Pandemic

This story is a purely fictional tale. The author does not condone any of the actions portrayed by the characters within.

*

"Who is that?" her husband spoke loudly into the phone after hearing at least 10 hard pounding noises in the background disrupt their conversation.

"There's some Army guy at the door."

Jim heard his wife Jessa open the door and start to say something.

"What do you mean? No I don't want to do that!"

"Jim he's telling me the country is on lock down as of now for a least a month, and to expect company as they do not have enough separate dwellings to house everyone. The people that are here alone are going to be paired with a strangers" Jessa relayed the information in a scared but still composed tone.

"Don't push!!!" Jessa said loudly enough for Jim to her.

"Jim I'm scared. The soldier shoved me back in the room and locked me in. Where are you?"

"I got stranded at the airport here at LAX. I'm on the way back to a hotel. The global quarantine hit an hour ago, right before I was boarding."

Jim knew he messed up big time. The global pandemic had popped up only a week earlier but had already claimed 300,000 lives worldwide. All governments were in talks to close down everything to help isolate the virus with social distancing and travel restrictions now in place until a treatment or cure was discovered. Jim had originally thought to himself this would be a perfect time to get away with his gorgeous new bride Jessa, and maybe even get quarantined with her for a long period.

Jessa was aware of Jim's idea but was not as enthusiastic. She had all of the normal worries like maybe it wasn't wise to leave the US, let alone go to a place like an isolated island off Costa Rica. Jim reasoned that since it was such a remote location, and that tourism would be nonexistent now, he could get a great deal on something they normally could never afford. Jessa reluctantly agreed with Jim, and they planned and booked the entire trip in a day. Due to both their work schedules Jessa would fly there on a different flight and only arrive four hours before Jim. She wasn't crazy about this idea but it would have cost more if they did it any other way.

"Jessa, you need to calm down. I booked us the best accommodations. There is a kitchen, bedroom area, and even a terrace for you to look out over the ocean. I'll call the hotel for you to see what their plans are for food."

"But what about the stranger I am going to be staying with? It's going to be real weird sharing a bathroom with a girl I don't even know, and for a month or more. Talk to them about that. Tell them we sympathize but are not willing to share."

"Ok I will call you back when I hear something." Jim said in a confident tone not yet totally realizing the predicament he and his wife were in.

Jessa hung up the phone and took a peak through the window looking out near the front entrance. She heard a car pull up, but due to the curve of the driveway she could not make out who is in it.

Jim immediately called back. "I'm not getting nothing but a recording asking to leave a message." He said in a frustrated tone.

"Jim, something is happening!" She stated into the phone without saying hello.

"Why are you calling back so soon? What happened?" She asked, sounding exasperated.

"I couldn't get anyone on the line. The recording said phones are not connecting international landline calls for some reason."

"Oh my God!" Jessa gasped loudly while still looking out the window.

"Jim, there are three soldiers or cops outside the door fighting with this huge guy. They are dragging him toward my door."

"What? Jessa, what do you mean?" Jim said as his voice became elevated.

"Jim, they are fighting right outside the door. Someone is trying to turn the lock."

"Wait......Noooooo!!!" Jim, heard Jessa scream at the top of her lungs.

He then heard what sounded like tussling along with multiple male voices shouting.

"Jessa!"

"Jessa!" He screamed into the phone.

"No please, please don't do this. Please, please, no!" Jim heard his wife pleading through sobs.

"Jessa!" He again screamed loudly into the receiver.

He then heard sounds of a door slam, and then what sounded like a pop gun going off.

"Noooooooooooooooo!" Jessa screamed again in obvious distress.

"Jim" She said in a barely audible whimper.

"The locked us in. There putting boards over the windows and doors and then nailing them shut!" Jessa said in a nearly hysterical state.

"Hijo de puta!" Jim heard a male voice scream which he knew to mean Mother Fucker in Spanish.

"Jessa, what's happening?"

"Who was that?"

"What do you mean us?"

"Who is with you now?" Jim questioning her in rapid fire.

"I don't know Jim. They forced some man into the room and then threw him on the floor. He then heard something upstairs and ran up to confront what sounds like more people breaking in."

"Who is breaking in?" Jim said in a frantic and confused voice.

"There fighting!!! Oh my god!!!" Jessa screamed out load as if terrified as the sound of loud crashing could be heard through the phone.

"Jessa!"

"Jessa!"

Just then the man came running down the stairs. He had blood on his shirt as he rushed passed her while shooting her a quick glance. He then peaked through a small crack between the boarded up windows and appeared to be seeing if anyone else was coming. He then turned to her, but this time gave her a long hard look without saying anything, and again rushed up to the second floor still without saying a word.

"Jessa what's happening?" Jim again screamed into the phone.

"Talk to me god dam it!"

"I don't know." She whimpered in response.

"They threw this guy in here with me and bolted the doors. Then I heard a crash upstairs and what sounded like multiple male voices coming in. The guy ran upstairs and I heard terrible fighting. Now he's back down in the living room looking out the window." She explained in earshot of her new housemate.

"Is he Army? Who is he?"

"I don't know but I'm scared."

"Why? What does he look like? Who is he?"

"He is some Latin guy." She whispered through tears into the phone.

"He's so big. Jim I'm so scared."

"What do you mean big?" Jim's mind raced with questions. He struggled to know what to even ask her.

"He's so scary looking" She whispered, unaware that her new acquaintance could hear every word.

"Ok calm down Jessa, just because he is a large man doesn't necessarily mean he is bad." Jim said to try and convince himself as much as his he did to calm his vulnerable wife.

"He has tattoos all over. He's so tall. He's just fucking scary." Her voice now just over a whisper.

"I just want him to go." She whimpered as if a little child just wishing this would all go away.

"Say something to him. Tell him I want to talk to him." Jim said in a calming tone.

"Ok I'll try."

"Hello" Jessa said while peaking around the door leading into the main living space where the man was now sitting on a chair while trying to catch his breath.

"Hello"

"Hello" She repeated a little louder after getting no response.

Suddenly the man turned to her and said in broken but understandable English.

"Do you speak Spanish?"

"No, but my husband does. He took three years of it at college and speaks pretty well. I took French so I don't." Jessa said in a hurried and nervous tone realizing she sounded really stupid giving this man her educational highlights.

He said nothing and just stared at her with a blank expression, seeming to size her up.

"What happened upstairs?" She asked in a submissive tone.

"How you say in English....Marauders; they came in here to rape and murder you but I killed them before they could. Come see." The man motioned her to come look through a crack in the board placed over one of the windows.

Jessa cautiously walked to the window while he gave her room and moved away. She looked through the crack and then brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she gasped in fear at seeing three bloodied and twisted bodies lying within a few feet of each other. All three were obviously dead and had been thrown off the balcony by her new housemate.

"What is your name Cosa Dulce?"

Jim was still listening on the phone. He had heard the man call his wife Sweet Thing which he thought was a sure sign of trouble, though he knew Jessa did not understand.

"My name is Jessa, what's yours?"

"You can call me Roberto. Do you understand Spanish at all Cosa Dulce?"

"No, not a word'" She responded with a nervous smile, not asking him the meaning of Cosa Dulce meant.

"Roberto, that's a really nice name." Jessa said while trying to not sound rattled, which she surely was.

"I'm still waiting for my thank you Cosa Dulce." Roberto said with a drawn out tone through legible but broken English.

"Oh your right. I'm so sorry. I am just still so shaken up, but thank you!" She stated while extending her hand to shake his while trying to sound enthusiastic.

"I saved your life and thank you is supposed to be enough?" Roberto said as anger showed on his face, before roughly taking her hand.

"I am not sure.....what, what, do you mean?" Her voice now starting to stutter and crack as she was surprised at his negative reaction.

He then yanked her arm hard drawing her into him. Her face was now eye level with his powerful chest, and her body involuntarily pressed against his.

"Stop it! What are you doing?"

"Jim!!!!" She screamed as she fruitlessly struggled to break his grip.

"Jessa!!!" Jim yelled into the phone as muffled noises that resembled a struggle echoed through the line.

"Jessa!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs while crouching down as if to try and project his voice as loud as possible out of instinct.

Then he heard the sound of the phone being picked up off the ground and a man speak.

"Is this Jim?" Roberto said in a calm voice into Jessa's phone.

"Yes this is Jim. Why did I just here her scream?" Jim said forcefully into the phone.

"I was just inquiring why she didn't thank me for saving her life. You Americans are so rude. You think your, how you say, shit doesn't stink." Roberto laughed after he said it.

"Tell me Jim, do you want your woman home safe?" Roberto said with an ominous tone to his voice.

"Yes of course I do. Put Jessa on the phone."

"In due time Muchacho. I'm still waiting for you to thank me for saving your woman."

"How much do you want?" Jim said in an aggravated tone thinking he was going to ask for money.

"Listen Muchacho, I saved your woman's life, do we not agree?"

Jim did not answer right away as he didn't like the way this conversation was headed. He was smart enough to know this man was trying to lead him to an answer he might not want to give.

"I guess you did." Jim shot back but then quickly realized he needed to soften his approach.

"Listen I want to start all over and thank you sir. We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot with this stressful situation and..."

Roberto interrupted Jim mid-sentence.

"Listen Muchacho I will give you two choices. Both have your woman leaving my company alive and well. Do you want me to explain?

Jim paused for a moment.

"Yes, of course I do."

"At the moment we are locked inside with the windows and doors on the first floor boarded up. The only way out of here is if I lower your woman down to the ground below from the balcony. I will accomplish this by safely tying her in bed sheets and gently lowering her down. I will tell her the safest path through the jungle to the capitol region. There she can hope to find solace and help with government officials. But beware Muchacho, the jungle is full hidden dangers. There are many predators, and it is unwise to enter unless you are a skilled individual.

The second problem your woman may face is the lawless men as the three I just killed to save your woman. Americans and their Yankee ways are sickening to local men. You and your, how you say, pompous attitudes, are of disgust to our people. You eat our food, drink our wine, fuck our women, and come to be pampered by our people. Still with all of that you complain about everything and leave your garbage behind for us to clean. Do you really think in this kind of upheaval that someone will be kind to your American trash woman? Or will she vanish forever either to be killed by a jungle beast, or at best a sex slave for a local tribal leader?"

Before I tell you your second option I would like you to know the customs and beliefs of my people. The men of my culture view life as precious. We do not give up our own life up easily for anyone. That sacrifice is given only to the woman we love or our family. So Muchacho, you see my problem here?"

Jim sat listening intently, as did Jessa standing just a few feet away from Roberto.

"Let me ask you a question Muchacho. Do you want your woman home safely to you?"

"That's a stupid question. Of course I do" Jim snapped back at Roberto.

"Did you just call me stupid? This fucking Benda hoe!" Roberto yelled into the phone which caused Jessa to flinch in fear at the loud outburst.

"No. No, you misunderstood me. I didn't call you stupid. Listen, I just want my wife back. Can we just stop all of this please?" Jim's tone was now more subdued and taking on a pleading nature.

"I'm done fucking around with you Muchacho. Here is my offer. For me to offer your woman protection she would have to be mine. But since we know she is not mine, but yours, how can we fix the situation?"

"What are you talking about, how can we fix that? Can't you just be a man and step up and protect a girl in need?" Jim said as he tried to appeal to the man's sense of duty.

"So I should die for an American bitch I don't even know? That is what you are asking of me?" Roberto responded angrily.

"I see only one solution to your problem and here it is. You will give your woman to me. This will be voluntary. She will then treat me as she would if we were man and woman here together. She will pretend to love me and serve my wishes. For that I will guarantee I get her back to you unharmed. I will defend her as I would my own blood. But In return for my grand gift, she will cook, clean, and offer herself sexually to me whenever I desire. For this I shall return her to you unharmed. So Muchacho, which is it, the jungles or me? I give the phone back to your Yankee bitch to decide. But after you decide I want to say one final word to you so do not hang up."

Roberto motioned to Jessa to take the phone. He handed it to her and left the room appearing to give her privacy.

Jim heard Jessa on the other end of the line only because she was outwardly crying.

"Jessa, baby, you ok?" Jim's voice sounding defeated.

"Jim I cant."

"He's so big."

"I'm so afraid." That was the only response he heard while she continued crying.

"Jessa, talk to me baby...please. I don't know what to do?"

There was a long pause.

"Jessa, you are there. Can you make it alone?"

"Jessa!"

"Go ahead Jim, tell him yes." She said in a barely audible tone just above a whisper.

"Jessa baby are you sure? I'm not there. I can't assess the situation. Is what he says true? Do you think you can make it if he lets you go?" Jim asked the question already knowing the answer.

"I won't make it." Was all she said through her tears.

"Jim do what he says." The words just spilled out of her mouth more easily as she began to tearfully accept her fate.

"I love you baby and I'm so sorry." Jim said getting no response from his frightened bride.

Jessa put the phone down on the kitchen counter. She walked in the main living area and saw Roberto tying knots in some rope that had been used on him when the soldiers were subduing him.

"So Cosa Dulce, what did you and your man decide? I have the rope here ready to lower you down."

All Jessa did was point to the phone with her hand shaking, and walked over to the boarded up window and stood in front as if she was looking out, but in reality staring into a plank of wood. She crossed her arms and bowed her head as small tears streamed down her face.

Roberto glanced at her as he reached for the phone and spoke.

"So Muchacho what is your decision?"

Jim did not answer right away as he tried to bring up the strength to say the words.

"My decision is this. You got it asshole. Just get her back to me."

"No, that's not enough. Say the words?"

"What words mother fucker?"

"Give her to me."

"That's what I did?" Jim screamed at the top of his lungs into the phone; his rage having exploded to the surface.

"So you choice is to lower her down?"

Jim took a deep breath and then said barely above a whisper.

"She is yours."

Roberto had a large grin on his face as he looked Jessa directly in her eyes. He held her gaze for a moment before again speaking to Jim.

"So hear this Muchacho, for as long as we are confined here your woman will be mine. She will act as if we are in love, and treat me with open respect and adulation as her new protector. She will be enthusiastic about our situation, and not defy me in anyway. If she displeases me I will lower her to the ground below and she will be on her own. Do I make myself clear?"

While Roberto was talking with Jim, but the words were really meant for Jessa to hear and understand what she was agreeing too. He never once broke eye contact with her as he spoke. Although he did not ask for her approval she nodded slightly in agreement while wiping her eyes of tears.

"Yes I understand. Now get her home to me safely." An exasperated Jim spoke.

"No need to worry Muchacho, she will be yours again uninjured. This I promise you."

Just then Roberto switched to speaking only Spanish so Jessa could not understand.

"Muchacho I understand your mind will be filled with thoughts of the unknown. You will wonder what's happening and spend hours in the anguish of not knowing what's happening to your beautiful wife. So out of my kindness I will give you a gift. I will call this number back in a few minutes and let you listen in on your woman's new life. I will do this from time to time as I see fit during our time together. You will soon see that you made the correct choice. Outside of my protection she would surely die horribly. I will not give her the phone to speak with you at any time during our lockdown because she is mine now. Before I do hang up I wanted to say one thing to you. Have you understood all of what I have said to you in Spanish so far?"

"Yes" was all Jim said in a defeated tone.

"That's good Muchacho. I leave you with this final thought for your time alone to think about."

"Tengo una polla enorme" Roberto said the words slowly and drawn out before hanging up the phone. (Lost Connection)

Jim slumped back in his chair. He repeated the agonizing words back to himself in his mind in the hopes he had heard it wrong or misunderstood. But the meaning was still just as clear, and spoke all he needed to know about this man's intentions with his wife.

"I have a huge cock." Jim mumbled while bowing his head.

Jessa stood facing the boarded up window in shame. She felt like a stupid kid in a grown up world who was completely unprepared for what might await her. A feeling of astonishment came over her at the realization that just an hour ago she was a free woman on vacation, and now was thrust in this horrible situation.

She had heard Roberto say something to Jim in Spanish that sounded taunting in nature before hanging up, and for a moment she thought about the hell he must be going through, but that thought was soon replaced by thoughts of her own plight. What would happen to her? Would this man kill, rape or harm her in some way? Could she get through this?