“I think it’s best that we get out of here,” he suggested softly. “Margaret might return early and we don’t really need a confrontation. Can you walk to my car?”
“I can walk. But where’s Julie?” Jan asked.
“She’s hanging by her wrists downstairs,” Nigel answered.
“But we haven’t time for that, we should get going.”
“Nigel,” said Jan seriously, looking into his eyes. “I appreciate what you’re doing, even if you do plan to get something out of this for yourself. But can we please take Julie along? l owe that girl something for all she’s done to me.”
Nigel frowned. Then Donna pointed out that Julie had only been obeying orders. Jan sighed but didn’t argue the point. Instead she got shakily to her feet and walked a few steps to test them. “My legs were trembling from trying to take my weight down there,” she explained. “If I had not stayed on my toes that thing would have split me in half.”
Donna doubted that it really would have split her friend or even done permanent damage. But it would have certainly felt terrible to have all her weight on that thing inside her. She was in awe that Jan had been able to stay on her toes for that many hours.
Nigel pointed to the door. “My car awaits a little ways down the road. Sort of hidden in the bushes, you might say. But it’s a private road and you two can dash to the car without worrying about clothes.”
“I have something I have to do first,” Jan said through clenched teeth. Both Nigel and Donna stood still in surprise as Jan strode down the stairs that led to the dungeon.
A few minutes later there was a scream and they knew that Jan had found the hanging Julie. The first scream was followed by others but neither of them could hear any sounds of a whip being used. There were only screams of real pain. Those screams were still drifting up the stairs when Jan walked calmly into the room. “Well, let’s go,” she said casually as she crossed the room.
Nigel and Donna looked at each other. The screams and pathetic cries were still coming from below. Donna started to head towards the stairs but Nigel put a hand on her arm. “Perhaps it’s best to leave things alone.” Donna’s frown clearly said she didn’t want to see the black girl in that kind of pain. “Margaret will be home in a couple hours,” he continued. “Let Jan have her revenge.”
Donna allowed herself to be led to the door. As they walked from the house the could still hear screams of pain, but the screams grew fainter as they hurried down the driveway until they could no longer hear anything but the afternoon breeze in the trees.
The ride to Nigel’s house was uneventful. Both girls shared the back seat, huddled together for warmth and comfort. Nigel offered them a car blanket which they accepted with gratitude.
Over coffee in his dinning room, Jan seemed to finally come back to being herself. “Nigel, I’m grateful for what you’ve done for us,” she said. “But why did you do it?”
Nigel sipped coffee for a few seconds before he answered.
“I figured out who had you, or at least had a good idea, I simply figured maybe saving you from her clutches was one way of saying I’m sorry for the terrible way I treated you and the twins.”
At mention of the twins, Jan cringed.
“I know I treated you rather badly,” he went on. “And I really did want you to know that I’m sorry.”
“You mean that you really didn’t enjoy raping me?” Jan asked sarcastically. “All those times? And you didn’t enjoy keeping my girls tied up and locked in that cage for all that time? And what about the marks you put on my bottom? You certainly seemed to enjoy doing that and listening to my screams. And,” she added with a sigh, “you certainly enjoyed screwing the hell out of me after I was whipped and lying on my sore bottom.”
Nigel shrugged his shoulders. “Guilty,” he said simply.
“Guilty of enjoying what I did. I didn’t say I didn’t enjoy it, only that I was sorry I treated you so badly.”
“But why did you do it?” asked Jan with a puzzled frown. “Like you said, I enjoyed it. Jan, don’t ask me why. I’m a cad, I’ve always been a cad, and probably always will be. And heaven knows I’ve whipped plenty of other girls and screwed them to a fare-thee-well.” He grinned, perhaps at memories. “But there was something special about you.” He paused and looked like he was searching for the proper words. “I enjoyed what I did to you. I savored it, relished it. And would love to do it again. But... I don’t know.”
The big man actually was at a loss for words. “Do you care for Jan?” asked Donna.
“What?” was his reply. “I... Well...” He put his coffee cup Down. “I guess I do. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I simply like Jan enough to care that I did all those things with no regard for her feelings. Does that make sense? That it matters how she feels about a whipping? Oh, this whole thing doesn’t make sense to me!”
Jan swallowed and looked at the floor for a few seconds.
Then she slowly slid her hand across the table to lay it on Nigel’s. “I appreciate what you did in getting Donna and me out of that place,” she said. “And someday we’ll talk about that... And feelings... And whippings. But right now I’ve got something much bigger on my mind. My girls.”
Without elaboration she explained to Nigel how the twins had been given to a man who sells girls into slavery.
Nigel rubbed his chin as he listened but didn’t say a word until Jan was finished and looking at him with questioning eyes,
“Well, I know a few people whom I could ask some questions. Maybe I can find this Rashad fellow. But I can’t promise anything.”
Jan took Nigel’s hand in hers and kissed the back of it gently. Nigel was, for the first time anyone could remember, flustered.
“Can we return to Jan’s home?” asked Donna, partly to change the subject and partly to save Nigel further embarrassment.
Jan looked at her then did some thinking. “I don’t think so. Margaret’s powerful and practically owns the police in this town. I doubt we would last out the day if we returned there.”
Nigel nodded agreement. “But, by the same token, Julie knows who rescued you two. Margaret and her police friends will come knocking on my door shortly after she frees Julie... From whatever condition you left her in.”
“She had it coming,” was all Jan would say.
“She would mainly want you two back. I don’t think she really cares about punishing me for taking you. Or for what is happening to Julie right now.” He paused so everyone could remember that the black girl was left screaming in pain. “But she will certainly try to get you two back. It would be best if you two weren’t here.”
Nigel got up and began pacing. “I know a place where you two can hide. Margaret doesn’t know of it. I’ll stay here for a couple of days, long enough for Margaret to come by with authorities and satisfy herself that you two aren’t here. I don’t think she’ll press any charges. I’m not without money and power myself, and it will just be Julie’s word against mine. I could produce a dozen people who would swear on a stack of bibles that I was playing Canasta at the time Margaret Summers’ house was entered, valuables stolen, and a maid assaulted. But you girls have to get out of here fast.”
Jan got to her feet and hugged Nigel. It was more a token of appreciation and sincere thanks than anything like passion but Nigel seemed to enjoy it. In a blushing, odd sort of way. Donna doubted that Nigel was used to girls hugging him that way.
Finally he broke off the embrace. “We had better get going. Jan, you can use my car to return to your house and get anything you think you’ll need. Like money, bank savings books, check book, clothes, etc. Whatever you think you’ll need to track down your daughters.”