by Jim Goforth
"Patience babe," Blaise said patting his thigh. "If you're good you might get to hit it too."
"Shit, I'll be good," laughed Tim. "Hell, I am good!"
"I didn't say I..." Corey started to speak.
"You didn't hafta boy, I know when you've been dipping your paw into the honey jar."
'Well you know nothing' Corey said to himself and decided not to press the issue.
If Tim wanted to continue thinking that Corey and Desiree had engaged in 'funny business' in the clothing shed Corey wasn't going to prevent him from it.
Instead he'd rather sit and think about the possibility that some funny business might well be on the cards and then he wouldn't need to try and convince Tim either way.
"Alright!" Melissa suddenly bellowed, clapping her hands together loudly to draw all attention to her. "Bit of silence please!"
All talking and other verbal noise dutifully ceased and all eyes went to Melissa standing before the fire with Desiree to her right, Raven and twin to the left and a couple of others hanging around them.
"Okay,” Melissa glanced around the group, the star tattoo around her eye made even more freakish looking by the shadows created by the capering firelight.
"As you all know, Tash and Erica are currently in a little bit of bother. The Plebs have nabbed them and we all know the fuckers like their little jokes, but this one is taking things a bit too far.
Me and some of the other head girls went out to scout around and see if there is any way of getting our lasses back without having to bargain any more with the Plebs, or to see if there was anything at the lake we could trade with these illiterate fucks.
At the lake we happened to meet three likeable young lads who showed some interest in playing with our boats.
Let's meet these handsome boys, lads get up here."
Corey and Lee exchanged bemused glances while Tim was already out from under Blaise, scrambling to his feet punching the sky with both fists, holding them aloft.
"Go on," Blaise whispered to Corey and Lee."You too. Jump up there with Melissa."
Shrugging his shoulders Corey got to his feet, extending a hand of support to haul Lee up as well.
Hesitantly they made their way up to stand alongside Tim who continued to grandstand, waving his hands in the air, blowing kisses at all the seated women.
"These guys are gonna be our saviours," announced Melissa at which point a cheer rose from the assemblage.
Having never been cheered for much of anything before Corey supposed he should have been enjoying the situation somewhat, but without Desiree by his side he was beginning to feel that cumbersome knot of dread starting to tangle his stomach again.
"This big oaf is Tim," Melissa said, grabbing one of Tim's forearms and holding it up. "He wants to see us all in our G-strings, or preferably naked."
Upon that announcement there were very mixed reactions from the all female crowd.
Some laughed, some cheered, many booed or reacted with similar sounds of disgust.
These less than happy responses failed to faze the effervescent Tim, he carried on prancing and posing like an idiot.
"This is Corey." Melissa moved to Corey, now holding one of his arms aloft and face burning. Fearing what she was going to say about him, Corey gazed intently at the ground as if wishing there was a great big hole he could fall into.
"Corny wants to fuck Desiree!" Raven beat Melissa to the punch. "He wants to fuck her hard, the horny little bastard."
Desiree stepped up behind Raven and shoved her in the back so hard that the dark girl stumbled forward, tripped over and fell, colliding with a trio of girls sitting in the front of the congregation.
"You asked for that you idiot girl," Melissa pointed at Raven, and chastised Raven remained sitting on the grass, a vehement expression of fury lancing both Corey and Desiree. "I was going to say Corey seems kind of sweet on Desiree, understandably, so I'm betting he wouldn't mind seeing her in her G-string. As crude as Raven is I guess she's probably not too far off the mark."
More mixed reactions were engendered in the crowd and as Corey snuck a covert peek, wishing he was still wearing his beanie he noticed that the majority appeared to be laughing.
He felt like a fool hoping they weren't all laughing at him, but when he saw one of the girls right up the back pointing at Raven it made him feel a whole lot better thinking they may actually have been laughing at her.
The way she seemed to treat people probably went a long way towards alienating them and he wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't well liked in the camp.
Thankfully Melissa now targeted Lee, surprisingly asking a question of him rather than lampooning him.
This was probably due to the fact that he hadn't appeared to show any real interest in seeing anybody's G-string or anything of the sort.
"And this is Lee," Melissa said. "What is it you would like to do?"
Lee shrugged nonchalantly.
"I just want to smoke bud and have a good time," was his simple reply.
"Fair enough. A man who is easily pleased." Melissa said and then the level of her voice raised to kill the incessant laughter and drag all attention back to her. "Now..guess what boys? Tonight your dreams will come true! It all happens and everything you want will happen!"
Tim dropped his arms and his jaw, halting his parading to turn and gape with an incredulous expression at the tattooed gang leader.
"You for real?"
Corey could scarcely believe his ears either, but judging by how the crowd remained silent and expectant Melissa wasn’t done speaking, there was more to come and this part was going to be the strings attached.
Of course there had to be strings attached, this is what Desiree was warning him about, this was where Melissa was going to tell the boys they had to go get the AWOL couple from the Plebs.
"Of course I'm for real," Melissa pinned Tim with a scathing glare. "You think I just say shit for the sake of saying it? If I say it's gonna happen it will happen. But it comes at a price."
"Shit!" Tim lamented. "If I'da known it was gonna cost money I'da gone with Pete to the whorehouse."
"No money involved," Melissa said, still scowling at Tim. "This isn't a fucking brothel. Nothing's for free though and before any partying goes on..."
'Here we go' Corey told himself wishing desperately that rescuing the girls could come after the partying.
"Before that happens you three boys have to do something for us."
"Name it," spoke Tim before Corey or Lee could open their mouths.
"Hell you're keen arentcha?" Melissa couldn't suppress a laugh. "It's quite simple really. We need you to go get our girls back from the Plebs."
"What the fuck are the Plebs?" Asked Tim.
"They're a bunch of creatures who live off in the woods, forever giving us grief." Desiree said quietly. "They're always stealing stuff off us and we usually have to trade with them to get it back. Or steal something from them. This time they've taken Tasha and Erica."
"Fuck!" Tim marveled. "I'm not sure I like the sound of this. Freaks kidnapping people and whatnot. Sounds dangerous."
"It isn't dangerous." Melissa retorted, but Corey gazing closely at her thought he detected a shifty look in her eyes which indicated that she scarcely believed what she was saying.
Desiree meanwhile stared steadfastly at the ground, refusing to look Corey in the eye, an act which further convinced him that Melissa was asking a giant ask of them.
"You just have to trade with them. That's how they work."
"Shit, what could they want?" Tim said. "They have two girls, I'd be happy with that. What's gonna be better?"
"Your pot." Melissa said. "They love the stuff, but they're too stupid to grow their own. Show them one little joint and they'll be ecstatic. They'd trade their families for it."
Eyes went to Lee for he was master of the marijuana and although Tim was nodding now, placated by the fact that pot was a handy item of trade, Lee looked a fraction concerned.
"I'm not saying give it all to them," Melissa attempted to allay Lee's fears. "Hell no, just a little bit you know. Leave what you want to keep here with us. Unless you don't trust us..."
Corey was itching to get this irritating mission over and done with, figuring if pot would do the trick Melissa was probably right and no danger would be involved.
On the other hand if Lee continued procrastinating all night and finally decided he couldn't part with any of his gear maybe the danger would occur before they even left the camp.
Desiree had of course warned him that Melissa wouldn't take kindly to it if the threesome refused to do as she asked.
They were stuck between a rock and a hard place and it was really their own stupid faults for foolishly accompanying the women in the first instance.
"C'mon Lee, hand it over and let's take the rest to these Lebs so we can get back and party on, dog," Tim coerced his mate.
"Yeah alright, but answer me one question." Lee directed at Melissa. "Why do we have to go if you girls know these people?"
"Because I say so," Melissa replied bluntly. "You want to fool around with us, just do us a little favour."
"She's just messing with you," said Raven's twin. "The Plebs aren't used to seeing men. With a bit of luck you might just scare them into letting our girls go without having to trade."
"In that case if we're planning to look scary, can I take that pistol?" Tim asked, indicating the gun jammed in Melissa's belt. "For appearances sake."
"Not on your life buddy. But you can take this."
Melissa unclasped the sheath containing her knife from her belt and handed the holstered weapon to him, eliciting a howl of pleasure from the big man.
"Do I get something too?" Asked Lee.
"And me," Corey chipped in, though the whole concept of carrying weapons up to those mysterious girl-nappers seemed to ring ominous volumes about the mission.
"Shit, you aren't going to war," Melissa said, though she said it with the same kind of shifty tone which was lurking in her eyes earlier, as if they really were going blindly into some bizarre battle zone.
"Here." Desiree presented Corey with a nifty little hatchet; where she'd withdrawn it from he had no idea. "Take this."
One of the other girls had given Lee a hunting knife and he turned it over and over in his hands as if he too was debating the elements of foolishness he and his friends had fallen into.
"We ready?" Tim asked as Lee doled out the gear he wanted to keep to Desiree. "And second question, where the fuck do we find these Lebs?"
"Plebs." Desiree corrected. "Not Lebs, they aren't Lebanese, They're Plebs. Plebians."
"Same thing innit?"
"Hardly," murmured Desiree as if to say approaching a pack of doped up Lebanese hoodlums might have been a better option.
At least Corey took it that way, and it began to chill his blood if he dove too deep into cogitations about it.
Tim however seemed raring to go and his exuberant ebullience buoyed Corey a bit.
How hard could it be really? Find the Plebs, offer them some pot in return for the two girls, get the girls and come back.
Having the razor-sharp hand axe in his mitts reminded him of something his school teacher had said to him after catching him carrying a pocketknife at age fourteen, something along the lines of 'people carrying weapons end up getting themselves hurt' or a similar kind of warning.
Well this was a little more deadly than a pocketknife this hatchet he had now, so if his teachers warning rang true there could be a whole world of hurt lined up for Corey and co.
Corey hoped not. He was anticipating returning from the mission successful and alive.
Lost in his world Corey hardly realised Melissa was issuing directions to Tim on how to get to the Pleb place and, by the time he'd snapped out of it, she was done and he was none the wiser.
At least Tim and Lee knew where they were headed because he hadn't a clue.
"Okay boys, time to hit the trail," Melissa said. "Do us proud."
"Certainly will," Tim said with a confidence Corey didn't share as Blaise gave the big fellow a tight embrace.
"Remember what's waiting for you here," said Blaise cheekily and Tim gave her a gentle slap on the ass.
"How could I forget?” he said.
Desiree stepped to Corey and flung her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.
"Be careful," she whispered in his ear. "Very careful. But don't worry, I won't be far behind you."
"What? But...what are you...?"
"Ssshh!" She hushed him by clamping her mouth over his.
When she released him she handed him his beanie, dry now from its close proximity to the fire.
He took it with a grateful nod, replacing it on his head, gazing deep into her eyes, attempting to read something, wondering what she'd meant.
Her eyes were inscrutable, she gave nothing away.
Whatever she was talking about she wasn't about to explain.
Lee stood looking forlorn until one of the other girls, a blonde with pigtails, jumped up and elected to hug him, considering he, the guy with the bargaining chips, seemed not to be attached to anyone.
The grin which blossomed on his features was priceless.
"C'mon amigos," Tim the fearless leader commanded. "Let's bring these ladies home."
A cheer followed the trio as they departed the camp, wandering out of the circle.
"Here!" Melissa suddenly shouted. "Take this!"
She hurled a flashlight at them which Corey managed to clumsily fumble and then secure in a one handed grip.
He waved it and then trailed off after his departing companions.
Glancing back furtively over his shoulder for one last glimpse of Desiree, he saw to his consternation that she and Blaise were no longer there.
Puzzled he trotted up to join Tim and Lee.
"What do you guys make of this? He asked.
"Of what?"
"This expedition. Going to trade pot with some backwoods weirdoes for two girls they've kidnapped as an alleged 'joke'?" Corey said. "You suspicious at all?"
"Yes." Said Lee
"No." Said Tim. "Let me tell you this Corey. That Blaise is one hot little fox and she is into me big time. If she says go help out our friends I'm gonna do that 'cause I know I'm in for some good loving tonight and I couldn't be happier. Hell you should be too man. That piece you've got is the finest of the fine. Don't tell me you wouldn't do this for her."
"Well..."
"Don't go bugging out on me Corey. We're in big time with these babes and there's millions of 'em. We could have like five each or more and all we have to do is this one simple little task for 'em. I'm gonna do it man."
"You believe Melissa?" Corey persisted. He wanted Desiree like he'd never wanted anything in his entire life, but the whole idea of the boys doing the hard yards seemed a fraction odd. "You believe that she and her whole crew are gonna strip off and start dancing around in G-strings when we get back with the others?"
"To be honest with you Corey," Tim said. "I couldn't really care one way or the other. I'd love to see the likes of Melissa and your babe Desdemona or whatever her name is getting their kit off and strutting around, but if they don't I'm not fazed.
I got Blaise waiting for me and I know I'm gonna see a lot more of her, that much is guaranteed. She's hot for me and that's really all I need. Anything else is just a bonus you know."
"Well if you're on such a sure thing why are you even bothering to do this?"
"Because it isn't such a sure thing if I don't," Tim reasoned. "If I say fuck it, I'm not helping y'all, Blaise will just be like well fuck off then boy you get nothing from me."
"I see," said Lee.
"See boys, I wasn't expecting to get laid tonight," continued Tim "Not after we left the club and ended up breaking shit like drunken fools along the street. Then we meet these babes and things are looking mighty promising. So let's just do this one little thing and we could a
ll be hitting some sweet ass tonight. And let me warn you, if either of you punk out and ruin things for me, consequences will be dire, mates or no mates. 'Cause mates don't fuck up each others chances of scoring, you hear me?"
"I hear you," Corey muttered.
It was one thing to fear imagined threats and dangers, but a threat from big burly Tim Hayworth was a real threat and one Corey knew enough to take heed of.
Though the three of them had been friends for eternity, Corey didn't doubt Tim would floor either he or Lee in an instant if they 'punked out' so to speak and ruined his chances with the delectable and mischievous Blaise.
Really Corey supposed he couldn't blame him, who wouldn't like a chance with scoring with almost any of these gorgeous gothic girls especially on a night when the trio virtually resigned themselves to the reality that none of them would be scoring with anything.
Now that chances had increased and hope reared its unlikely head, Corey guessed Tim was going to do everything in his power to maximise his opportunities.
"Nobody's punking out Tim," said Lee. "We're all in this together."
"We better be," Tim warned, though his mood lightened now realising neither of his mates were going to abandon him at this crucial moment.
"Where is this place we're going anyway?" Asked Corey. "I wasn't really paying attention."
"Too busy perving on that sexy bitch of yours hey?"
"Easy on the bitch talk. I don't go calling your girl a bitch. The bitch is Raven."
"Yeah, sure, sorry. True enough, that black chick is a right bitch isn't she? She don't like you at all hey? Corny?"
"Don't you fucking start." Corey said. "Anyhow, tell me, where do these Plebs live?"
"Right up that hill." Lee pointed ahead through a break in the trees where a towering hill rested dark and misshapen against the moonlit plane of the sky. "That's what Melissa said. On top of the hill."
"Hillbillies hey?" Tim interjected.
"Shit, so we have to climb a fucking hill too? I'da rather gone to the gym for all this exercise I'm getting."
"Your bit...your girl will thank you later."
"Funny, she said she would too," Corey blurted out before thinking of the words that were leaving his mouth. He cursed himself silently, but nobody gave him any grief about it.
