Free Explicit Instruction by Scarlett Finn

body with the perspiration that quickly sprung from her pores, but she wasn’t about to let up. Getting distance between herself and that place was all she could think about right now.
    Rushe had said that civilisation was miles away. He’d told her to dress warm, and to take supplies , so Flick could only assume that meant she’d be out here for a while. The heat of the afternoon sun was past its peak now, but her temperature didn’t decrease. She knew that losing water right now could be detrimental later, but she kept up the pace, knowing that it would be far more dangerous not to.
    Taking a break a couple of hours into her trek, long after finding the fence Rushe had referred to, she retrieved some water, and tried to find the sky. The bold blue that she’d caught glimpses of throughout her walk had become decidedly grey, and the heat hung in the humid air, dense and oppressive around her. But Flick got moving again, she had to keep moving.
    Her thoughts kept returning to Rushe, to what had happened today, to his parting words. Flick had spent her life trying not to ruffle feathers. The only time she had asserted herself in the past was with her parents, and that had led them to terminate their relationship with her. But Flick had stood up for herself then because she had to. Rushe had stood up for her at Dell’s, and today Flick had stood up for him.
    But the fact remained that the men here didn’t like Rushe and he wouldn’t be safe alone. Rushe was the toughest, strongest man she’d ever known . But out here the hyenas could do what they wanted, and they would play dirty. Rushe himself had said these men would shoot a man in the back.
    Flick felt sure that she would never see Rushe again. He’d never blip on her radar. They’d met by accident, and walking away now would mean she’d never know what became of him. Rushe was now alone and surrounded by men who wished him dead. He had an authority that they resented, and if he walked away from this criminal plot she’d be surprised.
    More likely was that the lowlifes here would terminate him, shoot him while he slept, and dispose of his body, and no one would ever know – she would never know. But walking away, abandoning him , meant her own desertion of him, and so Flick would be partially responsible for his death. He’d been there for her when there was no one else to defend her, but now he was alone.
    The heavy plop of rain hitting her wrist shook Flick from her thoughts, and as quickly as she registered the moisture, the heavens opened, and rain cascaded from the sky. Still following the fence Flick pushed on, hoping that she would find sanctuary soon. Her trip had been arduous. Three hours had to have passed but she still hadn’t seen any signs of life.
    Worrying about Rushe was self-indulgent. A man like him was tough, and he was more than capable of looking after himself. Believing that she could impact his life, or aid him in any way, was flattering herself. Today had been a fluke, he’d got himself into a jam but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have got himself out of it if she hadn’t interrupted.
    Flick stopped to untie his shirt from her hips to put it on . Her clothes were soaked to her skin, her jeans were heavy, and already the socks were caked in mud. She propped the paper bag on a fencepost and buttoned up the shirt. Reaching to pick up the bag, she cried out when it fell from its perch, and scattered its contents.
    Wet through, Flick could hear the beat of the heavy drops splatting into the mud that seeped between her toes. The longer she stood here the deeper her feet sank, but she couldn’t decide what to do. Scrambling down, she gathered what she could into her shirt, lifting the hem to hold the items in the pouch created in the fabric. She would need the water, and the food that hadn’t been ruined by the muck. But most of the first-aid items were lost, and with little hope a crack of lightening lit the darkening air, and Flick