Graham’s empty beer glass lay on the counter of the bar. He toyed with the idea of having another one, before deciding that this wasn’t a good idea. Not so early in the afternoon, at any rate. Well, I guess I’ve given him a bit of time. He looked at his watch. Maybe I won’t be disturbing him now? He shook his head. No, not with the way his luck had been going... no way! He really didn’t feel like another drink though. Guess I could go play the slots again? He looked down at the baggage. Yeah, right! Lugging that lot round with me. No thanks! Oh well, maybe one more drink...

He was about to order another coke when he got the strangest sensation at the back of his mind. He glanced round sharply. Nothing. Shaking his head slowly, he turned back to the bartender and ordered the drink. He gave an involuntary shudder. He couldn’t describe it, but he’d just had the strangest sensation, as though someone were walking over his grave.

He picked up his new drink and handed a couple of dollars to the bartender. As he did so, he forced himself to look round again. No, nothing seemed untoward and he grudgingly turned away again. He didn’t know why, but he’d just got the weirdest feeling that someone was watching him... and it was a feeling that was anything but pleasant.


“God!... Oh god... That was wonderful,” Arcane sighed, lying back on the bed and recuperating, “Where d’you learn to do that?”
“That was an aperitif... one of my many skills,” she chuckled, getting off him for now and tracing patterns on his chest and lips with her finger, which he licked and began to chew gently.
“Can’t wait for the main course,” he grinned.
“Personally, I just love multiple desserts... don’t you?”
“My favourite part of the meal,” He sat up, leaning against the headboard and tenderly reaching out to stroke her face and breasts. He gazed at her in silence for a few moments, recovering his composure and strength, enjoying the moment of gentle stillness.
“Break time’s over, Anton. Ready for that main course... or another starter?”
“No time like the present,” he sprang forward, making sure he was the one to grab her this time. “Are you a religious woman?” he asked. She gave him a bemused look.
“What an unusual question. Why ever would you ask that?”
“Curiosity... are you?”
“Of course not,” she smiled, bringing her hands down and massaging his important little places back into life again.
“Well then... I really must make it my mission to convert you... if you know what I mean,” There was a glint in his eye as he whispered to her sibilantly. She gave a little laugh, nodding, and positioned herself on all fours, spreading her legs slightly and taunting him with the view.
“Just don’t expect me to repent my sins,” she purred.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied, running expert hands down her back and over the buttocks, squeezing them firmly. It was the most unusual sensation he’d ever had like this. He’d been in this position with more women than he could count -- and he had a very good memory for figures -- always so soft and giving, or a modicum of firm resistance... like kneading bread, only *much* more fun. This was like fondling iron covered with silk. Not an ounce of give in those strong gluteal muscles and thighs. He had to admit though, that it was highly stimulating.

“What’s taking you so long, Anton. Last one in’s a wuss...” she chuckled.
“Last one? Planning on inviting friends?”
“Not unless you want me to. I doubt my employer would want to...”

That was it.
An image of Graham flashed into Arcane’s mind, killing his libido dead on the spot. He quickly tried to shut the image out and replaced it with the delectable view presented to him. Yes, that helped nicely.

Another image popped into his mind: More Graham... naked and with this woman! Again he shut it out, with a grimace, and concentrated on the moment. Ah, that blissful moment... until the third image of Graham insidiously entered his consciousness, this time with both him and her! Get out of my mind, you persistent little twerp!!

“Anton, I’m waiting... you want this, don’t you?” she whispered melodiously, circling her hips slightly, spreading her legs that little bit farther...
Bye bye, Graham, Arcane grinned evilly, kicking the distasteful, but disturbingly tenacious imagery into touch, and roughly entering the woman. As he held her in strong hands, first over her breasts, then by her shoulders for more purchase, he moved his hips slowly with hers, building up, not rushing things. She gave a moan of pleasure, slightly increasing the circular motion.
“Oh, you’re good...” she gasped, as a wave of pleasure passed through her body.
“I’m the best,” he forced himself not to cry out as he felt it too, slowing down the pace to keep the moment going, breathing deeply and staying in control.
“I do believe you’re right... though not the most modest.”
“Merely saying what is, my dear. I’ve always believed modesty to be a vastly overrated virtue.” He closed his eyes. Retaining control was almost excruciating in its pain and pleasure, heightening the experience.
“That technique you used... do it again,” he commanded tenderly.
“Which technique?... so many...” she whispered tantalisingly.
“The.. the last one... the muscles...”
“Oh... that one!” She gave a chuckle as she closed her eyes and concentrated, rippling strong muscles around him, squeezing, relaxing, up and down... Arcane couldn’t help release a whimper of pleasure. “How’s that?... nice?”
“Mmmm mmm,” was the only thing he could bring himself to say initially as he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, digging his nails into the flesh of her shoulders.
“Saying goodbye is going to be hard this time,” she said through ragged breaths.
“I was thinking just the same thing,” he replied, trying so hard not to make his words sound like disjointed gasps as the moment of orgasm came closer.
“No.. no need to worry about that now... though. Such a long way off yet...” she bit down on the sheets of the bed.
“Unlike other things,” was all Arcane had time to say before he gave a cry of ecstasy, gripping her shoulders so tight he left more marks and gouges in them, as he climaxed. If she even noticed the wounds, it wasn’t apparent.

Now spent, he withdrew and collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted. She lay flat on her stomach, languidly, for a few moments, before rolling over and staring up at him, a still insatiable glint to her eyes.
“I suppose you’ll want me to give you a minute before we hit that buffet table for main course?...”


Down in the bar, Graham was becoming unnerved. He hadn’t managed to shake that feeling, but every time he looked round, there was simply nothing. He was taking his time with this drink. He didn’t want to go traipsing round the hotel looking for a restroom with all this luggage. It would wait till he was able to go back in the room. Not that this was such a pleasant prospect after last night! He looked at his watch again, starting to stand up. Well, you reckon it’s been long enough? He sat down again. Not a chance!
But as he sat down, he got that disquieting feeling again... with perhaps a little more urgency to it...


“All nice and recovered now?” she grinned wickedly, sitting on top of him, fondling and playing with his hair and nipples. She reached towards him with her face, kissing him in an unusually gentle manner on the forehead, then the lips. With one hand she moved aside a lock of her hair that had fallen between them.
“Absolutely,” he said with confidence.
Suddenly, her grin became positively evil and he found himself caught in those thighs again, gasping for breath.
“Can’t have that then, now, can we?” She laughed out loud, before hoisting him up. “So, whatever am I going to do with you now?...”
“Oh, a little more of the same wouldn’t go amiss,” he smiled uncomfortably, trying to catch his breath. He hoped she wouldn’t leave it too long before releasing him this time. He was able to appreciate it so much more when there was blood flowing to his brain and extremities.
“Tsk, tsk, Anton. I was told you loved experimenting. Don’t you want to experiment on me?” she eased the pressure a little.
“My dear, I’d love to experiment on you for the rest of our lives!”
“Keep this pace up, sweet thing, and that can be arranged. Now just what do you feel like experimenting with?”
“I’m easy.”
“It’s been said.”
Arcane gave a little laugh, “A beautiful woman is a creature to treasure, especially an intelligent one, but I’ve always loved one with a good sense of humour as well.”
“We need it... We have to deal with men.”
“Touché,” he laughed back at her.
“So, no ideas grabbing your fancy then?”
“There’s plenty of things grabbing my fancy... but I’m open to suggestions.”
“How d’you like games, Anton... role-playing?”
“That does sound rather intriguing. So many delicious possibilities there, really.”
“I have a few favourites, myself.”
“I’m sure you do. Personally, I was always fond of ‘Doctors and Nurses’.”
She gave a cruel little chuckle. “ ‘Doctors and Nurses’ can be fun... for beginners. Now me --” she tightened her thighs again, making him start in shock, and flipping him over onto his stomach with consummate ease, where she pinioned him down with the weight of her body, “ -- I always liked the lesser known games. Why don’t we play *my* favourite, Anton?” she heard a muffled sound coming from the pillow. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, shall I? Great! Yes, I was always fond of ‘Customs officials and Smugglers’... and guess who’s the customs official?”
Another muted sound was heard from within the pillow as she gave a low chuckle and began running hands over his body...


Graham glanced at his watch. Damn it, that should be enough! He’d given him well over a couple of hours. The Doctor should be nice and asleep by now and not in a state to be disturbed. He lifted his hand to signal the bartender.
“ ‘nother?”
Graham shook his head, handing the man a ten dollar bill. “Thanks,” he said, getting up, “but I guess I’d better head back now.”
“Thank you,” the man smiled, putting the bill into his shirt pocket, “Enjoy the rest of your stay... and stay cool with that boss of yours.”
“Yeah... right, thanks,” Graham was still wondering how much he’d told the man when he started collecting the assortment of baggage.

As he struggled upright and turned to leave, he gave a start of surprise. There’d been nobody there a minute ago, and he hadn’t heard anybody approach, yet he was greeted by almost walking into the chest of a man standing directly in front of him.
“Sorry. ‘Scuse me,” he muttered, looking up at the man. As he saw the face, his own dropped noticeably, and he instantly regretted ever giving the apology. “*You*!” he snarled through gritted teeth, “What are you doing here?”
“The monkey speaks! Oh, I’m sorry, Graham. Just kidding. I didn’t really mean that. Actually, I was just getting a drink. Care to join me for one?” Jason Woodrue grinned down at him.
“I’d rather go cut my testicles off with a rusty knife,” Graham quipped back, “if you’ll get out of my way, I’ve got things to do,” he made an attempt to pass the man, who continued blocking him.
“As an apology to you... I’m buying. I’ve got a caustic sense of humour sometimes and it hurts people. At least allow me to say sorry properly.”
“Yeah, sure. Does your apology cover murder last night?” he said, though in a more hushed tone so the bartender couldn’t hear... although he wasn’t in earshot anyway.
“Murder!!??” Woodrue looked genuinely shocked.
“Don’t play innocent. I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you were, Graham, but murder... whoa!” Woodrue held his hands up in a ‘stop’ gesture. “I kinda think I’d remember if I’d killed someone last night.”
“Go play someone else for a sucker, Woodrue. Geoffrey Carter... except it wasn’t Carter you were aiming for, was it?”
Woodrue still continued to look perplexed.
“Graham. I genuinely don’t know what you’re talking about. I admit I was pretty abusive to poor Carter.. and you, last night -- I was in a bad mood, and you were all in the wrong place at the wrong time -- but I didn’t murder anyone. Cross my heart and hope to... well, have something unpleasant happen.”
“I saw the look on your face when you walked past us afterwards.”
“Sure. I’d just walked past a corpse of someone I’d been talking to minutes before. What did you want me to look like... smiling?”
“Hardly out of place for you,” Graham snarled.
“I’m wounded... but considering the insults I gave, fair enough,” He smiled back warmly.
Graham wracked his brains, thinking of what Dr. Arcane had said.
“Yeah, well what were you doing in a Steakhouse... being a vegetarian and all.”
“Well, clearly your precious Doctor’s spying techniques aren’t what they used to be, or he’d have realised I stopped being a vegetarian three years ago.”
“Then why did you leave without having a meal. Get out of that one, Woodrue,”
“Simple. I’d just made a call on my celphone, and something urgent came up that I had to attend to. My meal couldn’t wait. ‘Fraid I can’t tell you what it was. That is confidential, but nothing to do with any of you, I can assure you.”

Graham seemed unsure, his previous certainty wavering. They’d been so sure Woodrue had done it, but everything he’d said had been possible, hadn’t it? And when all’s said and done, it was just a guess that he’d been the killer, based on observations that Woodrue had just given plausible excuses for. And Carter did have a medical problem anyway. ‘Course, he still didn’t trust the slimy excuse for a man one bit!
“Graham? If I was trying to kill Carter... sorry, Arcane, why would I bother even trying to explain it to you now?”
Good point, Graham had to admit, though whatever Woodrue said, he wasn’t likely to forgive or forget what he’d said to him in the steakhouse.

“It was you that was watching me, wasn’t it?” Graham enquired.
“Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see you by the bar -- and I did wonder for a few minutes if I should go up, or leave things as they were -- but I eventually decided to try and patch things up.”
“Not for a few minutes. For the last couple of hours or so.”
“Not guilty,” Woodrue replied. Been busy elsewhere until just before now... Scouts honour... metaphorically,” he grinned.
Graham was still concerned. He’d definitely felt someone watching him for a long time now. He was certain it had been Woodrue just now. But yeah, why would the creep lie to him? He hadn’t exactly been one to hide his feelings before, had he?
“I’m not convinced.”
“So let me convince you... say over a drink. Just one small drink. Hey! I’ll let you order them just to make sure they’re not poisoned!” he quipped, handing Graham a ten dollar bill.
Well, what harm would it do? Graham considered. He didn’t have anything to rush back for really. Just seeing Woodrue was getting the adrenaline pumping away now, and he wasn’t going to get any rest himself for a while. Who knows, maybe he could get Woodrue to slip up with something and get a piece of information that would be useful to Doctor Arcane.
“Can’t say I think you will, but feel free to try. It’s your money,” he replied, signalling for the bartender to get another coke.
“Cognac for me. Bit of a celebration,” Woodrue added to the bartender, and as the drinks were poured, he and Graham sat down again, “... for my victory in the conference, of course...”


Back in the room, everything was pretty much becoming a blur to Arcane. He definitely needed to work on his stamina! He lay back on the bed and looked at the woman -- still hadn’t found out her name -- as she massaged his feet and legs. How gracious of her to allow him two minutes respite before the next bout! He couldn’t help glancing at the only item he was still wearing... his watch. Two hours!! Had it really been that? Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? Maybe the stamina wasn’t a problem?

The first time had been fantastic. The second, amazing. The third... well, the third he was a little less enthusiastic about, but nothing that couldn’t be put right with a few weeks of intensive therapy by a good counsellor. The fourth was indescribable, as the claw marks down both their bodies were testament to; and by the time they’d had the fifth, the phrase ‘Tatania who?’ was echoing through his thoughts, as he contemplated how much he’d save on electricity bills not having a cryo storage unit to worry about, and all the free time for his other experiments. The rest just blurred into unimaginable joy. He never realised the full potential of restricting or increasing blood flow to certain parts of the body; or the use of pressure nodes on others, and the, well, enhancing effects it could have when arousing the old senses. He felt like his entire central nervous system had been ripped out and given a damned good overhaul.

“I’m more than tempted to offer you a permanent job. There’s always room at Arcane Industries for someone of your... ‘unique’ talents,” he whispered.
“And Arcane Industries hires whores on its payroll?” she smiled at him.
“Whatever you want to call yourself, ‘whore’ simply doesn’t do you justice. I was thinking more along the lines of ‘head of security’, myself,” he quipped, remembering those thighs and those hands, and that... I’d like to see Holland try and take *this* one out! He felt safer already.
“Head of Security. How quaint.”
“The hours are good.”
“I like the graveyard shift.”
“The pay’s wonderful.”
“It’s the tips I’m interested in.”
“Oh, you’ll have more tips than you can handle.”
“Don’t bet on it. I can handle a lot!”
“Why d’you think I’m offering you the job? But best of all, you get to work directly under me”
“And over you as well??”
“That too,” he gave an enigmatic little smile.
“I’ll be sure to give it some thought, Anton. However, in the meantime...”
Oh God! Here we go again! Mind and body braced themselves as he gripped the bed in readiness, as she advanced on him with the sort of look a hungry hawk might give a juicy rodent, just before it dives in for the kill; or a bulimic at the start of their binge as they’ve just spied that whole shelf of plump little cream cakes...


“You know, that’s quite a bit of baggage you’re carrying around, Graham. Arcane always keep you loaded up like that? Isn’t it all such a burden for you?” Woodrue looked down at Graham’s entourage of carry cases.
“Not as much as the one I just picked up,” Graham retorted.
“Touché. Still, can’t blame you after last night... the insults I mean... Go ahead. I deserve it... we both do.”
What you deserve I won’t even begin to try and describe. “You said you wanted to convince me. So convince me.” Graham said coldly.
“Graham, what can I do to put your mind at ease?”
“Jump from the top floor.”
“Something a little less drastic, perhaps?”
“Tenth floor then?”
“Ooh, definitely lots of residual hostility to get through here, I see.”
You couldn’t begin to imagine how much hostility.
“You’re not convincing me,” Graham took a sip of his coke, keeping a wary eye on the luggage. It occurred to him that this might be a diversion so Woodrue could get his hands on it. He seemed interested enough.
“You’re not exactly approaching this with an open mind, Graham.”
“You’ve hardly given me reason to, Woodrue.”
“You know, I think I may have been hasty in my judgement of you last night. It’s not immediately apparent, but I think there’s more to you than any of his other assistants I’ve run into. I think you’ve got a capacity for a lot more than you let on, Graham.”
“Not that it’s any concern of yours,”
“I think you’ll survive quite a while, Graham... metaphorically speaking, of course.”
“No thanks to you and Carla Jeffries!”
“Carla!?” Woodrue’s eyes lit up, and Graham cursed inwardly for mentioning the woman’s name to him. “Now what’s Carla got to do with all this.”
“Like you don’t know,” Graham feigned ignorance, hoping for the slip from Woodrue.
“I don’t know, Graham. Really... I don’t.”
“You’re telling me you’re not in it together?”
“In what together? Oh... you mean this supposed murder? You mean Carla’s trying to kill Arcane?” Graham just gave him a look implying that it wasn’t worth his while answering that one. “Now that is most disconcerting,” Woodrue looked decidedly unhappy here... realistically so. “I think it fair to say that if Carla’s on the rampage for the good Doctor Arcane, she’s also got me in her sights. I appreciate the warning, Graham.”
Don’t appreciate it... ignore it and die!
“So you’re not in it together?” Graham said suspiciously.
“As I said, I’m not in *anything*... but I wouldn’t put it past Carla.”
“And you’re just a picture of innocence,”
“The imagery of that analogy is all wrong... but essentially, yes.” Woodrue took a sip of his cognac. “Mmm, very nice,” he commented. “So what makes you think Carla’s up to something?”
“We’ve got our reasons.”
“Deliberately being vague, are we.”
“Guess you are kind of observant after all.”
“Anything interesting in the luggage?” Came the swift subject change. There was something disquieting about Woodrue’s apparent friendliness. Graham suspected the man was anything but genuine about all this -- except maybe the bit about Carla -- but couldn’t begin to fathom his motives -- unless he was after the luggage, but that was taken care of, wasn’t it? -- but there still seemed to be something very wrong about the whole situation.
“Remember my last reply?”
“That’s okay, Graham. I didn’t expect an answer. Just making idle conversation really.”
“Haven’t you got anything better to do?” Graham snarled.
“Not right now, no. Right now, this is exactly what I want to do: Make idle conversation with you, Graham... while away a few pleasant moments drinking cognac with the assistant of my old adversary. If I was interested in those few stolen research papers from our esteemed colleagues here --” he inclined his head towards Graham’s luggage, “ -- I’d have nabbed ‘em myself ages ago.” Graham swallowed nervously. So he knew... and didn’t care; and his tone was beginning to develop a dangerous edge to it again.

“What do you want, Woodrue!?”
“Isn’t it obvious. I just told you.”
“You just wanted to spend time with me?”
“Yep. Yes indeedy. Precisely.” Woodrue glanced at his watch. “Ooh, two and a half hours. Yes, that should have been more than enough time by now,” he took another sip of cognac.
“A diversion?” Graham looked at the luggage with concern. “Why? You said you weren’t interested in this.”
“I’m not. I wouldn’t even have bothered with this conversation, but you looked like you were leaving just a bit early. Probably would have been all right, but even just a few extra minutes can make