Chapter 16 - A Little Bit of X: Chapter 16


                                                   A Little Bit of X

                                                       By Volpone

                                                       Chapter 16

          The water was amazing this morning. Well, it had been amazing every morning since
their arrival. The cove was a kind of perfect pocket of warm sand protected by a rocky spit of
land on the one side and the natural curve of the island on the other. It made the water a bit
warmer than many of the other swimming spots and was incredibly clear right down to the sea
floor, the rocky outcropping cutting way back on the wave action that churned up the water for
most of the rest of the island, letting the water rest and settle so it could be so crystalline.
          Tabby was enjoying just floating there, turning things over in her mind with Natalya
laying on the beach nearby and sunbathing without a suit.
          It was funny that the woman she thought of as her “competition” for Quinn was so
uncompetitive. The pretty Russian woman simply refused to behave possessively where he
was concerned, more than happy to help Tabitha set up some time alone with him. There
were times she wasn't positive where he was, but Natalya was usually around and that meant
he wasn't sleeping with someone else. (Or at least not that she knew about).
          Natalya (she couldn't bring herself to shorten it to “Nat”, and “Talya” always made her
think she was talking about the girlfriend from the Rocky movies... even though that was the
actress and not the character) was just the kind of woman who could put Tabitha on the
defensive. She was gorgeous, blonde, funny, intelligent, and she refused to react like a
jealous girlfriend should when another woman was trying to trip her man and beat him to the
floor. If anything, she seemed to assume he would end up in a relationship with someone else
rather than herself.
          “Please,” she'd told Tabby when they'd gotten into an uncomfortably frank discussion
about Quinn just before she'd taken to the water, “he may say he has no troubles with my
profession, but all men do. They claim to be accepting, but the first argument between you
and they immediately throw what you do for a living in your face, as if this makes them right. It
is easier not to get my hopes up and enjoy his company when he is available.
          “I like you, Tabitha. Women who don't snub a sex worker when they're not in the
business are very rare. Most women are too threatened or self-righteous to ever treat us as a
confidant. They can't bring themselves to trust us, and so they just assume we are after all
men no matter how loathsome we might find their partner.”
          She put a hand to Tabitha's face and told her, “You are very sweet to concern yourself
for me, but do not. I am here because I am new and I enjoy sex. Once the danger is past, he
will likely tire of me quickly and look for a more suitable partner. Someone like you.”
And she'd leaned forward and kissed her. It had been a very nice kiss that plainly said
that if Tabitha wanted, she'd be happy to try to make her happy, too. Tabitha was attracted to
males without a doubt, but Natalya's behavior made her wonder if she wasn't being hasty.
          But she still couldn't bring herself to admit to her new friend that one reason she
accepted her was because she'd been in the business herself in the past. It was a piece of
information she was not willing to share... or at least not yet.
Still, having a girlfriend who wanted to help you fuck the guy you're after wasn't a bad
thing.

                                        **********

          The so-called Blue-and-Gold Mutants were getting bold. It had only been a few days
since their last score, and Pyro had been growing more confident in their ability to knock over
any target they picked.
          “We'd likely be able to bag the Bank of England... or get away with the Crown Jewels
from the Tower,” he said easily as they relaxed after their African heist. Their Swiss bank
accounts were swelling nicely, all of them with over ten million now and there was no sign of
things slowing down.
          “At this rate, we'll be the one's with all the money and the Arab will be workin' for us,” he
said, taking another slug of his whiskey. He could afford the best now and not worry about the
price, even though he really couldn't taste the difference from the cheap stuff he was used to.
          But that was before their attempt on the Thai gem market. The company was said to
have the finest stock of rubies and sapphires in Asia, just waiting to be shipped out to their
clients in the West. Estimates said they totaled over fifty million in value.
          They never found out as they were waiting for them when they arrived.
Pyro made his usual announcement on their arrival. Spraying a bloom of flame, he
made it assume the form of a dragon and sail around the room just over the heads of the
workers.
          “Everyone stays where they are, and if we get what we want, no one will get hurt!”
          The woman stepped up behind Knockout without making much noise and said softly,
“No one except you,” and her fingers sprouted blades that slashed into the Blue-and-Golddressed
woman's back.
          Sabretooth spotted her and went to backhand the undercover mutant who'd wounded
his favorite piece of tail, but she sprang into a back-handspring faster than he moved and he
missed her by several feet. She kept moving faster than the big mutant could keep up with,
but by then Pyro had bigger troubles as a bullet pierced the tank of flammable fuel on his back
and he got rid of it quickly and doused his pet dragon, knowing the entire place would be in
flames if he tried anything, and he had no desire to be in the middle of the firestorm that would
create.
          More shots rang out from guards they couldn't spot, but Relay slapped her hand to an
electrical outlet and blew all the circuits for the room. Light still filtered in from down a secured
hallway but the gunfire stopped without being able to tell friend from foe.
          Pyro's voice shouted, “Abort! Abort! Locus! Let's go!”
          Sabretooth picked up the fallen Knockout and they all made their way to the alcove
where their transporter stood.
          Guards with flashlights readied themselves to make a charge, believing they had their
targets cornered.
          The team gathered quickly in an alcove as if attempting to avoid being targets, but
when guards arrived, it appeared as if the attempted robbers has simply... vanished.

                                        **********

          Natalya got a chance to discuss her friend's situation with Quinn, but in spite of his
resources, he wasn't positive what could be done.
          “It's simply that we're talking about a rather major rescue operation, and I don't think
any government is going to rush in to help,” he explained.
          “Fawn is American,” she explained.
          Nodding, he agreed, “I get that. I'm trying to think of a way to get her out, but legal
channels are going to be tough and probably very slow. None of the gals are from the same
nation which makes it even tougher. They're there on contract, right? They signed up for this,
and none of them have tried to leave. They're not in imminent danger, so I can't even call in
favors to pull a 'Raid on Entebbe' kind of rescue.”
          He clearly wanted to help, so Natalya let him think rather than continuing to push.
          Then he thought of something.
          “Okay, you said the emir they actually signed up with is Ifaran leader who was deposed
and executed, correct? That means the man they signed on with is dead and their contract
would be void. Unfortunately, Ifaran means oil money and no Western nation is going to try to
step in and interfere when it might affect the flow of oil. They're going to see a group of sex
workers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and shrug it off, so government
channels are a dead end.”
          He thought for a few more moments, then asked, “You say your friend... Fawn, right?
She's smart. She'd figured out how to keep in contact?”
          Natalya seemed unsure.
          “She believes they do not know, but she may be caught, and that would be bad if what
she believes is true.”
          “Okay,” he told her. “Here's what we do...
          “Tell her to keep contact strictly to emergencies. So long as the new leader doesn't
suspect they know, he has no reason to see them as a threat. His staying ignorant is their
biggest need right now.
          “Ifaran is not a nation where I have anything more than an office with a sales rep. I
don't have any resources in place to draw on, so I'll have no more influence with this new
leader than any American, which is to say zero.
          “But that doesn't mean I'm giving up. We'll figure out some way of getting them out
safely. It just may take some time to get things prepared.”
          He knew that if pushed into it, he could get them out with Columbina's help, but seven
more people who knew he wasn't a simply successful businessman were seven more than he
wanted. His cover was stretched thin as it was. Pissing off rich oil nations was not going to
make his friends in the US and UK pleased if it got connected back to Quentin St James. He
was already out on a limb with some due to the mutant equality policies of his businesses.
          But he continued.
          “In the mean time, you can't worry about her. You have no control of this situation, so
don't let it eat you up. You've done everything you can, and now it's my worry. Okay?”
          He put his arms around her and held her, trying to reassure her about her friend.
He seemed so genuine in his concern and his wanting to help simply because she was
the friend of a friend. First, he'd done it for Maria, and now he wanted to help Fawn.
          It was going to hurt very much when he left to go back home. All she could do was try
to keep her shell thick so when the time came she could smile and wish him farewell.

                                        **********

          Once Quinn was informed, Natalya felt she needed to give him some time undisturbed
so maybe he could come up with a plan.
          In the mean time, Natalya needed a distraction, and without Quinn to provide that
distraction, she was lost as to what to do.
          Then she remembered the Interact.
          Tabitha was back from showering off after her swim, and she found her new friend
sitting and smiling as she stirred her drink with a finger. It was a bit early for alcohol, but
Natalya felt the need for something to help her relax, and she didn't have any weed along and
wasn't about to disturb Quinn to ask if he had any available. (She'd never seen him partake of
anything other than alcohol, and while he didn't seem the kind to have a problem about
cannabis, she wasn't about to bother him when she wanted him thinking of how to help her
friend.)
          “What's up?” Tabitha inquired, considering getting something to drink for herself but
quickly dismissing the idea. Those pina coladas from the other night still made her queasy to
think about them.
          “I believe you missed out on Quinn's tour of the Interact. It's like a fun version of the
Danger Room.”
          Thinking of what Scott had been doing in there, she had been concerned. She still
hadn't seen any sign of the Asian hooker since then and she wasn't going to ask either of the
men about her. She probably wasn't meant to know.
          Natalya's explanation of the Interact suddenly made things make much more sense.
          “So anyone can just dream people up?” She didn't add, Like Japanese porn queens?
          “It's a computer program, just a very sophisticated one. You can design characters or
take part in stories, just so long as you keep them simple.”
          “How simple?”
          “He said he didn't recommend holding philosophical discussions, but most things on the
Internet could be used as a template if the computer had time to download and process.”
          She thought a moment, then, thinking of his Kung-Fu Queen demonstration, she
thought of something amusing.
          As Tabitha watched, Natalya quickly created a virtual clone of a popular YouTube
singing sensation, but every time he opened his mouth, he sounded like Bullwinkle Moose.
          Tabby was laughing hard, but then she got a wicked idea and asked if she could give
something a try.
          And less than a minute later, Mr YouTube had the voice of Matthew McConaughey and
a dick that hung to his knees.
          They were both laughing hysterically as Tabitha announced, “I think I have my date for
tonight!”Natalya raised an eyebrow and said, “I think I may have something you may enjoy.
          “Computer, engage full privacy mode. Run program Khan in folder Natalya,
password...” She moved to the pickup on the wall and whispered something.
          The room changed to a room that appeared to be a luxury hotel suite, and it was night
outside the window. Paris at night was visible outside.
          In the middle of the room was the figure of a popular British actor who was known for
playing a number of roles including the retooled version of Khan Noonian Singh from the
classic Star Trek television and movie series.
          The gentleman was not dressed for Star Trek. He was dressed in a silk smoking jacket
and acted very classy but also quite friendly.
          “Ah! Natalya, my dear. It's lovely to see you again. And I see we have company.”
          The simulation moved to take Tabitha's hand and he bowed to kiss it with a not-entirely
formal kiss. It was nice, but it fell well short of what she'd felt when Quinn did the same thing.
          Then again, he was gorgeous and classy and he was designed to fulfill a fantasy.
          Tabby saw some real possibilities suddenly.

                                        **********

          After they amused themselves for a bit (and Natalya did some things with “Khan” that
Tabby would not have felt as comfortable doing in front of another woman), Natalya realized
Tabitha was holding back and not comfortable sharing her deeper fantasies with her around,
so she decided she would go and check to see if she'd heard anything from her friend Fawn
and left Tabby to herself.
          “Feel free to borrow Khan if you like,” she told her, then left and made certain the door
locked after her.
          Tabitha looked at the simulation but he was a bit too... proper for her taste in spite of
what he clearly was happy to do for Natalya.
          Thinking a moment, she said, “Uh... end program?”
          Khan disappeared and the room reverted to its bare self.
          Remembering how Jeeves, the household computer, had told her the Interact was not
part of his duties, said to the room, "This is Tabitha. Can you answer questions for me?"
          The rich female voice replied, "I am programed to answer all queries within my
parameters."
          She was glad that the voice was feminine rather than the stuffy English butler voice that
Jeeves had.
          It took Tabitha a few minutes to assure herself that the system wouldn't record or inform
anyone what she was doing inside, and that it was possible to create the program she wanted.
She was a little embarrassed describing to the machine what she wanted, and she made sure
that no one could interrupt her except in an emergency... and no one could see what she was
doing as she had seen Scott.
          She brought up a terminal so she could look over settings, found one that would work,
and told the computer to use it as the setting for her new program.
          It took several minutes for the computer to process all the relevant data she'd specified
before it responded, “Program compiled and ready.”
          Taking a deep breath in anticipation, she said, "All right. Run program Tabby-Cat Zero-
Zero-X."
          Instantly, the scene changed to the lounge of Quinn's home here on the island. Quinn
and Scott were sitting at the bar. At least, it certainly looked like Quinn and Scott. Scott was
dressed for the beach in tight print trunks with a towel thrown over his shoulders, his ever
present ruby glasses covering his eyes. Quinn was wearing a black silk kimono with an
elegant Oriental dragon embroidered across the back. They looked at her expectantly.
          In a flash of panic, she said, "Freeze program!"
          Both of the male figures became as motionless as statues.
          Whew! They were just recreations. They looked so real, Tabitha had needed to
reassure herself before going further.
          "Okay. Continue program"
          The men both unfroze.
          "What did you want, Tabitha?", asked the Harlequin double.
          "We both know what she really wants, don't we?", replied Scott's doppleganger.
          "That's true." Quinn's face smiled in a wicked way. "And really, it doesn't matter what
she wants anyhow, does it? It's what we want that counts."
          "Absolutely." Scott gave a bit of a sneer as he said it.
Both figures moved nearer, closing in on her from both sides until they were crowding
her.
          "We all know why we're here, don't we, sweet cheeks?" As he said it, Scott's hand
reached up and grabbed Tabitha by the hair, pulling her head back a bit.
          She gave a little gasp and replied, "What is it you want me to do?" Hope and fear
flared in her eyes.
          "Do?", said Quinn as his hands began to slide up her ribs. "You're going to do
whatever we want you to do... as often as we want you to. Right?" As he said it, his hands
slid inside her bikini top and squeezed what they found there.
          At the same time, Scott's mouth came down against hers in a savage kiss and his
tongue pushed its way into her mouth.
          Tabitha's knees gave out under the double assault. Only the men holding her up
prevented her from falling to the floor.
          She had needed to alter the personality data for both men for this scenario, but it
seemed like their doubles were happy to play along.
          In moments, her bikini top hit the floor, to be quickly followed by the other half of her
suit. All the while Quinn was undressing her, Scott's mouth possessed hers as his tongue
raped her, and she groaned loudly into his demanding lips.
          Quinn's hands were again mistreating her sensitive breasts, groping her mercilessly as
his fingers indented the firm flesh. He found her nipples standing tall and rolled them around
under the palm of each hand, making them even harder. Then he suddenly clamped his
fingers onto the tight twin points and lifted them, stretching them painfully.
          Tabitha whimpered loudly in response. She lifted her chest even more, arching her
back as she welcomed his misuse.
          As Scott continued to take his kiss, the hand not in her hair found its way between her
thighs, sliding his fingers up and parting the slippery lips they encountered. He began probing
her wet canal, pulling up as his hand cradled her mound.
          She had to be quite specific about this in her program, and the pseudo-Scott performed
exactly as his data instructed. He continued to lift more and more, his fingers deeply within
her but the palm of his hand supporting her weight as he lifted her entirely off the ground.
As her toes left the floor, her body was seized by a huge spasm and she shook violently
as she came, soaking the hand that held her aloft.
          Oh, god, but this was going to be incredible!
          She dangled there, making loud muffled cries, held up by four strong masculine hands
as tremors pulsed through her and she panted in ecstasy.
          The orgasm passed and the hands released her. Her legs wouldn't support her, so
Tabitha fell into a half-reclining position, her lungs working like bellows as she tried to regain
her breath.
          Looking down at her, Quinn said, "What're you so tired about? You haven't done
anything... yet. And speaking of which..."
          He reached down and put his hand behind her head, lifting her into a kneeling position.
          "...how about if you get to work here?"
          He took one of her hands and shoved it into his kimono where her hand found the
erection she knew would be there. Her fingers couldn't quite close around him, and she
lovingly began to stroke him. If he wasn't the real thing, he sure felt like it. He throbbed in her
grasp, and she began to bring her other hand up to join the first.
          "Hey," said Scott as he intercepted her by the wrist, "that one's got work over here." He
put her hand over the bulge in his swimsuit, and she began to caress him through the stretchy
fabric. He grew rapidly until he was pushing against the waistband, and she reached inside to
free him. His cock sprang to attention as it was exposed, and she gave him the same
sensuous treatment she was giving Quinn.
          A cock in each hand, she began to anticipate even more. Both of them were big, and
she was impatient to find out just how they felt.
          But both men had definite ideas about what was going to happen next.
          Using the hand behind her head, Quinn pulled her face forward.
          "Here's your first treat, Tabby-cat."
          She barely had time to wet her lips before he slid his thick rod into her willing mouth.
          He didn't let go of her head, but let her begin sucking his cock on her own. Quinn gave
a growl deep in his chest as she went to work, swallowing around his prick as she tried to
please.
          She continued her enthusiastic blow-job for a minute before she felt his hand tense and
pull her forward. Catching a deep breath, she got ready for him as he pushed more and more
of himself into her mouth. He filled her mouth completely and then continued pushing until her
nose was firmly against his torso and he was well down her throat. She continued to bob her
head slightly to keep up the motion, then he pulled her back until he came out of her mouth
with a pop.
          Then Scott's hand was behind her head and she turned her head so that she could
slurp down the other erection she had been stroking steadily. She took him into her slick lips
and pulled in her cheeks as she savored her first sample of what Scott Summers' simulated
cock tasted like. He was a bit salty and muskier than Quinn, but she loved the taste just as
much. She went slowly, swirling her tongue around the man she had never expected to have
this way.
          But this Scott had his own thoughts on what she should be doing. Taking her face
between his hands, he began to pump himself into her mouth strongly. Giving a startled
moan, she gladly let him fuck her more than willing mouth. He gave a sneer as he ravaged
her mouth this way, stroking himself into her ecstatic face, using her as she wanted to be
used.
          He kept it up for about a minute when Quinn's hand pulled her away from Scott and
returned her to servicing his own eager manhood. Taking a page from Scott's book, he held
her face between his hands and she willingly submitted as he pumped his sizable tool, slick
with her saliva, strongly into her mouth. His renewed growl sent another thrill through her, and
as he gave her what she was so eager for, she began to come for the second time that
afternoon. With one hand still firmly stroking Scott's erection and Quinn's member filling her
mouth, Tabitha slid her free hand down and fingered her vacant pussy, boosting the intensity
of the orgasm she was having. She moaned each time Quinn stroked his cock into her loving
mouth and her vagina grasped her probing fingers as she soared.
          Then it was Scott back in her mouth.
          They traded off for almost fifteen minutes. The instant one cock left her lips it was
replaced by the other. Thick rivulets of her saliva trailed down their tools, leaving obscene
evidence of her actions.
          All the while, Tabitha reveled in it. She should. After all, it was her fantasy they were
playing out.
          Finally, as she was taking Scott down to the root, trying to get him to come, Quinn
moved around behind her. He took her under the ribs and lifted her. Surprised but willing, she
cooperated. When they were finished, she sat with one cheek on a well-upholstered bar stool.
Scott was sitting atop the bar and Quinn was standing on the other side of her.
          Scott's hand again guided her down to wrap her fabulous mouth around his stiffstanding
prick. She was able to take him even easier this way because he was higher than
she was.
          She continued to suck on the top half of Cyclops' shaft as she eagerly jacked him with
one hand, and his hand gently but firmly kept her at the job.
          As she concentrated on sucking off Jean's husband (a thought that made this all the
more thrilling to her), she felt Quinn lift up the leg she had on the floor. He continued to lift it
higher and higher until he had placed her calf over his right shoulder. It spread her wide open
to him, but she was surprisingly comfortable. She could lean over easily and continue to give
Scott head, well supported by the bar and stool without having to strain her muscles to keep
her position. Quinn held her firmly in place.
          Thinking she knew what was next, she smiled and proceeded to concentrate on some
really serious cock-sucking.
          She didn't know how thoroughly the computer running things would interpret her term
"used".
          Tabitha felt Quinn shift closer until she could feel the head of his extremely slick cock
brush past her labia. She closed her eyes and moaned in anticipation, going deep on Scott as
she did.
          As the crown of the team leader's prick thrilled her throat and his free hand groped her
breast exquisitely, she relaxed as Quinn pushed forward.
          Her eyes suddenly grew huge as the flaring head of Quinn's column stretched the
entrance to her rectum wide, but she wasn't able to make a sound with Scott down her throat.
Scott's left hand held her head in place, his manhood thoroughly enjoying the sensation of
being completely engulfed by her amorous mouth. She tried to pull back, but Scott's hand
tensed and she was unable to raise up more than an inch, far too little to let her find her voice.
          Then it was over and Quinn was in. The pain from his first push quickly subsided, and
he continued to press forward until he was three-quarters buried in her taut derriere. Scott's
grip loosened enough for her to get a breath, but what happened next stopped her from
terminating the program completely.
          Without warning, Tabitha came.
          She had never expected to have such an orgasm that way, but suddenly she was
sucking Scott with twice the enthusiasm of before, her shrill cries largely muffled by the organ
filling her mouth as Quinn began to slowly pump away at her. He withdrew all but the last
couple of inches, then stroked back again as Tabitha again gave voice to a muffled cry of
ecstasy. Quinn sped up and soon he was plumbing away at her tight ass, and she responded by
giving Scott the most inspired head of her life. She quickly lost track of her orgasms as one
after another they surged over her, driving her on to even more erotic efforts.
          Quinn continued to fuck Meltdown's ass for several more minutes when he suddenly
slowed and then withdrew completely, lowering her leg back to the floor.
          Tabitha raised her mouth from Scott to give a moan of heart-felt disappointment. She
might not sit for a week, but at the moment she was eager to put up with that minor
inconvenience for some of the hottest sex she had ever experienced.
          She needn't have worried. The two men simply traded positions. Soon, Quinn sat atop
the bar, filling her mouth with his hard-on as Scott discovered the joys of drilling her tight little
anus.
          It took her just over thirty seconds before she shook with a new climax.
          Tabitha soon lost track of time and orgasms. The men shifted back and forth several
more times as she did her best to keep them both happy.
          Finally, Quinn broke the silence by saying, "Are you ready, Tabby-cat?" She didn't
speak since she was again spit-polishing his rod, but she managed a muffled "Uh-huh" around
him as she started coming yet again.
          He nodded to Scott, who began to stroke more powerfully into her ass. Quinn put one
hand behind her head and found one of her upright nipples with the other hand. He gave it a
strong squeeze and pinch, adding just the perfect touch for her. She keened out in utter
ecstasy as her lips went into overdrive, sucking madly at Quinn's cock as she felt it begin to
buck.
          Tabby tried to scream and swallow at the same time when Quinn's erection exploded
with a massive spurt of come, and he gave a cry of pure triumph as he flooded her eager
mouth, joining her in a phenomenal orgasm. She came and gulped around him and another
jet sprayed her tongue. Her throat contracted and it joined the first batch. After several more
sizable streams, she managed to milk him dry. His hand caressed her blonde hair as she
continued to work him with her mouth, even though she knew he was finished. He stayed
surprisingly hard, despite having just come in a major way.
          Then he was trading places with Scott, and she was trying to do the same for Jean's
husband.
          She enclosed him with the velvet circle of her lips, and concentrated every effort to
sucking Scott off.
          Thinking she had finished Quinn off, he shocked her once again by getting into his
previous position and filling her delicious backside with his considerable thickness. He moved
more forcefully than before, stroking most of his length up her as she began to whimper
eagerly with each new thrust. It was only moments before she was coming as strongly as she
ever had, the incredible sensation of being filled at each end working its magic once again.
          It seemed that this was all that Scott needed. He began to pant loudly, and she braced
herself as her hand stroked the bottom of his shaft rapidly, coaxing him over the edge.
          Scott's prick swelled a bit more and then Tabitha discovered what Scott tasted like in
this way as well. He erupted just as another huge wave of climax surged through her, and she
happily drank what he offered. His thick cum gushed into her smiling lips, and she happily
came along with him.

          A few minutes later, when she had relaxed from her incredible orgasms, to the two men
Tabitha said, "Thanks for the fun, guys."
          To the room she said, "End program."
          The room and its male occupants vanished without a trace. There wasn't even a spot
on the floor to tell what had happened here. The only thing remaining was her discarded
bathing suit, which she slowly retrieved and out back on.
          She was moving somewhat gingerly as she turned towards the door of the Interact, but
she smiled and gave a deep sigh.
          "Now that's what I call a good way to end a date."
          The door of the suite slid aside as she reached it. She gave one last wistful look back
over her shoulder before the door closed.
          Looking out the window, she was surprised to see how late it had gotten. She took a
step towards her room, and suffered a twinge resulting from all the earlier activity.
          Maybe I better see if I can find some ointment around here.

                                        **********

          “What was that you were saying earlier, smart boy?” Creed asked.
          Pyro was quick to shift responsibility.
          “Hey! That was not my fault! The Colonel picks the targets and I just pass them along.
Don't blame me for your girlfriend getting caught napping.”
          Relay and Locus came back from the other room in time to stop the argument from
turning physical.
          Relay informed then, “Doctor says she'll be fine in a few days. Her shoulder blade
stopped any deep damage from being done.” Looking at Creed, she said, “He also says she'll
need to stay off her back. Guess that shoots your social calender.”
          “You got a big mouth, sparky. Wanna see if it's big enough to take over her job?”
          Pyro wasn't sure who would come out on top if it came to a fight, but it would be the end
of what had been a cushy gig up until now, and he liked the money he'd been making. To
protect the job, he'd walk away and drag Relay with him, which was what he did.
          Locus had no desire to keep the taciturn Creed company so she headed straight for her
room, leaving him along in the common room.
          Sabretooth relaxed back into “his” chair and thought about his potions. He wasn't
terribly attached to the busty woman he'd been using to sate his lust, but the lack of willing
substitutes did create a bit of a problem.
          Well, he'd had to go without in the past. He'd survive this time, too.
          Maybe the town nearby was one where he could find a hooker or two. He had money.
          But then again, who was gonna insist that he pay once he was done?
          The evening might be looking up after all.

                                        **********

          The trail had led through several layers of individuals, but this one almost certainly was
the one who could lead him to where the orders were originating, and if Harlequin's theory
about there only being one Arab military man involved, this would bring them the answers to
several important questions.
          When Logan had checked in with the folks at the Mansion, things had been quiet since
Quinn's departure. There were no more bombing attempts, no assassins lurking in the
underbrush, and no sign of the SHIELD team who had been keeping tabs of the folks coming
and going. That meant this was likely their last chance to discover who was pissing in their
swimming pool.
          The money man had been sticking close to home for the last couple of days, and if he
didn't make contact with anyone matching the Arab's description soon, he didn't know what to
do to force his hand.
          He didn't know that the failure of the robbery of the Asian gem center had forced the
man pulling the strings of the Blue-and-Gold Mutants to need a sit-down once again with his
go-between. It was likely they would need to find a replacement for the woman who'd been
injured, and the go-between would need to make the inquiries and find the best candidate
before the Colonel would come in for the final negotiation.
          The silver luxury car left the upscale building's parking garage and Logan made sure he
didn't lose him as he pulled out to follow.
          About thirty-five minutes later, they were in another part of town where the old jeep
Logan was driving stuck out far more than the luxury job he was tailing because most of the
cars here were either taxis or big black limos with little flags on the front.
          The silver car pulled up to a gate and spoke to the guards standing outside. One of
them spoke into his comm, and a moment later the gate opened and they waved the car
inside. It was obvious Logan wouldn't be allowed to follow him inside, but he thought he might
have discovered what they needed.
          Driving along a few minutes later, Logan pulled up out front of the gate and called to the
men with the guns, “Hey, bud! You know anyplace around here where they serve good
falafel?” The guard looked tempted to shoot the idiot Westerner who thought all Arabs were the
same but instead gestured curtly with his gun for Logan to keep driving.
          “Thanks anyway,” and he pulled away.
          But he'd seen what he wanted to see.
          The bronze sign on the left side of the gate was easy to read: Ifaran Consulate.
          That sounded a lot like a place you might find an Arab colonel.

                                        **********

          He kissed Natalya on the shoulder as he began to work his way down her shapely
back, enjoying the lovely smooth skin that was beginning to show signs of tanning under the
warm Cayman sun.
          I really should go down to the cove with her one of these times and take some
snorkeling gear along. It really is lovely and the sea life along the point's spectacular.
It was also a very sensual experience and made sex on the beach after much better in
his opinion.
          For her part, Natalya had offered to help Tabby spend the night with Quinn, but to her
surprise her friend declined, claiming that she felt a little sore from earlier. Natalya wondered
if it was possibly from too much swimming.
          He was getting closer to her lovely derriere when his link spoke up.
          ::Quinn... just so you know, you'll probably be hearing from Hank soon. It seems Logan
has done some investigating and he's found a connection between the drone bombing and a
Middle Eastern consulate that likely paid for it.::
          Not letting this interrupt what he was doing, he began to kiss her round backside as she
gave a pleasant hmm, and he thought to Columbina, ::Well, we knew it was likely Middle
Eastern already. That is where a lot of Arabs are from.::
          ::But he discovered exactly which one it was. It looks like the Colonel is with the Ifaran
Consulate.::
          That got his attention.
          ::Is he sure?::
          ::I got into the State Department computers and downloaded all diplomatic files on
Middle Eastern personnel on staff in New York consulates and I believe we have a likely
winner. There's a colonel who's a special attaché to the consulate there that matches the
description. Can you check with your contact who met him to confirm? Hank doesn't trust
Foster to tell the truth and Emma isn't available to make certain.::
          ::I'll see what I can do,:: he promised.
          “What did Columbina want?” Natalya asked.
          He kissed her backside again before wanting to know, “How did you know?”
          She answered easily, not sounding put out at all at the interruption.
          “You suddenly aren't here as completely. Usually you have such a sense of living in the
moment, and suddenly you feel less present. It's more something I feel than anything you do.”
          He was impressed by how observant she was, and he then considered if she might be
slightly psychic.
          “Well, you are correct. She said that they may have found a connection between the
drone attempt and the folks who may have financed it.”
          “That's very good news. Who was it?”
          “It's not confirmed, but if it turns out to be accurate, I may have you contact your friend
Fawn for me.”
          She rolled over to look at him.
          “You're joking,” she accused.
          He shook his head seriously and told her, “I'm afraid not. We may just need a person
on the inside if it's true.”
          Assassins, renegade mutants, and possibly even a human trafficking situation involving
Natalya's friend. Three wildly divergent threads all converging in the small Arab country of
Ifaran.
          He went on, “But there's nothing to do about it tonight. Chances are good we won't
even hear from Hank until morning. In the meantime, I have something that requires my
attention.”
          So saying, he took advantage of her new position and lowered his face down to attend
to her perfect pussy.
          There are some things that simply take precedence.
