Going Under Ch. 02

Her sex satiated for the moment, Sara could not resist the cries of her stomach. She walked into the kitchen and got out some bread then stood in front of the fridge with the door open. Sitting on the top shelf was a small steak. Sara felt the urge to eat it, she took it out of the fridge and walked towards the cooker thinking how succulent it was. It looked succulent even raw. A moment of mindlessness came over Sara, she felt the need for the meat as it was. She grabbed it with her free hand and piled it ferociously into her mouth, chewing violently, ignoring the blood which seeped from it down her neck and bare arms. She returned to the fridge and grabbed at the sandwich meat and the raw sausages that sat there and bit into them, but they were not as satisfying as the raw beef had been.

Sara belched, apparently full for the moment. However, it was difficult to dismiss the thought of how good a rare, a raw steak would be. With these thoughts exhaustion swept over Sara and she staggered to the bedroom to slump, dressed as she was, on to her bed. It was not yet ten as Sara fell immediately into a deep sleep.

*

Part Four

Sara stepped into 'The Red Bar' feeling pleased with herself. She had on the lovely foil dress Tatiana had given her, but had added a few touches herself that she hoped would please Tatiana, a matching small metallic shoulder bag was one and for the first time in her life Sara had become a bottle blonde. A gem stud pierced the side of her nose and her feet wore transparent shoes on high stacked soles and tall conical heels. It made Sara feel she was walking on air, and to onlookers that she had just stepped out from shooting a porn movie. Sara scanned the room but there seemed to be no sign of Tatiana, nor her friends, that she could see. Sara hesitated. Without Tatiana there to guide her she did not know what to do.

"I'll get you a drink."

A tall man, probably in his late forties, spoke. Sara had not noticed him manoeuvre in front of her.

"Erm, yes." Sara said haltingly, uncertain how to respond.

Sara let the man guide her to a stool at the bar which she found it difficult to perch on in her short, shiny dress. The man handed her a large cocktail. Sara sipped it, barely tasting its over-sweet flavour.

"Constantine, Constantine Solovyev."

"Sara, my name's Sara."

"Ah, an American. What brings you to Moscow? Are you a student?"

Sara just nodded, it was easier. She glanced around the room every few moments, desperate for Tatiana to appear, but something told her that this evening she was going to be out of luck.

"Are you looking for your friends?"

"Yes." Sara replied, a little startled that Constantine could apparently read her thoughts. "But I can't see them.

"Well, don't worry for the moment, you can talk with me. I like your dress." Constantine said running his hand gently over Sara's hip.

"Thank you. It was a gift."

"You like gifts? You should stick with me, I'm very generous."

Sara looked Constantine over. He had a trimmed beard and she thought to herself that she had never kissed a man with a beard. His hair was smart, an expensive cut which matched his clothes. They were casual in a carefully planned way, a dark jacket and trousers over a very dark blue shirt with no visible buttons. His watch and the couple of rings he wore were expensive too, Sara could make that out, but he was not ostentatious. Despite his words, Sara found she did not mind him at all and turned to focus on him; Tatiana could find Sara if she needed her. Constantine mainly spoke about himself and his business and his future.

Sara did not realise how used she had become to listening without speaking, seeming interested throughout. Constantine clearly liked her response and the more she smiled and nodded, the happier he seemed. Sara was oblivious to the gentle touches he made to her waist or thigh, running his fingers over the shiny material that she so liked. Sara did not notice either how many drinks she had had. The glass was there, it was full, she drank from it then replaced it on the bar; the glass was there, it was full...

"Would you like to see my car?" Constantine asked.

Sara's mind dimly told her she ought to respond. "Yes, that would be nice." She said automatically.

Constantine smiled and putting a protective arm around Sara steered her from the bar. Sara felt relaxed, pleased with the attention Constantine was giving her. Soon they were in the street.

"Let's not bother going to the car." Constantine said in a quiet but firm voice. "I know what women like you want, and I'm sure you'd like it sooner than that."

Sara was uncertain what he was saying but she just smiled and nodded. Constantine just took her hand and stepped into an alley. Sara followed, barely thinking what was happening. Constantine pressed her against the wall and pushed his lips against hers. Without thinking, Sara responded as she had been trained by Tatiana and began kissing him passionately, entwining her tongue with his. She could feel Constantine's cock hardening as he pressed himself against her slippery dress.

"Good, good." He muttered as he broke and fumbled with his trousers. Constantine's words pleased Sara. "You like it, don't you, out here, with people going by. You like that, don't you." These were statements, not questions. The words easily sunk into Sara's compliant mind and she believed them.

"Yes." Sara said breathlessly.

Sara could see Constantine's cock standing proud of his trousers.

"You want me in you, deep in you."

To Sara, Constantine sounded like a man sure he knew what people wanted and was used to giving orders that were obeyed without question. Sara's will was too weak to disagree.

"Yes." Sara repeated.

Constantine hitched up her short dress, its slippery material sliding from her bum up on to her waist so easily. As he saw her naked mound below, Constantine smiled, now clearly certain he knew what kind of woman Sara was. His left hand snaked out, his thumb stroking gently at the lips to Sara's pussy, making sure they would part easily to allow his cock entrance. Slowly he eased his thumb in, making Sara gasp with the sensation. She could not stop her body responding, loosening, becoming juicy. With his thumb as a foretaste of his flesh to follow, he spread his hand, each finger in turn stroking or tapping Sara's clit. With each touch, she took in a sharp breath and gasped as he took his thumb back and gripped both of Sara's bare arms in his surprisingly strong hands.

Dully Sara took in her surroundings, a dark alley with an older man eager to thrust into her. Any bit of the older Sara was lost in her new attitudes, her eagerness to please and to satisfy. Familiar with her role from a dozen films, Sara wrapped her arms around Constantine and let his hands move to the small of her back and beneath her legs. In seconds she was lifted from the floor, her back hard against the wall. She panted, having no words as she awaited the inevitable, and then in moments Constantine had lowered her, thrusting his cock into her. In that instant Sara mewed as the hard hot cock thrust into her ready pussy, gliding so easily deep within her.

Sara felt pleased, she was good, she wanted this and her body showed that. Constantine gave fast, hard thrusts into her. Sara clung to him, brushing her clit against his chest as best she could, but it was the setting, the total animalness of it that aroused her more. In those minutes she revelled in the fact that she was so unlike the embassy worker of earlier, now she was nothing but a blonde bimbo dressed in nothing more than a tight dress and porn star shoes. As a result Sara was shuddering even before Constantine had been able to snatch his pleasure from her. Her quivering was the final trigger and he bucked against her, spraying more spunk between her legs than within her. He froze for an instant, low groans escaping from his mouth as he eased Sara to stand on the floor and casually brushed down enough of her dress to cover her pussy.

"Good, very good." The words came hard to the breathless Constantine.

"Yes." Sara said quietly, not caring at the spunk drying on her bare legs, just somehow pleased that she was a woman who could make such a man that happy, that quickly.

Constantine adjusted his trousers whilst Sara smoothed her lovely dress.

"Another drink?"

"Yes, thank you." Sara said, taking Constantine's proffered arm.

"This is for you." Constantine said, taking Sara's bag in his hand and pushing some roubles inside it.

"Thank you." Sara said, not really comprehending the gesture, but feeling she should be grateful anyway.

"The drinks are still on me though."

"Great." Sara said and pecked him on the cheek.

Soon they were back in the bar, and Sara felt charged up by the sex, a good sensation ran through her. Then she knew Tatiana had arrived, she looked up to see her enter with Natalia, both were dressed in surprisingly dark, sober clothes. They came immediately across to Sara.

"Tatiana." Sara said warmly, feeling genuinely pleased that she had arrived.

"Sara." Tatiana said curtly. She seemed to be sniffing the air. As she did, she turned to Constantine who was collecting two drinks from the barman.

"If you make them so malleable, so compliant, you've got to expect others will take advantage of it too." Natalia muttered.

"Yes, yes, that's my way." Tatiana said with irritation.

Constantine looked challengingly at Tatiana, but she stood square on to him and glared. In an instant he seemed to have something important to do elsewhere and in moments was gone from the bar, his drinks forgotten.

Tatiana seemed a little calmer now, but there was a greater tension about her than Sara was used to. Both her and Natalia were flushed and as she looked Sara could see little scrapes and gashes on their hands.

"Come over to our usual place." Tatiana said. "It's good to see you in that dress. I like what you've done to your hair."

Sara felt a glow of pleasure at those words, she was so pleased that Tatiana had not only noticed, but liked them. She followed gladly behind the two women. They made a space between them. Almost the instant she sat down Sara felt Tatiana's lips kissing her neck, and then Natalia's too. Her body, still fired up from being screwed by Constantine was hot again as she fell into the long slow moments she experienced whenever she received Tatiana's attention, and this time she felt doubly blessed as Natalia's mouth caressed her too.

Sara awoke feeling a cool breeze. She moved slowly, she felt incredibly tired and weak. She lifted her head with difficulty, her face peeling uncomfortably away from the plastic seat cover it had rested on.

"Time to go." A barmaid stood over her.

"What time is it?" Sara's voice came weakly.

"Five thirty."

"Right."

"Can you get home?" The barmaid asked, her voice softening as Sara sat up.

Sara reached for her shoulder bag and with relief found it. She opened it to find that it was not empty but stuffed with high denomination rouble notes.

"It looks like it." The barmaid noted wryly. "I'll get you a taxi, most of the club trade will have gone by now, the 24-hour guys will be quiet."

Sara looked around the empty bar. There were a few customers like herself, barely aware of what was going on, and the bar staff, all dressed alike, but of different shapes and sizes, enjoying a few drinks before they headed home. Sara staggered to her feet and headed towards the exit, clinging to seats, tables, the bar, to keep herself up. At the door the barmaid was waiting and waved to a driver standing by his taxi. He gestured back.

"That one." The barmaid said, pointing her to the car. "You can make it?"

"Yes, I hardly drank anything. I must be ill."

The barmaid gave a little smile as her only comment. "Call again." She said and turned back inside.

Sara staggered the few steps to the cab and was pleased to fall on to the back seat. She blurted out her address, and repeated it as it seemed to come too quietly to her ears, deadened by the noise in the bar.

How Sara got from the taxi to her flat she never knew, but she guessed for the size of the note she had given the driver he would have carried her in himself and cleaned the place for her. As she sat back in her bath watching the first rays of morning come through the frosted glass she scrubbed at her body. Her back had a web of scratches; dead spunk had encased her thighs and dried blood ran in trails from her shoulders to her breasts. She was so glad the dress and shoes came off so easily, otherwise she knew she would have been slumped on the toilet still trying to disentangle herself. She decided that in future she would again stick to only three items of clothing when going for a night out, it made things so much easier.

Cold water forced Sara from the bath without pulling out the plug, cold air finally forced her to get beneath the blankets and at last Sara was back where she should have been.

*

Part Five

As she waited to see Dr. Wilson for the second time in four days, Sara thought over her week, not that there were many memories. She could not put her finger on anything she had done at work. The most notable thing had been John Harker calling her in on Monday first thing, telling her she needed a medical check. Looking at herself in the mirror in the ladies, she could not disagree with him. She thought back on her Sunday. She had not woken until the evening and then was ravenous. She had feasted on the raw steak that seemed to form so much of her diet, before retreating back to bed.

With Monday and probably over twenty hours' sleep under her belt she had felt strong enough to make it to work. Yet, she still looked a wreck, her skin had had a really pale pallor, her hair was lank and already dark roots were showing. However, by last night she appeared a touch healthier and been proud that she had been able to make herself a broth. She had forgotten all about Tatiana until her visit which had been a pleasant treat, and they had had a good time, drinking that wine, chatting. She was always surprised that Tatiana was happy to sit around the flat and not go out, but Sara guessed she had enough excitement at the weekend and welcomed some calm time on what were becoming her regular visits.

Tatiana had fired Sara's enthusiasm about the party that Saturday, describing the dacha and some of the people who would be there. That was one reason why Sara had been happy to see Dr. Wilson again so she could get back to full health by the weekend. He had done a whole range of tests on Monday, and Sara hoped he could tell her why she was getting so tired.

"Miss. Groom." Dr. Wilson appeared at the door of the office he was using.

"Yes." Sara said, standing up quickly and heading towards him.

"Come in, come in." The doctor said.

Sara walked in and sat down. Wilson was in his late thirties and hardly looked a good advertisement himself. He was an angular man a prominent nose and an even more obvious adam's apple which distracted Sara as he spoke. His hair was lank and dark but always carefully combed back. He steepled his overlong fingers in a way Sara guessed he thought was how doctors should behave.

"It's good of you to see me." Sara said warmly.

Wilson laughed in a way that sounded nervous. "Well, of course, you know it was Mr. Harker who asked me to take a look at you, but you don't mind?"

"No, no. It's just I've been feeling really tired, lethargic, you know. When you aren't really ill, you know, you feel you're wasting the doctor's time by going to see him."

"No, it's never a waste of time. The body gives warning signals, tiredness can be one of them, it's always worthwhile looking into. And, erm, there've been other problems, and I think that was what concerned Mr. Harker."

"Other problems?"

"Your lack of attention. Your work here has completely fallen away and Mr. Harker just followed standard procedure and asked for tests."

"For drugs?" Sara asked as the implications dawned on her.

"Yes, just standard, as I say. You are a young woman, no doubt part of Moscow's social scene, and Mr. Harker and myself have certain duties to the government and to its employees, like yourself, too."

"You wouldn't find anything." Sara said defensively.

"No, no, we didn't. I told Mr. Harker straight off, so there's no worry on that score. But as I said, the body gives warning signals and yours seems to be signalling a couple of things."

For an instant relieved that Wilson had not somehow found drugs in her system, she now felt alarmed at what grave illness he had uncovered.

"It's more interesting than serious. Despite the fact that you appear to be living on a meat rich diet, you seem to be mildly anaemic, which will explain your tiredness, your skin tone. We can correct that easily with tablets that I can give you today. There is also another, stranger, aspect, you seem to have a mild form of haemophilia. That will give you a tendency to bleed more. That is rare, people usually have haemophilia or they don't, it's hereditary, not acquired. Anyway, your blood will clot less well than normal, that can happen with red heads, but there was no trace of this on your medical when you first came here.

I say it's rare, but I also have to say, it does happen, particularly here in Eastern Europe. People, most commonly men and women of your age and down to teenage years, but with some cases stretching across the age range, seem to get it. Mostly in cities here in Russia and in a few rural areas in countries like Romania and Hungary. There is a lot of speculation about it, the best guess is that it's something chemical left over from the Communist days, especially as people like you, not from this region, can get it.

Those marks on your neck are another symptom. On Monday I thought they were birthmarks, but they correlate with other reports of this condition I consulted. Another symptom that you might have noticed, or will notice, is that your periods become very light, it's almost as if the body is trying to hold on to the blood it's got."

As Wilson rattled on, Sara rubbed her neck self-consciously, knowing the numb points that he was referring to, however as she touched them, a wave of reassurance, mixed almost with a sense of guilty pleasure swept through her.

"For the moment, we'll just keep an eye on that, just be careful not to cut yourself, okay?"

Sara nodded.

"Well, that is all. I'll report to your bosses. Once you are on the tablets and with a few early nights you'll be back to the productive working I hear you're renowned for. I'm recommending a couple of days off. Go home, get some rest, take the tablets and you should feel a lot better come Monday."

Taking the bottle of tablets, Sara thanked him, glad of a couple of extra days free. She had so much to get ready for Saturday. She was keen to dye her roots, get a manicure and buy that dress she had seen and was sure Tatiana would like. Her mind buzzed with thoughts. She stopped off to take one of Wilson's pills, keen that she was on top form for all that she had to do.

*

Part Six

Sara sat in the taxi Tatiana had sent for her, watching the darkening landscape pass by. She was not clear which direction they were heading or how far outside Moscow they had come, but they were clearly out where the elite had their retreats, large houses set back from the road could be glimpsed through the trees.

"Got a client out here?" The taxi driver asked looking Sara over once again in the rear view mirror.

"Client?" Sara's wandering attention focused back inside the taxi. "No, it's a party, a friend of mine invited me."

"Right. Rich friend."

"Yes, she does well, works for property owners." In fact Sara had no idea what Tatiana did, she guessed her work was something similar to Cate's.