They turned Anna over on her back and proceeded to assail the tunnel of her femaleness. But "normality" was eluded by the instrument they each employed in turn. Called a “haligata," this is a Japanese tube which is fitted around the male organ and gives it both added width and length. It's made of bamboo and its outer surface is coated with peppery irritants which are supposed to enhance the erotic response of the woman. Judging by Anna's wildly thrashing body, the harigata was very effective.
This might have gone on all day and night if Ben Narouz hadn't finally ordered the a-fu-yang-inspired Chinese sailors away from Anna. He turned to Samantha, his eyes glittering savagely. "After such an experience as you have just witnessed," he asked her, “do you still think you would refuse to make love with me willingly?"
“You're a foul pig!” And that's all she'd say.
"Very well! I see that you need more convincing." He turned to the Chinese and gave them some further orders.
Once again they tethered Anna as they had the first time. Ben Narouz called the wolfhound, Kai, over to him and reached under the beast’s belly. He manipulated the animal for a few moments and then led him over to Anna. At another command from Ben Narouz, the slavering beast mounted her. His aim was more "accurate" than that of the Chinese sailors.
Drugged as she was, Anna screamed her protests. But they were to no avail. The wolfhound, gone wild, ravished her quickly. Then the monster investigated her thoroughly with its tongue. Shortly, this aroused him anew and he mounted her again. It lasted longer this time and when it was over the bestiality of the assault was testified to by the trickle of blood running down her naked thighs.
"Think over what you have seen," Ben Narouz. told Samantha. “I will leave Kai here as a reminder of what can happen to you if you persist in your stubbornness." And with that, he and his Chinese henchmen left us.
I lost track of the time after that. Exhausted, I slept, woke and slept again. Hours went by, perhaps a day, or even two. And then I was awakened by the sound of the anchor chain being released and I knew we must be lying off the beach of Point Ca Mau.
The Chinese came down to the hold. They ignored us as they removed the opium-filled gunnysacks to the deck above. This stevedoring lasted a long time and they were still at it when darkness fell. They brought down a few candles, lit them and positioned them around the hold while they continued. Realizing that the wolfhound, Kai, was no longer standing guard, I had a glimmering of hope.
I worked my way over to one of these candles and managed to hold my rope-tied hands to the flame. It felt like I was searing as much flesh off as rope, but after what seemed an interminable time, my hands were finally free. I untied my feet and then, as the Chinese sailors made their last trip up the ladder, freed the two girls.
They must have forgotten about the candles, for they left them behind. Using one of them, I found a crate that would enable us to reach the porthole I judged it would be just big enough for us to squeeze through one by one. Trying to move that crate, I found it damn heavy. Wondering what could be in it, I took a closer look.
I saw immediately that I'd been damn lucky. Dragging it as I'd been doing, I might have blown us all sky-high. That crate was filled with vials of nitro-glycerine! There was enough there to bring down a good-sized mountain!
I guessed it was meant for the Viet Cong. And if my guess was right, that meant the Chinese bully-boys might soon be back for it. Gingerly, I worked the crate under the porthole.
I gave Samantha a leg up first and a moment later there was a splash as she hit the water. Anna quickly followed. Just as quickly, I opened one of the vials and angled it on top of the crate. I broke off the candle so that there was nothing but the flame, a little wick and less wax left, and positioned it alongside the nitro. Then I went through the porthole fast.
It went up just as my body was hitting the briny. They must have heard the roar in Saigon. And the blast was a physical blow jet-propelling me to the bottom. My lungs were bursting, but I kept going down. It felt like I'd never come up again!
012
BUT I did.
I came bouncing back up to the surface with half the South China Sea exploding around me. There must have been more than one case of nitro on the boat because there was a series of blasts sending geysers towards the stars. In the wake of each, whirlpools sprang up around me and it took all my strength just to keep from being sucked back down to the bottom again.
Finally things quieted down enough for me to get my bearing . The shore was maybe a quarter-mile off. Not too far from me, Samantha had already started swimming for it. She had Anna Kirkov in tow and it was obvious that the Russian girl wasn't able to swim. I went for the pair of them as fast as I could
“The explosion dazed her," Samantha told me when I reached them.
“Is she unconscious?"
“Not any more. She was. She was almost drowning by the time I managed to get a hold on her Now she just seems to be dazed. I'd guess she swallowed a lot of water."
"Let me take her." I relieved Samantha of her burden and started dog-paddling for shore with Anna in tow. Samantha swam easily beside me, pacing herself.
We were lucky. Carried by the tide, we washed up down the beach from the torch-carrying natives gathered to receive the opium from the now defunct boat. Hoping they hadn't seen us, I picked Anna up and made for the shelter of the bushes up the beach. Samantha trotted alongside me. Soon we were in the underbrush and after awhile we came to a clearing. I set my burden down and tried to figure out what to do next. Anna had come to and was sobbing. Samantha held her in her arms and tried to comfort her.
I studied the sky, picking out the stars I knew and trying to orient myself. Our best bet would be to follow the coastline and then cut inland a bit to Saigon. It was rough terrain, and it sure wasn't going to be any pleasure jaunt.
We started out, keeping to the underbrush and paralleling the beach. I forced the girls to keep up a fast pace. By the time an hour had gone by, they were exhausted. We reached another clearing and I called a halt so that they might rest.
It was a mistake. A bad mistake.
Silent as death, our pursuers had been behind us all the way. Now, close enough so that there was no further need for silence, they crashed through the jungle and were upon us. I was on my feet and moving at the first sound, but it was too late for the girls. They were still reacting when the wolfhound, Kai, bounded into the clearing. Mustafa Ben Narouz was right behind him, the Luger in his hand at the ready.
I dived for the bushes as he fired. He pumped the trigger fast and slugs caromed off the trunk of the tree behind which I'd plunged. I counted, and when I knew he had to pause to reload, I scampered up the tree itself as quietly as I could. I figured his next move would be to set Kai after me and I was right. The beast charged into the jungle at the point at which I'd vanished.
He immediately began sniffing, trying to pick up my trail. But my tree-climbing maneuver confused the dumb mutt. No matter how he tried, my scent eluded him. Finally he gave up and ran whining back to Ben Narouz.
Gun reloaded, the Egyptian stood over the two girls. "You don't look pleased to see me," he said to Samantha sarcastically.