Bloodshed - A Dark Star Tale Pt. 01

"Not that I haven't dealt with already."

Flick offered cheerily as ever, "Oh um ... Maya's waiting for you in your Office"

"Maya?" Will knitted his brow, "Did we schedule a meeting."

"Nope... she just turned up about a half an hour or so ago ...said you'd definitely wanna see her ... bit vague really."

Will straightened his brow and stepped in through the office door. Maya Cruz sat with her back to him, and she slipped a mobile phone she was busy tapping out a message on into her little black handbag as he stepped in. Immaculately dressed as ever in a fitted dark grey two-piece suit over a complimenting dark grey cami top. She was beautiful young woman, Will assumed her to be in her mid to late twenties but could never recall. Of mixed race, he did recall that her telling him once that her mother had been Portuguese and her Father from Barbados. She straightened her skirt to her knee as she sat there and looked up at him with a beaming smile.

"I thought that I employed my Sales team to be out of the office selling?" Will offered the rhetorical question to her. "You know negotiating, door knocking, working hard and not relenting."

"You do," she smirked. "I just thought you'd like to know."

"Like to know what?" Will stated a little thrown by her over confidence, near nonchalance toward him. She always had the ability to hold the attention of a room by her physical presence alone but beyond appearance she was a smart, calculating, driven individual. That didn't excuse her current attitude.

"Costmark," she offered the single word which immediately pricked Will's attention.

"Costmark... the national Cash and Carry Costmark?"

"Do you know any other Costmark's?" She bullishly responded still teasing with her lack of detail.

"What about Costmark?" Will pressed, his mind on the delegation of their staff that they rolled out the metaphoric red carpet for six months or so ago.

"300,000 guaranteed minimum order," she couldn't keep the smirk from her face.

"A week"

"A day..." Maya beamed "...and that's just to start with ... Burgers and Sausages primarily they'll happily discuss other meats on proviso we can adequately meet their requirements."

Will near collapsed back into his chair his eyes set on the dark brown eyes of Maya Cruz, his heart beating heavily in his chest.

"Three... hundred... thousand ... a day" he repeated.

He strangely felt near panic rather than elation. Quickly processing the maths involved, assuming Maya has pitched at no less than sub 21 pence per item, even if without authorisation she's broken that bottom line price mark the deal is worth near to two million in profit annually.

"Maya..." he shook his head in disbelief, "Maya Cruz ... I could fucking kiss you."

Laughing she shook her head and held out an outstretched palm, "You're alright Will... you're married and I'm sure there's a number of HR Violations in your proposal."

Will smiled a genuine smile that seemed to suck the tension from his very being. "When do we get going? when do they want to commence orders from?"

"That's ...that's the kicker I'm afraid ...not until January."

"January..." Will repeated back to her. "As in eight months away January?"

"They're contracted until then ...happy to sign any agreements we put their way, but they'd be penalised for taking any orders from their manufacturer in Wales a day before New Year's Day... Industry Standard I guess."

The elation he'd initially felt passed in moments, the irony of a massive contract to commence and the start of the next calendar year. The irony at the date being almost eight months to the day away, but when the business by Harry Jacobs best estimates could only keep receivers at bay until November. The promise of trade might only be that Costmark could promise as much business as they like Marchant's couldn't promise they'd still be in business by January. In isolation the deal with Costmark could be a stake in the ground to the company's salvation but that was only if there was a company left to be saved by next January.

"Good work Maya... exceptional work," Will Marchant couldn't lie the beautiful young Sales Exec had performed a miracle in negotiations for this deal. He looked up into her eyes once more. She'd worked a miracle, but would it be enough.

**********

Despite a sand filled bucket to her left Maya Cruz dropped the stub of her cigarette on the floor and blew out the remaining smoke in her lungs.

All too conscious of the audience huddled on the bench of the smoking shelter to her left. Not least of all Gary fucking Wilson. She didn't grace him with a look in his direction, didn't acknowledge his existence, still she could almost feel him mentally undressing her with his eyes. The fucker made her skin crawl.

She made diagonally to walk across the car park towards her silver BMW 1 Series, wondering to herself if the Costmark deal gave her any leverage on requesting a newer bigger model than the car she'd had since joining Marchants nearly 2 years ago.

The Costmark deal had more than likely saved her job in the short term if nothing else. Perhaps now was not the right time to get bullish over a new car. Not with the sales and commission from Costmark dropping until the new year, she could tell that had been a bitter pill for Will Marchant to swallow. In truth the terms of the deal she'd negotiated had been hard for her to accept, even offset with the elation of the biggest achievement of her career to date, tough especially so with her annual sales figures for this year so far being way off target and exaggerated when compared to Gregg Franklyn the companies only other Sales Exec who was responsible for the North of the Country.

Maya watched as the beat up little blue Ford Fiesta pulled into the Car Park thinking to herself immediately that perhaps what she drove wasn't that bad in comparison. As she reached her BMW the Ford reversed into the empty bay beside her. Maya watched as the tall dark-haired girl dressed in a short black skirt and a tight white blouse stepped out of the car offering her a weak smile in response to Mayas suspicious gaze. Maya weakly smiled back and watched as she set off towards the main reception.

Moments later she kept watching as she was met at the main doors by Will Marchant. Flick the absent-minded little jobsworth heading out the main doors at the same time hovered briefly no doubt engaging in her speciality of benign small talk. Maya watched as Flick headed then through the car park in Maya's direction. The skinny little red head paused briefly to wave in the direction of the assemble factory staff in the smoking shelter. Gary Wilson might be a desperate letch but even he'd surely struggle to find the pathetic geeky little girl attractive Maya pondered.

"Who was that Flick?"

"Who was who?" The red head offered a little nervously. Maya had always sensed that somehow, and she wasn't sure how, but she sensed that she intimidated Flick. They'd never really taken the time to get to know one another. Maya suspected they'd have very little in common should they even attempt to do so.

"The dark-haired girl you and Marchant were just talking with," she held off the urge to sarcastically roll her eyes.

"Oh um ...I believe ...I believe she's here for an interview," was the stammered response received.

"Interview ...for what job?" Maya scowled, like everyone else she'd heard the jungle drum rumours that the company was in financial difficulty. She'd known the levels of staff at this place to half and then half again in the relatively short time she'd been here. Where in the business would employment suddenly be on the agenda. Other than where performers were required?

"I... I think she's ...well if she gets the job, I think she'll be joining your team."

"Where?" Maya's first reaction stated aloud before she could even think, immediately despite the success of Costmark concerned for her job security.

Flick Bowerman realised the awkwardness of the conversation she'd found herself in and started to back away.

"Perhaps you'd be better off asking Mr. Marchant."

"I think I better had," Maya scowled, "... yeah, I think I better had."

**********

Will gripped her hips as he merciless fucked her.

Hard and fast, he took the tension of the day out on the body of Cheri Hernandez as she lay face down stretched out across the desk beneath him. His hips jackhammered with his dick sunk deep in her olive-skinned body.

Her tight cunt felt so good around him as he gripped the back of her slender neck and held her down across the desk. He fucked her over and over again. Fucking her brutally hard. Distracted though even as he fucked the attractive escort his mind was on the troubles he faced.

Cheri didn't protest, despite gritted teeth, she accepted him. Keeping her stocking clad legs locked out as he thrust, I've and over again into her prone body. She waited for the last of his deep hard thrusts into the body he'd paid £200 to use during the last half an hour. He'd used her mouth, he'd made her straddle him as he'd lay across the floor of his office, she'd fucked him having been willingly stripped down to just the stockings and her black patent heels. He'd told her, near demanded of her to lay across the desk and she'd let him take her from behind. Such a cliche, every man eventually assuming the position of power. Ducking her with prowess over style. She'd lay there clutching the desk as he entered back into her, taking her hard and fast while he used her and all the while she'd willingly obliged. It was her job.

Looking down at her stretched out beneath him, with his hands gripping her waist tightly Will's mind started to concentrate on one person, it wasn't Cheri the Escort. Her dark hair obscured her face, her olive skin a little lighter than Maya's but as he fucked her, he thought of the dark-skinned employee who'd been sat before this desk only an hour or so before hand.

"That's it ... that's it Maya ... make me cum ...make me cum you little whore."

Feeling her clench around him feeling her respond to him Will kept fucking as he heard her pained little gasps for breath. He watched her fingers grip the edge of the desk as he tightened his grip on the back of her neck with his left hand while his right gripped her right hip, fingers digging into her waist as he fucked. Feeling himself eventually lose control, his climax gained on the moment of his fantasy. He felt his climax tear through him, and he filled the condom she'd slipped over his dick before they'd commenced.

Will groaned a deep guttural groan as he held himself deep in her, she didn't move she kept her hands clenched the side of the desk until he pulled out of her.

Cheri unsteadily pulled her body up off the desk and immediately began grabbing her clothes that lay strewn around the locked office.

"A little rough?" she sneered her appraisal at him while pulling her blouse over her arms and shoulders without her bra, "A little too fucking rough."

Will didn't even acknowledge her as he carefully eased the full condom off before stowing his dick back into the boxer shorts that had sat around the top of his thighs before he pulled his suit trousers back around his waist from his ankles, buckling his belt as he did so. He stepped aside letting her collect the rest of her belongings and pull her skirt back up over her toned legs.

"Who's Maya?" She enquired her mood having mellowed a little.

"Just ...just someone I ...someone I know."

"If that's how you'd treat her ...well I'm not sure you don't hate her."

Grabbing for the door handle Will watched as she repeatedly yanked the handle down but forgot the lock in her haste and frustration.

"The lock," Will eventually offered.

She didn't thank him she didn't even grace him with a look back as she turned the lock and headed through the door.

"I'll be sure to leave a positive review," he churlishly stated hearing her heavy heeled footsteps make her way out of the office. He received no response.

Moments later Will crossed the office towards the small kitchen area in the far corner. He poured himself a glass of tap water and drank heavily to quench his thirst and dry throat.

Draining the contents of the glass he looked out through the window to see the beaten up blue little car approach the security gates and wait while the barrier slowly raised allowing her to go on her way. Immediately her car followed by a Marchants Meats branded Mercedes Sprinter Van which tail gated her out of the car park, no doubt off out for an essential delivery for a local restaurant at this time of the day. Every little helps Will thought to himself watching as both vehicles turn left to head through the Industrial Estate.

His sweat soaked white shirt now clinging to his sweaty back Will meandered through the admin office towards his own office. His mind barely on what had just played out with the Escort. His pretence of their previous meeting having been supplemented with a cold callous brutal sexual encounter centred around his selfish need to relieve the stress of the day.

Immediately his mind was once again preoccupied by the pressing financial needs of the business, the crippling debt that could only be held off for so long. The irony of the carrot on a stick that the Costmark deal provided. Had the need not been so immediately pressing such a deal would be the springboard for their recovery, an opportunity to rebuild a reputation not least via the kudos of being associated with supplying the country's largest chain of Cash and Carry's. Maya had done well, perhaps on reflection he hadn't praised her enough for her achievement. He didn't even know how or what she'd done to achieve such a deal. He'd been invited to negotiations in the past but let her handle the situation. If truth be told he'd suspected that the business opportunity would never be landed, would always be a deal that bounced around forecasts with its estimated completion date moved back all the time without ever becoming a reality. Resolving to address the matter of his lack of gratitude Will decided on drafting and sending an email to all company employees to relay the good news story as well as praise the efforts of Maya.

Such news, such a promise still didn't resolve the Company's issues but in the eyes of employees it might be seen to offer them a future against the constant back drop of the rumours of imminent foreclosure. Rumours that Will was actively choosing to ignore let alone address whenever the matter was broached with him directly.,

Tidying the space around the office he plucked a black lace trim bra from down the side of the bookcase sat behind the desk. Ruefully he smirked, that would have got the cleaners talking, although he suspected Flick did most of the tidying and housekeeping in his office as there was no way the twice a week visits from the external cleaning company kept his office in such good order. Flick had always struck him as a bit of a prude, probably best she didn't find the opaque lingerie he mused as he screwed it up and pushed it to the bottom of the wastepaper bin sat under his desk along with the used condom.

His eye then caught by a business card he'd received earlier that day which lay absently on the floor. The only business card he hadn't shared with Harry Jacobs.

His mind drifting to the almost surreal conversation held with a suave looking gentleman in a tailored black suit and black shirt at the networking event. The conversation had seemed almost hideously out of context to the others conversation held that morning as the two of them had strolled through a well-kept ornamental garden that doubled up as an outdoor area for fresh air and for attendees to smoke.

"This isn't the kind of business proposition you want your Accountant knowing about" he'd near enough warned Will as they strolled through miniature rose bushes while he'd near chain smoked two cigarettes back-to-back. Will knew immediately that any such proposal would not be far from legal, yet he'd pressed him for further details as they'd surreptitiously chatted far enough away from the main body of the networking event.

Marco Mancini had been at the event looking to invest in a cherry-picked business that fitted his requirement, investment that could come at a potential very high price to the Company's reputation. What price reputation though if cash flow forced the business into the hands of the receivers that would ultimately serve winding up orders.

Will turned the business card in his hand as he slipped his phone from his pocket, set to silent he realised he'd missed three calls from Kelly. Looking at the time he also realised he'd missed the opportunity, yet again, to at least say good night to his young daughters over the phone.

Parking the pang of remorse, he started to dial the mobile number on the ivory-coloured business card. The call immediately, and somewhat unsurprisingly, went straight to voicemail.

"You're through to the voicemail of Marco Mancini at Impero Limited ..."

Will Marchant listened almost intently to every word of the message, not even questioning what he was doing such was his dire need.

"Marco" he confidently and clearly stated "Will Marchant here we met this morning at the Manoir ... I've been paying consideration to your offer... I think perhaps we should arrange to meet again to discuss your proposal in more detail"

**********

**********

Cheri Hernandez stirred her head fuzzy and heavy as she lifted it from her chest.

The burning sensation in her shoulders causing steering pain to flood through her body.

As her eyes flickered open, she had no idea where she was, she focussed on the long narrow room. A room that was lined with brushed silver walls. Looking up she panicked realising only now the source of the pain in her shoulders. Her wrists were bound, and her outstretched arms hung from a hook set into ceiling, a ceiling constituting the same brushed silver as the walls.

Panicking and struggling she brought only further pain to her body. As she looked down her body, she realised she was dressed in only black briefs and black hold up stockings, attempting to move her ankles she found them to also be restrained. She could not feel the floor beneath her feet.

Her jaw was forced open, and she felt something stuffed into the back of her mouth, seemingly held by tape wrapped around her jaw and the back of her head over her hair. She attempted to scream, to cry out in anguish. Her screams though were reduced to nothing louder than stifled mumbles.

She had no idea where she was, she had no idea how she'd gotten here. Her memory failing her as she attempted to concentrate to think back as to how she'd found herself here in this predicament.

The burning pain in her shoulders would not abate her whole body ached. Tears of anguish welled in her eyes as she struggles once again attempting to jerk the rope that hung her wrists from over the hook. The hook was too large the physics of the weight of her own slender body worked against her as she couldn't gain enough momentum from her frail, weak, pain wracked body to free herself.

She heard the door creak open behind her, felt the chill breeze that followed into the room then heard the same door swing close behind her, latching almost silently closed. Cheri Hernandez screamed for all she could into the gag between her mouth.

She screamed again as the figure stepped before her.

Dressed in a pristine white overalls with white trousers. The face of her assailant was covered by a white surgical looking face mask, a white trilby style hat pulled down over the top of the face, obscuring any redeeming features.

Her screams and pleas in the gag continued even as she froze with the overwhelming fear and anguish that now gripped her body.