Agent 47-D

Now, as the crescent moves and spins, your eyes are slowly sinking into the ecstasy of sleep... yes... you want to sleep for Allah... sleep for me... you want to sleep and you will do so... right now!"

Just as she expected, his magnetized eyes sank. Her fun was about to begin.

"Wonderful! Your mind has fallen into the crescent, and the one that holds it now controls your world. You're going to do exactly what I tell you from now on, just like a beguiled drone. My hypnotic spell has brought slumber into your brain and servility into your life. Now, I want you to open your eyes while remaining in this magnificent state of altered consciousness... very good... keep looking into the moving necklace, listen closely and obey my instructions...

When I leave this room, some people will come in and take my place. They will ask you all sorts of questions about the terrorist activities of your organization and all the subsidiary groups that kill in your behalf as well. In the name of Allah, you'll want to answer their questions with truthful and crystal-clear answers, but at the same time, your mind will fight that desire that way creating a very interesting conflict scenario in your mind. I'll tell you why I want this to happen since your hypnotized little brain of yours won't tell anyone else: I don't like people who rush me, people that decide to alter my routines. I had some very interesting plans for the rest of the afternoon, but because of you and that collared rat named Simms, I was disturbed, my day was ruined. You're going to ruin his as well, by putting up as much as struggle as possible, do you understand? Test the limits of your consciousness by fighting against the words as they try to come out. In the end, the need to obey my first command will conquer the resistance imposed by the second and you will tell them everything they want to know, but until then, you and Simms will sweat a bit. Do you understand everything I just told you?"

"Yes."

"Good. You will comply, won't you?"

"In the name of Allah, I'll comply!"

"Splendid. That means my job is done. I can finally go home and rub some soothing oil on these legs of mine. They're simply killing me, you know? Thank you so much for being a good listener and an even better hypno-slave. You'll become conscious of your surroundings once again when I walk out the door, but before that there's just one more thing I want you to do for me. It's something you probably never dreamed of doing, yet it will make you feel like you're on cloud nine... are you prepared, unworthy human ball of slime?"

"I am."

"Okay... This is what I want you to do. First, get down on your knees. Second, unzip my skirt and third... kiss my ass!"

She turned around as the muslin knelt, sought the zipper feverishly and then slowly calmed down the moment he placed his lips on that piece of heavenly anatomy. "In the name of the Allah that really felt good!" thought the dazzling Agent who had just added another great triumph to her personal records. The skirt went up again and the crescent disappeared into the pocket from which it had emerged, leaving him with the remembrance of the day when a woman's wit had been far more superior to any law made by men or any religious precept carved by gods.

* * *

Simms' face was very much similar to a volcanic crater about to erupt when she walked back into the Surveillance Room.

"What the hell was that?" he blurted. "Have you completely lost or your mind, Miss Ryder?"

"No, I haven't. I was just having a little fun. I could have done a lot worse, but then you would have to look away from the camera..." she teased.

"Having him kiss your ass was not part of the assignment!"

"The assignment pretty much sucked, if you want to know what I think. He happened to enjoy doing it! Tell me one thing straight, once and for all. Don't you think he ought to be severely punished for the things he did?"

The emissions of sweat seemed to soften a bit, but his anger was still there for everyone to see.

"He will be... in due time. The President..."

"Fuck the President, Mr. Simms!" She stormed out. "Remember the number of people that died in recent years because of him! The President isn't honoring the victims by keeping him away from justice like this! Is the re-election all that matters? If it's the case, he sure isn't my President at all!"

"General, your Agent is way out of line! Could you please calm her down?"

"You're on your own, Simms! After all, you're the one that started a fuss over such a trifling matter. No one will know what transpired in that room but us and I'm not going to waste my time thinking about it much. So he kissed her ass! Big deal... I agree with what she said about a severe punishment for a man of his kind. He should be hanging by a rope at this very moment or having his brain fried in an electric chair!"

"I second that motion..." intervened Gibbons. A pack of cigarettes was already gone. "Besides, Simms, Alexandra has special privileges inside the Division. Having a little fun, as she so nicely put it, is one of them."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! His face was now red and his eyes boiling, cooking on the inside. "I thought I was in a serious Government Agency and not on some deranged underground mental institution!"

"Careful, Simms..." warned Hayes, whose experience enabled him to know when to play rough as well. "Now you're the one who's getting way out of line. Let Agent 47-D tell us the result of her session and after she's gone, we'll talk about it some more."

"That's practically insubordination of you, General Hayes! Remember who the President chose to run this place! Anyway, I don't want to be here more than absolutely necessary. Miss Ryder, is he ready to speak?"

"He will be in a couple of hours, maybe a day. Since I couldn't screw up his mind much, my suggestions will take a while to be fully assimilated. In the meantime, I would send someone right away to start the questioning and put him under pressure. If you linger too long, the power of my instructions may begin to wear off..."

"I see... I'll take care of it right away. If you three will excuse me..."

Simms went out, thinking Alexandra had too much power in the Division. She was obviously deceiving and dangerous, but everyone liked her and practically worshipped her... how many men working on that facility had already kissed her ass? Wouldn't it be interesting to know? And what would the President think about it, that is if he hadn't met Agent 47-D before?

"You were better off in ignorance of this place, and most certainly in ignorance of her!" his consciousness screamed. It always did that when it was already too late to change his destiny, and more than relief, that voice gave him headaches. He pushed it away, looking for his bureaucratic composure. It kept him alive. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to forget that scene of control and the unwanted feeling of fetish arousal that whirled in his brain, producing a lot of equally undesired swelling effects throughout his body.

Part IV - The General's Request

After Simms' little whining which only proved he knew nothing of her way of doing things, Alexandra left the base and went home. As she had promised herself, she rubbed her legs in fine oils and stretched herself on her favourite leather sofa, with nothing on but her laced panties. She slept there for about an hour, until it was almost dinner time and then, feeling lazy but still commanding enough, journeyed up slowly into her bedroom and unlocked the door.

Inside it, next to her water-bed, all tied up to a metal structure firmly attached to the floor and almost reaching the ceiling was her next-door neighbour, plastic surgeon Patrick Davenport, still under the influence of the powerful massage she had given him after a so-called attempt of a romantic dinner. He had moved into her territory quite recently and was handsome enough to deserve a chance of getting to know her true spellbinding nature. He believed to be a sexual predator when in fact he was no more than a helpless prey, as insignificant as an ant ready to be crushed by a human foot. Alexandra liked his hairless, almost baby-like face, his strong, black hair and the uncanny size of his genitalia, as if he himself had gone through an intervention of some kind.

A small whip was dormant at his feet. She picked it up and used it to tickle him in the chin until she got a reaction... he opened his big, sapphire eyes, his heart pumping fast as the words of her training came back to him... alluring... intoxicating... reminding him of all the things he was supposed to say when he saw her again...

"Ah, Alexandra, my sweet enchantress... I'm so glad to see you. I was just dreaming of you, just like you told me to do."

"Were you aroused and obedient in that dream?" she asked as she began to untie him.

"Yes... very obedient... the more I listened to your voice and followed your orders, the greater my pleasure. I love this feeling, Alexandra... I love being at your service..."

"And so you should. Obedience is such a wonderful thing, Patrick. Nothing wrong can come to you if you simply recognize this as true and obey me in all things."

All the ropes were removed and the good doctor was more excited than ever. The whip slid gently across his chest, down to the crotch and then under it. Its end rolled onto his naked buttocks and he was overwhelmed by the insinuating power that was carried along.

"I want to sit on you... right now." she sibilated. Patrick fell to the ground, and his limbs shaped themselves to become the legs of a very comfortable bench. She sat on his back and brought the whip closer to his face as if kissing him for his complete understanding of her desires.

"Good. This is very nice... isn't it? Doesn't this give you an incomparable sensation of delight?"

"Yes...it does... it's the perfect position for someone like me... under you... always under you..."

"I was pretty sure you would say something like that, my handsome, horny slave... I wouldn't mind exploring other ways of putting you under me, but right now I'm beginning to feel kind of hungry. Yesterday, when you told me you were a wonderful cook... was that true or were you just bragging, thinking that might impress me?"

"Everything I said last night is true. I'm quite good in the kitchen."

"That's just superb. I find cooking rather a waste of time and energy, so you'll be rewarded with the opportunity of serving me in that way too. If you can fix me a nice meal, I'll prepare you a special dessert..." she cooed.

"Thank you, Alexandra." He felt her weight being lifted off him and was shown the way into the kitchen so that he could he play with the pots and pans and prepare something absolutely delicious. He had just finished entering it when he heard her cell-phone ringing. Promptly, he asked:

"Shall I take the call for you, my love?"

"Worry about dinner only." she replied stretching herself on the sofa again.

Alexandra looked at number flashing on the cell's screen. What was the big emergency this time? She answered the call with a frown on her face but, instead of a coded sequence, she heard the General's voice, which was something totally unexpected and surprising. In four years of service, he had never reached her that way—she was always briefed in headquarters. Therefore, the circumstances surrounding that call had to be extremely exceptional.

"General Hayes? Forgive me for saying this, but I'm completely awe-struck with your call! What happened?"

"Hello once again, Alexandra. I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, but I have a matter of great importance I would like to discuss with you."

"Has it got something to do with the job I made today? Don't tell me the prisoner is already spewing his guts out!"

"No, he's still avoiding the questions... after all, you did tell him to resist as much as he could, didn't you?"

"Ah... you know me so well, General... yes, I did just that... that man is so eager to declare war at others... why not fight against himself, for a change?"

"I'm betting that wasn't the only reason: you wanted to piss Simms, didn't you?"

"You're right once again! I've heard too many complaints about him in the last months and did you notice the way he looked at me when we shook hands? I've seen that look too many times in my life to know what it means: he thinks I'm a freak and that my abilities shouldn't be allowed to exist at all. I don't like people who dislike me on that account."

"You know, Simms is the main reason why I'm calling you..."

"Is that a fact? Well, tell me all about it..."

"It's a touchy subject... it really shouldn't be discussed over the phone. I'm about to leave the facilities. I'm already inside the elevator. Do you think you can receive me in your house... say, in ten minutes or so? The conversation won't take long unless of course, you're too busy with something else..."

"I'm having someone cook me dinner, but I must confess I'm getting intrigued by this awkward behavior of yours. If you don't mind seeing a submissive half-naked man with puppy eyes wandering around, you're free to come. It's your call."

"The days when those things could bother me ended when we met, Alexandra. Thank you for your patience. I'm on my way over there."

Having said this, the need to prolong the call wore off, and Agent 47-D was left thinking of what had just happened for a couple of minutes. The thoughts were languid, most of them meaningless, bubbles of questions that after gaining enough altitude in her mind, exploded from within, and fell into her bloodstream where they would simply disappear.

So, General Hayes wanted to talk to her about Simms! What kind of touchy subject would he bring along with him, and for how long had that very same subject been bothering him? During the conversation, he sounded disturbed but also very reserved and self-contained at the same time. His speech hadn't been hasty... there was a lot of rational thought behind it that could only be surpassed by a great emotional restraint. Alexandra didn't take long to give up trying to find the answer before he got there and since she was not planning on receiving him without proper clothing, occupied herself with the Herculean task of finding an inconspicuous and innocent set of clothes on her wardrobe.

* * *

The bell rang only once. Patrick was forbidden to try to open the door and continued solely engaged on his culinary masterpiece to please the woman he adored. Alexandra opened the door wearing a light-blue long dress. Her hair was strapped by a satin ribbon falling in a beautiful pony-tail. The General said she looked like a beautiful angel that had just descended from Heaven and followed her in.

"Sit wherever you like, except on this sofa. This is the only piece of furniture that isn't to be used by anyone else, except me."

"We all have our fetish items." said the sexagenarian military man. He took a chair in front of her and sat. On his right hand, he was holding a linen brown-patterned handkerchief. The palms of his hands were sweaty and he seemed to be having a hard time to breathe.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine... just a bit nervous, I think... and ashamed as well..."

"About what?" she asked gently.

"About the reason that brought me here..."

"Is it such a dreadful one?"

"It's something I never..."

"... thought of saying?"

"Thought of asking... That's right... I didn't come all the way here just to talk... I... How shall I put it...? I have a request..."

"Go on, I'm listening."

"I need a favor from you, Alexandra. A really big favor. You're the only one who can do it, but I don't know if you're willing to do so..."

She scratched her nose as an idea lit her spirit. The General's posture remained unaltered. He knew her sharp brain was beginning to cross the fainted signals he already given her. It was only when she nodded her head in approval showing him that she understood what he wanted that he became himself again. Of course, she wanted to know the motives behind such an unusual request...

"Why do you want me to hypnotize Simms? What's the purpose?"

"He doesn't fit the profile of a leader, especially of an organization like ours."

"And you think you do? It is what you want, isn't it... to take his place?"

"You seem to know me pretty well yourself. What you said is true. There's no point in denying it. I desire his position. I desire it for a long time. When I first joined the Division and got to understand its organic I started wondering what would it be like to be the first one in the chain of command, to be able to call the shots on the most important secret missions of our country. You're also an ambitious person, Alexandra, I'm sure you can understand my wishes..."

She yawned, not out of disrespect, not because she thought he was wasting her time with that line of reasoning, but due to the fact she was really tired. There was no real connection between the facts, but it was almost as if the act of hypnotizing someone (and she had already used her influence twice that day...) sucked a bit of her energy as well... After eating her dinner and playing with Patrick some more, she would have to sleep a good twelve hours to feel whole once more.

"You're obviously tired. Do you want me to leave?"

"Not just yet. You still haven't told me everything... why did you wait three and a half months to tell me this? I could have disposed of him earlier..."

"It was the President that appointed him to, although I never understood his reasons. My sense of loyalty made me shudder at the idea every time it surfaced but, after seeing him work, after observing his attitudes, I realized something had to be done. So, if you can use your powers on him, and alter a few aspects of his personality so that everyone can see his inadequacy for the job I would be very much obliged. After that, it's just a matter of time until he's kicked out and I can go directly to The President and try to get the job."

"That doesn't seem drastic enough. It has to be a complete revolution so that The President doesn't think twice about replacing him... or I can even convince him to quit on his own..."

The General was very thrilled with the last prospect. She was being more helpful than he had anticipated. Suddenly, such kind of conspiracy against a fellow human being didn't seem that wrong at all: Simms was just another enemy flying blindly through the darkness, unaware of the invisible web just ahead.

"Will you actually do that for me?"

"Not just for you, but for me as well. I like you, General, which is more than I can say about him. I'll be happy for a chance to play with him for a while, explore his dark secrets and some of mine as well..."

"I beg of you. Don't abuse him... much! Get the job done in the best way you can and I'll reward you with anything you desire..."

"Anything?! Really?"

"May a lightning strike me right now if I'm being untrue! I'll be retiring myself in a few years. If I don't get that position now, I probably never will. That's why I'm prepared to sacrifice anything... anything at all... just say the words... what is it that you want?"

"Hmmm... let me think..."

"In the meantime, can I get something to drink? I'm in need of good liquor right now..."

"Help yourself. The bar is right next to the kitchen."

Hayes got up and looked about until he found the precious cabinet that contained everything he needed for a fine cocktail. On a reflection of a gin bottle, he saw entrapped Patrick for the first time, smiling at a freshly marinated piece of veal while his scalpel-addicted hands removed the peeling of a big potato.

The plastic surgeon took no notice of him and opened the refrigerator door to get some vegetables for a salad. There wasn't much to choose from, for she had been neglecting her shopping in the last few days, but the half a dozen lettuce leaves left were still fresh and tender and he could scrape a carrot or two. When the door was closed, the military was already walking back into his chair with a quarter-empty glass.