**All characters are 18 or older.
**This is the NINTH chapter of a TEN CHAPTER series so you probably want to read the earlier chapters first!
**This chapter is much longer than the others - I've been trying to up my game so it might take a little while for it to get to the erotica parts but when it does I think you'll enjoy it.
"Jorge and Riccardo will stay here with some of the girl, that," Tina paused, scanning the group in front of her, "will include Rachel, Candy, and...yes, Rose," Tina smiled one of her classic fake smiles.
Max started forward.
"It's so I know you'll come back and that you won't kill me in my sleep, it's not negotiable," Tina said without even looking at Max.
Max glanced at Rose who just nodded.
Tina, Max, Big Mo, Carl, and Chip saddled up along with four others Max hadn't talked to before. Hank, a dirty man that seemed to have no apparent talents in either muscle or a skill like Carl and his horses, Maria, a short frizzy haired girl, Vicky, a thin waspish looking blonde girl, and Joe, a stocky looking guy that could have passed for what Max thought of as cheap muscle.
Behind them were Javier, Riccardo, Rachel, Rose, Candy, Isabel, and Claudia.
"I hope this is quick Max because that Riccardo is looking to get a hold of Candy," Chip said worriedly.
"I know what you mean," Max said, looking back at Rose one last time.
Tina, with her map, and Carl, with his horsemanship, road at the front of the pack while Chip and Max rode nearly side by side, followed by Big Mo on a monstrous steed, and the four strangers.
***
"Which one you want?" Riccardo asked.
"One? There's five. I'm deciding if I'm going to give you any of them," Javier said.
The two men argued back and forth, sliding easily between English and Spanish.
Rose rolled her eyes at Candy and Rachel walked over to them.
"I know I've been a huge bitch to you but we're in this together now," Rachel began.
"Together for what?" Rose interrupted.
Rachel shot Rose a look, "you know they're going to demand we satisfy them, and I doubt either of you two," Rachel paused to draw Candy into their conversation, "want that to happen."
Rose looked at Rachel for a long second and then nodded. Candy agreed.
"We need to get out of here but we can't go too far in case the others come back, I know that Rose will want to be back here when Max gets back and I figure you," Rachel continued, looking at Candy, "will want to be here for Chip, and I..." Rachel faltered for a second, "I want to be here when Carl gets back," Rachel finally finished.
Rose looked at Rachel in surprise. The last vestige of jealousy and hatred left her. Rachel wasn't going to try to take Max away from her. Just Tina was.
Rose turned to Candy, "Rachel's right, we need to leave. Didn't you say that the brush on the far side of camp led into some trees? And that there was some fruit on those bushes?"
Candy nodded, "I found it when, when Chip came to talk to me," Candy said, and looked away from the other two girls.
"We'd better go while we can," Rose said.
"What about the other two girls?" Candy said.
"We don't know them," Rachel said.
***
"We're almost there," Tina said over her shoulder.
"Hey Chip, why don't you pass me that pen knife you always keep in your pocket," Max said quietly.
"How'd you know I had that?" Chip whispered back.
"I noticed it awhile back and filed it away," Max said.
"Why do you need it?" Chip asked.
"Tina's been watching me like a hawk, I haven't had time to make any, insurances."
Chip nodded and handed over the knife.
Max opened it and slid a thick stick out of his pack. The stick was about as long as his arm and about a third as thick. Max worked the knife up and down the sides to shave off the thin layer of bark and then began whittling a point on one end. Chip watched over his shoulder but Hank, Joe, Vicky, and Maria seemed oblivious. It took Max awhile but finally he had his stake and he passed back the knife and stored the stake back in his pack.
"Whoa there," Carl said up ahead and pulled his horse to stop. The rest followed suit.
"Will you look at that?" Carl exclaimed.
They had reached a slight cliff, and below, lay the mouth of the river they had been following. Trees and grass covered the valley below.
"Look at that!" Chip yelled pointing at what appeared to be a deer.
"Good old Georgie!" Tina said.
"How are we going to get down?" Hank asked.
"Carefully," Max said.
Tina looked at Max with a smile.
"I half expected there to be a tribe of some sort guarding this paradise. Or maybe a roving band of jackals looking to prey on our caravan but God smiled on us," Tina said patting Max on the cheek.
Tina looked into Max's eyes, holding her fake smile and Max's eyes darkened.
"So I guess I can cash my insurance policy in now," Tina added.
She turned heel and walked back to her horse and remounted.
"Be a dear and throw Max over the cliff Mo, his usefulness has expired."
Everyone stood still. Max hoped it was because they were shocked. Chip and Carl looked like they were about to argue.
"Please boys, don't look like that. You all assumed I would. And Chip dear you know Max banged the hell out of your Candy and Carl knows deep down that Rachel only settled for him because Max was busy with Rose. So you two have little to empathize with Max about unless you want to compare stories."
Max gulped.
Big Mo remained where he stood. Tina looked surprised.
"Mo!" Tina barked. Big Mo finally turned and looked at Tina.
"Well, toss him over."
Big Mo shook his head.
"We're free now," Big Mo said.
"You don't control their water supply anymore Tina," Max said. He'd taken the time the silence had given him to take the stake out of his pack and conceal it in his right hand.
"Hank, Joe, finish this please," Tina said disdainfully.
Hank and Joe looked at each other and approached Max cautiously.
"If you stop now I'll forgive you for anything you might try but if you come any closer I might be forced to throw one of you over," Max said.
Hank and Joe paused and looked at each other again. They laughed and returned to encircle of Max.
Hank rushed Max first and from his peripherals Max saw Joe rush from the other side. Max flipped the stake up so it was pointing outward in his right hand and thrust it with all his might into the soft spot under Hank's chin and turned to see Joe almost on him. Max ducked and stood up quickly causing his shoulder to crash into Joe's jaw, knocking him to the side.
Joe stood up, looked down at Hank, who had just stopped gurgling blood, and charged Max again. This time Max wasn't quick enough and Joe landed two quick punches to his gut, doubling Max over. Joe raised his knee hard, connecting with Max's face, knocking Max to the ground.
Joe walked over to Hank, and with a harsh yank, pulled Max's stake from Hank's chin and came toward Max. Max looked over his shoulder and saw the valley below. Soon Joe would be looming over him with a deadly weapon. Max rolled over so he was lying side by side with the rift below.
Joe stood over him. Max smiled. Joe looked confused. Max swung his legs up over his head and brought them down hard to the left and crashed them into Joe's knees. Joe was knocked to the ground and the stake clattered out of his hand and Joe scrambled to catch the edge of the ravine. Max stood up and kicked Joe in the face.
Joe screamed on the way down.
Max turned to face Tina. Tina was now white faced.
"What. What are you going to do to me?" Tina asked.
Max smiled one of Tina's own smiles at her.
"I thought I'd give you to Mo. I think he's earned that."
Bi Mo flashed a big smile and calmly knocked Tina off her horse and dragged her toward the ledge.
Max turned to Carl and Chip.
"We need to get back for the girls."
"What about Javier and Riccardo?"
"Maybe we can fool them into thinking Tina sent us back for some of the girls and that she's going to come back for them," Max said.
"How are we going to do that?" Carl asked.
"Well it'd be easy if I was dead," Max said.
Chip looked at Max, confused.
