“Aren’t we going to the party?”
“I think you’ve done enough partying. We’ll go to my place. I have some friends you might like to meet.”
“I don’t know…”
“We could always swing by the police station and make a report.”
“No, that’s okay. I guess I have no choice. I think I drank too much,” Sam added with a moan, pretending inebriation.
“If you plan on puking, do it out the window. I’m not stopping.”
So far, her plan was working well. She glanced at the transmitter, knowing that it held her coordinates as he pulled up to a small house in a tiny neighborhood.
“Where are we?” Sam asked. “Won’t a huge black Hummer look a little conspicuous sitting in this driveway? I don’t want anyone breaking into it,” she asked, letting Central know how to find her.
“The truck is safe here, don’t worry. Get out, I’ll show you around,” Bob assured her, sliding his arm around her shoulders. She hid the disgusted shudder as he touched her. She chuckled silently; the pain of her bottom was the very thing that kept her from feeling fear at this point. She sensed she might have bitten off more than she could chew, but she had no choice. She had a mission to accomplish.
The house was dark and several men were sitting on the floor smoking dope and snorting something white. This was even worse than she had imagined.
“Bob, is that heroin? Man, I can’t do drugs. I told you that I’m on probation. They test me every week.”
“You don’t have to. There is something else you have that my friends would enjoy, that beautiful young body.”
“But you said you had a business proposition.”
“I do. For every fuck, you get 100 bucks.” He grinned evilly.
She frowned. “That hardly seems fair. You said 300 an hour.”
“You can do three of them in an hour, with some time between to clean up. Of course, to earn that much would mean that I knew you were worth the price. Good money comes from using more than that sweet mouth or your little pussy. Have you ever taken it up the ass?” Bob demanded. Sam shook her head as her heart started to pound. “Well? This or the cops?”
“I need to pee. And puke,” she said, covering her mouth. He pointed to a bathroom. She went inside and turned on the cold water.
“Focus, girl,” she whispered to herself. The swirls slowly came. Her distance from the ocean and her fear made drawing them more difficult and she was unsure of her ability to hold her mind steady. It was five against one, not the odds she enjoyed. And four of them were on drugs.
“Man, this is some good shit, Sarge,” one of the guys said. “I’m spinning like a top.”
“Me too. What’s in it?”
“Just the same stuff. Maybe there’s a gas leak, I’m spinning too. Put out your smokes so we don’t blow while I check on it.”
“You got some new pussy for us, don’t you? She is a looker, too. Here’s $400 if I get that gorgeous ass first.”
“She’s yours. Her name is Samantha and she’s a sweet one. The ass hasn’t been touched yet. If you want that, it will cost you another $200. It’s business.”
“She’s worth it. What’s she doing in there?”
“She had too much to drink. She’ll be out soon or I’ll go get her.”
Sam hit the emergency call on the transmitter, knowing that there was enough recorded to make a bust. Hopefully, the police would arrive before it was too late. These men definitely seemed intent on getting what they wanted, with or without her cooperation.
Without notice, Bob barged into the bathroom and pulled her out by the arm. He yanked her halter from her body and held her arms behind her back, displaying her to the drooling men. She jerked away and hid her breasts with her hands, finding that her ability to continue the swirling was becoming more strained.
“Oh no, we are paying good money to see those things. Hands down,” Bob ordered.
She shook her head. “No. You’re scaring me.”
He suddenly slapped her across the face, sending her hard against the wall. Not only did it stun her because she was not prepared, but the blow also made her lose her concentration. She touched her bleeding lips and yelped as Bob reached down and grabbed a handful of her long hair.
“We had a deal. You follow through or I’m calling the cops.”
Chapter 6
“Don’t touch me! Call the cops! I would rather deal with them than you scumbags,” she hissed, her eyes flashing. He went to slap her again, but she was ready this time and ducked.
“A feisty one, huh? Hold her down, she’s mine first,” Bob announced, unbuttoning his pants to release his erection. Sam felt herself being grabbed from behind and used the leverage to send her foot smashing into Bob’s groin. He doubled over.
“Kill the bitch,” he groaned.
She saw the flash of a knife blade heading in her direction as hands attempted to restrain her. Her instincts kicked in; it was life or death. Like a deadly weapon, she had two more men down before snapping the neck of a third. Bob was still groaning, pointing at the final man. He recognized her abilities and was livid.
“Kill that fuckin’ whore! She’s a plant! Bitch is Ops!”
Growling, Samantha landed her heel against Bob’s jaw, breaking it instantly. The final pursuer held a knife in his hand. “Going to cut up that pretty face, make you bleed. Going to laugh while you die, bitch.” His eyes were glazed, unfocused.
Sam smiled. It was cold, hard and calculated. “Wouldn’t you rather cut up your own face? Sure you would.” She let her mind clear, sending the message of intent. He looked confused, hitting his head with the palm of his hand.
“No, I cut yours. Maybe practice,” he stumbled, unable to see clearly as she imaged a fog bank, praying that it would work. He fell into the wall, hitting his head. “I cut…” he whimpered.
Sam picked up her ruined halter and held it to her chest, all the while concentrating on keeping her would-be murderer confused and disorientated until the police finally burst through the door.
“They tried to rape me,” she cried. “They all started fighting each other to get me. He killed two of them with his bare hands!” She pointed to Bob’s unconscious form.
“There, there, Miss. You’re okay,” the officer said. “Is that your truck out there?”
“Yes. I had a little too much to drink and wrecked it. He said he would help me and brought me here. “
“I’ll have to take you to the station. Were you hurt?”
“No, except for my lip and my top. I have a change of clothes in my truck.”
“Let’s get them. What’s with that guy?” he asked, pointing to the man in the corner. He was banging his head against the wall as he called her a witch.
“I don’t know. He started doing that after he broke that other guy’s neck.” Sam sniffed, leaning into the officer’s arms for support. She was surprised to find that she actually needed it. Her nerves were shattered and all she wanted was to be home in the safety of her family.
“You poor thing. You’re going to need some therapy after this. I’ll call SVU for you.”
“No, just call my daddy. Please. I don’t want to think about this.”
Sam groaned for, as luck would have it, Dr. Quimby arrived with Michael and Rich in tow. He hugged his daughter tightly, covering her with kisses and constantly touching her swollen lip with his thumb. Once assured that she was all right, he began the lecture. The dark look on the boys’ faces wasn’t helpful in calming her down, either. She was no longer feigning her fear; it was quite real. The events of the days had caught up with her and she was close to breaking. The police officer who had escorted her came out to meet her family and introduced himself.
“Office Kremer, sir. I am sorry to inform you that your daughter was apparently driving under the influence when she drove your vehicle into a tree. Given the circumstances, I’ve requested that she not be charged. I honestly think she’s suffered enough tonight.”
>
“Not in my book,” Rich whispered to his angry friend. Michael nodded. What surprised him though, was his father. He conducted himself as though he were angry, but his neck vein wasn’t pulsing. It was almost as though he was expecting this.
“This is a strapping offense. She won’t be walking for several days after tonight,” Michael informed his friend.
Rich looked at him closely. “You don’t sound so sure of yourself.”
“I’m not. Not this time. I told you before that something’s off about this.”
Dr. Quimby had the boys drive the Hummer home while he took his daughter in the Lexus. He inhaled deeply as they pulled out. “Are you okay, darling?” He touched her split lip again gently.
“I’m a bit shaken up, but yes. I’ll be fine. It was just way too close for comfort. What did we find out about that jerk?” Sam asked in an effort to force herself to maintain control of her emotions. She did not want him to know exactly how fragile she was feeling at that moment.
“Marine stationed in Armory. Works under Wilkes. Interesting, don’t you think?”
“Very much. I can’t thank you enough for coming right home. The boys are ready to kill me. We have to tell them. I’ve never seen Rich so pissed. He might want to break up with me after this. Not that I would blame him,” her voice trembled.
“I would not worry about that, baby. He loves you. He will understand. As for telling them, we can’t until it’s cleared. Hopefully, that will be tomorrow. You did well, my love. I’m very proud of you.”
“How are we going to get away without a strapping tonight? You know that’s what I would be receiving had this been real.”
“I know. How are your bruises?”
“Pretty awful. I hate to say this, but I would face Uncle Scott again before Rich.”
“Hmm, seems to me you’ve met your match, baby girl. Okay, then I will evaluate you and delay it until Scott comes home. Hopefully, we’ll be clear to reveal by then.”
“Thanks for the sympathy. What if we can’t?”
“Then we have no choice but to follow through. Were you really DUI?”
“I had a sip of brandy right before I hit the tree. Nothing more, I swear. Daddy, pull the car over.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, immediately parking under a tree.
“Hold me,” she said, suddenly breaking down in tears. She had lost her battle with fear. He held her close to him, crushing her in his arms.
His tears joined hers. “I’m so sorry, baby. We forget you are still a little girl.”
“I’m so scared and I feel so guilty. I can’t lie to Michael and Rich anymore. Rich is so angry. He might break up with me because of this,” she repeated her concern as she sobbed into his shoulder.
“If he does then he isn’t the man I believe him to be. They will be angry, but they will also understand. Shh, it’s okay now, princess. It’s okay. Daddy is here,” he cooed, kissing her tears and stroking her hair from her face. They sat together for an hour with him holding and rocking her before she finally started to calm down. He handed her a tissue. “I can honestly say you are not psychologically ready for disciplinary action. This way we don’t have to lie, okay?”
“Whatever you say, Daddy. Just take care of me. I need you.” She sounded like a little, frightened child. His heart ached. It had been a long time since she had spoken that way. Maybe this whole event would produce something positive after all.
Dr. Quimby pulled into the driveway and led her into the house. “Go upstairs and get cleaned up. I’ll be up in a minute,” he said gently. She nodded and slowly walked up the stairs. The boys were sitting on the couch, observing.
“What took so long?” Michael asked, following his sister with his eyes. He could feel her pain and he frowned. “Did you spank her?”
“No, not yet. She’s really traumatized by this. She almost got gang raped by a bunch of drug addicts. I have a little more compassion than that, Michael,” Dr. Quimby snapped sharply. Michael raised his eyebrow; it wasn’t like his father to speak to him like that.
“Then what… never mind. Can I help?” He looked confused. His senses were strong. He felt the anguish and turmoil raging within his sister. He also had known that she was in danger, hence had fled the base with Rich to get home; and they had happened to meet his father at the door. Twin powers again.
“I don’t know, son. Let’s give her some breathing space. I don’t want her to lose her edge because of this. I’m sorry I barked at you.”
Michael looked at his father, studying his face. The older man was genuinely concerned, but this hadn’t been the first time she had faced an ugly situation alone. “Dad? There is something you aren’t telling me. What is it?”
“Michael, if there was something you needed to know, I would tell you. I need to go check on the baby,” his father said, standing slowly.
Rich touched Michael’s arm. “He looks sick over this.”
“He is, but I don’t think for the reasons he wants us to believe,” Michael frowned. He looked at Rich. “You don’t think she was placed on special assignment, do you?”
“You mentioned before that you thought this could be a set up. If she were, that would explain quite a bit. But why not let us know?”
“This happens sometimes. Let’s just let it rest and we’ll find out the truth sooner or later. I just feel bad for being so hard on her about school if this is the case.”
“You’re not the one who blistered her. Although, she was drinking and driving. And wrecking Scott’s truck.”
“That’s what is making me suspicious. If she were really being defiant, she would have wrecked my Jag instead. Okay, let’s just play along. One thing, though, is that she is genuinely bothered by what happened. We need to support her, okay?”
“Absolutely. Poor kid.”
Sam, once again, found herself sobbing in her father’s arms. He leaned back on her bed, rocking her silently. He couldn’t make this hurt go away and it saddened him. He was desperate to help her and something occurred to him.
“Honey, if the pod integrated you, do you think you’d feel better? I’ll take you down to the beach if you want.”
“I don’t know. I just need you to just hold me tight right now,” she cried. “I feel so guilty and scared and powerless. All I could think of was what Rich would think if they managed to get me. It was too close, even for me. And I was so far from the water that I had no escape. I’d rather deal with terrorists than rapists. Worse, I wanted to see that man slice up his own face. I tried so hard to put that into his mind. I was excited to make him seriously harm himself. That’s not like me.”
“It’s human nature. You did nothing wrong here.”
“I know. But I just can’t shake being dishonest with so many people. I really feel bad about Mr. Dell, too. He was so sweet and I gave him grief.”
“We’ll make everything all right when we can, I promise. It’s late. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
“I don’t want to be alone.”
“Do you want me to stay with you, or should I get Rich?”
“You. I need my daddy,” she whispered.
“Okay, let me get jump in a quick shower and get changed. I’ll be right back.”
“I want to sleep in your bed.”
“By the looks of it, you already did.” He smiled, nodding. He tucked her into his bed, showered, and then dressed in his old, soft sweats. “Are you hungry? Can I get you something?”
“I’m thirsty and I need something salty.”
“How’s your balance?” he asked, checking her turgor and pallor.
“I think I’m all right. Maybe a bit dehydrated from all this stupid crying.”
“I’ll be right back. You rest up,” he said with a kiss before going downstairs. The boys were still on the couch, watching TV. “It’s getting late, gentlemen. Shouldn’t you hit the sack?”
“We’re not tired. How’s Sammi?”
“Dehydrated and very frig
htened. She asked to sleep with me tonight.”
“She hasn’t done that since she was twelve. Remember? It was after she saw that stupid movie where the whale died.”
“I know. Please, be gentle with her. I’m seriously worried. I’ve never seen her react this way to a situation before. She feels very vulnerable right now. She needs your absolute love and support until she recovers emotionally.”
“Of course we will, Dad. Don’t worry about us. Good night,” Michael said. He looked at Rich after his father departed. “Definitely special assignment. I have no doubt now.”
“I think you’re right. He just removed any disciplinary action from the agenda,” Rich observed. He sighed deeply, “Good, that makes me feel a little better. I really didn’t want her to be this defiant for real.”
“What makes you think she’s not?” Michael grinned.
Rich shuddered. “I’m in for a long ride, then.”
***
Dr. Quimby took off work the next day to stay home with his daughter. After the boys left, he brought her breakfast in bed.
“What’s this? I’m not sick,” she asked, sitting up painfully and rubbing her eyes.
“You deserve it. Bottom still sore?”
“Daddy, he left marks on me that I’ve not seen before. Yes, it’s still sore.”
“Let’s see,” he ordered with a frown, twirling his index finger for her to turn over. Sighing, she obeyed, hearing him whistle. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. I bet you won’t push that young man too far. I’ll get you some numbing cream.”
“It won’t help, it’s too deep. But thanks. And, no, I won’t push him at all if I can help it. When he says he means business, he means it.”
“It’s a good quality in a partner. How’s the food?”
“Yum. Thank you. Did you really take the day off?”
“I did. We can go do something if you’re up to it.”
“Okay. You should know, I’m getting the feeling that Michael is onto us.”
“You do, how?”
“I know my brother. Every move he makes, his facial expressions, the little tic when he’s mad. None of his actions indicate he’s upset and the only reason he wouldn’t be is if he knew that I was under orders. He’s no dummy, you know.”
Aftercare: General's Daughter, Book 4 Page 7