Note: This is a sequel to „The Bronze Age of Piracy“. It is not necessary to have read that story before, but the characters may refer to events from it.
Anyway, the story takes place in the Old West, in and around a fictional town in the Arizona Territory called „White Skull“, in the summer of 1865.
Chapter one
„I hope you have not broken her spirit completely. If she shall be of use for my work, I need her fully alert and mentally sane.“
Sergeant Rhoades, the one responsible for the fromer secret agent Winona O`Meare, only grunted, but Major Parker, his superior, padded the shoulder of the young man in civilian clothes who had asked.
„Don`t be afraid about that, Mr. Starr. Yesterday, she nearly broke a warden`s nose. Of course, we had to take care that she won`t try such things again.“
Malcolm Starr followed the Sergeant who led him down some stairs before he opened an iron door. Behind it, there was a corridor with a row of similar iron doors. Malcolm guessed that they were now some ten yards below the surface.
After some 15 yards, the Sergeant stopped in front of a door with a peephole in it. After unlocking it, the Sergeant meant towards Malcolm:
„You may need my lamp, Sir. I will be waiting outside. You have ten minutes!“
The Sergeant accepted the silver coin Malcolm gave him with another grunt and disappeared towards the main door of this cellar. Malcolm took a look through the peephole, but inside the cell, it was pitch black. So, he opened the door.
When he entered, he nearly lost his balance for the floor was made of some soft material. „A padded cell“, Malcolm thought before he put down the lamp and looked at the female prisoner that lay in front of him.
The woman had not shown any reaction towards his appearance – she couldn`t. Malcolm recognized the stringency of her bonds even before he saw that Winona was stark naked. Her arms were encased by a leather sheath that covered them from the tips of her toes to above her elbows. Two straps over her shoulders prevented it from slipping down and it was tied together with some lace, so tightly it pressed her elbows together and made her breasts thrust out.
A similar sheath, formed like a big boot, encased her lower legs. An iron ring dangling from her packed fingertips was connected to one at the tip of the boot, keeping her in a hogtie. This would have been quite an inconvenient and sure inescapable tie, but it were not the only restraints she had on her body.
Winona was strapped to the four corners of the small cell. Her knees were tied to one corner, the stiff leather hood covering her head was fixed to the opposite corner by a ring on it`s top. Malcolm could see that this hood had only small holes where the nosrils were and that it was secured at the girl`s neck by a padlock. The ropes tying her to the corners were pulled so tight that she could not even move her head.
A third rope was attached to the connection between her fingertips and the tips of her toes, the other one to a rope that emerged from between her labia and that seemed to be tied to a kind of tight rope belt she was wearing. The crotch rope was pulled excruciatingly tight, too, forcing her hogtied body into the shape of a rhombus and not allowing her to move a muscle. As a finishing touch of cruelty, Malcolm could see that two clothpegs were squeezing her nipples.
„Miss O`Meare – or may I call you Winona? Here`s not the place to be too formal, I think.“
The bound girl showed no reaction. Malcolm guessed that she was gagged beneath the hood, but he doubted that they had plugged her ears, too.
„Winona, Major Parker told me that after the former Southern agent Alinda Knowles managed to escape from here because you lacked caution, they had to punish you. However, instead of accepting your punishment, you tried to run away three times. It seems that you will have to stay like this for quite a long time.“
Again, there was no reaction. Malcolm closed the door behind himself and continued.
„There is however, work to be done. Work in which my employer and me might need your help. That is, if you are interested in a change of your current life here.“
„Mhhmmm!“
Now, a faint moaning told Malcolm that Winona was at least awake.
„I can see that you have difficulties in nodding or shaking your head. So, if you are interested in helping me and to earn quite a nice sum of money, just moan once. If you want to stay here, moan twice. Did you understand me?“
„Mhhmmm!“
„Our mission might be dangerous and maybe, you will not survive it. Are you still interested?“
„Mmph!“
„Oh, and you will be under my order and have to do what I say. Is that clear, too?“
This time, it took a few seconds before Winona let out one short grunt. Malcolm smiled and leaned forward.
„You will understand that I will not trust you until you have proven trustworthy to me. But, if you show that you are a good teamplayer, you will be able to enjoy freedom once again. To show you my will to be gentle, let`s start by giving you a bit of relief.“
He plucked the clothpegs from the girl`s nipples, causing her to moan faintly. Then, he left the cell and went for the Sergeant. Before he and Winona could leave, some preparations had to be taken.
***
About the same time, but some 500 miles south, Zenobia was thinking about her life and came to the conclusion that this was not the freedom she had always longed for. She and Reggie had went back to Wilmington, but, whilst Reggie had found work as a carpenter and seemed to like his new life as a free man, Zenobia still felt like not much had changed. Of course, she now was free, too, but the whites still did not show much willingness to treat her as equal.
In addition, the relation between her and Reggie did not go on well. He was a calm and friendly man, but Zenobia just did not love him. They had slept together a few times, but she had never felt like when she had been forced to spend the night tied to Queena some months earlier. So, Reggie had just said:
„If you don`t like it, we don`t have to do it.“
They still slept in the same bed (Reggie did not want to waste the money he had stolen from Queena and that she never had asked back from him for luxury like a bigger house with separate sleeping rooms), but he never again touched her, except for an occasional hug. Zenobia never had thought that freedom could mean boredom, but after a while, she decided that freedom also meant she could change something about that.
She had told Queena about her thoughts. The blonde girl, despite what they had encountered on the pirate`s ship, was still loyal to her and had become a quite rabid proponent of equal rights for black and white people, but there was some distance between the two women. Queena never talked about their forced intimacy and she only treated Zenobia like a friend she met to drink tea and to gossip with.
„So, you want to leave your Reggie?“, she asked whilst Zenobia visited her on a sunday.
„He`s not MY Reggie! I mean, this cannot be all life offers for me – taking care of his home and cooking. Reggie is a good man, but he just is not the right one for me!“
„Is there someone else in your mind?“, Queena asked.
It took a few seconds before Zenobia shook her head. Deep inside her, there was a burning desire for Queena and Zenobia had to admit that she somehow now preferred women to men. However, she did not dare to mention that, for Queena, who had managed to conceal the details about her kidnapping, had once again found her place in the upper classes` society and rumour even had it that she was engaged to be married. She treid to be a friend towards Zenobia, but somehow, she was only a reminder of her past to her. So, Zenobia just told her:
„I – I am not interested in any man – in particular. I just want to live a life that distinguishes more from my life I had before!“
Queena sipped from her tea, then, she answered:
„Well, there is a possibility – but you would have to go on quite a long trip.“
„The longer, the better!“, Zenobia blurted. Then, she lowered her eyes for this sounded a bit offensive towards Queena, but the blonde did not stir.
„My aunt, Cassandra DeRainier, works at a small city in the Arizona Territory. She runs a little bank or something like that. She sure will give you work, at least if I send her a letter.“
Zenobia hesitated: „A bank? She, as a woman?“
Queena laughed: „Aunt Cassie has always been the black sheep of the family.“
„B-but, what will she say about my, eh-“
Queena became serious and padded her friend`s arm:
„Aunt Cassie has left the South because she disagreed with most of us about the situation of the Blacks. So, be sure, if you are a good worker, she won`t take care of the colour of your skin.“
Zenobia still was not sure. The idea of starting a completely new life was intriguing, but what if this Aunt Cassie did not need her in her bank? Zenobia had learned to read and write during the last months, but she sure was not comparable to any secretary. When she tolt Queena about her concerns, she smiled:
„Well, there`s only one way to find out what she will say about you.“
So, some three weeks later, she was sitting in a stage coach heading for White Skull, the little town where Cassandra DeRainier lived. Though the journey had been straining, Zenobia still was quite euphoric.
Reggie had seemed quite relieved about her plans and had wished her well and he and Queena had also given her some money. Zenobia, wearing a plain black dress, had never been east the Mississippi in her life and she was overwhelmed by the impressions of her trip.
To her delight, it seemed that the colour of her skin counted less the farther west she travelled. Till Santa Fe, the end of the railroad, she had had to travel in the train compartement reserved for Blacks, but then, it had been no problem to get a seat in a stage coach.
Obviously, the summer was not the usual time to get to White Skull. The only other passenger was a young priest that had entered the coach on their last stop some hours before. He had told her that he had been a member in a theatre`s ensemble before he had heard God`s call. Now, he intended to preach to the Apaches and to emphasize his words with his talent as an actor. He had told her much more and Zenobia definitely was happy that he now was reading some religious treatise.
Suddenly, the stage coach came to a halt.
„W-What is it?“, Zenobia asked. She had heard terrible stories about the Apaches and feared that there was an attack.
The priest just looked out of the window, then he seemed concerned:
„The coach driver and the guard – they have disappeared!“
Before Zenobia could answer, there was a shot, followed by a yelling:
„Get out of the coach, then noone get`s hurt!“
The priest went to the other door, but immediately, another shot hit the coach from that side, telling them that they were surrounded.
„Get out, or we will burn down the coach!“
Reluctantly, Zenobia and the priest obeyed. Once outside, they saw five men approaching, each holding a revolver. To her surprise, Zenobia saw that one actually wasn`t a man, but a woman. All five had bandanas tied over their faces.
„Right! Throw your money on the floor and then, you may go!“
„W-where are the drivers?“, Zenobia asked.
Two of the man touched the rims of their hats.
„We are not only working for Wells Fargo, so to say!“
Zenobia desparately looked around, but there was only the robbers and the priest around. They were outnumbered and had no weapons.
Murmuring some psalms, the priest reached under his vest and took a wallet he threw on the floor. Zenobia said:
„My handbag is in the coach!“
The robbers now had come quite close. The woman answered:
„Well, then we will look for it! Bill!“
One of the men went into the coach and came back with the handbag. He rummaged it and waved the 50 dollars Zenobia had in it in front of the woman`s face. However, she did not seem satisfied:
„Maybe, that`s not all the money you have with you. Maybe, you and your pious friend have hidden something in your clothes!“
Zenobia shuddered. It was not the first time she had been forced to strip by some thugs, but she still was frightened by the idea. However, suddenly, the priest spoke:
„P-please, leave her alone, I-I will show you what I have!“
He unbuttoned his jacket and took it off. Then, everything happend very quickly. He threw the jacket into the face of the man next to him, kicked the revolver out of another man`s hand and jumped under the stage coach. On the other side, there were some rocks and so, by running a wild zigzag, he managed to run away without being shot by the robbers.
„Shall we get him?“, one of the men asked.
„No! I don`t want bloodshed and besides, we have his jacket and his wallet. Even if he has hidden some money under his hat, it`s not worth the trouble. Let`s just see if this black beauty has hidden nothing in her clothes.“
Two men searched Zenobia, but, except for some fondling, they did not hurt her and she was allowed to keep her dress on, although one of the men reached under her skirts and searched for hidden values.
„The shooting may have alerted someone! Let`s tie her up and leave!“, the woman ordered.
Despite her resistance, they tied Zenobia`s hands to one of the coachs` wheels. One of the man took a rag and stuffed her mouth with it before he tied a scarf between her lips. When he started to knead Zenobia`s breasts, the woman called him back.
„Leave her alone! Let`s just have a look at the luggage and leave!“
Two men jumped on the coach`s roof and threw down clothes from the bags, but obviously did not find something of interest. So, they just unleashed the horses and rode off, leaving the bound and gagged Zenobia alone.
Drawing by hugues66
***
Arina Brockovich looked around carefully before she slowly undid her shoes, followed by her dress. She knew that even at that remote place it was possible that some of the guys tried to watch her whilst she was bathing. The 18 years old girl knew that she was quite pretty and besides, there were not many girls or women around anyway. Three years ago, her uncle had taken the opportunity to leave New York and to go West. He had been one of the first settlers to follow the call of the Homestead act and he had decided to take his orphan niece with him.
However, Arizona had not been the best choice they had made. The arid land did hardly feed the two persons and they lived wuite remote, with the next farm some three miles away. Her uncle now worked at the silver mine at White Skull, meaning that Arina had to run the farm alone from Monday to Saturday. Since they only had some hens and a goat, this was easy to be done, but for the younf girl, it was dead boring.
Arina had been a little child when her late parents had left Russia, but they had always told her about the richness and the promises of America. Now, all she had gotten was a little farmhouse, hardly better than a hut, a few acres of bad land and only some people to talk with whne she went to church or had to do some shopping. Arina hated the lonely and dirty life she had to live. She could not escape the loneliness, but at least, she could do something to feel more clean.
When she had taken off her dress, Arina once more looked around. Her uncle had always told her he would whip her if she tried to flirt with some of the young men around and she was very shy about her body anyway. So, she took great care that there was nobody around before she reached under her slip and loosened her stockings from her garter. Arina had decided to keep the garter, slip, camisole and knickers on. They needed some cleaning and besides, she did not dare to bath in the nude.
With a sigh, she went into the brook until the water reached her hips. Then, she crouched, allowing the water to flood over her. Arina stayed under the surface for as long as she could before she came up again, panting and blinking the water from her eyes.
Suddenly, she saw that a shadow was lying over her. Someone stood directly behind her. Angrily, the girl spun around.
„Bert Allenby, if you-“
Her words died in her throat. There, only half a yard away from her, stood a man. It was neither Bert Allenby nor her uncle nor someone else she knew. The man had black, shoulder length hair, a brown skin and was wearing a vest ornated with silver coins. He was an Apache.
Thousands of terrible stories about these blood-thirsty savages rose up in her mind at the same time. Her uncle had always warned her not to be careless, or the Apache would come. She had considered these stories as an adult version of the big bad wolf, but now. Here was one of these warriors and about to do unspeakable things to her!
Arina tried to scream and run away, but only a croak left her throat. When the Indian grabbed her arm, she fainted.
Smiling, the Apache carried her to the shore and fetched his horse. He threw Arina over the saddle and tied her wrists and ankles to the stirrups. Then, he took her stockings, balled one of them up and stuffed it into the still unconscious girl`s mouth. The other one, he tied between her lips to secure the gag. Then, he went to the brook and moistened a piece of leather which he tied over her gagged mouth, too. Then, he took the reign of his horse and went on.
Cuchillo, as first the Mexicans and later his own men called him, was satisfied. He had watched this girl for some time now and his attack had been even easier than he had thought. With the white woman tied to his horse, he had to walk through the mountains, but he was used to it and so, he just took a last look if he and his victim were really the only human beings around before he began his way home.
***
„So, that`s the bank. Looks quite unsuspicious from the distance.“
Malcolm and Winona were standing side by side at the window of their hotel room. They had checked in at White Skull`s best hotel as „Mr. And Mrs. Douglass“, a young couple that wanted to „see the West as long as it existed“. Winona would have preferred a room for her own, but this would have looked suspicious and Malcolm had proved to be a real gentleman so far.
After he had left her cell, the wardens had come. Without taking the hood from her, let alone ungagging her, they had released her from her bonds and led her upstairs where someone had unlocked the padlock securing the hood before pushing her into a room. Hastily, Winona had pulled the dreadful hood from her head. When she was working the cloth from her mouth, that in addition to the leather plug had stuffed her mouth, her eyes had fallen on a note that was lying on a pile of neatly folded clothes. It said:
„Dear Winona, you have half an hour to refresh yourself and to get dressed. We can see to that later if the clothes don`t fit properly. Since this is a prison, I can`t offer you a hot bath, but you will find water, soap, a comb and a towel in here. Please, put on the hood again once you are ready, a warden will fetch you from the door when the time is over.“
It had not been signed, but it had been obvious who had written it. Winona, who had been exhausted from being in the cruel bondage for some twelve hours, greedily drank from the cold tea that stood there in a big mug. Then, having relieved herself, she quickly washed herself, cleaned her hair as best as she could and combed it till she looked once again quite presentable. There was a mirror under the pile of clothes, so, Winona could check her appearance.
The clothes were what she called the „Western chic“: practically enough to allow riding, but modest and ladylike enough to not raise attention. Winona put on a pair of white knickers and a camisole, both plain and with only a little lace, but made from silk. There was only an underskirt as additional underwear, but Winona could only find some linen footwraps. She put both on, followed by a white, high-collared blouse and a black skirt that ended halfway between her knees and ankles. She first thought that this was far from being decent, but then, she saw the black riding boots that reached to her knees. A light black jacket finished her new outfit. Winona had to admit that her new employer had chosen clothes that were fitting almost perfect.
„Of course, he has seen every part of my body and could imagine my size“, she thought with a slight shudder.
There was a knock on the door. Reluctantly, she put on the hood again. It still smelled from leather and sweat. Winona shoved the plug into her mouth, but refused to stuff her mouth with the cloth before. When she had pulled it over her head, she felt for the door and knocked, too.
Someone stepped in and fastened the belts on her hood, firmly, but not too tight. Then, she felt that the padlock was reapplied, too. Now, even if she managed to break free and even to run away, she would still be gagged and blindfolded. Obviously, the man did not trust her yet.
She was led into a coach that immediately drove off. After what seemed ages, someone was unlocking the padlock.
„Mhhuuhhmmmph!“
Winona twitched when she felt being touched. The other person had not talked to her and it was the first time she recognized that she was not alone.
„If I take this from you, you promise not to try anything silly?“
„Mmhhhmmm!“, Winona nodded.
He gently, but quickly removed the hood.
„Thank you“, Winona said after some panting. The man offered her a drink from his flask, then, he spoke:
„Now, that we are alone, I will tell you what you have to do.“
The man, who had told her that she could call him „Malcolm“, had told her that he was employed by a big mining company. One of these mines was in a small town called White Skull in Arizona. Though the town had no more than 500 inhabitants, the local silver mine was quite profitable – or at least, it had been until some six months ago. The company worked together with the local bank which had substantially reduced the amount of silver they had to send to the company. In a letter, the bank`s owner, a Miss Cassandra DeRainier, had explained that there had been robberies around White Skull. The local newspaper had proven this, but the company was suspicious: these robberies had never left anyone dead or wounded – and, the leader of the gang was a woman. So, not only Malcolm suspected that the robberies had been made up by Miss DeRainier or her accomplices.
His plan had been to observe the bank, but, if Miss DeRainier really was a criminal, she might be suspicious about a single man from the East showing interest in her bank. So, he had decided that he needed a female colleague to do some of the research. Remembering what his friend, the leader of the „Special Branch“, had told him about the female agents under his command, Malcolm had asked him if he could be deprived of one of his women. He had saved the life of the man`s nephew at Bull Run four years before and so, he still owed a favour to Malcolm.
So, after a journey of some 20 days, they had reached White Skull and had checked in at the hotel where they were now.
„And you want me to go there and take a look?“, Winona asked, examining the bank, too.
„Well, not at once. Later, you and me will go there together. You will be delighted to find a woman working in such a profession whilst I will pretend that this is rather inappropriate for a member of the weak sex. We will even quarrel a bit and leave. Tomorrow or so, you will come back, tell Miss DeRainier that you are here secretly and that you are so fascinated about her standing her woman in a men`s world. So, if you play your cards right, she may trust you and you might be able to get some interesting inside views of the bank.“
Winona had to admit that this plan perhaps was not brilliant, but quite good. During their journey, Malcolm had told her that their mission could be dangerous, but Winona was no coward.
„All right, my dear husband. Let me just finish off my makeup, then we can make a visit to the bank of White Skull.“
***
Zenobia had soon found out that her bondage was simple, but quite effective. Her wrists were tied to the big wheel and so, she could not reach the knots with her head. Also, her fingers were just one inch too short for her to reach her gag, no matter how she squirmed in her bonds.
„Huuummmmphh! Uuuhhhhmmmmm!“
The gag did not silence her as brutal as the gags she had to suffer from months earlier had done, but it made her words unintelligible and reduced her volume quite a bit. In addition, Zenobia could hear nobody around except for some birds and so, she soon had stopped moaning for help.
Her hope had been that the cowardish priest would have come back once the robbers had left, but obviously he had run away in panic and did not care about her.
Zenobia guessed that one hour had passed since the thugs had tied and gagged her. The hot sun now more and more reached the place where she was sitting, causing the helpless woman to sweat slightly.
„Mhhmmph!“
Once again, she fought against the ropes and the gag. She did not know when anybody would be suspicious about the missing stage coach and would take a look what had happened, but she was sure that they would not send a posse if there was just a little delay.
Suddenly, she heard an approaching horse. Zenobia fought down her reflex of screaming through her gag. If it was a potential rescuer, he would look at the horseless coach anyway and if it was one of the robbers, there was no reason to make noise.
„Hello? Is there anybody here?“, a female voice yelled.
„Mhhmmmm! Uuuuhhmmmmmph!“
Now, Zenobia knew for sure that there was someone who could help and wanted to show him where she was. After a minute, a woman wearing riding boots, trousers, a white blouse and a black vest stepped around the corner of the coach. She had long brown curls and wore her hair open. In her right hand, she held a small revolver, in the other her black hat.
„Oh my god, are you allright?“
„Mmmhhmmmph!“
„Just one second“, the woman said and pulled the bandana from between Zenobia`s lips. She spat out the soaked rag and panted before she thanked the woman.
„I am Andrea Benson, from the White Skull Gazette. Am I right that you were robbed by a gang lead by a woman?“, she said whilst freeing Zenobia`s right wrist.
„After I have freed you, you will give me an exclusive interview, won`t you? My readers would like to read everything about your predicament!“
Zenobia nodded slowly, still a bit abashed by today`s events. She had wanted a less boring life, but now, she was glad that her adventure had come to an end – at least for the moment.
***