Long Blonde Hair, Sky Blue Eyes Pt. 10

Before they went down to the boats, Erik disappeared again for a moment, but returned with his tackle box and custom rod and reel. No one thought anything of it.

They were getting hungry and sunburned by one, so they returned to find the burgers grilling over charcoal, a tray of condiments, buns, and a cooler of icy beer. Everything seemed normal.

They were eating on the shaded porch when Mark brought a satellite phone out, smirked at Erik, and said, "It's for you."

With a totally unconcerned look, Erik responded, "Tell them I'm not available."

Surprised, Mark began, "It's..." but Erik interrupted. "I don't care; I'm not available."

He opened another long neck and took a long draw. "Ahh, the nectar of the Gods!"

Mark stepped back inside and repeated the message he had been given.

"Anyone want to hit the pool or hot tub?" a cheerful Erik asked. "I need to work some knots and kinks out."

Two hours later, with his sixth beer in hand, Erik repeated the message from before, and Mark again stepped inside to share it with the caller. An hour later, Milly and Bill drove up and joined them around the pool and hot tub. They each took a beer and were as friendly as normal, but they were subtly studying Erik.

When he dashed inside to pee, Milly not so subtly followed him inside the house. She faced Erik when he came out of the restroom and opened her mouth to speak. He shook his head, handed her his laptop, told her to look at the bookmarks, and walked back outside.

Milly was slightly off-color when she returned, but took the chair next to her Godson and quietly began, "Erik..." He leaned close and interrupted. "No answer at six or seven Pacific, but I got a call back at noon. Don't try to con me." His voice had risen enough that the others knew he wasn't happy.

"You need to talk," she argued.

"Not really; it is what it is. None of Bill's four have called me either but I'll bet they called him, which is why you're here. Now, if you believe I'm misinterpreting these data, I'll have Mark check with his guys out there and give us a thorough analysis of what they've seen and recorded. Sound good?"

Milly looked to Bill for help, but he shook his head and mouthed, "Not now."

Erik asked that another cold one be passed his way; that would be number 10. The Hammers left when he called for another, and his teammates, already besotted, suggested it was time for supper and bed. He told them to go ahead, and he would catch up in a few.

Mark and Danny were getting concerned. Not only about the work schedule, but also about the mental state of their primary charge.

They stood beside the pool and Danny suggested it was time to eat and then sleep. Erik fixed him with a cool, even gaze that did not indicate the amount of beer he'd consumed, and asked, "So was that a test?"

Danny looked legitimately surprised; Mark didn't. He answered, "Not on our part, but I checked your bookmarks after you declined the calls. Do you want a complete report?"

"Let's see what Aila says first. I trust her more than your sources."

****

Monday morning Erik gave assignments to the team and went into his room with his phone. An hour later he came out, told Danny to tell his commanding officer to call ASAP, and went back into his room. At noon he joined the others for a catered meal and was normally focused; but after lunch he returned to his room.

A courier arrived around two; Erik signed documents and sent them on. Some of the documents were delivered to a Los Angeles hospital, the remainder to the Mainstay Studios, where the workday had just ended. The cast and producers were heading out for yet another VIP lounge. They called it another 'publicity commitment,' but since they snuck in and out and stayed in a separate area while they were there, and their female star was in such desperate straits her continued participation in the series was unlikely, what was the real point, other than spending sponsor money on themselves?

In this case, the real point was to have a conversation about how deep down the shit they were in went. They were walking toward the limos in a loose group when they encountered a cadre of very fit, very dangerous looking men. When they saw the men waiting, the studio security team leader surged forward and warned them to move out of the way or get taken down; he promptly got taken down himself, and the remainder of his team was facing firepower like they'd never encountered. As ordered, they laid face down on the concrete, hands out and fingers spread.

D'Angelo, Adele, and two of the executive producers began inching slowly backward. An intervener demanded, "You four get in the first limo; the rest of you get into the second. No, that was not a suggestion. Get in now!"

****

"Are you Annika Olsson?" asked the man in the blue suit standing in her hospital room.

She blanched but answered yes. "This is a quit claim deed for the property you co-own in Bastrop County, Texas. You will sign here, and then I will provide you with a deed for 100 acres of suitable land nearby. A construction crew is awaiting your call if you want to implement your building plans at the new site."

Stunned, Annika started shaking her head, but the man said, "This isn't a negotiation, Miss Olsson; this is a done deal. Your business interests have been separated from Mr. Swahn's, at his request and at those of Homeland Security. Given the nature of your relationship with Mr. D'Angelo, and the nature of his relationship with foreign interests, this has been deemed a national security matter and has been approved by officials at the highest levels."

"I won't! This is a misunderstanding, and I won't do anything until I talk to my father, my attorney!"

"He's awaiting your call. Do it now."

Hands trembling, she called using her personal cell phone. "Daddy! There are men here..."

"Sign Annika; it's too late. Had you answered your phone Saturday night or Sunday morning, there might have been other options, but not now. I've spoken with Erik; do as he asks and get back here as soon as you can. We've been played."

Stunned to the point of inactivity by her confused condition, her father's words, and the curt and dismissive way in which she was being treated, Annika lay there in her bed. She was so confused! Why would Erik do this? Why wouldn't he take her call?

A pen was put into her hand, the clipboard held, and she was commanded to sign at each tab and initial each page at the bottom. She did, sobbing the whole time.

How could her charmed life have disintegrated so quickly? She had made mistakes, but not those kinds of mistakes!

At least, none she could remember. And that was the heart of the problem, wasn't it?

****

The limos took their occupants to a Homeland Security field office where they were processed and taken into interview rooms. D'Angelo and the producers demanded their attorneys, as did all but one of the actors. He knew more than he was supposed to know, but he had no part in planning the events and was nothing more than a bit player in the plan's execution. He took a plea offer of probation.

The richest had the best attorneys available, but the majority were struggling actors; they were forced to accept public defenders or ambulance chasers. That was a bad ploy on the part of the big three.

The interrogators worked from the bottom up, and by the time they got to the culpable three they had a hell of a case. Unlikely, caked with conspiracy, but well-baked.

Aila, Ainsley, and Aini were developed for different purposes. Aini was Erik's most recent protege, and her capabilities included searching for the so-called 'deep fakes' that other AI had created. Specifically, she searched for faked photographs, video, and audio related to Annika Olsson, then for the original source. Ancillary to those efforts, she endeavored to tie humans and human decisions to the fakes.

While the 48 hours were ticking away and the primary suspects were keeping their silence, Aini and Aila were using what the investigation learned from the minor players to better inform themselves and gain understanding. When the primary suspects went before the judge, they and their legal counsel were certain they would be released on bail, and all were convinced that nothing would ever become of this case.

They were too well insulated, their tracks too well covered, they had too much money to throw at it, and their co-conspirators were unassailable, an ocean away.

Imagine their surprise when they were remanded without bail under the espionage act, and limitations were placed on their communication with their attorneys while their attorneys were being investigated for ties to the conspiracy and/or the foreign operatives.

As tightly sealed as the investigation was, certain embassy personnel were recalled within hours, and certain foreign businessmen suddenly left American shores on private planes.

****

As the evidence mounted, Erik faced a dilemma: what to do about his erstwhile fiancée. Carl was correct: she and her business team had gotten played!

The third season of the miniseries had been resurrected when outsiders offered to bankroll it - if certain stars and storylines were added. By the time their true purposes became clear, the producers were in too deep and had taken too much money to refuse. 'Besides,' they asked themselves, 'how is this different than what has been going on in the motion picture business since its inception? The gullible are lured, entrapped, and used for the purposes of the rich and powerful.'

True, this scheme was more elaborate than the old have a drink, Baby, and let me show you my etchings, but the advanced state of technology and chemistry made this approach possible. Unfortunately for them, the current state of technology is also capable of uncovering such elaborate schemes, and the people responsible for development and implementation.

The truth lay before Erik, and he had reviewed layer upon layer of said truth. Every drink and every snack provided to Annika at the studio had a measured quantity of chemicals meant to reduce reasoning power and increase susceptibility to suggestion. The effects were cumulative rather than immediate, so she blithely went about learning her lines and becoming an actor while steadily becoming less capable of making decisions that contradicted her 'helpers.' Coupled with her respect for professionals in front of and behind the cameras, the result was an almost giddy Annika who became more and more amenable to suggestion and direction as the days passed.

None of this was her fault; however, she had made promises to Erik that had not been kept. Were the decisions leading to improper actions made rationally or under the influence of drugs and con men, and did it matter? Black and white, she had not kept her promises; in shades of gray, she may not have been aware that she wasn't, and the worst of the violations had been proven to be faked.

Having spent a week 'drying out' and being counseled in a medical facility near St. Paul, Annika was sober - and angry! Her hottest anger was spread among multiple targets, beginning with those who lured, seduced, and used her, and herself, for being so gullible! The targets also included her business team, which she believed had failed to do due diligence, her security team, which should have overridden her direct instructions, and even her fiancé, who should have unleashed his demon AI before rather than after her fall from grace!

She was just as furious that he had separated their interests, and that he had refused to speak with her since that fateful weekend, despite her best tearful efforts.

And then, just after her anger peaked, she had a visitor.

"Why are you here?" she asked grimly, her icy-blue eyes cutting him to pieces.

"Because we need to talk," he answered calmly.

"Why? You haven't been willing to talk to me! You made me give up my land! You abandoned me without a word! I have nothing to say to you!"

"And yet you're going to join me in the smaller conference room down this hall. I'm going to disclose a number of things you don't know, show you what has been done and explain why, and then we're going to engage in conversation. It may be our last, but it's going to happen."

She wanted to scream at him, curse him, hate him! But he was so calm. Why? She was sure he would be yelling at her. Why wasn't he? It made her want to yell at him, in prevention.

As always, his laptop was set up and ready; that made her want to yell at him again - him and his damn computers!

He took a seat, gestured at a chair across the small table, and picked up the remote. When she was seated, sullenly, with arms crossed across her chest, he pointed at the large monitor and directed, "Just watch. You can ask questions or offer explanations later."

The video showed mundane events at the studio. Her being directed where to stand, prompted when to speak, her lines being corrected, or improvements in delivery offered. Her nervousness is obvious in the first clips, and her awe is obvious when forwarded to Bobby D'Angelo's introduction, but she appears less nervous or concerned during day three.

She was sitting in a chair next to the set, sipping water, with the director on one side, the producer on the other, and D'Angelo standing behind her chair rubbing her shoulders. "Why are we watching this? It's boring and has nothing to do with our problems!" she argued.

Erik didn't answer; he rewound to the point at which she took the seat, and then zeroed in on someone getting bottled Evian for them. That someone very carefully looked at labels, chose one, put it in her right hand, and brought the drinks. The chosen drink was transferred from the woman's hand directly to Annika, who opened it and drank.

Moments later a snack tray was presented, and Annika chose her favorite: apple slices, cheese curds, and water crackers. She was the only one to choose any of those snacks.

D'Angelo stopped massaging her, leaned down by her ear, told her she was too tense, and that she was going clubbing with them after they finished. She smiled and declined, but all three acted aggrieved by her decision. D'Angelo asked why not, and she replied, "Because I'm engaged, and my fiancée would not approve of me being out partying, especially with a group of gentlemen."

"But he will never know, Gioia Mia. These are VIP clubs with discreet entry and exit, and we will be inside a private room where only the brightest stars are allowed! Come - you are struggling because you are trying too hard! Relax with us, get to know us better, and your acting will improve!"

She laughed him off, they returned to the scene, and she took more direction, which included, "Relax! Relax! Act as friends and lovers would!"

The video clips resumed on day five and recounted most of the same things: her taking direction, having drinks and snacks with the same men, and, again, the woman bringing the drinks and snacks making sure she and only she got a certain bottle and certain snacks.

She bristled when she was shown sitting on her chair drinking yet another Evian under the banner Friday, but then she got up and went to the bathroom off camera, the words of the three men and the woman were clear. "You can tell it's taken effect; she's much more pliable and responds so quickly to direction," said the producer.

"So tonight we make the move?" asked the director.

"She's agreed to go with us again, and Evie is going to dress her here. She'll be practically naked and she's a hot natured little slut-to-be, but we aren't going to press it. I'll work my magic on her and let you know. Just make sure we get plenty of film to work with, just in case. Remember, as juicy as she is, our sponsors have another purpose and that comes first."

Annika stared at the monitor and then at Erik. "What?" she began. He replied, "Wait," and forwarded to the mob scene outside the club. All that length in such little cloth did look slutty, and she blushed.

The next scene showed her sitting splay-legged, her electric blue dress bunched at her hips, her legs and panties showing. One slender shoulder strap was hanging on her elbow, leaving an aureole and nipple exposed on that side. The flashing lights reflected off the sheen of her skin, and off D'Angelo's hand, which was resting comfortably on her inner thigh, only inches below her panties.

The well-known executive producer, Robin Cooper, pulled the other strap off her shoulder, fully exposing both tits. He leaned forward, took one breast in his mouth, and moved his other hand to cup her pussy over her panties. Annika appeared unable to focus her eyes, but she looked down, pushed his head away, and raised her dress back in place. "No, Bad Boy! Not your titty - Erik's titty!"

Cooper acted chastised, but his right hand was still rubbing her panties between her legs. She seemed to notice, frowned, and forcefully removed his hand. Seeing D'Angelo's hand on her thigh, she stridently cried "NO!" and removed his hand as well. She pulled her dress down, tried to stand up, collapsed back onto the couch, and ordered them to take her home now!

They tried to dissuade her, but she was adamant, and they were next seen forging through the crowd, heads covered to prevent identification. She isn't quite passed out, but close, and her dress is again around pushed up, so her long legs are exposed. The woman sitting across from her in the limo is staring at her legs and panties. "If you aren't going to taste that, can I? She's entirely too yummy!"

"Tomorrow night we're all going to taste that, in every way possible. Tonight, she'll be taken home, put in her bed fully clothed, and she'll wake up knowing no one accosted her. Just a night out with friends; no danger! As we promised."

"What's different tomorrow?" she asked.

"Tomorrow she will leave the lot with even less on, and she will be as high as she got tonight at the club. The place we're going has rooms filled with sofas and beds; she will be naked and getting fucked ten minutes after we arrive. We have to share her, but you can taste her, clean her out, do whatever you want, but you'll also be taking two or three cocks at a time, so come prepared!"

Annika was slumped in her chair, tears flowing freely, clutching her stomach. "I don't remember any of this!"

"I believe you, and so do the doctors; here are the results of your blood toxicity and urine screenings." The screen changed to a table of test results that were hard to read, and Erik rushed over them without exploration.

"Your doctors will go over these with you in time. Right now, let's rewind and review. The most important thing is that you learn from this."

"What about Saturday?" she asked. "The whole day is fuzzy, and I don't remember anything after we left the lot."

"In due time. Right now, it's more important that you figure out how you ended up in this position, and their video shows you, if you pay close attention."

He rewound to a day earlier in the week, and they again watched her acting, being coached, and responding. Erik showed the Evian being prepared and served during the break, and then slow-motioned Annika surrounded by the three men, nodding, looking eager, and them rewarding her for improvement with pats on the back, strokes on the arms and shoulders, and side hugs.

After one scene that seemed to go well, the director was standing close to her and demonstrating a hand movement. The producer was standing close to her left shoulder. Bobby D'Angelo came up from behind, put his hands on her shoulders, and then physically moved her arm and hand in the manner the director wanted.

She did it again on her own, but D'Angelo's body was touching her from behind. Not in some intimidating way, but as if he were there to help should she need it. Like a tennis pro helping with your backhand.