Chapter Forty-three.

HERE THEY COME.

Scurrying backward, Owen heard something shaking the bushes to his left.

The gals?

No. They were tromping through the foliage in the same direction, but farther away.

It's that other guy.

No longer trapped in the thick shrubbery, Owen turned himself around, scrambled to his feet and dashed into the woods.

John ran close behind him. They were both gasping for air. Their shoes pounded the ground, crunching the undergrowth and snapping twigs The woods were awfully dark. Owen could see nothing except dim shapes of gray and black and a few pale speckles of moonlight.

He was risking a bad fall. Or a collision with a tree.

But at least he was putting distance between himself and the heavily armed women.

As the ground began to slope downward, he slowed his pace slightly.

They won't follow us this far, he thought.

Still running, he glanced over his shoulder.

Nothing back there except a dark, wooded hillside.

We left 'em in the dust.

Hell, they probably never did more than take a little stroll through the shrubs.

If we give them a few more minutes, he thought, they'll be back in the water.

How about going back for a return visit?

Not a good idea. That'd really be pushing our luck.

Better not mention it to John. He'll have us going back there for sure.

John?

Slowing down to an easy jog, Owen again looked behind him.

He saw the dark, wooded slope, but he didn't see John.

Or hear him.

No thudding of shoes, no huffing of breath.

Where'd he go?

Probably couldn't keep up with me, Owen thought. The fat slob. Must've stopped to rest. Or maybe he tripped or something.

Owen walked over to a tree, turned around, then leaned back against its trunk to wait for John. He was out of breath, himself. His clothes were clinging to him, and sweat trickled down his face. He wiped his face with a sleeve of his shirt.

Okay, Cromwell, where are you?

What'd you do, decide to take a nap?

Owen gazed at the hillside rising above him and expected to see his obnoxious friend come chugging down it at any second, shirt flapping, camera swinging by its strap.

Tuck, holding her .44 magnum high, climbed down into the steaming water. "I got pricked so many times," she said, "I feel like a two-dollar whore."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Eve crouched and placed her pistol on top of the towel.

She's not taking it in with her, Dana noted. Even though the weapon would still be within easy reach, it seemed like a good sign that Eve was willing to let go of it.

So Dana squatted down over her purse and slipped her pistol inside. Then she followed Eve into the spa. The water, she supposed, was every bit as hot as before. But it didn't seem to bum her this time.

Its heat took away her shivers and seemed to soften the tightness of her muscles. It even made her scratches feel better.

"Think he'll be back?" Tuck asked.

"You never know," Eve said. "I bet we gave him a hell of a scare."

"Also gave him a hell of a show," Dana pointed out.

"He probably won't be back tonight, anyway," Eve said.

"Took off like a scalded monkey." Tuck set her revolver on the ledge and picked up her wine glass. It was nearly empty.

"Too bad he waited so long," Eve said. "Could've saved us from getting scratched all to hell in those bushes."

"You would've gone in anyway," Tuck said, then drained her glass. "You'll go in anywhere."

"Maybe not anywhere."

"I was afraid you might take off after him."

"I gave it some thought," Eve admitted.

"He sounded big," Dana said.

Eve shrugged her bare shoulders. Dana noticed a few red scratches on them, and some faint scars as if she'd done this sort of thing before. "I wasn't worried about that. But I didn't want to go chasing him through the woods and leave you two behind. He might've circled back..."

"If you'd tried to chase him," Tuck said, "I would've tackled you."

"Fat chance."

"Okay, maybe not. So I would've told my big buddy Bullwinkle to do it."

Eve looked at Dana. "Bullwinkle?"

"That's me."

"Well, you're about my size. I'm sure you could tackle me if you set your mind to it."

"That's why I keep her around," Tuck explained. "Now, everybody stay put. The night's still young. I'll get us a new bottle." She set her glass out of the way, then hurled herself out of the spa. Dripping, not even bothering to grab a towel, she ran naked into the house.

Eve said to Dana, "You actually broke your evening short so you could come back and watch out for Lynn?"

"Afraid so."

That takes some real loyalty."

"I knew she'd come out here."

"I had my suspicions, too."

"Glad you came by," Dana told her.

"I messed up, though. I should've scouted around first thing...with my flashlight.

"Oh, well, no harm done."

"I'm not so sure of that. We really did give the guy an eyeful. He'll be back for sure, sooner or later."

"You'll have to keep coming back to protect us."

"You mind?"

"Not at all."

"Maybe I'll use some of my comp time, take a few nights off and keep coming over till I manage to nail him."

"Really?".

"Sure."

"That's a lot of trouble."

"No big deal. Hey, I don't have enough friends to let stuff happen to them."

Staring into Eve's eyes, Dana nodded.

"I look out for my friends," Eve said. "And I destroy my enemies."

"Glad you're on our side."

"I'll get this guy. Maybe tomorrow night..."

"Tomorrow night, we won't be here."

Eve looked puzzled. Then her face seemed to light up. "Oh! Of course not. The Midnight Tour. You're going, too?"

"I thought I'd give it a try."

"That'll be fun"

"Have you ever done it?"

"A few times. It's terrific."

"Here comes the vino," Tuck announced, hurrying toward them.

She held a bottle of red wine in one hand, a cork screw in the other. A few strides from the edge of the spa, she stopped, bent over slightly and clamped the bottle between her thighs. "Ah! That's cold!"

"Don't do anything obscene with it," Eve said.

Laughing, Tuck wrapped her left hand around the neck of the bottle. "I'm not that kinda girl," she said. With her right hand, she started twisting the screw into the cork. "So what did I miss?" she asked.

"I was just telling Dana that I'll take a few nights off work and try to catch this guy."

"Good deal!"

"And I mentioned about tomorrow night," Dana added.

"Ah. Yeah." Tuck twisted the screw deeper. "Dana's gonna try the tour."

"So she tells me."

"How about you, Eve? Wanta come along, too?"

"Wouldn't mind. You sure there's room?"

"For you, there's always room. Just make sure you wear your uniform." She grunted and tugged, legs squeezing the bottle hard, tremors shaking her body. "The guests... love it." With a sucking pomp!, the cork sprang out. Tuck's arm leaped high. "Got it!"

"Bravo!" Eve said.

Dana clapped.