A Long Time from Home Ch. 33

"That's why Department 55 is needed." Said Sheena with a sigh. "To stop people like him to prey on normal people."

"Well, we didn't really do too much this time." Said Zavala with a slight smile. "The Unknown Psychic took out Curtis and Parker and saved both the Americans and us."

The Indian-Australian leaned back in her chair and looked at him. "Does the names Janet Brons, Albert Knauss and Marc Dufresne ring a bell?"

Hector Zavala nodded slowly. All three names belonged to criminal physics the Department had tracked down and placed behind bars. "Yes."

"Those were all months of work and left behind several victims, that will never be themselves again." Stated Sheena softly. "The Department have been looking for both Parker and Curtis for decades and I honestly don't care who did what. They're neutralized and that's the important part for me. The Spanish police can do the rest of the investigation."

Maya nodded. "I'll bring out a toast to that, but not before we're in the plane. No reason to jinx it." She looked at Zavala. "You do know that you're coming along for the flight, right?"

He chuckled. "Yes. Mr. Newport insisted that I was there for the debriefing."

She smiled and stood. "Let's escort the Americans to the airport and go home."

Saturday, 1st of July 2000, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

---------- Ivan ----------

When I came back to the ship, I stashed the suitcases in my cabin and sat down by the desk in my stateroom to go through the papers about Starlight Merchant Group again. As it was the company that owned both the ships and many of the houses, I needed to understand how it was sat up. Especially since I planned to take control of it along with the highly illegal human trafficking and smuggling ring.

Memorizing the whole thing was not the problem, since I did that the first time I read them, but unfortunately, that didn't confer any understanding. The information and memories from Parker helped somewhat, but there was a limit to that as well, as I simply didn't have the years of experience and education in that field that Parker had.

I still used some time trying to figure it out, before I gave up and placed the papers back in the suitcase. It would have to wait until we arrived in Oldenburg Island where the Managing Director lived. Like most of the people that worked directly for Curtis and Parker, the Director was mind controlled for total loyalty and once I gave him the code phrase, he could explain how it worked.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts and after I had said, "Come in" Petra stepped inside, dressed in a long summer dress that showed off the curves of her fabulous body.

She stopped in her tracks as she looked around. "Wow! I forgot that your cabin is even more luxurious than ours." Her gaze went back to me. "Do you have a minute?"

"Always." I gestured for her to come in and walked over to the part of the stateroom where there was a small sofa and two armchairs around a table. "Have a seat."

Petra walked over and sat down in the sofa, while I opted for an armchair. "So, what's up?"

"If I'm to pose as your girlfriend, girl-toy or whatever, I really need to know just a little bit more about you." She said with a smile. "Not much, but a little will go a long way."

Leaning back in the armchair, I nodded. "Good idea. Let's say we met in Malaga a week or two ago and I invited you to come along on a sailing trip."

"Sound good." She smiled. "Since we just met recently, people can't expect us to know all that much about each other.... Except for a few choice things. What's do you like to drink?"

"Tea, cider, beer, and wine. I rarely drink anything stronger. You?"

"Coffee, beer and wine, but I like vodka." She leaned back and crossed her legs, giving me an excellent view of a shapely leg. "Favourite food?"

"Anything freshly made, that I didn't make myself." I said with a chuckle. "I'm a lousy cook."

"I'm not that good either." She admitted. "But I'll eat almost anything." She hesitated a bit. "This will sound like a strange thing to ask about, but how would you react if another man was hitting on me?"

For a moment, I thought she meant 'beating' but then realized she meant 'trying to seduce'.

"I'll be flattered as it would prove I have excellent taste in women. You?"

Petra chuckled at that. "I'm supposed to be a girl-toy. As long as I get to travel on a luxury yacht and get pampered, I'm fine... and besides, I'm not jealous by nature, though I hate being lied to."

"Good point." I glanced at the clock and noticed that I had spent more time reading that I had realized. "More question? The guests will arrive soon, and I need to change clothes."

"Then change." Said Petra with a smile. "I haven't seen you in daylight and that way I can describe how you're built... in case any interested women ask."

That made sense, so I walked over to the closet again and undressed, while Petra moved to the bed next to the closet. She was silent while I undressed, looking at me, while wetting her lips with her tongue from time to time like a child looking at candy.

Suddenly she asked. "What is wrong with you? Do you use drugs?"

"No." I laughed. "Why should there be something wrong with me?"

She smiled. "Well, you're rich, good looking, built like a hot dream, well behaved, drug free and rescues women in need. You also have a good-sized dick and are great in bed. I'm trying to figure out why the hell you're single."

"Oh." I found the better of the sets I had bought in Malaga, while Petra continued. "Do you hurt women?"

"I don't do anything to my lovers, they don't want me to." I said as I reached for the shirt.

She frowned at that. "That's not really an answer."

"That's because the question is flawed. Should I have walked away when I discovered that the guards in the warehouse were women?" I asked as I took the shirt on.

"Good point." Petra said and was silent for a moment, giving me the chance to think before I slowly said, "I like women, plural, a lot and I simply don't want the hassle of dealing with a jealous girlfriend or wife. I'm not monogamous, I never have been, and I never will be." I shrugged. "On the other hand, I don't use false promises to lure women into having sex and in general, I don't go to bed with women, whose personality I don't like."

Petra laughed. "Well, you had sex with me the same day you met me... I don't really see how you had time to judge my personality."

I gave her a look of disbelief and reached out with my mind. "< I'm a Mentat. I can get a good impression of a person even from just the brief mind scan I did in Malaga to see if the five of you was as destroyed as the sex dolls >"

Her mouth opened in an 'O' of sheer surprise. "I forgot about that."

"Good... I prefer it that way."

Seemingly taking a decision, Petra rose from the bed in a fluid motion, covered the distance between us in a few steps and stopped right in front of me. "Ivan, you're by far the hottest man I've ever encountered, and I don't know how else to say this, but I want you again." She smiled a bit. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to become your girlfriend, I just want you."

I dragged her in for a kiss, her soft lips sending shivers of lust through my body. With her curvy, firm body pressed against mine, I couldn't help but letting my hands travel over her back, lightly caressing her soft skin.

Petra groaned into my mouth, as our kiss grew more passionate. Sliding my hands down to her amazing ass, giving it a good squeeze.

She broke the kiss with a gasp, but before she had the chance the say anything, the intercom came to life and First Officer Franco Valdez' voice said. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but the first guests have arrived."

Petra said something in a language I assumed was Ukrainian. I didn't understand the words, but from her tone of voice, I guessed it was some kind of curse.

Switching to English, she said. "Damn it!"

"Agreed, but we'll have to continue some other time." Taking her by the neck, I dragged her in and gave her a kiss before I released her again. "Now, I got to get ready and it's not going to be easy with a hard-on."

"Somehow, I don't feel sorry for you." She laughed and walked towards the door. "See you up there."

I watched her ass move seductively in the summer dress until the door closed behind her. Shaking my head, I started to get dressed again. There was something about Petra that felt immensely familiar to the point where she was a comforting presence to be around. I was aware, that at least part of it was that she reminded me of a mix between Verina and Xanthe, but there was more to it.

Connecting with humans usually take some time, though it had been faster than usual with Alice, Rita, and Karen, but with Petra, there've been an almost instant connection. She had a mindset and attitude, that was so similar to the Baylon warrior women I had grown up with, that it was almost scary.

I finished with the clothes and took a quick look in the mirror to check that everything was as it should be. It was, so I walked out. It was time to join the party.

------------------

As parties go, this one was fairly boring and reminded me of some of the noble parties I've been to, as people just mingled, talked, drank a little and ate some of the food. I was introduced as Mr. Ivan, while Petra was Miss Moroz, and nobody mention anything about me owning the ship.

To my surprise, I recognized three of the guests. It was the trio I had seen earlier in the day at La Terraza. The man introduced himself as Carlos Vargas and then presented the two women. The short blonde was Isabel Mebarak, while the tall brunette was Valerie Tarud. I talked with them a little, but then mingled on, leaving it to Petra to carry on the conversation just to see if she could.

She took to it like a fish to water, so I walked to the bar and got a glass of cider from Patricia, before turning around to look at Raya, Esther, Ayanna and Delina acting as servers. Dressed in white shirts and black shirts, they all looked stunning, and someone must have given them instruction in how to act, because they all looked professional as they walked around with trays and served people.

I turned back to Patricia and lowered my voice. "I have to say that the new waitresses work well."

She smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Ivan. I've instructed them myself."

"You did a good job then." I said, as I returned the smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sir." She said and then turned her attention to a guest.

I set off to mingle again, but after an hour or so, that became boring, so I went up to the flybridge to relax, counting on it to be empty.

It wasn't. Valerie Tarud was up there, sitting on the giant sun pad with her back against the raised edge of the jacuzzi, while looking at the lights of the harbour.

"Hello there." I greeted, causing her to jump a little. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"No worries." She answered with a smile. Her voice was slightly slurred, and she had trouble focusing on me, despite the short distance. I swallowed a laugh. She was obviously intoxicated, without being outright drunk. She patted the sun pad beside her. "Sit down."

I did as she suggested and then asked. "Bored down there?"

"Yeah." She grinned. "The guests are dull, but it's a marvellous ship... even if I don't get to see most of it." She winked at me and whispered. "I raided the bar when the rest was on the tour."

That caused a real laugh from me. Besides being beautiful, Valerie was quite cute, and her drunken honesty was a refreshing change after more than an hour of polite conversation.

"If you want to, I can show the rest of the ship to you."

"Really!?" She clapped my shoulder. "You're sweet."

The physical contact sent a shiver through me, as I instinctively read her state of mind and for some reason, the beauty was incredibly horny.

Valerie placed her feet on the deck and stood up. "Alright, I accept your offer. Show me the ship."

We had barely entered the owner's cabin before she closed the door behind us.

Thinking she was being playful, I turned towards her with a smile and suddenly had her warm body against mine as she locked her arms around my neck and kissed me.

It wasn't a sweet, lingering kiss, but a kiss filled with passion and lust.

I slid my hands down to her round butt and pulled her in closer. She moaned into my mouth and whispered "Damn, this is hot."

Silently I nodded my agreement as I lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

She giggled and then kissed me again, before letting herself fall backwards onto the soft mattress.

The bouncing made her legs fly up and I caught one of them by gripping it by the ankle and then started to kiss the inside of her calf, working slowly downwards towards the knee.

Valerie had closed her eyes, but there was a satisfied smile on her lips as she enjoyed the treatment I gave. My gaze wandered down her body. Her dress had crawled up as she had spread her legs and for some reason, she wasn't wearing any underwear, giving me a clear view of a well-trimmed pussy, lips glistering with moisture. Slowly I kissed, licked, and gently bit my way down her long legs towards the pussy and as I got nearer, I could smell her arousement.

With my free hand, I gently caressed her inner thighs and then traced her lower lips with my fingertips, feeling her wetness and loving the sound of her soft moans, that turned into gasp as a finger drew a wet circle around her clitoris. Her hips started to move in a circle as she tried to increase the pressure and speed of the finger.

I removed the finger, causing her to sigh, but the sigh turned into a long moan, as I replaced the finger with my tongue.

"Oh." She whispered in Spanish and placed a hand on my head as I began licking her. First with long, slow lick from bottom to top, followed by a circle of light licks around her clitoris before I flicked my tongue on it. She gasped and shivered.

I loved the way she tasted and maintained the slow pace as I licked down to the bottom and then repeated it all.

Her hips moved to grind her pussy against my mouth, and I heard her whisper. "More... faster!" as I reached the top again.

This time I gently sucked her clitoris into my mouth and played with my tongue. First gently, but then I made my tongue stiffer and applied more pressure.

Her hips began to buck in rhythm with my licks and she was tossing her head from side to side, as she moaned.

Knowing that she was right on the edge, I took hold of her hips with both hands, so she couldn't move them and then increased the speed of my tongue.

"So goooood." She whimpered and then started to get louder as she moaned.

Just to be on the safe side, I projected a need to be silent into her and to my relief, she let go of me head, got hold of the nearest pillow and sank her teeth into that.

Then she screamed into the pillow as she squeezed her legs around my head and came in a massive orgasm, her whole body twisting and shivering.

I enjoyed the feeling of having given her so much pleasure and gently untangled myself from her long legs. However, her pussy was a little too tempting, so I gently inserted a finger between her warm, wet pussy lips and was about to slide it into her when I encountered a resistance that in my experience could only be a hymn.

The girl was a virgin.

I removed my finger from her as if she were made of molten gold. With the story of Ayanna, Raya and Esther in fresh recollection, a virginity wasn't something to take lightly and while losing it might not result in a death sentence in this part of the world, I had no idea about the possible consequences, making it a lot safer for both of us to stop right now.

That she was a virgin didn't make any kind of sense considering how she came on to me, so I scanned her mind for any evidence of mind-control or manipulation. To my relief, she was totally normal, so I searched her body for foreign substances and immediately found something that shouldn't be there. It wasn't even natural, but some kind of chemical compound I didn't recognize.

Valerie was still shaking from the orgasm and since it would be a shame to ruin it for her, I lay down on the bed next to her and held her close as the shaking subsided and her breathing gradually returned to normal.

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at me with a wide smile. "That was awesome."

I nodded and smiled back. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

For a moment, she looked insecure as she asked. "What now?"

I kissed her nose. "Now we're done. I don't do virgins and especially not one on drugs."

"I'm not doing drugs." She stated quickly, but my intuition told me that it was a flat out lie. She hadn't been drugged by someone else but had taken the drugs herself.

"Among many other things, I'm a doctor and I can recognize the signs." I shrugged. "Just stop it. It'll make you sick."

"It's just a pill once in a while, when things get too boring." She said defensively. "It's not like I'm addicted or anything.... And nothing like this has ever happened before."

I'd had this type of argument with opium users in the past and no matter what you said, they would maintain that they had it under control until they were almost dead from using it.

For a moment, I closed my eyes and slipped into Vis-meditation, before I forced the Vis energy into her body, using a technique called Ad Tardius Corpus Purgare (Baylon: To slowly cleanse the body). As the name suggest, it's a healing technique used to cleanse the body by rejecting any drug.

"That is good." I said with a smile as I projected reassurance and removed my arms from her. "But let's get cleaned up and join the party again."

She blinked and swallowed something. "Can I go to the toilet first? I think I'm going to throw up."

"Of course." I pointed the direction out to her. "It's that door there."

Valarie jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom, closing the door after her. A moment later, I could hear vomiting as her body tried to get rid of the drugs that had been forced from her system into the stomach.

Nobody paid any attention as we re-joined the party and after thanking me for the tour of the lower deck, Valerie walked to an armchair, sat down, and started talking with another guest.

Getting a new glass of cider from Riya, I mingled a bit until I found Petra, who was standing by the bar with a well-dressed admirer on each side. Despite her smile she looked bored, so I walked over to her, said 'hey', which caused her to lighten up, and without warning kissed her passionately as I pressed her against the bar.

For a heartbeat, she felt stiff and unresponsive, but then she almost melted into my arms as she kissed me back. Opening my mouth slightly, I licked her lip with the tip of my tongue. She shivered as her lips parted and her tongue came out to meet mine. Our tongue met and caressed each other for a short moment, before we closed our mouths again and slowly broke of the kiss. When I opened my eyes again, the admirers were gone.

"Damn." Whispered Petra. "That was a good kiss."

"Yes, it was." I said with a smile. "Less bored now?"

She grinned, "Oh yes... But at least I now know that if I wanted to invest some money, I should do it in something called 'Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies'... or was it 'Aberdeen Asian Smaller companies'?" She shrugged. "I can't remember, and I don't care... What about you?"

"I'm never bored when I kiss a beautiful woman." I winked at her and lowered my voice. "But it's not the liveliest party."

"You can say that again." She mumbled and signed. "I guess we better go mingle."

"Yeah."

We separated and mingled for a time, but eventually I needed some air and ended up heading for the flybridge once more and yet again, it wasn't empty. This time it was Isabel Mebarak, the other girl from the trio, who was sitting there, looking thoughtfully at the lights.