Bad Penny Ch. 11

He grunted, and I took that as confirmation of my permission to return.

I dragged Ian to his feet and pushed him toward the door.

Outside we passed the punks, and saw Stevie hovering by the bathroom. I said to him "I'll be back in a minute," and headed down the stairs.

I bundled Ian ahead of me, down the stairs and across the hall, stepping over a couple of drunken sleepers and a couple who were getting quite intimate, although fully dressed, on the floor. I got him out the front door.

"Go home Ian. Go home and forget everything you saw or did. Okay?"

"What about Penny? You can't leave her with them! Didn't you see what they were doing?"

I took him by the lapels of his jacket and looked deep in his eyes and said, "Of course I saw. But listen to me you stupid fucker. That bloke Sean is connected. Involved. Tara told me. Did you see that wee tricolour on his lapel and the "Students Against Repression" badge? Did you hear the way they talk? They thought Penny was a Prod, and you were her Free Presbyterian, Orange Order boyfriend. They were keeping you there to watch your girlfriend get fucked, used like a whore, called a whore. And when she got tired of playing they were going to keep fucking her, fuck her so she cried and screamed and begged, and you could hear it, and you would do nothing. And they knew you would do nothing because you did nothing. "

"But what could I do?"

"If that had been Jill in there what would you have done? If you had been making love with Jill and two guys came in the room, and she was drunk and reckless, would you have let her keep on riding you, flaunting herself naked in front of them? No. You would have covered her up and got out of bed and shouted and flailed and kicked the fuckers out. By you didn't do that for Penny!"

"I, I.."

"You didn't care enough. You were getting your end away, getting ridden by a girl who didn't seem to mind the audience, because she was half drunk and the other half was stoned, and you didn't look out for her, you just kept fucking her, and handed her over to those guys."

Ian spluttered, but I was raging "After all what do you care if she gets VD or gets pregnant? Not your problem. Did you use a condom? Did you even ask if she had protection? No you just fucked her like those guys are fucking her, those guys you gave her to."

"I couldn't do anything!" he squeaked.

"Yes you fucking could. When the first one appeared you could! When he came back with his mate to watch you could! When he climbed on Penny and fucked her and his mate went off to get the others you could! You could have told them to piss off! You could have tried to throw them out! At the very least you could have come and found me, and Mike!"

"It all happened so fast! And suddenly they were all there, and they wouldn't let me go. What could I do?"

I looked at him with contempt, but the reality of that cry hit home.

It was true that once it got that far he was powerless. He could do nothing. He was scared, and rightly so. Those were the kind of people that would leave you with a bag on your head on waste ground somewhere off the Glen Road. If you were ever found at all.

I shoved him away. And took a deep breath. He cowered by the wall.

I looked up and spoke calmly. "Now I am going back in there to watch over Penny and do what I can. At least they know she's Catholic. At least they might forget she was fucking a Prod when they found her. At least they might stop when she cries. And I will be there to help her get home. And I will never talk about it to anyone else. So just remember that, and go home now, and on Monday, when you are sitting next to Jill in Business Law, or Tort or whatever, just remember that I will be sitting next to Penny in the VD clinic at the Royal. Think about that. And look after Jill."

Ian ran.

I took another deep breath and re entered the house.

Maybe that moment of cool air and hot ranting had sorted my head out. I noticed something that I had not registered before: the hall was empty. Apart from the sleeping drunks and the couple who now had loosened some clothes.

But I was not alone in the house. The living room door and the music room door were shut, and from behind each of them came a fair amount of noise.

I opened the living room and looked in at the orgy. Naimh was at the far side, standing with Tara in front of her. She glanced up and saw me, and touched Tara's shoulder, pointing me out. Followed by Alan they came over to me, and I stepped into the hall so we could talk.

Tara said "I'm sorry I have been so long. "I have only just found them, and I haven't seen Lucy yet."

Naimh said "I'll try the Music room."

Briefly as she opened the door I heard strange sounds of humming and chanting. Tara and I brought Alan up to speed. He was instantly livid, and about to storm up the stairs saying "Let's go and get her then!" but I grabbed him and held him back.

"Alan, there are a dozen of them, and Tara knows the leader of the gang. He's connected Alan. He's in the Ra. You go in there like this and those guys will break your knees."

The door to the music room opened and Naimh emerged, not with Lucy, but an older woman, maybe thirty five or forty. She carried herself well, walking tall and straight. She was wearing strings if beads and amulets and had several tattoos - a large sun design centred on her navel, as well as designs on her arms and back.

Even in my agitated state I was struck by her appearance. Her nearly naked body was also marked by time and childbirth. It was the first time I had seen a mature woman in such a condition. Her quiet dignity and confidence overawed me. Her voice was rich and soft but with a little touch of steel as she said to Tara. "I hear that one of our sisters needs help. What is wrong?"

Tara explained. The woman looked in turns angry and contemptuous. "We will deal with them." She turned quickly and went to throw open the door to the music room. Past her I could see several couples seated on the floor, each with a girl sitting on top of a boy, facing each other, hands around each other's waists, eyes closed, perfectly still, humming and chanting.

The woman, who I later found out called herself Nikkala, spoke to them, as I approached the door. I saw that the room was full of these couples. One of the girls was Lucy.

Nikkala had been instructing them in Tantra.

I heard her saying gently "Everyone listen now, I want you all to breathe with me, deep and slow, a breath in, and hold it a moment, now out. I want you to open your eyes soon, after another breath, so relax, breath in and hold it, now breathe out and open your eyes."

There was a ripple of sighs and a giggle or two as the couples regained the world and looked around at each other.

Nikkala said gently, but with serious tones, "I am sorry to do this Sisters and brothers, but I need your help. Sisters, one of our own is in trouble. She is in the hands of some men, upstairs, who are not loving. They are using her, badly. I want all of us to go up together and release her. Gather your thoughts and come and join me. We will return soon, Brothers, wait here."

She turned to me at the door and said "Go upstairs now. Open the door when we knock."

"What will you do?"

"Rescue her."

I went up the stairs, and found that the Punks had cleared off. I had not noticed their absence earlier. I opened the door and found Stevie blocking it. He let me in, and I stood behind him, my back to the door, and craned over his shoulder to see the bed.

Penny was being buggered by Gav. She was kneeling with her ass high. Another man was lying on the bed with his legs open and his trousers pushed down, and she was wanking him and dipping her head to suck his cock end after every few strokes.

Another man was stripped, standing trouserless by Gav's side. He tapped the boy's back and Gav pulled out and moved aside. The other man took his place. He quickly settled into a rhythm, and started fucking her hard. Other men cheered and whooped. She started wanking the man on the bed in time to the pounding in her ass.

I confess I could not help but admire her. She was performing. She was unaware of the misogyny and contempt and loathing in this room. She was surfing on the lust and the raw physicality of these men.

The man could not keep that pace for long, and as he slowed I saw the next one tap him. He pulled out, and as his replacement moved up I heard one of the gang members in front of me say "Fucken hell Stevie did you see that? When Paedar pulled out her arse didn't close up!"

"What?" said Stevie

"Her arsehole! When Paedar pulled his cock out, it looked like a red doughnut. You could near see her tonsils! I tell you man, by the time you get to fuck it, her arse will be looser than her cunt."

"Aye, and you could lose a bus up that twat already," added another.

"Doesn't matter to me," said Stevie "I don't want to put my dick in any girl's shit hole. Don't know why you guys are all up for it."

"Aye, Stevie's a romantic," said the second man "Told me he won't even do them doggy style. He likes a girl on her back so he can see her eyes when he fucks her, don't you Stevie?"

"Aye, well, that's the way yer sister likes it." said Stevie.

"Away on! My sister only likes big cocks, you wee fucker," the second man replied with an affable grin.

"Hey watch!" said the first man, "Tom's pullin out, look at her arse before Frankie gets in!"

Stevie said "Whoah!" and the other man laughed.

"Telling you Stevie, you better pray her jaw isn't tired cause the only hope you have is if she can still suck you!"

I understood what was happening here. As the next man, Frankie, began rapidly banging away at her, I saw the queue behind him looking avidly on, and the man called Tom moving round to take his place at the back of it.

The first few men who had taken Penny were high rankers in the gang. The leader and his deputies, who could take their time to do what they wanted. Now the middle ranks were taking turns, in hierarchy order, each getting thirty seconds or so to fuck her, then handing her on. They shared the dominance over the girl They shared the guilt for fucking her. Even if Penny hadn't worked it out, they knew that this was rape.

In truth they were not having sex really. It didn't matter that it was Penny. It didn't matter what hole they used. It hardly even mattered that it was a woman. This was a bonding ritual for the gang, unifying because they could all say that they had fucked her, all had shared her, but also emphasising the power structure. Who was first, who was last. Stevie was going to be last. He wasn't even in the queue of middle ranks. Only when they had all fucked her, going round rapidly on the first go, a little more time each on the second, some coming on the third, a bit more time to let the rest come on the forth, only then would Stevie get to screw her as she lay exhausted and full of the spunk of the rest of the gang.

Another man took his turn, this one utilising her pussy. She pushed back on him as he pulled on her hair. Someone called out "Ride her, cowboy!" another cried "Yeehaw!"

The man on the bed that she was wanking suddenly groaned. He came, with long spurts.

When the 'cowboy' slowed down and was being replaced the man in front of Penny was also removed. I recognised Gav as the new incumbent of that privileged position. Penny took hold of his cock, and lifted it to her lips.

I watched this with as much detachment as I could. Help was on its way. I wasn't part of this increasingly excited crowd. I listened to the cat calls and jibes, the words they called her, the cheers as she took Gav all the way in, opening her throat to him. The cheers as the next man penetrated her ass and then swapped holes, dipping twice in each and swapping back and forward.

I was numb for a while. Not angry, not jealous, not even caring. Then some emotion was sparked. Disgust at my fellow man rose in me.

I felt the door press against my back, and I stepped forward as I twisted to see who it was - the cavalry had arrived.

Nikkala pushed past me, shoved Stevie and his friends out of the way, and swept on into the room. Tara and Naimh, both looking considerably more scared than Nikkala, followed. Several other women streamed in, and the room was quickly filled. All of them were naked.

For a moment, as the cat calls and wolf whistles continued, I thought that things were about to get very bad indeed. Twelve horny men with their cocks out, and having no respect for women, were being presented with eight new naked females to rape.

Then Nikkala spoke. She mustered all the authority of her years, her motherhood and her goddess.

It was a voice that turned men into little boys. It shrivelled erections. It bowed heads in shame.

Five minutes later the rockers were out the door, walking with heads down past the disapproving ranks of naked women. Nikkala had got every girl there to come out of the orgy and line the hall and the landing. The men had been shut away in the living room. I was the only male witness, standing beside Penny at the door. She closed it after the last of the rockers stepped out. There was a cheer, she was mobbed by girls, and things got seriously out of hand.

The boys came out, the hall was crowded, couples reformed, the orgy re-ignited. I stood with Penny in my arms once I got her back from the embraces of Tara and Naimh and all the others. She rested her head on my shoulder, silently, suddenly exhausted, and I looked around me at the surreal scene. Things like that just didn't happen in Belfast.

Across the throng of naked bodies I saw Nikkala looking at us. She stepped lightly over a copulating couple and made her way around several others to stand only a foot away. She placed her hand on mine where it rested on Penny's shoulder. I said "Thank you."

"She is precious to you," said Nikkala with concern, "Do not blame yourself for what happened to her. I saw her when I went into that room. Despite your fear, despite what Tara said, she was not in distress. The goddess was strong in her. She was protecting her She was being worshipped, even if those men did not know it. Looking at you now I am glad that you called me out of concern. I am glad I did not stop that because of jealousy. The Goddess might have been offended if I was merely supporting the whim of a single man who thought he owned her daughter. But I think you are evolved enough to know that jealousy is wasteful, and a woman can love a man and have many other partners in the physical."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. But practicality broke through. "There was no love in that room. They were not worshipping her, they were using her."

Nikkala smiled. "The Goddess was using her. Those men were worshipping the Goddess, not the woman. They were in her thrall. But you are right, they were unworthy of the bounty they had been given."

"Yeah. Well, thank you again. Now I think it is time I got Penny to somewhere she can rest and recover."

"Of course. But I think she should come and see me soon. And so should you. I think she needs help to discover herself. She is on the right path but may be going the wrong way."

I was momentarily stumped by this gnomic assertion, so I asked her help to get Penny to the kitchen to sit while I went upstairs to find her clothes.

The main bedroom was a mess. I looked at the ruin of the bed, the evidence of Penny's recent activity. I couldn't in honesty call it an ordeal. She had revelled. She had look confused when Tara and Naimh pulled the men away and helped her off the bed, escorting her out.

Her dress was crumpled, her bra had been used as an ashtray. I never found her knickers.

I brought the dress and her shoes, and raided a coat from the cloakroom. Penny was grateful for the clothes when I got back. Nikkala had made her a cup of coffee, and was sitting with her at the kitchen table. They were talking quietly, and she looked quite sober.

I helped her on with the dress and coat, and said I would call a taxi, but Penny said she would like to walk. "No," I said firmly, which caused Nikkala to raise an eyebrow. "Those guys are out there on the streets somewhere. They may be hanging around just down the road. I'm not going to risk that."

Nikkala looked a little more approving of my actions then, but there was still some concern. I went to phone a cab. It arrived a couple of minutes later, just as Nikkala and Penny were exchanging phone numbers. I thanked her again as I walked Penny to the door, and she grabbed me and gave me a hug, unexpectedly.

"I need to talk to you about her. I'm worried about her," she whispered in my ear. Then she gave me a serious look and said "You think I am some sort of nutcase don't you? In my day job I'm a social worker. I look after battered women and junkies. I know what I'm talking about. Call me."

We didn't see any of the rockers on the road. We hardly spoke on the way. She was tired and still a bit stoned. I brought Penny straight to the bathroom, and helped her strip. I ushered her into the shower and turned on the taps, and quickly started to remove my own clothes.

When I had pulled my shirt over my head I was surprised to see her kneeling in the shower, holding her breasts up towards me.

I stepped over to her and looked down at her and said "What are you doing."

"Please Sean."

"I told you, never again. I told you darling, I don't want this from you."

She looked at me with desperate pleading. "I want this. I need this. Please Sean."

"No. Stop being silly."

"Please, Sean. I betrayed you. I was unfaithful to you, I gave myself to them, I need you to take me back, make me yours again, wash me clean. Please, Master, forgive me, make me yours again."

For the first time that night, for the first time in months, I was disgusted by her. I nearly did it. My bladder was full. I could have fulfilled her desire to abase herself, washed her self-perceived sins away, take her back as my slave. But I was angry enough not to give her that comfort.

I turned and was about to walk from the bathroom, but I paused at the door to say "I love you Penny, and you are still my girlfriend, if that is what you want." I looked round at her. She was crying, in a heap on the floor of the shower.

I could not give her the shower she wanted, but I washed her with warm water and soap, and conditioned her hair, after two goes with the shampoo. I helped her cleanse herself, but it was only later that I knew it was the wrong type of clean.

I wrapped her in towels and lead her to the bedroom. I got out her pyjamas, the cotton ones that her mother bought her, which she had brought from home. She fell asleep curled about me. I lay thinking of what Nikkala had said. What had she meant? Why did she want to talk to me? Why was she worried about Penny?

Apart from the obvious reasons.

Sleep was a long time coming.

(Interlude)

The coffee Nikkala gave me was strong but not bitter. I almost laughed at the thought as suited the woman herself. Fifty something I now knew, grey hairs showing, liver spots on her hands. She was wearing a dark suit and white blouse, sensible shoes, just a touch of dark lip colour. Quite different to our last meeting.

I met her, and had last seen her, on the night of the party at Mike's house when my girlfriend Penny was being gang-banged by a dozen men in the bedroom, and Nikkala had led the rescue effort. That was over a month ago now.

Nikkala had been naked that night, apart from the beads she wore. I had thought her a hippy chick. That she was running a Tantric sex class and talked about The Goddess had reinforced the impression. Now, in her office, with the nameplate "Ms N Quinn" on the door and a computer on the desk, she looked considerably more like a Social Worker.