My Only Talent Ch. 25

When his breathing finally stabilized, she began the next phase. 'What are you willing to do to make things right?"

He began to sob anew. "Resign, confess to the world, and expose those that bribed me. Go to prison."

"If you did that chances are you would do prison time and your so-called benefactors would not. What would be the just thing to happen to them?"

"Have their plans thwarted, have all my decisions go against them!" he snarled.

She popped him again. "Did you really graduate from law school? What would be the truly just thing to happen to them? To their clients?"

He drew a deep breath. "They should be punished for bribery, along with any of their clients that authorized their actions too, but the cases before the court should always be decided on their merits alone."

"Good answer, Wally!" She caressed him briefly on the neck. His erection returned, as strong as ever.

"But we may not be able to achieve all of that, but perhaps most of it. But let me tell you a story."

An involuntary "huh?" escaped his lips, but then he just listened, rocking slightly on his now surely very sore knees, despite his years in the catholic church.

"Suppose you want to sell an investment newsletter. You get a list of 1,000 wealthy potential subscribers, and you make up 1,000 very impressive bound research reports. In 500 of them you say stock ABC is going way up, and in the other 500 you say it is going way down. Then you mail them out, keeping track of which prospect got which report. In a few months, you check on what ABC actually did, and no matter if it went up or down, you send a letter to the 500 prospects that got the correct advice, saying we sent you a free research report a few months ago and we were absolutely correct about ABC, and now we are telling you about XYZ. In 250 of those letters you say XYZ will do great, in 250 you say XYZ will tank. A few months later, you take note of the final 250 potential suckers that got the right forecast both times and say our newsletter was right as rain twice in a row, for big profits, subscribe to our research now! And some of the suckers do."

He said nothing.

"Now let's suppose you get a list of potential court appointees....."

"Holy Fuck!" The judge was pretty quick on the uptake. "They did this to everyone on the list...."

"Not everyone. Some they knew wouldn't go for it and some told them to go to hell when first approached, but if even one buys into it, they are ahead, especially if that one gets the appointment."

The judge sobbed anew, and then cried. "I must be the dumbest fuck on the list!"

"But you are also the one that got the job, likely without your 'friends' having any influence at all."

He was completely silent for two minutes. "So what do I do now?"

"You decide the cases just as you would have if you never heard of these guys. If they contact you again, tell them to jump in the lake. There are two sets of voices on the recordings they have, right?"

He snorted. "Actually I have my own recordings, too."

Suzanne thought fast. "Do you know who those guys are?"

"Just one of them: a guy I went to law school with."

"Is he the only voice on the recordings?"

"No. There are two others and I do not know who they are."

"What form is the recording in?"

"Mp3 files on a USB drive"

"Make me a copy. Send it to the email address from the ad. Maybe I can help out."

"What about punishment for them?"

"They are going to be billing those clients a big retainer for years before a case comes up that raises expectations. When those hopes are dashed by a just and un-influenced decision from the court, the clients will punish them for us. So you are purged. Hold your head up high and work hard to reach the correct conclusions in the future."

She caressed his neck again, rubbing her breast against his shoulder. "Tell me Wally, are you left handed?" She knew he was.

"Yes." He stuttered.

She reached down and untied his left hand. "Okay, Wally. Show me that your little Willie works again!"

He tentatively touched himself and seemed to enjoy it a lot, surprised at first and then rapidly lost all inhibition and wanked himself enthusiastically. He shuddered and his breath came in fits and starts. Suzanne realized she had never actually watched a guy beat off to completion before, and she discovered she was fascinated by it. He was rocking back and forth and his cock seemed to wax and wane slightly in diameter as he did so. Suddenly his hand was moving very fast and then grunted and shot a huge stream of off-white come several feet. The pressure must have been building up for some time.

Wally lay sobbing on the floor, trying to catch his breath with a wild mix of emotions coursing through him. Suzanne slid out of her sheer body suit, giving Wally a spectacular rear view, if he could see through all those tears, and slipped on her panties, a white silk blouse, and a dark grey business suit that had been folded in the shopping bag she bad brought in with her. She put the body suit in the bag, and then bent over and kissed him lightly on the ear and whispered. "Goodbye forever, Wally. I loved you." She grabbed her coat and long leather gloves and hurried out the door.

*******

Peggy's alarm went off very early, but happily she had added in a few extra minutes to 'thank me' as she had promised last night. She reached over and briefly verified my usual morning woody, and then climbed over and straddled me, already wet. I never thought I would enjoy being used so much. Another pair of quick water sparing Sitz baths and then we dressed and were soon waiting at the back door of the manse, glad that I had zipped the lining back into the new wool blazer. My stomach growled; Peggy laughed and handed me two Cliff bars just as Jeeves pulled up the Range Rover. It was a very cold and foggy morning. I scarfed down the make do breakfast and my stomach quieted a little. We sat in the back as Jeeves drove north a few miles and then turned off road into a very cold and foggy meadow surrounded by tall trees, and soon we saw another Range Rover, a black one, with its parking lights on, about a quarter of a mile away.

Jeeves got out and said "stay here, she will come to you" just as the driver and passenger of the other Rover got out of it. Jeeves and the other driver took up positions opposite each other in a wide circle, and began walking slowly around it. Jeeves would occasionally raise some kind of high tech binoculars to his eyes, and the other guy was wearing some big earmuff headphones with some sort of pointer in his hand, pointing it outward. As the passenger grew near to our car, I realized it was none other than Elizabeth Ashcroft Knowles, who I had last seen on my flight over. She looked much buttoned up in a long dark leather double breasted trench coat and a brightly patterned wool scarf, with her hair up in a tight bun. Her eyes were flashing at me like little neon signs, and her face was already flushed from the cold. She looked fantastic, and I could no longer be objective about her 'plain' face, I just saw the total picture, perhaps dominated by those wonderful bright eyes.

Peggy bristled at her approach, much the same way that she had reacted to Vaya Perez at our cabrito dinner in East Austin, although I noticed Elizabeth was sending no Suzie for Peggy, nor for me, darn it. Just as Elizabeth got into the front passenger seat and turned toward us Peggy spoke, with hostility dripping from her voice. "Aha! I think I see a Burberry-Coated British Bitch, but then I don't think that is a new species for you, is it Robbie?"

Elizabeth reacted before I could. "This must be Miss Teats and Ass, the Art History Major!" This meeting was certainly starting off very well. She sounded almost like Suzanne. Wait a minute. That was exactly the phrase Suzanne had used with me, on the phone, and in Texas! Did that mean Elizabeth had talked to Suzanne? What was going on here?

Elizabeth jumped in, again before I could. "I apologize, Miss Duchenne. I was out of line. I am under considerable stress and operating far outside of my comfort zone at present. Could you be gracious enough to forgive me?"

Peggy was stone faced, and Elizabeth continued, "We haven't been properly introduced. I am Elizabeth Ashcroft Knowles." She produced one of her cards very smoothly, like a magician pops out a playing card during a trick, and handed it to Peggy. "You see I am about to ask both of you to do something extraordinary, not for me, but for Abelard's company and for Britain and the United States, and it would be a terrible thing if my lack of manners got in the way of that." She sounded very sincere. Peggy's expression softened a bit.

Peggy looked at the card and asked "How does Abelard need help? What is the 'Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs' and what does it have to do with us?"

"DEFRA used to be called the Ministry of Agriculture, and I work there, but what I do is more like what in America you call homeland security."

I instantly thought of Dwight and the no such agency that I had promised not to talk about. Wasn't there some sort of British spook shop like that, started up in WW2 spying on the Germans, and listening to everything and everyone ever since?

Elizabeth continued "I try to look out for the interests of British companies doing business abroad. In this case, I am trying to prevent Abelard's expansion of his construction services into the Middle East from being used against us by potential terrorists."

That certainly made Peggy pause. "How would that happen?"

"They are one of the largest construction firms in the country, with a big inventory of industrial explosives for demolition and excavation, and a number of people trained to use them. Someone might target their employees to try to get them to supply explosives for terrorist use, via bribery, extortion or kidnap, or just theft."

Peggy looked worried now. "What is it you want us to do?"

"Just after Christmas and before his school term begins again, Robbie will travel to several countries in the Middle East, along with several other people from the US and some of Abelard's people, to try to build relationships and win some contracts. All very fine business if that's all it is. We need to gather some information to make sure that's all it is. I need your help to do it."

Peggy looked thoughtful. I hoped I did too. "Go on." she said.

"In addition to the 'normal' meetings and relationship building, there are some cultural things there that are different from what we in the west normally understand. If things go well, and we think they will, Robbie may be invited to spend a day or two on a yacht, and to interact with an 'inner circle' very close to the ultimate power in many of the kingdoms and emirates. That is a tremendous opportunity for us to learn more about them, and what their real goals are. But in order for Robbie to 'fit in' he will need the two of us to travel with him on that yacht."

Peggy drew in a quick breath, as if she was about to object, but Elizabeth continued quickly "We will really be just stage props to portray the image of Robbie they want to see, need to see, in order to accept him as a 'player' as they say in America. These are some of the richest and most powerful people in the world, but they live in their own bubble and they have some very unique cultural rituals. They need to see and understand Robbie in the context of their own experience."

"Just how do they see me?" I couldn't hold my tongue.

Elizabeth smiled at me, almost dismissively. I did not like it. "They see you in an arranged marriage with one of Abelard's step daughters, being groomed as the 'crown prince' to take over his empire. We have taken certain steps to encourage this view; via sources that they think report only to them. They see you as a cute and socially well connected boy who may end up as the public figurehead of the company, while real professionals actually run it day to day. This is not unusual in their experience. Many of the their government ministries and major industries have a political leader who is related to or otherwise connected to the ruling family, and perhaps to several ruling families in other countries too, and some non-royal executives who actually have the expertise to run things. That's just the way it is. In the west it is called intermarriage among ruling business and political families, or 'interlocking directorships' or some other such euphemism.

Peggy wore a strange expression. "Am I to assume that we girls are to be involved in the 'unique cultural ritual' part of all this?"

"Right you are, Miss Duchenne, and very perceptive! The old boy's club gathers on the yachts to have meetings and discussions about business, but also to show off to each other. Perhaps a new speed boat to race around the yacht in will impress the guys or a new helicopter, or a spectacular new mistress or hopefully two, to sunbathe nude on the deck. Are you getting the picture?"

A slowly rising and growling Suzie signal emerged from Peggy, with the same overtones I had heard recently when teasing her about exhibiting herself to those tourists back at Horse Guards, or being photographed naked for a brochure. Her nascent exhibitionistic streak was triggered, and it made her hot. Very hot. She may have been a pretty conventional girl, but she had gone from paralyzing self consciousness about her figure to truly liking and needing to be admired, and with her spectacular form, it would certainly happen if she were sunbathing, wherever it might be.

Elizabeth continued. "We already have one 'player' on your trip, in the person of Alexis T. Quandry. He is a very highly paid mathematical whiz, but he has some personal quirks to say the least. He does fit in with the yacht crowd very well, though, and will be bringing two spectacular London fashion models along with him on the boat. You will supply the added 'spectacular' for our team, Miss Duchenne, portraying yourself as a very rich, spoiled, and bitchy young woman who only dabbles in art and who Robbie is dallying with until his future arranged marriage, and perhaps afterward, too. My assumed role will be as your personal assistant, doing everything from packing your clothes and carrying your suitcase to doing your makeup and giving you a massage at night. We will also hint that I am sexually submissive and make myself available to both of you, sometimes at the same time. This will play into their prejudices, fantasies, and tendencies very well, and build up Robbie's 'player' status tremendously."

I was not following at least one aspect of all this. "How do you know we are even going to get invited to this yacht?"

"You and your whole group have a dinner meeting tonight with Fayez Adnan. He has been retained as a 'security consultant' to Abelard's company. We feel pretty confident he will invite you."

I had heard of this guy, and even seen a report on him on TV several years ago. He must be roughly Abelard's age. He had at least six other names like Bin-something this and Al-something that, but everyone just called him Adnan. He was one of the largest arms dealers in the world, if not the largest, selling weapons all over the Middle East and Africa, collecting millions in sales commissions every week. He used to be one of the richest men in the world and own the biggest yacht in the world. His fortunes had faded considerably, but he was still a multi-billionaire, and the new up and coming group of Russian oligarchs had built a whole new generation of bigger and better yachts. He was still very well connected, though, and functioned as a 'facilitator' for deals all over the world, and his yacht was still pretty darned impressive. He also had a long string of much younger wives and mistresses, and seemed to enjoy throwing big parties and being photographed with them.

Elizabeth gave us some more detailed information. "He does have some very capable mercenaries working for him, mostly testing and evaluating weapons, but they can also look at the plans for a project and come up with a pretty good estimate of how it might be attacked and defended and what the potential losses and expenses might be. For this he gets paid a very much inflated fee, for built into his fee is the budget for 'baksheesh' that he expertly negotiates and disburses as required to make the project work, leaving the American or British client firms blissfully ignorant of such practices, as their laws require."

Peggy laughed. "Sounds like exactly the way some art and antiquities dealers operate!"

Elizabeth looked at Peggy thoughtfully. "Perhaps we could discuss the potential in that later, after we tend to this matter?"

Peggy suddenly gave Elizabeth an amazing look. My eyes got big. It said 'super smug mega bitch looks down her nose at a servant' to me. "Well, Elizabeth, let's see if you work out as a personal assistant, first."

I thought Elizabeth would sputter, but she laughed softly. "That's the perfect look and tone to adopt with me! You're a natural."

Luckily, Peggy took that as a complement.

Elizabeth continued. "I need to make you aware of one other thing, Robbie, something for you to pass on to Barry Fermy and to incorporate in your own proposals. In investigating potential methods for getting explosives on the sly, we identified one that was being used at another insurance company, until we stopped it. Are you familiar with the comprehensive project management software used on big construction sites, and how reports from the system are sent to the insurers to update them on risk factors and progress?"

"Yes."

'Well sometimes with approaching deadlines and time pressure, and sometimes just due to laziness or carelessness, instead of sending the properly defined reports or file extract, the construction firm will send the entire project file in its raw form, leaving someone like your Senex Pedo to build his own report to get the data he needs. This leads to a major security vulnerability, in that the raw file often contains very detailed information, like what vendor explosives are ordered from, what is ordered, when they are scheduled to arrive and where they are to be stored, and even the carrier that they are being shipped with, making it relatively easy for the shipment to be hijacked or the explosives to be stolen shortly after they arrive. This is the kind of vulnerability that we must be very aware of."

Point taken. I could see major problems just releasing such data to a competitor, much less a terrorist group. She turned to Peggy. "Can I count on you?"

Another wave of Suzie popped out of Peggy, along with a determined expression. "I will do my best for God and country, yes."

Elizabeth smiled. "I will be in touch with you, Miss Duchenne, just as soon as we know the exact dates and times. I expect you and I will be flying to join Robbie in a private jet, which can spoil you for commercial air travel. By the way, I only met Robbie on the American Airlines flight over here from Dallas, and he was a perfect gentleman with me."

Peggy laughed, and got that smug and superior look again, in spades. I could feel the temperature drop inside the car. "I can certainly understand that, my dear. Happily, he treats me much better than that!"

Elizabeth's eyes darkened for a minute, and then sparkled again. "Touché!" With that she opened the door and started back toward the black Range Rover. Jeeves and the other driver instantly started back to their respective vehicles, and we drove back to the estate in silence, except that my stomach soon began to growl again. Luckily we arrived back at the estate just in time for brunch and more delightful conversation. Newcombe B. Conners was off to afternoon tennis workout with the girls, and therefore Jeeves drove us back to London, dropping Peggy in Pimlico with a sufficient interval for me to walk her up and say a proper goodnight, and then drop me at Horse Guards.