A House Divided - Chapter 4

Chapter Four.  The Lady Gambles

‘Now this is more like it!’  thought Claire Baxter, COIL agent, as she sipped her gin and tonic and looked out over the beautiful Indian Ocean whose surface shone like twinkling diamonds as the light danced upon it in the mid afternoon sun.

Far above birds soared catching the wind currents and updrafts always on the lookout for a meal below. Gazing down at the water she thought about the unsuspecting prey just below the surface, unaware that their life could well be over in an instant.

I know how you feel, that;s why you swim in schools, for protection.  Your enemies are everywhere, both above and below and the only ones you can trust are your own kind, you wait and hope for the best, react as best you can when danger happens and live day to day,’ she mused in her mind.

Turning her back to the relative tranquility of the sea she faced the turmoil of the party and the myriad of predators about her, the problem was identifying them!

‘So many sharks and all after just one particular fish, me!’

The trouble was in sorting out just who were the really dangerous ones!  That was the problem; luckily she had just the right type of bait to attract them!  Her stunning white dress cut just above the knee set off perfectly her gorgeous legs, she accessorized the ensemble with a pair of white heels, and a pale green hat trimmed in white and finally pearls about her neck and left wrist. A look not unlike Jackie Kennedy a woman Claire admired for both her classic beauty and courage.

She could sense the sharks starting to circle until finally one approached!

‘The party and all the people are over here, but let’s take it one at a time, Peter Van Nystrom and you are?

‘Claire Baxter pleased to meet you.’

‘And I likewise, the sun can be quite deceiving, the wind makes it feel cooler than it is, while it is true it does get quite cool at night, even more so nearer the coast where I live, during the day it is best to limit ones exposure.  My table is just over there and by coincidence I have a vacancy at the present time, I would be pleased if you would join me.’

Claire smiled on the outside and laughed on the inside, cornball line, but the package that delivered it and the cadence of the lines were attractive.  Besides by a perfect coincidence, or not, this was the shark and his school that she wanted to attract, the bait had worked, she decided to accept.

‘Well in the interest skin care and so gracious an invitation I accept,’ she said taking his proffered arm and walking to the table with just enough swing in her hips and spring in her steps to attract the attention of the waiting sharks at the table.

‘Everyone, this is Claire Baxter.  Claire may I introduce Carl Aldag and his wife Hilda and their daughter and my personal secretary Natasha and her friend Ling Yang.’

Carl offered his hand as he stood up, as did his wife, though she reminded seated, neither Natasha or Ling offered their hands, they merely scanned the attractive young interloper into their territory  Claire did the same to them as well only her training allowed her to do it in a much more casual way.  After several minutes of back on forth questions, mostly about nothing, the weather, food, local spots, Claire discounted Carl and Hilda, they were as they said, just visiting their daughter on vacation.  They knew nothing as perhaps their daughter, but that was yet to be determined.  Before the conversation could meander off again Carl sensed that he and his wife were the odd people out in this group of young single people, so he interrupted the conversation and he and Hilda excused themselves on the pretense of being tired from a busy morning.

‘Now that we have lost the chaperones, no offence Natasha, how about another round!  What’s everybody drinking, Claire?’  Peter offered.

I’m fine for now, thanks.’

‘Very well I'll be back in a few minutes with 3 drinks; girls please entertain Claire while I’m gone.’ Peter said.

‘We won’t let you down; you can leave Miss Baxter to us.’said Natasha.

As soon as Peter was out of earshot the two remaining sharks turned to the meal at hand.

‘What did you say you did for a living Claire?’ Ling asked.

I’m an art dealer most of the time, but at present I’m on vacation, but I've always got my eye out to acquire something rare for my organization, should the opportunity present itself,’  Claire answered with a sly smile.

‘That sounds like it could be rather exciting and perhaps dangerous.  Tell me Miss Baxter do you have a taste for danger?’  Natasha countered.

‘I've had my fair share of excitement over the years, but there’s always room for more.  How about you two?’

‘Oh, I’m pretty much the quiet even keeled type, it takes most of my energy, time and attention to help Peter run his various businesses,’ Natasha offered.

‘Such as?’ Claire questioned.

‘At the present we've just opened a new casino and hotel vacation resort on an island about 5 kilometers off the coast.  However we do also have interests in more mundane but lucrative enterprises such as, diamonds, gold, bio agriculture and communications.’

‘That’s quite a plateful,’ Claire said, somewhat sarcastically.

‘I can assure you nothing within the scope of my responsibilities escapes me!’ Natasha sounded.

A warning to Claire to go more carefully in her choice of words. Claire had scored the first point and intended to score more, treading carefully was not in her lexicon, at least not when she didn’t’t want it to be! Turning to Ling she posed the same question to which Ling responded.

‘I’m botanist under the employ of Van Nystrom Enterprises,’ Ling answered with a warm smile.

Claire smiled back and was about to continue the question and answer session when Peter returned with the drinks.

‘Hope you three have been playing nice in my absence’, he said with a laugh.

‘Miss Baxter was just telling us that she’s an Art Dealer and an acquirer of hard to find objects,’ Natasha said in a voice that carried a warning, but just!

‘Sounds fascinating, well clearly you’re a woman we all need to learn a lot more about. We can’t have you running around Durban by yourself, depriving us of your company. Now can we?’ Peter said looking straight at Claire with a knowing look masked in a warm happy smile.

‘I don’t want to take up too much of your time, from what your assistant tells me you’re a very busy man, I wouldn’t’t want to intrude,’ Claire stated slyly.

‘Nonsense, there are 3 of us and only one of you! His eyes were ablaze now. You can’t dodge us forever, you know!’ Peter said, as he laughed and touched Claire’s hand to defuse the double meaning and put her at ease. They all knew what he really meant, but they continued the charade for the sake of civility.

‘I tell you what why don’t you come and spend a few days as a guest at my new casino and resort, Natasha will make all the arrangements. What do you say?’ Peter posed.

Claire had expected this and planned ahead with a ready answer and a stall.

‘You’re extremely generous and I’d be happy to accept, but I have a few things I need to wrap up her in Durban first’, Claire countered.

‘Two or three days should do it and then I'll be free to accept your complete hospitality!’ the spy said as she placed her hand warmly on Peter’s hand, which caused Ling and Natasha to tense in agitation.

‘Well that settles that then. I do however have one condition. Natasha and I have to return to the casino complex, but Ling is based here, try and free a little time for her to show you around some of the nightlife. I can assure you it will be time well spent!’ Peter stated in a rather commanding tone.

‘I don’t respond well to orders!’ Claire snapped back.

‘But for you, I'll make the time!’ she answered, leaning over and giving Peter a gentle kiss on the cheek and a warm smile followed by an even warmer look in her eyes!  Natasha and Ling blazed cold fire in theirs.

‘Here’s my card give me a call and well see what we can arrange,’ Claire said as she got up and handed her business card to Ling and departed from their company

‘We need to eliminate her now!’ Natasha demanded.

 ‘All in good time, we don’t want to make a scene, not here anyway. Let’s let her work herself a little deeper into our web before we strike! Letting her think she’s getting somewhere is half the game!’ Peter offered.

‘Just in case you've had too much to drink this afternoon, I'll remind you this isn't’t a game!’ Natasha said.

‘She’s already taken care of more than a few of our agents; I don’t intend to let any of us be added to her head count, least of all me! I repeat, we need to kill her now!’

‘Patience my dear.’

 ‘Patience, my ass! That woman could have killed you already!’ Natasha clearly frustrated by Peters gamesmanship and seeing the naiveté on his face regarding her statement continued.

 ‘Her lipstick, for one, it could have been poisonous. Her ring may have had a needle to inject you with a drug. She may have even done it! Tell me did you feel a prick of your skin when she touched you? Oh well, too late now, perhaps the poison from her kiss or ring is slow acting? By this time tomorrow you could be dead!’ Natasha stated coolly.

‘Please don’t play your juvenile head games with me! I've been studying our guest as well and that’s not her style she enjoys the game too much to end it so soon. She’s strange that way it’s almost as if she wants to see how hard she can push herself, even though she knows it may not end up the way she wants it too. This is like a drug for her, she needs it to survive and both of you know me I’m all for drug prevention, at any cost!’ Peter said laughing.

The verbal battle and his logic seamed to placate or confirm what Natasha knew already about this woman so Peter turned his attention Ling.

‘Make her feel welcome but arrange to have her meet some sort of end! The details of which I leave in your more than capable hands, but I will add one condition to any plan you have’, Peter said.  Any attempt you make be sure to ensure that you are not directly involved or could be considered by Miss Baxter to be so. Do you understand!’

‘Yes, but can I ask why?’ Ling questioned.

‘The more we learn about her the better the edge we have over her and she has a nasty habit of escaping the seemingly inescapable, you may not be successful the first time, besides our little enterprise is at a critical juncture we don’t want to alert the authorities unnecessarily.’

‘Then I'll just have to try again, but I understand your concern, besides you know me, killing with discretion is my specialty!’ Ling said with a smile as she raised her drink in a victory salute..

The party broke up a short time later, Peter and Natasha made their way to the marina and Ling to the valet parking to pick up her car, her head swimming with ideas for Claire.

Claire raced along the coast road at for most people would have been an excessive rate of speed, which it was, but not for her, she was just getting started!  In and out of traffic went her rented Porsche faster and faster as her foot pushed down the pedal and cars vanished in her mirror as the breeze blew her hair back. She loved the speed, it got her blood up and provided a much need tension relief, besides she told herself it was good practice should a high speed chase ever come her way, but mostly it was the speed she was addicted to and the danger that went with it. However all good and dangerous things must come to an end as all too soon she left the coast road for the resort she was staying at. Minutes later she sat on the edge of her bed and kicked off her heels to rub her feet.

‘Bloody things must have been designed by a man,’ she muttered as her hands soothed first one foot then the other.

After a long hot soak she felt rejuvenated and her mind returned to work as she turned on her laptop and checked her messages. There were two from Joseph, her face brightened, two from COIL and several from other female agents she had friendships with. She got rid of business first and opened the first of the COIL messages.

The deposit has been made to your account.

The second message read.

Please close all accounts.

 Claire was furious she reread the short message in disbelief. Her plan had been approved but they still wanted her to terminate the 3 principle agents and any others that even crossed her path! This made no sense her plan was designed to eliminate the need for this, but they still wanted to risk her life and maybe lose it when there was no need for it.

‘It just didn’t’t make sense’, she thought, but she’d see it through.

For now on to more pleasant emails, Sharon Sharpe was now in New York retired from COIL but a high level consultant to a large international management firm. She begged Claire to come a see her soon. Claire smiled; she would have loved to see her former mentor, but time and locations at least for the present were working against that!  She sent a regretful reply but promised to make time. The next message was from Maoko Yatsumata who had been recruited at the same time as Claire, Maoko send bad news. Jasmine had been killed on assignment in Bangkok that left only her and Claire out of a class of 12 alive.

The few get fewer, Maoko wrote.  Keep your head up and trust no one you don’t have to. Remember truth has many layers.

Claire cried for her friend, they all knew the risks going in but it was still upsetting, as was Maoko’s message. Her fellow agents intuition had always been exceptional if not somewhat paranoid. Claire filed it away in her mind for future pondering. Now it was on to a happy ending to her email odyssey with the two from Joseph!  She wasn’t’t disappointed! His words washed over her, swam about her form, tingled every part of her, raising her temperature and flushing her body. She wished like hell they were together right now, she imagined it in her mind and felt it in her soul, a longing she couldn’t’t fulfil and a fire she wanted to burn about them!  She shook herself back to reality and closed the email, however as she did the screen changed and another message formed on the screen.

‘Still working on the coded messages have made some progress but need more time to be sure. Take care and be careful! Love you.

‘Two warnings in one day’, she thought.

Claire looked at the email again focusing on the Love you part for a last warm feeling before she deleted the message as her finger paused over the key when she noticed two strange things. The exclamation point was in the wrong place it should have been at the end of the Love you, instead it as placed as a warning and there was progress on the cryptic emails, progress he didn’t’t want to tell her until he was sure, but sure about what. While she absorbed that blow the final one caught her broadside! This second message had been coded inside the first, hidden from view and prying hackers!  Claire knew what it meant, DOOM had hacked into COILs computer network given Joseph’s caution and Maoko’s warning.

‘How many false orders and ambushes had they laid for COIL agents along with all the data they could have gathered? God this was bad! But just how bad? Had COIL countered the threat in time and if so how much damage had been done?’

She needed to find out before proceeding further. Retrieving her satellite phone she decided to go right to the top, that being Sir Richard De Roy of COILs London Office. A tense but short conversation followed which served to ease Claire’s nerves.

‘Yes the computer had been breached and some information was downloaded by DOOM some of it vital,’ Sir Richard paused and then continued.

‘Including the complete file on Jasmine and some of the file on Maoko among others’, he said dejectedly.

He went on explain that luckily for them a lone employee in the M.I.S. department with here to for unknown talents had stopped the intrusion.

‘Unlucky for them, fortunate for us, just a few more seconds and they would have everything, including all the data on you Claire!’ he added.

‘Have you recalled Maoko from the field?’ Claire asked.

‘No, I have reviewed the data they appropriated and none of it can compromise her.’

She seemed to me to be a bit worried and I've always had respect for her intuition, maybe you could reconsider?’ Claire asked.

‘When were you talking to her?’

‘I got and email from here dated several days ago.’

‘Well that explains it. Up until several days ago I would have been worried too, but I think that sufficient time has passed and she feels safe again. I wouldn’t’t worry about her, she’s an excellent agent you need to concentrate on your task at hand!’ he answered.

‘Which brings me to why am I being asked to risk my life when I don’t need to!’ Claire questioned sharply.

‘Because those are your orders, besides you've never been squeamish about killing before! ‘he stated.

Claire could see this was going nowhere, besides he was right she had her orders and he was right about the other thing as well, she ended the conversation.  Perhaps it was the thought of never seeing Joseph again that was turning her this way, more cautious and less adventurous than before she met him. She needed to purge this uncertainty or it could seriously compromise her ability to complete the mission, not to mention her life!  She remembered what Catherine had told her, to be ruthless, her opponents would be. She set her mind into the proper perspective for the way ahead. All the anticipated joy over the emails was gone replaced by doubt, anger and frustration.

After a good night’s sleep Claire slipped behind the wheel of her car for her journey to her appointment at the Durban Art Centre. She had expected company and she wasn’t’t disappointed as a car several ones back from her Porsche settled in as her companion for the day. Glancing into the rear-view mirror she grimaced, God, if you’re going to tail me can I at least have some attractive company, these two guys look like reconstructive surgery gone wrong!  The car plodded along through the traffic much to slowly for her liking until finally the Art Centre approached. She parked the car and made her way into the complex and to the Cleaning and Restoration rooms at the back.  She turned and smiled at her two shadows as she opened the door and disappeared out of view and their reach.

The large room with its individual working stalls all had paintings in various states of repair and cleaning, a painstaking procedure that required the skill and touch of a surgeon at pay that wasn’t’t that of a doctor.

‘You do it because you love it, just like I do!’ she said under her breath.

On this day only she and two other people who now approached occupied the room.

Thank you Lieutenant I'll take it from here, she said.

The police officer nodded and left out a side door leaving the two alone.

‘I knew you couldn’t’t live without me! What was it?  My charm, my looks, my wit or all three! You wanted me from the first time we saw each but you maintained control and I admire you for that but you finally had to give into your desires and call for me. Well don’t worry I won’t disappoint you, as if that is possible!

He walked towards Claire his arms extended to enfold her in his embrace, the spy by this time had her eyes firmly raised up and her head tilted to the ceiling a complete look of disbelief on her face. Two steps from her she put one arm out, the palm of her hand coming flat against his chest, stopping him dead in his tracks.

‘They must use very powerful mind altering drugs in that prison you occupy and will again occupy in a flash if you so much as touch me!  Maybe I hit you just a little too hard the first time we met and your eyes hadn’t focused completely when you looked up at me so I'll explain this one last time! That look you saw was me restraining my fury at you for almost screwing up my assignment with you’re half assed attempt to rob the place nearly getting both of us caught!  I don’t want you, need you, crave you, desire you!  I hope this is sinking in because if it isn’t’t I can always punctuate it with another blow to your head!’ Claire said in an exasperated voice as she formed a fist.

‘I love an aggressive woman’, he said.

‘Keep it up and you’ll find out just how aggressive I am! Now sit down Percy, shut up and listen to what I have to say or its back to prison and all those wonderful communal showers with the boys!’ Claire ordered.

‘Ok, but please don’t call me Percy, my name is Perry.’

‘Sure, sorry about that Percy!  I got you out of prison for one reason I need you to steal something for me!  If successful you’re free.’

‘And if I’m not?’ Perry asked.

‘Then you’re most likely dead!’ the spy offered.

‘That doesn’t’t seem like much of a choice I have a better chance of staying alive by refusing your advances’, Perry said as he cocked an eyebrow to accentuate the double meaning of his statement.

Claire ignored it instead she countered.

‘I’m sure the guys in your cell block will welcome you back with open arms not to mention other parts of their bodies!

Perry defiant to the end tried on last time.

‘Suppose I do agree and steal this thing for you what’s to prevent me from selling it to the highest bidder or from ratting you out to the people I’m stealing it from and making a quick profit that way!’

‘First of all once they discover its missing and who took it they'll hunt you down and kill you in what I can assure you will be a most unpleasant death if your fortunate. Or I could find you first and then you’d have to deal with me and I’m much more unpleasant to deal with!  These people don’t negotiate they kill and take what they want!  Second, the item in question has very little or no value by itself; it is part of something bigger and therein lies its value as part of the whole!  Finally once they think I have the item the focus of their attention shifts away from you to me and you’re off the hook,’ Claire laid it out for him.

‘I could still die in the attempt’, he said.

‘Just like you could in prison, look this isn’t’t up for negotiation much longer I have a time and patience limit and your already well into the red zone, make a decision one way or the other!’ Claire demanded.

There was a long silence as Perry thought about looking at his feet and then the ceiling as he pondered his fate. Prison wasn’t’t treating him to well, the company left a lot to be desired not to mention the food, sleeping arrangements, cultural arrangements and for that matter everything else, the choice was easy!

‘You have a deal! I’d be a fool to turn it down, even if it means a possible quick exit from this world, besides the chance to work closely with you again, who could pass that up!’ Perry said smiling a toothy grin.

‘Think again Percy! We don’t know each other on this mission, in fact we won’t even be in the same location for most of the assignment, you'll be one place I'll be another. DO YOU UNDERSTAND’, Claire said in an exasperated tone.

‘Yes, but maybe after the assignment there’s a chance for you and me to..’Perry said.

Claire raised her eyebrows and reached into her purse.

‘Go to this address, ask for the name printed on the card and he will set you up with all the particulars of the assignment and any equipment you may need  Two final things; keep focused on the mission and away from any female distraction and good luck!’

“You’re the only girl for me, even if you don’t think so,’ added Perry. ‘You can count on me!’

Claire thought her plan was clever when she came up with it, now she wasn’t so sure. Perry’s fascination with her was a point of endless frustration and he could be extremely exasperating at times.

‘Well most times,’ she thought. But he was an excellent thief, and he was just what she needed. He'll do his part and I’ll do mine and let’s hope we both live to see it through, she mused as she got into her car and sped off.

‘Keep her under surveillance and report back to me every half hour. No, I wouldn’t worry about her time in the Art Centre she is an art dealer after all, but watch her closely she’s cleaver and slippery don’t let her out of your site for even a fraction of a second! Take care of her when you have an opportunity to make it look like an accident that ensures no evidence is left behind!’

Just as the call was terminated the COIL agent hit the accelerator to kick start the game as she turned onto the coast highway.

‘Let’s see if you’re serious or just out for a ride boys!’  she laughed as the car disappeared in her mirror.

‘Come on guys, I’m worth pursuing, make me feel wanted!’

Claire got her wish seconds later as her shadows closed the gap and opened fire on her with Uzis from both parties. Bullets sprayed all over the road, front, back and side of the Porsche as she swerved and dodged the nimble car about the road, it responded magnificently to her touch, just like a lover she guided it about with her deft touch of the wheel. The smell of smoking tires and the scream of the engine mixed with the staccato beat of the lead that whizzed about and around her.

‘You boys come on a bit strong for a first date, what’s a girl to do?’ Bullets ripped into the car from all angles as Claire danced the car and her to avoid the onslaught of death and damage being raked about her.

Suddenly the bullets stopped and the two cars merged with a bang again and again!

‘Hmmm rear entry, definitely not my favourite position!’ Claire joked to herself as her car moved dangerously close to the cliff edge and 20 feet of sheer drop.

Quick as she could the spy double clutched the Porsche and sped away a little up the road and around a hairpin turn. That should have been impossible to hold under her current speed, but again, her skill and deft touch at the wheel kept the tires glued to the road as the force of the turn flattened her back into the seat! On came her adversaries determined to close the gap and smash her off the road with one final big collision! The missile bore down on her, its bulk completely enveloped her rear view mirror and still it came closer it would impact her within a few fractions of a second. Time at the moment seemed to slow for Claire; she could feel the seconds brush by her in long slow strokes. Within that short split of actual time the COIL agent turned the wheel quickly, fishtailed the car perilously close the embankment so that rocks and gravel spewed off the edge into the precipice below as well as her companions! She watched the car fly over the edge amidst a torrent of smoke and screeching tires. Then blissful silence as just for a moment the car look as if it could defy gravity and fly, but only for that briefest of seconds the same as Claire had used to her advantage. Then it nosed dive and impacted upon the rocks below, no ball of fire or massive explosion followed, just that horrible sound of metal being twisted around human flesh, the bodies being reshaped by the impact. Claire sped away back to the hotel.

‘I’ll be eating the damage deposit again’! she said, perusing the interior damage to the battered Porsche.

She pulled up to the valet parking offering no explanation for the condition of the once fine vehicle to the attendant when not to her surprise she spotted Ling coming towards her.

‘My god, what happened to your car?’

‘I told you my business can get a little exciting at times,’ Claire answered in a calm voice.

‘Oh my god! Ling said again. Are you all right?’

‘Yes, as a matter of fact I’m both a little excited and a little sore, but other than that I’m just fine. How about you?’

‘What, oh I’m fine to. I came over to ask you if you’d like to be my guest at a special dinner party and dance tonight. But you look like you could use a good bath and a massage, you do look a little tense,’ Ling answered trying to get a grip on the present.

‘I’d love too, but give me a little time to clean up and relax a bit, how about you pick me up at 8’, Claire asked.

‘You don’t scare very easily; I wish I had your nerve. All right if you really want to, 8 it is, but call me if you change your mind, I’ll understand. Here’s my number,’ Ling said still somewhat shaken as she walked over to her own car and drove away.

Claire watched her go and then headed to her luxury Cabana by the sea.

Claire decided she would take Lings advice and get massage. She called the front desk and 1 minute later she opened the door to a small man named Raj. He explained he practiced a form of Tantric Massage guaranteeing that he would free all the tension from her.

‘I notice you don’t use the traditional table,’ Claire asked seeing no signs of any equipment with Raj.

‘No because I’m so small and Tantric requires exact pressure application I find the floor works best for both me and my clientele,’ he said smiling.

 Claire went to change into a towel and upon return a space had been cleared on the floor for her to lie down on her stomach and Raj removed the towel from around her. Claire noticed two things; one he didn’t fit the typical massage type, he was small and very thin and that he wore the traditional linen clothe around his waist as his only means of clothes. His size however belied his skill as Claire soon started to relax under his mild pressure applications. His gentle manipulations covered all parts of her body from her toes right up to her neck out her arms and even her fingers. Raj’s magic touch wove her into a complete state of relaxation. She was drifting in semi consciousness when his voice broke through to her and lifted the spell.

‘Please roll over and I will complete the massage.’

‘I’m not embarrassed if you’re not?’ she laughed.

Claire went to do as requested only her body would not respond to her brain's commands.

“What have you done to me I can’t move! You must have made a mistake!’  Claire said in a panicked voice.

‘On the contrary Miss, you’re just the way you should be. My massages are designed to relax you so that I can apply the second and final stage of my treatment, that being your death! My small size and strength are not very formidable, by neutralizing my targets size and strength I’m able to defeat them.’

Claire unable to move was at his mercy as the little man now proceeded to the task at hand.

‘I will explain to you what is happening as I go along so you have an appreciation for your situation and my art form. First I will remove my cloth so I can get a better feel for you in the hold. Oh yes, the correct name of hold I’m going to apply is call The Curved Knot’

.

Pinning Claire’s arms and hands behind her neck he spread eagled himself on her back, he then proceeded to wrap his legs around the top of her shoulders and lock them together across the back of her neck thus pinning her arms in place. Her legs he bent underneath her at the knee wrapping his arms around her legs at mid-calf he thus held her legs.

‘Now that you are secured in place I will roll you into the final position.’

Slowly Raj rolled the entwined woman over reversing their positions holding her helpless in his knot, the paralysis preventing any struggle from her.

‘The pain will be exquisite and you will be able to struggle in a few minutes once my technique has worn off. But it will do you no good you’re here until the end, which should be in about 15 minutes, although you are the first female victim I’ve applied this to so my estimate may not be accurate.’

The position was simple enough, hold the prey, uses your leverage and bent the victims back until it broke. The beauty of it was the simplicity of application; the trapped person had no use of their limbs for escape.

‘Do you have any questions Miss; ask them now while you’re still able to.’

Needing to learn all she could to facilitate an escape Claire decided to ask and hopefully stall for time in the process.

‘I thought Tantric was gentle, I’ve never heard of it being used as a deadly art before?’ she said as if she were talking to a teacher.

‘All Tantric is gentle, but with a little imagination, creativity as well as a great amount of study I have managed to bring out the less gentle aspects of it and as far as I know I’m the only practitioner of it.’

‘You must be very good? Oh yes Miss I have a 100 percent success rate. Come now that’s enough questions it is time for me to earn my fee.’

The feeling had returned to Claire’s body during their brief interlude and she started to resist. Twisting and serpentining her torso she rolled on to her side, Raj going with her, but she could get no purchase with which to resist, her limbs locked into Raj’s tangle. He left her there for a few minutes then rolled her back up; as he did she countered to the other side and fell hoping the fall would dislodge his grasp. Again he left her there to struggle for several fruitless minutes before he returned his victim to the final position. She continued to flex and corkscrew her torso in vain attempt to break the little man’s hold. Claire was the one used to doing the application of exotic holds, both on men and women she’d been caught in many before, however they were all by women, men generally just used size and strength, this adversary was breaking all the rules and her in the process!

 His Curved Knot was beginning to work; she was being pulled up slowly as her neck was bent downward and in along his legs. She fought back with all her strength and managed to bring her body back to its starting place in the hold. She would resist as long as she could while she looked for an escape.

‘Very good Miss, you counter wonderfully and are a worthy opponent. As I said I have never killed a woman before and you are making this interesting.’

She continued to battle the contest was not over from her point of view, although an observer would have disagreed, with her arms pinned behind her head and her legs held she had no positional advantage. Back and forth she flexed and writhed her supple body, tensing this way, curving that way, undulating up and down, rocking, thrashing any way she could move to escape, it was like watching an animal trying to stay out of the coils of a constrictor. Raj delighted in her frustration at escape and even gave her some slack to play with only to take it away just when she thought she was making progress. Wiggling like a hooked fish on a line Claire continued to fight her bodily gyrations still fruitless. All her efforts to free her entwined form were useless; all she accomplished was to bead her captive body in perspiration.

‘I congratulate you Miss, 25 minutes you have managed to resist. You have a truly wonderful body, your yoga training, yes I have been fully briefed, has served you well, yet the outcome will not change. How much more do you have?’

‘As much as you’ve got,’ she answered calmly.

Raj continued to apply subtle pressure and with each movement his Tantric death knot cinched her closer to her doom. His deadly constriction of her almost imperceptible but always present as Claire arched further upward in his body snare. Every muscle in her body rippled yet she could not summon them to her defense. She flared in his hold; wildly thrashing her legs and torso, side to side she rose and fell in her valiant attempts at release. She forced her pelvis down and tried to kip herself out of the knot with a sudden upward surge, still he held her in his tweeze. Her freedom to move within the hold was being reduced with each minute, she could feel the siren pull of The Curved Knot as its song sung her deeper into his net.

She continued her constant and unrelenting fight to escape his trap, her flailing again proving ineffective she tried one last time to jar herself free by overbalancing and falling to the side, she tugged and pulled using all her suppleness to dislodge her assassin. Five minutes of painful struggle found her tighter than before as Raj again pull her upright. Claire looked at her herself in the mirror across the room, arched in an ever decreasing U shape, her muscles straining to hold her, tensed her already wonderful body even more so. Renewing the battle with Raj she continued to fight vainly within his death hold.

The sun was setting and the last of light bathed the two in its warmth. Her ensnared taut helpless form danced in the setting light as she continued to resist her captor with the little she had left. Glistening in perspiration from his cleave her body inches away from death Claire tried corkscrewing her torso again only this time it did not respond, its entrapment in Raj’s body complete, her lithe form ceased dancing.

‘One hour Miss, but I feel not another five minutes can you continue,’ he stated in an academic way.

Held helpless in her captors embrace, Claire had seemingly run out of options and most definitely strength, will power would have to do until the end.

‘This really is the most painful part Miss, air will be hard to exchange, pain will increase with each minute adjustment and you will die slowly and in great pain, if you surrender now I will make it fast, given my respect for you?’

Claire could not get enough air to scream in pain and when she did get air in was in short sharp pants and very shallow however she managed to utter a weak no in response to his question.

Her body arched at an impossible angle moved a little every few minutes as she continued to fight for as long as she could. Held by Raj, completely immobilized, her body bathed in sweat as it ran off her in rivers she started to fade.

Just at the point of passing out her left arm slipped a little in the hold. All the sweat had made his grip not have the same bite it once had. The fight in her came back; she had a chance, small but still one never the less. Fighting crushing pain and time she managed to work it free.

‘Very good Miss, but what can you do with it.’

She cursed not having sharpened her nails, she would have cut him until he freed her, and instead she did the next best thing! She reached out and cupped his flaccid member in her weak palm. She would have loved to yank it off but her arm was far too weak from being pinned to have that kind of strength. Slowly it started to engorge in blood as she worked it as Raj tried to resist her. She needed him to spill before too much longer or the hold would finish her and just a few painful seconds later he did. In those brief seconds of ecstasy his legs weakened and Claire freed her other arm, disentangled his legs and escaped his Curved Knot, but not Raj.

Claire rose to her feet stumbled and collapsed, tried again only to experience the same result. Her back under the constant pressure of Raj’s Tantric death knot was unable to support her, she had however recovered somewhat the use of her arms and legs, she was not completely defenseless.

‘Miss you have spoiled my perfect record and escaped that which was I thought impossible, however your escape will only be temporary!’

‘It would appear your Curved Knot has a flaw, perhaps you didn’t study hard enough after all’, she said, derision in her voice.

Raj wanted to finish Claire off, but he knew his skills were best used in surprise and stealth than in physical prowess and even in her weakened state Claire may have been able to defeat him. He concluded that it would be better to put caution ahead of injured pride.

‘Yes, as I said you are worthy adversary Miss. I however will not rest until I have my revenge upon you, not today perhaps, but sometime in the future we will meet again. Today was just a sample of my abilities; I have many more holds that I assure you, you will become intimately familiar with!’

Retreating he picked up and secured his linen cloth and left her Cabana. Claire exhausted from over an hour in his clutches fell to the floor. She didn’t relish meeting the little man again, he was good and cleaver and perhaps next time might be her last. She lay there awhile letting her body rest and gather strength. After a long while she got slowly to her feet and gingerly locked the door then proceeded to the bathroom and a warm soak.

Dinner with Ling awaited her as Claire breezed into the hotel lobby. She was dressed immaculately for the occasion in her favourite strapless back dress with a dangerously sexy slit up the side of her thigh.

‘I’m surprised to see you Claire!’ Ling said.

‘You say that like you never expected to see me again.’ the spy responded.

‘Oh well no, that’s not what I meant at all it’s just that, well after this afternoon I didn’t think you’d have the stamina for anything else!’ Ling stated slyly.

‘I wouldn’t want to disappoint you after you extended the invitation. I admit I had to bend over backwards to make it, I hope I’m presentable. Are my seems straight?’ Claire said as turned around so Ling could check the seams on her stockings.

‘There fine, you look stunning.’ Ling said flatly and dejectedly as she started to lead the way to her car for the short drive to the party.

They made small talk along the way Claire relaxed but kept her guard up, she was unsure about Ling, not that she was a DOOM agent, but rather just how personally deadly this woman was and she was in no rush to find out.

The party was a collection of the who’s who of Durban’s business and social elite held at an old mansion of a friend of Ling’s to whom and others Claire was introduced in a rapid succession of smiles and handshakes.

‘Now I know how the fish feel just below the surface as the birds circle above!’ Claire thought as her dance partner lead her about the floor.

She had no idea how many of these people were DOOM agents or affiliated with them? For all she knew she might have been the only person in the room on the opposite side, she liked the odds.

‘You’re certainly no wallflower! In fact is there anything you can’t do well?’ Ling asked as she joined Claire.

‘One or two things,’ Claire said with a smile and a laugh. ‘But right now what I really need is a break from my dance partners and a little time for myself. Didn’t I see an arboretum earlier this evening when we were make our way in?’ Claire asked Ling.

‘Yes, just out the main doors and down the hall, its secluded and quite, just what you’re looking for I think?’ Ling said as she motioned with her hand.

‘Great, see you in a while,’ Claire’s voiced rang back to Ling as she walked towards the doors. Ling said nothing, just smiled a Cheshire Cat grin over the top of her glass.

The sound of her heels filled the empty hallway as Claire disappeared down the passageway toward the arboretum. Closing the door she sealed out the din of the party and was enveloped in the quiet peaceful stillness, just her and the plants. The glass ceiling let the moon light stream through and flood the plants with what seemed like hundreds of individual spotlights, that coupled with the low intensity ground lighting provided just enough illumination for her to wander around the path, view the vegetation and relax.

In the shadow of a giant rubber plant, it’s great leaves softening the moonlight about her Claire sat down on a stone bench and crossed her legs. For several minutes she was lost in the rapturous quite of the space, her mind cleared and her body relaxed. Slowly she locked her arms together in her lap and stretched them upward over her head where she held the position, tensing and flexing her spine up and down and side to side in a rhythmic and undulating sequence.

Unfortunately the end of paradise, at least for this moment had arrived, she needed to rejoin the party. The spy started to uncross her legs, but found her ankles secured in place by a slender vine coiled several times about them! Her mild alarm grew exponentially when she quickly realized her entire midsection was being held in place and she was unable to rise off the bench! She glanced down and swiveled her head side to side about her torso to slowly witness long luminous strands capped at the tip by semi lucent purple balls enclosing about her! The tentacles would have been easy to escape from except each one secreted an extremely sticky coating that once in contact with another entity bound the two together! Claire tried to wiggle herself free before it was too late, but with her legs immobilized it was difficult to even move on the stone bench! The sticky tentacles moved slowly but purposefully as they closed the net about the spy. Each strand mechanically locked one after the other; one by one the purpled balled tips came to rest against her body in a gluey finale.

Within several minutes the last of the tips closed the trap and she was secured in the plant. Claire realized she had been trapped in a Love Nest Sundew, a hybrid, and no doubt a creation of Ling’s. The Sundew was a carnivorous plant that absorbed its prey by one securing it and two by then secreting a chemical that broke down the victim’s body so it could be digested! In its normal state it ate flies and assorted bugs, genetically enhanced she had become the fly now trapped in its gooey embrace! The spy kept up her wriggling, covered from just below her neck to just above her knees in the tentacles embrace it was quite useless to fight all she managed to do was fall on her side her body completely spread out on the bench. The Love Nest Sundew had no power over her other than the tentacles and its dead weight, of which she couldn’t fight against, immobilized as she was. She tried forcing her legs apart at the knees, but her they couldn’t budge the embraced vine about them, she was truly trapped! Claire knew she had only a short while before the plant secreted its deadly toxin and absorbed her. Her arms were still free above her head, luckily for her the plant had attacked while she’d been stretching and distracted, always a bad mistake, but in this case a fortuitous one for her.

Slowly Claire lowered her left hand and moved it delicately toward the back of her upper thigh. Unable to see she had to probe gingerly with the tips of her nails amid the tentacles, she couldn’t risk entrapping her hand in the plant's adhesive, even at that the tips were caught many times. She carefully worked them free and continued probing until she found the desired spot. Claire tenderly flattened her fingers against the back of her thigh as two of her fingers found the top of the seam in her stocking and pulled. From within the seam in her hose emerged an ever lengthening flexible metal wire! The wire was primarily used as a strangulation device; concealed within the seam it could be stealthily deployed to kill an unsuspecting adversary as Claire now intended to do.

Finally the long wire was free of her seam, snapping it with her hand she tried unsuccessfully several times to wrap it around the main stem of the Sundew. It took many several tries but she eventually succeeded, her free hand groped for and found the loose end, grasping the wire in both hands she shifted her arms back and forth along the stem of the plant. Claire worked feverishly to free her encased body before it was too late! She slowly felt the wire dig into the tough stem of the Sundew, increasing her speed as she cut the main artery until finally she was through. The resulting release of tension sent her rolling off the bench and onto the pathway the flower from the Love Nest Sundew still clinging to her torso and thighs. Claire quickly deposed of the vine about her ankles by using the wire again to gain a little more freedom. With her legs free she was at last able to stand on her feet again and using the wire she piece by piece cut away as much of the remaining plant as possible until only parts of the tentacles were left. Discarding the wire Claire pull free a large leaf from a nearby rubber tree plant and cupping it in her hand began the task of removing the remaining sticky tendrils from her clothes and skin. She cleaned herself up as best she could and quickly made her way out of the arboretum and to the ladies room for a final clean up before she glided into the main room once again looking none the worse for her battle.

From across the room Ling’s countenance fell however the mask of tranquility was in place as Claire having retrieved a drink from a passing waiter came towards her and smiled as she clinked her glass to Ling’s and said.

; I was gone so long I’ll bet you didn’t expect to see me again!’

‘Having known you only a short time and witnessed what I have nothing about your abilities or resourcefulness surprises me!’ Ling answered.

Turning to face Ling, Claire held her gaze and said.

‘That’s good, then I won’t be shocking you when I say that was your last chance! If we ever meet again after this evening I’ll kill you!’

The COIL agent raised her glass in a mock salute, turned around and melted into the crowd. Ling watched her go, but silently took up the challenge.

‘Well meet again and Ill finish you firsthand!’ Ling said to herself, as she did her own vanishing act into the partygoers round her.

Claire got a ride back to the hotel and relaxed with a bubble bath and a good night’s sleep, two of her three favourite activities! Tomorrow she thought as she drifted off would bring a whole new set of dangers. As it turned out the day was rather uneventful from the danger aspect, but eventful from the mission aspect. She had just finished a vigorous workout and was in the middle of a cooling down series of stretches when her satellite phone rang. Unfolding her body she strode the several feet to the desk in the room and picked it up.

‘Hello..excellent. I’ll meet you there in an hour.’ Claire smiled as she clicked the end button to terminate the call, things were moving along smoother than she had planned.

Replacing the phone on the desk she disappeared into the bathroom, a quick shower and a change of clothes and she was on her way. Her new, brand new, Porsche had arrived during the night.

‘Please don’t let anything happen to this one!’ she thought to herself as she slid into the car.

‘I’d hate to have to explain two cars in two days!’

As she drove along the highway into the city she wasn’t surprised to see no one keeping track of her movements, she knew Ling had taken her warning seriously, at least for the present, the future was any bodies guess? Once within the city Claire maneuvered the car with a deft hand through the traffic riding the clutch a little to give the car an added boost around tight spots as she steered the Porsche in and out of traffic. She made her way down several tree lined streets until she guided the vehicle to a stop in front of a large kitchie antique store in a very trendy part of town. Exiting the car she activated the security system and entered the store. Identifying herself to one of the sales people she was quickly escorted to the back of the store and her awaiting appointment. A smiling Perry greeted her, as did the police officer from the previous meeting, Claire smiled back and began the conversation.

‘Good work Perry!’ she said as she held out her hand.

Perry needing no clues placed the object in her hand, which she in turn examined and clearly satisfied gave it to the officer.

‘You’ll see it gets safely to my friends!’ she said. A silent nod and a stern face assuaged any doubts.

‘What about him?’ the officer said, finally breaking his silence with a deep bass voice, definitely cop like tone as he jerked a thumb in Perry’s direction.

‘Take him back where he came from,’ Claire said.

Before she could continue on Perry his face white and dumb struck yelled in defiance.

‘We had a deal, I knew you were just using me, I risked my life and this is how I get repaid, you lousy bitch!’

Claire was clearly enjoying the moment, but only for the briefest of seconds, before she interrupted his tirade.

‘You didn’t let me finish, Perry and after that outburst I’m not sure I want to?’

She watched him get a little bit redder in the face before his professionalism took over and he calmed down with her smile.

‘You’re free to go, but I would advise going back to prison until I return from the island and my mission is complete, you’ll be safer there until then. Once I return I think there will be a job opening for a head of security at a new casino nearby, and you have inside track for the position, that is, if you’re interested?’ Claire said.

‘What if you don’t return, what then!’

‘Then you’ll be free still and arrangements will be made to take you anywhere in the world you wish to go, financial remuneration provided as well so you can establish yourself! Sound fair to you?’

Seeing no objection she turned away, Claire was just about to exit the storage area when she heard.

‘Please return, not for me, but just because!’ She didn’t turn around but smiled all the way out of the store and into the car. Turning over the engine and putting it in gear she pulled away from the curb.

‘Just because, was as good a reason as any,’ she thought.

The lounge at the pier held about 30 people all waiting for the boat to take them to the island casino and hotel complex Claire observed as she checked in her luggage. She made her way to the bar and ordered a drink them mingled with the crowd until the boat arrived. The cruise out to the island was leisurely, the music was playing and people danced about with their drinks, some spilling a little too much off them, a combination of not having your sea legs and having too much to drink. Claire danced with several people but as the island came into view she departed from the group and scanned the approaching shore for as much of the detail as she could, she may need it for an escape route later! As the boat pulled into the mooring Claire could clearly see Peter waiting for her an expectant look on his face. He took her hand as she stepped off and gave her a small kiss on the cheek as a greeting.

‘It’s good to see you so soon! I trust all you’re business went well on the mainland?’

‘Yes, I managed to accomplish everything much sooner than expected! How are you Peter?’ she asked.

‘Just fine and looking forward to your visit! I’m sure once you’ve seen all we have to offer you’ll never want to leave, starting with tonight!’

‘What’s so special about tonight verses any other night?’ Claire asked.

‘Well, how about a private tour of the place followed by dinner and dancing with the owner on the terrace overlooking the ocean,’ he said, the hope not quite totally concealed in his voice.

‘I’ve heard its bad policy to say no to the boss!’ the spy said with a smile.

‘Excellent,’ he motioned to a waiting porter, who came forward.

‘Take Miss Baxter’s luggage her room. I regret I cannot see you until tonight I have some urgent business to attend to. I’ll see you about 7:30 in the main ballroom,’ Peter said as he again kissed her cheek and departed up the dock.

‘This way Miss, if you please,’ the porter said as he started in the same direction with Claire in tow.

The suite was luxurious and overlooked the sea with a large balcony to view it from. This view was even more spectacular than the one the party afforded when she'd met Peter. Returning to the present she retreated back into the room and opened her purse pulling out her compact. Pushing down several times into the compact a hidden compartment sprung open and Claire went to work scanning the room for concealed bugs. As she suspected there where several which she quickly disabled along with a small hidden camera. Satisfied the room was clear she closed and replaced the compact in her purse, Claire then went about setting out her own security system to guard against any unwanted intrusions. Once completed she unpacked her things and decided that she might as well enjoy herself while she was still able. Twenty minutes later found her soaking up the sun and enjoying a cool drink on the beach as she worked on her tan and the men worked on looking at her! She knew DOOM would try nothing out here in the open so she allowed her mind to relax and her body to rest for the coming battle! As the late afternoon came on she noticed, just as Peter had said the weather started to become chilly even though the sun was still relatively high in the sky. The wind had definitely shifted to the south bringing cold air up from the Antarctic, it was time to leave anyway and prepare for her dinner date.

Back in her room she once again checked it for bugs and cameras. Satisfied again, she slipped off her bikini and took a shower and the started to prepare for her dinner date. Claire slipped her legs into sheer black stockings and carefully caressed out the wrinkles until the hose clung to her like a second skin. Rising from the dressing table she made her way to the closet and pulled out her black sequined cocktail dress. A pair of black heels and a pearl necklace, earrings and bracelet finished the package to perfection. She eyed the finished product in the mirror; applying her perfume and makeup as the final touches she retrieved her small handbag and exited the room. It was a small walk to the main casino and as promised Peter was waiting for her there.

‘You look wonderful!’ he said.

Claire noticed the pupils of his eyes were severely dilated as he spoke, indicating he was telling the truth, the dress was working its magic! He took her arm and led her into the main casino.

‘I have modeled my establishment on the European style of casino, more ambience and not so much glitz as in Las Vegas,’ he said.

Claire had to admit it had style, the whole room looked and felt like an old fashioned gentleman’s club from the turn of the century. Decorative wood panels for walls, plush carpeting, expensive antique chandeliers and much more gaming tables instead of slot machines gave the entire room a rather quite subdued feeling. More like a library than a gambling facility, in fact if it wasn’t for the occasional yell of a winner or groan from a loser she was hard pressed to tell the difference! They strode through, past tables of roulette, baccarat and other assorted card games. All the players deep in concentration with the same expressionless look upon their faces.

‘None of these people seem too happy, even the ones who are winning, at least for the moment?’ Claire questioned.

‘You’ve got a keen eye, in fact to them the money, won or lost, in my case lost I hope,’ Peter added with a small laugh.

‘Is not important, it’s just the thrill of playing the game, what you see on the outside is not a blank cipher but an outward reflection of inner calm. At the tables they only have to be themselves, not what their positions in life demand them to be in the eyes of other people. No, here there are no earth shattering decisions to be made every day, corporation mergers to be negotiated or shareholders to be pacified, here it’s just money, something they have more than enough of and it buys them peace for a short period of time! I like to think I operate a psychotherapy practice without the couch!’ Peter said with a laugh as he escorted Claire up a small set of stairs and towards an elevator. Once inside he pushed a button and inserted a security card to get the elevator moving.

‘My private office,’ he said tucking the card back inside his tuxedo.

His private office overlooked the ocean and the surf crashing against the rocks a great distance below as Claire looked out and down.

‘Don’t lean too far over I wouldn’t want you to die like that!’ he said.

‘Just how would you like me to die?’ Claire answered as she took the champagne glass he offered her.

‘She didn’t like the look she got back; but then again she wasn’t expecting anything different.

‘Oh, I don’t know let me think, I usually have associates of mine think these things up and put them into action!’ he said and then broke into laughter.

‘Really, what kind of a question is that, come enjoy your drink, I promise there’s no cyanide in it!’ and started to laugh again.

Claire was very much on her guard but she still knew he found her attractive, even though he knew she was dangerous, his eyes gave him away! Still as they sat down for dinner she caught out of the corner of her eye the disappearance of her champagne glass while his remained.

‘Testing my lipstick no doubt, do you think I’d be foolish enough to leave a trace for you to test if it was poisonous!’ she thought, smiling across the intimate table at him.

Dinner was delicious, crab bisque followed by braised lamb with artichoke hearts and crème caramel for dessert all with a splendid sauterne to drink.

‘If this is to my last meal it was a great way to depart this life’, she thought, as they left the table and made their way to the balcony.

Peter turned on some music and started to join her when his private phone rang, excusing himself he walked over to his desk.

‘A very good lab to have analyzed my lipstick so soon!’ Claire mused.

He returned seconds later.

‘My apologies, just a routine check on a guest,’ he said.

‘I hope everything’s alright?’ she answered.

‘Yes, they checked out clean.’

Claire had to suppress her inward amusement from escaping. He took her by the hand and tenderly around the waist as they started to dance; Claire checked him and kept the distance between respectable at least for the present. He being a typical male kept up the tactic of trying to bring her closer and she like all skilled women knew all the tricks to keeping him just where he was, at arm’s length! He tried again, this time with words.

‘It’s getting chilly out her why don’t we step inside?’

‘If it’s so cold why don’t you try holding me closer?’ Claire answered with a practiced talent, make him think it’s all his idea!

She relaxed and slipped her arms around his neck as his slid around her waist and gently tightened in place drawing her into him. Cheek to cheek they swayed in place, Claire relaxed but alert.

‘The clasp of your dress is undone, here let me fix it for you’, Peter whispered into her ear as his arms snaked up her back and refastened the hook before returning to around her lovely waist.

‘Thank you,’ Claire whispered back as she pressed against him and tightened her arms about his neck.

Claire didn’t discourage his hands from roaming around her back as they moved about the balcony. Slowly she moved her head and met his lips for several long kisses; he wasn’t the best kisser Claire had ever encountered, so as best she could in the subtle female way she guided him along. She knew that too much encouragement could take this to a place she didn’t want it to go, namely his bed, so she pulled away.

‘I think we had better call it night, before my passion runs away with me.’ she said in her best disguised way.

Disappointment was written all over his face, he opened his mouth to disagree but seeing the set look on her face he reluctantly capitulated.

‘Until tomorrow then’, Peter said as he escorted her to the elevator and activated it for her. ‘My regrets, but I must go over some pressing business,’ Peter said as the door closed and a few seconds later deposited Claire back on the main floor of the casino where see started to make her way through.

‘Miss Baxter, won’t you join me?’

Claire stopping and turning in the direction of the voice saw Natasha looking up and smiling at her from a Baccarat Table.

‘Please sit down and join the game, unless of course this is one of the few things you can’t do?’

Claire smiled, clearly Ling had reported in, and took her seat at the table between two other gentlemen players. Both women eyed each other in a careful study as the dealer dealt the cards from the shoe.

‘We play ten thousand a game Miss Baxter!’ I hope that isn’t too much for you, I know you’re a working girl and probably on a budget!’ Natasha said with a light laugh that rippled around the table and was picked up by the patrons.

‘That’s fine with me, if I lose Ill guess I’ll just have to ask Peter to loan me the money, I’m sure he wouldn’t object since we’ve become very close in such a short time!’ Claire pounced back.

The two beauties were clearly the class of the players, but Claire was just that much better and that much more charming that the men didn’t seem to mind losing to her, the same could not be said for Natasha!

‘You certainly are on quite a streak of good fortune at the moment Miss Baxter, but all streaks end, everybody’s luck runs out sometime, usually quicker than they think!’ Natasha icily said.

‘Shall we play one more hand and then call it an evening?’ Claire asked.

‘You to charming men won’t mind if I make this game just between us girls?’ Claire smiled at them as she stared out of the corner of her eye at Natasha with a cold look!

They offered no objections.

‘How about one game double or nothing, that will give you the chance to win back all you’ve lost to me this evening’ Claire said sweetly.

Natasha fully understood the hidden meaning.

‘Agreed!’ she answered.

The cards were dealt and as the two predators studied each other for a crack in their respective defenses the crowd grew and looked on in fascination. Natasha was clearly happy with her cards, she took none, Claire was holding her worst hand of the evening, but conveyed nothing. She took 3 cards, the maximum in baccarat and the longest odds of winning, a nearly impossible feat! Natasha flipped over her cards, 8 points; Claire needed 9 to win. Without looking at her face down dealt cards she methodically flipped them over to sound of cheers.

‘Neuf al a pointe,’ shouted by the dealer.

‘Lucky at cards and lucky at love all in the same evening. Thank you for inviting me to play and for your hospitality, I hope I’ll see you tomorrow. Please have a cashiers cheque drawn up in my name and left at the front desk for the amount, less 2 thousand for yourself!’ she said to Natasha and the dealer respectively as she smiled and took her leave of the casino.

A very rewarding evening all around, her timing and execution where perfect and she was now 20 thousand dollars richer, but she reminded herself she had to survive another day to enjoy the profits of her evening

The next day Claire had her winnings wired to her own personal account and then proceeded to breakfast, there was no launch to the mainland for 3 more days, she knew she didn’t have 3 days to spare or to survive! She decided to disobey orders regarding the remaining DOOM agents for several reasons.

One; the mission was a success from her point of view, and two, once they discovered the nature of Peters illness it would be too late to save him. The poison she’d administered to him was time released but fast acting, he’d be dead in minutes and then DOOM would come looking for her! Claire’s survey of the hotel and casino complex offered an isolated escape route, through a small secluded garden down to the beach, from their she’d take a Sea Doo and take her chances on the ocean for the 5 kilometers to shore. The small compass concealed in her ring would give her all the guidance she’d need in the dark. The plan seemed to be perfect and with such a large complex and so many people all she had to do was stay within a large group until the appointed time, even DOOM wouldn’t try anything with so many people around! At the right moment she disentangled herself from the group and made her way to the gate leading to the secluded garden and the path that led to the beach and freedom.

‘You’re not leaving so soon, are you Miss Baxter?’ Natasha asked.

Claire quickly scanned around the garden for the direction of the hidden voice. Natasha spoke again as she stepped out from behind a bush to reveal herself.

‘I was hoping we could get to know each other a little more closely!’ Neither woman needed any explanation as to what was to happen next, a battle to the death

The C.O.I.L. agent watched as Natasha took several measured steps toward Claire who having only seen her sitting down was surprised to see the height and leanness of her. She was at least 5 inches taller the Claire and much thinner, yet incredibly muscular. She moved gracefully rather like she flowed to a new position with each step, her movements fascinating and somewhat hypnotizing in their elegance. The DOOM agents sandy blond hair was pulled back and braided into a single ponytail that hung thickly down the middle of her shoulder blades. She wore or more correctly it seemed to Claire had woven herself into a spiders web designed covering of black netting that clung tightly to the contours of the seductively swaying body! Claire watched her opponent even as she started to stretch her body to prepare for the coming battle, carefully studying Natasha to gather any information she could use. The DOOM agent gave Claire a look akin to I know something you don’t as she lowered herself like a relaxing cobra to the path underfoot.

‘You don’t mind if I warm up a little before, do you? I used to be a ballet dancer, however an unfortunate injury ruined my career. Even experimental surgery and radical drug therapy did not restore my dream of being a dancer. It did however bring me into contact with DOOM, they pursued me even as my dance company, who I had given my life to from a young age pushed me out the door as damaged goods, much like you take the garbage to the curb! DOOM wanted me and more importantly was able to reward me in ways dancing never could. I was valuable again and a rising star once more, I dance all the command performances for my organization and I always leave my audience breathless at the end! You’re my current command performance and it may flatter you to know the hi light of my career to date! You’ve been an annoying little fly for us, causing a great deal of trouble and inconvenience and eliminating many good agents along the way, but you’ve finally come to me and the end!’ said Natasha as she stretched her long lean body for the battle ahead.

 Claire continued with her routine untying her sarong as she flexed her body. She reached out and cupped her hands around the heels of the feet and pulled her body forward rippling her leg muscles as she bent. She shifted her legs into a V and stretched down each leg in turn upon completion they came together, rising first one and the other up her torso until she clasp her hands around her heels held high above her head, her luscious trim body displayed wonderfully.

Natasha drew her legs up around her and as Claire watched proceeded to extricate herself from the spiders web outfit. First her right leg snaked slowly up her chest and emerged out of the neck opening, an arm followed quickly thereafter. Turning on her side and resting all of her weight on her free leg and hand she slowly slithered the other leg free. Her muscles rippling as she placed it on the cobblestone patio and smiled at Claire as the other arm came free and the discarded webbing fell abandoned from her body, her naked form moving and stretching effortlessly under Claire’s studying gaze. Still supported on her side by the one leg and hand Natasha in a mesmerizing slow fashion began to raise her free leg up 45 degrees to her body. She then work it further until she rested it behind her head and just for good measure or Claire’s benefit, gave it a few extra pumps for increased flexibility. Claire continued to watch taking it all in as Natasha moved her body in every conceivable way, finally she finished and came to a standing position.

‘As a dancer flexibility was key, I find it just as important in this career, I’m ready, how about you?’

Claire nodded silently as she stared at her naked opposite number; she wore a thong and a bikini top that she now slipped off to match her opponent. Their bodies flexible and tensed they enjoined battle

A lightning engagement of fists and feet for half a minute or so settled nothing except that they each were skilled fighters as both backed away and circled the other while they assessed the matter. Claire came forward in time to a lunging front kick from Natasha, which missed as Claire ran that leg up her shoulder as she rushed forward to close the gap, bring the two naked women close together as she drove several punches into the DOOM agents stomach! Claire continued to hammer the blows home but Natasha’s hard stomach muscles absorbed the punches as she bent her elevated leg at the knee and drew it tight around the back and side of the COIL agents neck while she punched Claire several times in the pubic mound! Claire winced and doubled over in pain still caught by Natasha’s raised leg as the free leg moved behind one of Claire’s and wrapped around it!

The DOOM agent twisted Claire’s lower half and fell to the path with her entangled prey! Natasha applied pressure to the agent to bind her into the hold, the DOOM agent proceeded to bend her backwards upon herself using the knee of her free leg as a lever to break Claire’s back and bring the battle to its deadly finish. The COIL agents hands sought out Natasha’s leg around her neck, she expertly placed one hand on her crushing thigh while her other swept over the DOOM agents calf. Both hands casually caressed the respective parts of Natasha’s leg until the correct locations were found and then with inward pressure from her nails escape was achieved! Natasha could not fight the muscle pinch applied to her and was forced to loosen under Claire’s masterful skill, who as she turned with her free leg delivered a smashing blow to the face of Natasha that freed her completely. Claire acted fast as she delivered the kick she spun round and was on top of the DOOM agent, who was lying face down, before she could react or recover.

A flurry of kidney punches found a willing recipient as Claire locked in a Camel Clutch and arched her deadly foe back and upright, it was only a matter of minutes before death occurred, Claire had her!

Natasha battled but Claire just simply continued to apply the pressure and tighten! The spy knew she was close when the DOOM agent took her by surprise as both her lower legs viced around Claire’s neck and twisted to wrench herself free! The force of which sent the COIL agent tumbling onto the grass several feet away, she was on her feet quickly as her dance partner came toward her.

The two circled each other in an ever enclosing pattern until again they were within striking distance and this time Natasha struck first, her legs dancing blows into Claire culminating in her being struck repetitively in the face until she collapsed under the barrage! Looking up glassy eyed she struggle to her feet observing Natasha up on her toes in a classic ballet stance as she danced and twirled toward her connecting with more blows to her chest that sent Claire crashing to the ground once more. Again and again the gracefully dancing agent struck her with her deadly legs until Claire was clearly in trouble and reeling trying desperately to hang on!

‘My ballet martial arts seems to have you defeated,’ as she danced and spun and hit Claire a blow that sent her flying again!

‘That’s just one of my many skills and surprises!’ Natasha answered again as she continued to pummel the agent with kicks and punches until she was helpless to fight back anymore and lay prostrate on the ground! Natasha smiled; she knew Claire was hers as she lay down on Claire’s back melting her body into the defeated agents.

‘I understand you’ve spent a great deal of time in the embrace of constrictors! I know you’re hurting but try and concentrate on my voice. You remember I told you I underwent experimental surgery and drug therapy when I was injured. While the surgeries and drugs had an interesting result! My skeletal structure was loosened to give me greater flexibility and the drug I was injected with was synthesized from Anaconda DNA to help strengthen my muscles for dancing, however a strange result happened! My skeleton became extremely loose and my muscles denser and stronger than ever! Can you see where I’m going with this Claire, in case you can’t, I’ll demonstrate!’

Natasha wrenched Claire into an arm bar, forcing the spy to her feet, Claire could not resist she was still to dazed from the beating shed taken. Putting Claire in a full nelson Natasha began her craft! The DOOM agent slowly began to wind each of her long legs around Claire’s as the spy felt Natasha’s willowy gams slowly twist about her in a downward curving spiral that with each revolution rendered her increasing helpless! Her snakelike legs were totally enveloping and immobilizing, Claire’s thighs were carefully coiled in minutes and her calves minutes after that! Natasha probed before she encircled, careful in her application, adjusting her position as she went until finally the DOOM agents arches came to rest behind each of Claire’s heels and drew close

The COIL agent had by this time regained much of her strength and took the battle to her encasing foe, breaking free of the full nelson she tried to fight her way free through a series an elbow blows to Natasha’s stomach and head. The snake lady however having secured half her prey wasn’t about to lose her to so easy an escape attempt; she rotated her hips with a violent surge that felled both her and the ensnared Claire to the grass! The spy corkscrewed her torso, bent and flexed her entire body as the two battled, one for freedom the other for domination. The COIL agent arched her frame every possible way she knew but she could not escape Natasha’s grip about her! Claire’s wild body undulations and thrashing kept the fight going as she worked for freedom, twisting and contorting her body in a wild frenzy of aerobic activity! Claire was desperately determined to keep her capture from totally wrapping around her and she was succeeding for the moment! But the DOOM agent true to her Anaconda DNA let the coiled spy fight and exhaust herself to the point where she could envelope her easily once a mistake was made.

The entwined lower half of the spy was going nowhere and soon it would be joined by the upper half and then the fun would begin for Miss Baxter, thought Natasha

The COIL agent continued to frantically avoid capture as she writhed about the grass avoiding Natasha’s grasp for the moment. Natasha was working herself and Claire into position, helixing her tiring prey. Claire finally twisted the wrong way and the DOOM agent struck encircling her waist and twisting tight! She proceeded to roll her victim around the grass, coiling up Claire, she putt a final loop in place before her head came to rest on top of Claire’s. Natasha’s arms enfolded around her targets upper torso and cinched ending Claire’s freedom

‘What an ironic twist of events, if you’ll allow me the pun Claire, a COIL agent trapped in coils! My coils to be precise and unlike your previous constriction episodes I operate not only on instinct due to my DNA but I think as well, so you must battle me on two levels and I assure you one is just as lethal as the other! Now you see and more importantly feel what makes me such as effective agent! My public dancing career may have been brought to a premature halt but me private one is very much alive, which is more than you will be in a while as you feel my private dance about your body! I told you I leave my audiences breathless!

Claire’s body wriggled continuously as she fought to free herself, her magnificently shapely thighs and delectable calves tensed and flexed displaying all their muscular curves in her bid for release but Natasha’s DNA enhanced body rippled in response to counter her preys movements! Claire’s upper body moved continuously bending in desperation, all of her flexible Yoga skills employed to advantage, however a snake is much more flexible and she could not dislodge herself from the DOOM agents cling about her

‘Struggle all you wish Claire you will not be able to escape my envelopment of you in fact Ill slowly draw you tighter into my nest of coils crushing you to death, over time of course! I want to enjoy ridding DOOM of its biggest enemy and killing COILs best agent all at the same time! You have been a most deadly foe for our organization escaping trap after trap if I may say all in an incredible fashion, but now it comes to the end and I’m the finisher of your career and life in the ever confining crush of my body, hope you approve?’ Natasha hissed with delight her DNA coming through

Natasha turned about Claire’s body even as she talked adjusting the agent into her nest of death as Claire continued to roll around the lawn in a vain bid to free her naked body! Natasha was clearly enjoying the battle she was winning as she mingled herself deeper into her victim! The COIL agent still had a great deal of freedom to move within the snakewomans body as she continued her fruitless flexing and stretching to escape! Pulling her legs up the sides of her body, doing the splits or a series of cat stretches, all classic yoga moves, but the snakewoman flexed and moved just as easily, after 2minutes of effort Claire had failed to escape Natasha’s encirclement of her!

‘What a way to die! You never expected this, did you ? I’m just getting warmed up, you appear however to be quite hot to the touch, no doubt you gyrations have heated you up considerably, a sensation I find extremely stimulating, please continue, unless your too tired to resist me anymore!’ Natasha offered in a cooing voice.

Claire her body bathed in perspiration continued its wild thrusting, up and down, side to side her hips moving in a rhythmic dancing of escape about Natasha’s hold! The ensnared COIL agent rolled onto her stomach and bent upward on her hands and knees in a new scheme for freedom. Her body started a slow delicate dance beginning with gentle pelvic tilts and sways even as the sweat poured off of her body in little droplets from her erect hard nipples and face that soaked the ground below. The gentle tilts and undulations increased imperceptibly as Claire kept herself deep in concentration to the task at hand, freedom from her prison. Gradually her sways and movements increased as Natasha clung to her and worked her body to counter the escape!

‘This is wonderful Claire, the classic movements of a snake charmer, you should have tried it earlier, I think you're too exhausted to make it successful and I’m too skilled to let you succeed, but by all means continue and fail!’ the snakewoman soothed.

Claire as she always did ignored her opponent; she couldn’t afford to lose her concentrate. She started to win, but too slowly for her depleted resources to maintain for any period of time, which clearly she didn’t have.

‘Your body is very hot to my touch Claire, I find it absolutely delicious, please continue if you can or is it my turn to demonstrate my skills to you, so far this has been merely play time for me!’ Natasha said menacingly.

The COIL’d agent kept up her charm despite her spent condition until she felt Natasha slip herself just slightly tighter about her as the dance was reduced in scope from the constriction!

‘I believe your mated, my dear pawn. Just as I predicted! I’m enjoying myself too much to end this quickly, I was ordered to give you as painful a death as possible and I always obey orders, this one with great pleasure!’ the DOOM agent played to Claire.

Despite the certainty of failure Claire continued the remnants of the dance, coated in sweat that drenched her entire body, matted her hair and made her hot to the touch of the snakewomans probing tightening body. Claire tensed and twisted her torso trying to break free, her lean athletic form sensuous to observe continued to hopelessly try and pry herself free! Natasha her long leanly packaged form was perfectly suited to that of a constrictor, the DNA and the surgery simply perfected what she was clearly gifted with from the start!

Seemingly all fluid muscle she just flowed around her prey, her body seductive in its coiling movements, deadly in its application and lethal to the touch! If Claire could have observed she would have seen Natasha’s muscles displayed in a new contour and formation with each subtle adjustment she made. Some muscles relaxed and disappeared for a rest as previously hidden sinews rose to the surface to spell their companions and work toward the end result, death to their ensnared prey.

Still Claire could resist, but even less effectively now that the DOOM agent had weakened her snake dance and continued to do so with regular frequency! The helpless agent could feel Natasha working into her as the snakewomans lethal legs slipped deeper into hers curving around her taut thighs and calves every few minutes! The coiled upper body of the spy was worked to not only constrict but to end her upright position and trap her completely on the ground where she would be wound to death over time! The spy resisted a long time, she refused to be toppled and left helpless but her energy was gone as she slowly came still within the constriction of Natasha. The acquired Anaconda DNA did the rest; the DOOM agent leaned into her fading prey and collapsed her snagged prize into the perspiration soaked grass, the failed results of Claire’s efforts for freedom! The spy wrung out and fatigued beyond description miraculously continued the fight as she rolled about the lawn in a frenzied bid for freedom with Natasha securely locked into her and deepening the bind of the follow spy with each passing minute!

The manacled spy felt again the lean woman draw into her as the lethal embrace continued. Claire flipped her hips a few move times hoping to smash them into the pelvis of Natasha but no freedom of moment was given to her hips for such as maneuver, the DOOM agent knew better than to allow it to happen! Claire thundered her body a few more times for release, but it was impossible, she was too well ensconced in the woman’s wrap! Natasha smiled and rolled both her and her buried victim onto their sides.

‘Why don’t you relax for a while, you must be tired from all the exercise,’ Natasha said sweetly as she gently stroked Claire’s hot sweat drenched cheek and then tasted the perspiration with her tongue, causing Claire to flinch!

‘You taste sweet to the touch and even sweeter to my touch, however all fun has to end sometime, I have a job to do slowly of course!’

Natasha’s body silently slid about her business and Claire who offered a few weak arches of her frame but nothing more as the snakewoman cut off even that movement to her and she became still in the coils of the woman! She could feel the deadly embrace all over her and was completely helpless to resist it as her adversary worked with total freedom about her! The DOOM agents body rose like a wave in the water, it started at her feet and followed symmetrically up to her head, Claire defenseless when with her! Each wave drew her deeper onto the embrace of Natasha as the snakewoman continued to flow in and around Claire always slipping deeper and tighter as she went! Claire could feel Natasha’s coiling body pulsate about her own every muscle now active in application and purpose about her enmeshed form!

‘You could be only minutes away from death or it could be much longer your fate as well as you are sealed with me!’ Natasha whispered.

Claire now totally at the snakewomans mercy was leverage about the grass so the DOOM agent could constrict her to maximum advantage, which she did as Claire strained under the increasingly fatal pressure of Natasha’s body! She could not escape the encirclement; she could feel Natasha’s body everywhere about hers as she helixed and corkscrewed about her body! Binding, rocking and adjusting her all the time crushing her slowly and now very painfully as small gasps and pants started to escape from Claire as she battled to catch her breath! Natasha slowed the constriction just enough to keep Claire’s breath short, but kept it up just enough to induce moans of pain from her prey as she continued to weaken her encased target!

‘Not yet I want you to suffer more I’m just warming up!’ Natasha said coolly as she again wound a little tighter into Claire who despite tensing her entire body could not resist her enhanced DNA.

Natasha began to make good on her promise to Claire, as her encased prey began to feel pressure up and down her entire body as the DOOM agent methodically worked over her victim by tensing and relaxing about the COIL agent each time tensing back a little more than previously! Claire attempted to seize the opportunity given to her and desperately tried to work herself a little looser during the relaxing of the coils as she twisted and pulled her entangle limbs and torso straining her enveloped body with all she had! Ten minutes of writing attempts left her temporarily exhausted and just as helpless as before! Natasha drew her just that much tighter and held her still! The game ended for the moment.

Darkness began to fall around the two, a metaphor that didn’t escape the battling agents.

‘The day and your day in the sun are just about over Claire! I need to finish you soon!’ Natasha answered in a quickened voice!

Claire in spite of being blanketed in pain and unending pressure kept her head about her and smiled! She had a chance! Natasha’s morbid game of tightening and releasing had allowed the previously secured spy not the chance of escape but to at least reposition her body within the coils of the snakewoman. She’d made it harder now for Natasha to finish her, she could still do it but it would require more time and effort. Natasha twisted and tightened her resisting adversary, corkscrewing about her despite Claire’s defensive actions that frustrated her but she slowly succeeded and as the final ray of light vanished from the sky the DOOM agent once again had her quarry stiff in her body!

‘Now let’s finish this’! Natasha stated.

She quickly began to squeeze around Claire’s stiff impossibly exhausted form drawing inward with each exhale who slowed the inward pressure by controlling her breathing as best she could, but Natasha was relentless in her application, almost desperate to finish Claire as she worked about her. Unable to move her body to battle Natasha all she could do was flex her form to slow the death shroud about her! Claire was fatiguing fast; her energy reserves were just about gone, as was her adrenaline. Her muscles were cramping badly and as a result she was slipping deeper into the coils of Natasha, and Natasha knew it and felt it! Her pace quickened, Claire felt the DOOM agents legs already steel tight against her own slip around her a little more as did Natasha’s upper body! The bind was beyond anything Claire had ever experienced, the pain was excruciating, and she could no longer feel any part of her body! Deeper and deeper when the snakewoman into Claire whose moans turned to screams as the end was at hand. It was just a matter of time, and all at Natasha’s discretion, as to how long she lived!

‘Let’s see just how flexible you really are!’ Natasha voiced.

Claire awash in pain was almost delirious and had no idea what was going on anymore, she didn’t even feel it as the snakewoman turned her upper and lower halves in opposite directions to tear Claire’s spine apart! She fought to stay conscious but in the process the pain returned to her as her body begged for release. She found none just more lethal twisting and constriction, she screamed constantly now, there was no way out, escape it seem had eluded her, this agent had her, her body had given out but her mind stubborn to the end would not release her. The cold night air would soon have a partner in the cold body of a former COIL agent as Natasha applied her trade about the entangle spy in masterfully skill. Claire felt like she was going to explode from the crushing she was taking and then she felt nothing, her brain told her this was the end. Her heartbeat slower and slower, she lay still and went limp in the coils, her eyes closed and she waited for death to overtake her.

The moment never came, Claire awoke still in the coils of Natasha but with a smile on her face and relief in her eyes, she was by no means free still tramped in her coils, but her chance had come!

‘The cold night air of the island has cooled your attack, altered DNA makes you deadlier than many, but like all cold blooded creatures it makes you extremely susceptible to temperature! You’ve gone dormant through lack of heat’, Claire said as she counter twisted within Natasha’s grip to bring her straight again.

The snakewoman tried to battle to keep Claire coiled but she could barely move the cold had her in its grip and it wasn’t letting her go. It took Claire a while to extricate herself from her paralyzed opponent; she fell free minutes later, exhausted and weak from hours of deadly struggling. She lay on the ground unable to move, exhausted and spent, but alive, slowly she started to feel her body come back to her. Finally after a rest she was able to regain the use of her limbs and move. Slipping on her thong, top and sarong she turned to her lethargic combatant, walked over to her, bent down and raised her up at the waist.

‘There’s no Yoga hold I could apply to finish you, you’re much too flexible! I don’t normally take advantage of a defenseless opponent but in your case I’m going to make an exception! Your skills are far too lethal for me to feel again, a second entertainment in your coils would be fatal, a speaking of fatal, it’s my turn!’

Claire snaked her arms expertly about the head and neck of Natasha

.

‘My entwinement is not as tight as yours but so much more deadly, as you said to me let’s see how flexible you really are, even a snake has limits!’

With that Claire quickly turned the neck of her opponent until she heard the ominous snap. She released and finally the night air got the partner it had been denied earlier! She stumbled somewhat down the path her body still not yet fully at her command and made for the beach.

Claire was wet and cold when she made land, the Jet Ski came ashore on the beach by her hotel, the compass had guided her perfectly, just as she had planned. She walked up the silvery moonlight lit sands to her cabana, opened the door and disappeared inside; she’d gambled and won again, but just barely! Her last thought just before she went to sleep was of Natasha.

‘Everybody’s luck runs out sometime!’