Chapter 11 – Inside the Lucky Star Hotel, Marion Town early morning of 30th May 1865
Kate knew that something was wrong when she thrust out her bare arm and instead of finding the soft flesh of her bed mate, whose body she had enjoyed after the relaxing and cleansing bath was over, she found cold, empty sheets.
“Get up bitch.” She heard the words but they did not fully register until she felt the prod of a gun barrel digging into her ribs and Kate reluctantly opened her eyes.
“What?” Kate knew to stop talking as she looked up into the faces of a large man, two large men in fact, and both of them wearing dull bronze star shaped sheriff’s badges. In between them stood Grace, already dressed, arms folded.
“Grace?” Kate attempted once again to make some sense of what she saw.
But the men spoke again before her ‘friend for the night’ was forced to remain a regretful looking bystander.
“Shut the fuck up bitch. Grace had the good sense to tell us that you were here. Yes, we know who you are and we can use you. So, get the fuck out of bed and put on your drawers.”
Confused, Kate slowly got out of the tangled mess of sheets that she and Grace had left behind, and not for one second did she take her eyes off the barrels of the two rifles pointed at her.
Her naked body was on full display as she pulled on her cotton drawers … questions sat on her lips. What had happened, why, where, when?
She reached for her shirt, but was stopped.
“Nothing more cunt, drawers is all you need, we wanna see those sweet mounds on your chest … tie her.”
Without any more explanation being offered Kate’s arms were pulled harshly behind her back, thrusting her breasts forward, and she was secured by the wrists.
“I’m sorry Kate,” Grace whispered as the bound girl was pushed out of the room. Kate simply stared at her erstwhile lover, knowing not what to say.
Outside the morning was already hot. The sun shone down and Kate’s half naked body was quickly covered with a sheen of glistening perspiration.
Assisted by an invasive man-handling Kate was mounted on a horse, not her Stallion, but a much smaller pony, as the Sheriff and his deputy mounted their rides either side of her.
Without clothes, belongings or weapons Kate was sitting astride the saddled horse wearing nothing but a threadbare set of thin cotton drawers. Her hands were tightly roped, and so as they set off, she had nothing but her knees with which to maintain her balance.
They rode nose to tail with the Sheriff out front and his deputy bringing up the rear. Silhouetted against the still rising sun they made deliberately slow progress.
“Where are we going …” she finally spoke as they left the Marion Town boundary.
“We’re gonna trade you bitch …”
That was all they said, and despite Kate having many questions, she had the good sense to stay quiet, take in her surroundings and look for opportunities to aid her cause.
After a few hours in the saddle though it became obvious that, bound like she was, almost naked, and with her captors to front and rear, opportunity to aid her cause was not going to come. Kate felt dog tired, and she rode, hands-free with her head bowed, her skin hot from the sun and on the verge of burning. Having got very little sleep the previous night, Kate dozed fitfully, frequently woken every time there was a jolt.
Her addled mind played back her time with Grace …
... "Kate," she had said, "Let's remove the tension here. Not committing to anything ... Not being nice to save my feelings ... Do you find the idea of me making love to you appealing?"
"You know that I do." Kate had replied, with a wide-eyed look of coy wonderment.
"If you were ever to explore your curiosity, do you really want it to be with someone who is just curious and no more, groping in the dark, each of you wondering if you're a disappointment to the other?" Grace asked before continuing. "I like girls Kate, and I have had many. I want to show you all the wonders of making love to another girl. I WANT to see that look of ecstasy in your eyes when I make you cry out for the first time. Do you know how special that is for me?"
Kate had closed her eyes, trembling with excitement as she contemplated Grace's offer. Could she find the courage to cross that threshold?
Grace had smiled seductively, leaned in and gently placed her lips against Kate's, kissing her softly. Kate had melted, feeling the indulgent, warm lips against her own as she smelled the rose petalled perfume of the bath they had both just enjoyed. Then she felt the incredibly delicate touch of Grace’s fingers against her skin and her lips parted easily to accept her kiss, feeling a soft touch slide around to the small of Kate's back, pulling their bodies together, naked breasts and stiffened nipples touching.
Finally pulling away, Grace smiled as she gazed hungrily into Kate's eyes once more …
Jolted once more from her day-dream by the horse’s movement Kate wondered what had happened to make this awful predicament so? Grace had been gentle, kind, loving … and now this? It was all a set-up! She felt like a fool, but being foolish was the least of her problems right now!
“We’re gonna burn the shit out of her body Sheriff, if we don’t find the shade.”
The Sheriff grunted at his deputy’s wise words. They needed her body, that would be the main benefit of the trade they had planned, and so the small equine convoy moved off into the trees, much to Kate’s relief.
They rode in silence for over an hour more with the sun’s heat baking up towards midday. They reached the high ridged canyon by mid-afternoon, and the Sheriff called a halt. Kate was hanging onto her consciousness by no more than a thread.
“Keep both hands in plain sight now boy, d’you hear me,” The sheriff said to his deputy, “… otherwise we’re dead.”
Kate’s ears pricked up. The sheriff’s words made it sound like they were heading into Chickasaw territory … a feeling of nausea began to terrorise her spine. Were they handing her over to the renegade Chickasaw warriors that lived away from their reservation, here in the Missouri hills?
“Can’t see me no Indians Sheriff,” the young deputy’s words were infused by an inherent nervousness.
“You can bet your life they’re watching us right now.”
He had confirmed it. Indians. Chickasaw. They were trading her with these savages. But why? What could they know of her background? Did they know who she really was? Had these lawmen been made aware of the desire for revenge these savages might have, given that she had been present at the deaths of three of their warriors?
“Please don’t,” Kate pleaded. She knew what the Chickasaw would do to her, and she felt more terrified than she had in a long, long time.
The sheriff laughed. “You gonna bargain with us bitch huh?”
Kate swallowed hard, “Yes, yes … anything. Take me, have me, fuck me … whatever you want, just please take me back with you to Marion …”
It was then that the Sheriff explained all.
“The Chickasaw raid our cattle. They steel our crops, and terrorise some of the outlaying homesteads. We know you’re the girl that folk say killed three of their braves. We know they want their revenge on the she-devil, as they are calling you. If we hand you over to them, we can secure a promise for peace that might at least buy us some time to build better defences and seek protection form the army hereabouts. So, whatever your inner-whore can offer us Kate Clarke, we ain’t interested …”
And so that was it. Kate’s awful fate was once more sealed!
To Be Continued ...
Note to @old slave @Loxuru @curtis3.roots and anyone else who has wished for Kate to be delivered into the hands of a tribe of savage native Americans - you gotta stick with this now