Tuscan Skies
Part 11
J.R.'s mobile phone rang, waking him up from a dream he was having about him, and Sue Ellen. They were sailing on a yacht, in the Mediterranean Sea, the only other passenger was the yacht's captain. The wind was blowing in their hair, and Sue Ellen was dressed in a black v-neck bathing suit, with a sheer mid-section, and hi-cut legs. J.R. was standing behind her, as the yacht was cruising along the sea at maximum speed. He was passionately kissing her neck, while his hands roamed over her body. He cursed aloud, as his dream was interrupted by the sound emanating from his mobile phone.
J.R angrily asked, "What do you want?"
Rattigan replied, "We've got a problem, J.R., Lockwood is nowhere to be found in the London area. The last anyone saw him, was at Heathrow, boarding a flight headed for the states."
J.R. was livid, and said, "How in the hell could you let him out of your sight?"
Rattigan raised his voice in defiance, and said, "I had no control over it, J.R. The man I had tailing Lockwood was detained at Heathrow for arms possession. I've spent the last half hour trying to get him released from airport security."
J.R. barked, "Didn't your man have a concealed weapon permit? What about his PI license?"
Rattigan said, "Don't worry about it, J.R. I fired him as soon as airport security let him go. I'm waiting to board a private jet to the states. You may want to beef up security
at Southfork, J.R. There's no telling what Lockwood might do."
J.R. didn't underestimate Don Lockwood, especially after what he had found out from Sue Ellen. He said, "You bet your ass I will, " and hung up the phone.
Sue Ellen rolled over onto her back, and asked, "What in the world is goin' on, J.R. Who were you talkin' to?"
J.R. realized that he had to confess that he had hired Rattigan to tail Sue Ellen's ex-husband. He would deal with the consequences of her reaction, after the fact. He said, "Sue Ellen, when I found out that Miranda Barrington had tried to kill Don, I hired a private investigator to look into his background, as well as Miranda's. He's not as clean-cut as I initially thought. I used to believe that he was worthy of your affection, but I've learned a lot about his past, and it isn't very wholesome."
Sue Ellen sat up, staring at J.R. in disbelief, and said, "Go on, I want to know every sordid detail that you've learned."
J.R. said, "I'll tell you all about it, after I call the ranch."
Sue Ellen sat on the edge of the chaise lounge, impatient, and concerned while J.R. called Southfork.
J.R. waited for someone to answer the phone. Bobby answered, and said, "Ewing residence, Bobby Ewing speaking."
J.R. said, "Thank God you answered Bobby. I don't know how much time we have, but I need you to call Fenton Washburn, and have him get some of his boys to patrol the ranch. I also want you to beef up security along the outer, and inner perimeters."
Bobby asked, "What is going on J.R.? Why the need for increased security?"
J.R. said, "I need you to tell Fenton and his men, and all of the ranch hands to be on the lookout for Don Lockwood. Ask John Ross if he has a picture of him somewhere, so they'll know who they're lookin' for, if he shows up. I'll explain later, right now, I need you to do this for the safety on John Ross, and the rest of the family. I've got to go, but I'll call you back as soon as I know more."
Bobby reassured J.R. that he would handle his request. Sue Ellen was standing beside J.R., waiting until he had finished talking to Bobby, before she said, "What is the world is going on with Don, J.R?"
J.R. put his hands on her shoulders, and said, "Darlin', I have reason to believe that Don is on his way to Southfork. I think he plans to carry out the threat he made about your bein' sorry if you didn't return his phone call."
Sue Ellen's look of impatience turned to a look of intense rage, as she lifted her hand to her mouth, and said, "If Don touches one hair on John Ross' head, or any other member of the family, I'll swear to God, I'll kill him."
J.R. pulled her into his arms, as tears of anger started forming in her eyes. He had to find a way to convince her that his PI, or airport security would intercept Don, before anything happened. J.R. said, "Honey, I swear to you on Daddy's grave that I won't let anything happen to any member of our family."
J.R reached for the fax that Rattigan had sent him, giving him the name of the man from Interpol. J.R. dialed the number on his mobile phone. Sue Ellen clung to him, needing his strength. J.R. told the man from Interpol what he, and Rattigan suspected. The agent from Interpol told J.R that he would notify all of the U.S. airports, especially any and all public, and private airports in Texas, to have their security personnel to be on the lookout for Donald Jennings Lockwood.
Sue Ellen paced back and forth, by the swimming pool. She was waiting for any news about Don's whereabouts. J.R. was on his mobile phone, talking with the agent from Interpol. Sue Ellen had all sorts of graphic, and frightening images racing through her mind about what Don might do to John Ross, just to get back at her, and J.R. She anxiously waited for J.R. to finish his phone call, before asking him if they should notify the American Embassy, and the Tuscan police department.
J.R. finished his conversation with the agent from the London Interpol office, and turned to see what Sue Ellen wanted.
She asked, "Do you think it would do any good to involve the American Embassy here in Tuscany? What about the police?"
J.R. reached for her hand, and said, "Come here, Sugar. We can't do anything, until Don arrives at whatever destination he was headed for. Interpol has contacted all of the viable airport security offices, and they've called in a couple of agents from the Dallas FBI agency. We'll just have to wait until we hear some news."
Sue Ellen said, "I want to go home, J.R. I don't care what it takes. I want to go back to Southfork."
J.R. tried to calm her down, and said, "Sue Ellen, don't you think that Don knows where you'd want to be, after he called the ranch, and made that threat? He wants to scare you back to Dallas, Sugar. I'm not goin' to play his ridiculous game. If I have to, I'll take care of him my way. It'll be a simple case of self-defense. There wouldn't be a jury in the entire state of Texas that would convict me of manslaughter for tryin' to protect my family."
Sue Ellen could tell from the look in J.R.'s eyes, and the tone of his voice, that he was dead serious. Yes, if it came down to it, J.R. would kill Don Lockwood. She said, "I've got to do somethin' to take my mind off of waitin', J.R."
He pulled her into his arms, and kissed her neck. She resisted his advances. J.R. continued kissing her, as his hands roamed over her back. She tried to pull away from him, but he held her tighter. He covered her mouth with kisses, as he tried to get her to relax. He picked her up, and said, "If I have to, I'll make love to you right here, in from of all of the servants."
She gave him a half-smile, and said, "Maybe we should go inside?"
J.R. grinned at her, and said, "That's better. I'll do everything I can to make you forget about Don."
Sue Ellen opened the door to the main villa. J.R. followed her inside, and closed the door behind him. He turned around, and said, "Now, where were we?" Sue Ellen tried not to think about Don. She wanted J.R., and making love to him would certainly occupy her mind. She reached for his hand, as he walked toward her. He closed the distance between them with a swipe of his arm. He pulled her to him, and kissed her hungrily. He parted her lips with his tongue, as he picked her up, and walked toward the staircase leading to the loft bedroom.
He carried her upstairs, and walked over to the bed. He placed her on top of the mattress, and leaned over, as his hand reached for the strap of her bathing suit. He eased the strap over her shoulder, and down her arm. He exhaled as he revealed her silken flesh underneath the fabric of her bathing suit. Sue Ellen pulled him to her. She kissed his neck, inhaling his cologne. His hands still smelled of the suntan oil he had rubbed on her earlier. She ran her lips from his neck to his chest. J.R. removed his swim trunks, and helped her out of her bathing suit. His eyes were focused on her, as he hovered over her. He kissed her, as his hands found her waist. Their lovemaking was rhythmic, and relentless. J.R. refused to stop, until they were weak from exhaustion.
Sue Ellen kissed his shoulder, as she lay in his arms. She was shaking from the intensity of their union. J.R. closed his eyes, awed by the feeling of complete satisfaction that washed over him like a wave. They fell asleep, in each other's arms. The afternoon breeze coming through the balcony doors cooled off their perspiration soaked skin.
J.R. resumed the dream he had been having earlier that morning. He held Sue Ellen in his arms, as the yacht sailed around the coast of the island of Elba. He turned her head to face him, as he kissed her. She arched her back, allowing him better access to her eager mouth. Sue Ellen turned around in his arms, and wrapped one of her fabulously long legs around him. He lifted her into his arms, and carried her over to the other end of the yacht. He carried her downstairs, to the bedroom, and sat her down on the bed. The waves rocked the boat, adding to the pace of his lovemaking. J.R. moaned while he was dreaming, and Sue Ellen opened her eyes.
She touched J.R.'s lips with her fingers, and kissed his cheek. He opened his eyes, and looked at Sue Ellen. If anyone else had interrupted his dream, he would have given them an earful, but not Sue Ellen. He smiled at her, as he made a mental note to himself that before they flew back to Dallas, that they would go sailing on a yacht.
Don walked outside the terminal at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. He hailed a taxi cab to take him into the city. He had a meeting with a movie producer who was on location in West Virginia shooting a made-for-television movie. Don had a round trip ticket from Yeager Airport in West Virginia to Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Don sat in the backseat of the taxicab, and chuckled about how inept the man was who had been tailing him when he was in London. Don had managed to shake the tail when he boarded the early morning flight from London to Washington, D.C. Don would make Sue Ellen and J.R. pay dearly for what he felt they had done to his sister, Miranda.
Sue Ellen jumped when the telephone rang. J.R. reached over to the night stand, and picked up the receiver. He said, "Hello. This is J.R."
Rattigan said, "J.R., I've got good news. Don was seen leaving Reagan National in Washington, D.C. An FBI agent spotted him at the airport, but their hands are tied, until Don makes a move, or heads to Southfork."
J.R. put his fingers on the bridge of his nose. His head was starting to pound, and he was frustrated that they were forced to play Don's game of cat and mouse. He said, "I want to know every move Lockwood makes from this moment on. If he sneezes, I want to be notified. Do you understand?"
Rattigan said, "Yes, J.R. I'll be in touch."
J.R. placed the phone back on its base, and turned around to talk to Sue Ellen. He said, "The FBI has an agent tailing Don. I have no idea how he got past airport security, but, at least they know where he is."
Sue Ellen said, "Thank God," as she kissed J.R.'s neck.
J.R. said, "I feel like a sitting duck, waiting around for the phone to ring, but I don't think that we should go anywhere, until we know that the family is safe, and the police, or the FBI has Don in their custody."
Sue Ellen said, "I feel so responsible, J.R. I know that I don't have any control over Don's actions, but maybe . . . "
J.R. stopped her, and said, "Honey, you and I both know that there was no way to predict that Don would do anything that he's done up until now. I can promise you this, if he manages to elude the FBI agent, I'll find a way to take care of him, once and for all. I'll spend every last dollar I have makin' sure that he pays for what he's done to you, and our son."
Sue Ellen turned to get out of bed, but J.R. reached for her hand. He said, "Sugar, I don't want you to go. I want you here, next to me."
Sue Ellen smiled, and said, "I don't know what I'd do without you, J.R. You've been so wonderful through all of this, I don't know why you put up with me?"
J.R. pulled her down on the bed, and said, "I'm not puttin' up with anything. I love you, Sugar. I love you so much that I ache when I 'm not with you. I can't wait to wake up in the Mornin' to hear what you have to say. I crave your touch, and I can't remember when makin' love to a woman felt as good as it does when we make love."
Sue Ellen smiled at him, and her eyes were brilliant as she said, "That's the sweetest, and most endearing thing you have ever said to me, J.R. I love you so much. I feel like I've been given another shot at happiness with you, and I don't think that I could stand it if anything, or anyone got in the way of our future."
J.R. cradled her in his arms, and said, "I won't let anything come between us, Honey. I promise. It's taken us years to get to this point, and I'll be damned if someone as useless as Don Lockwood is gonna stand in our way."
Sue Ellen silently prayed that he was right . . .
