Soul Survivor

"Both," Gisella replied for me. "My question is how things turned out like this."

"It began with my boat ride down the Riven Skye. You'd be surprised how well American currency creates friends in Russia. Rubles don't carry the same weight if you understand economics at all. Anyway, Yardif Bey, the boatman, got me from Sarnath to Ulthar in short order, and the view from his skiff was breathtaking and a little unsettling. The remnants along the cliff faces and hilltops remind you just how long humanity has been around. The half faces peering out from the rocks, and the monolithic stones jutting from the soil like rotted teeth weigh heavy with age. Though the river runs smoothly, it is surprisingly deep. Fishermen have pulled out monster pikes that exceed ten feet in length."

"I call bullshit," the old man declared. "I've been fishing most of my life, and I've never heard of a pike reaching such a length."

"I took a photo of two men holding one for perspective. It is a sight to see. Yardiff offered to take me fishing if the mood struck. It didn't. I was happy to wander around Ulthar, take in the local wildlife, and forget about Sarnath for a while. What was supposed to be a mere week ended up being a month? Love will do that to you."

"Nastya?"

"No, I hooked up with her cousin at first. While bathing in one of the local hot springs, Katya wandered by and joined me. I'll save you the graphic details, but we were an excellent fit. It was all casual, with no commitments. Jealousy is an alien concept to the women of Ulthar. While they may vie for dominance, they will side with a sister over a visitor every time. Katya, the high priestess, and I spent the first few days together as they showed me the various relics of Ulthar's past. While the theme of the architecture was unwavering, the myriad styles were breathtaking. The region is a time capsule covering much of human history. I found Grecian iconography praising the qualities of Bubastis, and there are Persian shields bearing the crest of the cat goddess. A pair of oaken doors done in the Celtic style honoring the feline was just a few of hundreds of examples."

"Sounds boring to me," the old man said.

"Ignore him; he has little imagination. Go on."

I almost laughed aloud as they slipped into good cop, bad cop. My narrative continued as my observation of the two resumed.

'Split them up.'

"Ooh, this is one of the latest smart boards, isn't it?" I said as I turned my attention to the tabletop. "Double tap to activate, touch the A icon for a keyboard, and if you touch this one, you get a microphone. It even has an oscilloscope to map the pattern of my voice. I met Nastya somewhere between the night of the third and the morning of the fourth. Ha, will you look at that? You know, Stan Lee of comic book and movie fame loved naming his characters with the same letters; I forgot what it is called. Let's see Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, ooh, what about vacillating valknut?"

Claxons sounded, and a computerized voice spoke through hidden speakers.

"Emergency lockdown procedures initiated. All personnel to your yellow level positions. This is not a drill."

Gisella was on her feet and out the door with only a few words trailing behind her. "Keep an eye on him."

Before the old man could react or even speak, we were alone. "Did I do that?"

"How could you? Only the administrator has the code to begin this kind of process. Relax; they'll have it under control in no time."

"Captain, my captain," I replied. He gave me a puzzled look before he asked his question.

"How did you know her name? Lucky guess, I suppose, but you don't know mine." I played with the tabletop while he percolated. It didn't take him long to ask his next question. "Captain, my captain, what is that from?"

"It is the line from the movie Dead Poet's Society."

"Wait, that's the one with the kids standing on their desks...." The color drained from his face, and his left hand trembled. A moment later, his body crashed to the floor as he clutched his left arm.

"We have an emergency medical situation here," I yelled as the old man entered cardiac arrest. I gently repositioned him and began compressions. Forty-six seconds later, the EMTs arrived and took over. "I think it is a heart attack."

One Hour Later:

They left me inside the interrogation room, and I passed the time by amusing myself as the staff of this black site attempted to override the lock dock command.

"I told you words have an impact," I said, knowing every move and spoken word were monitored and recorded. "I hope Robin is recovering," I continued as Gisella returned and sat down.

"It was a near thing, but he will eventually return to duty," Gisella said, her brows furrowing and an ugly frown staining her otherwise attractive features. "They will throw you into a cryotube and lock you away for a very long time."

"How long does it take to prepare that process?"

"A day at least; why? Do you have plans somewhere else?"

"As a matter of fact, a rather high-ranking member of the UN has read the reports about Sarnath and decided to make some of the data public. You won't be holding me for much longer. Either up your game or sit this one out."

"Not when they hear that you somehow triggered the emergency lockdown procedure," she said; the lights dimmed noticeably, and the backup generators didn't kick in at all this time. "Well, fuck."

"Not my doing. All I did was say two unusual words. You can't blame me for that."

In her mind, if I interpreted her expression correctly, I was guilty of something. As cute as she was, her opinion meant jack and shit to me. Should I warn her of the next phase of the lockdown or not? The hiss of the hydraulics activating beat me to the punch. The blast doors were now in place, and we were isolated from the rest of the installation. I hope she wasn't claustrophobic. With a sigh of relief, I placed my bare feet on the tabletop and wiggled my toes.

"What is the current status?" Gisella asked as she touched the smartboard's surface. "Can anyone hear me?" Was that panic creeping into her voice?

"To all departments, the second stage of the lockdown has automatically initiated. Relax while we figure out how the security protocol was triggered. Air, water, food, and bathroom facilities are available to all personnel. HQ out."

"Well, we could play cards or something to pass the time," I offered.

"Let me guess, strip poker?"

"Would the higher-ups appreciate seeing you naked down here? I mean, that blouse is doing little to hide your curves. Or we could hit the cafeteria and see if anyone else is in our area."

"Why not? It isn't like either one of us is going anywhere. How did you know my name?"

"If I told you an alien demon from an obscure corner of the universe told me, what would you say?"

"Funny. What was at the center of the dome?"

"A throne, and beneath it six concentric rings of varying size forming a dais."

"That must have seemed tiny in comparison to the dome."

"No," I said and felt a chill.

"Why? How tall was the throne, ten feet?"

"Half a mile high, and it wasn't empty."

The cafeteria wasn't far; others had already used the microwave and settled together to wait out the lockdown. I had gotten my breathing under control and figured food would take my mind off the horrors threatening to creep out into a sane world. I had survived, but at what cost? I sat alone while Gisella joined the other agents at their table. Gods, it was high school all over again. This time, however, I was grateful for the solitude. The memories of returning home to meet my brother's bride haunted me, and now that Nastya was dead, her murder hit harder than my brother's. Despite everything she had done, I loved her wholly and utterly. With great effort, I buried my emotions and returned to people-watching. What choice did I have?

Gisella's professionalism was a thing of beauty; even though the handsome agent across from her flirted, she shut him down gently and effortlessly. As I munched on my calzone, my mind drifted back to when my parents died. A patch of black ice, they said, the car lost traction at over fifty miles an hour and left the road and into the embankment. On the bright side, they didn't suffer, though I suspect a few seconds of unbridled terror before their lives ended, snuffed out like a candle flame between two fingers. So much death surrounds me, yet here I sit, eating as the third and final protocol prepares to initiate. A sane person would have been terrified of the foreknowledge, but I had an ace up my sleeve.

"Gloomy puss," Gisella said as she sat down. I adored the way her tits jiggled as she maneuvered into position.

"You took off your bra," I whispered. "Did you do the magic bra trick?"

"Yes, guys love big breasts, but they can sometimes be a backbreaker. How is lunch?"

"Better now, though I am curious," I began, and she smiled. "Nah, I don't want to come off as a perv or anything?"

"Oh no, you don't; you cannot back out now. What?"

"Puffy? Inverted? Mayhaps even pierced?"

"Yes, yes, and no," she giggled. "Though something else is, you are crying again. That is why I came over. You loved her, she refused to leave, and then poof, she married your brother. Is that how it happened?"

"Yeah. The letters had stacked up, and who knows what my brother thought when I didn't reply. He had been married a month when I finally left the dig and made my way from the armpit of the world to civilization. Then a single stride through the gate, I was back home. The taxi from the airport seemed like forever until I arrived home. The house has been in the family for ten generations. She answered when I knocked on the door, and I collapsed there and then. My brother didn't understand, and it took everything I had to feign a dizzy spell to hide my heartbreak. Ten long years and there she was, the woman of the house, my brother's wife and my former lover."

"Yikes. Did you ever tell your brother the truth?"

"Yes. I stayed for a week and pulled my brother aside the night before I left to tell him everything. We sat outside on the deck, just the two of us drinking beer and smoking a little weed, and everything came gushing out like a lanced wound. I told him about Sarnath and Ulthar and made him promise not to speak a single syllable of it to another living soul. After our talk, we hugged; I packed my things and took a cab back to the airport and the dig."

"I bet that was one helluva knock down drag out fight," Gisella said.

"My brother was no coward. Like the women of Ulthar, the Pickman brothers chose family over anyone else, even love. The letters continued at first, and he wrote that they were trying to reconcile matters. Then they came less and less frequently until I received the last one a few days before my brother's murder."

"Do you want to share?"

"No, not really," I said. "It was family matters, and they aren't for public consumption. We better find someplace comfortable to while away the hours until your people fix things."

Gisella agreed and took me to one of the two dormitories on this level. It reminded me of summer camp, except there were a dozen beds on either side instead of cots. They were small yet cozy and large enough for one person. Clearly, agents fucking agents was frowned upon by the powers that be. I picked one in the middle, snagged a few extra pillows, and made myself comfortable. Gisella seemed hesitant before she kicked off her shoes and circled the foot of the bed once or twice before crawling on and lying facing me.

"Why history?"

"It is our foundation and sifting the truth from the bullshit others have written is essential to me. That old phrase that history is written by the victors is true. Sadly, the curse of technology is such that by repeating a lie often enough, stupid people will believe it even when there is evidence to the contrary. Being away from society for so long and unearthing a terrible truth is better than garbage social media. I'm the lucky one, I suppose."

"I understand. Still bound by that gag order?"

"I knew it; you are a shibari girl."

"Guilty as charged... there is no hiding anything from you. I've met your kind before, and I won't lie; you scare the hell out of me. What happens next?"

The lights went out. One moment I looked into Gisella's dark green eyes, and the next, we might as well have been at the bottom of a cave. My eyes adjusted, but hers didn't. I saw her hands flailing towards me, and I snagged her wrists and held her still.

"Pickman?"

"Relax, the power to the lighting has failed. We still have air and plumbing. Behave."

Gisella went limp, and as I raised both arms above her head, she let out a moan that would have given the devil a hard-on. I left the bed and tugged until Gisella was lying on the bed. Without a word of explanation, I removed a few pillowcases and tore them into strips. Since we would be here for a while, why not enjoy the downtime? Gisella's whimpers grew louder as I tied the strips together.

"Get undressed if you know what's good for you."

Gisella removed the layers slowly, and when she finished unbuttoning her blouse, I gasped when I saw her breasts. They were perfection, well, in my eyes, at least. Then she got onto her hands and knees and made a production of removing her slacks. The panties, stockings, and garter belt were a surprise. Gisella slowly lowered her underwear and wiggled her ass for me.

"It is only because the lights are off, you understand."

"This isn't an interrogation, and I don't care why."

I tossed the length of improvised rope over the pipe running along the ceiling, secured one end, and then got Gisella to her feet. I guided her to where one end dangled and fastened her wrists together. I untied the other end and pulled slowly. Her arms went up until Gisella was almost on her tippy toes. That was good enough for now, so I tied it off and stood before her.

"No need for a blindfold, so shall we begin?"

"Yes. Please."

And just like that, a special agent for the NSA was tied up and eager for an ass beating.

"I want you to listen carefully and let your body react to it when I say a word or phrase, okay?" Gisella nodded, and so it began. "Sauna. Humidity. Summer in Baton Rouge."

It took a bit, but sweat slowly began to appear all over her luscious skin. Drops at first and then rivulets formed and snaked down her back, across her cheeks, and along her legs. Despite the room's coolness, her mind defied it and responded to me. I left her like that and returned shortly with the next step in the process. I plucked one of the ice cubes from the bucket and touched it to one of her nipples. Gisella's back arched, and she produced another of those dick-hardening moans. I made slow circles over the puffy areola and watched her nipple pop out.

"That's one," I said. But instead of moving to the other tit, I slipped behind Gisella and leisurely traced her spine with the chunk of ice.

"Motherfucker!"

"Did you climax?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe won't do. Beach. Sand. The tide is coming in, and you are naked among all those people."

Gisella's back arched as she thrust out her chest to show the world those flawless breasts. Chin up with the pride of such extraordinary beauty. I captured the one distended nipple between my thumb and forefinger and squeezed. The pressure increased until she cried out, and I kept that amount of force for now. Gisella licked her lips as her body quivered.

"Do you think the men are getting hard seeing you naked? Are the women jealous, or maybe a few want to dominate you? Women know how to eat a girl out, don't they? Those talented tongues that seek out the secret places and make you scream like a little bitch."

The quivering became a short but powerful spasm. As Gisella's orgasm struck, I twisted her nipple. Gisella cursed again and stood there shaking. Her knees bent, and the makeshift rope creaked.

'Hidden. Smuggled. Emergency purposes.'

"Be right back," I said and left her alone while I sought out the package Gisella had smuggled into this building. She took a significant risk, but sometimes we do things despite the consequences. Aren't we all a little self-destructive at times? In her case, Gisella hid the kink kit well enough that you'd never guess unless you knew it was there. I set it on the bed, thumbed the latches, and opened it up. "Ooh, ball gag, ring gag, rope, lube, and a few small toys."

Gisella never spoke, but her expression told volumes. How? How did I know? I released Gisella and let her rub her wrists before acquiring her permission for stage two.

"Once you are tied up, your ass belongs to me. See, you even have a toy for that, so what is your answer?"

Gisella chewed her lower lip and nodded. I almost forgot that she couldn't see anything and was relying on her other senses for the moment. I took a length of the silk rope and draped it over one shoulder, and pulled; the sensation caused her to shiver. The intricate silk web soon had Gisella cocooned and immobile like prey for a giant spider. Time to earn your dues, I thought as I positioned her head off the side of the bed. Gisella opened wide without a word from me, and I fed her my erection one inch at a time. She let out a soft groan when two-thirds of it passed her lips. I found her limit and respected it, so I began rocking my hips, and Gisella worked her tongue and earned my respect in increments. As I fucked her throat, ideas popped into my head: man, was she going to remember today for a long while after. Unlike air flight, a nearly abandoned practice now, utilizing a gate allowed for instantaneous travel from one side of the globe to the other. No jet lag to face, though my body clock was still a bit confused. I picked up the pace, and Gisella had no problems adjusting. My only regret was the lack of a camera or phone to take selfies.

"So, no shit, there I was with my balls resting on her chin...."

I alternated my speed to make the most of the experience. Damn, she knew how to suck cock; I'll give her that. Then I thought of fucking her soaked slit or even her tight little asshole.

"Damn it, swallow," I cursed as my climax surprised me. In the dark, I could hear Gisella's throat muscles work, followed by the satisfying ah that followed after. "Your turn."

I tugged until her ass hung on the edge and knelt between her legs. The first taste is always the best. I ran my tongue from her puckered hole to her clit in one action. How she remained silent is still a mystery but a testament to a well-trained submissive. I lapped away for a bit enjoying how her body reacted each time. Gisella snagged a pillow to raise her head and look in my direction. I popped the ice cube into my mouth, and once more, Gisella cursed a blue streak as my frosty tongue went to work. I especially liked it when her fingers blindly groped until they found my hair. Gisella got a death grip and held me in place until she climaxed again. She did apologize for nearly breaking my nose when her hips lurched upward.

"Sorry," she giggled.

"S'ok," I said in a nasal voice. As I rubbed my nose, it was time to seal the deal, as it were. "You ready for this?"

"I've been waiting for this for so damn long," Gisella grunted as the tip of my erection teased her labia. What in the hell did she mean by that? We only met recently. Hmm. Maybe, when she read my file, she saw something she liked. I continued to rub the lips of her pussy and watched how she tried to shift her hips and take me deeper. "I'll do anything you want. That's what you wanted to hear. You want my ass; it is yours. The lube is right there... I'll even do it myself while you watch. Would you like that?"

I withdrew, handed her the lube and toy, and watched the show unfold. Gisella rolled onto her side and lifted her upper leg. Enjoy the performance; she seemed to say as she gripped her ass cheek and gave it a gentle tug. Like a stage magician, she showed me there was nothing to hide here. Gisella applied the lube to two fingers and made slow circles over her puckered hole before easing them inside. My cock felt like a bar of steel as she fingered her asshole.