The Devil's Equinox Ch. 02

The semi-tractor that had kicked up all the dust was nowhere to be seen; presumably it had taken the delivery route to the house. Calling this place a house would be like calling a AA battery the Hoover Dam, Baxter corrected himself. It vaguely resembled the strangest resort hotels he'd seen in the far east, Dubai and Singapore; all leaping and elongated heights stretched to bizzarre proportions and vaguely resembling something organic. With its numerous outbuildings, walks, and gardens it looked more like a campus than a house in the woods. It certainly dominated the valley it slightly overlooked.

The three dozen nude men and women hurried into one of the smaller outbuildings with excited hoots, as the first wet wind bore down the hills. Soon anyone left outside would be wet and frozen. Baxter was puzzled but intrigued by Shari's recent acquisition. He figured they may as well introduce themselves to the caretakers, or managers, or whoever looked after the place for Vayle. A quick introduction and they'd be back downtown in his hotel room before midnight. Plenty of time to catch the 4 AM flight to Paris.

Thick rain began spattering noisily against the windows as they pulled up to the main building. Baxter pulled his high collar up against the driving rain. As they started up a wide stair toward what he thought must be the main entrance, he heard the steady beeps of a vehicle backing. "Just a moment," he called to Shari, who continued up and waited in what little shelter from the rain a bit of protruding roof by the door provided.

He hurried around the nearest corner of the structure, until he had a view of the backing truck. As he suspected, it was the semi-tractor backing into position by a loading dock. When it was stopped a crane swung out over the strange looking trailer/cage on the flatbed. As the crane's hook swung into position, the driver exited his cab and began attaching lengths of chain to the cage.

The woman's face was still indistinct at this distance, but it seemed to Baxter as though she raised her head in his direction. "Please ... " he heard, distinctly enough that he thought Shari had joined him. He turned his head, but was alone in the rain. "Please ... " the woman's voice came again into his head. "Please ... "

Puzzled and disquieted he headed back up the stair to join Shari. She had her hands over her head in a charming but utterly useless attempt to ward off the downpour. Her long black hair hung plastered to her face. She was even more beautiful than usual like that, Baxter thought. Maybe if they got back to his place early enough tonight he'd be able to put thoughts of the dead love of his life out of his head for a few moments and go for some real intimacy with Shari.

Goodness knew she deserved it, approaching him repeatedly with such compassion and tenderness. He knew Shari could be an intensely sexual being. If only she had seen his cock jump when she pretended it was too hot in the hotel room that one night ... her black bra and g-string coordinated very well with her black hair while the paleness of her skin was there to offset it. His suspicions that she had a tight, fit body were confirmed that night, and he so wanted to take her in his arms and move onward ... but.

But then there was the guilt of betraying the memory of his dead wife again. Ah well.

He gave Shari a quick kiss and said, "They're loading that woman in the cage into the back of this place."

"Let's get it over with, then," Shari said.

There was no knocker or chime that they could find, so they simply tried the door itself. It was unlocked; they entered.

They shook the water off their heads and coats in a large, modern lobby. A vaulted glass ceiling far overhead provided a constant pattering from the downpour, but it seemed to Baxter that he could hear soft music lilting quietly beneath. A unfamiliar scent caught in his nostrils, but quickly faded. They were alone.

"Hello?" he called. A falsetto cackling laughter could be heard maybe a room or two away. When they called again it stopped. The sound of hurrying footsteps followed.

They faced a tall, thin man who took them in with the saddest eyes imaginable. The wrinkles in his face suggested he was perhaps sixty, although his hair was still a rich brown. "Yes?" he greeted them non-committally. "Can I help you?" The falsetto voice they had heard was his.

"Yes, probably," said Shari. "Are you the manager?"

"Manager?" the man wondered, his forehead wrinkling. "Manager of what?"

"This resort," said Shari. "I'm very sorry, but I need to inform whoever's running the place that I'm the new owner. And then we'll be on our way. We've got a long way back."

His eyes suddenly brightened as his hand reached out to shake theirs. "You're Shari Vayle," he said excitedly. After shaking her hand he embraced her in a warm hug that Shari was clearly uncomfortable in. "Cousin!"

"Cousin?" Shari wondered. "I didn't know Ernest had a son."

"I was adopted, it's a long story," the man with the sad eyes said happily. "I'm Julius. I've heard so much about you over the years."

They shook hands, and Baxter offered his name. "Mr. Bennington," said Julius apologetically. "We may have to put you up for the weekend; the gate's already down, you see."

Baxter was unimpressed. "I have work to do in France in a few hours. We'd appreciate it if you could let us out before you lock up."

"It's not that kind of gate," said Julius, still apologizing. "The gate lowered at sundown just a few minutes ago, probably right behind you as you drove in. It won't go up again until sunrise on Monday morning, three days from now."

Baxter lifted his eyebrows in puzzlement and disapproval. "Listen man, there's no gate out there. We would have noticed that kind of fencing on the way in."

"If you say so," said Julius politely. "Perhaps you'll have to go and see for yourself."

"There is another matter, Julius," Shari broke in. "Believe it or not, we saw a truck pulling in here, with a cage or something on a trailer ... "

"And a woman inside the cage," Baxter added.

"Quite," Julius agreed quickly. "You'll be happy to know she's out of the rain by now."

"Happy to -- " Baxter was too shocked to continue. He thought it might very well be the first time in his life he was utterly speechless. What the hell was going on here?

An elderly couple of smartly dressed women walked serenely past them, holding hands and chatting quietly. "Oh, hello," they greeted the group quietly. "Are you coming, Julius?"

Julius grinned at them broadly. "Be right with you kids. Don't start without me, now!"

They laughed softly and left.

"She's a performer," Julius explained to Baxter and Shari. "In fact, she's a repeat performer, to be honest. She literally begged to be hired back this year. And she's so popular I couldn't refuse."

"She does this for a living?" Baxter wanted to know, still skeptical because he didn't trust the man.

"Oh no," Julius said. "She's a senior partner in a law firm in Chicago, flies out here just for these three days. Basically the only time off she gives herself, if I have it right." He smiled. "Some people are just go, go, go, if you know what I mean. But we compensate that particular position very well, no matter who it is."

"There are other positions?" Shari wondered. "I don't mean to be rude, but as the new owner, I think you can share with me some of the details."

"Of course," said Julius, smiling broadly. "There are thirty-six other paid performers. You might have seen some of them when you came in."

"Yes, we met one young couple," Shari said. "They seemed to be back for at least a second or third time."

"Quite. The folks performing in the ceremony get two grand a day, for the three full days until sunrise Monday morning. The lady from Chicago gets twenty thousand for the weekend. Plus of course they're in these magnificent hills for the weekend and get to enjoy all the amenities of the house. We encourage repeat performers, promote them within the ceremony from year to year, give them an incentive to come back."

"Twenty thousand ...?" Baxter raised his eyebrows. "Is this some sort of cult?"

"Please, Mr. Bennington, I'm an atheist, always have been. So was Ernest, by the way. A good portion of the performers here right now are also atheists. Although there is at least one ordained minister here, though it would be impolite to point them out," Julius added with a wink.

"So it's just a coincidence that you're doing ... whatever it is you're doing ... on the Devil's Equinox?"

"No, of course not, Shari," Julius explained. "To achieve the most power the ceremony must be performed now, that is all."

"I think we should go," Baxter said to Shari. He was beginning to suspect that this place might be a kind of mental hospital. He figured their chances of doing some research on the place would be better back in the city.

"How do I reach you?" Shari asked.

"You'll have to reach me through my firm in town, here's my card," said Julius amicably. "No service out here from the moment the gate went down. I'm afraid you will have to accept this unforeseen development, however: you'll be staying here until Monday. It's completely unavoidable."

"Listen, Vayle," Baxter said, anger creeping into his voice. "If you've thrown down some kind of spike belt out there I'm going to be seriously pissed."

"Mr. Bennington, I have exaggerated nothing and put no obstacles in your way," Julius explained politely, but with infinite sadness. "But don't take my word for it, go see for yourself. Then come back and enjoy the hospitality of the house."

Once they were outside, hurrying through the now horizontal rain, Baxter scoffed. "Do you believe that guy? I swear, the richer folk get, the weirder they become. I don't believe a word he said. Once we get back to town I'm gonna check this outfit out and have the police look into it."

Shari didn't speak until they were bearing away from the house. "I have to admit, that cousin of mine is one strange bird. I'm going to have a helluva water cooler story when I get back to work."

"They'll be calling you 'Shari - Queen of the Fruity Nudies' or something," Baxter joked. His anger quickly faded.

As their compact approached the turn out of the driveway, onto the gravel road back to the city, Baxter suddenly realized that Shari was the most deliciously sexy creature he had ever had in his life. He slowed the Toyota, put the transmission in Park, shut off the engine. The urge to do something about that was suddenly overpowering.

When he leaned over to kiss her, he found her responding with equal urgency. Passionately, deeply their tongues explored each other's mouths, as if they had only just now learned how pleasurable kissing could be. Shari groaned with desire, pushing herself against him. Baxter's cock was threatening to tear through his jeans; he knew he was already dripping pre-cum. In an instant Shari had squeezed herself between the seats, facing the back half of the car, her firm ass shoved upward.

"Get 'em off," she moaned with lusty anticipation. "Get them off, Baxter, now!"

Baxter reached around her in what seemed a tornado of desire to taste her sweet ass, after all this time. Why in the world had he waited so long? He fumbled with the buttons and zipper of her slacks for only a moment, before tugging them down to her knees. Shari moaned her approval, but added a feverish, "What the fuck are you waiting for?" Baxter had never seen anyone so completely abandoned to pleasure.

Her purple cotton highbacks were completely darkened with her moist juices already. Baxter pulled them down partway and ran his tongue over the drenched material. The scent of her juices was all he desired, and tasting them in her panties drove him to heights of pleasure he had never experienced. He had no idea this kind of ecstacy was possible.

Shari moaned and gripped the sides of the Toyota, her head suddenly thrown up. "Arrrgh -- " was all she could get out before her whole body bucked violently. Hot cum ran down her legs, straight into Baxter's mouth where he was still licking her pussy juices off her panties. He held on to her legs as she bucked wildly, tossing her head around like a mare in the heat of some animal passion. He looked down at his own soaked jeans, realizing he had cum inside his pants and was well on the way to a second climax.

He moved Shari's cheeks apart with his hands, eliciting a moaned, "Oh God nooo," from her. Ignoring her pleas he licked her anus, and then brought her soaked panties up so he could lick them and her asshole at the same time. Shari bucked uncontrollably, and with a final, "Ugh! You ... bastard!" climaxed in a wave of shudders that went on and on.

"Eat my ... eat my pussy ... why don't you eat me?" Shari tried to shove herself down onto him, but he held her in place easily.

Baxter was careful to stay away from her gorgeous, shaved pussy, though he wasn't sure exactly why. Shari's own climax elicited another gush of cum from the depths of her fit, bucking body, and Baxter hurried to coat her in her own juices as they began flowing out of her pussy. He coated her ass and muscled legs, to Shari's muffled, "Awww, no no no... " She shuddered and came again, shouting, "Oh man! Oh God!" Baxter positioned his mouth under her pussy and spread her legs as far as they would go between the seats. "Come on, girl, straight down the gullet this time ...."

Shari screamed and shuddered, slamming her hands against the upholstery. "Ugh, God nooo, nooo --!"

Baxter was delighted that he almost had his aim perfect. When she started cumming onto his face he only had to adjust himself slightly, and her hot, cedary cum was running right into his mouth. He gulped mouthfuls down while listening to her moan and buck, winding herself up for another orgasm. He wet a finger in his mouth and ran it over her anus, while her cum still dribbled into his mouth. "Oh you fucker, nnooo," she screamed. Her legs clenched reflexively, covering his ears, but he could tell by the way she pounded the rental car that she was bucking under the sweet assault of another orgasm.

Well, thought Baxter, this was certainly unexpected.