A Biker's Tale
Chapter 14 - A New Beginning
She had arisen that morning in the arms of Rick Castle as they had fallen asleep together after a night where both had committed to each other. They had consummated their union. Kate realizes this is a fresh new start for them. Each now had professed their feelings for one another and were determined to make it last. There is now a hope for a better future to be shared by the couple.
As they dress for their road trip, Kate is putting on a new shirt, when Castle comes up from behind her, wraps his arms around her waist, and plants an affectionate kiss to the back of her neck. A place that Rick had discovered opened her up to arousal.
"Rick", she moans, "stop that or we will miss our checkout time."
"Couldn't help it. I looked at you and realized you are mine now, so I reacted on impulse."
There is a quick hitch in her breath as she becomes aware of just how much this man loves her to generate such a response for her as she did the simple act of getting dressed. She likewise was so in tune with his emotions. The two could simply not keep their hands off each other, but Kate was trying her best to stay together. Otherwise she would just grab Rick by the hand and drag him to bed.
"Rick as much as I want to show you the effect of your words on me, we have to get on with our trip."
"Alright then, but I'm on record as to how much I can't help myself from reaching out to touch."
She then reacts to his reply by invading his space, gives him a passionate kiss with lots of tongue, and tells him, "There! That will have to do till later."
"I'll take what I can now, but I will hold you to your promise for later", he says, knowing her resistance to his advances are low and a slight push could send her over. But he knows they have to check out, so he doesn't push.
As they get to the CRV, Rick calls out, "Challenge you for driver duty."
They do a quick 'rock, scissor, paper' and he wins.
"It's yours", she quips and tosses him the car keys.
Rick gets in on the driver's side as Kate takes the passenger side as both proceed to buckle up. Rick starts the Honda CRV and they are off to continue their adventure to Fairbanks.
A Storm on the Horizon
Rob Tyler saw the published notice on the Bulletin Board of the last gas station he had used. It was an 'all points notice' to look out for a stolen vehicle with a precise description of his second car-jacked vehicle. He did not know if the station workers had read the notice and recognized that the vehicle he was driving was the one on the printed notice. That posting was a quick response to his hijacking, but with today's technology, it had become easy to send a notice via fax machine to any who had the tech. Tyler concludes that the Mounties had established a connected hub to all gas stations in the area via fax machine, but did not make known that fact to the general public. How easy then to keep track of criminals on the run, thru such an alert system. Gas stations were few and far between in this part of Canada and there were but a couple of national highways that could be travel. Even if a fugitive went off road, that person would eventually have to stop at a station to refuel. It is an effective and efficient system that worked for Canadian law enforcement and accounted for how successful the Canadian Royal Mounties were in tracking down fleeing criminals.
Tyler knew he had to get another vehicle but, unlike in the city, availability of cars for car-jacking were limited. Had Tyler seen the notice while back at Dawson's Creek he had a larger volume of vehicles from which he could hijack, given that Dawson was a relatively large town for the area. He needed to come up with a plan to acquire his next escape vehicle. The longer time passed the higher his chances of being detected, even in this remote part of Canada.
He had devised a scheme to feign a car breakdown by raising his car hood as he parked on the side of the road seemingly with a broken down vehicle. When a unsuspecting Good Samaritan stopped to render assistance, he would claim he had no cell service and would ask for a ride to the next town. While on the ride he would wait for a vulnerable instance to do the hijacking and leave the person stranded on the side of the road.
Stranding a person on the road in this area left the person exposed to the elements and could mean death or serious injury. His plan was to let his target vehicle drive a couple miles before springing the hijack. A person familiar with surviving Canadian elements would think to hike back to his supposed disabled vehicle if nothing else but to have shelter. The person would discover when he got back to the car that it had been hot wired to start and could then use it to pursue him or to go for help.
So as to prevent this, the drug dealer had loosen a few of the ignition cables so starting the car would appear as the engine mis-firing if it started at all. Again if the person was savvy on cars he would check his electrical system to see if juice was getting to his ignition. It was risk to do this, but it gave the person he stranded an ability to shelter himself from the harsh Canadian nights till someone else came along and rendered aid. Even a harden drug dealer such as Tyler had some compassion for his victims in a distorted kind of way. This act helped his self image allowing him to seem as some kind of noble criminal. It was just a leftover from what used to be his conscience, if he ever had one.
So Tyler had been doing this scam for a couple days now but all who stopped to assist him were truckers in big rigs. Those were totally unsuitable for his needs. So he told them he had called on his cell for help and was just waiting for it to arrive. He continued with his scheme hoping it would not be a Mountie or Park Ranger that came to his aid. Park Rangers in these parts were often deputy law officers, but if this should happen, he would use the same ploy on them as he had done with the truckers and hopefully get a pass from them.
On The Road Again
They had been traveling out from Dawson for several hours now with Rick as driver. Right now they were enjoying the sound of Coltrane off a cassette Kate had brought with her to make driving more relaxing and enjoyable. They both shared a liking for Coltrane and it helped pass the time, enhanced by the view of the passing natural scenery.
As they had progressed on their journey they had come to realize that adventure travelers such as them were very few on the route. Mostly it had been commercial truckers delivering their goods to remote stores and other businesses. Maybe it was the time of year where adventure travelers were just starting on the ALCAN, but whatever the reason, it had been much the solitary journey for them, to their surprise. Then they spot fellow adventurers like themselves up ahead. Two bikers, on their bikes with as much gear as their bikes could hold without hauling a small travel trailer like Castle had done. As they pass the two bikers, they give them a sign of acknowledgement by honking their car horn and waving to them. The bikers return their waves with their own hand waves in recognition of sharing the road trek they were also doing.
"Castle", Kate says looking at the bikers as they passed them, "we should do this trip again but on our bikes!"
"That was my original plan Kate if not for my chain breaking".
"You're lucky I came along when I did."
"It was not luck, it was destiny. The Universe had a plan for us, do you believe that?"
"I used to not believe, but the more I hang around you, the more I become converted!"
"See, I'm a big influence on you?"
"Can your ego get any larger writer-man."
"Well people do change. I think I'm a better person now because of you. You challenged me to be a better person. Not just because I wanted to be that for you, but also for myself."
"Castle you always been in you. Look how well you raised Alexis."
"That, my dear Beckett, was luck. I got the perfect daughter, and considering that half of her DNA she inherited from her mother and the other half from me as her father, I don't know how it happened."
"Yes Castle, Alexis is the opposite of you in manner and behavior, but maybe she inherited the good genes from both of you!"
"It could be, but to this day, I still don't see how other single dads are able to raise their daughters. I married Gina so Alexis could have a mother figure. Fine luck that did me, when Alexis became a woman with her first period, Gina and I had divorced. It was my mother who got Alexis thru that because never having a period myself, I was totally unqualified to lead Alexis thru that from a female perspective!"
"As much as you make Martha out as flighty like Meredith, she is a good mother to you and a caring and loving grandmother to Alexis."
"You're right on that. Meredith is more like a favored aunt to our daughter than she is a mother. You're correct Kate, my mother has consistently been there for the two of us."
"Alexis had good loving role models and that counts for a lot. Take it from me, my parents were great role models, but I still had my Rebel Beck days. Fortunately their upbringing got me over those years to become the woman I am today."
"Thank God Alexis never got there!"
"Oh, I don't know Castle, she is approaching college years and that is the true test. There still is time to experience those rebellious years!"
Castle gives Kate such a look of terror as if he is imaging every rebellious thing Alexis could get herself into. From his look, Kate knows she needs to give him an out.
"Then maybe again she will skip all that and you luck out once more."
"You think!', responds Rick but with now a more relieved look about him, "but if it does happen, I will have you to help me thru it."
"Always", she says using their shared word.
Castle thanks again the Universe for bringing Kate into his life!
After a while, Castle feels driver's fatigue and ask Kate if she would take over driving duty. Kate happily does that for him as she saw he needed it. Twenty minutes into her driving stint,Castle is out and gently snoring. She had not noticed his snoring the night before as both had been exhausted from that first night after three rounds. Both had slept so soundly. Kate drives for a few more hours then notices the car clock showing 11:30 PM. With 24 hour sunlight she only notices by the clock that she is getting into late night. She decides to find a place to camp for a few hours and get some sleep. She sees up the road a turn out and takes it for several hundred yards until she comes to a secluded camp ground with one other vehicle camped there. This is the first time they would be sharing a camp ground with a neighbor.
