Once Upon a Dream 33/?
Title: Once Upon a Dream 33/?
Author: Kelinswriter
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17 (for lots of things)
Summary: Starts with the infamous scene with the OPT Pregnancy Test. Spins off from there into its own little universe.
Disclaimer: CBS, P&G, Telenext et. al. owns these characters; I'm just taking them off the shelf and playing with them for a while.
Chapters 1-11
Chapters 12-19
Chapters 20-29
30
31
32
The dreams made it hard to concentrate.
There was so much to do before the day was out, Olivia realized as she withdrew from sleep's embrace. And if she did it right, before night fell she would have the antidote that restored Natalia to health. But that didn't make it any easier to get up, to move away from the warmth that was being pressed against Natalia's side, to release her hold on her lover's waist. Lover, she thought with stunned incomprehension. The word seemed so strange, so unlikely. Sex had always been a process - a thoroughly enjoyable process, but one with a defined beginning, middle, and end. Seduce, conquer, move on - this had been her modus operandi for as long as she could remember. The instinct to cling, to hold, to not think beyond the fleeting joy of every touch - it was intoxicating, addictive. It was something that Olivia couldn't afford, not now.
And yet she lingered for a moment longer, her body still humming as if she had really spent the night naked in Natalia's arms. It took an act of will to tear herself away, to press a kiss to Natalia's temple before going into the bathroom and cleaning up as best she could. She put on jeans and a red, form-fitting t-shirt, then returned to the main part of the room and sat down beside Natalia while she called Doris to check on the coverage schedule. Doris said Blake would be over shortly, and twenty minutes later she appeared, Olivia's breakfast in one hand, a romance novel in the other. "I have to read this anyway, so I thought I'd bring it along and read it to Natalia. She won't mind, will she?"
"Not at all," Olivia said, doing her best to corral the eyebrow that was headed toward her hairline. She leaned over, muttering in Natalia's ear, "It can't be any worse than Lillian rambling at you, right?"
She hesitated for a moment, waiting as always for the response that wouldn't come, other than through that pulse of feeling flowing into her. It was amused this time, if a bit rueful, and filled with reassurance.
"Okay. Wish me luck, beautiful." Olivia kissed Natalia's forehead, then departed for the elevator, scarfing down her mushroom, tomato, and cheese omelet while two punchdrunk nurses and an overtired orderly looked on. Dumping the packaging in the nearest trash bin, she continued to nurse her coffee while she headed for the Nissan. Really need to get a better car, she thought as she escaped the parking structure and headed toward The Beacon.
Ten minutes later she pulled into her reserved parking spot and headed for her office and the safe that was concealed behind a Rothko print. Entering the combination - its digits commemorating the date of her first real conversation with Natalia - she pulled the door to the fireproof vault open. Peering inside, she quickly located the first of her two goals: the sixty grand in cash she needed in order to exchange the diamonds. There was actually one hundred grand inside, stashed there for the sort of emergencies that hotel owners learned to anticipate: fatal heart attack by a prominent politician in the arms of a prostitute, well-known rock star trashing his room, out-of-town businessman getting too aggressive with his "date." Now her mad money was serving a different purpose - it was buying Natalia's life back. It seemed a small price to pay, just a necessary evil on the road to Natalia's eyes being open. Still, it was going to be a bitch to replace, especially with The Beacon barely operating in the black. Need to run some weekend specials for couples, she thought as she tucked six crisp packets of twenty dollar bills into a manila envelope. Maybe cater to the local gay community. Based on Ladies' Night, God knows there has to be more than me, Natalia, and Doris in this town.
Tucking the envelope into her purse, Olivia returned her attention to the safe. The second item she pulled out was one that Natalia definitely would not have approved of, especially under the circumstances. Setting aside thoughts of her beloved's reaction, Olivia removed the Glock from its case, as well as two fully loaded clips. Slapping one clip into place, she chambered a round, double checking the safety before tucking the weapon into the back of her pants and tugging her t-shirt over top of it. Forgive me, Natalia, she thought as she closed the safe and anchored the Rothko over it. I know you think I should have nothing to do with guns, but in this fight, I'm going to need every advantage I can get.
Pausing long enough to send a text to Cyrus, she headed back toward Company. The jewel thief had said he would meet her in the vicinity, though where that meant she wasn't entire sure. If I have to drive all the way over to that flophouse you call home, I'm gonna kick your ass, she thought as she waited for a red light to change. Just then her phone chirped, announcing the arrival of a new text. Behind the boardinghouse, it said. Fifteen minutes.
She parked a few blocks away, not wanting her car to be noticed outside Company. Her nerves jangled as she walked down the sidewalk, unable to shake the persistent feeling that she was being watched. Probably, she thought as she ducked down the alley separating the restaurant from the boardinghouse. Odds are Edmund has someone watching my every move. The thought made her skin crawl, a shudder going through her at the notion that one of Edmund's goons could be trailing her. Let's just hope he reports back that I'm making progress, she thought as she ducked under the stairwell, the only reasonable hiding place in the active corridor that encompassed Company's courtyard. She was still standing there, waiting for further word, when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. Whirling, she bit back a curse as Cyrus's stubble-coated face hove into view.
"You idiot," she hissed, taking a step back. "Are you trying to get shot?"
"You're carrying?" Cyrus raked his hazel eyes up and down Olivia's frame. "You that scared of little old me?"
"I don't give a flying fuck about little old you." Olivia reached into her purse, extracting the manila envelope. "Sixty grand."
Cyrus looked down at the envelope, letting out a regretful sigh. "It seems such a paltry amount for two million pounds in diamonds."
"Yes, your life is tragic." Olivia held her right hand out, palm flat. "Hand them over."
Cyrus dug into the pocket of his jeans, emerging with two multicolored plastic tubes. He laid them over Olivia's hand, one after the other. "There you go."
"Airborne?" Olivia snorted. "Really?"
"A boy's gotta have his vitamin C." Cyrus lifted one of the tubes and popped the cap off. "See, you keep one tablet on the end, so anyone who looks thinks that's what you've really got. But underneath..." He dropped the round tablet out of the top of the tube, revealing a shimmering mass of diamonds. "The riches of San Cristobel."
"Nice." Olivia took the resealed packed from him, tucking it into the front pocket of her jeans. Popping open the other, she removed the orange-flavored tablet and examined the second set of diamonds.
"Don't trust me?" Cyrus asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.
"I've met you." Olivia closed up the second tube and stuffed it into her jeans pocket alongside the first. "That better be all of them."
"It is." Cyrus's hazel eyes were thoughtful. "You sure you don't need a partner in this?"
"In what, Cyrus?" Olivia asked. "As far as you're concerned, none of this ever happened."
"Fine, you want to be the tough girl, whatever." Cyrus gave her a worried look. "But you're walking around with a fortune in diamonds and a gun, and as far as I can tell, your next step involves Edmund Winslow. That sounds like a very dangerous place to be."
"And you want to...what? Rescue me?" Olivia slouched against the wall behind her, tilting her head to the side. "That worked out so well for Marina and Harley and Cassie, didn't it, Cyrus?"
Cyrus dropped his head, not saying anything.
"Somebody has my back," Olivia hissed, unable to keep the fury she'd been bottling inside from leaking out. "She's in a coma because of you and these fucking diamonds. So go find another trophy wife to con and stay the hell out of my way."
"Fine." Cyrus hesitated, then took a step back. "Best of luck to you, Olivia."
"You too," Olivia said, the words as savage as a curse. She ducked out from beneath the stairwell and cut down the alley, emerging back into the summer sunlight. She hesitated long enough to fish her sunglasses out of her purse, then headed back to her car, dialing Greg's number while she walked.
He answered after the third ring, his tone haughty. "Ms. Spencer?"
"I have them," she said. "Where are we meeting?"
"I'll call you with the location shortly." There was a sneer in his voice as Greg added, "Remember, if you tell anyone about the exchange, you'll regret it."
He hung up before Olivia could respond. "And when I get my hands on your scrawny little neck, you'll regret it," she muttered under her breath, resisting the urge to hurl her phone against the nearest building. She got into the Nissan and slammed the door, her hands gripping the steering wheel with splintering force. So close, she told herself. Just hold it together a little longer.
When she was calm enough to drive, she started the car and headed for the farmhouse. She turned off the radio, hyperalert for the slightest sound from her phone, but it was silent the entire journey. The crunch of gravel under her tires, usually such a welcoming sound, nearly brought tears to her eyes as she pulled to a stop in her usual spot in the driveway. Climbing out, she retrieved the last few days' mail and tossed it into the passenger seat. She returned to the sidwalk and started toward the front porch, but the sight of the house - of their home - looking so empty stopped her cold. Not today, she thought, turning on her heel and heading toward the edge of the property. I just can't.
She walked until she reached a patch of woods just past the boundary of Natalia's land. It was Beacon property, part of the parcel that Cassie had split off from the farm during the hotel's development. Before too long, she found a small clearing with plenty of trees surrounding it. Stopping a reasonable distance away, she extracted the gun from its resting place against the small of her back, removed the safety, and took aim at a nearby oak. "Body shots disable, head shots kill," she murmured under her breath, and then she was firing.
She practiced until both clips were empty, mentally reviewing the training she'd received when she first purchased the weapon. She had a tendency to pull right when she was shooting, so she marked her targets with bits of debris on the forest floor - a branch covered with fallen leaves, a bit of multicolored plastic, a torn flyer with the words "Buzz Cooper for Mayor" still visible. When the ammunition was gone, the trash and the scrap of bark or tree bole it had been wedged into was gone as well, obliterated by a slew of nine millimeter bullets.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she muttered under her breath as she leaned against a nearby tree, waiting for the gun to cool so she could tuck it away. She would have to stop at The Beacon to reload from the box of ammunition she kept tucked in the back of her closet, but that wouldn't take very long. Any minute now, she would hear about the drop point, and then -
A tree branch cracked off to her left.
Olivia whipped her head around, her arms snapping up as she aimed the gun in the direction of the sound. They won't know it's empty, she thought as she squinted toward the trees, waiting for any sign of movement. She held her breath, every nerve alert, and felt a pair of eyes crawling over her. Yet there was nothing, save for a slight breeze ruffling the canopy of leaves shadowing the glen. Olivia drew breath to call out, but before she could, her phone bleated an incoming call.
"Shit." Ducking behind the nearest tree, she brought her phone to her ear. "What?"
"In two hours, you will start traveling West toward Oakdale," Greg said. "You'll need a full tank of gas."
"And where am I going?" Olivia asked, shifting slightly so she could risk a glance toward her mysterious observer.
"You'll find out when you need to know." Greg's voice turned arch. "If you do anything to deviate from the plan, there will be consequences."
"Save your threats, you little weasel," Olivia snapped. "I'm not going to do anything to screw this up."
"You'd better not." The smug tone in Greg's voice made Olivia want to reach through the phone and strangle him. "One hour, fifty-eight minutes. Don't be late."
"Go fuck yourself," Olivia muttered under her breath. Tucking her phone back in her pocket, she eased around the tree, calling out, "Whoever's there, come out before I shoot you."
There was silence; nothing but the rustling of leaves, the chirp of insects. Whatever or whomever had been there, it seemed they had moved on. Let it be a deer, Olivia thought as she shoved the gun back into her waistband and headed for her car. If there's any mercy in this world, let it just be a very nosy deer.
The idea that someone might have heard that phone exchange worried her, though there wasn't a whole lot they could get out of the conversation. What worried her more was the idea that one of Edmund's goons might be stalking her so he could steal the diamonds before she got to the meeting with Edmund. She knew it was a risk, that she could be left with no antidote and no bargaining power, but the alternative - bringing backup to the meeting - was even more dangerous. She had no doubt that despite their round-the-clock vigil, Elena could find a way to hurt Natalia again if she were properly motivated. Olivia couldn't take that chance.
So she raced back to The Beacon, her hands shaking as she reloaded both clips. Grabbing her denim jacket and another wad of cash from the safe embedded in the floor of her closet, she headed back to her car. She had one hour left before she had to leave, and there was no question where she needed to spend it.
When she arrived, Blake was still in the visitor's chair, the book she'd been reading now held open at the halfway point. She smiled when she saw Olivia. "There you are."
"Hi, Blake," Olivia said, her eyes never leaving Natalia's face. "Can you give us some time?"
"Sure," Blake replied. "I think Ashlee's on next, so if you want to call her, I'm sure she'll be here whenever you need."
"Thank you." Olivia moved closer to the bed, drawn toward it as if by an invisible force. "I really appreciate your help," she added, her words automatic.
Blake nodded and gathered her purse, hesitating as she was about to turn toward the door. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Olivia said, forcing herself to look at the shorter woman. "Distracted by Beacon business. You know how it is."
"Business, yeah." Blake looked over at Natalia, then back at Olivia. "You'll call Doris if you need anything?"
"I will." Olivia backstepped toward Natalia's bed. "Thanks again, Blake."
The redhead heard the dismissal in Olivia's voice and nodded, flitting one last worried glance in Natalia's direction before she headed out the door. When she was gone, Olivia turned toward Natalia and sat down on the edge of the bed. "It used to be easier to lie to people. I blame you for my diminshed skills in that department."
She could all but see Natalia's bemused reaction to the comment. "Okay, fine, so maybe that's a good thing." She leaned over, kissing Natalia's cheek, then pivoted on her hip so she could curl her body around Natalia's. She thought about telling her that she had the diamonds, that there was a meeting set, but she didn't have the energy. It was so much easier to just hold Natalia, to feel the rise and fall of her chest. "I just want every second I can have with you," she whispered, her lips soft against Natalia's ear. "That's all."
She was drifting, drowsing, her restless mind quelled by the steady beat of Natalia's heart, when her phone alarm went off. Fifteen minutes, she thought as she clung to Natalia for a few seconds longer. Fifteen minutes, and I'm either driving toward your cure, or driving away from you forever. She scrubbed at her eyes as she sat up, her muscles aching with tension. Grabbing two bottles of water from the cooler in the corner, she loaded her purse with a banana, an apple, and a couple of energy bars, making sure the bag was closed so Ashlee couldn't see the supplies. She'd figure out something was up and tell Doris, and Doris would try to stop me, Olivia thought. Or have one her security guys follow me. I can't take that risk.
So she went through the motions, pretending that everything was fine when Ashlee bounced in, laptop in hand. "I can be here til five. Will you be back after that?"
"I'm not sure," Olivia said. "Do you think you could stay later?"
"I was supposed to meet Daisy but...yeah, sure. Or I'll call Mom. She's at some councilman's family picnic, and she'd probably love an excuse to leave." Ashlee pulled out her laptop. "Do you need the iPod updated?"
"Yeah if you could get rid of the Wagner. She thinks it's...uh." Olivia shook her head. "It's probably a little over the top for Natalia's tastes." She turned back to the bed, an ache starting in her stomach that, she knew, would only get worse. She leaned down, one hand caressing Natalia's cheek. "I shouldn't be gone too long."
Ashlee said something to her in response, but Olivia didn't hear it - she couldn't, not with the ringing in her ears. She looked down at Natalia, drinking in every feature - the smooth brow, dark hair, curved cheeks, soft lips. The face of her beloved, the most beautiful creature on earth.
"I'll be back tonight," she whispered, making the words a vow. "I won't let you down."
She pressed her lips to Natalia's forehead, hovering there for a moment before she forced herself up. "See you later, Ashlee."
"Later," Ashlee said, her tone distracted. "I really wish they had wireless here, it would make life so much -"
Olivia didn't hear the last word. She was out the door, ducking inside the elevator, then out, threading her way through the maze of corridors that led to the parking garage. She was in her car with one minute to spare, her cell phone on the seat beside her, waiting for Edmund's call.
For you, baby, she thought as she pulled into onto Main Street. Then she made a left, following the sign that pointed toward Oakdale.
Author: Kelinswriter
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17 (for lots of things)
Summary: Starts with the infamous scene with the OPT Pregnancy Test. Spins off from there into its own little universe.
Disclaimer: CBS, P&G, Telenext et. al. owns these characters; I'm just taking them off the shelf and playing with them for a while.
Chapters 1-11
Chapters 12-19
Chapters 20-29
30
31
32
The dreams made it hard to concentrate.
There was so much to do before the day was out, Olivia realized as she withdrew from sleep's embrace. And if she did it right, before night fell she would have the antidote that restored Natalia to health. But that didn't make it any easier to get up, to move away from the warmth that was being pressed against Natalia's side, to release her hold on her lover's waist. Lover, she thought with stunned incomprehension. The word seemed so strange, so unlikely. Sex had always been a process - a thoroughly enjoyable process, but one with a defined beginning, middle, and end. Seduce, conquer, move on - this had been her modus operandi for as long as she could remember. The instinct to cling, to hold, to not think beyond the fleeting joy of every touch - it was intoxicating, addictive. It was something that Olivia couldn't afford, not now.
And yet she lingered for a moment longer, her body still humming as if she had really spent the night naked in Natalia's arms. It took an act of will to tear herself away, to press a kiss to Natalia's temple before going into the bathroom and cleaning up as best she could. She put on jeans and a red, form-fitting t-shirt, then returned to the main part of the room and sat down beside Natalia while she called Doris to check on the coverage schedule. Doris said Blake would be over shortly, and twenty minutes later she appeared, Olivia's breakfast in one hand, a romance novel in the other. "I have to read this anyway, so I thought I'd bring it along and read it to Natalia. She won't mind, will she?"
"Not at all," Olivia said, doing her best to corral the eyebrow that was headed toward her hairline. She leaned over, muttering in Natalia's ear, "It can't be any worse than Lillian rambling at you, right?"
She hesitated for a moment, waiting as always for the response that wouldn't come, other than through that pulse of feeling flowing into her. It was amused this time, if a bit rueful, and filled with reassurance.
"Okay. Wish me luck, beautiful." Olivia kissed Natalia's forehead, then departed for the elevator, scarfing down her mushroom, tomato, and cheese omelet while two punchdrunk nurses and an overtired orderly looked on. Dumping the packaging in the nearest trash bin, she continued to nurse her coffee while she headed for the Nissan. Really need to get a better car, she thought as she escaped the parking structure and headed toward The Beacon.
Ten minutes later she pulled into her reserved parking spot and headed for her office and the safe that was concealed behind a Rothko print. Entering the combination - its digits commemorating the date of her first real conversation with Natalia - she pulled the door to the fireproof vault open. Peering inside, she quickly located the first of her two goals: the sixty grand in cash she needed in order to exchange the diamonds. There was actually one hundred grand inside, stashed there for the sort of emergencies that hotel owners learned to anticipate: fatal heart attack by a prominent politician in the arms of a prostitute, well-known rock star trashing his room, out-of-town businessman getting too aggressive with his "date." Now her mad money was serving a different purpose - it was buying Natalia's life back. It seemed a small price to pay, just a necessary evil on the road to Natalia's eyes being open. Still, it was going to be a bitch to replace, especially with The Beacon barely operating in the black. Need to run some weekend specials for couples, she thought as she tucked six crisp packets of twenty dollar bills into a manila envelope. Maybe cater to the local gay community. Based on Ladies' Night, God knows there has to be more than me, Natalia, and Doris in this town.
Tucking the envelope into her purse, Olivia returned her attention to the safe. The second item she pulled out was one that Natalia definitely would not have approved of, especially under the circumstances. Setting aside thoughts of her beloved's reaction, Olivia removed the Glock from its case, as well as two fully loaded clips. Slapping one clip into place, she chambered a round, double checking the safety before tucking the weapon into the back of her pants and tugging her t-shirt over top of it. Forgive me, Natalia, she thought as she closed the safe and anchored the Rothko over it. I know you think I should have nothing to do with guns, but in this fight, I'm going to need every advantage I can get.
Pausing long enough to send a text to Cyrus, she headed back toward Company. The jewel thief had said he would meet her in the vicinity, though where that meant she wasn't entire sure. If I have to drive all the way over to that flophouse you call home, I'm gonna kick your ass, she thought as she waited for a red light to change. Just then her phone chirped, announcing the arrival of a new text. Behind the boardinghouse, it said. Fifteen minutes.
She parked a few blocks away, not wanting her car to be noticed outside Company. Her nerves jangled as she walked down the sidewalk, unable to shake the persistent feeling that she was being watched. Probably, she thought as she ducked down the alley separating the restaurant from the boardinghouse. Odds are Edmund has someone watching my every move. The thought made her skin crawl, a shudder going through her at the notion that one of Edmund's goons could be trailing her. Let's just hope he reports back that I'm making progress, she thought as she ducked under the stairwell, the only reasonable hiding place in the active corridor that encompassed Company's courtyard. She was still standing there, waiting for further word, when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. Whirling, she bit back a curse as Cyrus's stubble-coated face hove into view.
"You idiot," she hissed, taking a step back. "Are you trying to get shot?"
"You're carrying?" Cyrus raked his hazel eyes up and down Olivia's frame. "You that scared of little old me?"
"I don't give a flying fuck about little old you." Olivia reached into her purse, extracting the manila envelope. "Sixty grand."
Cyrus looked down at the envelope, letting out a regretful sigh. "It seems such a paltry amount for two million pounds in diamonds."
"Yes, your life is tragic." Olivia held her right hand out, palm flat. "Hand them over."
Cyrus dug into the pocket of his jeans, emerging with two multicolored plastic tubes. He laid them over Olivia's hand, one after the other. "There you go."
"Airborne?" Olivia snorted. "Really?"
"A boy's gotta have his vitamin C." Cyrus lifted one of the tubes and popped the cap off. "See, you keep one tablet on the end, so anyone who looks thinks that's what you've really got. But underneath..." He dropped the round tablet out of the top of the tube, revealing a shimmering mass of diamonds. "The riches of San Cristobel."
"Nice." Olivia took the resealed packed from him, tucking it into the front pocket of her jeans. Popping open the other, she removed the orange-flavored tablet and examined the second set of diamonds.
"Don't trust me?" Cyrus asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.
"I've met you." Olivia closed up the second tube and stuffed it into her jeans pocket alongside the first. "That better be all of them."
"It is." Cyrus's hazel eyes were thoughtful. "You sure you don't need a partner in this?"
"In what, Cyrus?" Olivia asked. "As far as you're concerned, none of this ever happened."
"Fine, you want to be the tough girl, whatever." Cyrus gave her a worried look. "But you're walking around with a fortune in diamonds and a gun, and as far as I can tell, your next step involves Edmund Winslow. That sounds like a very dangerous place to be."
"And you want to...what? Rescue me?" Olivia slouched against the wall behind her, tilting her head to the side. "That worked out so well for Marina and Harley and Cassie, didn't it, Cyrus?"
Cyrus dropped his head, not saying anything.
"Somebody has my back," Olivia hissed, unable to keep the fury she'd been bottling inside from leaking out. "She's in a coma because of you and these fucking diamonds. So go find another trophy wife to con and stay the hell out of my way."
"Fine." Cyrus hesitated, then took a step back. "Best of luck to you, Olivia."
"You too," Olivia said, the words as savage as a curse. She ducked out from beneath the stairwell and cut down the alley, emerging back into the summer sunlight. She hesitated long enough to fish her sunglasses out of her purse, then headed back to her car, dialing Greg's number while she walked.
He answered after the third ring, his tone haughty. "Ms. Spencer?"
"I have them," she said. "Where are we meeting?"
"I'll call you with the location shortly." There was a sneer in his voice as Greg added, "Remember, if you tell anyone about the exchange, you'll regret it."
He hung up before Olivia could respond. "And when I get my hands on your scrawny little neck, you'll regret it," she muttered under her breath, resisting the urge to hurl her phone against the nearest building. She got into the Nissan and slammed the door, her hands gripping the steering wheel with splintering force. So close, she told herself. Just hold it together a little longer.
When she was calm enough to drive, she started the car and headed for the farmhouse. She turned off the radio, hyperalert for the slightest sound from her phone, but it was silent the entire journey. The crunch of gravel under her tires, usually such a welcoming sound, nearly brought tears to her eyes as she pulled to a stop in her usual spot in the driveway. Climbing out, she retrieved the last few days' mail and tossed it into the passenger seat. She returned to the sidwalk and started toward the front porch, but the sight of the house - of their home - looking so empty stopped her cold. Not today, she thought, turning on her heel and heading toward the edge of the property. I just can't.
She walked until she reached a patch of woods just past the boundary of Natalia's land. It was Beacon property, part of the parcel that Cassie had split off from the farm during the hotel's development. Before too long, she found a small clearing with plenty of trees surrounding it. Stopping a reasonable distance away, she extracted the gun from its resting place against the small of her back, removed the safety, and took aim at a nearby oak. "Body shots disable, head shots kill," she murmured under her breath, and then she was firing.
She practiced until both clips were empty, mentally reviewing the training she'd received when she first purchased the weapon. She had a tendency to pull right when she was shooting, so she marked her targets with bits of debris on the forest floor - a branch covered with fallen leaves, a bit of multicolored plastic, a torn flyer with the words "Buzz Cooper for Mayor" still visible. When the ammunition was gone, the trash and the scrap of bark or tree bole it had been wedged into was gone as well, obliterated by a slew of nine millimeter bullets.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she muttered under her breath as she leaned against a nearby tree, waiting for the gun to cool so she could tuck it away. She would have to stop at The Beacon to reload from the box of ammunition she kept tucked in the back of her closet, but that wouldn't take very long. Any minute now, she would hear about the drop point, and then -
A tree branch cracked off to her left.
Olivia whipped her head around, her arms snapping up as she aimed the gun in the direction of the sound. They won't know it's empty, she thought as she squinted toward the trees, waiting for any sign of movement. She held her breath, every nerve alert, and felt a pair of eyes crawling over her. Yet there was nothing, save for a slight breeze ruffling the canopy of leaves shadowing the glen. Olivia drew breath to call out, but before she could, her phone bleated an incoming call.
"Shit." Ducking behind the nearest tree, she brought her phone to her ear. "What?"
"In two hours, you will start traveling West toward Oakdale," Greg said. "You'll need a full tank of gas."
"And where am I going?" Olivia asked, shifting slightly so she could risk a glance toward her mysterious observer.
"You'll find out when you need to know." Greg's voice turned arch. "If you do anything to deviate from the plan, there will be consequences."
"Save your threats, you little weasel," Olivia snapped. "I'm not going to do anything to screw this up."
"You'd better not." The smug tone in Greg's voice made Olivia want to reach through the phone and strangle him. "One hour, fifty-eight minutes. Don't be late."
"Go fuck yourself," Olivia muttered under her breath. Tucking her phone back in her pocket, she eased around the tree, calling out, "Whoever's there, come out before I shoot you."
There was silence; nothing but the rustling of leaves, the chirp of insects. Whatever or whomever had been there, it seemed they had moved on. Let it be a deer, Olivia thought as she shoved the gun back into her waistband and headed for her car. If there's any mercy in this world, let it just be a very nosy deer.
The idea that someone might have heard that phone exchange worried her, though there wasn't a whole lot they could get out of the conversation. What worried her more was the idea that one of Edmund's goons might be stalking her so he could steal the diamonds before she got to the meeting with Edmund. She knew it was a risk, that she could be left with no antidote and no bargaining power, but the alternative - bringing backup to the meeting - was even more dangerous. She had no doubt that despite their round-the-clock vigil, Elena could find a way to hurt Natalia again if she were properly motivated. Olivia couldn't take that chance.
So she raced back to The Beacon, her hands shaking as she reloaded both clips. Grabbing her denim jacket and another wad of cash from the safe embedded in the floor of her closet, she headed back to her car. She had one hour left before she had to leave, and there was no question where she needed to spend it.
When she arrived, Blake was still in the visitor's chair, the book she'd been reading now held open at the halfway point. She smiled when she saw Olivia. "There you are."
"Hi, Blake," Olivia said, her eyes never leaving Natalia's face. "Can you give us some time?"
"Sure," Blake replied. "I think Ashlee's on next, so if you want to call her, I'm sure she'll be here whenever you need."
"Thank you." Olivia moved closer to the bed, drawn toward it as if by an invisible force. "I really appreciate your help," she added, her words automatic.
Blake nodded and gathered her purse, hesitating as she was about to turn toward the door. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Olivia said, forcing herself to look at the shorter woman. "Distracted by Beacon business. You know how it is."
"Business, yeah." Blake looked over at Natalia, then back at Olivia. "You'll call Doris if you need anything?"
"I will." Olivia backstepped toward Natalia's bed. "Thanks again, Blake."
The redhead heard the dismissal in Olivia's voice and nodded, flitting one last worried glance in Natalia's direction before she headed out the door. When she was gone, Olivia turned toward Natalia and sat down on the edge of the bed. "It used to be easier to lie to people. I blame you for my diminshed skills in that department."
She could all but see Natalia's bemused reaction to the comment. "Okay, fine, so maybe that's a good thing." She leaned over, kissing Natalia's cheek, then pivoted on her hip so she could curl her body around Natalia's. She thought about telling her that she had the diamonds, that there was a meeting set, but she didn't have the energy. It was so much easier to just hold Natalia, to feel the rise and fall of her chest. "I just want every second I can have with you," she whispered, her lips soft against Natalia's ear. "That's all."
She was drifting, drowsing, her restless mind quelled by the steady beat of Natalia's heart, when her phone alarm went off. Fifteen minutes, she thought as she clung to Natalia for a few seconds longer. Fifteen minutes, and I'm either driving toward your cure, or driving away from you forever. She scrubbed at her eyes as she sat up, her muscles aching with tension. Grabbing two bottles of water from the cooler in the corner, she loaded her purse with a banana, an apple, and a couple of energy bars, making sure the bag was closed so Ashlee couldn't see the supplies. She'd figure out something was up and tell Doris, and Doris would try to stop me, Olivia thought. Or have one her security guys follow me. I can't take that risk.
So she went through the motions, pretending that everything was fine when Ashlee bounced in, laptop in hand. "I can be here til five. Will you be back after that?"
"I'm not sure," Olivia said. "Do you think you could stay later?"
"I was supposed to meet Daisy but...yeah, sure. Or I'll call Mom. She's at some councilman's family picnic, and she'd probably love an excuse to leave." Ashlee pulled out her laptop. "Do you need the iPod updated?"
"Yeah if you could get rid of the Wagner. She thinks it's...uh." Olivia shook her head. "It's probably a little over the top for Natalia's tastes." She turned back to the bed, an ache starting in her stomach that, she knew, would only get worse. She leaned down, one hand caressing Natalia's cheek. "I shouldn't be gone too long."
Ashlee said something to her in response, but Olivia didn't hear it - she couldn't, not with the ringing in her ears. She looked down at Natalia, drinking in every feature - the smooth brow, dark hair, curved cheeks, soft lips. The face of her beloved, the most beautiful creature on earth.
"I'll be back tonight," she whispered, making the words a vow. "I won't let you down."
She pressed her lips to Natalia's forehead, hovering there for a moment before she forced herself up. "See you later, Ashlee."
"Later," Ashlee said, her tone distracted. "I really wish they had wireless here, it would make life so much -"
Olivia didn't hear the last word. She was out the door, ducking inside the elevator, then out, threading her way through the maze of corridors that led to the parking garage. She was in her car with one minute to spare, her cell phone on the seat beside her, waiting for Edmund's call.
For you, baby, she thought as she pulled into onto Main Street. Then she made a left, following the sign that pointed toward Oakdale.