by Beth Klein
It was a one in a thousand chance that was, unless you’d been trained for just such a situation.
Jake’s hands worked quickly, isolating the wires that he wanted, stripping the thin plastic sheathing and connecting the bypass equipment that he had brought with him, clipping it neatly to the exposed wires beneath. First job was the security cameras, then he could move on to the more sensitive elements that needed his attention. He counted slowly from one to ten and the little device that he had attached to the wire hummed and whirred quietly.
When he had recorded enough of the existing camera feed, showing nothing but empty rooms and abandoned corridors, he flicked the switch on the device and set it to play. As far as the security guards were concerned they would see a safe and secure facility and could go on listening to the radio, reading the paper, or watching the television. In reality, the recording would perpetuate in a never-ending ten-second loop that would play out over the monitors and conceal the fact that Jake was in fact making his way stealthily through the building, heading closer and closer to Frazer Martin’s office.
Satisfied that the CCTV had been dealt with, Jake turned his attention to another coil of wires and set about deactivating the motion detectors and security lights. This was far more straight-forward. As long as there was no secondary alarm system that would indicate the presence of anyone tampering with them, he could deal with them without the need for any complicated equipment at all. He traced the wire from its source to its final connection point and found nothing that would indicate the presence of a secondary circuit. Satisfied, he steadied his hand and delicately clipped the wire, the ends glinting their outrage in the dim glow of his pencil light torch beam. Two down, one to go!
That took care of the security measures, now he needed to secure his access to the building. He had considered utilizing the buildings expansive ventilation system, but he was a big man and as roomy as the central ducting appeared to be, he doubted whether it would be that roomy! He had also considered gaining access via the windows, but had quickly dismissed this as well. They were large and modern, but they were controlled by a central BMS, or Building Management System. Activators opened and closed the windows dependent on the temperature registered by the internal heat sensors that operated within every room of the building. This ensured that a pleasant overall ambient temperature could be maintained without the occupants ever having to do anything.
Unfortunately, even though the system was easy enough to bypass, the actuators were difficult to dislodge and only allowed the windows to open a maximum of four inches. He had neither the equipment nor the time to waste trying to gain entry in this manner. He was pushed for time, carried the bare minimum of equipment and the next security patrol was due in a little over four minutes and thirty six seconds. It was risky, but he had no choice but to take the direct route and enter the building via the fire door in the Western elevation.
This was the most well hidden façade and as such, the door remained largely obscured from anyone that wasn’t actually making a real effort to find it. The risk was simply one associated with the diligence and professionalism of the rent-a-cops. As soon as he clipped the relevant wire, the magnetic lock holding the door in place would be disabled. It would to all intents and purposes look exactly the same as it had before. However if you tried, it would swing open effortlessly, before returning to its former position. Jake could cut the wire, enter through the door, close it behind him and continue on his way, but if the patrolling security officer actually tried the door to make sure that it was locked, the electrical failure would be discovered and he would be undone.
Jake took a deep breath, decided that he had no choice and clipped the wire carefully. That done, he closed the electrical cupboard door so that it appeared never to have been disturbed and concealed the secret invasion that had only recently taken place. He would have to disguise the damage done to the clipped wires when he left the building so that his presence went completely unnoticed, but he would have to deal with that later. He looked at his watch…two minutes and twenty-four seconds.
Without a sound, he pulled open the fire door and slipped inside, crouching behind the balustrade and watching the door intently. One minute and fourteen seconds. This would normally have been an unacceptable risk, but Jake had no choice and he tried to comfort himself as best he could.
“Minimum wage…However proud of your work you are, you’re not going to be super-cop if you’re only getting minimum wage. Besides, there’s a big game on tonight and any rent-a-cop worth his salt will be desperate to get back to his portable television set and avoid missing a key pass or a critical play.”
Did he believe in what he was saying? He wasn’t sure and it certainly wasn’t offering him any kind of comfort.
He supposed that if the guard did discover the failure of the door, he could be outside, drawing a knife across his throat before he had time to call it in. He had done it countless times before and knew for certain that he was still capable of just such a move. But he also knew with absolute certainty that he would never take that option.
He wasn’t in the military anymore. While less than a year ago he would have been given a medal, now he would be given a murder term and banged up for life. Besides, they might be nothing more than sad little cop wannabe’s, but that was hardly sufficient reason to end their lives. Had they been lawyers on the other hand, then that was an entirely different ballgame and he wasn’t sure that there was a court in the land that would have pressed charges if he culled one of their numbers!
A light appeared in the distance as the security guard rounded the corner and played his flashlight over the building and surrounding foliage.
Eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…
He was level with the door, but instead of continuing his patrol he stopped. Slowly, he scanned the grounds and then the building and the fire lobby itself. Jake held his breath, adrenaline racing through every pore in his body.
“Move on…move on…move on,” he willed the guard in an almost silent chant. “Keep going, buddy. We’ve both got business to attend to and no one has to get hurt if we’re all sensible.”
For an instant the guard made as if he was going to reach for the door handle, then he seemed to think better of it and resumed the steady pace that he used to patrol the perimeter. Jake let out his breath and felt a relief that was almost palpable.
He was in.
* * *
Goulding was enthused with his new found pride and patriotism and when he knocked quietly on Charlotte’s door. His excitement at the prospect of their coupling was bolstered with the sense of elation that coursed through his veins.
“Who is it?” she called out and the sound of her sweet voice made his heart skip a beat.
“It’s me…Bill,” he said in a tremulous whisper.
In less than a second, the door had been swung open and he had slipped inside.
Charlotte greeted him with a passionate kiss, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly as he struggled to close the door behind him. When they eventually parted, she stared up at him with wanton infatuation.
“Hello, you,” she purred. “I’d begun to think that you weren’t coming.”
Countless smutty responses crossed his mind, but none of them seemed quite appropriate.
“Sorry, I just got caught up. I think I had something of an epiphany and lost myself in the magnitude of it all.”
“Well, that sounds pretty serious,” she grinned and began to loosen his tie and slide his jacket from his shoulders. “Do you want to talk about it?”
For a second Goulding considered tearing off her clothes and devouring her there and then, but with a great deal of effort he managed to restrain himself.
“I guess it’s taken a while, but I finally realized that being the President of the United States of America is about more than just votes and power. It’s about being the elected representative for countless millions of people and t
he responsibility I have to those people is pretty daunting.”
“Yes it is Bill. It’s a huge responsibility, but I can’t think of anyone that is more capable of safeguarding the needs of the common man than you.”
With his jacket and tie lying in a heap on the floor, she began to work at the buttons of his shirt.
“You’ll make a great President, but there is a time and a place for everything and even the elected President of the United States of America needs some down time.”
He looked down at her, torn between passion and responsibility.
“But there are so many of them...so much to do. How will I ever be able to find the time to help each and every one of them?”
“You’ll find a way, Bill. All you need to do is take it one step at a time, address the needs of each individual in turn and see how you go. You can make a start right now if you like. I know a certain voting tax-payer that has some very specific wants and needs that only you can get to grips with.”
She kissed him again and taking his hand, led him towards the bedroom.
“I guess you’re right Charlie. My country needs me, but so do you and there are definitely a couple of things that I’ve been dying to take in hand ever since we left this morning.”
She smiled at him and instantly all of his internal conflicts galvanized into a single purpose.
* * *
She was laughing—at one of his jokes! What’s more she looked as if she was genuinely enjoying his company! This charming, beautiful woman had deliberately chosen to spend her evening in his company. Brian Kennedy felt like pinching himself to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming.
“So, Melanie,” said Brian with a confidence and swagger that he didn’t realize he was capable of. “You now know all about my sorry little life. How about you tell me something about you? What about telling me what you do for a living?”
“There’s nothing to know. But you really shouldn’t be such a downer on yourself. Work’ll pick up, I’m sure of it. Real talent shines through and no one can ignore true quality for very long. I’m positive that before you know it you’ll be selling your work regularly and who knows, you might even get your own column.”
Brian took another sip of the expensive champagne that his companion had ordered and realized that he was more than a little light-headed.
“A column! I’m flattered Melanie, I really am. But I’m light years away from being serialized, especially considering the fact that I don’t even have a regular gig at the minute. Besides, who in their right mind would want to read it?”
Melanie took a sip of her own champagne and looked into Brian’s eyes.
“Brian, I’d be VERY interested in studying your column. Perhaps I could cast an eye over it and see if it wets the…‘appetite’?”
Champagne or not, Brian had to fight hard not to spit the mouthful of wine across the bar. Surely, he had misheard her. After all, he wasn’t exactly an authority on small talk and euphemisms, and no one had ever tried to seduce him before.
“Excuse me?” he choked in response.
“You heard me right honey. While I’m certain that your current work situation will improve real soon, I’m not really all that interested.”
“Oh…” said Brian a little sulkily.
“I’m not really interested,” she continued, ignoring his pout and hurt look. “Because I’d much rather we stopped talking, went back to my hotel room and you let me show you exactly how a man like you ought to be treated.”
Brian’s mouth hung open and he could only stare at the vision of loveliness that sat before him. Slowly he reached down and pinched himself hard. The pain was sharp and immediate and yet he still had a hard time believing that he wasn’t dreaming. Melanie licked her lips and lent closer and closer to him and he froze, completely unsure what to do. She brushed her lips over his neck and trailed kisses up and over his chin. Her close proximity and warm, sweet breath were intoxicating and Brian felt himself harden almost instantly.
When she pulled gently at his earlobe with her teeth and nuzzled his ear with her exquisitely beautiful nose, he thought he was going to burst through his pants. Knowing almost instinctively the effect that she was having on her man, Melanie reached down and began to rub the straining bulge through the denim. At the same time, she whispered into his ear.
“Brian, I want to take you back to my hotel and suck that big cock of yours until you beg me to stop. When you’ve had enough of that, I want you to bend me over and fuck me hard and fast so that I can’t walk for a week after we’re done. Does that sound good to you? Or shall we keep talking about the difficulties of getting published?”
Without waiting for a response, Melanie stood up and taking Brian’s hand, led him from the bar. He no longer cared if he was dreaming or not, this was the best night of his life and he was going to see where it could still take him. As she hailed a taxi, Brian was dimly aware that he never had found out what she did for a living, but realized that he no longer cared.
* * *
With a final flourish, Jake hit the ‘return’ key and Frazer Martin’s computer hummed into life. His office door had been secured with a simple lock, which had proven to be a minor hindrance at best, and his computer password had also been straightforward. Jake was just thinking how incredibly simple this was proving to be when the monitor screen blinked on and the illuminating glow filled the room. He winced and knew that the glow would be clearly visible through the glass panel in Martin’s door, but knew that it couldn’t be helped. Instead, he bent to the task at hand, deciding that if he was unable to affect the light, he could at least minimize the amount of time he had to be in the building.
His fingers were a blur as he navigated through password screens, miscellaneous folders, drop-down menus and document titles. In little over nine minutes, he had located all of the information that he wanted. Frazer Martin obviously had a sense of humor and labeled the first file, ‘Gouldmine’! Funny maybe, but not exactly subtle and it had only taken a cursory glance at the contents for Jake to realize that this was the information that had the potential to sink his boss. As far as the information that incriminated Larry Ackermann, Arthur Deane and Frazer Martin was concerned, Jake had a hard time choosing. Almost every file contained dodgy dealings of some description.
He chose six files at random and whistled silently: tax evasion, extortion, coercion, blackmail and even the suggestion that they had organized the permanent disappearance of a particularly difficult business partner. If this information got into the wrong hands, it would sink Quest Realtors overnight and see each of its directors facing a seriously lengthy jail term. Good thing that this was precisely what he was planning to do! Happy with his selection, he inserted the memory stick and copied the seven files, willing the download to finish as he watched the bar move slowly from left to right.
5% complete…..14% complete…..31% complete…..46% complete…..
“Come on!” hissed Jake trying to keep his frustrations under control.
68% complete…..82% complete…..97% complete…..
The scrolling bar disappeared and was replaced by an altogether more satisfying message.
Download Complete
“About fucking time,” said Jake.
* * *
He carefully removed the memory stick and zipped it into the pocket of his black combat pants, before again turning his attention to the computer. Having already made a note of the company bank details, as well as those of his boss, it only took a few minutes to access the relevant databases and permanently alter the names of the initiator and recipient for each transaction. It was a good hack job, but a bit of a thin cover-up and it wouldn’t stand up to any kind of detailed scrutiny. Fortunately, it wouldn’t need to, the director’s would be far too busy saving their own asses to try and nail Gouldings, especially when they realized that their ‘evidence’ had apparently disappeared. The only other interested party was that weasel Brian Kennedy and he was also being taken ca
re of.
Satisfied that he had everything he needed, Jake shut down the computer and as the room resumed its mantel of darkness he flicked on his pencil torch beam. Now all he had to do was find the safe, steal the hard copies of the documents that Martin had shown Goulding and get the fuck out of there. Jake scanned the office and scratched his head.
“Where would you be hiding if you were a safe?” he asked himself.
* * *
As she lay on her back, Charlotte pushed her breasts together to make a deep, well-oiled ravine into which Goulding could thrust his cock. He loved the embrace and her ability to alter the pressure on his manhood depending on his instructions. She loved the fact that the steady rhythm and weight of his body was so much closer to her face and she could really appreciate the beauty of the flexing, pistoning flesh in more detail and from an entirely different angle as he fucked her. What they both loved was the fact that every time the tip of his cock emerged from the fleshy tunnel, Charlotte bent her head and caught it in her mouth. It was so much more than a blowjob, somehow filthier, more intimate and much, much more satisfying.
Every time that they were together was a new experience and Charlotte realized that not only was she learning far more about her own sexuality and individual tastes and desires, but so was Goulding. Charlotte loved the sex, but it had become apparent to both of them quite quickly that she preferred the more extreme perversions as opposed to the more safe and mundane couplings. What had surprised them both was the fact that so did Goulding. The more they tried and the more extreme their play became, the more turned on he was himself. In Charlotte he had found a perfect partner and together they were intent on exploring every conceivable facet of their particular desires.
