The Underground
Page 10
The next day, he was just as nervous. He hadn’t scored that high with Trisha, but now knew to expect the unexpected. It was a different sex chamber, decorated like an elegant hotel room. There was a canopy bed covered in a sheer purple net highlighted with golden sparkles. The bedspread was plush red velvet with a golden cord around the trim, and the embroidered pillows were plentiful. It was very inviting, with the peaceful music piped in to match the relaxing scent of flowing incense.
This time, Eudora entered the room. Although he knew she was a tough judge, he felt a little relieved since maintaining an erection would be relatively easy. He looked for clues in everything she did. She wore a nearly sheer black shirt, and matching pants. It was clear that she had no undergarments on top or bottom, which Nathaniel found both titillating and startling, especially as his eyes made a natural b-line for the inviting perfectly trimmed triangle that sat between her legs.
She smiled at him slyly. Was this the same Eudora who never showed even a remote sign of happiness?
“Show me what you’ve got,” she said. Despite everything, her boldness shocked him. That’s all she said as she folded her arms and undressed him with her eyes. Nathaniel noted that she didn’t even introduce herself. Was she Eudora or playing some character? He wondered for a moment, but quickly let those thoughts slip away, and followed her lead.
This was a woman who wanted to get right down to it. Forwardness was easier to read. He deduced that Eudora liked it raw and mighty with all the force he could give her every which way.
He kept his eyes on hers, before walking to her. He kissed her passionately, grabbing the back of her head and pulling it toward his own. She kissed him back with a confidence and strength that told him he was on the right track. His hardness was immediate, and he stopped thinking and let his instincts take command.
He quickly pulled her shirt up, exposing her breasts, which she seemed to enjoy as she leaned them toward him. He licked her nipples before biting them, lightly at first and then his teeth closed in a little bit harder, causing her to let out a whimper that he recognized as pleasure.
The next few moments were so fast, with clothes flying everywhere, like fur flying in a cat fight. He picked her up and threw her down onto the bed, before sinking himself into her with a single motion. As Eudora put her hands on his ass pulling him deeper and deeper, he knew that this was no act. He was riding her with a wildness that he was afraid would make him come, and suddenly stopped.
Eudora’s eyes grew wide with surprise, and Nathaniel smiled deviously.
“Get on your hands and knees,” he said with a commanding voice that he nearly didn’t recognize as his own. She scurried into position and he pulled her hips toward him, entering her from behind with a zealous satisfaction. Nathaniel felt like an unleashed animal. He didn’t worry whether her quick guttural sounds were of true pleasure or some fake teacher act. He needed this, more than he imagined. His release came more quickly than he would have liked, but he felt satisfaction as he buried himself deep, finally slowing each thrust. His breaths were short, and when he pulled out, he fell back onto the mattress, pleased with himself. He certainly felt darn good. He couldn’t be sure, but it sure seemed that Eudora enjoyed her work as the Master Instructor Sexpert. Even Eudora took a few moments to compose herself and get her breathing to a normal pace where she could talk.
“Did it even occur to you to try and talk dirty to me? Ask me if I’d like that?” she said. “You should’ve seen that I’d be receptive to that kind of behavior or maybe even a little spanking.”
“I’m sorry,” Nathaniel said, sheepishly, but didn’t feel that sorry. He knew she had enjoyed the sex.
“Don’t take it personally, Nathaniel. We have a job to do. You’re good. You are. I can see you work hard to pick up the nuances of behavior. I saw it in yesterday’s tapes and I saw it today. You just need to try a little harder. I know you can do this,” she said, pausing. “The Underground needs you, Nathaniel.” He appreciated her encouragement. He was amazed how easily she drifted in and out of character.
As soon as she left, his body relaxed. He thought about what she said as he dressed, and vowed to do exactly what she said: Try harder.
Over the next few days, he dealt with women of all body types and moods. He felt like he was getting better, but the sexual acts were still challenging. At the moment of each orgasm, thoughts of Shayla commanded his mind. He knew that his body was Underground, but his heart and soul belonged many miles away.
Chapter 17
“Calling to check in,” Gerald said from the cell-phone he kept solely for Underground communication. “It wasn’t easy, but I snowed her regarding Nathaniel’s whereabouts and deadened that trail.”
“How did you do that?” Simon’s unfriendly voice spat back.
“I made things up. The Queen would never question information I offered to her. Right now she’s preoccupied with her daughter’s focus on a lower class man. Truthfully, the Queen doesn’t want him to be found. I think she was relieved with my explanation.”
“Good work,” Simon said, and Gerald couldn’t help but think how rare it was to get any kind of complement out of Simon, not that he cared that much.
“How is this Mr. DeLuca doing anyway?” Gerald asked.
“Perfectly well, moving right along,” Simon said, non-committal.
“Why don’t you let me take care of the Queen. I can do this,” Gerald said.
“Don’t even think about it. We need you to stay there for the new government. You have Shayla’s confidence and we’re especially going to need that after the changeover.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time and I know I could handle things…”
“We’ve all been waiting a long time. You, me and every other Spot wants to be the one to bring her down. You’ve done a phenomenal job, but you’ll get your day. We all will, and soon, so hold onto that. This is about all men.”
“I can’t forget,” Gerald said, rubbing the mandatory tattoo on his neck. “It’s not easy to resist the temptation.”
“It’s not easy for any of us. She is the reason castration is still the law. We’re so close.”
“You’re right. I know. I apologize for even questioning…”
“Don’t apologize. Just do your job.”
Chapter 18
After seven days of the sex lab, it suddenly disappeared from Nathaniel’s schedule. He was relieved that the constant challenges of those encounters were behind him, and yet also somewhat disappointed. He had to admit that the sex labs left him with a kind of sexual confidence he had never experienced. In fact, he was starting to feel surer of himself in many ways.
“Put on your shoes, Nathaniel, there’s someone you should meet,” Crosby said to Nathaniel that evening, when making evening rounds. In all of Nathaniel’s time in the Underground, he had never been allowed out of his room at night. Perhaps he was going to see Brigg! To see his friend’s face would be like magic. Nathaniel quickly put on his shoes and followed Crosby.
They walked through the labyrinth of hallways as Crosby hummed, repeatedly using his access codes to unlock deeper corridors of the Underground that Nathaniel didn’t even know existed. Finally, they stopped in front of a door, and Crosby paused before finally punching in the access code. When the door finally opened, Nathaniel felt like he was looking inside a fantasyland. After spending months Underground, his eyes were nearly unaccustomed to the rainbow of silken colors that greeted him. The tapestry-covered couches and the sweet incense infused his senses. The carpets were plush, and the paintings on the walls boasted scenes of men giving speeches – seemingly from yester years. The bookshelves took up an entire wall, filled with leather-bound books. He longed to touch everything. This was, by far, the most beautiful room he had seen since arrival. It was so much to take in, but when he turned to the left he saw a sight he could not believe. There, on a yellow embroidered chaise lounge chair was a man in a jasmine colored robe. But this was not just any man.
It was Chester, smiling broadly at the dumbfounded Nathaniel.
Chester finally began to laugh, and his purple tattoo appeared to be laughing too. When Chester saw that Nathaniel wasn’t moving, he stood up and moved toward Nathaniel, opening his arms. They hugged for a long moment, and when Nathaniel backed away he still couldn’t believe it. He tried to speak, but was unable. Chester motioned for Nathaniel to sit across from him on a softly pillowed couch. They sat in silence, as Chester allowed Nathaniel to acclimate to his surroundings.
“Why?” Nathaniel finally was able to ask.
“I wanted to help you,” Chester said, pausing momentarily. “While I have no doubt that you would have honored your commitment to Janice, I also saw that she made you miserable, quite understandably. And so I brought you here. I hope you are not unhappy that I did. I saw something in you that I wanted to save.”
“I’m stunned,” Nathaniel managed.
Chester studied Nathaniel for a moment before walking across the room. When he returned, he handed Nathaniel a bag that made Nathaniel’s smile even bigger. It was a bag from Chester’s Bakery.
“Open it,” he said.
Nathaniel slowly opened the bag and took out two muffins. This time it was Nathaniel who laughed as he playfully pulled a big hunk of blueberry muffin and put it in his mouth.
“Mmm. I can’t tell you how much I missed this!”
“There’s a banana one too. I would’ve brought you a coffee too, but didn’t think it’d stay hot for the journey,” Chester said.
“I’m just….” Nathaniel began, but he couldn’t finish. Chester let the silence between them sit while Nathaniel savored the muffin that he thought he would never again taste.
“I joined this group fresh out of the C Center and ended up the leader. A long while ago you asked me how I was able to find a peaceful life. Do you remember?”
“Absolutely,” Nathaniel said.
“When you asked me that, it showed me the kind of man that you were, and I knew it was the kind of man we needed here in the Underground. Now you have your answer. I am content because I do work that brings me peace,” Chester finally said, looking away, as though he saw himself all those years ago in a twist of physical and mental pain and suffering.
He returned his eyes to Nathaniel’s. “I took a personal oath to heal my spirit and continue the work of the founder,” he said continuing. “I wanted to help men who felt the same pain I did. I wanted to help men who, if given a second chance, would use it wisely…the ones who had hope and desire for happiness and who could help us gain back what we’ve lost as men, what we deserved and still do,” he said smiling.
“Have you been here all this time?”
“I’m almost never here. We are far from Cambridge, and I’ve got the bakery to run. I’ve got to make money, too,” he joked, shaking his head back and forth.
“What about Brigg?”
“Brigg has been working with us on the outside for a number of years now, but he is seldom able to get away. I saw him this morning and he made me promise to send you a big hello. He misses you a lot.”
“Please tell him I miss him, too,” Nathaniel said, grinning. The years of friendship flashed through his mind.
Nathaniel hesitated before asking about Janice.
“Janice is Janice. She looks for wisdom in the bottom of a bottle,” Chester said with a distant look in his eye.
“Chester, I don’t know what to say.”
“There is nothing you need to say. You are dear to me, and I trust you. That’s why I sent for you. To the other Grounders, I will remain unknown. I hope you understand this.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“Good. Your days as a manual laborer are behind you now. I have spoken with the Master Instructors and they agree that you have been a top student in all manners. We will be releasing you to the Kansas City area, very soon, into the corporate arena. I wanted to wish you luck. I am certain your life will be better now. The job we get you will give you the opportunity to meet a different caliber of women. You will have a new name, identification number, and address. Your training will provide you with all you need to be successful in your new life. I am positive you will thrive in this new environment. When you go back into the world, we trust that you will hold the oath you take when you leave. You can’t contact your old friends, family or anyone at all that you have had contact with,” Chester said, pausing. “Ever,” he said for emphasis, clearly waiting for Nathaniel to respond.
“I understand,” Nathaniel said, thinking about his past and his future.
“I may not see you again, but remember that the Underground always tracks your whereabouts. We will always be in touch with you. I have great faith that you will help our cause, as we win back our rights that we all deserve. I know you will help your brothers all around you, even if they don’t know it,” he said before rising to show Nathaniel it was time to leave.
Chester gave him another hug, and when they let go of their embrace, Nathaniel saw a tear at the edge of his eye.
“Thank you,” Nathaniel said before leaving the room, back into the hands of Crosby who waited patiently in the hallway.
Chapter 19
“I’m sorry I don’t have any more information for you,” the Queen said to Shayla over dinner. It wasn’t exactly true. The Queen wasn’t sorry at all. On top of that, while she didn’t have an incredibly detailed report on this guy, she didn’t need a security report to know this guy wasn’t good enough for Shayla.
“Thanks for trying, mother,” Shayla said, before turning to look out the Palace window.
“What are you thinking?” the Queen asked, observing her daughter’s faraway gaze.
“I was just wondering about Nathaniel, what he’s doing, where he is,” she said.
“Dear, you’re going to have to get over him. He’s gone,” she said, coldly. Shayla bristled. Quickly realizing her mistake, the Queen purposely softened her tone and said, "It also took me a while to adjust after your father died. We had a nice life together."
“Well, I was trying to have a life with Nathaniel,” she said, looking suspiciously at her mother.
“I understand that,” she said, rubbing Shayla’s shoulder for a moment. It wasn’t her natural way, but she knew that Shayla would respond and she was right. Her daughter’s face relaxed.
“Thanks, mom,” she said, smiling with sadness along with a resignation that the Queen took as the green light to further pursue her agenda.
“I have an idea I wanted to run by you,” the Queen said, cutting a piece of filet mignon and taking a delicate bite. “Oh, this is delicious, by the way. Have some,” the Queen said, lightening the conversation further.
“I’m not hungry,” Shayla said, “What’s your idea?”
“I got a call from Lorraine, you know, who runs Steelco? She needs a new CEO here in the Washington, D.C. headquarters and asked if I knew of anyone, and I thought of you,” she said, taking another bite, observing Shayla.
“I’ve got a job,” Shayla said, but the usual fire in her voice was gone.
“Yes, my dear. I know you do and I don’t want you to leave if you don’t want to, but just consider talking to her. What do you have to lose, since you’re here for a few days anyway? You’re so unhappy in Cambridge. Why go back if you don’t have to?”
“Maybe you’re right,” Shayla said. “I don’t know.”
This definitely wasn’t a shoo-in, but waffling was a start, an absolute possibility that wasn’t there a month prior. This was good, a crack in the veneer.
“Tell you what, let me just set up a meeting with you and Lorraine. Private, casual, here in the Palace, no commitments, just a conversation. If the position is interesting, you could take this new job and stay on as some sort of advisor to the Cambridge Public Works.”
“Maybe,” Shayla said, pausing. “But does Lorraine know that my leadership style isn’t exactly traditional?” Shayla said, looking dead into her mother’s eye
s. The strength on her daughter’s face was like looking into a mirror.
“Let's not get the cart before the horse,” the Queen said, taking a sip of wine avoiding any confrontation that would sideline the headway she was making. Lorraine owed her a few favors and it was high time to collect.
——–
“Your Majesty, they are carrying big posters that read: Keep your Laws off my Body. Equal Rights and Justice for all Men.”
“How many?” the Queen asked, doing her best to squelch the frantic quality in her own voice.
“Around a hundred, but they are very vocal,” the Taser in charge told the Queen. The Queen could hear them chanting, and it made her nervous. She wasn’t used to that.
“Round them up.”
“And then what?”
“Take them to the prisons and hold them there. Confiscate any phones or cameras of anyone close by, understand?” the Queen said. If this got onto the Webavision, it could start a domino effect.
“We’ll do our best,” the head of the Taser Force in Washington D.C. said. The Queen could hear the chanting grow louder.
“As long as your best means you get every single cell phone that might have captured any video footage, that’s fine,” she said, with fervor.
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“Make sure I am notified when it is done,” she said before hanging up.
Her security detail had been telling her, for the past year, that the equality movement was gaining steam. This was the first real evidence and now she had to obliterate it, no matter the means to that end.
“Come in,” she said, to the knock on her door. It was probably the staff to take the dinner dishes away. She had ended her dinner with Shalya shortly after Shayla’s agreement to meet with Lorraine. The Queen couldn't be more pleased.
“Gerald? I thought you’d be off by now. It’s late,” she said, as he peeked in the door.