by Roger Quine
And so it was. As the constant buzzing between her legs finally brought the girl to climax, making her hips jerk in time with her squeals of release, Susie could hold back no longer, but no one noticed as she shuddered quietly and her breasts rose as she filled her lungs and held her breath, silently savouring the delicious moment...
Still listening with ears tuned to the silence beyond the steady breathing of her sleeping companions, Susie rolled off her bed and landed lightly on her feet. Her movements made no sound, and the rhythmic breathing around her didn’t change. Her eyes were accustomed to the night and she could make out the inky shapes to avoid as she crept across the floor to the door, and managed to open it, slip out, and close it again without disturbing anyone.
She stood perfectly still on the landing, slipping the thin white dress she’d carried with her over her head.
Moving lightly on tiptoe, she set off into the darkness with no real idea of where she was going - or where she could go. Heading along the landing in the opposite direction to where she’d been before she was moving towards uncharted territory. Uncharted, but hopefully where she’d find her sister.
A large door loomed out of the shadows, similar to the one she’d just left behind, and the sound of deep breathing confirmed it was another bedroom. In the darkness it was impossible to see if Sophie was among its occupants. In fact, it was impossible to tell if they were male or female. Disappointed, Susie turned and slipped back onto the landing, beginning to think the mission would be impossible without light and equally impossible with it, since she’d wake up the sleeping figures if she shone a torch in their faces. A torch which, in any case, she didn’t have.
Damn, she thought to herself, moving ahead on tiptoe, conscious of the press of her feet on the cold floor and the tenseness of the muscles in her legs as she tried to walk with stealth.
After a few moments, and after passing three more dormitory-type doors, the corridor came to an end - or did it? There was something in the darkness ahead; a faint luminous glow and she could see now that the passage turned at right angles, and the light was coming from somewhere beyond the corner.
She peeped around the edge, and the light was a little stronger. She would have to be extra careful and extra quiet. In the gloom she thought she could see a stairway going up, presumably to more bedrooms and bathrooms, and a stairway going down. Perhaps Sophie would be upstairs, or some type of clue as to her whereabouts would be evident, though she didn’t know what. Clutching at straws, she began to inch forward.
As she drew closer to the light and the stairwell she heard muffled voices, and shrank back against the wall, frozen with the terror of discovery but anxious to discover what she could. The tones were unmistakable: one of the voices was Raoul’s, and there was at least one more, interrupting briefly from time to time.
After a while Susie decided she would have to see what was going on, if she could. She slunk down onto the floor and inched along on her tummy to the wooden balustrade, until she could look down from a sort of balcony into a cosy sitting room with dark panelling and heavy velvet curtains, bookcases, a large fireplace, and scattered chairs around a large desk.
There were three men in suits. One of them, lounging back in his chair, was the black-tied Raoul with the ponytail. He had a sheet of paper in one hand and was reading from it aloud.
Sitting opposite, and watching him with a nervous stare was a portly man in a crumpled business suit, hanging on every word as if his life depended on it.
Sitting next to him the third occupant was large and well dressed, with a narrow face, dark hair and a confident air. Raoul was reciting figures, Susie realised now she was closer, and the little man was clearly worried by their meaning. She could only hear small snatches and phrases, but names and numbers were involved, and once she heard him say, ‘Should have been at least twice that,’ quite clearly.
Finally he stood up straight, slipped the sheet of paper into a desk drawer and closed it with a light snap.
‘You have failed me,’ he said, his voice louder and clearer now he was standing, and the man in front of him seemed to visibly shrink. ‘But you are human, and all humans make mistakes.’ The rotund man seemed to relax, just a little, at Raoul’s recognition and apparent acceptance of human deficiencies. Raoul smiled and signalled for him to stand too, the meeting clearly at an end, and the man rose, agitatedly fiddling to check his tie was straight as the third man also got to his feet. ‘But this was no mistake,’ Raoul added with undiluted menace, his smile gone in an instant as though someone had flicked a switch. ‘You stole from me.’
The little man’s eyes dulled and he raised his hands apologetically and defensively. ‘No... please, you don’t understand... I - ’ but with the speed of a snake striking the large man swept the edge of an open hand against the babbling man’s throat, silencing his pitiful remonstrations and making him crumple instantly to the floor.
Raoul looked down with utter contempt upon the heap on his carpet, and then said, ‘Deal with him. I don’t want to see his miserable face again... ever.’
Then, without a backward glance he walked calmly from the room, leaving the big man to pick up the unconscious heap and leave by a different door, switching off the light as he went and leaving the room bathed in the orange glow from the dying embers in the cavernous grate.
Susie felt light-headed and sick, her heart pounding in her chest. She lay perfectly still for several minutes, totally unable to believe what she’d just witnessed. She’d known Raoul was a villain, but his casual savagery was unexpected and terrifying and put a whole new complexion on everything. She’d known she was taking a risk in infiltrating the commune, but she’d never guessed the extent of the risk. What on earth should she do now to safeguard her safety, and Sophie’s safety?
Susie simply could not forget what she had just seen, or still the terror it induced. Now she realised what she was up against; not simply a religious freak with a penchant for lovely girls, Raoul really was the drug-trafficking white slaver she’d been dreaming of pinning to the front page of her newspaper with her undercover work. But now she’d found him it had all gone horribly wrong; he already had Sophie in his clutches and now she had willingly placed herself in his power as well. No wonder he’d looked so smug when she asked to join. She was trapped, and he knew it before she did. But at least, hopefully, he wasn’t aware of the professional reason for her being there. She shivered, knowing that should he discover that piece of knowledge the consequences for her would be absolutely dire. She just had to get away and expose him to the paper and the police. But how? It would be hard enough on her own and impossible to leave without Sophie, and she hadn’t even found her yet, never mind persuaded her to leave. If Sophie thought she was enjoying life in a religious cult she’d need some pretty convincing evidence to the contrary before she changed her mind.
Evidence!
Close by and in a desk drawer!
But it might as well be on the moon, she thought. After what she’d seen the last thing she fancied doing was going down there, and she wondered what on earth she was doing as she stood on unsteady legs and crept to the top of the stairs.
She stepped as lightly as she could on the area of each step nearest the wall, hoping they wouldn’t creak, hoping her pounding heart and snatched breaths wouldn’t wake every occupant of the grim house.
The shadowy distance across the room to the desk seemed vast, but she reached it without bumping into any furniture, and the desk drawer slid open silently and smoothly enough. The sheet of paper was in plain view, and she plucked it out with trembling fingers, shutting the drawer softly and flitting across the carpet and back towards the stairs on toes that hardly skimmed the floor.
Susie lay back in her narrow bed, relieved for the snug comfort and the relative security of the dormitory. Cocooned in the darkness she was able to let her muscles relax, but th
ough her body was eased a little, her mind was still racing.
After snatching the sheet of paper she’d crept straight back to bed, pausing only briefly in a faint pool of light on the landing to squint at it at close quarters to see what she could read. It was a list of dates and numbers, which didn’t really seem to make any sense. But Raoul obviously thought the information to be important enough to warrant violence - and, it seemed, even worse - and so she hid it under her bedside cabinet, the only safe place she could think of.
In truth she couldn’t think about very much at all; her mind was preoccupied with what she’d witnessed from the landing. She’d known Raoul was a criminal but she hadn’t really seen the full picture until now. And now she realised she was dealing with a frighteningly cold, emotionless, ruthless person.
She also knew she and Sophie were in extreme danger, as were all the inmates; and that’s how she saw them - as inmates of a prison. She simply had to get away with Sophie and alert the authorities. That was her plan - her only option. The sheet of paper was vital evidence of some kind, but what she’d seen was even more important. If she’d been caught watching - she shuddered - well, it just didn’t bare thinking about. She’d no doubt have been dealt with just as the chubby man had been.
She would find Sophie - must find Sophie - and escape with her to safety.
And then she’d nail that bastard Raoul.
With that established as her plan of action she settled back in the hope of at last catching some vital sleep.
Chapter Twelve
The following day things didn’t go anywhere near according to plan. The format of the day was different; there were no gatherings, and after breakfast the occupants of the commune were allowed to sit around in small groups, talking quietly and reading. It was the same after lunch, but for the whole day Savage seemed to maintain a very close eye on Susie. She always seemed to be lurking in the background, watching, deliberately unsettling Susie, so much so that she began to worry dreadfully that somehow, someway, her foray the night before had been discovered. Perhaps they’d found the sheet of paper was missing from the desk drawer!
Susie spent most of the day feeling sick with worry, and at lunch and supper she was fully aware of Savage noting her picking at her food.
Then, as she left the dining hall after supper, wondering what she should do as she still hadn’t seen Sophie, two girls she’d not really noticed before appeared beside her. Both smiling they whispered words which Susie was too surprised to catch, and taking an arm each, they led her upstairs. She went with them in a daze, terrified that she was now in big trouble, but feeling too bemused to do anything else.
They took her to a private bathroom, where a huge bath wafted steam exuding a spicy, soothing aroma. They watched her without emotion as she followed their unspoken orders and quietly undressed, taking off the white dress and panties. Leading her to the tub they helped her in and put a soft towel under her head, letting her lay back in the water, the temperature perfect.
‘Relax,’ one of them told her, ‘and we’ll be back in five minutes.’
As she moved a little the undercurrents of velvety water swirled between her thighs and caressed her sex lips with a lover’s touch, making her shiver slightly. Her nipples were just clear of the water, and the gentle lapping over the hardening buds was delicious and made her sigh, gradually pushing her concerns to the back of her mind.
She barely heard the door open again or realised the girls had returned and were kneeling on either side of the bath, sponges and scented soap in hand. She swooned and almost drifted off to sleep as they tenderly washed her all over.
All too soon she was helped to rise and step out of the water, rinsed and towelled dry, and in an adjoining room they laid her on a firm bed and used scented oils to massage her wonderfully.
Afterwards she was dressed in a freshly laundered plain white dress and panties, and then they led her down the stairs and through the labyrinth of hallways to an arched door.
As soon as it was opened Susie realised they were in the small chapel in which previous owners of the huge house would have worshipped.
It was fairly gloomy inside, the interior only lit dimly by many flickering candles, that danced warmly in an entrancing glow of welcome to enhance her sense of well-being still lingering from the hot bath and massage oils.
She was aware, too, of peaceful music, accompanied by the small congregation, singing in hushed tones, almost hypnotically, standing and facing the front with their backs to her as she was led slowly up the aisle.
The girls took her up three shallow flagstone steps, cold beneath her bare feet, and positioned her in front of the old altar. ‘You must remove your clothes,’ announced the one on her right, loud enough for all to hear.
‘And show that you come to us free of guilt or shame,’ sang out the one to her left.
Despite her simmering trepidation, Susie was in a dreamlike state, induced by the soothing bath, the oils, and the reassuring calm of the girls, as she lifted her shift over her head and then hooked her thumbs into her panties and bent from the waist to ease them down her smooth legs. The girls then took her shoulders and turned her back to face the nave, and the steady chanting was disrupted for a moment as many eyes saw her naked beauty; cherry-tipped breasts high and proud, stomach flat, and a triangle of delicate blonde down between her shapely thighs.
The girls then lifted and guided her hands behind her neck, and one of them tied her wrists together there with a leather thong, causing her breasts to rise firmly and enticingly between her upper arms.
‘The maiden is tied,’ announced the girl on Susie’s left.
‘Now she is bound to a new way of life,’ said her companion, and the chanting from the congregation started again, slowly and softly, very gradually increasing in tempo and volume. Susie gazed out at them, and realised they were all clothed in the baggy dark suits, and knew these were all aids of Raoul. And she saw Savage amongst them, her avaricious eyes devouring her as her lips moved to the haunting rhythm.
One of the two girls produced a strip of white cloth and tied it across Susie’s eyes. ‘See how she sees not,’ she chanted.
‘See how she sees only innocence, obedience and faith,’ intoned her companion.
‘She turns, representing the turning of the world,’ said the first girl, and together they guided Susie round until her back was to the congregation. There was a tense pause, during which Susie held her breath, her nostrils flared, and then she cringed and clenched her teeth as a whip whistled through the still air and bit into her exposed buttocks. The blow made her lurch a little, but she managed to steady herself before a second blow cut in from the other side. The girls were taking it in turn to beat her, striking with venom.
‘See, we remove her sins,’ they declared each time, and after six harsh strokes, three from each side and just as Susie thought she could take no more, the beating stopped as abruptly as it had begun.
Immediately the blindfold was removed and she was turned again to face the accusing stares of the congregation, her inflamed bottom hidden from view.
‘Now she can be washed in sacred oils,’ proclaimed the girl on her left.
‘See, we wash away her sin,’ said the other, and both of them dipped their hands into a nearby bowl of warm oil. The scent of it floated to her, and she recognised the same aroma as that from the oils used on her earlier upstairs.
They touched her, rubbing her back with gentle hands and sensitive fingers, sweeping down and moulding her buttocks. She closed her eyes and waited, wanting the beautiful touching to become more intimate, feeling no humiliation despite the gathered observers. And what made it worse was that she knew they were going to touch her there, and the breathless tension of waiting for them just made it more exciting still, till she was close to whispering to them, begging them to do it. Every time their hands
smoothed down her back she could feel her nipples pucker with anticipation.
But still they wouldn’t touch her where she craved to be touched, increasing her turmoil, her light panting almost audible throughout the chapel above the soft chanting. They were delaying for so long that the tension inside her was just about unbearable, turning into an irresistible, almost painful yearning.
When they finally touched her breasts it was an indescribable relief; she exhaled long and hard, her sigh ragged as their oiled fingertips pinched swiftly and their sliding palms pressed and caressed over nipples unbearably tender.
Soon those hands began to move down to her flat stomach, her tormented muscles rippling, and knowing she was powerless to stop them heightened the sensations of their touch, and the pleasure of being watched as the slippery fingers dipped between her thighs was one to savour. Susie knew that when they did touch there her body would respond overwhelmingly whether there was an audience watching her wantonness or not.
The hands were inches from her burning pussy, rasping in her soft curls and caressing the centre of her body. Susie held her breath again, waiting for them to invade her.
They edged lower, sliding in and against her hard little bud, slick with warm oil and her own juices, the wonderful sensations creeping through her body. She could feel her own wetness and arousal, feel herself opening wider, wanting them to push their wicked fingers deep inside.
As her body rose to abandoned readiness she knew she was beginning to squirm, her hips slowly circling, but she could do nothing to control it. And when she felt their fingertips beginning to push deeper her arousal was total, and her wanting reached a new pitch.
She couldn’t help herself. Her carnal reactions were driven by instinct. She gave a pitiful moan of frustration and tried to shuffle her legs a little apart, so the invitation couldn’t be mistaken, and that was all it took. The girls started to work with increased intensity, playing her body with consummate skill, probing softly and understanding exactly what she needed. She heard her own deep sigh of satisfaction, but then, infuriatingly and all too soon, the ministrations abruptly stopped and the fingers withdrew, leaving her cold and empty, hovering on the edge of a precipice.
