RELUCTANT PRESS

bag over my head and tied it closed around my neck. A car horn was blown in the alley outside and I was lifted over the shoulder of one of the thugs and carried from the room.

"Good luck, chump," called Jack. "Do what they tell you and maybe you'll come out of this OK."

I was tossed in the trunk of a car and the lid was closed. The two thugs got into the car and I was driven away. We traveled for about three hours, though it was hard to tell exactly. The last part of the trip we were on a road in much need of repair, judging from the way I was bounced around.

At the end of the rough road, we stopped two times and I heard Frank talking to someone, then we stopped a third time and the motor was turned off. The trunk was opened and one of the thugs lifted me over his shoulder again. I was carried down some stairs and dumped onto a hard wooden floor.

"OOOF!"

"Are we gonna get to hurt him, Boss?" said one of the thugs.

"Not yet, Rocco," said Frank. "You two boys wait for me in the car."

I heard the two thugs go up the stairs and the room got quiet for a minute, then a door was opened near my head and I heard a woman's voice.

"Frank! You old bastard! How the Hell are you?" she exclaimed in greeting.

"Oh, I can't complain, Janet. Still pushing the same old line, you know how it is," Frank observed.

"Do I ever," said Janet. "Now what is this business you wanted to see me about, and what is that thing on the floor?"

"That is the business, Janet," Frank replied. "This creep is into me for eight grand and can't pay up. It was suggested to me that you might be interested in paying his debt in exchange for the use of his services for awhile."

"Sorry, Frank," said Janet. "I've got an iron clad rule around here. No men!"

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