Chapter 51

"Lauren" Silence. "Lauren" echoed again, shaking. She opened her eyes, the morning light streaming through the window, dazzling her, silhouetting Maria. "Hey, wake up, here's coffee!" Lauren rolled onto her side, slowly recalling their love making the previous night. Her senses told her she was still naked, a distinctly unhealthy stickiness between her legs.

"Oh, thanks. What time is it?" asked Lauren, avoiding her eyes.

"About ten. Jamie's up already. Emma looks a lot better. She's certainly cooler."

"Good." said Lauren, hoping she would leave, that the subject at the forefront of her mind that morning, the same that had kept her awake hours after they parted, would be forgotten, never mentioned again.

Maria sat beside her. She was dressed, shirt, trousers, hair done up in regulation army style. Her hand rested on the sheet over Lauren's hip, greeting her. Their eyes met and Lauren was rewarded by a smile.

"You're a wonderful lover" she said quietly, her hand traveling over her side to her shoulders, tracing circles over her tanned flesh. Lauren looked at her face, trying to read the expression.

"So are you! I'm a bit tired, aren't you?"

"Mmm, a little. But I've got things to do. You haven't, so you can stay there all day, if you wish." The covers slid down, the curves and valleys of her breasts revealed as Maria opened her mouth and clasped her nipple between her lips. Sunlight shone through her hair, warm and gentle as Lauren gulped in air, trying hard to breath regularly as the girl squeezed her breasts together and flicked her nipples with her tongue. But just as Lauren closed her eyes and prayed the attention would travel lower, Maria rose and walked to the door. "Oh, in fact, you can stay here until you've considered my little proposition. One show, just to cheer him up. That's all! I'll be back this afternoon."

She shut the door behind her. Lauren covered herself, breathing out deeply, feeling used, cheated and bewildered. The door clicked, and her heart sank. Although she knew the answer, she tip-toed to the door and tried the handle. It was locked. She tried another door, presuming it went to either a bathroom or an adjoining room. It too was firmly locked. No escape, unless she wanted to lose fifty pounds and squeeze through the window. Miserably, she trudged back to the bed, turning over an assortment of escape plans. Some sensible, some distasteful, and others suitable only for comic books.

She realised that Maria had the upper hand. She could split the three of them up, transporting each child to another camp. Even just dump them by the roadside alone. Or she could probably have them all killed. She could also leave her in the room to die of starvation.

On the other hand, maybe if Lauren took part in this demonstration she would make sure they were transported to safety. The seed of a deal started to sprout in her mind and so she sat, through the morning sun and into the afternoon haze, thinking, bemoaning her fate, dreading the return of her captor.

Six hours later the lock clattered in the door and Maria reappeared, carrying a tray. A plate seemed to be covered with a huge red napkin, but she was delighted to see a small jug of water, with tiny beads of condensation chasing down the sides. Her eyes fixed on it, tracking it's every movement. She could almost taste the cold, clear water that swirled in the jug. She smiled as Maria approached and held out her hand to take the water.

"Uh uh. Not yet. Now, what have we decided?" Lauren shook her head. "What, you've decided nothing?"

"I'll do it on these conditions: there's nobody except your uncle and me in the room, and the children don't get to know about it. Also, you have our passports for us before I do it, and take us to the border afterwards." There, she had recited her speech flawlessly. She watched Maria's face, and was disturbed to see a smile creep across her face. Maria set the tray down on the floor and sat beside her.

"Lori, my dear." she said, touching the side of her face. "What an offer!" She looked down, smiling again. "Hey, look what you've got on! My favourite shirt! It suits you" Maria beamed at her, feeling the shoulders and the fit. Mischievously, she peeked under the shirt. "Ohh! Couldn't find any knickers then?" Lauren felt her touch, fingers gliding from her buttocks along the line where her knicker elastic should have been. Lauren wondered if she was forgiven, if she had been tested and had played her hand well. Maria touched her shoulder, gently guiding her back against the pillow.

"You're so pretty." she said, kissing her lips. "Such wonderful breasts" she murmured as her lips found her nipples. "And your pussy is heaven. Relax" she whispered, kissing her hips, over to her navel and down swiftly into her pubic hair. Instinctively, Lauren parted her legs, anxious to please the girl, to seal their friendship and gain her agreement. Maria gripped her thighs, lapping up from mid thigh to her pussy, then pushing both hands under her buttocks to lift her higher. Her tongue pressed against her entrance, firm, penetrating, warm and soothing. Lauren reached down, gently rubbing the pink folds of skin over her clitoris, coaxing it out and generating a bubbling inside that flowed through her.

"Oh Lori. Lori. You're such a tart!"

Stunned, humiliated, Lauren shot upright, dragging the covers over herself. "Lori, look at you. All I have to do is push you against the pillow and you've lost control!"

"You shit!" she squealed, pulling the covers across even tighter.

"Lauren, what does it matter if my uncle has you? He probably only has to ask, right?" Lauren lashed out, trying to strike her, but she recoiled, anticipating the blow. Maria stood and reached down beside the bed for the tray.

"I need the water"

"Course you do. When you're ready." Lauren watched as the girl's eyes traveled over the sheets, noting the shape below. She pulled the covers tighter. "Since you couldn't agree to last night's suggestion, the deal has changed. I want him to have Emma."

"No!" shrieked Lauren. "Bitch!"

Maria held up her hand. "I haven't finished." she stated, the smile gone, irritation on her face. "You will be there and so will I. You'll do everything that I ask. If you don't agree, I'll have Jamie shipped to the front line. You have twenty-four hours." She swung on her heel and left. Lauren watched the water disappear, utter dismay setting in. She licked her dry lips, thinking that the only moisture they had received that day had been from Maria's embrace. The key jangled again in the lock and Maria peered round the door. "Oh, by the way, just to help you decide, later tonight I'm going to show what I've been doing all day. It's a film that stars someone you know!"

Lauren's mind reeled from the thought, the lack of food and water contributing to her feeling of weightlessness and inability to concentrate. She presumed that she had filmed either Jamie or Emma. Maybe she had caught one of them sunbathing, or running around the house naked. It was a bit unlikely, but possible. Then it dawned on her, the children's desire for each other, their boredom in the house, a search for release and entertainment. Perhaps Maria had caught them together. Her mind raced, setting up situations, tearing them down, building towers of fantasy on the flimsiest foundations.

She wrapped herself tighter in the sheets and shuffled into the corner of the bed. She thought of her mother, Nikki, Switzerland and the safety of her bedroom. Mentally, she toured the room, opening drawers, finding trinkets from years gone by. A lump settled in her throat and she began to cry, quietly, her chest heaving with great gulps of air as she bit into the bedding. She cursed herself for even thinking that Maria wanted to make love to her, for even thinking that her problem could have been solved that easily. Her head floated, the lack of food now causing her to think poorly, her logic screwed. She flopped back onto the bed, watching the ceiling glide by.

Darkness settled into the corners of the room and the sun no longer shone through the windows. She knew that within the hour, stars would appear. She dreaded the return of Maria and rehearsed clever lines that might make her captor see sense. The day faded rapidly, the gloomy dusk permeating through the walls to hang like a cloud over her head.

Less than twenty minutes later she heard doors banging in the house, footsteps approaching and the bedroom door as it banged noisily against the wall.

"Whoops! Sorry about that!" said Maria cheerily. Lauren rolled onto her side and watched the woman as she kicked the door shut. Wearing only her soldier's shirt and her tight lycra shorts, she carried the tray in her hands and once again Lauren tracked the sight of the water, now accompanied by fruit. She momentarily closed her eyes in dread as she saw the lone video cassette, unlabeled, black and foreboding. "Had a good day?"

Lauren lay there silently, a tremble starting in her stomach, a rich mixture of anger, hunger and to her disgust, lust. Lauren looked at her figure as she placed the tray next to the television. Her tightly cut shorts hugged her thighs, the crisp outline disappearing temptingly underneath her shirt. She watched as Maria turned, reached behind her head and undid the clasp that held her long black hair in a bun. It tumbled down over her shoulders, swirling as Maria shook her head for maximum effect.

"I'll dispense with the niceties. I'm going to show you a video. If you do as I say, you'll get water and food. Otherwise, it's another day for you. Understand?" Lauren lay there, silently, her anger brimming. "Understand?" shouted Maria.

Lauren shrugged, indicating passive acceptance for the moment. Her gaze slid past Maria and over to the tray, perched safely on the chest of drawers. She heard the mechanics of the video machine as Maria slotted the tape inside and watched almost impassively as she turned, reached under her shirt and slid the tight shorts down her legs.

"What are you wearing?" she demanded, grabbing the remote control.

"What?"

"Don't be stupid! What are you wearing?"

"My shirt"

"Knickers?" Lauren nodded. "Stand up!" Lauren obeyed, her head light, blood rushing out as she teetered by the side of the bed. "Lift your shirt, show me!"

Lauren looked at the floor between them, gathering the long shirt tails and bunching them at the side. She tried to look down at herself but her balance suffered.

"Take your knickers off!"

Lauren fumbled, trying to keep the shirt up while using her other hand to slip the material over her hips. Eventually, her knickers tumbled to the floor and she stood there, now frightened at the tone of the woman's voice and her plans for their evening's entertainment. Her hand sneaked down between her thighs, covering her pubic hair.

"Lauren, I'm going to trust you to do as I say one last time. OK?" She moved towards the bathroom door and produced a key. "I'm going to let you go to the toilet now but I expect you to do as I say. Do you understand?" Lauren nodded, relief percolating through her body as she envisioned the toilet, the sight of the water in the bowl. "Come on then" Lauren followed her, slipping past her before sitting on the toilet thankfully. She looked up at Maria, her eyes indicating that she wanted her to leave.

Shaking her head, Maria stood right in front of her, pushing her knees apart. "Arms up! And spread your legs, wide now!" Maria grabbed the tail of Lauren's shirt and pulled, caressing her breasts as it went over her head. Lauren's groan was accompanied by a gushing sound as her bowels let go and the hot stream shot down into the bowl. "Wider. And look up at me!" Lauren felt the ache in her bladder as the torrent continued and saw the pleasure in Maria's face as she bent down and placed a kiss on her lips. Hands trailed from her shoulders down over her breasts, causing such a state of confusion in her mind that she thought she would cry. She was at a total loss whether to respond, slap her face or simply fall to the floor in tears. Looking for guidance, she opened her eyes just as Maria pushed her wet tongue between her lips, flicking along her teeth. Lauren sucked greedily, the woman's saliva welcome in overcoming her own dryness.

Abruptly, Maria broke away and reached for a flannel by the sink. Lauren watched almost in pain as pure, warm water flowed from the tap.

"I'm going to wash your pussy before we watch the film. Do you understand?"

"Mmm" replied Lauren, a delicate trickle playing into the toilet. Maria stood in front of her, watching, her eyes roaming between the anguish on Lauren's face, down over her firm, tanned breasts to the gaping vagina that had been cruelly exposed.

"Oh, Lauren! Looks like this is a bit of a turn-on for you, right?" Lauren shrugged, knowing full well that the warmth between her legs had slowly spread inside her in expectation. Her eyes focused on the flannel as Maria squatted in front of her and began to wipe her clean. She closed her eyes in delight as the wonderful heat aroused her further. Maria gently glided over her pussy lips, wiping up one side then down the other, pushing very slightly into her vagina. Lauren gripped her shoulders to steady herself, communicating the intensity of her pleasure as her fingers dug into the woman's skin. Her mouth dried even further as her breathing became stronger, noisier. She slid further forward, hoping that a finger would dive into her hot sex. Alarm bells rang in her head, reminding her of the last encounter she had experienced with Maria, and how she had been rebuffed so cruelly.