Quinn shivered as she crouched behind the palm tree. Although it was 90 degrees the tropical downpour had soaked her shorts and vest. She needed to keep still, her quarry was in the valley below. With no sun to give her position away with reflections she risked a glimpse through the binoculars stowed on her belt. She was in time, Canon was still there among  the tribesmen, a head taller and wearing a crisply pressed linen suit, protected by one of his entourage with an umbrella. Looking closer she could see it, the Tears of Sorrow, the diamond she was here to liberate. Canon had it in a velvet bag in his pocket. 

Ignoring her heart pounding she slipped and slid gently down the side of the valley keeping in cover. Half an hour later and she found a sheltered spot on the edge of the camp. The late afternoon shower had passed  and the heat was rising, she was dripping wet and filthy but in sight of her objective at last. Patience was the key now. 

The evening seemed to drag on interminably from Quinn's cramped hiding place. She watched Canon and his henchman eat dinner cooked on the open fire by the locals. Payed handsomely no doubt to provide labour and betray their heritage. Finally after a few rounds of what looked like hard liquor the camp fell quiet. Quinn waited another half an hour then crept past the first tent in the glow of the embers of the fire.

They were either confident or sloppy, there were no sentries set, but then they were hundreds of miles from anywhere. Quinn took a deep breath, cursing her luck at ending up here. This wasn't how she had imagined her first assignment. Pausing to peel a leach off her bare thigh she inched forward through the camp towards the tent of her adversary. Edging to the back of the tent she took her bowie knife and carefully  opened a small split in the sun faded fabric. It took her several minutes of patient work to make a slit she figured she could ease herself through. 

Peering into the gloom of the tent it seemed she was good to go. The tall grave robber was asleep on a cot to one side of the small space, shrouded in a mosquito net. The small bag that she needed was clearly visible on the trunk on the far wall of the tent alongside a Breitling and a Colt 45. This was it , crunch time. Quinn edged forwards through the tent on her hands and knees, waiting several seconds between move. She grabbed the velvet bag and stuffed it in the pocket of her shorts. After a seconds pause she lifted the watch too then shoved the pistol in the back of her waistband. Checking the outline in the net hadn't moved she started to retrace her steps out of the tent. Not daring to take the time to turn around she backed through the gash in the tent and into the warm humid evening.

"Well well, Quinn I believe ?" 

Quinn's heart lept. For a split second she felt frozen to the core, then she threw herself backwards and rolled to one side drawing the pistol and aiming in the general direction of the voice. It clicked uselessly. Then as she looked up into the cold blue eyes of Canon it struck her. He had been too still, it had been too easy. It was a trap and she was an idiot rookie after all. Canon motioned upwards with the barrel of the gun clamped in his fist and Quinn dragged herself to her feet, suddenly self conscious of her soaking top and shorts and mud splattered boots. 

"Nice try. But really, do you think I was so careless ? " 

Quinn looked at her boots intently, unwilling to look her captor in the eye. 

"Now if you will just tell me who sent you. I can have you released at the edge of the forest...." He asked so reasonably, his english accent hinting at old money and an expensive education.

"You know I can't do that" 

"That's very disappointing Quinn, I would prefer to keep our relationship........ civil".

"We don't always get what we want”

”Young lady, this isn't the movies and I have no time to mess about.....   Take her away! "

Quinn's screams and struggles were cut short by a hard back hand to the face from the heavily muscled local who seemed to be Canon's lieutenant here in the jungle. Then everything went black. 

Quinn came around a few moments later. Her reflex to struggle was cut short. She glanced around to check why she couldn't move as her faculties returned. Escape looked impossible. She had been bound to an X shaped frame, crude rope cutting uncomfortably into her arms, wrists and ankles. Her now bare feet didn't quite reach the floor. Her eyes instantly went to Canon, who was approaching from the  gloom, still dressed only in his shorts. He was tall and heavily muscled. She had to admit with his cropped blonde hair and sharp features he wasn't unattractive. But what had her attention at the moment was the cruel looking hunting knife in his right hand. Her knife, she realised , taking a deep breath. 

"I should tell you Quinn that the men are hoping upon hope that you do not make this easy. I think they are looking forward to a show."

"I am not going to tell you a thing, you can do what the hell you like!" Quinn spat out through gritted teeth, desperately trying to sound braver than she felt. 

"Thank you for the offer my dear, I intend to, I assure you"

Canon took one more step forward and pressed the tip of the knife into Quinn's navel. She didn't want to whimper but she couldn't help it. Slowly he reversed his grip on the knife and dragged it up her exposed stomach, leaving a feint red trail, not quite breaking the skin. Quinn dare not breathe, unable to draw her eyes away from the glint of steel between her breasts. Canon laughed and flicked the knife upwards and to the sides. the move was cool, skillful and easily sliced though the kahki sports bra that had been preserving Quinn's modesty. He pulled the  shredded garment away and turned his back on the now topless agent, without a glance back.

"Give her the potion..."

"Quinn screamed and stuggled but the rough chords holding her were too tight. As one of the natives approached with a leering smile she closed her eyes and looked away, shaking her head no. But she was in no position to resist and the tribesman simply pinched her nose , pulled her head back and poured a draft of a foul tasting liquid into Quinn's mouth. Even though much of it ran down her front she could feel it burn her throat, so she feared she had swallowed enough. 

"Drugging me won't help. I cant tell you what I don't know" 

"The drug is merely to ensure that you don't bleed out Quinn. By the time I am finished with you, you will be begging me to sell out everyone you know .."

"Bleed out? I don't understand. What do you mean bleed out.." 

In answer Canon took four knives from one of his henchmen. With barely a glance he took one by its tip and threw it straight and true. With a sickening thud it found it's target, neatly skewering the palm of Quinn's outstretched left hand. Before she even had a chance to form a scream a second knife had pinned her right hand in the same way. 

"You monster!! You coward " Quinn screamed as the pain flared. Two more thuds silenced her protests, as her feet were pinned into place by two more of the slender knives. "What are you doing to me !!?!! "

"Its a local specialty Quinn, they call it the year of the blades. The trick is to make sure you stay with us long enough to enjoy it all. Unless of course you are going to tell us what we want to know" 

"Screw you !"

"That's the spirit, my new friends here will be so pleased.."

With that Canon picked up a handful of metal spikes. Each was maybe a foot long and an inch in diameter, finished with a gleaming point. Quinn fought back a sob and tried to find some defiance in her voice. 

"If you kill me with those spikes then I won't be saying a thing..."

"Not to worry Quinn, thanks to that potion we won't be killing you, well not quite yet." 

As Canon drew closer Quinn could see the bench behind him was strewn with a whole heap of sharp looking implements. She struggled once more, but it was hopeless. It was only then that she realised that there was no blood coming from the wounds in her hands. 

"What have you done to me?!?" .

Canon's only answer was to press his first spike against the soft pale skin of Quinn's left forearm. She gasped, feeling it break the skin, then ease through her arm. He added a second spike through her upper arm, pinioning her bare limb to the wooden frame. It was only when he began to repeat the process on her right arm that Quinn started to realise that not only was there no blood, she wasn't in agony. It hurt, and she could feel that her arm had been penetrated. But it wasn't agony, she hadn't passed out. 

"Those ropes do look uncomfortable ..." Canon chuckled and cut away the chords at Quinn's arms and ankles, leaving her suspended by the blades through her arms and feet alone.

”You see, not only does the native’s potion keep you alive, it dulls the pain ....” by now he was stood by her again , barely whispering into her ear, with another of the spikes pressed into her left thigh ..” confuses your nervous system, so you actually start to wonder if it doesn’t feel good .”

Quinn wanted to respond with a contemptuous laugh, a witty one liner perhaps. But the next spike was pressing high on her right thigh. Barely below her skimpy shorts. The point  was pushing deep into her soft skin, his breath was on her cheek, his shoulder brushed her bare breast. She gulped. God it hurt. But it was more , it was starting to feel . Could he be right, could it be making her feel...

Whimpering Quinn cursed her treacherous body as she turned away from his gaze. Then he drove the cruel spike home into the wood behind her . She cried out. 

“Gentlemen I wonder if our guest isn’t starting to feel the full effect of the potion...”

Canon took the final spike and this time when it breached her thigh Quinn felt it for sure. A jolt of excitement mixed with a stab of pain. Unwelcome, inexplicable, but there.

“Shall we continue, or do you have something you would like to tell us”

”Go to Hell”

Canon returned to the bench and paused thoughtfully. Selecting a sword he returned to his victim pinned to the cross. The blade was long slender and slightly curved. He walked behind Quinn, putting a hand on her hip. He slid it slowly up her firm stomach. She breathed in, trying to pull away. His touch was hideous, but somehow thrilling.

”Will you not reconsider? Things will only get worse for you from here “

His hand wandered upwards and he leaned in closer. He cupped Quinn’s breast, and brushed her nipple with his thumb. Her hard treacherous nipple. She moaned.

“You stand to lose your looks, your dignity, your life , for what , what? “

”Screw you you creep”

Quinn felt the tip of the sword in the point of her back, heard the crack of the wooden frame letting it through. The her gasp became a scream as the blade slid through exiting just above her navel. Her head dropped forward, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the blade exiting her bare belly. At first the pain was overwhelming, but a split second later it was something else, as it sent shockwaves up and down her spine. 

Still behind Quinn Canon leaned in once more. 

“Last chance, the point of no return. Speak now if you want to save yourself “. 

“Have your fun, I am not gonna tell you a thing “

Canon nodded silently and slowly twisted the sword. Quinn cried out once more. She was bathed in sweat, gasping for air. It hurt. It felt so. Good. Like the deepest anyone had ever. Then the twisting stopped and just the dull ache remained . Pain, or was it need.

By the time Quinn had regained her senses Canon was stood in front of her once more. To her horror she saw a pair of daggers in his hand. No questions this time . He held the first dagger point down in front of her face. Paused. Then lined it up with the top of her left breast . He looked into her eyes, and pressed down gently without ever breaking his gaze. The blade slid easily through her soft flesh. She whimpered, not sure how much more she could take. But seconds later her second breast was skewered too. With an effort she looked up as Canon returned to his cursed table. 

“That all you got ?” Sadly her attempt at a sardonic growl was more of a whimper.

Quinn’s reward was the final blade from the table. A second sword. Canon stood in front of her. No smile, no cruel stare, just a look of curious indifference. He swung the sword skilfully for a few seconds, as if taking its measure. He put the point to Quinn’s left ankle then ran it lightly up her thigh. The tip lingered in the crotch of her shorts, before settling an inch or two higher. He pressed gently. For a second their eyes met. Then he shoved it home through Quinn’s pelvis and out the other side till it was buried in her up to it’s decorated hilt..

The effect was instant. Quinn screamed. But the pain was fleeting. Replaced by a crushing wave of pleasure. An avalanche of ecstasy crashed over her and she couldn’t fight it any more. She writhed uselessly, barely able to move. 

It seemed like a lifetime before she could regain her composure. She looked up. The whole camp were watching her, Canon grinning. She flushed, fearing she had put on quite a show.

Canon had another sword in his hand, and now the smile had gone. 

”Goodbye Quinn”



            ......                   ......            .......        .......        ..........

”Cut”

I looked up with a start and smiled shyly at the sound recordist. He smiled back and pressed the pause button on the monitor I had been watching while the crew shot some reaction shots on the other side of the set. 

“It’s just a rough edit. It will look loads better when it’s done back at the studio and the dialogue and stuff is added.”

I smiled shyly, not wanting to admit I  had been imaging my own script. I hadn’t even got to see the real script. 

“Are you sure you are ok . I mean I don’t know how you do it, you have been pinned to that frame for hours now. So many takes.”

”I am ok thanks, don’t worry, it kinda hurts and tingles, occupational hazard, I can handle it. But you would have to ask Matt how it’s done , not me”

”He just says it’s magic, to everything . “

”Well it IS magic “. Matt grinned as he joined the conversation. “And Quinn the studio loves it. They are so pleased,  I think they will use us again. It’s way cheaper having you here being skewered for real than doing it all with special effects, plus it looks so realistic . And they don’t have to drag the star out on location in the jungle . They will just cgi in her face later”.

I was about to object to being edited out like a prop when I realised that was exactly what I was. Which is why I didn’t need the script I guess. So much for my big movie debut . At least no one would ever recognise me.

”OK if the girl is ready, one more shot before we lose the light then we can wrap it for the weekend. Places people!”

I took a deep breath as I watched the crew get ready.  The lead actor walked over and looked at me questioningly. I felt a little sorry for him. He was hesitant about sticking the swords and spikes through me however often Matt and I told him not to worry. I just nodded and he retreated to chat to the director. 

“Action!”

I watched wide eyed as the lead approached me with a  long slender pole in hand. It reminded me of a lance you see in movies with jousting as much as anything.

”Goodbye Lady Gemma”

He stepped forward and ripped my tattered shorts from my hips. They tore away easily as they had been designed to do by wardrobe. I hung from the spikes, naked and shook my head no. They had told me to act a bit and react even though my face would be edited out. 

He drew closer and ran his finger up my bare skin, between my pierced breasts then lightly lifted my chin. I tried to look broken as he shifted his grip on the lance to near the pointed end then lifted it to my open mouth. 

“It didn’t need to end this way” he whispered menacingly. Then he pushed down. Threading the long spike into my mouth, pushing downwards hand over hand. I could feel it open my throat, choking me, then glide into my chest. I felt the vibration as it scraped past the sword through my belly. Then the blade in my pelvis. Looking straight up I could hear the murmur of approval as the point exited between my legs. He reached up and gave one final violent downward shove and the point was rammed home between my feet into the wooden platform the cross was mounted on. 

Without so much as another look my assailant walked off ....

”Cut. Great, that’s got it...”

”Are you sure you are ok ? “ that sound guy was sweet.

Unable to talk or move I made a sort of thumbs up as best I could with my pinned hand. It felt so strange, no applause, no wowed crowd. The director was congratulating the actors but they had just walked off and left me by all the props for the camp. 

The sound guy looked like he was about to ask something else when one of the camera men came over taking pictures of me pinned from all angles.

”Problem? “ Matt asked soothingly?

”Not at all, but we are losing the light. It’s been a long couple of days and the unit director has said we can have the night off back at the hotel.”

”So?”

We had a load of filling shots to do still, close ups, different angles that sort of thing,   so I am just taking some stills of Quinn for continuity for when we get going again, you know so we can get her looking the same.”

i groaned around the lance or spike or whatever it was. I had to go through all this again after the tomorrow ? Still a shower and a beer sounded good.

I could hear Matt talking to the unit manager. 

“So you leave all the gear here and we go back to the hotel?”

”Yeah, we just pack up the electronics and other valuables and leave everything else. This island is deserted and you can only get here by boat, why.”

”Just had an idea, catch you up at the beach...”

Matt returned with a worrying grin. 

“Don’t worry about all that continuey stuff and clearing up. She can stay here, it will save you guys hours”.

I couldn’t believe my ears and tried to protest. “Mtt Mttph. Mno...!”

One of the props team looked at me then his watch, then the other guys.

”Hes right, it will take an age to get everything matched up and we need to be on the flight back to LA on tomorrow night . If he says it’s ok then why not? “

”I’m really not su...”

”It will be fine” Matt interrupted, “she’s not going anywhere....have fun Quinn “.