“I’ll do that, Katrina.”
“You know, Velvet—or should I say Jo, like the Marines do? I guess I haven’t really said thank you yet.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I do. Yes, okay, perhaps that’s part of your job, but anyway. I mean, your mission goals were just the two assholes, right?”
“My mission goals were the two assholes and you. That was the plan.”
“I like that. I mean, that you can choose that.”
“I’ve been working hard for it.”
“Oh, sure. The longer you’re in, the more leeway you have.”
“I wish. But the longer I’m in this role, the higher the expectations become. Well, I think I must blame myself.”
“Do you know already where they’ll send you next?”
I only stared at her. Send me? Katrina backed away. “Excuse me,” she said. “Sure, that’s not my business, that’s a secret. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, that’s not the point, Katrina. Nobody except me determines where I’ll go next. Nobody sends me.”
Now it was her turn to stare at me. “Why—I thought you’re an agent? CIA or something like that?”
“I’ve already told you that I’d been working as a prostitute in the Inferno before.”
“Yes—but I thought that was a cover. I thought, oh damn, she’s taking her job quite far. What are you then?”
“Me? A successful thief. Free as a bird. I go where I like and when I like. Nobody tells me what I have to do or leave.”
“And why do you take up the Cartel then?”
“That’s a long story, and it’s over now. I’ve only taken out the bosses to finally have my peace.”
“And saved us.”
“That was a personal goal, yes.”
“And nobody pays you for it?”
“No.”
“You’re too good for this world, Velvet.”
Chapter Sixteen
“You’re troubling me, Lucy.”
She looked at me from tear-stained, red eyes. “Why, Velvet?”
“Katrina said you’d hurt yourself if she doesn’t watch you.” Lucy pressed her lips together. “Lucy, tell me the truth.”
Slowly, she pushed the bed cover aside and showed me the scar at the base of her breast. “Look at me.”
“Yes, and?”
“That’s ugly. My body is mutilated, my life is ruined.”
“You’re alive and will get better. Those are only scratches. Superficial.”
“This is damaged merchandise, Velvet. This business is merciless. With this body, I can’t do anything—except for the darkest parts of the curb, perhaps—where the bad guys find their victims. So that the next guy can flog me—see, you’re scarred anyway, it doesn’t matter.”
“That’s not what I got you out of there for, Lucy.”
“No. Right. I couldn’t stand it. But I can’t do anything else. I’ve been a cheap whore, and now I’m not even that.”
The worst thing was—I knew she was right. I knew this situation from my own experience. Even if the worst scars would soon fade, she had too many of them, all over her body—and inside her soul.
“You should find yourself a kind man and give up this job.”
“A man? Who’d care for a whore?”
“Did you see the men’s faces when you came upstairs? When they brought you the curtains? At that moment, you could have got any of them. And if you appeal to their protective instinct, that’s still so.”
“Not with these scars.”
“Exactly with these scars.” No, that wasn’t entirely right. Some spots looked truly ugly, but that wasn’t what Lucy should hear now. “That’s making them hot.”
“I’d rather thought it brings them down. And I don’t know whether I still could have sex at all.”
“But yes, Lucy, you can.”
“No, I don’t believe so, Velvet. In this body? I don’t like myself anymore.”
Oh dear. She was a really hard case. “Move over.”
“What do you want?” But she moved.
“Trust me.”
I had an idea about what could help her—but I had to proceed very gently. First, I let my nano suit run down to the floor and slipped under her cover. She accepted it with wide eyes.
“Come,” I said and opened my arms. After hesitating briefly, she took the offer and snuggled up to me.
“Back then, my mother took me into her arms like that, too,” she quietly said. “Before her guy deserted us. Before she took strangers into our camper.”
Her story was like that of many girls in this Cartel-driven America—her mother had sold herself to feed her child and send it to school. The daughter grew up to be a pretty youngster, which the Johns noticed, too. But the mother protected her daughter, shielded her. That worked until one guy wouldn’t be distracted. The mother interfered, he produced a knife—and then abused the orphan.
Lucy ran away from the city, searched for jobs, and quickly found herself at the curb again. Many steps brought her to Las Vegas. From the filthy brothel, she worked her way up to the Inferno, where she found comparably reasonable working conditions—until a very good client became interested in her, and she was invited to the seventh level. She had no clue what to expect until it was too late.
My gentle caressing had a calming effect. After a while, I made her turn around and snuggled up to her in spoon position. She was innocent—after all, I had no cock.
She didn’t say anything when I caressed her arm, her hip, her upper leg. She allowed me to stroke her belly, touch her breasts, even purred a little. My touches remained cautious insinuations, never pushing or demanding.
Occasionally, I touched her hair, and a few times even her thighs. More and more, she relaxed. Still I took my time, dabbed the fear out of her, and brought her body to remember pleasant feelings.
All the time my healing nano columns were busy reshaping the uglier spots, repairing sore and pain-sensitive spots, soothing stirred nerves, turning the mutilated body into a pretty young woman again—with a few superficial marks that weren’t defacing but made her interesting, that added character.
Finally, I moved a little back without ending my tender treatment. As intended, she rolled on her back. It was time for a change of strategy. Time for my lips and my tongue to commence their search.
Time for my art.
Her body responded. Oh, perhaps she had really thought she wasn’t able to feel any more lust, but the opposite was true. Right now, she needed this passion even more. Passion without fear, without bad memories, which only another woman could give her. Pleasant passion, the essence of Eva Keller’s message, that no other could relay like me.
Lucy was very receptive to it. While I was still patiently plucking her tits with my lips, she spread her legs and presented her rosy wet labia. While my tongue explored her thighs’ soft skin, the first drop of her juice ran down into her butt crack. When I tasted from it, she squealed, and as soon as I dabbed her cute clitoris, she came with a loud cry. She wheezed several times while her vagina heavily trembled.
Oh yes, my dear. You like to have sex.
Chapter Seventeen
“Good evening, Mrs. Meier. Or shall I call you Velvet?” My host reached out his right hand for a firm grip.
“Good evening, Mr. President. Just call me Jo.”
“Jo. Fine, I’m Nicholas, Nick for my friends.”
“Nick.”
“Thank you for finding some time for me, Jo. You’ve been quite busy lately.”
“There were a few old stories I had to finish.” In fact, I was very curious about the course this talk would take. What could the real American President—not the Cartel marionette—want from me? Or more precisely, who was he interested in? In the Dragon technology maven Johanna Meier, in Velvet, the thief, or just in the person Jo? I ruled out the whore, as the situation was too serious yet. Well, I’d soon learn about it, as he couldn’t spend the entire evening on small talk.
> “You must tell me more about it. But have a seat first.” He pointed at one of two plushy chairs that were placed in the otherwise sparsely furnished office and walked toward the other. One of the security men poked his head through a side door, but was immediately shied away by a firm gesture. “We’re alone. My people objected, but I’ve insisted on a four-eye talk. I’ve told them, she’s made such an effort to help us that I don’t think she’s after my head.”
“I’m not,” I agreed, and let myself sink into the seat. “If I were, all your men couldn’t help you, Nick.”
“I knew it. My feel for people has rarely betrayed me.” He sat down, too, and placed his hands on the armrests.
“In this case, it has played you a trick.”
“Why?” He leaned forward.
“I didn’t make any effort to help you. All I did was meant to weaken the Cartel and make them nervous.”
“Isn’t that effectively the same?”
“Perhaps it looks like that. Each mission has primary and secondary goals, and often more or less desirable side effects. Here we’re talking about a desirable side effect.”
“Hum. You’re very straightforward.”
“I want you to understand me, Nick. I’m no second Lionheart who’s placing her duty above everything. I’m placing myself above everything.”
“I don’t understand. After all you’ve done. Why did you take the Cartel on at all then?”
“Correction—the Cartel took me on. They thought they could control everyone and everything. To have my peace from them, I had to hit them so severely that they can’t cause me any more trouble. With my last strike in Las Vegas, I should have managed that.”
“Oh.” He stared contemplatively at the ceiling, which gave me time to consider whether he might be gay. In any case, he managed in an admirable way not to stare at my tits under the figure-hugging black nano suit.
“Well, that makes it more difficult for me.”
“In which way?”
“Let me first explain the situation as I see it. After your most recent mission, I’ve sent some of my trusted men and a few armor suits back to Las Vegas to terminally clean up that rat’s nest. If we’re successful there, we have a good basis to restore order at the west coast and the largest part of the Midwest. With the support of Army and FBI, we should be able to sustainably remind the local police forces of their original duties and make a clear statement against corruption.”
“Spare us the election promises. Do you really believe you can discard years-long habits so easily?” I thought of my adventures in Denver.
“You’re not talking about bribery.”
His people smarts weren’t that bad after all. “I’m talking about abuse of power, abuse and rape on duty, only to name a few symptoms.”
“Denver.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve done my homework, Jo. What’s happened there belongs to the things I want to eradicate. That it could come so far is inexcusable. I want to apologize, anyway.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got over it.”
“I believe there have been some subsequent events which made the people think. Denver cleaned up without our support.”
“Interesting.”
“I believe under the surface, there have been a lot of messages circulating about the deeds of a certain Velvet, who’s outright given the Cartel the runaround. Its reputation of invincibility had already been shattered for a while. Thereupon some honest people dared to advance a bit. The good American virtues haven’t entirely disappeared yet, you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, from our early days. Trappers and settlers who were on their own against bandits and wild animals, who defended their home and family weapon in hand. Villages that chose and supported their sheriff. People who stood together even if a gang of robbers threatened their lives.” He sighed. “Of course, there’s a down side, too. Smaller villages shut down, and strangers have to explain themselves. Where possible we try to install marshals who make sure that the pendulum won’t swing to the other side.”
“The other side?”
“So that not every poor bastard traveling along will be hanged.”
“Oops.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been somewhat exaggerating. But you see what I mean?”
“I believe so, yes. But that’s not my fault.”
“One of the more or less desirable side effects of your actions, understood. You don’t set out to be a good role model.”
“Role model? As Velvet? Surely not.”
“For your skill at finding things that aren’t lost yet? But it always was about selected targets. Velvet isn’t reputed to steal from honest people. Velvet doesn’t kill, but knocks out. Velvet’s standing at the side of the weak. You know, even if you didn’t plan building such a reputation, it still speaks in your favor.”
“Thanks for the flowers.”
“But you don’t need the green stuff, clear. In any case, your reputation helped us all to improve the situation—in the west. Here on the east coast, it looks different. Annapolis is Navy grounds, and the Navy has more or less successfully resisted the Cartel’s attempts to seize power. That may be an aftereffect of Angry April. People are still very proud of her.”
“What about Army and Air Force?”
“Good boys and girls. They’re principally on the right side, too, but have to fight massive infiltration.” He shrugged. “We’re working on it. Back to the overall situation. The east coast, or better, the entire eastern part of the country, is still a problem. First of all New York, Chicago, and Atlantic City. There, we’re facing a different kind of tradition, you know? And even if the people on this side of the continent have heard of Velvet already, she’s still far away.” He smiled. “Right now, that’s different, but nobody knows about it.”
“I’m very glad of that.”
“Well, sadly. So, the country’s western half ventured on its way back to a union of lawful states. Opposed to that, the eastern half is still in organized crime’s firm grip, even if the Cartel’s glue is lost. The east is densely populated, and the densely populated areas have more regional organizations with more personnel accordingly. I can’t do anything about it with just a handful of invisible armor suits.”
“Nor can I do anything about it.” And I didn’t want to.
“You know what I truly fear?”
The question took me by surprise. “No.”
“That our country breaks apart. A criminal nation in the east and a nation of hope in the west.”
“That wouldn’t be the very worst.”
“The separation in itself, not. Only what follows. How long will it take until the first people flee west? How long until their example sets a precedence? And then? Either the Cartel will close down the borders and shoot anyone who tries, or we’ll soon have a lot of people without job and without a home. Lots of strangers! Strangers who aren’t welcome in little villages and who we can’t feed. Can you imagine where that leads?”
“Yes.” I could imagine, sadly. At best, it wouldn’t turn out well—or, presumably, provide fertile grounds for a new Cartel, version two.
“I won’t allow that to happen, Jo. But my options are limited. I’ve already sent out some scouts to find out where I could strike, but so far without tangible results.”
I liked the course of our talk less and less.
“I need a signal—for example the liberation of New York.”
“And I shall do that?”
“No. The New Yorkers shall do it themselves, only with a little, hum, motivation. Inspiration. If someone would place a shot across the corrupt cops’ and syndicate leaders’ bows—”
“A shot across the bows? Those people won’t be impressed by a little theatrical thunder.”
“You’re right. It must be a tangible sign, unmistakable and irrevocable.”
“Talk clear, Nick. I’m no little girl. That’s why we’re talking alone, right?”
“You’ve read my face, Jo.”
“So, what do you want?”
“A few of those people must go—in a way that shows.” At least he managed to meet my gaze. “I need targets, and I need a killer.”
“Me?!”
He shrank back from my horrified outcry. “No. Velvet is no killer. What I need from Velvet are only the targets.”
Only the targets. I had to admit that the task sounded exciting—a task quite matching Velvet’s pay grade, only a bit crazy, but solvable. Thereafter, I could introduce an armor suit and withdraw myself. Just so. No.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“No?”
“You’re quite right—Velvet has no reputation as killer. But that’s not true anymore, not since Tokyo and Vegas.”
“Tokyo doesn’t count. That was an open battle. And Vegas—I’d heard of this seventh level. I believe I wouldn’t have acted differently. But that’s not the issue. I’ve been talking of cold-blooded, planned murder. Basically, I can’t officially order such things. It would be illegal.”
“So what?”
“We’re just trying to replace a regime ruling by such means against an honest one. I can’t recklessly gamble this legitimation away. Not in a way that it becomes public.”
“And I shall do the dirty work.”
“Yes and no. I’m unsure myself whether it’s fair to ask you.”
“It isn’t. It’s absolutely mean. But it’s just as mean if I pick the targets and then pretend their death wouldn’t be my business. It’s super mean if I could do it easily and chicken out while another one takes the risk—a risk that doesn’t exist in the same way for me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m better than anyone else you could send. It’s Velvet.”
“You’re quite confident. But this is about more than dexterity, I’m aware of that.”
“I can offer more than dexterity.”
“Yes—the Tokyo reports sound like that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t risk sending you to such a pit of hell.”
“I’ve been to the inferno already.”
“You think so. But anyway—if you’re really willing to accept the task?”
Lioness’ Legacy IV—Torment Page 6