Disclaimers: See Part I

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WHERE EAGLES FLY

Part 7 - Parallax

Max knocked on the apartment door. "We've got to talk," he said when Lark opened it.

"Problems?"

"Not the kind you're thinking of," Max replied.

Lark looked at the tape in his hand. "What's going on?"

Max placed his fingers to his lips and walked over to the entertainment center. He threw in a cd, turned the volume up loud, and motioned to Lark.

"You've been bugged," Max whispered holding the tape up in front of him.

"Christ," Lark said with a look of anger and confusion on her face. "O.K., we've got to debug this place. Tell Jake to get the equipment."

Lonnie came strolling out of the bedroom and stared at Lark with a look of exasperation on her face. "Good grief, turn that thing down," she shouted.

Lark put her fingers to her lips signaling Lonnie to be quiet, and walked over to the desk. She picked up a pad and wrote 'this place is bugged,' then held the pad up for Lonnie to read. Lonnie paled as she realized the import of what Lark had just said.

"The bedroom, too," she mouthed.

"Probably," Lark mouthed back.

Lonnie felt as if the floor were opening to swallow her. She was horrified to think that someone, anyone, had listened to those private moments she and Lark shared.

'Go into the bedroom and pack a bag with a change of clothes and some overnight things for both of us.' Lark wrote. 'Pack bathing suits, too.'

Lonnie raised an eyebrow. "Just do it!" Lark whispered.

Lark and Max stepped into the hall outside the apartment. "What the hell is going on?" Lark asked her friend. He looked at her sheepishly.

"I found a couple of DC feebs in a cable TV van across the street. They told me they were monitoring you. I, uh, knocked the crap out of one of them and took the tape," Max said, looking down at his feet.

"Max! You should have let it go. You may have just sabotaged your career with the agency."

"I don't give a damn, Lark," Max replied angrily. "They think you're dirty. I sure as hell know you're not. And they've got no business listening in to your private life. None!"

Lark understood the import of what Max had just said. "The bedroom is bugged?" A flush rose to her face as she realized that one of her worst fears was realized. "Oh, Jesus, Max, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? What for?" Max retorted. "Look, Lark, we know all about you and Judge Lonigan. Hell, we know about you and Meriam. It doesn't mean jack to any of us. Everybody deserves some happiness in their lives. You're our partner. We've got your back."

Lark smiled and hugged the big man before her. "Thanks," she said gratefully. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed. When she heard the answer at the other end, she said, "Joe, I need to be ready to go in one hour. Can you do that? Good. Gas her up and stick some food and drinks in the back."

Lark turned to Max. "I've got to get her out of here while you guys sweep the apartment. We'll be back tomorrow morning. I‘ll figure out how to deal with this then."

"Lark, you can't do that. You've got to let at least one of us go with you."

"Not this time, big guy," Lark said. "We'll be just fine."

Max shrugged his shoulders; he knew better than to argue. "Will you at least check in?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll check in."

Max and Lark re-entered the apartment. Lonnie was sitting on the couch, a small bag at her side and a worried look on her face. Lark picked up the bag and motioned Lonnie to follow her. The two women left the apartment and took a back stairwell to the basement of the building then exited through a back door. It was only a short walk down the beach before they reached a hotel and grabbed one of the cabs sitting outside. "Executive Airport," Lark directed the driver, "South Ramp."

Lonnie raised an eyebrow and looked inquiringly at Lark. "You'll see," Lark whispered. "Patience."

The cab delivered the two women to a hangar on the south side of the airport. A tall, lanky man strode up to Lark and shook her hand. "You're all gassed and ready to go. Food and drinks in the cabin," he said.

Lark led Lonnie up the stairs of the plane and stowed the small bag in an overhead compartment.

"Where's the pilot?" Lonnie asked.

"You're looking at her," Lark smiled, heading for the cockpit. "Wanna ride second seat?"

Lonnie paled. "Oh my god, I forgot," Lark said. "You're afraid of heights. Look, I‘ll figure something else out."

"Well, I have flown with no problem," Lonnie said with a tremor in her voice. "But it's always been a commercial flight. I've never been in a small plane before."

"We're looking at a 20-minute flight at most," Lark reassured the smaller woman. "If you'd rather not, I'll understand. I just thought maybe you'd like to get away from all the madness for a while."

Lonnie took a deep breath. "When you put it that way, how can I refuse?" She asked gamely. "I'm ready when you are." She followed Lark into the cockpit, strapped herself in, and held her breath as they commenced takeoff.

True to Lark's word, they had been in the air less than twenty minutes when they began a smooth descent onto a small runway on a remote island.

"What is this place?" Lonnie asked as the plane glided to a stop.

"The Isle of Alcestis," Lark responded. "My father bought this island when I was a small child. We used to come camping here. He always dreamed of developing it just for us, but other things got in his way and he never got around to it."

Lark opened the exit door and motioned Lonnie out. As the smaller woman descended the stairs, Lark retrieved the bag, a blanket, and picnic basket from the back of the plane.

"Why Alcestis?" Lonnie asked.

"Alcestis was the wife of Admetus. She died willingly for him when he was looking for someone to die for him so he could live," Lark replied sadly.

Lonnie was sure there was more to the story but instinctively knew that any explanation would have to wait until a later time. The two women walked in silence to the pristine beach, each lost in her own thoughts.

Lark spread the blanket on the sand and smiled at Lonnie, motioning her to sit down. She settled in a place at Lonnie's side, and then asked: "Would you rather change into a suit?"

"No, this is fine for now," Lonnie replied, removing her blouse but leaving her bra in place. She lay her head in Lark's lap and felt the heat of Lark's thigh burn against her cheek.

Lark stroked Lonnie's hair and lovingly brushed her face with her fingers moving slowly from her ear across the line of her jaw. She continued her light caresses until she heard the smaller woman's breathing deepen and felt her body relax into welcome sleep.

Lark laid Lonnie's blouse over her to protect her fair skin from the burning sun. They remained like that for what seemed like hours yet only twenty minutes passed before Lonnie awakened. She looked up at Lark's adoring face and felt her heart tug.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked as she sat up.

"Not long," Lark replied. "Would you like something to eat?"

"No. A drink, perhaps."

Lark reached into a small cooler and produced a bottle of water. "Your wish is my command," she smiled.

"Water? I was hoping for something a little stronger," Lonnie pouted.

"Later, when we're out of the sun," Lark said. "Would you like to take a swim?"

"That sounds good. I think I'll go back to the plane and change into my suit," Lonnie replied.

"You can if you want to, but there's no one here but us girls," Lark responded with a wink.

"But what if ...."

"Don't worry about what ifs," Lark said. "I've done this a thousand times before, and no one has ever interrupted me."

Lonnie hesitated, then surprised herself when she asked sarcastically, "And with a thousand other women?"

"Lonnie, I have never brought anyone here before." Lark replied softly, looking saddened at Lonnie's remark. "This place has been a special place to me since I was a child. It still is, and I wanted to share it with you."

Lonnie was embarrassed that she had let the green eye of jealousy cloud their enjoyment of the day. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I had no right."

"It's O.K.," Lark responded. "You had every right. I hope some day you will learn to trust me and trust my feelings for you."

"You know I trust you with my life," Lonnie said. "It's my emotions I have a problem with, and that's my problem, not yours."

"No," Lark replied. "It's our problem. And I promise to do everything in my power to make you feel completely safe with me." She leaned over and brushed her lips lightly against Lonnie's then jumped to her feet, running toward the ocean, shedding her clothes as she went.

"Last one in is a rotten egg," Lark yelled.

Lonnie smiled recalling the night she had heard Lark say the exact same thing as she sprinted to Lonnie's pool. She knew that one of the things she treasured most about this tall, serious federal agent was her playful, childlike quality at moments like this.

Lark dove into the ocean, her long, lean body cutting the water like a knife. Lonnie ran after her, stripping off her clothes as she went. When she reached the water's edge, Lark was nowhere to be seen.

"Lark, Lark," Lonnie yelled as she ran into the warm salt water, her heart thundering in her chest. She didn't notice the sleek, long form rising up behind her and screamed as Lark grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into the rolling waves.

The two women tumbled together, their arms and legs entwining in the salty water. Lark turned on her back and floated, holding Lonnie above and against her. She let her legs float down to touch the ocean floor and stood with Lonnie in her arms, drawing her close in a passionate embrace.

"Kiss me," Lonnie whispered against her chest.

Lark leaned forward and captured the smaller woman's mouth with her own. She gently took Lonnie's lower lip into her mouth. She ran her tongue around the inside of Lonnie's lips and shuddered as she felt Lonnie's tongue demand entrance to her mouth. She sucked Lonnie's tongue into her mouth eagerly, milking it gently, and curled her hands around Lonnie's buttocks pulling her close.

"You are so beautiful," Lark said huskily. "So beautiful."

The feel of Lark's naked body against hers and the pulsing of the ocean against their straining bodies combined to stoke the fires burning in Lonnie's center. Lark slid one hand over Lonnie's buttocks and slipped a finger gently between her cheeks. She turned Lonnie to the side and slid her other hand down Lonnie's abdomen to reach into the fire between her legs. Lonnie willed her body to relax, inviting Lark to enter her. Lark slowly and gently slid her fingers into Lonnie.

Lonnie groaned with unconcealed pleasure and wrapped an arm tightly around Lark's waist to keep from sinking into the salty water. Lonnie's orgasms came quickly, intensely, mixing her juices with the salt water that surrounded them. She slumped in Lark's arms, unable to stand, and wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck as she lifted her and carried her back to the blanket on the beach.

They lay locked together on the blanket in a tangle of arms and legs pressing as close to each other as two bodies could possibly do. Lonnie reached down to touch her lover, knowing that she, too, needed release. Lark reached down and showed her what she wanted, circling her fingers in the thick nectar, then rubbing them back and forth and up and down against her

hardened clitoris. Lonnie moved Lark's hand and continued on her own, touching and rubbing, teasing and taunting, until she felt Lark arch against her hand seeking release.

Lonnie pressed her lips against Lark's stomach, licking and nibbling there as she entered her lover with all four fingers, pushing in as deeply as possible and pumping her thumb against Lark's clitoris. She felt the taller woman come with intense spasms, her contractions so strong they trapped Lonnie's fingers inside. Lonnie moved herself against Lark's thigh and began to gyrate, unable to stop her own desire or the burgeoning orgasms that overtook her once again.

Sated, the two women cuddled together on the blanket, listening to their hearts mimic the hypnotic beat of the waves against the shore.

*~*~*~*

Continued in Part 8

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