Danni's heart was pounding hard against her rib cage as she made her way down the alley, clutching her parcel. It was a narrow, unfriendly place, the walls daubed with graffiti, the pavement lined with overflowing dustbins. She glanced back the way she had come. Hakis and Zuko were standing watching her, and a shiver ran through her as she thought of Zuko's knife.

Ahead she could see the end of the alley, where occasional cars zipped by. She glanced down at herself, taking in the inadequacy of her clothing. She wondered what people would think of her. With her leg and thigh uncovered to the waist, she was having to walk with great care to avoid making the skirt billow out and reveal her pubis. Her breasts were perfectly outlined by the thin top, her nipples pressed so tight against the material that even the smallest contour was visible. She knew that she looked every inch the tart she was supposed to be portraying.

And yet, once again, she found another, quite unexpected emotion beginning to creep into her mind as she considered her appearance. It was an odd excitement at the blatant way she was displaying herself. Danni knew she had a gorgeous body, and had fantasised often about showing it off. A boy she knew had once asked to photograph her nude and, though she had refused, the idea had stayed with her for ages afterwards, and she had found herself unaccountably excited by the thought. Now, as she contemplated the idea of being seen so scantily dressed in a busy street, she felt once again the odd, perverse thrill of arousal deep within her.

She reached the end of the alley and her footsteps faltered momentarily. She knew Hakis and Zuko were still watching her, though, so, taking a deep breath, she stepped out onto the street.

It was not the type of neighbourhood she would have visited by choice. Like the areas they had been driving through earlier, the street was strewn with litter. The few shops that were still in business were heavily barred at the front, and those that weren't had their windows boarded over and covered with fly-posters. There were a number of big, old cars parked at the kerb, many of which looked as though they hadn't been driven for some time.

The people on the street were as dowdy as their surroundings. Mothers scurried by with ragged children in tow, Men stood in the shop entrances, their eyes hidden behind dark glasses whilst, on the corners, groups of youths stood smoking and talking.

Danni hurried down the street, her high heels ringing against the pavement stones. She kept her head down, looking neither right nor left. As she passed the youths they shouted lewd comments at her, but she pretended not to hear, intent on getting to her destination as quickly as possible.

Now and then she passed genuine whores, dressed in leather mini-skirts or thin frocks through which their underwear was visible. They stared at her with open hostility as she passed, making her quicken her step toward her destination.

She had gone four blocks now, and still the area was as squalid as ever. She stepped out as best she could, given the inadequacy of her skirt.

She first became aware of the man when, glancing at herself in one of the rare shop windows, she glimpsed the reflection of a figure following her. She could make out little of him in the short time he was in her view, but she saw enough to know he was a heavily built figure, and that he was very close behind her.

She quickened her pace, listening hard for his tread, but the sound of her own shoes drowned it out. Then she passed another window and her heart sank as she realised he was still there. She tried a new tactic, slowing down in the hope that he would pass her, but still he remained just behind. She clutched the parcel still tighter. If she lost that, there was no telling what Hakis and Zuko would do to her.

"Hey, baby, what's the problem?"

The voice came from close behind her, but still she didn't turn, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead as she walked along. Then a hand descended on her shoulder.

"Listen babe, it's you I'm talking to."

Aware that she could no longer ignore him, Danni stopped and turned to face the man. He was indeed large, with broad shoulders. His appearance was Hispanic, with thin lips and dark, cruel eyes. There was a scar on his left cheek.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Whaddaya think it is?" he asked. "You're on the game, right?"

"I... I'm on my way home," she stammered.

"That's okay, I'll come with you."

"No!"

"Then we'll go someplace else."

"Look, I can't. Not just now."

He grabbed hold of her wrist and twisted it, so that she gave a little cry of pain.

"Listen, bitch," he hissed. "You a whore or what?"

"Well..."

"Yeah?"

"I am, but..."

"Then let's you and I go someplace and get it on. I don't give a shit where. I just wanna fuck you."

She glanced about her. One of the gangs of youths had stopped and were listening to the conversation."

"I can't take you to my place," she said. "My girlfriend's using it."

"What the fuck. We'll do it right here."

She looked at him in alarm. "We can't do it here. People will see."

He pulled her closer, and, to her intense embarrassment, slipped a hand down inside her top, closing it over her breast. She tried to struggle free, but he was too strong for her, squeezing her firm breast hard.

"You gonna come along, or have I got to drag you?"

She looked at him, then at the strong hand that was mauling her in so intimate a place.

"Where can we go?" she asked, quietly.

A smile spread across his face as he saw she was capitulating. "Get up that alley."

He wrapped an arm about her shoulder, his hand still dangling down inside her top, and marched her toward a narrow alley that ran off the main street. It was a dark, deserted passage, not unlike the one she had come down earlier, with graffiti-covered walls and litter-strewn pavements. This one was, however, a dead end, with a high wall running across it. Danni glanced about herself in alarm. Surely he couldn't be suggesting they do it here?

They reached the end of the alley. It widened out here, with doorways on each side, and he took her to the left, pushing her up against an old, peeling door. In this position they were hidden from the street, but only just, and she knew the youths had seen her brought here and would know why. She looked up at the man's face. He was staring down at her body, and all at once she realised the full import of what was happening. She, innocent little Danni Bright, was about to give herself for money down a dirty alleyway. She would sell her body to this burly stranger and would allow him to perform the most intimate act with her. It seemed barely credible, yet even as she stood, her back pressed against the wall, the man was running a hand up the slit in her skirt, and she was doing nothing to stop him.

"How much?" he asked as his hand travelled higher up the smooth flesh of her leg.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me. What's the charge? I don't want your fucking pimp on my back."

"Oh. I... er... Twenty dollars," she stammered. She had absolutely no idea what the going rate was, and had simply plucked the amount from the air.

"Okay. Get your skirt off."

"Couldn't you just..."

"Fucking get it off," he hissed. Shit baby, you some kind of amateur or something?"

He stepped back, his eyes fixed on her. Danni glanced about her. There was nobody in sight, though she knew that at any minute someone might walk up the alley. Slowly she reached for the catch at the side of the skirt and unhooked it.

The skirt came away, leaving her naked from the waist down. Her face glowed crimson as the man's eyes fixed on her crotch.

"Very nice," he murmured. Very nice indeed. Now show me your tits."

Once again Danni hesitated, but she knew she must obey. Slowly she lifted the hem of the top, pulling it up her body and exposing the pale swellings of her breasts to him. He grinned, his eyes taking in her large brown teats which, to her embarrassment, were stiff and hard.

He moved close, so that she could smell him, a mixture of sweat and tobacco smoke. Then his hand went to her crotch and she gave a gasp as he forced her thighs apart and slipped a rough finger into her.

All at once an extraordinary thrill coursed through Danni's near-naked body. Despite her reluctance, the sensation of his finger probing her in so intimate a manner was suddenly very arousing indeed, and at once she felt hot juices flowing deep within her as her animal instincts took control of her. She knew he could sense her arousal, and he pressed her back, twisting his finger inside her and watching as she squirmed, small moans escaping from her lips.

"Shit baby, for a whore you're really hot for it," he murmured. "You not been getting enough business or something?"

Danni said nothing, her eyes avoiding his, but her body told it all as she pressed her wet crotch down onto his fingers, the muscles of her sex tightening about his intruding digit.

All at once he let go of her and stood back. Danni remained where she was, her legs spread, pressed back against the door like some beautiful specimen pinned to a collector's board. She glanced down at herself, scarcely able to believe that she was standing in this scruffy alley with no clothes on whilst people passed by not fifty yards away. And yet, far from concerning her, the idea was giving her a thrill that she wouldn't have thought possible. Somehow the thought of being seen like this, in broad daylight, was an extraordinary turn-on to her, and the more the man's eyes took in her charms the wetter she became.

His hands dropped to his waist and she watched in fascination as he unfastened his jeans. He let them fall open and his cock sprang free, long and circumcised, the helmet shiny and hard. Danni couldn't take her eyes off it as he ran his hand up and down his shaft his eyes still fixed on her.

All at once, he moved in again, his erection brushing against her stomach as he came close. He took hold of her under the arms and lifted her up so that her feet were clear of the ground.

"Spread your legs, baby," he said.