by Celine Yorke
With their alpha slain, the warriors halted and pulled back, fleeing without the bodies of their fallen comrades. Blood and dust lined the cave. Chan and Tom checked the bodies, ensuring that they were dead, and went back to check on their warriors. The warriors had a few injuries and scrapes, but nothing serious, the attack had been poorly planned, and the fight, even more so.
"Well done," said Chan thoughtfully. "We'd better clean this up and stay on our guard. The rest of them might be back. In the meantime, let's skin these cats." He grinned. Tom shivered. He'd gotten used to the simple, even primitive way the tribes lived, but some of their customs still gave him nightmares. They dragged the dead, who had returned to jaguar-form, to an area far from the cave to start preparing their bodies. Chan said a few short prayers in a language Tom didn't understand and sprinkled herbs and salt in a circle around the bodies. Tom stood back, confused but respectful.
"And now," Chan said, "we can begin." It wasn't a clean business, but it wasn't as messy as Tom expected. They buried the slick, strange bodies in shallow pits and carried the hides back in a bundle for the women to scrape and prepare.
They didn't finish with everything until late at night, and they were all pretty tired. Tom slipped away by himself, tired and thoughtful. But as soon as he got into bed, he heard some footsteps coming into the room. Romina and Lucia slipped in under the big pelt covering the bed and cuddled up next to him. They were nice and warm, but he wanted to get some sleep after all the hard work he had done today and over the last week.
Chan barged in without knocking, and began to scold the women.
"Give Tom some space. He's worked hard the last few days, so he needs to rest." They immediately got out of the bed, their heads drooping, and their long dark hair covering their faces as they looked down to the ground. They always respected the alpha's commands.
Tom, who was half asleep, said in a tired voice, "Thanks, Chan." Tom fell into a deep sleep. He didn't wake up when Romina and Lucia came back into his bed early in the morning. Their warm, soft bodies curled around his kept him warm on the thin mattress. He woke slowly, and realized he had a raging hard-on. Lucia, who had her back to him, turned around to rub against him. She purred as she spread her legs and threw one over his hip. Wiggling closer and into his arms, Lucia guided him inside her. Aroused and now wide awake, Tom began to thrust. Romina pressed her body close to his back. She tickled a path down his spine and stroked his buttocks, then stroked his sac. A search of electricity went through his body. He couldn't hold back, and exploded inside Lucia.
Tom lay back and relaxed while Romina kept on caressing him. She gently bit his neck and earlobes as she fondled his cock. He turned around, and his hot lips found her mouth in a passionate, hard kiss. He glided down to her breast, his lips softy kissing her nipple. He sucked her hard nipples, and she moaned with pleasure. Tom moved down, pushed her legs apart, and let his tongue slide down to her swollen clit. He lapped against her and thrust his fingers inside, seeking her center. She shivered and moaned as he thrust, stroking her heated center. As he lapped and swirled his tongue around her hard nub, she exploded with an uncontrollable orgasm. Unable to hold back, he leapt up, then swiftly lifted her hips to thrust himself inside her. Next to them, Lucia pleasured herself, leaning over to lap at his chest and nibble Romina's nipples. As she leaned over to kiss Romina, it was too much for Tom. He exploded, releasing inside her, and Lucia pushed him away to replace him.
The girls tumbled together for a while, purring and stroking each other, petting each other's hips and breasts. They pleasured each other a little, then curled up on top of Tom. He slept happily, hemmed in by their content, resting bodies.
CHAPTER TWO
Serena looked around the beach, clutching the box dumbly. "What am I going to do? How am I getting home from here without any money and no transportation?" She rubbed her wrists, still chafing from the pirates' ropes, and drew in a shuddering breath. She brushed off her jeans and white sneakers, wiped her tears away, and started to walk up towards the little fishing village nearby. She could see the light glowing in the windows of the houses, and the shops were still open. She came to what appeared to be the main street and saw a motel on the corner. She walked in there and went to the reception desk.
"Hello, my name is Serena. My boyfriend has been taken prisoner by some pirates. They put me ashore on the beach without any money. Could I please use your phone?"
"What a terrible thing to have happened to you. Of course you can use our phone," the woman at the reception desk said.
Serena called her friend Violet. Her words flooded out in a rush.
"Hello?"
"Violet, something terrible happened to me; some pirates took Philippe prisoner! They hijacked his yacht and put me ashore here in a little fishing village with a box to give to his father. They left me without any money and no way of getting home. Do you think you could come and pick me up?"
"Oh my God, Serena, how terrible for you! Of course I will come and get you. Where are you now?"
"I'm not sure, but I can find out." The man at the counter couldn't help overhear the conversation.
"You are in a little fishing village called Valeria Bay, a couple of hours' drive south of Paris."
"Hello, Violet, are you still there?" "Yes, I heard what the man said. I think I know where it is. I will get going straight away. But you better give me the phone number of the place."
"Thank you so much, you are such a darling. I'll be waiting here in the hotel for you," Serena said, giving her the number. The staff were concerned for her and Philippe, and the bartender offered Serena some hot chocolate.
"Sit down and make yourself comfortable and I will make your drink."
"Thank you. That is kind of you, but I can't pay you. The pirates took everything from me."
"Don't worry, this one is on the house." Serena sat down at the bar and talked to the bartender about what happened to her and Philippe.
"This is a very unfortunate situation for you. It's seldom the pirates come in this close to our shores, but it happens now and again. I hope your friend will be okay and that his father will take the steps to fulfill the pirates' demand."
"I have never met Philippe's father, so I don't know what kind of a man he is," Serena said. It was a charming little hotel, and the kind staff helped make the atmosphere warm and friendly. Serena was grateful for the concern they showed her. They all came and talked to her and tried to calm her down and make her feel safe, so the next couple of hours went by quickly. Before she knew it, Violet had arrived and had her arms wrapped around Serena. Serena relaxed, savoring her hug.
"Are you okay?" Violet said with a worried look on her face.
"Yes, everyone here has been so kind to me and calmed me down." Serena's eyes watered and tears ran down her face once again.
Violet gave her a big hug. "You poor girl, that must have been awful for you. Serena wiped her face urgently. "But what about Philippe?"
"Leave that to me. Now come on, let's go home. We'll work out how to get Philippe back tomorrow." Violet said in a comforting voice.
Serena woke up, startled out of a sound sleep by a nightmare. It trickled away, and she shuddered, longing to leave it behind. She padded out of bed, wide awake, and took a shower. Feeling restless, she called Francine and told her about the terrible thing that had happened to Philippe and herself.
"How awful! I'll take you over to meet the big boss, Philippe's father, Joshua La Bell right away."
Francine pulled up in front of the house only a few minutes later. Serena locked up, left Violet a grateful note, tucked the spare key under the mat, and got in the car. They sped off to the appointment, ignoring the speed limits.
Joshua La Bell's secretary ushered them through the expensive, well-appointed foyer and into his office, causing a stir. She shut the door and scampered off, leaving them with Philippe's handsome, but severe-looking father. Joshua La Bell was in his mid-sixties, with dark, grey-streaked hair th
at framed darker eyes. He shook her hand briefly.
"Take a seat. Now, what exactly happened?"
"We had taken Philippe's yacht further out to sea and were fishing out in the Atlantic Ocean," Serena said between the tears running down her face, "when a big ship with pirates approached us and came on board. They questioned Philippe; then he was handcuffed and taken on board their ship. They sailed me back ashore in Philippe's yacht..." Serena handed him the little box.
"The pirates gave me this box and ordered me to give it to you. They said that if you want to see your son alive again, you better do as they demand." Serena sat quietly, watching Philippe's father unwrap the box. Francine clutched her hand comfortingly. A little jolt went through Joshua as he took off the lid.
"The sons of bitches, what kind of people could do a thing like that? They cut part of his finger off!" Joshua La Bell's face was red and his eyes were wet with tears. He pushed the box away and read the letter inside.
Serena screamed and rushed over to the paper basket to vomit. Francine reassured her, but glanced back to Joshua forlornly.
"Oh, poor Philippe! He must be in so much pain," sighed Francine. Joshua La Bell read the letter aloud.
To Joshua La Bell,
"Your son Philippe is held prisoner on our ship, and if you want to see him alive again, you must follow our orders. We demand three million US dollars. Have the money ready. We will contact you again by phone with a meeting place. If you try to ignore this message and attempt to outsmart us, we will chop another finger off your son's hand for every day you delay.
"Three million dollars? They must be dreaming." Joshua La Bell threw the letter down on the table in disgust.
"The nerve of those crooks. I don't think they realize who they're dealing with!" He turned sternly to the young woman sitting in a plush leather chair in front of him. She turned tear-stained eyes up to his judgmental face.
"Serena, I wish we could have met under better circumstances. This is a most unfortunate situation. I will let you know how the whole thing unfolds and keep you posted. A friend of mine works for the secret police. I will contact him and find out how to handle the whole thing." Joshua La Bell seemed miserable, and avoided her eyes.
"Yes, please let me know what happens. I am worried about him. They were big strong, powerful men too, not the sort you would want to mess with."
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them and turned to the large floor-to-ceiling picture window, brooding. Francine squeezed her friend's hand again and escorted her out. They could do nothing, but wait.
Joshua La Bell contacted his long-time friend Maxi. They used to be in the French Foreign Legion together and had fought side by side when they were young. He still had several friends from that time, and they met up for a reunion now and again. They were friends he could rely on for help at any time--particularly useful because Maxi worked for the local police now. When Joshua called to tell him what happened to Philippe, he offered to come over.
"I'll get a team of agents come over to your office. They will set up all the technical equipment needed to trace the phone call from these crooks."
"Thanks, Maxi. I'm grateful for your help." Joshua looked grimly at him. A couple of hours later, four men walked up to Joshua's large office and began to set up the technical equipment to catch the phone call. The men sat around waiting while the office staff served them coffee and hot buns. Later in the evening, the phone call came. The pirate spoke without a preamble.
"Be down by the river in one hour. Bring the money and wait. Come by yourself. If we suspect the police are involved, we will not meet with you, but will cut another one of Philippe's fingers off." The man hung up.
The team started to work on where the phone call came from. Joshua stuffed the three million dollars into a bag, his hands shaking as he laid each bunch of dollars in the canvas sack.
Maxi said, "Don't worry, Joshua, we'll back you up."
"Is that a good idea?"
"We'll be careful. We're professionals. My men will attach a little receiver inside your jacket so we can follow the conversation."
Joshua stood down by the river with the bag of money, waiting. A tall, well-built, muscular man approached him and said in a low voice, "You got the money?"
"Yes, but where is my son? I'm not prepared to give you the money before I know if Philippe is still alive."
"Give me the money and we will send Philippe to you," the man said brusquely.
"That's not the agreement."
Two policemen appeared out of the bushes, their guns trained on him. "Stand down!" one barked.
The man bolted, dodging through the officers' waiting grasp, and disappeared into the dark. They heard a speed boat racing down the river away from them. Maxi and one of the policemen jumped down to the speed boat they had parked in the river and raced after the pirate. The lights of the city glittered as they raced past the shore. They drew closer, and could see the man's muscular outline against the night. He ducked for a moment and turned around.
"He's got a machine gun!" yelled one of the officers. "Hit" They fell to the floor as bullets thudded into the fiberglass frame of the boat. The pirate tossed the gun into the river and yanked the throttle. He speed forward, into the night.
"We've got to pursue him!" snapped Maxi.
"No way. We're taking on water. We've got to get back to shore." There was already a heavy layer of water on the bottom, pouring through the sides. The boat limped to the riverbank.
They all went back to Joshua's office, disappointed. Joshua cursed and clutched the bag of cash absently and worried about what they were going to do to Philippe. Maybe they would indeed chop another one of his fingers off. He didn't understand how some people could be so money hungry. Joshua stopped right there. Here I am worried about losing the money and not putting my son's welfare first. How uncaring of me! The businessman in him had taken over, and he now realized how it affected his way of thinking in everything he did. Joshua buried his face in his hands, tears running down his face.
"Excuse me, I need to be alone with my feelings." He went into the little lounge next to his office.
Once in there, Joshua let all his emotions out and cried uncontrollably for some time. Not only about Philippe, but all the stress he had buried for a long time. It felt good to let it all hang out. He realized how the demand of running his business had taken its toll on him. He had not even taken an interest in Philippe's girlfriend.
"Damn it all to hell! I didn't even know he had a girlfriend, let alone they went away together on Philippe's yacht. I need to make some changes in my life," Joshua said to himself.
Joshua went back into the office and told everyone how sorry he was for not giving the bandit the money immediately, even though he might have lost it all.
"When they call again, tell them that all I care about is getting my son back. I don't want any interference from anyone. If you need to track them down, take what you can use out of the situation, but don't do anything before I have my son back safe."
They all agreed to that. Maxi said, "Fair enough, we'll make sure to hold back."
They all stayed in the office for the rest of the night and took turns sleeping in the lounge. Joshua had some collapsible beds and blankets brought in so they would be comfortable. He called a nearby pizzeria and got them to bring six big pizzas up. He got the coffee machine going so they could all help themselves to a cup of coffee whenever they wanted one. They were all touched by his concern for everyone's welfare.
CHAPTER THREE
The next morning when the Jean La Belle's fashion store opened up, a courier came in. He went to the information booth to deliver a parcel for Joshua La Belle. The assistant brought the parcel right up to his office.
"A courier left this parcel for Joshua La Belle," the assistant said. "Thank you," the receptionist said as he brought it into his office. He set it down on Joshua's desk and left respectfully. Joshua opened the parcel up and found another part of one of
Philippe's fingers. He dropped it, shaking, and collapsed in his chair, weeping. Maxi stepped closer. "May I?" Joshua nodded silently. Maxi picked up the letter.
To Joshua La Belle
How many fingers do you want your son to lose before you stick to our agreement? We will give you one more chance to meet us at the same time tonight at the river. Come alone if you don't want any more harm done to your son.
"Bastard...son of a fucking bitch! Don't worry, Joshua, we'll get them," Maxi said. That same night, Joshua again stood with the bag containing three million dollars, waiting down by the river, in the dark. The same man from the night before approached him and asked for the money. Joshua quietly handed him the money, and before Joshua could say anything, he jumped down into the speed boat below and took off. Maxi and the other three men came out from behind the bushes.
"What next?" Maxi asked, lifting his hands in the air and letting them fall down in a hopeless gesture.
"I will just sit here and wait. Maybe they will bring Philippe back here."
"Okay, we'll wait with you in cover." Maxi was determined to get hold of those crooks. They waited all night, but no one contacted them or brought Philippe back to them. By morning, they were all ready to go back to the office for some hot coffee, and were quite desolate.
Stomping back in, none of them looked at each other, concerned that the whole thing had been futile. After a moment or two of silence, the phone clanged, and Joshua put it on speaker-phone.
"Hello, Joshua speaking." His voice trembled.