Beautiful Monster, Chapter 12
Even though the horseback travel itself was a relatively short distance, it was Windham Xavier’s longest journey back to the Paladin Cross home base. Intrusive thoughts circled his mind even knowing Tarja was his ultimate safety net. Would Windham receive a hero’s welcome? Would he be laughed out of the building? Would he even have a job by the time all was said and done? He did, after all, kill two precious bounty heads rather than leave them alive. Then again, how could he leave those two predators alive? They would have done the same thing to anybody else that crossed their paths. Still, it felt wrong in so many ways.
The climax of Windham’s blood chilling anxiety came at the front entrance of the cathedral-like headquarters. He and Tarja dismounted their horses and allowed the stable boys to take them away. Just like with Torger, Windham had to look up to see his next obstacle: the heavy wooden double doors. The elf looked microscopic in comparison, completely justifying his nervousness to cross the threshold.
Tarja sensed Windham’s obvious trepidation and massaged the back of his neck in order to calm him down. “Remember,” she said. “I’ll be with you the whole time. If Commander Rinehart or anybody else gets out of line, they’ll have to get through me.”
“That’s one of the things I’m worried about,” confessed Windham. “I know how prejudiced these men can be, especially around women. If they think for one second that you’re fighting my battles for me, then…”
“Let them laugh,” said Tarja as she gave Windham’s neck one last squeeze. “And just so you understand, I also know how bigoted they can be. That’s never stopped me from besting them in training. They’ve got weapons bigger than their own bodies and they still got their asses kicked by a woman with a staff and an elf with a whip. They’d better wise up and see that change is coming. Otherwise, they’ll be on their asses again in no time at all. Now come on, let’s do this.”
Windham steeled his nerves with a deep sigh before taking Tarja by the hand and crossing the threshold into the cathedral. The sounds of macho men laughing it up and flinging their weapons against each other grated on the elf’s eardrums. He tried to make himself as small as possible within Tarja’s confines, taking little samples of the mocking stares he received. Even the hoots and whistles were enough to wear on his nerves, but Tarja was there to squeeze his hand lovingly and guide him to Commander Rinehart’s quarters.
By the time the newfound couple got there, Windham couldn’t remember Rinehart being as big as he was. The Commander had always been a pudgy bald bastard who barely fit into his metal armor, but never before did he seem so gigantic even when sitting at his desk. Windham felt as though he could fit in the hulking authority figure’s pockets. The two of them shook hands and the elf could feel his fingers thinning at the strong grip.
“Windham, buddy! It’s good to see you again! I was beginning to worry about you!” thundered Rinehart in his gruff, throaty voice. Windham and Tarja took seats on the opposite side of the desk while the portly Commander drummed his fingers on the wooden surface. “Looks like you got banged up pretty good while you were out there. I certainly hope you found something valuable in the north.”
“I did, Commander. In fact…” Windham tucked his head in shame while Tarja patted his back.
“Come on, Xavier, don’t puss out on me now. You were at the top of your class. Nothing’s going to get to you! Come on, what did you see up north?”
Taking another deep breath and shaking his head, Windham started the slow and tiring process of spilling his guts to his superior. Every detail of the story was laid out from the simple recon notes to the week from hell. Every time Torger touched his genitals. Every time Shelly smothered him with forced sexuality. Even the bandit robbery was a hot topic in this sense-dulling conversation. It took every last piece of strength in Windham’s mind and soul to tell this story. It looked for a moment that even the stone cold Rinehart was moved by the story judging from how wide his eyes were.
“Wow, Windham…that’s one hell of a story you’ve told me. I’ve certainly learned a lot from you....” He leaned his pudgy face closer and said, “Especially how you think you’re the victim in all of this.”
Windham’s anxiety morphed into red hot rage when he bolted out of his chair and attempted to crawl over the desk. If Tarja had not been holding him still and telling him to back off, he might have done it. After a while of wrestling, Windham sat back down, though his blazing eyes never left their wide target. Even Tarja’s eyes bore a look of disgust and fury at her own boss.
“Permission to speak freely, sir,” though she felt she didn’t need it. “One of your best soldiers had to endure a week’s worth of sexual, physical, and emotional torture at the hands of the most dangerous criminals in the country. Please show a little bit of compassion.”
“Compassion isn’t even in my fucking vocabulary,” snarled Rinehart. “Especially when money is on the line. Paladin Cross isn’t a charity. It’s a business. We only get money when the criminals are brought in alive. And Windham here just wasted a good opportunity at a payday due to his own selfishness. Although, if I had Shelly riding my dick as much as he did, I’d let her go free just so I could do it again. I mean, come on, Windham, admit it: she is one hot motherfucker.”
The elf once again tried to lunge over the table, but Tarja intercepted him and pinned him to the seat while yelling a litany of “Heys” to her new boyfriend. “Settle down, Windham, I’ve got this!” ordered the staff fighter.
“No! You don’t have anything!” shouted Windham while pointing an accusatory finger at her. “And you, Rinehart! I know you think that sex is the greatest fucking thing in the world, but this wasn’t even close to resembling true love. Shelly Atwood is disgusting, she’s vile, she’s sadistic, and she’s every bit as venomous as her step-boyfriend, I mean, stepbrother!”
“And what was stopping you from kicking his ass anyways, hmm?” growled Rinehart. “Just because a guy is seven feet tall, doesn’t mean he’s going to go undefeated for the rest of his life. I’m sure you got him good when you smashed him with the table, but you’ve got no excuse for failing the first time you saw him. He’s a muscle head with a single digit IQ. Even a two-year-old could have toppled him, but no, not you, Windham. You know why? Because you’re weak! I don’t have room for weaklings in my camp, you understand?”
“You think I’m weak?” huffed Windham. “You think I’m fucking weak?!” he shouted again while Tarja wrestled him away. “You want to start something with me, you oversized prick?!”
“Don’t even think of talking to me like that, you subhuman piece of shit!” roared Rinehart while pointing his sausage index finger at him. “I don’t care how much you disagree with me! I’m your boss! Whatever I say goes! You’ve had it so good here for so long. You became an overnight aristocrat with how well I’ve paid you. And now you’re going to throw all that way because you don’t like what I’m saying to you? The truth hurts, bitch, but not nearly as much as I do when I ram my fist down your throat!”
Windham once again tried to scramble across Rinehart’s desk, but was carried out of the room kicking, screaming, and cursing by his girlfriend. The rage got so white hot that she had to drag him by the ribcage to the front door, with macho soldiers laughing and mocking him the entire time. Some of them even wiped their “tears” away and “cried” like babies. “Is it true that she fucks like a tiger?!” one of them shouted out to a chorus of obnoxious hyena laughter.
Hoping the chilly morning air would soothe his rage a little bit, Tarja carried the wild Windham passed the threshold again and shut the doors behind her. The elf’s mind was bombarded with sensory overload as he thrashed and pounded around even without Tarja restraining him. All of those laughs from inside the cathedral echoed throughout his head like schizophrenic ghosts. The sights of Shelly’s naked body grinding against his own, the feel of Torger’s muscular hand on his penis, they all flooded back to Windham like a coastal monsoon of anxiety and anger.
“Calm the fuck down!” shouted Tarja, which only worked in the short term as Windham stopped thrashing for a moment. “It’s okay! We’re going to figure this out eventually!”
“No, Tarja!” belted Windham. “I’m going to be the one who figures it all out! You threw me to the fucking wolves and act surprised when I come out of it bloody and bruised! I’m spending the night at a hotel! I don’t need this shit!” He clutched the sides of his head and wandered toward the center of the city.
“Windham, get back here!” pleaded Tarja. “You don’t get to walk away from me!”
“Why?! Because I owe you something?! You think I owe you another trip to the lion’s den because you fucked me silly?! That sounds like something Shelly would say!”
In a moment of unthinking rage, Tarja slapped her boyfriend across the face for his callous remark. Her eyes widened with horror as she profusely tried to apologize, but the elf was having none of it as he turned his back and walked towards the nearest hotel. “Please, come back! I didn’t mean to!” she sobbed. “Come on, Windam! I’m sorry!” He didn’t listen. He just kept walking and allowed his girlfriend’s sobs to serenade him into the hotel lobby.
The climax of Windham’s blood chilling anxiety came at the front entrance of the cathedral-like headquarters. He and Tarja dismounted their horses and allowed the stable boys to take them away. Just like with Torger, Windham had to look up to see his next obstacle: the heavy wooden double doors. The elf looked microscopic in comparison, completely justifying his nervousness to cross the threshold.
Tarja sensed Windham’s obvious trepidation and massaged the back of his neck in order to calm him down. “Remember,” she said. “I’ll be with you the whole time. If Commander Rinehart or anybody else gets out of line, they’ll have to get through me.”
“That’s one of the things I’m worried about,” confessed Windham. “I know how prejudiced these men can be, especially around women. If they think for one second that you’re fighting my battles for me, then…”
“Let them laugh,” said Tarja as she gave Windham’s neck one last squeeze. “And just so you understand, I also know how bigoted they can be. That’s never stopped me from besting them in training. They’ve got weapons bigger than their own bodies and they still got their asses kicked by a woman with a staff and an elf with a whip. They’d better wise up and see that change is coming. Otherwise, they’ll be on their asses again in no time at all. Now come on, let’s do this.”
Windham steeled his nerves with a deep sigh before taking Tarja by the hand and crossing the threshold into the cathedral. The sounds of macho men laughing it up and flinging their weapons against each other grated on the elf’s eardrums. He tried to make himself as small as possible within Tarja’s confines, taking little samples of the mocking stares he received. Even the hoots and whistles were enough to wear on his nerves, but Tarja was there to squeeze his hand lovingly and guide him to Commander Rinehart’s quarters.
By the time the newfound couple got there, Windham couldn’t remember Rinehart being as big as he was. The Commander had always been a pudgy bald bastard who barely fit into his metal armor, but never before did he seem so gigantic even when sitting at his desk. Windham felt as though he could fit in the hulking authority figure’s pockets. The two of them shook hands and the elf could feel his fingers thinning at the strong grip.
“Windham, buddy! It’s good to see you again! I was beginning to worry about you!” thundered Rinehart in his gruff, throaty voice. Windham and Tarja took seats on the opposite side of the desk while the portly Commander drummed his fingers on the wooden surface. “Looks like you got banged up pretty good while you were out there. I certainly hope you found something valuable in the north.”
“I did, Commander. In fact…” Windham tucked his head in shame while Tarja patted his back.
“Come on, Xavier, don’t puss out on me now. You were at the top of your class. Nothing’s going to get to you! Come on, what did you see up north?”
Taking another deep breath and shaking his head, Windham started the slow and tiring process of spilling his guts to his superior. Every detail of the story was laid out from the simple recon notes to the week from hell. Every time Torger touched his genitals. Every time Shelly smothered him with forced sexuality. Even the bandit robbery was a hot topic in this sense-dulling conversation. It took every last piece of strength in Windham’s mind and soul to tell this story. It looked for a moment that even the stone cold Rinehart was moved by the story judging from how wide his eyes were.
“Wow, Windham…that’s one hell of a story you’ve told me. I’ve certainly learned a lot from you....” He leaned his pudgy face closer and said, “Especially how you think you’re the victim in all of this.”
Windham’s anxiety morphed into red hot rage when he bolted out of his chair and attempted to crawl over the desk. If Tarja had not been holding him still and telling him to back off, he might have done it. After a while of wrestling, Windham sat back down, though his blazing eyes never left their wide target. Even Tarja’s eyes bore a look of disgust and fury at her own boss.
“Permission to speak freely, sir,” though she felt she didn’t need it. “One of your best soldiers had to endure a week’s worth of sexual, physical, and emotional torture at the hands of the most dangerous criminals in the country. Please show a little bit of compassion.”
“Compassion isn’t even in my fucking vocabulary,” snarled Rinehart. “Especially when money is on the line. Paladin Cross isn’t a charity. It’s a business. We only get money when the criminals are brought in alive. And Windham here just wasted a good opportunity at a payday due to his own selfishness. Although, if I had Shelly riding my dick as much as he did, I’d let her go free just so I could do it again. I mean, come on, Windham, admit it: she is one hot motherfucker.”
The elf once again tried to lunge over the table, but Tarja intercepted him and pinned him to the seat while yelling a litany of “Heys” to her new boyfriend. “Settle down, Windham, I’ve got this!” ordered the staff fighter.
“No! You don’t have anything!” shouted Windham while pointing an accusatory finger at her. “And you, Rinehart! I know you think that sex is the greatest fucking thing in the world, but this wasn’t even close to resembling true love. Shelly Atwood is disgusting, she’s vile, she’s sadistic, and she’s every bit as venomous as her step-boyfriend, I mean, stepbrother!”
“And what was stopping you from kicking his ass anyways, hmm?” growled Rinehart. “Just because a guy is seven feet tall, doesn’t mean he’s going to go undefeated for the rest of his life. I’m sure you got him good when you smashed him with the table, but you’ve got no excuse for failing the first time you saw him. He’s a muscle head with a single digit IQ. Even a two-year-old could have toppled him, but no, not you, Windham. You know why? Because you’re weak! I don’t have room for weaklings in my camp, you understand?”
“You think I’m weak?” huffed Windham. “You think I’m fucking weak?!” he shouted again while Tarja wrestled him away. “You want to start something with me, you oversized prick?!”
“Don’t even think of talking to me like that, you subhuman piece of shit!” roared Rinehart while pointing his sausage index finger at him. “I don’t care how much you disagree with me! I’m your boss! Whatever I say goes! You’ve had it so good here for so long. You became an overnight aristocrat with how well I’ve paid you. And now you’re going to throw all that way because you don’t like what I’m saying to you? The truth hurts, bitch, but not nearly as much as I do when I ram my fist down your throat!”
Windham once again tried to scramble across Rinehart’s desk, but was carried out of the room kicking, screaming, and cursing by his girlfriend. The rage got so white hot that she had to drag him by the ribcage to the front door, with macho soldiers laughing and mocking him the entire time. Some of them even wiped their “tears” away and “cried” like babies. “Is it true that she fucks like a tiger?!” one of them shouted out to a chorus of obnoxious hyena laughter.
Hoping the chilly morning air would soothe his rage a little bit, Tarja carried the wild Windham passed the threshold again and shut the doors behind her. The elf’s mind was bombarded with sensory overload as he thrashed and pounded around even without Tarja restraining him. All of those laughs from inside the cathedral echoed throughout his head like schizophrenic ghosts. The sights of Shelly’s naked body grinding against his own, the feel of Torger’s muscular hand on his penis, they all flooded back to Windham like a coastal monsoon of anxiety and anger.
“Calm the fuck down!” shouted Tarja, which only worked in the short term as Windham stopped thrashing for a moment. “It’s okay! We’re going to figure this out eventually!”
“No, Tarja!” belted Windham. “I’m going to be the one who figures it all out! You threw me to the fucking wolves and act surprised when I come out of it bloody and bruised! I’m spending the night at a hotel! I don’t need this shit!” He clutched the sides of his head and wandered toward the center of the city.
“Windham, get back here!” pleaded Tarja. “You don’t get to walk away from me!”
“Why?! Because I owe you something?! You think I owe you another trip to the lion’s den because you fucked me silly?! That sounds like something Shelly would say!”
In a moment of unthinking rage, Tarja slapped her boyfriend across the face for his callous remark. Her eyes widened with horror as she profusely tried to apologize, but the elf was having none of it as he turned his back and walked towards the nearest hotel. “Please, come back! I didn’t mean to!” she sobbed. “Come on, Windam! I’m sorry!” He didn’t listen. He just kept walking and allowed his girlfriend’s sobs to serenade him into the hotel lobby.
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