The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Something In the Water

Chapter 17 Therapy and the Gathering of Peoples

The numbers stared back at him, beads of light and lines of ink, two names, two numbers: Carol Brennan and Sharon Sanchez.

The first on his cellphone and a message left asking where he was and telling him that they needed to talk. Daniel’s eyes stared thoughtfully out the window. He hadn’t talked to Carol for over four days. She was his councilor. She’d been set up specifically for him. She’d broken all sorts of professional rules of conduct just so that she could really and truly help him. She’d been there when Simon couldn’t. And he tried to ignored her. He hadn’t wanted to talk to her. He knew what she wanted to talk about. Why she had woken up with her shirt pulled up and her breasts bare. He didn’t want to have to face that. He didn’t want to have to answer that question. What the hell was he supposed to say?

But at the same time he knew he owed it to her, for everything, for the fact that he knew she really cared. His thoughts still went there, split between Sharon, constant, unable for him to ignore.

Daniel sighed, taking the cellphone and putting it in his pocket, scrunching the piece of paper and doing the same. He wasn’t ready.

“You know she’s right.”

Daniel cast a weary glance at Azuma,“Who’s right?”

“Sharon, what are you doing here? If there is anyone that Andrew will probably go after its her. And if he does come she’ll need you there.”

“You eavesdropped?”

“Yes I did. But that doesn’t matter. Why are you here?”

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. He didn’t want to answer the question. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to think about the answer. To admit why he was here would also mean admitting what he felt about Sharon. Why couldn’t she just let him ignore that? By God he needed it. But even with the question he knew that answer. That wasn’t why he had made her.

Even so, he found himself hiding in a half truth, “I don’t know that answer,” he began “,I’ve been running on the immediate need for the last couple days. Now that it’s not there, now that I don’t have to act, I don’t know what to do.”

Azuma nodded her head, her hand laid lightly on his shoulder, “Well what do you want to do?”

Daniel turned his head towards her, Azuma, his eyes looking at the hand resting, moving along the slender arm and up to her sanguine face, to the soft smile and the knowing eyes. His gaze moved down to the parted blouse and the open breasts only partially hidden underneath the white cloth. He knew the invitation held within the gesture, that mischievious smile. He wanted to, even with the libido of the creature within subdued, the raging hormones of an eighteen year old still burned inside of him.

There was still another reason that she had been made, it was a thought that he hadn’t been able to admit to himself even as he had done it to her the first time. Maybe...

Daniel found himself raising his arm up, arching his head forward, his lips locked with hers. Azuma’s eyes closed, a gleeful smile as he cradled his hand down the front of her fabric, groping at the bosom underneath.

She was so hot. He could feel it. He could taste it in how the lips pulled at his. His body pushed forward, Azuma leaninng backward, her legs lifting up and cradling against his.

It felt so good, so needed, the warmth of her thighs along his, the moistue of her mouth against his face. But that thought...he had to push it away. Thoughts running against his mind.

It wasn’t the right time.

His hand fiercely grasping at her chest. Azuma grunts.

When was the right time?

His already tenting member in his pants humping against Azuma’s black panties, the hot and open snatch underneath.

There wasn’t one. Ignore that thought.

His mouth bending lower, ripping apart her blouse, buttons flying out in the cabin within. His mouth sucked at her open flesh and nipples.

He needed this. It was just sex. It didn’t matter.

Azuma’s heavy breathing, and her open mouth at the edge of moaning, her breasts bare and exposed her tits tantalizing.

Ignore it. Ignore those thoughts. It’s just sex.

He’s up, reaching for the zipper of his pants, tugging at the button, his hand trying to expose the aching cock underneath. Azuma’s eyes looking up, that uncertain smile. She wants this, but why does she hesitate?

<Why did you stop it with Carol if this is what you want?>

He paused. The truth stopped him. The thought just barely seperate from his own stopped him. His eyes closed and he took in a deep breath, opening, looking at her body laid open and wanting in front of him. His head turning towards the house he sat across from. What was he doing? He was being a hypocrite. His father had been like that. Damnit.

His head bowed, his body leaned back and away from her.

You’re right. He thinks to it.

<How is it right?>

This is wrong. Even if I want it, to be that shit for a little bit. I can’t do this. I shouldn’t.

Azuma stayed there, confused for several moments, unsure about what had just happened. Daniel just leaned back against the car door, his eyes purposely avoiding her. She pulled her self up, her legs disengaging from around his waiste. Her hand pulled at the torn open fabric, making an effort to cover her exposed breasts.

“What happened?” she said levely.

“What happened? What happened is that I’m a fucking idiot.”

She nodded slowly. Her eyes looked about the cabin, looking at torn buttons and other knocked over objects before turning his attention back towards him. “I ask the question again Daniel. ‘What do you want to do?’ I’ll go along with whatever you want.”

Daniel stuttered, “You mean you didn’t-“ meaning the sex.

Her lips smiled slightly, “I want to be there for you. It would be great to have sex with you, but I’m not here for just that.”

His eyes turned and met hers, “It’s not going to happen if I’m not willing to be an asshole.”

Her voice remained level, “ Than you have two other options, and you know what they are.”

He leaned back againt the door, his mind thought carefully about the number scrawled on the scrap of paper, about the cellphone invitation from his school counselor. One meant pursuing another while his girlfriend remained a slave and helpless to do anything about it. The other meant confronting a mistake and the possible scorn of someone who meant a lot to him in a different way. That was when the thought hit him.

He’d just been trying to avoid making that tough decision. Both of those decision genuinely scared him. He was afraid, startled, even with the powers that he had at his behest the problems of his own life still existed. And he knew that cheating wouldn’t help. He nodded his head with the realization, “I’m going to take you back to your apartment, let you get some new clothes and pick up your car.”

“Who are you going to?”

Daniel reached for the keys sitting in the ignition and started the car up. The engine rumbled to life. He turned his attention over to Azuma, the two lines of cloth barely covering her exposed chest, and even then, only then she held them there with her hands. Irrationally he found it comical.

He chuckled first before getting serious,“I don’t know. But you’re right. I have to go to one of them.”

His car pulled away from the curb, pushing into the open street. The engine picked up as the speed kicked in, the wheels pushing against the pavement. They were moving away. Lydia’s house shrank as the car pulled away. A minute later it was gone, lost in the distance.

* * *

The police officer he knew only as Julie lay back against the ground, her lower half lifted up and pressed against Andrew’s exposed cock, her pants and panties pulled off, her snatch exposed.

He stood abover her, holding her up, her head lay against the ground, the glassy eyed look still resting on her face. But it wouldn’t last for long. He knew this thought as his hips bucked in and out, his cock pressing into her exposed cunt. He was going to make a slave of her, a loyal and intelligent slave. He needed that, a police officer on his side, the things that he could do.

The amused smile came to his face. His arms propping up her muscular legs, her vest pulled off ,her uniform pulled up just so he could watch her breasts flop with each hard thrust. He heard her grunting, lightly moaning, but that was it, a body always easing in with its commands, but never acting on its own.

With a groan and a fierce ejaculation he felt the parasite leave his body and enter hers. He slammed her bare legs against the ground and turned around. He would have liked to have enjoyed her more, she was a fine piece of work, but he had too many other things that had to get done. And he didn’t want anyone wondering what had happened to her. There would be other chances he was sure, but at the moment he had other things to do.

Julie lay chest up on the ground, blank stare and drooling, her body already beginning to spasm as the parasite within slowly worked its way through her body, testing arms and legs, getting the feel of moving an alien species. She’d be up in a few minutes, a new person entirely, and a new mission.

Andrew left the room, closing the door behind him. Hannah, Karen, Elizabeth and Sarah, sat on the couch before him, their eyes staring at the door, awaiting whatever command or wish he would send their way. He knew they would follow it completely. His eyes gazed over the one bedroom apartment he stood in, Hannah’s apartment, grateful that the police had been unable to identify his last slave. It gave him a place to work from. If he wasn’t careful the cops could be a real pain for him.

But he had to get Daniel. He had to. He had to show him what he could do if he wasn’t injured, if wasn’t taken by surprise. He was better than him. He had to show him that. He would know. The smile came to his lips with the thoughts that ran through his mind. He was better than him. He was better than him.

First things first though, he had to be prepared.

He walked to the the small table resting in the living room. His slaves following his every movement, quiet, waiting, dreaming of sex, but knowing better than to ask the question. He lifted a pen to paper and scribbled addresses down on them, malls, libraries, college campus, all places where many people congregated, all places where a beautiful woman might be found.

He stood up and turned to his waiting harem of women, “I have some homework for you all” he said.

The four smiled, exchanging knowing glances. Sarah was the first to speak, “What is your wish master?”

The grin broadened on Andrew’s face, “I want one gorgeous woman from each of you. Find stuff out about them first. I don’t want there to be any kind of suspicion if they’re gone for a couple days. Is that understood?”

The four nodded, “We would love to master.”

To each a scrap of paper was given. Each passing by him slowly, there eyes gazing down at his crotch as they went. They were wanting, but pleasing him in whatever way was enough. They all believed that if Daniel was gone the master would get right back to where he had started, Sharon among them kneeding, teasing, fucking. It was a glorious thought and an everpresent need. Things were going to be better. Daniel and anyone who stood in the master’s way would understand. In moments the door closed behind them and they were all gone, out on their mission.

Andrew turned his head to the sound of rustling from the bedroom behind him. His attention shifting as the door opened behind him. Julie stood there, shirt still pulled up, her bottom half still exposed, but the look on her face something altogether different from what it was. It was a look of knowing, of being aware of what had happened, and the smug comfort in being given a new purpose to live by.

“I am ready master,” she said

Andrew walked over, his hand cupping at her exposed breast, her eyes closed and a pleasured smile. “You my slave have a different kind of homework.”

“And what is that master?” she asked cooing.

“I need to know about the situation around the Sanchez house, and I need you to take care of it for me.”

She moaned as his fingers arched down to her open twat, “Anything you say master, I’ll take care of it right now.”

Andrew shook his head, “No, we need to wait till nightfall, we can wait till after you get off. The other things must be done first.”

Julie nodded, “Anything master. Anything you say.”

* * *

Detective Philip Bernake felt a sinking feeling in his stomach with the circling ambulance lights resting in front of the police station. It was possible that it was nothing special, maybe one of the reporters had under the burden of their own smug self importance suffered a stroke. Why was he joking? Who was he trying to kid? Maybe it was just intuition, but somehow he knew that the truck parked in front of the station and the paramedics moving in with the stretcher involved him in some way. Maybe that person he thought he saw passing through the crowd really was him. The name that ran through his head: Andrew.

“What the fuck is going on here?” he heard his partner saying on the side.

Bernake pulled the car into his spot, turning the ignition off, the media circus already rushing forward to encircle the car. He looked them over their eager eyes, they were pushing into the windows even harder than usual. Whatever had happened definitely involved him or the case. “I guess we’re about to find out” he said fatalistically.

Charlie looked over at Bernake, “Yeah.”

With a deep breath and a shared nod, the two opened their doors and the questions began.

“Detective Bernake how do you think a stranger was able to break into the Harris Park police station and escape with two of the people you had imprisoned there?”

Thought: Shit, Doyle and Drane, but what about Papadakus? Reply: “No comment, let me by.”

“Detective Bernake any word on the location of Andrew Smythe?”

He ignored their statements, pushing hard through the crowds of people. Why were the paramedics there? What had happened? He was sure Elizabeth Doyle and Karen Drane had escaped, he didn’t need the media to tell him that. But what about Nikki Papadakus? What was the deal with the ambulance?

He guessed the answer even as he came to front steps of the station. The crowds surged stronger. He pushed harder through them. The feeling in his stomach was fought back by the hope that she wasn’t dead. But he knew that if there was an escape he wouldn’t want that kind of witness. How did he do it?

He burst through the front door, seeing the crowds of police officers holding back a larger crowd of civilians and media as the elevator down opened up and his fears were confirmed.

Nikki Papadakus, wrapped up, stretcher, an oxygen mask held over her face, the paramedics pushing through.

He turned towards Charlie, pointing a finger out towards the ambulance “You go with her in the ambulance. Make sure she gets to the hospital safely. I’m going to find out what happened here.”

Charlie nodded, rushing through the two way door and outside.

Bernake rushed forward towards the group. He needed to know what the fuck happened. He let the paramedics brush past him, his eyes on the small group of police officers behind them, shaking their heads. He came up to them one short, squat and fat, the other one tall and almost pathetically slim, their names were Guzman and Chanders, he always thought of them as a regular Laurel and Hardy. The pair followed the stretcher, their eyes barely attending to the detective as he ran forward.

“What the hell happened?” he began accusingly.

The hand on Guzman’s shoulder startled, his eyes shifted from shocked to lucid as he stared at Bernake,”Sir?”

“What.happened. to. Ms Papadakus?” he said slowly, stressing each word.

Guzman nodded, “Someone choked her. Frankly we’re surprised she isn’t dead. Chanders here says she was blue in the face when he came down with lunch.”

Bernake turned his attention over to the other police officer, “Okay Chanders, what did you see when you entered the room?”

Chanders took a moment to gather himself up, “Ummm,... the holding cells with Ms. Doyle and Ms. Drane were open. Ms. Papadakus’ cell was still locked, she was splayed out on the floor, the bed spread had knocked to the ground and scattered.”

“Which meant that there was a struggle?”

Chanders nodded, “The evidence technicians are working on it right now sir.”

Bernake nodded, he eyes looking ceilingword, the surveillance cameras, they had to have picked up something. “Jones” he called out gesturing towards one of the lower ranking privates.

The officer came over, “What is it sir?”

“I want the surveillance camera tapes on my desk A-SAP, do you got me?”

The officer nodded, heading towards the back room where the tapes recorded.

Bernake frustration came out in an audible exhale. So much shit was happening so fast. He could only imagine what other things were going on while he tried to put the pieces together on what had happened. How the hell did someone walk right into a police station, and walk out with two of its prisoners without awakening any kind of alarms? He had to find Andrew Smythe. But first and foremost that meant figuring out what was going on.

And there was one name that came to his mind as to who that was: Bates.

“Fuck this bullshit,” he said to himself, rushing down the stairs, walking down the hallway towards the holding cells, “I’m going to get that information out of Bates, if that means charging him, and throwing him in a cell than that’s what it has to be.”

He came to the main door. One of the technicians offered him a greeting. He didn’t smile.

* * *

The camera sat plugged into her laptop on the coffeeshop table. Lisa plugging away through the wedding photos she’d taken yesterday. An audible sigh escaping her thin lips in the mostly empty cafe she sat in. It sucked being a freelance photographer, especially in this economy. While she enjoyed the freedom of being her own boss and the opportunity to pursue a portfolio that really mattered to her she still had to pay the bills. Money was tight at the moment.

And that meant taking a lot of stupid jobs to make ends meet. That meant being a wedding photographer, barely a step above the hell that was a family portrait taker. She should know, she’d been there.

She ran a hand through her short aubern hair, lifting her slender legs up to the seat and against her ample chest. Her sky blue eyes perused over the photos, shaking her head. She hated weddings, they always seemed to remind her about the chaotic mess that was her love life. Her last boyfriend, James, full time house mover and sometimes beautiful sculptor, had shown some real potential; short blonde hair and that wicked body, wonderful lover. That had lasted a whole three months, accussing her of not spending enough time with him.

That seemed like a weird thing for a guy to complain about, the boyfriend before that had wanted more space. It was like she couldn’t win.

Lisa started at the sound of the seat being pulled out next to her, her attention shifting to the red headed woman suddenly sitting next to her. She was kind of short, and thin, real pale skin and maybe a little nerdy.

“Can I help you?” Lisa asked her.

A strange smile came to her lips, “Do you have any kids?”

She wondered what kind of question that was, “Excuse me?”

“Do you have any kids?” she repeated.

“Who are you?”

That smile never left the woman’s face. Lisa watched as she searched around the cafe for a moment. They sat in a fairly secluded section, Lisa had always liked it that way, gave her privacy to clear her mind. She was about to pay for that fairly simple decision.

With a pleasent nod she reached for Lisa’s hand, grabbing it. Lisa pulled at it, “What the hell do you think you are-“ That was when the chemical hit her. Her arms went slack and her eyes lost focus. Her mind went unconscious.

“Well, since you obviously won’t tell me what I need to know the straightforward way,” Karen continued, “I guess we’ll just have to do this the easier way. Answer my questions. What do you do?”

Lisa told her.

The amusement remained in Karen’s face and eyes, “Good, now is there anywhere you’ll need to be in the next couple days?”

Lisa shook her head mechanically.

“Good, I need you to stand up then.”

Lisa stood up slowly from her table, her eyes staring into space, her body rocking slowly, held tight by the slave’s hand.

“Pack away your things and follow me, you will love to serve the master,” Karen said

“I will love to serve the master,” Lisa repeated. She bent down, packing away her laptop and camera. Led by the hand she followed Karen out of the cafe. She would be a nice addition to Andrew’s slaves.

She was the first.

* * *

Daniel stared forward at the school, a strong sense of apprehension enveloping him. It was Tuesday, a school day, for two days he had been out, and no one had expected him to come back any time soon. His name blasted all over the news, he was a hero, he’d been badly hurt in the ensuing confrontation. His mom had even phoned him in! But none of that seemed to matter for Carol Brennan, hell it shouldn’t, he’d talked with her at least twice a week for the last two years.

And some really mean shit had happened in the last four days. She needed to know. But how much could he afford to tell her?

He moved through the halls quietly, seeking to avoid attention, students who saw him, paused, bug-eyed, smiled. He waved back and moved on, even as they stepped hesitantly forward. He was a hero, and they wanted to congratulate him.

“Is that stuff on the news. Is it real? Did you really do that?”

“Holy shit, you’re like...like superman.”

A few here and there, rushing to classes late, pausing for a moment, but trying to move on. Time pushed him forward. His words were simple, humble, they didn’t understand. They couldn’t.

And then he was there, standing just outside her office, the door opened as it always was, her voice speaking to someone else on the phone. He came into the doorway and paused. He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t sure how to act. Was she confused? Was she mad? How would she respond? He stood there for several long moments, saying nothing.

Carol Brennan eyes turned upward, catching Daniel, she paused before turning her attention back towards the phone, “Okay Steve, I’ll talk to you later. Someone important is here. Okay, bye.” The receiver was placed gently down in its cradle. Her attention turned towards him, her eyes moved slowly, searching.

Daniel’s breath was shallow, his body shaking, would she hate him for what he had done?

Carol didn’t notice, a smile appeared on her freckled face. She closed the distance between them quickly and hugged him, the girth of her largish body wrapping around his. Her eyes came forward, looking into his squarely, “Daniel, I’ve been worried about you. What the hell have you been up to?”

The fear came out in an exhale, Daniel pulled back, relaxing himself in one of the offered seats. He watched as Carol stepped past him to close the door. The echoes of deja vu ran through his head, but the experience was going to be different.

You’re going to be on your best behavior right?

<It understands that things have changed>

Carol grabbed a seat and pulled it up to rest close in front of Daniel, her eyes scanned him slowly up and down. After a few moments she began, “You look tired.”

To Daniel that was a fierce understatement. He waited for her to say something, but she just leaned back in her chair, her head resting in one of her hands, her eyes thoughtful.

“You don’t want to know what happened in your office last Friday?”

Carol just nodded solemnly,“I do, but I trust you enough to tell me when it matters enough to you. What I’m really concerned about is what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“What do you mean?”

She thought for a few moments before going forward,“Daniel you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s been almost two years since I last saw that look on you. And then there’s what I’ve heard on the news. What’s been going on? What’s been going wrong?”

Daniel gulped hard, “I don’t know what I can tell you. I don’t know what you’ll believe.”

Carol nodded,” Daniel...if you can’t trust me, than who can you trust?” Her eyes just turned towards his, a look of soft concern and nothing more. He knew she wasn’t going to press him if he didn’t want to talk. That was always how she worked. She had that way of just accepting things, and never being in a rush to find anything out.

He could feel the tears starting to push at his eyes. He tried forcing them back. His breath came in hard, but he could still feel them forcing their way out, “I did a terrible thing to you” he cried.

“No you didn’t Daniel. I don’t blame you, and nothing bad happened. Unless there is something that I don’t know.”

He shook his head, his breath hard, the tears slowly falling down his cheek.

Carol came forward and embraced him, her welcome arms wrapping around his body. He wanted to tell her everything. He hadn’t realized how badly he needed to. But he didn’t know...and he was afraid. “I don’t deserve someone like you,” he cried

She shushed him quietly, “Don’t say that Daniel, I’m not perfect.”

He turned his eyes up towards her, “But you care.”

“That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

“And that means a lot.”

She lifted his head up to hers, her eyes staring deep into his, “Daniel, what’s troubling you? I’m not here to judge and you know that. But if you don’t want to talk-“

He told her.

And she believed.

* * *

She was trying to be cheery. It was hard, especially when you got turned down 95% of the time, street canvasing. Most people didn’t even want to talk to you. Most that did, only told you why they couldn’t contribute money to your cause. Children international, right, you’re doing it for the kids. There had to be a different pitch she could use. It was definitely a tough sell sometimes.

Alyssa took a moment to stretch her muscles on the open mall courtyard. Still, she wasn’t doing bad. It helped that she was nice on the eyes, long curly black hair and freckles, and one of those confident, kind smiles that seemed to drive men nuts. Hell, most people that came up to her did so just to flirt. She would engage in the little dalliance. Every once in awhile it even got her a committment, but of course she had a boyfriend.

“One more person to fill up my daily quota” she said to herself.

“Can you help me please?”

The voice startled her, Alyssa cocked her head over, and relaxed, it was just some woman, long blonde hair and a visible pair of breasts that made her a touch envious. “Sure” she said in her easy, level voice, “What kind of help do you need?”

The woman smiled kind of strangely at her, but Alyssa chose to ignore it, “How often do you work?”

She was probably looking for a job, Alyssa thought, “About three days a week, on the days that I don’t have classes.”

There was an eagerness that came to the woman’s eyes, “So you go to college?”

Alyssa nodded, “Yeah. They have a pretty flexible schedule if you’re looking to make some money on the side.”

Again that strange smile, “Finals start, next week.”

Alyssa felt an unease in that face that stared back at her, but she ignored it. Any kind of conversation to break up the monotony was welcome, “Yeah, its kind of a mess I’ve been studying like mad.”

“I don’t think anyone will mind if you’re gone a couple days.”

“What do you-?” But that was all she could get out. Elizabeth’s hand had reached out for hers and grasped it. Within a second her eyes were glassy eyed. The commands poured into her and she would resolutely follow every single one of them.

She was off in an hour, she had her quota, she would see this master that the woman talked about. She wanted to see him. This master was way better than her boyfriend.

With a mechanical nod Alyssa walked away. She would need to prepare. She would be good.

The second one was made ready.

* * *

Her long legs lay flung out over the shattered, stone foundation of an old bridge, the river underneath meandering slowly by underneath her. The leaves on trees and bushes had only recently come into full relief around her. The sun shined brightly and clear above, caught and filtered by the tall oaks and maples boardering along the shore. With a soft smile and an uncertain sigh she raised her arms and leaned back on the ground behind her.

It was a beautiful day. Yet she still felt troubled. Yes, she’d evaded enslavement. Yes, her Uncle Cui was recovering back in the hospital, even now, conscious. Yes she had managed to get away from the media circus. But so many other things remained unfinished, so many things that she’d like to see solved.

“Do you think he’ll call?” she heard herself say.

“Who?” Catherine asked from behind her, leaning against a tree.

Sharon raised her head up, “Don’t play dumb Catherine. Come on, take a seat next to me.”

Catherine came forward, casting her feet over the edge, taking a seat on the ground next to Sharon. “I can’t say” she began, referring to Sharon’s question, “I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend until a couple of days ago.”

For several moments the sound of water was all that was heard beneath them. Sharon sat up, following the profile of Catherine Bates, constantly having to remind herself that this was Daniel’s mother. Her face was immaculate, lacking the slightest of any wrinkles, her skin a fair creamy white, and radiant. She looked nothing like the years she truthfully held. She looked so different from the photos that she had seen on Daniel’s walls.

“Do you ever wonder,” Sharon began, “what it would be like if none of this had happened to Daniel?”

Catherine smiled, “Lydia would still be gone, you’d be enslaved and I’d still be the miserable old woman running towards her mid life crisis.”

The statement made Sharon laugh. After a few moments she settled down, her words becoming more solemn,“I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. But I can’t get past this one thought. The way that those creatures changed you. And I know that Daniel feels guilty about it.”

Catherine paused thoughtful, the smile disappeared as her head lifted, gazing into Sharon’s tan face,“Honestly, I’m different than what I was. I don’t know if its better or worse. Daniel is in charge. I don’t question that. I’ve found myself willing to do things that would have scared the hell out of me before.” Her head turned away from Sharon, her eyes staring downriver, “I don’t know if it means anything to you, but I’m happier now than I used to be. That was the one thought that had been placed on me by Daniel. I guess those are the two ways that I’m really different from what I was.”

“Does the real ‘you’ still exist somewhere?”

“I don’t what the real ‘me’ is” she heard Catherine say, “It’s not like my identity was completely covered up. It’s kind of like just a couple things were changed to make everything else work. Does that answer your question?”

She bent her back forward, her dark skin caught by the bright shinning sun, her head staring down at the passing water. Catherine was so different from the way Sarah, Elizabeth and all of Andrew’s slaves had been. It seemed like she has room to think for herself in a way Andrew never allowed. For Daniel it was more like they were loyal servants than actual slaves. They were strong, thoughtful, loyal, but still close to being a real person. And they immune to that mind numbing chemical. She wondered for a moment, indulging a thought, and then the fear crept in. She let the unformed thought slide.

“Yeah,” she heard herself say, “I guess it does.”

That was when her phone rang.

* * *

He was nuts. Daniel sat in his car his eyes looking down at his cellphone, and the sheet of paper sitting in front of him. He felt better. He felt relieved in sharing the story with Carol. She hadn’t accused him. She hadn’t hated him. Against his best hopes she even tried to believe him. And a quick show of his powers had evaporated that miniscule level of skepticism.

“So what do you intend to do now?” she’d said to him.

“I don’t know,” but he’d known the answer, “I just can’t leave Andrew out there like that. It’s like I’m just waiting for him to expose himself so that I can do something.”

“Did you ever think that if Andrew is out there that there might be others like him?”

But he couldn’t think about it like that. That wasn’t the way he worked. He took his problems one at a time and tried to take care of the ones that he could first. Imagining those crazy number of ‘what ifs’ would leave him spending all of his time wondering, and no time for doing. And in that meantime worst things could happen.

“Sharon isn’t going to go away,” Carol had told him, “You’re going to have to figure it out. And like it or not a choice will be made.”

“I can’t leave Lydia, not given the way things are.”

“Who says you’re going to?”

The phone was ringing. His attention shifted back to the present. The person on the other end picked up, Sharon.

He had no idea what he was going to say.

* * *

Sarah smiled, her shoes crunching on the secluded gravel path away from the beach, away from prying eyes. She had done well for herself. The master would be pleased.

She turned her attention down towards her hand, up towards the female figure who held it, a woman dressed only in her bikini and flip-flops. She followed her. She would do whatever Hannah told her to do. It felt like ages since she’d had any kind of physical pleasures.

“The master was so pinning after that middle eastern bitch,” she whined, thinking about Lydia, uncaring about the noise she made, no one else was around after all.

She rounded a corner with her slave, the beach lost from view, any and all people gone in the distance. Her eyes turning towards her prey, her gift to the master. Kyla had been her name, or so the woman had told her. Her eyes moved slowly up and along her body.Her skin was a light tan, with facial features that suggested Indonesia or the Philippines, closed in broad lips and blank brown eyes just a hair’s breath smaller than was the usual. Her hair was long and brown reaching down to her hips. She was quite the catch, almost looking like an island princess. She hadn’t dithered long with conversation, it was obvious that she had come alone.

The rest she could figure out, but first she wanted some pleasure. She reached a hand up towards one of her shoulder straps, pulling it away and exposing one of her breasts. They rested like small mounds, the top curved slightly upward, the nipplein a diagnol.

With nothing more than a smile her mouth bent low and began sucking at the exposed flesh. Kyla’s eyes stared vacantly forward as Sarah pulled at the other shoulder strap, her tongue licking Kyla’s breasts. Her hands squeezed at Kyla’s mounds as she felt herself slowly begin to pant.

The top of Kyla’s bikini fell to the ground as Sarah raised her head to gaze into the indonesian girl’s empty eyes. Sarah’s face never lost that gloating smile. Her eyes looked down at those lips, imagining the warmth and wetness. She came in and puckered forward, her tongue plunging into Kyla’s open mouth.

It was wonderful and it would hold her over until the whole annoyance of Daniel was taken care of. This would bea good slave. This would be everything that the master wanted.

She gently pushed her waiting subject down against the rocky sand, her fingers working at the last shred of clothing that covered the soon to be slave’s body. Sarah could tell she was already starting to get wet, like the mind couldn’t read, but the body still knew.

She smiled at the shaved clean vag, another thing the master would love, another thing that she would love.

Her body bent low over the naked figure underneath, her breath coming in deeply, Sarah’s tongue running slowly against the length of her body. Daniel was going to disappear. He had to. He intended to take all of this away from her. But that wasn’t a problem. The master was a genius. Who could possibly stand against him?

The day moved on.

* * *

“Do you want the truth?”

“Yeah...yeah I’d like that.”

“The truth is I don’t know Sharon. It’s not a no. It’s not a yes. It’s an...’if things were different I would’ kind of answer. But things aren’t different, and...and I can’t promise anything to you. I won’t.”

“And I don’t expect anything more than that.”

Daniel cracked a small smile.

* * *

Andrew used his hands to trace the curvature of her naked body, Hannah’s own personal choice, a women named Helen. Her skin was a powdered white, her hair a radiant blonde. She had a tall and slight build, but her face seemed carry a strange and beautiful grace to it; hidden within the delicate features, yet still visible through her blank stare. She really was like a Helen of Troy. She was perfect.

“Professional model, if you’re curious master” Hannah said.

“Where did you find her?

“At the gym, it was near where you directed me.”

Andrew lay a hand against Helen’s bare chest, the other squeezing at her rump, he could feel the firmness that he loved, and yet the softness that gave him something to play with. “You did well Hannah. You did very well.”

A bright smile filled her face. She had pleased her master. She was so excited at having pleased her master.

Andrew’s eyes moved along the length of Helen’s form, even after all of the women that he had already taken, the sight of her still managed to arouse him. She would be his. She would do his bidding and his plan would unfold.

He might even get Daniel to surrender without a fight. He could take Sharon then. He could take his prize. His eyes turned towards the open window. The sun was beginning to set, it was almost time.

“Gather the others together” he commanded Hannah, “In a few more minutes I will be ready. We head towards the Sanchez house.”

Hannah, nodded her head, walking out of the room, the visible mass of naked women laying against each other visible for a moment as the door opened and closed.

Andrew smiled, things were real and better than he could have imagined. His eyes turned towards the dresser, the letter he had written there, short and simple, the address running through his head: Daniel.

He turned his attention to the mass of beautiful and obediant flesh before him, Helen. First things first, he had that to take care of. It was his pleasure.

* * *

“I’ve been thinking about Daniel, that night at the party, and then all of that stuff on the news guys.” Jim turned from the cocktail he had been mixing, rum and coke taken from a father’s own stash of liquors.

Ryan and Arthur lay spread out on the couch of Arthur’s basement, the television on, a ballgame playing on the open screen.

Ryan turned his head up towards Jim, “Yeah what of it?”

“Do you guys have any idea what is going on with him? What was the deal with what we saw? Those naked women, and the way that they called him ‘master’?”

“I don’t know man, what I do know is that I fucking envy the guy,” Arthur said, laughing.

Jim remained standing, glass in hand, body turned towards his two friends, “Art I’m fucking serious here dude. You guys just can’t ignore everything that’s happened. I’m pretty sure those women intended to kill us.”

Ryan sighed, his head turning from the television screen, “Jim I don’t want to think about it man. Daniel is in some heavy shit, and if he wants to talk about it with us he knows we’re here. I say we just let it sort itself out.”

But Jim wouldn’t have it,“What about Lydia?”

The words brought an audible sigh from the two of them, Art reached for the remote and turned off the television, the two turning their attention on Jim.

“Say what you’re going to say Jim” Ryan said

“I mean,” Jim continued, “Don’t you guys want to know what’s happened? You noticed how high strung he was at the party. And don’t tell me that’s its completely normal for a man to jump through a shattered window, roll down a roof top and chase after a speeding car, let alone keep up with it. And there’s all of that stuff with Sharon and her family. How did he get tied up in that shit?”

Art’s head was turned away, Ryan cast his down and thinking, a look of agitation on his face, “But that’s the thing Jim,” Ryan said after a moment, “ It’s complicated, maybe it’s criminal, drugs, I’ve heard some crazy shit about what someone on coke can do. Do you really want to get mixed up in that shit? The less we know the better. We don’t say a word to anyone about what we saw and we leave it up to the police.”

Jim shook his head, “It still doesn’t make sense. Daniel was camped out in front of Lydia’s house, like he was trying to protect her. And I ran into Sharon, who was looking for Daniel. It wasn’t fear that I saw in her. Everything that is going on, hell what he said that night, nothing suggests that he’s guilty of anything.”

Ryan flicked the television screen back on, “Too much fucking work. If he needs our help he can come to us. In the meantime we keep our mouths shut.”

Jim sighed, taking a disappointed sip at his cocktail.

Art watched him, neither Ryan nor Jim noticed the sigh. He stepped up from the couch and walked over towards Jim. With a hand on his shoulder and a turn their backs rested to Ryan. He turned his head towards him. “Look Jim,” he whispered ,“I’m with Ryan on this. What you say might be true, but frankly I don’t want to get involved. But if you want to, don’t have us hold you up.”

Jim stared squarely into Arthur’s eyes, his head nodded slowly as the realization came to it. He brought the cocktail up to his mouth and downed its contents in a few quick gulps. With a gasp he brought his head back down and level with Arthur. “I’m going to go then.”

Art nodded, “And we’re not going to stop you.”

Jim turned his attention out the window and at his watch. It was just after 7 and almost dark out. He just wanted to help, and he had no idea what was about to happen.

* * *

The news crews were dispensed with easily enough. The girls had just pretended to be curious observers and once they got close enough skin to skin contact became possible. The four vans had left the site as commanded, reporters and camera crew gone. They’d believed that it was time to call it a night.

Andrew laughed. He’d gotten great intel from officer Julie, all the intel that he could hope for. As he had guessed Daniel had assumed he would make a grab for Sharon and Lydia, dividing his existing slaves between the two of them. He’d known about how Sharon had burned rubber away from the house, trying to avoid the media and damn sure she wasn’t going to be coming back anytime soon.

His plan meant doing what was necessary to avoid raising any kind of alarms. Even with his large gang of women he didn’t want to have to deal with the police. They had guns and he was sure that if pushed they might even use them.

No, he wanted Daniel to come out. He wanted Daniel to come to him.

Andrew ran the last tid bits of knowledge through his head. Mercedes, that pudgy hispanic woman he had dispensed with a couple days ago was at the hospital, looking after her poor injured husband. And all the other people that had been at the house had been scared away by the media. That left Sharon’s father, his children and the one police officer on duty to sit watch over the house.

Julie had come through again on that. The police officer had let her come close to him, she being a fellow enforcer. Some quick body to body contact had sent a wash of the mind-numbing chemical into the silly man’s mind. He actually thought that Julie had come to switch spots with him. He actually thought that his day was finished.

Which left the remnants of Sharon’s family, the letter he left in Daniel’s mail box, and the action necessary to prove that he was serious about it.

Andrew smiled as they crept quietly along the lawn, all their bodies keeping to the shadows, they didn’t want to give Sharon’s father a chance to alert anybody. He thought about his gun sitting under some clothes and in a locked box in the top shelf of his drawer.

Hannah had come across it while they’d held Sharon’s family hostage in a time that felt like ages ago.

He could barely suppress his chuckle. He was going to be putting it to good use. It was like the movies. It would be easy.

Andrew didn’t yet grasp the gravity of what he was about to do. And things were going to change, but in a way that he nor Daniel, nor anyone would have guessed.

Detective Philip Bernake sits at Daniel’s empty apartment, waiting to arrest him, not knowing the distressed voice that would soon be playing over the police blotter, having him floor it towards the Sanchez house.

Daniel and Sharon take a slow drive back to her home, at ease and hopeful, not knowing how close they are to Andrew, nor what they are about to bear witness to.

Dark days ahead in the gathering of people.