With the flashlight to show me the way, I hurried through the labyrinth of the thrift shop, found my way to the rear, discovered the staircase and started to climb. At the landing, I saw Casey in the shimmery glow of the upstairs doorway. She stood there, apparently looking down at me. I pocketed my flashlight and climbed toward her, but she backed away.
‘Wait,’ I whispered.
Before I could reach the top, she turned her back to me and stepped around the comer. ‘Here I am,’ she said, her words loud and meant for Randy.
The katana was still on the floor where I’d left it. I walked past it, went to Casey and stopped by her side.
Straight ahead of us was Eileen. While we’d been downstairs, the dart in her breast must’ve fallen out. It lay on the quilt by her left foot. The other two darts were still embedded in her. She looked much the same as before. A little bloodier, though. And she had probably been crying the entire time we were gone. Her eyes were red, her face shiny with tears, her nose running. She sniffed and blinked as she stared at us. Then she shook her head slightly, but I’m not sure what she meant by it.
‘How are you doing?’ I asked.
A comer of her mouth twitched as if she were trying to smile. ‘Been better,’ she said. Her tongue came out and licked at the mucous dribbling toward her upper lip.
‘I’m sorry about all this,’ I told her.
‘Thanks for ... trying to help.’ She looked at Casey. ‘You, too. Thanks.’
‘We’ll get you out of here,’ Casey said.
‘Bravado from the cutie!’ Randy’s cheerful voice came from somewhere beyond Eileen’s right side. While we’d been downstairs, he had moved. ‘And what a cutie you are! No wonder Ed dumped Eileen for you.’
‘Nobody dumped anyone,’ I said.
‘Casey, let’s see what you look like without your clothes on.’
The request didn’t surprise me much. Something like this was to be expected, considering Randy’s treatment of Eileen. But it made me go cold inside.
Casey, staring in the direction of the voice, was frowning slightly and breathing hard.
‘You don’t have to,’ I whispered. ‘Just go. Run. Get outa here.’
In a loud voice, she said, ‘No problem.’ Then she started to unbutton her shirt.
‘I’m all eyes,’ said Randy. ‘Are you all eyes, Ed?’
‘Go to hell,’ I said.
My words bought Eileen a dart. It stuck in her right side, just below the armpit. She yelped and jerked.
I shouted, ‘No!’
She shouted, ‘Fuck!’
‘I’m sorry!’ I blurted at her.
She cried out, ‘Don’t piss him off!’ Then she broke down sobbing.
‘Okay,’ Casey called out, and dropped her shirt to the floor. She didn’t have a bra on. Making no attempt to cover herself, she stood there with her arms down. Beside and slightly behind her, I couldn’t see her front. But Randy probably could.
‘Very nice,’ he said.
The tops of her shoulders were golden in the candlelight. Her bare back was in shadow. She didn’t have a belt on. Her tan corduroy trousers were low around her hips.
‘Now let’s see you feel yourself,’ Randy said. ‘We’ll pretend your hands are mine. Do something nice with them.’
She nodded slightly. I saw her right arm bend at the elbow. From elbow to hand, it disappeared in front of her. Disappeared from my view, though certainly not from Randy’s.
Her upper arm and shoulders moved. Though I couldn’t see for myself, I knew she must be using both hands to fondle her breasts. She was squirming slightly, almost as if she enjoyed it.
‘You don’t wanta be missing this, Ed. Get around in front of her and watch.’
I didn’t want to. I knew it would be wrong to observe Casey as she debased herself for Randy’s enjoyment. Besides, if I moved to the front of Casey, she would be able to see that I was erect.
But if I don’t do it, I thought, he’ll get Eileen with another dart.
Before I could move, Casey turned around and faced me. She met my eyes. Then her tongue slid across her lips and I looked down at her hands. They were cupping the undersides of her breasts, her thumbs rubbing her nipples.
‘You’ve got yourself a hot one, Ed.’
Casey slid her right hand down her belly, pushed it under the waistband of her corduroys and it went lower until her hand was gone to the wrist. It moved around down there, disturbing the front of her pants with fingers and knuckles. Her other hand pulled at the nipple of her left breast. She stared at me, her eyes half shut, and slowly squirmed.
‘Girl,’ called Randy, ‘take those pants off.’
She pulled her hand out. With shiny wet fingers, she unfastened the button at her waist. Then she drew the zipper down. Bending at the waist, she lowered the corduroys to her ankles.
She remained bent over.
‘Casey?’ Randy asked.
She straightened up and looked in the direction of his voice. Her corduroys were piled around her feet. She still wore a pair of powder-blue panties. Down low at the crotch, they were soaked and clinging to her.
‘Very good,’ Randy said. ‘This is going just fine. You’re really a great looking kid, Casey.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Don’t you think so, Ed?’
My throat was tight and dry, but I said, ‘Yeah.’
‘Now it’s your turn.’
‘Me?’
‘Off with the clothes, pal.’
‘What... ?’
‘For godsake do it!’ Eileen snapped.
Casey nodded at me and said softly, ‘Go ahead.’
‘Then we’ll all be naked and happy,’ Randy called out in a cheery sing-song.
Casey turned her head. ‘Should I help him, Randy? It’ll speed things up.’
‘Sure. Why not. No tricks, though. We wouldn’t want anything to get in the way of our wonderful time and turn it ugly, would we?’
‘No, we wouldn’t,’ said Casey.
She stepped up to me, actually smiled, then sank to her knees. Facing the bulge in my pants, she said. ‘You get your shirt off, I’ll take care of the rest.’
While I worked at the buttons of my shirt, Casey unbuckled my belt, opened the waist of my jeans and slid the zipper down.
It seemed impossible that such things could be happening. Such wonderful things, such awful things. I felt as if I were caught between the horrors of a nightmare and the astounding lust of a wet dream.
As Eileen watched, I took my shirt off.
Casey slid my jeans and underwear down my legs.
Unconfined, I relished the feel of air against my rigid tightness. And felt a mixture of shame and delight at having Casey’s face inches away.
‘Wow,’ she said.
‘Wow what?’ Randy asked.
‘It’s a beauty.’
‘Oh?’
‘You wouldn’t believe the size of this thing.’
‘You sound as if you’ve never seen it before.’
‘I haven’t.’ Tilting back her head, Casey smiled up at me. She slid a finger up the underside of my penis, and I shuddered.
‘Don’t tell me he’s never fucked you.’
‘Never,’ Casey said. ‘Not yet.’ Leaning forward, she opened her mouth. I felt her moist lips.
Eileen stared at us, blinking rapidly. Even though Casey’s head was in the way, she must’ve had a pretty good idea what was going on.
We’re doing it to save you, I told her in my mind. It doesn’t have to mean anything.
But it does, I thought. Oh, it does.
Casey’s lips glided, slippery, down my flesh as she sucked me deep into her mouth.
‘What’s going on there?’ Randy asked. He sounded a little worried.
‘She’s, uh ... she’s ...’
‘Is that little scamp giving you head?’
‘Uh.’
I was about to explode into her mouth, but suddenly it slid away with a quiet slurpy so
und. She again smiled up at me for a moment before dropping gracefully backward and catching herself with stiff arms.
Only her hands and feet touching the floor, her knees wide apart, she scuttled away from me, silently moving head first toward Eileen.
What’s she ... ?
I suddenly understood.
When Casey had bent over to pull down her corduroys, Randy had called out her name - because he’d no longer been able to see her.
After she’d stood up again, Randy hadn’t ordered her to remove her panties. He’d assumed she was naked.
He hadn’t been able to see my erection, or even Casey’s head as she sucked me.
He can’t see that low!
Based on that conclusion, Casey was now off to the rescue.
And it was my job to play along.
I watched how her breasts jiggled and wobbled. I watched the shiny dark crotch of her panties.
Moaning, I writhed and reached down as if stroking her head, as if she were still kneeling in front of me, sucking.
Eileen watched both of us, a strange look on her face.
I gasped, ‘Uh! Uh! Yes!’
Randy called out, ‘Whooeee, go for it!’
I grunted and squirmed.
‘Suck him honey! Suck him good ’n’ get ready for me!’
Though half dazed with lust and hope, I suddenly realized that Randy’s voice had come from a different location.
Somewhere nearer than before.
Chapter Seventy
I continued my mime, acting as if Casey were still on her knees in front of me even as I watched her scurrying closer and closer to Eileen.
At the edge of the quilt, she stopped the strange crab-walk, lowered herself to the floor and rolled over. She squirmed onto the quilt on her belly like a soldier going under barbed wire.
Braced up on her left elbow, she reached forward with her right arm and pinched the wick of the nearest candle. The flame died between her thumb and forefinger.
‘Oh, cute.’
Randy’s voice. Behind me. I whirled around. The aisle of cleared floor between me and the comer was empty at first. Then Randy leaped out from the side. He slid on his bare feet, stopped himself and turned toward me. He wore a bandage on his right thigh where I’d stabbed him with the pen on Tuesday night. Otherwise, he wore nothing.
Naked and happy.
He was aroused, smiling and holding a pistol in his right hand.
Eileen shouted, ‘Watch out!’
He raised the pistol. It looked like a small semi-automatic. ‘Outa the way,’ he told me. ‘Move!’
Straightening up, I glanced over my shoulder. Casey was still on her belly, busy snuffing candles. Many were already out, but others still burned. Down like that, she would be a hard target. But Eileen would be easy, upright and shackled between the two posts.
I faced Randy and spread my arms like a basketball player trying to block a shot.
Still smiling, he said, ‘Dumb fuck,’ and shot me.
The noise was a quick, flat bang. A .22? The pain was a sting on the right side of my ribcage.
I ran at him.
Through the ringing in my ears, I heard him say, ‘All right.’ He aimed at my face as I rushed him, then smirked and lowered the pistol and shot me in the thigh. My leg went out from under me. I slammed against the floor in front of him. Then he fired twice more, but nothing else hit me.
Somewhere behind me, a girl cried out in pain.
Randy laughed. ‘There.’ he said.
Eileen cried out, ‘You fucking bastard!’
‘You should thank me,’ he said. ‘She was your competition, stupid.’
I lurched forward and tried to grab Randy’s feet, but he easily stepped out of the way. ‘You want me, Ed?’ he asked. ‘The feeling’s mutual.’ Suddenly, he leaped past me. Crouching over me, he pulled at my arms, turned me, rolled me onto my back. He no longer held the pistol. I wondered where it was.
Then he was kneeling above me, stretching my arms out, pinning me to the floor. ‘Gonna give you the works, Eddie boy. Just like I promised.’ He lowered himself on to me. I felt his erection against my belly, his mouth on my mouth, his tongue pushing in.
Suddenly, he pushed himself up. Braced above me on his hands and knees, he said, ‘We’ll have us a real good time. But first things first. Gotta get me a taste of the honey while she’s still fresh.’
Casey.
‘No,’ I said.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll be back.’
Then he stuck his forefinger into the hole in my thigh. Pain blasted through me. I must’ve blacked out, but not for long.
I returned to consciousness with Eileen’s voice ripping through my head. ‘Let go of her you fucking bastard! Leave her alone! Don’t! Stop that!’
I sat up and saw Randy staggering backward, dragging Casey by her ankles. Apparently, he wanted her clear of the fuel-soaked quilt before having his fun with her.
She’d done a good job, but several candles still burned.
Eileen, sobbing and grunting, thrashed between the posts like some sort of female Samson trying to stop the horror by bringing down the building. But the posts held firm. So did the handcuffs.
Though pain soared through my body, I struggled to my knees. I tried to stand up, but my leg wouldn’t let me. So I crawled.
I crawled toward them as Randy, with his back to me, dropped to his knees between Casey’s legs and tore off her panties. Crawled toward them as Eileen bucked and thrashed between the posts, specks of sweat flying off her hair and off her gleaming skin, three darts still protruding from her body.
‘I’ll kill you, Randy!’ she cried out. ‘Leave her alone or I’ll kill you!’
He didn’t leave her alone.
I crawled as fast as I could. I tried to stand up, but I fell. Disturbed by the sound, Randy looked over his shoulder. Seeing me down, he laughed. ‘Gee, guy, I don’t think you’re gonna save the day after all.’
Then he turned his head away and sank down on top of Casey.
I shouted, ‘NO!’
Eileen cried out, ‘Don’t!’
Randy’s white ass flexed as he thrust Each time he pounded into her, Casey’s small, bare feet jerked slightly.
Then I heard quick, soft thumping sounds and felt the floor shaking under my body and wondered what was going on. Eileen stopped moving. Randy stopped thrusting. Pushing at the floor, he arched his back and looked over his shoulder.
This time he didn’t laugh.
Someone leaped over me.
Ran straight at Randy.
My view was partly blocked by the tall, running man, but I saw plenty.
Saw that the running man was Kirkus. Saw Randy try to climb off Casey. Saw Kirkus swing the katana. Saw Randy raise an arm to block it and saw his upraised hand leap off and fly into the clutter, spraying blood, waving goodbye to us all.
Chapter Seventy-one
Kirkus, as if shocked and exhausted by what he’d done, lowered the sword.
Eileen swayed on her feet, panting for breath.
Randy, on his knees between Casey’s legs, held up the spurting stump of his arm and cried out, ‘I need help! Somebody help! Call an ambulance!’
‘Puck you,’ gasped Eileen.
Groaning, I pushed myself up to my hands and knees.
And saw one of Casey’s small, bare feet lift off the floor. Her knee came up. Then her leg swung out of sight in front of Randy.
He said, ‘What ... ?’
Then he was hurtled backward. He landed back-first on the floor not far in front of me. His head thudded. As he lay there squirming and groaning, Casey stood up. She was splattered with blood, some of it probably Randy’s, but it must’ve been blood of her own dribbling down her inner thighs.
Head down, she hobbled over to Kirkus.
‘Mind if I borrow this?’ she asked, her voice low and husky.
He gave it to her.
Randy squealed, ‘You’re dead! I shot you!’
> ‘Yeah, right,’ she said.
She stood over him.
‘NO!’ Up on his elbows, he tried to scoot away from her.
I planted my right foot against the top of his head, stopping his retreat.
Somehow, even after getting his hand lopped off, he still had an erection. At least until Casey swung the sword.
Randy shrieked.
Then he passed out, and the silence seemed strange.
Kirkus, Eileen and I all stared at Casey as she walked toward Eileen. Her back, dusky with shadows, seemed free of blood or wounds of any kind.
‘I thought he shot you,’ I told her, my voice shaking.
She didn’t look at me, but said, ‘He missed.’ Then she halted in front of Eileen, reared back with the sword and swung it with both hands. The blade chopped through the handcuff chain and thudded into the post. Eileen’s left arm dropped to her side.
As she swayed on her feet, right arm still raised and cuffed, Kirkus went to her.
‘Watch out for the candles,’ I warned him. ‘The quilt’s soaked with oil.’
All he said was, ‘Okay.’ Then he pulled the darts out of Eileen’s body. Each time, she flinched and winced.
After letting the darts fall to the quilt, Kirkus wrapped his arms around her. Then Casey chopped through the chain of the other cuffs. Eileen’s right arm fell. She sagged, but Kirkus held her up. Clinging to each other, they staggered off the quilt. Kirkus eased Eileen down to the floor.
Casey had already put the sword down. She was crawling on her hands and knees, puffing out candles. As she did so, the room slowly darkened.
Kirkus came over to me. ‘How’s the leg?’ he asked.
‘Shot.’
‘I heard the gunfire,’ he said.
‘That why you came up?’
‘Let’s say it hastened my decision.’
‘Glad you came along,’ I told him. ‘Thanks.’
‘The least I could do, old chap. Looks as if I arrived slightly later, however, than the proverbial “nick of time.”’
‘You did pretty good, Rudy.’
He crouched beside me and explored my bare thigh with both his hands. A couple of times, one of his hands brushed against my genitals. Accidentally, I’m sure.
‘I can’t seem to find an exit wound,’ he said.