Ungag

   I pulled the tape off her mouth so quickly that she squealed slightly into the cloth. But it wasn’t enough to get through the office door, so I was prepared to forgive it. Next, I pulled the cloth out. She looked at me, humiliated and probably still in pain. I could tell that for the first time she was properly aware of who was in charge here. 
    “I asked you a question,” I said, locking her eyes. When she replied, I could tell that she was trying to hold on to some kind of misplaced dignity. 
     “You wouldn’t,” she said, simply.
     “Why not?” 
     “Because… Because…” she hesitated. “Because I can fire you! And besides, if you show them, you’ll be in just as much trouble as me.”
     “Nice try. But you can’t fire me for something not related to work. Not without a lot of attention you don’t want. And besides, it’s completely your word against mine that you didn’t end up like this voluntarily. Even that you didn’t ask me to send out the pictures as a bit of punishment”


 She sputtered, and I stepped up closer to whisper into her ear and lay my hand on her flat belly. “I’ll try again. How much is it worth for people not to see these pictures?”

 She couldn’t turn her head to me but it didn’t matter. I could hear every bit of her resignation and terror in her suddenly soft voice.

 “What do you want?”