Chapter 9

Lynn could hardly believe the change that had taken place in Earl when he and Rudy returned from Mexico. Both of them had entered the hotel wearing broad smiles, and Earl had bent down over where she sat at Virgin's kitchen table, raising her chin with his finger, then kissing her full on the mouth.

"We're home from the wars, pussycat," he said, holding her face erect, smiling, then kissing her again while Rudy performed a similar act of greeting with Virgin. "And wow, Baby, we took the enemy like wild. So get your goodies together... everything, 'cause we're moving out... and tonight we play smuggler... to the tune of two hundred fat ones!"

Lynn twisted in her chair to better see her husband. He was still smiling down at her with a wide, happy mouth, as if there had never been the slightest trace of animosity between them. His mood and portrayal of same had astonished her completely. God... could Virgin be wrong? Momentarily, a cold emptiness clutched at the pit of her belly.

"What about the rest of the family?" Virgin asked Rudy. "What do we tell them?"

"That we'll be back in a few days," the bearded man said, walking to the cupboard where the cigar box was kept. "Like, we owe them nothing, Baby, anyway. They'll still have a roof over their heads as long as the shack stands. I'm uptight with playing the father confessor to a swarm of drones... besides, Baby, it's time you and I started to enjoy a taste of the establishment's better things." He sat down at the table and began rolling reefers. "And we damned sure can with our share of this deal."

Earl seated himself, making it a foursome. Lynn couldn't help but touch his hand affectionately, then answer his smile with one of her own. Confused emotions rippled through her. Dear God, had it been only the day before that she had arrived there to meet him... and filled with such great expectations? After all, he was her husband, and she had loved him so much for so long...

"You must be hungry," Virgin said, getting to her feet. "I'll boil the kettle, then after we eat we'll pack." She glanced at Lynn's watching eyes, telegraphing encouragement to her perplexed blonde goddess, reading the hesitancy in those beautiful green eyes and wondering if she'd done the right thing by divulging her plans. "You can help me, Lynn baby. We don't want to waste any time."

Lynn arose as Rudy lighted Earl's then his own joint. She saw them grin confidently at one another, drag deep from the brown-papered cigarettes, and then begin to rehash the events of their trip. At the stove, Virgin hissed to her: "Don't desert me now, Baby! It's our necks we're playing with!"

"But... but... I just can't believe it, Virgin... he's more loving than ever.

"Honey, it's a con... for God's sake, trust me!"

"Oh... oh... I don't know, Virgin... my God, he's my husband.

The cave was not at all what Lynn expected. She was surprised to see that it was adequately equipped with meager furnishings that included mattresses and blankets, cooking utensils, canned foods and kerosene lanterns. It was much larger than she had mentally pictured it, was burrowed into the wall of an oceanside cliff and a hidden homemade ladder was necessary for ascent. Once up and inside with Walo tagging at the rear, the ladder was raised and secured against the cliff wall. Rudy lighted the lamps and Earl set about building a small fire at the mouth of the cave. She had even helped him.

"This is so Lopez' boys can zero in, Doll, and pinpoint their way right to us," Earl said as he found matches and lighted the newspaper he'd wadded beneath the dry driftwood. Then, he looked up and grinned at her. "So... this is where it really is, Baby." Lynn reached for his hand and he let her take it. Desperately, she searched his eyes for truth. "E-Earl... Earl... do you love me?"

He chuckled. "Hey, what kind of a crazy question is that?"

"I-I don't know... but I must find out... before it's too late... Please, do you?" Lynn pleaded, holding tight to his hand.

She saw the expression on his face change and his eyes widen. He straightened. "Wh-What the hell are you talking about... before it's too late... ? Rudy..."

The bearded man was in the process of lighting up, while Walo had sat down on a small boulder to watch the proceedings and Virgin was suddenly coming to Lynn's side knowingly.

"What is it, man?" Rudy questioned, staring at his cohort and letting a thin trickle of smoke escape from his lungs.

"Jesus, I don't know... but I don't like it... !" Earl started and never finished. He saw the gun in Virgin's slender white hand, then the deadly leveled gleam in her eyes.

"You're going to like it less, Earl Baby!" Virgin said evenly, pointing the revolver right at his belly. "Now, be nice and get over there next to Rudy and Walo. Don't try any funnies... it might interest you to know that I can pierce your ears with one of these little gems without grazing your skull. A man named Lopez taught me!"

"Sonofabitch!" Rudy gasped. "That's your fucking cannon, Carter! You stupid bastard! Why didn't you bury that goddamned thing?"

"Never mind the inner strife, Daddy," Virgin said, it's too late for that! Now, you move fast, Earl, before I change my mind and put one where it won't ricochet!"

"She means it, man!" Rudy exclaimed, his hands raising above his shoulders. "And she can do it." He grinned. "Senor Lopez taught her lots of things while she was gracing his sack... that's why he wants a second chance at her. He never did like the way she ran out on him!"

"Did you tell him that it was because of you, Rudy?" Virgin snapped at her husband. "Or couldn't you find enough guts to come up with the truth?"

"Jesus Christ!" Earl blurted, following instructions and moving with lifted arms to stand beside Rudy. "What the hell is all this, anyway?"

Virgin tittered lightly, while Lynn took a step backwards, the back of her hand coming up to her mouth as if she were going to shield a scream. She couldn't believe what was happening, even though this had been their very plans. Inside, she was as tight as a drum, and tiny chills of clammy fright were racing up and down her spine. Dear God, supposing her husband and Rudy were innocent... that Virgin had analyzed it all wrong!

"You really didn't believe you were going to pull this one off, did you, Rudy? After seven years of living with you?" Virgin snapped venomously. "I'll tell you, Daddy, you shouldn't have moved the stash... that was the give away."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Chick? How would you know I moved it... ?"

"Because I went looking for it, man, how else?"

"Ooohhh... I see, planning a little trip of your own with all the bread, eh?" Rudy taunted, still holding his hands high, the weed burning away between the fingers of his right hand.

"It crossed my mind, Lover... but not until my womanly intuition told me what you were up to..."

"Oh, God!" Lynn exclaimed, gaping at the blood-drained expression of horror on Earl's face. "Are you sure you're right, Virgin? Are you... ?"

"Ask 'em?" the raven-haired beauty replied, standing firm and holding the weapon levelly on them. "Go ahead, Baby... learn for yourself..."

"You're making one hell of a mistake, Virgin!" Rudy said suddenly, his smug grin of confidence seemingly deserting him. "What do you intend to do with us... kill us?"

Virgin smiled coldly. "Man, you've been dead for a long time... both of you! All I intend doing is sealing the facts in lead... then, feeding you to the sharks!"

"No! No!" Lynn cried, lurching forward to grasp this girl she loved so much, the weight of her body knocking Virgin off balance long enough for Rudy to act.

The bearded man moved with unexpected speed for one his size, half-leaping across the hardened earth floor to grasp Virgin's slender wrist and wrench the weapon from her hand; he threw her against the rock wall and she careened off of it, dropping to her knees in a daze. Lynn screamed as Rudy scooped up the gun and Walo got slowly to his feet, a troubled expression on his round, cherubic face.

Earl gaped in stupid awe at the violent action that hadn't taken ten seconds to unfold; he saw Lynn throw herself down beside Virgin, tears bathing her cheeks as she clutched the other tightly to her and sobbed.

"You lousy cunt!" Rudy snarled, any trace of a smile long gone. "So you did intend to cool us... didn't you, bitch? Yeah... you're a smarter broad than I ever gave you credit for. But now, that little episode is going to make it a hell of a lot easier to do what we have to... right, Earl baby?"

"Shit!" Earl gasped. "The bitch... she intended to knock us off!"

"Yeah, man... exactly that," Rudy said, his wicked little grin returning. "And it would've worked beautiful for them, seeing we're both supposed to be dead anyway. Like she said, our carcasses would have been shark bait, and they'd walked off with the stash in the satchel... ninety grand rich... but it didn't quite come off, thanks to your luscious little wife with the squeamish stomach, Earl..."

"Oh, God!" Lynn groaned, still holding Virgin tight against her as she stared upward at Rudy, the horrible empty knot at the base of her stomach almost nauseating her as she realized her terrible mistake. Virgin had been right...

"I-It's all right... Baby..." the dark-haired girl managed stammeringly.

"Oh, Virgin... I didn't know! My God, I couldn't... couldn't help myself when I thought you... you were going to... Oh, Lord, what've I done?"

"Shhhh... there, there," Virgin whispered, putting her arms around the other reassuringly. "It's going to be okay, Baby... don't worry..."

Rudy chuckled loudly. "Yeah, Baby... it's going to be just roses for both you cunts, once Lopez gets through with you and ships you out on a freighter to some of his Islamic buddies. Why, girl, you haven't lived until you've had an Arab master, who orders a slave to whip your ass blood red while you suck him off, then he fucks you till you go right out of your blond skull!"

"Wh-What is he saying?" Lynn choked, the lewd abhorrence his terrible words sent racing through her causing her to turn to Virgin in near-panic.

"I'll tell you what he's saying you cunt bitch!" Earl spat, crossing the room to glare down at the two huddled girls. "We sold both of your asses to Lopez for twenty-five grand! And when his boys leave here after unloading the cache, you leave with them! Now do you get the picture, bitch? You're going to wind up as a whore-slave to some fucking wealthy nomad who'll probably feed you camel shit!"

Rudy couldn't help but laugh at that one. He'd shoved the gun in his belt and stepped back to watch Carter leer down at his wife who was sobbing profusely in Virgin's arms. He watched her breasts quiver inside the mannish shirt she wore and the way her ass and thigh filled out the faded dungarees she'd donned for the occasion. Something in the pathetic manner in which she was clinging to Virgin sent a sadistic stirring through his loins and he felt his prick jerk with a surge of blood toward its knob. The bitches had something coming to them for their fucking double- cross anyway!

"Tell you what, Earl baby, we've got a few hours to kill before the stuff arrives... let's kind of get these broads used to this new life they're going to be enjoying, eh?" Rudy said, grinning salaciously and reaching down to lewdly massage the front of his swelling pants. "Sound like a winner to you, man? I mean, we really owe them something for the little deal they just tried to pull on us, don't we?"

Earl broke into a licentious smirk of his own, his eyes immediately beginning to bead lust fully as his own rod started to lengthen in his shorts at the bearded man's suggestion. "Yeah... why not... one or two for the road," he replied sniggering.

"You mean for the sea, don't you, baby?" Rudy added.

Earl laughed; "Right... the sea, man..."

Lynn raised her tear-filled eyes to gape up at them in loathing dread. Dear God, what a fool she had been! If only she'd listened to Virgin! There no longer was the slightest trace of doubt in her mind whether Earl loved her or not, or the type of animal he had become.

"Keep your cool, Darling!" Virgin whispered in her ear. "No matter what, don't cower before them..."

"Oh, Virgin... I'll try... I'm so scared..."

"Just remember... I love you Baby..."

"Yes... yes, I'll remember..."

Rudy interrupted their exchange of encouragement. "What the fuck are you two hissing about? Listen... either one of you try anything and you won't live to get out of this cave! That clear, cunts?"

Neither girl answered, and Earl said: "Let's stop pissing with them, Rudy. I like your party idea; this cock of mine needs a good soaking." He leered at Virgin as he spoke. "Tell you what, man, you finish what you started last night with that blond bitch of mine... and I'll catch up on a bit of fucking I been wanting for a long time."

Rudy nodded. "Sounds like a winner, Earl baby... except, we can't overlook your buddy, Walo, can we?"

"Mmmmmm," Earl mused, rubbing his chin. "Maybe we can fit him in someplace as we go along..."

Lynn felt a chill of cold apprehension ripple up her spine as both men began to laugh coarsely. Her entire body was trembling with the meaning of their intentions, and she tried desperately to think only of Virgin's unflinching intrepidness beside her...

"Okay, you bitches... strip!" Rudy snarled. "Don't make it any harder on yourselves! Move your asses or I'll have Walo rip the rags off you! We're going to have a party, chicks... one neither of you'll forget for a hell of a long time, I'm thinking. Now, get naked, damn you... !"