Thirty Four Minutes DEAD (18 page)

Gregory Vain had not anticipated that the taste of Levene's vaginal juices would be radically different from the other women he had performed cunnilingus upon, but as he flicked the cherry around his mouth he did notice a sweetness of flavour that he had not encountered before. Her taste did contain the usual musk-like element, but mixed with this was something quite distinct. After seven or eight seconds, the presence of Levene was gone but her taste would live for a long time in his mind.

"What is your verdict, Greg?”

"If I was sampling a good wine, Marcia and you here, by extension, I would definitely allow the waiter to fill my cup. Do you want to carry on in my Connoisseur suite?”

"No Greg, not yet. Don't get me wrong, I've fantasised about you since our first meeting, masturbating to my mental images of you on occasions, and project restrictions have left me feeling desperate to consummate our relationship. In Chicago my sexual urges for you were almost racing out of control, but I had to keep the lid on them and I started to get sexually high on our mutual state of institutional bondage - Christ, I even came when we kissed at the end of one of the lower thoroughfares in that Designation! I want to keep the repression in place until after our global MC revelation. After we have spoken to the world about our discovery, internal social restrictions will be reduced to a fair level and then if we get caught fucking each other senseless Leif and Fray are going to let our indiscretion pass. The Stowles affair hit Leif hard you know, and I was amazed when we were given the semi-freedom we are currently enjoying! If he found out about us now, he'd blow big time. We would definitely be separated in terms of project operations and our every move would be monitored constantly - we wouldn't even be able to visit the bathroom without a damned surveillance camera watching us!”

"I guess you're right, Marcia, but I can't help thinking that it might be worth running the risk all the same. My suite is around the elbow of the corridor the front line crew have been located in, and it is subsequently relatively private".

"You're forgetting that Ko-Chai is your closest neighbour, Greg. He watches us like a fucking hawk, seeing you like a wayward son and me an intellectual harlot! If he did happen to suspect I was alone with you in your room, I'm damned sure that the guy would find an excuse to interrupt us".

"I'm sure Mishimo doesn't think that of you, Marcia. He's often said how important it is to have bright women like yourself in the MC project ranks".

"Maybe so, but the guy bugs me with his preaching on occasions. He thinks I'm some kind of vamp that wants to suck you in and spit out the bones!”

Levene placed her hand of Vain's arm and assured him that the wait would just make things better in the long term.

"Think of the waiting as a kind of build up - a pain to gain factor that will make you cum like a river when the duration is run".

Vain eventually saw the sense in Levene's line of argument, and the pair decided to have a couple of Budweisers before they would have to leave to fulfil the curfew deadline. As they drifted into a conversation about the eighties spirit that hung over Alvettis, a woman approached their alcove. Her line of inquiry was direct from the outset.

"Marcia, Gregory, at last we meet! I'm Vicky Lassiter from the 'Washington Vanguard' and I want to ask you about the MC extension testing that is going to take place at the Washington Peace Conference".

Although naturally taken aback by the woman's project knowledge, Levene and Vain adopted the much-rehearsed policy of ignorance, which had to be adopted by MC project staff in the event of such a security breach. Vain took the response lead on this occasion.

"I'm afraid you've made a mistake, Miss Lassiter. My name is Paul Hedges and this is my wife Sonia. I really don't understand your request; we work in Commodities. I'm sorry we can't help you, but we're not the people you are looking for, and if you don't mind we would prefer you to let us enjoy our time together without any further interruptions - we get precious little time to call our own".

"Nice try, Mr Vain, but please give me a bit more credit for my researching abilities. The Conference Gregory - what are you going to try to prove in MC terms?”

"Look, we haven't got a clue about your damned Conference or the MC thing you keep on about. If you persist in bothering us, I'll have to ask the door staff to remove you".

Turning to Levene, Miss Lassiter continued to try to force a weakness from her quarry.

"Do you speak Ms Levene, or is Gregory Vain your mouthpiece?”

Marcia's reply was instantaneous and it kept up Vain's charade to an excellent level.

Paul and I are equals Miss Lassiter, but our relationship is none of your damned business. You see that stained glass door over there? It's beautiful isn't it? Why don't you use it - good bye".

The woman was made of an indefatigable spirit though, and she persisted with another avenue of attack.

"Oh leave it out, folks. Are you saying you haven't heard of Fray, Venison and the Chicago fire? Are you going to remain mute about Stowles, FBI infighting and Braddock?”

Vain decided to show a vague familiarity with one of the names to see if the woman would reveal any more MC project information. This was phase two of the method of counteracting leaked project knowledge. He had to stall the woman, so that he could assess the potential damage put in motion by the project traitor. This method of counteracting was only known to a dozen high ranking project staff, and thus if she knew it's stages, she would know that
'in-situ
execution' or incarceration were the final conclusion! If this was known, the leak would have emanated from one of the highest project sources and all hell would break loose in terms of internal project security organisation.

"I do know a David Braddock from our South African imports Division. Is that the guy you mean?”

Miss Lassiter started to lose her cool - exactly as Vain and Levene hoped she would.

"Do I look like I left my brain on the stairwell Mr Vain, or does your 'never surrender' attitude emanate back to your 'stiff upper lip' English patrimony. Come on folks - lighten up. We all know that I know the inner workings of the MC project and a fair proportion of the events concerning operations. My unit can break you now, if you aren't co-operative. The Washington Peace Conference will never happen if we reveal all we know about your project in tomorrow morning's edition. You see, Gregory, you can't play games with the media - did you really think your project could hide from us? If I don't get a story, the whole fucking shebang will be on the 'Net' within minutes. If you help us, we'll even break the story after the event, so your best laid plans can stay intact".

As Lassiter spoke, Vain surveyed her intently. She was exceptionally bold in her blackmail, and her face retained a confidence that showed no element of fear or trepidation at all. Vain could thus deduct that the woman was either ignorant of the three stage procedure or had a kamikaze journalistic streak. He concluded the former deduction was the correct one, and he felt pleased that no high-level leak had been made. Neither Vain nor Levene were prepared for the next development that took place in Alvettis.

Mr Fray, Jess Wheeler and two security personnel entered the alcove. Fray turned to Miss Lassiter without looking at the two MC project staff.

"How pleasant it is to meet you, Miss Lassiter - my name is Fray. I think we may well have a story for you here. After all you already know a great deal about our project, don't you? Well, I have been authorised to detail our extension work plans to your paper but directly to the Editor you understand, and so if you would be so good as to divulge their web site identity or phone number, I can deal with the matter right now".

Lassiter started to look pale. Her Unit had moved on the MC project leak without notifying their Editor or any of their fellow newsprint colleges, just as Fray had envisaged. She had wanted her seven strong team to achieve the ultimate scoop and sell the story down the line to the highest journalistic bidder. Her greed had created a cocoon of isolation for her Unit and this played into the hands of the MC security ranks. It was going to be far easier to deal with one discreet separatist group than a holistic Institution. Lassiter answered Mr Fray with a tone that now had trepidation mark its delivery.

"That won't do, Mr Fray. I think he is absent right now, but he's due back tomorrow. My six Unit staff can take your story though - they will all be in attendance in our office corral right now. I think they..."

Fray interrupted.

"Too right they'll be in attendance ready to blow MC project details all over the Net, if you don't get your fucking story - isn't that what you said? Our surveillance guys sussed you weeks back but you just clarified our one area of uncertainty. You didn't want to share 'Pandora's box' did you?
 
Your greed will build your fucking coffin now!

Lassiter felt that she still had an ace to play.

"You're wrong, Fray. If my crew doubt my safety for an instant, all your details will be scattered through the Net. It’s our survival card - harm us and you go down too!”

Fray put his hands together in mock applause and a sardonic smile appeared on his face.

"You stupid bitch. Hold the CIA and FBI to ransom would you? Jess - do it".

Wheeler broke Lassiter's neck before she even registered his hand descending towards her. The woman slumped forward onto the table but such was the controlled ferocity of the blow, no heads turned toward their alcove. Jess Wheeler had dealt a death blow like others would swat a fly. Fray turned to Vain and Levene, apologising for interrupting their evening with a fake sincerity that was easy to determine.

"Marcia, Gregory, what can I say? Good evening, young lovers, wherever you are. That would have been a better greeting wouldn't it, but we had a killing to attend to and Jess had to work around you - I hope we didn't disturb you too much!”

After the white haired security chief had aired his sarcasm, his mood darkened.

"Alvettis is going to close early tonight. My guys will take the corpse away and the place will be corralled just like standard CIA practice. The mandatory forensic crew will be brought in - you know the white line ensemble.

“Some of the staff and a few customers will be questioned by our back line personnel and I guess that just leaves you guys, doesn't it? Well, someone's been dying to congratulate you on flushing out the press and preserving MC project secrecy in the process. I'm sure this person isn't that bothered about the odd transgression of security stipulations. I'm sure they think that intimate liaisons in wine bar alcoves don't represent any threat to project security and I'm positive that having a long frenchie across a table wouldn't attract attention! As for the other stuff - well what do you fucking think? Both of you are to wait here".

As the security squad took their leave, Wheeler couldn’t resist a comment to Vain. He had disliked the Front line team leader ever since Vain had questioned the necessity of Wheeler's actions in the Chicago gunfight.

"Try using a chilli pepper next time Gregory - makes a girl squeal like a pig!”

Levene and Vain were rendered silent for a while after the security staff left to close down Alvettis. Whilst they felt both embarrassment and anger over the surveillance of their intimacy, the overriding mutual feeling was one of fear. As Leif Denison approached the alcove, they realised that their relationship was established top-down! When he spoke, his eyes were less cold than Frays but his initial words were just as hard hitting.

"Thank you Marcia, thank you Gregory. I mean that. Your collective movements were so easy to predict in Washington - it was just a matter of researching Marcia's favourite hang outs. We hooked four venues with acoustic isolator capabilities that separate out conversations to micro frequency signals. You were the best form of bait we could possibly have in terms of flushing out the Vanguard threat, both of you being young, good looking and bloody
naive
in your movements around Washington!

We knew you wouldn't be able to keep things low-key if we gave you free time possibilities, and we were reasonably confident that Lassiter would follow your movements. I was impressed with your operation of the three stages surrounding MC project detection and before your castigation I suppose you deserve some credit for this observance".

Denison drew his breath audibly before continuing.

"I guess you know you're a pair of fools, don't you? I mean let us examine things here folks. Your attempts to hide your attraction for each other have hardly been convincing, have they? You buddy-up in both UK and American Designation sites, you 'eye to eye' each other at meetings and you faun around Washington like a couple of teenagers awaiting their first heavy petting session! Back in the cold war era, the pair of you would have been a fucking nightmare as far as security is concerned, and I guess we are lucky that some of the current eastern heavyweights haven't locked into the MC project scent yet. If the latter had happened you would have been expendable Marcia, if you get my drift! After Washington, we will break our discovery to the world, if what we envisage in the Peace Conference transpires - that some delegates speak peace with a hidden agenda of take-over. So far we've been very lenient with the pair of you. You've been monitored more closely since Chicago because your attraction towards each other seemed to be escalating. Ironically this factor probably did help us during the fire, because in the mayhem of the windy city crisis you both helped protect each other as well as your quest for self survival, and naturally we were extremely pleased to get two of our brightest project personnel out of that shithole alive. Having said this, you must realise that neither of you are infallible, and as I've said before the MC project is the real power - bigger than anyone. It turns all we know upside down – Christ, our baby is a new fucking religion!