Survivor: 1 (15 page)

"Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! The first snuff film I did
after Susan. Tim brought us a worthless piece of shit that
had run away from her foster home. She was a prostitute,
a junkie. Tim's good at finding talent from the ranks of
losers like that. He has contacts all over the country that
give him insights on the background of some of these
people. That first one was a local girl ... or I should say,
she had run away from home somewhere in the Midwest
and come out to sunny California, Hollywood to be exact. She got hooked up with the wrong crowd, started doing drugs, started walking the streets, and the rest is
history. Tim had hired her for some bondage sessions
with one of his private clients to get her initiated; he does
that to let them think that when they come on my set
they're going to be in just some regular porn film. If
they're already junkies, he lets them get high on the set
so they don't resist when we tie them up, and they're al most always junkie fuckups. He brought her to the location I had done Susan in, and I let loose on her as she
came off her binge. I raped that bitch until she was bleeding out of orifices you wouldn't even think of. I kept her
alive for a full hour before she finally expired." He
laughed. "It's only gotten better since then. Now, thanks
to Alex and Tim and our contacts among the more financially secure in the circle, people who live all over the
world, I'm in big demand. I make good money doing
this. And I get immense sexual satisfaction from doing
what I do. I also get something else." He stepped forward,
his grin wide, evil. "1 get a strange sense of ... power."

When Animal was finished Lisa was too stunned to say
anything. She could feel Animal's stare, like that of a hungry beast, and she immediately met his gaze and asked
the first question that popped into her mind. "How many
snuff films have you been in since then?"

Animal shrugged. "I don't know ... over the last five
years I'd say eighteen or so, as well as numerous extreme
hardcore films."
"

Eighteen or so snuff films. Eighteen or so bodies. Used
and discarded like trash.

*1 still don't understand why you do it," Lisa said, Animal's story pulsing in her brain. "You told me how you got
into it, but ... I still don't understand."

"I do it because I like it," Animal said, and the simplicity of his answer chilled her to the bone. "1 get extreme
pleasure from inflicting pain on other people!

"Pleasure ..." Lisa was looking at him, trying to understand. "Sexual pleasure? What, do you come? Does your
dick get. hard? Is it like sex? What is it?"

Animal shrugged. "I haven't had normal sex in five
years. What I do here ... He gestured at Debbie's prone,
bloodied form on the bed. "It's the most ultimate pleasure I've ever felt. That's the only way I can describe it.
When I ... when I don the mask and wield the knife, I
feel like a god. I get to choose whether they live or die.
They cower at my feet, they beg me for mercy. I completely rule them. I have power over their lives ... their
death. It ... fuels my fantasy and then ... then I can go
to work on them." He looked so calm explaining this to
her. "Then when I cut them with a knife..-. it's like ecstasy. Feeling the blade slice through their flesh, hearing
them scream as I cut them, seeing the expression on
their faces as the knife slices through ... it ... it's even
better than sex."

The sound of footsteps returning from the side of the
cabin interrupted her thoughts, and Animal turned toward it. Lisa's breath was shallow, her mind racing. Al
and Tim were coming back; she could hear them talking.
Then they would finish what was started yesterday and
then it would be her turn. Her turn at a starring role in the
grindhouse of death.

"Debbie and I are the first, then," Lisa said, the question coming unbidden. "We're the first people who aren't
junkies or homeless people. Right?"

Animal nodded as he stood up to his full height.
"Yeah!

Lisa's mind was racing. Tim and Al entered the house,
and as they crossed the living room into the bedroom the
idea sprang to Lisa's mind full-blown; she was desperate.
"Listen," she said, looking up at Tim. "Please let me go. If you let me go, I can get you somebody that could take
my place-*

Tim traded glances with Al and laughed. "Who you kidding, lady?"

'Please, just listen to me! Before Brad and I stopped at
that rest stop, we stopped for breakfast in North Hollywood. There was a woman there that we gave money to.
She had just been kicked out of her home and-"

"They ain't looking for homeless chicks," Tim said,
scowling. "I thought I told you that yesterday? That's why I
was scoping that rest area out. The group we're shooting
this film for, they were gettin' tired of the same kind of
chicks. That's why-"

"But this one's difkrent!" Lisa said, her nerves on edge.
"She's only been on the streets a few days and she's gorgeous! She's-"

"Forget it' Tim said, dismissing her with a wave of his
hand. "I don't give a shit if this chick's a supermodel. I
ain't-"

"But she's beautiful! She's a ... a professional, and she's
intelligent. She's really pretty, she's not a drug addict or a
prostitute and she'd fit perfect!" Lisa glanced back and
forth from Animal to Tim. "Please ... I'll even help you
find her. I know where she is and-"

Al and Animal laughed. Tim chuckled, shaking his
head. "You're a riot, lady. Why the fuck should I go out
and risk my neck in getting this other bitch? I already
got you. For all I know, this chick is probably just another whore like all the other ones, or she doesn't even
exist!

ill pay you!"'Ihe adrenaline was flowing through her
veins, making her feel light-headed. She could feel the
dock ticking on her and her unborn baby's life. "I'm a
lawyer-4 was just made a partner in my firm. I can give you whatever these clients of yours are paying you. I can
get you the money immediately!"

Al looked intrigued. He looked at Tim. "Money talks,
Tim."

Tim stroked his chin nervously.

Al turned to Lisa. 'You can match it, huh?You sure?"

"Yes," Lisa said, her heart thumping. "I can not only
match it, I can find the woman for you. Please, just take
me down there with you and I promise you that-"

"You can come up with ninety grand cash?" Al cocked
a questioning glance at her. "You got that kind of
money?"

"Yes!" She and Jeff had around sixty thousand in their
joint savings account, and another sixty grand or so in
their IRAs. She was fairly certain she could cash out her
IRA quickly if she hit her bank at the right time. She also
had her wedding ring-there was five grand right there. "I
can get it," she said, straightening herself up. "Hard cash."

The three of them were glancing at each other, and as
Lisa watched the exchange she realized she'd struck a
nerve with them. She'd hit the gold mine. With the exception of Animal, the only reason they were engaged in this
was for the money. Hadn't Tim told her that over and over
again on the drive up after her abduction?

"I don't know," Tim said shaking his head. "I can sure
use the extra money, but ... I got a product to deliver in
three days."
"

"I can help you get her by the end of the day," Lisa said,
desperate now "If we leave now, we can be in LA by two
or three, and I can have the money to you by four. Please,
I'll do all that and-"

*And lead the cops right to us," Tim said, angrily. "No
fucking way."

"N-no," Lisa said, her voice cracking. "No police. I
swear to Cod, I won't tell anybody."

"What about your husband?" Al said, an irritated grimace on his face. "He's gonna call the cops, you know
they're gonna be involved anyway.'

"I won't say anything!" She said, pleading now
"Please ... I don't know your names, I don't know what
you look like, I've never seen you before in my life. You're
four black men, but you may have been Hispanic or
Samoan or something. I don't know, it was too dark and I
couldn't see, and you had me blindfolded and you
knocked me out and ... please, I won't say anything!"

Al looked at her for what seemed an eternity. He turned
to Tim and shrugged. "1 can sure use the money,Tim!

No, man," TSm said, shaking his head. "I don't like it. I
mean, I got orders-"

"Fuck that shit," Al said, turning to Tim. "You telling me
you'd be willing to throw another ninety grand down the
toilet? You shittin' me?"

Animal had been standing in the corner during the exchange, fists clenched at his sides. He was silent as Tim
shook his head. "I don't know, man, I don't like it. I mean,
I did my part, but .. ."

Al turned to Animal. "What about you, Animal?"

1be money would be nice," Animal said, his features
suddenly darker than they had been when he'd just
seemed like another young professional. 'But the itch is
gettin' strong. Rankly, I could tear into this bitch right
now if you let me. I don't give a shit who I do. Long as I
get mine"

Al turned to Lisa. "Well, that settles it for me. Animal's
ready, and we already got you and the other bitch. I say
we just do them both tonight and-"

Before Lisa could stop herself, she let it blurt out. "The
other woman has a baby!" They stopped and turned toward her. The atmosphere in the room got heavier, as if
cold water had just been dumped on everything, setting the flames to sizzle and steam. Lisa could feel the blood
pounding in her veins. "She has a baby girl," she heard
herself, instantly hating herself for saying it. "Probably not
even a month old. You can have her, too. Please .. "

The three men were silent. Animal's breathing grew
heavier. Al shrugged at Tim. "Well ... Animal's always
wanted to do a baby. It might be. . " He shrugged, a mixture of unease and anticipation on his features. "Hold on
a sec." He pulled a cellular phone out of his jeans pocket
and stepped outside, dialing a number. Lisa watched him
leave with a growing sense of dread.

Oh God, what did I just do!

Tim and Animal stood in the corner of the room, regarding her with cold stares. Lisa couldn't look at them,
the dread solidifying in her belly. She drew into herself,
head down, trying to staunch the flow of tears that threatened to burst forth. Oh my God, what did I just do? I
just ... I just ...

I just want to have my baby! Please let me have my baby!

She didn't know how long Al was gone, but it felt like
an eternity. When he came back she refused to look up,
not knowing if she would be able to look into his face.
"We're on with the other chick and the baby. Get this
bitch in the van and find them pronto."

Lisa looked up, the surprise of the verdict stunning. Al
had a satisfied look on his face. Tim looked stunned; Animal looked excited. "You sure?" Tim asked Al.

'Sam just said they'll pay double if we have a baby in
it." Al folded the cell phone up and replaced it in his
pocket. "Let's get going though. Get rid of this bitch and
find this other chick and the kid."

"Did you tell him about this one?" Tim asked, motioning to Lisa.

"No." Al turned to Lisa, his eyes cold. "This woman ... you said she's only been homeless a few days, right?
What's she look like?'

Lisa fumbled for the right description. She felt numb
with shock. She couldn't believe this was happening. "Shshe's about six inches taller than me. B-blond hair ...
shoulder length ... real pretty. N-nice body ... n-nice
We-legs . .

"Fine" Al leaned close to her, his face dark. "If you
don't find this chick and her baby, Tim will bring you
back here, and then we're going to film you getting
fucked to death, and I can guarantee you that Animal
will make it the most vicious, most painful fuck you have
ever had in your life. Do you understand me? He'll put a
hole in your belly and fuck the wound while you're still
alive. We don't call him the Animal for nothing, you know
what I'm saying? 'Rut's why he's in such demand for our
little group. We've used other doms, but Animal's special.
He'll cut your fingers off and make you eat them if he
wants to. He'll keep you alive for the next week if he
wants to. Shit, he'd pop your left eyeball out and fuck the
socket while you're still alive if he could. He's never been
that lucky, though. Usually, they die the minute Animal
sticks his dick in the eye socket."

Lisa was sobbing, the images washing over her, turning
her stomach. Al leaned loser to her, his breath sour.
"And if this is a scam, or if you don't find this chick and
the baby, your ass is going to be tortured so bad that
you're going to wish you just opted for the quick way out.
You got me?"

Lisa nodded, tears silently spilling down her cheeks.
She was shaking, paralyzed with fear.

"You find the chick and the baby, Tim will take care of
everything," Al continued. "You find them, and once he's
got them, he'll take you to your bank and you'll both go in and get the money. You won't try anything in there, you
got it? If Tim ain't back up here by nine o'clock this evening .. " He reached for her purse, which had been sitting in the corner since being dumped in the room, and
rummaged through it. He extracted her wallet, took her
driver's license out, then rifled through it until he found
some photos. He found the one he wanted and took it
out. He held it up for her to see: It was Brad. "I take that
back. If I don't hear from Tim by five o'clock on my cell
phone, I'm going to pay your hubby a visit myself. And
then maybe we'll take him somewhere nice and safe and
film ourselves a homosexual snuff film. Animal, he has
no fucking sexual preference, so long as he mutilates
and tortures people. Don't you, Animal?"

Animal nodded and grinned. "I've done men before.
They can be fun, too."
"

Al turned back' to Lisa. "After you've given Tim the
money, we don't want to so much as be reminded of you.
You got me? And if I so much as get pulled over by a cop
for a traffic ticket, I will find you, got me? If you say anything to the cops about this and they come looking for
us, I'll know where to find you." He held her license up,
grinning. "Tim tells me you told him you were expecting
a kid yourself? That true?"