Escaped bear attacks Post reporter

Sierra Christie

Though it is illegal to trap and keep wild animals as pets in Washington, that doesn't always stop people. Far from the usual possums and stray cats enthusiasts may design to adopt, Gerald Gregory is wanted for reckless endangerment after his pet bear terrorized the city streets of downtown Olympia last night. The wild black bear had been raised from a cub in Gregory's basement, going without notice until it broke out around 10 p.m. and went on the prowl.

It was as I left my friend's art show at 11pm last night that I spotted the bear sniffing around my car. Unfortunately, he saw me too...

Thanks to Eric, Sierra had her first cover story.

It hadn't been too hard to fabricate the details. The cops had mostly lost interest after being unable to locate the bear. All Sierra had to do was point a finger at a man who had already changed his identity and moved to Sleuth months before, a man the police were unlikely to find even if they were really looking. Damon and Zeke had set up a cage and other bear wrangling stuff in Gerald's basement, and tried to make it look like someone had been living there up until last night. The story was all wrapped up with a bow and accompanied by a striking photograph of Eric rearing up over her as she faced him from the ground, the back of her dress in bloody tatters.

Sierra was admiring her byline as she sat in the passenger seat of Joe's Range Rover. He reached over and squeezed her hand as they bumped along the dirt road towards Sleuth.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked her.

She had her front-page story, she had Joe back, and soon, Eric wouldn't be a danger to her anymore. Her view of the world had expanded to include mysterious and amazing things she hadn't thought possible. She had found the excitement she had been searching for. She was definitely ready.

That hadn't quite been the feeling she had been experiencing the night before when Damon had handed her the phone.

She had taken it from him with shaking hands.

"Sierra!" Joe had greeted her in a panic. "Are you alright?!"

"Now?" Sierra had asked him.

"What?"

"You're calling me now? After I've been trying to call you all week?"

And she unceremoniously hung up before he could get another word out. She handed the phone back to a stunned Damon, who looked at her plaintively as it began to ring again.

"I'm not answering that," she insisted.

After speaking with the police she got patched up by the EMT's. The scratches on her back were long and wicked looking, but fortunately shallow. His claws had just grazed her, doing much more damage to her cerulean blue silk dress than her skin. The EMT's bandaged her up, insisted on a rabies shot, and then sent her on her way.

Sierra looked quite the sight as she walked into her office just after midnight. Not having anything else to wear, and not wanting to waste time by going home, she was barefoot with torn and dirty stockings barely concealing scabbed knees. The ripped up dress and bandages completed the look. Sierra was sure by tomorrow every muscle in her body would ache like she had run a marathon.

But tonight she was all adrenalin and excitement and anger. There was no room left for pain.

Her editor met her just inside the door.

"Jesus! You're a mess! Tell me there's pictures."

"Oh there's pictures," James said as he trailed in behind her, camera in hand. "Wait till you see them."

They got straight to work on the story, racing for tomorrow's deadline.

Sierra's phone rang twenty-six times in the next hour as Joe called her again and again. She ignored it each time, focused wholly on her work.

After grudgingly realizing if she wanted to keep Sleuth out of the papers she would need his help, she answered the twenty-seventh call.

"Don't hang up!" Joe said immediately.

"Wasn't going to," Sierra told him.

"Sierra I'm so sorry. I'm going to kill him. I want to see you. I'll do anything. Just tell me what you want," he babbled.

"I want a fall guy."

"What?"

By 4:00 am the story was finished. James and her editor had gone home. Too exhausted by the night's events to make it to her car, Sierra had passed out at her desk.

She had woken to the feel of Joe's hands on her body, lifting her out of the chair and into his arms. Her overtired brain briefly wondered if she was dreaming. Surely only a dream could feel this nice. With his warm, strong arms holding her up, she felt safe and protected in a way she hadn't realized she needed to feel until now. He brought his head down and kissed her, slow and sensuous. She forgot to breath as his kiss lit up her body.

"I'm sorry I left you," he said.

"Shut up," she told him, and kissed him again.

This kiss was more intense, more hungry. It made the hair stand up on her arms and blood pulse in her clit. She moaned as he set her down on the desk. He knelt and slid off her panties before plunging his face between her legs. She pulled on his hair and moaned louder. His tongue moved over her, first flicking over her clit and then softly sucking. Her legs spasmd and she wrapped them around his neck as she felt the orgasm building impossibly high. A feeling more intense then she could stand. It crashed into her like a wave, knocking the air from her lungs. She screamed out his name.

Joe knocked the stuff off of her desk and ripped off what was left of her dress. With a growl he pushed her onto her back, then proceeded to peel off his clothes. He took off his shirt first, reveling the heavily muscled, hair covered chest underneath. The pants came off next, and then he was standing naked in front of her, his huge cock pulsing with blood and ready.

He plunged into her with one, quick thrust. It made her gasp with pleasure and lit up her body again. Slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled out, then quickly thrust into her wet pussy again. She wrapped her legs around him, holding his body close to hers as he thrust into her over and over. The pleasure was building to a crest in her, taking her higher. He bit down on one of her nipples and she screamed.

With a great crack the desk gave way beneath them, sending them sprawling onto the floor. Hardly missing a beat, he scooped her up and pressed her up against the wall, continuing to thrust into her while holding her up. She buried her face into his neck, kissing, biting, and sucking until the pleasure became too intense and all she could do was ride it out. She came again, this time simultaneously with Joe, who called out her name as his whole body shuddered.

Spent, they sank to the floor, arms around each other.

"I love you," he had whispered to her in the darkness. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere again."

Sierra smiled to herself now, thinking of the night before as they drove toward Sleuth.

"You owe me a new desk," she reminded him.

He smiled at her.

"I'll get you something stronger this time," he said. "Something sturdy. Just in case you ever have to work late again."

"What if you have to work late?" she asked.

He slid his hand up her thigh.

"My desk is very sturdy," he assured her.

They rounded the corner into Sleuth just as the sun was sinking.

"Time to face the crowd," he told her.