The Stranger
by M.C.
A small town man meets a very strange and interesting woman


The attractive young woman stopped to catch her breath for a minute. Looking
behind her, she heard the rustling sounds of several people trampling on the
undergrowth; she had to move on. It was probably a mistake to hide her car in
the woods and try to escape her pursuers on foot but there was nothing she
could do about it now...except to continue running in the hope that she
can elude them. After several more minutes she came to a fast flowing river;
somehow, she had to get across. Off in the distance her eyes spotted a
footbridge which forded the river. She must get there before ' they' did, or
else all was lost. Racing along the river bank, she climbed up the steps and
began to run across the bridge; and then stopped dead in her tracks. For
waiting on the opposite side were two large men, armed with pistols. They
began running towards her. She turned around, only to be confronted by two
more armed men approaching from the other side. She was trapped. There was
only one avenue of escape left to her now...and she took it. Leaping up onto
the handrail, the desperate woman dove into the river - thirty feet below  -
and was quickly taken downstream by the fast current.

I have always loved the peace and quiet of the small community in which I grew
up. After graduating college, I did try to live in a big city but, after
several unhappy years working in the accounting office of a large corporation
in New York City, I jumped at the opportunity to return to my town and set up
a small accounting office with an old high school chum. The fast paced life of
the Big Apple just wasn't for me. Here, I can walk to and from work along the
river that flows past my home, the same home my parents had lived in.Yes, it
can be a bit lonely at times and meeting women isn't all that easy. It
certainly isn't everyone's dream life; but, for me at least, it's home...and
probably always will be.

As I was walking home from work along the river one day, I saw something very
strange on the side of the riverbank. From a distance, it looked like someone
had thrown some old clothes out but, as I drew closer, I noticed that it
wasn't just clothes I was seeing... but the body of a woman. "Oh my God," I
said to myself, " is she dead ? " I checked to see if she was breathing...and
she was. She was even conscious, barely. " I've got to get you to a hospital
quickly." Despite the weakened state she was in, the woman reached up and
grabbed the collar of my shirt with surprising strength," No," she said in a
weak but firm voice," no hospital."

" Well then, I've got to contact the police."

"No, no police."

I assumed by her responses that she must be in some kind of trouble. What was
I to do ? " My home is just a few hundred yards from here, I can carry you
there."

" Good, do that...please."

Fortunately, she was rather small - perhaps 120 pounds - and I'm in pretty
good shape. I lifted her up over my shoulder and, with little difficulty,
carried her home. Laying her down on my sofa I tried to tend her as best I
could. She had scrapes and bruises all over her body, probably from being
dragged along the fast flowing river current for quite awhile. Had she fallen
in ? Did she jump in to escape from something...or someone ? And why didn't
she want to get proper medical attention in a hospital, or police to know ?
Very strange. Before I could ask any of these questions my mysterious 'guest'
- exhausted - fell asleep. I picked her up and carried her into my bed. Then
wondered what I should do.

She slept all the rest of the day and all night; I slept on the sofa. The
following morning ( Friday) I decided not to do anything about her until I had
more information. I snuck into my bedroom and began to change my clothes. To
my surprise, she was awake. " I've got to go to work today Miss,
whoever-you-are. I'll try to come home as early as I possibly can. There's
plenty of food in the fridge and feel free to use the shower. In the closet,
there are some of my sister's clothes that she always keeps here for when she
comes for a visit.You're about the same size as she is so you can wear them."
For a few moments she didn't speak. She was gazing at me, as if she was trying
to decide if I could be trusted. At length, she smiled and simply said," thank
you."

All that day I couldn't stop thinking about this mysterious woman. Who she was
? What was she doing here ? and why was she in the river ? When I came home
that afternoon, I was surprised to see her up and about. She was indeed
wearing some of my sister's clothes and - for the first time - I noticed
something else about her...she was beautiful. A very pretty face, shoulder
length blond hair, and fairly muscular arms and legs; not like a
bodybuilder's, but definitely she was no stranger to the weight room.

" How are you feeling ? "

" Much better, thank you."

" My name is Robert, what's yours ? "

Again, she began to gaze at me as if she was trying to decide if I could be
trusted. " Look miss, it would be nice if I had *something* to call you; just
give me any name."

" Tina, you can call me Tina."

" Well Tina, are you hungry ? We can either go out to eat in a restaurant or I
can make you something here."

" Here, Robert; I'd prefer to eat here."

Being a single man I made the easiest thing possible - microwave pizza. If
Tina was unimpressed, she didn't show it. " So, what brings you to our humble
little town, Tina ? " Though I asked her in as friendly a manner as I could,
it was obvious to her where I was going with this; and she wasted no time
whatsoever telling me that the subject was off limits.

" Robert, I think you and I would both be better off if that topic were not
brought up again. I know you're curious - who wouldn't be under the
circumstances - but please understand, it's for your own good that you know as
little as possible about who I am and why I'm here. I know I owe you for
helping me - and I will repay you, I promise - but don't ask too many
questions...I don't want to see you get hurt." Though said this in a pleasent
tone of voice, Tina's message was clear," STAY AWAY ! "

The rest of that dinner was spent discussing the particulars of my life. When
not on the defensive, Tina could be a warm, and even funny conversationalist.
Though she poked fun at my rural upbringings, it was done in a respectful
manner. Although it was obvious to me that she was a 'big city girl', ( in a
rare moment when she let down her guard, Tina mentioned that she lived in New
York City ), she neither insulted me, nor was she condescending towards the
lifestyle I led. Amazingly, as the evening wore on, ( helped, no doubt, by the
four or five beers I consumed ) it was me who opened up to her and told this
mysterious stranger things about myself that I had never told anyone else
before; about why I loved living where I did, about the drawbacks (not being
able to find female companionship); Tina seemed to be taking this all in.

Sometime after 9:00 PM, Tina said she felt tired; she hadn't completely
recovered from her 'ordeal' yet. " You sleep in your bed tonight, Richard;
I'll sleep on the sofa." My small-town hospitality, made me say that she
should sleep in my bed. " No, Richard; it's your home, you sleep in your bed !
" Her tone was firm and didn't allow any room for further discussion; this was
a woman who was used to getting her way. But who was she ? and why was she
here ? These questions haunted me all through that night.

When I awoke the following morning ( Saturday ) Tina was gone. There was no
note, she simply wasn't there." Very well," I thought to myself, " it's
probably for the best." I went about my usual chores for Saturday; laundry,
straightening up my home, taking out the trash etc. Sometime after 1:00 PM I
heard a car pull up into my driveway. I stepped outside just in time to see
two very shapely legs emerging from a black Lexus...Tina's. " I didn't want to
disturb you on a Saturday morning, Richard," she said smiling. " I'm still not
feeling 100% and wondered if I could spend one more night here; I promise you
I'll be gone on Sunday."

To say I was excited to see this beautiful, mysterious woman again would be an
understatement. I was stunned, flattered. " Why of course you can stay,
Tina...for as long as you like." She kissed me on the cheek as she entered my
home...I felt my heart flutter.

" I'm still tired, Richard. Mind if I take a nap ? "

" Not at all, Tina." I stopped trying to figure out who, what and why she was
here; and decided to simply enjoy the fact that this gorgeous woman was
here...for however long that would be. She slept through the afternoon and
partly into the evening. Around 8:00 PM Tina awakened and appeared to be in
much better spirits. " What do you you guys do for entertainment around here ?
" she asked.

" Well, there's not too much to do here, I'm afraid; this isn't New York City
you know. Sometimes I like to go over to Kelly's Tavern on Saturday night;
there's a bit of action there and they make the best spare ribs." To my
surprise, Tina smiled and said," well then, what are we waiting for,
Richard...let's go; dinner's on me."

We drove in her car and parked out front. Being a small town, where everybody
knew each other, I recognized almost everybody inside. In fact the only one I
didn't, was a man sitting off in a corner wearing a pair of dark sunglasses; I
didn't pay any special attention to him though. Because everybody also knew
me, when I entered with Tina all heads turned in our direction. Everyone knew
me to be a shy, dull accountant who rarely - if ever - dated. To see me walk
in now, with this beautiful woman, caught them all by surprise; shock even. We
sat down at a table for two.

" Can I get you and your friend something from the bar, Richard ? " It was
Nancy, the cocktail waitress. Years ago - when we were in high school - I had
dated her. When I left for college, she remained here. She married briefly,
then divorced. When I returned to this town, Nancy tried to get together again
but, for some reason which I still don't quite understand, I wasn't
interested. Perhaps I felt that - coming back from New York - small town girls
were a step down for me. To tell you the truth, I really don't know why I
didn't start up again with Nancy...I just didn't. After a few unsuccessful
attempts, Nancy stopped trying.

" Yes," Tina said," we'll have a bottle of your finest wine...and some ribs."

Nancy looked at her...and then at me. " Very well, I'll bring it over."

Over at the pool table were three large men. Bill, Sam and Roy. Ever since my
high school days, these three had been bullying me. Bill, the largest and
leader of the group, took particular pleasure in humiliating me. I never knew
why. For some reason, he just took a disliking to me; and it continued down
through the years. When I entered Kelly's Tavern, they couldn't help but
notice me, largely because of Tina of course. After Nancy brought over our
wine - and ribs - the three of them sauntered over to our table.

" Well, lookie what we have here," Bill blurted out," guess your accounting
firm must be doing really well to be able to afford her..what does she charge
for a night ? "

I felt the anger inside of me surge. Physically, I was no match for Bill who
outweighed my 175 pounds by at least 50 (not to even mention Sam and Roy who
were also very large). But there are limits to how much abuse one can take and
I had reached mine. Rising to my feet I began to move towards Bill, and then a
surprisingly strong hand gripped my arm and held me in place. " Richard,
please sit down," Tina calmly said," let me handle this."

To my surprise, the beautiful woman that I had rescued two days before, rose
from her chair and faced the three large men. " Gentlemen," she began," you
have insulted a friend of mine, please apologize to him now; or you will
regret it for a long time to come."

" Tina," I said," these guys are tough; you don't know what you're doing."

With a look of steel in her eyes, Tina glared at me and said sternly,"
Richard, I know damn well what I'm doing; sit down NOW ! "... I sat down.

Turning back to my ' friends' she said," you've been abusing Richard for a
long time now, it's time to settle the score." Without saying another word,
the five foot-four inch 120 pound woman, hurled herself at Bill who stood the
closest to her. In a lightning fast series of kicks and punches, Tina drove
Bill back up against the wall. Sam and Ray tried to help their friend but Tina
- just like in a Bruce Lee movie - slammed her right foot hard into Sam's
face, breaking his nose in the process and then, without missing a beat,
flattened Ray with another roundhouse kick to his head. She then returned to
Bill. Several more vicious kicks and he was begging her to stop. Showing a
side of her that I hadn't seen before, Tina grabbed the battered Bill and
hurled him across a table. She then began to smash his face into it. Blood was
spurting out all over the place. " Tina," I said, please...he's had enough."
Tina looked at me for a moment. She then grabbed Bill by the hair and held his
mangled face in front of mine. " This is my friend. If you or anyone of your
friends ever bother him again, you'll have to answer to me, is that clear ? "
Tina then released her grip on Bill and he slumped to the floor; battered and
crying. In less than three minutes, Tina had completely destroyed the bullies
that had been bothering me for years. Then, as if nothing out of the ordinary
had happened, she smiled at me and said," come Richard, let's finish our
meal...these ribs really are delicious." Out of the corner of my eye I saw the
man in the dark sunglasses get up and walk out of the tavern.

The rest of the dinner passed by uneventfully. When Bill, Sam and Ray were
able to, they staggered out of Kelly's. " I don't think they'll be bothering
you again," Tina winked at me as they left. When we finished our dinner, we
left the tavern. As we walked to her car, a black Lincoln slowly drove
by...and Tina's expression suddenly changed dramatically. She showed something
I hadn't seen in her before...fear. Grabbing me firmly by the hand she yanked
me into her car and gunned the engine. Tina then put her foot down hard on the
accelerator and we flew out of town. " What's going on ?," I asked. " Quiet
Richard !," she demanded," I have to think."

We drove on in silence for quite a while; Tina was constantly looking in the
rearview mirror. Finally, she pulled off to the side of the road and drove
into the woods. She then turned off her lights. " Richard, we have to have a
talk. It's looks like you're going to find out about me after all. But I'm
warning you, you're not going to like what you're about to hear." Tina paused
for a moment, as if to gather her thoughts, and then said," Richard, I'm a
professional hit woman."

"I - I don't believe it. How can you be, you're so nice, you're so..."

" Oh Richard, stop being so naive. Didn't you see what I did to those '
friends' of yours, how easily I beat them up ? Three big guys against me. If
you hadn't stopped me, I might very well have killed Bill. Richard, I'm a
highly trained killer, an expert marksman, a third degree black belt in
karate, and there are other things I can do that you don't even want to know
about. Those men in that Lincoln that passed by us outside the tavern are
after me. They're part of a drug ring whose leader I knocked off a week ago. I
came down here to 'lay low' for a while but someone must have informed them of
my whereabouts. They had me cornered the day before yesterday and the only way
I could escape was to jump into the river. I must have been carried several
miles downstream before I managed to pull myself out of the water. That's
where you found me."

" So you'd better get the hell out of here," I said to her.

" I'm afraid it's not that simple anymore, Richard. They saw us together
outside Kelly's, you too are now in danger; ( I suddenly remembered the
strange man in the dark sunglasses and told her about him ). So, you see, they
know you're with me."

" But if you leave Tina, they'll follow you won't they."

"It doesn't work that way, unfortunately. They'll either kill you or use you
as bait to catch me. It's my own fault for letting my guard down. I thought
they thought I was dead; we never should have gone out tonight."

" Tina, you should go, I'll be safe here."

" She gazed at me with the strangest of looks. " Richard, I don't know whether
to kiss you or pound some sense into you with my fists. Don't you get it ?
Those men are killers, as long as they're alive, your life will always be in
danger."

" So, what are you going to do, Tina ? "

" Richard, you were there for me when I needed you the most. I don't turn my
back on my friends. They will have to be 'dealt with', and soon. I do have a
plan, but it's going to require your help. They'll no doubt be watching your
home now so tonight we'll sleep here in my car. I'll explain my plan to you in
the morning." We put the two front seats back and settled down for the night.

As I looked at her moonlit face next to me, I couldn't help but think how
beautiful she is. How could she possibly be a killer ? As if she read my mind,
she smiled at me and said," Richard, you really are a country bumpkin aren't
you ? " Her tone was humorous rather than condescending. " Who was that
cocktail waitress that couldn't keep her eyes off you all during dinner ? " I
explained to her about Nancy and me." You really should reconsider, Richard;
she really seems to like you. From what I've seen of you these past two days,
you're a sweet, kind hearted man whose capable of giving a great deal of love.
It would be a shame if you never find anyone to share that love with."

" But I want someone dynamic and exciting, someone who really turns me
on...someone...like you. Tina, I - I love you."

Tina leaned over and kissed me on the lips. " You really are sweet Richard, in
a pathetic sort of way." Again, it was not an attempt to belittle me so much
as to show me how far off the mark I was. " You think I'm what you want ? I
kill people for a living, murder them. I'm far beyond justifying what I do,
and why. My life is kill or be killed. Is that what you want ? Honey, we march
to very different drummers. What you're actually chasing is a fantasy, a
dream. Why do you think you left New York and came back here ? Because here is
where you belong, here is your life. Richard, you're where you should be, you
know that. It was just a quirk that I came into your life and tomorrow, after
I've settled this, I'm leaving your life...forever." When she saw the tears
that were beginning to form in my eyes, Tina stopped and said," let's not
discuss this anymore Richard. Let's just enjoy this last night together...as
woman and man." And we did for despite the fact that I was suddenly put in
mortal danger, despite the fact that I may not live to see the sunset the
following day; there, in Tina's car, held in her masterful arms, I never felt
so safe, so secure. It was a night I'll never forget.

The morning found us embraced in each other's arms. It all seemed so surreal;
me sleeping with a beautiful hit woman. When I tried to move away, Tina
tightened her viselike grip around me and whispered in my ear. " Now Richard,
I know you're probably very nervous about what's going to happen today. If you
follow my instructions exactly, everything should turn out all right; are you
with me ? ( I nodded ). Good, here is what we're going to do..."

I drove her car back towards the direction of my home with Tina in the
passenger seat. As we drove, Tina did something that finally made me realize
that this wasn't all some sort of game. She took out a 9mm pistol from the
back of her seat and screwed on a silencer. It was at that moment that I began
to worry. Seeing that my hands were shaking, Tina leaned over and said,"
Robert, when someone comes at me with their fist, they get two fists in
return. When someone comes at me with an open hand, they get mine in return.
You helped me when I needed you, I promise I won't let you down." She then
kissed me on the cheek. When we were about a half a mile from my home, I
stopped the car and she got out. " Good luck Richard, " Tina said, and then
she disappeared into the woods.

Alone, I continued on to my home. As Tina instructed, I didn't get out of my
car but instead waited for a minute near-by, and then began to drive away.
Just as she predicted, the black Lincoln appeared from out of nowhere and
began to follow me. I drove slowly for about 15 minutes away from the town -
with the Lincoln in tow - before turning off a side road. Three miles later, I
reached the old abandoned farmhouse that once belonged to the Smith family. I
stopped the Lexus and got out. I nervously watched as four large,
tough-looking men got out of the Lincoln and began to walk towards me.

" Where's Ice Pick ?," one of them asked me. I recognized him; he was the one
I saw in Kelly's Tavern.

"Who ? "

He reached back his hand and smacked me hard across the face." Wise guy, huh ?
Well, we have ways of making you talk. Take him inside, boys."

Two of the other men grabbed me by the arms and dragged me inside. " Ed, you
stay outside and keep watch."

They forced me to sit on a chair near a table. One of the men held me firmly
by the throat, while another took out a hammer and began to swing it back and
forth. " This is your last warning, countryboy. Tell us where Ice Pick is and
we won't break all of your fingers."

With courage that amazed me, I said," go fuck yourself."

" Very well you punk, have it your way." He nodded at the man with the hammer
and said," start with his thumbs." Those were the last words he ever spoke.

>>From behind me I heard a "pssst" sound. I saw a small hole appear in the
man's forehead as he fell backwards. The man holding the hammer began to
scream," Ice Pick, don't shoot, please I can..."

"Pssst" another hole in his head and he fell to the floor. The man who was
holding me released his grip and started to beg. " No, don't Ice Pick, please
don't kill me ! "

"Pssst"...I felt the thud as he hit the floor, and then there was silence.

" You did very well Richard, I'm proud of you," I heard a familiar female
voice say. I stood up and turned around; right into the smiling, beautiful
face of Tina.

" There's another one outside."

" There was," she corrected me.

I then looked at the scene in the farmhouse, and suddenly felt very sick.
There, before me, in a pool of their own blood, were the three would be
killers; lying lifeless on the floor. These were the first dead bodies I had
ever seen. Rushing out of the house I sat down on the doorsteps ( not too far
from the body of Tina's forth victim ) and began to shake uncontrollably. I
felt the presence of my rescuer as she sat down next to me. I felt her arm
reach around my shoulder and gently tug me towards her. Crying now, I put my
head on her shoulder.

" Oh Richard, Richard, Richard," she said softly," you see now why your world
and mine can never co-exist ? This is what I do, sweetie; how can you ever be
a part of it ? She held me there for a few minutes while I tried to gain
control of myself. " Hold this honey ( she handed me her weapon ), there's
something I have to do."

I watched as Tina dragged Ed's body - with surprising ease - into the house.
She then opened the trunk of her car and took out a can of gasoline. After
spilling it all around the room, Tina lit a match and dropped it on the gas. A
minute later, the farmhouse was consumed in fire. " Come Richard, I think we'd
better be going." Tina drove me to where she parked my car, a few hundred
yards away - that's how she was able to reach the farmhouse in time. Before we
parted, Tina gave me a piece of paper. " This is a special phone number,
Richard. You're to memorize it and then burn the paper. It's a number where I
can always be reached. You're never to refer to me as Ice Pick...only Tina. I
sincerely hope that you will never need my 'services'. But, should you ever
do, know that for you, I'm always there to help. As I said, I don't turn my
back on my friends.

For the last time, Tina put her arms around me and gave me a kiss. "Good-bye
Richard. You're a good man. I hope you find true happiness someday." We got
into our cars and drove away from the burning farmhouse. I followed her until
we reached the intersection of the main road. She smiled and waved before
turning right, towards the interstate highway that would take her back to New
York. I watched as her Lexus disappeared into the distance, then turned
left...towards my home.

Epilogue

It was late in the afternoon as I lay on my bed. I was trying to come to terms
with the events of the past several days. As I reflected on what had happened,
the phone began to ring.

" Hello," I said.

" Hello Richard, it's me...Nancy."

" Nancy, what a surprise, What's on your mind ? "

" Well Richard, a strange thing happened a few minutes ago. I received a call
form a woman. She wouldn't tell me her name but she said that you might be
feeling down and I should check up on you. Would you like me to come over ? "

I paused for a moment and smiled to myself. " Yes, Nancy. As a matter of fact,
I am feeling a bit down at the moment...I'd really appreciate it if you could
come over..."