CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
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At first there is darkness and you can see nothing. Then, in the distance a narrow ribbon of light forms marking the border between the sky and the earth below. The sun slowly crawls up into the field of view, its warm orange halo growing bigger and bigger as it ascends at a shallow angle, seemingly sliding across the divide.
From horizon to horizon you see the sea is flat calm and covered with football field sized sheets of ice that float at the whim of the currents. The sun which is barely above the ice-scape fills the sky with its orange light casting an odd hue onto the cold white fields below.
In the distance what looks like a vapour trail approaches, moving too fast for a bird and being far too small for a plane your ears begin to pick up the sound of the ripping of the air as whatever it is rushes closer and closer into your view.
Beneath the form as it approaches loose ice and snow is thrown into the air, the open water seemingly parting in its wake. Your senses try to resolve what it is you are seeing and then you make out a fluttering vibrant red with a smattering of bold blue and so now you understand exactly what you can see.
It is Supergirl, heading off somewhere, to some disaster or to some crime but certainly to some sort of far off emergency.
SHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The air screams for mercy as the heroine slices through the sky and the disturbed air causes your arms to form goosebumps and your nostrils to flare from the odour of the crisp clean ice.
The heroine pushes onwards with a white misty haze in her wake, the eerie arctic wasteland passing below her like a blur but somehow you are with her as she flies, her blond hair dancing behind her. With an expression of thoughtfulness her eyes settle on you and she smiles confidently before she begins to speak.
“It has been an incredible year since my rescue from the oil rig, that place where I discovered I can be just as vulnerable to the elements as I can be to the inventions of mankind....”
Selena, sat in her lair with a wicked grin on her face looks up at you from her keyboard as she slams the return key triumphantly. On the screen of her computer the message “FUNDS TRANSFERRED” flashes brightly, confirming another terrorist cell has been stripped of its funds and a tip off fired off to the CIA.
“....and oh how I do making her vulnerable with those inventions in between stealing from the bad and skimming a little for myself!”
Detective Kozny slams a resisting suspect on to the hood of her car and holsters her pistol before letting a uniformed officer take over. Behind her the officer begins to read the suspect his rights while Kozny brushes herself down and glances at you.
“In the meantime I continue to do my job, locking up bad guys by day, then locking down Lucy by night ...”
Lucy Wuan at a society party in her little black dress and high heels peers mischievously over her champagne flute glass with a smile. Subtly she checks the coast is clear then places a bug into the handbag of the wife of some mobster before glancing innocently at you.
“Of course I let Lisa take control but only when I am not being a spy for Selena....”
Supergirl gently banks away, her blue eyes looking right into yours as she closes in on her destination, the dark acrid smoke of a forest fire looming into view.
“Together we keep a watchful eye for those who might want to do the world harm though sometimes we get good surprises along the way, surprises like Spydra!”
Spydra hangs inverted in the darkness from a web silently looking at a gang of youths. Her dark grey and black suit reveals every contour of her muscled limbs as she holds herself in place on her web, ever watching, ever patient, waiting.
“I know I am new to all this but I am ready for the challenges ahead...”
Neyra's arm elegantly sweeps across the drawing board in her office, her effortless artistry bringing life to the formerly blank page. The concept artwork for a new construction project starts taking shape right in front of her before her dark wise eyes sense you are there causing her to look you in the eye.
“And even though I am not super-powered nor wear a badge Supergirl thinks I still have a part to play.”
Agent McGee watches a police interview intently through the one way glass of the interrogation room, his power to see the memories of other people letting him dissect every little lie he hears. The detective and the suspect beyond keep talking and McGee's eyes glaze as he compares the spoken words to the images appearing in his mind. Suddenly something breaks the spell as he turns his head to face you.
“Because even the idealistic Supergirl knows appearances can be very deceiving. Friends can look like enemies, enemies like friends, the humble can be bold, the seemingly confident actually afraid ... ”
Molly Matthews in her pristine white laboratory tunic stares in wonder at the readouts on her computer screen, seemingly entranced by what she sees. Then suddenly she snaps back to reality realising you are there and clicks off her screen with a sly grin. Reclining back into her seat Molly forms a finger pyramid with her hands, a thoughtful expression forming across her face before speaking.
“But the question is, will they see through my own deception before it is too late?”
Supergirl swings over the green forest and drops into a clearing only to be approached by a galloping deer which causes her to step aside as it dashes to safety. The deer barely changes course as it continues on, its bouncing gait taking it out the clearing the other side and away from the fire pursuing it.
“All I know is I must face the challenges that fate presents me as they come.....”
CHAPTER 2
Cyber Warfare Command Center – Cheyenne Mountain (CYBER-CENCOM)
Mark Lathenby, a data traffic analyst sipped his coffee as he watched the flow of internet traffic across his sector of responsibility. His job was to monitor cyber threats to the government information infrastructure and today so far his workload had been steady and predictable.
There had been childish attempts to log in on public pages for the FBI, an attempt to visit offline pages on The Whitehouse website. Someone had attempted to upload fake grainy photos of grey aliens into the Apollo 13 photo archive and someone seemed to have a fixation with trying seek non-existent pages to do with H.A.A.R.P.
Lathenby scoffed as a red dot appeared on a node representing The White House website again, another indication of an attempt to get in to the inner workings of the site.
“When will you learn? Getting into there doesn't enable you to take over the country, idiot.” Lathenby said dismissively.
BEEP
Lathenby was mid slurp of his coffee when the innocuous sound was emitted by his terminal. This red dot was at the virtual gates of the AFIS database.
“Oh, hello!” Lathenby said as he got to work, examining the details of the intrusion.
BLIP
The intrusion attempt ended as soon as Lathenby began to even examine the nature of the probing attack.
“Hmmm.... okay...” Lathenby said with a puzzled expression as he paused clicking with his mouse and keyboard.
BEEP
A node in the F.B.I. gateway lit up as a new intrusion was detected drawing a frown from Lathenby.
“Okay.... let's....” began Lathenby as he started to trace the source of the …...
BLIP
“Fine!” Lathenby groaned as his attempt to search had ended before it had even begun.
Lathenby glanced at his watch, it was coming up to 1300 Zulu, 7am local time, two hours to go until the end of his shift. As he raised his coffee mug to his lips a pair of red dots appeared on the network schematic on his screen. Refusing to be baited, Lathenby took another slurp of his coffee, wondering if the red dots would retreat again on their own but the flashing icons tested his patience, flashing insistently at him.
Placing his mug down on his desk he began his trace attempt on the intrusion now testing the N.C.I.S gateway. With a few clicks Lathenby was now on the trail of the attacker...
BLIP
“Motherfu...” Lathenby cut himself short but was still frustrated by the uncanny timing of his adversary. Still, the other intrusion was ongoing, perhaps he could get to grips with that instead. Clicking away, Lathenby began to analyse the second dot, hopefully it would ….
BLIP
“Right, that's IT!” Lathenby scowled as he picked up his phone and dialled his supervisor.
Kurt Draxler, an oversight manager for Bank-Deutschland glanced in the mirrors of his five series BMW and then signalled to turn off the autobahn ready to take the leafy rural road towards his home in the countryside.
It was only early afternoon but Kurt was already heading home from work, tonight he would head out to the airport and fly to New York. Ahead he faced the round of board meetings that were falling due that required his presence. Kurt's mind turned to his wife and daughter, what gift should he bring back from his next trip he wondered.
Kurt hit the quiet road and flipped the gearbox into semi-automatic mode knowing the monotonous autobahn was behind him and the more interesting terrain lay ahead. Letting out a smile Kurt felt the power of the three litre V8 pulse through him as made a bend in the road powering out to a long straight.
Ahead in a lay-by was a farm tractor with a trailer load of hay bales on tow behind. With little encouragement from the farmer at the wheel who waved Kurt by the BMW signalled safely around the nose of the farm vehicle and sped on down the quiet road.
The farmer looked on as the BMW dashed into the distance then put his tractor into gear, proceeding out of the lay-by. Crossing over the two lanes of the country road the tractor came to a halt and the farmer in his overalls hopped out the cab then fiddled with the engine until it spluttered and died. Slapping his oiled hands together with satisfaction the farmer pulled out his cell phone and dialled ….
Mr Hispania glanced at his phone as it rang, it was Mr Nordic, right on schedule.
“Si, dime! ….. Bueno … si, I do eet a now” Hispania said, acknowledging his prey was near and no other cars were going to interfere. Mr Africa had similarly blocked the road up ahead, no one was going to be witness to what they had planned.
Mr Hispania snapped his phone shut and waited, listening intently for the sound of the purring V8 engine approaching.
VRRRRRR, VRUM, VRRRRRRRR,
Closer ….. closer …....
Lathenby and his colleagues were watching the intrusions seemingly multiply in intensity every minute. What had been one had become two, then four, then eight, and now Lathenby's supervisor had pulled in the rest of the analysts from his pool to investigate.
“OK people– Let's put these intrusions in the virtual server box, I want to see what these things are doing” the supervisor said glancing around at his team while stood over Lathenby's shoulder.
Lathenby began to run commands on his terminal. What the supervisor wanted to do was to spoof the intruder's attacks into entering the CYBER-CENCOM system. By creating virtual server boxes the attacks would be fooled into thinking they had entered the actual target systems instead and begin to reveal their intent.
CLACK CLACK CLACK went the keyboards as Lathenby and his peers corralled the red dots on the network schematic into their traps.
Lathenby and the supervisor watched the code as it began to work within the virtual server. What was it going to do next they wondered.
ROOT//unpack cryptobomb//
ROOT//unpacking......1%
“Jeez, look at the CPU usage on that” Lathenby noted as he saw the CPU's running the virtual server ramp up as they sought to unpack the self installing attack.
“Nothing we can't handle, put another few cores onto it,” the supervisor said confidently.
“OK, allocating more cores,” Lathenby said as he keyed in the command.
ROOT//unpacking...... 10%.............................20%...........................
“See.... we'll crack that baby open,” the supervisor said patting Lathenby on the shoulder.
Lathenby watched the status of the hardware that was tasked with unpacking the self installing code. At least the virtual trap was isolated from the overall network, if anything were to go wrong at least it wouldn't infect anything important.
Mr Hispania waited and watched the BMW pass him by then pulled out from a farm dirt track onto the tarmac, his dark blue Audi making an ominous sight with its darkened glass.
Accelerating hard Mr Hispania closed in on the BMW ahead and let out a sly grin as he heard his laptop on the passenger seat ping. Unknown to the victim ahead Mr Hispania, Nordic and Africa had planted a device on his car, one that would allow them to take control.
“I have you now!” Hispania said confidently.
As the Audi closed in on the car ahead Hispania reached to his laptop and struck a key and let the software do the rest.
Ahead Kurt felt the sudden surge of the engine as it began to accelerate hard. There was a moment of disbelief in his voice as he glanced at the rev counter and speed which confirmed his fear. Beneath Kurt's feet lay the pedals of the car and unconventionally they were connected not by cables to the running gear of his vehicle but to a computer. Little did he know his car was no longer controlled by his inputs but by a device that had been clipped to a cable harness under the hood.
Kurt tried to keep his head, in the distance a bend was looming, what could he do? First he pressed the Stop-Start button that normally brought the engine to life then sent it to sleep at journeys end, but nothing. The motor continued to surge on through the revs towards the red line. Kurt cursed not having a clutch on the semi-automatic gearbox but then thought that if he could force the vehicle into neutral....
“Nein, nein, nein!” Kurt cursed as he found the attempt to force the gearbox out of gear to be a fruitless task.
Running out of options and road Kurt slammed his foot on the brake pedal and felt no change in the car's speed.
“Sheisse!”
Glancing at the speedometer Kurt knew it was impossible to bail out from the car safely. Perhaps if he could just make the bend ahead he could figure something out. His eyes glanced at the handbrake and his desperate mind made him place one hand on the lever as the engine screamed louder and louder.
The supervisor looked on as the unpacking procedure seemed to slow to a crawl the nearer it got to completion.
“What the hell is this thing doing?” Lathenby wondered aloud only to be interrupted as his desk phone rang. Reaching to the handset Lathenby picked it up and answered.
“Lathenby …... uh huh ...” Lathenby looked up to his supervisor and handed him the phone.
“It's for you, it's the techies in the server room....” Lathenby said before resuming the vigil of his screen.
“Yes?” Began the supervisor before pausing as he listened.
“SHIT – Shut it down!”
“What?” Lathenby asked with confusion.
“Shut it down – EVERYONE – SHUT IT DOWN !” the supervisor yelled before taking flight from Lathenby's workspace and out the section office.
“Fuck!” Lathenby exclaimed realising that something serious was happening. The people in the section around him all began hammering at their keyboards to try and bring the processes they had started to a halt.
The supervisor ran down the corridors and used his swipe card to enter the large server farm. The heat and noise inside the room was evident as the server racks ran at full speed to resolve the files unpacking in the various spoof servers.
“Holy crap!” the supervisor yelled over the din as the technicians looked on, their expressions revealing their concern.
Meanwhile Lathenby and the other analysts began to try and extricate themselves from the situation but found the servers were tortuously unresponsive, every key stroke seeming to take an age to be accepted.
The server temperatures began to ramp up higher and higher as the water cooled systems began to overheat to the point even the air conditioned server room was too hot to be in.
“Is anyone out yet?” Lathenby yelled.
“No!” was the collective reply.
In the server room the technicians scurried to to run through the shut down procedure before it was ….
BANG
FZZZT
CRACKLE!!
One by one server racks began to smoke and pop, either from overheating or the overload from the power supplies. All through the room there was the sound of processor cooling systems winding down as the motherboards on each rack burned out.
“Fuck – we are completely offline – we've got to alert the brass …..” the supervisor said in panic realising that in that moment they were powerless to counter any form of cyber attack against the country.
Hispania stepped from his Audi and dashed to the wreck of the BMW that had been shredded up amongst some trees having impacted at over a hundred miles per hour. Wrenching open the bonnet the mercenary found the module clipped to the cable harness and began to retreat back to his Audi.
“Hil.......hilfe......” groaned a voice from the wrecked car.
Hispania stopped dead in his tracks. Kurt was alive?!
Turning back to the wrecked BMW Hispania looked through a smashed side window and could see Kurt, his bloodied body staining the white airbags that had helped protect him. For a brief moment the pair made eye contact, such as it was, Kurt was gravely wounded and barely acknowledged Hispania's presence.
“Joder!" Hispania muttered to himself. He knew that Mr Nordic wasn't going to be able to block the road with his tractor behind them forever and if the emergency services ever got there in time …..
Hispania looked menacingly at the wreckage intent on completing the job, the odour of petrol in the air luring him towards the final solution. Drawing a matchbook from his pocket Hispania found a river of petrol forming below the wrecked BMW and nonchalantly set the deadly fuel alight.
Turning away from his handiwork Hispania coolly returned to his Audi as Kurt began to sense the deadly fire approaching.
“Hilfe…. HILFE !!” Kurt groaned as he began to regain his senses.
Hispania clunked the door of his Audi closed and used the handsfree feature of his car to dial out while he gazed back at the trees and the orange glow dancing between them.
BEEP – BEEEEEEEEP – BEEP – BEEEEEEEEP warbled the cell phones ringing tone.
“Is it done?” responded Nordic's voice
“I yam just doing the tying of the loose ends, amigo” Hispania said as he watched the black smoke become denser, the points of flame reflecting in his eyes.
Nordic's sigh filled the cabin of Hispania's Audi, “Is it done or isn't it?”
WHUMP
The dull thud of the pressure wave struck the side of the Audi as the remains of the BMW erupted violently. A bright flash momentarily illuminated the tinted glass interior of Hispania's car eliciting a smile from the mercenary.
“Si, amigo, eet ees don, whell don” Hispania said as he fired up the engine of his car.
“Good, I will tell the others, get going up the road and meet with them” Nordic replied before he hung up.
Hispania pulled away and sped off into the distance ready to meet with Mr Africa who was blocking the road at the other end, another contract completed.
CHAPTER 3
Supergirl walked hesitantly into Selena's lair which lay hidden beneath the abandoned factory amongst the still sturdy concrete and steel. It had been weeks since the heroine and Selena had met and Supergirl was apprehensive of how she would be received.
“You are LATE” Selena said, not even turning her head from her screens. Selena had wired up her facility with cameras and sensors and she knew well that Supergirl had arrived.
“I'm sorry, but I have been busy,” Kara replied calmly as she approached. Brushing down her skirt and rearranging her crimson cape over her shoulders she quickly recovered her image of perfection.
“I know, and I suppose I should say well done, so, well done,” Selena said with a hint of annoyance in her voice as she spun in her chair to face the heroine.
“The 'doing' is the easy bit. Finding out about these trouble spots and being there in time is the hard part. You know I am grateful to you for pointing me in the right direction.” Kara said, trying to smooth the mood.
“Quite – well now you are in your next trouble spot” Selena said with a scowl.
“Selena, I know I owe you, please don't turn this into something it is not, I always intended to come back.” Kara pleaded subtly.
“Oh I do hope so because if I find out you are here for a favour then today you are out of luck!” Selena said as she rose to her feet, her head tossing a gesture back at her terminal like there was a problem.
“No, I swear, I am not here for favours, this is about keeping my word.” Kara said as she knitted her fingers together in front of herself.
“Very well, come with me,” Selena said coldly.
Supergirl nodded subtly, eyes down knowing the pair were no doubt headed to what had been dubbed the playroom. The heroine had been teased, tormented, abused and humiliated in so many ways in that now familiar place, her orgasms, her tears, her moaning protests all documented and logged on video and locked away.
“When you decided your loyalty lay more with Neyra than with me it hurt, Kara.” Selena said as she pair made their way to the heavy metal sliding door that led to the chamber.
“And I explained why I did it. Only by changing your ways towards others would you convince me not to do it again” Kara said, her eyes making contact with the beautiful red head's.
“Indeed, well the jury is still out on that but you said I could punish you in any way I wanted, and so I will.” Selena said firmly as she laid her hand on the lever mechanism for the sliding door, throwing it open.
VWOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHH
The metal slid on its rails revealing the chamber beyond. Kara paused at the threshold as beyond she saw something like a large black sheet taught between some sort of frame and connected to it by a hose some large aluminium coloured vessel and some kind of motor or pump.
Selena stepped forward into the chamber without waiting and looked back at the heroine who for a moment seemed reluctant to enter.
“Kara, come!” Selena pressed.
Kara's breathing seemed to falter a moment but then she stepped into the chamber and her eyes scanned wildly about the room for more clues as to her fate. Selena stood, feet parted, arms folded, her eyes looking sternly at Kara.
“Have you quite finished?” Selena said dryly.
“Sorry, what?” Kara flinched, back to the moment.
“Strip” Selena commanded.
Kara's expression revealed her resignation to the request, she had been expecting it. Kara tossed her hair over to one side as she reached to the anchor of her cape on the other then repeated the action the other way around. Releasing the crimson cape Kara gathered it up only to see Selena outstretch her arms ready to receive it.
Undoing her belt Kara released her skirt next letting it drop to her booted feet before stepping out of the red cloth puddle. A graceful movement allowed Kara to scoop up the discarded garment before passing it to Selena.
Selena studied the form of the heroine as she slowly became more and more visible, yearning to see the heroine fully naked in front of her.
A flexible Kara reached behind her back released her one piece allowing herself to peel her shoulders free, then one arm, then another. Slowly she drew down her top pausing with a breath before freeing her breasts of their confinement. Kara's eyes betrayed herself, Selena catching site of Kara's unspoken need for approval.
Selena's eyes smiled in reply, seeing the heroine become more and more exposed. Her lightly muscled arms, her perfect breasts, her nipples to attention, the contoured abdomen and the chiselled groove leading to her bellybutton were all visible. Downwards the one piece continued revealing the blond wisps of short trimmed pubic hair and finally the soft lips of her pussy.
With a blink Selena somehow missed the moment when Kara stepped out of her one piece and now it was being offered onto the stack of garments draped over Selena's arms. It always seemed to surprise Selena how Kara seemed to reset, like every shy reluctant moment was her first, her response to her situation as raw and exciting as the very first time.
Kara wrapped one arm across her chest, her other hand resting defensively on her crotch. Selena admired the reluctant blond a moment then turned away and placed the Supergirl costume respectfully on some shelf, picking up a steel shafted vibrator and matching butt plug.
“When I turn around you better have adopted a suitable standing position in those hooker boots,” Selena said sternly to the heroine out of sight behind her back. Unknown to the heroine there was a broad grin on Selena's face as she spoke which quickly vanished as she began to turn.
With an effort to compose herself Kara shuffled her feet apart, her long legs accentuated by her boots, the only remaining clothing on her body. Folding her arms behind her, her hands gripping her elbows, breasts pushed forward, back straight, Kara was transformed into a vision of submission.
Selena walked back to the waiting heroine, the blond's breathing evidently elevated by her psychological situation. Secretly Selena was thrilled at the gift stood in front of her but knew it might shatter the spell if Kara were to ever see her softer side.
“Well at least you can get something right,” Selena said with a hint of a grin, wicked as it was.
“Thank you,” Kara mustered.
“Pardon?” Selena cut back immediately.
“Mistress, thank you, mistress” winced Kara.
“Better” Selena said, looking Kara in the eye as her free hand reached out and slid over the pale skin of Kara's stomach up over one breast, playfully tweaking a nipple before presenting two fingers together to Karas lips.
“Open”
Karas nostrils flared, her eyes closing a moment before she let her mouth open letting Selena's digits into her mouth. Gently exploring Kara's tongue with her fingers Selena lubricated them with the saliva slowly forming in reply to her intrusion.
Slowly Selena withdrew herself from Kara's body, the blond closing her eyes in preparation to resist the sen...
“Nghhh” flinched Kara as she felt Selena's moist index finger come to rest on her soft flesh between her legs. The initial touch crudely landed on her labia but with a gentle teasing Selena began to find the channel between the two symmetrical folds of delicate skin.
Feeling she was working into the right spot Selena stroked her fingers a little more firmly against Kara, driving her digits deeper into the groove before she could start to feel the heroine's natural reply oozing over her fingers.
“Ah there we go, that's my whore” Selena goaded.
Kara's head tilted to one side as her composure wavered a moment, her teeth engaging onto her bottom lip as if to help keep herself focused. Selena was merciless as she rubbed furiously at Kara's vulnerable entrance ensuring the heroine was well and truly lubricating herself.
“Oh god, so good” whimpered Kara behind firmly shut eyes.
“Oh you say so now,” Selena said sinisterly into the heroine's ear, the gentle sound of fingers working against wet sticky intimate flesh now evident.
“OPEN” Selena ordered, prompting a panting heroine to open her mouth hesitantly.
“HOLD” was the order given as Selena presented edge on, the smooth straight shafted metal vibrator to the awaiting open mouth.
Gripping on, Kara held the cold metal toy carefully between her teeth as she waited for whatever....
“Nggggffff” Kara protested, her superpowered body almost levitating upwards and away in surprise from the sensation that touched her below.
Unseen, Selena had placed the head of the metal buttplug to Kara's pussy, mopping up the excess natural lubricant now starting to form a stringy sticky mess from between her legs.
Kara's eyes flashed open, her head trying to tilt down to see what was being done to her and Selena was most obliging, raising the solid metal plug before her eyes.
“Yes Kara, for your ass – it's tungsten plated with medical grade steel – I'm sure even in your powered state you would struggle to crush this with your legendary strength.” Selena said slyly to the snorting heroine, the vibrator still held between her teeth.
Selena stepped forward wrapping her arms about Kara's waist, her chin settling on Kara's shoulder.
“Hmmm now little traitor, hold your your butt apart while I put this in you.”
Kara groaned in protest as she released herself from her self enforced pose, her hands letting go of her own elbows behind herself and settling on her butt cheeks, pulling herself apart for Selena.
“Good girl” Selena said gleefully as using her wicked sense of blind navigation she guided the unseen tip of the plug to its target.
Gliding the lubricated tip of the anal breaching warhead along the divide between the two parted hemispheres of Kara's behind Selena felt the slight indentation of her target. Kara for a moment went rigid which confirmed to Selena she had reached her goal and with a subtle twist and a push the red head tested the pathway.
Kara moaned, her head flopping forward as she felt Selena testing her. Both of them knew that Kara couldn't be forced into accepting the anal intruder. Fully powered, it would be like trying to force the toy into a steel wall, impossible. What it meant was that for the toy to go where Selena desired Kara would have to accept it, she would have to relax, submit to Selena's will. Psychologically that was hard for Kara to do, it would be an admission that she was liking what was being done to her, but by letting that symbol of Selena's control over her inside her body it was the undeniable message, her submission.
“You know what to do, you gave me your word I could do anything, now, let me in” Selena whispered wickedly.
Kara seemed to need Selena's support almost as she grimaced unseen letting Selena have her way. Slowly deeper, then back a little then deeper once more went the toy until the broadest point had entered and Kara's body enveloped the narrow point before the flared base.
“Good” Selena said as she gave the base a reassuring tap before letting a moaning Kara stand upright once again.
Kara slowly let her buttocks go, letting them gently return together then resumed her previous stance, arms folded behind her back. Selena reached out and took the metal vibrator held between Kara's teeth with a flick of her wrist twisted the base bringing it to life.
Selena dragged the tip of the shaft down Kara's torso, the pair locking eyes. Kara sought to read Selena's intent while Selena sought to read Kara's understanding of it the moment it was revealed. Passing over Kara's bellybutton the vibrating menace cut its path through Kara's neatly trimmed fuzz.
Kara's eyes widened as she felt Selena place the long shaft along her wet channel, the vibrations telling her where the toy was. How Kara longed to be powerless, the vibrations that shook at her body would truly break her, but in her current state they did nothing.
“Please …. you ….. you're going to let me....aren't you?” Kara asked.
“Oh yes … but at a price,” Selena said as she spun the toy on its long axis making sure it was well coated in Kara's liquid excitement.
“Price?” Kara's furrowed brow revealed her confusion while her body language betrayed her response to Selena's molestations below.
“You will see” Selena said as she drew the toy back then angled it upwards, preparing to penetrate into Kara's body.
Exploring the folds of flesh Selena felt the weak spot and exploited it mercilessly. The tip entered and slowly the toy sank into the gratefully waiting pussy deeper and deeper up to the slightly flared base.
Selena was stood close to the heroine, one hand gripping Kara's hair in one hand while she rhythmically pumped the toy back and forth into Kara's body.
“Nghhhhh you know, you won't make me cum while I am powered up,” Kara struggled to say.
“I know, this part is for my pleasure, not yours,” Selena said, her eyes wickedly flashing their pleasure seeing Kara's difficulty. Selena could never be sure but she suspected that paradoxically her words were pleasure in their own right for Kara.
Kara writhed and squirmed upon the remorseless toy as it vibrated and pumped into her body at Selena's hand while her own discipline managed to keep upright, legs parted in her boots.
Selena released Kara's hair and grabbed the heroine by one wrist and guided the heroine to hold the toy inside herself.
“Keep fucking yourself with it” Selena ordered as she spun away.
“Oh god oh god oh god” Kara replied in time with each of her own thrusts, her eyes clenching as if it would prevent herself from being seen.
As always, the physical element of what was happening to her powered self did nothing for Kara but the significance of it blew her mind. Selena had her, owned her, while the moment was no doubt being captured for posterity and all of that was what somehow pushed the heroine's buttons.
A dizzying moment passed and Kara felt Selena wrap a leather belt about her waist then understood what was happening next as the crotch strap was held to her behind, pushing the butt plug tightly into her. Relieved of holding the vibrator the strap rose up over her pussy to the belt at the front. Toys secured inside her body the heroine could only stand there in her boots as she watched Selena peel open the latex sheet taught within its bed like frame.
Before Kara knew it she lay between the latex sheets being sealed into whatever fate was waiting for her. Selena loomed above the heroine, straddling her spreadeagled body and looking down at the luscious lips that protruded through the small breathing hole.
“You are going to learn what your betrayal felt like,” Selena said as she reached to the on switch on the vacuum pump.
DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Slowly the vacbed pulled itself in on to the heroine. First her breasts felt the pull, then her ribs, then abdomen, her thighs next, her impressive upper arms, then her lower legs, and feet and lastly her hands. Kara's toes bent downwards while her fingers remained spread and the radiant crown of hair lay equally in all directions around her head.
“Like your own powers do for you, loyalty to me makes me feel stronger, Kara,” Selena said as she stroked the latex imprisoned face of the heroine.
“Even in this harsh latex prison world, you can breathe, just as I can breathe out here in the real world, because you are loyal to me!” Selena continued as she cupped Kara's pussy, feeling the vibrations still working deep inside her prisoner.
“And even when times are difficult...deep breath...” Selena said, placing a strip of tape across Kara's mouth, “....we can normally rely on each other.”
Kara held a lungful of air within her, unneeded, unnecessary, the superheroine was capable of living in the icy void of space.
“So, you can imagine, when you think you can rely on something...” Selena paused mid sentence as she clicked a remote. The REAPER device, shielded and hidden in the room from Kara's eyes, fired, kicking out its debilitating field into Kara's body.
Kara lunged in panic as she felt her powers evaporate in an instant. Her back arched and her lungs felt like they would explode. The urge to force that rapidly degrading lungful of air from her body and draw in another overwhelmed her.
“.....and discover it has been taken away. To find out what you trusted, what you believed in was just …...fantasy …... make believe....... it hurt, Kara” Selena said coldly as Kara fought pointlessly against the vacuum prison.
“Just as I was left to feel weak and powerless, by your betrayal, you too can feel it. With your power gone even the simplest thing like holding on to life is difficult,” Selena continued.
The world was becoming distant, faint, sounds were evaporating in the vacuum. Selena's words seemed to melt into Kara's ears as her heart raced with fear. Kara's senses elevated in sensitivity, all seeking to help her escape, all desperate to provide the solution, that would save her.
The sense of touch spoke the most, the vibrating toy within her seemingly rise in sensory volume and.....
“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god........” Kara's brain managed to think in the face of the onslaught of sensations.
The restrained twisting and writhing and attempts to scream told Selena all she needed to know. This truly was a punishment worthy of the crime. Kara began to buck as she burned through the last of her oxygen, the orgasm causing the six pack block of muscles of her stomach to bulge under the latex sheet with her convulsions.
Selena admired Kara's efforts, her hands exploring the blond's body through its latex exterior. It was a rare treat to see Kara's every muscle flex, her every twitch, every move so clearly defined, truly the black prison exposed it all.
Selena could feel the moment arriving upon the heroine, the euphoric rush of near death and orgasmic heaven mixed together in one mind blowing experience. With a wicked grin Selena reached to the tape gag covering the heroines mouth and........
SHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP
Kara exhaled and drew in as deeply as she could against the resistance of the vacbed on her rib cage.
“I'm sorry …. I'm sorry …...I …..” Kara managed to say in apology before she felt Selena's lips meet hers.
There was a pause as Selena enjoyed the kiss of the humbled heroine beneath her before breaking once again.
“I know you are, but you were right. Sadly though you can't stop the way I felt when you let me down,” Selena said as she killed the pump that held the vacuum prison so tightly closed around the prone heroine.
“I … I understand, but you know I thought I was doing the right thing.” Kara answered her head barely wigging in the now re-inflated vac bed.
“And I would expect no less of you.” Selena replied as she admired the outline of the heroine beneath her.
“What will you do with me now?” Kara asked nervously.
“Well …... my little one …... it would be a shame to waste an opportunity of you being de-powered and in this bed, mouth available, when I am here to be serviced” Selena said slyly, her hand resting between her legs imagining how it would feel again to use Kara's tongue for her pleasure again.
“Oh!” moaned Kara as the toy still burrowing between her legs reminded her that she could well be moving towards orgasm number two.
DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR began the vacbed again.
“Yes, 'OH !'” beamed Selena as she watched the vacbed constrict the heroine once again.
CHAPTER 4
Lisa Kozny placed the palms of her hands against the familiar oak tree that marked the corner of one of the trails that ran through the park. Placing one foot further back she stretched her calf muscles then switched legs before repeating the action again. All her warm up routines over she dabbed at her cell phone, opening up her exercise app, RunM8
Lisa searched through her routes and found the one she was looking for, the ten kilometre.
"You have 1 running mate who runs this route, do you wish to run virtually with them?" asked the app.
Lisa smiled knowing it was Lucy who she was set against. From time to time they would run together in real life but when that same real life got in the way they had other ways to stay connected.
Lisa dabbed again at the touchscreen and gasped.
"PartyGirlLucy set a new PB 3 day(s) ago, run against this new time?"
"PB'd again?" protested Lisa to herself.
Lisa had been shadowing Lucy's times closely but it had been becoming harder and harder to keep up. Lucy seemed to have been progressively getting faster over the last few months and now she had smashed her personal best again, shaving another....
"Sixty seconds? Fuck!" Lisa exclaimed.
Lisa hesitated then accepted the option in front of her before stepping up to the partly exposed tree root that spanned the width of the track marking her symbolic start line.
Plugging in one headphone into left ear Lisa started her running playlist of music before starting the timer for her run.
"Proceed North" said the app into her ear over the music.
Lisa set off establishing her rhythm on the trail, her favourite opening music track in one ear while her surroundings could still be heard in the other.
Lisa knew her stride was longer than Lucy's who was shorter than her so she knew the hot Asian's work rate was much more than hers. Lisa intentionally began to think about her pace, her stride length and how she could carry herself better on each step.
Quickly Lisa found her breathing pattern, the sound of her footfalls and the intake of breath punctuated by the sound of her forcing out the spent air, it was like a drummer playing the same pattern of drums over and over.
"In twenty meters keep left at the fork" the app said.
Lisa glanced ahead at the fork, her vision normally focused more on the foreground and the trail and its tricky mixed terrain.
"Checkpoint Reached, you are 4 seconds behind your running mate," the app declared.
"Already down, gotta up the pace" Lisa thought, stretching her stride a fraction, upping her tempo a little more.
Mike Loughlan returned to his penthouse apartment after another long day at the office. Walking from the hallway he crossed the large living space and looked out across the evening skyline, the red glow of sunset masked by the large skyscrapers in front of it.
“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Lucy said from the leather seat in the corner.
Mike Loughlan flinched but didn't move or turn his head, he merely closed his eyes as he recalled his last encounter with the exotic Asian woman there, in the very same room they were in now.
“So, you're back then” Mike said, hardly surprised. He knew the day would probably come when the woman he had met in his apartment would return.
“Yes, a social visit” Lucy said calmly.
“Do I need to search the house for my kitchen knives again? They are not cheap you know” Loughlan said gruffly while maintaining his gaze on the dwindling daylight.
Lucy smirked remembering how she had made the apartment safe during her last visit to Loughlan's apartment. She had sabotaged his panic room, taken the firing pin from his hidden pistol and made sure he could not lay his hand on anything dangerous before he discovered she was there.
“No, I am hoping that now we have more of an understanding this time around” Lucy replied.
“So, why are you here?” Loughlan asked, turning his head very slightly in Lucy's direction.
“We are just checking you are satisfied with the result, you're not planning anything silly are you?” Lucy asked.
“Well I'm glad it's over if that's what you mean and at least no one else has to suffer but …. it has been hard, especially for the families of the victims. To be told that the evil genie that was responsible for all this has been put back in the bottle and Kimberly gets to walk, that has been a hard pill to swallow.”
“You were there for the demonstration, weren't you?” Lucy probed.
“When Supergirl stood there and lit Kimberly up I kid you not I nearly wet my pants. The MONSTER that was inside her was terrifying and as for poor Kimberly, she had been living in that nightmare since she was a child! But where is justice when you have victims and no one to send to trial, no lawyers or a jury, no chance to have a verdict. It's hard for me to accept, the need to lash out at someone, anyone, is still running through me ...” Loughlan said as he looked out across the red sky ahead.
“It is often said time is a great healer,” Lucy quipped.
“Some things never go away though ...I didn't lose anyone but you remember my story, my best friend's kid, she was like a niece to me and she's gone. And I had to look her mother in the eye and tell her that Kimberly had to walk free...I cannot ever see a time when she will want to speak to me again... ” Loughlan explained, his anger barely contained.
“Well you made it all possible, if you hadn't told me what you thought was going on Bobby might have just go on to blow up the world, it was really close to falling apart...” Lucy said, trying to temper Loughlan's morale.
“Do you know Supergirl? Is that how she figured out what Kim and Bobby were doing?”
“She comes to me at times ……... and yes that's how she knew what to do,” Lucy said calmly.
“Well when you see her again next thank her for me, thank her for ending it. I just knew as it was getting crazy that someone was in trouble, that's what was hurting most … do they know who it was …. did they rescue them in time?”
“Yes, Mike, you see, the last person that was ever captured by Kimberly ….. was me” Lucy said. And although it was true she wasn't going to let Loughlan know that it had been Supergirl who had been left twisting in agony until she and Selena had arrived to save her.
Loughlan glanced over his shoulder at Lucy in the corner and nodded in acknowledgement at her.
“Part of a plan, was it?” Loughlan reasoned out loud as he resumed his gaze across the skyline.
“You could say that, but all that matters is that it is over ….” Lucy said.
“And so what of me? I expect what I did, hiring those people to blow up the rig will be left dangling over me forever ...” Mike said in resignation. He was tired of everything, having to manage the slow dismemberment of Bobby's corporation and putting things right were taking its toll on him.
“Mike, like I said, time is a healer. Supergirl doesn't see the world in black and white like you might think, she knows you were a desperate man in a desperate situation, just live a good life and with time you will slowly fade off of her radar.”
“So then this is goodbye?” Mike asked, his head tilting, listening for Lucy's reply.
There was a pause, time for enough for the uninvited guest to answer and with narrowing eyes Mike Loughlan glanced back at the corner, then spun around as his eyes sought out Lucy to no avail.
Mike's expression said it all. So that was the end of this chapter in his life perhaps? The part where he had made tough choices and had been judged for them and found to be just on the right side of the line. He was going to live to fight another day ….
Free and clear Lucy made it to her Porsche and checked the messages on her 'work' phone before firing up the lively engine of her car.
SELENA, SELENA, SELENA, LISA, SELENA, LAURA, SELENA, SELENA
Lucy smiled, situation normal it seemed as she scanned through her messages. With Selena's it always paid to read through her messages backwards, Lucy had learned it saved a whole lot of time.
“No matter – something has come up – do not disturb me for the rest of the day, I am unavailable” was the last one.
Scanning further back caused Lucy to raise an eyebrow. “Have you seen Kara?” was one. “Have her pay me a visit if you see her,” ended another.
BING!
Lucy checked her notifications to see what had just come in.
“ElKay10-63 has set a new PB running with you – click to see more”
Lucy looked at the details of Lisa's run and glanced through the timings. Lucy felt proud of Lisa's result and quickly clicked “Hi-5” in acknowledgement but for some reason she felt disappointment in herself too, that gap had to become bigger again, she had to be much better than Lisa because.....
Lucy shook her head, she didn't know why she was feeling so competitive and besides, she was still a good forty seconds quicker and she had only just started reaping the benefits of her new training regime. Lucy's smile returned, she was going to go to Lisa's place and show her just how proud she was.
CHAPTER 5
It was the early hours at Dusseldorf airport and Mr Hispania was patiently waiting at the gate for his flight to New York. He and his colleagues, Mr Africa and Mr Nordic had cleaned up after their assassination of the banker Kurt Draxler and now they were moving on to their next missions.
Moving inconspicuously the trio were heading to New York on different flights with different airlines to separate airports. La Guardia, JFK and Newark were all accessible from Germany and they would arrive within a few hours of each other.
Hispania checked his phone for messages and noted the text conversation going on between the others in WhatsApp. “We have been assigned a new colleague for our group”
“Oh, who?”
“I wasn't given a name”
“Well, when do we meet him?”
“There will be a new contact in our burner phones when we collect them in NY”
“And we meet in NY?”
“Yes, I guess. Apparently whoever it is will be leaving Paris now, more or less. Our new friend undertook that Bank Nacionale contract.”
“Oh, the new guy did that? Good job”
“They will start boarding us here soon – see you at the meeting point – ditching phone”
“OK – same here ”
Hispania studied the conversation between the others realising that it was now pointless to say anything. They were about to smash their phones and consign the broken circuitry and SIMs to trash cans. Hispania wondered how the team would deal with integrating a new member to their ranks.
Hispania missed the cute Asian, Princess they used to jokingly call her. It was a pity she was a screw up, else Cornell wouldn't have had to kill her in Hawaii. Hispania wasn't missing Cornell though and the thought of him getting gunned down in a police shoot out caused Hispania to smile just a moment.
If there was such a place as heaven or hell Hispania knew Cornell would be livid knowing that in the end he was taken out by some donut munching airport rent-a-cop.
“I wonder what this new one will be like?” Hispania thought.
At Paris Charles De Gaulle airport in that very moment the flight bound for New York was making its way from the gate to the threshold of the runway. The flight attendants went through their safety briefing while the passengers settled in for the long haul to the states.
In first class a large framed man with immaculate hair flipped the safety card from the seat pocket over to read the reverse side, then nonchalantly returned it with a sigh. Glancing towards the window the man took in the sight of the thirty-something brunette with pale blue piercing eyes who sat in the window seat, the centre seat between them unoccupied.
The man glanced quickly at the woman and spotted an opening for a conversation starter.
“Oh, you have one of the new FitBits?” he said.
“Excuse me?” the brunette blinked with a hint of confusion not anticipating the question.
“Oh I'm sorry – it's just I like to work out too and I noticed you have the new FitBit” the man gestured politely to the woman's wrist and the black fitness tracking watch.
“Oh, this, yes. Well, I wouldn't say I work out but perhaps this will encourage me to,” the woman said as she looked at her wrist.
“How have you found it?” the man pressed on with the small talk.
“It's been good, the monitoring and GPS seem to be really accurate though I tend to find the other functions the most useful, like being able to see the name of a caller on my phone on my wrist. Saves me having to unlock it when it is someone I don't want to speak to when I am busy” the woman said with a giggle.
“Oh, and what do you do that keeps you busy, if I may ask?” the man asked.
“I am one of those dreaded personnel managers” she said her tone turning momentarily evil, eliciting a chuckle from the man.
“And you?” she asked, following up the man's interest in her with interest of her own.
“Hmmm, some might call me a troubleshooter” the man said cryptically.
“Oooh now that sounds much more interesting, tell me more” the brunette said shuffling in her seat.
“Well if I told you, I'd have to kill you” the man quipped with a smile.
“So soon, but we've only just met and I don't even know your name!” joked the woman in reply to his surely jovial comment.
The man seemed enamoured with her sense of humour despite his attempt to retain a serious face and his expression melted at her response.
“Yes, you are right, my name is Oscar, and yours?” Oscar asked.
“Neomi – pleased to meet you” Neomi said offering her hand.
“Likewise” beamed Oscar as he accepted her invitation, the pair lightly shaking hands.
“So, if I am to die then surely you have to tell about your ominous sounding troubleshooting job first” Neomi said.
Oscar studied the face of the lovely Neomi and wondered what he should dare tell her.
“Well …..” he began.
Lucy and Lisa were snuggled up on the sofa together under a blanket in the darkened room of Lisa's apartment. The room was lit with the eerie glow of the TV in the corner as they watched an old movie together.
“Another?” whispered Lisa.
“Sure, but last one for me, besides I bought them for you,” Lucy responded, equally quiet, eyes ahead as she watched on.
Lisa reached to the box of Belgian chocolates and plucked out a delicately formed oyster shell shape of confectionery heaven. Raising it up she presented it to the eyes of Lucy which widened. Letting out a smile and a nod Lucy glanced at Lisa who drew the chocolate closer to Lucy's mouth.
Gently closing her eyes Lucy lent forward, parting her lips just a touch and felt the piece of chocolate seek permission to enter. With a sensuous and gentle movement Lucy took it in and felt it melt in her mouth.
“More wine?” Lisa asked though it was almost like an instruction.
“Uh-huh” Nodded Lucy.
Lisa reached to Lucy's glass which had some red wine in it and picked it up, putting the deep red liquid to Lucy's mouth, slowly tilting the glass vessel and delivering a mouthful of its contents.
“Thanks” smiled Lucy after slowly savouring then swallowing the wine.
“Do you think he did it?” Lisa whispered as the detectives in the film interviewed the handsome protagonist.
“You're the detective, you tell me” Lucy quipped.
“Smart ass” Lisa whispered back.
“Bite me!” Lucy retorted.
Lisa's eyes flashed mischievously and drew the blanket down off of Lucy's shoulders revealing the canvas coloured straitjacket she was wearing beneath.
“What are you doing” Lucy protested quietly.
Lisa didn't respond as she playfully grasped the zip that fastened closed a strip over one of Lucy's breasts.
ZZZZZZZRIP
The zip was opened and then carefully parted, the canvas revealing the nipple of one breast that now bulged at the opening in the material.
“Bitch!” Lucy squirmed.
“Ah ah!” Lisa replied disapprovingly while with thumb and forefinger she gently tugged Lucy's nipple, drawing her breast further out confinement.
“Hey hey hey what are … oh god” Lucy moaned as Lisa clamped onto her breast with her mouth, the gentle threat of teeth being made known albeit gently. Lucy's nipple hardened enthusiastically to Lisa's attention and all Lucy could do was squirm, powerless to stop Lisa's efforts.
There was a pause as Lisa released her prey, a wicked expression on her face.
“Well you said 'bite me', so I did!” Lisa beamed.
“You're just mad because you haven't figured it out who murdered his wife” Lucy teased again, motioning her head to the screen.
“And have you?” Lisa asked before making a gnashing effect with her teeth.
“Errr … maybe!” Lucy responded coyly.
“You mare!” gasped Lisa realising Lucy didn't know either.
“Ah! Noooo” shrieked Lucy as Lisa pounced again on her vulnerable nipple.
Neomi listened on to another of Oscar's tales, her jaw parted like she was in semi-shock as he talked in a low tone.
“So, now I have the groom in the trunk of my car and I'm trapped in this queue of cars with the police up ahead and they are talking to all the drivers” Oscar said as he took another sip from the can of beer sat on his tray.
“Oh my goodness, what did you do, were they after you?” Neomi asked, the potato chip hovering near her mouth getting an extended reprieve.
“Well, finally I get to the front and its the local Gendarmarie doing breath tests and the officer asks me if I have been drinking....” Oscar said before pausing.
“And.....” Neomi filled in his blank, the potato chip still waiting for the execution of its death sentence.
“I told him, I hadn't touched a drop but that if he didn't let me get on with my journey soon I would need to start drinking!” Oscar said with a laugh.
“What happened?” Neomi replied with disbelief.
“Well, he did the test then sent me on my way, the guy in the trunk didn't even make a sound, he was well out of it” Oscar winked.
“So, the groom, he missed the wedding?” Neomi said with an exasperated expression.
“Sure did, just as the father of the bride wanted” Oscar said proudly.
“Poor girl, jilted at the altar, what happened after that?” Neomi asked, finally blinking and devouring the potato chip.
“Well after that the proof started coming in, he was a gold digger just as the father thought. The whole thing was called off after that” Oscar said with a grin.
“You hero!” Neomi said as she raised her can of tonic water in salute, Oscar raising his beer in reply.
“That's right, I'm the man” Oscar said as he tossed a peanut into his mouth before chasing it down with another slurp.
There was a pause and Neomi's eyes scanned Oscar up and down again, sizing the burly man up.
“Oscar, have you ever had to.... you know...hurt anyone? I mean, I know there are people that deserve what they get....” Neomi asked, almost shrinking into her seat in fear of being overheard asking the question.
Oscar looked back at Neomi with his steely eyes measuring her question with his mind.
“I shouldn't really talk about that stuff, you know, it could get me in a lot of trouble, but yeah, when someone deserves it, sure, I've ruffled feathers in the past” Oscar said sombrely , gauging Neomi's reaction.
“Well, finally its refreshing to meet a real man of action and not some empty noise maker” Neomi said confidently as she plucked another potato chip from the small carton on her tray.
“Not everyone is cut out for my sort of work, it's not your fault, I mean, the paper pushers of the world in general. It's all about attitude.” Oscar said flatly.
“But honestly, some of my bosses, when the chips are down become snivelling cowards. And as for the subordinates, they can be rubbish. And they expect me to hand hold them through the difficult parts...” Neomi sighed.
“Well, the cavalry is here,” grinned Oscar as he gestured to a nearby flight attendant for another round of drinks.
“So, do tell me more, it's fascinating” Neomi said as she turned more in her seat to face the man sat nearby.
“Oh no no no no,” shrieked Lucy as, laying over Lisa's lap, she felt her lower legs become enveloped by one arm as her feet were attacked by the claws of her attacker's fingers.
“Got you now,” Lisa said wickedly as she tortured Lucy's soles with her claws.
“Please, ah, NO, DON'T!” Lucy squirmed, her feet scissoring back and forth in an effort to escape the torment.
“Wow, ticklish huh” Lisa teased.
“Argh, no no no please ….. I'll do whatever you want” laughed Lucy. Her laughter was exhausting herself rapidly and soon she would be just a powerless worn out mess in Lisa's clutches. “OK …. you're going to tell me how to improve my times like you have” Lisa joked as her fingers danced more on Lucy's soles.
“Wha.....wha....... no …... no.......no” Lucy growled.
“Go on, tell me!” Lisa joked as she worked harder to keep the thrashing Lucy still while draped over her lap.
“NO , let me go” Lucy protested more seriously as she somehow managed to increase her efforts.
Lisa went wide eyed in surprise as Lucy thrashed so hard she was in danger of falling from her lap.
“Woah steady Lu, I was only messing.” Lisa said trying to calm the playful moment down. Lucy was in danger of falling and hurting herself. With her arms wrapped around herself in the straitjacket Lucy couldn't help prevent her fall.
“LET ME OUT” Lucy ordered as she forced her body weight back so she ended up grounding herself on her knees, her chest resting on Lisa's thigh.
“Lu, what has gotten into you?” Lisa said not knowing what she had done wrong.
With an annoyed shrug of her body Lucy rose to her feet in the confines of her straitjacket, her breasts revealed through the open zippered slits across the front.
“Let me out, please....” Lucy said more calmly.
Lisa cocked her head like she was suddenly dealing with a complete stranger, something was obviously bothering her friend.
“Sure, Lu, of course … I'm sorry” frowned Lisa as she grasped one of the leather straps restraining Lucy, pulling it free of the buckle that held her.
Lucy stood in brooding silence as Lisa slowly undid the restraints she had happily put the hot Asian inside what seemed only a few hours ago.
“Please, what is wrong Lucy?” Lisa asked, she was disappointed in herself that she had so misjudged what their limits were.
“I, it's, look, just don't ask me about how I did it, ok?” Lucy replied.
“Your times? Is that what this is about?” Lisa asked surprised.
“Please, just drop it, ok?” Lucy insisted.
Lisa's confusion just seemed to get more profound. Of course if Lucy wanted her to let the subject slide she would but it seemed such a harmless question.
“Sure Lu, I'm sorry OK, I didn't realise you didn't want to talk about it” Lisa said with a frown.
One by one the leather straps were undone and Lucy removed the jacket rendering her naked.
“Did you still want to stay over?” Lisa asked despondently.
Lucy seemed to regain herself a little and looked at what the previously fun scene had been reduced to. It saddened her that what had been an exciting turn on had been wrecked and she didn't want to just suddenly set her bridge to Lisa alight.
“Sure, of course, I don't know what happened, I'm sorry” Lucy said, her expression hinting at confusion like she didn't quite know how she got there.
“Would you like the sofa or ….” Lisa began, her arm pointing towards the doorway and the living room with its sofa beyond.
“With you” Lucy dived in, like she was suddenly desperate to fix what had happened.
Lisa nodded with acceptance though she suddenly felt like there was a stranger in her apartment with her.
“I won't bite you back” Lucy said, reading the doubt on Lisa's face.
“Me neither” Lisa said a tiny hint of caustic in her voice. No longer having faith in what her boundaries were with the Asian woman this was a lash out comment.
On the flight from Paris to New York the lights had been turned down and the passengers were each trying to find some sleep. Despite leaving in the early hours of the morning from Paris they would find themselves arriving only a little later than when they had set off. All through the journey the sun rising in the east would pursue them in their plane giving the sensation of perpetual dawn.
Pulling up her black silk blindfold Neomi caught sight of Oscar sleeping deeply, his jaw slack as he gentle snored into the side of his inflatable neck pillow then drew her blindfold back down with a tut of disappointment that her companion was already well off to sleep.
When they arrived in New York she hoped another opportunity would arise where she could really put this man of action through his paces, ideally in one of the rest rooms before they had to go through passport control.
A wry smile formed on Neomi's face before she swivelled her head on her shoulders and settled in for some more sleep time.
CHAPTER 6
The dark void was infinite, it was neither hot nor cold and there was complete silence. Like a blank canvass the moment was waiting to be filled by something, anything.
Then from nothing a form resembling something akin to a mist seemed to manifest from nowhere. It seemed to be neither a gas or liquid and yet it was perceptible within the emptiness.
“Are you not here yet?” asked a voice from the strange mass.
There was a pause which was not broken by any reply.
“WELL?” The voice bellowed without even a hint of an echo in return.
The voice seemed to sigh, its patience running short.
“Very well, but time is becoming precious! I want you to be able to share in our moment of triumph after all. How sweet it will be for you to know you will have her eyes locked on you as you cast her sword and her shield into the depths, trapped like rats to drown,” urged the voice.
In the distance there was a sound of what seemed to be a whispered voice, barely perceptible.
“Brother, is that you?” asked the mist.
The sun began to climb from the horizon slowly illuminating the Washington D.C skyline and putting a warm orange glow to the white stone of the imposing needle, the Washington Monument.
As the great nation of the United States was stirring the leaders of the country began to attend their morning meetings and briefings preparing them for the day ahead.
President Garrison, sat in her leather chair, chin resting on her fist as her national security advisor, Clive Westmoreland took his seat opposite her at the coffee table and laid a few folders down retaining the top most in his hand.
“OK, Clive, from top to bottom as always” smiled Garrison.
“Of course Madame President. Item one, Extraterrestrial activity. Intelligence observes no change in Guardian. She continues to perform humanitarian efforts on an ad-hoc and international basis. Recent activities include mountain rescue efforts in the northern Ural's, that's in the mid western-,” Westmoreland explained before being interrupted.
“I know where the Ural's are, thank you,” quipped Garrison.
“Of course – and then NORAD detected her pass over the edge of the arctic and Alaska down to California where she assisted a team of trapped smokejumpers during a forest fire. After that we lost track of her but it is not uncommon for her to go untraceable from time to time”
“So no change then. Very well, next item, abroad and the carriers?” Garrison asked. As always after the most significant external risk, Supergirl, came the foreign political developments.
“Well, actually, there is another E.T item we need to discuss,” Westmoreland explained as he pulled another piece of paper from his first most file.
“Oh?” Garrison said as she sat up in her seat with a little concern.
“Yesterday morning CYBER-CENCOM attempted to intercept a cyber attack directed at various government agencies across the United States,” began Westmoreland.
“Ah yes, that, I was briefed yesterday afternoon by the Secretary of Defense. So why is this now an E.T item?” Garrison asked, her eyes peering at the briefing document that Westmoreland was referring to in his hands.
“The attack they intercepted was essentially a baiting attack designed to disrupt our oversight capabilities. Overnight the people at the D.o.D have analysed the nature of the code that collapsed our systems and their determination is that whoever or whatever created the code for this attack was, well, a good few orders of magnitude more capable than what we considered possible,” Westmoreland explained.
Garrison leant back into her seat as she took in her advisor's words.
“We are sure that neither of those Sanderson's, Bobby or Kimberly, are behind this?” Garrison asked. She was painfully aware of the financial chaos that the alien-controlled siblings had wreaked upon the globe. The repercussions were still being felt even now despite the passage of time.
“Yes M'am, they are off grid at the moment and monitored by Marshalls. This attack was committed by someone or something else,” Westmoreland said as he scanned the briefing document with his eyes.
“Do we know what the attack was about? I can't imagine this was just about taking down our system, if they went this far to distract the people watching the cookie jar then they must of stole some cookies while we couldn't see,” Garrison reasoned aloud.
“During our downtime our various agencies were left to fend for themselves. Some realised something was wrong quickly and pulled the plug, others were less fortunate. Worse we know some private corporations were probed too, credit card companies, banks, defense contractors and so on,” Westmoreland said as his eyes glanced through a list of names on his briefing document.
“To what end? Do we know what was being taken?” Garrison asked as she sat up with unease. The extent of the attack seemed worse than anyone had advised her could happen.
“Well, that's the thing. From what we can see a lot of what was done was database queries rather than an out and out data theft. The attackers were doing some sort of correlation search, trying to match groups of data together” Westmoreland continued as he leant forward, passing a piece of paper to the president.
“Do we know what they were trying to match? Or why?” Garrison asked with a puzzled expression as she scanned the document listing out the agencies and organisations that had been attacked.
“The attackers have tried to disguise their tracks but they seemed to be correlating three or four people, perhaps to identify them based on partial information,” Westmoreland said as he looked at the permutations analysis on another piece of paper before showing it to the President.
Garrison studied the analysis fleetingly, a grid of letters with percentages marked in columns and rows. Forenames starting with L-U and L-I were near the top and surnames with K-O and C-O next. Then more names starting S-A or S-E and C-E followed after that with K-A-R finishing off the list.
“I'm not sure what to make of it, these individuals must be of some importance for the attackers to go to these lengths to find them,” Garrison reasoned aloud.
“Exactly, and this might be the tip of the iceberg. The F.B.I are making inquiries to see what may have happened within the private sphere to see what else was being sought after,” Westmoreland added as he sorted through more papers.
“You said that this attack was possibly driven by an alien intelligence. Make a note, I want your people to apply pressure on getting the 'Infinity' plan approved. I don't want us to fall behind the curve. The public can forgive us not knowing about this new threat the first time around, but twice? No, they won't accept that. I wont accept that. We need options – make sure they understand they need to support the administration on this,” Garrison said as she handed back some of the paperwork she had been shown.
“Yes, Madame President, and I will of course keep you updated when we get further analysis of what transpired yesterday. Now then, if I may move to item two, this is the disposition of our main naval forces as of two hours ago,” Westmoreland said as he handed an A4 sheet of paper to the president, continuing the morning briefing.
The passengers of the flight from Paris stood patiently in the aisles of the capacious jet while the flight attendants swung open the door revealing the air bridge that linked the plane to the terminal.
“Ladies and gentlemen you may now proceed to disembark from the aircraft by the front door,” announced the intercom.
The passengers slowly edged forward and one by one they passed by the flight attendants who's fake smiles beamed as they wished their passengers a safe onward journey.
Stepping out on to the air bridge Neomi felt the crisp cool early morning New York air touch her skin, goosebumps rising from her bare forearms left uncovered from her three quarter length sleeves of her close fitting white blouse. Dropping her wheeled carry on luggage to the floor of the air bridge Neomi began to walk confidently up and into the terminal building.
Reaching the concourse Neomi glanced left and right and looked for the signs to help find her way. She was at gate A5 and Baggage Claim and Immigration lay off in one direction while passengers transferring to other flights were directed to other gates. Then she saw the sign she wanted, the rest rooms, her eyes narrowing with purpose as she noted they were at the dead end of the building.
Casting a glance over her shoulder she caught sight of Oscar as he made his way up the air bridge. With a teasing wink Neomi seemed to intimate to her fellow passenger with a head gesture that he should follow.
Oscar's eyes locked onto Neomi for a second before he assessed the lay of the land and realised that the woman ahead of him had fallen under his spell. Oscar, the 'Troubleshooter' was indeed in luck, every passenger turning the other way towards the next leg of the journey while he and the enamored business woman went their own way.
Neomi walked purposefully, her behind in her close fitting black trousers moving invitingly to Oscar who closed in rapidly from behind.
CLACK CLACK CLACK went Neomi's shoes on the hard concourse floor as she headed closer and closer to the rest room, her pace quickening.
Oscar's predatory eyes were locked on to Neomi as she seemed to make a confirmatory glance over her shoulder. Her invitation, her hunger, seemingly called to him from the glimmer in her eyes and her smile and he sought to make the delay between them walking into their temporary den of debauchery and him taking every pleasure from her body as short as possible.
Passing into the common corridor that led to the men and women's restrooms Neomi ducked into the women's room.
Oscar reached the corridor behind her and glanced at the women's room door apprehensively a second before it swung ajar and Neomi's arm reached out, grabbing him by his tie and playfully tugging him inside.
“It's all clear” giggled Neomi.
Inside, Neomi and Oscar looked at each other hungrily.
“You're a bad girl, Neomi”
“So, spank me!” Neomi teased, her eyebrows rising slightly, like she was daring him.
“Good answer” Oscar growled as he closed the gap to Neomi and grabbed the hair on the back of her head and dragged her the few paces one side, roughly steering her to plant her hands on the solid counter top that the half dozen washbasins sat in.
A firm push with his foot guided Neomi's legs apart leaving her bent forward taking in her own reflection in the wide mirror in front of her. Behind her she could see the reflected Oscar admiring her ass in her tight trousers. She could feel his free manly hand circle on her behind before she witnessed him deliver the stinging strike onto her behind.
THWACK
Her brain tingled with ecstasy, her head rising putting slack in her hair which Oscar had retained a tight grip on.
“Nggnnnn, again!” Neomi said with wicked pleasure.
“Paintoy huh!” Oscar said as he put an extra twist of her hair around his hand, keeping Neomi's back arched.
“Hah, no,” Neomi said, her eyes burning into Oscar's via the mirror.
“So...?” Oscar asked as he prepared to strike.
THWACK
“Nghhhhhh...it just makes me wet” Neomi said, her voice turning sultry.
“All the better then,” Oscar said calmly.
THWACK
“Nghhhhhh” Neomi moaned.
Oscar cupped his free hand up between Neomi's legs and rubbed at the hot tract of cloth covering her pussy.
“Ohhh god, that's it” moaned Neomi in response to his touch. Bending one arm at the elbow Neomi's head flopped onto her forearm which now acted as a pillow while her free hand reached out blindly for Oscar, finding the belt line of his trousers. Expertly she seemed to find the buckle while unsighted and began to fiddle with it, pinging it open.
Oscar looked on in admiration at the creature he had seemingly tamed and swatted her behind one more time before guiding her to spin around. Neomi delighted in being freed from her spanking position and eagerly dropped to her knees, unzipping Oscar's pants and letting them fall.
Beneath Oscar's shorts his hardening member was waiting and with one quick move she freed his manhood. Grasping his cock in one hand she began to jerk him off with one hand causing him to support himself with one hand on the wash basin while his other hand came to rest on Neomi's head hoping to guide her to what he was looking forward to next.
Neomi's eyes flashed wildly as she felt Oscar harden in her hands thanks to her efforts and now her other hand rose and held him by the balls.
“Go on, suck it, bad girl,” Oscar managed to say, the 'Troubleshooter' hungry to have his way.
Neomi glanced upwards then looked at the manhood she held within her hands.
“IN – YOUR - DREAMS” Neomi replied wickedly her hand squeezing his balls hard with each word.
“FUCK – BITCH” spat Oscar as he sought retribution with his hand that had been guiding Neomi's head.
With a firm slap Oscar's hand contacted with the side of Neomi's face but she seemed to shrug off the strike as if it had been nothing. Rising to her feet quickly Neomi shoved Oscar back against the wash basins. With his feet seemingly bound together by his pants about his ankles he nearly stumbled but ended up with his backside against the counter top.
The pain in Oscars balls radiated out like branches of lightning through his body as Neomi retained a tight grip. Again he struck at her face causing her head to twist before she looked Oscar back in the eye, a hint of a trickle of blood coming from her bottom lip.
“Get off me, bitch!” Oscar ordered.
“Look at you, PATHETIC” Neomi said almost laughing.
“Fuck you!” Oscar said as he began to raise his hand again.
Neomi's eyes flashed their warning, “I wouldn't if I were you,” she said. Squeezing Oscar by the balls again she forced him to stay his hand.
“I can assure you that your two little love taps on my face will come out at least a little yellow if not black and blue and as for my behind, who knows,” Neomi said triumphantly.
“You set me up!” Oscar realised, his eyes betraying his fear.
“You set yourself up and who are they going to believe? You, the big man who almost seemed to chase me to the ladies rest rooms or poor defenceless me with the bust lip and bruises?” Neomi said confidently.
“You fucking whore – you know what I am capable of,” growled Oscar.
“Oh shut up!” Neomi replied nonchalantly as she twisted the man's balls in her hand.
“Owwwwww!” groaned Oscar in agony.
“Does your troubleshooter story work on every woman you meet? Those hands may be big and manly but those index fingers haven't seen anything more deadly than a biro. That callus is the mark of an office clerk not a mercenary and no one in your line of work would blab as much as you do. And as for these extra pounds...,” Neomi said cruelly as her other index finger prodded the hint of a spare tyre forming about his middle.
Placing a hand on Neomi's shoulder he sought to push her away but her free hand grabbed him by the wrist and she stepped backwards. With a deft movement she translated his push into her pull, dragging him forward while twisting his wrist and ..
SMACK
Falling clumsily, feet unable to move freely while trapped in his pants Oscar swan dived to the floor his other hand somehow breaking his fall.
“Nggghhhhh” he groaned as he rolled onto his back weakly.
“You are a fake Oscar, a wannabe, and now you are going to learn what a real troubleshooter looks like” Neomi said as she settled by the prone man's side.
“When ….. when did you know?” Oscar managed to ask before he felt his cock being grasped once more in her hands.
“From the moment you started with your lies, you fraud!” Neomi bragged as she began to prime the man's pump that would cause him to fire his load.
“BITCH” Oscar said as his attempt to sit up was blocked.
“One of my many names, now be a good boy, some of your DNA over my panties should be the final incentive to make you stay quiet. Remember, it's all about attitude, paper pusher so try and not get cum all over your nice trousers.... ” Neomi said as she slowly stroked Oscar's member to attention.
Somewhere in Newark Mr Hispania checked into a hotel and was given a package by the desk clerk along with his room key. Hispania pocketed the key and carried the package in one hand while he wheeled his luggage with the other to the lobby elevator then pressed the call button.
There was a pause and then the elevator doors opened, allowing the occupants to step out, momentarily taking in the sight of Hispania waiting before moving away. Mr Hispania entered the elevator and pressed the button to take him to his floor and heard the ping signalling the door was closing.
As the elevator began to move Hispania opened up the package and slid out the burner cell phone that had been provided by his organisation, The Resolution.
Powering up the phone Hispania opened up the contacts list and saw the names of his usual colleagues and as promised while they had been in Germany, their new team member.
NEOMI
The name caused a brief smirk to appear on his face before he opened up WhatsApp to see the conversation that had begun without him, his other male colleagues having arrived just before him. The exchange was predictable.
“I thought you said it was a 'him'?”
“No, YOU said it was a him, I just said it was someone new”
“Do you know this Neomi?”
“I think I heard of one, used to work Europe I think, freelancer”
“Any good?”
“IDK – but they did that Paris job so...”
“Fair enough – we should set up a new group chat with Neomi on the list, it's not good form to exclude her”
“Sure”
“When everyone is settled in we will arrange to meet”
Hispania studied the conversation then quickly keyed in a message of his own.
“I am now at my hotel”
Hispania saw the elevator door open to the sound of a PING and strode out towards his room. New home, a new job, a new victim.
CHAPTER 7
Kara stirred from her sleep to find herself in darkness. As her body sought to move and stretch, in order to relieve the strain on her powerless limbs she realised she was restrained at the wrists.
“Wha-” Kara began to protest only to hear the dead muffled echo of her voice inside her head
With her back arching she sought to rise only to find her legs restrained too, the heroine imagining herself in the vulnerable spread eagle position that her limbs seemed to be held in.
Taking a deep breath she heard the air echo as it drew to her mouth and then she felt the effort required to exhale.
Slowly, moment by moment Kara remembered where she was and how she came to be there. Restrained, hooded and gas masked in the black latex catsuit she had spent the night with Selena in her lair.
“Shhhh,” Selena said tenderly to her prisoner, the sound of her voice penetrating through the latex layers that she had encased Kara in.
Kara felt Selena's hand cup the side of her head reassuringly. Powerless all night she had been kept bound and tormented by her red headed mistress to the point of exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.
Kara felt Selena by her side and promptly the villain knelt astride of Kara's waist which was held tightly in a rubber cincher. To Selena's delight she knew it was punishing in its own right whilst somehow making the heroine look even sexier to her eyes.
Selena reached for some buckles and undid the gas mask carefully pulling it up from Kara's latex hooded head and then while carefully supporting Kara's head undid the zip at the back slowly revealing the blond's face.
Kara blinked at the exposure to the light, her sweat drenched face trapping a few rogue blond hairs that failed to stay brushed back in her latex attire.
“Thank you,” Kara said gratefully.
“Well, I had to let you out eventually, the world - ,” Selena said from her vantage point above the prone superheroine.
“Has something happened?” Kara began as she for a moment attempted to rise.
Selena placed the tip of her index to Kara's lips, her face reassuringly calm.
“Shhhh - relax, all is quiet – sure there are kittens in trees and children with grazed knees but this morning there are no earthquakes to report, no volcanoes mid eruption and barely a tropical depression to be seen – and yes, that's globally,” Selena added.
Kara only smiled slightly in reply. She had faith in Selena that if there was a hint of trouble in the world she would have been let out to deal with it. What she didn't let Selena know was that her thanks were not for her release but for the blissful sleep she had encountered within her prison.
For humans, being able to finally see the light at the end of a tunnel meant hope of freedom, freedom from the bad place they were in. For Kara, being able to get deep enough into the darkness, to not be able to see the light, represented escape from the pressures that existed outside the mouth of the tunnel.
The ability to see all, hear all, sense all, to have to step up and take responsibility for that which she could control took its toll. Having Selena be able to take her away from it all, to be the villainess that controlled her, her excuse by proxy for not being free, it was all incredibly liberating.
Selena recognised the expression of Kara's mind working overtime for a moment.
“What?” Selena asked, her head cocking to one side slightly.
Kara grinned, her head shaking slightly, “Oh, nothing,”
“Good – much as I would like to keep you like this forever I have more important things to do than babysit you all day,” Selena said as her eyes glanced over Kara's latex clad form beneath her, her palms resting on Karas breasts, gently kneading them as she spoke.
“Well, I wouldn't want to keep you from whatever it is,” Kara joked.
“If you must know, something took a bite out of the U.S government networks yesterday to the point that some of it got shut down. Now of course everyone is finger pointing and speculating who could have done such a thing. And when people want to know something they are invariably prepared to pay to find out – and you know I like money!” Selena explained as she began to reach for one of Kara's wrist restraints.
“Hmmm,” Kara said with a disapproving tone.
“Relax, this looks like it is 'white hat' sort of work, I am looking for bad guys, and if I were to find something useful then I would expect to get paid,” Selena explained as she released one of Kara's wrists from its cuff.
“Would it hurt you to do something out of the kindness of your heart for once?” Kara said, a little hope evident in her voice as she flexed her now free hand.
“Mortally so, yes, but I promise not to overcharge if that makes you feel any better” Selena replied teasingly as she freed Kara's other wrist.
“Fine, I guess you have to put food on the table like anyone else,” Kara said ruefully.
“Yes, and there is more than just my mouth to feed – Lucy's fictional trust fund is one thing for a start and we have been investing somewhat in Laura too, don't forget,” Selena said wisely as her now free hands returned to their former position, resting on Kara's breasts.
“True – I guess,” Kara relented. She knew that some of the extracurricular training Selena had arranged for Laura wasn't cheap and if the fledgling heroine was going to stay anonymous the funding would have to come from the murkier sources of Selena's world.
“See, so it's not all evil me and my one bazillion dollar retirement fund ambitions. So – I have my work cut out for me today and what will you be doing while the pale blue dot has a moment of peace and quiet?” Selena asked.
“Well, if it really is quiet then there has been a house call I have been thinking of making,” Kara replied, her eyes drifting off to one corner as if she could imagine where she was going and what it would be like.
“Oh?” Selena replied, one eyebrow rising in interest.
“Uh huh – but first,” Kara began before her know free arms reached upwards to allow her fingers to lace behind Selena's neck, pulling the red head's face down to meet hers and the pair were suddenly locked into a kiss.
The Sargent behind the tall counter slid his clipboard over the worn wooden surface and Detective Lisa Kozny looked quickly across the piece of paper before signing at the bottom of the page. Tethered with string to the bulldog clip that held the paper down was a cheap biro which seemed to almost carve her signature into the paper, the ink depleting rapidly.
“So Kozny, how's it going?” the Sargent asked as he slid a pair of ear defenders over the counter along with a box of range ammunition.
“Great,” Lisa replied flatly.
“Gee – I'd hate to see you on a bad day – What's up? – Steal the union funds again?” joked the Sergent.
“Wise ass,” Kozny said rolling her eyes.
“Hey I'm kidding – here you go,” the jovial Sergent continued as he slid a roll of paper over to Kozny.
“You're a saint,” Lisa said with sarcasm.
“Yeah, that's me – you're in box two – enjoy,” the Sargent said knowingly.
Lisa glanced behind her and the row of box numbers and realised that she needed to walk back to the far end despite being one of only a few officers at the range.
Lisa looked back at the Sergent who caught site of her glare before spinning away innocently. Lisa knew it was pointless to protest, he was the duty range controller and here his word was god.
Grumbling to herself Kozny made her way back down the line to box two and placed her side arm on the counter in front of her then unfurled the roll of paper that she had been given. A set of pristine paper targets, she took one and pinned it into the waiting frame and pressed the switch that sent it away down range. Frustratingly the target seemed to stop and start, and she had to fiddle with the switch until she finally got the target into position.
“I can't believe what Lucy did,” blared Lisa's mind as she broke open the range ammunition box and began to slot the individual rounds into one of two empty clips for her weapon.
CLICK – CLACK …... CLICK – CLACK went the bullets as she slid the first few into the slot of the clip.
“What the hell has got into her, we were getting on great until she started getting all angsty about her running,” her mind continued to say.
CLICK – CLACK …... CLICK – CLACK…... CLICK – CLACK
“Why is it such a big deal anyway – just because I was getting close – it doesn't mean she's losing it – she knows she can kick my butt if she wanted to,”
CLICK – CLACK …... CLICK – CLACK…... CLICK – CLACK
“Probably the time of the month or something, why that would make her skip out on me though, 'Gone to train – see you later' what kind of note is that to leave!”
CLICK – CLACK …... CLICK – CLACK…... CLICK – CLACK
“At this rate you would think she is preparing for a …. no …. she would have told me. It can't be some job, the others would know, wouldn't they? Selena would say if ….unless. Fuck it, if Lucy doesn't trust me enough to tell me then I don't care!”
Lisa's hands instinctively slammed the full clip into her pistol, her thumb confirming the safety was on, her free hand drawing the sliding action back and confirming it had travelled all the way forward, chambering a new round.
Putting the ear defenders onto her head Kozny entered the deadened world of the range, she and her pistol were at one end, her paper enemy at the other. Taking aim at the target Lisa sought to clear her angry, upset mind before she squeezed the trigger.
BANG
Lucy returned to her apartment driven by her seemingly addictive need. Peeling off her top and stepping out of her bottoms Lucy tossed her discarded clothes onto her bed and opened her wardrobe. In the drawers to one side she found a pair of running shorts which she slid up her toned legs. Turning herself this way and that she could see in the full length mirror she was becoming more defined, more toned if that were indeed possible.
Tugging a sleeveless cropped sports top over her head Lucy felt her breasts were adequately held still for the imminent running experience she almost seemed to crave. While the benefits of her recent exercise binge Lucy seemed to be slowly transforming her body though in her mind she felt that wasn't what she was aiming towards. Her instincts, or was it an addiction, were driving her to a different goal but for what she didn't quite know.
Slipping her feet into her running shoes Lucy spun around and eyed her running machine and the recent new addition to her equipment waiting alongside.
“Want to run, got to run,” whirled Lucy's mind as she strode up to the machine and stepped up onto the broad revolving belt that would pass by under her feet.
Draped over the safety bar around the edge of the machine was a hard clear plastic face mask connected to a hose and Lucy grasped it and placed it over her nose and mouth and set her new piece of equipment into motion, a compressor of some kind kicking into action.
Lucy took a few deep breaths then keyed some commands into her running machine and set it into motion. Lucy began to walk as the machine slowly sped up and then she broke out into a gentle jog, her stride slowly widening up until she fell into a running pace.
DWER-DWER-DWER-DWER-DWER sounded the running machine with every step of the Asian princess as she bounded down the infinite road that lay ahead.
“Got to get better, got to go faster, further,”
Molly Matthews entered the tall office tower building and consulted the directory. She seemed casually dressed in jeans with a long coat and sunglasses over her eyes and baseball cap on her head. In one hand was a metal briefcase which seemed to conflict with her casual clothing. The building had a host of different occupants like small accountancy firms and surveyors, architects and I.T. consultants but she wasn't looking for those. Her eye noted the blank name plate against the thirty seventh floor and proceeded to the elevator.
Entering the elevator alone Molly pressed the button for the desired floor and watched the display count off the floor numbers as she ascended higher and higher.
PING
The doors opened and Molly was confronted by a corridor adorned with plastic sheeting and bare stud walls but as she turned to enter through the double doors that marked the entrance way to the vacant offices she saw through the windows a large suited man beyond.
Walking on Molly opened the door and the man raised a hand beckoning her to stop.
“I am Doctor Matthews,” Molly said coldly, her eyes dancing over their surrounding, unimpressed with the venue of the clandestine meeting.
“Glasses please, Doctor Matthews,” said the man manning the door as he consulted a photo on a piece of paper.
“Yes, of course,” Molly said as she revealed her eyes from behind her glasses.
A few fleeting glances between the paper and Molly and the man then stepped aside, his arm pointing to offices beyond yet more plastic sheeting that lined what appeared to be the partially renovated offices.
“They are in a conference room just beyond, Doctor Matthews” the man said.
“Indeed” Molly replied noting the movement of figures through the hazy polythene which clouded most of the detail of what lay on the other side.
Walking on Molly passed through a break in the plastic and entered into the office space beyond. The air smelled of fresh paint and plaster and the unmistakable 'new carpet' sensation could be felt beneath her feet.
The glass walls of the new offices were pristine and Molly then could see the people in the conference room that were waiting for her and several rose to their feet when they became aware that she had arrived.
Placing her hand to the metal plate on the glass door Molly pushed it open and entered confidently.
“Ah Doctor Matthews, welcome” said a man sat at the head of the table who had risen to his feet. His steel grey hair distinguished him from all the rest
“Mr Donovan” nodded Molly in reply as she placed her briefcase down on the conference table at the far end.
“I trust you remember my other colleagues?” Donovan said as his hand gestured to the other half dozen people at his end of the table.
“Indeed” Matthews said barely acknowledging the others in the room as she took her seat.
Donovan gave his colleagues a look of apology for Molly's demeanour and they all took their seats while casting apprehensive glances at one another, unnoticed by their guest.
“So, where do we stand?” Molly asked.
“You do realise if the S.E.C had any idea of what we are doing we will be lucky to see the outside of prison in anything other than a funeral casket. We shouldn't even be having this conversation,” Donovan began.
“Spare me the lecture, Mr Donovan, we are too far down the line for you to bring your concerns to this little clandestine meeting. Is Global Defence Solutions going to make a move for the Sanderson Corporation or not?” Molly said sternly.
“The case for wanting to lay our hands on Sanderson Corp is not in doubt, what is in doubt is being able to do it. While we have access to funding to mount a takeover those funds are at the limit of what we can achieve. If their investors mount a defence, and we think they will, we won't make it.” Donovan said, his glance at his colleagues drawing their confirmation with the nodding of heads.
“Quite – but you will not be buying at current prices, you will be buying at what we could call distressed prices and I think you will find their investors keen to get out while the going is still relatively good” Molly hinted.
“And what makes you so sure that their board will vote our way? How can you be sure our offer will be accepted?” Donovan asked.
“I am pretty sure when the moment comes you and your astute colleagues will recognise it. Plans are underway to make things go your way, you just need to seize the moment when I set things in motion,” Molly assured him.
“And when will that be? To maintain a credit position sufficient to mount a takeover is not easy, we cannot wait indefinitely,” Donovan explained.
“Mr Donovan, that depends on you. It is simple, I give you the data analysis, you give me my modules. I use the modules and you take over Sanderson Corporation,” Molly replied, her hands gesturing like two sides of some scales loading up with the needs of the two negotiators.
“So from that I take it you have the data?” Donovan smiled.
“Yes, and you have the modules?” Molly replied.
Donovan made an approving nod to one of his colleagues at the table.
“They are ready and to your specifications, we will deliver when and where you want once Mr Donovan approves,” said the other man.
“So, your move, Doctor Matthews,” Donovan said as his gaze settled on Molly
“Very well, it was not simple but yes, here it is” Molly said as she popped open the catches of her metal case to reveal the foam lined interior.
Reaching inside she grasped the contents one by one, placing them onto the conference table. Inside anti-static bags were a collection of blackened and fire damaged hard drives and she placed them in a neat row in front of her.
“Convince me” Donovan said, lacing his fingers in front of him forming a shelf for his chin, his expression challenging Molly to reveal what she had discovered.
“One hundred and twenty women in all with just one being your true target. The one you sought was in a group of twelve suspects. One hundred and eight women served as control subjects. This was a secret arachnid based super-soldier program you were trying to resurrect,” Molly said.
“Oh Doctor Matthews, you will have to do better than that” Donovan grinned.
“Oh but I have, for you see on the day of the fire your albino friend Doctor Lawrence found something, something that got him killed. And then, before you could download the backup data from the site your men in their panic destroyed the data center at the prison. That data you failed to obtain is as you suspected here on these drives which you asked me to analyse, ” Molly said as she tapped one of the damaged drives with her index finger.
“You actually did it? You managed to extract the missing data?” Donovan said hopefully as he sat up in his seat.
Molly plucked out a pen drive from the case and placed it on the conference table and with a deft move slid it up the table to Donovan waiting all the way at the other end.
“What did Doctor Lawrence find?” Donovan asked as he passed the pen drive to one of his colleagues.
“The Arachnid program – your people were very wrong. It was getting results, impressive results actually,” Molly said.
“You know we will want to go over this first before we -,” Donovan began.
“You have twenty four hours, then I want my modules, understand?” Molly said firmly.
“If this data really is what we wanted then of course,” Donovan nodded.
“Mr Donovan, if what you see on the video logs and experimental results does not impress you then nothing will. Precognitive ability is real and can be yours and it is all there in the data – For now I have redacted the identity of the subject who has what you need but you will see the evidence as plain as day. There is no IF – you have twenty four hours or I will ensure every three letter acronym agency will know what you have done, understand?”
“You have made your position perfectly clear,” Donovan said with annoyance.
“Oh don't be so angry, Mr Donovan. When this is all over you will have control of some of the choicest up and coming military technology advances in the world and you won't have to worry about me, I will be well and truly out of your hair.”
“Oh, how so?”
“In the end you will discover I am merely the pawn in this game, the man you need once your takeover is complete is the King,” Molly said as she rose to her feet.
“And who might that be?” Donovan said with a frown as he rose, mirroring his guest.
Molly placed her hands on the opened lid of her empty case and drew it down, clicking the lid closed.
“The man who will turn your ambition into reality doesn't even know it yet, but the King is none other than Mike Loughlan,” Molly said with a smile.
“Loughlan? But, what will you be doing? Where will you be going?” Donovan wondered aloud.
“I will be enjoying my own rewards. They will be, I am sure, out of this world – now goodbye,” Molly said as she spun around and left.
CHAPTER 8
Supergirl flew a line following the road below which snaked through the snow dusted forest before she made a gentle turn following a private trail. The trail was set with gravel and the occasional muddy pothole and had parallel rutting caused by the four wheel drive vehicle that was known to drive over it a few times a week. The trail ran for miles and passed by a fresh lake before winding its way to a large modern log cabin style house set on the shore nestled amongst the trees.
Supergirl drifted down and landed on the driveway, a firm crump sound emanating from under the soles of her deep red boots as she contacted with the fluffy white bed of snow that was all around her. It was her first time visiting the place and while the U.S Marshals had told her that she was welcome she couldn't help but worry her impact on her host's lives may not have been perfect for them.
Supergirl listened intently a moment trying to get an impression of what she was in for. In the kitchen Supergirl could hear something gently bubbling on the stove, elsewhere at the back of the house some sort of motor whirled at a steady pace and nearer the foreground was …
Supergirl let out a subtle smile as she recognised a tune from a video game long since past.
With returning confidence Supergirl reached to the doorbell, pressed the button and heard the echoey bell ring throughout the inside of the house. There was an agonisingly long pause and then the heroine could hear the approaching footsteps which paused at the opposite side of the door.
Supergirl waited humbly as the locks clacked and the bolts slid before the door swung open to reveal the man himself ….
“Hi, Bobby... it's me,”
“Oh my god ! Come in !!” exclaimed Bobby Sanderson enthusiastically as the door seemed to swing impossibly wide, welcoming the heroine in.
“KIM !! WE HAVE A GUEST !!”
Supergirl wiped her feet, her boots somehow always seemingly ending up pristine and entered into the house. Inside it was warm, it was modern but not excessively, and very spacious.
“I …. I didn't think you wanted to come,” said Bobby excitedly as he led the heroine to the living room, a large screen on one wall, while a wood stove in the corner pumped warm air into the space. The furnishings were modern and modest and Supergirl liked all of it.
“Hey this is a nice place,” Supergirl said as she glanced around the room.
“It's out of the way, nice views, we have privacy, although after a year here I think I am ready to quit hiding and start over again,” Bobby said as he fumbled for the remote for the TV putting it onto standby.
“And your sister?” Supergirl asked.
“Oh, she will be here in a moment, she was doing some pottery in her workshop at the back when I called her,” Bobby added.
“Ah!” Supergirl said realising the sound she heard was probably the motorised pottery wheel.
“Oh, you should be warned though, well, I guess you'll see straight away,” Bobby explained, his nervousness evident. Supergirl was used to having that effect on people.
From a corridor the pair could hear foot steps approaching and then entered Kimberly, Bobby's sister. Supergirl's widening eyes betrayed her surprise, this was what Bobby had tried to warn her about albeit badly.
Kimberly, although recognisable, had been somehow transformed. She had lost a lot of weight, muscular weight, and her height seemed to have diminished somehow, but it all seemed to be some kind of proportional adjustment. The woman who had come through to the other side of the transformation was much more feminine, pretty even, the behemoth of before was gone.
Kimberly and Supergirl locked eyes for a second, neither knowing what to say. Supergirl had been the other woman's prisoner although her jailer was a prisoner herself to an insidious alien mind. After Supergirl had purged the alien entity from Kimberly she had regressed to the moment she had first been taken over. Today was the first time since then that the heroine had met the rehabilitated victim, and now the newly formed adult had a lot on her mind.
“Well one of you say something for pity's sake, you know how bad I am at small talk,” Bobby quipped forcing the two women to smile momentarily though Kimberly soon began to weep.
The superheroine in front of Kimberly represented her liberation from the evil alien mind that had taken over her body, the most joyous moment of her life. But the heroine in red and blue also reminded her that her own body had been the vessel for countless atrocious acts against so many other people who the invading mind had made her torture, maim and then kill.
“I am sorry Kimberly, I should not have come,” Supergirl said, her outstretched arm gesturing politely, she could read Kimberly's distress though hadn't understood that Kimberly's tears came just as much from joy as they did from sorrow.
“No …. please don't go …. I …... I've waited so long to talk to you ….stay a while … please,” Kimberly begged.
Initially after regressing to the innocent child mind she was that fateful day in her parents garden she gradually began to mentally mature while her body began its transformation. As she quickly matured, regaining lost ground in leaps and bounds she began to fill with questions, difficult questions and eventually she was told the truth. Now she had an opportunity to learn even more.
“Kimberly, of course, I know you probably have a lot you want to know....if you are ready to talk then so am I,” Supergirl said warmly.
“There is a stew cooking, let's eat ...ummm … you … you do eat ….right?” Bobby asked, embarrassed at his lack of knowledge of his guest. In fact it was only just starting to sink in, Supergirl was in his house, right there, right now!
“Bobby!” Kimberly exclaimed.
Supergirl giggled innocently, her hand rising to her mouth as Kimberly looked at her brother accusingly, a playful swing with her hand striking Bobby on his upperarm.
“Yes, I certainly do like to eat,” Supergirl said enthusiastically with a laugh as Bobby recoiled from his sister's attack.
“I'll go set the table ….,” Kimberly said, rolling her eyes at her brother.
Mr Hispania walked up to the coffee shop and noted the sign said CLOSED although he knew he was in the right place. The young woman behind the counter glanced apprehensively towards the tables in the backroom then approached the door, releasing the catch and letting Mr Hispania in.
“Gracias,” Hispania said.
“May I get you something?” the young woman asked nervously.
“An Americano, and then peace and quiet,”
“Your friends, they have already asked me to close the shop” she whispered nervously.
“Good, did they pay you?” Hispania asked, the tiniest hint of compassion in his voice.
“Ye – yes,” she stammered.
“Good, then you do your theeng while we do ours” Hispania said flatly.
The young woman relocked the door and spun away to return behind the counter as Hispania walked through the archway leading to the back of the coffee shop and the tables beyond.
“Ah there you are,” Mr Africa beamed.
“Amigos,” Hispania replied quietly.
“Good trip?” asked the fair haired Mr Nordic
“Yes – without event,” Hispania said as he took his seat.
“Oh don't mind me,” Neomi said with a smirk watching the men reuniting without introducing her.
“How was Pa-rees?” Hispania asked as his eyes fell on Neomi.
“Paris was dull but the work was different, while being freelance has its charms being in an organisation adds a certain 'je ne se qouis', ” Neomi quipped.
The young woman entered from the front of the shop, tray in hand and set it down on the table, distributing the drinks in nervous silence. The people at the table seemingly watched the girl like a hawk as she worked and tracked her until she walked out.
Mr Africa, confirming with his eyes and ears that their host was gone pulled some folders from a bag and placed them on the table.
“What do we have?” Mr Nordic began.
“Two accidents and a No-Gaff,” Mr Africa replied, his palms tapping down on top of the folders as he spoke.
“Accidents, I like,” Mr Hispania grinned.
“A little too much, I suspect,” Mr Africa said knowingly.
Neomi glanced between the men trying to sense the history the group had together. She could tell they had been close for a while, it was going to be tough to fit in.
“Oh who doesn't like an accident once in a while, Paris was a blast,” Neomi said enthusiastically trying to side with her new Spanish accented team mate.
“A natural gas blast, according to Le Monde,” Mr Nordic said ruefully.
“If Monsieur Dubois wasn't so careless with his cooker nothing would have happened – don't you know most accidents happen in the kitchen?” Neomi said innocently.
“OK, who wants what?” Mr Africa asked.
“Is No-Gaff what I think it is? No one gives a fuck?” Neomi asked flatly.
“Uh huh, they just need to be dead,” Mr Africa confirmed as he separated the folder from the other two.
“Oh how delightful, I'll take that, arranging accidents can be so hands off, I prefer something a little primal once in a while,” Neomi said as she held a hand out and received the folder.
Neomi opened the folder and took in the sight of the person she was to kill as Mr Africa separated the two remaining folders, his pair of hands resting on each one.
“I will work as back up to you both but you take the lead on these, choose a method and we will make it work, understand?” Mr Africa said as he glanced at Nordic and Hispania.
“Si, entiendo,” Hispania nodded.
“It is good with me,” Nordic added.
“Good – and Neomi, if you get yours out of the way then perhaps you can join us on these two afterwards,” Mr Africa said as he raised his coffee to his lips.
“Sure,” Neomi nodded as she studied the details of the man she was to kill, one Ernst Van Der Walt.
“Eef we have not fineeshed the jub by then – I love the accidents,” joked Hispania.
Neomi's tongue shot out at Hispania and the quartet began to drink their coffees as the afternoon drifted towards the evening time.
“So ...this Vel person, he was just sick?” Kimberly asked, pausing between mouthfuls of stew.
“Yes, like a sort of split personality disorder, according to his more normal half they didn't even know this condition existed...they had no cure for him and so his mind was somehow put into storage,” Supergirl explained.
“But why were we affected in different ways?” Bobby asked.
“I am sorry, truly I am, but I do not know, there may be many reasons or merely only one, all I can say is what we saw. Kim, you were afflicted by the monster to a great degree, it's probably why you hardly recall anything of your time under its control. Evidently the strength of the possession was enough to even alter you physically. Bobby, you on the other hand recall a lot, that's because you only had a hint of Vel's good half in you and barely anything of the monster,” Supergirl explained warmly.
“But the things I remember doing ….. towards the end ….. god …..I was going to destroy it all, wasn't I?” Bobby said with a sudden realisation.
“Not you, the monster ….. neither of you were in control, IT was.... that's why you are here and not in court,” Supergirl said with a reassuring tone.
“I guess, thanks to you,” Bobby began.
“Yes … thanks to you,” Kimberly repeated warmly.
“I know it is hard for you Bobby, starting over again and for you Kimberly, you've been robbed of so much time but you still have a lot of good life ahead of you. I know you will face many challenges in rebuilding your world but it is yours for the taking … don't be bitter about what has been lost, be happy for what you can have ...”
“We understand …. and, it's already happening....life is getting easier day by day …. we will be ok,” Kimberly said.
“So...who are you now anyway?” Supergirl asked.
“The witness protection people have given me Jerry now, and this is my sister …,” Bobby began.
“Karen,” Kimberly said, filling in Bobby's blank.
“Jerry and Karen … well …. new names, new future,” Supergirl smiled.
In her lair Selena carefully picked at the clues about the previous day's cyber attack conducted against the United States. The darker part of the web was awash with rumour and speculation about who had launched such a successful strike, the knocking down of the government cyber warfare center being the notable result.
However, impressive in its own right Selena knew that the incapacitation of the cyber defences was merely smoke, the base of the fire was somewhere else and she quickly worked on trying to find out where it was. If she was going to win the race in the information war she had to catch up with the government first which no doubt had this information already.
“If I had free rein where would I go?” Selena wondered to herself. If she were in the position the attackers had been what would she have been doing with no oversight to hamper her?
“Well, money is a good motivator so perhaps.....,” she said with a weak smile as she began to search with the powers of her keyboard and mouse.
Molly Matthews sat inside the lonely cabin of the Sanderson corporate jet on the journey home from her clandestine meeting. She was heading back to the research and development division she now headed.
As far as everyone was concerned she had gone away to attend a funeral of an old friend. Now she watched on in awe at the readouts being fed from the mainframe at her headquarters onto her laptop on the desk in her flying office.
The mainframe at her behest had been re-tasked for the day to crunch a special set of data she had stolen the morning before. From banking data, social security information, police databases, federal databases, highway camera captures, all the way down to library memberships and car parking permits all were compared, the matches then rated then sorted only to be re-analysed all over again.
Over time the number of potential permutations were being distilled down towards the answer that Molly sought. She knew it would not be long, perhaps by the time the night was out that she would have a lead on at least one person.
Molly looked at the ever dwindling short list seeing if anything would come back to her. Scanning through the categories of data Molly felt somehow drawn to the Law Enforcement section of the analysis, her eyes settling on the NYPD data.
SOURCE--------> NAME-----------------> P% NYPD--------> Off. LINDA COURT----> 13% NYPD-------->CPT LIV KOVAK---------->35% NYPD--------> DET LISA KOZNY-------->38% NYPD--------> SGT. LILLY COLT-------->23%
Molly closed her eyes and tried to look back in her memory. Pushing into the blackness she could sense the fog, the blind spot. She could almost feel the sensations that she imagined that would have been there …...
A breath in, a breath out, the smell of the cloth sack over her head in the darkness. The hum of a motor or an engine filled her ears, and then on top the muffled voices. The voices were of the ones that held her, the ones who had thwarted her.
Molly focused, “The voices, what were they saying, I am sure one of those names must be right!”
The sound of the motor or whatever it was seemed to drown everything and yet in the swirl and muddle of what seemed like a drunk or even drugged state she could still pluck some words out.
"….squeeze my hand....." began a voice.
"…..its a bit fuzzy ......." replied another.
Molly gasped as she recalled the distinctive voice, “SuperBitch! I had you BLIND and WEAK before the others arrived...The EYES and the SWORD without her SHIELD ”
Molly clamped her eyes shut again in a bid to latch back into the memory.
"….you're going to be OK" the first voice said.
“The SWORD – Lu-something” hissed Molly as she now recalled the voice. The one who had tricked her, the one who's face eluded her in her memories.
"Lisa ..... she .....she is the detective you are helping...." the voice of Supergirl could be heard saying.
“DETECTIVE …... LISA …... The SHIELD!” Molly said with venom as the memory played out some more.
Molly's eyelids seemed to almost crush her eyeballs into her brain, she held them so firmly closed.
“Was I on a helicopter, or a powerboat or something?” Molly wondered as the memory that seemed alien to her replayed in her mind.
"Kar.......talk to you ...... confidence ....?" mumbled the voice of the one Molly knew as 'The Sword'.
“LET ME SEE! Is it Karen, Caroline, Carol, Kara ?! Why can I not remember? ” Molly hissed as she sensed the fog overcoming the memory once again.
“I ended up working for Sel...,” 'The Sword continued, the memory disintegrating rapidly.
“SEL – The Broker – The EYES! What is her NAME?! Selena, Celine?” demanded Molly.
Molly held on to the memory as hard as she could but for now no more was coming. Opening her eyes they settled on the laptop screen and she absorbed the data analysis unfolding in front of her.
“So, Detective Lisa Kozny, are you the shield? Well we are going to find out!” Molly snarled as she began to key new parameters into her search algorithm. Lisa Kozny was now a priority, data collation was going to be based around her.
CHAPTER 9
President Garrison closed her folder and placed her reading glasses down on top and gazed over the members of her cabinet.
“Very good everyone, last item, any other business?” Garrison said as she rocked back in her chair.
“If we may, Madame President, there was a matter you raised at your morning security briefing with Agent Westmoreland that we need to discuss,” the Attorney General Sandra Payne said as she glanced at her other collegues, the Secretary for Homeland Security and the Secretary for Defence.
Garrison raised her eyebrows for a moment, surprised by how fast the gears had turned in the background of her day.
“I see, well if there is no other business then we can discuss it now but outside of this meeting,” Garrison said glancing down the line of the other cabinet members.
There was a collective nod of the head, there was nothing more that anyone else wanted to discuss.
“Very well, Alice will have the minutes and the actions list for everyone by noon tomorrow, the meeting is adjourned,” Garrison said staying in her seat as her eyes locked on Alice a moment who nodded in agreement in reply.
“Thank you, Madame President” was the collective response as the majority of the cabinet members rose to their feet, gathering their folders and papers before shuffling out of the meeting room, their chatter fading as they left.
Alice, the President's chief of staff was the last to leave and turned to face the remaining small gathering, her hands settling on the door knob of the open door.
“Alice, this meeting is not to be logged, as far as the diary is concerned we had the cabinet meeting and then our collective day ended,” Garrison said.
“Of course, Madame President” nodded Alice and then she closed the door, a firm click confirming the remaining group had privacy.
“OK, let's hear it,” Garrison said as she looked at the three members who remained.
“We know you want a green light on this INFINITY idea but it has its problems,” began the Secretary for Homeland Security, Frank Green
“And may not even be legal” continued Sandra, the Attorney General.
“If we worried about legality we would barely get anything done!” the Secretary of Defense, Daniel Slater quipped.
Garrison shot him a glance, she had try to run a clean administration despite all the left over ambiguities from that one fateful day in September 2001.
“I apologise,” Daniel said, recoiling from Garrison's glare.
Garrison closed her eyes in thought a moment, seeking the words to get her own cabinet on board.
“Since the founding of our nation we have held on to the principle of each of us having domain over oneself. We have the right to defend ourselves if we are attacked and to counter force with equal measure.” Garrison said as glanced across the three others at the table.
“Sandra, criminals often carry guns. Do we hold back in arming our police, do we fear the consequences of putting guns into the hands of Law Enforcement? No!” Garrison continued as she looked her Attorney General in the eye.
“Our enemies field armies and navies, squadrons of aircraft and nuclear weapons that could destroy us a hundred times over. Daniel, does our nation hold back in holding such forces in equal measure? Are we paralysed by knowing the immense responsibility of having all that destructive power at our disposal? No!” Garrison said, her pen rising in her hand, pointing at her Secretary for Defense.
“No, Madame President, we do not,” Daniel conceded.
“And for all that, we know what can come from nothing more than a handful of box cutters and a few cheap plane tickets. And what did our predecessors do that we continue to still do now? We have 'no fly' lists and Guantánamo bay. Frank, do we not have all encompassing data oversight, unwarranted phone data searches and on and on and on – all to keep us safe from the next terrorist?” Garrison continued, Frank Green at the wrong end of the President's pen which was pointed in his direction.
“Yes, Madame President, we do,” Frank Green said reluctantly.
“And so on top of all that have this 'Vel' problem. We have a global economy that is barely limping out of recession from the first attack and now there is this new cyber threat too. When we do what it takes to combat everything else why do we hold back trying to fight this new threat?” Garrison demanded.
There was a pause as Garrison tossed her pen onto the desk while the others reflected on what she had said.
“Supergirl saved us last time without any special arrangements from our side,” Daniel said calmly.
“But only just. I would rather not leave it to chance again,” Garrison replied.
“Look, the issue is this. Boiled down we know we want Supergirl on board to help counter this threat but she will never work with anything official.” Sandra said.
“Then forget the INFINITY project, just create an anti-alien department inside the F.B.I or something, ” Frank followed on.
“Same problem, she won't work for them, it would be just another government department. And we know how well we managed on our own last time. It was only when Supergirl dropped the Sanderson's into our custody that we even knew it was an alien plot!” Sandra countered.
“This is going nowhere,” Daniel scoffed noting the vicious circle they were in.
“What if we let Supergirl choose people of her own, someone she trusts, someone independent?” Garrison wondered aloud.
“But that could end up being anyone! And if they were not in law enforcement how could they do anything? They would be toothless,” Sandra responded.
“Well, we would need to find a way to give them teeth....” Garrison quipped.
Sandra scoffed, “It's not realistic to expect us to wave a magic wand and turn a nobody into someone with any form of authority, how do you think that would turn out from a legal point of view?”
“Ummmmm, well, that's not quite entirely true,” Frank winced as he spoke feeling the glare of the Attorney General fall onto him.
“Oh great, what have you been doing now?” Sandra sighed as she leant back in her seat.
“Not Homeland Security, it's the Department of State, I only found out about it recently,” Frank confessed.
“Tell me more,” Garrison said, her eyes narrowing on Frank.
Neomi walked through the sportswear shop and pulled a sweatshirt off a rack, discreetly checking the vibrant blue colour against the image on her smart phone.
“Hmm, too dark,” she thought to herself as she put it back on the hook.
Moving on she found some more generic tops and searched the racks for more blue colours.
“Better!” she said to herself as she draped a different top over her arm.
Neomi consulted her phone again and then began to look for jogging pants.
“Nope, too long”
“Too thin”
“Stupid stripe”
“Perfect”
Neomi had gone through all the various brands and their styles but eventually she had laid her hands on the style she was looking for. Walking to the counter Neomi kept her head down as she placed her purchases in front of the shop assistant.
BLIP
BLIP
The barcodes were scanned and the assistant deftly removed the security tags, discarding the plastic blocks into a collecting bin.
“Would you like to keep the hangars?” asked the assistant.
“No, thank you” Neomi replied.
The assistant deftly folded the clothing then slid the two items into a plastic bag before setting it aside.
“OK, that is ninety nine, ninety nine” the assistant said.
Neomi slid two fifty dollar bills across the counter, head still down as the assistant rang the money through her till.
Sliding a receipt and one cent across the counter with a smile the assistant watched Neomi collect everything and turn away, her face averted. The assistant studied the figure of Neomi leaving then shook her head with a frown at the strange attitude of her customer.
Neomi went out the automatic doors and proceeded into the darkening street, hailing a cab as she did so. Quickly a yellow cab was at her side and opening the rear door the dark haired assassin stepped in and promptly she was on her way.
Opening her phone she called Mr Africa.
“Hey, yes, I have been shopping, yes, tomorrow morning, uh-huh, uh-huh, yes, I look forward to it. I won't contact you until it is done, good bye” Neomi said, closing her phone as she finished her conversation.
For a moment the screen went dark causing Neomi to catch her reflection of her face. Although it was very subtle her cheek had turned a very pale yellow, just as she suspected would happen after her altercation with Oscar that very morning at the airport.
"No matter" Neomi thought as she glanced at her watch and mentally calculated the remaining hours before she would make her killer blow, assuming her target maintained his routine.
“How tragic it is to have someone pay to take your life and to have them not give a care to how you meet your end,” Neomi murmured to herself as she looked upwards to the darkening sky and the white lights of the towering buildings above. The evening was dying, nightfall was coming.
The jangle of keys and the clunking of locks heralded the arrival of Lisa Kozny back at her apartment. The door swung open and she slunk in, tossing her keys onto the table that sat in the hallway and standing the roll of paper targets in the corner by her coat stand.
At first Lisa didn't register the odour that permeated the hallway but she quickly realised something was amiss as she detected the scent of candles. Then Lisa noted the small envelope propped against a small framed photograph that also sat on the table.
With a frown she picked it up and spun it around to see her name written in beautiful handwriting. Pulling open the flap of the envelope Lisa revealed a small card, the front of which was merely titled 'Sorry' with a photo of a cat looking guilty next to a broken vase.
Lisa scoffed with a light smile and opened the card.
Lisa,
I am so sorry about what happened yesterday, I don't know why I reacted like I did. Just recently I feel like I have been losing my edge and I want to stop the rot which means training hard. When you have been teaching a student like Laura from scratch and then become so easily surpassed within such a short space of time, well, it's hard to take. So, I am sorry if I am a little snappy right now. It's corny to say it, I know, but it really isn't you, it's me.
I have left a gift in your bedroom, I hope it makes for an acceptable apology.
Yours,
Lucy
Lisa's eyebrows raised as she slid off her shoes and hung up her jacket then turned the corridor to her bedroom to find the door slightly ajar.
In the darkness bathed in candle light and spreadeagled on the bed was Lucy. Contrasted against her milky skin was a silky black ribbon that bound her ankles to the corners of her bed and snaked up her legs, then somehow covering her modesty before criss crossing around her waist, then over her breasts then carefully around her neck before snaking about her outstretched arms before anchoring her wrists apart.
Held in Lucy's mouth was a riding crop while across her eyes a blindfold kept her unknowing in her own personal darkness.
Lisa was gobsmacked to see the gift that Lucy had made of herself. Walking quietly into the room Lisa let the tip of one finger settle on the top of one of Lucy's feet. Lucy flinched just ever so slightly before relaxing, a tiny smile appearing on her face behind the riding crop. Like connecting a battery to a circuit, the situation was now charged and it was then that Lisa spotted the large mixing bowl from her kitchen which held a good number of large ice cubes barely even starting to melt.
Next to the bowl a small tray of unlit red candles waited also and then Lisa understood the entirety of what she had been given. With a wicked grin Lisa placed the bowl on the bed at Lucy's side then returned to the foot of the bed. Placing a kiss gently onto the soles of Lucy's feet she then staggered a line of kisses up the the bound Lucy's legs, then her stomach.
Lucy arched up in response as the kisses ascended her body until she sensed Lisa was up level with her head and carefully parted her lips as she felt Lisa gently remove the riding crop.
Leaning down Lisa placed a soft kiss on to Lucy's mouth, their lips lingering together for a moment before breaking.
“Apology accepted,” Lisa whispered as she plucked up an ice cube from the bowl.
Placing the cube to Lucy's lips caused the Asian to flinch but that first touch let her gauge the coldness that was to tease her body. The icy touch glided over her chin and down her neck towards her chest, crossing over the ribbon here and there on its journey.
Then came the sting. Initially the sensation of hot and cold sends the same message to the brain before eventually the mind resolves it for what it is.
“Nghhh” Lucy said before her expression changed to bliss, the drops of candle wax now starting to decorate her exposed front.
Hissing slightly on contact with what water lingered on her flesh Lucy felt the waxy rain dapple her skin in what she could only imagine as being a field of red spots.
Lisa put the candle down carefully to one side and swirled her hand in the bowl of ice only to feel something else there. Her fingers, numbing up in the cold grasped onto whatever it was and plucked it out. In her hands was a small jeweled buttplug which was ice cold.
“Hmmm, for later” thought Lisa to herself as she returned it to its icy home.
With a another ice cube in hand Lisa got to work again, chilling up the next zone of Lucy's body before it would be stung by the wicked kiss of candles. It was going to be a beautiful night, Lisa knew it.
Selena leant back in her chair and rubbed her eyes as she looked at the data on her screen. Today had been frustrating for her, the effort to the discover what the big cyber attack was had so far proven fruitless.
Whoever was responsible was not motivated by money, nor insider information. They weren't interested in taking any sort of control or sending any kind of political or religious message. There were no military secrets at risk, no compromise of national security as such save for the damage to the cyber warfare center, so far Selena's logic had drawn a blank, but she would try again tomorrow.
“Problem?” Kara's voice said warmly.
“Oh, Kara, I wasn't expecting you,” Selena said as she turned towards the voice in surprise.
“You must be tired, have you been working on that all day?” Kara said, head tilted as she began to approach Selena.
“I guess,” Selena said as she glanced at her wrist watch and the time.
“Come on, you need a break,” Kara beamed, her hand outstretched to the red headed hacker.
“Really?” Selena answered, her voice slightly challenging Kara.
“Yes, really, and bring a coat,” Kara grinned.
“Why, where are we going?” Selena said with a frown as she rose with suspicion from her seat.
“Come on, I don't know how long it will last,” Kara urged Selena with a grin.
Kara clung onto Selena about her waist and chest, the superheroine's raised thigh acting like a solid seat for her passenger to rest on. Flying while upright felt unnatural to Kara but it was a must if Selena was not going to be in extreme discomfort.
Selena, who's eyes remained firmly closed puzzled at where they were going but she knew they were quite high up. The air was cold but Supergirl seemed to emanate heat from her body keeping her passenger comfortable.
“OK, so NOW you can open them,” Kara said as the pair slowed to a hover, their journey of what seemed to be at least an hour now over.
“So where are ah oh, woah!” exclaimed Selena as her eyes began to get a sense of scale of her surroundings. It was dark but if those points of light were windows in buildings, and those moving dots of light were from car headlights then that meant ….
“How high!” Selena protested.
“Yes but, I thought you would want to see …..... this !” Kara said as she spun the pair around.
Selena hadn't realised it in the darkness but in front of them had been the shore of a bay and behind them the open water but now, having spun around Selena could take in what Supergirl had really taken her to view.
Below and stretched out ahead the sea glowed a vibrant electric blue. Pulsing and throbbing with colour the sea looked alive, alien almost as the bioluminescent life in the water celebrated its brief moment of glory. This time nearly every year the organism responsible for the light show below them would explode in number to the point they could even be seen from space.
“Oh!” Selena said, her head overloading with the eerie sight ahead.
Supergirl felt Selena let go, lost in the moment, her normal busy mind suddenly overloaded by the unexpected light show of nature.
“It....it's ….. it's beautiful” Selena stammered as her brain finally reconnected.
“It is, isn't it.... but it is more than just that,” Kara said, her eyes reflecting the blue glow as she studied the alien seascape.
“What do you mean?” Selena said, her eyes still locked ahead at the glowing blue spiderweb of light in the water.
“I guess, being here my whole life I've become accustomed to what normal is but every now and then something strange like this happens that can help me imagine I am back up there, somewhere else” smiled Kara as she cast a glance into space imagining what wonders must have existed on her own planet before it was destroyed.
Selena watched on in silence for a minute as she took in Kara's words, the pair observing the spectacle of light together.
“Perhaps we should get going” Kara began realising that things might not be so comfortable for Selena high up in the cold night air over the water.
“No, let's stay a little while longer, I've not been on an alien planet before,” Selena replied, referring to the bizarre sight below as she nuzzled into Kara, taking more of her donated warmth.
Kara chuckled at Selena's willingness to play make-believe with her, “Oh you should do it more often....there is this other planet called Earth that I go to....”
“Oh yes, I think I have heard of it,” Selena replied, playing along.
“It's amazing!” Kara continued.
“How so?” Selena asked jovially.
“It has this stuff called chocolate ice cream!”
CHAPTER 10
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Detective Lisa Kozny stirred in her bed, her outstretched arm patting on the bedside table for the her cell phone which was pirouetting with each vibration. Grabbing the cell she drew it to herself and took the call.
“Kozny,” she said, half asleep. “Uh huh, sure, I will be right there. Who is there now?” Lisa asked as she fumbled for the switch on her bedside lamp. “Okay, okay, see you in twenty” Lisa said concluding the call.
CLICK went the switch on the lamp.
The darkened room was brought back into the light and Lisa looked next to her in the bed. A content looking Lucy was in blissful sleep, the duvet covers kicked down to her ankles.
Lisa's eyes studied Lucy's curves longingly but knew she had to go. Leaning over she placed a kiss on Lucy's cheek and then admired her handiwork with a length of the black silk ribbon with which she had created a thong for the Asian to wear. Now, nestled into Lucy's ass was the jewelled butt plug that she had worn through the night, it initially having been chilled like ice.
Lucy stirred gently, her arms stretching away from her body.
“Hey, I have to go, I have a case,” Lisa said as she reached over to Lucy and gently finger-combed her hair from her face.
“I'll keep the bed warm,” Lucy teased, barely opening her eyes as she nuzzled into the pillow.
“I bet!” Lisa scoffed. Super-trust-fund-party-girl-princess could afford to lounge in bed.
“You're only jealous,” Lucy continued as she coiled back up into a fetal position.
“Maybe, but for being cheeky you get to keep that butt plug in all day,” Lisa grinned as she rose to her feet.
“We'll see, won't we,” Lucy said mischievously.
Lisa made her way across the large park towards what sounded like a high-pitched whistling sound and the gaggle of police officers who were either guiding people away or who were setting up a cordon of police tape.
“Morning Detective” said one of the police officers helping set up the perimeter.
“Morning? I thought it was still night time. And what is that noise?” Kozny frowned, looking for the source.
“The vic, he was wearing some sort of attack alarm, I think the battery is running down though” the officer said, pointing to the direction of the site of the body.
“They never die in office hours, do they?” Lisa quipped as the officer passed her a clipboard for her to sign into the crime scene.
“No ma'm they don't,” he replied as he received the clipboard back.
Lisa snapped a pair of latex gloves onto her hands as she surveyed the lay of the land. The park was lightly wooded with a hard dirt trail and periodically dotted with lamposts, only a few of which were out of operation.
“Who was the first officer on scene?” Lisa asked as she pulled out her pocket book and began to make notes.
“Officers Huxley and Grossman, they are getting a statement from a jogger, just over there,” the officer explained, pointing out the two men and the young woman in running gear.
“So the jogger found the vic?” Lisa reasoned.
“That's correct, Hux and G-man, I mean Huxley and Grossman Ma'am, had been doing a foot patrol when they heard her calling for help. They approached to find her with the body attempting to administer CPR. The officers continued CPR on the victim until a paramedic arrived but he determined that the victim was already gone. He felt the death looked like it could be potentially foul play so …..”
“Hmmm, Ok, thanks” Lisa said as she made her way over to the site of the body, her notes up to date.
As she approached she noted the ground, the track being made up of slightly wet soil, foot impressions having been left in its surface.
“Hey, can you isolate this – then get photos and casts?” Lisa said to one of the forensic technicians as she cautiously side stepped onto the grass.
“Already on it,” he replied.
Lisa walked on and noted a few yellow numbered markers on the ground, one positioned by the personal attack alarm which continued to whistle and then another more or less next to the body to indicate the location of what looked like a chest heart rate monitor.
Lisa made a note in her book as she approached the body which a crime scene photographer was capturing at a sensible distance on his camera. The body of a man was on his back, his dead eyes looking upwards with his arms tidily to his side. Wearing a long sleeved blue sweatshirt and grey jogging pants he looked like a typical park runner.
The scene had obviously been compromised already by the medical attention that the jogger had given and the arrival of the two officers and then the paramedic but by isolating them now they could be separated from other evidence at the scene, assuming there was foul play.
Lisa waited a moment as the photographer took the last of their photos before giving an approving nod to Lisa who took a small flash light from her pocket and began to study the victim on the ground.
Did he fall? Did he have a health condition? Was he murdered?
Lisa studied the body closely, noting the mud all over the victim's hands and over the front of his body like he had taken a fall front first. Curiously on his upper right arm there was a broad ring of clean blue material untouched by the mud. On his ring finger was a plain gold band and on his wrist appeared to be a smart watch.
If the motive had been theft then someone missed some valuable items. At such an early stage of the investigation though she knew she shouldn't prejudge what may have happened to the deceased man in front of her.
Lisa noted his jogging pants were tugged slightly downwards from the waist. Did something sexual happen or was it caused by the efforts to revive the man? Lisa continued to make notes, writing questions for herself for later.
There was a distinct lack of blood around the scene, she noted, and the expression on the dead man's face seemed to diminish the prospects of some nastier natural causes of death, some of which leave victims with the expression of agony. His by comparison was relatively neutral which Lisa added to her notes.
Carefully she patted the man down looking for anything like identification. She knew from her own running experience that it was always important to choose a safe manner of securing some identification, maybe some emergency cash, and of course if you wanted to return to your car or your apartment, your keys.
Eventually Lisa located an internal pocket in the dead man's grey jogging pants. Lisa had the photographer document the closed pocket and Lisa's fingertip process of retrieving what was inside. In her hands Lisa found herself with a driving license, a fifty dollar bill, a credit card and a health insurance card together with a single door key on a fob.
“What is your name?” Lisa wondered to herself as she looked at the new evidence.
Ernst Van Der Walt his personal effects informed her.
“Bag and tag these please,” Lisa said to one of the forensics men nearby.
Lisa then pondered something that was bothering her. Ernst seemed to had been wearing a heart rate monitor which presumably had been removed during the CPR effort and he was still wearing his smart watch. Now Lisa didn't wear all the latest gear, that was more Lucy's thing but what she did know from all Lucy's efforts to extol the virtues of her gadgets was that usually such things were paired to a cell phone.
“Where is it, Ernst?” Lisa asked, rising to her feet and looking down at the dead man who stared blankly back.
“Ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, now to perform the ribbon cutting ceremony, our most very special guest, Supergirl,” the dignitary said into the microphone on the small podium, bathed in the mid-afternoon sunlight.
Spanning a narrow yet deep gorge in some remote corner of Europe stood a sturdy stone bridge. Originally constructed by the Roman Empire by the great engineers of their time two thousand years ago and then improved by the great medieval kingdoms some fourteen hundred years later, it was later badly damaged by modern weapons of war only thirty years ago. Now, newly restored, The Hope Bridge, as it was now poignantly renamed, represented a chance to heal the wound that existed between the two states, separated not only physically by the unpassable gorge but by old wounds left by the civil war they had endured.
Watched on by dignitaries from both sides of the bridge and diplomats from around the globe who had helped broker peace, Supergirl took her position by the ribbon that spanned the width of the crossing.
“Life is precious,” began the heroine, prompting a cacophony of clicking cameras.
“We all are given a chance to live but if anyone can see the fragility of that life, then it is me. When I cut through this last remaining symbol of the divide that existed between you may it not serve as a means for you to exploit one anothers fragility, but rather, to help temper and make stronger the lives of the people who live here, either side of The Hope Bridge,” The heroine said confidently as she used scissors to slice through the ribbon.
The scissors, forged in two parts, each from either side of the gorge was passed back, handle first to a waiting official as the small crowd began to applaud and the crescendo of camera clicks began to subside.
After the ceremony there was the usual meet and greet, the Superheroine passing down a line of diplomats while shaking their hands in turn. Supergirl often stressed her key rules when she was invited to such events, neutrality and non-favouritism being one of them.
Shake hands with none, or shake hands with all, it was simple. That way, she could not be accused of supporting one regime over another, or snubbing one group in favour of another. Fortunately this occasion was conciliatory and to be seen shaking hands with everyone was not a problem.
Going down the line Supergirl reached the U.S ambassador who held out his hand which the heroine accepted. There was a moment where the contact lingered, a look of mild surprise forming on Supergirl's face.
“The President gives you her greetings,” the ambassador began cryptically.
“So I understand,” Supergirl said with a hint of a frown.
“Good words, by the way,” the ambassador said as their handshake ended.
“Thank you,” Supergirl said calmly then proceeded down the line.
Lisa wrote into her notebook while she listened intently to the voice on the telephone which was crammed in between her raised shoulder and her ear.
“M.E – Prelim – X-Ray shows broken neck – post mortem bruising and other indicators suggest asphyxiation, possibly by forearm of attacker from behind. Awaiting autopsy for confirmation,” the message in the notebook read.
“OK, thank you”, Lisa said, concluding the call.
“Well?” asked Gomez, one of the junior detectives.
“We are going to need a full autopsy to confirm it but the prelim report is lining up for homicide,” Lisa said as she began to make a note on her whiteboard.
“Well, the things from the scene are back and being processed, the techies are checking out the smartwatch, attack alarm and heart rate monitor. Do we need to do a notification?” Gomez asked.
“No, apparently the vic's wife lives in europe somewhere, yes, Holland; the LEO's overseas will do it,” Lisa said, consulting her notepad.
“Odd, living apart, trouble at home?” Gomez speculated.
“Too soon to say but I think them being apart is more work related, anyway his apartment here was shared, it's not actually his. That was a big blank anyway,” Lisa said as she added Gomez's theory to the list in her notes.
“The witness list is non-existent at the moment,” Gomez said as he studied the murder board.
“So far, but we can fill in the blanks maybe. We are lucky, the park is neighboured by a few cell towers and so we can possibly triangulate cell phones that were in the area for a start. The number his employer gave us is dead or else we could try finding his cell the same way,” Lisa began.
“Hoping our suspect was carrying a cell too?” Gomez asked with a grin.
“We should be so lucky, but we may find someone who did see our suspect. I also want to get access to any running app data that may be out there. We might be able to map out who was where and when. Maybe even the vic was using one,” Lisa continued.
“OK, I will get started on obtaining warrants,” Gomez said as he returned to his desk.
Lisa was fixated on the murder board when two uniformed officers entered the office.
“Detective Kozny?” one officer enquired prompting Gomez to point Lisa out.
“Yes?” Lisa responded.
“We canvassed the area around where your vic lives. The neighbours barely saw the guy, apparently he went away a lot. There is nothing really to add: no girlfriends, no arguments, no bumps in the night,” the officer continued as he glanced through his notes.
“OK, thank you for your efforts,” Lisa said with a sigh.
“You're welcome, Detective” replied the officers as they both went to leave.
“It's odd, he carried little money on him which was left and he had a few valuable things on his person which were also left so it doesn't look like robbery. But his personal life seems to be more centred abroad than here, you wouldn't think someone over here would have a motive to murder him,” Lisa said as she looked over the murder board again.
“If it was a robbery maybe the attack alarm drove them off?” Gomez reasoned.
“I guess, but, I can't believe that it was timed perfectly enough that our suspect could slowly choke him out, which would take a little time, but yet not leave enough time to steal what they could,” Lisa said with a frown.
“Maybe the vic came across something he shouldn't of have seen, got into a fight?” Gomez suggested.
“Yes, I considered that too but usually that kind of thing ends up with stabbings or shootings. You can imagine, it can't you? Running into a drug deal or something, someone is bound to be armed. This? This was either really cold and premeditated or something really big that boiled over fast,” Lisa countered.
“Well, it seems his only real tie here was to his work, maybe that is where you need to go next?” Gomez said.
“Which one are they based at, JFK did you say?” Lisa asked.
“Yes, that's right,” Gomez said, slurping some coffee as he continued to fill in his warrant applications.
“OK, I am going over there now, see what I can learn about our pilot friend. Let me know if anything comes in, especially his financials,” Lisa said as she gathered her things.
“Sure,” Gomez replied, looking up for a moment as he tracked Lisa leaving.
Selena had resumed her search for information about the cyber attack. The previous day had been tedious and fruitless work, yielding nothing useful. Now, sat in front of her terminal again she considered her next plan of attack.
Selena pondered motive: If the attackers were not into the usual things like money then they must of targeting something else.
“Hmmm, aim lower, something more basic,” Selena thought to herself as the opening strikes on the keyboard began to formulate her next search.
Starting from the top and working down hadn't been working.
“Well, if it wasn't where the government interfaces with their own agencies then perhaps it was where the people interface with agencies at the other end,” Selena wondered.
With a few clacks of the keyboard she set out on a hunt into the realms of the D.M.V. and the I.R.S.
Doctor Molly Matthews reviewed the analysis of names that had been performed by the mainframe computer before her server time had ended. She would get another opportunity that night to resume her search but she was satisfied that she was close to getting the names she was looking for.
Then her cell phone pinged indicating the arrival of a message. Scooping up the phone she let out the tiniest of smiles as she read the message.
“Data good – modules inbound to your designated location – un-redact I.D of test subject – D”
Skillfully Molly tapped out a reply.
“Will give I.D when modules arrive – no sooner – M”
Molly waited a moment, then waited a little more, staring at the screen.
“OK – don't keep us waiting, we will know when they arrive – D”
Despite the woes of the Sanderson Corporation, the technology division had been kept in the fold, despite its immense operational costs, mainly because the patents and royalties it had been generating were so valuable. It was paying for itself nicely. Now, the fruits of certain material research had brought in fresh money, defence contract money, and now Molly was seeing that project through too.
BEEEEEEEEP – BEEEEEEEEP
The intercom sounded and Molly spun her chair around slightly, pressing a key on her phone.
“Yes?” Molly answered.
“Doctor Matthews, the engineering team in the assembly section report the units are ready. You said you wished to see them once they were done”
“Very good, I will be there shortly...” Matthews replied curtly.
BLIP
The conversation ended and she drew back her chair and rose to her feet. Brushing down her white tunic top she glanced at her reflection in the large smoked glass panels and then walked towards the sliding automatic doors of her office and out past her secretary.
Crossing the office floor Molly entered the elevator then began her descent to the the lobby of the administration building. During the ride down the elevator made a few stops picking up and dropping off staff members along the way.
“You, you are Mr Goodall, correct?” asked Molly.
“Yes, Dr Matthews, I am working on ...” Goodall replied in awe that the boss from the top floor even knew who he was.
“Yes, I know … the NASA project ….. I read your report ...” Molly cut in coldly.
“You? You read my report?” Goodall stammered. His report, a minor affair in the overall workings of the division had been read by the powerhouse Doctor Matthews?
“Yes, you are right, those units are too over spec and weigh too much, I have spoken to Gower, he will follow your recommendations,” Matthews said calmly.
“Oh … ok ….. thanks,” Goodall said clumsily as the elevator stopped at his floor and hesitantly stepped out, unsure how to end the surprise interaction.
Another batch of passengers entered, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of Matthews, each attempting to find some hidden corner of the elevator and out of sight.
“I don't bite!” Matthews said as the doors closed and the descent continued.
“Sorry …. of course not, Doctor Matthews,” said one of the new entrants quietly.
“You are Vicky, yes?” Molly said flatly.
“Yes, Dr Matthews” Vicky replied with a frown. Though she knew of Matthews they had never met, so to be known by someone high up was unsettling.
“That problem you are working on, your current plan is not going to work,”
“You know about that? But I was just hoping that maybe ...” Vicky spun around to face Molly.
“Hoping is not going to fix it, stop trying to appease your supervisor, he has sent you down the wrong path. Now grow a pair and show him your 'Plan B' which is clogging up the drafts folder in the project server archives,” Molly said, almost in an uncaring monotone voice.
“You.. you've seen THAT? No, of course you've seen that,” Vicky replied, flustered.
“Yes, I have seen it, you will not be surprised to learn that some of our best ideas sit inside the draft folders. All that pent up genius, held back by the fear of being wrong or being too bold. Your Plan B solution is almost there …. you should need no more than two weeks to fix it,” Matthews continued.
“Two weeks?” Vicky replied in surprise.
“I can do it in two days … but I am busy with other things … I am sure you can manage it in two weeks,” Matthews said as the elevator pinged and doors opened.
“Oh …ok.....thank you Doctor Matthews,” Vicky said with a nervous smile before exiting.
Molly continued her journey down and to the lobby. When the elevator doors opened she saw some returning staff members about to take the ride up.
“Kristin, from the admin pool, yes?” Molly said as she caught sight of one of the young secretaries.
“Yes.... errr …. Doctor Matthews ...” Kristin said with surprise. She was a lowly pool secretary, a tiny cog in the machine.
“How is your shorthand?” Molly inquired as she began to walk towards the engineering building forcing the young Kristin to walk with her.
“Shorthand … err …... I tested out at One-oh-seven WPM …..” Kristin said nervously.
“Good, then I will keep steady …..ready?” Molly said, power walking towards her destination.
“Oh … wait!” Kristin said as her hand dived into her pockets and pulled out a notepad and a pen.
“Memo to Building Infrastructure Manager …. Item one – Elevator Traffic Management...” began Molly with barely a pause while casting an annoyed glance at the elevator she had just left.
Kristin walked as fast as she could, writing in her shorthand at maximum speed. Molly somehow kept the poor Kristin at the edge of her abilities, squeezing out those one hundred and seven words per minute like a machine.
“ …..which should improve traffic efficiency. Item two, environmental conditions ….” Molly streamed on with barely a pause as the pair crossed over to the assembly building.
The pair continued their walk outside before reaching a security door. The pair badged themselves in and continued on while Molly continued her dictation to Kristin who struggled to work, walk and navigate through the door.
“and so, reducing our water needs by four and a half percent. I expect progress on these six items by the end of next week. Signed, Doctor etcetera,” Molly finished as she swung open a set of double doors and into the hangar-like structure of the assembly building.
“Will that be all, Doctor Matthews?” Kristin said as she frantically scrawled the last words of Molly's monologue onto paper.
“Yes, send me a draft before distribution so I can correct any mistakes ..” Molly said dismissively.
“Yes, Doctor Matthews” Kristin managed before her eyes took in her surroundings. She had never been in this part of the complex before but to suddenly be confronted by the sight of the men in overalls, some in military fatigues and the four …..
“Kristin, go!” Molly commanded as she noted Kristin begin to take in what was going on around her.
Kristin flinched and spun around and made her way out through the double doors and out of sight leaving Molly to see the fruits of her little empire's work alone for just a moment.
“Ah, there you are, aren't they something!” said one of the white clad engineers, clipboard in hand as he approached.
“Show me, Mr Mitchell, I have been looking forward to seeing this for some time...” Molly said, her tone softening after despatching the lowly secretary.
Mitchell offered his hand which was accepted in a brief shake before the pair walked back towards the waiting project.
Standing side by side were what could be described as huge exoskeletons. About twenty feet tall with a cockpit in the upper torso area of each machine. The humanoid shaped behemoths looked intimidating and powerful with their exposed cable trunking and hydraulic hoses threaded inside the metal framed skeleton.
“So, what do we have?” Molly asked as she put her hands on her hips standing squarely in front of the robot-like army.
“The four you see here are more or less identical base units. The DoD wanted them to be a common platform with add ons. We are preparing the first one as an engineering workhorse variant: lifting, carrying, welding, bolting, drilling, that sort of thing. The next one has a fire control module for anti-infantry combat. It will carry mini-guns and grenade launchers which will be supplied tomorrow. The third one is an anti-air support platform to protect units from air attack while the fourth unit is more an emergency services unit. It can be used for fire suppression or emergency medical evacuation amongst other things.
“Are you on schedule for armouring them?” Matthews asked, noting the exposed internals of the war machines.
“Yes, the armour plates are in the spray booth getting their Molycoat II protection,” Mitchell said as he consulted his clipboard while using a pen to trace the timeline across his Gantt chart.
“When does the test pilot arrive?”
“The Army keeps saying 'Soon' to me. They are sending someone from a cavalry unit, a helicopter pilot. Apparently on the simulators they have the best aptitude at driving these things,” Mitchell explained as he rifled through sheets of paper on his clipboard.
“Very good ….. now show me the fifth unit,” Molly said coldly.
“Want to see the spider huh? Is anyone going to tell us what that one is meant to do?” Mitchell said with a grin.
“Spider?” Matthews asked.
“Yeah … come on …. I will show you, it is in the secure section .. it's more or less done, only,” Mitchell sounded uncertain.
“Yes, there are some key components to install …. but other than that ?” Molly pressed Mitchell.
“Yes, apart from that it is ready,” Mitchell answered as the pair moved onto another section of the hanger.
Throwing some switches the smaller area began to be lit up, a spot light illuminating the exoskeleton that apparently had been nicknamed The Spider.
“Leave me,” Molly commanded.
“Sure .. ok …... if you need anything I will be in the main hangar ….” Mitchell replied, noting that Doctor Matthews seemed lost in the moment. Turning away with only a hint of a look back Mitchell left the area.
Molly was in a trance as she looked over The Spider. Apart from the regular-sized four main limbs the torso had another cluster of shorter limbs mounted to it. Molly walked up to the monstrous machine and placed one hand on one of the mechanical legs. Although the form was human she could see why the machine had been nicknamed The Spider with its extra appendages.
Noting the words “STEP” on the metal work Molly began her climb up to the cockpit and with the pull of a lever caused the canopy to pivot open allowing her to climb inside.
A few button presses and switch turns began to power up the electrical systems and electronics and soon a mesmerized Molly was reading off the display panel and heads-up display as the mechanized monster came to life.
A series of error messages began to be displayed but Molly was not concerned, she knew what they were about.
ERROR – APRTR MODULE
ERROR – EXT ENCODE MODULE
ERROR – REM DECODE MODULE
“Don't worry my pet … soon!” Molly said as she placed her hands on the control sticks and flexed her arms and wrists sending the mechanical limbs into life, the robotic hands tracking the movements of Molly's flesh and bone counterparts.
“You won't know what hit you, Supergirl ” Molly said, a hint of malice in her tone.
CHAPTER 11
Detective Kozny walked into the small reception area of the Blue Globe Airways operations building at J.F.K. airport and spoke with the young man who was sat at the desk. The building wasn't for interaction with the public, it was where they co-ordinated operations within the United States.
Here they oversaw their aircrews, managed their fuel purchases, scheduled their flights, managed their maintenance and their catering among a host of so many other things that the flying public never even thought about when taking a flight.
“Hello, can I help you?” asked the young man with a frown. He didn't recognise the woman in front of him.
“Hi, I am Detective Kozny, N.Y.P.D, is there someone in charge I can speak to?” Lisa said as she produced her badge, her detective's gold and blue shield shining brightly in its leather holder with her I.D card.
“Oh, very well, may I ask what it is about, just so I can get you the right person?” the man said as his hand settled onto the handset of his phone, preparing to make a call.
“It's about one of your employees,” Lisa said as she began to draw out her notepad.
“I'll get you the head of personnel,” the young man replied as he lifted the handset and dialled.
“Hey, yes, there is a Detectiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive” the young man winced, the word 'detective' lingering as he tried to recall Lisa's surname,
“Kozny” mouthed Lisa.
“ah yes, Kozny, here in reception to speak to someone from personnel” continued the young man.
“Uh-huh okay” the man continued then hung up with a smile.
“Someone will come in a moment, if you would like to take a seat” the young man said subtly pointing to a cluster of chairs by a small table.
Lisa looked over her shoulder at the hard plastic seats. Indeed the building really wasn't geared for members of the public, this was almost an industrial setting.
“I'll stand, thank you” Lisa said as she glanced at her watch then made a note in her notepad.
“A.M visit, B.G.A Ops – JFK” noted Lisa with her pen.
“Detective Kozny?” said a voice.
“Yes,” Lisa replied.
“Hi, I'm Eddy, I work in the personnel department, is there something I can do for you?” Eddy asked, his hand outstretched to Lisa
Lisa shook hands with Eddy, a tall thin man, his neatly ironed shirt hanging loosely off of his body.
“Can we talk privately?” Lisa asked.
“Sure, let's go to the office,” Eddy said, his hand releasing from Lisa's before turning away towards the corridor.
“How many staff members do you manage from here, Eddy?” Lisa asked, making small talk as they walked.
“From here, hundreds. The people you might see on the a flight are the tip of the iceberg. Sure there are the aircrew and the flight attendants in the air but then you have our own maintenance people and the people manning the check in desks. Then there are the VIP lounge staff on top of that as well as a call center, a data center, a marketing team and so on. In some places where it warrants it we have enough work to have our own aircraft cleaning staff as well. And if we don't directly employ people to do some types of work then we have subcontractors who need to be managed and overseen to do it instead,” Eddy explained as the pair arrived in the personnel section.
There were banks of desks with some employees working on some computers, some with telephones to their ears. Lisa didn't know if what she was looking at was normal or if something was happening, the room was alive with babble.
“You'd think for something that is scheduled and should run like clockwork it would be easy to manage but it isn't,” Eddy quipped.
“How so?” Lisa answered.
“Right now, over in L.A a storm cell has basically caused a load of air traffic to get diverted. Diverted means displaced aircrew, displaced aircraft. Some of those crews will now end up without enough flying hours to fly to their correct location and so replacements need to get to them in order to get those planes back in the right place. But anyway, enough of that. What is on your mind, detective?” Eddy said as he ushered Lisa into his own windowed office to one side.
“Eddy, I need to ask about one of your pilots, a Mr Van Der Walt,” Lisa began.
“Oh Ernst?! Oh I hope he isn't in any trouble, is he okay?” Eddy began.
“Eddy, has he mentioned any problems of late, had any fallings out that you know of, problems at home maybe?” Lisa asked gently noting Eddy's concern.
“Ernst, no, no one falls out with that guy, christ you'd sooner fall down laughing than fall out with him, he's a comedian. I've not met his wife, errrrr Ingrid I think, but he mentions her now and then, and in a good way, you know.” Eddy enthused.
“Ah yes, Ingrid, in Holland, correct?” Lisa asked in a bid to confirm what she knew already.
“I guess, our route for his aircraft type is into Schiphol, Amsterdam. His main residence is over there, most of our guys rent something modest over here though. They like something more homely than a hotel if their downtime ends up with them trapped this side of the pond. It's not normal but, like with our problem in L.A right now pilots sometimes get displaced.” Eddy added.
“Tell me about his colleagues, he gets on with them ok?” Lisa said as she took some notes.
“Well look, I'm not saying he is a saint but usually first officers who have worked with him give him a good rating. Heck, the F.A's love him too. We often poll our aircrew to ensure they have good working relationships. The F.A.A are really big into airlines monitoring aircrew effectiveness. ” Eddy added.
“And his relationship with the company itself?” Lisa asked, her pen working furiously making notes.
“Ernst is a real company guy you know, and he loves flying that big bird, the 380. He was one of the first in our company to fly one and he's been grinning ever since. As far as I know he has been a solid Blue and Grey, a loyal employee and we have no problems with him, I would have heard about it,” Eddy explained.
“Blue and Grey?” Lisa asked, pen hovering.
“Yeah, you know, like our livery, he'd probably paint his car in company colours if he could,” Eddy said fondly as he gestured with his thumb at a yearly wall planner with the company logo and colours in one corner.
“I see,” Lisa nodded as she wrote. She wondered if the victim's choice of running colours was also shaped by this company loyalty.
Eddys face which had brightened as he spoke about Ernst suddenly changed with the realisation that something was wrong.
“Hey, nothing bad has happened, has it? Is he ok?” Eddy asked nervously.
Lisa knew it was time to pass on the bad news. Reading Eddy's body language it seemed that if anything Eddy would mourn the loss of Ernst as much as anyone else.
“I'm sorry sir, but I have some bad news,” began Lisa.
Neomi heard the tap on the door and peered through the spyhole of her hotel room door. Through the tiny viewing glass, slightly distorted by the fish eye lens was the large frame of Mr Africa.
Opening the door Neomi stood aside for Mr Africa as he walked inside, the firm click confirming it was locked again behind him.
“It is done then?” Africa asked as he walked up to the writing table that supported the small TV and kettle with attendant tray of cups and sachets of coffee and tea.
“Yes, this morning.” Neomi replied calmly as she sat herself on the corner of the firm double bed.
Mr Africa turned and sat down to face her, wincing as he noticed her face, a pale yellowish shade forming on one cheek.
“Did the target do that?” Africa asked
“No, this was from yesterday morning, it's just coming out,” Neomi said, remembering her moment with Oscar.
“What happened?” Africa asked with concern.
“It was nothing, just a little fun,” Neomi replied, her tone laced with malice.
“You are meant to keep a low profile, no more fun,” Africa said sternly.
“As you wish, now, about payment,” Neomi answered curtly.
“No, first you debrief me, tell me about the job,” Africa said, his face serious.
Detective Gomez spun in his chair as he listened to hold music from his phone warble on his ear. Suddenly it stopped and Gomez brought himself to a halt, snatching up his pen, ready to take notes.
“Hi, this is Detective Gomez, yes I contacted you by email, uh huh, listen, I am investigating a case. There was an assault, one of your clients was carrying a, let's see...,” Gomez paused as he picked up a clear evidence bag, squinting at its contents.
“It's a PPBT, yes, PeePee,BeeTee Two Hundred. Can you tell me about it a little, what it does, what it can do? Only, we noticed the little bluetooth symbol on the side,” Gomez continued.
There was a pause as Gomez listened to the person at the other end.
“An app? OK, so, talk me through what happens?” Gomez asked.
“He was quite fit, but I took him down where I intended,” Neomi said calmly.
“Then what happened?” Africa asked, keen to know about how she had despatched her mark.
“From there I intended on choking him out, I didn't wish to use a gun or a knife, blood can be a problem,” Neomi continued.
“Intended? What happened?” Africa asked, noting Neomi's use of words.
“He had one of those attack alarms. I must admit I was taken aback that a male would carry one, they are usually a woman's thing. Knowing that help might come I felt the need to expedite things, so I broke his neck.” Neomi explained.
“An alarm? You know what that can mean!” Africa exclaimed angrily.
Gomez continued to scrawl his notes as he listened to the product specialist at the end of the line give him the specification of the little gadget that had served as a noisy nuisance at the crime scene.
“OK, so, the alarm more or less keeps going until the battery dies. And the bluetooth aspect and the app?” Gomez asked.
“The phone starts recording? Oh, when the alarm gets set off. So, what does it capture, audio, video, what?” Gomez sat up, intrigued.
“Oh, you choose on the app. Is there anyway to know how any particular app is set up?” Gomez continued.
“Hmmmm ok, well, we don't actually have the phone, only the alarm, so we don't know. Can you find out remotely?” Gomez replied ruefully.
“Relax, it works out nicely. I took his phone, they'll think someone was out to steal it. He was wearing it on one of those armbands so anyone would know it was there. I smashed it and tossed it in some trash bin, they won't find it.” Neomi said, rolling her eyes.
“And what else did you take?” Africa asked.
“Nothing else, I just needed to make sure the phone was out of the picture,” Neomi replied matter of factly.
“That is sloppy work, Neomi, you could have at least left his wallet scattered on the floor, now it actually looks like someone who knew what they were doing was at work,” Africa said angrily.
“And what difference does that make? Besides, with the alarm whistling I didn't have much time to arrange the scene, I don't think he even had a wallet on him,” Neomi said, surprised by Africa's attitude.
Africa sighed in resignation, “You said you smashed the phone. How?”
“I put a rock through it,” Neomi said.
“Get the battery out?” Africa asked.
“No, in that phone it is integrated,” Neomi replied reluctantly.
“We have to assume it might have still been pinging. If they find it they might be able pull something off of it,” Africa growled.
“Hey, procedure says when we dump burner phones we only smash them,” Neomi protested.
“Our phones are never left at crime scenes! And certainly never with anything like a recording on it. All they will ever find on our phones are numbers for just yet other smashed phones, get it?! If that thing managed to get a few pings out when you trashed it they could be salvaging data off of chips in an instant. If his phone was set to record you might be on there,” Africa explained angrily.
“Fine, I will deal with it,” Neomi said with a nod.
Lisa Kozny was making her way back from JFK airport towards the precinct house. It had been another fruitless line of enquiry it seemed. Ernst seemed well liked and respected at work and he seemed to leave very little of a social foot print during his stay in the U.S, it merely serving a temporary stop over while he had to get F.A.A mandated rest hours.
With none of the obvious sources of motive being evident it seemed that perhaps Ernst's death may have been random. Or perhaps mistaken identity?
BEEEP-BEEEP
BEEEP-BEEEP
Pressing the green button on her steering wheel the hands free feature of her car answered her cell phone.
“Kozny”, Lisa began.
“Hey, its Gomez, listen, I have got a lead on the vic's phone,” Gomez said excitedly.
“Really?” Lisa replied with surprise.
“Yes, where are you? You should get back out to the park! I'm trying to get dispatch to send over some uni's to check it out too.” Gomez continued.
“Why, where do you think it is?” Lisa asked.
“The attack alarm, when it is activated it turns on video recording and the GPS tracking feature of the phone. I think the phone is in a trash can on the east side of the park.” Gomez said.
“Are you certain?” Lisa frowned.
“The signal was intermittent then dying as it moved from the crime scene but there was a few pings in one spot before it completely died,” Gomez said.
“OK, I am on my way, you can guide me in when I get there, talk again in twenty minutes,” Lisa replied as she looked at the road signs to choose her new route.
Selena grinned, now she was making some sort of progress. By gently coaxing at the D.M.V and the I.R.S it became apparent that the log files from the day of the big cyber intrusion were corrupted.
Selena knew the attackers had been there but she wasn't sure what they had been doing or why. But now at least she could see the tell tale signs of their visit and would recognise those footprints again.
Selena wondered what the extent of the intrusion was and began to think about what other databases may have been affected.
“This wasn't about power, this wasn't about material things, this was about people. This is about personal information. But who's? This wasn't a big data grab, this was about looking for someone specific,” Selena reasoned, and with that she knew now why her previous search had been fruitless.
Neomi walked purposefully along the pavement that bordered the park. The low iron railing fence marked one side while the road ran on the other. Wearing a black hoodie which was down over her head and dark sunglasses she hoped to remain unrecognisable. Her gloved hands rested hidden together in the single front pocket of her top, ready to collect the evidence of her misdeeds.
Dotted along the pavement were large black wrought iron style trash cans mounted to posts and Neomi spied the one she had dumped Ernst's cell phone into that morning. Closer and closer she got, her head glancing about her, making sure no one would witness her retrieve the phone.
Lisa Kozny spoke on her phone to Gomez who guided her to her target.
“OK, I am on the north east corner on fifth avenue headed south, how far down do I go?”
“OK, keep going down Fifth, til you hit the museums around one hundred and fifth street. On your right it looks like there is an entrance, the Vanderbilt gate I think, the phone was pinging around there,” Gomez said.
Lisa drove on cautiously, passing a hospital, the park's lakes coming more into view on her right behind a low wall.
Neomi stopped at the black trashcan and reached in, rummaging in junk up to her elbow. Then she felt the familiar shape of the phone inside the armband and pulled it out of the bin. Inserted into a sleeve on the armband was the phone and Neomi wiggled it free, sliding it into a signal blocking pouch, tossing the armband back into the bin.
“This will shut him up,” Neomi said to herself, referring to Mr Africa. She was not used to having her work critiqued.
“N.Y.P.D, STOP RIGHT THERE!”
Neomi spun around, stunned to see a plain clothes officer, badge raised, hand on holster across the other side of the street exiting from her car.
Time froze for them both as their lightning fast reflexes analysed the situation, an unseen sly grin forming on Neomi's face when she saw what was coming. Crossing between the pair of women a large truck obscured Lisa's view of her target for just a moment. Neomi, knowing this was her chance spun around and ran through the east entrance of the park, seen just in time by Lisa as the truck passed them.
“Dammit!” Lisa cursed as she boldly stepped forward, badge aimed at the approaching vehicles to her right, prompting the screeching of rubber as the vehicles came to a halt.
Lisa broke out into a run, passing by the entrance and on into the park, descending some steps to a well kept lawn. Running amongst by a cluster of trees past a fountain Lisa hit a crossroads and looked either way, failing to see her quarry. Then suddenly from up ahead she heard a commotion, a yelling woman calling out at someone. Sprinting again Lisa went charging towards what she was sure was her target.
Lisa met a subtle bend to find a mother hugging a screaming child who had been bundled over onto the floor.
“Is she ok? Which way did they go?” Lisa asked, badge in hand as she looked at the child.
“She'll be ok, go, go, that way. through there, towards the baseball fields ” pointed the mother with her free hand while her other arm hugged her child.
Lisa accepted the mother's encouragement to go and began to chase hard. Breaking through the line of trees Lisa found herself inside the large green open space of the park. There Lisa saw the popular and busy cluster of baseball parks, some mid session. Dashing across the middle Lisa saw her suspect.
“STOP, POLICE!” screamed Lisa as she opened her stride.
People on picnic blankets and playing Frisbee watched on as the fleeing Neomi dashed through them towards the other side while Lisa was in pursuit. People hit the ground in panic and mothers scooped up their children with concern as Nemoi sprinted onwards to the west side of the park.
Just then a police officer who was on foot patrol crossing the same area saw the chase and heard Lisa's call. He had been harassed by dispatch to investigate the trash can on the far side of the park but now this seemed more important.
“Dispatch, this is Four Adam Twenty – I have a code Ten-Thirteen Zulu in progress, over” the officer said quickly as he began to chase.
“Four Adam Twenty, received ---- Dispatch, to all units in section 14, code ten-thirteen zulu – location to be advised,” responded the dispatcher.
The officer began to chase after the woman who had identified herself as the police, speaking into his shoulder microphone as he ran.
“Dispatch, four adam twenty – I'm in North Meadow heading towards, west one hundred” the officer managed as his breathing began to become tested.
“Four adam twenty, dispatch – be advised – plain clothes officer in your area – Detective Kozny”
Lisa pushed on down hard down a trail, her heart racing, her breath heavy but stamina resolute. Her target was fast and agile but Lisa was matching them. Bravely crossing West Drive without even looking Lisa burst into wooded area on the far side of the park, oblivious to the pursuit starting behind her. Glancing around Lisa saw no one, her panting was all she could hear as she tried to decide which way to …..
BEEEEP – SCCCCCRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH – CRUNCH!! CRUNCH!!
From ahead Lisa heard the collision between vehicles and she ran through more trees and up a small bank to the see over a wall. On Central Park West a cluster of cars had come together in a collision by a junction and on the farside black hoody wearing woman was fleeing. Leaping over the low wall Lisa chased on after the escaping woman.
“Hey get back here !!!” screamed one of the men from his open window at Neomi who had caused them to crash.
“STOP, POLICE!” yelled Lisa again in vain.
Sprinting across the road Lisa skidded over the hood of one of the wrecked cars as a traffic jam began to form in either direction.
“Hey, you all ok?” Lisa managed pausing to look back.
“Yeah, go get her!” urged the two drivers.
“Help's on the way,” Lisa said before resuming her chase. She mentally noted the location of the accident and the vehicles involved as she ran ran into a side street. Neomi and Lisa were heading into a residential area with narrower streets and common green areas and Lisa knew she was in danger of losing her suspect in amongst it all.
Turning a corner into west one hundredth street Lisa found herself looking at two banks of parked cars parked at either side and no suspect. Lisa's heart pounded in her ears while her brain tried to keep up. Her suspect had gone to ground, maybe stooped behind one of the many parked cars that lined the street.
“Where?” panted Lisa quietly, “Where are you hiding?”
In the distance the wail of police sirens could be heard giving a little encouragement to the detective that the cavalry was coming, someone must have called in the chase.
Looking down one stretch of pavement Lisa crossed the road, edging between two parked cars before looking down the other. Nothing. The suspect might be anywhere tucked in between cars. Unholstering her weapon Lisa scanned either side of the road edging forward, glancing side to side anxiously.
WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF GGRRRRRRRRRR WOOF WOOF WOOF!!! Ahead a parked car sparked into life, a dog that was on the back seat startled into anger by something or someone. The dog lunged at the window of the car, snarling and pawing at the glass that held it back.
“N.Y.P.D, come out and show me your hands!!” yelled the detective as she walked forward towards the car, pistol raised.
Neomi bolted from her hiding place on the opposite side of the vehicle from her pursuer into a space between the two large apartment blocks leaving Lisa to curse. Shooting unarmed fleeing suspects in the back was a big no no.
Resuming the chase Lisa stormed into the passageway and saw the suspect looking for escape. Lisa was closing in on her quarry, digging in deep she found the stamina to hold on, encouraged by the nearing sirens.
Neomi took flight running alongside a wooden panelled fence looking for a way to get through, Lisa in close pursuit. Swinging her forward most leg as she closed the gap to mere feet Lisa managed to trip her suspect sending them tumbling against one of the wood panel fences, the pair somehow just staying on their feet.
“Freeze!” Lisa screamed as she closed in behind Neomi keeping her faced into the fence.
Grabbing one of Neomi's wrists she pulled it with force into the small of her back and prepared to slap on the cuffs. It was in that split second that Lisa made a mistake that she somehow instantly redeemed herself for.
Lisa and Lucy had been training Spydra on and off all year. Trying to make their new young protege the best of them both had been educational for everyone. Lisa recalled giving Spydra a lesson on how the police are taught to restrain a suspect safely only for Lucy to teach her how people like herself evade getting the cuffs slapped on them, or if they do, how to get out.
Lisa knew in the moment that her handcuff went to strike the wrist of the suspect something was wrong. Her heart was in her mouth as she felt the other hand of the suspect spring back, somehow getting a hold of her pistol.
Luckily having seen Laura practice this move on Lucy Detective Kozny spotted this move before it had gone too far. The usual instinct was to step back away from the threat which only served to help un-holster the pistol for the wrongdoer. Stepping forwards instead would often help stop that from happening.
Neomi was taken by surprise by the cop's instincts and lashed out with a backwards swing of her head which connected onto Lisa's forehead. Lisa was stunned a moment while Neomi managed to wriggle free from between the cop and the panelled fence, Lisa's pistol in hand.
“No!” Lisa growled, trying to prevent Neomi from turning around.
By wrapping her arms around Neomi's upper arms from behind Lisa could prevent her from turning to shoot. Neomi lashed backwards with her foot catching Lisa in the shins and Lisa used the moment to try and force her attacker to the ground.
In the struggle Lisa managed to unbalance her quarry and the two fell down, the pistol clattering to the pavement. There was a flurry of arms and hands as the pair sought an advantage and Lisa caught the hood of Neomi's top, uncovering her head and knocking her sunglasses askew. Wriggling and writhing, Lisa locked eyes on Neomi's bruised face as they fought, each of them trying to hold off the other while they sought out the pistol on the floor.
With a grunt Neomi managed to get her arm across Lisa's neck and began to roll Lisa onto her back, applying pressure without mercy.
“You were good, but not good enough” grunted Neomi.
“Nghh” protested Lisa as she sensed she was losing the battle.
“Don't go all PATHETIC on me now after doing so well,” Neomi said patronizingly as she squeezed harder with her arm, her free hand settling on the fallen gun.
Lisa's head bulged red as her lifeblood struggled to find a way through to her brain, her lungs straining to work with the pitiful quantity of air reaching them. Lisa strained for all she was worth, her hands trying to pull Neomi's forearm from her throat but she was getting weaker and her vision started to close in with darkness, the sirens seemingly getting fainter in her ears.
“Shhhhhhh, that's it, be a good girl, and I won't break your pretty neck,” whispered Neomi calmly.
“DETECTIVE KOZNY! WHERE ARE YOU?!” screamed a uniformed police officer as he entered the area.
“Dammit!” Neomi protested. She could sense the end was near for the victim in her arms but time was running out. If she killed the cop while she was still on top of her the dead weight of the body might delay her escape.
With a cruel yank Neomi rolled Lisa off of her and rose to her feet, leaving Lisa gasping for air on the floor.
“Goodbye, but it has been fun,” Neomi said as she lined up a shot into Lisa's head.
With a gasp Lisa opened her eyes to see she was looking up the barrel of her own pistol and quickly moved her head.
BANG! - Neomi missed, the round bursting into the ground.
“DROP IT !!” screamed the uniformed officer as he was drawn to the sound of the gunshot.
Neomi flinched as she saw the officer running towards her and quickly fired again at Lisa as she was trying to get to her feet. She knew at this range, accurate or not, vest or not, she was going to do serious harm. Lisa slumped back to the floor as she took the bullet and Neomi spun away running.
BANG! - the uniformed officer fired at the suspect having seen her shoot at the other prone female who had been calling out 'Police' in the park.
Running closer and closer the officer eventually stopped by Lisa's still body, kneeling by her side.
“Shit, oh god, dispatch, this is Four Adam Twenty, I have shots fired and an officer down, need medical assistance at my position!” the officer shouted into his radio as he saw Lisa's badge, confirming what he had feared.
“Dispatch, Four Adam Twenty – received – advise location,” the dispatcher replied.
“Oh jeez, where the fuck am I!” the officer said as he scanned his surroundings, his heart pounding the blood behind his eyes. Then in the blink of an eye he knew, “Four Adam Twenty, dispatch, I'm just on the south side of West one hundred just off central park – suspect is running west towards Columbus, white female, black hoody, blue jeans”
Releasing the transmit button on his radio the officer swore to himself to never eat junk food again and then began to search for any potential source of blood loss, finding solace that the voices on the radio meant help was coming.
“All units, all units, sector 14, code 10-zero-zero, shots fired, officer down, repeat, officer down” crackled the radio again.