Devious Diamonds 1

Zara was careful when she approached the taxi stand. Her hotel was located in one of Amsterdam’s better areas, but for being able to keep up her standard of living, she had had to attend some dubious man in an equally dubious house.

Some year ago, she had successfully finished a treasure hunt in Würzburg. During the affair, Zara had ended naked, bound and gagged, but in the end, she had escaped to New York with diamonds worth some 250.000 Dollars.

When she had sold the first of these diamonds, however, Zara had learned that she had to rely on handlers who of course wanted to make a profit, and thus, she had lost thousands of Dollars. For some time, the girl had considered that what she would get would be enough for a few years in luxury. Then, she had thought twice and done some research.

The world’s centre of diamond trade still was Amsterdam, and so, there were also enough people who wanted to make a profit from people who somehow had no certificate together with the diamonds they were willing to sell. One of them was a man who also was a devoted Zionist, though he was not living in Israel.

Unlike the man, Zara was a Sabra, a Jew born in Israel, which had acted as an entry card to said handler. On their first meeting, she had also noticed that the old man was still very much interested in pretty young women, and so, she had put on quite a revealing outfit when she had visited him with the diamonds.

Luckily, the handler had just looked, and he had been as pleased by the opportunity to speak Hebrew as he had been by her cleavage. In the end, Zara had still made a loss, but now, she had 200.000 Dollars. Once these were on her account, she could keep on her leisurely lifestyle for some more time.

On the 300 yards from the handler’s office to the more populated street where the taxi stand was, Zara had kept her pepper spray ready and tried to be prepared for any attempt to grab her handbag. Despite being just 5’, she was a skilled Martial Artist, and anyone trying to rob her would have to pay the price.

Now, however, she had reached the stand where two taxis were parked. She wanted to enter the last, but the driver reminded her that here, it was custom to attend the first taxi that had been waiting the longest, and shrugging, Zara did so. Its driver was an old man that smelled of tobacco, but seemed harmless and understood enough English to understand where she wanted to go. Once the car had started, Zara let out a sigh of relief.

»In 20 minutes, I will be at my hotel room, and tomorrow in the morning, I will deposit the money on my account!«

The taxi suddenly stopped, and the driver mumbled a curse when two men approached the car. For a moment, Zara feared it was a holdup, but then, one of the men showed a badge to the driver. When he looked at the backseat, he seemed to guess from Zara’s dark skin that she was a foreigner, for he explained in English:

»Sorry, Miss, routine control! Would you mind leaving the car for one or two minutes?«

The two men wore civilian clothes, but the driver did not protest when now, one of them controlled his papers whilst his colleague approached Zara who hid her nervosity and smiled, hoping that he would be more interested in the content of her tight T-Shirt and her short skirt than in what was in her handbag.

»Are you visiting Amsterdam as a tourist, Miss?«

Zara told him a lie she had used a few times since she had reached the Netherlands: her ancestors were Dutch jews who had migrated in 1940, just in time to escape the Nazis, and she was here to visit the house where her great-grandparents had grown up.

»My great-grandfather’s elder brother even knew Anne Frank, though only from seeing! He was at her sister Marion’s class!«

This lie usually had the effect that people hearing it showed a sad expression and lost all suspicion about Zara. In her mind, she apologized to Anne Frank for abusing her remembrance as an alibi.

The Policeman nodded silently, and then, he suddenly coughed. When Zara frowned and asked if everything was okay, he grimaced apologetically.

»Sorry, it’s just that I’ve got Asthma!«

He drew an inhaler and removed the cap. Too late, Zara saw him turn the opening against her and blow a small cloud into her face.

»Hey, what are you-«

She tried to do something, make a step, attack the man, cry for help, but already, her vision blurred, and her cry came out as a croak. Then, everything went black, and the last thing she felt was an arm grabbing her, to keep her from collapsing on the ground.

»Seems that your passenger didn’t like your after shave! Anyway, we will take care of her well-being, your papers seem all right!«

He handed the man his ID card, together with a folded envelope. The man counted the notes inside and saluted mockingly before he entered his taxi and left. The fake Policeman turned to his comrade who held the unconscious Zara in a tight embrace, one hand on one of her breasts.

»Passed out girls don’t say ›No!‹, eh?«

His colleague grinned and showed him the middle finger of his other hand.

»If you are nice, you may also have a grope when you help me getting her into the car! Now, let’s hurry up!«

***

»Eileen, we have to talk!«

Eileen Schmitt stepped back, so her friend, Salome Mkapa, could enter her tiny one room apartment. They had both procrastinated this for some days now, and she was nervous and relieved at the same time that now, Salome had taken the initiative.

The week before, they had done a trip to Romania, where the boss of a small factory producing energy drinks had offered them to model for some commercial clips. It had sounded funny and interesting – and it had been interesting and terrible, for they had run into some criminals and had ended up naked, bound and gagged, with the mean Lady who was behind all this intending to keep them both as her slaves.

Eileen and Salome had been rescued, and the criminals had all ended in a Romanian prison, waiting for their trials. The girls had been interviewed twice: first by a Policeman who seemed only interested in the raunchier details of their ordeal, and then by a female Officer who had been more sensitive. Luckily, their confessions had been recorded, sparing them to appear in court.

Aurica, the woman who had hired them, had insisted on paying them their 2.000 each, though the shooting had now been cancelled. However, her own escape and her revenge on the female criminals by parading them through the streets of the village, naked, bound and gagged, had caused some publicity, and she had also confessed that she had plundered the handbag of the main criminal Ligeia von Marwitz.

»She had some 20.000 in cash, which I consider a small compensation for my suffering!«

Aurica didn’t seem that traumatized; the reason for that was Andrina, a Roma girl that had once been her rival, but now, they seemed to be more than close. In fact, Andrina now also lived in Aurica’s house, and Salome and Eileen had sensed that the two would do more than just constantly holding hands and exchanging a kiss once they would be alone. So, once the last interview with the Police had been done, the girls had booked a flight and left for Germany.

The Policewoman had left them with the advice to search for psychological care. So far, neither Eileen nor Salome had done so, but of course, being kidnapped and trussed up had left traces – especially one particular predicament:

The kidnappers had tied the naked and gagged girls in a position that their pussies had been in close contact – scissoring, though enforced by ropes. And this position had not left the girls indifferent. In fact, both had climaxed.

For a while, Eileen had tried to tell herself that they had only been forced to do so, that her relationship with Salome was still the same – and that they still were both straight. It seemed that Salome had tried the same, and they had avoided seeing each other. However, Eileen had to think of these minutes quite often – and the memories weren’t all terrifying.

Now, Salome took her hands, and Eileen noticed that the Black’s fingers were ice cold, though she usually was the tougher one. She took a deep breath, and then, she breathed:

»Eileen, I am – confused!«

Eileen scoffed, smiling involuntarily.

»I could say the same, but it would be an understatement!«

Indeed, she somehow still wanted things to be like they had been before – she and Salome were good and close friends, and at the same time, they were both into men. However, she had also slept with Salome – and, forced or not, she had enjoyed it.

»Yesterday, I went out, a young man talked to me at the club, and in the end, we kissed – well, we kissed and did a little more, but in the end, we both went home to our own beds!«

Eileen frowned.

»Are you trying to make me jealous?«

Salome giggled, showing how nervous she was.

»No, it’s just – on the one hand, I asked for his number, and will maybe call him – but the day before yesterday, I-I was thinking of you, when – when I-«

She lowered her head, and Eileen felt her cheeks blush. I the three days since their return, she hadn’t gone out, but on one occasion, her reimagining of her and Salome’s ordeal had ended with her hand between her legs. She gulped before she could croak:

»A-and what will b-be – about you and m-me – or us?«

Salome stepped a little closer, so their breasts touched, and Eileen could feel the Black’s heavy heartbeat. Their eyes met, and Salome whispered:

»I don’t know – but we have to find out soon!«

Somehow, Eileen would have expected that Salome would now kiss her – hell, a part of her anticipated it! However, Salome confused her by asking her whether she knew about the Westerwald. She let the Black’s hand go and stepped back a bit.

»That’s an abrupt change of subject!«

Salome smiled and reached for her handbag, producing a colourful brochure, handing it to Eileen. It turned out to be from a hotel, or rather a spa.

»Hotel Hans«, she read, and Salome stated:

»It’s a wellness hotel, in a small town not far from Koblenz! Anyway, they are offering wellness weekends at special prices, and I booked a double room for the next weekend!«

»In the Westerwald?«

Eileen still was confused, but she didn’t shy back when Salome once again took her hand.

»A whole weekend, with just the two of us, and no one who knows us! There, we can spend some time together and find out if – if things have changed!«

Eileen couldn’t help giggling. Then, when she noticed the insecure look on Salome’s face, she slung her arms around her.

»Sorry, it was just that you have found such a rational way to solve such an emotional problem! Anyway, I am coming with you – under one condition!«

»That I am not bringing the guy from last night, too?«

Eileen kissed Salome’s lips.

»Actually, I wanted to insist on paying my share, for it was your birthday last week – but if you are just coming alone, I think that will be okay, too!«

***

Whatever her abductors had used to knock her out, it worked off as quickly as it had rendered her unconscious. Zara regained her consciousness fast and without feeling nauseous, though she could not say that her situation was very appealing.

She was sitting on an upholstered chair, her wrists cuffed behind the backrest, and a tight strap below her breasts further securing her upper body and arms. Her legs had been folded, and her crossed ankles were tied close to her lap whilst her knees were secured to the armrests. Zara knew that whoever had done this was having a good view on her crotch.

»At least, I am still dressed!«

Zara could feel that she still wore the same clothes, including her shoes. She could, however, not see anything, as a black hood had been pulled over her head. Her lips were sealed with sticky tape, keeping something big and soft inside her mouth. When she touched it with her tongue, she sensed it was a nerf ball. At least, it was better than a pair of panties.

»Mph!«

Zara didn’t want to give her kidnappers the satisfaction of moaning and thrashing, but she also wanted to indicate that she was awake now. Whoever they were, they had abducted her for a reason, and the sooner she knew what this was all about, the sooner she could think of an escape.

She heard a sound from behind, and she mewed again. Now, steps approached, and she felt that hands touched the top of the backrest. Then, her chair moved, and she now knew it had to be some kind of office chair with rolls. Without saying a word, the person behind her pushed her forward, over what seemed to be a smooth, yet slightly uneven ground. After about a minute, they stopped, and she heard someone knock on a door. After an indistinct answer, the door was opened, Zara was pushed inside the room, and the door closed behind her. Then, steps approached, and a male voice spoke:

»According to your ID, your first name is Zara! Since we prefer to keep things informal, I will call you by that name! Nod if you agree!«

Zara obeyed, now fully alert. The voice was calm, but there was something that alarmed her: the man spoke Hebrew – not in the broken way the old handler had done, but like someone who had grown up with it. Zara was sure that the man was from Tel Aviv.

»I am sure you have a lot of questions, and I will start by answering some of them, like why we have brought you here!«

In his calm voice, he quickly reported that she had risen their (whoever »they« were) attention by offering some diamonds that belonged to a collection that had gone missing in 1930ies Germany. A Jewish immigrant had sold them to a man supporting his escape from the Nazis, and after that, they had disappeared.

»The whole collection would be worth a few Million! Do you have more than the three you offered to the handler, Zara? If so, we could shorten this conversation, and you could be free by tomorrow – plus, we would leave you the 200 Grand you so carelessly were carrying around in your handbag!«

Now, Zara was even more confused. For a moment, she thought about lying, but her kidnappers would sure not let her go before they had proof, and she had sold all the diamonds from the Würzburg job. So, she shook her head.

»Well, that brings us back to our original plan, Zara! Allow me!«

He pulled the hood from her head, and Zara blinked as the light hit her, though it was just an ordinary desk lamp. It was placed on a small table, the only furniture except for the chair she was tied to. Zara’s eyes fell on rough concrete walls and a window opening covered with a plastic tarp, indicating that they were in some abandoned building.

Now, the man stepped in front of her, and Zara mustered him. He was young and of medium height, his black hair and dark complexion indicating that he was indeed from the Middle East. Despite him wearing jeans and a T-Shirt, he looked as if he had a military background. With a smile, he slightly bowed.

»I am Gad!«, he said in his calm voice, and Zara bit down on her gag not to flinch when his hand approached her face. Gad brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. It was a gentle gesture, and she could see that he was not only looking at her eyes, but also checking her ample breasts, and the white panties shining through her black pantyhose. He wasn’t creepy or predatory, but something in his eyes seemed to say:

»I can look all over you, and you can do nothing about it!«

»Mph!«

Gad stepped back, his smile more impish than apologetic.

»Sorry, my usual – customers are less appealing!«

His attitude, and his cryptic remarks made Zara think that Gad was part of the Mossad, the Israelian secret service. Now, she needed all her self-control not to pant. The Mossad was among the best secret services in the world, but its members were not known for being gentle or reluctant when it came to using violence.

»Where was I? Plan A, of course! Well, let me start by confirming a few assumptions, Zara: you had these diamonds, without having the certificates, so, may I assume that you got into their possession in a way the Police would not be pleased with?«

Gad obviously had no intention of ungagging her, and so, Zara nodded. She still wondered what this was all about. Did they think that she had access to the rest of the collection? And since when was the Mossad into simple robbery?

Gad smiled, also nodding, as if he had expected that answer. Then, he reached behind himself and produced her handbag, taking out the envelope with her money.

»Now, when you were – asleep, we did a short background check, and according to that, you were living a life quite ordinary for a young Israelian woman so far: born in Jaffa, finished High School at 18, did your military service and then started to study before you left for Germany last year, at the age of 22 – and then, you more or less disappeared – though the address of your hotel in Amsterdam tells me that you are not living in poverty!«

Zara frowned. Was he accusing her of being a thief? But how did this justify such an elaborate abduction? Gad seemed to read her thoughts.

»Now, my assumption is that you somehow managed to get these diamonds, and since then, you are living from the money you made by doing so! And if so – I am sure we can come to terms!«

»Mhmm?«

»We are a small country, surrounded by enemies! So, whilst I can understand that not every Israelian wants to join the fight, I would not appreciate if you were sabotaging it! If you stole the diamonds to live in luxury, that’s not my business! But if you’d use it to support our enemies, it would definitely concern me!«

He still spoke calm, but now, his eyes showed determination, and Zara knew that Gad would not hesitate using violence if he considered it necessary. His expression became friendlier, and he continued:

»So, if you just want to keep out of Israel’s struggles and live your own life, that’s fine! However, if you were intending to support our enemies-«

Zara shook her head, and she didn’t have to lie about that. She was not appreciating the cruelties committed by the current Government, but she was definitely supporting that Israel defended its right to exist. Gad now smiled, and he changed the subject.

»How’s your German, Zara?«

More quick than gentle, he peeled the tape from her lips and then plucked the nerf ball from her mouth. Zara gulped and licked her lips before she forced herself to answer in German:

»Fluent – though with a slight accent!«

Gad also switched to German when he offered her some water from a plastic bottle. Zara drank, and she noticed that he again was letting his eyes wander over her breasts and her exposed crotch. She looked at his face and asked:

»Now, why have you brought me here, Gad? Do you have some masochistic need to be yelled at in German when you throw yourself upon a helpless girl?«

Gad looked at her with amazement before he scoffed.

»Actually, I wanted to ask you if you want to turn your 200 Grand into 500! It may be dangerous, but if you have to sleep with someone for achieving it, it won’t be me!«

»Now we are talking!«, Zara thought. She forced herself to smile and asked:

»Do I have a choice?«

»Sure!«

Gad turned his head, and though she could only see his face from the side, Zara could read a sad expression in it; the look of a man who had been forced to do things that haunted him in his dreams, just because it had been his duty.

»But then, I wouldn’t have a choice either!«

***

Angela Hoch sighed when she looked at the hotel from her car. It hadn’t changed much in the last three years, since she had last been here. A look in the rear mirror told her that she hadn’t changed much either – on the outside. And yet, Angela’s whole life had turned upside down.

Michael hadn’t been too difficult during the divorce; though they hadn’t had a marriage contract, he had left her with enough to buy a small car, rent a decent apartment and to live from it for some time. In addition, she could return to her old job at the University’s library. So, Angela would not have to face poverty.

It had been a clean divorce, since there had been no children; Michael had also admitted that he had broken the marriage, and nobody had ever blamed Angela of having done anything wrong. Except for having grown old – too old to stand the concurrence of a 22 year old intern.

The image of Michael, the renowned computer scientist and also political activist, the poster boy darling of the left, hadn’t suffered much, and some even seemed to admire him for his affair with a girl half his age. Angela, however, had been punished by the compassion of her friends and acquaintances. The old woman, now left behind because her husband had found someone younger and hotter.

She had grown 42 ten days ago, but in her case, the number hadn’t been the answer to anything. So, she had decided to just take a few days of, and to withdraw from Regensburg and all the memories. It had been strange enough to choose a hotel she had been together with Michael several times, but somehow, it had also been logical.

Angela had been born in the Westerwald, just some ten miles away, and as long as her parents had been alive, she and Michael had visited them every few months. Once her father had died and her mother had moved to a retirement home, they had stayed at the Hotel Hans, until her mother had died three years ago. After the funeral, Michael had seen no reason to come here again, and so, Angela was sure that this was the place where she would definitely not risk meeting him and his affair.

She left the car and took her suitcase from the trunk. When she approached the entrance, she didn’t notice the woman that watched her, and if she had done, she would have considered her an ordinary passer-by.

Once Angela had passed the door, the woman showed a fine smile.

»May the games begin!«, she thought by herself.

***

»So, now, you know everything we can tell you so far! As I said, there’s a high risk of ending in jail, but if you manage it, you will have half a Million all to yourself!«

Zara didn’t tell him that 200.000 of this already belonged to her. During her briefing, Gad had sat on the table, looking down on her, and not hiding the fact that he was also staring at her exposed crotch. He had not touched her, and he had only interrupted the briefing once to take the envelope with her 200.000 and hand it to his henchman, as if to make clear to her that she would only get her money back if she cooperated.

»As you said, I don’t have much of a choice!«

Gad now freed her, and Zara forced herself to act calm as she adjusted her skirt. He opened the door and said:

»We better lose no time! If you need to relieve yourself, you will have to hide behind a bush, or wait until our destination, for this place lacks such luxuries as a bathroom!«

He escorted her through the corridor of what turned out to be an abandoned factory, and when they entered the yard, Zara considered kicking him and then trying to run away. However, even if she managed to escape, she would in the best case be on the run without money. In addition, she was also intrigued: the job sounded exciting, and if Gad kept his word, she would be rich within a few days.

»Where are we going?«, she asked as he opened the side door of a plain car for her. She noticed it had the license plate of Aachen, a German town near the Dutch border.

»To your potential partner«, Gad replied and waited for her to enter the car. Zara did so, and gad sat behind the wheel. He started the car and added:

»She might have decided whether she will work for us now! We were as persuasive as in your case!«

Zara smiled ironically.

»How much does she get for her – cooperation?«

»Oh, that depends on how much of your share you will decide to give to her!«

He had refused to tell her more on the short trip to a skyscraper in one of Aachen’s more modern quarters. All information she got was that her future partner was a computer programmer that worked at a security company and that her name was Chiara Werner.

»As far as I know, her friends call her ›Kiki‹! Well, you will soon find out whether you will become partners or friends! Here’s your handbag, I allowed me to add 1.000 Euro in small notes for expenses. Oh, and here!«

He handed her a keyring with two keys on it. One was a normal key, and a small label said »12B«, obviously the number of »Kiki’s« apartment. The other one was much smaller, and Zara frowned:

»What’s that for?«

»Her handcuffs! Good luck, Zara!«

Slightly puzzled, Zara left the car. Handcuffs! What would expect her in apartment 12B?

»Seems that simply hiring people would be too easy!«

She checked her watch: it was close to 1 am, so, there wouldn’t be too many people still awake. She entered the lobby and took the lift to the second floor where she easily found number 12B. Zara took a deep breath, considering whether she should ring. Then, she looked at the small key and decided that she should better enter by herself.

In the corridor, she could hear a faint moaning from behind one of the doors. Zara closed the door behind her and her eyes fell on the telephone. Now, she could call the Police, and all this would end – without the money of course.

»Maybe, when I took the diamonds, it was just the first step to damnation!«

She opened the door, and her eyes fell on a bed. On it, a woman was tied spreadeagle, her wrists and ankles cuffed to the bedposts. A black hood covered her head, and she moaned and squirmed when she heard Zara’s entry. Her crumpled bed sheets and the sweaty spots on her pyjama indicated that she had fought her bonds for some time. Zara stepped closer and asked:

»Are you Kiki?«

»Uuhhmm! Mmhhrrmmm!«

Zara repeated the question and waited. After a few moments, the woman fell silent and nodded, and Zara pulled the hood from her head. Kiki was a redhead with dishevelled curls, and as she had expected, the lower half of her face was covered under layers of tape that seemed to keep a copious amount of packing in her mouth. She blinked heavily before she stared at Zara, and the Israeli added:

»They told you what they expect from you?«

A panting Kiki stared daggers at her, but, when she realized that Zara would not free her otherwise, she nodded again. Zara showed her the key for the handcuffs and let it dangle.

»Look, I was forced into this, too! However, if we do as they say, we will both be rich! Your share will be 50 Grand, but for the next few days, we will have to cooperate, and I must be sure that you don’t try anything!«

»Mph!«

Zara had noticed a certain unruliness on Kiki, and so, she added with a smile:

»Seems you haven’t been to the bathroom for quite a while!«

She loosened Kiki’s left ankle from the bed and tied the cuff to her right foot before loosening the other cuff. Then, she freed her wrists, but cuffed her hands in front of her body and made an inviting gesture towards the door.

Grunting, and with a strange mixture of hopping and tripping, the girl got to the bathroom, and Zara heard her relief her bladder, accompanied by a long muffled groan. She stood in the open door and looked down on Kiki who, still panting, sat on the toilet and was working on her gag. Zara patted her handbag: it contained no gun, but she hoped that her confident attitude would be persuasive enough.

Squeezing her eyes shut when it tore off some hairs, Kiki removed the last layer of tape and then worked a nerf ball from her mouth. Wheezing, she drooled on her knees, and Zara asked her whether she would cooperate.

»F-fuck you!«, Kiki croaked, and Zara smiled.

»Is this a ›Yes‹?«

Kiki tried to get up, staggered, and had to take a second try until she could stand on wobbly legs and pull up her pyjama pants. She then flushed and seemed to look for something. Zara, who had an idea what it was, rushed to her bedroom and returned with a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. When she reached them to the girl, Kiki mumbled a »Thank You!« and put them on. She stared at Zara, obviously deciding what to think of her. Then, with a sigh of resignation, she breathed:

»50.000, you said?«

***