by Christy Poff
"Thank you. I'll be here in my office. Oh, I'd like a late lunch prepared for when my wife gets here.” He gave Randall the menu and the man left. Simon sat at his desk and went over paperwork needing his attention. He couldn't concentrate on it, worried about his wife. Why didn't I stay with her?
His cell rang.
"Charlotte?"
"Unfortunately not. Sorry."
"Trevor, I'm sorry. I left a message for her to call me as soon as she finished at the doctor's."
"New father jitters?"
"Something like that. What's up?"
"Did you have a new driver today?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Simon, I've got bad news."
* * * *
"Hammond."
"We've got an accident case you may be interested in."
"Oh, how so?"
"The driver of an expensive limo was found dumped in the middle of one of our busier intersections unconscious. In his hand, he held an envelope addressed to both you and Simon Anderson."
"Did you open it?"
"No, sir."
"Good, I'm on my way."
Trevor ran out of the office and grabbed his department issued Ford Crown Victoria. He sped to the accident scene and arrived as the ambulance drove off with the victim.
"Lieutenant Webb, sir. I called you as soon as I could. Here's the envelope."
Trevor pulled on a pair of latex gloves before he took the envelope. Carefully, he opened it and pulled out the note inside.
I have the lovely Charlotte Anderson. Wait for my call and make sure you meet my demands, or she winds up another Washington statistic for sex murders.
A chill ran up and down his spine. The worst had happened, despite their precautions. Now, he had to call his brother-in-law and inform him his wife had been abducted in broad daylight with no witnesses.
Fuck, I hate this part of the job!
He called Simon and heard the concern in his voice when he answered the phone. Though he tried to make light of it, Trevor knew Simon sensed the worst and more than likely, was right.
"Si, it's Trev..."
"Don't you dare tell me..."
"I've got bad news."
"Your limo driver is dead and ... Charlotte's gone. There was a note. Meet me at the lab and I'll show it to you."
"I'm on my way."
* * * *
Simon walked into the police lab, pale from the news about his wife. Trevor silently passed him the note and waited.
"Prints?"
"It's clean but we traced the paper to Grimes’ office and the writing matches his to a tee."
"Where the hell is he?"
"Patience, Simon, patience. Going in full tilt like I know you want to do can get her killed."
"I want my wife. She can't handle his cruelty, not in her condition."
"Simon, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, she's pregnant. She was coming from her doctor's office to meet me at the club. The driver was a sub because Allistair had something to take care of."
"Trust me, we'll get her back and in one piece. Blair would shoot me if I didn't do my job. Your sister loves you and Charlotte, and this will kill her when she hears about it."
"What do you suggest I do?"
"Wait for his call. He will get a hold of you one way or another because he wants to torture you and see you suffer."
"I'm telling you right now ... that bastard harms her and I swear to God I'll kill him."
* * * *
Charlotte woke, unable to move. She saw she had been left in a huge room in the center of the floor. The walls bright enough to blind her, thanks to the lighting, she closed her eyes. She opened them again and looked around, unable to turn her head. She saw the high-polished marble floor she sat on and felt the chill of it against her naked skin. Fear took over when she heard footsteps behind her.
"Ah, Mrs. Anderson. It's about time. I wanted to talk with you before I called your husband. Comfortable, I trust?"
Charlotte glared at him. She couldn't be sure, but she sensed something terrifying.
"It's Shibari, an eastern form of torture using knots. Some call it erotic and if the subject is bound right, it can be very stimulating. Knots are placed in strategic positions to arouse the one tied up. It is also known as kinbaku, or rope torture, and was successfully used to pry information from enemy captives. I've used hemp rope in your case to heighten the awareness of your skin. I want you to feel every millimeter of your body."
Charlotte tried to plead with him to release her but Grimes laughed.
"I had the pleasure of binding your breasts to enhance their shape and give me clear access to them when I want to play with you. There is a knot placed at your clit and if you move, it will cause you to beg for release. Now, you notice the position I placed you in."
Charlotte carefully looked down and saw her legs crossed at the knees, each foot on the opposite side of her body and pulled back. She looked back at him as he laughed.
"I added my own little twist to this. I'm quite sure you can feel your arms bound behind you. The rope starts at your right ankle, loops around your hand, then goes up to your neck, where it again loops around and follows back to your left foot. In essence, I've used an ancient Egyptian method of murder. As you tire or if you try to stretch out, you will slowly choke yourself. I would keep my strength up if I were you, or you may never see that bastard of a husband of yours again, or the brat you carry."
She whimpered, again trying to plead with the madman holding her. He had placed cloth in her mouth and secured it with more of the hemp. She felt the huge knot in her mouth as the sharp fibers cut at her skin.
"Keep perfectly still, dear sweet Charlotte, and you might live longer."
Grimes left her in the huge room, alone and terrified. One move, even by accident, could end her life and she couldn't do anything to stop this. Please, Simon, help me...
Chapter 9
"Anderson."
"Any word yet?"
"No, it's been hours."
"No, it's only been an hour and a half. I won't ask you how you're doing."
"Good, don't."
Simon Anderson had been going crazy with Charlotte missing for—how long? The hint of failure crept into his soul. He should have gone with her to her doctor's appointment and let his manager handle the problem at the club.
Horrible thoughts ran through his mind knowing what Augie Grimes could do to her. The man epitomized the meaning of unstable. Now, the maniac had Charlotte and nothing could be done until they got word from him. Grimes sat in the catbird's seat and could let it go on for days, if he even contacted them at all.
Home overwhelmed him, empty without her. The place he'd always loved, he now hated. He thought about the vineyards but without Charlotte with him, the thoughts became useless memories. If she died because of a deranged senator, he'd...
"Simon, this just came for you,” Allistair cautiously announced.
"Thanks."
"Can I get you anything?"
"My wife back."
"I'm sorry, sir. I..."
"Allistair, you're not to blame. I should have been with her. Now, I've lost her..."
"Thinking like that is giving Grimes everything he wants. You're letting him win."
Simon realized Allistair made sense. If he fell into depression or gave up, Grimes had won and Charlotte didn't stand a chance. He thanked Allistair for being his rock and went to his desk. He picked up the phone, a direct line to the club, and waited for his manager to pick up.
"Yes, sir?"
"Can you bring me the file on Senator Augie Grimes?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'm at the house in Georgetown."
Half an hour later, Simon had the file in his hand and read through the personal information compiled on Grimes over the course of his membership. He found what he wanted and called Trevor.
"I think I may have something."
"What?"
"Grimes owns several plac
es in and around Washington. He's got his official address where Barb is, the office/apartment near the Capitol and an apartment on the other side of town."
"We know about them and he's not there. His wife has no clue where he's been for seventy-two hours."
"Did you know he owns a mansion on the Chesapeake up around Aberdeen, Maryland?"
"And out of my jurisdiction."
Simon gave him the location of the property and said he would meet Trevor there.
"Si, you can't lone wolf this."
"He wants me. I'm going to oblige him, but on my schedule."
"You'll push him over the edge."
"That's what I want."
"And if he kills Charlotte?"
Dead silence.
"Simon?"
No answer, then the recorded message: If you'd like to place a call, please...
"Damn it! O'Neill, get me the Maryland State Police at Aberdeen, ASAP."
* * * *
For over twenty years, Grimes was a United States Senator. His voting record always middle of the road, he tended to side with the moneymen, the ones who donated to and made sure he stayed in office. If the Elections Board ever found out where campaign contributions went over the years, they would have thrown him in jail sometime during his third term.
At sixty-three, he prided himself on his photogenic looks and the many women falling for him, wanting to share his bed—God, if they only knew.
He walked around the estate he fled to when affairs in DC overwhelmed him. Not even his loving wife Barb had ever been here. If she ever found out about it, hell would have been an easy paradise compared to what she could have put him through. The real trick to keeping this place became eluding the security detail assigned to him and the others, especially after 9-11. Once he figured out how, he successfully ditched them and went to his haven from life.
A boat sailed by on the Chesapeake as it lazily meandered past the house. He watched it to make sure they hadn't paid attention to him, then made his way inside to a small room off to the side of the rear entrance. Inside, it housed a security system the previous owners had installed. Cameras scanned the outside of the house and the rooms inside. At this moment, he only cared about one room—the ballroom where his evening's entertainment would take place.
He watched her and grinned at the sight of Simon Anderson's wife sitting in the center of the floor, naked and trussed to the point if she moved, she'd die immediately. He'd studied the Asian style of torture and its sexual uses as knots stimulated or tortured, depending on how the discipline had been applied. He had always been intrigued by Egyptian ways after he saw the practice on an episode of BATMAN when he was a child. Moreover, they wondered why he voted against any bills regulating what viewers could see on television or in the movies.
He glanced at the clock on the console and noted she had been in the same position for an hour. Simon Anderson had found a submissive with stamina and Grimes would enjoy every second.
His thoughts turned to Anderson, and when he should call the bastard about his wife. Should I have him brought to the house while she was still very much alive, or wait until she'd been dead for a bit and I have an airtight alibi? It didn't matter at this point. No one knew where he had taken her, so he had some time to play with.
Augie Grimes stared at the beauty on the screen, and how he'd enhanced her tits with the rope bondage. He wanted to take her but held back, even though his dick begged for her. Damn, this would be fun...
* * * *
Simon drove to Aberdeen, pushing the Jaguar to its limits. He knew where the house was and could easily hide his presence from the owner. From the map Allistair pulled up on the computer for him, he saw a small drive leading to the lower end of the property. From what they could tell, it was used by the weather service for their research projects. Now, he would take advantage of it.
He parked the car off to the side in the rear of a small building, nicely hiding it from view of the house. He checked his shoulder holster; his Colt Python nestled comfortably by his side. He made sure he had extra clips and checked the one hidden in his boot. In his other boot, he felt the small but deadly knife he always carried. One way or another, he would be armed unless Grimes came up with other ideas.
Satisfied he had what he needed; he traveled the distance to the estate on foot. As he neared it, he saw security cameras scanning the property. As long as he went with their set search area, he would be able to get around them and make it to the house without tipping off his adversary. He easily circumvented the system and crept to the rear of the house.
Simon took out an old floor plan of the house Allistair pulled from the net. With the possibility of historic significance, he accessed it without a problem. He noticed a new addition off to the east side of the main house and prayed Grimes would keep his party in the main house. As he made sure of his surroundings, he quickly decided where he wanted to make his entry.
The main house had been built in a style where most of the first floor rooms opened into a huge ballroom. The only ones which did not, were the kitchen and a small library near where he was. He folded the floor plan up and went to the windows to see what, if anything, Grimes might be doing. The first set of windows allowed him to see the huge living room. The double doors to the ballroom had been left open and he saw the last thing he could ever imagine.
My God, Charlotte...
He ducked down and closed his eyes to get his mind straight. He immediately saw how Grimes had bound her. Intricate but effective, he rendered her immobile leaving him the freedom to do what he wanted in the meantime. One move from Charlotte and she would kill herself without Grimes touching her.
When Simon started into the life years before, his mistress used Shibari and bound him to the point the experience remained one of his favorite memories of Mistress Melina. The set-up Grimes used on Charlotte would heighten her body's arousal to the point the slightest movement could send her over the edge. The knots would begin to do their job once she began to weaken from her position. Usually very stimulating, the addition of the Egyptian torture bonds made it extremely deadly.
He checked his watch and calculated almost two hours since she had been taken. Charlotte had an amazing stamina and could last a while but bound this way, her circulation would stop, and her body would begin to fail her. He had to do something and soon.
Simon cautiously crept to the set of windows for the library and checked the room. No one was in it and the door was closed, he tried the window. As he was about to touch the glass, he noticed a small wire and stopped, silently cursing to himself. He knelt down and thought while he calmed his breathing. Stay calm ... Don't loose your...
"I've been waiting for you."
* * * *
Charlotte Anderson remained in the same position she had been in since the senator brought her here earlier. Myriads of emotions and sensations coursed through her, her mind racing trying to make sense out of it.
She had read about erotic knots, and how they stimulated sexual arousal. So far, she hadn't moved. Moving could kill her. She started at the top and worked her way down as she took stock of exactly what Grimes had done. First, the huge knot in her mouth chafed her and the cloth made her sicker. She prayed the baby wouldn't react to this and add to her problems.
She felt the rope around her neck. So far, it remained slack enough to allow her to swallow but she knew it would not remain that way much longer. Her hands were bound behind her, her arms stiff, and she could feel them begin to slip. If she figured right, the loops around her wrists would tighten first, followed by the length around her neck. She closed her eyes and silently cried.
Her legs numbed a while before she could feel her ankles slip as her body naturally tried to straighten out. She pulled her feet towards her once more. Thank God for yoga...
She concentrated on the harness he placed her in. He bound her breasts tightly and she had to admit, it would feel good to her at another time and only with Simon. She could
feel her nipples as they ached for release from the blood forced to them from the pressure of the binding. She felt a knot at the base of her throat and several others at different spots on her body. She could see one set over her navel and the piercing as it played with the charm every once in a while. The knot that concerned her most was the one he placed at her pussy. Where it sat, it pressed against her clit. If she moved, it did, and the sensation sent shocks through her.
Charlotte altered her position enough to move the knot from her clit and give her some ease and a chance to breathe. The only problem she had with this was the pressure applied to her anus. No matter what she did, she would arouse her body, and it needed release. If she stopped one, she started another. The pleasure she could enjoy turned to pain with her need to stay alive.
Simon, please, I don't know how much longer I can hold out.
* * * *
"We'll get a chopper over there..."
"No, I don't want to spook him. The guy is unstable and I don't know what he'll do to the hostage. She's pregnant, so I want to do this as quietly as possible."
"What do you want from us then, Detective?"
"I need the house surrounded and a unit or two in the bay. I have someone already on location who is very close to the hostage."
"What are you trying to tell me?"
"It's like this. Simon Anderson, the husband of the women he kidnapped, is the object of the senator's maniacal scheme of revenge. The perp is guilty of at least four homicides in the DC area but always gets off and pays a flunky to do the time. I have always been one step behind him and with this situation, we might be able to nail him and get him off Capitol Hill all at the same time."
"I see."
"I want some discretion on this as well, so keep on-air traffic to a minimum. The less the press knows, the better we'll all be."
"How do you propose to handle the frenzy at arraignment?"
"By then, his victims will be long gone and in seclusion."
"Why do I have a feeling you're personally involved in this case?"
"I am on several fronts. The main one is that Simon Anderson and I are closer than brothers. He's my brother-in-law and doesn't deserve what good ole Augie's dishing out. Besides, on a professional level, I'm tired of him getting out of the guilt and literally getting away with murder."