Phoenix Initiative Adversaries

PART AROUND the gleaming body of the speeding yacht. The sun above is a yellow-orange smear in the pinkish hue sky. The hot rays bake the deck and everything on it.

  Tony grins, cutting the engines. He exits the cockpit and makes his way around to the front rail. His hands grip the shining metal and he peers down at the two visions of beauty sprawling out over the long deck chairs.

  Lasalle watches Gloria pull away her silver material as if she were carefully unwrapping a sugary candy. She grins and shakes her head. Gloria puts on a pair of Chanel designer sunglasses. The cool black frames push her satin hair behind her ears. The black-purple lenses reflect Lasalle’s smiling face. Gloria lays back and settles in.

  Lasalle’s smile fades.

  “You know, when we go out on Caldwell’s boat, we usually go fishing.”

  “The dealers didn’t have any rods kitten. I’ll send you some.”

  “Oh,” Lasalle slumps back in her chair.

  A tanned busty goddess pads across the deck. Her golden silky hair waves in the breeze. She holds a silver tray housing crystal shimmering glasses and a pitcher of icy lemonade.

  Lasalle watches her approach, examining her pink bikini covered body. The material covers her curves like a lovers embrace. She marches in, head up, shoulders back, oozing confidence and beauty.

  “I didn’t know we have company.”

  “Hmm?” Gloria hums, turning to her.

  The young woman stares daggers at Gloria.

  “Oh, this is Milisaunde,” Gloria gestures.

  Milisaunde fills the glasses, placing one on the white end table by Lasalle.

  “She’s my little servant for now,” Gloria continues.

  Milisaunde forces a smile but her anger curls her lip. She stomps towards Gloria, her bronze arm reaching out and heavily placing a drink by Gloria. The ice clinks against the glass. The golden pool inside, quakes violently.

  “I can’t believe our little week is almost up Milisaunde.”

  The woman stands straight, watching Gloria’s mouth move.

  “You’re the most amazing server I ever had. We really should play again sometime soon.”

  Milisaunde lets out a huff. Her chest heaves. She stands there like a waiting soldier. Her face reddening.

  Gloria sits halfway up.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”

  A small pink bubble expands passed Milisaunde’s supple lips and pops. Her tongue and lips gather the gum up and pulls it back into her hot wet mouth.

  Gloria sniffs the air and turns her head to the side.

  “You’re chewing gum?”

  Milisaunde grins and pops another bubble, nodding her head.

  “That’s water mellon, isn’t it?”

  Milisaunde’s chubby lips spread into a smile. She smacks the gum between her teeth, looking down at Gloria.

  “Damn, that’s my favorite. Did you bring enough for everyone?”

  Milisaunde shakes her head. Her smile fades. Her eyes dull.

  “Milisaunde, THAT is rude. Go spit it out.”

  A moment passes and beautiful Milisaunde stands there silently.

  “Well?” Gloria gestures.

  Milisaunde’s face wrinkles in anger. She steps closer and swallows hard. Lasalle sits there with Gloria and watches this woman open her mouth, revealing she swallowed the gum.

  Gloria fights a smile. Lasalle’s mouth stays agape, watching this Milisaunde defy Gloria. Milisaunde grins then strides away with her head held high.

  Lasalle keeps her eyes on the bold woman until she disappears into the belly of the yacht.

  “What’s that about?”

  Gloria turns and looks at Lasalle.

  “I beat her at poker.”

  “You don’t want her to play?” Lasalle asks.

  Gloria sits up and removes her glasses, turning her satin legs off the chair. She faces Lasalle and looks around, checking for spies.

  “Oh no Lasalle. People like her don’t work that way.”

  “What way?”

  Gloria takes her cup up in her hand, then looks down at the yellow liquid with floating ice cubes.

  “Think it’s safe to drink?” She raises her brow.

  Lasalle grins and takes a gulp from Gloria’s glass.

  “Mmm, I don’t think it’s pee.”

  Gloria cackles, covering her mouth with her powerful, well manicured hand.

  “You’re bad kitten.”

  “Come on. Finish what you were sayin.”

  Gloria regains her composure. Her painted sparkling lips part and she sucks air in through her teeth.

  “Fine. She’s a rare type. She may be lazy but if you push her just the right way and make her mad, she tries harder than anyone else on the planet. She could literally do anything short of real magic.”

  Lasalle leans back in her chair.

  “Is that why you’re being mean to her?”

  “No. I want her to keep trying to beat me. When she does, we can play together rather than against each other.”

  Lasalle nods and takes another gulp from Gloria’s lemonade. Gloria grips the glass and pulls it from Lasalle’s loose hand. She shakes her head and downs the rest of the drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her satin arm.

  “Not everyone learns the same way Lasalle. She might not know it now, but I’m training her to be amazing. It’s making her wise and strong.”

  Lasalle reaches over and grabs her own glass of the refreshing nectar. Little beads of condensation dot the crystal. Frost comes away from it as she brings it up to her salivating mouth. The last of the melting ice collapses in the drink. She takes a big gulp and the glass is pulled away from her just as she finishes the last of it.

  “Damn, you drank it all,” Gloria curses.

  “Who is she?” Lasalle asks.

  “I’ll tell you but then you have to do me a favor.”

  Lasalle folds her toned arms and lowers her eyes to Gloria.

  “I’m not gonna wear a little bikini Gloria.”

  “Awe, come on. You would look so cute.”

  “No,” Lasalle huffs.

  “Fine. I found her running through a parking lot. Mascara running down her face, ruining her cheap wedding dress. She had pink hair. Can you believe that?”

  “She was getting married?”

  “Well, not at the time I met her anyway.”

  Lasalle lets out a deep breath and snatches Gloria’s Chanel sunglasses from her. She tries to put them on but they’re a bit too small. She examines them then hands them back.

  “You got a little head.”

  Gloria’s mouth opens. Her eyes flutter. She puts the sunglasses on the end table and dives over Lasalle, grabbing her sides and tickling her. Lasalle giggles like a child and struggles for freedom. Even at her young age, Lasalle is a little taller than Gloria.

  “WHO has a LITTLE head now?”

  Lasalle gasps in her laughter.

  “Please, stop, stop. I can’t breathe.”

  Gloria’s hand snakes over Lasalle’s back and finds a bulge.

  “Is that a gun or are you just happy to see me?”

  Lasalle looks up at her and grins.

  “A little of both.”

  Gloria smacks Lasalle’s firm butt.

  “You should go put that firearm below deck. That’s where I keep mine.”

  Lasalle springs up and folds Gloria on her back over the foot of the chair. She holds Gloria’s wrists over her head, and forces her swaying arms down, crushing them into the padding beneath them.

  “Nobody takes my gun away.”

  Her face over Gloria’s, grinning down at her. Gloria breathes in deep and stops struggling.

  “Are you going to let me finish answering your question kitten?”

  Lasalle’s nose almost touches Gloria’s.

  “This isn’t going to be one of those stories where you start it five years before the thing in question happened, is it?”

  Gloria’s breathing begins to calm. S
he smiles. Her eyes sparkle, looking up at Lasalle.

  “Milisaunde first met the guy.”

  “There was a guy?” Lasalle asks.

  “There’s always someone else in the story of Life. Her husband not to be was weak. Not like the powerhouse men you and I know. You know the type. Thinks he’s it. Pothead loser with a pretty face and decent body.”

  “Barrel feeder,” Lasalle replies.

  “Exactly. He lied. He cheated. He did drugs.”

  Gloria tries to struggle again. Lasalle’s power overwhelms her. Her brute strength holds her down. Lasalle’s demanding eyes change from green to blue.

  “Tell me.”

  Gloria’s legs move under Lasalle. Her elbows move out, trying to break her arms free. Lasalle lays her body on top of hers. Gloria stops moving and searches Lasalle’s eyes. Lasalle grins back at her, knowing she has her.

  “He convinced himself that was all good for him. A brainwashed turd in the toilet of society. He believed wholeheartedly that is what men are supposed to be. Women kept rewarding his stupid behavior with sex so yes, he thought he had it right.”

  Lasalle brings her face closer to Gloria’s. Gloria lets out a sharp breath.

  “You’re heavy.”

  “What about her?”

  “She’s heavy too,” Gloria smiles.

  Lasalle cocks her head to the side.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “She was doing what most brainwashed women do. She was chasing a shadow with his face. She was hoping to change him, knowing deep inside that if she did, she would lose all interest in him and chase another loser.”

  “Why do they do that?”

  “They do it Lasalle, because that’s what their brainwashed thoughts tell them life is. That way they don’t question anything. They don’t rise up. Just a bunch of nonsense grinding against each other in the dark.”

  “I think I might bite you,” Lasalle announces.

  “Don’t you dare.”

  Lasalle opens her mouth and lowers her face to Gloria’s neck.

  “LASALLE.”

  Lasalle presses her wet lips to Gloria’s cinnamon skin and raspberry’s her neck.

  “EWW! Stop slobbering on me.”

  Lasalle laughs hard and lays her head on Gloria’s chest. Her laugh dies. She lays there listening to Gloria’s quickened heartbeat.

  “He left her at the alter. I found her running away from herself. Could you imagine?” Lasalle hears Gloria’s voice muffled in her chest.

  Gloria’s hand rests over Lasalle’s back. Her chest rising and falling. Lasalle nuzzles her cheek against Gloria’s warmth.

  “No. Caldwell doesn’t believe in marriage. He said it’s not right to possess the one you love.”

  “You’re lucky Lasalle. You had society’s Kaleidoscope taken away from you when you were very young. Most people live their whole lives not even knowing they are a brainwashed mess. They never see things for what they truly are. The sick thing is that most of them are so far gone, they never want to.”

  Lasalle closes her eyes, listening to Gloria’s quick beating heart.

  “Scuse me,” they hear a young woman calling.

  Lasalle gets up, releasing Gloria. Her face red and hot. She looks around finding no one in sight.

  “This boat haunted?”

  “Hey,” she hears Tony call.

  She turns and sees him standing a tier above them.

  “You got a couple girls in a small boat there,” he points over the port side.

  Lasalle walks towards the rail and peers down into the water. There in a small motorboat, the kind you might find on the side of a larger yacht, are two women in their early twenties.

  One looks up at her. Her long straight light brown hair, pulled back with some kind of jeweled tieback. Her expensive summer clothes moving in the sea breeze. Her shirt a little more low cut than necessary. Blue pools shimmering back at her, reminding her of Caldwell and his refined poise. Lasalle could smell the coconut skin cream wafting off of her spa pampered body way up from where she stood.

  Lasalle examines the second woman in similar form. She stares up with shimmering dark eyes. Dark long free flowing hair. Her mouth stiffly frowning, the natural state of the young woman’s face. Small breasted, beautiful, flawless skin.

  These well manicured wealthy looking women were far from home.

  “Help us,” the little dark haired one pleads.

  Tony grazes against Lasalle, taking a place at her side.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Lasalle looks at him, she lets out a shallow breath. She can see the sandy haired girl taking notice of him right away, smiles and flirty movements all directed up at him.

  “I feel like a tool. My yacht died out there.” She points over the waving blue.

  Tony shakes his head and leans against the rail.

  “Sounds just awful.”

  “Yeah, guess I ran out of fuel or something. Daddy doesn’t know I’m out here. If I call him, I’m so dead.”

  Tony smiles back, lifting his olive arm, adjusting his shirt. His expensive gold watch glints in the sun.

  “Hey, we can help you. It’s not like we got anything better to do out here than help a couple lovely ladies in distress.”

  The dark haired one’s eyes travel over the yacht, hearing the location of Gloria, who hums a little song from her comfy seat. Lasalle watches her take in the whole yacht and the sea around them. She searches and probes, eventually finding Lasalle’s eyes, changing from a rich green to a dark brown.

  “Are you sure?”

  Tony laughs and waves his hand, beckoning them.

  “Yeah we’re gonna help you ladies, tie off and come aboard.”

  Lasalle bares her teeth. Her arm whips around and her powerful hand grips around Tony’s forearm. She pulls him away from the rail about to explode on him. His eyes widen.

  “What’s going on?” Gloria asks, sitting up from her chair. Her flawless cinnamon skin warmed from the caressing fingers of the bathing sun.

  “Tony just invited strangers aboard. I don’t trust em,” Lasalle says, punching Tony in the shoulder.

  Tony steps back from her and winces grabbing his throbbing pain.

  “Come on Lasalle.”

  Gloria looks around, hearing their voices and the clacking of the boats bumping together.

  “Tony. Who are they?”

  Tony shrugs, still backing away from Lasalle.

  “Some poor little rich girls. They were joy riding in daddy’s yacht and ran out of gas. We’ve got plenty of fuel in store. You said I should be more helpful. It’s not like we can’t afford to give em a hand out.”

  Lasalle steps closer to Tony and he raises his hands to block her anger.

  “Come on Lasalle. You can’t just leave em there.”

  “You never asked. You just let these people up here and we don’t know anything about them. If I had time...”

  “What Lasalle? You gonna do a background check on everyone you meet before you decide how to handle em?”

  “YES!” Lasalle snaps.

  “Well too bad. You can’t live like that.”

  Lasalle starts approaching him. Gloria lets out a hard breath and rises to her naked feet.

  “This is Lasalle’s yacht. You should have asked permission before turning us into the ‘SS Sucker’ for a few pretty faces.”

  Tony lowers his eyes from Lasalle. She watches him shrink before her.

  “Sorry Lasalle. I’m just tryin to be like you. It would be nice to be someone’s hero instead of just some guy tryin to survive in the ranks of the Dragon Tongue.”

  The two girls reach the top of the ladder. They step aboard, face to face with a silent Lasalle. They look at her, taking her in from head to toe. The dark haired one whispers some terrible secret to the other. A wide grin spreads across the face of the sandy haired, blue eyed devil. She jabs her little dark haired companion with her elbow and keeps her eyes locked on Lasalle.

&
nbsp; “Hi, I’m Lory. This is Christie.”

  Lasalle examines them, then steps forward, walking past them. She peers over the side at their little boat.

  “Lasalle,” she states, not facing them.

  Lasalle feels a cold little hand on her shoulder. Soft and limp. Over moisturized. Never seen a day of hard work.

  “Well thank you so much Lasalle. We don’t know what we would have done if you didn’t pick us up. We’ve been searching around out here all afternoon and you’re the only people we’ve seen.”

  The thought of them being forced into hard labor pulls a happy grin across Lasalle’s sexy face.

  “Yeah, I’m just super. Where’s your boat?”

  “Yacht,” Lory states.

  Tony grabs Lasalle’s arm, no longer the little shrinking man.

  “Excuse us.”

  Tony tugs her around to the starboard bow.

  “What?” Lasalle asks, staring Tony down.

  “Come on. Don’t ruin this for me. I think they like me.”

  Lasalle turns and finds them both watching them. Christie smiles and whispers to her friend with a hand arched around her mouth.

  Gloria shrugs her shoulders at them and beckons Lasalle with her wiggling fingers.

  “I don’t like this. Something’s off about them.”

  “Well, go take a seat then. Watch the magic happen. I’ll take care of everything,” Tony states, waving her off.

  “YOU got a boat to drive,” Lasalle points to the second tier.

  Gloria marches towards them and steps between them.

  “I know you’re attached to it but we don’t need these people getting a good long look at your piece.”

  Lasalle stares at Gloria blankly.

  “I’m talking about your gun kitten,” Gloria states, trying to hold a smile.

  Lasalle blinks hard.

  “Fine.”

  Gloria’s warm fingers pinch Lasalle’s chin.

  “Just put it below deck with mine.”

  Lasalle grumbles and marches off. She passes the two girls and pads below deck. She moves through the archway, pulling out her H&K .45 ACP. She sighs, taking a longing gaze. Her eyes drink in its cold black gun metal. The sharp lines and grooved contours.

  “Nice gun,” she hears.

  Milisaunde is polishing a wooden oak writing desk off to the side.

  “Thanks. A friend gave it to me.”

  Milisaunde smiles up at her. Her body moving like some naughty video as she polishes the shining wood.

  “That was nice of them.”

  “He didn’t want to give it to me but he didn’t need it where he was going,” Lasalle replies with a sharp smile.

  Milisaunde’s gleaming eyes flash up at her. She flicks her golden hair off of her naked shoulder.

  “Oh yeah, you do that barreling thing don’t you.”

  Lasalle’s mouth spreads into an unsettling grin.

  The engines die. The boat drifts.

  “How is that?” Milisaunde asks.

  “What? Barreling people?”

  The beautiful blonde nods her head.

  Lasalle shrugs her shoulders and plops down on the micro swede couch.

  “You get used to it I guess. At first it’s hard. When you look into their eyes and you know all the terrible things they do to people and each other you begin to understand that it HAS to be done. They can’t be loose with everyone else to do what ever they want. They’re not like everybody else.”

  “What do you mean?” Milisaunde asks, sitting on the coffee table in front of Lasalle.

  “Caldwell says, they just can’t be good. Even when they’re trying, they still hurt people. Where does that leave the average family?”

  “Where?”

  “Brainwashed. Alone. In danger.”

  “Wow,” Milisaunde lowers her eyes to her naked feet. “It’s crazy that I’m stuck on this boat, cleaning it for you in a bikini picked by Gloria, isn’t it?”

  Lasalle takes a deep breath and puts her hand on Milisaunde’s tanned leg.

  “We all gotta start somewhere. I’ve done my share of grunt work.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yup. Just remember why you do it.”

  The clanking sound of the yacht bumping into something. Muffled voices yelling and the sounds of feet running across the deck.

  A masculine voice barking orders. “Get them tied down. I’ll clear inside.”

  Lasalle and Milisaunde find each other’s eyes. Lasalle slides the safety off on her gun. She holds her finger up to her pursed succulent lips.

  “Shhh. Stay here. I’m gonna deal with this.”

  Milisaunde rises up. She takes a knowing glance at Lasalle and rushes into the next room.

  Lasalle lets out a breath and comes to the door between her and the outside world. She reaches out her hand, listening for voices. The door swings open. A blonde twenty-something man towers before her with bulging muscle and flawless skin. His meaty fists wrapped around the long handle of an old blood stained baseball bat.

  He jumps at the sight of her. His searching eyes find the deadly gun gripped in her hand. She feels his pools of blue burning into her firearm. He gasps, lifting the bat. She bares her teeth and takes aim.

  “Get back.”

  Lasalle marches forward, forcing him back out into the open.

  A female shrill cackle grabs Lasalle, she turns to find Lory, Christie and two other young men all armed with baseball bats. They have Gloria surrounded.

  Christie is cackling like a maniac. She points her well manicured finger out at Gloria.

  “Tie her down. I want to hear her scream.”

  Another young man is going through Lasalle and Gloria’s possessions. They wear expensive name brand summer clothes. More bored poor little rich kids.

  “Put the gun down little girl or I’ll break your pretty little legs,” she hears a deep male voice command from the second tier steps.

  Lasalle spins to the right finding another one. Dyed blonde hair, wild brown eyes. A sleeve tattoo of skulls covering his right arm. The young man grins with his lip curled. The evil, dancing in his eyes. He’s done this before.

  The grunting sounds of Gloria struggling forces panic through Lasalle’s body. She trembles in rage. Her eyes burning like fire. Her body ready to make a violent end.

  “Gloria.”

  The tattooed maniac takes a step down, lifting his stained bat. Lasalle lifts her modified custom H&K .45 ACP and flips a switch bulging out on the side of the frame. She squeezes the trigger, spraying perfectly aimed bullets exploding out of the chamber with purpose. Ripples of fiery rage turn the end of the bat into splinters. The force of the fully auto impact pushes the bat from the young maniac’s grip. The deck is showered with chunks of the bat.

  The tattooed moron cries out, grabbing his wrist. Thundering steps charge behind her. Lasalle turns and forces her foot into the other bat wielding idiot’s chest with a powerful front kick. His feet come up off the deck. His body flies through the air and crashes into the hard metal rail.

  Lasalle turns towards Gloria but more steps behind her pull her away.

  Milisaunde emerges from the cabin with a twelve gage shotgun firm in her grip, she takes aim at the girls and her two friends.

  “Drop the bats or meet your maker.”

  Lasalle turns back towards the poor little rich kids. One of them is laying out flat on the deck. Gloria has her arms wrapped around Lory’s head.

  “Milisaunde,” Gloria sings with a grin.

  “Barrel feeders,” Lasalle rasps. “I dare you to keep the bats. I’m gonna beat the crap out of you anyway.”

  Christie takes a swing with her bat towards Gloria. Cracking thunder Kabooms! The bat explodes into shards. Lasalle’s gun aimed perfectly.

  Two of the boys jump back to their own yacht. Both of them scurry, attempting to untie the ropes holding them there.

  Lasalle runs, switching on the safety and tosses her piece to Gloria. Gloria ca
tches the spinning gun in mid air and takes aim at one of the young men still holding his bat. He moves aggressively forward and becomes petrified by the click of the safety switching off.

  “This thing is her pet project. I could drop you twice, before you swing,” Gloria warns him with a sharky smile wink.

  Lasalle jumps across to their yacht, her lean body a haloed shadow in the beaming sunlight. Her knee crashes into the right shoulder of one of the bent over boys. His nimble hands forced away from the ropes. He rolls back a good three feet, his eyes never leaving the tower of teenage burning fury that is Lasalle. Lasalle watches him collapsing to the deck and moaning out in pain.

  A long skinny shadow snakes under her and joins her shade with agression. She ducks, just as a swinging bat misses her head.

  BOOM! The shotgun goes off. A feminine yelp echos over the bondaged yachts.

  Lasalle rolls away from her attacker and sees Milisaunde getting up from the deck. Christie is fleeing from a splintered bat, scattered over the hardwood. Gloria is laughing with a young man wrapped up in her silky arms, a vice like sleeper hold.

  “You’re so cute Milisaunde, you have to watch that kickback.”

  ****

  Tony is nowhere to be seen.