*Maybe it was a reflex, but when I heard the word payment, my body seemed to move of its own accord, like it was on auto pilot. Probably because payment in my world was always accompanied by one thing. Without even realizing what I was doing, I found myself kneeling on the floor in front of Carl. Somewhere between the couch and the floor I'd slid the straps of my black halter top down over my shoulders, giving the two gentlemen a nice view of my breasts.
My hand was on his crotch now and his eyes were closed. I could feel him hardening beneath his pants and I smiled up at him. In another minute I'd undid his fly and taken his cock out. Holding it tightly in my hand, I was just about to kiss the head when he said something that dropped me right back into reality.
He was looking at me when he said it, his eyes open now. There was a certain level of surprise in them. As my lips touched the tip of his member, he whispered, "You're really Natalie Gibson?"*
I jumped back as quickly as I could. My body was shaking and I wasn't sure if it was fear or the coke. Still, there was no way he could have known that. I eyed Carl suspiciously. His eyes were filled with surprise and something else too. It looked a little like regret to me, like he'd just said something he wasn't supposed to. I took a step back. My mind was racing and it felt like it was about to crash. Slowly I managed to find my voice.
"How the fuck do you know that?" I crossed my arms over my exposed chest and waited for an answer, but it didn't seem like one was going to be forthcoming. "Answer me asshole!" I couldn't help it. I knew shouting wasn't going to help matters along, but I didn't know what else to do. James looked like he was about to say something for a moment, but apparently thought better of it when he caught the look in my eye. "I said, HOW DO YOU KNOW MY FUCKING NAME!" I'd given up the name Natalie Gibson when I'd left home. Christian knew more about me than anybody in the city, but even he didn't know that.
"They've been looking for you."
I turned slowly to get a better look at the man who'd been hiding in the shadows in the corner. There was a lopsided smile on his face and with his arms crossed in front of him, his general stance gave the impression of somebody who was perfectly content to simply sit back and see how things played out. There was a glint in his dark eyes and I noticed the faint scar on his left cheek for the first time. As unnerving as he was, there was something strangely familiar about him.
"Who the hell are you anyway?" I demanded.
"Who's she talking to?" I turned and saw James casting a worried glance in my direction. What the hell does he mean? I didn't have time to worry about it right now though.
"You guys cops or something?" I asked, my mind traveling a slightly different path now.
"Something like that," I looked up and down the hallway as a new voice entered the fray. I heard the toilet finishing its flush cycle and realized that somebody else had been here this entire time. Like the other two, she was dressed completely in black form-fitting clothing. It fit her lean body like a glove. This newcomer had long blond hair that she'd tied back into a ponytail and bright blue eyes that stood out starkly against her rather pale complexion.
She glanced down at Carl, taking particular notice of his crotch. "For God's sake Carl, that's so not why we're here." She rolled her eyes and it was clear from her demeanor that she was the one in charge. "Get that thing back in your pants this instant. You think you can handle that?" When he nodded, slowly drifting back to reality, she turned her attention back on me. A faint smile crossed her ruby lips. "So, you're Natalie then?" She spoke with a slight accent. It might have been German, but I wasn't sure.
I was still trembling. I was about to continue my rant when Christian stood up.
"Okay, so what the hell is going on here?" His eyes were focused on the blond first, but then he turned toward me. "Natalie? Is that your name? Just who the hell are these guys and how the hell do they know you?"
"It's like she said," the blond offered in that kind of pleasant tone that only thinly veiled the unpleasantness behind the words. "We're cops."
"They're not cops." That statement came from the mysterious man behind me.
"No shit," I whispered. Even riding my coke high I could see that. Once again though, nobody seemed willing to even acknowledge the fact that he'd spoken.
"My name's Natasha," she continued, "We've been looking for this girl for a very long time, so unless you wanna go to jail for soliciting, not to mention the fact that this young woman is a minor," the agreeable tone in her voice slipped away to make way for something much sharper, "I suggest you sit your ass down and cooperate."
"Carl! James! On your feet NOW!" The two men jumped out of their chairs and stood at attention. Natasha flashed a cold grin. "Now, I could sit here all day and try to calm you down, try to make this as easy as possible, but quite frankly I'm not going to." With that, she reached behind and pulled out a small gun. She was pointing it at me.
What else could I do. I screamed my lungs out, tears welling up. Sure my life wasn't great actually it kind of royally sucked, but I sure as hell didn't want to die. "Please," I whispered, dropping to my knees. "Please I don't ," I started to sob. Everything else in the room vanished. In my world all that existed was me and a gun.
"I've had just about enough " Christian's words were cut off. With lightning reflexes, Natasha turned and fired. I screamed again when it registered that the dark splotch on Christian's forehead was a bullet hole.
"Oh God Oh God " I was quivering now. I'd never been this scared in my entire life.
"Pathetic," the blond ringleader said, shaking her head. "You're really the one that everything depends on. Our future's in the hands of some two bit whore with a sixth grade education." Under her breath she whispered, "Mein Gott in Himmel." She took a deep breath, "You can get up. We're not going to hurt you if we don't have to."
Under the circumstances that did little to comfort me.
"Look, just get up and come with us and nobody else has to get hurt."
"You don't want to go with them Natalie." I turned my head. Maybe it was shock but I felt myself starting to calm just a little. Mr. Mysterious was still standing back there.
"They'll kill me," I told him. "They killed Christian." I gestured toward his body on the couch. "He's dead," I whispered. "He's fucking dead!"
"She's doing it again," I heard James whispering. "Who the hell's this girl talking to?"
"The bitch is high as a kite," I heard Carl mumble. "I say we just knock her out and sort things out later."
"Not if we don't have to," I heard Natasha say. When the fuck did she become the voice of reason?
"They're not going to kill you Natalie," the man in the suit said. "Trust me."
I'm not sure why, but part of me did. I was certain I'd never met him before in my life well, relatively certain anyway. I did tend to meet a lot of guys, but none who should have known my name.
"I need you to trust me Natalie. Can you do that?"
I heard somebody moving behind me. "This has gone on long enough," I heard Natasha say coldly.
"Trust me?"
I nodded. "Help me," I whispered.
"Just do what I tell you and you'll be fine." When he spoke, it was more like a prediction of the future than a request. Something in his tone made me believe him. I nodded.
"Duck."
My eyes went wide. "What?"
"Duck!"
On reflex, I lowered myself to the floor just as another bullet flew over my head. It came from the entry way and when I looked up I saw the bulk of Jacob standing there, pistol in hand. I glanced over and saw that Carl had fallen to the ground, a nasty wound on his chest.
"Get his gun!" My new guardian angel said at exactly the same time that I noticed Carl's firearm on the ground. I looked up. Jacob had ducked around the corner and he was occupying the attention of the other two assailants. Taking a deep breath, I made a dive for the gun. Again, maybe it was the cocaine messing with my mind, but all I can remember is diving for the gun, and then finding myself on my feet. I was holding the gun, pointing it directly at the blond woman.
Just in time too because Jacob was just another body on the floor. When she noticed what had happened, Natasha rolled her eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me. Put down the gun and we'll forget all about this," she said calmly.
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!"
"You're wasting your time," the voice that had gotten me this far told me. I was surprised to find him standing right beside me now. "She's not going to tell you anything. They've all taken a vow."
"I said put down the gun," when I noticed her starting to move her gun hand, I pulled the trigger. The sound hurt my ears, and when I opened my eyes again, I could clearly see the hole in the wall. I might have missed her, but it was apparently enough to show her that I meant business. "Okay," she said slowly, "I'm putting my gun down, James do the same." She slowly bent over and set her gun down on the ground. Her partner did the same.
"I wanna know who you people are," I said in a whisper. My tears was drying now and I was running on adrenaline. "Who are you and how do you know who I am."
"I can't tell you that," she said calmly. "Not unless you come with us."
I glanced back at the man who'd helped me this far. He shook his head. "They're not going to tell you anything. Tell them you're leaving, and they'd better not follow you."
"I'm leaving this place," I told them firmly, finger ready to squeeze the trigger again. "And I swear to god I will blow your fucking brains out if you try and follow me."
Natasha put her hands up in supplication. "You're making a mistake," she said simply. I carefully made my way over to the table and picked up my purse.
"Wouldn't be the first one," I told her as I slowly backed out of the room. When we got out of the room, and it was clear that nobody was going to follow, I slipped the gun into my purse and ran as fast as I could
