New Moon Ch. 05-06

She was still nonplussed. $6,000 for what they had been through. Was it enough? Should she take it and run? Would they kill them if she asked for more?

She began to cry. "You guys have kidnapped me, stripped me, whipped me, used my body any way you wanted. Now you ask me if $6,000 is enough payment?" She sobbed and leaned against the arms holding her up.

"We don't have much," a quiet voice near her said.

A voice asked the others, "Could we make it $10,000?" There was general agreement.

Ken stared up at Erin curiously. $10,000 was not bad for a night's work, but would Erin go for it. She was the one, after all, that had borne the brunt of the assaults.

Minutes passed as Erin tried to clear the confusion from her brain. The room was still.

"How will we get home?"

"There will be a train leaving here shortly," someone offered hopefully.

Erin's eyes flashed. "Oh . . . ," the realization came on them. "A cab?"

"How will we get the rest of the money?"

Now they were puzzled. It would require getting cash from their accounts and cash advances on their credit cards.

She felt full control within her reach. She bent down and jerked Ken to his feet. He stood staring at her. She took the money from Ivan and thrust it into his hands.

"Give me your drivers' licenses." She reached toward Ivan demanding he comply. With a look of consternation mixed with fear, he reached for his wallet. Seeing him comply, the others passed along their licenses as well. There was nothing they could have done which would have put them more at her mercy.

She took the plastic cards with their names, addresses, and photos as they were handed to her. "You get them back when I get the money." She looked each man in the eye. None returned her look. "Please call us a cab," she said having softened her voice some. Now, she thought was not the time to piss them off to the point where they might reconsider their decision. They were still surrounded by ten strong men.

The cab ride home was unremarkable. The cash was tucked away in her apartment. She did not offer any to Ken.

The following day after having soaked in a hot tub, she asked a nurse friend to confirm that she was OK. The friend asked no awkward questions as she looked her over. The small welts she treated. With shared embarrassment she examined her friend in her very intimate places and treated a few areas which seemed to need treatment.

Softly she said, "You might consider a different boyfriend." Erin did not respond.

Days later when she was sufficiently healed, she had a physical. It showed that physically she had no ill effects from her ordeal. She had come out physically unscathed, though she would have to deal with the memories for ever.

Every now and then after the final payment had been made, she reviewed the stack of photo copies of the driver's licenses. She made it a habit to track their owners using the web and its plethora of tracking aids.

Ken called occasionally, but they were no longer an item. Nowadays she found herself hanging out with members of a local rugby team. Fifteen fierce and formidable men who lived a life of loyalty and sharing. Loyalty and sharing that extended to wives and girl friends. Formidable, loyal, and sharing, as well as gentle lovers. She felt safe.

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