The Gilded Cage

Connor was sitting at home watching television, Bastion noted, as he allowed his primary gaze to move away from Tammy for a moment. That was all that man seemed to do, just sit and watch television. If it were not for the trouble in identifying Connor then Bastion would have barely given him a second thought. As it was he was an ever-growing shadow that had so far defied all attempts to illuminate it.

Nonetheless Bastion knew that his daily digest needed to be completed quickly for it was approaching the time when many more Guild members would watch. He completed his final commentary for them

"As you have seen gentlemen our Mr Green has adapted his brief quickly and efficiently, turning it from one of mere sexual harassment to one of inciting Miss Squires to assist in the humiliation of others. Some amongst you may be shocked that he was so brazen, given her background of conservatism regarding all matters sexual, but I think he quickly assessed that Tammy Squires was easily intimidated. I also think he has proved that she will do anything in order to safeguard her new position, one far higher than she could ever hope to reach again, and has proved through results that Miss Squires can be groomed into someone of additional interest to us.

She is now heading home to Connor and, given their intimate relationship, I think it unlikely that she will share much about the true nature of her day. This will lock her further under Green, as it will isolate her from her confidante. The only thing still to be verified is the identity of Connor but that, of course, is only a matter of a short time now"

Bastion closed the channel and then opened another one. His voice changed from the cool-reassurance of the commentator to the ice-cold and demanding voice of the commander.

"Agent 7, you are late with your report"

"I am sorry sir but I wanted it to be complete rather than punctual. We had a few last lines of enquiry to pursue but they are now done"

"Good, well done. So tell me, who is this man I see in the house eating a hotdog?"

The long pause told Bastion all he needed to know.

"You are telling me you still have no idea? I thought you said you had finished your enquiries?"

"We have. He has no record, civil or military, from the time of his birth to the present day. No doctor, policeman, government official, secret service agent or private company has ever recorded encountering him. We had done checks in Europe and both North and South America. He has no credit line, no bank account, and no visible source of income at all yet he clearly is doing well for himself judging by his clothes. He speaks with an educated British accent but, of course, there is no record of him having attended any school or university"

Bastion slumped forward in his chair. He knew he should be angry at the failure of his agent but he also knew that this agent never failed. His brain was too busy trying to take in what this meant to formulate a diatribe

"How is that possible agent?"

"You have to remember, sir, we are only working within the limits of our own network. Vast as it is, it is no replacement for the power of the entire Guild. My recommendation at this point would be to declare a breach to C and get him to open up his own enquiry. In straight answer to your question even a man with no traces gives us some idea of who he is"

"How so?"

"Such a trailess individual has to be carefully crafted. He's clearly a covert-operative of some kind, though not belonging to any of the major intelligence agencies. Having said that he's acting in a very overt way, something no covert agent ever should, and we have no evidence of a team behind him. We have scoured 5 blocks around the house, in the air and on the ground, without finding a trace of anyone being his backup"

"If he's covert, agent 7, then so would they be"

"Sir, we may not have been able to give you his identity but I assure you we know how to spot covert operatives. You have my categorical assurance that Connor is a lone gun"

"Thank you agent. Stay available, I may need you again tonight"

"Of course sir"

Bastion watched Connor again as he thought. Connor was watching television, drinking cola and doing nothing. Suddenly Connor doing nothing worried Bastion because this man had clearly not been crafted to do nothing. Bastion called Aegis.

"Aegis, it's about Connor..."

Aegis interrupted him

"Don't worry, I know. I have made it my business to be kept briefed on the enquiries. What do you intend to do about the situation Bastion?" Bastion needed time to think

"I am going to give it tonight and see what happens. If Connor is in there then he cannot harm the Guild and maybe he'll slip up when he's talking to Tammy. If not, I'll call C and declare a breach tomorrow morning"

Aegis sighed

"It's good to hear you are at least thinking of following protocol but I have to warn you that C will ask why you did not do so tonight"

"I'll handle C when, and if, that time comes. Thanks for the advice. Take care"

"You too. Keep in touch. Aegis out"

Tammy pulled up outside the house and got out of her car. The drive had helped clear her head a little but she almost ran to the front door anyway, such was her need to see Connor.

Connor turned and smiled at her from the sofa when she entered and, suddenly remembering not to appear too eager, Tammy sat slowly down beside him. She embraced him and felt safe for the first time in hours. When they had finished holding Connor began to stroke her arms. His voice had real affection in it

"I've missed you today sweetheart. How was your first day at the office?"

The question, though part of the charade, was too close to what she needed to talk freely about. Tammy looked away as she answered

"Fine, nothing to it"

Connor squeezed her hand. To the audience it was just a lover's gesture but Tammy knew that Connor must have seen it all. His genuine sympathy made her melt once more into his arms. After a few minutes Connor turned his head towards her

"Let's eat out tonight love to celebrate your new job. What do you say?"

Tammy murmured from under his arm

"Sounds great"

Bastion had begun to field the questions from the Guild members as they logged on for the evening. Many were predictable, wondering about Connor on the one hand and on the other asking if he was going to fuck Tammy soon. Soon they settled down and only the one came through

"Bastion this is Noskova. Excellent daily digest today. I may watch tomorrow live to see how Green corrupts Tammy even more. I do hope that tonight is not going to be an anticlimax"

Bastion kept his inner concerns well hidden in his voice

"I doubt it Noskova. Connor's not seen his girlfriend for weeks so I am sure we will get some action tonight"

The television remained on as Connor's fingers began to roam over Tammy as she lay on him. At first she barely noticed but soon the persistence of the touch told her that Connor was initiating sex. Tammy was suddenly nervous and, given the events of the day, that surprised her. She did not know why plain sex with a man she respected seemed daunting when sex with other men, whom she detested, had not done today. As she felt herself warming under Connor's touch she could only guess that her nature wanted a few more dates before intercourse. This made her realise that Connor had moved into the potential boyfriend category despite of, or maybe because of, the situation they both faced. Nonetheless Tammy knew that she had to keep the Guild audience interested and that meant sex, sex and more sex.

"Stand up and face me" Connor said suddenly

Tammy stood up and faced Connor. It was only at that moment that she realised she was still wearing the slutty outfit that Green had given her to wear that day. Connor looked at her and said

"I fancy doing a role-play like we do sometimes honey. You know I trust you implicitly but I am going to play the stern husband, with you my submissive wife"

Tammy nodded silently. Connor sat upright and adopted a mock-sterness in his voice

"I see you got changed after you left. Is this office wear? Did your boss give it to you?"

Tammy figured that Connor was trying to make the fantasy easier for her to do by basing it on facts. She was reassured that he clearly had watched the Guild show every moment she was with Green.

"His name is John and yes, he likes it this way"

Connor began to stroke her thighs with his hands. The sensation thrilled Tammy but she tried to stay in role and not show it.

"I bet he does" Connor said with a sneer and then added "Turn around and bend down, as if picking up a file"

Tammy turned slowly and bent over. The skirt soon was pulled over her hips, exposing her pussy barely and inch from Connor's face. Tammy looked between her legs at Connor's crotch and was pleased to see that it was bulging. Tammy now knew that even a man like Connor, as focused and professional as they came, could be mesmerised by a simple flash of her pussy. It made her feel empowered once more but, with this man, all the vindictiveness of earlier was gone.

"He's had you flashing your pussy at him all day hasn't he?" Connor said as he pulled her nearer. "I've warned you before about sleeping with the boss, Tammy, and you know the punishment for when you do. Lay over my knee"

Tammy lay herself over Connor's knee as he pushed her skirt up. She felt vulnerable, having never been spanked before, but she knew that Connor was giving the Guild what he needed to in order to keep them interested. Tammy trusted Connor a lot more than she trusted herself at this moment because she was afraid she may cry when the spanking began, giving a clue to the audience that she was not as familiar with it as Connor had indicated to them.

Connor began to spank her deftly with his hand, pulling the force of each stroke imperceptibly so that the noise was loud but the pain was soft. Tammy appreciated the gesture and faked her pain with a series of yelps that, she hoped, sounded authentic.

"What else have you done for your boss Tammy? Don't lie to me because you know I can see through deception very easily." Connor said as his hand struck her buttocks once more.

"He made me suck his cock and he made me sleep with one of his employees" Tammy spoke through gritted teeth as another series of blows landed on her ass.

Bastion adjusted his controls as the spanking continued, sending average strokes per minute and several optional camera views to the audience. From their comments he knew that they were enjoying the spanking and were betting on whether or not Connor would want revenge on both Tammy and her boss.

Bastion was happy that the show was proving popular but, for the first time, he felt nervous about how it was going. Nothing had ever happened on the show that Bastion did not plan and meticulously execute and yet here, spanking the main star, was a man playing a role that was not of Bastion's making.

Connor was now intensifying the spanking and allowing a little more of the real force of the blows to get through to Tammy. She became aware quickly of the new style of spanking that had begun and she now screamed in genuine pain as well as pretence. Connor continued to question her about her day and more and more of the details were beaten out of her. The spanking changed again, becoming unmitigated and intense, as Tammy came around to describe how she had sucked Mr Ferguson in the meeting room.

"Did you enjoy the power you had over him Tammy?" Connor asked the question with barely concealed anger in his voice.

"No" Tammy lied

Connor spanked her faster as he repeated the question

"Did you enjoy the power Tammy?"

Inside Tammy could feel herself crumbling emotionally. The pain was moving beyond anything she could tolerate and she was beginning to become scared at how Connor's manner had changed. Nonetheless she was not prepared to admit she had enjoyed the power she had wielded over Ferguson, not to Connor, not to the watching audience and least of all to herself. It was too shameful to speak of.

"Answer me! Did you enjoy it?" Connor was now screaming and the violence in his voice, combined with the force of the spanking, made Tammy begin to cry

"No!" she shouted back

Connor moved Tammy's clitoris so that it was in line for spanking. When his hand next landed a spike of pain shot through her body and finally broke her resistance

"Ok, yes! I did, yes I enjoyed it!" Tammy sobbed, almost hysterical.

Connor ceased the spanking immediately. As I someone had flipped a switch inside him his voice and manner became as caring, compassionate and polite as it had ever been. He gave Tammy a few seconds to begin to calm down before speaking.

"I thought so. Tonight you are going to make it up to me my dear. We are going to dinner and you will be the bait that will catch me some prey to mess around with. That way you have to endure what I have had to. I'll deal with your boss in the next few days. Now come with me upstairs. You are filthy and I want to clean you down myself"

Tammy was still weeping as they ascended the stairs but her composure was quickly returning. She did not know whether she weeped because of what Connor had just done or because she had been forced to admit that having control over a man thrilled her.

Once inside the bathroom, free from the gaze of the Guild, Connor turned to Tammy and offered her his handkerchief to dry her eyes with. She snatched it from him and began to apply it.

"I hope you know why I staged that performance Tammy" Connor said in a soothing voice.

"I know. You wanted to give the Guild a show"

"No. If that were it I would simply have jumped you or something. Inside my face is a tiny receiver that sends signals to my optic nerve. This allows me to view my computer screen without ever having to retrieve it, something I have been hiding by pretending to watch television all afternoon. I was, of course, watching you on the show. I noted the look on your face when Green was making you humiliate those men"

Tammy became defensive

"I was doing what you told me to do, obey Green at all costs"

"Quite so Tammy and you were wise to act that way. I saw, however, the look of enjoyment that flashed into your eyes and it concerned me. I spanked you tonight to remind you of what it is like to be on the other end, to be the one without power and under the control of someone else. I wanted to remind you of the true situation you are in, with men controlling every part of you, before you began to become as sadistic as they are"

Tammy looked down, ashamed that she had doubted Connor. She knew he had only acted out of the best intentions

"Thank you, I must admit I was beginning to enjoy the role too much."

Connor held her and his comforting arms made her melt again. Her heart began to synchronise with his even as she began to wonder if she was falling in love.

"I have two aims. The first is to get you out of this show and the second is to end the show altogether. I would have failed in my first aim if I freed you only to have their stench haunt your future actions forever."

Tammy suddenly became worried for Connor

"If the Guild are as powerful as you say then they will kill you long before you can help me, surely? You are only one man, you cannot hope to defeat them"

"The Guild is still, in many ways, a very tradition-bound organisation. The modern era for them began with an interrogation centre for secret agents, a place in which C was a former number 2, and they decided then that a better quality of information could be gained from a broken man rather than via drugs. Even though that was around forty years ago, C has influenced the Guild with his cautious approach throughout his career. They will attempt to kill me, of course, but only when they know who and what I represent. As long as they do not and as long as I do not force their hand, Bastion would find it hard to explain any decision other than to observe"

Tammy instinctually began to stroke Connor's arm to give him comfort.

"How will they try to kill you when they do?" She asked him

Connor began to stroke Tammy's face and their eyes locked. For the first time Tammy thought she saw love in Connor's eyes, reflecting her own love that she now no longer doubted.

"They will use an undertaker unit. It's a quanit term dating from the days they used to dress as undertakers when collecting spies for interrogation. They often used gas to render the target unconscious and the coffin helped disguise the victim. It was a simple ruse for a simpler age. These days, of course, they are far more sophisticated but the name has been retained by C for sentimental value"

Tammy sat on the edge of the bath, deep in thought. After a moment she said

"Why are you endangering yourself so much Connor?"

Connor looked over at her

" My role-model was a man from the interrogation centre. He was the only man to beat their system and he taught them a lesson in humility. It is a lesson I intend to teach them again. I cannot make the world fair for, even if I could do the impossible and bring the Guild down, those in power would still rule for their own sakes alone. I did not care when the Guild manipulated the powerful for the powerful are themselves manipulators. When the Guild started on the innocent person in the street, plucking them from their lives and placing them in televised cages, I considered that they had crossed a line I could not allow them to cross without a fight."

Tammy looked disappointed

"I had hoped you might say you were doing it because you felt something for me"

Connor reacted and for a split second Tammy thought she could see vulnerability in him again. He then stood straight and his professional manner came washing over him once more

"When life is in danger there is no room for sentiment, Miss Squires. We'd better wet our hair and faces and leave quickly or else they will think we have not showered at all."

Bastion saw them leave the bathroom as a channel opened

"Bastion this is Aegis. I sure wish C would drop his ridiculous rule regarding the bathroom. Anyhow, I guess our fellow and Miss Squires will be going to dinner now. Any ideas as to where they might go?"

Bastion pulled up a map of Lexington on his computer. Red dots were widely scattered across it.

"No but don't worry Aegis. As you see I have plenty of units on standby and we can use directional microphones when they reach their venue. I am hoping that Connor let's something slip as the evening moves on and he relaxes with Miss Squires. A beautiful lady has often been known to loosen the tongue."

"Let's hope tonight is no exception and we can find out what we need to know. Good hunting Bastion. Aegis out"

Bastion watched as Connor and Tammy left the house. Given his sophisticated dress and mannerism, Bastion had thought that Connor would select an up-market restaurant in a quiet part of town. It was therefore a surprise to see him drive up to a very disreputable nightclub. Tammy followed Connor inside and Bastion had to quickly adjust his console.

"Bastion, this is Goldfish. Not the sort of place I would have thought Miss Squires would like"

"Indeed Goldfish. It does at least have the virtue of being owned by us however, so we have cameras and microphones over and under every table. We will not miss a thing"

As Tammy entered the nightclub she was assailed by the noise of the music. It was early and the place was frequented only by a handful of people but the dance floor still resonated under a barrage of sound and lights. Connor had to lean very close to allow himself to be heard

"The noise of this place will render their directional microphones useless. They only time they will be able to hear us is when they can use static microphones, at the tables, the bar or the washrooms. It also serves food for another two hours yet so it gives us a chance to look round. Let's grab a drink"