Fragrance of Revenge (18 page)

Chapter 51

It was bitter sweet, but he realized he needed to share some things with Alexis. He wondered if he would be able to walk after what she did to him. He had studied psychology in college, but realized there wasn’t really a future in it. However, he knew enough about her behavior to know he was on dangerous ground.

He was still tied up; make that, in a dangerous bed in a very dangerous position. She was cuddled up against his body, and he wasn’t surprised he wasn’t having any reaction to it. He could tell she had fun doing all those things to him, and he enjoyed most of them. He knew she wasn’t going to do anything life threatening to him, or she wouldn’t have the new toy to play with anymore.
A part of him wondered if she would get tired of all of these games, and then what?

She had finally let him make love to her. Well, it was more she made love to his body. It wasn’t about his need, it was more about how to satisfy her craving. She was the beautiful, sensuous, but wicked witch. He was glad she didn’t have a broom or she might have used that too. However, he soon would have a problem.

He was going to have to leave to pick up the drop money. How was he going to explain that situation? He looked at his wrists and he was going to have to wear long sleeves to hide the rope abrasions.
Was she going to untie him? She did ask him to take the week off. He knew what he needed to do.

*.*.*

“Alexis.” She didn’t respond. He kissed her on the ear and whispered, “Alexis.”

She stirred and opened her eyes and looked at his, and then down to where her thigh was across his body. “Don’t tell me you’re ready again.” She moved her thigh. “No, from the looks of it, you won’t be ready for hours, if not days.”

“Alexis, we need to talk.”

“That is something we haven’t tried.”

“Alexis, I need to tell you some things.” He pulled on the ropes. “Please Alexis, untie me. I need to talk to you.”

“No Chris, I like things just the way they are. Have you ever been this sore?”

He sighed. “No, this is definitely a first. If you won’t untie me, I still have to tell you some things you need to know.”

“I think I already know them.”

“This is about your father.”

“Okay, you have my attention. What do you know about my father and family?”

“Please don’t get upset with me, but I think you need to know some things and maybe we can team up to get you what you deserve.”

“You have my interest, but you’ve had everything else.”

“I feel at risk being tied up and about to tell you these things.”

“Do you think I
really could hurt
you?”

“It crossed my mind somewhere recently.”

“Good. I’m not untying you yet. I have some other plans for our time together. Start talking or I will start hitting.” She reached for the belt, but stopped short of picking it up.

“Okay, but I want you to promise that you will untie me if you appreciate what I’m telling you.”

“I thought contracts were made with free men…you’re not really in a position to negotiate.”

“Your life is going to change in the next few minutes.”

*.*.*

It took over an hour to convey the details as he knew them. She was quite interested and didn’t interrupt him once. As time went on he felt more at ease telling her the details. He started with her arrival at the facility within days of her birth, why she was sent to the facility and what her father knew and what her mother didn’t. He told her who her father was and what he has contributed each year to keep her at the care facility. He also told her about the doctor’s role in her care since she arrived at the facility.

“Alexis here is what is most important. I hope you are ready for this.” He studied her, and she seemed interested. “Alexis you had a twin sister. She was a beautiful child and turned into a very beautiful woman. You have that same beauty…you’re strikingly gorgeous. However, as you know, you were covered with hair as a child. What nobody really knew is that it was not permanent. Your beauty today shows that you should really be in the world you were denied.”

He continued. “Your father pays for your care each year and pays the doctor separately to maintain his secret. He also has been paying an extra amount recently to keep his secret.”

He felt her reaction as she pushed herself up on her elbow and stared directly into his eyes.

“Alexis I have been blackmailing him for weeks now. There is supposed to be another money drop tonight, which I need to pick up around midnight. The money your father is paying to keep you at the care facility, along with the payment to the doctor to maintain the secrecy is really your money. The extra money I’m getting from him is really your money too.”

“How did you learn about my father?”

“Good question. I came here once for Doctor Adler and discovered his hidden files. I made copies of them and when I finally reviewed the copies, I learned about everything I told you.”

“What else?”

He took a deep breath. “Your twin sister was committed to a mental institution. When she was finally released her behavior got worse. She and some other young women took revenge on some young men. They were kidnapped, tortured and dismembered while still alive. One of those captives was rescued by your other sister, Mercedes.”

“What was my twin’s name?”

“Melanie. Here’s an interesting twist. When Mercedes and some others rescued the young man, Melanie jumped into Boston Harbor. She was thought to have died in the ice cold water as it was the middle of winter. However, she survived somehow and resurfaced months later.”

“I’m confused.”

“Resurfaced was a bad choice of words. She underwent plastic surgery in England. She killed her surgeon and managed to get to Bermuda. There she built a dungeon like facility and eventually lured several men and held them captive. Some of those men were found murdered. However, a number of them were rescued. The same young man your sister Mercedes rescued was one of the remaining prisoners and was rescued.”

“What was that person’s name?”

“Scott Tucker.”

“I don’t understand why she was holding the men prisoners. Was she asking for ransom money?”

“No, she was holding them it appears for sexual services.” He felt her thigh move and her fingers touch him.

“So, that is kind of what I have here…right?”

He realized the impact of what she asked. “Alexis, we’re just mutually agreeing to this arrangement…right?”

“I don’t remember any real agreement. You just did as I instructed you to do. I didn’t put you into these bindings. You put yourself into them. Well, other than the last one.”

“Yes, but that made me unable to get untied.”

“That Chris is a very brilliant observation, but a very stupid predicament.” He felt her hand teasing him, but worse he felt his body reacting to it.

“Alexis please.”

“Please what?”

“Please let me explain my thoughts.” He was being distracted and knew he needed to get this out quickly. “Alexis, we can have all of your father’s money. He’s rich and you should be entitled to all of it.”

“How do you figure that?”

“The only family you have left are your mother, your father, and one sibling, Mercedes. If they were out of the way, you are the next of kin and would inherit all of the family money. You could go anywhere you want and do anything you ever wanted to do.”

“Are you saying to kill them?”

“You’re the one who has been punished for all of these years. You’ve missed out on a childhood, school, family fun, boy friends, holiday adventures, and other things. Aren’t you kind of pissed off about being basically held a prisoner all of your life?”

“Well, you’re in a fine position to be talking about being a prisoner. I see you’re starting to enjoy my attention.”

“Alexis, what I’m trying to tell you is that I can help you get what you deserve. Then we can have each other for the rest of our lives, and we can live in luxury.”

“What about the good doctor?”

“Funny you call him the good doctor…isn’t he one of the worst of the bunch? Hasn’t he kept you from having your own pleasure and keeping you for his?”

“Are you suggesting something?”

“Maybe he needs to be the first to regret what he has done. Don’t you feel violated?”

“I don’t think I can kill him.”

“Well, your sister didn’t have a problem keeping men for her sexual pleasures and then disposing some of them. You’re half way there.” Her lips found his body. “Owe, that hurts. Alexis, please stop.”

She said something against his body, but he wasn’t sure what he heard. It sounded like ‘shot.’ His mind wasn’t on the money pick up any longer.

Chapter 52

“Hello.”

“Hello, this is Scott Tucker. Is Mike available?”

“Hi Scott. How have you been?”

“I was doing pretty well until just recently, which is why I need to talk with Mike.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Let me get him.”

“Hi Scott. I understand things aren’t going well. What’s up?”

“Mike, I guess you are the only one I could call. Mercedes has been kidnapped in Venezuela.”

“I’m glad you called me. Do you want to get together to talk about this?”

“I guess that makes sense. Mike, I’m really worried about her. She was kidnapped twice. They rescued her the first time, but both she and another agent with her were kidnapped this time.”

“Look Scott, I have one thing to take care of and then I can leave to meet with you. Let’s plan on meeting at the office in say…an hour.”

“Thanks Mike. I’m sorry I’m taking you away from your family.”

“Scott, come on, you are family. I’ll see you in an hour.”

*.*.*

I pulled into the office parking lot behind the Brattle office. There wasn’t much going on for a Sunday afternoon. I knew Mike wouldn’t be there as it was only a half hour since I talked with him.

I unlocked the office and turned on the lights and headed to my office. I felt like hitting something.
How could this be happening? I can’t lose her too. Losing Lisa was bad enough. I lost my cousin to the strangler, Lisa to a bad car accident and now I could lose Mercedes to people connected to the slave trade in a foreign country.

I had to do something other than look at my office walls. Coffee sounds like a plan.

They say a pot never boils if you’re watching it. I was staring at the coffee pot and could feel my heart keeping beat with the tempo of the pot. I heard a car door and shortly Mike entered.

“I’m making coffee, would you like a cup Mike?”

“Do you have anything stronger?”

“No, coffee will have to do.”

“Okay then. Let’s meet in the conference room.”

I carried two cups to the conference room next to my office and put them down on the mahogany table.

“Judging from your hands shaking I would say you also need something stronger.”

“Mike this is like a bad dream. Mercedes’ boss called Stephen and told him the news about her kidnapping. Ralph, the other agent, was with her guarding her.”
When I said those words I hadn’t thought about their being close together. However, there were bigger problems.

“What can you tell me about her kidnapping?”

“She was rescued from her first kidnapping by the police. She was taken at gunpoint from the car while waiting for her partner and an undercover policeman to check out what could be described as a club. Mercedes told me she was taken to a van and eventually stripped and tied to a pole. She doesn’t remember much of the details.”

I could tell I was losing my voice and drank some coffee. “When she was rescued, there was a gun fight and I guess one or two kidnappers were killed, one escaped and the other two captured. The police captain rescued her as they had the building under surveillance and saw her being taken into a warehouse on the coast. The latest kidnapping was from the other agent’s hotel room. She was being sent home tomorrow because they were concerned more effort would be spent protecting her.”

“She will be okay.”

“Thanks Mike, but how can you be sure of that?”

“I guess I can’t. On another subject, are you still involved with that other investigation?”

“Yes, but right now I’m more concerned with her kidnapping. In fact—“

“In fact what?”

“In fact I am supposed to drop off the money for Stephen tonight. He’s at home waiting in case there’s a call from the kidnappers.”

“Scott, you have to distance yourself from that activity. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“I’m not sure I care anymore.”

“Well, others around you do.”

“Mike, those people there are going to do some awful things to her. She’s so beautiful, which is going to work against finding her.”

“Scott regarding the missing people from Bermuda.”

“Yes, what about them, that’s why the FBI is in Venezuela?”

“Right. Do you remember the fellow’s name that was missing?”

“Do you mean Ralph Reynolds?”

“No, I’m talking about Richard Damelio.”

“I remember his name. What about him?”

“Well his older brother Robert is a private investigator. We have been working closely with him on his investigation of his brother’s disappearance. He’s in Venezuela and has been for a few weeks. He thinks he knows where his brother and the two other women are.”

“That might help in locating Mercedes and her partner. I’ll call Paddy to let him know what happened to Mercedes and have him put a call into where Robert is staying.”

“That sounds like very good news. How can I help?”

“You have enough problems. Once again this is our forte and not yours. I’m going with you to the money drop.”

I started to object, but Mike held up both hands and I knew he was right.

“What time are you dropping the money off?”

“Around ten o’clock.”

“Well, then we have some time to get something stronger to drink. Let’s go to the pub.”

“Yeah, why not add Maggie to my problem list.”

“That my friend is your issue, not mine.”

We started to turn things off in the office.
I thought of Maggie’s dance routine and the pole, and then thought of Mercedes being held against her will and what might be happening right this minute to her.