Rattling Snakes Cage 2 Ch. 04

Snake stood looking at her for a few tense minutes then turned around and left the bathroom saying over his shoulder, "Don't you believe it Rachel; I doubt you would last as long as the red headed bitch in the basement has. Have your fucking privacy....just don't try anything stupid."

As she slammed the door behind him she shouted, "What can be more stupid than getting tangled up with a cold hearted bastard like you?"

His laughter echoed through the closed door mocking her.

*

Patrick walked over to Manning and looked at the hard man, a random selection of messy prison tattoos adorning his arms and chest under his open shirt, with a shaved bullet shaped head topping a massive muscled body.

"Manning...."

"Curtis....."

"Seems Hartwell has it in for you...."

"I can handle him....without even breaking sweat, the man's a slimy maggot and not all there."

"I'm sure you can, which is why I've got an idea that you might find interesting and allow you to make some moollah out of it at the same time."

"I'm listening Curtis."

"A fight....on Friday in the exercise yard.....we'll get a book open on it....you get a cut of the pot....a large cut.....the fight is between you and Hartwell....you can make mincemeat of him....the men all get good entertainment and we fix the odds...clean up between us."

"Sounds interesting...what about the screws...they'll stop it before we can finish it."

"What if I told you that we get a few of the men to deal with the screws to hold them off for a while, long enough for you to knock Hartwell out. How long do you need to floor the bastard?"

"I could get him down in less than five."

"So you're up for it?"

"Start arranging it Curtis...set the odds and set up the fight...I'll punch the sucker's lights out and he'll never see it coming."

Shaking on the arrangement Patrick went looking for Ritchie, his cell mate.

*

Rachel sat in the car as it drove up the long winding private lane close to where she lived. The private lane ran through the woods, daylight filtered through the veil of heavy trees causing a dappled and eerie early afternoon light. Snake sat driving the expensive sports car, the hands that last night had held her down and raped her, holding the steering wheel of the car lightly and reverently.

He wore a leather jacket over a tight black tee shirt and jeans, and the hard planes of his face seemed relaxed and carefree, in contrast to her dishevelled clothes left from last night and retrieved from the floor of the bedroom, no make up and a taut red eyed and frightened expression on her face.

"Where are we going?"

"My main base of work....its an old farmhouse in the centre of the woods that I use away from prying eyes...."

About half a mile up the lane they came to a closed link gate guarded by a man. Waving at Snake the man opened the gate to allow them through. A little way up she saw the house, a large sprawling affair with a few cars parked outside, men standing outside smoking. The men straightened up as Snakes car approached, throwing down their cigarettes and stamping them out. They watched as he parked his car in the space next to the door, and then curiously watched as he helped Rachel to get out the car and holding her arm he escorted her into the building.

The downstairs smelt strongly of a sweet pungent substance and as they walked up the stairs she noticed the hum of male voices coming from behind the closed door on the right.

"What is this place? What is that smell?"

"Learn to mind your own business and keep your nose and your curiosity clean. It's healthier that way."

"Healthier for whom?"

Stopping at the top of the stairs he turned left and opened a door to a large office with a large desk sitting at one end.

"For both of us....now sit down and shut up."

During the afternoon men came up to the office and handed over bulky envelopes to Snake, they all showed him due respect. He wrote down in a ledger who had handed what and told them who to deliver what to and Rachel sat both fascinated and horrified as she guessed what was happening.

She watched as every so often he would go to the large bookcase, move it, step behind and she guessed open a safe and put in the money stuffed envelopes, before reappearing. Every so often he would have strange conversations on the phone, making deals and giving orders.

There was an excited buzz about him, and she could see he gloried in his position which gave him an air of menace, authority and control. Comparing him to Patrick she could see he needed this to bolster his ego, whilst Patrick wore his masculinity with a teasing grace and comfortable power. She compared their looks, and whilst Snake was dark, tall and conventionally good looking, Patrick was sexy and masculine, with a charismatic twinkle in his eyes.

Both men had technically raped her, but Patrick had made sure she wasn't frightened, being gentle and looking for her to have an orgasm, caring that she was not in any pain, where as Snake had just taken and mocked her, uncaring about her feelings.

They were like chalk and cheese, these two men who had entangled her in their lives and their conflict with each other.

*

Ritchie looked at Patrick and laughed, "Yeah I can organise the fight from Hartwell's end....you're right he won't deal with you....I'll sort out the bets and the cut for the guys....should liven up this week a little."

"We need to get some of the guys to keep the screws from breaking it up before Manning floors Hartwell..."

"You think Manning is going to win...."

"Hell yes, Hartwell is all mouth and Manning will wipe the floor with him."

"So you going to put some money where your mouth is?"

"Fuck no.....betting is for suckers...we'll take the pot. Just remember don't let them start fighting until I give you the nod."

"Why's that?"

"Ritchie, don't you know its all in the timing......success is always in the timing."

*

Jerry phoned a mate that had access to the electoral register in the area that Rachel lived and got her address. He had spoken to Davy and had had to hold the mobile away from his ear as his friend had sworn loudly and very effectively at Patrick's request to go and find Rachel to ask her to go with him before they fled down to Brighton and the safety of the open water.

Today he had rushed around sorting out the things on his list and as soon as he had gotten the information from his mate he settled down for a call to Megan.

*

John had been busy too, drumming up people who hated Snake and wanted revenge. The group of men who wanted to join in to get him was growing from a band of about twelve to a crowd of about twenty.

A meeting of everyone was going to happen so that they could plan. It was due for the next night, Wednesday, upstairs in the Whyte Hart pub.

The haphazard way in which the two men, Tony and John had started to make plans to get Snake were now building with a life of its own as dealers who had been beaten up or ripped off wanted to join in, men whose women had been screwed by Snake were keen to join in, and young men whose fathers had been cut up on Snakes orders due to some supposed slight were desperate to become part of the revenge.

*

Grabbing Rachel's hand, Snake dragged her down the stairs and out to the car. She was light headed from hunger but too proud to ask him for any food, the last she had eaten was an omelette at his apartment around lunchtime which was all she had had for almost twenty four hours. During the afternoon he had eaten a burger and fries someone had brought into the office but never offered her anything, just smiled as he bit into it at her. A look on his face challenging her to ask him for a drink or some food, but stubbornness and defiance held her back.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see...." And he drove the car down the country lane and turned towards the village where she lived.

"Are you letting me go....are you taking me home?"

Laughing he looked at her, "Don't get your hopes up Rachel. We're going to swing over to your place and pick up some stuff. I don't intend seeing you wear that crumpled blouse for ever....also we'll let your house mate know you're with me and not to worry.....you're not to say anything or try anything stupid....remember Patrick's face staying uncut and stitch free depends on you keeping your mouth shut."

*

Later that night she sat on the bed, naked, teeth gritted as Snake explained that tomorrow they would make a video on the mobile to send in for Patrick to see of her on her knees giving him head, and that tonight she would do a trial run.

Standing in front of her, he told her to get down on her knees and unzip his fly.

"and keep those teeth to yourself....once you've swallowed my wad you can have something to eat...I know your starving and I don't want you passing out on me."

She looked up at him and snarled, "You're all heart."

The slap across her face knocked her sideways, and came out of the blue.

"No I'm not Rachel. And don't you forget it...."

*