Brody and John followed them out to the barn. When they walked through the barn door, they saw six men climbing out of the back of the camper, all dressed in jeans and work clothes. Some wore cowboy hats and others baseball caps. All of them looked like they belonged on the farm.
The driver of the truck spoke first. “We don’t have much time. We need to get her wired up.” He turned to Lou. “Take your shirt off, please.”
“What?” Brody barked. “Why does she need to do that?” he said, stepping toward the group.
“It sure ain’t so I can see her naked,” the man said sarcastically, appraising Lou from head to toe. “Although that might be fun, too.” He winked playfully at Lou and held out a black box and a long wire. “We need to wire you up, darlin’.” He looked toward Brody. “I have kids older than her,” he flung at Brody caustically.
Lou still looked at him hesitantly. Brody stepped forward and took the black box in his own hand. “I’ll do it.”
“That all right with you, darlin’?” the man asked with one eyebrow raised.
“Yeah.” Lou nodded, stepping into a stall and motioning for Brody to follow. Brody closed the door and turned around to find Lou had already drawn her shirt over her head.
?
?We don’t have time for a tickle in there,” the man called out.
“We’ll hurry,” Lou called back.
“Just draw the cord up between the breasts. Make sure the end of the mic isn’t smothered in there,” the man said as he adjusted his own headset to listen to the static in the line.
“Nice,” Lou whistled.
Brody threaded the microphone up between her breasts and taped it in place. “I hope you can get that sticky stuff off later,” Lou huffed.
“I heard that,” the man called from outside the stall. “Just tape the black box to her stomach and make sure there’s no loose cord.”
Brody ran the cord across her abdomen and taped it in place. Lou squirmed. “Would you be still?” he asked.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“You sure you want to do this?” he asked, his breath blowing across her belly.
“I don’t think I have a choice,” she responded quietly. “Not if I want my life back.”
Brody stood up and Lou drew her shirt back over her head. He leaned down and kissed her gently. “I’ll be right with you,” he said.
“You certainly will,” Wes replied as they walked out of the stall.
They had placed two chairs back to back. Wes threw some tape to John. “Tape the two of them up. We need for it to look like I tied them up out here to wait for Jerry.”
Brody and Lou sat back to back in the tall chairs. John tied Brody’s hands behind his back with the tape, yet made it loose enough to allow for some movement. Then he taped his mouth shut and taped his ankles together. Brody glared at him.
“I always did want to tell you to sit down and shut up,” John teased, drawing attention to himself. Brody felt John wrap his hands with duct tape once more and then he felt the give of the tape between his hands as he cut it where no one would notice. He did the same between his legs. When no one was looking, he slipped his pocket-knife in Brody’s back pocket. “Just in case you need it,” he whispered.
Brody nodded.
John moved to Lou and held the tape out in front of her. “I always had fantasies about you and me and duct tape,” he said with a grin. Brody protested with a grunt. John tied her hands in front of her and left her mouth free.
“That’s enough for her,” Wes said as they heard the crunch of gravel in the driveway. He nodded to John and the other men. “It’s business as usual on the farm, fellas. Get to work.” They all went out the side door of the barn and found positions near the barn. One man wore a Bluetooth headset that looked like it was probably paired with his smartphone, yet in reality it allowed him to hear any conversation from inside.
“Ready, Lou?” Wes asked. She nodded.
“This is always the worst part,” Wes muttered as he raised his hand. Lou didn’t realize his intent until after he had already hit her with the back of his hand across the side of her face. Blood dripped from her split lip and tears came to her eyes.
Brody flinched and mumbled against the duct tape covering his mouth. The tape that bound him to the chair held strong.
Wes wiped the blood from the back of his hand on his jeans and held Brody in the chair by pressing down on his shoulder. “If that’s the worst that happens to her today, we’ll be lucky.” Brody took in a deep breath through his nose as he saw Wes ball up his fist. Darkness clouded his vision as he took the blow to his chin. He slumped over in the chair, suddenly unconscious.