Casey's Rise Ch. 12

This is a sequel to "Casey's Fall" which takes place on a parallel world where registered nudity and indentured slavery are legal under a government known as "The State". There are many elements in this story that will be more enjoyable and make more sense if you read that first.

Themes include CMNF, CFNF, ENF, exhibitionism, porn, coercion, some reluctance, non-consent and D/s, and occasional violence if it's relevant to the story or character development.

This chapter contains some violence.

*****

Just as he did every morning, Joe Bloccato made himself an espresso after performing his morning ablutions. He was surprised to hear his doorbell ring just as he took his first sip. That was never a good sign at this hour, so he grabbed a Glock and hid it in his free hand behind the door as he opened it. Thankfully it was only Cassandra. He left the door open, then turned and walked back to the kitchen without greeting her. Cassandra sensed his obvious annoyance but followed him in anyway.

"You have something to say, so you best go ahead and say it," he invited as he retrieved his espresso and turned to his naked daughter. He noticed Cassandra was looking very dishevelled. She likely hadn't slept in two days, let alone showered.

"How could you, Pa?" Cassandra began. "How could you let her get her tentacles around you? Do you not see what she is? She's a fuckin' psycho! Not to mention being half your age!"

"Do you think your Pa is stupid?" Joe responded while raising his eyebrows. "I know her maybe better than you do, Cassandra."

"Well, if you know, why would you get involved with her?"

"There are things about your Pa you don't know, Cassandra, and there are things you don't know about her," Joe explained. "Let's just say that Jolene and I have an understanding, and we have found happiness together."

"Happiness? You know the bitch can't feel love, right? Why would you let yourself get involved with that?" Cassandra spat.

"Love?" Joe asked, raising his eyebrows again. "Love is many things to many people. For people like Jolene and I, love is a different thing. Don't get me wrong. She can feel it, as can I, but for us it is more about mutual respect and trust. From that, we feel a fondness for each other that we know we could not have with other people."

"Are you tryin' to tell me that you're a psycho too, and only a psycho can love another psycho?" Cassandra asked with a frown. This was starting to sound really fucked up.

"'Pyscho' is your word, not mine, but it is true that Jolene and I are perhaps different to those around us. Do you think I would be where I am today if I was overly troubled by emotions, if I felt pity or envy, or anger or even joy the same way you do? Do you think I could have given you the life you have had some other way?" Joe explained matter-of-factly. "Your Pa is a man who can make the tough decisions without concern for the pain I may cause, but I also know what is right and what is wrong. I believe in justice, and punishment when it is due, and I believe in reward when reward is due. I am happy to mete out pain for those who earn it, but only as it is necessary. I am not a monster. I feel empathy and I feel love, just as I love you, Cassandra, and just as I loved your mother. And I also feel loneliness, and I have been lonely for a long time. I have not felt the things I feel with Jolene since your mother passed on, and that is now near on twenty years. I think I have mourned long enough."

Cassandra considered what her father was telling her, and also picked up on an element of sadness in his tone. Had she judged the situation too harshly? Had she made the mistake of thinking him naïve? His eyes seemed to be wide open. Did he know what he was doing after all? She didn't want him to be lonely. He deserved companionship. What about Jolene though? Surely, she was manipulating him somehow to her own advantage?

"How do you know she feels the same way about you that you do about her? How do you know she's not just usin' you for her own gain?" Cassandra asked in desperation. "From the time I've known her, the only time she's been nice to anyone is when she has somethin' to gain from it. But it means nuthin to her. She can turn nasty at the drop of a hat if that suits her purposes better."

"I am not an idiot, Cassandra," Joe responded. "She has made no attempt to gain anything at all from me in the time I have known her, and I have ensured there is no gain for her other than what I happily give anyway. She knows this and she still chooses to be with me. There is your evidence that what she feels, or doesn't feel, is not so black and white. What can she gain? I am but her landlord. Your business and how you choose to run it, is your business. I cannot give her greater authority, nor would I do that even if I could. If anything, she has a greater standard to live up to than I expect from you or your other business partners. You must accept this and trust me that I know what I'm doing."

Cassandra looked at her feet, realising she had misjudged her father and had treated him cruelly, and perhaps she could say the same of how she had judged Jolene. Jolene was still technically on a leash after all, and if what her father was telling her now was true, his eyes were wide open about what she was, and there was no gain for her in being involved with him other than maybe escaping her own loneliness as well? Ok, maybe these two were equally fucked up, but maybe that meant that they were two of a kind, and finding each other was a good thing? Maybe this wasn't even her business at all? Her relationship with Jolene was long over, and there was no chance it would ever be rekindled, and up until a couple of days ago she'd even thought of Jolene as a friend again now. Fucking emotions. She suddenly wished she was more like Jolene, or even Casey who approached everything with such cold pragmatism that she was practically a robot at times.

Cassandra looked back up at her father.

"I-I'm sorry, Pa. I guess seeing you two kissin' just shocked me, and I've gone off half-cocked without thinkin' it through properly. I should've known there'd be no pullin' the wool over your eyes."

"Is good, Cassandra. I would expect nothing less from you," Joe smiled. "It would have been better you found out some other way, but now it is out in the open at least. Come, you like an espresso?"

"Thanks, Pa," Cassandra replied with a sheepish grin. "Maybe after that I could borrow a shower?"

"Of course. Mi casa su casa, and always will be," Joe replied. "Your room and bathroom is as you left them."

Later Cassandra was feeling greatly refreshed after a shower, but also somewhat embarrassed by her behaviour as she drove back to the Crescent to face Greg, Casey, and Jolene. As she approached the front gate there was a bigger problem, though. She was shocked to see the CAMDOS protesters had grown in number and were blocking her way. What the fuck?

Alberto spotted her car and immediately stepped forward and started bulldozing a path for her through the crowd using his massive size and strength. Some turned in indignation to being pushed, but quickly moved out of his way once they saw what they were up against. Several had already learnt the hard way that he was not to be trifled with, and that he was not open to negotiation.

Cassandra wasn't surprised to see Casey run up to her car as she finally made it into the car park.

"OMG, Cass. Are you ok? We've been so worried about you."

"I'm sorry, Casey. I feel like such an idiot," Cassandra replied, red-faced, suddenly realising how much she had missed Casey and Greg. "I had a talk to Pa, and I'm cool now. Oh God, I've missed you."

The two naked women embraced for a moment.

"So, we don't have to sell Jolene's indenture after all?" Casey asked as they stood back and looked at each other.

"You would've done that for me?" Cassandra responded in surprise.

"Well, yeah, if it came to it," Casey admitted. "As much as bygones are bygones, we can't ever forget she's our indent and the reasons that came about."

"It's cool, Case," Cassandra responded. "I got all emotional and overreacted, is all. And I don't think she'll ever fool anyone again anyway, even if she did try that shit on again. Pa ain't no fool anyway. He knows what he's doin', and there doesn't seem to be nuthin more to it than those two actually carin' for each other. More power to 'em I guess. I feel like such a dick."

"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that," Casey replied with relief. "I was starting to worry our whole world was crashing down around us."

"I'm so sorry, Case," Cassandra repeated. "I guess I better go see our boyfriend too and apologise to him for bein' such a cunt. Any idea where he's at?"

"He's in the kitchen as usual," Casey replied. "He'll be so happy to see you."

"Cool, I'll go find him. I probably should talk to Jolene as well, but a bigger problem is what the fuck is goin' on with these assholes outside the gate?"

"They're getting worse," Casey acknowledged as she turned her head worriedly towards the street. "Alberto can only do so much, and a heap of guests have checked out. Others have cancelled reservations. The girls are all scared. We think Bernstein took Ellie too."

"Took Ellie? Waddya mean?"

"You won't believe this, but a van pulled up and they snatched her off the street yesterday, in broad daylight," Casey explained. "Greg saw it all and said that Bernstein was smiling at him straight after, so she's definitely behind it. The cops won't do shit because they say it's a property matter rather than a kidnapping."

"What the fuck? We gotta go get her then," Cassandra responded, her face darkening in anger. "Any idea where they've taken her?"

"Not yet. We need to follow Bernstein I guess, but we can't do that while she's surrounded by all of those people. They're guarding her, and if she goes anywhere, they block us from getting out."

"The fuck?" Cassandra replied in disbelief. "Well, we gotta do somethin'. This is ridiculous, blockin' our business and takin' our girls. If the cops won't do nuthin, then we gotta come up with our own solution."

"What though?" Casey asked. "The law is on their side. We can't even legally Taser them unless they attack us, and there's too many of them for us to fight off physically."

"We gotta have a meetin' then and come up with a plan," Cassandra considered. "But first I gotta go catch up with my boyfriend and get my key to his cock-lock back."

As Cassandra made her way through the foyer on her way to the kitchen to find Greg, she almost bumped straight into Jolene. Jolene swallowed and wasn't sure what to say for a moment, so Cassandra started.

"I spoke to Pa," she began.

Jolene could tell right away that Cassandra was embarrassed and apologetic. She breathed out with more than a little relief.

"I'm sorry you found out that way," Jolene replied sympathetically while reaching out to touch Cassandra's shoulder.

"Yeah, we're cool, girl. I'm sorry I went off like that," Cassandra replied.

"Oh God, I'm so happy to hear that," Jolene responded. "Come here then."

The girls hugged. Cassandra felt a little weird feeling Jolene's skin against her and smelling her scent once again. It brought back memories of when they were once a couple. While there was no sexual desire there now, Cassandra realised there was no real animosity either. It was now in the past, and her feelings towards Jolene were now more sisterly than anything else.

"Please come and talk to me if you get upset with me again," Jolene begged.

"I ain't makin' no promises," Cassandra replied with a smile. "You know what I'm like. Nuthin beats goin' off half-cocked and makin' a big mess of things."

"God, you're a worry, but we wouldn't have you any other way," Jolene smiled.

Cassandra laughed and then continued on her way to find Greg. He beamed as he looked up and saw her entering the kitchen.

"Cass! You're back! Thank God!"

Moments later she felt his strong arms around her, and they hugged for some time. They may have stayed there longer, but both of their phones suddenly dinged. It was Casey calling them up to the top floor.

As they entered the foyer, they could hear drums being beaten and trumpets blaring discordantly. The protesters were obviously increasing their efforts to disrupt the resort's business as much as possible. Jolene also joined them as they made their way to the top floor.

"Look at this shit," Casey announced distraughtly, gesturing towards the window as the team joined her.

They looked down at the chaos in the street outside. The protesters had ramped up their game and were now virtually an angry mob. There were now at least one hundred of them holding signs, singing hymns, shouting into megaphones, banging drums, and blowing trumpets. A smaller group had once again linked arms across the gateway. Of more concern were some brandishing baseball bats.

"Motherfuckers! What are we gonna do?" Cassandra asked. "Do I get Pa to send more muscle, or what?"

"We should get the cops to start with," Greg responded. "They're not allowed to block our gate like that."

"Let's do both," Jolene decided. "In the meantime, we need to go down and back Alberto up. As big as he is, he's massively outnumbered. Those baseball bats are a worry too. It's Tasering time if any of those come close to me."

"Wait a second. Who's that?" Casey asked as she pointed down the street.

They all looked and saw what appeared to be a lone naked man walking towards the protesters. When he got close, he suddenly stopped and just stood there in front of them all with his hands on his hips. As the team watched, another naked man appeared and walked up to stand beside the first one. Then two more. Then some women. Then suddenly a group of around thirty naked people turned into the street. Then a whole parade appeared! Within minutes, the street had at least a thousand naked people of both sexes and all shapes and sizes marching up to the protesters! Then just as suddenly, they all came to a stop and just stood silently facing the protesters down.

The drums and trumpets stopped, and the protesters stared back, obviously not knowing how to respond.

Satisfied he had their attention, the first man then slowly raised his left arm while clenching his fist and showing his crescent tattoo. Then a wave washed over the crowd of nudists as the others copied his move. The sea of raised crescent tattoos and naked flesh filling the street was quite a formidable sight.

"Holy crap!" Cassandra exclaimed, finally breaking the silence as they stared down at the scene unfolding before their eyes. "Well, they seem to be on our side at least."

"Where did they come from?" Casey wondered.

"We should probably go down and back them up anyway," Jolene added.

"I'm not sure that's going to be needed," Greg observed. "Look, the wowsers are all leaving."

"Holy fuck! Is that it then?" Cassandra laughed. "The gutless motherfuckers ain't even gonna try to fight? They're just gonna run?"

"Looks like it," Greg responded.

"Dammit," Jolene scowled. "I was itching to try out our new Tasers."

"They're not really a weapon you could use against a crowd anyway, Jolene," Greg explained. "You'd do better with the batons and your hands and feet in that sort of situation."

"I was thinking they'd be a good deterrent though," Jolene added. "Once I dropped one of the fuckers, the others might be less likely to come at me. If they did, that's when the baton would come into play."

"We have to go down to meet them," Casey decided, rolling her eyes slightly at Jolene's eagerness to fight. "They're obviously here for us. Oh God, how do we thank them? We don't even have enough supplies to feed that many people lunch."

Casey was surprised when a cheer went up from the crowd as she approached them through the driveway. Alberto looked stunned as he surveyed the sea of bare-skinned people all around him.

"Casey, I'm Andrew," the man who had first appeared in front of the protesters said as he stepped forward to greet her. "We saw on the news what was going on and thought you could use a hand."

"Oh my God, there's so many of you," Casey replied as she shook his hand. "Where did you all come from?"

"Mostly online. We call ourselves the United Nudist Organisation, but we don't often come out together like this. That's part of why we did, though. What you've been doing here with making public nudity more accepted and normal has meant a lot to so many of us."

"Really? We thought we were kind of on our own, and any other nudists were more down south?" Casey replied.

"Oh, not at all. We're everywhere, but usually we try to stay out of the public eye," Andrew replied. "Most of us know you from your forums, and we love your message of body positivity and freedom. When we saw the news and how much trouble you were having, we had to come and help out. People have come from all over the State to be here today, but most of us live here in town or have come over from Stocksgate."

"Really? You all did that for me?" Casey asked in shock. It still amazed her to learn that anyone outside of her immediate friends or family knew her or gave a damn about her if they did.

"Definitely. You're changing the world, Casey," Andrew assured her with a smile. "Public nudity, while legal now, still comes with a lot of shame. What you're doing means that we're now able to do our own shopping or go to the beach or to a restaurant without fear of ridicule or discrimination. That means more than you could possibly imagine, and that's all thanks to you, Casey. That's why we had to be here today. People like CAMDOS need to be stopped, and that's happening right here, right now."

"Oh my God, I don't know how to thank you," Casey replied tearfully. "I can't even feed you all."

"That's ok. We came here today for ourselves as much as we did for you, and we don't expect any reward for it. Most of us will go home again in a little while, but a few of us will stay on for the rest of the day to make sure CAMDOS don't come back. I'll leave my contact details with you as well. If they ever do come back, we're just a phone call away."

"Oh, thank you so much," Casey replied while giving Andrew a hug, much to his surprise. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Well, to all of us here really. We were so worried that everything we've worked so hard for was going to collapse around us."

Greg stepped forward to shake Andrew's hand as well. Then Cassandra and Jolene followed suit.

"I hate to break up the party," Greg interrupted, "but I think we need to go and get Ellie straight away. There's a good chance she's at Bernstein's house right now, but they might move her if we wait too long. Right now, they're on the back foot. Now is the time to stake out Bernstein's home and see who's coming and going."

"Ok, what's the plan, Greg?" Jolene asked.

"I think Casey and I will take my car and watch Bernstein's house. You and Cassandra take another car. If Bernstein goes anywhere, you guys follow her, and we'll take the opportunity to go in for a closer look. We'll keep in touch with our mobile phones and meet up if we catch a glimpse of Ellie."

"Should we take the Tasers?" Jolene asked hopefully.

"Definitely," Greg laughed. "We'll try to do this without any physical conflict, but if we have to defend ourselves, so be it."

It wasn't long before Greg and Casey in the Trans Am carefully parked down the street from Bernstein's home, while Jolene and Cassandra parked at the other end in Casey's Mustang. There were about a dozen people milling about outside the house, but it wasn't clear what they were doing. There was no sign of Ellie. The team watched as the people slowly dispersed, shaking hands, and bidding their farewells as they made their way to their vehicles. Bernstein too was seen getting into a car. Now was their chance.