Well here we go folks! Book One 'The Girl Who Got Away' just gushed out of my mind and fingers like a string of pots brimming with huge, clean crab. This one was a tough birth. As always, your reviews and encouragement will be the lash that keeps me going forward with this yarn!

Johnathan

He was running the boat into Dutch for the off load scheduled for 3 a.m. It had been a miserable trip. Hell, it had been a miserable season. Crab were damn hard to find for the whole fleet, and the weather was the worst in he'd seen 20 years. So it was now the middle of November and every boat was still out. He still had at least two more trips to make to fill their King Crab quota. At this point making it home for Thanksgiving was lookin' like a close call. The engineer/cook he had scrounged up to replace Sioux sucked, particularly as a cook. So the crew was testy and referred to him as 'Can't-Cook'.

And everyone, except the new fool, was depressed in one way or another. Josh was worried about Jake and was torn between trying to save him, or letting him hit bottom. Mike, Scott, and Eddie tried to lift spirits but they could be caught silently staring off into the horizon when they thought no one was looking. Andy felt bad about how he had reacted to the news of Sioux's past, and regretted nearly killing him, so he was mostly quiet and focused on deck bossing without his usual humor and charisma.

Todd Stanley and his camera man were beside themselves. The jolly, happy-go-lucky, wise-crackin' Time Bandit Bad Boy crew were flat and no one was talking on or off the camera about what was going on. The 'story' was sucking big-time, and Todd was pleading with him to a least pull one his patented pranks. Johnathan felt bad for Todd, but couldn't tell him what had sucked all the mojo off the boat.

As Captain, the morale of the crew was in the end his responsibility, but he was just weary; mentally, emotionally, and physically, frustrated, and worried sick about Sioux. He had been able to reach her only twice and the conversation lasted about a minute. She assured him she was making progress on erasing her past and herself, but was running into a few 'challenges'. She spoke barely above a whisper, and refused to tell him where she was, only that she was in no danger and she loved him. He didn't believe her. . .about the danger part.

Andy

He lay in his bunk miserable and aching with a heat pads on his knee, lower back, and shoulder. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this bad in his body and soul. He only prayed, his notes and fox talisman had convinced Sioux he wanted her to come back. Back to Johnathan and him.

Truth was it had been he, not she, who had really killed them. He wasn't making excuses, but the tale Johnathan told him that night erupted a volcano of stuff he hadn't even been aware had been simmering for a long time. He had always dreaded something like this would happen, had been since they were kids. He was attached to Johnathan in a way that was probably not healthy, too enmeshed Sabrina always said. But for as long as he could remember he had an irrational fear that one day Johnathan would destroy them both; whether through some crazy dangerous stunt, impulsive stupidity, or his untimely death. But he never saw love rolling in like a perfect storm to take them out.

Why hadn't they just kept her shit to themselves? Or just fuckin' lied to him? Why lay it at his feet? What were they looking for? Absolution? Enlist him in some caper? Have him fix it? Johnathan had never once told him it would be his fault if anything happened to Sioux on her quest to erase her past. He wished he would and just kick his ass. Johnathan's love for Sioux was childlike, simple and true, agape. . .unconditional. His love for her to his surprise, turned out to have a litany of conditions that boiled down to; clean your shit up or be banished into the abyss of memory and myth.

Johnathan had called it like it was. Why the hell had Sioux thrown his and her lives and happiness like a Hail Mary pass to his hands? And he had fumbled the ball. . . badly. Deep down he knew he had done the dirty job that someone had to do for both their sakes, it just sucked that shit like this always landed on his plate. No mid-life wild, crazy, romantic chapter for rock-steady Andy. Just more of his usual role of. . . the Axe Man that cometh.

Johnathan's hoarse and tired voice over the intercom announced they were a half hour from Dutch and for everybody to get their sorry asses up and get ready for the off-load. Andy groaned.

Sioux

She had called the processor to confirm the Time Bandit's delivery date in Dutch and she was praying she could make it before they went out again. The weather sucked and her connecting flight to Dutch was cancelled twice. Finally she landed and caught a ride to the docks. She leapt out with her bags just in time to see the Time Bandit pull away.

So close, God she was so close to him. She had not come so far, been through so much, to have missed him by minutes. She scooped the dock, measured distances, dropped her bags and ran. She literally ran to her life towards the departing Time Bandit.

The Northwestern had come in an hour ago and was waiting for their off-load. Sig, sitting in the Captain's chair was adding up his catch and happened to look up just in time to see a small figure running like the wind, long black hair streaming and immediately knew it was Sioux. He looked back at the Time Bandit that was heading out. He quickly got on the side band.

'Time Bandit! Johnathan! Time Bandit STOP! Reverse back towards the dock. Do you read me, Johnathan! Reverse NOW!'

Johanthan didn't know what Sig was talking about but did as he urged, and threw the gears in reverse and got on the side band. Andy had heard Sig's urgent call and quickly headed to the wheel house.

Johnathan replied to Sig. 'Time Bandit to Northwestern. Got you Sig. Reversing, What's the problem?'

Sig exhaled. 'Look out your starboard window dude.' Johnathan hung up and looked. Someone was running down the dock towards the boat fast. The figure was hauling ass, long black hair streaming in the wind. No it couldn't be?

'Andy!' He hollered, 'Take the wheel!'

Andy at his side in an instant.

'What's wrong? What's going on?'

Johnathan got out the chair and hustled out the back door, down the stairs shouting.

'Keep her in reverse! Get to the dock!'

Johnathan & Sioux

Sioux was gaining. It looked like the boat was returning to the dock but she couldn't stop herself, she ran like demons fresh out of hell were after her. She saw Johnathan rush out on the deck. Her life! The boat was about eight feet from the dock. Andy was struggling against the roll to bring the boat safely closer to the dock.

Johanthan stood in front of a pot close to the rail. She wasn't slowing down and was approaching the two foot high piling at the edge of the dock. He could see the fierce intent on her face. In an instant he knew she was gonna jump. Before he could yell for her not to, she leapt onto the piling, pushed off, and launched herself at him.

It seemed like she was suspended in the air between the dock and the boat forever. He braced himself and every fiber of his being, his arms ready to catch her. His life! She crashed into him. He managed to stay on his feet as he fell back into the pot. And held her tight.

With both shaking hands he smoothed her hair from her face and drank her in. There were fading bruises on both checks and a healing cut on her forehead. Her mouth looked as if it had been strained for a long time. He patted her shoulders and arms just to reassure himself she was solid and not a ghost or hallucination. Reassured, he kissed her forehead long and hard.

His voice was hoarse and broken as he ran his hands over her healing face as she grinned at him as tears fell freely down her face.

'You wild, crazy girl.' 'Where have you been? Who hurt you?' 'Stop doing crazy shit Sioux. You're killing me!'

He grasped her as close as he could, buried his face in her hair and drank in the intoxicating smell of her, and wasn't ashamed in the least as his eyes overflowed. He captured her mouth, slowly dipped her, and drank in the life of her with relief, their combined tears salting his kiss.

It was if time stood still for the two, there was no world for them outside of the closeness of their bodies, feeding hungrily from the healing embrace and kiss, as if they had been starving, close to death, as all hell broke loose around them as cheers and fireworks erupted from the Time Bandit and Northwestern.

Sioux had made it back.

My plea for inspiration. . .

From Metallica - Fuel

Give me fuel,
Give me fire,
Give me that which I desire,
Ooh!
(SHHHHAH!)

Yeah!
Turn on, I see red
Adrenaline crash and crack my head
Nitro junkie, paint me dead
And I see red

One hundred plus through black and white
War horse, warhead
Fuck 'em man, white knuckle tight
Through black and white

Ooh, I burn,
Fuel is pumping engines,
Burning hard, loose and clean

And I burn,
Churning my direction,
Quench my thirst with gasoline

So give me fuel,
Give me fire,
Give me that which I desire

Yeah!

Turn on beyond the bone
Swallow future, spit out home,
Burn your face upon the chrome
Yeah, oh yeah!

Take the corner, join the crash
Headlights, headlines,
Another junkie lives too fast
Yeah, lives way too fast
Yeah, lives way too fast, (fast) fast,
(fast) fast, (fast) fast woah

Ooh, on I burn,
Fuel is pumping engines,
Burning hard loose and clean

And on I burn,
Churning my direction,
Quench my thirst with gasoline

So, give me fuel
Give me fire,
Give me that which I desire,
Ooh yeah!

White knuckle tight!

Give me fuel
Give me fire
My desire

Ooh, on I burn,
Fuel is pumping engines,
Burning hard, loose and clean
And on and on,
Churning my direction,
Quench my thirst with gasoline

Give me fuel,
Give me fire,
Give me that which I desire,
Ooh

Oh I burn!