Chapter 6

When we finally went downstairs we went into the kitchen to find Dave happily preparing breakfast. Not everyone is there. Quite a few of Perry’s team are sleeping in but all the girls are standing around looking surprisingly normal. We said good morning to those assembled. I smiled at Perry and with a nod toward Dave I asked, “Isn’t he great! Can I keep him?”

While I went to the counter and poured two cups of coffee, Perry replied, “I wouldn’t miss his lazy ass. But for some reason the other guys on the team think he comes in pretty handy.”

I suddenly noticed Meg isn’t in the chair she’d been tied to when Perry and I went to bed last night. I asked Steve, “Where is she?”

He explained, “She’s starting to stink. Lee took her to the bathroom so she could clean up.” After a long pause he said, “She’s going to be a problem.”

“What did she do?”

He shrugged and said, “It isn’t that so much. It’s just that ... never mind. Forget I said anything.”

Perry put his hand on Steve’s shoulder and said, “Yeah. We were talking about that upstairs. I probably should have done something after we got the girls out of that place last night. I told myself she might come in handy when we start going through the papers we have to go through. But I just ended up making the inevitable more difficult. It’s my fault.”

I don’t know how much she heard, but Lee had just brought Meg back down from the bathroom. She’s all showered and fresh smelling, I assume. She seems slightly more animated than she was last night. She looked at Perry and said, “No. It’s my fault. Don’t feel bad about what you’re going to have to do. I don’t. I’ve had time to do a lot of thinking and I really hate the person I’ve turned into.”

She turned to the girls, glanced at me and then said, “I’m really sorry for the part I played in Carter’s nasty crime spree. I’m not asking for your forgiveness. I don’t deserve it. But please know that I’m at least self-aware enough to realize what a terrible person I have become and what terrible things I’ve done.”

She looked at Perry and added, “I know what you’re going to have to do. I want you to know it’s okay. Don’t let it eat at you. It’s my fault for putting you guys in this position.”

A long silence followed before Perry said to her, “We’re going to start going through those boxes of papers we brought back. As unlikely as that prospect is, we’re going to be looking for, among other things, any chance of tracking down the women who were sold out of country. We’ll also be looking for any clues to the identity of any of Carter’s business associates. Do you know anything about them?”

She shrugged and said, “Not much. I met some of them from time to time and I sat in on some of their meetings. I wasn’t an active participant though, and I didn’t pay much attention because those meetings bored the hell out of me. But I’ll try to answer any questions I can.”

Dave interrupted to say, “Breakfast is ready. Wes, you want to see if anyone else is awake and wants to eat?”

“If I can find them.”

Two of the girls got up and one of them said, “We’ll help.”

I doubt if Wes really needs help but he smiled, happy for the company. The three of them set off on their room to room search. They returned shortly and Wes reported, “Everyone’s up and running for the bathrooms. I guess we’re going to have to move this party back into the dining room.

We started grabbing plates, flatware and serving dishes and transferring everything into the dining room. Ken showed up before we finished. He came into the large kitchen and came to a screeching halt when he spotted Meg helping us. He stared at her in shock for a moment, then he took a closer look at her eyes. It seemed to occur to everyone at the same time that no one gave Meg another dose of Devil’s Breath.

He turned to Perry and asked, “Do you trust her?!”

Perry shook his head and said, “Not even as far as I can throw Kasey. You go ahead and keep an eye on her. Let us know if you see her holding a bottle with a skull and crossbones on it.”

It’s a good thing Dave knows how to feed an army. It occurs to me that it’s also a good thing we have those bales of cash we confiscated from Carter. I’m going to have to do some serious shopping. There are eighteen of us staying in this house now. I’m pretty sure the owners wouldn’t be too happy to learn that. Even as large as this house it, and it is very large, that many people, none of whom are part of a couple except it now looks like Perry and I are at least the makings of a couple, if that isn’t wishful thinking. But there just aren’t enough places in this big house to put that many normal people. Luckily, we’ve all been through some extreme situations which seems to have made it easier for us to cope with the lack of personal space.

After we ate and cleaned up our mess, Perry asked the girls if they mind helping with the money. I have yet to even hear their names, which doesn’t seem right. Someone should introduce them. Anyway, one of the girls looked at her seven companions and responded, “We’d be more than happy to do anything we can to help. We owe you guys our lives.”

Perry blushed but simply said, “Jenna, how about if you find an appropriate area where you guys can start sorting and counting the cash while we start going through those boxes of paperwork. Kasey, give them a hand with those bales. They’re pretty damn heavy.”

I asked, “Where are you guys going to work?”

He thought about it for a minute and replied, “What we really need are two dining rooms. I suspect we’re going to need more room to spread out the papers. Do you think you guys could get by on the kitchen table until we can figure out something better?”

It’s a very large kitchen table, seating for twelve. I don’t see why we can’t make do. I nodded and asked Kasey to bring in a couple of bales of cash. While he was doing that I said, “Ladies, I apologize. I only just realized this morning that we don’t even know your names. Maybe we should start with introductions. I think you all know I’m Jenna.”

I pointed to the young woman seated at the head of the table and said, “Let’s go around the table and you can introduce yourselves.”

I tried very hard to memorize their names, something at which I’m famously bad. Maybe it will help that they won’t be moving around much for the foreseeable future. The women, in order around the table, are Penney, Tawney, Micki (I didn’t ask if that’s short for something but it seems like a strange name for a young woman), Elly, Toni, Dawn, Lynne and Donna.

I apologized in advance because I know I’m going to get them confused. Penney said, “That’s okay. We know who we are. And since Carter and Meg sucked us into their cesspool of crime and torment we’ve been called just about everything but our names. I sometimes started to think we all have the same name, cunt.”

A few of them even chuckled at that. I looked around the table at those eight horribly abused but surprisingly normal looking women and said, “You guys are a lot stronger than I am even though you’ve gone through so much more. I have to say, you all really impress me.”

Micki, or at least I think it’s Micki, said, “I think we’re all still in shock. I don’t think any of us thought we’d get out of that place alive and maybe even return to some kind of at least nearly normal life. I really want to say, though, we’re all in awe of you guys. Until last night I didn’t think super heroes really existed. Now I know, now we all know they do. You guys are awesome.

Kasey brought in two bales of cash. He cut them open and while I started handing out large handfuls of money I asked him to bring a couple of end tables in from the living room. It was obvious that wouldn’t be enough space so I asked Penney to hand out the cash and I helped him carry in the coffee table. Then we all sat down behind a pile of money and started sorting it by denomination.

Seated out of the way in the corner where I can keep an eye on her, Meg stood up and said, “I understand you don’t want to be around me, but I can help. I may not be good for much but I know how to count ... if you can stand to sit at the same table with me.”

Donna shrugged and said, “I’ve never hated anyone as much as I hate you. You ruined my life and before much longer your partners would no doubt have ended my life so they could bring in some fresh meat and make another snuff film. But I gotta say, this looks like it’s gonna take forever. I guess I’d rather have you helping than sitting around watching and taking naps. How about it girls?”

Everyone looked at everyone else and apparently we all saw the wisdom of letting Meg sort money. I don’t guess she can screw it up too much. I pulled out an empty chair beside me and nodded toward it. Meg scooped up a large pile of cash from one of the open bales and stacked it in front of her seat. She sat down and quietly said, “Thank you.” Then she went to work.

I guess everyone, or at least everyone who has never had enough of it, likes money. I have to say, though, going through six large bales of it, sorting it and counting it takes a whole hell of a lot of the gilding off the lily! As we warmed up to each other the conversation became more lively. But the task before us was daunting and extremely boring.

The girls made tuna sandwiches for eighteen for lunch. We ended up eating out around the pool. There isn’t enough space for everyone anywhere else. After a quick lunch we all went back to work.

By the time we’d had all we could take and knocked off for the day we had sorted and counted half the bales. We’re more than a little surprised by the total. Toward the tops of the bales there had been a lot of one dollar bills. But by far the majority of the bills were fifty and one hundred dollar bills. The bales are averaging two million dollars each! If the next three bales stay that course we’re going to end up with approximately twelve million dollars.

And there may be more. Over lunch the guys mentioned that Carter has several more properties we’re going to have to look into. The information they managed to glean from the documents they’ve been poring over are concerning because it appears that Carter owns the properties but he hasn’t been operating them. It begins to look like there are three loosely affiliated organizations in town similar to the one run by Carter. Even more unnerving; those three organizations appear to be a part of a larger, multi-state operation. But unfortunately, Carter was always careful to say as little about that as possible.

We’re all exhausted, as are the guys who have been poring over all those often cryptic documents all day. No one wants an evening meal of pizza two days in a row and our cupboard is looking pretty bare. Perry suggested we find something for everyone to wear and go out to eat.

Meg, uncomfortably aware of everyone turning to look at her because of the possible problem she represents offered, “I imagine that between the two of us, Jenna and I can find something the girls can wear. And I know of a restaurant which has a decent room you can use if someone isn’t already using it. If you’d like, I’ll give them a call. As for me, I have no doubt you men are more than capable of tying me up so that you don’t have to worry about me causing trouble.”

There were a lot of skeptical looks around the room when I asked her, “How do you know the people at the restaurant? Are they associates of Carter?”

“No. They don’t know Carter or any of his people as far as I know. I had an honest job before I met Carter. We had monthly get-togethers at the restaurant. It’s a bit pricey but the food and the service are both excellent.”

It probably isn’t my place to get involved in decisions about Meg but I looked into her sad eyes and asked, “Is there any chance you’d behave yourself if we took you with us?”

She looked around at the faces of the other sixteen people in the room. It’s pretty easy to see their reaction to bringing Meg with us. She offered me a weak smile and said, “You can see how that went over, like a lead balloon. And I don’t blame then. If I went through what these women did, in most cases as a result of what I did to them, I’d be a lot less tolerant than you people have been. Thanks for offering, Jenna. But that’s not a good idea.”

Perry interjected, “You didn’t answer the question, Meg. Could you act like a normal human being if we took you along without drugging you?”

With tears forming in her eyes, Meg turned to Perry and replied, “I can act like a more or less normal human being. But look at their faces. They’ve been through enough because of me.”

She looked around at the faces of the people in the room and said, “I think it would be for the best if we just put an end to this ... to me. I understand it’s hard for most men to kill a woman. I can do it so that it isn’t something you have to live with. It said on the internet that an overdose of Devil’s Breath can be fatal. If you bring out one of those bottles I can end it all and then you just have to dispose of the garbage that remains. I can direct you to an old, abandoned gravel pit a few miles outside of town. Over the years it has filled up with water. Weight my body down and toss me in. No one will ever find me there.”

“Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

She shrugged and said, “I don’t want to make it any harder on you people than I already have.”

After a brief pause, Perry said, “Meg, I don’t yet know what we’re going to do with you. That uncomfortable decision is weighing pretty heavily on some of us. But we’re still going through those boxes of papers and we may yet need to ask you questions about what we find.

“Will you give me your word that you’ll cause no trouble if we take you out with us?”

Meg looked around the table at the eight women she tried so hard to destroy. The tears are running down her cheeks now. She looked back up at Perry and said, “Let me arrange for the room. I can’t go with you. I can’t do that to them.”

Perry asked, “Who are the tears for?”

“For them. Certainly not for me. From the moment that drug wore off yesterday I’ve been confronting the things I did, the people I hurt, the horrible person I’ve turned into. Believe it or not, I used to be normal. I honestly don’t know what started me down that dark road. It wasn’t the money. I wasn’t rich but I was comfortable.

“Then one day I met Carter when I needed to arrange for a photographer for a photo shoot the agency was planning for some high end ads. I didn’t realize it at the time but he must have seen something in me. He began grooming me. I was just a normal woman. I still don’t understand it. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I didn’t want to torture women, turn them into whores or force them into making porn. How does a normal business woman make that transformation?! I certainly don’t know. I’ll never know.

“I can say I’m sorry to these women for an eternity and it will never be enough. There must be some dark character flaw somewhere inside of me that only Carter detected. But none of that matters now. Please, don’t inflict me on those poor women. Tie me up. Lock me in a closet or something. You guys go eat.”

Steve cleared his throat and said, “I may have a clue, Meg. That Devil’s Breath you gave your victims wasn’t the only version of the drug Carter was buying from his source. He also obtained another liquid version from the chemist in Mexico which acted as a strong aphrodisiac. There were several notes in his records to indicate the dates and micro dosage amounts he was giving to an unidentified woman. How often did you see him after your initial meeting?”

“Fairly often. We dated for a while. We got pretty hot and heavy. There was something about him that really turned me on. Although if he was drugging me it may have been the drug and not Carter so much. But I’ve always had a soft spot in my head for dominant, strong, somewhat misogynistic men ... you know, Neanderthals.”

“What business were you in before you became a talent scout for Carter?”

“I was a rising star at a local modelling agency until one day I just up and quit and I swear I don’t have any idea why! I loved my job but one day I got it into my head that I couldn’t take it another day. The agency is how I got to know Carter. I was in constant contact with most of the photographers in the area.

“I see what you’re trying to say, Steve. But I don’t think I can blame what I did on drugs. I think I’d have known if I was taking an aphrodisiac; especially if I was taking it on a regular basis.”

Steve shrugged and said, “Maybe. But whoever he was giving that crap to he was only giving her tiny doses, no doubt accompanied by a mild dose of brainwashing.”

Meg called and arranged for the room at the restaurant. Then, with Lee following along, she led four of the women to her house to find something they could change into until new wardrobes can be arranged. It turned out that two of the remaining women are my size and the final two are close enough they can make do. I don’t have a huge wardrobe like Meg does, but I have a few decent outfits. I led the remaining four women upstairs and we went through my closet. While we were selecting five outfits from my admittedly meager wardrobe, they started asking me about last night, about Perry.

I rolled my eyes and whispered, “Oh my god! I think ... no, I know I’m in love. He’s perfect! I know he likes me but unfortunately, he has made it pretty clear he isn’t ready to settle down. I guess it’s for the best. He deserves much better than me.”

Lynne replied, “I don’t know girl. Haven’t you seen the way he looks at you? That was a hell of a lot more than friendship in his eyes.”

I smiled and said, “We were really good together. But ... you girls had it a lot worse than me for a lot longer. But I was put through some... , well, I did some things a guy doesn’t want to have to imagine a woman he’s attracted to doing. Perry is special. He deserves a much better woman than a loser like me.”

That put a damper on things. The conversation pretty much ended then. We selected five outfits and after getting cleaned up we changed and went downstairs.

People are moving around downstairs, everyone getting ready to go, looking for purses and whatever. We’re still waiting for the group who went next door to find clothing. I was standing looking down at millions of dollars and very amused that it’s just sitting out in the open and nobody cares all that much one way or another about it.

Just as I turned away I felt a strong hand on my upper arm. I looked up into Perry’s eyes and smiled but then I saw the concern on his face. He looks extremely serious about something. I asked, “Is everything alright? You look upset.”

He invited me out to the patio so we can talk in private. That sounds serious. He told Steve not to leave without us and we went out through the sliding glass door onto the deck.

He closed the door and said, “Lynne told me what you said.”

“Oh god! Why did she do that?! She shouldn’t...”

“Why isn’t important, Jenna. Why would you say those things? I maybe should have been more clear about my future plans. Thinking back on my words I suppose I made it sound like I’m not inclined to get involved with anyone right now. That isn’t the meaning I meant to convey. I was just trying to warn you, to make it clear that if we do still have feelings for each other when the sun comes up our life won’t be easy or normal; not in the beginning anyway. I apologize for not being more clear.

“But surely you know the things Carter and his goons did to you, and things my team and I did for that fucking huge mistake of a movie, those things don’t matter to me. After last night how could you think that?”

“Perry, I thought I made it clear I wouldn’t get all clingy. I thought I also made it clear that you’re much too good for me. I’m not trying to trap you, make you feel like I’m pulling you into a relationship you aren’t ready for. As for the things I said about the things I did, the sex things, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. But I can’t help what I feel. And I feel you deserve much better than me. Look at the way I live. I’d be homeless if a friend hadn’t put me onto this housesitting gig. I’m apparently unemployable. I must be. I’ve applied to just about every person in this damn town for a job. I’m stuck half way through a college education until I solve all those other problems.

“Now look at you. You’re the perfect man! You’re so handsome it brings tears to my eyes. You’re incredibly intelligent. You’re confident and you should be. You’re able to handle any situation. Your men know. They think you walk on water and I’m not sure they’re wrong about that. You’re the most honorable man I’ve ever met. And god! Can you make love!! I didn’t know what sex was until last night!”

There was a tap on the door, Steve telling us it’s time to go. Perry nodded at his second in command. Then he turned back to me and said, “We aren’t done with this conversation. I’ll be damned if you’re going to tell me who I can fall in love with!! I’d pull your skirt up and spank that cute ass if I wasn’t afraid of being arrested for child abuse.”

That reference to the difference in our ages should have bothered me, but I couldn’t help laughing. He put his arm around my shoulder and guided me toward the door. Before he opened it he said, “We apparently have some misunderstandings to work out. But there’s something about which I don’t want there to be any confusion. Jenna, you silly bitch, I’m falling in love with you. Is that clear enough?

“Oh, and Jenna, I was still awake last night when you said ... when you said those things. I’m not going to panic or freak out. And over the next year or two my team and I will probably end up visiting places you never heard of from time to time. But if at all possible I will always come back to you.”

All I could do for the longest time was stare at him through my tears and wonder how such a wonderful man could possibly want anything but sex from me. It finally sank into my fuzzy head that he asked me a question. I pressed my forehead against his chest and whispered, “I don’t understand how it’s possible. But yes, it’s hard to believe but it’s crystal clear, Sir.

“And I’m sorry I upset you. I suppose I was just trying not to get my hopes up. With the exception of you, and of course your team, not a lot of good things have happened in my life. I hope there’s more coming, though. I could get used to good things happening for a while.”

We followed everyone out to the garage. I set the alarm on the way out and we piled into the two vehicles we’ve been using and since that wasn’t enough the rest of us piled into my old Volvo station wagon. The other two cars are embarrassed to be seen with my car. The only reason my old car is still on the road is because it’s a Volvo and they never quit.

It’s still pretty crowded with eighteen of us in three cars. Do they even make cars without a center console in the front seat anymore? But being either members of the military or recently freed sex slaves in a whorehouse we’re all skinny people and anyway, we don’t have to go very far. I took advantage of an opportunity to glare at Lynne and whisper, “We’re going to have to have a little talk.”

She knows what that’s about but she isn’t even embarrassed about telling Perry the things I told her in confidence. She quietly replied, “I did what I had to do. I did the right thing. You know it, too.”

We followed the other two cars and fifteen minutes later we ended up at a nice restaurant, one of the many I’ve never been able to afford. We got out of our cars and after a quick check to make sure we’re all accounted for, Meg and Perry went in to let them know we’re here. We were waved in and followed the hostess to a very nice room in the back of the restaurant.