midnitenyx@aol.com

Erin pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine to the Honda. She climbed out of the car and glanced up and down the street, making sure she hadn’t been followed. Seeing no other vehicles, she locked the car and headed inside.

"I’m code four, J.R." She spoke to the sound wire in her vest. Tossing her keys on the coffee table, she stripped off the suede vest and looked down into her bra. "I’m taking you off now." She plucked the small black piece free from her bra and headed into the kitchen. She was unbelievably thirsty and it felt good to walk around the cool house in her bra.

The phone rang just as she began to fill a glass with ice for some tea.

"Hello."

"Line’s all clear." It was Hernandez. "And there’s been no movement on the house."

"Ok, thanks for the update." She knew that Stewart and Hernandez were staked out in a house close by, but for her own protection she didn’t know where. They all knew that once Adams ran her license plate, it would be only a matter of time before she tried something intrusive.

They said goodbye and she continued to pour her tea. Sipping at its iciness, she walked over to the couch and set the glass down to pull off her boots. Once free of their binds, she collapsed back onto the couch, feeling exhausted in a strange way. It was difficult to have to pretend like you’re a confident, relaxed human being while having to really be guarded for your own protection. The task was physically and mentally trying and it hadn’t helped that Adams had been alluring and devastatingly beautiful. It was hard to look at the woman and imagine her as a ruthless and sadistic killer. Yet, that’s how she had to see the woman; her own life depended on it.

Lying on the couch, she tried to relax, to find some sort of comfort in finally being away from the club and her dangerous world of make believe. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep, but her body and mind wouldn’t unwind. Her blood was alive and buzzing with sexual energy and she knew she wouldn’t be able to relax anytime soon.

The phone rang again and she sat up and snatched it quickly.

"Hello."

"Great job tonight, Mac. I got killer sound." It was J.R. and he sounded just as keyed up as she was. "No pun intended." He laughed at his own comment, not caring if she found it funny or not.

"Good, glad to hear it."

"I knew you would give Adams a boner. And from where I’m sitting, she sounded like she had some hard on." He sounded muffled and far away and Erin figured he was driving home and talking to her from his cell phone. "Now all you gotta do is let her fuck you with her big dick and maybe then she’ll tell you that she killed those guys."

Erin rubbed her temple while resting her elbows on her knees. She ignored his crudeness, having heard far worse from him on other assignments. "Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be that simple."

He seemed to miss the sarcasm in her voice, it getting lost over the cellular static. "Hey, we all know that sex makes the world go round. Later chica."

He hung up and she rose to retrieve more iced tea. She thought about his words and wished dealing with Adams would be as simple as his statement. The thought of a sexual encounter with the dark haired woman caused sporadically flying butterflies to flutter against her insides. And she readily agreed that she would gladly fuck Adams to get a confession. The woman was charming and gorgeous, a huge leap from the drug lords she had previously tried to seduce.

She gulped at the last of her iced tea and set down her glass for a refill. The bottle of Jack Daniels sat on the counter and she eyed it and contemplated having some. Its silent presence spoke to her, promising to bring her down a level and perhaps help her sleep. She picked up the bottle and its misleading promises and put it away; knowing that nothing short of numerous powerful orgasms would help to ease the sexual charge coursing through her veins.

Refilling her iced tea, she thought back to the club, trying to find the source for the energy pulsing through her. Images of Adams flashed in her mind. Hair as black as night framed her perfectly carved face, luring Erin in only to be held captive in the electric blue of her eyes. Erin’s thoughts then drifted down over her body. Strength, beauty and seduction slinked up to Erin, trying to hypnotize her with its dance.

She sipped at her tea as her mind then flashed to Henderson. Tight fitting tank top and jeans hugged her tanned body and teased Erin as she danced. The sensual way she had moved between the two women, so erotic and so… inviting. Seeing Henderson in such a sexual setting had obviously done more than intrigue her. It had awakened her and it now was plainly obvious that there were more than a few reasons for the instant charging of her long dead battery.

She placed the glass back on the counter and glanced down at her bare torso. With her fingers cold from the chilled glass of her iced tea, she ran them lightly down her abdomen, following the path of the blonde downy hairs. Her body shivered as she traced her fingers back up towards her bra where she felt her nipples harden underneath the lace. The ring of the phone startled her and she nearly jumped out her awakening skin. She ran over to the couch and grabbed it, very annoyed and wanting more than anything to silence it.

"What?" She demanded, fully expecting it to be one her colleagues calling to congratulate her on her success at obtaining lesbian status. The doorbell rang at the same moment and she pictured the motley group of detectives standing at the door holding condom balloons and a cake with a dildo in the center saying "Job Well Done" in icing.

"Hello Katherine." A deep sexy voice greeted her from the phone. Shock raced through her as she recognized the voice as being Adams. She stopped cold in her tracks and eyed the front door. Could it be? She snatched up her vest and slipped it on over her shoulders.

"Uh, hello." She walked as quietly as she could to the front door and peered through the peep hole. Relief washed through her and she pulled open the door.

"Do you know who this is?" Adams questioned.

"I think I recognize the voice, but I don’t remember giving that particular person my phone number." Henderson walked in quickly and silently, instantly picking up on the phone conversation. She eyed Erin’s open vest and nervously looked away.

"It wasn’t hard to get and besides, I had to call, otherwise I may never have gotten the chance to apologize." Her voice and words were very disarming, especially to someone who was easily charmed by her looks and antics.

Katherine Chandler, thankfully, was neither. "Apologize for what?"

Erin began to pace back and forth, something she always did when having an anxious phone conversation.

"For my behavior tonight at the club. I was too presumptuous and I didn’t intend to give you the wrong idea."

She was good.

"Mmm. Apology accepted." Erin offered no more, she wanted to make her squirm a little.

"I hope I can look forward to seeing you again."

"I don’t know." Erin tried to sound disinterested.

Henderson sat down on the couch and listened intently at Erin’s end of the conversation.

"Let me make it up to you." Adams was definitely squirming on her end of the line, like a fish trying desperately to hang on to the bait. "Have dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Dinner?" Erin hesitated purposely. "I don’t know. Tell me why I should."

Henderson shook her head at Erin, letting her know she approved.

Adams laughed a deep throaty laugh. "Because I promise you, it’ll be an evening you never forget."

"If I agree, will you keep your hands to yourself?"

Adams laughed once again, seemingly enjoying the game she thought Katherine was playing with her. "You have my word. I will keep my hands to myself."

"Ok then. I will have dinner with you tomorrow night."

"Wonderful. I will have a driver pick you up at seven."

"Wait a minute." Erin declared, sounding stern. "A driver? No, I’m not comfortable with that. I’ll meet you at the club."

Adams didn’t respond right away and Erin thought for a moment that she might actually protest. "The club will be fine. Goodnight Katherine." The words were said softly, like a light caress.

"Goodnight." Erin hung up and sighed heavily, thankful that the call was over.

"You did good." Henderson watched her plop heavily down the couch.

"I didn’t expect her to call so quickly." She looked over at Henderson and then remembered that her vest wasn’t buttoned up. Feeling self conscious she rose and headed into the kitchen. "Can I get you a drink?"

"No thanks. I won’t keep you." She watched as Erin then walked past her to head off into the bedroom. She spoke louder so Erin could hear. "I just thought I should stop by to see how you are."

Erin returned to the living room wearing a black Adidas t-shirt.

"And it’s obvious from the phone call that things went well with Adams."

Erin sat back down on the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table. "It went well. And she’s exactly how you said she would be. Arrogant, ostentatious, and unbelievably charming."

"Glad to hear she hasn’t changed any."

"I did what you said, I played it tough."

Henderson shook her head, knowing it must’ve worked. "So, how are you, did she shake you up?" She was afraid to ask because she didn’t want to pry, but she needed to know. She told herself that the reason was strictly for the case and not for any personal feelings she may have harbored deep within her subconscious.

Erin rubbed her hands on her jeans and thought about the question. She knew Henderson was just looking out for her and she knew she had to lie in order to sound competent. "I’m fine." She glanced over at Henderson and met her eyes before she continued. "And as for Adams, I got the impression that she’s mostly bark and less bite." She hoped she sounded believable, because the truth had her insides knotted and her nerve endings screaming with want.

"That, Mac…" Henderson rose and headed for the front door. "Is where you’re dead wrong."

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The morning sunlight filtered in through the vertical blinds, casting bars across the bed. Erin opened her green eyes and squinted at the greeting of the sun. She stretched and felt calm and relaxed, realizing that she hadn’t slept that good in a long, long time. While the night had been pleasantly absent of nightmares, it still had brought dreams to her slumber.

The dreams had been good and she smiled under the covers and snuggled down into the soft contours of the comfortable bed. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to feel the wonderful peacefulness that pleasant dreams always left one with. She tried to think back on the dreams, wanting to return to their tranquil confines. But her mind was only able to retrieve flashes, brief images. Concentrating harder, one dream played out in her mind.

The dream had been immensely powerful and she wished she could close her eyes and experience it again. The morphing of Henderson and Adams seemed strange by the light of day, but in the dream it had seemed completely normal and understood, exciting Erin to the point of no return.

She now understood why she had slept so well. A powerful orgasm had ripped through her body in the middle of the night. She threw the covers back, the feelings of desire once again returning to her body.

Pulling on a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top, she tried to clear her mind and headed into the kitchen. She poured herself a small glass of orange juice. She had always loved the mouth puckering taste of the citrus first thing in the morning. It never failed to awaken her senses.

Downing the tart liquid with ease, she walked over to the front door, curious to see if there was a morning newspaper on the front drive. Just as she went to unlock the deadbolt, the doorbell rang. Startled, she opened the door without first checking through the peephole. Luckily, it wasn’t Adams and she mentally chided herself for her carelessness.

"Katherine Chandler?" A young, thin lad stood partially hidden behind a giant bouquet of roses.

"Yes." She answered, completely taken in by the beauty of the deep velvet red of the roses.

"You want me to set them inside for you?" There must have been two dozen of them, easy.

"Sure, thank you." She moved to the side to let the man pass by. He set the roses down on the coffee table.

"I have a vase for you in the van." He headed back out the door and Erin stood staring at the large mass of red on her coffee table. Their wonderful scent was already filling the room.

"Here we go." The young man reemerged carrying the largest vase Erin had ever seen. The young man busied himself arranging the roses in the crystal vase. When he was finished he stood and walked over to Erin. "All you need to do is add water. They’ve already been trimmed for ample water absorption. And, oh yeah." He retrieved an envelope from his back pocket. "This is for you." He handed her the envelope and headed back over to the door. "Have a wonderful day Ms. Chandler." He gave a quick smile and disappeared out the door.

"Thank you." Erin called after him. She closed the front door and walked over to the couch where she sat in front of the roses. She fingered the envelope, knowing that the roses had to be from Adams. Slipping the envelope open, she pulled out a single sided card. The paper was thick and rippled to give the paper an exotic effect. In the center of the paper a simple message was written in a very neat, yet unique hand.

"Oh boy." She tossed the card aside and sat back on the couch. If she had met Adams outside of this investigation she knew she would be dangerously affected by the attention. Any woman would. She eyed the roses which took up most of the coffee table. Henderson had been right and Erin rose to fetch some water for the roses. Adams had been baited and now it was up to her to see this through. She filled a large glass full of water and hoped for her sake that Adam’s behavior would continue to be predictable.

……… ……. ……. ……. ……. ……. …….. ……. ……… ………. …… ……..

"Let’s go Liz, higher!"

She clenched her jaw in concentration and frustration. Her fists at her side she sprung as high as she could to her right, over a stack of black punching pads.

"Good! Now let’s do ten more." Her instructor added another pad, increasing the height of what she needed to clear to over three feet.

"In a minute." She growled at him as she bent and rested her hands on her knees.

"Now Liz, lets go." He stood with his hands on his trim hips. Had he been any other man, she would have shredded him with her temper. But she respected John, more than any other man in her life, ever. He had earned it. She respected his achievements, among them being a fourth degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do. Not to mention his military rank and his first hand knowledge and instruction in hand to hand combat, which was what she was paying him to teach her.

She looked at him, knowing he meant business. Straightening back up, she closed her eyes and prepared her mind for the task before her. Her mind clear and focused, she opened her eyes and concentrated straight ahead, able to see the stack of pads in her peripheral vision. She knew she could clear the pads, having done so countless times before. But it was clearing them ten times back and forth that would be the challenge. She clenched her jaw in her classic look of harbored angry concentration and jumped to her left. She cleared the pads as she knew she would and she quickly readied herself for the second jump. She sprung back to her right over the pads and fell into a groove of jumping momentum. By the eighth jump, her body tensed and screamed with exhaustion. Her legs trembled, the muscles in them burning and spasming with exertion.

"Two more, let’s go."

She grunted her dismay and focused on the jumps. If she hit the pads, he would insist she start over. She bent lower, hoping to gain an extra half inch by coiling her legs. She jumped and cleared the pads, but landed off balance. Swaying, she regained her footing and wiped stinging sweat from her eyes.

"One more." John said softly, knowing she would have to pull this jump from somewhere deep within.

She closed her eyes and breathed in a deep, shaky breath. Her heart thudded madly in her chest. Thoughts of past events flashed through her mind. Men who had caused her grief and pain smiled at her, beckoning her to fail. Her hate for men as a species ran deep within her bones, and it was clearly evident in the life she lived. She eyed John, her instructor of two years. Had he not earned her respect, she would’ve hated him too. But he stood before her, his blue eyes bright and fierce. He wore loose fitting gi pants and a t-shirt with a dragon emblem on the front. "Warrior Spirit" was written underneath.

Yes, that’s what she was, a warrior. She clenched her fists and jumped as hard as she could. She cleared the pads and swayed from her unbalanced landing. Her brain sloshed in her head and she thought for a brief second that she would collapse.

"Good job." John walked over to her and gave her a steadying hand. "Go get some water."

She walked with difficulty over to the edge of the padded floor where she snatched up her water bottle. She sipped at it slowly and gratefully and watched as John began jumping the pads. He cleared them with ease with at least two inches to spare above the top pad. She was always amazed by his agility and grace. It was as if the man had no bones, just limber, agile muscle.

They were finishing up their workout, having already executed take downs and escapes. She had learned quickly from John’s personal instruction and she felt confident that she could emerge the victor in almost any threatening situation. Originally, he had insisted that she attend class with the other adults he instructed, but she wanted no part of the large group. She wanted to learn and learn quickly. And that would be achieved faster with one on one instruction. She had no time for silly groups and their false camaraderie. She didn’t need the help or approval of a stranger.

Eventually, John came around and accepted the outrageous amount of money she had offered him. He began meeting with her one on one, teaching her combat tactics and escapes involving knives, guns and physical restraint. She always left their workouts with her head held high, her muscles alive and almost daring a man to mess with her.

John finished his jumps and motioned for her to finish their workout with punches. He held one of the thick black pads in front of his mid section, standing in the center of the room. She knew what he wanted. He wanted her to punch and push with all her power. She stood before him and hopped into her punching stance, with her right foot behind, for harnessed power.

"Go." He ordered.

She started punching as fast as she could, jab then cross, faster, faster. She began to push with her legs, forcing him backwards as she punched. Harder and faster she punched and pushed until John hit the edge of the mat.

"Good. Again." They turned and she punched and pushed him back to the center of the mat.

"One more time." He readied himself by lowering his body. This time she knew he would resist her forward pursuit. She breathed deep and advanced with quick hard punches, pushing her body weight against him. Slowly, she was able to gain on him, forcing him back to the edge of the mat. Her entire body cried out for her to stop, but she kept pushing, ignoring the pain. John stepped off the mat and lowered the pad.

"Good job." He slipped his hand out from the pad and high fived her.

She resisted the urge to collapse on the floor in sheer exhaustion. Instead, she walked the mat with her hands behind her head, opening up her lungs for much needed air. After a few rounds around the mat, her breathing had steadied and she sat down to stretch. John sat down across from her and spread out his legs to match hers. With their feet touching they clasped forearms and he pulled her towards him slowly and carefully to stretch her legs.

"You know, the police have been hounding me." He spoke softly to her as he continued to pull her chest towards the mat. "I don’t know what to tell them."

After giving her hamstring muscles a strong stretch, she released her grip on his arms and slowly pushed herself back up. John rose and walked behind her where he began to gently push on her back for another stretch.

"They’re telling me that you killed some guys. Shot them, mutilated them."

She let the words float around in her brain, trying hard not to get angry. God damned cops had been harassing her for weeks, following her, questioning her and her associates. Now they were bothering John. She knew what they were trying to do. They were trying to embarrass her, mark her good name, piss her off by questioning her friends and business associates.

"I don’t know what to do Liz. I mean, maybe I shouldn’t keep teaching you. If you are using what I teach you to hurt people then…"

She pushed up against him and hastily stood to face him. "Have you seen me hurt people?" The anger she had tried to force back was now displayed on her face.

"Well, no…"

"Have you seen me kill anyone? Mutilate them, shoot them?" She was shaking, but not from the strain on her muscles.

"No, of course not."

"Then tell the police to fuck off." She walked past him and retrieved her towel to wipe the warm sweat from her face. She grabbed her equipment bag and headed for the door. "See you Wednesday then?" She questioned over her shoulder.

John had turned to watch her go. "Yeah, Wednesday."

She rode back to the club with the air conditioner turned off in her Range Rover. The stereo she usually blasted happily was silent, allowing her thoughts to churn in her mind. Salty sweat secreted through her pores in the stifling heat of the vehicle, but she didn’t notice. John’s words played through her brain, along with her previous confrontations with detectives.

She never had been able to keep her cool, especially when people said something to upset her. Whereas most people were able to let words slide off their back, she would allow the words to fester in her skin, to irritate her to brash action. And she knew that’s what the police counted on. They were trying to get under her skin.

She pulled up behind her club and sat for a moment in the car. She watched the sun shimmer against the silver paint of her Range Rover. The car spoke to her in its female British accent, letting her know she had reached her destination. She looked at the clock on the dash and realized she only had an hour before Katherine Chandler arrived at the club. Grateful for the distraction from her problems, she shut off the engine and hurried inside to get ready for her date.

Sunday nights at La Femme were generally less crowded than Saturday nights, but nevertheless, a strong crowd would show up to dance the night away before a hectic work week began.

Elizabeth Adams emerged from her private room, freshly scrubbed and dressed in faded jeans and a black cotton sleeveless shirt. She walked over to the edge of the second story landing and rested her arms on the ledge and looked down into the mass of women. Most were scattered about along the edge of the dance floor, sitting, smoking, talking. A large cluster of them danced to the repetitive drone of club mix music. She watched as the lights moved and searched across the herd of women, looking for no one in particular. Black lights illuminated the lighter fabric some women wore, lighting up them up with a powerful glow.

She loved to watch people, always had. She remembered going to the mall when she was younger and finding someone to watch. She would sit and observe them from a distance, watch what they purchased, what they ate. She had realized just how much she could learn about someone just by merely watching.

There was something strangely powerful and erotic that came with the ability to observe someone without them knowing. To be able to watch them, find out everything about them without their knowledge. It was exciting and energizing, like being invisible. She could move in and out of someone’s life without them ever knowing she was there. And she had used the information she had gathered to her advantage, wooing women, seducing them with her knowledge of their likes and dislikes. And most, if not all, had fallen for her, hook line and sinker. And most never even thought to question her, being too caught up in the attention and the seduction to care.

Until Katherine Chandler. She didn’t know what appealed to her more, Chandler’s looks or her complete disdain with the antics she almost always used to impress a woman she was interested in. Yet, Chandler had been completely unimpressed and almost disgusted with who and what Adams was. Never before had she come across a woman who had been able to see right through the money, the charades, and the charm.

She grinned as she thought Katherine Chandler and her defiance. The woman was going to be a challenge and she was always up for a challenge. Her gaze brushed over the crowd until it fell upon a gorgeous blonde wearing jeans and a white blouse, announcing her presence with a luminous glow. It was Chandler and she was making her way to the bar.

"Hi." Erin said loudly to the backside of Kristen Reece.

Reece turned, wearing tight jeans and tight t-shirt with the sleeves and collar cut off, allowing her breasts an ample stage in which to show themselves.

"Hey you." Reece smiled at her and opened a beer as a gift. "You’re back."

"Well, we didn’t get to finish our conversation." She took a sip of the cold beer and gave Kristen a broad grin.

Reece looked at her for a moment as if thinking. She looked nervously up at the camera in the corner of the bar.

"Let’s go." She grabbed Erin’s hand and led her hastily away from the bar.

"Where are we going?" Erin had no clue as to what Reece was up to. They weaved their way to the center of the dance floor, wedged between moving waves of women.

"I figure I only have about thirty more seconds before Tyson comes to take you from me." She was yelling above the dance music.

"Yeah?"

Reece wrapped her arms around Erin’s waist and pulled her into her. "Yeah. So let’s dance." They began to move in rhythm with the throb of the dance music. Erin smiled, genuinely enjoying the music and the dance. Although it was obvious that Kristen was into her, she didn’t feel intimidated like she did with Adams. A new song melted into the old and the crowd cheered as they recognized the beat. Erin and Kristen laughed and joined their moving neighbors in the dance.

"Aren’t you going to get in trouble for dancing with me?" Erin questioned, curious as to how much trouble she had caused between Adams and Reece.

"Oh absolutely." She leaned in to speak closely against Erin’s ear. "But I happen to think you’re worth it."

They danced close together, grinding with the thump of the music. Erin let the music throb through her veins and she raised her arms in the air, feeling completely free.

"Mind if I cut in." It was a statement rather than a question. Erin immediately recognized the deep, smooth voice floating to her from behind. Kristen’s face turned to stone as she looked over Erin’s shoulder and into the eyes of Elizabeth Adams.

Kristen released her hold on Erin’s hips and she leaned in once again to talk into her ear. "Call me, gorgeous." With that, she shot Adams another cold glare and turned to walk back over to the bar.

"You look amazing." Adams stood before her holding Erin’s hands out to her sides examining her.

"So glad you approve." Erin acted bored, and tried to ignore how good Adams looked in the black shirt.

A curious grin etched the taller woman’s face. "You don’t like me very much do you?"

Shocked by the forwardness of the question, Erin shook her head, not quite sure what to say. She decided to be honest. "I don’t even know you."

Seeming to be momentarily satisfied by the answer, Adams gripped her hand firmer. "Well, let’s go remedy that, shall we?" She turned and led Erin through the staring women and out through a back door of the club.

The sun was bidding the desert goodnight, casting a warm purple glow throughout the sky. Erin squinted more out of habit than from the light of dusk. "Where are we going?" She questioned as she continued to follow Adams into the alley behind the club.

"For a ride." Adams tossed over her shoulder as she released Erin’s hand to climb on to a sleek Harley Davidson. Erin swallowed back her desire as she examined Adams straddling the black machine in her faded jeans, sleeveless black shirt and black motorcycle boots.

"Oh." She was fighting back the urge to melt on the spot. Adams looked so strong, so sexy sitting atop the bike. "I thought we were having dinner." Erin was trying to stall. She didn’t want to climb on the back of the bike with Adams. Or maybe she really did and that was the problem.

Adams smiled and reached back to harness her black mane with a dark colored bandanna.

"I thought we would ride my bike to the restaurant." Tying the bandanna snug, allowing it to mold against the top part of her head, Adams then reached in her back pocket to retrieve another one which she offered to Erin. "You want one?"

"No, no thanks." She stood still, not moving towards the bike. The thought of sitting so close to Adams, of hugging her from behind, stirred her in ways she didn’t think possible.

"Are you scared to ride?" Adams was suddenly concerned as she watched the blonde hesitate to mount.

Erin knew she couldn’t show fear. No matter what kind of fear she was feeling, she couldn’t allow Adams to see it. "No, I’m fine." She walked over to the bike and slung her leg over the 600 pounds of machine. "Let’s go." She rested her hands softly against the thick, black belt Adams wore.

"If you’re going to ride with me, you’ll have to hold on tighter than that." Adams said with a laugh over her shoulder. She grabbed Erin’s hands and wrapped them tight around her abdomen. "That’s better." She reached forward and brought the engine of the bike to a roaring life.

Erin tightened her grip as the bike lurched forward with a loud rumbling growl. She relaxed against the powerful vibration between her legs and looked ahead as they headed off into the darkening, purple night.

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