The Challenge, Pt. 7 of 10.

         About an hour later, Susan, Angie, and Nick were in the living room of the apartment.  Susan was lying on the couch, and Angie was sitting in the soft recliner appearing tired.  Nick was leaning against the wall still perplexed at what had happened and at their condition when he found them.  He could not understand how their previous circumstances developed.

         "Well, girls?  I wouldn't mind at least some kind of an explanation for what was going on or what happened.  After all, I did save your lives."

         "It was that darned bitch we saw earlier today," Angie drawled.  "She was here 'n tried ta kill us.  Jus' about did too.  We were goners."

         "It looked that way.  Now, who was that 'bitch' of yours anyway, and how did she get in here?"

         "It was Claire," Susan interrupted.  "She has been watching me for awhile and must have followed me here.  She said earlier that she had unfinished business to do with us."

         "She still doesn't as far as I'm concerned," Angie quickly added.  "She's weird."

         "Speaking of weird, just what kind of strange . . . business were you two doing?  You know -- the snorkel, latex body bag, plastic wrap, and goggles, Angie?  Pretty kinky!"

         "Oh, shaddup already!  It's creative an' none 'a yer business.  That's fer sure."  

         "Whatever you say, but that rubbery blob you were trapped in looked pretty creative and dangerous.  It didn't look like one of your perverted innovations.  Seemed very . . . plant-like, odd."

         "It wasn't, an' I don't know how I got in it.  Musta been Claire's doing after she bushwacked me here."

         "Obviously, and as long as she still has unfinished business with you two, I am going to assist in solving this problem any way I can," he firmly stated.

         "We can take care of ourselves, Nick.  We're big girls an' she jus' got lucky, that's all.  Besides, we know who she is 'n what she looks like.  So, don't go worryin' 'bout us."  

         "But Angie, I insist that -- "

         "We can solve our own problems and take care of ourselves," she affirmed.

         "Fine!  Just fine," he sighed.  "At least, let me take Susan back to her place.  Okay?"

         Angie shrugged her shoulders and conceded.  Susan got up, went to the bathroom, and dressed completely again.  As she did, Nick told Angie why he initially came over and how fortunate they were that he did.  He also teased her about where she got the latex all-body suit from and what other fetish "stuff" she had.  However, she only became more sarcastic and defensive of her lifestyle the more he did.

         When Susan emerged from the bathroom, Nick was trying with little success to suppress his laughter.  She looked tired, somewhat apologetic, and remained quiet wishing to leave, and they did.  Angie was left alone and embarrassed, to grow more angry inside the more she thought of Claire and how she dared to invade her privacy and torrid intimacy.  Returning to the bathroom, she reasoned that she had a score to settle with her but was surprised to find almost nothing left of her trap she nearly suffocated in.  It had evaporated, sublimed into the humid warm air, and disappeared.  

         Nick had Susan to her apartment just after 11:00pm that night.  The fractured moon was orange low above the east-southeast tree-lined horizon and cast its dim light on them as they stood in front of the door.  As she was reaching for the door key in her handbag, it fell out of her hand; she teetered backward against him.  

         He held onto her, and after picking up the keys and returning them, he seriously said, "Whoa.  Are you alright, Susan?  You didn't look too good at Angie's place."

         "Just very . . . tired.  That's all."  

         He helped her inside and onto her small, single-sized, but comfortable bed.  Still feeling a bit unsteady and a little numb, she quietly said, "I'll be alright now.  If I need any help . . . with Claire, I'll . . . well -- "  

         "You know I'll always help you, Sue, despite what Angie said.  Take it easy a day or so.  No doubt, I'll see you later," he assured.  "I love you."  

         "Sure.  You'll . . . get over it."

         Nick looked about the room and found it to be very ordinary -- plain, to reflect the kind of life she thus-far lived.  She had her own hobbies and a liking for privacy and solitude.  Nothing really seemed unusual about the place, except for the kinds of books she had checked out of the library: earth history, paleobiology, and the fossil record.  Looking downward at her again after a brief examination of them, he noticed that she had fallen into a deep sleep and gave her a light kiss on the cheek before departing.  

         Later in the next afternoon, Angie entered Susan's apartment and found the bedroom quickly, where she was sitting at a desk reading the books and smoking a cigarette.  She extinguished her third one for the day actually and turned toward her while exhaling gray-white smoke.  "I see you're all ready to go today."

         Angie was dressed in light, colorful, and quite brazen attire (leopard-design pants, red pumps, white sleeveless shirt, sunglasses, etc.), and upon moving closer said, "You betcha!  It's Sunday 'n what you've been doin'?"

         "Reading and researching.  I'm afraid I won't be able to go out with you today, or perhaps even tomorrow, but there still is something you can do for me."  

         "Awe, c'mon Sue, darlin'!  Now, what?"

         "You can see if you can find Claire and keep an eye on her," she replied, "and don't feel bad.  I called Jake at the resort earlier about taking some time off, and he said there was no problem.  So, we'll have plenty of time over the next two weeks to settle our affair with her and spend more quality time together."  

         "Yeah, I 'spose, but ain't that stuff yer readin' perdy deep?  I mean, who cares 'bout all that crap on the distant past anyway?"  

         "I do -- now.  I feel that I have to, based on what I saw long ago."

         Angie picked up one of the books and looked inside the front cover at the list of people who previously checked it out.  "Did ya know that a professor Robert Stanson used this one 'bout three weeks ago?  Maybe, yew should talk have a chat with him."  

         "Don't be surprised if I do yet, but I want to learn about this subject material first.  I want to know exactly what I'm getting into and what to talk to him about.  Besides, I don't even know the person."

         Angie finished leafing through the book and started moving away.  At the entryway of the room, she asked, "Do ya really think we'll need Nick's help?"  

         "If it is necessary.  After seeing our deep secret and . . . weakness last night, I believe he already thinks that to be the case.  Why not?"

         "Yeah.  So much fer the better, if he can keep his trap shut 'bout it."

         For the remainder of the day and most of the next then, Angie looked about for Claire and even asked questions to a few people at the resort who may have seen her, but she could find essentially nothing.  It seemed as though she was moving from place to place and searching for a ghost.  She had only been in the area recently and was not spotted often, let alone recognized as familiar.  Nobody thus knew her well, not near as well as Susan did shortly a couple decades ago.  

         While Angie did her investigating and search for their opponent, Susan did her studying.  Both as close friends made it a priority never to be unprepared for any attacks from her in the future, but they did not know how effective their mutual awareness would be in any prevention of such possible acts.  Although they survived one perilous situation imposed by Claire, only Susan remotely knew of her actual dangerous potential.


Continued to Pt. 8.