Wendy had busied herself to make the house look nice and festive. She hung the happy birthday banner over the doorway to the kitchen, hung multicolored streamers everywhere, blew up balloons and spread them everywhere, much to the delight of the dogs who barked happily as they ran through the balloons.
She smiles, grabbing some ribbons, attaching cute bows to all four of the dog's collars. She made sure to take a picture as she knew the bows wouldn't last by the time Stan got home.
She put the champagne on ice, both the bottle she just got at the store and the one Stan gave her on her first night here. She went into the dreaded kitchen but knew this part shouldn't stress her out. She ordered a chicken parmigiana, just without cheese. A side of fresh spaghetti with marinara sauce, large meatballs. A baked ziti, again with no cheese but plenty of cremini mushrooms, side salads, garlic bread. Except for the salads she would be able to put the food in the oven and let it warm up for when Stan came home.
Maybe a full Italian meal would be disappointing without cheese, but she had that covered, paying extra from the store to help them out and buying a block of parmigiano cheese to grate over the top and on the side. Along with the ice cream cake Stan wouldn't suffer from lack of dairy allergies for a while.
She had a few bottles of good red wine in the refrigerator to enjoy with the meal. She had a fruit plate with strawberries and grapes out to enjoy with the champagne. She had gotten some really fancy Italian coffee to enjoy with their ice cream cake.
Wendy went upstairs and looked over some other items she had in her suitcase. Things she hadn't used in months since she lost her job and confidence. Stan liked her dressed down so she ignored her makeup bag. She pulled out another bag and found some sweet smelling rose and jasmine bath bombs with bubble bath. She looked through her underwear collection, most of it basic and understated. Until her hand touched a silky bit of lace.
When she was twenty four, Wendy went to visit Bebe when her best friend had a brief stint living and working in Los Angeles. Bebe was trying to make it as an actress. Wendy was taking a break before going to graduate school. A day of brunch and bottomless mimosas had turned to a visit to a designer lingerie store in West Hollywood.
Wendy pulled the items out of her suitcase. She hadn't really looked at them in years. A tight red bra, black lace overlay over it, matching thong underwear, red with black lace, a corset like red and black waist cincher, straps on the bottom for thigh high stockings which Wendy also knew she had. She had seen it in the store and Bebe convinced her she needed the set. Wendy never wore anything like that and still hadn't. She had boyfriends in college but hadn't wanted to pull out the sexy stuff for any of them. No one was special enough to see that intimate side of her. Until now. She laughed again. This was her childhood boyfriend.
She'd give him the surprise of his life. She thought to herself as she drew herself a bath and threw the fancy soaps in there. She'd wear the sexy stuff under simple jeans and sweater. She sighed, satisfied, to herself, soaking in the pink perfumed water and putting on some romantic music while sipping a glass of wine. Waiting for Stan's return.
A dude on a bike was riding up and down the streets of South Park. A fresh piece of news that was important to know, even to the technology challenged members of the neighborhood. Especially them since they wouldn't fact check. A special edition of the newspaper hit the doorstep of the house. 'Local Politician Responsible for High Milk Tax Caught Buying Ice Cream Cake with State Funds' Plastered all over the page were snapshots of Wendy at the counter of Walmart, picking out the cake, putting it in her basket, tipping the baker, at the register, and finally paying for it with a special tax exempt card. Her finger hid the name on the card, except for the last name- Marsh. In her hurry to leave Wendy had dropped her receipt. But the tabloid reporters made sure to add that as well.
After a relaxing bath, Wendy got out and dried herself off, applying lotion with a light shimmer. She got into the sexy underwear, pulling up the lace topped stockings and looking at herself in the mirror. She looked nice but again this was a surprise. She slipped on plain black leggings and a large purple sweater. She sat on the bed, starting to comb her hair out, trying to decide whether to make it straight or leave it in its slightly wavy state.
She looked over at the clock, Stan would be back in an hour. She slipped on slippers and went to the kitchen. She patted the four dogs before washing her hands and starting to preheat the oven. She took the salad out to set on the table, cheese and fruit out on the dining room table. Champagne set out in its ice bucket. She thought of taking out the ice cream cake to start and defrost it a bit and set it on the table as well. Stan had trained his dogs enough that they wouldn't jump up to try and eat some of the food on the table.
Wendy put the food in the oven and poured herself another glass of wine with a satisfied sigh. Today would be perfect, even if her heart would break a bit if she would be leaving soon. She wiped away a tear, glad she didn't decide to wear makeup and took a sip. That was when she heard a knock at the door.
It was only 3pm and she wasn't expecting Stan for another hour. Maybe he cut lunch and the visit with his mom short. She wiped her eyes again and grabbed her wine glass, making her way to the door. "Hey there." She said before she froze in fear.
The dogs answered the door with her. A few growled and a few whimpered and went to go hide. The tall man from the grocery store stood on her doorstep. More citizens were behind him. "Hello Ms. Testaburger, or Mrs Marsh, whoever you are. We need to have a chat."
The man stepped forward into the house and Wendy ran to the back. Ol' Shane, growled and jumped on the man. "Get that mutt out of here." The man yelled at he pushed the dog off him.
Wendy bolted to the back of the house, running into the backyard, but she could see more people climbing over the fence and making their way into the backyard. She was trapped.
Another large man in overalls hopped the fence and grabbed Wendy roughly around the waist. She screamed and kicked before a third man held a gun on her. "Cooperating would be a good idea, right about now." He spat chewing tobacco at her feet.
The first man in the cowboy hat is busy putting all the dogs in the basement. "Bubba, Earl? You got that bitch? You have to see what she has." He yells from the back.
The large man puts a hand over Wendy's mouth and another arm around her as he walks her back into the house. The shorter man keeping the gun on her. She struggles and cries a bit as the cowboy hat guy drops a large bag on the floor. "Look, rich bitch has a whole block of cheese, and ice cream for her and her idiot boyfriend." He picks it up and takes a large bite. "Man this is the good stuff, holding out on us." He slaps her and laughs.
The tall man drops Wendy to the floor, she makes a move to get away before she's grabbed again and the gun held to her head. "Boys, tie her up." The shorter man says.
The cowboy hat man grabs some rope and starts to tie her hands behind her back, and her feet together, he laughs as he stuffs a rag in her mouth and ties it across. "Pretty little rich bitch all hog tied. We should have some fun with her before we take her out."
Wendy screams and struggles against her binds, tears falling. The men laugh and high five as they help themselves to the cheese, champagne, sticking their fingers in Stan's birthday cake and licking the ice cream off their fingers. "Look at this fancy stuff. I say we have one for the road." The tall man takes the smaller bottle of champagne, the one Stan got for Wendy and pops the top, drinking it down greedily.
Stan. I'm sorry. They're going to kill me and I never said I still love you. Was all Wendy could think.
The man finished off the bottle. "You know it's the good stuff when it tastes like piss." He approached Wendy, she shook her head in fright. He hit her in the head with the bottle and things went black.
Stan felt hopeful for the first time in forever. His mom and him had a plan for her to take care of his dogs. He would take some time off, call another vet the next town over to take over his practice for a few weeks. He'd hop the plane to sunny Florida and have a few romantic days in Disney World with her.
Typical for October in Colorado, snow fell lightly and Stan put his headlights on. He drove down the main road, admiring the Halloween decorations. For the first time in forever, Stan would have an actual good birthday.
He pulled up to his house, looking over everything. Something felt…off. He got out and went up to unlock the front door. The door swung open and Stan was met with smoke. "Wendy?"
He yelled out, coughing a bit. He ran back to the kitchen and shut off the oven, pulling it open to reveal a few metal trays of food, now all burned to a crisp. He opened the back door to let the smoke pour out, noticing the dogs weren't back there.
"Shit." Something bad happened, Stan could see the glass of wine shattered on the back porch. "Shane? Sparky 2? River? Disco?" Stan walked around and heard frantic scratching at his basement door. He opened the door to see Old Shane jumping out and running to him, Sparky right behind him, River and Disco cowering in the corner. He walked down the stairs, petting each of his dogs, picking up little Disco under his arm and taking them upstairs for treats.
He grabbed his phone to call Wendy, he heard the ringtone of her phone go off upstairs. She wouldn't leave her cell behind. Stan sighed and called the cops, he sent a text to Kenny and his mom just in case.
Detective Kenny McCormick stood with other cops around the Marsh home. His wife Sharon has graciously taken the dogs to their house to be taken care of.
Stan grimaced as he saw Kenny hug his mom and kiss her, petting the dogs as she put them in the car to be taken to their home. Police were looking over the house for fingerprints, canvassing the neighborhood if anyone saw anything.
Stan looked over the trash can full of burnt food, the special surprise of Broncos ice cream cake, now smashed and melted all over the table. He had to stop his dogs from licking at the mess.
"I don't know, I was having lunch with my mom and came home. The oven was smoking and the dogs were locked away and scared." Stan looked down at the bottle of champagne he got Wendy, smashed across the living room as forensics took evidence.
"She have any enemies?" Kenny asked, his gruff cop voice and serious face on.
Stan wanted to smack him, but he settled for an eye roll. "You know that dude. The whole town hated her. Mad about the milk tax. She went to Middle Park for groceries to get away and she ended up calling me, crying."
Kenny looked up from taking notes. "What happened after that?"
"I cheered her up." Stan said, turning red.
Kenny stopped writing and cracked a grin. "How'd you do that?"
"You know…" Stan is even redder.
"Son? I ever tell you about the birds and the bees?" Kenny can't help but laugh.
"Dude this is serious. Wendy's been kidnapped." Stan said, slamming his fist on the table.
Another cop came up, a blue thing in an evidence bag. "Detective McCormick? We found this out in the front yard near some tire tracks." He set the item out on the coffee table.
"That look familiar?" Kenny asks.
"Yeah it's not mine. Don't have those at work but I sometimes check them." Stan looked over, a large blue nylon strap with a little computer attached to it.
"What the hell is it?" Kenny asked.
"Moo monitor. You put it on a female cow to check their health and best time for fertility, for when they can have calves and can make milk…." Stan trailed off. "Oh shit, I know who did it. Some disgruntled farmer took Wendy."
"Okay." Kenny got up and talked to his subordinates. "I want a full search to cover surrounding farms."
Stan put his hands in his head. "That's going to take forever. They could be hurting Wendy right now." He poked at the moo monitor. "Can we open this up?"
"Don't want to interfere with evidence, sir." The cop tells him.
"Kenny!" Stan yelled at him. "I'm gonna call Karen to scan this at my work. It'll tell us what farm it came from, down to the tag of the cow who used it."
Kenny looked over them. "Sure, go ahead."
For once Stan was rushing to work not because he was late, 'cause he actually wanted to be there. It helped that he had Kenny in his police cruiser behind him. Karen had protested for having to work all day by herself and now had to stay late until her brother told her Wendy was missing.
Stan busted in the front door, Karen already had the program up. She grabbed the moo monitor with her gloved hands and plugged it in. She tapped at the keyboard, Stan peeking over her shoulder until she told him to fuck off. "Okay it's from a cow named Coco up on High Whey farm."
"Which highway?" Kenny asked as Stan elbowed him.
"That's the one that used to be up in the mountains by those abandoned buildings." Karen said matter of factly. "It was bought recently by Bart Cleetus the fourth."
"The fourth….really? Wendy was kidnapped by some named Bart Cleetus."
"The fourth." Kenny chimed in.
Stan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's grab the address and get out there."
Karen got up, shutting off the computer. "I'll lock up and grab my coat and be right there with you."
"Hey, who said you're coming little sis? It's much too dangerous." Kenny said, all humor leaving his face.
"I said I'm coming. The High Whey Farm is at 1438 Quark Avenue. You want to save Stan's girlfriend or not? You'll need an extra set of hands and someone who is small." Karen shot back. She was a smartass but never to her beloved older brother.
"Fine." Kenny relented."But you drive up with me in my car and keep behind me, right Stan?" Kenny looked up to see Stan jump in his car and take off into the snowy evening."
Quark Avenue was on a stretch of isolated desolate road, looking even more lonely and run down in the middle of the snow storm. Stan drove up as quickly as he could in the snow and passed a sign. 'My Whey or the High Whey Dairy' He rolled his eyes, he hated puns. Who were these fucks who kidnapped Wendy.
He parked behind the sign, making sure his car would be hidden. He popped his trunk, flashlight, cellphone, baseball bat, and something he hoped he'd never have to use. Since he was about 8 years old Uncle Jimbo had given Stan a gun for every birthday, Christmas and even tried to sneak one to him for St Patrick's day. (Ya never know when a leprechaun is comin' right for us!) so Stan was never in short supply when he needed weaponry. He put a handgun in the waist of his pants and slipped another one in his sock. He slung a rifle over his shoulder and took off onto the farm.
He didn't know his full plan of attack. He could feel rage coursing through his veins. Adrenaline keeping him hypervigilant. He snuck quietly through the snow, approaching the first building. The High Whey farm was completely silent and still. He kept an ear out for any sound, something that would point him in the direction of where they were holding his beloved.
He knew it all along but now, when he was so close to having his dream woman, the world was tearing her from his arms. All his friends seemed to hate her, the town hated her enough to drive her out, they had tried to take the spark and confidence out of her. He wanted to be the reminder that there were still good things in the world, to reignite that spark, 'cause she did it for him, shook him out of his monotonous life and made him want to live and love again.
The first building was a storage shed. Stan wiped snow away from the window, peeking in. It was dark and he could see just tools and supplies. Wendy wasn't in there. He sighed but made note of anything that could be useful to him, finding a few lengths of rope. He tried the handle and to his surprise it opened. He grabbed the rope and slid it over his shoulder before he continued on.
The wind picked up and snow swirled around him as he made his way to the next building. The smell hit him before he could see it. This one had open sides but heat coming from it. Ahead of him was stalls and stalls of cows. Some blinking and awake and some asleep. A chorus of moos in the night.
"Shhh it's okay girl." Stan couldn't help but put a gloved hand on one of the cows heads, she looked back at him with big soft brown eyes. Cows weren't his favorite but he did have a soft spot for them, he worked with them all the time. He heard a series of footsteps crunching through the snow and froze, he quickly jumped into the stall to hide with the cow. He knew his shoes would be ruined but he hoped the cow wouldn't give him away.
"Bart wants to threaten that bitch I think a nice bucket of manure will do just the trick." Stan overhead the voice. relief Wendy was still alive, but overwhelming anger because Wendy was a good person and did not deserve this treatment. "How did a chick that hot end up so uppety? Hmmm nice and fresh." The shorter guy walked down the aisles, a bucket in his hands, looking for a cow who had just taken a shit.
Stan grabbed his bat, ready to spring when the moment was right. The man stopped and looked down at his phone, Stan popped up from behind the pen. "Surprise, fucker." He smacked him in the head with the bat causing him to fall to the ground. He wasted no time, kicking him once more. "Don't call Wendy a bitch!"
He tied up his hands and feet. He thought for a moment and went to the cow he had just pet and moved her over to the next stall over with another cow. "Share you two." He said. He drug the short guy into the empty pen and tied him up. Leaving him not to freeze out here, but to be easy to find for when Kenny showed up.
He looked through the snowstorm, now following the guy's footprints in the snow. They led to the large barn.
Wendy had her head down, she was freezing without a coat, but tried not to let herself shiver. The guy guarding her was huge. She overheard their names, Bubba, Bart and Earl. She figured Bart was mad she had turned him down and stalked her out to Stan's house. She shook her head, trying to get some warmth from her long hair onto her cheeks.
Bubba had a dumb grin as he looked at her, gun in his hands. Bart wore a smirk. He paced in front of her. "When Earl is back with your treat, we'll see how you enjoy your dinner now." Wendy gritted her teeth as the two men laughed. She moved in her restraints, trying anyway to get free. Some plan in her mind. She wasn't exactly sure where she was but hoped someone was coming. She knew for sure Stan would try to get help for her.
As she moved against her restraints, her oversized sweater slipped down, exposing some of her lacy red and black strap. "Hey…what do we have here?"
Bart said, getting closer. He took a large hunting knife and put it to her cheek. "Don't you dare move or I'll give you some barnyard plastic surgery."
Wendy glared at him but stayed still. Bart held the knife and grabbed Wendy's sweatshirt, he cut down the front of it until her bra and corset was exposed.
"We'll look at that, little miss too good has a naughty side. You were savin' that for me baby?" She shut her eyes in humiliation, if he tried anything she'd fight him until one of them was dead. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
She shot him a death glare as he cut away at more of her sweater. She put her head forward in an attempt to hide her body with her long hair. "Don't do that baby, or you'll say goodbye to that hair as well." Bart told her. She felt sick. "Bubba, go up to the house and grab the camera. Don't wake the ma either."
Wendy felt even sicker at the thought of some lady sleeping while her horrible son and his friends were doing this to her.
Bubba looked at Bart weirdly. "We have cameras on our phones." He raised his phone and took a few snaps of Wendy, which pissed her off even more.
"Hey you fucking moron. Not with me in the picture. Idiot. Go get my good camera. The fancy one. You don't want what I'm gonna do to her to end up in some cloud." Bart yelled at him.
Bubba gave an awwww but nodded and left, gun in his hands.
"Gotta take some pictures since people won't believe me at who I bagged. Maybe who Bubba and Earl bagged too." Bart laughs.
Wendy feels her stomach drop at these words. The rage of being shot into the sun a hundred times over burns through her and without thinking she headbutts Bart right in the nose twice. He screams and drops his knife. She falls off the chair as they both lunge for it. She kicks at him and manages to get the knife to slide onto the other side of the room and under some large barrels so it's out of reach.
Bubba walked through the snow storm, grumbling to himself that he always misses the fun. He feels an explosion and burning in his right buttcheek. He opens his mouth to let out a scream before he's knocked out. Stan didn't want this guy to freeze either. He tied him up quickly and looking around, shoved him into his own truck. Hopefully the blood from his ass wound would ruin that shitty interior of the truck.
"Bitch!" Bart screams at Wendy, going after the knife. Wendy tries her best to crawl away with her hands and legs tied. She rubs her face on the ground to start peeling away the tape and gag in her mouth. She manages to pull it off and spits out the rag. Her voice is dry and cracked but she lets out a scream.
"Help, help he's going to kill me!" She screams. Maybe the lady in the house would hear her.
Bart turns around, rage in his eyes. "Shut up you cunt. Or I'll make you shut up." Wendy keeps screaming for help before Bart climbs on top of her. She fights him off with her hands still behind her back. She screams for help, spits on him. He puts his hands near his face and she bites him on the hand. Bart grabs her hair and slams her against the ground, she screams again before he feels Bart's large hands around her throat, trying to choke her out.
Things get muffled and hazy, everything hurts and Wendy is sure this is the end for her. She looks up at the lights above in the barn, all she can think of, in all the fuck ups and regrets in her life, she didn't have more time with Stan. Stars in her eyes and she knows this is it, probably her last moments and she never got to tell Stan she loved him.
A loud bang and something heavy drops over her.
Stan was tying up the big guy in the truck when he heard a terrified scream. He bolts to the old red barn, running into the front of it. It's dark and empty. He hears a scuffle and cursing, and the screaming is cut short. He looks around desperately to see two large doors, down to a cellar.
He pulls at the cellar doors, but they're locked. He looks around the barn desperately and sees an axe, he grabs it and starts to chop at the wooden door. He can hear a scramble and scream, whoever it is call Wendy a cunt and the scream cut short. He grows more concerned as he just heard gasps. He chops as the wood splinters around him. He is able to tear open the cellar doors and rushes down the stairs in time to see a large man with his hands around Wendy's neck. He doesn't hesitate and grabs his hand gun, he closes one eye, aims and fires, hitting the man in the side of the head. The guy drops and Stan rushes over to Wendy, picking her up gently.
He went over to check on Wendy, pulling the big, now dead guy off of her. Stan reaches down to Wendy, cutting the ties on her hands and legs, worried he was too late and that guy had killed her. He sighed in relief as she was still breathing. She had bruises on her neck and face which made him kick the guy's dead body again, and her sweater had been torn away to reveal her bra and his stomach dropped at the fact they assaulted her. He took his jacket off and put it on her, she was cold to the touch.
Stan carried her out of the cellar. She made little sounds in fear as her eyes opened. "Hey, Wendy. You're safe now." He told her.
Wendy was still out of it. From her perspective, she figured she was dead. She started to cry now. "I'm sorry I never got to tell Stan that I still love him, and I always have."
Stan laughed as he held her close, watching Kenny in the cop car and his backup descending onto the farm. Some relief washes through him that an ambulance was there to get Wendy checked out. "Don't worry." He kisses her on the cheek. "He already knows."