Threads: The Island

"Tonight she was all affectionate. Like a kitten," Kara smiled. "She seemed a lot more... human."

"Kara!" Kyle protested. "She's a nice girl."

"I can see that," His sister replied. "All I'm saying is that most of the time she's a bit intimidating and tonight she was really nice. I'm trying to say something nice," She added.

"I guess I don't see her how you guys do," Kyle said. "Although she did say when I first met her that women generally don't get on with her at first."

Katie and Kara exchanged glances.

"She told you that?" Katie asked.

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, we chat a lot."

"Anyway, how are you doing?" Kara asked. "You've been looking like you've got a lot on your mind today."

Kyle remembered the explanations he'd prepared. "Yeah, I've been getting George Crowler to make sure Katie's two friends from Myrtle Beach are not running their mouths off."

"I thought it was taken care of," Katie said, frowning.

"It is," He assured her. "I'll get him to give you the details tomorrow if you want, but if you don't know then you're better off."

"Kyle, it's nothing.... dodgy, is it?"

"Oh, fuck no," He assured them both. "No, it's all charitable foundations and career ladders and flash cars. Nothing bad."

"That's good," Katie replied. "I don't want any threats or blackmail or anything."

"Yeah, no-one likes a blackmailer," He muttered.

"So when we get to New York," Kara said. "I think every night we have to get on the phone with each other and have a chat, just like we do here."

"Conference call?" Kyle asked. "I like the idea. It seems weird considering we've only been here for six days, but I'm gonna miss you guys."

"We were saying the same thing earlier," Katie replied. "Kara didn't expect to bond with us at all."

"And now?"

Kara smiled. "Cautiously optimistic. Despite our... history, I'm not unhappy that you guys are my siblings. At least you're not arrogant assholes."

"Not yet anyway," Kyle said, stubbing out his cigarette. "Cautiously optimistic? I like that."

He bent and gave them both a kiss on the head as he had the previous night. "Night, girls."

"Night, Kyle," They replied in unison before bursting into a round of giggles.

Patricia was already in bed when he entered the bedroom, so he stripped off his top, had a wash and brushed his teeth in the bathroom and then finished disrobing before he slipped into bed.

"You took your time," She murmured, sliding on top of him, and to his surprise, reaching for his phone on the bedside table.

"Interesting time to make a call," He said, grinning at her.

"Shush," She murmured, flicking the screen open.

Patricia slid back off his lap and settled down beside him, his arm around her shoulders. As Kyle watched, she opened the browser, directed it to a porn site and then clicked on a video.

"We're watching porn?" He asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Slide down the bed a bit, Kyle," She ordered, and to his surprise, she pulled the sheet over their heads, placing the tablet-sized screen between them. Then she turned and looked at him and raised a finger to her lips.

Her hands went to the tablet and she minimised the browser, the sound of a couple engaged in horny chat still audible in the background, and she opened a word processing document and began to type rapidly.

What happened with Sarah? There's something going on you're not talking about. Can you talk here?"

Kyle looked at her, smiling as he was reminded how smart he was. She knew there was something going on, but had not asked him so she'd engineered this type of communication to find out.

He leaned over and kissed her. Patricia smiled, but pushed him back and said aloud, "Watch the movie first. I want to see what turns you on."

Kyle took the tablet and began to type his own message.

Long story. Don't react. This place could be bugged!!!! Hunch though. Edwin denied island has a safehouse. Crowler said there is. Sarah sent by Edwin. He's been blackmailing her for a year for sexual favours. Fucking creep. Also think he's setting me/Kara/Katie up for blackmail too. Don't freak out.

She gave him a very concerned look, but turned her attention back to the tablet a moment later.

WTF? Also, guy gives me the creeps, so not that surprised. What are you doing about it?"

He knew he couldn't tell her that Edwin was stalking her, not now. Before he could reply though, Patricia opened the porn window again, and typed 'BDSM', 'Anal' and 'Slut' into the search box.

"Really?" He asked aloud.

"A girl likes what a girl likes," She replied, sounding flirtly but looking unhappy. She clicked on the first video of a girl strapped to a frame with a butt plug in her ass, turned the sound up and minimised the window again.

Kyle took the tablet and typed.

Have located bunker/safehouse entrance. Connor checking it out. Will let me know tomorrow. Also, Sarah on our side now. Told her if E being a creep she should just come up here. Cover story is that I'm screwing her on the side and you don't know. Not actually touching her though, okay!!!! Too into you! x

Patricia read the message, and Kyle could see she was taking a minute to process it. "Nasty video, but hot," He said aloud, just to pass the time.

Patricia picked up the tablet and began to type once more.

You've been busy! Connor onside is good. Crowler helping is good too. What do you need me to do?

Kyle typed quickly on the screen. It was getting really hot under the sheet and the sooner they could lift it and admit some fresh air, the better.

Act normal. Act a bit pissed if you suspect there's something going on with me/Sarah if you want? Don't say anything. Also, be flexible if I need to meet with Connor/Crowler/Sarah. Can't think of anything else. Normal behaviour is good!!!

The video ended, so Patricia clicked on one of the suggested ones, this time of a woman tied up, getting spanked by another woman while a guy stuck his dick in her face. Then she typed out a response.

Okay. Normal I can do. What about the bugs? Audio? Video? What?

Kyle typed back quickly.

Don't know. Only a hunch. Can't confirm.

Patricia replied quicker.

Might not be any at all? Lot to think about. Will be awake for a while. What about sex?

Kyle gave her a quizzical look, drawing a shrug from her in reply, and another rapidly typed message.

Do you want to? We can keep the sheets over us. Plus it's normal and I've been horny all fucking night long. Understand if you're not in the mood. Btw, really like these videos!!!

Kyle grinned. If she was up for it, then he was too, and if keeping a sheet over them gave them enough of an illusion of privacy while knowing they might be recorded, then alll was good.

Couldn't keep my hands off you if I tried x

She fixed him with a wicked smile, then shut the word processing software, maximising the porn screen.

"Hey, it's really stuffy and hot under here, Patricia," Kyle said a moment later. "Can't we just lift the sheet up a bit?"

"I suppose," She replied, smiling.

While they sorted themselves out, Patricia moved Kyle's arm back around her shoulders and she snuggled into him, one hand holding the porn movie on the screen so they could both see it.

"You want to keep watching?" Kyle asked, flicking the bedroom light off.

"Is that okay?" Patricia replied. "I have to admit, I'm a bit of a porn junkie."

"Quite extreme in your tastes too." He chuckled.

"This isn't extreme," She said, flashing him a grin. "This is almost vanilla in comparison to some of the stuff I like."

"Sounds like you and Ed should share your collections. I bet you'd have a lot of doubles."

"You want to talk about your friends porn collection when you're in bed with me, butt naked?" She asked, teasing him.

"Point taken. So show me some of the stuff you're into," Kyle suggested. "I'm not easily shocked."

Patricia turned her head and looked at him, as if trying to decide if she should or not. "You might end up more shocked than you think."

"Try it and find out."

For the next hour, Patricia flicked through all manner of videos. Most of them involved some form of submissive behaviour on the womans part, and featured things like bondage, spanking, rough sex, choking, spitting, forced orgasms, throat fucking, double penetration, butt plugs, public humiliation, all performed on the woman by a Dominant figure, sometimes males, sometimes females and on a few occasions, both. All of them featured anal.

It was a bit of an eye opener for Kyle and not really something he was into himself, but the thought that it turned her on turned him on, and when Patricia couldn't stand waitng any more, she lay down on top of him, put her legs either side of his and took him inside her.

Kyle knew without a doubt that if she'd thrown the sheet back, she'd have been trying to take his cock up her ass, but she was as aware as he was that there might have been some kind of recording device, so she managed to restrain herself enough to stay lying down on him.

Patricia came just before he did. She took the time to lick him clean afterwards, and then drifted off to sleep within minutes.

Kyle lay there in the dark, trying to figure out what tomorrow was going to bring.

Kyle woke up and checked the time.

"Ten minutes until I'm due to get up," He murmured, clicking the light onto it's lowest setting. He turned and looked at the beautiful woman by his side, spread like a starfish across the bed, her hair half covering her face.

He smiled and adjusted the sheet, pulling it up a little. The temptation was there to just slide a hand in, touch her in certain places and be balls deep inside her within a minute, but he knew she'd had a restless night.

"No point in both of us getting up," He muttered and slid out of bed. A couple of minutes in the bathroom and then a quick trip into the dressing room, and Kyle was ready to go workout.

He jogged down slowly, warming his muscles up for what was to come, saying good morning to the members of staff that he saw out and about. As he turned the corner heading for the gym, he heard a low whistle and saw Connor sitting under a palm tree. He looked like he'd been drinking all night.

"Morning," Kyle said, his good mood evaporating. His nostrils flared at the scent of scotch at the same time as he saw the half-bottle in the Scotsmans hand.

Connor winked, then beckoned him over with a nod of his head.

"Alrighty, ya wee dobber," Connor slurred happily, yet Kyle could see in his eyes that he didn't look drunk. He held out a hand to Kyle as if asking for help to get up, and when Kyle reached out, Connor palmed him a small piece of paper. He tried not to grin.

"You're right sober, man. Ye need tae party harder."

Kyle crouched down facing Connor and glanced down at the note. Code 4162, Pastry Kitchen door. Leads to ladder down. At bottom another combination, plus scanner. Need to catch E tonight when he's on his way down. Will call you. Up for it?

Kyle looked up and nodded. "Yeah, but I can't party like you, Connor," He added.

Connor reached out and grabbed his hand, taking the paper back off him and stood up, swaying slightly.

"You're hammered," Kyle said, on the off-chance anyone was listening or watching. If Connor thought it important enough to act like he was drunk, then he should probably play along.

Connor pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and made a big deal of trying to light it, neatly setting fire to the paper in the process as he lit up.

"Aye, you and me should party one night when we're in LA," Connor slurred, leaning back against the tree as if he was falling over. The burnt piece of paper drifted to the ground, consumed.

"From what I hear I'll need a weekend to party and the rest of the week to recover," Kyle said, smiling. The fact that Connor had got the first part of the combination, and then got inside was great news. Real progress.

"Why fucking recover? Just keep partying," Connor smiled, clapping him on the shoulder as he stood on the consumed paper and casually twisted his foot. "And, and cut out this six in the morning workout shit. It's depressingly healthy."

"You could join me in the gym right now, Connor?" Kyle suggested, laughing as the Scotsman wandered off, the tap of his cane loud on the pavement.

"Aye, but I'd make you look like a wee bitch. Nae chick wants to blow you after seeing that, Kyle."

Kyle grinned and jogged off to see Julian.

His workout was far superior to yesterdays last one, and he broke seven of his personal records, worked his ass off, and wasn't in absolute agony when he was done. Julian put it down to the injections helping heal his injured muscles and his body reacting well to the diet and exercise.

Kyle promised to see him later and then took a brisk walk back to the house. Patricia had drawn him a bath, but had already showered and dressed herself and was hard at work with Lakshmi sorting through resumes.

"You two know it's only quarter to seven, right?" Kyle said as he headed for the bathroom.

"We know," Lakshmi nodded. "The early bird catches the early worm."

"I like to think of us as partially insane myself," Patricia chuckled.

He bathed, ran the clippers over his face to get the stubble back to the right length, and did all the other bits and pieces guys do to try and look good, and then got dressed.

He was sat on the balcony enjoying a cigarette and a cup of coffee before breakfast when Patricia and Lakshmi came out to join him.

"Right, let's hear todays schedule then," He said.

"Someone's firing on all cylinders today."

"He is, isn't he," Patricia replied, giving him a quizzical look.

"Good work out," Kyle explained. "So I'm treating myself to coffee and a cigarette, and no, the irony is not lost on me. So what's happening?"

"Easy day," Lakshmi said, pulling out a sheet of paper. "Breakfast at seven thirty with a briefing on dealing with the media until half nine."

"Easy day? You're gonna kill my good mood," Kyle grinned.

"After that," Lakshmi said, pressing on," You're seeing Doctor Kerr, then Shiro at the salon for a trim."

"Sounds good." His eyes caught Patricia and he could see her trying not to laugh.

"After that you've got half an hour with Margaret," Lakshmi said cautiously.

Kyle facepalmed himself. "I knew the gods were out to get me today."

"She's going to run through your wardrobe choices with you and has a shortlist of stylists for you to interview when you get to LA."

"I've to interview them?" Kyle asked.

"She doesn't trust us with it," Patricia said, grinning. "You'll just have to get on with it."

"Then you're doing it," Kyle said, nodding at her. "If I have to put up with her for half an hour, then you're doing the interviews, Patricia."

"I knew I shouldn't have laughed," She muttered but made a note.

"Next? And please tell me it's something fun."

Lakshmi made a reluctant face. "You've got me and Patricia going through the list of dates, with updates on your shortlist and a few new ones to add on too."

Kyle sighed. "And then I'm back at the gym, then lunch, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. But you do have the entire afternoon free."

"Really?" Kyle asked. That sounded weird. "You're sure?"

"It's right here." She held up the piece of paper. "All afternoon. Free time with friends."

"So a few hours of hell, then play time?"

"Jesus, Kyle," Patricia muttered. "You've got a half day. If you were at home you'd be working until five or six. Stop being a grump."

He grinned. "Yes, dear."

"Now then, recruitment," Patricia said, moving swiftly on while Lakshmi tried not to laugh. "We're canning the idea of seperate media relations for each of you right now. It's going to make more sense for one spokesperson for all three of you, and then there's no mixed messages or contradictory statements."

Kyle shrugged. "Okay."

"The shortlists are done for the rest of what we need right now, so we're getting them to meet us the day after tomorrow. Shmi and I will get the interviews done and that's going to tie us up a bit, but you're going to be busy with other things. We will need you to pop in during each interview though."

"Why?"

"To see how each of them react to you," She explained. "You come in and hit them with a couple of rapid questions then walk back out again. It allows us to see how they react under pressure, what they're like if they've screwed up."

"That's sneaky," Kyle said. "I like it."

"One of Mister Tripps habits," Lakshmi explained. "He turned me into a nervous wreck during my interview."

"Patricia?"

"Me?" She shook her head. "I nailed the answers, then turned the tables on him and quizzed him about a statement he'd made in an interview. He hired me on the spot."

"Fantastic," Kyle smiled. "Okay, I trust you guys with the recruitment, and I don't know shit about what I'm heading into at LA, so do what you have to do, hire or fire as you see fit, and just try to keep me from making too many fuckups, okay?"

Lakshmi nodded, and Patricia said, "Sure."

"Anything else, or should we go get breakfast?"

Breakfast was eaten and over depressingly quick, the high point of which was Casey and Margarita showing up a little late and getting a bit of a ribbing about making too much noise. Kyle knew the rooms were all nearly soundproof, but they didn't know that and he found it funny watching them squirm a bit.

All too soon though, their briefing on the media started and Casey, Margarita and Louisa excused themself to go for a walk round the Island. Kyle sat through the importance of controlling the flow of information to the media, be it the paparazzi and gossip columnists or the tech magazines and business press. Feeding the beast, they called it.

His visit to Doctor Kerr perked him up a little though as she gave him a full physical, complimenting him on how rapidly he'd got into shape, and then kicked him out with a clean bill of health. Shiro gave him a trim, showed him a couple of different ways to style his hair and then got Kyle to do it and gave him some pointers, and then he was being reluctantly dragged off to meet Margaret.

As he expected, she didn't react well to the news that Patricia would be selecting his stylist, so after huffing and grumbling for a few minutes, she eventually handed over two resumes with an announcement of, "I guess even you'll find it hard to screw this one up, but I won't hold my breath."

Margaret then began to go through colour charts for casual and formal wear, showing him what worked for him in what scenario, casually arranging his wardrobe as she explained it all. Kyle didn't react well to the way she spoke to him, as if she thought he was still in kindergarten and eventually he had enough.

He resorted to asking her to explain every point she made at least six times before he let her move on, and by the time he had done that on three different points, Patricia appeared and told him it was time for his next meeting.

Margaret bustled away, looking a little more pissed than normal, although Kyle had to admit to himself it was hard to tell.

"Nice tactic," Patricia muttered when Margaret was out of earshot.

"What? I don't understand, Margaret. Can you explain that bit again?" Kyle grinned.

"I had to go to the bathroom so you wouldn't hear me laughing. I thought she was going to have a stroke at one point."

"I'll try harder next time," Kyle said, laughing. "Right, what's next in this morning of hell?"

"Me and Lakshmi."

Kyle sighed. "Ordinarily that would fill me with joy, but it's the dates list, isn't it?"

"Sure is."

"Fuck."

"Which reminds me," Patricia said. "I need to talk to you after we're done with this."