A Resurgent Whore #5
Chapter Five - From Rags To Riches.
Welcome to chapter five of a new gritty noir series from ‘Sin Street’ created in partnership between Kate Granger and Sissitrix. Chapters published weekly on Friday’s.
Follow a woman’s desperate tale of humiliation starting in a pit of despair before her rebirth, revenge and resurgence. This story begins in a dark place because it must.
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
“You have a plan, Erin?”
“Max, don’t pace around like a caged tiger, please. You’re making yourself nervous.”
“I can’t help it. Every fiber of my being wants to get this ball rolling.”
“I know sweetheart, but we’ll move cautiously. Spilling some blood quickly to exact superficial revenge won’t satisfy me.”
“What would satisfy you?”
I stood up from Max’s beautiful Italian leather sofa and joined my new boyfriend at the panorama windows in his living room, gazing onto miles of pasture and forest far in the valley below. When I wrapped my arms around his waist, placing my head gently against his back, I felt Max relax.
I was still in recovery mode, prone to internal conflict between rage and reconciliation.
Max’s disquiet was understandable because nothing bad happened to him so he couldn’t comprehend my mindset from one minute to the next.
I was alone but had to find a way to bring him on the journey.
“Think like the genius business-man you are Max.”
“You want all of Sin Street?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to clean it up?”
“Not entirely. I’ll make it safe for controlled criminal activity like gambling, hookers and some classes of drugs. The child molesters, killers, rapists and pushers are fucked.”
“How will you do it?”
“Imagine if the whole area catered for sinful leisure? Fetish clubs, safe gambling dens, clean and well-appointed brothels, underground weed smoking cafe’s and, the best of all… can you guess?”
I held back, hoping Max would arrive there on his own. I watched his reflection in the window and saw cogs in his eyes whirr at light speed while connecting the dots.
I drifted into a macabre chamber locked deep in my mind where torture, harvesting and disposal of my enemy amused and delighted me. It was a place I couldn't… no wouldn’t reveal lest it cast me as the vile bitch part of me had become.
He shifted and turned his head, wrestling me from my dark ecstasy. I smiled innocently, belying my truth.
“My company Multiverse could be linked to the pods and all manner of interactive sexual fantasies played out, right?”
“Only legal sex acts… but yes, that’s one way to tick every box. That same facility would have a sub-basement where judge and jury sit over Sin Street crimes.”
“And Sissitrix’s pods would become executioner.”
“Undertaker too.”
“You would be the judge?”
“Yes, jury and executioner too. I want that unholy trinity Max. Therein lies the essence of my resurgence.”
“You’ll kill?”
“With zeal and devotion. Only the evil.”
“Will you lose yourself?”
“No Max. I have you to help ground me.”
“I’ll do that, Erin.”
I’d gone too far, spewing malice, but this new, surging hatred flooding my veins, pumped more powerfully than adrenaline, and I was still getting used to controlling it.
“And Multiverse would have the global license to distribute pleasure pods around the world?”
“In partnership with Sissitrix, yes. There are health, euthanasia and funeral market sectors that our business association could address.”
“Fucking hell Erin, that’s a vision with a few steps too many.”
“It’s a gradual evolution. Think of it that way and it’s a simple matter of small steps.”
“Sissitrix’s company and Multiverse grows, while you take over Sin Street?”
“We do that together. I get resurgence, redemption, and my revenge happens along the way as part of our commercial plan.”
“Ingenious and devious.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Are you able to play a long game, Erin?”
“My revenge will include everyone in the system that contributed to getting me in that room, then allowed perverts to rape the fuck out of me.”
Max ambled to a bar, opening its fridge. He poured two glasses of chilled Chardonnay, handing one to me. I saw his demeanor was relaxed and figured he had enough to chew on for the time being.
“We don’t harm the innocent?”
“Definitely not, Max.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
The crispy, apple tainted nectar hit my taste buds like an explosion of new life. The terroir spoke to me in that moment, vindicating my choices.
“I need an operations centre sweetheart, preferably one here and another safe place in Sin Street from which to grow a footprint.”
“There’s an old reading room on the top floor here. It’s completely glass encased but has frosting technology to exclude anyone seeing inside if you want privacy.”
“Can you have eight workstations installed with top of the range computers, viewing screens and technology to hack into camera systems?”
“Of course. Why eight workstations?”
“We’ll need a team of hackers working 24/7.”
“Okay. I’ll get onto it right away.”
He was about to leave, downing the full glass of wine in seconds. I saw a glint in Max’s eyes, telling me he was ready for any challenge and committed to our business strategy.
“One more thing darling.”
“Yes, Erin?”
“Could you drive me to Sin Street in something less conspicuous than your gorgeous V12 penis extension?”
Max chuckled and I thought perhaps my humor somewhat relaxed him. His tension while I was in hospital and at Sissitrix’s clinic had been off the charts with worry about me.
“Of course. When would you like to leave here?”
“In one hour, if that gives you enough time.”
“That’s perfect. I’ll see you out front Erin.”
“Thank you, my dear. Oh… one other thing please.”
“Go for it.”
“Would you mind having Allen programmed as the dominant in our pod relationship?”
It was a moment dripping with taboo and a love remembered by Max. I tested him, wanting the slightly submissive version I loved most to arise.
“I’d like that too Erin.”
“Good boy.”
I didn’t have a fleshed out plan, but there was enough to go with for now so long as we proceeded with caution. Bringing Sin Street under my control would mean manipulating many fiefdoms while eradicating warlords who couldn’t control their own people.
I’ll spill a lot of blood when the time comes.
In private, I gazed out of the window, hoping the beautiful scene might quench the evil spirit dancing in my soul. I retrieved a burner phone from my bag.
“Hi.”
“Bliss Paradox?”
“Yeah… I’ve been expecting your call, Erin.”
“People died.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“You will be if it happens again.”
“I report the news and will continue doing that without fear or favor.”
“Oh, fuck off and spare the journalistic integrity bullshit for your editor.”
“I have no editor.”
“You fucking do now.”
“I won’t do your bidding Erin.”
“No, but you will zip that fucking big mouth of yours shut and stay out of my business, or you’ll find yourself inside a pack of cards.”
“I’ve heard about your cards. I’ll not cross you but neither will I help.”
“Good enough, now go to Hannah and make your apologies. Report the deaths of people you killed with stupidity and point the finger at those responsible.”
“They’ll kill me.”
“Without fear or favor Bliss. Don’t forget that.”
I hung up, dangling over a cliff with rage, hubris and hatred surging like a maelstrom below.
You need Allen’s help to salve this temper.
When I slipped into Max’s battered, thirty year old RAM 1500 with tinted windows, I’d wrapped a scarf around my head. It was enough of a disguise to get me into Sin Street without drawing attention.
“Where are we going?”
“I want to see Hannah to brief her properly.”
“Any elaboration on that?”
“I want to control the girls first. Chester is my Ace of Diamonds. I’ll rid the girls of him and they’ll pledge loyalty to me.”
“Fucking hell, Erin. You’ve become scary.”
“The girl’s fuck the men and women controlling everything on Sin Street. Once that power is mine, we’ll gather information and assemble a complete intelligence picture.”
I felt nervous on the drive over, mostly because of uncontrolled raging anticipation, only holding it together because Max was with me. When we crossed the unofficial line between civilisation and Sin Street, I wanted to burn everything down, remembering my awful fall from grace and the unspeakable horrors I’d experienced.
It was partly my fault. Get a fucking grip Erin.
“Do you want to turn back?”
No, I want to kill everyone and burn everything.
“No fucking chance Max. Take me to Hannah. We must do this, but I may sleep with Allen tonight if that’s okay?”
“Of course and I shall sleep with Chloe.”
“Will they be connected already?”
“Only if you prefer that, Erin.”
“Yes, please.”
“I’ll make it happen.”
Max parked outside a three star sex tourist hotel near the gambling den I was degraded in. He explained his ownership of the building and that a discrete security team based inside kept Hannah safe.
“Where is she? I must see Hannah alone.”
“On the top floor. The manager is expecting you. I’ll wait in the lobby and we can talk later.”
“You make it sound like a military mission, Max.”
“It kinda is.”
I glanced around the street, noting its degeneration like many others in the area. A few dimly lit, dirty bar signs further along pointed to basement drinking hovels where girls were being bought, sold or passed around like wanking sleeves.
The beer would be warm, watered down but cheap, bringing all manner of deviants on the down-low from our neighboring city and beyond to enjoy their perversions.
Abandoned, burned-out cars filled most of the parking spaces on either side of the street. Joyriders stole them from elsewhere, ragging the engines until fucked, ending their fun here, torching someone's pride before running away laughing.
Half open plastic rubbish bags were piled high on steel garbage cans. This was fertile territory for rats, feral cats and wild dogs that shat where they ate. A stench from sewers and strewn refuse combined with human shit and piss from gutter slurry, pervading the air like an eau de Sin Street.
The few yellowed street lights still working were gloomy from aeons of grime layered on bulbs and plastic covers that nobody would ever clean.
It looked awful and felt so much worse, but somehow the decrepit street and its desperate inhabitants, staggering drunkenly in harm's way appealed to that dark place inside me that kept pushing my boundaries of decency a little more.
“It’s a fucking mess, Max. Why would you own property here?”
“I bought ten buildings in the area over the years. It’s cheap as chips now, but won’t always be. I keep bars, clubs, apartment buildings and hotels running until property values increase.”
I grinned at him, knowing that Max fully understood the broader opportunities our plan would yield for him.
“I’ll be inside for a while. There’s much to discuss.”
“Scream if you need me. A couple of security guards will shadow you at all times.”
To give them their dues, the man and woman following me were discreet. Max’s hotel manager glanced up from behind a tatty newspaper that I doubted held his interest.
“Top floor, room 416, use the elevator and hit the red button twice, then green once when it stops.”
“Is that in case I need you?”
“No. It’s programed to stop for everyone. I can rescue people, get a nice tip for that or leave them inside per Max’s orders. I just gave you the code to release yourself.”
I was impressed by such well thought out and devious security measures. My bodyguards crowded into the elevator not even making eye contact. They knew the code too and soon I was strolling down musky smelling, threadbare dark green carpets to room 416.
Hannah opened the door before I knocked.
“Come in. Steve buzzed to say you were on the way up.”
I’d never met Hannah and was surprised by how attractive she was. She was hard-faced and weatherbeaten but piercing blue eyes with a mischievous twinkle, a kind smile and symmetrical face could easily hold one’s attraction.
I hugged her tightly and she repaid that.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you, Erin.”
“I’m over it now. Your apartment building concerns me much more.”
“It’s just property. We can all start again, but those who lost their lives are gone forever. I’ll be cutting off cocks for that.”
“Not yet.”
“You won’t stop me Erin. People have tried before. I’m nobody’s puppet, not even yours.”
“I don’t need a puppet.”
Her eyes turned stony, with an evil and craziness straight out of my hurt locker. She paced the room, suddenly filled with insanity, unbiddable to my will.
“I’ll start wanking them, then razer blade their cocks up the cum tube underneath, splitting their pride. When I cut the cock, they’ll bleed out in the gutter.”
“Yeah that’s fucking stupid Hannah, but I get the idea and would love to help. I have a better plan, so sit your fucking crazy ass down and hear me out.”
“Okay.”
I paced slowly around the room, studying her, concerned the red mist that had descended in front of Hannah’s eyes might be impossible to clear.
“We’re moving everyone to new accommodation and I’m buying your building.”
Well, Max is buying your building.
“Okay. When do we fight back Erin? I can’t be fucking bothered with lame-assed revenge. I need to kill some guilty cunt soon.”
“Once we have a plan there will be plenty of raw, hateful vengeance now cool your fucking jets.”
“Fuck that. Pincer, Franky the Rat and the Obfuscator are guilty bastards. Get these security guards hanging around uselessly in the hotel to go fucking waste those three for a start or let me do it as a statement of intent.”
“Do you think we should start a war when less than half our cards are dealt?”
She looked stunned and somewhat irritated. I needed to calm things down, so I held my silence allowing her to process.
“After what they did to you, Erin? They deserve to die.”
“Definitely.”
“Then what’s holding you back?”
“I’m alive Hannah and you are too, but the families from your apartment building are all dead.”
“It’ll be those guys. News of your survival is all over town and that reporter Bliss Paradox has obviously let something slip. They know about me and seek my demise.”
“Probably but it wasn’t only those three involved in burning down your apartment building and I want the whole fucking rotten lot.”
“Ahh.”
She finally got it and lay back on a surprisingly nice bed that looked brand new. Her legs opened slightly and I saw an alabaster smooth, freshly shaven pussy that piqued my interest.
I strolled to a window, looked out onto a filthy back alley, typical of the area. It was dingy, but I saw a lone security guard hiding in the shadows, protecting my new partner.
“I want you to run the girls. They need to be kept safe, clean and provide good service at reasonable prices. A warm dry bed in a safe hotel or apartment is the minimum I’ll accept. All trades will take place in clubs and bars where managers handle safety.”
“What about Chester?”
“Fuck Chester. Get the girls on your side and let me know when it’s done. I have a nice, warm coffin for that deviant cunt.”
“And the money split? Chester takes fifty percent, the clubs and bars another twenty-five.”
“Ten percent to you, ten to the venue owner and another ten to a welfare and safety fund managed by you for them.”
“And you?”
“I want nothing except yours and their loyalty.”
“The girls keep seventy percent of their earnings then?”
“Yes, but every one of them must be licensed and managed by you.”
“And I answer to you?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck that.”
“You’d rather the girls continue suffering?”
“I’m fucking out of control, Erin. I’ve wanked no one off for a couple of days and miss it desperately.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s not only about the money. Wanking people off is my kink. I’d fucking do you right now for free if you’d agree.”
“Not today, Hannah. If you can be a good girl, maybe soon. For now, I’ll arrange with security to guard you while you meet a few regulars. You’ll need to leave this place soon on a recruiting drive anyway.”
“If you’re unreasonable, we’ll argue a lot, Erin.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Then I’m in.”
“Don’t you want to think it through?”
“Nothing to consider. Fuck, none of the girls will refuse this deal and so long as you’re better than the bastards in charge now, it’s an improvement.”
“On board our girl’s slowly. Leave the junkies and deceitful bitches in the cold until I own Sin Street.”
“And then what?”
“We’ll clean up or pension off those that can’t be saved.”
“How long have I got to get all of this done, Erin?”
“Six months but I want a flow of intelligence on every fucking miscreant coming my way within three days so use the security team to keep you safe, get out there and start recruiting.”
“And wanking?”
“Yea, of course. I’m sure you are already being missed.”
“What about Steve Pincer?”
“Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t disappear, but he’s not to be touched until I approve.”
She seemed impressed, if a little overwhelmed by my plan. Hannah still fidgeted like a serial killer with withdrawal symptoms and had a slight nervous tick, but I guessed years on the street wanking people off to scrape a living did that.
When she stared up at me, I saw resolve and exactly what I needed… loyalty.
“I won’t let you down, Erin.”
“I know that Hannah. Your days of milking people into the storm drain might be over.”
“I don’t want that. Oh… I saw you eyeing my pussy. I hope you’ll be ready soon.”
“Maybe Hannah… maybe.”
Next Chapter:
OK--Episode 5, so that I'm caught up. I do want to tell Sissitrix that the drawing of the Aston Martin for Ep. 4 was off the hook! And yes, Kate, we all love Aston Martins, though the closest I've ever been to one's a James Bond flick.
Now we're getting into the meat of the story! In my last comment, I surmised that Erin had been changed, corrupted--turned out I was right! She's become a stone killer in fact, at least right now. She's become a nuclear-powered destruction machine--and the internal dialogue bits indicate that she's aware at some level that something's changed within her--that she has fallen very far from where she was. Taking her new persona as a whole, I think in many ways, she HAS lost her humanity, but not entirely from her "Allen" experience (she's clearly become addicted to artificial "love")--she's treating Max like a lackey right here, and even Max has a thing for his pod, "Chloe." Then there's Erin's plan to turn Sin Street into a kind of urban "Westworld" upscale, adult playground, where illicit pleasures can be had for a price within a regulated, controlled environment. All centered around a collection of pods in the basement, where all sexual fantasies can be fulfilled. But she also wants to use them to impose sentence on the guilty--so it looks like I was right about them not being entirely benevolent.
Now, about Bliss Paradox. Erin's got a burner phone on which she's talking to this reporter like there's an understanding of some kind in place. This brings up some questions in my mimd, triggered by the noir universe we're operating in here. We know of Erin's background--about Brian's leading her astray and so forth--based on her story, told to Max in the ER. But is it the entire story? Have some crucial bits been left out to secure Max's sympathy, and thereby his resources and assistance? Maybe she was always a stone cold mercenary (Harvard MBA) from the start, who'd already been in deep with the dark barons of Sin Street, tried to make a power play of her own--it went south, and they figured they'd have some sadistic "fun" with her before blowing her brains out, or finding a more "creative" way of disposing of her.
Probably overthinking of course, but just an inference based upon this new info from Ep. 5--it certainly fits. She certainly finds her sexual needs fulfilled by the pod things--finds them more convenient, and more trustworthy than a commitment to the genuine article--though she's totally open to "IRL" sex with men and women as we see from her exchanges with Hannah (who's clearly a bit disturbed).
Kate--great descriptive prose in re Sin Street and its filthy environs. Totally unappealing and gut-wrenching, hellish place! More post-apocalyptic and "Mad Max" than the eerie B&W elegance of classic film noir chiaroscuro--but given the narrative/character parameters--works perfectly!
Excellent job, both of you!