Stolen Flame

by D W Marshall

  If Maddie hadn’t stuck her nose into our business, I would probably still be the world’s lamest. It seemed immature as fuck that she was going back and forth between Viv and I, but I thank her daily for the intrusion. When she told me that Vivian had feelings for me, that was all I needed to hear. The bottom line is, we are in love. So, this weekend, based on all the facts I have tabulated about us, I will not be a pussy anymore. I fully plan to kiss and love every inch of my beautiful Vivian. I know that she has little or no experience with that part of a relationship, so I will be patient with her. I have hopes of her being my wife one day soon, so I have that kind of time. When we get back from her surprise San Francisco birthday getaway, I intend for her to be mine.

  I have never in my life wanted anything more than Vivian, and I can’t wait. She’s what I live for.

  Chapter Three

  Unwanted Flight

  Where am I?

  Oh my God, my head is pounding. I try to sit up, but I can’t. All I can do is grab my head and hold on. My brain feels like it’s in a vise. I open my eyes one at a time. My most recent memories flood all of my senses at once, making the pain much worse.

  They didn’t kill me like I’d hoped. I’m on the plane—a fancy, private leather and glass number. Fuck. This shit just can’t be happening to me. Why couldn’t they have just killed me?

  I dare to look around. I see the four kidnapping assholes are all sleeping. How can they sleep and just leave me free and unrestrained? I know exactly how. We’re in an airplane…in the air! What can I do? Even if I was some amazing Jackie-Fucking-Jet-Li-Chan badass fighter, I’d only be able to incapacitate one of them. Then I’d have to deal with the other three. Also, I have no idea where the nearest exit is. Even if I found the emergency parachute, I have no clue how to use it. I have been unconscious for who knows how long? We could be in a foreign country by now. A thousand stranded movie scenarios play through my mind. What would I do? Where would I go? What if we're over international waters?

  My best chance of escape is on the ground, but I know that the odds are not in my favor. I curl in on myself and cry silent sobs and silent prayers.

  Liam.

  Maddie.

  Mom and Dad.

  Shane.

  Fuck.

  I fall asleep again and awaken to the plane’s smooth descent. If I have any chance of escape, it’ll be when the plane lands. Four two-hundred-plus-pound men versus all one hundred and twenty pounds of me. Let’s do it! The plane sets down easily and I immediately steel my nerves for the fight that is to come.

  I don’t even get a chance. Before I know it, I’m restrained in cuffs and a hood is going back over my head.

  “Hope this one smells better, miss,” a deep voice says. This hood is fresh-smelling, like it was recently laundered, but it is still a hood. Does he expect me to thank him?

  I am quickly ushered—more like pushed—off of the airplane and down the steps. I’m so upset, I trip. Liam is surely not coming to my rescue. Liam. I’m caught by a pair of strong hands.

  “Nice catch, Tyson. Can’t bring her to the boss all banged up,” another deep voice laughs from behind me.

  “Maybe if you’d stop pushing and shoving her and let her fucking walk, she wouldn’t trip. She is sightless, dumb fuck. Remember?” I assume the person who caught me was the one who had the kindness to offer me the clean hood.

  “My bad, Tyson.”

  Tyson? At least I know one of their names.

  “This way, miss.” Tyson says.

  Miss?

  Next thing I know, I’m being stuffed into another vehicle. My sense of smell is heightened, and I catch whiffs of the ocean. Wherever we are, the ocean is close. I also note that wherever they are taking me it is close to the airport because we do not travel far before we stop. I’m quickly ushered out of the car and into a building. The lack of air and breeze and the slamming of a heavy door clues me in.

  I’m guided forward. The sound of our footsteps bounce and collide off of the walls, cluing me in that the space is massive, made of stone or brick, and the floor under my feet is rough like concrete. I’m trying to use every sense I have to gather information to escape. Long plane ride, near the ocean, vacant stone edifice.

  More stairs? A hand guides me up what appears to be a winding staircase. Round and round we go, climbing up and up. A sob escapes me. This can’t be fucking happening to me. I’m cuffed and blinded, heading up a staircase that can only lead to my doom.

  Why didn’t I let Liam love me? Why were we so stupid and scared? I’ll never see him again. I’ll never get to see those dimples or those blue eyes again. According to Maddie, he secretly loved me, too. Maddie. Mom and Dad. I won’t get to see Shane graduate from high school. Fuck. And Growl, he’s gonna be lost without me. The sobs are coming out of me louder and faster now.

  “Quiet,” a voice urges me.

  “Fuck you. Just kill me now and get it over with.”

  I don’t know what comes over me, but I stop dead in my tracks. I have made this far too easy for them. They are not going to get any further cooperation from me. I’d rather them kill me than the alternative. “Skin suit” comes to mind. Enough is enough. My life, my terms. I’m sure heaven is a beautiful place.

  “Miss, if only it were that easy. The boss would be devastated if any harm came to you. Please keep moving.” It’s the same kidnapper—Tyson. He’s still by my side.

  I don’t take another step.

  “Miss, please. Please continue forward.” He tries to convince me. “You will not be harmed here.”

  Even though his voice sounds kind and reassuring, I continue to stay exactly where I am.

  The man lifts me from where I stand and carries me the rest of the way. Not without a fight, though. I kick and try to use my head as a weapon. I scream at the top of my lungs and hammer my fists into his back. The beast of a man doesn’t budge or lose his balance once.

  When he sets me down my leaden arms ache and my body is marathon exhausted from fear, emotion, and my puny attempt at fighting to get away.

  The hood is removed.

  My hair sticking to my sweaty face would normally drive me nuts, but I endure it and squeeze my eyes shut in an effort to delay my reality. Collective noises echo off the walls of the room—sobs that are not my own. When I can no longer take it, I open my eyes, and what I see drops me to my knees. My legs are no longer capable of holding up my weight. I rest my head on the hard, cold stone floor and break down, chanting a slew of silent prayers: for safety, for this to be a dream, for rescue. A skin suit would be a better end to what lies in wait for me.

  My God. Where am I? Please let this be a dream…a nightmare. Please.

  There is a heavy presence in front of me; heavy dark work boots come into my view. When a pair of hands grasp my shoulders, I squeeze my eyes shut, blocking out what will happen to me next and the person lifts me to my feet. I take the opportunity to scan my environment, there is no way I can shut out the world with my eyelids; it is hardly enough of a barrier from reality.

  I gaze around and take in the six other wide-eyed, frightened faces. Six young women. All have their arms cuffed behind them, and all wear the same mask of fear and anger.

  The other thing that becomes alarmingly apparent are the guards surrounding us—more than ten, no doubt carrying guns. I can’t see guns, but their military posture and attire suggest it. There is no way out but to make them shoot me. One thing is for sure, they are going to have to shoot me because this situation has “sex slave” written all over it.

  I study the room for more facts to catalog for my escape. If I wasn’t terrified for my life, I would think this is a very handsome, masculine space. It is circular with stone walls, like I suspected. The floor is very old-world European cobblestone. There are seven large built-in bookshelves that appear so ancient they would crumble if you dared to touch them. Each bookshelf boasts aged, expensive volumes. In the center of the space there is a circular bar, and I sudden
ly feel thrust back into another century—one with castles and moats, when being a woman wasn’t exactly an asset.

  Just before I force one of these gun-toting fuckers to shoot me in the head, a strange sound catches my attention. The floor in the center near the bar opens and a bright light blasts through the hole. As the light fades away, a head appears. A dark-haired man, dressed in a smoking jacket, rises out of the floor.

  “Ladies. Welcome to this year’s Chamber.” I can’t see the person clearly yet, but his voice is excited and cheery.

  He gives us what is supposed to be a warm smile, but I’m not fooled—he is the devil for sure. Maybe he’ll shoot me and put me out of my misery.

  “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mason Wilde. Of course, that is not my real name. You will soon learn that none of us use our real names inside the world of The Chamber.” He steps off the circular platform that brought him up and begins walking toward us.

  “You will use new names during your time here.” Mason stops and takes a pause to glance at each one of us. He casually walks down our line with his hands threaded together behind his back. “You have all been handpicked to make this year’s Chamber the most exciting and sensual in its history.”

  I can’t help the bile that rises in my throat at the thought of what he means by sensual. Skin suit, please. At least skin suit implies my death. Sex slave is what he’s implying. I’ve never even had sex before. Liam was supposed to be my first.

  This can’t be happening to me, but glancing down the row of girls, I realize that it is indeed happening, and not just to me…to all of us. We were all stolen from our lives, our families, and our futures. There has to be a way out of this.

  “If any of you are contemplating your escape…”

  Is he a mind reader? Mason is standing almost directly in front of me when he plucks the thought right out of my head. I never understand why the bad guys don’t think a victim wouldn’t want to escape or deserve to escape successfully. I’m supposed to be celebrating my birthday, not my certain death. Every second, minute, and hour I’m here will be spent on surviving and escaping.

  “Please use your energy on anything else. The Chamber’s success comes from our rather Byzantine approach to planning. In the ten years that The Chamber has been in existence, no one has ever escaped. You will all understand why once the rules are explained to you.” His devilish smile explodes across his face.

  Before I’m prepared, he’s a hairbreadth from my face, and I flinch in response. My brain is telling me to look away, avert my eyes from the devil, but my body doesn’t listen.

  I smell his strong, musky cologne. The energy between us is thick and heavy. His eyes, almost coal-black, bore into mine and I match his stare. He softens his gaze and steps back, and I am thankful for the distance he has put between the two of us. He moves languidly down the line, continuing to regard each one of us. Tears shower my face and my shoulders rise and fall. This isn’t happening.

  “Beautiful,” he states simply as he takes a step back and admires us. “Whew!” he shouts. “This is what I’ve always wanted—the perfect mix of beauty, innocence, and seductiveness.” He continues to gape at us.

  He stares.

  And stares.

  And stares.

  We are all startled by his hands clapping together. “Back to business.” He shakes off his thoughts. “Where was I, Gabe?” he asks.

  “The rules, sir,” Gabe answers from behind us.

  Mason snaps and points in Gabe’s direction. “Right. The rules.” He begins pacing. “I’m so excited, I can hardly stay in my skin.” He smiles a comical smile and spins around, as if we are waiting with enthusiasm for him to tell us what prize we’ve won, instead of news of our shared doom.

  “Rule number one. You are all safe from physical harm here.” He stares at us for a long breath, as if searing his promise into our very souls. Truly, I wouldn’t trust him with my garbage.

  He continues. “No one, and I mean no one, is allowed to beat or brutalize you. Any pain you feel will be sexual in nature.” He sings the word. “You will learn to appreciate that pleasurable pain during your stay here.

  “Rule number two. The Chambers, which I will introduce you to in due time, are for fucking, not sleeping. There are designated areas for sleeping. If any one of you falls asleep in her Chamber, she will be punished sexually. Tyson and Gabe, step forward please.”

  I remember Tyson, the gentle guard who caught me when I fell down the airplane steps. I knew he was a big man, based on how easily he handled me when I almost fell and how his body felt against mine when he carried me, but I had no idea.

  Gabe is tall and well-built with fair skin. His long brown hair is tied in a ponytail. He is attractive in a rugged and outdoorsy way. Tyson is completely the opposite. He is also very attractive, and resembles a professional football player or wrestler. He stands well over six feet tall, with deep, olive tanned skin. His hair is buzzed, so I can’t tell what ethnicity he is. He could be a mixed race, African-American, Asian, or Latin. He’s nice, but that doesn’t mean I want to kill him any less.

  “Gentlemen, show these beautiful ladies what’s in store for them if they fall asleep in their Chambers,” Mason instructs them.

  Without any hesitation, they unzip their pants and pull out enormous cocks. Each one of us gasp in unison. They are, no lie, near a foot long and pointing up like snakes about to attack. I never knew anything that large existed on a real person. Gabe’s smile is seductive, and to my surprise, he grabs and strokes his organ, eyeing each one of us. Tyson, is not as boisterous. He stands silently as if he isn’t exposed in front of us. He actually looks as if this is the last thing he wants to do.

  “You see, ladies, my guards are all chosen based on their skills and endowments…” Mason emphasizes the last word. “Also, their good looks. Trust me when I say my guards love it when you ladies fall asleep in your Chambers. Let’s just say they’ll enjoy punishing you.”

  I can’t help but stare at Tyson’s endowment. There is no way all of that could ever fit inside of me without inflicting some serious harm. Mor bile creeps into my mouth .

  Never fall asleep in The Chamber. Never fall asleep in The Chamber.

  “Thank you, gentlemen,” Mason says, making my eyes dart to him.

  “Rule number three. Your job assignment will end next April, approximately one year from today. You will be paid handsomely for your work. No one is to ever know about your stay here. If it makes it easier, you can think of this as the highest-paying job you never applied for.”

  Mason walks over to the bar and pours himself a drink. He takes a long draw of the brown liquid before continuing. With glass still in-hand, he turns back to us.

  “Rule number four. You will all be allowed to get to know one another. The middle level of the estate is the only level you will be allowed to roam freely. This area includes your sleeping quarters, dining area, media room, exercise room, spa, and salon. As this is a sex Chamber, it is required of you to maintain your beauty and physique.”

  There is a commotion in the room, but I can’t bear to look around. Suddenly, I am freed from my binding cuffs. My shoulders cry from their unexpected freedom. I’m guided to a soft, comfortable chair. I finally gaze down the line of us. The same thing is happening to each girl.

  “Much better,” Mason states. “Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. What is this place? What does it mean for each of you? These are all good questions that I know are swimming in those gorgeous heads of yours.” He pauses and smiles at all of us like a proud father.

  “The Chamber started out as a very small business. A couple of women, a few clients... Back then, the women were call girls who wanted the job. Then, my partner and I got an idea to grow the business. We decided to make it more audacious and choose innocent girls who would never dream of this lifestyle. Even though we steal them away from their lives, we treat them like princesses. How sexy is that?”

  I squirm in my c
hair. Is he insane? Does he think we are excited by this information?

  “We expanded, and, well, I can’t give away too much, but I will tell you some of the richest, most powerful men in the world have been chosen by a lottery to participate in this year’s Chamber. They pay millions to be a part of this secret world. Are you wondering what kind of wacko nut creates something so taboo? Was I abused? Am I a sociopath? Well, the answer is no and no. I just happen to love money and fucking. So, I have the best job in the world. The next question you might have is, why you?” He takes a seat in a regal, high-backed chair that a guard sets in the center of our line. “That’s easy. You are all fucking amazing!” He shouts with excitement. “I have a team of scouts who work tirelessly to find each group of women. You were all chosen two years ago!”

  I’m going to be sick! Two years?

  A large projection screen drops from the ceiling. Mason pushes buttons on a controller and multiple screens come to life. There we all are.

  There’s footage of us living our regular lives. I’m hanging out at Wet‘n’Wild with Maddie and Liam. I’m walking on the UNLV campus...sleeping in my fucking bed!

  The images start to become more personal, if that is possible. My stomach twists when images of my younger brother, Shane, at his high school, flash across the screen. There are my parents in their daily routine. There’s even a picture of us sitting at the dinner table! Images of children and people who are strangers to me, but must be the loved ones of the other girls, also cross the screen.

  We all sob loudly and heavily as we each realize why no one ever escapes this place. We don’t come to harm if we don’t follow the rules or don’t play Mason’s sex games.

  It will be my family, my best friend, the love of my life, and our loved ones who will be punished. That is how Mason has had such successful Chambers. He holds women hostage by threatening people they won’t gamble with.

  I was willing to die, to fight my way out of here, but this sick bastard has been surveilling my whole life for two years. I bury my face in my lap and sob uncontrollable tears.