A Shifting of Fortune Part 1
As Lady Noin finished signing the sales contract and received her receipt, the American youth was presented to his new owner. A black jacket matching his trim fitting pants now covered his firm chest. In his, still bound, hands he carried a small duffle bag containing his meager possessions. The few personal items he had been allowed to keep.
"I know you will be very satisfied with this one." Rogers declared pleased with himself and his quite profitable sale. "And of course, as usual, if you have my problems please let me know."
"Thank you I will." the Lady promised, "But I don't anticipate any problems." she added letting her sight run over her newly acquired "property's" full length.
The dutiful driver met his employer at the curb again offering an assisting hand as Noin gracefully lower her statuesque height into the car. Duo was seated in front, the duffle bag set at his feet and his seat belt fastened securely. After all Lady Noin wouldn't want her new "pet" damaged in any way.
Maxwell remained silent on the long ride back to Lady Noin's country estate. The grim and smog was left behind as more and more green fields and tree lined fencerows replaced the city's gloomy environment.
Fresh air and a cleaner, more brilliant, sky should have lifted Duo's spirits, but he knew, even though he had been liberated from the city's stark darkness and unforgiving streets, he had only traded his place of imprisonment.
Whether in the city or on some rich Lady's estate, he still was not free. No, a golden cage, although it might be more comfortable and safer, was still just as much a prison.
He cursed under his breath making sure his hard oaths were not overheard by either the driver or his new Mistress. But most of the swearing, however, was not directed at the elegant, obviously well-bred, woman even though she was a stone-cold bitch or his new situation, but at Duo himself.
He alone was to blame for his current predicament. He should have known when he made the deal with that Pimp he had made a terrible mistake.
Thinking back, Duo closed his eyes recalling the stupidity of his past choices. The pain and degradation that had degenerated his existence to this sorry state be now called his life.
*********
At the time, though, trading hustling and turning tricks on the streets just to eat for joining Treize Khushrenada's stable seemed like a good idea.
After all Khushrenada owned a first-class operation. All his clientele were wealthy and demanded only the best. They were willing to pay well, often contracting their escorts for days or weeks at a time.
Yeah, there was good money to be made, you got to travel and you didn't have to put with the average street "john" and their common behavior. Most of the clients were a little eccentric and a couple of dates turned out to be rougher than Duo liked, but, hell, that went with the territory.
But if a customer didn't shape up and continued their aggressive behavior, no matter how well they paid, Treize would cut them loose. His studs and gigolos were too valuable to risk getting put out of commission by someone into too extreme fetishes. Yeah, at the time it seemed Duo had it made.
And when Treize expressed an interest in the erotic boy, Duo thought that he had reached another level. After all occasionally sharing the Boss's bed had its privileges.
In return for a good night's entertainment, Treize would give Duo expensive gifts and his choice of the top customers. Maxwell viewed his rise from a mere prostitute to a high class escort as just rewards for being so good at what he did.
Again, however, Duo was just trading one kind of hell for another, he still was not free. Only later did be begin to find out what kind of dark pit he had fallen into. Soon things began to go from good to not so good.
Treize soon got bored and turned him out of his bed. Duo handled that easily enough because he had known from the start Khushrenada never stuck with one lover for very long.
But Maxwell's casual attitude towards their parting didn't sit well with Treize's egotistical nature. Duo reckoned Treize thought himself to be such an excellent lover that he should have pined away over the separation. Instead Duo's indifference only put Khushrenada's unstable physiological balance that much more out of sync.
The fateful night that set in motion Maxwell's final downwards spiral to his present circumstances began when Treize "requested" that Duo go with him to a club Khushrenada frequented.
Duo really didn't want to go but, Treize had been so hostile and moody, he was afraid turning him down might trigger one of the violent temper fits Treize's volatile personality often produced.
When he and Treize arrived they were taken to one of the private rooms available for the club's preferred customers. Duo didn't think twice about the arrangement, he had had his share of private dates in many such rooms.
Three of Khushrenada's male friends soon joined them and, at that point, Duo began to feel a tad uncomfortable. Drinks were served and again Duo went along.
Suddenly Maxwell found himself becoming sleepy. To late did he realize he had been drugged.
In his drugged stupor Duo wasn't aware of his trip from the club to Treize's friend's home. He didn't know anything until he began to come around and found himself in what he supposed was the basement.
Panic gripped him thoroughly as he realized he had been stripped and tied down in an overextended spread eagle posture on a rough wooden frame. His panic turned into pure soul-gripping terror as he saw all manner of torturous implements scattered about the damp stone floor and hanging from the walls.
Treize's eyes, wild with maniacal insanity, stared down into Duo's horror-widened pupils. Standing on either side of the madman, his three friends displayed the exact maddened gleam ready to share the same pleasure from Khushrenada's twisted, bizarre and sexual fascination with pain.
"I will teach you proper respect you whore." Treize growled out his horrific promise. "You will learn who is your Master."
After the first half an hour Duo remembered little about the hours of agonizing torment. Maxwell's next coherence was three days later when he awoke in a strange bedroom.
In his pain dazed state, Duo could only lay on his back and try to control his labored panting as broken ribs painfully restricted each attempt at a deep breath. Arms and legs were covered with bandages.
Large blue-black bruises caused even the soft sheet surrounding his battered body to hurt as they rubbed over every inch of his sensitive skin.
Mercifully that harrowing night's most excruciating memories were still buried deeply in his subconsciousness. But the night terror demons did, from time to time, rear their ugly heads ripping into his mind with razor talons. Groping and scraping the horrid recollections to the surface again and again.
Duo would jerk awake screaming and thrashing striking out blindly at the macabre faces hovering over him Reliving every moment of anguish and finding himself helpless to stop the frightening recalling.
But when the heart pounding episodes had played themselves out to their physically and mentally exhausting conclusions, Maxwell could feel the results but not recall the source.
Perhaps it would be better if Duo did remember then he could deal with the demons and either exorcise the beguiling devils or go mad in the attempt. Either way he would be free from the recurring dark dreaming.
When Maxwell would question the people caring for him concerning his situation they either couldn't or wouldn't tell him anything.
At the end of two weeks, when Duo was able to get out of bed and move, however slowly, about the room, a stout man with a nervous disposition and constantly sweaty hands named Peter Rogers came to visit.
Without so much of a hint of remorse in his husky voice, Rogers informed Duo that he had been sold to him by Khushrenada since he was now considered "damaged goods".
Two days later Maxwell was transferred to the downtown office building and put on a regiment to recover his health and get both his strength and body back into "selling" condition.
He shared his forced confinement with eight other men but Duo kept to himself, constantly avoiding two of the older men's advances and each day planned his escape.
Before Duo's plan could be put into motion, one of the other men beat him to the punch. One night the man overcame one of the guards and took off. At first Maxwell was envious as it seemed the man would make it out.
But the shape crack of a pistol shot and the sight of the man jerking and going down dashed Maxwell's hopes for his freedom. He then and there reconciled himself to his fate and hoped the next phase of his pitiful life would be more bearable.
Now he had a new owner but had yet to see how he would be treated.
*********
A slight jerk as the car braked to slow down caused Duo to open his eyes ending his past remembrances. They had turned off the main road, down a private lane towards a large two story house sitting among acres of green lawns and gardens.
"So this is it." Duo said to himself leaning forward to see the full extent of the massive mansion.
The car passed under a wrought iron arch supported on either side by a massive stone pillar. On each column the name, VIXEN'S LAIR had been chiseled with a flourish of sweeping letters and flower covered vines into the smooth stone.
"That name certainly suits her." Duo thought to himself.
Each gray column also held a heavy wrought iron gate at least eight feet in height. Each gate's curved top matched the arch's flowing line and fit seamlessly together as the gates closed behind the entering vehicle.
A tall wall of the same gray stone stretched out to the left and right of the archway. The wall's length ran out of sight well before Duo could see where it might end.
The tree lined lane divided into a circular path bending around to the house's front and keeping on around to connect back and lead out again.
In the circle's grassy center a grand iron fountain spat out water sending the forced stream up to cascade over some half-naked Amazonian woman holding a sword in one hand and a decapitated serpent in the other. The limp snake's body trailed down the women's leg, its severed head laid at her feet.
Lining the fountain's scalloped edge, lion heads, mouths opened wide and fangs exposed, spat water back into the deep bowl.
The car hadn't traveled more than fifty yards before Duo saw two armed men walking side by side.
A third man leading a particularly muscular and, quite vicious looking, dog joined the guards as they as they continued across the green, well manicured, lawn.
There was no doubt in Duo's mind the patrolling sentries were but several members of a larger and well trained Security Staff. No one in Lady Noin's position would have anything less than a small army guarding her sprawling estate.
The car followed the circle's bending until it pulled parallel to a semi-circle tile porch extending from wide double front doors. The dark wooden doors were carved with another splash of flowers and vines intermingled with lions in various poses. Some of the ferocious felines devoured their fallen prey in quite graphic death scenes.
It was all to clear the Lady's abode reflected her dominant personality. And that she surely was one person not to be crossed in any way.
Duo leaned forward again taking in the full, magnificent magnitude of the great house.
"A cage no matter how grand is still a cage." he reminded himself once more.
The driver hurried to open the car door and offered his usual helping hand to the Lady of Vixen's Lair. She stepped lithely onto the first step and turned to wait for the driver to extract her new "property" from the front seat.
Duo stood up, duffle bag in hand, to face his new Mistress and "home".
The driver proceeded his employer opening the right-side front door standing aside as Lady Noin walked inside. Maxwell quietly came next.
The driver stayed on the porch, bowed slightly then closed the door behind, no doubt, to deposit the car in the garage area with Noin's other personal vehicles, another grand sedan, several SUVs and two motorcycles that made up her extensive automotive collection.
Passing through a large foyer, Duo let his eyes wander over the grand entranceway with its marble floor, high ceiling and deep textured wallpaper. Straight ahead the foyer ran seamlessly into a second reception hall with archways leading to other rooms flowing down on either side.
But the most grand appointment of all was the wide marble twin staircases raising gracefully to the second story. The steps swept up in a gradual curve, each side connecting at an upper walkway to complete the same semi-circle design that seemed to be consistent with the overall layout of the house and grounds.
Under the stair's elevated center another room, occupying the entire back section could be seen. Noin moved ahead under the walkway. Duo, not sure if he should follow, kept his place in the hall.
Noin checked her stride turning on her heels, "Well come on." she ordered before resuming her pace.
Dutifully Maxwell obeyed making sure to keep a proper, respectful distant behind her new Mistress. As Duo made his made into the equally plush room it was obvious, by the functional design, it was the Lady's office.
Noin sat down behind a wide dark wood desk leaning back in the leather covered chair with a soft sigh. The riding crop was dropped on the nearly arranged desktop within easy reach should she decide its stinging persuasiveness was needed.
Pulling off her gloves, the Lady glanced quickly at a folder taking a moment to read the cover. Then, just as nonchalantly, redirected her attention to the beautiful young man standing before her.
"Sit down." she motioned to one of four crimson and gold fabric chairs sitting in another semi-circle before the desk.
Duo slipped into the thickly padded seat setting his bag down at his feet. He didn't know all the rules of his forced inclusion into the Lady's household but he did know enough not to speak without permission.
Pushing a button on an intercom box, Noin spoke with her usual, clearly authoritative, bluntness. "Winner, I need you in my office now." she barked out the order.
Then a second button was depressed, "Security." a voice announced over the opened channel.
"Is Chang there?" Noin inquired.
"Not right now, Madam, he is out by the East Border supervising the new trainees. Do you want me to find him?"
Noin paused with another light sigh, "No. Is Yuy available?"
"Yes, Madam."
"He will do. Send him to my office."
"Yes, Madam, right away."
Duo's Mistress leaned forward resting one elbow on the desk, "I will have those off in a few minutes." she declared nodding at the steel rings encircling Maxwell's wrists.
Duo let his eyes settle momentarily on the restrictive rings, then raised them to study Noin's delicate facial features.
As creamy as her skin glowed in the muted sunlight streaming through the rear wall's lace curtained French Doors. As smoothly as her high cheekbones curved below her deep blue, almost purple, eyes, there was an ever-so-slight hardness to the Lady's face. An underlying harshness in the Lady's gaze.
Yes, clearly there was more to this strangely alluring Lady than merely observed on the surface. A carefully regulated inner reserve and, Duo believed, an inner sadness.
But everyone was affected by the total of life's experiences. Duo knew, by the painful lessons he had learned the hard way, no one was ever exactly who or what they seemed to be. And he was certain Lady Noin's life lessons were no exception to the rules.
TBC...
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