Jose smacked himself in the head as he thought of their money shortage; duh. He only needed to blowtorch off a couple pounds of the gold and they would be rich. He could stop sweating. At $5,500 an ounce, even two pounds would be worth over $176,000. And he estimated the gold tree house must weigh over 2,000 pounds; maybe more; holy shit. After doing the rough math, he felt he would wet his pants from shock; and a sizable amount of fright. Could they get in trouble with the government? Would they try to take the gold away from them?
Did they need to explain where they got the gold? Maybe they should just sell a little at a time. But even a little would be noticeable. The government will take their half, no matter what. Maybe they won’t question where it came from as long as they got their share. Jose realized he needed to talk to Abby about this. But they already had a lot on their plate dealing with Echo and the changes. He didn’t want to flip her out and push her over the edge with new problems. After all, he and Scotty had years to get used to the idea. Jose took a deep breath. His head spun with exciting possibilities and confusing ramifications.
In the back of his mind … way, way back, a small nagging worry began to grow; Tomas and Armoni. He still couldn’t figure out if they would develop into a problem. He hoped Abby wouldn’t become an issue with Tomas. What about Mama Diaz and the girls? He knew he must go after them and bring them back. Hmm, bring them back. A fabulous idea just occurred to him. The more he thought about his idea, the more he realized what a super solution it could be. But they must accomplish so much before he could even broach his idea to Scotty and Abby. And of course Echo. That could be his big stumbling block right there. Sighing, he pushed their shopping cart up to the register. He helped Scotty unload their purchases, grimacing at the pile of equipment. But behind his sunglasses, a tiny pinprick of rainbow light pulsed, giving his mouth the suggestion of a smile.
###
As Jose and Scotty wheeled their purchases out of the store, they passed by a huge heap of bagged garden soil stacked halfway up the wall. They failed to notice a stubby, bandy legged man with a dirty plaid cap pulled down over his face. He leaned with his back on one of the bags of garden soil, seemingly in a doze. As Jose and Scotty passed by, Armoni twitched. A minute passed. He slowly rose and pushed his cap to the back of his head, his eyes following the backs of Jose and Scotty as they made their way to Jose’s car and loaded their purchases. Armoni slowly chewed a tobacco wad, his teeth stained with the vile juices that leaked out the corners of his mouth, landing on his shirt. Casually, he made his way to a parked white Volkswagen, spitting a wad on the pavement. He slid behind the wheel and pulled out in front of Jose and Scotty as they continued to stack their purchases. With a salute in his rear view mirror, he calmly pulled out of the parking lot and sped down the road.
###
Jose finished loading the equipment, his anxious mind already on painting the treehouse. Jose paused as he pulled up behind a white Volkswagen blocking his way. The driver made a gesture in the car then pulled away. Jose turned the car in the other direction and hurried home.
Chapter 10
Katie just finished celebrating her seventeenth birthday. She knew she rated about a four on the pretty girl meter. Her tree trunk legs and round plain Irish face accentuated her stout figure. Not surprisingly, she longed to be kissed by a boy. She used to worry about that fact, all the time. But that was in the past. Ironically, it was the very reason she now hovered on the verge of death.
Her weakness debilitated her to the extent she no longer registered her surroundings. She couldn’t even summon the strength to fight her captors. Time in the basement passed in a confused kaleidoscope of pain and abuse for over a month; possibly longer. She found herself still strapped to the same table they strapped her to so long ago. The day she fell like a foolish eager moth into their psychotic web.
Six months ago, she felt flattered when Kelly and Tomas started to pay attention to her. Kelly was a few years older and so pretty. They worked together in a popular seafood diner downtown. She made a few bucks bussing tables for the cocktail waitresses after school. She knew Tomas liked to watch her from the bar as he mixed drinks for Kelly and her customers. She thought Tomas liked her. His sexiness made her heart race as he cornered her in the kitchen, pressing his leg into her hips, brushing his lips against her ears, telling her how much he wanted to be with her. She dreamed about the first time she would let him kiss her. She would fantasize about it all day in class while she neglected her assignment. Her face would burn with shame as she remembered Tomas’s insistence that they keep their feelings a secret. All the time, he and Kelly laughed behind her back.
When Tomas asked her in to his house the night he offered to give her a lift home after work, she almost dropped the tray she carried. After work, she flew to his little white car, flopping eagerly into the front seat. Her excitement rose as he induced her into stopping by his house before he took her home. Her enthusiasm slipped as he pulled up to little more than a shack in the woods outside town. He swept her inside before she could protest, passing through the tiny living room to a filthy kitchen. He pointed to a scuffed chipboard door in front of him, claiming his apartment was in the basement. Katie felt a stirring of anticipation as he took her arm, stroking it softly. He opened the door and turned on the light.
Descending, he told her to shut her eyes, a surprise awaited her. Carefully helping her navigate the stairs, he murmured in her ear; telling her how long he spent dreaming of this moment. He led her over to the table she was now chained to. He told her to sit, but not to open her eyes. Slowly his hand caressed her flat and undefined breast. She blushed, so giddy with excitement that she didn’t even feel the pinprick of the needle as Kelly, who had been hiding in the dark basement shadows, plunged a disabling chemical into her bloodstream.
As she woke, she found she couldn’t move. She felt groggy and her vision fought in vain to focus. Where the heck was she? She didn’t recognize the ceiling tiles over her head. Or the exposed pipes that ran under the tiles. Huh? She ran her tongue around her mouth, feeling the gummy dryness catch in her throat, preventing her from swallowing. Gagging, she tried to identify the strange taste in her mouth. It tasted like she imagined a bad oyster would taste. Like dog shit. Slowly, the realization that she was restrained sank in. Straining her eyes, she tried harder to focus, softy calling for Tomas. Was he tied up too?
Little by little her vision started to clear. An image appeared at the end of the table near her feet. She tried, but couldn’t make it out. Pushing her bleary eyes to focus, she realized her restraints were actually chains, spreading her feet wide. She couldn’t look down but it felt like she no longer wore her skirt and panties. Her bottom felt exposed from underneath, as if positioned over a cutout in the hard table, edges cutting into the substantial flesh of her wide bottom.
“Well, hello there.” A voice … hard and rasping, trying at sweetness. Her bleary eyes identified a figure at the end of the table; an oddly shaped man. She couldn’t see his lower body but she could easily ascertain his diminutive stature and large head. He leered at her with stained ugly teeth, moving closer to her head. Close enough for her to smell a heavy stench of body odor rolling off him.
“My name is Lover. We’re all here ta play a game; a game that you’ll come ta love. After we’ve finished the game, Kelly will take ya home, right Kelly?”
“Yes, Lover,” Kelly said, emerging from the shadows of the basement. As she approached the table, Katie spotted a knife in her hands. Kelly languidly caressed the knife, her attention focused on Katie. Katie’s heart thumped wildly.
“What the hell is going on here? Let me up, right now. Where’s Tomas?” She felt the panic rising in her throat. Her voice cracked, her lips looking for moisture.
“Here ya are, babe.” The man inched closer, a bottle of water held in his hand. She eyed it gratefully, her hands straining in her chains, trying to reach out for the water.
“Not so fast, babe, let me.” Sli
pping his hands under her neck he poured water into her mouth. She choked and gagged. The odor of the man overwhelmed her, yet she needed the water. Gasping for breath, she glanced at Kelly who stood unmoving, seemingly riveted to the scene playing out in front of her.
“Ok, little girl, it’s time to reward me for my generosity.” She looked at the little man, noticing his inordinately large muscular arms. Kelly stepped forward, handing the shiny knife to the little man. Her adrenalin shot through her head, paralyzing her with fear. The man took the knife and delicately slit the front of her shirt down the front, exposing her bra. He next slit the front of her bra, the ends folding to the side, exposing her flat breasts.
“Please, I need to go home now,” she managed to squeak out. “Kelly, can you take me home?” Kelly let out a tinny laugh that froze Katie to her core. Suddenly, the room crackled with silence. Breaking the ominous quietude, she clearly heard the sound of a zipper slowly moving down its track, followed by the sound of pants dropping to the floor. She glanced again at Kelly, her face beseeching her for help. Her voice died meekly on her cracked lips as Kelly’s eager look, eyes glassy with anticipation, left her with little hope.
Events happened quickly. The little man straddled her with his stubby hairy legs, his penis erect and angry, forcing its way into her tender virgin flesh. She screamed in shock and pain. Kelly reached over, slapping her face. The little man pumped up and down, his face contorted with pleasure, his cock a devouring branding iron on her innocent flesh.
“Call my name, little girl. Call my name.” He was shouting in ecstasy. Kelly slapped her again.
“Call his name you stupid bitch,” she said.
“His name … I don’t know his name,” she screamed, her childish voice breaking, tears flowing down her flushed cheeks. “Lover, yes Lover,” she suddenly remembered.
“That’s my girl. You know this game, don’t you? I bet Tomas slipped it to you didn’t he. You love this, don’t you? You’re just a slut like all the others, aren’t you? Answer me!”
“Yes Lover, yes, Lover,” she said after another slap from Kelly. It went on and on; a slap from Kelly and the required words to the little man. Kelly’s slap soon changed to punches, her required words to whispers and slurring. Her lips turned black and blue; her thighs, slippery with blood. And yet the little man did not stop, he just kept banging away and Kelly kept punching her.
And right before she passed out, there … yes, there in the shadows, she could just make out Tomas; his nakedness glowing in the dim light. His engorged penis glistened, fully erect as he watched the rape, his hand fondling his treasure as his greasy face reflected a picture of exquisite pleasure. Katie’s eyes rolled back in her head and she was gone.
Waking the next day, she noticed her body was still shackled and protesting, her muscles screaming in pain. She ignored the terror from her rape, not willing to think about it. If she did, she might start to cry and she felt bad enough. Hunger pangs consumed her. Maybe she could convince one of them to give her some food. Then she could concentrate on trying to get out of here. They could not keep her forever. She would make sure they paid for this after she told her mother.
Maybe Tomas would come to regret his part in what happened. He originally liked her, after all. Straining, she noticed the basement door at the top of the stairs was cracked open. The quiet was pierced by the sound of murmuring as she noticed a sliver of light. Suddenly, she heard shouting. Another voice, quite angry; an unfamiliar voice.
Maybe this was her chance. She began to scream for help.
“Help me, please help me. Help! Please someone, help me.” She screamed over and over. Her voice got weaker and weaker. She soon gave up as the angry voices receded. Trembling, she wondered if they heard her or if she had made her situation worse.
###
Time ticked slowly. Before long, the basement door opened wider and the three of them came down the steps, Kelly holding some kind of cage. She lifted it up over Katie’s table bed, hooking it to the ceiling, leaving it covered. The little man came over to Katie and dumped some water on her face. Frantically, she tried to catch some of the moisture with her tongue. She noticed Tomas stayed in the background, silent and watching. The inevitable sound of the descending zipper drew her attention back to the little man.
“Noooo, please not again. I’ll do anything,” she whimpered as the man climbed on top of her.
“Shut your trap, bitch. Did ya think your screaming was gonna git by us? I think ya need ta be taught how ta behave, don’t ya?” Plunging into her agonizing swollen flesh he raped her again. Pulling his penis out of her, he saw she was non-responsive. Slapping her face until her eyes focused from the sharp bite of the pain, he bent down to her face, his breath reeking of garlic and tobacco. Katie couldn’t help it, she heaved all over herself, her vomit spraying the little man, almost choking her. He pulled back in disgust, nodding to Kelly.
Kelly stepped over to Katie’s table, a shiny meat cleaver in her hand.
“Nooo, please, why are you doing this to me?” she whimpered, losing control of her urine, her eyes following every move of the meat cleaver. She was so engrossed, she completly missed Kelly’s other hand shooting out with the syringe until she felt the sting, prompting her to fall mercifully asleep.
###
“Hey, Kelso, what little trinket ya after this time?” Armoni giggled; his eyes eager. When she ignored him in her absorption with the task in front of her, he started to whine. “Why don’t ya bring me one a those skinny stuck up bitches. Why’s it always gotta be a fat ugly one; takes all the fun out’a it?”
“All the fun? I doubt it,” Tomas said disgustedly. Swift as a jack rabbit, Armoni snared Tomas’s throat in his meaty hand, backing him up against the wall.
“What’d you say there boy? Ya got somethin’ ta complain ‘bout? Any time you want out, you jis say so. Me an’ Kelso here can handle this on our own. Jis like we can handle lil ole Miss Abby on our own. I sure would like to put it to her.” Tomas squirmed in Armoni’s hand, trying to speak. Armoni farted, releasing him just as suddenly. Slapping Tomas on the back, he laughed. “Come on boy, I’m jis jiving with ya. When the time comes, she’s all yours. I’ll even keep Kelly off a her for ya. You know I’m jis after the kid’s gold coin ya say he’s got in the house. I’m jis waitin’ for the right time. Now shut yer mouth and let’s have some fun till then.”
Slapping Tomas up alongside the head, he moved back to the table to monitor how far along Kelly was.
He could see she made nice progress. Her work truly was a talent, her results artwork. How many people could make these savage cuts without the victim bleeding to death? She collected all of her trophies in a wooden bowl and took them upstairs. Armoni knew what she planned, but it would have to wait for tomorrow. He felt exhausted; all that fancy detective work he undertook the last few days.
He wondered what those three over on Lily Pond Road were up to. Well, he would find out soon enough. If he couldn’t discover it on his own, he would let Kelly employ her favorite knife, after he had his own fun with the stuck up bitch first. He laughed to himself, thinking of his promise to Tomas. Oh well, he would make it up to him. Or not, he cackled to himself, climbing up the stairs, Tomas following close behind.
###
Katie’s body flamed with pain. So did her throat. She must get something to drink, her discomfort acute. And she was faint from hunger. She just lay there on the table, suffering. She tried to think about her mother and her father. They must be frantic with worry. Tears trickled down her face as she thought of how she must have disappointed them. Her pain screamed for her attention. She wondered what time it was. As much as she needed her captors to feed her, she knew their presence would mean more pain. She tried to distract herself and failed. She tried to doze. The pain took over again. It was a vicious circle. No matter what she thought about, she felt only the pain.
Finally. Was someone stirring overhead? She heard pots and pans. Dare she hope? In p
assing, she realized they hadn’t beaten her completely down, yet. Would that time come? Would they let her go home? Was she ready to die? No. She just wanted to eat and have the pain stop. The kitchen door cracked open. She heard steps descending down the stairs. She could smell food! Opening her eyes, she saw Kelly standing over her, a frying pan in her hands.
“I have something for you to eat. I am going to lift your head and feed you.”
“Can’t you unlock my hand?” Katie whispered painfully. Kelly ignored the question and spooned the food in, occasionally giving her a sip of water. Katie tried to place the flavor of the food, but gave up. Who cares? She was just grateful to Kelly for feeding her. She noticed a very bad smell of feces. Remembering the cutout in the table she realized what it was for. It was her; her own feces. She felt her stomach rebel. She tried to keep it down but up it came. Kelly furiously pounded the side of the table with the frying pan.
“Oh, you don’t like my cooking? You have no one to blame but yourself.” And she dumped the rest of the food on Katie’s face. “What, you don’t like toe jam?” Laughing loudly, she picked up one of Katie’s arms showing her the end of her hand. She dropped the arm and picked up her leg. A leg that was taped but clearly missing its toes just like her hand was missing her fingers. Not comprehending, Katie’s face remained blank. Kelly picked up some of the food on Katie’s neck with the spoon and pretended to munch on it, making sloppy noises. As Katie’s face showed a slow dawning of horror, Kelly scampered up the staircase to the sound of more vomiting and choking.
Echo Page 9
