The Possessed

"How large is this new area in the dungeon?" asked Erin, studying the architectural plans as they slowly rotated before her.

"It's large enough to house at least thirty to fifty slaves."

"Amazing!" said Erin.

"This," said Pam waving her arm in front of the display, "coupled with our own personal experience in the Castle and dungeon is sufficient, in my opinion, to confirm that our information is reliable."

"I agree," said Erin, looking around the table. "Questions? Objections?"

There were none. Everyone around the table was forced to agree with Pam's assessment. Even Cathy admitted to herself the logic of Pam's statements. In addition, the information fit together, each piece helping to verify or support other pieces. However something still troubled Cathy but she was unable to identify a reason. After the meeting broke up, June approached her and said, "You seem troubled, is something wrong?"

"No," said Cathy. "It's just...I don't know, a feeling that something's not right."

"I have the same feeling," said the older woman.

Cathy looked at her with a questioning look on her face. June was the least vocal person in Erin's inner group. Cathy had taken her quietness for either acquiescence or shyness, or maybe both. She knew that Erin and June were good friends but that Erin rarely consulted her on matters such as these. For her part, June appeared to either agree or at least go along with Erin during their discussions. "Have you talked to Erin about this?"

"Yes. I told her once I was worried. This was before Stacy found out Zax was watching our activity on the net."

"Why were you worried? Did you have a reason to suspect something?"

"No, it was just a feeling, like with you."

Cathy looked at the other woman her face betraying her concern. Inwardly she felt both relieved at having someone else share her same misgivings, and worried that she wasn't the only one that suspected something might be wrong. "Maybe we should talk with Erin," June suggested.

"No, not now; I too have voiced my misgivings with Erin and she became upset. Without something more concrete, it would only cause problems," replied Cathy.

"OK," said June. "But everything is just too neat. It's almost like someone wanted us to have all this information. I feel like we are being manipulated."

"Me too," said Cathy.

That had been six weeks ago and neither Cathy nor June had discussed their feelings since then. There had been no reason to; all their information had pointed again and again to the same thing: Zax appeared to be illegally impregnating its diapered slaves in the Castle dungeon. Erin had taken the latest rumor about the baby in the dungeon as a call to action. She had called Kelly, Cathy, Pam, and June together to discuss her decision to raid the dungeon and obtain the information they needed to expose Zax.

"Then its final," said Cathy.

"Yes," said Erin.

"When do we go?" asked Kelly. June and Cathy nervously eyed each other as the four women looked at Erin.

"In three days. Zax is having a large party this weekend to celebrate Katrina's birthday. Alex and Laura and the other staff will be busy handling the slaves and guests. If we go on the first night there should be little activity in the dungeon.

Pam and Kelly nodded in agreement. The dungeon was usually quiet on the first night of a party; Alex and Laura were typically busy with guests and the task of managing the slaves serving at the party. With any luck, the dungeon would be almost deserted after midnight.

"We'll travel to the coast tomorrow and ready the watercraft for the trip. Just after dark, then we will start for the Island. Our time of arrival should be just after midnight," said Erin, confirming their plan. The five women had been working on the mission plan for months. In fact, most of the women at Varinia had contributed in one way or another. Since the Castle was located on the western part of the Island, they had decided to approach from the south and land on the beach there.

The Island was small, forested, and fairly flat, but not so small that it could be traversed on foot quickly and easily. Most of the land lay 200 feet above sea level and there were few beaches, except to the east and south. The portion of the Island where the Castle stood was surrounded by 30 foot or higher cliffs, which made access from the beach or water difficult if not impossible. The easiest access by water was to the east, where the Island sloped naturally to the sea. However, this was 12 to 15 miles (as the crow flies) from the Castle, and more like 20 miles via the few paths that traversed the Island; too far to walk in the time they had. The closest suitable spot lay about two and a half miles directly south of the Castle. Here the beach narrowed to a small sliver, but there was a trail that led through some forest and almost directly to the Castle. It would be a steep, uphill climb but the distance was short, and therefore fitted their time constraints.

According to their plan, Erin, Kelly, and Pam would go together up the path while Cathy remained with the watercraft. Upon reaching the dungeon entrance, Erin and Kelly would enter its confines and proceed to the area where the diapered slaves were located. Pam would remain outside monitoring their escape route keeping Cathy informed in case of trouble. Cathy meanwhile would remain in contact with another watercraft about a mile offshore and captained by June. In case of problems, the second crew could be called in to help evacuate the four women on the Island. During the party almost everyone was expected to be inside the Castle and the four women expected little trouble. The forest would provide good cover until they reached the Castle. After that, their plans would depend on the quality of their intelligence and some luck.

"Are you sure we're ready?" asked Cathy, trying one last time to give voice to her concerns.

"As ready as we'll ever be," said Erin looking at her friend and lover and sensing her concern. "I know you're worried," she added. "So am I. However the longer we wait the greater the uncertainties become. If we wait too long, we may not be able to get into the dungeon. The new plans call for much greater security in the part of the dungeon where we need to go."

Cathy was forced to reluctantly agree. Their examination of the proposed additions to the dungeon would make getting into and out of the area of interest almost impossible. If they were going to go, it would need to be before any new security was installed in the dungeon. This did little to assuage Cathy's fears however. Something did not seem right. They were missing something, but she didn't know what. Looking at June, the two women exchanged glances and Cathy said, "OK, but I think we are taking an awfully big risk."

"Agreed," said Erin, "but there is no other way."

The five women looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "It final then, we're off tomorrow."

As the meeting broke up June came over to Cathy and said, "Still worried?"

"Yes," replied Cathy.

"Anything specific?"

"No," said Cathy "Just a feeling."

"It's a very risky plan," said June.

Cathy nodded and said, "Too risky, and in my opinion foolhardy."

"Yes," agreed June, "it's all of that. But we can't just do nothing either."

"Maybe; but you know the conventional wisdom in such matters?"

No what?"

"Only fools dare to travel where angels fear to tread".

June looked at Cathy and blinked, but the petite professor walked away to ready herself for the trip the next day.

********************************************************

"Is everything ready?" asked Katrina. She had arrived at Zax Island that afternoon and was relaxing with Prudence in one of the Castle's steam rooms.

"Yes Mistress," said Prudence. "Alex has made all the necessary preparations, and I can assure you a memorable time tomorrow night."

"Excellent!" said Katrina. She had been looking forward to her coming birthday celebration for some time, and not because she liked parties. Katrina was tired and had been working hard lately. Prudence had handled the slave-breeding program well, but the Varinia complication had weighed heavily on her, along with the everyday problems of running Blue Onyx.

Prudence sensing her mentor's mood said, "I think we can afford to relax, Mistress. Even under the worst conditions, we can almost certainly expect to double our holdings of diapered slaves."

"Yes," agreed Katrina, leaning back against the warm wall and wrapping her towel more tightly around her body. Prudence was right. Even if Varinia succeeded in finding out what was going on, they were grand-mothered in. Ten diapered slaves! They would have the largest holding on the planet by far! "What is the current status of the breeding program?"

"Candy and Lisa are approaching their ninth month of pregnancy and April and Mari, are in their fifth month. The slave Dianna will be ready to be impregnated again in less than two months. The child she delivered is doing well. The psychtech, Echo, estimates that we can begin working with her in about two months."

"Good," said Katrina "And the rest?"

"The rest Mistress," Prudence said, "depends on the accuracy of our intelligence. If all goes according to plan, we estimate eliminating Varinia in less than a year".

Katrina nodded her head and sighed, "Very good".

The door to the steam room opened and Katrina and Prudence stood. Letting their towels drop, the two Mistresses walked naked out of the room and into the shallow pool that occupied the area beyond. As Katrina settled herself in warm water, her large breasts floating near the surface, Prudence snapped her fingers and two slaves wearing diapers entered the room. Both were noticeably pregnant with rounded bellies protruding above their diapers. The tall redhead knelt by the edge of the pool, sitting on her heals, eyes downcast. Besides her the petite brown-haired slave assumed the same position. Both were flushed deep red with embarrassment.

"I thought you might enjoy inspecting some of the results of our program," said Prudence.

"Yes!" said Katrina approvingly, looking at the slaves. This was the first time she had actually seen one of the slaves pregnant. Taking the chin of the red headed slave in her hand she turned and raised her face and noting the tears in her eyes said, "You mustn't be sad my dear, you are doing your Mistress a great service; perhaps the greatest service ever, even taking into account all your previous activities."

This did little to cheer the pregnant red headed slave. In fact it had the opposite effect as evidenced by the increase of tears that began to run down her cheeks from her eyes. "Enough, of that!" said Katrina. "Stand and remove your diaper, let me look at you."

April slowly stood and loosing the fasteners, let her diaper fall to the floor between her feet. Katrina eyed her up and down, noting the fullness of her breasts with their erect nipples, bulge in her belly and her open, lubricated pussy. Turning to Prudence she said, "It looks like she is excited."

"Yes Mistress," said Prudence, motioning for Mari to stand and remove her diaper. "Manuela said it's a normal side effect at this stage."

Katrina eyed the slaves, approvingly "Very nice; very nice indeed."

"I've arranged for them to be brought to your room tonight Mistress, after the party. Unfortunately, Anne is too worried about infections for us to enjoy them here."

Katrina looked at Prudence and nodded saying, "Yes, we mustn't take unnecessary risks. But is it OK to use them at all?"

"Yes Mistress, as long as you're careful," said Prudence. "Don't worry, enjoy. You are one of the very few to experience such a rare treat: happy birthday."

"Yes," said Katrina, licking her lips and eying the pregnant slaves. "Yes, indeed!"

********************************************************

Ocean spray blew across the bow of the watercraft and fell on Erin's face. Although the night was cool the water felt good on her forehead and cheeks. Looking out across the ocean, Erin could see Zax Island as a jagged spec on the horizon. The night was moonless and dark, but the night vision contact lenses she wore rendered the scene around her in colorless perfection. When the team had arrived at the coast they had spent the day readying the two watercrafts and resting. They had left before sundown for the long journey to the Island and now, many hours later, were about half an hour out from their destination.

About five hundred feet off their starboard bow was June, Stacy, and two other women from Varinia in the other watercraft. Upon reaching the Island, June would 'park' her vehicle a mile or so off shore and wait while Erin, Kelly, Pam, and Cathy landed on the Island. "Almost there," said Erin "check your equipment." Erin felt, rather than saw the other women move to check their gear. Everyone was tense and excited, Kelly more so than the others.

Kelly had been the most excited and enthusiastic about the mission. This troubled Erin, since she realized that, being the youngest; Kelly lacked the maturity to fully appreciate the consequences of their actions and the potential for something to go wrong. She also worried about her ability to control the younger woman during the execution of their mission, especially if trouble did occur. Cathy, of course, was almost the exact opposite: tense and apprehensive. Pam was harder to read, but Erin sensed she was more resigned to whatever might happen than anything else. Well, thought Erin, it was too late to worry about this now. All they could do was hope for the best.

Looking at her chronometer Erin noted the time: 11:55PM. Looking up she saw that Zax Island had grown from a mere spec to a large landmass that almost filled her entire field of view. "Five minutes," she said. Cathy tensed besides her, and Erin placed her hand on her shoulder.

Looking to her right, she saw June turn and slow the other watercraft. "Good luck," she heard June say through the communicator in her ear.

"Thanks," said Erin in reply.

Looking ahead, Erin saw the Island with its imposing Castle looming at the west end high above them. Most of the western and northern portions of the Island were surrounded by narrow rocky beaches that gave way almost immediately to sheer cliffs. The cliffs were highest on the western end where the Castle stood and tapered slowly towards the south. On top, the terrain was flat and the Castle gave way to a park area and then to woodlands and forest with tall pine trees. The trees ended abruptly at the east end of the Island where the ground sloped to the beach. Fortunately, the beach continued around the southern part of the Island, although it narrowed considerably until it ended abruptly just south of the Castle. This was the spot they were heading for.

Pam, who was piloting the watercraft, slowed the vehicle as they neared the shore and let it silently coast to a landing. When the watercraft stopped, Erin, Kelly, and Pam jumped over the bow onto rocky ground while Cathy anchored the vehicle. When she was finished she joined Erin and the others on shore. "OK," Erin said "let's go!"

Cathy watched as the three women crossed the narrow beach and disappeared into the trees. After checking the anchorage, she went up the beach and took her position alongside a tree at the edge of the forest. Looking down she could see the watercraft on the beach and out to sea she could just make out the other watercraft with June and the others. Their backup, in case something went wrong. Sighing, Cathy thought hopefully we won't be needing their help! A feeling of dread had settled over Cathy as they had approached the Island. Although the appearance of the place was purposely foreboding, Cathy's feelings went deeper. It was almost as if some force were trying to reach out and grab her; attempting to pull her away into some dark and terrible place. A shiver ran down her spine and Cathy rubbed her arms as she waited in the darkness. In her communicator she heard Erin say, "Stay close. I think we're where the path to the Castle begins.

Erin had led the way across the beach and into the tree-line followed by Kelly and Pam. After a bit of searching she had found the path that led up to the Castle. It appear well maintained, and as far as could be seen, clear of clutter and protruding branches from the trees that lined it on either side.

"Yes, this is it" said Kelly excitedly.

"OK. Let's follow it up" said Erin starting to walk north along the path.

Their climb was steep for about the first mile or so, but the forest that surrounded them provided excellent cover and muffled any noise they inadvertently made. After that the ground started to level out and the path intersected and became part of another path that circled the entire Island.

"Here's the split" said Erin, the Castle grounds should be a mile or so up ahead".

A short while later, the trees began to thin, Erin could see light piercing through the branches. As the three women neared the tree line again the Castle came into view across a park. A large group of cottages lay to their right, and the grounds were brightly lit. Erin felt her contact lenses adjust to the increased light intensity and heard muffled sounds of talking and laughter coming from the direction of the Castle. Crouching down behind a tree at the edge of the woods, Erin scanned the park and cottages between the trees and the Castle. No one was in sight. Erin motioned to her companions and the three women moved together, ready to make their approach.

Good, thought Erin. Everyone must be inside enjoying the party. This was as they expected. Parties at the Castle usually started about ten or so in the evening and went on until four or five in the morning. By midnight most parties were in full swing with food and drinks being served and consumed. Tonight appeared to be no exception and Erin felt a small twinge of relief. With everyone occupied and no one about they could proceed directly across the park to the side entrance to the dungeon. This was the door used by Alex and her staff as well as the slaves (at least those privileged enough to leave the confines of the dungeon occasionally).

"Let's go" whispered Erin. Erin and Kelly stepped out from behind the trees and started to walk across the park towards the Castle. Pam remained at the edge of the tree line, moving slowly along its edge in the direction of the dungeon door. Each woman was dressed in a black jumpsuit with a small red axe embossed above her right breast. This was the uniform worn by Alex and her staff. From a distance they would appear as members of the Castle staff, or at least Erin hoped so. Even up close, the disguise offered some protection since it was unlikely that any of the guests knew all the staff members at the Castle. Their only real danger lay with running across one of Alex's staff or a permanent resident of the Island like Prudence. The latter was unlikely, but the former was a real possibility.

Erin and Kelly walked together purposely and directly towards the side door of the dungeon. Although they both felt like running, they made a conscious effort to walk at a normal pace so as not to attract attention. When they were about half way to the door when Erin heard Pam say, "I'm in position."

Without turning her head or pausing Erin replied, "Good. We should be out in half an hour. If we're not, you know what to do." Pam did not reply and all three avoided trying to think about what would happen if they were caught inside the dungeon.

The walk to the dungeon door seemed to take forever; it felt to Kelly as if they were crawling across the park inviting someone to discover and hail them. In reality the two women crossed the open space in less than three minutes. Upon reaching the door, Kelly rushed down the small flight of stairs leading to the entrance at the bottom. Like most doors within the Castle, the side entrance to the dungeon was secured with an old fashioned mechanical lock. Modern locks were electro-mechanical and employed bio-metric devices such as retina scanners. The Castle with its massive wooden doors, black stone facade, and gothic architecture called for a more archaic and ominous mechanism than these modern devices could supply. Since there was no real security threat to the Castle and its occupants, the designers had decided to employ old-style mechanical locks as more in keeping with the overall image of the place. The real purpose of the locks was to keep the slaves from moving about too freely and to let guests know which areas were restricted.