Everything that Glitters

There is no sex involving anyone under the age of 18. If you haven’t read the first two chapters this will be nonsensical. Ch. 1 is in Loving Wives where stories about cheating wives abide; Chapter 2 in Romance, because it isn’t about a cheating wife; neither is this chapter.

The end of Chapter 2: “Cal, this is Zane; I need your help!”

After he called his friend Cal Cook in Arizona, Zane called Elle, who called Sue, and then Zane called Brad. David, Sue, and Elle came to his house to stay with Casey. Zane grabbed his go bag, his gun satchel, his briefcase, and was waiting at the door when Brad pulled up in his pickup. They headed for the Gillespie Country Airport in Fredericksburg, the nearest field that could handle the private jet Cal sent to pick Zane up. The plane would arrive an hour and forty minutes after its departure at 11:20, so they circled back to town for hot coffee from Stripes, and stopped for another cup when they got to ‘Fritztown’.

Their wait was only about 25 minutes, but it seemed longer because Zane didn’t want to talk about it. When the sleek plane circled to line up with the runway, Brad turned his lights on and off to signal they were waiting by the terminal. The Embraer Phenom 300E landed smoothly without even a yelp from the tires, and quickly taxied back to the pickup. Zane thanked Brad and ran to the plane. The steps were already being lowered, and they were back in the air in less than five minutes.

The 300E had sufficient range to make it back to Albuquerque before it had to refuel. An hour and forty minutes after they left Albuquerque International Sunport, they were on the ground in Caldwell, Idaho.

Cal was there with a large and strangely diverse entourage. There was a man in an expensive suit, a couple of nerdy looking girls, and five large and dangerous-looking men dressed in forest camo.

“It’s always good to see you, my friend, but not in these circumstances. How are you holding up?” Cal inquired with a concerned look.

“I’m pissed! Cassie spent the last two years getting shuck of her asshole daddy, shaking her drug and alcohol addictions, straightening out her life, and recently began developing a new relationship with Casey, and then this happens! I haven’t had much time to do anything but think, but I have an idea about where she was taken.”

“You mean the EMS compound outside Ketchum?” Cal chuckled, clasped his friend on the shoulder, and continued. “My team and I HAVE had enough time. Sandy and Jada have been through everything Entertainment Management Services and your idiot ex-father-in-law have available online, and my security team contacted friends in Idaho to learn more about the EMS compound where she was taken.

“I’ll circumvent all the questions at this time and give you the full update when we’re in the Suburban. Let’s go.”

Cal and Zane sat in the second seat; Sandy and Jada in the third, and one of the suits was in the front passenger seat. The driver, Steve, was the leader of the security team; two of the other four members of the team were in a highly modified Land Rover that was clearly designed to go off road in mountainous terrain, and the other two were in a modified Jeep pickup towing an enclosed trailer that Cal said contained ATVs.

“How well armed are we? I’m not sure these guys give a fuck about laws and such.”

Cal patted Steve on the shoulder and said reassuringly, “Zane, we wouldn’t want to engage the Israeli army, but short of that, I’m sure we’ll be adequately prepared, weapons-wise. Remember: I do business in dangerous places with dangerous people.”

He chuckled, “My team is the best in the world, or at least that’s what they claim when it’s time to negotiate their contracts!”

“Now, tell me about Cassie. I’ve been hearing for two years that she had reverted back to Good Cassie, but it seems you now have first-hand knowledge of that?”

“If you’ve been hearing about her for two years, I have two questions: one, why didn’t you tell me, and two, then you know about her epiphany, right?”

Cal nodded and explained, “I heard that she had given up booze, drugs, and, shall we say, indiscriminate sex, but I had no firsthand knowledge or even firsthand sources. It was all tour scuttlebutt, which isn’t worth much. Besides, I figured the same friends who ratted her out were keeping you informed.

“Did I hear about her ‘come to Jesus’ moment? Yes, but again it was third hand or worse. The bigger issue is how did you come to find out? Did she tell you? Do you believe her?”

Zane responded, “She approached me at Prescott and I let her see Casey while she was sleeping. A few stops later, at Casper, she approached me again, and this time she and Casey bonded a bit.

“Somewhere in there, she talked at length to Carole, and Carole told me and our parents her story. Frankly, I was skeptical, but she spent a lot of time with us at Cheyenne, and I have to admit, I was favorably impressed. She is totally off drugs and alcohol, and most importantly, she’s forsaken Asshole Albert… or at least she had!

“I’m sure his goal is to pimp her out like he did before. I’m also sure he’s already gone through all the money she made while he had his hooks in her, so he needs to sell her for all he can get.

“That damn EMS bunch seems beyond shady; in fact, I’d say they are only interested in pimping her too!”

“Oh, they’re shady!” Jack, the lawyer in the front seat interjected, “But their interest has always been in the ‘clean and sober’ Cassandra, not the strung out one. Sandy or Jada can inform you about the emails and documents they intercepted, but, from a legal standpoint, they are walking on quick sand and they know it.

“The signature on the ‘personal services contract’ Mr. Collins presented to them is obviously either a poor forgery, or the signature was secured while Cassandra was not in control of her faculties. It is therefore invalid, and I’m sure their attorneys have told them that. Yet, they seem to believe they can secure a valid contract from her in the next few days.

“Sandy, Jada, what do you want to add?”

Jada looked up long enough to mumble, “Umm, probably just that we have all the correspondence between ‘Asshole’ and the EMS director, Donovan Talbott, and, from what we’ve seen, we believe they intend to market her in as the Sexy Queen of the Rodeo. You know: wearing sexy clothes in sexy poses in sexy situations, and stuff like that. They also mentioned Lady Godiva, whoever that is.”

Jack stated, “And for that, they need two things: Cassandra’s signature on a contract that permits the use of her image in any way they choose, and a willing model. Based on what I’ve been told, I doubt she will agree to either, which means dear old daddy is probably trying to get her hooked on drugs and sex again, as we speak. The Asshole ordered several kinds of drugs from one of his suppliers, and it arrived yesterday. Once he gets her hooked again, he thinks she will backslide to sluttery – or so he told EMS.”

Sandy added, “She not the first they’ve exploited, or the worst! We found out some terrible things when we were digging around in their files. A lot of girls and a few guys have gone from advertising to minor film and TV opportunities, and then on to modeling in the nude, stripping, and porn films.

I don’t know why they are so fixated on your wife, though; she’s certainly good looking in a ‘rodeo star next door’ kind of way, but she is hardly the voluptuous babe they seem to favor.”

Zane shrugged his shoulders, knowing he couldn’t explain Cassie’s appeal to a young woman with tats, piercings, and multi-colored hair.

Cal fixed that by stating, “Sandy, if you were a man you wouldn’t ask that question. Cassie may not be voluptuous, but everything is in the right places in the right amounts, and topped with that ‘girl-next-door-of-your-dreams’ face surrounded by a headful of honey-blonde hair that gleams.

“Think Farrah Fawcett, not Kim Kardashian. Believe me; she adorns thousands of posters in thousands of bedrooms for a reason!”

“How long until we get there?” Zane interrupted. “I’m afraid tonight might be the night they… misuse her, and it’s already pushing dawn.”

It was Steve’s turn to chuckle. “Well, since we knew we would barely arrive by dawn, we had some Idaho operatives we work with create a little disturbance at the compound about thirty minutes after the red Escalade arrived, again around 1:30, and again at 3. Based on audio surveillance, they’re running too scared to do anything else to your girl.

“Amazing what happens to your scheme when flares light up your compound, smoke grenades go off among your poorly trained security staff, and a flash-bang explodes in the room next to your ‘safe room’.”

He laughed. “Strangely, in spite of believing they’re under attack, they haven’t called the law. Wonder why?”

The caravan began climbing a winding mountain road, hemmed in on both side by huge trees.

Steve said, “This is the road to the compound, so we need to start getting ready. How’s the tech surveillance going, you guys?”

“Nothing much to report,” Sandy answered. The satellite we’re connected to is slow, but we can tell she’s still in a room away from the others, and the targets are still nervously chattering about what to do while hiding in their ‘safe room’. Ha! As if Steve and his men don’t know how to get past a steel door!”

“So, Steve, what’s the plan? I brought my gun bag.”

“Zane, if you have to dig in your gun bag, we’ve screwed the pooch. There are five of us plus the five locals; they have eight ‘guards’, and I say that derisively. There are some disciplined and well-trained militia groups hiding in the woods up here, but these are members of one of the wanna-be groups that congregate up here to ‘avoid government spying’. Of course, as soon as they organize and get set up, the government begins watching them from the air, and eavesdrops on everything they say or send electronically; but, hey, they are living ‘off the grid and free from government interference’, right?

“Excuse my sarcasm, but I know some of them and… well, ‘deluded’ is a good term. Anyway, we could just kill them, but we brought horse tranquilizer darts to use if they don’t just surrender. You don’t need to worry about our end of it; it’s Jack who has the job to do.

“Jack needs to get your wife — ex-wife, I guess, although you seem deeply concerned about her welfare — Jack needs to get her released from the fake contracts, and get new ones drawn up to protect her from her perverted sperm donor’s clutches, forever!”

“Let’s see how it goes, but I don’t see my job as being any harder than Steve’s,” Jack replied. “Asshat Albert is an imbecile, and EMS is straight-running idiots for going along with him. I see criminal and civil charges, leading to millions in damages, and jail time for the shady executives involved.”

“Ya know, we don’t need all this legal mumbo jumbo if that son-of-a-bitch in dead, right?” Zane asked casually.

Jack immediately replied, “I didn’t hear that! Or rather, I heard a hypothetical question. Is that what you asked, Zane?”

“Sure, if that eases your conscience; it was hypothetical.”

“No, we don’t need as much legal mumbo jumbo if he isn’t involved, but EMS still has contracts with her that will require revision or annulment.”

“Well, Jack, what if the upper management of EMS was to meet an untimely end, say tonight? Hypothetically speaking, of course! I mean, fire happens up here in this drought, right?”

Jack’s eyes got wide; Cal laughed, and Steve answered with a grin, “He’s right: that could happen. These buildings are made of old logs, so it wouldn’t take much of a spark. But let’s see how this plays out.

“If everything works out just fine, we can take the new documents and the lady back down the mountain. If we’re having problems that can’t be reconciled, y’all can all go down the mountain with the lady and we’ll stay around a bit. Does that sound okay, Zane?”

Zane remained assertive. “Let me be blunt, then: I doubt that the Asshole is never going to leave her be, and I’m not going to permit it anymore! Whatever else she is or has been, she’s Casey’s mother, and none of this shit would have happened if he hadn’t interfered in our marriage!

“When I saw the smirk on his face while Cassie was explaining how she was going with Daddy to conquer the world, but she would be back every chance she got, I knew! I should have killed him then, but as they say, it’s never too late to do the right thing!”

Cal sighed, put his hand on Zane’s shoulder, and said, “Let’s go with Steve’s plan for now. Let’s go up there, get them all in the same room, have a come-to-Jesus meeting, and see what happens.”

Zane snorted, but sank back into his seat and crossed his arms. That FedEx package he got at the ranch a day after they got back from Cheyenne was in his jump bag. That would be a big, fat skunk in the room for them EMS boys, and for The Asshole!

***

The tranquilizer darts weren’t needed, much less the weapons. The guards were so scared they were bunched up talking outside the main building when a bunch of red dots appeared on their clothing. They heard a voice from the darkness telling them to lay their weapons down, walk two steps, and lie down face first with their hands above your heads, or die! They immediately complied, and the “security force” was neutralized without a shot of any kind being fired.

Two minutes later, the suburban drove right up to the headquarters, three passengers got out, and they walked up on the porch by the front door. “Open it or I will!” Steve commanded.

No one came, so he fired a burst into the handle. He added a second, unnecessary, burst to send a message, and when they got to the “safe room”, he warned those behind it to either open the door or move as far away as they could before he blew it open.

Steve slapped the door like he had placed C4 on it; they heard distressed voices, and the door slid open.

Steve and two other members of their security team entered first, with ARs ready. Zane was right behind them, with pistol drawn and ready.

He glared at the men four men and one woman huddled together in the corner. “Where is Cassie?” he asked in a menacing voice. The tallest of the slick-looking bastards pointed to a side door, and Zane moved toward it.

Cal asked, “Anyone in there with her? Zane’s wanted to kill someone ever since he loaded up with us, so if anyone gets in his way…”

Slick answered, “Just a nurse. He gave her a sedative, so she’s sleeping off an overdose of something her father says she took before her brought her up here.”

Steve beat him to the door, opened it, and jumped inside with his AR at the ready. Zane came in a half-second later with his pistol in hand. He saw Cassie with a gag in her mouth, tied spread-eagle to the bedstead with her blouse unbuttoned and her pants pulled down enough to expose a cheek of her ass and her pubic hairs.

“Hey, mother fucker! Get away from her!” they heard Zane yell, then the sound of a brutal slap, and a male cried out in pain; he cried louder after another loud slap. Suddenly a man sailed out the door and fell right at The Asshole’s feet.

Steve told Zane, “I’m an army-trained medic; I’m going to untie and examine her.”

Zane was only a few steps behind the “nurse” he had tossed out of the room. When he tried to stand, Zane stomped on his back and warned him to be still.

Standing less than a foot away, Zane looked into the face of his nemesis with a malevolent grin. He put the barrel of his pistol under Albert’s chin, pushed it up until his head was leaning back, and said, “You have ten seconds to tell me what you gave her, Asshole. If you don’t, I’ll blow your fuckin’ head off and ask this bitch, because I’m sure he was involved!

“8…7…6”

“Don’t shoot, Zane! It was just something she wanted! Just a little of the drugs she used to take all the time!” Albert burbled to the sky. Zane let him lower his head and told him to keep talking.

He continued so fast his words ran together. “You know, after Cheyenne she fell off the wagon and started using again pretty heavily, and one of her friends called me and told me to come help her, so I did! But she was coming down off something and was getting hysterical! I brought Jody along to help — he’s a nurse you know — so when she started begging, we gave her a shot of a couple of her favorites to help her, and…”

Zane began laughing uproariously. Gesturing to Cal and the others he asked, “Can you believe this guy? You are so full of shit, Albert! YOU REALLY ARE JUST A GIANT ASSHOLE THAT IS COMPLETELY FULL OF SHIT!

“You say she was using all the time after Cheyenne? Well, Casey talked to her mommy every night after we left, and I listened in! She was cold sober EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Lindsey was traveling with her, and Lindsey says she’s not taken a sip of a drink, much less been using drugs! YOU AND JODY KIDNAPPED HER! Then you drugged her, and brought her here to SELL to these PERVERTED VULTURES!”

He removed his steel-toed boot from Jody’s back and kicked him in the ribs; hard, but not hard enough to break a rib. “Isn’t that right, Jody? You and Asshole here kidnapped and drugged her? You best tell the truth, or I’ll kick you so hard it will drive your ribs right into your lung!”

Jody muttered something; Zane nudged him in the ribs and said, “Speak up! I already caught you in there with her blouse open and pants pulled down! I WANT to hurt you, so don’t give me an excuse!”

“YES! Okay, we grabbed her at the Caldwell rodeo! She wouldn’t stop fighting and screaming, so I gave her a mix I make special for Al; it’s just Easy Lay and Special K, but it really makes them nice and compliant. We must have given her a little too much or maybe it was a bad mix, because it kind of made her go crazy! I gave her a sedative to calm her down, I’ve been watching over her since we got here to make sure she is okay, and I was just trying to bring her around, not do anything sexual to her!”

“Right! After all, you’re a nurse! You would never do… Aw, fuck it!” Zane kicked him in the ribs quite a bit harder, and said, “The next mother fucker that lies to me dies! Am I clear?”

There were three slick-looking men and a woman who looked just as slick. Slick #1, who had been the only one who had spoken, said, “All this violence is unnecessary. We know why you’re here and we’re willing to negotiate, but we have a signed contract with Miss Collins and with her father, so let’s take seats around our conference table and have a conversation. You can make your case then, in a civilized manner.”

Zane removed his gun from under Albert’s throat, said, “Lay down right there by your Buddy, Asshole. Hands above your head. If you wiggle, I’ll shoot you in the spine… assuming you have one!”

He then walked across the room to Slick 1 and pressed the pistol into the soft area behind his ear. Slick grimaced, but didn’t move. “Signed contracts? Lots of fucking luck with that, Slick! I doubt it will take the jury ten minutes of deliberation when we sue your ass for the total value of your company plus your gross value! That signature looks like someone totally strung out on Easy Lay and Special K – whatever the hell those are — signed it under duress! Or maybe you just forged it!

How do I know? Oh, people who know what they’re doing have been in ALL your business over the past ten hours or so! We’ll just compare the signature on your fake documents to the notarized signature of a sober Cassie, and I’m guessing even the most ignorant jury in the world will see the difference!

Besides, that CIVIL jury will already have the testimony from the CRIMINAL trial to review. You’ll already be doing 20 to life for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and purposeful infliction of bodily harm with coercion for administering illegal drugs to an unwilling female when the jury awards Cassie every damn thing you’ve ever owned!

Can’t you just see the #MeToo activists surrounding your offices and the courthouse? I’m gonna be right there with ’em, egging ’em on!”

“If you’ll remove the gun from my ear, I’d like for all of us to have a seat around our conference table and we can discuss your so-called evidence and perhaps make a deal.”

Zane looked at the other Slicks, and then at Cal. “I told you it was a waste of time. These oily bastards and the slimy bitch intend to use their fancy shysters to bamboozle the law and us; they expect to get off scot-free!

“This place needs a cleansing. Hit them with the horse tranquilizers and put them in a couple of beds naked. Or maybe put them all in one bed naked with Slick on top of the bitch. I’ll light it up, and we can cleanse some of the evil from this world.”

The bitch and Slick3 were hugging themselves and staring wide-eyed at Zane. Slick2 was trembling; Slick1 still looked cool, but sweat was running down his neck.

Cal calmly said, “In the interest of satisfying my curiosity, let’s listen first. We can roast them anytime.”

They gathered around an oval table in the conference room. Cal walked to the door and signaled for Jack and the techies to come inside. Zane told David and Tom, the members of the security team watching the Asshole and the nurse to bring them in, but sit them back on the floor… and shoot their worthless asses if they moved!

Steve stuck his head out of the adjacent bedroom. “Cassie is coming around now; we just had a brief conversation, and she asked to see you, Zane.”

He quickly went to the bedroom door; “Is she going to be all right, Steve?”

“Yes, I’m confident she will. I’m not sure I understand her response to those particular drugs, but maybe that was her way of dealing with what she knew was coming. Anyway, traces stay in the body for twelve hours or more, but the effects wear off after 3-6 hours. I’m taking a blood sample before the body metabolizes and excretes it.

“As far as your wife’s mental state, I think she should be lucid by now. Like I said, the effects only last 3-6 hours, and it’s been much longer than that since she was injected.”

Cassie was sitting on the edge of the bed; her hair was mussed, she looked groggy and distraught, but she was fully dressed again. As soon as Zane entered, she asked, “What did they do to me after they injected me?”

“I don’t think they did anything. Cal hired a team to harass them all night, and we had eyes and ears on this building; to the best of my knowledge, nothing happened to you during the night. I can’t speak to the trip up here, though.”

“I felt myself before I zipped up my jeans; it didn’t feel like anyone had been down there, but I needed some assurance, I guess.

“How are you, Zane, and what are you doing here?”

“I’m fine; I’m here because Lindsey called and told me you had disappeared. We learned that you had been grabbed and tossed in a SUV, so I called Cal. He sent his jet to get me, we joined forces at the airport in Caldwell, and here we are… very glad to see you alive and… okay.

“We’re about to have a little conversation with your management team at EMS, and with your former manager / loving father. They seem to have contracts and releases you signed on the way up here with Daddy Dearest and your medical provider, and we want to talk about those.

“We assume you signed them under duress; are we correct?”

“I don’t remember much of anything since they threw me in the car and someone stuck a needle in my thigh, but I guarantee you I didn’t sign anything that I remember.”

“That’s as we suspected. Want to come join us?”

She did, but she needed a bit of support to keep her balance. Steve handed her a cup of coffee and a bottle of water, but just before they got to the conference room, she stopped. “Zane, did you get the documents I sent from Caldwell? I sent them to the ranch by FedEx as soon as we finalized them.”

“I did, Cassie. They were quite a surprise, but perhaps you had a premonition, because they are going to be very, very helpful in a few minutes.

“Are you up for this? The crew from EMS, your ‘nurse’, and your loving daddy are all in there.”

“Yes, as long as you’re there with me” she replied.

“I’ll be by your side, and Cal is here with his team. But if you feel too woozy or aren’t up for it, we can handle it without you. We’re here to destroy them, one way or another.”

She took a sip of the coffee and another of the water, and then handed them to Zane. She unbuckled her belt, unbuttoned her tight jeans, pulled her sequin and rhinestone studded blouse down and tucked it tightly in her jeans, and buttoned and belted up. She smoothed her clothing, used a rubber band that mysteriously emerged from her pocket to put her hair up in a ponytail, took another deep breath and looked pleadingly at Zane. He held his arm out, coffee and water in hand. She took his arm, and they entered the room together.

The first thing she saw was Daddy Dearest, kneeling on the floor beside the so-called nurse; he looked hopefully at Cassie, who glared at him for several seconds before turning loose of Zane’s arm. She walked directly to daddy, stood over him glaring, and then slapped him as hard as she could!

“You are the most miserable excuse for a father that ever lived! What kind of man drugs and pimps his daughter? You’re despicable!”

She slapped him again, with the other hand; glared until he looked down, and returned to Zane.

She looked around the table, and blanched when she saw the EMS team on the other side. “Oh my God! These are the maggots he picked to further my career? They’re the ones who tried to force me into doing pornographic movies and photo shoots!”

Zane shrugged his shoulders, turned his palms up, and calmly said, “It seems they have a contract and releases you signed in the car on the way up here with your loving father. Those documents say you give them the right to photograph, film, and use your likeness as they see fit, and have a few other clauses I think you’d like to hear more about. Such as, you agree to three movies of their choosing, with the option of three more if they decide they want more. You also agree to do publicity in the form of personal appearances for each of the films and the photo sessions.

“Or so Cal’s lawyer tells us. He’s the one in the dark suit beside Cal.”

Cassie looked bewildered; mouth open, she looked from Zane to the four slicks, to Cal, to Jack, and then back to Zane. “I did no such thing! Even when I was strung out on drugs and booze, I refused to do anything like that! You know I wouldn’t suddenly agree to do it NOW!”

“Certainly not if you were in your right mind; but when we find what we know we WILL find in the blood sample Steve took from you, maybe it becomes possible. Here, take a seat beside Jack and we can discuss the legal aspects of their being complicit in kidnapping, drugging, and forcing someone to sign something while clearly not of sound mind. Or, even worse, forging their signature!

“As I’ve made clear, my personal choice is to knock them all out with horse tranquilizers, bundle them in the safe room, and set the entire encampment on fire. My second choice is to call the law and send their asses to prison for a few decades for doing all those things to you.

“Slick #1 there in the yellow Polo shirt says he has another alternative that we’ll all like. Want to hear it, or go with one of my plans?”

“I’ll listen, as long as Cal’s lawyer is my lawyer. If I don’t like it, can we go with your first plan? I never want to worry about any of them again!”

Zane beckoned to Cal, who invited Slick#1, Donovan Talbott, to make his pitch. Zane thought he would have sounded unconvincing in a $2000 suit, but in his pastel yellow Polo, tan slacks, and Malibu Moccasins, he sounded preposterous.

“No way in hell!” Cassie shouted when he finished. “I don’t have a contract with you OR my former father and I’ll testify to that in any courtroom!”

Cal held up his hand before Zane could start, and summed it up: “So, your proposal is that you will change the contract so Cassie will only have to do two films, not three, and only two photo shoots, and you back that up by saying you’re certain your documents will stand up in court? Tell me, Donovan, are you fireproof?”

Zane stood up. “I’ll get the darts. Steve, you get the thermite.”

“Wait!” Donovan interjected. “That was our first offer; we can negotiate, as long as you accept that our documents are legal.”

“Hand them over,” Cal stated flatly. “Jack will compare the signature to those he is holding that Cassie filled out in an attorney’s office in front of a notary.”

“Well, we are relying on her father’s word and testimony,” Donovan replied, now in full retreat.

“Cassie, do you recognize these documents?” Jack asked, showing her the documents she sent to Zane; she nodded.

“Do you recognize the signatures as your own?” She nodded again. “I do.”

“How about these documents and these signatures; do you recognize them?” He asked, handing her the papers Donovan had just turned over to him.

Cassie looked through them and then exclaimed, “I’ve never seen any of these before, and that signature is a joke! It wouldn’t take a handwriting expert to know those are not my signatures or initials! I’ve never been drunk or drugged-up enough to sign my name like that!”

“And you are willing to testify to that in court, when we sue these folks for tens of millions, right?”

“Absolutely!” she responded gleefully.

“It appears we have been duped by Mr. Collins, whom we trusted!” Donovan exclaimed with wide-eyed innocence.

Zane started laughing; Cassie joined him, and then Cal, Steve, and Jack joined in. “I’m telling you, only a cleansing fire…” Zane got out between guffaws.

The lone female spoke up: “I’m Elizabeth Parker. Perhaps we could make it up to you, Miss Collins. You already have a large following in most cities on the tour. With EMS, we can expand that via social media, personal appearances, and guest spots on key shows. We can develop and market a line of western wear around your trademark glittering shirts, colorful hats, and designer jeans and skirts. You could, at a minimum, double or triple your highest income on the tour, and actually travel less. That would leave you more time to reestablish your relationship with your child, and an income that would greatly elevate your lifestyle, and that of your child.”

She looked pleased with herself, until Cassie replied. “Caldwell was to be my last rodeo for the year; maybe forever. I’ve already spoken with my mother, and, in spite of my poor treatment of her, she welcomed me back into her home. Now that I’ve seen the lengths you will go to in order to destroy my life, I’m more committed than ever to stopping.”

The woman put her hands out and shook her head in denial. She started to respond, but Cassie interrupted her. “No, don’t even THINK about denying it! We all know the world’s worst father wouldn’t have bothered to kidnap me if he didn’t already have this set up with EMS, so you are equally guilty!”

She again started to deny it, but Zane held up his hand, pointed at her, and quietly said, “Cleansing fire…” She closed her mouth.

With a shit-eating grin, Jack interjected, “You’re making the sale to the wrong person anyway. The first document containing Ms. Collins’ notarized signature assigns durable power of attorney to Zane Rhys for a wide range of legal, business, and investment matters. The second is a personal services contract with Mr. Rhys, and the third is a managerial contract.

“This attempt to exploit Ms. Collins was doomed from the start; she didn’t have the authority to sign a contract with any of you, including Mr. Collins.”

***

In the end, Donovan and Cal saved Albert, who was lying on the floor sobbing. Donovan by reminding everyone that he was an addict whose last chance had fallen by the wayside. Cal by laughingly stating that Albert faced a miserable life of poverty and infamy without his daughter, and killing him would actually be a reprieve.

Donovan also reminded them that parents exploiting talented children, especially women, for personal gain, had been going on practically since the beginning of time. He mentioned several current stars whose careers were managed by daddies that grew quite rich while the child or young adult worked long hours for the money daddy spent.

It was Jack who saved Donovan and the EMS executive staff by telling Cal, Cassie, and Zane that he had everything he needed to destroy the company and every company executive in a lawsuit, so all they had to do was tell him when to file. He then warned the four that, should news of their visit this morning find its way to law enforcement, third parties would file that lawsuit immediately, with great fanfare.

Cassie said she had mollified by Donovan signing a release stating they had no claim to her time or image, and went around the table, ostensibly to shake hands. Donovan’s fake smile disappeared when Cassie slapped the crap out of him! He leaned back in his chair when she leaned forward and told him that she really, really wanted to watch him burn, but the presence of the others saved him.

Nothing, however, saved the compound, which burned to the ground along with their vehicles and personal communication devices. The wanna be militiamen slipped back into the forest, having become convinced that working for EMS was extremely dangerous, and having been told that anyone who helped them get off the mountain wouldn’t see the next sunset.

For Albert, Jody, and the four swindlers, it was a long and perilous walk in their sporty moccasins and canvas shoes, and it was a chastened group that finally found someone to help them about ten miles into the twenty-mile hike to town.

The slick execs would come to understand the meaning of humility a few months later as the promised lawsuit was filed with much fanfare. Jack, speaking on behalf of his client, was a star on the networks and cable news outlets. Entertainment Management Services almost folded when the award, including treble damages, was made by the jury. It did fold after women – and men – came out of the woodwork with stories of their own exploitation, and filed similar lawsuits.

Emboldened by Cassie’s courage in facing the skunks down, women pressed and attorneys accepted and pursued lawsuits against other, more powerful, organizations and men. Men so powerful and feared no one had dared to sue them before.

Cassandra’s reputation was not only restored, she became a symbol of courage and willingness to take on the untouchable corrupt and bring them to their knees. Three years ago, she had become a pariah on the rodeo circuit, but the true story redeemed her reputation, and admiration replaced scorn for most of the cowboys and cowgirls.

Cassie? She could have cared less. She was at home, taking care of her daughter, overseeing her mom’s and Zane’s ranches, and rooting for her ex-husband as he and Brad made their run for the world championship in team roping, and Zane made his run for World Champion Tiedown Calf Roper and All-Around cowboy.

They held their own throughout the fall while the other ropers made their final runs at cutting their leads, but on December 6, they entered the Thomas Mack Center in Las Vegas with significant leads in their events. By December 15, they had substantially increased those leads and for the last few rounds, they were routinely mentioned as “the new champions” by the CBSSN TV announcers.

Turned out there is a lot of hoopla associated with being the presumptive Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Champions, and for Zane that was triple, because he also won All-Around Cowboy, he was young, single, composed, well spoken, good looking, and humble… but with a little swagger.

He was also previously married to a world-champion barrel racer and rodeo queen, who was now a heroine for rising above exploitation and bringing down her tormentors, but he told them the fastest way to end an interview as to bring his marriage to Cassie into it. He had no problem discussing her flawless barrel racing or her fearless attack on the corrupt, but he would not discuss their personal relationship, past or present.

The interviews began before the first round, and their sponsors were insistent that they make appearances at Las Vegas shows, and at party after party. Hell, they even spent a few hours with The King of Country himself, George Harvey, his wife Norma, and son Bubba, a pretty good roper in his own right.

The limelight was blinding, temptation in every form was omnipresent, and their egos were stroked so often and so well they almost started believing the hype.

They were handed key cards with the room number written on them by bodacious blondes, brunettes, and gingers, and a particularly persistent beauty stuck her white thong in Zane’s front jeans pocket with her phone number written on it.

Brad was resolute; he absolutely knew his wife would find out and kill him, so he was a hard no regardless of the temptation! He made the mandatory appearances and went back to the trailer. That disappointed some of the women, but everyone knew he was very married, so they let him be.

Zane, on the other hand, was single and very hunky. The cowgirls were aggressive enough around the arena and at the sponsored parties, but it was those late night-early morning invitation-only parties on the top floor of some hotel where he learned just how truculent and determined a rich girl or woman can become when turned down. Apparently, they had never heard the word ”no” in reply to their proposals before.

It wasn’t so much that Zane was concerned about his reputation, although he was; nor that he was concerned about what his ex-wife would think, although it had crossed his mind. Mostly, it had to do with being a proper father for his daughter, and staying focused on his craft.

By the fifth day, however, he had been sorely tempted; sorely, sorely tempted. After winning the third and fourth goes in both events, he had taken an almost insurmountable lead in each chase. His female fans and admirers spent each night telling him he was the greatest roper ever, and he was so handsome, so sexy, and just irresistible!

He had been stoked and fondled mentally and physically each evening, and had engaged in pseudo-sex on the dance floor a few times without initiating it. He knew it was about his celebrity with some and rich girls wanting to try a little of the rough with others, but it was still ego inflating.

It was late on the night after the fifth go round, he was in the company of the man appointed by a major sponsor to get him to each of the events they had lined up, and they were at their third party. He was drinking whiskey because no beer was served at either the second or third parties, and he was fairly drunk and very tired.

He had somehow become paired with a tall, strikingly long-limbed, model-beautiful, early-twenties temptress with an unusual accent who was wearing a slinky designer gown and about $10,000 worth of jewelry. Alena, it turned out, really was a model, from Ukraine. She made no bones about wanting to fuck the handsome cowboy, and promised to introduce him to exotic sexual practices unknown outside the Carpathian Mountains.

He finally succumbed to her entreaties about 3 am, and agreed to go down to her room for the night. She told him to wait right here for a moment, and she hurried off to a large group of men who had been discussing business all night. She pulled an older man aside and spoke to him; he nodded, and she returned to Zane. “My manager; I told him good night. Now we hurry to my room!”

They went down one floor to a penthouse suite; as soon as the door shut, she turned and kissed him almost frantically. Her tongue probed his mouth, her body rubbed against his and her mons ground against his cock. She turned her back to him and asked for help with the zipper of her dress; it fell to the ground, leaving her in a skimpy black bra, black thong, and black thigh-highs. Zane assessed her and found her wanting in no areas that mattered.

She knelt, took off his boots and socks, unbuckled his belt, unzipped his jeans and pulled them and his silk underwear to the floor. Alena assessed his hard body and cock appreciatively, smiled, said “Very nice!”, and inhaled his half-hard cock. It got rock-hard in seconds, and he began to appreciate the exotic practices of the Carpathians.

There were a few swirls and flourishes he hadn’t encountered before, but he wasn’t that experienced either. Mainly, she was enthusiastic — very, very enthusiastic – about cocksucking. He warned her, but she only bobbed up and down and worked her tongue faster until his semen jetted into her throat. “Now, that’s out of the way and we can proceed to best parts without you worrying!”

He picked her up and carried her to the huge round bed, laid her upon it, and took off her bra and thong. Her hairless cunt was glistening with juices and her nipples were diamond hard. She pushed his head between her legs and begged him to “Eat me and make me cum, Cowboy!”

To her chagrin, he took his time exploring her legs and ass with his hands and mouth before pouncing on her pussy and lapping. She lasted the same five minutes he had before cumming even more violently than he had.

He didn’t give her time to collect herself; he climbed between those long legs, inhaled her perky titty like she had inhaled his cock, pulled and pinched the other one, and crammed his cock into her flooded crevice. She yelped, but tilted her hips so he was soon getting maximum penetration. He established a nice rhythm that had served him well in the past, but from time to time, she changed the angle of tilt so his entry had a different feeling.

Her insides were tight, hot, very wet, and she had the ability to constrict around him as if squeezing his cock. She also had the ability to orgasm every time she changed the angle, which was something else he had never encountered.

It was an athletic and satisfying missionary fuck and he was nearing his own climax when she suddenly stopped and told him, “Doggy!” She pulled loose, got on her knees, and wiggled her ass at him. He slapped her on each ass cheek; she moaned and wiggled her ass more; he slapped her butt harder and faster until both cheeks were fire red.

She was moaning and whimpering, but begging for more. Instead, he mounted her like a bull and slammed his cock in until his belly hit her small tight ass. She wriggled her hips again, and he began pounding her mercilessly, holding her by the hips to maximize the impact.

She came, came again, and came yet again when he reached under and mauled her modest titties. She fell forward on the bed, disengaging him from her. “Hold me for five minutes, and then I want to ride my cowboy cowgirl style!”

She knew a bunch of tricks in the female dominant position, and she would have drained him if she hadn’t decided to spin around and go reverse cowgirl just before he came. With that tight little ass pumping up and down on his cock, right in his face, he could see her juices had covered her taint and little asshole. He wet a finger and shoved it up her butthole, which caused an interruption in her efforts while she came hard.

She returned to her work, so he inserted a second finger, causing a second, brief interruption. After a few seconds, she began pumping like a piston, and he began paddling her ass with his free hand. She liked that a lot, and interrupted her work with screams and spasms.

Zane was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to get to cum, given all the breaks she was taking, when she spun around again, looked him in the eyes, and asked, “You like my little ass, don’t you? Would you like me to fuck you with it? I cleaned it before we left this evening.”

He nodded, wondering how she was going to get his cock in that asshole that was almost too tight for his two fingers. Maybe it was some of that Carpathian magic, but it didn’t take long before she was happily bouncing up and down on his cock while fingering herself madly with one hand while pulling and twisting her nipples with the other.

He recognized the look and the way her fucking faltered, so he slapped her ass with both hands, and she went into overdrive. When she came this time, he had no choice; her ass was too tight and the tremors were too powerful. He emptied a cup or two of sperm and semen into her ass, and she collapsed on top of him. She weighed nothing, so he left her there.

A few minutes later, she raised her head and said, “You cowboys have sexy secrets too! I’ve never cum that much before, and I’ve never been so exhausted after fucking someone!

“Was it good for you too, Cowboy?”

“You’re amazing, Alena. Thank you!”

She rolled off him, snuggled to him with her head on his shoulder, and went to sleep. He lay awake for a while comparing her “magic” to others he had known, reached a hierarchical decision, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning he awoke to a warm washcloth cleaning his cock, and then Alena sucked it to full erection. Without so much as a how-do-you-do, she mounted him and gave him an athletic, bordering on acrobatic, fucking, and she again showed off her ability to please herself.

Zane enjoyed it — after all, what man wouldn’t enjoy a warm, wet pussy wrapped in that package? Especially one that came so often she made you feel like Superman.

But in the light of the new day, it wasn’t all that she had promised; something new and naughty, but not much to it, beyond the cumming. Like Twinkies — the immediate effect was heavenly, but it lacked substance. Besides, he’d had better, more fulfilling sex; in fact, much better!

She wanted him to stay, but he wanted to shower and get back to the trailer. On the way to the bathroom, he noticed that a room divider had been placed to create a blind spot; a place he couldn’t see from the bed. He stopped, walked to it, saw a chair, and asked Alena, “What’s this?”

She smiled, “That is where my husband sat while he watched us last night. The door to his bedroom is right there, so he can slip in and out. He has trouble performing sexually, but loves to watch me with other men.

“Don’t look at me like that! It works for us; I get all the money I can spend and my pick of hunky men like you, Cowboy, and he gets to watch.”

Zane shook his head, walked back to the bed, and coolly asked, “Does he like to take pictures too? Because if we end up on TMZ or an Internet site, I’m coming back here and you and your wacko husband won’t enjoy it!”

“Absolutely not! He’s one of the richest men in the world! The last thing he wants is scandal, so I’m supposed to offer you money to keep you quiet if you figure it out. I won’t, because I can see you are horrified by him having watched, and the last thing you want is it getting out. So take your shower, and go back to your world. You had your time between my magical legs!”

He smiled at her haughty response, picked up his clothes, and went into the bathroom. When he came out, he put on his boots, stood beside the bed where she was proudly lying naked, posed for his appreciation, and said, “You are mighty proud of your sexual prowess, aren’t you? All that talk about exotic sex like I’d never known before… Sorry, Alena, but I know a couple of cowgirls who could teach you a trick or ten. Goodbye, and remember my warning.”

He left, returned to his trailer, drank coffee, and wondered what the fuck had just happened. That night he paid his respects at each appearance, but drank mostly water. He would pay his dues, but getting drunk and doing stupid shit was off the table from this point forward! He had championships to win, and getting distracted wasn’t an option — neither was appearing naked on an exhibitionist and voyeur website!

***

Fortunately, Carole had flown to Vegas for rounds seven through ten, leaving the three girls with Cassie, Elle, Sue, and David. Carole tried to talk Cassie into coming along to support Zane and Brad, but she politely declined, saying, “This is Brad and Zane’s moment in the sun. My being there would only create a shadow, raise a lot of speculation, and resurrect the old stories of my bad behavior while married to Zane. The guys don’t deserve that; they’ve had a spectacular year, and that needs to be all anyone talks about!

“Besides”, she said, “I want to call my darling daddy from my home phone when Zane wins everything and remind him of his conviction that Zane was just another loser who would never amount to anything on the tour!”

Carole’s presence was welcome in that it dampened the temptations. With her riding herd, Zane refocused and they set about turning the contests into routs. When the last steer was run and the money counted, they were ahead by $11,833. When the last calf was tied, Zane was ahead by $7389, and he was also All-Around Cowboy!

They were chaffing at the bit to get home and celebrate with family and friends, but Skyping was the best they could do for three days after the finals ended.

If Zane thought the demands of celebrity were great before, wearing those three crowns made it much, much worse. They celebrated in moderation after the show, making appearances at all the right places, but still didn’t get back to their rooms until after four in the morning, Pacific time.

Zane showered, changed clothes, and drove back to the arena barn where his horses were boarded. He fed them next to the trailer, where he was interviewed live by Dylan Dryer for the Today show. That was one interview he didn’t mind, because she knew something about rodeo, she was engaging and personable, she had a killer smile, and when she turned sideways he got to see that prime behind of hers up close and personal. He always sat up and paid attention when she was on TV, but live and in person, she was actually better and sexier. With Dylan, it wasn’t about the makeup, lighting, and filters; she was legit!

Still, it was strange to be interviewed by NBC first thing in the morning, given the NFR’s ties with CBS. They made up for it that afternoon when he and Brad were flown to Los Angeles to appear on Late Night with Stephen Colbert. Colbert didn’t know much about rodeo, but it was a fun interview because he was legitimately interested and hysterically funny when he got an opening. After their segment was taped, they stood offstage and watched, laughing with everyone else at his outrageous takes.

***

After three days, their first round of commitments was done. They fired up the diesels as soon as the horses were fed in the morning and headed south on US 93 to Phoenix, to catch IH 10 east to Texas. They took a six-hour nap at a truck stop somewhere in New Mexico, ate some greasy chorizo and egg tacos, let the horses stretch, and put the hammer down.

The speed limit of 80 on IH 10 in Texas let the 425 horses run, but it was still 1208 miles and over 17 hours driving time to the ranch gate for Zane, and 1210 miles for Brad and Carole. They parted with a honk as he turned in at his gate.

When he crested the hill between the gate and his home, Zane saw that his mom and dad, Cassie, and her mom were sitting on the porch drinking iced tea, and Casey was petting Goldie’s sister across the corral fence. When she heard the big diesel, she turned, grinned from ear to ear, and ran pell-mell to meet the truck and trailer.

He blasted the horn in greeting, stopped the truck short, bailed out, and ran to meet his daughter, grinning more than she was. She leaped into the air, he caught her, twirled around hugging her, loudly told her he loved her, and he had missed her every day he was gone! She squealed and told him she loved and missed him more, then planted a big kiss on his cheek!

The others had come out to the truck, and were enjoying the father-daughter reunion while waiting their turns. He set Casey down and hugged his mother, then his father, and then Sue. Cassie was standing back, waiting to see what he would do about her. He looked at her, smiled, put his arms out, and started toward her. “Even though you’ve got more championships than I do, don’t I still get a hug?” he asked.

She smiled back with moist eyes, and stepped into his arms. He hugged her as he had the others — maybe a hair longer – and then thanked her and all three grandparents for taking good care of his pride and joy all fall, and especially for the last two weeks.

“Did you see my A-hole Ex?” Sue asked. “We were hoping he would show up to watch you win the world three times, since he predicted you’d never amount to a hill of beans!”

“No, I didn’t. I heard he had fallen on hard times and was living in Boise working in a hardware store. I also heard he was coming home to make up with his wife and daughter as soon as he made enough for a bus ticket.”

The look on Zane’s face made it hard to tell if he was teasing or warning them, but Sue took it seriously. “Oh, I certainly hope he does stop by! I have a few things I’d like to say and do to him!”

Cassie said nothing, but the fire in her eyes contrasted sharply with the cold face she presented.

Little Casey was watching the interplay: “I’d like to tell him a few things too, for stealing my mommy from me!” She went to Cassie and hugged her around the waist. “But mommy’s home now and she’s never going to leave me again! She promised!”

Zane looked at Cassie, whose cold countenance had melted at her daughter’s words. “That’s right, Baby: Mommy is never going to leave you again!”

Zane gave her a troubled look, wondering how that would work when she went back on the tour, but he let it ride. “Best get the horses out of the trailer and put up. They’ve been troopers, but 1200 miles is a long way.”

“Did you hear what the announcers said about you and your horses, Zane?”

“I haven’t watched a second of the broadcast, Cassie,” he said as he unloaded Red, then Junior. Cassie held Red’s halter and Zane took Junior’s. Suds was getting antsy, prancing and nickering, so Casey released his stall door as soon as the calf horses were out of the trailer. Though he stood 16 hands tall, weighed over 1500 pounds, and had an ornery streak, Suds was a gentle giant around Casey.

She talked to him as she opened the stall; he turned his head and snorted in greeting, then backed up carefully, staying away from the left side of the trailer where Casey was standing. She took his lead, rubbed the nose he offered, and told him to get out; he backed up and stepped down, then waited for her. He stood still while she hugged him for the trailer, and then he nuzzled her while she sweet talked him.

Casey knew he was ready for water, food, and exercise, so she led him to the horse corral to join Red and Junior.

Mom and the grandparents watched her without saying anything, although the little girl being so close to the huge horse was disconcerting. “A real horsewoman, that one is,” David commented after he released the breath that he had been holding.

“She’s a little TOO relaxed around horses for me!” Elle said after she released her breath, and Sue agreed.

Cassie watched her walking to the corral with the big horse following happily, and regretfully added, “She’s been her daddy’s girl since birth, and Zane is probably the best horseman in the state! She’s been with him, helping him do things around, for, and with horses since I abandoned them before she was two. My baby is only six, but I made her become a woman by leaving.”

Cassie stated resolutely, but with a quiver in her voice, “She is fearless, she is brave, she is tough, she is smart, she is wise beyond her years, and Zane is undoubtedly the best single parent in history!”

The three parents petted her on the back, and voiced their agreement. Zane’s mom put her arm around Cassie and added, “And you know what else, Cassie? You’re a damn good mom too!” Elle and David agreed, and petted her some more. The ‘now’ went unspoken.

***

As had become tradition after the wayward ropers returned, they gathered at Elle’s house that evening with the Simpsons for a feast of an evening meal and good conversation. After dessert, Cassie again asked Zane, “So, you haven’t heard what the announcers said about you and horses?”

He shook his head, and Carole said, “I have — tell him!”

“The announcer talked about you using two calf horses during the summer and fall, and now in the NFR, and asked who else would dare do that? The commentator, a former PRCA champion himself, started laughing and said, ‘They say Zane seeks out and buys troubled horses that won’t go in the box or try to anticipate too soon, takes them home, and then sells them a few months for ten times what he paid because they work like champions. What do you think the chances are that he can take Red’s offspring and teach him to work like Red?’

“They both laughed, and the first one said, ‘Let’s not forget about barrel horses! The best of them all, Goldie, isn’t here because Cassie Collins took a break this fall, but her cousin Salty that Zane bred and trained is, and he’s got Pretty Girl here in the finals also. I heard he has one at home he’s nearly through training that is going to challenge Goldie! He makes the Horse Whisperer look like a piker!’

“They didn’t give me ANY credit, although I did help a little bit, didn’t I?” she asked with a smile.

“Goldie is a champion barrel horse that WE trained, but the reason she’s won world championships is the rider! Besides, my batting average is a lot less than they make it sound. No telling how many of my horses you can find in the USTRC instead of the WPR tour, or running barrels in playdays.”

Zane looked around the table, sighed, and said, “I don’t want to ruin a great evening, but I need to bring something up so we can start thinking about it. No need for a decision, but I want to get it out there.”

His dad interrupted. “You mean something about your duties and responsibilities as the reigning world champion? Or the fact that Fort Worth opens in a month, followed by San Antonio, Houston, and Austin?

“We’re not stupid, and we have someone who has gone through it a few times living here with us. We’ve already had this conversation, as a group. Seems like you, Brad and Carole, and Cassie need to have a conversation or two.

“We aren’t going anywhere, and we will help out all we can, but you know the weight falls on the parent back home, so y’all need to work that out.”

Zane looked at Brad, who looked at Carole; she looked at Zane and started talking. “I’m gonna lay it out for you boys. We’ve been here this fall while you two were out filling our bank accounts, so we have an idea. The girls are all in school, and they love it! They can hardly wait for the holidays to end so they can go see their friends and the teachers they love, and I have an offer to teach full time starting January 5. I want to take it, and I’ve told Brad that. Now, Cassie, it’s your turn.”

“Zane, I’m not going back out. Lindsey and I have talked about her ‘leasing’ Goldie for the season, and have tentatively agreed. I’m not sure what I want to do beyond being a mother to my daughter, but it won’t have anything to do with rodeo. Heck, I may use the idea the EMS witch threw out about developing a clothing line — I don’t know what I’ll do.

I do know you have commitments for the months ahead, and I’ll be the best single parent to our daughter I can while you’re gone. I won’t do it as well as you have, but I’ll do the best I can, with help from Sue, David, Mom, and Carole.

“We need to talk about the ranch, the cattle, and the horses, because I can’t do what you can when you’re here, but if you will hire some good help I’ll oversee them.”

Zane looked at Carole and then at Cassie. “So you guys have already worked it out, huh? I’m not surprised. The problem I have is, now that we’ve done it once, I’m not sure I’m willing to give up time with my daughter, parents, and friends to chase the rainbow again.