Perspective IV: Deductions free porn video

Perspective IV: Deductions

Gone Camping

The night to remember started when he announced they were going camping forthe weekend. It would be just the two of them, to ?get away from it all,? ashe liked to say. He described a nice, secluded spot far from town. They wouldhave the place all to themselves. The more he talked about it, the more excitedshe became. She knew his idea of ?camping? definitely wasn't limited to pitchinga tent and toasting marshmallows.

While they packed the pickup truck on Friday afternoon, she saw him casuallytoss in his mystery bag before they left. She never knew what he'd pull outof that bag, but based on past experience it was always something that madethe trip memorable.

He took the highway heading north, into the center of the state, a desertarea uninhabited except for a few gas stations along the road. Even on busydays there wasn't that much traffic; on a weekend it was all but empty. Thefirst hour she counted a total of seven trucks and three cars passing in theopposite lane. No one passed them heading in the same direction.

Another hour passed before he slowed, taking the off ramp and crossing theoverpass. The narrow road wound through some hills into a desolate valley,well out of sight of the highway. Then he had to stop for a large gate coveredwith warning signs that blocked the way. A chain link fence on both sides stretchedinto the distance.

?Not to worry, we have the key,? he told her. She watched as he got out, unlockedthe gate, swung it aside, and came back. ?It's private land, but not much onit. The owner found some copper and silver on the ridge up ahead. He put ina test mineshaft a while back, which is why the road is here. He's holdingonto the land in case commodity prices go up enough to start operations. I'vehelped him out in the past, when he had some computer problems. He told meabout this place, invited me to come up and look around.?

She nodded, not paying too much attention. It was the wide open spaces thatheld her attention. Other than the road the entire valley was empty, not asingle building, no lights, no sign of anyone else. It was perfect.

He pulled the pickup forward, stopped again, and got out to close the gate.When he came back they drove on, up the gentle slope of the valley floor. Eventuallythey came to the end of the road, where it widened out into a small lot belowa covered mineshaft set into the mountain. Other than the road it was the onlyevidence anyone had ever been to this place. He parked in the center of thecircular paved area.

They unpacked and set up the tent for the night. When they were finished hesat down on the pickup's lowered tailgate, looking out over the moonlit valleybelow. She came over and sat down next to him. ?See something interesting?? sheasked.

? Mesquite , sagebrush, barrel cactus, and not much else.? He took hold ofher hand. ?It is a nice night out. Nearly full moon too, plenty of light. Howabout a short hike back down the road??

She gazed up into the clear night sky. The moon was up, shining bright. Farfrom city lights, the heavens were full of stars, twinkling against an inkyblack background. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, typical for this time ofyear. At the moment it was pleasantly cool, but she knew by early dawn at thisaltitude the temperature would drop down enough to require a sweater.

?You're sure it will be safe?? She couldn't see what might pose a danger,but it was nice to hear his reassurances.

?It's private property, there's no reason for anyone to come way out here,and the gate to the highway is locked closed. There aren't any animals biggerthan a jackrabbit. I think we'll be okay.?

?Okay, sounds like fun.? She waited, knowing he had something more in mind.His mystery bag was still in the bed of the pickup, right behind where theywere sitting. He had something in there, something for her. It was a littlegame they played. She knew his question included more than a simple strolldown the road; and he knew in her answer there was an implicit agreement towhatever he had in mind.

There wasn't enough light for her to see the smile on his face, or the wayhis eyes narrowed when he turned to her. ?Let's get ready then. I brought aflashlight, just in case, but I doubt we'll need it. Oh, and a water bottletoo.?

She slid off the tailgate and lazily stretched as she waited for him to start.His first command was no surprise at all. ?I want everything off, except yourshoes.?

?Yes, sir,? was her quick reply, as she began to unbutton her blouse. It wasno accident he chose such an isolated camping spot. She tossed her blouse intothe bed of the pickup, followed in quick succession by her shorts, bra andpanties. The breeze coming down from the mountains felt deliciously cool onher bare skin. She loved the exposed feeling, vulnerable yet safe from theeyes of strangers.

He stood up, tugging at the mystery bag. She watched silently, in anticipation,as he slowly unzipped the top.

?I brought along some old friends, along with a new addition I found earlierthis week. I think you'll get a kick out of it.? She heard a familiar rattlefrom his rummaging. ?Ahh, here we go. Basics first, hands behind your back.?

She knew exactly how far apart her wrists should be for his ?old friend?.She stood as still as possible, eyes closed, hands held out to him from behind.Click, click, click, and her wrists were securely locked in the handcuffs.The hinged ones, she thought, judging from the weight and feel. As always hewas careful to double lock them so they wouldn't close too tight.

?That okay?? he asked. She went through her usual routine, trying to get thecuffs off. Her fingers brushed against the face of the cuffs, to make sureshe couldn't find the keyhole. Usually the metal surface would be smooth andunbroken, the keyhole facing away from her hands, virtually inaccessible evenif she had the key. But this time she was surprised to find the indentationof the keyholes in front, within reach. She figured he must not have noticedin the dark. It didn't really make a difference, since he never gave her thekeys anyway.

?Yes, sir, not too tight.? That's why she preferred metallic handcuffs overrope or leather. They worked well with a loose fit. She could go for hoursand not worry about cutting off circulation in her hands.

Click, click, and her ankles were locked in leg irons. Another ?old friend?,oversize handcuffs that easily fit over her thick hiking boot socks. Idly shewondered how much slack in the connecting chain he had allowed her for thenight. Once she became used to the shortened stride she normally didn't haveany difficulties walking with them on, other than the problem that she couldn'twalk very fast.

?There, no need to hurry. We'll take our time tonight.? He put his hands onher shoulders and lightly kissed the back of her neck. ?You're almost ready.?

Carefully she stretched out her feet, to check on how much freedom he hadallowed her. Short this time, she figured she had about eight inches, abouthalf the regulation length of the police style leg chains. He had picked aparticularly challenging set for her tonight. The length was too short to getinto any kind of a rhythm when walking; she had to concentrate on every stepin order not to bruise her ankles, or even worse stumble and fall. Still, shecould manage if he held onto her and didn't go too fast.

He was going through his bag again. ?I know it's in here?there it is!? Sheheard the ripping sound of Velcro. Of course he'd bring the strap. It wasn'teasy, but if she was patient she could work her handcuffed hands down, overher hips, around her legs and back up in front. He had found a solution tothat, a nylon strap with Velcro loops that went around each of her arms, abovethe elbow. It wasn't uncomfortable, unless she tried to pull her arms apart.With the strap on it was impossible to get her hands around in front, and becauseof the rigidity of the hinge cuff she couldn't twist her hands to reach theVelcro.

She wondered about the new item he had found. She had his usual pick of restraintson now, just the way he liked to see her, all of her. Bound hand and foot shecouldn't get dressed now, even if he let her try.

?Now for something completely different!? She heard the humor in his voice.When he used that Monty Python cliché it meant he'd come up with somedevious device to make her just a little more helpless. She wished she couldturn around to see what he'd brought, but she had to stay perfectly still untilhe gave her permission to move.

The answer came with the hood that he pulled down over her head. It was light,stretchy, and easy to breathe through the spandex material. But it was noteasy to see through, especially through the padded blindfold sewn into thefront. In fact, she couldn't see anything. The bottom edge of the hood extendeddown under her chin to her collarbone.

It was a blindfold, and a good one. No light came through at all. The hoodfit against her face like a second skin. No chance she could shake it loose.He wasn't finished though. The second surprise was the feel of the stiff leathercollar as he wrapped it around her neck. It was several inches high, forcingher chin up. The only way she could move her head was to turn her body. Shefelt him buckling the straps at the back of the collar to secure it. This wasanother ?old friend?, but more familiar in the setting of his time-out room.That was one place she dreaded, because she only visited it when she had tomake amends for disappointing him.

Her first impulse was to reach up and feel the hood and collar, but that wasimpossible with the handcuffs on. When he felt her jerk against the cuffs heput his hands on her arms and spoke softly. ?Don't worry. Take a deep breath.See? You can breathe normally. All the hood does is take away your vision.The collar is there to make sure it stays on. Alright??

His voice had a calming effect. She tried to nod, but the collar wouldn'tallow it. ?Yes, sir, I'm okay. Give me a moment to adjust. I can't see anythingat all.?

?Good, that's the idea.? He didn't elaborate on what else he had in mind.She would find out soon enough. ?I'll be your eyes.? He put a hand on her lowerback. ?I'll show you which way to go, when to stop. I won't let anything happento you.?

That warm feeling, of being completely in his hands, helpless, controlled,obedient to his every wish, was pushing aside any concerns she might have had.This was precisely why she enjoyed bondage. She had to trust him; there wasno other choice left to her.

?I'm ready to go, when you are, sir.? Go wherever he wanted, do whatever heasked, she could no more say no to him now that she could sprout wings andfly away. Or scratch her nose; both tasks were equally impossible.

She heard him close the tailgate. There was a jangling sound, like a set ofkeys dropped on the pavement. ?Darn, looks like I have a hole in my pocket.I'll leave your keys on the front seat.? She heard the driver's door open andclose. ?Imagine what a mess we'd be in if I lost them out there somewhere.?

It was a good thing the hood and the night concealed her expression. He wouldn'tbe the one with the problem if he lost the keys to her restraints. A long driveback to town, trussed up like she was now, was not a pleasant prospect.

He picked up the water bottle and slung it over his shoulder. ?I think we'reready.? His hand pressed against her back guiding her to the left. ?The roadis this way. We'll stay on the pavement so you won't trip or stumble.?

On The Road

Once they got started it wasn't as bad as she had feared. He didn't try tohurry her, not that she could walk very fast anyway. The ankle chains slowedher down, but she was able to keep up a steady pace. She could probably outruna desert tortoise, probably, but she wouldn't want to bet money on it.

Because the tortoise would have one big advantage over her; the ability tosee. She had no idea what direction they were going, or how far they were fromthe truck. All that kept her from wandering off into the open desert was hishand on her back, and his running conversation. His touch and reassuring voicewere the only connections she had to the universe beyond the tip of her nose.

What she didn't expect was how quickly the hood was affecting her. Despitethe coolness of the night air she was feeling warm, very warm. The more heforced her to depend on him, the more erotic the bondage became. The hood andbeing blindfolded put her over the top that much faster. His hand was sendingtingles of electricity all over her back. She wanted to throw her arms aroundhis neck, wrap her legs around his waist, and have him take her there in themiddle of the road. Not that she could do much about it. In frustration shepulled against the handcuffs. Whatever was to happen tonight, it would be hischoice as to time and place. Knowing that only made her want him more.

He caught the slight movement of her wrists, and knew it was one of her subtlesignals. Much as he was tempted, he would not be rushed. A little further,and then she'd be ready for the next step in his plan. Ready, but she wouldn'tbe expecting it.

He switched on the flashlight in his other hand and pointed the beam downthe road. There it was, the place he had marked on the way up to the campsite;a wide spot, built so trucks could turn around without going off into the desert.

?A few more yards, then we'll stop and rest. You doing okay? Nothing pinching?? Therewere some large rocks to one side, where he could sit down. She wouldn't havethat luxury.

?I'm okay, sir. I'm feeling some strain, in my legs, from the chains.?

He had expected it. The choice of a shortened chain had been deliberate. Hobbled,forced to take shorter, halting steps, her leg muscles tired faster from theunfamiliar strain. Not being able to see where she was going would throw offher timing too, making it that much more difficult to move around.

He switched off the flashlight. They were close enough for him to see by moonlight,and she had no way to make use of illumination. ?Here we are. We'll rest herebefore heading back. I bet you'd like to sit down??

?Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but could you help me find a place? I, umm, seem tobe in some difficulty.?

He laughed at her understatement. Naked, shackled hand and foot, head coveredin a hood, she was definitely in need of assistance. He moved his hand fromher back to grip her arm, above the strap restraining her elbows. ?There'sa nice flat stone ahead of you. I'll lead you there and help you to...? Hebroke off suddenly, letting go of her arm. She heard him start to walk awayfrom her. ?What in the world?.?

She immediately stopped when she lost her guiding hand. She tried to turnher head to face him, but the collar around her neck held her head rigid, facingforward. From the tone in his voice something unexpected had just appeared. ?Sir?What is it?? she hesitantly asked, conscious of the picture she would presentto a stranger.

His answer was a crisp but distracted whisper. ?Stay here. I'll be right back.? Sheheard his footsteps fade away as he disappeared into the night.

Darkness All Around

Her first reaction was to stand still and not make a noise. His last wordshad been in a hushed whisper. The only explanation she could come up with wasthat someone else was out there, and he didn't want to attract attention. Butwhy had he left her, if that was the case? It didn't make sense.

She held her breath, straining to hear any sound that might provide a clueas to what was happening. Unable to move her head, she twisted her upper bodyleft, then right, back and forth, listening, hoping to catch the echo of hisfootsteps on the pavement. The breeze had died down, so there wasn't even thegentle sound of rustling branches from desert brush. It was deathly quiet,broken only by her soft gasp when she remembered to take a gulp of air again.

If someone was out there, her only hope was the concealment of the night.Any sound she made would give her away. Was the moon still up? She stared intothe hood, searching for some small pinprick hole that might reveal moonlight.If there was such a hole she couldn't find it. She was completely surroundedby the curtain of pitch black wrapped around her head, darkness all aroundno matter where she turned.

Patience , she told herself. He'll be right back. Don't let your imaginationrun wild. Hold still, and wait. He's okay. All those thoughts ran through herhead, but none took hold. Not knowing was the worst of it; what had he seen?

Slowly, so as not to make any noise, she flexed her hands, resting in thesmall of her back. If she could free her hands then she could unbuckle thatcollar around her neck. If she could get the collar off then she could removethe hood and rid herself of the blindfold. If she could see then she'd knowwhy he had left her alone. If, if, if , she thought, but there was one smallcatch.

She and the handcuffs were well-acquainted. He'd told her all about them.Stainless steel, strong, reliable, pick-resistant lock, and used by the policefor high risk prisoners because the cuffs were so difficult to remove whenworn behind the back, with the keyhole facing away from the hands. He'd lether prove that by giving her the key. No matter how she tried she couldn'treach the keyhole on her own. Easy enough to open when the keyway faced herhands, impossible when he turned them around. It was a moot point anyway; shedidn't have the key.

If only he'd unlocked one side before leaving her. Then she remembered whynot. He had left the keys in the front seat of the truck, so they wouldn'tget lost. She never concerned herself with the keys; that was his business.All she ever cared about was that she didn't have them and couldn't get tothem. She couldn't enjoy the bondage experience unless he was in total control.

Carefully she tried to slip one hand out of the cuffs. She knew it would befutile, and it was. He knew exactly how far to tighten them to make sure shecouldn't get loose. The collar and hood were safely out of her reach, as heintended.

How long was it now? There was still nothing to indicate where he'd gone orwhat he was doing. Nor did she have a clock to tell the time. Her wristwatchwas back on the dresser at home. He never allowed her to carry a watch exceptat work. Not that it would have been useful; she had no way to see the dial.

Five minutes , she was sure he'd been gone at least that long. Her legs ached,her nose itched, and she was starting to feel thirsty. If only she could sitdown. That's what they had been about to do. Was she still facing the samedirection? How far away was that rock he'd picked out for her to use as a makeshiftchair?

It must be close by, but could she find it? She stared into the blindfold,willing it to part and reveal the secrets of what was hidden beyond the barrierin front of her eyes. But the hood remained uncooperative, instead doing itsbest to conceal her surroundings. Maybe the rock was directly in front of her,or maybe it was off to one side. She could just as easily walk into a cactusfull of sharp spines, or off the edge of the road into the desert.

She sighed, forced to give up any hope that she could find a place to rest.Though she could just sit down where she was, without going anywhere. It wouldn'tbe easy, or very comfortable given her lack of clothes. And what if he cameback and walked right by her, unseen as she sat on the road in the dark. Inany case he hadn't given her permission to sit down. She decided to remainstanding as long as she could.

Then the answer came to her, like a bolt of lightning from the clear bluesky. It was a test! He hadn't left; he was just beyond earshot, watching her.It all fit, the chains and hood, the way he'd vanished, and his last words, ?stayhere.? Her task was to obey him, to stand right where he'd left her, no matterwhat.

Underneath the hood she smiled in satisfaction. She had the answer now. Herobedience was a source of pride for her. She would be rooted to this spot foras long as it took, no matter what happened. Foolish , she told herself. Ishould have picked up on it right away. There's no one else out here. It'sthe only possible explanation.

She thought back, visualizing where he had been just before he left her. Hemust be over there, to my left , she thought. I bet he's sitting there, havea great time watching me have a panic attack. Well, I'll show him!

Carefully she pivoted to the left, deliberately keeping one foot planted inthe spot where he'd left her, taking a guess as to where he was waiting. Shestraightened her back, spread her ankles as far as the chain would allow, andheld her head up high, not that the collar allowed for much else.

?I figured it out, sir. I know you're there, in front of me. How much longerdo you want me to stand here, as you ordered??

The Wrong Answer

He crossed his arms and leaned back against the boulder. Her guess as to wherehe was would have been accurate, if he hadn't removed his shoes and circledaround behind her. He took out his pocket watch, opened the cover and pressedthe button to illuminate the face. Not more than three minutes for her to getthis far. He nodded in appreciation. She was smart and remarkably fast in figuringout his intentions. He had expected at least five or ten minutes. Idly he wonderedif she had noticed he'd left the mechanical pocket watch on the dresser. Thedesert night was so quiet the ticking would have given him away.

She hadn't figured it out, not yet. A simple obedience test would have beentoo easy. No, this particular mind game was just beginning.

Ten yards away, behind her, he studied her back, outlined in the moon's glow.Her head was a featureless black oval, completely enclosed in the hood. Theblack nylon strap gripping her elbows drew a dividing line across her back.Below it he could see her hands, close together. He could imagine how irritatedshe must be with those handcuffs right now.

She was waiting for him to answer her challenge. He admired her clevernessin how she had made her announcement. Just what had she figured out? All sheneeded was one word from him and all her suppositions would be confirmed.

He had no intention of answering her. He pushed the timer button on his watch.How long before she began to doubt he was really there?

Meanwhile she continued her defiant stance, facing her mental picture of himsitting on a rock. ?What gave it away, sir, were the keys. I didn't pay attentionat first, but why would you suddenly change your normal procedure and leavethe cuff keys in the front seat? And why make a big production of it, so I'dknow too? You never did that before. And I'm sure you don't have a hole inyour pocket. I check all your pants, every time I do the laundry.

?There's only one reason for it, sir. You wanted me to remember you couldn'tunlock the handcuffs while we were out here. But, why? Before now, you havenever taken the cuffs off until we got back from a walk. That means you knewin advance something would happen, where you'd need those keys, or at leastI'd think so.

?See, sir? It's like Sherlock Holmes, the story where Holmes asks why thedog does not bark in the night. Or why you didn't bring my keys in the night?You knew ahead of time. You intended to test me. Elementary, so here I am,sir, right where you left me.?

He nodded in appreciation. She'd worked it out very skillfully, by deduction.The part about adding in the line from his favorite Conan-Doyle story, TheSilver Blaze , was a nice touch. She'd be feeling quite pleased with herself,smug, maybe even a little disappointed she'd solved the mystery so quickly.

The hazard of deductive reasoning, as he had been forced to learn long ago,is that it only works if one has all the relevant facts, and there is onlyone possible explanation that fits all those facts. She had done well withwhat he'd given her, but it wasn't enough to accurately determine his intentionsthis night.

?Sir? May I sit down now? I'm getting tired. Might I have a drink of water,too??

The water bottle he'd slung over his shoulder was lying at his feet. She wastrying every trick she could think of, even appealing to his sense of duty,to take care of her. She probably didn't realize it, but she'd made a mistake.For her to go that far, the doubts must be starting.

She'd finished the ride on the children's rollercoaster. Now it was time forthe adult version.

Walking the Line

She was getting annoyed at his refusal to answer her. She had been worriedfor a moment, until she had worked out his scheme. Was he sulking, refusingto answer out of spite? She didn't believe that. He'd never punished her forbeing quick-witted.

No, he wasn't the vindictive type. She knew him well enough; he'd gracefullyconcede if she outsmarted him. Problem was, it didn't explain why he wasn'tcooperating now.

The hood was driving her to distraction. She was positive he was out there,close by, perhaps within an arm's length of her. And she had no way of findinghim with that thing over her head. All she needed was one little sound, a footstep,a cough, a sneeze; it was so quiet even the ticking from his old watch shouldgive him away.

What if he's hurt, or unconscious? She pushed aside that particular thought.No, the answer had to be a test, and he was just being his usual stubborn,dominating self. Besides, how could he have an accident out here?

Trip over a root, fall down, hit his head on a rock; stumble over the sideof a hidden ravine in the dark, fall in, hit his head; step into an unfenced,unmarked open mineshaft?every possibility ran through her head. Maybe she hadn'tbeen so clever after all. Last week, hadn't there been a phone call while shewas doing his laundry? Did she remember to check his pockets afterward? Maybethere was a hole in his pocket.

Her house of cards came tumbling down. He really had left the keys in thetruck; there was no test. And why would he contrive some kind of test for her?He knew she'd do anything he asked, no questions, no hesitation. He was somewhereout there, lying in the desert, hurt, bleeding, unconscious, and there wasnothing she could do.

?Sir! Can you hear me?? she shouted as loud as she could. ?Please sir, makesome sound so I know where you are! Tell me what to do!? She paused, listeningfor any kind of response. Then she made a quarter turn, and tried again, shoutingto attract his attention. She tried twice more, till she'd made a completecircle, and still no reply.

Breathing hard, she started shaking too. It was a nightmare scenario; he wasseriously injured, and she was so closely restrained she could do nothing tohelp. There was no way to call for help, no way to find him, and no way forher to free herself.

Or was there? She stopped, took a deep breath, and forced down the panic.The keys! They were back in the front seat of the truck, not in his pocket.One of those keys would open her handcuffs. That's all it would take. She couldget the rest off after that.

Her mind raced, working on possibilities. Get back to the campsite, get therestraints off, come back in the truck and look for him. She could do it; shehad to do it, or both of them might well perish. No one knew they were outhere, no one would come looking. Even if they were reported as missing, itwould take days or weeks for search parties to locate them.

The first task would be to find her way back to the pickup. She tried to visualizewhat the road had looked like, when they had driven by earlier. There wereno sharp curves, no side roads, it was paved all the way, and it ran uphill.As long as she stayed on the asphalt it would take her back to their camp site,where the road ended. That shouldn't be a problem, provided she started inthe right direction.

?Sir? If you can hear me, I'm going to walk back to the truck! I'll come backfor you as soon as I can!? She listened intently for any sign he had heard.The desert was so hushed she was sure she could hear the proverbial pin drop.But there was no response.

Her plan immediately hit the first obstacle. A simple question, but one shecouldn't answer. Which way was uphill? The grade wasn't steep. It would beobvious if she could see. She would have to guess, and then hope she couldtell as she went along the road. She remembered from the drive up here therewas one spot where the road had a perceptible slope, a place they had not crossedon foot; if she went the wrong way she'd find it soon enough.

They had been headed downhill when they stopped. She wasn't sure, but shethought she still faced in the same general direction. Hoping she was right,she turned around and took a step forward. More pavement, so far so good; fourmore steps and she found the side of the road when her left foot landed ingravel. Road will always be to the right, remember that , she told herself.

With one foot on the shoulder and one on the asphalt, she started the trekback to her only hope of rescue. It wasn't easy; every time she drifted tothe left or right she had to work her way back to the edge. Again and againshe cursed his choice of short leg chains and how they slowed her down. Butshe was sure she was making progress.

The Pin Drop

When she started across the road, he switched on the flashlight, to make sureshe wouldn't run into anything. In a way it was ironic. Her path was lit upby the beam from the flashlight, but it did her no good. She stopped when shereached the shoulder. He waited to see if she would choose the right direction.If she started downhill he had decided beforehand to end her excursion if shedidn't turn around within a few minutes.

Fortunately for him, unfortunately for her, she headed uphill when she continuedon. He admired her ingenuity in following the side of the road rather thantrying to stay in the middle. It was easy enough to follow her at a distance,while keeping her in the cone of light. He could reach her in a second if sheran into any kind of difficulty. With his shoes off she wasn't going to hearhim walking behind her, as long as he kept some distance and was careful notto make any noise.

In the moonlight he could see the end of the road up ahead. At her currentrate she'd reach it in about five minutes. She'd have no idea it was so close.It would be interesting to see what she would do when she reached the parkingarea. The truck was in the middle of the pavement, not close to the edge. Howwas she going to find it, or for that matter figure out when she'd reachedthe end of the road?

Standing a few yards behind, he saw her pause when she drifted onto the road.She immediately stopped, and then began sliding her feet to the side, untilshe found the edge again. He noticed how she was careful to remain facing thesame direction. He grinned, realizing she'd figured out the next problem already.

Sure enough, when she took a step onto the parking area, she came to a stop,and slid to the side. Another step, slide, and another; she must know the contourhad changed. She stopped again, but this time she didn't look for the edgeof the road.

He took the opportunity to quietly work his way around to the truck, followingthe other side of the road. She must know she was very close to her goal, hewas sure of it. But now it was dead reckoning, purely from memory. There wereno lines in the road for her to follow to get to the truck. Those last fewfeet would be the most difficult.

The solution she came up was surprising simple. Leaning against the truck,he saw her take a step back, to the gravel shoulder, make a quarter turn, andbegin walking straight ahead. She passed by him on the other side of the truck,missing her mark by no more than two feet. When she reached the far end ofthe pavement she stopped, turned around, and started across at another angle.This time she was further away.

On the fifth leg of her search pattern he could see she was headed directlyfor the truck. He backed away so she could find the driver side door. As heexpected, when she ran into the pickup she stopped, turned around so she couldtouch the side with her hands, and then worked her way around to the door bytouch.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to her chains, holdingthem tightly so they wouldn't make any noise. It was the set she expected tofind on the car seat. She had heard him open and close the door, presumablyleaving the keys inside. In fact, he would never have taken her on the walkwithout the means to release her. Her original deduction had been accurate;there was no hole in his pocket.

She found the door, but had some trouble getting it open. By leaning forwardshe could raise her hands, behind her back, high enough to reach the door handle.Once she got the door open she began exploring the driver's seat, looking forthe key ring.

He let her make a thorough search. From her increasingly frantic efforts hecould tell she was near despair. The keys in his hand were her only hope, andthat hope was fading away. She ran her hands all over the seat, then bent herknees to reach the floor, then back to the seat again, even working her fingersinto the crack between the seat and back. She suddenly stopped and leaned backagainst the seat. He could hear her crying. It was time to end the rollercoasterride.

As quietly as possible he approached the open door. When he was within arm'sreach of her he bent over and quietly whispered in her ear, ?You were toldto stay where you were.?

Doing What's Right

He had to draw back when she jumped straight up. He smiled in satisfaction.Complete, total surprise; no one could fake a reaction like that. She'd hadno idea he had been with her all through her ordeal.

?Sir! Sir? Is it you? Are you okay? What happened? I heard you leave, butyou never came back! I called out to you. I was trying to get back here tofind the keys, before I drove back to look for you. But I couldn't find thekeys to the cuffs, and I didn't know what to do?? She bumped into the truckdoor while frantically talking.

He put his hands on her waist and drew her away from the truck. He pulledher close, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tight. She laid her headon his shoulder, still crying. ?I was so scared. I thought you'd fallen, Idon't know, somehow you'd been hurt. I couldn't get to you. You were out thereand I was so helpless! I couldn't do anything to help??

?Shssh,? he told her softly, stroking the hood where it covered the back ofher head. ?Don't worry, I'm all right. And you were, too. I was right there,near you, watching over you.?

Still holding her in one arm he loosened the straps on the collar with hisfree hand. ?Here, let's get this off.? He let go of her in order to pull offthe high, stiff posture collar. ?I bet you'd like to get rid of that hood too?? Hetossed the collar into the back of the truck.

She twisted her head from side to side, working out the stiffness in her neck. ?Yes,sir,? was her cautious answer, for she knew his question did not mean he wouldactually take it off. And if she said anything more she was likely to starton him for the ordeal he had just put her through. She knew she had to calmdown before that particular conversation began.

He rolled up the edge of the hood over her chin before pulling it off herhead. Finally, she could see again! The moon was still up and shining brightly.She blinked a few times, looking around at her surroundings. Being deprivedof something she always took for granted had been a new and different experience.Her journey through the darkness tonight gave her a new appreciation for theability to see.

He put his arms around her and pulled her close. She tilted back her headto look up at him. Tonight had been one full of emotional swings, from smugassurance, to fear and desperation, then panic, and the shock of discoveringit had all been one of his mind games. She tried to keep out the tone of risinganger when she began, ?Sir? Why did you??

?No,? he interrupted, ?not yet. Before you start chewing me out, I want youto calm down and listen.?

Though she wanted nothing more than to rip his head off right at that moment,the ingrained habit of obedience was too strong for her to disobey. And thenthere was the small matter of the handcuffs and leg chains, and lack of clothing,that served as a reminder that she was in no position to argue with him.

?You did well tonight,? he began. ?As far as you knew, you were in a veryserious situation. But you didn't panic. You kept your head, thought it out,and did the best you could with what you had.?

She leaned her head back to look up at him. ?But, sir, I did panic. When Icouldn't find the keys in the truck, I lost it. I had no idea what to do next.?

He leaned down to kiss her. ?I admit that was a dirty trick.? His hands sliddown her arms to stop at her wrists. ?I just couldn't let you get loose.? Hemassaged her wrists around the imprisoning circlets of steel. ?I meant downthe road, when I left you standing there. You had no idea what was going on,but you kept your wits. Good try at getting me to say something, by the way.?

She leaned her head against his chest. ?I was so sure you were testing me.Oh! I did disobey, sir. You told me to stay there, but I came back here instead??

?Not to worry, exceptional circumstances,? he interrupted. ?Besides, it wasmy intention that you try to make your way back to the truck, so you didn'treally disobey.?

Then the missing clue struck her. ?Sir, it wasn't the keys, it was the wayyou put the handcuffs on me tonight. You knew I wouldn't be able to get themoff, even with the keys, if you had put them on the normal way. It wasn't amistake, the keyhole toward my hands, was it??

He laughed. ?You got me. You had to have some hope, slim as it was. I hopedyou wouldn't notice, or if you did you'd assume it was a mistake. I had a lineready if you said something about it.?

?And if I had complained? You know I don't like any chance to get loose.?

He stroked her hair. ?No, you don't. No halfway measures for you. My answerwould have been that if you don't like the way they are, take them off andchange it yourself.? He laughed again.

?Very funny, sir.? She looked up at him, shaking her head. She looked overher shoulder, holding her arms out behind her. ?Speaking of which, they stillaren't right.?

He grabbed her hair in his hand and jerked her head around, forcing her tolook at him. ?For what I have in mind, they'll be just fine as is.? He kissedher, long and passionate, tongues searching out each other. With his free handhe grabbed one of her bare breasts.

She moaned as she melted against him. Roughly he pushed her back, spun heraround, and marched her toward the tent, one of his large hands wrapped aroundher upper arm. He moved so fast she couldn't keep up, nearly falling as herankles were entangled in the leg chains. But he caught her in time, swept herup in his arms, and carried her the rest of the way.

It hurt, but she didn't care. She knew exactly what he had in mind, and wasjust as eager to get to the tent as he was. She might have guessed wrong onthe road, but this time the deduction was so elementary even Dr. Watson wouldhave no trouble figuring out what would occur in the night.