When Cheng was sure that Vanessa had told him everything she knew, he took a rest on her couch, thinking about his situation. The interrogation had lasted quite long, since he had left the woman gagged all the time and so had to ask questions that could be answered by „yes“ or „no“. Now, the landlady was still lying on her bed, squirming in her bonds and from time to time making small sounds through her gag. Obviously, her quick decline from the successful businesswomen to a helpless captive had frightened her to death, for she had not tried to put up any real resistance.
Now, he knew that Vanessa had from time to time offered young pretty girls living in her hostel to Madame Yini, who obviously sold these girls to China. Cheng considered it quite ironic that, whilst Europe and the USA were treating his country like a colony, some Chinese now had become the masters of some Whites. However, Madame Yini had nothing to do with Mr. Wong or the Princess, art least Vanessa did not know about that. She also had no idea who that Mr. Dew was.
Cheng decided to rest for a few hours before he would have to start negotiations with Madame Yini. It was something he did not appreciate, but she was the only possible ally he could think of. With a smile, he looked over to the bound, gagged and blindfolded Vanessa.
„Maybe, I still have use for you“, he thought.
***
Mr. Wong was a businessman and so, he was used to heated and prolonged discussions. However, he was not used to have these discussions with a group of women. Whilst he was at least curious about what Mr. Dew had to offer, Jody insisted that he was a kidnapper and had tried to abduct the Princess just some 30 hours ago. Andrea, who had been given her clothes back, wanted to call the police and Princess Jinjin wanted that Mr. Wong would take up the fight and kill anyone who would try to do her any harm. Only Lien remained silent.
„If we call the police, they will think it`s a gang war amongst some Chinese gangs. They will arrest some of us and smash a few windows, but they will not help us. In addition, this will inflict severe damage upon our community. The authorities don`t like us and they are already thinking of methods of getting us out or at least reducing our number.“
Andrea had difficulties in accepting these facts, but more and more, she saw that it would be on them to find a solution. But the alternatives they had were all not very attractive. The Princess insisted:
„Uncle, which compromise do you want to make? Offer them to take one half of me?“
Jody proposed that Jinjin should just flee for another town, but the Princess fumed at her:
„I am an aristocrate! I won`t run away from such a mob!“
„You ran away from China“, Jody replied pointedly.
Mr. Wong watched the resulting quarrel for a while, then, he slammed his fist on the desk and the women fell silent.
„Enough! We are talking without knowing what we are talking about! Tomorrow, I will meet with this Mr. Dew and find out what he has to offer! Then, and only then, it will make sense to think about further steps!“
„But uncle, if you meet with him, he might take you as a prisoner. Let us send one of these“, she pointed at Andrea and Jody.
Andrea was a bit absent-minded, because she was worried about Zenobia. She was quite sure that Mr. Dew did not have her in his clutches, because otherwise he would have mentioned that he had another pawn. But her friend was still out there and in danger. However, sending her as an ambassador would not improve on this. However, before she or Jody could say something, the Princess intervened:
„Mr. Dew will never believe you that these women are your trusted employees. He will think that you have sent him someone you would not mind to lose.“
„Maybe, he should send you, your Highness“, Jody hissed. Mr. Wong wanted to say something, when Lien suddenly raised her hand.
„Excuse me, but maybe, I`ve got an idea that could help.“
***
The next morning, Madame Yini spent a visit to her captives whom she had left bound and gagged on the bed. both were tied with their hands to the bedposts, facing each other and trying to find a way of stretching their bodies without too much skin contact. After each of them had been given ten minutes in the bathroom, both were given some breakfast. Since none of the exhausted girls tried to scream or offered any other resistance, the meal was almost relaxed. But then, Madame Yini called in Yuen and the two girls were once again tied. Madame Yini intended to at least show them the cellar, just as a warning. So, only their hands were cuffed behind their backs and to their surprise, they were allowed to put their knickers on. Actually, Zenobia had to wear those that had gagged Myra and belonged to the Chinese women whilst Myra wore those that originally had been Andrea`s, but at least, they were no longer stark naked.
However, Madame Yini`s generosity did not spare them from being gagged. Zenobia, who had had to endure such a torture device before, shuddered when Yuen brought two black leather hoods. However, these were a bit different from those she had been forced to wear on the pirate ship. They had a plug wrapped in silk that was shoved into their mouths, too, but they had a big opening, leaving their eyes and nose completely free. They had another opening at the top of the head, allowing Yuen to pull their hair through it, so that it was not trapped under the hood, but hung as if they were wearing it in a ponytail. Myra fought a bit when she was hooded, but Zenobia accepted the leather hood as soon as she saw that it allowed her to see and did not block her breathing. Madame Yini pulled tight a strap over the girls`s mouths, securing their gags, and locked two little padlocks at the backs of their necks.
„Now, even with your hands free, you could not get these from your heads. But now, enough said, I have to show you an interesting part of my house.“
She tied a leash around each girl`s neck and handed the ends to Yuen. Then, they had to follow the two Chinese down some stairs to a small room that had a large window. On the other side, some people were sitting and having their tea. There were mostly Chinese, but also some Europeans, and some of them seemed to look directly at the naked, bound and gagged girls.
Drawing by hugues66
„Mmmhmmmph! Uuhhmmmph!“, Zenobia moaned and tried to break free.
„Nnnngggg! Hhhmmmph!“, Myra joined in, but Madame Yini only laughed:
„Girls, how silly do you think I am? This glass is only transparent from this side. On the other side, there is a mirror. So, all those men are not interested in you, but actually in themselves.“
Before they went on, they could see two men carrying a large box inside the tearoom. Both men seemed a bit confused and so, Madame Yini went for a little door and after a few seconds, Myra and Zenobia could see the Chinese talking to the men.
„This damned mirror is only some yard away! I am sure we could break the glass by just kicking against it!“
However, Yuen seemed to have anticipated such thoughts and kept their leashes short, just as if they were two biting dogs.
After a minute, Madame Yini came back, followed by the two men with the box. If these were wondering about the sight of two pantyclad, bound and gagged women, they did not show it at all. Without any emotion, they followed the little group down another stair, to a small room that was surprisingly warm.
„On this side“, she pointed at a brick wall, „is the oven of my bakery. So, we won`t freeze, even if some of us are far from being decently dressed.“
Though they both had suffered far worse, both girls blushed by these words. However, the equipment distracted them from their embarrassment. It looked as if they had travelled to time – and landed in a torture chamber of the Spanish Inquisition. There were lots of chains and some metal devices that looked menacing, though none of the girls had seen one of these before.
Madame Yini said something in Chinese and Yuen grabbed an iron hook, dangling from the ceiling on an iron chain. He hung the chains between both girls`s handcuffs over it and adjusted the chain until they had to stand with their arms raised behind their backs and had to bend forward to minimize the pressure. However, Yuen took care that the position was inconvenient, but not actually painful.
„I will take care of you later, but first, I have to look for my post“, she said almos excusingly to them before turning to the box the two men had placed on the floor before leaving the cellar. It was a chest that looked like a clothes chest and now, when there was no more noise, one could hear faint sounds coming from inside.
Frowning, Madame Yini opened the lid. Now, the sounds became louder and Madame Yini called for Yuen. Myra and Zenobia watched curiously, too what was the content of that mysterious box.
To the amazement of all four, the two Chinese heaved a naked woman from the box and placed them on the floor. Her eyes and mouth were covered by broad strips of cloth and so, they could only see some dishevelled blonde curls. The rest of the woman was more than easy to watch. Her right forearm had been tied to her right lower leg her left forearm to her left, forcing her to arch her body back in a hideous bow and to keep her legs open. A rope was tied around her waist and from that, a tight rope disappeared between the woman`s legs. Zenobia first thought that a short stick was shoved under the crotch rope, but actually it was a scroll.
Madame Yini took the scroll and unrolled it. To her surprise, the short message was written in Chinese. When she had read it, she dropped the paper and removed the woman`s blindfold. A pair of widened blue eyes stared at her.
„Miss Hooke?“
„Mhhmmmph!“
Vanessa looked around with fear, blushing violently when she saw that she was stark naked in the presence of Yuen, too. Then, her eyes fell on Zenobia and Myra who were too perplexed to see her former landlady bound and gagged to their feet.
„Miss Hooke, I told you that I have an increasing demand for pretty young women to sell, but I have never thought that you would go so far to offer yourself.“
„Mhhmmmph! Mmhhmmmmhhhmmm!“
Vanessa vigorously shook her head and pleaded to be freed. Myra and Zenobia now would have stared with their jaws wide open if their gagging hoods would have allowed that. Had the friendly Miss Hooke been behind their abductions?
„Miss Hooke, together with you, there came a letter“, she pointed at the discarded paper, „from a man who says that since my supplier of fresh young girls is now out of business, I might be interested in new methods of earning money. He wants to meet me and I am afraid, I have to accept his – offer.“
„Mmmhhmmm?“
„Oh yes, since he obviously knows what you have done for me and he threats to reveal this little secret to the police if I refuse to meet him, you are of not much value for me. To be precicely, you are exactly of that value one of my customers will be willing to pay for a pretty, but a little older blonde woman like you.“
„Mmmhmmmmmmpphh! Mmhhhhhrrrrrrrrr! Nnnnnngggggg! Mhmmmmph!“
Vanessa screamed through her gag and wriggled in her bonds, but Madame Yini just grabbed her side and turned her on her belly. Now, all could see that she was indeed very rigidly tied. Whoever had tied her up, had not only tied her wrists to her ankles, but had bent her legs until he could tie her left hand to her left knee and her right foot to her right elbow. Madame Yini now turned to Zenobia and Myra. Her smile was a bit stiff, but otherwise, she showed no emotion.
Drawing by hugues66
„Now, that`s somehow a nice coincidence. I had intended to just show you the instruments, so to say, but now, I can show you what we do to those who have disappointed us without hurting you.“
She had to raise her voice to overtone Vanessa`s frantic moaning and whimpering. Yuen brought some short pieces of rope and tied them to the bound woman. He had some difficulties in keeping her still, but finally, he had tied two ropes around Vanessa`s shoulders and armpits, two around her bound feet and elbows, two around her knees and wrists and one through where her crotch rope was fixed to her waist rope, just above her buttocks. In each dangling end, Yuen had tied a little noose.
„Perhaps you have heard that in medieval times, the authorities tried to find punishment that somehow reflected the misdeed of the delinquent. And Miss Hooke here has ben too careless for her job. One could say, she has handled things quite from above.“
She giggled and both Zenobia and Myra watched Yuen lowering a large grid from the ceiling. When they looked closer, they could see that it had lots of hooks on it`s bottom. Yuen dragged Vanessa to where the grid was and lowered it until it was some feet above her back. Then, he one by one hooked the little rope nooses into the hooks. Vanessa screamed with horror and pain as he pulled at the chain and the grid went up again. With her limbs – and crotch – tied to the hooks, she was lifted from the ground, too and finally, she hung from the ropes that Yuen had applied on her body. She wriggled frantically, but this seemed only to increase the pain. Madame Yini went over to her when she was some three feet above the ground.
„Now, you regret every ounce of fat you have put on during the last years, don`t you?“, Madame Yini mocked, looking at Vanessa`s rather slim figure. Then, after a careful check of the blonde`s bonds, she removed the broad silk belt of her kimono and tied it around Vanessa`s belly. She tied it to the grid, ensuring that it took some of the woman`s weight, but did not create any slack in the other ropes holding her.
„A little bit of easement, since you will have to stay like this for some time.“
„Mmhhrrrrrrr! Uuuhhhmmmmmphh! Mmmhhmmmmmmmmm!“
Vanessa`s cries were overtoned by the creaking of the winch and soon, she was hanging some three yards above the ground, dangling helplessly from the ropes and screaming into her mouthfilling gag.
When Madame Yini stepped back to admire her cruelty, Myra kicked her. Her position did not allow her to do so with considerable strenght and it was only a poke to her backside. The Chinese just staggered slightly. Then, she turned to the girls, faking disappointment:
„My, my, girls. I thought that we would get back upstairs now, where you would have been allowed to take a relaxing bath and then to stay on your bed. but it seems that you need a little while in the cellar, too.“
„Mmhhmmmph!“, Zenobia protested. She felt pity for Myra, but at least, she had done nothing.
„Oh, my black beauty, I have not forgotten your little game from earlier on. So, since I have some business to do now, you will wait here till I find some time for you. Yuen, a hand, please!“
To their surprise, the man brought two chairs that looked rather comfortable. They were upholstered and had armrests. Yuen placed the chairs under where Vanessa was hanging and placed them vis a vis. Then, he brought a hammer and some huge nails. Both Myra and Zenobia mewed with fear, but he only nailed the chairs to the ground, fixing them in their position. Then, he unhooked Zenobia`s hands and pulled her over to one of the chairs. Madame Yini brought two leather belts that were fixed together, forming a „T“. one of these, she tied around Zenobia`s waist, the other one, she pulled between her legs and buckled it tight, right below her navel. Now, Zenobia was crotch roped once more, but this was not applied too tightly and the fact she was still wearing her knickers helped to minimize the pressure a bit.
Yuen made her sit in the chair, bending her arms over the backrest and fixing her cuffed hands to the horizontal bar between the chair`s rear legs. The sitting position made the crotch strap tighten a bit, but still, this would be tolerable. Zenobia waited for him to tie her legs, but instead, he went for Myra.
The girl tried to fight, but the muscular Yuen had no difficulties in holding her when Madame Yini tied a similar leather belt like Zenobia`s around her waist. However, instead of tying the other strap between her legs, she let it dangle and just ordered her to sit in the other chair, some two yards away from Zenobia. When her wrists were cuffed to the bar between the chair`s rear legs, Madame Yini stepped behind the backrest. Reaching around, she grabbed Myra`s big boobs.
„Mmmmmhhmmmmm! Nnnnggggg! Mmmmhhmmmph!“
Myra squirmed on her seat and tried to shake her hands off, but to no avail. She flailed around with her unbound legs, but her position did not allow her to kick at the Chinese. After a while, her fighting and pleading decreased from exhaustion, but reached a new peak when Madame Yini slid one hand into the girl`s knickers.
„Mmhhrrrrrr! Ghhmmmmph! Mph! Mph! Mhhmmmmph!“
Despite her leather hood, Zenobia could see that the girl was blushing violently and her eyes were as big as saucers. She wriggled as much as her ties allowed and squeezed her thighs to prevent Madame Yini`s hand from getting further. The Chinese laughed and grabbed Myra`s ponytail, roughly pulling her head back.
„Easy, girl, easy. We both know that you actually enjoy this. At least, I know and I know your body better than you do, as you sure will remember.“
„Mmhhhrrrrrrr! Uuuhhhmmmph! Mmhhmmmmmph!“
„Nnnnnggg! Mmhhmmmph!“, Zenobia tried to support the muffled protests of Myra who still tried to fight off the humiliating treatment. However, after a while, her movements became slower and less panic-stricken and her moans were mixed with sighs. When Myra closed her eyes, Zenobia could see that her nipples had grown hard and that she was moving her pelvis rhythmically now. When Zenobia sensed the specific fragrance and could see a wet spot at the front of the black knickers, Madame Yini withdrew her hand. Ignoring Myra`s mews of protest, she quickly buckled the crotch strap in place.
„Sorry, dear, but I haven`t got all day. But I will do something that you girls can help yourselves whilst I am away.“
She took a long, thin rope and threaded it through Myra`s crotch rope, then, she went over and put it through that of Zenobia. The Black now waited that she would tighten this rope, pulling on both their crotches, but Madame Yini had an even more perfid idea in mind. With the help of Yuen who lifted her up, she threaded the rope through Vanessa`s crotch rope, who mmphed frantically. Then, Madame Yini knotted the ends of the rope. The three women`s crotches were now connected, not very tightly, but tight enough to make any movement of one of them teasing the others, too. Madame Yini stepped beside Myra and padded her shoulder.
„If you want to go off now, do as you please. Now, you don`t have to be afraid to be egoistic and to only fulfil your own needs. Now, your companions can enjoy your passion, too. I even leave the lamp here, so you can see each other.“
Giggling, she left the cellar, followed by Yuen, who now for the first time showed a little smile on his face, too.
***
Algernon Davis, the receptionist at the hotel „Ambassador“, frowned. The „Ambassador“ was one of the best hotels in San Francisco and so, normally only white people could be seen in the lobby. Exceptions were only made for the guest`s servants, of course, but this Mr. Dew was straining the rules. Not only had he reserved the room adjacent to his suite for his Chinese servants, now, two more Asian men entered the lobby and asked for Mr. Dew as if they had any right to do so. They were dressed in their oriental dresses and looked very foreign and so, Mr. Davis had to remember the huge tip he had received from Mr. Dew to treat these men with respect and to not send them to the service entrance. The men had a large, expensive looking carpet on their shoulders. When he had given them Mr. Dew`s room number, they even took the main stairs to get there. So, Mr. Davis allowed himself a large sip from his hidden Whiskey flask.
Graham Tyler, alias William Dew, had expected to get a message from Mr. Wong, but not that he would send him a present. Curiously, he unrolled the carpet – a Chinese silk carpet worth some thousand Pounds, he guessed – immediately after the two messengers had left. What was hidden inside, made his eyebrow raise.
To his feet, a young Chinese woman was lying. She was wearing a blue silk dress, permeated with golden floral ornaments and her hair was woven into an elegant bun. He could see that her body was encircled by numerous silk scarves and another scarf was tied tightly over the girl`s mouth, obviously hiding some packing. She looked up to him without showing any emotion.
A scroll was lying on her chest. Tyler took it and read it.
„Dear Mr. Dew. I am interested in negotiations with you and I propose we will meet at the Chinese restaurant near the harbour. It`s the best etablissement at this side of the Pacific Ocean and it`s easier for me if you are coming to my part of the town than it is for me to visit you at your hotel. To assure you of my honest intentions, the Princess`s cousin, Lien, has agreed to act as a hostage for as long as our negotiations will last. I will be at said restaurant from noon to dusk, since I am interested in coming together as fast as possible. Yours, Wong Lee.“
Tyler was almost amused. Such a short letter, without any set phrases, was quite unusual for an Asian, almost inpolite. But it also showed that Mr. Wong was interested. He looked down at the bound and gagged woman.
„The cousin of the Princess, hm? Or are you just a disposable servant Mr. Wong won`t miss if anything goes wrong?“
Lien did not make a sound, nor did she lower her eyes. It had been her plan to act as a hostage and to pretend that she was closely related to the Princess and so, all that mattered was that she was convincing as a girl of noble birth.
„She has been with the Princess when we last saw her“, one of his men said, paraphrasing their failed attempt to kidnap the Princess.
„So, at least you are not just one of Mr. Wong`s chamber maids. But wether you are related to Princess Jinjin or not, I`ve heard that you are a real fighter. So, two of my men will stay here with you. The others, I will take with me as my entourage. If it`s a trap and we are not back in three hours, my men will have to kill you. don`t think I like that, it`s just business.“
Lien did not stir and they placed her on the bed, but left her bound and gagged as she was, even checking the tightness of her bonds. Then, Tyler and two of his men left, not before they had hidden several weapons under their jackets. The others looked at Lien with a lecherous smile:
„She`s really a beauty, our guest, isn`t she? Do you remember if the letter said anything about leaving her untouched?“
***
„It`s only a precaution. Once I am back, you two will be released. After all, it were negotiations with Whites in the past that have made me a little distrustful.“
„Mph!“, Jody answered, staring daggers at the Chinese.
„Mhmmm!“, Andrea added.
They all knew that it had been absolutely sufficient to put them both into a room, guarded by a man. There was no other reason than to humiliate them that had made him bind and gag them, too, though they had to admit that he had shown some gentleness in doing so.
Andrea and Jody had been brought to a sleeping room with two single beds in it. Then, a servant had wrapped their wrists with silk scarves. These upholstered the tightly applied leather thongs with which their arms were then tied to the upper bed posts of their respective beds. This position allowed them to lie quite comfortable, but not to reach their heads.
Next, the servant tied their legs together at the ankles, again wrapping them with a silk scarf before tying them with leather thongs. When he had tied their feet to the lower end of the bed, they still could shift their position quite a bit, but no longer reach for their hands or heads with their feet. Andrea noticed with amazement that the servant even pulled Jody`s skirt back in place, that had crumpled up around her knees.
When the man crumpled up a large silk scarf, Jody protested:
„Oh, come on, nobody can hear uuuuhhhhmmmph! Mhhhrrrrrmmph!“
„I don`t want my grand-niece to learn American sware words“, Mr. Wong explained as the servant stuffed the scarf deep into Jody`s mouth and tied another one tightly between her lips. Andrea saw no point in fighting against the inevitable and accepted being gagged without resistance.
When Mr. Wong left the room, he said something in Chinese to the man leaning outside beside the door. If Andrea and Jody had understood him, they had been rather frightened than angry, for what he said was:
„If I am not back one hour after dark, kill them.“
***
„So, what is it you have to talk to me about? After you have found such an – original way of sending your letter to me.“
Madame Yini, now wearing a rather formal dress instead of her favored kimono, had almost immediately went to the small tea house where Cheng had told her he would be waiting for her. It was not as luxurious as her own etablissement, but she understood why he did not want to meet her at her own place. She wondered if he wanted to become her partner in the white slavery business. Although she now would have to replace Vanessa, she preferred a White as her new partner, for these of course had less difficulties in getting white girls in their hands.
However, Cheng seemed to have something else in his mind.
„Madame Yini, have you heard that a Princess of the recently defeated Taiping has reached the city some days ago? Princess Jinjin, to be precisely?“
The woman smiled and took a small sip from her tea before she answered:
„I am a businesswoman. So, I do not care about any coolie arriving here, but whenever someone rich or important sets his – or her – foot on this soil, I know about it.“
Cheng smiled, since the word „coolie“ had obviously been used as an insult towards him.
„Well, then you sure have also heard that two days ago some Chinese men have tried to kidnap the Princess. These have nothing to do with me, but by coincidence, I want to get the Princess in my hands, too.“
Now, Madame Yini raised an eyebrow.
„And what makes you think that I could be interested in helping you? After all, that`s not actually my business. If you like an European girl, we can come to terms.“
Cheng reached for his satchel and took a golden ring from it. It was a heavy signet ring and he handed it to the women. She carefully examined the engraving, then, she looked a t him with interest. Madame Yini now lived in San Francisco for some twelve years, but of course, she was still interested in what happened in her old home country. She knew quite well about the current policy in China, who was mighty and who wasn`t. And the Governor of Guandung, whose signet she had recognized, sure was almost as powerful as the Emperor. And according to what her informants said, he was even richer.
„So, if I help you, your – employer might be very grateful?“, she asked, playing a bit naive.
Cheng smiled. He remembered the warning of the Governor about Madame Yini. She really was pretty, but he kept his mind on business.
„If we are successful, he will pay you a sum that will make you consider the loss of your – partner in the, ahem, less official trade with China like a small investion in a golden future. Am I right that you are not thinking of doing business with Miss Hooke anymore?“
Again, Madame Yini smiled:
„After you have made a fait accompli, I have no other choice than doing business with you now.“
***