A Serpent in Paradise

Author's note: This story is primarily a continuation of "Paradise Obtained", but also includes characters from "The New Neighbours/The Good Master" and "The Friday Night Games Club".

This is the culmination of my 'Haller universe' stories, so is not the best place to begin. I would recommend reading the other stories first; doing so will add depth of character background and make various things clearer.

All characters are over 18.

A Serpent in Paradise: Chapter 03

Geoff Mills had been looking forward to this. No mere phone-call for him; he wanted to be able to see Haller's face when he took him down. This would be a video conference call, and he had made sure that his backdrop was suitably presidential. Fortunately, Hawk Castle rather lent itself to this. He had found an oak panelled room, into which he had moved a desk and the largest, plushest chair he could find. Behind him, were shelves of historic books, doubtless unread by anyone in decades, but giving a note of gravitas.

The finishing decorative touch was provided by Ilse Hoffman and Nicoleta Paulescu. Beautifully made up, their hair artfully arranged, each woman wore an elegant dress contrasting strangely with the slave collars Matthew Mitchell had given them. Geoff had them stand behind him, looks of obedience and adoration for their new Master etched on their faces. It would be nice to have been able to add Svetlana Bondarenko as well, but that time would come; locked in the castle tower she wasn't going anywhere.

When Mills had arranged his call to Haller the telling point was that the German businessman had agreed not just to take it but also to the time he had proposed. Geoff recognised that it was an indication that he had a measure of control over the situation that few had ever achieved with Albrecht Haller.

At the appointed time Mills made the connection and Herr Haller appeared on the computer screen. He was in his office in Hamburg, a room Mills had last seen when being sent into disgraced exile in Switzerland. "Ahh, Haller. I see you came at my bidding," said Mills, enjoying the moment. "I take it that by now you know where I am?"

"Yes Mr Mills," Haller replied, seemingly as calm and in control as usual. "You are at Castelul Soimulu in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. 'The Castle of the Hawk' in your native tongue, although it sounds better in mine, I think: 'Schloss des Falken'."

"Stop prattling, Haller, this is a business call," said Mills harshly, relishing the look on Haller's face; he was not a man used to being interrupted. "Now I don't doubt you are planning something against me, but before we get to my demands, let's discuss why you're going to call your dogs off. I could mention that I have hostages -- three of Mitchell's women, including the two bitches you see here -- but I know you don't give a damn about them. So instead, let's try blackmail."

Haller said nothing, his face an impassive mask, but Mills knew him well enough to know that underneath the German was both angry and worried, and also that those were emotions with which he rarely had to deal.

"As you know I managed to get access to a lot of your files while in Switzerland ..." Mills continued.

"Yes, " Haller interrupted, "thanks to your control of the unfortunate Mdm. Favre. I know you won't care that the poor woman is currently under sedation in a private clinic in Switzerland, broken by your abandonment of her."

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Mills airily, "maybe when you have given me everything I want, I may have you send her to me. She was older than I prefer, but very, very willing. Come to that, I might insist you return all the sluts I left in England with that imbecile Roberts. Because the reality is, Herr Haller, you are going to give me whatever I want, unless you fancy spending the rest of your days in prison."

Haller's calm appearance still didn't change, but his voice was icy as he said, "Very well, Mr Mills, let me hear your proposal."

"Firstly, I know what you're trying to do -- you want to stand behind the governments of the world and guide the destiny of mankind. You certainly think big, Haller, I'll give you that. More importantly, I also know why you want to do it."

"If you truly know my reasons, then you will also know that there is nothing dishonourable about them," said Haller. For the first time there was a note of emotion in Albrecht Haller's tone. The idea that Mills might have discovered the secrets of his past appalled him. Those matters were personal and certainly not meant for the warped mind of someone like Geoff Mills.

"Possibly so, but the methods you used to pursue those goals are highly illegal. You have supported and financed Mitchell, those two Americans and, of course, myself to develop mind control techniques and you haven't cared a jot what we did with that power. Just think about all those enslaved and abused women, Haller. Were the authorities to get hold of the evidence I took from your files you would go to jail for so long they might as well throw away the key. And that would be the end of all your weird hopes and dreams, wouldn't it?"

"I cared more than you suggest, Mills," Haller said, a note of bitterness in his tone. "When you went too far, I helped bring you down and I have kept an eye on Mr Mitchell to ensure he doesn't do any significant harm; his ladies are not badly treated. Besides, you can hardly give the police evidence about all that without incriminating yourself."

"I doubt the authorities would agree with your definition of 'harm'," smirked Mills, "and as for me -- you know perfectly well 'Geoffrey Mills' doesn't exist. Or, more accurately, the real one died of natural causes over thirty years ago aged three months old and I used his birth certificate to establish this identity. A police investigation will get nowhere. So, let's get down to business. Unless you want me to pass the evidence I hold on you to the authorities in Germany, Switzerland, Britain and the US, you will meet all my demands."

"Which are?" Haller asked. So Mills told him.

*****

Svetlana Bondarenko was surprised her plan had gone so well. She had found enough rope and cord in the basement of the tower to almost reach the ground from the lowest window in the tower, which was forty feet up. The batten of wood to which she had fastened the rope and placed across the window had sufficed to bear her weight. Lana had climbed down as far as she could and then risked dropping the last few feet to the ground below. Even this had gone ok, and she had emerged with nothing worse than a jarred ankle and grazed hands.

She had waited until the sun had set before making the decent so as to reduce the chances of being seen, but this complicated the next stage of her escape. She was on the other side of the castle from the village and there were no paths on this side, so she had to scramble her way down the hill through bushes and trees until she reached flatter ground and then work her way round the base of the natural mound on which the castle had been built.

It was a laborious trek in the dark and it took her an hour before she reached the outskirts of the village that lay beneath the castle hill. Once there, Svetlana headed directly for the small hotel in the centre of the settlement. In her initial haste to escape from Mills in the castle she had left her phone in her bedroom, but she figured should have no trouble borrowing one at the hotel.

This proved to be the case, the owner being only too happy to show her into a small office behind the reception area and give her use of a landline. Svetlana knew that the sensible thing to do was to phone the police at once, but her programmed loyalty to her Master demanded that she speak to him first. Anyway, she thought it didn't really matter; she was surely safe among the villagers and had plenty of time to make all the calls she needed to.

So Svetlana rang Georgia Harding's mobile. Matt's PA could be pretty much guaranteed to answer regardless of time or place and this time proved no exception. Svetlana swiftly explained what had happened, that Mills and Ilse were at Hawk Castle and that Nikki had been captured but she had managed to escape. Then Georgia passed the phone over to Matt.

Svetlana almost melted with happiness to hear her Master reassuring her. "Listen, darling. You need to get away from there. Ring the police and then get a taxi or something and go as far away as you can. I'm talking to some people and will come out as soon as possible and rescue the others. I'll meet you in Bucharest. Whatever happens, remember I love you. Keep yourself safe at any cost. I couldn't stand any of you getting hurt." Svetlana could hear the emotion in Master's voice and knew he meant it. She felt so happy to belong to such a fine man.

"I love you too, Matt. Please come soon and rescue my sisters," she replied and put the phone down intending to at once pick it up and call the police. But Svetlana never got the chance. She was shocked as strong male arms suddenly grasped her and her spun round; it was the hotel owner. Then, as she turned, she saw Geoff Mills standing in the doorway to the office.

"Here she is, Master, just as I said," the hotelier commented.

"Well done, Anton. Just hold onto her for a moment please while I change the lady's mind about certain things," Mills replied.

Then he smiled mirthlessly at Svetlana and addressed her: "Congratulations on your clever escape my dear, but I think you should have called the police before Mitchell, although I appreciate you didn't have much choice in that. But never mind; its time you forgot about him and embraced your new destiny. In just a moment you will be on your knees pledging your obedience to me. Soon you will be up in the castle begging me to fuck you. In a week, you will live only to please me and no longer even remember the name Matthew Mitchell. Give it a month and you will be your true self -- a mindless cum-dump pleading for your Master to use you in the most degrading ways -- and loving it."

"Fuck off, you bastard," Svetlana said defiantly, but inside she was shrinking in horror. Mills was smirking at her, looking totally confident.

Mills produced an aerosol from his pocket and sprayed it into Svetlana's face. He waited a few moments while she coughed a little as droplets of the fluid she had breathed in entered her lungs and others seeped through the pours of her skin directly into her bloodstream. Then he held up an ultrasonic device, set at a carefully calibrated frequency, and turned it on.

He spoke to Svetlana for around five minutes. This was only the beginning of the process; over the next few days he would enslave her completely, but it was enough to ensure immediate control. When Mills was satisfied he turned to the hotelier. "You can let her go Anton," he commanded. The hotel proprietor did so. "Now, bitch, kneel and pledge yourself to me, just as I said you would."

The gorgeous brunette instantly dropped to her knees and gazing up at Mills, said, "You are my Master and I am your slave. I pledge my obedience to you. Command me and I will obey. I beg you to use my body in any way you desire, Master."

Geoff Mills gave a small smile of satisfaction. He loved doing this. "I accept your submission, slave. For now on you are nothing more than a sex-toy; a walking set of holes for my amusement and -- believe me -- I will make use of them all. Now get up and follow me. We are going back to my castle. Tomorrow the fun starts -- for me."

Mills was feeling pleased with how things had gone. Svetlana's escape might have been a set-back, but his decision to mind control key people in the village, such as Anton, before going to the castle had proved a wise precaution. It occurred to him that perhaps over the next few days he should extend his control to the entire village. A whole community of slaves answering to his will; as far as he knew no one had ever done that before. It might be amusing and good for security, as well as his ego.

*****

Katya had departed back to London before Georgia and Matt took the call from Svetlana, but it did much to raise the spirits of those remaining at Park Manor. True, Ilse and Nikki still needed to be rescued, but it seemed Lana was safe and once she was in Bucharest she would doubtless be able to provide information about how matters stood at Hawk Castle that would help them.

Matt decided to capitalise on the situation by contacting Albrecht Haller, but although Haller agreed to take his call, Matt didn't find the ensuring conversation particularly helpful. Haller confirmed the intelligence that Geoff Mills was in Romania, but as Matt already knew this from Svetlana that added nothing new. The German businessmen seemed most keen to talk about Mills' Swiss victims, who were currently under sedation in a clinic that Haller controlled. He suggested that Matt and Katya go there and do something to restore them. But whatever sympathy Matt had for their plight, he hardly thought that was his most important priority at present.

Haller had little to suggest as to what to do about Mills and his hostages, simply saying that he had sent Katya to deal with that side of things. The most he would offer was to use his wealth and contacts to provide Matt with whatever he needed, including the use of a private aircraft and even, if necessary, access to weapons. But Haller gave no indication that he had talked to Mills directly earlier that day and understandably enough it didn't occur to Matt to ask.

When Matt queried the businessman about what he most wanted to know -- what was Haller planning and where did he and Geoff Mills fit into it -- Haller became defensive and swiftly terminated the call. Left staring at the now silent phone, Matt sighed wearily at this evasion. He had expected it, but it was still frustrated and angered him. He told himself, not for the first time, that someday he needed to go to Haller's office in Hamburg and refuse to leave until he got some answers.

That evening Matt and Georgia were too worried to do anything other than retire to the bedroom Mike and Jessica Roberts had allocated them and try and get some sleep. Delilah, in contrast, disappeared to participate in the epic orgy she had been promised by members of Mike's harem. In her own way she was just as concerned as they were, but people have different coping mechanisms and for Delilah sex was a form of stress relief as well as pleasure.

Delilah was joined by Caitlin, Sakura, Becky and Maria. Sunita, still in the early stages of pregnancy, said she didn't feel up to such things and instead volunteered to keep an eye on baby Leo, which was not an onerous task, since he had settled down nicely. This left Jessica with Mike to herself, which suited her, as she wanted to talk to her husband about something she and Georgia had discussed earlier, while they were putting Leo down for his nap in the afternoon.

Jess was happy to share Mike with her harem sisters, in fact she wouldn't have wanted to be without any of them, but it was still pleasant to have her husband to herself occasionally and she intended to make the most of it. Besides, she knew he would automatically object to what she intended to suggest, meaning it would be sensible to put him in a good mood and she knew exactly how to do that.

So, at a little after eleven in the evening, they were in bed together. Mike had put boxers and a t-shirt on and was clearly intending to go to sleep. Jess, in contrast, had climbed between the sheets naked. She slid over to her husband's side of the bed where he lying on his back and cuddled her body up against his. She let her right hand rest lightly on Mike's groin, in close proximity to his currently flaccid cock. She knew that, even without touching him yet, it would have an effect.

"Mike," she began, "I had a chat with Georgia today and she would like your help with something. Not to do with the Mills business, but something after it is all sorted out."

"Really? What does she want?" said Mike half-heartedly. He was not that interested in helping Matthew Mitchell, and anyway he was tired and wanted to sleep. Or at least he had when he got into bed. The warmth of his wife's body pressing against him and her hand lingering on his groin were starting to give him other thoughts.

"Georgia thinks that Matt's not really happy. He had this goal of getting himself a harem and now he has, he's not sure whether he had the right and it's worrying him. Georgia wants him to be happy and content, like the girls are. They love him and each other and they are scared he could spoil things. She's seen how well our harem works and she would like us to work with them to achieve the same -- sort of tutor them, if you like."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Mike asked, both confused and also reluctant to have more to do with this than necessary. Although he had found Matthew Mitchell much more personable than he had expected, the fact remained that he didn't approve of what Mitchell had done.

Jessica didn't answer his question; instead she slid her hand inside his boxer shorts and began to caress his cock. It had already stiffened a little from her proximity and now grew harder still. "You fancy Georgia don't you?" Jess said. Mike made no reply. "Oh, you don't fool me Mike Roberts, you might love all of us girls, but you've always had a thing about blondes; look at me ... and Becky."

Mike still said nothing, but his wife pressed on with her thought. "I bet you'd love to fuck her, wouldn't you. She's so pretty and only 22 you know; can you imagine that fit lithe body riding up and down on your cock, milking your balls of their spunk with her hot, wet, tight young cunt. And Matt's got two other blondes, you know, Ilse and Millie. And the rest of his girls are all so hot too; Georgia showed me pictures on her phone. Maybe you could fuck them all." As Jessica talked she continued to stoke Mike's cock. It had grown harder in her hand as she spoke.

"Just imagine, Mike, you're fucking Georgia from behind. She's on all fours as you pound her cunt with your hard length; she's moaning with pleasure -- or at least she is until I press her face down onto my pussy so she can caress my clitoris with her tongue!" She hoped Mike was imagining fucking Georgia, but whatever the effect this fantasy was having on her husband, it was beginning to turn Jessica on too; her pussy was wet and she was rubbing it against Mike's leg with need.

Mike suddenly threw aside the bedcovers, sat up and peeled off his t-shirt. "For god's sake woman, whatever you're on about, the one who's getting fucked here is you!" Jessica responded by dragging his boxers off; Mike's cock sprang out hard and erect. She leant forward and took it in her mouth, but, delightful as this was, neither of them needed much in the way of foreplay. The desire for sex -- for fucking -- was urgent for them both.

Mike gently pushed Jess onto her back and then climbed over her. He guided his cock to her cunt and pushed forward. She was wet and more than ready; a few thrusts and she had taken him to the balls. "Pretend I'm Georgia, Mike," Jessica gasped, "Shut your eyes and imagine you're taking her for the first time, pushing your cock into her tight, wet cunt. Fuck her. Fuck Georgia ..."

Whether Mike was taking any notice of his wife's instructions she would never know; perhaps in fact he was not sure himself. But, whatever the reason, Jessica found her husband was shafting her pussy hard and fast and soon all her plans and ideas were swept away in the heat of the moment. She clasped her arms around his body and tried to draw him even deeper inside her.

Mike was slamming his cock into his wife's cunt; it was hard and fast fucking, but there was love there too. He knew that it was what Jess needed at that moment, so he was giving it to her. But theirs was not an exclusive or selfish love; they already shared it happily with seven other women. Now Jess seemed to be suggesting they extend that further.