Thank you so, so much for the amazing response I am getting for this story, I know you must be tired of reading me saying thank you but really, thank you, I read each review religiously and I can't express how thankful I am for your feedback.
In this chapter, a South African storm is on the way, and Alice gets a rude awakening.
Hope you enjoy :)
When they reach Hoyt's camp, Alice is in for a shock. If she thought Vaas' camp was huge, and heavily armed, it is nothing compared to the scale of things here.
Hoyt's men are called the Privateers. They wear yellow, are heavily and professionally armed. They swarm the place like an army of ants. Military helicopters leave and come in a never ending string of slapping spinning blades, and there are huge boats all along the coast. At the pirate camp, here is a sort of camaraderie between the pirates, an almost tangible aura of friendship. The pirates sit together, laugh, talk to each other in broken English. Here, the Privateers walk around wearing sunglasses, not talking to each other, and looking extremely self important.
Vaas' pirates walk all huddled close together, clutching their weapons, throwing challenging looks at any smug Privateer walking by. There is a definite look of contempt on the Privateers' faces as they pass them by, and a couple of them even go so far as to stare Alice up and down, predatory, and it doesn't escape the girl that the pirates have arranged themselves in a way which would make it impossible for anyone to get to her without pushing them out of the way. Vaas keeps her close, occasionally putting his arm around her, and Alice starts wishing she'd said no when he offered for her to come with him. There's a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that she is not going to like this, and that this is perhaps Vaas' way of making her pay for trying to leave.
Eventually they reach what looks like the main building, the most guarded of them all, and climb up some steps. At the top of the stairs, as they are about to enter a large room overlooking the seaside, a Privateer leers at Alice and offers to do a body search. Vaas' reaction is instant: the headbut is so fast the Privateer never sees it coming, and he stumbles to the ground, passed out. Vaas' pirates laugh, and Alice is left to wonder whether the pirate lord's face is in fact made of concrete.
"Vaas!" Calls a voice from inside the room.
"Ok you three motherfuckers stay here. Nena, Carlos, come with me."
They walk in. The room is fairly empty, it has a large desk facing away from the sea, and a small table in the corner where two men are seating down, one of them being Buck. Behind him, a bald, serious looking Privateer with a blond goatee eyes them carefully. The two men have cards in their hands. Buck waves happily at them, winks at Alice.
"Ah! Vaas! It's so nice to see you again. Have you had time to think about our little chat about Jason Brody?"
"Yes boss."
'Boss'? This must be Hoyt. Who else would Vaas call boss?
Hoyt is a slim man in his forties, balding around his temples, and he wears a red shirt and a gold chain under a suit jacket. Neatly shaved, smelling very strongly of cologne. He doesn't exult madness and instability like Vaas does, but there is something about him, something that chills you to the core.
"Good, good."
Alice cannot quite place his accent. Perhaps South African.
Carlos takes place a couple of steps away from the table, his hands still on his weapon. Vaas joins the poker table, as silently instructed by Hoyt. A flick of the finger tells Alice she is to stand behind Vaas.
Hoyt looks her up and down with a hint of annoyance, as if she was some starved, flee infected but otherwise harmless street cat crashing his dinner party, begging for food.
"And what might this be I wonder?" He says.
"That's Alice Ridley." Provides Buck, shuffling his cards. "She's British." He looks up to her. "British and what was it? Norwegian?"
"Swedish." Replies Alice, thrown off. She's never told him that. How does he know that?
"She likes diving." Continues Buck. "Though she doesn't know where to stop, isn't that right love?"
"I guess not."
"She's with me." Interrupts Vaas. "She's mine."
"Oh she's yours, is she?" Barks Hoyt. "Did you purchase her?"
"I caught her."
"And who do you catch slaves for, hey? She's been caught on my islands. She's my property. Have you bought her off me?"
Vaas is quiet for a few seconds. Hoyt looks at Alice, and she makes sure to avoid eye contact, and tries to look as miserable and boring as possible.
"I guess not, Hoyt." Concedes Vaas. He leans back in his chair. "How much?"
Oh god, this isn't right. This changes everything. Is this her punishment? Hoyt stands up, walks over to her. Alice clasps her hands behind her back, resists the urge to run out of the room. Counts the lights on the ceiling, counts each slap of the spinning fan. She silently prays for Vaas to intervene. He turns in his seat, looks at them, face unreadable. He's punishing me. Hoyt is circling her, sizing her up.
"She'd fetch a good price." Says Hoyt. "It's not every day you get a British girl. One that isn't fat, that is. Good job you're a swimmer." He tells her. His hand pinches her skin just below her bum, and Alice gives Vaas an imploring look. He sifts in his seat.
"How much, Hoyt?"
"How much are you willing to pay?" Then, he laughs. "What could you possibly offer that I don't already give to you in the first place?"
"How about Jason Brody's head?" Asks Vaas, and Hoyt stops dead in his tracks.
"You're getting Brody because I tell you to, Vaas!" He shouts, and a spray of spit hits Alice's cheek.
"How about I bring him in alive, huh? That way you get to do whatever you want with that white boy."
"You think I give a shit, whether he's dead or alive?" Hoyt resumes pacing around, eyeing the girl up and down.
Alice is scared. Very much so. This is it, this is retaliation. This is payback. Vaas is trying to hurt her. She's like an animal being eyed up for sale, she's about to become livestock. I get it, she tells him with her eyes, well fucking done to you, I get it, I am scared, can this stop now?
"You know boss," starts Vaas, crossing his hands on his lap, resting his foot on his knee. "Me and my boys are facing attacks from the rakyat all the fucking time. It's bad for business. Just the other day, some white boy sent by Citra killed eight of my men. Eight perfectly fine pirates."
This catches Hoyt's attention, and he stares at Vaas, his expression dark but cautious.
"I know your Privateers are allowed to fuck the pussy that gets here before it's sold, but see, my boys aren't allowed that. Damages the goods, you told me so yourself. It's hard to tell those horny fucks to keep it in their pants, especially when they risk their lives every fucking day, and they know your boys are having a party over here. Now we go to Badtown, sure, but it's always the same thing, you know what I mean? All profit goes to you. All pussy goes to you. The way I see it, me and the boys are in the frontline here. I lose men all the time, and I do it for you Hoyt, for the business, but it gets real tiring sometimes. I think one little pussy, to keep everyone in check, you know, to evacuate the stress, I don't think that's too much to ask for. Eight lives for one piece of British pussy."
Hoyt stays silent for what feels like an eternity. Then, and it is so unexpected that it makes Alice jump, he bursts out laughing.
"I like you Vaas. I like you because you're funny, and because you ain't stupid!" He claps, slaps Alice's bum, gives Vaas a pat on the back, walks back to his chair.
"Have her. But pace yourself, ok? Use protection. And don't share with too many boys. Don't want her to break too soon. Carlos you're gentle aren't you?"
"Yes sir."
"I like to reward my best men," continues Hoyt. "Bambi, you're happy with your reward, aren't you?"
"Yes Volker, I am. He cries all the time though, I think he misses home."
"Whiny, ungrateful fuck." Snorts Hoyt. "I won't be this generous again, Vaas. Once this one goes, there won't be another."
"Thank you, Hoyt."
"What's so special about you, then?"
It takes Alice a second to realise he is actually speaking to her, like she's sudenly become a person again. She knows there are tears, of anger or fear, welling up in her eyes, because to her they all look slightly distorted, colours mixing in a sickening blend.
"I don't know." She tells him honestly, and there's broken rage in her voice. "Must be the fact that I'm a mermaid." She adds, and there's a pregnant pause, before Hoyt guffaws again.
"There's a mouth on that one! You like that, Vaas, don't you? And a good pair of tits. She's all yours. But be careful Vaas: I giveth and I taketh."
That afternoon, Alice hears horrible, horrible things. Tales of slavery, rape, torture. Tales of men being made to run through rice fields infested with landmines. Tales of slaves being broken. She is spoken of as if she were nothing more than her genitals. Hoyt suggests knocking her teeth out for better access. The humiliation is unlike any she has ever experienced. Alice counts, counts, counts.
On the way back, Alice hides her tears by looking out the window, and seeks some alone time on the boat. Perhaps Vaas didn't mean this as a punishment? He wouldn't be so cruel, would he? Why didn't Vaas just keep her a secret? Then the answer comes to her. Buck must have told Hoyt, and Vaas thought it was best to make it look like he'd planned on telling Hoyt all along. Surely Vaas isn't going to share her with anyone, is he? He's been extremely possessive so far. Maybe he'll give her to the others once he's had his way with her? Is this the reprisal she's been waiting for? He's giving her a look at what she could be getting herself into?
Or perhaps, Alice should really try and seduce him for good now, to ensure his loyalty? To make sure he realises he'd rather have her than let Hoyt take her away? If she makes an impression, this could work, no?
On the northern island, Vaas stops the car outside the camp.
"Ok, Carlos you get out here and you walk. Me and my sirenita are going swimming."
They drive to the spot where he'd taken her swimming on her birthday, after the incident at the doctor's house. As they make their way through the jungle, Alice is still battling with herself. For some reason, she doesn't think that Vaas would just hand her over to his men. She knows nothing of Jason Brody, but, were Vaas to fail in capturing or killing him, would this mean that Hoyt may decide to take her away? And would promising hot, sweaty, endless sex push Vaas towards choosing her over Hoyt? It's simple, really. Women and men have done this for centuries. It doesn't have to mean a thing. It's simple. So simple.
Just get him to forgive you.
On a lighter note, Alice is congratulating herself for always wearing bikinis as underwear. Over the last few weeks, Vaas has been randomly taking her swimming, without giving her the chance to get changed, and she suspects he does so in the hopes of catching her swimming naked. When they reach the beach, the sun is already fairly low in the sky, and it looks like they may only get an hour in the water before having to drive home for the night. Home. That's what the pirate camp feels like to her, now. What a disturbing thought.
Without a word, Alice takes off her clothes, leaves them on a pile on top of her shoes, and walks to the water. When she gets in up to her thighs, Alice turns around. Vaas is still on the beach, hands in his pockets, looking at his shoes. He must have been able to tell she was upset and angry, perhaps knows she knows taking her there is a way of punishing her, because he's pretty much left her alone on the way back, and doesn't usually take her swimming this late.
The truth is, Hoyt, and everything he represents, everything he's implied or just plain said, has absolutely terrified Alice to the core, and for the first time she feels that she truly appreciates just how 'soft' Vaas is being with her. Because, in her misery, Alice is actually bloody lucky that it is Vaas who climbed first on their boat, Vaas whom she rescued from drowning, Vaas who caught her, and not someone like Hoyt or Buck. Keith is a slave, Alice has finally realised. A sex slave. It could have been her. She is a prisoner, true, and not a day passes without Vaas bulldozing his way through yet another one of her personal boundaries, but, in his own way, Vaas is respecting her, and looking after her. His psychosis is the most blessed thing Alice has ever come accross.
Alice feels like she's finally uncovered a more basic, animalistic side of herself, and she truly understands what is at stakes. Morals and boundaries mean nothing, this is survival, the predators are real and ready to eat her alive.
If this brutal epiphany was in Vaas' plan all along, then he's succeeded.
She needs someone like Vaas on her side, now more than ever. She cannot let herself be caught by Hoyt.
"Vaas!" She calls, and he looks up from the ground. "Are you coming in?"
She can see his eyebrows shooting up briefly before he schools his face.
"What?" He shouts back.
"Are you coming in?" Repeats Alice, and she motions for him to join her in the water. "The water's nice."
Slowly, uncertainly, giving her plenty of time to change her mind, Vaas removes his shoe, then the other, pulls his top over his head, marks a long pause before undoing and taking off his cargo pants. He's not wearing underwear, as usual, and Alice looks away. He's rather handsome, whispers her mind. No, scratch that. He's hot. That's the word. Plain and simple. And he is right. She should be grateful. The pirate to abduct her could have been horrible looking, but Vaas really isn't. Frightening, intimidating, savage looking, but attractive, in his own way.
He walks to the water, not at all bothered by his own nudity.
"You sure?" He smiles, approaching her.
"Sure" says Alice, and she starts walking towards deeper water. When she is standing only on her tiptoes, Alice begins to swim. She's isn't looking at him, but she can hear Vaas moving very close by. There's a tension in the air, despite the calm atmosphere, as if they both know what's coming. It's making Alice's face tingle nicely, and her heart beat an almost painful rhythm. She can feel his eyes on her.
When she can no longer handle the tension, Alice turns and swims to him, stopping right in front of him. He is watching her with an expectant look on his face, and for once he isn't chatting away.
"The water's nice, isn't it?" She says
He nods, knowing smile in place.
"You're beautiful." He tells her.
Alice does not do seduction.
"I think you're really attractive." Awkwardly replies Alice, who tries to dip her head in the water to hide the furious blush spreading accross her cheeks.
Vaas doesn't let her though, as he reaches for her face and brings it to his. She is the one to lean in though, and press her lips to his. It is nice, salty.
Make him forgive you. Don't give him a choice.
Again, it is her who wraps her arms around his neck and holds on to him, her who seeks his tongue first and deepens the kiss. He doesn't say a thing, thankfully, and responds to her kiss. She presses herself against him, feeling his nakedness in the water, and his hands find their way to her body, roaming her back, keeping her close. Not that she is trying to escape. Vaas has water up to his chin but he is still standing, not yet swimming, and Alice wraps her legs around his middle, which causes him to let out a startled groan.
"Is this ok?" She breathes out.
"Fuck yeah," he says, claiming her lips again, his hand travelling from her back to her bum, pushing her close, pressing her centre against his hard stomach. His kiss is possessive, loving, punishing, apologetic, and she all but melts into him, not bothering to be embarrassed over her own quiet moans of pleasure.
Alice has forgotten all about her initial plan, which was to keep him so keen he would choose her over his psychopathic boss. Instead, everything is lost in his kiss, and how good it feels to be this close to someone, how safe his arms make her feel, how wonderful and exciting and satisfying it is to be this intimate again with a man (it is still easier for her to think a man, rather than this man). His stubble will leave red marks on her chin, she knows it, and her lips are swelling already, but it feels so, so good, and when he finally pulls away the sunset is nearly over.
Vaas rests his forehead against hers, breathing softly.
"Guess Hoyt really freaked you out, huh?"
Alice freezes. He's read right through her. Once again. He knows that's why she's suddenly being so frisky. Sensing the change, Vaas digs his fingers into her flesh, in case she tried to swim away.
"Yes." She admits. Honesty, honesty is what works. "He has. I'm so glad you were the one to find me." She laughs, and she can hear the tears in her voice.
"I think you found me." Replies Vaas, loosening his hold slightly. "You were the one to get me out of the water.".
She likes his voice, too. It is soft, a bit hoarse, and she likes his accent.
"I'm really scared of Hoyt." Admits Alice, and she doesn't know where this sudden spontaneity of speech is coming from. "He said he could take me away..."
"Nobody's going to take you away. You're my sirenita, no? We've got a deal. You're gonna stay with me forever. Remember what I told you after you shot that piece of fuck?"
Alice hears but does not process. Is that what the plan is, pretending to the point of never mentioning the truth?
" I said you're all wrapped in my brain and my heart, he'll have to tear both out if he wants to take you away from me. It's not going to happen. He needs me. He needs my men. They won't work for him, and he knows it. They hate his fucking guts."
"And you? Do you hate him?"
"I owe him." Says Vaas, and the bitterness in his tone of voice makes it clear that the conversation stops there. "I said I'd protect you, nena." His voice is soft again. "And that's what I'm gonna do. Now let's go, it's nearly dark, if tigers come for us you're on your own, sirenita. Tomorrow you start your shooting training, I need you well rested." He smiles mischievously. "But we can continue this at home if you insist?"
They walk back to the beach, get dressed. Before Vaas has time to say anything else, Alice gives him a crushing hug, and it is, for once, completely unplanned,completely gratuitous. He puts his arms around her, dips his head until his lips connect with her neck. She hears him sigh, knows he's closed his eyes. There's nothing sexual about the hug, and somehow it feels much more intimate, much more personal, than being half naked in the water together, and Alice pulls away, overwhelmed.
Vaas lets her slip away, but at the last second his hand catches her arm.
"Look at me" he instructs, and she complies. "Do you remember the deal?"
"Yes." Answers Alice, worried. Has she done something wrong? Is she about to be further punished for her attempted escape? Is he going to spank you? Provides her mind, not helping.
"Ok. Good. Because the deal said, I agree to your conditions, and you stay loyal to me, never leave me, never make me choose. It said you're going to do your best to fall in love with me. No?"
"Yes. I am doing my best, I promise."
"I'm just checking with you because, I said 'fall in love with me', I didn't say 'put on a nice little girlfriend show'. Ok, if it don't happen it don't happen, but you must try your best ok? We're perfect for each other. It's a matter of time before you realise that, and I'm patient."
She nods, feels a blush creeping up from her neck to her cheeks. Looks like he wasn't too impressed with her little display earlier. She sees him seeing the blush and she looks away. His fingers go to her chin, turn her back to him. Stares straight into her eyes.
"If I want someone to pretend to give a shit about me, all I need to do is go to Badtown. This isn't what this is." He is gesturing between them. "This is for real. Don't you forget that, nena."
As they drive back, Vaas' hand finds hers on her lap, and Alice's eyes start welling up again.
There is nothing simple about this.