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RED SOX: Believe!
WARNING: Violence. Needless suffering. Pain. Trauma. You know, the usual.
by Phair
“Hold still. I’ve almost got you cleaned up,” Beckworth mumbled. “Just a bit more pressure…,”
Kendall sighed, in spite of her pain, as her body relaxed into Beckworth’s tender ministrations. Their group had been left; bound and on their knees under a blazing sun for some time. Blinded by tears, sweat, and congealing blood, Kendall could not see what the others were doing to occupy their rest period. Beckworth seized the moment of peace to tend Kendall’s bloody wound. He carefully leaned her battered head against his shoulder while he treated her injury.
“Hope you’re not using spit to wash out that cut,” Kendall teased and was rewarded with a soundless chuckle rumbling in the chest pressed against her cheek.
“Like that would be the worst of my body fluids you ingested,” Beckworth replied with a snort.
“I was drunk: dead assed, half a gallon gone drunk out of my mind. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it,” Kendall managed to shift herself and crack open one eye to see her lover’s worried face. “Hey-Jay, is it that bad? Do I look so God awful?”
Beckworth shook his head, “Not at all. Just a nasty cut across your forehead. I’m having a bit of a time stopping the bleeding, that’s all. Babe, I need to tell you something. Kendall, you need to know this because…well, it’s the truth, you’ll always look beautiful to me.”
“Let me up,” Kendall, rankling at the declaration, pulled back from Jay’s gentle touch and tender words but could not free herself so easily from his embrace. “One cut doesn’t really matter much now, does it? Smith is going to do much worse to me, to all of us before sun down. And there’s nothing you or I can do to stop that, is there?”
Beckworth would not drop the original subject, “Kendall, for once in our lives, just listen to me. We may not have much time left alone; I need you to know, you must believe, I love…,”
“Stop it!” Kendall hissed. “We’re gonna die here. Face down in the dirt with holes in our heads and that’s if we’re lucky. There’s no time left for love and promises.”
Beckworth shook his head as he held her tight, “You’re wrong. This is the best time for love and promises. I do love you, Kendall. I’ve loved you from the moment I met you.”
Without invitation, Beckworth grabbed Kendall’s tether and pulled her closer to him. His kiss was soft at first. When she did not resist, he intensified his attention to her and pushed his tongue into her willing mouth. She accepted and embraced his entrance. They eased each others fears with their tender caresses. For all too brief an instant, the world existed just for this pair of chaste lovers.
“Oh look, the horny pig and his bitch are ready to fuck,” Smith shouted from a short distance away.
Beckworth broke off the kiss at the taunt but Kendall drew his attention back with the whisper of a promise, “You’re right, Jay. It might be the last time I get to tell you the truth. I did love you, back then, you know?”
“Really?” Jay asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, really.”
“Get off her,” Smith shouted as he kicked Beckworth away from Kendall. “She doesn’t belong to you anymore.”
“She never belonged to me,” Beckworth gritted the words out around his pain. “But then, a brute like you could never understand a consensual loving relationship versus your usual Friday night alley gang bang.”
Smith’s grin waned as Jay spoke. His right hand fingered the gun in his holster. A small twitch began over his right eye.
“Ooh, would you look at that?” Savage taunted with a brilliant smile and a seductively low voice. “Looks like Beckworth might know a thing or two. Hit a nerve, Smith, did he?”
Smith nodded agreement and said, “He sure did but I’m gonna hit a lot more than a nerve.”
He launched a vicious series of kicks at Kendall. When Jay tried to intervene, Smith gave him a few round house blows as well. He only stopped when both recipients were huddled together face down in the dirt and whimpering in pain.
“Now that’s what a real man calls hitting a nerve, bitch!” Smith spat at the pair. “Tell me bitch, am I a big man or what?”
Kendall gasped in pain when the guards jerked her upright by her forearms fastened together at the wrists. Her shoulders ached and her breath caught with the pain of her arms trying to bare the weight of her body. She scrambled to get her feet under her.
“I’d say,” she hissed, “I’d say or what.”
Mr. Smith’s punch planted itself squarely on her nose. Kendall’s knees buckled and she screamed at the agony inflicted on her shoulders as her body sagged and the noose tightened just a bit more around her neck. She gasped and coughed and sprayed blood from her nose and mouth while she struggled to break free of the vise like hold of the guards. They were just too strong for her. After a frenzied attempt to break away, she dropped limp in their clutches in utter exhaustion. She resigned herself to the physical torment which awaited her.
“HOLD!” A strong male voice shouted across the compound. “Guards, unhand that woman.”
Kendall sobbed in relief when her ass settled on firm ground and her shoulders’ burden was eased as the guards dropped her. Her vision was still clouded but she squinted trying to see the owner of the voice. He was tall and blonde but with tanned skin. His body was muscular but thin. He wore dark black military dress shirt and pants. He even had his tie firmly in place. Kendall, near the point of emotional and physical exhaustion, gave an idle thought as to why he didn’t sweat as profusely as the prisoners and armed guards surrounding them.
“Yes sir, Commander Esau, sir” Mr. Smith gave a half assed salute and a smirk. “Anything you say, sir. Now how ‘bout we discuss my money?”
Without missing a step in his crisp military cadence approach, Esau pulled his weapon and shot Smith between the eyes. He gave a swift kick to the convulsing body as he passed. A half cock of his head sent his guards in a scramble to subdue Mr. Jones. It was a brief and dull struggle before the terrified man was dragged to his knees at Esau’s feet.
“Give me one reason not to kill you,” the Commander demanded before shoving his gun barrel into the Jones’ quivering mouth.
“There’s no need to kill him,” Beckworth shouted. “He’s on his knees already. Why waste the bullet?”
Commander Esau grinned and removed the gun from Jones’ mouth. “If I let you live then you’ll answer to me. You’ll obey my orders gratefully. If you don’t then you’ll be punished and vigorously punished. I’m I being clear? Do you understand?”
“Yes, please don’t kill me!” Jones tearfully begged as he groveled at the Commander’s feet.
Esau nodded and holstered his gun. “You will all obey me or you will suffer my wrath. Is that understood?”
The group sat silently. Esau snapped his fingers and one of the guards began kicking Woody. It was a rhythmic assault punctuated by his screams of pain.
“His beating will stop when I have my answer,” the Commander casually stated.
“We’ll obey, we promise, please stop this insanity, there’s no need,” Beckworth frantically beseeched.
It only took a finger snap to stop the attack. Commander Esau gave a thin smile as he assessed the scene. The band of prisoners kneeling in the dirt before him was defeated. Then his eyes found somebody he did not expect in the group.
“Ah, how wonderful,” Esau’s smile grew to a grin. “My slave has been found and returned. Guards, if you see her to the whipping post then she can begin to receive her just reward for running away.”
The guards moved to take Brady but Savage moved faster. She sprang to cover Brady with her own body. Savage felt the terrified woman clawing into her embrace.
“Guards, hold,” Esau instructed. “Kendall, dear, please move away from my slave so the guards can punish her.”
“She’s done nothing wrong!” Kendall tightened her fragile but frantic hold on Brady.
“She’s my property and she’s knows the penalty for running away. Slave, tell Ms. Savage the penalty for run away slaves!” His voice bellowed on the command.
“Sorry Master, sorry,” Brady wept. “Runners get twenty hard lashes from the Master’s strongest guard. Please, Master, forgive me. Please. I’ll never run again.”
With a nod from Esau, the guards resumed their efforts to separate the women.
“FUCK THIS SHIT!” Savage screamed as she clung to Brady while the guards tried to pull them apart. “LEAVE HER ALONE!”
“Kendall, please don’t make me get rough with you. I’d much rather like to have a nice chat with you after the punishment commences. Perhaps an iced tea or two,” Esau intoned as if trying out a new pick up line.
“Spare her and you can talk my ear off all night if you want,” Kendall shot back.
“Guards, hold,” Esau’s eyes pinched at the command. “You mean you will suffer my company willing if I pardon my slave’s disobedience?”
Kendall was a bit confused by Esau’s interest in the counter offer but replied, “Sure, you don’t even need to give me the iced tea.”
“Excellent. Guards, free Ms. Savage from her restraints and then take the others to the work site.” Commander Esau took a deep breath before demanding, “Be sure to brand the new slaves and they are all to be shackled hand and foot, understand?”
“Yes sir!” The guards responded enthusiastically.
Kendall was cut free from her bindings and pulled to her feet. She stared in disbelief when Esau offered her his arm like an eager prom date. She took it but looked back over her shoulder to see what was happening to the rest of the prisoners.
“Ah, no, don’t worry your sweet head about them. They too will serve the greater good by liberating God’s Vengeance from the mud,” Esau cooed in her ear.
“And, how is it that I will serve?” She asked the question she feared the answer to.
“You have served well already by finding the tool to restore order to the world.” He gave a gentle pat to her hand before he spoke the next words, “I’m praying that God sees fit to have you serve even further in my bed as my wife and mother of my sons; the future leaders of the Soldiers of Heaven.”
Kendall stifled her reply when she heard a groan of pain after a slap of flesh, “Don’t let guards hurt them. Please.” She had to force the last word with all her strength.
“Guard, don’t bruise them. Break them gently,” Esau commanded happily as he watched the woman he planned to break weaken just a little.
