we're after." Gerald answered. "They're former FBI agents. He can fill you in on the assignment once he gets there." "Is he gay?" I asked. "With a name like Cole he sounds like he might have a little sugar in his britches." "Gay! Hell, I don't know!" Gerald exclaimed. "What's that got to do with this gig?" "Chill out!" I replied. "I was just wonderin' is all." "I'll have Cole on a plane to Lexington within the hour." He affirmed. "You pick his ass up at the airport!" An hour and a half later I arrived at the Bluegrass Airport, west of Lexington. Entering the small terminal building it wasn't difficult to spot my contact. Dressed in a black suit with a narrow tie, he stood out from everyone else. My first thought was that Cole Thornton was much too handsome to be an FBI agent.. He had the looks of a male model, ruggedly handsome with thick brown hair and bright green eyes. Every bit of six foot, Cole had a very muscular build, which complimented his fantastic looks. Still, he looked a little gay. "Cole Thornton?" I questioned, approaching him. "You must be Jennifer Powers." He answered, extending his hand. "Yeah, I must." I smarted off in response, shaking his hand. "I see we're going to get along just great." He stated, releasing my hand. "Barnes said you were a real pain in the ass." "Well, it's my ass so I can have it anyway I want." I countered. "So I suggest you get used to it." Cole gathered up his luggage while I carried his attaché for him. Walking out to my car, I noticed him checking out my figure, especially my butt and my legs. "Just for the record...I'm not gay." Cole stated, climbing into the passenger seat. "Just for the record...I don't give a damn!" I countered. "Let's leave it at that, shall we?" During the drive back to Somerset, Cole filled me in on our assignment. Two former FBI agents had gone over to the other side, throwing in with a drug cartel operating out of Tampico, Mexico, a coastal town approximately two-hundred and fifty miles south of Brownsville, Texas. Our assignment was to take out both men along with anyone else we found at their hacienda. Instead of a simple assassination shot, we'd have to shoot our way in and shoot our way out. Getting to and from Tampico was another problem we'd have to deal with. "For a quarter of a million dollars, Gerald struck himself quite a deal." I thought to myself. "I should have held out for the half million!" "Got any ideas how we're gonna pull this off?" Cole inquired, sounding a little apprehensive. "I'm thinking we charter a plane to fly us down there, shoot our way in and then make a run for it." "That's your plan, Rambo!" I laughed. "We'll be dead before we get a shot off!" "Ok, Smart-Ass, let's hear your ideas." Cole countered. "Let's see if you're as smart as you are beautiful." "Oh. So you think I'm beautiful." I responded. "Don't gloat over my remark." Cole asserted. "It just slipped out." "How about we do some research on Tampico before we start putting a plan together?" I proposed. "I'd like to live through this assignment and collect my money." At my home, Cole seemed more interested in seeing my house than working on our plans. Standing out on the deck, he couldn't get over the magnificent view of the lake. While Cole looked around, I booted up my computer system to see what I could find out about Tampico, Mexico. It wasn't exactly what I hoped for, being the town was actually three miles inland from the Gulf. That pretty much eliminated traveling by boat since we'd have to hike the distance on foot. Located a mile off Highway 80, driving the distance was another option but that meant we'd have a five hour drive over a two-lane highway each way. Getting pulled over by the Mexican Policia seemed too great a risk. Ordering out for pizza I finally managed to get Cole involved in the planning of our assignment. With all things considered, we concluded it would be better to drive the distance and risk being stopped by the Policia. Making the journey by boat meant we'd spend a day or more on the water and possibly missing our landing site along the deserted beaches. With that settled, Cole and I discussed the weaponry and ammunition we'd need. Cole was strictly a handgun-shotgun person, only having fired a rifle once or twice on a target range. As for being a long distance shooter he was totally inexperienced. I knew the two former FBI agents and their accomplices would be heavily armed with automatic weapons. Along with being outnumbered, a handgun or a shotgun wouldn't be much of a match in terms of firepower. It was almost midnight when I called it a day. I was tired but not all that sleepy. Cole had sacked out on the couch an hour earlier. Waking him gently, I showed him to the guest bedroom. Grabbing a quick shower before going to bed, I slipped beneath the sheets, hoping for a good night's sleep. I thought about Cole, sleeping in the next room, wondering what he was really like, wondering if he had a family and wondering what he thought about me. Having a man in my house, especially one I considered quite handsome, was making me restless, too restless to sleep. I wasn't the only one who was restless. An hour or so after getting into bed, Cole cautiously entered my bedroom. The moonlight barely illuminated the room but I could see he was wearing black briefs and nothing else. "Having trouble sleeping?" I asked, propping myself up on my elbows. "I'm not used to sleeping alone in a strange bed." Cole replied. "I take it you're married?" I presumed, ciphering his response. "Engaged." He asserted, sitting down at the foot of the bed. "Angela and I share an apartment." "Share an apartment?" I remarked. "Sounds more like a business arrangement than an engagement." "Oh! We love each other." Cole proclaimed. "There's no question about that. We're just waiting till the right time to get married. For financial reasons mostly." "Geez! It is a business arrangement!" I laughed. "Bet she even had you sign a pre-nuptial agreement!" "Angela's financially well off." He affirmed. "Her family's made their money in the real estate market. Of course she asked me to sign a pre-nup." "Bet Angela would crap her silk undies if she knew you were in my bedroom!" I laughed. "Especially if she found out all you had on were those black briefs!" "I...I'd better be getting back to my room." Cole stammered, not knowing what else to say. "Well, that's up to you." I responded. "You could slip into bed with me. Just so you'd have someone to cuddle up with...not for anything else." My blatant remark even caught me off guard, not to mention Cole. It wasn't like me to be so bold as to invite someone to sleep in my bed. I could see by the expression on the young man's face he wasn't sure which way to run. It was an awkward moment for the both of us. Tossing the sheet back to reveal I was only wearing bikini-cut panties was all it took for Cole to make his decision. Climbing into bed beside me, I could see his tight briefs bulging. "Well, he's definitely not gay!" I thought. "But he is engaged!" Turning onto my right side, Cole snuggled up next to me, slipping his arm around my waist. Feeling his heated body next to mine and his soft, warm breath on my neck wasn't doing much to lull me into a sleep. Pulling me in closer, I could feel his hard cock pressing against my butt. Cole's hand glided upwards, towards my firm breasts. I allowed him to gently cup one of my breasts before putting my hand over his. "Don't start something you're not going to finish." I murmured, grasping his hand. Both of us lay motionless for several prolonged moments. I wasn't sure what Cole was going to do next but if he fell asleep on me I wasn't going to be very happy. His hand slipped from beneath mine, sliding down to my tummy. His hard cock was still pressing against my butt. I waited for him to make a move but it didn't seem he was going to. Placing my hand over his, I shoved it lower, slipping it inside my panties. His fingers brushed over my trimmed pubic hair, gliding down between my legs. My pussy was already wet, anticipating his next move. Cole kissed me tenderly on the back of my neck, sending warm sensations down my spine. I pushed back hard, grinding my butt against his hard cock, still constrained in his briefs. His fingers rubbed gently over my pussy, teasing me until I moved my legs apart. "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GODDDDDDDDDD!" I moaned. "DON'T STOP!" Cole slipped his right hand beneath me, cupping and massaging my breasts. My breathing was growing labored, taking quick deep breaths as I felt my sleeping passions rising. I wanted Cole to fuck me right then but he had other ideas. Rolling me over onto my back, he kissed me hard and passionately, plunging his tongue into my mouth. I sucked on his tongue, wanting more of him. Cole's moist lips traveled down over my neck, kissing me lightly as his mouth made its way towards my breasts. My sensitive nipples were hard and erect, waiting for his lips to suckle on them. He tugged on them with his teeth, flicking his tongue over the responsive nubs until I screamed out his name. My hips were bucking against his hand with two of his fingers stroking in and out of my pussy. Kissing down over my tummy, I wanted his mouth lapping at my pussy. He stopped kissing me when his lips reached the elastic waistband on my panties. Yanking my panties down, I pushed his face between my legs. When his tongue flicked over my clit, I had a surprisingly quick orgasm like a sharp, stabbing pain. "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" I screamed. Cole lapped at my pussy harder and with more intensity until I had another strong orgasm. Prolonged and more powerful than the first, it had me writhing free of his grasp. Cole's muscular physique recaptured my body, holding me tight until the extreme sexual gratification waned. My body lay lifeless, completely zapped of strength. Cole slipped out of his briefs, then positioned himself between my legs. His hard cock was beautiful, long and thick with a bulbous head. Grasping my legs behind my knees, he spread me wide, lifting my pussy upwards. The broad head of his cock pushed against the folds of my pussy. Lubricated by my cum, Cole thrust his cock, slipping the head into my pussy. "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" I moaned, feeling the hard shaft working its way deeper and deeper with each thrust. Impaled on Cole's cock, I felt his warm balls pressed against my butt. At first, he fucked me slowly with long, powerful strokes that jolted my entire body. Gradually increasing the tempo, he fucked me like a jackhammer, plunging hard with each stroke of his magnificent cock. His resilient stamina was kicking into high gear as he fucked me harder and harder. Perspiration dripped off his face onto my breasts, then trickled onto the sheets. My orgasm timed perfectly with his intense climax. We came together, our bodies locked together as the wanton sexual gratification consumed us. Our guttural moans filled the room, resonating off the walls Cole collapsed on top of me, pinning me to the bed. I held his sweat-soaked body tight, my legs wrapped around his. Our heated bodies gradually cooled and our labored breathing returned to normal. Cole pressed his soft lips to mine, kissing me tenderly and lovingly. "That was absolutely the best sex I've ever had." Cole declared, rolling onto his side. Hearing his remark, I wondered what his sex life with his fiancé was like. It was none of my business but I figured it wasn't nearly as good as what he'd just experienced. At least I hoped it wasn't! Snuggling up next to Cole, he pulled me into his muscular arms, embracing me warmly. We drifted off to sleep in minutes not waking until well after sunrise. It was the best sleep I'd had in a long time. Bullets and Lace Ch. 01 After sharing a shower, Cole and I dressed to go out for breakfast. Neither of us made mention of what had happened the night before. I wondered if Cole was feeling guilty about cheating on his fiancé. Then again, maybe he'd forgotten all about Angela and his pending marriage. "Whatta you think about renting a boat at one of the marinas and spending the day out on the lake?" Cole suggested. "Surely we can take some time away from planning out the assignment." "Sure. Why not?" I responded. "But we won't need to rent a boat. I've got a powerboat docked at Paradise Cove." "Great!" Cole exclaimed with a pleased smile. "Do you ski?" "No." I replied. "I just use it once in awhile to get away and spend time alone." "You prefer being alone?" He curiously inquired. "No. Well...sometimes." I stammered, looking away from him. "Is my being here bothering you?" He questioned in a concerned tone of voice. "No. Not at all." I replied with a smile. After breakfast, we stopped at the supermarket to pick up a few things before heading out to the marina. I was as anxious as Cole to get out on the water and spend the day enjoying ourselves. Making plans to carry out our assignment seemed secondary. Descending the steep hill into the Paradise Cove Marina on the north side of the lake, I glanced over at Cole. His handsome face was beaming a big smile, like a kid in a candy store. "WOW! Would you look at that lake!" He exclaimed. "That's just Cumberland Creek." I stated, grinning. "The main body of the lake is downstream about twenty miles." Cole picked up a pair of swim trunks at the marina's store before we headed out to my boat. He couldn't help but stop and look at a few of the houseboats that were tied up to the docks. Seeing them up close for the first time, he was quite mesmerized by their size and luxuriousness. "I wouldn't mind renting one of those for a week." Cole asserted, looking at me. "Yeah. You and Angela could spend your honeymoon on the lake." I smarted off without thinking. "I'm...I'm sorry." I apologized. "I shouldn't have said that. It was callous of me." "Let's not think about anything but the two of us having a good time." Cole proposed, reaching for my hand. "OK?" I nodded my head, still regretting having made the comment about his fiancé. My boat, which I named "Bullets & Lace" was moored in the covered dock area of the marina. The Fountain forty-two foot Executioner powerboat, equipped with twin Mercury 525 EFI with Bravo XR drives, was capable of propelling me across the water at speeds of over eight-five miles an hour. Complimented with a sleeping area in the bow, a galley and head facilities, I often spent several days out on the lake. The custom paint scheme and full compliment of gauges completed the boat, making its appearance colorful and ominous. Cole helped me remove the boat cover, taking note of the name written across the stern. "Bullets & Lace." He said with a grin. "The name really fits you." "I think so." I agreed. "Although I'm more into leather than lace." Stowing the cover in its storage compartment, we stepped down into the cabin area to change clothes. I always kept a supply of bikinis onboard. Picking one that I thought Cole would like wouldn't be much of a problem as long as it showed plenty of skin. Putting on a very skimpy white bikini with tie-sides definitely got his undivided attention! After topping off the fuel tanks and picking up several bags of ice, we set out for a day on Lake Cumberland. The powerful twin engines rumbled noisily, resonating off the rock walls, as we sped off towards the main lake. I kept the speed down to about forty miles an hour so we could enjoy the scenery along the winding creek. Noticing Cole was watching me at the controls, I sensed he wanted to try his hand at driving the boat. Being a weekday there weren't many boats on the lake so I let him take over after reviewing with him the control levers and gauges. Cole took to driving the boat with great pleasure. The smile on his face told me he was having the time of his life. Reaching the main body of the lake we turned east. Cruising along, I spotted the narrow entrance to one of my favorite places on the lake, a huge, isolated canyon. The walls are sheer rock with a few trees growing amongst the rocks just above the waterline. Motioning for Cole to ease the boat through the narrow opening, we pulled along the shoreline and tied off to one of the trees. Other than a houseboat across from us we were the only ones in the cove. Diving into the water, we swam out from the boat. Cole was quite the swimmer, diving under the water and coming up underneath me. We played in the water for hours until we both grew tired. Returning to the boat, we decided to have some lunch and rest up before continuing on down the lake. Sitting out on the bow of the boat with the windshield for a backrest, we enjoyed the warm summer sun beating down on us. "I could stay out her forever." Cole remarked. "I'm gonna hate going back to Washington." "Then again, maybe I won't." He added, glancing to see my reaction. "Won't hate going back?" I questioned, knowing what he really meant. "NO!" Cole exclaimed. "I meant maybe I'd...well...stay here." "With me." I muttered. "Is that what you're saying?" "Yeah. That's what I'm saying." Cole confessed. "I've been doing a lot of thinking and I'm starting to have doubts about getting married." "Don't confuse lust with love." I warned. "Don't let the sex cloud your judgment." "How do you feel about me?" He asked, putting me in a difficult situation. "Or would you rather not say?" "That's not a fair question so I won't give you an answer." I mumbled. "We've got more important things to worry about so let's not let our personal feelings for each other get in the way." I sensed by the expression on his handsome face, he knew how I felt about him. Still, I wasn't going to admit I had strong feelings for him. I was growing worried that something would go wrong down in Mexico and Cole might not survive a gun battle. All I could think of was making our plans as safe as possible with both of us getting out alive and unscathed. We spent the rest of the day cruising the lake and enjoying ourselves. Neither of us said much, hoping to avoid saying something we shouldn't. We had a good relationship going so why take a chance on screwing it up. It was early evening when we returned to Paradise Cove. I took over the driving chores since I was more familiar with the boat and the layout of the marina. Easing the forty-two foot Fountain powerboat back into its slip, Cole tied off the bow and stern lines while I gathered up our gear. After shrouding the boat with the mooring cover, we walked along the docks toward the parking lot. Cole clasped my hand, entwining our fingers, as we strolled past the multitude of boats. We spent the rest of the evening watching old movies on DVD's. Our only interruption was a cell phone call from Cole's fiancé, Angela. Overhearing Cole's end of the conversation, the girl seemed all business, asking him about the assignment he was working on. He couldn't divulge anything and that seemed to irritate her. During their ten-minute call I never heard Cole say anything intimate or even tell her he loved her. She must not have said anything lovingly either and it seemed to bother him. Concluding the call, he seemed upset, slamming his cell phone down on the end table. I didn't say anything, forcing my eyes to stay focused on the television. It was around midnight when I told Cole I was going to bed. He barely looked my way. I could tell he was still fuming over his fiancé's phone call. I wasn't sure if he was going to sleep in the guest room or slip into bed with me that night. I hoped his decision would be the latter. Waking later that night, I noticed the time displayed on my alarm clock was 3:00am. I was sleeping alone. The house was dark so I figured Cole had decided to sleep in the guest room. I thought seriously about slipping into bed with him but decided against it since he wasn't in the best of moods. I finally managed to go back to sleep, cuddling up with a pillow. The next morning I found Cole in the kitchen fixing breakfast. Besides being a good swimmer and a fantastic lover, he was quite a cook. Freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen with its strong aroma mixing with the smell of bacon frying. "Wow! Everything smells great!" I exclaimed. "You're quite a cook!" Cole ignored my compliment without so much as bothering to look my way. Accidentally dropping a tablespoon on the floor, he angrily kicked it across the kitchen floor instead of picking it up. It was clear, his mood hadn't changed since the previous evening. "We need to decide what kind of firepower we're gonna take with us." I suggested, pouring myself a cup of coffee. "I've got a contact down in Texas who can supply us with about anything we want." "Let's just pack up and go down to Tampico and get it over with!" Cole exclaimed, slamming plates down on the countertop. "I'm tired of all this planning!" "Ok! That's it!" I shouted. "Why don't you just call that bitch and tell her it's over with between you two? I'm not puttin' up with your attitude another damn minute!" My outburst didn't calm him down much but at least he regained control of his anger. We ate breakfast in peace, barely looking at each other. My worries about Cole had now doubled, knowing he wasn't thinking straight. While Cole cleaned up the kitchen, I called my contact down in Laredo, Texas. Ron Garrett, a former Green Beret, was an exceptional weapons expert with an extensive background in jungle warfare. Long retired from the military, Ron made his living as a hunting guide in the Texas hill country. Built like a Sherman tank, the sixty year old Vietnam veteran was well known for modifying and building specialty weapons. Garrett was one of the few people I could trust implicitly. Filling him in on our assignment had Ron eager to outfit us with everything we needed, including a specially modified Hummer. It would cost us some big bucks but I knew Gerald Barnes, head of the Force Agency, would cover it. Cole and I spent the morning preparing for the trip to Laredo. With someone to help drive the thirteen-hundred mile journey, we'd be able to make the trip in less than twenty-four hours. Cole started out driving, venting his frustrations out on the other drivers. After we'd covered the first two-hundred miles, he started to settle down. He was talking, asking questions about Ron Garrett. I recanted a few funny stories about my relationship with the man, which seemed to put him at ease. We drove through the night, running into several rainstorms after we crossed into Texas. Cole reclined the passenger seat, grabbing some sleep while I drove. I wondered if he was dreaming and if he was, what or who he was dreaming about. Hopefully it wasn't about his fiancé. Approaching Laredo, I gave Cole directions to Ron Garrett's ranch, a few miles southeast of the border town. I sensed his growing nervousness, which I took as a good sign. At least he wasn't acting all gung-ho and throwing caution to the wind. Garrett's ranch was off Highway 83, not far from Rio Bravo, which is less than a mile from the Rio Grande River that separates Texas from Mexico. Dusty and full of potholes, Cole drove cautiously down the ranch's driveway. Looking more like a small industrial complex than a ranch, Ron preferred a poured concrete building with iron bars over the windows to living in a house. To him, it was like living in a bunker, a place he felt safe. The other two buildings were pole barn structures. Finding Ron wasn't difficult. Hearing rapid fire gunshots coming from behind one of the pole barns, we just followed the noise. Garrett was lying on the ground, squeezing off rounds through a vintage Browning Automatic Rifle. Off in the distance, an old pick-up truck was taking the brunt of the shots, its body riddled with bullet holes. "Bout time you got here!" Ron exclaimed, turning to face us. "Damn near had you listed as AWOL!" "What you're really saying is you were worried about me." I countered, grinning. "Worried! Hell, you're old enough to take care of yourself!" Garrett laughed, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "This your boyfriend?" Ron inquired, approaching us. "No. This is Cole Thornton." I replied, introducing the two. "Cole, this is Ron Garrett." "COLE!" Ron exclaimed, shaking Cole's hand. "Sounds a might gay!" "He's not gay." I declared, giving Ron a hug. "You know that for a fact?" Garrett asked, smirking. "You can't believe anything these young guys say nowadays." "I know for a fact Cole's not gay." I answered exasperatedly. "Come on, I'll show you what I've got lined up for us." Ron said, leading us towards on of the pole barns. "We'll have enough firepower to take out half of Mexico." "We?" I questioned, grabbing his arm. "Whatta ya mean we?" "I'm goin' with you!" Garrett proclaimed. "Nobody's taking Black Max without me goin' along!" "Besides, I wanna get in on some of the action." He added with a grin. "And, I wanna make damn sure you get out safely." "Worried about me, huh?" I laughed. "Afraid I'll take a hit?" "Shooting someone who's not expecting it is one thing. Getting into a firefight is a whole different story." Garrett stated with a stern look. "Worried? Damn right, I'm worried!" I wasn't surprised by Ron's statement. He and I were very close, almost like a father and daughter. When I first met Ron Garrett, he was living in a rundown hotel in Saint Louis. Wearing Army fatigues, he looked like he hadn't had a good meal in days. He didn't have any family to speak of so we kind of adopted each other. The Garrett Ranch, as we called it, was registered in my name since I was the actual owner. Ron took care of me, furnishing me with any kind of weaponry I needed. All he asked was for me to be his family. Entering the pole barn, Cole and I couldn't help but notice the black Hummer sitting in front of the sliding doors, looking like something out of Mad Max. Painted a dull black, the Hummer had a huge grill on the front made out of pipe. Eight Halogen lights mounted on top of the vehicle looked like they could illuminate several football fields. Large, oversize tires, filled with foam allowed the vehicle to traverse the roughest terrain without risking a flat tire. The interior was all business. No air conditioning, CD player or leather seats. Equipped with a GPS system, CB radio, police scanner and an onboard radar system, the only comforts were the racing style bucket seats with multiple point safety harnesses. Black Max was truly a vehicle that could get us in and out of Tampico without any trouble. "I'll do the driving but you'll need to learn how to drive her." Ron stated. "Just in case something should happen to me." "What about guns?" I asked. "We'll be shooting from over a quarter mile away, maybe further." "For you, a Minty Urbach PSG-1 sniper rifle with scope." Garrett replied. "And a Glock, Model 37, 45-caliber pistol with four spare clips. You'll be comfortable with both." "What about me?." Cole inquired. "You got something that'll suit me?" "I thought maybe a Colt M-16 Machinegun might be best, seeing you're a rookie." Ron replied with a laugh. "All you gotta do is squeeze the trigger. You won't have to hit anyone. The noise alone will scare everyone to death!" "How soon can we be ready?" I questioned. "I'd like to get this over with." "Two, maybe three days." Ron answered. "There's a tropical storm making its way up the coast. We'll need to wait until it passes through before we head out." "I've got some aerial photos and a map of the hacienda." Cole stated. "We probably should look them over with you." "That's a good idea." Garrett asserted. "Why don't you let me look them over while you two get settled in?" "I've got a camping trailer you can stay in while you're here." Ron affirmed, motioning for us to follow him. "It ain't much but it's comfortable." Garrett led us over to the other building, which he used for storage. Parked inside the structure, along with several military vehicles, was a late model travel trailer. Ron left Cole and I to ourselves. I was tired from the trip so all I wanted was a quick shower and a long nap. "Your friend is quite a character." Cole remarked. "He'd be a great asset to the Force Agency." "Ron's fine right where he is." I avowed, slipping off my blouse and tossing it on the couch. "He wouldn't like working for anyone but himself." "You saying he wouldn't like working for Barnes?" Cole questioned. "I'm saying Barnes wouldn't have him working for the Force Agency." I replied, tossing my slacks on the couch. "Ron's got a few problems dating back to his days in Vietnam. Depression, flashbacks and fits of rage, just to mention a few." Cole understood what I was saying. Even though he had just two year's experience in the Bureau, he'd had encounters with several Vietnam veterans and was aware of the nightmares some of them lived with. The warm water streaming over my body refreshed my energy but didn't do anything for my worries. Stepping out of the shower, Cole dashed in for a quick scrub. Wrapping the towel around me, I headed for the trailer's refrigerator, hoping to find cold beer. Ron had thought of everything, including an ample supply of food. Popping the top on two cold beers, I drank one halfway down. Cole stepped out of the shower just as I finished the last of it. "Hope that wasn't the only one." He stated, approaching me. "I could sure go for a cold one." "There's more but you'll have to drink it quick." I responded with a grin. Letting the towel drop to the floor, I took the second beer and slowly poured it over my breasts. Cole lapped up the beer as it streamed down my body. I took a couple of sips from the bottle, giving him time to lick the alcohol from my body. "Hmmm. We should do this more often." Cole murmured, giving me a kiss that took my mind off everything but the matter at hand. "Well, we've got a couple of days to kill and a case of beer." I kidded, reaching down to stroke his hard cock. "What say, we have another beer?" Grabbing another cold beer from the refrigerator we headed for the bedroom at the rear of the trailer. With Cole lying on his back, I trickled a stream of beer from his chest down to his tummy. His eyes watched as I sucked up the beer, my mouth slowly working its way towards his groin. "Oh Geez!" Cole exclaimed realizing what I was going to do. Pouring beer over his magnificent cock and his balls, I started licking up the brew, positioning myself so he could see my tongue working him over. Cole's dick grew harder, throbbing in my hand. His eyes were wide open, watching every move I made. Licking up and down his shaft, I poured all but a mouthful of beer over his upper thighs. My mouth lapped up the brew, sucking gently on each of his warm balls. Cole's body tensed as he fought off the urge to let himself cum. Massaging his thighs seemed to help him relax. Holding his steel hard cock at the base, I slipped my mouth over the mushroom-shaped head. Sliding my lips down over his shaft, I took as much of it as I could in my mouth. My tongue brushed back and forth over his cock as I lifted my mouth upwards, letting the head of his cock spring free with a loud popping sound. Cole's eyes grew even wider, watching my mouth work up and down on his cock, making slurping sounds and lubricating his shaft with heavy globs of saliva. Sucking cock was something I excelled at and giving Cole a blowjob he'd never forget was all I thought about. The more he fought off the urge to cum, the harder I tried to make it for him. His body was writhing on the bed, his muscles tensed. Bullets and Lace Ch. 01 I let his climax nearly peak, grasping his cock tightly so he couldn't cum. Licking his warm, full balls, prolonged both our pleasure. Cole was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling with each deep gasp. Slamming my mouth down on his cock, I grated my teeth lightly over his shaft when I pulled back. His body arched up off the bed, almost throwing me off. Pumping my lips up and down on his cock, I worked at bringing him off, wanting his hot cum filling my mouth. "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" Cole groaned as his first load shot down my throat. I kept pumping my mouth up and down on his cock, sucking the life out of him. Cole didn't disappoint me, spewing another load in my mouth. I swallowed it quickly, grabbing a quick breath. Cum oozed from the head of his cock, streaming down his rock hard shaft. I lapped it up like ice cream on a hot day. Cole's body quivered as the last of his cum emptied from his balls. "Oh fuck!" Cole exclaimed, still breathing hard. "That was fucking incredible!" Cuddling up in his warm embrace, we drifted off for a long nap. Both of us were tired from the long drive so it was only a matter of minutes before we were sound asleep. It was late evening when I awoke. Grabbing a quick shower, I got dressed, leaving Cole still sleeping soundly in the bedroom. I heard Ron working on something in the other pole barn and thought I'd drop in on him. "Where's your boyfriend?" Ron inquired, looking up from the piece of steel he was milling. "He's not my boyfriend." I replied. "We're just...working together. That's all." "Yeah! Right!" Garrett laughed. "And I'm General Patton!" "Whatcha working on?" I asked, changing the subject. "It's the breech for a new gun I'm working on." Ron answered. "Something very light weight that fires a round about the size of a gold ball." "A golf ball!" I exclaimed. "Why something so big?" "I want something I can blast through bulletproof glass with." Garrett responded. "It's not something you'd want butted up against your shoulder but somebody built like a linebacker could probably handle the kick." "Sort of like a handheld cannon." I stated. "Yeah. Something like that." Ron agreed. "Lightweight, loud and extremely powerful." "You've built yourself quite a shop here." I affirmed. "Looks like you've got about every kind of machining tool ever made." "We've built our self quite a shop." Garrett countered. "Without you...and your money, none of this would ever exist. And I'd still be living in that flophouse back in St. Louis." "Then I'd say I made a good investment." I declared. "It's worked out well for both of us." "Let's keep it that way." Ron avowed. "Don't go taking any chances when we make the assault down in Tampico. I'm not going to and neither are you." I knew Ron was worried about me. He had good reason to be concerned. Taking out the two former FBI agents and whoever else we found at the hacienda would be my first time actually taking fire back. I knew it wouldn't be just us doing all the shooting. Drug dealers were notorious for having the latest and greatest in weaponry. That's what scared me the most. Worrying about Cole's safety was about as much as I could handle. Now I'd be worrying about Ron Garrett also. I could never forgive myself if something happened to either one of them. To Be Continued... Bullets and Lace Ch. 02 For the next two days, I spent much of my time getting acclimated with the Minty Urbach PSG-1 sniper rifle I'd be using during the assault. Sighting through the Leupold Mark 4 scope, I couldn't miss targets a half mile away. Of course, the targets weren't moving around or shooting back. At Tampico, all hell would break loose as soon as I fired the first shot. Ron Garrett worked with Cole Thornton on the Colt M-16 Machinegun, showing him how to fire short burst and walk the bullets into the target zone. Cole took to the automatic weapon like a duck to water. With his muscular build, Cole was quite capable of handling the heavyweight weapon for long periods of time with great accuracy. Even Ron was surprised at how well his protégé was doing. The tropical storm had worked its way north, passing through Tampico but stalling out over Monterrey, one-hundred and fifty miles south of us. Ron monitored the weather radar screens whenever he got a free moment. Cole and I monitored each other, sharing sexual pleasures to relieve the tension! We weren't getting much rest but we certainly weren't complaining. Tuesday morning, the storm dissipated as it passed through Laredo. The three of us packed up Ron's Hummer, "Black Max" with everything we needed, including medical supplies, dried food and plenty of water. Garrett stowed three large aluminum cases under a tarp behind the back seat of the SUV. I wasn't sure what they contained but I knew it was something special that he was planning on using. I just hoped it wasn't something still in its experimental stages. As soon as the sun set, the three of us left the Garrett Ranch. Ron was driving, heading for a place he'd picked out to cross the border into Mexico. We traversed the Rio Grande where it narrowed and ran shallow for almost a half mile. Picking up a secondary road, Ron followed it south until we picked up Highway 85. Kicking up the speed, Black Max sped towards Monterrey. Traffic was almost nonexistent, sharing the road with only a few semis and an old bus Garrett bypassed Monterrey, trying to avoid the Policia as much as possible. Black Max would stick out like a sore thumb amongst the other vehicles on the road. Checking my watch, I tried to calculate how much longer it would take us to reach our destination. There weren't any mile markers to go by, making it difficult for me to figure out exactly where we were. I was smoking one cigarette after another, trying to calm my nerves but all I was getting was a headache. Stretching out on the backseat, I grabbed a nap, waking occasionally to look out the window. The moonlight illuminated the countryside and the road ahead. Ron and Cole chatted about the Hummer, more to pass the time away than anything. Villages along the highway were quite small, a half-dozen buildings at most, with very few lights burning. At Ciudad Victoria Garrett pulled into an old rundown gas station that just had two pumps. I was dying to get out and stretch my legs but Ron ordered Cole and me to stay in the Hummer. I wasn't sure why but I didn't dare ask. Ron topped off both fuel tanks then hopped back in the vehicle without making any effort to pay anyone for the gas. Since he was so nonchalant about it, I wondered if the owner of the gas station might be one of his Mexican contacts. Back on the road, Garrett drove another fifty miles or so before changing highways, turning us southeast towards Tampico. Thirty miles down the road, he changed highways again. Highway 80 was long and straight, passing through the desert and crossing over several railroad tracks. Clouds blocked out much of the moonlight, making the landscape difficult to see. It was early morning when we turned onto the gravel road towards Tampico. Rocks, kicked up by the oversize off-road tires, bounced noisily off the floorboards of the Hummer. Garrett slowed the vehicle, switching off the headlights. We drove for a mile or so in the dark before pulling off the road and heading cross-country. A deep, rocky ravine hindered our path but it didn't make much difference. Across the ravine and down in a shallow valley I saw the hacienda that I'd looked at so many times in the aerial photographs. It was Ground Zero! The Kill Zone! None of us said a word. Exiting the Hummer, I made a run for a patch of tall, pipe-organ cactus to relieve myself. Ron and Cole made last minute checks on the guns while I took out a pair of night vision binoculars and crossed the ravine. Looking down at the hacienda I saw electric lights illuminating the house, which were powered by a generator sheltered in a building about thirty yards from the house. A late model Suburban and a Ford pick-up were parked near the house. Other than a few dead trees and another small storage building, the hacienda was completely out in the open. I reported what I'd seen to Ron and Cole so we could finalize our plans. Since the downhill slope of the valley was heavily covered with cactus and rock we decided it best to get as close to our targets as possible. I'd position myself directly in front of the hacienda with Cole about thirty yards to my right with the Colt machinegun. Ron would be to my left, about twenty yards away, with the weapons he'd brought along for himself. It wasn't until then that I realized Garrett had brought shoulder-fired rocket launchers, the Browning Automatic Rifle and his favorite Colt handgun. He was prepared for World War Three! "Nobody does anything until I fire the first shot." I declared, putting on my radio headset. "Let me take out one of the agents first. That'll leave just one more we have to take out." "I'll cover the outbuildings and the rear of the house with the rockets." Ron asserted. "That'll keep everyone close-quartered so they can't scatter." "I'll take out the Suburban and the pick-up." Colt affirmed. "That'll keep anyone from escaping." "Just make sure you both keep your cover." I warned. "I don't want either of you getting hurt, let alone killed." "You worried about us." Garrett laughed, checking his headset. "Yes, I am." I confessed. "I want all of us get through this and back across the border." We separated at the Hummer with each of us taking up our positions on the downhill slope. We had an hour or better to kill before sunrise. Checking my Minty Urbach sniper rifle over one last time, I laid out ten cartridges on a cloth, spacing them equally apart. I wanted to be able to grab the ammo quickly without having to fumble for it. "Hey Jennifer!" Cole called out on his headset radio. "You never did say how you felt about me." "You sure you really wanna know?" I laughed into the headset. "You might be disappointed." "I'd like to hear how you feel about him." Garrett chimed in from his position off to my left. "Good or bad, it'd give me something to think about besides this cramp in my leg." "What would you like me to say?" I asked. "You want me to tell you that I love you?" "No. I know you don't love me." Cole answered. "I'd like to hear you say you cared about me though." "But only if you really mean it." He added. "I wouldn't want you to lie just to make me happy." "Yeah Jennifer!" Garrett spoke up with a laugh. "Don't feed the gay guy a bunch of lies just to boost his ego." "Damn it!" I exclaimed, raising my voice. "Cole's not gay!" That was the last thing I was going to say no matter how hard either of them coaxed and coerced me. I wanted to concentrate fully on the matter at hand and not be sidetracked by divulging my personal feelings about Cole. With the morning sun rising up at our backs, we could see some activity inside the house. The front door opened and a man stepped out onto the front porch. Having memorized the pictures of the two agents, I knew the Hispanic man wasn't one of them. "Wait. Wait." I whispered into my headset. "Everyone sit tight." Beads of perspiration were forming on my forehead but I hesitated to wipe them off. The three of us watched the Mexican walk out to the generator building and step inside. I barely caught a glimpse of one of the men we were after when he stood at the doorway of the hacienda. The shade of the porch's roof had him too much in the dark to attempt a shot. "Come on!" I exclaimed. "Step out you asshole!" The heavyset man, former FBI agent, Roger Grissom took a step then stopped to light up a cigarette. Still, it wasn't the optimum shot. One more step and he'd be a dead man. Just one more step! "Cole." I whispered into the headset. "You there?" "Yeah." Cole replied. "I'm here." "I love you." I whispered, squeezing the trigger. The bullet hit Roger Grissom at the bridge of his nose, taking the entire top of his head off. He fell backwards into the doorway, keeping the door from being shut. One of the shoulder-fired rockets took out the generator building and presumably the Hispanic man who'd entered the structure just moments before. Short bursts of gunfire emanated from Cole's machinegun off to my right. I saw both vehicles take direct hits, their tires blowing out and their glass shattering. Two Hispanic men and a woman ran from the house. All three were firing Tec-Nines wildly in our direction. My second shot took out the woman, hitting her directly in the chest. Cole took out both men with the machinegun, spraying them with several hits. The storage shed exploded from a direct rocket hit. Ron fired several rockets into the hacienda, driving out the rest of the people. A half-dozen men scattered, all but one firing automatic weapons. Darren Ballinger, the second agent we were after, was holding a woman by the waist, using her for a shield. Tall and slender, his head was unprotected by the much shorter woman. Just as I squeezed the trigger he moved but the bullet caught his ear, tearing the flesh from the side of his head. Infuriated, he shot the Hispanic woman in the back with his pistol. My next shot, quick and barely sighted in, blew out his chest. Garret took off running down the hill towards the last of the drug operatives. His BAR firing wildly; he was taking return fire but luckily not getting hit. Taking out my Glock 45, I fired the weapon on a dead run, hoping to divert some of the shots away from Ron. Bodies dropped, bullet riddled from Ron's Browning Automatic Rifle. The gun barrel was smoking and red hot near the muzzle. Suddenly, everything got quite...like a cemetery! Both of us looked around, looking for any signs of life. With the mayhem we'd dished out, no one survived. Realizing Cole hadn't come down the hill with us, I looked back up the hillside. He was leaning up against a boulder, his shoulder gushing blood. Panicked, Ron and I ran to his aid. Cole was barely conscious, muttering my name and saying he was sorry. He was pale, his face colorless, his eyes barely open. "Grab the machine gun!" Garrett shouted, picking up Cole and tossing him over his shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here!" A small, single engine plane flew over the ravine, not more than fifty feet above us. Stunned and angry, I fired at the aircraft, emptying the last rounds from the magazine. The plane nose-dived, its engine belching smoke. Clipping the dead trees, it exploded into pieces, sending debris everywhere. "Damn!" Ron exclaimed, looking back at the wreckage. "That was a helluva shot!" We clambered back through the ravine to the safety of Black Max. The back of Ron's shirt was saturated with Cole's blood. All I could think of was getting him to a hospital, any hospital. Ron tossed Cole's nearly comatose body onto the backseat of the Hummer. Reaching behind the seat, he opened up the medical supply case, taking out numerous items. "Don't just stand there!" Garrett shouted at me. "Go get my rocket launchers and whatever's left." I didn't want to leave Cole but I didn't know what to do for him. Ron worked frantically on Cole, trying to get the bleeding stopped while I rounded up the rest of our gear. I watched as he gave him an injection, plunging the needle into Cole's shoulder. "You drive!" Garrett commanded, his hands covered with blood. "I'll take care of your boyfriend!" Behind the wheel of Black Max, I sped back towards the highway, throwing gravel and sand everywhere. At the junction of Highway 80, I turned north, almost losing control of the oversize SUV. It spun halfway around in the middle of the two-lane road, nearly killing the engine. Fighting the wheel, I managed to get it headed north. We had a long drive ahead of us, at least four to five hours. Crossing over the railroad tracks at eighty miles an hour, I had Black Max airborne. Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw Ron wrapping our injured passenger in a synthetic blanket lined with aluminum. "How's he doing?" I shouted, looking over my shoulder. "Is he gonna be alright?" "Keep your eyes on the road!" Garrett exclaimed. "And your foot on the gas pedal!" I pushed Black Max as fast as she'd go, at times hitting speeds of over a hundred miles an hour. Traffic on the highway was hindering our progress so I took to the side of the road, hoping nobody ahead of us would pull off. I kept thinking of what I'd done wrong to allow Cole to get shot. What was I going to tell his fiancé if Cole didn't pull through. How would I live with myself, knowing I was responsible for an innocent man's death? My mind wasn't thinking clearly and it was beginning to show. Sideswiping an old flatbed truck, loaded with fresh fruit, I swerved wildly back onto the highway, almost hitting a bus head-on. "That's it!" Garrett shouted. "Pull over!" I wasn't going to argue with the man, knowing he wasn't very happy with my driving ability. I climbed into the backseat with Cole while Ron took over the driving chores. Cole's color was still pale but his breathing seemed steady and normal. He felt warm but not feverish. The medical blanket was doing great, keeping him as comfortable as possible. "HEY! HEY!" Ron exclaimed, looking down at his seat. "One of us is bleeding and it's not me!" Looking down at my right leg, I saw dried blood on my jeans. During all the excitement and adrenalin rush, I must have taken a stray bullet. Pulling my jeans down, I saw a deep gash on the outside of my thigh. It was more than a flesh wound but the bleeding was minimal. Seeing the wound got me started feeling the pain. Garrett tossed me a bottle of tablets, ordering me to take several. Within minutes, the pain subsided but I was feeling woozy. I fought to stay awake but the medication won out. I passed out, sliding to the floor of the Hummer. That was all I remembered until we approached the border several hours later. "Hang on!" Garrett shouted, shaking me awake. "We're goin' for a swim!" The muddy water of the Rio Grande splashed up over the hood of the Hummer as we crossed at the same point we'd traversed the evening before. Several Border Patrol units were parked alongside the road when we climbed the grade up the hill. They didn't make any attempt to stop us. The patrol officers stood by their vehicles, watching like they were expecting us. Ron drove several blocks before turning into the Laredo Medical Center facility. Looking back at Cole, I saw his condition hadn't changed any. He was still breathing! He was still alive! Medical personnel placed Cole on a gurney, rolling him into the emergency room. My legs were numb, rendering me incapable of walking. Ron carried me inside, placing me on a table across from Cole. "See if Cole's alright." I mumbled, still woozy from the drugs. "Make sure he gets everything he needs." "I'll worry about Cole." Ron asserted. "You just lay here and be a good girl." Two nurses and a doctor worked frantically on Cole, getting him stabilized and tending to his shoulder wound. Pulling the curtains closed around them, shut off my view of what was happening. I drifted off, not waking until early the next morning. It was still dark outside when I awoke. My eyes were bleary, my senses numb from medication. I could barely make out the figures of two men sitting by the window. One of the men was Ron Garrett. The other was Gerald Barnes. Both were whispering, doing their best not to disturb me. "Hey." I muttered, getting their attention. "Well! Look who's awake!" Barnes laughed, approaching the bed. "Cole. How is he?" I asked, reaching out to grasp Gerald's arm. "He's ok." Gerald replied. "He's lost a lot of blood but he's gonna be fine." "Don't lie to me." I muttered, tears streaming from my eyes. "I wanna see for myself." "Later." Garrett affirmed, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You need to rest." "You guys really kicked some ass!" Barnes stated with a grin. "Ron told me about you shooting down an airplane with a machinegun! I'd loved to have seen that!" "I wanna see Cole." I mumbled, wiping the tears from my eyes. "Not right now." Gerald asserted. "His fiancé's with him. She's making arrangements to have him flown back to Washington on her father's private jet." All I could think of was getting out of bed and looking for Cole but the pain medication was getting the best of me. It wasn't until noon when Gerald put me in a wheelchair and pushed me down to Cole's room. He was awake, lying flat on his back. I barely glanced at his fiancé, anxious to get alongside Cole's hospital bed. He turned his head, extending his left hand to reach for mine. I broke down and balled like a baby, realizing he was going to be alright. Cole squeezed my hand, pulling me close. Neither of us said a word with everyone standing around us. I sensed Cole was as worried about me as I was about him. Wiping the tears from my face, I composed myself before meeting Cole's fiancé. Angela Spencer was a tall, slender woman and very attractive. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was exquisitely styled, her makeup impeccable. Dressed in expensive attire, she emitted an air of wealth. She expressed her appreciation for my helping get Cole back safely. Telling me about her plans to have Cole flown back to Washington had me seething with anger. I simply nodded my head and gritted my teeth to avoid saying something I shouldn't. Later that afternoon, Gerald made arrangements to get me released from the medial center. I thought about stopping by Cole's room to say good-bye but thought it best not to. Ron Garrett met us in the lobby, helping me out to my car. "Ron's going to have you stay with him out at the ranch for a couple of weeks." Barnes stated, closing the car door. "Let me know when you get back home. I'll bring you your money." "Ok." I muttered, nodding my head. "Make sure Cole gets everything he needs, will ya?" "Sure." Gerald replied with a smile. "I'll look after him." Ron drove me back to the ranch. The pain medication was wearing off but I didn't feel like taking anymore drugs. Feeling the pain brought my senses back to normal. Helping me step up into the travel trailer, I asked Ron for a cold beer. Reluctantly, he opened one up for me. "Go ahead, say it." I grumbled, taking a seat on the couch. "I know you wanna chew my ass out." "It's none of my business what you do." Ron affirmed. "I just can't understand how you can tell a guy you love him, then just walk away without so much as saying good-bye." "Cole's better off with Miss Spencer." I responded. "She's got wealth and power. She can do a lot for him." "Horseshit!' Garrett exclaimed. "You've got wealth and power! You just don't realize it!" "Ron...let's drop it. Ok?" I countered, hobbling off towards the bedroom. "Cole's history." Over the next two weeks, I thought about Cole constantly, wondering if he was recovering from his shoulder wound, wondering if he and Angela had set a date for their wedding and wondering why I was wondering about him so much. It was driving me crazy, keeping me awake at night. I thought about calling him, dying to hear his voice but since he hadn't called me, I fought off the urge. Bullets and Lace Ch. 02 Finally feeling strong enough to drive myself home, I set out for the long journey back to southern Kentucky. Once I got home, I'd feel better but my life would never be the same. Taking my time driving, I made it home in two days. I was tired when I pulled into my driveway, wanting only to get some rest and a good night's sleep. After grabbing a long hot shower, I slipped between the cool sheets, snuggling up to one of the pillows. A gentle breeze wafted through the French doors, putting me to sleep almost immediately. The strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee awoke me shortly after sunrise the following morning. It took me awhile to realize there must be someone else in the house. Slipping on a short terrycloth robe to cover myself, I eased down the stairway. Gerald Barnes met me at the entrance to the kitchen, handing me a cup of coffee. It was good to see his smiling face. His Elmer Fudd appearance never looked more welcomed. "How's my favorite shooter?" He laughed. "Feeling better." "Yeah. I'm feeling better." I replied, lighting up a cigarette. "Did you bring my money?" "Of course." Gerald answered, nodding towards his briefcase on the diningroom table. "Did you think I'd come empty-handed?" "How...how's Cole doing?" I stammered, trying to sound uncaring. "His shoulder's mending nicely." Barnes responded. "Course, he's always going to have a scar where they had to do reconstructive surgery." "You wanna count it?" He asked, opening up his briefcase. "No. I'm through counting." I muttered. "And I'm through shooting people no matter how much they deserve to die." "Because...?" Gerald asked, leaving me to finish his statement. "Because I damn near got someone killed." I affirmed. "Someone innocent. Someone who shouldn't have even been there." "Not because you're pregnant?" He questioned. "I don't know if I'm pregnant or not." I muttered. "I might be. I need to have some tests performed." "You're pregnant." Barnes declared, smiling. "They ran some tests at the Laredo Medical Center. For them, it's standard procedure for an injured woman in an emergency situation." "Oh God! I'm pregnant!" I thought. "I assume it's Cole's baby." He stated, putting his arm around my shoulder. "Of course." I responded, putting out my cigarette. "He's the only man I've been with." "He must never find out about the baby." I proclaimed. "Swear to me you'll never tell him." "Oh...well...about that." Gerald stammered. "I'm afraid he already knows." "What?" I exclaimed. "You told him?" "He's the father! He has a right to know!" Barnes countered. "As a matter of fact, the two of us celebrated by going out and getting drunk." He added. "And I mean really drunk!" "Did his fiancé celebrate too?" I smarted off. "Nope. Cole broke up with Angela two days after they got back to Washington." Gerald responded. "He told her he loved someone else, someone who meant more to him than anything." "Found himself another girl, huh?" I laughed. "I've got to be heading back to Washington." Barnes stated. "Thanks to you, the President's granted us some additional funding for our operation. We're expanding, moving out of D.C. and adding personnel." "I'll call you in a few weeks and let you know where you fit in." He continued. "You and Cole." I walked Gerald to the door, giving him another hug before he left. "Oh, by the way. You've got another houseguest." Barnes stated with a grin. "Make sure he takes his medication and gets to rehab twice a week." I found Cole sitting on the deck, looking out at the lake. His right arm was in a sling to take the pressure off his injured shoulder. "Hi Mom!" He quipped, pulling me close with his one good arm and kissing me. "I assume you're going to make an honest woman out of me." I jested, embracing him. "The sooner the better." Cole affirmed, grinning. "Well, how about we spend today in bed?" I suggested with a smirk. "Recuperating." Returning to the upstairs bedroom, I helped Cole get undressed. His magnificent cock was already hard, his balls filled with warm cream. Slipping off the robe, I let it fall to the floor. His eyes drank in the sight of my naked form, not so much filled with lust as filled with love. Cole stretched out on his back, his rigid shaft pointing upwards. Our initial kisses were soft and loving graduating to heated lust. Sucking my tongue into his mouth, I danced with his tongue, inflaming our passions even more. My pussy was soaking wet, longing for a good, hard fuck. Kissing down over Cole's chest, my tongue stabbed at his bellybutton, prolonging his anticipation of what was to come. Sliding my mouth slowly down over his thick cock, I felt it throbbing against my tongue. Lubricating his shaft with my saliva, I teased him, rolling my tongue around the head. Straddling Cole's body, I eased myself down on his shaft, languishing in the ecstasy of his manhood impaling my pussy. Lifting myself up and down slowly on his shaft, I rode the waves of sexual pleasure to an orgasm that left us both breathless and tired but completely sated. Cole never let me come down, fucking his cock into me like a jackhammer, making me scream aloud as the orgasms came one right after the other. We were a perfect sexual match but more important, we loved each other. Married a week later, Cole and I spent our honeymoon on "Bullets & Lace" cruising beautiful Lake Cumberland. THE END...