Tales from a Far Country

INTRODUCTION

In the world around us there are those that will prey on the weaker, the unprepared, the vulnerable. In pursuit of their own desires or seeking to profit from the desires of others there are always those whose acts are hard for us to understand.

Once more, it is October 2009. Angela is trying to balance her teaching responsibilities and research projects, spurred on by the Dean's ambitions for the academic standing of the University; Joe McEwan is planning his trip to Cambodia in a month's time; Jenny McEwan is trying to digest the results of her summer research and Freddie Clegg and Larry are still musing on potential advantages which Inward Bound might bring to their principal, clandestine business.

'And from far away, minds immeasurably more determined than our own, were looking down on a young woman and slowly and surely they drew their plans against her...'

(With apologies to H.G. Wells...)

WHAT'S WHAT

Tales From a Far Country is the third episode in the story of the relationship between Jennifer McEwan, an adventurous academic who is studying BDSM games and adult play behaviour and her husband Joe, a civil engineer who is anxious about his wife's sexual interests and where they might lead. "Tales From A Far Country" is the sequel -- well actually a "simulquel" - to our last story, "Such Sweet Sorrow" and explains what happens to Jennifer after her mysterious disappearance.

If you are a new reader, this short resume will help you understand what is going on!

The tale began in our first story 'Thesis', when Professor Angela Dawney, Jennifer's Head of Department and her research supervisor persuaded Jenny to enroll in a consensual slave training programme organised by the adult experience and adventure company, Inward Bound. Angela claimed this would be an excellent psychological laboratory for Jennifer to persue her research but secretly, the Professor hoped to drive a wedge between Jennifer and her husband and win Jennifer's affections for herself.

Inward Bound has received investment from what purports to be an international transport business called Freddie Clegg Enterprises but is in fact the front organization for Clegg's highly illegal abduction and slavery operation. Freddie Clegg Enterprises also have hopes for Jennifer's research - to help them identify and recruit willing victims.

Angela, anxious to use Jenny's experiences for her own benefit at the earliest opportunity, almost sabotaged Jenny's participation at Inward Bound. The effect of this was to disturb the ever paranoid Clegg organisation which led to Jenny and Angela experiencing what they imagine to be a CIA inspired "rendition". This claimed to be an investigation into Internet Crime but was really an attempt to discover if they were were actually in the pay of Clegg's arch Russian competitor, Anatoly Kustensky who, by an innocent but most unfortunate coincidence, is an old friend of Professor Dawney.

In the end Jenny completed her course at Inward Bound and returned home, marked emotionally, physically and psychologically by her experiences. She realised that she cannot suppress her desires, and wished more than ever to share her lifestyle preferences with her husband.

The second part of the story - 'Such Sweet Sorrow" - takes place in the months which follow, when Angela has the opportunity to tell the tale of her 'rendition' and interrogation to her friend Anatoly Kustensky.

One bright day in London, as Jennifer makes her way to a medical library to pursue her research, she vanishes and despite an extensive and energetic police investigation and the efforts of Joe and her parents, no trace of her can be found.

What has happened to Jennifer? What trials and adventures have befallen her?

Now read on -- or start from the beginning by reading "Thesis" and "Such Sweet Sorrow"!

WHO'S WHO

Jenny McEwan: a doctorate student at a University in the English Midlands, studying psychology with a research focus on adult play and the role of BDSM, who mysteriously disappeared in "Such Sweet Sorrow".

Joe McEwan: her husband, a man less than comfortable with his wife's sexual interests and where they have led her.

Professor Angela Dawney: Jenny's research supervisor and erstwhile lover.

Cathy Corbin: Jenny's best friend and college companion

Freddie and Larry: principals in the highly illegal slaving organization, Freddie Clegg Enterprises, part owners of Inward Bound "adult playground" where Jenny has been conducting her research. (To learn more of them read "Market Forces")

Anatoly Kustensky: arch eastern European competitor of the Clegg Organization who sees himself as the market leader in the field

Sveta Kustenskaya: Anatoly's wife and perhaps the 'power behind the throne'

Neena Kirova: trusted lieutenant of Anatoly and Sveta

Alana Kustenskaya: only child of Anatoly and Sveta

Also: many mysterious and dangerous members of the Kustensky Organisation

Chapter footnotes: Our readers tell us they like them but we have tried to keep these to a minimum and have included some to help readers follow the narrative more easily or to explain 'idioms' which might not be familiar to everyone.

TALES FROM A FAR COUNTRY: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 THE HUNTER OF TVERSKAYA A CASE CONFERENCE

Anatoly is a hunter, he enjoys the wild places, the pursuit of game; of birds and fish. But Anatoly has another, favourite prey. For him, the best quarry of all is homo sapiens urbis: the only species that provides what he considers a true match for his resourcefulness and cunning.

And because the sport does not end with a kill, there is the shock and dismay of capture to enjoy; the entertainment to be had from careful training and schooling until the prey accepts the life that Anatoly has chosen for it.

Tverskaya Ulitsa is one of Moscow's busiest streets. Throughout the day, the traffic pours down from the west into the city centre. It's full of people and that provides an excellent cover for Anatoly. He has an office and apartment just by the junction of Tverskaya and Bryusov Pereulok. Visitors, anonymous in the crowds, can slip in and out of his building and he can enjoy the peace and serenity of the garden square at the rear.

Anatoly looks at his watch. The fruits of his most recent hunting trip are "enjoying" his hospitality at his facility outside Moscow. They will be meeting their new owner just about now, realising that there's more to their abduction than kidnapping for ransom or some political game.

It had been an unusual commission. Three Slavic types, sallow skin, with some "presence", the request had said. To Anatoly, the candidates that his research team had found looked homely if he was being polite, but the client had approved. He'd spent a long time picking over the research papers and surveillance photos before making his choice. Anatoly had seen the girls just after they'd been picked up. The way that the ropes grooved into their flesh as they struggled held a strange fascination. Perhaps that was what he client liked. "We're going to need heavier gear if we make a habit of picking up targets like this, boss," the leader of the pick up team had said. Anatoly had smiled. They'd clear a good profit by keeping this client happy.

Being overweight is not as common in Russia as it is in some western countries. Anatoly had been worried that the targets were perhaps somewhat out of condition? Sure, it was what the client asked for, but what would others think? Still, if the client wanted girls with some "presence", that's what he should get. The customer is always right, so they say, but not necessarily exactly right. Perhaps the "presence" should be muscle, not fat? A shot-putter, not a couch potato. Such a transformation would take time, Anatoly thought, but it could be done and it was more in his style. After all, he had a reputation to keep up. The client would have to wait for his prizes.

Now that decision is made, Anatoly turns to another challenge. He has a more exacting project - a more rewarding project - to think about.

Today he meets his hunting party for the next outing. It's the preliminary meeting to discuss where they will find their prey; the chase; the capture and the transportation to Anatoly's estate outside the city. They review electronic surveillance of the subject: landline and mobile phone call transcripts, e-mail traffic and a swatch of recent photographs taken by one of Anatoly's advanced party, already on the ground. They consider the possible movements of their quarry and pay particular attention to some of the photographs. She has quite a striking appearance but they still want to be sure. There are pictures showing her alone, with others, serious, smiling and laughing, at work and shopping in town.

There is no substitute for being thorough. Anatoly's former career in the KGB has stood him in very good stead. He smiles when he thinks how in recent years, government agencies have been able to cooperate so much more effectively with businessmen in private enterprise. It has brought so many practical advantages. Anatoly cannot understand why some of the western governments try to place such rigid and impermeable walls between state organisations and business enterprises.

Still, he thinks, their loss is my advantage .... And he needs an advantage if he is going to get his next prey from Britain to Russia.

Transportation can often be a problem, especially if an item is coming from outside the Russian Federation. There are customs formalities; inspections, audit trails -- too many opportunities for unexpected problems to arise. The last commercial transaction with the Clegg Organisation had made the use of airfreight risky. That particular "export" involved the supposed repatriation of the last mortal remains of a young lady who was not quite as deceased as might normally be expected for the occupant of a casket. (1) There had been "problems" when she was found. Anatoly suspected that Clegg or someone in his organisation was responsible for warning the police that something was going on. It was too soon to try that again, at least from the United Kingdom.

On the other hand, what about a medical repatriation? Anatoly knows that the ill can travel under sedation if necessary, with a nurse to accompany them and perhaps the nurse might also be a guardian, even a minder? Perhaps that offers a solution? He calls a trusted colleague.

MEDICINE WITHOUT FRONTIERS

"Artur!" Anatoly's greeting is spirited. He and the Doctor shared some interesting experiences in past years. Anatoly has respect for Hahn's thoroughness and reliability. Artur Hahn is an Orthopaedic Surgeon from Liepzig in Germany, actually the former communist East Germany. Hahn had pursued a dual career in medicine and in the Stasi. That was how their paths had first crossed. Now, thanks to new regulations which establish the free movement of labour and the mutual recognition of medical qualifications across all member states, Hahn can work anywhere he wishes in the European Community. At present he is in London, convenient for Anatoly's current problem.

"волк!" the Doctor exclaims. It's good to hear from the old wolf. "Are you hunting again, Anatoly?"

"You know me," he replies disarmingly, "how can I do otherwise? It's like they say, Ско́лько во́лка ни корми́, он всё в лес смо́трит."

Sure, thinks Hahn, 'However well you feed the wolf, he still looks at the woods.' -- that's Anatoly all over. "How can I help?"

"Suppose you had a patient who had an accident."

"Hypothetically?"

"Of course. And this hypothetical patient needed to return here to Mother Russia. How difficult would that be? How much -- scrutiny -- might you expect?"

"It depends," Artur replies, "on how ill the patient is and how they travel. If their return is being funded through their travel insurance, they will be accompanied by a doctor nominated by the insurers and the insurers will arrange all the flights. The doctor will visit the patient first and make an assessment of their fitness to travel. They much prefer if the patient is well enough to take a scheduled flight. If the patient is transferred by Air Ambulance, a doctor from the ambulance company will visit the patient in the UK to assess the situation and then contact the hospital the patient is being taken to. They may even visit the destination hospital first to discuss the management of the patient in the days before transfer. When transfer arrangements are confirmed, the air ambulance team will take charge of the patient at every stage of their journey from the UK hospital to the destination hospital in Russia." Artur can almost sense Anatoly's dissatisfaction with the answer. "I imagine this is not good news. Not quite what you were hoping for?"

"You are right, Artur. It is a very disappointing answer."

"Do not despair, old friend. You have set me an interesting problem. They have a saying in Britain -- 'Where there is a will, there is a way!' Leave this with me and I shall see what I can do. Things are not always as difficult as they may appear at first sight."

It is only a few days later when Dr Hahn contacts Anatoly once more with his thoughts on Anatoly's problem and some proposals to solve it. It seems that a hunting expedition is a practical possibility. Anatoly is pleased. Artur has shown once more how ingenuity and persistence can overcome obstacles.

A plan and a schedule are agreed. The hunting party will be resident one week before they act. They will remain in constant contact with Anatoly who will provide a four times daily update of the quarry's activities and projected movements, as gleaned from Anatoly's continuing, electronic monitoring and surveillance.

ACADEMIC LIMITS

It's Friday. It's a regular day at the university. I bump into Cathy as I get into the college building. She shakes her head. "Oh dear, Jenny McEwan are you in trouble!"

She's not serious, I can tell by the way she's smiling at me.

"The Prof is looking for you. Said she was reviewing your project with you this morning."

Cathy's right. I am calling to see Professor Dawney but I'm not due in her office for another twenty minutes.

Dawney is my research supervisor. She likes to keep in touch with what's happening on the project. I like to make sure she doesn't get involved in it any more than is necessary.

There is a shared history between us and a tension that neither of us likes to acknowledge. I suppose Angela blames me and I blame her for the things which happened. Neither of us wants to let the other know our true feelings. In any case, my life has moved on. I am not interested in Angela any more. I'm not sure that the reverse is true.

"Well, Jenny, how are you getting along?" Professor Dawney exudes uncomplicated, professional, coolness. I suspect that she has other interests in the project but I'm happy if she wants to pretend that it is all just another, ordinary, piece of academic research.

"I'm quite pleased with progress." I reply, keeping my true feelings in check, submerging them under the minutiae of my project activities and the politeness of professionalism. "Data collection is complete and I have been able to send the data capture forms to Data Prep, to be coded, cleaned and entered into SPSS(2). Once that's done it won't be long before I have the descriptive statistics and we will then get some idea of what analytical work we can do ....."

"Jenny, that's excellent." Dawney seems perfectly happy to focus on the project: "I'm pleased. The project is really beginning to gather some momentum."

"I think so. It certainly looks like that." I am keen to take advantage of the Professor's apparent approval. "Er, next week Joe is going abroad: would it be OK with you if I had an away-day in London to see him off? Andy says he can cover my undergraduate tutorials and there are some references I would like to follow up at the Royal Society of Medicine. They have some hard copy journals that our library does not take. I think it will be quicker to take advantage of Joe's trip than arranging an inter-library loan or asking the RSM(3) to send photocopies."

"Jenny, of course. That would be just fine. Enjoy the trip -- let's get together again after the weekend and when you've got the first results back from the data."

Dawney seems happy to have the chance to grant me a favour. She likes to build up credits with her students.

I smile in acknowledgment: "Thanks. By the way, how was your Russian trip?"

"Oh, fine. Chance to meet some old friends. That seems so long ago now! I've had a lot on my mind for the past few months ..."

Prof looks a little wistful. It's very uncharacteristic but the moment doesn't last long. She's soon back to the one thing she talks about best: work. "Some interesting new research going on too. I'll let you see the proceedings if you like; some of the methods which were under discussion might be relevant when you come to analyse your data."

"Mmm," I say noncommittally. I'm not keen to give Angela more of an opportunity to involve herself in the detail of the project than necessary.

I leave Angela's office feeling happy. I am going to have the opportunity for a last day out with Joe. That will be a good way to send him off.

A DAY IN THE SADDLE

It is Saturday. Anna Tereshkova arrives at London's Heathrow Airport using a passport in the name of Vyera Kuznetsova. She is visiting some friends near Windsor. She's looking forward to some riding. Her friends have stables near Englefield Green. They spend a fine Sunday afternoon galloping in Great Park; by the end of the day, she's hot. Her tee-shirt beneath her body protector is soaked in sweat, her hair beneath her riding cap, plastered down against her scalp. By the time she has the horse back in the stables it's not clear which smells more of horse, her or the stables.

As she emerges from the stable block a Mercedes people carrier pulls up. Doctor Hahn gets out. "Anna," he greets her.

"I think you should say 'Vyera', shouldn't you?" she responds teasingly.

"Of course. Has your accident caused you much pain?"

Anna / Vyera grins. "Not so far, but now you mention it, Doctor, I think I am beginning to suffer some considerable discomfort."

"Well, in that case. Perhaps we should take you to hospital -- they are expecting us. First, though, we have some work to do!"

In the kitchen, Anna strips off her jacket and shirt and begins to make ready. There are various preparations to be made: some are rather exotic and others require a considerable degree of technical precision. When she is ready, Hahn swabs her arm and her back to one side of her lumbar spine with alcohol. He takes blood from her arm and re-injects under the skin to the right of her spine, together with a little normal saline solution. When he has finished, Anna really is in some discomfort. He helps her into his vehicle, reclining the seat and strapping her in. Hahn regularly uses a private hospital close to Lords Cricket Ground. It's a significant distance from Windsor and Anna is now very glad when the journey is over.

"What did you say that patient's name was, Dr Hahn?" the Admissions Sister asks. (4)

"Kuznetsova," Hahn replies, "Vyera Kuznetsova. She has had a fall from a horse and I think she has bruised muscles in her back: there could also be damage to some of the transverse vertebral processes. Perhaps even a fracture. We should make her comfortable and keep her under observation tonight at least. I would like to do some tests to ensure that she can travel but of course her family would like her to return home as soon as is safe."