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CHAPTER 6: CIRRA'S CAGE


T ARA PULLED THE van to a stop on George Street, just off Sheffield. After accidentally driving north, Teddy had yelled at her from the back of the van and told her they were going to Lakeview. Like Tara knew? She had been driving since she was 13 but still, they fucking had to tell her where they wanted to go before she could fucking take them there. Dammit.

Valerie watched as Teddy opened the sliding door of the van and stepped out, his bulky body obscuring the dim light from the building behind him. She scrambled after him, joining Tara at his side on the sidewalk. Glancing behind her, she looked at the darkened storefront, the dirty windows painted black. A big muscled man in leather stood at the heavy black door watching them with his arms crossed over his chest. Turning her eyes back to the van, she watched as Leon emerged with her very disoriented roommate who stumbled forward with Leon's strong hands holding her up. Lisa's brown eyes were as wide as saucers, the pupils dilated as she tried to focus on her surroundings.

"So Teddy, you think your boss lady's gonna want to deal?"

Valerie spoke as she turned to her friend, Teddy. With a smile, she nodded over at Lisa and raised an eyebrow before continuing.

"I'd say this one's worth our usual and extra."

Teddy put a hand to his chin, stroking the scruff while he appraised the young woman standing in Leon's arms, oblivious to the conversation.

"And how do you figure the 'extra'?"

Valerie curved her hand around his leathered bicep and smiled, looking up at him with light blue eyes. With a wink over at Tara, she purred.

"I've been living with her for three months and not once did she mention having a family. No one's gonna miss her so it's a clean deal with no strings. It won't be too hard to erase her existence. Besides, I happen to know for a fact that she's undamaged goods."

Teddy's eyes went wide as he peered over at the staggering girl and then back at Valerie, his vrumbling voice holding a hint of excitement.

"You mean to tell me she's whole?"

Valerie reached inside the leather jacket and smoothed her hands across his hairy chest. Sidling up in front of him, she smiled.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. She told me herself. Never had a boyfriend, hell, she never got to second base."

Teddy looked down at her, his dingy white teeth showing as he smiled crookedly. With a glance over at Lisa, he nodded.

"She's a bit older than the boss likes them. She's what? 21, 22? I don't know if that'll fly."

Valerie let her hands run across his chest, her fingers hooking on the leather strap hooks and tugging. Putting on a pouty look, the minor-league player from New York City looked up at him. She needed this score. The last one she found for Teddy supplied her habit for months. If she could get this one and something extra, she'd be able to finally make her way into the business. Not the same business Teddy and his boss were in, but the smack market these days was booming and she could make a fortune. She had big plans. Valerie had to sell this one good.



"Yes, but Teddy, she's from Indiana for god's sake. With that kind of stunted cultural background, she's gotta be no more than 17 or 18 in the head. Look at her!"

Tara piped up perturbed, stepping to the side of Valerie and tapping her on the shoulder.

"Hey! Me and Teddy are from Indiana, you smart ass!"

Valerie smiled and shook her head at both of them.

"Yes, but you two didn't live on an honest to god fucking farm, did you?"

The three of them laughed as they turned and looked at Lisa, trying to stand on her own as Leon held her up. Val just convinced the second in command that the goods were worth the price.

Lisa turned her head at the sound she distantly heard and focused briefly on Valerie. Somewhere in her mind, she realized that Valerie was her friend and that she could help her find her way back to wherever it was she was supposed to go. No longer able to make sense of things on her own, she knew that if only Valerie could tell her what was reality, she'd make the connection. Would she hear her if she tried to talk? Could she talk? What was talking anyway? Reaching out a hand, Lisa stumbled forward and Val caught her. With labor, she tried to make her mind and mouth form words that barely corresponded to the thoughts in her head.

"Valerie...this...I am..can..can you. There's something on my shoe..heavy..I..."

Valerie started to lead Lisa to the door of the building behind her. With a smile, she looked over at her roommate, she soothed words to her.

"It's ok..we're just going to go in here for a while. You'll be fine. Trust me."

Lisa only heard the last two words, making some sense in her mind. The people around her were starting to become fuzzy shapes with colors vibrating out from them. As the shape at the door opened it, she briefly caught the red neon sign just inside the door. Her mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that there were letters there and that those letters represented words and those words meant something to someone. To her?

"Cir..c...see that? Val...I think I should call my...cirra.. my..um..I need mmy...I need Mar...I..my siscirra.."

Valerie shushed her and glanced behind her shoulder, making sure Teddy didn't hear any of this rambling. The last thing she needed was for Lisa to blow this deal for her. Teddy was gruffly talking to the doorman as she pulled Lisa further into the dark club, the pulsing sound of techno music filled their ears before Lisa could utter another word. All Valerie needed to do was get the approval of Teddy's boss, collect her fee, and keep Lisa drugged up enough for them to take care of the rest. She reached into her pocket and took out another square of paper and let it slip between the unresisting lips of her roommate who looked at her with doe-eyed faith. Nobody ever said the world was a safe place to trust someone.


* * *

 

Teddy made his way up the stairs to the balcony overlooking the dance floor. The entire place was jam packed with sweaty leather bodies, dark lights, and the sound of bass-filled music. He had already nodded to the people who had left his apartment earlier in the evening. The room was mainly filled with men, their dancing was a mixture of rhythm as well as overt domination and submission. Black leather, chains, bondage devices, the whole place was packed with sweat and slaves. This was certainly one side of the leather scene that most people had come to associate with unease. Teddy felt right at home.

Leon had taken Lisa to a back room down below and Valerie and Tara were at the bar getting drinks. Reaching the top of the stairs, Teddy looked around the dimy lit area, a few tables were occupied by various people drinking and engaging in their own private games. Spotting his boss, he made his way across the room. A curved booth was situated against the back wall, away from all the other tables, a candle throwing surprisingly strong light and shadows against the sole occupant of the booth. With a smile, he placed a drink on the table and slid into it.

"Theodore, you know I don't drink intoxicants."

The voice coming from Teddy's boss was distinctly feminine and slightly chastising. With her lips curved into a deceptively sweet smile, the slim figure dressed in a shiny black leather bustier affected a bored look as rolled her eyes at Teddy when he smiled his apologies and adoration. Long blond hair fell around her bare shoulders and her red lipstick stood out against her beautifully sculpted face, her high cheekbones standing out in relief. This woman was a dangerous combination of sexual power and disarming manipulation. Her long fingernails tapped against the surface of the table as she narrowed her eyes at Teddy.

"What took you so long, hmm, Teddy boy? I assume you know I don't like to be kept waiting."

Teddy's face went shy and submissive as he lowered his eyes to his mistress. In a soft boyish voice, he spoke.

"Forgive me, Mistress Cirra."

Cirra inhaled a deep breath as she crossed her legs, the tight shiny leather pants painted on her squeaking as she moved. Men were so easy. Most of them wanted to be dominated and that was simple enough: A stern voice, stern punishment, whatever. To be honest, the whole scene bored Cirra because there was no challenge. If she wanted to, she could strut right down there on the dance floor and make men grovel at her feet. Didn't matter if they were gay or straight, they all wanted to feel her boot on their neck. You see, Cirra had that elusive quality called charisma, that sexual power and attitude that could be felt as strongly as a leather strap across a bare back. But the important thing was that she _knew_ it. She knew exactly how to work a crowd, how to get what she wanted from anyone. It was almost scary.

That was why she was the boss here. That was why she controlled an elaborate group of individuals all willing and able to do her bidding and make her money and make people pay. Part of what made Cirra dangerous and slightly insane was the fact that she had no conscience. Simple as that. She simply no longer gave a fuck about any other human being. She was dead inside from a wound so old she no longer remembered the pain of it. All she knew was that everyone was cattle to her and she would brand them with her own stamp before she left this world. She'd take as many down with her as she could but until then, she'd take away every mother's pride and joy...their children. She never had a childhood and she was damned if she was going to let anyone else have one. With a low growl, she sneered over at Teddy.

"Show me what you got. Now."

Teddy cowered under her firm voice, his brown eyes lowering to the table. In a quiet voice, he spoke.

"She's downstairs. Young, 21 or so."

Cirra reached over and grabbed the leather of his motorcycle jacket and yanked him to her, nearly shoving his face into the table. Her chocolate brown eyes found his and drove into them with the force of her personality.

"You _know_ I don't take them that old, you sniveling pig. Why are you wasting my time?"

From his vantage point a few inches above the table, he peered up at her, his eyes pleading as his hands found the edge of the table. He could smell the slight scent of cinnamon coming from her skin and that merely made him more submissive.

"Wait, Mistress Cirra, wait, please. She's older but she's a virgin."

He felt the blond let go of his jacket and grab his hair, raising his head to study him. A half-crazed, far off look came into her eyes and she glanced across the table, not seeing the swirl of bodies dancing below or the tables of people around her. With a broad smile, she let her index finger play with the surface of the table.

"A virgin...a virgin...in this day, at that age?"

It was a rhetorical question in a singsong voice as she pondered, her hand gripping Teddy's hair tightly. A virgin? There were so few these days, even when she started lowering the age of her trade. Cirra was surprised to find a virgin in kids as young as 13. Why, back in her day...

Her thoughts were interrupted when Valerie and Tara came up to the table, each holding a beer in her hands. With a curious look, she regarded the two girls standing in front of her booth with mild annoyance. Teddy shifted his eyes from the table to the girls, wishing they weren't witnessing his particular predicament.

"Yes? What do you want?"

Cirra's voice growled out her disdain. She knew the young one was Teddy's sister and the other one she had done business with long ago. The point was, however, they were interrupting her and that was unacceptable.

Valerie smiled and lowered her head slightly in respect. She had learned how to deal with Cirra: cautious submission. This time, however, she had something valuable and that made this meeting a little less intimidating. As long as she had something Cirra wanted, she could bargain with a little more leverage. With a soft but confident voice, she let her eyes meet the blond's.

"The virgin is mine to deal."

Cirra narrowed her eyes as she let go of Teddy's hair, forgetting him while she focused on Valerie. She was a curious young woman, from New York if she recalled. Some trouble in the city, a big habit to feed. With a twinkle in her eye, Cirra smiled coyly and motioned for Valerie and Tara to join them in the wide U-shaped booth. With a purr, she let her eyes meet Valerie's.

"Sit."


* * *

 

Lisa stood against the wall, her back firmly resting against the hard wooden surface. She knew she was in a small room, but could barely comprehend the dimensions, let alone the specifics. She was faintly aware of a single lightbulb suspended above her, swinging back and forth by its cord. Leon was sitting on a small chair by the door, his eyes roaming over her body. She was thirsty, the dehydration of the night finally catching up to her. She could hear or feel the pounding of the music against the wall as she stood there, too afraid to let go.

Just before another wave of reality disconnection swept over her, Lisa's mind played over images from her childhood like a surreal 'It's Your Life' experience. Closing her eyes, she watched the movie of her mom and dad swinging her between them, their sure grip holding her little hands as they walked along their field of growing corn. A rich, joyful laugh escaped her as she swung suspended above the ground, her tiny feet coming to rest on the green, green grass. She heard another happy laugh and looked behind her. Running, white-blond hair waved along behind a smiling face, green eyes dancing as the slightly smaller girl caught up to Lisa and her parents.

It was her sister, shorter than she but a few years older. Laughing, she watched her brown-haired self run back and take her sister's hand and they skipped ahead of their parents. The flat farmland surrounding them offered a virtually endless playground. With her hand firmly in her sister's, she followed as they ran away from their parents into the fields of corn, the green stalks rising a few inches above their bobbing heads. On and on, they ran, the stiff leaves smacking against their faces and their bare arms and legs. Neither one of them cared as they laughed and laughed, running further and further. She felt safe with her sister, assured that when the time came, Mariel would lead her home.

 


Date: 2015-12-17; view: 400


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