The Collectors: Revenge Becomes Her

by Hargrove Perth

  Jonathan sat quietly on the couch and barely uttered a word as the next hour passed. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and the horrible fate she was meeting at Greg’s hands behind the closed door and how helpless he felt. Jonathan finally stood and looked at Bill.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” Jonathan said as he turned away from Bill to go to his room.

  Jonathan stopped as he saw Greg emerge from the bedroom and pick up the bag of lingerie he had purchased and disappeared back into the room. Jonathan cringed as the hinges of the door creaked as Greg closed the door. Perhaps what he dreaded most was what he knew to be an inevitable truth. He would not be able to avoid the young women Greg had kidnapped for much longer and soon he too would have to commit rape if he wanted to leave the cabin alive.

  Jonathan stopped in front of his bedroom door as he heard her cry out in pain.

  “You’ll feel better tomorrow,” Jack said.

  “I doubt that,” Jonathan whispered as he pushed the door to his room open.

  Jonathan sat on the end of his bed for nearly an hour. He could hear every detail of what Greg was doing to her in the room next to his, and worse yet, he could hear her screams even more clearly.

  Finally, all was quiet and her screams had finally stopped. Jonathan fell backwards onto the bed. He stared out the window as he heard the young woman begin to cry. It was going to be a long and difficult night, and Jonathan knew as he lay there, that sleep was not going to come easy, if at all.

  When the early morning sun began to stream through the window, Jonathan was still lying on his side staring at the wall. It would be a generous assumption to say that he had slept at all. No matter how hard he tried, Jonathan couldn’t stop thinking about her and how this was his fault. If only he hadn’t said he thought she was pretty. If only he hadn’t responded to Greg’s email, the woman in the room next to him wouldn’t even be here.

  Jonathan picked his clothes up off the floor and walked to the bathroom. He turned on the water in the shower and pulled back the curtain. As Jonathan stood in the shower with his hands against the shower wall, he allowed the hot water to run down his back. He knew his options were limited and his choices were practically non-existent.

  Jonathan turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He pulled back the shower curtain to see Greg leaning against the sink.

  “You’re up first thing this morning Jonathan,” Greg said smiling. Jonathan knew Greg didn’t mean he was the first one out of bed.

  “No.”

  “Maybe you don’t understand, Jonathan. No is not an option. You will go in that room, and you will fuck her.”

  “I said no, Greg. I really don’t care anymore. If you and James feel the need to kill me because I won’t play your little game, then just do it.”

  Greg grabbed Jonathan by the face and slammed his head into the mirror behind him so hard it shattered. Blood ran down the back of Jonathan’s head and then his shoulder as Greg continued to hold Jonathan by the throat.

  “You just don’t get it, do you?” Greg yelled as he shoved Jonathan again.

  “Obviously I don’t!” Jonathan shouted back.

  Jack came into the bathroom when he heard the screaming and saw Jonathan’s back covered in blood. Jack picked up a washcloth and stuck it in Jonathan’s hand as he instructed him to put pressure on the wound.

  Jack returned with a surgical needle, some thread, and pulled the washcloth out of Jonathan’s hand so he could see how deep the cut was. Greg stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the door.

  “You have got to stop provoking him. You are only making it worse,” Jack said as he threaded the needle.

  “I really don’t care if I am pissing him off. Right now that should be the least of anyone’s worries.”

  Jonathan winced as Jack began to suture the gash on the back of his head. A few stitches were about to be the least of Jonathan’s worries.

  Chapter Four

  No Longer Nameless

  Jonathan felt the stitches on the back of his head after Jack had finished tying off the last stitch. Greg’s outbursts toward him were becoming increasingly violent. Greg had never been this way when they were in college. It seemed to Jonathan that Greg had changed so much since they had graduated. As Jonathan held the washcloth against his head, he began to wonder if it was merely that he overlooked Greg’s behavior in college because of their friendship. Maybe this side of Greg had been lurking beneath the surface all along and Jonathan just did not want to see the truth.

  As Jonathan began to relive the events of the past few days, he knew the warning signs had been there and that he had refused to acknowledge them. The constant stream of ever-changing girlfriends, and his father’s willingness to bail Greg out of trouble, should have been the only warning Jonathan needed.

  “You need to put some ice on this for at least an hour,” Jack said as he washed his hands. Jack left Jonathan alone as he dressed.

  Jonathan was careful as he slid his tee-shirt on over his head to not pull on the stitches. By the amount of blood on the bathroom floor, Jonathan was sure that the gash had been not only deep but also long. He pulled on his jeans and went to the kitchen to get ice.

  Jack and Bill were sitting at the dining room table eating breakfast when Jonathan went to the kitchen. James and Greg had cooked breakfast earlier in the morning before they left to go fishing. Jonathan poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a plate off the counter. He fixed himself a plate of eggs and buttered a piece of toast.

  “Where are the glasses?” Jonathan asked.

  “In the door above the sink,” Jack replied.

  Jonathan opened the cupboard door and looked for the biggest glass he could find. He filled it with ice and ran the water in the sink until it was cold. Once the glass was full, he set it on the plate next to the eggs and walked around the end of the counter. Jonathan picked up the plate and walked away from Jack and Bill without uttering a single word.

  “Are you too good to eat with us now Jonathan?” Bill asked.

  “It isn’t for me,” Jonathan said as he paused to glare at Bill and Jack.

  Jonathan carried the plate of food to the young woman’s room and opened the door slowly. She was lying in the center of the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest and her face hidden. Jonathan sat the plate down on the nightstand. When he reached for her hands so he could untie her, she instinctively pulled away from him.

  “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. Let me untie your hands so you can eat,” Jonathan whispered as he leaned over her.

  Her eyes were filled with sadness and pain as she looked up at Jonathan and extended her arms toward him. Jonathan pulled the blanket over her naked body before he untied the ropes that bound her wrists.

  Jonathan backed away from the bed and began to remove his shirt. She immediately backed as far away from him as she could until she had wedged herself against the headboard. She pulled the blanket around her and held it tightly.

  “No, no. I want you to put this on. Okay?” Jonathan said and removed his shirt. He laid it on the edge of the bed and stepped back.

  The young woman stared at Jonathan with a certain amount of distrust before she finally snatched his shirt from the edge of the bed. She carefully slid the shirt over her in a way that she could keep herself concealed.

  Jonathan could tell she was afraid to eat or drink what he had brought her. He picked up the glass and took a drink of water before handing the glass to her.

  “See, it’s okay.”

  Jonathan held the glass in front of her, and she slowly reached for the glass. She was so thirsty that she choked on the water as she drank it.

  “Hey, slow down. Nothing is going to happen while I am here,” Jonathan whispered and took the glass from her. He took the glass to the sink and refilled her glass with water.

  Jonathan sat in the chair across from the bed and watched her as she ate. When she was finished eating, she glanced toward the bathroom
as though she thought she needed his approval.

  “Would you like to take a shower?” Jonathan asked. He could only imagine how horrible she felt after having been raped.

  She nodded her head, but still would not speak to Jonathan. He knew that taking her out of the room was a risky maneuver on his part, but if what he was planning was going to work, he needed her to trust him. Jonathan also knew that he would have to explain the situation to her.

  “I will have to go with you. I am going to put my arm around your waist to help you to the shower. Okay?”

  She barely shook her head yes, and Jonathan placed his arm around her small waist. She was so small compared to Jonathan. The woman couldn’t have been more than a few inches over five feet in height and barely one hundred and ten pounds. Jonathan paused as he held onto her to open the door.

  They had barely made it a few feet outside the door when Greg returned from fishing.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re taking her?” Greg screamed from the kitchen.

  “I am taking her to the shower, Greg. I won’t let her out of my sight if that is all you are worried about,” Jonathan said snidely.

  Jonathan held her tightly and did not stop to acknowledge the crude comment Greg made about cleaning her up for the next go around. Once they were safely inside the bathroom, Jonathan locked the door.

  Jonathan handed her a towel and sat on the floor against the door while she showered. When she emerged from the shower, Jonathan could see the bruises that covered her petite frame. There was a barely a spot on her body that was not bruised including her neck. Jonathan assumed that Greg must have choked her. He looked at the floor until she put his shirt on.

  Once they were back in the room, she seemed to be a little more relaxed around Jonathan. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor.

  “I am sorry, but I have to re-tie your hands,” he whispered.

  As she held her hands out for Jonathan, it was all he could do to hold back his tears. He tied the ropes more loosely than Greg had, so it would not be as painful. She lay down on the bed, and Jonathan pulled the blanket over her. Jonathan paused at the door as he stood there with his hand on the doorknob. If only he could stay with her. If only there was some way for him to keep her safe.

  “Please don’t go,” she whispered.

  Jonathan pulled his hand away from the doorknob. He hung his head as he contemplated what he should do. Jonathan finally sat down on the edge of the bed next to her until she fell asleep. Jonathan moved to the corner of the room and sat on the floor once he felt she was sleeping soundly enough that he wouldn’t wake her. Jonathan fell asleep as he leaned against the corner. It was the first sound sleep Jonathan had been able to get since he had met Greg three nights ago.

  When Jonathan awoke three hours later, she was laying on her side watching him.

  “How long have you been awake?” Jonathan asked.

  She continued to look at Jonathan for several minutes before she answered him, but what she said was not what he expected.

  “Are those men your friends?” she asked.

  “They used to be but they aren’t anymore.”

  “Why are they doing this to me?” she asked and then began to cry.

  Jonathan did not know if comforting her was the right thing to do. He did not want her to be afraid if he touched her, but Jonathan also could not stand to see her cry. She was terrified and her fear was not un-warranted. He sat next to her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She sobbed so heavily Jonathan thought she would not be able to catch her breath.

  “My name is Jonathan,” he whispered. “I am so sorry.”

  He meant it when he told her that he was sorry. The burden of Jonathan’s guilt weighed heavily upon him as he held her. There had to be something he could do, he just did not know what even though he wanted to wisp her away to safety somehow.

  “Why don’t you try to get a little sleep. I will stay here with you. I promise,” Jonathan whispered.

  She was reluctant to let go of Jonathan. He made her feel safe, and for some reason she could not explain, she was not afraid of him.

  Jonathan sat on the floor again as she laid down.

  “My name is Jane,” she whispered before she closed her eyes. “May I ask you how long you have been friends with them?”

  “I have known Greg nearly my entire life, same way with Bill. I met Jack in college. Why do you ask?”

  “I was just trying to understand why someone like you would be friends with men like that.”

  It was the last thing she said to Jonathan before she went to sleep. The truth was Jonathan was nothing like his friends, especially now. He understood Greg better than the others did, or at least there was a time when he did. Greg was always self-centered and the world revolved around him, whatever made Greg feel good at the time was all that had ever mattered.

  Jack had fallen in with Greg in college, and now that Jonathan had time to reflect on the past, he could see that Jack had been more like Greg than he had been willing to accept. It was little wonder that Jack was so deeply involved in Greg’s shady little secret. In all the years Jonathan had known them, he never could have thought they would do anything like human trafficking and murder, especially since Jack was married.

  Greg had said this was a lucrative operation. Jonathan wondered just how much money Greg had made since college. The lure of money was an easy way to become corrupted. Jonathan had seen it a million times over at the law firm. He also knew that if he was going to survive this little outing with his friends, Jonathan was going to have to do what they wanted.

  Jonathan leaned against the wall and contemplated his options for nearly an hour as Jane slept before he decided to join his friends in the other room. He knew he had limited choices, and if he wanted to get out of the cabin alive, his chances would be better if he succumbed to Greg’s will.

  Jonathan went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of bourbon before he opened the door to the deck and joined Greg who was leaning against the railing.

  “We need to talk,” Jonathan said as he swirled the bourbon around in his glass.

  “About what? Are you planning on flaking out on me again?”

  “About what you are doing here, all this,” Jonathan gestured.

  “Why the sudden interest Jonathan? A few hours ago you couldn’t wait to be out of here.”

  “Maybe I want in,” Jonathan replied coldly.

  “You,” Greg said and began laughing. “Little Mr. Proper wants in?”

  “Look Greg, once I get past the whole rape thing, I’ll be fine. The reality is, I am not a partner yet at the firm. Until I make partner, my funds are limited. I want to know what my cut would be if I became your partner.”

  “Sometimes, Masby, even you surprise me.” Greg turned to walk down the stairs and Jonathan quickly followed him.

  Greg did not say much as he walked toward the lake. Jonathan wanting to be a partner shocked him a little bit. The one truth Greg could count on was the fact that Jonathan was not a good liar. He never had been. If Jonathan did not really want a cut of the profits, Greg would know. Greg stopped when they reached the middle of the field.

  “How far are you willing to go to be a partner Jonathan? What would you be willing to do?” Greg was trying to assess Jonathan, and Jonathan knew it.

  “Depends,” Jonathan replied as he lit a cigarette.

  “Depends on what Jonathan? Quit beating around the damn bush and answer the fucking question.”

  “It depends on my cut, Greg. All I care about is the money, and I would prefer to be the silent partner, if you get my drift. I cannot come up here as often as you, so my interests may sometimes have to be from afar.”

  “Let me explain how it works now, and how it could work, if you are willing to do what I ask.”

  Jonathan followed Greg to the dock and sat down, waiting for Greg to give him the details.

  “James and I are partners. He trusts me, thoug
h I am not sure why. I own half of his business interests including this property. Our split on the take, though, Jonny boy, is not so favorable. Right now, I am only getting thirty-five percent. Depending on what a client wants, we might get anywhere from ten grand to fifty grand for a single girl. They just want to keep her up here, and tag her for a few days, it’s cheaper. They want to say, maybe keep her for a couple of weeks the price goes up. They want the opportunity to be set up for a little bondage and torture, they pay more and the same applies for hunting.”

  “Why the increase?” Jonathan asked.

  “Requires more care, more setup, more props. I accommodate their needs, then they pay me more. The thing is, Jonathan, I run the show, whereas James is just along for the ride. I need a partner, a real partner, and in order for that to happen, I need James out of the picture. You get what I am saying?”

  “Yeah, I am beginning to get the picture.”

  “Good. You kill James, I get a partner I can trust, and you, dear Jonathan, you get fifty percent.” Greg skipped a rock across the surface of the water.

  “So how often do you do this? I kind of need to know so I get the time off.”

  “Shit, I would do it as often as I could, but being that we only have this place right now, we only set up gigs like this one about six times a year, which is why James gets a higher percentage. It is his place after all. Sometimes I drive the whole way to Vegas to find a broad. I have to watch where we take them from, can’t have too many girls disappear from the same area.”

  “What do you do with them afterwards? I hope they aren’t on the property.”

  “Some of them are here, but that’s what the lime is for. The rest of them get dumped somewhere and end up on the news.” Greg laughed and Jonathan tried to maintain his composure.

  “When do you want this done?”

  “What?”

  “The elimination of your business partner, what the hell did you think I meant?” Jonathan was being crass.

  “You are serious, aren’t you?”

  “I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

  “Well then, Jonathan, I will leave that up to you.”