A Time to Die Read Free

here only last week, but she had nothing else to do. She hiked up the trail a half-mile and inspected the emergency solar-powered radio, calling in a radio check before marking it off on a clipboard. By the time she got back to the NASA scientist, she’d worked up a good sweat.
    “How much longer?” she asked as she came into view.
    “A while,” he said distractedly. He had a dizzying array of devices with blinking lights, displays, and touch-screens set up on a pair of ingenious folding aluminum tables he’d had in a pack.
    “I’m going to get in a swim then,” she said, “If you don’t mind?”
    “Suit yourself,” he replied.
    Erin went down to the water’s edge and sloughed her pack. It was weeks before the rafting season started or she wouldn’t have even considered what she was about to do. In an instant, she’d stripped off her green park ranger jumpsuit and stepped out of it naked as the day she was born, and dabbled a foot in the water.
    Fifty feet away the scientist had forgotten his instrument completely as he unabashedly gawked at the naked woman. The annoying professional ranger had transformed into a centerfold model before his eyes, the muscles playing under the supple flesh on her behind as she moved her foot back and forth in the water, testing its temperature. She tossed her waist length ponytail over her shoulder with her right arm, turning slightly so he could see her well-shaped breasts.
    It was a show put on entirely for his benefit, at least that what he would think. She navigated the ancient natural rock landing until she was knee deep. Erin considered bending over and splashing some water. By the look on the man’s face, he’d probably pass out if she did, so she sufficed to squat slightly and leap into the chilly water. She’d always been an unapologetic flirt. Her job so seldom gave her a chance to practice her art.
    Erin paddled in the eddies of the landing, well outside the main channel of the Rio Grande. The occasional look confirmed the scientist was observing much more than his devices. There was no way in hell he was going to miss her exit from the water. The finer art of the flirt often involved leaving them wanting more… much more. She hadn’t thought to bring a towel, otherwise she might have hidden it elsewhere to avoid giving him everything he wanted.
    Finally, the chilly spring water chased her onto the shore. She figured she’d play it to the hilt and climbed out slowly, using her arms to wipe some of the water from legs, belly, sides, and of course breasts. The chill had her nipples hard enough to scratch glass. All the while she avoided looking at him. Instead she walked the last few feet up the landing and found a rock still in the afternoon sun, and lounged on it to dry off. Was that a groan she’d just heard? She sunned and half napped for an hour as the man struggled with his equipment… and his libido.
    The trip back up the trail was made in silence, Erin with a smile and whistling a tune, the scientist with a scowl and mumbling to himself. She finally broke the silence. “So did you find anything?”
    “Huh? Oh, not directly. There is some elevated background radiation indicative of meteor activity…”
    The rest blurred into techno babble and Erin tuned him out. At least he’d forgotten about that erection that wouldn’t go away. “Look, I was wondering if you—” He started to say then suddenly stopped as she brought the Jeep to a jumping stop. “What the hell?” the scientist snapped as he narrowly avoided smashing his balding head on the windshield. She held up a hand to silence him. “I’ve had just about enough!”
    “Would you shut the fuck up?” she snarled and pointed. In the path ahead was the biggest javelina she’d ever seen. It stood calmly regarding the Jeep in a most un-javelina manner.
    “Is that a pig?”
    “Javelina,” she corrected. They were similar, but generally less aggressive than their wild pig cousins. This one