Survivors

CHAPTER ONE

Krista looked up at the captain’s walk and saw her girlfriend disappear around the far side of the incongruous structure atop the two-story log cabin they had built.  A short time later, she watched as an antenna slowly rose on a thick, telescoping pole above the fifty-foot height of the tower roof.  Jodi had insisted on building this tower a few years ago, saying it would give them a fantastic view, but it looked odd above their two-story cabin.  She had been right.  It did provide them with a fantastic view of the river trees, but it also looked out of place in the backwoods of Wisconsin.  It was more suited to a lighthouse on the cape, but she just laughed off the jokes and enjoyed their view.  It was designed to look like the corner of a fort, and its three-hundred-sixty-degree view was awesome.  Now, she watched her girlfriend extend the antenna’s pole to its overall height of over seventy feet.  Krista shook her head and laughed.  The neighbors were going to have a good time pointing their fingers and laughing at the ‘city slicker,’ their label for Jodi.

No one who really knew Jodi would call her a city slicker, although with her delicate, feminine ways people made assumptions about her all the time.  Krista scoffed at all the assumptions made about this so-called delicate flower.  Jodi was probably the most competent woman you could ever meet.  Handy as hell, she could fix almost anything, and many times, she had.  And she did it all without messing up her manicure, an amazing feat considering she was dealing with things most women would hire a man to do.  Krista watched as she secured the pole expertly to the logs using six-inch screws.  She had insisted on real logs for the structure when they had built the tower.  Shaking her head, Krista went back inside.  The dogs thumped their tails but didn’t bother to rise from where they both lazed in the sunlight as she crossed the large porch.  The porch’s windows could be enclosed in mosquito netting during the summer, and frequently were.  But since it was early spring, they were still covered with storm windows, clever things that could be lifted out of the way to allow the delicious winds to clear any mustiness from the cabin.  She opened the screen door and went to open windows to completely air out the large cabin on this pleasant, spring day.

She passed through a large living room richly appointed with highly polished honey-colored logs in need of a little dusting.  The fire needed to be started in the stove.  Jodi had fallen in love with the stove at the home show in Milwaukee years ago, and she insisted they buy it.  You could cook on or in it if you wanted to.  It also heated both floors of the cabin.  An endless supply of wood surrounded the cabin in these deep woods of northern Wisconsin, and Jodi had used all the downed trees from the building of their driveway to their advantage, trading and selling the rich, mature trees for older, burnable wood they stored in huge woodpiles.  She was clever that way.  The locals who had laughed at the ‘city slicker’ that bought the old, abandoned cabin on the river with just a footpath leading to it were impressed when she had the cabin torn down and built the one now standing here.  They had a good laugh at the addition of the tower, but then, Jodi was thought to be peculiar.  She didn’t deny it.  She actually relished the labels whispered behind her back when she heard them.  She had excellent hearing, and they made her laugh.

Over the years since they had bought this land and built the cabin, she had insisted on coming here often.  Each time she did, she brought way more supplies than they could consume but never explained why she was stockpiling the various canned and dry goods that were building up in the basement, the garage, and their well-stocked shelves.  Krista shook her head.  She knew that Jodi had been paranoid for several years, ever since she had interviewed a sect of the Posse Commutates, a group that was convinced the government was becoming too involved in the common man’s business.  Some had been so outspoken that the government had gone in and taken them out.  Waco, Texas, that group in Montana, and others had been made examples of.  The group Jodi interviewed had been relatively harmless, but ever since, she had felt the need to stock up ‘just in case.’ 

Krista didn’t mind.  They used many of the things they stored here at the cabin, and she didn’t have to worry about expiration dates since they always put the newer stuff to the back.  She knew Jodi wasn’t this obsessed at home, so it didn’t worry her.  She assumed one day they would donate all these excessive stores to a food bank or something.  Meanwhile, every trip up here meant bringing more boxes of supplies.

Jodi had recently become interested in shortwave radios. She had even become licensed, so she could install a radio in their home in Kronnenwetter and one in the cabin as well.  Their cabin on Eagle River was their oasis.  It allowed them to get away from everyday life.  Jodi wrote wonderful articles for the newspaper and frequently her stories of interest ran in the larger papers, such as the Milwaukee Journal or the Minneapolis Tribune.  Occasionally, she was picked up by the wires, which had garnered her awards.  She was respected and admired for her work.  If they knew about her hoarding and pack rat tendency they ignored it, instead focusing on her intelligent mind.

Krista turned on the vacuum and began sweeping down the interior of the cabin with the brushes to remove the dust.  They usually cleaned the cabin thoroughly once a year anyway, and she figured she might as well start.  Amazingly, there was little dust despite the burning in the stove, but they both kept up on things like this.  As she dusted and cleaned, Krista thought about the options she was working on, and her fingers ached to turn on the computer and check some facts and figures.  She was a day trader and managed their money for them.  She did amazingly well, earning them enough to afford their home in the expensive community of Kronnenwetter as well as their getaway cabin home.  They also had other toys such as a boat, Wave Runners, cars, and an SUV.  It was a comfortable life, and they both enjoyed its benefits.

Krista was concentrating so hard and was so lost in thought that she jumped a foot when Jodi tapped her on the shoulder.  She turned in momentary fright to see a grinning brunette whose hazel eyes danced in delight at startling her.  She threatened her with the vacuum cleaner rod, and Jodi laughed at her as she turned off the Dyson. 

Are you almost done with that?  She smiled as she took the vacuum cleaner out of Krista’s hands.

"What?  Are you volunteering to do it?" Krista asked as she gladly went into Jodi’s arms.

Jodi snickered.  Absolutely not, but it is noisy.  She gave her girlfriend a kiss as they enjoyed this shared moment in each other’s arms.

Hmmm.  Always getting out of the hard work, Krista teased as she smiled in delight.

Hard work?  You call this hard work? she threatened Krista with the long vacuum tube with a brush on the end, which was perfect for getting the higher logs above her reach.

Krista fended her off easily and gave her another kiss, which lengthened and turned interesting.

We could forget the cleaning for now and get back to it later, Jodi murmured as she came up for air, panting from their shared kiss.

Mom?!  They both heard the shout from outside and groaned at the interruption.  They shared a wry grin of amusement.

Since it was a male voice, Jodi was the one who answered, calling, Inside, and moving out of Krista’s arms to meet her son at the front door.  What are you doing here? she asked, surprised to see the tall man who appeared on the porch.  Both dogs were sniffing and wagging their tails enthusiastically in greeting.  Since they knew this person, they hadn’t barked.

We came up to look at that cabin across the way, he indicated with his thumb as he opened the screen door with his other hand and took his much smaller mother into his arms for a hug.

Did you see it? she asked, muffled as she was against his sweater.

He pulled back to look down on her and answered, No, we are waiting on the realtor to show up and thought we’d stop in.

And cage a free meal, if I’m not mistaken, she said wryly, knowing her son.

He grinned unrepentantly as he nodded and released her.  Krista! he said as he reached to also give her a hug in greeting.

A tall, slim, nearly black-haired girl appeared at the door.  Hi, Jodi, she said quietly.

Jules!  Come on in! Jodi said, enthused.

She greeted her daughter-in-law with a hug and a kiss on the cheek before turning her over to Krista for a hug and kiss.

So, where’s the realtor? she asked her son as he looked around the cabin.

Oh, he must be late.  I told him we’d be over here if he was delayed, he answered as he put his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.

Jodi looked at her tall, handsome son with delight.  He looked like a Norseman with his blonde hair curling down to his neck.  All he needed to complete the picture was a beard, and he would look like a throwback to the Vikings.  A strong jaw and nose, and bright blue eyes completed the man she had named Rick.

I see you put up the antenna.  See, I told you it wouldn’t be difficult if you bought the telescoping one, he said.

You were right.  I assembled it and put it up right away.

How long have you two been here?  His dark eyebrows knitted together.  Jodi knew it was normally a unibrow, but he manscaped and waxed the center to create two distinct brows.

Jodi shrugged and looked at Krista, About an hour?

Krista nodded.

We must have been right behind you then, Jules smiled.

Jodi looked at the lovely girl her son had married, admiring the sight.  She had long, brown hair that curled at the ends, she was slim with delicate features, and she was already tanned even though it was still early spring.  As she matured she would become exquisitely beautiful.  Both young and healthy, they were enjoying life together.  A nice complement to each other, they had graduated college the year before and married last summer.

Do you guys want something to eat? Krista offered as she made a move towards the open kitchen on the right side of the cabin.

Let’s wait until after the realtor shows us all the Godfrey place, Rick answered as he stopped her.

You want us to go? Krista asked, surprised.

We’d value your opinion, Rick answered immediately.

And mine? his mother asked, amused.

Rick laughed.  His mother was an astute woman, but it was Krista who had the brains for money.  His mother could ferret out a story where none existed and turn it into something brilliant, but money was not her forte.  It was a good thing she had met Krista, who made up for her deficiencies in that area.  Since they had moved in together, Jodi’s bills were all paid on time; Krista took care of that.  In return, Krista’s life was full of surprises and exotic trips that they enjoyed together.

The realtor knocked on the door half an hour later.  By then, the four of them had the downstairs living room and kitchen all dusted and cleaned.  It hadn’t been hard.  Wiping down the counters after vacuuming had taken no time at all with the four of them chipping in.  Hello? he called.

Ah, Mr. Jeffries, Jodi called as she beckoned him inside.

Wow, you’ve really turned this into a showplace, he admired as he looked around at the richly appointed interior of the cabin.  You would never know that old ramshackle place ever existed, he said with pleasure.  He filed away the view of the cabin as he looked around.  It was his business to know the value of properties up here in the Northwoods, and this property was something.  What these women had done with it was amazing, despite their shameful relationship.  He knew a lot of people didn’t approve of their same-sex relationship, and he was one of them, but he allowed nothing to show on his face.  It wouldn’t do to let a potential client know how you really felt about them. 

Jodi smiled.  She knew he didn’t approve of her and Krista.  There was a slight tone in his voice that he was unaware of, but she picked up on it.  Part of being a good reporter was the ability to hear and see things that others didn’t.  This talent made her a very successful reporter.  Many times, she had been offered jobs in bigger cities, but she turned them all down except for the odd special assignment.  She preferred her quiet life in Wausau, Wisconsin and the surrounding area.  They had a nice home down in nearby Kronnenwetter, the largest village in Wisconsin, and a good group of friends.  She didn’t need more.

Krista was also aware of Mr. Jeffries’ two-faced attitude.  She had overheard a few things while shopping in the village when people were still unaware whom she was.  It wasn’t until she opened her mouth that her Louisiana accent gave her away.  Until then, people had talked openly and blatantly about the two dykes who had set up housekeeping on this section of the river.  Since there weren’t too many southern belles around this neck of the woods her accent had given her away completely.  She didn’t care though.  Jodi had always wanted to build onto the cabin up here where she had vacationed as a kid on her cousin’s property.  Finding it up for sale, they had bought it and built this beautiful vacation home.  They spent a weekend a month here, sometimes more here, whatever time they could spare.

The Godfrey property adjoined their own, and when Krista had heard it was up for sale, she suggested that Rick and Jules come up and check it out as a vacation spot.  With student loans still outstanding, they had a lot on their plate, but it wasn’t every day that property adjoining their Mom’s place would become available.  The house was nice but a bit rundown, and it was too modern for the flavor of this section of the woods.  Most of the places around here had log homes or cottages built with clean, boring surfaces.  Jodi found it cold and lacking the warmth of cute little corners and niches.  Krista immediately saw the potential and began speculating on the price.  The kids fell in love with the idea of having a place of their own to escape to.  One year out of college, they already hated renting their apartment, and the thought of a vacation home made their dreams soar.  They only hoped they could talk Jodi and Krista into it.  They walked back to the cabin through the woods on a short footpath that wound along the river.

Well, what did you think? Rick asked as Jodi fixed sandwiches for everyone.

It’s kind of cold, don’t you think? Jodi asked, slowly.  She already knew what she and Krista thought.  They had exchanged looks, and it was decided, but it wouldn’t do to let this son of hers know too soon.

Yes, he had to agree.  But don’t you find that a little cleaner than... he trailed off as he took a hasty bite of his sandwich.

Cleaner than what?  This place? she asked, amused.

He nodded and then shrugged.

Jules was alarmed.  Her charming, handsome, pigheaded husband was going to blow this for them if he wasn’t careful.  It’s got potential, she insisted.

Krista nearly laughed.  She was very aware of the byplay and the way Jodi was reeling in her son.

Before the kids left that afternoon to visit friends nearby for the weekend, they had agreed to begin negotiations with Mr. Jeffries.  Jodi would let Krista handle that; she was brilliant on terms and conditions.  It was a good investment for the newlyweds, and Jodi and Krista would co-sign, so they could begin to establish credit.  They would buy the place if the price could be negotiated down, but the four of them would be on the mortgage.  Jodi and Krista would make the payments for the first five years or until the kids could take them on themselves.  The house and the agreement would be ironclad; Krista would make sure of that for their mutual benefit.  She didn’t mind doing this for Jodi’s eldest son.  Jodi had helped to ensure Krista’s oldest daughter had a similar agreement for her home down in Louisiana when she married.  It had done wonders for her credit, and it would do wonders for these newlyweds too.

Their weekend passed quickly with cleaning and readying the cabin for the season.  The upstairs bedrooms were easy to straighten and clean since they were rarely used.  Even the wooden staircase to the tower was vacuumed and dusted and aired.  Their nights were spent in front of the fire watching the flames behind glass.  Its beauty was enhanced by the nickel-plated hinges and hardware doodads.  Krista watched, amused, as Jodi made popcorn in the fire with a long-handled popcorn maker.  She laughed when they became ‘distracted’ and Jodi insisted that charcoal-flavored popcorn tasted best.  The smell of burned popcorn was still in the air the next morning.

Their last morning at the cabin, Krista was up early making coffee and sitting on the porch as she watched the dogs snuffle in the long grasses and among the trees.  The dogs never saw the doe that walked into the area, but Krista saw it and the little, spotted fawn that followed.  She watched as it froze like a statue, watching the dogs for any threat, and then turned slowly and disappeared into the thicket.  She smiled.  It was so relaxing here, and she loved this spot.  The internet connection sucked, but she could be gone for a few days without the world coming to an end over stocks.  She had their portfolio well in hand; they were taken care of.

Jodi had the back of the SUV cleaned out, and they packed their bags to take a leisurely drive back down to Kronnenwetter.  It should take two and a half hours from the cabin off Eagle River.  As they made their way cautiously down the rutted track that constituted their driveway, Jodi commented that another plus of the Godfrey place was that its driveway was paved up to the dirt track that led back to both properties on this section.  There were a million little out of the way tracks like this in the Northwoods; it was part of the charm.

We better trim these branches, Krista commented as another one scraped along the side of the SUV.

Next weekend? Jodi asked, checking to see if Krista wanted to come back up to the cabin again to work and get away.

Krista smiled.  It was such a nice, easy life they led.

They were quickly on Highway 17 after they made their way through town.  Eagle River had grown since Jodi was a child.  It had all the makings of a major, little town, but she preferred Denton, the little town where their cabin was located as it still had the flavor of a true small town.  The one-horse town had a post office that was also a bar and a tackle shop.  There was a local IGA grocery store, a second bar, a hardware store, and two small churches: one Lutheran and one Catholic.  What more did you need in a small town?

They traveled south on Highway 17 to Rhinelander before they meandered west on Highway 8 to Interstate 51, south to Wausau, and through it to Kronnenwetter, getting off the interstate at the airport in Mosinee to backtrack a little to their house.  It was a beautiful three-bedroom ranch style house they had bought together years ago.  It had room for their deluxe master bedroom, an office for Krista, which Jodi occasionally shared, and a guest room.  Their large basement opened onto a little pond out back that they had unknowingly populated with ducks by feeding them year-round, much to their neighbor’s annoyance at the mess and the noise.  If they were gone too long the ducks quacked loudly to be fed.  Jodi had caught a few people feeding them and walking along the nearby golf course to see the flock that fed there.  She wasn’t too worried about her annoyed neighbors.  They had other things to hate her for, highest on the list was the fact that she was gay.  This didn’t faze her in the least.  She had gotten rid of the most dangerous neighbor the first week after they moved in and dead puppies began to appear on their doorstep.  She’d had him arrested for cruelty to animals.  The other neighbors’ open disapproval over her sexual status had disappeared in the horror and shame of what he had done.  Now, they were tolerated, and some neighbors had become friendly.  Krista was a stay-at-home worker and sweet as could be.  If Jodi were a bit prickly it was overlooked since she traveled a lot and was slightly famous.

Wow, I’m tired, Jodi said as she flounced onto the couch.  She was quickly joined by two dogs who jumped up immediately.  Down, she ordered but was ignored.  They settled right in, trapping her with their large bodies.  Help, she called unconvincingly as Krista watched, amused.

Down, Krista commanded, and both dogs’ heads rose to check if she was serious.  As she made a step towards them, they both slithered off as though it had been their intention all along.

That’s not fair.  I said down too.  Jodi pouted, laughing.  The dogs knew when she meant it and when she didn’t.

Krista smiled as she took the dogs’ places and lay on top of Jodi, effectively trapping her on the couch, but neither one of them minded as they shared a kiss.  Jodi’s hands quickly darted inside Krista’s sweater looking for bare skin.  Krista arched into her as she felt the cold hands contact her back.  She gasped in pleasure as she used her nails effectively to scratch her back, and then the fingers quickly unclasped her bra and rubbed where it had been confining her.  She pulled up enough, so Jodi could rub along under her breasts, leading her to more interesting things.  They rolled slightly, so they were side by side on the couch.  Krista pulled Jodi’s leg over her hip to rub her warmth between her legs to their mutual enjoyment as they necked, hands roaming pleasurably.

Maybe we should move this to the bedroom? Krista asked after a while, panting.

Why bother? Jodi asked as she expertly stripped Krista’s sweater over her head, taking the loose bra along while she was at it.

Krista stopped asking questions when Jodi’s mouth contacted first one and then the other nipple of her breasts that bobbed in front of her face.

They eventually rolled onto the floor to gain more room to better access the more interesting parts of each other’s anatomy.  Jeans and underwear, then socks and shoes were soon discarded as they played with each other’s bodies.  Jodi practically dove between Krista’s legs to taste her excitement and heard her partner groan in enjoyment of what Jodi’s tongue and fingers were doing to her.  She ground and arched into Jodi’s mouth, using her hand on the back of the brunette’s head to encourage her in her endeavors.  The excitement built quickly but then they both knew each other’s buttons so well, and Jodi expertly pushed Krista’s, bringing her to not just one but two delicious orgasms.  She had barely caught her breath from the second one when Jodi was against her, grinding suggestively as she rode her clit against her.  She reached up and played with Jodi’s bobbing breasts as they swung so enticingly above her, pinching and pulling on them until Jodi leaned down so she could kiss and suckle on them for their mutual pleasure.  Krista reached between their legs to feel the wetness that was pouring from her lover’s body and trickling down her own.  With Jodi’s cooperation, she quickly took control of the situation and lost herself in the moment.  They were both laying side by side and breathing hard a short time later when one of the dogs came over and poked its cold nose into a shoulder as though to ask, Are you two done?

Jeez, Spot, Krista jumped in response.

Jodi laughed.  It was a common occurrence since they cohabitated with the two dogs.  There were two cats as well, but they were a little more discreet.

Come on.  You can’t laze around all evening.  Jodi laughed as she rose and began to pull Krista up from her position on the floor.

They shared a smile as they walked naked into the shower.

CHAPTER TWO

Hey, did you hear this? Jodi asked her at breakfast the next morning.

What? Krista grouched, as she reached for the coffee pot; she wasn’t human until she had her first cup.  She didn’t look like she had slept well with her hair in disarray and slouching in her disreputable bathrobe.

Those Iranians are going to start a war, Jodi started and then saw the state Krista was in and stopped.  She grinned as she shook her head.  How someone as cute as Krista could look like this in the morning was beyond her.  She must do headstands to get her hair in this state.  Half an hour from now, all would be good but not until she had that first cup of java.

* * * * *

Are you going into town today? Krista asked as she fired up the desktop an hour later.  She looked normal in jeans and a t-shirt as she spoke to Jodi from the office they had set up in the house.

Yeah, Jodi said as she fastened graduated pearl earrings, which matched the bracelet and necklace she was wearing, to the two holes in her ears.  I have to see that rat congressman, Pete Wilkerson now that he’s in town and see if I can get a quote on his position on Iran.

He know you’re coming? Krista asked with a smirk.

Jodi smiled.  Krista knew her so well.  She shrugged her elegant shoulder as she pulled a jacket on over her silk shirt that perfectly matched her skirt.  He doesn’t even know who I am, she answered as she slipped two-inch heels onto her feet below silk-clad legs.

He will by the end of the day, Krista said in warning, knowing her girlfriend would delight in taking apart the incompetent congressmen.  She would be surprised if there wasn’t a television crew along for the ride much less the poison pen that Jodi would write with later.  Play nice, she warned her girlfriend as she went out the door later.

Jodi drove her BMW carefully from the garage as she looked at the two other vehicles.  Krista’s Sebring coupe was parked next to hers, and on the other side was their SUV.  A three-car garage barely contained their ‘toys,’ and their boat was docked on the river up north.  The Wave Runners were alongside the garage with their covers on.  The ATVs were parked behind the Wave Runners on their own trailer.  They really needed another garage or two but hadn’t done anything about it.  The ATVs could go up to the cabin next weekend.  They’d be parked with the snowmobiles they kept up there.  Jodi would have to go over the snowmobiles’ engines to tune them up and store them for the season, then drain the oil, disconnect the batteries, and put them away, so they would be ready to go next time they needed them.  Her older brother had been a mechanic growing up, and his pesky, tomboy, little sister had absorbed every bit of information he imparted to her when he needed help and could stand her.  Fortunately, most of the time he adored his little sister despite the eight-year age gap.

The interview went pretty much as Jodi expected.  Her manner of dress got her in places that she would otherwise have not gone.  No one expected a hard-hitting reporter to be dressed so elegantly or to look so innocent, and her questions blindsided him.  She had ripped him apart on several fronts before the congressmen retreated with his tail between his legs, not knowing what had hit him.  She got a few famous quotes on camera for the evening news, and her segment producer was thrilled.  This would go viral in a few hours, and Jodi kept a copy for her own followers as she typed up copy for the Gannet Newspapers.  They owned a vast company of newspapers online and in print, and they also owned the Wausau Daily Herald where most of her stories originated.  She had barely stepped in the office they accorded her when the inquiries started about other stories they wanted her to follow up.  Overall, it was a busy day for her.  She followed the national and international news in the background with a television on at all times, and an occasional story beeped its way to her smartphone to bring her attention to things she followed.

Iran was making noises about an all-out war with the United States and its allies.  Nothing new there; they had made threats like this for decades.  But this time, Jodi felt in her bones it was different.  Several years ago, she had done a series of stories on people such as the Posse Commutates, who had withdrawn from normal society in the belief that the government was going to hell and persecuting the common man.  While she didn’t totally agree with them, some of it rang true.  It troubled her how hated the United States was in the world; she saw it whenever she traveled.  Envy over the American dream had turned to genuine hatred, and some of these people had turned hatred into a religion and were fanatical about it.  9/11 had told the world that the United States was vulnerable in their arrogance.  Retaliation was not swift.  It had taken years to get those responsible, and still, there was unrest.  The threat of a war with Russia was no longer the most worrisome problem in this world, it was the religious fanatics of the Middle East.  America was a convenient scapegoat for the ignorant who saw in America all the deviant behavior they could not fully grasp or comprehend and used it, so the unknowing masses could be trained as fanatics to blindly do their bidding.  An educated person would understand that this jihad or religious war was not what the Koran preached.  Instead, it was a political war that a few carefully chosen radicals had manipulated, blaming America for all their desperation and faults.

Jodi had never been political in her life.  She needed to remain objective if she was going to be a good reporter, but she had seen a lot in her forty-some years: the fall of communism, a new, stronger Russia, countries that came and went throughout the African continent.  What alarmed her was the fanaticism she had seen after the turn of the century.  She was certain something was building, something was coming to a head.  She had a few contacts that shared privileged information, and while she couldn’t report on it directly she could occasionally name anonymous sources in her opinions.  But what she knew and what she could share were two entirely different things.  She had shared some of it with Krista, of course.  She needed someone safe and reliable to share things with and get a different point of view, but Krista didn’t believe the extent of what Jodi told her.  Instead, she laughed a lot of it off as being paranoid.  There was no way the United States would ever be involved in an all-out war again.  Limited involvement had been the norm for decades, and Krista bought some of what the government had been telling them for years.  She indulged Jodi, but she didn’t buy into most people’s hysteria.

Jodi had concluded a long time ago that no one could believe what the government propaganda churned out.  That was one of the many reasons she was a reporter.  She had gotten in trouble a few times, had even been arrested for quoting ‘anonymous sources,’ but she hid behind the First Amendment, which was arbitrarily allowed by the government.  Her last arrest had made national news and pressured the powers that be into releasing her without further charges.  She had gotten a slap on the wrist by today’s standards, but she knew she was being watched and had been extra careful since then.  Krista had been frantic when she could get no information.  Wisconsin did not recognize same-sex partners and it was only the fact that it was news for someone in Jodi’s position to be arrested that had garnered enough attention to get her released.  Jodi had promised Krista not to put her through that again.

Last Christmas, Jodi had a heart-to-heart with both her sons.  They also thought she was being a bit paranoid, but they had agreed to take her at her word if she told them ‘this was it.’  Rick lived close enough that he could get to the cabin in a relatively short time.  Mark would take a little longer, but they had both agreed to come if she heard from her sources that it was time.  Neither of them, in the optimism of youth, believed that time would ever come.

Jodi had also taken both of Krista’s daughters aside and had a serious conversation with them.  Sandy believed her.  She had been a political student at LSU and knew there was a lot that the government didn’t tell the people for their own safety.  No one wanted anarchy.  She had agreed that she and her husband would come for a ‘visit’ to the cabin if Jodi had information that an all-out war was inevitable.  Cindy, on the other hand, had scoffed at the warning.  At eighteen she thought she knew it all.  As a freshman college student, she hadn’t had that arrogance verbally beaten out of her yet.  Yeah, she’d be willing to come for a ‘visit’ if and when the time came, but she didn’t really believe Jodi and had gone to Krista with an exaggerated tale of Jodi’s beliefs.  It had caused a fight between Krista and Jodi over her alarmist position, but they had eventually smoothed things out.  Sandy had come to Jodi’s defense.  Sending her little, spoiled brat sister a murderous look for the trouble she had caused her mother and girlfriend, and she had succinctly told Jodi’s side of things.  Once Krista had calmed down, she allowed that perhaps Jodi’s arguments had merit.

This morning, Krista was busy checking on stocks and bonds that she was involved in trading.  She traded all over the world from the convenience of her computer at home.  It allowed her to wear pajama bottoms and a t-shirt every day.  She rarely dressed up unless she went out of the house, and then, she was usually in jeans and a t-shirt.  If she really wanted to get fancy for Jodi’s sake she might put on slacks and a nice blouse, but she rarely got dressed to the nines and never wore a dress.  The outfits Jodi wore often amused Krista.  She could dress casually in jeans and a shirt, but she never wore t-shirts.  She always looked casually elegant, and people made assumptions about her as a result.  She was one of the most down-to-earth people you ever wanted to meet.  Krista remembered her own first meeting with Jodi...she had thought she was a ball of fluff.

CHAPTER THREE

Krista had been camping in the Painted Desert in Arizona when a woman and her dog parked at the next campsite.  Krista was in a tent and she was amused as she watched the elegant woman set up her pop-up trailer.  She was quick, efficient, and meticulous and had it up and ready in no time without damaging her long nails or coiffured hair.  She set out a rectangle of indoor/outdoor carpet to keep the sand out of the trailer and was soon frying up a couple of steaks for her and her dog.  Krista’s own dog had been drawn by the smell, but she had called him back, which brought her to the attention of her neighbor.  She had apparently been oblivious to her observer until then, and she invited Krista over for a beer, pulling out a couple of Coronas, which also surprised Krista.  She had been certain the woman was a wine drinker.

Krista had been delighted to talk to the woman while trying to figure her out.  Her polished nails made her look out of place in the rough desert, but the beer and the talk made her hope against hope that the woman was gay.  Krista found herself strangely drawn to her.  As they took a short walk into the desert, Krista found herself wanting desperately to kiss her pert little mouth.  She was funny, smart, and had sparkling eyes that attracted Krista, but she couldn’t figure out what this elegant, little ball of fluff was doing camping out here in the desert.  She was overdressed in her oxford shirt, yuppie shorts, and dock siders.

I needed to get away from the normal spots, Jodi confided to her over their third beer.  They walked carefully into the desert, the dogs snuffling in front of them on the path.  It was very beautiful, and the skies were enormous, the stars just out of reach in the velvety blackness of space.

Normal spots? Krista asked in surprise.

I’ve been to Yellowstone, Yosemite, and a few of the other major camping spots.  I needed a place to get away in the fresh air of the desert, something not too big on the map, and when I found out about this place, I had to see it.  I’m writing travel pieces, and I have a vague idea about writing a travel book, she confided.

Krista was further astounded to find that this woman travelled all over the country rating camping sites and relating her own experiences.  She blogged, she wrote articles, and she worked on the book idea...sorta.  For her it was an excuse to get out of the office and travel, to see the country and get paid for her efforts.  To her amazement, Krista ran into her at a couple of her own favorite spots.  The Petrified Forest was one and while hiking in the desert they eventually became pretty good friends.  For a fluff ball she was made of pretty stern stuff, and Krista found it difficult to keep up with the strong, little woman.  Krista still had not read her though and finally, boldly, she asked her one day if she was gay.

Jodi never batted an eye as she looked at Krista through her sunglasses over their shared campfire.  Are you straight? she returned in a tone that made it sound an odd question as well.

Krista pulled back in surprise.  No one had ever asked her that question.  N–n–no, she stuttered in her surprise.

Jodi grinned at how her question had affected the long-haired redhead.  She liked keeping people off balance, and no one had questioned her sexuality in a long time.  She had figured out that Krista was gay a while ago but hadn’t let on that she was attracted to this woman she found interesting and intriguing.  She found it amusing that Krista had to find Wi-Fi spots nearly every day to work and afford her lifestyle.

For the first time in her life, Krista found herself pursuing a woman.  While Jodi had eventually kissed her and confirmed she was into women, she had not just fallen into Krista’s bed.  She confided she had been hurt badly by someone years ago