Defusing A Bomb

Even when it was over she did not move. She rested limp and heavy making it difficult to breath.

"Oh my God. That was too good for words"

Her speech was muffled by her thighs tight against her ears but I could hear enough to catch Deryan's chilling reply.

"Stay there and use her again. She can do me when you've finished."

It was a long night. Lauren was unsure if the opportunity would ever present itself again and was determined to make the most of it. Her excitement obviously transmitted itself to Deryan as she too displayed new found powers of endurance.

I was rudely awoken the next morning by a smirking warder to find that both Lauren and Deryan were gone. I made my way stiffly to the showers and soaked for as long as I was allowed.

I came out of the block and turned towards my cell but a warder intercepted me.

"Come this way."

Followed by curious eyes I was escorted off of the wing to the administration block. The warder would not be drawn on the reason and she simply opened the door to an interview room.

"You'll find clothes. Get changed."

The clothes were new; nice underwear, designer jeans and a plain polo shirt but what really caught my eye was the expensive training shoes. They were my favourite brand and one of the few clothing luxuries with which I indulged myself.

I smiled then because I knew. A few minutes later another warder and a civilian came in with my release documentation. Without another word I was led out to the main gate and tossed back into the world.

It was a dull day but even the leaden light hurt my eyes. As I stood shielding them a car drew up and I recognized the beaming smile of my sergeant.

"Do I have you to thank for the trainers?"

"I chose but the armies paying."

I got into the passenger seat eager for an update.

"What have you found?"

She laughed and accelerated away.

"I'm under orders not to discuss it with you."

It was frustrating but I could wait. After a minute or two I noticed that we were headed south, away from the headquarters building.

"Where are we going?"

"Wait and see."

After fifteen minutes we came up on a large country house. The plaque at the gate announced it as a very upmarket health retreat.

"What are we doing here?"

"Brigadiers' orders. Twenty four hours. Full medical and all the treatments you fancy. The army picks up the tab"

I was about to object but I suddenly felt bone weary and the Brigadiers perception proved as insightful as it usually did. I availed myself of a sauna, massage, manicure, the works including a very expensive hair stylist.

By the time I was collected the next day I was fully recharged which was just as well as I was whisked straight into the debriefing session.

Brigadier Alan Abbot was a huge man. His army career spanned thirty years, the last ten in Military Intelligence. He was not given to shows of emotion but as I entered his office he got up from his desk and hugged me warmly.

"I'd say well done but it wouldn't be adequate. We owe you a great debt."

I was touched by his genuine concern but the easiest thing for both of us was to get down to business.

"So what do we know?"

He invited me to sit and consulted a buff folder printed 'Eyes Only' before he came straight to the point in his usual no nonsense manner.

"We think we've found 'Veronique'"

The name was an alias; no one had been able to establish her true identity but for me the name had become the embodiment of evil. Since Deryan had bankrolled her to carry out the failed Tower Bridge plot she had been linked to a number of atrocities across the world.

When Deryan was taken into custody it was discovered that the greater part of her fortune was missing and the hope was that she was still vengeful enough to carry on funding her terrorist partner.

The problem was that the money could not be traced. She was paying off a lot of people but always in cash and always with a dead drop; someone totally unconnected paid to pick up a parcel and deliver it.

Now, by replacing Cheng, I had made her use a bank account, a traceable link. The Brigadier went on.

"The money moved through a number of shell companies and several banks but we have sourced it to Amman "The Jordan Commerce Bank". The Israelis have been helping us out. They have tracked large fund movements to a branch in Aljun; after that, substantial cash withdrawals."

"Veronique?"

"It would fit. A safe haven close to the terrorist training grounds"

"So what now?"

"Mossad can arrange a snatch but there is a problem. We can be fairly sure that she has changed her appearance... but there is one woman who would recognize her."

Chapter 7

Time was of the essence and we met for the first time in the departure lounge as we waited for the flight to Eilat. She was travelling under the name of Emma Hargreaves, the same pseudonym she had used for her initial contact with Deryan and Veronique.

I recognized her immediately from her photograph; thick blonde hair with a centre parting framing piercing blue eyes and a natural smile that displayed her perfect teeth to great effect.

The file said that she was thirty but, casually attired in a daring sundress, she looked years younger. There was a sense of innocence about her but I knew that she had undertaken a fast track career in the police force before joining the intelligence community and she had been decorated for her part in Deryan's capture.

On the plane we were awkward to begin with. There was the obvious barrier of the two distinct security services and we both hid dark personal secrets in relation to the case but we found some common ground in a love of books and music.

She was not a field agent and she was a little uneasy about the mission itself but that was why I had been sent along to offer support. I tried to make casual mention of my unarmed combat skills and weapons training but she saw through me and smiled knowingly at my efforts to reassure her.

The plane was a chartered tourist flight and we blended in as we disembarked with the other holiday makers to be met in the arrivals lounge by our Mossad contacts.

On seeing them she and I looked at one another. Both men were extremely good looking and spoke with flawless English accents. We went through the charade of kissing and greeting and then it was straight out to the car.

It was a four wheel drive but a tourist hire car nevertheless and the journey to Aljun took nearly eighteen hours once the border formalities had been taken into account. We were booked into a modest hotel and for the sake of appearances I paired off with Michael and Emma with Jonathan.

Michael slept on the floor leaving me the large double bed to myself and I went out like a light. We all met up again the following morning and after a simple breakfast we headed for the castle museum.

The bank was on the opposite side of the street and we could watch it from the museum café. The monitoring records showed regular sums being withdrawn on a weekly basis with larger sums at intermittent intervals. The surmise was that the weekly withdrawals represented living expenses whilst the larger sums funded supplies including munitions.

In most cases the weekly withdrawal was made on a Wednesday, but not always, and in two instances not at all. We sat patiently with Michael's phone on the table. We would receive a call as soon as a transaction went through the account but there would be a delay of at least sixty seconds.

In the event the signal was not needed. An hour after the bank opened Emma touched me on the arm and whispered anxiously.

"That's her."

I was sceptical and I could see that Michael and Jonathan were too. Aljun was an out of the way location but it seemed unlikely that Veronique would make the pick up herself.

I caught a fleeting glimpse of a woman in a dark trouser suit and head scarf entering the bank.

"Are you sure? Did you get a look at her face?"

Her eyes flashed to anger.

"I was trained for this stuff. There's something about the way she holds herself. Even here, there's an arrogance about her."

I was unsure what to do. Shortly afterwards the woman came out again now wearing dark glasses. I turned to Emma once more.

"Can you be sure now?"

Before she could answer I was startled as Michaels phone vibrated on the table top. Michael scooped it up without answering it and got to his feet.

"Go with John."

He crossed the street quickly falling in behind the woman whilst we three followed more slowly on the other side of the street. John spoke urgently.

"He follows for one minute then we swap. More than two minutes and you go back to the café and wait for us."

'It proved unnecessary. She headed straight for the museum car park towards a battered blue Audi parked by itself. Her back was to us and Michael and John exchanged a flurry of discrete hand signals.

John was scanning the immediate area, watching whilst Michael made his move. It was masterfully done. She had the car key in her hand as he approached her with a flapping tourist map. She was angered but then immediately sensed something. Her hand went to her jacket but it was too late.

Michael snapped the map to straighten it but at the same time his elbow jabbed into her stomach. The breath exploded from her but the map hid her from view as he took out an asthma inhaler from his pocket and squirted it into her mouth.

For a second or two she appeared to be fainting and he caught her up. Her gently took the car key from her and eased her into the passenger seat. This was not the original plan but improvisation was the modus operandi of these men.

He slipped into the drivers side and moved off whilst John continued his scan making sure they were not followed. After that we walked back to the hotel to find the Audi parked outside.

John lifted her out and it simply appeared as if she had had too much to drink.

He spoke to us quickly.

"Both of you, show some flesh and distract the desk clerk."

We looked at one another before we did as he asked. Now displaying an indecent amount of cleavage we approached the young man at the desk who had trouble keeping his eyes in his head whilst John made his way to the lift.

In the meanwhile Michael got rid of the Audi and fifteen minutes later we were gathered in one bedroom. John once again took charge.

"We can't leave until this evening. I'll make a call and we'll cross the river by boat. For now we will have to stay in the rooms. You'll need to undress her, she may run a temperature."

He was brusque, businesslike, and we did as we were told. Neither of them spared her a glance as we stripped her naked. When we were finished Michael pulled some spare bootlaces from his pocket and very quickly had her limbs secured to the corner posts of the bed.

"Gag her, but make sure you check her breathing the whole time, If she shows any signs of distress come and get us but, in the meanwhile, I suggest you take it in turns to try and sleep."

With that they left us. Emma fashioned a gag using the belt from one of the complimentary dressing gowns whilst I used a glass to take a fingerprint record in case of later problems.

Emma finished and then stared at the prone figure.

"You're not having doubts?"

"No it's her. She's blonde on top and she's had her lips plumped but it's definitely her."

Her eyes flitted to the woman's groin with its pronounced growth of naturally coloured hair.

Without thinking I put an arm around her shoulders.

"Did she hurt you?"

She shook her head and there was a hint of anger as she replied.

"Not hurt exactly..."

She said nothing more and settled in the armchair to try and sleep. I took the other chair and watched the bed.

I must have dozed off and was awoken by a muffled scream. Instantly alert I saw the alarm on our captives face. She was thrashing on the bed and I hissed into her ear.

"Listen to me. If you make another sound I'll put you under again. Nod if you understand."

She nodded, now a little calmer, but she was having trouble breathing and I made a quick decision.

"You have two choices. If you remain quiet, and do as you're told, you'll come back with us. If you don't cooperate I'll put you out and let the Egyptians know where to find you."

She was no fool. With us she would face interrogation but there would be due process. The alternative was to be condemned to a living hell and forgotten. She had been implicated in the recent Cairo bombing and the Egyptians were seriously pissed off.

She nodded again and I took off the gag. She took a couple of deep breaths and asked.

"Where are we?"

She had no idea even which country she was in and I intended to keep her off balance but before I could say anything Emma joined me at the bedside.

"Well, well, Miss Hargreaves, we meet again."

I have to give her credit. She may have been disorientated but her mind was razor sharp. Seeing Emma must have come as a shock but she had already made an instant evaluation and marked her out as the weak link. She immediately launched a psychological attack.

"If you wanted another taste of my pussy you needn't have gone to all this trouble."

Emma tried to stay calm but I sensed she was badly jolted. I felt a deep empathy and I said what I said next, almost without thinking, in the hope that she felt as I did.

"If there is any tasting going on here you'll be the one doing it."

Emma looked at me, clearly shocked, but in that moment all the things that had remained unsaid between us were understood. We had a shared experience and I saw that she needed closure.

She gave me a smile that expressed more than gratitude and her eyes did not leave mine as she reached beneath her sundress to remove her panties.

"Get off of me!"

Veronique struggled as she realised that the tables had been turned but Emma was empowered. She took her time, relishing the moment as eased onto the bed and then moved forward to pin Veronique's shoulders with her knees.

"This is not going to happen. I will bite you so badly..."

Even now she sounded menacing but I had an idea. I quickly slipped into the bathroom and picked up the complimentary sewing kit. Taking out the needle I returned to the bed and pricked her naked thigh.

Her view was blocked by Emma but she felt the sharp pain.

"It's your choice. You either cooperate or I press the plunger and call the Egyptians. Which is it to be?"

"I can't...I can't do it."

Emma was now enjoying the moment.

"Oh you can...and you will."

From behind I watched her move forward a little and then she began to slowly rotate her hips as she rubbed herself over Veronique's face.

"I can keep this up all day and, like it or not, you are going to have to use your tongue."

Having made my point I put the needle aside but then whispered to her.

"You know I can't leave the room..."

"That's okay. I want you to watch."

I had engineered the moment but, nevertheless, felt awkward as I sat at the bedside. From the little I could see of Veronique's face it was a picture of misery and it seemed that this really might have been the first time that she had been called upon to do this to another woman.

Emma remained unhurried, her movements fluid, but, every now and again she closed her knees to shut off Veronique's face altogether.

With my recent experiences I knew what she was going through. The pressure along with the heat and moisture made it ever harder to breath and, judging by the look on Emma's face there would be a lot of moisture.

For a second or two I wondered about John's caution but I did not think that she was suffering any ill effects from the sedative. The truth was that Emma's performance was getting to me.

"That's it ...nice and slow."

Emma stopped moving and I assumed that Veronique had decided to cooperate. I could just see the top of her head bobbing gently and it was almost as if I could feel her tongue at work at my own sex.

Over the next quarter of an hour Emma barely moved. She just gave a periodic murmur of approval as her captive continued to labour.

For Veronique it must have seemed so much longer. She knew, now, that Emma would not stop until she was satisfied and she would be licking desperately trying to bring things to a close. She would have worked through the initial cramps in her jaw, and her tongue would have entered a state of numbness.

"I want to feel you inside"

Her body stretched as she adjusted her position to accommodate her demand and a drawn out groan told me that Veronique had complied.

Emma was lost in a world of her own. She closed eyes and without a shred of embarrassment she slipped her sundress over her head and cast it aside.

My breath caught in my throat. The sunlight streaming in through the window caught the sheen of perspiration on her skin as she tilted her head back and lifted her arms over her head.

I took in her lithe form and the perfect profile of her breasts with her erect nipples tantalizingly silhouetted. In that instant I thought her the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

She was oblivious as she rocked gently guiding the enslaved tongue beneath her. Her movements had a feline grace and, as her climax took hold, she placed her open fingers on her taut stomach as if to contain it.

I could see that this was more than a simple sexual release; it represented the end of nightmares, a new beginning. She took her hands away and let them fall to her side in a gesture of surrender.

It started as gentle, shivering, orgasm; a preparation for her body before a series of clenching spasms made her gasp with pleasure. Each time I thought it was over she was borne up again until, at last, she was drained.

She looked so unsteady that I got up from my seat but she gathered herself and moved from the bed. I offered her my hand and she took it before kissing me gently on the cheek and whispering.

"Exorcize your demons."

I wondered if my arousal was so obvious. I had not intended to take a part but I could see that Emma was changed, cleansed in some way. With that I looked at Veronique and the bitterness of all the sacrifices I had made over the past weeks welled up inside me.

Emma moved behind me and unzipped my dress before slipping the shoulder straps and allowing it to fall to the floor. I stepped forward almost in a trance and removed my panties. Some part of my mind registered that they were damp but my eyes were fixed on the bed.

As I drew nearer Veronique turned her head towards me. Her hair was lank and what little make-up she wore had long since smeared to nothing. Her face was wet and the thought that it was because of Emma excited me.

I could see that she was about to protest but something in my expression dissuaded her. I took Emma's place on the bed and looked down into her eyes framed between my thighs.

I drew to mind those long nights that I had suffered under Deryan and I lowered myself onto her face.

I was wetter than I thought and she made a half-hearted attempt to present her tongue but it was not what I wanted. I began to grind myself on her working myself over the whole of her face.

She twisted her head beneath me, clearly in some distress, but I did not care. After a minute or two her face was greasy with my sap but not just mine, Emma's too.

Why that should arouse me so much I could not say but, what had begun as an act of physical revenge suddenly transmuted itself into a frantic need for an orgasm.

Where Emma had been relaxed, graceful, I was untamed. I pinched my nipples almost viciously and drove my hips with a pounding rhythm. My climax seemed illusive, demanding that I try harder still, and I moved ever faster. My heart was hammering in my chest and my lungs were heaving for oxygen when it finally broke forth.