by J. C. Cliff
“My women will be spread worldwide, and like vampires in the night, we will hit the streets, stalking our prey. We will suck the testosterone right out of their baggy balls, rendering them useless creatures,” I threaten with conviction.
Travis’ body shakes harder, silently laughing, but Jared bursts out with a guffaw, folding forward to place his hands on his knees. “My God, I can see why Nick wants you,” he says, shaking his head. “Not only are you smart and beautiful, but you’re a spitfire, full of life, and have a fertile and vivid imagination to boot.”
“Who says I’m joking?” My face is full-on serious, and I’m breathing angrily. “I don’t see the funny. I wonder how you would feel if the situation was reversed.”
“Yeah, good luck with that one.” Jared grins, entertained as he leans back against the counter again, crossing his arms. “I’m sure many men have fantasized being taken by hot babes and forced into all the free and kinky sex they could stand.”
I scoff. “I guaran-damn-tee there are more women than not who would want nothing more than to render men’s dicks useless. Hell, I’d manufacture it and give it away for free!”
“Yeah? Let me know how that works out for you.”
“Oh, believe me, I will. In fact, you’ll be the first to know. I’ll use you the way you’re using me right now. You’ll be my first experimental guinea pig. I’ll have your nerdy, pompous ass chained to a wall.”
“Girl, you are one hell-raising wild cat, aren’t you?” He turns to Travis and says, “I truly see what you mean now, needing to up her dosages. She’s got her own set of balls.”
“Yes, I know. How much longer before this sedative takes effect?”
Jared looks at his watch and replies, “Another seven minutes, give or take. She’s still pretty wound-up, Travis. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather use the restraints?”
I whip my head around to stare Travis down in shocked confusion. He opted to stay on top of my body, to hump me, when he could’ve strapped me down. When it finally dawns on me, his look says everything I need to know. He gives me a sheepish grin, the smug bastard.
Before I have the opportunity to ream Travis out, Jared speaks up, getting down to business. “Are you taking any form of birth control?”
“That’s none of your damn business.”
“No matter,” Jared says, waving his hand and dismissing me, “we’re going to do the shot anyway.”
Shot? “Um, excuse me? I don’t think so.” My body immediately tenses.
“You never know, you may like this one. I have figured a special dose of hormones into your daily medicine. Your system will bypass your monthly menses, allowing your body to have it only once every three months.”
“How generous of you, Jared. Wouldn’t want your willy to wither, not on account of some period blood anyway.” Travis chokes on his breath at my crude remark. “You’ve certainly thought of everything, haven’t you? Down to how often these men can get their dicks wet.”
The sedative is starting to work against me, but I can still feel my anger brewing. I want to throttle Jared’s neck, and I struggle valiantly against Travis. I feel woozy, as if my brain is beginning to separate from my body. I’m slowly losing the battle, and words seem to come out with less force than before. I don’t imagine they will entertain my disorderly conduct and smart mouth for much longer, so I throw one more log on the fire.
“You won’t get away with this!” I scream, using the last of my energy. “You sick, chauvinistic bastards, just wait ’til the police, the FBI, the government, the whoever finds out what you’re doing here. Then I’ll make damn sure your entire crime syndicate is blown to smithereens!”
Travis’ loud, mocking laugh takes me by surprise. He’s been mostly quiet the entire time, until now. “You’re pissing in the wind thinking that will ever happen, sweetheart. The government is a laughable entity, “ he says acidly. “They’re too busy being self-absorbed and living in a fantasy land of their own to give a damn about you. Sex trade is a mere problem that doesn’t exist to them; they would rather turn a blind eye. It would interfere with things that really matter...you know...like spending your hard-earned tax dollars on billion-dollar vacations and passing bills trying to slowly take away your constitutional rights.”
He scoffs at me again. “Those who “buy” women are rarely arrested. There are simply not enough resources to protect the victims. So you see the quandary you’re in now, darlin’? Most Americans assume this trade only happens in third-world countries, when in fact, we keep them right here, hidden in plain sight. From upscale strip clubs to dingy cantinas. It’s everywhere; not to mention, federal prosecution of trafficking literally takes years.”
“My father will find me, and he will take justice into his own hands,” I sneer.
“Yes, well, even if he knew the general vicinity in which you are being held, there is no way he’d be able to get in. This facility doesn’t exist; it can’t even be found on the blueprints. There are only two ways to get in and out of here, and the high-tech building security and manpower are over the top.” Travis shakes his head. “There’s no way in hell he can find you, let alone rescue you. I don’t care if he has a battalion of men behind him; there is simply no way.”
His declaration sucks the wind from my sails, leaving me with an overwhelming sense of loneliness and despair. I refuse to believe my father can’t find a way in, and I also refuse to let Travis see my building panic.
“Why even bother trying to manipulate? Why not just take what you psychos want?” I start to feel my body tremble under Travis’ hold, and my lower lip begins to quiver. “It’s…it’s all just so backwards and sick. It’s all so wrong; you have no right to take the freedom of others.” I feel bile rising up from my stomach again, and I desperately try to tamp it back down.
“Don’t you know you can draw more bees with honey, sweets?” Jared chides. “These men who buy from us, they don’t get off on “broken” girls. Women who are unhealthy, unresponsive, and devoid of emotion do nothing for them.” He turns around and opens a cabinet above the counter, shifting things around. He speaks over his shoulder, “What these men want, they’re willing to pay an exorbitant fee for. They’re either looking for a loyal and submissive slave, or they want a steadfast and committed relationship. They want their women responsive, full of vigor, affectionate, and caring. Their masters hunger for an intense and animated passion that is reciprocal.”
“What the hell ever happened to consensual relationships? It’s pretty pathetic if a man needs to drug a woman to keep her,” I declare as my arms struggle against Travis’ hold. Without moving my head, my eyes shift to him, and I give him an evil glare. I’m sick of being pinned down.
“Yes, well, you’re probably too young to realize this simple fact, but women are difficult creatures to live with.” He chuckles as he finds what he’s looking for in the cabinet, laying items out on the counter. “They’re demanding, insatiable beings whose moods shift like the wind.”
I let out a fake laugh. “Dealing with beasts such as yourself, I can’t imagine why.”
“Men get tired of that shit, and if they’re married, the next likely phase winds up being divorce, the rate being well over fifty percent now,” Jared rambles, ignoring my comment. “These men are tired of the drama and tired of getting taken to the cleaners.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” I murmur and shake my head.
Jared turns around to fully face me and tilts his head. “I’m not talking about taking away your personality, Julianna. I’m talking about you achieving stable subservience, becoming a dutifully-subdued, unassertively-passive, and delightfully-submissive female. Think back to centuries ago, when a woman knew her place. She was made to serve man, but then the women’s rights movement came along and helped make a mess of things.”
“You arrogant asshole!” I shout as caustic anger oozes from my narrowed eyes. “Not everyone wants to live under men’s skewed, rigid rules or their
distorted established order, especially if they have to be drugged in order for it to be enforced!”
Jared sniggers. “Case in point, women have forgotten their place, their role in life, and they’ve never been taught otherwise.” He lifts his eyebrow and points his index finger at me. “You’re one of the lucky ones, you know. These are not just your ordinary, everyday men. They are wealthy, and they’re looking to invest in a woman to obtain their ultimate dream, whatever that may be for them. But believe it or not, Julianna, these men spend over a million bucks to own their most prized possession.”
Jared turns back around, fiddling with his items on the counter. After a moment’s pause, he turns and speaks again, ticking off with his fingers, “It’s similar to owning a purebred racehorse. They’re expensive, the most sought after, they have majestic beauty, they’d give their last breath to their owner, and they exert every bit of energy into doing what it is their handler wants them to do. They give all their heart and soul with every last fiber of their being, and in return, they’re treated like royalty.”
“Yes, all under a horsewhip. Lucky me, indeed.” I scowl with a hiss. “What ever happened to moral standards? I’m not some animal to be…” my voice trails off. I think I’m going to puke. I swallow the acidic saliva pooling in the back of my throat.
Jared’s mouth lifts in a wry smile. “There’s one thing in life you can always count on, Ms. Julianna,” he says with a knowing confidence lining his voice, “and that is sex sells. It always sells. It’s been sold in some form or another since the beginning of time. Selling sex,” he pauses, shaking his head, “is the oldest occupation on the planet. It’s also the most lucrative—when done right—especially when used in combination with this drug.”
Jared’s cold stare gives me shivers, and my throat begins to feel constricted, making my breathing shallow. “As long as there are men on this Earth, they will have urges…some more than others, but urges nonetheless. The sooner you accept your new circumstances, the better off you will be. You are no longer your own.”
My eyes blaze into his with a loathing I’ve never felt so intensely, and I yell at him, “So basically, you just turn women into high-class nymphomaniac whores! Do you feel a little manlier now that I’m drugged?” Damn, I feel sick. My vision is turning blurry, and I hear Travis chuckling in the background. Is this a fucking joke to him? Despite the drugs, my emotions are still running high, and my adrenaline feels out of control. I watch Jared approach me as he puts on a pair of latex gloves, and I immediately go nuts. He’s not going to touch me.
“I’m not a piece of fucking meat, you jerk!” I scream and struggle under Travis’ hold. “Back the hell off!”
Jared stops in his tracks, and I see the muscles in his jaw flex as he looks to Travis with slight trepidation, making sure I can’t break free. “Travis, you going to let her talk to me like this?”
“Well, what the hell do you expect? Her meds aren’t regulated yet, and,” he pauses, drawing out the last word, “I don’t think you gave her enough sedative.”
“I know what I’m doing. I gave her the bodyweight-to-drug ratio, just enough to get us through this exam.”
Travis shakes his head. “You and your bodyweight-to-drug ratio bullshit. How can one be so smart, and yet be so stupid?”
“All right, smartass, how much do you think it’s going to take to put her down, since you seem to know so much?”
“I’m thinking the same amount it takes to put down a damn horse, since you so eloquently compared her to one.” With Travis’ statement, I hear Jared mumble a curse under his breath.
While the men argue, I start to gag. I feel bile rising from deep within, making its way to the surface. They are so twisted and sick, every last one of them! I want my father; my God, I want him to come to my rescue so badly. I start tasting the bile at the back of my throat and I can’t hold it down; God knows I’ve tried. Jared and Travis must see what’s coming, because I suddenly find myself face-down over a garbage can, heaving my guts out. Travis’ arm is wrapped underneath me and bracing me over the edge of the exam table, while holding back my hair with his other hand.
Hot tears and wracking sobs accompany the hurling of my breakfast. I heave and heave until nothing is left, and then I heave some more. I feel Travis rubbing my back soothingly as I cry myself out. Jared brings me a few wet paper towels, and I take them from him, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Travis swipes the towels out of my hands and proceeds to gently wipe down my face. I’m an utter mess, my breath is hitching between the uncontrollable sobs, and my tears are streaming down in droves. These men are winning; they’re finally breaking me down, one step at a time.
“Jared, get me some tissues, man.” Before I know it, Travis has a handful of tissues at my nose. “Blow,” he orders, but I can’t; it’s disgusting and humiliating for someone else to catch my snot.
“Julianna, blow, dammit,” his voice commands. Fine, if he wants the snot, he can have it. I concede, closing my eyes tightly and blowing out hard. Ugh, it’s terrible, and with everything that comes out, it makes me gag again. I open my eyes and see I’m looking down into the trashcan, the deadly combination of sight and smell assaulting my senses once again. I start all over with the gagging and dry heaving. My stomach has nothing left in it, but the pain and burn in my stomach and throat hurt just the same.
“Jared, get the damn trashcan out of here, now!” Travis demands. I see Jared’s feet move quickly away, along with the garbage, and then I hear him slip out the door. “Julianna, look at me.”
I peer up at Travis with my tear-stricken face, trying desperately to catch my breath. My body is trembling, and I feel so weak. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, as if he’s the one in pain. He curses under his breath, and then moves me so I’m sitting up. He climbs off the table and stands between my legs, embracing me against his chest. He wraps his strong arms around my pitiful self, one hand stroking my back and the other holding my head tightly to his muscular chest.
I hear the beating of his heart and take respite in the touch, feel, and smell of Travis. I feel so demoralized I don’t care about the disheveled state my robe is in anymore. I crave the comfort his body provides, and the temporary postponement of what is to come.
“Shh, sweetheart, I’ve got you,” he whispers. Again, I don’t know what that means, but I find myself taking consolation in his words and close my eyes. After a few minutes of listening to his strong heartbeat and feeling his tender caresses, my body and mind begin to settle down. I don’t understand how this man seems to have this unexplainably, almost-hypnotically calming effect over my entire being. Even though he depicts a hard, steel exterior, I can almost see a soft, cuddly, teddy-bear trait hiding deep down inside him, but it could just be the drugs floating throughout my system.
I hear the opening of the clinic door and the clicking of Jared’s dress shoes as he walks across the tile floor. My body tenses and goes on high-alert again. Shit, will this day never end? I hear Jared chuckling behind Travis’ back and my brow furrows. What does he think is so funny now? Travis holds me tighter, but I’m not sure if it’s to cover my naked body from Jared’s view, or to keep me from killing him.
“Now, Travis here,” Jared begins, “he’s a drug of his own class. Damn, you’re good, man. Just a few minutes alone with her, and she’s putty in your hands all over again.”
I feel Travis’ body stiffen. “Enough, Jared.” I feel his strong warning vibrate through his chest and into my ear.
“I bet he could even get someone to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, as long as he told the ladies he’d be at the bottom of it. He’s just that damn good. He uses his masculine physique, handsome looks, and charismatic charm to seduce women into doing everything and anything he wants them to.”
“Jared,” Travis warns again.
The scientist continues, ignoring the warning, “You see, he inculcates them in his own doctrine of ‘sex is good for the soul’ through instilling a persistent set
of instructions and habits. When used in combination with these drugs, it equals perfection.” Jared pauses. “Somehow, he creates a way for these women to accept their circumstances and obey his teachings. He’s tapped into the female psyche using motivation and the forward momentum of consistent training, which go hand-in-hand. One cannot exist without the other.”
“What are you talking about?” I croak out with a scratchy voice.
“Well, he’s such a great manipulator, and once someone hands over her trust to him, he’s able to mold them and create a sense of love and belonging for them to believe in. Women crave for someone to love them back, and once you perceivably love somebody, you are motivated by that emotion. You’re motivated in everything you do, and your only goal is to please that person. Isn’t that what all women desire—to be loved and put on a pedestal?
“Dammit, Jared, shut the fuck up!” Travis bellows, and I flinch.
“No, she needs to know, and maybe you need to realize you’ve been giving her preferential treatment. You’re not acting your normal self, and she deserves to know what’s in store for her,” he replies.
Why is Jared telling me this? What is it that Travis would be trying to hide?
“She’s Nick’s, not yours, Travis,” Jared says almost gently, like he’s trying to soothe the other man.
“I know that.” Travis’ deep growl above my head reverberates through me. I feel his grip tighten around me, holding me to his hard body, and then his body tenses with Jared’s next words.
“Just making sure, Travis, because your actions seem to state otherwise. I’ve never seen you cuddle the merchandise before, and quite frankly, I’m surprised Nick is giving you free reign with her. We all know how overly-controlling he can be, and I fear for your safety if he sees you becoming attached.”
As if the conversation he just had with the powerful man still holding me never happened, he steps to the side, peeking around Travis to garner my attention. “You see, Julianna, when these women feel loved and wanted, they are compelled by their newfound love to please and execute their master’s plan, making their master’s happiness their number one priority. Sex is the tool used, which both parties want once Blyss is regulated, and the drugs help to keep the thoughts of sex circulating in your stream of consciousness, thereby staying in the forefront of your mind at all times. Amazing, isn’t it? Your entire thought process becomes the paradigms Travis implants in your brain, along with the drugs.”
