Read Southern Men: Ballad of a Texas Rose for Free Online Page A

the engine and looked over her shoulder, making sure the way was still clear behind her. The desert was deader than a ghost town. She stepped out of the car, checked her pocket for her Dictaphone and notepad and then darted towards the fence.
    She crept up close to the gates and scrutinized her surroundings. The small booth by the gate was empty, replaced by a buzzer and a sign instructing drivers to press the button and wait for assistance. Inside the compound, huge floodlights lit up the whole area, but there wasn’t a single soul around. Clara looked down the long fence running east and deduced that the opening would likely be along that way somewhere since the fence only lasted another ten yards or so before turning north on the west side. She looked about herself quickly to make sure she hadn’t been spotted and then headed off along the fence.
    After following the railing for another five minutes or so, Clara came upon a small opening. It was big enough for a person to fit through, so it seemed likely that it was the one mentioned in the note. But there was nobody else around. She paused for a moment to consider her options and then stepped through.
    She took out the note and read it again. Yes, the instructions told her to be at the opening by midnight. It was twelve am now on the dot and there was nobody around. She checked her watch and then looked about herself to survey the land.
    She was standing in a deserted part of the compound, possibly some kind of storage facility, judging by the huge warehouses ahead of her that loomed darkly, casting long shadows, in the glow of the floodlights. She thought about it for a second and then decided to get a closer look. Making sure she was still safe, Clara set off at a jog towards the shadows between the huge structures.
    As she ran into the avenues, she heard a sudden shout. There was no doubt in her mind it was a security guard. She’d been made.
    ‘Shit,’ Clara muttered and threw herself up against the wall.
    A siren sounded out somewhere in the distance and she heard the engine of a security jeep approach. Damn it, she thought , if she was discovered trespassing inside a Texxon compound the implications for her case could be disastrous. She inched along the wall towards the darkness as the sound of the jeep drew nearer. She needed to find somewhere to hide, she needed to –
    Out of nowhere, a strong pair of arm shot out around her, the palm wrapped tight against her mouth. Clara panicked and started kicking and struggling to get free. Close to her ear, a voice spoke. It was deep and stern, slightly shaky from the struggle.
    ‘God damn it, keep still,’ her accoster said, ‘you know what’ll happen if they find you here?’
    Realization suddenly washed over her. It was him, the man who had called her there in the first place. The source.
    She relaxed in his grip to let him know that she understood the situation.
    ‘You gonna keep quiet?’ the mysterious stranger asked.
    ‘Uh-huh,’ Clara said, her voice muffled by the man’s hand over her mouth.
    ‘Ok then,’ he said and released her from his hold. He took her hand and began leading her deeper into the shadows, into the small gap between two of the buildings. ‘This way,’ he said, ‘keep quiet.’
    The man egged Clara forward and then stopped himself. In the darkness she couldn’t make out who he was, only that he was big and strong. He smelt incredibly masculine in the hot night. They pressed their bodies up against the wall and held their breath. Clara could hear the footfalls of a security guard checking the area right around where they’d just escaped from. She closed her eyes tight and prayed that they wouldn’t be discovered.
    Through her closed lids Clara saw the bight white illumination of a flashlight as it shone down the narrow channel. The game was up.
    ‘Hey!’ the security guard barked, ‘I know there’s somebody down there. This is private property and I am armed and authorized to