Three Strikes

Working for a mafia godfather was not all fun and glamour.  Forget what you see in the movies or read in the books.

It's not an easy job.  In fact, it's a dangerous job.  Just ask Julia.  If she could talk, she would tell you that it's not a job any person should take.

Too bad she hadn't thought of that before she got in.

It had been simple.  Immigrate to America after running from the cops in Italy.  She should have been caught at Ellis Island , but thanks to her mafia connections, she had been able to convince the officials to look the other way.

And so she found herself in New York City.  Though there was no real place for an Italian criminal on the run from the law, Julia could find a place inside the city, far from the eyes of the authorities.

So she eventually got into contact with the local mafia Godfather.  It had been simple enough.  Meet him, ask for a job, and he would give it to her, provided that she would do something for him in exchange.

That's how it went.  He was a big man, and well-built as well.  Flanked by six rifle-toting henchmen, it would have been foolish to try and attack him.

"Greetings Godfather Mario."  Julia said.  "I have come before you to ask for your help."

Flicking his lighter, he lit up the expensive Cuban cigar and took a deep breath, watching the smoke drift into the ceiling fan.  "And what exactly do you require?"  He asked.

"A place to stay, and a steady source of income."

Mario smiled.  "I think we can arrange that.  But as I'm sure you know, my favors come with a price."

"And what would that price be?"

Mario indicated towards the back of his luxurious office.  Julia turned and saw what appeared to be a metallic body case, perfectly cut to the shape of a human body.  It was smooth, stainless steel, and had two eyeholes for someone on the inside to look out.  The edges of the case were lined with shiny buckles to lock both upper and lower parts together.

"I like to hold little…sex parties here occasionally.  My latest artifact requires an occupant, and I am short on volunteers.  Would be so kind as to…become it's occupant at the parties?"

Julia knew that there was only one answer to this question.  Such was the price of asking for a Godfather's help.  She turned and put on her best smile.  "Why of course dear Godfather.  I will be perfectly willing to go inside that for you."

The large man clapped his hands together joyously.  "It is settled then!  Come to this place tomorrow night, and you will have your first taste of the steel maiden."

With a large bow, Julia thanked Mario, placing special emphasis on how generous he was.

The big man smiled and puffed on his cigar.  "It's nothing my dear, nothing at all."

Wednesday evening was upon Julie before she knew it.  She wasn't looking forward to spending some time in that enclosed coffin, but she had no choice now.  It was either a metallic body case, or cement shoes.  In the end, it was an easy choice.

The party was in full swing when she arrived.  It was a rather refined party actually.  Men (and a few women) walked around Mario's apartment, drinking fine wine and socializing.  The only odd feature of the apartment was the fact that there were bound men and women throughout the rooms.  Some were straight jacketed, others were cuffed and dangling, and yet others were tied or wrapped up.

Julia wondered exactly what those people were doing there, but had no chance to enquire before two of Mario's attendants came up to her, and bid her into a back room.

The steel case was waiting, its lid off, and the lower shell waiting for an occupant.  The two female aids went to work, pulling out various bindings for the woman who was to be locked inside the case. 

They had her change into a green swimsuit, and green leggings.  Then they gave her a black corset to put around her torso.  Julia couldn't help but grunt as they bound the laces, gripping it tightly to her.

Binding Julia was a relatively simple affair.  Her arms were placed into an arm binder and tied behind her back.  A leather gag was placed across her mouth and lower face and tied into place.  Black straps were applied around her knees and ankles, locking her legs together. 

During this process, Julia stayed silent, knowing that she had gotten herself in deep, but that it was too late to back out.

That was when they put the blindfold over her eyes.  She tried to gasp with surprise, but her gag silenced her.  The last buckles and straps were tied down, and Julia was fully restrained and bound.

The two attendants lowered the bound woman into the lower part of the body case.  Her arm binder was eased into its place, and the rest of the body followed.

Much to Julia's surprise, the body case fit her like a glove.  It was so snug and tight that she couldn't even wiggle.

As she lay there, the attendants took the upper part of the case and quickly lowered it down, covering the helpless woman.  Dozens of metallic locks and buckles were applied and locked into place.  After five minutes the last buckle was locked down, and Julia was effectively locked inside the body case.

It was picked up and placed onto a large table that was rolled into the party.  Inside her private coffin, Julia could hear the party going on full swing, but she was sealed in darkness, unable to see a thing. 

She could feel however.  The stainless steel was cold against her skin, but was slowly warming.  Movement was completely impossible.  Even squirming was out of the question.  She could do nothing but lie there and allow her restraints to keep her still.

The party seemed to drag on forever.  Eventually the entire case warmed up from its occupant’s body heat, but that was it.  The occupant in the case heard the voices coming close by her, often stopping in one place.

"What an exquisite case!"  A male voice said.  "Tell me Mario, how did you get it?"

"Oh you know.  Deals, connections, the usual."

"How long has the lady been in there?"

"It's her first time.  Only a few hours or so."

"Really?  My bumkins been in hers for over two weeks, and she seems to love it!"

Julia heard Mario chuckle.  "Well, I hope my woman's enjoying it as well."

The talk eventually walked away, and Julia was alone again.

Hours passed before things got quiet.  The voices vanished, and the quiet music died down.  Finally, she heard the clasps being undone, and the lid was taken off.

"Beautiful!"  Mario said as the attendants removed Julia's bindings.  "You were marvelous my dear woman!  Bravo!  I do hope you enjoyed your stay in there?"

Julia nodded.  She didn’t want to tell the man, but she had never been more aroused and sexually excited before in her life as she was when she was locked into the body case.

"Now, I don't have any more parties for a while, so you don't have to worry about going in there again anytime soon."

"Dangit."  Julia thought.

"But I have other things for you to do."  Mario said.  "A few, "Jobs" if you will."

Julia nodded.  "I expected that some of those would be coming along." 

Mario gave her the details.  "I have a man who hasn't been…paying respects to the family lately.  I want you to go by his house tomorrow…"  He pulled out a large brick from inside his coat.  "And give him a message from me."

Julia took the brick.  There was a yellow streak of paint across it, the sign of Mario.  "You can count on it."

"Good!"  Mario smiled and patted Julia on the back.  "Just be sure you don't mess up."

As she left the apartment, Julia stopped and looked back.  "What makes you think I'd fail?"  She asked.  "I promise you that I'll do it."

Unfortunately, it didn’t go according to plan.

It should have been very simple.  Just drive by the house and chuck the brick in through the window.  The car had been going at a good clip, and the window had been rolled down.

But something went wrong.  When Julia leaned out the window and chucked the brick, she missed the man's house entirely.  Instead, the brick sailed through the air and bonked a small dog on the head.

The owner of the house saw what happened.  Immediately she called the police.  Julia and her companions had to speed away at top speed to avoid being caught.  After six car switches and three hours of hiding, they were safe.

Except that they weren't safe from Mario.  Julia was in her apartment that night when she got the phone call.  Mario wanted to see her immediately, no ifs, ands, or buts.

When a Godfather called, you came immediately.

Julia arrived at Mario's place within an hour.  In five minutes she was before the man himself.  "Yes Mario?"  She asked.  "What is it you want?"

Mario sat in his leather chair, puffing away at his expensive cigarette.  "Julia, Julia."  He said.  "You know that I like you, right?"

Julia nodded.

"You're a good lady, but I'm a little…how should I say it?...disappointed with your work earlier today.  It didn’t go as I had hoped.  I wanted to have the man respect the family, and now he's moved away."

A huge lump rose in Julia's throat, and her heart seemed to stop for just a second.  If a target left town for good, then the one responsible could look forward to a nice pair of concrete shoes.

Mario seemed to sense this thought.  "I know what you are probably thinking."  He said, puffing some smoke into the ceiling fan.  "Though I try to be fair and respectful, I do demand perfection in my movements.  Therefore, I have a system in order to "encourage" my agents."

He stood up.  "It's the three strikes law.  If you fail me three times, you are dismissed from my service, and are on your own."

Julia nodded.  "A good law.  I'm sure it's effective."

Mario smiled.  "Ah, it is.  But I'm afraid that you're the latest one to fall into it.  You just used your first strike, and a penalty is in order.  You failed in your task, and now you must accept the consequences."

Julia's skin went cold.

"But do not worry.  Because it is your first strike, your penalty will be light."  Mario snapped his fingers, and before you could say horse head, two assistants came into the office, wheeling the body case with them.

"You will be locked into this body case for a day.  Show up tomorrow morning, and we will do it.  If you run away, I can assure you that you will wish that you had never been born."

For the first time since she arrived in the United States, Julia felt fear.  "What…exactly are you planning to do?"

"Simple.  Bind you, lock you in the case, and leave you there for twenty four hours.  When you've completed your penalty, you will be let out and allowed to leave."  He looked at his watch.  "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to.  Arrive here tomorrow morning at seven, is that understood?"

Julia said nothing.  She simply nodded.  "Good.  You are dismissed."

Mario's thugs escorted her to the exit, rifles at the ready.  As she walked back to her apartment, Julia thought about her upcoming punishment.  Well, it was very light, considering what some of the alternatives could have been.  But the thought of spending a day locked in a case was not pleasant…yet exciting at the same time.

She sighed and kicked a can out of her way, noting that within twenty four hours, her legs would be bound and locked away, as the rest of her body would be.

**

Just as she promised, Julia arrived at Mario's place at seven the following morning.  The guards and attendants were there to greet her.

As she was lead into a back room, Julia offered no resistance of any kind.  This was simply a part of mafia life.  Mess up, and pay the penalty.  She had decided to accept her punishment and cooperate with her captors.

As they entered the room, and the case came into view, she couldn't help gulping in fear.

Mario was waiting in his office an hour later when they brought her in.  The body case was lying on a table that was wheeled in.  Mario smiled as he saw the case.  No matter how many times he saw a case when it was occupied, it never failed to delight him.

He walked over to the case, rubbing his hands over the locks and bindings, each triple locked.  The stainless steel felt wonderful beneath his touch.  Within that steel was confined a living woman, who would remain there for the next twenty four hours.

"How is it in there?"  He said out loud.  "Is it comfortable?"  There was no response from the woman locked within.  "How do you like having your freedom taken away for a time?  Maybe it will help you appreciate it more when you are released."

The cigar smoke drifted into the air.  "But until then you are my prisoner, completely under my control."  He tapped his finger near the head of the case.  "And don't forget it!"

Julia couldn't forget it even if she tried.  With each breath, she felt the steel pressed against her, and against her bandages.

Before they had placed her into the case and locked it, they had wrapped her body in bandages (the attendants told Julie that Mario had just gotten back from Egypt , and had been impressed with the mummies). 

And these were not ordinary bandages mind you.  They had wrapped her in horse bandages, a bright green in color.  Mario apparently thought that bright green and silver went together really well.

She had cooperated with them as they had wrapped her.  She had stood still and followed their commands as limbs and body were wrapped.

When her body had been bound from head to toe, save her eyes, they had lowered her into the silver body coffin. Again it was a snug fit.  She wouldn't be able to move for the next twenty four hours.

She lay there and accepted her punishment as they wrapped her eyes, blinding her.  She had remained calm as the two halves of the case were pressed against each other, as locks were applied and secured. 

She had not panicked as she became the case's prisoner, mummified and sealed inside, sentenced to remain this way for the next twenty four hours.

And now, here she was, listening to her boss enjoying himself at her expense.  "Well."  Mario said.  "I'm sure you're anxious to have time fly by, so I'll leave you alone."

Julie listened as the footsteps faded away.  She listened as one by one, people left the room, leaving her locked inside her case.

What could she do for the next twenty four hours?  Not much.  Fantasize.  Daydream.  Sleep.  Yet all of those were just out of reach.

She managed to make a sigh under her restraints.  This was going to be a long day…

** 

Mario spent the day watching his prize.  It was beautiful.  Both the body casket, and the lady inside it.  Together they formed a perfect whole.  One and the same.  Both of them were meant to be with each other, one could say. 

He sighed.  Maybe this one would last a little longer then his previous henchmen.  She was attractive no doubt, and that gave her some points.  But beauty did not equal brains or usefulness.  All three were useful yes, but they needed to be together to be efficient.

At the end of the twenty four hours, Mario looked at his fancy (and expensive) watch.  Time to let her out.  Summoning his servants, he watched as they undid the locks on the body casket.  With each strap coming undone, the casket was loosened and weakened just a little bit more. 

Then it was opened.  And the mummified lady was inside, bound and wrapped head to toe.  "Just the way a woman should be."  Mario mused.  It was within his power, he knew that.  He could get a lady, and he could keep her like this for the rest of her life.  Sounded difficult, but…then again, being a mafia boss had it's privileges.

It took about ten minutes to unwrap and release Julia from her bondage.  She was weary and tired, but otherwise unharmed.

"So, you feel good?"  Mario asked.  "I trust your punishment did its purpose?"  Julia nodded mutely.  Mario studied her face.  He couldn't tell if she was angry, excited, or upset.  She looked…neutral.  Maybe she was hiding her emotions.  If she was, then she was doing a good job of it. 

"Now, you get a day off, and then it's time for your next assignment."

"And what is that?"  Julia asked, apparently putting her experience behind her.

"Oh, something simple.  Nothing you can't handle."

Julia frowned.  "Are you trying to go easy on me Mario?  You know I can do better then that.  I know I can do better."

The mafia boss laughed.  "Very well.  If you insist, then you can try something else.  How about…a little assassination mission?  Take care of the local police chief.  Make sure he pays for disrespecting us."

Julia nodded.  "Just give me the time, the place, and the gun."

"Okay Julia.  The chief's tour of the local grade school.  Eleven AM .  You'll be given a sniper rifle."  With a slight smile, Julia started to walk towards the exit.

"And Julia."  The lady stopped.  "Don't fail this one."

Julia nodded, continued on.

"And Julia."  The lady stopped, turned again. 

"What Mario?  Something else?"

"Yes."  The mafia boss smiled.  "You might want to put on some clothes before you head out."

** 

It was a perfect sun-shiny day.  The school children were all out and standing at attention (at least, as best as the teachers could get them too), and the school band was beginning to play the star spangled banner.

The chief couldn't have asked for a more patriotic welcome as he walked up to the front steps of the school, his face beaming.  Walking up to the podium, he began his speech to the gathered crowd of students, teachers, staff, and parents.

Across the street and on a rooftop, a rifle was cocked and aimed.

"As I stand here before these youngsters, I am reminded of the words of my grandfather," he began.  "He said, "Sebastian, if you want to grow up to eat pancakes, you should…"

BANG

With a quick jerk, the chief fell backwards and out of sight.  A loud shout of fear went up amongst the people gathered near the podium.  On the rooftop, Julia smiled and gave herself a silent congratulation.  She had done it!

Best to get out of here.  Getting up and turning around, she ran down from the roof, through the house, and into a car, where she sped away.  Mario couldn't fail but be pleased now!

**

"Now Julia," Mario said.  "I congratulate your effort and achievement of shooting the chief of police in public and getting away from it undetected.  However, I must ask you why you fired using tranquilizer rounds?"

A mummified Julia lay in the lower portion of the body casket, surrounded by Mario's attendants, who were preparing to lock the casket and seal her inside.   And with her mouth wrapped up in gauze, she was unable to answer her employer's question (she had forgotten to change ammo types in her excitement).

"Now, I will be generous and let you live.  But you still need to be punished.  Three days in that body casket should teach you a lesson."  Julia could only lie quietly as the lid of the body casket was placed on, the locks set, the casket once again welcoming her into it's tight embrace.

Mario was silent this time as the locks were done.  And when the attendants stepped away he was silent still.  This was a mood that Julia had never seen him in before.  Previously, he had been a kind, jolly character, almost like Santa.  But now, he was stern and quiet, full of power.  Even when locked inside her safe casket, Julia shivered with fear.

The mafia man quietly walked over to the head of the casket, cut into the shape of a human head.  "I must warn you Julia, that my patience is wearing thin.  You say that you are capable, yet you fail me twice in a row.  I will give you one last chance, and only one last chance.  Mess up, and you're through."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Julia to lie imprisoned in her casket.

**

For three days Julia lay imprisoned within her body casket, completely unable to move, and only barely able to breathe.  Her eyes had been left unwrapped this time so she could see out of the eyeholes cut into the body casket.

Of course, watching the ceiling fan could keep someone occupied for only so long.  Not being able to stimulate herself was the worst part.  With her arms forced to stay at her sides, she could do nothing to relieve the incredible desire she felt to orgasm. 

She cursed Mario silently, cursing him for not letting her live out her deepest fantasies.  He didn’t know them of course, but simply being locked into a full body casket while wrapped head to toe in bandages and kept secure and safe was pushing her to the brink of sexual bliss.

And damnit, she couldn’t get an orgasm!

The attendants were nice, keeping her fed and secured, but they were not good companions.  Under orders not to disturb Julia, they never said anything, and never tried to do anything except keep her alive.

At last, three days after becoming a prisoner, she became a free woman again.  At the end of her seventy two hour imprisonment she was released.  The locks on the body casket were undone, the straps were taken off, and the lid was removed.  Several quick knife cuts, and the bandages were removed.

Shivering, Julia slowly stood, her legs weak and trembling from lack of use.  Mario was nowhere to be seen.  Apparently, he didn’t plan on greeting Julia this time. 

But there was a letter on his desk with her name on it.  Picking it up, Julia saw that there was something else written on the envelope.  "Don't fail me again." 

The letter itself described her next assignment.  A simple pick up and drop off mission for a particularly large shipment of classic Tommy guns that Mario wanted.  Should be a piece of cake.

Though Julia knew it was easily within her capabilities of accomplishing, she could help but feel something she hadn't felt for a long time.  Fear.  If mafia leaders were known for one thing, it was for sticking to their word.  If she messed this up…well, then the game was over.

**

The ship was waiting at the pier, the large crate sat on the docks, with the words "Fine china" stenciled onto its side.

This was the target crate that Julia needed to get.  Luckily, there were no guards at the pier at this time of night.  It was just her, the truck, and the trolley.

With this being a solo job, it was tricky to get the crate onto the trolley.  Weighing in at roughly one hundred pounds, it was not easy.

To an observer, it would come as no surprise when the trolley tipped, slamming the crate onto the pier, which promptly broke.  The crate fell down into the water, where it vanished with a loud splash.  An observer would also have heard Julia's barrage of cuss words.

Actually, someone did hear these things.

As Julia continued to curse and swear, four shapes came out from behind another crate.  They had been waiting there the entire time, just to see if things had gone well.

"Well Julia," Mario said casually, puffing his cigar.  "Looks like you failed."

Until that moment in her life, Julia had never truly known fear.  Now she did.  "Mario," she said.  "I can explain!  The trolley, it was…"

"I don't care about the trolley."  Mario said.  "What I care about are my Tommy guns.  Where are my Tommy guns?  I want my Tommy Guns.  Can you give me my Tommy guns?"

There was no response from Julia.  She simply trembled with fear.

Mario sighed.  "I guess you don't have my Tommy guns then."  Julia made no response.  "Very well then."  Mario looked back at his three henchmen and nodded.  "I'm sorry it's had to come to this Julia, but you've left me with no choice."

With a quick snap of the fingers, the three henchmen were upon Julia.  Switchblades were opened, and the clothes from Julia's body were cut away.  One of those blades was pressed to her neck as they forced her onto the ground.  Two held her down while the third grabbed the box of horse bandages.

As they wrapped her up in the tight, stretchy bandages, Mario watched silently, puffing away at his cigar.  After five minutes, he looked at his pocket watch impatiently.  "Come on boys," he said.  "We don't have all night."

The henchmen did not reply. They only intensified their efforts to wrap the woman beneath them.  And in five more minutes, they were finished.

Julia lay on the pier, squirming and struggling in her bindings in a desperate effort to gain freedom.  She had no idea what Mario was planning, but she knew that it wasn't good.

With a casual flick, Mario tossed his cigar off the pier and into the water.  He walked over to the bound form of his former henchwoman as his henchmen prepared the body coffin.

He knelt next to her form, stroked her bandaged skin, relishing in the soft feel.  "Because you are dismissed," he said.  "I'm going to send you off to where nobody can get you.  We have a little rendezvous about a mile off the shore."

Julia squirmed and tried to talk, but the bandages stuffed and wrapped in her mouth kept her silent.  "I could have sold you to one of my associates in Canada, but since you were a good girl, I'll give you a gift instead."

The henchmen came over carrying the body coffin.  Julia began to give muffled screams as they picked up her squirming form and put her in the casket.  This time however, belts were applied to her wrapped form, tying her down to the caskets lower section.  She continued to squirm and give her muffled screams as they lowered the upper part of the casket down.

With a click and a hiss, the top of the casket was on, and covered the body of the mummified woman within.  The straps, bolts and locks were applied on the sides of the casket, binding the two halves into one. 

But this time, the henchmen went further.  They pulled out a large jar filled with clear goo.  They began to smear it onto the sides of the body casket, where it hardened, making the body casket air-tight.

Julia's eyes had been left unwrapped, so she could see out of the casket's eyeholes.  She could not see what was going on outside her private prison, but she could hear it.  And then, just like that, everything went black. 

She began to panic when she realized that her eyeholes had been covered up, leaving her in complete and utter darkness.  "It's okay," she thought, trying to calm herself down.  "It's okay.  You're being shipped off and given over to someone else.  You're being given to someone else, you're being given to someone else…"  She repeated it over and over like a mantra, trying to keep from going mad.

"You're being given to someone else, you're being given to someone else…"

Outside the body casket, the clear goo was applied to the covered eyeholes, sealing them on permanently.  Mario smiled as the goo hardened all over the casket's edges, making it airtight.

When all the goo had settled, the henchmen picked up the casket and carried it over to a luxury yacht that was waiting at the end of the pier.  Mario followed and got onto the boat with his henchmen, the casket, and the mummified woman who was permanently sealed inside.

 The engines came to life and the boat roared off into the night.  For over an hour the boat went at top speed through the water, heading out deep into the ocean.

At last, Mario brought the boat to a stop.  They were about twenty miles off shore, where there wasn't a soul to be found.  Water stretched from horizon to horizon.  The water was an inky black under the full moon.

"Are we here boss?"  One of the henchmen asked.

"Yes."  Mario looked at his watch.  Seeing the positions of the hands, he smiled.  "It's time."

The henchmen nodded.  Moving quickly, they opened one of the cupboards on the deck.  Inside were chains, hand and ankle cuffs, straightjackets, and bags of quick set concrete.  They pulled out one of the chains, and a massive one hundred pound weight.

The chain was attached to the feet of the body casket, where it fit neatly through a large hole.  The weight was then attached to the chain.

There was a lot of grunting as the henchmen pushed the body casket to the end of the boat.  They gathered their strength and with a mighty push, they shoved the one hundred pound weight off the end.

It fell quickly, and plunged into the water.  With a loud bang, the body casket was yanked off the end of the boat and plunged into the black water, following its weight.  Within a second, the silver steel body casket was gone, dragged into the depths of the ocean.

With a pop, Mario pulled a Cuban cigar out of its case and lit it up.  The glow from it was small, yet potent in this dark night.  "I think we've had enough excitement for one night boys."  He said.  "Let’s head back.  I hear we've got another immigrant who needs some lodging and a job."

Ten minutes later the boat was a speck on the horizon, heading back to shore.  Five minutes later it was gone.  The ocean was silent.

**

The weight pulled the body casket down for five minutes.  The casket crumpled slightly under the water pressure, but stayed intact, seals included.

The weight landed on the soft sand with a muffled whump.  The casket came to a stop, paused briefly, then began to head back up towards the surface, as if trying to escape.  But the weight stopped the caskets ascent and held it in place, bobbing five feet above the ocean floor.

No air escaped from the casket.  The goo had done its job well.  There was some wiggling from the casket, both from the gentle ocean currents, and from within the casket.

**

Five weeks later, another body casket fell to the floor and joined the first casket, which was still bobbing in the currents like an aquarium ornament.  The new one was no different.

Week after week, more and more body caskets began to land on the bottom of the ocean. 

Soon the entire ocean floor was littered with dozens of body caskets.

 click here to see and alternate ending

story continues in part two

02.02.06