Chapter 37: Dean's Exit

"Ok." I said to myself, merely repeating Cleo. "Ok." I stood and followed her into the trailer. Letting the old dog lie quietly in the back of Billy's truck.

Eddie was cleaning up, washing the wall Micheal had been held at. He had a large soapy sponge and water ran freely down the wall turning brown with mixed blood, dirt and other things I didn't want to think about.

Cleo was busy ripping down all the photos on the walls, she took arm fulls outside and said she was going to burn them before we were done. This seemed to be something she wanted done with a passion. I was a bit puzzled at it, but let her go on.

Dean was working on the floors, making sure the soapy water Eddie had fell neatly into the drain and cleaning up the worst of the mess.

Billy was working on first aid. They'd decided to leave the men in this room, as it was the easiest to work in with only the one stool, still it was cramped with all of us. I stepped over a limp body and opened a nearby window that had covered tightly. I had to get air into the place.

Jim was laid flat on the ground, he'd been untied. I wasn't sure if he was still out cold or just drained. Billy had cut the duct tape from the pole but wanted to wait until Jim was able to help before he removed the tape from his penis. Micheal laid face down on the floor, Billy had the most unpleasant task of washing his backside and checking out how badly he was hurt.

"Katrina, could you clean Jim's face up?" Billy asked, unsure if I was going to be any help at all.

"I can try." I knelt down and began to gently sponge the dried blood off of Jim with simple water. When I was done with that I cracked an ice bag to activate it and placed it over one half of his face.

Billy was working on Micheal still, so I started to wash Jim's chest, avoiding his nipples. I fought down nausea as I worked, grateful there was nothing left for my stomach to heave. I wasn't sure what I thought they'd do to Micheal and Jim when they caught them, or maybe I hadn't bothered to think at all. I guess I knew they'd give them a beating. I dabbed Jim with more clean water. Yet some of the things Dean had done just wasn't sitting right with me. I was also more worried about what I didn't know. What more had happened that Dean refused to talk about? It showed me how little I know of any of these people.

I worked slower than Billy, who had already tended Micheal's back, and came to help Jim. Quickly he checked Jim's face and then moved onto to his chest. There wasn't much to do, but make sure it was clean. He poured an antiseptic on it and allowed it to air dry. I decided then that they were simply out cold. The antiseptic was poured on, cold and it had to have burned and stung the wounds, but only the skin twitched. The men stayed quiet.

Together we did our best to wash both men's legs and arms, keeping them clean and still would do more than anything else. Billy had Dean bring in some cushions from the front of the trailer and we placed them under the men, keeping them off the floor for both sanitary reasons and a sense of guilt.

Work done for now, the five of us sat against one wall and simply stared at the two men, their dog content to lie at Billy's feet.

Billy broke the quiet. "Well, they'll need rest, just like Cleo did." He glanced at her and went on. "Micheal I think, isn't too bad. I hope he's emptied his bowels enough where it can heal before he has to go again. The body repairs itself pretty quick there, but keeping it clean, and..." Billy shook his head. "You've torn him." Billy said to Dean. "The risk of infection is very high."

I don't think Billy had ever Billy seen just how large Dean actually is, never having seen him nude before.

"I think, maybe, I dunno, but maybe because he's gay and has been taking Jim there for some time his body was able to accept and handle you more than..." Billy just stopped.

"We still have to deal with the tape." I put in.

"Yeah." Billy said looking over at Jim. "He won't sleep much longer, when he gets up he's going to be one mad dangerous man."

We were all quiet a while, each with our own thoughts. Mainly 'Now What'.

"Well." Billy said, at last standing. "Dean, you should head home, take a shower, maybe get some sleep. Cleo, you want to ride with him?"

"Yeah." Dean stood and pulled Cleo to her feet.

Cleo hadn't said much at all. I couldn't tell if she was happy the paybacks were served, upset because she didn't take part, or regretting that it had been done at all. Perhaps a bit of everything? Cleo gave a small wave and left with Dean.

I was now too restless to sit. I got a sheet from a cabinet out front, surprised it was clean. I laid it over Jim's lower half, trying not to think of the duct tape. For Micheal I placed a light weight blanket over his legs. I didn't want to burn marks to stick to the blanket. Granted it was another hot day but I knew shock could make you shiver, if they wanted the comfort of these they'd have it.

I then went searching through the kitchen cabinets till I found some dog food. The dog had been kept outside for the ordeal and pretty much ignored. That didn't seem to bother him. I plopped some canned food on a plate and sat it by the door outside.

Busy work I knew, but I picked up soda bottles and chip bags and whatever had been sitting around. A deck of cards I placed back in their box and in the drawer. 'What now?' Chanted in my mind.

"What now?" Came out of my mouth unbidden, surprising even me, when Billy joined me in the kitchen area.

"Because they don't have anyone but each other I have to give them time to heal. Then we'll make sure they know if they're seen around here it won't be pleasant." Billy shrugged

"And if they go to the police?" I asked with my hand on my hip.

Billy just shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge if we get there."

Eddie joined us in the room. He sat down on the nearest seat, in the small space it was better if one sat out of the way then everyone standing.

"We can take time riding horses out here, each trip taking a different path. It will give me an excuse to be away from the stables and cut down on the broken flattened grass and things. Exercising the horses and things." Billy looked to me. "You're already gone a lot of the time with the Big House work so no one will notice." Billy looked at Eddie.

"She's not coming here alone." Eddie said sternly.

"No. I agree." Billy said looking at me.

"That's ok. I agree." I folded my arms over my chest, mocking Billy's stance. "Frankly I don't want to be here alone."

"Alright. I'm getting my tools and taking down that contraption they built." Billy headed outside.

"Why bother, they'll just make another one." Eddie said sitting down on the bench seat without it's cushion.

"Slow em down maybe? I don't care, I want it down too." I said sitting next to Eddie. "How are you doing?"

"With all this?" Eddie gestured with his hand, then shrugged. "Not my cup of tea, as they say." He smiled at me. "Too bloody. I just want it done and over with."

"I agree." I leaned my head on his shoulder and felt too tired to move when Billy came back in to start on the back room.

When Micheal and Jim were both awake, they were too sore to be mad. Even if they were mad they were too sore to do much more than complain.

The next few days flew by. Jim and Billy worked together to remove the last of the tape from Jim's penis. I was a walking zombie. I was working steadily on the Big House, making trips with either Eddie or Billy, sometimes both to keep an eye on our bad guys.

They were healing fast, as Cleo had. I was in the front of the trailer, making their lunch one afternoon when Billy decided to have a little talk with them.

"Are you boys ready for round two?" Billy asked in such a matter of fact voice that both men cringed.

Micheal was laying on his stomach while Billy examined his whip marks.

"Or have you learned your lesson?" Billy applied more ointment causing Micheal to flinch. Neither said a word. "Dean went easy on you. Next time he'll fuck you with a night stick. Thank of that Micheal. How would you like a night stick shoved so far up your ass till it comes out of your mouth? Or two, one down your throat to meet the one coming in your ass? Cause trust me, next time Dean won't stop with giving you a lesson. He'll kill you."