Chapter 91.

"Kara?"

"Oh my G.o.d. Please."

"You know what I want you to do."

"I. I can't."

"You can't?"

"I can't do that. Not in front of you."

"Why not?"

"You have to ask why not?"

"Well. The way I see it, is either you learn to strip in front of me, or I can start making holes in Julie here. Maybe she'd like a new hole in her breast." I stepped over to the terrified girl and pressed the barrel of the gun into the side of her right breast. She gasped and began to pray. "And if the sight of all her blood doesn't convince you to take off that suit, perhaps the sight of your own blood might."

Julie was almost hysterical in fear. Tears were running down her face, falling onto her naked chest in rivers. She was gasping for breath. Trying not to move. Not to make any threatening gestures.

"Please, Jane. He's going to sh-shoot me. If I could do it, you can. Please. I don't want to die."

Gently I corrected her. "Kara."

"Oh G.o.d." Julie lips moved in silent prayers again.

"You son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h. You wouldn't shoot her because I refused to strip."

"Try me?"

"Alright, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I'll do it. Calm down. Move away from her."

I shrugged and returned to my post against the wall. Julie collapsed. Bending at her waist. Sobbing uncontrollably.

I watched as Kara began to strip. She slowly pulled her clothes from her body. Her face beet red. To her credit she didn't whine at the underwear and soon she was standing naked behind her desk. She lightly held her hands to her sides. She had a pa.s.sable body. Looked like it had gone through a couple of children, but it also looked like she worked out. Her short blonde hair was really blonde, I idly noticed. She suffered my gaze.

She spoke. "Can I go to her?" Meaning Julie still crying hysterically in the chair. "Without you freaking out with that thing?"

I nodded and Kara moved slowly around the desk and knelt beside Julie. She tried to comfort the sobbing girl.

"Julie. You have to be strong here. He's not going to hurt us. Come on. I need you here."

Julie managed to control her shaking. She sat back up, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"Why me? G.o.d. He's going to kill us."

Kara whispered to her urgently. "He's not going to kill us. We'll do whatever it is he wants. He'll rape us. And then he'll go. We'll call the police. You have to stay with me here."

"I don't want to be raped."

"Neither do I sweetheart. Neither do I."

"This is a dream, right?"

"I wish it was. I've pinched myself three times already. And every time I keep waking up without my clothes, here with you."

I finally intervened. "Ladies?"

They both swiveled their heads and looked up at me.

"See how Kara is? On her knees? Julie. I want you like that."

"Oh G.o.d."

Kara tugged at Julie's arm and she slipped off the chair. Ending up kneeling beside Kara. Still tears falling down her face.

I tossed them a pair of handcuffs each. They looked at them. Frightened.

"Put them on. Behind your back."

"Oh G.o.d. Why?" Julie implored.

"Because I don't want you to have any bright ideas of attacking me."

"Just let us go then." Kara interjected logically.

"Not yet, my pretty ones."

Julie hesitantly picked up the cuffs and looked at them. "Please. You don't need to do this."

Kara spoke as well. "Really. You walk out of here. You've had your show. You've had your cheap thrill. Us naked for you. You walk out of the store. And that's it. We don't call the cops. We never even mention it happened. Period. You don't get caught. Everyone wins."

"Sorry ladies. Have other plans. And I doubt very much if I'll get caught. And besides. As soon as I'm out that door, you'd be on the phone to the police. You probably wouldn't even bother getting dressed first."

"Please don't make us do this."

"Put them on."

Kara reached for her pair of handcuffs. She closed her eyes and snapped the first side around her left wrist. She wound her hands behind her and I heard the ratchet close. I watched as she made some kind of eye gesture at Julie and Julie did the same thing. I wasn't sure what Kara was trying to tell the frightened girl.

I casually walked behind the women. They stayed on their knees, Kara looking decidedly nervous. Watching me. Her head turning on her long neck.

I crouched down behind them and ran my fingers around Julie's left wrist. Tight. Same with her right wrist. She wasn't getting out of the steel until I released her. I moved to Kara. Her left wrist was tight. I rattled her right arm and the cuff fell off her wrist, dangling.

She immediately sprang to her feet and dashed towards the door. The handcuff still dangling from her left wrist.

"Kara?"

She turned just before she got to the door. I could have frozen her, but that wasn't necessary.

"My name is not Kara. It's Jane."

"You open that door, Kara, and Julie here is going to be very uncomfortable."

"You wouldn't shoot her."

"I wouldn't? Care to try me?"

"No."

"How about if I shoot you instead?"

"s.h.i.t."

"Come back here."

The naked woman walked back on her bare feet.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Turn around."

Shaking she did.

"Hands."

She reluctantly put her hands behind her. I closed the handcuff tightly around her right wrist. Pressing it deeply into her skin.

She cried out. "Oh s.h.i.t. That hurts. G.o.d. You didn't need to make it that tight."

"Kara? Last time it appears to have fallen off. I just wanted to make sure that it didn't happen again." I pressed on her shoulders and pushed her hard to her knees. Tears welled up as she pulled against her restraints. Trying in vain to get her right wrist into a comfortable position.

Kara glared at me with determination in her eyes.

I left the women on their knees and walked back over to the window. Gazed out. Christi, Jane and Amy were just finishing up the last row.

"You got an intercom in this store, Kara?"

"Of course." The sullen voice floated up from the other side of the desk.

"How?"

"You dial 9-1-4 on the phone and then just speak, you f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"Such language from such a beautiful woman."

Kara muttered something, but I didn't quite catch it. I walked over to the phone on her desk. I picked it up. Dialed the magic numbers.

I heard the intercom system announce itself with a soft bell. The naked women shopping in the store looked up in surprise.

"Christi?" I thought I saw her lips move. But from where I was standing I couldn't make out her words. It was probably just an acknowledgment.

"Christi. When you finish down there, take it all to the front and wait for me. Read a National Equirer or something."

I saw her speaking and nodding.

I turned back to the women on the floor. I sat up on Kara's desk and gazed down at them.

"Who was that you were talking to? Who the h.e.l.l is Christi?" Kara asked.

"None of your business. Yet."

"It is my f.u.c.king business. It's my f.u.c.king store."

I reached down and casually slapped her. Her head snapped back and she cried out at the blow. I hadn't hit her hard.

I crouched down, my face centimeters from hers.

"You listen to me. It's your *f.u.c.king* business and your *f.u.c.king* store when I tell you it is. You are nothing right now. You don't even have a name anymore. You are mine. You understand? And I don't want to hear any more unladylike language emerging from that mouth of yours. Or I'll gag it. Understand?"

She nodded. But she didn't understand. Julie was in tears again.

I pulled her to her feet. Painfully, the cuffs digging into her wrists, she stumbled to her bare feet. I dragged her around her desk and practically threw her into her chair. Involuntary tears of pain surfaced in her eyes as she fell against the cuffs. A faint "ooof" sound escaped her lips.

I knelt in front of her chair. It was not one of the new comfortable reclining chairs, but one of the cla.s.sroom chairs with four st.u.r.dy legs. Cheap store.

"Feet."

The frightened woman allowed me to guide her bare foot to the chair legs. I lashed it securely there. Her other foot followed. I could see her wincing at the tightness of the bonds. She was secured to the chair. She wasn't going anywhere fast.

"Please," she gasped out.

"Please what?" I hitched myself up on the desk in front of her. Facing her. Her short hair was messed up and terror was across her face. I wasn't used to treating women this rough. I swung my legs.

"Please."

"You want to beg?"

"I just want to be left alone."

"Kara. Let me explain ..."

"My name isn't Kara," she softly protested.