The air almost squelched as Justin and Justine D'Enfer walked hand in hand through the campus of the University of Georgia. They walked hand in hand, dressed in shorts, t-shirts and sandals, two beautiful young adults: he with short blond hair and she with chestnut tresses tied in a long pony tail. "Who the fuck has a poetry conference here in the middle of fucking August?" Justine whined. "Don't they know how shitty it is this time of year?"
"Must have gotten a great deal on the facilities. Which dorm was it your little nerd told you Auntie Pru was staying at?"
"This one to our right. We've got forty five minutes until her session gets out, so let's make a circuit and case the place."
"And what did all this information cost you?"
Justine frowned as she scanned the area. "A picture of him licking my nipple. Had to take it with his BlackBerry so he could post it."
"Good thing you didn't get your face in the picture."
"That was the only way I'd do it. Let's park the van there, and make the grab there. We should be able to get her in and get away in 15 seconds."
"Agreed. Everything's ready at the house. Let's see how far family loyalty goes."
Three hours later they had their prey in a rented house at the end of a cul de sac. Prudence Tailleferre was a rotund woman in her mid fifties, with long greying hair she kept in a bun, usually wore simple but elegant fare that reflected her profession of librarian. She had been crossing campus unaware of her environment when Justin slipped up behind her with a chloroformed handkerchief in a darkened area, and no one noticed when he carried her fireman style to a van Justine had running nearby. Now she was bound to an office chair, each hand to an armrest. They hadn't undressed her except to take her shoes, and they left her feet free.
Justine looked at her watch and Justin stared out a picture window at some trees barely picked out in the middle of the night. The conference was due to last two more days, so they had some room to work with their aunt. "She looks so peaceful," Justin said, "just like she used to when she was babysitting us when we were little."
"Yeah, only then Auntie Pru didn't take her naps while tied to a chair. Do you have everything ready?"
"Yeah. I think we have enough inducement to persuade her to help us. It would have been simpler if Chelsea had been able to get the info."
"Mom's gotten more paranoid over the years, which isn't surprising since she's in the country illegally. Prudence is the only one she trusts at all now."
The salt and pepper bun started to stir. Gradually, her eyes flickered open and she looked around a darkened room, taking her situation in, and struggling with her bonds. Justine went over behind her to stroke her cheek: "Hello, Auntie Pru. Remember us."
Justin came to stand over her, smiling. "Yes, I do, you little demons," Prudence rasped. "I thought you were off in your own little worlds, too immersed in yourselves to bother me."
"I guess we found a reason," Justin said. "You've given sanctuary to a very dangerous person, and we need to take care of it."
"What, what? Who do you mean, dangerous person? The only dangerous people at my house are your children, Justin, who may come looking for you someday make you give a reckoning for your absence in their lives."
Justine grabbed the back of Pru's hair and pulled. "No, not them Auntie Pru. An adult, someone who left years ago and who's back." The older woman struggled and pulled against her, but to no avail. "Your sister, our mother."
"No, no, no. Your mother is out of your lives forever."
"We all know her better than that. We know she's at your house, and ruling the roost while re-establishing herself. Nothing is safe from her: not my money nor Justin's nor yours. She's even ingratiating herself with your children, calling herself 'Mamasita', terrorizing them and taking them over, isn't she?"
Prudence gasped and leaned back to lessen the pressure on her hair, but Justine pulled harder so she was looking up at the ceiling. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh yes you do, Auntie," Justin cut in. "Chelsea spilled the beans to Justine, so we know everything. Our Mother would do anything to subvert our lives, just for the fun of it. She taught us well. We have to move on her while we can."
The younger woman let the greying hair go, and Prudence looked back and forth between the two of them. She gave the young woman a cruel look and snarled. "What about your nice little lives? Justine, I thought you were still cruising with Ferd."
Justine smacked her face hard. "You haven't kept up, damn you! Ferdinand died over a year ago, knocked off his boat in the English Channel. You didn't notice a tragedy ripped my heart out."
For a moment, Prudence was dumbstruck and looked away. "I didn't know," she murmured, then looked at her nephew. "And what about you, Donkey Dick? Tired of running your one woman nursing home and fucking that fat bitch nurse? I guess you've missed me."
"I've matured a little, Auntie Pru," Justin smirked in return, rebellious of her ire. "Sometimes I do think above my waist. Maybe I want to find a way to get involved in my children's lives since they're potty trained and ready to start school. I sure as hell don't want them ruined. . ."
". . .the same way you and your sister were?" Pru sneered. "Do you feel the same way about the kids, Auntie Cousin? Shit, we've got a real Redneck family going here."
Justine pulled her hand back, but Justin stopped it. "Sister, we need to get down to business. Our guest does not realize the stakes yet, and we do need to find a way to get her to cooperate, despite the bad beginning." He walked to face the older woman nose to nose. "Aunt Prudence, your lover Chelsea D'Enfer is ready to run, with or without the children, if the situation at home isn't changed soon. She's not strong enough to resist our mother, and can't abide her micromanagement. Surely your life isn't much better with your little sister around again, reawakening all those memories of your childhood and how she was spoiled rotten while you were the responsible one. What hold does she have over you?"
Prudence looked at him defiantly. "She's the only relative I've got that hasn't fucked me yet. I promised our mother before God I'd keep her safe from harm, no matter what, when I was seventeen and Celeste was ten. I don't care if she wrecks your lives or your children's, she's my sister and I made a promise."