Women of any age can drive a man to madness.
In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.
Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected.
‘‘Instinct, education and experience are complementary, not in opposition.’‘
I hurried to Katrina's office, Buffy a step behind me, rumbling like the jaguar she'd performed illegal dentistry on. She wasn't trying to intimidate me. Buffy was trying to mark her territory. I made it to my desk without actually being scent-marked, so I considered the encounter a draw.
‘‘Have fun last night?’‘ Katrina inquired without looking up.
‘‘More than any one man should have,’‘ I confessed.
Further conversation was severed by the arrival of the first of the female 'new hires'. As Katrina started our little meeting, I surreptitiously put in the work order for my suits. I wasn't sneaky enough for Katrina.‘‘Are you suffering some sort of head trauma that makes you believe you can avoid participation in this meeting?’‘ she purred.
‘‘No, Ma; Katrina,’‘ I was contrite. ‘‘I had to submit a work order for the business suits Buffy and Helena purchased for me last night so I would stop coming to work dressed like a homeless panhandler.’‘ That killed four of the girls; they failed to stifle their giggles.
‘‘Couldn't you have dealt with that on the way in?’‘ Katrina had this glitter in her eyes.
‘‘Buffy was attempting to subject me to vehicular homicide,’‘ I replied. ‘‘I was afraid for my life on multiple occasions, up to and including her entry into the garage.’‘
‘‘How horrifying for you,’‘ Katrina delivered deadpan.
‘‘I had my hands full, I swear,’‘ I placed my hand over my heart.
‘‘I suspect that was the case,’‘ Katrina allowed. ‘‘Is there anything else you need to take care of while the rest of us wait on you?’‘
‘‘Thank you, yes there is,’‘ I smiled, nodded and began typing away.
‘‘I was being facetious, but then you knew that,’‘ Katrina teased. Several girls were openly giggling now.
When I finished, I walked around Katrina's desk, went to one knee and lowered my head. Katrina scanned my latest request.
‘‘Really?’‘ she was intrigued.
‘‘Yes, Ma'am,’‘ I looked up at her. She ran her hands through my hair. ‘‘Katrina.’‘
‘‘You are trying,’‘ Katrina remarked. That could read either way. ‘‘Go back to your station before I show you where you really belong,’‘ she chuckled. I stood up and fist-pumped.
‘‘Woo-who!’‘ I shouted. ‘‘I'm going to bed.’‘ That finished them off. Even Fabiola cracked a tiny bit and snickered behind her hand.
The real joke they were embracing; making me part of their new breeding program; was the punchline to the joke Katrina and I found amusing. I knew the truth. We received our assignments and left the office.
‘‘How did your date with Rhada go last night?’‘ Paula nudged me.
‘‘It wasn't a date. It was a corporate appointment,’‘ I corrected. ‘‘As for the rest; you don't want to know. Please believe me, you don't want to know.’‘
‘‘I can make you tell us,’‘ Fabiola smirked. The group kept together until I reached Desiree's desk. She was my boss for the day and she was not pleased, or amused.
Fabiola saved me.
‘‘Sister, compel this one to tell us what happened with Rhada last night,’‘ Fabiola sneered in Hittite. I played dumb which wasn't hard in my fatigued state. Desiree transferred all of her dislike of me into outrage at Fabiola's breach.
‘‘Is your blood poisoned?’‘ Desiree seethed. ‘‘When they tossed you off the rocks, did you bounce back up, or are you so arrogantly stupid you would flaunt one of our most basic safeguards?’‘
‘‘You are only half the woman you could have been,’‘ Fabiola shot back.
By the way Desiree flew out of her chair that was a deadly insult. I put my body between them and grabbed Desiree by her upper arms.
‘‘Release me,’‘ she yelled, her hate returned its focus to me.
‘‘You are my boss,’‘ I explained calmly. ‘‘I most join you in your battles. Is this a battle you truly want to fight, here and now?’‘
‘‘Release me at once,’‘ Desiree commanded.
‘‘One of us hiding behind a man,’‘ Fabiola mocked Desiree. Daphne punched her. ‘‘Ow!’‘
‘‘Care to try that on me?’‘ Daphne challenged Fabiola. ‘‘My family's prestige has never been called into question.’‘ I was starting to think they meant genetic purity.
‘‘Buffy would not want me to let you come to harm,’‘ I whispered to Desiree then released her. It was that hunting photo that made me make that leap. Desiree glared at me. A slap followed, but it wasn't all that hard.
‘‘Do not touch me without permission, Cáel Nyilas,’‘ she commanded in a clear voice.
The matter was almost settled.
‘‘Come on,’‘ Desiree barked. I had one final bit to take care of.
‘‘Daphne, thank you. Helena says you are coming along really well. Maybe we could have a few drinks after hours and you can give me some pointers,’‘ I requested.
Daphne seemed to mull that over. We had moved past the entrapment phase to the 'male in the bull pen; what do we do with him now' phase.
‘‘I'll think about it,’‘ Daphne shot me this sexually curious look. Off they went and I had to sprint to catch up with Desiree who hadn't stopped to listen to my conversation with Daphne.
‘‘Do not be flippant with me,’‘ Desiree grumbled. ‘‘I am not Buffy.’‘
‘‘Of course you are not,’‘ I nodded. ‘‘Katrina values your counsel and she trusts you.’‘
‘‘You know nothing,’‘ Desiree groused.
‘‘Really? Helena and Buffy were sent away with me yesterday afternoon; you stayed,’‘ I began.
‘‘This male internship program is the brainchild of Katrina and Tessa. Maybe she thinks that I'm in danger, thus her program, so she chooses you to safeguard me; no other,’‘ I added. ‘‘I don't think much of my place here as an individual, but I represent something of value to our boss. If that is the case, how much does she value and respect you?’‘
‘‘Do you ever shut up?’‘ she glared at me.
‘‘Is that a question, or a veiled order?’‘ I grinned. She glared some more. I kept quiet. Desiree had to enter a special code to gain us access to Basement Level 3. A short trip down a drab concrete hall illuminated a door and two Amazon's guarding it.
Desiree's ID card allowed her access. Mine did not. The security types verified my permission to be there, then verified it again. Finally, one pulled Desiree and questioned her. With great reluctance, the guards let me into the room. Their caution made sense. This was the Havenstone Corporate HQ armory.
This was not a few guns in a case with handful of wall sconces. Nope, this was an ATF gun-gasm, White Supremacist Nirvana, and a Gangster's Paradise all rolled into one. Desiree went to one table, lifted and examined one 9mm Walther PPQ, loaded the clip and gave it to me.
‘‘It has no safety, so be careful,’‘ she notified me. She tossed the shoulder holster and two spare magazines my way.
As she readied her own weapon set, I put on my shoulder holster and secured my weapon.
‘‘This is nuts, Desiree,’‘ I stated. ‘‘I'm not ex-military. I'm not a security officer, bodyguard, or assassin either.’‘
‘‘Don't get hysterical,’‘ Desiree snorted. ‘‘This is a simple assignment. We are going to pick up some school children and take them to their exclusive academy.’‘
‘‘Besides, on your resume, you claimed to have a passing familiarity with a number of firearms,’‘ she grunted.
‘‘What do I do if we are stopped by the cops?’‘ I inquired.
‘‘Go to jail.’‘
With that sterling pep-talk, we exited the bunker with a variety of weapons; mostly Desiree's because she was clearly anticipating the end of the world. She stored the weapons in our new, armored car while I stood close by acting like a weapons dispenser. According to established routine, I was given no specific instructions until we arrived on site where I was then supposed to instantly absorb the knowledge.
I gave that some thought. Havenstone knew their male hires had academic success. Given twenty-four hours, we could memorize anything. The Amazons, being a militant culture, were testing us to see how quickly we thought on our feet. It was still mean. As we pulled up to our Brownstone destination, I was given our mission.
Desiree was to go into the house, retrieve three schoolgirls, Aya (9), Europa (13) and Loraine (16), and bring them into the car. I was to wait on the stoop, hold the car door for them and keep my yap shut. By insisting I not use flippancy, Desiree had cut off my conversation at the knees.
‘‘Woman, grey coat at the North corner,’‘ Desiree muttered to me as we started up the stairs. She went inside; I stayed on the stoop. Thankfully, my sojourn into Amazon politics had strengthened my ability to ignore the obvious and appreciate the benign. Two women were meandering up from the South and the woman to the North had gained a companion before Desiree returned. The girls came out first.
At the bottom step I caught sight of movement. I turned and stopped the children from advancing.
‘‘Hey,’‘ the Loraine squawked.
‘‘Cáel;’‘ Desiree got out.
‘‘Two to the North and two to the South; closing in,’‘ I whispered.
She did a casual scan.
‘‘Take them to the car,’‘ Desiree ordered. I thought that was pretty stupid. If a murder/kidnapping was in the offing, getting the kids back inside seemed more prudent. I hesitated. She glared. I swallowed my instincts and began sheparding the girls down the stairs.
The moment the third child's feet hit the sidewalk, both groups of women began speeding up. I was trying to hustle the girls to the car's back door when a van came speeding up out of nowhere. I wasn't going to get door open in time.
‘‘Down!’‘ I shouted as I used my superior size to press my three wards down and against the car. The van screeched to a halt and the sliding door opened.
I drew, aimed over the top of the car and fired the pistol twice without even thinking that I was murdering somebody. I heard Desiree firing to the North. The woman in the van door slumped back. A second one tried to untangle herself so I put two bullets in her as well. I took a step and a half South, kneeled to shelter the girls with my body and began firing at the two southern women running my way.
I put two bullets into each of them; missing every shot. Crap. Suddenly, as I was shoving a new clip into my semi-automatic pistol, the eldest child broke and ran for the stairs. I looked over my shoulder. Desiree was down. One woman remained coming from the North. I hurled my body at Loraine, taking her down. I landed us on my shoulder then rolled to cover her.
I brought up the pistol and fired twice at the northern woman.
‘‘Cease fire!’‘ an unfamiliar female voice commanded. The northern woman stopped. As I swung my pistol South, I noticed Desiree sitting up. The two women in the van were coming back to life too. Three women I didn't recognize were coming down the Brownstone steps.
The lead female was clearly in charge. She approached me and extended a hand.
‘‘Male; pistol,’‘ she demanded. I rose to me knees, pulling away from her and yanking Loraine behind me.
‘‘Lady, I don't know you,’‘ I growled. ‘‘I'm not giving you my gun, or the girls, until someone tells me what's going on.’‘
I was contemplating how bad her punch/slap/kick was going to be when Loraine laughed.
‘‘That was fun,’‘ she exulted. ‘‘He tackled me and everything.’‘
‘‘Cáel,’‘ Desiree ordered, ‘‘give her the gun.’‘ I wasn't happy, but I did hand over the weapon.
‘‘It was loaded with blanks, Moron,’‘ the leader smirked. ‘‘We would never let a man with a loaded weapon around our children.’‘
‘‘Thank God,’‘ I mused. ‘‘I couldn't understand how I missed those two down South.’‘
‘‘What makes you think you would have hit them?’‘ she sneered. I pulled Loraine up with me as I resumed my feet then put her behind me.
‘‘What makes you think your brain isn't as blank as the bullets you gave me?’‘ I glared.
‘‘Watch your tongue, Male,’‘ she glared right back.
‘‘You threatened three children under my care,’‘ I grumbled. ‘‘Be happy I don't plant you on your ass.’‘ She looked more than happy to throw down.
‘‘They were never your children to protect,’‘ Desiree spoke up. ‘‘This was a training exercise.’‘
I looked over my shoulder at the other two girls. They were smiling at me. This had been fun for them. The only one who didn't know this was fake was me. I groaned.
‘‘Clip,’‘ the leader snapped. I handed it over without protest. I'd used the other spare. She turned to Desiree. ‘‘Take them to school.’‘
The five of us piled into the car and drove away. It was less than stunning that I didn't get a new firearm. I was sitting in the front passenger seat, feeling morose and angry when Europa spoke.
‘‘That was really brave,’‘ she commented. ‘‘You did much better than the lady last spring. She went nuts.’‘
‘‘Really’‘, I swiveled so I could see their faces and make sure they weren't pulling something on me.
‘‘Oh, yeah,’‘ Loraine chuckled. ‘‘She ran right at the two down the street, firing as she went. Totally missed the van rolling up. Forgot she was supposed to protect us.’‘
‘‘She got high marks for marksmanship,’‘ Europa told me, ‘‘but we never saw her again.’‘
‘‘You smell nice,’‘ Aya beamed little kittens my way.
‘‘He smells like sex,’‘ Loraine giggled.
‘‘Starting with the fact that you are underage, add my desire to live and we end up with us not having his conversation,’‘ I winked.
‘‘I've never seen a man as pretty as you even at school. The boys in my class are such jerks. They say I'm a freak because I have no Daddy,’‘ Aya went from happy to a frown.
‘‘When I was in grade school, they called me a freak too, Aya,’‘ I met her gaze. ‘‘The difference is, I deserved it. I was a rude, mean person.’‘
‘‘Not having a Daddy doesn't determine if you are a freak; how you behave does. You are a very nice woman so they should be nicer to you. You are not a freak. Trust me, I'd know it if you were,’‘ I gave Aya a warm smile and tapped her nose playfully.
‘‘Whomever controls you did a good job,’‘ Europa observed.
‘‘No,’‘ Desiree snapped. The children must have been briefed on my status as well as spent a lifetime disguising their true culture.
‘‘Europa, I am controlled by Katrina. I'll relay your compliment. She has delegated me to Desiree for the day, which means I'm with you three this morning,’‘ I answered despite Desiree's disapproval.
The private academy was for the wealthy; gender was not an issue. Security checked our ID's before they let us disgorge our precious cargo.
‘‘Desiree, can Cáel Nyilas walk me to class this morning?’‘ Aya requested. The look Desiree burned my way was intimidating.
‘‘Of course, Aya,’‘ Desiree relented. ‘‘Cáel, only take as much time as necessary.’‘
‘‘Nos morituri te salutamus,’‘ I grinned. I knew that was overly dramatic. How tough could a room full of third graders be? Aya took me by the hand and led me in. Wow! Her teacher was a hottie. A quick glance suggested she was unmarried and very interested in me.
‘‘Ms. Reichmann, this is my Daddy,’‘ Aya announced loudly. Ms. Reichmann's eyes flicked down to notice my lack of a wedding band. I knelt so that I was eye to eye with Aya.
‘‘Aya, honey, Father has to talk to Ms. Reichmann in private for a moment. Please take your seat and I'll see you before I leave,’‘ I smiled paternally at Aya. She skipped to her seat.
‘‘Ulyssa,’‘ Ms. Reichmann bit her lower lip.
‘‘Ulyssa, is there a place where I can talk with you in private?’‘ I asked with open innocence and a heavy undercurrent of passion. It turned out there was an unused conference room at the end of the hall.
I left Ulyssa with a smoldering look that guaranteed me a call-back. If any of the kids had the faintest idea why she was so flushed, short of breath and happy, they gave no hint. Aya took excessive pride in showing her 'Daddy' off to all her classmates. Any time I detected a bully, I gave the 'I'm keeping an eye on you' glare. I was whistling as I returned to the car.
‘‘28 fucking minutes!’‘ Desiree screamed at me.
‘‘I had a little chat with Aya's teacher. I thought it would be nice if Ms. Reichmann was aware that Aya was unhappy,’‘ I reduced our love-making to the bare bones, 'no mention of sex' facts. ‘‘She said she'd keep a special eye out for Aya.’‘
‘‘That wasn't your job,’‘ Desiree seethed. We started driving away.
‘‘I doubt you'll listen to my;’‘ I go out.
‘‘Shut up,’‘ she interrupted. ‘‘You have nothing to say that I want to hear.’‘
‘‘You shut up and imagine for a second I don't hate you and that I'm pretty good reading women in a way you are unaccustomed to,’‘ I snapped back.
‘‘Katrina is going to be hard pressed to save you from this outburst,’‘ she sneered vindictively.
‘‘How about this; Katrina saw potential in you so she's given you a chance to restore your prestige. What you are failing to understand is the underlying concept of family at Havenstone. This means they put a premium on their children; their female children,’‘ I suggested.
‘‘Protecting the next generation can't be a job for you. It wouldn't be for them. To those women, perpetuating their families is all-important and you must see it as an obligation handed down to you by all your Havenstone predecessors.’‘ See, I avoided saying blood lines and their fucked up Amazon heritage.
‘‘I don't know what your mother did wrong. Whatever it is, Katrina doesn't care and she's the one that really matters,’‘ I prodded. ‘‘Useless pricks like Fabiola won't be of any use to you even if they did like you. Thus endeth the male blathering.’‘
‘‘How do you know it was my Mother?’‘ Desiree asked after several minutes driving.
‘‘Desiree, your father could have done a fan dance on a table at the Presidential Inaugural Dinner and the women of Havenstone wouldn't give a damn. From Fabiola's big mouth, I'm guessing your mother married a guy that the family didn't approve of. In the status-obsessed corporate culture we are stuck with, that has to be pretty dreadful,’‘ I finished.
We were almost at Havenstone's Corporate HQ before Desiree spoke. She had been positively grim, far beyond her normal grumpiness.
‘‘I killed them,’‘ she stated in a cold, emotionless voice.
‘‘Who?’‘
‘‘My parents. When my aunt found me and told me about my true heritage and what my parents had done, I killed them,’‘ Desiree answered in the same lifeless tone.
‘‘I'm not going to lie to you. That's totally fucked up, but then I'm not you and I don't have to walk in your shoes,’‘ I mused. ‘‘I'm certainly not going to give you sympathy, or pity.’‘
‘‘You are a horrible person for not having the strength of character to allow your mother and father to live with the choices they made. Killing them was a totally selfish act. Before you say 'you wouldn't understand', let me tell you that's bullshit. Like you, I had a mother and father. My Mom is dead and I miss her every day. I think you miss them and that's why you are so damn bitter.’‘
‘‘I should kill you for that liberty,’‘ Desiree informed me.
‘‘Bring it, Kitten,’‘ I scoffed. ‘‘I'd kick your ass.’‘
‘‘What inspires that delusion?’‘ she turned to me. We had parked in the garage by this time.
‘‘I have righteous fury on my side. Against that, you have no defense,’‘ I grinned.
‘‘I warned you against flippancy,’‘ she reminded me.
‘‘Is that a demand that I present my righteous fury for your examination?’‘ I countered. Silence. We went through the security rigmarole, put up the firearms. As we were leaving, I turned to Desiree.
‘‘You would think those two educationally-challenged bimbos would have warned me I was carrying blanks,’‘ I griped. The two security babes' posture turned all agro on me.
‘‘I really should leave you here with them for a few hours,’‘ Desiree threatened.
‘‘Have I told you recently how much I find you to be a kind, beneficent, wise and gifted teacher and sensei?’‘ I faux-pleaded.
‘‘Shut up,’‘ she grunted as we made my getaway.
‘‘I think I know why Katrina tolerates you,’‘ Desiree told me after a few second in the elevator.
‘‘To try everyone else's patience?’‘ I guessed.
‘‘Precisely,’‘ she shoved me. ‘‘Stop being overly clever. It is unattractive in a male.’‘
‘‘Stranger danger!’‘ I shouted (still in the elevator) as I backed into the far corner. ‘‘Stranger danger!’‘
‘‘If I had a gun, I would shoot you,’‘ she glared. There was a glimmer of amusement as well.
‘‘At this range, you would probably miss,’‘ I taunted her playfully.
Desiree trembled with conflicting emotions. She gave in, stepped up and punched me in the chest. I kept laughing so she hit me again, but she was letting a tiny smile creep across her lips too.
‘‘Damn you,’‘ she ground her teeth, fighting her happiness. ‘‘Fine. Cáel, to my side.’‘ There I went.
‘‘Kneel.’‘ I knelt. The elevator doors opened, Desiree stepped out, turned to gaze into my eyes then cruelly smiled as the doors shut and the elevator continued up. The looks I got from women as they accessed the device was priceless. It took a while for one to break the silence.
‘‘What are you doing?’‘ she inquired.
‘‘My boss told me to kneel here,’‘ I explained, ‘‘so here I kneel. In nine hours, if I can still walk, I'm going home and taking a long, hot bath.’‘
‘‘You are just going to stay there for nine hours?’‘ another woman groused.
‘‘I'm an intern. An order is an order and it isn't like she's forgotten where she left me.’‘
‘‘Our male intern isn't nearly this nice,’‘ a third lady commented. ‘‘We call him the Chinchilla. When he isn't acting as if he's somehow valuable, he scurries about like a rodent.’‘ That would be Brian I was willing to bet. The women in the elevator were suddenly self-conscious they'd talked that way around another male intern.
‘‘Do you have a nickname?’‘ the third one tried to make light of the faux-pas.
‘‘I think there are three in the running: 'come here', 'kneel', and 'shut up'. When I hear one of those, I assume they are talking to me,’‘ I joked. They snickered. God, I could have an orgy in this elevator. Thank goodness my libido was still slaked from nailing Ulyssa the teacher.
‘‘Where are you?’‘ Desiree snapped over the phone eight minutes later. I had her on speaker.
‘‘I'm right where you left me,’‘ I grinned. There was a new crowd in my box. I was getting the impression the word of my fate was circulating around the building and women were slipping over to see for themselves.
‘‘Are you an idiot?’‘ she grumbled.
‘‘I'll leave the evaluation of my mental facilities to the experts, oh glorious Boss of mine,’‘ I replied. ‘‘I would like to report there are two wonderful ladies from International Finance putting a shipping label on me as we speak,’‘ I lied. From the look of one of the ladies, that wasn't such a bad, or far-fetched, idea.
‘‘Stand. Get off the elevator on the fourteenth floor and go to Conference Room L,’‘ Desiree commanded. ‘‘Do you need to write out your orders in crayon?’‘
‘‘I'd prefer you use body paint,’‘ I bantered. The ladies around me didn't know what to make of the exchange.
‘‘81 days, Jackass,’‘ Desiree promised balefully.
‘‘I tremble in anticipation; no, wait, that's fear,’‘ I snorted in amusement.
‘‘You are very irreverent,’‘ a lady onboard observed. This wasn't a good thing in her mind.
‘‘I apologize, Ma'am. Reverence required me to become a eunuch and no job is worth my jewels in a jar,’‘ I bowed.
‘‘I will report your poor attitude and mockery of your assignment to Tessa,’‘ she vowed.
‘‘Very well, Ma'am;’‘ I started.
‘‘Astarte,’‘ she gave her name.
‘‘Very well, Astarte.’‘
‘‘Please consider that I am doing precisely what I've been told to do and that my humor has made multiple travelers on this elevator smile,’‘ I continued. ‘‘Happy employees are more productive employees and barring being given something productive to do with my time, I've decided to give busy women a small bit of amusement.’‘
Astarte had no good comeback to my defense. I didn't doubt Katrina and Tessa would get hate mail no matter what I said. The fourteenth floor job turned out to be transporting something from a director's safe to a bank vault. Drudgery followed; laundry, dinners, delivering a new car (I drove the company car back; Desiree drove the new car), picking up my suits and ending off where the day began; school.
I had barely exited the car when I heard a little girl scream ‘‘There's my Daddy’‘. I sensed this was going to be a problem in the future. Aya didn't come running up to me. No, she made sure every classmate she could reach knew her 'Daddy' was here to take her home. Things got 'better' when she and some friends approached.
‘‘Mr. Ruger (Aya's family name), is it true you are a spy?’‘ a rather aggressive male classmate asked. I took a deep breath. My gaze made Aya looked down, embarrassed. I could sense her tormentors closing in. I knelt in front of Aya and tilted her chin up so we were eye to eye.
‘‘Now, Sugar,’‘ I addressed her, ‘‘we've had this discussion before. You can't tell people what Daddy does. That would put a lot of good people's lives in danger.’‘
‘‘I expected better of you, Aya. You must never tell strangers what I do for a living. Don't forget that,’‘ I chastised her. Turning my focus to the surrounding children, ‘‘Forget that Aya ever told you I was a spy. Otherwise, bad things might happen to our family. Understood?’‘
They nodded, eyes wide with shock and fear.
See, Aya's Daddy WAS a spy, but no one could talk about it or people would die. In the eyes of a nine year old, that was so cool, if scary. The thing was, I hadn't lied. I had been evasive. We had been on the road for two minutes when Loraine conveyed a concept she was having difficulty with.
‘‘Thank you, Cáel,’‘ she told me. ‘‘That was a very nice thing you did for Aya.’‘ I had to think of the clearest way to express why I had done what I had done, circumstances included.
‘‘I'm not a father, but if I was and Aya was my daughter, I would defend her as the situation warranted; physically, or verbally.’‘
‘‘They pay you to be with us,’‘ Europa grumbled. I laughed; hard enough to hurt my sides.
‘‘Europa, Havenstone doesn't have enough money to keep me on this job,’‘ I chuckled.
‘‘Why do you do it then?’‘ Loraine leaned forward.
‘‘If I make it three months, I get a date with Desiree,’‘ I lied.
‘‘Do you think she's pretty?’‘ Europe prodded.
‘‘No. She scares me. If I quit, I have to take her out on a date the next day,’‘ I continued fibbing.
‘‘Stay at Havenstone. You can do better than dating a half-breed,’‘ Loraine stated. I digested that.
‘‘Loraine, your weakness sickens me,’‘ I gave her a pained look. ‘‘Unsettling an opponent is acceptable. Insulting an ally is a quality of an immature and insecure mind.’‘
‘‘You don't talk to me like that,’‘ Loraine spat.
‘‘Or what?’‘ I mocked her. ‘‘Are we going to stop the car and take this fight to the sidewalk?’‘
‘‘If we do that, I'm going to spank your pathetic ass and we both know it,’‘ I grumbled. ‘‘No, you'll have to hide behind Desiree and her sisters; the women you just insulted with an issue that is no one's business but hers. Are you going to show some courage and agree to fight me, or are you going to be worthy of your family, show some respect and apologize?’‘
‘‘I don't want her apology,’‘ Desiree stated blandly.
‘‘I'm not doing it for you,’‘ I told Desiree. ‘‘I'm doing it for her. She should have the chance to not grow up ignorant and rude.’‘ Loraine was forming up an angry retort.
‘‘Cáel, please stop,’‘ Aya pleaded.
‘‘Of course, Aya,’‘ I smiled at her.
‘‘We are not finished. You are the one who is rude and ignorant,’‘ Loraine persisted. I ignored her. ‘‘I'm going to get you fired.’‘ Ignored again. ‘‘Say something!’‘ Kept ignoring her. She hit my shoulder. Ignored yet again. She finally sat back in her seat, crossed her arms and sulked.
‘‘Why won't you talk to my sister?’‘ Europa inquired. I assumed she meant Loraine.
‘‘Economy of motion,’‘ I answered. ‘‘She's not listening to me and she's upsetting Aya. Arguing with Loraine would only upset Aya more while accomplishing nothing.’‘
‘‘You are a jerk,’‘ Loraine seethed. Oh fuck; I knew that tone. How could I have missed it?
‘‘She thinks you are hot,’‘ Europa smirked. Ah, sibling rivalry. Loraine prepared to hit Europa.
‘‘In two more years I can tell her what a beautiful young woman she is,’‘ I 'told' Europa. ‘‘For now, I work for her family and she's underage.’‘
‘‘You think I'm beautiful?’‘ Loraine perked up, anger forgotten. The wonder of teenage hormones.
I didn't respond to Loraine, which renewed her fury.
‘‘Do you think I'm prettier?’‘ Aya jumped in.
‘‘Well, you don't have Loraine's deep blue eyes and Junior Miss physique, but you have the cuter smile and the boundless spirit of a winner,’‘ I winked at Aya. Loraine flipped back to pleased.
‘‘What about me?’‘ Europa prodded.
‘‘Oh, you are a total hag,’‘ I sighed sadly. ‘‘It hurts me to look at you.’‘ Europa's jaw dropped then she hit me repeatedly.
‘‘I give. I give,’‘ I surrendered. The conflict was resolved for the rest of the trip.
Aya was upset that Desiree wouldn't let me take her into the family's brownstone. After the chore was done, Desiree was non-communicative. I made it through the End of Day meeting intact with the hint that I actually did a good job. A bizarre conflict developed as I made my way to the elevator in my biking gear and a bulging dress bag; I was taking a taxi home.
Buffy and Helena collided with the 'new hires' over who had the right to bombard me with sexual innuendo. I dodged any discussion on Rhada, blushed through my hart cords saga as well as my solo attempt at moose hunting, and all fishing expeditions concerning my dinner with Katrina.
In the middle of my workout back at home, I got a call from the Desk Sergeant's daughter. Her name was Nikita Kutuzov; NYPD rookie patrolwomen and she exuded this raw confidence tempered with a suspicious nature. We agreed to meet for dinner. When we sat down at this Polish deli she frequented, she got down to brass tacks.
‘‘Have you ever been in a committed relationship?’‘ was her lead in question.
‘‘Define a committed relationship,’‘ I countered.
‘‘The answer would be 'no',’‘ she sighed.
‘‘Why should I go out with you?’‘ was her next point of attack.
‘‘I have a plethora of bizarre knowledge, I laugh at danger and have an incessant desire to learn,’‘ I answered. That won me some points.
‘‘How much do you make a year?’‘ she inquired.
‘‘Go to the bathroom, take off your panties then come back and give them to me,’‘ I responded.
Her eyes narrowed.
‘‘Your request was about as rude as mine,’‘ I sighed. ‘‘Listen, if you are looking for an excuse to not go out with me, I'll spill some water on the table, you can tell your mother I was clumsy and call it a night,’‘ I suggested. She glared, I looked bored then she got up and left.
I wasn't worried for a second. A girl hadn't dumped me on the first date in three years. When she returned Nikita passed her undies under the table. I took the offering and deftly pocketed them.
‘‘$237,000 a year,’‘ I confessed. Nikita choked on her soda. ‘‘I do dangerous work.’‘
When I said 'fat paycheck' I meant 'FAT PAYCHECK'. In retrospect, this was the shiny lure they hooked us pompous 'Cream of the Crop' doofuses with. My pay was probably a clerical error as I would have taken the job for far less.
‘‘But you just got out of college,’‘ she choked. ‘‘Do you weapon test plutonium, or what?’‘
‘‘I really can't talk about my job, Nikita. Most of it is mindless stuff a trained chimpanzee could do yet falls within the purview of corporate confidentiality,’‘ I told her. ‘‘I am on call 24/7, which is a bit sucky; reference my salary again. I also get long- and short-term disability, major medical, eye, dental and health insurance plus a generous life insurance policy and a 401K.’‘
‘‘They have you doing illegal things, don't they?’‘ she leaned across the table.
‘‘I refuse to answer on the grounds I'm on a date with a law enforcement agent,’‘ I parried.
‘‘I can't date a criminal,’‘ she cautioned.
‘‘Would it help if I promise to never get caught?’‘ I tried to look innocent.
‘‘That's a ringing endorsement for me leaving right now,’‘ she grinned. She wasn't doing that. They never did. It is not that women are sluts. I exude the promise of great, guilt-free sex and each one believes they are going to be the one that reels me in and tames me. This despite all the evidence to the contrary; namely that I do this with every woman I meet.
We finished eating, bought some drinks to go and took a walk. Somewhere along the way, I slipped my arm around her waist. Nikita took thirty seconds to bring it up.
‘‘What's with this?’‘ she prodded.
‘‘I like the feel of your body close to mine, Nikita. If it bothers you, I'll stop,’‘ I offered.
She didn't stop me; she reciprocated the gesture and carried on. We talked about growing up; me in Chicago and her in New York City, missing one parent (her father divorced her mom, my mother having died of cancer) and having the other parent work long hours. She'd graduated from Queens College with a degree in Criminal Justice then gone to the Police Academy; she was a year older than me.
We parted ways outside the Deli. I gave her a tender French kiss. She wanted more. I wanted a second date so we parted ways with Nikita looking over her shoulder and grinning at me as she walked away. Girls like it when you only have eyes for them. My bicycle had barely gotten on the road home when my phone rang; work.
I had to go to corporate and meet up with Desiree. I called her and gave her my location; I was in the wrong direction, farther from the workplace than normal. She grudgingly agreed the best course of action was to come get me, though the purpose of the assignment wasn't given. Desiree didn't utter a word as she picked me up and drove to the work site.
We ended up at the children's house. Desiree parked the car and led me, in my bike clothes, up the steps of the townhouse. The looks we were greeted with weren't promising. The woman at the door was an older version of Loraine; not her twin but closely related. I had barely crossed the door sill when the nature of the problem became evident.
Aya was screaming. Desiree and I were kept in the entryway for a minute until a more mature woman came gliding down the stairs, clearly steamed and, upon seeing me, livid with rage.
‘‘What have you done to my child?’‘ the older woman seethed.
‘‘I'm not sure what you are talking about,’‘ I answered.
‘‘He did nothing more than his job,’‘ Desiree's defense of me came out of nowhere. ‘‘He engaged himself in the welfare of your daughter. I was there the entire time.’‘
‘‘Come this way,’‘ the older woman beckoned. Desiree, the woman from the door and me followed her up two flights of stairs to Aya's room.
Loraine and Europa had stepped out of their rooms and were observing us.
‘‘There,’‘ the woman; Mom; pointed me into the room.
‘‘Cáel,’‘ Aya squealed. ‘‘You came.’‘ She was sitting in bed with her arms outstretched. I crossed the distance, sat down and hugged her.
‘‘Now what seems to be the problem?’‘ I tapped her nose.
‘‘I; I; ah; wanted you to tuck me in,’‘ she mumbled.
‘‘As your Daddy, or as Cáel?’‘ I questioned.
‘‘As my Daddy,’‘ she murmured.
‘‘I am not your Daddy, Aya,’‘ I explained. ‘‘I am your friend, and your guardian upon occasion, but I am not worthy of being your Father. You are a very special girl and I am the son of a working stiff from Chicago. With your Mom's and Katrina's permission, I would gladly help you convince the World that I am your Daddy. We must remember that this is not real, okay?’‘
‘‘Why can't you be my real Daddy?’‘ Aya asked. 'Because your Mommy would bite my dick off' didn't seem the politically correct thing to say.
‘‘Life can be very harsh, Aya. We all face different challenges. Since life has not provided you with a Daddy, you must find a way to get by without one,’‘ I said. ‘‘Now let me tuck you in.’‘
We hugged, I tucked her in, kissed her on her forehead then waited around a few seconds while she held my adult hand in her tiny mitt. As I left, the Mother cut off the light and shut the door.
‘‘Good night, Cáel,’‘ Europa and Loraine called out. I waved, but kept my peace. Downstairs, it was a bit less pleasant.
‘‘I will report this egregious breech of conduct to Katrina. You are dismissed,’‘ she waved her hand.
‘‘Really?’‘ I perked up.
‘‘Cáel, don't,’‘ Desiree cautioned me.
‘‘Oh, come on,’‘ I pleaded. ‘‘Desiree, what is the penalty for tucking a little girl into bed? Wait; wait, are they going to get me for NOT embarrassing a child in public? Is it because I accepted a female's gender-appropriate pet name?’‘
‘‘Shut up,’‘ Desiree demanded sedately.
‘‘Yes ma'am; Desiree,’‘ I sighed.
‘‘The charges will be murdering our patience, insolence, irreverence and not being able to follow simple commands; like 'Cáel don't',’‘ she explained. I could swear she was mocking our hostess except that wasn't like Desiree. She had no sense of humor.
‘‘Do you think this is funny, Half-blood?’‘ Mom mocked.
‘‘No. He is a jester and I'm superior to him because, unlike you, Pure-blood, I can tell the difference between his juvenile antics and him being a viable threat,’‘ Desiree reposed. ‘‘Funny is Cáel throwing his body on top of your eldest daughter, sacrificing himself to save her life only to be treated by you as a common household pest.’‘
‘‘It was a test,’‘ Mom said.
‘‘He didn't know that,’‘ Desiree countered, ‘‘or are you claiming he fooled me and the entire security detail?’‘ Insulting Desiree was okay in Mom's book. Insinuating those stone-cold bitches who scared the crap out of me this morning were incompetent wasn't.
‘‘I repeat, you are dismissed,’‘ Mom seethed. This time we took our leave. Desiree remained lost in her own thoughts as she drove me home.
‘‘Thank you,’‘ I said when we were close.
‘‘For what?’‘ she murmured.
‘‘No specific cause. I reason that if I say 'thank you' a few thousand times, one day you'll say it to me,’‘ I looked at her through the corner of my eye.
‘‘Hold your breath,’‘ Desiree commanded. ‘‘Hold your breath until I repeat the words 'thank you'.’‘
There was really no way around that. I practiced breath-control techniques I had learned from swimming and diving, making the most of what air I had. Desiree was heartless. I broke the two minute mark, which wasn't bad given my lack of preparation. I leaned forward, panting for breath and looking down.
‘‘You might want to appreciate that you are not perfect, can't do everything and should reacquaint yourself with your limitations,’‘ Desiree commented.
‘‘Thank you, Desiree,’‘ I gasped. That was some of the best advice I'd received on the job to date.
‘‘You are welcome, Cáel,’‘ she said serenely. In her culturally limited way, Desiree had allowed me a tiny space in her world; Immature Student Lackey. ‘‘Be at work thirty minutes early.’‘ With that, I exited to my apartment and belatedly got to my workout. Timothy was out on a date so I had to bolt out of the shower to get whomever was at the door when the doorbell rang.
‘‘I must redeem my prestige by breaking your spirit, Cáel Nyilas,’‘ Rhada snarled then leapt to the attack. I was standing there, dripping wet, with my hand clenching the towel tightly around my waist. Mortal Combat; the pornographic edition. Rhada was feisty yet I had the feeling she was more into our fight as a contact sport than a real effort to subdue me.
I wasn't aware that there was an oral appliance that allowed you to give a blowjob without having the recipient bite your dick off. Timothy had one in his toy box. Rhada and I tried it out, but I got the feeling she didn't get much from the experience. I felt like I was at a glory hole. After that, things got better.
I clued in that Rhada's key focus of arousal was being forced to pleasure me. Under threat of something horrible (mostly in her imagination), hands bound behind her back, she'd fuck me in every imaginable way and she was even becoming passible at fellatio. Binding her legs was actually counterproductive. If I wanted to pin her legs, she liked it if I wrestled with her.
I keep pushing myself to keep up with her. When someone screamed in pain, my gut instinct was to succor them. For Rhada, it was a signal for her wanting more. I'd really helped her through some serious frustrations, and a great deal of sweat, when the phone rang. Rhada was facing me, bouncing in my lap with her ball gag back in (she liked to bite during climax).
‘‘Hello?’‘ I said.
‘‘Hey Cáel Nyilas, it is Odette. Whatchya doing tonight?’‘ my waitress bed-buddy asked.
‘‘I'm bored out of my skull, doing something worthless,’‘ I answered. ‘‘Do you want to come over, or do we want to meet at your place tonight?’‘
‘‘Ah; um; I live at home with my parents,’‘ she confessed.
‘‘Come on over. I need to clean up a mess first,’‘ I told her. ‘‘See you soon.’‘ With that, I hung up and looked into Rhada's eyes. ‘‘You really are a worthless mess.’‘ She sobbed. ‘‘What are you crying about you disgraced harlot? Are you surprised I'd want to be with a real woman?’‘
‘‘You are a disgusting piece of filth so that's how you deserve to be treated; not like a true tower of femininity,’‘ I continued to press her buttons. She was really upset and absolutely erotically active. I was starting to get worried about the vigor she was pounding me with. Sadly, I had some plans to implement before Odette arrived. I kept Rhada on my lap, swiveled us off the bed and fished out a few restraints.
Rhada wrapped her powerful legs around my waist. Using a combination of thigh, stomach and vaginal muscles, the Indian Princess kept working my sceptre with every bit of imagination she could muster. We traveled out to the workout area. I leaned over the weight bench, pressed Rhada down and put a hand around her throat.
Honestly, all this cruelty and humiliation was grating on me. Sure, I knew Rhada was evil, as was her entire culture. The thing was, I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. I didn't think I had it in me to harm, or murder, a person who was not an immediate threat. The reality was twofold. If I didn't do this for Rhada, she'd find someone else who would, with the likelihood of grievous harm coming to her.
Also, I could do without her holding a grudge for my kicking her ass then rejecting her amorous advances. For now, I played her game with the added benefit that tonight was a 'freebie'; not in my cue.
‘‘Bitch, I'm going to tie you down and ruin you until you can't walk straight. Fight back and I'm going ram two dildos into you and leave them on all night long,’‘ I threatened.
I could see her thinking about it as I gave her some more crushed ice to drink. In the end, she allowed her feet to be bound separately then her hands bound together over her head. Once she was secure, I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
‘‘I lied, Rhada. I'm going to shove two vibrators in anyway,’‘ Rhada thrashed about against her bonds.
After lubing up both sex toys, I worked them into her. She wiggled and shifted about a few times, but her heart wasn't in it. She was too clearly looking forward to the torturous pleasure coming her way. I cut them both on then, because I could, I put on three vibrating eggs; one on her clit and the others for each nipples. That drove her wild. I readied the last part of my plan.
‘‘Rhada,’‘ I leaned in and spoke softly, ‘‘I'm putting your phone in your hand. Press the 'send' button and it will call my phone. I'll come get you. Don't drop it. Rhada?’‘ Her wild eyes flashed about, gained some clarity and met my gaze. She nodded her understanding. Now I had to worry that she would drop the phone on purpose just to add to her torment.
I drew the makeshift curtain that separated our workout space from the rest of the living room, cut on the TV to mute the sound of moaning and vibrators. While cleaning up in the bathroom, I realized I had to dump my condom. Doing two girls with the same one was beyond thoughtless and gross.
My drawstring shorts were barely cinched up when the doorbell rang. Thankfully it was Odette. Extra special was Odette wanted to get freaky with me; she brought a dildo and some lube. The problem with having a vast variety of sex was that fewer and fewer things were new and remembering how exciting it was your first time with a given kink gets tougher.
Odette decided that conversation was overrated as she waltzed through the door. She showed me her toy, grabbed my hand and led me to my bedroom. I helped her undress, which she liked. Then she threw me down and raped me. She was even all excited about rolling her first condom on. She hadn't been a virgin last night, only lacking in confidence.
Tonight, she was a beast (in her mind). After our first noisy, moist round, Odette 'discovered' another pleasure; namely sitting up, riding me and getting into an in depth discussion about our relationship; sigh. When a woman thinks it is casual sex it is casual sex. When a man thinks it is casual sex it could be any Goddamn thing.
To Odette's credit, she was willing to talk about things she'd like to do, didn't get too upset when she finally pried out of me that I'd been with more than a dozen women, and she took suggestions well. She liked to talk about mutual interests, cuddled without being needy and asked if what she was doing made me feel good in a way that didn't make her sound insecure.
At 2:10 my phone buzzed. Odette barely murmured then rolled over and went back to sleep. It was Rhada. Sneaking out wasn't so difficult. I stealthed to the bathroom, got a wet wash cloth and a towel, followed that up with a trip to get some chilled bottled water and finished up at Rhada's side.
She was barely there at all. My hands flew over her body in the dim light then I pulled her into my lap on the floor.
‘‘Rhada?’‘ I called to her gently.
‘‘Kill you,’‘ she whispered. She was okay.
In my sleep-deprived state I missed her initially looking at me. Her eyes were unfathomable. I pressed the water to her lips and let her drink in small sips. Five minutes later, she was in better shape mentally and physically.
‘‘Why?’‘ she asked.
‘‘Sometimes it is a matter of why not?’‘ I replied.
‘‘You hate me,’‘ she furrowed her brow.
‘‘What gave you that idea?’‘ I reposed.
‘‘You are a man; you don't hate me?’‘ she struggled to breach our cultural divide.
‘‘Rhada, I can't speak for all men, but I don't hate you. I have no intention of destroying you,’‘ I paused. ‘‘I'm working on a way to suspend you off the ground blindfolded next time. Tarnishing your prestige is not on my agenda though.’‘
‘‘Do you like causing me pain?’‘ she studied me. That was a tough one both from my perspective and hers.
‘‘I treasure every orgasm I rip from your body, Rhada,’‘ I breathed into her ear. It was the best I could do. For Rhada it was enough.
She wasn't suicidal, only ravenous in her need to surrender to her taboo desires. Her not being on the edge of death with me lessened her thrill. It also meant she could live long enough to have all kinds of other thrills. This was the bargain we were making. How I was going to live up to it was going to be intriguing.
Maybe I could bill Katrina for the needed playroom upgrades. What the future held was coming with the dawn. First I had to make sure Rhada was clear-headed and ambulatory. Then came the trip to her auto and her fiery kiss and body hug. Rhada liking me was okay. Rhada getting attached to me was one more headache I didn't need.
(Thursday)
I slipped out of bed, preparing for the trip to the shower when I stepped out and saw Timothy and this black guy I didn't know doing a soft porn version of me and Rhada. Timothy was sleepily amused. His date was anything but.
‘‘I thought you weren't seeing anyone?’‘ he said in a thick Caribbean accent.
‘‘That's my roommate,’‘ Timothy snorted. ‘‘My straight roommate.’‘ What can I say, I'm really good looking.
‘‘I am, Dude,’‘ I promised. ‘‘I have a girl in my bed and everything. Hell, I didn't even know what the Village Voice was until last night.’‘
Timothy laughed. His date was still pissed. Timothy gave his date a final kiss the guy barely accepted. I made for the shower. When I came out, Timothy was in his bathrobe sitting on the sofa.
‘‘Whoops,’‘ I shrugged. This was the first date I'd seen him on since moving in.
‘‘Better to know they are the jealous kind before I invest too much time,’‘ Timothy sighed. ‘‘He is beautiful and great in bed. He's also in total denial and now jealous. I won't be returning his calls.’‘ I sat down on the sofa next to Timothy and gave him a man-bump.
‘‘Sorry, Bro. Better luck next time,’‘ I consoled him.
‘‘How many ladies was it last night?’‘ Timothy muttered. He knew I was 'ambitious'.
‘‘Five; wait, what is the age of consent in this state again?’‘ I grinned.
‘‘Ah, fuck,’‘ Timothy shook his head. ‘‘If the cops coming busting down the door; ‘‘
‘‘Funny you would say that,’‘ I chuckled. ‘‘Another one is a cop.’‘
‘‘Bro, you have a death wish. Cops do background checks and carry guns,’‘ he laughed.
‘‘Her mom is a cop too,’‘ I informed him. He shook his head some more.
‘‘Death wish,’‘ he mumbled then headed for the shower. Comparatively, the ride to work was bland and uneventful. I was clever enough to change before setting foot in the Executive Services section.
I arrived with two minutes to spare and I was still the last person to arrive. Katrina was at her desk, Desiree was on the sofa and the security team leader from yesterday and one of her aides were sitting in the chairs in front of Katrina.
‘‘Come stand beside me,’‘ Katrina said. I walked over with the added benefit that no one gave any notice of my movements.
‘‘Cáel, how did you feel about the exercise yesterday morning?’‘ Katrina began.
‘‘First off, I don't know these ladies' names,’‘ I said. Katrina looked at them. Clearly the two were one step above resenting every breath I took.
‘‘Elsa,’‘ the leader stated.
‘‘Constanza,’‘ her aide replied. I bowed my head to Elsa.
‘‘Elsa, I apologize for my rash words to you, my attitude and any disgrace I put upon either Katrina and/or Desiree,’‘ I pled. ‘‘I have no excuse.’‘ That seemed to have screwed the two new ladies up. Desiree snorted. Katrina had no reaction. I could hear Elsa grind her teeth.
‘‘Come between me and a charge again and I will kill you,’‘ Elsa glared.
‘‘Come after a charge of mine I'll make you earn it,’‘ I snapped back.
‘‘Only Katrina is keeping you alive at this moment,’‘ Elsa stood up as did Constanza.
‘‘Really?’‘ I sneered. ‘‘Katrina, please fire me. I need to take out the trash.’‘
‘‘Cáel kneel,’‘ Katrina ordered so I knelt.
‘‘This was a waste of time,’‘ Elsa grumbled.
‘‘Elsa, you scored Cáel at a 92%,’‘ Katrina offered.
‘‘92 out a 1000,’‘ I muttered.
‘‘No, you idiot,’‘ Desiree sighed. ‘‘It was stated as a percentage. Try and act your age.’‘ Katrina coughed in surprised amusement. I thought Desiree being so verbose this early in the morning was the cause.
‘‘What did he get wrong?’‘ Katrina mused. ‘‘It is in your report. I want you to tell him.’‘
‘‘He ignored his initial instinct to retire to the dwelling, he failed to issue orders to his charges, he missed his partner going down, and he reloaded before his clip was empty,’‘ she detailed.
‘‘How many current members of the security detail have scored higher on their initial trial?’‘ Katrina persisted. There was a long pause.
‘‘One; me,’‘ Elsa answered. I was impressed; with myself. I had the inbred instincts to get myself killed for people who hated me. I snickered.
‘‘You find something amusing?’‘ Katrina looked at me.
‘‘In retrospect, I should have realized it was a test. Come on, I don't have a gun license, no serious firearms training and the vast majority of Havenstone personnel hate my guts,’‘ I explained my humor. ‘‘There was no realistic way I would be assigned to guard kids.’‘
‘‘I'm so used to being treated like shit here, I missed the obvious,’‘ I concluded. Another pause.
‘‘Why did you break cover to tackle Loraine? You abandoned Aya and Europa,’‘ Elsa asked.
‘‘I wasn't really thinking about it,’‘ I answered. ‘‘I saw her in the open, in danger, and I had the other two crouched down next to the car. I leapt. Sorry, it was nothing more complicated than that.’‘
‘‘What did you think when you saw Desiree lying on the ground?’‘ Elsa prodded.
‘‘Crap; ah,’‘ I tried to recall. ‘‘Nothing really. I noticed the one woman to the North still standing. I wanted to kill her then roll over and shoot the two to the South.’‘
‘‘They would have killed you,’‘ Constanza informed me.
‘‘As opposed to what? I mistakenly thought I had bullets,’‘ I shrugged. ‘‘While I had any chance I had to keep fighting.’‘
‘‘You could have surrendered?’‘ Elsa studied me.
‘‘You wouldn't have. Why should I?’‘ I responded.
‘‘You are not me in so many relevant ways,’‘ Elsa stated. Desiree gave an infinitesimal groan.
‘‘Don't worry about it,’‘ I nodded. ‘‘Despite your failings, I'm still willing to accept you as an equal.’‘
‘‘That is a deadly insult,’‘ Elsa seethed.
‘‘Oh, look,’‘ I came back with a predatory grin, ‘‘you're angry. Kind of the way I am having done a bang up job only to have you belittle my performance despite having no training, or warning. Believing you are better than me because you have tits makes as much sense as me thinking that having a dick makes you the weaker sex. Its bigotry and stupid. Worse, it is a tactical flaw.’‘
‘‘Tell me,’‘ Katrina rose up majestically, ‘‘that his last three sentences make no sense. Please, lie to me and say the man is wrong.’‘ Elsa didn't respond. ‘‘I asked you to test his instincts and you gave him the second hardest test we have and that's only because I vetoed the hardest. If you honestly think he cannot help us, make that pledge now.’‘ Another pause.
‘‘He hit everything he aimed at,’‘ Elsa suddenly volunteered. ‘‘It was all close range. He didn't panic and he never left mission. If he had tits, I would have been impressed. I am still opposed to him having a weapon. His attitude is also grating.’‘
‘‘I have to work with him,’‘ Desiree complained.
‘‘If I express to Hayden the possibility that those men who pass Security testing be allowed to be trained with weapons, will you support me?’‘ Katrina requested.
‘‘Never!’‘ Elsa exclaimed.
‘‘Thank you for your opinion and honesty, Elsa,’‘ Katrina nodded. ‘‘I will see you later.’‘
The two security experts left the room.
To be continued in Part 4
By FinalStand for Literotica.