Cobalt

by Shelley Grace

  ‘My turn’ he stated.

  ‘Surprise me’ she purred.

  Rick looked down at her, realising that he now had all the power, as he brought her to another shuddering climax. Madeline always made the terms: the whens and wheres of their relationship were dictated by her. Of course he enjoyed their liaisons, but it was always at her convenience. Occasionally she consented when he approached her, claiming it was because she knew he needed it. When this happened she remained passive, allowing him to vent his frustrations on her. And while today Madeline had initiated, it was Rick who had the control. Her fingernails dug into him, as he brought her to another climax. He'd never been with a woman that climaxed as mindlessly as Madeline. She always let herself go, and enjoyed the moment, when it was at her instigation, of course. Rick could tell she was happy with his technique, real happy. When she could speak, the words came among barely audible pants, and the shudders racing up and down her convulsing body were the greatest compliment a man could have. When deep inside her, he could feel her muscles desperately clenching around him, and he could have sworn she nearly passed out, her breath catching over and over again as she cried out her pleasure.

  Rick lost his train of thought as Madeline began tormenting him. The one thing he enjoyed most about their lovemaking was when it was at her instigation it was give and take. When he pleasured her, she returned the favour with zest. She used her hands and mouth to stimulate his body. Wrapping her legs tightly about his waist, she ran her hands up his neck and through his silver-blonde hair. She kissed his neck, and the top of his chest. He snaked his hand under her back, and wrapping around her waist, he rolled, reversing their position. Madeline released her grip on his neck and slid her hands to his chest. Using them for leverage she pushed herself up-right. Rick kept his hands resting on her hips, as she brought him to climax. His hands tightened their grip on her, and he closed his eyes in ecstasy.

  Madeline watched the muscles in his face, neck, arms and chest tense as he reached the height of his orgasm. She traced along his jaw-line briefly before her hands clenched on his chest as her body mirrored his response. As she relaxed she moved back to her side of the bed, a smile of cat-like contentment on her face. ‘Did you enjoy your moment of power?’ she inquired when he had regained control over himself. Rick opened his eyes and looked at her. With that one sentence she had rendered him powerless, yet again. One day he'd get her for that, he vowed, silently, watching. Madeline, now completely rested, smiled as she reached over to kiss and stroke him into passion again. His deep brown eyes bore into her blue ones, but he knew he was losing the battle as his body responded to her caresses. One kiss and all his resentment was lost.

  CHAPTER 8

  Marcus was in a flap. Madeline had said she would contact him from Moscow, and having been out of Washington for sixteen hours, and in Moscow for about six hours, Marcus wondered why she hadn’t yet. She’s probably just giving me time to find something, he thought, as he looked around his office. He hated sending Madeline and Rick on missions together, and while Madeline had always professed that there was nothing sexual between them, he saw the way Rick looked at her. It was the same way he did – with admiration, and desire. Of course Marcus knew he couldn’t compete with Rick. Being confined to office paperwork was not helping his physical appearance remain the way it had been twenty years ago. While he went to the gym, the paperwork mounted and mounted, and what started off as four gym sessions a week dwindled down to one, if he could find the time. Marcus was also ashamed of his almost entirely bald head. He saw the way women looked at it. He wanted his hair back. He liked the way women used to run their fingers through it. He wanted Madeline to be able to run her fingers through it. It was this desire that made Marcus first consider getting plugs, or a toupee of some description. He had been tinting and colouring the sputtering of hair that ran around the edge of his skull, for some time, and saw a wig as the logical next step. He thought of last Christmas, and the secret Santa routine the office participated in every year. He remembered the gift he had received. The T-shirt reading, ‘I’m not bald. I’m a solar- powered sex machine.’ While he hadn’t been able to locate the person responsible, it was clear that those who laughed had little respect for him. Once his greatest love had been what he saw in the mirror, and he used to look quite often, now he felt he could only be complete if he had Madeline wrapped around his little finger. Of course he knew that would never happen, so he would have to settle for Madeline consenting to sleep with him. He knew that it was she who was in control. She was the only woman who could distract him from his work, just by walking in the room. Whatever she said, he did. He had tried hard not to fall into that pattern when he briefed her on the mission. He wanted her in the building twenty-four hours a day. That way he could drop in on her whenever he felt the urge, and he felt it a lot. With her in Moscow, alone with Rick, his mind wandered over what they could be doing to prevent her from calling him. Marcus wished he were in Moscow with her, alone.

  The intercom buzzed beside him, drawing Marcus from his thoughts, from his fantasies.

  ‘Yes, what is it?’

  ‘Sir, we have news on the situation. It’s not good.’ Lychart’s voice echoed through the phone. As Marcus listened to him, concern crossed his face. By the time Lychart finished explaining the latest developments, Marcus was convinced Madeline was exactly where she was meant to be, even if it was without him.

  ‘Send the message to Madeline, Lychart. She probably knows by now, but it will give her confirmation.’ Marcus spoke into the intercom.

  ‘Message sent, Sir. Oh and Sir, do you think you could reassign Stephanie elsewhere for the remainder of the day. She’s hindering my investigations. I don’t know why you’re training her in communications….’

  Marcus cut him off. ‘She has to stay there. With Madeline and Rick overseas, I want as many people on investigation and communication as possible. That will be all. Lychart, inform me if something else develops. I’ll talk to the President, bring him up to speed’ Marcus shut the intercom off and looked out the window across some parklands towards the rear of the Capitol Hill building. With Madeline away on this case, he couldn’t bring himself to even glance at any of the other investigation reports and case files that covered his desk. After informing President Watson of the latest developments, all that would be left for him to do would be wait. ‘Come home safely Madeline’ he thought, looking at the city sights.

  CHAPTER 9

  As the sun rose over the Russian rooftops and lit the room, Madeline slipped out from her partner’s embrace, being careful not to wake him. She dressed quietly and went to examine the elaborate computer system on the coffee table in the other room. The phone was yet to ring, so Madeline assumed that the Agency had made contact via electronic-mail. She was right. Madeline read the message from Lychart, in horror. She hoped Rick could get information from Keslov quickly. She turned to go back to the bed, and noticed Rick was watching her through the doorway. The smile on his face quickly disappeared as she relayed the message.

  ‘We have a problem, something not even I anticipated. Kellerin has broken his pattern. He and his men are now threatening to poison Washington DC's water supply with Cobalt Blue. Anyone who drinks or has contact with the water will be poisoned. Millions of innocent people will die needlessly.’

  ‘I'll call Keslov,’ he answered as he leapt from the bed and moved towards the phone, pulling his trousers on. He dialled the number and waited for Keslov's heavily accented voice to respond at the other end of the line. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, his voice crackled over the phone. Rick spoke for a little under a minute, hung up and turned to face Madeline.

  ‘Florence,’ she stated. ‘They've moved to Florence.’ He looked at her in disbelief.

  ‘How could you know that? Keslov only found them five minutes ago.’

  ‘I don't know. I just thought Florence is nice, and it has the world's greatest gelato shop,’ she joked. ‘Seriously tho
ugh, I remembered the profiles I created on the group. It became clear that the group had certain locations it preferred to work from, and Florence is the most logical, at the moment.’ While Madeline gathered their small suitcases, and packed the communications equipment into the larger of the two, Rick rang the airport.

  ‘They've got two seats on the very next flight to Florence. They're economy though. You think you can handle three hours, forty-five minutes in economy?’ he said.

  ‘Of course. We don't have time to be choosy,’ she answered as she left the room.

  Rick finalised the call and caught up to her in the lobby. She was standing with the bags at her feet, talking on the mobile phone. As Rick gathered the luggage and hailed a taxi, Madeline ended her call.

  ‘Marcus is going to call us within the next twenty-four hours, when he finds something. If he can find something,’ she told Rick as she climbed into the back seat beside him.

  * * *

  Michlov Teslovich examined the facade of Club Fun before entering the building. The stone walls and elaborate glass doors reflected the ambiance Florence created, an age-old romantic city, and Kellerin’s nightclub was no different. A popular attraction for both locals and tourists Club Fun was the perfect cover for Kellerin’s Italian dealings. The club itself was extremely profitable, raking in over eight million dollars annually, dollars that funded Kellerin’s extra-curricular activities, dollars that paid Teslovich handsomely to perform small, random acts of terrorism, as part of Kellerin’s legacy. Michlov entered the building and headed straight to the private office. He had phoned in advance to notify the club’s manager of his impending arrival. Jean-Carlo had subsequently vacated the office and placed at Teslovich’s disposal all of the equipment. Teslovich sat behind the huge glass table and dialled the computer phone. One minute later Kellerin’s face emerged on the screen.

  ‘I see that Madeline and the Deputy Director are yet to meet up with you. This is good.’ Kellerin smiled at Teslovich, noting the smug look in his associates eyes as he received praise. Kellerin had great faith in Teslovich’s ability to finish a job, and have no remorse for the few lives they took in the process. He did however, worry slightly at Teslovich’s unnecessary risks. His associate just didn’t seem to fathom the dangerous scenarios they participated in and the consequences that could result should they be captured.

  ‘I told you that a woman was no match for my intelligence.’ Teslovich almost spat the word woman at Kellerin. ‘Everything is going to plan…’

  Kellerin cut him off. ‘Michlov, our plans have changed ever so slightly.’

  ‘What? This is unacceptable. I thought…’

  ‘You thought wrong. I am the decision-maker in this syndicate, and I have been presented with a far better proposal. One I believe will greatly benefit all participants.’

  ‘What are we going to do now?’ Teslovich looked at Kellerin. The man commanded respect, Teslovich decided, respect and a lot of attention from the opposite sex. Teslovich envied the latter quality about him. He believed he was as respected and intelligent as the forty- five year old, but he lacked the handsome, distinguished appearance Kellerin prided himself on. While Kellerin was not highly muscular, his face was open and friendly. Teslovich, on the other hand was built like a brick wall, a very tall brick wall. His face was a little too square, and his nose was a repulsive flat shape due to being broken one too many times in bar brawls during his troubled youth. Kellerin possessed a quiet dignity about him. He relied more on his wit and ability to corner his opponent mentally, while Teslovich used his size and brute strength to persuade his opposition to his way of thinking.

  ‘I have been given the opportunity to enter the White House, and speak directly to the President. I have a loyal supporter on the inside. Someone who can guarantee us direct unhindered access to President Watson.’

  Teslovich stood, and began to pace the office. He turned to place his back to Kellerin. He didn’t want his associate to see his discomfort at this latest development.

  ‘What about the Cobalt. It is such an effective way to get what we want.’ Teslovich turned back to face Kellerin, a sadistic smile distorting his mouth and the rest of his facial features. ‘Cobalt Blue is the most powerful poison on the market, far more effective than cyanide and it’s radioactive counterpart Cobalt 60. If one particle touches the skin, it is absorbed, and in less than two minutes the unfortunate victim is dead from a series of small internal explosions.’ Teslovich’s smile grew wider as he envisioned death from Cobalt poisoning. ‘The victims skin turns purple as the vessels explode. Their eyeballs turn red. Blood pumps from every orifice. All in all, a particularly painful way to die. Particularly effective to prove our point, Comrade. Don’t you agree? Why would you change plans when the one we had was fool-proof?’

  ‘The Cobalt can be still used should this approach prove to be futile, but you know my thoughts on unnecessary carnage. We are not monsters. I believe our goal can be achieved this way, without unnecessary bloodshed, unnecessary homicide.’

  ‘Then your mind is made up? What comes next?’ Teslovich asked, the smile leaving his face.

  ‘Lose your pursuers, and plan to meet me in Washington. I’ll contact you in thirty-six hours. We’ll know specifics by then. In the mean time you know what you have to do.’ Kellerin leant forward to end the communication but Teslovich’s movement stopped him.

  Teslovich leaned up very close to the screen, almost as if to tell it a very intimate secret. ‘What do you want me to do about Madelyne and the Deputy Director?’ Teslovich exaggerated Madeline’s name to sound Russian. He rolled the name off his tongue, giving it a dirty quality. It aroused him.

  ‘Do what you have too to Glazer, but I want Madeline left alive. I like having an adversary equal to my intelligence. Besides when this is over I might try to seduce her. See if my charm can outwit her intelligence. Do not touch her Michlov.’

  ‘As you wish Comrade. I look forward to seeing this woman. Until our next communiqué, Kellerin, dasvidania.’ The computer screen went blank and Teslovich seated himself behind the table once more. I wonder what this Madeline looks like, he thought. She must be extraordinary if Kellerin wants her.

  CHAPTER 10

  Madeline and Rick walked side by side down the boarding ramp, from the plane. As they reached the terminal doors, Rick sped up, breaking away from his partner. He hurried after one of the other passengers from the flight, leaving Madeline looking after him. Rick caught the blonde by the shoulder. She turned in surprise and their lips met. She reeled back in horror, until she gained focus on her assailant. She smiled.

  ‘Rick, Darling, long time, no see.’ She wrapped her right hand about his arm.

  ‘Angela. I thought I recognised you on the plane. What are you doing with yourself these days?’ he flirted.

  ‘I'm on my way to Milan, and the spring fashion week. My divorce left me with quite a bit of cash, so I thought I'd be frivolous and buy some really expensive designer clothing. And yourself?’ Angela flicked her long, blonde hair away from her face, desperately trying to appear irresistible to her former lover. He looks great, she thought as she examined him. He hasn't changed a bit, and thanks to cosmetic surgery, neither have I. She smiled at him, flashing her perfectly capped white teeth.

  ‘I'm here on business. You know how it is...no rest for the wicked.’ he joked.

  ‘You travelling alone, Rickie?’ she questioned, releasing his arm, as she gazed critically at the woman who had just stepped up beside him.

  ‘Yes!’ Rick answered oblivious to Madeline's appearance.

  ‘Ah, then who's this?’ Angela asked peering once more in Madeline's direction, her eyes reading annoyance and contempt.