Dark Days (Written Pictures #2) (4 page)

CHAPTER VIII – Hung Out To Dry

While evening sprawled lazily across the horizon, the breeze helped the ebb and flow of the tide to gently swing the suspended figure back and forth. Hung by the wrists from the jib at the end of the pier, it was clad all in black except for the torn segments revealing areas normally the first to be covered.

Breasts, ass and crotch were all exposed to the final licks of sunlight and the woman that called herself Raven barely stirred as the waves lapped insistently at the wounds on her toes. Her ballet boots had long gone, leaving just the raw evidence of the nettles and grit that had been trapped inside, the product of Mela’s mischievously devious mind. With toes dipping into the tidal reach at the surge of each wave, it wasn’t long before curious mouths of fish nibbled, tickling her awake.

Back and forth, back and forth; it was almost soporific as she was gently moved by forces far stronger than her. Even in that half-conscious state, Raven’s first awareness was of the periodic pulls on her damaged shoulder, her hanging body moved this way then that by the motion of a relentless tide.

‘Beyond her control,’ the voice in her head affirmed. It was the day’s underlined theme, rendered in italics, emphasised in bold. If she had already learnt a lesson then the lesson was that these people didn’t do anything by halves. Alexei’s reputation was bang on the money.

“Beautiful sunset, no?” Raven’s shuffling thoughts were interrupted by a deeply accented male voice to her right, jolting her out of her swaying stupor. With effort she turned her head, following the voice. Peering through a shroud of matted black hair she could see tanned and muscular legs freely moving back and forth beside her, synchronised to her own enforced swing.

“Nothing like Caspian sunset,” Alexei continued. Raven forced her head higher up garish Bermudas, registering his chiselled torso. He was a man that looked after himself, no doubt a necessity in an environment where only the strongest flourish.

Her eyes continued, taking in a scar on his jawline, probably evidence of a challenge that failed. When she finally met his gaze the ice within it contrasted with the gentle warmth of the setting sun and the deceptively playful swinging of his legs.

She knew what was expected. She didn’t want to but instincts told her that this was no time for defiance. Forcing words from her lips that betrayed her true spirit, Raven spoke in a cracked whisper, “Yes Master.” The words almost burned as harshly as the sun but she pressed her eyes further downward to a more respectful and expected point of focus, her sharp mind clicking into life even if her body felt half dead.

Raven knew instinctively that stretched so, the curvaceous athleticism of her body would be displayed to its full potential. She had expected triumphal laughter at her words and she had chosen them precisely with a thought to disarm. No more than a grunt was returned, his response clearly communicating where real power lay. It struck home more surely than any graphic display. “Don’t toy with Alexei, Yankee. You say Master soon enough for real.”

Her body had always been a potent weapon. Stretched there in flattering black latex with her tits and ass hanging out provocatively she should have left eyes and pants bulging.

“Da. Good meat,” he continued as if sensing the jumble of thoughts in Raven’s head. It was a phrase that cleaved straight through any muddle. With just three simple words, she was totally disarmed, her value spoken. “Fish at least enjoy.”

Alexei smiled, turning to Raven. “Western poet said water everywhere, no drink.” Alexei was clearly a man of education, even if that education hadn’t extended far into conversational English.

“Focus on water, Yankee.” Alexei swept a thick arm wide to introduce the sea they both already saw. “When you cut down, you do anything to drink.”

Raven looked out into the endless azure. ‘Water, water everywhere.’ She recalled the rest of the quotation but feared finishing her thought, preferring to leave that safely with the Ancient Mariner. Instead, she looked out into the blue distance as seconds merged with minutes and a new layer of deeper fatigue started to crawl over her.

As her head lolled lower, Raven didn’t register the withdrawal of the dangling legs from her side. “Night, night, Yankee,” Alexei offered with a lightness of mood that belayed his threat. Raven scarcely noticed his heavy step on the boards as he withdrew to more comfortable surroundings.

And so Raven swung gently back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Her only companions were the stabs in her injured shoulder as the tidal flow clutched at her feet, pushing and pulling, pushing and pulling.

She was alone. All alone, save for the fears that churned in her head. Eyes heavy, she slipped slowly into sleep, her last image was that of the glistening calm of the sea that stretched to the smudge of an orange sunset. There was beauty but there was emptiness and Raven carried that symbolism into her dreams.

CHAPTER IX – Down Down

The throb of the motor boat that roused the swaying woman was an unwelcome start to what would be the longest of days. There had been no dreams to comfort her. Well, no good dreams anyway. The sun was already up and Raven could feel it baking her taught body through the slats in the pier. She raised her head. That was more effort than usual. She could only watch as the fishermen pointed and argued in a language she couldn’t understand.

It was a brief distraction that wouldn’t last long. The motor was gunned and the boat lurched away, the boat’s crew deciding that this was one damsel in distress not to be rescued. It was Alexei’s place. Everyone knew of it and most had heard the rumours of what happened when people got too close. It wasn’t wise to delve too deeply into his affairs. That could cost you at best a kneecap, at worst your life.

Raven watched as the boat sped away to new fishing grounds with less potential complications, the wake rocking her with new vigour, reminding her of the strain on her shoulder. The sun was hot and she was relieved that it had yet to clear the pier and bathe her in its full heat. Ten? Ten thirty at the latest perhaps? Raven could only guess. All she knew for sure was that her shoulder hurt like hell and that her spirit hurt even more.

The creeping thirst was the thing that really concerned her though. It already permeated into every thought. She hadn’t had a drink since when? Back in the manor with breakfast? No. She had had some water when looking out over the grounds. When was that? One and a half days? Two? So hard to tell. Who knew how long the journey had been really. Perhaps they had given her something after the injection too, who knows? She was thirsty as fuck though and that was enough to be worried.

So much had happened; so much had changed. It could well
be
another life. The saltwater had parched her and again the line from The Ancient Mariner taunted in repetition. She felt like a desiccated husk of the woman she had been such a short time before.

In another life she always loved to live fast, and drive fast. She had often driven Immelmann’s precious sports cars to their limit just for the thrill. This burning rubber though wasn’t the type she liked and the smell of it mixed with salt and sweat was a noxious addition to her torment.

Morning crept into afternoon and afternoon dragged on for eternity. Raven found herself increasingly focussed on the heat. She needed some respite, any respite. Even a passing cloud would be welcome. The sun prickled her exposed breasts – even if she was taken down now they would still be tender for days.

It would affect her more than physically. She had read up on how such things could, seeking to learn how to administer that special notch of additional edge to sap defences beyond the caress of a crop. She remembered how she had been persuaded by Amber to stake Katarina out in the sun after her workouts too – stretched not dissimilarly to how she was now. Karma can be such a bitch.

With a loss of just two and a half per cent of body weight through water depletion, a person’s efficiency dropped by over twenty five per cent. A body could lose up to ten per cent without long term damage but the short term effects were dramatic. Raven guessed she had already passed that first waypoint and was closing on the second. Her head was already starting to fumble with what should have been the easiest thoughts.

A shadow crept over her. How welcome it was, taking the edge off the ferocity of the sun. But it wasn’t shade from a cloud. With a grunt as he sat, familiar Bermuda shorts flapped against a hand she could no longer feel.

“Having good day, Yankee?” It was the kind of question asked over a friendly lunch and in a tone suggestive of the togetherness of a long term relationship.

One priority was all that played and replayed in Raven’s mind, and through cracked lips she uttered a single weak word in answer. “Water.”

“Yes Yankee. Caspian is beautiful, no?” Alexei looked toward the horizon with a smile. Even with her diminished perception, she knew he was toying with her, the smile one of innate satisfaction rather than appreciation of beauty.

It was from the Caspian that his would-be assassin, the
American
, had managed to gain access to his grounds. The woman had swum ashore, no doubt from a boat of some kind. He had seen her but raised no alarm. Why would he for the arrival of a mere woman? The locals knew not to come close but she didn’t look local, not with that gait or that confidence. Her arrival had been designed to raise his pulse and lower his guard. He had just watched and he had been a fool. That had almost cost him his life and he wouldn’t make that mistake again. His bodyguards, Tomas and Yuri, had earned his gratitude that day.

Alexei smirked, basking in the irony of how it was the same Caspian that was taking another self-important American woman apart.

On another day, in another situation, it would have been beautiful to Raven. Back when she had nothing, the ocean had been both solace and inspiration, with hours spent alone sitting on the beach, gazing into the distance, working things out. She would watch the waves crest and collapse, the relentless destruction somehow calling her as beauty destroyed itself before forming afresh. It had inspired her to rebuild as someone new.

The sea here was a blue like no other. Waves sparkled in the constant beat of the sun as if crowned with jewel-encrusted tiaras but Raven had more pressing concerns.

“Water,” came the repeated plea. Raven managed to raise her head to look at her tormentor, eyes heavy with need. Alexei paused. It was a moment to savour. “Water,
please
, water.”

The desperation in her voice was enough. A single nod moved two men who flanked him forward and slowly they hauled Raven up from her jib, the strain on her injured shoulder grinding a groan from her which was simply ignored.

Once on the pier, a twist to each arm again reiterated an authority Raven would anyway have no strength to resist. They took no chances; the confirmation of their control was hammered home. Her legs refused to support either her body or her pride. Despite the protests of her shoulder, when she was lifted by the large men she was alternately glad of the imposition and worried about what was to come next.

CHAPTER X – Room Service

White walls were the first dramatic impression of the space, which was not unlike the preparation room that Raven had forced Katarina to withstand, an irony that even in her current state wasn’t lost on her. It was coldly sterile; a stark reflection of the contempt in which she seemed to be held in a place that was alien to her on so many levels.

It was a disturbing feeling. Nothing could have prepared her for the metamorphosis of her world that had been thrust upon her so suddenly and so dramatically. One moment the alpha bitch of everything and everybody, the next not much more than an object where all the tried and trusted techniques that had served her so well were rendered obsolete.

The floor was bitter on her bare feet, striking a chill up her legs to meet the one that already balled in her stomach. The lights were harsh, surgical even, and Raven already guessed that they were staying on for the duration, however long that may be. The camera set high in the corner was only to be expected but that didn’t make it any easier to accept as she was thrown forward onto the icy tiles, tearing a gasp from her as she landed.

The smaller of the two men grabbed Raven’s lank hair to ensure she focussed attention on him. “You’ll notice the apparatus on the far wall.” It was the first time he had spoken and his skilled command of English came as a surprise to her. He had originally been trained in the Spetsnatz but his talent had soon seen him seconded to a still more specialised unit. There, he had been taught all that was needed to blend into UK life ready for deployment once a target had been nominated.

“Do me the courtesy of paying attention. Your life, for what it is worth, may depend on it,” he snapped, his carefully groomed manners quickly displaced by insistent aggression, twisting her head again to look at the topic of his explanation.

The kick to her thigh from the other side stunned her and Raven twisted, only to be held fast by a burst of pain to her scalp.

“Niet!” The educated man snapped at his larger partner before following it up with a punch. They seemed to accompany every disagreement between the two. A hurried torrent of unintelligible words was spat with grunted responses before the second man finally backed down and took a step away.

“As I was saying before Yuri took objection to your lack of attention, I will explain what we have here.” His manners were incongruous to his tightening grip.

Slowly yet forcibly twisting her head left and right, he continued. “What we have here is a lifeline.”

Raven looked, trying to focus through the haze that now seemed to constantly dull her clarity and slow the speed of her thoughts.

Waiting for his words to settle and properly register, he continued by pointing out a reality that wasn’t lost on her.

“You need water. We
all
need water. You can already feel the effects of the lack of it. Your eyes are sunken and I know your sharpness of thought has been dulled.” As much as she wanted them not to be, Raven knew his words to be true.

“It is just one of the signs that you are on the road to your death unless you do something about it. Four days, maybe five. Six if you are strong. A lot less if Alexei decides you are a good decoration for his pier again tomorrow - it is expected to be another beautiful day.” He paused to allow his words to weigh on the woman. Raven was kneeling beside him now, the best way to ease the strain.

A sudden slap down to her sun-scorched breast snapped Raven’s focus back on the wall. “Stay with me, girl. Sunburn will be the least of your problems if you are strung up another day.”

“Six pressure pads. Hands, knees and feet and all perfectly positioned just for a bitch of your size to kneel on.” His explanation answered Raven’s unspoken question about the unfamiliar dark metallic disks imbedded in the floor. “You will need to engage all six.”

“The two phalluses you will recognise. I’m sure you’ve taken a cock or two in your time.” Though not designed to be his most biting words, somehow in her weakened state they hit home. For the first time she could remember, Raven blushed. Yuri, he of the more aggressive demeanour, allowed his constant threat to briefly fracture. He laughed, a booming heavy laugh that made his massive shoulders pump up and down.

“The one at the back activates the pump. The pump is important. Remember that if you can.” There was so much information for Raven to take in. “Without that, no water. No matter how skilled you are at sucking.” He pointed to the second phallus standing proud from the wall. Raven’s cheeks reddened as his grip was released and the educated man beckoned Yuri to follow him out of the room.

She barely heard the slam of the heavy metal door or the loud tumbling of the locks as it was secured, focussing instead on pushing through her mental fog to understand the man’s explanation.

She had always liked to offer her captives choices and had done so several times in her efforts to take Katarina apart. Now here she was facing a stark choice of her own, obey or die. She had been here before - a veneer of options, that was all. And as she made the first move to crawl toward the pads, the camera followed, recording the decision she had made.

Heart pounding, she moved slowly forward. She had to have water. It wasn’t a matter of pride any longer, it was survival. Tucking her long legs under her, Raven sat looking at the strange set up and mustered her blunted mind to address the conundrum in hand.

She would be damned if she just got on all fours and impaled herself as they clearly wanted. She had to have water though. Damned she would have to be then and swallowing her pride, Raven slid forward the final metre.

Carefully, she positioned herself on all fours, applying pressure from hands, knees and feet onto each of the six pads. Okay, next.

She couldn’t, just couldn’t, and Raven leant away to avoid the intrusion of the phallus that nudged between her legs. Her mind darted between potential solutions, pushing the obvious to the back of the queue.

Bridging her fingers on the pads, Raven bought herself more reach. Raised, she leant back, pressing down on the outsize cock with her tummy.

Nothing. No whir of machinery coming to life, just nothing. The disappointment saw her sag but as she did so, one of the tiles before her popped out of the wall before sliding back into the new recess to reveal two cylinders, one empty, one filled.

Water! Raven raised one hand from a pad and reached for it only to watch in horror as the tile slid down, shutting it away back out of reach.  She moaned in frustration.

‘Okay, okay,’ her inner voice chimed and she restored her hand to the pad. Raven pressed her tummy down again. “Come on you fucker,” she heard herself exclaim as she strained back to prevent the cock slipping between her legs.

“Incorrect weight distribution. System reset. Restore in two minutes.” A primly authoritative female recording came from nowhere.

“Shit!” Now she would have to wait. Raven rocked back on her heels to study the puzzle and work out another way.

Perhaps if she rocked against it. Yes, that might work. The voice in her head sounded more convincing than perhaps it should. Raven repositioned herself on all fours on the pads, waiting for the two minutes to pass.

An electronic bleep and closing her eyes, Raven rocked back, pressing her crotch against the device in an attempt to activate the pump. Nothing; not even a slight stir of the machinery. The second phallus at head height before her remained bone dry.

With another groan of frustration she slithered her hips, first left, then right, smearing her exposed crotch against the device to try to coax it into life. Again though, no reward.

“Fuckers,” she spat, pushing aside again the fact that she knew exactly what it was that they wanted her to do. She was Raven, she would find what they had missed, find the loophole.

She moved quickly to try something else. Stretching forward, Raven parted her parched lips to accept the wide girth of the rigid rubber cock that stood proud from the wall. Large, though she had taken in larger, she started to suck as if her life depended on it - which was precisely what it did.

Raven’s cheeks hollowed as she fought to draw the liquid from the first cylinder, through the second and to the tube that ran from it to the phallus she now served. She sucked hard. If the phallus was flesh, she would have already had to swallow. This was no weak-willed male though, no man whose cock she could blow and whose mind would follow. This was a machine, unfeeling, unyielding and as she had feared, unforgiving unless she played precisely by their rules.

“Fuckers!” she cried out again, louder this time but with more exasperation, less venom. She would make the choice they wanted, there really was no option but to do so. With a grunt of resignation, Raven reached back between her legs to guide the rear phallus just where they had planned it to go. “Is that what you fucking want?”

The reply came almost immediately. “Incorrect weight distribution. System reset. Restore in two minutes,” reprimanded the woman’s voice again to the raising of her hand from the pad. It was met with Raven’s snapped retort, “Fuck off, bitch!”

Bracing herself with eyes screwed shut, Raven carefully pressed her hips back to feel the nudge of the hard plastic on her sex. It had always been on her terms before but this was on theirs. Grimacing, she braced herself before sliding backwards, looking down to ensure all pads were engaged. Okay, the fuckers had their way, now Raven waited impaled as the never-ending two minutes crawled past.

“Position correct. Pump activated. System engaged,” chimed the woman’s voice calmly. The heat sensor within the rear phallus had registered the correct temperature - a body had enveloped it. Raven sighed her relief. Looking up to the sound of a valve opening, an encouraging air bubble burbled up through the liquid in the first cylinder.

Darting her head forward, she engulfed the phallus in front of her and sucked hard, her eyes glued to the motion of the liquid. A disturbance was all she managed so she sucked harder, slithering her tongue along the shaft in the hope it would help.

She could see the liquid. She could make it gently move. Try as she might though, Raven couldn’t draw it toward her and the need was tearing at her insides. “What do you fucking want from me?!” she screamed around the fake cock, biting down, desperation welling up and a tear of frustration forming in the corner of an eye.

What had he said? Was there anything there she missed? Think woman. Raven replayed his explanation in her head, analysing each word, hunting each sentence for a clue to secure her survival.

"The pump is important.” The solution was there but where? It was a strain to keep her concentration. Pump? Yes. The woman’s voice had said it had been activated. Why? What fucking pump? There was no fucking pump. Why didn’t it work? What the fuck was wrong?

It hit her suddenly. It was so obvious she could almost hear the sound of the penny dropping. ”Oh God.” Raven heard the words bounce back off the walls then clamped her lips to the end of phallus to the fore.

She
was the pump. She had no choice but to fuck. With a growl she pressed herself back onto the rigid cock, rocking to impale herself deeper. Again she tried and the water finally started to edge toward the second cylinder. God these fuckers were cruel.

Raven continued to rock back, a well-practised movement, fucking herself for a liquid reward. The water started to trickle through the cylinder and then creep up the tube to the phallus. The first tingle fired in her loins from her self-imposed violation, fucking and sucking just to win what she needed to stay alive.

It was working and in increasing desperation, she lurched forward, ready for the water. Her left hand slipped from its pad in her eagerness. “Incorrect weight distribution. System reset. Restore in two minutes.” The chastisement had Raven wailing in frustration as she watched the water funnel back to the first cylinder.

“I
need
it!” Raven croaked out to the empty room. Her head hung and as she rocked back on her heels, body still impaled, she was beginning to need more than just water.

Breathing increasingly heavy, Raven moved gently back and forth as she waited for the long minutes to pass. The haughty female voice started to countdown from ten, full functionality close to being restored.