She bit on the wood between her teeth. Christy shifted her naked body under the waterfall. Her thumbs pulled on the shoestring binding them behind her. She fought to keep balanced. She jerked at the crack of a whip.
"Mind if I join you?
Tina had used shoestring to tie a tent peg between Christy's teeth, then bound her thumbs. She'd run a three-foot hobble from ankle to ankle, then wrapped part of a torn shirt around Christy's forehead to her nose.
"No hot or cold running water in this cave, but we'll find something that might help."
Bound and blind, Christy had been shoved along by the black haired woman. Christy felt the whip slide snake-like over one shoulder, then the other as she stumbled across the cave floor. The sun hit as they came outside. She "gee-gahed" around the wood in her mouth, as her feet scuffled over the rocks and dirt. She didn't get much of a response from Tina. Slaps on the bottom, shoves in the back. And cracks of the whip near her, very near.
Tina jerked the blindfold off. They stood before a cascade of water, coming from a spring somewhere above this canyon wall. Tina took off her clothes.
"God that's cold." She let it soak her glossy black hair, run down her big frame. She stepped out from under and walked toward Christy, broad drops falling down her breasts, ribs, and thighs.
"You want to spend time with me you have to be clean."
The cold took Christy's breath away, she bit on the wood gag, then Tina joined her. She twisted the blonde around and back and forth under the fall.
Tina used the blindfold to dry them as best she could, tossed it and got dressed. Christy lost her balance in the ankle hobble and banged down on her bottom.
"Is there a problem?"
"Ge gaw olog umak," said Christy.
"I don't mind you seeing the sights. I'll be glad to see the last of it. Let's go fix dinner."
Back in the cave Christy was shoved to the floor, then Tina set up the camp stove up front. She cooked and ate, then came towards Christy with a spoon and a can.
"Beans, what else?"
She sat them down, then yanked Christy up and dragged here to a wall on the right of the cave.
"You like the wood or the beans?"
"Gegaw ugg."
Tina fiddled the knot free and took the peg from between Christy's teeth.
"Can I have water?"
After a drink from the canteen Tina began spooning beans.
"You're taking this so well. Were you behaved as a child?"
"Why are you so against us. We helped you win the War," Christy said.
"What are you talking about? Helped who?"
"The Comm, the Russians," said Christy.
"I'm getting paid good wages, just like you must to afford that Harley."
"But who is paying yoummp," Tina shoved another spoonful into Christy's mouth.
"Let's finish." Tina shared the can and they ate up the rest. Tina wanted to fire up a cigar, so she hurried. She found the bag holding the rope, then spread a ground cloth, tossed over a blanket, and pulled Christy to the middle to roll her face down.
"Look at that bottom, soft as a wheat field," said Tina as she began coiling rope around Christy's wrists.
Christy pulled on the cord. "This is going to hurt," she said.
"Not if you don't struggle," said Tina as she finished the knot. "Put your feet together and raise them. That's good."
Tina changed the hobble to an ankle binding, then pulled more rope from the bag and wound it over Christy's calves.
"That's very tight," said Christy.
"It wouldn't work otherwise," said Tina.
When the knots were finished, Christy's ankles, wrists and head lined up straight as a yardstick. The rope around her neck was the problem.
"It's choking."
"Don't move, don't wiggle. Now I've got to do something. You stick around," said Tina.
"You're leaving?"
"You're bent like dough and you're asking things like that. Why should I hang around? Don't sweat it. Oh here so you don't ask more harebrained questions."
"You can't," said Christy.
"Ho yes I can sweetie," said Tina.
"No wait, I canuff arrk!
It was the bottom end of the can of beans that Tina pressed against Christy's mouth. The blonde's lips parted and she had to let the tin past her teeth. Tina wedged it in while Christy moaned.
"I won't be long, but the can better be in place when I get back. Should I tie it in?"
"Arkuk kum," gasped Christy, shaking her head no.
Tina had to search for the cigars, but found the pack among the foodstuff. She lit up, paying no attention to the garbled sounds from Christy.
***
"Nothing wrong with the food?"
"No Rosie, just not in the mood I guess," said Eve.
"Tastes great to me", said Linda. "Get more coffee?"
"Sure." The red head poured a cup and left to work another table.
"Acting strange, eh? Want to tip somebody off that you're in trouble?"
"No not at all. Haven't had a restful night," said Eve.
"Thinking about your friend?"
Eve took a bite. "Thinking I hope I don't crash tonight."
"That would be a problem. You can handle the night flying, we checked your record. Good to know you're such a great pilot," said Linda.
She added milk to her coffee while Eve went over the morning. A phone call from Linda had told her to be ready to be picked up in half an hour, to have everything needed for the night flight. "Wear something dark for later" ordered Linda.
Eve wore her drab green one-piece flight suit. When Linda arrived she was wearing dark colored pants and shirt, mens style.
They'd driven to Denton's diner where Tommy had been glad to see Eve back on the scene, now he was determined to find out who the other lady was.
"You need to check the toilet paper in the bathrooms Tommy," his mother said.
A rare request for a detective, thought Tommy. Still it was only the beginning.
He was a deft hand with tissue rolls and finished the job, both men and women's within minutes. Still not quick enough to catch Eve and the mystery woman as they left. He watched them drive off, then continued to stare out the front window as a new woman approached.
She'd climbed out of a Nash, looked like a '48; she was swinging a small case like a peddler might grip. But she looked like no peddler he'd seen.
Passing him as she came in the door, he decided here was a new leader in the VA VA VOOM contest. Well not the prettiest face among his favorites, but her headlights matched any he'd seen, in or out of a copy of Wink Magazine. Well of course that was only from the outside.
There was a hand waving back and forth in front of his face.
"Why are you showing your tongue?" asked Rosie.
"What?"
"Bus my tables, come on," said Rosie.
Tommy took his eyes off the backside of the traveling saleslady, which at a quick glance he gave high approval to, checked the headlights of his fellow employee and tried to adjust his new ratings, then went to bus the table where Eve had sat. After he cleared and wiped it down, he knew something was wrong with Miss Regis.
"I'll have the buckwheat cakes, and coffee," said Joy Karns. Pretty red head waiting on her. I wonder if she would be interested in posing for Eric, she thought. He could bind she and Joy back to back, the red head and blonde combo would look good in color. Everything on the market was in black and white. Probably too expensive to shoot for color. Still she had a good figure. Maybe short films of Joy shoving a gag in her mouth, both wearing black undergarments and heels. Hope the pancakes here are good.
***
A long night had led to a rough morning for Christy. Wasn't much of a breakfast. The black haired woman had stuffed bread into her mouth, with water to gulp down.
The night before she'd taken Christy out of the hog tie and can gag. She let Tina muscle her around on the ground, tying her hands in front, then they snoozed under the army sleeping bags with Tina wrapping her arms and legs around the shorter blonde.
"Morning sweetheart," she'd said as she sat Christy up. She'd stuffed her mouth with food, not letting Christy stop chewing long enough to get a word out. The water tasted clear and cold, like the stuff she'd stood under naked.
While Tina rolled up the sleeping bags, Christy asked, "What's the plan for today?"
"More of the same."
Tina had more rope, and took a long length and added it to that binding Christy's wrists in front of her. She ran it down her legs, crossed her ankles and tied off the rope there to pull Christy"s wrists toward her toes.
"Well you can't complain about that," said Tina.
"You're pulling me apart," said Christy.
"Oh no it's fine. If it starts to hurt just bite on this."
Tina grabbed a handful of blond hair and yanked Christy's head up and back.
"Wait a sec garumph," said Christy as a ripped triangle of blue denim cloth was packed to her gums.
"Don't swallow this," said Tina as she rammed it home. She let go of the blonde's hair and jaw and used a thin strip of the denim material to slash past her lips and join it to the wadding. She tied it off in back, gave Christy's head a shake and then wiped her hands on her pants.
"Might show you some tricks with the whip later today, otherwise you just rock back and relax."
***
Linda had Eve fly that afternoon, but not to the final site. Instead they put down several miles from the Dugay base, near a wreck of a house.
"We're not walking from here are we?" said Eve as she shut the door on her Hiller.
"Just a stepping off point, thought it'd be easier for you," said Linda. "Let's pop inside."
The house was a saddlebag type of double-pen design. It had the look of having been stormed by a lynch mob. Inside their shoes crunched on what seemed to be dried butter beans. Not much in the way of household furnishing. Just two slate backed chairs. There was a coil of hairy looking rope snug in one corner of the room.
"Have a seat," said Linda. Eve chose the less rickety looking of the two. From a holster hidden below the nape of her neck, Linda pulled out a long, thin knife, shaped like an Arkansas toothpick.
Eve watched her begin cutting up the coil of rope. "You going to tie me up?"
"It's a few more hours until sunset. I want you to be where I can see you when I need to."
"Tying me up will make me pretty stiff to fly after you release me."
"I'll give you a massage before then. Sit down and put your hands behind the chair back."
Eve settled in and reached her arms back. Linda grabbed her hands and pulled them back and near the wooden seat. She crossed then at the wrist and looped the rope over and around, cinching it firm.
"I've got a radio stashed I'll use to check on your friend Christy. See how she's doing," said Linda as she looped a rope around Eve's waist and the back of the chair.
"Can I talk to her?" said Eve.
"No in a minute I'm going to gag you. Less we talk the better for you and I."
She knotted the rope in back and then took Eve's right ankle and pulled it back to slip a loop around it, then started tying it the left rear leg of the chair.
"Glad you picked this chair, it's in better shape. I doubt you can flip over and break it apart to get loose." She finished the knot and grabbed Eve's left ankle and began tying it the right rear chair leg.
"There we go," she said and got up and flexed her wrists. Linda pulled a grey scrap of scarf from one of her pockets. She took Eve by the back of her brown hair and pulled back.
"Open up."
Eve let her slide the balled up gag past her lips. When it was all in, her mouth was pressed out, like she was ready to receive a friendly peck on the lips.
Linda yanked a blue check neckerchief from another pocket. She folded a triangle and wrapped the lower part of Eve's face from under the chin to just below her nostrils. She tied it vise tight in back. Eve flinched as the knot worked tighter.
She left the room and Eve tried her bindings. The chair creaked and her shoulders ached as she wiggled. She needed her feet on the floor for leverage. No chance of that happening. She shook her head to try and shift the gag over her mouth. Then she began chewing the bundle on top of her tongue.
In another room Linda arm wrestled the generator crank on the field radio and juiced it up. She slid the headphones on and began dialing up Tina.
Miles away there was a static crackle, and Tina was moving to put her headset on.
"Field Mouse," said Tina.
"This is Pussycat," said Linda. "How is the family? "
"Resting."
"Same here. The trip is still on. I'll let you know how it goes."
"Send a card," said Tina.
***
"Urmmp!" Was the statement Rosie made as the hand covered her mouth.
"Quiet we have to talk."
"Mummph?" She recognized Tommy's voice.
"Ow!" He said as she bit his ring finger.
Rosie put down the stainless steel coffeepot she had been cleaning and pulled Tommy's palm off her lips. She turned and whipped him around and pushed him against the kitchen wall.
"You'd like some grease poured down your throat?" Said Rosie.
"Don't let my mom hear us," said Tommy.
"I'll let her hear you put your mitts on me."
"No wait I just want you to listen. We need to check out Miss Regis's place. See if she needs help."
Rosie shook her head.
"You're no Boston Blackie. She'll get the law on you for peeping in windows," said Rosie.
"Don't you care?"
"About what, being seen in public with you?" Said Rosie.
Tommy drooped.
"I didn't mean it like that," said Rosie.
"I know. I better get the trash cans emptied," said Tommy.
He did a slow job of it, thinking over how easily Rosie had shoved her way free. Now he had to order the Charles Atlas course. If he could just remember in which of his comic books he had seen the ad.
The afternoon shift was winding down and Tommy was ready to get on his bike and pedal to Eve's. He'd go it alone, most detectives do. Still it would have been nice to have a tough dame watch his back.
At the front of the diner he saw a welcome patron. Chelsie Ejup was leaning her elbows on the counter, listening to Rosie. When they noticed he was near they both smiled, then giggled.
He usually liked seeing Chelsie smile. Her dark cheekbones became sharp enough to slice cheese. But today he figured they were laughing at him.
"You still want my help?" asked Rosie.
"What?"
"Your case, your plan. Chelise will have to go along," said Rosie.
"She will? Oh she will, sure. Just try to not get in the way," said Tommy.
"I will, try not to," she said with a serious cigar store Indian sort of look.
Maybe they were planning a joke. A double cross so to speak. Well every detective had it happen, especially when working a case with two dishes like these. Have to keep an eye on them.
***
Christy's gag came off.
"You don't smoke?" Said Tina.
"No!"
"Time you learned the pleasure of a good cigar."
Tina placed the stogie end between Christie's lips. Her right thumb flicked the head of a kitchen match.
"Puff. Keep puffing. Oh you're doing well. Don't let a hot ash land on your bare leg," said Tina.
"Ow am I apose to oo that?" said Christy around the cigar.
"I'll help," said Tina.
She walked away, and strolled back holding her bullwhip.
"Hey," said Christy.
"Keep your head still, hate to hit your nose."
Christy froze from the neck up. Below that she strained at the rope holding her wrists.
"A flourish," said Tina doing an overhead crack of the whip from side to side. Then she let the single tail leather droop to the cave floor. Christy looked at the very end of the whip. She lost sight of it as Tina struck.
"Help!" said Christy as the cigar flew off to the right.
"Here no need for that. Can't you give a little clap of the hands for such a neat trick?"
Christy yanked on the ropes around her, causing her feet to pull closer to her wrists.
"Right now I'm 'Knot' able," said Christy.
"How clever. Well that's the show for now. I'm going to take another cold shower. Worked up a sweat."
Tina coiled the whip up and lay it aside. From a knapsack she took a navy blue handkerchief. She began folding it as she walked toward Christie.
"I doubt very much if there's anyone to hear me," said Christie.
"Right again. Still you look cute gagged. You've been fun so I won't stuff your yap."
Tina knelt to the left of Christie.
"When are we going to eat again? I'm getting a bit mung ump ople. "
"Shut up while I fit this. Keep your lips tight so it won't slip down you throat. Let me pull this up. Little tighter. How's that?"
"Mump muh."
"Now you'll work your lips loose underneath that in a minute, just keep moving them. But if you get loud I'll shove that whole knapsack in your mouth. Got it?"
"Uge gulmph."
Tina sat and took off her shoes and socks. She stood and slid her long legs out of her pants. No underwear there. She unbuttoned her shirt and took it off, unhooked her bra and then folded up all that and packed it away. She pulled out a rough looking towel and then turned to look at Christie.
"Look's like we'll have another night together. I'll probably run you through the water one more time. Since it'll be so hot we'll have to sleep in the raw, might as well be clean. I know you'll be working to untie those knots, so when you work up a sweat don't worry about it. We'll get you cleaned up. Ta Ta."
As Tina walked out of the cave Christie looked at her strong legs and back. Even if she got untied the blonde would have a fight on her hands that she doubted she could win barehanded. She had to try. She began working on the knots. Tight as ever. She looked around in the gloom of the cave. She noticed the cigar off a ways. Still lit.