The Gilded Cage Ch. 05

Tammy awoke to find Connor sitting on a chair in the bedroom, watching her. It startled her for a moment before she saw the compassion in his eyes. She wondered what he was thinking. Tammy hoped to start the morning in a better frame of mind than she had ended the evening.

"Good morning grumpy."

Connor gave a half-laugh.

"Good morning. I'd have made you breakfast to apologise but, as you see, I am in serious need of a shower."

Tammy suddenly realised that Connor was covered inearth and grass.

"What have you been up to this morning?"

"Just a little digging in the garden, burying some waste we had lying around. Come on, I'll race you to the shower. The loser has to scrub the winner's back."

As the bathroom door closed behind them Connor tapped Tammy on her shoulder. When she turned round she saw the most serious look on his face that he had ever shown.

"You have to listen to me Tammy. Bastion knows enough about me to know I am too dangerous to be allowed to live. I staged that argument last night in order to have us separate when his goons arrived and, thanks to a little preparedness, I am glad to say that I survived their close personal attention. If I had not been pre-warned I would have been dead."

Tammy had felt that this moment would come but she was not prepared for it to have arrived so quickly.

"How were you warned? They have every inch of our lives, apart from this room, under total surveillance."

Connor attempted a smile but his adrenaline would not permit even the fake mark of relaxation to grace his lips.

"That's their weakness. Their coverage it too total.They have this place wired up like Green's office, just on the off chance that one of their agents might drive you home I guess. Anyway, they use hypersonic channels that are beamed directly into the inner ear in order to communicate. The one thing they have never thought they might need is a network to detect the same thing because, under normal circumstances, their victims do not even know they exist much less try to use such sophisticated techniques. My friends were able to use their own network to beam a warning to me."

Tammy had always assumed Connor worked alone.

"Friends?"

"Like-minded individuals with no love for the Guild, free-lancers who have managed to avoid detection by working in small, seemingly unconnected groups. They know as much about the Guild as anyone outside it, even the names and faces of some of their agents. I got lucky last night. One of the units we had tagged was activated and my friends were able to follow them to the house. I am playing a dangerous game though and I wanted you know that, if I fail, your life will be measured in days. When they get bored of you that's it."

Tammy held Connor more in need of support than in a gesture of support.

"What are you going to do?"

"Bastion is the key. I've made this personal between him and me and now it's a game of attrition. Did you ever read about Moses?"

"Yes, the one with the staff and the split-river thing."

"I'm doing the Moses-manoeuvre. Calling down plagues on Bastion until the pain is no longer worth holding onto those that I wish to liberate. Last night Pharaoh said no but I am sure our paths will cross again today. Today, I feel, will make or break one of us."

"Can I help?"

Connor stroked her face lovingly.

"The best thing you can do my sweet is to stay safe and that means playing along. Go do what Green wants today and keep your head down. I promise you that Green will suffer when Bastion falls but, for the moment, he is still not a man you want the audience to see you disappoint. Now, let's shower quickly and get moving."

Bastion watched Connor and Tammy as they left the house. By the time Connor had started the car Bastion had dialled a number on his mobile. It rang twice before it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello old friend. It's Bastion."

There was a shocked pause at the other end before a cautious acknowledgement.

"Long time, no speak Bastion. Everything ok?"

"Can you still shoot?"

"Sorry?"

Bastion spoke with patience of a parent explaining why potty-training is a good idea.

"Can you still shoot a rifle as well as you used to?"

The voice sounded offended.

"Of course. I retired, I did not lose an arm."

"Then I have a chance for you to do some powerful friends of mine a favour. If you accept a job from me they will make you a very rich man indeed. The only provisos are that you must get to Lexington by this afternoon, you are not allowed to use anyone else and you must shoot the target without question."

Another pause followed.

"I don't know about that. Lexington is a hell of a way from here and I normally insist on having a spotter alongside me."

"When you look outside your house you will see a car and a driver. They will take you to a waiting private plane. You will be here by noon and you will be provided with your favourite weapon. It will be pre-calibrated to what I know are your preferences. For certain reasons I need to keep the numbers down to a bare minimum, so you will have to shoot alone. I know you can do it or I would not have called you. You are the finest shot in the land."

He thought.

"Ok, but only as a special favour to you Bastion. I am on my way."

Bastion closed the cell-phone with a snap of triumph. He opened a channel to Aegis, who sounded sleepy when he answered.

"Yes Bastion? News for me?"

"Sorry to wake you Aegis."

"That presupposes I managed to get some sleep last night Bastion. You may have slept soundly but I can assure you that with the Connor situation unresolved I did not."

"It will be over very soon. I have just arranged for a friend to execute Connor."

"Which one of our units is he from?"

"He's not, he's a freelance."

Aegis spluttered in shock.

"A freelance? With all the power you have within the Guild, you called in a criminal hit-man?"

"Connor knew that the undertaker unit was coming. He must have people who are tagging some, if not all, of the resources we have in the city. I could not take the chance of them warning him again. Relax, Aegis, this guy is the finest sniper that the army has produced in forty years."

"He's still a loose-end Bastion. If he's not working directly for us he could compromise us."

"He knows nothing about us other than that we will pay him well. I'll call you when it's done. Bastion out."

Connor dropped Tammy off at her work with a small kiss on the cheek. Tammy had barely entered the lift before he had driven away at speed, leaving the lift doors to close on one world before opening on another. She feared what Green had in store for her today.

Tammy knocked on Green's door and waited.

"Come in."

She entered the office and saw Green sitting behind his desk. Although his manner had been intimate yesterday it was as if he had never seen her before today. He motioned for her to sit down.

"Good morning Miss Squires. Your duties will take you outside the office today and you will need to dress far more conservatively. Get changed into the clothes I have prepared for you and then return to me."

Green looked down at his paperwork to indicate that the conversation was over. Tammy saw that the prepared garments were indeed very conservative and clearly designed to give the impression of professionalism. As she changed into them she expected Green to look at her, thrill once more in his power over her sexuality, but he remain steadfastly intent on his paperwork. A small part of Tammy felt disappointed and ashamed, as if she were a small child who had hoped but failed to win approval from an abusive parent.

Tammy moved back to the desk when she had changed completely. She looked the very picture of the modest yet highly paid efficient person. Green smiled as she went over to her.

"You look very nice Miss Squires. More importantly you will fit the expectations of a lady you are going to meet shortly. Take a look at this photograph."

Tammy looked at the photograph that Green handed her.It contained a surveillance shot of a very distinguished looking middle-aged lady who was getting out of a car.

"Do you recognise her Tammy?"

"No, should I?"

Green shook his head in mock chastisement.

"Where is the interest in politics amongst the youth of today I wonder? If you watched more than soaps Tammy you'd know that this is Barbara Taylor, wife of Congressman Taylor who is heading an investigative committee right now."

Tammy suddenly felt herself become cold. She did not like where this was beginning to lead.

"Congressman Taylor is, shall we say, fighting a personal crusade against the business interests of certain friends of mine. He's a fanatic about open government and the defeat of what he calls the shadow networks that he claims run everything from behind the scenes. Unfortunately he's gained powerful support within Congress and his crackpot views are in danger of becoming more universally accepted. You are going to change that by the end of the day."

The suggestion was so outrageous that Tammy found herself laughing in disbelief. Cursing herself for forgetting the danger of her situation she attempted to seem less disrespectful by turning it into a coughing fit.

"You cannot be serious, sir. How can I do that? I don't even know him."

Green seemed to forgive her incredulity but he nonetheless assumed a grave tone of voice.

"Through his wife. She is due today to meet her accountant at her house for a routine check of her personal finances. She has used the same firm for many years and trusts them implicitly. Her regular accountant has become ill today and you will present yourself as the replacement. In this way you will gain access to the house and from there I will advise you via a radio link."

Tammy became fearful again.

"I don't know the first thing about accountancy."

"Neither does she. Your credentials have been prepared and we already have a completed report for her based on her financial details, which we know intimately. All you have to do is look the part and follow the instructions that I will relay to you via these."

Green reached into his desk and handed Tammy a pair of clear-glass spectacles. Tammy put them on whilst Green took a small microphone from his pocket. When her next spoke Tammy heard his voice whispering from behind her left ear.

"As well as allowing covert communication, the spectacles also contain a miniature camera which transmits to a certain web-site. I can access it via my laptop from here and thus will be able to see and hear everything you do once you are inside."

Green could see Tammy was still looking uncertain and he knew he had to settle her nerves. He used a combination of threat and promise.

"The Congressman represents a direct threat to this company and needs to be discredited. If you refuse to help then I will be forced to question your loyalty not only to the company but also to myself. If, however, you succeed in what I have in mind then you will receive a substantial bonus as a token of the company's gratitude. No-one's going to get hurt, I promise, and the threat to you is minimal."

Remembering what Connor had said to her Tammy agreed. Within fifteen minutes she had left the office and was driving to the Congressman's house.

The phone sounded in Green's office. Green was unsure as to why it was being used as it was for emergency Guild contact only, so he answered with some trepidation.

"Hello?"

"Green this is Bastion."

The voice on the other side of the phone sounded cold.

Green became alarmed.

"Yes Bastion. What's up sir?"

"What are you up to with Tammy Squires today?"

Green regained his composure. He was not a man to be bullied even by someone as powerful as this.

"You said I had complete control over what happened to the subject during working hours. You also said you wanted more of a soap opera feel, something to give the daytime feed an edge."

Bastion exploded.

"I did not give you permission to make up Guild policy on the fly! We've got Congressman Taylor under intense pressure and it's only a matter of time before we take him down."

"Yes Bastion, it is but before you lose your rag entirely consider this. What's Taylor's politically greatest strength?"

Bastion was taken aback for a second. It was long enough to calm down and think before answering.

"Easy,… his virtue. He and that damn wife have been married for 20 years and there is no sexual scandal, no fraud, no corruption to be found anywhere. Believe me we've tried."

"Ok. Tammy Squires is dead meat one day soon when your viewers get tired of her. She's a loose end for only a short while and this way I will bring Taylor down for the Guild whilst your viewers get a voyeur-vision like nothing they have ever seen before. It's got power-play, scandal, sex, danger and a real pay-off against a political opponent most of them have personal reason to hate. That, my friend, is pure drama and it will keep them locked on the day time feed for weeks to come."

"What if it goes wrong Green?"

"It won't. You hate the Congressman more than most, don't you Bastion?"

"He's been a thorn in my side for far too long, that's for certain."

Green played his ace card. He appealed to Bastion's need to feel powerful.

"If you let me run with this Bastion I promise you that by the end of the day not only will Congressman Taylor be neutered but also his wife will be begging to kneel down and suck your dick in front of his face."

Green heard the silence on the other end of the telephone and he knew that he'd scored. By the time Bastion's voice returned it had a strained quality as his base power lust fought his professionalism in order to express itself.

"Make it happen."

"Yes sir. She'll be there in a second so I'd better hang up and get to it. Goodbye."

Green hung up the telephone and accessed the web-page via his laptop. He could see Tammy approach theCongressman's house and he sat back to direct the show.

Tammy approached the house and took several deep breaths before she rang the bell. In a few moments the lady from the photograph appeared and opened the door.

"Hello?"

"Hello Mrs Taylor. My name is Tammy Squires and I am a replacement for Mr Jessop. He's been taken ill and so, rather than cancel the appointment, the firm have sent me as a replacement."

Barbara Taylor looked at Tammy for a moment. Tammy was at first worried that she'd not been convincing enough but soon realised it was her youth that was causing the puzzled looks.

"No offence my dear but are you properly qualified? You look very young when compared to Mr Jessop."

Tammy smiled in the most convincing manner she knew how and presented her credentials. Once Barbara had read the impressive list she visibly relaxed and invited Tammy in.

The house was beautiful from top to bottom with expensive furniture being framed by objects of fine art. Tammy began to pretend to work on her laptop whilst Barbara presented her with a bewildering array of paperwork and a coffee.

Tammy was relieved that Barbara found accountancy even more of a bore than she did because it meant Barbara left her alone after an initial look.

Green thought it best to steady Tammy's nerves so he spoke into his microphone.

"Well done Miss Squires. Now I need you to get a proper look around the house for me but in order to do that you will have to drug Mrs Taylor. Under the delete key of that laptop you will see it has been hollowed out. In there you will find a pill which will send her into natural but un-wakeable sleep twenty-minutes after she consumes it. Place it into her drink on your next break in, say, an hour."

Tammy quickly found and pocketed the pill before continuing her pretence of work. About an hour later she found Barbara sitting in the kitchen.

"Excuse me Mrs Taylor, but may I make myself another drink please?"

Barbara smiled warmly.

"Of course you may my dear."

Tammy nervously walked over to the kettle and filled it. Trying to keep her voice light she asked, "Would you like one as well?"

It seemed like an age before Barbara replied during which time Tammy issued a silent prayer.

"Well I don't normally in the morning but yes, Earl Grey would be nice. Thank you."

Tammy breathed a silent thank you as she added the pill to the Earl Grey. It was then a small matter of making even smaller talk for about fifteen minutes before Barbara had finished her tea. Tammy went back to her laptop and began to work again, waiting for the inevitable. Sure enough Barbara popped her head around the door in about another quarter of an hour.

"I am sorry my dear but I am suddenly feeling a little fatigued. Maybe I am coming down with something and that would never do before the event tonight. I am going for a little lie-down on the bed. I trust you will be ok to work on down here?"

Tammy nodded perhaps a little too eagerly but the drug was kicking in too much for Barbara to really notice. As Barbara began to ascend the stairs, Green spoke to Tammy via his transmitter.

"Mrs Taylor and her husband are attending a charity masquerade ball tonight down town and that's why she's concerned for her health. The good Congressman will undoubtedly use the occasion to socialise with new potential allies. You will be pleased to know, Tammy, that you will be attending tonight as well.

For the moment, however, I want you to wait five more minutes and then use the lead we've given you to plug the laptop into the USB port of their downstairs computer. Once you have, it will copy all the data on the hard-drive and that may give us a better idea about whom the Congressman is talking to."

Tammy did as she was instructed whilst Green heard his telephone sound again.

"Hello Bastion. See, it's as easy as pie."

"So far so good but I want more for the show than just a data-grab. Let me talk to Tammy myself."

Green became a little concerned at the lust he heard in Bastion's voice.

"Ok boss, but just be careful. Barbara will be out for an hour tops and any sort of penetration will be felt by her when she awakes."

"I know how to be subtle Mr Green. Introduce me to Tammy please."

Tammy was just completing the download when Green's voice sounded over the transmitter again.

"Miss Squires I have been joined in the office by another executive from the company. Do not ask his name but simply obey him like you would me."

"Ok," Tammy said.

Bastion was breathing heavily as he talked into his headset.

"Hello Tammy. I want you to go upstairs now and please find Barbara Taylor."

As Bastion saw Tammy move up the stairs he could feel his heart beating faster. Congressman Taylor had thwarted him for many years, forcing him to endure Taylor's smug attitude and the self-important mannerisms of his wife. Now that wife was at his mercy, albeit by disposable proxy, and Bastion intended to savour every moment.

Tammy entered the master bedroom and saw Barbara lying on her back on the bed. She was sleeping peacefully and was still wearing the outfit she had been downstairs. Bastion looked through Tammy's eyes and wished he could be there in person but for the moment Tammy would have to mimic his desires instead.

"Ok Tammy, move slowly over to Barbara and kiss her, as you would a lover, until I tell you to stop. You are not allowed to penetrate her mouth with your tongue however."

Tammy softly moved over to the sleeping woman and began to gently kiss her. The old sensations flowed through Tammy as she did, sensations of shame and fear that were mingled with the sheer power she had. She knew that part of her was thrilled to exert such dominion over other people and it had ceased to shock her now. Tammy had to obey the Guild until Connor could rescue her and so she reasoned she might as well attempt to enjoy it.