Blonde Needles in a Giant Haystack 24

Sato let his eyes wander over the group of bound and gagged girls, allowing himself just a short nod towards Johanna who was blinking, having recognized him just by his voice. He looked at Ben who seemed like a man in a brawl noticing yet another opponent in the corner of his eye. John and Jeb seemed to be unsure whether they should accuse him of betraying them, or to wait for what he was about to do and say.

»If only I knew myself!«, he thought and once again took a deep breath. Then, he focussed Chalid:

»First of all, like these Gentlemen here«, he made a gesture towards Ben, then John and Jeb, »I am representing a very rich businessman. Mr. Martin Conradi, CEO of Conradi GmbH & Co KG!«

Of course, it would have been easier if the name had rung a bell in the Arab’s head, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Sato was sure that somewhere in his wallet was one of Conradi’s business cards, but after his escape from the pier, followed by a prolonged swim, it would not look very representable, even if it would be still readable. However, he could offer some references:

»I have to admit that Mr. Conradi is less rich than a few months ago, thanks to some activities of these Gentlemen over there – but I think that he still has got his place on the Forbes list!«

John showed a wryly smile at Sato’s thinly veiled accusation. Neither he nor Sato could say whether Chalid would now consider Davenport less honest or more successful. Ben just watched with a cold expression.

»So, if we want to have this conversation like some haggling on a Bazar, with each of us trying to offer a few Dollars more, I can up the ante for some time, too!«

Chalid frowned when Dawoud stepped to his side and whispered something into his ear. A smile built on his face.

»My second in command just had a wonderful idea to shorten this – haggling! Each of you writes down his best offer, I check all three notes and choose the best! The winner may take all these women with him, and you may divide them among you whilst I am anticipating my golden future!«

It was a move none of them had expected, and none of the three parties seemed to appreciate it. Among the captives, there was some commotion: what would happen to those the respective party didn’t care about?

Dawoud produced three pieces of paper and handed them to Ben, John and Sato, together with a pen for each of them. Chalid then clapped his hands.

»You have ten minutes to come to a decision!«

For a few moments, Ben, John and Sato focussed each other. It was like a Mexican Standoff, just with pen and paper. John then ostentatiously lit a cigarette and he and Jeb sat down. Ben remained standing, and Sato brushed over the shoulder of Babette who had sunk down onto the sand.

»Now, I have to be creative! After all, Ben Keane is acting in his own right and may decide to raise the sum he is willing to pay, whilst John and Jeb sure have an upper limit by Davenport! And Mr. Conradi doesn’t even know I am here!«

»Mph!«

Sato caressed Babette’s cheek.

»At least, this young Sheikh doesn’t seem too keen on both committing massacres or founding a harem! So, with a little bit of luck, you will soon be able to return home!«

Babette mewed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Sato bent down to her and whispered:

»Is there something you are trying to tell me?«

Babette nodded.

»Something that’s important for what I am trying to do?«

When the girl nodded again, Sato stepped behind her and took her hands that had become slightly numb from the bondage. He gently massaged her fingers, and he hissed into her ear:

»I can’t loosen your gag now without looking suspicious, but try to write it down!«

The letters Babette scratched onto the sheet were clumsy and uneven, but he could read the three words:

»Chalid is gay!«

Sato looked at the Arab who indeed stood close to the man he had called his second in command. They didn’t behave in any way other than just friends, but at least, it would explain his lack of personal interest in the bunch of naked women he currently held in his clutches.

»Are you sure?«

Babette’s rolling eyes told him that she had barely a reason to tell silly lies right now. Sato checked his watch, telling him he still had seven minutes.

»Now, what can I do with this information? If I expose him in front of his men, he might decide to just order my instant execution! And he will also not let several Millions go just for me keeping my mouth shut!«

He pondered for a while, watching both John and Ben fold their sheets and hand them to Chalid. Only when Dawoud approached him, he quickly wrote down a few lines, too. Babette looked at him questioningly, but Sato stared at Johanna whilst Chalid and Dawoud withdrew to read the notes in private.

The next minutes passed in an almost reverent silence. The girls, even those who were blindfolded, didn’t make a sound, none of the men talked, and even the horses barely snorted. Finally, just as John was feeling for his cigarette pack, Chalid returned, a strange expression on his face.

»After all your efforts, I think you have deserved to hear about all three offers! Mr. Beauregard, or rather Mr. Davenport, was very generous, offering me, and I quote ›One Million more than the other Fuckers do!‹!«

Some of the men – those who understood English – chuckled, and Ben looked as if he had bitten a lemon. Chalid raised the second note.

»Mr. Keane made, by coincidence, the same offer, though he spoke of the others as ›Gentlemen‹! So far, we have a draw!«

Everyone now looked at Sato, except for Chalid who held the third and last sheet. On the backside, Sato could see the words Babette had scribbled, and he wondered whether Chalid had noticed them – and if so, how this had influenced his decisions.

»Mr. Conradi offered me«, he made a dramatic pause, and some of the men sure were tempted to drum with their fingers, »some good advice before I choose one of the other two offers!«

There was a humming like a stone had been thrown into a beehive when the translation of these words made the round. Jeb’s jaw had dropped, and John and Ben could also not hide their perplexity. Even over the distance, Sato could see Johanna’s eyes, as big as saucers, and beside him, Babette panted. To all it seemed that the Japanese had lost his marbles completely and wasn’t even trying to throw some money into the ring. Sato raised his hand and waited until the crowd had calmed down again.

»Actually, I put three points at the end of my sentence, indicating that I have more to say, but there wasn’t enough room left! My advice isn’t cheap, for I demand the lives – and freedom – of the captured women!«

Chalid now seemed less amused than before, but he oppressed his anger about Sato’s seemingly erratic behaviour.

»I will not, as you say, buy the cat in the sack!«

Sato showed a smile that was borderline impertinent before he spoke:

»As you may have noticed, I am Japanese! And though my culture is maybe even stranger to yours than those of Mr. Keane or Mr. Beauregard and Mr. Jeb (he had never bothered to ask Jeb for his last name, and he hoped that it wouldn’t matter, your people and mine have one thing in common!«

Against his will, Chalid chuckled.

»You remind me of one of my old teachers when he tried to raise the tension!«

Sato bowed slightly.

»In the 19th century, four American steamers reached the shores of Japan, confronting my ancestors, who so far had lived like they had done for centuries, with the by then modern world! And of course, after we had signed a treaty with the Americans, other nations followed! After all, this was at the peak of Western imperialism!«

Chalid said nothing, but now, his expression showed real interest. Sato licked his lips, as now, he had to come to the core of his speech.

»Unlike most other countries in Africa or Asia, Japan never got colonized – and 25 years after these four steamers arrived, we had developed from a medieval country into a modern state with a thriving industry!«

Sato omitted the fact that Japan had developed into an aggressively imperialist country, too, culminating in its role in WWII. Chalid asked:

»Now, what are you telling me? That I shall invest the money in factories rather than racing camels and fancy clothes?«

He seemed slightly angry, as if Sato was treating him like a child that was about to burn all his birthday money on snacks.

»Despite being a modern country, Japan managed to keep its traditions and values – well, most of them! And I think you should choose a similar path! Stay true to where you came from – but adjust to the 21st century! Use that money as a startup for a modern state, and don’t just change one colonial ruler for another!«

Dawoud said something in Arabic, obviously a translation of Sato’s words for the men, whilst Chalid stood in silence. His first reaction had been to tell the Japanese that his words were pathetic, idealistic bullshit – but something the man had said had touched him. A modern state! A place where his father could live as a Sheikh in the desert, whilst he and Dawoud could perhaps-

He realized that the men were expecting him to react in some way. Chalid looked at his loyal soldiers who nevertheless missed their families. Now, not only peace with the Colonel lay within reach, but also enough money to build schools and hospitals.

»Now, what do you say?«

It was Dawoud, and Chalid could see a spark in his eyes.

»You know that actually, my father is still in charge!«, he replied with a drawling voice. Dawoud approached him and placed his hands on Chalid’s shoulders. Then, he embraced him and kissed his cheeks before he turned towards the men.

»Who wants peace and wealth under Sheikh Chalid?«, he shouted. After a few seconds, the first replies came; then, more and more men shouted Chalid’s name. They cheered, and some even fired rounds into the air.

John and Jeb approached Sato, the latter scratching his head.

»Can anyone tell me who has won now?«

John, however, pointed at Ben.

»Maybe, Jeb and I will miss deliberately if Davenport orders to kill you, but he has no such issues! You just changed one new friend against a very powerful enemy!«

Sato shrugged and looked at the American’s breast pocket.

»Now, I could need a cigarette!«

When he had taken one, Chalid and Dawoud approached.

»Seems I just got elected new Sheikh! Anyway, the first thing to do is to talk to the Colonel! My father and I might have our issues, but I can’t let him rot in a cell!«

Sato just bowed and put the cigarette behind his ear. He walked towards Ben who put his hand at the gun in his belt as he saw him.

»The only thing that keeps me from killing you right now is that Chalid has already heard your philanthropic BS, and that it would only further weaken my position!«

Sato bowed towards Ben, too.

»I am sure that a successful  businessman like you will find a way to make some profit even if the deal is fair for the other side, too! Even if you have to share with Davenport!«

Ben scoffed.

»I am born on this fucking continent, you know! This was a home game, so to say! And you just come along, hold your little speech and-«

He turned away, and Sato noticed that he was looking at Carmen who was kneeling some 20 yards away, close to Johanna who had come to her feet but not yet dared to get towards him. Sato felt his feelings trying to overwhelm him, and he forced himself to say:

»If Chalid decides to take my advice, there’s still one thing to do for the two of us!«

***

The ring was actually an oblong piece of sand, marked by four posts connected with ropes. Around it, Chalid’s men had gathered, struggling to get seats in the front row. One side, however, had been reserved for the girls, including Babette, who were all kneeling in a row. The blindfolds had been removed from all of them, but they were still gagged and had their arms tied, and all still were stark naked.

»After all, the outcome of this fight has some effect on my decisions, and until then, all these girls are still my property!«, Chalid had decided. Inga, who, being the Colonel’s Mistress, would have some value in the following negotiations, was flanked by two of Chalid’s men, but these had been advised not to take advantages. Beside her were Melissa and Gabriela who sat so close their hips touched. Next were Ana and Babette, with John sitting between them, both seemingly a bit jealous about the other’s presence. Dalanda knelt in front of the Phantom who had watched the latest events with helpless rage. He had thought of insisting that the black girl was his, and no part of Chalid’s negotiations, but he had decided that now was not the time for this.

Johanna was on one of the opposite ends of the ring where Sato, now only clad in his pants, held her in his arms.

»I know what you told me! He knows to fight! But so do I – and for what he did to you, he deserves a good old punch to the nose!«

»Mph!«

»Thanks! That means a lot to me, Johanna-Chan!«, Sato joked before placing a kiss on her forehead. Then, he took the cigarette from behind his ear and put it behind Johanna’s.

»Something for afterwards!«

He turned towards the sandy place, facing Ben who had had some words with Carmen who, also still bound and gagged, knelt in his corner. Ben’s henchmen were gathered around her, except for Cory who had stumbled towards the well and gotten some provisional treatment, but obviously had decided not to watch the fight and instead to lick his wounds.

»Are you ready to rumble?«

Jeb wasn’t exactly Michael Buffer, but he had a loud voice, and since he neither teamed up  with Ben nor Sato, he had been an obvious choice for a referee. He made Ben, who had also stripped down to his pants, and Sato bow towards him and then to each other. Then, he stepped back.

»Hajime!«

Sato had quit regular training after he had reached his third Dan more than 12 years ago, but he had kept himself fit, and there had been occasional fights during his work for Conradi. Ben, on the other hand, had never gotten a formal Karate education, but he had always been able to pay the best private Senseis, and Sato had taken Johanna’s warnings seriously, as she had told him about the fight at Carmen’s mansion where Ben had easily defeated Kim, a skilled Martial Artist herself. Ben was some six to eight years older than Sato, but he was fit, and he was taller and had therefore a better reach.

For a while, the two adversaries just encircled each other, testing the other’s reflexes by short fake attacks. These got more intense as both tried to find a weakness in the opponent’s defence, but yet, nothing worse than a few bruises had occurred.

Sato knew that he was not just fighting to punish Ben for what he had done to Johanna. After all, her ordeal had been Carmen’s fault for the most. However, if he succeeded in bringing Ben down, not only Chalid would have an advantage during the future negotiations, both Jeb and John would also profit from a weakened position of Ben Keane. So, he had insisted that, if Chalid stood to his word and would give him the women, Ben would have to fight for Carmen if he wanted her back.

He saw a swift kick, dodged and ran into Ben’s fist that despite his block hit his temple, causing him to stagger back. Dammit, the old man still had some moves!

He could see Ben grin towards Carmen, as if he wanted to tell her that soon, she would be back in his arms. Sato shook his head and attacked, but Ben had seen it coming and blocked, answering with a counterattack immediately. Again, he hit Sato, albeit it was just a punch to his side.

»All right, he is really good! If I continue like this, Johanna will leave me for him!«

Since Ben again posed for Carmen, he allowed himself to glimpse at Johanna, and despite the distance, he could see how she was blinking and squeezing her eyes, trying to see every detail of the fight despite not having her glasses.

»A man who can’t see can’t fight!«

The advice came to his mind, remembering him of »Karate Kid III« – not the best part of the franchise. Anyway, the rule had been one of evil Sensei Terry Silver and his »Quicksilver Method«. Sato straightened.

»Time to fight dirty!«, he murmured in Japanese.

A real foul would have been against his code of honour, and even if Jeb had not given him a warning, the crowd, including Chalid, would have disapproved. However, one could not blame him for the fact that instead of a mat, they had to fight in the sand!

Sato pivoted for a high kick; he missed Ben, but the kick whirled up some sand, and Ben shook his head, being blinded for the fraction of a second. It wasn’t much, but it allowed Sato to land a hard punch.

CRACK!

With blood streaming from his nose, Ben staggered backwards. He landed on his backside, staring at his bloody hand after he withdrew it from his face. Carmen managed to get to her feet, and she darted towards him, kneeling by his side before Jean had reached him with a wet towel. Jeb interrupted the fight, and Sato licked his lips. Now, with Ben being irate, he could provoke further mistakes! He could beat him to pulp, he-

He could behave like an adult for a change.

»A word, please!«

He waited until the crowd had calmed down. Ben had come back to his feet, angrily shaking off Jean who tried to press the towel against his still bleeding nose whilst Carmen stood beside him, her eyes filled with fear and concern. Sato focused him.

»This punch, I could only land because my opponent was irritated by the sand! Therefore, if Mr. Keane accepts, I will offer him the beautiful price as an apology!«

It took a few seconds to translate his words. The crowd then applauded, and Sato positioned himself in front of Ben. The tall man stared at him, knowing that in the eyes of everyone, including himself, he had been defeated.

»Fucking yellow bastard!«

Ben straightened; then, he bowed towards Sato who repeated the gesture. Jeb ended the fight, and when Carmen stepped towards Ben, he put his arm around her.

Sato went towards Johanna who had come to her feet, and he took her in his arms. Borrowing a knife from one of the Bedouins, he cut the leather band over her mouth and untied the scarf underneath. When he had plucked first the sock and then Gabriela’s panties from her mouth, he kissed her until Johanna writhed in his arms.

»I know you like the side effect, but could you please untie my arms? I promise I won’t run away from my brave knight!«

In the commotion, at first nobody noticed that two people had vanished: Dalanda and the Phantom.

***

The Phantom had only shown cursory interest for the fight between the two men he had no relation to. With his plans of having influence on the old Sheikh destroyed, his interests concentrated on getting back to Mauritania – together with his captive.

The girl, being left alone by him, and maybe hoping that the Japanese had also saved her, had been watching the fight like the others, and so, she had been completely taken by surprise when, using the distraction of Sato’s offer to Ben, had slung his arm around her throat from behind. He had pulled her backwards, and when she had recovered from her initial shock, she had been several yards away from the cheering crowd, and nobody had noticed her muffled screams or her wildly flailing legs.

At the horses, the Phantom had thrown her over the back of one of the animals and tied her to the pommel, then mounted his own horse and left, the other horse fixed to his saddle. Dalanda had squirmed, flailed and screamed through her gag, but they had passed a hill, and still, there had been no reaction from the Bedouins.

»Maybe, they won’t be following me at all!«, the Phantom frolicked, but nevertheless, he spurned his horse to increase his head start. He was sure that Chalid would put the talk with the Colonel over a hunt for a single girl, and therefore, he would only send a few men after him, if any. Well, these poor fellows would then have to learn that he was a skilled shootist.

Though he only occasionally turned his head towards Dalanda, he grinned with anticipation. Once he had shaken off any potential pursuers, he would finally do to her whatever he wanted!

Dalanda meanwhile had stopped flailing – due to exhaustion, not because she had given in to her fate. Hanging over the saddle, she could barely see where they were going, and her eyes burnt from the dust.

»I must do something! At least slow him down a bit!«

If the Phantom escaped with her, the future was rape and slavery. Dalanda tried to reach for the ropes tying her to the pommel, but her fingers were numb, and the knots out of reach. She felt the horse’s muscles move under her body, and she remembered the only time she had ridden a horse, or rather a pony, herself. She had been a little girl, and the pony had been an old, good-natured mare, but she suddenly remembered that the trainer had explained to her that riding was more about finding a connection to the horse than by using the spurs, let alone a riding crop.

»Dear Horsie, I don’t know if you can understand me, but, please, stop galloping! Just slow down!«

She tried to caress the horse’s back with her feet, and through her gag, she hummed what she hoped sounded soothing. The horse indeed slowed down a bit, but it still followed the other rider. The Phantom angrily raised his arm to beat his own horse.

TAKATAKATAK!

The sound was somehow muffled, and suddenly, both horses staggered. Dalanda was nearly thrown out of the saddle, and the Phantom also swayed around. He suddenly realized that this had been gunshots, and he was sure that either he or the girl or one of the horses had been hit. Then, he noticed what had actually happened: the shots had cut the rope tying Dalanda’s horse to his.

TAKATAKATAK!

Again, there were three fast shots, and the sand close to him indicated the bullets had missed him by just a yard or so. Frantically, he looked at the attacker – and he grew pale. There, on a hill, stood a Jeep, with a machine gun on his load.

Where had this come from? The grey-haired man and his entourage had arrived with two ordinary Jeeps, as had the two Americans, and Chalid’s men had no cars at all. He reached for his rifle, but though he was a skilled marksman, the range of the machine gun was bigger, and the man operating it seemed to be no rookie either.

TAKATAKATAK!

Again, the shots barely missed him, and he looked at Dalanda whose horse had now walked the other direction. With a curse, the man spurned his horse and galloped towards the next hill, followed by occasional shots until he had passed the next edge. Fuck the girl, fuck the plantation, he was glad if he could save his bare life!

The Jeep now slowly approached, but the machine gun remained silent, simply because the driver couldn’t man it and drive at the same time. Dalanda’s horse was nervous from the shooting, and she knew that sooner or later, she would be thrown from the saddle, hanging from the pommel then.

»Please, Horsie, calm down, please!«

»Ho! Ho!«

She heard the voice, but all she could see was the sand to her feet. However, it seemed that whoever her rescuer was seemed to have been able to grab the reins and to soothe the horse, for it finally came to a halt. Now, Dalanda could see the tips of a pair of boots, as the man had approached from the other side. A hand landed on her exposed buttocks, giving her a hearty slap.

»I knew it was yours!«

Marco! It was Marco! Dalanda mewed, and once he had freed her from the pommel, the girl sank into the sand. Marco bent over her. He had a few scars, and there was a bloody bandage over his chest, but it was him, no doubt.

Despite her dehydration, tears ran down her cheeks, and when he took her into his arms, she sobbed through her gag.

»There, there! I hope these are tears of joy!«

Though she couldn’t stop crying, Dalanda nodded.

***

Some hours later, alarm was risen at the caravanserai when it was approached by a group of more than a hundred riders, accompanied by some cars, but luckily, no shots were fired before the parliamentary flags were spotted. The Colonel stepped outside the camp, followed by some of his men, and he saw Chalid dismount his horse.

»Salam aleikum, Colonel!«

»Aleikumu Salam – Sheikh Chalid?«, the Colonel replied, trying to understand what this was all about. The young man showed a boyish grin.

»According to my men, my father should retire! However, even if he does so, he should do so on his own will – as a free man!«

He made a gesture, and one of his men approached. He led a strange figure by a leash. She was covered by a large white cloth that covered her head and fell to her naked ankles. Nevertheless, the cloth clung to her body and revealed that the cloth hid a shapely tall woman. Chalid said:

»Of course, I do not expect you to give me back my father and to get nothing in exchange!«

He lowered his voice and added:

»Nobody has touched her – but I am afraid all of my men saw her as Allah created her!«

»My men too!«, the Colonel chuckled. Then, he became serious again:

»Now – Sheikh Chalid, after we have exchanged our – guests, what shall we do next? Continue our feud?«

»If you insist, I will not shy back! If, however, you could also consider making a new start and see how much money our new friends are willing to pay, I am up to negotiations!«

The Colonel stretched out his hand, and Chalid took it. His men cheered, and soon, the Colonel’s men joined in.

***

»Somehow, you helped to bring peace to this part of the world! People got Nobel Prices for less!«, Carmen said whilst she was massaging Ben’s shoulders as he was lying on his bed. He had returned from a talk with the Colonel and Chalid, but he hadn’t talked much: not only did the plaster over his nose show everyone that he wasn’t invincible, the wound also made him speak in a nasal falsetto.

»Peace my ass! These two bloody Arabs are one heart and one soul when it comes to wanting more money from me! Now, they want a hospital, five modern schools and maybe even a University! Not to mention the apanage for the retired Sheikh!«

»In a few years, it will have paid for itself, and until then, you will still be a rich man! Besides, I like that softer side of yours!«

»Soft?«, Ben growled. »I got sucker punched by that little Japanese, the Arabs are stealing my money, and now, I get called soft by my-«

He paused, and Carmen understood the significance of him not being able to put a finger on what their status of relationship could be called. She brushed over his belly.

»I will talk to Inga! Maybe, she can persuade the Colonel to take a little less from you!«

Ben scoffed, but it sounded also amused.

»So, you are doing my negotiations and call me ›soft‹! Is that a glimpse of what living with you might be?«

He sounded rather curious than angry. Carmen let her hand wander further down, to feel if he had gone soft completely.

»Maybe! Maybe, I am just getting a little too cheeky and need my ass spanked!«

She bent over him, bit his ear so he gasped and hissed:

»Maybe, it’s both!«

***

The next morning, a truck left the camp, steered by one of the Colonel’s men who knew a save way back to Morocco. In the load sat eight persons altogether.

Inga hadn’t shown up to say Goodbye; she didn’t want to see Ana and Melissa whom she had betrayed and therefore hadn’t left the Colonel’s rooms. Carmen had briefly been on the balcony, and Johanna had waved towards her.

There had been a longer and more tearful Goodbye between Dalanda and Babette; the Black had decided to give herself and Marco a try.

»He considers leaving the services of Ben Keane – but right now, I am saver here than on my own! And thanks to you, my ordeal wasn’t for nothing!«

Babette had promised to take the microSD card with her, and to hand copies of it to both the press and the authorities in Germany. Thus, international pressure on Mauritania would perhaps change things for the better. Dalanda sighed.

»All these months, what helped me to prevail was to imagine how I would do this by myself! Well, at least, someone I can trust will do it for me!«

They hugged, and Dalanda whispered into Babette’s ear:

»Last night, losing my virginity wasn’t a loss either! Maybe, that’s a good omen!«

Of course, Sato and Johanna were in the car, as were Ana, Gabriela and Melissa. To their surprise, Jeb and John had climbed onto the load, too.

»In the night, I finally got access to the net and could phone Mr. Davenport! When he heard about the risen costs of this project, he said that Keane can have this cake for himself!«

As the truck drove off, they noticed that Ana’s shoulders were twitching; for a moment, they thought that she was sobbing, but instead, she was trying not to laugh.

»I thought that Mr. Davenport’s cake metaphor isn’t that funny«, John stated, and Ana stared at him with a strange expression, her eyes sparkling.

»It’s just that all of you should be behind bars, and I am still a Policewoman!«

»He, I am not a criminal!«, Babette protested. Ana glanced at her, and Babette raised her hand.

»But I slept with the man you have a crush on! Okay, I am guilty, too!«

»Guilt by fornication!«, Johanna stated. Ana’s head turned towards her. Before she could say something, Sato burst out laughing.

»Maybe, you should use that as a title for your next novel!«

His laughter was contagious, and after a while, even Ana and John joined in. The Policewoman sighed after they had all calmed down again.

»Maybe, just maybe, I will consider not arresting you once we are back in civilisation!«

She yawned heartily.

»I think I have to oversleep all this!«

Looking at Babette, she added, pointing at John:

»Does he snore?«

»Well – no!«

Ana rose and got over to John, taking a blanket with her.

»So, you may protect me in my sleep!«

She cuddled against him, and John draped the blanket over them. He grinned at the others.

»Call me your ›Get out of Jail free‹ - card!«

»I am calling you my cushion – and cushions don’t talk!«, Ana complained from under the blanket, and John fell silent. Little later, both Melissa and Gabriela decided that they also needed some extra sleep, and when Johanna yawned, Sato jumped up and got a blanket for them, too.

Babette got up and approached Jeb who was staring out of the truck, at the vanishing caravanserai. He looked puzzled when the girl touched his shoulder.

»I am – tired, too!«

The bulky man seemed overwhelmed when she cuddled against him.

»Wha-what?«

»You are what you are, but you saved me out of this dreadful well, and at least, you never pretended to be someone you aren’t! So, if you are Gentleman enough to protect a naïve young blonde girl in her sleep-«

Jeb nodded, the smile on his face making him look a bit sheepish.

***

With the others so close, none of the four couples did anything really R-rated, but for Sato, holding Johanna in his arms, feeling how her ample breasts pressed against his chest, felt just like heaven. He noticed she still wore the cigarette behind her ear.

»For afterwards, hm?«

Johanna kissed him. Then, she whispered:

»I am thinking of beginning another story: ›The Writer and the Shibari Master!‹!«

Sato frowned.

»So, nothing autobiographical then?«

»Hm?«

Sato pulled her closer.

»Because whilst you are a writer, I am merely an adept in the art of Shibari! To become a master, I would need years of practice! I would have to tie you up and gag you again and again!«

»Oh!«, Johanna breathed, and Sato could feel the pressure of her warm pubic mound against his loins. He added:

»Maybe, we would have to stay together for the rest of our lives!«

Johanna closed her eyes and kissed him again.

The End