I.

Robert Worthington opened the warehouse door and walked through the glare of the security lights. Stacks of electronic equipment, boxed and ready for shipment, towered on each side of his path. He checked his watch, took a breath, and strode into the central packing area. A lone lamp shone onto a table messy with importing paperwork.

"Is anyone here?" he called out. No one answered.

He walked over to inspect a crate. Televisions. Digital. His summer job, running a forklift, provided him with the warehouse passkey and a working knowledge of the employee schedule. The night watchman would be taking his break by now. Robert ran his thin fingers across unsanded cratewood.

"You were looking for me?"

Robert slowly turned in the voice's direction. Before him stood a woman clad in a leather bodysuit, her long brown hair tied in a ponytail that trailed across her left shoulder. Her gloved hands held a pistol. The rope she had used to rapel from the skylight swayed gently in the air conditioner's breeze.

"Um...yes. I have information for you." Robert replied, slowly approaching her. He knew he had to get closer.

"I gathered so from the personal ad. Very clever. A cheap and effective way to communicate with my type."

"You were able to break the code. I knew you would. Listen...I work here. But you know that by now, don't you? You searched the files."

Lara's lips curled into a half-smile. "Robert Worthington. Summer help. University student. Chemistry major."

"Of course. You had to make sure you weren't set up."

They were now only a few paces from each other. Robert casually folded his arms across his chest, soundlessly puncturing a plastic bag hidden beneath his shirt.

Lara scanned the warehouse crates. "Your message implied something about relics run illegally through the electronics business.  I don't have time to humor your awe. Give me some solid information. Please." Lara smiled, then lowered her gun.

"Sure...of course." Robert glanced at his watch. He needed three minutes at this distance to give the drug time to reach her nose, work it's way through her blood, and reach her brain. He led her down an aisle of DVD players, careful to stay both ahead of her, upwind, and within a few feet. He slowly counted to 180, then checked his watch again.

"Why do you keep checking the time?" Lara asked. Her eyes closed a little. Robert could tell she was considering the possibility of a trap.

"I don't want to run into the guard." Robert replied. He turned, with a deep breath, and faced his prey.

"Stay still. Don't move." he said. His voice quivered through its forced stern quality.

"Don't tell me to stay still," Lara whispered. She seemed to be shaking, to be attempting to raise her gun, but her hands made no movement beyond a shudder.

Robert began to breath faster. He walked closer, then, slowly, he reach forward and touched Lara's cheek.

"Sweet," he whispered, "It's working."

"What's working?" Lara asked, her eyes betraying her anger. "You little bastard, I should kill you for..."

"Be quiet." Robert clipped. "You should have taken me more seriously. But that was part of the plan." Robert removed a red bandana from his pocket, ran it under his shirt, and pulled it out. It was covered in sweat.

"I was worried you might inquire into my studies," he continued, "but it appears that you didn't. Thank God for that. Do you know in what I specialize? You may answer my question."

"Chemistry," Lara replied, her tone betraying venom.

"Correct. More specifically, Pheremones. The quality of human biology that causes the brain to react in different fashions.  Scents that cause the sexual or submissive drives to be activiated. Ever hear of them? You may answer."

"Yes." Lara said.

"Good." Robert checked his watch again. "Enough talk. This should only take a few minutes. I've been working on a concentrate." He approached Lara and tied the bandana, dark with liquid, around her nose. He stood back and pulled a script from his pocket.

"Listen closely, Lara," he whispered. "The drug you are sniffing is a potent mixture of my sweat combined with synthetic chemicals thousands of times more powerful than standard pheremones. In approximately three minutes you will be my slave.  You will love me. You will consider me a God. You will think nothing other than my well-being, advancement, and sexual satisfaction are important. You will have no morals other than those I instill in you. Your friends will mean nothing to you.  Neither will your family. Oh, they're dead, right? Forget them. I am your family now. I am your Master."

Lara closed her eyes tight, and a tear escaped.

"You're strong, Croft. Fine. You win. You may leave at your pleasure." Robert turned and began to walk away, aware the final test was at hand. He made it to the open area he had reached before when, before him, Lara appeared again.

"You bastard," she repeated, "I'm going to kill you." She raised her pistol, her eyes shining with tears.

"Go ahead."

Lara's arm shook enough to rattle the gun. Robert smiled. The plan was proceeding perfectly.

"You may leave, Lara. You can't kill me, so you might as well go. For your information, I made up the relic story. No harm done, right? Goodbye." He pushed by her and moved toward the door.

"Wait." she called.

Robert turned and raised his eyebrows.

"Yes?" he said.

"I...I don't want you to leave."

"Well, you don't very well get what you want all the time now, do you?"

Lara's cheeks burned. "No, no, I don't."

"So why should I stay?"

"I'll...I'll do anything. Anything."

Robert approached Croft and ran his wrist under her nose. She sighed deeply, her eyes closed in ecstasy.

"How does that smell?" Robert asked.

"Like...like heaven."

"If you want to continue to be in my presence, let's get this straight. You work for me, Croft, as my assasin, slut, whore, and thief. I own your tight little ass. Is that clear?"

"Yes," she replied, her eyes still heavy from his scent. "I'm...yours..."

Robert was so drunk with power he almost didn't notice the armed guard behind Lara.

"Neither of you move," the guard, a railthin older man, said, his gun drawn.

"Lara..." Robert whispered, "I want that man dead."

With only the slightest hesitation Lara turned like lightning and emptied four rounds into the watchman. He fell, letting one shot loose toward the ceiling, and remained still.

"You...you made me do that..." Lara gasped.

"I didn't make you do anything. You pulled the trigger, Lara. I told you to. You obeyed. Get used to the pattern, or leave."

"I....I hate you."

"Sure you do. But when you address me from now on, refer to me as Master. Or else I will reject you. Clear?"

The thought of rejection by Robert flooded Lara like the plague. "Yes, Master." she replied.

"Now Lara....I need a new sound system. And a tv. And a computer. And...oh, whatever else you find. Top of the line material only. You drive a Range Rover, right? Fill it up. Kill anyone who gets in your way. I'll be waiting in front. Get to work."

Lara blinked, seemed to gulp, and hostlered her weapon. Her eyes wide, she turned and ran down the aisle.
 

II.

Robert waited only twelve minutes before the packed Rover pulled up in front of him. He got in, Croft driving, and directed her to take him to her mansion. Her home was a sprawling, opulent dwelling. Robert inspected each room, Croft a step or two behind him. She wore the red bandana again, as Robert wanted to make sure her loyalty was chemically instilled as soon as possible.

When they reached the bedroom, Robert smiled. He turned to Lara.

"I think I'll leave you here alone to sleep." he said, and made to depart.

"No...Ro...Master...please stay."

"But Lara, this is your room. Surely I should sleep in a guest bedroom."

"Master," Lara said, her eyes to the ground, "I'll make it worth your while."

Robert produced a cellular phone. "Call your Lawyer. Tell her to come in the morning with paperwork for a transfer of your assets to me. If she asks any questions, tell her that someone is tracking you and you need to hide your wealth."

Lara made the phone call. Robert noticed she was no longer crying. She gave him the phone after she was finished.

"Please stay." she whispered.

"That's what you want? For me to share your bed?"

"Yes," Croft whispered, sliding her bra off, her skin glowing in the darkness.

"I don't use condoms. I only fuck women who do as they're told in bed. Clear? And get the rest of that off. I want to see what I'm getting before I make a decision."

"Clear," Lara whispered, as she peeled off the rest of her clothes.

"Get on your knees, slave."

As Lara kneeled Robert placed his hand under her chin.

"I know this is hard for you now. As you becoming increasingly chemically bonded to me, all those silly little dilemmas will begin to disappear. I want you to give up, Lara. Give up. Can you do that for me? Can you promise?"

"I promise to give up." Lara said, and smiled sweetly. She reached for his jeans.

Robert accepted only a few minutes of her blow job before he decided he wanted to be inside her. He climbed above Lara as she wrapped her slim, muscular legs around his ass. After a few minutes of pumping, he slid off her.

"I'm not in the best shape. Why don't you do the work?"

"Sure, Master..." Lara replied, her body glistening with sweat. She climbed into his lap and began to lower herself onto his cock. Within minutes of the start of her attention he came.

"I'm a little out of practice, but that's ok with you, isn't it?"

Lara smiled, her hair disheveled, and laughed. "Of course it is, Master. We have eight hours until my lawyer arrives."

Robert walked to the shower, an arrogant smirk on his face. Lara bounced out of bed and followed him.

The End