The Dark Star - Lockdown Vol. 04

Bringing up the live feed of their bedroom she minimised the image of him still slumbering in a window on the bottom left of the screen. One eye on any movement from the bedroom as she opened a file recorded earlier in the day 4 hours' worth of recorded stream from the room in which Siena was held. Setting play back to 30 times the playback speed she watched as nothing seemingly happened other than the brunette sleeping herself across the bed with her left ankle clamped by the shackle and the heavy chain that attached it, and her, to the bed. Ari slowed the play back to normal speed as Logan entered the room, he offered her a plate and a mug immediately.

There was little in the way of an exchange between the two of them. A few words if that while she ate what looked like meagre rations from the plate. Ari had started to grow bored and sped the playback of footage up, not even noticing at first when she had stood up from the bed. Setting playback to normal speed with a lack of audio to discern what was being said it was impossible to guess the conversation held as Logan and the young girl faced one another in close proximity.

Ari's mouth fell open slightly though as she watched what transpired, watching as Logan took her, watching as she complied. Watching as the thick black straps were wrapped and secured around her wrists and arms, the young girl barely seemed to flinch even as her neck was restrained within the rigid collar.

She watched Logan work diligently, she knew he'd subjected Siena to other devices within the room, but this seemed beyond what he'd subjected her to until now. She watched the change in her expression as Logan removed the stool from beneath her feet saw her body slump against the restraint, the pain etched on her face from her own body weight. Ari smirked at the young girl's discomfort.

Ari knew the feeling; Marco had subjected her to it once. She had hated it as he stood there tormenting her before a sterile fuck on the same bed sat before the crucifix, the same bed Siena was now held permanently chained to. Marco was an amateur with such scenarios, his pleasure gained purely from the humiliation and pain he inflicted under such circumstances.

All too often she was aware that he'd gain gratification from a lifestyle she'd introduced him to, that she'd encouraged, but rarely did she, at least not from him anyway. She had rendered the crucifix out of bounds from that moment on, denying him his sadism, it had sat unused to the best of her knowledge until this moment.

Marco hadn't even been dominant enough to kick back at her decision. Ari shivered on the memory of the pain, before another subtle little grin passed her lips at the thought of Marco's little sister enduring the pain of the device her brother had so appreciated.

Her attention suddenly caught though by a noticeable change in Logan's body posture on the crystal-clear image, he tensed, as if in pain, turning his head increasingly along his shoulder as if to look at someone who was not there. She could not be certain but couldn't rule out his mouth moving, speaking or muttering to the ghost in the room.

With a quick dart of activity on screen, she sat forward, watching as he frantically placed the stool under the dark-haired girl's feet. He left the room with a panicked urgency that was hard to believe given his usual assured, controlled demeanour. His eyes wide she could tell, such was the definition of the camera as he passed at close proximity. Eyes wide with fear, torment, and anguish all too apparent on his face as his hand grabbing at the door that would not open, would not budge until he remembered the keypad and code required to exit the room.

No further activity after he bailed out of the room, she watched and waited before eventually speeding through the remaining minutes and hours of nothing, but the restless young brunette hung on the cross. Presumably where she was still hung.

What had caused such a response, what had triggered such a reaction from the usually unflappable male, she pondered closing down the recording, choosing to save the file to a personal and heavily encrypted folder. As she tapped away on the keyboard Ari cut immediately to the live feed from the room seeing that Siena still hung there uncomfortable no doubt but still, she could find no remorse for the spoilt little bitch.

As she closed all the windows and then the laptop her mind was preoccupied with concerns for one person only.

She slipped her phone from her pocket, barely able to contemplate what she had dwelt on for a number of weeks. Not so much what she was suggesting but who she was turning to. The thought process was maddening in itself but she could afford herself the discomfort, considering what she needed to do.

She scrolled names in her address book, reasoning with herself that she did this only for Logan.

*********

"How are those steaks coming along?" Ari called through the patio doors towards Logan who flipped the two thick sirloins over on the BBQ Griddle.

"Mines probably there... yours will take an hour or so Little Miss Well-done," he offered without looking back.

She smiled at his quick wit, looking across the salad and accompaniments that were laid out ready be taken outside to the table. On the kitchen worktop her phone vibrated multiple times, as the screen silently illuminated on withheld number. An incoming reply to her earlier message, she was sure of it without knowing; a response she welcomed and yet dreaded in equal measure.

Ari's hand shaking as she reached for the phone whilst offering a glance up to look out and check where Logan was, he'd not moved an inch. She pressed her finger against the green answer icon and brought the phone to her ear.

"I can't speak for long," she hesitantly offered steeling herself for the conversation to come.

"I'm very surprised to hear from you... very surprised," the gravelly voice stated back.

"I guess your friend Mr Logan doesn't know we're talking"

"I've a proposition for you .... something ...someone you might find an attractive proposition."

"Ah so not you Arabella....such a pity given your most recent performance"

"Not me," Ari swallowed hard repressing a haunting memory. "... but someone you can treat with as much of that special brand of contempt of yours as you wish."

"Oh, now you have my interest... my associates and I are always receptive of such gifts" he offered blandly. "What's the price?"

"No price Mr Salazar," Ari stated coldly. "You'll be doing me a favour."

"Ever more intriguing.... Let's meet to discuss."

Ari's heart sank at his request.

Twelve; The Day

The clear skies of recent days, indeed weeks, had given way overnight.

The morning was noticeably cooler than that of twenty-four hours earlier and the heavy grey centres within in the clouds over head threatened the ominous onset of rain.

With a towel hung around his neck Logan left the gym, throwing a cursory glance to the newly completed summer house which now sat to the left of the gymnasium, he hadn't brought himself to step inside the building and knew neither had Ari, other than when she'd been required to in order to inspect the workmanship carried out.

To their credit the team of four had made good progress in two weeks in order to complete the project.

The prospect of the corpse encased in concrete in the footings to the rear of the building haunted them both it would appear, neither he nor Ari had referenced her to one another in weeks, as if they believed they could wipe Kimberley Adams from their minds. A feat Logan knew that he was only too well capable of achieving; the dead though don't stay hidden for long in his experience.

Parking dark thoughts while wiping beads of sweat that formed on his brow from the hour of physical exertion he'd just undertaken. Stepping forward and headed past the covered pool to the steps which led up all the way up to the main house.

The cool morning air chilling him through his sweat soaked t-shirt, in that fleeting moment it felt more than a physical chill from the inclement temperature, there was a sense of foreboding, like someone had stepped on his grave.

Parking such thoughts while approaching the house he could see through patio windows that Ari was busying herself in the kitchen area, packing up belongings into a black and red trim handbag that sat upon the breakfast bar.

Sliding back the patio doors he entered the house, turning immediately to slide the door back shut behind him before he looked across at her. He had left her dozing under the white duvet earlier, prised himself from beneath her slender naked frame as she'd lay sleeping soundly a top of him. She was dressed now in a smart black suit jacket over a black fitted satin blouse. The outfit completed with a black short skirt just over the knee and black heavy denier stockings.

He grinned as visually he took her in while she slipped black, red soled, high heels over her feet.

"Fuck me you look good," Logan offered on a sincere smile born of a lustful grin.

"Thanks," she offered making to tie her platinum hair back with a band from around her wrist, before she paused and presumably thought better of it. "But I'll thank you to keep your sweaty clammy hands off me."

Logan deliberately made towards her with a playfully dark smirk as he drew within touching distance of her.

"No time for a quick hard fuck bent over the breakfast bar then?"

She hesitated for a moment as their eyes met. Logan stepped forward towards her noting how she backed away a little.

"I could just push that skirt up on your hips and slip between those stocking clad legs and fuck you ...hard ....and fast.... did I mention hard?"

"You're insatiable," Her devilish smile led to a subtle bite on her bottom lip as a flicker of desire ignited while she backed up against the breakfast bar.

"You can't look that good and expect anything less," Logan growled.

Ari smirked and ducked away from him to her left.

"I've a busy day you'll make me late .... besides they're new tights and I'm not having you heavy handily rip them off me.... I know what your like."

"Tease," Logan offered, defeated by her reluctance, as he placed both hands on the breakfast bar feeling the stir of an erection already straining inside his track pants.

Ari stopped and he felt her breath across his right ear before she softly, wickedly stated.

"You can rip them from me later."

He didn't react, imagining in his own mind the gasp from her lips as he tore open heavy black denier to reveal soft pale flesh. He'd forgotten exactly who she'd said she was meeting, a recollection of a memory of either a supplier or and advisor, perhaps it was both of them. He envied them having her in their company.

Ari had belligerently pushed ahead with her decision to open up the Dark Star, with at least a small portion of the infamous establishment reinvented as a Cafe come Bistro. Something Logan couldn't agree with, the concept far from fitted with the reputation of the venue. She appeared passionate about the project though, while he couldn't understand her desire he didn't stand in her way. Perhaps he'd grown too comfortable with their existence.

He would never admit as much to her, not least for fear of showing his hand, alongside of fear of misinterpreting what was transpiring between them. If he was honest with himself, he had no handle on what was going on. What the state of their relationship truly was. Did their coexistence even constitute a relationship or was it mutual companionship?

"What time you gonna be free?" He enquired realising he'd been lost in his own thoughts, his dick subsiding as the prospect of a quick fuck died along with his illicit thoughts.

"I'm guessing not late .... early evening ...around Six?" Ari offered with a pleasant sincere smile "...Is my little house husband gonna have me tea on the table?"

"Tea on the table ...that won't be a priority not after what you've just offered" Logan stated in response to her subtle little jibe before pausing. "Plus....alongside Daddy and Sir let's agree Husband to be on the list of names never to call me can we"

"So, you wouldn't marry me?" Ari fired back rapidly at him, her eyes narrowing before she clutched a hand dramatically to her chest. "You break my heart Logan .... you'd fuck me but you won't commit to me."

Her infectious laugh broke her faux hurt as she stepped towards him again, resting her right hand on his left shoulder and kissed him firmly as he turned, the kiss lingering enough as she pressed cherry red lips to his. Inoffensively he could taste her sweet mint chewing gum, before she broke the kiss.

"Let's not rush things honey...." she softly whispered. "Oh... and Lo you need a shower."

She smirked as she ruffled his short hair and turned away. "I guess ...I should have made it clear... I put dinner before desire."

"You'll settle for my Lasagne then will you... to carb up with?" Logan offered to the back of her head as her heels click clacked across the tiled floor of the kitchen, while he made for the fridge and the cold bottle of water, he knew to be on the third shelf down.

Her heels stopped dead she turned to look back at him with a look he couldn't describe, a look that was so perfectly Ari.

"Logan... I would marry you just for your Lasagne." she stated

"Go .... Or you'll be late remember" Logan stated pulling open the refrigerator door but keeping his eye on her.

Ari smiled once more, turned, and headed back toward the front door to the property, snatching her car keys off of the hooks beneath a wall mounted unit as she went.

"Might be later than Six now..." she offered lightly, "...I might start wedding dress shopping"

Logan had no notion as to the state of their relationship, but he valued it.

"I fucking love you Ari," he stated quietly only to the contents of the refrigerator.

**********

There was a thick stale smell of too many cigarettes that lingered around him Ari thought to herself trying her hardest not to physically sneer in repulsion at him.

He set down the glass of whisky and thumbed the photograph of Siena Mancini that he had just picked from the desk opposite her.

One of five pictures she had scalped and printed from various social media sites belonging to the young girl. His face was a picture of abject concentration as he mulled the proposition, she had put to him. She had chosen to meet him at the Dark Star rather than in public given the nature of the matters she wished to raise. Somehow despite their privacy now it felt safer to be on familiar territory, as safe as she could feel in his company at least. The niggle of paranoia placated enough by the relative security offered by the CCTV cameras that littered the venue.

"She's very attractive... young looking.... seems to have an acceptable .... modest little body" Hector Salazar stated as he casually flung the photo back on to the desk, it came to rest face down on top of the four other photos she'd presented to him "I've no doubt she could fill a suitable role .... most of our girls can fit a niche."

Her gut twisted at the dark sentiment of his statement. She didn't waiver though and kept her own eye line with his, despite the repulsion she felt. She swallowed hard, reaching for her tall glass with a double shot of vodka in it, her mind lingering on the last time she'd been in his presence. her own unbelievably cruel exposure to a 'suitable role' at the hand of the monster he barely hid. Ari realising, she had simply filled one of those niches.

She'd dreaded the prospect of even meeting up with him, seeing him again and had lost count of the number of times she'd considered calling off their meeting in the days since it had been arranged.

There was a greater purpose she reminded herself as he sat now opposite of her, while she negotiated Siena Mancini's removal from her life, their lives, via the repugnant individual.

Ari's hands fidgeted slightly as she reorganised a pile of recently opened mail, stuffing the letters and envelopes into a drawer to her left. She stopped herself short of toying with the black cotton face mask sat on her desk; she had noted how despite the legal requirement of the current restrictions he had not arrived wearing a face covering.

Ari took a deep breath and another slug if vodka to quell the distraction of her building anxiety.

"So... can you assist?" she attempted an air of confidence on the enquiry she offered.

"Yes" Salazar stated bluntly sitting back in his chair, relaxing as he crossed his legs over one another, with his gnarled hands coming to fall upon a bent knee. His tanned skin, almost leather like in appearance seemed darker, older more haggard than before. In her mind Ari stifled memories of the night in the Warehouse and her willing submission to him in the hotel suite.

"You know I can .... but that is where I struggle .... why her? .... why you? .... why now?" Hector Salazar offered innocently enough.

"Let's just say..." Ari felt a wave of confidence course through her on hearing his initial acceptance of her proposal. ".... She's a problem I need to dispose of ...to remove from my life."

"Your ambiguity is intriguing Arabella..." Salazar voice hung on the words, "...I can't help feeling I'm nothing more than a refuse collector."

"You call yourself what you want" Ari stated leaning back herself matching his body language. "I need her gone.... and thought of you as the first... She's certainly trash... so maybe you offer the perfect analogy."

Salazar smirked a dark sinister smirk.

"We do have clients with more far more sinister tastes even than my own.... But I believe your friend and mine Mr Logan knows several of them.... Why haven't you gone through him?"

Salazar caught her off guard with his inference, she wished to keep Logan in the dark on the arrangements she sought to make. Perhaps only now realising how amateur and naive she had been or was appearing to be.

For numerous reasons she wanted Logan to have no knowledge of her proposal not until the dye had been cast, not until it was too late. She had betrayed his trust already just by being here with Salazar; she knew that the two of had been associates or known one another at some point in a dim and distant past.

There was a certain ignorance to Logan's past that she chose to maintain, but in truth there was no genuine naivety to the what the darkness of that past had likely entailed.

Siena's own Sister had once sat behind the very desk at which she now sat; Logan had never directly referenced his part in Laura Mancini's disappearance but then he had never denied his involvement either. Ari acted now purely in an attempt to move Logan away from such a darkness, a darkness that she could tell over recent months gnawed at his very being and at more times than not consumed him. Dark thoughts that had lingered ever since his return. A darkness she couldn't explain but that would only be exacerbated by involving him or even worse utilising him to dispose of Siena.

There had been a joint plan in holding Siena as their prisoner, but that plan itself now seemed to trigger conflict within in him, conflict that would only build the longer the situation transpired.

Ari acted in the worst interest of Siena Mancini and the best interests of the man she loved.

Looking back at Salazar she knew full well the contempt within which Logan held the man of mixed ethnicity who sat across from her. She could only begin to imagine his reaction in the unlikely event he were to walk through the office door at that very moment.

Leaning forward in an attempt to offer an assertive stance once more, despite sensing it was too late; it was Salazar's who spoke first.