Chapter 3. Don't Call Me Baby
Content warning: This chapter describes a moment of breath play during sex that goes tragically wrong. It is described briefly to demonstrate the nature of the relationship between the two parties. It is not an endorsement of the practice and may be disturbing to the reader. Like all BDSM practices breath play requires complete trust and communication between partners, with full awareness of the effect on the person receiving it, and the necessity of being able to stop it if it becomes uncomfortable. This chapter is NOT suitable for readers under the age of 18.
The night before Thanksgiving Day, 2021.
After a day of shopping and lunch Amber had announced they were going to another club that night. Brock was meeting with some friends, old army buddies, and wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving party style. Natalie didn't really want to go after the night before but Amber begged her so much she gave in. Now that they were there she regretted her decision. The DJ had turned the bass up loud and it's pounding rhythm made Natalie feel nauseous from the massive headache that was forming behind her eyes. Amber and Brock were on the dance floor dancing like they had the night before. Brock's friends had all asked her to dance but she declined saying she didn't feel well. They all scrutinized her, wondering why such a stick-in-the-mud had agreed to come out with them. Suddenly their attention was diverted by the spectacle of Amber and Brock having an argument on the dance floor. She was pushing him away and trying to walk back to the group but he wasn't having it and kept dragging her back. When a bouncer intervened Brock gave him the glare of death but the bouncer kept his cool and said something which seemed to settle him down. The couple returned to the private area and Brock sat down heavily. Amber sat down next to Natalie and noticed the look of pain on her face.
"You okay?" she asked, concerned. "You don't look well."
"Massive headache," replied Natalie. "I think I need to go home."
"I'm coming with you," said Amber. "Brock is in a mood tonight and I'm fed up."
Amber moved to sit with Brock and told him that Natalie needed to go home and she wanted to go with her. At first he was angry but Amber stroked his ego like she did the night before and he nodded his assent. He still glowered at Natalie. He texted on his phone and told Amber that Trent would pick them up then he looked at his buddies.
"You guys up for a stripper bar?" he asked, to enthusiastic replies from his friends.
They finished their drinks then left the club, waiting out front for Trent to arrive before they left for the stripper bar. When Trent arrived Brock opened the back passenger door for both of them.
"I hope you feel better," he said to Natalie then he gave Amber a big kiss and saw her into the SUV before closing the door.
"Thanks for coming for us, Trent," said Natalie. "I got a massive headache from the bass in that club and I couldn't take it anymore."
"You're welcome," he said, looking back at her from the rear view mirror. "I'll get you home."
Amber sat on her side of the back seat looking pensively out at the landscape as the SUV wound its way through the streets. When Trent pulled up to the tower she didn't wait for him to open the back door, just opened it herself and went in, leaving the vehicle door open. Trent opened Natalie's door and as she got out he put a hand on her arm.
"Be careful with Brock," he warned, concern in his eyes. "I've seen that look in his eyes before. He's on the verge of a big blowup. He's a steroid user."
He went to the other side and closed that passenger door then got behind the wheel and drove off. Natalie walked in and pondered his words. Amber was waiting impatiently for her in the lobby. After she scanned her key card she turned to Natalie.
"Brock's on edge because of some big clients," she explained. "They get up in his business and he takes it personally. He would never hurt me but he does get angry easily because of it."
"Trent told me he uses steroids," said Natalie. "You know that's a big red flag for abuse. Trent thinks he's ready for a big blow up."
"Well, there's a reason Trent is just a driver," retorted Amber defensively. "I wouldn't believe him. Let's get changed into something comfortable and we'll watch a chick flick."
They watched TV until midnight then both went to bed. Natalie was awakened about 3:45 by yelling in the hallway. It passed her room so she got out of bed and opened her door a crack. Amber and Brock were in the kitchen having an argument. From the sounds of it Brock came home smelling of perfume and Amber accused him of fucking a stripper. They went back and forth until Brock capitulated and sweet talked Amber into having sex on the kitchen counter. Natalie closed her door and was almost asleep until she heard the sounds of something crashing to the floor. Peeking out the small slit as she opened the door she saw Brock fucking Amber while his hand was around her throat. In her thrashing Amber had knocked the bowl of fruit off the kitchen island and onto the floor. Just as Natalie was about to intervene her sister's thrashing stopped and she went limp.
"Amber," whispered Natalie, placing her hand over her mouth in horror. "No..."
Brock finally noticed and stopped, then shook her and checked her neck pulse. He began CPR but it didn't work and he began swearing in anger and frustration. Fearing for her life if he came to her door Natalie closed it quietly and got back into bed, turning her body away from the entry. She could hear the door open and Brock's heavy breathing as he stepped into the room a few steps. Satisfied Natalie was still asleep he left, closing the door behind him. She heard sounds in the hallway and peeked out the door in time to see Brock wrap her sister up in a blanket and then carry her over his shoulder towards the elevator. Quickly she dressed and was about to leave when she heard the elevator door open and she got back into the bed. Listening carefully she could hear Brock walk down the hallway into their bedroom and the sounds of suitcases being pulled out of the storage room. Then she heard him walk back down the hallway towards the elevator. He made several trips then she heard nothing more. Carefully she opened her door and realized she was alone. Grabbing her purse and jacket she went to the elevator, pushed the button and hoped it came up empty. When it did arrive she got in, pressed the main floor button and waited for it to open on the main floor. It was just before sunrise, 6:35am, and the doorman wasn't on duty yet but she wasn't going to wait. Running out into the street she hailed a cab and asked the driver to take her to a police station. Trying desperately to keep calm she paid the driver and ran inside.
"He killed her," she gasped. "He killed her."
Then she began to cry and the sergeant on desk duty came out from behind the desk and escorted her to a chair, kneeling in front of her.
"Who killed who?" he asked calmly.
"Brock Rumlow, he killed my sister, Amber," she said between sobs. "They were having sex and he had his hand on her throat...she couldn't breathe but he didn't stop and then she was dead. He took the body somewhere and then came back for her clothes."
Leaving her in the chair the sergeant phoned to see if Detective Rogers was in yet and asked if he could come down. Then he escorted her into an interview room on the second floor and left her there.
Steve had just arrived and was sitting at his desk while Sam hung his jacket up. Sam was cracking a joke when the phone rang and he answered it. His face went from laughing to serious in an instant and he told the sergeant they would be right down.
"You're not going to believe this," said Steve. "A woman just showed up to say she witnessed Brock Rumlow kill her sister. She's in number one interview room."
Picking up his cell phone Steve stood up and went to the stairs, preferring to take them rather than wait for the elevator. Sam followed close behind and the two detectives entered the room where Natalie was still crying. Steve sat across from her while Sam stood just inside the door.
"I'm Detective Steve Rogers, this is my partner Detective Sam Wilson," he said to her kindly. "What's your name?"
"Natalie Madison," she said, taking a big gulp of air.
"Miss Madison...," said Steve.
"Mrs.," she corrected him. "I'm a widow. Amber and I were going to spend Thanksgiving together."
"Your sister Amber, she lives with Brock Rumlow?" asked Steve.
"Yeah, for the past year I think," she said. "I got here two days ago. He's a real piece of work. I've been concerned since I got here."
"Can you tell us what you saw?" asked Sam.
Natalie told them everything, from the fight in the night club, to their argument after he got home then to being awakened by the sound of the fruit bowl hitting the floor. When she told them about him carrying the suitcases from the bedroom to the elevator she had to clarify she didn't see that part, just heard it.
"He did try CPR," she admitted, "but not for very long. I can't go back there. My clothes are there but I can't..."
"We'll take a uniformed police officer with us and we'll have her pack your things up," said Steve. "For now, stay put here and let us go and investigate this. Would you like a coffee?"
Natalie nodded and the two men stepped outside. "What do you think?" asked Sam. "She sounded pretty believable to me. Why the hell he wouldn't call for paramedics is what bothers me. A guy with his experience? Seems like he panicked and just wanted to get rid of everything."
"I agree," said Steve. "Let's get over there and hear his side of the story."
When they arrived the doorman phoned up but there was no answer and when he checked the key card he said the last entry was at about 3:30 am. Just then the computer readout changed and the doorman said it looked like Rumlow had just arrived in the parking garage. He escorted them to the elevator and entered his key card to make it stop on the main floor. When the door opened Rumlow was there and he was startled to see Rogers and Wilson enter the elevator, along with a female officer.
"Rumlow," said Rogers. "Mind if we come up to your place? We have a report of an incident involving you and your girlfriend."
"Do you have a warrant?" asked Brock in his raspy voice.
"We do," said Sam, pulling the warrant out of his pocket.
The doors closed and the elevator went up to the 27th floor without comment from anyone. When the doors opened Steve and Sam entered first followed by Rumlow and the female officer. Rogers nodded at the officer and she went straight to Natalie's room and closed the door.
"Amber's sister is staying with us," said Brock. "Did she make the accusation?"
"Why would you say that, Brock?" asked Sam as they noted the fruit bowl and scattered fruit on the floor.
"She doesn't like me," he replied. "She thinks I'm scum."
"I like her already," said Steve. "Where's Amber?"
"Bed?" replied Brock. "I've been at the strippers all night and just got home."
Sam went down to the bedroom and came back. "Her stuff is all gone," he said. "Everything."
"I guess she left me," said Brock.
"And left her sister behind?" replied Steve. "Not likely."
"Well, she did catch me in a compromising position with Natalie," he said with a sly smile.
Both Steve and Sam smirked. "Nah, we're not buying that excuse," said Steve. "You already said she thinks you're scum and she does. She saw through your bullshit from the beginning. Brock Rumlow, I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Amber Thompkins."
He read him his rights as he put handcuffs on him. The elevator opened and a team from forensics came in. The uniformed officer came out with Natalie's things packed back into her carry on luggage. The group went down the elevator and Brock was loaded into a marked cruiser for transport to the station.
"You know he's going to lawyer up big time," said Sam. "We need hard evidence and as convincing as Mrs. Madison is we need to find Amber."
"Take his car into custody," said Steve. "Have forensics do a thorough examination of it, including how far it has been driven in the past 24 hours. It's just after 9 am and if Natalie said he left before sunrise he's been gone for well over two hours. Find out which stripper bar he was at as well, verify how late he was there."
Both men went back to the station house and while Sam put everything into motion Steve went to see Natalie. He told her that a team was processing the scene. His face must have revealed something because Natalie suddenly shook her head.
"You have to let him go, don't you?" she asked. "Without Amber's body you can't prove time of death or even if she is dead. Fuck."
"You seem to know about procedures," said Steve. "He claimed that Amber left because she caught you two in a comprising position."
Natalie snorted. "He's scum," she said. "Of course he would claim that. I'm a researcher and I often do research for writers so I've become familiar with police procedures in the last couple of years. If you let him go, what happens to me? Honestly, I'm afraid he'll come after me considering his private security background."
"That is a concern," said Steve. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
They left her there for the next couple of hours until their captain told them to release Rumlow. She phoned her parents while she waited and had another cry with them on the line. When she saw Steve entering she told them she would call back. He gave Natalie the news about Rumlow's release and had the interview room door open. As Brock walked past with his lawyer on the way out he stopped at the door.
"I hope you're happy baby," he said. "That little moment we had likely set Amber off."
"Don't call me baby," yelled Natalie, lunging at him, then restrained by Steve. "You're a fucking killer and I saw what you did to her on the kitchen counter. You kept her from breathing while you were trying to get your rocks off. But your dick is so small you couldn't manage it. They'll find her body and they'll know what you did to her because bruises can show up days after death, you prick."
Rumlow looked startled then regained his cool and smirked at her. His lawyer kept pulling him away to leave but Rumlow kept insulting Natalie. She gave him a run for his money. Just before he went down the elevator he turned back to Natalie once more.
"I know how to find you Natalie," he yelled. "You make accusations against me I take action."
"Brock, shut up, now!" yelled his lawyer and dragged him into the elevator.
"Was that a threat?" asked Natalie. "Did he just threaten me?"
"It's open to interpretation unfortunately," said Sam apologetically. "How do you know about body bruises showing up after death?"
"She does research for writers," said Steve. "She's learned a lot in the process."
"Do you have someplace to stay?" asked Sam. "We need you to stay close for a few days."
"Just a hotel, I guess," replied Natalie. "How long will you need Amber's body once you find it? I have to phone my parents back, see about funeral arrangements..."
"A week, give or take a couple of days," said Sam. "For the post mortem bruising. I'm going to contact the federal marshals, see if they can put you into witness protection for now."
Steve nodded and let Sam take care of it. Once he was gone he looked at Natalie. "You weren't afraid of him," he remarked. "Brock doesn't scare you?"
"He's a bully, a pig and a narcissist," replied Natalie. "Can he hurt me, yes. But I'm not afraid of him. I'm going to challenge him every chance I get because guys like him think they know it all. Sooner or later he's going to say something incriminating and I want to be the one that gets him to say it."
Sam came back and said the federal marshals had declined. He suggested a higher end hotel with good security measures but Natalie told him she didn't have much money. Steve looked at Sam for a moment.
"That slush fund for out of pocket expenses," he said. "How much do we have in it?"
"Five or six thousand," said Sam. "What are you thinking?"
"We get someone to look after Natalie for the next few days while we accumulate evidence," said Steve. "Someone who knows how to stay off the radar. He takes her, they keep mobile, check in with us and then when we have enough evidence brings her back once we have Rumlow in custody again."
"You're thinking Bucky, aren't you?" asked Sam. "He would be motivated because it's Rumlow."
"Who's Bucky?" asked Natalie, looking from one man to the other.
"Army buddy, private investigator," said Steve. "Has a beef against Rumlow so he's motivated to keep you away from him. He does have some issues including PTSD."
Natalie rolled her eyes. "But he's the best you can do, right?" she asked. "Fine, call him."
Steve phoned home to see if he was still there but Peggy said he got up about 8 am and left with his clean clothes after some breakfast. He phoned Bucky's cell. It was answered on the first ring.
"I'm not hung over, if that's what you're calling about," said Bucky by way of greeting. "I don't get hung over when I have the good stuff."
"No, I'm calling about a job," said Steve. "We have a witness who needs to be kept safe for a few days. She witnessed Brock Rumlow kill her sister. We can pay you a couple of thousand for your time."
"Okay, I'll do it," said Bucky. "Where do I meet her?"
"Yankee Stadium, I'll meet you there at 2 pm," replied Steve. "Bring extra clothes. You have lots of clean ones now. It might be a few days until you can bring her back."
At 2 pm Steve pulled up to Yankee Stadium with Natalie. Bucky was already there leaning against his freshly washed car which pleased Steve. When he brought Natalie over he was happy to see Bucky had cleaned inside as well. Appearances counted and Steve had the feeling it would matter to Natalie.
"Natalie Madison this is James Barnes but we all call him Bucky," said Steve. "He was my sergeant in the Afghan War but I've known him most of my life."
She stuck her hand out. "Bucky," she said. "I hear we both don't like Brock Rumlow."
"You got that right," said Bucky, shaking her hand. "He's as dirty as they come."
"I'm not going to ask you where you're going," said Steve. "If I don't know no one can ask me. Just check in with me or Sam for updates. Natalie, I trust Bucky with my kids so I'm sure he'll look out for you."
He handed Bucky an envelope and waved goodbye. Bucky opened the passenger door for Natalie and got into the driver's seat, sticking the envelope inside his jacket pocket. He pulled away and started driving north trying to get a sense of the woman next to him without overtly staring.
"So, where are we going Bucky?" she asked.
"Lowell, Massachusetts," he replied. "I have an army buddy there we can stay with. He's no fan of Rumlow either. I'm sorry about your sister."
"Thanks," she said, looking at him briefly. "I saw him do it. She didn't deserve it. He dumped her body somewhere so they need to find it before they can get evidence against him."
"They will," replied Bucky. "Steve and Sam are both good cops. Tell me about yourself."
She breathed deeply and her mouth twitched for a moment. "I'm a widow," she said. "My husband and daughter were killed in a car accident early last year. Amber asked me to stay with her for Thanksgiving instead of us going see the family. She thought shopping, and going to a play would be the thing to cheer me up. Instead, I got to see her get killed."
Even though she tried not to the tears came and Bucky put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. She nodded her thanks and he let her work it out herself.
"I work as a researcher," she replied. "Mostly for writers who need research on things like police procedures, various occupations, that sort of thing. I've also done some research for some historians writing a history book for colleges. I have my Masters degree in Library Science but researching allowed me to work from home a lot."
She was quiet for a while and Bucky put the radio on. About ten minutes later Natalie looked at him.
"She wasn't a bimbo," she said, "and she didn't have daddy issues. Nothing in her past indicated she would have ended up with a man like Brock. Even though I was the taller twin she was the one with all the courage and fire. She didn't like bullies and she didn't like guys who told her what to do. How the hell did he get her to go out with him and live with him?"
"She was a fraternal twin?" asked Bucky. "Shorter? Blonde?" Natalie nodded. "That's his type...petite blondes. Maybe he came in at a vulnerable time of her life and swept her off her feet. He's a pretty forceful individual. With the money and the power it might have been different enough for her to give it a go. He likes to live big and that can be addicting."
Natalie said nothing and Bucky didn't say anything more. He could tell that she was blaming herself because if it was his sister he would probably do the same. He kept driving, changing from one highway to another that would take them to Lowell. He asked if she wanted to stop for a meal but she declined, said she would eat at their destination. About half way there the sun set and they drove the rest of the way in the darkness. As they got closer Bucky pulled up the address on his phone and the map application gave him the directions for the final stretch. He finally pulled up in the driveway of a regular bungalow and turned off the car. Opening the trunk he handed Natalie her suitcase and took his bag out.
"Tim knows why we're here but his wife thinks we're dating," he said quickly. "Sorry to drop that on you but the fewer people who know who you are the better. Act like we're a couple around her, okay?"
She nodded, walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. A big man, almost bigger than any she had ever seen, with red hair and a big red moustache opened the door and gave Bucky a big bear hug. He gently hugged her and bent his head towards her ear.
"I'm sorry for your loss," he whispered then looked her gently in her eyes before straightening up before his wife appeared. "Hi, I'm Tim Dugan but nearly everyone calls me Dum Dum. This is my wife Tammy. Yes, she's ready to pop with our third. Come on in, make yourselves at home."
Tammy, a petite but very pregnant woman stood with a warm smile and beckoned them in from the cold. Bucky gave her a hug and introduced Natalie as his girlfriend.
"I'm so glad, Bucky," she said. "You need a good woman in your life. Come on, I'll show you your room and then we can have some Thanksgiving supper."
Natalie played the part of girlfriend and found herself enjoying the couple's company very much. Tim was full of stories about him and Bucky becoming friends during army training then serving their first tour in Afghanistan together. He was gregarious but gentle, especially with his kids and it was obvious he adored his wife. Even Bucky seemed to be having a good time and for a while Natalie forgot about Amber and Brock. She hoped every night was as easy as this one seemed to be.