"Easy girl," Paige Torne said. "I've gotcha."
Taffy Chu sobbed as Paige hugged her tight while bondage model Talia Monet gently pulled loose the ballgag from her mouth and started working on the rubberized straps that held her.
"Mistress Paige..." Taffy sobbed as drool spilled over her latexed breasts.
"I know, darlen'," Paige said gently, kissing her cheek. "Iwana gotcha... but she also told us where to find you."
"Damn... she scared the shit outta me!"
"She scares the shit out of everybody, dear."
"Where is she now?"
"She's here, getting ready to take on Kunta in a no holds barred fight down on the main floor." She looked down at Taffy as she looked up at Paige with wide eyes. "I ain't making this up!"
Taffy sighed. "You don't have to."
****
"Okeee, Crowina. Open wide. Good girl!"
Crowe T. Grackel grimaced as the rubber ballgag was pulled from his mouth as the arm binder was loosened enough for him to slip free.
Five minutes before, three members of Paige's Biker Bouncer Brigade had busted their way into the dungeon and released him from his hanging hogtie by dropping him uncermoniously to the floor with a crash.
He shook his head and yanked the harness and blonde wig off his head. The skintight latex catsuit still gave him a girlish figure.
"Gosh, Crowe!" one of the bouncers said. "You look hot!"
They all laughed.
"Hardy-fuckin'-har!" Grackel growled, unzipping the catsuit and pulling out his rubber tits. "Why aren't you guys out looking for the nothing bitch who did this to me!"
"We don't hafta," A bouncer who looked like the leatherman of The Village People replied. "She's getting ready to duke it out with Kunta down in the main floor ring."
"No shit?" Grackel started looking for his pants. "When?"
"Almost now."
***
They made a strange looking group as they trooped into the area of The Brickyard dominated by a regulation 25 foot by 25 foot wrestling ring, complete with ropes, padded corners and turnbuckles.
The group consisted of Iwana Binder, Jeb Stuart, Gwen Sweet, Yoshiko Katsuhara Roper and Shakira, still dressed in her skintight red rubber minidress.
"Please, Mama-san," she whispered. "Have I not time to change?"
"Later!" Yoshiko hissed. She hurried forward to match steps with Kira McElroy. "Sumimasen, but can you please tell me why a San Francisco fetish club has a regulation wrestling ring within it's premises?"
"Sure, luv!" Kira said. "Girl-girl rasslin' is big biz! Get a coupla sheilas wit a few muscles and wearin' skintight PVC t' bop each other 'bout the ring and you got something to watch! We also do these X-rated rasslin' vids to sell..."
"Like you sell videos of my daughter Tai Anne in bondage?" Yoshiko said.
"Ummmmm..." Kira opened a door leading to a dressing room. "You folks can set up in here. I'll have the kitchen send up some bottled water and the like."
"Wouldn't mind a sandwich or two," Jeb said as he loosened his tie. "And some sodas."
"Righty-right!" Kira hurried out.
Yoshiko went to Iwana, who was looking at herself in a wide mirror. "Are you sure about this, Iwana? Is this what you want?"
Iwana didn't answer.
"Iwana?" Jeb said. "Paige is turning this into a goddamned pay-per-view event! You sure you wanna do this in front of all these people?"
"Yeah," Iwana finally said, looking at them both. "When Ah beat that bitch into strawberry jam... Ah want all her friends watchin'!"
***
The crowd started coming in dribs and drabs. With barely no prep time, it seemed like a lot of The Brickyard regulars had found out mighty quickly about the upcoming bout and were hurrying in from all over the Bay Area to catch the fight.
Kira went over to one of the bouncers who was taking bets. "What're the odds, mate?"
"Two to one, Kunta." replied the bouncer, who had been one of the guys who'd had his head handed to him by Iwana yesterday.
"Gimme fifty... no, a hundred on Iwana," Kira said.
"So much for loyalty," the bouncer grumbled as he took her money.
"You didn't see what she did to that bloke Stoner," Kira replied. "It was downright medievil!"
She snagged a big can of Foster's from a cooler and found a seat.
Kunta Kintare came in to a ragged chorus of cheers. She had changed to red PVC pants that looked spraypainted on, a matching PVC halter and boots. Her dreadlocks flayed around her head as she grinned and waved.
Paige Torne and Sifu Chun --the ancient Chinese guy who was The Brickyard's doctor in residence-- were her cornermen. Chun wore a loud Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flipflops.
Kunta turned to Paige and Chun. "Any advice?"
"Hit her with the stool," Paige growled.
"I have analyzed the tapes when she was here yesterday," Chun said. "She is fast, and fights with impunity. But she will only fight 'dirty' when her opponent does so first. Once that occurs, all bets are off."
"Thanks," Kunta grunted.
Hey, girl!" Taffy Chu cried as she made her way through the crowd. She had found something rubbery and skintight to wear after her release from the locker room. She hugged Kunta and Paige.
"Good to see you, babe," Kunta said, picking up the miniscule Ms. Chu in one hand and deep kissing her til she squeaked.
The crowd was still filling the surrounding bleachers when more cheers filled the room.
Iwana Binder in her black leather shorts, triangle top leather halter and boots was making her way to the ring. Her cornermen appeared to be Jeb Stuart, Yoshiko Roper, Shakira and Gwen Sweet.
Paige Torne went over to Kira. "We getting this on the cameras?"
"Of course!" Kira grinned. "Couldn't go live feed, but it'll make a 'ell of a DVD!"
Crowe T. Grackel moved through the crowd at ringside, he had managed to change into jeans and a NASCAR windbreaker. He stopped by a clique of leatherclad bouncers who had all bet on Kunta.
"Hey guys!" Grackel sat down among them.
"Whachoo want?" a big black bouncer rumbled suspiciously
"Nuthin'." Grackel shrugged. "I just thought it would be a shame if anything was left to chance." He held up a wad of cash. "Two hundred apiece... says that if things start going bad for Kunta, you guys wade in there and mess up that bitch Iwana."
The money was snatched away. "Deal," The bouncer replied.
"Make it something... permanant," Grackel hissed. He then laughed and moved a few chairs down so he wouldn't get caught in the backwash.
"First time as a cornerman," Jeb said as he took off his tie and loosened his shirt. His good Armani suit was beginning to show some wear.
"Me too," Sweet said
"Me three!" Yoshiko said.
"What is a 'cornerman'?" Shakira asked.
"Any advice, Mama-san?" Iwana asked as she took a swig of water and spat it out into a bucket.
"Yes," Yoshiko said. "Kick that big bitch's ass into next week!"
Finally Paige Torne wiggled through the ropes and walked out to the center of the ring to a chorus of admiring catcalls both male and female.
She pulled down the microphone. Ladies and gentlemen and deviates of all ages... I bring you now to the main event of this evening!"
She pointed to Iwana's corner. "In the black corner, standing five foot ten and weighing 145 pounds, with measurements of 38D-28-38! From the City of Angels and straight outta Compton! Iwaaaaanaaaaaah BINDER!!!"
Cheers as Iwana took a turn about the ring.
"And in the red corner, standing six foot four and weighing in at 165 pounds, with measurements of 44DD-32-42! From San Fran by way of Mogadishu, Somalia... The Brickyard's own... Kuuuuuntaaaaah KINTARE!!!"
A heavier and longer chorus of cheers. Jeb knew who the favorite was... but not by much.
"This is a non-sanctioned, non-professional sporting event!" Paige continued. "No rules apply... The fighting continues without rounds, until one of the fighters either
concedes the match or is knocked out. Its that simple!"
Paige fled the ring and a moment later the bell sounded.
The fight was on.
***
The two women strode into the center of the ring, Kunta took the first swing --a roundhouse right-- which Iwana ducked under and then used as an opening to pound her right fist twice into Kunta's ribs as hard as she could. For Iwana it felt like punching a tree trunk.
Kunta backhanded Iwana, knocking her back into the ropes. The crowd howled. Iwana slingshoted off the ropes, driving her right knee into Kunta's belly. Kunta then flipped her onto the deck and she landed hard.
"Roll off!"Jeb yelled at the dazed Iwana. Kunta dropped down to drive her elbow into the back of Iwana's neck, only to impact the canvas when Iwana rolled out of the way.
Kunta screamed in pain and tried to get to her feet. Iwana was already there, delivering a solid kick to Kunta's face. Blood splattered the canvas but Kunta made it up.
The two women circled each other warily.
Iwana threw a spin kick that Kunta plucked from the air, grabbing Iwana's booted leg and lifting her off the deck. She tossed Iwana into a neutral corner, her right side slamming into the steel turnbuckle. Iwana knew she had just cracked some ribs.
Iwana was hung up on the corner as Kunta stalked forward and grabbed her. Iwana kicked out at her, landing several good ones in the face that made Kunta stagger back. Iwana pulled herself to the top rope and executed a pretty good suplex that bodyslammed Kunta to the deck.
The crowd went wild.
"Sugoe!!!" Yoshiko screamed. "Now go for an Atomic Knee Bellybuster!!!"
Iwana flipped herself into the air, driving her knee deep into Kunta's gut. She tried to follow up with a strike to the face, but Kunta caught her head with her legs and flipped her back onto the canvas.
"Chiksho!!!" Yoshiko pounded the canvas.
"Sumimasen, Roper-sensei!" Jeb said, having to shout into her ear to be heard. "You a wrestling fan?"
"Hai!" Yoshiko shouted back. "But not of your American cream pie stuff like the WWF! I watch real wrestling! Joshi Puroresu! Japanese Women's Wrestling! There are the real champions! Like the Masked Rose of Tokaido or Superheel Devil Masami! Not to mention the famed Dirty Pair... Kei and Yuri of the 3WA!" She pounded the canvas. "That's it, Iwana-chan! Clothesline that big baka bitch!"
Jeb watched as Iwana straight-armed Kunta across the neck as she bounced her off the ropes. Kunta landed hard on the deck, but managed to roll out of the way as Iwana's piledriver from the top rope impacted the canvas instead of her torso. Iwana landed right on her cracked ribs.
Jeb winced. That hurt just watching.
Laughing, Kunta scissored her massive, corded upper legs about Iwana's neck and squeezed, as Iwana struggled to maintain consciousness.
"Fuck this!" Sweet started through the ropes, only to be stopped by Yoshiko.
"Gwen-san! Chotto matte!" Yoshiko said. "This is Iwana-chan's battle! Whether she wins or loses will be up to her! She would never forgive your intervention."
Iwana was starting to fade. Kunta, sensing victory, increased the pressure. Iwana retaliated by searching for a pressure point along Kunta's inner thigh and jabbing it hard and deep with her thumb. Kunta screamed, and Iwana slipped free and managed to get to her feet first.
"Jesus! That was close!" Jeb said.
Kunta got to her feet and looked around as Iwana circled behind her and jumped on Kunta's back, getting her in the controversial put effective LAPD Choke Hold.
Kunta swung her about and tried to flip her, but Iwana just held on, her muscled forearm right around Iwana's neck.
"Ride her, Iwana!" Jeb shouted.
Kunta fell to her hands and knees, sweat rolling off her skin. Iwana was still on her back, holding on tight.
That's when all hell broke loose. Six of Paige's black leathered biker bouncers charged through and over the ropes and into the ring.
First they grabbed Iwana by her ankles and pulled her off a dazed Kunta, then they stood over her and started kicking and stomping her something fierce. Payback for yesterday.
As one, Jeb Stuart, Yoshiko Roper, Gwen Sweet and even Shakira slipped through the ropes from their corner and came to the rescue of Iwana Binder.
One of the bouncers looked up in time to get a right cross to the face, courtesy of Jeb. Sweet blocked a punch and gave her opponent a sock to the jaw that dropped him like a bad habit.
Yoshiko judo flipped one guy into another, causing them both to hit the canvas in a jumble of flailing arms and legs, while a bouncer with a badass attitude came up on Shakira with the intent of pawing and licking her a bit before tossing her into the crowd.
But as he grabbed her by the shoulders, she looked up at him, he realized with horror that her gentle face was somehow changing, her eyes glowing red and her smile now splitting her face from ear to ear as razor sharp fangs glistened.
"I would not be doing that!" she said in a growl that sounded not the least bit human.
The bouncer let her go, turned and started running. He left the ring, the room, The Brickyard and didn't stop running until he made it to Market Street.
Jeb had one bad guy behind him pinning his arms back while another bad guy was trying to pound him. Sweet kicked the bad guy in front right in the balls. Jeb elbowed the guy behind him in the gut and then flipped him to the canvas.
He heard a ripping sound and realized his good Armani suit was torn at the shoulder and lapel. Damn! As the bouncer came up, Jeb threw a body kick that sent him through the ropes and onto the floor below.
A chorus of boos echoed off the rafters as the bouncers retreated back through the ropes. A blizzard of styrofoam soda and beer cups rained down on the ring.
"That's right!" Yoshiko shouted. "Run! Before we open up another big can of whupass on you Bakayaros!!!"
Paige looked around, enraged at the way the crowd was reacting. She hopped the ropes and hiked up her tight leather skirt enough to reach the nickeled .25 caliber Beretta strapped to her thigh. It was a tiny gun, but it made a helluva bang.
Two shots aimed at the roof got everybody's attention.
"Awwwright, you assholes!!!" Paige shouted. "Show's over! Get the fuck outta here!"
"But who won?!" somebody shouted.
"It's a draw!" Paige shouted back. "Everybody gets their money back! Now amsray! Vamanos, cabrones!!!"
As the crowd headed for the doors, Iwana groaned and rolled onto her good side. She saw that Kunta was crawling on her elbows towards her, still coughing from the choke hold.
"I... didn't... have nuthin t'do with those assholes," she gasped. "Swear!"
"Yeah, Ah... believe you," Iwana wheezed out, taking Kunta's hand into hers.
"You won," Kunta said, licking the blood off her lips.
"No... Paige is right. Call it a draw." Iwana said.
Kunta Kintare looked into Iwana Binder's pained eyes and managed a grin. "Best two outta three?"
Iwana stared at her, then burst out laughing, hurting her busted ribs something fierce. A beat later Kunta was laughing too.
***
Twenty minutes later, Jeb Stuart walked to the bar on the main floor of the Brickyard. it had an old California, western motif. A young, very pretty latina was playing bartender, polishing glasses.
"What'll be?" she asked as Jeb sat down with a slight groan. He took off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves on his shirt.
"Coors, with a whiskey chaser," he answered. She drew him a big cold schooner on draft and set the shot of whisky right beside it.
He downed the shot and let it burn all the way down before cooling it with several swallows of beer.
"Mind if I join you?"
Jeb turned and looked at Paige Torne. "Be my guest."
Paige sat on the stool and nodded at the bartender. "Glass of milk."
She got a big, frosty glass of whole milk, which she drank down in one long swallow, leaving her with a milk moustache.
"When you're right, you're right," Paige said. "We should've worked together... instead of fighting among ourselves."
Jeb sighed. "Famous last words... coulda woulda shoulda."
"Fuck you."
"No thanks, I'm a married man."
Paige waved to the bartender for another milk.
"Sifu Chun and Dr. Roper are putting Iwana and Kunta back together," Paige said. "Where do we go from there?"
Jeb rubbed his eyes. "Try to get a line on Fiendly and Wenche before the fucking Fist of Allah swiss cheeses them and takes off with Tai and Drew."
"And how do we do that?"
"I don't have the slightest fucking idea."
***
The infirmary of The Brickyard would have been a match for any big city ER, with six beds, an exam table and monitors and machines out the wahzoo.
Iwana groaned as Sifu Chun wrapped her midsection up. "Godamn, ole man! Where'd you get yore medical degree, fuckin' Dachau?"
"That's enough of that, Iwana!" Yoshiko chastised. She was standing on the other side of the bed, holding her hand. "Dr. Chun is a respected MD."
"But..."
"Hush, or I'll but you in restraints and ballgag you myself."
"Yes, Mama-san." Iwana whispered.
"Thank you, Roper-Sensei!" Chun said as he finished up. He looked at Iwana. "You have a concussion, extensive bruising, and four cracked ribs. You are lucky one didn't break and puncture your lungs!"
Iwana looked at Kunta one bed over, who wore a neck brace. "What about her?"
"Extensive bruising of the neck and throat, also bruising of the body."
"You are both lucky!" Yoshiko said. Just then her cellphone trilled the theme to Dragonball Z. She walked to a quiet corner and clicked on.
"Moshi-moshi?"
"Hello, Dr. Roper?" It was a woman's voice. "You may not remember me, but I'm Inspector Michelle Qwan of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. About 16 months ago, you assisted me in profiling a serial killer of Asian prostitutes in Vancouver's Chinatown."
"Hai! The Jason Liu case! I do remember you, Inspector!"
"Good," Qwan continued. "I'm in San Francisco as a matter of fact, as I just found out you were too." She paused. "This is going to sound like a funny question, Doctor, but do you know where your daughter is?"
***
Jeb was still sipping his schooner of Coors sitting next to Paige when he heard someone calling his name. He looked up to see Yoshiko Roper running towards him, waving her cellphone.
"Now what?" he muttered.
"Jeb-san!" Yoshiko said. "I just got a call from somebody who knows where Fiendly and Wenche are keeping Tai Anne and your friend Ms. Thrasher!"
"Who is it?"
"A police officer named Michelle Qwan, she says she knows you." She handed him the phone.
He snatched it up. "Michelle, is that really you?"
"One and the same, Jebediah!" Qwan answered. "I hear you quit the spooks."
"And I hear you made DCI a few months back. Congrats!" He took a breath. "You in SF?"
"Yes, I just collared a bad guy here named Samarkand, who's wanted on Canadian felony kidnap warrants," Qwan said. "One of his vics clued me in on Jessica McClintock, Fiendly and Wenche kidnapping Tai Anne Roper and Drew Thrasher... the whole ball of wax."
"And you know where F&W are holding Tai and Drew?"
"I lucked out," Qwan said. "I'm here on Interpol credentials, so I checked around on some undercover ops the ICPO is running in the Bay Area. One of the operators saw Roper and Thrasher being held captive in a local hotel suite."
"Where?" Jeb asked.
"We need to talk first, Jeb," Qwan said. "See, the local Feds here think of me as just an observer. Besides, they're no match for the Fist of Allah."
Jeb winced. "You know about them?"
"Yup," Qwan answered. "And I know they're looking to take out Fiendly and Wenche, and take Drew Thrasher back to Riyadh. Whatever they have planned for Tai Anne... won't be pleasant."
"You want to use Tai and Drew as bait to get Fist of Allah," Jeb accused.
"Like I said, Jeb, we need to talk," Qwan replied. "You still know that agency contact man, Langley?"
"You know I do."
"Good, bring him along. There's a great Chinese restaurant on Kearney called House of Nanking.."
"I know it."
"Meet me upstairs in the private room," Qwan said. "Maybe we can all get what we want. You get Tai Anne Roper and Drew Thrasher, and I get the Fist of Allah."
'Dammit, Michelle," Jeb hissed. "I know why you want the Fist of Allah, but..."
"Then you also know I will not be denied in this matter. See you in thirty minutes, Jeb."
"Michelle!"
She had hung up. Jeb clicked off and handed the phone back to Yoshiko, as he walked in a tight, angry circle.
"Jeb-san, what is wrong?"
"Nothing, yet." Jeb looked at Paige. "I have to meet someone about Tai and Drew, can you find Gwen Sweet for me?"
"Sure," Paige said as she got a phone. "But I'm going with you!"
"Me too!" Yoshiko said.
"Marvelous," Jeb growled. He pulled on his battered Armani jacket.
A few minutes later, Gwen Sweet came running up to the bar, having gotten the word she was needed. "Wassup?" she asked breathlessly.
"Grab your coat, partner," Jeb said. "Looks like we're going out for Chinese!"
***
Meanwhile, back at a certain suite of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Tai Anne Roper once more found herself strapped down to a sturdy steel and leather chair while Fannikins Wenche spread conducting anti-burn jelly on the contact leads of the small ECT machine.
"Mizzwenche!" Tai sobbed. "You promized Mizdrew you wouldnt do that t'me no more!"
"Well, slavecunt Drew is back in her cage," The Wenche replied as she slipped the cushioned leads onto either side of Tai's forehead. "And what she doesn't know, will hurt you!"
Tai keened as she pulled with all her might at the neoprene straitjacket that was tighter than a second skin on her. She looked into The Wenche's eyes, her own deep brown eyes as wide as pieplates and brimming with tears.
"Fannikins," Tai whispered. "Pleaaazzze... each time you do this... I feel a little more of myself disappear... everythingz all.... broken an' jumbled..."
"That's good, my girl!" Fannikins Wenche said as she carressed Tai's cheek. "Because when I get done with you, there won't be anything left... except what I've given you."
She wrapped the black rubber strap around Tai's forehead, then forced the big black rubber ballgag back into her mouth, strapping it tight. She checked all the restraints again and then gave her the juice.
Chapter Thirty-Seven