THE REVENGE OF MIGUEL BAIN

by KC

Route 1 – the Coast Road – out of Carmel is a beautiful, drive. The highway twists and turns, allowing you to watch gorgeous pine trees and spectacular ocean views; it's usually great for a leisurely ride south. But not today, unfortunately. Two cars, one a flashy convertible, the other a nondescript rental, were weaving in and out of the tourist traffic at high speeds, one obviously chasing the other. The drivers left a trail of dented fenders and cursing motorists as they sped down the highway, dangerously cutting across lanes and around slower vehicles.

As Electra maneuvered the convertible through the traffic, her panic level increased. If that Tonali woman ever caught up to her—and she had no doubt that CC was behind her, somewhere. Her anxiety was caught by the cat in the carrier on the front seat beside her, as Pearl mewed and stirred restlessly. "Hang in there, girl, we'll get home soon and everything will be all right (God, I hope)," Electra murmured. "This traffic is murder today, damn tourists." She swung out to pass a lumbering motorhome, flooring the gas pedal and swerving back to avoid a line of cars moving north. "Slow down, slow down, you've lost her; she'll never catch up – if she's back there."

Several miles back in heavy traffic, Miguel gripped the steering wheel of the rental car grimly. "Shit, we will never catch her, what the hell is it with all these people?" he growled. "What do you think is going on with her?" CC sat calmly beside him, occasionally suggesting a maneuver to get around slower vehicles. "This is not only the only major road around here, Miguel, it's a real popular tourist route. My guess would be that someone - probably your friend Rath - has connected me to you," she said. "And I'm damn sure that I don't like anyone knowing that fact. Seems like I'm heading for trouble here – if your driving doesn't kill me, will Rath?"

"My goal right now is to get only one person killed," Miguel responded. "And if I can't get moving here, we will never catch her! Do you have an address, anything in that book of yours?" CC didn't reply.

The frustrations of both drivers were compounded by a series of short delays, at several spots in the road that were under reconstruction. Electra waited impatiently at the head of a long line of vehicles waiting at one of the temporary stoplights. As she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, she stared unseeing at the sharp cliffs tumbling down to the Pacific. "Pearl, if she's back there, there's no way she can catch us, I know there isn't!" We just have to concentrate on getting home, and everything will be OK," she whispered. As the light switched to green, she shifted and roared across the bridge, the tires of the convertible glancing off a temporary guardrail between the lanes.

Miguel drove steadily, and cursed steadily as he also swerved in and out of the opposite lane. "Can you see her? She shouldn't be too far ahead. Damnit, do all Americans drive these houses on wheels?" CC was becoming more tense, leaning forward to watch the traffic ahead of them. "I don't see the car – wait, there it is! She's about 8 cars up. Jesus, Miguel, do you see what's out my window here? NOTHING! Be careful; you'll send us off the road and down a cliff before we can get to her!" she cried as Bain roared around another motorhome.

CalTrans biggest repair job is at the beautiful Burns Creek Bridge. The old suspension bridge crosses a wide creek spilling into the ocean, with spectacular views of mountains on one side and sea on the other. It's also a dangerous area, made even more so with the huge construction cranes and highway workers who now compete for the narrow crossing space with everything from motorcycles to huge semis. Electra glanced around nervously as she approached the temp light at the north side of the bridge; it was red. She waited impatiently, taking huge gulps of air to try to calm herself. As the Burns light turned green, she looked in her rearview mirror, and shrieked. "Oh, shit, Pearl, is that her? It is! Oh no, no, what the hell am I going to do?"

Electra again floored the pedal, accelerating rapidly as she began to cross the bridge. She probably would have made it, too, but for several unhappy coincidences. As she reached mid-bridge, she once again scraped her tires against the guardrail. Although she corrected quickly, the collision and subsequent jerk of the convertible sent Pearl into a frenzy. As Electra reached to try to calm her pet, the beeper in her purse went off once again. In a panic, she tried to grab the purse with her right hand; as she did so, Pearl reached out a paw and clawed. Electra jerked the steering wheel to the right as she tried to get out of Pearl's reach – and then looked up, screaming helplessly as the convertible went through the ocean-side rail at the south end of the bridge and plunged to the rocks below. The car burst into flames on impact, killing her instantly. Miraculously, the padded pet carrier was thrown free of the wreck, landing on the rocks at the midpoint of the cliff.

Miguel and CC didn't see what happened, but heard the crash and subsequent explosion. Miguel quickly pulled the rental to the highway shoulder; CC had her door open and was running down the road before he managed to stop the car. As she got to the head of the bridge, she could see the flames, and the work crew gathered at the other end of the bridge. "What make was that car? Did you see?" she breathlessly asked a man watching the fire. "It was a convertible, woman driving. She just sailed right off the bridge, poor soul," he answered. CC leaned against the rail and took a deep breath. So Electra, you got yours – finally, she thought. And you did it to yourself. Why the hell don't I feel better about this?

As Miguel reached the bridge, a California Highway Patrol car pulled up at the opposite end and stopped. The flames from the car were still leaping into the air, and traffic was backing up steadily in both directions as drivers abandoned their cars to watch. "Was it her?" he demanded, grabbing CC's arm. "Damn, look at that – she's gone, for sure!"

"Yeah, it was her," CC replied softly. She pulled away from Miguel's grasp and started to move across the bridge. "Where are you going? We need to get out of here," he called after her. "I want to see," she tossed back as she again broke into a run. "Oh, wow, look!"

"What? WHAT?" Miguel yelled. "What the hell are you doing?" CC was at the far end of the bridge, pulling at a construction worker's arm, pointing to the rocks below them. "Damn woman, she will be the death of me yet!" he muttered as he crossed the span. As he reached the small crowd at the south end of the bridge, he could hear CC yelling at the workers. "Don't you see, LOOK down there, there's some sort of animal – I can see it!" Miguel grabbed her arm. "What? What do you see?" She tore away from him and began to walk to the end of the bridge. "Look, Miguel, it's the cat carrier, that cat is down there, and I think it's alive!" Miguel followed, pushing through the gathering crowd. "Where are you going, CC, wait, what are you going to do? SHIT, woman!" he hollered after her.

"Lady, you're freakin' nuts," a CalTrans worker called. "Nothing, and I mean nothing could survive that. Wait – did you KNOW that person? What's going on here?"

"I can see it moving – look, there, don't you see?" CC screamed in frustration. She moved around the worker and headed for a steep, overgrown path leading from the end of the bridge – ignoring the shouts of the people behind her.

"Christ, look, she's going down there, somebody stop her," another worker yelled. The CHP officer took off after her, slipping and falling at the top of the path, and then returning to the road. Miguel stood, watching, as CC steadily climbed down the cliff towards the carrier. The officer suddenly appeared in front of him. "Sir, is she with you? Do you know whoever was in that car?" Miguel thought rapidly and replied, "Yes, she is with me, and no, I have no idea who was in the car; my companion is truly an animal lover, she was determined to get whatever that is, and I could not stop her. I hope she will not be in trouble officer?" he smiled slightly as he spoke.

"It's too dangerous for a woman to go down there," the cop replied sternly. "Well, you do not know this woman, sir," Miguel grinned, and turned to watch as CC leaned over an outcropping and grabbed the carrier. A cheer went up from the crowd on the bridge above her as she turned and began to slowly move up the path, cradling the carrier in her arms. As she reached the top, several onlookers and workers grabbed her and hauled her back onto the bridge. "I did it!" she crowed. "And look, it's a cat – it's alive!" Miguel could hear Pearl squalling as he reached for the carrier. "Great, wonderful, I'm so glad – now let's get the hell out of here. The cop is suspicious of us already."

A small line of people followed Miguel and CC as they recrossed the bridge. She turned a brilliant smile on the patrolman. "Officer, we were heading for Point Reyes, to a business dinner, but we will not be able to make it now. Could you help us get turned around so we can return to Carmel?" The man frowned for a second, and then returned her smile. "Of course ma'am, but I need to tell you that you just did something very foolish for the sake of a dumb animal! You could have been killed yourself. Your friend says you just did this because you love animals? Did you know the driver of that car?"

CC continued to smile, and poured on the charm. "Oh, officer, I know it was foolish, but I could see the cat moving, I knew it was alive – I have excellent eyesight. I couldn't leave it to die! No, no, I have no idea who that poor person was in the car; it's just a terrible tragedy, isn't it?" She kept moving steadily up the road, Miguel and the patrolman following, towards the rental car. "Please, could you help us? We need to get back to town and call our business associate – he'll be so worried." Miguel watched her performance with admiration; the patrolman hurried to motion cars out of the way as CC carefully placed the still-screaming Pearl in the back seat of the car. "Oh, thank you so very much – we really appreciate it, Officer. You have been so helpful and kind. 'Bye, now!"

Miguel pulled smoothly out into the northbound lane of the highway, "That was some performance, sweetie!" he laughed. "Do you always use your, ah, feminine wiles to get your way? And, please tell me what the hell we are going to do with this cat?"

"Why Miguel," CC purred. "You know as much about my feminine wiles as any man, what do you think? And, the cat here, my friend, is the key to the winning move in your little battle with Rath!"

Robert Rath looked out the window at the road below the house. He had paged Electra 20 minutes ago; there had been no answer. Had something gone wrong? He paced, wondering if the pilot had somehow been able to detain Electra at the airport. Halting n front of the computer, he looked down at Miguel's last move…Bain, alive – and seemingly in the United States. It was unbelievable, incredible. How could someone survive those shots? And he'd made a fast recovery, judging from the game in progress. Forgetting Electra, the cat, the time, he sat down again and started to type, trying to trace a backwards path through cyberspace…

Miguel enjoyed a calmer drive back up Route 1. Electra's crash had brought all northbound traffic to a halt, and the road was clear ahead of the car. "So, what do we do now?" he asked CC. "Take this creature back to the New Mexico zoo?"

CC smiled absently, gazing out the passenger window. "Well, yeah, we do, Miguel. OH! You still don't get it, do you?"

"No, sweetie, I don't – give me a hint. How can this cat possibly help me catch up with Rath? And what can it do for me once I do catch up with him?"

CC turned her attention from the window. "Once Rath realizes that Electra is gone, he will think I had something to do with it. From what she told me during our little trip, he is just as batty about that cat as she was, and he will want her back. He can easily find me, so we have to be ready and waiting. What do you intend to do?"

"Kill him," Miguel responded succinctly. "But, you forget, I have also left a little trail for him to follow. So why do we need the cat?"

"Insurance. Do you really think Rath would come after you? If I were him, I'd just sit and wait for you to come out of hiding again, once I realized you were alive. With Pearl here, there is valuable insurance, assurance that he'll be looking for me. And he won't be expecting to see you…" CC turned back to the window, gazing thoughtfully.

"What's the matter – you seem a little unhappy," Miguel said. "I would think you'd be dancing with joy, your enemy is gone."

"I thought I would be, too, Miguel," she murmured. "I don't know if it's because I didn't really have a hand in it – no, that's not it. I just don't know."

"Not developing a conscience, are we?" Miguel taunted softly. "That is not the tough woman I have come to know. And it's not as if we are responsible for what's-her-name's death, now, is it?"

"Listen, Miguel, when do you think all this is going to happen?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"Soon, CC, soon. But, first, Bobby needs to know that his little sweetheart is gone, and he needs a few more hints as to where to find me…" Miguel's voice trailed off as he thought. "We will send a message before we leave for home, then kick back and wait for him. It will be a fine trap – and I will be ready."

Rath dies, CC thought. And who else gets hurt in the process? Me? Miguel? I care about this man, I don't want to, but I do. And I think I'm heading for more trouble than I've ever had in my life…is this worth it? Am I too late to even ask myself a question like that?

The pair reached the airport without incident; CC dropped Miguel off at the plane and went to turn in the rental car. As she walked across the tarmac, she saw Miguel sitting on the steps, typing furiously on the laptop.

"Here, how does this sound?" he crowed as she reached him.

CC climbed to the stair above him and leaned over his shoulder to look at the screen. "Rath, you bastard, I am desolate at the sad news - your ladyfriend met with an untimely accident this afternoon – she really was a very poor driver, you know. Such a shame, isn't it? However, you will be pleased to hear that your damn cat survived, and is receiving tender, loving care." The message continued with more taunts and everything but an address for CC's cabin. "I'll be waiting for you, Bobby, and then we will see who gets to make Fadlan's last move…"

"What do you think? CC? What is wrong with you – answer me!"

"I guess it's fine, you're going to send it anyway, so my opinion doesn't matter," CC muttered, and rose to enter the cockpit of the plane.

Miguel clicked on the Send button, then rose and followed her into the cool, shadowy cabin. "Hey, wait a minute, what the hell is wrong with you, chica? I thought you were in this with me."

"DON'T call me chica – I'm not a little girl. And nothing is the matter," she yelled, suddenly furious with him, and with herself.

"OK, OK, sorry, but talk to me – what is eating you?" he said softly.

"I…we…oh hell, I don't know," she cried in frustration. "Look, Bain, maybe this isn't such a hot idea – what happens after Rath gets to New Mexico? Are we going to sit on the front porch with a rifle? Do we stake out Main Street in the truck and wait for him? And what happens after you shoot his sorry ass? Do you ride off into the sunset? I need to understand what's going to go down here."

"Why? Are you afrai…you are afraid, aren't you?" His eyes narrowed, grew colder. "If you are not with me 100%, all the way, then I will leave and do this myself. I don't need you – I don't need anyone. You want to understand? Then understand this. I have spent the better part of the last year positioning myself for this moment – when Rath dies, I am in control, I am unbeatable, I am…"

"Oh, shut up with the big macho man talk, Miguel," she interrupted. "I'm not afraid – I'm concerned, for you AND for me. What are you talking about? So big freaking deal, you will be in charge - what does that get you? Big bucks, fame, what? I don't understand." She moved closer to him and grabbed his arm.

"I swore that this was none of my business, that I would say nothing, but damnit! I don't think I can stand by and let this happen. You're not in the best shape, you know, never mind that you have NO idea of what's outside the little world you've been living in the past few weeks – what if you need to track him? Can you do that? You wouldn't even know where to start! I don't think you could do it. And you'd probably both die before you could even find each other! What the hell do I do if he gets to you first? I'm not ready to die for you or for anyone else. And I don't want you to die!"

She stopped, horrified at her loss of control. "Damn you, you are making me say things I don't want to, feel things I don't want to – maybe you should just take your chances without me - leave me alone, OK?" She turned away so that he would not see the mortifying tears that were forming. "I can't handle this. I think this partnership is at an end, Bain."

"Fine. It's at an end." CC heard him move back to the front of the plane and stomp down the steps. She dropped her head against the passenger seat and fought back the tears. This is terrific, my responsibilities are over, I've made lots of money for very little work, she thought. Do not, DO NOT go after him, it's better this way. No ties, no emotions, life back to normal. Get up there, get this baby fired up and get the hell home.

She wiped her eyes, turned to move to the cockpit and screamed. "Miguel – Jesus, you scared the shit out of me! What are you doing back here?"

Miguel watched her silently. The killer's face was gone; replaced by something almost – almost tender. "Do you care what happens to me? Do you really, CC?"

"Of course I do, you stupid ass – can't you see that?"

"CC, Rath is blind with rage right now, he won't be thinking straight – he will die and I will live. And you are involved, totally involved. If I were to leave you alone, he'd still come after you. I told you, trust is hard, impossible for me. However, I do trust you." Miguel moved closer, cupping her face with one hand. "I have not even thought beyond killing Rath, until now. I have no idea what I will do. But I do know that I want to live, and that I want you. Is that enough?. Do you believe me? Do you trust me? We can figure out the rest when this is over." CC looked at him without answering.

"And, OK, I lied, I do need you. I need your knowledge," he continued. "You know the land, the – what do you call it – the territory, I don't; you can help me. And, er, you, well…you see, I have become accustomed to…"

CC suddenly erupted in laughter, "Miguel, you look like a little boy! Are you going to start scuffing your toe in the dirt and blushing?" she teased. "What are you trying to say – you love me for my mind? Or my body? Hmmm, chico???"

His hand moved to her neck, caressing, then lower to cup her breast. "Chico? You think I am a little boy? Ah, please, allow me to show you that I am not."

"Stop that! We're having a knock-down, drag-out fight here, remember?" she smiled. "You don't want to ruin our fun now, do you?"

"Noooo," Miguel drawled softly. "I want to have a little more fun. And this kind of fun is much more interesting, don't you think?" He leaned forward and kissed her, drawing back slightly to trace her lips with his tongue. "Am I forgiven, querida? Am I? I want you, I want all of you, now." He sank slowly to the floor of the cabin, pulling her down on top of him. "This is so much better than a fight, don't you agree? Here, let me help you with these clothes – you won't need them for a while."

"Just like that, huh? You walk away and then walk back and expect me to fall into your arms?" CC said. She raised herself slightly, glaring at him. "Forgive you? I don't know, Bain." He watched her, smiling, his hands playing over her body. As she stared down at him, the smile widened, and her face softened. Arching slightly so that he could remove her pants and bikinis, she murmured, "I may or may not forgive you, but I am definitely interested in the fun you propose…" She helped him remove his jeans, and he drove into her forcefully, laughing. "This is what you like, you're on top, now you can be in control, yes?"

"I would rather lose control, Bain, and you know how to make me do it," she whispered, rocking, teasing him, letting him fill her. "You know exactly how to do it…"

Losing track of time, Rath typed steadily, following the outrageous clues that his chess partner had left. He ignored the Email flag flashing persistently in the corner of his screen, concentrating on tracing the path that Bain – if it was Bain – had laid. He finally gave in and retrieved several new messages.

"Rath, you bastard, I am desolate at the sad news - your ladyfriend met with an untimely accident this afternoon – she really was a very poor driver, you know. Such a shame, isn't it? However, you will be pleased…" Rath jumped up, sending his chair flying across the room, running for the door. He started his car and flew down the hill, pausing only briefly before turning onto the highway and tearing north. As he drove, he punched random buttons on his stereo receiver. Music, a sports call-in show, and finally an all-news station.

"To recap our lead story, an unidentified motorist died late this afternoon when her car plunged off Highway 1 at the Burns Creek Bridge. Although the identity of the driver is not known, witnesses to the accident reported to the California Highway Patrol that a woman was definitely at the wheel of the red convertible, which hit the temporary guardrail separating traffic across the bridge, and …" Rath abruptly swung his car off the road, dropping his head on the steering wheel. "I'll kill that bastard, kill him and that bitch pilot, too!"

CC and Miguel's flight back to New Mexico was uneventful. They settled in to wait -- and wait. Several quiet days passed, with no contact from Rath. Pearl became accustomed to her new home, immediately making friends with Cyber, and delighting in tormenting Papa.

"Look at that cat," CC grinned one morning. "She's really got Papa's number – she just lies under the cage and watches him, it's driving him nuts." As she spoke the bird leaned through the bars of the cage and screamed "I'm gonna get you Motherfucker!!" Pearl seemed to smile up at him, twitching her tail lazily. "I think she's a great addition to the family, don't you, Miguel?"

"And what family would that be?" Miguel asked guardedly. He was increasingly on edge, wondering where Rath was, when he would make a move. "Do you consider me to be a part of your little menagerie? I don't think I like that, sweetie."

"Why, whatever family you want it to be, Bain. I was referring to my pets, actually, not you," she replied coolly. "This is a stupid subject to fight over – let's not start. We're both nervous, Miguel, but you know that whatever is going to happen will happen; you can't control all the circumstances."

"Si, I know, querida, and it is making me crazy. Where the hell is he? I don't think I can sit around much longer, waiting like this."

"I'm wondering the same thing myself, do we have a Plan B?" she asked brightly. He glared at her silently, and then walked out the door of the cabin. Well, hell, I guess we don't, she thought. When would this end?

CC left the cabin a short time later, moving to keep the cat and dog inside and found Miguel sitting on the porch railing. "Miguel, we're running low on stuff – I have to go to town. Do you want to go with me?"

He thought for a moment. "No, I think I will stay here. You will be careful, please…keep your eyes open."

"I will, I will, don't worry about me." She leaned over, kissed him, and walked to the truck.

"I mean it – watch yourself. Bobby may be here already," Miguel called after her. She answered with a casual wave as she turned the truck towards the road.