The Ties That Bind (26 page)

"You want this, don't you, Fiona?"

"I need more of the other," she managed to gasp.

He picked up the riding crop again.

"You mean this?"

She nodded vigorously.

In his other hand, he held the dildo.

"It's the best part," he said, holding the dildo
to her lips. "Kiss it, bitch."

She obeyed him. Then he flung the riding crop to the floor.

"This is a lot more fun, Fiona. Remember."

She felt the vibrating instrument roll down her body. He
moved it slowly, smiling at her as he did so, until he moved it between her
legs.

"Don't you just love this, Fiona?"

Her flesh felt numb. Her legs began to shake
uncontrollably. Tears rolled down her cheeks. With every ounce of energy she
could muster, she screamed.

"Wonderful," Farley shouted, as if in
counterpoint. "More?"

She closed her eyes and screamed again and again. She felt
the pressure of the dildo between her legs as the hated instrument moved around
her genitals.

Suddenly, she heard a sharp crack and the instrument was
withdrawn from where it was poised to damage her. When she opened her eyes, she
saw Gail.

Gail Prentiss in costume, an amazon in leather. Even in her
present state of panic, Fiona was mesmerized by her appearance.

Gail was made up as the ultimate mistress, an unbelievably
formidable sight with her spiked heels, lace panties, black silk stockings, a
leather corset that emphasized her large breasts. Her lips were made up in
cherry red lipstick, her eyes in black eye makeup. In her hand, she carried a
whip and by the way she wielded it, she apparently had been practicing.

Farley, too, had been mesmerized by the sight. He stood
stock still, naked, watching Gail, who looked at him menacingly, then snapped
the whip so that its pay end slapped across his stomach.

"On the ground, you stinking bastard," she cried,
briefly glancing at Fiona.

"Now show it to me," she hissed. He was on his
hands and knees, his buttocks exposed, waiting for the whip. She pulled back
her arm and lashed him again and again until his buttocks were raw.

"Now crawl over to that corner, you scummy piece of
garbage."

He did as she asked and started to turn around.

"Did I say you could look at me?"

He shook his head.

"Say, no, mistress."

"No, mistress."

He cowered in the corner.

Gail quickly released Fiona. She keeled over on the floor,
exhausted and hurt. Every inch of her body ached.

Exchanging glances with Gail, she nodded and managed to
stagger to the other side of the wall, where she had placed the video machine.
She pressed the button and heard the faint whirring sound of the mechanism.

Suddenly, she saw a shadow move behind her.

Harrison! She fell into his arms.

"Thank God," she whispered. "I..."

"Not now," he replied.

He wrapped her in his jacket and held her as they watched
the scene through the monitor.

"You can leave the corner," Gail said, cracking
the whip over his back. "But don't you dare look at me."

He came toward her face down until he was directly in front
of her.

"I want you to kiss my feet," Gail ordered.

He did so.

Fiona noted that the still vibrating dildo was in her hand
now. She heard Harrison gasp beside her.

"If you're not good, I'll use this," she said,
showing him the device. "And you know where I'll put it."

"Yes, mistress. I'll be good."

"I don't think you will," Gail insisted. She
ordered him to turn around. She moved the vibrating dildo against the raw skin
of his buttocks.

"Do you feel that?"

He nodded.

"Say, yes, mistress," Gail ordered.

"Yes, mistress."

"Do you want me to use this?"

"No, mistress."

"Did Phyla mind, Farley?"

He hesitated.

"Did she?"

Again he was silent.

She cracked the whip sharply against his buttocks.

"You want me to stop?"

"No, mistress," he said, shaking his head.

"Tell me about Phyla. Did she beg for it?"

"At first, mistress."

Bingo, Fiona thought. At last. She felt grateful. A sob
bubbled up from her chest. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Phyla enjoyed being a bottom, right?"

"Yes, mistress."

"For years she was your slave, right?"

"Yes, mistress."

"And you came to her room at the Mayflower?"

"Yes, mistress."

"And she loved it, didn't she?"

"Yes, mistress."

"And you loved it?"

"Very much, mistress."

"And she wanted more and more, bigger and
bigger?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Now put your hands behind you," Gail ordered.

"Yes, mistress."

He did so and she slapped handcuffs around his wrists.

"You bastard," Gail cried. She put the dildo down
and raised her arm. The whip was still in her hand.

Fiona reached out and shut off the video machined. Harrison
helped her move to the other side of the wall. Gail was laying lash after lash
on him. She noted that Farley had a formidable erection.

"Stop, Gail. Please. Enough. We got what we
need."

Gail was bathed in perspiration.

"That was for Barker," she said, out of breath.

"He wants that, Gail."

Bending, Gail grasped Farley by the handcuffs and roughly
pulled him to a standing position. He seemed dazed, as if he were just emerging
from a trance.

"What is this all about?" he mumbled.

"We're booking you, Judge," Gail said.

He was still not fully cognizant of what was happening.
Harrison and Gail managed to put on his pants and shirts. He looked a mess.
Gail opened one cuff and attached it to the same pipe to which he had attached
Fiona.

"I'll get you a robe, darling," Harrison said. He
dashed up the basement stairs.

"Harrison called me," Gail said. "Said you
were acting strangely. When you didn't answer, I knew immediately."

Fiona looked at her. Moving toward her, she patted one
cheek and kissed the other.

"I don't know what to say," Fiona began.

"I did," Gail said. "And I think I might
have talked too much. I told Harrison everything."

Conscious suddenly of her costume, Gail shook her head.

"Weird, isn't it?" she said.

"Thank you," Fiona whispered.

"You don't have to..."

"For going along. For believing. For being a
friend."

Gail did not respond. Fiona looked into her yellow-flecked
eyes. Their gaze held for a few moments.

"I did find some excitement in it, Fiona," Gail
said. "It does get one in touch with one's darker side."

"We all have that, Gail."

"I don't think I could ever be in it, but I did
understand it."

Fiona nodded. They embraced for a moment, then Harrison
appeared with her dressing gown and Gail ran up the stairs. Harrison held open
the dressing gown and Fiona put her arms through the sleeves, conscious of the
lingering pain as she moved.

"The bastard," Harrison muttered.

Fiona looked toward Farley.

"You're in deep shit, Farley," she said.

The dazed look gave way to feral alertness. He seemed fully
aware of his situation now.

"You can't do this, Fiona," he muttered. He
apparently was still unaware of his confession.

"Yes, we can," Fiona said.

"I'm a Supreme Court justice," he whispered,
still believing in his power and credibility.

"It's over, Farley."

What lay ahead for him was reasonably predictable. His
lawyers would advise him to plead temporary insanity. It was highly unlikely
that he would ever be incarcerated. Undoubtedly, he would have to resign from
the Court. A long program of therapy would certainly be recommended.

The media would have a field day. Few people had any real
knowledge of the B and D phenomena. Most would call it perversion.
Practitioners and number of psychiatrists would have another opinion. There
were, she had learned through her research, many sides to human sexuality.

But she did know that these practices often got out of hand
and had dangerous consequences.

After a while, Fiona speculated, Farley's public
humiliation would fade from collective memory. And Farley, forever known as
Justice Lipscomb, would resume a lucrative private practice.

"It was only a game, Fiona," he said, half
believing it himself.

"Not to me, Farley. It was a horrible experience. I'm
sure you wanted to kill me."

"Kill? Death? That was the furthest thing from my
mind."

"Like Phyla?"

"Phyla?"

"Let's not go through the routine again, Farley.
You've admitted it."

"Did I?" Was it a ploy or had he really
forgotten?

"We have it on videotape."

He seemed confused by the statement.

"You do?"

He looked stunned, but she couldn't be sure.

"If we need it, we'll use it. My advice to you would
be to save yourself and Letitia any further embarrassment. Let your lawyers
work it out. You need therapy, Farley. You're dangerous. Believe me, you
wouldn't want that tape to be shown."

"Must I tell Letitia?" he asked, still vague,
almost childlike.

"I'm afraid so. Unfortunately, she's a passenger on
your shipwreck."

He shrugged and bowed his head.

Gail came down the stairs in street clothes.

"The Chief has been alerted. He had mixed feelings
about it. First he chewed me out."

"Can you blame him?" Fiona said. "Think of
all the hassle he's in for. Everybody, except the media, will be wishing for a
quick end to the whole affair."

"Especially me," Gail said. "That
tape..."

"Might open up a whole new career"—Fiona
smiled—"as an actress."

Gail smiled thinly. She went over to Farley, detached him
from the pipe and cuffed his hands behind his back. He looked forlorn and Fiona
had to tamp down a brief shiver of compassion.

"I'll bring him in," Gail said. Her glance moved
from Fiona to Harrison.

"Be gentle," Gail said. "She's had a rough
time."

She grabbed Farley by the cuffs, moved him across the room
and started up the stairs. Halfway up, she turned.

"My father died," she said.

"When?"

"A few minutes ago. I just called."

"How awful," Fiona said. "I'm so sorry you
weren't with him."

"So am I." She sucked in a deep breath, her
nostrils quivering. "He would have understood."

She moved up the stairs, pushing Farley in front of her.

After they had gone, Harrison led Fiona to the second floor.
He ran a warm bath for her. She soaked in it for a long time. Gently, Harrison helped her remove the ugly graffiti Farley had written on her. After a while she
felt the pain flee her body.

After the bath, Harrison gently patted her dry and powdered
her.

"It's over now, Fiona," he said as he held the
covers open for her to get in the bed. She got in and he pulled the covers up
to her chin and kissed her deeply.

"Sleep now, darling," he told her.

She nodded and he started toward the door.

"See you in the morning, Harrison," Fiona said.

He turned and looked at her.

"And tell your office you're taking a few days
off," she said.

He looked confused.

"I've got a lot of things in mind to keep you busy
around here."

She smiled and started to drift off to sleep. Must remind
myself to call in tomorrow, she thought.