Sharon Sharpe Back Story-Chapter 3

The learning curve was steep.  Sharon was mastering a variety of martial arts styles all at the same time, day after day of endless practice and reading and fighting.  She found mastering the moves simple enough, it was incorporating some of the garments and accessories that required the extra training and the faster she mastered it the sooner she would alleviate the daily beatings and captures she was experiencing. 

‘Do not be discouraged my dear. I don’t know of anyone who can learn ten styles at the same time, patience and practice,’ Nadira offered as Sharon took yet another defeat from Nadira’s chosen teachers.

Sharon did as she had always done, whether it was school or training, she pushed herself.  In this case she practiced more and more but she also studied and it was the studying that lead to the breakthrough on the expected one and on another totally unexpected. 

She hand for some reason picked up one of the books from the library on Indian dance and the regional breakdown of styles and types, maybe it was to distract her mind, instead it focused it after so discovered something while mimicking the steps as she taught herself a Kerala dance.  As she worked through the precise finger, wrist and arm placements and the corresponding feet and leg structures it suddenly became clear in her mind.

***

‘I need to go back to COIL to finish my training as fast as I can,’ Sharon told Nadira the next day at breakfast.

The woman said nothing, she knew something was coming by the way Sharon had just played with her food and her unusually quiet demeanour, but she expressed nothing and let her continue.

‘I need to get through their training as fast as possible so I can come back here, but not to you, at first,’ Sharon said.

At this Nadira put down her fork and looked at Sharon.  The physical had transferred to the mental, Sharon was thinking like a spy now, cunning and cleaver and always suspect of things.

‘COIL has the resources for the more technical aspects of the job, the day to day things I need as well as the more inventive side of things, not that you don’t have those as well, but the more tools of the trade the better as I see it.  Anyway, I know the Silkworms are watching us, mostly me and I’m sure in their minds there is a timeline for training me that they have set, but as you say and COIL says, I’m such an anomaly, that timeline is at best a guesstimate which plays to our advantage.  If I go now, they may assume I’m the finished product, but I doubt it, I’ve not been here long enough even by any stretch of imagination.  They will assume I’ve either failed or I was just here picking up a few pointers, either way not the threat for the future.’

‘Or they may just decide to kill you and be better safe than sorry,’ Nadira speculated.

‘They can try if they chose,’ Sharon smiled confidently.

‘Once done I plan to slip back into the country and for want of a better term, go on a treasure hunt.’

‘May I ask for what?’

‘These and anymore like it I can find,’ Sharon smiled, producing from below the table and flipping open the dance book she had been reading the night before.  ‘These motions, hand, wrist, feet, etc have a double meaning, one for dance the other for fighting, it came to me the other night.  I’ve checked other texts from other regions and they all are the same.  Since Indian women were forbidden from studying martial arts they incorporated it into dance, just like Brazilian Capoeta only on a much more graceful and of course exclusively feminine style.  Here let me show you!’ Sharon enthused getting up.

Nadira attacked again and again, varying her style, speed and even the attack pattern.  Each time Sharon effortlessly turn, parried or reversed her in a magnificent display of sexy fluid motion. She smiled as they finished and sat back down.

‘There have to be more of these books because not all situations are covered, for instance, there are no finger bell movements in any of the texts and they are extremely prominent in Indian dance.

‘Why did I not see this before,’ was all Nadira could say.

‘Because you never gave it a second thought, sometimes it takes a person from outside the culture to see what is plain to all inside it, just a fresh pair of eyes and luck on my part really,’ Sharon added.

‘India is a big country, these books are everywhere, most are probably useless, it’s the older ones you want, I can help you there with some research while you’re gone,’ Nadira said.

‘I was hoping for that, because I plan to do a lot as well.  When I come back, we can look for them separately, together I think we may draw the wrong kind of crowd,’ Sharon smiled knowingly. 

***

Gina was pleased to see Sharon back. As for her other trainee’s, the reception was a little frosty.  Sharon shrugged it off.  In time everyone came around again, her personality and her exceptional performance the catalyst for acceptance once again.  

She poured herself into her classes and into her research using every available tool she could, even something new called ARPANET which would prove to be more and more useful in the years to come. 

***

‘It’s no shame you know.  It took me a while to come round to it, but I have,’ Sharon said.

‘So you’ve done it then?’ Astrid questioned.

‘No, I had to work it out in my head first. I lied when the shrink asked me if I was.  Sure I had the occasional thought here and there, I wonder that that would feel like, just a fleeting thing and then it was gone again,’ Sharon answered. 

‘How did you work it out?’

‘I didn’t imagine the whole picture. I looked at it as just the act, divorced from the people, the very basics and that it you were blindfolded you would never know and using that I pondered would after reveal and knowing would I feel any different about it without bringing into that examination any preconceived prejudice.  I found my answer to no.  I know it all sounds a bit clinical, but hen those feelings came upon me again, my reaction was not the same, this time I was curious to explore them and not dismiss them out of hand,’ Sharon explained.

‘That explains you,’ Astrid stated.

‘I began watching other trainee’s for looks, actions in training, other factors. I’m not special or different from other women, I like to think, I can’t be the only one.’

‘So you’ve been spying on all of us,’ Astrid said musingly.

‘Isn’t that what we’ve been training to be?’ Sharon mused back.

‘And you think I’m inclined that way?’ Astrid said flatly.

Sharon reached out and ran her fingers through the blonde hair of the stunning Swedish trainee and took her first step, a small affectionate kiss to the woman’s lips.  Astrid after a fraction of a second responded with a slight motion of her lips.

‘Yes, yes I do,’ Sharon smiled as their lips parted.

***

‘You never had me fooled you know,’ Dr. Haynes smiled.

‘I know but it was fun pretending that I did,’ Sharon answered.

‘What did have me fooled was the way the others came around.  You’re their leader, you know, whether you like it or not.’

‘I don’t want to be anyone’s leader but my own.  I understand my responsibility both to this organisation and to greater good, if you will, but I don’t want to be looked up to and I certainly don’t want to be an icon everyone tries to be like., that is a pan in the ass I don’t need,’ Sharon said.

‘The true Sharon finally comes out!’ Fiona triumphed and COIL does not want you to be that, you’re far, far too valuable as a field agent as your training missions and your mentor’s reports indicate.  It is required that all agents do take refresher courses and training on new techniques and weapons and if required be mentor’s themselves.  You understand we want you in the field as often as possible but we still need you to be a team player,’ Dr. Haynes added.

‘Of course,’ the new COIL spy answered.

‘I see you have requested to return to India for a while.’

‘This is part of being a team player, besides I’m sure COIL has missions in India and the sub-continent that I could perform while there,’ Sharon declared.

***

Sharon made her way to Kalakkad a town of 27 thousand in Tamil Nadu, small but with a history of dance tradition and books.  The two main commercial streets ran parallel to each other that intersecting at the crossroads, this made for a series of alleys and warrens off the alleys where if you were willing, you could find things and Sharon was most willing.

Sharon’s Hindu only took her so far and her English a little farther, local and regional dialects sometimes made a third party transition necessary, luckily enthusiastic bystanders needed no encouragement to jump into the conversations.  When she explained what she was looking for she most times got a shake of the head, but sometimes a point in another direction. 

‘I assure you I have the money to buy whatever you have,’ Sharon said showing a reluctant seller a glimpse of her wallet.

‘I keep those in back, away from the heat and the sun,’ the man said and led the way motioning to Sharon assumed his wife to take over.

Through a door at the back and down a narrow curving corridor line floor to ceiling with books so much so that one could assume the walls were actually made of them, a bare clear light bulb the only illumination for the entire trip which faded into near darkness just as mercifully a door appeared, the noise of a key found a lock, the swinging sound of rusty hinges and the click of a pull chain revealed a room with neat shelves and welcome dry coolness.

‘I will leave you here, come to the front with what you want,’ he said and disappeared again.

The room was maybe 10x10x6 feet. Sharon put down her small purse and started at the top corner closest to the door.  Some were roughly bound, poorly crop indicating they had been scrolls cut and bound into books for easier transport, others were much better done but still of an old age.  Sharon looked down the Fore Edge, lancing for signs of two books or parts of books being put together, usually for the purpose of hiding something.  She found a few and put those in a pile she started.  It was slow going, Sharon had to thumb just about every book, check for replaced or hidden covers and things hid inside the covers.  All in all she spent two days but came away with some excellent books and one thing more.

‘Usually a lady, very beautiful, like you, only older,’ the owner said, his voice lowered so now Sharon was assured, his wife did not hear. ‘Comes by once a month and buys much the same as you, but you seem nicer and don’t bargain so hard, so I sell to you.’

Sharon smiled, thanked him and then made inquiries about this lady, if she lived around here and how she could get in contact with her to maybe buy her books. He did not know her name but that she usually came around this time of the month.  After explaining what she was looking for in books and an assurance that he would collect what he could from his contacts Sharon decided to stay around.  She knew who was coming, but she wanted the books and keeping that knowledge, any knowledge away from them was worth the risk.

Sharon organised and categorised the books for addition to Nadira’s library, she also absorbed as much of it as she could incorporating it into her strenuous workout routine, her already considerable skills increasing substantially.

The spy had to wait several days for the previous buyer to show up, as Sharon had suspected from the description the woman more than matched the profile of a Silkworm. While she was inside the book store Sharon casually placed a small tracker under the wheel well of her care and then melted back into the crowd. To her surprise the woman still bought several of the books Sharon had rejected, this peaked her more.

She followed at a very safe distance in her car, her compact/tracking device guiding her all the way to 

the woman’s home, an old colonial plantation left over from the British. Sharon waited about half an hour then drove up the drive stopping underneath the columns.  She picked up one of the books she’d purchased from the passenger seat and made her way to the door pressing the buzzer and waiting. 

‘Hello. Please pardon my unannounced visit but I’d like to talk to you about something we have in common,’ Sharon said in a bright voice holding the book in front of her.

The woman pasted a welcoming smile on her face, Sharon all too aware it was so.

‘No interruption at all, please come in, lovers of Indian dance are always welcome in my house,’ the woman side as she stepped aside and let Sharon paste the young spy slipping in but turning slightly to face her host as she did.

‘I’m Esha Ashwari welcome to my home.’

‘Sharon Sharpe, pleasure to meet you and thank you for being so gracious.’

‘Please put it out of your mind. I always have time for lovers of Indian dance, but I must conclude that you are a surprise, a western woman, although you seem to have as they say, gone native,’ Esha smiled.

Sharon was wearing a stunning dark tangerine saree with a green scarf cut perfectly by Indira to show just enough of what lay beneath when she moved. 

‘Move more suited to the climate and ease of movement than western garb and well even though I’ve only been in India a year, I feel right at home in it, like I was meant to wear it,’ Sharon added in a bubbly tone.

‘Come this way and I’ll show you my collection of books and we can talk about the one you have, it looks extremely interesting,’ her host said being a walk along the hallway the lead round the centre hall Georgian Stairs and towards the back of the house. 

‘This is my library,’ Esha said pausing outside a doorway an open hand gesturing Sharon to entered, which she did keeping her head on a swivel in case Esha tried anything. 

‘Of course not all of these are on dance, there are other topics I’m interested in as well,’ Esha said as she came in.

‘I can see that,’ Sharon said, her eyes scanning about the room. ‘Some of these look very old,’ she questioned walking over to a section on body position.

‘Yes, I’ve been collecting for a long time and since my husband past away I’m had more time and well frankly more resources to indulge myself.  He left me quite well off,’ she explained. 

Sharon perused the collection a little longer, her mind cataloguing everything when Esha suggested they have some tea and Sharon could explain what she wanted to talk about. The COIL agent smiled an acknowledgement and followed her host out of the library and across the hall Esha opening a door and walking through.  Sharon smiling, came after her and closed the door.

‘Your kitchen seems to be missing the usual devices Esha,’ she said.

‘On the contrary, I do some of my best work in this room, Miss Sharpe.  I’m impressed by your boldness, but then you are a foolish young girl, as most are in this game.  It’s the older women the survivors that are the deadliest ones.’

‘Spoken like a true Silkworm, but even the best Silkworm runs out of silk with age and who can say what that age is,’ Sharon mused as she began removing her Sari tactically covering her body where it mattered in her scarf until she discarded the garment and clipped the ends together using the pin from her saree.

‘Impressive, it will be a pleasure breaking you Miss Sharpe, making you tell me where my books are that you bought.’

Esha followed suit and disrobed only she went all the way.

‘I return the compliment, extremely stunning in everyway,’ Sharon offered.

Esha looked enthralling as she stepped in a wide circle about the room sizing up her prize, her hips, slim and slithering danced to catch the eye as her arms swayed in and out and around in a hypnotizing motion.

Sharon took up the challenge, her body adding to the alluring dance routine as the two combatants edged closer and Esha struck.

The young spy was ready and dodged her arm strikes before intercepting one by placing her fingers in a ‘V’ formation and inserting them into Esha’s between the ring and the index fingers, turning wrist rotating the woman 180 and driving her free arm into the small of the Silkworm’s back, her fist filling the room with a thud as it hit.

‘Gysa!’ Sharon yelled as Esha staggered back and into a waiting Sharon spinning back heel kick.

Esha collapsed into several rolls on the floor but as Sharon cartwheeled towards her the Silkworm struck driving an elbow in the stomach, then repeating the strike to the inside of both of the COIL agent’s firm thighs. 

Now the aggressor Esha locked Sharon’s arms behind her back and proceeded to drive her knee into the stomach and mound of her opponent.

‘Zahsi!’ she breathed as Esha deliver blow after blow to weaken the young hard bodied agent before several sharp strikes of her nails found the back of Sharon’s legs from the thighs to the calves, the last one sent the Sharon to her knees.

‘What lovely thick hair girl, let me really sink my hands into and really get a feel,’ Esha slithered as she entwined her arms and Sharon’s together then pulled Sharon’s head into her muff, rolled it about then squeezed in with her thighs holding Sharon tight in a seal.

The COIL agent could not escape, nor could she use her tongue to stimulate the Silkworm into letting her go, Esha had been very good with her position, but she had neglected on thing, the sheer power of Sharon.

The young spy rocked slightly back, the move taking the Silkworm by surprise and by result off her feet, a thrust and rise forward and Sharon slammed Esha hard to the floor on her back, the blow not only freeing Sharon but inflicting crippling pain to her opponent. 

Sharon, her left leg fully extended to balance her on the floor while her right knee acted as the pivot on the floor, swung her body down, rolling on her shoulder to pick up speed, brought her feet up and cupped them around the woman’s next, squeezed and flung her across the room as her momentum carried her up to her feet.  The young spy was on top of the woman as she staggered to her feet, her hands a blur of strikes as she turned in a circle about Esha.

‘There that will hold you still temporarily Esha while I effect a more permanent solution,’ Sharon honeyed as she kissed the stricken standing woman on the cheek. ‘It’s gratifying to know that even Silkworms are susceptible to The Medusa’s Nails,’ she added stepping back and unhooking the ornate Butterfly clasp that held her scarf together at the shoulder, placing it in her hair for safekeeping. 

The spy was wet from the fight, her scarf, the only piece of clothing she had chosen to wear clung to her body.  Sharon pulled a small part of it slowly away from her form then moved behind Esha carefully creating an intricate knot around her wrists before trailing it under her arm as both she and the scarf emerged in front with a smile then proceeded around securing the scarf under the other arm, around the back before popping out in front to face her again.

‘So far, so deadly,’ she delighted. ‘Now for a few revolutions about your torso,’ she added and commenced and until she was quickly back in front passing the scarf between Esha’s legs and pulling it slowly up her thigh, the soft material stimulating to the touch especially as it working its way up the inside of her thigh then against her paradise. A repeat procedure encompassed her other thigh creating a cross of fabric covering her mound. 

‘Nowhere to go but down these lovely long legs of yours Esha,’ Sharon informed as she lowered into a crouch and began crisscrossing weave finished off a knot at the back of Esha’s bound together ankles with scarf to spare.

‘I’m led to understand that Silkworm’s have a reputation for being sinuously supple,’ Sharon cooed as she reached into her hair and retrieved the Butterfly clasp.  But just how supple, that is the question. Once I feed the two ends of the scarf into the Butterfly the strands will begin to pull tighten in opposite directions slowly bending you back upon yourself eventually pulling your legs up between your arms.  Even a Silkworm can’t bend that far, pity I won’t be around, but I need to gather up the books from your collection and be on my way,’ Sharon smiled, delighted in her success.