Soteria- The Crisis Forge

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Soteria- The Crisis Forge Page 11

by Roberto Arcoleo

Silvia and Rachel would often give Sing more than he could handle in the bedroom. Silvia was a dominatrix, and their kinky sexual play had turned Sing into a kind of addict. Since she’d moved, it had been difficult for him to find someone to replace her.

  “But who are these two?” Sing asked in Cantonese. “You know they will not be permitted to gamble; you must be Chinese to gamble here!”

  “Oh, Sing,” answered Silvia, shifting to English. “Stop being such a tough guy! I will place all the bets. They will just hang there with me, anyway, so please stop being rude to my friends. It’s not like you to act so impolitely. This is Jason, and this is Angela.” She motioned towards them, respectively. “They are so pretty, you have to be nice to them!”

  “Sorry,” said Sing, “I don’t mean to sound that way, you know. It’s not me, but it’s the other gang members here who might get upset. They like this place to be their special world, so please just be cool. Don’t draw any unnecessary attention to yourselves, and all should be fine. Is Jason Asian? I don’t know what is behind those sunglasses.”

  Jason responded in Cantonese, “It’s just my spirit!”

  Silvia exclaimed, “You know Chinese?” The girls looked at him in shock. “My you’re full of surprises.”

  Silvia turned back to the girls. “Let’s have a go at the tables, I am dying to play!”

  Sing took Silvia’s arm. He was not about to let her run loose just yet. “Okay, these are the rules. You can play, and he can play with you as long as he keeps speaking Chinese. If he’s not Asian… tell him to keep those sunglasses on.”

  Sing was worried the regulars might not receive these outsiders warmly. It was Sing’s casino, but without the support of the gang members, he would be out of business in a minute. Sing was a bit of an outsider himself; he came from a wealthy family from Hong Kong and had gotten involved in gambling in China. Being the fifth son, he knew there was no place for him within the family business, so he set out to make his own way in the casino. He was a shrewd and careful gambler, and with skill at the poker table, he quickly amassed a small fortune. Realizing the advantages of owning a gambling business, he moved into management. As there were few opportunities for him in Hong Kong, he came west to seek his fortune with his winnings. Making friends with the Chinatown underground was his big break, and he did not want to risk these relationships for anyone.

  Sing always dressed the part of the casino owner. In the summer, a perfectly tailored white linen suit and silk tie was the regular uniform on his thin frame. His slicked-back black hair and horn-rimmed glasses straight from a Humphrey Bogart movie finished the Hollywood look of the Hong Kong gambler.

  Silvia pulled the group over to the roulette table and bought $500 in chips. She placed the chips on 19, 4, and 5 for 1945. “That’s my birth year! Let’s see if it works.” The wheel spun, and the ball rested on 12. Silvia’s face grew sad, but she was undeterred. She played the same numbers again, ten dollars on each number. Again, she lost.

  Silvia went through the $500 in a mere half hour, and the girls were looking quite glum.

  “Five hundred bucks!” exclaimed Angela. “That’s almost three months’ rent! Do you have any more money, or are we done?”

  “I think we’re broke,” said Silvia. Just then, Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out another $500. He handed it to her.

  “You’re not done; it’s way too early for that!” he said. “But let’s try another table, how about the dice?”

  Jason knew he could control any game he chose, but he did not want to draw too much attention. But when he had seen the girls’ expressions, he decided to cheer them up a bit.

  Yes! Angela said, “This game is a bore. Let’s try something else.”

  They walked over to the dice table and started placing bets on other players’ rolls. Silvia lost twice and then won on the third try.

  “Hooray!” she yelled. “I feel my luck is going to change.” It was short-lived; she lost the next two rolls.

  “Give me the dice!” she cried to the croupier in Cantonese. “It’s my turn to roll.” The croupier was a slim Asian woman, her dark hair held high with a comb. She wore a fitted green dress with a floral pattern embroidered on it. The back of the dress was cut low to reveal a glimpse of a large snake tattoo. Where the rest of the snake would travel was left to the imagination. She managed the table like an artist, calling out numbers and sliding chips with grace and skill. Jason knew the standard dice could be switched to loaded ones at any time, and this girl could do it without any ordinary eyes picking up on her tricks; this, of course, did not worry Jason, but he knew there was something different about her.

  She has special abilities, but there is something else… He stared at her and wondered. He searched back in his mind to find the recognition, but then Silvia’s chants put aside his concerns. Whatever it may be, he thought, it will have no effect on my power to control the game.

  “Okay, Silvia. Let’s see what you can do!” Jason had decided to let the girls win for a while and have some fun.

  “OK. Seven or 11 is my wish, so if you don’t give me those, you are a real bitch,” whispered Silvia to the dice as she rolled them. The magic number 7 appeared. “I won!” she cried, as all the girls cheered.

  “Let it ride!” she said and grabbed the dice again. The dice flew across the table, and the croupier yelled “Yo ying jor ah!” as the number 11 appeared. “Winner!”

  “Let it ride! Let it ride!” yelled Rachel. “You’re on a roll! Nothing can stop you, now.”

  There was $1200 on the table, and a crowd started to form around them as people sensed the excitement. Silvia quickly grabbed the dice and without hesitation sent them flying. The number 8 appeared.

  “That’s a hard number to make,” came a voice from the background. To win, Silvia would have to roll another 8. She looked nervous as she took up the dice.

  “Come on, Silvia! Come on, you can do it!” shouted Rachel.

  Silvia took the dice and kissed them. “It’s your turn to love me, my little darlings! Now don’t make me cry!” She let the dice go, and two faces of four dots appeared.

  “Eight! Eight! I won!” The croupier pushed $2400 at Silvia.

  “I want to go again!” she said. Jason noticed that a large crowd had appeared around them, and so he thought it might be best to curtail the excitement.

  “OK,” replied Jason, “but only for $1000. It’s my money too.” Jason wanted her to lose and move away from the tables.

  Silvia took the dice and rolled. Both dice showed only one dot. “Snake Eyes!” yelled the sexy croupier and smiled. “You lose. Better luck next time!” Silvia’s face drooped, overtaken by disappointment.

  “Don’t be sad, Silvia. You’re up a lot!” said Jason.

  “Yeah…” she responded. “But I wanted to win more!”

  “Hey,” continued Jason, “didn’t you say that they have opium rooms here? I’ve never smoked opium! Let’s try some.” Of course, opium would have no effect upon him, but this was an excellent ploy to divert the girls from the tables and lessen the attention they had attracted with their winnings.

  Silvia, smiling, said, “They do, and the opium is the best in New York. Do you want to try some?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  The other girls nodded in affirmation. “Yeah, let’s do it!”

  Silvia read the menu. “Well, a small room is 25 bucks, but the large one with beautiful couches and pillows is 75. It would be 25 each for the opium, so that’s another 100 bucks. For 25 more, we could get a service girl to assist and do as we ask.”

  Jason pulled 200 dollars from his pocket and gave it to Silvia. He added another 100 on top. The croupier increasingly distracted him. What is it about her? He thought. I somehow feel… Jason could not put his finger upon his recognition of her, but he did notice that she had her eye on Angela. “Tell Sing we want the pretty Chinese croupier as our service girl.”

  “I’ll ask, but I can’t guarantee anythin
g,” replied Silvia. Despite her doubt, she returned quickly with the sexy croupier in tow.

  “This is Saya. She’s agreed.”

  Silvia sensed the croupier and Sing had developed a special relationship. She is incredibly beautiful. Has Saya become my replacement? If she has, it would mean that she must be a fun girl to have around. Although Silvia was a bit jealous, her curiosity about this mysterious woman overtook her hesitations.

  Lifting her bowed head, Saya looked at Jason. “You must be a very important person for Sing to ask this of me. I haven’t been a service girl in quite some time.”

  Saya also sensed something strange as she looked at him. Even through his dark glasses, she felt an inscrutable power; she did not understand its source, but she felt it. At first, she considered he might be an assassin. Maybe he knows who I am, and he has been sent to take my life. But then she reconsidered, if that were so, he would have already tried. She could feel his power; it came from a deep place. Yet, in a strange way, she felt comfortable. Oddly, his presence gave her an eerie sense of reassurance. Who is he?

  “But tonight, you are our service girl!” snapped Angela before Jason could speak. “And he’s with me, so you just do as you’re told!”

  “It will be my pleasure.” She looked into Angela’s eyes. Saya had learned long ago when it was best to play the humble servant. Humility is often my greatest tool, she thought, knowing that she could snap this woman in two like a twig.

  “Well, I think Silvia pulls more weight here than I do,” interjected Jason. Hearing her accent, he smiled as he spoke in perfect Mandarin, “But I did ask for you.”

  Saya nodded and bowed her head. It was then that she understood he knew her from somewhere.

  Looking at Angela, she replied, “Of course. I am here to serve all. Please let me show you to the Jade Room. It’s our best.”

  Saya easily slipped behind a mask of secrets, fading gracefully within her charms and gambling skills. But buried within was a checkered past, a past of velvet-soft memories and nightmares with teeth. She had never allowed anyone to see her motivations, nor her many abilities, yet she was attracted to Angela as soon as she walked into the room and feared it would show in front of Sing. Most of all, she did not want to show her fascination with this mysterious stranger who spoke her language. I feel as if he is looking through me.

  When with Sing, Saya wore tight black leather outfits, called all the shots, and inflicted moments that satisfied his desire for screams. Yet with women, she liked being told what to do and being made to suffer. Saya would be the first to admit that she seemed strange to most. She enjoyed both men and women, and she loved the intensity in her most heated moments. Pain broke through. It quenched her thirst. The ability to change pain into pleasure was something she learned how to do in her training, but when she started to experience sex, something else happened. It didn’t need discipline; the intensity was always warm and wet. Saya had long ago decided not to analyze this, but just to embrace whatever passions arose within her and follow them. For a while, she questioned these feelings. What is it about pain that breaks through? Is it that I have the power to overcome it and turn it into sweets? Is this power that I relish? But sometimes I enjoy giving pain as well… she thought with a smile.

  She knew Jason was delving into her mind, wandering around, turning the pages. He smiled at her, knowingly, looking admiringly into her eyes, holding her mind as if he owned it. She knew nothing could keep him out.

  Jason realized now that he knew her. He had often thought of finding her. It had been better not to disturb things, not to disrupt the natural way of things, not to concern the Council with such matters... but there she was. What were my chances of finding her, this girl, born in a village in China, here in New York?

  Saya led the group down a long hall off the main casino.

  They passed several rooms, the aroma of opium filling the passage. The sounds of laughter rang out amidst the ruckus of Chinese songs and sensual sighs. They passed a series of bamboo doors and arrived at the end of the corridor. Saya opened the large wooden doors to the opulent Jade Room.

  Inside was a palatial den of iniquity: a room obviously designed for the sole purpose of gratification. In the middle sat a low, but large wooden tea table with three hookah pipes resting at its center. Around the table were mattresses and pillows all covered in silk and satin, dotted with glistening stones and faux jewels. The room reeked of decadence. The patterns on the cloth were elaborate motifs of colorful Chinese allegories. The images were mostly erotic, made with painfully delicate needlework in brightly colored reds and blues set against the earthy background of Chinese landscapes and palaces.

  “What do you think?” exalted Silvia. “You know, I helped Sing design this room! Do you sense my touch?”

  “I do, I do!” responded Rachel. “How is it you have never taken me here before?”

  “Well, I split for the coast just as it was finished, but it’s nice, isn’t it? I gave it some California flair, a bit of San Francisco and a lot of Shanghai!”

  “I love it!” sighed a starry-eyed Angela.

  The girls all jockeyed for position around the table. “Come,” Angela said in a managing tone. “You sit here with me and Rachel. Silvia there, and Saya, you get between us so you can service us all!”

  Jason turned to Angela. “Whatever you want, as long as Silvia is happy. You know she is the big winner tonight.”

  Silvia laughed. “Yeah, that’s right!”

  “This acid is really coming on strong,” said Angela. “The figures embroidered on those pillows are moving and dancing!”

  Silvia laughed. “Wait until you smoke some of this opium; you may become one of those pictures yourself and never come back!”

  Saya, smiling, asked, “Shall we start?” She opened a box on the table filled with various colored mounds of a pasty substance. “You should try this one,” she said. “It’s my favorite.”

  “That sounds good to me,” responded Silvia.

  As Saya began to fill the pipes, her mind never strayed far from Jason. Silvia started to kiss Rachel, saying, “You don’t mind, do you, Angela? I haven’t touched her in such a long time.” Amidst the activity, Saya wondered when Jason would reach for her.

  “It’s okay,” replied Angela, “We’re having a party, and all is free tonight. What do you say, Jason?” She pulled him towards her. “Baciami,” she continued in Italian. “I want your kiss. Give me your lips.”

  Jason responded by sending his tongue deep into Angela’s mouth.

  It was at this moment that Saya could see that this man knew nothing about sex. How could this be?

  Jason paused, that was interesting…I kind of liked it. He had made up his mind that he would open himself to experimentation tonight. Angela, charmed by his naïveté, was even more encouraged to instruct.

  His main fear was what effect he might have on a human’s body. But, he thought, I have come too far to let this night end without uncovering more of these mysteries. His eyes continued to peer into Saya’s, hoping in some way she could reassure him as she had once done many years ago.

  Saya had just lit a water pipe and passed the mouthpiece to Angela. “Ladies first,” she said, smiling. I am going to send her into Never Never Land. I really want her in the background, and the sooner the better.

  “Oh, thank you! Aren’t you the sweet one?” Angela smiled. “I’ll have to reward you later!” Chemistry started to flow between Saya and Angela, and Saya knew she was on the right path. Angela took a puff deep into her lungs, and exhaled. “Wow! That is real!” Saya started to glow, anticipating her conquest.

  Moving briskly, Saya, filled the pipe that Rachel and Silvia were sharing.

  “Let me at it!” cried Silvia, as she inhaled the intoxicating paste. She faded backwards as she drew in the pipe’s vapors.

  Rachel quickly took the stem and followed suit. “My God, this is better than acid! I’m starting to float!” she gasped.

  �
��You can have some too, Saya. Don’t worry about the expense; you’re my guest as well as our service girl tonight!” Angela opened her dress and pulled it down over her shoulder, revealing her black lace bra to Jason. “Unhook me,” she whispered, looking into Jason’s eyes. “I want to relax.”

  Angela was determined to have Jason tonight. She wanted to steal his attentions away from Helena, and she was ready to offer him temptations and pleasures she felt Helena was unable to give him. I can’t sing, but I can really play. If I can get this Saya to join, I’ll really make him crazy.

  Jason, reading their minds, was becoming more and more amused by their strategies and decided to comply with Angela’s instructions. She pulled his head down to her beckoning breasts, and his lips, forgetting all timidity, explored their softness. Angela lifted his face and started to kiss him as she pulled at his clothing, stripping him in seconds. She glanced across the room and saw that Rachel and Silvia were already naked, in a world of lust, interrupted only by Saya’s gentle offerings of opium.

  Within seconds, Angela and Jason were naked and entwined, submerged in frantic passion. Jason wasted no time in entering her. Entranced with the rhythm of it all, he thought, this is almost like music; it has a pace all its own.

  Angela responded instinctively to the movement of Jason’s body. Every gesture and touch sent electricity through her; consumed by the rush of victory… Finally, I have him. But now… How to keep him?

  Saya started to stroke Angela’s hair as Jason ravaged her breasts with complete abandon. She couldn’t believe his power as he drove into her. Taking a breath, she looked up at the Chinese beauty.

  Overrun by the rapture of Jason she still managed to voice, “Such a beautiful tattoo. I want to see the rest of it.”

  Saya rose, smiling, and slipped out of her dress. She wore no undergarments. She turned to show the tattoo to Angela. Her body language and movements were flirtatious and obedient. The ornately painted snake draped down her back and ended mid-thigh. It was gracefully drawn, full of color, scribed in delicate fashion along her body so that it revealed a hidden life when she moved. The beauty of her perfectly proportioned figure framed the tattoo, and her gleaming white skin made the design even more intense. Her body moved slowly and quietly, faintly charming like whispers that kill. To Angela’s intoxicated eyes, it was as if she were watching a cinematic dream; the colors seemed alive on her skin.

 

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