Avarice Desperation Valley Ch. 22

Krosse had left the kitchen that evening with murder on his mind, though on most days killing someone was truly never far from his deeds. He was livid with rage at being treated with such contempt by that fat lump of a cook, and unused to being denied anything by anyone.

Robbie Coltraine was a man he considered a travesty of nature, as was anyone who was homosexual or different. Krosse had no respect for him whatsoever. If he had his way Robbie would cease to exist in an instant, he would be cleansing the world and doing it a favor. Krosse strode in anger his shining black boots sounding loudly throughout the gloomy corridors as he made his way back toward his chambers which were located just off of Lord Lothar's own.

Victor closed the door with a dull thud to his dark inner world. No one came here, no one visited, he had few friends if indeed he had any. Lord Lothar was in truth the only soul Victor could call a friend.

As he stepped through his darkened doorway he paused to gaze on his slave girl. She was the only company he kept here in his dark, plush apartment, brimming with every conceivable luxury much like Lothar's own private quarters. She was naked wearing only a stainless steel band of rolled silver about her throat, wrists, and ankles. Her thick lustrous auburn hair cascaded in soft ringlets down her unmarked ivory flesh, and he marveled at her beauty as she knelt obediently before him awaiting his command.

A faint smile melted his severe features, and his ire receded somewhat. It was hard to look on her and stay angry he mused. He would save revenge for another day, time and authority were on his side.

Still he was angry, he needed to get into that boy of Bennett's mind before he could commence to torture the colossal man with any thoroughness. He wanted it to be perfect, the thought of bringing a powerful savage like Bennett to his knees was exceptionally exciting to Victor. Torture was in his blood, he fantasized long and hard on ways to make strong men talk, perfecting his art form, ever glad to be in an age where he could practice his abhorrent craft at will.

Here there was no shortage of new victims to ply his talents on. He stroked his slave's soft warm skin and ran his fingers through her thick hair as she looked up at him like a loyal dog. "Fetch me my pipe little one." He said softly. As she hurried to do his bidding he sat back in his favorite studded leather chair, reclining it and putting his feet up on the matching ottoman by the glowing fire.

It was warm and comfortable here he mused, as he took his pipe and drew in a long puff, watching as his gorgeous naked slave took off his boots and began massaging his tired feet, he had been on them all day. This is the life he thought, every conceivable vice and luxury at my fingertips. "I wish you had been here, I miss you with every day that passes Cassandra." Krosse muttered wistfully to the faded photograph of an equally beautiful woman that sat perched on his lamp table in an ornate golden frame. His slave looked up at him then from her ministrations, her blue gray eyes catching the fire's warm glow, as did the bands around her flesh making them appear warm gold.

Krosse smiled leaning forward and drew her to him, at once smelling the mixed scent of vanilla and lavender on her inviting flesh. Clutching possessively at the unbending collar about her graceful swan neck, her dainty hands petting his close cropped gray hair continuing down his clean shaven jaw to his chest, deftly loosening the tie about his neck and the buttons on his neat black shirt. She was his and his alone, she belonged to no one else. None here knew she even existed, this prisoner here in his own inner sanctum, he had broken her and trained her perfectly. She was the closest thing he could have to her, he missed her so. As he gazed again at the faded photo sadness evident in his usually cold, unfeeling gaze.

"Come here my beautiful daughter and make your Father happy." He said tenderly stroking her pert breasts noting the hardness of her nipples and her eagerness to please him. Only Victor knew of the striking similarities between the woman in the photograph taken so long ago before the war, and this slave girl so eager to please him. The woman he would have given anything for, the woman who had spurned him. Ah if only she could see him now. He sighed and was glad he no longer lived in an age when the world was a different place and there were rules to follow, laws to obey. He touched her ever so gently as she slid onto his lap kissing him lightly on his neck, arousing him. Most would have cried incest, Victor called it the perfect love.

*****

It was dawn already. Robbie shoving Nathan from the covers, the boy stumbled toward the chipped basin and began to splash water on his face, trying to wake his sleepy eyes. He raked at the tangles in his hair with the sparse toothed plastic comb, then donned his attire noticing it fit him more snugly of late. The frequent meals were doing their work, and he was becoming less and less the starved lad he had been previously.

Nathan left the room without a backwards glance, not wishing to cast his eyes on the ghastly form of the cook as he slowly rose from his disheveled bed.

The kitchen was already springing to life, Nathan could smell the loaves of crusty French bread in the ovens and the porridge which perpetually steamed on the stove top. It made him feel hungry. He was always hungry. He gave the cauldron a good stir, a task which took some muscle work as it was thick and there was plenty. Dipping out a spoonful he decided to add some salt. Now it would be ready for the soldiers breakfasts as they came off duty from the cold watch towers above any time soon.

Tiger lovingly rubbed up against him, he could feel the softness of her fur through the holes in his torn black sweatpants. She pushed against him luxuriating in the attention he showered on her. Tiger's yellow eyes searched his own as she gazed up at him from the floor milling around him in ever tighter circles. Nathan smiled it was a rarity for him to do so.

Nathan had failed to notice Geoff close by, a coffee pot of boiling water in hand as he seemingly, innocently headed for the oven. Nathan uttered a stifled, almost voiceless cry as its contents spilt down his left side, scalding his left arm and torso. Tiger made for the shelter of some dark corner, the water hitting her also. Luckily her fur left her quite unscathed, Nathan could not say the same.

Robbie wondering what the commotion was all about emerged from his room quirt in hand ready to mete out punishment. Nathan was squirming in pain and surprise on the floor, clutching at his arm and decidedly angry with himself for letting Geoff get this one on him. He should have seen it coming. Geoff was apologizing in his insincere voice standing above Nathan, telling him it was an accident, secretly delighting in the pain he had wrought.

"What the hell is going on here!" Robbie screamed shrilly, alarm in his voice, flailing his whip high in the air and bringing it down squarely on Geoff's back, tearing his threadbare shirt as he did so, and drawing blood on his first strike. Geoff immediately crumpled to the ground, the cast iron coffee pot clanking against the table leg with a loud thud and rolling away across the floor now quite empty.

Robbie pursued his slave striking him repeatedly on his back, face, and arms as Geoff fought to defend himself from the stinging blows. "No one harms my boy you hear!" Robbie was quite beside himself, his face beet red and he was perspiring more than usual with the exertion he was making. "You little son of a bitch if this ever happens again you are gone you hear me. Krosse will take you away. All I have to do is say the word. He always has room for boys like you!"

He got his sentences out between each hard hit driving his authority home as the very unfit man fought for breath. Geoff was beaten bloody, his shirt now completely torn from is body, his skin bruised and broken, he was backed up against the wall with nowhere else to go. Robbie was on him unrelenting with the whip.

Nathan and the others watched the cook's blind fury in horror, they were all paralyzed with fear and incapable of making it stop. Robbie's anger and stamina were finally exhausted. "Get out of my sight." He gasped with rasping breath."

Geoff crawled painfully away, sequestering himself in his room. Robbie locking the stout wooden door behind him, then turning to face the others. Both the boy and the girl recovered from their stupor instantly as the cook's piggish eyes rested on them, taking up what they were doing previously with a start. The girls lips noticeably trembling in her fear. They had no desire to suffer a similar fate to Geoff, and their master when he got this way was very unpredictable.

Robbie turned to Nathan who was gathering himself from the floor, gently taking him back to the privacy of his quarters and inspecting the severity of the burns. He was shaking his head from side to side full of concern, as he removed Nathan's sodden blue shirt to reveal the angry looking red mar on his beautiful boy's body. Robbie was furious and decided that he would indeed give Geoff to the Doctor for his experiments anyway.

How dare his slave ruin his prize. He was hopeful it would heal and not scar too badly as he bathed the soreness with cool water. Nathan just sat there letting the cook do as he wished, the pain of the burns searing his flesh, his eyes watered and he uttered small indecipherable sounds of pain, almost an animal whimper.

"There, there, my boy." Robbie soothed patting his blond hair and stroking him on the face wiping away his tears. "You will have the day off today, I will get some burn cream from the stores and how about a delicious piece of Robbie's famous chocolate cake?"

Nathan looked up at the man feeling truly miserable, but even then the scheming lad could tell he had Robbie Coltraine right where he needed him to be, and eating out of the palm of his hand.