synopsis: Alexandra Ryder—a.k.a. Agent 47-D—is back and this time it’s personal.
Corruption Games
(By S.B.)
21 — Friend or Foe?
Alexandra’s flight to Washington went without a hitch and she was in a good mood from start to finish. The best part of the trip happened when she introduced her mindfucked pet to the abused young woman. “I have a present for you,” the hypnotic secret agent said.
“I’m sorry, what?” the baffled redhead asked, incredulous eyes staring at his new submissive demeanor, and not really sure how to process such an unexpected turn of events.
The woman—whose name Alexandra came to know as Marjorie—hailed from Atlantic City and not Vegas as she had initially predicted, but the rest of her profiling was on point. Seduced by the prospect of easy money, she had been caught in a vicious web too difficult to break free from, yet now she had been given a second chance to set the record straight.
“What did you do to him?” Marjorie whispered, waving her right hand before his unblinking eyes.
“I turned him into a more agreeable person to be around, but the triggers and suggestions won’t last forever,” Alexandra replied nonchalantly. “You can either leave now and go about your business, knowing he’ll never go after you again for as long as he lives—I’ll make sure of that!—or you can stay and have some fun with him while he’s powerless to resist. I’ll show you everything you need to deepen his state and ensure compliance when he tries to resist. Honestly, for everything he did to you, I would fuck his wallet hard while his mind is completely receptive to the idea.
“I think you got everything wrong. He never...”
“... hit you? Hun, you don’t need to lie and you shouldn’t be afraid of him anymore, either. You’re perfectly safe now, trust me.”
“I... Why are you doing this?”
“Because I hate to see idiots win. Look, you’re young and impressionable and I get that, but if you don’t stand up for yourself, then History will repeat itself one way or another. No one should mess with you unless that’s what you really want and there will never be a better opportunity to seize your fate than today.”
“What do I need to do?”
“Just follow my lead while we’re in the air. Hypnosis is simpler than what people make it be and a good trigger is one that’s easily reinforced. You won’t become an expert on such short notice, but you’ll have enough to tame him for as long as you want and should you need further help, I’ll give you my number so you can call me any time. Do we have a deal?”
“Yes, show me,” Marjorie replied, happily letting out her more mischievous side. “If it will protect me from other bastards like him in the future, then I want to know everything I can.”
“You’re making the right choice, you’ll see.”
Alexandra and Marjorie sat next to one another during the flight after the hypnotist quickly convinced her original companion to switch seats and then she spent the rest of the trip showing her some quick routines to get her man to obey her without question. A quick study, Marjorie learned everything she had to impart with relative ease and would have gone to become the perfect apprentice if only she had more time to spend. Despite spending so little time together, their parting was already bittersweet, and Alexandra waved her new friend goodbye the moment they touched the ground. It was time to return to more pressing matters.
Melvin hadn’t tried to contact her either meaning there had been no developments regarding the General’s situation. As such, she had to stick to the original plan for the time being and get closer to the Secretary of Defense without raising too many eyebrows. It was a challenge but certainly not impossible, provided she could find a few more gullible minds to play with.
As she left the facilities of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Alexandra expected anything to happen except what eventually did, for standing by a black vehicle with government plates, was the man she had once turned into a woman so that the General could stay in charge of the Division. David Simms’ stepbrother removed his sunglasses, looked at her, and said,
“Hello, 47-D, and welcome to Washington. How about we go for a ride?”
He looked somewhat different since their last encounter. While he still exhibited the same smug look of someone who thought of himself as superior to everyone else in just about every department, he had put on a few pounds and had a small mustache that didn’t favor his facial structure at all. The little tuft of hair above his lips made her chuckle.
“Henry Simms? Quite the unexpected welcoming party and one I could live without. I’m sorry, but I’m going to pass on your invitation for now.”
“It wasn’t really a request, Alexandra,” he tapped the vehicle’s back door, opening it far and wide. “We need to talk, and the sooner the better.”
“Do we? What could we possibly have to say to each other that wasn’t said the last time we were together? Do you want me to bring Henrietta back so we can play right here, right now? Sorry, but I have more important things to take care of, so if you’ll excuse me...”
Henry Simms moved away from the car to block her passage and went straight to business.
“Why have you come, Alexandra? With everything surrounding your agency at the moment, don’t you think your timing to visit the capital is odd?”
“I’m a U.S. citizen as much as you are, Simms. Don’t I have the right to go anywhere I please without being stalked by the likes of you? The real question is, why are you here?”
“We were tipped off of your impending arrival to the city and I wanted to be the one to confront you about it.”
“We? Who’s we? What branch are you representing right now and where’s your badge? If this is an official action, then I demand some proof of its legitimacy.”
“I’ve been assigned to the Secretary of Defense’s detail after what happened. I didn’t ask for it, but my previous experience with your team was considered invaluable for the investigation at hand.”
“And what investigation was that? You were ready to sacrifice Colonel Gibbons without hesitation. I saw no real efforts from the powers that be to thoroughly work on this and that remains true even to this date.”
“That’s why we need to talk, Alexandra. Believe me, the last thing I want is to spend more time with you than I should, but this is important. Could you please come with me? There are some things going on that shouldn’t be said in public.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Get inside and I’ll tell you.”
Alexandra hesitated, casually observing his demeanor. Simms was nervous, as evidenced by the throbbing veins on his neck and hands and the drops of sweat on his furrowed brow. Despite his initial claims, his presence there had no real reason of being unless something else had happened during the flight. While she too could live without spending another minute in his presence, he could prove to be a useful source of information. She turned back and entered the car, followed by her previous unwilling subject.
Simms locked the door on the inside and pressed a square button on his side of the vehicle. A bluish tint enveloped the seats and surrounding area, causing Alexandra’s phone and every other piece of electronic equipment to go temporarily haywire.
“What’s with the jamming mechanism?” she asked.
“I just want to make sure that our conversation is strictly between the two of us. Things have not been the same around here since the Colonel Gibbons’ incident.”
“What do you mean?”
“Washington looks like a war zone with everyone tossing blame and looking for scapegoats. The security measures are getting out of hand for fear of further attacks in the next couple of days. It’s like we’ve gone back time twenty years and I fear that things will only escalate from here, especially because of the idea that the enemy is one of us.”
“That is a false notion. Colonel Gibbons is not an enemy but a victim as well. The things he did were not of his own volition.”
“Oh, I believe you.”
“You do?” she muttered. “Now, I’ve heard everything! I thought you, of all people, would be on the front line to crucify him for what happened.”
“Make no mistake, Alexandra. Neither you, General Hayes nor Colonel Gibbons are my favorite people in the world, but despite being a government official, I still think for myself, and it’s obvious to the naked eye that none of this makes any sense. A highly decorated officer like Colonel Gibbons who has given so much to his country already would never go about committing a crime like this in public, especially with an entire covert organization at their disposal. No one would be that stupid unless something else was at stake.”
Alexandra crossed her legs and replied, “That has to be one of the most sensible things I’ve ever heard you say, Simms. Honestly, I’m impressed.”
“It’s just common sense which is severely lacking in most officials around here. Not that my opinion matters much in the grand scheme of things, but I wanted you to know, nonetheless. We’re not friends and we’ll never be but that doesn’t mean we have to be sworn enemies either.”
“Interesting... You almost sounded like your stepbrother now.”
“How’s David doing?”
“He was frozen stiff in a bed the last time we talked. He’ll say he didn’t like it but will be begging for more when the time is right,” she smirked.
“I see you’ve already messed with his head.”
“Only a little. He’s not at a point of wearing women’s clothes... yet.”
“Please don’t remind me of that, and let’s get back to what it matters.”
“Very well. Why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you in all of this?”
“Frankly? Everything! I’ll tell you all the whispers I heard, but I need something in return.”
“You want whatever info my team discovered in the meantime, right?”
“Yes. Quid pro quo. I wash your hands and you wash mine. What do you say?”
“I say that no matter how friendly you’re looking right now, you have an ulterior motive as well, and I’d like to know what it is before we go any further.”
“My motivation is finding the truth, nothing more.”
“Are you really trying to tell me there’ll be no political advantage for you if you happen to be on the winning side when all of this is over? Come on, Simms! Let’s get real, here. You were never the same after the fiasco with the President...”
... a fiasco you orchestrated, remember that.”
“That’s beside the point. You lost your leverage and now you want it back, right?”
“What’s wrong with having personal ambition, Alexandra?”
“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with and I get where you’re coming from, but if you expect me to come clean, then you shouldn’t hold anything back, either. You want to look good in the pictures when the truth comes out, and that’s why you came to me, right? Because you know I won’t rest until everything is exposed.”
“I’d forgotten how annoying you can be, 47-D,” he grimaced.
“Don’t say that. People only forget me when I want them to.”
“You’re right. I do want my name out there again, so I can build myself a new future. I was hoping you’d be sympathetic after the way everything went down.”
“If you want my sympathy, give me something concrete, then. What else is going on around here that’s stirring the waters?”
“Are you familiar with Senator Masters from Ohio?”
“Who isn’t? The man’s already a legend in the capital and for all the wrong reasons.”
“There’s a rumor that he may become the next Secretary of Defense should the worst come to pass.”
“That’s the first time I’m hearing that, and it seems highly unlikely considering his tempestuous dealings with the President.”
“Unlikely or not, he does have the party support and his voice is getting stronger even among his detractors. If his ambitions are met, we could be in for a world of pain.”
“I know he’s a loose cannon, but are you really suggesting he may be involved in this somehow?”
“I’m not suggesting anything because I don’t know anything. However, you should know he’s been privately supporting your shutdown for a while now and then this happens. With Colonel Gibbons being implicated in a potential murder the more reason Congress will have to block the Division’s next budget and with no funding...”
“That’s an interesting theory, Simms, but there’s something that doesn’t add up,” Alexandra noted.
“And what’s that?”
“That would be telling, sorry.”
“Come on, Alexandra, you said you’d cooperate with me if I told you what I knew!”
“Actually, you’re the one that assumed that. I didn’t agree to anything in particular.”
“So, you’re really going to fuck me over again, huh?”
“I know this is not what you want to hear, but the less you know the safer you are. If you get entangled in this, you could end up dead and your stepbrother will never forgive me if that happens.”
“Damn it, 47-D! I don’t need your protection!”
“Trust me, you do,” she declared, thinking of all the things Accardi could do to his body if they were left alone in a room together. Simms had given her ample evidence of being a certified asshole in the past, but not even he deserved to face the wrath of L’ Angelo Cremisi if he assumed his plans were being meddled with somehow.
“Fuck this! You’re incorrigible, Alexandra!”
“You already knew that when you invited me in. Now, if we’re done, I’m out of here, unless you want to take me to my hotel while you’re at it.”
“I could have you arrested, you know?”
“On what charges? I’ve done nothing since arriving here except talking to you unless you’re telling me that’s a crime...” she smirked. “If you don’t want to ‘follow me gladly’ again, I suggest you do as I say.”
“Hmmph... One of these days, things will not work for you the way you expect them to.”
“But not today, Simms. Not today...” Alexandra stretched her legs and waited for her unlikely ride to start rolling. It sure was better than calling a cab.