by Eliza Master
“Hey, there,” Nima said shyly. “I like your negligée.”
Dmitri looped his arm through Renata’s. “See that?” he asked her, pointing to a row of doors. They were each painted with vintage pin-up girls in swimsuits. Before they walked away, Renata watched Nima caress the shoulder of the woman who had welcomed her.
Dmitri tried one of the doors, but it was locked. Renata heard a moaning from inside. The door had a clear window in it, and Renata peered inside. A man was fucking a woman from behind in a standing position. She was supporting herself on the bed, crying out like a cat. As if they sensed her, both partners looked at the door and saw Renata watching. Being observed seemed to make them fuck harder. She watched for a moment more, getting wet.
The next door was free, and Dmitri led her inside. It was a clean room with a high bed covered by a velvet quilt. The place was decorated in a Paris theme. On one wall was a mural of the Eiffel tower, and there was a plaque that said Je t’aime over the bed.
Renata climbed onto the mattress and leaned into the pillows. Dmitri followed her and pressed his lips onto her hand. Renata giggled. Dmitri was a man of contrasts. He was a shibari master who tied up people sexually, but now he was acting like a he was courting her even though they both knew what was going to happen next.
She straddled Dmitri and asked, “This okay?” Slowly she unbuckled his belt, undid his button, and lowered his zipper. He had on white briefs, and Renata saw that he was nice and hard under them. She used one finger to stroke him as he sat inert and smiling. His chest was rising and falling faster, the only sign of his excitement. Dmitri was all about self-control, Renata knew. Then again, she was most comfortable in control as well. Plus Renata loved to have men on super edge; it was a big turn on.
She kept stroking Dmitri though his underwear as he maintained control by not moving any other muscles. So was this a challenge? Renata hoped so. She reached into her bag and grabbed the blue silk rope she had used to make her show jewelry. She slipped off her leggings but left on her thong. It was a lacy magenta one that matched her bra. Then she climbed back on top of Dmitri.
Reaching around his waist, she looped the silk around his back and hers to tie them together with a simple slipknot. Then she reached into the back of his pants and ran the doubled rope down his butt crack and under his balls, and pulled the ends forward. She put the rope between her legs and behind her, up her own booty crack. Next Renata separated the ends over her hips and down into the creases of her triangle. The rope was almost used up, so she made two loops one around each thigh and secured the ends with square knots.
“Now we’re tied.”
“Yes, we are,” said Dmitri, not making any move to take over.
Renata lowered the elastic of his briefs and used her whole hand to caress his dick. She felt him harden even more and watched the smile leave his face. His left hand rested on her leg and she felt him clench. She stopped rubbing him and began tickling the head of his penis with one hand, while flattening his tensing hand with hers. She could tell he was struggling to not give in to sound or movement. This is fun, thought Renata.
“Do I win?” she asked.
“I didn’t know it was a game,” said Dmitri, laughing. “But yes, you win.”
Victorious, Renata scooped her thong to the side and eased his ripe member inside. Then she was riding him, watching the pretty rope bend and stretch with her dance. Dmitri was moaning now. His sounds were deep and foreign. Was this how all Russians responded to sex? wondered Renata. She almost teased him, but instead shut her eyes to concentrate on the feeling that was rising within her. Her hair had come loose, and it draped over Dmitri’s face.
There was a slight sound from behind her and Renata saw a pair of eyes looking at them though the door’s window. She wanted to put something over it for privacy, but she was tied to Dmitri. Also she was fucking him and didn’t want to stop. Now she saw the whole face of a man watching from outside. She found it was turning her on to be watched, and she kept pounding the mattress. Thunk, thunk thunk; the bed frame was bouncing. She was humping faster and faster.
“Ahhh! O, my god! Yes!” Renata cried out. Just as her orgasm ended, Dmitri moaned something foreign, cumming too. She glanced at the door and saw her voyeur depart.
“Shall I untie you?”
“Yes, please.” Dmitri was back in formal mode, as he slipped out from inside her. She rewound her pretty silk and got back into her leggings. They left the room and went to find Nima.
She was on the bed fully dressed, chatting with the other woman when Renata walked up. “Ready to go?”
“Just waiting for you two.”
32
Genesis
Renata was regretting that she had decided to stay with Adam’s father even though his house was very comfortable. She remembered the pass he had made at her, if that’s what it had been, and hoped he would be asleep when they returned.
Luckily, the house was quiet as she let herself in and slipped upstairs. She was relieved until she saw that her bedroom door was ajar. On the bed was a business card. She was sure she hadn’t left it there herself. The card read Genesis and had the address of the lab Jeff had told her about. Was it possible that he hadn’t been making a move on her, but was just worried about her and the REN? The card must have been left there for her by him.
She did a quick online search for Genesis and saw that it was only eight blocks away. Since she couldn’t sleep anyway, she put her shoes back on for the short walk. It was a full moon, and the light shone on the cobblestone streets. Renata used her phone for navigation, and soon she was standing in front of a gold embossed sign that said Genesis. The ground floor was dark, but the second floor was fully lit.
Boldly Renata put her hand on the doorknob and twisted, but it was locked. She heard a sound. Was it a rat scuttling in the alley next to the building? Or was it a sniffle? She peered down the alley and saw a woman crumpled against the wall. She was crying onto her knees in soft but shrill bursts. The moonlight reflected off white buttons down the front of a clean dress.
“Are you okay?” Renata approached the woman.
She lifted her head and glared at Renata. Her face was swollen, and fresh tears rained down her broad cheeks. “No, not okay, no, no, no.” Then she began to sob and speak in an Asian language.
“Do you speak English? What’s wrong?” asked Renata.
“They take her, the men. Maybe they hurt her,” answered the woman with a heavy accent. “Please help me.” She got up from the wall and grabbed Renata’s wrist. “They stole her, they hurt her.” She sobbed harder.
“Can I walk you home?” Renata asked. Maybe the woman was lost or mentally ill.
“To Beijing? I want to go home, but not without Liwei.” As the woman calmed down, her English was easier to understand.
“Liwei? Who is Liwei?”
“Liwei is my baby; my little girl.”
“Where is she?” Asked Renata.
“The white men have her. In there.” She pointed to the lit windows on the second floor of Genesis.
“Up there? Why?”
“They cut her. Say I am good, but she is better.” More tears rushed out. “They gave me this” – it was a voucher for the Crowne Plaza hotel. “They paid a taxi, but I told the driver to come back here. They took me from my house in Shanghai. And my baby inside.” She pointed at Genesis again. “Maybe she is already dead!”
Jeff had told her that Genesis was into genetic manipulations of some kind, with other REN proteins. Could he have suspected that they were stealing DNA from other people, like Fitzer? But to experiment on someone’s child was way beyond decent. Of course, there was always the chance that this woman was crazy.
“Why don’t I bring you to where I’m staying?” suggested Renata. There was plenty of room at Jeff’s house, and at the minimum she could offer her a warm night. In the morning she could talk to Jeff and do some more investigating. Or bring the woman to the Chinese embassy.
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br /> “I can’t leave Liwei. Maybe they take her far away. I have to guard her.”
“You’re… sure your baby is in there?”
“YES!” She roared the word angrily, as if it were Renata’s fault.
“Okay, okay. I understand. I’ll come back tomorrow, when it’s light.” On an impulse Renata pulled the woman in for a warm hug. She felt fragile, and was almost a foot shorter.
“Thank you. I… my name is Chen. Lanying Chen.”
“Renata.” She caressed Lanying’s back before releasing her.
With purpose, Renata marched back through the neighborhood to Jeff’s house. Her sense of direction brought her straight back to the big house. Morning light already illuminated the rooms, and Renata tramped into Nima’s room.
“What’s up, girl?” she asked Renata. A pillow fell to the floor, and Nima kicked down her blanket.
“I don’t know what to think.” Renata sat on the bed and grabbed her friend’s hand. Then she told her about Genesis and finding the crying Chinese woman.
“Could it be true? Or do you think she’s crazy? Or am I, for believing her?” Renata whined. She had been up all night, and was wired and upset.
“Trust yourself, Renata.” Nima squeezed her hand. “After what they did to you, anything is possible. But to take a baby! That’s awful. Maybe… too awful? It’s hard to believe something like that could happen.”
Nima sat up. “Well, let’s find out if it’s true. We can just go over there and ask! I mean in the morning, during regular business hours. For now, there’s nothing you can do. Take a shower, calm down and pull yourself together, and we’ll go back when they’re open. You probably have time for a few hours of rest, too.”
Renata was still in the black leggings and her top from the show, and noted that she smelled like sex; sex with Dmitri. The image of his head thrown back as he came sent a thrill up her spine. Nima was right, she did need a shower and a nap.
After cleaning up, Renata lay on her bed thinking. Was the world full with horrible people that experimented on innocents? She remembered stories she’d heard about Hitler. How he had cut up children, and many had died. Awful people were still around, that was for sure. An hour had passed, and she still hadn’t slept. The sun had risen and flooded her room.
When her phone said it was nearly 8:30 am, Renata marched into Nima’s room. “We have to go now.”
“Okay, girlfriend, show me the way.” Nima rolled her eyes. Obviously she wasn’t taking the expedition as seriously as Renata.
“You don’t have to come.”
“I’m coming. I got your back, even if you are being a little crazy.” She sighed. “But can we stop for coffee on the way?”
“Okay,’ said Renata reluctantly. The streets were chaotic, with bikes crowding out the cars and pedestrians. “Whoa,” Renata gasped as one almost hit her. The guy riding it looked back and smiled like he’d done it on purpose.
They paused in front of a coffee cart and got a shot of espresso each. Then they walked to Genesis.
Checking the alley, she saw that Lanying was seated against the wall where Renata had found her last night. Renata was more determined than ever to find out if her story were true. This time, Lanying was gently snoring into her lap.
The movement woke Lanying, and she bolted to standing. When she recognized Renata, said, “We go now?”
“Yes. We’re here to help you.” Renata placed a hand on her shoulder. “This is my friend Nima.” She reached out a hand to Lanying. They walked to the front of the building. Someone had put on lights inside. Renata tried the knob again, and this time it was unlocked.
33
On Their Way
The cops with Abramo were strong and well trained. His only worry was that they were young, and none of them had ever been outside of Brazil. He had flown them on a red eye and told them to be prepared, that they would go right away to the location. Hopefully they wouldn’t freeze up or get confused because they couldn’t speak the language. Also they would stand out with their dark skin and Brazilian military garb, but there hadn’t been time to buy anything else. For safety, they were all wearing bulletproof vests.
“Wake up.” Abramo nudged his seatmate, Antonio.
“I’m awake,” he replied wiping the sleep from his eyes. The flight was about to land, and Abramo had arranged a van to take them to Robert, who was at a lab in the city center. Abramo’s friend from Homeland Security had tracked him there.
“Prepare for landing,” said the intercom. Abramo checked on his men and saw that they were alert and ready.
He let out a big sigh, hoping none of them would be hurt in Amsterdam.
34
Inside the Laboratory
The large room was quiet, with a staircase in the back. There were long tables set with microscopes and other small machines that divided the space. Everything was very clean, except for a strong chemical smell, which Renata couldn’t identify.
“Should we go upstairs?” Nima whispered, pointing. There was no one around in the room where they were, but they could hear voices.
“ Yes, but be quiet.” Lanying was starting to cry.
“You stay down here,” Renata told Lanying, who sat in an office chair. It squeaked as she sat down. “Keep quiet,” she warned, as she pulled Nima over to the stairs. The voices were louder from here, but Renata still couldn’t make out the words.
“Let’s do this,” said Nima. She was smiling and not at all afraid, which was reassuring. Nima started up the stairs quickly, with Renata close behind. She had to force her legs to move, but was determined not to let fear deter her. Upstairs there was an empty reception desk with two doors behind it. One was open a few inches.
“So I understand that these proteins are solvent, but are there enough of them? Can we reproduce them?” It was English, a man, and the voice was vaguely familiar. It was coming from the open door.
“We have a few different methods for reproduction, but we need at least two liters of blood for the research,” another man replied. Then there was another sound, like an animal grunting.
“What should we do?” Renata asked Nima.
“We gotta go in and see what’s going on. It’s the only way.”
Renata wished she had her gun or bullet-proof vest. But chances were it was only scientists talking, and she could have a look inside before getting escorted out. Then she could perhaps determine if Lanying had been telling the truth.
They quietly approached the door, and Nima stepped into the room with Renata right behind her. Renata gasped when she saw the incubator in the center of the room. Inside was a naked Chinese girl baby, with her tiny arms and legs strapped down. Her eyes were vacant and she was whining softly. There was an IV stand connected to a needle in her arm. The blood bag hung barely full, with the tube dripping into it every few seconds.
Robert Johnson made a grab for Nima who was closer to him.
“Get off of me, you fuck,” she yelled. “Renata!”
Impulsively Renata reached for her gun, which wasn’t there, so she stepped toward Robert threateningly.
“Well, hello, Renata. Fancy meeting you here.” Robert pulled Nima closer and put his arm around her neck in a vise grip. Then he yanked out a gun and held it to Nima’s head. “Don’t come any closer, if you like your pretty friend.” His teeth glistened as he spoke.
“Okay, okay. “Renata raised her hands. Meanwhile the other scientist had backed into a corner. He looked faint. She scolded herself again for coming without a weapon. If anything happened to Nima, it would be her fault. “Let’s all calm down and talk about this.” Maybe she could reason with him.
Just then the door swung open and banged against the wall behind it. Robert fired, and Renata watched in horror as Lanying drooped to the floor. Blood poured out of her ear into a crimson pool.
“Oh, my god!” screeched Nima. She tried to wriggle out of Robert’s grip, but he tightened his arm and put the gun back to her head.
“Sit there!” Robert gestured to a chair near the other man.
Renata did as she was told. Obviously Robert wasn’t playing around. Lanying was dead, and anyone could be next. Everything got very quiet. Renata’s heart was pounding, and the baby was still whining.
“Ugh.” The scientist groaned next to Renata. His hands shook at his sides. Then there was sound of trickling water; all eyes watched a puddle form around his shoes.
“Jan, it’s all right. Everything will be fine.” Robert sounded calm and rational.
Renata tried negotiating. “We really don’t care what’s going on here. We’re only in town for a performance, nothing more. If you let us go, we’ll leave Amsterdam tomorrow. We don’t even know that woman.” Renata nodded at Lanying on the floor. The blood puddle underneath her had grown. She was glad Nima had her back to the door. Renata was worried she would pass out if she saw the body, and then she would have to save her friend while she was unconscious. Maybe she should rush Robert and try to free Nima? Or maybe the scientist would help.
Words were her only weapon. “Or I could help.” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “Let Nima go and you can have all the REN you want, right here.” She pulled up her sleeve and offered the underside of her arm. Robert’s face softened. Renata remembered that he had muttered something about waiting so long for her when they had fucked in his hotel room. “Or we can let these two go, and the two of us can talk privately.” Renata stretched her collar down and used her hand to circle her own breast.
“Put your hands down!” Robert shouted. Nima’s eyes were bulging.
“You’re hurting her!” Renata stood and shouted.
“See this little girl?”
Renata watched him squeeze the trigger of the gun ever so slightly. Nima’s face was pinched shut. Then he removed his pointer finger and made a stroking motion with it. “If you don’t do what I say, she’ll be lined up with the Chinese bitch, and I will still get what I want.”
