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No Turning Back (Alvis Alendran&SHARPii)

Emerson felt a mild surge of irritation. He hated waiting. But then, he'd waited a few days to talk to her, he cou;d wait a few more minutes. He lit a cigarette. The cloud of smoke half enveloped his head, making it harder to see. Definitely tal, he was heavy, not all muscle, but certainly not a weakling. Dark skin showed up clearly in the sunlight, though it half blended into the dfark coat he wore. He looked very much like a classic PI or gumshoe. This was a man lost in a stereotype, or who had embraced it fully.

Harrison could almost hear the hesitation, as though she might want to say something more. Something was off. And he had a good idea as to what. Damn it, he needed more information. But he needed to keep up appearances with her.
"Hello. A shame you weren't at your apartment. I'd thought I might send a lunch to you if you were home." He made the last seem a little despondant, as though he had been looking forward to doing it. Truth be told, he had. "So are we stil on for dinner?" He asked her. Gods, it was so close to being a disaster right now. He knew what he should do, and that was make another cll. But to bring that kind of wrath down on Esther... it was not something he relished the thought of. Darien and his team were a brutal instrument. But they got things done, and quickly. It was what he paid them for.
 
“Yeah.” She paused and then mentally berated herself for being so awkward. She couldn’t let him know things changed now. “I had some errands to run. I guess I can’t just lounge back like you wanted me to. I had to get out. Do stuff. Make sure I wasn’t fired at The Spot.” She half-laughed and looked at Card. He was smoking. Oh, what she’d do for a cigarette. She’d kill for one right now. She had stopped smoking when she finished school but always had cravings, always smoked one or two every now and then when she needed a release from her stressful life. Now? She’d love an entire pack to deal with the shit she was unloaded with.

She sighed heavily and bit her lower lip when he asked about dinner. “I don’t think I’ll be able to. My boss wasn’t super peeved that I didn’t even show up last night but he wants me to make it up. He wants me to close up tonight. It’ll be too late. And…” She closed her eyes. She hated lying. This entire phone call had been a lie. She hadn’t done any of what she claimed to have to Harrison. She was lying through her teeth but she had to. She couldn’t see him. Not…privately. “I’ll be dead tired. I mean, you worked me out pretty intensely this morning as it is.” She smiled fondly at it, her tone reflecting it and she hoped it was enough to convince him and not make him suspicious. “Rain check?” Even if she might have just alluded to something towards this Emerson Card, she didn’t care. It wasn’t his business anyways and she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to talk to him.
 
Harrison squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nse between fingers. She knew. She knew something, but he didn't know how much. And that was a problem.
"Of course Esther. I'll see you at work tomorrow, and we can make arrangements then." He assured her. "Until then." He hung up the phone, and pressed the noise cancellation button. He very calmly lifted th glass bottle of liquor that he'd used on Lloyd, and hurled it across the room. It shattered in a most satisfying shower of broken glass and booze. He sighed, and leaned forward, head in his hands. He was torn, too conflicted about what he was about to do. He had to survive. And he had to do it now. He lifted the phone.
"Darien?" He said quietly.
"Sir?" Came the reply.
"More work tonight. Finish up with Larkin quickly. The new target is Esther Martin. She knows something, but I don't know what."
"Interrogate her?"
"Yes. I need to know what she's found out."
"Should we be...thorough?" Harrison bit back his knee jerk response. He knew what was being alluded to. But it did have the effect of getting good results. Damn it all to hell.
"Yes. Be thorough." He hated the words, hated everything that was being suggested.
"Thank you sir! We won't dissapoint you." Harrison hung up on him. He placed his face in both hands, adn rubbed his face. What had he done? And what was he still prepared to do if he had to?

Emerson held out his pak of cigarettes.
"Care for a smoke miss?" He asked. Oh, from what he'd heard this woman was in way over her head. Over anyone's head really. She'd gotten involved this morning, and if he had to guess, it wasn't the first time. It had proabbly seemed wild, exciting, and somehow mostly safe. And now it had been revealed that it really wasn't. She'd need help. And he'd promised Abigail that he'd look out for anyone else involved in this whole thing.
 
“Bye.” She said so softly, too softly and then hung her phone up. She closed her eyes and then lifted her head to the heavens. Oh, she wanted to scream and just let one out right now, outside the newspaper. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her phone back into her bag and looked at Emerson Card and his very tempting pack of cigarettes. She just nodded her head and took one, fidgeting in her back once more for a flame. She always had one. If anything, it could prove useful. She also had a rape whistle and a can of pepper spray. You could never be too sure and she was a single woman, all alone in this big bad world. A girl had to be prepared.

She lit the cigarette. This was the first one in a year—while sober. She took a deep drag after it was lit, the ember glowing profoundly as she inhaled the smoke into her lungs and she exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. Her eyes closed as she dropped the lighter into her bag and tilted her head back. “Why I ever stopped, I’ve no idea right now.” Because that one puff felt like half of her stress melted away, the easy stress. Definitely not the hard stress.

She took another hit of it and then exhaled before regarding Emerson Card. “Thank you.” She motioned towards the cigarette and then put her hand on her hip. “Okay, um, first I need to see some identification, especially proving you are who you say you are. Considering what I just found out, I don’t think it’s anything too difficult to ask. And if you prefer, we can talk somewhere more private, less public and get this show underway, how does that sound?” She had no idea where this confidence came from. There was something about just holding a cigarette that transformed her into someone with a spine and not the spineless puddle she always turned into around Harrison.
 
Emerson smiled as she mused about the cigarette.
"Probably the cancer." He answered her, taking a drag of his own. "But that's for later. Right now..." he opened his coat, and pulled out a folded wallet, flipping it open to show a PI license, and his name. On his hip was a cased revolver, a big one, the cocking hammer gleaming from age and use. it was a storied weapon to be sure, and it looked like it had seen more than a little bit of action in it's time. "...if you need a lift miss, I got a ride stashed away. We can take this wherever you like."

Bree Larkin stared at the small pile of money that was on her table. The money from the files she'd sold. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Trenton had found her out. he aways found people out. He had some kind of secret way of learning whatever he wanted to, whenever he wanted. H ewas a wrathful God of the company, adn she'd crossed him. Thirteen years in office work, just gone, since she knew he'd make sure that she'd never work in an office again as anything more than a file runner. It was the end of her career as it was. She lifted the wine bottle beside her, and took a drag. She wasn't about to vanish, no sir, she knew what was in those files, she'd copied them after all. And she knew that she could make another few sales, enough to finance herself a decent life while she picked up the pieces. Harrison Trenton had made a mistake when he fired her. Now he couldn't control her. He'd be sorry! She heard a bumping sound from her basement, and sighed. She rose, a little unsteady from the wine, and picked her way down the stairs. The dryer was always acting up, and she needed to set it right. She reached the bottom of the stairs, adn took a fe steps when the lights went out.

She froze, and looked around. There was no sound. And the lights upstiars were out too, leaving her in mostly darkness. She figured that a breaker must have kicked, and fumbled forward in the dark, reaching the point that she kept a flashlight. She clicked it on, and swept the beam around to face the laundry room. The light illuminated a mans face. She started to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth, and pulled her back. Off balance, Bree Larkin fell onto her back, adn shot panicked glances around her. Her flashlight landed on the ground, bounced, adn then ended up pointing at the ceiling. She heard a ark of laughter.
"Hey Dar, look at this!" A man pointed to the unlikely way it had landed.
"Fucking uncanny. Now, let's get this done with." A calmer, but far more malicious voice drawled. In a way, it sounded vaguely similar to Harrison if he had been going out of his way to be cruel.

"You pissed off the wrong people Larkin. And we're here to make sure you pay for it." Darien said to her. She started to cry. "But I'm not unreasonable. See this laptop we've got here? You do what we tell you, and you can walk away." She nodded vigorously. They slid the computer to her.
"First, you sell all your stock. Empty the investments. Close out your accouts. And wire the money to this address." Darien laid out for her. She saw one of the other men cleaning his nails with a large knife, adn she hurriedly complied. Darien checked her work. He nodded.

"Good work Bree." Darien told her. She felt a chill run up her spine. These men knew her name, and she'd not told them. Gods, what was she involved in? "How long until we do the other job?"
"Not until after dark I think he said." Another man answered.
"Fuck me, we got hours t kill! Might as well use 'em wel, eh guys?" He got a course of cheers from them, and he reached out to rip the front of Bree's blouse open. Bree screamed into the hand on her mouth, realizing what they intended. "You tursted criminals Larkin! Never a good idea!" Eight men pounced on her, and the soudn of tearing cloth filled the air, along with the plaintive sobs and screams. It was going to be a long few hours for Bree Larkin.
 
He provided what she wanted. Identification, proof of his licensure and career and if the gun at his side wasn’t a major indicator, she didn’t know what would be. All in all, Esther was satisfied and she nodded her head to him. “I have my car.” She really wanted to drive her car. “How about you follow me. No addresses. Just follow me. And if you get lost, well then shit.” She murmured, taking another drag of her cigarette, a big one, one that she nearly made a face at when she inhaled into her lungs because man it burned. Exhaling, she sighed heavily and then nodded her head to him. “Follow.” Was all she said as she turned and walked towards the parking lot across the street where her Honda Hiccup was parked.

Unlocking it, she got inside and took one last drag of the cigarette before she flicked it away and shut her car door. Starting it up, she took in a deep breath and then proceeded to drive, her destination being her home. It was a quick drive and she was soon parking at the curb in front of her building, the actual designated spot for her that corresponded to her apartment number. There was additional driving space in the lot a little up for him to park, provided he didn’t get lost.

Getting out, she locked it and then slid her bag onto her shoulder before walking up to the building. She held the door open for him when she saw him walking up the path and once he was in, she proceeded to go up the flight of stairs until she came to her floor, her door to her apartment the first one after the stairs. She unlocked it and walked in, leaving the door open for him to come into before she deposited her bag on the table, keys beside them. Her hand braced on the wall as she took her heels off and let out a soft exhale. These things were beautiful, made her legs look nice, especially in this dress but they were a bitch to wear after a while. She pushed them into the closet and then looked down at his shoes and sighed. “You can keep your shoes on.” She murmured before turning and took the file out of her bag before she went to the couch and sat down. Man, she wanted a big fat drink. Placing the file on the table, she looked at him and eyed him. “That better still be there when I come back from the kitchen.” She warned him, pointing her finger at him lightly before trotting off.

When she came back, she had two glasses filled half way with an amber liquid. She placed them on the coasters and then sat down before grabbing hers and taking a big sip. Ah, that hit the spot. “That’s yours. If you want. Otherwise, I can make sure it goes to good use.” Yeah, because she’d drink it.

Crossing a leg over the other, she smoothed her dress over and then took another hasty sip, smaller than the first and nodded her head to the file. “So…as for the file, to answer your question from earlier,” she began. “I don’t know. It is information I just found out. It’s what Abby wanted to tell me the day she was murdered.” She spoke softly and calmly, like the confident woman she could be in moments like these, where emotions didn’t get involved. Although right now, she was fighting the urge to just break down in front of this man. The last thing he probably needed was some stupid nameless woman sobbing in front of him. But it’s what she wanted to do. She had been fighting back the urge since Rodolfo’s office. There had been an ever present lump in her throat that she was constantly swallowing hard down for.

Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled and closed her eyes, running her hand over and through her hair. “I don’t know what to do.” She murmured.
 
Emerson leaned back in his seat, taking the glass. A little earlier in the day than he usually preferred, but when a lady offered, you didn't sya no, especially not in her own home! He took a sip, and then nodded Not too bad.
"Well Miss, first things first. What is it you want to do?" He asked her. "You want to bring this to the bulls, I'm sure they'd find something to do with. Could try going public, see what the press makes of it. Though that was tried once, and...well, you know. Or you could bury it. Give it all back to Trenton. Sure he'd appreciate it, and it'd buy you some safety." He said calmly. "I'm just layin' out the options here, files are yours, and what to do with 'em is your call." Emerson hoped that Trenton hadn't gotten his hooks into her too deeply, making Esther too stuck on him that she couldn't see what it was he really was. Emerson had been trying for years t get some kind of dirt of renton, bring the man down a peg or two, but it had never worked. The man had been untouchable. But this...this was workable. It was hard evidence. But if Esther wanted nothing to do with it, then he'd have to start all over again.

Mallory opened the door to Harrison's office, and opened her mouth.
"Get out." he snapped at her. She started. Harrison Trenton had never spoken to her like that, not for any reason.
"Um...yes sir, but...there's a man here to see you?" She said quietly, the way Harrison was standing, back to her, looking out his window, his very posture looked frightening.
"Reschedule."
"He's from the police."
"Let him in. But get out." She beat a hasty retreat. It only took a few minutes before a man in a suit entered.

"Mr. Trenton." He said calmly.
"Detective Ramlies. What can I do for you?" Harrison turned to face him. he looked...a little haggard, a littel run down. Not his normally cocksure self.
"Are you-"
"To the point detective. I have a lot to do today."
"Yes, of course. I just came by to tell you that I'm prepared to drop the case against Esther Martin. Unless...?" Harrison sighed. It was needed. There was no use in messing around with this kind of thing.
"I'm sure your investigation will find that she's dabbled in drugs and prostitution. Her firend was likely caught up in raid by a gang to take the drugs that Esther was storing there to prevent herself from using her own product. Will you make the arrangements?"
"Of course. When should the APB go out?"
"Later tonight. Close to midnight I should think."
"Done. Anything else Mr. Trenton?"
"Please leave Detective. I've a lot to do." Ramlies nodded, and left the room. Harrison looked back out the window. What was he even doing now? Contingencies in case Esther somehow made it away from the interrogation with her mind intact? It was doubtful. But he had to be acreful. He wanted to smash the window, call mallory back in here, and beat her senseless to relieve his stress. He was flying apart at the seams. At least Lloyd had gone home.
 
Esther listened as he gave her possible options but she didn’t like either of them. The only thing she wanted to do was go confront Harrison and have him explain this to her. That for all she knew, this was a big misunderstanding and that it really had nothing to do with him. She wanted to hear the truth from him. No, she just wanted him to deny it all and then hold her in his arms. Ugh, she was hooked. Too hooked that she’d be willing to see past all this? That she’d be willing to believe a lie for her own piece of mind because she herself refused to believe this? What was wrong with her? Her eyes watered up and she lowered her head even more before lifting her glass to her shaky lips, taking a big sip. She needed the burning sensation down her throat. Her eyes closed and a tear rolled down.

She took a deep breath and exhaled before slyly wiping the tear away from her cheek and looked up. “It’s yours.” She said softly, reaching over to pick up the file and hand it to him. “I want nothing to do with it. I want nothing to do with any of this.” Her voice broke when she said the second sentence. “I know nothing, we never met, I am not lumped in with this.” She stated as firmly and sternly as she could.

“If you need anything more, you can call this guy.” She said softly before writing a number on the inside of the file and put Rodolfo Aimes above it so he knew the name. “He was Abby’s partner and if you need anything more dug up, he’s your best guy.” She said softly before sitting back and downed the rest of her drink. “Have a good day Mr. Card.” With that, she stood and went to the kitchen, putting her glass down and gripped the edge of her counter in a vice grip, her knuckles going white and her head down. Why was this her life?
 
Not what he'd hoped to see from her. Not at all. But she was giving him the files, and that meant he could still move forward. He nodded as he lifted the file. He stood.
"You take care of yourself now Miss. I'll not get you involved in this. And my thanks for giving me the chance to use this." He lifted the file for emphasis. He left his own card on the table. "You need anything at all, you call me, and I'll be around to help you out." He didn't want to intrude, so he tipped his hat, and made his escape. He felt sorry for the poor girl. wrapped up adn entagled with one of the most dangerous men in teh city, adn she loked like she might actually really care for the man she'd found there. he thoght about dropping the file in the trash, since to take a shot at Trenton was to indirectly make one at her. But it wasn't about Esther Martin. It was about a young woman reporter who'd died chasing this down. And if he let it go, she died for nothing. And that could not be let stand. He left the building. He saw a large moving van down the street, and sighed. Looked like a big delivery comign for someone. He got in his car, and drove away.

Bree Larkin was huddled on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She hurt, every part of her hurt. It was a cold, brutal pain that was made all the worse by the sense of irrevocable violation. She would never be the same after this. Nothing would. She looked up at the room she was in, her own laundry room. She heard some faint chuckling, and then looked up to see one of the crew advancing on her. He was wearing a face shield, gloves, and a rubbed apron. She stared at him without comprehending until she saw that he was holding a handheld motorized saw. She started to cry again, and he knelt beside her.
"Shh. It's okay. I can make it stop. You can be free. Did you want that?" he asked, resting a hand on her head, ever so gently. The others were already gone. He only had one job in this group, adn that was clean up. He never made the messes. It was just for him to clean it up. Bree looked up at him, and he raised his face shield.
"Let me go." She barely whispered. She was covered in bruises, some shaped like hands, others like a boot, or other blunt instrument. She'd been beaten badly, violated so thoroughly she barely knew what her own name was. He nodded to her, and pressed a hand to her neck. She felt suddenly faint, adn looked to see red pouring from her neck. She looked back up as she pitched forward. The razorblade had been sharp enough she barely felt it. She passed out, and he lowered the face shield. The saw sang, and he set to work. It was always good to enjoy your work.

The large truck stopped, and three men jumped out. They rolled open the back adn lifted out a large chest freezer. Always work to be done. They carried it inside, and up the stairs, before stopping at the apartment that they needed, and knocking loudly. One of them was leaning on the freezer, but out of sight, had a baseball bat, wrapped carefully in padding to not cause permanent damage. Esther Martin had an appointment that they wouldn't want her to miss.
 
The moment she heard the sound of door closing, she leaned forward on the counter, elbows propped up and her hands came over her face and she finally let it all go. She sobbed. Sobbed hard. She hadn’t cried this much, she didn’t think she ever cried this much but she was now. She wasn’t sure if she even cried like this when her parents died. When it became plainly and painfully simply put that she was alone in the world. Now, she knew just how alone she was and that was the worst feeling. That no matter how much she tried to not be alone, she ended up alone. Maybe it was a feeling of pity for herself but right now she just did not care.

It took her a moment or two, or maybe even an hour. She didn’t know. All she knew was when she finally did stop crying, any desire to go to work and just get her mind off of things was gone. So instead, she called her work and called out. Her boss wasn’t happy but at the way she sounded and the fact she hardly ever called out, let alone miss a shift, he knew something was going on. He urged for her to talk to him. He might be a dog, might like to make his employees wear outfits that showed off their sex appeal and attracted all sorts of people. He might have even hit on some of the females that worked for him—Esther included—but he always treated his employees well, treated them like family and definitely upheld his ‘no getting freaky with any employee’ so well. She wanted to say something but she couldn’t find the words. She just said she wasn’t well to work and without pushing the issue further, he let her go and gave her the weekend off as well so she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for Monday night. She didn’t fight him on that.

After she got off the phone, she went and showered. She wanted to just lose herself in the shower for a little while. So by the time she got done, her hair was still wet but not dripping wet thanks to towel drying and she put on a tank top, sans a bra and worn out sweatpants that said ‘Hilltoppers’ on the side. Yes, she had these since high school but they still fit her and she wanted to wear something of a happier time-ish. But when she was done, she heard the door and she sighed. Can’t people just leave her alone?

She opened the door, annoyance written all over her face. She wasn’t in the mood. So she didn’t have her customer service face on. “What?” She practically bit out to the three men.
 
Darien smiled as he got a look at Esther. Oh, it wasn't often the boss sent them for a girl like this! Larkin had been passable, but this one...this one was going to be a lot of fun.
"Well Ma'am, we've got a work order here to replace the freezer in your apartment. if you'll have a look at it here, I'm soure we can get all of this ready to go." As he spoke, he began to gradually lower his voice. he was more than pleased to see that the old trick still worked. To maintain the volume of listening, a person would lean forward, getting closer. he didn't nee much, just enough that her head wasn't in the doorframe. She looked ready to spit fire at him when Dale swung the bat. It hit with a muffled thump, and sent her half sprawling. Darien caught he dazed woman, And the other man opened the freezer. Darien dumped her into it, and closed it up. He closed her apartment door, adn they carried the newly weighted freezer out. Dale had the thought to lock it shut, preventing an awkward escape.

The freezer went back in the truck, adn they closed it up. Darien and Dale stayed in the back, opening the freezer up so that Esther would have some air. Dale kept the bat in case she went completely ballistic. Darien grinned.
"And in a few hours, we'll have a wonderful little chat with you, and when we're done, you can go your way." He announced to Esther.
 
She stood against her door, clearly impatient and she didn’t care if she came across that way. She wasn’t in the mood. Today wasn’t the right day and why would she need a new freezer? She poked her neck out, effectively poking her head out as well and she looked at them. “A new freezer?” She snorted and then it happened fast. Her world went black for a moment while she was caught in the other’s guys arms that she didn’t even know really when she came to. It wasn’t long. It didn’t take her long. Next thing she knew she was in the freezer that had been carrying and she poked her hand out, gripping the edge before promptly hitting her head on the part that was still covering her. She grumbled something not lady like whatsoever before looking up and managing to side step the cover enough to poke her head out a bit.

“I just had the worst dream—“ She cut herself off when she got full view of where she was. In a moving vehicle among men she didn’t know and she saw a baseball bat—well what looked to be a baseball bat wrapped with something—in one man’s hand. She immediately sunk back into the freezer, hitting her head and cursing under her breath. Her hand came up to rub her really aching head, she able to feel a headache coming on.

Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes and counted to three in her head. When she reached three, she opened her eyes. Definitely not a dream. Esther didn’t say anything more. She was confused out of her mind and still wondering why she was in the freezer that was meant for her as she brought her knees to her chest and rest her chin on it. Was she scared? Undoubtedly. Was she going to fight? Probably. Did she want to cry like a hysterical little child and just go to bed? More than anything.
 
She was being quiet, adn that was good. it stopped Dale from having to beat the ever-loving shit out of her with that bat. And Dale wasa big guy, well over six and a half feet tall, and built with solid muscle. Darien was leaner, more wirey and lean, but still in excellent shape. The truck made a few more turns, until it finally stopped. They had been driving for quite awhile, and it was starting to get dark out. The back of the truck rolled up, with the other six men waiting there. Dale gave the freezer a solid shove, sending it falling out of the back. It landed hard on the cement floor, but didn't flip. It was likely a rough ride insid eof it, but nothing too terrible. Until Dale adn Darien rolled the thing onto it's edge, long side pointing t the celieng, effectively rolling Esther out of the freezer. The men moved around her, closing the circle, and making sure that there was no easy way out.

"Well then Miss. We've got a few questions for you. What do you say you answer them, adn we can get this all wrapepd up?" Darien sadi calmly. He wasn't expecting much from her. But she might surprise him.

Harrison called the number for Esther's apartment. he didn't know what he'd do if she answered. he certainly didn't expect her too, not with the hour. Darien was never late for a job. When she didn't answer, he knew that this time was no different. What was about to happen to her... he felt mildly ill. It wasn't something he'd wish on someone he actually hated, and he had nothing like that for Esther. Perhaps even something close to the opposite. He took another drink. When this was over, he wasn't sure who he'd be anymore.
 
A scream came from her when the freezer was dumped to the ground, the ride not a nice one as it jumbled her to the core. Then it tipped and she squeaked as she rolled out, landing on her stomach and her hands coming up beside her on the ground and she pushed up. She stood up slowly, completely oblivious to the many men surrounded around her, in a circle with no way for her to get out. She straightened her tank top, smoothing it over her hips, it conformed to her body and pulled her sweatpants up when her head lifted and eyes landed on men. Many men. All around her. She turned in a circle, her hand coming up to her still wet hair. Nine men total. She gulped, actually gulped before she faced the man who spoke.

“Um, okay?” She said hesitantly and wrapped her arms around herself, especially over her chest. Bad day not to wear a bra. Really bad day since she had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What’s going on?”
 
Darien took a step forward, eyes travelling up her legs, as well as he could with the sweat pants. Not much to learn from that. But the tank top told him a very great deal. Trim lines, and a nice set of breasts on her. He was going to look forward to seeing that ripped off of her. he flicked out a kinfe, and pointed it at her.
"Don't ask me questions. Nothing. Ask another one and I'll make you regret it." he warned her. There was something in his domineering attitude that made him seem calm, collected, and very sure of what he was doing. In a way, it was like Harrison. "Now then. You had something that didn't belong to you. And my boss wants the file back. So you're going to tell me where it is now, or...well, Dale? Show her."

As he fnished speaking, Dale swung his bat low, aiming for the back of the knee, taking her down onto her back. Insitnct would have her arms out to break her fall, and once she was down, boots landed on her wrists, pinning her down for the moment. Darien crouched beside her.
"I think you understand me, don't you? How this is going to go if you give me any flack?" He mused, running a finger along her neck, and then along the inner curvature of her breast. The top left very little to the imagination. "So where is the file?" He asked her, his finger trailing along the fabric, and cirlcing around one of her nipples.
 
She gulped and bit her lower lip from the threat, her hands coming up in a placating gesture. She didn’t say any word more. She kept quiet and then listened. The file. Oh crap, the file. She gave it away so what was she to say? She didn’t want to send them after the PI or Rodolfo so she had to play it dumb, she would play it dumb. “Um…” she opened her mouth to speak but before she could really say what she was going to, a bat swung down on the back of her knee and she cried out a little bit before falling to the ground, hands in front of her but her knees took the harsher fall. They burned and stung with pain and she grit her teeth, tears immediately watering her eyes.

She screamed this time when really heavy and painful feet crushed down on her wrists, she swore she might have broken one. She whimpered, sniffled and tears ran freely down her cheeks. Esther managed weakly, to look up at him and she nodded her head slowly, taking deep breaths to live through this pain. “I don’t have it.” She finally admitted, ignoring how he was touching her. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
 
Darien shook his head, and slid his hand down her body, taking his time. There were a few snickers coming from the guys around them as he did. He ran a finger along a bare patch of skin between her top and pants. His hand slowly slid up her body, liking that smooth feeling, and their were a few hoots of approval as her top started to ride up her body with his arm.
"See now, we've got a problem here. I didn't ask if you had it." He told her. His hand reached high enough that he could trace fingers along the sides of her breasts. He toyeed for a moment beofre withdrawing his hand. He got a few disapointed noises from the crew, but he brought his knife back around, and rest the sharp blade on the hollow of her throat. "I asked where it was." He supplied, drawing the steel down. He made sure not to but her. That would screw up the process to shed blood like that. The blade parted her top like paper, and he stopped when the top parted completely, folding out to expose both her breasts to the chill air of the warehouse. There was a much greater cheer that filled the air as the guys all seemed to be enjoying the show so far.

"So try again. Where. Is the file?" Darien asked. He'd made an example of what an answer he didn't like would produce. His free hand came around, getting a good feel for both of her breasts. He licked a finger, and traced it along her nipples, dampening them slightly, and making them more susceptible to the chill. The lead in was always one of his favourite parts of this excercise. Not thta he didn't like the other part, but this...this was what made him smile the most. Seeing the building realization, most times the fear, and sometimes when they finally broek under the strain of it all and just collapsed into a mass of lust that would just suck and fuck anyone. He wondered just how long Esther Martin was going to be able to hold out.
 
The entire touch and feel of it, sickened her. If there was ever a way to truly turn someone off to sex, this would be it. Being touched unwillingly and it was killing her. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her completely, killing her effectively in the process, but it would be better than this atrocity. Every fiber of her, the one that didn’t like to be touched unless she consented to it, wanted to smack their hands away. But if he hadn’t threaten her with that knife—and she was starting to assume that these were the same guys that murdered Abby because she wasn’t just simply murdered. It was clear she had been raped as well—she would have been all over him, clawing and trying to do something better for herself. Instead, she cowered, not able to do much really. He imprisoned her wrists so painfully.

She swallowed hard, her eyes welling with pools of tears, her lower lip quivering. It was adorable if it wasn’t such a terrifyingly sad situation. “Please…” She flinched when he slid the knife along her exposed flesh, her jaw dropping in disturbed awe and mortification when he sliced through her tank top, exposing her completely to all these men who seemed to really be enjoying this humiliating spectacle.

She tugged her hands in a weak and pathetic attempt to free them but it made her whimper a little loudly and wince when she was dealt with pain over anything else, least of all getting them free. She wanted to cover herself, hide away and just die. If there was any mercy to be had, if there was a God, he would have pity and mercy on her and just let her die before she felt the worst of it all. She knew what was coming. She knew what there was no escaping, even if she was still going over every possible escape scenario, none of which she foresaw ending well.

Dropping her head, she took in a deep breath before exhaling shakily, her tears sliding out and little drops hitting the concrete floor. “I-I gave it away.” She shuddered a little bit as he moistened her nipple, the cold air biting it just the right way to make it turn into a hardened peak. Her eyes squeezed shut, causing more drops of tears to fall and she sniffled again, her shoulders slumping up and down when she did, several locks of half wet, half dry hair falling over her shoulder and framing her face. “I didn’t want anything to do with it. I wasn’t going to do anything. I was just…I-I was just shocked. But I wasn’t going to do anything. I gave it away.” She was breaking, she could feel it in her. She just didn’t want this to happen. She’d beg for anything for it to not continue. Her eyes stayed cast downward. She couldn’t bare to look up. She couldn’t bare it if they saw the look in her eyes, how it screamed of how much she was falling apart, completely apart. Fear was evident. It was most readable and potent.
 
She was trying to wrestle free, but Damien knew how much those boots held her down. They'd held down stronger people for longer. But it only took a look at her to know she was having no illusions to what was about to happen, and it terrified her. Terror, well now, that was something that Darien ate up. He was already hard just thinking about how scared she had to be. He twirled the knife in his hand, taking a good long look at her naked torso. Damn but it looked good to him. She half sobbed out her answers, telling him that she didn't have it. He sighed, shaking his head.
"Didn't ask you what you did with it girl." He slid the knife along her stomach, th flat of the blade, letting the cold steel run along her. His hand left her breast, though not before he noted how much stiffer one of her nipples was getting. One of the guys looked ready to pounce, and Darienheld up two fingers close together. Just a little. He dropped to his knees, and bent over, taking the stiff nipple in his mouth. He sucked, lashing his tongue along it a moment before switching sides, his face eager, giddy, barely contained.

"No points for bad answers, you know that." Darien said in a lecturing tone. He slid the knife under the wasit band of the sweat pants, and cut. He ran it down a leg, adn then up the inside, folding the pants off of her body. There was a course of louder cheers as her long legs were brought into view. "I don't care what you did with it. Where is it now?" He demanded, shooing the other guy off of her breasts. He looked at the guys, and they all nodded, and in a single, synchronized motion pulled their belts off. It was a definite statement.
 
She shuddered once more, feeling the uncomfortable feeling so sickening, resonate through her, reverberated through her. Like it was a vibration on the floor that coursed through her. She took in another deep breath to keep herself as possibly calm as she could be in a situation like this, which wasn’t very much and tried to hold on, even if she wanted this to just end. For someone to take pity on her, shoot her in the head in a fatal place and let her die. Just do it fast. This was torture and they hardly started.
She felt the terrifyingly cool blade of his knife against her stomach and her entire body tensed. It tensed even further when she felt another person behind her, touching her, his mouth on her body and she clenched her eyes shut once more, willing him off of her but of course he didn’t budge.

She sobbed helplessly when he cut through her pants. No, not those pants. Not those sweatpants, tarnished and drowning in the blood of what would be a very bad memory. Her body shook not so calmly and tear drops kept falling to the cement floor. She couldn’t feel her hands one bit. She feared their might be blood, or even a broken bone protruding through her skin, out in the open for all to see. She sniffled loudly and breathed hard, panting. She coughed softly but soon fell into more sobs. She could hear the jingle of belts being undone and at that point it wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t stop crying. She didn’t even cry loudly. Esther was a silent crier. What gave it away mostly was the way her shoulders and even her entire body shook and her sniffles.

“I-I gave it to…” She paused, trying to think, trying to think of the one person she’d actually wish this upon. “B-Bree Larkin. I gave it to Bree Larkin.” Completely oblivious to Bree’s demise.
 
Darien hung his head, shaking it. He looked so despondant, like she'd just done something dissapointing and horrid. He stood up, and held out a hand. He felt a belt buckle pressed intno his hand, adn looked at Esther.
"Oh, and now you're lying to me. See, she can't have had it. Know why?" He asked her, wirnigng the leather of the belt. The was Dale's, he could tell instantly. Braided and tough, it was a wicked thing, but it needed to be strong, just to be useful to a man the size of Dale. And this belt had ended more than one life, as long as Darien was being honest. He brought the belt around like a whip, and brought it down on Esther's stomach. He rained three more blows on her, hard, vicious blows, that left welts in their passage. One of the ithers, Phil, stepped forward, adn held a wallet in front of Esther's face. Bree Larkin's wallet.

"We got done with her not two hours before we came to see you at your apartment. So for lying to me...oh, girl, you'll regret that one." Darien promised. he looked at the others, adn they bent to work. Belts went around Esther's wrists. They were badly bruised, and compacted from teh boots, but not broken. The belts were pulled tight, and the boots lifted free. That gave them some control over how to move her. With that in mind, Darien rolled his fingers, and one of the guys yanked on the belt, pulling her arm out to one side, adn he used that to roll her over onto her back. The other belt went tight again, and she was being held pinned to the floor on her back. Darien leaned back down, carefully cutting off Esther's panties, baring her to everyone present. A thunderous cheer was filling the room, every man there knowing what this was going to mean. Within a few more second, the sound of buttons and zippers came, and eight pairs of pants hit the floor in a single motion, revealing a forest of eager cocks, all of them looking ready for use on her. Darien looked at the others, and they belted her legs with some difficulty, but got them pulled tight so she couldn't kick anyone away.

He knelt between her legs, adn smiled up at her, a sickening, sweet smile like one would use to try and get a girl to relax for her first time. He held up a hand, adn bottle of lube was slapped into his palm. He liberally applied it to his cock, and squirted some onto her entrance, wanting this to be as smooth as possible. The wa her body shook, the way everything was coming down on her like this...it was intoxicating for him. He rubbed himself along her entrance, making sure she knew exactly what was about to happen. When he caught a moment of her eyes meeting him, just for an instant, he pressed himself into her.
 
Her head lifted up immediately when he said that, catching her in her lie and her eyes widened. One minute, his hands just held the knife and now it held a belt. Not just any ordinary looking belt. This one looked like it was designed and meant to torture, inflict serious amounts of pain or at least instill terror inside of her just from the very sight. She breathed harder now, scared for what that thing was going to cause her. She could already feel the pain, already hear the bite of impact onto her skin. She could already imagine the welt it’d leave.

Before she could speak, she was hit hard, she counted four. She didn’t even know she screamed. Though judging by the cheers she was getting, she was assuming she did. Her arms shook and her legs shook, her body aching and she could still hear the sounds of when he hit her, four times. Four welts. All still stinging and burning. It was a shock for her to learn what happened of Bree Larkin. Esther was going to be joining her soon, she knew that. And that was her new punishment for wishing such a terrible ill fate onto someone. Even if Bree had been so despicable towards her for no reason. Even if she did something terrible to warrant her unfortunate death. Esther had no right to ever wish that on anyone. The fact she blamed Bree for it. It didn’t mean she suddenly felt like she deserved this and should take it. No, it just showed how she became one of those women. In a moment of weakness, of sheer broken will, she caved and did the lowest thing, one of the lowest things, a human being could do.

Her eyes closed and she wasn’t sure if she just managed to block them out for a little bit or if she passed out or fell into a trance. Next thing she knew was when her eyes opened and she was no longer on her hands—wrists—and knees. She was on her back, her body restrained down with belts and she saw a man loom over her until he was directly over and she felt…she felt what she didn’t want to feel in between her legs, no realizing how exposed she was. She couldn’t feel her hands too well and the clear and evident, still swelling welts, were in plain sight for the world to see. Or well, these nine men.

Sniffling, she focused her vision on the man on top of her, the man who had been doing all of this to her and her eyes met his gaze. And then that was the moment that she got all feeling back into her hands. She gripped onto the belts keeping her wrists restrained and that pain, along with the violation happening to her body, she cried out. Her eyes squeezed shut and if she thought she had been cried out, she was wrong. She couldn’t stop, she’d still whisper and whimper faint pleas, begging for them to stop until her voice got weak, until she had no strength to muster anything. She didn’t pass out. She was still very much awake. Her eyes had opened but they held little to no emotion or light in them. As if he took it all away in just a matter of minutes, seconds maybe. It felt longer. It felt like it had been forever.
 
Darien grinned as he saw the tears flowing out of her eyes, that sense of fear, despair welling up in her, comsuming her. He kept himself moving inside of her. The lube made ti workable, she'd been rather dry, though eh couldn't blame her. Terror had a way of turning a person, well, a normal person, off pretty hard. Still, she was tight! And her terror was a palpable thing, her desire to be elsewhere, to just not have this happening to her anymore, was all he needed to forge on ahead. he saw the other all laughing, deciding who was going next. The competition was fierce, and everyone wanted a piece right now. Except Dale. Not him. But he always waited until the end. It was actually him who usually broke them. It was appreciated that he was always patient. Darien felt himself starting to tense up, and was surprised. He normally lasted longer then this, but the situation seemed to be a just a little bit too perfect to let him last. He pulled himself out, and aimed his cock at her tomach. he let himself go, spraying onto her stomach, five hard shots getting on her, half covering the newly growing welts.

Darien nodded, and waved a hand at the others. Four of them dropped around her, and set to task. A mouth covred each of her nipples, tongues lashing, before taking more into her mouth, adn bringing teeth down, dragging them along the soft flesh, marking her firmly. One of them moved to get between her legs, chuckling and sharing a crude joke with a friend, before starting to push inside of her. He groaned, and began to work on her. Teh remaining man leaned forward, and started rubbing his moistened thumb along her clitoris, trying to work her forward. One of the remaing men stepped in, and bent down, grabbing her face. he gave her a leering grin beofre forcing his mouth over hers. He drew out the kiss a little, nto givig her any chance to bite him, before pulling her head back, and fixing lips and teeth to her neck. She was getting a full treatment.
 
But it was a full treatment that she didn’t want one bit. The look in her eyes never improved. If anything, it worsened, until there looked to be no life in her. As if they just willed her to die with all they were doing to her. No, unfortunately that wasn’t the case at all. She was still alive, very much alive. Her breathing came short, steady and unaffecting in through her nose and out of her mouth, mostly in and out of her nose though. She just stared up at the high ceiling of the place they were in. She heard the laughter, she heard the grunts, the crude jokes and all the groans and moans of deep satisfaction from all of these sick, sick men. Yet she made no reaction, she made no sound, her body had gone numb. Kind of thankfully, because it meant she no longer felt anything. She just turned…useless.

It was the full treatment that she would have vied from Harrison. It was the way she always wished a man would possess her body, kissing every inch of it, touching, feeling, moaning in absolute bliss to be buried inside of her, as if she were a goddess and he just had to have her. It might have been a little bit narcissistic for her to think, but consider it perhaps the only narcissistic thought she ever had, ever dreamed or fantasized. And for the smallest glimmer of a second, she had that with Harrison until everything crumbled today. She blamed herself. If things had just been left cool, if she hadn’t been so determined and invested in finding Abby’s killer and bringing the killer to justice, she wouldn’t be here. This wouldn’t be happening. She had a sickening feeling that Harrison was involved. And if he wasn’t, whoever was did this and let this happen to her. She knew it was because of the events that transpired today. Bree Larkin was dead. Harrison was a lot more than he ever seemed. Esther was being raped and whatever hope she had faded away. All her dreams and hop turned to dust and reality sunk in. The world was a cruel, cruel world. Life was a sick, pathetic, humorless joke.

The reality broke her emotionally. She was shattered, feeling just like a corpse who had no choice but to endure on until she withered and crumbled away until even her existence was reduced to a meaningless existence. That everything she went through was meant for this moment but certainly never once prepared her for this. The phrase, ‘Esther has left the building’ was nothing more than an understatement. She’d never come back. There was no coming back. There was no turning back either. This cemented it.
 
The pumping inside of her was slowing as the realization that nothing much was really happening dawned on the participants.
"Ah fuck man, she's gone all fish on us!" Someone protested. Darien turned around, seeing that they most certainly seemed to be right. but there were ways that one might be able to remedy that. One of them was pain, but it was unreliable at best. Another way was an incredible spike of adrenaline, something to pierce the clouds in her mind, something that might bring her around enough to deal with again. And from there, they could work things out enough to make something happen. The man inside of her pulled out, and Darien stepped forward. A case was slid to him, adn he lifted out a syringe. He carefully set it up, adn nodded. With an arm pulled out to the side, he slid the needle into her skin, and depressed the plunger. It wasn't a safe thing to do, shoot her up wit a load of pure synthetic adrenaline, but he needed her awake and aware.

It would only take a few seconds to bring all of her mind crashing into intense frocus from the sudden wash of chemicals. Darien crouched in front of her, adn looked her in the eyes, while he shooed the other that were working on her body away so he could speak to her without distraction.
"Who has the file now Esther? Who? Tell me this now, or things are going to get a lot worse. After all, we'll have to ask after it from other people. That bar you work at? How many of the staff do you want to see like this? Friend at work? Wonder how she'll like this treatment. Who has the file damn it?" He demanded of her. He was running out of patience.
 
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