Don't Label Me! (16 page)

She closed her eyes for a moment to focus on
the tactile sensation of the ropes being applied above and below
her breasts. His firm fingers slid beneath the ropes, testing their
hold, neither too tight or too loose, nothing to constrict or cut
into her. She felt her trust of him grow as she sensed his care and
attention to detail, the deftness of his technique.

A slight tug behind her back had her
visualising the knots he was tying. Where would he go with the
pattern now? There were a number of options he might choose now he
had her secured in a basic ushirote munenawa. Would he decoratively
lace her in a tortoise shell body harness, suspend her, force her
into an uncompromising cross-legged bondage or some other style?
She dismissed the idea of suspension because he hadn’t set up for
that. The not knowing stirred her curiosity but it would be an act
of distrust to ask him what he planned. She was the object, the
passive recipient of his art. Although passive might not be the
right word. Certainly her mind and body responded to what he was
doing. She yearned for his touch, each placement of the rope a
special gift for her soul. Warmth flooded her eyes and cheeks as
she treasured this refined pleasure. She let herself go, relaxing,
stopping the wondering. Instead she simply yielded as he turned and
manipulated her body.

She felt him start the tortoiseshell design,
bringing the knotted double strand of rope down her front, past her
drenched labia and returning up her back. She knew at that point he
was parting the double strands, one strand to each of her sides.
There was a subtle, nervously exciting tightening of the ropes as
he looped each strand through the double rope at the front,
creating small but definite diamond shapes along her front. There
was that trust thing again, trusting that he wouldn’t hurt her by
making the ropes cut into her. But it was a tightness that was just
so, just so much and no more. That edge between, the edge that held
the thrill.

He tied the excess rope off at the back,
using it as a leash, and then he turned her back towards him. Their
ebony eyes stared into each other as he drew her towards him and
lowered his mouth to hers. A deep kiss that didn’t ravage, it
simply possessed. “Thank you my lotus blossom.” He turned her
towards the crowd and bowed. The crowd yelled, clapped and
wolf-called their approval then ebbed away to find others to
watch.

He took his time releasing her, obviously
savoring it as much as the act of tying her up in the first place.
As far as the crowd had known it had only been a demonstration but
for Sathi every moment had been an intimate whisper of rope and
breath.

Later, once she’d retrieved her makeshift
kimono and covered herself again Lewis came to congratulate her.
“Hell Sathi, that was some show. Gods, I imagined myself in your
place and felt every moment, every turn and knot of the rope.
Bloody cool!”

“
I think it’s Hideo that deserves the
praise. You haven’t even been practising that long have you
Hid?”

“
Less than a year but Kit is a
rigorous task master.”

“
You learnt where?” Lewis’s torturer
queried. He’d dispensed with the hood but Sathi still couldn’t
quite place him.

Hideo wound up the ropes as he explained. “A
little town called Boswell. We have a fairly liberal community club
where the townsfolk share their knowledge on a whole range of
skills. I teach Aikido and Japanese traditions such as the tea
ceremony. My friend, Doc, teaches a Balinese variant of a martial
art called Silat. Simon and Tyra teach meditation and sexual
tantra. More recently Kit’s been teaching separate classes in
ninjutsu and shibari.”

“
Sounds like a place I’d like to visit
for a while. How do Lewis and I get an invite?”

“
Lewis I know is Sathi’s friend but
pardon my rudeness, I don’t know you.”

The guy extended his hand. “Name’s Roger.
You’ll pardon if I skip on the surname. I do a lot of undercover
work for Lewis’s organisation and others. I infiltrate cult,
fringe, criminal and terrorist groups. I go wherever I’m needed.
Just a harmless, friendly, weedy almost hippy looking guy. Get’s me
into just about anywhere. Most people don’t think twice about
me.”

While Roger explained this Sathi’s jaw
dropped. “Roger! For crying out loud. It’s really you.”

A smiled beamed across his face then. “Hello
Lotus Blossom, I wondered when the penny would drop. I don’t look
so different do I?”

“
A little rougher around the edges but
not much. I think it was the executioner act with Lewis earlier
that threw me.”

“
Blame your guru on that one. I was
never quite the same after that night with you two. Sort of
inducted me into the world of kink. Only went downhill or uphill
from there, depending on your opinion of that sort of thing. I
enjoy role acting the part of a sadist but I hasten to add that I’m
not sadistic. I like my playmates to enjoy what I’m doing to them,
on some level at least, even if their conscious minds struggle
against it. Lewis and I have been playing for a long time now,
whenever I get some rest and recreation back home. He hasn’t
allowed me to collar him yet but I’m working on it. I should
probably explain too that I’m not particularly gay or straight.
Neither is Lewis. We don’t feel a need to label our sexual
orientation or our interests. Unnecessarily shackles the mind I
think.”

Having seen Simon’s memories and now sensing
Sathi’s fondness for both Roger and Lewis, George knew there was
nothing for it. “That being the case may I extend an invitation to
you and Lewis to come and stay with me in Boswell? I doubt Sathi
would much enjoy being parted with you both and I intend to court
her.” He watched with some amusement as Sathi’s mouth opened in
stunned amazement and then closed as abruptly as she gulped, like a
fish struggling for air.

It was approaching midnight. Some of
the club’s members had already left for the night. Hideo felt an
urgent jab at his brain.
What is it
Simon?

You’ve got incoming. I just had a vision of
several armed people who are about to descend on you. I saw flashes
of knives and knuckle dusters. At least one has a sword hidden
under his long coat. I’m not sure what else they’re
carrying.They’re dressed as bikie gang members but I suspect that’s
just a cover. I strongly suspect they are Din, or at least aligned
with them, and that they’re after Sathi. I am sending you
reinforcements. It would be better if I didn’t come myself as I
might be a distraction you don’t need. If I get any more intel I’ll
yell.

Hideo appreciated Simon’s dilemma. He knew
Simon was giving him time with Sathi before her ex-’guru’ turned
back up on the scene. Simon might be their seer but he wasn’t
averse to getting his hands dirty in their defence. It would grate
with him to stay back this time. Hideo was more than pleased though
when he saw Thex appear at the edge of the room, with a cat in his
arms and a wolf at his side. Seeing Hideo he stalked from out of
the shadows only to be intercepted by Sheila.

“
Who are you and why are you bringing
animals into our club?”

“
Rest easy. You need me. Ask Hideo.
You’re about to be raided by thugs. We’re here to help.”

Sheila looked uncertainly at Hideo, raising
an eyebrow.

“
It’s true Sheila. I just got a call
from a contact of mine. Is there a way you can get your members out
without sending them up those stairs?”

Sheila frowned. “I didn’t see you with a
phone in your hand. When did all this happen?” She asked
accusingly, distrust edging her voice.

“
I’ll explain later but for now, if
you don’t want Sathi kidnapped by thugs and if you don’t want
whatever else they might do I suggest you trust that man and his
friends.”

“
A dog and a cat?”

Hideo shrugged. What could he say? He
couldn’t very well explain they were godlike beings in disguise so
that they didn’t end up having ordinary mortals bowing down to
worship them. He knew that between them they held considerable
power they would use to protect all those here but again that
wasn’t something he could explain to a normal.

Sounds of an altercation at the top of the
stairs brought everyone to alert despite their doubts. Sheila
quickly took charge. “You guys better not be messing with me. Okay
do whatever it is you’re going to do to defend us. Sathi could you
show the members the secret passage.”

Hideo was momentarily both amused and
impressed. “You have a secret passage?”

“
Built at the end of the 1800s. It was
their way of distributing the untaxed illicit liquor they brewed
down here.”

Thex came to stand with Hideo. One very
average looking tabby cat and one wolf like dog took up positions
to the sides of the room. With the members gone, Kit brazenly
appeared at Hideo’s other side. She passed him a pair of samurai
swords and grinned.

Hideo groaned. “You’re looking forward to
killing people aren’t you?”

“
Only baddies Hideo, only those who
deserve it.”

“
And who decides who deserves
it?”

“
Let’s not get philosophical now shall
we?”

Men in leather vests and bike boots storming
down the stairs broke their banter. Hideo winced when he realised
Sathi, Lewis and Roger had returned to stand with them. He’d hoped
they would have left for safety with the other members. There was
no time to argue the point now. Roger and Lewis seemed to have
retrieved some guns from somewhere. He hoped they didn’t have to
use them. Sathi came up to stand next to her boss.

Sheila eyed the intruders now before them
with scorn. “If you’ve injured our bouncer in any way I’m having
you all up on charges.”

The ugliest and tallest of the thugs walked
forward but baulked when he met Thex’s eyes, as if weighing his
opponent. “He’s sleeping peacefully at the top of the stairs. The
pub up top is so full tonight I doubt anyone will notice him
sleeping on the job. Wonderful what a punch to the gut and a quick
injection to the neck will do. Now let’s be reasonable. There’s
eight of us and only a handful of you. You can’t really be meaning
to fight us. I assure you that won’t turn out well for you. All we
want is the girl. She is of interest to our boss.” He pointed to
Sathi. “Hand her over and we’ll be gone.”

“
Yeah, sure, right. Like I’m really
going to hand over my best friend and business manager.”

“
Suit yourself.” From nowhere he
retrieved a knife and threw it.

Before Sheila could even blink to react
Sathi was on her, pushing her to the floor and rolling with her out
the way. The knife continued its deadly trajectory only to meet
some invisible wall that caused it to bounce and clatter to the
floor.

Mild mannered Hideo saw red. Yelling “Kiai”
he charged forward, wielding the two samurai swords like he was the
ancient warrior Musashi. Whatever shield had blocked the knife
didn’t bloke Hideo.

Kit stormed forward swinging a manriki chain
in a dangerous arc, blocking knife attacks from two sides.

Lewis and Roger rugby tackled one of the
gang members who tried to sneak around the commotion. Roger
retrieved a length of rope and quickly had the man hog tied.

Thex dematerialised and reappeared behind
the leader with a gun at his head. “Tell your men to put their guns
down or this bullet meets your brain.”

Arion knocked on the door of number 110
Braslin St, Valeton. The dump truck outside was confirmation he had
the right address.

The house’s surprised occupant opened the
door. “Yes?”

“
Ang, I’m from Boswell. I’m not sure
if you noticed me last time you came to our house at Park
St.”

But she had, Ang didn’t miss much. “You live
with Tyra and her guys.”

“
I’m one of her guys, as you call us.
Can I come in?”

“
Ah , well, sure. Sorry it’s a bit of
a mess. I’m not much of the housewifely type.”

“
Who’d want to marry a house
anyway?”

Ang eyed him curiously. Was he cracking a
joke or was he serious? She was never sure with the people from
Boswell. They were a little strange if you asked her. But then she
fully admitted so was she. After all she was one of few humans who
could actually see ghosts, fairies and other etheric beings: a
birthright from some ancient unknown ancestor. Being adopted she’d
never know. “So, what can I do for you Mr...?”

“
Arion.” He took the seat she offered,
removing the precariously stacked pile of newspapers that had
covered it. “I’ve come as a representative of Boswell. We were
wondering if you might consider working for us. I can’t make you
the actual job offer because by rights we’ll have to put that to
the interim council we are forming. We just wanted to sound you
out.”

“
What sort of job? Doing your rubbish
run?”

“
More than that. We’d like you to be
our expert on waste minimisation and recycling. You’d have others
to help you. We’d supply a house. Electricity free of charge. You’d
be connected up to our hybrid internet system so you could make
calls and keep in touch with the outside world. You could grow your
own food or take what you need at our twice weekly market. Well
it’s not really a market, more of a social gathering where everyone
brings along their surplus. I think some of the locals call it a
swap-meet.”

“
Sounds a bit communal, like a 1960s
hippie love-in.”