Locke and Key

"More of a maybe," I said, "but better than 'Baron'."

"Do tell."

"Erin Ambers. Director."

Locke processed that for a moment, then nodded. "You're right," he said. "It does sound better than 'Baron'."

I looked at the time. "All right, it's late. Let's hit the Muse first thing tomorrow."

*****

The next morning we were parked across the street from The Muse.

"All right," said Locke. "Money this time?"

"Yes," I said.

Back into the chamber once again. So many changes in this short a time period wasn't good, but we were both professionals and could handle this. Besides, we just didn't have time to play it safe. We were the twins' last chance.

"All right, Key," said Locke. "Blue soup."

*****

"Hello, Madeline."

I gave Locke a once-over, then sniffed in disdain.

"Good day, Mister Locke," I said.

"Are you ready?"

I gave him a look that spoke plainly of my loathing of the lower classes. "Of course I'm ready, Mister Locke. I am a professional. You just take care to do your job."

Locke chuckled. "Of course," he said. "My apologies."

I walked over to the mini-closet, then glanced significantly at Locke. "Do you mind?" I said.

"Ah," said Locke, getting to his feet. "My apologies again. I'll sit up front while you change."

"An excellent idea, Mister Locke."

Locke moved up front. The quality of the available clothing was lacking, but there was a D'adore dress- black with white lining, hem just above my knees- and matching heels that would do, if only barely. I selected a red wig this time. Not Casey the stripper's bottle-red, but rather a long, straight distinctive red.

I took a small lockbox out of the closet and put in the combination. The top opened, revealing a small amount of jewelry. I selected a pendant, a diamond bracelet and a ring. After a moment's thought, I added a gold anklet.

Finally I turned on the bright lights around a mirror on the closet door and began applying my makeup with a confident hand.

I finished and looked at the mirror in satisfaction. Then I put everything away.

"Madeline," said Locke, "put in your ear bud."

I sniffed, but Locke was right. I put in the ear bud so he could hear all conversation.

"I am going to the gallery now," I said, opening the door and exiting the van.

"Good luck," said Locke. "I'll be here."

*****

I walked into the gallery much like I had been dragged there and was considering buying the place out of spite.

Two employees started toward me to offer help, but I waved them off and stepped toward the back room where the expensive items were. Nobody went back there unescorted normally, but no one was taking a chance on trying to stop me.

It took less than five minutes for Erin Ambers to make her appearance.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure?" she said. Mid-thirties, dark hair, dressed to show off her toned body and wealth in equal parts. Her dark eyes had Asian attitude, her movement imperious.

"Good day, Miss Ambers," I said, not taking my eyes from the paintings on the wall. They didn't appear any better than the paintings in the front room, but then again, I really didn't have an eye for art.

"You know who I am. Good. And you are...?"

"Madeline will do for now."

"I see," she said. "My question still stands, Madeline."

"I'm window shopping," I said.

"Ah," said Erin. "Indeed. A lovely day for it. Were you window shopping for something in particular?"

"Perhaps," I said.

She waited expectantly.

"I'm looking for something by an artist named...Grant," I said.

"I see," she said. "I'm sure I don't have anything by Grant just now, Madeline. You understand, of course. So sorry."

I finally turned from the art on the wall and faced Erin Ambers. "Are you sure, Miss Ambers?" I said. "I was led to believe that there was something available, if only for a very short time."

There was a pause. Then Erin looked me up and down.

"You know," she said, taking a step closer, "perhaps there *is* a Grant available."

"Excellent," I said, raising my chin slightly.

"So tell me," she said, taking another step closer. She was now in my personal space. "How is it you came to know we had a Grant?"

Her gaze was very intense. My eyes felt locked with hers. I was on the verge of possibly breaking into the inner circle, but I had to handle this very carefully. "An associate informed me I might be interested in what you have to offer."

She took another step forward. Her breasts were touching mine. "Go on," she said, her breath wisping across my cheek.

"An...an associate named...McNally," I said, my voice faltering for some reason.

"Ah," said Erin, shifting slightly. The friction from her dress rubbing across my breasts caused my nipples to become erect, pressing against the top of my dress. "Mister McNally. Of course."

"Yesss," I said, my breath quivering. I knew I should break my gaze away from hers, but her eyes were so dark...so mysterious...so deep. Deep, sensuous, erotic pools. Warm. Hot. My cheeks flushed.

Her hand came up, fingers stroking my cheek. Then she cupped my chin and lifted my mouth upward. She pressed her soft, full lips against mine in a steamy, sensual kiss.

I melted against her. I couldn't breathe. My nipples ached. My sex lubricated far beyond anything I had ever experienced. Heat pulsed everywhere her firm body touched mine. My knees weakened.

Her hand slid up my back as she grabbed a fistful of my hair. She breathed into my ear, "You're quite the-" and then stopped as my wig came off in her hand.

Her surprise passed quickly. "A wig," she said, breathing again into my ear. "You're full of surprises, aren't you? Now be a good girl and kneel."

What little strength I had left in my legs disappeared and I dropped to my knees in front of Erin.

"Good girl," said Erin, tossing my wig and stroking my hair with her fingers. "Good girl. You're a good girl, aren't you?"

She smelled so good. So powerful. "Yessss," I said.

Her hand fisted in my hair and she drew my head closer to her. "Yes, what?"

Even through her dress, I could feel her heat. Her scent filled my lungs. "Yes, M-Mistress..."

She tightened her grip on my hair. "Say it again."

"Yes, Mistress," I said.

Erin's free hand reached down and she slowly pulled up the hem of her mid-thigh dress. She wore no panties. Her manicured sex was less than six inches away from my face.

"Now be a good girl and please your Mistress," said Erin.

Something was off, but I wasn't sure what. Granted, I had never licked another woman's pussy before, but leaning forward and sliding my tongue into Erin's hot, steamy sex felt so natural. Working her button with my tongue, trying desperately to please her.

"That's it," said Erin, her hand cupping the back of my head, pressing my face more firmly against her sex. "Such a good girl."

I couldn't stop. Pleasing her was the only important thing. I could feel her juices coating my cheek, her taste in my mouth, but I couldn't stop. I worked her clit desperately.

"Yesss," she said, hips bucking slightly. "I wonder who you really are. Your cultured voice, your every move screams money, but I don't recognize you and I know all the local movers and shakers. And you're maybe 25, 26 years old...too young to be a major player. So I'm guessing you're just a spoiled little girl. That's fine. I know how to train spoiled little girls."

And then she came, her hips bucking as she ground her hot, wet sex against my face.

She paused and we remained locked in position, her rigid with orgasm, clutching my head against her heat. Then her breathing slowly returned to normal and she pushed my face away. I sat back on my heels as she tugged her dress back into place.

"Very good, Maddi," said Erin, her inflection putting the *i* at the end of my name. "Very good. And do you know what it means?"

I shook my head. "No, Mistress."

"You've just met me, Maddi. I'm a stranger. But you licked me anyway, didn't you?"

"I...I...yes, Mistress."

"And you did it very well."

I got a warm glow inside. I had pleased Mistress! "Thank you, Mistress."

"But you still licked a stranger. Do good girls lick strangers?"

Uh-oh. "N-no, Mistress."

"That means you're a slut, doesn't it, Maddi?"

Oh, gawd. She was right. I bowed my head, cheeks burning with shame. "Yes, Mistress."

"That's fine, Maddi," said Erin. "Sluts can be good girls, too."

I looked up. "Really?"

"Yes," said Erin. "Really. Now listen closely, slut."

I shivered, hearing myself called a slut. I was a slut. A pussy-licking slut.

"Tell me, slut," said Erin, "do you live alone?"

I nodded. "Yes, Mistress."

"Good," said Erin. "You're going to go home now. You're going to bathe. You're going to remove all hair below your neck. And then you're going to go to a salon and get a short, sexy haircut. Short in the back, but long enough for me to grab. Spiky bangs, long in front framing your face down to your jawline. Subbie, but sassy, and you'll at least be presentable. Do not use your regular stylist. No more wigs for you, slut. I may be selling you tonight and I need your neck visible to show off any collar I decide to put you in."

I blinked, working my way through her words.

"Now stand up, slut," said Erin.

I got to my feet.

"Go home now. Be back here by seven. And you don't tell *anyone* where you are going tonight, understand? If anyone asks, you want to be by yourself tonight. Do you understand, slut?"

I nodded.

"Good. Now go."

I turned and left the gallery, dazed, Erin's juices still on my cheeks.

*****

Locke met me halfway to the van.

"Davenport!" he said. "What the hell happened in there? I was this close to entering the gallery when she told you to leave."

"Nothing happened," I said. "Let's go."

Locke looked at me in astonishment. Then he followed me to the van.

*****

Locke started the van. Then he pulled out and said, "So now what?"

"I need to go home for a few hours," I said. "I need a break. I want to be alone for the rest of the day.

Locke nodded. "Okay."

He stayed quiet as he drove me home. Then he pulled into the parking lot of my duplex.

Turning off the engine, he turned to me and said, "Hey, Key, one quick thing before you go."

"Yes?" I said, hand on the door.

"Blue soup."

*****

"Hello, Key."

My eyes opened. I was in the back chamber, sitting in my plush captain's chair. I felt completely relaxed. I felt good.

Locke, on the other hand, looked drained. There were slight bags under his eyes and his five o'clock shadow seemed more prominent. There even appeared to be a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. I had never seen him look so tired following a session.

"Damon?" I said. "What happened?"

"That," he said, "is the most work I have ever done inside somebody's head. If we weren't up against a time constraint, I would have spread that session out over a week or two, at least. As it is, I'm still not sure I removed every bit of her influence from your mind."

My heart pounded. "What do you mean?"

Locke opened the mini-fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. He handed one to me. "I mean that in less than 5 minutes, that woman took over your psyche. If she had had you in there any longer, I'm not even sure I could have done anything for you. I had to tiptoe around because I had no idea if she had set up any sort of mind-bombs inside your mind. I didn't think so, since she didn't have enough time, but I had to be sure, since I was assuming you didn't want to spend the rest of your life as a ditzy stripper."

Locke took a swallow of water, then continued. "Key, she's not using *just* hypnotism. At least, not hypnotism in the traditional sense. Let's call it amplified hypnotism. She took you over against your will, and did so without any previous interaction. And judging from what I heard, she had you doing things you wouldn't normally do on your own. That should be impossible, but apparently she's got the power. It's a rare ability, but not unknown in Chrystal Heights."

I digested this, cheeks burning as I remembered licking her pussy, *wanting* to lick her pussy. Calling her...*Mistress*.

Locke chuckled. "You're embarrassed," he said. "Good. That means I succeeded in separating your will from hers."

Cheeks still red, I said, "You will never tell a soul what happened in there. If you do, I will...I will...I will do something so bad to you, I don't even know what it is yet. Men will tremble for a thousand years at the memory of your fate."

"My lips are sealed."

I pulled the top of my dress over my head. I was pretty sure I could never look at Locke again. "Thank you for fixing me."

"No problem."

"Now," I said, pulling my dress back into place, "how do we get ready for tonight?"

Locke frowned. "Get ready for tonight? What do you mean?"

I spoke firmly. "We have precisely nothing concrete, so we can't call anybody in, and tonight is the only chance we have of getting into that auction. Erin is taking me there. I have to go back."

He shifted, obviously not happy. "Key, she turned you into her sub. You can't go back and just pretend, you understand?"

I sighed. "Yes, I know," she said. "You're going to have to do it for me."

Damon rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Key, this isn't just tapping into one of the preset personas we've stored inside your psyche. For one thing, being a sub isn't just an outer layer you wear...it's a lifestyle. And even if we work around that part, it's still a persona that has to be built from the ground up. I've prepped a lot of personas in your head, but none of them are submissive to a hardcore domme."

"But can you do it, Locke? Those girls are counting on us, even if they don't know it."

Locke didn't look happy. "I might. And I think I can give you a safety switch. But if I'm wrong, then you might find *yourself* auctioned off and sold."

"They couldn't afford me," I said, trying to make him laugh.

He managed a smile. "If they can afford eighteen-year-old twins, they can afford you."

"True, that. All right, where do we start?"

Locke took a long swallow of water, then set down his bottle. "We don't have much time. If you're serious about doing this, I seem to remember that you're going to need to attend to certain, ah, areas of your anatomy and you're going to need a new hairstyle as well."

Certain areas of my anatomy? A new hairstyle? Oh, @#$%$. I had forgotten about that. Grrrrrr.

"Fine," I said. "Let's get it over with."

Locke settled into his chair and waited as I did the same. "Now, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you the same devotion to Erin that she gave you, but you're still going to be in charge of your thoughts. This will allow you to react legitimately to her orders. Otherwise you might pause and that would tip her off that you're thinking for yourself. Also, I don't know how deep inside your head she can go. This will survive at least a surface scan, but likely nothing more intense than that, since we don't have the time. Are you with me so far?"

I nodded.

"Good," he said. "Now, we have some advantage due to the fact that you're going under voluntarily for me, whereas your subconscious was fighting Erin. And you can shut off the persona when you're ready. Don't do it before the critical moment, though...you won't be able to fool her for any length of time. And if she puts you under again, it's likely for good."

I nodded again. "Got it."

"All right," said Locke. "Now, you're aware of the danger and what happens if you fail. You still want to do this?"

"Yes."

"All right, then."

"Just one request."

Damon nodded. "Yeah? What's that?"

"If I have to lick her again, make sure I, umm, at least like doing it."

Locke laughed. "Fair enough," he said. "Blue soup."

*****

"Hello, Key."

I opened my eyes. Mister Locke looked haggard.

Watching me carefully, he said, "Are you ready to go to work, Davenport?"

I got to my feet. "Yeah. I'll go call my stylist...wait, can't do that. I'll call someone else. I'll take a shower and do...what I gotta do. Pick me up at four."

Locke tossed me a lazy salute. "Will do."

Locke pulled away as I walked to my apartment. I entered and got to work.

I called my back-up stylist and tried to schedule an emergency appointment, but he was booked. So were the next three stylists I tried. I got lucky with the next one, however, a flamboyant guy named Gustav.

"You're in luck, sweetie!" he said. "My five o'clock *just* canceled! Come in at five and we'll make a new girl out of you!"

I chuckled and made the appointment. Then I started the shower.

There was no getting around it. I had to shave my pussy. Grrrrrr.

Thirty minutes later, I was showered and shaved smooth. I felt embarrassingly sensuous. If Locke said one word, I'd kill him.

Damon showed up in the van at four. We had a quick drive-thru lunch and then headed over to the stylist's.

*****

Gustav took one look at me as I walked in and started fanning himself as he looked at my hair.

"Oh, good heavens. You're my five o'clock, aren't you?" he said, his left eye twitching as he looked me over. "If you're not, you better be my six o'clock. Such a pretty girl, but you have stripper hair!"

Gustav hustled me straight to the chair. He listened to my request, then looked me over critically. Finally he nodded.

"We can do that, sweetie," he said. "Oh, yes. It will certainly soften your appearance and give you a little cutie bootie look. It's good. It's perfect! Okay, sweetie, just close your eyes and relax. I'm going in!"

I shuddered as I felt my hair fluttering past my neck. Stupid job.

He clipped, cut and buzzed. He sprayed and spritzed. He fussed and shaped. But finally he finished. He turned the chair with a flourish so I could see myself in the mirror.

I had to admit I was impressed. He had done exactly what I told him to do, but he had made it look even better...for a girly haircut. It was a graduated bob, with my hair buzzed short in the back, spiky bangs and my face framed by long strands to my jawline. Gustav was flamboyant, but good at his job. In fact, he was excellent. Certainly better than my present stylist. If I wasn't sold to someone by the end of the night, I was changing stylists.

"Thank you, Gustav," I said, paying him and adding a generous tip.

"Come back again, sweetie!" he said. "You really should!"

Okay, so he was also a sarcastic stylist. Whatever.

*****

Locke did his best not to snicker at my new hairstyle. I rose above it all and ignored his barely veiled chortles.

We parked a block away. We didn't want anyone seeing Locke if we could help it.

"All right," said Damon. "You ready?"

I nodded. My heart was pounding.

We went back into the chamber and settled into the plush chairs.

"Okay, Key," said Locke. "Blue soup."

*****

"Hello, Maddi."

I opened my eyes and sat up.

"What time is it?!" I said. "I have to be there at seven! I can't be late!"

"Calm down," he said. "You have plenty of time. Now I'll go sit in the front while you get dressed."

I opened the closet. We really needed more quality clothing in here. Erin had already seen me in the D'adore dress, so I chose a black Clarion knee-length skirt and white blouse with black high heels. Then I did my makeup.

I was finally ready.

"All right," said Locke, fixing my hair, "remember...because of the...intimate nature of what you're doing, you can't wear your earpiece. We're essentially out of touch. When you go to the auction, I'm going to follow you. I will try to be in the area and support you the best I can, but you may be on your own for periods of time. If it looks dangerous, just get out. We'll figure out some other way to save the twins. Understood?"

I nodded. "Yes," I said. "Now I'm going in."