“Touching, oh so touching, Miss Reeves. Have you picked a side yet?” Alain’s eyes cast themselves down on her derisively. “You’ll need to before long.” He didn’t say anything else, just turned around and quietly waltzed from the room with his one remaining guard. The other two righted themselves after a few seconds and crawled after him. Jesus Christ. We were all royally fucked.
“Is he okay?” I murmured. I tried my best to stand up, but a shed load of painkillers and a week without proper food wasn’t a great combination for walking. Swaying on my feet, I quickly sat back down again. I had no idea how James was still standing a few moments ago, considering he’d been conscious for most of his forced starvation.
“He’s breathing, and he’s got a thick skull. He’ll come to in a minute, trust me.” Lois sounded more confident than she looked, but I didn’t think James would be out for long.
“Give him a slap around the face,” I suggested. “He likes that kind of thing.”
Lois glared at me. “I’ll give you a slap around the face if you’re not careful,” she threatened, but I knew she wouldn’t. Not while I was an invalid, at least.
“Go and give the beast a kiss, then, Beauty. You’re going to be fucking him soon, anyway.” As soon as the words came out, I wanted to clamp my hand over my mouth. Was that the pain meds talking? I hoped so, because I’d just sounded like a jealous, jilted lover, and things were bad enough around here as it was.
“Stop bickering, the pair of you. No one is fucking anyone.” James put a hand to his head and sat up carefully, wincing.
“Are you okay?” Lois and I asked in unison, mostly because the silence was really uncomfortable.
“I’ve had worse.” James made no move to get up. Going for Alain had taken what little reserves of energy he’d had left, and I watched him hunch over, with his head in his hands. It’s not often you see James worse for wear, but this was definitely one of those times.
“Lois, go help him up.” I couldn’t bear to see him sitting there on the floor like that, looking defeated. We needed to stay positive. I wasn’t sure how we we’re going to do that, but we could at least try.
Putting an arm under his shoulder, she did exactly that, but he brushed her away. “I’m not helpless. Just give me a second.” Well, at least the stubborn bastard was still in residence. He’d be back to normal in no time.
It took him a moment or two, but he finally got to his feet and sat himself back down again. In the end, the effort was for naught because more of Alain’s thugs then came to drag him away.
“Wait, where are you taking him?” Lois yelled after the retreating muscle and ran after them, but I didn’t bother saying a word. I knew they wouldn’t respond. All that was left to do was wait - and I’ve never been a very patient person.
Chapter Seven - James
It took four guards to drag me back to my cell. I was so far gone, I could barely stand. The tuna sandwich I’d eaten had barely made a dint in my hunger, and all it would do was make things worse before they’d get better. I’d figured out Alain’s plan now. I knew why he was starving me, and he wouldn’t feed me until the deed was done. He was going to pump me full of shit, and the less food I had in my system, the more chance there was of it going straight to my head. Mind you, if he continued on this path for much longer there was no chance I’d be able to perform, anyway. I could barely move as it was.
You will not have sex with Lois. You. Will. Not. Might as well get some mental conditioning in now while I was still compos mentis. Putting my head in my hands, I swallowed tightly. What would happen if he did exactly as he’d threatened? If he paraded Lois around the bedroom in some lacy panties and stockings and I was halfway shot to hell, what would I do? You know exactly what you’ll do. Yeah, you’ll jump her.
Closing my eyes, I tried to stem the fury that was consuming me. Take some petrol, wrap it in some tinfoil, and then whack it in the microwave on full blast. That’s how crazy fucking angry I was feeling right now. I had this horrible sensation of impending doom surrounding me, the one that says no matter how much I fight, there is no chance of me winning the war. Could Alain use my own body and mind against me? With any other woman, I’d say probably not, but Lois set my libido on fire. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to resist her if we were flung together naked, and the thought scared me senseless. I cannot watch her die. If Alain does that, I’ll end up taking my own life, bomb, or no bomb. There’s only so much shit the average human can bear, and I’ve been shovelling the stuff for long enough.
You will not have sex with Lois. I intended to repeat that sentence over and over in my head until the sound lulled me to sleep. I didn’t know if it would help when the time came, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. You can fight this. Lois will help. At least she was aware of the stakes. She knew what would happen if we went down that road, and I didn’t think she wanted to die just yet. The woman had already tasted Adie’s knives, and she wouldn’t want to repeat the experience with his older, and far more ruthless brother.
Adie was in a vat of boiling water that was even bigger than mine. Unless he wanted to watch Lois die, he’d have to go back to work for his family. That meant kidnapping women and training them up to be obedient slaves. He’d never had the stomach for it, and I’d thrown him a lifeline several years ago, when I gave him the number of one of my contacts. They trained him up in covert espionage, but the deal was he’d need to spy on his own family from time to time. That’s what he’d been doing the day Lois showed up at Carte Blanche. Everything we do is a risk, but some risks are bigger than others. The orders to get down here and finish Alain came from the top, which must mean he has something big planned. With Adie spying on him, they know most of what’s going on, but the organisation is so big, they don’t want to take down one arm without knowing where all the others are situated. Alain has amassed a vast empire, and they know that dismantling it will be a massive job on a grand scale. Without Alain, the job will be a lot easier, as they suspect there’ll be lots of in-fighting once he’s gone. The difficulty is in getting close to him. The man is as slippery as an eel. Every time someone gets their fingers around him, he somehow manages to escape. Adie and I call him Teflon, because nothing fucking sticks to him. It drives me insane.
At some point I fell asleep because the next thing I knew, someone was shaking me awake. When I came to, I didn’t recognise the face in front of me, so it had to be one of Alain’s goons. There were lots more of them waiting outside.
After my nap, I felt a little better and could just about walk without being carried. Thankfully, we didn’t have to go far this time. When we got to the brick bit, they ushered me into another building, one that looked a lot like a hotel. That’s because there were numbered doors, carpeted halls, and lots of recessed lighting. Fuck. They were taking me to a bedroom. My stomach would have dropped, if there was anything left in it to drop.
With my heart banging crazily in my chest, I wondered what to do next. I hadn’t thought Alain would do this so soon, and I’m not ready for it. I don’t have enough energy to do anything, but there’s a reason for that.
When one thug opens a door with a key card and prods me inside, I consider taking the lot of them out, but I already know I’m not strong enough. I tried earlier. All that got me was a great big fucking bruise on my face. This time there are far too many men to even consider it. I have to face facts. There is no choice but to do as I’m told. Well, I’m entering the hotel room, anyway. I’m not sleeping with Lois while there’s an ounce of self-control left in my body. I’ll just have to hope I’m strong enough to resist whatever shit he decides to pump into me.
As soon as I entered the room, the door banged shut behind me and I could hear the sound of a locking mechanism. Trying the handle, I soon confirmed my suspicions. Turning around, to survey my surroundings, it didn’t take me long to ascertain I was alone. The room was too quiet for anyone else to be here. Looking around, I spotted a chicken Caesar salad on a table set for one, a
ccompanied by a glass of wine. There was a bottle of Chablis nestled in a chiller bucket beside it. I assumed that was for me. If Alain thought I was drinking alcohol, he needed his head tested. If he wanted me pissed, he’d have to force-feed me the stuff himself, and I wouldn’t put it past him. Though I already knew no one was in the room, I checked it thoroughly. I’m a stickler for things like that. There was nothing in the wardrobes, no one in the bed, and the bathroom was empty. It was a fairly standard hotel room, with the exception of a four-poster bed with an ornate iron headboard rising along the back of it. There were lots of swirls and decorative curlicues cut into the metal, and if I wanted to tie Lois up and fuck her senseless, it would be perfect. Alain has thought of everything, apparently. Looking a little closer, I could see D-rings and bolts dotted around the place, but I’m not interested in that now. I desperately need a shower. Though my cell featured a tap, I haven’t had a decent wash in a week, and I daresay I didn’t smell particularly nice. Still, the shower would have to wait. Food was more important. I was literally swaying on my feet, and my head swirled in dizzying circles - a symptom of my week of starvation.
Sitting down at the table, I began to eat slowly. My stomach still protested after a few mouthfuls, but it wasn’t as bad as earlier. I got half the plate of food down me without feeling the need to vomit, so it was an improvement. Deciding I’d eat the other half of the meal in a few hours’ time, I grabbed my wine glass and headed towards the bathroom. Tossing the contents in the sink, I then washed it out and filled it up with water. God knows what Alain might have put in there, but I wasn’t about to risk drinking anything. I felt awful enough as it was. My face was throbbing from earlier, and someone must have caught the top of my arm because that felt bruised, too. My whole body felt like a train wreck, which wasn’t all that surprising, considering.
After I’d finished two big glasses of water, I turned on the shower and waited for it to warm up. It probably wasn’t a great idea to have a wash, especially as I felt as if I might pass out at any moment, but I had no idea when I’d get the chance again. I just wanted to feel almost human for a change.
When the hot water hit my body, I sighed. I’d been freezing cold for days, which was another symptom of running on empty, and it simply felt good to be warm again. Standing under the spray for far longer than necessary, I started to relax. That wasn’t a good thing. I needed to be on edge. A good idea would have been to turn the water to freezing cold. That would have woken me up, but I couldn’t face the thought. Besides, the shock to my system might cripple me in the state I was in. I settled for giving myself a good rubdown with the towel.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot I could do about the clothes I was wearing, so I put on the robe that was hanging on the back of the door. It was dry and clean. Settling myself back down at the table, refusing to go anywhere near the bed, I switched the television on.
I couldn’t concentrate worth a damn. There was a cooking show on TMC that might have interested me, if I could be bothered to translate the French, but my head was fried. The sound droned on, but I heard nothing but white noise. I was already envisioning Lois walking through the door wearing virtually nothing, and even though my body was so weak I could barely move, something inside me fluttered to life. He can’t make you have sex with her. Although I kept telling myself that, over and over again, it didn’t erase the feeling of impending doom that surrounded me. My willpower around Lois was tenuous at best, and if he pumped me full of shit in my current state, it would knock me for six. Hopefully, I’ll pass out under the strain and I won’t have to care about anything else, but with the way my luck’s going at the moment, I wouldn’t want to bet on it.
Sitting there virtually comatose for a good hour or more, I nearly jumped out of my skin when the door opened behind me. Swinging my head round to see what joyous surprise awaited me, I discovered Lois standing there in a robe very similar to mine. At least they’ve covered her in something. A swath of people surrounded her, some were guards, some were wearing white coats, and Alain was also there, bringing up the rear. I felt bile crawl up my throat.
“How are you feeling James? Are you looking forward to your night of fun? Been quite a while since you last had sex, so I hear.” I didn’t bother to look at Alain. If the bastard thought he could goad me into thumping him, he was much mistaken. I didn’t want to get too close to the white coats, either. I knew why they were here.
“James, are you okay?” Lois’s eyes immediately went to my face, where there was a lump the size of an egg. I can barely feel it. I have much more important things to worry about.
“I’m fine.” My voice was terse. I didn’t want to be mean to Lois, but I couldn’t afford to let my guard down, so I wasn’t going to look at her.
“James, why don’t you take a seat? You must be exhausted.” Alain was now dressed more casually in jeans and a plaid shirt, and I had a feeling he intended to have a fun night in front of the TV. He’d be watching Lois and I through the various cameras that were dotted all over this room, along with poor Adie. They’d be in for a fun night because I was not having sex with Lois. I hoped we bored them senseless.
“How do you feel James?” Alain’s voice grated inside my head and made my hair stand up on end. I was feeling like shit, and the man was well aware of the fact, so I didn’t bother to reply.
“Does your arm hurt?” His mocking look of sympathy drove me wild as I wondered what the hell he was on about. I didn’t have to wait long to find out. “We injected you with a little something before you woke up - just a shot of alcohol, but it should have relaxed you. When we combine it with the next drug cocktail, I have a feeling you’ll be very pliable.”
Staring at my arm in shock, I realise that’s why it’s so sore. It’s also why my limbs are heavy, and I can’t concentrate. Why didn’t I consider that earlier? It’s because I’m half fucking drunk, that’s why.
The guards began to move forward, and as per usual, there were a lot of them. I immediately stood and started to back away, but I could feel my head swimming. Now I knew why I’d been so dizzy and disorientated - the alcohol in my veins had gone straight to my head.
“Hold him down,” Alain barked. A ton of men rushed towards me and there was nowhere to go. It didn’t stop me fighting back, but this wasn’t something I would win. Somehow, I threw out a few kicks and punches, but they lacked precision and expertise. Most of them were just glancing blows, which the guards easily deflected. Before I knew what was happening, I’d been pinned down in a chair and restrained with cable ties. Fucking cable ties! I wanted to scream. I didn’t, because I knew Alain lived to watch me suffer, and he wasn’t getting any more out of me than I was prepared to give him.
“Ah, that’s better,” he purred. “The lion’s been put back in his cage. It’s nice to see your energy is returning, James. That might come in handy later.” Alain looked very pleased with himself, as well he might. The deed’s not been done yet, though, and I intend to fight him with everything I have.
“So, let me introduce you to Miriam here.” Alain pushed one of the white-coated ladies forward, and she smiled awkwardly. By the look in her eyes, this wasn’t what she signed up for when she applied to work for him, but once you’re under Alain’s wing there’s no going back - well, unless you fuck his sister - and even now, I still can’t get away from him. “She’s got a present for you.” Alain shoved her forward, and she blinked in surprise. “Show him, darling.”
Miriam obviously knew Alain well enough not to mess with him because she pulled a hypodermic syringe out of her pocket and began advancing towards me slowly. She looked at me like I was a wild animal she was too frightened to touch, and to be fair, that’s the look I’m aiming for. I don’t think it’s going to save my ass, but anything is worth a try.
“Have a guess what’s in that syringe, James? What drugs would you give someone if you wanted to increase their sexual… appetite?” Alain is not afraid of me now that they have me tied down, and t
he gleam in his eye is predatory. One of these days he’s not going to have an army of mercenaries beside him to guard his back, and as soon as I get a chance to extinguish his miserable life, I’m taking it. It’s not going to be pretty, either.
“No clue, James? Can’t you think of anything?” Alain is regarding me with a cool, detached look, but that’s only because I’ve been tied up. He’s not quite so brave when I have the use of my arms and legs.
I shake my head to his question. It’s a lie because I have a fair idea of what’s in the syringe, but I want him to tell me, so I know for sure. At a guess, I’d say party drugs. Cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines would probably be a good place to start. There’s also a chance he’s put anabolic steroids, Viagra, or testosterone in there. When coupled with the alcohol that’s already floating through my bloodstream, it will be a toxic combination.
“Ah, I thought you might know. Shame on you, James. You worked here for long enough. Still, it’s probably for the best.” The fucker wasn’t going to give me anything to work with. He knew me too well.
Turning to Miriam, Alain then said, “Shoot him up.”
Miriam advanced towards me nervously, and I bucked my chair forwards to try and scare the living daylights out of her. It worked because she stepped back in a hurry, nearly dropping the syringe, but Alain then stepped in to help her.
“He won’t bite, darling.” Alain then placed his hands on either side of the chair to steady me, so she could get closer to me. That’s when I lost it. Screaming every obscenity known to man, I let Alain know exactly what I thought of him. Miriam retreated again, under my steaming diatribe, but I knew I was only putting off the inevitable. This is happening and there’s no escape.
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