Red Wolf

  ****

  As suspected, the road to the summer house on Squaw Mountain narrowed just before Boone and Delilah saw the gate which prevented them from going any further. “It is still about three miles away,” Boone reminded Delilah. “You ready for an adventure?”

  “I am dressed for a hike. Let’s do it,” Delilah smiled as Boone backed up and looked for a place to hide the SUV. Finding an unmarked side road, he backed the SUV as far back as he could and parked hoping the vehicle could not be seen from the road. Then he grabbed a hiking pack out of the back seat. Slinging the pack onto his shoulders, Boone took Delilah by the hand and led her east towards the second of Miner’s summer homes.

  “We should be there in about an hour as long as the terrain does not get too treacherous,” Boone reminded Delilah. “It will be nice to get some real exercise after sitting on our asses in the park for over a week.”

  “You know we will not be home in time for the full moon,” Delilah announced out of the blue. Boone had not mentioned it before, but she was concerned about his well-being as a wolf.

  “I do not need to hunt on the full moon even though it is the best time,” Boone rebutted. “I will hunt tomorrow night. I will stay strong.”

  “I am really sorry, Hooxei,” Delilah said sadly. “I hate that we have been here so long.”

  “I miss being home too, Dee, but this is more important. Not just for Lucy and her mother and sister but for Katia and the other girls as well. No one should be treated like a piece of property to be bought and sold and used for breeding.”

  “I remember how the world was after the war,” Delilah sighed recalling her early childhood after the Civil War. “I remember living in Louisiana and the prejudice I saw towards the freed slaves. It was appalling. Being bought and sold and used for free labor was all they had known, and then they were free and had no idea where to go or what to do. And the way they were treated was beyond my comprehension. The slave markets were still standing even though they were not used any longer. I think the former slave owners kept them there to intimidate the freed blacks.”

  “I cannot even imagine it,” Boone replied with a mixture of confusion and anger.

  “I do not think anyone who did not experience it can imagine it. I saw it with my own eyes, but I cannot begin to understand the fear they felt day in and day out,” Delilah said sadly remembering the faces of the freed slaves.

  “And we keep pretending everything has changed and now here we are looking for proof Miner is selling girls to be wives,” Boone exclaimed trying to contain his disgust. “Thank you, Dee, for being my partner and for supporting me.”

  “Always,” Delilah smiled and kissed Boone on the cheek.

  Boone stopped and looked around. “It really is beautiful here; mountains everywhere. It reminds me a bit of Red Mountain.”

  “But I like Red Mountain so much more,” Delilah replied. “It may be a bit more isolated, but this place is too much like being in a humongous cult. I cannot even buy a bottle of wine.”

  Boone snickered. “And even the kids attending college here have to sign a ‘morality clause’; no drugs, alcohol or sex.”

  “No sex,” Delilah giggled. “You would fit right in here,” she joked.

  “I do not have sex by choice,” Boone rebutted glaring at Delilah impatiently. “Life is about choice. Everything is about choices.”

  “So you have never, ever even pleasured yourself?” Delilah asked curiously but with apprehension. She knew Boone did not like to talk about sex or their lack of sexual activity.

  Boone stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Delilah. He could not believe Delilah had asked him such a personal question. Then he looked down at the ground. "I was about eighteen. I had not been with the pack long. I met a girl and I liked her. But I could feel myself losing control. I ran away from her as fast as I could and I never saw her again."

  “You were afraid,” Delilah stated as a question.

  “Yes,” Boone replied. “I was afraid of hurting her. I know it is in a wolf's nature to be sexually feral. I saw the carnage inflicted on human women when I was living with the pack. I did not want to be like the male wolves, like a monster. It has not been easy, but I vowed celibacy until I found the right woman.”

  “Have you found the right woman?” Delilah asked fearfully. She was afraid of the answer. She knew Boone loved her and wanted to marry her but was she the right woman? He had never even tried to have sex with her; to make love to her.

  “You know I have, Dee,” Boone replied stopping and lovingly staring into her eyes. He held her face with both hands and kissed her deeply. He could feel his body stirring with desire. He could feel Delilah’s heartbeat quicken as she gasped. “I do want you so much,” he whispered; their lips barely parted.

  And then he backed up and steadied his own breath. “But we are going to wait until we are married. Then we are going to venerate our love for each other again and again and again. And I promise to never hurt you.”

  Delilah smiled. "I know you won't."

  Boone took Delilah's hand into his and started walking again.

  “I have been thinking about names for our children,” Delilah confessed as they started back on their hike to Minor's summer home. “I like names like Skye, River, and Hunter,” she revealed. “What do you think?”

  Boone did not reply right away. “Hóno' ni, Niicíí ni, Híínoo'éíhii na,” he muttered after a brief silence.

  “What?” Delilah asked confused.

  “They are the Arapaho words for sky, river, and hunter,” Boone explained.

  “You want to give your children Arapaho names?” Delilah asked.

  “The names sound so much better in English,” Boone laughed. Delilah sighed in relief. “Hooxei Bo’ooneih was always a hard name for non-Arapahos to pronounce. It is why I changed my name. English names will be better.”

  “But I like Hooxei,” Delilah cooed coyly.

  “Only when you say it,” Boone blushed.

  Boone suddenly looked towards the sky with his head cocked. “Do you hear something?” Delilah asked in a hushed whisper. She knew how Boone would cock his head when listening to something far away.

  Boone nodded. He had intentionally stayed to the low side of the road knowing most people looked up towards the mountains. He knew they had a better chance of not being detected. “We will have company soon,” he whispered. “There are several vehicles headed up the road. Stay low and quiet for a few minutes. They should pass us soon.”

  Boone and Delilah lowered themselves to the ground and remained still and silent. A few minutes, later three large unmarked delivery vans passed them. “They must be setting up for the party,” Delilah whispered after the vans were out of sight.

  “At least we know the party will be up here and not at the lake,” Boone agreed. “But I had hoped to scout the house and the area today. Workers are going to put a kink in my plans. I needed to get a layout of the house. Find the best way in and the best way out.”

  “Maybe they are just dropping off a few things and then leaving,” Delilah replied optimistically.

  “Maybe, maybe not, but since we are already half way there, I say we continue and play it by ear,” Boone suggested. “We are just a couple of tourists taking a morning hike.”

  “At least we are dressed for the ruse,” Delilah laughed as they continued towards the summer house on Squaw Mountain.

  Thirty minutes later, Boone and Delilah had made their way to the edge of a small lake. They could see Miner’s house on the far side along with the three delivery vans which had passed them on the road earlier.

  Miner’s summer house was quite large. It was made of wood logs with a long porch along the front. The landscaping was simple yet elegant with ornamental trees and colorful bushes. Along the front of the porch, floribunda rose bushes in variations of light to dark pink were planted and were accented by baby’s brea
th. It was a quiet and peaceful ambiance surrounding the house. The house was large enough to accommodate at least one of Miner’s families for a family getaway. Remembering the opulence of Miner’s houses, both wondered if the summer home could host a fancy party. However, both were sure Miner picked this location more for privacy than for functionality.

  “Let’s stay in the wood line and come up from the back of the house,” Boone decided after surveying the area. “We do not want to look like we followed the road in.”

  “Good idea,” Delilah nodded as the two quietly made their way into the wooded area which surrounded the summer house. “I am glad I did not wear my red blouse today,” Delilah laughed. “Camouflage is going to be needed if we are going to stay hidden.”

  “But I do like the red,” Boone cooed with a nervous crack in his voice. He liked Delilah’s red nail polish and naturally red lush lips. He liked her signature red lacey bra and panties. He liked her bold choice of undergarments and how her perfect, flawless skin and body looked in them.

  Delilah smiled inwardly and only grinned. Her pale icy blue eyes twinkled knowing she could affect Boone. She knew he was sexually attracted to her. She knew he liked how she teased and flaunted her assets; her ample yet perky breasts, her thin waist and firm abs, her small hips and tight ass, her long and toned legs.

  Halfway to the house, Boone stopped and pointed. He could see the outline of a large building about 100 yards or more behind the mansion. “A barn?” Delilah queried. “Why would Miner need a barn?”

  “Maybe he stores a boat or camping equipment in it?” Boone speculated thin-lipped. Yet he did not have any confidence in his statement. “Let’s check it out first; anything to kill time while the workers are still in the house.”

  Boone and Delilah picked up their pace and moved quickly towards the barn. Coming up on the back side of the barn, they were puzzled by how well the outside was kept up. The red and white paint looked no more than a year old. None of the paint on the building was cracked or chipped. Looking inside, the building was fairly dark but the natural sunlight coming in through the windows revealed the inside to be empty. Boone led Delilah to the side of the barn hidden from sight of the house. He slowly turned the knob on the door and found it unlocked. He opened the door and peered in while Delilah stayed hidden against the side of the barn. Not detecting any humans inside, Boone stepped inside and pulled Delilah in behind him.

  “I do not hear or smell anyone,” Boone whispered. “But let’s not take any chances.”

  “Something’s not right, Hooxei,” Delilah whispered matching Boone’s tone. “I have never been in a barn with a concrete floor. Barns should have dirt and hay or straw. Something is wrong.”

  “And it is too clean,” Boone stated looking around. “It is completely empty. There is nothing.”

  “I smell fresh straw,” Delilah replied inhaling deeply. “But no animals. It is really weird.”

  “Let’s look around,” Boone suggested taking Delilah’s hand into his. Boone looked around the main area of the barn from where they stood. “The place is wired for electricity,” he stated pointing out the lights above them and along the wall. “But the lighting is all wrong for a barn. This is residential grade lighting.”

  “Do you see any alarms or cameras,” Delilah asked. Her eyes had not yet acclimated to the dim lighting.

  “No alarms, cameras or motion detectors,” Boone replied after a few moments. “Let’s see if we can find the source of the straw.”

  Boone and Delilah split up, and each started looking into the would-be animal stalls for the straw. About half way down, Boone quietly called for Delilah. “I found it.”

  Delilah joined Boone, and two looked into the empty stall. “I have never been on a working farm,” Boone said suspiciously, “but this does not look right.”

  “You are right, Hooxei,” Delilah nodded. “Even if the stall were going to be used for an animal, the straw would not be to evenly spread or so thin. This is all wrong.”

  “Do you think they are hiding something?”

  “Like what?”

  “I do not know, but I am sure as hell going to find out,” Boone declared. “Help me move this straw. I want to see what is underneath.”

  Boone moved to the center of the stall and started moving straw with his feet. Delilah joined him with a pitchfork. In less than thirty seconds, they found what was being hidden beneath the straw, a door in the floor.

  “I wonder where this goes?” Boone asked rhetorically but not lifting the wooden door.

  “There is only one way to find out,” Delilah smirked as she reached for the large round metal ring.

  “No, I will do it,” Boone blurted out stepping in front of Delilah. He slowly opened the door and peered inside. He gasped as he saw a set of stairs leading down into a dimly lit tunnel. “Emergency exit?” Boone pondered aloud.

  “Do you think it goes to the house?” Delilah contemplated her voice a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

  “There is only one way to find out,” Boone mused raising his brow and cocking his head to the side.

  “I will go with you.”

  “The hell you will,” Boone snapped. “We could be walking straight into a trap.”

  “So you would walk into a trap alone?”

  “I will not put you in danger,” Boone snapped again.

  “I do not need you to protect me, Huxley Boone,” Delilah snapped back in a hushed scream. “I do fine taking care of myself.”

  Boone was surprised by Delilah’s tone. And he knew he was in shit, deep shit, all the way up to his knees. Delilah only called him by his full name when she was pissed, really pissed.

  And Boone did not want to argue with her. Of course, they had the occasional disagreement, but they had never had a full-blown, all-out fight. But Boone was torn. He did not want Delilah to go into the tunnel with him. And he did not want her to be angry with him. He knew he had to come up with another plan.

  “I think we need to split up, Dee,” Boone replied after thinking for a few minutes and letting Delilah calm down. “The last thing we need is for both of us to end up being tied up in a couple of chairs facing each other. We did that in Idaho, and it was one too many times for me.”

  Boone watched as he saw the memory of that day filled Delilah’s face and eyes with fear. “If I am not back in, let’s say thirty minutes, you go get help.”

  “If you are not back in thirty minutes, I am coming after you,” Delilah rebutted. “It is too far back to town.”

  “Dee, I do not like it.”

  “It is my choice,” Delilah asserted. “I will think of something. Hell, I will jump into the lake naked and distract the workers if I have to.”

  “You wouldn’t!?!”

  “I would do whatever it takes; anything.”

  Boone pulled Delilah into his arms and held her close to him. He kissed her hair while she nuzzled his neck. “I love you so much, Dee. I just do not want anything to happen to you.”

  “Back at you, Hooxei,” Delilah whispered and then started laying soft kisses on Boone’s neck. Delilah could hear Boone gasp, a quick inhale of air as her lips reached his ear lobe and moved to his jaw. Delilah could feel Boone’s heartbeat quicken as her lips reached his. As her tongue met his, Boone pulled back. He kissed Delilah chastely and then stepped back with his hands on her shoulders to keep her at least an arm’s length away.

  “The things you make me feel, Dee,” Boone whispered husky with his eyes closed, afraid to look into her eyes. Boone took a deep breath and shuddered to clear his mind of his dishonorable thoughts. When he opened his eyes, he smiled. “In time, Dee,” Boone cooed using Delilah’s words against her. He kissed her again, quickly and chastely and headed down the stairs to the tunnel. “See you in thirty minutes.”

  Delilah’s wolfish grin stayed but a moment on her lips. She knew how much Boone wanted her and to make love
to her. She had felt his desire against her side. But her fear of what may be waiting for the love of her life in the tunnel quickly overcame her. What scared her, even more, was what might be at the end of the tunnel. Of course, she suspected it led to the house. But she did not know what Boone would do when he reached the end of the tunnel. Would he come back or would he enter the house?

  Boone was moving at a quick pace through the tunnel. Dim lights attached to the ceiling led the way to his destination. With his wolf sight, he could see everything as if he was in broad daylight. The walls of the tunnel were lined with gray stone, the floor with tightly spaced paving bricks. The ceiling was lined with six by six-inch railroad ties, strong enough to withstand a cave-in. From the floor to ceiling the tunnel was slightly taller than Boone. He appreciated being able to walk upright. He reached the end of the tunnel faster than he had anticipated.

  Boone stared at the staircase which led to another door. He stopped to think about his next move. He wanted to go into the house, to examine the layout. But with workers inside he hesitated. Just a quick peek, Boone decided and silently walked up the stairs.

  At the top of the steps, Boone placed his ear to the door to listen for any sounds on the other side. Hearing nothing, he slowly turned the doorknob. Boone was shocked to find the door unlocked. He opened the door a few inches and peered into the darkness. Finding it odd, he opened the door further. Suddenly a small overhead light illuminated. Boone froze, holding his breath and looked around. Exhaling he realized he was inside either a storage room or a large walk-in closet, but it was empty.

  Boone knew he had only minutes to look around before returning to the barn. He knew, without a doubt, Delilah would parade her naked body in view of the workers to ensure his safety. While he did not say anything to Delilah the thought of anyone seeing her naked was unconscionable. Delilah had a beautiful body. It was not Boone’s insecurities fueling him, but the principle behind it. And hell, he had never even seen her totally naked.

  Boone inched the next door open and peered into a very large bedroom. He quietly entered the bedroom and walked towards the window. He needed to know what side of the house he was on. Looking out, Boone smiled. The bedroom overlooked the rear of the house and towards the barn.

  Minutes later, Boone reached the barn side of the tunnel. He whispered softly to alert Delilah of his return. As Boone stepped back into the stall, Delilah flung herself at him. “Happy to see me?” Boone quipped.

  Delilah responded only by smothering Boone’s face with kiss after kiss.

  When Boone stopped laughing, he told Delilah about the closet and bedroom. “At least we have another way into the house.”

  “We really have not talked about what we are going to do Friday night,” Delilah reminded Boone. “How do we go about learning who has Lucy?”

  “We need a way to listen in,” Boone decided. “We need to bug the place.”

  “I guess we have some shopping to do,” Delilah laughed. “And then we can come back tonight after everyone has left and set it all up.”

  “Let’s return the stall to the way we found it and let’s get back to town. I hope this town has a good electronics store.”

  Boone and Delilah spent the rest of the afternoon going from electronics store to electronics store getting the things they needed. They knew they needed to pick up items from several places and make their own devices as to remain inconspicuous. “Where did you learn to do this Dee?” Boone asked. “Spy school?”

  Delilah raised both brows and smiled. With only a wink, she went back to work on her mini-microphones. “That is a story for the grandchildren,” Delilah smirked.