Fireball

by KJ Dahlen

  Ajax turned to Stephans. “We need to get back in the car and now!” He and Stinger rushed towards the other cruiser.

  Stephans tossed up his hands, as he knew this clusterfuck was now, way out of his control and followed them.

  Karly startled awake as she groaned. She opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Blinking, she realized the ceiling was familiar. It looked like...She slowly turned her head and looked around. It was her cell. “W-what the...?” It couldn’t be! Was all that just a dream? No...Fireball wasn’t a dream. He was the first decent thing she’d ever had in her life. He had been real.

  She grabbed her head and winced. Reaching back, she found the lump at the back of her skull. The bump on her head wasn’t a dream either. She grunted as she slowly sat up.

  The room tilted a bit as it went out of focus. Then it seemed to right itself. She stared at the same gray walls as her cell. She peered down at the cement gray painted floor. Same floor too. She gazed up and halted.

  Carlson sat in a chair not two feet away. “So, here we are.” He smirked.

  Blinking rapidly, she stared at him. “But how...?”

  He chuckled. “It is a total copy.”

  “Of?” she asked as she rubbed at her temples. Her headache was fierce.

  “Of your cell. You and Wynette’s.”

  She frowned. They weren’t at the prison? “So we aren’t...”

  He laughed outright. “No! But I will have her here soon, too.”

  She shook her head. “I-I don’t understand.”

  “Well, you did get that knock on the head, but soon, you’ll realize what is gonna happen here.”

  Karly raised her head up and really looked at him. “Y-You took me out of that cruiser?” She now remembered bits and pieces of it. His face appearing while she hung upside down as smoke wafted in front of her face.

  He nodded. “It wasn’t easy and I managed to lock it back up too. Give me time to get us away from there.”

  Shaking her head, she couldn’t put it all together. What happened? “I don’t—?”

  “Come on!” he cut her off. “You gotta know I waited for this.” He stood up.

  She raised her gaze up at him again.

  He held zipties in his hands.

  With a gasp, she moved back and winced, as she felt bruised all over again.

  He laughed. “See? I couldn’t have what I really wanted at the prison.” He leered at her.

  Her eyes rounded.

  “Yes,” he said as he moved closer. “You will get the usual lashes but...” Carlson paused as he flicked a switchblade out. The metal gleamed in the low light of the room. “There will be this new sexy twist at the end.”

  “No!” she shouted. He meant to finally make good on his raping. He talked about it inside the joint for the last 6 months. She had blocked it out, but now she finally knew what he planned.

  He rushed her and pressed the knife to her throat. “Sit still, little Karly. You know the drill.”

  She bit at her lip as she trembled. “You won’t get away with this.”

  He chuckled as he raised one arm up and wrapped the tie around it. “I got away with it for years. They said I could have you.”

  “Who?”

  “You know who. As long as you aren’t around to tattle on me and them, they don’t care what I plan for you.”

  Karly knew she could not allow him to tie her. It was over for her if she did. Taking a deep breath, getting ready to fight him, she rose up.

  Dropping the tie, Carlson slashed her arm with the switchblade.

  Karly screamed and grabbed her arm as blood pooled under her hand and ran down to the floor. Tears filled her eyes with the searing pain of it.

  He grabbed that bloody hand and tied both her hands together. “See what happens? I warned you.”

  Karly shook terribly as she breathed heavily in fear and pain. “You can’t do this!”

  “I can and I will. You will have to do, to feed my appetite until I get your best friend here. They want her shut up worse that they want you dead.” He took out more zipties and put another set on her wrists then turned her around, facing the bunk. He looped the extra set around the top of the cell bunk.

  Karly started to cry. She knew what this was like. Her scars still hadn’t healed from the last time.

  “No, no. Sweet, sweet Karly, don’t cry,” Carlson cooed at her. “Don’t do that...yet.” He then ripped her shirt from her back.

  Gasping as the cool air hit her bare skin, Karly screamed, “NO!”

  Chapter Ten

  Fireball almost wrecked twice on his way to where he believed Karly had been taken. The first time was when blood had trickled into his eyes and he couldn’t see then the bike tilted. He righted it and almost crashed into a car.

  The second time was when a cop of all things, started chasing him. He knew it was because he’d been going way over the speed limit. Like he gave a fucking fuck about getting a ticket. He’d ducked onto a side road to escape the cop and ended up almost running into a dumpster. He then zoomed through between buildings and came out without the damn cop on his tail.

  Now, he finally slowed the bike down. He remembered Karly saying they were close to the warehouse when the accident happened, so using Ajax’s phone he checked to see where the nearest warehouse on that road was. There had been two, but he found one was owned by the city so it had to be...This one.

  He rode up the quiet street and pulled the ride over, a half block away.

  This had to be it. If it wasn’t—he’d lost Karly, permanently. He refused to face that. He would get her back. He’d promised her safety and already he’d failed in that.

  He kicked the stand on the bike, dismounted, and flinched. God damnit, his head hurt. He pulled the gun out and checked the clip. Then he opened Stinger’s saddlebags. Yep, the man never let him down. In there was a sheathed Bowie, so he grabbed that up, tying to his bloody jean clad leg.

  Fireball gritted his teeth and rushed toward the warehouse.

  When he got close, he saw just one vehicle. A black truck. He looked around then decided to go around back to avoid any cameras. He stayed in the trees around the warehouse then spotted the utility ladder on the side of the building. He approached swiftly now, hoping he hadn’t been detected as he climbed up.

  On light feet, he scanned the roof. There was one hatch. He had no choice but to use it. He softly walked over to it. He hoped it wasn’t locked. Testing it, it swung up easily. He stayed as silent as he could and peered down.

  Nothing moving.

  He stepped down on to that metal utility ladder and climbed down.

  He got to a metal bridging that was above the warehouse on the second floor. He paused to listen.

  Nothing.

  Damnit, was this even where she s was? His heart pounded hard in his chest as he felt something he had never felt before. Fear. If he was wrong—

  A scream rent the air.

  Karly’s scream.

  He headed down to where it had come from. He went down a hallway and there were several doors. Then he heard another sound.

  Sobbing, crying, and pleading. Karly again. Adrenaline shot through him as he came to a door and opened it slowly and lightly.

  A huge man stood there over to the far side in front of what looked like a bunkbed made of metal.

  Almost holding his breath, Fireball watched for a moment and then looked around to see if he could locate Karly.

  The man then laughed as he stepped back, raised a whip and lashed down.

  Fireball saw Karly just then. Her back anyway. The whip the man wielded tore a new welt into the healing one.

  Her sobbing grew in intensity.

  After that—Fireball’s mind went blank.

  The pain was horrid but not new. Karly sucked in a breath to get ready for the next lash.

  Only it didn’t come.

  Instead, she heard a loud roaring that sounded like a man howling. Next, she heard Carlson shout. There w
as metal scraping, the sound of bodies thrashing around and heavy breathing. Then an odd sound of flesh hitting flesh.

  Attempting to turn her body enough to see what was happening, she caught sight of Fireball. He looked enraged as he tossed Carlson around like the man was a stick figure. He wasn’t. He was well over 250 pounds.

  Finally, Carlson laid on the floor on his back. His face bloody.

  She slumped in relief as she turned around facing the bedpost again, the twisting positon had been paining her back.

  “Oh, baby!” Fireball stated in a shaky voice as he drew closer. Bracing her body with one arm around her waist, he reached up with a very large knife and cut the zipties.

  With her body falling into his grasp, Karly cried, “Oh! You found me! Oh, God!”

  He held her. “I did sweet Karly. I...” He choked a bit.

  Karly pulled back to stare at his face.

  His eyes were glittering with tears.

  Karly blinked and reached a finger out to catch a tear falling from his eye. She blinked. “No one has ever...cried for me...” Her voice fell away.

  Fireball pulled her tight to him. “I never felt fear before this. I never cared about anyone as much as I do you. God dammit! How dare he touch you!”

  Karly rested her head on his shoulder.

  A loud grunt echoed in the room.

  Karly raised her head and stared over at Carlson.

  Fireball followed her gaze. “Damnit...He isn’t dead.”

  Karly looked back up at him. “Please use those zipties over by the chair and tie him but good?”

  Fireball nodded and gently sat her on the bunk mattress. He then went over grabbed a stack of ties. Heading over to Carlson, he found he was indeed moving around and groaning. He sat the large man up and yanked his arms to his back. “Let’s see how you feel while trussed up, fucker!”

  Karly stood from the bunk and moved over to where Carlson and Fireball were on the floor. “He needs to feel more than that.”

  Fireball looked up at her.

  Nodding, she stepped back to the bunk and grabbed the whip up. Turning, she gave Fireball a half smile. “You said you needed to teach this bastard Carlson a good lesson, his daddy forgot to teach him.”

  Fireball stared up at her. “I’m not sure I’m that kind of man to whip another man when he’s tied up.”

  Karly now gave him a full smile. “Maybe not, but I am that kind of woman.”

  Fireball blinked and then stared at her for a few seconds. He grabbed Carlson up and dragged him over to the bunk. He paused as he lifted the man up with his arms around his torso. “You sure about this?”

  Nodding as her body trembled, she whispered, “I’m sure.”

  Fireball let out a breath, hefted Carlson up, and draped his ziptied wrists over the post of the bunk. Stepping back, he shrugged. “Well, I’ve heard there are different kinds of therapies. This could work.” He then grinned at her.

  Karly sat back down in the chair.

  “What are you doing?” Fireball asked while looking puzzled.

  “Resting a bit...” Karly blew out a breath and winced. “...and I sure as hell want the man to be awake when this lesson comes.” She looked up at Fireball. “After all, how will he learn anything?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Ajax could barely think straight let alone wait until the car stopped. He got out immediately and met Moon. “Have you seen anything?”

  Moon shook his head. “I saw Stinger’s bike almost a block back, but no Fireball. “

  “Give me a gun!” Ajax yelled.

  Stephans got out of the car. “We will do the gun carrying. We cannot have citizens...”

  Moon handed his prez his gun.

  Ajax looked over at Wynette. “Stay in the car, okay?” He then took off around the back of the building.

  Stephan’s shook his head as more bikers arrived.

  The trooper, who drove them here, looked over at his superior. “What are you going to do?”

  Stephans took off his large State Trooper hat and pushed his fingers through his hair. “The scene has now been compromised. We maybe ought to stand down on this one.”

  The trooper stared at him then looked at all the bikers who were storming the building. “Yeah, I agree with that.”

  “Well, we might as well follow and see how this goes down.” Stephans put his hat back on as he shrugged and headed to the building.

  The trooper followed.

  Wynette watched and then stepped out of the car to follow them in. No way would she stay back when Karly was in danger or hurt.

  When she got inside, she heard odd sounds. Gasping, she made her way past the State officer and his trooper.

  “Hey!” Stephans called to her.

  She raced down the hallway where she heard the shouts coming from. She recognized one of those voices. Carlson!

  Racing through the doorway, she came to a dead halt as she ran into Ajax’s back.

  He spun around and caught her “Damnit, baby! Why are you—?”

  “Fuck you!” Carlson yelled, drowning out Ajax’s words.

  Wynette shoved Ajax’s hands away and stepped around him.

  With his huge back bare, Carlson was tied to a bed bunk. She gasped as she stared around. It was their cell, exactly, down to the gray painted floors.

  “You feel that, you fucker?” Karly yelled. “Well, we all felt it.” She lashed the whip out and it pelted Carlson’s back. “That’s for Wynette!”

  Wynette’s mouth popped open. She looked over at the other bikers standing there.

  They were all looking as shocked as she felt.

  Moon muttered under his breath, “Holy fuck,” as he stared at the sight.

  Karly was breathing heavily as she bent over. “It’s just pink stripes!” She stared at his back to see they weren’t at all like the welts she had. “I don’t have the strength.”

  “Yeah, cause you’re the weaker sex!” Carlson exclaimed with a sneer. “You can’t do what a man can!”

  “Maybe this wasn’t the best idea for therapy. You haven’t even healed yet,” Fireball stated quietly as he moved closer to a weakened Karly.

  Wynette rushed over to Karly. “Are you okay? D-did he...” She gulped unable to outright say it.

  “He was going to. He said so. Fireball got here first,” Karly explained.

  Wynette patted her arm and took the whip from her. She looked over at Fireball and nodded.

  Fireball picked Karly up in his arms. “There now, I got you sweet girl.”

  Ajax stepped up next to Wynette. “I admit he deserved it.”

  “Yes, he does,” Wynette stated. “So step the fuck back.”

  Ajax froze. “What?”

  “I said step back!” she repeated.

  Ajax looked stunned. “Now baby, I don’t know—”

  Wynette turned on him. “No, you don’t know. This man tortured me...he tortured us. Many of us. “

  Ajax let out an uneasy breath and looked over at Fireball.

  Fireball gave him a slow nod.

  “If this is what you need, baby. Go for it.” Ajax stepped back.

  “What the fuck are you all doing?” Carlson yelled from where he hung. “I have rights here. Where’s the cops? They should be here!”

  “We’re here,” Stephans called out from the doorway.

  Carlson laughed in utter relief. “Good. Officer, you need to help m—”

  WHAP!

  The whip hit Carlson’s back with such force he almost swallowed his tongue. “W-what t-the— fuck?”

  Wynette laughed and wound the whip up. “Not a fuck. Me. Wynette. Remember me? The one you beat over a dozen times?”

  Carlson spat out some blood. “Fucking bitch, you had it coming.”

  “And so do you!” she yelled as she whipped the length back and ...

  WHAP!

  “Ooof—jeeesssuuus!” Carlson cried out.

  “Yeah, look who’s weak now, you sonofabitch!” She reared
the whip back again.

  WHAP!

  “You won’t be doing this to another woman again, you fucker!” Wynette told him as she reared her arm back yet again.

  WHAP!

  “Oh, shit. Please someone stop her. Stop her! W-where’s the cops?” Carlson pleaded as he cried like a 250 pound baby.

  Wynette paused and glanced over to where Stephans and the trooper had been. They were gone. She looked back at the bloody welts on Carlson’s huge back. “Sorry, cannot stop until... what number was that, Karly?”

  Karly raised her head from the arms of Fireball and smiled at her best friend. “Fifteen.”

  “Fuck no!” Carlson yelled. “Nooooo!”

  “Oh, yes. Fuck YES.” Wynette laughed.

  WHAP!

  Two days later...

  The main house was all set for dinner.

  Their cook, Mizer had gone all out, even calling in his sister Melba. Together, they cooked and served ribs, corn on the cob and all the fixings.

  Fireball sat at the main table watching all the going ons for dinner. He hadn’t seen Karly all day and he felt anxious. She had been in the infirmary for a day and a half as Neuro had ordered her to full bedrest.

  Harlow, Racer’s sister had arrived in this morning and she had come into the main room carrying bags. Karly, Wynette, and Harlow had been locked up in one of the rooms, for hours.

  “They’re just doing girl stuff, so my woman said,” Ajax spoke from beside him.

  “Huh?” Fireball looked over at his prez.

  “I said, they are just having a girl’s day, or so Wynette told me?” Ajax shrugged. “What that means I’m not really sure.”

  “It’s doing their hair, makeup, painting their toenails. Maybe watching some chick flick on Netflix and trying on clothes.”

  They turned to look at Mizer’s sister, Melba.

  Holding a dish in her hand, the woman was little older than them, yet still very good looking. She shook her head at them. “From what Mizer says, those two girls needed it. A woman’s got to let her hair down, evera’ once in a while, ya know? I imagine they haven’t been able to be normal for a long time.”

  The two men watched her move away.

  “Maybe we should have thought of that?” Ajax commented.