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CHAPTER 1
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As soon as Mendez had ordered her to get into the van and start driving, Morello had been immediately suspicious and nervous. The guy had always given off a creepy vibe, and he hadn't told her where they were going. That never happened. They didn't have her drive if it was something huge enough to be a secret. They didn't trust any of the prisoners that much. She was always told where they were going. But not today...
They had been driving for a while now - at least ten or fifteen minutes... The road was surrounded by trees and not much else. They weren't driving toward any towns - not that she knew of... They were just driving on the backroads - in the middle of nothing. Either he was taking her out to do something cruel to her, or she was unintentionally getting involved in something very illegal. What could he possibly be doing? Was he going to assault her? Kill her? Make some sort of drug deal with her as a witness for some reason? That didn't make sense...
For whatever reason, he wanted whatever was happening here to happen without witnesses... But also for whatever reason, Morello was included in it. No witnesses - except her. Why would he do anything he could get in trouble and allow her to see him do it? Unless the thing he was planning involved hurting her.
But if he planned to attack her, why make her drive all the way out here? Of course, no witnesses and all that, obviously... But guards hurt prisoners all the time without having to bother being secretive. There were lots of ways to get her alone in the prison - or even just get her alone enough that the people who saw or heard something wouldn't be the right ones - wouldn't be the ones who would care to stop him.
So was he taking her out here to kill her? Why would he do that? She didn't cause trouble. She was fairly obedient and quiet within the prison. She wasn't a problem he'd need to deal with. Why would he want to kill her?
She glanced across the van at him. He was just staring out the windshield. Was he secretly a murderer? Maybe he just killed people because he liked it - not because he felt he had to - but because he wanted to. She couldn't say that would be surprising... He hadn't killed any prisoners though. None of them went missing. The other prisoners and guards would notice if someone just went missing.
Morello looked back out at the road as she continued driving. Women did get trasnferred or released though. Maybe that's when he killed them... Maybe he had somehow gotten paperwork together to claim she had been released... and only he would know that she was dead.
She inhaled a small breath as she shrunk down slightly in the seat. If he wanted to kill her, there wasn't really anything she was going to be able to do about it. He was a guard; she was a prisoner. She couldn't argue or fight until absolutely necessary. If she hit or kicked him - even in self-defense - she was going to get in trouble for it... And she probably couldn't physically fight him off anyway. He was nearly six and a half feet tall. She was barely five feet.
She glanced nervously across the front of the van again, noting he was still sitting very still, seemingly very disinterested as he stared out the windshield.
"Where was it we're goin'?" Morello asked in a sort of out-of-breath voice, trying not to sound as frightened as she was feeling.
"Wherever I tell you to go." Mendez answered with a raised eyebrow.
She exhaled and nodded, feeling tears springing to her eyes. Mendez not telling her what was going on made this all the more frightening. There was no destination - or at least the destination was a secret. It couldn't be anything innocent...
"Okay..." She breathed. "It's just, I'm not supposed to be this far from camp." Maybe making it clear she didn't want to break any rules would convince him to not do whatever it was he was planning. She wasn't a threat. She wasn't a problem. He didn't have to get rid of her...
"You're not supposed to wear that pretty whore lipstick either..." He paused and looked over at her with a smirk. "But you do, don't ya?"
She glanced over toward him and forced a small laugh, then looked back out through the windshield, swallowing nervously as she kept driving. He was going to do something... He got her alone, and he was finally going to do something. The guy had seemed creepy since the day she first met him. It didn't seem to be anything personally against her - he was creepy to everyone, probably had raped people before... And this time it was going to be her.
"Yeah... Stop here..." He finally said.
Morello inhaled shakily and pulled over along the side of the road. There were trees on both sides. Nothing else. No other traffic. They were in the middle of nowhere. If he wanted to do something to her, he could... There would be no one to stop him. He was over a foot taller than she was, had the benefit that she was a prisoner and he was a guard. No one would believe her - or if they did, they wouldn't care...
"Shut the car off." He whispered.
She continued staring wordlessly out the front windshield, but reached down toward the ignition and twisted the key. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, afraid doing so would make whatever he wanted to do happen sooner.
As she continued staring through unshed tears at the empty, twisted road ahead, she heard him inhale a few feet to her right. She wanted so badly to just jump out of the car and run. If she weren't a prisoner, she would have - if this were any other man, and she were free... No way would she stay in the car right now.
He exhaled as she whimpered and looked down. "The old Moscow mule..." He spoke.
She looked over at him with furrowed brows. "Red?" She whispered. Was that what this was about? He wanted information on Red? She couldn't give it to him...
"She's got a way of bringing stuff in." He noted, turning toward her and staring her down.
Morello looked away again. She couldn't give him information on Red. She couldn't betray the woman like that - no matter what Mendez threatened her with.
"It's not really up to code." He added as she glanced back up at him. "Do you know what I mean?"
She looked down and breathed out a nervous laugh. "No..." She lied.
"I need to know how." He demanded in a low, breathy voice.
She stared back at him. "I don't know what you're talking about..." She responded. "I drive." She reminded him, gesturing toward the steering wheel. "I don't work kitchen." That was a convincing lie, right? Why would she know what Red did in the kitchen? Sure, she and Red belonged to the same sort of make-shift prison family, but that didn't mean the woman told Morello everything she ever did. Families kept secrets from each other all the time.
"I know... You're afraid of her." Mendez nodded. "Shit." He laughed after a long pause. "I don't blame you. But... You know what?" He unclicked his seat belt as she swallowed and tried to not be noticeable as she shrunk down in her seat. "There are things out here much worse than some scary Russian bitch."
Morello inhaled a shaking breath as she looked around herself, silently debating in her head what to do. She really could just undo her seat belt, open the door, and make a run for it. She'd be in a lot of trouble once she was caught... But it would keep him from doing anything to her for the moment at least.
She winced, closed her eyes and shrunk down toward the window slightly as he turned in his seat and reached out toward her face, choosing at the last second to rest his hand on the head-rest of her seat as he stared her down.
"I'm gonna ask you again, nicely..." He started.
She nervously looked back at him, glancing toward his large hand on the back of her seat. Tears still stung at her eyes. His hand was so big... He was so big.
"And then the third time..." He went on. "It's not gonna be very nice... For you." he added with a small smirk.
Morello swallowed nervously, trying to keep her tears from falling. She couldn't give in... She had to stay strong here. "I told you..." She persisted, her voice shaking slightly as she stared right at him, trying to prove to him that she had nothing to tell him - that she wasn't the right person to ask or threaten - that he wasn't going to be able to get the information he was looking for here. "I don't know what she does... I drive, and I do what I need to do."
Mendez stared back at her as she refused to let herself look away. She had to be strong. She couldn't look scared or guilty... Of course, she probably did look scared, but who wouldn't with this giant creep staring them down, threatening them while they were locked in a van out in the middle of nowhere?
She stared back, exhaling and turning slightly toward him. "And I can't help you, 'cause I really don't know." She lied. "So you do... whatever." She glared. "I can't tell you what I don't know..."
The two of them stared silently at each other for a few seconds. Her eyes brimming with tears, his looking a strange mixture of excited, frustrated, and amused.
She inhaled and closed her eyes as he moved his hand off the back of her seat, reaching out toward her face, but not touching her.
He drew his hand back and she opened her eyes. He was just staring and frowning. He looked annoyed. She swallowed and shrunk down further.
"You're really gonna make me do this?" He breathed.
She opened her mouth and shook her head, unsure of what to say.
"Fine." He forced a exasperated laugh and reached down toward her seat belt.
Lorna whimpered softly as he unbuckled it and let go. It slid up over her chest and she shifted in her seat, trying to create even an inch or two more distance between her and him.
"Move your seat back." He ordered as he turned in his seat and leaned forward toward her. He was so tall that he'd be close enough that their faces could touch if she weren't pressing herself back against the window.
She swallowed and shook her head very slightly. "Why?" She breathed.
Mendez forced another chuckle. "I told you the third time wasn't gonna be nice. Move your seat back, inmate." He demanded.
With a shaking hand, she reached down under the seat, pulling the switch that would move the seat. She let out a small wince as the seat moved. "I don't know anything..." She promised as she stared down at her lap, grabbing the material of her pants in her two hands and bunching it up into fists while resisting the urge to draw her feet up into the seat and hug her legs against her chest.
"I might have a way to jog your memory." Mendez smirked, scooting to the side-edge of his seat and stooping over her. "This is kinda awkward, isn't it?" He laughed, hovering over her and reaching his fingertips up toward her cheek.
Morello winced and shrunk back, but looked up at him.
"Maybe you should be the one climbing on top of me, huh?" He laughed. "How you wanna do this?"
She felt her lip trembling as she shook her head. "Can we just go back now?" She whispered.
Mendez smirked and shook his head no as he reached his other hand out toward her stomach, feeling around for the hem of her shirt.
"No... No, no no... Please..." She whimpered as she reached her own hand out and grabbed at his. She felt her tears close to falling now as her voice shook. "Please just let me drive back. I won't say anything about any of this..."
"You won't say anything anyway." He laughed, ignoring her hand and pushing his up under her shirt, over her stomach and toward her breast.
"Stop..." She whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as her tears spilled over. She grabbed with both of her hands now, at his one larger, much stronger hand, trying to push it off of her. "Please don't hurt me... I don't have the information you want... I don't know what you want me to do... I could just make something up... I don't-"
"Shhh..." He chuckled, putting his finger up against her lips and squeezing his other hand over her breast. "If you're not gonna say anything useful, you can just shut up."
Morello choked out a small sob as she gave up on trying to push his hand away from her breast and reached out for his chest instead, pushing both of her hands against him. He felt so solid - so firmly planted in place.
She swallowed and stared up into his eyes as she breathed out a shaky breath. "I don't know anything..."
"Fine." He shrugged. "That's not what I want anymore anyway. The way I see it, inmate... you're good for about two things - information, if you have it... and..." He paused, looking her up and down. "You're kinda hot in your own weird little way... You can't give me the first thing, so... Now I just wanna stick my dick in something warm. You can't help me with the Red stuff? Fine. You can help me with this."
She exhaled and shoved her hands against his chest even harder as she pushed her back up against the van's window and door. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she stared at him, watching his eyes roam over her body, settling on her thighs. "If I make you bleed, you can just pad or tampon that shit, alright?" He looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "Don't you dare request to see a nurse or doctor or anything dumb."
Morello still couldn't bring herself to inhale again as she stared back. He was being so blunt... Was he serious?
"I'm just sayin'." He laughed, reaching both hands up toward her hips and grabbing the waistband of her pants. "I gotta big dick, and you're really tiny."
"No..." Lorna whispered, reaching her hands down toward his and grabbing them frantically. She didn't want to fight back too hard - if she hit or kicked him, he'd just get mad - claim she attacked him without reason. He had control here - he was in a position of power - in so many ways. All he had to do was say she was violent or otherwise disobedient and everyone would believe him. Everyone in charge would anyway. She had to get him to stop without becoming violent herself. He'd overpower her anyway, and she'd just end up with him more angry, and her in the SHU.
"Shhh..." He cooed, grabbing the top of her pants in fists as he leaned down close so that his lips were near her ear. "There's nothing to be scared of. It'll be fun." He breathed.
She whimpered and turned her head to the side as she gripped her hands on top of his. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. She was starting to panic. She couldn't just sit here and let him take of her clothes and hurt her. "Please don't... You can't do this..." She begged, hearing her voice tremble with unshed tears.
Mendez let out a soft chuckle as he smirked down at her. "Yes I can." He disagreed, tugging rather roughly at her pants.
"No! Get off of me!" Morello finally screamed, balling her hand into a fist and swinging out toward his jaw.
He groaned in pain and then let out a growling sound as he reached out and grabbed at her wrist, squeezing hard. "You bitch." He grumbled, swinging his own hand down across her face, hitting her very hard against her cheek.
Morello whimpered as she tried to pull herself into a small ball. She brought her hands up to her face as she dragged her feet up into the seat and tried to shrink back against the door.
"You fuckin' idiot." He growled, grabbing her arm and pulling roughly, forcing her out of her defensive position. "Now I'm gonna hurt you on purpose." He threatened as he let go of her long enough to reach down toward his own pants. He unbuckled his belt.
Morello shook her head as tears dripped down over her cheeks. Not knowing what else to do, she pushed herself up to the edge of the seat, reached down toward the ignition, and started the van.
"What are you doing?" Mendez growled, reaching out toward her hand as she quickly shifted the van into drive and slammed her foot down on the gas.
"Stop the fucking van, right now!" He demanded.
"No!" She screamed, pushing her foot down harder. As soon as she pulled over, he was going to hurt her. If she was in control - even just a little - he could't do what he wanted. She could crash the van and kill them both if he tried to hurt her. He had to back off.
"God damn it..." He grumbled, grabbing at the steering wheel and sitting on the edge of the seat, pushing her harshly against the van's door as he tried to slide his own foot down toward the brake.
"Let go! Get away or I'll crash on purpose!" She threatened.
"You dumb damn bitch..." Mendez growled as he pushed further in front of her, grabbing and pulling at the wheel, shoving his leg down between hers, stabbing his foot rather aimlessly toward the break. "Stop the van, inmate!" He demanded. "Now!"
Morello whimpered and pressed her foot down harder, pulling at the steering wheel. She could no longer see the road with Mendez practically sitting on top of her.
"Let go, you stupid bitch!" He demanded as she held on with a death grip. "Fuck!" He screamed as the ride suddenly got a lot more bumpy.
With a small wince, Lorna squeezed her eyes shut and held onto the wheel tighter. She felt a sharp pain through her forearm as the van tilted, stopped suddenly and painfully, and then started to roll.
She tried to grab at anything to brace herself, but her arm and hand hurt so bad. She kept her eyes squeezed shut as the van stopped moving and she finally landed hard. The breath was knocked out of her lungs and she wasn't sure if she could manage to intake a breath as she squeezed her eyes shut and winced.
Morello wasn't sure if she was conscious or not, living or dead... She couldn't breathe. She couldn't see. She couldn't think. She just felt pain - all over. Radiating up and down her arm, through her hand, all the way to her elbow. She felt a sharp throbbing in both her forehead and the back of her head, and her lungs felt stuck, unable to expand.
Rather than try to breathe, open her eyes, or move, she simply let the warm, numb feeling at the edge of her awareness take over. She began to relax and felt herself grow limp.
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