Author's Note: Welcome back to our reviewer, Harry2! Thanks for sticking with us. :) Once we get the introductory
chapters over with, we promise a lot more excitement than the start of a new school year. Keep reading!
*************
And somewhere just outside the Lake Tahoe region of the Sierra Nevada mountains, another scream could be heard
as someone kicked Annie Turner's feet right out from underneath her. She hit the ground hard, rolling over quickly
only to find that she couldn't see whoever had attacked her. Why did I ever agree to this? Now look what I got
myself into. Just because she couldn't see didn't mean she couldn't react. As soon as she felt whoever it was
practically on top of her, she instinctively lashed out with a foot, hoping to catch them in the stomach.
A sharp intake of breath and a hiss of pain told Annie she'd aimed her kick considerably lower than her attacker's
stomach.
"Dear God in Heaven," Ranger Jim Cutler prayed to any deity that happened to be listening. "That
HURT!"
Still lying on the ground, Annie whipped off the blindfold she'd been wearing to find Cutler on his knees and doubled
over, questioning his future ability to father children.
"Cutler, I---"
"Don't apologize, Annie," interrupted Ranger Tim Hart as he pulled her to her feet. The dark skinned
man shot a sympathetic, yet satisfied grin at his friend on the ground. "You wouldn't be apologizing to the
scum sucking lowlife who was trying to do worse things to you, would ya?"
"Besides, he asked for it when he asked you to fight blindfolded," pointed out Ranger Izzy Flowers graciously.
"I didn't anticipate THAT," Cutler defended himself as he managed to finally stand up.
"So you admit to underestimating your opponent?" Ranger Frank Avila asked as he shook his head in dismay.
"You should know better, Cutler."
"I guess I should," he admitted with a sheepish grin. He walked over to Annie and ruffled her red hair
playfully. "Good job, kid. I better go have Robin check me out to make sure I can still have kids one day."
"Be careful how you phrase that request," Annie joshed Cutler back. "She might hurt you worse than
I did."
Cutler grinned and walked away just as Ranger Commander Matt Hawkes walked up to the group.
"Annie, your father's going to be here shortly. You might want to go pack your gear instead of beating up
on my Rangers," Matt chided her gently, unable to hide the grin on his face.
Annie nodded her acknowledgement and smiled wickedly. "Well, looks like playtime's over guys. I'll have to
come back and play another time. Make sure you bring more friends."
As she headed back toward the Ranger Station, Avila fell into step beside her. "You looked particularly vicious
out there today."
"I felt particularly vicious," Annie admitted quietly.
"Why?" It wasn't an accusation, just a simple question of curiosity.
Annie paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "Aside from the element of surprise, the lack of sight made
me feel more vulnerable I guess, which in turn made me want to react and fight harder." There was another
short pause before she added, "It reminded me of Italy, too."
Avila smiled knowingly. He knew the whole sordid story, which is how Annie talked them into teaching her self-defense
in the first place. "On your next visit, we'd like to start training you in different scenarios like that
one. You never know what conditions you'll find yourself defending in. And as Cutler might say, 'We'll teach Little
Red Riding Hood to overcome the Big Bad Wolf yet!'."
Annie glanced over at Avila, an odd look settling in her eyes. "I just don't want to BECOME the Big Bad Wolf,
Avila."
"Don't worry, Annie," Avila replied with a smile, settling a friendly arm around her shoulders. "We
won't let that happen."
Meanwhile, on a highway at the Californian/Nevada border.
"Thanks again for taking me, Dusty," Brad said.
"No sweat, man," Dusty said. "If I hadn't done it, someone would have had my hide," he drawled,
pointing to a slender figure stretched out on the backseat.
"Heard that, Dusty!"
"Daddy! It's Daddy, Jess."
"Sorry, Dusty."
Brad laughed. "Kid takes after her mom."
"Yeah… that's what I'm scared of."
"If you don't like Sunny the way she is, why did you marry her then?" the voice from the backseat demanded.
"That point goes to you, honey."
"There we are," Brad said, pointing to the High Mountain Ranger station.
Inside…
"They are here!"
Annie jumped up and down with joy at seeing Dusty's car pulling up in the driveway.
"Calm down, Annie," Matt Hawkes said grinning at Robin Kelly.
"Come on, Matt… she doesn't see her dad that often."
Annie never heard Tim Hart's comment since she was the door before he'd even opened his mouth.
"Dad! Dusty!" yelled Annie and threw herself at both men, hugging them tight. "I'm so happy to see
you guys."
"Well… I think you'll be even happier when you see our little surprise for ya," Brad said, winking. "It's
on the backseat."
Curiously, Annie went over to the car while her father and Dusty walked over to the rangers. Putting her hands
against the window, Annie tried to see something, but a blanket covered her surprise. She opened the door and pulled
the blanket away.
"BOOOO!"
"AAAAAIIEE!" Annie screamed as Jess' laughing head appeared from under the blanket, followed by the flashlight
of a Polaroid camera.
"You should see your face, Annie," Jess laughed and pulled herself off the seat. "It's totally priceless.
Here, see?" She held the Polaroid out to Annie.
"Give me that, before someone here finds it and uses it as evidence against me!" Annie ripped the Polaroid
shot out of Jess' hand and scolded her. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Nah… if I wanted to get rid of ya I'd poison you."
Shaking her head, Annie hugged her childhood friend tightly. "One of these days, you're going to do that
at exactly the wrong time..."
"I knew you missed me!" Jess exclaimed happily, ignoring Annie's comment.
"Sure… dream on," Annie said, nudging her friend. "Come on, I'll introduce to the others."
With her arm around Jess shoulders -who was slightly taller than Annie- she led her to the Rangers.
