Guys and Dolls

***AUTHOR'S NOTE - Sorry to anyone expecting another Garden/Sinspawn chapter. I am still working on them, but this just popped into my head one day and so I thought I'd better jot it down. Normal service will resume soon!

Dirk Longstaff bowed his head as he hung back in the shadows. In the glow of the streetlights, a lone figure in a loose fitting shirt whistled quietly to himself as he sauntered along the sidewalk of Flick-knife Alley. Living up to the street's nickname, he toyed absent mindedly with a miniature blade.

It was the detective's target, Unhappy Jack – a real piece of work. He'd been responsible for several murders around the inner-city area. All pretty young things they were, and Unhappy Jack had cut them up good, before carving a smile on their face. Something to do with never being loved when he was younger. The very thought made Longstaff sick to the stomach.

The police had never been able to gather enough evidence to make an arrest, but in the last week he'd got sloppy. He'd been identified by several witnesses who saw him following a young redhead several hours before she went missing.

All of which led Dirk to tonight. With the help of his partner, Cassie, he was going to capture Jack once and for all. All Dirk had to do was wait for Cassie to distract Jack long enough for him to cuff the goon.

As Unhappy Jack passed under the glare of another streetlamp, the light above flickered out.

"Eh? What the hell...?" began the perplexed perp.

The light flared up again, this time bathing the street in a pink glow. A beautiful woman had materialised before him and was draping her arms over his shoulders.

"Hello there, handsome," she cooed.

The woman was wearing, well she wasn't wearing much at all. A tight corset was clenched tightly round her torso, pushing up a well-rounded bosom and leaving only a pair of lace panties and some stockings to preserve the modesty of her lower half.

Her face was one of youthful naivety mixed with hot glamour, and lush blonde hair flowed down her head in buoyant waves. Sparkling blue eyes twinkled at him above a petite nose and lush red lips.

She was innocence and porn chic in one hot package, and she appeared to be really into Jack. The thug was finding it hard to think, and was becoming aware of a growing tightness in his underwear.

"Wow, someone's glad to see me," the woman giggled, before leaning to whisper in his ear.

"I'm glad to see you too. Want me to show you how glad?"

Jack gulped and nodded enthusiastically.

***

Way to go Cass, Dirk observed from the darkness. Basic transportation and charm spell offensive. The one-two combo any self-respecting succubus knows like the back of their leathery wings.

Cassie had done her best to tuck away her wings tonight of course, and her horns and tail. No need to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.

Dirk hoped the same was true for him. A thick lump was straining against the edge of his trousers. Being near Cass had the unfortunate effect of being in the reach of her sexual aura – leading to many a bulging pocket and pair of sodden panties back at the precinct.

Ever since the gateway to Hell had opened, life had been different for the residents of Sinkhole City. Life had become much more dangerous for residents, and not just because of the demons that crawled out of the crater that once housed the Church of Ezekiel.

Apparently the crater was only a portal to a fragment of Hell – namely the Plane of Lust, which housed not only all kinds of manifestation's of men's lust, but twisted perversions of them too.

The Army had been given extra funding and drafted in more troops to the city to help tackle the more psychotic and violent denizens that poked their head round the door. Such as the hydra-like beast that emerged with several hundred phalluses, each one regenerating into two new shafts when cut. By the end of that conflict, the road itself looked like the star of some sort of urban bukkake video.

It was the more seductive creatures that were more dangerous though – the succubi or the Visions.

Visions would start out innocently enough - merely as a dream inside one's mind, tempting it with erotic delights, coaxing the victim to climax in his or her sleep and sapping their energy. But with every climax, the Vision would grow stronger and stronger, eventually to the point where it could take physical form before its victim. Then that person was truly doomed – Visions possess the ability to transform themselves into any shape they desire. But as they feed off the fantasies of their victim, so will the Vision instinctively take the form most alluring to its prey. Then it would begin its life cycle of lavishing the victim with untold pleasures for hours on end, before leaving them in a peaceful slumber for hours at a time, seeking out other humans and gaining contact (a breath in an ear would be enough) to spread the pleasing dreams to others. It was murder of a kind – in that a Vision was robbing someone of their potential life – never again would they leave the house – they either wouldn't want to, or wouldn't be conscious. A cure had been devised in the form of a pill that would prevent the taker from entering REM sleep for several days, starving the demon. Problem was, when a dream was as nice as that of a Vision, who'd want to take it?

Succubi were easier to deal with. Kind of. They were certainly easy enough to spot – while Visions would at least dress modestly in public to avoid attention, succubi seemed to have an innate distrust of clothes, and at first the stunning starlets would shun them at every turn, playing havoc with officers trying to enforce public decency laws. The horns emerging from their hair, as well as their tail and wings, certainly helped too.

They didn't even seem to mind the constant arrests either – often they would walk straight out of the cell they'd been locked in with a smug grin on their face and an exhausted guard left to nurse an overworked set of genitals. The problem was succubi emanated an undetectable sexual aura that forced any sentient life in close proximity into a heightened sense of arousal, while the focused power of this burst could bring about bouts of obsession, excessive desire and a complete inability to think straight in its target.

It was the very nature of their insatiable sexual appetite that made succubi dangerous. Each orgasm they took from their target appeared to rob them also of some aspect of their vitality, while the sexual act itself seemed designed to prevent people from ever stopping – once a human orgasmed into a succubus, male or female, a valve was opened that only the demon could shut, as if surrendering that release to the demon granted her control over their body's sexual response.

The worst victims were left as lifeless, dry husks after such an encounter, which is what made them so dangerous. At first, all succubi were hunted by the authorities, until an agreement was reached. In exchange for having their horns clipped at the halfway mark, a succubus was allowed as many encounters as she wished on the proviso she stopped before the point of death. This meant only the psychotic, domineering succubi who delighted in draining their prey were left, and there was carte blanche for the militia to track down any sets of sharp horns.

When the trade-off came into effect, sleazy bar owners thought they'd make a killing by hiring legal dancing succubi girls to bring in the punters and keep them there with their innate charm magicks. What they hadn't counted on was their staff dragging the happy punters back to their place after hours and keeping them so exhausted they didn't return for another fortnight.

Indeed, if there was one benefit to succubi in Sinkhole City, it was that their arrival had single-handedly wiped out the illicit sex trade, not to mention pornography.

But it wasn't just dirty joints that hired succubi. They were incredibly effective as police officers, especially with their ability to track a man or woman for the rest of their days after 'tasting' them. Between all succubi in the precinct, there was a "homing beacon" for just about every single man, as well as several women and married couples.

So, despite initial misconceptions, not every succubi that came from the gateway were inherently evil. Some, like Dirk's partner Cassie, came onto the force in an effort to undo the harm caused by their companions from the crater and help the humans keep order.

It was a good thing too, mused Dirk. If it wasn't for the force getting supernatural help, the city would be over-run, and the demon infestation could spread worldwide.

With a start, the detective realised his thoughts had wandered, and turned back to the scene before him. Now Cassie had immobilised Unhappy Jack, Dirk could rush in there with the handcuffs and Bob's your uncle, Sally's your...

"What the? Cass, no!" yelled Dirk.

The flirtatious succubus had yanked down the unresisting Jack's trousers and proceeded to pump his man's best friend for information.

Jack was standing, swaying slightly, with a slack grin on his face while Cass beamed as she slid her fist up and down his length, waiting for that moment of release.

It happened before Dirk could arrive, leaving their suspect to shoot a thick volume of white fluid all over a delighted Cass.

Dirk quickly slapped a pair of cuffs on the unmoving Jack before dragging him away from the eager sex demon. He didn't look so unhappy any more that was for damn sure.

That was the problem with these damn succubi, Jack scowled. They always got carried away.

***

Things got from bad to worse at the precinct. It was bad enough without Cassie indulging her usual habit of "accidentally" bumping into and brushing close against any male officer she passed, but Dirk had to drag the dead weight of a dazed Jack to the interview room by himself. He preferred it when they were struggling. At least then they'd keep themselves upright.

Finally he managed to slump the guy in the interview chair, but still he smiled that same damn vacant smile. Well, there was only going to be one cure for this, Longstaff thought despairingly as he reached for a glass of ice cold water.

"Sorry Jack, but it's wakey-wakey time," he muttered as he tossed the glass content's in the suspect's face.

Jack spluttered and gasped, shaking his head as he sprang back into life.

"God-darn it, what the hell...!" he choked out in a furious southern drawl.

"Well hello again Jack, feeling better are we?"

"Ah tarnation Longstaff, not you again. How many times I got to tell ye, I ain't done nothing!"

"Save it Jack," he snapped back. "I'm not in the mood.

"But I tell you what I am in the mood for. A picture game."

He slapped the photo of the redhead on the table.

"Now this is Mary-Jane Ellis. She's 18 and starts college next month.

"Only problem is she went missing early last week. No-one's seen her since Tuesday."

Jack had turned white as a sheet. He recognised her, that much was certain.

"Sorry, I-uh... I-I-I don' recognise her..."

"Can it Jack – you've been spotted following her by no less than five witnesses."

"They're... they're all talking crazy. I dunno what they said but... no, no, not me."

His mouth closed tightly and Dirk began to suspect he was literally biting his lip.

"Jack, if you won't co-operate with me, I'll have to bring in my partner and she really doesn't like leaving the interview room empty-handed."

Jack stared pointedly at a corner of the ceiling.

"Fine, don't say I didn't try doing things the easy way."

Dirk stepped out into the hallway and turned to Cassie who was leaning against the wall.

"Well, Cass, he's flying in the face of those witnesses. Go in there and find out what he knows. Don't rough him up too much – be gentle and we should be golden."

Cassie stood to attention at the words.

"Right you are," she answered before swiftly entering the room.

Dirk frowned. People rarely saw the nasty side of succubi – mainly because they would be in the midst of being enticed into bed or shooting inside the demons – but when succubi wanted to hurt you, the sight was beyond terrifying. The mere threatening demeanour and behaviour of a succubus on the offensive had made many an Army cadet rethink their chosen career.

Cassie seemed to have mastered the art of getting what she wanted without actually wounding her interviewees, but Dirk never felt truly comfortable leaving her in there. Given how fragile Jack seemed too, he thought he'd better stick around this time.

After a nervous five minutes spent leaning against the post, he heard frantic moaning coming from the interview room and a wet slopping sound.

Oh shit! His panic-stricken mind leapt straight to the worst possible outcome – she was ripping Jack apart! Was that sound his spleen dropping onto the floor, ripped from his body by Cass's talons?

Dirk burst into the room in a desperate bid to halt the carnage.

Instead, what he saw merely led to a weary sigh. Cassie was on her knees between Jack's legs and was sucking the guy off like her life depended on it.

Jack's head was tilted back in unabashed pleasure. The bastard probably couldn't believe today's luck, Longstaff thought bitterly.

"Mmm-hmm-aghhh-ockkk," came Cassie's muffled voice as she slurped in delight, her eyes locked on Jack with a look of pure glee.

"Cassie!!!" roared Dirk.

Jack groaned again as great gouts of seed pulsed into Cassie's mouth. She pulled away to look at Dirk, leaving several airborne splodges to shoot right against her cheek. Steam ran off it as it heated up and was absorbed into her pores.

"Oh, hi Dirk," she giggled. "Wanna join us?"

She wiggled her exposed rear to him invitingly.

"No Cass, I uh..." He staggered unevenly as he tried to focus. Cass had unleashed a full spread of pheromones into the room and fighting off the effects was going to be difficult.

"No Cass, I..." Dammit, that was one sweet ass staring back at him. It couldn't hurt just to... just a quick one... no one would know, right?

But Dirk would know – and he would certainly feel it. His mind harked back to the one time he ignored the golden rule at the station and gave in to Cassie's amorous advances. It had been one of the best nights of his life, but she got too excited and he was out of commission for a week after.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small vial of clear liquid, before necking the contents in one gulp. Within a matter of seconds of consuming the bitter liquid, an icy fever surged through his body and he broke out in a mild cold sweat as his erection lost its potency.

The solution was a rare cocktail taken from a plant that grew near the crater and was essentially poisonous, bringing about a mild fever in anyone who ingested it. It also had the incredibly useful side effect of negating sexual arousal for several hours – a necessity for the era.

"Um, I was just talking to er, Jack here and uh, making sure he wasn't holding anything back from me," explained Cassie sheepishly.

"Cass, I sent you in here to get information," Dirk retorted irritably.

"You told me to be gentle! And I was!" She looked longingly at Jack's still hard shaft.

"So gentle..."

"That's enough! What have you learnt from him?"

"I was just getting to that! Geez!" Cassie was beginning to get worked up.

She turned and with her left hand, she gently guided his head so his eyes looked into hers.

"Did you like that Jack?"

He grinned dopily.

"Yeah..."

"Would you like more?"

"Yeah...!"

"Well, first you have to tell me if you know that girl that nice Mr Longstaff showed you a picture of."

Jack tensed up, his eyes looking longingly at Cassie's body while his mind fought his need.

"I, er, dunno, I..."

Cassie focused her attention on him and Dirk noticed the temperature in the room raise slightly.

"If you want to play with me again, you HAVE to tell me Jack."

She pouted as if hurt. "Please..."

Jack's mind lost out to his arousal.

"Alright... but I, I didn't tell you this okay? It's the old Waterman's warehouse on Seventh. This lady took it over a couple of months ago, y'know? "Goes by the name of "Plastique". Danged if I know what she's up to, but she's been inviting lots of girls in there for job interviews. Only they don't come out."

"Jack, why were you so afraid to tell us this?" Cassie enquired softly.

"'Cos this one time... this one time I followed a girl in there... that redhead, but the door was locked. So I sneak round the back and break in... and...

Jack was beginning to shake with fear.

"...and there's no sign of her. Gone. But I see rows of... rows and rows of... dolls... tons of them... lifesize...

"But they, they look too real y'know... like beneath that plastic coating..."

"Yes...?" prompted Cassie.

"Like... beneath that plastic coating... there's people..."

He swallowed.

"Their mouths are open, like they're screaming... but... but they don't move, they just look straight ahead... You don't know if they're all looking past you... or looking at you...

"That's when I saw her – Plastique – and I... I ran – ain't never looked back. Not 'til now."

The serial killer who had committed unspeakable acts of violence shook nervously and brought his knees up to his chest.

"Dirk, could you leave us?" asked Cassie. "I ought to take his mind off this...

"Besides... I still need to live up to my end of the bargain."

"Alright, fine," Dirk scowled. "Just don't leave him too worn out to help with any further enquiries."

Cassie grinned evilly.

"I can't promise anything."

***

"She's clearly a demon," Cassie stated matter-of-factly when the two discussed strategy in the canteen an hour later.

"Agreed," nodded Dirk. "The question is what does she want with all these girls?"

"I don't know, but we need to get in there. Want me to go in incognito?"

Dirk considered it – succubi were good at sneaking around, but against another demon it would be much, much more difficult to stay hidden.

"Alright," he declared. "But I'll go in through conventional means to speak to this broad Plastique. Meanwhile, you'll be exploring the inside of this warehouse as a "friend" of Mary-Jane's.

"Anyone finds you, you were looking for your missing friend and you'll be on your way. They give you grief, you stun 'em, or fry 'em if they fight back."

Cassie raised a hand optimistically.

"They'd stay down longer if I sh..."

"No Cass. Come on, let's get going."

***

TWO HOURS LATER

Cassie ripped off the padlock to the rusting metal door with a single yank of her fist before dropping the deformed hunk of metal to the floor with a thud.

Surprisingly low-tech security considering how many dangerous beasties walk these streets, she thought with a smile before swinging the door open and setting foot inside the brick building.

Once inside, nought but a metal staircase greeted her, leading up several stories to another metal door, this time a bit cleaner than the dilapidated entrance. It looked like it led into the main chamber for the warehouse.

After reaching the top of the stairs, she cautiously swung it open, instinctively holding her breath for what lay beyond.

What she saw inside surprised even the succubus.

The room measured 100 metres in length by about 50 metres width and was lit by several murky skylights. Three floors existed in total, though each one consisted merely of walkways running along the sides of the interior, occasionally cutting across it, with walkways and stairwells connecting each together.

Pressed against the walls were rows and rows of hundreds of the "dolls" Jack had been talking about. Each one had the appearance of a naked human woman, except that where once there would be detail, hairs or blemishes, there was only a smooth, peach-coloured glossy coating. It gave off a highly reflective sheen like plastic and ran from the tips of the toes to the forehead, where it seemed to end and give way to what looked like natural locks of hair.