Murder in the Forest , Chapter 49
For the next three days, Mason and Melissa went out only at night, unless they had to for sanitary reasons. Mason was very leery of search drones that he might not be able to hear, and of helicopters and fixed - wing aircraft likely to be searching the area. The good aspect was that he had parked the van under trees that had such a heavy canopy that anything on the ground was likely to be obscured from the air. The helicopter probably had a thermal sensor, and he feared that. But it would pick up many signals of animals about the size of humans or larger, making it difficult or impossible for the pilot to discern humans from other animals.
In the cave, they arranged things to give them a comfortable home, considering. Mason was kind enough to give Melissa water when wanted and she even got a few sodas and some chocolate squares without having to "earn" them. Despite her constant fear, she was vain enough to feel flattered when Mason praised her body or how well she used it when he wanted her. Several times, she even deliberately seduced him, to prove to herself that she could. It felt good to know that, as a woman would value her feminine wiles. She hated Mason on one hand, but wanted to know that she could appeal to his lust, too. It made her more secure in her self image, and to be honest, she sometimes wanted to feel him handle her, caress her, and ram deeply into her; while expressing his appreciation of her. And she often felt a pleasurable tingle when he ordered her to offer her hands for cuffing or binding. Melissa remembered looking at herself back in the house that had exploded, when she was wearing only panties and handcuffs. She shivered at how that had felt, and she knew damned well that she was especially desirable when so seen. She missed the full length mirror that had let her see herself as the men had. Sometimes, she actually became aroused when thinking of how she had looked then, and had a couple of times asked to be taken by Mason, telling him that he made her horny. She begged on her knees for him to keep her as his slave rather than sell her to a drug cartel or other owner. And she tried hard to impress him enough that if he considered killing her that he'd remember how she squirmed in his embrace, and would value her charms over the convenience of being rid of her. And she felt both ashamed and thrilled when Mason rode her loins to true orgasm. She often stood or moved submissively and seductively, testing her acting skills, wondering how much of her success in arousing Mason's evident interest was the work of a talented actress and how much of it was any beautiful woman's inherent ability to enchant a man.
Whichever was the case, it moved Mason from cold indifference and just enjoying power over her to looking at her with genuine fondness and a growing possessiveness. He began thinking of how he might conceivably keep her for an indefinite time, in spite of being on the run from justice. He now cherished seeing her, holding her, leashing her for walks in the woods. And he felt ten feet tall when she called him Master and knelt at his feet to beg some favor. He was sure that some of her orgasms weren't faked and he saw that in her face, when she seemed both embarrassed and excited. And he smiled smugly to himself as she broke out in a flush or showed goose pimples when he tied or cuffed her. Melissa was quickly proving to be just what he wanted when he and his partner had planned to kidnap and train submissive girls and collar them as slaves. Melissa even asked now to wear one collar in particular, resembling a watch bracelet, with the links fastened in back by a screw tightened with an Allen wrench. But she wore this only occasionally, her daily collar being a plain stainless steel one, rounded, with a ring in front for her leash. Mason was amused and intrigued when Melissa asked him to hold a hand mirror or let her bend over and look at herself in the rear view mirror when they checked the van. She'd blushed and looked pleased when he teased her about her raw erotic appeal. And she'd seemed especially hot when he led her back to the cave that day and used her in her bed. She sang that night as she prepared supper.
They watched TV periodically, mainly for newscasts to see what the police were releasing about them. Courtney Cassidy appeared on camera, with her parents and Melissa's, pleading for Melissa's llfe and urging Mason to surrender before he risked being killed by police. Melissa timidly said that Courtney looked good and that she was glad that she was all right.
"With Mr. Bamka dead and the cops all over your business and that place where you kept us, does it really matter much what Courtney can tell them?" she ventured, afraid of a harsh reply or a blow.
Mason looked thoughtfully at her and finally said, "No, probably not a lot. She'll give them details that I hate to have become known, but as you said, once they established that I was in on the kidnapping and probably involved in those murders, anything she says is just confirmation of what they'd basically know. Once Bamka killed that cop, they probably decided to claim that I'm an accessory because I was his partner. I checked, and Washington still has the death penalty on the books, and killing a cop is one of the capital offenses listed. They don't execute many people compared to some states, but they'll do it if the case seems to call for it, and this does. Now that they do have her testimony, I'm in for those murders, and multiple murders by any one killer is another capital offense. I have very little left to lose by doing my best to evade them. If I have to, I'll kill cops and anyone else who gets in my way. They know that you're my prisoner, so you won't get charged with anything. But your being here makes them look even more intensely for me than otherwise. You'd better entertain me enough to seem worthwhile."
She smiled shyly. "About an hour ago, you seemed pretty entertained. Was I satisfactory, Master? If there's anything you really like from a girl, tell me and I'll earn my keep. By the way, you have a few tee shirts for girls. When can I hope to wear one?
Mason walked over and pulled her hair playfully. "You, young lady, are getting to be quite a good slave girl. You're even cheerful a lot of the time now. You can wear a tee sometimes beginning tomorrow, if you do well when we go to the river to wash. I'll chain you to a tree and watch as you do the laundry. It'll be a lot like pioneer women and others did until they invented washing machines. Don't worry: we won't let laundry stack up until you have a lot to do in one load. I don't want us out there for any longer than needed. Heavier winter clothes, like my parka, won't get that dirty. I can get them cleaned under some other name after we get well out of Washington."
Melissa figited. "What happens to me when it gets cold? This is already early October. When it gets nasty and the wind blows and all I have is a tee shirt and panties, I'm not going to fare too well. Will I have to just stay in here and wrap up in blankets, or what?"
"Maybe, for awhile. I'll get you some jeans and a few other clothes after we get somewhere relatively safe. I can leave you tied in the van with your gag and blindfold on while I shop. I'll get a list of your sizes and hit some Wal-Mart or similar store where they probably won't be looking for me once we get some distance behind us. And I have a heater for the cave and I can chop and gather more firewood, too. There's an opening further back in this cave that'll let smoke out if I think it's safe to make a fire. I think we're secure here, but the smell of wood smoke travels for a good ways, and some stray hunter may smell it. Hunting season is right around the corner, so that's a potential threat. Hopefully, none of them will come back into this part of the forest. Now, stand up and take off your bra. I'm going to put on some music and you can show me how well you can wiggle. Do a good job and I'll give you a treat, like a walk in the sun. Would you like that, before it gets too dark?"
She smiled. "Yes, sir. I mean, Master. Which music can we choose from? I can move to some songs better than others. But I bet I can dance as well as Courtney did in that club. Were you ever in there, Harry's Boobalicious? She thought that you or Mr. Bamka might have seen her there and chosen her because of how good she looked and danced."
"Yeah," he conceded with a leer. "I did go there sometimes, even took male clients there to entertain them if we were talking a real estate deal or when I was networking to know men who could send me customers. Yeah, Bamka and I saw her maybe 20 times and she even performed a few lap dances for me. If she had only known that we were looking her over to decide if we wanted to take her…" He laughed, a smug sound.
"How did you decide on me?" asked his captive. She cast her eyes down and then looked frankly at him. "You said that you knew I was a good dancer when you first made me perform. How could you know?"
He shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter now. You may as well know. I know a guy who has kids at your junior college. He saw you, too, as a cheerleader and in the talent show in your senior year of high school. We saw you in that ice cream shop and were discussing you, the way that guys talk about a hot chick. He told me that he'd seen you dance and that you were a total turn-on. I went by the ice cream place later a few times and watched you as I ate at a table. I could see you go back and forth and behind the counter. You were a total babe, as sexy as they come. I even watched you flirt a few times with guys you knew and that convinced me that you're a man's chick, Melissa. The kind of girl who gets along well with men and basks in their attention... I told Bamka about you and we decided to grab both you and Courtney. I even bought a couple of CD's that I wanted to see you dance to, that I think suit your looks and personality. You and Courtney were hand-picked, baby. We didn't just grab the first two hot honeys we saw. I hope you realize that that's a compliment, even if one that you'd rather have forgone."
She blushed and nodded. "Thank you for putting it that way. I guess it is an honor, of sorts. Well, which song are you going to play? I guess I'm ready."
She unclipped her lacy white bra, a quarter-shelf model that left her breasts at least half exposed, and a style that she'd never worn until told to by this man. But it was sort of sexy and she enjoyed the effect that it had on him. She resolved to always have a bra or two like this from now on, if she survived this experience. She could wear one to give a boyfriend a treat. When she got to Hollywood, probably some girls there would wear them, so it might not be as exotic as it was here in Elk Pass. But a bra like this would get a guy's attention and maybe get him to do her favors, like auditioning her for a role or just taking her to eat at expensive restaurants. She wondered if she could get away with some of the lingerie that she had been provided, or if the cops would seize it all for evidence. Some of it was quite expensive, and she could stand to have it without needing to buy it on her own. Hell, she and Courtney deserved something from this horrid adventure. But she thought that she'd probably reject the slim, rounded metal slave collar with its ring that she wore on her fair neck. That was a little too humiliating, although it was sort of a kick to wear, in a kinky way. But if she kept it, where would she wear it, to impress who? Maybe she'd wear one for a lover who was stimulated by such things. It did stir something inside her when she fingered it or saw herself in the mirror, often wearing only that collar and whatever bondage she was in at the moment. She felt very sexy and aroused at that image. She was pleased when she could delight Mason with her dances and even her walk. She was cultivating a sexy saunter to use when her legs were free, and she knew with certainty that he looked appreciatively at her as she preceded him on her leash. Probably liked to watch her butt move as she walked. What the hell, she reasoned. If she was supposed to be a sexy slave girl, she might as well play the part, especially if it got her captor to desire her. Melissa wanted him to keep her, even if the risk increased if searchers came near. And the way to curry his favor was through her body and her managing to bond with him more by flirting a little and making him glad to have her to talk to. If he liked her and wanted her, her chances of staying alive were vastly improved.
She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties and looked inquiringly at her master, asking with her eyes if he wanted them off. When he nodded, Melissa was careful to sway her hips and legs slightly as she stripped. She tossed the white panties on the bed and stood, hands loosely at her sides, one knee bent, watching Mason watch her. She knew that she was blushing and that he enjoyed it.
Mason turned on the CD player and Melissa began to move to the music. She looked candidly, seductively, at Mason as she danced and seemed shy and very feminine and graceful as well as sultry. In truth, Melissa had decided to play this like she had a role as a hot girl in an R–rated movie. It'd be good practice for her intended career. Performing like this might get some producer to give her a chance to get in a movie. And it wouldn't hurt to charm Mason. She hated him on one hand, but he appealed to her vanity in a way, and she blushed to think that she and Courtney had been the two girls deemed most desirable by their kidnappers. A dangerous distinction, but one which she was proud of in a way. Melissa, like, many pretty girls, especially those with acting or modeling ambitions, did have a considerable ego. She had heard the saying: Vanity, thy name is Woman. She almost laughed as she conceded the truth of that.
Mason must have liked the dance, for she got some treats as well as getting taken out on her leash for an hour. The day was wonderful, the warm sun and the brightness a contrast to the cave. She breathed deeply and slowed her pace, to let Mason come alongside. He had been making her walk in front, leashed by three feet of light chain, her hands locked behind her. She was allowed her own sandals, so she wouldn't get anything in her feet. He looked suspiciously at her but she just smiled at him, looked shy, and colored, lowering her eyes. She stood next to him and their bodies touched. Melissa looked at Mason again, her eyes wide, her lips parted. He was impressed and fondled her as she moaned softly. She hadn't been allowed to dress after her dance and wore only earrings, collar, and sandals. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail. Mason liked the way it bounced if he ordered her to prance.
"When we get 'home', will you 'do' me?" she asked. "I'm kind of turned on. Thanks for taking me out. It was really nice of you. And I liked the way you looked at me when I danced. I guess you do find me pretty attractive. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but that turned me on."
He felt her intimately as she nuzzled his shoulder. "You're coming along nicely, Melissa," he said, playing with her hair. "I think we may be an ideal couple. The exhibitionist and the voyeur. " He laughed and she joined him in it.
"Just don't tell people how much of a slut I became if I get rescued," she begged. "But I'm starting to look forward to you showing me how much you like me. Yeah, that probably describes us. The girl who likes to be seen and show it off and the man who enjoys looking at and relishing her. So, take me back to the cave and tell me what you want in exchange for this great walk in the woods. I did enjoy it."
Mason let her walk alongside him, on the side opposite his pistol, just in case she might be faking this friendliness. Even with her hands cuffed, he wasn't going to get careless. He hadn't hobbled her ankles, lest she stumble and fall on the uneven ground. He'd better secure her to the iron ring in the cave by one ankle before he uncuffed her, if he did that soon. She looked awfully sexy in those bracelets, and he'd sensed a tingle of anticipation in her as she'd turned and offered her wrists when told to, before they'd gone out. Yes, this girl might be coming around to being what he hoped. Time would tell. But that reminded him that he might not have much time left in this life. At least, with Melissa, he was going to enjoy what time he had.
Then, they heard the helicopter hurrying toward them, its rotors beating a distinctive rattle in the sky. Mason made Melissa run ahead of him the last 50 yards to the cave and he hoped that they'd gotten into it before anyone had seen them from above. He made her kneel in a corner of the cave facing the wall and locked her ankles to the tether chain. Then, he put the big bush in place at the entrance. He thought they had gotten under cover in time, but if the copter circled, snooping, the pilot might see the van through the tree tops and heavy foliage. He hoped desperately that this wouldn't happen.
