Suspense

Time seemed to be suspended and Miriam had no idea if her comrade had been gone two or ten minutes. Her mind drifted back to that day on the Bluffs, her fortieth birthday, when she'd felt so succinctly that change was at hand. She could never have imagined how it would manifest itself. It was both frightening and comforting, she realized, depending on how you embraced it.

Zaahir appeared beside her and time resumed its march toward eternity. She watched as he taped a brick of clay-looking material to the fuel tank of the truck she was crouched beside, set a timing device and then stuck the wire that protruded into the clay and taped it to the metal as well. "We've got four minutes, let's go."

As they began to retreat back up the Bluffs they heard voices. Two figures had emerged from the command post and were talking casually as they walked, unsuspectingly, towards the equipment depot. They both carried powerful flashlights.

"We have to warn them," Miriam said, without hesitation.

"Keep with the plan." Zaahir shrugged off his backpack and removed a flashlight from it. "And remember, don't wait more than fifteen minutes for me at the car."

"Zee." Miriam was trembling. She clutched his free hand. "I'm afraid."

"So am I."

"Please come back. I think I…"

Zaahir put a finger to her lips. "Shh, Orang. We will have our time together yet." Then darting from the cover of the bush, he ran towards the officers. When he got within twenty-five meters of them, he turned on his flashlight and aimed it at their faces.

"Hey, you. Stop." It was a woman's voice.

Zaahir ran swiftly past them only ten meters to their left.

"Police, stop," The startled officers began to give chase, away from the equipment depot. "Call for backup, Jill. I'll go after him."

The female officer angled off and headed for the command post while her male partner took off after Zaahir who was disappearing up the logging road.

The first small explosion lit the night like a brilliant flare. Both officers stopped and turned in time to see the subsequent blasts erupt in a huge, orange fireball. They barely had time to shield their eyes before the shock wave knocked them flat. The sound of the explosion bounced off the Bluffs, its ferocity shaking windows in the Caulfield community across the highway. White, hot shrapnel zinged past Miriam and ricocheted with a deadly whine off the surrounding rocks.

The parking lot was now illuminated like a movie set and nothing moved on the pavement except the dancing shadows of the flames and debris still falling from the mushroom cloud billowing up over the blast site.

"Get up, please get up," Miriam prayed as she stared transfixed at the fallen police officers.

The female officer was the first to recover. Painfully she stood and looked about her like a shell-shocked combat soldier. "Sarge, Sarge!" She limped toward her fallen comrade who wasn't moving.

Miriam couldn't breath. The sea wind was blowing the acrid smoke and the sickly, sweet smell of burning diesel back onto the Bluffs, over the spot where she was concealed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she repeated, her apology suffocated by the angry roar of the conflagration. She knew she should go, that she must go, but her limbs failed to respond.

As the officer knelt, her sergeant lifted himself on his elbows. He reached over and touched the woman's leg and retrieved his hand, dripping with blood. He stood quickly, assessing the situation, and barking orders into his two-way radio. Taking the constable's arm, he assisted her towards the command centre.

Miriam breathed, then vomited on her army surplus boots. Turning her back on the carnage, she weakly continued along the escape route.

Kat quickly scanned her surroundings and focused on the first thing that looked slightly risky and fun. "Let's do that." Kat pointed down a dark alley at a neon sign flashing Nig Club, the letters h and t were burnt out, making it look a little foreboding. It just added to her desire to go. The atmosphere around the door was menacing and definitely no place Katherine Percy would ever go. Therefore, it was the perfect place for Kat Percy to go and relieve some of her urge to be alive and unsafe.

"Are you sure? If you want to dance, we can find a more…pleasant establishment." Patrick looked uncomfortable and unsure. "Oh, I'm sure, let's go." Kat tugged playfully on Patrick's hand. "Or if you don't want to, I could go by myself. If you wanted to get home and go to bed or something, don't let me keep you up." Kat flashed him a playful smile and dropped his hand, although she fully intended to go into that club with or without him, she had no doubt he would follow her.

Patrick smiled back and grabbed her hand. "Come on, party girl. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Kat worried briefly that her white dress was less than nightclub appropriate, but then decided not to care. She was just going to have fun. She was not going to care about what everyone else in there was thinking about her and how they were judging her. That was what a person who was looking for the proper route through life would do. She was looking for the fun route through life and she didn't give a crap what anyone else thought. Well, almost anyone. The one person she cared about was Kevin, and of course that is why she hadn't slept with Patrick, yet. Damn her new brother for keeping her from giving completely over to her new self. She would make up for it in other ways, like striding into this interesting establishment with head held high and a determination to partake in whatever it offered.

Patrick stopped in front of the heavy wooden door, turned quickly and put his hands on Kat's shoulders. "I think that this is more than a nightclub, Katherine. I'm just warning you that you might not like what you see if you go in there. It could be disturbing to your delicate sensibilities." Patrick tried to sound a bit joking, but the sentiment was serious.

If Kat had been in any kind of right mind instead of half-crazed by his tempting body, she might have heeded his warning. As it was, her nerves screamed out for satisfaction and so she wanted a distraction, whatever it happened to be. This nightclub was the closest thing that offered any kind of distraction for her.

"I'm made of stronger stuff than you think, Patrick, and not so innocent either," Kat replied with a flip of her hair and a hand playfully on her hip.

"I see." Patrick smiled wickedly at her and pulled her roughly toward him. His lips crushed down on hers with unrestrained passion.

The flame of desire she'd held constantly lit since she met him, flared to life and she was instantly engulfed in the heat of her own desire. Kat threw herself unthinkingly into the kiss. She leaned into him and snaked her tongue out of her parted lips, caressing his.

Patrick crushed her soft body to his, molding her curves to his hardness. He met her tongue with his own and they mated passionately, clinging to each other, both mindless with need.

Kat's hands stroked up and down Patrick's muscled back, maddened by the thin cotton shirt that kept her from his hot smooth skin. Her nails raked down his back in an effort to tear the offending garment from his body.

Patrick's hands slid down to Kat's buttocks and pulled her even closer against his hard body. Proof that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, Kat's body trembled with this knowledge and her knees weakened as their tongues continued their intimate mating dance. Patrick slid his hands down to her thighs and pulled her legs up around his waist.

Kat clung to his shoulders and hooked her ankles behind his back.

Patrick kissed his way across her cheek and nibbled on her ear. His hands slipped easily beneath her dress, which was hiked up to her crotch from the position she was in. His fingers found the lace edge of her panties and traced it down and around to the inside of her thigh. Kat's body arched in anticipation and she threw her head back with a groan of pleasure. Patrick slid his mouth down to her neck, lavishing the delicate skin there with gentle kisses.

"Whoa, check out them going at it like the sky is falling." Patrick kissed his way back up to Kat's ear. "Darling, I think we are being observed."

"I don't care." Kat leaned forward and nipped lightly at his neck.

"Yeah don't mind us, we will just settle in here and watch the show. It's going to be better than anything inside, not to mention free." The two men leaned against the opposite wall, settling in for the show.

Kat unhooked her ankles and slid her body down Patrick's. She smoothed her dress and held her head high. She would not let her actions shame her, but she would continue on the road to not doing it again, if that was possible. She wanted Patrick now more than ever.

"Too bad, come on, Chuck, let's get inside before Millie gets onstage." The two men hurried past and into the door.

"Shall we go?" Patrick asked, meaning someplace more private where they could continue their interaction uninterrupted.

"Yes, let's get inside. Apparently there is some kind of show about to start. I'm sure we don't want to miss it."

“Do you want to know a secret?” she said in a whisper.

“Yes, of course.”

She took Anastasia by the hand and explained to Miss Pigeon they were going to the water closet. Through a labyrinth of vestibules and foyers, they went, Rose glancing over her shoulder on occasion lest they be followed.

“What is it?” Anastasia said. Her face flushed. “We should join all others, I’m to get very nervous.”

“Don’t be nervous,” Rose said. “This is an adventure.”

They stopped before entering an immense, dark hallway.

“This is it?”

“What?” Anastasia asked.

“Where the door is.”

“We really will go back now,” Anastasia said, concern dripping from each word.

“We’re not allowed to open it. Actually,” Rose glanced about, “we aren’t even allowed in this wing of the house.” Trancelike, she stared down the long hall until Anastasia grabbed her arm.

“Come, let’s go back. I do not like this…it feels to be wrong.”

Rose continued to stare. “Papa said if we open it, there is death on the other side.” She licked her lips, her gaze intent.

Anastasia pulled Rose away. “You must to stop this silliness.”

“I have to tell someone or I’ll lose my mind,” Rose said. She floated back to reality, but wasn’t quite on solid ground…just yet. “I have a secret.”

“If you promise me we head back after telling to me, I’ll listen patiently,” Anastasia said.

Rose spoke softly. “I used to have another sister.”

“What!”

“Yes, she was a year older than Flora and beautiful. The most beautiful of us all with red hair just like me, and I hear, a very fiery temper.”

Anastasia looked right and then left. “Okay, you told me, now let us to go back to the others.”

“Please, listen,” Rose begged. “No one else will. I saw her. I followed her the day she opened the door. She told me to go back, but I hesitated. I saw her go through but she never came out again. I ran away as fast as I could, down the hall, back to my room. After that, we were forbidden to even mention her name. It’s as if she never existed. My sisters are terrified to talk of her, and Miss Pigeon has punished me if I even look like I’m thinking of her.”

Anastasia grabbed her by the arm. “I no longer will suffer listening to such nonsense as this. If you do not stop such talk, I shall leave to my Russia tomorrow. You are frightening me.”

“Oh, no! Don’t go. I’m so sorry, Anastasia. I needed a friend to hear me. I didn’t mean to upset you so.”

They walked back in silence. Rose, upset about disturbing her friend, she could tell Anastasia was now frightened and anxious, all because of her.