Chapter 41

Present – Liz and Bernie – back in Leadville

We are back in Leadville (which we never should have left), back with the taxi driver who's been such a help and this time he's suggested accommodations (hell, he already booked a room for us) called The Delaware hotel. We are met at the car by one of the hotel staff, we follow him into the hotel and I am shocked - it's like we've travelled backward in time.

To one side is a small gift shop with the typical Colorado memorabilia such as we've seen in most of the stores in Leadville. The rest of the lobby is filled with high end gifts, jewelry, and antiques, many of which are for sale. I walk through the lobby and imagine the many guests whom had stayed here.

The staffer who brought our luggage in was behind the front desk so I walk up and ask, "Which room do we have?"

He smiles at us and answers, "You have the Baby Doe Tabor suite." He continues to describe how the local miner, Baby Doe Tabor would come down from her Matchless mine each day to the hotel, where she had a room. She would sit at the desk in her room and talk to friends all day, and then when night approached she would walk back to her mine.

I am ready to see our room so I ask, "I'm a little tired and would like to refresh myself before we have dinner."

He smiles again and answers, "Let me take you to your room."

We begin to climb the stairs and I complain, "Don't you have an elevator?"

I am surprised and a little sad when he answers, "Sorry, they've talked about putting one in, however they haven't found the space for one yet."

I am winded (hey it's almost 10,000 feet in elevation and I'm preggers), so I ask, "Can I take a short break."

Bernie proudly informs our companion, "Sorry, but Liz is pregnant."

The man apologizes, "I'm so sorry, if we had known that we would have tried to find you a room on the first floor. The problem is they're all smaller."

I blush and say, "No, this will be fine, I only need a moment to catch my breath."

We continue, finally make it to our floor, walk toward our room and the hallway is lined with display cases housing many Victorian dresses. I see one particular dress which almost makes me drool so I look at Bernie and practically beg, "Berrnieeee, I want that dress!"

Bernie, being a mere male, has the audacity to ask, "Liz, what do you need that dress for?"

I glare at him and announce, "For our wedding, if you still want to marry me?"

Bernie hugs me and says, "Liz, of course I want to marry you." He pauses slightly then continues, "Oh yeah, your wedding dress was in our room at the cabin so it's gone, but I'm not sure if this dress is for sale."

I anxiously look at the man, he smiles and brightens the day, "Yes ma'am, all the dresses you see are for sale. And if you're looking for a place for a wedding, we do have a reception hall which would be perfect."

I squeeze Bernie, look at him with my best pleading eyes, smile and ask, "Bernie..."

Bernie interrupts...

Damn I've never seen Liz this excited, it's like she's a little girl! Of course I will give her anything she wants (other than a fiasco of an outdoor wedding such as the one for Ben and Jennifer).

I interrupt, "Liz, that would make a great wedding dress and if you want to have it here in the hotel I agree."

I look at the front desk clerk and ask, "So when is the soonest we can schedule our wedding?"

He answers, "I will check when I get back at the front desk and call your room with the available dates and the price of the dress."

Liz gets sassy with him and teases, "I see I'm not the only one that doesn't like climbing these stairs."

The desk clerks laughs, "Well, if you climbed them all day like I do, you would look for an occasional break."

He opens the door to the room, we walk inside and Liz says, "Bernie, this room is great."

The desk clerk leaves, Liz suggests with a wink (I know she wants to get frisky again), "Bernie, why don't we get room service instead of going out for dinner?"

I get ready to call the front desk, when Liz's mobile phone rings. She looks at it and swears, "Dammit to hell! What now?"

Present – Samantha and Stacy – at the building

Now this is living: A great snack from Stacy's chef then being pampered by Sally feels wonderful! She finishes my maniped, begins to trim my hair and suggests, "Samantha, you should really consider coloring your hair."

I am a little bit concerned about why she feels that way so I ask, "Why is that Sally, I like the color of my hair?"

Sally explains, "The color of your hair isn't consistent so what I would do is even it up."

Stacy agrees, "I think Sally is right since I've often thought that myself. Besides, I get my hair colored on a regular basis."

Then Sally suggests something more than a little crazy, "You know, if we colored your hair just right, and gave you the right haircut you would look remarkably like your namesake."

Stacy laughs and I complain, "Sally, if you knew how hard I worked when I was a child to not be associated with Elizabeth Montgomery and the stupid Bewitched television show you wouldn't even suggest that thought."

Stacy doesn't help when she laughs, "What, don't you want to be a witch?"

I decide two can play this game and answer, "Well, if I was a witch I would twitch my nose and turn you into a frog. However, I do like the idea of making my hair color consistent."

Stacy continues to laugh, "I thought princes were turned into frogs and princesses were turned into unicorns."

I counter, "I didn't know you were a princess?"

Sally interrupts our silliness, "Well, I'm not setup here to do color work, so why don't you come to the shop tomorrow and I will take care of both of you."

Stacy answers my question, "Well, I'm close enough to being a princess and I could probably buy the title if I really wanted to waste a bunch of money." Stacy pauses for a moment and continues, "Sally, is there a nice clothes store in town, something with some of the newer fashions?"

Sally answers, "Well, we have Leadville Clothing and Apparel and Melanzana but they both lean more toward the outdoor or ski clothing."

I wonder what Stacy is thinking as she bites her lower lip...

I was afraid of that. I really wanted to update Samantha's clothing since hers were getting a little worn looking. But she needed more than the typical Leadville look of flannel and denim I had seen around town.

Sally finishes with Samantha, looks at me laughs and says, "Now I need to see what I can do with the 'unicorn's' hair."

I really like Sally's sense of humor, laugh and reply, "Well don't forget the full treatment for my hooves."

I sit in the chair and enjoy Sally's ministrations - she really is good at this.

Then she complains, "Stacy, have you been biting your nails?"

Samantha laughs and teases, "Stacy! Unicorns should know better!"

I blush and confess, "Normally I don't however I did when I got drunk after the wedding."

Sally pounces on the comment, "Do you mean..."

Thank God Samantha interrupts, " ... Sally, that's a subject that we don't talk about."

Sally shrugs her shoulders (obviously disappointed) and says, "No problem with me. Now, what time tomorrow are you coming into the shop."

Because I have plans for tomorrow I ask, "How about right after you open because we're going to be busy the rest of the day."

Sally offers, "If you would like I could open at eight."

Samantha asks, "Stacy, what are we doing tomorrow?"

I answer Sally and then Samantha, "Sally, that would be great, how much time will it take? And Samantha, what we are doing tomorrow is for me to know and for you to find out."

Samantha fakes a pout and then suggests an alternate course of action, "Well if no one minds, I think I will finish off the Chex mix."

We both answer negatively and Samantha begins to chow down., I fondly remember the time when I could eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight, that seemed so very long ago and perhaps in a galaxy far, far away...

Present – Safia, Mira and Ira – the hunters become the prey

Wh ... wha ... What happened to me? The last thing I remember is walking into the building, then everything went black! Now I am lying on the floor in only my underwear, with my hands and legs restrained and some sort of nasty thing in my mouth to keep me from talking.

Some fat bastard leans over me, pokes me and says, "Yes, you and your baby will bring us a tidy profit." I begin to cry as the fat bastard laughs so I turn my head toward the right and I can't believe who I see unconscious beside me...

Uhh, I slowly waken from my forced stupor and realize I have been stripped of my outer accoutrements, I am restrained on the floor and have a ball gag in my oral cavity. The last thought I cognate was entering the building and occulating Safia prone upon the floor. I begin to struggle against my restraints when some obese male comes over and pokes my Ben's progeny. I writhe with a greater intensity as the obese male elucidates, "Now you're a fiery one, but not as much trouble as your twin sister. She hurt two of my men before we kicked her ass." He indicates the direction past a likewise restrained Safia, so I rise up slightly and see an equally subdued, restrained and surprisingly nude Ira. He roughly forces my corporeal self back to a reclining position onto the firmament and states, "Your baby and then your body will be worth many dollars." I begin to again writhe on the floor when the obese male leans over me and jabs me with an electronic cattle control device. In response I jump and feel my Ben's progeny jump within me. He laughs and elucidates, "You might as well get used to it, because to us you're just like another cow. Besides, if you continue to resist me, I will begin to shock your sister or brother."

Alexi! The evil obese man has Alexi? I desist in my attempt to escape, he notates the recognition in my eyes and continues, "Yes, we also have your brother and plan on selling him like the rest of you." He indicates an opposing direction with his primary digit so I rotate my cranial carapace and occulate a similarly trussed Alexi. Then this situation becomes maximally untenable...

Present – Yasmeen and Zarika – the plan is almost completed

I was surprised how easily Boris' men captured Safia and the twins. They had them enter the building one at a time and then used Tasers on them until they were unconscious. Ira however almost escaped. When she was tased, she swept her arm across her body and knocked the electrical probes out of her skin, then she ferociously attacked the man who tased her. When two more men simultaneously tased her, she couldn't defeat them and they unmercifully continued to shock her until she made a mess out of her cloths. Next they stripped Safia and the twins down to their underwear and were surprised when they found many hidden weapons. They tied them very securely and even used handcuffs and manacles on them, then waited for them to awaken.

Now that they were awake, it was time for Zarika and me to have some fun. I move over in front of Safia, she glares at me and I laugh, "So you thought you were going to kill us, well here's a big surprise for you. You, your precious fucking Alexi who raped Zarika, and the twins are going to be sold as some rich person's play toys."

She began to squirm on the floor then Boris came over shocked her with the cattle prod. When she about jumped into the air he ordered, "Stop moving or you will get more of this you stupid cunt."