I tapped my fingers on the cafe table. Looking around I sip my frozen mocha. So happy I tried Dunkin Donuts. I check the time; 1457. Still glancing at my watch I hear the little chime of the door bell. Looking up I see Luke and Henry walking in, laughing as if they heard a joke. They look around and spot me when I raise my hand. Sitting down we exchange greetings and start with banal conversation. About five minutes later we get to the details of the meeting.
"So?" I begin, "Where's the pet?"
"In my trunk." Henry responds.
"Well?" Luke turns asking me, "You feel like playing?"
I pause. "...Yeah. Yeah, sure, why the hell not?" I toss my drink in the trash.
The three of us stand and leave the cafe. Going outside we head towards the cars and drive off with me leading the way. We communicate over the phones about where to go, suggesting fields, old bathrooms in parks, etc. We end up heading towards a poor part of the county. We see what looks like an abandoned warehouse and navigate our way over. Pulling up we see a hobo past out on the side of the building. We get out and causally scan for any security cameras or possible blind spots.
"Are you sure this is a secure location?" Henry asks, looking around tentatively.
"We're clear from the main roads with slums on the other side. As long as we can keep her quiet, no one's gonna care enough to check this place out. Although, just to be safe, we should probably clear the building of possible squatters."
We all nod in agreement.
We split up and look for different openings in the building. I find a boarded window with an opening big enough for me to fit through. Dusting myself off I look around and quickly scrunch my nose at the rotten smell. Hooks hung from the ceiling and the floor had somewhat of a dark red tint to it. I search the different rooms, keeping my awareness heightened. Finding nothing but dusty tables, rusty machinery, and a very disgusting bathroom I head back to cars. Luke was already there, fiddling with his Instax. Henry came a few minutes later.
Pointing with his thumb Henry said, "I've never seen a slaughterhouse in real life. Pretty nifty. Too bad the stuff is decayed, we could've pawned it."
"Hey can we get the bitch out?" Luke asks excitedly.
Opening Henry's trunk I see an unconscious girl in her late teens. Her wrists are duct taped crossed over her chest and her ankles are duct taped together. A rag was shoved into her mouth and her clothes were tattered and wrinkled. She was drenched in sweat.
"Alright, let's get her out." Luke and I carry her to double doors and find a table to set her on. "How long is she supposed to be out?"
"The sleeping pills are supposed to last about eight hours." Henry says.
"When did you give her the pills?" I inquire.
"About eight this morning."
I look at my watch. "So, that leaves...half an hour."
"The hell we supposed to do for half hour?" Luke says annoyed.
"Wait." Henry shoots back.
"Might as well." I add. "I don't have any smelling salts and like I said, there's a small chance someone's gonna come here."
So for the next half hour the three of us bullshitted about this and that, showing each other YouTube videos and discussed the latest video games and sports. Henry, being the most intelligent out of the three of us, talked about an article he read discussing the rise and fall of the infamous drug network; the Silk Road. Luke, the most artistic, divulged in a new story he was working on which consisted of a dystopian world and a magical realm. I had went to my car for a cigar and when I returned I heard the muffled screams of a female. Rushing inside I saw Luke and Henry holding her down with tears streaming from her face. I smiled.
Here we go.
I clipped the end of the cigar off and lit up, taking my time to savor the first drag. I approach the table and take about ten seconds to examine the girl. Nodding up and down, "You guys really did a number on her huh?" Luke chuckled. Henry just casually shrugged. I delicately brushed the tips of my fingers along her stomach, pulling the fabric up to reveal her tits. My excitement quickly dissipated when I saw deep shades of purple on the side of her rib cage. "Umm...what's this?" I ask, lightly placing my fingertips on the bruised area. The girl's breathing quickened and I noticed how her breathing was labored. I removed the cloth rag and quickly replaced it with my hand. I leaned in.
"You're not gonna scream. You're not gonna try and escape...Understand?"
Shakily she nods and I feel the breath from on nostrils on my hand.
Removing my hand she pleads immediately, "P-ple-ee, nn, d-do-"
I clamp my hand back on, "Uh uh uh...I didn't say you could talk." Looking at Luke and Henry, "So what happened? You guys get carried away or something?"
"Come on man," Luke chimed in first, "it's just a bruise. It's pretty. I mean, she told me she wanted a tramp stamp."
"It's not just a bruise," I countered, "it's a liability. Suppose one of the ribs splits and punctures her lungs?"
"Oh," Henry muttered, "I didn't even think about that."
"Yeah," I scoffed, "if her lung punctures she'll be drowning in her own blood then we have a dead body on our hands." The girl moaned and cried harder. "Relax, last thing I want is a missing girl's report." I trace the outline of her bruise with my index finger, watching her body quiver beneath my touch. I tapped lightly and even drummed my fingers. What to do... I looked around and observed the hooks hanging from the ceiling. I considered stringing her up but-
"We could give her to the bum outside." Luke's suggestion interrupted my thoughts.
Henry chuckled, "It could be like an early Christmas present or somethin'."
I released a contemplative sigh...
"Yeah, let's give her to the bum."
The girl tried to thrash on the table, like she was trying to squirm her way out. I took another drag of my cigar watching the embers ignite.
Then I got an idea.
Exhaling the smoke, "Did you say she wanted a tramp stamp?" I looked at Luke.
"Yeah, she wanted a rose."
I grinned. Slowly leaning in I lock eye contact and puff on the cigar, the end very close to her eye. She whimpered and squirmed, paralyzed with fear. I blow the smoke into her face making her cough and squeal from the pain.
"Pick her up and put her on her knees." I shove the cloth back in and step back.
Luke and Henry oblige, each gripping her by the arm. Going in behind I lift her shirt and push her head forward. I ignite the embers and press them into her lower back, watching it burn. The girl tensed and lunged forward but our hold on her is firm; she's not going anywhere. Luke laughs at her distress while Henry watches entranced. I burn three marks; one for each of us.
"Wait here." I instruct the guys.
Walking outside I look for the hobo. Still passed out on the wall, I trot over and tap his leg with my foot. When he doesn't move I tap harder. He startles awake and squints up at me.
In a groggy voice he asks, "What do you want?"
"I was just wondering if you would like a gift."
"A gift? It's not a beatin' is it? I-I've seen what young guys like to do to bums like me." He stands shakily and brushes his jacket off.
"Relax buddy. We're not gonna mess with ya."
"We?" He looks around like he's about to be jumped.
"Yeah, two of my friends are inside the slaughterhouse right now. The three of us were planning on having fun with a...pet I guess you could say, but circumstances dictate otherwise."
"Really? What kind of pet?"
"Come take a look."
I lead him into the slaughter house. Henry holds her still while Luke takes pictures with his Instax. Man he sure loves his pictures. When the bum sees the half-naked girl he recoils and puts his hands up in defense. "Hey hey, woah man, I don't want any of this, this is fucked up, yous guys are fucked up."