Sparks (A Special Agent Novel Book 1)

by C. P. Mandara

  “Absolutely.” Although I knew this wouldn’t be the end of the conversation, I had no wish to get in any deeper this evening if it could possibly be avoided.

  “Good. Now you’re starting to get an idea of what Alain is capable of. If I’m going to let you go inside there, you need to be able to lie confidently under the influence of several substances. If you can’t, you don’t get to go. Full stop.” James crossed his hands in front of him as if his decision was final.

  “You can’t stop me,” I said mutinously, but that was a lie. I was beginning to realise that James could be a very impressive adversary, and it would be much better to have him on my side.

  “I think we both know I can.” He smiled at me. “Now are you ready to see how difficult things get under the influence of drugs?” He indicated Sharkey, who was lying calmly on the floor,

  “Yes.” No. How was I going to cope with all of this? Don’t get me wrong, I knew that getting close to Dumortier was never going to be easy, but I hadn’t figured on it being this hard. Was I up to the task? Steeling my thoughts, I figured out that if I wasn’t, I’d better up my game quickly. That man was going down, and I was going to be the one to do it.

  Eighteen

  “What is your name?” James and Sharkey now sat facing each other, across the dining room table. There was no such luxury for me. I was still on the cold, hard floor, craning my neck up to look at the pair.

  There was a pause as Sharkey deliberated her answer. It might have been amusing in different circumstances.

  “Sandra Blakely.” She giggled.

  James turned towards me and sighed. “Does that sound convincing to you?”

  I shook my head. “She’s only been under the influence of the stuff once or twice, so I can’t expect a lot from her. Although she’s been instructed to lie in response to everything I ask her, when I up her dose in ten minutes time, she’ll find it nearly impossible to do so. That’s because ‘so-called’ truth serums slow down your body’s reactions. It will take a lot longer for messages to be sent to the brain, and performing high-functioning tasks will become increasingly difficult. Her concentration span can now be likened to that of a toddler.”

  Sharkey giggled again, and though this version of my boss seemed far more preferable to the normal one, I couldn’t help but wince.

  “What do you do for a living?” There was another pause. It was almost painful to watch her fight for an answer. Eventually she came up with one.

  “I’m a teacher.” There was another giggle. No one in their right mind would believe anything this woman was trying to tell them. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when I got to try my luck at it. Would I do any better than my boss? Hell, I hoped so. I had secrets to hide, and James was far too astute not to know that.

  “What do you teach?” Whilst his face was kind and he posed the questions gently, James wasn’t about to go easy on her. When one question was answered, another immediately arose.

  “Mm…maths,” she finally managed to get out, with yet another peal of laughter.

  James turned to me again and quietly said, “If you were questioning her right now, what would you think?”

  “That she was either drunk or high,” I said immediately.

  “That’s exactly how she’s feeling. It takes less than a minute after the drug’s been administered before you get that light-headed buzz that you associate with being drunk. At the moment, she’s got a warm, fuzzy feeling bubbling through her veins, and it doesn’t help that she likes me. If I asked her to take her clothes off and open her legs for me, she’d do it almost immediately.”

  “I’m not sure the drug is that good,” I said sceptically. “And how do you know she likes you?” Unfortunately, it was almost obvious Sharkey liked James, but no one needed to inflate his ego, so I felt honour bound to throw some doubt around.

  “I’ll prove it to you in a few minutes time.” He looked supremely confident with his statement. “How do you think you’ll respond when I ask you the same question tomorrow?” Giving me a wolfish grin, he winked at me. James appeared to be enjoying his work far too much for my liking.

  “You’ll just have to wait and see,” I said sweetly, refusing to rise to the bait. If my reaction was anything like the one he managed to elicit from me whilst I was sober, I didn’t stand a chance. Still, that wasn’t likely to be a factor with Dumortier.

  James directed his attention towards Sharkey again and asked, “What are your favourite parts of the new maths curriculum?”

  There were no giggles this time. Sharkey looked utterly confused for a moment, as if foraging around the darkest recesses of her brain for any plausible answer. She was obviously struggling to come up with something. If it had been me at the table, I might have said algebra or trigonometry, but I’d had no experience of what the drug could do yet. My boss was normally as sharp as a tack, and if a small dose could reduce her to this, what was a larger dose going to do? Quite honestly, it was frightening.

  “Umm,” she said after a long pause, nervously fidgeting with her hands, “I think I like all of it.” Unable to look James in the eye, she stared at the table, her head wavering slightly from side to side. Her eyes were slightly glazed, and it was clear that try as she might, that was the best answer she was able to give.

  “Oh, come on, Elizabeth, you must have a favourite subject you like to teach?” James pressed her for an answer, and when he saw her struggling, he pressed her again. “Probability, perhaps?”

  “Yes, yes, probability,” Sharkey confirmed, and the look on her face suggested she was relieved to have been given a get-out.

  James pulled his chair back and got down on all fours to talk to me. “Patients under the influence of these types of drugs are very susceptible to influence. You’ll happily tell them your Mother’s married to the Pope if they put the idea in your head. See where I’m going?”

  He was so close to me I could smell him, and the level of desire I felt for the man in front of me was unprecedented. Why me? If I had to withstand a cocktail of drugs and then lie about my attraction to the man, I was doomed. Wet heat pooling between my legs, I had an awful moment where I could feel a dribble of arousal travel down my thigh. What was wrong with me? Here was James doing awful things with my boss, and my body seemed to desire him all the more. Wanting desperately to tear my hair out, but realising that might give the game away, I smiled weakly at him.

  “It’s rather obvious, and I’m not sure that you need to demonstrate it in black and white for me. Did she agree to everything you’re about to do to her?” I looked him straight in the eye as I said it, almost daring him to lie to me. I couldn’t believe Sharkey would let herself be used in this way.

  He gave me his trademark arrogant grin and let me stew for a second. Then he ran his fingers through his hair and eyeballed me back. “I told her that if she didn’t show you exactly what was in store for you at CB, then I wouldn’t go through with it. You need to see this, and Sharkey agreed it was a small price to pay for the service that you are about to perform.”

  “No way did she agree that easily,” I countered. I knew my boss, and she was not easily persuaded into anything.

  “You’d be surprised at what Elizabeth will do in order to get her own way. Besides, the woman likes me, and having my hands rove all over her body won’t be such a terrible burden for her to bear, trust me.”

  That was something I didn’t want to hear, so I simply ignored it. There was enough on my plate right now. “Do you enjoy tormenting women?” It was a bit of a backlash, as I had things that I needed to get off my chest, but at least I was venting in a sensible way.

  “Do you enjoy tormenting women, Sir?” He placed a great deal of emphasis on ‘Sir,’ and I would have dearly loved to ram the word down his throat. He then proceeded to stare at me and wait, and I knew that I would have to repeat the bloody line before I got an answer to my question.

  “Do you enjoy tormenting women, Sir?” I finally respond
ed with sugary sweetness. Anyone would think I was interviewing him for Cosmopolitan magazine. One way or another, I would get my answer.

  “Yes. Yes, I do. Any more questions?” The dark look on James’s face warned me against voicing my curiosity, but as per normal, I couldn’t help myself.

  “Why do you enjoy tormenting them, Sir?”

  “Because in my line of work, a little bit of pain can bring some very intense pleasure. Oh, and I’m a sick fuck. Any other burning questions, Lois?” His face came within inches of mine, scaring the shit out of me, before he then slid his hand up the inside of my thigh. His eyes held me completely still as his fingers examined the dampness they found there. Heat scorched my face.

  “It appears you enjoy watching me torment women, Lois. So what does that make you?” He rubbed the sticky fluid together between his thumb and middle finger, and then sucked them into his mouth. Sighing appreciatively, as if he had taken a sip of a fine wine, he then withdrew them slowly, as if savouring my taste. Part of me knew the obnoxious man was fucking with me, but the other part of my brain that I couldn’t control short-circuited instantly. Without warning, he then inserted his middle finger deep inside me, and I was lost. Rocking backwards for a second in shock, his other hand held me steady, but it wasn’t long before desire took over. Unable to stop myself, my back arched, and I let out a low mewl of pleasure. He then tweaked my nipple sharply, and I was brought swiftly back down to earth. “You enjoy the games just as much as I do, Lois, you just don’t know it yet.” Closing the gap between our faces, he then claimed my lips with a fierce abandon, and now I was sunbathing in another dimension.

  The thought of pushing him away didn’t enter my head, although that would have been my best option. Instead, I sat there dumbstruck and lapped him up with everything I had available. Lips, tongue, hands, fingertips… they all clamoured for soft heat and smooth skin. The fact that I couldn’t have him only made me want him all the more, but that was half the point. If the man wasn’t so unobtainable, would I still want him? That question would eat away at me for a few days, I was sure.

  “Lois, you should be pushing me away, not trying to eat my face off.” James’s lips twitched as he pulled away, and I wanted to bury my face in my hands. The expression on my face revealed everything, and I knew he’d been watching. What was wrong with me? I needed to get past this attraction. Why was James pushing me like this? What was I missing?

  “How do I fight this?” I whispered.

  “How do you fight what?” he asked. Shaking my head, wondering if he was being deliberately obtuse, I gritted my teeth for a moment, debating upon whether we should have this conversation.

  “Lois?” he pressed. Grabbing hold of both of my arms, he squeezed them to get my attention. “I need to know exactly what it is you want to fight. Then I’ll help you as best I’m able.”

  Those bright blue eyes of his pleaded with me for an answer, and I realised that in his own messed-up way, James did care for me. He cared enough to pull out all the stops in his training, not only to give me the best possible chance of succeeding, but also with a view to getting my ass out alive. Why he should care was beyond me, but I got the feeling he did, and my instincts had served me well thus far. Deciding to trust him with my answer, and hoping his ego wouldn’t spontaneously combust, I said, “I want to fight this attraction.”

  “Ah, that.” His grip on my arms lessened and he looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’m not sure attraction is something you can fight,” he said eventually, and my heart dropped. That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear.

  “Attraction is chemicals, hormones, pulse rates, and heartbeats. It’s a pretty face and a sexy voice, a quick wit and a beautiful body. It can be any of things, or none of them. It’s unique to each individual. How do you fight yourself?”

  “You’re not much help,” I whispered miserably, already drawing away from him.

  “I haven’t finished.” Holding me firm, he lifted my chin up to meet his eyes. “Your body can’t fight it, but you can do battle with your mind.” He tapped my forehead several times to make sure I’d got the point. “If you find yourself in a situation where you’re falling in love with your kidnapper, what would you do?”

  “Try and remind myself of who and what he was, and look at the bigger picture.” James wasn’t exactly my kidnapper, but it was close enough when things came down to the crunch.

  “Exactly. You’re intelligent enough to dissect the lies and lines of deceit. Deep down your body will know what to do when the time comes, so just trust your instincts.” He released me then, and I instantly felt bereft.

  “We weren’t talking about the same things, were we?” My fingertips fluttered up to the line of his jaw, and although my touch barely contacted with his skin, I felt the static shoot down my veins.

  James grabbed my fingers, pressed them into my hand, and then kissed my wrist. “Apparently not. If you’re talking about fighting the attraction you have to me, there is no cure. You’re just going to have to suffer, like millions of women before you.”

  Deciding not to slap him, I said, “Thank you. I think I’m officially cured for at least the next hour or so. Let’s get on with the show, Sir.” Inclining his head, he then got to feet and did just that.

  Picking Sharkey up in his arms as if she weighed no more than a child, he called over his shoulder, “We’re moving things to my bedroom. After I give her another dose, we’ll have a few minutes of fun with her before she crashes out, and she’ll be easier for me to monitor if she’s horizontal.”

  “I bet you’ve said that to millions of women before.” I rolled my eyes and got down on my hands and knees, ready to follow like the obedient little lap dog I was.

  “Actually, Lois, can you grab my case and the open vial I’ve left there? I’ll allow you to walk just this once.” Giving me a quick wink, he left me to it.

  Sighing, I did as instructed. Carefully placing the wipes back into the case, I snapped the catches closed before retrieving the vial. Turning the little plastic bottle around in my hand, I noted that the white label it bore was blank. Leveritt was intent on keeping me in the dark, it appeared. I sighed again and closed my eyes. Still, it would be no different with Alain. Might as well get used to my lot in life sooner rather than later.

  When I got to his bedroom, James had already stripped off the duvet and placed Sharkey upon his sheets. She looked a little worse for wear, her clothes still in a state of disarray and her hair all mussed up, but there was still a sparkle in her eyes.

  That rang a little red flag in my brain. Truth serums were barbiturates, as far as I was aware, and her pupils should be heavily dilated by now. Perhaps that was due to the very light dose that James had given her. Things would shortly change if James decided to pump some more into her.

  Carefully placing the black case down on the bedside table, I laid the vial down gently beside it. “Do you have any safety precautions?” I blurted the words out before I could stop them, but it was a valid question. Should he be messing around with all these drugs? What happened if something went wrong? The emergency personnel weren’t going to be too impressed with us if we managed to kill someone, and that was a very real possibility when playing about with drugs like these.

  “It’s a bit late in the day to be asking questions like that, isn’t it, Lois? If you were concerned about her health, you probably needed to speak up about half an hour ago.” James raised his eyebrows at me before opening his little black case and retrieving another needle.

  Shuddering at the sight, I said, “I’m serious. If you accidentally give her an overdose, what’s your next move?”

  James set the needle down gently and reached into his pocket. He slowly pulled out the ball gag that I had worn earlier, and I found myself instantly scuttling backwards. Like a rat seeking to escape a burning building, I looked all around me for exits before I managed to get my breathing under control. Then I locked my frame in place and concentrated on staying still.r />
  “I think that’s progress, Lois. So the rules are thus: you utter another word and I’ll gag you. Right now, I need to concentrate. Do you understand?” He lifted the needle and vial again, as if I was in any doubt to his sincerity.

  Nodding, I sat back on my heels and willed my pounding heart to subside.

  As James concentrated on drawing another dose out of the vial, he unexpectedly began talking again.

  “Whatever you do, don’t play the curious kitten over at CB. It will get you into more trouble than you can handle, and I’m aware you can handle a lot. As to your earlier question, there’s a reason why I have this black case with so many different drugs in it. If I shoot her up with too much of one, I can counteract it with another. Is it risky? Yes. But it’s nothing I can’t handle. Cellular Operations also has a team of medics just ten minutes away in case something goes wrong, so Elizabeth really has pulled out all the stops on this one, but I guarantee you we won’t need them. I know what I’m doing, and I’ve done it before. Does that answer satisfy you, Lois?”