by R. S. Smith
The other four all nodded in agreement.
“Summa cum laude I see, Renée, very impressive. You must be the brains of the gang. Oh, now this is interesting,” said Pepper as she continued to peruse the files on her satphone. “This little tidbit of information just tilted the scales of justice in your favor, ladies, and I do use that term loosely.”
“What's that, ma'am?” asked Renée, patronizingly and perplexed.
“What's your father's first name, hon?”
“Sanford. Why?”
“Uh huh. Hmmm.” Pepper continued reading.
“The jerk abandoned her when she was just a little kid!” said Jessie. “Because of him disappearing, she experienced a childhood of sex-abuse.”
“Well, normally I wouldn't share this information. It's classified, need-to-know stuff, but considering the extraordinary situation here, I guess there is a need-to-know.” Pepper paused and eyed the group with clear disdain.
Princess Lei, her Royal Guard, and rest of the entourage waited patiently in the background, with weapons aimed at the group.
“It seems your father is one of us, Renée. He's CIA. He didn't abandon you. He was caught spying and spent twenty years in a Cambodian prison. He was released last year and has been trying to locate you.”
“Oh my God; that explains so much! He never deserted us after all! There's no way he could have ever found me. I've spent all my time trying to remain elusive and invisible. Where is he now? Can I see him?”
“One thing at a time. I'm adding your photos to our new facial-recognition software updates. From now on, anytime one of you enters an airport or passes through an American traffic intersection with a camera, or any other of a number of video locations, we'll know where you are. You can run, but you can't hide anymore, at least not nearly as easily.”
Pepper left to confer with Princess Lei. She returned a moment later.
“I informed Her Highness that it was the Prince's father who helped secure the release of your dad. She has accepted my recommendation to let you five live. Sanford is presently working undercover in the same province as the wedding.”
“Holy smokes! I'll get to see my dad?!”
“I just sent him a secure text message regarding your capture. He'll be anticipating your arrival. You'll travel with us as our prisoners until we reach our destination. Do not speak unless spoken to. Do you understand?”
All five nodded yes.
Father and daughter enjoyed a long overdue reunion the next day in the library of the prince's Royal Palace. Two soldiers stood guard outside.
“Renée, I've been reading over all these files on you. I had no idea your life had been anything like this and that you used so many different aliases. I'm so sorry for your troubles!”
“It's not your fault, Daddy. I'm just so happy to finally learn the truth and have a chance to be with you again!” The hardened assassin began to cry as the pair hugged one another.
Soon they were joined by Renée's four friends and introductions were made.
“I think it only appropriate that we all get better acquainted, and there's no time like the present. The bar here is fully stocked. Each of you feel free to help yourselves to your favorite poison, then we can all share some of our various horror stories over drinks. I'm going to have a brandy. What can I get for you, sweetie?”
“I want a brandy, too, Dad.”
As everyone made themselves comfortable with a drink in one of the big, cozy library chairs, Pepper came into the room and joined them.
The next six hours passed quickly. Drinks were refilled, liquor bottles were emptied. Incriminating details were kept vague, but a clear essence of the group was conveyed.
Pepper and Sanford conferred quietly with one another at the bar, and then she addressed the gathering.
“Okay, guys, here's the deal. Do you remember that true story where the criminal was so good at being bad, that after he was finally caught, the government hired him?”
“Oh yeah, that was the one who passed himself off as a doctor and an airline pilot and cashed lots of fraudulent checks, right?”
“Right, and that's similar to what we have here. You're all facing the possibility of life in prison due to your attack on Royalty and past criminal activity. Langley has authorized me, at my sole discretion and with the concurrence of said Royalty, to make you each a one-time offer if I feel that it is warranted. Your stories this evening, combined with all the information in your files and a few other things, have persuaded me to do so. You have skills that we can use in the CIA. The way you have accomplished all that you have, and the way you have done so with no incrimination, have impressed management. I'm offering you the opportunity to avoid prison and join the CIA with a one-year probationary period. If you decline the offer, you will go to prison. If things don't work out, your CIA records will be expunged and you will go to prison. If you ever piss me off, you will go to prison. If you ever cause displeasure in the Royal Family, you will go to prison. If things do work out, you'll become field agents like me and lead lives of risk and adventure. The choice seems obvious, but I do need your sincere, serious commitments on this. Please talk amongst yourselves and let me know your decision.”
The five women huddled for about thirty seconds, then announced their unanimous agreement and commitment. Sanford came over and proudly put his arm around his daughter. There was a sense of both general relief and delight in the room.
“Oh, one more thing,” added Pepper. “To ensure that none of you take flight during your probationary period, all of your assets in the U.S. have been frozen, bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, real estate and so forth.”
“Damn it, that's not fair!” exclaimed Ashley.
“Then you'll be even more upset to learn that there is some consideration being made as to seizing all of your assets according to the RICO Act. It's out of my hands, guys, I just wanted to make you aware of it.”
Although the women appeared to be upset, they weren't horribly so, as the bulk of their liquid assets were held offshore in such places as The Cayman Islands or Panama.
“Miss Pepper, may I ask you something, ma'am?” Jessie inquired.
“It's just Pepper, hon, and yes, ask me anything.”
“You mentioned earlier that you and Princess Lei are really tight. Is it a sexual thing, and how did you know we were there?”
“Sweetheart, as we in the business say, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.”
Chapter 6
Lethal Liaisons
A Tale of Two Sisters
This chapter introduces new characters who will soon join up with the others.
The two sisters looked so much alike that they were often mistaken for twins, although they were a few years apart in age. Kristie was in her late twenties; Karlee around age thirty. Both were very smart, blonde, tall and attractively slender. Despite their similarity in appearance, the two of them were different in personality. Kristie, mild-mannered and naive, was enjoying success as a model and gaining popularity as an actress; Karlee, aggressive and worldly, was evolving from a frustrated attorney into an accomplished assassin. Their story begins during their years in an overcrowded high school, in an average middle-size city in the North American heartland.
“Karlee, what do you think of Jake the quarterback?”
“Is he the reason you tried out for the cheer-leading squad, Kristie?”
“No, but I do believe in cheer-leading-with-benefits,” she said with a wink.
“Yeah, he is cute. Are you going to ask him out?”
“No, I don't ask guys out! If I get picked, he's sure to notice me though. Will you come to the games and cheer me on, sis?”
“I might come to a few games, but Friday nights are when I have my martial arts class, Kristie.”
During the rest of the year, the sisters worked hard to get good grades; Kristie gained popularity as a cheerleader, while Karlee honed her already first-rate fighting skills. For Karlee, gra
des were more important than high school sports, as she planned on attending law school. Kristie and Jake had been dating and progressing in a relationship. One evening Kristie came home from a night out, crying and disheveled.
“What happened to you, sis?”
“That horny Jake couldn't take 'no' for an answer, Karlee.”
“Oh?”
“We were at a post-football game party and in one of the back bedrooms drinking. Jake kept refilling my glass and we were both getting pretty drunk. His kisses were so passionate I got lost in the moment and before I knew what was happening, we were both half-naked. Jake said that if I wanted to remain his girlfriend, I'd have to go down on him.”
“Well, I hope he offered to reciprocate,” she said half-joking.
“It's not funny. I'm not that kind of girl! I've never done anything like that and don't ever plan to just to keep a guy!” Kristie snapped back.
“You're right, it's not funny and I'm sorry, sis. So what happened?”
“The bastard pushed my head down into his lap and forced his thing into my mouth!” she said, unable to stop her tears. “And that's not the worst of it!”
“He raped you?!” she asked, becoming so irate she could barely contain herself.
“No, but it was just as bad, I think.”
“What do you mean, hon?”
“One of the other guys knocked on the closed door to see if we needed more beer. While Jake was holding my head down, he shouted out 'come in'! The guy came in and saw me doing that, and then they both laughed! Then several others came in to see what was so funny. He kept my pink panties for a souvenir. I was never so humiliated before in my life, Karlee!”
Karlee spent the rest of the evening calming down her sister and put her to bed. They decided it best not to tell their parents. She knew Jake as they were both seniors, had shared a few classes, and had attended some of the same parties over the years. Once Kristie was asleep, Karlee drove over to his house and waited on the front steps for him to return. Soon he came stumbling up the walkway.
“Hi, honey,” she purred.
“Karlee, what are you doing here?”
“I'm afraid I’m kinda drunk, handsome, and you know how us girls get when we're all liquored up. I thought you might want to party with me. You don't mind my being so forward, do you?”
“Not at all, baby, but we'll need to be quiet. My folks are probably asleep.”
“I'll be as quiet as a mouse, sweetheart,” she whispered as she slid her body up against his.
Jake led her down into the basement where his dad kept a well-stocked bar. He set the stereo volume on low, mixed a few cocktails and snuggled in next to Karlee on the sofa. He was replaying the scenario he had earlier in the evening with Kristie. “I like doing sisters,” he said with a slur as they began undressing each other.
“You do? Do you want me to invite mine to come over and join us, lover?” she asked, kissing her way down his stomach.
Jake was getting so excited that he could only moan. His moans got more intense as she teased him with tender kisses on his thighs. He grabbed onto her hair. “Come on, baby, stop holding back!” he demanded, as he forced himself into her mouth. It would be the last time he made such a mistake.
Karlee bit down and bit down hard. Her teeth left her brand on his manhood as he screamed out in agony.
“Aaaagggghhhh!”
Blood dripped from her lips as she lifted her head, stared into his eyes and said, “Was it as good for you as it was for me, baby?”
“You bitch!”
She slapped him hard. “You're lucky I didn't bite it off, asshole! Oh what the heck, I could use a souvenir. Whaddya say I take the little guy home with me?” She moved her head lower to finish the job and he abruptly pulled away.
“Get the hell away from me you damn skank!”
“Jake, if I ever hear of you abusing someone like this again, I'll be back to finish the job.” She thrust her knee into his groin for an added bonus, nonchalantly gathered up her things, retrieved her sister's panties, and left. Jake was never heard from again.
As the ensuing years passed by, Karlee continued in her role as protective big sister; Kristie maintained her role of relative goodness. College graduation with honors for both came and passed. Kristie was pursuing a modeling career in Chicago, mostly advertising underwear for a lingerie catalog. Karlee labored in a nearby law practice. They were now in their mid-to-late twenties.
“Karlee, I got an offer from one of my clients to do an audition for a new TV series!”
“Gee, that's great, Kris. You're becoming rich and famous, while I'm just helping to get rich people off for their dirty deeds and sending the poor ones to prison.”
“You're so good at what you do, sis, and I'm so very proud of you!”
“Yeah, yeah; so tell me about this audition, hon.”
“It's going to be a new sitcom about family life,” Kristie beamed.
“So are you trying for the part to be the daughter or the mom?”
“I don't know the details yet. Maybe it'll be about sisters! If the local agent likes me, I go to New York to meet the final decision makers.”
“Well, beware the casting couch, Kris.”
“Oh, that stuff is just a myth, silly.”
“Let's celebrate your budding acting career with a shopping spree at the mall!”
Their first stop was Victoria's Secret where they purchased matching ensembles of sexy underwear. Karlee opted to get hers in pink; Kristie got hers in lavender this time, with a matching slip.
“Did I tell you I'm starting a new class in kickboxing, Kris?”
“That should complement your other fighting skills, sis.”
“Let's stop into that gun store,” Karlee requested.
“Why?”
“I need to enhance my self-image; martial arts and shooting seem to go together.”
As they perused the weaponry, Karlee was drawn to the Glocks. One of them was called the 'assassin model'. She asked to see it. It felt so good in her hand, that a wry grin spread across her face.
“Oh, sis, you should get it. It's so you!” Kristie insisted.
She filled out the paperwork, found out where to get some shooting lessons, and they called it a day.
The next afternoon, Kris arrived at the agency to discover over a dozen other applicants, both male and female. No one spoke; there was an eerie silence as they nervously waited and reviewed the scripts they would be reading. Those who finished were sent out a back door. Soon she and a young man named Dan were summoned by the middle-aged couple doing the interviewing. Although a bit of an oaf, his body was well-toned and his build almost husky. They halfheartedly exchanged anxious smiles as they entered the room.
“First, I'd like to thank you both for being so patient. We're trying to be thorough, as well as encouraging, to those auditioning when we can. You'll notice a large TV screen mounted on the wall. This is so that we all can get a sense of how you look on the big screen. Your entire session today is being recorded and will be provided to our contacts in New York for their review. Are you ready to proceed?”
They both nodded yes and spent the next fifteen minutes doing dialog, while watching themselves on the large flat-screen. The older couple, a man and a woman, seemed less than satisfied.
“Neither one of you is putting yourself into the role in the way we want. This show is about sexuality, not simply sex. New York needs to see more flesh. We'll need you both to strip down to your underwear for this next segment. Just think of it as being in your swimsuits at the beach, no more.”
Kris was used to modeling underwear for the catalog, so had lost some of her inhibitions, but was still feeling reluctant as she looked up at herself on the big screen. Both did as requested, read through several more scenes, and were then surprised by the next request.
“There is one more thing, and it's strictly optional, but will certainly help to improve your chances of being selected.”
&nb
sp; “What's that?” they asked.
“All the big stars have at one time or another done a nude scene. It's all a part of the business,” said the woman. “We're not asking that you do so, but it would help your chances of successfully marketing yourselves for future opportunities with upcoming film productions if you want to volunteer. Remember, sex sells!”
Dan promptly removed his shorts and threw them off to the side.
Kris squirmed as she considered volunteering, then looked up again at her image on the big screen. She looked good in her new Victoria's Secret underwear, she thought. It boosted her confidence. Then she watched as her arms seemed to involuntarily reach behind her and undo her bra. She saw herself displayed topless in large, living color and felt aghast.
“Now the underpants,” the man said admiringly.
It felt as if time had stopped. There she stood in front of God and everybody and being filmed possibly for the world to see, wearing just her new lavender panties. Her eyes kept returning to the big screen on the wall as she imaged herself becoming one of those famous celebrities. She took the plunge, quickly slipped off her panties before she could change her mind, and tossed them over on top of Dan's shorts.
“Good, good,” said the pleased couple. “Now both smile, stand together and look into the camera. You're marketing yourselves, kids. Look sexy!”
Kristie felt a new sense of freedom; she was naked yet still felt wholesome. Her eyes sparkled as she reached around behind Dan and mischievously pinched him on his butt as the camera recorded the end of their most memorable audition.
Meanwhile, back at Karlee's office, she was working diligently on her latest legal case when her mentor Carlton approached her. He was several years older, tall and had wavy hair. He'd been educated in Europe and had acquired the hint of an accent during that time. She found it rather sexy.
“Karlee, where do we stand on that Higgin's suit?”
“We can win it, but this CEO is a schmuck. He's clearly guilty of backdating his stock options to the most favorable time period, and the company is not even expensing them on their financial statements! The shareholders have a legitimate beef.”