He motioned, and four men walked to me. Two grabbed my arms while the others ripped my dress off my back. I stood there in my panties and high heels when suddenly one of them tore my panties away from me. I stood there naked in defiance. I wasn’t going to let Carlos see me cry.”
Tom could see tears forming in Sam’s eyes, and then a single tear made a trail down to her lip. Tom didn’t know how to console her, so he just stayed quiet.
Sam went on as tears flowed. “I was wrong! Four more men joined us and bent me over like a dog. They took turns raping me in front of the crowded room. The people in the room cheered the men on, yelling things I won’t repeat. I tried to endure the pain and humility in silence, but broke down and cried.
When the last of the eight men were finished, Carlos walked down from his perch and kicked me to the floor. I’ll never forget his words. “Just think, this was probably the best day you’ll ever have again. I have over a hundred men, and they’re going to keep giving you what you sought when you left me. Enjoy the new men you found. Oh, I’ll find this man Tom and torture him in front of you. I might make his torture last as long as my men can find enough of you left to rape while he watches”.”
Sam broke into tears and didn’t speak for a few minutes. Then she went on with her horrible story.
“The men took me to a house that held four other women who, for reasons unknown to me, had been sentenced to the same degradation. They fed us well, and there was wine with every meal. We were kept naked and had to lay with any man who entered the house. I imagined killing Carlos and every one of the men each time one of them wasn’t rooting on me.
The dumbasses brought real dinnerware in with every meal. I stole a knife from one of the other lady’s plates and spent several days sharpening it at night on the brick fireplace. I knew if I didn’t escape soon, I’d be too worn out to care about escaping. I called for one of the two men who guarded the house and cut his throat just as Tom had trained me to do. I yelled for the other man and cut his throat as well. I dressed in the smallest man’s clothes and walked away as if I owned the place. I had two 9-mms stuck in my waistband, and an AR slung on my shoulder.”
Sam took a deep breath. “I was worn out and too traumatized to do anything for several days. That’s when I decided to start killing Carlos’s men every time I saw one. My face was still bruised, but I found some makeup and made myself look desirable again. I held my hatred and fear in check and developed my tactics through trial and error. I offered sex for food. They said they’d get me some food. I showed them some skin and stabbed them in the back when they dropped their pants.
I enjoyed killing them. I wanted to cut their nuts off, but didn’t want men afraid to approach me for sex. I killed two dozen of the horny bastards during the first two weeks, and almost got caught because they started traveling in pairs. That’s when I took on a partner. Angela had been abused by several of Carlos’s men, and it was easy to talk her into helping me kill more of them. We covered a circuit from Medford down to Ashland. We were too successful and had to stop when they started trying to hunt us. That’s when I decided to form a resistance group.”
Tom caught the last sentence and stopped Sam. “How many people are in the group?”
Sam turned to Tom. “About two dozen adults and half of that in children.”
Tom scratched his ear. “You knew where the ranch was. Why didn’t you come back here?”
Sam’s head lowered, and she spoke softly. “I’d been beaten, raped, and abused. I looked like shit and felt worse. I hated the world and everyone in it. No man would have wanted me. Killing the thugs was like therapy for me. I won’t stop until Carlos and all of his men are dead.”
Granny B asked, “What about Lucy? She thought she’d lost her mother. You made her think that for over two months.”
Sam looked shocked as her head snapped around to face Granny B. “That is my only regret. My hatred and bloodlust took over all my thoughts. I rationalized that Lucy was better off with you than with me, trying to hide from Carlos while killing his men. I know now that I was wrong, and I hope Lucy doesn’t hate me for abandoning her.”
Tom took Sam’s chin in his hand and turned her to look him in the eyes. “Do any of your new friends know about us or where we’re located?”
Sam’s head snapped to attention. “I’m not a fool! These people wanted to get even with Carlos for killing or raping family members. I used them to help kill as many of Carlos’s people as possible. I didn’t get to know them very well. Most could be a good fit for our group, but I couldn’t say for sure. No. They don’t know about the ranch or the Clark family.”
“Sorry, but I had to ask.”
“I expected you to ask that question. I would have,” Sam said.
Granny B said, “Sam, you need to rest
