“What a klutz!” he said, and laughed.
I pushed myself up, and we continued through the woods. Finally, Steve took the lead. He stayed well ahead of me, pulling the cord so it stayed taut between us. This went on for a while.
“Are we lost?” I asked.
“We’ll find it. I know we’re close. I had no way to keep the fire going, though. I was gone most of the day, and Judy was certainly in no position to add any wood.”
“How’ll we find it if there isn’t a fire?”
“I know the area pretty well.”
“Not well enough, apparently.”
He gave the cord a rough tug. It jerked my wrists, stretched my arms, and made me lurch forward, staggering. This time, though, I didn’t fall.
We kept walking.
After a while, I said, “Do you mind if I make a suggestion?”
“Suggest away.”
“Not if you’re gonna hurt me for it.”
“What have you got in mind?”
“Maybe you should try calling out to Judy.”
“I don’t think she’ll answer.”
“What kind of partner is she?”
“I left her with a gag on.”
“Maybe she got it off. Why don’t you at least try calling her? These are big woods. We might never find your camp.”
Stopping, Steve turned around and faced me. “You call her,” he said. “She’s more likely to answer if it’s you.”
“After everything I did to her?”
“It’s not half what I did. Tell her you ran into me and killed me and now you want to help her get free.”
“She won’t believe that.”
“Make her believe it.”
I gazed through the darkness at Steve.
If I refused to call Judy, maybe we wouldn’t be able to find her.
It might save her life. Or mine.
“Do it,” he said.
“What if I don’t?” I asked.
Steve walked slowly toward me. “You want to find her as much as I do,” he said.
“So she and I can have some sort of fight to the death?”
“Against her, you stand a chance.” He raised the saber blade and moved it slowly torward my chest. Because of the way my wrists were tied, my breasts were pushed close together by my upper arms. They had a deep, narrow crevice between them. Steve slipped the blade in. Then he flicked it from right to left to right to left, paddling the sides of my breasts a few times. Not very hard. Gentle slaps that didn’t hurt much, but made me flinch anyway. And worried me.
If he turns the blade…
“Think you stand a chance against me?” he asked.
“Not at the moment,” I said.
“Call out to Judy. Make her answer.”
He gave the saber a quick, hard flick. It slapped the side of my right breast.
“JUDY!” I shouted. “IT’S ME! ALICE! WHERE ARE YOU?”
Steve and I stood in silence, listening.
Nothing.
“CANYOU HEAR ME? STEVE’S DEAD. I TOOK HIM BY SURPRISE AND KILLED HIM! HE CAN’T HURT YOU ANYMORE! I WANT TO SET YOU FREE! ARE YOU AT THE CAMP? WHERE ARE YOU? MAKE SOME SOUNDS SO I CAN FIND YOU!”
No sounds came.
Just the breeze and the birds and the bugs.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” Steve whispered. He slipped the blade deeper into the crevice until its point met my chest.
“COME ON, JUDY! I’M SORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING, OKAY? I KNOW I HURT YOU. I WENT TOO FAR, AND I’M SORRY. NOW LET ME HELP YOU.”
Nothing.
“Maybe she couldn’t get the gag off,” I whispered to Steve.
“Or she might be afraid to speak up,” he said. “I knew the gag might not be enough to keep her quiet, so I gave her a gentle warning. I said if I heard her yelling, I’d come back and do some very nasty things to her. You know. With my teeth. With burning sticks.” I couldn’t see Steve’s smile, but I knew it had to be there. “In tender, intimate places.”
“You pig.”
He stuck me.
“OW!”
“Be nice to the man with the sword. Now, try again.”
I felt a thin stream of blood sliding down between my breasts. “What do you want me to say?” I asked.
“Whatever works.”
“Maybe she can’t hear me. Maybe she’s already gotten away.”
“I don’t think so. Try again.”
“JUDY!” I shouted. “HE’S ALIVE. HE’S GOT ME. KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, AND MAYBE HE WON’T FIND…”
“Fucking…!” he blurted, and jerked the blade up.
While I tried to back away, the point sliced a vertical slit up the middle of my chest, missed my throat, and nicked the front of my chin. Then I was falling backward.
I slammed the ground. It smashed my breath out, but at least I didn’t land on anything terribly hard or sharp.
Steve lunged at me with the sword.
Its tip popped through the front of my skirt, pierced my panties and poked me.
“No!” I cried out.
And Judy, somewhere not very far away, shouted, “STOP IT! I’M OVER HERE!”
Steve turned his head toward the sound of her voice.
“LEAVE HER ALONE, STEVE! DON’T HURT HER! I’M RIGHT HERE IN CAMP WHERE YOU LEFT ME.”
“Okay,” he called. “Stay put, and keep talking till we find you.”
He raised the saber and stepped away from me. When the slack was gone, the cord grew tight and pulled at my wrists. To save myself pain, I didn’t resist. I sat up, then struggled to my feet.
“Speak to me, Judy,” Steve said.
“I’m over here.”
He towed me in that direction.
“Speak up.”
“Are you okay, Alice?” Judy asked.
“Sure. Dandy. How about you?”
“I’ve been better.”
“What’d Steve do to you?”
“He…”
“All right, all right, ladies. Knock it off. Just count, Judy.”
“Just die,” Judy said.
“Count. One, two, three, four…”
“Go to hell.”
When she said that, Steve jerked my cord. I stumbled forward. Arms stretched forward like a diver (thanks to the cord), I flew off my feet.
Not again!
I cried out, “AHH!” and crashed down to the ground in front of Steve’s feet.
“What’d you do to her?” Judy called.
“I didn’t do anything to her—you did.”
Instead of giving me time to stand up, he trudged backward, pulling the cord, dragging me.
“Alice?” Judy asked.
She sounded no more than a few yards away.
“RUN!” I shouted as Steve dragged me closer to her. “GET AWAY!”
“I can’t.”
58
THE AUDITION
He made me lie flat on the ground, face down, my legs spread wide apart and my arms stretched overhead. “Don’t move,” he told me.
Crouching just beyond my bound hands, he worked on the fire. He got a small blaze going, then added sticks from a nearby pile. The flames grew. I could feel their warmth. The fire crackled and hissed and popped. He added larger chunks of wood. Soon, he had a roaring, hot campfire with flames leaping two and three feet into the air.
“Okay,” he said. “Get up on your knees.”
I pushed myself up. Kneeling, I settled back on my haunches.
And scanned the campsite. It looked pretty much the same as last night, but Judy was no longer hanging by her wrists from the tree limb. I didn’t see her anywhere.
Leaving my hands tied together, Steve shoved my wrists in against my belly, then wrapped the cord around me a couple of times like a belt. He drew it backward and looped what was left of it around my ankles.
“Now,” he said, “stay put.”
He picked up the saber, then headed for the tent. Twisting sideways, I watched him. He flung one of the
tent flaps aside, poked the saber into the ground nearby, then ducked into the dark opening.
A few moments later, he scuttled out backward. He was bent over, straddling Judy, dragging her by her upper arms. Her head was between his feet. She had it raised and turned sideways, trying to keep her face off the ground.
She was naked, of course.
And hogtied with rope—hands bound together behind her back, feet forced up and tied almost within reach of her hands.
As Steve dragged her toward me, she strained upward, arching her back. She managed to get her upper body off the ground so she was skidding along on just her thighs.
About six feet away from me, Steve hoisted her to her knees. Leaving her, he hurried over to the tent and retrieved the saber. With the weapon in his right hand, he took up a position midway between us but slightly off to the side where he wouldn’t obstruct our views.
Judy and I stared at each other.
The old, red bandana hung around her neck.
She looked awful. And beautiful.
Her sweaty body was smudged with dirt, smeared and streaked with blood. She gleamed like gold in the firelight. She was a battered ruin of welts, bruises, scratches and cuts. I’d given many of them to her myself.
Including a bullet wound to the right side of her head. The gouge from that was out of sight, hidden under the curls of her wet, blond hair. I knew she had it, though. And knew I’d done it.
Shot her. My God. Tried to kill her.
What’s the matter with me?
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“Shut up,” Steve said. “You can look, but don’t talk.”
So I kept on looking.
In spite of all the damage to her body, Judy didn’t seem beaten. Hurt, badly hurt, but not beaten.
She knelt like a proud soldier at attention, her body straight and rigid, belly sucked in, chest out, shoulders back, chin up. She had a fierce look in her eyes. The only sign of weakness or vulnerability—her lower lip was clamped between her teeth.
My throat felt tight and thick, but I managed to say, “I wish I’d never gotten you into…”
“Shut up,” Steve said.
“Go to hell,” I told him.
He smiled at me. “Better be nice. Only one of you gets to be my loyal sidekick. The other stays here, toes up, ticket cancelled, farm bought, dead as dirt. And I’m the sole judge. In other words, you’d better start kissing up.”
“Kiss my ass,” I said.
“I’m sure I’ll get to it sooner or later,” he said. “Now, let’s start the audition. Is everyone feeling well rested and fit as a fiddle?”
Judy and I looked at each other, but said nothing.
“Good!” Steve blurted. “Let’s begin. Who would like to go first?”
“Go first?” I said. “I thought we were supposed to have a fight.”
“All in good time, my dear. This’ll be a multi-part audition, with the fight as the finale.” Grinning, he added, “We’ll work our way up to it.”
“So what else do we have to do?” I asked.
“Anything I say. Now. Who would like to start? Do we have a volunteer?” He turned his grin from me to Judy. “How about you, sweet thing?”
She glared up at him, but didn’t answer.
“Remember, ladies, cooperation counts.”
“What do I have to do?” Judy asked.
“Competition number one?” Raising the saber high, he used his other hand to unfasten his belt. “The Great Suckoff!” he announced. His cut-offs dropped around his ankles.
Even though I despised him and he disgusted me, I’ve got to admit he had a wonderful body. All slender and smooth, with sleek muscles and a small, tight rear end. His penis stuck out straight in front of him. It was only about halferect, but already seemed pretty huge.
Resting the saber on his shoulder, he stepped out of his shorts and walked over to Judy.
She stared straight forward, her lips pressed together in a tight line.
Steve stopped by her left side.
“Turn and face me,” he said.
She turned. It didn’t look like an easy task, the way she was tied. But she managed.
“Excellent,” Steve said. He moved closer to her. When he stopped, he was almost touching her lips.
Judy’s mouth was shut. Apparently breathing only through her nostrils, she sucked in air as if she’d just finished a sprint. The quick panting made her chest swell and contract, her breasts lift and fall. She looked as if she’d been dipped in melted butter.
“Open wide,” Steve said.
She didn’t.
He prodded her lips, but she kept them shut.
“Do you want to lose by forfeit?” he asked.
“I’ll do it,” I told him.
“I’m talking to Judy,” he snapped. All the tease was gone from his voice.
“Do me instead! She doesn’t want you. I do. Come on over here and put it in. I’ll suck your brains out.”
“Your turn’ll come. Now butt out.” To Judy, he said, “Open up, honey. Right now.”
She shook her head.
So then Steve grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head back. Her mouth stayed shut.
“Don’t!” I cried out.
Ignoring me, he did a little prance. I couldn’t tell exactly what was going on, but he must’ve knocked her in the belly with either a knee or a foot. She suddenly grunted and her mouth sprang open. With the hand clutching her hair, he jerked her head forward.
He shoved himself in.
“Yes!” he cried out. “Now suck, honey, suck!”
He waved his saber high.
Judy wheezed and gagged as he thrust.
“Stop it!” I yelled. “Leave her alone!”
“You’re next!” he shouted.
“Bite him, Judy! Bite his fucking cock off!”
Maybe afraid she might follow my advice, Steve suddenly flung her away. She fell onto her back, her tied arms trapped beneath her and her knees in the air.
Steve tossed the saber aside. Hands free, he threw himself on top of Judy. His hips shoved her legs even farther apart. He clutched her shoulders to pin her down. Then his ass rammed forward and she gasped and I knew he was in her.
“NO!” I shrieked. “STOP THAT!”
He hadn’t done much of a job securing me.
I had no trouble at all working my feet free. By the time I’d managed to stand up, the cord that Steve had wrapped around my waist was hanging in a couple of loose coils down my rump and legs.
But my hands were still lashed together.
I struggled to jerk them free. The cord had no give, and only dug into my wrists.
But I didn’t intend to let it stop me.
Steve was still on top of Judy, grunting and thrusting.
I couldn’t take the risk of going for the saber. It was in his line of sight—if he happened to look up from Judy. Besides, it’d be a tricky weapon for someone whose hands are bound together.
Whereas the carving knife was conveniently located high on the inner side of my right thigh—and just the perfect size for one-handed use.
It had come from Serena and Charlie’s kitchen.
Before setting out to hunt for Steve, I’d decided against a flashlight but in favor of a knife.
Hurrying toward him now as he raped Judy, I used both hands to reach in through the slit of my skirt. With my left hand, I drew the knife downward, freeing it from the single strip of tape that held it to my thigh.
The way Steve was huffing and thrusting, he must’ve been just about ready to come.
I changed the knife to my right hand and twisted my wrist so the blade pointed forward.
Judy was writhing and sobbing under him.
Steve’s firelit ass bobbed up and down, buttocks flexing.
I dropped toward him, my hands low, the blade straight out like a steel version of his penis and aiming for the shadowy crack between his cheeks.
The blade slid in eas
ily and deep.
Suck this, asshole!
Steve squealed.
I gave the handle a hard twist, turning the blade, and his squeal jumped an octave higher. My ears hurt. He jerked and thrashed under me. Hot fluids flooded out over my hands. Mostly blood, I suppose.
He tried to throw me off, but he didn’t stand a chance. Not the way he was caught between Judy and me. Not the way his nervous system had gotten trashed with the first thrust of my attack.
I’d nailed him but good.
As badly as I wanted to climb off and escape from Steve’s gushing ass, I wanted even worse to keep at him until the job was done. So I stayed on him with the knife buried deep, and went on working its blade around, really ripping him up inside.
For quite a long time, he shuddered and twitched and screamed.
Finally he settled down.
59
AND THE WINNER IS…
Underneath me, underneath Steve, Judy wept.
“It’s okay,” I told her. “It’s over.”
“Is…is he dead?”
“If he isn’t, he wishes he was.”
“Could you…get him off me? He’s…” She started crying too hard to go on.
I shoved myself off Steve’s back. On my feet behind him, I bent over and grabbed him, clutching his right ankle with my right hand. As I dragged him off Judy, his face rubbed between her breasts and down her belly. About the time his mouth got to her navel, I gave his ankle a strong jerk and stumbled backward. His face sped the rest of the way. The slight rise of her pubic mound must’ve acted like a ramp. Going over, his head jumped up as if he needed to take a last peek at her. Then he dropped off and his face struck the ground.
I kept staggering backward as fast as I could, dragging him by the foot, until our momentum ran out. Then I let go and stood above him and tried to catch my breath.
Judy rolled onto her side. She lay there sobbing quietly.
Crouching, I pulled the knife out of Steve’s butt.
Then I stood up straight. I raised my hands and studied them in the firelight. They were crossed at the wrists and tightly wrapped with the electrical extension cord.
Right away, it was obvious that I wouldn’t be able to reach the cord with the knife’s blade.