3 comments/ 26628 views/ 5 favorites African Adventure Ch. 02 By: Otto26 Copyright Otto26 Thanks to my editor, snooper, who puts up with my eccentric punctuation. Thanks also to those of you who read these stories and send me constructive feedback. If you haven't read the first two installments of this you're going to more than a little lost. Take a look at them at my profile page. * The catamaran raced across the blue waters of the Gulf, running before the steady wind with taut sails. The occasional gust would momentarily lift the starboard hull out of the water and cause Sonia, standing at the wheel, to whoop in unadulterated delight. Robert, the least nautically inclined of the group, sat back into the sling that let him lean out on the starboard hull to provide additional weight. "She's going to dump this boat one of these days," he commented to Shin. The young fisherman, sitting in the harness next to him, nodded in agreement. "But the trip will be fun," he replied in the thickly accented Creole English he spoke. Shin was one of the two crew-members of the Dancing Girl. A member of the Chinese minority in Punta Gorda, Shin was the youngest son of a fairly prosperous businessman; his father owned a very small fleet of fishing boats. Faced with the prospect of inheriting next to nothing, and wanting a little adventure, Shin had found employment with Robert. More precisely, he had found employment with Sonia. Dancing Girl had been a birthday present from Robert and Sara. Robert had decided to buy Sonia a sail-boat and put Sara on the task. She had found several prospects and they had purchased the Dancing Girl, victim of a cabin fire, for cheap and then had it refurbished. The new boat boasted the state of the art in civilian electronics and had a crew space. They used it occasionally to haul tourists from the village out to diving spots, and Robert considered it one of their escape routes, but mostly it was Sonia's toy. The villagers had resented the boat and the two outsiders hired as crewmen at first, but the resentment had faded over time. Sonia was in the habit of having Shin and Wei help out with the fishing chores when they weren't occupied on the Dancing Girl. The two young men had a great deal of experience with fishing boats, having grown up working on the boats owned by Shin's father, and were experienced mechanics. They were also outgoing and hardworking. Then, too, there was the fact that Sonia had adopted a proprietary attitude when it came to the well-being of the village boats. If there was a problem getting something fixed, the fishermen had learned, go ask the Patron's dark-haired lady. She had also pushed hard for the aquaculture pens. The submersible pens moored out in the deep water of the Gulf had already produced a crop of Red Drum and another was growing rapidly. Robert shook his head in amusement at the comment and looked back at the boat. Sonia had a hold of the wheel and was directing Wei and Sara. The slight woman, wearing a bikini so small that it didn't even fully cover her, was scampering about the boat like an excited puppy. Looking at the smiles on their faces Robert had to admit that he wouldn't regret a penny of the cost of repairing the boat when Sonia finally capsized it. When they got closer to shore and the wind began to die down, Sonia ordered the sails furled and turned the wheel over to Wei. She and Sara joined Robert on the netting strung between the forward portions of the twin hulls. "I never get tired of that!" she exclaimed, "Thank you both so very much!" "Thank you, Sonia," Sara replied, "That's the second best ride in Belize." "La kacego de Mastro being the best ride?" Sonia asked. Sara grinned wickedly. "Kompreneble," she replied. "Of course," Sonia echoed. "We have visitors," Robert announced. Sonia swiveled her head to look at the flags flying from the top of the 'apartment'. Sara, still more experienced and inclined towards intrigue, kept her gaze on Robert. "Danger flag?" she asked. "Neutral," Robert replied. "Sonia, tell Shin and Wei to have the boat ready for a fast exit," he ordered, "Probably unnecessary, but better safe than sorry." "Jes, sinjoro," Sonia answered and then clambered back to pass the order on. "What do you think sinjoro?" Sara asked quietly. "I think my scars are itching," Robert told her after a moment of contemplation, "Things have been going very well, time for life to dump on us." "You're being cynical again, sinjoro," she admonished him gently. He nodded his head. "That's because cynicism is a survival trait. Plan for the worst, hope for the best, survive each moment as best you can." They rode the rest of the way into the harbor in silence. Luke met them at the dock with the news that two men from the American Embassy were at the house; one in civilian attire, the other in a uniform. He also contrived to indicate that the Land Rover, another escape route, was down the street. Robert considered his options before deciding to be optimistic, to a degree; he could still run away if he didn't like the message the men were bringing him. He wasn't sure his decision had been wise when he saw the men. One of them he recognized immediately, Colonel Gutierrez, the Military Attaché from the US Embassy in Kinshasa. He walked over and offered his hand to the wiry, leather-skinned little man. "Congratulations on your promotion, Colonel," he said, "I trust we're meeting under more favorable circumstances this time?" "That depends entirely upon you, Mister Taliaferro," the other man replied, "I'm Mr. Smith. I'm with the Agency and we have a proposition for you." Robert nodded thoughtfully and took a seat across from the men. "Would either of you like a drink?" "I hear the rum is good," the Colonel replied. Mr. Smith shook his head. "Two Panty-Rippers, Sara," Robert said. "'Panty-Rippers'?" Gutierrez asked. "Coconut rum and pineapple juice," Robert replied, "Guaranteed to lower the inhibitions of maidens and result in a crushing hangover if you drink too many. But one or two are nice, particularly on a hot day. What's the pitch, Mr. Smith?" "Obviously we know where you are. We also know about your escape. All about your escape. In return for not starting extradition proceedings and indicting your two female friends we want you to help us with a project in Africa," Smith said. Robert regarded him thoughtfully. "What's the job?" "They want you in place with some troops in case they decide to eliminate some of the Congo faction leaders," Colonel Gutierrez replied, "The peace is holding, for now, but the UN won't increase the number of peacekeepers. So the President has to ignore a certain level of lawlessness. If he takes action against individuals, their factions will perceive this as a move against the faction as a whole and the peace could collapse. If action could be taken without government involvement, it would help keep a lid on the pot." "So it's the Phoenix Program. And you want me because of my contacts and because I'm expendable; if the program gets blown you can leave me hanging in the wind and believably deny any knowledge of my actions." Smith started to demur, but Gutierrez interrupted him, "Exactly." Sara came over with a tray of drinks. She set it down on the table and handed one to Robert and then another to the Colonel. She knelt on the floor next to Robert. "She's a pretty little bitch," Smith observed. Robert felt his face coloring and swallowed once. "Sara," he said quietly, "would you please go get Sonia? This concerns her as well, she should be here." "Jam nun, sinjoro," she replied and walked towards the door. Robert watched until she was out of the room and then his head swiveled like a turret to face Smith. "Dickless, you're not going to establish a rapport with me. You've read my file, you know about my proclivities, and you've done some research. Sounds like you focused on the Gor crap. But you don't understand the first thing about the drives and emotions that motivate my relationships. So don't try and play the 'fellow dominant' with me. Don't pretend you view me as anything other than a disposable tool. And if you are ever rude or insulting to a member of my household again I will have you impaled. Think very carefully before you say another word, because that is not a threat, it's a promise." The color slowly drained from Smith's face, whether in rage or fear Robert wasn't certain, but the man clearly understood that Robert had not made an idle threat. Robert waited in silence until Sonia and Sara had returned and were kneeling on either side of his chair. "You told her?" he asked Sara. Sara nodded. "I agree, in principle. But I want pardons, from the President, for Sara, Sonia, and me. I want them up front. Leaving me dangling in the wind when things go wrong is par for the course, I can handle that, but you don't get to blackmail us for the rest of our lives," Robert announced. "No way," Smith responded, "Pardons okay, but not until after the project is over. I don't trust you any further than I can throw you." "Then you're not as dumb as you look, but I won't do the job without the pardons because I don't trust you, the CIA, the Army, or the US Government," Robert retorted. "Perhaps," Colonel Gutierrez interjected, "a compromise. Immediate pardons for the ladies and a pardon for Captain Taliaferro six months after the project has commenced. After all, by then he will have set up the infrastructure and will be almost superfluous. Even if he runs with the pardon in his pocket we'll still have the organization we need to accomplish the task." "That's a dirty trick, Colonel," Robert said quietly. Smith nodded, "That could work." Robert nodded in resignation. "Fine. BOHICA. Who's my support contact and who's my operational control?" "CIA will send the orders to me and I'll send them to you," Colonel Gutierrez replied, "I can coordinate any support you need." "Budget?" "Two million," Smith replied, "for twelve months. Anything more than that will have to come out of your pocket." "Okay. I'll put together a plan. Will you gentlemen be staying the night?" Gutierrez shook his head, "We'll head back to Punta Gorda so we can catch the morning flight. Welcome back, Captain." "Thank you, Sir." Robert turned away from the balcony where he had watched the rented car pull out of the village. "Tell the boys I'm in the mood for hand to hand practice," he said in a clipped voice. "Mi petegas vi, sinjoro, fiki mi," Sara said. "Volas sucxi via kacego," Sonia whispered. "I said ..." Robert began angrily. "Better us, sinjoro," Sara interrupted him in a patient tone of voice, "We'll enjoy your frustrations. You might hurt someone in this mood." "Ni petas," Sonia continued. Robert growled in frustration and drew back his hand. Sara and Sonia remained still, waiting for the blow to fall, but it didn't. Forcing every last ounce of air out of his lungs, Robert exhaled and lowered his hand with visible effort. "Rampuj al mia lito, sklavinoj. Jam nun," he ordered. "Jes, sinjoro," Sara and Sonia replied. They both turned and crawled to the bed and up on to it. Robert was upon them a moment later. He flipped Sara onto her stomach and shoved his hand between her thighs, lifting her ass into the air. His free hand fumbled with his fly, pulling his cock out and placing it against Sara's sex. He thrust hard into her despite the fact that she wasn't yet well lubricated and she hissed in pain and bit down on the thin comforter that covered the bed. He pulled out almost all the way and then pushed deeply into her, again and again. She was wet now and pushing back against him each time he pushed into her. Sonia had positioned herself behind Robert, kneeling slightly behind him. One hand unbuckled his pants, loosening them sufficiently to allow her to slide her hand down the crack of his ass and lightly grasp his balls. Carefully she caressed them and pressed her breasts against his back and her lips and tongue against his neck. "Pli, pli, pli," Sara moaned repeatedly until he reached down and pulled her upright by her braided hair. Then she came, gasping her pleasure and trying to maintain her motions even as she felt her control over her body slipping away. Robert came then, stimulated by the spasms of her sex and Sonia's fingers kneading his balls. He slammed his hips forward, slapping loudly against Sara's ass and jetted into her. Sara, breathing deeply, ground her ass against his belly and squeezed with her vaginal muscles. Robert released her hair and placed his hands on her ass, abruptly pushing her forward and off of his cock. Turning, he pulled away from Sonia and pushed her down onto the bed. He stepped onto the floor and rolled Sonia onto her back; hands upon her legs he pulled her to the edge of the bed and spread her legs wide. She reached down to open her cunt to him and he rammed home into the soft pink wetness of her. He released her legs and ran his hands roughly up her body, squeezing her full breasts. "Sara, tenu sxia brakoj super sxia kapo," he ordered. Sonia quickly threw her hands above her head, where Sara grasped the wrists and pulled back. Robert rolled a nipple between his finger and thumb and Sonia gasped, arching her back and pulling her knees back towards her chest. Robert frowned and pinched hard. "Sternu, sklavino," he commanded. Gasping, lower lip between her teeth, Sonia extended her legs, spreading them as wide as she was able. Robert released her nipple. "Bona," he commented. While one hand continued to toy with her breasts, his other hand slid down her belly and began to tease her clitoris. Sonia gasped and arched again, but kept her shaking legs outstretched and wide. "Aah! Do bonega, sinjoro! Do bonega!" she exclaimed. Robert thrust forward and held himself inside her as his hands continued to play upon her body. Sonia knew what was expected of her and began to rhythmically squeeze his cock even before he commanded her to do so. "Premu mia kaco, sklavino." "Jes, sinjoro. Via mastra kacego. Dankon por via kacego. Dankon por fikanta mi. Oh! Oh!" she cried out as her body clenched and she tried to keep squeezing and her legs properly positioned. Having pushed Sonia to orgasm, Robert came shortly after she did. Then he pulled out of her and lay back on the bed. Sara crawled up to him and nuzzled at his neck, working her lips down his throat and to his chest. Sonia, still panting, crawled up to his other side and began to suck at the nipple closest to her. Robert placed a hand on her head and pushed it further down his body. "Sucxu mia kaco, Sonia," he said. Sonia attached herself to his cock, taking it deeply into her mouth and laving it with her tongue. She worked slowly up and down it, rotating her head to allow her tongue to reach every inch of it. Robert took a hold of Sara's hair and pulled her up to him, kissing her deeply and sucking the air out of her body. "Aren't you afraid I'll lose control and hurt you one day?" he demanded when he let her up for air. "Never, sinjoro," Sara gasped, "You'll always be rough, but you'll never injure me." "I hope so," he replied. "Iru al via dorso, Sara. Fingrafiku via bella picxo." Sara kissed him quickly and scrambled onto her back, legs spread so that her cunt was displayed to him. She began to rub herself slowly, using her fingers to display her wet sex, peeling aside the flushed petals of her rose and the moisture-covered hood of skin to reveal the swollen pearl of her clitoris. Robert pulled some pillows beneath his head, propping himself up to better view the two beautiful women obedient to his desires. Sara continued rubbing her clitoris as her free hand snaked a finger inside of herself. "Vi estas farinta mi malsekega, sinjoro. Mi estas kacxa con via cxuro," she purred as the finger worked in and out with a faint squelching that was only occasionally audible above the sounds of Sonia noisily lapping at his penis. "Cxu mi petas gustumi gxi, sinjoro? Mi petas?" she wheedled. Robert smiled. "Jes, sklavineto, vi petas gustumi gxi," he replied. Sara withdrew her finger and brought it to her lips. Eyes fixed upon Robert she slowly sucked the finger, coated in their fluids, into her mouth. She moaned and her body jerked once. "Mia kojonoj," Robert ordered as he rapped Sonia on the head. Sonia pulled her mouth off of his cock and transferred it to his scrotum, carefully sucking one of his testicles into her mouth. Sara rocked again and her eyes rolled back up into her head for a moment. She took her finger out of her mouth and returned it to her crotch, industriously stroking back and forth into herself. A minute later she came, squealing in delight. Robert felt his cock, semi-flaccid even after Sonia's lavish attentions, become rock hard. He pushed Sonia away from him and sprang onto Sara, burying himself with ease inside her. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him into her even after their bellies were firmly pressed together. She arched her body, rubbing her breasts against his chest, and then attached her lips to his neck like a limpet, biting and sucking and screaming at his flesh. He drove hard into her, his hands firmly grasping the demi-globes of her ass, rocking his pelvis against her clitoris and sending her into a second orgasm that, in turn, pushed him over the edge. Gasping for air he rolled over onto his back, pulling Sara with him. They held each other as their bodies bled off the sexual tension and the adrenaline was replaced by waves of languor. He lifted Sara off of his cock and pushed her head down his torso. "Puru mi, sklavinetoj," he breathed. Sara and Sonia both applied their mouth to his cock and balls, taking turns at licking him clean. Robert watched them for a few moments and then lay back and closed his eyes, drifting away on the soothing sensations and the blissful absolute certainty of his control of them. "When's the last time I was that mad?" he mused aloud. "The Anaconda, sinjoro," Sonia replied, "When they showed you the room they were keeping the women in." She bent her head back to his crotch when she had finished speaking. Robert nodded. "Yeah. I was fairly pissed off. You were right, Sara, better to take out my mad this way. I can't really hurt either of you." "We know, sinjoro," Sara replied with an impish grin, "And this way is more satisfying." "I can't argue with that," Robert chuckled. "Why were you so mad, sinjoro?" Sonia asked, "We always knew they were going to find us and want something sooner or later." "In the first place," Robert responded, "They threatened you and Sara. I was unaware how deeply this would affect me. In the second place I despise the CIA. In the third place, that damn Colonel pushed buttons I thought I had buried." He saw the expressions on their faces, sighed, and motioned for them to cuddle next to him. When they were each nestled in the crook of an arm he explained. "I was a soldier. It was all I had ever wanted to be. I enlisted in the US Army, I went through infantry training and after that I went to Airborne school and then I qualified for Ranger training. Then I took a couple of tests and qualified for Officer Candidate School. I loved it. I had an infantry company in Gulf War One and it was mostly a matter of letting Iraqis surrender. We were tasked with guarding an impromptu prisoner holding area. So there we are, sitting around in the hot sun watching guys who just wanted the war to be over, when an air-conditioned Land Rover pulls up and disgorges a bunch of guys in khaki and sunglasses. They hand me some orders identifying them as CIA and tell me they need to interrogate a couple of prisoners. "I thought it was bullshit, so I called Battalion and they confirmed what the CIA guys said. 'Give them whatever they want, Bob, and they were never there.' So they borrowed a squad and took a couple of prisoners behind the latrines. A few minutes later I heard gunshots. Everyone was going ape-shit trying to figure out what had happened. I ran over to the latrines and the CIA guys were handing a rifle back to one of my guys and there were two dead Iraqi prisoners on the ground. 'Clean it up', one of them said and then they got back into their Land Rover. African Adventure Ch. 02 "I arrested them. They squawked and threatened, but I put the sons of bitches into a prisoner enclosure and called Battalion. They went ballistic. They sent the Battalion Executive Officer over to deal with the situation. He showed up an hour later and chewed me a new asshole after he let the CIA bastards loose. He ordered me to bury the bodies deep and not worry about the paperwork. "A few months later there's an Inspector General digging around. They brought that squad up on charges of murder. The Battalion Executive Officer gets up on the stand and testifies that there were never any CIA agents around the prisoner enclosure. When I testified that there were, they ripped me apart. Every member of the squad was convicted and sent to Leavenworth. My men! Mine! "So after the trial I asked that major what was so damn important that he would lie and send innocent men to jail, destroying their lives. He told me I didn't need to know. So I tried to kill him, probably would have if I hadn't attacked him in the Officer's Club. They pulled me off of him before I could do much more than break his nose. So they gave me a Court-Martial for Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and simple assault. My lawyer got me off with no jail time, but they reduced me to the ranks and gave me a dishonorable discharge. "I got blind drunk for a week and then bought a ticket to France. I was waiting outside the recruiting office of the French Foreign Legion when they opened it in the morning. Anyway, when that damn Colonel called me Captain he was reminding me that I swore an oath. So that's what decided me. I may hate the CIA, the US Army, and the US Government, but I love my country," he concluded. "You're a horrible liar, sinjoro," Sara said. Sonia shook her head in agreement and added, "Which is why you always try to tell partial truths rather than untruths." "You're doing this as much for us as for yourself," Sara accused. Robert sighed. "Too much talking," he grumped, "apply your mouths to my pleasure." Sara kissed him. "Jes, amasinjoro," she said. Sonia kissed him and joined Sara at her labor. As the Land Rover proceeded slowly down the sand and dirt road Colonel Gutierrez put a question to Mr. Smith. "I have to know, were you really trying to establish a rapport with him?" Smith grimaced. "Yes," he admitted, "I was. The psychologist thought it had a low probability of success, but I figured the potential payoff was worth the attempt. Besides, his response was illuminating." Gutierrez nodded absently. "Yes, it was. Your psychologist suggested that his attachment to those women might be more than just lust or love. Seems she was right. That will give you some leverage with him. But you realize that sword is very, very sharp on both edges?" "Yeah. I don't think that impalement threat was idle and I don't intend to find out. I plan to keep the threat of indictment hovering in the background and completely unspoken. Do you think he'll do an honest job?" "He'll do a brilliant job," Gutierrez promised, "Just so long as you keep his limitations in mind. The way he behaved on that job he did in Belize City is your indicator. He repressed his sense of morality for years while he was in the Legion and now it's loose again. Worse, he's trying to live up to the expectations of two women who consider him a hero. Point him at bad guys and turn him loose, but don't expect him to turn his back in situations where he can right a wrong. He'll also have multiple options in place to cover contingencies, and he won't discuss these with us; he'll keep them secret. Lastly, his actions will be violent in direct proportion to the perceived threat. You should be careful in that regard, you personally threatened the two people he holds closest. That's worse than threatening him." Smith shrugged. "I don't like it, but they pay me to do dangerous things. I just wish I had a better read on his intentions." "You couldn't get a source inside?" "Not even a listening device. His staff is fanatically loyal and the villagers aren't much better. They refer to him as the Patron." "That figures," Gutierrez said, "He's thrown a lot of money their way and, according to the reports, has taken a lot of interest in their welfare." "What do you think his plan will look like?" Smith asked. "Nothing like what you expect," Gutierrez replied. ________________________________________________________________ "Sri Lanka?!?" Smith exclaimed, "Why the hell do you want Sri Lankans? We assumed you would use your contacts to recruit Congolese. Christ! That's part of why we hired you. Sri Lankans will stick out like whores in a church." "Not so much," Robert countered patiently, "Sri Lankans tend to be very dark-skinned and folks in the Congo are used to seeing UN troops from various countries. I even considered masquerading as a UN force, but that wouldn't hold up to scrutiny." "Not to mention being wrong," Smith commented. "Fuck wrong," Robert stated, "I was with the Legion when we evacuated foreign nationals from Rwanda and again in the Congo in '97. I've seen UN policy and UN peacekeepers first hand, so don't try and sell me on a plan based on protecting the moral standing of the UN. I decided against it because it wouldn't work. Same with the Africans. Any force I train will turn into another armed gang a month after you shut down the operation. That's a mess you don't want to leave behind. Further, locals will have family and friends and they'll talk. Sri Lankans, backed up by a few local scouts, are perfect for this." "Not a bad idea from a tactical standpoint," Colonel Gutierrez observed, "The Tamil insurgency has given Sri Lankan forces lots of experience in irregular warfare and the climate and terrain is similar. You aren't planning on recruiting Tamil Tigers are you?" Robert grimaced. "They're experienced at exactly what you want done, infiltration and assassination, but no. They're politically motivated and they're ruthless enough to use suicide bombers and crazy enough to find lots of volunteers. I'm going to use former Sri Lankan soldiers." "How will you cover them?" Smith asked curiously. "Security firm," Robert responded, "Our total cover is an aid agency. We'll present ourselves as a privately-funded NGO interested in providing expertise and resources to the aid agencies already in place. The Sri Lankans will be our security team." "That's insane," said Smith dismissively. "I see some glimmers of brilliance here," Gutierrez demurred, "Tell me more. How does it work?" "We hire some doctors, nurses, and other technical staff. Third Worlders for the most part to help keep the costs down. They're also going to be more experienced with the conditions we're going to encounter. We'll bring in some research staffers; I anticipate most of those will come from other agencies. The story is that we provide technical assistance to agencies. That gets us into existing facilities. The research staffers are explained as historians; they're there to document the atrocities. Between those two sources I imagine we'll be able to get some good intelligence on where the worst offenders are. That takes care of our intelligence and logistics and gives us some cover for moving people around. I'll use some locals as scouts to supplement a few kill teams." "If you get blown then the US will catch a world of flak. The press would eat us alive. And it would endanger future efforts by genuine aid agencies," Smith protested. Robert shrugged. "Some risk is inevitable. If it was easy, everyone would do it. I think your exposure is pretty minimal, really. That was one of your selection criteria, remember? I'll keep the aid agency well insulated from the kill teams. Even if the kill teams are exposed the aid agency should be able to make a convincing show of horror." Gutierrez nodded his head thoughtfully. "I don't like the potential for disaster any more than you do, but this plan has a greater potential for success than simply running some locals as a black op. I recommend in favor." Smith shook his head. "I've got to bounce this up to my superiors," he said, "I can't make this sort of decision at my level." Robert shrugged again. "Let me know. That's my plan and I'm not changing the substance of it. If they have major heartache with it, they can find someone else to do the messy work. I'll be happy to provide advice." "This is easily settled," Smith said, "Let me make a call on my sat-phone and I can have an answer in ten minutes." He rose and walked out of the room. "You'll know what the answer is before he gets back in the room, won't you?" Gutierrez accused. Robert nodded. "You and I both know that if I wanted you dead you and Mr. Smith would disappear without a trace. I think he's smart enough that he knows this. Right now the risk to benefit ratio indicates I should work with you; killing either of you would bring down a world of hurt that would really complicate my life." "What about when things get tough?" Gutierrez asked, "Are you going to cut and run on us?" "I'll do the job, Colonel, and I'll do it to the best of my ability. But you and I both know that sometimes you have to cut and run. If you and Mr. Smith keep the faith with me, then I'll keep the faith with you. You can talk to my people and find out how seriously I take my responsibilities." "I read your file," Gutierrez told him, "And I looked at the psychological assessment the CIA prepared. I'm fully familiar with just how strongly you feel about taking care of your people. The psychologist had some interesting things to say about that." "Is there a point to this, Colonel, or are you just playing dominance games?" "I want to know how you're going to react when I put you into a high stress situation," the Colonel replied, "I want to know which way you'll jump." "Good luck with that," Robert said, "Want to try and build a rapport by telling me how much you sympathize with my actions?" The Colonel shook his head. "Not interested. I think you acted like an idiot. You've got a raging anger inside you and you can't really control it. You guide it, aim it perhaps, but it still gets the best of you from time to time. I'm wondering if you've mellowed enough to be responsible or if you're going to explode when we least expect it." "Then why did you go along with selecting me for this job?" "You're infinitely expendable and you're well qualified and the US Army owes you. However stupid you might have been, you kept the faith with your men past the point any reasonable man could be expected to do so. You were treated shabbily." Robert chuckled. "You're a slick man, Colonel. You could probably sell ice to Eskimos." Smith walked back into the room. "They approved it," he announced, "How long will it take you to set up?" "A month," Robert responded, "Provide the bank account details to Sara and we'll get right to work. We'll need your help getting some government approvals in Congo, so we'll need a contact number." "Okay. I'll write it down," Smith told him. _______________________________________________________________ With the understanding that no discussion is ever truly private if someone has the resources and desire to monitor it, Robert elected to discuss the planning details for the operation in the living room of the apartment. He had considered the bedroom, but had decided that he needed more than just Sara and Sonia in on the discussion. Further, he wanted Sara and Sonia clothed and away from an environment in which they had been conditioned to acquiesce automatically; he needed them thinking critically. Besides Sara and Sonia he had brought Luke, Joshua, Ilse, and Marie. "We'll be running three households for at least a year," he informed them, "The villa, here in the village, and wherever we decide to set up shop in Congo. Kinshasa maybe, or Bukavu. Marie, you will be responsible for managing affairs here and at the villa. You'll prepare daily reports to e-mail to Sara. If you have any problems you can pick up the phone and call her. Joshua, you'll be running the militia and the field supervisor out at the villa. Constable Fortin will talk to you when he needs something done. I want daily reports and you can pick up the phone if you feel you need to. "Luke, you will be coming with us. You'll be our personal bodyguard. You will not be going out into the field. Do you understand that?" "Jes, sinjoro," the young man replied. "Sonia," Robert continued, "Your job will be gathering and organizing information. To begin with I want you to find out everything we need to know about setting up an international aid agency. Documents, licenses, accreditations, and anything else we might need, right down to a list of positions we need to fill and suggestions on where to get people to fill them. I plan to recruit from India for most of the medical positions. They've got an enormous educational base to pull from and they work cheap. I'd like to take the opportunity to give some of our local medical personnel a chance to get some experience if we can do it without causing problems. You will also continue to assist Sara. "Sara, I need you to set up a security company here in Belize. That's going to be our cover for the Sri Lankans. Do a careful job on this because I don't just want to dump the company if things go bad. I think it would be very useful in the future to have a legitimate reason for having a bunch of former military personnel around." "What about me, sinjoro?" Ilse asked. "I know I promised to take you on as my new slave, Ilse, but now I'm going to have to spend most of the year in Africa. It wouldn't be fair to you right now," Robert said. "I am yours to command, sinjoro," Ilse responded, "And if you order it, I will wait. But I would prefer to go with you. It was good enough for Sklavinego Sara, so it will be good enough for me." "Is she ready now?" he asked Sonia. "Jes, sinjoro," the dark-haired woman replied, "She doesn't know everything, but she knows enough and she learns quickly. A month early will not make an appreciable difference." "You'll stake your hide on that assessment?" he pursued. Sonia nodded. "I do, sinjoro." "Very well, then. We'll do it next week. Ilse, you will accompany me to the Congo." "Jes, sinjoro," the blonde woman replied. "Is the aid agency a disposable cover, sinjoro?" Sonia asked. "Not at all. Do a good job setting that up because I want it to become a permanent fixture. The CIA will pay the bills, through us, for the first year, and we'll probably pick up most the tab for the next few years, but hopefully it will become self-sustaining after that. This is probably the only clean and good thing that will come out of this mess," he told her. "If you stop some of the violence that would also be a good thing, sinjoro," Marie commented quietly. Robert, who knew some of the abuses Marie had survived, nodded his head in reluctant agreement. "Violence is the tool of last resort, Marie. I wish there was another way, a way that didn't involve using violence to stop violence. I have enough blood on my hands." "We have forgiven you, sinjoro," Joshua said, "You brought us to safety and you have given us an opportunity to live. When God judges you, we will speak for you." Robert didn't trust his voice so he simply smiled at the man. "I'll book the tickets to Sri Lanka, sinjoro," Sara said, filling the awkward silence, "Will you want anyone other than Ilse to accompany you?" "Will you ...?" "I'll be fine," she interrupted him, "I have plenty of work and your trip ought to be short. The Oberoi?" He nodded. _____________________________________________________ The Oberoi hotel looked past a breakwater and out at the Indian Ocean. The management had considered, many times over the years, putting in an artificial beach, but had always decided against it. They settled for an opulent pool area with stunning ocean views. Robert was looking down at the arrangement from the balcony of his room when Ilse announced that his visitors had arrived. He turned and walked back into the room. To avoid misunderstandings he had ordered Ilse to remain clothed, though the sarong and bikini top she was wearing stretched the definition. She was ushering two short, dark men into the room and to the table she had set up. Both of the men had the weathered faces and eyes of men that had spent long days and nights watching for people who were trying to kill them, and they carried themselves with the confident air of men who had faced those foes and triumphed. "Gentlemen," Robert said, "Thank you for coming. I'm glad you could meet with me on such short notice. Please, have a seat. Can Ilse bring you anything to drink?" "Scotch, please," one of the men replied in clipped, British-accented English. "Twice," the other man amplified. "Yes, sir," Ilse replied, "With ice?" "Please," both men responded. They sat down at the table and Robert sat down across from them. As he began to speak he pulled out two sheets of paper which he slid in front of them. "I'll be frank; I lied to your employer. I am not only here to engage your services, I want to hire you away from your current employer. I intend to offer security services to aid agencies world-wide. I intend to start small, and build slowly but steadily. I intend to use primarily third-world troops because of your extensive experience and the pay scale differentials. Bluntly, you work for cheaper than similarly trained and experienced first-world troops. I am currently recruiting to fill a contract in the Congo. I need a short company to provide security for a civilian aid agency. I'm offering one thousand dollars per month per man plus a paid room and board and equipment supply. Fifty thousand dollar death or disability policy for each man and, of course, immediate medical treatment will be paid for. If your men don't have medical training then I'll provide combat medic training." The men listened to him with half an ear as their eyes scanned the sheets of paper. The paper had essentially the same information on it, but there was additional text that spelled out his need for two kill teams prepared to undertake long duration infiltration and assassination missions. When the men had finished reading the handouts they traded glances and then fixed their attention upon Robert. "You're Robert Taliaferro, the mercenary?" one asked. "I am," Robert replied. "You were captured in the Congo and escaped. Why did you betray your troops?" the other asked. "I surrendered in the Congo," Robert corrected them, "of my own free will. And I betrayed my 'troops' because they were never going to amount to anything more than a pack of bandits. Most of them, anyway. The good ones came with me when I escaped. They live in Belize with me." "I'm Diyon," the second man introduced himself, "And this is my cousin Vidu." He set the sheet of paper down. "Your concern for security is admirable, but the government won't care if you are hiring assassination teams so long as they won't be used in Sri Lanka or India. How much of this is true?" "It's all true," Robert told him, "I need the short company for security for the aid agency. The aid agency will provide a cover for some very limited intelligence gathering and will be our source of medical support. The kill teams will be covered as members of the security force and will periodically kill people that I designate. Those people will be ... bad people. We will be doing this without the knowledge of the government of Congo." "Is that the whole truth?" Vidu asked. "No," Robert replied. The silence stretched for a moment, broken by Ilse setting down drinks in front of each of the men and moving to stand behind and to the left of Robert. African Adventure Ch. 02 "Are you getting orders from above?" Diyon pursued. "Yes. But that's all I'll tell you. You'll be working for me, personally. If things go bad, I will have an exit plan in place for your troops, but there will not be any help from above." "I had heard you escaped to Belize and took some of your Africans with you. Why did you take them?" asked Diyon. "They deserved a chance at living in peace," Robert replied, "I put them through hell and then I turned them in to the authorities to prevent them from putting other people through hell. There's enough violence in the world. So I brought them along. I could afford it." "Could you afford to re-settle some other families?" Diyon asked. "What do you mean?" Robert inquired. "If you are truly interested in setting up a security company I assume that you will base it in your country of residence." Diyon paused and looked to Robert for confirmation. Robert nodded. "We would be interested in working for such a company if it meant that we might better provide for our families; moving them to a safe place where there are no raids or suicide bombings, for instance." "You're proposing to emigrate to Belize?" Robert clarified. Both of the men nodded. "We heard what you did for your Africans," Vidu said, "And we thought we might be able to arrange a similar bargain. I don't mind dying, but I would like for my children to grow up in peace. We are unwilling to give the Tamils a separate state and they are unwilling to settle for anything less; this conflict will outlive me and consume my children." "We are willing to recruit and lead the forces you need, but only on those terms," Diyon concluded. Robert rubbed his face and considered the issue for several minutes before replying. "I can't promise emigration right now. You're talking about bringing a hundred and thirty men plus their families into Belize. I only brought a hundred and forty-three Africans with me to begin with. It's not just a simple matter of over-staying your tourist visa and paying the resident tax for a year. I'll have to talk to the government and see if I can arrange matters. I am willing to do so. This is an additional expense, however, so I'll need to cut my costs in other areas." He left the statement dangling to see what bargaining position the men would adopt. "You can deduct the emigration expenses directly from our salaries," Diyon informed him, "That will encourage frugality and ensure that you don't end up subsidizing the emigration of my fifth cousin twice removed." Robert did the mental calculations in his head, wishing that he had Sara along for this, and concluded that the men were essentially offering to work for free. Emigration costs would rapidly eat away the salary he was offering and men with a large family could end up owing him money at the end of the year. "You really want to leave," he commented. Both men nodded their heads in the manner common on the Indian sub-continent. "Recruit the men then, and make a list of everyone they will be sponsoring in the emigration. I'll have to return to Belize and speak with the government to work out the details. I'll be in touch. Are there any other concerns?" "Comfort women," Vidu stated, "I assume you will want us to avoid the local women for security reasons. The men will need some entertainment." "Hire them yourselves," Robert stated, "And they'll be coming on to Belize so you're responsible for sponsoring them. Work it out amongst yourselves. And they had better all be volunteers. If I find a single slave in the bunch, and I will find them, then I will be very, very displeased." "We had heard that, too," Diyon replied, "We will work it out." __________________________________________________________________ Robert groaned as Ilse worked the muscles around his neck. When they had discussed bringing Ilse into the family, Sara and Sonia had assessed the skills they had and the skills they lacked. Although both of them were quite willing to rub Robert's body for hours, neither had any real skill as a masseuse. So part of the training that Ilse had gone through in the year leading up to her entrance to the harem had been several courses in this skill. Even as she worked on Robert, she was instructing Sara who was standing by the bed, observing and learning. And reporting. "The medical staff positions are all filled," she continued, "We sub-contracted to an Indian company and they did all the work advertising and screening. I approved their staff choices and Sonia's request. Sonia has a couple of volunteer groups spreading the word. I think we'll get a fair number of volunteer medical technicians and interviewers from colleges and universities. We'll need to be careful with them, of course." "How are ... ow! the budget numbers looking?" he asked. "Bedauxron, sinjoro," Ilse apologized, but she continued working. "Over twelve months we're looking at three point seven million dollars in total expenditures," Sara replied, "You told us to get quality cheap, but not to skimp on the quality." "I did," he acknowledged, "The security company will be nice to have around, and we ought to be able to earn a little with it. The aid agency, well ... some things you can't put a price on." "Redemption," Sara stated. He knew her opinion on this matter and restating it wouldn't serve any purpose. Robert tried to shrug, but Ilse had her fingers dug into his shoulders and he winced and, with an effort, relaxed. "Technical support?" he asked. "We went with locals," Sara replied, "They lack the same depth of skill the Indians can bring to the table, but you said you wanted to employ Belizeans if possible." "I did," he repeated, "Especially since I'm going to have to go to the Minister of Home Affairs and beg to be allowed to have ... how many?" "Four hundred and ninety-six," Sara stated. "Five hundred Sri Lankans immigrate. It would be nice to be able to say that I'm creating jobs for Belizeans as well. Is dinner set up?" he asked Ilse. "Jes, sinjoro," Ilse replied, "Marie came down from the villa to supervise the kitchen. Sonia sent Wei to meet the Minister in Punta Gorda. He has already spoken with the Alcalde and Constable Fortin by telephone." "How long do we have?" he asked. "A little under an hour, sinjoro," Ilse replied. "Good," Robert commented. He rolled over onto his back, dumping Ilse on the bed next to him. He took hold of her pony-tail and pulled her head over his crotch. She brought her hands and her mouth to his cock and began to fellate him; massage was not the only skill she had been taught. _______________________________________________________ Robert had decided not to shock the Minister, so Ilse was fully clothed when she greeted him at the door. She led him through the living room and out onto the balcony. Robert and Sara were waiting for him. "Welcome, Minister," Robert said as he stepped forward and offered his hand, "I appreciate your kindness in finding time to meet with me." The Minister took his hand and grasped it firmly. He was an almost comically tall man with a relaxed demeanor heightened by wearing the open collar white shirt that was the de facto uniform of Belizean civil servants. "I could hardly pass up the opportunity to meet with one of our more colorful citizens," he responded in a deep voice, "There are so many tales about you floating around and, of course, your request is somewhat unusual." "I hope to address any concerns you might have," Robert told him, "But would you like a drink before we begin?" "Some rum, please. No ice." "At once, sir," Ilse replied and went back into the house. "How may I put your mind at ease, Minister?" Robert asked as he sat down and gestured for the Minister to sit in the chair across from him. Sara walked over to stand behind and to the right of the Minister. "The stories I hear are mostly good; which is to say, they turn out well in the end. You are liked by the Alcalde. He tells me that you have funded improvements to several schools, here and in other villages. You have scholarships for good students. Aid packages for families that have trouble meeting the uniform and school supply requirements. I've met with the doctor who runs your clinic and he tells me good things about improved access to medical care. The police in Belize City speak very approvingly of you, although they won't say why. Not officially. Your local constable speaks highly of you. He likes having volunteers to help with the interlopers from Guatemala. He also likes his 'consulting fees'. The Army, I am assured by the Minister of Defence, has a cordial relationship with you. The Mennonites strongly disapprove of you, but they note that God sometimes uses strange tools and that they pray for you. The Russian Mafia dislikes you, but they no longer operate in Belize. You are very much disliked by some members of Parliament. I know those members and I am familiar with the stories about them. And you have almost nothing to do with the expatriate community," the Minister concluded. "In short, Mister Taliaferro, you have the right friends and the right enemies." He paused as Ilse returned with a glass of rum and sat it down next to him. "Thank you," he told her as she walked over to stand behind and to the left of Robert. "But I am concerned about bringing in five-hundred mercenaries. A force that size could create a good deal of trouble." Robert nodded his understanding. "A few dozen African fighting men is one thing, but this something else altogether," he said. The Minister nodded. "I understand. To begin with, it's only a hundred and forty mercenaries. The rest of the people are their families. They wish to settle here because they're tired of living in a war zone. I plan to settle them here in Toledo province. Most of them will live back in the Mayas on land near my villa. Many of them will go right back to farming. Some of them will provide the core for an international security corporation. In this day and age 'security corporation' is a thin euphemism for 'mercenary company'. I won't try to convince you otherwise. But I believe that the presence of this corporation will accrue benefits to our country." "Forgive me for interrupting," the Minister said, "But you just said 'our' country. Do you truly consider yourself a citizen of Belize?" "I do. I took an oath that I intend to live by." "And your American citizenship?" "You know, of course, that I'm a wanted man in America. My American citizenship hardly matters. Nor does my French citizenship." "But if that changed," the Minister pursued, "If you were welcome in America?" "How would I prioritize my allegiances? America would come first, Minister. But I will never commit an act of treachery against Belize. If I were in a situation where that became necessary I would renounce my Belizean citizenship and leave the country." The Minister considered him carefully, eyes narrowing, before nodding. "You were saying about benefits?" "One, Belize will have access to trained soldiers without paying any of the costs of upkeep. More, those soldiers will be acquiring field experience and bringing money into the Belizean economy. Two, the corporation will create jobs for Belizeans. We will need to supplement our personnel and can do so just as easily from the local labor pool. This will create a pool of experienced veterans that you can draw on at need. It also provides an opportunity for Belizean officers and men to gain experience overseas, again, not at taxpayer expense. These men will also serve as a check on the corporation. Our government will have eyes and ears inside the corporation at all levels. And not all of the jobs will be direct. A great deal of ancillary support is required by a security company fielding troops. Uniforms and equipment must be purchased and maintained. Records must be kept. Buildings must be built and maintained. The import tax will encourage us to purchase locally as much as possible." "And these men would, as loyal citizens, volunteer some of their time to assist in patrolling the border?" "If accompanied by law enforcement personnel, yes," Robert replied. "And your off the books activities?" "Minimal, and absolutely nothing detrimental to the nation. There will be absolutely no gun-running. I will engage in some off the books activity outside of Belize, but I really am putting together a security company. I have no intention of fielding a force capable of fighting in a direct conflict. It takes a different kind of training and the troops are hell to control when they aren't actually fighting. Most of my employees will be like policemen with rifles." "This is good to hear," said the Minister, "Your references do you credit. The Prime Minister was concerned that we would be creating a situation where the government might be overthrown. I confess that I am not convinced that your plan does not pose that threat. But the checks you are outlining are sufficient to put my mind somewhat at ease. I'll approve the immigration." "Thank you, Minister. Shall we eat now?" "By all means." Robert tilted his head, pointing towards the kitchen with his chin. Sara and Ilse both walked into the house to get the food. "I hope you don't mind eating on the balcony," Robert said, "I take most of my meals in my room, and those that I don't I take in the kitchen with the rest of my staff." "I don't mind in the least. You have a nice view of the village here." "I like it." Sara and Ilse returned to the balcony with trays of food that they unloaded onto the table. "These are two of my staff," Robert said, "Sara has been with me the longest and is, effectively, my chief of staff. She joined me here in Belize shortly after I arrived. Ilse is a new member of my staff, a native Belizean." "A pleasure to meet you both," the Minister said, "Are you one of the girls from The Anaconda, Ilse?" "Yes, Minister." "Forgive me if I'm being too curious, but there are stories about you and your staff ..." "My slaves you mean?" Robert smiled. "Yes." "You're talking to them. Two of them anyway. Sonia is in Belmopan on an errand at the moment." The Minister looked at the two women in unabashed curiosity. "Truly?" Robert chuckled. "Take your dresses off ladies," he told them. "Jes, sinjoro," they replied and pulled the dresses over their heads. Sara stood next to Robert in a white silk thong. Ilse remained next to the Minister wearing a black silk thong and matching bra. "How, exactly, are these women your slaves?" "In the strictest sense of the word, they aren't. It would be better to call them submissives. They have voluntarily submitted themselves to my control. They're free to go at any time, if they choose to do so," Robert explained. "I'm at a loss to understand this," the Minister admitted, "Just how far does your control go?" "Iru al via genoj, Ilse, kaj manipulu vin." Robert said. "Jes, sinjoro," Ilse replied and stepped past the table to a spot where Robert and the Minister could both see her. Facing away from them she lowered herself to her knees and placed her forehead to the ground. Reaching back between her legs she began to slowly rub herself through the black silk of her thong. The Minister swallowed. "And if you ordered her to have sex with me?" "She would." Robert paused. "But I won't. For two reasons. First, that would violate the trust Ilse has given me. This relationship has commitments that flow in both directions. If Sonia was here I would be more amenable, Sonia would be very excited by that prospect. The second reason I won't do that is because if you're the type of man that expects people to provide him with access to sex, I don't want to associate with you. Even if that means the understanding we just reached becomes null and void," Robert stated. The Minister nodded. "The temptation is there, I assure you, but I would far rather keep this on a friendly level. You've made your point," the Minister said. "Give her a few minutes, Minister, enjoy the show. Ilse is not excited by the prospect of sex with strangers, but she is something of an exhibitionist. And this is good training for her." They watched in silence, sipping at their drinks, as Ilse masturbated before them. Her hand described a circle upon her mons, slowly decreasing in radius as her hand sped up. She moaned as she began to pant and gyrate her hips. She came in a series of satisfied groans of pleasure and her hands pressed hard against her sex, ceasing in their circling. Then she began the process again. "Suficxa, Ilse," Robert laughed, "Bona laboro, sklavineto. Puru via manoj kaj iru cxi." "Jes, sinjoro. Dankon," Ilse replied as she rose to her feet. She flashed a smile at the Minister as she walked into the living room. Robert began spooning food onto his plate. "Please try the fish, Minister, that's from our farm." The Minister shook his head to clear the cobwebs and returned his gaze to Robert and then to Sara. "Why?" he asked. "It's difficult to explain, Minister," Sara replied, "In my case I went through a very traumatic experience. My brain, and my body, simply isn't wired for pleasure in the way that most people are. The usual method of treating something like this involves slowly returning the body to standard. Success rates vary. I chose, instead, to embrace my new feelings. I was fortunate enough to know someone I could trust not to take undue advantage of the situation, Mastro Robert. "Ilse is similar to me in this regard. We also have developed a dependence upon Mastro Robert. Deep down, at a level that isn't rational, we both associate his presence with safety. When we are separated from him we become anxious and irritable. We feel that the world is about to attack us. There are differences, of course. I prefer rough sex and really I'm not tremendously excited by exhibitionism. Ilse likes her sex tender and she's infatuated with being able to be a sexual creature in front of people. Not to the same degree as Sonia, though. "Sonia is ... absolutely in love with the idea of submission. She has totally abandoned the general societal standards of behavior and she's exploring her sexuality to find new standards. As Mastro Robert said, she probably would have begged to have sex with you after you asked your question. We keep her on a short leash, both figuratively and literally." "Which is part of our relationship," Robert elaborated, "Sonia knows that we won't let her jump off a building, or fall off a building for that matter. So she feels free to walk around the ledge of a tall building. Ilse knows that I won't order her to have sex with strangers, so she feels at ease masturbating in front of one. It makes a certain kind of sense, and it works." After a moment of thought the Minister laughed. "I just have deal with simple affairs of state," he told them, "Not complex personal relationships. You're not hurting anyone and, whatever you choose to call your relationship, you're not coercing anyone. That's enough." He reached over to the plate and took a bite of the grilled fish, chewing appreciatively. "That's delicious. Farm grown you said?" "Yes," Robert replied, "The aqua-culture facilities are coming along nicely and they should help to relieve pressure on the fisheries. Sonia has a plan to incorporate the business and open it up to small investors. Groups of village fishermen will be able to invest in the corporation and get access to pens. They can decide which fish to grow, when to harvest, etc ... In this manner the corporation will remain moderately profitable without putting Belizeans out of work. The diversity of fish crops will help to keep the price of fish from dropping too far and somewhat mitigates the risk of disease wiping out an entire crop."