Amethyst Purple

Foreword

This is a work of fiction which exists solely in my imagination.

While I've used actual towns, landmarks and locations in the following tale, none of the people, events or businesses depicted have any actual or implied connection to any actual event or person, alive or dead, with the exception of certain historical references. These references are included only to allow the reader to be able to relate better to the timeline of this work of fiction.

Part 4

Tuesday, September 11, 2001

Seattle, WA

Ted Kilgore woke to his cell phone ringing on the hotel night stand.

"Hello."

"Ted! Don't get on a plane today!" Marti's voice was shrill and rife with fear and excitement.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?"

"You haven't seen the news? No, I guess you wouldn't have, it's just six o'clock in Seattle. Turn the news on, I'm sure it won't matter what channel."

"Hold on, let me get the T.V. remote."

"What the hell happened? That's New York City!" Ted gasped.

"Terrorists flew a plane into the World Trade Center."

"THEY DID WHAT?!"

"About twenty minutes or so ago a jet flew into the North Tower of The World Trade Center, they thought it was some sort of freak accident and reporters were out there filming when about five minutes ago another jet came out of nowhere and flew straight into the South Tower. Ted I watched the plane just disappear into the side of the building, there was nothing left, it disappeared and the whole top of the building was on fire. Both buildings."

Suddenly there was a violent knocking on Ted's hotel room door.

"Ted, please let me in! Please Ted! I need to come in! Please!"

"Hold on, Heidi's at the door screaming." Ted told Marti.

As soon as Ted removed the lock and opened his door a young girl wearing nothing but a KISS Destroyer tour shirt, tattered and thin from years of regular wear and possibly a pair of panties, nearly knocked him down when she rushed against him and wrapped her arms as far around him as she could reach, burying her tear stained face into his chest. Heidi Koenig was his Paralegal and travel partner on this trip to depose a potential witness for a case he was representing in Georgia and she was obviously terrified and nearly incoherent.

"What's the matter, Ted?" Marti asked from twenty-six hundred miles away.

"I think the news has terrified Heidi, she's squalling and trembling."

"That's what I was telling you, the news is saying we're under attack so please, don't get on a plane today, stay another night or something but stay away from the airport. Please?" Marti pleaded.

"OK, we won't get on any planes. I don't think I'll have any difficulty selling that idea to Heidi, at any rate."

"OK, go take care of her, calm her down and call me back to let me know what you decide."

"I will, love you."

"Love you, too, be careful."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Ted assured her then ended the call and laid his phone on the hotel room desk.

"Heidi, easy, Sweetheart, everything's going to be OK."

"They said we're under attack! What's going on?"

"I don't know for sure yet, but I do know that we're safe and we're going to be OK."

"How are we gonna get home? I'm not getting on another airplane with this happening!"

"No, we aren't going to be getting on any airplanes. I'll rent us a car and drive us back home. Just settle down, you're safe."

"Do you promise? Can you promise that? Can anybody promise that?"

"Look, I can't promise that you won't slip and fall down, I can't promise that you won't get sick or any other thing that life has a tendency to throw at us but I can promise that you don't have to worry about anybody hijacking an airplane you're flying on this week. Because we're going to be driving, not flying. OK?"

Heidi nodded her head.

"Now, if you don't mind turning me loose long enough to get dressed we'll take you back to your room so you can put some clothes on and get some breakfast."

Heidi pulled her arms away and stepped back from Ted, suddenly realizing he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer underwear and she was wearing nothing but her sleep shirt.

"Oh my God!" She grabbed the top blanket from Ted's bed and threw it around herself, her face turning crimson with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think anything about clothes before I ran out of my room!"

"That's OK, no harm done." Ted responded as he buckled his slacks and reached for an undershirt out of his luggage. "As soon as I'm dressed I'll walk you back to your room and you can get dressed."

"Shit." Heidi muttered, dropping her chin and starting to cry again. "I left in such a hurry I didn't get my key card, I can't get back into my room."

"That's OK, I'll take care of it."

Ted called the front desk. "Yes, this is Ted Kilgore, my associate was upset by the news on the T.V. this morning and ran to my room; in her haste she left her key card in her room, could you possibly send someone up to let her back in, please? Yes, room four sixteen. Thank you."

"See? Nothing to it. I've got it covered." Ted assured Heidi.

Thirty minutes later they were walking across the lobby on their way to the hotel restaurant for breakfast when they heard a collective gasp from a group of people standing in front of a lobby T.V. When they approached they saw on the screen video feed of flames and smoke billowing out of a gaping hole in the side of another building. Text on the screen identified the building as the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Ted felt a chill flow through his body, had he made a mistake with the promises he made to Heidi just a half hour earlier?

Instead of continuing on to the restaurant, Ted walked to the Concierge's desk.

"I need a rental car, from a nationwide server, which agency is the closest and could you place a call to them for me? Thank you."

After arranging for a rental SUV to be delivered to the hotel and notifying the Concierge to send the rental agent to find them in the restaurant, Ted and Heidi finally sat down to their breakfast. After they finished eating and Ted signed the rental agreement for the Lexus RX, they returned to their rooms to finish packing.

"Will you wait with me until I get my things together? I promise it won't take me but a minute then I'll go with you." Heidi pleaded.

"Of course." Ted responded and wondered how long Heidi was going to be afraid of being left alone. He hoped it wouldn't last long, they already had at least a four or five day drive in front of them.

"How did you hear about what's going on? were you already awake?"

"No, my mom called me, scared to death, I guess the news said something about one of the planes taking off from Washington D.C. and she just heard Washington and was afraid it might have been my flight."

"Ahh, I see." Ted admitted.

"There. See, I told you I wouldn't take long."

Once Ted finished packing they called for a Bellhop to take their luggage to the Valet station and load it into the back of their rental SUV.

"Hey, Ted." Marti's voice sounded worried on the phone.

"Hey. Did you hear that the FAA has grounded all civilian flights indefinitely? I mean, I'm sure it can't last more than a few days at most, there's no way the economy survives an extended 'no fly' order."

"Yeah, I heard it on the news just a minute ago. So, what are your plans?"

"I rented an SUV, we're packed and about to pull out of the hotel lot as we speak."

"So you plan on driving the whole way?"

"It's either that or camp out here until they decide to let airplanes fly again unless we want to ride a Greyhound. Call me paranoid if you want but I'd prefer to be the one in control of whatever conveyance I happen to be conveying in to be honest."

"Don't try to make it in a long rush, if you get tired stop and rest." Marti admonished.

"I plan to drive no more than eight hours a day, that'll get us home in five or six days."

"Good. Well, go ahead and get moving, you can call me when you stop."

"I will. Talk to you later."

"OK, bye." Marti replied.

The first day they followed I-90 east through the Cascades across the state of Washington then crossed the narrow northern section of Idaho and into Montana. After nearly eight hours on the road Ted was exhausted both mentally from the stress overload stemming from the constant news reports out of New York and D.C. and the intermittent sobbing of his passenger and physically simply from driving all day. He finally decided Missoula, Montana was as far as they were going to travel and found a Courtyard hotel for the night and rented two adjacent rooms.

"Let me get my things in my room, wash up a little bit and call my wife to check in then I'll come get you and we'll go get supper, OK?"

Heidi looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to form the words as Ted turned and opened the door to his room. Before he closed his door he saw her still standing in her open doorway, the look of fear back in her moist eyes and she was once again visibly trembling.

"Hey, Marti, we've stopped for the night in Montana, a town called Missoula. How're you doing?"

"I'm a nervous wreck with all that's going on."

"I'll tell you what I've told Heidi a dozen times today; everything is going to be OK. Is Gracie helping you enough?"

"Yes, she's a dear, she volunteered to stay until you get back, she's a Godsend."

"Good." Ted was relieved to hear this, Marti had not only withdrawn from him but she seemed to have little time for the babies either, leaving their care for him or Gracie Williams, A California native who came to Rome to attend the Historically Famous college on the north side of town and is working for the Kilgores as a part-time Au pair. Ted knew that if Marti's attitude didn't return to normal soon he was going to be forced to recommend counseling for her, now the children were suffering as well. "Well, I'm going to take a hot shower and try to relax my shoulders from driving all day then go down to the restaurant on the corner for supper. Then I'll most likely be snoring by nine o'clock so I'll call you when we stop tomorrow evening."

"OK, sleep well and have a pleasant drive tomorrow. Bye."

"Goodnight." Ted returned.

After dinner, Ted walked Heidi to her room and watched the same fearful face shut the door once she stepped inside then he went to his own room. He stripped down nude, carefully folding his slacks and button down dress shirt then slid beneath the covers of the single Queen size bed after brushing his teeth. Ted decided he'd heard enough of the day's news and elected not to power on the television. Before sleep claimed him for the night, he heard a quiet, tentative peck on the door to his room. He got out of bed, put on a pair of athletic shorts and opened the door.

"Heidi, what's wrong? Are you OK?"

"I'm sorry, can I sleep in here tonight? I really don't want to be alone." She queried with fresh tears coursing down her cheeks.

"Heidi, I'm married and I'm your employer, that could be viewed as very inappropriate."

"Please, I'm scared, every time I close my eyes I see those buildings on fire." She buried her face in the palms of her hands and sobbed.

"Go into the bathroom and wash your face, your tears are going to wet your t-shirt."

Ted was back in the bed when Heidi came out of the bathroom, wearing the same KISS concert shirt she was wearing that morning Ted was back under the covers, still wearing the athletic shorts and having put on a t-shirt of his own. She slid in and curled up beside him, resting her head on his outstretched arm and lay still.

Wednesday, September 12, 2001

Missoula, MT

Ted woke on his left side and immediately noticed three things:

First, he was sporting the most insistent erection he'd had in months.

Second, he wasn't in bed alone.

Third, It wasn't his wife that he was spooning, it was his twenty-four year old Paralegal Heidi Koenig. And she felt absolutely delicious in his arms.

He tried to slip out of bed without disturbing her but her eyes shot open as soon as he moved. She had a brief look of confusion but it passed almost immediately.

"Good morning." She said before glancing away.

"Good morning to you, too. How do you feel this morning?"

"Embarrassed." She admitted.

"Don't be, everything that's going on is pretty scary."

"I don't see you whimpering and losing control of yourself." She shot.

"It's only because I'm afraid I'll lose my 'Man-Card' if I do." He said smiling as he got out of bed. As he pulled the covers back up over the girl, he noticed that the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing had ridden up in the night, exposing her hairless pussy. "That answers the question about panties." He thought to himself. He hurried to the bathroom trying without success to hide the tent in his shorts.

Once he'd sorted himself out in the bathroom (translate that to he rubbed one out post-haste), he came back to a vacant hotel room so he began dressing for the day and packed his bags to leave. Heidi came out dressed, packed and ready to leave when he knocked on her door.

After a quick breakfast at a country restaurant they turned east again on I-90 until he turned east onto state highway 212 at the Custer Battlefield at Little Bighorn six hours into the day's drive. Two hours later they were pulling into the parking lot at the Sagebrush Inn in Broadus, Montana. As they approached the door to the lobby, Heidi took hold of Ted's elbow, stopping him just outside.

"Before you get two rooms, can I stay with you again tonight? I felt... safe in the same room with you last night."

Ted thought for a moment then nodded and they continued into the Motel.

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't have any double rooms available, in fact I have one room left, it has a single Queen, other than that we're at capacity."

Ted looked into Heidi's pleading eyes then turned back to the clerk.

"That'll be fine, we'll take it."

When Heidi disappeared into the bathroom Ted called home. He was about to hang up when Marti finally answered, her voice slurred.

"..ello..."

"Marti? Are you OK?" Ted asked, concern driving his voice.

"OK? Yeah, 'm OK. I'm just tired, it's been a stressful day."

"Is Gracie there?"

"She's getting the girls ready for bed, I think."

"Let me talk to her for a minute when we're done. Why has your day been stressful? Work?"

"OK, I'll tell her to pick up in the den." She said as if completely missing the last half of his query. Then ted heard her muffled voice over the phone "Gracie, Dear, d'you pick up the phone down there, Ted wans t' talk to you a minute." "OK, she's getting a phone. I'm tired, Babe, I'm gonna go t' bed now. Call me t'morrow."

"Hello, Mr. Kilgore."

"Goodnight Marti." But she didn't answer.

"Gracie, would you please check on her, make sure she got the phone turned off and back on the charger so the batteries don't go dead.

"Yes, Sir, hold on just a sec." The Au Pair answered.

Several seconds later he heard the hollow hum of the first open line go silent and then Gracie was back on the phone.

"When will you be home Mr. Kilgore?" Something about the tone of her voice or the way she asked the question concerned Ted.

"I should be there in three more days. What's going on? Are the kids OK?"

"Yes, they're fine, Matt keeps asking about you, when you're coming home, where you are, were you on one to the airplanes that hit the buildings. He's being as brave as a six year old can be but he's still as scared as the rest of us are."

"How about Marti? She sounds like she's been drinking tonight."

"She's been drinking every night, she just started earlier today, I think she's finished off two bottles of wine today and maybe even a glass of your whiskey."

"Be sure to tell Matt that I'll be home in three days and I'll take him for ice cream."

"I will, sir. I'll see you when you get home, don't worry too much about the babies, I'll see that they're taken care of."

"And thank you, Gracie, I can see what's going on and I appreciate you."

"Thank you, Mr. Kilgore."

Ted ended the call and sat back against the headboard of the motel bed and closed his eyes in thought. When he heard the click of the bathroom door he looked over and Heidi was once again wearing the same black concert shirt. No wonder it was so worn and threadbare

"I don't mean anything by asking this, I'm just curious but is that the only thing you ever wear to sleep in?"

"If I wear anything, it is. It belonged to my big brother. Kiss was his favorite band and he always said Destroyer was his favorite album and the tour he wished he had been old enough to see in person because it happened the year I was born." She seemed to be deciding something before she continued. "He was six years older than me and a Police Officer. He answered a Domestic Violence call one night where a man had beat his wife so bad that one of her eyes was out on her cheek but when Eddie tried to arrest him the beat up wife came up behind him and stabbed him three times in the back of his neck with a kitchen knife. She stabbed him more than that but his vest stopped most of them. The doctor said that the first cut got his spine and paralyzed him. All he could do was lay there and let her kneel on his back and keep sticking that knife into him. I'd wear this shirt every day and everywhere I go if I could.

Ted nodded in understanding. "This is a crazy world we live in, isn't it?"

Heidi climbed onto the bed and leaned against Ted's side, worming her way under his arm until he lifted it around her shoulders and pulled her tighter and they just sat there until drowsiness began to take control.

Ted pulled his arm from around her shoulders. "I need to get ready for bed."

After showering and brushing his teeth Ted started to pull the athletic shorts back on but then reconsidered, the elastic waistband was binding and uncomfortable. He couldn't sleep commando the way he was accustomed to doing but his boxers were more comfortable than the shorts so that's what he wore. When he came out of the bathroom, Heidi had already turned the lights off and was under the covers when he slipped beneath them next to her, hoping she was already asleep.

He lay on his back, as close to the edge of the mattress away from the twenty-four year old as possible without rolling off the side but she rolled over to face him. "Can we go to sleep the way we woke up this morning?"

When Ted scooted toward her she rolled over, turning her back to him and waited for him to spoon behind her and sleep finally proved to be the victor.

Thursday, September 13, 2001

Broadus, MT

Ted knew he was dreaming but there certainly was no incentive to wake up, not when the fantasy was as life-like as this one was. No wet dream he'd ever had could compare to the realism of this one, he'd be willing to bet a month's salary that the moisture he felt around his flint hard cock was the real thing. Then the fantasy moaned his name and he recognized her voice. Heidi Koenig...

His eyes flew open, instantly awake Ted realized what must have happened: at some point his erection must've slipped out of his fly and of course Heidi wasn't wearing panties again. He was sure he hadn't penetrated her but his cock had definitely slipped between her thighs and she was obviously aroused enough to lubricate their union. He withdrew his cock from the heavenly furnace in Heidi's crotch and went straight to the bathroom to reduce the swelling and take a cold shower.

When he finished in the bathroom and returned to the front room, Heidi was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting her turn.

"Heidi, I am so sorry, I don't know what happened. I only know I didn't do that intentionally."

Saying nothing, Heidi stood, chest to chest with him and placed her hands on either side of his face then leaned up and kissed him fully on the lips. "In case you didn't notice, I was at least as aroused as you were, I wanted it at least as much as you did and I guarantee I enjoyed it at least as much as you did." Then she picked up a stack of folded clothes she had lain on the foot of the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. He began to pack his bags and noticed that Heidi had already packed hers, they'd be ready to get back on the road as soon as she was finished in the bathroom.