How Heroes are created 5

Her captors took no chances. Though she was blindfolded and would have stood no chance in an escape attempt anyway, two of the men grabbed her arms and escorted her as she was led through what seemed to be a narrow corridor, for their steps echoed as they walked on. Cordelia felt that the air around her was a bit chilly, despite her coat, and the air smelled a bit salty.

The trip seemed to find no end and her captors only occasionally spoke in Arabic. Still, she hoped that this was just a practical joke gone over the top or a terrible misunderstanding – though she feared that if the latter was the case, she still would be in trouble.

They finally stopped, after what seemed like an odyssey along endless corridors and passing so many corners that Cordelia had lost all sense of orientation. There was a knocking, answered by what could only be the Arabic word for »Come in!«. Cordelia was pushed forward and then, she heard a door close behind her. The hood was then pulled off her head.

Cordelia looked around and saw that she was in a windowless room that looked like a cellar room, though it seemed someone had spent quite some money to make it look better. There were paintings on the wall and expensive Persian carpets that didn`t seem to match the concrete floor. Right in front of her stood a large chair with a high backrest.

Glimpsing to her side, she saw that the fake chauffeur still stood beside her. Now, she heard a voice from behind the chair:

»Dr. White, I presume?«

The chair spun around and for a moment, Cordelia expected the man to have a white Angora cat on his lap. However, his hands were free and instead of a suit, he sported black jeans and a white, short-sleeved shirt. The man was tall and athletic and even in her frightened state, Cordelia noticed that he was handsome. He seemed to be in his late 20ies and also looked like an Arab. Also, she was somehow sure that she had seen him before.

He got up and approached her. The smile on his face was friendly, though there was something in his eyes that showed Cordelia that her situation hadn`t improved. He stretched his body, more to emphasize his muscular built than from an ache in his limbs and then, he said:

»Allow me to introduce myself – my name is Harun Ibn Badr!«

He watched her and noticed that Cordelia`s eyes widened. She had only been at court once, since the French authorities had tried to spare her as much as possible, but of course, she had followed the process against Ahmed Ibn Badr, the man who had been the partner in crime of Guylène Delacroix, the woman who had kidnapped her, to keep her as a »pet«. Now, she saw the family resemblance in Harun`s face and she shuddered.

»I see you are remembering my brother. Well, he is not your greatest fan right now! If things went his way, your head would now be on a stake!«

Harun laughed as if he was amused by his brother`s old-fashioned ideas, but Cordelia just shuddered. This man had not kidnapped her for nothing and somehow, his calm voice and his accentuated, upper-class English added to her discomfort.

»My brother also informed me that you are pretty. So, you may be allowed to keep your head on your shoulders, for you could be useful for my plans whilst I still give my brother something to cheer up upon whilst he is waiting for the end of his sentence!«

Harun came closer and reached for Cordelia`s chin. She grunted through her gag and turned her head away. Suddenly, Harun grabbed her chin in a vice grip and forced her to look at him. His thumb and index finger painfully dug into her jaw bone and his face now showed a cold, stern expression.

»I did not mean that you are so beautiful I fell in love! It just means that your looks may spare you getting mutilated and killed!«

He let her chin go and when he next began to examine her, she didn`t dare to move. Harun brushed through her hair and though he was gentle, Cordelia felt as if his fingers were the claws of a monster.

»A brunette – and your hair could be a bit longer!«

He said it as if he was examining a used car and had just found a scratch on the fender. Cordelia wore her hair in a bob and it just covered her ears. She shuddered and had to bite down on her gag to avoid twitching as he now caressed her ears. To her surprise, he then removed her earrings and handed them to the chauffeur who produced a plastic bag and put them in.

»No jewelry for slaves, except those given to them by their owners!«

»Mph!«

»Oh, I know what you want to say! And we have also outlawed slavery some 60 years ago. But you know how it is – forbidding things does not always keep people from doing them!«

His fingers now undid the knot of her silk scarf and when he removed it, Cordelia felt exposed, though her white shirt was buttoned up. Harun let the thin cloth run through his fingers and draped it over the backrest of his chair before he returned for her. When he opened the clasp of her necklace, his fingers brushed over her nape and Cordelia could not oppress a mew.

»You want this off?«, Harun asked and pointed at Cordelia`s gag. Though she knew that it would come at some cost, Cordelia nodded. Harun also nodded and asked:

»The removal of your gag in exchange for your boots, does that sound appropriate to you?«

Cordelia took a deep breath through her nose. Then, she nodded again. The room was carpeted and he would not see anything inappropriate if she removed them. Harun stepped back one step and looked at her. It seemed that he was waiting for something. Then, as if he understood where the problem was lying, he said:

»I am a Prince and not a boot jack! I will not bent down for your feet!«

He reached out and Cordelia knew what he wanted her to do. She wanted to refuse, but even more, she wanted the cloth from her mouth. So, she slowly raised her right leg. Harun grabbed her ankle and looked down on her. She knew that her skirt had slid up her thighs and was just covering her crotch.

»Your legs are indeed lovely! How is your inside leg measurement, 32``?«

»33``«, Cordelia answered and blushed slightly. The information wasn`t very intimate, but she felt as if she had tried to compensate for the fact that, in Harun`s eyes, she was »just« a brunette.

His free hand brushed along her pantyhose-clad leg and Cordelia held her breath as his hand disappeared under her skirt. For a second, she felt the tips of his fingers touch her crotch, soft as a breeze, and then, his hand brushed backwards. Her boots had zippers on the sides and Harun now opened it, took off her boot and handed it to the chauffeur.

The procedure was repeated to her other boot and then, he yanked away the tape, causing her to gasp. Harun plucked the cloth from her mouth and dabbed her lips and chin before throwing the gag into the bag, too. Then, he suddenly grabbed her chin once again, his hand as tight as a vice.

»This friendly gesture was not meant as an invitation to scream, talk or be disobedient! Did you get me?«

»Yes!«, Cordelia croaked. He kept her jaw in the painful grip and she thought whether he wanted her to call him »Sir« or »Master«, but instead, he pushed two fingers into her mouth. Cordelia retched, but didn`t dare to bite him as he now examined her teeth. It was humiliating, though she could taste that at least his fingers were clean and he didn`t take long until he concluded:

»One inlay, but nice and healthy otherwise!«

Cordelia trembled from rage and embarrassment as he withdrew from her face. He examined her like a piece of cattle! Harun now had gone for the desk and held a glass of water.

»Now, how about a brief pause from being handcuffed, some water and a trip to the bathroom – alone?«

Cordelia stared at him. The offer sounded kind, but that man definitely wasn`t!

»At what cost?«, she asked. Harun smiled as if she was an intelligent pupil.

»Well, the coat for the removal of the handcuffs and the jacket for the water. To visit the bathroom, I have to make sure you have no metal on you!«

Cordelia quickly thought of what she was wearing. The only metal on her were her wrist watch and her brooch and though Harun sure would touch her breasts if he removed the latter, there was also the urge to relieve herself and to be able to do that unchaperoned was something she knew she would never again underestimate. So, she agreed upon Harun`s conditions.

The chauffeur removed the cuffs and helped her out of her coat and business jacket he both put into the bag. Harun handed her the glass and she drank whilst he was examining her. Then, he plucked the glass from her hands and whilst he put it on his desk, Cordelia quickly took off her brooch and watch and gave both to the chauffeur. Harun nodded approvingly, but then, he approached her and let his eyes wander over her.

»Sometimes, one forgets about something. But I will see!«

Cordelia forced herself to hold still as he felt for the top button of her shirt. He examined the button and murmured »Plastic«. However, he then opened the next buttons, too, revealing her white bra.

»There are the clasps, for example!«

Harun pushed his hands into her open blouse and under her arms until he could feel her bra straps. Of course, he could have just looked into her shirt at the collar, but obviously, he liked showing that he was in charge.

The clasps were made of plastic, but as Harun withdrew, his hands brushed over the lower sides of her bra cups, causing Cordelia to gasp.

»No underwired bra – so, you may keep it!«

Her relief was short-lived, as he then let his hand slide down along her belly and playfully poked her belly button.

»You are not the type to wear a belly piercing, but I wanted to make sure!«

He looked at her skirt and the very moment he reached around her, Cordelia knew what piece of metal still was on her: the zipper of her skirt. Harun found and opened it and then, he kneaded her buttocks.

»Nice and firm, I like that!«

If looks could have killed, he would not have survived that insult, but so, he just pulled down her skirt. Cordelia had to step out of it and the man had to put it away whilst Harun lifted the shirt to examine her pantyhose and the plain white cotton panties beneath. At least, she knew for sure that these didn`t contain any metal and when he let her go, she thought that this part of her ordeal was over. Then, however, Harun turned back towards her.

»Once, I was with a hooker! You wouldn`t believe where she had a piercing!«

He pushed his hand into her pantyhose and then into her panties. Cordelia gritted her teeth and her chest heaved as he felt between her legs. Satisfied, he withdrew and pointed to a small door at one wall.

»You have got five minutes!«

The toilet had the size of a cupboard and not even offered a sink. Cordelia sat down, saw that there was no key for the door and frantically looked for a way to escape, but there was no window, just an air vent of about five inches in diameter. There was no reason to take anything made of metal from her and she guessed that this had been just a game to further humiliate her.

Her thoughts wandered to David. Sure, he had by now figured out that she had been abducted and had called the Police. David! He was kind, honest and all that, but she could not think of him as a knight in a shiny armor, coming to her rescue. She just hoped that the Police would find her – or that Mike had an ace up his sleeve. She still was not sure what to think of him, but at least, Mike knew how to fire a gun and he had proven to be a fighter.

Harun knocked at the door and told her she had only one minute left. Quickly, she relieved herself, flushed and then closed the buttons of her shirt again. When she left the toilet, Harun immediately saw it.

»I have not allowed you to do that! So, the shirt has to come off!«

Cordelia`s sigh was more one of annoyance and contempt than actual embarrassment. She took off the shirt and threw it to the chauffeur. Harun let his eyes wander over her and then, as he kept ogling her breasts, he asked:

»Do you want to keep the bra – for now?«

»Of course I do!«, Cordelia snapped. Harun chuckled and then, he said:

 »Okay – but you can`t blame me for wanting to see your boobs. I am a man, after all! So, how can we solve that dilemma?«

He pondered for a while, all the time staring at her breasts. Then, he showed a wolfish grin.

»I know! You will have to describe them! And to make things easier for you, I will ask a few questions. As long as I consider your answers convincing, you may not have to prove the truth. Or, if you prefer, you may hand the bra to Jemal right now!«

It was more humiliation, no matter how she decided, but she definitely didn`t want to lose more clothes. So, she told Harun to begin asking his questions. He smiled and asked:

»The first question is obvious, I think: what is your bra size?«

»34C«, Cordelia replied. She had known that this question would come. Harun seemed a bit disappointed by the rather cool remark and continued:

»All natural?«

»Yes!«

Cordelia just hoped that he would not get his proof by touching her. However, it seemed that he obviously not considered her the type of woman who had implants.

»They look nice. However, if you take your bra off – do they sag or are they still standing out firm?«

Okay, that one was new! She had to take a deep breath and she blushed as she forced herself to tell the truth:

»A-a l-little, perhaps! But they are quite n-nice and firm! I do a lot of sports!«

These words felt as if she had had to expose her boobs. Harun nodded and then told her to sit down on the armchair. On Harun`s order, the chauffeur cuffed her wrists behind the backrest and then, he produced two narrow belts.

»Put your legs over the armrests!«, Harun ordered. When she had done so, Jemal buckled her knees to the armrests. These straps were not too painful, but now, Harun could look directly at her crotch which he did until Cordelia blushed again. Then, he took her scarf and balled it up.

»Now, will you accept your gag like a good girl?«

Cordelia gulped. The scarf was made of fine silk, but it was quite substantial. However, she knew from experience that there were much worse gags. So, she nodded.

»I can`t hear you!«

»Yes, I will accept my gag!«

Harun made an inviting gesture and, staring daggers at him, she spat:

»Like a good girl!«

She opened her mouth and he stuffed the scarf inside. Then, he tied a cloth strip between her lips before a few strips of tape completed her gag. Then, Harun told Jemal to take away the bag with Cordelia`s discarded clothes. Before he also left, he said:

»In a few hours, you will have company! And one of them will be an old friend!«

***

When Laila opened her eyes, she thought for a terrible moment that she had died, for everything around her was bright white. Then, after she had blinked a few times and wiped her eyes, she realized that she was lying in a room with tiled walls and an equally tiled floor. Her limbs ached, but as she moved, trying to sit up, she found that she was not actually hurt.

»Chhrr!«

She let out a faint croak and noticed two things at the same time: the dreadful gag had come off and her throat was literally burning from thirst. She still was clad in her wet clothes that were cold and stank from the muddy sea water and so, she guessed that it couldn`t be long since someone had dumped her into that room.

Taking her strength together, Laila managed to crawl to the next wall and to sit up, so she could examine her new prison. The room was quite big and the only furniture, if one could call it so, was a row of valves at the opposite wall. She looked up and saw a row of shower heads in the ceiling. So, this was a shower room, without partition walls, like they had them at garrisons or at less luxurious campsites.

»Water!«, was all the exhausted and thirsty girl could think and she forced herself to crawl over to the nearest shower. She shivered from the cold and she was sure if there was water, it would be ice cold – but at least, it would not be salty.

It took her some effort to raise her upper body and to turn the valve, but then, a gush of water hit her. It was cold, but Laila let it run over her face and licked some of it from her lips. For the first time, she fully understood the term »sweet water« and with a sigh, she drank and poured the water over her head.

»I will perhaps starve or freeze to death, but at least, I will not die thirsty!«

She forced herself to be not too greedy. After all, it seemed that there was plenty of water. Trembling, she now gave her prison a closer examination. At the ceiling, just out of reach, were some pipes and also a few neon lights, covered with Plexiglas.  The room was oblong and though she could now see the iron door, it turned out to be firmly locked. However, she saw a small pile beside the door. It was a bottle of shampoo, a washing glove and a plastic brush.

»Is this a hint that I should shower more often?«, Laila asked into the empty room, but there was no answer. Then, she looked at the showers. There were actually two valves on each of them, one with a blue and the other with a red button on it. Could it be that she had access to hot water, too?

»Hot water! Shampoo!«

Laila was sure that there were some hidden cameras somewhere, but on the other hand – these thugs had already seen her relieve herself and in addition, she was still cold. So, she grabbed the articles and staggered back to one of the showers where she turned the valves.

»Oooooaaaahhhhh!«

The relief of a long denied orgasm could not be more fulfilling as now when she felt warmth for the first time in days. Sitting on her butt directly under the water jet, she took off the trenched and dirty sweater, followed by the also not very pleasant T-Shirt. Her black lacy bra still looked okay and Laila thought of keeping it on. But then, she felt the itching of salt on her breasts and she decided that feeling clean and warm all over was worth more than being decent.

»Perhaps, I can wash it out and dry it!«, she thought and put it aside from her dirty clothes. Refreshed by the warm shower, Laila managed to open her belt and she removed her jeans and the socks. Before she removed her lacy black thong, she hesitated once more, but she definitely wanted to wash herself down there and so, it landed beside her bra.

She now got to her feet and washed the remnants of salt and dirt from her body. She feared that the water or at least the warm water would stop any second and so, she turned off the water before she soaped her body and hair. It was during that procedure when the iron door opened and three persons stepped in.

Laila gasped and stood there, one hand covering her pubic mound whilst the other was shielding her naked breasts. She was covered with foam and felt very vulnerable as the three intruders lined up side by side.

»I see you are enjoying your perks, Laila!«, the man she knew was Harun Ibn Badr said. So far, she had not seen him personally. However, what made her eyes widen was the woman beside him, an Arab in a nurse`s uniform who was showing an enigmatic smile.

»Aida?«, she croaked. Aida had been one of her informants – and also the one who had lured her onto the parking lot where she had been chloroformed, only to find herself in the dungeon where she had been gagged and chained and nearly had drowned. The woman slightly bowed towards her.

»Yes, Aida. Which is my real first name, by the way. I might, however, told you a few lies to get you out of your comfort zone!«

Laila felt the urge to scream, shout or to even attack the treacherous woman, but she knew that she wouldn`t have stood a chance against three enemies of whom at least the man who had been silent so far was having a gun. In addition, it would have been not very dignified to rant around in the nude.

»Pig!«, she uttered with all the contempt she felt. Aida raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows and made a note on a sheet on her clipboard whilst Harun now spoke:

»Language, Laila! Please, consider that we have everything here to wash your mouth with soap if you continue being like that!«

Laila fought the urge to give him reason to wash her mouth, in addition to her clawing his face with her fingernails. But she knew that the man was trying to provoke her. For some reason, he had taken care that she was still alive. This did not make Laila grateful, but curious.

»Now, you may wonder why we are here.«

»To stare at me, I presume!«, Laila replied and forced herself to straighten herself and to put her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. Aida chuckled.

»We already did so when you were showering!«

Laila felt her cheeks redden and she now had to fight the urge to cover herself with her hands again, for it would have looked like defeat. Harun let his eyes wander over her breasts and Laila was very aware of the fact that now, standing in the cool air, her nipples had hardened. She let out a fluttering breath, but managed to keep her position.

»You may not be surprised that I want women to know their place. But, as you can see on Aida, this place may be considerably high – higher than your current position, I may add!«

He continued to soak in every inch of her naked body and he obviously enjoyed how uncomfortable Laila felt. Then, he said:

»Anyway, I am here to make an offer you can`t refuse, so to say! You sure remember that I wanted the names of your informants from you?«

Laila didn`t flinch. So, the warm shower had only been a way to ensure she would last longer. Now, they would sure get her back into the dungeon, perhaps naked, this time. But still, she didn`t want to become a traitor.

»I have to admit you proved to be a tough nut, Laila. Maybe, you would rather die than to spill the beans. However, what would you say if there was a possibility that you can live and your informants will live happily ever after, too?«

»I would say that I see no reason to trust someone who is both a criminal and a traitor to his country!«, Laila replied. Harun`s eyes showed an angry glance.

»Maybe, I am considered a criminal by some people – but I am no traitor to my country! My plans for Saudi Arabia will get it to the place it deserves! But I came here to tell you about the plans I have for you!«

He paused for a few seconds and found back to his cool attitude as he continued:

»Now, we could continue torturing you – either until you finally talk or until you die. In both cases, it will be not very pleasant for you. But let`s for a moment assume that you are spitting on physical pain and mutilation and stay tough to your premature death. What do you think will we do next?«

Laila waited for him to talk, but she now felt a bit insecure. So far, the only thing that had allowed her to stand her ordeal had been the fact that as long as she persisted, she was saving the others.

»Well, we would of course look for those you want to keep save. Admittedly, we would not be able to find them all. But we would find some – and also others, maybe completely innocent, whom we consider to maybe be related to those we are looking for! Also, we could turn our eyes on others, as there are your colleagues at ›Changing World‹, your parents-«

»Stop!«, Laila blurted. The fact that Harun was telling the truth was making his words even more horrifying. Harun noticed her fear and smiled as he continued:

»Now, it seems you are open for the alternative, Laila. An alternative that will allow those you love and appreciate to live a happy live and in addition, you won`t have to become a traitor – well, maybe, to your so called ideals, but not to your friends!«

Laila panted. She knew that Harun had something in mind that would be worse than being chained in a cold dungeon filling with water, but on the other hand, there were her friends and family and she knew that though Harun may have exaggerated his power, he could do harm to some of them, including her parents.

»What do you want from me?«, she finally asked and Harun clapped his hands.

»Now, we are talking, Laila. Well, I would propose that you start by finishing your shower whilst Jemal will get you a towel and some fresh clothes.«

Aida whispered something into the addressed man`s ear and handed him the paper from her clipboard. Then, she and Harun looked at Laila who glanced at her captors. The man with the gun had left, but she knew that she still would not have made it through the door. So, she turned her back to them and turned on the water, washing the remnants of soap from her hair and body. Aida handed her a big towel, but once she had dried herself, she said:

»Salt baths are good for the skin, but only if you cream it afterwards!«

Aida handed her a can with Nivea after she had turned off the water and now, she had to put it all over her body whilst Aida and Harun watched. She refused the latter`s »kind« offer to cream her back, but she had to expose and thrust out her breasts to get there herself. When Jemal came with a large bag, Aida took a hairdryer from it and, now observed by three pairs of eyes, she had to dry her black curls. Aida insisted that she also dried the triangle of short trimmed hair covering her pubic mound.

»I had to guess your size, but I think it will do. How tall are you, 5`5``?«

Laila nodded and Aida handed her something light that turned out to be a pair of harem trousers. They looked like sweatpants, with golden elastic bands at the waist and at the ankles. Also, they were adorned by small golden spots. Apart from those, they consisted of very thin, transparent gauze and though they covered her from waist to ankles, Laila noticed they did not cover her buttocks or her private parts in the slightest.

»Don`t worry, you will get more! By the way, you are a 34C, aren`t you?«

She waited for Laila to confirm that before she produced a golden bustier. It was like a very tiny bolero jacket and to be closed by a single button between her breasts. However, Laila noticed that the cups were made of the same transparent gauze as her pants. She could also have remained naked.

»I also had a pair of fresh panties and a more modest bra for you, but you insisted on calling me a pig. Well, it seems that even an educated woman like you still has got a lot to learn!«

Again, she rummaged through the bag and this time, Laila heard a metallic clink. She then approached her and told her to lift her arms a bit, so she could put the belt around her waist.

Said belt consisted of a silver chain Aida padlocked around Laila`s waist. On the sides, it had silver manacles and those were closed around her wrists. The manacles had upholstery and were not too tight, but Laila could now neither fight nor cover herself.

Aida then produced another pair of silver manacles, connected by a chain that was some foot long. She cuffed Laila`s ankles and now, she could still walk, but no longer run or kick.

The next part of Laila`s bondage was made of golden leather and looked like a bra´s cup with straps on it. Inside the cup, it had a large nerf ball. Aida picked Laila`s discarded thong from the floor, smelled on it and grimaced.

»Phew! Now, what is it, Laila? Will you open wide – or shall I put that into your mouth, too?«

Laila`s eyes widened at Aida`s cruelty. She had worn the thong for days and also, it still was soaked with sea water. So, she closed her eyes in self-denial and opened her mouth. Aida patted her head.

»Good pet!«

The nerf ball was shoved into her mouth and then, Aida buckled the straps at her nape, even taking care of her hair when doing so. Then, she looked at her watch.

»Sorry, I would have loved to play with you, but my shift starts in 30 minutes!«

She bowed towards Harun and left. The man looked at Laila and though he had seen her in the nude before, she cringed under his gaze.

»You better get used to getting looked at! After all, looks can`t kill – just hurt sometimes!«

Laila felt all boobs and loins and could not help blushing as he continued gazing at her. He only stopped when Jemal handed the bag to him. Harun reached in and again, there was a metallic sound.

»You may be a pet now, but we can`t be sure you are properly domesticated already. So, we have to be careful!«

He closed the golden leather collar around her neck. He didn`t pull it too tight and in addition, it was soft and broad, but to Laila, it felt humiliating. It was as if he was putting a dog on a leash. This was obviously exactly what he was having in mind, as he then fixed a silver chain to the collar. It was so long it dangled down to Laila`s knees and ended in a golden leather loop.

»Now, let`s get you to your new room!«, Harun said and took the end of the leash, forcing Laila to follow him in small steps.

***