Criminal Minds (Fox Meridian Book 4) Page 3

  ‘Thank you for your confidence.’

  ‘Sam… What happened with Naomi?’

  Sam took a gulp of coffee and was silent for a long second. ‘We met in Boston when I began my training. I was nineteen, she was… forty, I think. She was sophisticated, strong, the older woman I watched from afar. I wasn’t the only one, but she was always the disciplined teacher; she didn’t form relationships with students. I got my licence in forty-nine, June, and I was a little surprised when she suggested some “additional training.” We had an on-and-off sort of affair for a year. It was all lust and hot sex. I’m not sure there was love, but there was affection. And then, in July of twenty fifty, her mother died.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Annabel Lind. I met her once.’

  ‘Wait a minute. I thought I knew that name. She was part of the movement to have prostitution legalised.’

  ‘Yes, she was. One of our little bonds was that neither of our mothers wanted us to follow their path. Naomi’s father died in a car accident ages ago. Twenty eighteen, I think. Annabel turned to prostitution to pay the bills and she wanted her daughter to have a better life, but with the legalisation going through and Naomi’s obvious talents… Annabel was not pleased, but she accepted her daughter’s vocation. Mine was more reluctant, but I won her over. Annabel and Naomi were almost more like sisters by the time I knew them. Naomi was devastated by Annabel’s death and it seemed like I was the only person who could get through to her. Lust turned into love. For six months we were… And then she got the Sister Superior position and had to move to New York. I encouraged her to go.’

  ‘She said you did, that you’d follow as soon as you could.’

  ‘I did, and I meant it. But my business was taking off. I got a job guarding the daughter of some businessman. The details aren’t important, but I saved her life, twice. I got a reputation for all of my skills and I focused on building it. I still had Naomi in mind when I decided to move here, but I admit that the job was starting to take its toll. I was young and, frankly, a little stupid. By the time I was in New York and my business was settled, we had been apart for a year and I just wasn’t interested in sex outside of work. I’d also convinced myself that an important, powerful woman like Naomi couldn’t really need me. Love turned to friendship.’

  ‘You know that wasn’t how she felt, don’t you?’

  ‘Not then. I’m older now, but that time is past. If I have any regrets at all, then Naomi is one of them, but we did manage to salvage a friendship out of it. Enough that she persuaded me to become a lay brother. She said she’d seen talent in me the day I started training and it would be a crime not to pass it on. And we share a desire to support our profession.’ Sam managed to pull together a smile. ‘I admit I saw her in Sheela Na Gig in the leather basque and some of the old lust stirred, but then I’ll admit to the same sort of feeling when you walked in.’

  ‘Huh. Coming from you, and comparing me to her, that’s a helluva compliment. I think you were ready to try some non-work sex again. Everyone changes. Marie was just lucky enough to be there when something pushed you over the edge. I’m kind of glad. Losing her hurt. Still hurts a little… But I value what we have and sex would have changed it.’

  ‘Yes,’ Sam said in a musing tone. ‘Yes, I think we have a good relationship. But if I have more than one regret, hurting you is one of them, and not going further with you is another.’

  ‘Don’t got soppy on me.’

  ‘Have you ever known me to be soppy?’

  ‘No, but there’s a first time for everything, and with all these weird urges to emotional ties…’

  ‘Weird urges?’

  ‘Ain’t neither of us is normal, Sam. Weird urges.’

  Sam nodded, looking resigned. ‘You may be right.’

  16th August.

  Raw sensation. Nerves tingling from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, but definitely more of a burning somewhere in the middle. Fox had lost herself five minutes ago in the almost hypnotic motion, the rise and fall, the roll of hips. There was no sound, no light. She had found her way to her current, intensely pleasurable, condition by touch. She had no desire to leave it, but it was inevitable that it would end and, when the inevitable could be staved off no longer, she felt him swell within her, the added sensation driving her over into the blind, searing wash of climax which claimed her entirely for an eternity…

  ‘Thanks,’ Fox said. She still lay atop him, still straddling his hips with the thickness of him filling her, but now she was almost sprawled on his chest, still unwilling to leave. She had retained enough brain power to raise the lights a little and the warm red walls of her bedroom just added to her feeling of contentment.

  ‘I believe I should be thanking you, mon chérie.’

  Fox looked down at the wide mouth, the sharply angled features, the cool blue eyes so full of heat. ‘I’ve spent the last couple of days reading legislative documents, and you let me sleep without dreaming about them. Thanks for coming over.’

  Jason Deveraux, captain of UNTPP New York, developed a wicked sort of smile. ‘Any man requested to “come over and fuck my brains out” by you would be some sort of imbécile to say no.’

  Fox grinned. ‘I did say that, didn’t I? And you did do it too. But… back to work. After a shower anyway.’

  ‘Alas, the same is true for me.’

  She stroked a hand over his chest and fought the urge to persuade him to stay for another thirty minutes… ‘Hey! You couldn’t spare half an hour or so to talk to the Palladium board, could you?’

  Jason raised a quizzical brow. ‘About what?’

  ‘The private policing regulations. We’re having a meeting on it first thing and it would be interesting to hear an international perspective on the subject. Don’t tell me you guys aren’t watching this pretty closely.’

  ‘We are observing, obviously.’ His expression became thoughtful. ‘I will tell the office I will be in late. Inter-agency relations.’

  ‘I thought that was what we’ve been doing.’

  He chuckled. ‘Move, before I make us late for your meeting.’

  ~~~

  ‘Okay, guys,’ Fox began as she sat down in the virtual conference room which now occupied her office, ‘no embarrassing releases of sensitive information while our guest is at the table. Alice, roll your tongue back up.’

  Vaughn’s image showed no signs of her tongue hanging out, but she shot Fox a mock glare. ‘I was only drooling a little.’

  ‘She never drools at me,’ Jarvis commented, affecting an over-dramatic, sad tone.

  ‘That’s because I got to know you.’ Vaughn was one of those people Naomi had been talking about when she had mentioned controlled people who liked to give it up to relax, except in reverse, sort of. She was naturally a bit shy and submissive, but had learned to overcome it by letting her temper out, a little bit at a time. Fox had heard that all her members of staff were terrified of a real dressing down because then she let her temper out all the way and strong men quaked in their boots. ‘Shall we proceed?’

  ‘Quite,’ Eaves said. ‘Since we have Captain Deveraux–’

  ‘Jason,’ Jason said. ‘I am only semi-officially here and it will take twice as long if we keep up this formality.’

  ‘Jason, then. Since you’re here, perhaps we can kick off with matters likely to concern international law enforcement.’

  A text window appeared in Fox’s vision field, tagged with Alice’s ID and image. That accent is dreamy. How do you keep your hands off him?

  Keeping the smirk off her face, Fox replied. Who says I do?

  ‘Our main concern,’ Jason said, oblivious to the text conversation, ‘is the amendment Wayden Executive Services have tendered concerning communications security.’

  ‘Interesting,’ Fox said. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because it is quite clear that NIX are behind it. The original regulation proposal states that communications should be “encrypted using suitable means,” whi
ch I believe to be a little vague and does need tightening. Wayden have specified a set of specific encryption mechanisms. For real-time communications, NIXRTE version six or seven, and for store and forward messages and file systems, they propose NIXES version nine. These are all good standards–’

  ‘But it’s widely believed that NIX have backdoor mechanisms into both,’ Jarvis said.

  ‘At least it’s not just me being paranoid,’ Fox added.

  ‘It is also more than a wide belief,’ Jason went on. ‘We have evidence suggesting that it is true of NIXRTE. It is unlikely that they would release a solid algorithm without such a vulnerability. The fact that all of these mechanisms are released as encrypted, black box software modules with little or no outside verification of the contents is another black mark against them.’

  ‘Shouldn’t be difficult to counter if we have an alternative,’ Eaves commented. ‘The National Intelligence Executive does not have an especially high public image.’

  ‘Which is why they have Wayden doing the work,’ Jarvis added. ‘What if we put in an alternative amendment calling for an internationally accepted encryption algorithm? It fixes the quality level, but not in such a narrow manner.’

  ‘And precludes the NIX protocols,’ Fox said. ‘They’ve refused a number of times to put their code through vetting. They say that it’s a security risk. Anyone who relies on “security through obscurity” is not doing their job and I’m sure the memetics department can work that kind of thing into the countermemes.’

  ‘I believe that would be a good counterproposal,’ Jason said. ‘More generally, and this is more of an undercurrent to our analysis than a real issue, we see too much involvement in the legislation from NIX. I think that they are attempting to gain heavy influence over internal policing in America.’

  ‘Oh, that’s more or less a certainty. We think they’ve got their claws in Wayden and they must have people embedded in NAPA.’

  ‘Which is worrying,’ Eaves continued, ‘given that NAPA will be responsible for monitoring the contracts and enforcing standards.’

  Jason nodded. ‘Again this is my opinion, not that of the UNTPP, but I believe that profiling your auditors for NIX involvement may be a requirement. They have a, probably reasonable, right to ensure that national security is covered, but covert manipulation of the rules is outside their remit, as I understand it.’

  ‘It is, but they tend to come up with “operational reasons” for a number of actions which are likely more to do with politics. And oversight of their activities is insufficient.’

  ‘What if we try to change that?’ Fox said.

  Eaves looked at her, frowning. ‘How?’

  ‘What if we put in an amendment to have NAPA’s regulatory function include policing activities carried out by NIX?’

  ‘We would never get it through.’

  ‘Maybe not. This time. Though I bet it’ll get strong public support. But it puts down a marker and we see about getting it put through as part of the metro policing resolution. If it’s put to public vote, they’ll have no choice but to accept it when it’s voted in, and the public doesn’t like NIX, so it will be.’

  ‘I thought you hated politics,’ Vaughn said, grinning.

  ‘I do, but bulldozing it is one of my only talents in that direction.’

  ‘If that’s your idea of bulldozing,’ Eaves said, ‘your idea of surgical must be verging on the Machiavellian. I’ll see to it.’

  ~~~

  ‘Above average health, no physical defects,’ Sister Anne said, her eyes on a virtual display. ‘You may wish to work on your stamina a little, but it’s not poor. Quite good physical flexibility. You’d make a good professional.’

  Marie flashed her a grin while working her way into her white-and-red uniform. ‘Thanks. I’m not sure I have the mindset, but it’s nice to know I have something to fall back on if the acting doesn’t work.’ She paused in the middle of pulling her skirt on. ‘To be honest, there was a time when it was looking likely. I moved to New York expecting it all to be easy… Kind of stupid. I was lucky and got a job before I had to sell myself to get food.’

  Settling her tunic over the skirt, Marie picked up the wimple and peered at it. ‘How does this work?’

  ‘There’s a clip under the brim. Settle it where you want it, and then clip it into your hair.’

  ‘Oh.’ Marie fiddled to get the headdress in place and said, ‘So, not that I should be shocked, but… no panties?’

  Anne smirked. ‘It’s thematic. Just remember how short the skirt is at the back when you need to bend over. Not flashing the room when you do is part of the training. Teaches an element of deportment. And we do make exceptions for various reasons; we’re not stupid.’

  Marie fixed the wimple and turned to Anne for approval. It was Naomi who spoke, however, as she walked into the clinic. ‘You look perfect, Marie. A proper novice. You read the briefing material I sent?’

  ‘Yes, Sister Naomi,’ Marie replied.

  Naomi smiled. ‘Very good. I have to admit I’ll be fascinated to see how you get on. Now, you have your class schedule for the morning. Sister Demeter will find you at lunch and introduce herself and the other members of your dorm. You’ll have a chance to settle in with them a little during chores.’

  ‘And then it’s back to classes before the evening meal, right?’

  ‘Classes and then evening prayers, then you get to eat and then you’re free until midnight prayers and bed.’

  ‘And up at eight for morning prayers,’ Anne said. ‘Be thankful this isn’t a classic nunnery. It’s hard work here, but it’s not killing.’

  Naomi nodded. ‘Come, Marie, I’ll walk you to your first class. That way you won’t get glared at by the instructor.’

  Marie checked her schedule: etiquette was first on the list. It would not hurt to learn some since she knew a lot more about how to behave on the street than in high society. She waited to get outside the clinic before she spoke. ‘How much does it cost to do your basic course if you aren’t a novice, Sister Superior?’

  ‘It’s a thirty-two week, full-time course, five days a week, and we charge four thousand dollars.’

  ‘Thirty-two weeks?’

  ‘We cover a number of skills aside from sexual technique and professional behaviour. You can get more specific courses from other agencies which are shorter, but would require later study if you wish to progress in the profession. A graduate from our school can generally go into any aspect of sex work they wish rather than starting out at the bottom and working up.’

  ‘I think it’s more the other skills that I’d be interested in, like etiquette, and I’ve got the money, but thirty-two weeks…’

  ‘Talk to Sam. He is a good instructor and he could certainly help.’

  Marie smiled. ‘That’s a great idea. Thank you, Sister Naomi.’

  Naomi smiled back, more of a grin. ‘I am, as they say, here to help.’ And for some reason the comment made Marie’s cheeks flare red.

  ~~~

  Fox squeezed the bridge of her nose as the conference room faded around her and she was left at her desk in her office. There was a mild headache digging itself in behind her eyes, but she did not want to take anything for it unless it got worse.

  ‘Belle has some very mild painkillers,’ Kit said, appearing as Fox got to her feet.

  ‘No, I’m going to change and go out for a run. The air will clear my head.’

  Fifteen minutes later, circling around the northern side of The Lake, the headache was not shifting. Fox was beginning to think that either the air in the metro was not as clean as the air quality indicators said or it was down to all the legalese floating around in her head.

  There was so much of it! Some of it was actually pretty good, even some of the things put in by Wayden. They had filed an amendment which would require NAPA to give access to live case information when requested. Fox thought it was a little unlikely to pass given that the reasoning was dubious, but the board had ag
reed to press for it and come up with some stronger reasoning. For once, the request looked like something Wayden wanted, rather than something Wayden were doing for NIX, but it was one of the few.

  Of course, there was no way to know just how deep Wayden was in things with NIX. They were certainly being influenced, but Fox got the impression it was more than that. She was wondering about looking into Wayden’s financials and history when she heard the scream.

  Up ahead of her on the track she was running along, a man in a hoodie was charging toward her with a bag in his arms. The hoodie was grey and dirty, but the bag was new, in cream leather, and it really did not go with the outfit. Fox slowed, waited for the man to get within striking distance, and snapped her arm out, clotheslining him into a crumpled heap at her feet. She put her foot down on his chest before he could move.

  ‘Hey! What the fuck?!’

  ‘Yeah, just lie there and shut up, asshole,’ Fox told him. Inside her head, she added, ‘Kit, get NAPA here on the double, would you?’

  ‘Emergency call made and acknowledged,’ Kit replied almost immediately: the joy of digital transmission. ‘That was very impressive.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Fox pressed her foot down a little harder as the victim rushed over. Fox suspected there was about to be some gushing. She smiled. ‘Now that got rid of the damn headache.’

  ~~~

  Marie worked her jaw, trying to get the ache out of the muscles which felt as though it was likely there for life. It was time for chores, specifically for cleaning the dorm room, but that was easy, almost therapeutic. Classes were another matter.

  ‘You okay?’ Marie looked up at the other white-clad figure in the room, Sister Gilly, a bright, perky blonde who was helping with the common area set between the two blocks of beds. ‘The work’s not too much?’

  ‘This?’ Marie lifted the minivac she was using to clean over surfaces. ‘Oh no. This is my day job, though my skirt isn’t usually this short when I’m cleaning.’

  Gilly frowned a little. ‘They told us you were an actress…’

  Marie did not classify herself as the greatest of people-readers, but suddenly some of the tension she had noticed on meeting her dorm-sisters leaped into sharp focus. ‘More like “aspiring actress,” though I guess I should stop calling myself that. This is going to be my first role and until we start filming, I’m really just a maid with aspirations.’