Unlawfully Yours
Chapter XI
When they found themselves in sight of the ranch, Cole was more worried than ever. He had tried a few times to talk her out of whatever she had planned, but Phoebe wouldn't have it. She dismounted behind the same dune where he had waited earlier and Cole figured he should at least give it another shot. This time however, he reflected that if he told the whole truth, maybe it would have more effect.
"Phoebe?"
"Cole, I already told you. I won't change my mind. And frankly, I don't wanna hear it from you anymore."
Cole sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation.
"Look, whether you wanna hear it or not, you will. Those guys are not joking. You can't just go waltzing in there and hope to get away with the money and without a scratch!"
"It's funny you say that. It's close to what I had in mind," Phoebe replied cryptically.
Cole stared at her in puzzlement but decided that now wasn't the time to question her about this.
"Phoebe…Paul's gonna be here with his men sometime during the night. Worse case, he'll be here in the morning."
"You're forgetting that Paul is tied up on the side of the road…wait a minute," Phoebe almost shouted. She stopped herself and glanced quickly toward the ranch for fear that she'd alerted them. After a few seconds however, she was convinced that no one heard. She turned back to Cole angrily and spoke in a low but intense voice.
"What the hell do you mean, he'll be here?"
Cole couldn't look at her. He knew he had again betrayed her trust. He had been hoping that by being candid, she would put more weight in his warnings…Now, he wasn't so sure anymore. Nevertheless, he had started on that line and so he answered.
"I gave him a knife…"
"You what?"
"Phoebe, this enterprise of yours is suicidal. I figured that maybe if I couldn't stop you, they might actually get here fast enough to prevent the worst."
"The worst…? Like what? Like I get the money and they don't? Is that the worst?"
"Phoebe you're being ridiculous. You've got no chance to get out of this alive!"
"I'm going and that's the end of it."
"Phoebe, you can't do that on your own. I won't let you kill yourself."
"Why? Because you love me…?" Phoebe retorted sarcastically.
"I…"
"Look Cole, I'm grateful you didn't deliver me to Paul, even though you planned to do it all along. I've got no idea what made you change your mind and frankly, after what you've just told me, I'm wondering if it wasn't another twisted trick of yours."
"No!" Cole exclaimed. "Phoebe, I just couldn't go through with it…"
"Why?"
"I…" Cole hesitated at length, and then he finished, almost defeated, "I can't…"
"Well, there's an improvement," Phoebe continued. "At least you're not trying to bullshit me anymore. I must say though, you sounded mighty sincere back then. You probably practiced that a lot didn't you?"
Cole wanted to protest but he had to admit that on occasions he had used these words cavalierly before.
"Wow, you won't even protest at that," Phoebe said again. However, there was a trace of disappointment in her voice and he tried to read her face but again the semi darkness prevented him from finding out what she really thought.
"I'm sorry, Phoebe…I shouldn't have done that but… what you did to me…"
"What did I do to you? Hurt your pride? I told you. All you had to do was swallow this god damn pride of yours and go back."
"Damn it, Phoebe, you dumped me naked in the desert. What? Was I supposed to just forget about that because of a few rolls in the hay?"
"Then, don't be surprised if I don't forget anytime soon the way you betrayed me." Phoebe trailed. "How did you do it though," she questioned, suddenly more animated, "how come it seemed so easy for you to lie?"
Cole chuckled unhappily.
"Force of habit… Lying is almost a prerequisite in my line of work…"
"What the hell does that mean?"
"My father would say I'm one of those sleazy sharks he has to deal with …"
"A lawyer…? You're a lawyer?" This time, Phoebe almost laughed and Cole stared irritably at her.
"Well, maybe you find it funny, but the lawyer that I am fooled you…"
Cole regretted saying that the moment it came out but it was too late.
"Phoebe I didn't mean it like that."
"Oh yes, you did. And you know what? I much prefer this. At least, now I know what to expect from you. Although, I still don't understand what a lawyer is doing trying to steal money from a gangster…"
Phoebe felt him hesitate again; as if he was going to tell her the why. However he apparently changed his mind.
"No matter, I'm here and I still can't let you do this…" Cole obviously chose to say instead.
"And I told you that I'm going, no matter what." Phoebe was already stepping away when she stopped and looked back.
"Of course, it'd be easier if you'd help me."
"I won't."
"Not even for a quarter of a million dollars? I'm sure that even for a big lawyer like you, it's a substantial amount of money. And make no mistake. I'm offering this to you so that you'll help me. But if you refuse, that won't keep me from doing it anyway."
"And how the hell do you hope to do that on your own?"
"I told you… I'll waltz in there. Although, I probably won't look like any lady on the dance floor to you…"
Cole was thinking furiously now. The money was irrelevant to him. At least, it was at the moment. However, he recognized that Phoebe would go through with it if he didn't stop her and then, he wouldn't have any chance to redeem himself in her eyes. By then, he was certain that he did feel something for her. And even more that it was mutual. He had to find a way to keep her safe. How could he stop her from making the worse mistake? Then, he remembered her saying something about the money and he decided to try using this to keep her there.
"I thought you said you were only in this for the reward? That you were doing it to get your freedom and give a suitable life to your daughter? Was that all a lie?"
"Look who's talking about my lies!" Phoebe replied derisively. However, she was paying attention now and he pursued this.
"Phoebe, I just told you, I'm a lawyer and I've got a lot of influential friends. I'm sure I could get you off the hook. Even if McKail had you arrested…"
"Trying another one of your little schemes on me?"
"Phoebe, I swear to you."
"Don't!" She snapped. "My offer is simple," she continued, barely containing her anger, "you get half the money, or the reward for Reggie, whatever you choose. Although, if I were you, I wouldn't trust McKail to keep his word more than I trust you to keep yours…"
"If you can't trust me, then why ask for my help?"
"Hardly enough, I've had much more dealings with untrustworthy men than the reverse… I can't even remember one worthy of my trust…" Phoebe gave him a pointed look before pursuing, "except at one point, I thought that you were that…thank god, you restored my faith in the sleaziness of men," she finished a little more forcefully.
"You know what," Phoebe went on bitterly, "I don't want you to help me after all. I just realized. You're worse than any of them. I mean, a few tried the love trick, but that was always because they thought it would get them in my pants faster. You…you wanted in my head. You're even worse than Reggie. At least, he didn't pretend to love me. Even when he was beating the crap out of me, that was always sincere."
Every single one of her words hit the nail painfully for Cole. He knew he deserved it, and a strange despair was invading him now. He understood that nothing he could say would ever convince her that he felt something for her. Not anymore. He had destroyed his chances before he realized he loved her for real. Cole couldn't even bring himself to tell her because he knew that the words would sound empty. What's more, he couldn't reproach Phoebe her doubts. Now there was only one thing he could do for her, and as she turned away again, he called back to her.
"I'll help you…"
"On what condition…?"
"You said I'd get half?"
"I did," she agreed reluctantly.
"Well, then, let me help you and we'll share the money…"
"Whatever happened to your so called principles?"
"Like you said," Cole answered with a joyless smile, "a quarter of a million dollars is a lot of money…"
Phoebe came closer, staring at him as if she was trying to read his mind. She cast another glance at the ranch and then shrugged.
"Alright…here's the plan…"
Cole couldn't believe he had agreed to this. Right then, he watched Phoebe strolling toward the shack, only wearing her shirt. As soon as she was faced with the guard, he felt the same horrible jealousy he had when he saw her with Reggie. This time, however, he knew that he would get some satisfaction out of the pain he intended to inflict on him. He stood on the opposite side of the shack and the patrol had just crossed the yard, leaving them a few minutes to act.
"Hey, you're back," the guard smiled luridly.
"Yeah," Phoebe said leisurely, "I really kind of like you, you know…Couldn't leave it at that," she added as she rubbed her bare leg against his crotch. The man didn't need more as he grabbed her buttocks and pulled her toward him.
"It's really not fair," he uttered, breathing hard in her face while his hand slid between her legs. He gave a few glances around, and then smiled anew. "Hell, if we do it fast, no one will know," he added while hurriedly opening his pants. He had barely time to pull his already hard shaft out of them before the blow in the back of his head knocked him out for the count. Phoebe looked up and saw Cole holding a large rock. There was a trace of blood on it. "Hey, Cowboy… we're not in this to kill anyone." Then she qualified "except maybe that sleaze Reggie if he interferes. But hopefully, we'll just take his money," she said as she bent to pick up a large key ring from the fallen man's belt. Cole watched her and couldn't help a stirring at seeing her buttocks so blatantly offered. He had to refrain from touching her and frankly felt even more ashamed of himself then. Dropping the rock to the ground, he took a few deep breaths while looking away.
"What is it, Cowboy," Phoebe questioned, "Can't take the heat?"
"Just cover your ass and let's do it," he replied curtly.
Phoebe almost giggled.
"One down…"
Cole sighed heavily, as he began to tie and gag the guard, and then dragged him behind the shack and out of sight. Afterward, he went to position himself at one end of the house, while Phoebe waited for the first sentinel in her best seductive pose…
Fortunately for Phoebe, this one was also new to her and he fell with the same expediency as the first one. This time, Cole used a stick, but struck him just as enthusiastically. Phoebe glanced curiously at him, as she was surprised by this display of violence. However, she also reflected with a little pinch in her stomach that it might be another one of those things she had not known about him. Unwilling to dwell on this, she turned back to the fallen guard and saw that he was just as aroused as the first one had been. "Men! They're so easy," she thought. This time, they left him lying there for the moment and hurried to the other side of the house for fear that the second sentinel would surprise them.
Phoebe barely had time to get there before the third guard came out of the darkness and she immediately saw her mistake. From afar, she had not recognized Zach. In hindsight, she realized it was not such a surprise. The man was really none-descript. The kind of person you'd see and then almost forget about. However, he had not forgotten her. As soon as he saw Phoebe, Zach pulled a gun from his belt and rushed at her. Oblivious to her undressed state, he growled:
"Hey, you're supposed to be dead!"
Phoebe had to take a deep breath to steady her voice, but she still mocked.
"News of my death was overly premature…"
"Well, let me make it official," Zach said while pressing the nose of the gun against her stomach. Cole was panicked. He had to do something but was afraid that one false move would provoke the very thing he feared the most. He began walking slowly toward them nonetheless.
However, instead of shooting her, Zack pulled a knife from his belt.
"I remember now," he said then, trailing the knife down from her throat and pushing aside the shirt, "Reggie wanted a nipple. He'll be so glad to get it after all. You don't know how miffed he was that the coyotes and the vultures might have gotten his prize…"
Keeping the knife against her chest, he put back the gun in its holster, and then proceeded to lift the shirt with his free hand, giving an appreciative glance at her nakedness.
"You really are a nice piece of ass, babe. Too bad you had to piss off Reggie."
Zack looked up at this, wanting to see the fear in her eyes, but instead he saw her looking behind him. Instinctively, he grabbed her and twisted her around, holding the knife against her throat. Cole opened wide eyes at this. He had hesitated too long.
"Who the hell are you," Zach questioned, somewhat nervously.
"No need to panic," Cole said as calmly as he could, while dropping the stick at his feet. He glanced back toward the house, but no one seemed to have noticed what was happening. In fact, the house was rather quiet at the moment and he wondered if they were all asleep already. All of this crossed his mind very quickly as he returned his attention to Phoebe and Zach. Phoebe seemed afraid but holding on. He thought of trying to get out his gun, but knew that they wouldn't get very far if they alerted the rest of the gang. Zach was watching him warily, and Cole sensed that he wasn't a very assertive person. He took one step toward them while talking to Zach:
"Oh come on, you don't wanna hurt her just yet. A pussy like her feels so much better when she screams and squirms… I've been after this pretty ass for a while myself…Let's share…"
"What the hell are you talking about? Stay back," Zach uttered nervously.
Cole stopped abruptly, but after a few seconds, he took another step.
"Hey," Cole pursued with a sly smile, "you can't tell me you're not tempted…Feel her up…I'm sure she's wet already…She wants it bad…"
Zach knew that something was up but he couldn't help the arousal this evoked. Phoebe sensed that he hesitated slightly, and she could feel the bulge that pressed against her buttocks. Knowing that it was her last chance, she pressed on.
"He's right, you know," she uttered sensuously, "come on lover," she pursued while deliberately parting her legs and pushing her buttocks against his crotch. The slight moment of confusion Zack experienced then at her strange behaviour was enough to give Phoebe the opportunity she needed. The knife moved slightly away from her throat and she grabbed Zach's arm suddenly, pushing him away from her. Unfortunately, before Cole could reach him and knock him out, Zach waved the knife back toward her and hit her in the side. Phoebe moaned in pain, while Cole knocked the knife out of Zach's hand angrily and proceeded to hit him with blind fury. By the time he stopped, this none- descript man could now be identified by a broken nose and probably a broken jaw as well. When he was spent, Cole turned toward Phoebe and grabbed her tight in his arms.
"Oh my god, I was so scared for you…" He had not even noticed the wound yet. However, when she squirmed in his arms, while emitting another groan of pain, he looked down at her and the fear renewed inside him as he saw the blood soaking her shirt.
"Phoebe? Are you ok?"
Phoebe had wanted to get angry and push him away, but in all truth, she was shaken and hurting, so that his arms around her felt really good. She couldn't help noticing that he sounded sincerely worried and wondered if she wasn't deluding herself again. Cole lifted the shirt, but this time, he only noticed the awful gash that ran down her side. He tried to look closer to make sure it wasn't deep, but Phoebe pulled away.
"It's ok. I'll live… Let's not lose any more time."
"But Phoebe, you're…"
"I said it was alright," she interrupted abruptly. Then her voice softened slightly:
"Thanks for caring, but I'll be fine…"
He watched her moving away with an apprehensive frown. After a moment of hesitation, he went to get the length of rope he had brought along and tied up Zack and then the other sentinel. Again he dragged them both toward the shack while Phoebe was already in her clothes and waiting for him. As soon as he came back toward her, she began trying the keys in the lock while Cole watched the house anxiously. Every few seconds, he was casting a glance at her side, wondering if she truly was ok, but after her rebuke, he decided not to ask again for now. Soon Phoebe found the right key and she pulled the chains away carefully. After all this, it wouldn't have done to alert them with the clinking of the chains. Then, she tapped on Cole's shoulder. This one was startled, but only one look behind him told him what she wanted. The both of them took off the heavy bar and were inside the shack within a few seconds. At the sight, Phoebe almost forgot the throbbing from her wound. There, piled up in a corner, were the bags of gold she remembered from the last robbery. Besides those were a few more with similar markings. After a moment of triumph, where she smiled contentedly, she moved toward the first bag and opened it impatiently.
Phoebe had to repress a scream of rage at what she found. The bag was filled with rocks… she pulled a few of them out, staring at them incredulously. Cole was just as disappointed at the sight and he proceeded to open another one with the same result. After five bags, they had to resign themselves to the fact that the gold wasn't there. Reggie had fooled them all.
"No," Phoebe uttered angrily. "Bastard!"
She had barely said this when a loud scream came from the house, making her jump. It was soon followed by another and Phoebe thought that she heard something else. This other sound was very familiar and hated. She was convinced that Reggie or another of his acolytes was whipping one of the girls. This on top of her frustrating discovery provoked an intense rage inside her.
"What's happening," Cole questioned, as he was also shaken by the agonizing screams.
"Reggie is probably getting his sadistic fun," Phoebe spat. "Well, not for long," she added between clenched teeth.
Cole didn't like the look on her face then, and he wondered anxiously what she had in mind. He remembered having seen some marks on her rump during their love making but at the time he had thought better than to ask about it.
"Did he do this to you?"
Phoebe didn't answer, as if she hadn't heard the question while she stared at the house intensely. Then, still without a word, she went out of the shack and picked up the gun she'd taken from Paul along with a few lengths of rope. She was already on her way, when she noticed a roll of barbed wire lying near the steps. She pulled the sharp knife still in her boot and cut a length of this too, staring at it with a wicked smile. Phoebe then stuffed this inside her pants' pocket. Cole saw that she was determined to go inside when she got on to the first step. He decided to try stopping her then.
"Phoebe, you can't go in there… There are five of them… most certainly armed…"
"The five of them are probably butt naked and screwing those girls. They'll be too busy to bother us and a few more screams won't alert them. I'll make Reggie talk," she said with such cruelty that Cole recoiled.
From an upstairs window, they could now distinctly hear the horsewhip and the screams from the poor girl. Cole had to admit that he also felt like hurting that man. However, he feared that all they would succeed in doing would be to get killed.
"Phoebe," he tried again, "you've already got hurt. Please, let's get out of here. Paul and his men will take care of Reggie…"
Phoebe ignored him and walked deliberately toward the door. At a loss for an alternative, Cole pulled his gun from the holster on his belt along with the stick he had kept tucked in it. Then he ran in front of her.
"Alright, if you're intent on going through with this, I'll help you…" he said, albeit still uncertainly. Phoebe gave him a harsh quick glance, but she allowed him to go ahead nonetheless.
Cole cautiously pulled on the door, which opened with a squeaky noise that made him wince. Inside, he saw a few lamps still burning, but no one seemed about. He stepped in and slowly walked through what appeared to be a very rustic sitting room. Bottles and glasses were strewn about on the floor, signs of a somewhat wild party. The piano they'd heard earlier was in a corner of that same room. He was just starting to relax when a loud groan coming from an adjacent room startled him. With renewed caution, he went toward the opened door. This was obviously the kitchen, and there, Cole saw a man with his trousers to his knees, leaning over a naked girl, who lied face down on a table. Only her torso rested on the table as the man was holding her legs apart on each side of him while he was pumping her energetically. Another loud groan escaped the man's lips even as Cole watched in fascination for a moment. However, a finger poking in his ribs got him out of it. He looked back at Phoebe with some irritation but still lifted the stick and quickly moved toward the man, hitting him hard at the base of his skull.
The man fell at once on top of the girl but this one didn't even seem to notice. Instead, she moaned in what Cole estimated was her best professional imitation of pleasure. Rather than hurting her as well, he grabbed a rag from the nearby counter and quickly stuffed it in her mouth when she opened it to let out another useless groan. When she barely reacted, Cole thought that she must have been expecting some rough treatment. However, when he grabbed the unconscious man by the shoulders and pulled him off of her, she looked up and finally realized that something was wrong. Cole signalled for her to keep quiet as he showed her a rope. The girl stood up, fully naked but obviously used to showing her assets without shame. She caught sight of Phoebe, who was pointing a gun at her, and without protest, she extended her wrists toward Cole.
"That's a girl," this one said, as he tied her up. Then, Cole looked around and spotted a large closet. He led her to it and afterward, he tied and gagged the man as well. Cole stuffed him in the closet in turn, which didn't please the girl at all. Ignoring her muffled protestations, he locked them in, blocking the door with an iron bar he found lying near the stove. Satisfied, he turned toward Phoebe. She was already on her way out of the kitchen by then and Cole hurried after her.
They quickly surveyed the rest of the first floor but found no one else there. It was obvious that the rest of the party had moved upstairs. Cole again took the lead, clenching his teeth nervously for every squeak the steps made. However, as luck had it, no one seemed to notice. Phoebe took a look around as soon as she stepped on the landing. Then, without hesitation, she headed for the door at the end of the hallway. Cole guessed that like him, she had estimated where the screams had come from. Indeed, as they approached the room, another agonizing cry followed a loud whipping sound. Then they heard Reggie's voice through the door.
"You better cooperate bitch, or it's gonna hurt an awful lot more."
Phoebe's rage raised another notch at this. She was tempted to crash into the room, but Cole held on to her, as he had guessed at her intentions from the angry look in her eyes. It was easy for him to know what she was thinking because he felt just the same. Instead of following his first impulse, he went to the door and cracked it open. Through the slit, he witnessed a disgusting display. The girl was down on her hands and knees, on top of the bed. Her back was bleeding in places, obviously from the repeated hits of the whip. Even as he watched, Reggie hit her again, eliciting one more scream. However, this one was muffled, as the girl had her mouth around Lenny's shaft and he was jerking in it with his eyes closed. Meanwhile Reggie was deeply inside her ass and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the pain he was inflicting on her. She jerked forward, trying to get him off of her. Her buttocks were constricting nervously at the same time and Cole knew that she was probably desperate to get away from them. She finally pushed her hips down, effectively freeing herself from the penetration. However right way, Reggie lifted the whip over her and this time, he hit her rump violently. The poor girl let herself fall down on the bed, again trying to escape the harsh punishment. Cole had enough and, making sure that both men were concentrating on the girl, he pushed the door opened further and let himself in. Phoebe followed him in with a grimace of contempt. Reggie had again lifted the girl's buttocks up to his hips and was pushing himself inside of her while she moaned in pain. Lenny, for his part, was now stroking himself while holding her head up by her hair. Cole motioned for Phoebe to go around behind Reggie, while he went straight at Lenny. When he came into Reggie's field of vision, this one took a moment to react as he was still in the throes of his arousal. This is why Cole had time to hit Lenny across the face violently with the stick, sending him backward and against the iron headboard, where he hit the back of his head as well, effectively rendering him unconscious. Meanwhile, Reggie had found his voice.
"Hey, who the hell…" he stopped with an intense surprise when he felt something cold and hard entering his ass deeply.
"Hello Reggie," Phoebe announced almost casually "One word, one false move and your insides will look like mush while you squeal like a pig."
Cole pulled the poor girl away from Reggie while this one stayed kneeling, immobile as a statue.
"That's it… Now, face down!" Phoebe uttered harshly.
Reggie slowly let himself down on the bed, while Phoebe kept the gun barrel deeply in his ass.
"How does that feel, Reggie? Hey? Fun isn't it?"
Cole saw the man grimace in anger, but he didn't say a word. Obviously, Reggie knew a thing or two about Phoebe's dispositions. Cole picked a length of rope and roughly pulled Reggie's arms behind his back, tying his wrists together until his skin was discolored. Reggie tried to struggle but Phoebe pushed the gun barrel deeper and he groaned as much in pain as in anger Then, Cole found some handkerchiefs on the dresser and stuffed them in his mouth, before Reggie could protest further. As soon as he was done, he picked up another length of rope and did the same to Lenny.
In a corner of the room, the girl who had been molested by the two men was crouching, holding a sheet as her only covering. Phoebe wished that she could take care of her, but at this point, she was hell bent on punishing the monster in front of her. Cole came back to tie his legs and then he turned questioningly toward Phoebe.
"Huh, I don't know what you have in mind… But I doubt if it would be healthy to stick around here. There are still a few men in this house, and we don't know if more are not coming. Not to mention McKail and his men…"
Phoebe cast a suspicious glance his way.
"I thought you wanted him to come here…"
"Well, I'd really like for us to find this money before he does…Besides," Cole added, as he glared at the men tied up on the bed, "I'd like to be able to enjoy this where we won't be interrupted…"
Phoebe suddenly let a wicked smile spread over her lips.
"Hum, that's another side of you I hadn't suspected."
"I often said that I can't stand men who molest women…These two have to be among the worst examples. They hurt you too, and I'll get some pleasure at hurting them in turn…"
All of this was said very deliberately so that Reggie heard every word. Then Cole picked up the stick again and gave another questioning glance at Phoebe. This one nodded yes and he struck him on the back of the head, also rendering him unconscious.
"Ok now…how do we get them out of here?"
Phoebe turned toward the window and seemed to have an idea. She pulled the gun from Reggie's ass and went to the door.
"Hey," Cole called to her.
"Trust me…"
"That's a loaded proposition," he grumbled while she left him alone with the others.
Meanwhile, he found a thicker blanket in a closet, along with a few clean pieces of fabric, which he wet in a basin on the dresser. Then, he went toward the girl and offered to clean her wounds. At first, this one was still fearful and she tried to pull away from him. Cole smiled softly, trying to appease her worries.
"It's ok, I won't hurt you, I promise. And I won't let them hurt you either…"
The girl cast another worried glance toward Lenny and Reggie, and then she nodded toward Cole before exposing her back to him. Delicately, he began cleaning the lacerations. She was jumping every time he touched her, and for her pain, as well as Phoebe's, he swore that these men would pay dearly. When he was done, he offered the thick blanket to her, which she took gratefully. By then, it had been quite a while, and Cole began to wonder nervously about Phoebe. He was about to go look for her when he heard the distinctive sound of a carriage through the window. Curious, he went to it and looked down to find that Phoebe was lining up the carriage against the wall underneath him. She then grabbed a long rope and as soon as she was certain he was ready; she threw it at him. Cole missed it the first time, but got a hold of it the second time around.
He didn't need Phoebe to explain what she wanted him to do. He tied up one end of the rope to the bed post, and then went on to tie the other around Reggie's waist. Without wait, he picked him up and carried him toward the window, where at great efforts; he lowered him toward the carriage. As soon as this was done, Phoebe undid the rope from around Reggie and Cole repeated the manoeuvre for Lenny. In a sweat now, he turned toward the girl and told her to leave this place if she knew what was good for her. He also assured her that she would be avenged.
Before leaving, he undid the rope from the bedpost and threw it back through the window. Cautiously, he went out of the room and threaded as quietly as possible, unwilling to face another one of them if that was at all possible. Downstairs, he went back to the kitchen, and released the first girl, giving her the same advice he had given to the other one. Without protest, the girl followed the other out of the house after having picked up her clothing, which had been thrown on the kitchen floor.
When Cole finally rejoined with Phoebe, and in spite of what he had said about hurting them, his balls actually retracted in revulsion at what she had done. Both men had been naked in the bedroom and still were. Phoebe had laid them head to toes, so to speak, but in fact it was more like head to crotches. The two men were still unconscious and she had tied them facing each other. Then she had obviously removed the gags, replacing those with the men's shafts. The way they looked now, each of them had his partner's dick in his mouth, and they were held tight with the rope, so that there wouldn't be any way for them to free themselves were they to wake up. Cole looked away with a slight feeling of nausea.
"What? Not good?" Phoebe joked before taking her place on the front seat.
Cole refused to comment and, after giving another look around to make sure no one was after them, he took his place on the seat and snapped the reins, sending the carriage off into the desert and in the opposite direction to the town.
When they had gone a few hundred feet, Cole questioned Phoebe uneasily.
"Did you really have to do that?"
Phoebe looked straight ahead, but he couldn't mistake the mockery in her voice when she spoke.
"Hey, if they bite each other's dicks off, we won't have to worry about them molesting anyone else, ever…"
The thought was so revolting to him that he almost threw up. Taking a few deep breaths, he resolved to look at their prisoners as little as necessary until they were out of this awkward position. However, he had to admit that they deserved every bit of scorn from Phoebe. What made him really uncomfortable however was the thought that he deserved some too. As they went, his remorse deepened, but he couldn't find the words to express how sorry he actually was. On the other hand, he questioned her again about her wound.
"Phoebe, are you sure that you're gonna be ok?"
Phoebe didn't answer right away, and for a moment he wondered if she even heard him.
"I'll be fine; nothing to worry about…"
"But I do worry Phoebe. I…I can't stand to see you hurt."
"Maybe you should've thought of that before you lied to me," Phoebe replied bitterly.
"You say that as if I had hurt your feelings. Wouldn't you need to feel something for me for that to happen…?" Cole questioned hesitantly.
Phoebe glared at him then and he didn't insist. Phoebe almost told him but thought better of admitting to him how much he had truly hurt her. Even at this, she still wished that she could lean against him and feel his warmth against her skin. She chastised herself, knowing that this would be the worse idea under the circumstances. Instead, she resumed staring forward and didn't comment. They stayed silent afterward, making their steady way into the desert.
It had been a few hours and the sun was already up when a moan coming from behind them announced that at least one of their prisoners was coming to. Phoebe turned toward them and was stunned by what she saw. She almost laughed out loud then. Reggie was obviously beginning to wake up and he was struggling against his bounds. However, the truly funny thing was when she looked at Lenny. He still seemed unconscious, or rather semi conscious, as he was sucking on Reggie's dick. Phoebe actually thought that Reggie was getting aroused and she found it even more hilarious. Meanwhile, Reggie struggled against the rope, but, try as he might, he couldn't get away from his very humiliating situation. He still growled and pulled harder, until he realized that it wouldn't do him any good. Then, he did the only thing left for him to do and bit hard on Lenny's dick. This one uttered an agonizing scream only muffled by the man's shaft still stuffed in his mouth. He tried to pull away from his tormentor, but to no avail, while his scream became a low continuous groan. This caught Cole's attention as well, and when he looked back, the spectacle gave him another bout of nausea. It looked even worse in the full light of day.
"Phoebe… don't you think it's time to…end this…"
"You're not getting squeamish on me, are you?"
The teasing look in her eyes told him that she understood very well what bothered him.
"Alright, I have to admit that this is very uncomfortable for me…If you were trying to make me feel bad, well…you've succeeded. Happy?"
"Trust me on this, they feel a lot worse than you…although…until a moment ago, Lenny seemed to be enjoying himself," she added with obvious glee. "Hell, maybe he always wanted this…although now, his dick must be throbbing like hell…"
She gave another look toward the back and she saw that both men's buttocks were constricting nervously, as they tried again to get away from each other.
"You know though, it still looks like too much fun for them…You're right, let's try to make them talk…"
Cole halted the carriage and at great efforts, he made himself go to the back with Phoebe.
Just before the crack of dawn, Paul and ten of his men arrived at the ranch. Cautiously, Paul sent his team around the perimeter, effectively encircling it. Paul then gave a closer look at the surroundings and became very puzzled. He had half expected to find Phoebe and Cole dead in the courtyard or somewhere around the ranch. Instead, he couldn't even see the sentinels. He wondered then if they hadn't given up on the money and ran away, although this seemed unlike Phoebe. Even as he watched, a man came out of the house, looking around with the same obvious puzzlement as Paul. He then went straight to the shack where Paul had seen the bags and soon started screaming invectives while coming back toward the house in a hurry. Those screams alerted another one, who in turn came out along with a barely dressed girl with red hair. The second man gave a scornful look toward the girl and pushed her back inside, while the other obviously explained to him what had happened. When Paul looked back toward the shack, he saw one of his own men, moving cautiously in with his gun in hand. He was signalling about something behind the shack, while watching the two men still deep in conversation. Two more of his men were now coming from behind the house and also closing in on the gangsters with guns in hand. Paul worried about who was left inside, although the two gang members didn't make any move to get back in. Paul got the distinct impression that those two were the only ones still around, along with the girl. He wondered angrily if Phoebe and Cole had not alerted Reggie, but at this point, he figured that their best bet was to arrest those who were left and question them. He got out of his hiding place, and waved his arm for his men. Without hesitation, these quickly went to the gangsters and grabbed them before they had a chance to riposte. While one of his team members threatened them with his gun, the other two cautiously entered the house. Paul waited anxiously, and soon saw them coming out with the girl and a man tied and gagged, but no one else. One of his men signalled to him in the negative.
"Damn it," Paul exclaimed loudly when he saw that none of them was Reggie. He walked quickly toward their prisoners, but before he had the chance to question them, a couple more of his men pulled the three other gagged and bound gangsters from behind the shack. With a vague hope, Paul went toward these, but again found that none of them was Reggie. One was in very bad shape, obviously beaten to a pulp and he was still unconscious, while the other two were struggling against the ropes, albeit weakly. He gave a closer look at the one who had been beaten, but he knew right away that it couldn't be Reggie either. The hair and general appearance were all wrong. Paul grunted irritably then. Although he didn't expect to find anything there anymore, he still went to the shack and found the same thing as Phoebe and Cole had during the night with another exclamation of rage.
Phil, one of his most trusted men, entered the shack behind him and looked around with the same appalled expression as Paul. After a moment where he kept silent, knowing his boss very well, he asked with visible disbelief:
"How many of them were there?"
Paul knew that he was referring to the attackers and he sneered.
"Only two…" he trailed then.
Phil gave him an astounded look but didn't comment. Instead:
"We found tracks from a carriage leading into the desert…Looks to be only a few hours old…"
Paul looked up at this and seemed pleased.
"Well, well, well. Let's not lose time and follow these tracks, shall we. Five men with me, you take the others and have a…serious talk with the prisoners."
Phil smiled cruelly.
"Yes sir," he said before leaving the shack.
Paul gave another dejected look at the rocks spread on the floor.
"Don't count me out just yet, Phoebe," he uttered under his breath before going out in turn.
Chapter XI
When they found themselves in sight of the ranch, Cole was more worried than ever. He had tried a few times to talk her out of whatever she had planned, but Phoebe wouldn't have it. She dismounted behind the same dune where he had waited earlier and Cole figured he should at least give it another shot. This time however, he reflected that if he told the whole truth, maybe it would have more effect.
"Phoebe?"
"Cole, I already told you. I won't change my mind. And frankly, I don't wanna hear it from you anymore."
Cole sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation.
"Look, whether you wanna hear it or not, you will. Those guys are not joking. You can't just go waltzing in there and hope to get away with the money and without a scratch!"
"It's funny you say that. It's close to what I had in mind," Phoebe replied cryptically.
Cole stared at her in puzzlement but decided that now wasn't the time to question her about this.
"Phoebe…Paul's gonna be here with his men sometime during the night. Worse case, he'll be here in the morning."
"You're forgetting that Paul is tied up on the side of the road…wait a minute," Phoebe almost shouted. She stopped herself and glanced quickly toward the ranch for fear that she'd alerted them. After a few seconds however, she was convinced that no one heard. She turned back to Cole angrily and spoke in a low but intense voice.
"What the hell do you mean, he'll be here?"
Cole couldn't look at her. He knew he had again betrayed her trust. He had been hoping that by being candid, she would put more weight in his warnings…Now, he wasn't so sure anymore. Nevertheless, he had started on that line and so he answered.
"I gave him a knife…"
"You what?"
"Phoebe, this enterprise of yours is suicidal. I figured that maybe if I couldn't stop you, they might actually get here fast enough to prevent the worst."
"The worst…? Like what? Like I get the money and they don't? Is that the worst?"
"Phoebe you're being ridiculous. You've got no chance to get out of this alive!"
"I'm going and that's the end of it."
"Phoebe, you can't do that on your own. I won't let you kill yourself."
"Why? Because you love me…?" Phoebe retorted sarcastically.
"I…"
"Look Cole, I'm grateful you didn't deliver me to Paul, even though you planned to do it all along. I've got no idea what made you change your mind and frankly, after what you've just told me, I'm wondering if it wasn't another twisted trick of yours."
"No!" Cole exclaimed. "Phoebe, I just couldn't go through with it…"
"Why?"
"I…" Cole hesitated at length, and then he finished, almost defeated, "I can't…"
"Well, there's an improvement," Phoebe continued. "At least you're not trying to bullshit me anymore. I must say though, you sounded mighty sincere back then. You probably practiced that a lot didn't you?"
Cole wanted to protest but he had to admit that on occasions he had used these words cavalierly before.
"Wow, you won't even protest at that," Phoebe said again. However, there was a trace of disappointment in her voice and he tried to read her face but again the semi darkness prevented him from finding out what she really thought.
"I'm sorry, Phoebe…I shouldn't have done that but… what you did to me…"
"What did I do to you? Hurt your pride? I told you. All you had to do was swallow this god damn pride of yours and go back."
"Damn it, Phoebe, you dumped me naked in the desert. What? Was I supposed to just forget about that because of a few rolls in the hay?"
"Then, don't be surprised if I don't forget anytime soon the way you betrayed me." Phoebe trailed. "How did you do it though," she questioned, suddenly more animated, "how come it seemed so easy for you to lie?"
Cole chuckled unhappily.
"Force of habit… Lying is almost a prerequisite in my line of work…"
"What the hell does that mean?"
"My father would say I'm one of those sleazy sharks he has to deal with …"
"A lawyer…? You're a lawyer?" This time, Phoebe almost laughed and Cole stared irritably at her.
"Well, maybe you find it funny, but the lawyer that I am fooled you…"
Cole regretted saying that the moment it came out but it was too late.
"Phoebe I didn't mean it like that."
"Oh yes, you did. And you know what? I much prefer this. At least, now I know what to expect from you. Although, I still don't understand what a lawyer is doing trying to steal money from a gangster…"
Phoebe felt him hesitate again; as if he was going to tell her the why. However he apparently changed his mind.
"No matter, I'm here and I still can't let you do this…" Cole obviously chose to say instead.
"And I told you that I'm going, no matter what." Phoebe was already stepping away when she stopped and looked back.
"Of course, it'd be easier if you'd help me."
"I won't."
"Not even for a quarter of a million dollars? I'm sure that even for a big lawyer like you, it's a substantial amount of money. And make no mistake. I'm offering this to you so that you'll help me. But if you refuse, that won't keep me from doing it anyway."
"And how the hell do you hope to do that on your own?"
"I told you… I'll waltz in there. Although, I probably won't look like any lady on the dance floor to you…"
Cole was thinking furiously now. The money was irrelevant to him. At least, it was at the moment. However, he recognized that Phoebe would go through with it if he didn't stop her and then, he wouldn't have any chance to redeem himself in her eyes. By then, he was certain that he did feel something for her. And even more that it was mutual. He had to find a way to keep her safe. How could he stop her from making the worse mistake? Then, he remembered her saying something about the money and he decided to try using this to keep her there.
"I thought you said you were only in this for the reward? That you were doing it to get your freedom and give a suitable life to your daughter? Was that all a lie?"
"Look who's talking about my lies!" Phoebe replied derisively. However, she was paying attention now and he pursued this.
"Phoebe, I just told you, I'm a lawyer and I've got a lot of influential friends. I'm sure I could get you off the hook. Even if McKail had you arrested…"
"Trying another one of your little schemes on me?"
"Phoebe, I swear to you."
"Don't!" She snapped. "My offer is simple," she continued, barely containing her anger, "you get half the money, or the reward for Reggie, whatever you choose. Although, if I were you, I wouldn't trust McKail to keep his word more than I trust you to keep yours…"
"If you can't trust me, then why ask for my help?"
"Hardly enough, I've had much more dealings with untrustworthy men than the reverse… I can't even remember one worthy of my trust…" Phoebe gave him a pointed look before pursuing, "except at one point, I thought that you were that…thank god, you restored my faith in the sleaziness of men," she finished a little more forcefully.
"You know what," Phoebe went on bitterly, "I don't want you to help me after all. I just realized. You're worse than any of them. I mean, a few tried the love trick, but that was always because they thought it would get them in my pants faster. You…you wanted in my head. You're even worse than Reggie. At least, he didn't pretend to love me. Even when he was beating the crap out of me, that was always sincere."
Every single one of her words hit the nail painfully for Cole. He knew he deserved it, and a strange despair was invading him now. He understood that nothing he could say would ever convince her that he felt something for her. Not anymore. He had destroyed his chances before he realized he loved her for real. Cole couldn't even bring himself to tell her because he knew that the words would sound empty. What's more, he couldn't reproach Phoebe her doubts. Now there was only one thing he could do for her, and as she turned away again, he called back to her.
"I'll help you…"
"On what condition…?"
"You said I'd get half?"
"I did," she agreed reluctantly.
"Well, then, let me help you and we'll share the money…"
"Whatever happened to your so called principles?"
"Like you said," Cole answered with a joyless smile, "a quarter of a million dollars is a lot of money…"
Phoebe came closer, staring at him as if she was trying to read his mind. She cast another glance at the ranch and then shrugged.
"Alright…here's the plan…"
Cole couldn't believe he had agreed to this. Right then, he watched Phoebe strolling toward the shack, only wearing her shirt. As soon as she was faced with the guard, he felt the same horrible jealousy he had when he saw her with Reggie. This time, however, he knew that he would get some satisfaction out of the pain he intended to inflict on him. He stood on the opposite side of the shack and the patrol had just crossed the yard, leaving them a few minutes to act.
"Hey, you're back," the guard smiled luridly.
"Yeah," Phoebe said leisurely, "I really kind of like you, you know…Couldn't leave it at that," she added as she rubbed her bare leg against his crotch. The man didn't need more as he grabbed her buttocks and pulled her toward him.
"It's really not fair," he uttered, breathing hard in her face while his hand slid between her legs. He gave a few glances around, and then smiled anew. "Hell, if we do it fast, no one will know," he added while hurriedly opening his pants. He had barely time to pull his already hard shaft out of them before the blow in the back of his head knocked him out for the count. Phoebe looked up and saw Cole holding a large rock. There was a trace of blood on it. "Hey, Cowboy… we're not in this to kill anyone." Then she qualified "except maybe that sleaze Reggie if he interferes. But hopefully, we'll just take his money," she said as she bent to pick up a large key ring from the fallen man's belt. Cole watched her and couldn't help a stirring at seeing her buttocks so blatantly offered. He had to refrain from touching her and frankly felt even more ashamed of himself then. Dropping the rock to the ground, he took a few deep breaths while looking away.
"What is it, Cowboy," Phoebe questioned, "Can't take the heat?"
"Just cover your ass and let's do it," he replied curtly.
Phoebe almost giggled.
"One down…"
Cole sighed heavily, as he began to tie and gag the guard, and then dragged him behind the shack and out of sight. Afterward, he went to position himself at one end of the house, while Phoebe waited for the first sentinel in her best seductive pose…
Fortunately for Phoebe, this one was also new to her and he fell with the same expediency as the first one. This time, Cole used a stick, but struck him just as enthusiastically. Phoebe glanced curiously at him, as she was surprised by this display of violence. However, she also reflected with a little pinch in her stomach that it might be another one of those things she had not known about him. Unwilling to dwell on this, she turned back to the fallen guard and saw that he was just as aroused as the first one had been. "Men! They're so easy," she thought. This time, they left him lying there for the moment and hurried to the other side of the house for fear that the second sentinel would surprise them.
Phoebe barely had time to get there before the third guard came out of the darkness and she immediately saw her mistake. From afar, she had not recognized Zach. In hindsight, she realized it was not such a surprise. The man was really none-descript. The kind of person you'd see and then almost forget about. However, he had not forgotten her. As soon as he saw Phoebe, Zach pulled a gun from his belt and rushed at her. Oblivious to her undressed state, he growled:
"Hey, you're supposed to be dead!"
Phoebe had to take a deep breath to steady her voice, but she still mocked.
"News of my death was overly premature…"
"Well, let me make it official," Zach said while pressing the nose of the gun against her stomach. Cole was panicked. He had to do something but was afraid that one false move would provoke the very thing he feared the most. He began walking slowly toward them nonetheless.
However, instead of shooting her, Zack pulled a knife from his belt.
"I remember now," he said then, trailing the knife down from her throat and pushing aside the shirt, "Reggie wanted a nipple. He'll be so glad to get it after all. You don't know how miffed he was that the coyotes and the vultures might have gotten his prize…"
Keeping the knife against her chest, he put back the gun in its holster, and then proceeded to lift the shirt with his free hand, giving an appreciative glance at her nakedness.
"You really are a nice piece of ass, babe. Too bad you had to piss off Reggie."
Zack looked up at this, wanting to see the fear in her eyes, but instead he saw her looking behind him. Instinctively, he grabbed her and twisted her around, holding the knife against her throat. Cole opened wide eyes at this. He had hesitated too long.
"Who the hell are you," Zach questioned, somewhat nervously.
"No need to panic," Cole said as calmly as he could, while dropping the stick at his feet. He glanced back toward the house, but no one seemed to have noticed what was happening. In fact, the house was rather quiet at the moment and he wondered if they were all asleep already. All of this crossed his mind very quickly as he returned his attention to Phoebe and Zach. Phoebe seemed afraid but holding on. He thought of trying to get out his gun, but knew that they wouldn't get very far if they alerted the rest of the gang. Zach was watching him warily, and Cole sensed that he wasn't a very assertive person. He took one step toward them while talking to Zach:
"Oh come on, you don't wanna hurt her just yet. A pussy like her feels so much better when she screams and squirms… I've been after this pretty ass for a while myself…Let's share…"
"What the hell are you talking about? Stay back," Zach uttered nervously.
Cole stopped abruptly, but after a few seconds, he took another step.
"Hey," Cole pursued with a sly smile, "you can't tell me you're not tempted…Feel her up…I'm sure she's wet already…She wants it bad…"
Zach knew that something was up but he couldn't help the arousal this evoked. Phoebe sensed that he hesitated slightly, and she could feel the bulge that pressed against her buttocks. Knowing that it was her last chance, she pressed on.
"He's right, you know," she uttered sensuously, "come on lover," she pursued while deliberately parting her legs and pushing her buttocks against his crotch. The slight moment of confusion Zack experienced then at her strange behaviour was enough to give Phoebe the opportunity she needed. The knife moved slightly away from her throat and she grabbed Zach's arm suddenly, pushing him away from her. Unfortunately, before Cole could reach him and knock him out, Zach waved the knife back toward her and hit her in the side. Phoebe moaned in pain, while Cole knocked the knife out of Zach's hand angrily and proceeded to hit him with blind fury. By the time he stopped, this none- descript man could now be identified by a broken nose and probably a broken jaw as well. When he was spent, Cole turned toward Phoebe and grabbed her tight in his arms.
"Oh my god, I was so scared for you…" He had not even noticed the wound yet. However, when she squirmed in his arms, while emitting another groan of pain, he looked down at her and the fear renewed inside him as he saw the blood soaking her shirt.
"Phoebe? Are you ok?"
Phoebe had wanted to get angry and push him away, but in all truth, she was shaken and hurting, so that his arms around her felt really good. She couldn't help noticing that he sounded sincerely worried and wondered if she wasn't deluding herself again. Cole lifted the shirt, but this time, he only noticed the awful gash that ran down her side. He tried to look closer to make sure it wasn't deep, but Phoebe pulled away.
"It's ok. I'll live… Let's not lose any more time."
"But Phoebe, you're…"
"I said it was alright," she interrupted abruptly. Then her voice softened slightly:
"Thanks for caring, but I'll be fine…"
He watched her moving away with an apprehensive frown. After a moment of hesitation, he went to get the length of rope he had brought along and tied up Zack and then the other sentinel. Again he dragged them both toward the shack while Phoebe was already in her clothes and waiting for him. As soon as he came back toward her, she began trying the keys in the lock while Cole watched the house anxiously. Every few seconds, he was casting a glance at her side, wondering if she truly was ok, but after her rebuke, he decided not to ask again for now. Soon Phoebe found the right key and she pulled the chains away carefully. After all this, it wouldn't have done to alert them with the clinking of the chains. Then, she tapped on Cole's shoulder. This one was startled, but only one look behind him told him what she wanted. The both of them took off the heavy bar and were inside the shack within a few seconds. At the sight, Phoebe almost forgot the throbbing from her wound. There, piled up in a corner, were the bags of gold she remembered from the last robbery. Besides those were a few more with similar markings. After a moment of triumph, where she smiled contentedly, she moved toward the first bag and opened it impatiently.
Phoebe had to repress a scream of rage at what she found. The bag was filled with rocks… she pulled a few of them out, staring at them incredulously. Cole was just as disappointed at the sight and he proceeded to open another one with the same result. After five bags, they had to resign themselves to the fact that the gold wasn't there. Reggie had fooled them all.
"No," Phoebe uttered angrily. "Bastard!"
She had barely said this when a loud scream came from the house, making her jump. It was soon followed by another and Phoebe thought that she heard something else. This other sound was very familiar and hated. She was convinced that Reggie or another of his acolytes was whipping one of the girls. This on top of her frustrating discovery provoked an intense rage inside her.
"What's happening," Cole questioned, as he was also shaken by the agonizing screams.
"Reggie is probably getting his sadistic fun," Phoebe spat. "Well, not for long," she added between clenched teeth.
Cole didn't like the look on her face then, and he wondered anxiously what she had in mind. He remembered having seen some marks on her rump during their love making but at the time he had thought better than to ask about it.
"Did he do this to you?"
Phoebe didn't answer, as if she hadn't heard the question while she stared at the house intensely. Then, still without a word, she went out of the shack and picked up the gun she'd taken from Paul along with a few lengths of rope. She was already on her way, when she noticed a roll of barbed wire lying near the steps. She pulled the sharp knife still in her boot and cut a length of this too, staring at it with a wicked smile. Phoebe then stuffed this inside her pants' pocket. Cole saw that she was determined to go inside when she got on to the first step. He decided to try stopping her then.
"Phoebe, you can't go in there… There are five of them… most certainly armed…"
"The five of them are probably butt naked and screwing those girls. They'll be too busy to bother us and a few more screams won't alert them. I'll make Reggie talk," she said with such cruelty that Cole recoiled.
From an upstairs window, they could now distinctly hear the horsewhip and the screams from the poor girl. Cole had to admit that he also felt like hurting that man. However, he feared that all they would succeed in doing would be to get killed.
"Phoebe," he tried again, "you've already got hurt. Please, let's get out of here. Paul and his men will take care of Reggie…"
Phoebe ignored him and walked deliberately toward the door. At a loss for an alternative, Cole pulled his gun from the holster on his belt along with the stick he had kept tucked in it. Then he ran in front of her.
"Alright, if you're intent on going through with this, I'll help you…" he said, albeit still uncertainly. Phoebe gave him a harsh quick glance, but she allowed him to go ahead nonetheless.
Cole cautiously pulled on the door, which opened with a squeaky noise that made him wince. Inside, he saw a few lamps still burning, but no one seemed about. He stepped in and slowly walked through what appeared to be a very rustic sitting room. Bottles and glasses were strewn about on the floor, signs of a somewhat wild party. The piano they'd heard earlier was in a corner of that same room. He was just starting to relax when a loud groan coming from an adjacent room startled him. With renewed caution, he went toward the opened door. This was obviously the kitchen, and there, Cole saw a man with his trousers to his knees, leaning over a naked girl, who lied face down on a table. Only her torso rested on the table as the man was holding her legs apart on each side of him while he was pumping her energetically. Another loud groan escaped the man's lips even as Cole watched in fascination for a moment. However, a finger poking in his ribs got him out of it. He looked back at Phoebe with some irritation but still lifted the stick and quickly moved toward the man, hitting him hard at the base of his skull.
The man fell at once on top of the girl but this one didn't even seem to notice. Instead, she moaned in what Cole estimated was her best professional imitation of pleasure. Rather than hurting her as well, he grabbed a rag from the nearby counter and quickly stuffed it in her mouth when she opened it to let out another useless groan. When she barely reacted, Cole thought that she must have been expecting some rough treatment. However, when he grabbed the unconscious man by the shoulders and pulled him off of her, she looked up and finally realized that something was wrong. Cole signalled for her to keep quiet as he showed her a rope. The girl stood up, fully naked but obviously used to showing her assets without shame. She caught sight of Phoebe, who was pointing a gun at her, and without protest, she extended her wrists toward Cole.
"That's a girl," this one said, as he tied her up. Then, Cole looked around and spotted a large closet. He led her to it and afterward, he tied and gagged the man as well. Cole stuffed him in the closet in turn, which didn't please the girl at all. Ignoring her muffled protestations, he locked them in, blocking the door with an iron bar he found lying near the stove. Satisfied, he turned toward Phoebe. She was already on her way out of the kitchen by then and Cole hurried after her.
They quickly surveyed the rest of the first floor but found no one else there. It was obvious that the rest of the party had moved upstairs. Cole again took the lead, clenching his teeth nervously for every squeak the steps made. However, as luck had it, no one seemed to notice. Phoebe took a look around as soon as she stepped on the landing. Then, without hesitation, she headed for the door at the end of the hallway. Cole guessed that like him, she had estimated where the screams had come from. Indeed, as they approached the room, another agonizing cry followed a loud whipping sound. Then they heard Reggie's voice through the door.
"You better cooperate bitch, or it's gonna hurt an awful lot more."
Phoebe's rage raised another notch at this. She was tempted to crash into the room, but Cole held on to her, as he had guessed at her intentions from the angry look in her eyes. It was easy for him to know what she was thinking because he felt just the same. Instead of following his first impulse, he went to the door and cracked it open. Through the slit, he witnessed a disgusting display. The girl was down on her hands and knees, on top of the bed. Her back was bleeding in places, obviously from the repeated hits of the whip. Even as he watched, Reggie hit her again, eliciting one more scream. However, this one was muffled, as the girl had her mouth around Lenny's shaft and he was jerking in it with his eyes closed. Meanwhile Reggie was deeply inside her ass and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the pain he was inflicting on her. She jerked forward, trying to get him off of her. Her buttocks were constricting nervously at the same time and Cole knew that she was probably desperate to get away from them. She finally pushed her hips down, effectively freeing herself from the penetration. However right way, Reggie lifted the whip over her and this time, he hit her rump violently. The poor girl let herself fall down on the bed, again trying to escape the harsh punishment. Cole had enough and, making sure that both men were concentrating on the girl, he pushed the door opened further and let himself in. Phoebe followed him in with a grimace of contempt. Reggie had again lifted the girl's buttocks up to his hips and was pushing himself inside of her while she moaned in pain. Lenny, for his part, was now stroking himself while holding her head up by her hair. Cole motioned for Phoebe to go around behind Reggie, while he went straight at Lenny. When he came into Reggie's field of vision, this one took a moment to react as he was still in the throes of his arousal. This is why Cole had time to hit Lenny across the face violently with the stick, sending him backward and against the iron headboard, where he hit the back of his head as well, effectively rendering him unconscious. Meanwhile, Reggie had found his voice.
"Hey, who the hell…" he stopped with an intense surprise when he felt something cold and hard entering his ass deeply.
"Hello Reggie," Phoebe announced almost casually "One word, one false move and your insides will look like mush while you squeal like a pig."
Cole pulled the poor girl away from Reggie while this one stayed kneeling, immobile as a statue.
"That's it… Now, face down!" Phoebe uttered harshly.
Reggie slowly let himself down on the bed, while Phoebe kept the gun barrel deeply in his ass.
"How does that feel, Reggie? Hey? Fun isn't it?"
Cole saw the man grimace in anger, but he didn't say a word. Obviously, Reggie knew a thing or two about Phoebe's dispositions. Cole picked a length of rope and roughly pulled Reggie's arms behind his back, tying his wrists together until his skin was discolored. Reggie tried to struggle but Phoebe pushed the gun barrel deeper and he groaned as much in pain as in anger Then, Cole found some handkerchiefs on the dresser and stuffed them in his mouth, before Reggie could protest further. As soon as he was done, he picked up another length of rope and did the same to Lenny.
In a corner of the room, the girl who had been molested by the two men was crouching, holding a sheet as her only covering. Phoebe wished that she could take care of her, but at this point, she was hell bent on punishing the monster in front of her. Cole came back to tie his legs and then he turned questioningly toward Phoebe.
"Huh, I don't know what you have in mind… But I doubt if it would be healthy to stick around here. There are still a few men in this house, and we don't know if more are not coming. Not to mention McKail and his men…"
Phoebe cast a suspicious glance his way.
"I thought you wanted him to come here…"
"Well, I'd really like for us to find this money before he does…Besides," Cole added, as he glared at the men tied up on the bed, "I'd like to be able to enjoy this where we won't be interrupted…"
Phoebe suddenly let a wicked smile spread over her lips.
"Hum, that's another side of you I hadn't suspected."
"I often said that I can't stand men who molest women…These two have to be among the worst examples. They hurt you too, and I'll get some pleasure at hurting them in turn…"
All of this was said very deliberately so that Reggie heard every word. Then Cole picked up the stick again and gave another questioning glance at Phoebe. This one nodded yes and he struck him on the back of the head, also rendering him unconscious.
"Ok now…how do we get them out of here?"
Phoebe turned toward the window and seemed to have an idea. She pulled the gun from Reggie's ass and went to the door.
"Hey," Cole called to her.
"Trust me…"
"That's a loaded proposition," he grumbled while she left him alone with the others.
Meanwhile, he found a thicker blanket in a closet, along with a few clean pieces of fabric, which he wet in a basin on the dresser. Then, he went toward the girl and offered to clean her wounds. At first, this one was still fearful and she tried to pull away from him. Cole smiled softly, trying to appease her worries.
"It's ok, I won't hurt you, I promise. And I won't let them hurt you either…"
The girl cast another worried glance toward Lenny and Reggie, and then she nodded toward Cole before exposing her back to him. Delicately, he began cleaning the lacerations. She was jumping every time he touched her, and for her pain, as well as Phoebe's, he swore that these men would pay dearly. When he was done, he offered the thick blanket to her, which she took gratefully. By then, it had been quite a while, and Cole began to wonder nervously about Phoebe. He was about to go look for her when he heard the distinctive sound of a carriage through the window. Curious, he went to it and looked down to find that Phoebe was lining up the carriage against the wall underneath him. She then grabbed a long rope and as soon as she was certain he was ready; she threw it at him. Cole missed it the first time, but got a hold of it the second time around.
He didn't need Phoebe to explain what she wanted him to do. He tied up one end of the rope to the bed post, and then went on to tie the other around Reggie's waist. Without wait, he picked him up and carried him toward the window, where at great efforts; he lowered him toward the carriage. As soon as this was done, Phoebe undid the rope from around Reggie and Cole repeated the manoeuvre for Lenny. In a sweat now, he turned toward the girl and told her to leave this place if she knew what was good for her. He also assured her that she would be avenged.
Before leaving, he undid the rope from the bedpost and threw it back through the window. Cautiously, he went out of the room and threaded as quietly as possible, unwilling to face another one of them if that was at all possible. Downstairs, he went back to the kitchen, and released the first girl, giving her the same advice he had given to the other one. Without protest, the girl followed the other out of the house after having picked up her clothing, which had been thrown on the kitchen floor.
When Cole finally rejoined with Phoebe, and in spite of what he had said about hurting them, his balls actually retracted in revulsion at what she had done. Both men had been naked in the bedroom and still were. Phoebe had laid them head to toes, so to speak, but in fact it was more like head to crotches. The two men were still unconscious and she had tied them facing each other. Then she had obviously removed the gags, replacing those with the men's shafts. The way they looked now, each of them had his partner's dick in his mouth, and they were held tight with the rope, so that there wouldn't be any way for them to free themselves were they to wake up. Cole looked away with a slight feeling of nausea.
"What? Not good?" Phoebe joked before taking her place on the front seat.
Cole refused to comment and, after giving another look around to make sure no one was after them, he took his place on the seat and snapped the reins, sending the carriage off into the desert and in the opposite direction to the town.
When they had gone a few hundred feet, Cole questioned Phoebe uneasily.
"Did you really have to do that?"
Phoebe looked straight ahead, but he couldn't mistake the mockery in her voice when she spoke.
"Hey, if they bite each other's dicks off, we won't have to worry about them molesting anyone else, ever…"
The thought was so revolting to him that he almost threw up. Taking a few deep breaths, he resolved to look at their prisoners as little as necessary until they were out of this awkward position. However, he had to admit that they deserved every bit of scorn from Phoebe. What made him really uncomfortable however was the thought that he deserved some too. As they went, his remorse deepened, but he couldn't find the words to express how sorry he actually was. On the other hand, he questioned her again about her wound.
"Phoebe, are you sure that you're gonna be ok?"
Phoebe didn't answer right away, and for a moment he wondered if she even heard him.
"I'll be fine; nothing to worry about…"
"But I do worry Phoebe. I…I can't stand to see you hurt."
"Maybe you should've thought of that before you lied to me," Phoebe replied bitterly.
"You say that as if I had hurt your feelings. Wouldn't you need to feel something for me for that to happen…?" Cole questioned hesitantly.
Phoebe glared at him then and he didn't insist. Phoebe almost told him but thought better of admitting to him how much he had truly hurt her. Even at this, she still wished that she could lean against him and feel his warmth against her skin. She chastised herself, knowing that this would be the worse idea under the circumstances. Instead, she resumed staring forward and didn't comment. They stayed silent afterward, making their steady way into the desert.
It had been a few hours and the sun was already up when a moan coming from behind them announced that at least one of their prisoners was coming to. Phoebe turned toward them and was stunned by what she saw. She almost laughed out loud then. Reggie was obviously beginning to wake up and he was struggling against his bounds. However, the truly funny thing was when she looked at Lenny. He still seemed unconscious, or rather semi conscious, as he was sucking on Reggie's dick. Phoebe actually thought that Reggie was getting aroused and she found it even more hilarious. Meanwhile, Reggie struggled against the rope, but, try as he might, he couldn't get away from his very humiliating situation. He still growled and pulled harder, until he realized that it wouldn't do him any good. Then, he did the only thing left for him to do and bit hard on Lenny's dick. This one uttered an agonizing scream only muffled by the man's shaft still stuffed in his mouth. He tried to pull away from his tormentor, but to no avail, while his scream became a low continuous groan. This caught Cole's attention as well, and when he looked back, the spectacle gave him another bout of nausea. It looked even worse in the full light of day.
"Phoebe… don't you think it's time to…end this…"
"You're not getting squeamish on me, are you?"
The teasing look in her eyes told him that she understood very well what bothered him.
"Alright, I have to admit that this is very uncomfortable for me…If you were trying to make me feel bad, well…you've succeeded. Happy?"
"Trust me on this, they feel a lot worse than you…although…until a moment ago, Lenny seemed to be enjoying himself," she added with obvious glee. "Hell, maybe he always wanted this…although now, his dick must be throbbing like hell…"
She gave another look toward the back and she saw that both men's buttocks were constricting nervously, as they tried again to get away from each other.
"You know though, it still looks like too much fun for them…You're right, let's try to make them talk…"
Cole halted the carriage and at great efforts, he made himself go to the back with Phoebe.
Just before the crack of dawn, Paul and ten of his men arrived at the ranch. Cautiously, Paul sent his team around the perimeter, effectively encircling it. Paul then gave a closer look at the surroundings and became very puzzled. He had half expected to find Phoebe and Cole dead in the courtyard or somewhere around the ranch. Instead, he couldn't even see the sentinels. He wondered then if they hadn't given up on the money and ran away, although this seemed unlike Phoebe. Even as he watched, a man came out of the house, looking around with the same obvious puzzlement as Paul. He then went straight to the shack where Paul had seen the bags and soon started screaming invectives while coming back toward the house in a hurry. Those screams alerted another one, who in turn came out along with a barely dressed girl with red hair. The second man gave a scornful look toward the girl and pushed her back inside, while the other obviously explained to him what had happened. When Paul looked back toward the shack, he saw one of his own men, moving cautiously in with his gun in hand. He was signalling about something behind the shack, while watching the two men still deep in conversation. Two more of his men were now coming from behind the house and also closing in on the gangsters with guns in hand. Paul worried about who was left inside, although the two gang members didn't make any move to get back in. Paul got the distinct impression that those two were the only ones still around, along with the girl. He wondered angrily if Phoebe and Cole had not alerted Reggie, but at this point, he figured that their best bet was to arrest those who were left and question them. He got out of his hiding place, and waved his arm for his men. Without hesitation, these quickly went to the gangsters and grabbed them before they had a chance to riposte. While one of his team members threatened them with his gun, the other two cautiously entered the house. Paul waited anxiously, and soon saw them coming out with the girl and a man tied and gagged, but no one else. One of his men signalled to him in the negative.
"Damn it," Paul exclaimed loudly when he saw that none of them was Reggie. He walked quickly toward their prisoners, but before he had the chance to question them, a couple more of his men pulled the three other gagged and bound gangsters from behind the shack. With a vague hope, Paul went toward these, but again found that none of them was Reggie. One was in very bad shape, obviously beaten to a pulp and he was still unconscious, while the other two were struggling against the ropes, albeit weakly. He gave a closer look at the one who had been beaten, but he knew right away that it couldn't be Reggie either. The hair and general appearance were all wrong. Paul grunted irritably then. Although he didn't expect to find anything there anymore, he still went to the shack and found the same thing as Phoebe and Cole had during the night with another exclamation of rage.
Phil, one of his most trusted men, entered the shack behind him and looked around with the same appalled expression as Paul. After a moment where he kept silent, knowing his boss very well, he asked with visible disbelief:
"How many of them were there?"
Paul knew that he was referring to the attackers and he sneered.
"Only two…" he trailed then.
Phil gave him an astounded look but didn't comment. Instead:
"We found tracks from a carriage leading into the desert…Looks to be only a few hours old…"
Paul looked up at this and seemed pleased.
"Well, well, well. Let's not lose time and follow these tracks, shall we. Five men with me, you take the others and have a…serious talk with the prisoners."
Phil smiled cruelly.
"Yes sir," he said before leaving the shack.
Paul gave another dejected look at the rocks spread on the floor.
"Don't count me out just yet, Phoebe," he uttered under his breath before going out in turn.
