Where Fox and Hare say Goodnight 3

The Learjet took some four hours to get the stags and hens to Kirkenes, and the flight was more or less quiet and pleasant. Bishop and Billy Burgess found out that they had both served during the Second Gulf War and though the one had been stationed on a corvette in the Mediterranean whilst the other had been in the supply lines at Saudi Arabia, they both sounded as if they had taken Kuwait City single-handedly. Bishop had been so occupied by talking to Billy that he had even neglected flirting with Lalita. To her slight surprise, she had felt a little disappointed and so, she had withdrawn with Samantha to plan the further party whilst emptying the next bottle of Champaign.

In a double seat, Cordelia felt happy and slightly guilty at the same time. Happy because she sat cuddled against David who had promised to protect her in her sleep, though she was still awake. Guilty because she felt that David would have preferred going a bit wild with the boys and only behaved decently because he obviously thought that she expected him to do so.

»Soon, you are of the hook«, she thought. And then, though this thought was something none of them had ever addressed, she added:

»Maybe, there will be another stag night in the near future – with you as the protagonist!«

Ravi felt a bit like a bone or a chewing toy given to two dogs. Aboard the plane, there was he and also the co-pilot who had little to do once the plane had departed. So, it would have been no problem that one of them courted Lioba and the other Veronique. Ravi had admired Lioba since she had become Mike`s girlfriend back then, and Veronique, though a few years older than him, was also a very attractive woman. In addition, he had to admit that he considered the French woman`s »open-mindedness«, to put it mildly, rather arousing than appalling. So, he wouldn`t have called any of the two a second place.

However, it seemed that, though Lioba was actually Dr. Lioba Karnstein and Veronique also had a college degree, the two had decided to behave like puppies who growled and barked once one had a toy, though there were enough around for each of them to play.

At least, the two protagonists seemed to be happy. Once the jet had reached its final altitude, Mike, who had a pilot´s license, albeit only for small planes, and who was only slightly drunk, had been allowed to steer the plane for some time. Then, the spectacle of flying directly into the sunrise had unified the whole group in awe, even Lioba and Veronique had buried the hatchet for a few minutes and taken photos.

After that, Isabelle had complained that her pillow was too inconvenient and that she needed his armpit instead. Now, she was sleeping soundly, slightly snoring and drooling over his chest whilst he had somehow managed to get his hand under her sweater, so he could feel her breast. He looked down on her, and with his free hand, he gently brushed a curl from her forehead.

»Mrs. Dunbar«, he whispered. Isabelle made a small sound, blinked and looked up to him. She had drool on her chin and her skin had reddened where it had rested on his chest, but somehow, he loved her the most if she was in such a state of imperfection.

»Mhhm, don`t stare at me, I look horrible!«, she complained, lolling around so he had to distort his hand to not lose contact with her breast.

»I thought you did so on purpose, to protect me from getting blind!«

»Eh?«

»Above the clouds, so close to all the Gods and angels that created you-«

Isabelle let out a strange mixture of a yawn, an annoyed groan and a deep sigh.

»Maybe, I should make that part of my marriage vows: that I will stay with you as long as it takes you to make a compliment that isn`t corny. Or till the end of our days, whatever comes first!«

Mike playfully pinched her hardened nipple and stifled her gasp with a kiss. Isabelle kissed him back and reared up to feel his hand more. Then, however, she withdrew from him.

»We are not married yet, Mr. Dunbar!«

»So, you are playing hard to get, even before I say ›Yes‹? What if I run away from the altar?«

Isabelle cocked her head.

»Then, I would still get half of your money, because we would be already civilly married by then. And if I wanted to keep you from running away, all I had to do was to lower my cleavage. Then, you would stumble over your ›third leg‹ and wouldn`t get very far!«

Ostentatiously, Mike turned his face towards the window.

»You are playing with my feelings, Wifey!«

Isabelle patted his shoulder.

»I thought you`d only find out after the marriage! Well, I will now go to the bathroom and when I come back, I will get you a coffee, like a good Wifey does!«

She bent over him, kissed his ear and whispered:

»Or would you prefer some ice cubes – for your – feelings?«

Half an hour later, the plane landed on the little airport of Kirkenes. The air was quite chilly and despite it being 9am in local time, it was still quite dark, for the long Polar Night was about to begin. Lalita and Samatha seemed to have successfully finished the Champaign, for they had their arms hooked into each other and were staggering down the stairs whilst trying to spell »Aurora Borealis« correctly.

»My little sister!«, Ravi murmured, shaking his head. Mike could have told him that Lalita had shown toughness and bravery when she had been confronted by a bunch of criminals, but instead, he just replied:

»We will tell everyone she`s from Pakistan!«

This time, he did not carry Isabelle, but just kept his arm around her. He whispered:

»If necessary, we will also pretend that you never had a sister – or an aunt!«

Now, a red van approached. On it´s side, big white letters promised »Polar Paradise«, followed by »Kirkenes Spas and Resorts« and a long phone number. A blonde woman exited. She was tall and looked like she was working at a bank, with her tight, knee-length skirt, the matching business jacket over her white blouse and her tight bun and glasses. Only her coloured scarf and her friendly smile softened the strict appearance.

»Welcome to Norway!«, she said in an English that had almost no accent. Then, she spotted Lalita and approached her.

»Miss Singh, I presume?«

Lalita stood straight and saluted.

»A-Aurora – hick! – Brollealiss!«

Beside her, Samantha cringed with laughter and Isabelle buried her face on Mike`s chest. The woman raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows, but she kept up her smile and shook Lalita`s hand.

»I am Kristin! I will now get you to your apartment and I will also be responsible for your well-being during the next four days!«

The co-pilot assisted Kristin to stow the girls` luggage, so they could say Goodbye to the boys. Cordelia kissed David and said:

»Have some fun! We are not at Edinburgh!«

Both she and David were scholars at the University. They were both adults and their relationship wasn`t a secret, but whilst on the campus, they were obliged to behave decently and even holding hands in public felt like a minor insurrection.

Mike and Isabelle took the opportunity to kiss for the last time in a few days, and both Lioba and Veronique dodged the ceremony, so they could get the seats in the van that were the most apart from each other. Samantha had rushed to the bathroom and Lalita now approached Bishop, a determined expression on her face.

»Aurora Borealis!«, she said in a steady voice and shook his hand. Then, she spun around and pranced towards the van, ruining her exit a bit as she stumbled over a stone and nearly landed on the ground. When the women had left, Bishop looked at the other four men.

»Well, stags, follow me!«

They walked towards a parking lot. Here, a khaki-coloured Land Rover Defender was waiting for them.

»So, our spa has the less assiduous service, I presume!«, Billy complained as they were stowing their luggage inside the car. Bishop grinned.

»Who said anything about a spa? We are going on a real adventure!«

***

The water in the little lake was perfectly clear, but also ice cold. However, that didn`t keep Colleen from doing her morning swimming routine after she had done an early patrol through the terrain. She shot through the water like a seal, and though there was no one to see, she loved to refute yet another cliché about Blacks and their inability to swim. Colleen hadn`t bothered to put on a neoprene suit; in fact, she hadn`t even put on a bikini. She knew that this lake was not only within the restricted area, but only accessible via a steep path and she would have noticed anyone who might have approached before he had even assumed she was there.

She now slowly emerged from the water, brushing her hair out of her face in the gesture Ursula Andress had perfectionated. Now, she felt the chilly air on her bare skin, but she now started her Karate workout and soon, she had warmed up again. Suddenly, Colleen stopped and rose her head.

The sound was faint and still far away, but it was the sound of a car´s engine. Colleen frowned. The only path accessible for a car, albeit only for a Jeep, was the abandoned hut some 800 yards away. But who would try to get there? The Police, looking for smugglers? Or another group of Russian spies?

Two minutes later, a fully dressed Colleen was carefully approaching the little clearing. She had inspected the hut soon after her arrival. It had been in good shape, but there had been nothing of interest. As usual in such cold and remote areas, it hadn`t been locked up, so someone who had gotten lost and was looking for shelter could get inside. Also, there had been a supply of logs and some canned food, so the potential wanderer could light a fire and eat. However, the dust and other traces had told Colleen that nobody had been here for some months.

From her hideout, she now saw a Land Rover slowly approach and stop in front of the hut. Then, a group of men got out of it one by one. Colleen counted five, and she wondered what kind of group this was.

The driver was a man with grey hair wearing an olive sweater. He moved as if he had a military background, but he obviously didn`t suspect being watched, for he now lit a cigar and pointed towards the hut with a grandiose gesture. Colleen couldn`t hear what he was saying, but she was sure that the language he used was English.

The second man was even older. He was overweight and balding and sported a checkered shirt and a white cloth hat. He was followed by a tall man who looked a bit gauchely, and a smaller one in a bright red Norwegian pullover. The last man was dark-skinned: Colleen guessed that he was South Asian.

»Now, either they are a group of hunters who have missed the end of the season, or the NATO really has problems in finding proper soldiers!«

The men now unloaded the car, and Colleen frowned. If they were hunters or fishermen, where was their equipment. She could spot some ordinary bags and suitcases, but no rifles or fishing rods. There was some clinking, accompanied by laughing and talking: now, the men were unloading several boxes of beer.

Beside the hut there was a small flagpole and Colleen now watched as the two old men and the small one improvised a military ceremony and hoisted a Union Jack whilst the tall one and the Asian had their hands at their mouths, trying to produce sounds that had some resemblance to a trumpet. Colleen shook her head.

»If this is the best the Europeans have to offer, it will be us who have to save the Western World – again!«

***

Linnea had to oppress panting and she literally feared that Olesya could hear her bumping heart as the Russian inspected her bonds. After they had locked Linnea inside her cell the evening before, they had left the cuffs and the gag inside and before Olesya had entered the room, she had ordered Linnea to cuff and gag herself. Now, the Russian inspected if her captive had done so properly. Linnea forced herself to feign calmness and she just hoped that Olesya wouldn`t notice one specific detail.

During the night, Linnea had inspected her bonds. The handcuffs had looked like the ones she knew from her Police training, whilst the gag was something she had never seen before. However, she had then noticed one detail; a detail that could maybe help her escape.

At the centre of the panel that covered her mouth, a small metal ring was dangling from an eyelet. Linnea had no idea of its purpose, but it looked exactly like a key ring, and so, she could remove it from the eyelet. She had then tried to bend and form the wire, until she had gotten a more or less straight piece. With that, she had tried the cuff`s locks again and again, and finally, she had managed to unlock them with her makeshift key.

Now, with her wrists and ankles cuffed and the gag buckled firmly over her mouth, she waited for Olesya`s inspection to come to an end, hoping the Russian would neither notice the missing ring at the gag, nor the wire hidden between her fingers.

Linnea was so concentrated on not betraying herself that she hardly reacted when Olesya cupped her breasts and massaged them.

»You are getting less reluctant, Blondie!«

Olesya laughed and slapped her panty-clad buttocks. The girl blushed, but at the same time, she let out a fluttering breath of relief. Olesya hadn`t noticed anything!

Only able to take small steps with her cuffed ankles, Linnea had to step onto the corridor. To her surprise, she wasn`t brought to the lounge, but to some stairs. She felt a gush of cold air and could see an open door, obviously leading outside. Still, there was no sign of Milena and Nastja. Olesya exaggeratedly cringed her nose.

»You smell, Blondie! Unfortunately, we don`t have a shower here, but that`s no excuse for neglecting cleanliness! Now, get up the stairs!«

Bound as she was, Linnea had no other choice than to hop. She knew how this caused her ample breasts to bounce, and in addition, Olesya`s hand on her buttocks seemed not only to be there to prevent her from slipping. When she had passed the eight steps, Linnea`s chest was heaving and despite the cold, she felt sweat on her forehead.

She now stood on the grass and could see two flat concrete barracks building an »L«, with the watchtower on the end of the one they had just left. Olesya pointed at a plastic bucket.

»As said, it`s a bit frugal, but at least, we have warm water!«

She removed Linnea`s handcuffs, but left her gagged and with her ankles tied. Then, she reached out and said:

»I will keep your bra until you have finished cleaning!«

It was rather an order than an offer and so, the girl unclasped her bra. Before she took it off, she looked around. Olesya laughed:

»Nastja and Milena will be back soon!«

So, she was alone with Olesya! Linnea gave the bra to her captor who let her eyes wander over her bare breasts. Linnea`s nipples responded to the cold and the Russian licked her lips. Blushing, Linnea covered her boobs with her arm and staggered over to the bucket.

Beside the bucket, she spotted a washcloth and a piece of soap. The water had perhaps been warm when Olesya had filled the bucket, but now, it was barely lukewarm. Linnea moistened the washcloth and began to wash herself whilst Olesya leaned against what had once been a flagpole or an antenna mast and watched her.

Linnea knew that she now had to show all her acting skills. She didn`t have to fake feeling embarrassed by being watched by Olesya whilst she was clad only in her panties, but at the same time, she knew that she had to behave casual, to not trigger Olesya into any »games« she might consider funny.

So, when she had washed herself provisionally, she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties, but then hesitated and pleadingly looked at the Russian. Olesya should think that she would have liked to wash her private parts, but felt embarrassed by her looking at her.

»Are you sure you are a Norwegian? You are as prudish as an American!«

Remaining leaned to the pole, Olesya turned her back towards Linnea. Quickly, she crouched and, always looking nervously at her captor, she worked on the cuffs with the wire. With a click, they opened. Linnea looked at the Russian`s back. Olesya had just lit a cigarette and still was looking at the wall.

With the open cuff in one hand, Linnea sneaked towards her. Her opponent had a gun, but she had the element of surprise. She waited for Olesya to inhale and then, she let the cuff snap around her right wrist. Before the Russian even knew what was happening, Linnea had tied her wrists behind the pole.

»Suka bled, what-«

Olesya now pulled on her bonds. With fluttering fingers, Linnea worked on the buckle of her gag.

»You damn bitch, you will regret that! Milena! Nastja!«

The straps came loose and Linnea pulled the saliva-soaked foam ball from her mouth. Then, she approached Olesya from the side and grabbed her scalp.

»Ouch, you biiiaaaauhhmmph!«

Linnea forced the gag into Olesya`s mouth and buckled the straps at her nape. The Russian`s eyes bulged and she screamed into the sodden ball, still trying to break free of her bonds. Linnea suddenly saw a movement at the corner of her eyes.

»The others! They are back!«

Sheer instinct took over and she ran towards the birch trees in front of her. Each second, she expected to hear shouting or shots, but without looking back, the girl ran and ran, deeper and deeper into the light forest.

***

The road Kristin was taking was unpaved, but even. Nevertheless, Lalita had become very silent and her skin colour had turned from cinnamon to olive.

»Lolly, are you all right?«

»Hick!«, Lalita responded, and Samantha felt pity and Schadenfreude at the same time. Luckily, the van stopped little later at a small wooden house beside a parking lot and a sign announcing the »Polar Paradise«.

»Here we are! Welcome to the Polar Paradise resort!«

The six women left the car, looking around, whilst Kristin entered the house, only to return with a folder and some keys little later. Lalita`s stomach had stabilized a bit, but obviously, Kristin thought that Cordelia looked the most responsible, for she handed the folder and the keys to her.

»Your realm is just on the other side of the hill«, she pointed on a gravel path leading away from the parking lot. »It`s after season and so, you are the only guests! However, in case you need anything, I will be here at the office!«

They unloaded the luggage from the van, and Cordelia waved the folder.

»All right, Ladies, follow me!«

Pulling their trolleys after them, they ascended the hill. Then, they collectively admired the scenery to their feet. They saw a small lake with a wooden pier. Beside it was an open shed with a few coloured canoes. The shore had two wooden houses, and the whole valley was surrounded by hills covered with birch trees. The only thing missing was sunshine.

»Wow, that´s lovely! Thank you, Lolly!«

»Hick!«

»Aww, come on, Lolly! Take Veronique as an example! She´s twice your age and doesn`t let a little Champaign get her down!«

Lioba knew exactly that 38 years old Veronique was not twice as old as 22 years old Lalita, but a snort from behind told her that she had hit her target. Lioba smiled.

They approached the houses and their anticipation got a little muted as they spotted another small hut. It had just some two square meters and at the front, it had two doors side by side, each one with a cut out heart in it.

»Polar Paradise my ass!«, Samantha commented. However, at the same time, Isabelle had looked inside the small house and seen that it contained a sauna.

»At least, we won`t freeze!«

They entered the main house where the caring Kristin had already lit a fire in the chimney, so the main living room was warm and cozy. Except for the lobby where they had to take off their shoes and an open kitchen, this was the only room at the ground floor. A quick inspection showed that they had three bedrooms, each one equipped with a double bed.

»So, it`s two of us for each room!«, Cordelia said with a drawling voice. She liked her companions so far (though she wasn`t sure whether she would become friends with Lioba or Veronique), but she definitely preferred the privacy of a single room.

»Shotgun, Lolly!«, Samantha shouted and touched the tip of her nose. Isabelle frowned at her.

»I am your sister!«

Samantha hugged her and placed a kiss on Isabelle`s cheek.

»I know, Coeur de Soeur, but you snore!«

»I am purring!«, Isabelle pouted. Now, Lioba stepped beside her and, gently pushing Samantha aside, put her arm around her.

»I am sure it will be better than the last time we had to share a bed together!«

Isabelle shuddered. Why did Lioba have to mention that terrible experience as some thugs had left her and Lioba naked, gagged and tied to each other? However, Lioba had had no intention to make Isabelle feel awkward. Her analytic mind had quickly come to the conclusion that, with Lalita and Samantha out of the game, the chances of her and Veronique ending up in one room had risen dramatically and she definitely didn`t want to wake up with a pillow pressed to her face.

Cordelia accepted Veronique as her roommate with a shrug. After all, though she had flirted a bit with David, too, she knew that he wouldn`t respond to her less than delicate approach. In addition, he wouldn`t be here for the next three days.

»Hi-EEEEEK!«

All women twitched at the strange sound. They stared at a gasping Lalita behind which a grinning Samantha was standing. She had waited for her friend`s next hiccup and at the very moment, she had poked her sides. Lalita panted, but then, she croaked:

»I-It´s gone! Thank you!«

Obviously sobered up, she took the folder from Cordelia and looked inside before she ordered:

»Okay, hens! Let´s occupy our rooms! We meet here in one hour! This is a self-sufficient resort, but Kristin promised me that the fridge and the pantry are well filled. So, we will have three teams: team ›Canoeing‹, team ›Sauna‹ – and the last ones in the living room will be team ›Lunch‹!«

***

When Olesya had shouted, Milena and Nastja had been close enough to hear her, but they were professionally enough not to storm blindly into a trap. Instead, they approached their hideout from two sides, ready to open fire if necessary.

»Mmhrrrmmm! Uuhhmmmm!«

They came across the corners of the two buildings at about the same moment and so, they could both see Olesya, tied to the flagpole and screaming through the gag strapped over her mouth.

»Cover!«, Milena shouted and Nastja kept an eye on the trees whilst her comrade approached the bound and gagged Olesya. When they had eye contact, she asked:

»Is there anyone?«

Olesya shook her head and Milena lowered her rifle. Then, she went for Olesya and not too gently removed the gag from her mouth. Olesya panted and then, she croaked:

»It was Linnea! She- she took me off guard!«

Olesya lowered her head, feeling embarrassed to have committed such a silly mistake. However, Milena just freed her wrists and pointed at the gun that was still inside the holster on Olesya`s belt.

»So, she`s still unarmed, eh? However, she has got a head start of some ten minutes! So, we better lose no time!«

Olesya rubbed her wrists and licked her lips, but she nodded. Then, she picked up Linnea`s bra from the floor.

»She isn`t very well equipped for running in the cold! In the end, she will be glad to be back in our arms!«

***

In the after-season, there was no need for daily patrols and so, the next day brought some paperwork at the office for Mailin and Lenya/Linnea. The latter was a bit nervous, for she had no idea how the Police`s computer system worked. However, it turned out that there was so less paperwork that despite her having many questions, they had been ready after some two hours.

Mailin had greeted her with a smile when she had entered the office.

»Whom do you want to impress, hm?«

She was wearing her uniform, but since it was the one that had belonged to the real Linnea, it was a bit tight around her breasts. She had giggled and, with a slight blush, told Mailin something about a mistake by the wardrobe department.

»Speaking of impressing someone, who am I to judge?«, Mailin had thought. Her uniform sat perfectly, but unlike other days, she wore her hair in a loose ponytail instead of the usual bun. Mailin had told herself that after she had washed and dried it, it was better for her hair to fall loose, but she knew that she had done so just because the day before, Linnea had admired her golden tresses.

They were having a coffee when one of their male colleagues entered. Mailin introduced him to Linnea and they had some small talk, but though she liked Ragnar, Mailin was glad when he left them alone again. However, Ragnar had left some additional paperwork for them.

»The list from the Tourist Office!«

She chuckled.

»Ragnar has a crush on the girl working there! They could send us the list via mail, but instead, he gets there every day and whilst she is making a copy for him, he is trying to collect all his bravery and to ask her out!«

Linnea, however, hadn`t listened to her.

»List from the Tourist Office?«

For a moment, she feared that she had made a mistake, but then, Mailin smiled.

»Ah, you don`t have such things in the South. Well, as you may have noticed, this is not the most populated area. And so, it happens quite regularly that some tourists lose their way and get lost in the wilderness. And that`s why we get the list of tourists updated regularly, so we know how many there are, especially those who lodge outside the hotels!«

She looked over the list and, before stapling it, she chuckled again.

»Oh my God, get the Jeep ready and prepare the shotguns!«

»What is it, a Russian invasion?«

The remark had left her lips before she could think that it had been exactly what she was a part of, but Mailin just shook her head.

»Worse, much worse! Kristin from ›Polar Paradise‹ has got six women on a hen night at her resort!«

With a playfully grave voice, she added:

»They come from England!«

»Eww!«

She knew that the English had quite a reputation for binge drinking when they were abroad – almost like the Russians. She cocked her head and asked:

»Do you think we should have a look at these – hens? Maybe, we could confiscate a few bottles of wine!«

Playfully, Mailin covered her mouth with her hand.

»Linnea, how can a pretty innocent Police rookie even consider such illegal activities?«

Having said that, Mailin wished she had covered her mouth more firmly. Had she just called her new colleague »pretty«? She lowered her head. Linnea, however, seemed to have picked another word from her saying.

»Innocent«, she murmured. If only Mailin knew! Then, she pulled herself together and showed a cheeky grin.

»Maybe, I am less innocent than you think!«

Mailin managed to overplay her embarrassment by playfully waving her index finger.

»If you insist, we will have a look after these English women! And if they really seem to have some smuggled alcohol, we can still decide to confiscate a bottle or two!«

***

Colleen stopped as she was approaching the abandoned post that now was occupied by the Russians. She hadn`t heard anything yet, but her senses told her that something wasn`t as it should have been.

In the distance, a bird flew up. Obviously, something had shooed it up. Something – or someone.

Of course, it could have been a larger animal, but now, Colleen could hear faint sounds. She concentrated and then, she was sure: these were the sounds of something at least the size of a deer running through the woods, cracking twigs in the progress.

Colleen took her rifle from her shoulder. If it was indeed a deer, she would do exactly nothing. Even if the hunters would show up, too, she could simply hide and wait until they were gone. Then, she heard another sound. It was a high-pitched gasp, only once and quite muffled, but Colleen was sure it had come from a human. A woman, to be precisely.

Colleen had been in the area long enough that she could head for the estimated direction the running woman would take without risking her cover. Whilst she and the unknown runner were converging, she tried to listen to any sound that could tell her more about the other woman.

She seemed to be quite trained, but also sounded as if she was out of breath. According to the way she walked, she didn`t seem to have the proper clothing for a run in the forests. Repeatedly, she seemed to stagger, and Colleen had heard more of her oppressed sighs and grunts.

She had reached a hill and took cover behind a tree. If she had guessed right, her target would cross the valley below her within the next few minutes. Colleen held her rifle ready.

There! Some 100 yards away, a figure appeared from the bushes. Colleen frowned. This woman was indeed not properly dressed for a cross country run – or most other activities, sportive or not. The girl, a blonde, was naked except for a pair of black panties. She seemed to suffer from side stitches, for she was standing slightly bent forward, panting and holding her sides.

Now, Colleen`s sharp ears noticed other sounds. They were still a few hundred yards away, but she could tell that it was the sound of others running through the woods. These people seemed to be at least two, and they seemed to have proper boots, for they were considerably faster than their target.

The blonde had either heard her pursuers, too, or had recovered a bit, for she now continued to stumble through the woods. Colleen shouldered her rifle, but drew her gun before she carefully followed her.

***