Love Lies Dying

by Steve Gerlach

  “Why?”

  Because that’s not like us, it’s not like Helen and me.

  “No, it isn’t, is it?”

  No, that’s what I said.

  “Not like you to do anything risky…”

  Exactly.

  “And you wouldn’t lie to cover your tracks while you do something else, now would you?”

  No I wouldn’t.

  “Wouldn’t, huh? My, we have changed.”

  Shut up.

  “Just helping you pass the time, my friend. You’ll be here for a while yet.”

  John pulled at the chains around his wrists. His hands were cold and numb, but he could still feel the chain bite his wrists as he tugged on them.

  I’ve got to get out of this.

  “Good luck, buddy. But at least you pass the say-something-obvious test.”

  Very funny. I don’t see you helping me.

  “You don’t see anything at the moment.”

  Quit with the wise cracks.

  “Oh, I’m deadly serious. You’ve got yourself tied up in a real mess.”

  I told you to stop trying to be funny.

  “And those blindfolds aren’t the only things stopping you from seeing.”

  Huh?

  “Come on, John. Use your mind. Push through the years and try to divorce your fact from your fiction. We all make mistakes, I know that, but don’t believe everything you’ve been told.”

  I don’t understand!

  “That’s part of your problem. Don’t believe everything Zoe’s telling you, you have no reason to. Not after she lied about the car keys and then the gun.”

  I have to believe her.

  “Do you think she’s believed everything you’ve told her?”

  John thought about that for a few seconds.

  Probably not.

  “Well, there you go. She doesn’t trust you, so why should you trust her? If she trusted you, why would she tie you up like this?”

  This is what she likes.

  “What she likes?”

  Yes.

  “Really?”

  This is what Fox taught her sex was all about.

  “There you go again!”

  I have to trust her. I need her help.

  “I know that. But start thinking for yourself. Really, try thinking for a change.”

  I am. I AM! That’s ALL I’m doing!

  “Try to sort the lies from the truth.”

  I can’t. There isn’t time!

  “Isn’t time?” Richard laughed his throaty laugh. “Pal, you’re tied up and going nowhere. You have all the time in the world. Heck, you’ve probably got all night!’

  Zoe will be back.

  “Yeah, I know that. But probably not until morning.”

  It could almost be morning now!

  “It could, but you don’t really believe that, now do you? You’ve got hours to go. Plenty of time.”

  For WHAT?

  Richard sighed, “You’re not just fighting her, pal. You’re fighting yourself too.”

  I don’t understand.

  “Pal, that’s the whole fuckin’ problem! I keep saying that over and over again!”

  Silence returned to John’s head.

  His stomach felt heavy. It had stopped growling from hunger pains, as if it had given up trying.

  John wondered if he were starting to get delusional. He’d only had a couple of glasses of water for the whole day. He was sure that if the wet cloth weren’t in his mouth, he’d be dry and thirsty. Instead, he had the sour taste of vinegar that was keeping his tongue and throat wet.

  How long can a man survive without food before he goes mad?

  He knew he should be embarrassed about his situation. He knew he should try to get away or to take back control. But his body wouldn’t allow it. His willpower was sapped. He didn’t know if it was the lack of food or drink, or whether Zoe’s games had taken a toll on his mind.

  Either way, he needed to try and get his mind into gear and start planning ahead.

  He had to be at his best when he met Fox.

  He had to teach the guy that he’d gone too far this time.

  He needed to kill.

  He recognised that now as he stood there in the cold night with time to think.

  I want to kill Fox.

  I want to force him to beg for his life and then I want to kill him slowly.

  As the cold bit into his wounds even more, and his numb body started to shiver, he began to work it all out.

  Tomorrow has to be the day. She knows I’m going to be missed at work. They’ll get suspicious if I don’t show at work two days in a row and don’t contact them. She must realise that. If she doesn’t, I’ll tell her. She has to let me go then.

  His mind was clearing now. Thoughts and ideas were forming fast.

  We’ll wait until Tuesday night. That will be our best chance. We’ll take the Jeep and drive to Redlingford and surprise Fox and his gang. We don’t have any weapons, but I’m sure we can fake him out somehow. There’s got to be something around the church we can use. That old machinery shed. Yeah, there must be something in here we could use – even if it’s just sharp metal of some kind. Sharp and dangerous.

  John smiled underneath the hood.

  But what if he’s got guards posted?

  Even better. We’ll pull over before we get to the farmhouse and we’ll walk the rest of the way. Maybe we’ll find one of his guards. We can overpower him. Zoe can distract him with her body, show him her breasts or something, come on to him, and I can knock him out and take his gun. Then we’ll be armed.

  John’s smile grew bigger

  And ready to fight.

  John thought about Zoe. She’d seemed so scared, so terrified, when they first met. Now she was in control, giving the orders, telling him what to do. A regular little general.

  A general in leather.

  And half naked.

  God, what a body! And what a performer!

  John felt the cold metal move on his balls. His cock was starting to grow.

  And so did the pain.

  No! Stop thinking about her. Think about other things!

  The pain grew more intense.

  I’ve got to talk her into helping me get Fox. I have to.

  But he knew the mere mention of Fox’s name could see her defences crumble, and that was the problem.

  I have to get her to come with me, but as she is now. Powerful and in control. There has to be a way.

  But he knew that wasn’t very likely. She’d gone to face Fox herself and had crumbled in front of him. Her plan had fallen to pieces around her, scattered in the dirt of the driveway along with Helen’s life.

  Or so she said…

  John pictured the way Zoe’s face gave away her emotions, no matter how hard she tried to hide them.

  He knew the plan wouldn’t work.

  But it was the only one he had right now.

  But it’s not going to work!

  His smile fell along with his hopes.

  His mind emptied of thoughts and his body sagged against the wood behind him.

  We’re all beaten. Each and every one of us.

  He knew that now.

  We can’t get out of the traps we’ve laid for ourselves. Eventually everything catches up with us.

  Everything.

  It had happened to Zoe.

  And now it was happening to him.

  Poor Zoe…

  He was her only real friend now.

  Friend?

  Then why, Zoe, why treat me this way? he asked the darkness.

  Because she loves me.

  John knew that for sure now.

  And he knew the events to come would be hard on them all.

  He just hoped they would survive them.

  Forty-three

  The hood was pulled roughly from his head and the blindfold was untied.

  John tried to open his eyes, but the sunlight was blinding. He squeezed them shut again until they
adjusted to the light.

  The dew on his body had evaporated sometime earlier as the temperature had risen and the coldness in his bones had been thawed by the warmth of the sun.

  The earplugs in his ears were removed, and the sound of life flooded back to him.

  Everything sounded so loud; the breeze in the trees, the birds chirping. He even noticed things he’d never heard before, small sounds in the underbrush and movements in the scrub. His mind reached out, desperate to hear everything it could to fill the void of silence of the past few long hours.

  “Good morning, my love,” Zoe said, her voice loud in his ear.

  He opened his eyes and turned towards her.

  She was standing next to him, smiling.

  She reached forward and pulled the wadding from his mouth. His stiff jaws slowly closed and John’s tongue ran around his mouth, trying desperately to lick away the remaining vinegar taste.

  “Here,” she said as she reached down and picked up a glass of water. “Drink this, it will help.”

  John drank slowly, making the water last and letting his tired jaw muscles relax.

  “Thanks,” he whispered, his voice sounding hoarse.

  He looked around for the first time.

  He could see the clay tennis court spread out in front of him. The sunlight reflected from the clay, warming his face and body. He was standing in the gazebo on the tennis court and he looked up at the wooden roof over his head.

  His mind flashed back to Saturday night when he had walked out here in the darkness, surveying the area for Fox’s men.

  It all looks so different in the light of day, he thought. Bigger. And less threatening.

  Glancing to his side, he looked at the large wooden X he was tied to. The frame was painted green and looked almost new. The paint was shining and there were no scratches or scuffs anywhere that John could see. The frame itself was bolted to the wooden railings supporting the roof of the gazebo.

  But this wasn’t here Saturday night. I’m sure I would’ve seen it if it were.

  John turned back to look out of the gazebo once more. The sets of wooden seats on either side of the gazebo looked old and dusty in the sunlight, and certainly not stable enough to sit on. From the shadows on the ground, he realised the sun was high in the sky. But the day wasn’t hot. The cool breeze was keeping the temperature down, and from what he could see of the skyline, clouds were blowing in on the horizon.

  But at least he wasn’t as cold as last night.

  Somehow, he seemed to have survived through it all.

  He was glad that sleep had finally overtaken him.

  Sleep?

  Or exhaustion?

  He turned to face Zoe.

  She was still smiling at him, running her eyes up and down his body.

  “You made it,” she said.

  “I did?”

  She nodded excitedly. “I’m proud of you, Johnny.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Her hair was in braids once more and she was wearing a checked shirt that looked three sizes too big for her. The top three buttons were undone and John could see the mounds at the top of her breasts. Helen’s gold chain still hung around her neck and glinted in the sun. She was also wearing a pair of black jeans and an old pair of sneakers.

  No matter what she wears, she looks sexy, he thought.

  He looked down at his body.

  His eyes slid over the crusting claw marks on his chest and then fell further.

  Down to his cock.

  And the gold ring that pierced it.

  Her eyes followed his.

  “How does it feel?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” was all he could reply as he looked at the ring. He could only see a portion of it as the rest was hidden between his cock and balls.

  As if reading his thoughts, Zoe bent down, reached out and turned his cock to the side, showing him the full ring for the first time. It shined golden in the morning light. The ring was about one inch in diameter and it entered his skin just below the head of his cock. The skin looked red and puffy, but he couldn’t feel any pain.

  “The swelling will go down,” she said matter-of-factly. “As long as we don’t play with it too much.”

  She smiled at him.

  “That’s the downside,” she continued. “We can’t use it for a while. At least, you shouldn’t fuck me for a couple of days. But we can do other things to make me cum.”

  A couple of days? I can’t be here that long! I have to get out. Now!

  “Does it hurt?” she asked.

  “No,” his shook his head. “Not really, not much anyway.”

  “Good.”

  She straightened up to face him again.

  “Had enough of the X-frame?” she asked.

  It took a second or so before John realised she was talking about the wooden X that had held him.

  He nodded.

  She took a step forward, and began untying the straps around his legs.

  John watched her as she undid each buckle around his thigh, knee and ankle on his left leg.

  Her braids swung against her shoulders as she jerked each buckle open. Then she dug her fingers between the leather and his leg, and pulled. The leather gave way easily each time and soon his leg was free.

  Almost there.

  He waited until she had unbuckled his right leg.

  She straightened herself up and placed her hands on her hips.

  “Can I trust you?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

  Play it calm, John thought before replying.

  “Of course,” he smiled back.

  “Really?” she was unsure.

  “You have my word, Zoe,” he replied.

  She nodded.

  “Good.” she smiled as she leaned forward.

  Finally! John thought.

  But instead of untying his arms, Zoe reached out past his hip. He turned his head and looked down, following her hand.

  He saw the collar and leash as she grabbed them from the gazebo railing.

  “Zoe,” he said in a firm voice. “You don’t have to.”

  Their eyes locked as she took a step backwards.

  “Just to be sure,” she replied.

  “But you know you can trust me now, don’t you?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “I know. But I promise only the collar and leash. Okay? I really shouldn’t’ve taken the hood off until the end of the scene. But I had to see your face this morning. I’ve missed you so much.” She smiled then. “So I’ll do a deal with you. No more blindfolds, hoods or earplugs if you let me put the collar back on you. Okay?”

  It was outrageous, but he accepted.

  At least you’ll be able to see and hear things as they happen!

  He nodded his head, “Okay.”

  Zoe smiled.

  “You’re the best, Johnny. You really are.”

  She looped the leash around her arm and then reached up with the collar and began buckling it back around his throat.

  Now! Kick at her or knee her in the stomach.

  And then what? I’m still chained here.

  You’ve got to try while your legs are free!

  I’m waiting it out. I’ll get my chance.

  When?

  I don’t know. Soon…

  The leather tightened around his throat and bit into his skin. John lifted his chin to relieve the pain and get more comfortable as Zoe finished buckling him in.

  “There,” she smiled. “You’re one sexy man in that collar.”

  “Thank you,” he replied.

  Zoe looked up into his eyes. Without the stiletto heels, Zoe was once again much shorter than John. The sneakers didn’t give her much height, so she stretched up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

  “Seems a shame to untie you,” she said to him. “It’s such a turn on seeing you tied to the X-frame.”

  John stared back at her and smiled.

  What can I say?

  Play her
game…

  “It was a turn on being tied here.”

  Her face beamed, “Really?”

  He nodded.

  I can’t believe you said that.

  Shut up!

  That’s your plan for getting us out of here? To play along with her?

  Keep quiet!

  Zoe stepped backwards, a bounce in her step now, her face all smiles.

  “I knew you’d like it,” she said to him. “You just didn’t know it until you tried it.”

  “Thanks for showing me a side to myself I didn’t know I had.”

  Zoe giggled, “We’ve all got dark sides, Johnny. It’s just some of us won’t admit it.”

  “I feel completely different now,” he said.

  She stepped forward again, her eyes looking deep into his.

  He was mesmerised once more.

  “And there’s so much more we can do,” her voice dropped. “This was the edge for you. But it won’t be now you’ve done it and liked it. You’ll want more. You’ll want to go further. There’s plenty more edges out there.”

  More?

  You’ve blown it now.

  Quiet! It could still work.

  “I’ll go anywhere with you guiding me,” he said to her.

  The tears formed in the corners of her eyes as her face changed from happiness to sorrow and then back again.

  Yes, keep going!

  She looked to the ground.

  “You mean that?” she asked in a small voice.

  “I really do.”

  Her eyes met his once more.

  “I love you, Johnny,” she said.

  “And I love you too,” he replied.

  Silence fell between them.

  Zoe walked forward and stretched upwards. Taking a small key from her shirt pocket, she unlocked the padlocks that held the chains around his wrists.

  After a few seconds, his hands were free.

  Something had shifted between them. Suddenly John had some control in the game. He could feel it.

  Yes… I’m getting there…

  Slowly, John lowered his arms, working his sore shoulder joints and rubbing them hard to kick-start the circulation again.

  He looked at the stitches in his left arm. They continued to hold even though the wound still looked red and puffy. John was beginning to grow confident that they actually would hold his wound together, just as Zoe had said.

  “Thank you,” he said as Zoe stepped away from him.

  “No problem. You earned the privilege,” she replied.

  John stood in the gazebo, looking our across the tennis court.