Unlawfully Yours

Chapter II

The sun was already setting on Cole's second day in the town of Prescott. After he was certain that only one deputy was left on duty, he entered the Jailhouse confidently, and then went straight to him.

"Where's Phoebe Halliwell," Cole asked curtly, before the deputy had even acknowledged him.

"Howdy," this one said guardedly, as he took in the tall man in front of him. Cole was wearing a dark suit and looked like one of those judges or clerks that came every so often. However, he had never met this one. The deputy didn't even bother to stand up before he questioned him.

"Who're you, sir?"

"I asked you a question first," Cole replied, while giving the impression that he was above answering underlings' inquiries.

Sensing this, the deputy reiterated his question pointedly. "You're gonna have to give me a name, sir."

Cole clearly heard the disrespectful intonation. In response, he turned icy blue eyes toward the officer and it seemed to give this one pause.

"My name is Cole Turner, officer," Cole deigned answering at last. "And for your information, I'm a very prominent figure at the Wells Fargo's head offices. I've come all the way from San Francisco to interrogate the prisoner personally."

This bit of information had an effect on the deputy, but he still protested mildly.

"Why would they send another detective? Don't they get it by now that this girl won't talk?"

Cole stared at him coldly for a long moment before he answered the question with a fair touch of outrage.

"I resent that you would compare me to a mere detective, "he said, while avoiding giving any precision as to his actual capacities in the company. "What's more," Cole added, "our company reserves the right to use any possible means in order to recover what we've lost."

"So, you think you'll do better than any of the others, now do ya," the deputy questioned with a hint of mockery, which Cole chose to ignore.

"I think that this matter could be resolved indeed… but by the use of intelligence rather than brute force," he replied with a condescending attitude.



The deputy thought long and hard about this, tempted as he was to throw the pretentious visitor out on his head. Yet, he knew how influential Wells Fargo was; and then he figured that even the gratification he hoped to get by acting on this urge wouldn't be worth losing his job.

"Well, Turner…if you really wanna give yourself the headache, knock yourself out," he finally said as he picked up a large set of keys from his wooden desk.

He went to a barred door and noisily opened it, while Cole stood stiffly behind. The deputy then moved aside and ostensibly indicated the way in to Cole.

This one went through the door without a look at the officer, who was smiling at some inside joke.

"Hey, Willie, would you keep it down! I'm trying to take a nap here," an angry woman's voice called from inside the closest cell.

"You'll have plenty of time to rest after they hung you, Phoebe. Meanwhile look at what the cat dragged in."

The girl Cole had come to see was lying on a cot, covered from head to toes with a grey blanket. She reluctantly pushed the blanket off her face and then chuckled.

"Oh come on Willie, you're already sending the undertaker to me? Don't count me out so soon…"

"Nah," Willie bantered back, while Cole shifted position uneasily, "consider him a distraction. I'll leave you two lovebirds," he added before turning his heals and going out. The door to the office closed with a loud thump behind the deputy and Cole couldn't help a wince at the sound.

Phoebe slowly pushed the blanket all the way off her and came closer, glancing at Cole appreciatively. When her eyes locked with his, a mischievous spark seemed to animate hers.

"Too bad though, I wouldn't mind a stud like you taking my measurements. Wanna give it a try anyway?" She asked, as she leaned toward him against the steal bars.

Cole had heard enough stories about that girl to expect a certain level of vulgarity. However, he had also expected someone bearing the marks of a life of depravity. On the contrary, even in this cell and with the grey outfit that hung loosely on her, she looked as fresh as a young virgin. Her skin was only slightly tanned and perfect as far as he could see. Her breasts were full and firm through the rough material. He couldn't help noticing them as she had thrust those between the bars, obviously as a challenge for him to touch her. He had to repress the urge to do just that. For a long moment, he forgot altogether why he was there, but as his sight moved up toward her neck, he saw a fading bruise that the grey outfit had been covering before and this brought him back to the reality of the moment.

"Who did that to you?"

Phoebe stood back suddenly before answering.

"What do you care?"

Cole frowned, wondering just the same thing. Yet, he still answered.

"I simply don't like to see women molested; not even the likes of you…"

"Oh I see," Phoebe replied sarcastically. "Stiffs like you probably can't stand the sight of pain…it must hurt your…sensibility…" she added in such a way that Cole felt deeply insulted. Before he could protest however, her eyes wandered toward his midsection and again changing attitude, she uttered.

"Now tell me, stud, are you stiff all over… or is it just the stick up your butt that keeps you this straight?"

His sympathy of earlier flew away then, replaced by anger as he felt evaluated like a piece of meat. He almost told her off and left then, but the deputy's chuckle coming distinctly from the office dissuaded him. Instead, he took a deep breath and spoke to her as if he hadn't heard a word she'd said.

"Lady, my purpose in coming here is very simple. I have a few questions for you regarding the theft you stand accused for…For example, what do you know about this Reggie person?"

Phoebe seemed to jump slightly at the mention of her lover.

"What would you know about that?"

"Well, rumour has it that he was the real guilty party in this theft, and I have it on good authority that you were with him at some point…"

"On whose authority," Phoebe questioned mockingly.

"Your friend Penny, for one…"

Phoebe stared at him uncertainly for a moment, and then a mischievous smile formed again on her lips.

"So, you had some pillow talk with a prostitute, haven't you? Hum, I didn't think a stud like you would've needed to pay for it…"

Cole had to refrain from grabbing her angrily at this. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that he had almost done just what she said. He couldn't talk for a long moment and then Phoebe apparently decided that she was done with this conversation.

"Hey, Willie," Phoebe said loud enough to be heard clearly by the deputy, "didn't you tell the idiot here not to bother asking me questions? I thought you said he was a distraction."

"Ah shut up, Phoebe!" The deputy answered just as loud.

"I'll shut up when I feel like it, asshole!"

This time the deputy didn't bother responding.

Cole was watching her with increasing perplexity, even if he tried very hard to hide it. He wondered how a lovely mouth like hers could dispense so much foul language. Then his thoughts once again wandered toward something very much carnal rather than his goal in coming here. Phoebe was the one who shook him out of it.

"As for you, stiff," she was saying, "I've got nothing to tell you, so if you don't mind… you know where the door is. I'd show you out but…" she stopped and emphatically indicated the bars separating them at this. Without waiting for an answer, she turned her back to him and started walking toward the bed as if he'd already left.

Cole glanced back through the barred door leading to the office, and the deputy mockingly waved the keys, obviously thinking that Cole had enough. Instead, Cole signalled to him that he wasn't ready, and the deputy shrugged as he put down the keys and picked up a newspaper.

When he glanced back at the cell, he saw that Phoebe was sitting on the bed and watching him curiously.

"How come you're still here?" She said then, "don't you understand English?"

"I'm not done with you yet, miss."

"Well, I'm done with you," she uttered firmly, as she lied down on the bed and turned her back to him.

Cole cast another look at the deputy, but this one seemed absorbed in his reading.

Lowering his voice, he tried to get her attention.

"I've got a proposition for you…"

Phoebe didn't react, although she'd heard clearly. "What's that," she wondered, while waiting to see what he'd say next.

Cole cast another nervous look toward the deputy, before he tried again.

"Did you hear me," he asked just above a whisper, "I got something to tell you and if you wish to live, you might wanna listen."

This time, Phoebe turned to him with a hint of interest. His sudden conspiratorial attitude intrigued her.

Satisfied that he had her attention, Cole stood back and waited for her to make the next move. She came back toward him slowly, apparently seeing him differently this time. Before she talked however, she also gave a look at the deputy, but this one seemed utterly unconcerned with their exchange.

"I'm listening," she said curtly. She couldn't help the little spark of hope at this point but she strongly suspected that whatever help he might offer would come at a price. This was soon to be confirmed.

"Well, my offer is very simple, lady…I get you out of here, and you help me find your boyfriend."

Phoebe smirked since she had very much expected something like this. However, she took another good look at him before responding suspiciously:

"I got a big problem believing that a city boy like you could be of any help to me. I could probably do better on my own than with the likes of you," she added, using his own words against him.

"If that's true," Cole replied, unflinching, "why haven't you? Besides, appearances can be deceiving…"

Phoebe watched him some more, unsure as she was. Then she suddenly asked derisively:

"What's your plan exactly? You think they'll let me walk out of here without blinking?"

Cole ignored the sarcasm and instead answered very seriously.

"Actually, I do have a plan…But first, I need to get an answer…"

Phoebe's mouth twitched uncertainly, and then she questioned in turn.

"Why are you after Reggie?"

"I think it's pretty obvious, don't you think?"

"You're after the money…" she trailed. From the look of her, this was an unpleasant fact.

"Shouldn't you worry more about what's gonna become of you if I leave you here?" Cole asked then.

Phoebe looked up defiantly:

"Without me, you'll never find him…"

Cole wasn't impressed:

"Without me, you'll rot in here until they hang you…"

Phoebe was still unconvinced.

"How can I trust you?"

"Well, I should say a lot more than I can trust you." Cole answered very sincerely.

This brought an amused smile to her lips.

"Alright! If you get me out of here, I'll help you."

"Then, you'll have to do what I tell you." Cole whispered.



As Cole had surmised, seeing him in a suit and with the attitude, the deputy had never bothered to check him for weapons. He opened his vest and checked the revolver tucked in his belt. Then, he went to the first door while his vest hung loosely over the weapon, dissimulating it. Once there, he knocked insistently to get the guard to open the door for him.

"Hey," the deputy called in annoyance, "I'm coming; I'm coming."

Cole felt jittery as he had never done anything like this before, but he'd figured that it was worth the risk. As soon as the deputy had unlocked the door, Cole indicated the cell nervously.

The deputy saw Phoebe, lying face down on the floor of her cell.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed as he moved toward it with his keys at the ready. Before entering the cell however, he called to her a few times.

"What did you do to her?" The Deputy asked Cole abruptly when he got no answer. Then, as Cole remained silent, the deputy unlocked the cell to get a closer look at Phoebe. As soon as the deputy had crossed the doorway, Cole pulled the gun out of his belt and armed it. The deputy heard the distinctive noise and tried to pull his own gun, but Phoebe caught his legs before he could reach it and she threw him hard to the floor. Without giving him a chance to recuperate, she took the gun out of his holster and hurriedly went out of the cell.

"See," Phoebe told Cole, "if it wasn't for me, you'd probably be dead."

"You don't know that," Cole answered irritably.

She didn't bother to respond and instead slammed the cell door closed. The deputy was just getting up and realized that he was weapon less and locked up with a growl.

"You'll never get away with it," he spat angrily.

"Make yourself comfortable, Willie," Phoebe replied, utterly unconcerned. "By the time they come get you, we'll be long gone," she added before blowing a kiss in his direction and grabbing Cole's arm.

"Let's get out of here," she then said imperatively.

Cole didn't need to be told twice. However, as soon as they had locked the door to the cells, he quickly grabbed the deputy's gun away from her. Phoebe lifted her hand to hit him when she realized too late what he was doing. Cole grabbed her arm tight just before she made contact with his face.

"As I told you," Cole uttered with a hint of mockery of his own, "I don't think that I can trust you all that much…"

Phoebe grunted, but calmed down quickly as all she cared about was to get away from this place. Without waiting for a reply, Cole went to the door quickly, and surveyed the street carefully for any unwelcome observer. It was already dark outside, and the street was very quiet. When he was satisfied that the coast was clear, he motioned for Phoebe to follow him out. Two horses were tied in front of the Jailhouse, waiting for them.

"Well, you came prepared," Phoebe commented as she was climbing expertly on one of the horses. He didn't answer this and instead, climbed quickly on the second horse then said:

"Lead the way."

Phoebe put the horse to a trot, and then she led them out of town… Neither one of them noticed the rider in dark clothing following at a distance…

They had been going for a few hours during which time Cole had become slightly uncertain about their direction. At some point, Phoebe had taken a beeline off the road, and when he questioned her about it, she simply offered that she knew the way better than Cole did. Suddenly, Phoebe stopped and dismounted without warning. Cole had been following closely and his horse almost bumped in hers.

"Hey lover, you were asleep back there?" Phoebe questioned mockingly.

Cole couldn't even see her clearly in the weak glow of the waning moonlight.

"What now?" He asked, ignoring her first comment.

"We can't go any further tonight," Phoebe replied more seriously. "It's a big desert out there. We could easily get lost in the dark."

"What the hell makes you think that we're not lost already? I haven't even seen a trail for the last two hours."

"Take a look around…" Phoebe simply answered, as she walked away.

Only then did he notice something different about the surroundings. He could vaguely distinguish plant life around him and realized that they were probably close to a waterhole. This, at least, renewed his confidence that Phoebe knew what she was doing, if not his trust in her otherwise.

Dismounting in turn, he followed the direction she had taken and found her already gathering some twigs.

"You know how to make a fire?"

He frowned unhappily at her mocking tone of voice, but he didn't answer and instead, went back toward his horse to get some supplies.

By the time he came back she'd already managed to start the fire. He couldn't help being impressed by her skills as he truly wasn't all that used to this kind of life. She soon let him know that she had guessed as much.

"You're not from around here, are you lover?"

Cole wasn't too keen on giving her any advantage over him, so instead, he protested:

"My name is Cole Turner, and frankly, I'd appreciate if you used it. I'm not your lover, or your…stud or whatnot…"

Phoebe giggled.

"Whatever you say, lover…"

Cole cringed but didn't comment. She was now observing him curiously and at long last it made him uncomfortable.

"What is it now?"

"Oh nothing…," she answered casually. "Hope you got a more suitable outfit in this pack. You'll cook in the sun if you don't change."

Cole admitted to himself that the suit was rather constrictive but he didn't let her see that she had a point. He did have a more suitable outfit in the pack but decided to wait a little to change. He knew that his reluctance was inspired by misplaced pride but he couldn't help it. When she saw that he wouldn't answer, she asked:

"Got some food in there?" Phoebe was indicating the pack.

This time he opened it and threw a piece of dry meat her way. She caught it in midair and immediately began chewing on it hungrily.

"They didn't feed you in there?" Cole couldn't help asking.

Phoebe looked up with a hint of irritation.

"The grub wasn't up to my standard."

Cole couldn't help staring as he asked:

"And you're telling me that those rations are?"

"It's all a question of habit, Turner."

Cole was at least grateful that she dropped the insulting nicknames, even though this didn't sound any less rude in a woman's mouth.

Phoebe seemed to notice his line of thought because she went on:

"You probably think that you're so much better than me, don't you?"

"I didn't say anything of the sort."

"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face. You probably went to school and had a big education. The way you talk and all..."

"Is there something wrong with that," Cole asked irritably, suddenly feeling irrationally self-conscious.

"I guess not…" she shrugged, before popping the last of the meat in her mouth. "But that doesn't make me an idiot because I didn't go to school."

Cole detected some vague regret in her voice, which surprised him.

"I believe that you're a very smart girl, on the contrary," he finally offered.

A soft smile spread her lips at this, and for a moment Cole forgot altogether who she really was. She was so pretty, even prettier than any girl he had met in the city with all their adornment.

"Really," she asked uncertainly. For a moment there, she seemed vulnerable and he had an urge to go to her that he had pain repressing.

"Yeah," he trailed at last.

Phoebe seemed about to add something but instead, she stood up, announcing that she needed to wash up, all trace of the softness gone from her features.

"You've better get some shut eyes, lover…We've got a long way to go." She added before walking toward the waterhole.

Cole cringed anew at the appellation but still pulled two blankets out of the pack and threw one where she had stood. Before he lied down, he took off the vest and the constrictive starched shirt with a faint sigh of relief, while watching her near the water. She was rubbing herself under the grey shirt and he couldn't help imagining what it would feel like to caress her right now. Berating himself at this, he slid under the blanket but kept observing her, determined to stay awake until she had gone to sleep herself. However, the fatigue of the trek got to him and he drifted into sleep without realizing it.

He had no idea how long it had been when he suddenly felt a hand caressing his chest. He sighed of pleasure at the soft touch, uncertain if this was real or some dream. He was soon aroused and didn't make any move to resist when he felt the blanket being pulled away and the hand moving toward his belt buckle. He kept his eyes closed and moaned softly when his pants slid down his legs, even as he helped along. The hand came back up his thigh slowly, teasingly, and he was already twitching impatiently, imagining Phoebe on top of him. Then suddenly her hand moved away, and Phoebe's voice felt like a cold shower.

"Hum, too bad lover, this could have been fun," she was saying.

He opened his eyes to find her training a gun at him even as a chill reminded him that he was now naked and utterly helpless. He quickly looked around for something to cover himself but neither his clothes nor the blanket were in sight.

"What the hell," he asked at last, his voice hoarse from the sensation that still lingered inside him.

She was already stepping away toward the horses when he got up and tried to go to her. She stopped him short by aiming the gun at him again.

"Where are you going?" he then asked somewhat nervously.

"Sorry, lover, but I work alone. I don't know you and I can't trust you. Besides, I don't know crap about where Reggie hid his money. He never told me! Thanks for the help though," she added as she climbed on one of the horses, although careful to keep the gun trained on him. "I figured that you wouldn't be as quick to follow me like this…"

The sun was already coming up on the horizon, allowing him to read her expression. As she looked back at him, he recognized the same amused spark he had seen in her eyes back at the prison.

"I was right though… you're quite the stud."

He realized that he was still aroused in spite of the precarious situation and his face turned crimson with embarrassment at the ridiculous situation. He tried to cover himself instinctively even as Phoebe caught the rein from the second horse.

"Hey," Cole screamed, "you can't leave me here like this!"

"Don't try to follow me, Turner," She called back before spurring her mount into a gallop. "Go back the way we came," she added as she was speeding away.

Cole was so stunned that he didn't move for a long time, watching the way she had left. Then, he finally looked around, barely believing that she could've done something so vile. All that was left was a flask and, to his consternation, his cowboy hat next to the now extinguished fire. He began trembling as much from the cold as from the rage against this retched woman. For a long moment, he debated what he should do, but a deep resentment convinced him to go after her in spite of her admission about Reggie. By now, it wasn't the money or Reggie that motivated him, but his desire for revenge. He realized that she was heading deeper in the desert, but he didn't care about the danger at this point.

"I'll get you for this, bitch, even if it kills me," Cole growled as he picked up the items he had left and started walking awkwardly on her trail. Soon the sun began burning his bare skin and this didn't do anything to alleviate his anger. Cole went on walking for hours, animated only by his intense resentment, as he imagined all the ways he would make her pay. Yet at some point, his mind began playing tricks on him as he moved on to a very different train of thoughts where he saw himself pinning her down and taking her for all she was worth. He could almost hear her screams, not of pain, but of pleasure in his mind and even through the aches, he felt an arousal at the idea. When he finally realized what he was doing, it only renewed his anger and embarrassment.

Cole had been so absorbed in those thoughts that he failed to notice the man approaching on horseback behind him. The neighing of a horse startled him suddenly.

Forgetting his undressed state, Cole turned around abruptly, half expecting to find Phoebe there, gloating at his misfortune. Instead, he found himself facing a man in dark clothing, the very same one who had been present during the attack on the coach, and who was now harbouring an amused smile. He was on horseback and holding the reins of a mule carrying large saddlebags.

"Howdy, cowboy," this one uttered at last, "didn't you forget something this morning," he added, barely containing a chuckle.

Cole chose to ignore the comment and instead questioned angrily:

"Who the hell are you?"

"Hey, is that the way to greet someone who comes to offer his help?"

"Your help," Cole asked dubiously.

The man dismounted and pulled a pile of clothes from one of the mule's saddle bags.

"I've got a feeling that you could use these," he replied as he threw the clothes at Cole's feet unceremoniously. "You know, you should count yourself lucky," he added a little more seriously, even as Cole didn't make a move to pick up the clothes. "The last time Phoebe pulled a stunt like that, she didn't leave anything to the unfortunate victims, not even the water she provided for you." Cole was still staring at him uncertainly.

"If I were you, I wouldn't let misplaced pride keep me from accepting much needed help," the stranger continued. "No really," he pursued mockingly when Cole still didn't make a move, "you're just about well done." He was obviously referring to the painful sunburns that Cole felt all over.



Cole gave him another irritated glance, but he then bent toward the clothes and quickly dressed as he questioned the man again.

"So, who are you and how do you know so much about Phoebe Halliwell?"

"My name is Paul McKail," the stranger answered at last, "and let's just say that the girl and I are somewhat acquainted. Enough so for me to know how devious she can be…"

The clothes felt a little tight, but Cole was grateful for the return of a modicum of dignity, even though he knew that the pain wouldn't go away anytime soon, serving as a constant reminder of his embarrassing misadventure. However, he reflected that it would also keep alive his resentment against Phoebe. Even then, he couldn't avoid remembering the fantasy he had experienced only moments before. In an effort to reject the disturbing thoughts, he turned to Paul and questioned him further.

"What were you doing here anyway? I may not be very knowledgeable of this part of the country, but I really don't think that this is the scenic route."

Paul took a long sip from a flask before addressing Cole's question.

"Actually, I've been following you since you left Prescott. Sorry for the delay," he added quickly when Cole seemed about to comment angrily, "I lost your track a while back when Phoebe took this little detour…I only found it again a short while ago. I assure you, I wouldn't have left you in such a precarious circumstance otherwise. Believe me; I'm uniquely qualified to understand how you feel."

Cole decided not to ask about this last statement, as he gathered that McKail had most certainly been one of the victims he had referred to. Moreover, Cole frankly didn't want to talk about this any longer as it was too close to his own humiliation.

"Well," Paul said then, "it's nice to chat like this, but we should really get going. Phoebe's already got quite a head start."

"Wait…" Cole began but he hesitated a moment. "If you're also after her to find Reggie's hiding place, I've got to warn you that you're outta luck," he then said reluctantly, as he truly wanted to go after her anyway but feared that his benefactor might turn around. "She admitted to me that she had no clue where that was before she ran away." Cole didn't know why he had admitted this considering, but reflected that it was his way of repaying the man's help.

Paul's face twitched slightly, revealing his obvious disappointment. Nevertheless, he added:

"No matter, she might just have lied to you. But even if that's true, I still think that she'll try to find him. She's not one to forget a betrayal like his quickly, and also she may have other ways to get to him."

Cole added sombrely, referring to the betrayal part of the speech:

"She's not alone…"

Paul gave Cole a long wondering look, but rather than commenting on this, he indicated the mule to him.

"Sorry about the mount," Paul uttered then, vaguely apologetic, "but I guess it's better than going on foot…"

Cole didn't comment and went stiffly toward the mule. As he sat on the saddle, he had to stifle a groan of pain, which renewed his anger against the girl. "When I get you," he growled inwardly, but didn't finish the thought as he kicked the mule to follow Paul.