Zeena burst into the room laughing, with Gabe right behind her grabbing at her bottom. She dove onto the bed and let out a huge breath. Gerald looked on in disbelief. This was his mistress for the past three years. He pulled at the bindings on his wrists but they wouldn't give. Gabe walked over and waved the money order in his face.

"Nice, huh? All I had to do was ask."

"Gerald looked past him. "Zeena what the hell are you doing?"

"Gabe promised to let me go along on his next job."

Gerald's mouth fell open.

"Never mind old Zee, Gee. She seemed to get off on my description of the action at the diner. Right, Zee?" Zeena licked her lips and wiggled on the bed. "I told her about some of the others and she actually started to sweat, didn't you, baby? Zee's a violence junkie, Gee, did you know that?"

"Zeena, how- how could you—"

"It's exciting, Gee." The mere suggestion of Gabe's actions made her squeeze her knees together along with her shoulders.

"Pay attention to Gabe. First of all are you comfortable in that chair?

"No I'm bloody not."

"Too bad. Second, are you up to some entertainment?"

Gerald just stared furiously.

"That's too bad too. Old Zee and I are gonna give you a show, right, Zee?"

She sat up, leaning back on her hands. "I don't know. What kind of show?" Her smile was weak and puzzled.

Gabe laughed and tucked the money order in his shirt pocket than walked to the bed. "This kind." He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her face into his groin. When she screamed he pushed her back and punched her hard on the jaw and she collapsed limply on the bed.

"Good God, what's the matter with you? You could kill her!"

"Not just yet, Gee." He undid his belt and dropped his pants and then stripped off the rest of his clothes. "I'm gonna show you how to get the best out old Zee first."

******

Ted wandered through the lobby and over to the desk where he began his approach to the stiff clerk with a pleasant smile.

"Did your guest get his car lights out?"

"We never connected but there are no lights on now." The clerk said officiously.

"Missed him, eh? Ah well, a good deed well done then anyway." He turned and went to the diningroom where a young lady with several piercings, a brilliant red shock of hair on one side and who looked too young to be out of school, greeted him with a bored, flat voice.

"Just one, sir?"

Ted looked around. "Guess so." And smiled. "Can I get the breakfast menu still?"

"Probably yes, but I'll ask. Depends on our prima donna, chef." She led him at a slovenly gait across the dark patterned carpet to a small table under a heavily framed painting of some royal court figure wearing britches and a brocaded vest. So wrong considering the help. "Lunch is served until four."

"And breakfast?"

"I said I'd check."

Not a great career choice, dear, and definitely not old enough to be out of school.

He sat and sipped the water from his glass until it was almost gone and then checked his watch. Fifteen minutes since Miss Manners said 'she'd check' and he was getting annoyed. Finally he got up and went to the bar and banged on the counter.

"Sir?" A man came from a narrow door behind the bar and leaned on the counter.

"I came in for some food nearly twenty minutes ago and my waitress seems to have gone on holiday."

"Oh, that's Kath. Yeah, sorry about that. We had a room service call and she is the only one available at the moment. The lunch staff is not in yet."

"So if I'd ordered my meal on room service I'd have it by now, is that it?"

The man's ears reddened and he stood back as though expecting to have to physically defend himself. "She just didn't have time to bring it. I expect your order is ready, I'll get it."

"After sitting for nearly twenty minutes? No. What you'll get is the manager. Right here. Right now."

The manager turned out to be the desk clerk and Ted saw his complaint was going to be scored against him for having drawn attention earlier.

"Mr. Wagner." The eyes closed and opened with immense patience.

Ted explained his complaint and tried to sound reasonable and understanding but not forgiving. The clerk/manager listened and pursed his lips in thought. He was cornered. There was no excuse good enough for the service and so he told the other man to fetch, Kath, immediately.

"Understand, I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble, she's only a kid and I expect following orders."

"Who's a kid?" The clerk/manager asked suddenly.

"This waitress. Kath."

"Katherine Grantly is not a kid, Mr. Wagner. She is the twenty-nine year old daughter of Hamish Grantly, the owner of this establishment."

Ted gawked at the woman following the other employee up to the bar. Twenty-nine! "I'm sorry I had to mention this but your service really was lacking." Ted tried an understanding tone.

She looked at him blank-faced and then at the clerk/manager. "Comp him." She said, and turning, walked away.

"Well thanks. That's decent but what about my breakfast?" he called after her.

Without stopping she called back, "Too late. We're into the lunch hour."

"Is she really that age?" Ted said to the two men who were also watching her departure.

"Would you still care for lunch, Mr. Wagner... it's on the house?"

"As long as it's on the house, and yes, but in my room please." Ted strode out of the diningroom and over to the elevators, still amazed at how young Kath had looked.

******

Gerald squeezed his eyes shut and muttered vain pleas through his trembling lips as he listened to Gabe brutalizing Zeena. He'd torn her clothes off while she was still stunned, flipped her onto her stomach and entered her like some mad man. Zeena tried to scream but he shoved her face into the pillow and all she could do was try and breathe. The rape seemed to go on for hours with Zeena forced to accept every whim Gabe could imagine and finally he climbed off the bed and went to the room bar.

"Seventh inning stretch, Gee." He cracked open a bottle and took a large swig, swaggering back to the bedside.

"You animal! You fu—" Gabe punched him in the side of the head and Gerald thought his teeth were going to fall out.

"You haven't seen animal yet, Gee. Wait'll it's your turn." Gabe laughed and took another swallow from the bottle.

"Let her go. Please."

"Wow, a real hero type! Hear that Zee? Old Gee here wants me to let you go." She pulled her legs up in a fetal position and whimpered uncontrollably. "You don't wanna go do you, Zee? Nah. She's lovin' it Gee." He set the bottle down and climbed back onto the bed.

The horror for Zeena continued and he could see that she had given up resisting. Her eyes were vacant and her limbs slack, surrendering to everything Gabe inflicted. Gerald took a deep breath and yelled for help at the top of his lungs and managed to get it out a few times before Gabe reached him and pounded him hard in the face.

Blood spurted over Gerald's shirt front and he gasped as he sucked it through his shattered nose. Gabe shouted and cursed as he grabbed his clothes and began quickly dressing. He ran to the door and looked out the peephole to see if anyone was coming then hurried back and slipped on his shoes and socks. Zeena was lying on her side panting, tears and saliva from her face soaked into the pillow. All she could do was whimper with each breath.

Gabe grabbed Gerald's chair and dragged him into the bathroom and closed the door then he went to the bed and bent down to Zeena who seemed to shrivel as she turned her face into the pillow.

"It was great, Zee. Thanks for the money. Hope you got what you thought you paid for. See you again sometime maybe." He opened the door, checked the hallway and hurried to the stairs. He waited inside the doorway and listened to hear if anyone was coming and when he peeked out he saw the man come down the hall and lean one ear against the door. He squinted and locked the man's face in his memory then let the door close and jumped down the stairs.

******

Ted got off the elevator and headed to his room, still boggling over the age of the waitress. At first he thought the sound he heard was from somebody's TV and he slowed but kept walking. Then he stopped and listened more carefully. It was definitely the word help he could hear. He backtracked and leaned his ear close to the nearest door.

Nothing. It sounded like it might be coming from across the hall and when he leaned into the next door he could hear the word, help, quite clearly. He tried the door but it was locked and he didn't think breaking in would endear him to the owner's daughter in which case he could lose his comp. He hurried to his own room and called the desk.