Darla was a happy 15 year old until one day her step brother sold her by lottery to 13 guys for sex. He told them she knew about it and was a willing participant. She didn't know and the situation turned into a gang rape. The incident changed Darla trieed to escape her past but 20 years later one of the thirteen reared his ugly head. The only way for her to have piece is to eliminate the problem

Dancing With the Preying Mantis

By R. Copperhead Scott

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2010 R. Copperhead Scott
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4269-1955-8

Chapter One

THE INSURANCE SALESMAN

Upshur Logan couldn't complain. He'd enjoyed fairly good life. He enjoyed a football scholarship at Ohio State University after leaving that small town in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia. He'd even gotten a ring from one of the bowl games the team played in and had been drafted in the late rounds to the pros. Everything had been going well until he'd blown his knee out in his sixth year for the third time ending his career. His wife had left him and taken the children. She'd found another pro athlete to marry. Now he got to see the kids once a month and sends a support check every two weeks. Logan was an average-looking man and had started to develop a small paunch belly. He was still in fairly good shape. He hadn't looked for another woman since his wife had left.

Logan had a friend from college George Hampshire who invited him to join the family insurance firm. George had run the firm since finishing college. Upshur took the job and rose to a vice president position quickly. The job included a lot of travel, which helped take his mind off some of his other problems. Upshur figured the money wasn't bad though it was nowhere near his pro salary. Luckily, he'd enough time in to collect a pension.

Logan had to go to the Washington, DC, area this week to conduct a presentation on medical insurance for a large company. The Hampshire Insurance Company was trying to venture into new products and the company needed Logan to set the tone for the new line. Logan arrived at the Goldberg Hotel in Arlington, Virginia on Sunday. He figured that the presentation wasn't until Wednesday in Reston, Virginia and he had several claims to settle in the area for the insurance company. He would have a little rest and could complete his work without too much stress. He settled in and went to the hotel restaurant. He needed to see the first client with the insurance pay out in the morning to settle that business. He could then take in some of the capitals sights. He had his laptop in the restaurant and was still working on the health insurance presentation.

The restaurant had mood lighting that was dim. Logan did not notice her entrance. Everyone else did. The light skinned woman entered the room, and it was as if it was a time warp had stopped everything. The cacophony in the bar seemed to stop if only for a second, when she walked into the room. The woman five foot nine inches with the face of an angel, and the build of a brick shithouse was of mixed race with light cinnamon skin. Her hair was shoulder length, and she wore sunglasses. She was dressed in a skirt of mint green with a slit up the thigh, a matching jacket, gloves that came to her elbows and an off-white blouse. She sat on a stool at the bar and ordered a club soda.

Five minutes went by and she walked over to Logan's table. "I know you," she said. "You're Upshur Logan aren't you?"

Logan didn't look up from his computer and said, "I don't give autographs."

"Upshur, I went to Ohio State with you. "I'm Carla Hardy. Don't you remember me?"

Logan looked up "I don't recall you. Someone as beautiful as you I believe I would remember."

Carla blushed, "I was in a history class with you. I kept my head in the books all the time and you never noticed me."

Logan looked again. "Sorry I didn't." Logan paused as her stunning beauty caught his eyes." Where are my manners? Would you like to join me for dinner, and I will see if I can remember you. You look familiar but I just can't remember you."

They sat had dinner and talked for an hour. Logan told Carla about his career, his ex wife and his kids. Carla told Logan that she had been a teacher in Chicago for awhile but had to leave because she needed a change in her life. She said she would be in town on business for a few days and a girlfriend suggested this restaurant.

The dinner was over Carla got up to leave she asked "Upshur for a business card and whether they could share dinner tomorrow night, if she wasn't being to forward." Logan smiled, pulled out a business card, wrote the hotel phone number and his room and cell numbers on the back and gave her the card. Carla wrote her cell number on a napkin. Carla left the bar before Logan and he didn't see which way she departed the hotel.

Logan left the bar soon after Carla and went to his room. Carla looks so familiar but I just don't recall her. It was almost 11:00PM Logan decided to take a shower and get some sleep. Just as he was ready to go in the bathroom, he heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" He inquired.

"It's Carla."

Logan opened the door with the chain and saw the beauty with whom he'd had dinner standing in the hall. She must have preformed a quick change. Carla had on black leather pants with a matching vest held fastened by one button and no blouse under it, black gloves, high-heeled boots, black ball cap, and sunglasses and was carrying a gym bag. Her belly button was showing and it was pierced with a small diamond-studded ring. Logan got an instant hard-on when he saw it.

"I did not want to wait until tomorrow to see you again." Carla cooed. "Well, are you going to invite me in or leave me in the hall?"

"Come in please, gulped Logan."

Carla looked in Logan's eyes and said "Now I am being forward. I fantasized about you when we were in college and always thought you were too far away for me to reach. I wanted you badly and then by chance we run into each other, and it brought back feelings. The best thing about a fantasy is the possibility that it may come true."

She grabbed him and pressed her mouth hard into his mouth, probing her tongue deep inside his throat. She could feel the swell mounting in his robe. Carla told Logan it had been a long time since she had been with anyone, but she needed the warmth." He acknowledged her by saying, "he hadn't been with a woman since his wife."

Carla told Logan to take a shower. She would fix drinks and be ready for him.

When Logan came out of the bathroom Carla had two drinks ready and was stripped to a nice, hot pink lace, Victoria Secret's bra and panty set, and pink elbow-length gloves.

Logan looked at her firm body with her large breasts needing to bust free of the bra.

Logan asked; "Why the gloves?"

Carla explained "I worked in a tannery when I was a teen. The chemicals made my hands sensitive to the touch. The gloves help somewhat but not much."

They drank a little first and then he wrapped his arms around her and kneaded her firm, round, apple-shaped ass, as they explored each other's mouth. He took off her bra to reveal her fat tits poking out at him, and he sucked and gently squeezed them until they were as hard as his dick. She started to caresses his throbbing dick with her hand. He felt as if he could explode at that point. Logan stripped off his robe and Carla took off her panties. Logan looked at her shaved pussy in wonderment.

Carla said "If a bald pussy upsets you, I can leave."

Logan said "No I have never had a shaved one."

They had another drink. Carla asked, "Are you ready for some of this?"

Carla pushed him onto the bed. She mounted his face as to position her pussy over his mouth. Logan kissed on her clit, and ran his tongue around her pussy lips. He felt her body tremble as she grounded her love box into his mouth and had an explosive orgasm.

Carla rolled off, and Logan rolled on top of her his cock trying to find her hole like a snake searching for its niche. She pushed him off. He looked stunned.

She said "Not yet. It is my turn. I will fix you another drink while I'm catching my breath."

She returned to the bed and gave him his drink. She kissed him and pushed him down on the bed. She slowly kissed her way down his body while she was pulling on his dick. She stopped at his peter. She started by pulling the foreskin down and doing an ice cream cone lick around the head. Logan's penis was twitching so much that he thought he was going to come right then. She ran her tongue up and down the shaft of his dick and then took the head into her mouth. She enveloped his penis until it was deep inside her throat. She felt the throb as his cock was ready to erupt, and she stopped. He looked disappointed, until she told him "I want it inside me."

He took another drink and she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she came out of the bathroom, Logan said he felt tired. Carla jumped on his dick and started riding it like a bull in a rodeo. The grief this man had given Carla when she was younger came rushing back as his penis penetrated her vagina. Carla pulled the syringe from between the mattresses where she had hidden it while Logan was in the shower. When he was ready to ejaculate, Logan felt the sharp prick of a needle in his buttocks cheek, his dick went flaccid and his lights went out.

Carla jumped off as Logan's dick went limp inside her. She rifled through Logan's luggage and pulled out four ties. She found in his briefcase the death benefit check in the amount of four million dollars payable to Morgan Renee Roane after the death of her mother Brooke Roane. Logan had two thousand cash in his wallet. She put his laptop and papers into the her gym bag. She stayed in the hot shower for at least a half hour to wash his funk off, and then got dressed in a jogging suit. Carla figured that she'd drugged Logan enough that he would be out for at least a couple hours. Logan awoke at 2:30AM and couldn't move. He tried to scream for help, but nothing came out. He could hear himself in his mind. He could see that his arms were tied to the bed with his neckties, and he was totally immobilized. His body would not respond to his brain's commands. He was spread-eagle and naked, and could not do anything about it.

Carla came into view. "I gave you some special potion to relax you." She asked, "Do you remember me now?"

He tried to yell, "What are you doing bitch?" However, the room remained silent.

"Logan, you brought this upon yourself. Let me explain what I am going to do to you. I have this ziplock bag attached to your balls. A rubber band is attached to your sack, so you don't bleed out right away." She reached into her bag and held up a set of bolt cutters.

Logan screamed and tried to squirm, but he could not move or make a sound.

"Logan, look at me! Do you remember me yet, you bastard." She placed the bolt cutters on his sack. "Remember me mother-fucker." Logan's eyes grew very large and appeared to be popping out of his head.

She snapped his sack off with one quick movement closing the cutters. Logan was in intense pain, but the yelling was only in his mind because no one else could hear him.

It was 4:00AM Carla needed to finish the cleanup. She pulled out the mini vacuum from her gym bag for the floor. She wiped down the place, cleaned the glasses and dumped bleach in the sink and bathtub.

Logan was still lying there, slowly bleeding, and he still couldn't move. She took some tissue dipped it in his blood and left a message on the mirror. The message included the numbers 10/13 and a symbol.

Carla removed the rubber band and let him bleed out. Right before Logan died he remembered a faraway place and something that should not have happened.

Carla thought, "Am I forgetting something? The air conditioning is set to cold, the do not disturb sign is on the door; I need to call the operator."

She picked up the phone dialed zero.

"Hotel operator, may I help you."

"This is Ms. Logan in room 623, Cancel the wake up call, and we don't need maid service today."

"Yes, I understand there is an extra charge we will pay it. My husband and I had a long night and need our rest."

Carla hung up. I want his bowl ring just for a souvenir.

She opened the door, and turned to the dead body, and said "rest in peace you cock sucking bastard."

Chapter Two

THE FILES

Carla went down the back steps avoiding the elevator. She put her gear into the trunk of her rental car, a blue Chevrolet Malibu. Luckily the car had Washington, DC, tags and she would be able to blend into the surroundings. She started the car and tuned the radio to an oldies' station in DC area. She first needed to find a secluded place along the Potomac River. She stopped along the George Washington Parkway at Alexandria, Virginia near the bike path. She did a quick change into running shoes and ran back the path a short way and threw the opened plastic bag with Logan's scrotum, and testes in the water. The fish need to eat too, she thought.

A US Park Police car was pulling up behind her rental when she returned to the car. The officer got out and said, "Ma'am the park is closed at dusk and it isn't a good idea to be out jogging alone at night."

"I apologize, officer I needed to relieve some stress with exercise." She said as she smiled at him.

"Have a nice day ma'am." He stepped back in his cruiser, waited for her to leave the area, and then drove off.

Carla drove onto the Wilson Bridge and over I-295 towards town. She rented a basement apartment from an older lady, in Northwest DC and could park in the driveway or alley. The lady had said that the area was reasonably safe for that part of town. The lady had also said she needed cash to supplement her social security. She could not accept checks. When Carla arrived at the basement apartment, she took the treasures she'd collected and went inside. Carla opened her briefcase on the kitchen table and searched through the files, until she came upon the one labeled "Upshur Logan." She opened the file, and Logan's whole story was there, from his scholarships to his rise to fame and the injury that that had ended his career. She looked at a newspaper clipping with a picture of him. He'd won an award from the insurance institute about six months ago. She wrote on the file, "expired" and placed it in the done files in the upper part of her briefcase.

Carla looked through her ID collection until she found the passport and Virginia operator's license with her picture and the identity of Morgan Renee Roane. She placed Carla Hardy's identification in Logan's dead file. She opened her diary and wrote down the events of the night. Carla placed the diary and Logan's ring in a fireproof bag that held the trinkets she had collected over the years.

She looked through active files. There were only three left. The next file she came to was labeled with the name of Doddridge Monroe Barbour. Mr. Barbour is a wealthy vice president of the Greenbrier Bank located in Richmond Virginia. The bank is a private financial institution where a million dollar deposit is required to open an account, and a five hundred thousand-dollar minimum was required to keep it open. Morgan Roane's father, Putnam Spencer Roane, had an account at the bank. Carla Hardy had learned of the bank when she'd become friends with Morgan years ago.

Carla looked through the files and found Barbour's private phone number at the bank. She'd paid one thousand-dollars for the unlisted number that only bank clients had. She might as well call and leave a message that she'd be in Richmond tomorrow and would like to see him. She would toss the cell phone on her way to Richmond. Carla figured she had at least twenty-four to thirty hours, before Logan's body would be found. The air- conditioning would make it a little more difficult to set time of death because the rigor mortis and decomposition of the body would be slowed down. Carla thought that after ten of these unfortuninate deaths which the fuck heads all deserved, she was pretty good at clean up.

She looked at the other two files. Both of these guys were in DC area; maybe she could end this adventure this week and put it all to rest for once and for all. Carla secured her files and drifted off into sleep world.

Chapter Three

THE DETECTIVES

Detective Lieutenant Joseph Garbesi of the Arlington County Homicide Unit was sitting in Mary's Diner at 7:00AM Tuesday morning, the same place he set every morning before work for the last twenty-eight years.

Doenay his waitress walked over. "Start with coffee Lieutenant?"

"Yes, please with a number 2." Garbesi asked, "How is your mother?"

Doenay replied, "She is fine are you still soft on her. Why don't you ask her out? I've seen how you look at each other."

Garbesi smiled as Doenay went to get the coffee pot.

Doenay came back to the table with the pot and said, "I have a message for you. Nicholas the cook just gave it to me. Sgt. Tyler has called here for you." She said "you need to turn your cell phone on and call her back as soon as possible."

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Dancing With the Preying Mantisby R. Copperhead Scott Copyright © 2010 by R. Copperhead Scott. Excerpted by permission.
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