Inevitable Destiny 18

By Ken Rogers

"Phyllis, Tanya will kill me. Please don't do this." It was her last attempt to dissuade the determined woman, but Phyllis wasn't about to be deterred.

"Nonsense. You yourself said I'm in charge. She won't hurt you, Lesh, and you know it."

"Well, I still say this is probably not a good idea. What do you hope to gain?"

"I have to find out what he did to Samantha and Angela."

"Phyllis, you know what he did to them. Why torture yourself."

"I have to know, Lesh. What would you do if Tanya disappeared?"

Lesha sighed. "I'd find her, of course."

"Even if everything you knew said she was dead?"

"Yes. I would not believe she was dead until I saw the body," she admitted, her voice resigned.

"Well there you are. I won't quit on Samantha until I see the body, Lesh, I can't."

"Luca won't tell you anything, Phyllis."

"I have to try."

"If you want to find out what he knows, let me talk to him."

Phyllis looked at her big friend and smiled.

"I may, Lesh, but I have to try first, then·." She left the veiled threat unspoken but she knew she would give in. She hated the though of what Lesha might do, and Tanya would do, to the man, preferring to try to talk some sense into him first.

Lesha nodded. "All right. I'm just trying to save you some grief, Phyllis. The man's a foul-mouthed pig. I was just trying to-"

"I know, and thanks, but I'm a big girl. You can't protect me from everything, Lesh."

"Not if you won't let me." She sounded reproachful, but she couldn't help but smile affectionately at her.

"Come on, let's get this over with."

Lesha opened the door and helped her out of the car.

They were in an industrial district of small fairly modern warehouses and businesses. The building they had stopped at had a sign on the small office door at one end of four loading bays. The dingy, faded sign read, Avery Imports, Inc. Two other cars were in the small parking lot, the darkness and cold drizzle turning them drab shades of gray in the dim light. Lesha hurried to unlock the door and held it open for Phyllis then followed her in out of the cold rain.

The room they entered was a small office with three desks, all dark and silent now. They went through an inner door into the warehouse itself, which was full of nondescript crates piled three and four high, a forklift was parked silently by the first loading dock.

Lesha took her through the warehouse into the back where there were more offices. The one they entered was like a small gym room with hulking silent equipment. She led Phyllis past a small shower and bathroom then into another smaller room with a heavy door.

The room was like a small TV lounge, with a couch and several comfortable chairs. Luca was sitting on an old wooden chair, decidedly uncomfortable looking, his hands tied to the back legs of the chair, his feet to the front legs. Two guards were seated on a couple of the chairs, playing cards on a badly scarred and cluttered blond coffee table. They stood when Lesha entered, surprised to see Phyllis behind her.

Luca looked up and grinned. "You can send the brunette back boys. I like the redhead. She looks like a decent fuck. Should keep me entertained for a few minutes."

They ignored him as if he wasn't even in the room.

"How things going guys?" Lesha asked.

"Pretty quiet."

"Take a break." They nodded and headed for the door. "We'll be right outside."

"You too, Lesh."

"But·."

"No buts. Outside."

"Funny, you don't look like the Alpha bitch, red."

Phyllis ignored his remark and waited until Lesha left then she pulled a folding chair over and sat down facing Luca.

"I could use a good blow job, red."

"I need some answers Luca."

"Now see, here I was thinking maybe you had a brain, but," he shrugged. "Guess I was wrong. Name's Lance, bimbo. Always has been, always will be. You stupid bitches got the wrong guy."

"Have it your way, Lance. I still need some answers."

"Yeah, well I need you dumb assed bimbos to wise up and let me loose."

"That might depend on your answers."

"My answer to you is go fuck yourself, bitch. I got no answers for you."

"I want to know what you did with Angela and Samantha?"

"Who the hell are they? Couple of your prized whores?"

"You know who they are. Tell me what you did with them. Where are they?"

"Oh, they're my whores. Why didn't you say so? I don't personally run my whores, stupid. I probably fucked Îem to see if they were any good, but after that I got people to take care of them for me."

"You're a real slime, Luca. We're talking about your sister."

"Oh, that Angela." He grinned cruelly, his whole demeanor changing. "Her and that little lawyer cunt, that who you're talking about?" He was expecting an outburst of some sort but he was disappointed.

"Yes." She showed no emotion of any kind.

"Yeah, that's what I figured. For a crippled up bitch, Angela's still a good fuck. I did her a couple times. I always wondered if she was any good. Nice tits too. I let a few of the boys fuck her while I fucked that little blonde. Now that was a good piece of ass."

"Where are they?" Phyllis refused to be riled though her stomach was churning with his cruel words.

"Now that would be telling, bimbo. Besides they're dead anyway. Right after my boys got through with Îem we tied Îem up by the wrists. Let them dangle. Then I cut their bellies open and let their guts out. They were still screaming when we left. Probably lasted a little while. I looked right into their eyes while I slit their guts open, red. That's what I'm gonna do to you after me and the boys get through with you."

Phyllis suddenly stood, looking pale.

"Have a nice day, cunt." He smiled; staring into her pain filled gray eyes as she stepped towards him. She stopped for an instant, staring back at him, horror reflecting in her eyes, then threw up on him.

* * *

Angela had been listening intently, catching very faint sounds as Samantha shouted for help. Hope rose in her. Samantha must have found a way out of here. There was silence for a while then she tried again. After a short silence she screamed in fear and Angela's heart was suddenly in her throat.

"Samantha!"

Without thought to her own injuries, she struggled to her feet and shuffled towards the trickling water calling to Samantha several times, but there was no answer. She struck the concrete rubble and began struggling up it towards the sounds of running water, tears flowing freely down her face as she continued to call for the blonde.

The opening in the rubble was small and she had trouble getting through it, but she was determined. As she was struggling to pull her hips through the opening she saw a triple flicker of light and what it showed her horrified her. The light, obviously the flicker of lightening, came from a hole in the ceiling, along with the trickle of water. The light showed her that the floor beyond the rubble she was on had a gaping hole in the center leaving only a slight ledge beyond the edge of the rubble. Carefully she edged down the debris towards the hole, waiting for another flicker. It was several minutes before the light flickered again, the storm evidently moving out of the area. She still had a little ways to go to get to the opening but she could not see the bottom of the hole from here and there was no sign of Samantha. She edged closer.

"Samantha! Answer me! Please answer me!" She was sobbing heavily, scared of what she would find. The closer she got to the hole the more frightened she became, as the bottom continued to remain out of her vision in the random flickers of light.

In the next flash of light she saw she only had a short distance to go and moved to the edge, feeling her way carefully but fairly rapidly, heedless of the possibility that the surface she was on might very well collapse as well. She waited impatiently for another lightening flash, looking directly into the hole. It seemed to take forever and she was again screaming the blonde's name, waiting breathlessly for an answer each time, but there was none.

When the next flash came it was faint but she was appalled at the depth of the hole and by the glitter of water in the bottom. It wasn't enough to give her a good look, but if Samantha had fallen into that, there was little hope she was alive. Each flash seemed to be fainter and so was her hope, something dying inside her with each failure to find Samantha. Finally the flashes were so faint they no longer showed her what was below, no longer allowed her to search for the little blonde. Time agonized away as she lay in the darkness taunted by the faint flashes that barely lit the hole they were coming from. She waited helplessly for the possibility of daylight her consciousness slipping slowly away into the nightmare of a barren land where she searched forlornly for something precious she had lost.

* * *

Phyllis burst from the room and ran blindly away, tears streaming from her face, Luca's harsh laughter following her.

"Shit! You guys watch that bastard. I'll be back." Lesha took off in hot pursuit of the fleeing redhead. "Phyllis!" Her fear for her friend gave wings to her feet.

Phyllis ran blindly through the stacked crates, her sobs trailing behind her fading footsteps.

"Phyllis, stop!" Lesha was gaining on her but she was still too far behind. Then she heard Phyllis scream and she redoubled her efforts, her gun appearing. She turned the corner to find a sobbing Phyllis wrapped around a cold-eyed angry Tanya.

"Oh, Tan, he killed them, he killed them!" she wailed.

"Shush now, calm down, baby, calm down," Tanya soothed watching the panicked Lesha come screeching to a breathless halt, her pistol in her hand. Tanya gave Lesha an, ÎI'll kill you later' look then turned back to her trembling mate, ignoring the pain the woman was causing her. "Settle down, sweetie. Tell me what happened."

Phyllis suddenly lifted her head and stared at her still bandaged mate. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, Tan. I must be killing you." She released her and stepped back. "What are you doing here? You should be in the hospital, baby."

"From what just happened, I'd say I was in just the right place." She smiled tenderly at the larger woman.

"Honey, you're injured. You should still be in hospital."

"No way, baby. You need me and that's much more important to me."

"I can't believe Janice let you go," Phyllis admonished. "Why would she do that in your condition?"

"She didn't have much choice after I hog tied her to the bed, sweetie."

"You didn't, Tan."

"Don't worry, I had one of the guys release her after I left."

A tiny smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I'll bet she's mad a you."

Tanya shrugged. "She'll get over it. You're much more important to me than she is. Now tell me what happened."

Her upset and fright returned in force though she also looked embarrassed. Tanya gently pulled her back into her arms. She quickly told Tanya about what Luca had said leaving nothing out though the retelling caused her to breakdown several times. The more she talked the darker Tanya's features became.

"How could he do that, Tan? He raped them-his own sister-then he killed them." She was sobbing on Tanya's shoulder again and Tanya was gently trying to soothe her.

"Shush, baby. Let me talk to him. He's probably lying." She hoped he was lying, but she was sure he was capable of exactly what he had told Phyllis. Come on, let's get you settled down, then I'll find out what the truth is, I promise." She placed a gentle arm around Phyllis, pulling her close, and turned her back the way she had come.

Phyllis let her lead her back to a different room, a room that turned out to have a couple of cots in it. She got Phyllis settled in one of the cots and waited until she was resting easily before getting up and turning to the door.

Lesha stood outside, unsure of her welcome but still doing her job.

"Get in there, Lesh, and keep her here. I do not want her out of this room even if you have to hog tie her, understand?"

"Yes."

Tanya turned her back on the woman, obviously still upset with her. Lesha silently entered the room, moved a chair over to block the door and sat down in it. She hoped she didn't have to get rough with her friend, but she would do whatever it took to carry out Tanya's orders.

This far away, and with all the doors tightly closed, Luca's screams were too faint to wake the emotionally exhausted Phyllis.

* * *

Angela woke suddenly, her heart pounding. Where she was lying was now bathed in subdued gray light. She immediately crawled to the edge and looked into the pit.

Her fear escalated again as she got a good look into the deep hole. The sides were by no means smooth, rough projections and ledges protruding across parts of the hole. Far below she again caught the reflection of water. Carefully, her hope dying, she searched the ledges and crevices lining the hole. Many were small but some were large, gaping openings in the sides. She missed her the first time but to her astonishment the little blonde lay on a fair sized ledge, one of many down the sides of the deep hole, one not far below her, another ledge jutting out to conceal all but an arm and her head. Relief flooded her for an instant but then her fear rose again. Samantha was partially buried in the mud, her head nearly hanging over the edge.

"Samantha!" She didn't move. Angela moved along the ledge slightly to give her a better view under the ledge concealing Samantha.

"Samantha!" She tossed a pebble at her, striking her shoulder. "Samantha!" She tossed another pebble striking her cheek this time.

Samantha flinched and Angela felt the world right itself a little as she let out a breath she'd been holding and the knots in her gut began to untie.

"Samantha!"

Sam slowly pushed herself up out of the mud, wiping at her face. Slowly she turned to look up in mild confusion, but then she grinned.

"Wow! I didn't expect to get out of that one. Are you all right, Angel?"

Angela barked a relieved laugh.

"You're the one that disappeared down the rabbit hole, short stuff. Are you okay?"

Samantha took a quick look to make sure everything was still in its proper place, brushing futilely at the mud caking her clothes and hair.

"Yeah, I· uhm, a little mud in strange places, but other than that I guess I'm okay."

"Can you stand?"

Samantha started to rise then looked over the edge. She quickly pushed back against the wall of her ledge turning a little pale.

"Sam?"

"Uhm, did I ever tell you I'm afraid of heights?" She squeezed her eyes shut and huddled into herself wrapping her arms tightly around her knees and dropping her head.

"Sam. Sam, listen to me."

"I'm listening." She remained huddled into a ball but she hadn't tuned out. Angela was thankful for that. She didn't know what she'd do if the smaller woman retreated into herself.

"Sam, you have to get off that ledge. It's not safe."

Sam laughed but there was a pronounced quiver in the laugh. "This whole place is not safe, Angel."

"Well that ledge could collapse at any time."

Samantha groaned. "I hate you."

"I know. Come on. You're the one that said it was better to die trying than to just wait to die."

"I wasn't faced with a long drop off a short ledge at the time."

"Samantha, you have to do this. Come on, please. That ledge is scaring me."

"Scaring you! I'm surprised I can still talk. This is my worst nightmare, Angel."

"Well its time to conqueror it. Come on, you have to climb up to the ledge above you, then I can help."

Reluctantly Samantha unwound, standing unsteadily and turning to the wall. As she did, her foot came down close to the edge of the ledge and it broke away under her foot. She squealed and grabbed frantically at the wall pulling herself tight against it and getting her foot back on solid ground. She stayed that way, her chest heaving for a moment then Angela began to coax her again.

"Come on Sam, you can do this."

"I'm gonna hurt you when I get up there," she mumbled.

"Well, get up here and do it. You'll never get it done leaning against that wall."

Sam's head came up and she growled at the brunette above her. "I'm serious. I'm gonna thump you a good one."

"Come on up and try it, shrimpy."

"That does it, you're toast." Samantha began looking for a way up to the higher ledge. Carefully she began inching her way up the side, her body hugging the wall as much as possible. Getting to the upper ledge was fairly easy though Samantha could barely convince herself to move, Angela's encouragement helping her overcome her fear and the jittery shaking of her limbs. Finally she pulled herself up onto the ledge, scooting back into the center and hard against the wall, her chest heaving more from the fright of the climb than the exertion. Again she brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, laying her head down, eyes closed.

Angela watched her, her heart going out to her. She was sure the climb had been as frightening to her as it had to Samantha, but the worst was yet to come. Angela let her rest until her breathing had evened out.

"Okay, Sam. Lets get this over with."

Samantha raised her head, then lifted her eyes to look up at Angel. Her eyes widened in new fear. Angel was on an overhang above her. There was no way she could climb the wall here.

"I· I can't do this," she said, her fear tingeing her voice.

"Yes you can. Come on, I'll help you."

Angela moved over towards the other edge of the ledge Samantha was on, lessening the overhang some, but it was still there. Going the other way would have made the overhang more pronounced. She had carefully studied the wall for an easier way, but there was none.

Fear was shaking her whole body. Samantha would have to reach up, leaning out towards the gaping hole. If she lost her balance·. She swallowed audibly, unable to finish the thought.

"I can't do this, Angel. I can't."

Angela could see her shaking in fear.

"It's the only way, Sam. Come on, take my hand."

Samantha looked down for a second, the distance to the water below making her feel giddy, churning a knot of fear in her stomach. She turned away pressing her head against to cold wall, her eyes closed trying to get hold of her fear.

"Come on, Samantha. You can do this," Angel said softly.

Finally her head came up and green eyes locked onto blue for a long moment, each gathering strength from the other.

When she spoke, her voice was calm as she resigned herself to her fate.

"All right."

She moved over to the edge of the ledge, under Angela. Carefully she reached up and out as Angela reached down for her hand. They were nearly a foot apart. Angela stretched herself out as much as she dared and tried again as Samantha stood on her tiptoes. They were inches apart, Sam dangerously close to overbalancing.

"Damn!" Samantha growled as she regained her footing.

"Sam, you have to jump."

Shock green eyes looked up at her. "No way!"

"You have to. Hurry, that ledge is beginning to crumble under your foot."

Even as she spoke Sam lurched with the movement of part of the ledge and the next instant she jumped up and out as more of the ledge began to crumble, knowing if she missed, she would fall helplessly to her death. Her heart seemed to stop, along with her breathing as she strained towards Angel's hand.

They clasped each other's wrists and Angela strained to pull her up, her hand locking around Samantha's wrist with all the strength she could muster. Angel was on her own, Samantha too far from the edge to try to leverage some of her own weight. Samantha's eyes dropped, against her will, to see her own feet dangling over the abyss below. Angel scooted back as far as she could, Samantha's full weight threatening to dislocate her shoulder. Somehow she got her other hand on Samantha's arm then, screaming at the sudden intense jolt of pain in her back and legs; she strained to pull her up. Samantha got a grip on the edge and began trying the help. A moment later she was up over the edge and crawled quickly away - Samantha now helping Angela - in case that edge decided to go as well. Samantha pulled Angela into her lap trying to ease the pain so evident in her features and the rigid tenseness of her muscles. Several moments later Angela took a shuddering breath and looked up at the blonde, her eyes bright with tears. She smiled wanly, her face pale and sweat beaded.

"Hi. Glad you joined me," she said in a tense whisper.

Samantha smiled in return, her heart aching for the woman. "Hi yourself. I think I'll forgo the thumping for now."

"Thanks. It'd be a waste anyway. The way I'm feeling right now, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it."

Sam smiled weakly. "Masochist."

"God, I wish. I'd be in heaven right now."

"I'm sorry, Angel."

Angela shrugged slightly. "It was in a good cause."

"Think you're up to a little more exercise after you rest? That tunnel the light is coming down is our way out. As scared as I am of heights, I could use your help and encouragement.

"Angela's eyes dropped. "I can't, Sam."

"You have to, Angel."

"No. You don't understand. I can't. The pain is too much. I· I can't stand the pain when I move."

"Oh, my god, Angel, I'm sorry." Tears were flooding from her eyes. Angela reached to wipe them off.

"Hey, its okay. We made it this far. You just have to do the rest on your own."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You have to, Sam, for both our sakes."

"No."

"Samantha."

"No, Angel, I'm not leaving."

Angel caressed her cheek. "Sam, it's the only way. If you don't go, we'll die here."

"Angel-"

"No, Sam. You can't give up now, we're practically home free." She included both of them in that statement hoping Samantha would cave to the need to go for her, thereby saving herself.

"Angel, I·." She hesitated, wanting to say much more but afraid to. She sighed in frustration, at her failure. "All right. I'll try."

"Good girl." Angela patted her cheek and smiled up at her. "Go on now. I'll be here when you get back."

Samantha carefully scooted out from under her and got her comfortable, her concern increasing at the heat radiating from her and her shivering. She was definitely getting worse. "What happened to my jacket?"

"Its still back where you left me. When I heard you scream·."

"I'll go get it." She started to stand, but Angela stopped her, grabbing her wrist.

"No, Sam."

"Angel, you're freezing. It'll just take a minute."

"No. Don't tempt fate, Sam. Don't go back in there."

Samantha knelt and gently kissed her forehead. She brushed a little hair out of her face then stood.

"All right. Let me see if I can get out of here then, but you better be here when I get back, Angel."

"Count on it."

Samantha gave her one last long look then turned to the hole that hopefully would lead her to rescue for her injured friend.

She made her way around the gaping hole in the floor and stood looking up at a small piece of gray white sky. The hole was similar to the one below, jagged and uneven which gave her hope that she could make her way up to the surface. Fear knotted her guts, a fear of heights that had haunted her since she was a child. She closed her eyes for a moment forcing her fear down. Come on Sam, you big chicken. Angel is very sick and she's counting on you. You can do this. She snorted softly. Jesus, Sam, after hanging by your wrist over a one way trip to hell, this should be a piece of cake. She consciously ignored the fact that if she fell she could still take that one way trip since she would fall into that same hole. She looked down at her skirt, which came to just below her knees. Right, this'll be fun. She sighed and ripped the already tattered skirt up the sides and ripped a piece off of the front, to mid thigh, so she could maneuver. Her natural modesty balked and she almost laughed out loud. This was hardly the time or place to be modest and who the hell was she worried about anyway. She took several deep breaths and started carefully inching her way up into the hole even though her mind was screaming at her not to do it. Angel needed help, so she had to do this.

* * *

Inevitable Destiny 20

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