Dalton Avery's appearance at one of his own hotels wasn't a rare occurrence, but it was rare for him to come in the main entrance, capturing the attention of all the staff on-sight. Not making a show of it like his daughters, he strode through in a navy blue business suit, an assistant on-hand on her phone conducting his business, and nods and smiles to extend to his employees. The women on the staff especially appreciated a glance and smile from his direction, with him being a former playboy that aged extremely well, with salt and pepper hair, a baseball player's physique, and handsome features that netted him his own small harem on occasion. The manager walked through the lobby to meet him and keep up with Dalton's pace as they went over his itinerary.
"Is everything prepared for the emergency meeting?" He asked calmly.
"Everything you requested is already set and ready," the manager happily relayed.
"And my suite?"
"That's also ready for you," or ready in a sense that some contractors finished their work for something special to happen after the meeting.
"Excellent work," Dalton complimented, something he rarely gave the hotel manager. Few knew that despite the laissez-faire front he could put up, he could also have his Howard Hughes moments of paranoia that made him a difficult employer, whether the source of it be annoyingly-public messes caused by Danielle and Deidre, or another hotel chain looking to dethrone the Avery name and standing. The manager didn't dare question his high spirits, but rather soaked them up while he was still there.
"Oh, and before I forget, there's going to be having a few...internal inspectors roaming the hotel," he absently recalled. "Be sure not to interfere with their duties."
"Of course," the manager agreed, a slight tinge of fear hidden behind professional poise as he didn't know what the hell an "internal inspector" was supposed to be. If this was the catch to catching his boss at a good time though, he'd take it. Peeling off from Dalton's walking path, the manager allowed his assistant to step up and hand his cellphone, the ringing in his ear lasting only for a few seconds before someone picked up.
***
"Hello Dad," Deidre almost answered her cell in her trademark tone of contempt when it came to speaking with her family, though she always employed a lighter touch when it came to her father. There was more of a ghost of it in her tone, spoken from a light-headed disposition. "Is it time already for the parolee check-up?" she half-joked, fighting the urge to yawn reactively.
"Hello to you too, Deidre. It is quite convenient that the 'parolee checks' as you call them should coincide with board meetings I would like you to attend yet again, like the one I'd like you to attend today. Would that be a possibility for once?"
There was an audible pause, followed by a long sigh on Deidre's end, telling her father she was already in the middle of a meeting she considered important herself. Dalton assumed she was at a spa, maybe even one in the hotel; she arguably was, sitting on a plush couch, vacantly staring at nothing, eyes occasionally rolling back as Dazzling's fingers stroked the back of her neck playfully, giving her pleasurable incentive to respond as commanded. Soon Deidre would be more than happy to behave however the hypnotist wanted independently, but after all it took to bring her down, and with another subject soon to be on her hook, she kept her influence hands-on.
"I think that's possible," Deidre spoke, stretching luxuriously to aid in the ruse while her Mistress smiled. "I think so too, for you Deidre," she quietly cooed in Dalton's daughter's free ear. It was tough to keep the sounds she wanted to make from a full-body shiver to herself, but she obeyed, which caused more tremors she had to suppress.
"When it is?" Deidre inquired.
"In about an hour," Dalton informed her, his own tone lightening at the sound of his youngest accepting an invitation to participate in the family business for once. "If your sister happens to come as well, I assume that won't be an issue, will it?"
"If I can play good daughter for an hour, I suppose I can play good sister while I'm at it," Deidre's honest feelings bled through the trance assertively, just before a shimmering amethyst pendant appeared from above, asserting to her with gleaming facets she followed as it lowered to eye level, twisting to show the facets as slowly as it rose back to eye level, stealing away all the emotional assertion Deidre just levied into the phone.
"I'm very happy to hear that for once, Deidre."
"I do like to make you happy on occasion," her tone lightened again, hanging on the edge of bliss.
"Then I'll see you in an hour at the central hotel."
"I'll be there. See you soon, Dad."
As she ended the call, Deidre let her neck muscles finally loosen as her head craned back to rest in the cushions and get a better view of the amethyst. A playful giggle preceded her neck being brought back to the upright position.
"Good girl, Deidre, but you don't get to sleep just yet." Eyes fixed on the amethyst, it barely registered to her how her own hand was being risen to grip the jewel's chain, until she found felt the strength to move it in her own hands, and bring it closer to her face, just above eye level as she wanted.
"Yes, just like that. Find every colorful flash of light like a soft command I give, or a sensual touch that rewards your obedience, because obedience feels so damn good, doesn't it?"
"Oh yes, Mistress."
"Excellent, than it will feel perpetually good to say this phrase, over and over until it rings in your head, and guides you for the rest of your day, or days if you're lucky..." Dazzling added wickedly before important words became echoed and totally absorbed.
"A Dazzling Lady has me swayed,
A Dazzling Lady must be obeyed."
"A Dazzling Lady has me swayed,
A Dazzling Lady must be obeyed."
"A Dazzling Lady has me swayed,
A Dazzling Lady must be obeyed."
The remaining slaves except for Gerald were set next to or near Deidre, hearing the mantra that became the only thought they needed, encouraged to join in and start a soft chorus permeating the office. Even Ursula felt a little bit of it while focusing on the next part of Dazzling's plan.
"So is the next step to wait for daddy dearest while dreary daughter is priming herself for specific suggestions?" Ursula asked.
"Were it not for the little elevator kerfuffle, yes. But now I'm thinking a few more steps are necessary," Dazzling responded in a considerate tone.
"'Kerfuffle?' I call that ingenious how you trapped her there and got her back like you did."
"Fun as that was, having elevator control from an office rather than basement maintenance or some other mechanical place has me a bit curious. Something like that smacks of paranoia at best to me, and I doubt that's as far as someone so concerned would've gone. If someone's willing to go that far, what other measures have been installed to try to stop intruders, or threaten workers?"
"How can we be intruders if we're invited in?" Ursula nearly trilled in her accented voice, catching Gerald's attention with a lone finger dancing before his eyes.
"Also true, but I think now is a good time to get a much more informed lay of the land, while we still can."
"That is a good point," Ursula admitted.
"Of course it is, dear apprentice," Dazzling claimed haughtily before laughing. "And since you agree, what do you think the next step should be?"
Ursula's finger never stopped leading the hapless Gerald in every direction it wanted, but it confused him deeply as several other fingers joined in to create a dizzying pattern, paving the way for suggestions to easily slip in.
"It's so easy to follow now, Gerald. The easiest thing in the world to do. The only thing in the world to do. It doesn't matter how many fingers you follow; you just follow. It doesn't matter how many words you hear to obey; you just obey. And as my fingers bring you down deeper..." fluttering fingers floated downwards, drawing his eyelids down, until the rose abruptly to snap in his face, drawing eyes up and his eyelids shut.
"...my words bring you even deeper down," she smiled at his ear. "As you tell me where the main security room is in this hotel..."
***
A suited man named Breslin walked along the hotel corridors, trying to look like a man casually searching for the right room instead of like the secret service. The ruse made little sense to him; there were more effective ways to blend in or hide necessary equipment like earpieces, but the client wanted things done a certain way, and unfortunately his employers acceded to almost every demand. He would've considered breaking those rules if he wasn't assured of the threat they were monitoring, whoever they were supposed to be, weren't classified as non-lethal; that aspect piqued everyone's curiosity. And the rumor going around that what they were really after was some 'crafty hypnotists,' was of course laughably-absurd. Breslin was sure that had his employer known that was their target, easy money or no, they wouldn't have taken the job.
He laughed to himself about it for what seemed like circling the corridor for the hundredth time. Before he could text to their central security that nothing was going on yet again, he nearly ran into a panicked-looking member of the concierge, almost running around the corner.
"H-hey, sorry. Are you one of those..." she said breathlessly.
Breslin took a deep, annoyed breath, almost ready to pull his taser out and shoot a staff member by accident; oddly enough, they were allowed to have taser guns on this job instead of real firearms. The woman's name tag read "Sharon," and he waited for Sharon to catch her breath and say what had trouble leaving her mouth.
"Y-you gotta see this. Somebody....somebody's doing something...like uncontrollable...."
She ran back in the direction she came from, and Breslin followed to a room that had been closed in his last few rotations. Sharon and Breslin entered it, and Sharon revealed a woman sitting next to the bed on the floor, stripped down to panties and stockings, bra laying nearby as she stroked her breasts in one hand and pushed the material of her panties aside to stroke her folds. Her head was lolled against the bed, moaning something over and over.
