Combining Business and Pleasure 11

»I admire your effort, but I definitely don’t like your methods!«

Hannah rolled her eyes in frustration. After more than 24 hours in captivity, she had accepted that escape would not come soon, and she had tried to endure the tedious hours of sitting bound and gagged, tied to a pole in a way that wasn’t too strenuous. Suzette, however, tried constantly to get off her bonds and gag, and since the two girls were bound together, this also affected Hannah.

During her constant squirming and wriggling, Suzette’s foot constantly massaged Hannah’s pubic mound, whilst she had to occasionally twitch and spasm when her own soles brushed over the redhead’s pubic hair. She wasn’t especially ticklish, but the permanent irritation had some effect, and Hannah was almost grateful when exhaustion forced Suzette to stop.

Hannah, also clad with sweat and panting through her nose, knew that soon, the next wave of struggling would follow: once the adjacent Aerobic room would fill with people, Suzette, unaware of the soundproof walls, would try everything to attract attention, and the game would start again.

»Maybe, she’s right! At least, she is trying, whilst it seems I have already given up!«

She heard voices, but they came from the wrong side, and the three persons now entering the room, she had all seen before. Andreas, Sammy and Yema were entering; to Hannah’s amazement, they were manoeuvring a laundry trolley inside.

»Is this their method of getting us out of here, one by one?«

Then, she noticed that the canvas sack was moving, and when Suzette paused in her own moaning, she could hear muffled sounds come from inside. The three criminals seemed to be worried and in high spirits at the same time.

»You know that some of us are actually working, and will be missed by their shift leaders?«, Sammy asked, and Yema also seemed worried about Andreas having been seen pushing the trolley through the corridors. The petty Officer grinned:

»Luckily, two of the passengers started a veritable gladiator’s fight, so, nobody took notice of me! And then, as I accidentally stumbled in one of the rooms, there was this gift waiting, parcelled and wrapped!«

He and Sammy reached into the sack, and neither Hannah nor Suzette were surprised that a trussed up, naked woman was heaved from it. She was tied into a ball with enough rope to tie up two women, and Hannah could see some dishevelled blonde curls. A terrible suspicion grew in her mind.

»Johanna! It’s Johanna! Oh my God, do they catch any woman I ever spoke with on this damned trip?«

When the men freed the blonde’s legs, she still couldn’t tell for sure whether it was Johanna, for she had a cloth tied over her mouth and nose, and she didn’t wear the black rimmed glasses. However, she wondered about the way she was bound: her whole torso seemed to be wrapped in ropes, including a double strand bisecting the woman’s crotch. Hannah shuddered.

Johanna weakly flailed when her legs came free, but strong arms pulled her backwards and sat her on an upholstered seat, so her arms still folded behind her back were trapped under her upper body. Hands reached between her legs and grabbed the ropes dangling from her arm ties, using these to tie her to the backrest. Without her glasses, she couldn’t see too far, but there, on the ground, she could see two more figures, both obviously naked, and according to their movements, they were also tied up. Johanna mewed through her gag.

»That’s a handful, eh?«, Andreas stated, groping one of Johanna’s ample breasts. Sammy cupped the other, and they both kneaded her boobs whilst Johanna wailed and flailed her unbound legs. Yema meanwhile collected a few straps from the cupboard and approached the adductor press Johanna was sitting at.

»I think our latest guest could need some leg exercise!«

Johanna’s relief when the men let her breasts go was short-lived, as they now bent her legs, strapping them ankle to thigh after Yema had tied two more straps loosely around each knee. Sammy pulled the plug from the weights, and the two footrests could easily be folded, so Andreas and Yema could tie Johanna’s knees to it.

»Uuuhhmmm! Mmhhmmmmm!«

Johanna shook her head and groaned when the footrests were now pushed outwards, forcing her to splay her bent legs, exposing her middle. When the men let her go, she desperately tried to close her legs, only to realize that Sammy had put the weight back on, so she had to remain in her undignified position. Yema approached her, stepping between her open thighs, and pushed two fingers into her crotch rope.

»So, Andreas caught you in some kinky game?«

»Nnnngggg! Mmhhrrrrrhmmmm!«

A few times, she yanked on the ropes, much to Johanna’s dismay.

»Could be tighter! Well, I will see to that before the departure! Now, finish her off, I will get to where you found her and remove the evidence!«

»Mam, yes, Mam!«

Both Sammy and Andreas mockingly saluted, and Yema left, taking the trolley with her and showing them her middle finger. Chuckling, Sammy produced a worn, sweaty pantyhose from his box.

»Sorry, no panties yet!«

Carefully to not dislodge the scarves, he pulled the pantyhose over Johanna’s head, followed by several rounds of tape with which he not only further sealed her gag, but also fixed her head to the backrest. Andreas had meanwhile grabbed the clothespins previously used to maul Hannah’s nipples. One, he handed to Sammy.

»Do you think she will like it?«

»She will like it if they come off!«

Both men laughed, and they once again kneaded Johanna’s breasts for a while before placing the clothespins on her nipples.

***

Martin Conradi was a bit erratic in his talking to Davenport, though they were only discussing minor details. He was waiting for a message from Sato who had been ordered to report to him once he had evidence that Babette was indeed snooping. The American even asked him whether he had slept bad, or if he had tried too much to get into his secretary’s panties, and he was about to think of a witty remark when Davenport suddenly sat straight and looked over his shoulder.

»Ah, Officer Melissa! What a delight that early in the morning!«

Melissa stepped to their table. Though she looked a little exhausted, and though she noticed all too well how Davenport was scanning her body, there was faint smirk on her lips, as she could finally rub something into the man’s face.

»Mr. Davenport – is Mr. Jebediah Browning still in your services?«

Davenport frowned.

»Jeb? Well, of course! Why, are you once again suspecting him of some kinky shenanigans? Sorry, I have no idea where he is right now!«

The faint smile in Melissa’s face grew to a smugly grin.

»Well, I know where he is right now – in the ship’s arrest cell!«

She gave Davenport a second to cope with that information before she turned to Conradi.

»It seems that Mr. Browning got into some – disagreements with one of your employees, Mr. Sato! The charges are damaging of property, violent assault, bodily harm and resisting arrest! Sorry for interrupting your coffee party, but I thought you should know!«

Melissa swayed her hips when she pranced away, but none of the men was in the mood to look at her buttocks.

***

Leonora had used just toothpaste and not some acid, and so, after a refreshing shower, Babette felt physically restored. Also, she had found some Nivea cream on the shelf, and so, she stepped out of the bathroom, not bothering to put on clothes.

John had led her to his cabin, as he considered it necessary that she could not be found by Conradi once the man detected his wife.

»It’s the only place where you don’t need to wear clothes – and once the air is clean, I will sneak to your room and get some for you!«

She stepped into the bedroom where he was lying on his back, studying the folder he had taken from Conradi’s safe, deciding there wasn’t enough time to take photos of it. He looked up and let his eyes wander over Babette’s nude body.

»Ah, that’s how I like you, hot and wet!«

Babette pouted.

»That’s exactly what Davenport said!«

John raised his hand in defence.

»Sorry, Babsi, you are the coldest and dryest girl I’ve ever seen!«

»Idiot!«

She climbed onto the bed and cuddled against him. John’s hand brushed over her hip.

»Seems that you are hot indeed! And for the other thing-«

When he bent towards her, Babette fell into his hand.

»Did you find something in the folder? After all, this is what this was all about!«

»Patience, Babsi, this is not a confession but an unsorted compilation of transactions! In addition, I am currently distracted from reading!«

He looked at her, and Babette cocked her head, playing naïve:

»Distracted?«

John nodded and let the folder fall to the ground.

»I barely have enough blood left above my waist to even hold a few sheets!«

»Poor man! Shall I see what I still know from my first aid course?«, Babette purred, and her hand wandered to his belt.

***

Unlike Conradi, Davenport had some experience with one of his henchmen getting arrested, and so, he decided to go his usual routine to bail Jeb out: he would get to the highest authority available and ask for the exact charges. If It was a problem that could be solved with money, Davenport considered it to be no problem at all.

On board a ship, the highest available authority was the Captain, and so, Davenport went for the bridge, promising Conradi to see what he could do for Sato, too.

Once the American had left, Conradi headed for his suite. His orders had been exact: if it turned out that Babette was just doing her regular job, Sato should remain in his hideout; if she proved to be snooping, he should restrain her, maybe even frighten her a bit, but do nothing more until he had returned. Under no circumstances, Sato should be idling around in the ship’s corridors, let alone starting a brawl with Davenport’s gorilla!

At his door, he noticed the »Please do not disturb!«-sign dangle from the doorknob, and when he had opened, he could hear a high-pitched mew coming from the bedroom.

»So, this idiot left Babette for Leonora to find!«

He closed the door and entered his bedroom. On the floor, he saw a woman squirm on the carpet, her wrists and ankles tied together behind her back. She was presenting her front to him, and neither the still pert breasts, peeled out of their bra cups, nor the neatly trimmed thatch of pubic hair, exposed because the woman’s panties had been pulled down to her knees, were new to him.

»Leonora?«

»Uuuhmmm! Mmhhmmm!«

»Leonora, what happened?«

When he bent over his wife to ungag her, his eyes fell on the open door of his safe.

***

The »Mauretania II« had four arrest cells that were occasionally used for passengers who had gotten drunk and started a fight. Now, two of them were occupied by two men who had started their brawl when both had been sober.

The young seaman sitting in the small lobby of what the crew mockingly called the »cell block« or »the hole« sported a bruise from trying to wrestle down the tall American, and he was wondering that now, no noise was coming from either of the cells. Maybe, the two were already regretting their misbehaviour.

Indeed, Jeb was almost relaxed, though he was covered with bruises and suggested that the Japanese had maybe broken one of his ribs. Compared to the typical US prison, this cell was almost like the Hilton. Instead of bars, it had an iron door with a lid in it, and though the porthole could not be opened, Jeb could look at the Atlantic if he wanted. The toilet was clean and in a separate closet, and they had even left him both his phone and his cigarettes.

In his eyes, the scene was clear: Sato had either done some consensual bondage to the blonde – in that case, he would perhaps be accused of sexual assault, but since he hadn’t committed anything worse than stripping her and touching her boobs a bit, Davenport would get him out on bail. Worst case were a few months in a European prison, though he doubted it would come that far.

If, however, the Japanese had kept the woman against her will, his chances stood well that his charges would be dropped, and Davenport wouldn’t even have to pay. In either way, there was nothing to be worried about, and so, he was lying on his bunk and smoked, waiting for things to come.

Separated from him by a thick wall, Sato was also lying on his bed, but he could not be called calm. He didn’t mind the bruises, and he would also not die from Conradi scolding him. His thoughts were occupied with Johanna. By now, she would have been found and rescued. What would she say? Would she accuse him of kidnapping and assault? And would he be able to prevent harm from his superior? In his eyes, Sato had failed as a bodyguard, and that bothered him as much as the fact that he would perhaps never see Johanna again – unless during her confession at his trial.

***

Melissa felt frustrated. She had been at the Captain’s office when Schmidt had talked to Andrew Davenport who not only had put on a suit, but also behaved well and reasonable when considering what to do about Jeb’s misbehaviour. She was still convinced that at least one of them was behind the attack on Hannah – who, like Johanna, had disappeared since the previous day, but Captain Schmidt didn’t even listen to her. Not only was he eager to get his last voyage done without any further problems, he also seemed equally impressed and intimidated by Davenport’s attitude.

»So, according to the reports of three of my crewmen, Mr. Browning and Mr. Sato got into a brawl during which two passengers got hurt and some damage was done! When they tried to separate them, some of the crew also got minor injuries!«

Davenport let out a deep fake sigh.

»Captain Schmidt – I am as sorry as I am sure Jeb is, now that he has had some time to think about his behaviour! And I can promised that neither you nor any of the crew or the other guests will be bothered by him for very much longer!«

For a wild, irrational moment, Melissa hoped he would consider that Schmidt threw the man overboard. However, Davenport just told him that due to some problems with his business, he would have to return to the US and leave the ship at Porto.

»Of course, I would prefer it if I could leave together with my assistant!«

Schmidt was hesitant. On the one hand, this was an easy way out, and the man hadn’t committed capital crimes. On the other hand, there were still the passengers that had gotten harmed.

»The mother of the teenager who got a black eye may want to sue!«

Davenport’s face brightened, as if he wanted to express »now, we are talking!«.

»Captain Schmidt, we both know how this will end! If Jeb gets accused, the process will be held in Portugal, whilst the boy and his mother will have to return to Germany. In the end, if they are lucky, they will receive a few hundred bucks, after having spent months of reclaiming and hours, if not days of wasting time on this issue!«

The alternative he offered was tempting, at least for Schmidt: Davenport was willing to pay 5.000 to each of the harmed passengers, plus a sum the Captain should use to compensate for the damage and for his injured men.

»Will 25 Grand do, Captain Schmidt?«

Schmidt gasped, and Davenport raised the sum to 30.000, offering his hand to him. The Captain shook it, and, having signed a cheque and having promised to leave Jeb simmer in the arrest cell until their departure, the American left the office. Melissa stared at her superior.

»I can’t believe it, Captain! This behaviour literally cries that he has got something to hide!«

Schmidt gave her a look she knew from some of her instructors at the Police Academy. It said that grown men like he knew better about the world than little girls like her.

»I don’t know about all of Mr. Davenport’s business! What I do know is that in some 20 hours, he will not be my problem anymore – and this«, he raised the cheque, »will help me to avoid a scandal that could bother both the reputation of my ship and of the company! Thank you for your engagement, Melissa!«

He literally complimented her out of his office, and Melissa swallowed her anger. She could have mentioned the missing women – but what if they had just decided to stay somewhere else, maybe with some men they had met? There was also the thong she had found at Jeb’s cabin – but if she had mentioned that, she would have had to admit she had illegally entered the cabin. Also, and that had even more kept her from doing so, she could imagine a paternalistic Schmidt explaining to her that the panties could have been torn during an act of rough, but consensual intercourse.

»Once this horror trip is over, I will return to active service on land!«

»But I would miss you then, Melissa!«

She startled, only now realizing she had spoken out her thoughts loud. Karim smiled at her, and she leaned her forehead against his chest.

»What a day! Thanks to God my today’s shift is nearly over!«

Karim gently touched her arm.

»Well, mine will start in about an hour – and maybe, in the meantime, I could help you relax a bit! Forgive me, but you look so tense as if you could crack walnuts between your buttocks!«

»Sweet words any girl wants to hear!«, she scoffed, but she followed him to his studio where he rummaged through his shelves.

»I have developed an anti-stress-therapy. However, it requires that you take off your clothes, except your panties! Consider the sight of this my payment!«

Melissa felt curious, and if Karim would try to get physical, she could still turn his arm on his back. So, she stripped whilst he prepared the table and also mixed something in a pot he warmed on a small stove. On his order, she lay down on her back, and for a moment, she felt his eyes on her breasts. Instead of touching her, however, he draped a light linen blanket over her body, covering her from her shoulders to her ankles.

»On second thoughts, you should maybe remove the panties, too – otherwise, they might get wet!«

»What is he talking about?«, Melissa wondered, but under the cover of the blanket, she took off her panties and placed them on a tray Karim offered her. Then, he said:

»It’s an aroma therapy, and one of the ingredients is a little hemp! So, if this contradicts with your duties-«

Since Melissa wasn’t a real cop, and since she had just once again seen how money could easily defeat justice, she just forced a smile on her face:

»Get me high!«

Karim now put on a COVID mask.

»Sorry to look like a surgeon, but I can’t risk inhaling too much of it!«

He then placed another cloth over her face. It was so thin she could see his silhouette through it, and it didn’t block her breathing.

»Now, take deep breaths and enjoy!«

Karim took a ladle and put it into the pot. Then, he poured some of the liquid over her. It was so hot it was just still convenient, like a hot compress, and Melissa sighed when the warmth spread all over her as he soaked her whole body and the blanket clung to her forms. Even through the cloth, she could smell the sweet aroma of the liquid, and it indeed reminded her of hemp. Of hemp and something else she could not put her finger upon.

After a few minutes of pouring the hot potion over her, Karim said:

»Now, as it has calmed down a little, I will also pour some over your face! Just remain calm, close your eyes and breathe through your nose!«

She obeyed, and she felt that he was trying not to cause her to cough when he now soaked her face. She inhaled, and the fumes tingled her nose a bit. However, as she continued breathing, she relaxed, and again, she was sure that the sweet smell wasn’t just hemp, but-

Melissa got distracted when she felt his hands on her feet. He started to massage her soles and insteps with his strong and at the same time tender fingers, and she sighed with pleasure as he worked his magic on her. The cloth felt like a warm, cozy cocoon, and whatever the potion contained, Melissa felt how it was helping her inner tension to melt.

»Don’t worry, Melissa, I will wake you up on time if you fall asleep!«

Karim’s voice sounded far away, as if it was spoken through some cotton wool. Melissa wanted to tell him that she was fine, but her tongue refused to obey her, and so, she just mumbled something unintelligible. A pleasant languor was straying through her limbs, and when she wanted to lift her hand, it felt as if the light blanket had been replaced by a heavy tarpaulin. This made her feel a little nervous, and her breath accelerated, making her inhale more of the sweet fumes.

»This isn’t – just hemp! It’s-«

Even her thoughts seemed relaxed, and her brain refused to work coherently. Melissa now saw a face in front of her inner eye: it was one of her former instructors – Bernd? Bernhard?

Bernd or Bernhard had been lecturing them on drugs and also narcotics. Why was she thinking of him now? It seemed that the man in his white lab coat was talking, but Melissa only understood single words:

»Sweet – inhale – chlorophyll-«

The last word had not been chlorophyll, but something similar. Melissa tired to rewind the scene, but the face seemed to fade, was replaced by bright clouds, and then, uttering a last faint sigh, she faded away into a dreamless slumber.

Karim, who, even through his mask and though he was keeping some distance, could also smell the narcotic, massaged her feet for a little longer after he was sure Melissa had passed out. Then, he ripped open the two windows and checked that Melissa was indeed unconscious before he gathered the damp cloths into a plastic bucket. He smiled, for he despised violence, and this way, he had knocked Melissa out whilst she was enjoying the treatment.

The smell was still strong, and so, Karim also opened the door a bit before he left the room to put the soaked blankets into his washing machine, to inform his accomplices about his success and to get some ropes and tape.

***

Leonora wasn’t sure whether she should be angry or perplexed. Martin had freed her, but instead of cuddling her, call for a doctor or at least get her a drink, he was rummaging through his paperwork, uttering curses and seeming far more concerned about the contents of his safe than the well-being of his wife.

»Have you seen the man who attacked you?«, he suddenly blurted, and Leonora forced herself to give him a short summary of what had happened:

»He knocked me out from behind – and when I came to myself, I was tied up and gagged, and this bitch Babette was just pulling down my panties, grinning like a Cheshire cat!«

»Babette! I knew it! And who else was there? Davenport was with me, and his gorilla obviously was having a fight with Sato!«

»I – I don’t know! It happened so quick, I was scared, and Babette-«

»Ah, forget about the blonde bitch! I have to face real problems here!«

Conradi turned to his papers again, and to Leonora, him not considering the attack on her a real problem felt like a slap to the face. She stormed out of the suite, with her husband not even looking after her, and only when she had slammed the door shut and had passed some 20 yards, she realized that she was still only clad in her lacy underwear, garters and stockings.

Her first reaction was to spin around and to get back to the suite, if only to put on something decent before she left again. However, her key was inside the cabin, and to get inside, she would have had to knock.

She looked for a crew member, but the corridor was empty. Leonora cursed; then, another thought came up within her: it was about 10:30 now, meaning that in 30 minutes, she would have her next session with Karim.

She headed for the stairs and, looking if someone was around who could have seen her, she walked down the three decks. At this time, most passengers were either on deck or having a late breakfast, and aboard a cruise ship, with many women in their bikinis walking the corridors, a woman in her lingerie would only raise minor attention.

»And Karim will maybe even appreciate it!«

Her anger about her husband’s priorities and her suffering from the attack was more and more washed away by the sweet anticipation of another »special treatment« by Karim. She was a bit early, but that would enable her to get an even longer session, and one thing was for sure: Martin would not dare to protest if this would cost him some extra money!

The two or three passengers she met on her way indeed didn’t recognize her appearance, or they at least kept it to themselves. To her joy and relief, she found Karim’s door ajar, and she sneaked inside, quickly checking her appearance in the corridor mirror.

She was greeted by a faint sweet smell, and when she entered the therapy room, she found the table occupied. A naked woman with short, dark brown hair was lying on it, seemingly sleeping. Leonora had to fight down a wave of jealousy.

»It’s his job! He gets paid for massaging other women than me, and this is okay, as long as he once again shows me heaven!«

Nevertheless, the sight of the woman, younger than her, made her feel neglected again. However, when she saw Karim enter, she forced herself to smile, and she put her shoulders back to emphasize her breasts as she approached him.

»Karim! Am I coming too early?«

The startled expression on his face made her giggle – but that giggle died in her throat when she realized what he had just dropped: it was a coiled rope, and a roll of tape was rolling towards her, stopped by her naked toes.

Leonora now also realized another fact: she hadn’t lowered her voice, and Karim dropping his things had also caused some noise – and yet, the woman on the table hadn’t even stirred. The smile on her face turned into a grimace of fear, and when Karim approached her, she shied back.

She was stopped by something, or rather someone, and when she opened her mouth to scream, a strong hand clamped over it whilst an arm was slung around her arms from behind.

»Uuhhmmph!«

»Close the door, moron!«, Andreas hissed as he was trying to keep the struggling and flailing Leonora under control. Karim quickly obeyed. In her desperate attempt to break free, Leonora kicked against the brunette’s shoulder, but her only reaction was that her arm fell from the table and now dangled to the floor.

»She’s dead! He killed her, and now, they are going to kill me!«

She doubled her efforts and bit Andreas’ hand. He cursed and withdrew from her mouth, but before she could scream, Karim was there, and he stuffed something deep into her widely opened mouth, turning her scream into a gurgle.

He had grabbed the next thing lying around, which happened to be Melissa’s panties, and he wrapped some tape  over her mouth and around her head to secure the gag.

»Mhrrrmmm! Uuuhmmmmmm! Hhrrrrrr!«

»Quiet!«, Karim barked, and the outburst of the otherwise so calm and friendly Berber made Leonora indeed fall silent. With widened eyes, and panting heavily, she stared at Karim, too scared and confused to still struggle against Andreas who still held her in a vice grip.

Karim quickly found back his calm, and he looked at the slightly squirming Leonora. One of her cups had slipped down, exposing her breast, and her being clad in lingerie and gartered stockings told him she hadn’t just come for her massage.

»That bitch bit my hand!«, Andreas complained, »what the hell is she doing here?«

»Obviously, she wanted to enjoy my services!«

Karim smiled, but his grin had no resemblance to the friendly and warm smile he usually showed. Leonora mewed and squirmed as he let his eyes wander over her.

»The more important question, however, is what we are doing with her? We already have our quota«, he pointed at the still unconscious Melissa, »and though she’s still a sight, I am afraid that she’s not fitting the – scheme of prey of our customers!«

He grabbed Leonora’s chin, forcing her to look at his eyes.

»So, tell me, Leonora, what shall we do with you?«

***