The Ponytail Express

Ponytail Express

Chapter 7: Having the Floor

Fred planned to spend another night in Deb's room, but he needed to go by his own first to pick up some things. Stratford Hall was a male only dorm and as he came onto his floor, the resident assistant was sitting in the lounge area. Upon seeing Fred, he stood, calling him over like a cop on valium. Fred forgot the guy's name; they had spoken little.

"Fred Markinson?"

Fred strolled over, trying to look intrigued. "That's me."

"Andy Ditmer." He offered a hand. Fred shook it, giving it a good grip. Andy's handshake had the consistency of soggy oatmeal.

"Hello, Andy." Fred waited.

"There's a man in your room. I think he's in law enforcement. Can you tell me anything about that?"

Fred's mind raced. He looked up and to the left as casually as possible. He shook his head to show he had no clue.

"I reported a traffic accident earlier today. Maybe that's it." Fred remained calm despite wondering who the fuck was in his room. It couldn't be law enforcement.

"Fred, I want you to know you can talk to me if you're having trouble. Think of me as a big brother." Andy's words rang hollow; still, Fred nodded, trying to look agreeable.

"Thanks Andy. I guess I'll have to see if that's what this is all about. Wish me luck." He grinned.

Andy gave him a smile that was all smarm. "Good luck!"

Fred walked to his room, then turned around to look at Andy, who was getting ready to leave to go do whatever he was going to do. Fred already couldn't remember his name.

"Say, Andy?" The RA turned to acknowledge Fred.

"Did he flash you any identification?"

Andy gave it a thought. "I'm pretty sure he did." He didn't look too sure about that.

Fred waved at him and flashed an empty grin. "Thanks again, Andy." Without stopping to wait for a reply, he went into his room. Before he did, he set his cellphone to record, then put it in his front pocket.

The man stood at about 5 feet, 10 inches and wore a three-piece suit typical of detectives. Fred smelled gun oil and knew he was carrying. He wore cologne that smelled good, but there was an undertone of old vinyl and the coppery scent of blood. Fred knew this man worked for Mr. Terry. He wondered how long he had been waiting in his room. He must have heard them talking outside. Fred played dumb like a fox. That wasn't too hard; until Sunday, he had been doing that for most of his life.

"Are you Frederick Markinson?" The man spoke with an air of authority.

"That's me, sir." Fred tried his best not to meet his gaze. He figured it would make himself look intimidated. Again, not too tough. He wanted to stall for time to see if his vaunted ScSc could influence this guy.

"My name is Detective Rogers. I'm working on the case and hoped you could answer some questions."

"Sure thing, sir." Fred walked over to him, showing he wanted to put his backpack on the desk. He was trying to invade the detective's space as much as possible. "Can I offer you a bottle of water?"

He waved it off. The man was shorter than Fred, but more powerfully built. He had small gray eyes with bushy eyebrows, and a crewcut. From what he could smell, Fred deduced the guy shaved less than an hour ago. So not cologne, but shaving cream.

"I'm good, Frederick."

"You can call me Fred." Fred sat on the opposite bed, trying to appear all fidgety.

"All right Fred. First question." Detective Rogers brandished a notepad and pen. Fred hoped he wrote a bunch of notes.

"How long have you known Mia Ryan?"

"Mia Ryan?" Fred asked, looking confused.

The detective took out a photo, setting it on the desk. Fred saw that as a great opportunity to come in closer to the guy. He moved in and craned his neck to look. Sure enough, it was a picture of Mia from a time when she looked happy.

"She looks familiar," Fred spoke, "but if I recall, her name was Grace, not... who did you say?"

"Mia." The man said, his eyes squinted in focus.

"Grace," Fred said. "Met her last night. Nice girl."

"Oh?"

"Yes sir. Met her at the Diamond, out at the casino, tending bar. She okay?" Fred wanted to sound unconcerned.

"She claims you hit her a couple times in the parking lot."

Fred considered the angle this guy was taking. He was trying to put Fred back on his heels, so he admitted something. They knew he was with her last night and they wanted to know what his connection to her was.

"Me? Assault?" Fred chuckled. "Grace would have broken me like a twig, sir."

"Mr. Rogers" sized him up, reconsidering. It was at that point Fred noticed the detective's small eyes unfocused somewhat.

Rogers nodded. "Regardless, we have to follow up." His eyes went glassy.

"Detective Rogers, I want you to tell me your first name."

"Rick... I mean, Ken," He looked unsure, but Fred wanted to play it cool. The guy still had a gun.

"Ken Rogers? Hope nobody gives you too much of a hard time for that name. Does anyone call you the Gambler?"

Ken sort of half-grinned; it was creepy enough to give Fred goosebumps.

"They don't... give me a hard time."

"Ken, you seem tired. You should sit down," Fred motioned at his chair, pulling it out as a polite gesture. Ken nodded agreement and sat.

"Ken, if the gun belt is awkward, take it off. You can give it to me, I'll hold it for you." Fred hoped he hadn't overstepped his bounds. Rick did what he was told. Fred took the offered belt and holster, hanging it off the bed at the other end of the room. Rick watched him do it, hands balled into fists as he yawned.

"I want you to hear my voice."

"I hear your voice."

"I want you to relax. Fall deeper into sleep, listening to the sound of my voice."

Fred instilled obedience and loyalty, got Rick's cell phone information, and transferred a thousand dollars into Fred's PayPal account.

"Rick, why did you pay me a visit?"

"Mr. Terry sent me to see you knew Mia. I planned to intimidate you into admitting everything you know, discern how much of a threat you are, then drive back and report in."

Fred sent Rick's entire contact list to his own cell. Mr. Terry's number was unknown. Fred asked about the prostitution camp and Niamh.

"Niamh is one of Mr. Terry's best earners. He blackmails her by threatening to kill her cousin, Mia. She's been turning tricks for the last couple of years." He was playing them off with each other. Fred was still recording the conversation.

"Rick, you're going to tell me the names of every employee you know, starting from Mr. Terry's inner circle and moving out from there." Time was an obstacle, so after a few minutes of names, Fred stopped him.

"Rick, I want you to give me your own opinion, since we're friends."

"Good friends."

"Are Mia or Niamh in danger of getting hurt?"

"No. I think Mr. Terry keeps them around as part of an agreement he had with Oakes."

"Who's Oakes?"

"Niamh's dad. Went to jail five years ago. Mr Terry took on both Niamh and Mia."

"Oakes Riley is Mia's uncle, Niamh's dad?"

"Yes."

"And by 'take on' you mean took into slavery."

Rick nodded. "Yep."

"Rick, I have another question for you. What would it take for Mr. Terry to meet with me?"

Rick considered this. "Fred, we did a background check on you and you're fucking harmless. Mr. Terry was just doing his due diligence because Mia's feisty and she wants out. He was making sure you would not attempt to rescue her and her cousin. Believe me when I say you do not want to meet Mr. Terry."

Fred believed him. "Rick, you make a good argument. I don't want to meet with him. But after you tell me how many cops you have on the payroll; I want you to tell me everything you know about the compound behind the Nugget. I want to know how to go about paying for a woman's services out there."

Rick was helpful. Fred wished he had more time with him, but wanted nothing looking suspicious. Rick would report back to Mr. Terry with the truth. Fred and his friends were starting up a new softball team and someone had seen Mia at the Diamond and remembered her.

Fred brought Rick out of trance after giving more commands.

"Thanks again, Detective Rogers! Have a great day."

"You too, Fred. Thanks for your input, and thanks for the advice about changing my oil."

"Don't mention it."

They shook hands. Rick let himself out. Fred watched him get into his vehicle. He texted him from his cell. Rick was sitting in the driver's seat and had started the car, but it didn't move. Rick stared at the text Fred had sent. It was an activation code that put him into a trance.

Fred: Kcir Dellor

Fred: Rick, can you read this?

Rick: Yes

Fred: Rick, every time you read a text from me, you'll become more loyal, more obedient. I want you to repeat that to me.

Rick: that to me

From the window, Fred grimaced. "Fuckbeans!" He whispered.

Fred: Rick, I want you to repeat every time you receive a text from me, you'll become more loyal, more obedient.

Rick: Every time I receive a text from you, I'll become more loyal, more obedient.

Fred: Good, Rick. After you report to Mr. Terry, I want you to find somewhere where you have privacy, then send a text to me.

Fred brought Rick out of trance after making him delete the text message. He wasn't sure how solid the commands were, but if he could reinforce them, he'd have an excellent friend at the casino. That alone was worth its weight in gold. Fred knew that if they managed to Free Mia and Niamh, Mr. Terry would come after them. He envisioned scenarios based on a successful mission tomorrow night; none of them ended well.

Later, in Deb's room

Thalina's face appeared on Deb's laptop; it looked like she hadn't moved from her spot in the library's basement. Fred thought that maybe sending her a command to take better care of herself might be a good idea. Deb sat at her desk wearing a pair of running shorts that showed a lot of leg, and a black sports bra that showed off a good portion of her sexy, under-boob chest tattoo.

"What did you find out, Thalina?" Deb asked.

"Some useful stuff. There are a lot of names here. A few cops on the payroll. It would be my pleasure to arrange a 911 to raid that place. You guys could stand by to use the confusion to get both girls out."

Deb looked at Fred. "We could go out there as a couple looking for a third. Could Rick arrange that? We could be onsite when the call comes. Quick in, quick out."

Thalina smiled. "Damn Deb, you are hardcore! If you and Fred find yourselves in a three-way, record it! I can sell digital bootlegs and make a little cheddar!" She had an infectious laugh.

"There's another option," Fred offered. He came over, meaning to crouch beside Deb to get into the camera. Deb rose off the chair instead.

"I can just sit on your lap, babe," Deb offered. Fred took the chair and Deb settled into his lap, sideways but still in view of the camera. Fred wondered how long this arrangement was going to work until he ended up inside her. His lover cleared her throat and Fred forgot he had the floor. Thalina looked amused.

"The 911 call will not work for a couple of different reasons. First, in order to operate, Mr. Terry has an arrangement with law enforcement. Any calls going to local cops will get routed to Sheriff Vincent Mackey."

"Second, let's say we succeed. He's going to go after Mia and Niamh, and when he does, he's going to find us. If we want to do this right, we need to go scorched earth with Mr. Terry. We know where his office is. We can use Rick to help us triangulate where he'll be. If I get enough recruits on my end, we can kidnap the guy."

"Holy shit, Deb, where did you find this guy? He's as hardcore as you!" Thalina praised. "I can see why you're with him. It's the quiet ones you need to watch out for. I don't see how you'll be able to recruit Mr. Terry's people away from him. Do you have something up your sleeve?"

"Oh, he's got something all right," Deb teased, wiggling her hips into Fred's groin. "I think kidnapping him is a bad idea. There's a ton of what-ifs and he's likely to be heavily guarded. Then we'd have to walk him out of a crowded casino. Lots of things could go wrong, Fred."

Thalina countered, "Fred's still right about one thing. Mr. Terry will come for you guys."

Fred thought about it. "He's going to want to get Niamh back as soon as possible. We could lure him to a place where he'll feel at ease. I think I know the place, too."

"Police station?" Deb wondered. Fred nodded.

Thalina had questions. "At the police station you won't control the situation."

"I have contacts at the police station," Fred explained, much to the interest of the two women.

"You do?" Deb questioned.

"My dad was a cop before he died; not here, but upstate. I might finagle an interrogation room for a bit. Maybe spend the morning at the CFPD, have Rick pick me up and head to the Casino. Maybe I can get close to the staff, make some friends. One operative is a woman named Minka. If I can get close, I could snag her."

"I don't think they're going to be too friendly towards you, Fred," Thalina spoke.

"You're right," Fred agreed. "Still, I want to give it a shot."

"Fred," Thalina began with a hint of suspicion in her voice, "I feel like there's something you're not telling me."

Deb looked at her, grinning. "Thalina, did I ever tell you about that Magnolia Saola?" Her activation code used, Lina's face went slack as she went into a trance. Given the cute hacker's importance, she needed to know about Fred's abilities, but she would be held to secrecy. Deb reinforced Thalina's loyalty and trust, adding a command for her to exercise more.

"Thalina."

"Trust sexy Deb." The blond's eyebrow arched. She hadn't programmed that.

"Tell me how you feel about Onivpa Dasna."

Thalina smiled. "I want her to use me like tissue paper. I want her to leash me up and ride me hard."

Deb blushed, turned on by the implications of what Lina revealed.

"I knew it," Deb muttered. A few minutes later, the cute hacker was brought out.

The mocha hued woman with the infectious laugh got back on track.

"So, Fred goes out alone ahead of the time, tries to turn as many enemies into friends as he can? Where do you fit in, Deb?"

"Oni and I are the cavalry. We can take her car out," Deb explained.

Fred added, "I'll go in alone, get Niamh, head out the back way to hook up with Deb and Oni. You two cover my ass if I get into trouble. Then we head straight for the CFPD. We send Benji out to the Casino in case we need reinforcements and to pick up Mia. I have a hunch we'll need her at the station." To Deb, the idea tasted like hot dogs in applesauce.

"You're going to be alone for a long time, Freddy. I don't like it."

Lina shared in her friend's concern. "That's a long time to lone wolf it out there, tough guy."

Fred shrugged. "Hey, the last thing I want to do is get in trouble, and I won't be alone. I'll have Rick, and if I'm lucky, this Minka woman."

"It's a start. Need to iron out details," Thalina added.

Deb still wasn't sold. "Especially since we're going in tomorrow night."

While Thalina made small talk with his girlfriend, Fred slid one of his hands to Deb's back thigh, giving it a pinch and a gentle squeeze, sliding up to that magnificent ass. To that, he gave a loving caress. Deb ran her fingers through Fred's hair but gave it a tug when she felt her rump being fondled. Still, the gorgeous blond wiggled her ass into his crotch.

"Thalina, do you own swimwear?" Deb asked. Fred was having fun, moving his hand up to the inside of her thigh, resting on the outside of her thin running shorts. Deb's free hand moved to intercept Fred's hand, holding it. She shot him an admonishing look, but with a playful edge.

"I don't look good in them, but I've got a few." Thalina admitted.

"I call bullshit; you look great. Come to the Ponytail Express pool party's first meeting!" Fred loved the feel of Deb's ass, but decided it would be even more fun to loosen her shorts so he could take things further. He reached around, pulling the drawstring on those little running shorts. Deb let things proceed, but she gave his hand a squeeze in warning. He was hell-bent to see this through. He could tell from Thalina's shy smile that she saw it.

"Yeah, you should come!" Fred agreed.

"Lina, you need to get out of that basement so you can face-time with the 'normals' again." Deb opined.

"You had me at 'come', guys. Is Onvipa going to be there?" Thalina queried, hopeful. Fred matriculated under Deb's shorts to massage and pinch her bare ass. She in took a little air before answering her friend's question.

"Onvipa will be there," Deb stated. She was having a great time letting Freddy feel her up. Was he trying to get Lina to see her? Part of Deb wanted to dial the zoom call up a notch, so her geeky friend knew what was going on. It would blow her mind.

Fred decided squeezing her derriere would be the furthest he'd take things for tonight. When he inducted Thalina into his harem, calls like this would be more interesting.

"Cool. I assume you're coming, Fred?" Did the cute hacker just stress the word "coming"? He had a feeling she knew what he was doing to Deb. He had a feeling she was intrigued.

"Affirmative, Thalina. You look cute with braces, I might add. And your nail polish is exceptional." Fred could tell those fingers were dexterous with the way she was working her undercarriage. Even though she had a year on Deb, she looked younger; more innocent.

"Glad someone noticed," Thalina spoke, giving that shy smile.

"Well, time for us to get studying." Deb declared.

"What are you studying? Advanced anatomy, maybe? A treatise on both men's and women's reproductive organs?" Thalina tittered. Deb shook her head.

Fred would not push unless he received the go-ahead. If he took things too far, he might end up alienating somebody. He caressed Deb's hand, giving Lina a playful wink. Out came the shy smile; the one that revealed both interest and curiosity.

"Time to go, thanks again Thalina! See you soon!" Deb repositioned herself, shutting the meeting app off and closing her laptop.

"God, you have a nice ass," Fred leered, taking her ass in both hands. Deb settled back into his lap, grinding against his crotch.

"And you are a bad fucking boy, Freddy." Her defined arms were on the desk for support, her back to Fred. Her ass swayed and circled in his lap. Fred had heard of lap dances and could now see the draw. Fred moved to undo his jeans, but she trapped his hand with her ass.

"You don't do that until I say so." That was an order. It wasn't anger, it was playfulness. It was payback time for Fred. Deb didn't have to be great at lap dancing; her body spoke volumes. Fred was getting worked up.

"Terminal." He spoke as she gyrated. Her chuckle was low and sexy.

"You don't get off that easy. Take my shorts off, you bad boy."

Deb's ass rose off his crotch. Fred complied, peeling off her shorts, kissing the areas that were revealed. The toned ass, those bikini line thighs in high definition. Her legulence was in full effect. Calves you just wanted to sink your teeth into. And of course, the vee of those marvelous thighs, home of her trimmed blond bush.

"I want your mouth on my pussy," she commanded.

Deb stood on her tiptoes, legs apart; one arm used for support since Fred settled in a crouch underneath her. He began ladling out her juices with his tongue while both fingering her and massaging her firm, swiveling ass. Deb's other arm gripped Fred by the back of the head, urging him further inside her, grinding into him, crying "yes" over and over in a higher and higher pitch.

"YesTeRminaL!" Deborah babbled, wanting to ramp up her pleasure by being able to smell her boyfriend, who made the immediate connection, pulling his chin away from her soaked honeypot.