Beloved Beast (4 page)

“Hello!” he called again and knocked on the door.

Crissy and Jeanette watched him go into the house.

“What do we do now?” asked Crissy.

“If he comes over here, I’ll shoot him!” answered Jeanette without hesitation.

“But we don’t know if it’s really him. It could be …”

“No!” interrupted Jeanette. “It is him. He doesn’t belong here and he’s just walked straight into our house. If he’s not up to no good, what else can he be doing here? The fact that he’s come here, especially in a motor boat, means that he’s not a passing visitor. Believe me, either the bloke will kill us both or we kill him first.”

A short time later the stranger came back out of the house. He looked at the shop where Crissy and Jeanette were holding their breath in anticipation. Slowly he walked towards them. Jeanette got into position and aimed the gun. Crissy’s pulse was racing and she felt sick. When the shot rang out she automatically closed her eyes. Jeanette fired a second shot.

“I got him,” she said and shook Crissy gently. “It’s over. You can relax now.”

“Relax? You’ve just killed a man,” said Crissy. She had now opened her eyes, but she avoided looking at where the man was lying.

“I had to. Him or us!”

“I know, but I still feel bad.”

“You only feel like that the first time,” Jeanette comforted her.

“Does that mean that you’ve often …?”

“I shot my stepfather. That’s why I’m here.”

“What ... What did he …?”

“He beat my mother again and again, and he abused me and my sister from when we were small. One day he was about to assault my brother. He was only three. I saw red. I took his gun and blew a hole in his black heart.”

“What happened then?”

“I ran away. There was no way that I was going to go to prison. I’d rather die. I was standing on the bridge, ready to jump. Then along came Brodie.” She laughed. “He has a sixth sense when it comes to people wanting to kill themselves. Anyway, he got me down off the bridge and we talked – for hours. I went with him. I was only thirteen. Somehow I was ready for him to want sex from me, but he didn’t touch me. We lived here together for years and he was always decent towards me. Then it finally happened – I fell in love with him.” She laughed. “He was my hero. He still is. When I was nineteen I couldn’t stand his restraint any longer.”

“What did you do?” asked Crissy. “Did you seduce him?”

“Yes,” said Jeanette enthusiastically. “He was so different to anyone else. He wanted me, that was obvious, but he was too decent. I had to go a long way to get him to the point of no return. He’s a very tender man. He doesn’t like to come across that way, but he’s the gentlest man imaginable. I know he’s a lot older than I am. But that doesn’t bother me. I love him.”

“I totally understand. I’m glad he took you down off the bridge back then.”

The two women embraced.

“I think it’s sad that you two have to go away. There are no other women of our age here. It was so good to meet you.”

“I hope we’ll meet again,” said Crissy.

“I hope so, too.”

Jeanette picked up her gun and stood up.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to check that the bastard’s really dead.”

“You think he might not yet be …?”

“I definitely got him, but he could still be alive. If he is, then I must finish what I started.”

With clammy hands Crissy watched Jeanette go over to the man lying on the ground. At any moment she expected the man to suddenly get up and grab Jeanette. What should she do if that happened? She did not have a clue about weapons. She neither knew how to undo the safety catch, nor how to shoot.

Jeanette had reached the body. She kicked it and waited. Nothing happened, then she bent down to feel the pulse. She did not seem to find one, so she got up again and held up her thumbs. Crissy sighed with relief.

In that same moment she saw it – she cried out, and Jeanette looked in alarm. Crissy rushed out of the shop. Relief spread right across Jeanette’s face as she realised that Crissy was smiling and waving with joy. She turned round and saw, too, both men mooring the boat onto the jetty.

“Ramon!” shouted Crissy, and she ran past Jeanette to throw herself into his arms.

He caught her and hugged her tightly. When she began to sob he stroked her back comfortingly.

“It’s OK. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be OK. Stop crying. The bastard’s not going to hurt you any more.”

“Jeane,” Brodie called over, worried.  “Is everything OK?”

He rushed over to her and embraced her.

Jeanette was shaking. Now that the men were back she no longer had to play the tough woman. The relief spread. Everyone was happy that they had got off lightly. Whilst Jeanette and Crissy packed a few supplies and other useful things, the men dealt with the corpse. The alligators or the crabs would ensure that the body soon disappeared.

T
hey had been
on the run for two days and, as Ramon had stated, they were penetrating even more deeply into the swamp area.

“We shouldn’t stay here too long,” said Ramon. “It’s not safe here. Mind that you don’t get too close to the water. There must be an enormous alligator here.”

“How do you know?” asked Crissy. “It looks so peaceful here.”

“I just know. So do as I say.”

“OK.”

A loud cracking sound came from the bushes and both of them turned round in shock.

“What was that?” asked Crissy, frightened.

“I don’t know but I’ll have a look,” said Ramon and he took his long hunting knife from his belt.

Crissy immediately felt uneasy. A sudden wind arose and blew the cypress tree branches about. Crissy was just about to take off the sunhat that Jeanette had given her, because of this wind, when a gust blew it off her head. She jumped back, not heeding Ramon’s warning to stay away from the bank. As if from nowhere a huge alligator rose from the water and she screamed. In her panic she stumbled over a tree root and fell down. The massive, scaly creature caught her and pulled her into the dark water. It pulled her straight under the surface and Crissy tried hopelessly to free herself from its deadly grasp.

Suddenly Ramon was beside her and at first she thought he was an apparition that she had dreamt up. But he clasped the alligator’s mouth and managed to open up its jaws. In an act of pure desperation Crissy managed to get out of the alligator’s mouth, leaving only her rucksack behind. Ramon signalled to her that she should go to the surface. Crissy had lost her bearing in the dark water. She could only see well enough to make out Ramon’s silhouette, although he was right next to her, wrestling with the alligator. She just paddled in the direction that he had pointed in, and hoped that it was upwards. It actually got lighter and she saw the surface. Panting, she surfaced and pulled herself to land with the last bit of energy.

“Ramon!” she sobbed. “Ramoooon!”

Again she was filled with panic. If he had managed to conquer the beast, then he should have surfaced ages ago. It was impossible for him to stay under water for this long, as well as fighting with an alligator.

“No! Damn it! No, no, no!”

When she had already given up hope, a head suddenly appeared above the surface and Ramon climbed, spluttering, onto land.

Crissy cried out in joy and pulled herself together so that she could help him. He was bleeding from a horrible wound on his thigh.

“Ramon! Oh my God! You’re alive! I’d already given up hope.”

He grinned pathetically.

“I’m not tasty enough for such a beast. That bastard won’t attack any more, anyway.”

He took her in his arms.

Crissy looked at the water with repulsion.

“Do you think that another beast like that one will come along?”

He shook his head.

“No. That was a loner and this was his territory. No other alligator would dare to come here. We’re safe for a while. Are you hurt?”

“Only a few scratches. The main thing is that the beast took my rucksack.”

“Thank God!”

“I was so afraid for you,” said Crissy.

“I’m OK.”

“But you’re injured!”

“That’s nothing. And one more scar won’t be noticeable.”

She sobbed and he cradled her like a small child.

“Everything’s going to be alright. There, there. Everything’s going to be alright.”

He kissed her – at first very gently, then with consuming passion.

“Ramon, I need you,” she sobbed and pressed into him. “Please!” she begged, with tears in her eyes.

Ramon let go of her and closed his eyes. He breathed out deeply and then he looked at her seriously.

“Crissy. I
specifically
told you
not
to go near the edge. It nearly cost you your life, and mine, too. We’ve lost a rucksack containing important things.”

“I know,” she sobbed. “And I’m sorry. I promise to do exactly as you say from now on.”

“Crissy. I’m going to punish you for doing that.”

She did not dare look at him.

“Are you going to beat me?” she asked, her heart beating quickly.

“No! I don’t hit women,” he said gently. “But I will punish you.”

He pulled her to him and kissed her again. He slowly put her down onto the soft ground and pulled down her trousers, spread her legs and began to pleasure her with his lips and his tongue. She thrashed about, gasping under his skilful caress.

“Ramon,” she whispered hoarsely. “Don’t stop.”

He took her higher and higher, until she was about to orgasm, then he suddenly moved away from her, breathing deeply, and looked down at her with a mixture of desire and sternness.

“That’s your punishment, Crissy – I’m denying you satisfaction.”

“No,” she whispered. “I’d prefer you to put me over your knee for what I’ve done than leave me lying here like this. I need you.”

He jumped up and turned away. His breathing was heavy and Crissy had seen the bulge in his trousers very clearly. He was punishing himself as much as her.

“If you don’t want to relieve me, then I’ll have to do it myself,” she whispered. “Look at me.”

To her surprise he actually turned round and, spellbound, watched her performance. She had put her hand on her womanhood and was now rubbing her pearl in search of relief.

She could tell that he was battling with himself. He had clenched his fists. His whole body was tense and his expression drenched in passion.

“You could help me,” she said quietly and enticingly.

She enjoyed seeing how aroused he was. He had set the rules of the game, but at the moment it looked as if she was about to take control of the game. She was sure that he would give in.

“You see, Ramon. I don’t need you for this,” she challenged him boldly.

With a wild roar he jumped onto her and got rid of his trousers in a second. He entered between her legs and took her with a powerful thrust.

“Oh, you do, you do need me,” he panted angrily. “It’s not the same if you do it yourself. Only I can make you scream! You belong to me!”

 I won
, thought Crissy triumphantly, as tears of happiness ran down her cheeks and waves of ecstasy ran through her body.

They lay there, tightly wrapped around one another. Their sweat had mixed with blood and tears. Crissy’s heart was pounding in her ears so loudly that she could hear nothing else. Her thoughts came thick and fast, as did her heartbeats. Whatever had become of her peaceful life? First she had to watch as her brother-in-law-to-be killed an innocent child, then she was left to be eaten by alligators, rescued by a combination of
Rambo
and
The Beast
, dragged away, made love to, chased through the swamp and, for good measure, once again nearly eaten by an alligator. The most perplexing thing was that she had never been so happy. With Ramon she felt alive as never before.

He let go of her a little and looked at her.

“Are you happy now?” he murmured darkly.

She smiled and nodded.

“You won’t always get your way, Crissy.”

“Maybe not,” she said, unconcerned. “But you need me just as much as I need you. Deny it!”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Unfortunately you’re right. Yes, babe, I need you. But I’m no good for you.”

“Why not?”

“I’m a monster and a criminal. I can’t give you a life out there, but I can’t in here either.”

“But Brodie and Jeanette live here, too!”

“That’s different. Jeanette is just as much of an outcast as Brodie and I. Crissy, people live here because they have nowhere else. They can’t go anywhere else. No one lives here for pleasure.”

“I don’t care where we live. I just want to be with you. You said we’re going to Brazil.”

“I said that I’d
take
you to Brazil. I didn’t say that we’d
live
there together,” he told her.

“Does that mean you’re going to leave me?” asked Crissy in horror.

“It’s better that way.”

“No, please! Don’t do that!” she pleaded in a choked voice.

Ramon shook his head in sorrow.

“You’ll find another man,” he forced himself to say and he jumped up.  “We should try to get out of here.”

With his back to her, he collected their things together.

“Do you like the idea of me doing it with another man? – Him affecting me the way you do? –  Lying between my legs and … “

“Be quiet!” he hissed. He had turned towards her and was looking at her angrily.

“You want that as little as I do,” she asserted in a whisper.

“
No
! I don’t want it!” he said roughly. “But it’s for the best!”

He threw her trousers to her and went away to relieve himself in a bush.

With trembling hands Crissy got dressed.