Chapter 14
7:05 PM
She was lying on a slab. She knew now it was an altar. A cool breeze flowed over her skin, raising goose pimples on her sensitive flesh. An unfamiliar scent hovered in the air, wafting towards a hazy blue light above. She could see the outlined shapes of 6 bodies surrounding her – she could smell the oil that they had rubbed into each other skins, then hers. She felt as she was on fire. She was sweating, filled with a need, an overwhelming desire. She knew what this was, that it was wrong, that she would be hurt here, but her body was betraying her.
She craved.
She yearned.
She couldn't breathe with the intensity of her need.
Then she felt hands upon her.
And held her arms open to receive the welcome embrace of John.
XxX
"She has to be here. Where else would they take her?" John punched the wall again.
"Maybe they own other property near here. Anybody checked?"
"This is the only property that they own." Sergeant McKinley stated. "If they'd bought anything else, it would have made the real estate pages. Somebody would know about it."
John walked out into the hallway. He studied the statue of Priapus for a moment, and then started attacking it, trying to push it over.
"Agent Doggett, what the hell are you doing?" McKinley asked in alarm.
John grunted and continued pushing. "Monica told me that the statues were placed in the doorways to the temples, to guard over their worshippers. There's no door here – so why is the stature in this particular spot?"
McKinley digested this bit of information and then called for the other agents in the house. "Over here. We need help."
It took four men and all their strength to push the statue until it finally teetered over and smashed on the floor. There, underneath the broken bits of a long dead God, was a trap door. "I need a crow bar." John shouted, allowing the first glimmer of hope into his heart since Monica disappeared. Moments later one was placed in his hand and he went about the business of prying the door open. With one last scrap of effort it opened, to reveal a staircase descending into darkness. John threw the crowbar to the side, drew his gun and raced purposely down the stairs. The sergeant and other agents followed suit. They burst into the cellar barking commands; disgust evident in their faces and tones at the degeneracy that people could sink to. The six primed and naked cultists could do nothing in the face of this armed hostility, and surrendered without a fight. John saw none of this. He only saw the woman lying naked on the altar, the woman who was writhing in expectation. Monica.
He ripped off his jacket, and approached the altar purposefully. "Monica. Can you hear me?"
He placed the jacket around her torso, and positioned himself so that he was shading her from the rest of the room. "John." She moaned. "Now. Please."
"Come on Mon." he whispered into her ear. It's time to go."
"No." He hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him close. "I want you." She hummed into his lips. "Please. Inside me."
John untangled himself from her embrace. "What the hell did you give her?" he demanded of Daniel Winfield.
"Ah, Agent Doggett – in the flesh, no less."
John strode over to where an officer was cuffing him and grabbed him by the throat. "What did you give her?"
"It's a mixture of synthetic and natural materials." He provided. "It won't harm her."
John released him.
Daniel smirked. "It will, however, make her very uncomfortable for the next five hours unless certain needs are met."
"Did you touch her?"
Daniel remained silent.
"DID YOU TOUCH HER, YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH?" He shouted, and reached for his throat again.
"No. We were interrupted before the ceremony could begin."
"Get him out of here before I kill him." John said from behind clenched teeth.
"What about Agent Reyes?" An unfamiliar agent asked.
He looked back towards Monica, who was still struggling against internal yearnings on the altar.
"I'll take her to the hospital. Make sure she's alright." He strove to regain control of his emotions. He needed to be calm for Monica. He had to put his blind fury aside, and just be there for her.
Because she was alive. Against all the odds, she was alive.
7:05 PM
She was lying on a slab. She knew now it was an altar. A cool breeze flowed over her skin, raising goose pimples on her sensitive flesh. An unfamiliar scent hovered in the air, wafting towards a hazy blue light above. She could see the outlined shapes of 6 bodies surrounding her – she could smell the oil that they had rubbed into each other skins, then hers. She felt as she was on fire. She was sweating, filled with a need, an overwhelming desire. She knew what this was, that it was wrong, that she would be hurt here, but her body was betraying her.
She craved.
She yearned.
She couldn't breathe with the intensity of her need.
Then she felt hands upon her.
And held her arms open to receive the welcome embrace of John.
XxX
"She has to be here. Where else would they take her?" John punched the wall again.
"Maybe they own other property near here. Anybody checked?"
"This is the only property that they own." Sergeant McKinley stated. "If they'd bought anything else, it would have made the real estate pages. Somebody would know about it."
John walked out into the hallway. He studied the statue of Priapus for a moment, and then started attacking it, trying to push it over.
"Agent Doggett, what the hell are you doing?" McKinley asked in alarm.
John grunted and continued pushing. "Monica told me that the statues were placed in the doorways to the temples, to guard over their worshippers. There's no door here – so why is the stature in this particular spot?"
McKinley digested this bit of information and then called for the other agents in the house. "Over here. We need help."
It took four men and all their strength to push the statue until it finally teetered over and smashed on the floor. There, underneath the broken bits of a long dead God, was a trap door. "I need a crow bar." John shouted, allowing the first glimmer of hope into his heart since Monica disappeared. Moments later one was placed in his hand and he went about the business of prying the door open. With one last scrap of effort it opened, to reveal a staircase descending into darkness. John threw the crowbar to the side, drew his gun and raced purposely down the stairs. The sergeant and other agents followed suit. They burst into the cellar barking commands; disgust evident in their faces and tones at the degeneracy that people could sink to. The six primed and naked cultists could do nothing in the face of this armed hostility, and surrendered without a fight. John saw none of this. He only saw the woman lying naked on the altar, the woman who was writhing in expectation. Monica.
He ripped off his jacket, and approached the altar purposefully. "Monica. Can you hear me?"
He placed the jacket around her torso, and positioned himself so that he was shading her from the rest of the room. "John." She moaned. "Now. Please."
"Come on Mon." he whispered into her ear. It's time to go."
"No." He hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him close. "I want you." She hummed into his lips. "Please. Inside me."
John untangled himself from her embrace. "What the hell did you give her?" he demanded of Daniel Winfield.
"Ah, Agent Doggett – in the flesh, no less."
John strode over to where an officer was cuffing him and grabbed him by the throat. "What did you give her?"
"It's a mixture of synthetic and natural materials." He provided. "It won't harm her."
John released him.
Daniel smirked. "It will, however, make her very uncomfortable for the next five hours unless certain needs are met."
"Did you touch her?"
Daniel remained silent.
"DID YOU TOUCH HER, YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH?" He shouted, and reached for his throat again.
"No. We were interrupted before the ceremony could begin."
"Get him out of here before I kill him." John said from behind clenched teeth.
"What about Agent Reyes?" An unfamiliar agent asked.
He looked back towards Monica, who was still struggling against internal yearnings on the altar.
"I'll take her to the hospital. Make sure she's alright." He strove to regain control of his emotions. He needed to be calm for Monica. He had to put his blind fury aside, and just be there for her.
Because she was alive. Against all the odds, she was alive.