RichardAs James leaves, Michael hovers, clicking his tongue........ Deciding whether to follow?.... Not a good idea........ You don't interfere between a sub and her Dom....He seems to reach the same conclusion. He pulls at his chin with thumb and forefinger, then turns to me. "Richard.…" His tone is slow, cautious...."What?""I know you think...." Still, he hesitates…"Yes? Come on. Out with it." I sit back in my seat, hands behind my head, giving him my attention. "If it's something awkward, it's better dealt with.""I think that you and James both think of Charlotte as a sub. Intelligent and pretty, but just a sub...."Is that what I think?.... Perhaps....".... and she's not. There's a lot more to her than that. If she can't get what she wants by.… legitimate means, she's perfectly capable of taking matters into her own hands."She's intelligent........ resourceful........ a survivor....Am I discounting her, because she bends the knee to Ja
RichardMichael continues, "We ran. It was freezing. The snow had stopped falling and the clouds had cleared, so the temperature had plummeted. My aim was to get into the woods where we'd be harder to follow. There's a walker's shelter not too far away, up and along the track. I thought if we could get to there, it would buy us time to think....""And for you to get some clothes on?"He nods. "Yeah.... We stuck to the shadows as much as we could, but there was one spot where we had to cross in the open....""And that's where the second gunman caught up with you?""Mmmm, yes. Again, I just went for him. Charlotte had the sense to simply drop so I could swing...." Another swallow. "We were lucky there was no moon to speak of. Once we made it to the tree-line, we could vanish into the shadows and there were places where there was no snow cover to leave footprints.…"".... And perhaps they weren't too happy following you when they saw what you'd done to their friends?"He shr
JamesRefusing discipline....It catches me squarely on the cheek. It's not a hard blow. In truth, I barely feel it....But that's not the point....Unbelieving, for a moment, I'm on hold, as though trying to process reality....Cold fury freezes through me, I grab her by the wrists, yanking her across the floor to the bedroom. "In there, Madam."I'll knock some fucking sense into you........ How dare you....Abruptly, her resistance melts away. She yanks her wrist from my hand. "Alright, I'll go into the bedroom," she says. Chin held high, "I'll take whatever it is you're going to hand out. But it doesn't change anything. It doesn't change what's in my head."On her face is.... what…?Disgust?Resignation?I'm not sure, but something about her wording cuts through my anger.The cellar........ The life you've led…What is going through your head?.... It's hard to imagine....I'm only seeing your life in reflection........ you're the one who lived
RichardJames' expression is bland as he returns to the office.Fresh shirt........ Tie neatly knotted....Hair washed.... and fresh aftershave....Mmmm....I try to keep my tone neutral. "Everything alright?"His tone as bland as mine, "She's fine."Ah, fuck........ How do I ask?Man to man?.... Dom to Dom…?....?The book of etiquette is strangely silent on this one....Try a different tack...."I was talking with Michael while you were.... occupied.... It's the first time I've really had an opportunity to speak with him. He doesn't normally say very much."He arches a brow. "Don't let that throw you. Michael's no-one's fool, and he'll see through a brick wall if you give him long enough. If he starts talking, it's a good idea to start listening."Yes, you trust him completely........ His judgement and his loyalty...."I'm coming to agree with you. He said something about not trying to cage Charlotte. That I should find her some work to do."
They stand, heads drooping, in a line before their headmaster."I have never seen such a display. All three of you are easily old enough to know better than to behave as though you were in some common bar-room brawl."Limping, holding his ribs with one hand, battered but not bowed, Chad says, "I'm sorry, Mr Kalkowski, but I couldn't not help when Jack started picking on Jenny."The old man surveys the penitents, noting that Jack is the only one bearing serious damage. His lower lip is badly swollen and split and one eye is already closing. Chad has a rip in his shirt and another at his knees. Jennifer appears unscathed, but....Jennifer is not looking at him. His eyes follow hers as they slide across to his walking stick.He sucks in his cheeks, choosing his words. "Jennifer, we do not administer corporal punishment here. However, misdemeanours cannot go unpunished. All three of you will receive extra homework and I will expect it to be done on time. "In addition, Chad, yo
JamesCharlotte swallows hard, and again, then, her voice steadier "And this isn't small trouble. They probably don't want to kill her.… me.... otherwise it would just have been a bullet in the head in a parking lot.... It's more likely they want to learn what she.… I.... know and then sell her on.… me on...."You have got to be kidding me....Gaping at the slender girl, so like my own Elizabeth, stating what are simple facts but which all we men have avoided saying, I lose my words.James, Michael and Will are also staring slack-jawed at her performance…"Jeez, Charlotte," says Michael, his grim belligerence vanished. "You sound cold-blooded when you talk like that." Head high, she stares him down. "It's about survival isn't it." She nods towards me. "Richard was right when he said that you're no good to anyone if you panic. Some things have to be done in cold blood."James, towering over her, says in a cool voice, "Like selling yourself to the highest bidder? Done in c
James"She's up to something," says Michael."Like what?""I don't know. When I try to have it out with her she denies everything and then throws her secret weapon at me.""Secret weapon?""She smiles at me and looks at my cock, and my brain heads south.... Perhaps you could talk to her?""And say what?""I dunno. Tell her she's not to.... whatever… 'C'mon, you're her Dom. She's supposed to obey you.""What exactly am I ordering her to do, Michael?""She intends to escape.""You think? What's she going to do? Knot together the bedsheets and climb down from the penthouse window? Abseil down from the roof garden?""She's clever.""That she is, but she's also locked in and under guard.""She wants to let Stanton use her as bait. ""Well, I'm not going to let that happen. I'm guessing you're not either. And even Richard is against it, for all that it's his wife they have." He still looks unhappy, sceptical. "Michael, what exactly do you think she's going to do?
JamesMichael sits on the couch, feet propped up on the desk where Charlotte is occupied with her work. He's working himself, riffling through a stack of invoices and checking them against his tablet, ticking them off as he goes. I'm sure he'd be more comfortable in his own office at the leisure centre, but right now, he's not letting Charlotte out of his sight and so the couch has morphed into his mobile work-station.Still, she certainly appears happier since she was given work to do....Memo to self: don't let her sit idly......... the devil finds work...."How's the work going, Charlotte?" I ask.Added to her list of documents, she now has aerial photographs of the City....Where the hell did she get those from…?.... Ah, yes.... The marvels of Google Earth........ all spread out on a huge table she commandeered from one of the canteens downstairs. Stooped over a couple of the plans, she's busily annotating more of the yellow notes with information from somethin