The woman who'd been splitting wood left the axe on the chopping block and ran over to the car to fling her arms around Sid. The screen door squealed as another dusky beauty came out of the cabin, hurrying to greet the fat man enthusiastically.
"Nadia, Sophia--it is good to see you, my lovely ones!" He returned their affectionate greetings. "I have brought guests!" Dean caught Shadow's eye and raised an eyebrow. No wonder the guy was so happy, with two good-looking ladies hanging all over him. Two more exotic young women inside the house greeted Sid as warmly as the first two. He introduced Shadow and Corso, and got permission for Shadow to nap in the loft before dinner.
A few hours sleep, Shadow thought, weary after nearly twelve hours behind the wheel. Just a few hours.... The loft was a big, open space under a steeply pitched roof, with two king-sized beds pushed together in the middle of the room and a plethora of feminine paraphernalia ringing the walls. It looked like each of the four ladies had one wall that was hers...gotta wonder what the story was here...fat guy visits four gorgeous girls who all sleep in the same bed....
When he trotted back down the stairs several hours later, the savory aroma of chicken roasting made Shadow's mouth water. He looked around the room that he'd been too tired to take in the first time. The lower story of the cabin was open, with stairs leading up to the loft. A row of windows lining the back wall looked out over the small lake behind the cabin.
In the darkest corner, with the curtains at the front windows pulled shut, Dean was leaning forward in his armchair, talking earnestly to Sid, who sat cross-legged on an ottoman, nodding and occasionally responding.
That was probably a much deeper conversation than Shadow was ready for, even after five whole hours of sleep.
There was a big, orange tabby grooming himself in the sunlight that poured in through the back windows. A bigger fish...a much bigger fish, the cat was saying to himself. And I will eat it all, yes, I will! The cat stopped and glared as Shadow strolled over. Bad enough that the fat one is back to distract them from me. Now he brings his friends! Shadow grinned to himself. Knowing Khat was an interesting experience. This guy was jealous of Sid, what a hoot!
"That's Orange Crush. Careful, he'll scratch. He hates strangers," said the woman at the table, setting out flatware. "I'm Evelyn. That's Willette in the kitchen."
"Nice to meet you, Evelyn." He looked down at the cat, who was glaring at him.
I am Crusher! the cat said defiantly, arching his back and crouching as if to pounce. I am a mighty hunter!
Shadow squatted down, knees creaking after hours on the road. He kept his voice low, and looked directly into the cat's yellow eyes. "Caught any good fish lately, Crusher?"
You speak Khat? Crusher--as he called himself--sounded astonished. Plainly, if Sid had brought a giraffe into the house, he would have been no less amazed.
"Bast taught me."
Orange Crush leaped into the air. Bast? You know the Bast? Crusher hurtled himself at Shadow and rolled at his feet ecstatically. The Bast! This one knows the Bast! If Shadow had ever wondered how the average cat felt about that deity, the orange tom answered his questions as he offered himself to Shadow, purring the name of Bast again and again.
"Will you look at this?" Evelyn appealed to her sisters. "Orange Crush likes him! I've never seen him take to anybody like this!"
"Shadow has a way with cats," remarked Corso. Shadow saw a knowing gleam in the other man's eye. Despite the dry tone of his comment, Dean obviously knew something, or thought he did. Well, maybe he and Bast had gotten a little loud once or twice.
While Evelyn and Willette carried platters of food from the kitchen to the table, Shadow described Bast to Crusher as he scratched the cat's ears dexterously. The wood chopper (Nadia or Sophia, he didn't have those two sorted out yet) reached down and scooped up the tom, carrying him to the door and unceremoniously tossing him out. "Usually I have to chase him around the house to get him out of here when dinner's on the table," she remarked with a smile.
Dinner was delicious. Even Corso had an appetite. The four sisters (two sets of twins, one identical, one fraternal, they explained) were lively, and they flirted outrageously with Sid, who seemed accustomed to it. They were playful with Corso as well; although it became apparent that they thought Corso was a much older man. They were friendly with Shadow, but not flirtatious.
When Sid disclosed to the ladies that his guests weren't from Florida, the girls all mentioned places they'd like to visit if they were playing tourist. Nadia, who was the tomboy of the bunch, wanted to visit Daytona Speedway. Sophia thought Key West would be great fun, while Evelyn yearned to see a rocket launch and Willette had in mind an airboat ride in the Everglades. Dean promised to send them a postcard, although none of the adventures they'd detailed was on his list of things to do.
They lingered longer than Shadow had planned; their new friends were good company. There was no telling how long the gathering might have gone on, but as Sophia brought up Hemingway, there was a frantic shredding of the screen door, and Orange Crush bolted into the house. He tore across the room, leaped onto the table and skidded to a stop in front of Shadow.
You must go! Go now! A very bad person is coming! Coming through the woods, coming from the lake! Run! His tail was fluffed up like a bottle brush and he yowled for emphasis.
"Trouble," said Shadow, standing. "Dean, here, take the car keys, if I'm not there in five minutes, get your ass to Florida and I'll catch up with you somehow. Sid, I'm sorry, we've got somebody following us. We didn't mean to cause trouble for you."
"Wait a minute," said Willette in disbelief. "The cat told you this?"
"You do have a way with cats," said Evelyn, biting back a grin.
"Ladies, do you have a car or truck or some way you and Sid can get out of here for a while?" Shadow interrupted their crosstalk. "The last thing we want is for anything to happen to you because of us."
"I think we had better depart for a short time," Sid said solemnly. "I have been speaking with Dean about the challenges he faces, and I do not think it would be wise to entangle ourselves in these matters."
"Shadow--" Dean began.
"Get out to the car, Dean. Now. Getting you out of here may help draw her off."
"Let's go into town and get some ice cream," suggested Evelyn to their contingent. To Shadow's relief, she shepherded the other women and Sid out of the house, Dean following them unsteadily.
The Bast says I must help you. Crusher told Shadow. Tell me what to do.
He listened, hearing the sound of doors slamming, and an engine revving. A car sputtered, but he relaxed as he heard it rattle up the drive. "Okay, Crush, I need to do some bitch-slapping. If you get a chance, trip her up for me. Can you do that?"
I will. The orange tom was fervent. The Bast wants me to help you. I'll do anything you ask of me.
"Good." Shadow headed out the back door, quietly, scanning the woods for movement. "Where was she?"
Crusher indicated the area to the right of the cabin. Shadow went that way; the back of a shed with a woodpile came into view, probably where the residents' vehicle was kept, if the sullen oil stain on the ground was any clue. No one was hiding in there. He rounded the corner of the shed. There was the chopping block, axe lodged in it, and beyond it the driveway and--
"Son of a bitch!" Shadow muttered to himself at the sight of their car idling with Corso behind the wheel. "I told him..." Here he was, trying to save Dean's life, and the guy didn't have enough sense to get out of harm's way.
As he strode toward the car, fuming, Dean leaned on the horn. Great, let the whole world know we're here, why don't you? groaned Shadow. If he just hopped into the car with Corso and took off, there was nothing to prevent The Blonde from laying in wait for their hosts. It wasn't until Crusher shrieked a warning that Shadow turned around.
She had the axe.
Shadow dodged her swing as The Blonde brought the axe down. He tried to knock her off-balance, but she skipped past him, whirling to lash out again, the steel of the blade flashing in the afternoon sunlight. Attempting to side-step her, his foot skidded on loose wood chips and he went down, hard.
Pain from his still-sore shoulder took his breath away for a moment. It was all he could do to gather himself and roll away from her as she took aim again. He was on one knee, gulping for air, trying to make it to his feet, when an orange blur launched itself at The Blonde. Claws out, Crusher flew into her face. For the Bast! he yowled. Bright red gouges rent her beautiful face as the cat dropped to the ground. She screamed and clutched the left side of her face, where his strike had cut deepest.
As much by luck as half-blind aim, her next stroke met Crusher in midair as he attacked again. I will kill you, I will! the orange tom snarled at her impotently, half-gutted. The cat's attack had bought Shadow the interval he needed to rise. Now he stood, circling Crusher's mortally wounded form, one eye on the axe, the other on the ground underfoot.
This time, when he heard the horn, it was coming closer. When he glanced that way, the car was barreling toward them. Shadow got the hell out of the way as Corso aimed for The Blonde, who fled. He stomped on the brakes and skidded to a halt inches from the woodpile as Shadow limped over to where Crusher lay.
...for the Bast. Tell the Bast...the Bast--
Shadow put his hand lightly on the orange cat's head. "I'll tell her I knew a mighty hunter who fought well." Crusher's tail twitched approval and a last tremor ran through him. Corso reversed the car to where Shadow crouched over the cat's body, and slid over to the passenger side. "I told you to get out of here," Shadow said to him, getting in. "What the hell is wrong with you, Dean?"
"You said five minutes. It's just that now."
Was it? He hurt too much to argue. Putting the vehicle in gear, Shadow steered for the trail leading out of there, leaving behind a fallen orange warrior.
And that's why I didn't bring Jinx along. I'm too fond of her....not to mention the times when three would've been a crowd.
The end is in sight, folks. Just three more chapters! (I'll be posting the final two together, probably this time next week.)