Salt

by David Chambers

  ‘Do you want to see princess? Dan asked.

  ‘I don’t know, he scares me.’ Emma said picking her nails.

  ‘He can’t do anything now babe, he’s scared of you. Look at his eyes.’

  ‘Ok.’ Emma walked closer, walking around him as someone might a growling dog.

  ‘He can’t hurt you now babe, come closer.’ Dan said.

  Emma walked to Jaz’s side from behind, keeping Dan between them like a fence. Dan pulled his face up by his chin, forcing him to look at her. She pulled back but then looked at him.

  ‘Recognise her at all?’ Dan said.

  Jaz shook his head slowly, then faster, a blank look across his face.

  Emma pulled back.

  ‘You should do you although it was some time ago.’ Dan said.

  Jaz’s eyes widened and he shook his head side to side. Emma stepped back slowly.

  ‘You have a think about it, see if you remember.’ Dan said. ‘Come on princess, let’s go get cleaned up.’

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

  It had taken a while before the shock and panic had gone, a few minutes pulling at the rope and trying to get to the plastic sheeting before Jaz accepted that all movement did was send more pain through his body. He tried to shout through the sock but that just made breathing through his nose more difficult. He was stuck and he knew it, this was going to be more than a simple kicking. It was going to hurt for a while but then things would be back to normal and he would have to lay low for a few weeks but then he’d be fine.

  He remembered the girl and she was one of his favourites. She’d been young and fresh and tight but she wasn’t worth this. The discomfort in his shoulders was starting to turn into a burning pain and his head felt like lead. Simply holding it up caused his neck to cramp. He hoped the fuckers would be back soon to get this over with.

  Jaz tried to stand, forcing himself upwards as far as he could but the rope pulled his hands higher behind his back. He winced as the rope held his hands at the same height forcing his shoulders to twist, he gritted his teeth and tried to hold the position to ease the ache in his neck but then had to bend back down again sinking his chin to his chest.

  His calves ached, his whole body ached but the real agony danced between his leg muscles. He tried to focus on the few muscles that didn’t hurt, hoping it would make him forget the parts that did. His nan had told him once that the Chinese used to sew a button to your forehead to cure a headache. She’d told him that it stopped you complaining about the headache and he’d never been sure if they really did this but her offer to sew a button on his forehead always stopped him complaining about headaches. He hoped it worked and he tried to focus on the thought, mind over matter, anything to stop his brain thinking about the searing heat in his shoulders. It didn’t work. The pain eased for a few moments but the problem with trying to distract your brain from something was that your brain knew you were trying to distract it and eventually it reminded you what you were trying to distract it from. There it was. The fucking pain he tried to ignore. Bursting back onto the scene wearing a big flashing light on its head, impossible to ignore.

  He screamed. There was no noise, only a gargled drip of spit and more pain throughout his body

  They would be back soon. They would want this over anytime now. They would want it over as quickly as he did, well maybe not as quickly as he did. They were probably in the kitchen panicking about what they had done. A few minutes more and she would have convinced the guy to let him go and then they would be shitting themselves with the worry of getting caught. He might let them get away with it or he might go to the police.

  He wouldn’t go to the police. He knew that but they didn’t, they would spend months or maybe years worrying about this catching up with them. Jaz tried to smile but the tape stopped his mouth moving and the rope made any attempt to be happy into a sick joke. He wouldn’t go to the police but they would be worried he would. She looked less into this than the guy did so she’d break first but Jaz realised he would have to make sure they knew he wouldn’t go to the police. If they thought he would they might do something stupid.

  Next time they came in he would tell them, make sure they knew he wouldn’t. Cut a deal with them, maybe offer them some money. Anything to stop this shit and let him get back to his life. They didn’t want to do this, he could tell. All he had to do was ride this out and then beg for them to let him go, put on some tears and promise not to tell the police and they could all get back to their lives.

  It wouldn’t be long, then he could tell them. His shoulders burned and his calves started to cramp but they would be back soon. He knew it. They would be back soon.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

  The first cramp hit his left calf. It built slowly, a ball of pain growing harder and larger like the erection that started all this. He lifted his foot, wiggling his ankle to try to loosen the knot. The pain ripping through his shoulders made him scream into the sock.

  His calf locked, forcing his leg onto tiptoes. Jaz screwed his eyes tight against the pain. He knew he just needed to focus, just a little bit longer and they would come back and tell him he’d learned his lesson. Focus, that’s all he needed. He breathed slowly and deliberately, concentrating hard as he rotated his ankle.

  His calf began to loosen, not completely but enough to take some of his weight. He could handle this, just a little longer, just long enough for them to get tired of the game. He cursed himself, he knew he should have had a burglar alarm fitted then he wouldn’t be in this shit.

  He’d been stupid in getting caught and that hurt almost as much the cramp or the pulsing ache in his neck. He rolled his head and shoulders, he needed them loose. Jaz didn’t know if you could get cramp in the neck but he knew it wouldn’t be fun so he did his best to keep his breathing controlled.

  Jaz had no idea of time or how long he had been stood like this. It felt like hours. He just needed to get through the night. He could handle this, he told himself, he almost believed it until he felt the tightening begin in his other calf.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

  Dan woke first, his left arm had pins and needles from hours of Emma’s head resting on him. He smiled, his arm was numb and he’d woken early but he couldn’t think of a better way to wake. It was his second favourite thing they did together naked so what was a little numbness. He glanced at the clock. It was ten after seven and his half-asleep brain told him that they hadn’t had much sleep but it had been enough to take the edge off. Dan rolled away from her, onto his back. He lay there looking at the ceiling, wondering if they’d actually done it or if it was a dream. Dan knew it hadn’t been a dream and that they had done it but it still felt dreamlike. He used his free hand to wipe the gunk from his morning eyes and then eased he arm from under Emma’s head, she grumbled but didn’t wake and he managed to ease out of bed unnoticed.

  He walked to the bathroom and after putting the toilet seat up and relieved himself. Last night’s excitement had waited until now to leave his system. Dan turned on the cold tap and watched it run for a few seconds, he wanted it cold and it never was unless you gave it a while. Once he was sure it was cold he cupped his hands under the running water and splashed his face, rubbing his eyes with his fingers and feeling the cool water drip down onto his chest. His stomach grumbled and he wondered how long it had been since he last ate and whether he really did want to eat. Dan decided that he needed to try so he made his way downstairs.

  He tipped Cornflakes into the first bowl he found in the cupboard and poured milk on top. Dan stood, leaning against the kitchen worktop eating the cereal. He was hungry, and the cereal tasted good.

  Dan stopped, the spoon half way to his mouth. He squinted wondering what he could see until he remembered. He turned and put the bowl on the worktop behind him and walked to the bag they had filled from Jaz’s house last night. The bag with the shoe box, full of knickers, taken from the young girls he had ruined. He bent over and picked up the bag, lifted it onto the
kitchen table and unzipped it.

  The shoe box was still closed so he lifted it out and put it on the table beside the bag. He stared at it. He knew what was inside and had already seen and felt them but he was nervous about seeing them in daylight.

  Dan opened the box and looked inside. It was almost full. Every colour of underwear he could think of was inside looking back at him. Each pair belonging to some girl who had lost more than a pair of knickers to the little prick currently bent over a trestle.

  ‘Dan?’ Emma said from the doorway.

  ‘Yes babe, what’s wrong?’ He said putting the lid back on the box.

  ‘Is that the underwear?’

  ‘Yes. But you don’t need to see it. It’s just proof of what we knew already.’

  ‘How many are there?’ Emma asked.

  ‘Doesn’t matter for now babe, just get yourself some cereal and we’ll go and do what we had planned.’

  Emma walked to the cupboard and poured a bowl of Cornflakes. They stood together leaning against the worktop. They ate in silence, looking at the box. Dan wondering how many pairs there were while Emma only wondered about one pair.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

  Dan stood looking at the pathetic, stooped figure in front of him. Jaz’s eyes opened suddenly, it took a brief moment for the realisation of where he was and the pain filling every fibre of muscle within his body to take effect. He mumbled something intelligible through the gag and shook his head from side to side, bolts of pain shooting down his spine with the effort.

  ‘Good morning.’ Dan said slapping Jaz across the cheek.

  Dan reached over and ripped the tape from Jaz’s mouth in one movement. He yelped as the adhesive tore away stubble and skin.

  Jaz licked his lips wincing as dry tongue scraped raw lips ‘You’ve got the wrong guy, whatever it is, I haven’t done anything.’ He said.

  ‘Oh, you have. You’ve done lots of things to lots of people. You just haven’t done anything to me.’

  ‘I’m not who you think I am. I don’t know what you want.’ Jaz said.

  Dan punched his temple with a thud.

  Jaz screamed with the impact. ‘Fuck man. I’m not the guy.’

  ‘Yeah you are. I have the knickers. The knickers in the shoe box. So don’t bullshit me.’ Dan said.

  ‘What box? Hey I know you, don’t I? You’re the table guy, aren’t you?’ Jaz asked.

  ‘Yes I am. I bought your shitty table and you know exactly what box.’

  ‘Oh, you mean the underwear box? They’re just from exes. Nothing bad.’ Jaz said.

  ‘Don’t lie to me you loathsome little cunt.’

  ‘I’m not, they’re just knickers.’ Jaz said, pleading.

  Dan punched him again. ‘Stop your fucking lies. It’s just me and you now.’

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

  ‘For fucks sake man. You know what it’s like.’ Jaz said lifting his head as much as he could to look Dan in the eye.

  ‘Know what what’s like?’ Dan asked more interested than he expected he would be to hear his twisted logic. ‘But make it fast, these suits are sweaty.’

  ‘Girls. You know what they’re like with it.’

  ‘What girls are like with what? Being raped?’ Dan asked.

  ‘No with sex in general. You know they want it and they are just scared to admit it. In the old days, they went to clubs and lied about their age to pull older guys but now they go online and find people like me.’ Jaz said.

  ‘So, teenage girls go online looking for some stinky old twat to rape them? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?’ Dan asked.

  ‘Not to rape them. I didn’t rape them even though it’s what most of them want. Women love it. They all think about it and fantasise about it but are scared to ask for it from boyfriends so they find it online.’ Jaz said, the pain in his neck making him look down to the floor again.

  ‘Are you really telling me that all women want to be raped?’ Dan asked.

  ‘Yeah. They do. There’s stories all over the magazines and blogs and stuff about how these girls are fantasising about being raped and fucked by some older guy. Look at that Fifty Shades shit. That guy was smacking her all over the place and stalking her and the woman who wrote it made millions off of all the women wishing it was them getting slapped.’ Jaz said.

  Dan thought for a moment. ‘I don’t think Fifty Shades is about a girl being raped and other women liking reading about it pretending it was them getting raped. You’re going to have to do better than that if you’re going to convince me.’ Dan raised his eyebrows as he looked at Jaz.

  ‘They do. They all love it. Do you want to know why?’

  ‘I’d love to know why. I’d like us both to learn something from this.’ Dan said.

  ‘It’s all that metrosexual shit that happened. In the old days men were men and women were women. Then it all got confused and women started to be like men and men started to act like girls. The lads nowadays don’t know a thing about women and they’re confused by all the messages they get from the media. Women want a nice guy but a bad boy. They want a guy with abs but who’s not obsessed with the gym. They want a guy to spank them in bed and pull their hair but he has to get permission first. So, what happened? All the young lads gave up. Have a look online at how guys are going off women and staying as boys. All these boys mean all these girls can’t find a man to make them feel like a woman, so they come online and find guys like me. You know?’ Jaz asked.

  ‘Go on.’ Dan prompted genuinely interested.

  ‘Ok. Well, all girls want is to be made to feel like women and they need a man to do it and you know when a woman feels most like a woman?’

  ‘When?’ Dan asked surprised he was interested.

  ‘When they’re having rough sex. Think about it. Women are always delicate little flowers, weak and helpless and the man in all these fantasies is strong, like a barbarian. So, they need to feel weak and helpless while he feels strong and powerful. And they get that most when they’re struggling but a guy’s holding them down. Sure, she might not like it at first but then she relaxes and accepts it’s happening and she loves it. They all came you know? All their life society tells them it’s bad to have sex so they try to fight the urge but then when they know it’s happening they can enjoy it. It’s nature.’ Jaz said.

  Dan thought for a moment, his mind like a child’s bath toy fighting the pull of the plug hole. ‘I really don’t think they like being raped though. You can make up as many excuses as you like but when they say no and start crying then you’ve gone way too far.’

  ‘No man trust me. That’s how it used to be in the old days and they still love it once it comes back to them, it’s in their nature. If they didn’t why would they go online looking for older guys and then arranging to meet me knowing what would happen? Why would they do that then?’ Jaz asked.

  ‘They don’t expect you to fuck them after they’ve said no and you only ask the naive, young ones. You never go for women, do you? Just the little girls.’

  ‘Little girls? They all know the deal. They just don’t want to admit it. Like the ones in bars and stuff. They shave their pussies and legs, they wear sexy knickers and they go out and get drunk with guys they don’t know. Now why would they bother shaving if they didn’t want fucking? They could go and get a few drinks with their friends and nobody would care but no they go through the effort of tarting up their twats because they want fucking. Same as when they get guys telling them lies. They aren’t stupid. Girls will pretend or ignore any lie they get told if they like the guy. You should hear some of the chat up lines out there. You’d be amazed how many guys round here have been in ‘Made in Chelsea’ or can get the girls speaking parts in ‘Towie.’ Everyone’s got a Porsche in the garage being serviced or whatever else. So, either girls are stupid or they ignore the bullshit because they want to find a guy who’s going to fuck them like I do.’

  ‘You’ve got a fucked-up mind. I thought I’d get some kind of sense o
ut of you but now you’re telling me that because a girl shaves it means she wants raping?’

  ‘Well no but it means she’s open to getting fucked, doesn’t it?’ Jaz asked.

  ‘Yes, but with a guy they want to fuck them not some creepy cunt with bad breath.’ Dan said.

  ‘Look mate, every guy’s lied to a girl to take her home or maybe when ones a bit drunk or something. You’ve done it. I know you have.’

  ‘You know fuck all about me so you can stop your whining. You got caught and what’s going to happen is going to happen.’ Dan stood and stepped towards the slit in the plastic sheeting.

  ‘Hey no mate, don’t be like that. Please. You’re just like me. Hey mate.’ Jaz tried to raise his head further to see Dan but the bolt of pain through his body made him lower his head again. ‘Mate, hey come back please.’

  Dan stepped back through the sheeting carrying something black in his hand, Jaz strained to see what it was but couldn’t. ‘Oh great thanks, I knew you’d come back.

  ‘Shut up prick.’ Dan said holding it in front of Jaz. It was all black. A leather dog collar with a ball on the front.

  ‘No wait, what the fucks that?’ Jaz twisted away.

  Dan wrapped it around the twisting head and forced it into place. ‘This is a ball gag, a bit like the one in Pulp Fiction. Well now you’re a bit like the Gimp aren’t you fucker.’

  CHAPTER EIGHTY

  The bedroom door creaked on its hinges as Dan pushed it open, Emma stood behind him dressed in the same white overalls. She followed Dan through the door but froze at the threshold, she hugged the door frame like a shy child being introduced to a new adult.