A Biker's Tale

Chapter 16 - Turning The Tide

They had been traveling now for about four hours when Tyler says they will stop for a toilet break. There is a sign up ahead that indicates a rest stop with toilets two miles ahead. Once there, Tyler stops for a much needed break. The facilities are a basic as one can get, the toilets turning out to be five portable toilet stalls. At least there is a unit for each of them. They still had their legs tied, but Tyler had used enough rope to allow them to shuffle their feet with small steps to move on their own.

Tyler was the first one out of the car and made a mad dash to one of the portable toilet stalls, apparently needing to go immediately. He had taken the car keys as a precaution so Kate or Castle could not re-acquire the CRV. Tyler had left the two of them on their own, confident that if they tried to escape there would be no place to go. But Kate used this time to pass her key fob pocket knife to Castle. Kate had worked her hand ties enough to cut into them but not completely. She cut through them just enough that one swift and strong tug on them would break her free. In the mean time there was an illusion of her being helplessly tied up. Knowing this, Kate, while in the toilet stall, worked to loosen her leg bindings. Castle took the same opportunity while he had used the facilities taking Kate's FOB knife to help in his efforts.

When they were all done and got back to the CRV, Tyler had them switch seats. This was a lucky break for the two as Rick could now use his back seat location to further work his ties relatively unnoticed by Tyler. Kate knew that she needed to distract Tyler like Castle had done for her and thus allowed her to work her own bindings without Tyler noticing her efforts. Seeing how Tyler had looked at her so lasciviously she knew just how to distract him. As she headed back to the car, she had loosen the top two buttons of her blouse to show some cleavage and give hint of her Victoria Secret purple bra. This to keep Tyler's attention on her.

She knew she was flirting with danger by doing this, this distraction would appeal to those darker proclivities of Tyler and could sent the wrong message about herself. Men like Tyler always viewed a woman teasing as an indication they want 'something more', that 'thing' that 'proper' woman never would even hint at. Her action could objectivize herself more to Tyler, taking the risk of increasing his dark perversion for her. So she did this action reluctantly but did so because it was needed by the circumstances of the moment.

When the drug dealer started the Honda once again, he looked at Kate now seated beside him. He had not noticed the two open top buttons of her blouse before, but now it gave hint to the purple undergarment she was wearing. His thoughts went primal and he wondered if Kate was the kind of woman he could easily bed, given an entirely different scenario of meeting her. He imagined picking her up in some bar with a line that she would readily fall for, but he knew it was his libido dictating his thoughts. Kate did not appear to be or act like that 'type'. No, he concluded she was the type that one had to play the 'long game' with, to take enough time to 'woo' her, and to weaken her resolve by paying her much attention. This approach so as to entice her to his bed while he built a false trust in her before he seduced her.

But Tyler had long ago stopped pursuing a woman in such a manner. As a successful drug dealer he was known to swap his goods for 'services in kind'. He did so knowing it lowered his profit margin, but he was always willing to do so, if it meant he got some. This so easily done with an addicted cashless female who would do anything for a fix. Tyler had capitalized on just that kind of scenario. He had pretty much had his way with such women, and if he could not get them in trade, a little special K helped to 'seduce' them with little to no resistance on their part. Tyler also was not beyond doing that, and in fact, he had done so on occasions.

Still, Kate playing a teasing game signaled intent for Tyler. Was Kate flirting with him sending him vibrations as to what he could have from her? He needs to test the waters here.

"Kate", he says, "is Rick a good travel companion?".

Again, a creepy leading question, but the drug dealer was fishing for her reaction to his inquiry. Kate had readied a reply having anticipated this line of inquiry. Tyler however was clueless that Kate too was probing him at the same time.

"You've no idea!", she replies with a bravado hard to match.

An enticing come on, Bob Tyler thinks, and he decides to bite.

"Oh, I don't know Kate, I've always had big ideas!", and with that response he had clearly now lobbed the ball back to her side of the court. Was she going to return volley?

"Sometimes it's not the size, but rather it's the satisfaction! Castle has that going for him, making quite the catch", her voice coquettish and suggestive, or so she hoped it would appear to him.

More cloaked talk on Kate's part, but Tyler got her code! Her's is an intriguing insinuation. She was relaying an implied message for Tyler about her relationship with Rick. She hoped it would egg him on so she could evaluate him more thru his responses. As much as he is probing, Kate is doing likewise.

Tyler senses the subtle put down but continues with his provocative inquiry.

"I see, so Rick is an 'idea' man and you find that irresistible", he responds matching her innuendo and provocation.

"Wouldn't any woman?", she says forcefully, looking straight into his eyes, and daring him to respond yet again in kind.

Tyler sense Kate's resolve here and thinks to himself , 'God this is a woman with fire in her. What a prize to capture ….. if one could. But clearly this is a woman not to be trifled with, least one be burned.'

Tyler is now needing to know more and wants more info on this intriguing woman, now half of a couple with Rick. They seemed like so many other couples. He needed to know, had they been been sleeping together long? Probing yet for more, he asks another probing question.

"So what do the two of you do back where you're from in the States? And where is home for you two?"

"We're both from New York City and I am a homicide detective and Rick is my partner", she informs him looking for a sharp reaction.

"We have the best case closure rate of any homicide team in the whole NYPD and Kate is the best at her job", Rick states from the backseat, amplifying the effect on Tyler.

The couple's replies to his inquiry surprises and stuns Tyler. He had thought they were an ordinary couple and that fate had sent them his way, so he could easily hijack their vehicle. But now he hears he has kidnapped a pair of law enforcement officers. It is ironic and unfortunate for Tyler.

He then realizes from their responses that this is a couple best left alone, had he known of their status before hand, but how could he have known such? Clearly Kate is the kind of woman who can hold her own with any man and will not be intimidated. Partnered with Castle they are a formidable force to deal with. This is new to Tyler and he is facing a situation that is totally unsettling for him.

The information just revealed to Tyler has him go silent. His thoughts are all running at warp speed in his mind. Here is a strong woman, any man's equal, and Tyler finds that threatening. Kate clearly would not become any man's prize unless that man gained her respect and admiration. The fact Castle was with her spoke volumes of the man.

A man of unique abilities to be Kate's partner. Maybe Tyler should just forget any aggressive intentions that he had for them, particularly the ones for Kate. It would be so easy to drug her and have his way with her, assuming Castle was out of the way. Tyler now knew that he would have to contend with Castle if he carried out his initial intentions especially those for Kate.

Still, what would happen afterwards? He then realizes this woman and her partner would pursue him ruthlessly, not stopping until they bring him to justice. To eliminate that situation meant getting rid of both of them. Tyler is just not be ready to go that far, but if need be, he could. Drugs or no drugs, he finds Kate as not so hapless an intended prey as he had initially thought. The couple are not the clueless victims he had initially seen.

The next few hours of the trip are done in somber silence. Tyler keeping to his thoughts and Kate realizing a message had gotten thru to their abductor. The right message she hoped. Tyler was now realizing they were a dangerous adversary, capable of putting up a fierce resistance. Some times it is the perception of strength and the ability to inflict reprisals as the best form of defense against a would-be predator. Tyler now was rethinking what he had to do with this couple. His original plan of drugging the couple once they get to Alaska and leaving them in the CRV seemed to be a bad solution, given his new knowledge about the couple. The longer they remained with him, the more the chance of them overpowering him.

As it gets into the late evening hours, still only known by looking at the clock, as they had near 24 hour daylight, Tyler decides to make camp and rest. He finds a good spot off the main road and then sets up the grill and dining table and cooks dinner. It was a simple dinner as far as camp outs go. Beans with ground beef blended in with a gravy to make a somewhat 'stew' and then dinner rolls. He breaks out some special K and again laces the the coffee with it. The meal is drug free so he can partake of it and encourage them to eat their meal. Tyler takes the first bites. They follow suit, even as Kate initially sniffs at the meal and samples a small bite. Their binds were tied just enough to use the utensils provided for the meal. After taking a small sample bite, Kate sees the meal does appear okay. She takes another normal fork full. They had not eaten in a while so she was indeed hungry. Rick seeing that nothing is out of the ordinary, starts also to consume the meal.

"How my cooking?", Tyler asks seeing the couple eagerly taking the food.

"Great, hits the spot."

"Coffee?"

They nod yes. They fall again for a spiked drink. They were not a smart as Tyler had thought.

Tyler has them out cold in no time.

He leaves them unconscious at the portable camp table. He throws a blanket over Kate and then on Castle. That's when he notices their bindings. Kate's were sufficiently cut but still holding together making the illusion she was still tied up, but one swift strong tug on them would set her free. The drug dealer notices Castle's rope are in the same way. The couple had been plotting all along to get free and incapacitate him. That showed to Tyler that he made the right choice. He would abandon them leaving the camping trailer and some provisions for them. This so they could subsist till someone came along and liberated them from their current situation.

Tyler cleans up and then leaves in the CRV leaving behind provisions for the couple. This act not out of the kindness but avoiding killing the couple off. He was not about to add two homicides to his list of crimes should it come to him being apprehended.