Chapter 17: Data Call

Catherine shared her thoughts on Sam’s tattoo with Aileen McConaghy. “You said you were interested in anything on the ‘ECR’ graffiti. I found an ECR tattoo on an unsponsored male. He works as one of the toys at the Regina Club, if you know it.” Aileen nodded. She wasn’t in London often but she had visited the club on her last trip. “The tattoo had been covered up quite recently. I believe the cover up was done in Victoria. I have some tracking data that puts the male back in Victoria on a regular basis and also in the same location, down on the Isle of Dogs, as a person of interest from the Fitzroy Square rally, though not at the same time.”

“That’s helpful. We’ve had a little extra intelligence on ‘ECR’. It seems like it’s not really a group identity or anything like that. It’s just a gratuitous insult: End Cunt Rule.”

“Charming. And so subtle. Everything’s about sex organs for them, isn’t it? They’re so used to being led by their cocks that if a woman is issuing orders they must be coming from their cunt. Do they really think that’s going to upset us? And why do they seem to hate cunts so much? I thought they were supposed to like them. I know that mine’s quite nice. In fact, pretty much all the ones I’ve encountered have been great.”

“Just because you’re not offended, Catherine, doesn’t mean it’s not worrying. It’s the sort of stupid slogan that can get men thinking they’ve got something to line up behind. And it’s only a short step from there to them starting up campaigning for the right to make prick sex acceptable again or something equally stupid.”

“So we’re still interested in finding out more? I can pass on the addresses to MCF Liaison; maybe they can have a root around.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea yet,” Aileen responded cagily. “Let’s save their size nines for later. If you can keep up the location tracking on your illustrated man and any other related targets we’ll see where that gets us.”

Catherine nodded. She understood Aileen’s point of view and respected her judgement. Once the MCF got involved they would lose all control and she could sense that Aileen felt that there was more to this than a bit of spray painting.

“And, if you discover anything else on your trips to the Regina, that would be a bonus. I’d rather not see it charged to your expenses, though – however good the insights are.” Aileen smiled. Catherine knew she was only half joking.

While Sam Danubo was being discussed by Catherine and Aileen, he was sitting in his cage at the Regina. It was the start of the evening shift and it was quiet in the club. There were five of them on standby in the cages. Only two had been asked for so far. It was all rather theatrical, Sam thought. The cages weren’t really needed, although Natalie had told him they used them so that they would be sure to able to find a “toy” when they needed one. “Besides,” she had said, “they help you get into the right frame of mind ready for when a client comes along.” Sam though they were more for the benefit of the punters when they came to look backstage.

‘The right frame of mind’ – Sam wondered what Natalie would think if she knew he and his friends were very much opposed to the New Order view of the right frame of mind. He’d had a tattoo done of the three letters ‘ECR’ as an expression of defiance but then one of the group had pointed out it wasn’t too smart to be advertising his allegiance. That was when he had got the leopard’s head done at Inky Skin to cover it up.