"Worked your mouthpieces off I see. That was naughty."
Christy and Eve blinked their eyes open to seen Spec grinning over them.
"Get any sleep at all? Got to be tough laying on those knots."
They both started to speak; Spec put a stop to it.
"Agarrunt," they said as Spec replaced part of their towel gags, popping them into both mouths at the same time. Eve and Christy shook their heads and tried to tongue out the cloth.
"Oo gamed imph."
"What are you doing?" It was Linda standing in the doorway, Tina and Olin behind her.
"Stuffing their yaps," said Spec, pushing his glasses back on his nose.
"Not now, we've got things to discuss. Olin take the blonde and get her ready to travel. I've got to have a private chat with Miss Regis," said Linda.
"Oopay umph," said Christy as Olin hefted her off the bed onto his right shoulder. She raised her head to have a look at Eve, knowing it could be her last. They carried her out, Tina following Spec and shutting the door.
"Hummph." Eve shook the gag out of her mouth. She looked up at Linda.
"Remember the deal. I do what you want and she stays alive."
"You got it," said Linda. "And you mess up and they bury her out in the desert, alive," said Linda. "Now let's discuss this in detail, then I'll drop you off where you need to go."
***
"She was wearing the same clothes she had on yesterday. She never does that," said Tommy."
"You notice what she wears all the time?" said Rosie.
"No, but today I did. And she seemed stiff, like she was sore," said Tommy.
"Tommy help in the kitchen," came the call from his mother.
***
Eve had put on her clothes in Spec's room then Linda had trussed her hands crossways behind her, gagged her with the still sodden towel ball and tied over that with the torn strip still hanging from the coat hook. It was lights out again as a pillowcase was yanked over her head.
Eve's shoes scuffled across the concrete floor as Linda hustled out to the car, shoving her face down on the floor in the back seat. They drove for a while; Eve trying to keep her head up, the pillowcase wanted to fold into her nostrils. She had problems breathing, on her stomach with the gag and the blinding cloth. The car swerved and came to a stop, she heard the woman shift into park and pull the brake on. The motor was running. There was a tugging on her wrist binding, the sawing of a blade. The cord fell away.
"Straighten yourself up, I'll drop you off at the diner in a few minutes."
Eve pulled off the pillowcase, she shifted off the floor and sat on the back seat. She worked the knot loose and pulled off the gagging strip and the towel ball from between her teeth.
"Toss that out and get up front with me. Before you try anything silly think about your friend," said Linda.
In a few miles they were at Denton's Diner and they parted without words. Inside Eve said the bare minimum, Rosie busy as usual, Tommy seeming to stare at her more then usual. Eve considered asking about Chellsie Eijup and the Shoshone tribe. But nuts to that, the young woman wouldn't fare better then Eve had against the gang they'd run into. And she might get poor skinny Tommy involved. Not a good idea.
So she ate breakfast and felt slightly less terrible, rode her Harley back to her home, stripped off and passed out across her bed, awoke thinking she was still bound and gagged somewhere, then came to her senses and took a hot bath. An hour later she was airborne in her Hiller.
***
"To escape I'll have to figure out how to ride a horse," said Christy.
They didn't hear this since her mouth was stuffed. They had taken the blindfold off, after they shoved her into this cave. Also to make a run for it she would have to get by the dark haired gal with the whip, the bony guy with the gun, figure out where she was and where help would be, and not least get the rope off.
The rope was around her wrists, which were crossed and tied in front. Then around her arms, and the bare skin between the waist and breasts, were three loops of cord, knotted near mid part of her spine. When on the horse, they'd tied rope around one of Christy's ankles, then under the horse and over to the other. After cutting her loose from the horse she still fought to keep her balance without the use of her arms.
"Oomph!” said Christy as she was shoved down. The hard floor was cool on her bottom. She'd baked in the sun on the long ride, so the dimness in the cave was better.
They brought in drab green army sleeping bags, a camp stove with a can of fuel, Christy hoped there was food in some of the bags they dropped near her.
"You leaving me to set all this up?" said Tina.
"I figure you'll have time on your hands, best to stay busy so's you won't be bored," said Frosty.
"Well don't be too lazy to cover the track on your way," she said.
"I got a drag that will help that," he said. He looked at Christy and said," I wouldn't be bored if I was staying instead of you."
"You wouldn't be smart enough to run the radio," said Tina.
Now he looked at her.
"You Reds know how to make people mad don't ya."
"Head back while there's daylight, stop at the diner and tell the big boobed waitress hello for me."
"You that kind are you?"
"I'm not your kind," said Tina.
Frosty shook his head, took another look at Christy's trussed and gagged body, then strode off. Tina got to work spreading out the campsite, then when she finished stepped over and looked down at Christy.
"Urgah umpph," said Christy, raising her gagged mouth and tied wrists up toward the black haired woman.
"I'll take the gag off, but don't bore me with small talk little girl."
"Uh um Uh ump," said Christy moving her head side to side.
The cleave part of the gag came off, then the packing. Christy worked her jaw, then ran her tongue over dry lips.
Tina fetched a metal canteen. "Need any of this?" she said as she unscrewed the lid.
"Sure."
Tina got on both knees to the right of Christy. She put the canteen to her lips; Christy eagerly sought the opening. She drank, stopped, drank again and had it go down the wrong way. Tina backed off from her coughing fit.
"What's your hurry, afraid I won't give you any more?" She laughed and let Christy have another shot, then walked off.
***
"If you ever drop in from a bird's eye view, this is how you'll know it's my place," Joy had told her one time. Then she'd showed Eve a picture in the August edition of Popular Science. It showed a four-bay double-stacked conical TV antenna.
"That's atop the house. Now if you drive up, you see the cutest little bungalow. Of course I deserve a house in the East Sixties in New York, but all in good time."
The home was in a new housing development yet to be overwhelmed by customers. Joy's house was pretty well it. Eve landed her Hiller in the back yard, waited for the dust to settle, then walked to the front door.
"Yes? Why Eve how nice of you to drop in. Joy's tied up in the basement. How are you?"
"Sorry to be a surprise guest Eric. I need help."
"What? Oh well yes I know how it can be. I'll never thank you enough for helping us out of New York. The money you--"
"It's in the past, but this I'm afraid is here and now," said Eve.
" It's.. it's, not the Outfit is it?" said Eric, twisting the right side of his handlebar mustache.
"No, I not sure what it is, but it's a big problem. What are you and Joy working on?"
"Silly me, come in come in." He shut the door behind her. "Here's our new business card."
In red script it said "Beiger Brothers," and underneath in black lettering, "Cinema Short Subjects for Men. Rented. Photographed."
"Who are the Beiger Brothers?" asked Eve.
"Who Knows? Oh I left the gag on Joy!"
Eve followed his rushing frame.
"Thru this door. It doubles as a fallout shelter."
They clattered down a short flight of stairs. Canned goods were along the wall on the right side of the room. A movie camera, blinding lamps and lights, and power cords took up more space.
"Rudabaga! Rum fum rum ogauhmm mummph mmm!"
"Dearest I'm sorry. Eve's here as you can see. Look let me get this last shot Eve and then we can talk."
"Rumpleumph fum rum agummh."
Eric took his position behind the camera. "Join me here Eve. Darling we'll get this in the can. Now you're looking angry and we need frightened. No you still look like a wildcat, we need doe eyes. Yes that's it. Shake your head a little."
"Romm rumpillstil kumm firiumm."
"Doesn't she look great? If silent movies were still around she would be box-office gold," said Eric.
"I've spent the last day bound and gagged. Otherwise this would seem weird," said Eve.
"You've what? Let me finish this. It took a while to set up. We did a chair tie earlier and that one took some time."
"Is that the top of a picnic table she's strapped to?" asked Eve.
"Sort of. I made it out of Idaho white pine. The D select is the lowest grade of finish lumber but I sanded it down. The other side has the defects."
Eve looked at the black haired women leaning against the boards. Joy's body was sweaty and gleamed under the soft lights. Her arms were above her head, off to the side. Her wrists were in buckles attached to the wooden frame. More buckles just above the elbows, and the same an inch above the shoulders.
From the corners of her mouth were the ends of a piece of round wood the width of a broomstick. In the middle of the stick was a large, dark, rubber ball, most of which jammed between Joy's lips. You could see her teeth gnawing it when she spoke.
A thick belt unattached from the wood frame was buckled just above her breasts. Her creamy white tits were half covered by the conical cream colored bra she wore. There was another wide unattached belt buckled above her deep navel, and three more around her cream colored girdle.
At the top of her thighs were buckles strapped tight to the wood frame. More above and below her knees. Her ankles were strapped tight and it ended with some black open-toed high heels.
"Cut and that's it and Eve help your self to a drink upstairs while I get Joy down."
Eve waited in the small kitchen, not in the mood for food or drink. She heard footsteps from the basement, then Joy Karn walked in.
"You see the glamorous life I'm leading."
"What's the purpose of that down there? To be tied and gagged like that?" asked Eve.
"Mail order business. Klaw was making dough with it back in the city so Eric and I started our own gig. How'd you like me as a brunette?"
"Pretty. Why the Wig?"
"Change of pace. Plus maybe a tiny disguise from the Outfit boys. Still we're doing business through a third party, so the mob boys can't trace it."
Joy pulled her purple robe tighter around her and joined Eve at the table.
"You've got problems?"
Eve told her the story so far.
"Jeez Louise! What a crazy deal. You make the first trip tomorrow for these bums?"
"Yes."
"Tomorrow I drive near your place. Stake it out. Get a drop on this Linda dame. We'll get her to tell where your friend is," said Joy.
"It's a small town Joy, they could spot you tailing us," said Eve.
They won't expect a woman to help you out, there's no gals working as police anywheres that I know of," said Joy.
"Still."
"Wait let me show you, Eric fix the coffee." And Joy left Eve amid the sound of beans grinding and water being poured.
"You don't want to let the water boil, bad for the beans," said Eric.
Joy rebounded to the kitchen wearing a red and brown striped wool day dress, her bosom fighting the fit of the semi-fitted bodice. The dress had wide lapels, elbow-length raglan sleeves, front button fastening, a narrow skirt, and a long fringed scarf threaded through one side of a wide buckled belt.
"I'll use Eric's briefcase and be a perfect door to door sales lady," said Joy as she did a model dip to show the outfit.
"Include some underwear before you go out," said Eve.
"Well it was a quick change," said Joy.
"What should I wear?" said Eric.
"Dearest you'll be here handling the business," said Joy.
"And leave you at the fate of those fiends? Never!"
"Eric darling when we left New York running from Annastita's boys I carried you in a suitcase, remember?" said Joy.
"Only so they wouldn't spot us as a couple. They were looking for two people you know."
"Well a man such as you would attract attention. Now little old me wouldn't cause those nasty folks to bat an eye. Until I showed them this."
Joy slid one side of her skirt up a long leg.
"Does that shoot?" said Eve.
"All four barrels."
"I got it for her. It's a Schuler Reform moving barrel type. Shoots .32 caliber bullets," said Eric.
"Used it to run off Howard Duff one night in New York," said Joy.
"Why would you want to run off Howard Duff? Said Eve.
"Bad temper that guy. I'd tell the story but it makes Eric jealous," said Joy.
"It does not!"
Joy slid the pistol back into a black garter holster over her right thigh.
"Tomorrow when you get back from your flight, I'll help you talk things out with your new found friends," said Joy.
"Thank you," said Eve.