James Hoch - Heckel Casey

"Come back in an hour or so," she said. "I need to freshen up a bit. Go tell my chef to have dinner for two." Quincy nodded politely and left.

An hour later, almost to the minute, he knocked on the door, and Madeline yelled for him to enter. She was in the back bedroom putting on the finishing, glamorous touches. He stood at the front of the motor home with his jaw practically hanging to his knees. Of course, Madeline had that effect on men when she wanted to. She just adored their reactions.

Madeline, knowing that she was dressed to seduce, walked into the room with a strut that would rival any supermodel on a runway. For a top, she chose a sheer black blouse with an enticing black lace bra underneath. Madeline wore black satin Harem-style lounge pants and short black stiletto boots. Those alone were guaranteed to reduce Quincy into a blubbering mass of malleable flesh.

"Good evening, Quincy. Sorry to keep you waiting," Madeline said, striking a pose near the table. "Please have a seat. Would you care for an adult beverage?"

"Um…a…well, a…yes, anything's fine," Quincy said, trying to catch his breath. He spoke like a man who had just received a frontal lobotomy.

Ah, I got my mojo workin', Madeline thought. Men are so easy to manipulate. Clearly women are the dominant species.

Quincy kept staring at Madeline like a deer in headlights as she brought out a bottle of Pendleton. As she reached into the freezer for ice, she lifted one leg behind to reveal a little of the stiletto boots. She could have sworn she heard his heartbeat from across the room and quite possibly the sound of soft panting. She poured two glasses and walked over to the sofa.

"Here you go, Quincy. I hope you like Pendleton," she said leaning down so that he could get an eyeful of cleavage and a whiff of perfume.

"Terrific. It's been ages since I've had a good whiskey and Pendleton is the best. Thank you," he said.

Madeline noticed his hand shaking as he took the glass from her. She sneered, knowing he was beyond putty; he was now more like a warm, sleepy puppy. She giggled inside.

They chatted for a while about the trip, the weather and other mundane topics. Every so often, Madeline would switch crossing her knees to flash him a look of her alluring, sexy boots.

A soft knock on the door, followed by an announcement from the chef that dinner was ready, came just at the right time. She was getting bored, not to mention enormously horny. She asked Quincy to go unlock the door. The chef and his assistant came in with several covered plates. A young teenage girl kept sneaking glances at Madeline as she set the table. Madeline smiled at her as she moved her black stiletto boot up and down.

"Will there be anything else, Miss Madeline?" the chef asked.

"Mario that smells absolutely exquisite. No, I'm sure we'll be fine. Thank you."

After dismissing everyone, Quincy with his best gentlemanly manners, pulled the chair away from the table to seat Madeline.

"Thank you, Quincy. Such good manners," she said kissing him softly on the cheek as she sat down.

Quincy stumbled briefly as he sat down. He was either a bit tipsy from two glasses of Pendleton or her little kiss made him woozy.

Following dinner, it didn't take long to seduce Quincy. Madeline slowly undressed him. After taking off his shirt, she marveled and commented, "Impressive abs. You have a six-pack. I don't think I've ever had a lover with such a physique."

He blushed and thanked her. His lovemaking was very good, in fact, one of the best. Madeline was satisfied, very satisfied.

The next morning when she awoke, she felt the other side of the bed and discovered that Quincy had gotten up. Madeline frowned. Too bad, I would have enjoyed some morning sex. Oh well, no rest for the wicked. Now there's an appropriate saying for me. She laughed and stretched.

"Good morning, Miss Madeline. I have fresh coffee for you," Quincy said, putting a steaming cup on the nightstand.

She reached over and grabbed him by the shirt. Pulling him down, Madeline then kissed him passionately.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this, but there is someone here to see you," Quincy said.

"It better be good," she said impatiently.

Quincy backed away from the bed and excused himself. Madeline got up, peeked out the window and saw three large men shuffling around outside the front RV door. She put on a bathrobe and told Quincy to ask the men in. Picking up the coffee, she took a big sip.

When Madeline walked into the front of the coach, the men were crammed onto the sofa. Standing near the dinette table, Madeline asked, "Who are you and what do you want?"

All three men stood up clumsily and tipped their hats. Images of The Three Stooges flooded into her memory, and she almost giggled.

She told them to be seated as she topped off her mug with more hot coffee.

One of the men reported the status of the two massive armies waiting in Oregon. Another asked if she would be visiting the troops.

"Gentlemen, I appreciate your visit and I am very happy to know our soldiers are doing well. As for a visit, well, hmm…I don't know if that's going to be possible at this point. I have other more pressing matters to attend to. However, please send them my regards. Now, if there's nothing else for you to report, I'll bid you good day."

The third man cautiously put up his hand as if he were the shy kid in first grade.

Madeline grinned. "Yes, what is it?"

"What happens after the…um…battle?" he asked sheepishly.

"Excellent question," she said pacing around the kitchen area. "We begin a new world, one that is dominated and controlled by me. And I want you to know all my loyal soldiers will be rewarded with untold riches, property, and countries for that matter. We will rebuild the planet to serve…darkness. It is clear that humanity desires evil and has embraced it wholeheartedly over the years."

The morning we crossed into California, the weather felt especially warm and pleasant. Not only was the temperature perfect, but also everyone's upbeat spirits generated an air of optimism. Jerky rode on my shoulder as usual and for a while purred heavily in my ear.

"Are you going to do that all the way up California? I'll lose my hearing."

The cat licked my ear and went to sleep.

I looked up to see a hawk circling high above. I've seen that bird before, I thought as I shielded my eyes. It seems to be following us.

"Heckel, I have something to tell you that might sound a bit strange," Sela said as she positioned Tempest next to Hope to ride alongside.

"Strange? Sela, in case you haven't noticed, we've been hip-deep in strange for the last several months. Nothing you can tell me will sound strange. Trust me. My mind is so wide open you could drive a John Deere tractor through it."

"See that hawk up there?" Sela asked.

"Yeah. I think it's been following us."

"It's my guardian angel," Sela said proudly.

I could tell she was dead serious. Hmm, now let's think about this for a minute. Strange? Yes, that would most certainly fall under the category of strange. Hard to believe? Maybe not, given our present circumstances.

"And how do you know that?" I asked calmly looking ahead.

For the next half hour or so, Sela described her encounter with Rose. When she was done, I looked over to see the hawk perched on her shoulder.

"This is Rose," Sela said happily as if she were introducing her best friend.

I stared at the bird for a few moments and finally said, "Pleased to meet you."

"Jerky is your guardian angel," Sela reported matter-of-factly.

"Really? Hmm, that would make a lot of sense." Jerky nipped my ear again as if confirming what I just said.