Crazy Seduction(erotica)

“I see. Roy Duncan.” He eased the girl down onto her feet again and looked at her. “We’ve not been able to reach Henry. When did you text him?”

Meixiu’s bottom lip was trembling, and her eyes were getting glassy. She seemed unable to speak, so Eleanor spoke for her. “It would have been just moments before this happened. He apparently indicated he was steps from his door.”

The lawyer addressed Roy. “I’ve spoken with the police. They said it looks like a gang-related execution. Six large men in city workers coveralls, each killed by a single gunshot to the head,” Raymond explained.

Roy frowned. “Either there were multiple shooters or one highly skilled professional.” He looked closer at Raymond. “Exactly who are you to have such a relationship with the police?”

The big man smiled. “I’m a public defender. They don’t all like me, but some are willing to talk… or can be persuaded to.”

Roy looked at him. “Right.” He looked at Eleanor. “What do you do?”

She smiled confidently at him. “I’m a surgeon.”

“Is there something we can do?” Raymond asked.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“I need more information. What I need is to get closer to one of the victims,” Roy said in frustration.

Raymond nodded. “Come on. Let me see what I can do.” He looked to his wife. “We’ll be right back.”

Roy followed Raymond into the chaos of flashing lights.

Meixiu watched them go and bit her lip. Where could Henry be?

-=-

Minkah sat in the passenger seat of the van driven by the Council Investigator. The small man had clamped extenders to the gas and brake pedals to reach them. It made Minkah uncomfortable, but she couldn’t fault the dwarf’s precise driving.

They’d met at the designated location, and he’d helped move Henry into his vehicle. He’d also provided the incendiary device to destroy any trace evidence that might be in the van she’d taken from Henry’s would-be abductors. As they drove away, she’d watched with satisfaction as it burned.

They were almost at their destination, and there had been no sign of anyone following.

The Investigator’s cell buzzed, and he spared a second to look at it. “Dammit!” He tucked the phone away as he gave her a quick glare.

“What?” she snapped.

“The body count you left behind was discovered before our cleanup crew could get to it. Now we have a media circus on our hands!” he snapped back.

“They were abducting Hen- the target! If they’d taken him, it might have been impossible to track them and take control of him. If they’d killed him, that would have had dire consequences, as the file stated. You got what you wanted. This was a successful conclusion for the mission. That’s what I do. Spin the collateral damage. Isn’t that what you do?”

Rand clamped his jaw shut as she had a point. Still, he didn’t like her. He’d caught her slip. She wasn’t as professional about her target as she claimed… yet she’d followed through without blinking. He admired her abilities, but her cold nature made him uncomfortable.

Minkah turned her face from the driver and glanced once more into the back of the van. She could see Henry was breathing, and the drugs were still working. She looked out the windshield and brooded.

Minutes later, Rand turned off the Interstate and headed north on the much smaller country highway. It wasn’t much longer before they turned off onto a smaller road then a long, winding single lane drive, which emerged from a forest into a gravel drive leading to a farmhouse and separate garage.

Rand stopped the van next to a small post with what looked like a mailbox on top. He rolled down his window and reached out to place his hand against its side. Then he rolled the window up and drove towards the garage. The door swung up as they got closer, and he got them inside. He shut off the engine but made no move to get out.

Minkah looked at him, but he only spared her a flickering glance before the floor began to drop slowly. An elevator!

Once it stopped and doors closed above them, Rand got out, and she exited as well. She pulled the side door open and checked on their… prisoner. She wasn’t about to fool herself. That’s what he was going to be until he eventually died. It seemed like such a waste. She didn’t understand, but her part of the mission was over. She felt a little ill.

Two large orderlies in white scrubs appeared with a wheeled gurney. Following them was a thirty-something woman dressed in a white jacket and pants outfit with a loose white lab coat over top. In a girl-next-door way, she was pretty with her mousy brown hair pinned back in a bun. Her thin nose supported white plastic-framed half glasses connected to a silver chain, allowing her to rest the eyewear against her modest chest as she reached out a slim hand to the investigator.

“Good evening, Mr. von Deussel.”

“Good evening, Dr. Leslie,” he returned as he shook her hand then glanced uncomfortably at the assassin. “This is Minkah Kamilah Nassor Meskhenet-”

“Yes,” the doctor interrupted with the briefest of nods to her before turning back to Rand. “You’ve brought me our newest guest,” she said with delight. She gestured for the two men wheeling the cart to move towards the double doors to their left. She immediately followed with Rand at her side.

Minkah was stinging from being dismissed so summarily, but she wasn’t ready to leave Henry’s side just yet. She followed and picked up the conversation the doctor was having with Rand.

“We’re less than half capacity, so another guest is no strain at all. We’ve set his room up as directed, and I can assure you we will maintain his physical condition for as long as his natural lifespan allows,” the doctor continued.

“He’s not to be allowed to become conscious. We have no idea how he’s doing it, but we’re convinced he is linked to the arrival and propagation of the pseudo-clouds.”

The doctor nodded and looked thoughtfully at Rand. “It normally takes a few days to stabilize his medication. The dosage given to him to keep him under in transit will naturally be higher than we will use to maintain him.” She moved up to stop the gurney and looked into her patient’s eye. Henry’s pupils were pinpricks. She frowned.

“He seems to have had a stronger than normal reaction to the sedative. He’s under too deeply, and his breathing is too shallow.” She looked to Minkah. “Did you inject him twice?”

“I did not. I used one of the provided injectors against his neck at the time of his capture,” Minkah said in a clipped voice.

The doctor looked away without acknowledging her response. “You’ll have to excuse me. I should address this immediately.”

Rand nodded, and the doctor hustled away with the orderlies. Another woman approached them, and Minkah noted she was identical to Dr. Leslie, except her half-glasses had black plastic frames.

The investigator bowed slightly to her. “Administrator Kenzie. We’ve delivered the subject into the care of Dr. Leslie. You’ve arranged a vehicle for our trip back?”

The woman shook her head. “Minister Hoek contacted me to ask you two to remain overnight in case our new guest shows complications.”

“Shit!” the dwarf snapped.

Minkah looked at the Administrator. “Where are we supposed to stay?”

She looked at Minkah, and her disdain was evident as she sighed wearily. “While no one stays there, the farmhouse is fully functional. Breakfast is served in our cafeteria at seven. The kitchen is closed now.” She pointed to a door at the end of the hall. “That takes you into the house. Good evening.” She turned and headed back into the complex.

Rand and Minkah shared a brief look of unease then she headed off towards the door. Rand fell in behind her.

Passing through the heavy door, they found themselves inside the basement of the farmhouse. It was dimly lit with old clear bulbs. The door they’d just entered looked like an old, wooden bedroom door from this side. They looked around at the unremarkable basement interior. Aside from being very clean, neat, and orderly, it could have been any farmhouse owned by a clean freak. They climbed the old stairs into the kitchen and saw appliances from the 1960s. Again, spotless. The lights were a little brighter here, but there was a general feeling of tiredness about the home. They did a quick tour of the main floor then headed upstairs. There was a bedroom at the front of the house overlooking the front lawn and the lane that led to it. Two more bedrooms were at the back.

“I’ll take this one,” Minkah said from the doorway of the larger front bedroom.

Rand flashed a sour look at her then headed to the bedroom farthest from hers. “See you at seven,” he grumbled, then closed his door.

Minkah closed and locked her door, then did a sweep of the room, finding it clear of listening devices and cameras. On the old bed was a plastic, shrink-wrapped package containing the bed sheets and pillows. In the ensuite bathroom was another shrink-wrapped package with a toothbrush, toothpaste, facecloth, and towel.

She wanted to clean her guns, but the tools were back in the safe house in the city.

Sighing, she made the bed then undressed. The guns went under the pillows, and she settled back to rest.

She went through all of her actions on this mission, and while she’d never admit it to Rand, she hadn’t performed as professionally as she usually did. It was something about the target, something about Henry Gable. He wasn’t the most exceptional example of masculinity she’d ever encountered, and she’d taken many exciting and talented lovers over the years. Yes, she thought he was handsome enough, and he had a pleasing physique, but there was… something else.

With an angry snort, she flipped over and forced her mind into reciting her mantras so she could calm her thoughts and bring herself a little peace so she could sleep.

The mission was over. She would move on. There was nothing left for her to do.

Was there?