by Jack Porter
And from my perspective, it was a blast. An ongoing party, an endless succession of skin, breasts, pussy, and more, and if I had died in the middle of it, I would have died the happiest man on the earth.
But it wasn’t just about numbers. Wasn’t just about racking up the points for Azrael to share. It was about powering up Azrael himself, giving in the XP he needed to achieve the next level. Because it was Azrael’s strength that defined the strength of the succubi within Rachel, Sandy, Piper, and the others.
The stronger Azrael became, the stronger the demons within them.
I knew that the incubus within me was limited, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t push those limits. It didn’t mean we had to settle for somewhere below where that limit truly was.
This was about pushing that limit as hard as we could, and giving Sandy, Piper, and more the power to go full succubus, and stay there as long as they needed.
And that wasn’t the end of our plans.
The women Sandy selected, every one of them, was either associated with the Syndicate in some way or could get close to someone who was.
And not just the South End of the business, either. The whole of El Diablo was my target. It was our plan to infiltrate every level of the Syndicate, in every one of its businesses, so that when I gave the word, I could take over.
Nor was it just me putting in the effort, such as it was. Sandy did more than her share by organizing it all, but Rachel and Piper also played their part.
When I had taken over from Dario, it had been me and Piper visiting the different businesses and making threats or murdering anyone who stood in our way.
With me fully engaged in my carnal activities, Rachel took my place with Piper. Their mission was to target those Syndicate personnel Sandy and I couldn’t reach in our way, and bring them one by one to the brothel I had set up with women I’d turned.
Once there, they were given a choice. Either submit to one of the succubi there, or die.
It wasn’t a surprise how successful the persuasion tactic proved to be.
It was a mammoth task. The Syndicate was huge. We were talking thousands, tens of thousands maybe. But it was never our intention to turn them all. Just like with Dario’s men, all we needed was enough to get the job done.
So we concentrated on those in positions of authority, those who commanded the respect of their workers. Of course, we targeted the workers as well. We had to get enough of them on our side to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Nor was it just me and my first generation converts doing all the work. Sandy handed out assignments to the girls I converted as they were gathering their clothes, and every single one of those the people in our growing family of demons was put to work.
They weren’t told to tear down the Syndicate or anything like that. For this to work, we had to keep our activities hidden as long as we could. Instead, they were tasked with growing our base even more, spying in general, and finding out one key piece of information.
That key piece was how it all worked. How the hidden power behind the BDA was passed on.
Because it must have been possible. Bianca Gambetti wouldn’t be the head of the Syndicate forever. She had a seat at the table and wouldn’t want to lose it just because someone new had taken over.
It was that piece of information we needed to know. It was critical. And, by the end of a week and a half of non-stop orgy, Sandy waded through the quivering, sweaty bodies with a broad smile on her face, to tell me that we finally had it.
I was still lost in the ecstasy of the orgy, almost buried in a pile of women. But I acknowledged her with a nod and indicated that she should speak.
And she did, as if standing there in the middle of such sexual abandon was the most normal thing in the world. “An Agent must witness the transfer of power,” she said.
I paused what I was doing, ignoring the woman beneath me completely. “That’s it?” I asked.
Sandy nodded. “That’s it. It doesn’t seem to matter if that transfer of power is willing or taken by force. All that matters is that an Agent witnesses it. That transfer will then be acknowledged throughout the Establishment, and that’s all that is needed.”
Perfect, I thought.
Not easy, perhaps. But a lot more doable than half of the impossible things I had imagined. Like calling a vote between all current Establishment members, for example.
I gave Sandy my genuine thanks and then continued with what I was doing, grinning at the woman beneath me.
Finally, after nearly two weeks of continuous sex, having converted I didn’t know how many women to our cause, with most of them not even attached to a name, the stream of willing women came to an end.
I spent the following day catching up on my sleep, and then it was time to find out how it had all gone.
30
I felt complete and utterly sated, in every conceivable way. After catching up on my rest, I spent the day relaxing, completely at peace with the world and just enjoying myself. This mansion didn’t have the same class of pool that Dario’s had, but it did have a pool nevertheless, an oval one that was more designed for play then for doing laps.
And that was probably a good thing, because the way Azrael had modified me made me more dense and heavier than pretty much anyone else on the planet. I lacked the buoyancy others might have, so I spent the day sunning myself on a floating, inflatable mattress, and only started thinking about the business at hand after polishing off a roast chicken dinner Sandy had made.
We all gathered in one of the living areas after the meal. Rachel, Sandy, Piper and Julie were there, all looking confident and relaxed.
“So,” I began. “Where are we at?”
I looked at Sandy, as she was the one who had her finger on the pulse of everything.
“As far as I can tell, we’re in pretty good shape. As soon as you give the word, we will have more than eighty-five percent of the Syndicate’s business under our direct control. The other fifteen percent are mostly subsidiaries and ought to just keep ticking along without any disruption no matter who is at the helm. Just say the word, and it will be done.”
It was very satisfying to hear. “Good,” I said. “And the other thing? Have you all leveled up as planned?”
Sandy smiled broadly. She nodded. “I managed to transform into a succubus for the first time three days ago. Piper was next. Both of us can maintain the transformation for up to an hour.”
“Good,” I said again. And it was good. That put them both just a fraction behind where Rachel was.
“Julie?” I asked.
But the cop shook her head. “Not yet,” she said, her voice betraying her frustration.
It wasn’t too much of a surprise. Of the women who were closest to me, Julie had been the last I had converted. It would have been more of a surprise if she had been able to transform.
Even so, I thought, between the four of us who could transform, that should be enough. Bianca had her soldier demons. They were strong, tougher than they ought to have been, but as far as I knew, they were outnumbered.
I was pretty sure we could deal with them.
But that wasn’t the only question. “And what of Bianca herself?”
Sandy resumed her narrative. “Despite keeping everything as quiet as we could, the Syndicate boss has figured out something is up. She has taken measures to protect herself.”
“And those measures are?”
“She has gone to ground, conducting all business from a secure area in the basement her building. Of course, she has her dogs with her, her demons. And, as of the day before yesterday, she has been under constant guard by a small army of mercenaries–and the BDA itself.”
Such were the privileges of being part of the hidden ruling powers. The BDA would stop at nothing to take my demon from me yet jumped to do Bianca’s bidding. And what was the difference between me and her?
Nothing. No more than time. She was the established player, and I was the new kid on the block.
That was it. Other than that, there were no inherent differences between us.
The unfairness of it all set my teeth on edge.
At the same time, I knew it was necessary that the BDA was there. How else could I get one to witness the transferal of power?”
Even so, they were a potential spanner in the works.
I didn’t even know if I had seen everything they could do.
I drew a deep breath and consciously unclenched my jaw. “Are we ready for this?” I asked.
Everyone seemed eager. Even Sandy, who might have been intimidated before, seemed excited by the prospect. Piper had continued to train her during my extended bout of sex, and now had the power of the succubus as well. She seemed a changed woman, no longer timid or afraid in the least.
“We are as ready as we can be,” she said, answer for the others.
I was starting to nod when I saw Rachel’s face. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“We are ready, as Sandy says,” Rachel said. “But if you’re planning to head over to Bianca right now and set this thing in motion, then I’m afraid you have another think coming.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, in case you hadn’t realized it, you’ve spent the last few days fucking your eyeballs out nonstop. In that time, you have completely ignored me, Sandy, Piper, and Julie.”
I didn’t know if she was angry, disappointed, or what, but before I could so much as ask, she continued.
“And if you think we are going to head off to this life or death battle without us getting our share, then you are sadly mistaken.”
My favorite Goth girl in the world gave me a sardonic look, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
I glanced at the others and saw they were all in agreement.
“Well,” I said. “In that case, what are we waiting for?”
As I said it, I imagined all of us transforming into our demon forms and giving it our all, but out of respect for Julie, I figured it was probably best to remain in our human forms.
The girls broke out into broad grins. They stood and, without any more talking, dragged me toward the bedroom.
The fight for control over the Gambetti Syndicate could wait until the next day.
31
When I had taken over Dario’s part of the Syndicate, I’d given him a call to gloat over what I had done. He’d turned it around, telling me that a small army was on the way to wipe me off the face of the earth. As it turned out, the brief warning I’d received had really helped turn the tide of the battle my way.
So the next day, I was more than willing to try that tactic again and give Bianca Gambetti a second chance to sign the Syndicate over to me without any bloodshed.
Of course, doing so pretty much meant that I would be giving up the element of surprise if I had to attack. But the way she had secured herself suggested that surprise wasn’t a factor now.
We were well-rested, recently fed, relaxed, and ready to go. The five of us gathered around the kitchen island, which was a little smaller than Dario’s had been. Once again, Bianca’s contact details weren’t difficult to find.
The way she answered was typically incisive, a clear indication of the mind at work.
“Not many people have this number,” she began. “And I know every one of those who do. Nevertheless, I have been expecting your call. Hello, Mr. Kingman. What do you want?”
I grinned at the no-nonsense tone. “Nice to speak to you again, too,” I said.
Bianca Gambetti uttered a sigh on the other end of the line. “Do you really want to waste time with unnecessary pleasantries?” she asked. “Because if you do, then I would be happy to wander away and actually get something done in the meantime. How long do you need? Two minutes, perhaps? Would that be enough?”
My grin turned into a laugh. I admired the tough old bird. “Fine,” I said, acquiescing. “If that’s the way you want to play, I’ll go along. What I want is simple. I’ve asked it before, but this time I’m asking more… seriously.”
“You’re still looking to seduce me?” she interrupted, her voice full of scorn. “To make me into one of your puppets?”
“If that’s the way you can most easily accept it happening, then yes–”
“It isn’t going to happen!” the old woman said, infusing her voice with a surprising amount of venom.
Even though she couldn’t see me, I shrugged. “Pity,” I said. “You would probably have enjoyed the experience. But in truth, that wasn’t ever what I really wanted, and you know it.”
It was Bianca’s turn to pause. “You want what I have spent my whole life working for. You want what I have fought tooth and nail to hold, to strengthen and grow. You want what has cost me everything, and you want it handed to you on a silver platter.”
The amount of real emotion in Bianca’s voice was almost touching. She really did care about the Syndicate. For her, it was more than just what she did. It was her life. Her entire existence.
It was effectively her child, and she saw me as trying to take it away from her.
Of course she was going to fight to keep it.
But just because I understood didn’t mean I was willing to relent.
“You are right,” I said to her. “That is what I want. The thing you hold most dear. The Syndicate. And I am going to take it from you. I don’t have a choice…” This time, the old woman didn’t interrupt. I’d had a new and surprising thought, one that I hadn’t considered until just that moment.
Did I really have to take the Syndicate from the hands of this old woman? Sure, part of me wanted to. I was on a path, and becoming the absolute head of the biggest criminal organization in El Diablo was very definitely a step along that path.
But I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I actually needed to do it.
I just wanted the BDA off my back. I wanted them to leave me alone while I went about my life.
Ever since I’d learned they were a threat, I’d had just one thought in mind. I needed to become powerful enough that they were no longer that threat. I needed a seat at the table, to be one of those hidden powers to which the BDA answered.
But, really, all I needed was for someone in that position already to call the BDA off.
And maybe Bianca would be willing to do that. Maybe, all I needed to do was ask.
If she agreed, I would call off my attack. I would leave Bianca at the head of the Syndicate and look for another way to rise to where I needed to be. It would likely take a bit more time, a bit more effort, but I would do it.
It all hinged on what the old woman said.
“Or maybe I do have a choice,” I said. “Bianca Gambetti, I have a deal for you, if you’re interested.”
The tough old woman hesitated for a second. “I’m listening,” she said.
“Okay. Here it is. If you use your position at the table of power behind the BDA, to call them off me, I will let you keep that position. I will no longer be a threat. How does that sound?”
To me, it sounded like a good deal. I would be giving up a lot, making my own life harder if she agreed. And in thinking that, I started to have doubts.
Was it really what I wanted to do?
I glanced around at the girls. Rachel looked vaguely puzzled, and Piper seemed bored. But the others, Sandy and Julie, were watching me with total confidence, sure that I knew what I was doing.
I grimaced to myself, uncertain. Should I rescind my offer?
No. I’d made it in good faith. I would stick with it, if Bianca agreed.
But the old lady on the other end of the phone started to laugh.
I sat there listening, growing angrier by the second.
I felt a scowl start to form on my brow. It was not the first time I’d been laughed at by a long, long way, but I’d mostly thought I’d left all that behind me. I wasn’t the person anyone laughs at anymore.
I was the one they were afraid of.
And yet, for reasons that were yet to become clear, Bianca really was laughing a
t me and the offer I’d made.
I waited for just a short while. Then, long before it seemed she was finished, I interrupted. “Are you done?”
In response, she laughed even harder, eventually degenerating into a wheezy sort of cough that didn’t sound very healthy. She spluttered about for a bit, then seemed to regain her voice.
“Thank you for that,” she said. “I haven’t laughed so hard in years.”
I wasn’t catching her humor. “And what, if I may ask, did you find so funny?”
She immediately hardened, her voice filling with scorn. “That you think I would trust you for a minute to stick to your word. Do you think I don’t what you have been doing? That you have been systematically subverting my people, MY people, using the Incubus you resurrected to infect them? That you have your hand around my throat and that you’re starting to tighten?”
“That’s the point,” I said, not bothering to even try to contradict her. She was right, after all. “I do have my hand around your throat. All I need to do is squeeze.”
“So why in all of Hell would I make it easier for you? Why would I call off the BDA, when all that would do is give you the chance to focus your attention on me, instead of spending half your energy looking over your shoulder for them?”
She had a point. “Because I gave you my word—”
“Your word means shit to me!” Bianca declared. “I know you, Simon Kingman. I know your kind. You will do anything, anything at all to claw your way to the top. It wouldn’t matter if you had to slit your own mother’s throat to get there, you wouldn’t even hesitate. So why would you keep your word to me? Mr. Kingman, you are the worst sort of Ascender, if that’s what you call yourself. I wouldn’t trust you to hold your breath in a vacuum if you could see some sort of advantage in not. I wouldn’t trust you if it meant my very life.”
It was a stunning tirade, and for a moment, I sat there, not knowing quite what to say. I mean, if she’d been right, fair enough. I would have just laughed and been done with it. But she had got me completely wrong.
