Chapter 37: Behind The Gates

The winding driveway that led up to the roundabout afforded Althea a chance to see a good deal of the grounds. The first thing she noticed once inside the gates was a guard shack large enough for two men and their weapons. She hoped she didn’t shudder too obviously.

She also noticed a huge atrium between the house and the pristine blue lake. It contained, obvious to her, a championship sized swimming pool and a separate out-building looked to hold a steaming hot tub. There was a massive yacht docked far below at the water’s edge and a driveway that led down.

That’s when she noticed the kennels. At first, she only saw one lone dog, which she immediately identified as a weimaraner (How did I know that?) eating out of a dish. But a moment later she saw a pit bull and a pair of German shepherds and knew that they weren’t part of a petting zoo.

As she stepped out of the car, she cursed Lawrence for making her go forward in life sans panties. The near-freezing temperatures shot between her boot-clad legs and under her fur coat and sweater dress. She was doubly grateful for the coat because she was sure her nipples were trying to poke through the fabric.

She thanked the driver and looked up to see an actual, real-live butler awaiting her.

“Take your coat, Ms. Channing?” he asked icily.

“Not just yet,” she tried to offer a warming smile as they stepped across the threshold.

“As you wish,” he said, and he was gone. She realized that she’d taken only a couple of steps into the massive house, but found herself in a massive library, one she was sure preceded the current owner. A chill, real or imagined, came over her, so she was glad she’d kept her coat on.

But she wasn’t wearing it. She glanced down and was relieved to see that her nipples had calmed somewhat, but wondered where – and how – her coat and she had parted company. Had she glanced over her shoulder, she would have seen that she was being observed.

She elected to stand, firmly grasping the book proposal – one that would be a surefire moneymaker if it were real. She was grateful yet a tad sorry she’d brought her professional staff into this plan. She was in the process of giving herself the nickel tour when a voice that could only belong to one man spun her around.

“I don’t get many visitors, Miss Manning,” Michaux boomed. “That is by design.”

“Channing. Well, I’m glad this isn’t a social call, then,” Althea replied, closing the distance between them and extending her hand. “Thank you for inviting me here, Mr. Prime Minister.”

Edward Michaux, age indeterminate, looked almost regal as he shook her hand cordially enough. Taking in the tall French-Canadian aristocrat, she more readily understood why he was able to be re-elected twice despite the rumors and innuendo that, by most accounts, were true.

“The photos I’ve seen do not do you justice, sir,” she offered her best deal-closing smile. “You look like you’re ready to hit the campaign trail again.”

“That you. That’s very flattering,” he said, offering her a seat in the central part of the room. “But circumstances seem to dictate I’ll live out the rest of my days behind these walls.”

“Is that why telling your story appeals to you?” Althea asked, she hoped not too hopefully.

“Precisely,” he smiled for the first time, displaying perfect teeth that might have been his own. “I would love to go over this proposal in great detail. Could you stay the night?”

“Honestly, Mr. Prime Minister, I did not expect this to be an extended visit,” Althea said, hoping he realized she was indeed flattered. “I did not pack a bag.”

“That’s perfectly fine, #Altheaslut. Please sit there and do not move,” he said, barely changing her tune. He stood up and began walking around her, but Althea continued looking straight ahead. “I know you can hear me. While you were waiting for me, I scanned you with a device I own, and it strikes me that you a physically perfect. No moles, no scars, no illnesses and a rather enhanced sex drive. Ms. Channing, I believe you have previously encountered one of these computers. That worries me.”

Michaux sat down across from her unblinking form.

“As a result, I worry that your reasons for being here are less than holy,” he said. “That is why I want to go over every inch of your proposal. If I get the slightest indication you are anything other that what you say you are, you will never leave here. I have a French maid outfit that is just your size.”

Althea remained impassive and transfixed.

“Now, you may answer me #slutAlthea,” he said.

“My credentials are above reproach,” she said, hoping her frozen act was convincing and tying to remain professional. “Yes, I found a treatment – they called it a spa – in the Caribbean that allowed me to heal some long-standing skin issues. I paid well for it and was not allowed to contact the spa after the fact. As for the proposal, I would be happy to stay as long as necessary to allow you to evaluate it.”

“Please, allow my hostess lead you to your room,” said, ringing a bell that was by his side. An elegant, thirty-something woman of what Althea decided was a uniquely exotic heritage stepped into the library. Althea rose carefully, making sure she did not flash her host, and offered the woman her hand. She merely nodded.

“Follow me, please,” she said, turning and walking away.

“We’ll meet in two hours,” Michaux said to her back as she hurried to catch up. She turned and nodded her acknowledgment.

Master, what the fuck did you get me into? she thought to herself as she caught up to the hostess. “My name is Althea.”

“I am Mistress Shay,” said the woman. “I do not wish to speak further.”

While decorum had been in place for most of the plane flight, Brooke and Neriah had made out like bandits in the cab ride home – right up to when the distracted cabbie clipped a bumper and hit the brakes. The result had Neriah burying her tongue far deeper in her mother’s snatch than either thought possible.

Brooke’s orgasm was instantaneous.

“Motherfucker!” she screamed to the delight of her daughter.

“You got that right, mama-San,” she grinned a juicy grin at her spasming mother. After a few thrilling moments, Brooke came back to earth and realized they had drawn a crowd.

“Baby girl, do we wait for the cameras to show up or do we make a break for it?” Brooke asked, looking around.

Neriah raised her head and saw what her mother saw.

“I believe it is a fine idea to get the fuck out of here,” she said, pulling her clothes together as she spoke. The cabbie had gotten out at that point to discuss his fender-bending, and both of the Burke girls saw him gesture towards them.

“That’s our cue,” Brooke said as she pulled on her sunglasses. “You head for the nearest alley and I will walk as normally as possible down the street.”

Each going out an opposite door, by mere seconds mother and daughter dodged the paparazzi. A couple of quick-thinking bystanders broke out their cell phone cameras, but only one seemed to capture a somewhat recognizable photo of the side of Brooke’s head as she ducked down and slid through the gawkers. Neriah, who looked like any other teenager – albeit a well-dressed one – was well past the ruckus in moments her mother gave her.

Neither wore shoes conducive for running, so each made it home at her own pace. Neriah made it first, catching her two sisters sunbathing nude by the pool.

Goodness, have they grown, she thought, pausing for a moment of consideration before she disappeared into the sanctuary of her room. It took Brooke, who stumbled across a family of autograph seekers who were shopping the pricey neighborhood, an extra 15 minutes to make it home. She slammed the front behind her and screamed so loudly, her daughters heard it by the pool and came rushing in.

“Mom! All you okay?” Sierra rain, a slim, taut newly official teenager, asked with alarm.

“I am okay and you are naked,” she said disapprovingly, quickly regaining her dignity.

“Sorry, mom,” Sierra said, wrapping herself and her younger sister in a massive beach towel. “It was such a nice day to sunbathe.”

“No tan lines,” youngest daughter Heaven said from deep inside the folds of the towel.

“For someone who says so little, you have a big mouth,” Sierra hissed at her sister as she ushered her out the back door.

“Naked. What a good idea,” Neriah said as she descended the stars, her curves on full display except for a towel around her neck.

“Headed out to the pool already?” Brooke sighed as she pulled off her heels with a clatter.

“Brave new world,” Neriah said without so much as a wink or a smile as she headed out the door to the pool. A few minutes later, Brooke watched them with wonder from her second floor window.

“How did I get so fucking lucky?” Brooke whispered to herself. Her climax was moments away when her cell phone rang, scaring her out of her reverie.

“Hey, twin,” she heard her voice from the other end.

“Wow. Hey, Todd. We just got in the door,” Brooke said, surprisingly aroused at the sound of her own voice.

“Sorry. I forgot how long it took to fly to L.A.,” he said. “When would be a good time to talk?”

Brooke glanced out her window and saw her daughters had returned to the playful kids they’d always been, Heaven cannonballing into the pool as Neriah sat on the side with her legs in the water. Brooke did not see Sierra at first, but then realized she, too, was in the pool, her face buried between her older sister’s legs. Brooke felt an orgasmic rush and dropped the phone. But Todd was still there when she recovered sufficiently to pick it back up.

“Had a moment, did you?” Todd chuckled from the other line.

“That obvious, huh?” Brooke laughed as she relaxed. “I guess you would recognize the signs as well as anybody. What’s up, clone?”

“Got my timetable from UCLA, and we have, uh, pulled some strings that I won’t have to live on campus,” Todd explained. “Hope the invitation is still open to stay at the Burke compound.”

“Of course! Are you kidding?” Brooke almost squealed. “I don’t know who will be wetter at that news, me or Neriah.”

“Wet. Huh,” Todd murmured. “Well, as long as you know that I am out there to play softball, and the sex is a bonus.”

“You might need to remind us about that from time to time,” Brooke purred, touching herself and found her pussy was gushing. “Just like we might need to remind you about your softball from time to time.”

“Is Hollywood ready for two of you?” Todd asked. “And let’s face it, you might in reality be a mother of four, but I’m betting your mirror is telling you that you’re 21 again.”

A glace at her full-length mirror confirmed the amazing change. There was nary a wrinkle to be seen, and her thyroid scar was gone without a trace. A quick check confirmed the same about the amazingly discrete C-section scar was likewise nonexistent.

“It’s all so amazing,” Brooke said dreamily. “Just like the sex has been with Neriah... “ She caught herself.

“You working your way down the family tree?” Todd asked. “You second is a teenager already, right?”

“Just barely,” Brooke giggled. “Even though she’s going on 30, much more mature that Neriah, and that’s saying something, I couldn’t live with myself if I corrupted my baby girls that way.”

“Well, I’ve got to go,” Todd said. “Someone has stuck their tongue in my asshole and it’s starting to require my undivided attention.”

“Understood. If I’m lucky, I’ll be getting rimmed before the day is out myself, ‘ Brooks said, hanging up.

Todd hung up the phone and looked over this shoulder.

“Mr. Childers, you’re making it awfully hard to talk baseball with ... arrgh ... you long tongue stuck up my ass like that,” he said. In response, I just winked.

“Do I really have to do this?” Audrey was cute as a button the next morning, wearing very little makeup, faded jeans and a modest tank top. “My heart is not in this.”

“The reality is that you never got your diploma,” I said, more proud than aroused at this particular moment. “You need to attend long enough to be evaluated and take your GED. But then again, you might find you like it there.”

“High school?” she somehow laughed and sobbed at the same time. “HIGH SCHOOL? I’m over 50 years old, master. I would almost rather be sleeping in that Vegas dumpster again.”

“You don’t mean that,” I said softly.

She was quiet for a minute. “No, I don’t mean that. I’m grateful that you gave me a new lease on life. It’s just...”

“I know,” I said, trying to keep her from going down that road yet again.

“ ... I miss Amber. I miss being her, I miss getting to be more than one person,” she pouted.

“You know, you’re spoiled in that way,” I pointed out. “No one else has that need. What you don’t like is that you’re more like everyone else now?”

“I guess,” she said, conceding defeat yet again on the subject.

“But if you want to feel special...” I teased, “ ... you can always suck my cock before you leave for school.”

“Deal,” Audrey grinned, kneeling before me.

So I dropped her off to school with a full belly, and her new cadre of friends, including Michaela McKinnon, waved at her from the top of the stairs. That put a smile on her face and she actually kissed me on the cheek as she disembarked. The fact that my dick was outside of my pants and at full mast did not matter.

While I went home to deal with some boring but essential legal business regarding my revised book deal, Audrey was getting her first taste of being the new kid. Her homeroom teacher, a scrumptious Mary Ann Mathews (who also assisted Susan Castle and was, thus, programmed) began the day with an announcement to her class.

“Guys, I want you to say hello to a pair of new students with us today,” she said with a big smile. “Thomas Miles and Audrey Bellamy, would you please stand up so the class can meet you?”

Audrey rolled her eyes and tried to search out her fellow newbie, and decided it was a handsome, dark-haired boy who had a look of utter horror in his eyes. But they made eye contact, Audrey shrugged and he grinned, relaxing noticeably. They stood up together and each made a sheepish wave to their classmates.

“Thanks, guys. I promise I won’t call on you the rest of the day,” Mary Ann said, turning to the board. “Open your textbooks to Chapter 4...”

After class, Audrey was a little surprised to see her fellow newbie waiting for her in the hall.

“Hi. I’m Tommy,” he said, offering his hand.

“I know,” she said, shaking his hand but not willing to offer him any conversation. Checking her schedule, she began walking towards her second class, only to find him alongside.

“I can’t tell you what a relief it was to find another new person in class,” he said, clearly trying to make conversation. “Can we maybe hang together for security?”

“Sure. Why not?” Audrey sighed, admitting to herself that he seemed like a pretty good catch on the surface. “Where are you coming from?”

“I was ... in San Ysidro,” he said after a pause. “Moved up here last week. You?”

“I was in Vegas,” she said. “But my home is here now.”

“Las Vegas! Is that a cool place to live?” he asked eagerly.

“It can be,” she said, regretting her choice. “It’s pretty unique.”

“What did you do there?” he asked.

Oh shit. What does he know? she thought to herself.

“I went to school, you jerk,” she said. “Maybe you should go to your next class now.”

“Okay,” he stopping, clearly disappointed. But it turned out that they were given near-identical schedules since they were in the same grade. When he saw her already sitting in her second period seat, he laughed out loud and pointed at her. Her eyes got big and he regretted it immediately. He didn’t look at her the rest of the period, but caught up to her after class.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he said earnestly. “I guess I’m not the greatest when it comes to making friends.”

“I’m not either,” she admitted, finally relaxing a little. “Look, we’ll talk after lunch, okay?”

Audrey caught up with the immensely popular Michaela at lunchtime and was startled to discover she had cute classmates of both sexes hitting on her. Since she had been playing bisexuals for close to 30 years, she was able to read the signs, the body language, of the inexperienced teens that shared their table. She was finally able to get Michaela alone for a moment when they rose to throw away their lunch trash, and pulled her into a rest room.

“Mike, what is that all about?” Audrey asked.

“Oh, well, I’ve always kind of had a thing for girls, too,” she said, actually touching Audrey on the cheek. “And girls seem to like me, too.”

Audrey felt that primal stir in her groin; beneath her teenage body was a soul with three lifetimes of just about any kind of sex imaginable. She leaned in, kissed Michaela hard on the mouth, but withdrew after a passionate few seconds. Michaela, for all her advanced knowledge, was still just a 15-year-old sophomore, and was flushed with emotion when Audrey drew back.

“Just keep me in mind, kiddo,” Audrey said, patting Michaela on the ass as she stepped back into the hall. She found that Tommy was patiently waiting for her. And with her primal urges stirred, he was just about to be rewarded for his persistence.

“Walk with me,” she gestured with her head. He eagerly fell in alongside. “You’re kinda cute, and I’m not dating anyone right now. But you’ve got to be straight with me. Why did you move to Daytown?”

His face went ashen.

“Is it enough to say that it was impossible to stay where I was?” he pleaded.

“Not even close,” she said, keeping her poker face. “What, were you a narc?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, seemingly near tears. “My first impression to you is what a disappointment I am. Nice to have met you.”

Before Audrey could reply, Tommy turned away and disappeared into the hallway crowd. He was in one more of her classes, but he refused to meet her eye and left without a word. All of which served to make the older-than-she-looked girl more determined to understand her new friend.

That night, in between a series of phone calls to several media members over the imminent publication of my next Peachy Keen book – and wishing I could contact Althea – Audrey took me aside. Nicky was visiting and Stacy, Todd and Anita were all there, and I was suddenly outnumbered before I even had a chance to disagree.

“Master,” Audrey said, eyes pleading. “I have a new classmate who I think I really like. And even more than that, he seems like actually like me for myself.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” I said, having to swat Nicky’s hand away from my zipper. “Why does it surprise you?”

“Well, because it’s just ... me,” she shrugged, more than ever oblivious as to how cute she was. “But he acts like there’s something wrong with him. I’m afraid he’s sick or dying or a snitch or worse.”

“Worse than a snitch? That would be pretty bad,” I had to grin at her concerns; despite it all, she still seemed in many ways a teenager at heart. “But I’m guessing you want me to give him the once over with Master PC.”

“Yes. Please,” Audrey nodded. “Please cure him of whatever it is that’s torturing him so much.”

“No problem, sweetie,” I hugged her. “Just do me the favor of keeping these horny women away from my cock long enough to do this right.” Sure enough, a dirty look from Audrey put a temporary damper on their playfulness while I powered up the old laptop. “Okay, now tell me his name again.”

“Tommy ... Thomas Miles,” she said, looking over my shoulder.

“Okay, once I get his 3D image on the screen, I will start processing the medical package Doc helped me put together,” I explained in my best professorial tone. “When it’s through running, it will ... HOLY SHIT!”

Audrey screamed directly in my ear. “Master! Is that for real?”

Having been briefed by me, Althea immediately knew that this Mistress Shea was the sister of his friend and one of the women being held prisoner by Michaux. She also now knew that Michaux was in possession of a powerful mind control tool. It took all of her self-control to convince him that worked on her.

She would make one stab at it, however.

“Are you Sara Wilson’s sister?” she asked as they walked purposefully down what seemed to be an endless hallway. “I’m a friend of a friend. I know about you and Casey.”

“If you mention that name again, I will sound the alarm,” Shay replied, looking at Althea out of the corner of her eye.

“Why?” Althea asked, almost pausing, but realizing immediately that would be a fatal mistake. “We think we can get you out here, keep you safe.”

“That’s impossible,” Shay said. “Prime Minister Michaux is my lord and master. It is my duty to serve him until the end of time. This is your room.”

They’d stopped before a large doorway.

“I would keep it locked if I were you,” Shay said, turning to look at Althea for the first time. “The listening device is in the desk lamp, the camera is in the digital clock. We will not be speaking again.”

Shay turned and began walking away, but Althea stopped her in her tracks.

“Where’s Casey?” she hissed.

“Safe,” Shay said. “Thank God she’s safe.”

Right about then, Darren Childers was cursing that same God as he huddled in a makeshift snow hut that rendered him invisible from anywhere on the estate grounds. He, too, had made note of the kennels and counted no less than five attack dogs.

Add them to the electrified fence, the armed security and God knows what in the house itself, he guessed Fort Knox would be marginally more difficult than this. Some kind of interference made the cell phones useless, but he had a government issue satellite phone designed for use in this kind of hot zone.

“Hot zone. Huh,” he muttered to himself, dialing my number with an encoded line. I was tangled up with a maze of paperwork when he called.

“I’m relieved to be hearing from you,” I said. “You there? Is she there?”

“Yes, and yes,” he replied. “But cracking this nut is going to be a tall order. This guy has had years to upgrade and install redundant systems. What is your extraction plan?”

“You see that big, expensive boat down at the dock?” I said.

“Oh. Oh!” Darren said, finally bringing it into focus. “Is this lake a feeder to the Great Lakes? I would love to tool around in that thing.”

“What do you hear from Althea?” I asked.

“Nothing. No cell service here,” Darren said. “Been watching for smoke signals, but nothing.”

“Don’t worry. She has a way,” I assured him. As I hung up, I shuddered to think what she might be doing while I stood here, helpless, more than half a continent away.

What Althea was doing was stripping out of her warm, snug sweater dress and putting on a little show for those she now knew were monitoring her. She was sitting on her massive bed and deciding what to disable first when her room phone rang, scaring the daylights out of her.

“Y-yes?” she said.

“Dinner will be half past six. Don’t be late,” Michaux said.

“Will I have time to bathe and take a nap?” she asked.

“You have a dress hanging in your closet,” he said, breaking off the call.