Chapter 35

Cindy awoke first. She snuggled to Theresa for a moment before the previous evening flashed back into her mind. She frowned a bit, but continued to snuggle with her friend for a while. She wanted to make love with her. Really wanted to. But she didn’t think Theresa could handle it.

She kissed her softly on the forehead and slipped out of bed, heading for the bathroom.

A little while later Theresa entered. Cindy nodded at her and then turned on the shower. She bent down and whispered in her ear: “Join me in the shower. The noise will cover the sound and the glass obscures the view.”

Theresa just nodded.

Cindy moved into the shower. A few minutes later Theresa slipped in.

Cindy soaped her front and pulled Theresa against her. Saying to her: “I know you feel uncomfortable about it, but if we stop cold after what we did all week, John’s sure to know something’s wrong.”

“God ... all the things we did all week!” Theresa gasped.

“I know. They were wonderful. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Even knowing what we do.” Cindy said.

She squirmed against Theresa, the soap slippery between them. Their breasts sliding across one another.

Theresa balked a bit.

“Come on ... lover. How many times have we done this while he was right outside brushing his teeth?” Cindy coaxed.

Theresa thought about it a bit and then reluctantly soaped Cindy’s ass cheeks.

“That’s my girl.” Cindy said, enjoying the sensation.

After a time Theresa forgot about the cameras and got into it. Her orgasm, supplying a much needed stress relief, was strong and deep. Cindy’s too.

Before turning off the water Cindy whispered some plans in Theresa’s ears. At first she shook her head, but Cindy persisted and she finally nodded.

They exited and dried each other —blow drying their hair— then kissed softly and moved off to dress. They picked warmer clothing.

They made breakfast and chatted about their studies while they ate. Then Cindy packed a cooler with sandwiches and two thermos bottles, one with coffee, one with hot chocolate.

Theresa came up behind her and kissed her on the neck and caressed her buns

Cindy giggled and turned into a deep kiss. Then pushed her away.

They carried the cooler up to the entry. Then suited up in their snowmobile suits, boots, gloves and helmets.

Taking a cellular phone with them, which Cindy forwarded the silo’s calls to, they carried the cooler up through the hatch.

They got out two of the snowmobiles and loaded the cooler on one of them. Checking the gas tanks and getting them both started, they opened the gate and headed down the road.

Over the radio intercom Cindy said: “I think we can talk now.”

“Where the hell are we going? It’s too damn cold out here for a picnic in the snow.” Theresa said.

“Not inside the heated shed at the end of the road.” Cindy giggled.

Theresa got it then. “Perfect! God I love you.”

“Kind of what I had in mind.” Cindy chuckled.

They put on some speed down the virgin snow.

The going was easy, the road fairly well defined as a dip in the snow. Other than a few deep drifts which they had fun jumping the ride was uneventful.

They pulled up in front. Out of sight from the main road ... or anything.

Cindy worked the combination lock and opened the door. It was warmer inside, but not much. Just above freezing. Cindy found the light switch and then the thermostat and turned the heat way up. Theresa helped her in with the cooler, then they locked the door from the inside.

The small shed heated quickly to toasty warm. Cindy stripped off her snowmobile suit and said: “Get comfortable. Pour me a cup of coffee while I look around for softer furnishings.”

Theresa poured her a cup and Cindy discovered some air mattresses and a blanket rolled up in the corner.

“Trust our John.” Cindy smirked.

“I’m not so sure I do anymore.” Theresa said softly.

“Oh ... pooh ... Listen Theresa, I don’t know how much you dated other men before John. But this is a minor offense compared to most of the male species.” Cindy said, finding a pump.

“I don’t consider it so minor.” Theresa said.

“I know you don’t. That’s what we’re doing here.” Cindy said, pumping at the first mattress.”

“What? What are we doing here?” Theresa asked.

“Well, darling. I know you didn’t feel very comfortable making love in the silo, so when we get these pumped up, we can make love in complete privacy.

Then we can have a nap, make love some more, have lunch, make love some more and have a good talk about it, in comfort and warmth. Okay?” Cindy replied.

Theresa was quiet for a moment and then said: “I think that would be a good idea... all of it. Only you forgot about making love after we talk.”

“No I didn’t. I have to let you think of some things.” Cindy teased, “Your turn to pump, where’s my coffee?”

The day went pretty much as Cindy had laid out.

It was good therapy for Theresa and she loosened up considerably.

They lay caressing each other as they caught their breath again. Theresa stretched her svelte body like a cat.

“Mmmm ... that looks nice enough to eat.” Cindy said in a hungry, soft tone.

“You just did.” Theresa giggled.

“Please Miss ... Could I have some more...” Cindy said, in a small, cartoon-like voice. (Both had read Dickens as part of their studies.)

Theresa rolled and lay atop her friend, her knees tucked up beside Cindy’s ribs. She softly brushed a few locks of moist hair from Cindy’s face.

“In a bit ... for now I just like being close to you.” Theresa said.

She descended and softly played her lips over her friends. Cindy’s finger tips gently caressed her breasts.

“Remember the first time we made love?” Cindy asked, softly stroking the outside of Theresa’s thighs.

“Yes ... I’ll never forget it. It was the first time I ever enjoyed it ... or thought of it as making love.” Theresa said.

“God, I was so nervous. I didn’t want to lose your friendship ... but I wanted you so bad.” Cindy said.

“I know ... I felt pretty much the same way, but I did it because I thought I needed to, to keep your friendship.” Theresa replied.

“I would have been your friend anyway ... But I’m glad we did it.” Cindy said.

“Me too.” said Theresa, “And you have been a good friend ... So what brought that to mind?”

“Oh ... Kind of a ragged connection, I guess.” Cindy said, sort of distant.

“What connection?” Theresa asked.

“Well, like our first time together ... When John made love to me that night on my birthday ... It felt the same way to me. Like it was my first time.” Cindy reflected.

“And?” Theresa prompted.

“And I don’t ever want to lose that.” Cindy answered.

“So are you saying that you forgive John for spying on us?” Theresa flared.

“Well ... No ... and Yes.” Cindy said.

“Which is it?” Theresa demanded.

“It’s not that simple to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m mad as hell about it and he’s going to know it. But I’ve been trying to consider it from his point of view.” Cindy said.

“What point of view? What could possibly make it all right?” Theresa asked, exasperated.

“Not all right. But maybe not quite so wrong as it appears to be. Theresa, think about John. Think about what he was like when you first met him.”

“Yeah, okay. I remember. He was a dear. He’s still a dear most times. But he’s also an asshole!” Theresa spat.

“No, he’s not. And he never has been that I can see. Think about it. He took you in, literally off the road. The easiest way for him to handle the situation, would have been to call the cops. He didn’t! And he didn’t do it because he thought he might get laid.

“He took you in and cared for you. When you were well enough he gave you the option of helping you out, or letting you stay with him. You told me yourself that you had to rape him in his sleep to get him to have sex with you.

“Now I remember very well how you looked back then. You were pretty! -now you’re gorgeous-. You had a nice firm little body, and you were out-cold for a long time. He didn’t take advantage of you.

“I believe that. You would have known. At least I can tell when I’ve had sex with a man the night before, even if I don’t remember it. I can feel his semen inside me. My vagina feels different. You would have known.

“But he didn’t ... why not?” Cindy asked.

“I don’t know.” Theresa said.

“Because he’s a for real, honest, good guy. Like we used to see in the movies. He really is.” Cindy said.

“Then why did he do what he did?” Theresa said.

“I don’t know for sure ... But I have a real strong feeling it didn’t have anything to do with sex. That’s why I asked you to think about what he was like...

“Theresa, John could get sex anytime he wanted, easily, without all the headaches that you and I have brought him. But he didn’t want it.”

“Huh?”

“He didn’t want it. When you showed up, he had turned his back on the whole world, including —and maybe especially— the world of relationships. You said yourself, that even after that night when you mounted him in his sleep that he still didn’t really make love to you. Not for a while at least. He didn’t really want sex until we forced it upon him.” Cindy stated.

“No, he got to wanting it often enough before you arrived.” Theresa said, half smiling in reflection.

“Did he really want it, or was he just used to it by then?” Cindy asked.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Theresa said.

“I’m not so sure what I mean ... It’s just that ... it seems to me like he wasn’t really into it ... until about three months after we all started to have it together. Somehow he changed. Somehow it was different. I think that difference was ... that he fell in love with us. Before that, it was just sex. Ever since then it’s been incredible sex.” Cindy said.

“Yeah, I remember ... I kind of got jealous over how close you two got. It didn’t occur to me then how close all of us had gotten. Now I know ... That’s what makes this hurt so bad.” Theresa said, fighting back tears again.

“But it’s also about the time he started to tinker in the lab with the scanning machine.” Cindy said.

“What’s that got to do with it?” Theresa asked.

“I think he got scared. It’s also about the time he started buying —and hiding— all that other equipment. He was falling in love and it scared him to death. Because whenever he fell in love before, it ended badly. He got hurt. You’ve heard what he has to say about his ex-wife. Whenever you can get him to talk about her at all.” Cindy said.

“I still don’t see what that has to do with him spying on us.” Theresa said.

“Can’t you see it? The mannequins, the video. He was preparing himself for us to leave him.” Cindy cried.

“I still don’t get it.” Theresa said.

“He was ... building substitutes for us.” Cindy said.

“Substitutes...” Theresa said, as if testing the shape of the word.

“Yes, substitutes. [and pretty darn good ones. We’ve both made it with them, and they do have their merits.]

“Anyway, he expected us to leave ... and he was falling in love with us. He didn’t know how to handle that. He didn’t want it to be like it had been before. He didn’t want to face the loneliness again. So he did his best to duplicate us.

“Now, I admit. There is no substitute for the real thing. But between the mannequins and the video I don’t doubt it would have kept him amused long enough to get over it if we had left.” Cindy concluded.

“But he started all this about the time you got here. I remember. That’s when all those wires and equipment started to show up.” Theresa said.

“I think he was already starting to fall in love with you. I represented a threat to that ... and if he watched us the night I arrived, I can well see his point.” Cindy chuckled.

Theresa nodded, thinking about it.

“But ... he started making google eyes at you almost from the start.” Theresa said.

“Maybe he thought he had to ... to keep you.” Cindy said.

“I don’t follow.”

“Maybe ... if he watched you and I making love that first night, that he thought that the only way to keep you was to show acceptance of me. And the best way to show acceptance of me, was ... to make love to me. Really, for us to make love together.” Cindy said.

“I get it. But I’m not so sure. He was really attracted to you right from the start.” Theresa said.

“It’s possible that he was. I am pretty gorgeous, you know.” Cindy mocked, “but that’s not the same thing.

“What I felt from him, right from the start, was resentment. He resented me coming into his life and threatening his relationship with you. No matter how cute he thought I was.

“Fact is I felt much the same about him. It felt to me like he threatened my relationship with you. Even though he made it possible for me to be here, it was at your request. You told me yourself that you had to talk him into it.” she concluded.

Again, Theresa nodded. She lay back beside her friend considering all that Cindy had said. Cindy poured a cup of hot chocolate.

She offered it to Theresa, who shook her head. Cindy sipped at it.

“It all makes sense, now that I think about it ... and it does make it seem ‘not so bad.’” Theresa said finally.

“Glad you agree. Because the way to test if that’s true, is to let it pass.” Cindy said.

“Let it pass!?” Theresa said, “Why?”

“Because, if it is true, then John will tell us about the video. Once he feels secure enough that I am really staying. Then he loses his reason for recording us. His ethics will haunt and nag at him. He’ll get ornery and restless, and scared ... and finally he’ll tell us. But that won’t happen if we confront him about it right away. Like I say; we have to let it pass to find out.” Cindy said.

“I ... I don’t know.” Theresa said.

“Theresa, have you ever sat on the toilette when John was in the room?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah, so?” Theresa said, squirming a bit.

“Because, if you have -and I know you have, cause I was there too, more than once- then he’s seen your most intimate secrets.

He’s tasted your womanhood —and mine—. He’s watched you taste mine. He’s licked your backside and watched me do it too. We’ve both had anal sex with him. He’s probed our insides down to the millimeter. He’s scanned every square inch of our exteriors. He can zoom up our pussies or assholes on the computer anytime he cares to.

Now the fact is that those video’s don’t mean a damn thing in relation to that. The part that bugs us both, was that he didn’t tell us about it. Now all I want to do is give him that chance. The reason I want to give him that chance ... is because I intend to be with him for the rest of his life. If the reason he did it wasn’t what I think it is, then I want to know about it now. I don’t want to live with him if he’s really not the man I think he is.” Cindy said.

“I guess that makes sense ... Wish the hell that there was a toilette here. Don’t know if I can make it back to the silo.” Theresa said, squirming.

“There’s a bucket in the corner. Just whiz in it. We can toss it out the door.” Cindy said.

Theresa looked uncomfortable about it, but headed for the corner.

“Want to watch?” Theresa called over her shoulder.

“Might be amusing, but no, you go ahead.” Cindy replied.

Theresa squatted over the bucket and relieved herself.

“Damn, no paper.” She said.

“Here, just a sec. Got some napkins.” Cindy said, jumping up.

She handed one to Theresa who wiped herself. Then looked around and finally set it next to the bucket.

Cindy brought her own and moved over the bucket when Theresa moved off it.

“Just a sec.” Cindy said when Theresa started to walk away.

Just as she turned back, Cindy let loose her own stream into the bucket, splashing loudly as it mixed with Theresa’s urine. Theresa watched a second before she turned her head. Cindy continued and then wiped herself.

“What?” Theresa asked.

“Just this.” Cindy said, standing and moving to Theresa’s side, “We’re all comfortable with each other up to the point where we can watch each other on the toilette, and it doesn’t bother any of us. We would know if it did, like when you turned your head just now. You felt a little bit uncomfortable about watching me pee. Yet a moment ago you felt no discomfort when I walked up and handed you a napkin to wipe with. Nor when I watched you wipe. You were more preoccupied with what to do with the napkin.

Now the fact is that we’ve both had our tongues on those very same spots and examined them very closely at point blank range. In fact I hope to have mine back on that spot very soon.

My point is ... given that. Do the video camera’s make all that much difference for a little while longer?” Cindy asked.

She headed back to the mattress and sat down sipping her hot chocolate.

Theresa thought about it She looked over at her friend, nude, sitting there before her. She herself was nude and felt no discomfort. Fact was that half the time they ran around John either half or completely nude. In the summertime he could hardly keep any clothes on them. And he did try.

“Look at it this way; We told John he was welcome to watch us anytime he wanted. He’s just taken us up on our offer.” Cindy chuckled.

“Okay ... I’ll go along for now. But he’d better have a battle with his conscience pretty soon, or he might just have one with me.” Theresa said.

“And me.” Cindy replied.

Theresa sat down next to her friend, snuggling to her.

“It’s funny ... All those things you said. They’re all true. I mean about the bathroom stuff. We don’t even think about it. But if we talk about it, we get uncomfortable. Why’s that?” Theresa asked.

“Oh ... I don’t really know. Human nature I guess. I found myself blushing a bit while I was talking about it. I guess we find it uncomfortable, because it’s ... unpleasant. The things that come out of us. Shit stinks. Sometimes urine too. Both are waste from our bodies. Sometimes we make obnoxious noises. I think one of the biggest reasons we don’t really want anybody around when we do it, is because we don’t want to subject them to it. We don’t want them to smell something unpleasant or hear a rude noise. We feel more comfortable when only we have to experience them.

“I know for a fact that it’s learned behavior. We don’t think a thing about it, in fact we think it’s funny if a baby without a diaper suddenly lets loose a stream.” Cindy said.

“I guess ... But, why should it bother us, I mean, you and I? When you talked about putting your tongue where I just peed, I found it distasteful. Yet ... I know I’ve done the very same thing to you just minutes after you went, knowing that you just went, and it didn’t bother me a bit. I sort of know that it wouldn’t bother you either.” Theresa said.

“Nope. Just flip upside down and I’ll show you.” Cindy said, only half joking.

Theresa blushed but said: “In a bit ... It’s true with John too. I’ve watched John urinate hundreds of times. I know I’ve sucked him just minutes afterwards many, many times. Even if I can taste a slight taste of urine, it never bothered me. Nor on you, either. Guess it’s just ... I don’t know...”

“I don’t either, love. But I try not to let it bother me. I guess that’s what I was asking of you. That you try not to let it bother you.” Cindy said.

“Okay ... I’ll try.” Theresa said.

Cindy took a big sip of hot chocolate. Then got a mischievous look in her eye. She set down the cup and then suddenly dove down between Theresa’s legs and gave her a long, hot swipe with her tongue.

Theresa yelped, then giggled, then moaned in delight. She pulled Cindy’s hips around.

Sometime later they lay caressing each other. For some reason —besides the hot chocolate— their session had been an extremely hot one. They slowly cooled off, wishing for a shower. Both were damp with perspiration.

It was late afternoon.

“We’d better start back ... after we cool off a bit.” Cindy said.

“Mmmm” Theresa stretched. She kissed her friend softly on the lips. Cupping a breast in her hand. Then lay her head back down next to Cindy’s. Softly nibbling at an earlobe.

Cindy giggled. “I said, cool down. We don’t want to be sweaty underneath our clothes. We’d freeze!”

“Mmmm Okay ... But soon, after we get home again?” Theresa asked.

“You betcha. Right after we shower.” Cindy said.

She smiled to herself over her small victory. Now to deal with John...

John went about sightseeing in San Francisco. He was bored. He passed through China town, shopping for the girls. He hit several jewelry stores to boot. He locked his purchases in the trunk of his rental car and then headed for the wharf. He wandered around gawking mostly at the other tourists. It wasn’t much fun by himself.

He watched several couples of gay women walking around hand in hand, some quite young. But somehow different from his lovelies. These women were ... well, mad at the world or something. They weren’t enjoying each other’s company so much as flaunting it to the rest of the world.

He stopped at a small courtyard off the main drag and got a cappuccino. Sitting at a small table facing the courtyard. There were some street performers juggling for a small crowd. They were pretty good.

He missed his lovelies.

He took out his cell phone and called the silo. To his surprise, after letting it ring a bit, he was met with a cell phone out of service message.

He puzzled over it ... The girls must have forwarded the silo calls to the cell phone, and it was in service shadow ... the only place along the road that would present a dead spot, was the dirt berms just off the main road ... which meant that they were at the utility shed there.

Hmm ... must have gone snowmobiling and gotten cold. Probably stopped there to warm up.

He finished his cappuccino and made his way back to the wharf, selecting a bunch of fresh Dungeness crab. He made his way back to the rental car, then to a store where he bought a large cooler and lots of dry ice. He packed the crab in the ice and then stopped at a fish market where he added other fresh seafood to the cooler. Topping it off with shaved dry ice. He headed back to the hotel.

The chef at the hotel graciously agreed to put the cooler in his walk in freezer till he checked out the next morning.

He’d pick up the sourdough on the way to —or at— the airport.

He kicked off his shoes and fired up his laptop. Logging onto the Internet. He surfed the net for a few hours and then tried the silo again. Again same message...

He dialed another line at the silo and a computer modem answered.

As a security measure he’d set up a computer to take sampled views of each room on command and then send compressed files of the pics. The pics took a long time to download. Finally he checked on the status of the video recorders. Plenty of tape left till tomorrow. He logged off and then called up each pic to look at it.

The girls were nowhere in sight. The silo was clean ... and empty. They really were out. A last view showed two snowmobile tracks heading off through the gate.

Maybe the cellular battery was dead, or off. Or ... they were spending lots of time at the storage shed. Or ... they had taken the second land cruiser and headed out ... away from the cellular service area...

No ... that didn’t make sense. If they were heading out, then why take the cellular? No ... the battery was either dead, or the phone was off.

He wasn’t really worried yet. It was just early afternoon back home.

He tried the silo again in an hour ... This time the message was that the cellular wasn’t answering. He smiled. They must be heading back, but couldn’t hear the phone ring over the noise of the snowmobiles.

So what had they been doing at the shack for so long.

“That’s a silly question.” he told himself. Chuckling.

But why there? They could have been struck with lust while out snowmobiling. Or ... did they go there on purpose? If so, why?

For what purpose would they want to get away from the silo ... Why the shack ... A warm place outside ... again, away from the silo ... What could they possibly want to get away from ... Unless... Oh, oh!

Now back at the hotel, John called the computer back. He couldn’t view video tapes as each machine rewound the tape and spit it out when it was through. He’d had a hell of a time just making a working tape changer which would reliably pluck out the old tape and insert a fresh one. He had no controls to fast forward or rewind by computer though. Nor any video outputs running from the tape machines to the computer.

He did, however, have the computer log of which channel was fed to which machine and at what time. He downloaded that log for the whole week, and his chart of which channel led to which camera location. Lastly he downloaded a drawing of the silo to give him a visual location for the cameras. Then he logged off.

He took the chart and mapped the channels over the drawing. Then he called up the log. Starting at the beginning, when he had left.

He could trace his exit, and the girls going back to the kitchen ... then back to bed a short time later. Using the log he could position them in the silo to the minute. A record of their movements. Not too hard to follow, especially since most of the time they moved in pairs.

“Didn’t take you long to start looking for the instructions ... but it took you longer to find them than I thought it would.” John muttered to himself as he read.

He continued to talk to himself as he studied the log: “Good god, what horny little bitches you are when I’m not around ... When the cat’s away ... God you hardly stopped to eat for the first three days!

Okay ... enough technical voyeuring ... what can I learn from this? Most of the time is spent in these rooms here ... These are hallways between them. What were you making in the lab? ... Probably your revenge on me, for Cindy’s toy. Well, have to face the music on that one. Okay, we eliminate these channels. What have we got left? Not a whole lot till about Friday night ... Hm ... top to bottom cleaning? That makes sense. Then back to making love. Okay, Saturday ... nothing until afternoon. Finished the cleaning. Did laundry ... mountains of it. Then back to play after a walk through ... Wait a minute...

Oh fuck! Saturday night ... here I call. Then someone (Cindy?) does her walk through ... passing by the maintenance room right when this tape kicks out and this one starts. Takes her a bit longer in the hallway. No door alarm though. Then back to the Com room after she completes the walk through ... Okay, in the Com room till ... What’s this number? The workshop? Oh shit! That’s where I keep the spare tape ... Okay, back to the Com room for ... not very long. Then down to the bedroom, wardrobe ... back up to ... what? The entry? Both of them? Then outside ... disappear till here ... then back down inside ... kitchen ... Com room ... kitchen... fast ... then one to the cleaning closet and one stays in kitchen. One comes back and they both stay in the kitchen for a long time. Then down to the hot tub ... then to bed.

Okay, what do we know? Somebody walks by the tape room, maybe hears something ... Thinks about it. But in the Com room somebody plugs in a tape and whoever walked by the tape room puts two and two together. Thinks about the tape I carted into the workshop and goes and checks on how much I’ve used ... finds out it’s a lot. Too much. Goes back to the Com room to tell the other about it ... but instead talks her into going outside to talk ... Where? The storage shed! That’s why they go out of view of the entry camera. It’s night and winter and damn cold. They suit up in the entry here and go out to have a talk. Now in the storage shed, because ... I built it ... So they know the camera’s in the silo were installed by the government, not me. They figure the shed is safe (if cold ... but out of the wind.).

Okay, they talk it over ... for about an hour. A long time outside at night in winter. So something serious they were talking about. Like finding out that I’ve been taping them ... Probably Cindy who put it all together. Theresa’s not dumb, but she’s not as observant as Cindy. Okay ... outside talking, rather inside the storage shed. Still cold, but out of the wind. To be talking that long they had to be deciding what to do...

Okay, back inside ... strip off the suits ... down to the kitchen ... for something warm ... a plan has formed...

Verify? ... How? ... look for camera’s ... Why not just look?

Clandestine search? ... Why? ... Why not just castrate me when I get home? ... Cindy wants to verify ... without letting me know...