Blood for Blood

by Simon Smith-Wilson

Slowly, she began to unbutton her white blouse.

  ***

  Travis climbed into his side of the bed. Kerry had her back to him. He didn’t know who she thought she was kidding. Travis was fully aware that she was awake. For a moment, he looked at her naked shoulder, but then turned and looked up at the ceiling.

  Why did he keep coming back here?

  This relationship was as extinction as the dinosaurs.

  It had never really been a relationship to start with.

  They had ended up in bed together. He really did have feelings for Kerry, but then he had met Anne. He and Anne had so much in common. They had been through so many dangerous situations and had each other’s back each and every time. The relationship was creating a bond, unlike anything he had felt before. He just came back to this house out of habit. It seemed like the right thing to do. This was where his daughter lived. Travis needed to be near her. Everything he had done over the last four years was for Samantha. He would even endure a loveless relationship just to be near her.

  ‘Kerry, are you awake?’

  He knew that she was.

  She did not reply.

  ‘Aren’t you going to talk to me?’

  ‘What is there to talk about?’

  ‘Fair enough,’ he let out a deep sigh. ‘I don’t want to get into an argument with you.’

  ‘You don’t want to get into anything with me,’ snapped Kerry.

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘What am I talking about?’ She turned to face him. ‘The fact you haven’t slept here in over a month. Is your girlfriend busy tonight?’

  ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’

  ‘Anne. That bitch you’re fucking behind my back.’

  ‘Fuck this. I don’t need this.’ He threw back the quilt and got out of bed. Travis quickly scooped his clothes off the bedroom floor and headed for the door. ‘I will sleep on the couch.’ The bedroom door slammed shut to emphasise his point. Kerry rolled back over and pulled the duvet around her. Hopefully, that was it. She wanted that man out of her life and away from her daughter. She had to get that transfer.

  ***

  ‘Oh fuck me, Danny,’ Fiona cried out.

  Danny was sat back on his wooden chair, as the eighteen-year-old secretary straddled his lap. Her legs dangled beneath the arms of the chair. Firm hands gripped her naked ass cheeks. Her panties were long since discarded. Her dress was hitched up over her hips. His manhood penetrated deep within the depths of her body. Strong hands pulled her hips forward, as he pushed it deep inside her. Fiona rolled her hips like some exotic dancer. Her desperate screams bounced off the office walls. Danny didn’t care who could hear. This woman was his.

  ‘Yes,’ he groaned, ‘yes, Fiona.’

  ‘Danny. Fuck me, Danny.’

  ‘I fucking love you,’ he called out.

  Something wonderful was happening within the core of his body. A pleasing sensation was gathering between his thighs. He leaned forward and sucked on her tits through the fabric of her light brown bra. Fiona threw back her head and cried out. Delicate fingers stroked through his hair, pulling him forward, begging him to suck them harder. Her hips went into over, riding him harder and harder. The wooden chair creaked and protested. Orgasmic moans grew louder and louder.

  ‘I love you, Danny. I love you so much.’

  ‘I know,’ he growled, through clenched teeth. ‘Together we will destroy this city.’

  ‘Yes. I will do anything for you. I mean absolutely anything!’ She screamed.

  ‘I know how to do it,’ said Danny. ‘I know how to kill them all.’

  ‘Let’s do it,’ she gasped, ‘let’s kill every last one of them.’

  ‘Yes. Yes. YES!’

  His hips jolted and every single muscle in his body locked. Danny gave out a deep, pleasing grunt. Fiona squealed with delight at the feel of him erupting inside of her. She could feel him pouring his love into her body. There was nothing more powerful than this feeling. She loved having Danny climax inside of her. Fiona prayed for his child. She loved him so much. Danny was her hero. Together they would bring this city to its knees.

  Chapter Two: Tuesday

  Snowdrops were falling all over the landscape. It was a magical sight. His breath turned into a white mist with each exhalation. It was carried away by the gentle wind. Axel was wearing an all white military snow uniform. He had even covered the hilt of his sword white so that it blended in with the natural camouflage of the land. Only his eyes were visible through the white face mask. He looked through the metal railings in the fence. The airport looked completely isolated. JR was trapped. There was no possible way that little bastard was going to escape this situation. General Abraham had stationed at least a hundred troops around the perimeter of the fence. There was no a single blind spot.

  ‘What the fuck...?’

  Axel looked up at the helicopter overhead.

  A camera crew was leaning out the window.

  ‘You are trespassing on Riggs Crew property,’ bellowed the voice of General Abraham. He was speaking through the megaphone system of his tank. The tank was like a creation of death. It had all the most sophisticated weaponry and was more than capable of blowing the helicopter out of the sky. Axel tuned out the sound of Abraham’s voice, as he surveyed the gathering press. More and more news vans were appearing by the day. This story was making global news. They had news crews from the United Islands, West Valley, South City and all the various cities that were rebuilding in this troubled world.

  ‘Nosey bastards,’ grumbled Axel.

  If they hadn’t turned up, then he could have ended this situation already, but the world media was watching. Marcus Riggs had to handle this situation delicately. It wasn’t good for business if North City looked like a dictatorship and the military ruled. It was why they had to allow the press in. It was why they were appearing to negotiate with the terrorists. It was why it appeared they actually cared about the hostages. It was time-consuming and tedious. The last place Axel wanted to be was stood out in this crappy weather. The quicker this situation was resolved, the better. How they would resolve this situation now was beyond him. The longer Marcus Riggs dragged this out, the more eyes they had on them, which made the eventual endgame all the more challenging.

  ***

  ‘You can’t do it, baby girl,’ said Chelsea, with a grunt.

  Cassie’s small frame was surprisingly heavy. The young girls head fell limp, as she was pulled into the sitting position. Her eyes were rolling back into her skull. Groans escaped from her gaping mouth, but Chelsea doubted that her daughter was even aware that she was making a sound. Today was a bad day. It had been a bad night. Cassie had dry wrenching continuously while having hallucinations of horrible nightmares. The poor child was delirious and incredibly weak.

  ‘You are doing so well,’ continued Chelsea.

  She tried her best to be positive in front of her daughter.

  She honestly believed that positive thinking was a powerful tool.

  ‘I just have to get you changed, beautiful.’

  The baby began to cry from the other room. Chelsea hesitated for a second. Her maternal instinct was dictating that she should check on the baby. She didn’t have enough hands. There was simply too much for one person to do. She needed help.

  ‘Okay,’ she said, ignoring the babies cries. ‘Let’s get you cleaned up.’

  ***

  Hate seemed to ooze out of her like some kind of toxic cloud. He thought she might have eased up by now, but Kerry’s face said it all. She hated him with a passion. The former lovers sat at either end of the small kitchen table. Samantha was upstairs getting her stuff together. Beady eyes studied the Latin beauties face for a very long time, as he tried to pick the lock on the door to her mind.

  ‘How about we do something nice this weekend,’ he said.

  ‘You are too late,’ replied Kerry.

  He decided to ignore her.

  ‘It will be just the
two of us.’

  ‘I don’t want to go anywhere with you, Travis.’

  ‘Why are you being like this?’ He liked the play the victim. ‘Look, I will do anything you want. You name it, and we will do it.’

  ‘I’m not interested.’

  Kerry couldn’t even bring herself to look at him.

  ‘I’m sorry that I haven’t been home. Work has been full on. It has been ever since this fucking war with the Riggs Crew kicked off, but I won’t allow it to dictate my life anymore. You will come first. I promise.’

  ‘Is that what you tell Anne, too?’

  Travis made a clicking sound with the inside of his mouth.

  This was getting him nowhere.

  ‘Just think about it, okay? I have to get going.’ He got to his feet, straightened out his nicely ironed shirt and pushed his chair beneath the table. Out of habit, he walked over to Kerry in an attempt to plant a kiss upon her brow, but the look in her eyes said it all. It was the first time she had looked at him this morning. A storm of hate raged behind the windows of her soul. He could see it clearly. This relationship was over. Whatever love she once had for him was long gone. Kerry despised him with every last bit of her body. Travis pulled back and headed for the door. He didn’t even bother with goodbye.

  ***

  ‘Here is Mr Teddy,’ said River.

  He bounced the big brown bear across the floor so that it appeared as if it was walking. Alisha squeaked a little giggle and clapped her hands together. She was sitting in a sea of cuddly toys on the living room floor. The little girl picked up an orange monkey. It was a toy that River hadn’t seen before.

  ‘Who do we have here?’ he gave the monkey a quizzical look.

  ‘It was from the Karl,’ said Ariel, as she washed up in the kitchen.

  ‘Oh yeah, the landlord came here, didn’t here?’ asked River, his voice full of suspicion.

  ‘Yes,’ replied Ariel, ‘And you can drop that tone, too.’

  ‘What tone?’

  ‘The tone that makes out I am doing something wrong.’

  ‘Well, he does seem to come around quite a lot.’

  ‘We are friends,’ she pointed out.

  ‘Is that so?’ River grumbled. He didn’t like this friendship one bit.

  ‘Yes. It is,’ snapped Ariel. ‘It is nice to actually have someone to talk to. It isn’t like I have a job to go to.’

  ‘We talked about this,’ said River.

  ‘You talked about it.’

  ‘You were in no fit state to come to work,’ countered River. ‘You were suffering from depression, Ariel. I had to let you go because of the drugs. You can’t be doing stuff like that in the store. I tried to hold the position open for you, but I had to fill it. I could help you find another job.’

  ‘And what possible job is there for me?’

  ‘Well...’ she had a point.

  Jobs were difficult to come by.

  ‘I’m sorry. I will help you find something.’

  ‘Don’t bother,’ said Ariel. ‘I know why you don’t want me at the shop. I get in the way of you flirting with all those girls you hired.’ Her voice was full of jealousy.

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘Don’t act dumb. The people you hired are mostly young women.’

  ‘Yes, because they came with great references.’

  ‘Of course,’ she scoffed.

  ‘Are you kidding me?’ He got to his feet. ‘Are you fucking kidding me? I go to work all fucking day. I work hard for this family. I do long hours in a soul destroying job so that we have a roof over our heads and food on our table. And now you are saying I flirt with other women? Are you kidding me? Is that your justification for fucking the landlord?’

  Ariel’s mouth hung open.

  Shock was written upon her face.

  River instantly regretted saying those words.

  ‘I have never...’ she couldn’t even bring herself to finish. Ariel rushed out of the room.

  ‘Damn it,’ cursed River.

  ***

  How much time had gone by? Jillian did not know. The room was dark. There were no windows. She had no possible way to gauge how much time had gone by. She slept, but did she really sleep? Did she sleep for hours, or had it been minutes? How long had she been in here for?

  The door opened.

  The bright light of the corridor blinded her.

  Liam groaned as he was dumped down onto the floor.

  ‘Hey, wait...’ she protested, as hands grabbed at her. Natural instinct kicked in. Jillian kicked her legs and thrashed around. Her fingernails found some purchase and a man groaned. Her arm was squeezed harder, and she was yanked roughly out of the cupboard. Frightened eyes looked up at the men, but the ceiling lights stung her eyes. ‘Oh no, please!’ A bag was pulled over the top of her head. She heard the cupboard door slam shut and a lock click.

  ‘Stop fighting,’ a voice spoke into her ear.

  ‘Or we will fuck you up properly,’ said a second and more menacing voice.

  Jillian instantly stopped. The voice had scared her into submitting. She could hear how eager the man was to fuck her up properly. For now, she stopped struggling.

  She was pressed down on the floor.

  She winced in pain, as something pinched her wrist.

  Her hands were bound behind her back.

  ‘What are you going to do to me?’ she asked.

  They replied with laughter.

  ***

  A sickening sensation pulled down on her heart. Kerry stood alone by the kitchen sink, staring at the wall, but not staring at anything in particular. Thoughts were rushing through her mind like a storm.

  ‘Can I do this?’ she asked the world. ‘I know I can,’ she replied to her own question. ‘I have done it before.’ She dropped her head and let out a long and frustrated groan. ‘I don’t want to do it again. I don’t want to do it to River. He is my friend. Ariel is my friend.’ It was like a different part of her brain suddenly threw in a counter argument. ‘You have to do it. You have to. I need this job. I have to get Samantha out of this city. I need the transfer. I will get the job. I will do everything within my power to make sure I get the job.’ The thought of going through this again nearly made her vomit into the sink. She had seduced Malcolm to keep her job. He was making cutbacks, and she was one of the people to be cut. Kerry found a way to keep her job, and that was to let him have her. It had worked before. It will work again. ‘I will get the transfer even if I have to sell my soul in the process. I will sleep with River.’

  ***

  Darkness consumed the room. Eyes full of hate glared at the shadows.

  ‘You are wrong,’ Marcus Riggs spat out the words. ‘You are wrong, father.’ He told the world in general. ‘JR will destroy everything that I have created. He is a killer, an animal. All he wants his war and chaos. I am achieving something incredible in this city. I am bringing peace and security. I am the future of North City.’

  His wife sobbed from her foetal position on the floor.

  He didn’t even grace her with a look.

  ‘I don’t need you,’ he said. ‘I don’t need any of you. I don’t need JR. I don’t even need father. North City is mine. I won’t let you have it.’ Someone knocked on the hotel room door. The cleanup crew had arrived. ‘Come in,’ he ordered. A group of men in black suits walked into the room. Hushed voices whispered things he could not hear, but that wasn’t surprising. The room was destroyed. His wife was a bloody mess. ‘Escort my wife out of North City. I want her bags packed. I want her furniture destroyed, and I want her gone. There will be no questions.’

  A brief moment of silence followed.

  ‘Yes, Mr Riggs,’ came the reply.

  It was time for Marcus to take control once and for all.

  ***

  The hood was pulled back. Jillian blinked once, twice, thrice, and slowly the room came into focus. She was in a small office. A young man was sitting on the edge of a desk in fro
nt of her. Recognition came instantly. It was JR. She knew him. They had met several years ago. They had both been kids at the time.

  ‘Jillian,’ he greeted her with a smile.

  ‘JR,’ she replied, not sure what to make of the situation.

  ‘Would you?’ he asked one of the men behind her.

  A knife cut away her bindings. Small palms rubbed sore wrists.

  ‘Leave us,’ he instructed. Jillian watched the two men that dragged her here leave. She was happy to see the back of them. ‘Would you care for a drink?’ JR hopped off the desk and disappeared around to the other side. A drawer was opened, and a bottle of whisky was retrieved. Jillian got to her feet. Unconsciously, she attempted to straighten out her clothes.

  ‘No, thank you.’

  JR poured two cups regardless.

  He walked back around the desk and handed one to her.

  Jillian took it. There wasn’t like she had much choice.

  ‘I remember you,’ he said, ‘you were that cute young girl at the World League meeting.’

  ‘I remember playing with you in the kids club,’ she replied.

  ‘Yes. That was good fun,’ he smiled, as he reminisced upon the memory. The smile quickly fell from his face. ‘I need your help, Jillian.’

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What can I do for you?’

  His eyes dropped down to her tits. ‘I can think of many things you could do for me, but at this moment in time I need you to convince your idiot husband into giving me all his money.’

  ‘I...’

  He cut her off. ‘I will make sure you are well taken care of, Jillian. This is just a minor inconvenience. All I ask is that you stay here as my guest for a few days. I have a plane arriving Friday morning. Think of this money as a free pass. I will allow you to go anywhere in the world. I will give you a fair percentage of the money, so you can start a new life, too. All I need is for you to convince your husband to give me his fortune.’ JR downed his drink. ‘I know you don’t love him. That fat cunt uses you for sex and nothing more. I know how these things work. My father wanted me to marry a girl just to strengthen relations with her family and the business they ran in West Valley. You don’t owe your husband anything and from the looks of it he isn’t thinking about you right now.’