Caught in the Crossfire Ch. 06

In this chapter, Jack continues to test Brittany's resolve and compliance, devising more hoops for her to jump through.

For those of you who remember, Lost in Space: Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

Trigger warning coming up. Rather graphic, caustic, and explosive racial language ensues, as one of the principal characters in this chapter throws around certain racial epitaphs, and makes Brittany do the same.

I debated long and hard with myself on whether to change what I had written and use language that was more benign (thus saving myself potential headaches, later), but the chapter reads better and more realistic as written. Therefore, I left it alone...and will probably kick myself for doing so.

**

For the next several weeks, the routine of exchanging money and sex continued without a hitch. However, a problem soon developed for Brittany.

Up until this time, she had plenty of nice things she could exchange for cash in order to pay Jack his weekly extortion. Unfortunately, the number of possessions she had that would fetch a good price from a pawnbroker, and not be easily missed by her husband, was dwindling. She only had a small diamond ring and the sapphire pendant left, and these items only got her a third of what she needed when she hocked them.

Now, she sat on the bed waiting for Jack's customary knock, hoping he would take less than usual—he wouldn't.

He looked at her sideways with furrowed brow when he felt the heft of the bag.

Seeing his look, Brittany beat him to the punch by saying, "I know. I'm a little short this week."

"A little? It feels like a lot short," looking into the bag, he added, "This looks like it's only a grand. You're two short. Where's the rest?"

"I don't have it right now."

"So? What am I supposed to do?"

Brittany was beginning to get anxious that Jack was being so obstinate, "Could you just give me a couple of more days..."

"Why? The deal was you give me three thousand at our Monday meetings. Well it's Monday. We're meeting. So where's my money?"

"Please! I don't have it yet. I'll have to go to my asshole father to get..."

"No! I told you before, you can't get the money from daddy. It sends up too many red flags. Don't you have something else to sell?"

"No," she whined, "I'm tapped out. Believe me."

"Bullshit. What about the Mercedes that's parked outside?"

Tears of frustration began to flow, as she said, "Goddamn it! Talk about red flags. I told you, Santos will know if I sell the car. He's already asking me where some of the other stuff I've hocked went. I can't keep putting him off with bullshit. Eventually, he's going to put two and two together. Just let me get it from my father. I'll have the rest for you tomorrow."

"There's something you're failing to see, Brit. What about next week, and the week after, where's the money going to come from then? Not from daddy."

"I'll get a job. I used to be a pretty good office manager before I got married."

"Come on, Brit. That was over nineteen years and one kid ago. Did they even have computers when you quit and got married? Even if you could get hired with your meager skills, I don't know any secretarial job that pays three grand a week." Jack pocketed what money she brought and headed to the door, saying as a final dismissal, "Well, it was fun while it lasted. Too bad..."

He barely got the words out before she was on her knees with her arms wrapped around her legs, just as she had done in her office that first time. As before, she eked out through loud sobs, "P-Please s-stay, I-I'll do a-anything you w-w-want."

It took her awhile, but Jack was waiting for this moment when she couldn't make the weekly extortion. Now the game would get very interesting for him, seeing how far she would go to keep him happy.

Chuckling, Jack roughly picked her up by her hair, sat her on the bed, and said, "That's an odd promise, considering you're already doing what I want. What else is there for you to give?"

Grasping at straws, Brittany answered, "I'll work for you. In your business, I mean. I can be your office manager. And, at night, I can...I can clean your place and cook..."

Jack let out a heavy sigh, while saying, "You're not worth three thousand dollars to me as a secretary or a maid."

She began to wail.

Jack sat back down at the small table, watching her intently as he thought about the situation presenting itself.

Every time, he's amazed how these situations eventually play out in the same way, no matter the wife. They always arrive at this point. With no serious way of paying off their debt, they no longer can forestall the inevitability that their adultery will be revealed to their husbands, and devolve into frenzied panic. A panic so extreme, in fact, they would barely blink an eye at what he's about to suggest. Like the others, he knew Brittany would accept the new terms, and like the other times before, it will still amaze him when she does.

He leaned forward and patted her arm in comfort as she continued to wail. Over the din of her sobs, he said, "Hush now, emerald-eyes. Remember, I said we could reopen the negotiations after a few weeks."

Brittany perked up at a possible reprieve from Santos' wrath and divorce court execution, "That's right, you did."

"But I don't see how it would be different. The only thing you have to negotiate with is that sweet pussy of yours, and I already own that. It's the money that's the problem." Jack paused for a while, as if he were in deep contemplation. Finally, he said, "However, what you said a few weeks ago about wanting it be more than 'whore incorporated' stuck with me, and it gave me an idea."

Brittany's anxiety meter just redlined, as she asked, "What kind of idea?"

"We could try a barter system, instead of dealing in hard cash."

Her anxiety meter just broke as the springs, gears, and wiring ricocheted off her heart. An empty pit developed deep in her guts. She asked, suspiciously, "What do you mean...barter system?"

"You can trade me for services instead of given me cash."

She looked at him, stunned and confused, "I just offered to work for you in your office and in your home..."

"I'm not talking about those kinds of services. Like lots of people, I'm not debt-free, Brit. I owe some people favors or money. Now, if I can finagle a deal with them, that is, to accept your service for my debt, you and I could then negotiate about how much your service would cost me."

"Wait a minute. You're talking about pimping me out."

"That's such an ugly term. I prefer romance matchmaking. Look, if you have another suggestion, I'm all ears."

She didn't say anything, but stared back at him in stunned silence, mouth ajar.

"Come on, Brit. Certainly, you've entertained the idea. Eventually, you knew it would come down to something like this. How else were you going to get me my money when you ran out of pretty things to hock?"

"I thought...you know...the sex."

"Get this straight and for the last time. I'm not here for the sex. I'm here for the money. That's it. End of story. No money, no deal, we're quits."

"But what about...you know...all the sex?"

Jack rolled his eyes before answering. "I accepted sexual favors in lieu of a reduced installment of payments. That was all, remember? You didn't have the hundred grand, so as a nice guy, I lowered myself to take small installments in return for sex. Now that you can't even make the reduced payments...well, it breaks our deal. Now, even though you've a great set of jugs and the sex with you is better than average, I'm certainly not going to accept payment of sex in exchange for a hundred grand. You have to be fucking nuts if you think I'm paying you for sex. However, and this is where the barter system comes in, there are tons of people in the world who will."

Jack let his voice trail off, letting her think on the matter for a moment. When she didn't answer right away, he pulled out his cell phone and started dialing.

Seeing what he was doing, she punched the disconnect button on his phone. Then clutching his hand and phone tightly to keep him from dialing again, asked, "What are you doing?"

"I owe a couple of guys a favor. I'm going to see if they want to meet you, instead." He looked at her hard as she stared back at him with wild-eyed panic. Finally, he said to her, matter-of-factly, "It's either this, or..."

Looking down at the floor in abject hopelessness, knowing it was either this or Santos finding out about her and Chris, she asked, "Are they, at least...you know...nice?"

Jack never understood why the women take the deal he offered. Why did they allow themselves to be passed around like two-bit whores, rather than just telling him to go fuck off and take the consequences? Jack thought what he proposed would be a bridge too far, but it never was with any of them. They all accepted their new role as bona fide whore, to one degree or another.

He could somewhat understand some of them. Those, having erred once, and who were still in good marriages with good husbands, wanting, above all else, to keep the husband ignorant and the marriage intact. He could understand their motivation in doing something like this. It's the others he couldn't understand, those married to shit-heels, shit-heels that drove them into the arms of another man in the first place. Why did they feel obligated to go along with the new deal? Is a shattered marriage really worse than being pimped out?

Moreover, what he didn't understand about the others went doubly so for Brittany. Now that she knew of her husband's nature, and what he truly was, why do anything to stay with him? Why not just see him finding out about the affair with Chris as a blessing, cut your losses, and use the inevitable divorce as an escape?

He finally answered her, "They're both good guys. I can vouch for them. They're ex-cops like me, doing bail bonds and bounty work."

"Shit, they don't know Santos, do they?" she asked, with real fear in her voice.

He didn't tell her that the main reason they were bail bondsmen was because of Santos, and just said, "Yes, but we won't tell them who you really are."

"W-What will I have to do?"

"Nothing that you haven't done with me."

"If I do this, you'll forget about the rest of the three thousand I owe you? For good?"

Jack didn't indicate anything, and just punched numbers into his phone.

He thought it funny she said, 'If I do this,' as if she still had a choice in the matter, as if there's any ambiguity left about their relationship. Once she agreed to the new deal, they both knew what she was, unequivocally. From then on, the rest of the conversation is just haggling over the price.

Brittany was going to ask about price, again, but Jack put up a finger to hush her as he talked into the phone, "Hey Buster, it's me...Yeah...Is that no account cousin of yours with you?...Good, remember that favor I still owe you guys...Right, the stake out. What would you guys say about taking the payback in trade?...Well, I'm sitting with the cutest, little piece of strange, and she's just dying to meet you two...That's such a crude term, I prefer to call it romance matchmaking...Nope, the offer's only good for the next couple of hours. What do you say?...I don't know. What difference does that make?...Okay, I'll ask."

"Buster wants to know if you've ever been with a black man."

Brittany couldn't believe the question, and just rolled her eyes while shaking her head.

"She says no. Does that work for her or against her?...Then why did you want to know for?...Real funny, asshole...What?...She's into the normal adult stuff...Right...Right...That's right...Look, just do the things you normally do with your mom every Saturday night, and you're golden...Yeah? Well, fuck you too, pervert...We're at the Blue Moon Motel on Scranton, room one-fifty-eight. Oh, you better bring condoms...What the fuck, Buster! You'll pass at least a dozen drug stores before you get here. Just stop and get some...Right, see you then."

Jack said to Brittany after hanging up, "They should be here in about twenty minutes. Do we have a deal?"

Brittany was starting to feel sick from humiliation, but she still had enough of her faculties left to ask, "How much?"

"I think you mentioned something about paying off the rest of the three grand you owe. That seems reasonable."

"If I'm going to do this, then I want five."

"There you go with that 'if,' again, and Brit, quit being stupid. No one's going to pay five grand to fuck you, especially these two. The money is theoretical at this point. You're doing this to square things with me. That's it. Now, after tonight, we can see about getting you some type of cash payment for services."

Brittany's humiliation was turning into anger, "So I'm supposed to fuck these guys for free?"

"No. You're fucking these guys for the two grand you owe me."

"I can ask for something more from them, can't I?"

Jack shook his head at her stupidity, wondering if this is going to be worth the trouble. Finally, he said with a heavy sigh, "Brit, these guys are like me. They don't pay whores for sex. If you ask them for money, they'll just laugh in your face and leave. I don't have to remind you what happens after that. Now, because I'm setting them up with you, they're willing to turn a blind eye to the favor I owe them, but that's all. For tonight, it's a quid pro quo deal. They fuck you and forget about what I owe them, and then I forget about the two grand you owe me."

Out of curiosity, she asked, "What do you owe them?"

"About five hours of stakeout time. In cash terms, it's hardly worth a couple of hundred to them, let alone a couple of thousand to me. You're getting a bargain."

"Some bargain."

Irritated, Jack snapped. "Look, you ungrateful cunt. I've had it with your fucking whining. You either do it or not. You either wait for them, or you walk out the fucking door right now. I don't give a fuck either way, just as long as you shut the fuck up about it!"

Brittany had never seen Jack so angry, and it scared her. She sat in the chair by the small table and stayed quiet as Jack got a glass of water.

His eyes still smoldered when he returned from the bathroom, but his voice was calmer, "I assume you're staying."

Brittany nodded her head, and asked weakly, "What are they like?"

Jack's eyes softened as he answered, "Buster, the one I was talking to, is a real ladies man, and straight down the middle as far as sex goes. His cousin Jerome, on the other hand, can get a little kinky if he's with the right type."

Brittany's antenna went up, as she asked with concern, "What do you mean by, 'a little kinky?'"

"You'll see. It's nothing you haven't thought about, I'm sure. Neither of them is into pain, so don't worry about that. And they both like having their dick sucked, at least that's what they tell me."

Rolling her eyes, she said, sardonically, "Both like their dick sucked? Really? What a fucking surprise. Imagine, guys who want their dick sucked. Un-fucking-believable!"

Her little joke broke the sour mood that had developed between them. Brittany actually laughed after she thought about what she said. Jack responded, laughingly, "Good point. My bad. It was a stupid statement." Then, looking her over for a moment, he asked, "What do you have under the blouse?"

Brittany rolled her eyes again, surprised by Jack's sudden swing into obtuse stupidity. "What the fuck do you think? Tits and a bra!"

"What kind of bra, bug wit? Show me."

She unbuttoned her blouse revealing a very sheer, black-laced bra with a small red rose embroidered between the cups.

Jack took a moment to admire the view before saying, "Oh man, their mouths are going to water when they get a load of you, especially Buster. Let's make this decision easy for them, keep the bra on, but lose the blouse. Be sitting on the edge of the bed when they get here; confident, but with a hint of shyness."

"Confident with a hint of shyness, huh? Is it okay if I puke, instead."

********

It was another ten minutes before there was a knock on the door. Immediately, Brittany's heart lodged in her throat. She felt her arms and legs go weak, complementing her growing nervous sickness.

The one called Buster was a stocky-built, very dark complexioned black man with a receding hairline. He wasn't quite into 'eight-ball' territory, but he would definitely get there in only a few more years. He had an obvious paunch, but like a lot of men with his build, he wore it well. Looking at his face, Brittany thought he was good looking, even with the extra pounds; although, she didn't think he looked like a lady-killer, as Jack said. More like a cuddly bear, which was just as appealing to her.

Buster's cousin, Jerome, was leaner and taller, lighter complexioned with hawk-like facial features.

Brittany couldn't see much of a family resemblance between the two men, except that Jerome also had an obvious bald spot right at the crown of his head, same as Buster, and they wore the same, congenial smile. Complimenting their winning smiles, both men were also quick to laugh, which set Brittany at ease.

The cousins greeted Jack warmly. It's quickly apparent to Brittany that Jack and the two cousins have a long-standing, close friendship, interacting with each other in almost a brotherly manner.

After giving Jack a brief, manly hug with accompanying backslap, Buster drops a box of condoms on the table while asking, "Okay, so what's the deal, Jack?"

Brittany's ears perked up as she smiled to herself. She was correct last week, after all. The man who so unceremoniously wormed his way into her life is, indeed, Jack Dorn. She swelled with pride at her cleverness, having figured that fact about him on her own.

Jack either didn't notice thefaux pas, or didn't care if she knew now or not, and answered Buster without any correction or hesitation, "Guys, I'd like you to meet...uh...Candy."

They both took her hand in greeting. Buster actually kissed her hand, while saying, suavely, "Bonsoir, ma chérie. My, my, my, but you do taste as sweet as your name."

Jack rolled his eyes, and said, "Always the ladies' man, aren't you, Buster."

Buster smiled, and responded back, "Always. But you're changing your stripes, Jack. When did you start digging redheads?"

"I'm not there yet, but coming around to them. Anyway, you should know my weakness for fabled beauties with green eyes by now, and Candy has the most gorgeous green eyes I've ever seen. Don't you think? I got lost in them the first time I saw them."

Brittany wasn't sure if Jack was being truthful for once, or just making a show for the guys by boasting up the goods, so to speak. His compliments left her blushing just the same.

Not much for small talk, Jerome was getting antsy, and went back to Buster's original question, "So what's the deal, Jack?

Sitting in a chair, Jack answered, matter-of-factly, "Just what I said over the phone. I owe you two a debt, and Candy's kind enough to make sure I pay it back."

Buster asked out of curiosity, "What does Candy get out of it?"

"I would think your black stick would be reward enough, but I guess after banging me, you are going to be a big letdown. Myths die hard."

Jerome broke out in laughter, "He sure got you with that one, coz."

"Hey, fuck you, Jerome," Buster said to his cousin, and with obvious irritation. Then, quickly added as he looked over at Jack, "The day my dick can't make a white girl squeal is the day I give up fucking."

He continued staring at Jack, expecting an answer.

Still laughing at Buster's reaction, Jack finally responded, "What Candy gets out of it is between me and her. We have our own arrangement. Good enough?"

Buster was going to ask another question, but Jerome cut him off, "Come on, Buster, quit all this jawing shit. Can't you tell the bitch wants it? She's practically drooling on those big titties of hers."