TASHA, THE HUNTRESS

BY CHRISTOPHER TOILKIEN

Tasha tracked the young girl as she purposely strode through the formal gardens that separated the old manor from the equestrian barns. There were two paralleling her course. Were they keeping out of her sight to defend or watch her? And what of the two females watching the girl from the observation deck? The elder appeared to be questioning the cute one in the sexy French Maid outfit.

A perimeter security net that would do a Royal residence proud, and interior guards. This Manor was equipped with security way above what a normal burglar would expect.

But Tasha was Europe’s finest Cat Burglar. She really moved like a cat and her hearing and sense of smell were much better than most. Her father, mentor and trainer was in London resting from a rather nasty fall. Those French Chateau’s had very high walls, and sometimes the vines are not as firmly fixed to the wall as one would expect. Unfortunately Tasha had led up the wall. Her sixteen years old eighty-six pond frame had literally flew up. But when her father attempted to follow, only his lightning reflexes and acrobatic skills saved him. Luckily he had been a high wire artist and acrobat in his youth.

Tasha took after her Welsh mother in looks. A slimly built, five foot four, black hared female with penetrating eyes. Her mother had been a big cat trainer when she met Tasha’s father. She grew up living with the big and small cats. That is probably why Tasha purred like a house cat when happy and growled deep in her throat when angry. Her father had christened his “Cheshire Cat” after the English County were she had been born. But it was not a name she had ever heard her mother call her.

A natural “Givey” was what her mother had once referred to her as. It was not a term Tasha knew the meaning off. But when Tasha had been thirteen, her mother took her back to Wales. There to conduct, with her circle of friends, a ceremony Tasha had no memory of. Tasha was then sent back to her father until her sixteenth birthday. Then she was required to return to her mother in Wales, and stay for a year. That was in just two days.

Tasha remembered when she was growing up the Romany or Gypsy women coming to pay there respects to her mother and asking for private meetings. Their men avoiding looking into her eyes and generally were terrified of her.

But Tasha’s mind had better stay fixed on the current contract, it must be very special. Somewhere in that pile of bricks, stones and mortar was a very special mirror. At least to the one who was willing to pay a cool million British Ponds for it. Or destroy it, if it she was unable to remove it.

From her perch in the great oak she had a perfect view of the comings and goings of both occupied building groups.

A tall, a scruffy dressed young man exited the barn areas just after the girl went in and was making his way towards her tree. An older, very well dressed man was traversing the garden, also heading to her hiding place.

Terrisa froze as the two met directly under her hiding place in the great oak.

“I have a perfect little girl for you. She is a new hire, sweet sixteen, blond and busty. The funny thing is she is actually very good with real horses’ the younger man told the older.

“I do not usually snatch a girl from the area I am living in. But a very serious financial reverse forced me sell off of my best well below their true value.” The older man said.

“Can you draw her out alone?” the older man asked. “If I take her, It will mean a thousand finders fee for you”

“How about I tell her that her mother is sick?” the younger man eagerly asked the older.

“Wait until after lunch and I will have my pickup crew grab her as she runs back up the garden” he ordered.

“Yes Sir!” the young man, replied at the retiring back of the new Equestrian Manager.

“And her name is Mary” he added.

“Stranger and Stranger” thought Tasha.

Tasha set up her Guile camo suit and strung the nesting harness in order to wait until dark.

About noon a banged up old Morris van pulled up just down the cobblestone road dividing the formal gardens and the wall surrounding the Equestrian barns. For men slid out, dressed for fieldwork. But Tasha knew no rough farm workers walked single file nor used hand signals. Nor left their transport running.

They cautiously moved up a little way along the main path into the garden. And pretended to work in a grassy area surrounded by big urns full of blossoming flowers.

About twelve thirty the girl from the morning threw open the man door in the high brick wall encircling the Equestrian barns. As she sprinted up the crushed red brick walkway the four abandoned the pretence of gardening and resumed their true vocation.

Kidnapping.

Just then a landrover skidded up and the two shadows from the morning ran up into the garden after the girl.

As the center of all this frenzied activity sprinted into the grassed area the kidnappers sprang into action. Two moved to cut her off from the manor and the other two moved up from behind to cut off her escape.

She slid to a halt in the path as she spotted the two moving in front of her and ducked under the nerest’s outstretched arms. The rear two bent down to scoop her from the grass just as one of the two newest arrivals dashed around one of the two urns, snapping of two rounds from her automatic pistol.

One of the kidnapers flew back bouncing of another urn before slumping to the ground, but the other three drew guns of their own and fired back. The original shooter was hit and the urn beside her flew apart under the fullsade of shots. As she rolled, bullet impacts chewing up the grass around her. She still managed to snap off return fire. Cutting the legs from underneath another kidnapper. Before she lay still.

But the other two turned and sprinted down the path back to the barns, in pursuit of their fleeing target.

The girl was running frantically, bouncing off hedges and skidding around corners. But her pursuers were catching up. She would not make the road before they caught up.

Just as they were only a few feet behind her, the second guard stepped into their path. An automatic in each hand, blazing away. One abductor went down as his head exploded, but the velocity of the second’s charge drove him into the shooter, sending both down in furious hand to hand combat.

Tasha meanwhile had jumped down from her hiding place. Racing for the girl running like mad down the path away from all the gunfire.

She ran the girl down just as she dodged around the old Morris. Scooping her up dumped her into the open driver’s door and shoving her over to the far side and speed off.

As Tasha raced down the cobblestone road she saw the iron gates in the outer stone wall beginning to slide shut. It may be a clapped out old Morris van on the outside, but Terrisa was doing over eighty miles an hour as she floored it towards the only avenue of escape. But managed to squeeze the tiny Morris through, scratching both sides on the gates. As they clanged shut behind her.

She then mixed herself into the main road traffic, heading for the River Bridge at Terryberry, four miles away.

What could possible cause a gun battle between invaders and guards at the Manor? Surely this little local nobody was not worth all that. Tasha had learned an American had just inherited the place and their young daughter was expected to arrive this summer. Maybe the kidnappers thought Mary was she. But when Tasha overheard the two planning the kidnap; she was described as just a local nobody.

As Tasha approached the bridge she saw a large tractor trailer tanker rig pull out of a side street and accelerate towards the bridge. Something warned her in the back of her mind and she dodged and weave through traffic to try and beat it to the bridge. Running the red light at the intersection just before the bridge, she managed to just scoot in front of it.

As Tasha reached the opposite shore, she saw the lorry swerve from side to side as the driver deliberately bounced the vehicle off the bridge girders. He finally succeeded in jackknifing the trailer directly across the bridge. Blocking both lanes of bridge traffic completely off.

Tasha observed as the driver and passenger exited the tractor cab, the passenger was yelling through a walky-talky. That bridge was the only river crossing for thirty miles in either direction. Someone had a very fast, very long reach.

Just then Tasha felt a drop of wetness on her left arm. The girl had slumped against her just after she sped off and a now a thin trickle of blood was dripping down on Tasha’s arm from Mary’s scalp.

At a rest station Tasha pulled in and checked her pulse. It was strong, but a graze had slit her just above the right ear. Tasha dug around and was not surprised to find some military style field dressings under the bench front seat. And two sub-machinegun pistols, magazines tapped back to back for quick changeover.

She squeezed out a little ointment into the wound. Applied a swath of gauze. Wrapping the lot in place with a few wraps of bandage cloth around Mary’s head.

She now carefully inspected the lights of the van and rubbed mud over the scratch marks along the lower sides. Tasha now had to worry about being pulled over for any reason. Mary she could explain away. But the weapons under the front seat, and the high tech radio’s would get them both arrested.

Tasha then used her cell phone to call her father. But could only leave a cryptic message informing him she was carrying out her birthday orders. It would be safe for them both in Wales with her mother’s circle.

She bought some cookies, pop and other ready to eat food, as well as road maps covering most of England, in the rest stops store. A thick wad of pound notes in the glove box would take them anywhere.

That night Tasha pulled off the main road before the next big town and slid the Morris into a farmer’s cattle barn standing just off the road. Animal smells were something she grew up with. Mary had drifted in and out of consciousness all day and Tasha had poured some milk mixed with a few aspirins, down her throat that had not been thrown back up.

Tasha later wandered out to a nearby hill about one am to check for surrounding habitation. Just as she was about to return a big black helicopter silhouetted against the half moon. It made virtually no sound as it flew down the road they had traversed. That kind of helicopter was only reserved for special OPPS groups such as the British SAS as far as Tasha knew. That it was employed tracking the Morris and them terrified her. This was way beyond as simple kidnapping, or it had pissed off someone or something with very powerful connections.

She would have to ditch the Morris fast.

Tasha returned to the van to find a mystified Mary wandering around the barn.

“Were am I and what am I doing here? Mary asked.

“Well a bunch of people with guns were shooting at each other around you and I thought taking you out of there was imperative” Tasha responded.

“Yes, I agree. You were only doing your job, now what?” she asked.

“Well, I am taking you to my mothers people in Wales to hide out” answered a slightly puzzled by her reply, Tasha. But I think we should change our method of transport. The travel maps show a Railroad station in the next town and we should use it”

“You obviously know what you are doing” Mary replied and wandered back to the van.

She looks like death warmed over. Tasha thought. Pale as a corpse actually. The bandage had slipped off and her disarrayed hair covered the scar.

Just before dawn Tasha made sure both ate and brushed up in the small public washroom of the railroad station. The Morris had been ditched in the parking garage of a hospital. Tasha had split the money, guns, a box of spare ammunition, and the food between two backpacks she had found in the back of the van. Tasha had never even fired any kind of gun before. But in movies the guys with machine guns never seemed to hit the hero anyway.

A mattress set between shackles welded to the four corners of the van floor indicated the kidnappers had probably intended on using Mary’s body before delivery. That level of callous disregard for simple humanity both scarred and angered Tasha.

Mary just followed orders as if either in a dream or on drugs. Their train was not due for two hours and it was probably time to acquire some different clothes. They wandered off into the town and Tasha outfitted them with suitable travelling clothes from a big all in one store.

“What is wrong with your friend”, the clerk covering the change rooms asked.

“She just found out her Mother has died and is inconsolable. I am taking her home to London for the funeral” Tasha lied.

“The poor dear” the clerk answered bustling off to attend another customer.

On the way out, Tasha spotted a newspaper headline “Thieves attempt to kidnap one of the Royal Breeding Stallions from its Mews” the headlines proclaimed. “Possible IRA involvement” it went on in a side bar. Tasha picked it up with a number of other magazines.

Back in the train station, they sat among other passengers and finally slipped into the corner seats of a semi-private car. As Mary slumped up against the window, forlornly looking out at the passing landscape. Tasha read of all the unconnected “accidents” that had effectively cut off the Manor from the outside world immediately after the incident.

All vehicle and rail traffic had been halted for almost twenty-four hours due to access pinch point blockage. A local airport had even lost all power; effectively shutting it down, despite a brand new back up generator that somehow failed to function.

“Holly Shit” thought Tasha. “I was right, someone or something is very upset”

“”I am hungry” It was Mary speaking at last, but in a tone one used towards a servant.

“Then I suggest you feed yourself: Tasha huffily replied, handing her a can of pop and a bag of crisps.

Some time later a lady pushing a food cart opened the door from the carriage aisle and Tasha restocked their food supplies.

“Travelling far” she asked.

A startled Tasha replied. “We are travelling to London for her Mothers funeral”

“Not by this train” the sales lady told her.

“But we have too, as we are picking up her Aunt along the way” Tasha said. Covered their routing with another fib.

The busybody lady probably was just talkative and bored as the train was half-empty and wandered off.

But Tasha locked the compartment door and loaded magazines into both weapons just in case. The remarkable thing being Mary’s total none reaction to seeing her with them. Guns were strictly controlled in all of Britain and to even see Police carry them was rare. Why was a nobody country girl unfazed when she saw a gun. Or was it because she was still dazed from the bullet graze?

At the bustling interconnecting station later that afternoon, Tasha bought tickets for London, and watched from a distance as Mary bought some for Wales. They ate a hardy lunch at a nearby restaurant. Mary responded to a few general questions, but Tasha was unable to either draw her out of her shell or discern much of who she was. She did ask about someone called Terrisa, and kept asking if she could go back, but never elaborated when Tasha inquired back were too?

It was getting dark by the time they arrived at their destination in Wales. Mary had not spoken another word and Tasha having second thoughts about her general health and sanity. Tasha had to even taken her to the loo. As Mary had slipped back into a zombie like trance.

After an hour bus ride in the opposite direction from her goal. Tasha used a public phone box in a busy new indoor shopping mall to call her mother. She was surprised to hear Tasha was already in Wales, but was sending a cousin to pick them up. Tasha’s mother sounded puzzled when she asked what his car looked like and what he was currently wearing.

At nine the two-year-old blue ford four door was speeding back to Tasha’s mothers. The talkative cousin unaware Tasha had him covered with her machine pistol from inside her backpack all the way.

“Your mother actually owns this car, but if I drive her were she wants to go, I can use it the rest of the time” he told them. He worked in the district library as a Gaelic translator, for the Welsh government. And Tasha’s mother’s circles of friends were very eager to meet her. One is his own mother.

“Did you happen to read about the attempted kidnapping of that Royal horse” he finally asked.” The Police had been stopping just about every car in England and Wales since” her told Tasha.

“Yes I read about it, but it seems some terrorists are behind it: Tasha replied.

“”It is probably true as some military types appear to be backing them up at many of the roadside checkpoints” he went on. But I will have an “inside connection” when we do get pulled over.

No sooner had he got this out of his mouth as he crested a hill to find the road at the bottom blocked by two military looking trucks and a group of men with guns standing back from police checking the traffic.

Tasha had earlier slipped the safety off the gun, but slipped it back, as there were simply too many men with guns in the roadblock.

He slowly pulled up to the olive green trucks and Policemen in yellow vests approached from either side. Tasha saw the guns held by the military types come up to point at them.

“Hello Mark. What brings you out of your translators cubicle?’ the young policeman inquired.

“Just picking up my cousins visiting from England” he answered non-chalauntly.

“Then you know these two” he continued shining his hand torch on the two young females in the rear bench seat.

“Do you think anyone but my Aunts own daughter and her Sisters daughter would get me away from the translations I have committed my future too?” he replied.

“No, not even the attentions of my own sister have until now, but I warn you, she has her stubborn head set on acquiring you” He warmed, smiling back.

“Then I can confide in you we will be related by this time next year “ Tasha’s cousin went on.

“The smiling Policeman waved them through and the guns lowered. Tasha’s heart slowed to approaching a normal rhythm as the car accelerated away from the checkpoint.

“How did you know there were two of us to pick up and that your friend would be manning this checkpoint?” Tasha inquired.

“Your mother told me this all would happen before I even left the house” he replied as he drove on.

About eleven the car finally drove into the grounds of the small Manor house, set at the foot of a low hill.

Tasha’s mother and some other relatives were there to greet her. The cousin himself had to pick up Mary in his arms and carry her up stairs to the indicated bedroom. Tasha lugged the two heavy backpacks up to her own room and stuffed them under her bed. Mary had been slipped into the unoccupied room next door.

“What is wrong with her?” Tasha’s mother inquired. Looking down at the young blond girl her daughter had brought home. I can feel she is awake, but almost in a trance like state.

Tasha had actually enjoyed her itinerant lifestyle and carefree existence. But ever since that forgotten event here in Wales. The one involving her own mother and her circle of friends. Tasha’s skin had tingled when she was near her, and her heart raced.

Her mother bent over Mary and her left hand reached out to touch her sweating brow. But when her finger almost made contact a bright blue spark arced between them and she dropped like a stone to the floor.

“Mom” Tasha blurted out catching her before her body hit the floor. “Help Us’ she yelled out.

Four adults answered her call for help, the cousin, and probably his father and mother as well as one that had been earlier introduced as a distant aunt arrived.

“ The men carried Tasha’s mother off and she followed. Just as they were leaving she saw the aunt pass her hands over Mary. “She is a very powerful positive. And probably grounded out through our sisters negative” she told the cousin’s mother. Anything else Tasha missed as she followed the two men carrying her mother to her rooms.

The men gently laid her mother on the bed and left. A few seconds later the two ladies entered and stood one either side of her mothers bed, motioning Tasha to park herself at the foot. They then handed out and lit three aromatic candles, handing Tasha one.

After a few minutes Tasha’s mother groaned and sat up. “What happened to me?’ she inquired of the aunt.

“Your negative acted as ground for a very positive dear Gwen” she softly answered. “If you had made greater contact, it might have done severe physical harm to both of you. But rest for a while and we will talk more of it tomorrow’

They then squelched the candles and ushered Tasha outside.

“You should retire to your own bed and we will discuss all these events in the morning. Your mother foretold the two elements would be brought within her circle this year, but we did not believe her. She again has been proven correct”

Tasha did not sleep in her own bed that night. But curled up with the backpacks as a pillow on Mary’s floor. A hand on one of the guns. She hopped she never had to use it on anyone.

Before dawn Tasha returned to her own bed and rumpled it up. Next she shuffled off to the common bathroom at the end of the hall for a quick shower and brush up. When she came out, lugging her backpack and dressed she saw the elder aunt exiting Mary’s room.

“You should know she would have been perfectly safe under your mother’s roof. Try and sleep in your own bed tonight. It is easier on the back than a hard wooden floor. But I understand as you two have been through a lot in the past twenty-four hours” She commented as they passed in the hallway.

Tasha could only stare open mouthed at her disappearing back.

Further surprises awaited Tasha downstairs. Twelve ladies bustled about the lower floors of the house. And Mary sat in the kitchen eating a bowl of something that may have been porridge.

“Good morning. It is very gratifying to see you up and about Mary” Tasha said as she slipped in beside her.

“Yes, I slept like someone dead. She replied. And I am feeling a little better for it. At least I did not dream tonight as I did last night.” She went on.

“What were those dreams about?” Inquired Tasha’s mother Gwen, sitting a similar bowl in front of Tasha.

“ I hardly remember now, but they were of a very similar, but also very different place”. And I was treated very harshly because I was female” she elaborated.

“Probably something to do with you how males are attracted to your budding form” Gwen replied. “It happens to all of us”

“You have passed through the Mirror” a hopeful Alice inquired.

“Not a through a mirror, but have had my share of rough treatment at the hands of males in my life” Gwen replied.

“Father always treated you very kindly” Tasha interrupted.

“Yes he certainly has, dear. But I picked a few rotten apples before I met your father” she soothingly replied.

By this time the other eleven women had filtered into the kitchen and Gwen rose to stand with then circling the two younger females.

Tasha attempted to stand but found she could not move a muscle. Her own mother had drugged her food.

Tasha saw the circle join hands and start a rhythmic chant. The room began to swirl and as Tasha lost consciousness she joined Mary slump down to the floor.

“”Negative on the bottom, positive on top” someone noted as Tasha’s head began to clear. Something or someone’s warm skin was pressed up against her chest as she felt cold hard rock against her backside.

Her limbs were stretched out tight and leather cuffs restrained them in position. Had the kidnappers caught up with them?

Tasha tried to raise her head but as vision cleared found a young hairless females sex pressed up against her mouth. She realized Mary’s body was reversed on top of her. Each female’s sex lips touching the others mouth. Tasha appreciated the attention of boys from an early age, but watchful parents had managed to keep her a virgin right up to her sixteenth birthday. Girl girl sex had no interest for her. But maybe it was not up to her right now.

“”Nice to see you back with us Tasha” It was her mothers voice in her ear. Welcome to the great ancient barrow of my coven. “We need you two to bring each other off simultaneously as we create the required conditions for storing the power that will be released”

“You must be right out of your mind mother, if you think I am going to stick my tong in Mary’s sex” She replied, Her voice a little muffled by the slit right up against her unwilling mouth.

“Yes well we anticipated that. And coercion is part of the process anyway. It enlightens the final release.” By the way I am really your stepmother. Your father promised never to reveal that. Or did I cast a forget spell on him? It was so long ago” she whispered into Tasha’s ear.

Tasha yelped as her limbs were drawn outward. Mary positioned above her groaned.

“We will continue to pore water into the tubs at the ends of the ropes spreading you both wide until you either start licking or your limbs separate.” Another voice told her. And of course there are other embellishments. A whip fell across Mary’s backside, the tips racking Tasha’s sides.

“Again” and Tasha’s limbs stretched further. The pain was getting to be more than she could stand. It must have been more than Mary could bear as Tasha felt her tong start lapping at the slip poised below her. It sort of felt good, but the horrors of their situation still over rode it.

But after another two applications of the whip and another pull on her limbs Tasha’s tong sought out Mary’s slit, following her surprising lead into single gender sex.

The two virgins were close to achieving the goal set for them by the coven. Rhythmic chanting drove everything else from their minds and both were now eagerly pressing tongs as far as they could reach. Both sweat glistening bodies quivering in anticipation of achieving the as yet unreachable peak of total delight.

Suddenly they were a deafening crack of thunder in the centuries old barrow. Blinding light filled every crevice and forced its way out of every crack. The stench of ozone filled the hidden place.

A male voice spoke in an unknown dialect right into Tasha’s ear. Just as she passed out.

Another male voice was asking Tasha questions, but she could not seem to be able to either see or speak.

“Are you awake? How do you feel? We have bandaged up you limbs and whip marks as best we can under the curconstances. We will be landing at our clinic in twenty minutes.” It was a man dressed all in black that was talking to her. She could see Mary strapped into another stretched on his other side. The man who had picked her up in her stepmothers car was sitting bound to a pull down chair towards the front of whatever was transporting them.

Tasha felt what was probably the helicopter gently set down and a glimpse of daylight as the two were whisked into an elevator and downwards, her quinsy stomach told her.

Overhead light panels whisked by, and double swing doors bounced out of the gurneys way as she was rushed along. A myriad of different hospital masked faces peered down at her as other probed and prodded. But Tasha passed out after one injected something into her arm.

Soft lighting slit through slowly opening eyelids. It looked and smelled just like a hospital room. Slow movements indicated her limbs were unfetered and no tubes were inserted into any body parts.

“Good Morning my little Cheshire Cat” Her father said standing beside her bed. Tasha’s eyes flew open and reached for her anchor in this sea of unreal her life had become.

“Dad, is it really you?” she blurted out. Knowing only he had ever used her pet name in private.

“Yes, it is really me. He smiled back. You have had quite an adventure and nearly got yourself killed by being caught in-between some professional kidnappers and a very rich little girls very protective family”

“But is she OK?” I thought she was just some local girl they wanted to train for something sinister’ She asked. They are looking into all aspects of the event. But they told me it appeared to be a total outside job”

“Can I see her?” Tasha inquired.

“I will ring up and ask” her father replied picking up the phone by the bed.

“They will arrange it after lunch” he told her after hanging up.

Just then the Gaelic translator walked into the room accompanied by two stocky women in dark Grey suits.

“Guards’ if I ever saw them Tasha thought. They look just like the two from the gun battle in the garden.

“It is very delightful that you are both alive and healthy after that ordeal I found you in” he told her.

“How did you find us and were is my stepmother and her coven?” Tasha inquired.

“Very bright light poured through air vents leading from the barrow under the hill right behind you stepmothers manor house” He told her.

“They streamed out brighter than a searchlight and brought just about everyone for miles to the hidden barrow. Especially two black helicopters full of very determined men with guns. They were the ones who pried open the swing away fireplace in the manors living room leading to the tunnel through the hill to the great barrow at is core.” He elaborated. “

“They rounded up my father and me as they burst into the house Then took us inside, but there was no one but you two in there. We were held at the entrance until they went in. They used some sort of radar to check for hidden passages, but the only one had not been used in a very long time.” He actually sounded a little shocked at all this reality invading his bookish existence.

“No remains, bodies or anything” she demanded.

Nothing but a dozen gold chains scattered in a circle around your two outstretched nude bodies. An elderly lady arrived and stopped them from shooting us on the spot. I am still shaiking over that.

“It serves them right for delving into things they knew nothing about. Nor how to control once they released it” I overheard her say to a younger blond female companion as one guard handed her a big manuscript.

One of his two minders indicated it was time for him to depart and he allowed himself to be led off.

It must have been lunchtime, but no one came with food. But a few minutes’ later two nurses showed up with a wheelchair.

“The mistress has requested your presence for lunch’ One satiated as they scooped Tasha into the chair.

“But you will get only her cafeteria lunch” the other told her father as a blue clad cafeteria staff brought in a hospital style lunch tray. The two accompanying female guards stepped into the room, backed up the request.

Tasha wheeled out into the corridor and then into an elevator. Two guards stood in the way as the elevator deposited her on an upper floor. But they bowed slightly and stepped aside as one nurse wheeled her out.

Mary’s room was stuffed with more flowers than Tasha had seen in some horticultural gardens.

And in the center of this probably large room Mary was seated at a polished wood table laden with food.

“Actually she does not look much better than she did when I scooped her up”. Tasha thought. As she sat down beside her.

“”Well at least you look better” Mary chirped.

“Mary, you seem not much better than when I dumped you into the van’ Tasha retorted.

“Actually, my name is Alice, or I am an Alice named Mary” sometimes it confuses me too.

Tasha caught the “No’ head motions of an elderly lady standing up against a far wall. Watching them just out of Alice/Mary’s sight line.

“At least let me thank you for saving me from those kidnappers’ Mary went on tonelessly. There seemed to still be no life in her face.

“You are to be rewarded for saving my life. They originally wanted to shoot the lot of you and collapse that witches barrow over your bodies, but I convinced them not too’ I am their Mistress after all. Alice told her matter of faculty.

“A very cold Fish” Tasha thought. She never even blinked as she described our possible deaths.

“Do you know what really happened to my mother?” Tasha asked. Changing the subject.

“No, we searched far and wide for all of them. But they have not been seen since” Alice lied to one who had risked her own for her.

“Please help yourself to the food”, Alice indicated with a sweeping hand. I just could not decide what I wanted so they made everything I could think of.” It was Alice’s turn to change the subject.

“ Are you really a spoiled little rich girl” Tasha inquired. “Yep, and an American raised uncouth, unladylike brat too. They tell me” Alice said, smiled back for the first time.

Tasha scooped up a great spoonful of black Russian caviar, probably a hundred ponds worth.

“Yes it is the real stuff” Alice told her ”Eventually they will train me to be the perfect little British Blue Blood Princess they want. But I am resting them, if only for the summer’ she told her. “As she chewed on a fast food hamburger.

“ “Do you really work in the Horse Barns as Mary instead of living a life of luxury in the Manor house as Alice?” Tasha asked

“If you mean I have temporarily escaped a completely regimented life as a programmed little Barbie Doll to experience some semblance of a temporary real life as just a local horse exerciser’ Yes”. Alice replied. “And what will happen to me and everyone that knows about this?’ Tasha inquired.

“You are the only one still alive who can connect Mary to Alice” Alice calmly said as she downed a plate full of french-fries.

“Now what” Tasha said slowly walking around the table towards the large windows.

“They are immobile and can withstand an antitank rocket hit” Alice told her as she neared the first window. “So come back to the table and have the rest of the meal with me. We can split a milkshake in any flavor you wish”

“Do they come in strychnine flavor or was it in the caviar?” Tasha sardonically asked.

“Sit” Alice ordered. And Tasha slumped in the offered chair.

“Here take this” Alice said handing Tasha a Barclays’ Bank card.

“And how long do I have to use it” Tasha sarcastically asked.

The little girl rose and approached Tasha. “I am as much a prisoner as anyone on Death row in the deepest dungeon. All this is just gilding on a very gilded cage, but it still just a cage, is it not Terrisa?”

“Yes Mistress Alice” the dour elder woman answered.

“This card will give you access to our Commonwealth and all your descendents. Free education and a place in our association” Alice said handing Tasha the gold colored card.

“And what do I have to do to earn it” Tasha inquired.

“You rescued a nobody because you just could. Putting your life in danger without any hope of compensation was proof enough of your worth.” Alice replied.

“ All you have to do is be my friend as well.”

Alice smiled and poured half a milkshake into a glass. “I hope you like chocolate”

Epilog.

Terrisa again stood beside a hospital bed holding her charge.

“Castillian, and yes I know it is your true title. We must keep Tasha very close. Not only will she become my personal bodyguard and part of my immediate household. Tasha is a true best friend I know the Mary’s are programmed to be. But I also need a friend who cannot possible become a lover too. Alice told her keeper.

“For an instant I was back were the Mirror took me. We achieved orgasm in the same instant and our bodies were in contact. I am a powerful positive and she an equally powerful negative. It opens the passage to the alternate universe as the mirror does. Tasha’s mother’s entire coven is now there and they cannot ever come back.”

“ A fitting punishment for their horrific deeds. I understand our people discovered over a dozen skeletons of young girls under the stone floor of the main room”. Alice went on.

“Now I must explain were I have been for three days to Mike. I think I will tell them I had the stomach flue, but I want that tall young trainer watched carefully. He may have been used to draw me out”

“Yes Mistress” was all Terrisa said.

This little one earlier had blithely ordered the death of the two kidnappers who survived the shootout and the subsequent questioning. Terrisa was no longer sure how long she could control her.