Sam Spade 11: Case of the Blue Ice

When I asked for a job, he took me to the side and looked me over. Before Angela, I wore my suit, but kept my nails short, hair up under the fedora, and refused to wear makeup. He had me sit off to the side as he filmed that night. It was nothing like I expected. Yes, there was sex but there was no passion. It was like any other movie. Takes and retakes to make sure the shot went right.

When the shoot was over they cleaned up and Marty paid everyone. Finally, when we were alone, he turned to me and said, "Miss Spade, why do you want to work in this business? It is not for you."

I was on the edge of a break down; I had bills to pay and no money, my father and I had not talked in who knows how many years, and now I had just been told that I was not good enough to work in a skin flick. I tried to form words to beg for a job, instead the dam broke and I dropped my head into my hands as I cried. Marty took me in his arms and held me as I sobbed out my troubles to him. Instead of just giving me money, he let me help. I made my bills that month and kept my dignity, all because of a warm and caring man. He became someone I could turn to, a shoulder to cry on, and was the one person who I let see the frightened little girl hiding behind a fedora and pistol.

Marty hugged me back, "Your welcome Sam." He smiled ruefully and dropped his voice, "Though, next time try to give me some warning so I can have some film on hand." It dawned on me then, he had not really filmed it after all.

Loan me a camera and film and I will give you something that will repay you." I said in reply softly. A though occurred to me, "Or better yet all of you come in person and film it." I had never let an outsider welcome in the house, but right now I owed Marty and his crew more than I could ever repay. I also had to make sure they did not talk to anyone about what they heard in here tonight.

My body knew what to do; I could smell the capture scents wafting out affecting both male and females. It seemed as if I were watching myself, my voice took on a different tone, one that even today I cannot explain, "Now remember, mums the word." Their eyes took on a glassy sheen and I continued, "No one can know what you saw. If they do, then no play time for you." I paused and added, "And I know how much you want to come and play. How much you need to play."

I could feel the lust burning like raging fires behind the glassy eyes and slack faces. "Tomorrow night, at nine pm sharp, my house, dress for pleasure." The vision of everyone covered in latex in the playroom making mad passionate love with each other as Marty and I watched from the thrones filled me. "Yes dress for pleasure my sweets," my voice said of its own accord.

From behind me, I heard Angela's voice say, "Samantha?"

I turned and looked at her, gone was the anger and replaced it with a look of wonder and need. Turning back towards the hole I said, "Until tomorrow... dream and think of the pleasures you will see and feel. Go now."

I walked back over to where Yuri and Stephen were on the floor. Looking down at them, I said simply, "Strip." The fastest way to make sure someone does not have a concealed weapon was to do a strip search. Angela seemed to be struggling, one hand kept her pistol trained on them while her other tried to undress. I walked over to her and said, "Not you dear."

She looked at me fully for the first time and I could see the need in her eyes as she said, "Please..."

"Not yet Angel, later..." I replied as I caressed her face. Looking back at the two men who had yet to start undressing I said, "Strip down, I am not going to ask again." Stephen started undressing quickly while Yuri, on the other hand was taking his time. Crouching down before him, I looked Yuri in the eye and though there was fear in them, there was a spark of defiance still. His male ego would not allow him to admit he had been bested by a woman. I thought back to what Maradith had taught me, I knew how to show someone what they most desired. The question remained, was there a way to show them what they feared most?

'Screw that,' I thought to myself, I didn't have time to experiment now. Instead, I thought of how Maradith looked; her red skin, horns, tail and great bat wings. She looked like pure lust on two legs. Instead of lust, if I could turn that look into pure evil, then, Yuri's ego would allow him to be bested. "See my true form," I hissed as I stood.

Since only my brain had been tainted by the succubus Maradith, I could not truly shift form. My body was robotic and as such not something, that could change. However, I could make people, at least people I loved and who loved me, see what I wanted them to see. Now, I had to make Yuri, who hated me, to see what I wanted. I dug deep inside and pulled up all the anger I had kept at bay. Every time someone had wronged me, I had pushed that dark desire for revenge into a little box and locked it.

Looking down at Yuri, I opened the top and showed him the gates of hell. "Fear me..." my voice took on a different quality, it sounded as if a great serpent, hell spawn and the angel of death were speaking. "Others may kill you; I will make you beg for death." The results were dramatic; Yuri's eyes got large and he ripped his clothes off in record time.

Turning I looked at Angela and smiled. Like Yuri's, her eyes got big as saucers and the pistol dropped forgotten from her hand. A little whimper escaped from her lips as she dropped to the floor. She touched her head to the floor and extended her arms towards me as she said, her voice muffled, "Please forgive me Mistress."

Stephen I noticed was nude and curled into a ball whimpering. Oh shit, they had seen what I was projecting. I closed the gates to hell and hurried to Angela. God I had fucked up again. "It's ok Angela," I said as I reached out to stroke her hair. Her twitch of fear away from my hand cut me deep and yet I was not upset, I deserved it and more. Scooping up her pistol, I stood and set it on the desk. "Angela, look at me." When she looked up with fear and tears in her eyes I continued, "Take their clothes and wait with them in the outer office."

"Please don't send me away Mistress," she whimpered as she stood and gathered their clothes.

Nodding to her I replied, "Put the clothes in the outer office and come back." I looked down at the two

me who were responsible for over twenty deaths that I knew about. After a time, Angela came back,

kneeled before me and looked down not speaking. "Angela," I said as I reached a hand out to her. When

she looked up I said, "We will discuss our issues later. For now, we have other issues to deal with."

She let me help her up and said, "Yes Mistress."

"Yuri, the woman you know as Elliana is dead." I picked up the picture and showed it to Angela. "The woman in the picture does not exist anymore." He looked up at me. "I want you to tell me why you were looking for her." I continued as our eyes locked for a second. Before me was a broken man and we both knew it.

Yuri looked down, "Elliana developed Blue Ice."

When he did not continue I prompted him, "And?"

"I was the political officer assigned to her team," he continued not looking up. "It seems she took the award money and defected. I have spent the last five years of my life tracking her down."

"There is more isn't there Yuri."

He nodded, "Elliana was my woman." For a man whose girlfriend had run out on him, and who he just found out was dead, he did not seem too broken up about it.

"Tisk, Tisk... Lying to me already?"

"She was MY woman regardless what she or others thought. When they left, she took the secret of a stable version of Blue Ice with her."

Though Yuri did not look at me, I could see his hands ball in anger. Not only did Yuri lose the woman he was obsessed over, she took the formula for Blue Ice with her in defiance of him. No wonder he thought little of women. "They?"

"She had help from one of her assistants. I caught up with him three years ago in Stockholm. He will never paw my Elliana again."

"Stephen, what's your connection with this?" I asked. I had a good idea of how he was connected but I needed to hear it from his lips.

"I cleared the way for the hit squad to enter the city." He said quietly not daring to look up.

"They hit the wrong house didn't they?" I knew the answer now. That group was aimed at my house, not Don Brice's.

Instead of answering he nodded, "I gave them the wrong address." He looked up, his eyes red from tears, "I thought that if it happened next door no one would be hurt. I'm sorry Samantha..."

He was not as sorry as I was. I looked at Angela not knowing what to do. I had ample reason to kill both of the men before me. Stephen for causing Don Brice's house destroyed and his people to die and Yuri for killing Jamie's boyfriend and hunting her. As long as ether was alive, we would not be safe. However, I could not bring myself to kill them; Yuri's information was right on that account.

"Kill them, slowly," Angela said in reply to my unspoken question.

Shaking my head, I walked away from them and dialed the phone. A long time ago, Fat Johnny had given me a phone number to call in case I needed a dire favor. It was that number I called now. I decided I would not kill them, which would put me on the same level that they were. Instead, I would hand them over to Don Brice and let him decide their fate. When he answered, I explained what I needed and wanted. Johnny's reply was, "I will call you back."

Instead of calling, Fat Johnny himself and a couple of his gorillas showed up. He looked at me and nodded hello to Angela before turning to the two men on the floor. "These them?" He asked.

Nodding I said, "Yea, they are the ones behind the hit on Don Brice's house."

Stephen looked up, "Don Brice?" his voice quivering in fear.

"Didn't I tell you? The house you hit and men you killed belonged to Don Brice." Yuri looked confused so I added, "He is the kingpin of the underworld over the east coast." I waited a beat before adding, "He and his wife were over for dinner when the hit took place. When I last saw him, he seemed a bit upset."

Angela let out a bark of laughter, "I wish I could be there to see you two die slowly."

As Fat Johnny's men roughed up the pair I said to him softly, "Watch out for the Russian, he is as slippery as an eel."

Looking at Stephen and Yuri I added, "If by some chance you live know that when I find you I will peal you like an onion." The vision of the pair of them strung up by their thumbs as I took a knife and pealed their skin off filled me. Blinking I shook it off easily. However, by the white faces of those around me, I realized they too had shared the vision and were not so lucky to shrug it off.

The only one not pale and in shock was Angela, "Let me do it please..." she said softly.

Fat's shook his head and looked at me oddly for a moment, "I will make sure they get delivered Sam."

I dug out Jason's card and handed it to him, "Call this number and say I sent you. He will pick up or tell you were to deliver the packages." I added. "By the way, if you see any more of the Russian mafia, tell them we have their boss and he sung like a bird."

"Oh?" He added as he looked at them with renewed interest. I knew they would make it to Don Brice a bit banged up.

Chapter 9

When they left I sat down behind the desk. Opening one of the desk drawers, I pulled out a bottle. Pouring myself a glass of whiskey, I looked at Angela. She shook her head no in reply. Putting the topper back in, I replaced the bottle and closed the drawer. I took a gulp and placed my head in my arms on the desk. All the stress from the moment I walked in until now left me bone weary and sick at heart. "I'm sorry Angela."

I felt her hand rest gently on my leg as her voice said, "No Mistress, I am, no we are sorry. Your girls should have known that Mistress could take care of herself. Forgive us."

I had only thought I was sick at heart before, Angela's gentle words drove me deeper. I wanted nothing more to get out, run away. "I forgive you," I said. Standing I felt her hand slide off my leg. Picking up the picture of Jamie from the desk, I stuffed it into my pocket, grabbed my hat, and walked out.

In the outer office, I received a surprise, Sue Ann and Crystal standing, pistols drawn and aimed at the floor flanked the door to my office. Of Stephen and Yuri's clothes, there was no sign. In the hall, I found Jade and Jasmine both without ballet boots on watching the stairs and hallway. Walking down them and out the front door of the complex I found Kitten sitting on one side of the door, Tigress on the other, and Heather holding a Thompson machinegun in the middle. Parked on the street were Alvin and Jamie. My sweet pony girl was sitting in the passenger seat of the van holding what looked like a shotgun.

I walked down the street, my hands jammed in my pockets and head down. I became aware that instead of walking just Angela beside me, everyone was following in my footsteps and armed to the teeth. I could imagine we looked like a vigilante mob out for blood. Stopping I said, "Go home all of you, I need to be alone." I heard footsteps receding and the van doors opening.

As I started walking, I heard Alvin's voice call out, "Samantha wait." I stopped and looked back at him. Everyone was loaded into the van except Alvin who was hurrying up to me. He stood in front of me and said, "I don't know what happened in your office, but I do know that there are a bunch of women sitting in the van who need you Samantha." He looked at me and tenderly caressed my cheek as he wiped a single tear away from it, "Just as you need them."

I looked at him and then the van. I watched the girls watching me silently before looking down. "Yes Alvin, running away never helps." He guided me to the car and sat me into the passenger seat. Getting into the driver's seat, he pulled my head into his lap and stroked my hair as he drove home. I don't remember what he said that night, but his touch and tender words calmed me enough that I was able to get out and walk up the steps calmly.

When I opened the front door, I was greeted by a shotgun blast that threw me back down the steps. Looking up at the night sky I said, "Son of a Bitch, not again!" The pain spread through my chest like someone had poured liquid metal on me. In an instant, Alvin was at my side and I could hear screams of rage from the girls as they rushed the house.

Jamie, who was squeamish, flew up the steps on Angela's heels screaming like a banshee. At the front door, she stopped, pushed Angela to the side, and fired at someone inside. A man's scream of pain and a return shot that hit her low and to the side was her reward. In the time it took for Angela to pull her to safety, the others had caught up. Like a human wave, they surged through the door in mass screaming their outrage.

As Alvin checked me over, I could hear shots coming from inside the house. A gun battle was raging, Jamie was hurt, and I was stuck out here. "Help me up," I said as I tried to get up.

Alvin pushed me back down, "Damn it Samantha hold still." His hands were busy ripping apart my suit to see how bad the damage was. As the shots inside died down, he leaned back on his heels and started laughing. Here I was dying and Alvin was laughing his fool head off. Before I could ask what he was laughing about, Alvin held up a little beanbag with a smiley face on it. He helped me up to a sitting position and handed me the beanbag. On the side opposite of the smiley face were the words, Have a nice day.

I looked at it and him, "A mercy load?" Alvin nodded yes in reply. From inside the shots stopped and I heard the girls calling clear to each other. Standing I rubbed the spot where I had been shot, from the way it hurt to breathe I suspected I had a few broken ribs. "Mercy load my ass..." I mumbled as I walked slowly up the stairs to where Jamie's blood trail started. Instead of waiting, she had gone charging in with the others. It was that thought that gave me hope that she was ok.

I met Angela at the door. Her first reaction was shock to see me standing, reaching to feel my chest she asked, "Mistress?"

Holding up the beanbag I said, "Mercy load... just a couple cracked ribs. How is Jamie?"

Holstering her pistol, Angela said calmly as if talking about the weather, "Jamie caught part of a shotgun blast in her leg, flesh wound only according to Jasmine. She and Jade or working on her now."

She followed me inside. Inside the foyer, I found the man who I had knocked out at Fat Johnny's restaurant. "Any alive?" I asked looking down at him.

"No Mistress, six total dead, all from the Russian Mafia"

"Ok, I want to know how they got here, if there are any more in the bushes, and get this place cleaned up." I said not looking up. "If you need me I will be down checking on Jamie."

By the time I made it down to the hidden room, Jasmine was just finishing digging out the buckshot from Jamie's leg. The pellet hit the metal pan with a ping sound and rolled to one side with a half dozen or so of its blood-covered mates. She looked up and said before I could ask, "She's fine mistress." She looked down and caressed Jamie's face, "Our pony is quite a trouper." Looking up she added, "But I want to get a chest x-ray of you Mistress."

Jade who had been holding the pan for Jasmine nodded, "I know from personal experience how bad cracked ribs can hurt if not healed properly."

Bending down I kissed Jamie's thigh where she took the buckshot and then up and kissed her lips. "I'm very proud of you baby," I said, "But next time, duck faster." She looked up at me with love and devotion and nodded.

I stepped back so Jasmine could bandage her leg. Not even glancing at me she said, "Now, no pulling carts or getting too physical for a week. I don't want the stitches to pull out because you got carried away."

Jamie looked at me for conformation. "Don't worry dear, tonight you will be pampered and loved beyond your wildest dreams by your sisters. For now, I want you to go upstairs and get off your leg. For the next week Crystal is to cater and take care of you."

"Yes Mistress," Jamie replied quietly. Jade walked beside her helping her up the stairs as she walked.

Once they were out of the room and the door was closed, I turned to Jasmine, "How is she really?"

Jasmine stripped off the bloody gloves and washed her hands before answering. "She was damn lucky Red. Another inch or two to the left she would have caught one in the femoral artery. At least I got all the pellets out." She took a pair of Kelly clamps and lifted one of the pellets, "Looks like #2 shot." Dropping it back into the pan she added, "She will be fine Sam. If you need, I am sure Angela and her nanites could do something to speed the healing."

"Good" I said headed towards the door.

"Red?" Jasmine said stopping me. "I still want to get an x-ray of your ribs." Instead of protesting, I let her lead me over to a small dot painted on the floor. "When you see the green light go on, I want you to slowly spin around in place with your arms up over your head." I guess she could tell I was not interested in this procedure because she added, "Or do I need to get Alvin down here to talk some sense into you?"

"Ok, you win..."

Jasmine left the room and a moment later the light turned green. I felt like a fool slowly spinning in place but I didn't want anyone giving me a hard time. This mistress business was not all it was cracked up to be. I was in charge, and yet I was not. When the light turned off, I walked over to the table and sat down.

When Jasmine came in, I looked at her in surprise. She was no longer wearing any clothes, and was holding a studded cat o nine tails in her hand. Handing the whip to me she said, "Your ribs are fine, it would take more than a beanbag to break titanium." Without another word she walked over to a wall, assumed a position with her back to me as if she were about to be searched, and hung her head.