Virgo's Vice (16 page)

Chapter 28

Andy took the rear of the single file column, right behind Kelli. He needed another hit of E. He nudged Kelli lightly on her shoulder. She turned around and he touched his pocket. Understanding showed in her face and she slowed down. Once they had dropped out of sight of the others, he tapped two of the white tablets out of the bottle, mentally evaluating what remained of his supply before stuffing it back into his pocket.

He pushed the first pill under his tongue and watched Kelli do the same. His hands were shaking a little and his stomach cramped.

“Hey, what happened? Are you guys okay?” Lela came into view. “Why did you drop back?”

“Oh, my shoes,” Kelli said smoothly. “I have to rest every now and then because they hurt my feet.”

Andy figured she had swallowed the pill. He did the same and smiled at Lela.

“Okay, but I think we should all stick together after what happened to Eve, you know.” She turned and headed back toward the others. Andy opened his mouth and slipped the second pill under his tongue, and Kelli did the same. “We’d better try and catch up,” he said.

Kelli rolled her eyes and started walking again.

The others had stopped in a clearing and Trip was pointing at something. “There,” he said. “See those broken down huts over there?” He directed his gaze at Andy.

Andy squinted. “Yes. I see them.” They were round, and only partial walls remained.

“Anyone scared of ghosts?” Trip said.

“No. Don’t believe in them. Or monsters,” Sam added.

The warm sensation was beginning and Andy took a few deep, satisfied breaths. He could see Kelli was feeling the same by the way her shoulders had relaxed. He followed the others again, and by the time they reached the deserted settlement, he couldn’t feel his feet touch the ground.

Everyone spread out to explore. Andy took Kelli’s hand and pulled her into him for a long, passionate kiss. To heck with anyone else. He needed to find some place private, urgently.

Lela and Sam came and stood beside them. Lela said, “I thought you said you had a serious relationship with someone at home.” She stared at Kelli. “And you—I do believe that’s a wedding ring on your finger.”

“Why don’t you butt out and mind your own business,” Andy said. Lela was staring at him. He became aware of the detritus in the grass around his feet. He kicked the remains of a cooking pot, rusted through, that lay on top of a pile of ash from what must have been a cooking fire. Broken crockery lay scattered around outside the huts.

“Come on,” he threw a warning glare at Lela and grabbed Kelli’s hand and led her toward the closest ruin of a hut. Why did they all have to follow him? He wished they would go and explore on their own. He peered into the hut, and at first he didn’t recognize what he was seeing.

“Oh, my God!” Sam gasped from beside him. “That’s—that’s crazy.” She backed away.

Lela took her place and stared. “Not a pretty sight,” she agreed, with a shiver.

Through his haze of euphoria, Andy found the sight fascinating. Kelli leaned on his shoulder, still holding his hand, and they both stared at it without saying anything.

“It appears that the skull was crushed,” Trip took the pipe from his mouth and gazed at it over Andy’s shoulder. He stared into Andy’s face.

Andy averted his eyes.

“Yeah. Someone bashed him on the head,” he agreed. What did this dude want? He was standing so close. Did he suspect something? Screw him.

“Let’s go. This place gives me the creeps,” Lela said. “It reminds me of that camp in Iraq.”

Faith came over to stand beside Kelli. She stared a long time at the skeletal remains before talking. “No more suffering,” she said, still staring. She scratched her head, pushed Andy aside and stepped forward into the remains of the hut. She crouched down beside the skeleton and it sounded like she was chanting something but she spoke too softly for anyone to hear the words. Maybe it was a prayer, but no, it definitely sounded more like a chant. So perhaps she belonged to some weird religion and that’s what they did when people died.

Nobody moved for a while, except Mark, who panned the camera onto her as she reached out with a tentative hand and touched the skull in the jagged hole where it was crushed.

Andy shuddered. “It might be diseased,” he said.

Faith whirled around. Her eyes blazed and her hands came up, and for a moment it seemed she was going to smack Andy. She seemed to change her mind, turned, and walked away.

Andy led Kelli by her hand to the next hut, and away from the others. “That was strange,” he said. “Did you see how she stared at it? And that chanting. It was like she was fascinated with it. And there’s no way I would touch anything around here after what the pilot said about disease. I mean, he didn’t mention Ebola but I wouldn’t want to take any chances.”

Kelli squeezed his hand. “What about Lela? What did she say? She was in a concentration camp in some place like Iraq or Iran?”

“She said something about it before. Do you believe her?” Andy said, peering into the next hut. It was empty save for a tattered blanket and one squashed shoe. A few weeds had broken through the clay floor.

“I also think she’s said something about it before, but it’s probably all in her imagination.”

The other huts were also all deserted. “Mmmm,” Kelli said, her mind obviously still floating.

The others caught up to them.

“What do you think happened here?” Sam asked Trip. “Where did these people all go?”

“Disease,” Mark said. “The pilot told me AIDS has decimated some of these villages. I’m pretty sure I told you guys.” He panned the camera around as if to pick up each person’s reaction.

“We’re here to find food,” Trip reminded everyone. He wandered away toward the outskirts of the village.

Andy whispered in Kelli’s ear. “Let’s stay here for a while. The sun is so warm and nice.” He could hardly wait to touch her all over. He frowned when he thought about Lela’s accusation. He should have taken off his wedding ring before he came. What did she say about Kelli being in a serious relationship? Whatever. It didn’t matter now.

He stood behind Kelli and watched the others move away from them. She leaned against him and rubbed herself against him.

“Here,” Trip said. “Corn.” He started pulling at the corn stalks.

Andy stayed where he was, enjoying the delights of the friction, and watched Lela open the bag and hold it to receive the bounty.

“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. I’m glad we don’t have to wait for these to be soaked all night,” Sam said.

“We’ll catch you later,” Andy said, and yanked Kelli by the hand.

“Where are we going?” she asked him.

“Some place we can have some fun.”

“Mr. Grant is on the phone, sir, and I’m running down to the deli to pick up some sandwiches for lunch,” Allan Dockery’s assistant, Jacquie said.

Dockery picked up the phone, his palm sweating. Finally. “Yes, Josh. I’ve been waiting for your call.”

“Allan. I’m afraid you’re not gonna like what I have to say.”

Silence.

“We’re not going to fund your show. A deal with less risk came up and we went with it. I’m sorry.”

Dockery slumped onto his chair. “No . . . You don’t understand . . .” He was finding it difficult to breathe.

“Maybe next time.” Josh Grant hung up.

Allan was hot all over. “No, this is not happening.” He put his hands over his face and couldn’t stop the tears. “Oh, God. I’m finished.”

He stubbed out his cigar, poured himself a whiskey and swallowed the amber liquid in one gulp. Sweat beaded his brow. His lungs didn’t seem to be functioning properly. He didn’t know what to do. He had exhausted every possible financing option and come up with nothing. Nada. Zilch.

What would happen to the contestants? He couldn’t pay the air charter company. He knew he should call them and tell them what had happened. They wouldn’t leave the contestants stranded out there. His hand hovered over the telephone. What about the time difference? What time would it be there? His brain wouldn’t function properly. He dialed their number. It gave a busy signal. Or was it a signal to say their phones were out? He wasn’t sure. Wouldn’t there be voicemail if the phone was busy? They had warned him about something they called load shedding—intermittent power cuts to help with the shortage they were experiencing. Would their phones be affected by the power cuts? Probably. He tried calling one more time with no luck.

His heart beat so hard he could hardly catch his breath when he opened the drawer and stared at the revolver.

Chapter 29

Sitting on the grassy bank while the others catch fish, I’m keeping my eye on the sky. I can’t believe the Old Man hasn’t arrived yet.

“Hey, did you hear me?” I realize Billy’s talking to me.

“Sorry, I was daydreaming.” He’s standing above me staring down with a broad smile on his face.

“We got six fish, and filled some condoms with water. Why are you looking so pensive?”

“It’s not important.” I force a smile.

“You’re still waiting for an airplane, aren’t you?” He sinks down onto the grass beside me. “I wish you’d change your mind about leaving.”

I can’t look him in the eye. “I can’t,” I say. I pick a stem of grass and twirl it in my fingers.

“And you ain’t gonna tell me anything more about what that psycho did to you to scare you so much, are you?

I shake my head and try to push back the tears that are welling up.

“Aww, now I’ve made you cry again,” Billy says with a very tender voice. He pulls my face into his chest and strokes my hair.

The tears come, and I hear myself sob loudly but I can’t stop. I used to cry myself to sleep every night, but I haven’t cried like this for a long, long time.

“I wish you’d tell me more. It would probably make you feel better to talk about it.”

I push myself away from his chest and see the concern in his eyes. He leans forward and kisses my cheek, and then he licks a tear off it. It almost makes me smile.

“He was my aunt’s boyfriend,” I say. “He came to live with her when I was five.” I sniff and wipe my nose on the back of my hand. I don’t know why I’m telling him.

“And he used to come into your bedroom at night and touch you,” Billy says tenderly. He strokes my hair. The smile on his face is so full of love and concern I know I can trust him with my secret.

“I was five years old. Five.” My voice breaks. “He raped me.”

There was a shocked silence for a few moments. The tears come again.

“Not when you were five. He couldn’t have actually raped you then. Nobody could be that degraded. Five years old. No way.”

“He raped me.” I hear the anger in my voice now.

“At five years old? But how . . .?”

“It hurt like heck and yes, it caused some damage. He made up some story to my aunt and then he took me to some doctor friend of his who he knew wouldn’t tell the authorities. He told me he would hurt Aunt Jess if I said anything to her, I was so scared,” I wail.

“It’s okay,” Billy croons. He strokes my hair and rocks me. “You don’t have to tell me anymore. It’s upsetting you too much. But the next time I see that asshole I know I’ll want to kill him. He’s the sickest person I’ve ever met.”

I force myself to stop crying and glance into Billy’s face. His eyes are narrowed and his jaw is clenched.

“That’s why I can’t stay,” I say.

“I’d like to say I’ll protect you, but he’s a sly asshole and I couldn’t promise you anything. I’ve seen the way he watches you.”

“So now you understand why?”

“I can’t imagine how bad it must have been and I’m so sorry it had to happen to you,” Billy says. “I thought I had demons, but they ain’t as bad as that.”

I cry into his shoulder for a long time until I’m all cried out.

“I told you my secret,” I sniff. “It’s only fair that you tell me yours.”

Billy blows out a ragged sigh and leans back the way people do when they don’t want to tell you something. He sucks air in. “Okay.” He frowns, looks down at his feet. “I was in lockup for thirteen months.” He points at the tattoo on his arm. “Prison Ink,” he explains.

I stare at him, waiting for him to tell me more.

“I did some dumb things. Boosted a couple of cars. Let my family down. So now you know.”

He doesn’t seem the type of person who would suddenly start stealing cars. At least he didn’t hurt someone—or kill them. I’m thinking there has to be more to his story, but he jumps up and holds out his hand. I take it and he helps me up. “Come on. Last one in’s a dummy.”

He already has his shoes off. He pulls his shirt off over his head, and drops his pants. He turns and stares at me with raised eyebrows, wearing only his underwear.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Jared and Stretch have crossed the creek and are on the other bank on the far side. They’re also shedding their clothes. I shrug, take off my shoes and socks, then my T-shirt and lastly my jeans. Billy stares at me.

“Come on,” he jerks my hand toward him and I jump in with him. I surface and gasp, and tread water. The water is colder than I expected, but it’s refreshing. I hear a splash and Jake is swimming toward us. I wait for him, and once I’m sure he’s okay, I swim across the pool and back again with Billy, matching him stroke for stroke. It’s too deep for me to stand in the middle but not too deep around the edges. Jake scrambles out and shakes himself, sending droplets of water flying all over the place. I stand and wipe the water off my face, breathing hard from the exertion.

“I have soap in my bag,” I say to Billy.

“Well, go on and get it, woman,” he says with a laugh, but I feel his eyes on me as I scramble up the bank and dig in my bag. When I run and jump back into the water, I notice Billy has taken off his boxers and is holding them on the surface of the water.

He grins at me. I hand him the bar of soap, trying to will myself not to stare into the water but I can’t obey. I know the reason I’m breathing hard is not only from the exercise. I watch him soap the underwear and his clothes, and then he rubs it onto his chest.

The other two guys are still splashing around on the other side of the rock island.

“Hey, you’re staring,” Billy says. “You can watch me wash my, er, privates if you want, I’m not shy.” He wades to the bank and climbs half out. He turns his back toward me.

I am staring, thinking he has a very neat and sexy ass, when he turns and splashes me, giving me a glimpse of him. All of him. He swims out toward me.

“Here’s the soap,” he says, handing it to me. “Your turn now.”

He has that hungry glint in his eyes which is making my entire being go mushy. For a few moments I hang there, treading water. I start rubbing it on my shoulders and arms. When I look up, he’s right beside me.

“Let me have the soap,” he says hoarsely. I hand it to him.

“Now, you gonna bathe in your underwear or what?”

I glance across toward the other two guys, who are out of the water and over on the far bank drying their clothes.

“They won’t come any closer. I told them not to,” Billy says.

My heart is beating way too fast as I unfasten my bra and allow it to float up to the water’s surface. Billy is staring into the water at me and it’s making me crazy. I reach down and slide my panties down and off my feet.

“Turn around,” Billy says.

I turn and face away from him. His hands are warm. He rubs the soap over my back, slowly sliding his hands around to my breasts and takes them both. I hear myself moan and I lean into him.

His breath is hot in my ear. “You’re gorgeous and I won’t be able to get out of this water for at least an hour after this,” he whispers. “Despite the cold water. Here. You’d better wash the rest of you. There’s no telling what I’ll do if I touch you there.”

I take the soap, turn and meet his gaze for a moment, then glide toward the bank. My limbs don’t want to work properly.

“Look away, bros,” Billy says to the other two, but I know he’s watching as I climb out until I’m only knee deep in the water and soap the rest of my body. I never knew washing myself could be so erotic.

I sink back into the water and rinse the soap off.

“Come here,” is all he says.

I’m powerless to refuse. He draws me into him and I feel him, all of him pushing against my legs and I know I want it. His mouth is warm and welcoming and his lips make me tingle all over as his hands stray to my breasts and then down.

“No,” I gasp. “Not here with them . . .”

He breaks away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I almost lost control,” he pants. “Where’s your towel?”

I point, still unable to speak. He swims to the bank, climbs up it and grabs my towel.

“Thanks,” my voice is hoarse. I take it and wrap it around me. He jumps into the water again and retrieves my underwear, and lathers it, rinses it, and hands it back to me without saying another word.

“Thank you,” I whisper and head to my backpack. I have extra underwear there. I go behind a clump of bushes and get dressed, then I lay my wet clothes out on the grass in the sun and drop down beside Jake, who is lying with his head on his front paws.

“Can I use your towel?” Billy asks.

“Come and get it,” I yell.

He grins and climbs the bank toward me. He has an amazing body. I hand the towel to him. He winks, and starts drying his chest, obviously enjoying my gaze on him. He hangs his clothes on a bush and drops down on the grass beside me.

“You’re staring,” he says.

I turn my head away. “Sorry. I guess it’s not fair since I have all my clothes on.” I really want to enjoy his beautiful, sexy body. I’ve never seen such a perfect man’s body like this before.

“We can remedy that,” he says.

“We’re not alone,” I answer.

“The only thing keeping my hands off you right now,” he says with that shit-eating grin.

After a few minutes, Jared and Stretch’s voices carry to us as they cross back to our side of the creek on the naturally occurring stepping stones below the little waterfall. They’re both dressed in their wet boxers. “We should get back,” Jared says.

I suddenly remember that the Old Man is coming today. “Yes,” I say. “I should be there when Allan Dockery arrives.” I might be leaving today. The thought strikes me like a blow. Will I ever see Billy again? It’s like we’ve only started an adventure and now it’s going to end before we get to the good part.

Billy has put on his boxers. “What’s wrong? Why are you sad?” He stares into my face like he’s trying to read something there and I hope he can’t see it. He smiles at me and his gaze holds mine for few seconds.

“I . . .” I shake my head, not knowing why I’m so mixed up inside. We pick up all our stuff and make our way back along the trail, Jake trotting along beside me as he always seems to. If only my life could be as simple as his. He seems happy to be with me, even though his master has virtually abandoned him. The boys chat, but I remain deep in thought as we head back to camp.

Faith, back from the food-gathering or exploring with Trip and the others, is tending the fire as usual when we get there, and Jared hands her the cleaned fish. Stretch carries the water to the tree, and Billy returns the fishing gear to the shelter.

I dump my camera and backpack in the shelter, and spread my damp clothes over a couple of bushes where they can catch the late afternoon sun.

The others are scattered around the camp and I seek out Mark.

“The Old Man didn’t show up,” he says. “And Andy and Kelli are still out there.” He points. “They didn’t want to come back with us. Trip tried to persuade them and Faith even went back after we had also started heading back to camp. They were high on something.”

I nod. “I thought they were the other day. What do you think it is?”

“Something they can hide easily. Pills. Something like Ecstasy.” He bends down and pats Jake. “Whatever it is, it’s strong. They were higher than kites.” He sniffs. “You smell good. Don’t tell me you took a bath?”

“Yeah, we swam in the creek and I have soap. What about the Old Man? Why didn’t he come?” Swimming with Billy took away my anxiety for a while, but now it’s back in full force. Just the sight of Trip over there under the tree smoking his pipe and watching me with those eyes that I hate so much is enough to make my stomach queasy. “What if he doesn’t come?”

“What do you mean?” Mark squats to stare into Jake’s eyes and rub his ears.

“I mean, if he never comes back.”