Gotta Pay the Piper

This is part three of a multi-chapter story. There is little sex. To get some background read my slave camp series. I introduce characters who appeared there. My goal is not to provide jerk off material and many will find my story bland. I want to simple tell a story.

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"I'm going home to get one of my big rifles." I told Joanne when we got back to the house. She and Robin were sitting in the kitchen talking to Caroline and a few of the other women while food was being prepared.

'What for?" Joanne asked. I grinned and said, "To shoot, of course." Derek laughed and agreed. She protested we had been drinking, looking a little perturbed. "Only one beer, so I can drive safely. And we aren't going to shoot until this evening. I'm going to hunt with Derek and try to get a deer." I announced. "I'll bring back my car so you and Robin can go home by yourselves when you are ready." Robin was frowning as well. "I'll need to grab a jacket. We'll stop for me to get a hunting license on the way." I could tell from their expression both Robin and Joanne were angry I was not falling in line with letting them dictate my activities. I ignored them. I was glad we had brought Joanne's car even though I drove.

Derek and I arrived back at the Hacienda just as the food was ready to be served. We took a little longer than we had planned looking over some of my firearms and my reloading shop. We put my things into his out building and then went inside to get cleaned up. Joanne took me to one side.

"Daddy, you should have asked permission before you made the decision to get that rifle OR stay to hunt." Joanne said. "Robin is not happy. You heard what she said when you went to get those boxes." I looked at her, trying to keep my face expressionless. "She is not going to confront you and embarrass you here in front of everybody." I did not want a confrontation either, at any time. I suspected one was inevitable.

I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of venison. Derek explained to everybody his plans for a little 'butchering party' the next day to process the two bucks hanging in his shed. "Hopefully, we'll have another few to do in a couple days after tonight's hunt. Bas, y'all are gonna have a full freezer before long. I have a friend in town who hunts out here too. We hunt and process the deer together and share what we get. You can join in. He has been busy with work and has not been able to hunt this past week. Later in the season after we get our limit, we'll start harvesting some pork. I don't keep all the pig parts myself, though. I just like the big cuts. Although I do have a guy who makes some great sausage. I really want to use some of those big rounds you made for me this week and get rid of some of those devils. I'm talkin' the really big ones."

While his girls started the cleanup, he said he wanted to show me the hoist we would hopefully put to use. While we were hooking the hoist up to the four-wheeler, a woman came outside.

"Derek, I'd like to have a little conversation with Bas if that is okay." she said. He nodded and introduced me to Lou, his lawyer. "You can listen if he agrees, but it might get a little personal." She looked at me for permission. I told her to ask away. I had no secrets.

"Are you in some kind of trouble, Bas?" Lou asked. "I heard some comments earlier that gave me that impression. I understand you are a little strapped for cash and that is why you are selling your re-loaded ammunition." I nodded and began to explain how I was a little impulsive. I had overspent my budget. That lead to a quick explanation of my history and the trust. "I gathered some of that history from Joanne and Caroline discussing your late wife. What got me concerned was something the other girl, Robin, said when you left with Derek earlier. She said "Bas is going to find out what the Program entails the hard way." I keyed on that word 'program'. Is she referring to the 'alternative to conservatorship program'?"

I told her how I got behind before and Joanne had set up a budget for me to get out of debt and how I had failed to follow through. "I'm a little ashamed I could not stay on course. I am on the autism spectrum. That is well known. I've read comments in some of those articles that were written about me and my success with computers." I said. "I am also a little OCD and tend to not do things I dislike no matter how important. It's a problem. Joanne is pushing me to enter this program thing after hearing about it from Robin's father Gary Atwell. She thinks I need supervision."

"ATWELL?" Lou exclaimed. "I know the guy. I've heard he has been pushing this program thing. It is essentially a self-imposed conservatorship. How did you get associated with that jerk?"

I almost laughed. There was no love lost here. I told them about Brenda and Richard. I trusted Lou enough to tell her what Brenda confessed this morning. How she was intimidated and let Atwell and his wife molest her. "We can and WILL deal with her problem later. Let me ask you a series of questions." After a few minutes she stopped me and said, "Yeah, Joanne might be able to get a ruling to become your guardian based on what you just told me. But it is not the slam dunk proposition Atwell suggests. And now you have a legal advocate. I will represent you, Okay?" I happily agreed. "As of right now, do not sign a thing. You said you have verbally agreed but that is not binding. It is an effort to condition you to accept the idea you have no power to make decisions for yourself."

"We'll be seeing a lot of Bas over the next few days." Derek said. "Between evening and morning hunts and processing the meat, he will be out here a lot. Bas, we'll help you out. Trust us. I know you just met us, but people like this Gary Atwell character need to to be taken down a peg or three. How do you feel about Robin personally?"

I told him I was actually intrigued and liked the girl. We'd had sex which was something special. I had not had sex since my wife died. I realized this type of honesty was unusual. I apologized for my social gaffe as I called it. Lou grinned and told me it was not a problem and sex was a common topic of discussion at the Hacienda. She actually found my honesty a novelty. I went on to say Joanne has agreed to let Robin stay in the house while going to school. I knew she needed a place to live and I liked having her around. I would hate to throw her out. Lou grinned. "We can work around that. I think she has a very dominant personality and expects to always be in charge. But do not sign a thing. Not a single document. If by chance they present you with a copy of anything, just say you need to review it and then bring it to me." I was very relieved. I felt better right now than I had all week.

We walked back to the house. I told Joanne I was not sure what time I would be home tonight. "It all depends if we get anything. We'll need to dress it and hang it up." I said. "Plus Derek invited us to come and help butcher the deer he has hanging now, so I'll be coming back early in the morning. I know you guys have studying to do so it'll be okay if you stay home." Neither young woman seemed happy with my announcement. But with Derek and Lou to back me up, I felt confident and happy.

Derek showed me the best kill shots depending on how the deer was positioned. He told me how it was slightly different for a pig due to the anatomy. I was a happy camper when we trekked into the woods shortly before dusk. I climbed up into the blind. I knew where his blind was situated and we agreed to communicate via phone before we left our positions.

I was a little startled at the noise the feeder made as it threw corn around. Derek had called it the 'dinner bell' and he was right. I had already dialed my scope to the proper range. I was used to shooting at targets much further away. I did not have long to wait. I never saw the buck approach. Suddenly it appeared in front of me as if by magic. It was not alone. Three does stepped out of the woods. It was just beginning to get dark, but with the light gathering capability of my scope, I had no problem seeing my target clearly. In fact it felt like I could reach out and touch the buck. I put my sight on the spot Derek said and squeezed the trigger. The buck did not jump and run like Derek said might happen. It crumpled right where it stood. The report was certainly audible but the suppressor was good enough the other deer were not spooked. They looked around and glanced over at their fallen comrade and continued to eat.

I sat and waited. To my left, I saw couple hogs step into view. Derek said he hated them. I chambered another round and took aim. I hit the first pig in the ear. It fell over. Without a pause I shot the other one. It did not even squeal but when it fell, I saw movement in the brush. Other pigs must have been there and decided to move away.

I pulled out my phone to text Derek. We had put our phones on silent. I had not heard his rifle. Just as he answered quietly I saw another buck approaching. it was walking down my fire lane towards my feeder. It would soon cross Derek's lane which was perpendicular to mine."Large buck about to cross your lane from your left." I whispered.

A few seconds later the buck fell over. My phone rang. "I thought about letting you take it." he said quietly. "Then I realized why you called. It was such an easy shot." I told him I already got mine and he laughed. He would be coming my way. I cleared my rifle and climbed down.

"You took two pigs too?" he asked when he arrived, obviously surprised,. "Damn! That is a hell of a shot placement. I figured you'd get excited on your first hunt." I grinned and told him sometimes being a little autistic and OCD had its advantage. "I can focus on things when I want to." I offered. We walked back the house to drop off our rifles and get the four wheeler and hoist.

We moved the bucks out to a different area and he showed me how to field dress the animals. He offered to let me gut the one I had shot but I refused telling him maybe next time. After we took them to the building and had them hung, we drove back to remove the hogs. Derek just dumped them in the field where we gutted the deer. "Buzzards need to eat too." he said simply. "We'll keep some later on. I don't like to butcher different types of animals in the same session."

Three of the free women were sitting in the living room. They were feeding babies. Two little ones in pajamas were playing on the floor. They were waiting to say goodnight to Daddy before going to bed. I grinned at the show. One of the other girls took the boys away. "I thought you said four kids." I asked. Derek shook his head and said four kids with the other free women. He had one with his wife. "I wish I had a kid or two. My wife could not conceive."

Derek grinned and said, "Maybe someday. Don't give up hope. I was an old man before these came along."

We settled on a time for me to come back in the morning. "Don't bother to knock. Just come inside when you get here. I get up early and somebody is bound to have coffee brewing." I thanked him for a fun time and left.

When I first got home, I did not see either Robin or Joanne. I halfway expected them to be waiting for me. As it turned out they were. Both emerged from Joanne's bedroom. "Did you have a good time, Dad?" asked Joanne. I did a double take. She was wearing a t-shirt with only panties on underneath. Her shirt did not come close to covering her little bikini panties. Obviously she did not have a bra on either as her nipples stood erect. Her hair was a little messed up. Robin's hair was mussed as well. Her t-shirt was a little longer and she was braless also.

"Yes I did." I answered. I was trying not to stare at my daughter, well stepdaughter's bawdy dress. "I'm gonna need to shower. I probably smell of gunpowder and deer guts. We each got a deer and I shot a couple feral hogs. I need to get some sleep. I'm going back before dawn. Derek and I are going out to hunt again. Hopefully we'll have another couple animals ready to butcher in a day or two."

"Okay, get showered." Robin said. "We need to have a little talk about your behavior today. Don't bother to get dressed after you bathe." I walked into my room. I grabbed a pair of boxer briefs and my running shorts despite what she said. I had a pretty good idea what Robin had in mind but it was NOT going to happen. I scrubbed myself clean of what I knew was mostly the imagined scent of deer entrails. I merely stood and watched while Derek did the actual work of gutting the animals. My part was to crank the hoist to raise the animals into place. I slipped on my boxer briefs and shorts.

When I entered my bedroom, I was surprised to see both young women sitting on my bed cross-legged. Their shirts had ridden up far enough to fully expose their panties. I had halfway expected Robin to be there but Joanne's presence stunned me. Particularly with her brazen display of flesh. "Not shy at all sitting around like that huh, Joanne?" I offered.

"Not really. Da..." Joanne began before she stopped herself. "Well, I guess I should start calling you Bas now that our family dynamic has changed a bit. My not wearing much is not going to be much of a concern for you in a few minutes when you are naked over Robin's lap." she added confidently.

"I told you not to get dressed." Robin said. "I'm just going to strip you. I always spank on the bare butt. Joanne is going to watch. Now be a good boy and drop your pants. If you get over my lap quickly and without any argument, I'll only use my hand instead of this paddle we bought on our way home." She reached behind her and produced a leather paddle. Joanne had a slight smile on her face. I could tell from where I stood she was aroused. The gusset of her panties had a darker spot. I suspected the two girls had been talking and that lead to them playing a bit, hence the mussed hair.

"Sorry." I said. "Not gonna happen." My quiet proclamation got an immediate astonished reaction from both girls. Robin began to say something about my vows but I held up my hand to stop her. "I'm not going to let you spank me for several reasons. Not the least of which is I don't want to. For one thing I don't deserve it. I made a good decision....a series of good decisions in fact. I harvested a deer which will supply us with meat. That helps my, well OUR financial situation. I made the decision to help Derek and his group butcher animals he already shot. That means he will help me process my own animals. Mutually beneficial."

"But you agreed I was in charge and would make decisions for you." Robin said. Joanne nodded.

"Yes, verbally." I said. "I have not read over the documents yet. Nor will I tonight. The other day, I also agreed to a two week trial period to see how our arrangement would work out. We all agreed on that. Now I know you gave up your apartment and Joanne agreed to let you live here. I did as well. I have no intention on reneging on that. I think it is mutually beneficial you stay here. I need the companionship. But right now, there is NO way I will become a mindless servant who has to ask permission for everything. That will NOT help me overcome my problems."

"But that is the way it has to be." sputtered Robin. "You have to start by obeying and taking my direction and then I'll begin to give you more latitude as we go along." I shook my head.

"I'm not even going to discuss this tonight." I said. I have to get up in what, six and a half hours to get back to Derek's for an early hunt. You can sleep here like you have Robin, or you can join Joanne in her room if you want. I know that is where you two have been playing this evening.

"We both planned to sleep here tonight after your spanking." Robin said. My dumbfounded expression must have been priceless. I was NOT expecting that. I looked at Joanne.

She turned beet red. "I always wondered what it would be like to share a bed with you.' she said quietly. "We are not blood relatives. I mean you adopted me and I always considered you Daddy, but uhhhh with this other stuff, I sort of started re-thinking it. And talking to Robin......." she left the rest unsaid.

"We'll talk tomorrow." I said. I know I was blushing myself. I stepped around the bed and climbed under the covers. "One of you turn off the light." I said, trying to keep my voice from revealing how flustered I was. I wondered what they would do next. I started to feel disoriented. My earlier convictions were now out the window. I had formulated a plan while showering. Now I was off balance again. Would one or the other or both decide to get into bed? I feared they would. When they left the room, I almost regretted they had not.

I shut off my mind and fell asleep quickly. I guess my condition could serve me well sometimes.

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I got out of my car at Derek's house wearing a flannel shirt over my t-shirt. I wore a thin jacket over that. It was cold. Not cold by northern standards. I knew people living there would think this was a warm spell, but sixty degrees was chilly in south Louisiana. It was expected to warm to the lower eighties later in the day and I knew I would doff a few layers. Like Derek had instructed, I did not bother to knock or ring the doorbell. I did not even see a button to push. I grinned to myself. Why would he bother to have one installed out here in the boonies? I opened the door and stepped inside.

A beautiful woman stood in the kitchen. I tried not to stare. She wore yoga pants which clung to her every curve. And the curves were endless and in all the right places from waist to ankles. Above that a simple t-shirt. No bra. While her shirt was not tight enough to tell just how big her nipples were, they were visibly tenting the fabric. I had seen her the day before talking animatedly with Joanne. "Want a cup of coffee? Breakfast won't be until most of the girls get up. Derek is getting dressed." I grinned and took the proffered cup. "We met briefly yesterday but I'm sure you don't remember my name, Bas. I am Lenore, Lenore Angelle. I am an accountant now. Back in the day I was also one of Dr Whitman's students. I saw she was another of the free women Derek had mentioned. Her lack of collar telling the story."

"It couldn't have been that far 'back in the day"" I offered. "You aren't that old." She giggled and told me almost ten years. "Wow! I didn't know Christine taught any junior high students." Alright, so my social skills had not improved that much over the years. I still could not come up with the right lines and this beauty threw me for a curve.. Lenore smiled at me warmly.

"So you are going to go out and shoot another deer with Derek," she said. "I won't add the word hopefully. Derek said last night you are a great shot. If a deer gets even reasonably close you will nail it. He was surprised you killed a deer and two hogs on your first hunt. He said most hunters get excited and flustered their first time out. "Buck fever' is what he called it."

"I just have a condition that allows me or rather makes me focus on certain things and ignore others." I said. She looked a little embarrassed. I knew that I had been a topic of discussion. I grinned. "I live with it. It is who I am. No big secret. It has its blessings as well as its curses." She chuckled at that.

"That is a nice way to look at it." she said. "I guess we all have our peculiarities. I certainly do." Derek came out of the back. He poured himself a cup of coffee.

"We've got a little time before we need to head out to the blinds." he said. "I was thinking. Let's use the same blinds we used last night. You are already oriented to that one. Later we can switch. Hopefully we'll be hanging a couple more bucks in the shed by the time the women are up and making breakfast."

That was exactly how it turned out. We both felled medium sized bucks. Derek told me he had seen the 'Hulk' at his feeder this morning. "He is a big trophy buck. I think he has fathered most of the deer we are harvesting. I hunt for meat not for the rack. One of these days his head is gonna be on a wall, though." I asked him about shooting too many deer and causing a population problem. "No way. As many as we take, there are many more. Too many. Actually it is better to thin them down. They'd starve or be road hazards. Well, down here they won't starve. Food grows too fast. Now hogs are a different problem. Those damn things are destructive. It is better to kill the sows than the boars to control the population even though the boars are meaner and more destructive. If you are up for it, we will work on their population later on. No season on those critters. They don't taste too gamy either. Yeah, you gotta cook the meat well but hey, just part of it. I don't bother with bacon but I have a slicer to make it if you want some."