"You figured out we're escaped convicts, right?" Abe asked.
Jane nodded. "Yeah."
"Did Geraldo here tell you w y we were n."
"No."
Abe scratched his belly before saying, "I was in for burglary. It was the third time I got caught so they gave me ten years."
"They should have given you a hundred," Jane mumbled. That didn't bother him. He nodded at Jerry and asked, "But do you know what Geraldo was in for?"
"I said I didn't."
"Murder. The cold-blooded murder of his young wife."
The statement drove into Jane's shocked head like a long, dull nail. Murder? He was a murderer? But he seemed… he seemed… he didn't seem that bad. Her mouth dropped open and Abe was pleased with the reaction he had caused.
"Yep. Used a knife on her pretty body until she had no more blood left," he added.
Jane slowly closed her mouth and once again looked at the young man she had just finished screwing outside on the grass. Somewhere deep down inside her she had a glimmer of hope, hope that he hadn't done what the vile man was saying. But the cool, unfaltering stare coming from Jerry's eyes let her know it was true. The glimmer died and she suddenly felt very empty and alone.
"He's in for life," Abe continued. "That is he was until I got him out. Now he's a free man."
"Until they catch me," Jerry added quietly.
Abe coughed. "They're not catching us! Not me at least! I'm out for good this time! But if you keep trusting people they'll get you, mark my words, they'll get you."
"You're dreaming, Abraham…"
Abe stiffened when Jerry used the proper name. "They'll get us both. Whether we trust people or not, they'll get us," Jerry said while standing.
"Never."
Jerry yawned and stretched. "How we gonna work this? Where'll we sleep?"
"I'm not tired," Abe said. "Why don't you go bunk in with momma and I'll keep an eye on the kiddies here. When I get tired I'll wake you up."
Jerry nodded, then glanced at Jane. She swallowed, he was going to leave her here with this animal. It didn't surprise her, he was a murderer, a slick, venomous killer, a snake. She looked away and held back tears of disappointment. Gone was the hope that he was some innocent man sent to jail, and now an escapee desperately trying to prove his innocence. It was out. Out as though the dial had been turned on the television drama. He crossed the room and disappeared behind the door to now take his pleasure on her mother.
Abe watched her intently. He was right, she was hung up on the young punk. Whatever Geraldo did, he must have done it well. A feeling of envy, jealousy, almost rose above the entangled bitterness in Abe's heart. He scoffed it away, she was a cunt, just that, a prime piece of ass right out of America's suburbs. Educated, pampered, spoiled so damned rotten that her tight-assed little body wouldn't last more than a year after she married some dumb jerk. No, she had had all the breaks and advantages… it was time for her to learn the disadvantages, time to pay her dues to those who had never had a fucking thing.
He looked over at Tim, the red-headed young kid with anger on his face and no words to speak. He sat tied in the chair, struggling without stop, trying to work Abe's practiced bindings loose. Abe knew the kid wouldn't give up until his wrists were dripping blood; he couldn't give up, it wouldn't be the manly thing to do.
"Hey! Janey!" Abe barked after several minutes of heavy silence filled the room.
She jumped a little before looking at him. He sat there like some conquering king, an overfed slob, thick, hairy, ugly, and mean. "Go get me that loaf of bread and some butter," he ordered.
Jane stood, she wasn't about to defy him. She crossed to the kitchen and got him his request. When she handed it to him she asked "Do you want a knife?"
His eyes looked at the round pinkness of her nipple as it slid into view. He licked his lips "No… No knife… "
Jane started back to her chair but he said "Hold it, honey, I ain't through with you yet"
She stopped in her tracks, her back to him, and asked, "What do you want?" She didn't realize he had the cord until it looped around her slender throat and pulled tight. Jane stood frozen with fear as she felt the air passage close. "Do as I say and you won't get hurt too bad," he hissed. "Now slide your hands behind your back nice and slow."
Jane s face was red and trembling with fear as she reached back. Abe took each forearm and bent them together then tied them with the cord. When he was finished her face was nearly purple and Tim's struggles with his own bindings were furious. Jane's hands were securely lashed next to the elbows of the opposite arm, folded behind her. Abe released the loop around her neck.
"That's to make sure you don't decide I need that knife after all," he said.
Her forearms were already feeling numb but Jane held her silence, the gift of breath was enough. But the loop came back, this time not as tight, and he tied the other end of the cord to the midsection of her forearms. When he tightened It she felt the pressure on her throat and she had to arch her back… it was the only way she could keep from choking.
"Leave her alone!" Tim finally screamed.
Abe jumped across the room and slapped the young boy across the mouth. Then he used a soiled dish towel to gag him. "There, that should teach you to speak only when spoken to," he mockingly said to the struggling Tim.
Jane was desperate. Her back and arms were killing her, it was increasingly difficult to keep her back arched, but it was the only way to keep slack in the throat cord. When Abe came back he turned Jane around and she realized how helpless she was, her breasts were thrust invitingly out, high, pointed, straining forward to keep the pressure off her neck.
Abe snickered. "How do you like that?" he asked. "Nice and tight, nice and helpless? Think you could run away with that thing around your sweet little throat? Think so?"
"No… " she desperately mumbled. Her head was strained back and she breathed through her open mouth, dots of perspiration on her wrinkled forehead.
"Try!" he hissed. "Try now. Run in place!"
His foot prodded out against her leg and Jane realized what would happen if she fell. Her arms were useless, there would be no way to break the fall. She lifted one foot then the other as though she was in an exercise class. It wasn't impossible to run with her back arched and head thrown back… but she couldn't see ahead.
"Faster!" Abe snapped. "Run, dammit!"
Her feet lifted higher and came down faster. The delicious melons bounced free of the dangling shirt fabric, they were tossed up and down, side to side, the pink nipples like darting butterflies before Abe's laughing face. He reached into the fluffy mounds of skin and squeezed. Jane kept running.
"Faster… " he menacingly whispered.
When Jane increased her tempo she felt his fingers pinch down hard on the nipples, felt them hold like iron vises as she bounced up and down. The breasts kept heaving; it felt like he was ripping her nipples right off.
"Ohhhhh… it hurts… " she moaned while not daring to stop her swift jogging.
Abe laughed as he backed slowly away while still pinching the luscious tit-buds. Jane had to follow, had to trot helplessly after him as he led her in a wide circle around the room. All she was aware of was the unbearable pressure in her nipples as they throbbed and pounded with fierce pulsations between his tough, unyielding fingers.
"Please… " she sobbed. "It hurts…"
"Mmmmmmnnnnnn!" Timothy screeched behind his gag. The flesh of his wrists was growing thin and burning but he felt nothing, nothing but pure anger.
Abe stopped suddenly and Jane ran right into his open arms. He hugged her sweating body up against his bare chest and laughed. Jane wanted to spit, but at least he released her nipples. They felt like stomped wads of discarded chewing gum on a steaming sidewalk. Then he pushed her back and brought his saliva-dripping mouth down to her breasts, to the tortured buds of brilliant red.