SO I ALMOST MARRIED A HIT MAN

By Greg Emerson

thedistresser1963@yahoo.com

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Travis replaced the flap of tape over my mouth and climbed onto his bed, laptop in tow. Probably to post more phony Facebook updates about me, and/or to screen my e-mails and respond to them accordingly.

The man had burrowed his way into my life, and I was powerless to stop him. He could keep this ruse up indefinitely, I thought. Just keep pretending to be me on Facebook and via e-mail, and no one would ever come looking for me.

It was a hazard of today's reliance on social networking.

He had done it all-confiscated my cell phone so he could monitor who was calling me; assumed my identity on Facebook and e-mail; withheld my purse from me; made me call my mom and best friend to throw them off my trail; took my car keys; and kept me bound and gagged virtually all weekend.

The man covered all his bases when it came to keeping me under his control.

It sucked, but I had to hand it to him. He did a great job.

Brick returned from his walk, which lasted a long time. But Travis didn't seem to worry about him, nor wonder where Brick went.

Brick nodded to me as he made his way to the bathroom. I nodded back.

I wondered about Brick. He didn't seem like a milk toast guy, but yet he hardly ever challenged or stood up to Travis. He wasn't mealy, but he was less than forceful. He sometimes tried to come to my defense, but usually quickly backed down or offered token resistance to Travis's agenda.

It was like part of him wanted to be my hero, but the rest of him knew that he had to obey Travis.

I had a feeling I could coerce Brick, if given time alone with him-and my mouth, of course.

Brick and I were never left alone together for any length of time, which I found interesting. I wondered how strict he'd be with me. Would Brick ungag me if I mewed and batted my eyelashes?

Was the fact that we were never left alone together by design? Did Travis not trust Brick enough, especially with me? Or with any woman?

Could I manipulate Brick, given the chance? Could I at least reason with him?

I needed alone time with Brick. And I needed it with my mouth available to me.

I tried to make eye contact with Brick as he emerged from the bathroom, but he didn't glance in my direction. I sighed.

He sat on his bed, which was the bed closest to me. He had picked up a newspaper on his walk, and was practically making love to it. He never came close to looking in my direction.

A bound and gagged woman was like furniture to these guys.

I could have grunted, of course, to get their attention, but I wanted ONLY Brick's attention. The man was so into his paper, though, that it was a lost cause, for now.

It was just past 9:00 when Travis and Brick thought a pizza would be nice to eat.

I was perplexed. Suddenly the mission didn't appear to be so urgent. First they played cards. Then Brick went for a walk. Then Brick read his paper, while Travis played on the computer.

Now they wanted to get pizza.

I was suddenly being held captive by a college fraternity. What was next, a kegger?

"You like onions on your pizza?" Travis asked me.

I frowned as best I could. He should know that I did; we'd gotten pizza several times as a couple.

I nodded, bothered.

Travis called in the order.

"It'll be here in 25 minutes," he announced.

My eyes widened. Delivery?

What would they do with me?

Nothing, as it turned out.

The transaction was over in a heartbeat. The pizza dude knocked, Brick answered, paid, and took the pizza through the narrow opening of the door. The pizza dude likely couldn't have seen past Brick's big body, much less me in the back of the room, taped to the chair.

Besides, Travis had turned the TV's volume up several notches before the pizza arrived, to drown out any noise I may have tried to make through my gag. The man thought of everything.

But the whole thing took less than 10 seconds, no joke. There was never an opportunity to do anything to help my cause. As usual.

We ate pizza at the table. It was good. My wrists were freed, my ankles stayed taped. Again I was positioned between the men for security.

I hazarded conversation between bites.

"So," I said, "things seemed to have slowed down, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Travis said. There was a defensive tone in his voice.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Cards. Walks. Computer. Now pizza. It's just that everything seemed all business before."

"It's not like the movies or novels, Lauren," Travis said, patronizing me. "It's not action 24/7."

I sighed.

"I know THAT," I said, perturbed. "I was just making an observation. Don't be so testy, cranky pants."

Brick stifled a grin, poorly.

"I'm not 'cranky pants,'" Travis said, and it sounded funny coming out of his mouth. "I'm just saying…"

I looked at Brick. "How do you put up with him?"

Brick grinned, looking at Travis.

"Good question," Brick said.

Travis gave him the finger.

I was allowed to wash up and freshen up after the pizza. My ankles were sliced free and it felt great to walk again. I asked for permission to walk around the room and Travis agreed, though he positioned himself six feet in front of the door, in case I got any naughty thoughts about fleeing.

I walked, stretched, and ran my hands through my hair. I knew the men were watching, so I decided to tease them a little bit, just for fun. I made purposeful moves, slow and deliberate, to look as sexy as possible.

I knew they weren't going to rape me, so this was my turn to frustrate them a little bit.

You could have heard a pin drop as I moved about.

It was so quiet, you could hear the TV murmuring in the room next door. Again I thought of how close I was to rescue, yet so far.

The men started to lose interest in me, so I wrapped up my little walk and stretching exercise. At least I gave them a little show.

I was back in the chair, but my ankles were untaped this time. My wrists were fastened to the armrests as usual. Duct tape sealed my mouth.

I was beginning to think that I'd never get quality time alone with Brick. There just wasn't any opportunity. If anything needed to be fetched, Travis sent Brick. Sure, Travis used the bathroom, but I needed more time than that.

It was dark now, pushing 10:00.

Travis's cell phone rang, piercing the relative quiet and startling me.

Whatever it was, whoever it was, the matter was urgent. The conversation was brief-maybe sixty seconds, tops.

Travis shoved his feet into his sneakers, strapped his gun holster around his ankle under his jeans, and grabbed Brick's car keys. He went up to Brick and spoke in hushed tones, glancing at me occasionally.

My spirits raised; was I going to be left alone with Brick?

And what was so gosh darn important that made Travis mobilize so quickly?

I was indeed left alone with Brick. Whatever matter Travis had to attend to, it either didn't require Brick or was none of Brick's business. Either way, I had Brick all to myself.

OK, Lauren, I thought-you got what you wanted. Now do something with it.

Brick closed the door behind Travis, peered through the peephole, then turned and faced me from across the room.

I was gagged as usual, so I could only speak with my eyes and with guttural sounds.

I made clear eye contact with Brick in a questioning manner.

"Hnnnnggh?" I wondered.

Brick shrugged. "It's not related to Battey. Something else."

Hmmm, the plot thickens, I thought.

Brick strode away from the door and he looked like he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

I had an idea for him.

"HMMMM," I said, getting his attention, and when he looked at me, I motioned with my head to the empty chairs surrounding me.

"HMMM?"

"What?"

I sighed and made another, more exaggerated head move to the chairs.

"HMMMM!"

Brick nodded in understanding, shrugged, and ambled over.

He sat down, a little fidgety, across the round table from me.

He looked at me, and I fixed my gaze on his brown eyes.

Time to put my emoting skills to the test.

I flirtatiously tossed my head to move hair from my eyes. My eyes never left his. Next, I straightened in the chair so that my 36C breasts were more prominent.

Then, I subtly cocked my head ever so slightly to my left, looking at him and gently nodding up and down.

Go on, I was saying, take my gag off.

He wasn't going to go down easily.

"I can't," was all he said.

I pouted prettily and slumped for effect. Then I tilted my head again and made sad eyes and mewed.

My ankles were untaped, so I raised my right leg and extended it as far as I could, until I could feel his leg with my foot. Then I felt with my foot and lifted my leg until my toes were pressing against his knee.

His eyes widened like saucers; either he forgot my feet were free or he just couldn't believe what I had just done, or both.

My eyes giggled at him.

I rested my right heel on his left thigh. His eyes glanced to that area. I wiggled my toes for effect.

I went in for the kill.

I slowly gyrated in the chair, undulating my body in the seat, making soft mewing sounds through my gag.

I gave him my best "come hither" look with my eyes.

I just about had him.

Brick swallowed, shifted in his seat, and when he went to run his hand through his hair, it was shaking.

I again made a head motion, indicating I wanted gag removal.

"Hmmmmmm?"

Brick bit at his lower lip.

"Oh man…what are you DOING?"

I straightened again and did a lap dance for him in the chair.

I made a pleading look with my eyes and mewed some more.

I just about had him.

Or maybe not.

You could have cut the sexual tension with a knife, but suddenly Brick sprang to his feet, pulling himself away from the table. My right leg went kerplunk, my foot hitting the floor with a thud as he stood.

I looked up at him, disappointed, angry, and confused.

"HMMMMM??" I wondered.

"Oh come on, Lauren," he said. "You wanna be ungagged, fine. But don't act slutty. You're above that."

OK, I was, like, totally confused.

Was he going to ungag me or not?

He paced, looking at me.

He wanted to ungag me, I could tell.

I just looked at him, trying to appear pitiful.

Brick put his hands on his hips and said, "You know Travis would kill me if he knew I was going to do this."

Excited, I nodded, a twinkle in my eye.

"Just for a little while, OK? I have no idea when he's coming back."

I nodded in rapid succession.

"OK," he said, as he made his way toward me.

My heart pounded in anticipation.

Brick pecked at the tape, then found an edge and pulled gently.

It came away, and he balled it up and tossed it into the trash, where it belonged.

I licked my chapped lips and tried to make saliva.

"Thanks," I said, smiling softly.

"You didn't have to pull all that seductive crap," Brick said, which made me feel foolish.

"Sorry," I said, blushing. "I just thought-"

"You just thought that because I'm a man, that I'd cave in because a pretty girl comes on to me-right?"

I blushed again.

"Not all men are alike, Lauren," he said, sitting down again.

"I wanted the gag off," I said. "I didn't know how else to accomplish that."

"OK," he said, motioning to me. "You have your wish."

Brick was right-we had no idea how long Travis would be gone. I had to work quickly.

"Brick, what's going on? What's Battey up to? What did you guys do when you left today? What does he plan on doing with Sasha?"

"Whoa!" he said, holding his hand up. "Easy there."

"Well, I think I'm entitled to the answers of these questions!" I shot back.

Brick laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back.

"Battey runs an international smuggling operation," he said.

"That's it? Then why aren't the police involved, or the FBI?"

"It's not that simple. Travis and I were hired by a third party-NOT law enforcement. Well, not in the traditional sense."

"OK, OK. Fair enough," I said. "Is the ultimate goal to kill Battey? Is that why you want to use Sasha to lure him out?"

Brick sighed heavily. "It doesn't necessarily have to go there," he said.

I tilted my head in wonderment.

"Travis has an end game. He'd prefer it to happen with Battey still alive, I think."

I nodded, biting at my lower lip. After a pause, I said, "What about Sasha?"

"Same thing," Brick said. "He'd prefer nothing happen to her, of course."

"But…something COULD-right?" I said, getting a bad feeling.

Brick sighed again. "ANYTHING could happen, Lauren. Anything."

I started a new line of questioning. It felt good to be able to talk.

"Look," I said. "Brick-I want to help you with Sasha, I really do. But can't we tie my help with letting me go? That seems reasonable. I do you a favor, you do one for me. Right?"

He shook his head. "Not going to happen. Travis doesn't want to release you until the mission is over with."

I pouted. "But it'll be on its way to being over with if I deliver Sasha to you."

He shook his head again. "You know Travis."

I guffawed. "HA! I THOUGHT I knew him! Obviously I didn't know him at all!"

There was a pause, then I said, "What did you guys do today? And tell me the truth."

He shrugged. "Fine. We went in pursuit of Battey. Found a few of his people instead. Dragged one into an alley and kicked the shit out of him."

My eyes widened slightly. "What else?" I pressed him.

'The guy we beat up gave us a lead. We took him with us, told him maybe we'd kill him next time if his story proved to be untrue."

My lips parted and I think I said, "Jesus Christ."

"Well, he was right," Brick continued. "We saw one of Battey's top aides enter the place. Did some surveillance. Then we saw Battey himself step out to smoke."

"Wow," I said, mesmerized. "How far away were you?"

"About 50 yards. Close."

"And that was it? You came back after that?"

"We have the GPS still on his car. We had no idea how much artillery was in the place where we saw him, so it would have been a suicide mission to go in there like that, without that knowledge."

I nodded.

"Is there any other way I can help, in addition to delivering Sasha?" I asked.

Brick thought for a moment. Then he snapped his fingers and pointed at me.

"Yes. Yes there is."

"What? What?" I said, eagerly.

Brick was over my shoulder now, showing me a photo of a man in his 40s, thin but muscular looking.

"That's Battey's top aide," he said.

I looked up at Brick, over my left shoulder.

"THIS is how I can help?"

He sat down again. His gears were cranking.

"Maybe…MAYBE we could have you lure him, too."

I was taken aback.

"ME? I don't even know the man."

He grinned. "No, but you sure know how to seduce one."

I blushed crimson.

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