Chapter 3 : Debts Incurred - Debts Repaid: September

Two Conferences

Corinne Aimes, founder, director and part owner of Inward Bound, is at her desk, dealing with emails, when her telephone rings.

"Corinne?" the voice at the other end of the line says.

"Charlotte!" Corinne replies, as she recognises her friend.

"I just had a follow up telephone call with Fifty. Well, yesterday evening actually."

"How'd it go?"

"She seems to be settling back in to her home and work routine."

"Good. It could have been difficult, after what she went through. How did her husband take to her adventure?"

"She says he is coping reasonably well. It's funny; normally I am concerned about how effectively our clients re-socialise but in Fifty's case, it's her husband I am more concerned about! I know she was at greater risk than usual because of the 'rendition' incident but with her husband ... Well, I think we both had the same concerns. Anyway, there's one other thing."

"Yes?"

"She wants to speak to us about her research project."

Corinne snorts. "Ha! So she has learned to get things right way round at last?"

"Well to be fair, I think she was under the cosh from her director of studies."

"Oh yes: the Professor"

"Anyway, what do you think?"

"It depends a bit on the direction that she's planning to take the research in. I suppose it could provide some valuable information to us, about our clients. You and I have both had psychological training so we are in a good position to assess the value of the information she is proposing to collect. If you ask me, I think we'd be more effective as research directors than her professor because we actually have a personal interest in getting the research done and getting it carried out to a high standard."

"So shall I call her back and arrange a meeting — I thought London might be the most convenient place for all of us?"

"No, let's have her come up here. This is where she'll be doing her data collection, I suppose? In any case, Fifty had better find out which is the most practical way for her to make her trips here. If this project goes ahead, she will be up and down quite often. Besides, I feel less than inclined to bend over backwards for her. In fact, she should be bending over backwards for us."

Charlotte can imagine the glint in Corinne's eye. "Umm, fair enough and you know something?"

"What?"

"I think you're right about her bending over. Don't you feel that she owes us a small forfeit for her initial dishonesty? A little restitution, as the price for our cooperation."

"Now that's a good idea. I'm not sure its ethical, but it's good! What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I haven't thought this through. It only occurred to me just now, but isn't Twenty One going to be at the Centre again shortly? It would be so nice if they could meet up again..."

"Charlotte, you can be a very devious girl sometimes, do you know that?"

"Yes, Corinne I think I do." Charlotte has a self satisfied grin as she puts the phone down and checks her laptop to see just when Twenty One is going to be around.

While Corinne and Charlotte are speaking to one another over the telephone, Larry Ross is at the London headquarters of Freddie Clegg Enterprises. It's the regular senior management team meeting. They're reviewing the progress of the business and their current projects, almost all of them illegal, not to mention immoral. Pam Jordan the Group's Medical Advisor - an important role given that the Group's primary interest is in human trafficking in one form or other - has been speaking about the value of understanding — but not necessarily being sympathetic to - the emotions of abductees as they try to come to terms with what has happened to them.

Connie butts in, "You know Pam that's very interesting. Now take Larry here. He is running a consensual slavery adventure experience and I'll bet you one hundred pounds that he has never had any slave experiences in his life. I think he would run a much more effective programme if he had a taste of what his 'guests' are being put through. What do you think Mr Clegg?"

Larry is lost for words. What the hell is Connie playing at?

Clegg smiles broadly. He's sometimes inclined to enjoy a joke at other's expense and he's noticed Connie's occasional sniping at Larry. "That's a perceptive observation, Connie, especially as we all have such high hope for Larry's project. Pam?"

Pam Jordan is perfectly aware of what's going on but she's happy to indulge Connie and Freddie's teasing. "I am inclined to agree with Connie," she says. "Larry, when are you planning to go on holiday? Perhaps you should be aiming to mix some business with pleasure?"

Larry feels he is rapidly losing control of the situation. He is never sure about how serious some of these suggestions are. He can't think of any reason why Connie should want to get her hands on him — her professional hands — and he has absolutely no wish to spend any of his holiday allocation in her dungeon. And why are Pam Jordan and Freddie pouring petrol on the flames? They don't think it's his birthday do they? An opportunity to play some 'amusing' prank? On the other hand Connie usually doesn't do pranks...

Just then Larry's mobile rings. Mercifully, it stops the flow of the conversation.

Larry picks it up and answers. He turns to the others in the room. "Er, this is Corinne — do you mind if I take this — I'll just go into the outer office," says Larry.

Freddie nods. "Sure, no problem. We need to press on though."

As he gets up Connie smiles at Larry. She slightly narrows one eye as she inclines her head towards him. She knows her prey has escaped. So does Larry. It occurs to him that maybe Connie is keen for more involvement at Inward Bound, after her involvement with the 'rendition' project. That can only cause problems, Larry thinks.

When Larry returns to the table, the agenda has moved on and Larry finds that "Progress Report. IWB Project" is the next item. At least he will now be leading the discussion and in a position to deal with any more interference from Connie.

"Larry; your report." Clegg is happy to play the chairman today. He's looking forward to a few weeks in Greece and he's prepared to make the effort to ensure things are on an even keel before he heads off.

"Thank you Freddie. There's quite a lot to cover, so it's probably best if I give you an overview and I can invite comments, questions and suggestions from the rest of you." Freddie nods. The others do too. Connie looks Larry straight in the eye as she does so. Larry feels like a rat in the gaze of a cobra.

He tries to forget Connie as he starts his report. "First, the performance of the business itself. I am pleased to say that all courses are fully booked, nine months ahead. The business operations are cash positive — although that wasn't really the point as we know. All the indicators for customer satisfaction," Connie snorts, "are higher than when we started our relationship with IWB. I am also very pleased with the level of new enquires which should see future courses also well subscribed.

"Secondly, Corinne Aimes and I have given quite a lot of thought about creating more places on each course. However, there is a limit to the number of 'adventurers' we can deal with on each course whilst keeping a high level of intimacy and control. Our part time staff such as Ylena and Celia are having to make a bigger commitment and that isn't sustainable in the longer term. Celia's time is not her own because she in a full time NHS post and Ylena has her own practice. I can foresee Celia asking to go full time with us and take on some of the work being done by Ylena. Corinne is very conscious of the need for capacity planning and succession management so I believe that we will be able to work our way through it.

"Third, I have had a careful look at the enquiries and a significant number are from Alumni who would like to do a second course. That gives us another opportunity. I propose we look seriously at creating another Centre to handle the returnees, to give them a tougher trip, a more stretching second experience. The ideal would be somewhere abroad: warm, dry, sunny..."

"I can see now why you don't fancy my 'holiday', Larry," Connie cuts in. "You've got one of your own planned."

Freddie glances at Connie to signal that this line of banter has gone far enough.

Larry continues. " ... and of course private which would also give a more profound sense of separation from the vanilla world. A soon as Guests arrive, we take their passports from them along with all their clothes, so they know at once that they are very securely trapped.

"Fourth, graduates from the second course are likely to include people who are looking for a much longer and more profound slavery experience and these are the people we can approach for contracted slavery — the consensual non-consensuals as you might put it. Here are some draft Contracts and Slave Management Protocols I have put together." Larry passes folders around the table. "Freddie, here is yours, Ellie, Pam and — Connie. Now this is where I think your input would be very valuable, Connie but we have to handle this with some care, some diplomacy." It's obvious to the meeting that Larry doesn't think this is one of the organisation's key competencies. "I don't know if Corinne Aimes and her team will see this as part of their brand so to speak or whether she will feel happier to keep it well off limits. I am hoping so, but let me develop this slowly - " Larry looks directly at Clegg, he knows that patience is not Freddie's long suit, " - with her and I will report back.

"Finally," Larry can almost sense the relief. The rest of the team are anxious to get on with things closer to their core business. That's fine by him — with any luck they'll have forgotten Connie's mischievous proposal. "Finally, you will all remember the Jennifer McEwan business? Well, according to Corinne — that was the reason for her call by the way - McEwan has asked if she can discuss her research with Corinne and explore it further. It seems she is still keen to go ahead with her project. Corinne and Charlotte are happy to cooperate with McEwan but I just wanted to run this past you all. My personal opinion is that the more we know about our clients, the better we can tailor their experience to what they are looking for and most important, the easier it will be to spot the people who are after Slavery Contracts which," Larry scans around the room making sure he has everyone's attention, "was of course our principle reason for getting involved with Inward Bound in the first place."

"Research?" muses Freddie. "That will mean publication eventually, I suppose. Publication is publicity and it's not really something I've gone after in the past."

Larry can understand. Publicity is something that few criminal enterprises seek. "Agreed, Freddie but we run the risk of that already, every time someone books themselves on to a course. For all we know it could be a reporter from one of the tabloids looking for a story. At least this will be publication is a sober academic journal. In fact, from what I've seen of this academic stuff, it will be so sober that whatever is being described will read like the telephone directory!"

Clegg looks long and hard at Larry. Ellie gives Clegg a nod. "OK Larry," says Clegg, summarising the discussion. "I am happy to leave this with you, but just keep us in the loop as ever. Any dissenters? No? Now, next item: Ah, cooperation with the Glennis Organisation..."

NEW DEBTS INCURRED

Corinne looks steadily across her desk at Jenny McEwan, who still sports a shaven head and a septum ring. Corinne is pleased. Charlotte encouraged her to stay that way when she left and she obviously took it seriously.

Yes, thinks, Corinne to herself. She does look very sexy and yet also very elegant in a hip sort of way. I am glad she decided to keep to the look we chose for her. Still if she had reverted to her former appearance, we would be the first to notice and perhaps McEwan wants to make sure she does not antagonise us, by giving us a reason not to cooperate with her. So who has the upper hand here? Her or us?

Jenny is the first to speak. "First of all, I feel this sounds silly but I have to ask, what should I call you?" Jenny's memories of this place, of the way she was trained, of the sanctions for failing to use the words "Mistress" or "Gazpazha", are still sufficient to leave her uncertain of the protocol, in the current situation.

"Jenny, please call me Corinne. At least for now" There is a twinkle in Corinne's eyes which Jenny finds slightly disturbing. "I hope me calling you Jenny is OK?"

Jenny blushes. "Yes of course. I am very grateful to you for agreeing to see me!"

"So you came by car?"

"Yes. When I knew where you were, I had a look on the map and thought I could manage a return trip in one day, if I started early. My husband is away for a few days and so it does not matter when I get home. I mean won't be disturbing him, if I get home late tonight."

If you get home tonight, muses Corinne, thinking about how she hopes the day will turn out. She merely says, though, "Let's just see how we get on. I expect we will have a lot to talk about."

Jenny clears her throat and begins a description of her project. "You'll remember that I was looking at aspects of adult play and in particular, play behaviours in relation to BDSM. What I hope to do, as part of this next phase, is to try to find out if people who come on a course here, are significantly different in psycho-sexual attitudes from the average population..."

"a normal population controlled for age, sex and education, social class but not selected with respect to sexual fantasies?"

"Err, yes." For a moment Jenny is surprised by Corinne's intuitive grasp of the nuts and bolts of her project, " ... and then to see if people change as a result of their time here."

"Change how?"

"In a nutshell, are their psychological outlooks confirmed, emphasised or altered? In particular are they altered with reference to their sexual fantasies and in particular again, to any BDSM fantasies."

"And your data collection?"

"Will be by questionnaires and interviews at base line and after the experience has ended. I would also very much like to compare what the subjects tell me with what they tell you, in your application questionnaires."