There were days Captain Tanner Morgan hated his job. This was one of them. He sighed as he drank the foul-tasting sludge that passed for coffee and looked out of his window for inspiration. He had been wrestling with his course of action all night and the words of Macbeth kept echoing in his mind, “If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere it be done quickly.”"Let's get this over with." he said to himself. As he turned around, he dropped his coffee mug in shock. "Shit!" The mug bounced on the linoleum floor, soaking his pants legs and shoes.
"Dammit, Danny - do I have to put a fucking bell around your neck? You're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days!"
"Sorry Cap ... did I startle you?"Lieutenant Danny Kaminski slouched in the chair across from Morgan's desk, the faintest hint of a smile on his rugged face. His hair was a non-existent dark stubble and his sea blue-green gaze pinned the captain with a disconcerting directness. "You wanted to see me?" He pulled a cigarette from a pack in his pocket and lit up. Danny had the uncanny gift to enter a room or appear behind someone without being noticed; an eerie ability he enjoyed on official police business as well as with his fellow officers.
"We had another CCRB inquiry about your behavior..."
"Which case?"
"Robinson. The cocaine dealer."
"He fell down the stairs after I arrested him. You can check with Namisato and Reardon."
Morgan arched an eyebrow. He gave Danny a look that made lesser men break down and cry. The lieutenant merely looked mildly embarassed. He held up his hands.
"OK, OK, I may have roughed him up a little..."
"Danny, you beat him half to death and then raped him! Those kind of injuries don't come from falling down a flight of stairs!"
Kaminski's face hardened. He took a deep drag on the cigarette and blew the smoke out of his nose."Yeah, so what? What are they gonna do to me? Put me in prison?"
He gave a short, bitter laugh. "Been there. Done that."
Danny had been framed for a murder he didn't commit and was sentenced to 30 years in one of the state's worst prisons. Being incarcerated brought a host of dangers, but being a cop increased it a thousandfold. Danny was systematically abused by both inmates and guards and to his surprise found his relationships in prison were more arousing and filling (in more ways than one!) than those he had had as a free man. After finding his place in the prison hierarchy, he also began to enjoy the task of "breaking in" new inmates. After seven long years, the conspiracy was uncovered, Danny was released and reinstated to his former position with his conviction reversed and his record expunged. He was, however, a changed man. Not only had he plated himself with an additional 20 pounds of hard and hard-won muscle, he found that he wanted - no, needed - his relationships hard and rough.Everything now became a matter of aggression and dominance - if he could force someone into submission - which he usually could - he would take him brutally. Over and over again. And he enjoyed breaking men - physically and mentally. In those rare cases where he was the loser, being beaten and topped by a man who could best Danny was enough to drive him over the edge."Besides, the collar was by-the-book. He's not getting off. Let him get used to what he's gonna find once he's sentenced."
Danny cast an aura of casual brutality - you could feel his subtle glee in trapping a criminal and wonder at the incredible planning that went into the operation. Kaminski's investigations and take downs were consistently spot-on; the DA's office was always overjoyed when he was the principal officer on the case. The problem, however, was the systematic physical abuse that Danny (and many of the younger uniformed officers who worked with him) committed on the perpetrator. His years behind prison bars gave him extraordinary insight into the criminal psyche, but also had twisted him in unexpected ways.
Police brass looked the other way - the lieutenant was in some form given carte blanche after his mistaken conviction was uncovered. It was no secret that Kaminski enjoyed hard, rough play with the younger officers; more and more of them sported shaved heads and bulked-up physiques in imitation of the detective - usually after coming into the precinct beaten, bruised and limping. The fact that the station house was coming to resemble a prison yard had not gone unnoticed (but not unappreciated) by Morgan.
The relationship between Danny and his captain was both one of respect and of intimacy. A few years younger, a few pounds lighter and an inch shorter than Kaminski, Morgan was - however - inhumanly strong. When the the strapping lieutenant had tried to force himself on the captain, he found himself instead on his back, his legs over the captain's shoulders, screaming in pleasure as Morgan held him immobile in a viselike grip and pistoned in and out of him for several hours. He continually brought him to the edge of release only to drag him back. Again. And again. And again."That's not the point, and you know it, damn you! The complaint came through Anderson's lawyer. Which means we HAVE to investigate. Maybe you're untouchable, but those uniform groupies of yours aren't! What's gonna happen to them?"
When the topic of the uniformed officers' fate came up, Danny became less angry.
"There's no DNA evidence, Tanner." he said quietly. "We made sure of that. We put him in a holding cell with a bunch of bikers. If anything, they beat him up worse. It's his word against ours."He looked thoughtful.
"I should've killed the little bastard after we fucked him. Next time, it's out a window. 'Resisting arrest.' That always works ... Cleaner, too..." he mused.
Morgan stared at him. "Do you realize what you just said?"
"I'm making sure there aren't any loose ends to get the other guys in trouble. So?"
"I've got to get you away from here for a while - this situation is getting too delicate ... and you're getting too fucking cocky. You're gonna do something soon no one is going to be able to overlook."
Danny stood up to exit. "I'm not taking leave. You can't force me."
"I'm not thinking about leave. I'm thinking of detached duty with a US Army counter-terrorism group in Rafha. I just got the summary and request today. You can bring back a lot of techniques for us to implement here."
"Where's that?"
"Saudi Arabia"
Kaminski laughed. "So it's too hot for me here? You want me to go somewhere and get my throat slit or my ass shot off? Thanks, but no thanks." He turned to leave.Morgan moved quickly and grabbed Danny's arm. He twisted it up and behind him while spinning him around and forcing him to stare into the young captain's face. Danny could smell the faint traces of Tanner's cologne; Tanner could feel the throbbing heat of Danny's crotch pressed against him. The lieutenant winced in pain as the captain further twisted his wrist and tightened his grip. He shoved a sheaf of papers into Kaminski's pocket with his free hand.
"You're gonna read the summary and you're gonna volunteer for the assignment tomorrow." Tanner gave him a long, brutal kiss. Danny was breathless when Tanner separated from him. "I don't want to see you rotting in prison, Danny. I won't. I can't lose you that way."
He released him from the hold and pushed him away. The lieutenant stumbled.
"Now get the fuck out of my office."
* * *
After an interminably long shift, Danny left the station house and made his way back to his apartment. Every time he replayed the conversation with and subtle violence by Tanner, he felt himself grow and twitch. He checked his messages (none) and decided to relax and read the sheaf of information that his captain has placed in his pocket. He took a beer out of the refrigerator and sat down.
The summary began with a basic description of the overall situation and continued with the items that the "operator" would learn and participate in. The more he read, the more aroused he found himself becoming. Among the areas described were:
- Abduction and/or elimination of potential high-value targets
- Induced mental/physical duress to reorient targets
- Imposition of physical devices to assist reorientation
- Design and development of investigative and interrogative techniques to achieve objectives
- Assist with design and testing of weaponry and mechanisms to achieve objectives
Hey Brownie,This was a very intriguing piece of correspondence. "Brownie" had to refer to Tanner Morgan, but who was "Ty" and for that matter, who was "Sid"? As he was pondering these questions, his buzzer rang. He opened the door.
I just got the records on your lieutenant - it seems he'd be a perfect fit for my group of wingnuts and mad scientists. I'd be more than happy to keep him out of harm's way for a while, although be warned - he may like it too much here to come back! Remember, we don't have any civvies to interfere with work! Just give me the word and I'll get the paperwork and security clearances out of the way. As always, Sid sends his love.
Hugs,
Ty
"Hayden! What are you doing here?"
"Hey Danny, I saw you come out of Morgan's office this afternoon in a really foul mood. I thought you'd like some dinner and a pick-up ... um ... pick-me-up."
Sergeant Hayden Roarke was a young patrolman that worked on a regular basis with Kaminski and his operations. In the beginning of their relationship, the officer had short, light brown hair and a swimmer's lithe build. Now, the young man had filled out considerably with muscle, tattoos and sported a short buzz cut. He was wearing a pair of fleece sweats cut off at the knee, running shoes, no socks and a tight Ajaxx63 t-shirt. He was balancing a pizza box in one hand and holding a plastic bag of drinks and snacks in the other."Great timing, as usual! Come on in!" Danny took the bag of extras from the patrolman and shut the door. He watched Roarke's ass shift through the fabric and how his muscles bunched and moved under the thin cotton shirt. Hayden walked into the apartment and put the pizza box on the kitchen table; Danny licked his lips. The kid had a near-prescient ability to know when Danny needed him, most times even before Kaminski realized it.
The lieutenant set the bag on the table next to the box. Hayden put his arms around the other man and simply held him close. Danny could feel the warmth radiating from Roarke's body and the absolute devotion he had for the ex-convict.
Hayden had been the first (but certainly not the last) cop that Danny had broken when he returned to the force. He was immediately attracted to the new recruit and had the irresistible urge to "settle him in" the same way he did with new convicts. Kaminski always remembered the moment when - spreadeagled on a bed, cuffed, gagged, beaten and after many rough and brutal thrusts - the fight had gone completely out of the young officer. His "You ready for some REAL sex now, kid?" was met with a tear-filled look and a sad, resigned nod of his head. At that moment, Danny knew the young man belonged to him - body and soul. He soon became his protege and began to move up rapidly through the ranks.
"Want to tell me what happened?"
Kaminski related the conversation between himself and Morgan, and the trouble that the cocaine dealer had initiated through his lawyer. Roarke grimaced.
"We should have thrown that asshole out a window and made the world a better place." he said as he munched on a slice. Almost the same words he had used with Tanner.
Danny had an eerie flash of premonition. He could see his young lover in an orange jumpsuit being led away in chains. He could see Hayden's bruised and anguished face. He could see his assault and his succumbing to a group of insatiable, muscular convicts. He didn't know what troubled him more - the horrible certainty of his vision, or the fact that it aroused him to the boiling point.
"Damn him, Morgan was right." he thought.
"Cap offered me detached duty with a US Army counter-terrorism unit. I'm gonna take it."
He saw a look of infinite sadness cross the young patrolman's face.
"Look, it'll only be for six months. By that time, this whole incident will be forgotten. But YOU have to keep the rest of the guys in line, Hayden. They trust you. You - all of you - can't be doing the things we've done on duty together. Brass isn't going to look the other way if I'm not involved." He grasped the young officer hard by the chin."UNDERSTAND?"
He showed sad eyes bright with unshed tears. "Yes, Danny."
He stroked the side of Roarke's face. "C'mon. Let's go into the bedroom and make this a night to remember."
* * *
The next five weeks were a whirlwind of activity for the precinct. Cases needed to be updated and reassigned. Court appearances needed to be made; depositions taken; different task forces needed briefings every day. Finally the moment came when it was time for Danny to leave. Together in his office, Tanner wrapped his arms around the lieutentant and gave him a lingering kiss far softer than the one over a month ago.
"Here are your tickets, Danny. You're flying Emirates Air from JFK to the King Abdulaziz airport in Jeddah. You'll be met there by a US Army rep and from there, it'll be a military transport to the facility in Rafha. Any questions? Anything I can do for you?"
Kaminski sighed. "Keep an eye on Hayden for me? He's taking this really hard."
"Will do. You'd better get moving. What with all the TSA security protocols now, you're going to need all the time you can manage to get through the airport and onto that plane."
* * *
The early July weather was humid and miserable. As soon as he left the comfort of the taxi, he could feel his shirt cling to him like a wet rag. The cab left him at the Emirates terminal and the lieutenant entered and approached the counter. Thank God for air conditioning. He was carrying a backpack and pulled a medium sized suitcase behind him. When he got to the front of the very short line, he presented his ticket and passport. A handsome young Arab took the papers and began the check-in process. He stopped and stared at Danny giving him a look of amazement, bordering on awe."Is there a problem?"
"No, no. No problem at all, sir. We just have some, uh, notes attached to this ticket." He waved one of the other agents over.
"Amira, please take Mr. Kaminski to the lounge and make him comfortable until the flight leaves." He said something to her in rapid-fire Arabic.
The other agent was a ravishing young woman with clear light brown eyes and midnight black hair. She raised an elegant eyebrow and gave Danny a brilliant smile.
"Of course, Basim. Please come this way, Mr. Kaminski."
She motioned him to come behind the counter and the two went through a door and walked down a wide corridor.
"Don't we have to go through security?"
"Why? You are traveling under a Saudi royal warrant." At his confused glance, she continued to explain. "A royal warrant grants you complete diplomatic privileges and in effect, makes you one of the royal family. That is why Basim reacted so. It's not every day that we see one of those .... Ah, here we are."
Amira opened a door to a plush lounge, replete with a large screen television, couches and divans. A bartender and a chef stood at attention in the middle of the room. She turned to Danny.
"Please feel free to relax and enjoy yourself before the flight. If you need anything, use the white phone on the table." As she was leaving the lounge, she gave him a dazzling smile.
Danny put his backpack on the floor. What could only be a butler came out of another doorway.
"I'll have your luggage placed on the plane, Mr. Kaminski. Would you like to anything to eat or drink? Or perhaps, a cool shower?"
"That sounds like a great idea." He thought for a moment. "Could I have a steak and a salad?"
"Certainly, sir."
The butler opened the door of the bathroom, which was larger than Danny's entire apartment. He didn't know what he was stepping into, but from this introduction, it was going to be interesting - to say the very least.
* * *
After the welcome shower and wonderful meal, Danny relaxed on one of the many couches in the room. He sipped a Pinot Noir and watched a Yankees game on the large set. The staff had had the same reaction to the lieutenant as Basim, but he explained that his circumstances of his travel was as much as a surprise to him as it was to them. The butler gave him a light touch on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, sir. But the flight is beginning to board."
Danny grabbed his backpack and stood up. The butler walked him to the door and opened it.
"Just continue down the corridor and make a right at the end. You'll be boarding the plane at the private gate."
"Thanks for everything, Julian. I really appreciate it." He shook the butler's hand.
Julian smiled. "It was our pleasure, sir. You are far more hospitable than some of the others that we must accommodate on a regular basis. Enjoy your flight, and we hope to see you again."
Danny followed the butler's directions and was met at the end of the corridor again by Amira. She gave him a bright smile. "Did you enjoy our lounge?" They walked along the short distance to the plane.
Kaminski grinned. "You folks sure know how to beat the heat! I can't remember when I was treated like this! You're spoiling me rotten!"
"Well, I'm sure your flight will be comfortable." She winked. "You're in the first class cabin."
He laughed. "So I get to sit with all the movers and shakers, right?"
"Actually, not. The entire cabin has been reserved for you."
It was his turn to look shocked. "You're kidding me, Amira. Right? Since when does a cop get this treatment?"
Amira said matter-of-factly. "Since you have a royal warrant."
They arrived at the plane. "Have a safe flight, Mr. Kaminski."
The steward at the jetway gave Danny a broad smile. The door closed.
The flight to Jeddah was more of the same for the lieutenant. Since he was the only one in the first class cabin, he was treated to the personal attentions of the two striking stewards for the entire flight. Around midnight, Danny fell asleep in the luxurious seat and around 8am, woke to see a crescent of sun peeking through the window. Faris, the younger of the two stewards, brought him a large tray of breakfast.
"We'll be landing in about an hour, sir. Is there anything else I may get you?"
"Nope, I'm fine." He began to dig into the extensive breakfast. "On second thought, could I have some more coffee? I'm still half-asleep."
"Of course! I'll be back in a moment." Danny admired the steward's trim physique and tight butt as he left to get a carafe. He wondered if the airline went out of it's way to find drop-dead handsome men for their staff. He found himself growing hard fantasizing about an encounter with the young man. But this was not the time or place. He sighed. He hoped he would be able to find some like-minded army guys or this was going to be a very frustrating assignment.
Danny finished his breakfast and could feel the plane beginning to bank and dip. In a short time, the pilot brought the plane through the clouds and he could see the city of Jeddah spread out before him.
Jeddah is located on the coast of the Red Sea (21.50° N 39.1667° E) and is the major urban center in western Saudi Arabia, the largest in the Western Province, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city Riyadh. The population of the city currently stands at over 3.4 million. It is considered the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia and the wealthiest city in the Middle East and western Asia.
Kaminski deplaned and was at once amazed at the beautiful architecture of the airport. Huge, but light and airy at the same time, directions were written in English and Arabic and he followed the signs for arrivals and luggage. About a hundred feet down a wide walkway, Danny was met by a striking young Arab solider. He was slightly out-of-breath from running. Clean-shaven with a deep cleft in his chin, dark eyes and expressive brows, he was dressed in snug khaki fatigues with a black-and-white keffiyeh on his head and paratrooper boots polished to a mirror finish. He had an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder and a wide grin on his open face. Danny's dick hardened almost immediately. What the hell was going on here?"Lieutenant Kaminski? I'm Captain Aziz of the Royal Guard. I apologize for not meeting you at the gate, but I was unavoidably detained. A thousand pardons." He put out his hand. "Do you have any luggage? ... Lieutenant?"
Danny had been drinking in the sight of the young soldier in front of him. Aziz had a deep tenor with the mildest hint of an accent. "I'm sorry, Captain. I'm a bit distracted. I guess I'm still on New York time. I'm not quite awake yet. Luggage? Just one other piece besides this." He shrugged his backpack.
He took the captain's hand. Aziz held it firmly for a bit longer than necessary and gave him a wink and another brilliant smile. "I DO seem to have that effect on people. Come. Let us pick up your luggage."
As the two walked through the terminal, the volume of people increased. However, the passersby did give the policeman and soldier a wider berth than ordinary. The soldier walked with a slight swagger, fully aware of how splendid he looked and the response he engendered from the civilians. The crowd thickened further as they got closer to the luggage area.
"I came in on Emirates flight #701 - I think I see the flight number over that carousel." Danny pointed to an area about halfway down the large luggage area. Kaminski and Aziz pushed their way through the heavy crowd and got to the conveyor.
Leaning against the glass brick wall, another young Arab surveyed the area. His muscular figure was accentuated by a tight white t-shirt, white blazer and worn blue jeans that clung to his legs. He had light stubble on his strong jaw and a pair of designer sunglasses perched on top of his head. Danny had noticed him almost immediately for two reasons: one, he was even more handsome than the young captain next to him and two, in a crowded sea of people, there was a large bubble of space surrounding him that no one would cross. When Aziz saw the man, he made a beeline towards him. Danny followed. Aziz put his hand on his chest and gave the man a slight bow."My prince, I did not see you at first. I was a bit late in fetching the lieutenant and the crowds in the airport detained us further." The man gave both of them a deep smile that traveled all the way to his dark, sensuous eyes. "Not a problem, Gabril. It's a madhouse here today. Even worse than Wednesday matinees in New York. Thank you for meeting him." He turned to Kaminski and shook his hand. "Hey, welcome to Saudi Arabia, lieutenant. My name's Siddig bin Talal. Everybody calls me Sid. I picked up your luggage already. Let's get the hell out of here."
The three men - police officer, army captain and prince - chatted as they walked through the large terminal. Danny could not help but admire the prince and warmed to him immediately. There was something about the two men that had Kaminski's pulse racing. After a while, they headed towards what appeared to be an small exit door to an isolated part of the airport.
Sid pulled his glasses down. "It's rather bright out today and there's a lot of glare off the concrete. We'll be taking one more flight to Rafha. That's about 600 miles from here. We should be there in about 20 minutes."
Danny pulled a pair of aviator frames from his pocket and put them on. Aziz opened the door and held it open for the prince and Kaminski. He too, pulled on a pair of designer glasses.
A wave of heat slammed into the lieutenant. The air smelled of flint, avgas and rubber. It was a dry heat, however - much like the weather he experienced in Vegas. They walked around the building and Danny had his third surprise in a short period of time.In front of them was a F-16 fighter jet guarded by two more soldiers dressed as Aziz. Sid waved to the two and they responded the same way as Aziz had - a hand over the chest and a slight bow.
"Hi guys. Any problems?"
"None, my prince. We refueled and did the preflight ourselves." the taller of the two responded.
Sid clapped the man on the back. "Thanks, Ali. Good man." He brought his arm around Danny's shoulder and drew him closer. "Ali, Nabil, this is Danny Kaminski. He'll be joining us at Rafha for a while. Nabil, will you stow his luggage, please?" Sid let his arm slowly trail down Danny's back and rested a moment on his ass. Kaminski shivered in the hot air. The prince gave him a sly wink.
"At once, Highness." The younger soldier took the backpack and suitcase and proceeded to load them into the streamlined pods beneath the fighter's wings. Ali produced two nylon jumpsuits. He handed one to Sid and the other to the lieutenant. The prince unzipped the suit and stepped into it. Danny did the same.
Sid grinned. "We really don't need these, but it just makes getting in and out of the cockpit a helluva lot easier."
Once in the jumpsuit, he gave each of the soldiers a strong hug. When he embraced Aziz, Danny noticed that the touch was more prolonged and a bit more intimate.
"We'll see you guys in a few days. Enjoy your leave and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" The soldiers laughed. He turned to Danny. "Ready to go?" Danny nodded, still in shock from the unfolding events.
Sid settled Danny into the cockpit, gave him a helmet and connected up the built-in headphones and mike. He then jumped nimbly into the pilot's seat and pulled on a similar helmet. The canopy whirred closed, and Sid began to ease the jet away from the building and onto a runway. Sid brought the fighter's massive engines online and in a moment, the plane leaped off the runway and into the sky. Once he reached cruising altitude, he kicked in the afterburners. The two were pushed back into their seats.
* * *
Streaking over the desert, the prince began a conversation with the lieutenant.
"Danny, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. While we're flying, ask away. I'll answer what I can."
For once in his life, Danny was at a loss for words. "Well, tell me about you. What's an Arabian prince doing working for the US Army?"
Sid laughed. "To start off, I'm American. My dad happened to be fifth in line for the Arabian throne. He met my mom in college."
"They both died on 9/11." He paused for a moment. "I've made it very clear to the rest of the family here I'm not interested in the succession and if they want to jump over me, fine. I get a sizable chunk of oil and gas revenues. Plus loads of money from my dad's construction companies. I pump those petrodollars directly back into anti-terrorist defenses and research. Finally, I'm not a civvie. I'm a US Army major."
"So you're the one that issued the royal warrant?"
"Yep. R.H.I.P."
"Huh?"
Sid chuckled. "Rank Hath It's Privileges." A beeping sounded in Danny's headphones.
"Hold on. We're almost home. Let's get this bird back in it's nest." Sid began his descent.
The prince opened a channel. "Doc Frankenstein to Castle. Repeat. Doc Frankenstein to Castle. Package picked safe and sound. Drop the cloak and let me in."
A voice replied through the headphones. "Castle to Doc. Welcome home. Approach is on vector one niner delta three. Cloak dropping at my mark."
Sid spoke to Danny on a private channel. "Look out on your left."
"... two ... one ... mark."
Danny was looking out of the cockpit when the desert ahead of him shimmered in a kaleidoscopic burst of color. What appeared to be empty sands before now was a small modern town with mirrored glass and steel buildings glittering in the sun. They lined up on a landing strip and rapidly approached the ground. When they touched down on the tarmac, the lieutenant saw another rapid burst of color in the sky above them followed by a return to the clear cerulean as before.In a moment, the fighter was in a hangar and technicians began swarming over the fuselage. The prince cracked open the canopy and eased out of the seat. A technician stood on the wing and helped him up and out. He jumped lightly onto the concrete below. Danny followed suit. He looked around in surprise. While the Abulaziz airport gave the impression of a flowing tent, this structure more resembled a crystal cathedral. Nevertheless, he could sense the same hand had designed both structures.
"Lieutenant?"
Kaminski turned around to see a bronzed and smiling Tanner striding towards him. He was dressed in desert colored fatigues and his thick, black hair had been shaven away.
"Tanner? What the hell are you doing here?"
The man grinned even wider. "I guess your captain forgot tell you he has a twin brother." He gave a slight bow. "Colonel Tyler Morgan - at your service. Welcome to Rafha ..."
"Or the Castle, as I like to call it." The prince, now out of his coveralls, was making notations on a clipboard. He handed it back to the waiting technician. He looked up and gave Danny a grin that had the lieutenant growing painfully large. Seeing Danny's discomfiture, Sid's smile grew even larger and he let his hand travel slowly to his own crotch and gave it a squeeze.
"... and you've met our ranking wingnut, the prince of Persia, here." he pointed to Sid.
"Hey, the landlord can call it anything he wants. I could have called it PeeWee's Playhouse, you know."
Tyler fired off something in rapid-fire Arabic. Danny didn't understand, but it had the playful tone of "Get the hell back to work."
Sid gave the colonel a relaxed salute and sauntered off into the complex.
Tyler turned to Danny. "As you can probably guess, I don't run this facility with too heavy a hand. We've got too many independent thinkers and researchers here for that and my Ranger battalion works best with a very light touch. Let's settle you in with the security office, find your quarters and then get you your physical."
Kaminski was amazed at the size and scope of the Castle. During the abbreviated tour, Tyler pointed out the various levels and their functions, recreation areas, mess and admin areas. He received his security badge and the two proceeded to the medical labs on level 4.
"Your badge isn't 'powered up' yet. It's partly based on your biolelectric pattern, so one of the things that gets done is to set that up. When you're done here, someone will show you how you can use your badge to navigate the complex." They stopped at a door.
"Okay, here we are. See you in a few." He wrapped an arm around Danny and nuzzled his neck. At the lieutenant's surprised gaze, the colonel gave him a pat on the ass and walked away from him down the corridor.
"Well, there's gonna be no lack of companionship here." he said to himself.
Danny opened the door to a large, airy room with a few examining tables interspersed with banks of electronic equipment, exercise machines and potted plants. Out of a side door walked Sid, lab coat over his jeans and stethoscope around his neck.
"Hiya, Danny. Strip and hop up on a table."
"I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were a pilot."
"I am. I'm also the chief medical officer of the Castle."
Danny stripped down to his low rise trunks and sat on the nearest table.
Sid gave him a mock-serious glance. "Uh-uh. When I say 'strip', mister, I mean it. Trunks too."
Danny yanked off his trunks and sat on the edge of the table. Seeing the prince once more, he was again painfully erect. The doctor raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Sid gave him a thorough examination, the likes of which Danny had not experienced since being incarcerated. The doctor's gentle hands explored every inch of the muscular lieutenant's body and the deft touches caused him to ooze and leave a growing puddle on the floor. At the end of the exam, the prince motioned him to lay flat on the table.
"Danny, I'm going to give you something to get you acclimated to the Castle. Some people have a bad reaction to it, so I'm going to fasten you down to the table. There's also a mild anaesthetic in the solution, so you may feel lightheaded and you'll probably pass out for a short while. I'm going to be with you the entire time until you wake up. You okay with this?"
Danny nodded his acceptance. The doctor used velcro straps around his chest, waist, upper arms, wrists, thighs and ankles and secured him to the table. They were not tight, but Kaminski could not move an inch. Sid swabbed the inner bend of his elbow and injected him with a large syringe.It burned. Danny felt it like fire running down his arm, into his chest and throughout his body. His body tried to arch in pain, but was held firmly to the table. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. The pain intensified as if every fiber of his body was being torn asunder; then, in a hazy swirl of red and black, the lieutenant collapsed.
* * *
Consciousness returned slowly. Danny opened his eyes to the examining room, now dimly lit. He was no longer strapped down to the table, but was still naked. Despite the cool air, he did not feel cold. He could sense Sid nearby and he turned his head to see the doctor a few feet away, his back to him.
"How do you feel?" Sid's voice sounded a little hollow in his ears.
"I'm feeling great ... now. What the hell was in that shot?" Danny indeed felt great - in fact, better than he had felt in a long, long time. He was also horny as hell. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Sid.
The prince came around to Kaminski and helped him into a sitting position on the table. He looked serious.
"Danny, you understand this is a research facility? There are some things we do here that are so secret, there aren't even classifications for them yet?"
Danny nodded. Fear growing in the pit of his stomach. Sid sensed his unease and put his hands on the lieutenant's wide shoulders. He began to lightly stroke his arms.
"You were injected with a nanovirus - it a semi-artificial organism we developed. We all have it. It does a couple of things. One, it allows you to communicate directly with the machinery in the Castle. It also produces some ... physical ... changes ..."
Danny pulled back from him. "God-damn it, what the fuck did you do to me!" Kaminski screamed.
"You didn't open your mouth! I heard you!"
"Like I said, the nanovirus produces some physical changes." The doctor smiled. "That's one of them. We don't know exactly how it does what it does, but the virus amplifies certain mental capabilities and certain physical characteristics. Telepathy always seems to develop. Other capabilities start to manifest in a short time. Depends on the person. We've seen precognition, EM field sensing, even telekinesis.
Sid picked up a scalpel. "The virus also speeds up the healing process. Watch." The doctor took the instrument and gave himself a deep gash in his other palm. Danny saw the cut literally seal itself up and was looking at clear, unbroken skin in a matter of seconds. He took Kaminski's hand and put a deep gash in thumb. The lieutenant felt a brief flash of pain and watched as his wound closed as fast as the doctor's.
"You're also much stronger than you were before." The doctor reached across the table and retrieved a crowbar hanging on a wall. He bent it in half as if it were a paper clip. He handed it to Danny, who unbent it with equal ease. He grinned at the prince. "Damn, this was going to be an experience." he thought.
"Yes, it is going to be an experience." Danny looked at him, shocked. "You're broadcasting your thoughts like an emergency beacon right now. It takes some training to shield them."
Sid continued. "But you're not Superman. Don't forget that. Ever. You're much harder to kill, but you can wind up just as dead. Once you've got medical clearance, your next step is the mess and then the PX and armory. You've been out cold for 72 hours."
Danny looked surprised. "That long? It didn't feel like it."
"It never does. That's about average for the virus to set up housekeeping. Let's finish up that clearance." Sid shrugged out of the lab coat and pulled his t-shirt over his head to reveal a smooth muscular torso. He gave the policeman a bright and hungry smile. Danny hopped off the table and helped the doctor out of his snug jeans. Danny shivered as the prince ran his hands down his chest and arms and pulled the naked lieutenant closer to him. Danny held the doctor's head in his hands and gave him a deep kiss. As they embraced, he spoke to Sid mind-to-mind.
"Well, do I pass?"
The prince felt the burning hardness of Danny pressed against his stomach. "I like a quick study! Well, mister, THAT tool of yours needs to be addressed. Mine too, for that matter. We should make sure there aren't any side effects, shouldn't we?"
"Yes, SIR!"
Danny grabbed a handful of the prince's hair and pulled his head back, exposing his neck. Sid hissed - partly in pain, partly in pleasure - as Danny began to slowly lick down the side of his throat. The lieutenant could feel the hot pulse of the doctor beneath his tongue; the prince tasted faintly of cinnamon and mint. He gently bit into the smooth flesh and then proceeded to move up and nibble Sid's strong jaw. He could hear the prince's physical and mental moans as he continued. Sid snaked a muscular arm around the now-enhanced policeman and began to play with his pucker. It was Danny's turn now to squirm in pleasure. He could hear the prince's mental smile as one digit invaded him; then two; Sid began to twist within him and begin a slow and deliberate massage.
Kaminski let go of the doctor's hair and clamped his hand around the back of the doctor's neck. He drew the prince closer to him and gave him a long and brutal kiss; all the while, the doctor continued to reach deeper within the lieutenant. In a few moments, Sid's fingers reached Danny's prostate; he squeezed. With a loud yell, a fountain of spunk shot out of the lieutenant to leave a crisscrossed trail of white on Sid's tight abdomen. Danny dropped to his knees and began to lick the prince's six-pack clean. As he traveled lower, he looked up hungrily at Sid's enraptured face and swallowed the doctor's thickness whole. Danny could feel the prince tremble as he held on to his trim waist and began a rhythm that had that had the doctor's tool down his throat one moment and his teeth raking across the tip the next. Kaminski felt the prince swell within him and with a scream to rival his own, exploded down the officer's throat.Spent, Danny withdrew and gave Sid's member a final appreciative lick. He continued to hold onto the prince's waist and wearily laid his head against Sid's thigh; the doctor made lazy caresses around the back of Kaminski's neck, head and shoulders.
Sid expelled a deep breath. "Well, I don't SEE any side-effects, Danny." He cleared his throat. "I think we should get dressed and grab something to eat."
Danny looked up at him. The prince gave him a wry grin. "Something besides ... protein."
* * *
The two dressed and Sid finished up the process of activating Danny's security badge. This was the policeman's first exposure to the amazing capabilities of the Castle's hardware and his own nanovirus interface to them.
"Okay, Danny - I want you to hold the card between your palms. Close your eyes. Imagine the card turning green."
The policeman gave him a disbelieving look.
"I'm not joking. Go ahead."
Danny closed his eyes. He could feel the white plastic card between his hands. "I don't believe I'm doing this." he said to himself and willed the card to turn green.
An amazing thing happened. Kaminski could literally sense the card open and caress his palms. It felt almost alive and responsive to his touch. He opened his eyes and opened his hands. The card was now a deep emerald green. As he stared at it, he could see darker green swirls lazily cross the face of the card.
"Wow ..."
Sid smiled. "Amazing, isn't it? And that's just a security card."
The two exited the medical lab and headed towards the cafeteria. They passed by researchers and soldiers alike who gave both of them grins and waves. Several stopped and introduced themselves. All gave Danny a knowing nod, wink and huge smile. One particularly handsome scientist added - in a mental afterthought -
"I really hope we can work together, Danny ... you have quite the reputation already!"
The cafeteria - like the rest of the complex - was extensive and as beautifully designed. The two gathered up huge servings of a beef and lamb stew with rice and vegetables. Sid also put several items on Danny's tray and indicated that his body needed some specific replenishment after his 72-hour transformation. The policeman mentioned the odd mental comment as Sid was drinking a large glass of juice.
The doctor choked and sprayed the contents of the glass onto himself and Danny. Sid was laughing and choking so hard a soldier at an adjacent table got up and pounded his back several times.
"You okay, doc?"
"Fine, fine...I'm fine ... thanks, Sean..." the prince sputtered.
The solider winked at Danny. "Welcome to Rafha, sir." The policeman felt a mental caress from the young man and he began to get hard. Again.
"What was that all about?"
"Remember what I said about you learning how to shield your thoughts?"
Danny nodded.
"You weren't exactly ... quiet ... in medlab ... neither was I ..." the prince chuckled.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
The doctor nodded. "Yep. We put on a show that had had the entire base rock-hard and leaking!"
Danny blushed. "Damn. I fucked up again ..."
"Don't worry... no one minded at all! That's the only "odd" side-effect we've found with the virus. Sexual orientation gets skewed and pheromone production goes off the scale. Most of us were gay already, so it didn't do anything except make us hornier than ever. Those of us that weren't - well, the adjustment period was minor. Intense sometimes, but minor."
Danny looked incredulous.
"The fact that the nanovirus causes telepathy to develop - or just reignites a latent talent - makes everyone here part of a community that provides a major psychological boost to every one of it's members. With the gestalt we've built here, we've made advances that are incredible."
"Is the orgy over, or may I participate in an encore, highness?" a familiar mental voice broke in on their conversation.
"Aziz?"
"Assuredly. I was certain when we met that you were Talented, lieutenant, but NOT to this extent. May I join you?"
"So you felt a great disturbance in the Force, hmmmm? We're in the cafeteria."
Gabril gave the two a deep mental chuckle. "I'll see you shortly."
Within a few moments, Danny saw the captain enter the cafeteria and saunter towards them. He sat down next to Kaminski and caressed the side of the officer's face. He turned the policeman towards him.
"Tell me, Lieutenant, do you know how to speak Arabic?"
"Nope. But I want to learn. When in Rome ..."
Aziz smiled. "Well, let us begin your lessons."
The captain gently held Danny's head in his hands and he rested his forehead against that of the policeman. He stroked the officer's temples with his thumbs.
"Close your eyes, Daniel. Relax. Breathe with me."
Danny could feel the coolness of the captain's skin against his own. In a short time, the two were breathing deeply in cadence with each other. Slowly, a deep mental rapport between the two was established, far deeper than the mental conversations Kaminski had previously experienced. Images, cognates, thoughts and words flooded into the policeman's mind. Grammar, literature, history, legends, jokes and riddles followed. The flood slowly turned to a trickle, then the mental link softly closed. Danny opened his eyes to a smiling Gabril.
"Jesus H. Christ! That was amazing!"
Aziz took out a piece of paper and wrote down a string of Arabic characters.
"Rajala Rajulun Rijla Rajulin ... One man hit another man on the leg ... SHIT!"
Sid grinned at the amazed Kaminski. "I'dve done that, but Gabril's Arabic is more romantic than mine. I sound like a truck driver. This way, you can blend in with the locals when we go on a snatch and grab." He yawned. "Sorry."
"How long have you been without sleep, habibi?"He yawned again. "It's been about three and a half days. I didn't want to leave Danny alone during the nanovirus acclimatization. Now I'm beat."
Aziz gave the prince an evil grin. "The colonel is in your quarters, my lord. I would not keep him waiting."
Sid chuckled. "Well, I know when I've been outflanked. Thanks Gabril. Would you mind bringing the lieutenant to the quartermaster and the armory?" The captain nodded his assent and the doctor gave Danny a quick kiss. He stood up and gently trailed a knuckle along Aziz's strong jaw - then left the cafeteria.
Aziz caught Danny looking at his empty plates. "Are you still hungry?"
Kaminski gave the captain a sheepish look. "Yeah."
"Acclimatization can be quite tiring. I've just come in from patrol, so why don't you get some additional food and I'll join you?"
* * *
After another large serving of food, the two left the cafeteria and walked through the Castle complex to the quartermaster's area. There they were met by Sean Lennox, the young soldier who had pounded on Sid's back during his choking fit.
"Hi, Gabril. Hi, lieutenant. What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Sean. We're here to pick up some items for Captain Kaminski here."
Danny gave him a quizzical look. Aziz turned to him.
"Assimilated rank. A police lieutenant is equivalent to an army captain."
"Ahh."
Sean pulled a tape measure from a drawer and quickly measured the detective. He went into a storage area and came out with a few sets of black fatigues, overshirts and underwear. Plus boots and other sundries.
"Have you gotten your armor and weapons yet, sir?"
"That is our next stop."
Sean's eyes unfocused for a moment. "Um, I'd think of doing that in the morning, sir. Major Briarwood and Doc Mitchell are ... occupied ... for the night." He winked at Danny. "It seems to be going around."
Aziz coughed into his hand to hide his grin. "Very well, Sean. We will take care of those details in the morning. Thank you."
" 'Night, sirs!"
"Anytime you want to plow me, captain, just ask!" he added in a mental aside to Kaminski.
Gabril and Danny walked back to his quarters. During the sojourn, the handsome Arab showed Danny how to use his security card as a locator in the complex. It was as simple as concentrating on where you wanted to be and a white arrow would appear on the card and rotate as needed.
They arrived outside of the policeman's quarters. Aziz gave the officer a light kiss and trailed his lips along Danny's strong jaw.
"Until morning, Daniel."
* * *
Danny woke the next morning, shaved, showered and dressed in his black fatigues. He noticed the face staring back at him was definitely younger -- at least by five years. As far as surprises went, this was a minor one; he was getting used to being surprised. As he was tightening the laces on his boots, a light knock sounded on the door. He could sense Aziz outside and gave the captain a mental caress."Come in."
The royal guardsman entered and gave Kaminski a warm smile. "Good morning, Daniel. I thought we would have breakfast first and then proceed to the armory - does that sound good to you?"
Danny finished with his boots. "Sure. But call me Danny. I was only called 'Daniel' when I was going to get my head handed to me."
Aziz laughed. "So be it. Please call me Gabi."Danny smiled. Damn, I want him SO bad. "I was thinking about something last night after you showed me how to use the security card. The computing power here at the Castle must be incredible."
"Indeed it is. Have you worked with ODIN, yet?"
"Who?"
"The computer. Lay your hands on the black panel on your desk."
Danny went over to the desk and sat down. He placed his hands on the panel. Almost immediately, he felt a ghostly pair of hands grasp his own. He jerked his hands away.
Aziz grinned. "That's the nanovirus interface. Nothing to be concerned about. Just relax."
Danny again put his hands on the plate. The feeling was incredibly real as the virtual pair grasped his own.
"Well, well, well - we finally meet. Welcome aboard, Danny!"
"ODIN?"
"None other. Just your friendly, neighborhood advanced supercomputer, at your service."
"This is a joke, right?"
"Nope. The guys here kept adding more and more artificial intelligence and pattern recognition programs into me. One day, I just 'woke up'. I'm always here if you need me. By the way, can I make a suggestion?"
"Uh. Okay."
"You're a bit on the fair side. You're going to get one nasty continuous sunburn out here. Burn and heal. Burn and heal. I can instruct your nanoviruses to get you tanned up ASAP. You okay with that?"
"Yeah - thanks!"
"No problem. Talk to you soon!" Danny felt the virtual hands disengage from his own. He looked at Aziz.
"THAT was a computer?"
Gabril nodded. "And an amazingly modest one at that. It's quite comforting to know he is with you on a mission. Let us eat."
As the two headed for the mess, Aziz commented on Danny's darkening tan."Already?"
The policeman looked at his arm. Within a span of a several minutes he was sporting a deep bronze tan. He shook his head in wonder.
Aziz gently grasped his forearm. "You are so attractive, Danny. You appear as a burnished war-god now. Time and chance willing, may I be with you tonight?"
Danny stopped and pressed the soldier against the wall of the hallway. He stroked the side of his face and gently kissed him. He could feel Gabril grow hot and hard.
"Anytime, Gabi. Anytime." He released the captain.
As they rounded the next corner, the smells of food wafted through the air and he could hear the muted hubbub of conversation. This assignment was turning out far better than he had ever expected.
The cafeteria was full but not crowded. The smell of coffee and cinnamon had Danny salivating. The two proceeded to fill their trays and find a table. Two men - a soldier and a scientist approached them, trays as heavily laden as the two officers.
" 'Morning Gabi ... I heard you were looking for us last night ... " he looked over at the policeman. "...and you've got to be Danny Kaminski! Mind if we join you?"
The speaker was a tall, handsome man with a diver's lithe build. He wore the same black fatigues and also sported a deep bronze tan. His long, golden-brown hair was pulled back and held in place with a silver ring. A diamond stud twinkled in his ear. He had a slight, but unmistakable Texas drawl.
He put down his tray and put out his hand. "Jim Mitchell. It's great to meet you in person ... you're quite the celebrity already! And this here's my partner in crime, Major Cameron Briarwood."
The major sported the same shaved head as many of the military at the Castle. His solid frame topped the scientist by about 3 inches and his emerald green eyes held a great deal of humor to match his 100-watt grin. He wore a black string tank top which emphasized his hairless muscular torso and arms.
"Hey stud ... nice show last night! You had me and Jimmy - probably the rest of the base - just itching to get off duty and into the sack ASAP!"
Danny felt himself blushing beneath his tan at the compliments given him for his activities with the prince. Briarwood sensed his discomfiture and immediately moved to comfort him.
"Hey, hey! Nothing to be ashamed of! You're just out of Assimilation and you can pump that amount of power in a broadcast is incredible! I definitely want to run some psi tests on you! You're gonna be one helluva asset to us here!"
"James is our weapons designer for the Castle and Cam is our psych-ops and weapons master."
Mitchell eyed the policeman. "After breakfast, let's head down to the weapons lab. We'll get you fitted up in no time."
* * *
The armory was a separate structure set somewhat apart from the test of the Castle's buildings. It did, however, share the same light, soaring design as the rest of the city. Mitchell, Briarwood, Aziz and Kaminski entered the building and their first stop was to pick up ammo and an assault rifle for the policeman - the M16A4.
The M16A4, now standard issue for front-line US Marine Corps and US Army Ranger units, replaces the combination fixed carry handle/rear iron sight with a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, allowing for the rifle to be equipped with a carry handle and/or most military and consumer scopes or sighting systems. Most of the US Ranger Corps' M16A4s are equipped with a Knight's Armament Company M5 RAS handguard, allowing vertical grips, lasers, tactical lights, and other accessories to be attached. In U.S. Army Field Manuals, M16A4s fitted with the RAS are sometimes referred to as M16A4 MWS or Modular Weapon System. This model retains the 3-round burst mode of the M16A2. The weapon in Danny's hand had both a laser targeting sight and an tactical light.There were several types of ammunition provided - depleted uranium (armor piercing), explosive rounds, as well as standard shells. Danny hefted the weapon and marveled at it's light weight and balance.
"Have you used one of these before?"
Danny sighted down the barrel. "Yeah. On a couple of SWAT operations. This feels a lot lighter, though."
Briarwood smiled. "This is a modified version. The metal is a titanium steel-ceramic alloy. Half the weight and twice the strength. I'm gonna want you on the practice range for a few hours today. Body armor next. C'mon."
They proceeded to another area of the armory complex. Several soldiers passed them dressed in black and red futuristic body armor. Some sported skin-tight black latex hoods over their heads with pindot eyes and an open mouth; others had similar armor, but with a wolf-like mask in place with tubing going over their shoulders and into a backpack canister. Even though Danny knew them for what they were, he was deeply agitated. These soldiers scared the hell out of him - somehow, they projected an aura of menace. The four entered a room with several bodysuits and armor on racks, boots and other paraphernalia.
"OK, strip down to your birthday suit and we can get started. I'll explain as we get you kitted out."
Danny stripped naked and found himself already erect. He had learned to control his thoughts fairly quickly, but the burning glances directed at him by the other three left no room for misinterpretation. He was given a pair of thin briefs with a sheath for his cock and balls and a stretchy long-sleeved shirt. The briefs were made of a rubber-like material and seemed to have a built-in lube - he pulled them on and adjusted himself within them. He found himself growing larger and harder as he looked down at the shiny black cock jutting out from his briefs. He couldn't help it - he stroked himself and marveled at the feel of the material against his manhood. He then pulled the shirt over his head; Aziz came up behind him to smooth the back of the shirt down. While he was at it, he gave him a soft kiss on the neck."Normal body armor - like Second Chance or Point Blank - depends on layers of Kevlar or ceramic plating for slowing down and stopping bullets. Even with the enhanced reflexes and strength the nanovirus provides, I didn't want to weigh down guys on a mission. And regular body armor can't protect well against explosions or TBI. So I took a different route for protection. D'you remember chemistry in high school?"
"Sort of. Not much though."
"Well, you know what molecules are, right?"
Danny nodded.
"I've developed a molecular binding generator - it's about the size of a pack of cigarettes - that forces specially treated materials to completely resist any impact or explosion. All of our body armor is based on it. Once the protective issue is taken care of, armor can be light, easy to wear and impenetrable."Next came a pair of leather pants that resembled a firefighters bunker gear. Once the pants were on, Mitchell took a pair of black and red braces from a box on a shelf and Briarwood started to snap those around Danny's knees.
"While Jimmy's fabrics do the job for protecting us, there's still the issue of injury and fatigue. We've figured out the best type of boots and braces for our assaults are based on MX - motocross - technology. Walk around a bit and get used to the braces."
Danny flexed his knees and was amazed at the comfort and support of the braces. He took a few steps and stumbled slightly. Mitchell reached out and steadied him. Briarwood took a pair of black and grey boots out of a box.
"Sit down and put these on. Just be careful - they can be a little stiff at first."
Danny sat down and popped open the latches on the boots. He slid into them and the bottom portions of the braces tucked snugly into the top of the boots. He stood up and gingerly took a few steps. The boots were indeed stiff, but extremely comfortable. He was striding around the room in a matter of moments. Briarwood held out a set of body armor. Over a meshlike frame there were black and red segments that gleamed ominously in the overhead lights. A large backpiece protected his spine and neck. Cameron helped him into the armor and fastened it in place. Mitchell then gave Kaminski a black hood. It was made of the same material as the briefs. He slipped it on. Briarwood whistled."Damn ... I never get tired of seeing someone like this."
"Neither do I."
Danny was surprised to hear ODIN's "voice" in his head. He was even more surprised to feel a ghostly hand give his shaft a quick squeeze and a caress.
Mitchell smiled. "And I see the interface to ODIN is working well too."
"Jesus Christ! This is amazing!"
Briarwood chuckled. "That's usually the response we get the first time someone puts on the armor. Particularly after ODIN says 'Hello' in his own personal way."
He handed Danny a pair of black gloves. "One thing you may not have done with an M16 is to learn how to work the weapon with gloves on. We need to make sure that no skin is exposed since the binding generator can't protect it."
Mitchell clipped a small box onto the waistband of Danny's pants. He pressed a button on it and an indicator light glowed green. The policeman could feel a low tingle of energy sweep over him.
"Binding generator is working perfectly."
Finally, Cameron handed the policeman a set of dark goggles and a respirator. He clapped Kaminski on the shoulder. "Okay, captain - let's head out to the practice range and see what you've got."
* * *
Practice was not the word for it. Torture would have been more appropriate. Danny was forced between shooting at targets and at other soldiers and taking turns being a target himself. It did give him a change to get used to his armor; James was right - it *did* feel light,cool and flexible. He got over his initial fright when he was shot and the bullet made a muffled "thump" against him arm and fell to the ground. He felt nothing. No impact. No pain."Kaminski! Move it!"
"Drop and roll. Move to your right. Your target is at 2 o'clock" he heard ODIN's suggestions through the nano interface. He followed them and wound up pointing his rifle directly at Briarwood's forehead. The laser sight produced a ruby drop on the Major's facemask.
"Hot damn, you're really good at this! And pretty fucking accurate, too!" Cameron had donned the same outfit as Danny and he heard the smile in his voice. He couldn't see his eyes, but he was sure Cam's eyes were smiling too.
"How long have we been on the field?"
"About six hours. I'm satisfied with your abilities. You've really acclimated well and you're a crack shot."
He paused. "I'm gonna want you out here every other day, though. We've found that the development of your other Talents seems to occur faster with heavy exertion and exposure to danger. Let's head in."
The two reached one of the outbuildings and entered a locker room. A number of other soldiers were coming and going and gave the two waves and smiles. When they were alone, Cameron grabbed Danny by the shoulders and gave him a deep kiss. He smiled.
"Danny, I've wanted to do that since I saw you. You are so goddamn handsome, you know that?"
"Well, you're no slouch yourself, Cam. You look like a Greek god. In fact, everyone I've seen at the Castle is a fucking stud. Is that another side effect of the virus?"
Briarwood pulled off his mask and glanced sidelong at him. "It didn't take you long to figure THAT out, did it?"
Danny grinned. "I'm a detective, remember?"
Cameron began to strip off his armor and boots. Danny followed suit. They proceeded into the showers adjoining the lockers. It felt wonderful to be under the cool, pulsating jets. Danny closed his eyes and let the water sluice over him.
"You know Aziz is quite taken with you?"
"Yep. We're going to get together tonight."
Cameron reached over and stroked Danny's back and trailed his hand across his muscular butt. Kaminski shivered at the gentle touch. "Aziz is one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Let's get you out of here and ready for him."
* * *
Danny changed into a new set of black fatigues and made his way across the Castle compound to the dining hall. As he approached, he sent a mental query to the supercomputer."ODIN, do you know where Gabi is?"
"Sure do. He's in the dining hall with Colonel Morgan. They're waiting for you. The colonel is very pleased with your progress, you know."
"Thanks, bud."
Kaminski entered the hall and quickly spotted the captain and colonel. He wondered if his ability to remain unnoticed was affected by the nanovirus. He made his way over to them.
The two were scanning the room.
"I felt him come into the hall, but I can't see him. ODIN says he's here. In fact, ODIN says he's right in front of me."
Danny grinned. He circled around the two and nearly collided with a scientist. Obviously his abilities remained intact. More powerful, even. No one could see him. He put his hand on Gabril's shoulder. At his touch, the royal guardsman's eyes' widened and he opened his mouth to say something. Danny put a finger to his lips.
Morgan turned around. "Gabi? Shit. Where the fuck did he disappear to now?"
Danny relaxed. Morgan's mouth dropped open as he literally saw Gabi and Kaminski appear in front of him.
"How the hell did you do THAT?"
"I've always been able to move around unnoticed. I guess the virus is letting me do it with others, too."
"Well, this is something we're going to have to investigate further. I heard you had a good session with Cameron."
"Yep. That armor is amazing. Scares the shit out of me, though."
"It's supposed to. We've done some major psych analysis and the combination of colors and styles - particularly the jackal mask - really strikes fear in the population. We've 'abducted' some of our own from other bases, too. Just to spread rumors that something strange is going on out here."
Morgan grinned. "Well, let's review this tomorrow. When we have someone to interrogate. I think this ability of yours is going come in handy."
* * *
After the meal, Danny and Gabril left the hall and walked together under a velvet sky sprinkled with stars. Perhaps it was another side-effect of the nanovirus, but Danny felt a completeness with Gabril that he had never experienced before. Soon, the two arrived at the guardsman's room.
They embraced.
They embraced.
Not one of the young policemen (with the possible exception of Hayden) had made Danny feel even half of what Gabril made him feel by merely kissing him on his mouth, his jaw, his neck, his shoulder blades. When Aziz undressed, Danny watched with unrestrained pleasure … Aziz was every inch as he'd imagined, and more. There was - he admitted to himself - a major difference between consensual sex between two men and a forcible rape, no matter how much the victim eventually enjoyed it. Kaminski stripped out of his fatigues and relished the hungry look mirrored in Gabril's eyes.
They felt each other, bare skin against bare skin, and Danny gasped at the sensations that flooded through him when his arousal pressed against Gabril's. He responded eagerly as Aziz kissed him again, snaking his tongue into the other man's throat, hesitantly at first but then eagerly as the policeman opened up encouragingly and breaking away only when they were out of breath.
"You are most beautiful." Aziz murmured huskily, "I have not taken my gaze from you, since I first saw you ... do you know your eyes gleam as blue as the sea when the sun falls upon it?" he whispered before moving down and licking Danny's nipple. Kaminski moaned.
"Would you like to take me?" he asked in that same husky tone and the policeman nodded, unable to speak.
Aziz took him in his mouth, causing Danny to nearly scream, licking and kissing him into hardness. Kaminski watched through lidded eyes as Gabril quickly prepared himself, and then sprawled across the bed, spreading himself out for the policeman.
He then guided him into entering him, encouraging Danny to push into the tight warmth, harder and harder, telling him to breathe in then out to stop, to push, to push deeper. For once, Danny tried to be gentle, slipping in slowly, until he'd sheathed himself, but then he could control himself no longer, even as Aziz kept urging him to thrust now even faster. Then the officer cried out, and he knew he'd done something right, for Gabi had clenched around him.
He came inside the royal guardsman, his entire body trembling as he felt his release spurt out and fill up the tight space. He'd moved his hands lovingly over Gabi's hardness, stroking him until the young Arab had cried out, and he'd felt warm fluid spill out over his fingers. Then he suddenly found himself feeling extremely lightheaded, and closing his eyes, slumped over the captain's sharply muscled stomach, breathing heavily, hoping he wouldn't black out.
"You are most beautiful." Aziz repeated softly, stroking the policeman's neck.
"I want you inside me." Danny murmured to him.
They spent the night together, exploring each other. And later, they laid together in Gabril's room, drinking warm wine, a coverlet carelessly swept over their bare bodies, and talked and discussed their likes and dislikes. Completely spent, the two fell asleep entwined about each other - Aziz spooned against Danny and the latter's arm thrown protectively over the handsome Arab.
* * *
Danny woke first and tightened his arm around the still-sleeping guardsman. In the darkness, he felt the slow rise and fall of Gabril's chest and a total and complete contentment - he traced lazy figures on his lover's pecs, across his nips and down his tightly defined abs. Gabril took Danny's hand and rubbed soft lips across it. He turned around and Kaminski was surprised to see the guardman's eyes twinkling golden in the near total darkness. The arab smiled and kissed him.
"Gabi, what big eyes you have." he laughed.
"Ah, habibi, we can see quite well in the darkness. Another gift from our littlest dwellers. Your eyes, though, glitter like stars." He ran gentle fingers over Kaminski's temples, his jaw and down his neck. Danny shivered in pleasure.
Gabril paused for a moment. "It appears that we have a rather interesting subject that was brought in over night. The colonel has asked me to perform the interrogation and for you to be present. He stressed that we should be in full combat gear."
"You seem a bit worried. Anything I should know about?"
The young arab shook his head. "No. The colonel must have a good reason. He is, after all, a precog."
Danny propped himself up on an arm. "A what?"
"A precognitive. One of his major abilities is to be able to see the future, albeit a bit fuzzily."
"No shit!"
"Indeed not. His visions have saved many men. Many times."
"We should get prepared, my love." Gabril held Danny's head and gently kissed him.
* * *
The two rose and showered together, reveling in the play of warm water and each other's hands on their bodies. Gabi slipped into his red-and-black combat gear, carrying gloves, undermask and jackal mask separately. Danny slipped into a loose black robe and the two made their way to his quarters, where he did the same. Officer and guardsman - receiving directions from ODIN - made their way to a conference room outside the interrogation chambers and met with Morgan, Sid, as well as several other soldiers involved in the morning's activities. The colonel and the others were fully suited, with the exception of the jackal overmask. His blank ebon visage looked grim. He gestured for the two to slip into their undermasks.
"Guys - we've got a problem on our hands."
"Last night, one of the sweep teams - Tony's, a matter of fact..." he nodded in the direction of one of the soldiers. "... gathered up a nest of insurgents. Ordinarily, that would have been nothing new, except that the subject here is one of the Saudi royal family. What he was doing - or was trying to do - in Pakistan is what we need to find out."
Sid spoke up. "Prince Rashid bin Aziz. One of most virulent Wahabi adherents around. Dumb as dirt, too. Ty, can't we just get rid of him? Please?"
Danny noticed Gabril tense and felt a volcanic rush of hatred flit through the guardsman's mind. Morgan's mouth quirked into a small grin. "Sorry, love. No can do. The little shit is a veritable fount of information ... if we can get it out of him."
Danny cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir. Did you say 'Pakistan' ? I thought we were in Arabia."
"We are. But our sweep team was in Pakistan. ODIN, would you mind explaining how the cloak works?"
"Sure, colonel." The computer's voice sounded in his head. "Danny, given the time contraints, I think the Stargate SG-1 explanation will do, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sure, bud. Go ahead. Let me have it."
Danny felt a ghostly caress across his brow. "The cloak was originally developed to keep the Castle out of sight from prying eyes. Human and electronic. What happened afterwards was the accidental discovery of Rheinmann space. Wormholes. So not only does the cloak keep us safe, but I can have you walk out of Arabia and into Pakistan. Similarly, someone stumbling onto the edge of the cloak from the outside gets moved to the other, outside side of the city immediately."
"Is Gabi okay?"
"Yep. It's a long story. I'll fill you in later. Aziz is his cousin. He murdered all of Gabi's family. He only escaped since he was with Sid's father at the time."
Morgan continued the briefing. "Gabril, I want you to see what you can get out of him. No limits. Do what's necessary."
Aziz gave Morgan a brutal grin and a slight bow. "It will be my pleasure, sir. He will talk. I will make sure of it. Are we following standard procedure?"
Morgan nodded. "Tony's kept him mildly disoriented since we picked him up. All the holographic projectors are online and working."
The guardsman slipped the jackal mask over his head and pulled on his gloves. "Then let us begin."
The soldier named Tony also slipped on his mask. He handed Kaminski a pair of goggles and a rebreather mask. Danny put them on.
"Danny, Colonel Morgan wants you with us during the interrogation, but just observe, OK? It's important we have him controlled mentally and emotionally at all times. Whatever you see, don't interfere. There's a reason why we do everything. Any questions, ODIN can answer them. Ready?"
"Yep. Let's pound the fucker."
Tony gave him a mental smile. He clapped him on his armored shoulder and the three entered the interrogation chamber.
* * *
Danny felt as if he stepped back in time to ancient Egypt. The walls were made of sandstone blocks and cresset torches burned brightly on the walls. In the middle of the room, a naked man was tied spreadeagled to a table and was quietly moaning. At the far end of the room, there was a raised dais with a thronelike chair.
Who - or what - was sitting in the chair gave Danny pause. Atop a dark-skinned and muscular body, a human-sized jackal's head turned and looked at the three that entered the room. It opened its jaws to give the approximation of a smile, which sent shivers down Kaminski's back and beckoned them forward. The - thing - wore a gold loincloth, a gold headdress and gold bracelets and anklets. Clawed hands and feet completed the ominous and sinister image. A golden staff was held upright in one of his hands.
"Danny, you're going to be 'Rafiq'. Kneel in front and to the left of me. Gabril, move into position near the subject. Tony, move to my right."
"ODIN?"
"You were expecting the Tooth Fairy? What you're seeing is my own special version of Anubis. This works better than waterboarding. Tony, let him wake up fully. Let's rock and roll."
Tony released the mental hold on the prisoner and the man stopped moaning. Despite the situation he found himself in, a natural haughtiness asserted itself and was obvious to all the Castle participants. He raised his head and looked at Gabril standing in front of him. The way the table was positioned, Danny, Tony and the holographic jackal-God were blocked from view.
"Who are you? Where am I? RELEASE ME AT ONCE!"
Gabril gave him an backhanded slap across the face which snapped the man's head to the side.
"Silence, mortal! You stand in the presence of your God!"
The prisoner began to curse and struggle against his restraints. Gabril slapped him again and grabbed him by the throat. The man began to choke.
"You ... will ... behave ... or ... you ... will ... die!"
"Enough, Gabril. Stand aside and let him see his doom."
"Everything is going fine, folks. Heartbeat and respiration are up. Brainwave activity indicates panic and fear."
"Yes, my Lord." Gabril stepped aside and knelt on one knee. Anubis rose from his throne and approached. The claws on his feet made a slight clicking sound on the floor. Danny marveled at the full sensorium being projected.
"Rafiq. Attend me."
Danny felt a slight ghostly tap on his shoulder. He rose and approached the tableau in front of him. He took the same position as before. Anubis handed him his staff. It was solid.
"You're a natural! Keep it up!"
The prisoner began to curse in Arabic. Thanks to Gabril, Danny understood every word.
Anubis grabbed Rashid by the jaw. The man's eyes bugged out as ruby drops appeared on his flesh where the claws punctured skin.
"Do you wish to die so soon? If not, be silent."
The man stopped.
"Do you recognize me, mortal? Speak."
"I don't care who you are, pig! You will die - all of you - who have assaulted me!"
Gabril slammed a fist into Rashid's stomach. The man tried to curl up in pain, but the restraints held him in place.
Anubis held up his hand. "Enough, my loyal captain. Open his eyes and let him see who stands before him."
"Yes, Great One."
Gabril grabbed Rashid by the hair and slammed his head down onto the table. Danny could see that some knowledge passed between the two, but it was not the gentle sharing he had experienced. This was a rape of the mind, and a brutal one at that. While the process was going on, Danny accidentally brushed against Gabril.
A psychic storm howled through Danny's mind and he could feel previously unknown mental doors crashing open within him. Dizzy, he swayed on his feet. He gripped the golden staff even tighter to steady himself.
"Danny, what's wrong? Your psi readings just went off the scale for a moment!"
"I'm... I'm fine, Tony. I don't know what happened either. Keep going!"
Rashid looked at Anubis now with fear. His bravado was replaced by terror. Anubis gave him a sharp-toothed grin.
"So now you comprehend? I am Anubis, the Master and Protector of the West. I conduct souls through the underworld, testing their knowledge of the gods and their goodness. You - given great gifts - have done great evil. Terrible evil. Before I weigh your heart upon the Scales of Justice, my servants will prepare you for your trial."
Anubis turned and headed towards the door. Danny, holding the staff, followed him out.
* * *
As the door closed behind him, the Anubis figure shivered and transformed into a handsome young man in homespun woolens. Long blonde hair spilled down one side of his face, obscuring it, while a sapphire blue eye glanced merrily at him. The man smiled. Morgan and the others in the room seemed nonplussed by the transformation. He dropped into a chair. The staff Danny was holding vanished in his grasp. Several monitors glowed to life, displaying different perspectives in the interrogation room.
"You ought to be in pictures, Danny! Great work!"
Danny gently grasped the blonde man's arm. He felt solid. And real.
"How are you doing that?"
"Solidified photonic projection. I can be as material as I want to be." He frowned. "Only problem is, there's only a few areas in the Castle with these projectors. Rest of the places I interact with you guys through the nano interface." He turned to Tyler.
"Colonel, the subject responded well to the initial process. I think between them, Tony and Gabril will be able to extract the information we want."
Danny pulled up a chair, sat down and looked at one of the monitors. Both soldiers had taken out their sheathed members and were attacking the prisoner. Aziz had untied Rashid's legs and was holding them up and apart. He thrust deeply in and out of the captive. Tony, on the other hand, had stuffed himself down Rashid's throat. Each time he pulled out, the captive began to scream - only to be silenced again by the forceful entry of the massive tool into his mouth.
"Tony, slow down a bit please. Blood oxygen is a little lower than I'd like. Ahh. Better. Keep up the pace, guys."
Danny blinked. He stared hard at the image in front of him. He could almost "see" a set of histograms wavering on each of the participants. He rubbed his eyes. The histograms became clearer. The levels between Gabril and Tony were nearly identical; the levels on the captive were completely different. Danny concentrated on the prisoner. One of the levels began to move. Then another. Then another. Danny manipulated the levels on Rashid until they approximated those of the guardsman. With a final mental push, the policeman felt the new readings "snap" in place. Rashid passed out.
Danny noticed the room had gone quiet behind him. ODIN broke the silence.
"Danny, I just felt another massive psi surge from you. What just happened?"
"I ... I could see the way everyone was thinking in there and I wanted to help out. Rashid's mind looked completely out of whack compared to Gabi and Tony. I just sort of ... twisted ... the levels to match."
"What do you mean by 'levels'?" Tyler asked. The colonel and the computer exchanged glances.
"Like what you'd see on a stereo's equalizer. Only they didn't move. Not until I pushed them up and down."
"Danny, can you show me these levels?" ODIN moved behind the policeman and laid his hands on his shoulders. A breath of warm air and a set of soft lips brushed the back of his neck.
Kaminski focused his attention again on his lover. Again, the 'bars' - what he thought of them - appeared.
"Do you see them?"
ODIN was quiet for a moment. "Yes ... Yes I do." he said in a distracted tone of voice. "Could you please focus on Tony? .... Amazing. Absolutely amazing. You can relax now, Danny. Thanks." he removed his hands from his shoulders and turned to the colonel.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it, Ty. Empathic remodeling. Danny here just flipped every mental switch in Rashid's makeup. Mental responses and neuronic pathway activities are now completely in line with Castle personnel."
Danny looked between the computer projection and the colonel. "Fellas - in English???"
Tyler grinned. "Mental domination. When you push someone's buttons, Danny, they stay pushed. You just turned our little Wahabi into the perfect double agent. This changes things. We'll need to alter the script a bit."
* * *
Rashid woke up. Disoriented, he tried to move and found himself again tied down to the table in the middle of the stone room. He throat was raw from the attack of the jackal-man and his insides felt sore and strangely empty from the protracted rape by the other. Then the fear and terror returned full force. He knew that whatever that other ... thing ... was, it was not human and it was angry. He didn't know if indeed the god Anubis has returned or this was some type of alien, but it intended to punish him for his support of the terrorists at home and abroad.
"Dear Allah, what have I done?" He began to weep. He had wholeheartedly supported a group of insane religious zealots and kept his people unwashed, uneducated, ignorant and intolerant. Now he was to pay the ultimate price for his stupidity.
The door creaked open and the servant - Rafiq - entered the room, carrying a tray. Anubis followed. He stepped over to Rashid and looked down upon him. Deep golden eyes stared at him in the way a father would look at a disrespectful and willful child.
"You disappointed my servants. Undoubtedly, you will also disappoint me. If your heart does not balance with the feather of Ma'at, you will be fed to the demon Ammit." He laid a clawed hand on the captive's chest. Rashid could not believe his eyes as the hand sank into his chest and closed into a fist. He could feel a painful tearing and ripping sensation as Anubis withdrew his hand. Within it, the prisoner saw his still-beating heart. He began to scream.
"Rafiq - gag him. I do not wish to hear his mewling."
"At once, Lord."
The servant stuffed a ball of fabric into Rashid's mouth and fastened it around his head with a leather strap. The screams were muffled down to quiet grunts as Anubis brought the heart over to a golden scale. On one side a white feather had been placed into the tray; on the other, the jackal god placed the beating heart.
Rashid watched in horrified fascination. The scale tilted wildly between the two trays and then began to steady. The side containing his heart began to sink.
He closed his eyes and wept. "Allah, forgive me. I have seen the error of my ways. Give me a chance to redeem myself, if only to prove to you my change of heart."
"How intriguing..."
The captive opened his eyes. The jackal god was stroking his muzzle and looking at the scale. The trays were almost equal - the side with his thumping heart only slightly lower than that of the feather. Then the sides balanced.
"A true repentance. I have not seen such in an eon."
He took the beating heart out of the tray and again approached the captive. He laid a clawed hand over Rashid's eyes and forehead.
"Sleep, mortal. Your meeting with Ammit has been postponed. For how long, we shall see."
* * *
Rashid woke to find himself - clothed - and sitting in a chair. Across the desk, a handsome military man was reading a report and at the door, another was at attention, holding a rifle. When the soldier saw he was awake, he cleared his throat. The seated man looked up.
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Prince Rashid."
"Where is An-"
The seated man held up his hand.
"We don't mention Him by name, unless we want an audience. I suggest that you do likewise."
"Then He is real?"
"As real as you and me. My name is Colonel Tyler Morgan. And I believe you want to share some information with us?"
Rashid paused. "How do I know you are telling the truth?"
Tyler paused. He opened his shirt to show the ragged scar on his chest over his heart. He gestured to the soldier at the door. The soldier opened his shirt to show a similar scar. Rashid gasped.
"My men and I submitted willingly to His scales. The gifts to those loyal to Him are beyond comprehension. What He does to those he deems unworthy is equally unspeakable." Morgan shivered. "I hope this satisfies you?" he rebuttoned his shirt. Rashid gingerly reached under the thin cotton smock covering his chest. He felt a similar scar.
"What of the men who were with me?"
"Dead. They didn't pass the test. You don't want to know how they died. Ammit is vicious."
Rashid shuddered.
Tyler leaned forward. "What were you doing in Pakistan?"
Rashid took a deep breath. "I was meeting bin Laden."
"Do you know exactly where he is?"
"Yes. I have a map."
* * *
The impromptu meeting was held in the same conference room. Tyler, Danny and Gabril were present. ODIN joined the three in his normal persona.
"That was easier than I expected."
Morgan smiled. "Thanks to Danny and ODIN." He unbuttoned his shirt and peeled the wound off of his chest. He shook his head in wonder.
"How did you know about fake scars?"
"We use them all the time for undercover operations. Mostly drug busts."
ODIN spoke up. "I've confirmed the location, Ty. I also managed to "borrow" a few of the CIA spy satellites and I can keep them working for us exclusively for at least another five hours. After that, the little brainiacs in Langley are going to be wondering how a US Army facility that isn't supposed to exist managed to hijack their birds."
"That's not going to give me enough time to get authorization and a B-1 for a run. Damn!"
Danny looked pensive. Gabril stoked his arm. "I can see the wheels turning in your mind, habibi. What are you thinking?"
The policeman turned to ODIN. "Do we have any bombs here? Any delivery devices?"The computer looked at Morgan. The colonel nodded.
"We have a few tactical nukes and some deployment missiles. Why?"
"You told me that if someone stumbled onto the cloak from the outside, they get immediately transferred to the opposite side of the city, on the outside of the cloak, right?"
"Right. Where are you going with this?"
"Can you modify the location of the reentry when somebody penetrates the cloak?"
ODIN stroked his chin. "Uh-huh. It's take some time and energy to recalibrate, but, sure. Not a problem."
"Then recalibrate to the location we know about and shoot the tactical nukes through the cloak."Silence.
"Goddamnit, it could work!"
ODIN drummed his fingers on the table and smiled. "It'll work. I'll have to shut down all non-essential systems to extend the wormhole exit that far, and maybe bring up a few more fusion generators, but it will work! Damn! Why didn't I think of that?"
Danny laughed. "When was the last time you shot a nuke up your own ass?"
* * *
The next few hours activities for the Castle personnel reached a feverish pitch. The nukes were brought out of storage, primed and loaded onto their launch platforms. Scouts were dispatched into the desert to make sure that no prying and unfriendly eyes were about. Those would simply ... disappear. Finally the engines of destruction were motored out of the Castle and placed at the optimum distance from the cloak. The missiles needed to be far enough away to reach cruising velocity, but close enough to prevent any misfiring. ODIN would be guiding the missiles himself; their GPS and inertial guidance systems couldn't handle the rapid spatial translation through the Rheinmann cloak.
The final moments before the launch were tense. Danny, Morgan, Sid and Gabril stood in the Master Control Center while those around them performed last-minute calibrations and final checks.
"Nukes online. Delivery vehicles primed and ready."
"Scouts reporting in. No visitors."
"Cloak recalibrated. Target entry and exit coordinates have been matched to satellite information."
The last update came from ODIN. Holographic projectors were also present in the MCC, and he - like the other personnel present - wore the black and red battle armor of the Castle. His blonde hair gleamed in the overhead lighting.
"Everything is ready, colonel. Begin the countdown?"
Morgan exhaled. "Let's do it.""Time to launch - T minus 10 seconds. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five seconds to launch."
Danny could feel the mental breath of every Castle inhabitant being held. ODIN had mentioned there was a slight possibility that the cloak would not be able to handle the five simultaneous wormholes and a nuke may impact the Castle. He reached out and grabbed Gabril's hand.
"... Two. One. Launch initiated."
From the hijacked satellites' feeds, the group could see five tongues of flame race towards the edge of the Castle's cloak. Then disappear. On another monitor, they saw the computer generated trajectories race in towards their common target and on another, an overhead view of the targeted area. When the trajectories met, the other screen turned pure white.
"Bullseye! Target eliminated. I'm releasing control of the spysats back to the CIA." Danny had never seen a computer sweat before.
Spontaneous cheering broke out in the MCC and all around the castle. Morgan and Sid embraced, laughing and crying at the same time.
Gabril pulled Danny to him. "Congratulations, Danny! This is indeed a joyous day!" He gave him a long, deep kiss that had the policeman breathless.
Kaminski returned the kiss and wrapped strong arms around the guardsman in an amorous embrace. "I think we should celebrate our victory, don't you?"
Gabril nodded towards the doctor and the colonel. The two had shrugged out of their armor and were in the process of rapidly undressing themselves. Unbridled lust suffused the mental aether as more and more Castle personnel relieved the stress of the previous hours in orgies of physical and mental delight.
"An excellent suggestion!"
* * *
Associated Press. Terry Decatur reporting.
An alleged terrorist village on the Pakistan/Waziristan border was consumed in a nuclear explosion today. An approximate 10-megaton blast was recorded by several satellites and current overhead images show a previously large section of mountainous landscape a smoking crater. It is believed that this was the stronghold of America's number-one terrorist and his plans to explode purchased or stolen fissile materials went awry. Radiation levels are extremely high, but due to the very isolation of the area, the fallout does not appear to be a danger for population centers in either country. Intelligence sources tentatively confirm that this area was believed to be where OBL had established a stronghold. Further information, when available, will be forthcoming.
* * *
Associated Press. Neal Reyes reporting.
In a surprise meeting of OPEC ministers, Saudi Arabia representative Prince Rashid bin Aziz announced a drastic reduction in the price being charged for crude oil. Aziz indicated that the cartel will now charge $40 per barrel of crude oil and indicated that an additional 10% discount will be given to the United States and its allies. Reasons for the price reduction are unknown, but were welcomed enthusiastically. When pressed for more information, the prince would only indicate that a "change of heart" was responsible for the actions taken.
* * *
Mop-up operations at the Castle continued for several months, and Danny was instrumental in bending the will of those captured to pursuits more in line with anti-terrorist activities. He was further "promoted" in the interrogations to a full "loyal servant" of Anubis and consequently, was able to take each and every captive roughly before adjusting their mental dials. The remainder of the six-month assignment seemed to pass by in a heartbeat. Soon, it was time for him to leave the Castle and return home. Kaminski sat on the end of his bed, packing the last remainder of his possessions into his backpack. A quiet knock made him look up. Gabril was at the door.
"The flight is all prepped for the return to Jeddah. Are you ready, habibi?"
"Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be." Danny stroked the red and black battle armor hanging on the closet door and looked at the jackal mask on the dresser. Leaving was harder than he thought. Gabril's eyes were bright with unshed tears. The policeman embraced him tightly.
Danny could feel it through the gestalt. An ache - a longing - hung in the air as each man in the Castle expressed the sadness at his departure. The policeman could even sense ODIN's wistfulness. Gabril's reaction reminded him of the look on Hayden's face when he told him about the assignment six short months ago.
"I think before you make any final decision, you should stop by Sid and medlab."
"TANNER?"
"Yep. There are quite a number of us outside of the Castle. Just another way of keeping on top of the bad guys."
"How far does this telepathy thing work?"
"Well, let's put it this way - the view is incredible from the International Space Station."
Captain Tanner Morgan gave him a mental caress down his back and closed down the telepathic link.
Gabril gave him a quizzical look. "Danny? Is something wrong?"
"I don't know. I just spoke to my old boss half a world away. He said to go see Sid right now."
The guardsman's eyes unfocused as he carried on his own mental conversation. He smiled. "By all means, let us stop by the medical center. The sooner the better."
The two quickly hurried to medlab where Sid was helping a young man sit up. Obviously, he had just come out of his nanovirus acclimization and still looked a bit disoriented. He focused bleary eyes on Danny and gave the policeman a 100-watt grin.
"Hiya, boss!"
"HAYDEN!"
Damn! Now I know how Stephen King feels! Don't let anyone tell you that writing is easy - it's NOT! The core of this story revolves around the "Jackal Soldier" gear which in turn, was inspired by an extremely hot video I had seen on Guyzingear. In that video, the guy was obviously having a great time with poppers and beating off in a jackal gasmask, MX underarmor, boots, gloves and riding leathers. Unfortunately, Kyle (the guy in the video) is no longer with us, but I decided to do a homage to him, with my own individual twist.
Surprisingly enough, the hardest part of gearing up like with was finding out what he was wearing on his legs! They turned out to be Asterisk knee braces, and I went through a few back-and-forths to find the optimal size. Since the braces are made to be worn INSIDE of a pair of MX pants, it turns out the XXL size if perfect for wearing OVER a pair of leather racing pants.
The whole jackal soldier concept seemed somewhat futuristic to me, and I felt that this story should have some sci-fi theme to it. I already had determined that Danny would be the major protagonist in the story and how he would become the jackal soldier was the overriding theme.
Unlike the Rubber Biker story, I seemed to have a few more characters here, but as not fully fleshed out. This time - the story and the special effects - seemed to have taken a front seat. Somehow, the intimate relationships that were part of Duncan/Fletcher and Richard/Avery didn't develop as deeply here between Danny and Gabril. I think, though, that past the end of the story, that relationship will bloom.
ODIN - the self-aware supercomputer - was an inspiration from two sources; the Giants series by James P. Hogan, and Moira, the holodeck computer in some of the original timeline "Star Trek" books.
This was the first time, however, that I used two masks for the same story. Recidivist for Danny and Artist for Tanner. This, of course, added some complexity and extended the time of the shoots, but I think added a new layer of depth to the opus. I intend to do "double duty" again in my next AE story.
Danny woke first and tightened his arm around the still-sleeping guardsman. In the darkness, he felt the slow rise and fall of Gabril's chest and a total and complete contentment - he traced lazy figures on his lover's pecs, across his nips and down his tightly defined abs. Gabril took Danny's hand and rubbed soft lips across it. He turned around and Kaminski was surprised to see the guardman's eyes twinkling golden in the near total darkness. The arab smiled and kissed him.
"Gabi, what big eyes you have." he laughed.
"Ah, habibi, we can see quite well in the darkness. Another gift from our littlest dwellers. Your eyes, though, glitter like stars." He ran gentle fingers over Kaminski's temples, his jaw and down his neck. Danny shivered in pleasure.
Gabril paused for a moment. "It appears that we have a rather interesting subject that was brought in over night. The colonel has asked me to perform the interrogation and for you to be present. He stressed that we should be in full combat gear."
"You seem a bit worried. Anything I should know about?"
The young arab shook his head. "No. The colonel must have a good reason. He is, after all, a precog."
Danny propped himself up on an arm. "A what?"
"A precognitive. One of his major abilities is to be able to see the future, albeit a bit fuzzily."
"No shit!"
"Indeed not. His visions have saved many men. Many times."
"We should get prepared, my love." Gabril held Danny's head and gently kissed him.
* * *
The two rose and showered together, reveling in the play of warm water and each other's hands on their bodies. Gabi slipped into his red-and-black combat gear, carrying gloves, undermask and jackal mask separately. Danny slipped into a loose black robe and the two made their way to his quarters, where he did the same. Officer and guardsman - receiving directions from ODIN - made their way to a conference room outside the interrogation chambers and met with Morgan, Sid, as well as several other soldiers involved in the morning's activities. The colonel and the others were fully suited, with the exception of the jackal overmask. His blank ebon visage looked grim. He gestured for the two to slip into their undermasks.
"Guys - we've got a problem on our hands."
"Last night, one of the sweep teams - Tony's, a matter of fact..." he nodded in the direction of one of the soldiers. "... gathered up a nest of insurgents. Ordinarily, that would have been nothing new, except that the subject here is one of the Saudi royal family. What he was doing - or was trying to do - in Pakistan is what we need to find out."
Sid spoke up. "Prince Rashid bin Aziz. One of most virulent Wahabi adherents around. Dumb as dirt, too. Ty, can't we just get rid of him? Please?"
Danny noticed Gabril tense and felt a volcanic rush of hatred flit through the guardsman's mind. Morgan's mouth quirked into a small grin. "Sorry, love. No can do. The little shit is a veritable fount of information ... if we can get it out of him."
Danny cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir. Did you say 'Pakistan' ? I thought we were in Arabia."
"We are. But our sweep team was in Pakistan. ODIN, would you mind explaining how the cloak works?"
"Sure, colonel." The computer's voice sounded in his head. "Danny, given the time contraints, I think the Stargate SG-1 explanation will do, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sure, bud. Go ahead. Let me have it."
Danny felt a ghostly caress across his brow. "The cloak was originally developed to keep the Castle out of sight from prying eyes. Human and electronic. What happened afterwards was the accidental discovery of Rheinmann space. Wormholes. So not only does the cloak keep us safe, but I can have you walk out of Arabia and into Pakistan. Similarly, someone stumbling onto the edge of the cloak from the outside gets moved to the other, outside side of the city immediately."
"Is Gabi okay?"
"Yep. It's a long story. I'll fill you in later. Aziz is his cousin. He murdered all of Gabi's family. He only escaped since he was with Sid's father at the time."
Morgan continued the briefing. "Gabril, I want you to see what you can get out of him. No limits. Do what's necessary."
Aziz gave Morgan a brutal grin and a slight bow. "It will be my pleasure, sir. He will talk. I will make sure of it. Are we following standard procedure?"Morgan nodded. "Tony's kept him mildly disoriented since we picked him up. All the holographic projectors are online and working."
The guardsman slipped the jackal mask over his head and pulled on his gloves. "Then let us begin."
The soldier named Tony also slipped on his mask. He handed Kaminski a pair of goggles and a rebreather mask. Danny put them on.
"Danny, Colonel Morgan wants you with us during the interrogation, but just observe, OK? It's important we have him controlled mentally and emotionally at all times. Whatever you see, don't interfere. There's a reason why we do everything. Any questions, ODIN can answer them. Ready?"
"Yep. Let's pound the fucker."
Tony gave him a mental smile. He clapped him on his armored shoulder and the three entered the interrogation chamber.
* * *
Danny felt as if he stepped back in time to ancient Egypt. The walls were made of sandstone blocks and cresset torches burned brightly on the walls. In the middle of the room, a naked man was tied spreadeagled to a table and was quietly moaning. At the far end of the room, there was a raised dais with a thronelike chair.Who - or what - was sitting in the chair gave Danny pause. Atop a dark-skinned and muscular body, a human-sized jackal's head turned and looked at the three that entered the room. It opened its jaws to give the approximation of a smile, which sent shivers down Kaminski's back and beckoned them forward. The - thing - wore a gold loincloth, a gold headdress and gold bracelets and anklets. Clawed hands and feet completed the ominous and sinister image. A golden staff was held upright in one of his hands.
"Danny, you're going to be 'Rafiq'. Kneel in front and to the left of me. Gabril, move into position near the subject. Tony, move to my right."
"ODIN?"
"You were expecting the Tooth Fairy? What you're seeing is my own special version of Anubis. This works better than waterboarding. Tony, let him wake up fully. Let's rock and roll."
Tony released the mental hold on the prisoner and the man stopped moaning. Despite the situation he found himself in, a natural haughtiness asserted itself and was obvious to all the Castle participants. He raised his head and looked at Gabril standing in front of him. The way the table was positioned, Danny, Tony and the holographic jackal-God were blocked from view.
"Who are you? Where am I? RELEASE ME AT ONCE!"
Gabril gave him an backhanded slap across the face which snapped the man's head to the side.
"Silence, mortal! You stand in the presence of your God!"
The prisoner began to curse and struggle against his restraints. Gabril slapped him again and grabbed him by the throat. The man began to choke.
"You ... will ... behave ... or ... you ... will ... die!"
"Enough, Gabril. Stand aside and let him see his doom."
"Everything is going fine, folks. Heartbeat and respiration are up. Brainwave activity indicates panic and fear."
"Yes, my Lord." Gabril stepped aside and knelt on one knee. Anubis rose from his throne and approached. The claws on his feet made a slight clicking sound on the floor. Danny marveled at the full sensorium being projected."Rafiq. Attend me."
Danny felt a slight ghostly tap on his shoulder. He rose and approached the tableau in front of him. He took the same position as before. Anubis handed him his staff. It was solid.
"You're a natural! Keep it up!"
The prisoner began to curse in Arabic. Thanks to Gabril, Danny understood every word.
Anubis grabbed Rashid by the jaw. The man's eyes bugged out as ruby drops appeared on his flesh where the claws punctured skin.
"Do you wish to die so soon? If not, be silent."
The man stopped.
"Do you recognize me, mortal? Speak."
"I don't care who you are, pig! You will die - all of you - who have assaulted me!"
Gabril slammed a fist into Rashid's stomach. The man tried to curl up in pain, but the restraints held him in place.
Anubis held up his hand. "Enough, my loyal captain. Open his eyes and let him see who stands before him."
"Yes, Great One."
Gabril grabbed Rashid by the hair and slammed his head down onto the table. Danny could see that some knowledge passed between the two, but it was not the gentle sharing he had experienced. This was a rape of the mind, and a brutal one at that. While the process was going on, Danny accidentally brushed against Gabril.
A psychic storm howled through Danny's mind and he could feel previously unknown mental doors crashing open within him. Dizzy, he swayed on his feet. He gripped the golden staff even tighter to steady himself.
"Danny, what's wrong? Your psi readings just went off the scale for a moment!"
"I'm... I'm fine, Tony. I don't know what happened either. Keep going!"
Rashid looked at Anubis now with fear. His bravado was replaced by terror. Anubis gave him a sharp-toothed grin.
"So now you comprehend? I am Anubis, the Master and Protector of the West. I conduct souls through the underworld, testing their knowledge of the gods and their goodness. You - given great gifts - have done great evil. Terrible evil. Before I weigh your heart upon the Scales of Justice, my servants will prepare you for your trial."
Anubis turned and headed towards the door. Danny, holding the staff, followed him out.
* * *
As the door closed behind him, the Anubis figure shivered and transformed into a handsome young man in homespun woolens. Long blonde hair spilled down one side of his face, obscuring it, while a sapphire blue eye glanced merrily at him. The man smiled. Morgan and the others in the room seemed nonplussed by the transformation. He dropped into a chair. The staff Danny was holding vanished in his grasp. Several monitors glowed to life, displaying different perspectives in the interrogation room."You ought to be in pictures, Danny! Great work!"
Danny gently grasped the blonde man's arm. He felt solid. And real.
"How are you doing that?"
"Solidified photonic projection. I can be as material as I want to be." He frowned. "Only problem is, there's only a few areas in the Castle with these projectors. Rest of the places I interact with you guys through the nano interface." He turned to Tyler.
"Colonel, the subject responded well to the initial process. I think between them, Tony and Gabril will be able to extract the information we want."
Danny pulled up a chair, sat down and looked at one of the monitors. Both soldiers had taken out their sheathed members and were attacking the prisoner. Aziz had untied Rashid's legs and was holding them up and apart. He thrust deeply in and out of the captive. Tony, on the other hand, had stuffed himself down Rashid's throat. Each time he pulled out, the captive began to scream - only to be silenced again by the forceful entry of the massive tool into his mouth.
"Tony, slow down a bit please. Blood oxygen is a little lower than I'd like. Ahh. Better. Keep up the pace, guys."
Danny blinked. He stared hard at the image in front of him. He could almost "see" a set of histograms wavering on each of the participants. He rubbed his eyes. The histograms became clearer. The levels between Gabril and Tony were nearly identical; the levels on the captive were completely different. Danny concentrated on the prisoner. One of the levels began to move. Then another. Then another. Danny manipulated the levels on Rashid until they approximated those of the guardsman. With a final mental push, the policeman felt the new readings "snap" in place. Rashid passed out.
Danny noticed the room had gone quiet behind him. ODIN broke the silence.
"Danny, I just felt another massive psi surge from you. What just happened?"
"I ... I could see the way everyone was thinking in there and I wanted to help out. Rashid's mind looked completely out of whack compared to Gabi and Tony. I just sort of ... twisted ... the levels to match."
"What do you mean by 'levels'?" Tyler asked. The colonel and the computer exchanged glances.
"Like what you'd see on a stereo's equalizer. Only they didn't move. Not until I pushed them up and down."
"Danny, can you show me these levels?" ODIN moved behind the policeman and laid his hands on his shoulders. A breath of warm air and a set of soft lips brushed the back of his neck.
Kaminski focused his attention again on his lover. Again, the 'bars' - what he thought of them - appeared.
"Do you see them?"
ODIN was quiet for a moment. "Yes ... Yes I do." he said in a distracted tone of voice. "Could you please focus on Tony? .... Amazing. Absolutely amazing. You can relax now, Danny. Thanks." he removed his hands from his shoulders and turned to the colonel.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it, Ty. Empathic remodeling. Danny here just flipped every mental switch in Rashid's makeup. Mental responses and neuronic pathway activities are now completely in line with Castle personnel."
Danny looked between the computer projection and the colonel. "Fellas - in English???"
Tyler grinned. "Mental domination. When you push someone's buttons, Danny, they stay pushed. You just turned our little Wahabi into the perfect double agent. This changes things. We'll need to alter the script a bit."
* * *
Rashid woke up. Disoriented, he tried to move and found himself again tied down to the table in the middle of the stone room. He throat was raw from the attack of the jackal-man and his insides felt sore and strangely empty from the protracted rape by the other. Then the fear and terror returned full force. He knew that whatever that other ... thing ... was, it was not human and it was angry. He didn't know if indeed the god Anubis has returned or this was some type of alien, but it intended to punish him for his support of the terrorists at home and abroad.
"Dear Allah, what have I done?" He began to weep. He had wholeheartedly supported a group of insane religious zealots and kept his people unwashed, uneducated, ignorant and intolerant. Now he was to pay the ultimate price for his stupidity.
The door creaked open and the servant - Rafiq - entered the room, carrying a tray. Anubis followed. He stepped over to Rashid and looked down upon him. Deep golden eyes stared at him in the way a father would look at a disrespectful and willful child.
"You disappointed my servants. Undoubtedly, you will also disappoint me. If your heart does not balance with the feather of Ma'at, you will be fed to the demon Ammit." He laid a clawed hand on the captive's chest. Rashid could not believe his eyes as the hand sank into his chest and closed into a fist. He could feel a painful tearing and ripping sensation as Anubis withdrew his hand. Within it, the prisoner saw his still-beating heart. He began to scream.
"Rafiq - gag him. I do not wish to hear his mewling."
"At once, Lord."
The servant stuffed a ball of fabric into Rashid's mouth and fastened it around his head with a leather strap. The screams were muffled down to quiet grunts as Anubis brought the heart over to a golden scale. On one side a white feather had been placed into the tray; on the other, the jackal god placed the beating heart.
Rashid watched in horrified fascination. The scale tilted wildly between the two trays and then began to steady. The side containing his heart began to sink.
He closed his eyes and wept. "Allah, forgive me. I have seen the error of my ways. Give me a chance to redeem myself, if only to prove to you my change of heart."
"How intriguing..."
The captive opened his eyes. The jackal god was stroking his muzzle and looking at the scale. The trays were almost equal - the side with his thumping heart only slightly lower than that of the feather. Then the sides balanced.
"A true repentance. I have not seen such in an eon."
He took the beating heart out of the tray and again approached the captive. He laid a clawed hand over Rashid's eyes and forehead.
"Sleep, mortal. Your meeting with Ammit has been postponed. For how long, we shall see."
* * *
Rashid woke to find himself - clothed - and sitting in a chair. Across the desk, a handsome military man was reading a report and at the door, another was at attention, holding a rifle. When the soldier saw he was awake, he cleared his throat. The seated man looked up.
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Prince Rashid."
"Where is An-"
The seated man held up his hand.
"We don't mention Him by name, unless we want an audience. I suggest that you do likewise."
"Then He is real?"
"As real as you and me. My name is Colonel Tyler Morgan. And I believe you want to share some information with us?"
Rashid paused. "How do I know you are telling the truth?"
Tyler paused. He opened his shirt to show the ragged scar on his chest over his heart. He gestured to the soldier at the door. The soldier opened his shirt to show a similar scar. Rashid gasped.
"My men and I submitted willingly to His scales. The gifts to those loyal to Him are beyond comprehension. What He does to those he deems unworthy is equally unspeakable." Morgan shivered. "I hope this satisfies you?" he rebuttoned his shirt. Rashid gingerly reached under the thin cotton smock covering his chest. He felt a similar scar.
"What of the men who were with me?"
"Dead. They didn't pass the test. You don't want to know how they died. Ammit is vicious."
Rashid shuddered.
Tyler leaned forward. "What were you doing in Pakistan?"
Rashid took a deep breath. "I was meeting bin Laden."
"Do you know exactly where he is?"
"Yes. I have a map."
* * *
The impromptu meeting was held in the same conference room. Tyler, Danny and Gabril were present. ODIN joined the three in his normal persona.
"That was easier than I expected."
Morgan smiled. "Thanks to Danny and ODIN." He unbuttoned his shirt and peeled the wound off of his chest. He shook his head in wonder.
"How did you know about fake scars?"
"We use them all the time for undercover operations. Mostly drug busts."
ODIN spoke up. "I've confirmed the location, Ty. I also managed to "borrow" a few of the CIA spy satellites and I can keep them working for us exclusively for at least another five hours. After that, the little brainiacs in Langley are going to be wondering how a US Army facility that isn't supposed to exist managed to hijack their birds."
"That's not going to give me enough time to get authorization and a B-1 for a run. Damn!"
Danny looked pensive. Gabril stoked his arm. "I can see the wheels turning in your mind, habibi. What are you thinking?"
The policeman turned to ODIN. "Do we have any bombs here? Any delivery devices?"The computer looked at Morgan. The colonel nodded.
"We have a few tactical nukes and some deployment missiles. Why?"
"You told me that if someone stumbled onto the cloak from the outside, they get immediately transferred to the opposite side of the city, on the outside of the cloak, right?"
"Right. Where are you going with this?"
"Can you modify the location of the reentry when somebody penetrates the cloak?"
ODIN stroked his chin. "Uh-huh. It's take some time and energy to recalibrate, but, sure. Not a problem."
"Then recalibrate to the location we know about and shoot the tactical nukes through the cloak."Silence.
"Goddamnit, it could work!"
ODIN drummed his fingers on the table and smiled. "It'll work. I'll have to shut down all non-essential systems to extend the wormhole exit that far, and maybe bring up a few more fusion generators, but it will work! Damn! Why didn't I think of that?"
Danny laughed. "When was the last time you shot a nuke up your own ass?"
* * *
The next few hours activities for the Castle personnel reached a feverish pitch. The nukes were brought out of storage, primed and loaded onto their launch platforms. Scouts were dispatched into the desert to make sure that no prying and unfriendly eyes were about. Those would simply ... disappear. Finally the engines of destruction were motored out of the Castle and placed at the optimum distance from the cloak. The missiles needed to be far enough away to reach cruising velocity, but close enough to prevent any misfiring. ODIN would be guiding the missiles himself; their GPS and inertial guidance systems couldn't handle the rapid spatial translation through the Rheinmann cloak.
The final moments before the launch were tense. Danny, Morgan, Sid and Gabril stood in the Master Control Center while those around them performed last-minute calibrations and final checks.
"Nukes online. Delivery vehicles primed and ready."
"Scouts reporting in. No visitors."
"Cloak recalibrated. Target entry and exit coordinates have been matched to satellite information."
The last update came from ODIN. Holographic projectors were also present in the MCC, and he - like the other personnel present - wore the black and red battle armor of the Castle. His blonde hair gleamed in the overhead lighting.
"Everything is ready, colonel. Begin the countdown?"
Morgan exhaled. "Let's do it.""Time to launch - T minus 10 seconds. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five seconds to launch."
Danny could feel the mental breath of every Castle inhabitant being held. ODIN had mentioned there was a slight possibility that the cloak would not be able to handle the five simultaneous wormholes and a nuke may impact the Castle. He reached out and grabbed Gabril's hand.
"... Two. One. Launch initiated."
From the hijacked satellites' feeds, the group could see five tongues of flame race towards the edge of the Castle's cloak. Then disappear. On another monitor, they saw the computer generated trajectories race in towards their common target and on another, an overhead view of the targeted area. When the trajectories met, the other screen turned pure white."Bullseye! Target eliminated. I'm releasing control of the spysats back to the CIA." Danny had never seen a computer sweat before.
Spontaneous cheering broke out in the MCC and all around the castle. Morgan and Sid embraced, laughing and crying at the same time.
Gabril pulled Danny to him. "Congratulations, Danny! This is indeed a joyous day!" He gave him a long, deep kiss that had the policeman breathless.
Kaminski returned the kiss and wrapped strong arms around the guardsman in an amorous embrace. "I think we should celebrate our victory, don't you?"
Gabril nodded towards the doctor and the colonel. The two had shrugged out of their armor and were in the process of rapidly undressing themselves. Unbridled lust suffused the mental aether as more and more Castle personnel relieved the stress of the previous hours in orgies of physical and mental delight.
"An excellent suggestion!"
* * *
Associated Press. Terry Decatur reporting.
An alleged terrorist village on the Pakistan/Waziristan border was consumed in a nuclear explosion today. An approximate 10-megaton blast was recorded by several satellites and current overhead images show a previously large section of mountainous landscape a smoking crater. It is believed that this was the stronghold of America's number-one terrorist and his plans to explode purchased or stolen fissile materials went awry. Radiation levels are extremely high, but due to the very isolation of the area, the fallout does not appear to be a danger for population centers in either country. Intelligence sources tentatively confirm that this area was believed to be where OBL had established a stronghold. Further information, when available, will be forthcoming.
* * *
Associated Press. Neal Reyes reporting.
In a surprise meeting of OPEC ministers, Saudi Arabia representative Prince Rashid bin Aziz announced a drastic reduction in the price being charged for crude oil. Aziz indicated that the cartel will now charge $40 per barrel of crude oil and indicated that an additional 10% discount will be given to the United States and its allies. Reasons for the price reduction are unknown, but were welcomed enthusiastically. When pressed for more information, the prince would only indicate that a "change of heart" was responsible for the actions taken.
* * *
Mop-up operations at the Castle continued for several months, and Danny was instrumental in bending the will of those captured to pursuits more in line with anti-terrorist activities. He was further "promoted" in the interrogations to a full "loyal servant" of Anubis and consequently, was able to take each and every captive roughly before adjusting their mental dials. The remainder of the six-month assignment seemed to pass by in a heartbeat. Soon, it was time for him to leave the Castle and return home. Kaminski sat on the end of his bed, packing the last remainder of his possessions into his backpack. A quiet knock made him look up. Gabril was at the door.
"The flight is all prepped for the return to Jeddah. Are you ready, habibi?"
"Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be." Danny stroked the red and black battle armor hanging on the closet door and looked at the jackal mask on the dresser. Leaving was harder than he thought. Gabril's eyes were bright with unshed tears. The policeman embraced him tightly.
Danny could feel it through the gestalt. An ache - a longing - hung in the air as each man in the Castle expressed the sadness at his departure. The policeman could even sense ODIN's wistfulness. Gabril's reaction reminded him of the look on Hayden's face when he told him about the assignment six short months ago.
"I think before you make any final decision, you should stop by Sid and medlab."
"TANNER?"
"Yep. There are quite a number of us outside of the Castle. Just another way of keeping on top of the bad guys."
"How far does this telepathy thing work?"
"Well, let's put it this way - the view is incredible from the International Space Station."
Captain Tanner Morgan gave him a mental caress down his back and closed down the telepathic link.
Gabril gave him a quizzical look. "Danny? Is something wrong?"
"I don't know. I just spoke to my old boss half a world away. He said to go see Sid right now."
The guardsman's eyes unfocused as he carried on his own mental conversation. He smiled. "By all means, let us stop by the medical center. The sooner the better."
The two quickly hurried to medlab where Sid was helping a young man sit up. Obviously, he had just come out of his nanovirus acclimization and still looked a bit disoriented. He focused bleary eyes on Danny and gave the policeman a 100-watt grin.
"Hiya, boss!"
"HAYDEN!"
Damn! Now I know how Stephen King feels! Don't let anyone tell you that writing is easy - it's NOT! The core of this story revolves around the "Jackal Soldier" gear which in turn, was inspired by an extremely hot video I had seen on Guyzingear. In that video, the guy was obviously having a great time with poppers and beating off in a jackal gasmask, MX underarmor, boots, gloves and riding leathers. Unfortunately, Kyle (the guy in the video) is no longer with us, but I decided to do a homage to him, with my own individual twist.
Surprisingly enough, the hardest part of gearing up like with was finding out what he was wearing on his legs! They turned out to be Asterisk knee braces, and I went through a few back-and-forths to find the optimal size. Since the braces are made to be worn INSIDE of a pair of MX pants, it turns out the XXL size if perfect for wearing OVER a pair of leather racing pants.
The whole jackal soldier concept seemed somewhat futuristic to me, and I felt that this story should have some sci-fi theme to it. I already had determined that Danny would be the major protagonist in the story and how he would become the jackal soldier was the overriding theme.
Unlike the Rubber Biker story, I seemed to have a few more characters here, but as not fully fleshed out. This time - the story and the special effects - seemed to have taken a front seat. Somehow, the intimate relationships that were part of Duncan/Fletcher and Richard/Avery didn't develop as deeply here between Danny and Gabril. I think, though, that past the end of the story, that relationship will bloom.
ODIN - the self-aware supercomputer - was an inspiration from two sources; the Giants series by James P. Hogan, and Moira, the holodeck computer in some of the original timeline "Star Trek" books.
This was the first time, however, that I used two masks for the same story. Recidivist for Danny and Artist for Tanner. This, of course, added some complexity and extended the time of the shoots, but I think added a new layer of depth to the opus. I intend to do "double duty" again in my next AE story.
