Rings of Fire Ch. 12

She tried to think of the right words, how to ask the question that was burning in her mind. Had been for over an hour now? Her bottom still stung, and she found herself shifting uncomfortably on the hard stool.

She felt more heat flooding her cheeks as she dropped her eyes back to the cake. She took another huge bite, for courage. But she could only manage to pull the handcuffs from her back pocket and lay them on the table.

"Now that's what I'm talking about, gurlfriend," Simone laughed as she brought another bite of cake to her lips.

Jill was more reserved, "So, have you tried them yet? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, and no."

"What do you mean 'yes and no'?" asked Simone as she finished her cake.

Lauren brought another bite to her mouth as she tried to figure out how to respond. "Brent used them earlier," she managed to squeeze past the chocolate.

Jill nodded, "And what did you think? Like it?"

All she could do was nod her head, blush more, and eat cake; it seemed as she concentrated on watching the spoon move closer to her lips.

"So, what's the problem then?" asked Simone.

"It's my turn tonight," Lauren whispered. Hopefully low enough that they did not hear her.

"What?" laughed the woman. "Your turn for what?"

Jill smiled wider, "I think I know."

Lauren looked up at her over the spoon and nodded her head just the tiniest bit.

"Then you want to talk to that one. I wouldn't know what to do if Samuel did give me the damned things. And trust me, even Doc's Ice Age would not be cold enough to freeze hell over, which is what it would take for dat to happen."

"That's the problem," she admitted even more reluctantly. "I don't know what to do, either."

Jill nodded as she poured more tea into Lauren's cup. Lauren did not even remember drinking the first one or finishing off the whole piece of cake either. But somehow she had.

"I might be able to help you out a bit with that one," she smiled. "But the thing to remember is...not everyone is into the same things. Your kink is not my kink is the saying in the lifestyle. Permit yourself to admit that, then go into it with an open mind and give it your best shot."

"So, how do I do that? Give it my best shot, that is. What do I do?"

Jill smiled even wider as she cut another piece of cake and put it on Lauren's plate, "Oh, so much. So many good things."

"I might have to make another cake," Simone giggled.

"Just make sure there is some whipped cream and chocolate syrup left over," Jill winked at her.

***

Lauren was humming an old Dixie Chicks tune about cowboys as she emerged into the bright afternoon sunlight. Jill had been a virtual fountain of information about 'switching' as it was called. She and Simone had been full of it about just about everything to do with BDSM, which it turned out had more than one meaning. Bondage, discipline/domination, submission/sado, masochism.

Of course, they and their husbands were way deeper into it than she could ever see herself being comfortable going. The bondage thing had taken loads more trust than she had and the spanking too, the result of which forced her to scoot from side to side on the chair the whole time. But crops, clamps, paddles, and the rest was way more than she wanted or needed to know.

But she had gleaned a couple of workable ideas from Jill. A plan was coming together in her mind. Cumming together, she giggled as she lifted her face towards the warm sun. She did have to admit that the Texas weather in spring beat the British any day...every day.

But if Brent was right...hell, even if he was not totally right, things were about to change. For everyone. And she had to do her best to make sure that word got out.

She headed towards the barn to meet up with her family. Hopefully, they were still there. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with the girls. A couple of days, four or five max, might not seem like much, but just like that afternoon in her office, she could not shake this feeling.

The sight? Or was she just spooked by Brent's theories and her findings? Either way, it was not something she wanted to think about: being trapped thousands of miles from her family as the world fell apart around them. For the first time, she understood the desperation that must have driven Brent to do what he did...kidnapping her. Well, not really.

As she came up to the coral, she saw Katie sitting on a blanket while Jill and Simon's children played nearby. The younger woman seemed to be fighting back the tears. Or perhaps it was the sun? But Lauren could not just walk past without checking on her, remembering her earlier promise to seek out the young woman without whose help these past few months would have been a disaster.

"Everything okay, Katie?" Lauren smiled as the woman shielded her eyes and looked up at her. There were definitely trails of tears running down her cheeks. Lauren did not wait for a reply, merely taking a seat next to her on the blanket and waiting as Katie seemed to collect her thoughts for a moment.

"What, did you miss Elise so much that you had to go and borrow other kids?" Lauren tried teasing to lighten the mood, but it only seemed to make things worse from the tortured look on her friend's face. "Want to talk about it?"

Katie shook her head, "No, not really. But I have to anyway."

They sat in silence for a couple of moments as the children ran and played a game of tag in the open field. Lauren decided to wait for the woman. She understood how difficult it could be to find the right words sometimes. She had been mulling over the ones she would use with Brent tonight for hours. Maybe for seven years...at least in her fantasies.

"I need to go with you tomorrow," Katie finally broke the silence.

Lauren turned to her, "What, Katie? What do you mean 'go with me'? To Washington?"

Katie nodded, staring off after the children.

Lauren was not sure what to say. Katie was more friend than an employee, and while she would worry more about leaving Elise here with just Grandmam, Megan, and Brent, the look on the woman's face told her this was important. She wanted to demand an explanation, but sometimes it was necessary simply to trust people.

Or so it seemed she was learning. The question was - was it too late? She certainly hoped not. But that was another matter.

"Alright, then. Pack and be ready. Brent says that the plane from Morocco as well as Jason's will be ready by noon tomorrow. One will fly east to D.C. and the other west to California. Brent is hoping his brother will have made it to the extraction zone by then," she explained.

Katie nodded as she wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, "You aren't going to ask me why?"

"No, if you want to tell me, you will. But you have always been more than just Elise's carer. I like to think you are my friend. Maybe even the little sister I never had. Whatever your reason, if it upsets you this much, then I will do whatever I can to help. No questions asked," she reached over and squeezed Katie's hand on the quilt.

Katie's eyes swam with tears as she looked up and whispered, "I need to go back there to try and find my children. Before it's too late."

Lauren shook her head. If Grandmam's revelation had been shocking, it was nothing compared to this. Her mind raced with questions this time too. Katie was so young. The very idea that she had a child, let alone children, left Lauren gobsmacked. But once more, she chose the path of silence, letting her friend's story unfold as she was ready.

"They are about the same age as those babies. That is why I came here to watch them play as I made my decision," Katie kept her eyes strictly on the playing children as more tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks.

"I am not who you think. What I seem," she sighed heavily, and her shoulders slumped as if the weight of life was just too much to bear. "I cannot tell you more right now. Maybe never. For this, I am truly sorry," she looked up at Lauren. "Just know that Katie Alexander cared very deeply for Elise, for all of you."

"But I believe that your husband is right. And if he is, then my children are in mortal danger. If the western flank of La Palma does collapse into the ocean, then their families will not have the time to get them to safety."

"I cannot take that risk with my babies any more than Dr. Jacobs could with you and his girls. I have to get back there. I have to try at least to save them. Please understand," she pleaded.

Lauren felt her throat tighten. She could not begin to imagine the pain this woman felt. To have given up her children as her mother had was hard enough. To believe their lives were at risk must be even more overwhelming. Perhaps that was why Katie had come with them, but that did not matter right now. Her friend's pain did. "I do. I do understand."

Her throat tightened around the words as she realized for the first time, just what risks she was taking. The same ones that her mother had when she left England to be with her lover. The same ones that this woman did when she entrusted the lives of her babies to strangers.

The cold hard truth was: if Brent were genuinely right, as much as she might not want to think about it, she might never make it back to this place. She might never see him or her children again.

Her heart burst. Her lungs froze like the ice that might one day again soon coat much of this continent. Not even the hot West Texas sun could warm her as the panic began to build.

She stood up quickly. She did not want to be rude. She wanted to stay and comfort her friend. But she could not. Not when she needed comforting herself. And there was only one place she could ever turn in times like these. Him.

She did have the presence of mind to mumble, "We can talk more on the plane tomorrow, if you want, Katie. But I need to go right now. I need to find Brent."

She fled as quickly as she could. She did not even have the will to look back to make sure that her friend was okay. She could not get to him fast enough.

Luckily, she found him in the barn just as he said they would be. Elise was still rubbing down the pony though she did not see Megan.

"What's wrong, babygirl? You look like you have seen a ghost," Brent said with a frown as she threw herself at him.

"Please, Brent, please just hold me. I need you right now," she said as she buried her tear-stained cheeks in his soft shirt. She inhaled his clean, fresh male scent as she held tightly to him, her arms wrapped about his waist as if he were a buoy, and she was drowning. Which if he were right, might be the case, she shuddered at the thought.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I've got you. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise," he said as he kissed the top of her head and held her even tighter.

She wanted so badly to believe him. But she knew, they had both learned that late December day: Mother Nature was more powerful than anything. Or anyone. Even their love.

But as scared as she was, she knew she would be on that plane in the morning. She had to be. She was the only one that could do this job. And she had to try. She had to give people the chance to keep their families safe, even if it put her own life and family at risk. That was what they did — their job.

One thing was for sure...she was not getting on that plane without telling this man everything - how she felt about him. The dreams she still held for them. Because if tomorrow never comes, she wanted him to know how much she loved him.