Chapter 16: The Spy

"I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."
WINSTON CHURCHILL

"Our achievements leave class enemies breathless."
LEONID BREZHNEV

Martin Spencer (the name has been changed to protect the innocent) sits in his apartment watching some late night TV. A beautiful blonde actress is being interviewed by the host about her latest movie.

"So can you set up the clip for us?"

"Sure, Jamie. In this scene, I'm back from China and I'm with my boyfriend picking up my luggage at the airport. We haven't seen each other in two years and we have a little trouble controlling ourselves."

"OK, let's roll the film."

The screen blanks for a moment and the actress and an actor are making out furiously at an airport luggage carousel. He sits her down on the edge, lifts her skirt and begins eating out her pussy. A few people shake their heads but no one pays that much attention to them. Then the actress leans back and falls onto the carousel which carries her off.

"Brad?!" the actress calls as her exposed pussy is conveyed past the people standing around the carousel.

"Muffy?!?" Brad starts chasing her around the loop, falling over luggage and bumping into the crowds of people. Eventually he falls onto the carousel and tries to crawl to her. The studio audience laughs in the background while the pair struggle to get to one another, climbing and stumbling over suitcases. Muffy stands and runs against the motion of the moving plates, leaping over the obstacles. She trips and is ferried off through an opening in the wall, butt first. Behind the wall, men are unloading luggage onto the conveyor belt. A woman, kneeling doggy style facing away from them, comes into view. Her skirt has pulled up, completely exposing her nude fanny. The scene fades and the actress flashes a million-dollar smile while the audience cheers.

"So I understand that the really interesting thing about this film is that, in the love scenes you actually *didn't* have sex with the men." She nods. "That's very unusual," he continues.

"I can explain that, Jamie. My husband and I are trying to conceive our child."

"And of course we wish you both the very best of luck." The audience applauds again.

Martin is interrupted by the sound of the v-phone ringing. He pushes a button on the remote and a face appears on the television screen. "Hello?" he says.

"Hello. Listen to me and do exactly as I tell you."

"Yes, master."

"You will go to this address and retrieve something for me..."

"Hello, Ben? This is Gina."

"Hey, kiddo. What's up?"

"I just got home and my apartment's been broken into!"

"What?! Did they take anything?"

"Uh... no, it doesn't look like it. But all the furniture's been tipped over and the place has been ransacked."

"Hmmm... This can't be a coincidence. I wonder what they were looking for."

Ben calmed Gina down. After they hung up, Gina began straightening things. The only thing she found missing was her tape player. Not the special one from the Center, but an ordinary one she used to record sessions with her patients. She ran out to the carport and opened the storage locker above her car. Pulling out a stack of boxes, she opened one. The tape player was there. Replacing the boxes, Gina took the player into the house. "I wonder if this is what they really wanted," she thought to herself. She began to make plans in her mind. Then she left, taking the tape player with her.

"Oh, by the way, these were delivered to our mailbox by mistake." Matt handed Hannah and Irene each a letter. They were from the local Community Center. They opened and read together. "What does it say?"

Irene replied, "It says here that Gina Robinson has dissolved our mutual sex circle."

"Mine says the same thing. Who's Gina Robinson?"

"You know her. She was at my high school reunion last year."

"Oh yeah, now I remember her. Always so moody, first happy, then sad. Wasn't she the one who tried to kill herself that one night?"

"That's right."

"Huh! I wonder why would she do this?" Hannah let drop the letter in her hands. "I mean we haven't been close in years."

"I can't imagine."

"Well I'm going to get to the bottom of this." Hannah went to the phone and dialed. "Hello, information? I'd like the number of Gina Robinson."

Gina sat at her kitchen table reading a book on electronics. Her tape player, given to her by Hannah and Irene all those years ago, lay on the table with the case off to one side. Gina had carefully pried the device apart and was now analyzing its contents. Gina flipped rapidly through the book, her mind still absorbing information at a prodigal rate, but understanding little of it. Occasionally she would inspect the circuit boards, then make some marks on a tablet she had. She had taught herself enough to draw a schematic from the tape player's circuitry, even if she didn't know exactly how the components worked.

The phone rang. Gina answered, audio only. "Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Gina Robinson?"

"Speaking."

"Hi Gina, this is Hannah Bliss."

"Hannah as in Hannah and Irene?"

"You remember us?"

"Sure. How are you doing?"

"Fine. And you?"

"Oh, OK I guess." Gina covered the table with a towel, hiding the tape player, and flipped on the video. They talked for awhile, bringing each other up to date. Gina said nothing of her recent experiences. She learned that Yoshi was a high-tech engineer for a telecommunications company and her mind started buzzing.

"Listen, Gina. I just got this letter in the mail that says we're no longer circle partners. Is this for real? Are you sick or something?"

"No, I'm not sick. I'm afraid it would take a long time to explain."

"I'd love to hear about it."

"I'm not sure how much I can tell you."

"You know, we should never have drifted apart like we did. Gina, would you like to come over and have dinner sometime?"

"Will everybody be there?"

"Sure will. What do you say?"

"How about tonight?"

"That would be swell."

"Great. What time should I get there?"