Panther3 by Tom Adams
Panther "gets some space" that leads to a bank in a very small town, and trouble.
They left them in the woods. Left them in the woods for dead, at the bottom of a ravine, their heads blooded from two hollow point bullets.
They were riding high. The perfect bank robbery, almost. Two potential witnesses had spoiled the perfection, but with them out of the way the three men relaxed, talking and laughing as they headed for the cabin in the woods.
Panther was unconscious, not dead, not seriously hurt. The bullet meant for her had barely grazed her skull. But the man laying on top of her was dead, the back of his head blown out showering her with his brains and gore.
Panther, a strong Afro-American woman with Espanic blood. Dark brown skin, jet black black hair, the pupils of her eyes even darker than her skin. That's why they call her Panther.Real name is Nancy. Forty years old, but looks twenty five. Takes care of her body. Runs, lifts weights, no smoking, only an occasional drink. Her job? Computer programmer. Eduction? Master's degree in Information and Computer Science.
She's muscular and very sexy. Tight skirts cut several inches above the knee allow her to display the thighs, calves and hips that flex seductively when she walks. Sleeveless shirts to make sure her sculpted shoulders and arms are on display. Full, high breasts. A beautiful face. Perfect white teeth.
Panther knows the affect she has on men and she delights in it. You start with a seductive voice, pitched slightly lower than most women, but very feminine and strong. It matches her name. You watch her breasts rise and fall as she breathes. The subtle flexing of her arms and legs. And when she flashes her million watt smile, you melt.
But Panther is mainly a one man woman. His name is Ted, also a computer programmer, runner and weight lifter. Works for a company just down the street. Panther enjoys showing off. But no one gets their hands on her body but him. Ted is a lucky son of a bitch. And he knows it.
Occasionally when Ted calls for a date, Panther tells him not now, she needs to "get some space." That means just her in her Jaguar convertible. Racing down the interstate, then off onto back roads where there are few cars. Just woods and fields. The warm sun on her body. Wind blowing through her hair and the soft pur of her powerful car's engine. Just a strong woman with a strong car getting some space.
And so today she is "getting some space." And also lost. And also just about out of gas. She's glad to see the small sign "Welcome to Troy." The town is not much larger than the sign. A bank. A gas station. Think God. A grocery store. City Hall. That's it. She fills the Jaguar's tank. They don't take credit cards and after paying she has exactly four dollars and twenty eight cents. And not an ATM in sight. But there is a bank.
Panther leaves her car at the gas station, which is closing for the day, and heads across the street to the bank. She is almost there when a car pulls up and a young man gets out. He looks tired, frustrated and Panther figures he is in her predicament. Almost out of money. They reach the bank door at the same time. He smiles, says hello and gives an admiring look. She returns the hello and also returns the look.He's tall, blond, tanned and looks like he works out.
The leisurely pace of the afternoon is shattered. Everything happening fast. Too fast to react. The bank door is open now. Three men. Three guns. They're carrying large bags with the bank's name on them. Full of money? The next minute is almost a blur. She and the tall stranger have guns at their heads. Pulled around the corner. Shoved into the back seat of a car. They race forward. One man drives. The other two keep their guns pointed at Panther and her companion in the back seat.
Panther's mind starts to clear. Captured by bank robbers. Are we hostages? What are they going to do with us. Have to think of something. Maybe a chance to strike back later. Not now. Not with a gun in your face. Think. Think. Got to think of some way out of this. The tall stranger is telling them he has a wife and three kids. "Please let us go," he says. "Shut up," says the driver.Panther glaces at his fingers. No wedding ring. Wife and three kids? Maybe.
The car speeds out of town. A few miles go by. Then a turn onto a narrow dirt road. Tree limbs brush against the sides of the vehicle. The road is very bumpy. The pace slows to thirty miles and hour. Five minutes go by. Maybe ten. No one says a word. The men with the guns never take their eyes off Panther and the tall stranger. Not for a second. Even when the car hits a deep pot hole the guns remain level. On target.
The ride stops at a small cabin. The dust, left behind, caught on a gentle breeze, catches up and then quickly settles. Everyone in the car can feel the tension melt just a little bit. Sort of like a play. End of Act I. Intermission time. Time to catch your breath. Time to think about the situation. Time to wonder what comes next.
The men slowy climb out of the car, motioning for Panther and her companion to do the same. The guns remain aimed at their heads. The driver is the last to get out, pulling his six foot six frame from beneath the steering wheel. As soon as his feet touch the ground he stretches, yawns and looks around. Like he didn't have a care in the world. He smiles. Looks up at the clouds. You know immediately he's the leader. The decision maker. The one you will ultimately have to deal with.
The leader walks over to his captives. "Name's Ed," he says with the air of someone at a polite social gathering. "And yours?" "Nancy," replies Panther, knowing this is not the time and place to use her nickname. "Bob," says her companion with a catch in his voice.
Ed gives Panther an admiring look. She's wearing the usual. Skirt above the knees. And sort of a tank top shirt which not only exposes her shoulders and arms but also her deep brown muscular stomach. Sexy, damn sexy woman. She can feel his eys on her. She swears to herself that if she gets out of this alive she'll wear clothes a little less revealing.
"What now, Ed?," His name is Roy, one of the men with guns still leveled at Panther and Bob's heads. He's almost as cool as Ed. Almost. "Yeah, Ed, what are we going to do with them." His name is Steve. And Steve is not cool. He's nervous. Sweating. The hand on his gun almost trembles.
Ed glares at Steve, lets out a sigh. "Hey, let's all lighten up a bit, relax, go for a walk in the woods. Roy, Steve, you can lower your guns a little. I'll back you up." He reaches behind his back and pulls out a pistol that had been tucked in his trousers during the ride. Big gun. Long barrell. Silencer.
Down a path and into the woods. Dusk is approaching. What little sun breaks through cast long shadows from the tall trees and the five people walking among them. To Panther it seems like a dream and nightmare. The peaceful, natural surroundings to the front and sides. The heavy footsteps of her captives beind her. Are they going to kill us? Probably. What can I do? What? Just have to take this one minute at a time. One second at a time.
They come to edge of a steep, deep ravine and Ed signals for everyone to stop. The social gathering voice again. "Just want both of you to know that this is nothing personal. Just business. Same as I told that guy at the bank. Nothing personal. Just business. You two just wound up at the wrong place, wrong time, sorry about that."
Just like at the bank the action is a blur. Bob again says, "Please, I have a wife and," In mid sentance a hole opens in his forehead and instantly the back of his head is blown off. Panther, standing next to him, can feel something on her head, something warm and wet.
It's not one second at a time. One split second. Ed's gun swings to her forehead. She jerks a few inches to the right and the bullet creases her skull. She falls back into the ravine along with Bob, his blood and brains blanketing Panther's head. Ed, Roy and Steve look down. The sun is setting, but they can see the blooded heads below. They smile and head back to the cabin.
About an hour later Panther wakes up. She has a severe headache and slowly becomes aware of the blood on her. It feels sticky as her fingers inch their way across every inch of her skull. She expects to find a gaping hole but there is only a deep scratch left by the bullet. Panther turns to look at Bob and then quickly turns away. Even in the dim light the wound in the back of his head is grotesque.
No time for a queasy stomach, Panther thinks. She forces herself to go through Bob's pockets looking for anything that might help her get out of this alive. Like a knife, maybe. Dream on girl, dream on. But the bank robbers had already picked him clean during the walk in the woods. No wallet, no car keys. Nothing. Except deep in the bottom of one of his pockets Panther feels a small, round object. It's a wedding ring. She puts it back in his pocket. A wife and three kids.
There is a small, fast moving stream at the bottom of the ravine. Panther yanks off her clothes and lowers her nude body into the water. It's cold, very cold causing virtually every muscle in her powerful body to tense. She then plunges her head under water to wash the blood off her face and out of her hair.Then she washes the blood out of her shirt. The cold water helps clear her head. Panther feels confident now. Ready.
It's almost completely dark. A quick glance at Bob's body and Panther begins the slow climb out of the ravine.It's a real work out. The muscles in her dark brown forearms harden as she grips a root or small tree. And then her biceps and shoulders bulge to pull her closer to the top of the ravine. And when Panther can get a foot hold or even a toe hold her powerful thighs and calves push her along a few more feet. Pull, push, Push, pull. And then the top, finally, it's over.
Over? No. It's just begun. The sun is gone. Only the stars light the sky. Panther can barely see the road that leads back to the cabin. To Ed, Roy and Steve. And their guns. But Panther knows she has one advantage, the element of surprise. They think she's dead. Far from it. With each step she grows more confidant and more filled with rage. These men have killed a bank employee, Bob and tried to kill her.
Panther sees the cabin ahead. She needs to approach it, to see what's going on inside, but how? Then she smiles and takes off her light colored clothing hiding it behind a tree. Her powerful, dark brown body blends with the night. A light breeze blows across her. It makes her feel part of nature. She tenses her muscles for the fight she knows is coming. And for once she feels that Panther is not just a knickname.
"Ed, How the hell do you know she's dead?" ask Steve. A light sweat breaks out on Steve's forehead as he looks at Ed across the kerosine laterine in the cabin. Ed rolls his eyes and looks at Roy who is having his third beer. Roy just smiles.. Panther listens close to a window. They are the same. Ed, the super cool leader. Roy, almost as cool. Steve, nervous, almost out of control.
"Oh she's dead all right," says Ed. "And remember, Slim is going to fix this so the police don't get near us." "Can we depend on Slim?" ask Steve, more sweat on the forehead. "For a fourth of the take, of course," answers Ed. This time he doesn't roll his eyes, but just glances at Roy. Roy know what this means. Steve is going to become victim number four if he doesn't pull himself together.
"Too much beer guys, off to the men's room.," says Roy. He sort of stumbles out the door, down the stairs and around to the side of the cabin. Panther is waiting. She hax found a strong piece of vine and when Roy unzips his pants, it goes around his neck.A short gasp is the only sound out of him. The veins in Panther's arms and shoulders stand out as Roy makes a feeble effort to claw at Panther, then at the vine. Often when people are hanged or strangled they loose control of their bowels when they die. Roy is no exception.
"Roy's been gone a long time," says Steve. "And what's that smell? God, what is that smell" Ed tries to look cool, but, for the first time, he is just a little bit worried. "Didn't Roy say he was going to the men's room?" answers Ed. "But look, if it'll make you happy we'll go check on him, OK?"
What they see makes Ed more than a little bit worried. And Steve? Well the poor son of a bitch completely loses it. "Jesus Christ, man. I told you she wasn't dead," says Steve. "Let's get out of here. Forget the money. She's not human. You saw the muscles on that bitch. She's going to kill us both." "Shut up, Steve, goddammit, I mean shut up, now. I've got to think," answers Ed.
Ed does have to think. They can't run for at least two more days. Slim has taken care of the police, but only if they stay in the cabin for a few days. They have to stay there. If not, months of careful planning are down the drain. Not to mention possible capture and a trip to the gas chamber.
"We've got to go after her, Steve," says Ed. Steve can't believe what he's hearing. "You've have got to be out of your mind," Ed. "No, listen," demands Ed. "She could be on the way back to town right now. If she does, the police will be on the way. And we can't leave. We can't. Slim has the roadblocks set up for two days. Then they come down and we move out. We've got to find that bitch and kill her. Now!"
Panther listens from behind a tree about thirty yards away. Have to split them up. Can't take on both of them at once. And they're both armed. Got to take them from behind, like with Roy. But first I've got to separate them. How? Panther is still asking herself this question when Ed delivers the answer.
"Steve, I have a plan," says Ed, his voice almost at a whisper. "And keep your voice low. She might be close by. I'm going to start walking down the path. Wait exactly two minutes and then follow me. I'll double back in the woods and watch you. She's unarmed. She's got to attack from behind, one at a time. When she grabs you, I'll blow her away."
Even with only the stars as light, Ed sees Steve go white as a sheet. "No", Steve said. "No, No, No," his voice lower than a whisper. "Steve, let's make sure we're ready. Let me see your gun." He gives Ed his pistol in a slow, almost robotic fashion. Ed quickly slips the magazine out of the gun, puts it in his pocket, checks the chamber for a bullet and gives the unloaded gun back to Steve.
"Steve, you have no choice. I'm leaving, now! You wait two minutes, count to 120, not to fast, not too slow. You are completely dependent on me. Try to stay with me and I'll kill you and take my chances with the bitch by myself. Cooperate and we'll both be rich men." "Steve, did you hear me?" ask Ed. Steve nods. Ed smiles and is gone.
From her hiding place, Panther also smiles as she watches Ed start alone down the path, followed a few minutes later by Steve. She follows close for only a minute. This could be a trap; but the longer the wait, the more time they'll have to set it up.
Panther's left hand goes around Steve's mouth. Her right knocks the gun to the ground. She kicks his legs out from under him and lands on his back, her left hand still firmly gripped over his mouth.Where is Ed? My God, where is Ed? Panther's right hand slids around Steve's chin and she pulls back. And just before Steve's neck cracks he realizes there wasn't going to be an Ed. He has been used as bait. And then everything goes black.
"Nice work, bitch. You've taken Roy and Steve out. Slim and I get to split everything." Panther hears Ed's words and feels the hard metal of the gun barrel against her head. So it was a trap. And like a fool I played right into it. As she turns, Ed takes a step back to make sure she doesn't try to grab the pistol. "Just one question before I die," says Panther. "Who is Slim?"
Ed smiles. "He's Bill "Slim" Bishop, the Chief of Police of the little town of Troy you drove into this afternoon.We're actually not but a few miles from the bank. But Slim's got the State Patrol, the FBI, everybody convinced we wanted to get as far away from Troy as fast as we could. The nearest roadblock is five miles from here.Tomorrow, of course, he'll lead a search of the immediate area." "Staying well away from your cabin, I assume," says Panther. Ed smiles again.
Slowly, Panther stands up and faces Ed. The moon is begining to come over the horizon now and it's soft glow makes her beautiful, nude, dark brown body more visible. And Panther knows how to use her body to arouse and to challenge. She smiles, then raises her arms over her head and takes a deep breath bringing her large breast to their most sensual position.
But the intent here was not to arouse. It was to challenge. Suddenly Panther cliches both fist and looks at Ed's eyes. And without taking her eyes off his, she tightens the mucles in her forearms, then her biceps, triceps and shoulders and lets her arms fall slowly to her side keeping the muslces flexed. Then her lips curl into a snarl as she tightens the muscles in her hard flat stomach and finally the powerfull muscles in her legs.
"Can you take me, without the gun?" snarls Panther. Ed has been attracted to her from the first time he saw her, aroused. But now he is challenged. Ed smiles again. He is more than a foot taller than she is. And underneath the long sleeve shirt are the powerful arms of a body builder. Ed's rational mind says blow her away. Don't play games. But often when sex or the ego is envolved, the rational mind loses..
In one quick motion, Ed drops the gun and grabs Panther in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her sides as he tightens the grip on her spine. He picks her up, her feet dangling in the air, the pain at the base of her back almost blinding. Panther is a third degree black belt. If her arms were free, a few quick chops to his face and he would be stunned. But her arms are pinned against her sides. She knows there is not much time left before he breaks her back
Panther pushes against Ed with her powerful legs. At the same time her stomach muscles bulge as she tries to arch her back just enough to release her arms. It works. She slams two quick chops into the bridge of his nose and his arms go limp.The sharp pain in her back enrages her, make her stronger. She draws back and with all the strength in her right leg, shoots her foot between his legs. Ed's testicles crumble. He lays on the ground, blind with pain, out of his mind with pain. Panther leaps on his back, grabs his head and with one swift, powerful yank, breaks his neck.
The moon is even brighter now. Panther quickly takes Ed's car keys out of his pocket and goes back to the cabin. The kerosine latern is still on. She finds her purse and car keys. She moves even faster. Out the door. Puts her clothes on. Back in the cabin to get all the bank's money. Throws it in the back seat of Ed's car and heads back to Troy.
Panther parks Ed's car in front of the bank and looks around the small town. No one in sight. The police are at roadblocks five miles away. Everyone else is probably asleep. She leaves Ed's car, crosses to the service station. Her Jaquar is still there. Panther grabs her cell phone, dials *911 and quickly tells the operator where to find the money and the three bank robbers. The 911 operator starts to ask a question. Panther pushes the END key on the phone and is gone.
Troy Police Chief Bill "Slim" Bishop is manning one of the roadblocks when he sees Panther's car approaching. He starts to let her pass. This whole roadblock thing is just a big act while Ed, Roy, Steve and the money wait in a cabin. No, let's follow the script. He flips on his flashing blue lights.
Panther pulls over. She is tired now. Both mentally and physically. Think! Think! Plus side, brought the money back to the bank. Minus side, three dead men. Banks robbers? Yes. Killed them in self defense? Don't be silly. Instead of waiting for "Slim" to come to her, Panther gets out of her Jaguar and walks toward the flashing blue lights.
Chief Bishop is immediately impressed by Panther's appearance. Most men are. But as soon as Panther sees Bishop, she's not impressed. At that moment, she doesn't know who he is. But she does know one thing. He is fat. Very fat. "Slim" is a knickname people use behind his back.
The action speeds up again. "Chief Bishop!," it's a voice on his police radio. Panther can here it. "Just got a 911. Said money is in a car in front of the bank. Checked it out. This is affirmative.The money is in the car Repeat. Affirmitive. Caller, a woman, says robbers can be found dead in some nearby woods. Will take a while to check this out. Do you copy?" A long pause. "Repeat, do you copy, Chief Bishop?"
Panther locks eyes with "Slim". Now it's his turn to, Think, Think. She probably was told I was part of this. Plus side?. Who would believe Ed, Roy and Steve. And they're probably dead anyway. Panther's cold stare and her powerful body have convinced him of that. Minus side? The money is gone. Damn! Damn!
Chief Bill, "Slim", Bishop grabs his microphone. "Affirmative, I'm on the way back to town. At sunup we start a search, based of the info from the caller to 911." "Chief," the voice on the radio again. "Should we leave the roadblocks in place overnight? This woman who caled 911 may still be in the area." "Yes, leave them up," says Chief Bishop. "No one has passed by here. And I'll stop anyone I see on my way back in."
It's daybreak. The police are probably minutes from finding the bodies of Ed, Roy, Steve and poor Bob at the bottom of the ravine. At this moment Panther knocks on Ted's door. He sleeply rolls out of bed. Who the hell is that at this hour of the night? Or is it morning? He pulls on a bathrobe and heads for the door.
Panther doesn't say a word. She takes off her clothes, pulls Ted's bathrobe to the floor and shoves him back into bed. Their love making starts off gentle and then becomes more passionate as Panther channels all the past night's rage, frustration and fear into her sex drive.
Long moments go by. Panther rest for a moment and then it's more sex. Rest, then more sex. And she still has not said a word. Ted has seen her like this before. He knows that something very private has happened and he is not to intrude. He also knows to let her powerful body have complete control. She is making love to him and ends on top. His hands glid over her large breast and then her muscular stomach, arms and legs as she moans one last time.
Panther rest her head on Ted's chest. She still has not said a word about last night. And she never will. She files this away in what she calls her "memory spaces." Just a strong woman getting some space. She smiles and then sleeps, soundly.
Later that afternoon Ed lies in his bed. Two ice packs. One near the bridge of his nose, the other on the back of his neck. He's in pain. Can barely move his head. But he's still alive. Chief "Slim" found him in the woods and quickly got him home. I'll find her, he thinks. Oh yes, most definitely, I'll find her. Chief "Slim" said the car was a Jaguar. But he was so confused he didn't get the license plate. Never mind. Can't be that many Jaquar convertibles in California. It's a start. I'll find her.