SEAL's Code (20 page)

Sun Worshiper:
Sweetie, it gets easier. Maybe your mom was just looking out for you. I mean, if you found the right guy, wouldn’t you want to, you know?

Bleeding Horse:
Hell, I wish some really experienced guy had popped my cherry. I got some kid from the football team and neither of us knew what the hell we were doing. Now I know better. I’d pick an older guy, someone who knew how to make a woman, not a girl, have the time of her life. Wouldn’t you?

Sarah Tohe:
Not sure I’m ready.

Bleeding Horse:
That’s okay, honey. You wait until the right guy comes along. It will happen for you. Not to worry. Until then, just stay your sweet self. But you do pleasure yourself, right?

Luci wasn’t sure she wanted to read on. Now she was definitely feeling like she was intruding on Sarah’s private life. She wished she’d known Sarah was having these conversations.

Sarah Tohe:
?? What does that mean?

Sun Worshiper:
OMG, OMG! We gotta get this girl a vibrator!

Bleeding Horse:
You want me to show you?

Sarah Tohe:
No! That’s creepy!

Luci was pleased with her response. But she was concerned it didn’t end the conversation, as it should have. She began to feel funny about these two. Perhaps they weren’t teenage Native American girls after all. If they were older men…

Bleeding Horse:
Oh, you silly girl! No pictures, OF COURSE NO PICTURES! But I can walk you through it, online, you know. Tell you what to do. And then you can try it on your own. Just experiment. You might like it.

Sun Worshiper:
It will help you when you finally get with a man—when you’re ready. You’ll already know what you like.

Sarah Tohe:
I’m not sure about this. Have to think about it.

Bleeding Horse:
Well, you know where you can find us, if you want a little friendly advice. Doesn’t hurt. No one will know. And you might discover something about yourself you didn’t know before…that’s all.

Sun Worshiper:
Yeah. Isn’t like being with a real man, though, BH, right? But, Sarah, you’d still be a virgin, and that’s the important thing. But there are lots of things you can do and it feels good, doesn’t hurt anyone, like BH says.

Sarah Tohe:
Thanks, guys. I’ll think about it. Okay, I’ve got studying to do. And I’m starting an art class in a week. Have to get a couple projects started I can do in class.

Sun Worshiper:
You’re a good girl, Sarah. You go do your studies. And yes! Keep up with the art, too. I love looking at art. Just not very good at the artistic part. LOL.

Bleeding Horse:
Hey, we’ll let you go. But before you do, can I ask you to do something?

Sarah Tohe:
Me, or SW?

Bleeding Horse:
I think it would be cool if we all did it tonight. Okay? At bedtime, take a shower, and then go to bed naked. Before you fall asleep, feel your pussy. Feel how soft it is, feel how it puckers and see if you can find your bud. That’s all. We can all do this tonight, okay? See if touching your bud—you know that’s your female penis, right? Feel if you touch it and it grows a little. See if that feels good to you. That sounds harmless enough, right, Sarah?

Sun Worshiper:
Kewl. I’ll do it. I’ll even do a little more.

Bleeding Horse:
Not tonight. Tonight we go very slowly. We do this for Sarah. Okay, sweetie? You just touch yourself and then if you feel like it, we’ll talk tomorrow or the next day about it, okay?

Sun Worshiper:
OMG you mean I can’t rub myself all over and maybe put my finger inside?

Bleeding Horse:
Sarah? Did we scare you?

Sarah Tohe:
I’m here. Not sure what to say. Not sure I can do this, or even should be talking about this.

Bleeding Horse:
You just do what you’re comfortable doing. We all age and grow up sexually at different speeds and different levels. Maybe sex isn’t going to be your thing. That’s okay. When you’re ready. Just know we’re here. I’d rather be your friend than make you feel like you’re being asked to do something you don’t want to do.

Sun Worshiper:
I’m sorry, Sarah, if I got carried away. I didn’t mean to scare you. Really sorry. I want you to trust me as a friend.

Luci’s heart sank when she saw the response from Sarah.

Sarah Tohe:
Thanks. Okay, I’ll try it. Now I have to go.

Bleeding Horse:
Excellent! Can’t wait to hear!

Sun Worshiper:
Oh, this is so kewl. We’re all gonna do it tonight. OMG, it will be so hard to stop, but I’ll try. Can’t wait to hear how your first time is, Sarah. And I’m honored to know that you trust us. I wish I had someone to show me the ropes when I was first curious and starting out.

Bleeding Horse:
I also like that it’s our little secret. Just the three of us. No one else has to know, and that means it’s safe.

Sun Worshiper:
Totally safe! That’s what I love about it. Our little “dirty” secret. Tee hee…Love it! Well, it’s not really dirty. Sex is beautiful, when you find the right person.

Sarah Tohe:
Okay, well, I gotta go. We’ll talk maybe tomorrow. You guys take care. Don’t you have school work?

Bleeding Horse:
We got out early. It’s summertime, baby! My folks aren’t home. I’m going outside and sunbathing in the nude! See you guys tomorrow!

Sun Worshiper:
Oh, you are so naughty, BH. Talk to you tomorrow, Sarah? I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I’ll be so filled with anticipation. In sex, anticipation is a good thing, too. Now I’m getting all horny. LOL, not about you, about the guy who works down the street at Burger Palace.

(Bleeding Horse has left the conversation)

Sarah Tohe:
Hope I remember to do it. I’ve got a lot of studying to do.

Sun Worshiper:
Want me to ping you a reminder?

Sarah Tohe:
No. That would only alert my mom and sister.

Sun Worshiper:
Gotcha! Okay then, have fun!!! Talk tomorrow I hope.

Luci didn’t have to wonder much about what Sarah had done. It was all explained the next day, in detail. Luci recognized the other “Indian Girls” asked lots of questions of her. Luci knew she had to tell Danny about this right away. She felt guilty not telling her mom, but she didn’t trust her yet.

Zelda was doing laundry. She’d made a big deal about washing the sheets she and Danny had tussled in the night before. Luci took Griffin outside on the porch and sat in the wicker chair, watching the expanse of dusty, sandy landscape with the pink and salmon-colored hills in the background. She hoped things would return to normal soon. She wanted to be a wife and mother, in love with the perfect man for her. The role of being the older sister to a kidnapped girl, daughter of a reforming alcoholic, and schoolteacher stuck in a job just so she could protect her family, was not a pleasant one.

Like shedding an old snakeskin, she wanted the new young skin of a future, without scars, fears, or regretted paths. She noted that for the first time in her life, she was looking forward to her future, not fearing it.

‡

S
arah awoke in
a motel room decorated with gold leaf and red wallpaper. The smell of burning candles was thick in the air. Her head was a bit fuzzy and she remembered she’d been injected with something that had numbed her all over. She’d passed out, but just before, she heard a van door open as someone hoisted her over their shoulder and carefully laid her down on a mattress in the back.

Other memories emerged—waking up to muffled men’s voices and different sounds, like water running, traffic, and words she didn’t understand. She recalled being moved on a stretcher and also being held in thick hairy arms, by a man who sweated profusely and smelled of greasy food. Sarah realized she had been in this state for perhaps several days—waking up and being put back to sleep with a sharp pain in her arm. She had no idea if it was night or day outside, or how long this had been happening.

She listened for some sound from either her mother or sister, but then she remembered she’d been at the school, taking the trash out, and Luci was supposed to take her home.

Luci, where are you?

The room was totally unfamiliar. As she moved her head and examined the mirrors and pictures in heavy gold frames, the opulent carpeting in deep jewel tones, covered by rugs unlike what she was used to seeing on the res, she felt a dull ache and buzzing sound in her ears.

She felt a chill, and realized, with shock, she was lying naked on a satin coverlet, on a bed with large four posters at the corners. Her feet were bound together with silk sash-like ties, and secured by something down at the foot of the bed, but over the mattress’ edge. Her arms were tied above her head, secured by the same sashes, to a headboard with a beveled mirror embedded in it.

Her eyes rose to the ceiling, containing a large gilt mirror nearly the size of the bed itself. In this mirror, she could see her naked form. She noticed her hair had been recently washed. Makeup had been applied to her face, including light pink lip gloss. With the increase of her respiration came the scent of something flowery, and she realized she’d been oiled or covered with a delicate scent from lilies or something tropical. White roses in a red vase sat on both sides of the bed on matching dark nightstands.

Looking back up to her face in the mirror, she began to realize this was a stage. There was a show starting sometime soon.

And she was the star.

She tried to think of anything that could indicate where she was. Why she was here. Nothing came to mind.

A door opened in the wallpaper, and inside stepped a woman and a man. The woman was naked, with a silk robe falling loose and open down the front. Her heavily made-up face was not pretty. Her smile made Sarah sick to her stomach.

Luci, Mother. Where are you?

The man had a barrel chest and a dark complexion, looking perhaps Italian or Greek. He also wore a robe, but it was, thankfully, tied at the waist. Sarah got the impression he was also naked under the paisley pattern on silk.

“Isn’t she lovely?” the woman said to the man.

“Stunning. I like very much,” he said with an accent. His mouth was hidden under a full moustache. He wore a gold cross around his neck.

“Would you like to touch her?” the woman asked.

“Very much,” the man said. He was led over to the bed. Sarah squirmed, wanting to scream something, but realized she was also gagged. Her bindings tore into her flesh as she tried to move her knees from side to side and pulled at her wrists, trying to force something loose.

“Ah, that’s lovely, too. See how she struggles?” the woman continued. “Is there any doubt, Mr. D, that she is a virgin?”

“How old is she?”

“You don’t want to know. Of the age girls marry in your country, though. Old enough to warm a man at night. Young enough to be ripe for the taking. You would be her first, Mr. D, if we can work out all the details.”

“Then I will touch her,” he said. He began to reach for the spot Sarah was protecting between her closed legs, but the woman deflected his fingers.

“Not there. No man has touched her there, Mr. D. Whomever gets her will be the first. I want her unspoiled. You understand.”

Sarah felt the sweat pour down between her legs, down her back, and under her arms. Despite her attempts, she was immobilized not only by the restraints, but also from some form of drug she had been given that hadn’t worn off completely.

The man known as Mr. D looked down at her like she was some sort of coveted toy. She could see dirty thoughts in his eyes. She tried to look defiant, and when that only seemed to enflame him further, she tried to beg him for decency. The look he returned told her he was beyond hope. There wasn’t an ounce of compassion in his dark face.

The woman took his hand and placed it on Sarah’s right breast. He closed his eyes as he squeezed her flesh. His nostrils flared as he tilted his head back toward the ceiling like he was savoring a favorite meal. His voice came almost like a whisper.

“I…must…have…her,” he said as he continued to squeeze, before moving to her other breast.

The woman stopped him, taking his wrist and placing his palm at her own breast. “This is what you get tonight. And, if you’re very nice, Mr. D, I will put your name in the bidding pool. Only our very best customers will be allowed to bid. But only the man who wins, will get a prize.