Carolyn felt restless and unfocused. This move to Caracas two years ago had been a last ditch attempt to save her marriage for Simon's sake. It was new start and the money that Matt was making meant that Simon could have the best of everything. Carolyn however had left behind her friends, her family and her career. She had looked forward to doing something useful; like helping those poor people. And now she would once again fill her days with all those banal things she hated so much.

She took comfort in the warm breeze as she stood in the verandah. She was facing the city and as the breeze caressed her body and she looked up to the stars. Carolyn Stenbeck was a vision of beauty. Her pale skin had become bronzed during the time that she had been living in Venezuela. Her golden hair had become streaked with the kiss of sunlight. And in her white dress she was as some goddess of old must have been while worshipping the moon. She closed her eyes and just gave herself to the sensations hoping that the night would soothe her disappointment.

That was the vision that Raisa Andieta was faced with as she too walked out into the verandah. Carolyn had her arms around her body as her face looked to the night sky. Raisa just stood still, watching her. She had told herself so many times that this woman had no special powers. She argued with herself incessantly. Carolyn Stenbeck was no different than any other woman. And yet, every time she went into a room now she searched for her and was disappointed when she realized that Carolyn was not there.

Raisa feasted on what she saw. She felt this undeniable pull towards this woman that although beautiful infuriated her each and every time she came close to her. She had learned to keep her distance and yet her body only knew that it must seek.

Carolyn felt her before her eyes saw her. They were both enveloped with the glow of the moon and the music that played from within.

Raisa slowly approached her and then looking out into the city she stood by her side in silence.

"The thing about these type of nights is that they are deceptive." Raisa said softly. Carolyn then turned and looked out onto the city as well.

"What do you mean?"

"One moment it's all calm and then the heavens open up and we drown."

Carolyn turned her head to look at her. Raisa was in some ways an enigma to her. She was as unreadable to her as this land that she had been living in for the past two years.

"I don't understand."

"Don't you?" Raisa finished saying as she turned to face Carolyn as well.

"Why must you always answer a question with a question?" Carolyn said with troubled eyes. The nervousness in the pit of her stomach started as it always did within minutes of her proximity to Raisa Andieta.

"Why do you always provoke me?" Demanded Raisa.

"Me?"

"Yes! You!" Raisa raised her arms in a gesture of frustration.

"Me? Me! It's you! You are the one that takes joy in humiliating me!"

Raisa stared at her without saying a word. All she saw was Carolyn's mouth and she wanted to know how it tasted. Raisa did an about face and took a few steps away from Carolyn. She stopped for a moment and then suddenly turned to face her again. Her eyes were focused. Carolyn stood her ground.

"I don't like cowardice," Raisa said beneath her breath. Her eyes spoke of hunger and something else that Carolyn could not understand.

"I am no coward Ms Andieta." This time she would not budge. Raisa had been looking for a fight and she was going to get one.

"You ran from that meeting."

"And who would fight you?" Carolyn said sarcastically. "No one. Not one of those women would have supported me against you. They would let all those people go hungry rather than oppose you. How do you feel Ms. Andieta? How does it feel to have all that power to say who lives and who dies?"

"You are being dramatic! If you believed in what you were proposing you would have tried."

"And fight you?" Carolyn turned her back to her and took a few steps away. Carolyn laughed sarcastically.

"You have tried before" Raisa said menacingly. "Obedience is something you haven't learned ....yet."

Carolyn turned around quickly. She had had enough. "Go to hell! I am no ones chattel!"

"One day someone is going to tame you," Raisa said softly.

"Well, it won't be you!"

At that those words the sky was lit with a flash of lighting and the thunder that followed was deafening. But all the Carolyn saw was the fire that went out of control in the eyes of the woman standing before her.

Raisa was in front of her within a second and pulling her hard against her own body. The sky above them was exploding as Raisa's mouth found its target. They were encompassed in a wind that rose from the earth and the hunger of the storm could be tasted in their mouths.

Raisa's was taking and devouring Carolyn's lips and squashing all protests in its path. Her hands sought to touch and feel. Raisa felt a hunger unlike any she had ever experienced. She had always taken what she wanted. She had hungered for too long.

Carolyn was breathless and overpowered by this heat growing and welling up inside her. She was fighting not only Raisa's desire but also her own shock.

"No!" Carolyn said trying to break away from Raisa's hold.

"Coward!"

And again the lighting and the thunder; the storm kept pace with the storm raging inside them.

Raisa pushed Carolyn to a corner of the verandah against a wall.

"Let me go!" Shouted Carolyn into the storm.

Raisa smiled and placed her hand on Carolyn's breast and squeezed.

Carolyn's hand flew through the air in indignation and caught Raisa across the face. Raisa stared at her in shock and anger as she grabbed the hand with an iron grip.

Raisa's mouth once again covered Carolyn's and this time the kiss was brutal. It was not a kiss of passion but of domination and only total surrender would be acceptable.

Carolyn tasted the blood in her mouth and suddenly, quite tired, a sob escaped her lips.

Raisa pulled away immediately. She stared into Carolyn's eyes and saw them as they filled with tears of frustration. The storm was howling around them and yet suddenly it all stood still between them.

"Let me go" Carolyn asked and as in a vacuum all was soundless. It was only the two of them. One body pressed against the other. One was holding another prisoner.

Slowly Raisa lowered her hands and watched as Carolyn ran away from her. Suddenly, she turned and once again the world became the storm. She stood rooted to the spot and the wind blew around her and the sky exploited over and over again. She faced the storm unafraid and challenged it. She was Raisa Andieta, and no one opposed her.

The storm had just begun.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Why are we having power problems Joaquin?" Demanded Raisa.

"It's the rains Ms Andieta. Katya is having mudslides. There are no reliable reports as to the dead count. And all the power lines are taking the toll...."

"Joaquin, I don't care what is happening in Katya! Joaquin we have a new generator. Why are we having power problems!" Raisa was now yelling at the top of her lungs.

"It is being looked at Ms Andieta," he answered miserably.

"Go and make sure it get done. Go!" She yelled pointing to the door.

"Miss Andieta..."

"Get out of here!"

With that the man almost ran out of her office.

The phone in her office had been ringing incessantly.

"Yes Gloria."

"Miss Andieta, I have Matt Stenbeck on line two."

"All right Gloria. Did he say what he wants?"

"Apparently they are having problems at one of the rigs."

"Damn! All right." Raisa switched lines. "Matt, what is going on?"

"Miss Andieta, we had an explosion here at rig 31."

"You what?"

"The fire is now under control, the rains have not helped."

"How did this happen Matt? This is your rig, who is responsible for security there?"

"Alberto Curbelo handles security, but.."

"Fire him. I want him off the premises as soon as you hang up this phone and Matt, I want you here by tomorrow morning with the changes and upgrades."

"Miss Andieata....we had casualties."

"Fire him.... I want him off my rig....Do it Matt."

She hung up the phone in aggravation. There were always casualties. That was just the way life was. In the end the profits outweighed the losses. In her opinion the losses were an acceptable.

Her phone line bussed again. "Yes Gloria."

"Miss Andieta, there has been a cave in near Las Lomas, the street in underwater. They are reporting some drowning of people caught in cars." Gloria's voice was shaking

"Gloria calm down. Get to the point!"

"The police called in to confirm that one was a company car." Gloria started crying.

"Gloria! For the love of God! Stop your crying and tell me what else"

"Ester Curbelo and her two boys downed. There was also another woman in the car with her that they have not identified yet"

"Keep me informed," Raisa said and disconnected the call.

It had been raining for a week. There were mudslides all over the city. And now this. It would probably slow down the production timetables.

She remembered meeting Ester Curbelo. She had actually been pleasant enough to talk to, Raisa thought to herself. She was sorry about the boys and glad she had never met them.

Raisa remembered that she had always seen Ester at those dinners she hated attending. And of course she remembered her because whenever Carolyn had attended she would be speaking to her. Carolyn!