Pound of Flesh
By Richard Gerard
Copyright 2009 by Richard Gerard

Also by Richard Gerard

Angel of Death

Recycled Tomes

Everybody Loves Squirrels


You can find more information about me at my smashwords profile page
including an undated email address.
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RichardGerard




This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.



One



It was Wednesday night, and Billy Thompson was on the prowl.  His wife Anne was fifty miles away, two towns over, waiting for him.  Missing him.  He had called earlier and told her that he had to go out of town on business.  It was an emergency, and couldn't be helped.  Anne prayed for her husband's safety as a massive thunderstorm pounded the night sky.  She hoped he was okay.  
Billy was more than okay.  He was doing great.  He had hit if off with a beautiful woman named Beth, and after a few drinks, accepted her invitation back to her place.  Neither got much sleep that night, and both called in sick Thursday morning.  They continued their escapade until both were too tired to move anymore.  Billy called his wife and told her the problem was getting worse.  He wouldn't be home until tomorrow.  
Billy and Beth finally fell asleep entwined together.  They woke up that evening and proceeded to paint the town red, dancing the night away.  After another night at her place, Billy left Beth to return to his wife.  He had her number, and promised to make it back this way as soon as he could.  
Billy made it home before his wife had gotten off of work.  After washing away any evidence in the shower and washing machine, Billy called Anne to tell her he was home.  
"Hey baby.  I finally made it home, and I missed you so much.  I'm grilling up dinner, so don't be late.  I love you."
After their goodbye's, Billy headed outside to fire up the grill.  Even after the past two days, Billy was feeling amorous.  After a wonderful steak dinner, Billy and Anne retired to the bedroom for a little personal welcome home.
Billy spent all of Saturday in bed.  He hadn't gotten much sleep the past few days, and had a lot of catching up to do.  His ever doting wife waited on him hand and foot, hoping he hadn't caught that swine flu thing that had been the news recently.  By Sunday, Billy said he felt better, and he and Anne went out to the movies.  Everything was right with Anne's little piece of the world.  
Billy and Anne returned to work Monday morning.  Anne was a little worried about her friend Beth, who had called in sick on Thursday and Friday.  Anne had meant to call her over the weekend to check on her, but she spent all day Saturday taking care of Billy, and she forgot.  Anne felt like a crap friend.  Beth came in looking vibrant.  Anne apologized for not calling and checking on her, but Beth put her at ease.
"Don't worry about it sweetie.  I probably wouldn't have picked up the phone anyway.  I met this guy Bill at a bar on Wednesday night, and boy did we hit it off.  He was a stud, Anne.  My God, I wish you could have seen us going at it.  He didn't leave my house until Friday morning; said he had to get back to work."
Beth went on to describe everything they had done in intimate detail.  She was wrapping up the story ten minutes later.
"Oh, Anne, I almost forgot the best part.  He had this perverted tattoo down there.  It was a pair of red lips circling his member, like he was telling me what to do, and I did it.  I kissed those painted lips repeatedly, and he loved it.  He said something like the last woman he was with couldn't go all the way down, but I took care of him.  God I'm such a slut.  I hope he calls me."
With a wave, Beth left Anne for her own cubicle.  Anne was dumbstruck as the reality sank it.  Her husband Billy had a tattoo like that.  As she worked out the timeline in her head, her anger was starting to flair.  Before her temper got out of hand, Anne decided that revenge was going to be the best solution to the problem.  She wasn't really mad at Beth because she had no way of knowing who her new friend was.  Anne didn't have any pictures of Billy in her cubicle, and Beth had never seen them together.  Anne decided Billy was entirely to blame and spent the rest of the day scheming.  By the end of the day, she had a working idea in her mind.  It would take some planning, but Anne was confident she could pull it off.  Anne made sure to say goodbye to Beth that afternoon.  She would need to keep up appearances for some time before she could exact her pound of flesh.  
Over the next few weeks, Anne started talking to Billy about wanting to go on vacation.  It had been over a year since their last one, and she started mentioning places they could go.  Billy didn't really listen, instead planning his own little getaway for the next week.  When he told her that he was going to have to go out of town again, Anne wasn't surprised.  While he was gone, she called his office pretending to be a client.  She was told that Bill Thompson had a family emergency and wasn't in.  She didn't leave a message.
When Billy returned home, Anne again played the dutiful wife, pretending that nothing was wrong.  She continued on normally, still talking of a vacation.  She told him that she wanted to go camping in the mountains for a week.  As a child, she often went camping with her family, and she missed the adventure.  Billy wasn't keen on the idea, but relented to his wife's wishes.  Billy's idea of roughing it was having the cable go out, but Anne used all of her charms to convince him.
"Don't worry honey," Anne told him.  "I'll plan everything.  You just need to ask for a week off in April.  I think spring would be the best time to go.  It's not too hot or cold, and some of the plants should be flowering by then.  It will be wonderful!"
Anne spent the next few months buying all of the supplies they would need.  She hadn't been camping since they married.  They didn't even own a tent.  Billy, never suspecting his wife knew of his indiscretions, continued to play the field.  He "worked late" every few weeks, and even made another "business trip" to see Beth.  
On the first Saturday of their vacation, Anne was busy making sure that she had packed everything.  She even had a detailed map of the area she wanted to spend the week in.  She gave directions, while Billy drove.  It only took three hours in the car before they arrived at the trail head.  There were no other cars here this early in the season, and this place had never been busy even at peak times.  To dissuade any would be rescuers, Anne left a note in the car with their expected return date.  She wanted to devote the entire week to Billy, without interruption.  After loading up their packs, they headed off into the forest with Anne leading the way.  She still recognized the area from her childhood.
Billy started complaining about an hour into their hike.  Anne did her best to soothe him, promising the pay-off was worth it.  She described the beautiful but fictitious lake they were heading to, and what they were going to do in the tent once it was up.  She even hinted at some lakeside action which kept Billy moving toward his reward.
She found a nice secluded spot that met her criteria, and told Billy that she had to stop and go to the bathroom.  She dropped her pack and headed off for some privacy.  Instead of using the bathroom, Anne circled around and came up behind Billy silently.  With a powerful swing, Anne hit Billy in the back of the head with a rock.  He dropped to the ground and didn't move.  It was getting late, and Anne had a lot of work to do before dark.



Two



Billy awoke the next morning with a jolt.  He was confused and disoriented, and couldn't understand why he was unable to move.  His head throbbed, and it took him a moment to figure out he was lying on the forest floor, staked out, and naked.  Billy started screaming, but the only animals he roused were a murder of crows.  Billy hoped they weren't symbolic of things to come.
The last thing Billy remembered was hiking with his wife.  The thought of her brought a fresh bout of screams to his lips.  He had no idea where she was, or if she was okay.  Billy continued screaming until he was hoarse, but it proved futile.  No one came to his rescue.  There was only one other soul within miles, and she wasn't going to let Billy go after all of her planning and hard work.
As the screams for help subsided, Anne decided it was time to go see her husband Billy.  She needed to talk to him and explain why she did this.  Billy, with almost no voice left, tried yelling again as he heard approaching footsteps.
"Help.  Help me," Billy cried softly.
As Anne entered his field of vision, relief washed over his face.  
"Oh my God Anne.  I'm so glad it's you.  Let me loose.  I don't know who did this, and they might come back.  Quick.  Untie me.  Did you see anybody?"
Billy kept on rambling, but Anne had stopped walking and just stared, smiling.
"Anne, come on.  Snap out of it and help me.  Anne?  . . . Anne?"
Billy stuttered to a stop, realizing that his wife wasn't going to help him.  Slowly, a new realization crept over him.
"Anne?  Did you do this to me?" Billy asked hesitantly.  
Anne kept staring and smiling dreamily, before slowly sauntering over to Billy's feet.
"Hi Billy.  Did you have a nice nap?  I bet your head hurts.  I had to use a rock to knock you out.  I hope the cobwebs have cleared out by now.  I want you fully aware."
Billy, coming to terms with the fact his wife had done this to him, could only ask why, and Anne freaked.
"Why, Billy?  Why did I lead you out here, into the middle of nowhere?  Why did I hit you on the head with a rock?  Why did I stake you to the ground naked?  Why?  Why?  I'll yell you why," Anne screamed incredulously.  "I'll tell you why.  Do you remember a woman named Beth?  You met her in a bar back in January.  You met her in a bar, and went back to her place, and fucked.  You cheated on me Billy, while I sat at home alone, missing you.  You were supposed to be on a business trip.  You cheated on me Billy.  She told me you two did it like bunnies.  She told me you went down on her Billy.  You did all of these things with another woman Billy, while I was home alone missing you.  How could you, you bastard?  How could you?"
"I bet that Beth never told you where she worked, did she Billy?  No, I know she didn't because if she did, you would have known that she works with me.  She works with me Billy.  She was my friend.  She missed work for two days, and when she came back, I asked her if she was feeling better.  I asked her that because she was my friend Billy.  She said she called in sick to spend two days with a guy she met in a bar.  With you Billy, she skipped work to be with you.  She told me about the marathon sex, and all of the different things you tried.  Do you know I listened to her for ten minutes, before I figured out she was talking about you.  She recounted the events in detail, saving the best detail for last.  You know that tattoo you got back in college Billy?  The red lips you have down there?  That's how I knew Billy.  That's how I knew you cheated on me."
"I kept this bottled inside for months Billy.  I planned this entire thing out, without letting anyone know.  I didn't even tell her that her dream man was my husband.  Do you know why Billy?  Do you know why?  I kept my mouth shut so no one would ever suspect that I killed you."
Anne let those words hang in the air, while Billy tried to find his voice.  He decided to admit the affair and beg for forgiveness.  
"Anne, I'm so sorry.  That time I spent with her has haunted me all this time.  I regretted doing that to you.  I wanted to tell you about it, but I could never find the words.  I didn't want you to leave me, Anne.  I love you so much; I didn't want to lose you.  Please Anne, please forgive me.  It was just a one time thing, Anne.  Please don't do anything you will regret later.  Untie me Anne and I will do whatever you want to make it up to you.  Please Anne, please."
Anne let the poor man finish digging his grave before continuing.
"You know Billy, that was a really good speech.  I would probably have believed that story, except for the fact that I know she wasn't the only one.  I started checking up on you Billy.  When you said you had to stay and work late, I would call.  I would call Billy, but you were never there.  When you had to go away on company business, I would call your office Billy.  I would pretend to be a client and call.  No one at your office ever said you were away on business.  They just said that you had called in with an excuse.  You see Billy, I know Beth wasn't the only one.  What I don't know, is how many others there were.  How many were there Billy?  How many others?"
Billy decided to roll the dice and deny any other affairs.  He had his story and he had to stick with it.
"Anne, there was only the one, I swear.  Only the one."
"You will tell me Billy.  Before we are through, you will tell me everything."
Billy didn't like the finality in her tone, and started screaming for help again.  Anne didn't care.  She knew these woods were empty.  Her early morning scouting trip verified that.  Anne knew they were utterly alone, and she smiled.
While Billy continued to scream, Anne returned to her tent and started cooking lunch.  She had pitched it about 30 yards away, just far enough away from him to not be kept awake by his begging and screaming.  Anne ate a large lunch, not worrying about running low of supplies.  They had packed enough for two, but Billy wouldn't need any more food.  By the time she finished eating, Billy had gotten quiet again.  His voice was gone.  Anne returned to him, carrying two bottles.
"Have some water Billy.  I'm sure your throat is raw from all that yelling."
She knelt down and slowly poured the cool, refreshing liquid into his mouth.  Billy unconsciously thanked her before remembering that this was her doing.  Anne hushed him, when he started yelling again.
"Billy, you are going to stop that so I can talk to you.  OK?"
Billy quieted down, in the hopes of winning some sympathy.  
"That's good Billy, that's good.  Now we can have some fun."
Anne took the other bottle she was holding and smeared some peanut butter onto Billy's stomach.
"Billy, you can probably feel a few bugs and ants crawling on your body.  I even see a few bites already.  What you don't know is that I chose this spot where you are lying down very carefully.  You see Billy, right below your crotch, between your knees, is a very large fire ant mound.  Now your body is far enough away from it that they don't feel threatened right now, but watch this."
Anne picked up a nice sized stick and started stirring the ground between Billy's legs.  When she was satisfied, she gently laid the stick down so that one end of it was propped up on Billy's crotch.  The other end was right in the middle of the now angry nest.  As the first ants found Billy and bit down, he started screaming.
"Don't worry Billy," she cooed over his screams.  "I brought along some of my EpiPens so you won't die from the toxins.  I won't let you die from dehydration either.  I'm going to stay right here nourishing your body, while your body nourishes those ants.  Your screams are going to sing me to sleep every night until you have been eaten alive."
With that, Anne went back to her tent and retrieved a hammock.  She strung it between two trees about fifteen feet from Billy.
"Sing me a lullaby Billy.  I want to take a nap."
Billy put his heart and soul into making that sweet music, as Anne swayed in the gentle breeze.



Epilogue



A lone woman rambles down a dirt path, headed for the highway.  When a car finally stops, she asks for some water, and to call the cops.  She tells the story of her and her husband going camping, before getting separated in the woods.  She doesn't know where he is, and they need to search for him.  Since she and Billy hiked so much, the searchers don't know where to look.  His remains were never found.  It was assumed that he died, and animals carted off the body in pieces.  No one ever thought it was ant sized pieces.  When Anne finally returns to work, Beth greets her with open arms, ever the friend.