Zeke (31 page)

“Zeke!” Sue cried hoarsely, as the
man grabbed her hips for leverage.

“Looking good, Susie.” The flash
from Zeke’s camera momentarily blinded her.

Sue groaned. She was still very
sore from Zeke’s abuse of her genitals, and this act only made it worse. Her
brain raced to find a way out of this predicament. She grasped for an idea. In an
effort to hurry the act, she encouraged the man on top of her with little
sounds and movements that mimicked pleasure. Tears continued to roll down her
cheeks.

“Resist a little bit, Sue,” Zeke
drawled. “You’re not supposed to like this so much. Hey, this guy is old enough
to be your dad. Hell, maybe he
is
your dad. Are you her dad, man? I told
these guys you like to be raped. Pretend rape, of course. You need to fight
some or they’ll never believe me again. It could damage our budding
relationship.”

Even without Sue struggling, the
guy was nearing release and could utter nothing but grunts and moans.

“Aw, dude, that’s sick,” the other
guy said to Zeke.

“It isn’t sick,” Zeke said. “She
likes it. Turns her on. You saw her grinding into him. She likes women, too.
She did her best friend all through high school. This girl will do anybody, and
I do mean anybody. Store clerks, freaks in the park. Even her old man. That’s
what I love about her. It’s all good.”

Zeke’s words were like slaps to
Sue, piling humiliation on top of the pain and terror. How could she ever have
thought she loved this monster?

The man behind her finished and
collapsed onto her back for a few seconds. He withdrew and got to his feet,
slapping her bottom playfully before pulling his pants up. “Do I pay you now?”
he asked Zeke.

“Nah, that was a freebie. Consider
it a gift, a token of friendship.” Zeke’s voice echoed off the bare walls.

“Hey, thanks.”

“If you want a turn, you better get
on there now,” Zeke told the other man. “We aren’t staying here all night, you
know.”

Sue could hear the man pacing. She
felt his indecision, invisible but potent, like a strong odor.

“Alright,” he finally said. “But
you two step out in the hall. I don’t want an audience.”

“No way,” Zeke said. “Take it or
leave it, but I’m staying. She’s my girl. It’s my job to protect her.”

The man bent over Sue and ran his
hand down her back. His touch was soft. She heard the quiet rustle of his
clothes as he lowered his pants. He positioned himself behind her, being
careful not to step on her legs, and she could feel the bristle of his pubic
hair against her buttocks, but nothing else, no arousal. He pressed against her
as if he were having sex with her. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “I’ll
help you if you need me to. See, I don’t think you really like this. If you
want out of here, just nod your head.”

Sue nodded against his face. She
hoped it wasn’t a trick. He grunted as if he were in the throes of passion, and
reached long arms down to her wrists. While pantomiming sex, he quickly untied
the ropes. Her hands were numb, but she wrapped them around the chair legs as
if they were still tied.

“He has a knife,” Sue whispered.
“And he’s crazy.”

“Okay, I gotcha.”

“What’s all the jabbering about?
What are you saying?” Zeke’s voice was deceptively friendly.

“Just love talk,” the man groaned,
simulating pleasure. Abruptly, he pulled back from her and panted for a few
minutes. Blocking Zeke’s view, he worked to untie Sue’s legs. The feeling
gradually returned to her hands with sharp pinpricks of sensation.

“Done already?” Zeke’s voice was
suspicious.

“I gotta rest, man. I ain’t used to
this much action,” the stranger said to Zeke. “I’ll get back on, here in a
second.”

Zeke and the other man laughed.
Zeke lit a cigarette. Sue heard the rasp of the lighter, and caught the smell
of smoke in the air. He and the first man joked around, telling dirty stories.

Her would-be savior climbed back
onto Sue and put his mouth near her ear once more.

“I don’t have a weapon. I don’t
know what to do. At least you’re not tied up anymore. Do you want me to call
the police when I leave?”

“Yes. Yes. Thank you,” Sue
whispered, filled with gratitude and relief.

“I got some warrants out on me, so
I can’t hang around,” he said. He made a loud sound then, as if he had
finished, and rose. Sue stayed draped over the chair.

“That was hot. Thanks, dude.” He
huffed and shook his head as if worn out as he pulled up his pants.

“Glad you enjoyed her,” Zeke said
amiably. Then, as if he had just finished entertaining guests at a dinner
party, he added, “I’ll just walk you fellas out.”

She heard their retreating steps.

Sue stood and started for her pile
of clothes. Her legs had fallen asleep, and she collapsed on the first step. Frantic,
she scrambled painfully to her feet once more, and fought a wave of dizziness.
It passed and she forced herself forward. Just as she reached for her skirt,
she heard Zeke’s familiar footsteps. Quickly, she retraced her steps and leaned
over the chair again.

“Well, that was fun, wasn’t it?”
Zeke said upon his return. “I gave you a little pleasure break, but now it’s
just you and me again, babe.” He approached her and knelt down, Big Ben in his
hands. The knife was covered with smears of blood, and horror spread through
Sue’s chest.

“I heard what that dude said to
you.” Zeke waved the knife hypnotically in front of her face. “But, you don’t
need to worry; there aren’t any cops coming. Nobody’s going to interrupt us.”
He moved around behind her and she held still as she could, heart pounding
against her chest. Instead of hitting her though, he started kissing her
inflamed bottom.

“Mmmm.” He ran his tongue over her
skin. “You put on one hell of a show, bunny.”

He undid his pants and entered her.
He was gentle with her this time. “We’ll have to do this more often. Next time
we’ll pick better guys, though. Those two were kind of trashy. I thought you
had better taste, but what the hell.”

Sue was too frightened to speak.
Her entire body hurt and her mind shut down. When Zeke had finished, he told
her to get up.

“Oh, I almost forgot, you’re tied
up.” He chuckled tolerantly. When he reached down to untie her, he found the
ropes loose. “What’s this?”

“They fell off,” Sue said dully,
expecting another outburst.

He surprised her by helping her
stand. Her back made cracking noises as she straightened. She stumbled and he
reached out to steady her.

“Guess I don’t tie knots so well
either, bunny,” he said, his voice tender. “Come here, baby. Look, I’m sorry I
lost my temper with you earlier. You had it coming, but I’m still sorry as
hell. I know I should cut you some slack, because you don’t mean any harm. You
just don’t think. I promise to be more patient with you from now on. Now give
me a kiss.”

Zeke pulled her into his arms and
held her shaking, cold body against his warm one. He raised her face and kissed
her. She stood like a lump in his embrace, looking out the windows at the city
lights twinkling in the darkness below. There were no words for her pain.

“Wait here, bunny.” Zeke retrieved
her clothes. He held up a flashlight so she could see to put them on. As she
pulled her skirt up, she noticed her knees were bloody, scraped from the rough
floor. Putting on her skirt and blouse made her feel so much better, less
vulnerable. She wiped off the bottoms of her feet before slipping on her socks
and boots. And when she slid into her coat, she nearly wept from the warmth and
cover it provided. She would never take clothes for granted again.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Zeke took her arm. He led her out to the van, ignoring the sounds around them,
and tucked her into the passenger seat.

She stared out the window as he
came around and got inside. The urge to run was almost unbearable, but she
fought it. She knew he would catch her before she could put any distance
between them.

“I feel like a Danish and some
coffee. How about you?” He started the van and cranked up the heater, which
blew cold air onto her legs. “Bet you could use a mocha cappuccino, huh?”

“No,” Sue stated, bluntly. “I hate
them.” She kept her eyes on the pocket of his coat, in case he reached for Big
Ben. If he did that, she would run screaming, no matter where they were. She
might not make it far, but she’d try.

“Hate them? What are you talking
about? You love them! I can’t count how many times I’ve watched you guzzle them
down.”

“You’re wrong. I hate them,” Sue
mumbled.

“Why are you acting this way?” Zeke
looked at her. “You in some kind of mood or something?”

“Not only was I just raped but I’m
also having cramps.”

“You weren’t raped,” Zeke scoffed,
then paused to consider. “What kind of cramps are you talking about?”

“Seriously? Do I have to spell it
out?” She stared unhappily at her lap.

“Oh great. Now I have to deal with
that. Isn’t that just wonderful.”

Sue stared at him in amazement.
“Why do you want to hurt me, Zeke? Why are you always so mean?” She kept her
voice soft.

“Hurt you? That’s crazy. Look, Sue,
we agreed we are both sexual adventurers,” he said with exaggerated patience.

“We did?”

“Sure, we did. We talked about it
extensively. Don’t go wacko on me, Sue.”

“But you tied me up. And those
men…”

“Oh come on! I set that up for
you
,
for your enjoyment. I was trying to make up for getting mad at you, so I found you
some men. It wasn’t that easy, you know.” The irritation was back in his voice.
“I thought you’d like it, the chance to pretend the whole thing was against
your will. That way you could get into it without feeling guilty. I was doing
you a favor, and it sounds to me like you don’t appreciate it very much.”

“I didn’t want it, Zeke. I never
wanted it. I was scared out of my mind.” Sue twisted the edge of her blouse in
her hands.

“Oh, you wanted it and you know
it.” Zeke laughed softly and relaxed back into his seat. “You like this stuff.
You still just can’t admit it, can you? You’re so uptight.” He drove away from
the dark tenement, heading for a well-lighted boulevard. Squinting, he gazed
out the windshield as if trying to find a particular street, but Sue felt he
was driving aimlessly.

“You’re different from when I first
met you,” Sue said, taking a chance.

“Different? No, I’m not. It seems
that way, maybe, but that’s how relationships work, Sue.” He chided her.
“People always start out a certain way in the beginning and then things evolve.
You get to know each other, let down your guard. You’ve done the same exact
thing, you just don’t realize it. Romance novels probably did this to you. They
give girls unrealistic notions.”

“My parents don’t treat each other
this way, Zeke. Nobody I know acts this way.”

“They do a lot more than you think
they do. They just don’t advertise it. Look, I’m trying to help you break free,
help you enjoy life. I’m enjoying the hell out of it.” He reached over and
patted her upper leg. “Just relax and go with the flow, Susie. Don’t provoke
me.” He stopped at a red light and reached over to grasp her arm. “I hope
you’re not thinking of leaving me.”

“No, no! Of course not.” Sue willed
him to believe her lie. “I just miss my parents, is all.”

He grinned wickedly. “Speaking of
parents! Bet your mom and dad would
love
to see the
explicit
photos I have of you whoring around. And don’t forget, you’re a criminal on top
of everything else. That’d make your folks real proud.”

His words horrified Sue and she
clamped her mouth shut. How could she have forgotten the pictures? There was no
way she could take a chance on her parents ever seeing those. She was trapped.

“Well, anyway, can we please stop
somewhere? I need a tampon.”

“Fine.” Zeke pulled into the
nearest gas station. They stepped out and walked toward the restrooms located
on the side of the establishment.

Suddenly, Sue stopped. “I need my
bag. I haven’t seen it lately. Can I go look in the van?”

“
Can I go look in the van
?”
Zeke mocked. “Hell no! But
we
can go look. You’re a pain in the ass, you
know that?”

They returned to the van and Sue
dug through their dirty laundry. She finally found her bag. Zeke snatched it
and upended it onto the mattress, dumping nearly all the contents. “Hey,” Zeke
exclaimed, and pounced on the stash they’d stolen from Doris. “I forgot all
about these. Let’s see what we have.” He sorted through the bottles and found
Xanax, Librium, and Valium. “Looks like Doris had a little drug problem going
on.”

“Those are all for anxiety or
depression,” Sue said, recognizing the names from her work in the nursing home.

“That’s right. And now they’re ours
to use as we please.”

“I don’t want to take them,” Sue
asserted.

“You might not
want
to, but
you
will
.”

“What?”

“Like now. Take these now.” Zeke
held out two Xanax tablets.

Sue shook her head. “I don’t want
them.”

“Ah, but you see, I want you to
have them. They’ll smooth out the rough edges, so you won’t be so pissy. Now do
what I say before I make you do it.” He reached for the purse, but Sue grabbed
it, hurriedly stuffing the spilled contents back on top of the cash she’d taken
from Doris’s house.

“What’s your problem? You trying to
hide something from me?” Zeke put his hand on the purse strap and tugged
lightly.

Sue forced her voice to be calm.
“What do you mean?”

“What else was in there?” Zeke
asked. “It still felt like something was in the bottom.”

Sue hesitated only a second before
lying. “It’s the cardboard they put between the two bottom layers. You know, to
give it stability. You dumped everything out.”