“We have a chance,” JD said confidently.
“How?” Ash barked out as she turned to face him.
“The roof. We record and replay the roof only. There are some trees between us and them. Several trees are tall enough to slide across. Take out the generators first. Set up to blow the roof. Then cut power, hit three spots, drawing the men to the back. Ashley goes in the front door, the path of least resistance. Crown to the east to lighten her way. I take out the roof, go down the snake hole. Take out power lines to the explosives trigger man and batteries. Then as many as I can. With luck, I should be able to take most of them out if not all.
“Dumas strikes first from the rear, drawing everyone away from the hostages. We have eight priorities: Britney, Bobby, Gloria, Nicole, Catrina, Cody, Ivan, and Clarence. The rest are just along for the ride. If they make it, they make it. If not, too bad.”
Crown turned and faced him as well, saying, “Man, that is crazy. Even if you did take out the trigger man and the power, that room is huge. No way you take out all of them and live. Hell, over a hundred armed men. No way we can get to them before someone put a bullet in them. We are off grid, man. Even if we did ask for support, it would take a week or two. By then, this shit will have played out.”
Ashley said, “He has a point, JD.”
JD said, “I don’t believe in the shit they do. But I am looking at Bobby looking at Nicole the way he looks at Gloria. My wife is looking at a man like she wants him. I ain’t waiting. How long before Dumas gets here?”
“Twelve hours out,” Crown said in a worried tone.
“We strike in fourteen. Brief him on the plan and tell him to rest on the way.”
Crown shook his head. “This place is set up like do as I say or we are going to blow you the fuck up. Shit, let the boy get lucky. Hell, man the fuck up. You run the risk of getting them all killed, man. Use your fucking head.”
JD looked at them. “Do you think they want to live that way? If this shit was real, do you think they would want that?”“No, they wouldn’t. But, JD, they would be alive. We love them all, JD. We understand where you are coming from. But you are too close to this shit. You are putting personal feelings before the smart thing. If they were going to be hurt, they would be dead by now. Waiting is the smartest choice,” Ashley said angrily.
“Then shoot me now, Ash.” She looked at him.
“If my wife left me on her own, I might be able to deal with that. But this is not on her own. I refuse to believe that. I couldn’t live with myself knowing she was doing something that she didn’t want and couldn’t help herself. I would rather see her dead first. Blowing the place gets them all killed. This way, most, if not all, stand a chance. We strike hard and fast. Three options: put a bullet in me, stand with me, or walk the fuck away.”
Ashley pulled her gun. “I love him, JD. This is a win for me in that way. I don’t want it to go down this way. I love his wife. I love his kids. I am carrying his child. I love your wife. What you want is going to put them all in danger. We are not doing it. I’ll put a bullet your head then in her head before I let Bobby and Gloria die. We let this play out.”
Crown tried to sound calming. “Whoa, down, girl. Let’s take this down a notch. Emotions are getting out hand here.”
JD said, “Crown, we have been together the longest. You are the best tech the agency had. You make sure all these fuckers pay. Counting on you, bro. Pull the trigger, bitch. I am going with or without you.”
“Relax,” a voice of calm said. They all looked at him. “You are acting like spoiled children who can’t get their way.” He folded his arms across his chest as he looked at the screen. “The explosives are no problem. The wires are most likely standard wiring made of copper. The guns can be rendered useless. My biggest concern is the time that required to arrange everything. Gloriana looks like death warmed over. She is fighting something stronger than she is. The look in her eyes says one of two things is going to happen; she is either going to submit to the powers stronger than her or she is going to snap.”
“If you can take those things out, one loss really isn’t something we can’t live with. Sad to say it that way. But it’s the truth,” JD said coldly
The man grunted. “Some would dispute that fact. Each here has a priority that they want to get out alive. So I understand the reason behind the comment. But to be honest, I’m not really concerned about her being the one not to make it out. If she submits, then she will rejoin the cursed. That really isn’t that big of a deal. If she snaps, then her making it out really isn’t a concern either as far as casualties are concerned. But if one of them with her that she loves gets killed, she wouldn’t be able to live with that and that is my concern.”
Crown looked over at him. “Snapped as in mentally unstable? Did you not hear the number of armed guards? She is as good as dead. Even if you did take the weapons out of the equation, she would be facing all of them bare handed. No way in hell could she walk out of that. She would be just as dead.”
“Likely getting the others killed as well,” Ashley quipped. The man shook his head. “Only if they blew the place up. But they have an alternate escape a tunnel leading down to an old subway tunnel. Drills were held a while back the scent has faded. You do not realize just how dangerous Mrs. Coleman can be.”
JD laughed. “I think you are mentally unstable.”
“You have no idea what she is. You think she is a dancer, I will agree with that. But also, think dancing is something that isn’t a dangerous thing. Most of the time, I would agree with that as well. But not this time. I have seen what she can do first hand. A hundred and forty men in close quarters. They don’t stand a chance unless she allows it.” He turned and walked out.
Gloria had tears in her eyes as she saw Britney and Ivan kissing. She danced close to them and coughed. They stopped kissing. That night, Gloria lay next to Britney and she said, “Don’t be letting him do that.”
“I don’t know what came over me. He feels so good in my arms. I just want him to…oh, hell, that feels so good.”
“Quiet, they can’t know I am doing this,” Gloria said softly. “JD has got to find us fast.”
Britney licked her lips and lay there as Gloria rubbed her. Nicole rolled over and said, “What are the two of you doing?”
“What do you think they are doing? Now be quiet,” Catrina said.
“But why?”
“Ivan has done something with her before they bonded. Those feelings are getting stronger as they dance,” Catrina said in a concerned voice. “He turns her on now when they dance. They are spending too much time together. Plus, the fact that the clothes we are wearing are not the thickest material in the world. Hell, I see your panties all wet after dancing with Bobby.”
Nicole hissed low, “Like yours are not?”
“I never said they weren’t. I have been doing this longer, so I know how to deal. The truth is, the four of you have working against each other since day one. Me and Cody have been working with each other. See the difference?”
“I am not like her, and we have been close to each other since we started,” Nicole said.
Catrina rolled her eyes. “Say what you want. I told you what is going on. But don’t worry. Next week, you will be just like her.”
“When will you be like her?” Nicole blurted out.
“A few days. Three of four at the most,” Catrina said with a frightened tone.
“Didn’t think you would have admitted that,” Nicole said in a surprised voice
“Face me.”
Nicole rolled over and Catrina said, “I want you to know one thing, Nicole Hidebrink. This is very dangerous. You don’t have shit to lose. If her husband is half of what they say he is, Ivan is as good as dead. If he kills Ivan, he kills her.
“Bobby has a wife and three children. When he fucks you, he won’t have that. When s
he fucks Clarence, she won’t be able to hold on. Just so you know, Bobby is going to fight it with all he has.”
Nicole gasped, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Trying to save my mother and your dance mate. It is more satisfying if someone else does it. She won’t quit because he won’t quit. Think about that when you start kissing him because you just got to have him.” Nicole grabbed her and held tight.
The next day, they went to the dance room. Five couples bonded and were taken to private rooms. That night, six couples were taken to private rooms. Gloria was dancing beside Cody. “Aunt Gloria, she doesn’t know what she is doing. She is reading instructions from that clipboard,” he said softly. “How are they bonding so fast?”
“Because they are embracing the comfort they feel by holding each other. It relieves the tension of being afraid. They don’t know what is going on and don’t know what to look for, the down side of it feeling natural.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Cody said curiously.
“Extremely.”
“Shouldn’t we do something, tell her or something?” Cody said with a concerned voice. “We need to help them.”
“Help them how, Cody? Tell them of a curse that none of them would believe/ Endanger ourselves by revealing we know more than we should? These cameras are recording everything. Feel lucky that the one who is behind all of this doesn’t know who we are. Or that you have bonded. The curse doesn’t care if sex is something brought on by desire, rape, or drugs. As long as it happens.”
“You won’t blast the bonding. They are putting people in private rooms once they bond,” Catrina said.
“I’ll sort something out. The two of you made it past it. Bobby, Nicole, Ivan, and Britney made it past it. So can I.”
“Aunt Gloria, we all were separated too. You will be trapped in the room with him,” Cody said. Gloria sighed. “This is not my first time at this, Cody. I know what the urge feels like. I will improvise.”
“Mom, I know you have a strong will,” Catrina said. “But can you honestly resist?”
“I’ll make sure she does. I love her,” Clarence said.
Gloria looked at him. “Please don’t look at me like that,” she said as she diverted her eyes from him again. Clarence could feel her hands shake as the instructor walked up to them.
“The two of you are progressing on nicely. Come with me,” the instructor said.
Gloria wanted to say go to hell as her heart rate increased, knowing what being alone with Clarence would do to them. Think fast. “Fuck you,” Gloria said as she swung her fist at the woman, hitting her in the head and she staggered back. Two men rushed towards her.
Bobby stopped dancing and started towards the men. Cody turned and grabbed Bobby and shoved him back. “Stop!” he shouted, then said so that only Bobby could hear him, “She did that on purpose. They are trying to take her to a room where they will be alone. She did the only thing she could think of to prevent them from bonding. If they bond in here, she will start the completion.” By the time they had finished talking, Gloria lay on the floor curled up in a fetal position, blood coming from her head. Clarence was next to the wall with a gun to his head. The man reached down and grabbed her by the arms and dragged Gloria’s limp, unconscious body from the room.
Bobby glared at Cody. “Next time.”
Cody shoved him. “She did that because she loves you, fool. Is that what you want her to go through, the only other love in her life to be shot right before her eyes? Think, you fucking moron.”
“Everyone back to dancing!” the instructor shouted. Cody walked back to Catrina.
“Mom’s getting desperate,” Catrina said.
“Her being desperate isn’t what is frightening me. I have a feeling before it is all said and done, we are going to see the truth behind what Dad and Aunt Elizabeth said about her. When it happens, I’m afraid something is going to happen to Bobby and she is going to lose her shit bigger than hell.”
“She will likely be killed,” Catrina said with fearful, trembling voice.
“If half of what Dad said is true, we all will be lucky not to get killed in the crossfire.”
Chapter 30
Final Warning
Gloria opened her eyes and groaned out with pain. It hurt to move even a little. Breathing caused her great pain. ‘Good, now they won’t expect me to dance any for a couple days.’ She coughed and groaned with pain. ‘Damn, don’t cough again, that hurt like a bitch. I hope Cody kept Bobby from getting hurt. I don’t want to lose you, Stanley.’ The sound of talking took her from her thoughts. Catrina saw her and ran as fast as she could. “Mom,” she said with a concerned voice as she knelt down beside her.
“I’ve had worse,” Gloria grumbled out.
“What the hell where you thinking?” Britney spat. “You could’ve gotten Bobby killed with that stunt of yours.”
“I was thinking that was the only way to save my marriage,” Gloria replied.
“That’s fucking bullshit and I know it. The two of you were planning on starting the curse this spring, and I know it.”
“I’m sick of that asshole telling you everything we talk about,” Gloria said angrily as she started to sit up.
Catrina took her by the arm and helped her. “They were planning on putting her and Clarence in a private room. She did the only thing she could think of,” Catrina defended her.
Britney looked at her and then at Gloria. “Like I said, they have already planned it.”
Gloria stood. “You want the truth, bitch,” she said as she glared at Britney. “I have a dance mate and I don’t want to lose him.”
“Stanley Is Dead, Gloria. You Keep This Shit Up And Bobby Will Be Next,” Britney spat angrily. “What? Getting one man killed isn’t enough for you?”
Gloria staggered back as if she had been hit with a bat. Catrina slapped Britney so hard, she nearly fell down. “That was uncalled for.”
Tears flowed from Gloria’s eyes as her arms went straight. The pain in her heart caused her body to go numb. Her chest expanded and contracted as she took in long deep, hard breaths and released them. The large room started to feel stuffy and the air thickened. Everyone in the room could feel an overwhelming presence as Gloria started to spin. Rage focused in her eyes and that rage was locked on Britney. The bruises on her body started to vanish before their eyes. Her movements that indicated pain became more graceful. Catrina saw the look in Gloria’s eyes and she stood in front of Britney, pulled her close to her back, and backed away. Gloria stopped moving, her eyes focused on the floor and she started moving towards Catrina. “If I was you, Britney, I wouldn’t open my mouth to say a single word. If you do, she is going to kill you.”
“Out of my way,” Gloria demanded.
“No, Mom,” Catrina said as she shook her head slowly. “She is frightened, she didn’t mean what she said.”
Gloria grabbed Catrina and shoved her away. “I take credit where credit is due. He died because of what I did, that is true. I didn’t know that madman would be so vengeful. But let’s get one fucking thing straight, sister. You and that fucker you want to protect is the reason for every bit of this. We asked you to send footage. If you would have, we wouldn’t have let the fucking bond happen. We would have come for the two of you. But no, one bull one pasture prevented that. If either of you would have been woman or man enough to say I don’t understand why my feelings are growing for my dance partner so fast, we would have come to see what was going on. But no, you could handle letting him finger you. But you weren’t woman enough to prevent that from happening. Oh, so you stopped Bobby from fucking Nicole by coming all over Ivan’s finger. So the next time you want to speak to me like that, know I will kill you if that means that fucker you are with gets in my way, I will step over his dead body to get to you, bitch.”
“What’s going on here?” a voice said<
br />
Gloria turned towards the man. “None of your fucking business. Be my goddamn guest to try and lay one fucking finger on me. You got a gun, lift, aim, squeeze trigger, that is how to fire it, moron. Go ahead. This bitch took my greatest reason for living away. I don’t give a shit.”
The man backed away slowly. “We have a situation here,” he said into a mouthpiece.
Gloria looked back at Britney, who stood in shock at what had just happened. “I have ass and tits enough to stand up for who I love. And balls enough to fight for it. Unlike some fucking sluts I know.” Gloria turned and moved to a corner and took a stance as she watched the man with an intense glare. It wasn’t long before the man walked to the door and left the room. Gloria stood with her body trembling. ‘That was fucking bright of me. I just took away the reasons why I can’t dance tomorrow. Plus gave them more reasons to watch me. Good fucking job, dumbass.’ Gloria let her body slide down the wall and had her knees up to her chest, sitting in the corner. ‘I don’t know why I got so mad at the truth. Every word she said was true. Everything inside me says fight this. But I don’t have a reason to fight it anymore. Bobby is going to leave me for Ashley. I can’t say I don’t blame him. Hell, I’ve cheated on him with several men. Not sure how many if I count the ones I fucked when I was high. I complain about what he has done, yet I have done far more. Holding on to something I will never have again. Why am I such a fuck up? Now I see that he was the only reason I had anything worth holding on to in my life.’
A hand went around her shoulders. “I am sorry, Gloria,” Britney said softly. “You are right. It hurts when others point out the wrong you did. In some ways, it puts a greater depth of accountability on your shoulders. Makes you realize the severity and blame you fail to place upon yourself. I did love him and I still do. But no amount of hurtful words will bring him back. All it does is place even more regret and pain in our lives. Bobby is our last one true love and neither of us wants to lose him.”
Love and Beyond Part 3 Page 32