Grand Opening - Chapter Three

Seetha Bhatt had done what any good mother had done, she had saved her children before herself. In

this case her children were all adults, but they were still her responsibility, it was the same in any Hive,

the Silkworm Hive Queen’s first duty was to ensure the survival of the hive, even if it meant her death. 

She had loaded them with jewels and what money she had and told them to safety where they could. 

Once accomplished, she prepared herself for escape through the last hidden tunnel in the hive building.  

Seetha emerged into a small alley several streets over from the Hive complex.  Her journey through the sewer tunnel had not been a pleasant one, but at least it was dry, the water level low due to the dry season.  She pulled the hood up on her plain cloak and vanished into the crowd.  

^^^

‘Soon you’ll have your own Hive,’ Susan Janus, Claire’s deputy director said.

‘I’m about 25-30 years too young for that,’ Claire said without looking up from the papers she was scanning.  

‘Maybe you could start a new trend.  You have all the skills required, we all do for that matter, thanks to acquisitions over the years,’ Susan said, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible.

‘I’m already running an organisation for which I’m responsible, that is more than enough for me.  Besides I wouldn’t want to be their leader or do you really mean to say, incorporate them into FORCE,  That I can tell you will never happen,’ Claire answered.

‘The thought had crossed my mind,’ Susan answered.

This time Claire did look up from her reading.  ‘I won’t be the saviour and destroyer of the Silkworms because if I follow that suggestion I would be.  This is an organisation that is almost 2500 years old, founded by and run by women all that time, fiercely independent, steeped in tradition.  They pose no real threat to us, especially given their current circumstances, but even before that.  We, as you said, have all the books, even the secret coded ones and we teach them to our trainees.  I suppose in many ways we are an offshoot of them, their skills and talents form the basis of our unique training methods.’

‘So their fate is entirely in their hands then?’ Susan smiled.

‘Well not entirely, they do need financial assistance and I see no reason not to supply that.  Esha, after all, did bring up “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”  Who do you think the Silkworms are going to go after once they are back on their feet?,’ Claire smiled.

‘Who says you couldn’t be a Silkworm?’  Susan laughed.

‘And speaking of them, I have to dash, I have a meeting with them,’ Claire explained as she got up, hugged Susan goodbye and left with her satchel of papers.  

‘Everything is outside the door as you requested. Chou assigned his best person to watch it,’ Isa Coranado said as Claire walked along, the trainee doubling her step to keep up.

‘Excellent Isa,’  Claire said as she handed her the satchel of papers.  ‘Those are all done,’ she added, indicating the satchel.   ‘Take this as your last day with me.  In that pascel of papers is your promotion to full time agent.  Hanging around with me any longer will do you no good.  Come to my room for dinner tonight at 6 so we can talk about what to expect,’ Claire said with a smile as she stopped and held her hands wide.

^^^

Seetha had managed to make her way from Paradip to Kohima and from there to Moreh on the Myanmar border with the town of Tamu.  She was exhausted and tired and a lot poorer having to sell items of jewellery to finance her trip.  A Hive existed in this town, a place where India meets South East Asia and the Silkworms were more heavily influenced by South Asia countries.  She knew the place well having studied here before working her way up forming her own Hive. 

 

She waited until nightfall before making her approach.  Seetha listened at the door, she heard nothing

which was unusual, nervous but desperate for a place to sleep until morning she pushed open the door.  

There was very little left inside, everything was gone, except for a few items of furniture, one of which, mercifully, was a lounge.  Seetha was in shock, she knew things were in chaos, but looking around, this was more, it felt like she had been personally violated and the more she looked around the more it told hold in her.  She felt like crying, but told herself that would do no good, it would just aid her enemies and make it easier for them to complete the destruction of the Silkworms.  Instead she busied herself making a little corner for herself to sleep and finding some food in the kitchen.  In the morning she would cross into Myanmar and move on, trying to slip into China, she told herself it would be safer there.  

In the meantime she changed her clothes,  Her Saree was dirty and ripped in a few places and in their frenzy to grab whatever of value they could the thieves had missed several wardrobes of clothes. 

‘Yes this will do nicely,’ Seetha smiled, allowing herself that luxury and feeling better about it for just a moment.  

Quiet took hold as the border town as the night progressed.  A storm swept over the town, heavy rain and lighting cut the power and everything went dark, the rain rattled off the roof creating a sound that helped put the exhausted woman to sleep.

Seetha was jolted awake sometime later, what exact time she couldn’t tell, but the electricity was still out and there was no sign of daylight.  A metal tin rattling as someone tried to open a louvered window she’d alarmed brought her to full readiness.

The Silkworm came up on the lounger, shifted over and silently listened, she heard, for the moment only

one set of feet, in heels, very high heels!  Seetha very silently but with speed began to undress, she

wanted as much freedom as possible for what was coming.  She slipped out of her shoes and

stood up.

Backing further into the darkness, ready to strike, when she saw something colourful fly through the air landing in the middle of the room, then another joined and more after that until the room was dimly lit in a myriad of gaudie neon circles.  

‘Come out, come out wherever you are Silkworm, you’ve been granted a private audience with The Strippers Guild and I brought my dancing shoes.’

More Glow Sticks were tossed about as Seetha backed further into a corner then moved about the edge of the shadows looking for a moment to attack.  

‘There you are sweetie!’ the Stripper said as she tossed a few more circles down.  ‘Now we can have some fun, well at least I can,’ she added as Seetha, still in a silhouette stepped fully into the light.  

‘Some costume, I’ll add it to my collection once you’re dead.  Stripsa!.’ she said and fired the end of her feather boa at Seetha who cartwheeled out of the way as the Stripper pulled it back about her body. 

‘That’s a neat little device, unfortunately it appears to be a little slow,’ the Silkworm smiled.  

Candy, the name of Seetha’s assassin, spun and released the boa again with her trademark Stripsa phrase.

The end clanged off of the Silkworms costume, her left breast to be specific.  Candy pulled it back about her body and remarked.  ‘Skimpie yet practical.’

‘Oh it's much more than that,’ Seetha smiled as she stepped into position and began.

The Silkworm began to sway and move the light from the glow sticks catching on the jewels in her costume and bouncing about.  Seetha swayed like a snake, her body, toned and sinuous as one, yet graceful and alluring, no motion was more than it needed to be, no stretch or contraction of her form excessive in any way, all hypnotic in there spell to transfix a watcher.  Her beauty is that of any snake's skin, dazzling in appearance and fascinating in its movement.  Seetha moved a little closer, her body turning about to give the Stripper a complete look then back to face her as she smiled.  She undulated and moved until she knew it had done its job.

‘My Cobra Sway is quite mesmerizing, Stripper.  It's actually a combination of the dance and my outfit.  The light bounces of the jewels as I dance, the pattern is extremely hypnotic to the watcher,’ Seetha smiled as she stopped and approached the stricken stripper.  ‘This outfit of yours is very practical, ease of movement for combat yet I’m sure it's just packed with extra deadly features.  Pity you can’t use them, but that would require movement.  You wear it very well, but it appears to me you may have it on backwards,’ Seetha slithered as her hands ran about the Strippers body then up to her head where a sudden thrust of her arms turned the Strippers head about 180 degrees.  The Silkworm looked at the woman for a second or two before she fell to the floor, Seetha taking the end of the boa in her hand  ‘Yes you look better this way,’ she added as the boa flashed out behind her.  It snagged its target, a Strippers Guild member.

Seetha felt the boa quivering in her hands and straining to be released, curious, she complied.  The boa

flew toward the blonde stripper and instantly coiled about her body causing the woman to toddle about on

her heels.

‘Well this is an interesting weapon and I thought a Saree Snake was innovative.  Here my dear let me steady you.  What do you call this device?’ she asked.

‘We call it A Body Bangle, ohh!’ the stripper moan.

‘Evidently, a constricting device and a fast one.  I like it but I still prefer my Saree or my scarf and of course my personal favorite constriction device, my body.  I wish we had time for that, I could use the workout, a tension reliever, but we don’t so I apologize but I must resort to more expedient methods.  These four emerald rings are each cut and shaped for a specific purpose, singly they are lovely, but that is all and while I appreciate their beauty it's their function when brought together that really excites me.  All gemstones vibrate at very low frequencies, each stone has its own unique frequency and these ones when placed a certain nerve endings send a current into the victim's body that shuts it down over a period of minutes.  I normally use these 

during sex, after we enjoy ourselves of course, you will have no such pleasure,’ Seetha said as she

placed her hands on the strippers neck.  Of course, that Body Bangle, as you call it, may do the job

before I can.  I seem to be spoiled for choice, but I’m not complaining,’ Seetha purred as she watched

the stripper.  ‘That’s it, I’m afraid you had to learn the hard way that every part of a Silkworm is a weapon

and all are deadly.’

Seetha released and the stripper fell to the floor, she smiled, but only for a second, her victory short.

‘Stripsa!’ came shouts from the shadows.  

The Silkworm tried to dance out of the way but the strippers had anticipated her motion and adjusted their boa’s.  One caught her arms, the other her ankles and were pulled taut, sweeping Seetha off her feet and to the floor.  

‘Pull her tight girls and suspend her, we don’t want to give her any advantage,’ one stripper said as she

came into view.

The writhing Silkworm was soon taut and suspended as the one who had spoken was joined by two others.

‘Remove everything girls, a Silkworm, especially a Hive Queen is far too resourceful to be allowed any

advantage, no matter how small.  Once you’ve done that, tie her hair into a tight bun and seal it in place

with Stripperific Glue.’

Seetha was stripped of her jewelry first, carefully as the Strippers did not want to trigger any hidden perils, she was then relieved of her clothes, everything placed in a bag to be taken away.  

‘All of this should fetch a pretty penny.  A profitable night all around, well for most of us.  Now for you Hive Queen,’ she said motioning to the girls who scrambled about then returned so that the three surrounded Seetha.

‘Trixie and Raven have an illuminating death in store for you Silkworm, our Glow Rings.  We use them in our acts, but as you saw earlier they also help us locate our prey, should they wish to hide, they also work another way as you're about to find out.’

The girls undid the rings at the connectors then encircled Seetha’s body and attached them again until the Silkworm was covered in glowing rings.

‘Quite the rainbow and if I follow it to the end I’m rewarded with a dead Silkworm.  Those rings only glow for so long, once the chemical reaction begins to fade, the rings shrink and shrink and shrink, well you get the idea.  Soon those rings will be tight around that ageless body of yours, squeezing and pinching together binding you in an unbreakable embrace and we'll be here to cheer them on, our orders were to not leave you alone,’ their leader explained.

Seetha was covered in dozens of Glow Rings from her wrists to her ankles, her taut body unable to even twist about as the rings faded and tightened about her.  The Strippers watched in glee, Seetha refusing to give them any satisfaction by moaning or struggling.

‘The rings are tight Silkworm, your legs have been drawn together along with your arms, now it's just a matter of you fighting with that incredible body of yours, a fight you will lose within the hour.  I can see your muscles straining, useless really, these rings are fatal and so enjoyable to watch.’

Seetha’s body was a study in sexy discipline.  She could not move at all, her hard body resisting the pull of the Glow Sticks.  She lasted beyond the hour the Stripper had allotted her, a victory before death. 

‘So still, so tight and so finished, Silkworm,’ the Stripper said as the others giggled and Seetha faded from consciousness.   

^^^

Cara steered the Nissan Navara off the road, stopped and made her way to the passenger side door.  

‘Easy, you had a very close call.’

Seetha was sluggish but her memory was vivid, she tried to strike at Cara, missed wildly, had her arm caught by Cara, then the other.  She wrapped her legs around Cara’s waist.  The FORCE agent backed up a step and slowly pulled her from the truck.

‘You need to decide where this is going and soon, because a naked woman clinging to me at the side of the highway is going to look suspicious if someone comes by.  It's ok, there are no Strippers around here, at least I hope not I despise those tramps.  I had my fill of them back in Tamu,’ she smiled.

Seetha looked at the beautiful young woman and relaxed.  Cara gently held her as she found her feet then grabbed the blanket Seetha had kicked off in the struggle.  

‘Better put this on for now,’ she said, slipping it around her shoulders.  I have all your things in the back, including what was left at the Hive and that wicked dancing costume.  Wow that is one sexy outfit.  I also have a new saree for you, it's in the back as well.’

‘Who are you child?’ Seetha asked, finding her voice.

‘Cara Tamblyn, FORCE agent,’ she said then did something very unexpected.  Getting down on her knees, Cara bent over and touched Seetha’s feet with her hands then stood again.  ‘It is a great honour to meet you.’

The Silkworm was both surprised and touched by the gesture of respect, but she needed to know more.

‘I assume it was you who saved me and now instead of being dead I’m a prisoner of FORCE,’ she stated in a typical reserved Silkworm tone.

‘Yes to the first part of the question and no to the second part.  You are an honoured guest.  I was sent to find you and bring you to Macau, there are some Silkworms there already and more are on their way.  I don’t know totals at this time.  We are on our way to Mandalay to catch a plane to the aforementioned Macau,’ Cara explained.

‘An honoured guest of FORCE?  I suppose given all the craziness of the last week, that should not be a surprise.  Well we’d better be on our way.  I’m afraid I’m a little stiff from my encounter, would you help me get dressed,’ Seetha asked, seeing how Cara would react.

‘It would be my honour,’ she said and retrieved the box from the back.  

The Silkworm watched her move.  ‘Graceful, quick, elegant, spare.  She is beautiful and looking at that body.’ Cara was wearing a black catsuit.  ‘Firm and sexy, she would make a very good Silkworm,’ she thought.  

‘When we get to Macau I’ll help get all that Strippers Glue out of your hair if you’d like. I know how irritating it can be,’ Cara said after they had started on the road once more.

Seetha ate a power bar and had a bottle of cold water Cara had stored in a cooler in the back seat then asked how the woman had rescued her and how they had found her.

‘How we found you is a great deal of mega data, CCTV and strange transactions.  If you want the details on that you’d be best to ask someone in the IT department.  I can arrange it if you’d like, frankly it's fascinating, I mean no one really is invisible anymore, but after a while of listening to it being explained my eyes start to cross.  But they do know what they're doing because they led me right to you.  ‘You were unconscious when I made my entrance, so I knew time was in short supply, I needed to even up the odds, so..’  Cara said as she reached down her leg and pulled out a knife.

‘In one ear and out the other,’ Cara smiled looking over.  ‘That left two, so the object is to disable one or

both as quickly as possible.  They made some stupid joke about me throwing my weight around.  I knew

it was going to be fun after that.  I rushed forward before one of them had time to set, picked her up with

my shoulder and tossed her against the wall.  Second one punched me in the side, I turned around,

caught the second attempt, stretched out the arm and drove it back against mine, breaking it at the elbow. 

While she’s screaming and flapping about with one wing I returned to my first opponent knocking her for

six with a kick to the stomach that turned her over on her back.  From there I picked her up by her over

processed hair and broke her windpipe with a chop.  Executing a side walkover I came up in front of the

last one, spun a kick to her head on the broken arm side so she could not defend it, then pushed the back

of her neck against the newld edge of the lounger and broke her neck as well.  I retrieved my knife and

cut you free, carried you to the truck, went and collected everything, we left and here we are.  What?’

Cara said looking at the surprised and shocked look on Seetha’s face.  ‘I wiped the knife clean before I

cut you free.’

Seetha gave a small smirk, leaned over and kissed Cara on the cheek.  ‘You're an amazing young lady.’

^^^

‘Good morning ladies,’ Claire said walking into one of the hotel's intimate private meeting rooms.  ‘And welcome to our three new overnight arrivals,’ she added with a smile to the new Silkworms that had joined the collective.  ‘Eleven in all so far, but I’m afraid your time at the top will be short lived,’ she added walking across the room to a far set of doors.  ‘Twelve is a magical number, twelve days of Christmas, twelve makes a dozen, Twelve represents authority, appointment and completeness and it's the number you need to have a Silkworm Hive,’ Claire said, opening the door to Seetha.  Claire immediately paid her veneration, just as Cara had done.  She made sure all the others saw it.

One by one they all came up and showed respect to Seetha.  A few knew her personally, others from

her reputation. 

‘Take as long as you want with your new Hive my queen.  We can talk whenever you are ready.  My home is your home,’ Claire said then left, closing the door behind her.