Authors: Diane Taylor
Paul Sinclair waited on other side of the door with a smile on his face and a package under one arm. As far as Carmen knew he was the only mailman in the country who enjoyed making mail deliveries using a horse drawn sleigh in the winter time. During the summer, he used a four wheel drive Jeep to get up the hill to her place.
At fifty three years old, he looked like Santa in a red plaid shirt and a postal worker jacket and hat. Unfortunately, his firm muscular body did not fit the childhood version of Santa. Paul had been a lumberjack at one time, so his body had remained solid packed muscle even though he didn't swing an ax, or used a chainsaw anymore. He had steel gray eyes and silver colored hair which hung to his waist. Carmen forced herself not to smile at the creative way his hair was braided with bits of color.
Paul smiled as he used a hand to brush the snow from his dark gray beard. “Hey Carmen. You
staying warm up here in your fantastic hideaway?” He stomped the slush off his boots before stepping inside and closing the door.
Carmen grinned and gave him a hug before going into the kitchen to pour a mug of hot coffee from the freshly made pot, adding the cream and sugar she knew he liked. “Oh, not too bad. I’m staying warm, I still hate the cold, and you always come by and ask the same question.” She winked. “You better be careful, or else people will start rumors about you visiting the scarred hag on the mountain.” She pointed to his hair. “Did you let Running Fox's sisters braid your hair again?”
Paul took the mug and laughed. “Well, they ambushed me while I'd been out their way to help do some of the repair work on the tribal houses. Their way of thanking me, I suppose. Those little girls can sneak braid anything without someone knowing about it until it's finished.” He smiled and took a drink. “As for the rumors, screw em. Most of the town thinks you're a recluse and the rest simply mind their own business. Besides, this is a special trip. I usually don't come up here until later on, but someone paid good money to have it sent up here by courier.” A look of puzzlement crossed his face. “It’s funny, because I’m the only person who could even be considered as a courier and, knowing how you hate strangers anywhere near this place, I convinced the guy to allow me to bring it up here.”
Carmen frowned, then turned towards the big screen television and hit the remote, activating the security cams. “Not that I don’t trust you, Paul. It’s just, after the last client we finished up with has made me a bit paranoid.” Her eyes flicked from one monitor to the next watching intently. A couple deer, squirrels, and a few birds were the only creatures moving in her compound. They were foraging for food.
“Better safe than sorry.” He nodded. “The little runt seemed to take offense when I told him he couldn’t come up here. My boy is keeping an eye on him because I promised to get your signature on the release for him so he could get paid.” Paul shook his head, “Kids these days, can’t take them out behind the woodpile, can’t sell them to the gypsies, and grounding only makes them happier because they get to go to their rooms and play on their computer and run up the phone bill.”
When nothing appeared on her monitors, she laughed. “You sound like my dad. But, then again, when I was a kid, as a reward he used to take me over to the Marine Base where he trained. If I got into trouble, he’d still take me, but he’d make me run that damned obstacle course a few times over. Then he would have Master Chang work me over in the Tiger form of Kung Fu before taking me out to the gun range to make sure I knew how to shoot.”
Paul finished his coffee and set his empty mug on a nearby table. “As much as I would love to stay, I need to get going. I bet you’ve got work to do too. Also, I’ve got an ‘I’m holier than thou’ type courier needing your signature. So have a good day.” He picked up the package he had set on a nearby table and offered it to her..
“
Okay, I’ll try. Paul, I’m curious. Did you happen to notice where the package originally came from?”
“
No, sorry I didn’t.” Paul reached into his coat and pulled out a bundle of letters, setting them next to the empty coffee mug, “I brought the rest of your mail as well. And it looks like you may already be a winner.”
“
Oh gods! Not you too. I hate those damned things. The only grin I get out of those is imagining them trying to make it up into this valley in a limousine and their gear, in the dead of winter no less.” Carmen shook her head, “Give me the receipt and I’ll sign for it. Give the courier ample warning. If it’s a bomb, I can find out where he lives and how many times he takes a piss a day.” That should give him cause to worry.” She deliberately scribbled her name to the signature slip, making it impossible to actually read.
“
Actually, the sucker sloshes rather than ticks.” Paul handed her the receipt and kept a copy for himself as he headed for the door. “I’ll be back up in a few days. If you need anything, you’ve got my number. Call and give me a list. I’ll bring it up with the rest of the supplies.” He grinned, then stepped out the door headed for his sleigh. “Thanks for the coffee and the warm welcome.” With that, he turned the horse around and headed for home, the bells on the harness jingling softly as they disappeared down the trail.
After shutting the door and locking it, Carmen turned toward the stack of mail and the oblong package laying next to it. Shaking her head, she scooped up the everything, then wandered over to the fax and grabbed the paperwork which had finished printing. Finally, she sat down to finish her semi-warm food and glanced at the letters and sighed. “A Christmas card from Mom.” A quick swipe of a steak knife opened the envelope. “Will she never learn I’m not, nor ever will be the good little Christian she wants me to be?” A few cards were from past clients who had become good friends. The rest of the mail was junk.
Finally, she reached for the package and pulled it to her. It had been expertly wrapped in a plain brown wrapper and sealed with wax. A quick glance at the stamps gave her the country of origin, Scotland. With anger boiling in her system, she cut the tape and removed the wrappings, setting them aside.
Nestled inside the box, was a very dusty bottle of Glenmorange. The bottle was so old, the label was significantly faded
.
giving her no clue of its true age. A handwritten note was tucked into the box
beside the bottle. Carmen arched an eyebrow at it, knowing how expensive watermarked parchment could get, then examined the calligraphy as she read the note.
Dear Miss Marshall,
In consideration of my contract with your employer, Ms. Randall, please accept this gift. I look forward to meeting you in Scotland. I expect you in a few days, your tickets and hostel arrangements will be on your employer’s desk. Have a safe journey and fair winds.
Until we then,
The Rogue
Beneath his signature was an emblem of a theater mask, his trademark.
“
Damn him to fucking hell!”
She yelled grabbing his promotional photo from the pile of printed paper she made a conference call. Four people’s faces appeared on the big screen on the wall. Instead of trading their usual banter, Carmen held up
The Rogue’s
photo. “We haven’t gotten this job, yet because this man wants a meeting with me face to face.”
“
You’re kidding.” Michelle winced, but made no further comment.
“
I want the full package on this guy. Logan, you need to get all the information there is. I want to know who he is and where he’s from. I want to know...”
Logan interrupted. “You want the works, right boss?”
Carmen nodded to him. “Yer damned right
.
I do. Louis and Carla, you two are info buffs and like finding good deals on travel. I’m going to go to Glasgow. Find me an out of the way hotel which has a fireplace, at least in the main lounge. You know what I like. Michelle.”
“
Yes boss?” Michelle grinned.
“
Keep these miscreants in line until I get back. But I want that package of information uploaded
into my computer before my plane leaves the run way. Anyone have questions?” Carmen glanced at each
person in turn.
“
Just one.” Logan raised his hand. “You do realize, digging into the background of a celebrity will trip some triggers.”
“
Be careful then. Leave no traces.” Carmen held the photo up again and waved it. “This guy already has sent me tickets to go his way, and essentially told the boss I was a coward. That she should hire more men. He indicated that at least a man would talk to him face to face.”
“
I guess he needs to be educated.” Michelle rolled her eyes.
“
This morning,
The Rogue
sent this to me.” Carmen held up the bottle for all of them to see. “I can tell you right now, it’s a very old and a very dusty bottle of Glenmorange. Even the label has faded. I won’t tell you what the note said, but I’m going to Scotland and poke a few holes in his ego.”
Carla began laughing and Louis chuckled too. “Oh... Oh gods!” she squeaked, “I would love to be there to see you do pull this off.” She howled louder, soon all four of them joined in.
Carmen smiled at her team. “I may consider taking this contract, just so you guys can torment him.” She tossed his photo down. “Okay guys, get to work and by the way, I’ve sent a large bonuses for each of you directly to your bank accounts. Twins, Daria told me to tell you she’s very sorry for what happened and when you get a chance, take a vacation.”
They nodded and smiled.
“Good luck, team.” Carmen clicked the remote and the screen went blank.
It would take a few days, she knew, but her team would be extremely thorough in their info gathering. After a few moments, she stood and took the file to her desk and locked it in the file drawer, activating the screamer alarm as she did so.
What? Me? Paranoid? Nah.
Taking the bottle into the kitchen, she put it on the top shelf in her pantry before finishing up her meal.
After the dishes went into the dishwasher, Carmen took one last look around the house
before slipping out the back door. Donning lightweight snow gear, she grabbed her snowboard and started walking up the hill behind the house. “
The only damned thing snow is ever good for is boarding on it. If it didn’t have fresh powder I’d go find somewhere warm and sell this place.”
The thought went through her head as she reached the top of the hill.
Locking her boots into the straps on her board, she pushed off, letting the of gliding down the hill on fresh powdered snow wash away her anger. The freedom of loosing herself in the moment was the most precious thing in the world to her. Lost in the thrill of boarding down the virgin slope, Carmen’s spirit soared in the moment of freedom.
Chapter Two
Carmen stared out at the barren white landscape. The scenery blurred past the dining car window as the northbound train went deeper into Scotland. The remains of her dinner and a glass of wine sat on the table. The results of Logan’s fact finding mission, a thick batch of printouts, sat next to the plate. There wasn’t much to the report, just photos of the property she was going to be visiting, and some performance shots of
The Rogue
on stage. The remainder of the file was a compilation of the test of the team’s efforts to pick up info from contacts and other resources. Logan admitted with some embarrassment, he couldn’t get into most of the places he needed to without tripping several red flags. When a master hacker has to admit to defeat, whoever is running the electronics show has got to be good.
Carmen glanced out the window once more and sighed. Earlier, the snow had come down slowly, making the flakes sparkle in the evening light. Now, it had changed into a full snowstorm, with the visibility slowly fading as true night descended. In the light from her window, the snow looked like white lace against the blackness beyond, making Carmen shiver and reach for her wine.
Whoever came up with the term ‘It was a dark and stormy night’ should be taken out and shot.
She thought while finishing the wine. Moments later, Carmen slowly worked her way back to the sleeping compartment with the printouts tucked under one arm. Mentally she thanked her crew for giving her the layout of England’s trains. Otherwise, she'd be looking for her room, like a mindless tourist.
Four days ago, Carmen had stepped off the plane at a London’s airport. In typical English fashion, the weather had been cold, rainy and nasty. Fortunately, she’d packed every warm piece of clothing she had, and managed by some miracle, to find a cabbie who appreciated a hefty tip added to his fare if she could get her to the station for the last train to Glasgow on time.
Luck was on her side because the train was delayed for fifteen minutes, giving her time to find her compartment and settle in. One of the attendants had told her the delay was caused by the late arrival of someone important. While it created bouts if irritation amongst the impatient passengers, it also sent rumors flying throughout the train as people tried to guess who the VIP could be. Some suspected it was a famous movie star on vacation
away from the bright lights. Others whispered it was the Prince of Wales on-board or a wealthy recluse with his latest conquest. Carmen discounted all of the gossip as
creative imaginings of a bored people.
Her team had selected the best accommodations they could find in a short amount of time. The result was a small cabin in the middle of the sleeper car. Carmen was lucky in her choice of accommodations. Ski season was in full swing and apparently, the mountains of Northern Scotland was ‘the’ place to be when winter arrived, apparently. The train had been packed with passengers the moment it left the London station. Some of them were even sleeping in the spaces between the cars.
Once in her cabin, Carmen flipped open her laptop to send out a few e-mails to the team, letting them know her location. After she finished
answering a couple messages, she clicked to a website which hosted long term chess games. The game she was playing had already lasted four months. Her opponent’s handle was Scam. They hadn’t spoken, just traded moves in a slow dance of strategy. As she logged in, her account registered he had made his latest move. Smiling, she settled onto her bunk to contemplate
the chess board and what move to make.
The miles rolled by as Carmen looked at the chess board, occasionally pausing to answer a query from one of her team. It was eleven o’clock by the time Carmen finally made her move. Outside her window she could see stars sparkling in the inky velvet sky and the sign welcoming visitors to Scotland was easily visible as the train went past.
Sighing, Carmen made her move before turning off her computer and shedding her clothes. Grabbing an oversized gray t-shirt from her duffel. It hung down to mid-calf and gave her ample room to move freely, yet be modestly covered at all times. If she were at home, she would have slept naked. Unfortunately, it wasn’t wise to do so on a train. Besides, Carmen had had too many nightmares of waking up in the slimy hands of Prince Ahmed. Being nude and having bad dreams was not what she needed right now. There was too much chance someone would get hurt trying to wake her up unexpectedly. Suddenly, the train jerked violently, catching her off guard. The force of it sent Carmen careening into her bed, smacking her forehead against the edge of the overhead storage compartment. There was just enough time to feel the flow of blood down the side of her face before the whole compartment became swallowed in darkness. A quick glance out the window told her the lights were out everywhere as the train jolted to a full stop. “Damn,” she muttered to herself. “just what I need.”
After putting on her robe, she grabbed a towel to cover the cut on her head and opened the door. One of the attendants was making his way down the corridor, assuring people everything was fine. “Excuse me,” Carmen waved.
The young man approached her, a small flashlight lighting his way. “Yes, Ma’am?”
“
Is there a medical person on this train? The sudden stop caught me off guard. I'm going to need at least a band aid.” Carmen lifted the towel away from her forehead.
Then his flashlight illuminated her scarred face, he backed up. His eyes grew wider when he noticed her forearms.
“Yes, there is. Please...” He swallowed hard. “Please, stay where you are
,
and I’ll bring them to you. If you can’t wait, there’s a bathroom at the end of this car.”
Carmen gave him a half smile. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Trust me, the scars only look horrible at first glance. Once you see them on a regular basis, they're not so bad. It also makes for a great laugh at Halloween.” She shrugged. W
hen mothers aren’t dragging their children away from me.
The bitter thought made her wince slightly.
The comment drew a small laugh from him. “I’m sorry, Miss. I didn’t mean to offend you by staring.” He bowed his head. “I’ll be back in a few moments. The light from his flashlight bounced off the walls as he hurried to get someone, returning a few minutes later with a middle aged woman who carried a medical bag with the distinctive red cross emblazoned on the side.
When the attendant moved close enough, he smiled and tipped his hat. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to be about my duties.”
The medic shooed the man on his way, then turned to smile at Carmen. “What in bloody hell, happened to you?” They both breathed a slight sigh of relief as the reddish yellow emergency lights flickered on. Not enough to be of any use walking around, but enough to see things in the darkness.
“What happened?” Carmen shook her head. “One minute, I’m almost ready to curl up in bed, the next I’m
making a rather personal contact with the lower corner of the overhead storage compartment.” She sat down on one of the available seats. “I’m Carmen Marshall, by the way.”
“
Peggy McKinnon, nice to meet you.” The medic opened her bag and took out a tiny lamp which gave off enough light for her to see Carmen. “Well, the way I heard it from the conductor, it seems an uprooted Oak tree is the cause of our sudden stop. I’m told the power outage happened because the circuit box overheated. No electricity means it’s going to get a bit nippy on board tonight.” She moved the towel away. “Haven’t you got enough scars?” She pulled on a pair of surgical gloves and began to clean blood away from the wound.
“
I guess not.” Carmen grinned. “The old ones are from a man who had an illegal snow leopard in his house. He didn’t take no for an answer.”
Peggy gasped in outrage. “How horrible.”
“Yep, he turned the leopard loose on me. If it hadn’t been for my partner, well, let’s just say we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Peggy winced. “Looks like I’ll need to put a couple stitches in this.” She set out her equipment. “I hope someone took care of him and
took care of his cat. It’s horrifying to think something so beautiful was being kept in those conditions.” She added a topical anesthetic to the wound.
“
Well, let’s see. He’s doing five to ten years in prison for attempted murder and illegal possession of an endangered animal.” She grunted slightly as Peggy placed the needle under Cameron’s skin to make made the first stitch. “Not to mention he had several other big cats hidden on his property.”
She nodded as she stitched. “So, what brings you to Scotland this time of year? Certainly not to get your head stitched up.” She clipped off the second stitch. Then added a small butterfly bandage to it.
“Well, I’d actually been invited by someone I haven’t seen in a while. I decided to surprise him and pop in sooner. Sort of an unexpected surprise. I’ll ring him when I get settled into the Red Aurochs Inn in Glasgow.
“
A nice place to stay. Friendly people and quality food. I've actually stayed there myself.” Peggy tossed the gloves and used items into a plastic bag, sealed it, then put it into the medical kit. “Now, I suggest you get some sleep. Be sure to get under your blankets. It’s going to be cold.”
“
Your wish is my command, Madame.” Carmen bowed slightly. “I’ll try not to argue with anymore furniture.” She glanced down the corridor. Peggy chuckled. “Think you’ll be safe out there in the dark corridors?”
“
If I wait for Daniel, we’ll be waiting around all night.” Peggy turned off the tiny lamp and put it back with the rest of the equipment, then turned towards the door.
“
Who’s Daniel?
“
The handsome gentleman who dragged me here.” Peggy smiled.
Carmen grinned, then reached inside her briefcase. “In that case, take this.” She handed her a small penlight. “At least it’ll give you a bit more help than these emergency lights.”
Peggy took it. “You sure?”
Carmen nodded. “I’m sure. I’ve got a small box of them stashed in my bag just for emergencies like this.”
“
Thanks you, you’re so thoughtful.” Peggy clicked it on, before walking working back down the corridor, “The only other emergency I want to do is climb into bed. Tomorrow, is going to be a long, hectic day dealing with frayed nerves and itty bitty owies.”
Carmen watched the medic disappear around the corner. She suddenly felt the urge to head towards one of the pass through areas between the cars. Like American trains, the passage was enclosed in an accordion like material keeping the elements at bay. Carmen found it almost impossible to navigate in the red glow of emergency lights. She and resorted to feeling her way to the end of the car. Thankfully, most everyone had vacated the chilly area in favor of more visible places. From her walk to her own room when she arrived on board, she knew these pass throughs were larger than the ones she was used to.
The pitch darkness surrounded her the moment she stepped through the door
. Oh geeze. You’d think they’d add running lights down here as well, but oh no
. Carmen took small steps into the darkness, a hand out in front of her for safety. After a moment, her hand encountered something very solid covered with what felt like silk. Startled, she took a couple steps backwards and turned to where she knew the door was. Before she could take more than a step, someone touched her shoulder, a warmth radiated from the contact, causing her to trip over her own feet.
Before Carmen could do so much as squeak, someone reached for her, grabbing her around her waist pulling her back against a hard, extremely well muscled body. A soft Highland burr whispered in her ear, “Fear not, lady.” His lips moved just underneath her ear, into her neck.“I mean no harm.
A moment’s peace is all I seek from this train ride and its inhabitants.”
Carmen’s shivered slightly
,
as
pleasure vibrated across her skin. She could feel his lips against her skin. She reached back and cupped his check with her hand, startling herself.
What the hell.
Her body reacted to the closeness of this stranger,
No one’s going to know and it’s been too damned long.
“
I actually wanted to relax. I couldn’t sleep.” She whispered.
Suddenly, the train lurched forward, pressing Carmen against the cold steel wall in front of her. Seconds later, another jolt and the mysterious man was thrown against her back. The heat of his body combined with the chill of the metal, heightened her sensations as she tried to brace herself. To protect her from any more unexpected jolts, he wrapped his arms around her. As he did so, his hands inadvertently found out she wore absolutely nothing underneath the t-shirt she had on. A soft growl from her mystery man caused her to have goose bumps.
Turning in his arms, Carmen caught the barest hint of a luminescent flicker in the darkness before a pair of incredibly soft lips captured hers. Any thoughts she may have had about leaving flew out the window when he moved his body closer to hers, proving the sexual attraction was mutual. His hands cupped her face, sparking new heat which blossomed through her body, forcing her to groan. As he shifted closer, his lips opened and the tip of his tongue lightly teased her lips.