THE GLADIATOR (22 page)

Chapter 26

John Carpenter leaned back against one wall of the stableyard and happily surveyed the scene. Two months had gone by since they had returned in triumph from Conor Brien’s stable. Now the Russian girl - who Madame had found out was named Anya - but who everyone at The Lodge called ‘Ox’, Cherry, Jet and El Tigre all shared a newly built stable block with Blondie. Several of the arena owners were locked in an astronomically high bidding-war for the services of Carlo’s and The Lodge’s slaves on a ‘show by show’ basis. But best of all John himself had attended two auctions with Conor and The Lodge’s training cells were currently playing host to a long-overdue, fresh intake of delightful soon-to-be Housegirls. Really there was just the branding to attend to now so the slaves would be ready to fight for whoever could afford them and everything could settle down again.

Tara looked up at the grey English sky as she wound her fingers around the chains that held her spreadeagled against the outside wall of her stable. Sometimes she missed the endless sun of Conor Brien’s island but wherever her master was, that was where she belonged. She looked down and watched him as he attended to the glowing brazier with the branding iron, nearly white hot, resting in amongst the almost invisible flames. He picked it up and examined it. Tara noted his expression of intense concentration fondly. It was the same expression he wore when examining her at the end of a day’s training, it usually presaged a good thrashing. But today there was something even better in store. She was going to be branded with the combined initials of her master/trainer and her stable. Nowadays she could slip in and out of her slave miasma as it suited her and once she had been brought into the yard and mounted alongside her groom and the other fighting slaves who were to either side of her and had seen the branding irons, she had chosen to stay alert. She wanted to feel the full impact of wearing her brand. Carlo plainly judged the iron was hot enough and an excited stir spread through the men and the Housegirls, who had gathered to witness the spectacle as he approached Tara. She could see the glowing letters, CSL framed in a slender rectangle. She tightened her grip on her chains and gritted her teeth.

John watched too. The letters, which stood for Carlo Suarez and Lodge, would soon adorn all five slaves, seared into the flesh of their left hips. But Blondie was given the honour of being the very first to wear it. There was a very real bond between the trainer and the blonde star. It was just possible that she might appreciate it, he reflected as there was a hiss and a piercing scream from across the yard. The superb body arched in its bondage while Carlo pressed the iron home. Then after a count of four he took it away and the blonde slumped. There was some applause from the gathered members and then the iron was back in the flames and Carlo was sizing up a trembling Patti. John sauntered over and lit a cigar from the coals.

“Everything under control, Carlo?”

The two men surveyed the spreadeagled, naked forms before them. Four trembling, one fainted.

“Just about perfect I’d say, Boss.”

THE END