Den of Iniquity

by J G Jerome

  The apartment itself is a ground-floor unit across from a big greenbelt, close to the pool. Audrey leads us into the apartment. She calls out relatively quietly, “Hello, Erica! I have guests!” She waves us all in and closes the door. She tells us, “I don’t like to be too loud in case she’s exposing herself online. Find a seat, I shouldn’t be but a couple of minutes.”

  The living room is cozy but clean, and the furniture is in good repair. The kitchen is small, but also clean. I see dishes drying in a rack next to the sink.

  Audrey has her hand on the bedroom door right off the living room when a naked young woman runs up and hugs her. “Welcome back,” she says. “Are you staying in tonight? Some company would be nice.” Erica is about four inches shorter than Audrey’s 5’7” and sexy in a soft kind of way.

  “No, honey. I’m going with my friends to my parents’ house,” Audrey explains. “Remember?” She extends a hand toward us. “They’re going to wait while I change. I’ll be back on Sunday.”

  Erica looks at us and then does a double-take when she looks at me. I can see the fear bloom in her eyes. Then she sees Josie and freaks out again. She curls up into a ball on the floor with her hands over her head. I hear her mutter, “Please don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me...”

  My second sight confirms what Audrey said - Erica is a zombie. As I walk over to her, I notice that there is something that looks like a hazelnut to my second sight resting at the base of her skull. I squat beside the stricken little zombie girl, and caress her short bleached blond hair. “Relax, Erica. No one is going to hurt you. We will stand to protect you. We are not here to hurt you.” I pick her up into a bridal carry. I tell Audrey, “Go ahead, Kitten. I’ll take care of her for you.” I carry Erica to the small sofa and take a seat.

  Erica is reasonably attractive. I’m guessing from her features that she is a Latina - lush lips, square face, dark eyes, and lush figure with tan skin. Her short hair is blond, but it shows dark roots. She has a sensual softness to her. Sitting next to Marissa, it’s easy to compare her fit sensuality to the soft, rounded limbs of Erica. She’s not fat by any means, but there is almost a complete lack of firmness in her limbs. Marissa, Audrey, and Rebecca all have varying degrees of chiseled abs. Josie doesn’t have washboard abs, but hers are flat and slightly sculpted after working with Marissa for a month. Erica doesn’t have that.

  Erica’s abdomen isn’t fat, but has just a touch of roundness to it. Her generous, conical breasts are plump, like ripe golden cherries that are so full of juice they pop when you bite into them. Her plump breasts are roughly the same size as Marissa’s, which makes them look even bigger on the more petite girl. She has a definite waist, but she doesn’t have an hourglass figure. In short, she’s a sexy little minx.

  I hold her with my left arm circling under her knees to encircle her waist. I caress her back and shoulders with my right. “It’s going to be okay, Erica. No one will hurt you as long any of us are here to protect you.”

  She stutters into my chest, “Yu-yu-you’re the one I’m afraid of. Yo-you and the tall woman.”

  I keep stroking her naked flesh. “I know honey. Your handicap makes you very aware of what Josie or I CAN do. That doesn’t mean we WILL do that to you. Do you understand?”

  “Wh-wh-what handicap?” she asks as she looks up at me through her heavy, dark eyeglass frames.

  I ask her, “What does empathy feel like to you, Erica?”

  She shrugs. “I don’t know what it feels like. I know what it is, but I’ve never experienced it.”

  “Do you know why?” I ask.

  She nods, “Audrey told me I have no soul. She calls me a zombie, but I’m not an undead, flesh eating, walking corpse.”

  “No ma’am, you’re not. As far as I can tell, you are completely human. The way you greeted Audrey would have made me think that you do feel emotions if I couldn’t see your lack of a soul with my gifts,” I explain.

  “You have magic like Audrey?” she asks.

  I clarify, “My magic is different from Audrey’s. That’s why you feel fear from Josie and I. Our gift makes it very easy for us to kill people with a thought. Not just zombies, but people with souls, too. It also allows us to do a lot of positive things, too - not just killing.”

  She looks at me. “Audrey’s right. You are kinda hot.”

  I laugh at that. “You’re pretty hot yourself, Erica.”

  She says, “I need to go pee and get back to my room. I’m scheduled to put on an online sex show in twenty minutes. I gotta get in the mood.”

  I release her slowly. She stands with her plump, nude pussy in front of my face. “You can watch if you want. All of you.” She looks at all of the ladies.

  Rebecca speaks up. “We’re flattered, Erica. Maybe another time. We have to take Audrey to dinner.”

  Erica turns to face Rebecca, pointing her plump round ass at my face. “Okay. Have fun. Maybe I can go with you all sometime.”

  Audrey comes out wearing a conservative navy dress. It’s silk, buttoned down from her throat to the hemline two inches above her knees. The top two and bottom gold buttons are unbuttoned. Her lovely legs are encased in some kind of sheer hosiery, and her feet are encased in black pumps with three-inch heels.

  Erica says, “You look yummy, Audrey.”

  Audrey smiles and hugs the naked woman. “Thank you, Erica. You’re going on-air shortly?”

  “Yeah,” Erica confirms. “Another night of playing with myself on camera and stuffing toys in all my holes. Work, work, work.” She marches off down the hall to disappear into the loo. She calls out, “I’d rather play with you, Audrey.”

  Audrey calls back. “Not tonight, sweetie. Soon.”

  “Okay!” echoes down the hall. I can hear her peeing, so I’m guessing the door is open.

  We all get up and meet Audrey at the door with smiles.

  I tell her, “I gotta agree with Erica, Kitten. You look great.”

  Audrey smiles shyly. “Thank you, Master. Shall we?” She opens the door and ushers us all out the door.

  We all resume our earlier positions in the car, and Audrey guides Marissa back south to Camelback road and then east to I-17. We head north for about ten miles before Audrey guides us onto the ramp for AZ-101 westbound. We stay on the freeway until we get the exit for 75th Avenue. Marissa takes a right on 75th Ave and then a left on Deer Valley Road. Audrey has us hook a right on 83rd Avenue, and we follow that past Happy Valley Road, past Jomax Road, where the road turns to Westwing Parkway. Audrey directs us to take the first right onto High Desert Drive, which we follow for about three-quarters of a mile. We turn right onto 86th Drive and continue to follow the road. It eventually changes its name to Bent Tree Drive, and we continue to follow it until it ends in a cul-de-sac. Audrey directs us into the driveway on the 9:00 position on the circle. We follow the paver-covered drive for what seems like a quarter-mile before we park on the huge parking pad in front of the stone and stucco facade of a monstrous house. The property is about as far up the slope of the mountain as the county currently allows. It has a three-car garage facing forward, and we pull in to the right of that, close to the entry.

  We all dismount from the Audi. I help Rebecca out, and the Prescott contingent all gather in front of the huge house to stare in awe. Audrey obliviously marches to the front door. I pull myself together in time to see her steel her nerves before pressing the doorbell.

  I gather Rebecca, Josie, and Marissa with a murmured, “She needs our support.” We hurry to gather around her. I step up behind her and caress her back. I tell her, “We’re with you, Kitten.”

  She murmurs, “Thank you, Master.”

  “Always, Audrey. You’re never alone,” I tell her.

  Rebecca murmurs, “You’re one of us now, Kitten.” All the Prescott ladies lay a hand on her back for support.

  Audrey murmurs, “I love you all so much.”

  The door opens to reveal a tall, lean Asian man and medium height mocha-skinned Asi
an woman.

  Audrey stands at attention. “Father. Mother. I have arrived with my family.”

  The man’s face twists into a sour grimace, but the woman’s face lights up. Audrey’s mother says, “Welcome, all of you. Please come in. Welcome to our home.”

  She draws us all into the entryway. Once her mother closes the door, Audrey introduces us.

  “Mother. Father. Please allow me to introduce my chosen man, William James, and my sister-wives - Marissa, Rebecca, and Josie.” Audrey continues as we each step forward and shake hands with them. “Family, these are my parents, Steven and Lidia Cheung.”

  I address them. “Mister and Missus Cheung, we have brought host gifts. For Missus Cheung, we have a custom stone pen by one of the many craftsmen that frequent our small city.” Rebecca presents an oblong box and opens it to reveal a grey stone pen with gold accents. It’s nearly an inch in diameter. Rebecca nestles the bottom of the box into the top and presents it to Lidia with both hands.

  Lidia grins as she accepts it. “Thank you so much. It’s beautiful.”

  I continue, “Mister Cheung, we have for you a custom made combat knife. The craftsman is the same one that crafted the weapons for my family.” Marissa opens a larger, flatter box to reveal a four-inch drop point damascus-finish blade wrapped in black paracord. She replicates Rebecca’s presentation, and Steven’s sour expression softens slightly.

  Steven says, “This gift is both beautiful and practical. Thank you. Welcome to our home.” He looks me in the eye. “Let me give you a tour of the house. Please follow me.”

  We walk through long, wide corridors with Roman arches and mahogany floors. There’s a formal living room, a music room with a baby grand piano, cello, and what I think is a viola. There is a dining room nearly as large as Bernadette’s, a massive office with library shelves, and another slightly smaller office with nearly as many books on the wall. The big one is Lidia’s. The house is built in a semi-Roman style around a central courtyard.

  Steven finishes the tour by opening the door under the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. He looks at me and says, “We also have an extensive basement. Please follow me.”

  “Oh, Father! Really?” Audrey exclaims.

  I follow Steven down the stairs. “So this is the obligatory dojang tour? I understand from Dan Tomlinson that it is a requirement for all men dating the daughters of martial artists.”

  Steven says, “Oh, so you do know Dan? Audrey mentioned you were dating his daughter.”

  I respond with a chuckle. “Yes, that’s Marissa. Audrey mentioned they used to compete against each other. I’ve trained with Dan’s black belts a couple of times.”

  Steven asks as we dismount the stairs. “That’s all the training you’re doing?”

  “Oh no,” I respond easily. “I regularly do taiji to stay loose and relaxed. I also study with Master Hiromatsu whenever I get the chance. I’m looking forward to getting on the mats with him tomorrow.”

  Steve steps through an arched entry, kicks off his shoes, and removes his socks. I remove my jacket and follow his lead. I also empty my pockets and deposit the contents into my boots. Steven’s eye arches as he notes the clip knife and baton.

  I bow and join him on the mat. My ladies cluster around the doorway.

  Steven’s mat area is nearly as large as Dan’s in Prescott. He also has twelve-foot ceilings to accommodate the weapons in the racks along the wall.

  I do some twists, shoulder circles, and stretches while Steven stands in the middle of the mat watching me. Once I’m warmed up, I remove my shirt, too. I hear Lidia whisper, “Oh my, Audrey. He is handsome and well put together. You chose well.”

  Audrey says, “More than you can imagine, Mama.”

  I start walking toward Steven slowly with my hands open and up. I’m about eight feet away when he explodes toward me with a flurry of spinning kicks. I step off the line of each kick, and he immediately reorients before he touches down and fires off another. After four of those, I find an opening as he launches another kick - by following his back as he spins. I grab his shoulders and pull him backward. His momentum still keeps him moving, so I have to really move my feet to keep up with him.

  Steven tries to spin away, but I get a joint lock on his wrist and manage to reinforce it with the edge of my left forearm in his tricep tendon. I push him flat onto the ground, and step across him to lay my left shin across the back of his neck to pin him in place. He stops moving, and I hold it in place until he taps out. I forward roll off him and come to my feet about eight feet away.

  Steven jumps to his feet. “I am not happy about these shows you do with Audrey.”

  I answer, “She’s an adult, and we go to significant lengths to hide her identity. I love her; I have no desire to damage her reputation. Steven stares at me for a moment and then attacks with a flurry of front kicks and punches. I back-pedal twice until he snaps a right cross at me. I slide to his right, smacking his right tricep tendon again with a backfist from my right hand and kicking his right leg as it launches off the floor. His body is already exploding forward, so checking his kicking leg results in him slamming his face into the mat. I slide away.

  “Three of five?” I ask.

  Steven gets up slowly and turns to find me standing in the middle of the mat with my hands relaxed at my side. He squints at me. “You can do this all day long, can’t you?”

  I shake my head gently. “No, sir. I’ll get tired eventually. I don’t train like that anymore.”

  “Where did you learn?” he asks.

  “Aikido in college for about a year, krav maga for about eighteen monts with the IDF while I was in the sandbox. Mister Robinson's Kenpo dojo for open challenge nights here in Phoenix until I found Master Hiromatsu. I’ve been with him for a little over nine years. I learned taiji from him, too. Plus, I drop in Kenpo classes whenever the opportunity arises.”

  Steven just stares at me for a long moment before saying, “You appear untrained in your craft.”

  I look at him with my second sight - he’s strong. Audrey is nearly his match, but not quite. Maybe with practice. I open my well and let my power radiate. I tell him, “I am, but I’m learning quickly.”

  Steven’s face turns white at the amount of power at my disposal. I pull it all back inside to conceal it again.

  Something that might be a smile flashes across his face. “You’ll do.” He waves toward the door. “Let’s eat. Getting my ass handed to me makes me hungry.”

  9

  Dinner with the Cheungs

  I laugh, and he chuckles lightly. I bow to him, and he returns it. We walk off the mats and bow to show our respect to the training hall. Steven picks up his shoes and walks out. I put my shirt on, don my jacket, and then carry my boots out the door. I gather a kiss from each of my ladies before we head back up the stairs.

  Josie whispers, “You looked hot on the mat, husband.”

  I chuckle. “Thanks, Josie. I’m glad you were pleased.”

  Rebecca observes, “Josie and I had never seen you fight. It was awesome to behold. Steven is also amazing. Are you going to teach us that, Will?” She and Audrey lead us up the stairs.

  “No, honey. We’re going to continue to stick with the basic approach we’ve been working on. Basic motions and maneuvers, keep your feet on the ground, using weapons, using improvised weapons, and working as a team. No competitive crap - lethal tactics to save your life and our family’s.”

  Steven turns around at the top of the stairs. “What are you afraid of, William?”

  Audrey waves Rebecca past Steven and turns to look down on me. “My mother knows about the unseen world of crafters, demons, and zombies. You can speak plainly.”

  Josie and Marissa slide past Steven, and I step up next to him. He waves me past and closes the door. I tell him, “I have a friend who employs surveillance countermeasures when we talk about crafts and related matters. Do you think we should do that?”

  Steven gives me a vacant inscrutable
look for nearly half a minute. Then he calls out, “Lidia, do think you have time for a short concert before dinner.”

  Lidia walks back and cuddles up to Steven. She smiles up into his face, “It’s all ready to go. I just need to throw the meat on to cook. That will only take about fifteen minutes. Let’s go play.”

  Steven and Lidia lead us to the music room. Audrey opens three more buttons up from her hemline and grabs the cello. She picks up a bow off the top of the piano and sits. I see a flash of lace and nude flesh as she settles the lucky instrument between her thighs. Audrey smiles and winks at me. Lidia takes a seat at the piano, while Steven picks up the viola off a hook on the wall and a smaller bow off the piano.

  Lidia starts playing a classical piece, and Audrey joins in on the cello. Steve says, “Talk.” Then he tucks the viola under his chin and begins to play.

  “I’m mildly concerned about zombies, which is what started my emphasis on weapons and training. Right now, I’m more afraid of your former employer,” I tell him. “Two of us are at risk of...impressment...by your former bosses. One of us is likely to be killed on sight. I really would prefer to avoid a war with them, but if they come for my family, my friends, or me - there will be a lot of dead people.”

  Steven nods as he plays a soaring passage, while Lidia plays a thundering bass line and Audrey saws up a frenetic mid-range part on the cello. Steven chants softly, “My daughter is to be your wife?”

  “Yes,” I say. My four ladies, including Audrey, murmur their assent. She beams at me.

  Steven tucks the viola against his collarbone like a fiddler. He murmurs, “I know the ways of your craft. Many partners are common. Some are permanent. Others not. Is Audrey permanent?”