The Tutor

Chapter 15

Cora looked at herself in the mirror, she smiled her teeth looked almost perfect. The dentist had done a good job, she missed the one crooked one but she could live with a perfect smile she supposed. The other effects of her torture were beginning to fade, there was very little keloid scar tissue and Marcus had provided her with an ointment that appeared to be causing those to fade much more quickly than she would have believed possible. She almost felt like herself,she had talked to Marcus about all of her great conquests and all the money she had made while dating various men. Instead of turning him on and making him try to one-up the competition, he had just sat and listened. When he wasn't listening to her talk. He was a good listener she noted. But he didn't seem to be interested in her, even when she walked around the small cabin in just a bra and panties. Most guys would drool or at least watch her. He did neither, he would sit by the fire and read. Or he would be working on something in the workshop out back. He always made sure she had something to eat. Whatever she wanted within reason he didn't hesitate, he was beautiful to watch she had decided the grace of a dancer and something coldly dangerous about him. She liked that too. He didn't show that edge but she could tell when she would get on his nerves and he would look at her.

There was a knock on the door.

He walked slowly to it his hand slid over a shelf where a knife lay holstered. He slid it to where it was in easy reach. He looked out the window."Hide" he said softly Cora got up and hurried toward the bedroom.

Marcus kicked the doorstop almost to the door before he turned the knob. "Can I help you?"

"Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Marcus asked.

"That Dumb bitch Cora"

"I'm sorry, I'm up here hunting, I don't know who you're talking about."

"For fuck sakes, you think I'm dumb, I know you got her up here"

"I've already called the sheriff, this is private property."

"You think he will give a fuck if I waste a stupid redneck and his girlfriend?"

Marcus leaped clear of the door a half-second before it exploded in splinters. Then there were two men rushing into the house. The first was reloading the double-barreled shotgun the other had an automatic pistol. Marcus grabbed his gun hand and held it against his side for the half-second it took to walk the knife up the man's arm and across his throat. The man screamed in pain and dropped the pistol as he fell. Marcus moved barely paused to look at his victim he was already driving the knife into the ribs of the second man. The man sucked air like a fish out of the water as his hands froze in mid-motion. Marcus pulled the shotgun from the dying man's hands and then took the shell from him and finished loading the weapon, snapping it closed. "Now what was it you said?" Marcus asked looking down the barrel of the gun at the dying man. The man just gasped his life spilling out onto the floor. He picked up the man's cell phone and dialed the sheriff. "Hello, Sheriff?"

"Yes sir some men just broke into my hunting cabin, I happened to be here and I had to defend myself."

"Oh I expect they will both be quite dead by the time you get here, but maybe not if you hurry."

Twenty minutes later the sheriff arrived and Marcus put the gun down on the shelf.

The sheriff asked a few questions but didn't appear to be terribly sympathetic to two idiots who tried to rush a man in a hunting cabin. A few minutes later An ambulance arrived along with the coroner's van. They gathered evidence and collected the bodies after taking photos.

"I'm not going to arrest you," The sheriff said slowly. "So long as you don't plan to leave town or anything"

"No, I expect I'll be out here for another week or two"

"Well if you don't mind terribly I may come back up to check on you"

"That would be fine Sheriff," Marcus said softly.

"You've done this before?" the sheriff asked idly.

"Afghanistan" Marcus replied.

The sheriff nodded. "All right, well I'll let you know what comes up, but to me, it's pretty cut and dried. They blew the lock to get in and like you said you defended yourself."

"Thanks, Sheriff, for your assistance."

"I'm sorry about this, it's rare that we get active robberies, yeah sometimes the occasional burglary but most folks out here in the sticks carry guns and that will make your average thief think twice." The sheriff turned and left.

Marcus went and looked for Cora. He stepped into the darkened bedroom. "Cora" he whispered.

"Marcus? Is that you?" she whispered back.

"Yeah it's me," he said flipping on the light. The single bulb burst into light and he blinked hard against it as Cora threw herself against him.

"I heard a gunshot, and there were police and ambulances outside, I thought..."

"No, I'm fine Cora, some men came looking for you. I guess that means we need to find you a better hiding place. and you probably need to turn off your phone"

"But..."

"Write down the numbers of your friends and family and use mine" He offered half grinning.

"I guess that could work, but I don't want to impose?"

"Cora I'm here to protect you because it's the right thing to do. When all of this is over and you can go back to your life you will forget about me. For now, however it's not an imposition its a requirement, I'm betting they traced your number to this location. Now I have to move it away from here and hope for the best."

"What?"

"Write your numbers down."

"Okay"

"Get your clothes on and we are going to go for a ride."

"Really?" Cora asked dressing hastily.