Chapter III

A Close Call

I wake Karen at 7 P.M. and tell her to take a shower and get dressed. When she returns from the bathroom, she is dressed to kill: The light blue dress she wears is clinging to her slim figure, yet flows like water around her everytime she moves.

I had spent the afternoon gathering eqiupment and making preparations. We were going to move against Malloy tonight. When I had finished setting up everything, I went to a boutique in Beverly Hills to get some clothes for Karen. I knew the girl that works there from a strip club, where she used to shake her goods a few years back. She is almost as slender as Karen, so I convinced her to try on the dress for me. It was a knockout.

"You like what you see, big man?" She slowly lifts up her dress, moving her hands along her thighs. As the soft fabric climbs towards her hips, her slick twat comes into view.
"'You ever spend a single dollar on a pair of panties?" I ask her.
"Waste of good money." she replies curtly and lets the dress slide back down.
I light myself a cigarette and start to give her the details about tonights activities. I want to be absolutely sure, she knows what she has to do and makes no mistakes.
"Remember, I'll be on the other side of the street," I tell her in the end "and if the shit hits the fan, I can take him down. But the curtains must remain open. You make a mistake in there, you're on your own."
"I know, Max, but I'm no little girl" she replies angrily "and I sure know how to push a man's buttons."
"So I noticed," I hiss back at her "but do you know how to remain in control? And I mean absolute control."
Karen turns to look out of the window.
"I didn't think so." I conclude.

I know that she's tough and capable, but I also know that Malloy is a crazy prick. Anything can happen in this kind of situation and in any case it's her first assignment.
Yeah right, it's an assignment. She is going into that apartment with a precise objective. But she will have to be careful. Malloy might be crazy but he is also an extremely experienced player, who knows every trick. He's a bloodhound, able to smell a trap ten miles against the wind.
But I don't tell her that. I just throw her purse at her and pick up the duffel bag holding my gear.
"Let's move."

I have to pick the lock of the steel door in order to get onto the roof of the office building. When it finally opens, I open the door just enough to sneak outside. Dragging the bag behind me, I move towards the edge of the roof in a crawl. Can't risk being seen.
I open the bag and pull out the various parts of the sniper rifle and start assembling it. When I'm done, I mount the night scope and slowly lift myself up, looking over the low brick wall for the first time.

The view into Malloy's apartment would be perfect, if it weren't for the drawn curtains. I look at my watch. ETA is three minutes and Karen is supposed to make contact just before she enters the building. I pull out the receiver, switch it on and place the plug in my ear. From now on it's her call. She runs the show and I'm just a spectator.

"I'm going in." Karens voice is coming from my earplug and she sounds calm, professional. After a couple of minutes I can hear her ring a doorbell. The microfone embedded in her necklace is doing a good job, picking up event the faintest background noises. I flick a switch on the receiver and the tape starts rolling. This way I'll have hard evidence, that may be used to create leverage of one sort or another.

"Mrs. Delaney, what brings you here? What a surprise." I can hear Malloy's oily voice as clearly as if he were standing beside me. The sound brings back bad memories, flashes from the past, almost forgotten. Almost.

"Forgive me for intruding like this," Karen replies, sounding faintly nervous "I stopped by because of the conversation we had the other day? We were speaking about Max Winter, you remember?"
"Yes, of course. Please come inside. Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"No, thank you. I just wanted to ask you, if you found out anything about him. The reason I ask, is that I saw him a short while ago and I think he had a gun."
I start to grin to myself. When in a desperate situation, always tell the truth - nobody's going to believe it.
Karen and Malloy chat about the alleged gun for a couple of moments, then I hear Karen's voice in my ear:"You must have a fantastic view up here, Mr. Major."
I can see that she is opening the curtains now and get in position, My legs spread on the concrete, the fiberglass butt of the rifle pressed against my cheek. Slowly I move the rifle, until I have the crosshairs centered on his chest. A headshot is a nice and clean thing - if it works. But I will have to shoot through the window pane, and the bullet will be deflected, if only slightly.

The conversation drifts away from the original subject, turning into small talk. Then Karen suddenly drops her purse.
"Oh, my god, I'm really clumsy today," she exclaims. Then she bends over and gives him a good view of her tight little ass. Even from a distance of more than 200 yards I can tell she's naked under the dress.
If Malloy doesn't pick up on this one, he's either become blind or senile over the years, neither of wich I expect. And I know that I'm right, when I hear him speak.
"Can I offer you a drink, Mrs. Delaney? A brandy, maybe?"
"Call me Karen, please." She says, her voice a little unsteady "A brandy would be nice."
I keep him in my sights, while he moves through the room, pouring drinks and making small talk. Karen is sitting on the sofa now, leaning into the cushions, crossing and uncrossing her legs. When Malloy sits down acroos from her, she shifts slightly and gives him a glimps of her thighs.

"Are you married, Mr. Major?" She asks him.
"No, I'm not. But if I remember well, you are, Karen."
"My husband is always away on business. I wouldn't exactly call that a marriage."
Her dress is slides upwards an inch or two, as she crosses her legs again. Then she dips one finger into the glass, swirling the ice cubes. When she pulls out her finger and inserts it into her mouth, Malloy's jaw almost drops.
Karen puts down the glass and slowly raises her dress halfway to her hips. Then she slides forward, exposing her shaved pussy. Her fingers dip into the brandy again, only this time she applies the liquid to her pussy lips.
"Aaahh," she exclaims, as the alcohol burns its way into her flesh. Spreading her legs, she pinches her clit with two fingers, shuddering. She seems completely unaware of the man sitting across from her.

Karens fingers begin a slow dance along her wet lips, the constant movement almost hypnotic. Bit by bit her hand becomes quicker, darting between her pussy lips now, massaging her clit. Her fingers fly over her glistening skin, sometimes diving towards her asshole, sometimes rubbing her swollen clit with lightning speed.
Malloy is staring at her transfixed, completely and utterly unable to move.

She is rubbing her pussy with both hands now, her movements fast. As her tension builds, she pulls her lips apart with one hand and thrusts two fingers into her pussy. I can hear her moaning, grinding her teeth as she fights with her own flesh.
Her hands become faster, her movements angrier. She is ravaging her pussy with her fingers, her nails. One by one she pushes her fingers between her swollen lips, until her whole hand disappears. She then moves her hips, giving herself better access.
Karen starts to fist her pussy savagely. When she feels her climax building inside herself, she starts rubbing her clit furiously, her hips raised far above the sofa now. She pulls the other hand out of her pussy and inserts two fingers into her asshole

When she finally comes, she digs her fingernails hard into her soft flesh, pulling and scratching. Her liquids spurt from her steaming pussy onto the table and the carpet, as she twists and bucks on the sofa.

"Excuse me, Mr. Major, I think I need to go to the bathroom." Her voice is hoarse, barely controlled. He is still sitting in the armchair, thunderstruck. Then he points slowly towards the corridor. Now comes the important part. Karen's task is to place two microphones in his apartment, one in the receiver of his telephone and one in the living room. The telephone is in his study, the room next to the bathroom. I can see her going into the bathroom, closing the door behind herself.

Malloy suddenly gets up and I start to prepare myself, taking aim, breathing slowly. But he walks over to the kitchen, to fix himself another drink. He sure looks like he needs one.
The bathroom door opens and Karen peeks around the corner. When she doesn't see Malloy, she slips into the study with a couple of swift,silent motions. Even through the receiver I can't hear her movements.
"One set, one to go." Her voice whispers in my ear.

Karen reappears after seconds, closing the door and walking back into the living room. Malloy is standing near the window, sipping his drink, watching her every move.
"Why did you come here tonight, Karen? Just to talk about Max Winter?" The bastard isn't stupid, I'll give him that.
"That was the original idea. Did you find out something about him? You said you'd let me know."
"Well, you didn't have to put on a show, just for that." I can hear suspicion in his voice and if I'm honest, I can't blame him for it.
"It just came over me," she replies, her voice apologetic now "You shouldn't have stared at my ass like that."
"It sure is a nice ass." He remains silent for some time, trying to figure out how much to tell her.

"Max Winter is a man I knew a long time ago," he says at last "and he's also a very dangerous man. I would stay away from him as far as possible, if I were you."
"But what exactly is he?"
"Let's say he is a rogue agent. He is out of control. He might even kill somebody."
"My god," Karen exclaims "this is terrible. Aren't you going to go to the police with this?"
"I have some friends who will handle the affair." he replies curtly. Clearly he doesn't want to push the subject any further. But she isn't about to let up.
"Friends? What friends?"
"Let's say government officials. You're asking a lot of questions for somebody who's not involved in this kind of business." Again I brace myself, centering the crosshairs. I don't like the turn this conversation is taking.

"I'm sorry," Karen mumbles after a moment of silence "I didn't want to push you. It's just such a crazy story. Agents, killers and whatnot."
I can see Malloy relax visibly. He takes another sip of brandy. Karen slowly moves forward until she brushes against him, her hand touching his forearm.
"What can I do to make up for it?" she purrs.
Without waiting for an answer, she walks over to the window, then leans forward and steadies herself against the glass with one hand. Her other hand gradually lifts her dress over her ass and her legs spread. She then looks at him over her shoulder, waiting for him to move.

I start to curse, as Malloy moves in on her from behind. In this position it will be all but impossible to get a shot at him, if some bad stuff goes down. I can see him opening his fly and pulling out his hard cock, then without warning, he plunges into her.
When Malloy rams himself into Karen's pussy, I can hear her breath in sharply. Then he starts to fuck her hard, thrusting his rod deep into her tunnel. She starts to sigh as his movements are becoming faster and faster. One hand wanders down, slides between her legs and she starts to finger her clit. Her moans are getting louder and louder in my earplug, until I have to turn down the volume.

After several minutes, Malloy slows down. Then I see him pulling out his belt form his trousers. In alarm center my aim onto his sternum. I have the feeling, this whole situation is getting out of hand. With a swift movement, he slides the belt around her neck and pulls it tight. Karen is taken completely by surprise. Her hands fly towards her neck but Malloy pulls backwards, choking her hard.
I'm trying to get a shot at him, moving the rifle left and right, but Karen is struggeling now, blocking my view.

"Relax, it won't kill you," Malloy's voice is hoarse with sadistic pleasure "I think a slut like you will like it in the end."
He yanks the belt harder and Karen gives up her struggle, submitting herself to his torture. When she finally stands still, waiting for him to continue, I get my chance. Neither Karen nor Malloy are moving and her bowed head gives a clear view of his neck and head.

I make my decision.

Aiming carefully, I slow down my breathing rate, relaxing completely, becoming one with the weapon. Nothing exists but the target, clearly visible in the scope. My finger pulls the trigger slowly until I can feel the pressure point. Just a little further and ...

Karen abruptly raises her head. She is staring right at me, her eyes wide, moist with tears. Then she slowly opens her mouth and her lips silently form a single word: "No"
Malloy is obviously convinced that he can have his way with Karen now and begins to move inside her, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The belt is constantly under tension, choking her ceaselessly. 

Karen steadies herself against the window with both hands, her legs shaking under his brutal attack. Then she turns her head ever so slightly and looks at his contorted face.
"Fuck my ass," she barely manages to whisper "I want you to fuck my ass."
A grin appears on Malloys face. He clearly thinks, she's getting a kick out of his treatment.
"You little bitch, I'll rip your ass so wide open, you'll need an ambulance."
With that he pulls out of her pussy and places his cock between her buttocks. Then he pushes forward, plunging his meat deep into her ass with one brutal movement.

Karen's screams are ringing in my head, so loud, that I remove the earpiece and throw it onto the concrete in frustration.
Now she's on her own. Even if she stopped moving completely, I wouldn't get a clean shot. I can only watch, hoping he doesn't kill her. She has exposed herself too far, taken too great a risk and worst of all, she has not given her partner the possibility to bail her out. I watch in silence as Malloy pounds deeper and deeper into Karens asshole, choking her constantly.

Then I see an alarmed expression come to his face. Karen's hips suddenly move sideways, turning sharply. Malloy drops the belt and I see his eyes opening wide with pain. Even though the earphone is lying on the roof a foot away, I can hear him screaming with terror, as Karen yanks her ass from side to side, trying to rip off his dick.

When Karen's muscles finally release him, Malloy sinks to the ground, both hands holding his dick. Blubbering noises are coming from his mouth.
Karen turns, removing the belt from her neck. She quickly moves around him and starts to kick him lightly into the ribs, gradually working her way up to his head. When she is about to kick him in the face, he holds out his hands to protect himself. Which is exactly what she wants. Her eyes narrow and she moves in for the kill.
The belt flies forward with lightning speed, sending the heavy buckle crashing into his balls. Karen lashes out three times, and when Malloy is curled up in a ball, she snatches her purse. With three quick steps she is at the small corner table. She pulls out the second bug and places it under the base.

Malloy is still on the floor, oblivious to everything but his own pain, when Karen slips out of the apartment and slams the door. I put the earpice back in, just in time to hear her trembling voice.
"Mission accomplished."

I stay on the roof for some time, watching Malloy. After several minutes he has gathered enough strength to stand up and stumble into the kitchen. I can't see him but my guess is, he's putting the family jewels on ice for the rest of the night.
I wait a little longer to see if he makes any phone calls, and when he doesn't, I set the receiver to the frequency of the microphones. I check if the audio is being picked up correctly and insert another tape, then hide the device.
After packing my gear, I make sure, I haven't left any traces. Then I vanish into the night.

When I meet Karen later at Hank's place, she is a different person. She apparantly went home to get changed. She wears black jeans and a matching T-shirt with long arms. The high heels have been replaced by soft sneakers. Her eyes are cold and hard.
She sits at the bar, nursing a beer and I can tell, that not even one of the guys has been trying to pick her up. I shout to Hank for a beer and sit down on the barstool next to her.
"Tough life, huh?" I try to shake her up a bit but she just stares at me silently.
My beer arrives, and I drink down half the bottle at once. Hank's eyes wander from me to her, back to me.
"You guys have rough night?"
"Just give me another one, all right?"
Hank holds up his hands defensivly and turns to get me the beer. He wouldn't be in business, if he didn't know when to back off.

"I want to learn the trade, and I want you to teach me." I almost choke on my beer, spilling part of it onto the bar. Slowly I turn to look at Karen. She has a determined expression.
"I never want to get myself in a shitty situation like this again." she goes on after a moment, her voice neutral, without emotion "I want you to teach me, how to stay in control."
"We'll talk about it tomorrow." I reply flatly "right now I need another beer."

We down another couple of cold ones, mostly in silence. I sense that thee silence is not uncomfortable between us, which is a good sign.

When we get out, Karen tries to get a cab, but I stop her.
"We'll walk. I don't want a fuckin' cabby to remember a couple of players in black outfits."
Karen looks up at me, then a faint smile appears on her face.
"That's the first nice thing you have said to me, since I met you."
"Which was almost exactly twenty-four hours ago" I reply "and in the process you almost got yourself killed."
She looks at me with a strange expression, her eyes searching mine.
"I also almost got myself fucked blind by a professional hitman" she finally says "and that was more than I had hoped for."
I shake my head in disbelief. "Just walk down the fuckin' road will'ya?"

I take a long cold shower and when I come out of the bathroom, Karen is sitting in the window - my window - and is sipping my whisky from my glass. The whole thing is starting to become ridiculous. Without a word, I shove my hand into the waistband of her jeans and simply lift her up, whisky and all. Then I place her in the armchair, take the glass from her and sit down on the window sill.
"What's wrong?" she blurts out.
"Just making sure, you remember who's the boss around here, lady," I tell her "If you want to learn something, this will have to be absolutely clear."
"Don't try to boss me around," she rasps "I'm not a little girl anymore."
"You said the same thing earlier this evening," I remind her "and look where it got you."

Her eyes are blazing now, she clearly doesn't want to be reminded of her almost-failure.
"But I made it in the end," she almost shouts " doesn't that count for something? What more do you want?"
"When you work in a team, you have to trust your partner." I'm getting pissed off now. "When you refused to trust me tonight, you almost got yourself killed. And now you tell me, how am I gonna trust you in the future?"
I'm almost in a blind rage now. I need to control myself, focus on the important things. In the end she got out unhurt. I tell myself, that this is what counts.
Karen is suddenly at my side, her hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Max. I just didn't want you to kill him. You would have lost an important source of information."

She slowly starts to massage my shoulders, her hands kneading the tense muscles of my neck. I finally start to relax. After a while her hands move down my chest, pulling at my T-shirt. I grab her hands, blocking her movements.
"No more headstrong actions in the field," I tell her "are we clear?"
When she nods, I simply pick her up and carry her to the mattress. I slowly undress her, then tell her to roll over onto her stomach. Pouring some oil in my hand, I start to massage her neck and shoulders, kneading her muscles until all the tension leaves her body. Adding more oil, I work my way down her back, then her buttocks, and finally her legs.
The I tell her to ly on her back, and when she does, I start to massage her feet
"If you want to be in control, you will need to be calm," I explain to her "any strong emotion will work to your disadvantage."
Leaving her feet, continue the massage along her legs, the her hips. She starts to squirm slightly, clearly agitated now.
"Stop it. I told you to stay calm." I say sternly. "When you are completely calm and centered, you will achieve your goal."

Karen is lying very still now, trying to let herself go, abandon herself to my hands. I move upwards, putting my hands around her neck and she stiffens. But then she controls herself and I go on massaging her throat until I feel her becoming heavy, all muscles limp now.
Removing my fingers from her throat, I then squeeze her breasts lightly. Her breathing accelerates, but only for a few seconds. Her eyes are closed now, her facial expression completely neutral. My hands continue downwards, caressing her stomach, then her thighs. When I finally touch her pussy, she is hot, seemingly burning from inside. Her lips are incredibly wet and the slightest touch makes them swell up.

Slowly I slide my fingers up and down her pussy, moving further towards her asshole with every stroke, while never makes a sound. I spread her juices from her pussy to her asshole. Then I spread her legs slightly and her pussy lips part, exposing her clit. With one finger I caress the little button, until it becomes hard. As I insert to fingers in between her pussy lips, my movements become quicker. Her pussy lips tremble ever so slightly, but she is perfectly calm.

I start to move faster now, my hand flying over her swollen clit. Then I insert on finger into her lubricated asshole. A quick shudder tells me her recent adventures are not forgotten, but she fights for control and lets my finger slide in easily. I add a second finger and this time she welcomes it calmly. Next, I push my thumb into her pussy. 
Now I have a good grip on her and I close my fingers, grabbing her flesh hard. She doesn't even acknowledge the pain, her eyes closed and her mouth relaxed.
I feel that it's enough for today and let go of her. As I pull my fingers out of her ass and pussy, her hand moves to the cushion like a lightning.

I look up, only to find myself facing my own gun. Karens gaze is calm and her hand never even trembles. I look at her for a moment.
"Lady, the safety's still on." I inform her
She flicks the safety catch, not once breaking eye contact. She's good. But not good enough.

"All right," I say "You win, lady. Shoot me."
Her eyes widen. She clearly  doesn't know what to do now.
"Shoot, goddammit!" I shout at her
Then, at last, she pulls the trigger. But nothing happens. I snatch the gun from her hand and pulling back the sled, chamber a round. Then I point it at her. I can smell her fear, but she doesn't move, nor does she beg. She made a big mistake and now she has to pay for it.
And she knows it.

She doesn't flinch, when I pull the trigger and the bullet rips into the wall, barely an inch from her head. Then I put the gun away.
"Close your eyes." I command.
When she complies, I put one hand one her shaven pussy, now dry and cold.
"Remember to stay calm." I tell her, then move my face between her legs. I begin to lick her lips slowly, caressing every single part of her. I can feel the heat returning slowly, and when the first signs of moisture show, I part her lips with my tongue. I circle her clit, slowly, consistently, my tongue pushing. She doesn't move, her breathing barely audible.

My mouth is moving into her now, sucking on her clit, pushing her lips apart slightly. My hands never touch her, while I continue to stimulate her, my face covered with her fluids. I can feel the sensations building up inside her, as her pussy pulsates. The I push myself against her, thrust my tongue into her and she relaxes her muscles, one by one, letting me in. My tongue enters her deeply, touching her inner walls, licking, thrusting.
Her pussy never contracts, only her temperature rises, her juices flowing freely, as I bury my mouth in her flesh. She becomes softer and softer, all barriers breaking down.
The she comes and her orgasm is massive, hot liquid bursting from her pussy, covering me like molten metal. In seconds it is over, but I stay with her for a few moments, my wet face glued to her wet pussy.

When she recovers, she doesn't look at me. I can see she's not sure how to handle the situation.
"Why did you do that?" She asks with a tiny voice.
"Because I can't explain everything to you," I reply "and even if I could, there's a big difference between listening and understanding."
She stares into the black night outside the window for minutes, then she turns to me, her green eyes clear now, her gaze unwavering.
"I want you to take off your clothes now."

When Karen goes down on me, she does so deliberately, and with ease. Her mouth engulfs my shaft for what seems like hours and even after I come she keeps milking me until there is nothing left.
I don't so much as move a finger.