The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Go shower Vee,” James tells her softly, “Go get a shower and let the water wash the tears away, let them out and wash them all away.”

“We knew it was at least four.” Carissa says watching Virginia go to the shower.

“She’s still in there.” Olivia whispers in horror, “She’s still awake and reliving it.”

“Only James being nearby keeps it at bay.” Tamara says seriously, “This goes no further, you can’t tell anyone what she said. Tell them all you want about how her body looks. Tell them she went through hell and James rescued her, but nothing about what she just said. I am counting on all of you to keep the rumors under control. You let this get out of hand you are the ones who killed her.”

“Oh my god.” Olivia whispers backing away. She can’t believe that anyone would go six on one for a stranger. Further she can’t envision surviving what happened to Virginia.

“Tamara would you mind leading me to Virginia then out of here.”

“No problem.”

“Thank you.” James said. Tamara lead him to where Virginia was showering. He told her to enjoy the shower and that Carissa would wait with her and bring her to James when she finished. Then Tamara lead James out of the locker room so he could get dressed himself.

“Is she ever going to recover?” Olivia asks after Tamara lead James to the bathroom area to get dressed.

“Not completely.” Carissa answers sadly, hating the truth yet knowing it, this, what they have done, are doing, is the only way she will ever recover at all.

“Off the record so to speak.” Tamara says returning, “I can tell you this ties into some other missing persons and aggravated rape cases in some surrounding areas. One of the reasons he doesn’t talk about it is that he was hit by some of the same psychotropics she was during the fight. He staved off the effects long enough to get them both help before he collapsed. It took nearly three days to flush his system enough have brainwaves that looked like brainwaves, and that was with help, without that help he would have died.”

“Then you are here as much to watch him as her?” Coach asks, showing more understanding than Tamara or Carissa either one had expected out of her.

“Yes. His balance, mental and physical both, are just a little off. Virginia knows he fought her attackers to get her out there. That’s why she is so attached to him. She is totally focussed on him because of that and as far any of the therapists can tell it is the only thing holding her together.”

“Further.” Carissa says smiling, “She is quite protective of him. Saving ones life is one thing, what he saved her from though is worse than death. I can also honestly tell you that him not laying a hand on her is his idea not hers. He has been a perfect gentleman, perfect given what he is recovering from that is, those type of drugs take a toll, especially when used as weapons.”

“Are you saying he is still a virgin then?” Olivia asks with a disbelieving tone.

“No.” Tamara and Carissa say together.

“Oh.” Olivia says obviously taken off guard, as much by their answers as her own feelings about it.

“He won’t remember it clearly though.” Carissa tells her.

“The first couple of nights he wasn’t really himself.” Tamara confirms.

“He would wake screaming and incoherent.”

“Holding him helped, caressing him did more. He responded and for my part I just kept responding, in no small part to the pain he was going through and the pain he already had. He needed something...” Tamara went on then stopped as she ran out of words.

“Not really the right way to handle it.” The coach replies with a tone of understanding if not acceptance, “But I can understand responding to the pain.”

“He really needed, maybe not that, but something more than nice words.” Tamara tells her and the coach can see something in Tamara’s eyes that touches her.

“As I said, I understand.” The coach replied turning the conversation away from that look until Virginia was done in the shower and wanted to be lead back to James.

“Hi James.” Simon said, startling James out of his reverie at lunch as he and Anna sat down at his table joining the three of them already there.

“Hi Simon.” James said, not sure what he felt at the moment as the knowledge that Simon ran the arcade came to him unbidden as he thought about his friend, just one of a myriad of things he found he knew now. Somehow as much a part of him as everything else, leaving him absently wondering what it was like for Carissa and Tamara.

“They told me what happened with Virginia.” Simon said gesturing toward Virginia.

“I have so many questions now.” James says flatly, “I want to ask but I’m afraid to.”

“Afraid I won’t answer?” Simon asks.

“No, afraid you will.” James answers honestly.

“I didn’t know what Mindy and Anna had in mind.”

“Don’t sweat it.”

“You ok?”

“I honestly don’t know. Tell me something Anna would you?” James asks turning to her.

“If I can.” She answered.

“What’s it like knowing he can, I don’t know the right words.”

“Right now he can’t. I may change back later, but right now I’m completely me.”

“So it is true?” Carissa interjects sounding puzzled.

“Yes it is.” Anna affirms.

“Is it also true you let him?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry but this is too weird.” James says closing his eyes as information flooded his waking mind, making sense of the half spoken things they were saying, leaving him lost in what he knew with no idea how he knew any of it.

“A moment.” Anna says closing her eyes thinking, then continues. “Virginia.”

“Ess am.” She replies turning to Anna.

“Sopor dum revoco.”

“Ess am.” Virginia replies softly then lays her head down on the table using her arms as a pillow and falls asleep.

“What the?” James asks stunned.

“How did you know that would work?” Carissa asks surprised.

“I wasn’t completely sure, but given what happened in the pool I figured she had to be more or less awake in there.” Anna replied still studying Virginia closely. Her look one of wonder and horror and determination all mixed together.

“Preconscious underlay to conscious precursor reflex?” Simon asks also staring.

“More or less.” Anna confirms, “Nice to see some of the lessons are sticking.”

“I have a ways to go.” Simon admits, “Sometimes I just get part of it, then a bunch of it makes sense.”

“You actually get this shit?” James asked staring as some part of his mind showed him diagrams in response to Simon and Anna’s words.

“More or less. Not as well as Anna or Carissa there, but well enough.”

“What did you do to me Anna?” James asks hesitantly, “I know you did something. I’ve always been smart, fast mentally, but since this began, since you tested me. Especially since Virginia, everything, everyone, around me seems to run slow and people sound stupider than normal. Every time I think about something it’s just there, I don’t even have to try anymore.”

“I did what had to be done to save Virginia. Mindy saw a great deal of potential in you so she tested you for it. She looked at you because your brother had proven to be in it’s grasp.” Anna said then paused and her audience could see her decision to say what came next cross her face, “Look, you have to understand, some people have this thing in them, a source of strength, a vitality if you will. It isn’t good, it isn’t bad, it just is. We call it the abyss, and there are only three possible outcomes. One, you never connect with it at all, that is the most common, especially in modern society and in most ways the best. Two, you get a grip on it, even a partial one, three fourths of those who do go onto great things, the rest dark things, some very dark. Three, it gets a grip on you, what happened to Ben, three fourths of those go bad, very bad. Places Ben would only dream of for years to come, the rest of those are driven to do good things by it. Her hope for you was that you could get in your grasp before it got you in it’s. It being active in Ben meant it either was or would be soon in you.”

“Did I?” He asked allowing the conversation to be deflected because one of the new parts of him indicated she was in spite of how it sounded, actually answering his question. She was telling him not precisely what he wanted to know, but instead what he needed to know, even things he wouldn’t realize he needed for a while yet.

“Yes.”

“But what I did.” He mumbled remembering flashes.

“Don’t worry about it. You were under the influence of drugs designed to let the demons out. What happened was only the darkest fantasies any mind conjures given form then forced out. You couldn’t help yourself, that’s what the disassociative state is for.”

“But I.” James mutters and stops.

“It’s over now.” Simon says reassuringly, “It can never take off guard or by surprise now. You know it’s tricks, what it wants, what it will do to get out. Now you are ready.”

“Tell me something though will you?” James asks turning to Simon, “If you are in charge of everything, and the information I suddenly just know tells me so, why does everything seem to be decided and done by the women you supposedly control?”

“Control is a many sided weapon my friend.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You met Amina, right?” Simon asks.

“Yeah.” James agrees shuddering, “One scary little bitch.”

“She is also, " Simons says obviously agreeing with James’s assessment, unafraid and unembarrassed to admit it, “Wilhelm’s, you haven’t met him yet, co second in command, along with Kara, not sure if you met her or not.”

“Ok.”

“She used to be bound, controlled, far more deeply than Carissa there.” Simon says pointing.

“I still think they’re nuts for letting her loose.” Carissa says by way of agreement.

“Why?” James asks.

“She is wrong, off, not like us.” Carissa says obviously seeing some memory replay in her minds eye much to her horror, “She killed three perps the cops wanted when she was working as bait. They had to turn her volition almost off to keep her under control. You could trust her with a million dollars, she would guard children with her life, but let her near a rapist or a pedophile and they had a strictly limited life span.”

“Killed?” James asks with horror.

“Yes, killed, as in dead.” Carissa affirms firmly, “Yet since she went to Wilhelm she has actually improved. She was actively protective of him when assigned, without specific orders that is, which she never had been before to anyone else when assigned. She also while protecting him didn’t kill a perp who attacked Wilhelm. It would have made things harder on Rhea if she had, but that’s not why she didn’t kill him. She didn’t have to and she knew Wilhelm would not have been happy with her killing him if it could be avoided, so she didn’t out of respect for his wishes, that has never happened before with her.”

“Didn’t kill? This is an improvement?” James asks as a face came unbidden of a skinny girl, Rhea.

“Yes, and a big one. The point is that at that time Amina was his property.”

“Property?” James asked, surprised by the use of the word and the deliberate tone.

“Exactly. Her uncle had used the rescue protocols, a different portion of the ones used on Virginia, to bind her to Wilhelm because at that time it was believed he would never be part of the main conflict at all. It was his way of putting her somewhere safe.” Carissa replied softly, “That has changed and so has her assignment. She is free of that binding now, bound by only her word. She is second in command with Kara, yet she still listens to those around her, garnering wisdom from their advice. It is like she is a new person now. The old her was far more violent, but I fear the new her is even more dangerous even given it, she is less violent.”

“You say conflict and I see these diagrams in my head. Faces appear with names and information attached. It is like a spider web of associations and it makes sense until stop to look at it.” James says as he lets her words settle into him.

“It’s all a bit much right now, that will ease. Just let it happen, don’t try to force it.”

“So in time I will also be involved in these decisions?”

“If you do well with Virginia, if you want to be.” Anna replied breaking back in.

“I get a choice?”

“If you decide you want to stay with us yes. Right now we needed to use you to save Virginia. For what it matters, I, we, are sorry about all this. After this is done, when Virginia is as good as she ever will be, you will be given choices. You won’t have to decide immediately, you will have time.”

“This is to weird. Simon is in charge, yet the decision is yours and the girls’ for now and ultimately mine?”

“Exactly.”

“How did you make Virginia go to sleep?” James asked trying to change the subject. Suddenly scared by how big and well organized it all feels, and that it doesn’t feel alien to him.

“By telling her to sleep. It’s a context thing. I can do the same to Carissa, but the command is different for her here and now.” Anna replied smiling, accepting the deflection.

“What?” James asks staring at Carissa as other trivia floated to the surface of his mind.

“The controls are context driven.” Carissa replied, “You don’t have most of the contexts yet though. I know context doesn’t make much sense right now, but trust us, the idea will come into focus over time and with practice.”

“Then why not make a better context for Virginia, why do this? Why not just tell her to be herself?”

“We can’t.” Anna replied sadly, “Contexts can only be made relative to the person. She is not much of a person right now so we can’t use much of a context, only the simplest work.”

“As she gathers herself together, more complex contexts and hence orders can be used which is a measure of her progress?” James asks, surprised his question came out that coherent.

“Precisely.” Anna replied impressed.

“That’s why you focussed her so strongly on me. You wanted, needed, her to have a single focus she could trust.” James speculates.

“Exactly.” Anna replies smiling. “She knows you stopped what was happening to her, she remembers that, she also knows you saw her at her worst, so she can relax with and around you. Right now her impulse is to trust you because you saved her. The controls simply layer on top of that to ensure she obeys you, since she wants to anyway the over rides on her decision making process do little to no further trauma to her or her mind.”

“We are also here to ask you yet another favor.” Simon says sounding reluctant as he breaks back in.

“What kind?” James asked startled as the thoughts about what Anna and Carissa had said go one direction and Simon talking go in another, yet he is aware of both at the same time now. The dichotomy of awareness bothers him, yet the new wider horizons are great.

“Do you remember Rhea at the fort?” Anna asked.

“Yes. Skinny little thing, looked half starved. Was that her step father Amina didn’t kill?” James asked as a face repeated itself in his mind from earlier.

“Yes it was. Now, due to circumstances we can’t talk about yet. She is not going back to school where she is from and the question came up that since you are going to be moving into the attic, would you mind if we asked your parents about Rhea renting your room?”

“I thought she was still in school?”

“She is, however the paperwork for her being emancipated is in progress. Helping with Virginia would be a part of her job with the UCA and provide an extra set of hands on site if needed, though her main thing will be keeping up her grades. She is going to graduate not get a GED.”

“Why me?”

“You already have Virginia and escort, this just gives us an extra layer and Rhea a place to call home while she finishes growing up.”

“Is she like Carissa and Tamara?”

“More or less.” Simon replied.

“She is closer to Amina though.” Anna tells him. “Wild at heart and still looking for bearings.”

“Umm.”

“I know.” Anna laughs, “Scary, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Rhea would definitely not be available to you. Though she is definitely a working girl and will be out of the house two or more evenings a week on assignment, she is aimed at a very different market right now.”

“Market?”

“Pedophile bait, just as Amina used to do.” Simon tells him in an odd tone, “She is about to turn sixteen and can easily pass for thirteen, even without makeup or dressing young that is, with is morally disturbing to even look at her. She volunteered.”

“Ughh,” James grunts as involuntarily the picture what Rhea could do if she tried formed, “Why would someone volunteer for that?”

“She likes hunting predators. She was a victim for a long time. We are hoping that living with a male who will see her as a person will help. To reinforce that we want her to know that she never has to worry about you wanting her. Though I do have to be fair and warn you she may want a shoulder some night or nights and it is critical that you not lay a hand on her of she does. Hold, cuddle, comfort, but otherwise do nothing, even if she wants it.”

“If I want, off limits, got it. If she wants, off limits, got it. Do I want to know how big this all really is?” James asked obviously not really wanting an answer.

“Not yet. Let the pieces you have settle first.” Simon replied hoping his friend would be ok.

“I can do that.” James answered then paused for a moment, “It’s weird though, I can feel you in my head Anna. I would have thought it would be Simon since he is in charge, I think that is, but it’s you I feel.”

“That’s a safe guard. Cross gender controls have predictable issues even if they can be rather bad in some cases. Straight gender issues on the other hand tend to either work fine or not at all, with sometimes very little if any method to predict which in advance. Male on male being the worst possible when it fails, though some cases of female on female have been pretty bad. The exception seems to be Mindy and we are researching that. She remains a puzzle in many ways, even to us.”

“If you don’t mind me asking Anna.” Carissa interrupted, “How is it that you have such depth of understanding in so short of a time? It took me a year to get there, and that was from the inside.”

“I’m a quick study and I spent a lot of the summer in deep study.”

“Deep study?”

“On me, with Mindy’s help that is.” Simon answered, “We are in each others heads to borrow Angelique’s words.”

“I have lots of information with little understanding as of yet.” Anna replied.

“While I have very little information but lots of understanding.” Simon finished for her, “We have different jobs and hence different approaches.”

“So you know how to use my controls?” Carissa asked curiously.

“Sort of, I have the shape but not the details.” Simon replied, “I know the basics of how they work, that was obvious, though actually implementing them is still well beyond me. While I can’t directly use the controls, I know how to tell Anna or another what I want and they do it.”

“Odd. The males chosen as managers by Mindy in the past all had direct access to the controls.”

“I’m not really a manager, I’m not real sure what I am, but I’m not really that.”

“I think the weirdest part here,” James joked, “is that this conversation seems normal to me. It’s not a normal conversation, but it feels normal, and even worse, it makes sense.”

“You get used to it.” Carissa laughed, “If you decide to stick around you will love the feeling that comes with being able to feel who can order you.”

“You can feel who can order you?” James asked stunned.

“You get used to how authority figures look and feel. It’s part of what we call the contexts, the context determines the exact phrases needed to control you in any given circumstances.”

“The more complicated the person or circumstance, the more complicated of commands that are available in that context.” Anna answered, “Carissa is a multi layered person, not simple at all, therefore she has very complicated contexts and commands available, just as Virginia is not complex right now so only the simplest of either are available. There is a structure underneath it all. It is simple yet stunning, people see it as complex because they try to take it all in at once, you don’t, you let go and go with the flow.”

“You have a very good understanding.” Carissa says complimenting her.

“Thank you.” Anna replied with a grin and a nod, “Would it help to have Tamara around for the rest of the week to help get Virginia settled in?”

“Really, yes it would.” Carissa answered with relief, “I hate to think how bad that would cut into her revenue stream though.”

“Revenue stream?” James asked puzzled.

“She is a working girl James.” Carissa replied, “I’ve seen her get a ten grand bonus on one night’s work because the old man appreciated how gentle she was with his grandson. Then he chartered her for a week in Bimini. He stayed two days, she stayed the week on his dime, his real thank you to her.”

“I’m sorry, I knew but it just wasn’t umm.”

“Real?” Anna joked.

“Yeah, real.” James agreed shaking his head, “So her being with me over the weekend was, um.”

“You couldn’t afford her James.” Carissa told him laughing, “She is top grade and hella expensive, reserved for the jet set. You are in select company, there are multimillionaires, and not a few multi multi who would be jealous of you right now if they knew, no matter the circumstances. Being with her would change how they see you and hence how they treat you.”

“Oh.” James mumbled remembering her over him, him in her, and her smiling.

“Embarrassing ain’t it?” Simon laughed.

“So close yet so far.” James chuckled sadly.

“That’s why she was chosen. With her there you are completely sated and Virginia is completely safe for now.” Anna told him.

“Yeah she’s safe. Even if I had any interest in Vee like that, I’m so warn out from Tamara I couldn’t if I wanted to.”

“That was the idea.” Carissa laughed, “Depress the libido by brute force so you can think in spite of having Virginia literally hanging on your every word.”

“One thing I don’t get.” James said trying to change a now embarrassing subject, “How is it that Vee is bonded to me yet she responded to the order from Anna?”

“The bonding is for non contextual control.” Anna replied shifting subject fluidly, “Context based controls will still work up to the level of complexity of her conscious mind. Right now only the simplest work, as she recovers the controls she responds to will becomes more complex.”

“Non contextual?”

“Right now you don’t need any contexts to control her. She literally just does anything you tell her, it is for her own safety.” Anna replied then took a deep breath thinking before continuing, “What there is of Virginia right now has only one concern, finding all the pieces of herself wherever they hid in her, then reassembling them. At this moment all the collected pieces trust you implicitly, even more than they do themselves or each other. As more pieces collect, the new ones may or may not trust you the same way. At the same time however she will become more complex and respond to the Contexts on a deeper level as she does this. The less concern the new pieces have as they collect, the more they can trust what those already collected trust, the faster they will collect speeding her recovery. That is why it is important that you not use her. Eventually the equivalent of stockhome syndrome will set in, that is another reason to not use her, even of she desires it passively. We need to know when that starts in, it is a developmental marker. It may take weeks, months or in a worst case, years. So please be patient with her.”

“So the escort really is there to watch over Virginia and if necessary keep me sated?”

“Yes.” Carissa answers, “We know you will have more needs at first. It is a byproduct what was done, that overdrive will ease, it should be by now though it may persist for up to several weeks, it varies a lot. I know you are very used to Tamara being there, once she is gone it is important that you keep yourself sated with the escort. Virginia must see that you are satisfied and she is safe. That way she feels no pressure from you even subconsciously. That way when she does express an interest, it will happen, we know it a choice, not a response to expectations. So yes, you are expected to use us and you will do so. To do otherwise is to have her instincts blend with your obvious or even inobvious desire so that she feels like it is expected of her. She will eventually come to that decision on her own and it must be on her own. In the meantime that is a secondary part of the escorts job.”

“So how do I wake her and will that work for me?” James asks desperately deflecting a conversation that has gone insane, yet persists in making sense.

“Speaking directly to her, you may need to call her by name, you tell her ‘Revoco Vigilo’ to wake her, and ‘Sopor dum revoco.’ To make her sleep. Loosely and badly, ‘sleep until called’ and ‘called to wake’, the latin is horrible, blame Mindy, she’s the one who made her own dictionary.” Anna answers with a knowing smile.

“Got it.” James said after mumbling the phrases to himself several times to be sure he remembered them properly, “Made her own dictionary?”

“She had to.” Carissa replied, “Otherwise anyone who spoke proper Latin could control us. This way it is combined with the contexts to guide how the translation is done. That makes the dictionary pretty much unbreakable since context also includes how you get there and where you are going. So unless you have it implanted, it all looks like random babbling in a language you are only pretending to speak fluently.”

“I’m supposed to have part of this in my head already and it still looks like gibberish.”

“Only if you think about it instead of just letting it happen.” Anna told him, “And don’t worry, if you have any need or even strong desire for the escort’s, everything you need is there, just close your eyes and concentrate.”

“Oh.” James said once again embarrassed. Then the bell rang and lunch was over. He woke Virginia so they could get to his next class and the groups went their separate ways. James is surprised yet delighted when Tamara is there when he gets home, though his father seems almost upset.

“Do you have a moment miss.” James’s father says to Tamara when they happen to be alone in the kitchen after dinner.

“Sure Mr.” She starts to reply and is cut off.

“Call me John.”

“Sure John, What’s on your mind.” Tamara replies sensing this is a serious subject to him.

“I have a question or two to ask and I need some straight answers.” He tells her and then waits for her nod to continue, “I am not asking about what my boy rescued her from, hell would a close enough approximation. I am not asking why a video arcade, even one like he apparently works for, is paying for a full time escort, I suspect that answer would disturb me more than the question does. My question is for you and you alone. I know why you are here. Your job is to make sure my son is not tempted to take advantage of the situation with Virginia. I know what you do and my question is whether you are here on your own or whether someone is footing your bill as well?”

“Well then John,” Tamara asks with a hesitant smile, “would you like a nice answer, an accurate one or a blunt there is no way you could possibly misunderstand it one.”

“The latter please, I have my reasons. I happen to recognize you from just over a year ago at a little golf place north of Vegas.”

“Then I don’t have to polite do I?” She asks with a genuine smile.

“No.”

“I am here to, if necessary, wear your son out so he doesn’t have the energy to look twice at Virginia if that’s what it takes. It hasn’t by the way.”

“Good to know,” John replies grinning, “On both counts.”

“He’s a good boy.”

“He has the same streak in him that I do and my other boy does. I have it under control, learned how in the marines, but I just couldn’t get Ben to control it. James always seemed to be holding some part of himself back, now I know for sure what.”

“He’s still a good kid.”

“Why are you here? Not what are you doing while here, why are you here?”

“Good to see someone who understands the difference. I am here because someone asked for me because I am good at what I do. I make more in a night than many do in a pay check. I also have some hefty expenses and I am still in school, college that is, I start at university next year and I am saving up to pay for it all in one go.”

“A true professional then?”

“Yes.”

“Can I ask a personal question?” He asked.

“Sure.”

“Do you like him or is he just a job?”

“He’s a good kid. Why?”

“We have some relatives coming over next weekend for a family get together and barbecue. I was wondering if you would be his date. His cousin has just started as first string quarterback and always brings his current bimbo with him. It is always hard on James because he’s not much in on the whole social thing.”

“And I would make for great revenge?”

“You are beautiful, far more so than his toys. Smart, twice the brains of his blow up dolls on their best day and your worst. And if you like him, would you make sure his cousin knows as much as possible what he risked, what he went through to help that poor girl.”

“I think I can do that.” Tamara replied with a smile that reached her eyes.

“Thank you.”

“How much do you want me to rub it in?” Tamara asks with a seductive grin.

“I’ll leave that in your hands.”

“If you don’t mind then, I will make sure to have a chance to tell the sports snit that I am here by own choice. That no one is paying me be his date, and that I don’t consider it a burden at all. Also I will make sure he knows I originally did it as a reward while helping with Virginia and came to like James in his own right.”

“You would do all that?”

“It’s the truth. He’s too young for me, but I don’t need to think about that this weekend.”

“Thank you.”

“Not a problem. I’ll be here all week to help with any unforeseen glitches with Virginia. If you don’t mind I will use the couch down here.”

“His mother would appreciate that. She wants to at least pretend her little boy is still her little boy.”

“She knows but you don’t want to make her face it before she is ready?” Tamara asked.

“Exactly.”

“I know your other worry, I’m clean. We use protection but it’s unneeded. I have my implant, it’s mandatory in my line of work, and all of my clientele, your son included, are prescreened for health problems by my agency.”

“I hate to ask this, but your agency?” John asked hesitantly.

“Yes, my agency is the arcade, the UCA or Under Cover Arcade. We hire extras as cover for our other activities. Your son was hired as part of that active cover. The job is real and they do actual work on the machines, but they are not involved in my part of operations.”

“I hate to ask but is Virginia?”

“Yes, she is, was now I guess, a working girl. She was leaving an assignment when she was taken. Your son found her about thirty hours later. I know more than that, but I can’t talk about what I know without potentially compromising the investigation. What I can tell you is that your son was hit with some of the same drugs that were used on Virginia which is another part of the reason for our presence. He suffered some very bad side effects before his system flushed them out. We are hoping that he will remember more as he recovers.”

“Thank you for being honest with me.”

“Your welcome. I would imagine you’re not very happy right now, but, please be sure that we are doing the best we can for he and Virginia both.”

“Would you be happier, doing your job that is, if I grabbed my spare cot from the shed out back so you can sleep in his room with Carissa and Virginia?”

“Are you offering a cover?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because.” John replied then paused for a few moments, “You are being honest with me about what you need to do and I think part of what you want to keep an eye on is muttering in his sleep.”

“Truthfully that would help. However, it is not an actual necessity.”

“Yet you are afraid of recurrent psychotic episodes in he or Virginia aren’t you?”

“Yes, but how did you know?”

“I experimented with a few things when I was younger. The way you are handling all this looks suspiciously like a flashback watch. For both of them.”

“There is some concern.” Tamara confirmed, not even bothering to try to hide her surprise.

“Then why not just say so?”

“Because you were being cooperative already. I, we, didn’t want to endanger that cooperation by saying we actually need to keep someone in his bed with him in case he has an episode or Virginia does and attacks him.”

“How likely?”

“Him, maybe one in a thousand. Her, she has multiple flashbacks nightly. Our greatest concern is in the midst of the flashback she latches onto anything familiar and attacks it as a way of holding on.”

“Fortunately we’re at the far end of the house. I’ll go tell my wife why I’m digging out the cot. Make sure all three cots are messed then remade in the mornings and I’ll make sure my wife doesn’t look too closely.”

“Seriously, thank you.” Tamara replies with relief, “You could have made my job a lot harder, thank you for not.”

“Just make his cousin suffer.”

“I can do that.” Tamara cooed walking off to find Carissa. James was puzzled seeing his Dad lug the old army cot up to his room and even more surprised to see it made into a bed for Tamara. The surprise of those two events paled beside her simply climbing into bed with him that night instead.

“Hey coach.” James said in greeting as they met her in the hallway between the boys’ and girls’ locker room entrances for gym class the next day.

“I’m told you have a solution.” Coach says to Carissa ignoring James for the moment.

“I sure do ma’am.” Carissa says pulling out a wet contacts style eye care package from her backpack.

“Let’s see.” Coach says looking curious.

“Here James,” Carissa says holding out the package to him, “Put these on.”

“What are they?” He asks in surprise.

“You didn’t tell him?”

“Less likely to freak out beforehand that way.” Carissa laughs.

“What the?” James asks when he opens the package to find a pair of jet black looking though reflective contact lenses.

“Just put them on.” Carissa orders with a smile.

“Yes ma’am.” James says mockingly as he picks up one contact.

“Breaking him in early?” Coach asks laughing at both of their tones.

“Can’t start too young.” Carissa laughs as James discovers the contacts really are black, he can’t see a thing after putting them on.

“Hey?” James yelps in surprise as he finds himself blind.

“Here,” Carissa says placing his hand on Virginia’s shoulder.

“What the?” He asks.

“Come on Virginia, let’s lead James around.” Carissa says smiling.

“Kay.” Virginia replies grinning, she likes this game, she likes leading James around, as long as he will follow that is, otherwise she is happy to follow instead.

“What’s going on?” James asks as he hears the sounds of a locker room around him, then he realizes the voices are wrong, he is in the girl’s locker room.

“Bathroom Virginia.” Carissa says softly leading the way.

“You want Virginia to swim?” James asks. One part of him is fascinated, he is in the girls locker room, but he is blind and being led around by Virginia.

“Exactly.”

“Ok.” James says as they stop. Carissa moves his hand from Virginia’s shoulder to a stall door and places his swimming trunks in the other.

“Just give the directions and go change.”

“Yes ma’am.” James quips then addresses Virginia, “Virginia, swim time. Go change into a swim suit like the other girls are doing then come get me, we’ll take a shower side by side.”

“Kay.” Virginia replies, obviously not sure why James is hiding in the bathroom to change. She follows Carissa, quickly finds a locker and changes into the swimsuit Carissa supplies. The she returns to where James is.

“Put my hand back on your shoulder Virginia. Then take us to the shower.”

“Kay.” She replies taking his hand and leading him off. Behind him he can hear Coach talking with Carissa and several other girls but not the words, just their voices over the shower.

“Now take us to the bleachers by the pool Virginia.” James tells her holding out his hand to her after he is sure she has gotten her hair wet as required, he did and she tends emulate whatever he does so he could be sure. He can hear low words around him as he is lead out blind. Several people bump into him and he loses his balance for a moment stumbling, nearly falling. After that he can hear surprise in the girls voices that he really is blind at the moment and trusting Virginia to guide him to the bleachers so he can remove the contacts and go swimming.

After fifteen minutes of playing in the water, even Virginia’s enthusiasm for water can’t disguise the fact she is tiring rapidly. Saddened but obedient she follows James to the benches, then leads him once more blind back to the showers, then the bathroom stall while she dressed and finally back out to the hallway.

“You’ll have to go in five minutes late and leave five minutes early from now on.” Coach tells him while he is talking out the contacts. “Can’t have you in here during the rush.”

“I can do that.” James says easily, “Virginia really likes swimming and anything that gets her involved is a good thing right now.”

For the second day in a row there is no sign of Stewart at lunch. Simon and Anna are also no where to be found today. He can hear fragments of rumors around him, that he spent PE in the girls locker room, that he has the run of the girls locker room and much much more. That set the tone for his week. Each night Tamara joined him in bed. Each day he went through the girls locker room blinded and led by Virginia. After the third day they quit trying to knock him down when Virginia growled at one of them then subsided when James called her back to him.

“I think Tamara is soft on James.” Anna says, voicing an observation to Mindy days later.

“Why?”

“She turned down two spots and put off her monthly with Wikelson.”

“He mad?”

“No. She’s going to kill him one of these months you know.”

“He’ll go the way he wants to go, what’s the problem?”

“Just a little concerned visibility wise.” Anna admitted, “He already has a deposit with us to ensure she makes it to his funeral.”

“He’s 80 and he likes big busts, it’s his money.”

“It just seems wrong.”

“What, let him waste away having absolutely no fun and live an extra few years in purgatory relegated to a chair, or worse, a bed?”

“No, and he’s 83 actually.”

“Don’t panic about it. That’s for the private services, not the public ones. He wants her to handle giving out bequests because she drives his grand children nuts. He actually had her break in his favorite great grandson about a year ago.”

“Oh. She rescheduled for next weekend instead of this one.”

“She’s attending James’s family get together.” Mindy said looking at a note, “Apparently James’s father figured out why she is really there and asked if she could help put a cousin football player in his place since he always brings his latest bimbo to these things.”

“That would be fun to watch.”

“Here’s the fun part.” Mindy said laughing, “She’s not on assignment this week. She’s doing this all as herself on her own.”

“Told you.”

“There’s only three or four years between them.”

“I thought you did paid match making, not marriages.”

“What can I say, I’m a romantic at heart.” Mindy laughed, then giggled some more, “Anna.”

“What?” Anna asked looking up in surprise.

“I think I’m in trouble.” Mindy laughed, “It’s funny, it’s all funny.”

“Mindy?”

“Help.” Mindy giggled as her body began to shake then convulse as the giggles ran away from her. Anna called for help immediately.

“How bad?” Anna asked Wilhelm at midnight in his fort. Around them, nearly a dozen people are in attendance, all are concerned.

“Bad.” He replies looking at the EEG. “Even knocked out her brain waves are edgy.”

“What happened?” Simon asked.

“Think of it as a seizure.” Wilhelm answered, “I’ve got most of the theory down pat, but this is odd even for one of us.”

“How so?” Simon asked.

“Several different layers of her brain are reacting out of sync. This level of discoordination should have killed her, yet all it is doing is causing what amounts to a laugh seizure.

“Is there a workstation I can use to review her charts?” Simon asks as an idea teases him.

“This way.” Amina says pointing, “Thank god it’s Friday, this would suck on a weekday.”

“You got that right.” Simon agrees following, “I’ll be back soon Anna.”

“No problem.” Anna says absently staring at her friend.

“What do you need?” Amina asks pointing to a work station with several screens around it.

“I need the record of her EEG since she arrived.”

“Carol.” Amina says to a twenty something nearby, “Can you call up Mindy’s EEG from arrival to now and keep it updated.”

“On it.” Carol, a creamy milk chocolate skinned five six afro Polynesian mix with the obligatory C cups and short bushy hair says smiling.

“Can you separate it out by brain section or layer?” Simon asks as something niggles at him.

“No problem.” Carol replies separating it.

“Check for repeating patterns based on time.”

“Odd. " Carol says a minute later, “There is a pattern. I can’t see it but the software says it’s there.”

“Map the brain, center it anywhere, but the map is to be color shifted by phase delay of the patterns.”

“On it.”

“Now shift the sync point around.” Simon says after the new display is up, “What I’m looking for is the areas of largest and smallest offsets.”

“On it.” Carol repeats then the display shifts and stabilizes with a highlight and low light next to each other just behind one ear.”

“Wilhelm.” Simon asks going back to Mindy’s room, “I know this is insane, but do you happen to have a multi kilo gauze magnetic lance handy?”

“What kind exactly?” Wilhelm asked completely puzzled.

“Half inch beam, two inch reach to hit a one kilo gauze trip point.”

“Give me an hour?”

“Thanks. I also need a power supply with it.”

“No problem at all.”

“Here you go.” Wilhelm announces an hour and a half later presenting what looks like it was a portable drill in another life.

“Batteries included?” Simon asks jokingly seeing no cord.

“Exactly. It’s ugly and the beam is smaller than you wanted but I could make this portable quickly though on the small side or big and strong and take all night. One kay at one inch, beam is only about one quarter inch though and it will have some nasty hysteresis though, oscillate it to fast and the variation in polaric strength will add up in a hurry.”

“It will at least tell me if I’m on the right track.” Simon says turning to the displays that have been added in Wilhelm’s absence.

“Three axis view please.” Simon continues speaking as he studies.

“Phased loops?” Wilhelm asks staring at the now obvious to him repeating patterns in Mindy’s brain waves.

“Precisely, I think she is having a seizure.”

“Either ease it or make it bad enough the body resets?” Wilhelm asks.

“What?” Amina and Anna ask together.

“I see.” Carol says startled, “If this isn’t a seizure it’s an infection.”

“Exactly.” Simon agrees.

“And the fastest way to see if it is a seizure,” Wilhelm says picking up speaking, “is to make better or worse. The question is how? Safely that is.”

“That’s what your little beauty is for.” Simon answers, “It’s weak enough to tip, but not strong enough to cause.”

“So if it affects it, it’s a seizure. If not, it’s an infection.”

“Fortunately for us we already know Mindy, like all of us, is screened for everything and anything that could do this sort of thing normally, so we can skip all the rest of the possible diagnoses.”

“You think the problem is the low high phase juncture?”

“Exactly.”

“Shoot.”

“I am.” Simon agrees lining up the former drill by eye, “And I am doing it here.”

A moment after he squeezes the trigger Mindy goes into a grand mall seizure and has to be held more or less in place to keep her from flopping on the floor and hurting herself. It lasts less than ten seconds, then she is lying still and resting comfortably as though nothing had happened in another ten.

“What the hell?” Anna and Amina demand angrily.

“He made it worse.” Carol explains, “He used ionic nerve reaction to the magnetic field to make it bad enough the body went ahead and reset, just like it is supposed to do after a real seizure or injury. Basically what he did was use a big magnet to move the ions in her cranial nerves to mechanically distort them far enough they shorted out.”

“You made it bad enough her body finally recognized it needed to do something.” Amina asked, “So it did. In this case it reset.”

“Will she be okay?” Anna asked.

“For now.” Carol told her, “This could happen again at any time though.”

“She stays here tonight then.” Amina said firmly, “We can provide the care she needs.”

“Good job.” Jan told them. She had been silent the whole time, partly from nothing unique to say, partly to see how they worked together.

“Thank you.” Wilhelm told her feeling good.

“Your welcome, I meant it though.” Jan told him smiling, “Simon, how did you know it was a seizure like that?”

“I didn’t exactly.” He replied, “I just couldn’t find anything else that fit.”

“You want to wait for morning or whenever she wakes up?” Amina asked, “We have plenty of room right now.”

“You sure?” Anna asks, “We don’t want to impose.”

“She’s our friend to.” Amina said foreclosing further argument. Simon and Wilhelm were both amused that there opinions, the guys nominally in charge after all, were neither asked nor consulted.

James wakes early on Saturday morning. He is conscious of the gentle weight on his chest, it is snoring almost to softly to hear. His week has been one of ongoing contrasts. His mother is not happy to have three girls sleeping in his room. However his father had said something to her and nothing further had been said, though she had been even more concerned about him after that. Every morning he had woken to Tamara stroking him erect, twice going down on him before he was fully awake.

This morning is different, he is the one awake first for the first time. He knows it is because of his cousin visiting. Tamara’s thread bare pretense had been mortally wounded when the spare cot was needed from his room and she stayed in his room anyway. A creaking noise from his door finally tells him what woke him. In it he can see his cousin standing, staring, unable to not intrude to verify the impossible truth, that he had a girl and two women sleeping in his room. Unable to not see if one was in his bed, to see which one, even knowing, he had had to see it to believe and even seeing it he couldn’t believe. As usual his cousin had brought his current girlfriend to the supposedly family get together. Her double D cleavage, his cousin’s favorite. Had been for once outshone by the beauty that shared James’s bed, in his room. The look of confusion on the cousins face became desperate as he noticed Tamara’s hand move to stroke James, either ignoring the cousin, or because of him.

The look on the cousins face became more of whatever that emotion is when her head disappeared beneath the covers and took him. The sight of her head bobbing up and down underneath the covers holds him transfixed. Confusion warred with jealousy warred with rage as he watched unable to look away as Tamara confirmed James’s hardness and rose wraith like taking the covers with her, fully exposing herself on purpose. James could only glimpse sideways to watch his cousin staring as the angelically endowed woman lifted his hands to her bare breasts then lowered herself onto him as he played freely with them. James lost sight of his cousin when Tamara rolled them so he was over her as she spread herself inviting him to have her again, and he did.

The confusion of the week, the stress as James began to realize how exhausting it was having Virginia there all the time set in, was driven away by the vision under him welcoming him into her. He lost track of all the things that brought stress one at a time. One piece at a time, all of it became lost in the welcoming constriction and warmth that massaged him as he moved. Became the feeling as it tightened then relaxed then tightened again to encourage him push again. Became the absolutely huge breasts under his hands welcoming him as warmly as the constriction below. Became the kiss hinted with Cinnamon and Strawberries that welcomed him on her and in her, that encouraged him to go faster, push harder and enjoy the moment to the exclusion of all else, especially thought.

James’s cousin watched that moment, watched the mouth watering figure under his geek cousin welcome him. He felt an envy beyond words that Tamara wanted James, not only wanted him, she wanted him in her. The circumstances didn’t matter. The reasons didn’t matter. None of it mattered anymore to him. He knew inside that in addition to herself, she had gifted James with the ultimate victory in the rivalry he had started with James because he was jealous of James having more brains than he did. He knew now that James had won, nothing, no one, no girl, no woman he could ever hope to score could ever top the woman who welcomed James into her. Who reveled in the obvious rapture of having James deeply in her, over and over again, faster, harder, and is his own bed.

The one who was even now torturing him because she knew he couldn’t look away no matter how hard he tried. He had seen it start so he would watch it until the end. He stood transfixed unable to not watch as his lifetime of victories faded into nothingness as Tamara pushed James to keep going. Then she looked at him and smiled for one lone moment before turning her full attention and affections back on James. Finally, eventually, James collapsed into an exhausted carnally satisfied and over sated sleep. Tamara made sure he was cleaned and covered before rising and walking to the door.

“Quantity versus Quality.” Tamara says quietly while approaching the enchanted young man unable to stop staring at her still nude and enjoying the after glow from his cousin, “You are a shallow person who goes for quantity. James is a deep person who goes for Quality. You want a shot at someone like me, try having half the balls he has.”

“Umm.” Is the only noise to escape the confusion and fascination that holds him.

“He walked into a six on one fight to rescue that young lady over there. He was hit by some of the same drugs and psychotropics she was.” She says as her hand glides down his arm to the waist band of his night pants, “I want you to look at me. I want you to remember me. I want you to know every time you bang one of those barbie dolls you collect that you are really secretly wishing, pretending, praying, it was me under you, over you, with you. But I won’t be, I’ll be with James and you just have to live with that. I’ll never be the one you are screwing, I’ll just be the girl in your fantasies, your dreams, and your cousin’s bed.”

“Umm.” He stammers frozen by the combination of arousal, excitement and confusion at what this beauty is doing in James’ bed.

“Try this next time.” She orders as she strokes him through the thin fabric, “Thrust in threes with a hard one added on. Tah, mah, rah, thrust hard, over and over, close your eyes and try to remember me, try to see me. Succeed and you just might manage to get yourself off after this, after seeing me do him. I think I just took all the fun out of sex for you jock boy. I think I just ruined your fantasy life as well. No cheer leader or party favor you can ever hope for will ever complete you like I do him.”

“Ahh.” He pants lost in the moment, unable to articulate or even think clearly any more.

“Hold still and look at me when I’m talking to you boy.” She orders as her hand slides into his pants to stroke him bare.

“Ahh.”

“Good boy.” She says firmly as he stands transfixed by her eyes, her presence and her touch, “Hands behind your back.”

“Gahh,” He mumbles in fear and ecstasy as she bends over to reach around him. His hands twitch at first then slowly move backwards as though of their accord. He is not really aware of anything except her touch, her stroking him, even her words are wasted on his conscious mind.

“Good boy.” She says firmly now again, surprised how easy the situation is to control, but enjoying torturing a jock, “Treat your cousin with respect.”

“Gahh,” He mumbles again as her other hand snakes around and in to massage his bare buttox.

“Treat him as you want to be treated, with the same respect you expect.” She orders as her finger enters him from behind to find a little nerve.

“Ahh.” He says as he begins panting in time with her ministrations.

“Goodboy.” She says just as she feels him start to pop.

“Treat him with respect.” She orders and twigs a nerve inside and he feels himself let go.

“Say my name.” She orders.

“Tah, mah, rah.” He mumbles as she touches, barely hits the nerve on every syllable, then twigs it firmly on the fourth and silent count.

“Good boy.” She says with a smile as she began guiding him toward the bathroom without withdrawing her finger or stopping stroking him.

“Wha?” He mumbles as she guides them into the shower.

“Stroke.” She orders interrupting her ministrations to place his hand on the remains of his erection, shifting position and starting the motion before placing her arm around his throat.

“You will respect your cousin.” Tamara orders and twigs the nerve as his hand moves almost of it’s own accord.

“You will treat him as you want to be treated.” Tamara orders as she twigs the nerve in time with his stroking. Over and over she makes him say her name and stroke, each time he hesitates she cuts of air for a moment or strokes him by hand herself to get him started again. When he finally collapses covered in his own gooey mess she lets him settle then takes a shower with him crumpled in the bottom of the tub. She leaves him there with the cold water running as she prepares to return to James.

“It’ll always be the best you ever had boy.” Tamara whispers to the trembling young man she kneels over in the shower, “Yet you never had me at all.” Tamara is drying herself with a towel on the way back to James’s room when she sees his father in the hallway looking at the bathroom.

“Just making a point to a jock.” She says walking up to him still drying herself, “I wanted the boy to have an idea what James has that he never will. I think I ruined sex for him though, pity that.”

“I caught some of that.”

“I thought so.”

“You don’t seem embarrassed, even standing there like this.” He said mentioning that she was still nude covered only by the towel she continued to dry herself with.

“Why should I be?” Tamara asked with a smile, “I have a great body and I can enjoy you enjoying the look of it. You won’t lay a hand on me, you happen to be a gentleman like your son. Though you envy your son somewhat, you would never do a thing to betray your wife.”

“You are a very odd person.” He says smiling.

“There will be a new escort this week,” Tamara says changing the subject, “After that it will be changing according to gaps in schedules. If you have any concerns or questions be sure to ask them, we may be watching all the time but we are only human.”

“Will you be back?”

“Maybe, it depends on schedules.”

“Are you running away?”

“Maybe,” Tamara admits, “maybe a little. I like him, I like him a lot. Few of us get a chance to meet our demons head on, fewer still a chance to bind them.”

“What happened?”

“I can’t really say.”

“Look miss, he may be your assignment, but he is my son.”

“I’m not on assignment this week, or this weekend, and how much do you really want to know.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just scared for him.”

“You’re right to be. One moment.” Tamara says quickly stepping away to grab a robe from James’s room then returning and leading his father to the kitchen.

“It’s just the two of us,” He says setting a place for coffee, “It’s only half past five, nobody else will be up for an hour.”

“I don’t know what I can say.”

“Was Ben involved?” James’s father asks.

“Ben?” Tamara trying vainly to hide her shock.

“Was my other son involved in whatever happened?”

“Umm,” Tamara mumbled taken completely off guard.

“James is not the bravest boy. There had to be a reason he got involved.”

“There is little I can say on that.”

“Miss, I was a ranger.”

“I know, it’s in your file. You were part of the grey ops team in place to start taking out targets in first gulf if things went haywire.”

“Excuse me but how the hell?”

“We have sources. You don’t honestly think we would send a brain damaged mentally dependent teenage girl home with a teenage boy without knowing everything about that home do you?”

“No, not really.” He admitted, “It’s just surprising that you have that kind of resources.”

“Ok,” Tamara said obviously considering something, “Let’s talk, really talk. How much do you want your wife to know?”

“She’s a dear but not up to brutal honesty.”

“Let’s go have coffee. James will sleep for a while yet.” Tamara said with a knowing grin.

“Ok, lets talk.” He replied

“Why don’t you leave a note, we’ll be a while, I’ll let Carissa know.”

“Ok.” He said as they went there separate ways to get ready to go.

“Tyrone?” John exclaims in shock an hour later at a road side diner and gas station in the middle of nowhere as he and Tamara find seats at an already crowded corner table.

“Jae onn my man, Jae onn.” Tyrone quips back in obvious emulation of someone in their common past.

“I haven’t been him in a long while ty, you know that.”

“I, we, just needed to know you remembered him.”

“We?”

“Yeah, we. Let me start the introductions.” Tyrone says then stops for a moment, “How much does he know about all this?”

“He knows his son was hit hard rescuing Virginia.” Tamara tells him.

“Look John, you need to understand something.”

“Yeah, what?” John says looking at the shear number of gorgeous girls and women populating the diner around them. He notices also that the half dozen guys to the two dozen females are also the eye candy or rogue type that draw and actually hold the female eye.

“It’s starting again, at the top.”

“It never stopped Tyrone.”

“I’m Ty now, they call me guide Ty.”

“Someone finally found the right bribe to get you to pass on that dance routine you call fighting?”

“Some of us John, we didn’t have families to go home to, to help put it all behind us. Some of us are still in it.”

“Is my son?”

“No, at least not yet. You need to understand John.”

“Understand what?”

“Ben was out of control. That thing you carry, that thing that eats your quite thoughts, that thing your loving wife has no clue how much she helps you with, it has Ben, he doesn’t have it John, it has him.”

“He was involved with what happened to Virginia?”

“I’m sorry John, but yes.”

“Oh god. I thought I taught him better.”

“You did John, you did. Ben didn’t have your strength though.”

“James?”

“James has it under control now. You know the feeling when they gave us the withdraw order in Baghdad, when they said to leave him?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t real calm or reasonable.”

“James spent three chemically induced days there as a byproduct of rescuing Virginia.”

“Oh god.” John whimpers burying his head in his hands thinking of his weaker son caught by the monster lurking inside.

“It’s better this time John.”

“How?”

“Let me get those introductions out of the way, I’ll start with the best. John, meet Mindy.”

“Hi, I’m Mindy.” She says holding out her hand.

“Hi.” John said shaking her proffered hand.

“I am also your inside man, sort of. I am, was, sort of a member of Inverno Carduta, it’s a family thing for us, has been for generations.”

“What?”

“You, your team, knew one of my aunts as Miriam, she was your voice contact that guided you through the guards during preparation for first gulf to make it a total surprise. Though the families were on the other side, she, her services and eventually her herself, were purchased by someone acting in your interests to provide information.”

“You’re UCA, all of you, you’re all UCA and UCA is what then?” John exclaims staring at a logo on a hand bag, then asks as pieces start sorting themselves out.

“What we are, what I was, is based on IC information and techniques. However we are all ourselves, each and everyone of us is a person, our own person.” Mindy stated flatly.

“How did you all happen to end up here?”

“From the moment I saw your name as James’s father I knew where he got what he had and that this conversation was coming.” Ty told him.

“Is James UCA now?”

“No,” Mindy answered flatly, “not yet. He isn’t in a frame of mind to decide that yet.”

“Decide?”

“While we do take people who don’t exactly volunteer.” Mindy admitted, “We are careful. We take no one who has not used sex as a tool or a weapon. James was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, he has never used sex as a weapon in any way at all.”

“Good.”

“However the darker side of him that you know where comes from had its chains loosened rescuing Virginia.” Mindy told him speaking flatly, “As you know, once given wiggle room.”

“It never stops wiggling.” John admitted looking down.

“It wiggled, we tested, we had to, we had no choice. We had thought Ben was just a rapist, bad but not our problem, not what we do.”

“Just?”

“Just, and he wasn’t. He was involved in Virginia’s abduction. The best part for Virginia was that she passed out from the electrosexual torture after a while.”

“Oh, god. I’m gonna have to, my own son.” John whispered.

“No you don’t.” Another girl said sadly, “I’ve known James for years, he is one of my boy friend’s best friends and is nothing like Ben. Ben has been taken care of.”

“Anna?” John asked.

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard your name mentioned, James was talking about you over the summer.”

“I’m not surprised, I dominated Simon’s time the whole summer.”

“Your UCA as well?”

“No.” Mindy interjected, “As a matter of fact she is not. She works at an arcade, but is not a working member in that way.”

“I thought,” John stammers then stops.

“Not everyone is a working asset.” Anna tells him, “There are non assets working there as cover for those that are. James was hired as part of that cover, finding what he is was a total surprise.”

“What happened to Ben.” John asks.

“Let’s just say your hopes for grandchildren rest on James’s shoulders.”

“I can’t say I’m happy about that.” John replied with an odd look, “But I’m guessing if he was involved then that wasn’t the most popular sentence?”

“No it wasn’t.” A girl said flatly.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Leah and I am one of those who found your other son.”

“What did you find?” John asks hoping she won’t answer.

“It would be bad for you if we were to answer that,” Another girl says gently, “Tia, by the way. I am the other half of the team that found her.”

“Now what?” John asks before he can ask the question he can’t let himself think about.

“You need to understand that your son James is right now by our standards an adult.” Mindy tells him.

“And thus the decision is his?” John asks.

“Once his head clears enough that is.”

“This is all going to take some getting used to.” John sighs with resignation, “I always thought Ben would be the one to do something with his life. If James has already faced his demons then I guess it is out of my hands.”

“Not completely.” Ty says grinning.

“How so?”

“Because in addition to your son’s help, we need yours.”

“Mine?”

“Yes.” Mindy laughs, “How would you like to rent out the room that James won’t be using once he moves to the attic and make a little extra, in cash.”

“Rent out his room?”

“Yes. We have an emancipated, or soon to be at least, sixteen year old that we need somewhere safe to put with an adult in the house who will recognize PTSD.”

“What happened to her?” He asked assuming it was a girl by her tone.

“Worse than what happened to Virginia actually, minus some other drugs, direct torture and electrocution that is, and she did live it for a number of years. More mental than physical though. She is working to get her high school diploma instead of a GED. She is a working girl, though not in the way we normally are. She can pass for thirteen easily and works odd hours as pedo bait.”

“Pedo bait?”

“Exactly.” Mindy says with a feral grin.

“She works with a combined task force along with a few other girls in chat rooms then meets the Johns, sorry that’s what they are called, and does what needs to be done. They are reserved for the ones who either have skated on technicalities previously or have the resources to spot a fake.”

“So instead of sending a fake?” John asks shocked.

“They send the real thing who can, will and does if need be.” Ty says gently, “She would be off limits to James.”

“That, that’s sick.” John says.

“Yes, but it works.” Mindy told him flatly, “Be surprised what you get out of them with a rape kit of fourteen to sixteen year old they think is thirteen as blackmail.”

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“She’s grumpy and prone to mood swings though.” Mindy says gently, “And Virginia’s escort would have the controls to make her docile if she got out of hand.”

“Controls?”

“Oh yeah, that’s the other thing. These really are like the ones we found in the east Villa, only still themselves while that way.” Ty tells him hesitantly.

“You mean you umm,” John asks staring at Tamara.

“If you knew the right phrases and were on my trusted list, yes you could sample the wares whether I liked it or not.” She affirms, “However you are not on my trusted list in that way and have none of the phrases so I can ignore you.”

“Can James?”

“Yes, and has.” She confirms, “It was part his detox time, I doubt he remembers.”

“I’m sorry.” John apologizes.

“It’s ok.” Tamara says with a smile, “He’s a good kid.”

“I think someone has a sweet spot.” Leah laughs.

“Hey.” Tamara yelps then turns red.

“Tam?” Mindy asks.

“He’s brave, very brave. Very few people have ever been able to close their eyes and step away from the abyss like he did.”

“Different question then?” John asks changing the subject since he recognizes her reaction, he is not sure how he feels about the difference in ages though, “What did you do to James’s cousin James this morning?”

“His cousin is also named James?” someone asks.

“It’s why his slightly older cousin always competed so hard with him.”

“Are you familiar with hypnosis?” Tamara asks.

“Somewhat. Was that?”

“No, it has a cousin called mesmerism. I mesmerized him. He was entrapped, enthralled if you will, with what he saw and what I made him feel. I was intending to just make sure he knew I was with James because I chose to be, but he walked into James’s room this morning without knocking or anything a little before five.”

“I take it the cold shower you left him in was part of it.”

“Tamara!” Someone laughs though several giggle.

“He needed it, by the time I was done with him that is.”

“Who are you really Mindy?” John asked out of the blue.

“What do you mean?”

“We never met in person before, but I think I’ve heard your voice on the phone, I know I heard it once on the radio several years ago when I was on a base for a consult. Now in person I can tell for sure.”

“I am the last act of a dying god.” Mindy said with all seriousness and everyone around was quiet.

“No.”

“How can you tell?”

“Not sure. I can tell you’re the one dying.”

“How?”

“Your movements are too perfect, you’re conscious of every little thing, nothing is left to chance. You are perfect and staying that way. Only the truly mortal, the dying, are that way, the rest of us know we will die eventually, you know it is soon.”

“Yes.”

“Who are you? What are you?”

“I am titan.” Mindy replied.

“Are they, you, going to finish it this time?”

“I hope so. It is my life’s work.” Mindy replied and John noticed several nods around the room, even from several people seated well away.

“I won’t stand in James’s way then, just be sure to get them all.”

“Thank you.” Mindy replied with one her rare real smiles, it even reached her eyes this time.

“Your welcome, and she will be welcome.”

“Thank you again.” Mindy said gratefully.

“You want in?” Ty asks.

“I’m old Tyrone, you know that.”

“You remember those feisty locals who went from clowns to battle hounds?”

“Like it was yesterday.” John replied remembering them, and then what happened when they were pulled because some cheese whiz for brains higher up interfered.

“I’m adding my dance to the mix.”

“You’re really gonna do it? Teach them?”

“Yes.”

“Uncle Sam won’t be very happy about that. Especially after you refused to pass it down to them to play with.”

“I don’t trust them, I trust these people.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack. I’m a body and blade guy, I like getting my hands all over my target then sticking things in it up close and personal. We could use that gun dance thing of yours to go with it.”

“It kind of clashes with your style.”

“They can do both.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Wow.”

“The Perseus project is being scrapped by the feebees. Clementine has sung her last at the puzzle palace and Danson at no such agency was forced out.”

“Damn, I didn’t know it was that bad.”

“However, pillowtalk is a go.” Ty said grinning, “The alliance is up and running. We, they, recently had some communications problems that forced the preexisting channels to be scrapped.”

“They did it? The back channels are in place?” John asked referring to the ever present rumors of back channels that were supposed to prevent accidental war, nothing prevents the kind that occurs on purpose.

“The Saudi guys did it. We have full scattercrypt gear with our own keys.”

“Where would you want me to begin?”

“With the girl we want bring to you, Rhea.”

“Why?”

“Teach her to dance, your style. I have a few I’m teaching my style.”

“I hate to ask this, but?”

“I know.” Ty answers sadly, “However all the major players are incoming with open eyes and we aren’t pulling any punches. To answer your unspoken question, sixteen and up.”

“It feels wrong to let them start that young.”

“In the rest of the world where these people, the ones who want to make us all thralls or serfs, are strong, sixteen is a full adult. Most are almost an adult at fourteen in the backwaters, you know that.”

“For my son.” John agrees.

“Thank you.” Ty says smiling.

“Tell me what you need to start.” Mindy says openly smiling and the real discussion begins.

“Is he really that good?” Mindy asks two hours later reviewing the equipment list John gave her for starting in just after he and Tamara leave.

“He is to guns what I am to people and blades.” Ty replies.

“I take it his past haunts him just as yours does you?”

“Yes. We were in place prepared to end the problems in Iraq in first gulf, then we were pulled back. It felt like a betrayal. We lost a lot of support over there when they did that to us. A lot of people were killed when word eventually leaked, the regime purged by the dozen anyone who was in a position to have been involved without any further investigation.”

“Sick.” Mindy stated flatly.

“But efficient.”

“I’m not happy going on the offensive like this.”

“Just because we can, doesn’t mean we will.” Ty told her firmly.

“I know.”

“How are you up and about Mindy?” Ty asked confused, “A few hours ago you were stuck in a seizure of some sort, now you are your old self.”

“It’s a nice arcade, umm club, to belong to, membership has it’s privileges.”

“I see.”

“I have some errands today, see if you can find what John will need to teach Rhea.”

“On it.” Ty answered rising to head out with five people following him.

“So this is where it all began for you two?” James asks late Sunday afternoon at the beach where Anna and Simon had gotten together over the summer. They and a number of other arcade girls are here giving Virginia some play time outdoors and to talk.

“Yes.” Anna admitted grimacing at the coldness of fall, and regretting it was to cold to swim now, or even wade out to her rock.

“It’s weird.” James said watching as Virginia ran around like a small child examining everything, somehow always managing to turn and look directly at James once in a while. She ignored the other half dozen people arrayed around, preferring to keep James in sight as she explored.

“What is?”

“Knowing Simon is,” James starts in then pauses, “I don’t know what to call it.”

“In my head?”

“Yeah.” He agrees blinking in surprise.

“Not my words, borrowed them from Angelique, a cheer leader from the same town as the fort.”

“This is just to weird.” He replied looking around at the two of them, Virginia and the half dozen escorts Anna had brought with her, Carissa having finally been given a break.

“I know.” Anna agreed, “But that’s not actually why we’re here.”

“I was wondering why you offered such an easy way out of what had become an awkward beyond words family time. I don’t know exactly what Tamara did, but my cousin has been going at it with his toy like there is no tomorrow and he doesn’t look like he’s getting much out of it.”

“Because I need to ask you some very serious questions and I need some honest answers.” Anna replied ignoring the last with an odd grin.

“Where’s Simon?”

“At arcade two doing quality control on a recent acquisition.”

“Getting laid on the job is he?” James asks jokingly.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Anna agrees and he finally notices the pain hidden behind her eyes.

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s ok I guess. I know he has to, but it’s hard sometimes.”

“Are you two really an item?”

“Yes and no, it’s complicated.”

“Having three arcades of the highest quality bedroom candy there is available to him on a whim kind of cuts into you two’s alone time I bet.”

“Yes, but it’s more than that. I know I have my implant, I can’t get pregnant right now. It’s that although I know I’m still me, I keep feeling lessor compared to them.”

“They can hear you, you know.”

“It’s ok, we understand.” One of the girls replies from a dozen feet away, then turns away in response to Anna looking at her like she was lost.

“I know it’s not a competition, but I don’t look like them.”

“So what did you need to ask me?” James asks trying to change an obviously painful subject.

“How are you with Tamara?”

“Fine as far as I know. Did she say something?” James asks suddenly concerned she might have complained about something.’

“No, she said nothing. It’s actually more what she didn’t say.”

“Didn’t say?”

“She wasn’t on assignment this last week.”

“She wasn’t?”

“She did the whole week as herself.”

“She did?”

“Yes, on her own.”

“Damn.”

“She also put off clients three times, including a standing monthly appointment that always leaves her a healthy tip.”

“I had no idea. She said nothing.” James whispers, “Wait, I thought you just gave out assignments?”

“Yes and no.” Anna replies, “While assignments are given out, we give a lot of leeway to trade out unless there is a specific request for a particular girl.”

“And she spent the whole week?”

“Yes, the whole week as herself. We know from Carissa that she reacted to you as thought assigned, yet no one gave her that or any other assignment this last week.”

“You mean the few times I um,”

“Ordered her?” Anna prompted as a question.

“Yeah.” James agrees cringing, “I just let things get away from me. I was warned that it would be a while before everything was totally rinsed out of me and not to worry about it if it leaked in the mean time. Given my detox time I kind of understand why you made it out like I was in a fight and got hit pretty hard along with Virginia so I probably won’t remember much. I just assumed that she was assigned to give me time to get it out of my system.”

“Yet even thinking you had her totally at your disposal and she would forget everything you were all but twice kind, gentle and trying to understand her wants.” Anna told him as an accusation, “The two times were by other symptoms at least partial flashbacks no one associates with your normal behaviors. So even with her in your bed thinking she would remember nothing you were kind, gentle and unassuming with her.”

“Yeah, I guess I was.”

“Then we may have a problem.” Anna stated flatly, “If there is emotional entanglement we can’t use her as your chaperone.”

“Oh.”

“Further, we have to preclude as much interaction between her and your chaperones as possible on the possibility that you might want to use one of them.”

“So I’m in trouble because I behaved to well?” James asked glumly.

“No one is in trouble James. It just makes another situation awkward for us. Stewart is coming out of second stage conditioning and we had intended to use Tamara with him for the same reason we used her with you. Now however we can not. It can lead to a situation where Tamara, who apparently likes you a lot. May be put into a situation with Stewart where she can be ordered to have sex with him in your presence and not be able to do anything about it. Even knowing she will forget about it later would only make it worse for her in most ways.”

“I’m stunned.” James replies just above a whisper.

“The situation is a surprise to us.”

“No more so than it is to me. You mean she chose to, um,”

“Obey?” Anna asked bluntly.

“Yeah, obey, great word. Every teen’s dream and our worst nightmare. She let me.”

“Now you see our problem.” Anna quipped as it finally hit home with James.

“Hello.” Tamara said opening the door at James’s house.

“Oh, hi.” Olivia said surprised that Tamara had answered the door, not a member of the family.

“Olivia, right?”

“Yes, umm.”

“Can I help you?”

“I umm, came by to umm.”

“James isn’t home right now.” Tamara answered the almost question.

“Do you know when he might uh.”

“Just ask.” Tamara said softly.

“I umm.”

“Come on in, we can talk in James’s room, that way we’ll have some privacy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I figured someone would come by sooner or later.”

“James seemed surprised when Virginia said six.” Olivia said as they went upstairs.

“How much do you really want to know?” Tamara asked settling them into chairs and offering a glass coke from a mini fridge that also holds medicines.

“What happened?”

“To Virginia, or to James?”

“Both, to both.” Olivia answered startled at her own hesitancy.

“You saw the bruises and marks on Virginia?”

“Yes.” Olivia replied with a shudder.

“Are you familiar with drugs used for surgery?”

“Yes.”

“With ones like GHB or other date rape style drugs?”

“Yes.” Olivia answered with a shocked whisper.

“Virginia was hit with some of both.”

“Ok.”

“Then when she still tried to get away they tasered her in the lumbar enough to take her legs away. Then they hit her in the back on her bra line. Then they tasered her in the shoulders, the neck and the base of her skull until she quit fighting for a while. While she was incapacitated they gave her more drugs to keep her that way.”

“Oh my god.”

“At some point about this time.” Tamara continues coldly, “James interrupted them while they were tazing her some more while they raped her orally, vaginally and anally. As you know he is not exactly a fighter.”

“Jesus, how could they?”

“Anyway, James is not a fighter but he tried. The containers holding what they gave Virginia were ruptured and James took some high doses. He went kind of crazy for a while. During the struggle Virginia focussed on James as her rescuer. He eventually got away from them, we’re still not completely or really at all sure how, and took Virginia with him. He called us on the phone incoherent, we think he turned it on more by accident than design. Virginia focussed on him to the exclusion of all else, he rescued her, she clings to him and considers herself his.”

“How many of them?”

“We had known of four, what Virginia said in the locker room indicates it was six, possibly with an audience.”

“So James was dosed with the same drugs used on Virginia?”

“Yes, and as I said, he went kind of crazy for a while. Though he might have been hit with a higher dose than Virginia, he weighs a little more and wasn’t tortured electrosexually for hours.”

“Then you’re as much to watch him as you are to keep an eye on her?”

“Yes.”

“How bad has it been?”

“She has little episodes almost every night.”

“And James?”

“He has episodes as well.”

“How bad?”

“Sometimes pretty bad.”

“What kind?”

“Why do you ask Olivia?” Tamara asked.

“I’m trying to understand.”

“Understand what?”

“How, why, he would do that.”

“It’s what decent people do.” Tamara said flatly.

“Has he umm, you, umm...”

“Yes we have had sex. I doubt he remembers it much though.”

“Why?”

“Because except when he is having a flashback, he is a kind and gentle person.”

“And when he does?”

“Then he is a typical teen male, very typical, stereotypical in fact.”

“And you let him umm...” Olivia asked horrified.

“Yes. That’s why I have been here every night. He needs support right now.”

“Because he is not right in the head yet?”

“Exactly. The choices were to put them both into an institution where they would be separated, making Virginia at least indescribably worse. Or put them at home where he can relax, somewhat anyway, and she can stay with him.”

“She just does what he wants?”

“Now were getting to your real questions.” Tamara replied with a smile, “Yes, Virginia, what there is of her so far, does whatever James says. He was in no danger at the pool, he would have woken himself the first breath of water and sputtered. She was simply able to reach him before that could happen.”

“And she will, would, um...”

“Yes, Virginia would happily have sex with him. It is one of the few things she has expressed an interest in on her own other than wanting to stay near him. He almost has to order her to use her own bed each night or she will join him. She happily showers or changes clothes in front of him, yet kind of freaks near any other male.”

“Showers?”

“Yes. One of her favorite things to do is join him in the bath, then sit in his lap with his arms wrapped around her tightly and rock. Though to be honest they both prefer a hot tub, we are thinking of getting him one for here at his house.”

“Does she croon as well?”

“Yes.”

“I did some study on trauma, that means she is not just awake, but reliving it, over and over.” Olivia replies with wide eyes.

“She is still there in her own mind.” Tamara confirms, “Having James nearby keeps it at bay, sometimes she wants, or needs, more.”

“How bad are his flashbacks?”

“They were bad for a while, been getting better the last few days. We think it is finally finishing flushing out of his system.”

“There is a rumor.” Olivia said out of the blue.

“What kind of rumor?” Tamara asks surprised.

“The kind that says there is good money to be made at the arcades.”

“What do you know about those rumors?” Tamara asks.

“You aren’t here by accident. You aren’t anywhere by accident. You work for an arcade, but that isn’t really where you make your money.”

“Why are you really here?”

“Because I want out.”

“Out of what?”

“Out of this hole in the wall place. Out of this dead end wide spot in the highway. Out of this life I am stuck in because I don’t have the money to leave. Just plain out of this life. I lack the stupidity to sacrifice myself on the altar of expediency, trading for a future that I have little chance of enjoying any more than I will the one I am sentenced to here, so I am looking for another path.”

“Do you know what you are asking?”

“Yes. There are several of us who are thinking about it. We know some of the girls turn tricks.”

“We don’t turn tricks as you so quaintly put it, not our market at all.”

“But we thought?” Olivia pleaded confused.

“Turning tricks is for those on the street.”

“Ok.”

“We don’t do the street.”

“Oh.”

“If you want in, you have to convince me to refer you.” Tamara states flatly.

“I can do that. You want to talk to me first or all of us at once?”

“If you convince me of you, then we’ll all talk.”

“Where do I start? What do I do?”

“If you want in, you’ll figure it out.”

“Hello again Rhea.” John says greeting her as she stepped out of the minivan Tamara had brought her to the gravel quarry in.

“Hello John.”

“Is Tamara staying?”

“I don’t really know. I know I’m moving into your house in a few days but I do not know what all is going on.”

“She brought you out here to begin learning to shoot guns.”

“I know that.”

“Do you want to learn?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll start with something basic.”

“Ok.”

“Have you ever shot a gun?”

“No.”

“Are you afraid of them?” John asked picking up a glock while motioning her to move beside the table he is standing at.

“Somewhat, but not really.”

“That’s good.” John said ejecting the clip, cycling the slide to eject the other round in the chamber then releasing the slide back, “Here take this keeping your finger off the trigger and point it down range. I don’t care how you hold it, I just need to know where you are so I know where and how to start with you. What you just saw me is called safing, it means the firearm is unloaded and safe to handle.”

“Ok.” Rhea says taking the pistol and pointing it down range.

“Now lower it to your side, then raise it, point it at one of the targets and pull the trigger so I can see how you move.”

“Ok.” Rhea replied lowering it. Then a moment later she raised it to point at the center of the three targets and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion like she was stretching or dancing. She nearly dropped the pistol when it went off and gave an aborted scream.

“Want to guess the rule on safed firearms?” John asked loud enough for Rhea to hear over the ringing in her ears.

“If I didn’t, it’s not?” She asked back just as loud, barely able to hear herself.

“Who do you trust to unload a firearm for you?”

“Me.” Rhea shouts unable to determine if she is experiencing a flashback of terror or an adrenaline high.

“Good. Now go get settled, we’ll do this again when I can, once you have settled down.”

“Yes sir.” Rhea says meandering toward the car where Tamara still waits. Rhea is unable to tell if Tamara is laughing or wanting to scream about what John just did. Rhea just wants to feel that moment again.