The Fourth Horseman

[Roland Gilliad]

*He glanced over one shoulder....She probably wasnt kidding. Better to be safe than sorry. He took the left room, shutting the door behind him, he glanced at the knob. Yep. The lock could only be undone from the outside...or with a well placed kick. Of course, a bullet wouldnt hurt. He glanced around. Sparse, spartan almost, but he didnt expect much else. A Bed, sitting in the corner, a washbasin, and what looked like a chest-of-drawers for belongings. Setting down the sidebags he had inside of the coat on that chest, he examined the bed...on it, under the sheets and surprisingly clean comforter, then under the matress, and under the bed. He also checked the walls for weak points or unexplained cracks, and checked the small window in the room to make sure it was securely locked...Before he finally settled down. Hanging his coat up on the litttle hatrack, he pulled off the dusty black t-shirt, revealing the small 22. hidden beneath it. Shaking out some of the dust, he tugged it back on, unbuckling his heavy gunbelt, he set it over one of the bedposts, and pulled off the heavy pants, revealing a double set pair of boxers...along with two knives strapped to his ankles, and a stilleto on the inside of his leg, like a lady might carry. It was always the last place someone looked for a weapon, and had saved his life plenty of times. pulling on a lighter pair of pants from his bags, he finally felt reasonably relaxed...opening the door just a hair, he glanced out into the hallway...some amount of time had passed, and he made sure it was absolutely unobtrusive. Only someone who KNEW the door should be absolutely shut would recognize it being cracked open....it wasnt locked either, thank gods..*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

Tanya jumped down the last four stairs, onto the landing, as was her habit, allowing Daniel time only for one booming knock at the door. He had his “friend” with him, a short, creepy little man that oozed betrayal from his very being. Not exactly the kind she would choose as a partner. But to each his own.

They had three women with them, all bound and gagged in the usual ways. At first, it made her cringe to see the way that they were treated. But over time she had gotten used to unbearably tight straps around the wrists, the shackled ankles, the scarves tied around their mouths. and at their throats the dangling leashes. It was more demeaning than any other submissive act she could imagine, and from what Daniel told her about the time before Hell, women had actually paid him to do things like this to them.

Looking up the stairs quickly, she ushered the little group in. They followed the usual route, pausing only for her to unlock both doors that led down into the transformed wine cellar. It was still useful for keeping the alcohol, but half of it had been walled off into a makeshift prison.

The women were rarely violent, most broken time and time again – both physically and emotionally – by the time they reached her. But still, Daniel insisted they remain cuffed to the walls at all time. It was “part of their training,” he claimed.

They used Tanya for the mere fact she was a woman. The slaves he brought to her seemed much more comfortable with someone they could almost relate to. And it was her job as well to groom them the best she could – a distinctly feminine requirement in the application that set her apart from the others.

“I have a captive of my own to look in on, lock up when you’re done,” she said in a clipped tone to Daniel. He looked at the other man and snickered over some whispered comment.

To her, he merely said with a lusty laugh, “I’m glad you’re finally immersing yourself in your work. It’s a real pleasure doing business at times…”

Shaking her head at his usual lewd repartee, Tanya turned and walked back upstairs to the main room.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*he heard the knock and the stairs...hmm. Okay. Downstairs. First place to take a look...His sharp as razors heard sound of talking, three voices...The Lady, and two others...one..hmm, the first guy was in charge. commanding, powerful, and he bloody well oozed that he was in control and was almost frelling drunk on it. The other was a lackey. He didnt get words, just vocal tone. He'd heard her orders, then her coming upstairs. He shut the door with a very quiet snick, and pulled the 22. out of it's little side holster, almost right inside of his armpit. and towards the back. A very awkward draw if you werent used to it, but he was. Especially with the shirt on, he took out the clip and the bullet, thumbed the bullet back into the clip, reloaded, and put a round into the chamber, then put it back inside of the holster. Better safe than sorry. Pulling out a long thin knife which might have been used for assassination at one point, he sat down on his bed, crossing one leg over the other and began to trim his nails, looking non chalant...and as cool as the smoke off of dry ice..he heard her approaching the door, and didnt even jump when she opened it*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

Open wasn’t exactly the right verb for what action she performed on the door. Tanya flung it open and stood in doorway with her hands on her hips, the heel of her left foot on the floor, her foot there to catch the door when it rebounded loudly against the wall.

She had followed through on her intuition that this man was here to learn everything he could. Curiosity wasn’t even the right word for it. He had to have a death-wish for seeking the kind of information that she had the feeling he was after.

“Eavesdropping is very un-classy, James, and severely frowned on in this part of town. There are a lot of no-name, no-faces types out there who get their kicks from tormenting such classless people.”

She growled wordlessly under her breath as he sat their silently, all of his concentration centered around his right hand, as if the health of his cuticles were the most important thing in the world. She felt the overwhelming urge to appear tough and calloused while she still could, for even now she could feel the tug of his magnetic attraction like the moon on the ocean tides.

“Lets get one thing straight here. You may be used to being in control of everything that happens around you. And that’s all and well outside these walls. But this is my domain, and I’m a very territorially girl, James. I defend my space tooth and nail. I suggest you don’t interfere in places where you don’t belong.”

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*Only when her diatribe was done did he look up...For a moment, like death warmed over...Like he could probably take on every one of those no-names and come out without a single hair dissaranged...He Turned the knife around, setting it down on the small bedside table, and stood up, brushing off his light sleeping pants, he turned around..Focusing every bit of that penetrating, eons deep gaze of his onto her and her alone...he seemed to look almost like a wolf again..the feeble moonlight catching him in such a way that it only made the look worse...the candle behind him silloheted his lean form perfectly.*

May I? It might not be -classy-...

*he said, in a low, admitting tone*

But more than once, listening in has kept me alive. It's kept knives, bullets, and worse out of my back. It's kept me free, when I heard folks plotting to tie me up when I fell asleep. And it's kept me from pissing off the wrong people at sensitive times.

*he had not moved. That would be stupid, and might make HER do somthing rash, so he simply stared at her..man, did this guy NEVER Blink?*

True, it wasnt polite. For that I apologize. Im still wary in situations like this where everything seems a little too easy for just offing someone who got a bit too friendly with you, or whatever the service is. It's damn near gotten me into situations which...to be honest...would not have been comfortable.

*he nodded, as if deciding somthing*

I was wrong about you. I dont think you're going to betray me in the middle of the night, which I'll be glad to tell you is a nice change. Everyone's got their secrets. Im not going to dig into yours.

*He glanced significantly out the door*

As for everyone else... Well, if they're not good enough to trick me, or beat me, then They'll go down like every last one of the rest.

*And the tone he said it in...that flat, dead tone, Spoke volumes about this man...for whom, 'The Rest' was one very very big number..*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

“I’ll tell you something. Others might be impressed with your carefully chosen words, but I can walk that line of verbal perfection as well. Always tell them what they want to hear. I’ll agree, it’s a good rule to live by. You’re not half bad at it. And it will get you by with most people. But the ones that you probably want to forge the strongest alliances with will see straight through that bullshit.”

Tanya held his gaze, breaking it only once to toss the hair out of her face. Shrugging out of the large man’s denim shirt she had been wearing, stripping down to the tanktop underneath that made it slightly more bearable in the oppressively hot room, she stood her ground.

“I know I’m just a woman to most of you,” she said scornfully, grouping the entire opposite sex together, “but I can handle myself.”

She cooled her tone for just a minute, letting her eyes lock on his and appreciating the tingle of his stare as he took her in completely. Lowering her voice, she took a step closer to him, barely aware of what she was doing.

“But the question is, can you?”

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*He watches her move closer...wondering, warily what she was up to...he listened to her, and a very faint smile touched his lips when she played the gender card...He watched her, admiring her form, grace, and body..he fixed her with that gaze again*

I Can handle myself very well.

*he remarked into the pregnant silence between them...watching her...Oddly notcing both of them were fairly underdressed, though not overly so...it just enhanced his senses. And yet, he didnt feel anything wrong, so he was fairly sure she wasnt trying to get him into a position in which she could kill him....His lips werent even dry. He was very calm and collected. As if strangers called him out like this every day*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

“Tempting. You’re very tempting. Men usually don’t get to me like this. It’s unnerving…” she took a few more steps towards the bed, dropping her gaze to the floor and her voice to almost a whisper, “…but I like it.”

Glancing at the knife, she moved till she was standing in front of him, looking down on him as he sat on the edge of the bed, his legs parted, resting comfortably on his elbows like he could stay there all day.

Bending down, she took the gun from her boot, her long hair brushing over his thighs as she disarmed. Tanya placed it heavily on the small table next to him where the only candle was burning. Letting her fingers slide off of it slowly, she met his piercing gaze again.

It was worse than standing there naked in front a stranger. Without the comfortable weight of the gun, and lacking the protection of blades that she carried on her person whenever she went out, she felt completely helpless. The knowledge that she could defend herself without weapons didn’t calm her in the ways it should.

Her comfort zone reduced to almost zero, the heat of their physical closeness singed the ends of her nerves. She not only wanted this, she needed this…

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*he watched her for a moment..intently...Then...*

*He removed the 22. From the shoulder holster..and put it down on the table next to her gun. One sign of trust met with another sign. He glanced into her eyes. Well, he had to admit. She was pretty, smart and downright tough...he reached over, and touched her shoulder as softly as he could...*

As do I.

*he remarked quietly, just for her ears...somthing else, old burning behind those eyes....Gods. it had been how long..scince he was..what? 15? he shook his head internally...An age ago. He had never felt even a twinge before this...this lady.*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

She looked at him a minute; with the layers of clothes he was wearing, Tanya was sure he had more than that one gun. But it was a start, and she took advantage of it. His touch made her flinch…it had been months since she’d felt the heat and need coming from a partners body.

Sinking onto the bed next to him, her legs draped loosely over one of his, her feet dangling between his legs, she sighed. James’s hand trailed over her body as she lay back, coming to rest on her thigh.

He was motionless for at least a minute – although if it was for romantic effect, for her own benefit of calming or, or due to the sheer fact that it had been at least as long for him as well, she wasn’t sure. Moving slowly, confident yet gentle, he slid his legs from beneath hers, leaning an arm across her body to brush the hair from her face.

Sitting up slightly, she looked at him, taking in his presence.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve had someone share a bedroom with me whose first intent wasn’t ending my life…”

 

[Roland Gilliad]

I dont know how long it has been scince I was sharing a bed with anyone for any reason..

*He admitted, smiling just enough to keep her relaxed. He ran his hand slowly down her cheek, past her chin to touch her neck in a tender, almost loving fashion. Rediscovering things after such a long time..He watched her look him in the eye...and felt a bolt of lightning sear down his spine....He could not help himself then, and for the first time in a very long time, kissed her with as much aplomb and desire as he could without going berzerk in her presence...*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

Instead of relaxing her, his touch and kiss filled Tanya with an overwhelming passion. Her muscles were tensed like a sleek black Jaguar, ready to spring. She was in the mood to pounce, and pounce she did.

Rolling over, she straddled James’s hips, the heat radiating from him soaking her like the broiling sun that reined over this scorched world. Delicately taking his lower lip between her teeth, she tugged gently, sucking it between her own.

Tightening her knees and the space between their bodies, Tanya held her hair away from her face with one hand, tilting his head back with the force of her kisses. Opening her mouth to him slightly, the tip of her tongue darting over his, she pressed her chest to his.

Pulling back after a full ten minutes of dueling tongues and his hands wandering over her back, sometimes scratching sometimes rubbing sometimes massaging, she considered him breathlessly. Hands flat over his chest, nibbling at her own lip, she smiled coyly at him.

"You're not bad, stranger."

 

[Roland Gilliad]

James Ness

*He watched her as she almost looked innocent for a moment, but she was still a panther...if an incredably desirous, sexy panther...he licked his lips, which felt dry despite all the work she had just done to them....He shifted himself slightly, hands around her waist moving up to her shoulders, he pulled her a little closer , and whispered for her ear alone*

Call me James.

*he nibbled softly on her earlobe, and trailed kisses down her jaw slowly...gently. And moved back to her lips, setting off another tangent of kisses between them, pulling her closer to him on the bed, and simply reveling in the moment of passions shared..*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

“James it is,” she purred lustily, nibbling around the top of his ear, and tugging at the lobe with her teeth. Biting lightly at his neck, she sucked at his throat before lowering herself to flick her tongue over his chest.

She had always had a thing for guys with long hair…it made better handles. Twining her fingers in it, she kissed him roughly, massaging his scalp with the tips of her fingers.

Taking his hands in her own, she moved them from her waist to under the hem of her shirt. Her nipples were hard and aching to be touched. James was controlling himself, but she could tell it was taking a lot of concentration to slow things down.

Instead, he stroked her sides and the flat of her stomach, tickling her lightly with his nails. She traced the shape of his muscular biceps, feeling him flex them slightly in response to her touch.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*He almost gasped against her lips when his fingers brushed almost softly against the hard nipples...then acting on his impulse, he moved his hands beneath the shirt again..and he grasped both between his thumb and forefinger..then the whole of her breasts, feeling them slowly up and down as she moved her hands lower, then inside the band of his sleeping pants to where a certain part of his body was beginning to throb from the lack of attention to it...He shivvered, feeling her long, slender fingers feel up and down his shaft, enough so that he pinched at her nipples in reaction, biting his lip to keep from crying out..*

Oh gods..

*was all he uttered, looking to be losing his self control..and fast..*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

Burying her face against his neck at the tug of his fingers on her nipples, she squeezed his cock in absolute pleasure, trying to convey her enjoyment through her fingertips. Her nipples had always been sensitive, and from her reactions, he sensed this, and exploited her weakness to his full benefit.

Lips kissing along his collarbone and returning to his mouth, the fingers on her free hand rubbed over his stomach and along his abs, tracing a lazy circle around his bellybutton. Tickling his inner thighs, she slid the palm of her hand across the head of his throbbing manhood and down his shaft.

Removing both hands, she crossed them over her chest and tugged her shirt off slowly, her firm breasts bouncing slightly as his hands reclaimed her nipples. Tossing it to the floor, she let her hips meet his, the bulge in his lightweight pants pressing against her wetness in all the right places.

Damn those jeans, Tanya thought to herself.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*James found his usually very cautious mind being utterly ignored in the presence of a very real attraction to the woman in front of him right now...He shivvered slightly as he saw her shape in the faint candlelight...His hands coming almost unerringly up to grasp both breasts in his hands and pinching the nipples again, tugging gently on them and pulling her lips down to his...kissing her with almost complete abandon...His hands trial down the sides of her stomach and come to the jeans, where he almost wrestles open the clasps of it, and begins to tug it down from her hips, trying to remove the obstruction between him and this wonderful woman... he had no words, and couldnt think of any appropriate. Action was what was needed now. And he was going to give it to her*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

Melting into James’s rough embrace, Tanya luxuriated in his pawing grasp. Despite his obvious attempt to maintain his decorum, she could tell he was just itching to rip her clothes off with his teeth and take her hard. Perhaps on the dull wooden floor that had gone too many years without polish. Or up against the cracking plaster wall. She liked a man who appreciated the importance of ambiance in a healthy sexual relationship.

Tanya bucked against his hands as he grasped her breasts firmly, slightly calloused fingers kneading her silky skin. As he tugged incessantly at her nipples, she let out a breathy scream of need. Slithering halfway out of her jeans, she bit at his neck ferociously. She had always felt the need to be an equal to men outside the bedroom – it was what had made her so tough. In the bedroom as well, she soon discovered, she also craved not to be seen as the lesser of the two.

Kisses that were more the equivalent of love bits rained down on his lips and neck, her fiery desires speaking through her action. His hands moved lower down her stomach, slipped between her legs, teasingly parted her lips as his fingers moved to bring her the pleasure she had been craving for months…

The sound of a gunshot froze both lovers in place as if they were no more than a spicy still life in an art museum. As the second crack rang out, Tanya was already on her feet, tugging her jeans up. Grabbing James’s shirt hanging over the back of the chair, she slipped one arm into it, grabbing her 9mm with the other.

Switching gun hands, she darted out the bedroom door, taking the stairs two at a time as she managed to wrestle the shirt completely on. Jumping the last five, she stood with her back to the wall, letting her eyes adjust to the dark and taking a calming breath. Tanya’s recidivism from passionate lover to coldhearted killer took a few seconds, but her steely eyes flicked the truth even in the relative darkness.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*James was a split second after her, A Pair of Heavy Revolvers in his hands, his well toned, bare chest still out, as he dove down the stairs...in the most literal sense. he Jumped every last stair and landed with an amazingly quiet bump on the floor beside her, then he spun in a blur across the doorway, Guns crossed over his chest, back against the wall on the other side of the doorway to the stairs. He was perfectly still, she could almost see his ears twitching in the darkness, he still had his pants on, and apparently, that was all he needed....his vivid eyes opened and darted a glance at her...before he turned them back to the doorway..he cursed his lack of foresight in putting his mirror in a grabbing position, his breaths were very light, and he strained to hear somthing following the gunshots....anything...He was barely making a sound, the dull chrome of the guns he had hastily grabbed out of their holsters on the bed gleaming in the faint moonlight but not reflecting light...he was VERY Glad they hadnt gotten to his boots right now...*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

Heavy footsteps walked across the room, towards the door and the landing where they waited. She recognized them as Daniels and he seemed alone. Tanya gestured for James to keep cool, and slid around the corner to find a muzzle pressed to her right temple. The cold metal was accompanied by an equally cool laugh.

“Oh fuck off Daniel – quite fooling around,” Tanya snapped, brushing the gun away from her head and smacking him across the shoulder. He lowered the gun, moving it up one thigh to rest between her legs. She looked crossly at him as he leaned in close to her ear.

“Boom” he stated simply, a crooked smile across his face.

“Grow up,” Tanya rolled her eyes and walked past him, letting him have her back, “You’ve got the sickest sense of humor of any guy I know. And that’s one helluva title to hold.”

He followed her, tucking his gun away.

“Am I stuck cleaning up your mess again?” she looked irritated and not in the mood to be joked with. “You interrupted me from a very enjoyable evening, and this better be worth my while. Standing between a horny, sexually-deprived woman and her means of release is not a wise idea.”

James stepped casually out of the shadows, his weapons out of sight for the moment. Tanya thoroughly enjoyed the look of confusion and jealousy that plastered Daniel’s face. It made the interruption almost worthwhile.

Almost.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*James had listened and then decided to play his card, his hands crossed behind his back, he remained armed, the guns tucked into the tight waistband of the pants. He watched the mans face change from Jealousy and for a moment, a flash of very real anger, then a cool, icy indifference that made James want to reach for his guns and end it...unfortunately, as he was, not entirely in control of his reflexes, he could not be sure he'd make the first draw. And he hadnt stayed alive as long as he had without being careful*

Im sorry. Did I Interrupt anything?

*He asked, quite innocently, raising an eyebrow at the man..He WAS mad though, so he might, with some luck, not immediately think of his gun and try to come at him barehanded..That would be best. In these boots, one kick to the side of his head and he'd be eating splinters before Tanya could blink twice. So he kept calm, and played his cards very carefully, he focused on the man first...he was tough wiry...a bully and - if James was any judge - a psychopathic sadist to boot. - Not a charming combination. He pushed a few unruly locks of hair from his eyes in a cool, easy gesture*

I heard a Gunshot.

*Never play your ace if a two will do....An old card game truism, and it applied to life excellently sometimes.*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

“Staring is rude, Daniel,” Tanya instructed as she walked between the two men. The heated energy that flowed off of both of them was frightening in its intensity. She always seemed to be put in the middle of these things, always playing peacekeeper.

“Care to tell me what happened? Or should I go ask one of your lady friends?” It was an unspoken rule in the slave trade to never question one of the girls. They were treated as deaf and blind, and thus saw and heard of people and places that revealed a great much about the underground trade.

That got his attention and he seemed to calm down a level. Unclenching his fists, Daniel sank back against the bar. His voice was low, mumbling, as if he was afraid she was going to hit him for what he was about to say.

“It was Willy – that little shit,” he said, leaving Tanya to assume that Willy was Daniel’s less-than-charming associate. “He was trying to have his way with one of the girls and the bitch bit him. Got shot in the head for it, sure, but I’ll bet she had to love the look on his face. He offed her, I offed him. Fair trade. Clients don’t like it when we mess with the girls. Bad for business and all.”

He finished his speech in a matter-of-course manner. It was all Tanya could do to keep her eyes off James. She was afraid his reaction might be of the more violent sort. Her one gun to his two seemed like an unfair fight. And she wasn’t quite sure who’s side Daniel was likely to take.

Daniel stalked over to where James was standing.

“Now that we’re one woman short, looks like your little girlfriend has herself a new job. The buyers will be here later today to look over the stock. Can't have one missing for no reason, now can we? A pretty thing like herself could use some polishing around the edges but I’m sure you could find a taker. The money is great…”

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*The man continued to blather about his 'plan' for tanya...knock her out, tie her up, and if questions were asked, simply say she was a 'work in progress' for the buyer to break for his own pleasures...A tight core of anger formed around his middle..his words faded into the distance, It was all James could do not to kill him where he stood. Coming back slowly to a cold reality, the man held out his hand*

So Whaddaya Say?

*James tried to look thoughtfully considering...it was all bluff and only tanya knew that, the man tried to look impatiant..Then he made his last mistake, he turned, looking as if he intended to advance on Tanya. James never would find out what he had intended to do. With a speed like a striking snake, he turned on his heel and The steel toe of his boot collided with the side of Daniels head. Sending the man skidding six feet to rest, unconcious at Tanya's feet, James' Boot rested still in the air, then he rotated the leg backwards and into where he stood again, glaring down at the man*

Asshole.

*He remarked, caustically*

 

[Babe In Jello]

Tanya

Tanya pounced on Daniel, pressing her weight against his hips and into the floor. It was the safest position for her if he happened to come to. Grabbing the gun from his belt, she tossed it to James. Patting him down, she removed the switchblade and pack of cigarettes in his pocket. Standing and brushing off her pants, she nodded at the prone figure.

“Babysit him for a moment, wouldja?”

Walking into the dim cellar, she did her best to avoid looking at the carnage. The girls huddled together in a corner, but she ignored them for the moment. Grabbing the heavy-duty twine and a silk handkerchief that doubled nicely as a gag, she returned to James.

“Let’s see what kind of bondage expert you’d make…” Tanya remarked with a grin, tossing him the rope. She took the liberties of knotting the gag tightly into place herself.

Stepping back from Daniel’s body, she drew her own gun, just in case he decided to make a groggy comeback. But from the way James had booted him across the floor, Tanya had a feeling that it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

*He snorted with laughter and took the twine...A few minutes later, the man was tied up in complex pattern of knots and twists which trussed him up like a japanese schoolgirl out of some old dirty manga. There wasnt a chance he'd be able to move, short of breaking his own neck in the process..He stood up and dusted his hands off, admiring his work with a grim smile down at the mussed up, still unconcious man. He gave him an experimental boot to the kidneys and chuckled at the little grunt of pain he got out of him...well, even HE was human sometimes. Especially when he was mad at folks like him*

So what do we do? When those...Buyers...get here, they arent going to take seeing their Procurer tied up well.

*He remarked, removing one of his guns from his waistband and checking each bullet, then reinserting it into the chambers...a nervous action, but it was good for his attention..*