‘I don’t think the situation is as we think it is,’ Tina explained.
‘What situation are you referring to, we always have numerous situations on the go,’ Fan Li, Head of Mekong LLP answered with a smile.
Our current Silkworm situation,’ Tina answered back. ‘I don’t think this was about getting rid of them at all, that’s just what it was made to look like. Sure that was part of the goal, but I think TRIDENT was looking for something or many other things and used that as the cover.’
This peaked Claire’s interest. She admitted only to herself that she found some of these meetings tedious and well a ‘snooze fest’, but she knew they were necessary. It also caught the other members interest as well, except David Jacob’s who Claire noticed seemed not surprised at all.
‘I can see you have one convert in the room already,’ Claire answered, smiling at David.
‘Everyone assumes it is about money, but we,’ Tina answered, glancing at David. ‘Think it is about advantage or perceived advantage. They want something to make their agents better, give them an edge on us, just as the Silkworms always had an edge on us, until they didn’t,’ Tina explained and the light went on around the room.
‘The ancient texts, the books, the scrolls, the manuscripts, the codes in those that we decoded gave us even more knowledge. That is what turned the tide for us against them,’ Cindy said out loud what everyone was thinking.
‘Come on!’ Trident has to know that. You two are overthinking this,’ Allison Janney, Head of Recruitment exclaimed.
‘Think about it. You have one leg of a Tripod that is very secretive, we know that. Does all its own recruiting, training. Never share any of those methods, thousands of years of knowledge with the other two legs. No one is allowed inside a Silkworm Hive, unless they are a Silkworm, no exceptions ever. You can train at a Poison Geisha Teahouse, just make the commitment, likewise for The Strippers Guild, but never for a Hive. What organisation, especially one such as TRIDENT would tolerate such an imbalance?’ Alice said.
Especially one as paranoid as TRIDENT. Silkworms have never been shy about boasting about their lineage, knowledge and special skills. It always made me wonder about it when I fought them. What could I do with that knowledge, how much better I’d be. I’d never have to worry about my opponent being better than me again. Take that away or in this case the ability to protect it and well I’m just a woman and in some eyes an old and useless one, a third leg,’ Claire mused.
‘What if you meant to replace that leg with a new one. We have seen TRIDENT developing and using more conventional agents and training them with what they think the Silkworms have or had?’ Jacob added and everyone looked at him.
He was usually the only male in the room, it didn’t escape him, but he never felt his opinion wasn’t valid, listened to or valuable.
‘What do you suspect?,’ Cindy asked.
‘Please don’t gender slam me for this as I mansplane this. It would be perfectly normal to take things with you that you could easily pawn for quick money which they did, but look at all the jewelry they showed up with. It was way more than they needed. Now you could make the argument that they could sell that in the future to restart the organization, but I’ve seen enough of it to tell you it's not that valuable.’
‘And you would know that value how,’ Allison asked.
‘I have a girlfriend I love very much,’ he answered.
‘They said they sold stuff along the way, why did they not sell the easy cheaper stuff? It could be their weapons, but there’s too many of the same thing to make that a viable option. Silkworms we all know, especially agents who have experience with them, they like variety. My final point, I mean to say our final point.’ Jacob said, looking at Tina. ‘If they jewelry they have no is so cheap why was TRIDENT taking everything off the Silkworms they killed. The stuff would never be used by The Strippers Guild, not tacky enough for them. No, it has a value other than monetary. TRIDENT knows that and so do our guests,’ David concluded.
Now he had Claire’s and everyone else's full attention. There was a long silence in the room as everyone pondered what had just been said.
‘You seem to have all the answers so far David, for which I’m grateful, do you have one for this riddle.
‘Nothing, so far, sorry.’
‘Scrimshaw!’ Cindy practically yelled and everyone jumped. ‘Thank you honey,’ she added, referring to her husband. ‘Quinn collects it. Sailors used to carve intricate pictures into whale bone and sometimes ivory. Presents for wives or girlfriends once they got back home and men with children would sometimes make puzzles. A little part of a picture on one, then another part on another and so one. Then they would cut the pieces into puzzle parts, really good ones were three dimensional. When assembled they formed a complete picture or,’ and here her voice stopped for a few seconds, which seemed an eternity in the room before she continued. ‘Told a story in words and pictures.’
‘Training manuals or other secrets,’ Claire said in a muse.
‘But we have all that and more,’ Allison said.
‘Maybe we do, maybe we don’t, there’s one sure way to find out,’ Claire added already deep in thought.
^^^
‘How are our guests doing Chou?’ Claire asked as she entered the hotel.
‘They occupy their time with exercise and training, but they do like the casino and some of the shows surprisingly. I think they are growing a little restless, bored might be a better term. Seetha has taken a real liking to Cara, they train almost daily, but she has asked, on several occasions when you were coming back.’
‘Well good news all round then. When are the two training again? Tomorrow morning, eight o’clock in Seetha’s suite.’
‘I’ll tell Cara she can have the day off. I’ll join Seetha for yoga.’
^^^
Claire came late to the exercise room, she wanted her entrance to be a surprise and a shock. If Seetha and the other Silkworms had an ulterior or sinister motive, who better to start with than the leader. If she was honest with herself, Claire was secretly thrilled with the chance at an encounter with the Hive Queen, to match her skills and body against another. She had arranged for the room next door and slipped in later in the day so no one saw her. The next morning she prepared.
She used Cara’s pass key to enter Seetha’s suite and made her way silently to the sunroom where she found the Silkworm already stretching.
You’re late this morning child, that’s not like you?’
‘Then we better get going,’ Claire said in her best throaty voice.
She timed her next move to perfection. As Seetha turned around Claire let the sheer robe slip from her form with just the merest of motions, the clingy fabric cascading down her body in a hugging embrace until falling silently at her feet.
‘Well, that’s me,’ she offered and stepped toward the Silkworm.
‘These you need to remove Claire. My yoga with Cara is not just about a workout, but a training session, for both of us. She gets my years of experience and I get her size,’ Seetha purred.
‘And exactly what specific experiences are you teaching her?’
‘Today was going to be disarming a Silkworm in combat. As you can see we planned a rather intensive series of sessions,’ Seetha explained, her seduction already started on the new student.
‘Well let’s hope I don’t disappoint,’ Claire smiled as Seetha tried to snap a front kick at her.
Claire turned slideways, avoided the upswinging leg, delivered a punch to the back of Seetha’s thigh then spun and swept the Silkworms leg out from under her. Before Seetha could recover Claire had removed her shoes. The Silkworm rolled over a few times then executed a reverse sommersault coming elegantly and silently to her feet.
‘These are interesting, Silkworms are not known for their shoes, especially heels, so these must be a fascinating weapon of some kind. Perhaps you could show me later,’ Claire mentioned, her voice a taunt.
Seetha came forward or rather swayed forward, her motion side to side and meant to be mesmerizing. Although she moved with a slow grace and elegance, hitting her could be hard as her motion appeared to have no repeated pattern to it and her body, elegant, smooth and flowing changed direction without any hint of correction or strain to it.
Seetha waited for opportunities and when Claire missed several times, she struck, sharp strikes stung Claire quickly. Seetha swayed and slithered then undulated and scored again. She followed up with a spinning back heel kick that Claire just stopped by catching the Silkworms foot in her hand. The sexy spy twisted Seetha and forced her down to the floor on her torso, Claire holding her legs, but the Silkworm had a surprise! The jeweled snake's head on her leg snapped forward and nearly bit Claire. Seetha twisted her head to see Claire so she could strike again, her well toned leg muscles moving the snake's head in any direction she wanted with just the merest manipulation. Claire dodged the strike while ensuring she held onto the slithering torso of Seetha as she tried to turn herself over.
‘I have a bite of my own, Seetha,’ Claire said, as her nails flashed up and down Seetha’s sexy gam.
Her strikes numbed the leg enough for Claire to seize the ornament and pull it off of Seetha’s leg.
“Fantastic device,’ she added, then tossed it away before she delivered a series of sharp punches to the Silkworms mound before her hand, formed into a clawed cup struck and held around Seetha’s paradise.
‘My bite is more accurate and much more venomous,’ Claire smiled as she let go of the Silkworm’s legs which fell to the floor with a thud. ‘See what I mean, your paralysed Hive Queen. The Paradise Pentagon is only effective for a few minutes, but that’s more than sufficient to remove your remaining accoutrements, starting with this lovely but strangely worn gold chain. You’ll have to explain that one to me later. Now this bangle I am familiar with, each little stone has its nasty surprise. If I remember correctly you touch the stone here and well, this one’s a strangulation wire, this one’s a poison needle oh and this one, Cinching Silk. I'm sure the otters are just as inventive. This wristband, I do believe if I just touch it here in the centre, yes a knife,’ Claire smiled as she watched the previous bent object go silently straight in her hands. ‘Excellent for when your arms are around an opponent in an intimate embrace or just as a weapon to escape some constricting confinement. It's quite stylish as well. And this, upper arm band in the style of a serpent, very pretty but its looks are deceiving,’ Claire said as fingers gripped the head and the tail and pulled, the device pulled apart along the pattern of the scales until it was quite lengthy. ‘An Ouroboros, one wrapped about the victim, you insert the tail into the snake's mouth and it slowly begins to swallow itself, constricting the prey in the process. Perhaps not as rewarding as personally doing it, but variety is the spice of life. These earrings are wonderful, craftsmanship is incredible and very old. I think this one is a gelatin ball made to look like a pearl. Most inventive, it would dissolve without a trace in a drink. The other unscrews along the equator, hollow, useful for just about anything from a poisonous lip balm to a spool of silky death. Finally, this tiara, I’ll just remove it very carefully, no idea on this, but it is lovely.’
Seetha watched Claire very gently place it down on a table away from them and return. Claire took up a
Lotus Position waiting for Seetha to regain the use of her body.
‘You removed all my secondary devices but left the most deadly weapon intact, my body,’ Seetha smiled sexily.
‘That makes us equal then,’ Claire smiled back.
Seetha freed a leg and slithered it forward, slipping her toes underneath one of Claire’s legs where she let it stay while she brought the rest of her close. Her foot caressed Claire’s calf then slid down and closed her toes about Claire’s then stretched both their legs up the sides of their bodies pulling her even closer as Seetha slipped her leg around Claire’s torso. The Silkworm brushed Claire’s nipples with hers, thrilling the Force Head. Seetha took Claire’s arms above her head then languidly bent her leg pulling it and her partner behind Claire’s head trapping her arms above her head.
‘You left me my body, Claire,’ Seetha hissed softly as her fingers pushed into place around the sexy spies neck.
The Silkworm kissed both of Claire’s hard nipples then gave her a soft kiss on the mouth.
‘My Kundalini, Claire, both constricting and biting in nature, my fingers and nails are the biting element, they interrupt the nerve endings in the neck rendering the body weak although the touch is pleasant. My body of course delivers the constricting part. I do hope you haven’t booked anything for the rest of the day,’ the Silkworm smiled.
Seetha looked at Claire, she was not tight yet so there was ample space between them. She liked it that way, it prolonged things.
‘The Kundalini is only ever used by a Hive Queen, she alone knows how to apply and use it. We are still far apart, I prefer slow engagements, giving the body a workout, both of us, me attacking, you resisting.’
Claire knew the Silkworm had entwined her completely, Seetha’s body was a match for a woman half her age as was her beauty and allure.
Seetha stretched her body and Claire’s in the process as she pulled in closer, her sculpted body drawing about her younger foe.
Claire, I can smell your powder, wonderful, it makes what I’m doing even more sensual and of course it reduces the friction in all the right places,’ her voice seductive and dangerous.
Seetha contracted slowly, evenly, her body perfectly balanced as she worked, her form a sinuously devious serpent that was not without its pleasures to match its perils. The Silkworm nimbly kissed her opponent, her touches designed to excite but never satiate, thus keeping Claire aroused and fighting desire. She also made small adjustments with her body, unseen by the human eye but sensed by her body.
‘So wonderful,’ Seetha hummed as she nuzzled Claire about the neck then cheeks before settling one of her own next to the spy and resting her chin, her body made a pull inward causing a vibration that engulfed the two but it was Seetha that fell away.
‘My Navel Shockwave, Seetha. It activates with pressure. I just had to wait for you to get close enough to trip it. You’ll be fine in about 5 minutes, I set it for a mild discharge,’ Claire smiled as she got to her feet. She had no intention of telling the Silkworm that she could have escaped The Kundalini at any time. Seetha had not applied it properly, whether that was by design or an accident Claire left it for the Silkworm to answer, if she wished, she had played along because of the erotic nature of the encounter.
Claire slipped on her robe and retrieved one from the closet for Seetha who was starting to stir. Claire waited holding the robe open until the Silkworm was ready, then she slipped it on, tied it closed, the two looked at each, Claire was several inches taller than Seetha, which had made her Kundalini all the more impressive, before they embraced.
‘It was never about,’ the Silkworm began before Claire put a finger to her lips.
‘We don’t need to go there, I think we each enjoyed every second of it. Something to build on,’ Claire added. ‘I do need to know something, something that came up in a meeting with my executive team,’ Claire added then related the concerns to which Seetha smiled, took Claire by the hand and led her into her bedroom vanity.
‘These are more precious to a Silkworm than any jewel we could own or obtain, even though they don’t look like much,’ Seetha said as she opened one of the drawers, took out a velvet box, placed it on the vanity and pulled out her massive length of pearls.
‘There aren't supposed to look like much are they?’ Claire answered.
‘No third rate pearls at best, of no real value, costume jewelry I suppose would fetch a better price,’ Seetha explained as she worked the strand from one end to the other back and forth adjusting them as a series of pictures began to form.
‘Cindy, was it,’ Seetha said as she worked. ‘Was right, it is Scrimshaw, but not what I suspect any of your team thought it would be,’ she finished just as the last pearl was dropped in place.
Claire put both hands to her mouth in shock and just stared. On the surface below was the lineage of the pearls, from the first owner all the way to the current one, their names spelled out by the by way of a tiny black dot on each pearl. That when aligned formed letters No one would give it a second thought, just an imperfection, making the pearls not for personal use.
‘My strand goes back 50 names, more than a 1000 thousand years. These are passed from one Silkworm to another, usually that woman’s trainer or someone they have formed a close bond with. Some strands are shorter because the Silkworm was killed and a new strand had to be started. These are our most precious possessions, Claire, they remind us where we came from and where we are going, no Silkworm is ever forgotten, she is always close to us and we her,’ Seetha said her voice resigned to dismay.
‘There was one Silkworm, Kumara, then two when she added Migāvatī, then more until a Hive was formed and Migavati left with her five and they built another. A Hive can be rebuilt, all it needs is a Queen. You already have more than Kumara had when she started, you have a HIve and a second, Esha, the rest is up to you, well you and I if you’ll let me. I ask nothing in return, just effort,’ Claire said.
‘Why? We were not on the best of terms for the longest time,’ Seetha smiled trying to make the words sound right.
‘Very diplomatically put,’ Claire smiled back, settling Seetha with her look. ‘I was an Art and History major in school. I remember one day looking at a Van Gogh in the Louvre, Starry Night, getting lost in the swirls of colour, the intensity of the dark and light, wondering does dark destroy light or the other way around. In that painting it is hard to know. He was a tortured man, so much so he killed himself. Nine hundred paintings in just 10 years, what more could he have done, what peace could he have found if someone had just been there for him when he needed them. Anyway,’ Claire said, shaking herself from the malaise. ‘When I got into this game I made myself a promise I would be there for people. Yes, sometimes it was for my advantage, others it was a chance I took. Cindy is a former DOOM agent, she’s my Head of Curve Operations. Tina Samuels was mixed it up with some adventure, she’s my Head of Business Operations. Mekong LLP was founded by a woman one of my agents saved from a brothel in Bangkok. Aki Eto was a Poison Geisha who tried to kill me. She’s now head of her own Teahouse in Sapporo. The list goes on.’
‘You can’t save everyone Claire, you know that,’ Seetha said softly.
‘No, but you can try and in this case do more than try. Look, it doesn’t matter how this turns out between us, friends, enemies or frenemies, you give me your word you’ll try. We’ll do this together right to the end, whatever that is,’ Claire passionately explained.
‘You’re a Silkworm’s Silkworm Claire,’ Seetha said as they embraced.
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