Red Orchids

"The Comeuppance"

EDITED BY:

Miriam Belle

CREATIVE CONSULTANT:

Simply_Cyn

Author's Note:

"Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who supported 'Red Orchids' and wrote me to talk about the story. You're all the best. Special thanks go to miriambelle69 for her in depth criticism and editing."

***

Henry stepped back from the door and gently closed it. From the moment Mark Gordian had arrived at his apartment a few hours ago until now, Henry had been feeling like he was living in a dream world. Nothing seemed real. From the revelation that Mark's mistress Marlene was in cahoots with the Gordian family nanny Shannon in a heinous plot to the murder of Mark himself just a few moments ago, it had all seemed otherworldly surreal. Marlene had put a gun to his head, demanding that he and Ellen have sex while the two killers carried out their work. But they had promised to spare Henry, Ellen and her daughter Maddie if they simply did what they were told.

Now, after overhearing the conversation between Mark and his murderers, Henry knew they had no such intentions. All the killing and deception had been an elaborate framework of confusion to allow Shannon to take Maddie as her own. They had certainly wanted to punish Mark for his less than virtuous ways, but their real intent had been to kidnap the baby.

'Icing on the cake,' he had heard one of them say.

"Oh fuck," he whispered as he and Ellen hurried to the bed. He felt cold now, his naked body trembling a little. Or perhaps he was just scared?

"What do we do?" Ellen covered her bare breasts as she hugged herself.

"I don't know!" Henry hissed.

"We've got to get Maddie," Ellen said as she began to get off the bed.

"No," Henry grabbed her and pulled her to him. He said, "Our only chance is going to be to catch them off guard."

"Oh?" Ellen whispered, "And when will that be?"

"When they're finished with Mark, they'll come back for us," Henry said, "We need to look like we don't know anything."

"And then?"

"And then we jump them, grab Maddie and run for help."

"Just like that?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Henry, these women staked out us for months, waiting for the right moment to move in," Ellen reminded him, "Shannon has been playing everyone from day one. They don't make mistakes."

Henry looked at her grimly, "You have a better idea?"

"Yes," Ellen said and pushed him back on the bed. Henry lay there as she reached over to the dresser drawer and quietly pulled it open. She cursed to herself as she felt around, "They took my cell phone."

Henry looked thoughtfully, "I have my cell phone in my pant's pocket."

"No way."

He grabbed the pants and handed the small black phone to Ellen. He said, "They don't make mistakes, huh?"

Ellen kissed him, punched in the numbers for 911 and waited. The line was busy. She looked at Henry, "How the blue fuck can 911 be busy?"

She quickly dialed the number for her best friend Sheila Messing. The phone rang and rang. There was no answer. Finally, her answering service came on and asked for a message to be left after the tone. Once the small electronic beep sounded Ellen whispered, "Sheila, it's me Ellen. Listen. Call 911 as soon as you get this message. Get them to my house. We're in some serious shit here..."

There was noise in the hallway.

"... love you much. Hurry. Bye."

Ellen then called 911 again and left the phone on, slipping it back under the pillows as she grabbed Henry and began kissing him. They rolled on the mattress as the sounds of footsteps registered just outside the door. Ellen grasped Henry's cock and rubbed it as she licked his neck and whispered in his ear, "No matter what, you get Maddie...."

"I promise," he whispered back.

"I love you," she moaned into his mouth as the door opened.

"I love you," he responded, feigning ignorance of Shannon's arrival.

"Well," she smiled, standing naked and bloody in the doorway, "Good things do happen to nice people."

Henry looked at her exposed figure and eyed the blood covering her face and torso and hands, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Henry," she said, "But Mark has checked out."

"You killed him?" Ellen asked, feeling more and more terrified by the moment. She didn't mind letting it show. No matter how Shannon thought she should feel about Mark being killed, Ellen figured horror factored in no matter what.

"He lost his head," Shannon said dryly, "Well, both his heads."

Henry swallowed hard.

"Men," Shannon chuckled and smiled at Ellen.

"What now?"

"Now," Shannon said, "Henry, you'll go downstairs with Marlene and she'll walk you through what to tell the cops when they show up. Ellen, you and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

"Okay," Ellen squeezed Henry's hand, reminding him of his promise.

Henry nodded and reached for his clothes, "Okay."

"Don't get dressed yet, Henry," she said.

Henry looked Ellen once more and left them alone.

Once he was gone from the room, Shannon closed the door and locked it. Ellen sat uncomfortably naked in front of Shannon Merele as the bloody woman looked at her expectantly. From behind her back, Shannon pulled a gun into view. It was the small silver plated pistol that Marlene had been holding earlier. Shannon looked at it and smiled.

"You glad I killed him?" she asked as she walked over to her former employer.

"He was a bad man," Ellen said, "But I don't think he deserved to die."

"You didn't try to stop us?" Shannon asked.

"No."

"And why not?" Shannon toyed with gun, running the nose of it over her blood-streaked thighs, "Too busy fucking Henry?"

"Marlene put a gun to his head and said we had to," Ellen said.

"Must have been horrible work from the sound of it," she replied.

Ellen was silent.

"Did you enjoy it?"

Ellen said nothing.

Shannon cocked the pistol and put it to Ellen's right temple, "Did you fucking enjoy it?"

"Yes," Ellen said, trying not to cringe at the gun against her head.

"You know," Shannon said, "We're not so totally different, Ellen. We're both women who know what they want. You wanted to be done with Mark and his cheating. You wanted to be with Henry. You knew deep down that Mark was up to something, didn't you? That fucker wanted to kill you and Henry... believe me, we did you a favor. Me? I know my calling in life. I punish those who deserve to be punished."

"How noble."

"How many times have you opened the newspaper or turned on the television set to see that another asshole has gotten away with murder?" Shannon asked her, "When O.J. walked, we all watched a murderer go free. Think of all the shitty little cities and towns in this world that see men arrested from crimes and then released because the defense was more eloquent in his debate? Is justice dependant on the craftiness and wiles of those who work for it and against it? My own father killed my mother in cold blood, Ellen. I saw it happen. But he walked free. You know how? The detective in charge forgot to process the evidence properly. That fucker went free on a glitch. How often do we see the guilty go unpunished?"

"And you're the judge, jury and executioner?"

"Mark Gordian planned to kill you both," Shannon reminded her, "In the end, it would have been him who walked away free and clear with your daughter and your money. He would have left you and Henry both implicated in the deaths of his two lovers. Would you judge him and have the courage to carry through?"

"You're right Shannon," Ellen looked at her, "You've done a righteous service."

Ellen had thought Shannon was merely crazy before, but now she knew the woman was out of her fucking mind.

"I don't expect you to understand."

"Is that right?" Ellen asked.

"Don't patronize me Ellen," Shannon warned her and nudged the gun against her hard, "You know Mark patronized me and I cut his fucking head off. So think about it now. We can either be friends or we can be enemies."

"We should be friends," Ellen said.

"Good," Shannon smiled and pulled the gun away from Ellen's head, "I think so too."

Ellen looked at Shannon. "What now?"

"Now," Shannon walked around to the far side of the bed and sat down, the gun still trained on Ellen, and said, "Now we talk about your future."

"Okay."

"How badly to you want to live, Ellen?"

***

From the moment Henry stepped off the last stair into quiet expanse of the bottom floor, he had the sickening feeling that none of them would survive this. First, he saw the headless body of Mark Gordian on the living room floor. He was naked and still bound to the entertainment center and couch, but where there should have been a head and neck there was only a raw bloody stump. Henry felt his stomach turn over as he saw that Mark's penis and testicles were gone as well. Blood soaked the light colored carpet in bright red stains that spread out three feet in every direction from the carnage.

Henry braced himself against the banister and closed his eyes as his head became light and dizzy. He could smell the metallic aroma of blood in the air. He could almost taste it on his tongue and in the back of his throat as he steadied himself, forcing his body to be calm. Gooseflesh popped out all over his skin as he took long deep breaths.

There was something else in the air too. He soon realized that in death Mark's body had relaxed and that all the muscles had gone loose, releasing the contents of his bowels and bladder. His mind absently considered how the urine had gotten out, considering Mark had no penis through which to void. But then a broken pipeline needs only an exit to flush the water. It didn't matter if the plumbing was intact or not.

"Henry," a cool feminine voice said from the shadows.

He opened his eyes to find Marlene Henson standing before him, not more than a few feet away from Mark's corpse. She was naked, her voluptuous curves and soft alabaster skin speckled and sprayed with blood. In fact, she looked like a younger version of her mother, a perfect clone of Shannon Merele that was in every way just as seductive and equally dangerous. Henry realized that at this point, everyone in the house was completely nude. He hoped Maddie was the exception to that rule.

On the subject of her nudity Marlene seemed to be oblivious or unconcerned. Maybe both. Either way, her casual attitude about the gruesome display behind her and the blood on her naked body made Henry feel as scared as he had ever been.

"Ms. Henson," Henry said as his eyes focused again and he found some resolve.

Marlene cocked an amused smile as she looked at his naked body, "I was right Henry. You are a catch..."

Henry looked down and saw his penis was hanging half erect between his thighs. He turned slightly and covered himself, "Thank you."

"No Henry," Marlene smiled, "Thank you."

"Why?" Henry couldn't bear to look at the body behind her, so he looked at Marlene, "Why did you do this?"

"Henry," Marlene motioned for him to come closer, "This is not a question and answer session. Do what you're told, and you and Ellen and Maddie get to live happily ever after. Okay?"

Henry nodded and followed her into the kitchen where he received another shock. As his bare feet crossed the cool linoleum, he felt something wet squish between the surface and his bottom of his foot. He looked down and saw dark droplets of blood spattered everywhere. He looked back behind him and saw a trail of blood leading from the living room to the kitchen, beginning at the large red stain were Mark's head should have been. Something bloody had been carried this way. Henry shivered and before he laid eyes on it he knew.

"Oh Jesus," Henry moaned as he saw Mark's severed head on the counter. Between the crock-pot and coffee maker sat the countenance of his late co-worker. The handsome features that had wooed many women into adultery were contorted in a shocked expression of final pain. Mark's dull, glassy eyes looked out into the empty space beyond as Henry put a hand to his mouth and felt sick. Blood, thick and viscous had pooled around the base of the neck in a slowly congealing mess. Henry tried to control his breathing as his pulse raced. He knew he was three seconds away from a heart attack and he had to bring himself down.

"Easy Henry," Marlene said as she leaned against the countertop, "Easy."

Henry grabbed the counter and closed his eyes. He still remembered what he had overheard. They planned to frame Henry from Mark's murder and then set him up as a suicide. His mind raced frantically as he tried to figure out a way to save himself, Ellen and Maddie from this insanity. He knew he didn't have much time left. The fact that Shannon had split him up from Ellen only indicated that the killers were ready to finish what they had started.

"You gonna be okay there, hot stuff?" Marlene went to him and put a hand on his shoulder as Henry stifled his gag reflex.

'Keep it together,' he thought madly, 'Keep it together...'

"I'm fine," he managed and then pointed at the head, "Why?"

"Henry," Marlene pressed her naked body up against him, smearing the blood that had spattered on her from the decapitation against Henry's skin, "We're almost done here. I just need three more things from you, okay?"

Henry nodded, "What?"

"First," she said as she ran her finger over his shoulder and pressed her huge breasts against his bicep, "I need you take Mark's head and put in the microwave..."

"What?" Henry asked, horrified.

"The microwave," Marlene repeatedly quietly and kissed his arm, "Put the head in the microwave."

Henry looked at her dumbfounded.

Marlene sighed and then said, "Your life depends on it, Henry."

Henry looked at the severed head. He couldn't do it.

"Henry," Marlene rubbed his arm, "I like you a lot. I really do. But I won't hesitate to kill you. Do you understand?"

Henry looked at her and then at the severed head and knew she was being deadly serious with him. He could even see where with blood vessels had broken in the gelatinous whites of Mark's eyes. Henry became hyper-aware of the ragged flesh around the base of the neck and thick meat visible through the tears. He couldn't imagine getting any closer to it, let alone picking it up. He then thought of Maddie and Ellen again. They needed him, and he was no good to anyone dead.

"Okay," Henry swallowed and straightened up. Marlene smiled, kissed Henry's bicep and stood back, giving him room to perform his grisly task.

"Good boy," she praised him.

Henry stepped in front of the head. He said a silent prayer and suddenly was assaulted by that feeling of impending doom. Maybe he would be killed as cosmic retribution for sleeping with another man's wife whilst said man was being murdered. He supposed that he had no real defense for his actions. He wondered at how he would be judged for having let it happen. While Mark had been losing his head and his genitalia downstairs, Henry had been upstairs fucking Ellen. Marlene had put a gun to their heads and threatened to kill them if they didn't, but Henry also knew that he had only been too willing.

So had Ellen.

Henry put his fingers on the sides of Mark's head. His dark hair was soaked with blood and the skin felt slimy to the touch. He realized that his grip on the head wouldn't hold this way, so he swallowed hard and grabbed a handful of Mark's hair. The head was surprisingly light as he lifted it up. He could hear fluids dripping down on the counter as he pivoted on his foot and turned to the microwave. Blood began dribbling on his bare foot as he opened the microwave door with his free hand.

"Good," Marlene said a thousand miles away.

Henry nodded his head absently and then caught a glimpse of something on top of the refrigerator. He saw the handle of his handgun there and there a sudden swelling of hope in his heart as he sat the severed head in the open microwave. Henry had to release Mark's hair and then pushed on his face to fit him. Bloody handprints covered Mark's face from his cheeks and chin to his forehead. As the head tilted in the process of being squeezed inside the compartment, the mouth opened and Mark's tongue lolled out. The eyes rolled wetly in their sockets in a purely reflexive display that nearly gave Henry a heart attack.

Henry screamed and jumped back as he slammed the door shut.

"Easy," Marlene put her hands on his chest as he stared at the darkened microwave, "Mom says they do that sometimes."

Marlene then hugged Henry and pulled him close to her. He couldn't help the reaction of his penis. The organ knew no master and certain knew no loyalty anyone. His thick cock began to swell against her smooth flesh as she held him. He wondered how she could be so loving of him as she planned to frame and murder him. Instead of asking a question he knew would get him killed quicker, Henry decided he would get his gun back.

And once he did that, he was going to finish this once for all.

As his heart filled with adrenaline, he ran his hands over the sensual curve of Marlene's backside to her ass. He squeezed her cheeks gently and Marlene began kissing his chest. He was both surprised and then not so surprised by her physical response to him. Her tongue flicked out across his nipples as she kissed him gently. He felt his cock hardening to its full girth and length as she rubbed herself against him.

"What else do you need me to do?" Henry asked as he cupped her breasts and massaged them.

"Me," she breathed and wrapped her fingers around his cock.

Henry leaned in and kissed her deeply as she began stroking his member. Their kisses were fast and furious as Marlene's primal need for Henry overrode her senses and she attacked him. Henry backed her up against the refrigerator and suckled on her neck as she ran her hands over his body and relished him. Henry looked up and could still the gun. He licked her jaw line and then her ear as he figured out how to grab the gun before she could react.

'They don't make mistakes,' Ellen had said.

Henry had to hope they that she was wrong. They had missed the cell phone in his pocket... maybe he would get lucky.

***

"I like you, Ellen," Shannon said as she sat beside her on the bed.

Ellen felt like she was in the middle of the most outrageously fucked up nightmare in the history of human dreaming. The surrealism of her husband having been killed wasn't so much unbearable as it was foreign to her. Ellen still had not quite come to terms with it. Even more bizarre was the fact that both she and her husband's murderer were naked and sitting on her bed talking. The night before, she had slept with this woman and her daughter in a drunken stupor. The details of that interaction were still vague to her, but she could remember flashes of the experience.

And now, she was torn between trying to kill Shannon Merele or playing dumb until the nanny made her move. She had overhead Shannon telling Mark that she had no intention of letting anyone live despite her claims to the contrary. Ellen knew that Shannon had split her and Henry up to better carry out their nefarious plans. Right now, she imagined Henry was in just as a precarious a situation as she was.

Still, for Ellen it all felt like she was watching a movie, detached and yet completely emotionally invested. Looking at the silver plated pistol that Shannon pointed at her casually from her naked lap, Ellen said, "What now?"

"You see Ellen," Shannon said, "The problem here is that I've been dishonest with you."

'No fucking shit,' Ellen thought angrily but kept her poker face intact. She said, "About what?"

"We did pick Mark because he was a perfect candidate, but there was one other qualification that made him the perfect victim," Shannon looked at the gun.

"What?"

"Your daughter is very beautiful," the nanny said thoughtfully, "Maddie is very smart and has a bright future ahead of her."