I Stand With You (Gold Streaks Book 1) Read online

  An old, wind-torn place. Forlorn and desolate. But now, the very rocks seem to sing with urgency and hope and Lisa's name.

  “Come on. Go for it!'

  Sue is shouting at the engine again. It coughs, splutters, threatens to cut out.

  “Oh, for goodness' sake!”

  Sue swerves, tightly, bringing the car around and sideways to stop at the base of the hill.

  “I'll wait here, then; until it's cooled a little.” She says to herself, and turns the keys in the ignition.

  She leans a little through the window, breathing the fresh, dry air. It smells faintly of dust, heat and the petrol and burning from the engine. Sue breathes deeply, her heart racing. The air fills her lungs, calming her mind. She sighs. The wind from the valley ruffles her hair and she lets herself breathe and still, regaining her equilibrium. It is not like her to be less than centered and composed; at peace.

  She stops. Looks up the ridge. Looks with narrowed eyes. Looks again.

  There are men on the ridge opposite; small dark forms against the greyed green of the grass. She saw them because one is climbing back up the ridge towards the building near the summit.; one of the disused refinery buildings; a warehouse.

  “What are you doing there?” She murmurs it under her breath. Her heart is tight with tension and excitement, her body stiff with resolution and the slight tremor of joy.

  Her hands on the steering wheel are gripped, and damp.

  She turns the key in the ignition, a plan forming in her mind.

  Suddenly, she is off.

  The engine is quiet again, and for the first part, Sue drives fairly slowly; taking the small track up the back of the ridge, where the men are sheltered around the building.

  Then, at the top of the hill, as she comes round from behind the building, just coming into sight of the men, she changes gear; puts her foot flat on the gas, pressing the pedal to the floor.

  The engine roars and the men leap aside, one of them screaming in alarm. They lie flat on grass across the narrow hilltop; just off the track that comes past the building's front door.

  Sue grits her teeth as she slams the brake on, the car skidding and spinning in the rough gravel of the path; spraying dust and pebbles everywhere. She has time to reflect on the damage to the body of the car, and then no time to think further, as she leans on the steering and wrenches the car to the side, then reverses, turning the car to be perpendicular to the track, almost in line with the door.

  The men are shouting incoherently; gesturing and waving to her to stop.

  Sue leans into steering again, to take the car sharply left, pointing it towards the doors. She closes her eyes.

  The car roars and leaps forward, going full tilt.

  The impact with the door is shattering; but the car does not stop. Sue feels the door buckle as the BMW rocks into it. Her arms shudder with the impact where she grips the wheel.

  The car's airbags inflate, and Sue is temporarily blinded as she rocks forwards. She presses down with the brake, the movement the only conscious focus of her mind, taking all her concentration, and hears the scream of the tyres on concrete as the car loses the last of its momentum and skids to a halt.

  The airbags deflate. Sue blinks, her head pounding. Changes gear and reverses. The shock of the impact and the tension of what she is doing are making her feel weak. With the last of her strength, she guides the car slowly back through the door. She waits a second, her arms on the steering wheel, her hands trembling uncontrollably; breath drawn in slowly to heaving lungs.

  She looks up.

  Out of the dust and smoke and clouds of drifting sand around the door, a woman's figure has emerged; darting through the smoke.

  “Lisa!” She breathes it in wonder.

  Lisa is crossing the carnage at the door, when one of the guards is running into the building. The other is running at Sue's car; desperate to reach it.

  Lisa looks ahead, sees the men; runs straight forward; straight into the oncoming guard. He is moving more slowly, and is knocked off balance. He falls over.

  Lisa runs to the car, her hand at the doorhandle.

  “Sue!”

  Sue leans across, unlocks the door. Lisa slides in and shuts it behind her. Sue turns the keys in the ignition and starts up, even as the other guard reaches them.

  Sue turns the car.

  “Lisa!” She is staring at her, relief and awe and pure love on her face.

  “Sue!” Lisa looks at Sue, her smile a picture of elation, joy and love.

  Lisa's hand reaches across to Sue's. Sue grabs it and they hold hands tightly, fiercely; a grip that could outlast time.

  The BMW limps slowly onto the main road; the men far behind on the hill, one of them calling someone both gesturing frantically and futilely after the, now-distant, car.

  The engine is wheezing a little as they ease around the corner and onto the tar again, the scent of oil and burnt rubber and sheared metal a haze around them as Lisa and Sue stare at each other, tears of joy, elation and love running down both their cheeks.

  Chapter 8

  “...but how did you know how to find me?” Lisa is asking.

  She and Sue are sitting at the table in Sue's kitchen, a plate of steaming stew on the table in front of her. The kitchen is darker now, the shadows of evening lengthening and the windows shaded over. The smooth dark gloss of the kitchen table catches the last of the light and the flames of the candles Sue has lit and spins them out brighter, making the room warmly-lit and close.

  Lisa has had a bath, and her hair is wetly dark; its curls spiralling as it dries. Sue is just across from her, wrapped in her white silk nightgown, after showering to clean away the grime and smoke and dust.

  “..I don't know.” Sue is shaking her head, amazed. “I guess something just...told me you were there.”

  Lisa tilts her head, grinning. They are both looking at each other, their gaze unable to leave; each detail of each other's faces a fresh miracle in a day of miraculous happenings.

  “I...I can't believe it. Sue! I never would have imagined anything like this. That you, of all people, would do something like that...” She shakes her head in utter amazement.

  “Me neither.” Sue is grinning, her pure elation shining out of her; completely unrepressed.

  “...But then, I wouldn't have imagined you knocking someone out, either!”

  Lisa smiles back. Takes Sue's hand and grips it. Sue grins; squeezes her hand back. They cannot stop smiling; stop looking at each other.

  “It seems...impossible.” Lisa begins.

  “It is. It isn't.” Sue is laughing, relief and love making tears spill as she does.

  Lisa leans forward to embrace her. Their foreheads touch, damp with sweat and tears and water from fresh-washed hair.

  They kiss; warm and sweet and long.

  Both of them sit back after a minute, breathing heavily.

  “Sue...”

  “Lisa...”

  They kiss again, slower now; warm with savored closeness.

  “I love you, Sue.” Lisa says it first; her voice torn with sincerity.

  “I love you, too.” Sue agrees, choked with emotion.

  They embrace; bodies warm and close and solid in each other's arms.

  After a long while, Lisa's hands caress Sue's shoulders. Sue feels her fingers brush along Lisa's spine, the twin ridge of muscle and the chain of bone between.

  Lisa kisses her hair; her temple; her throat.

  “Lisa?”

  They look into each other's eyes; pale, iced blue meeting warm red-brown. They are both smiling.

  They kiss again, and Sue slides slowly to her feet, lifting Lisa with her.

  When they are standing, she tilts her head in the direction of the stairs, an enquiry in the tilt of it.

  Lisa smiles; a slow, warm, beautiful thing. Sue feels her body warm to it, and returns it in equal measure. Lisa breathes in, Sue's icy beauty leaving her as breathless as it ever does.

  “Ye
s.”

  They climb the stairs.

  In the bedroom, Sue has closed the blinds. The soft light is at its lowest setting; a pale gold glow that reflects softly off the cream-white cotton of the coverlet, the carpet, the paler white of the wall.

  Sue sits on the bed. Lisa crosses the room to join her; her eyes taking in the soft, pale beauty of Sue sitting on the bed in the half-light of the room.

  Sue's nightgown has slipped off her shoulder; the pale whiteness of it glowing like satin, as the gown slips lower, exposing the rising curve of her breast. The skin is lucent, pale-veined; precious. Lisa sinks down onto the bed beside her; kisses her shoulder, her ear, her throat. Moves lower.

  Sue gasps and leans back. Her fingers run across Lisa's back – teasing, searching, exciting – as Lisa leans down, slowly, to take Sue's breast in her mouth. The skin is soft, pale; warm. Lisa gasps and the sound of her strained breathing matches Sue's as she runs her fingers down Sue's back and leans in to kiss her breasts.

  They are lying on the bed now, Sue's nightgown undone. Lisa's body slides over hers, and Sue's fingers stroke down her chest; pushing aside the blood-dark satin so that, when they lie down, skin presses on skin.

  Sue's fingers caress Lisa's back as she kisses her throat, and Lisa leans in to kiss her mouth. Their hair has tumbled loose now, clouds of pale red and pale blonde mingling together as their lips caress each other's. Their bodies sliding together as one

  Lisa's thigh moves between Sue's, and she gasps.

  Sue's hands caress Lisa's sides, her throat; her back, as Lisa's fingers lightly brush her thighs.

  Sue gasps. Lisa's fingers slowly part her soaking folds and Lisa gasps too as she enters her.

  Then all is lost in the white-out of pleasure as skin slides over skin and lips meet and part and breasts and hips and thighs and the slide of curves and the pounding, searing, flowing, growing rhythm rises within them and spins them both to a place of pleasure beyond consciousness.

  It takes an age before either of them become aware again of the room around them; the cool night, the silence, the warm scented closeness of the room.

  “Sue?”

  “Mmm?”

  Lisa rolls over; kisses Sue's temple. Goes drifting back to sleep.

  Sue kisses her forehead, moves closer to her. They lie still for a while.

  “I love you.” Lisa murmurs it.

  “Love you, too.”

  Chapter 9

  “...And you'll be ready to meet after nine? Good. Great. I'll see you then.”

  Lisa is sitting in the kitchen at Sue's house. It is evening. She is wrapped in the red-dark nightgown, her hair loose around her shoulders. She has her mobile at her ear and is half-sitting on the table. The muted light from the lamps catches pale strands in her hair, and glows softly off the stone counter. The room is dark; the lights turned to their softest setting.

  Lisa has been here all day. After three nights and four days imprisoned, she is still too weak to walk much, and standing for more than a few minutes tires her. She is far too exhausted and depleted to work. But nothing can stop her telephoning.

  That morning, she spent nearly thirty minutes on the telephone to Mrs. Henderson in the front office at her firm; getting all the information about the case. Due to her absence, the hearing had been put forward a week, so it is still in two day's time.

  Lisa feels her body stiffen with the fresh demands of that, and the excitement of it. Two days. Two days to put everything she knows together, to construct a case against these men.

  So far, neither she nor Sue have given out the information that she is alive and safe at home. They think it is better if most people still assume her missing; although whoever it is who had her kidnapped must certainly know by now she is released.

  The people at Lisa's work know, too.

  “Good. Good. So don't get anything prepared before you've seen me. And don't let James do this case alone. Where is Althea?”

  Lisa is exhausted, but she still finds delight in the joyous chaos of her legal practice.

  “Right. Right. That's good. I'll see you tomorrow at nine.”

  She hangs up; sighs deeply. Smiles.

  She stands up slowly and wanders to the sitting-room, her legs still weak.

  Sue is sitting on the white couch, Mozart on softly over the speakers in the far right corner.

  Lisa smiles, just looking at her. Sue looks up; smiles back; the grub dazzling under ice-blue eyes.

  “That's that, then.” Lisa starts, her voice warm with satisfaction. “I'll have to be there tomorrow. Althea's off; James has a case tomorrow...and there's the hearing I'll be readying for.”

  Sue smiles, a frown of worry still somewhere, high on her unlined brow. Lisa is still weak.

  “Long day?” She asks. “You'll be alright? Dr White said you shouldn't move around too much for the next week or so.”

  Lisa grins, wryly. “We both know what we think of Dr White; except when he's useful.” Lisa smiles. “Besides, Ms Montmorency; I don't see you following his advice.”

  Sue grins. She spent the morning at work, her energy renewed; and had a successful fight with the shareholders. Cedric Brinkman, she remembers suddenly, was there this morning.

  “Well, his advice is just a recommendation, isn't it?”

  Sue lifts her shoulder in a half-shrug; grinning. Their eyes meet.

  “Recommendation indeed.”

  Lisa smiles, lowers herself into the seat opposite. “Anything interesting at work?” She asks after a moment.

  “Not so much,” Sue starts, “We made a very successful agreement with the shareholders...the starting price for shares in the new Bismuth mine area is going to be quite good.”

  Sue's voice is warmly satisfied.

  “Good.” Lisa smiles.

  “And you?”

  “Busy day.” Lisa rolls her eyes, and grins. “Spent an hour hearing from Titus; says the place went crazy, with the hearing scheduled and the lawyer missing...they decided to reschedule it for Thursday...in two day's time.”

  “That's soon.” Sue looks up, forehead creased with concern. “You shouldn't be exerting yourself like that.”

  “I'll be alright.” Lisa says, resolutely. “Just wish I could figure out some way of charging those two.”

  “Raju Patel and Cedric Brinkman?”

  Lisa nods.

  She has explained to Sue what she thinks happened; telling her all the overheard conversations and the new information she managed to gain while she was imprisoned. She and Sue have both considered all the information, and they have a clear picture in their minds of what had happened; both coming up with the same common conclusion. Raju Patel must have approached the car company to be ready to be charged with malpractice; they must have agreed to lose the case, in return for some of Raju Patel's inheritance.

  When it turned out that Lisa was the lawyer for the car-company, and that she was thinking things through and coming to the inevitable conclusion of foul play, they must have decided to remove her.

  “We know they're in it together,” Sue agrees, looking up, her hands linked in her lap, her eyes unfocused as she thinks; “...but how can you show it so they have to listen in court? What proof can you find?”

  “I don't know...that's just the trouble.” Lisa starts, grimly. Then pauses. “Unless...”

  She thinks a little longer, mind racing.

  “Sue!” She says after a while. “We know they meet at the old refinery hall, don't we?”

  “Yes.” Sue nods. Lisa has told her that from what she heard.

  “And we know that the guards expect them to meet again soon?”

  “Yes.” Sue confirms again.

  “How does this sound?” Lisa asks. She tells her the framework of an idea. Sue elaborates, pointing out some errors and refinements. The talk for a long time.

  After about an hour, Lisa leans back; a half-smile warm on her warm-toned lips.

  Sue is also smiling, a pale pink bow curved
up in sheer delight.

  “It's brilliant.” Lisa smiles.

  “It is brilliant.” Sue agrees.

  They nod.

  “I'll go and find those things, then?” Sue asks it. She half-rises, ready to go down to the basement where the car is parked.

  “Good. I'll call Steff. As her for what we need.”

  “Good.”

  The room is charged with excitement, plans of action, and hope. It is a brilliant plan.

  Chapter 10

  “How long do you think we should wait?”

  “Not sure.” Sue says it. “We waited until ten-thirty yesterday.”

  “Good. I'd say the same again, just to be sure?” Lisa asks it.

  “Yes.”

  Sue and Lisa are sitting in Lisa's dark-colored Volvo; the lights turned off and the engine silent. They are parked at the bottom of the hill, near where Lisa was kept in the disused storage house, but more to the East, where a cluster of disused buildings, pale and crumbling in the pale light of stars and the distant lights, is cast haphazardly across the lower hill.