"The problem with change is that it takes time.” A strong masculine voice said as its owner moved slowly around the table of 11 other well dressed executives.

“Strategizing how to get people to accept change has been a necessary objective for each of our departments whether they be consumer, private or military. Each application sector dumps considerable resources to ‘consumer satisfaction and representation. Billions are spent each year to ensure that we never get the cart in front of the horse.”

“Your point, Mr. Roche?” Came an irritated voice of the advanced military applications director.

“My point is this.” He leaned on the table near his own empty chair. “What if we no longer had to fear people accepting or rejecting our products?” Several around the table straightened. “That’s right.” Roche said. “What if we could build whatever we wanted knowing in advance that people would be tearing down our doors to get at our products?”

“You’re talking about creating an artificial need?” Another executive asked.

“Not exactly.” Roche stated. “I believe I have a project on the verge of being ready that will ensure the eternal well being of each of our departments. Yes. Never have to worry about another ‘bottom line’ ever again.

“Are you talking about Project Furion?” An older woman who ran the space application sector spoke up.

“Actually, I’ve had an advanced prototype in a separate project which I expected to keep as a pet project until quite recently actually. And I think you’re all going to find it quite … rewarding. Project Angel is going to make us all very powerful people.”

The meeting went on for another hour afterwards while the other departments revealed their latest discoveries and by the end Roche’s claims sounded rather redundant. He was asked to deliver an Initiation Prospect to the team on the next meeting so the resources, application and liabilities of his ‘pet project’ could be analyzed and voted upon.

It infuriated him but in another way he couldn’t blame the other execs. Firstly, it was standard procedure and secondly … he wasn’t telling them everything anyways.

Roche was a tall well built man in his mid forties. His black hair swept back over his head. He had a chiseled jaw and strong masculine features and despite his ‘man behind the curtains’ façade, he could be quite intimidating. He sat with his hands in his lap tapping his fingers against each other and waiting for the meeting to end.

The final announcements and discussions revolved around the gang warfare taking place around New York. It was voted upon increase the hostile gang warfare even further for a time. Roche sat entirely disinterested and participated only where he needed to.

A car was parked outside waiting for each of the executives except for military applications. She always traveled by helicopter. Without a word to anyone Roche slipped into the back seat of his awaiting car. His middle aged secretary sat in the opposite seat of the black limo facing him.

“Well?” she asked leaning forward with curiosity.

“Sidelined.” He shirked chin on fist and facing the window.

“You were prepared for that.” She reminded him calmly.

“Yes.” He confirmed lost in thought. Then he cocked his head to the side. “Tammy? It’s time for some real world field tests.”

“Do you … think she’s ready for that?” Tammy asked.

“Yes.” He replied shortly. “We need to push her just a bit more and see if we can get her to stick somehow.”

“Of course, Mister Roche.” Tammy replied. She suddenly began to perspire beneath her blouse. Project Angel was like playing with fire. Only the fire had become molten lava and you were wearing rubber gloves.

Roche pressed a button and the visor separating the driver from the passenger cab rolled down slightly. “Antonio – take us to Club Wind.”

“Yes sir.” The Spanish man replied. “’tis my favorite one.” He said as the opaque shield sealed him off from the back again.

“It’s time to pick up some furniture.” Roche said distantly. Then he turned back to Tammy, “Have Angel meet us at the club.”

“She’s not even 21 though.” Tammy bit her lip when Roche replied simply with an irritated glance. She quickly retrieved her cell phone. Angel didn’t need to be 21 to get in, and she knew that. Tammy really wanted to be elsewhere. She didn’t want to be around angel so she set about thinking of a way she might be able to get out of going to the club.

Roche’s limo drove towards downtown New York leaving the site referred to as m38 – a private location for the executives. Roche served as the director for a special segment of a very special company. The company could be called a company or many – it was hard to say because the only connection between the various departments was the director. The entire network was called RavenTech and its twelve employees were the twelve executives that just left.

RavenTech was unofficial dubbed a ‘Spider Company’ and since every single aspect of the company was private it was possibly the largest financially sound private company in the world.

No shareholders, no stocks and no formal connection to any government in any way gave RavenTech a kind of freedom that could not be ignored or lost. The company survived an early 21^st century depression by annexing technology corporations in this web like fashion. Each company existed on its own resources but the assets of each division could be shared, borrowed, or simply given as a favor.

A great deal of major corporations disappeared in the rather frightful depression. But the United States overcame it, naturally. And so did most of the rest of the world’s countries. Companies like RavenTech were a bit of an anomaly however because they didn’t just survive; they thrived. And no one even knew the driving force behind why.

A year ago, the Space Division was about to fold but was saved due to a grant from the Military Applications Division. Seven months later, a massive contract with the Japanese Aerospace Transportation Program allayed the financial stress of the RavenTech Space Division and would do so for many years to come. The financial assets could then be returned or exchanged for applicable technology. Thus the whole company evolved with each division offering something entirely unique to the company.

All of the divisions of RavenTech operated on a global scale selling products to governments, consumers and ‘other groups’. RavenTech consisted of a division for Military, Space, Biotechnology, Hardware, Software, Chemical Research, Cosmetics, Media, Energy and a few other smaller zones.

But Roche’s department was different. His work revolved around the only field that was completely intangible. Its applications were totally experimental. He led psychometrics and cerebral research. His experiments were often treated as the executives had treated them tonight. They were used to hard numbers that never lied and easily measureable goals that could prove whether a project was viable or not and that’s what they wanted from him. But curing mental illnesses, restructuring psyches, and making the human mind into a weapon wasn’t a field that had measurable goals. It worked or it didn’t. And nothing worked unless it was tried and experiments aren’t free.

The mind was a black box in so many ways often restricted by society’s expectations and standards and from what Roche knew, this wasn’t a bad thing because it allowed him to have a playground with very little consequences. It was a challenge and he loved challenges. Besides, if an experiment failed – the subject was already mentally unstable. Back to an asylum and no one asked anything of it.

Project Angel was something he’d been working on for over a decade. It was indeed his ‘pet’ – but really more like his ‘baby’. His entire world had eventually come to revolve around this research. Sure, he helped cure conditions like restoring autistic patients to society. These didn’t have anything directly to do with Project Angel but through those projects he learned. He was always learning and so were his doctors. Every little bit helped and now his little Angel was so close to ready it was driving him crazy not to put his plans into action. But he had to wait. Premature deployment would only result in failure and this was one operation that couldn’t fail. It dared not fail. And that meant finding a way to make it ‘stick’.

Project Angel did indeed work, but it didn’t ‘stick’ yet. He had to figure out why and where the power to finish it would come. This little Angel of his was a long time in the making and by far his most promising prospect for the project. In fact, he’d never seen a psyche profile like hers before she was totally unique … as if born for this very project. Through Angel, Roche would change the face of the world, forever.

Mr. Roche stepped out of the limo in front of Club Wind and the driver also stepped out. “May I join you tonight, sir? I just got a text from my girl and she’s planning on coming here tonight.”

“You come here often?” Roche turned and asked curiously.

“Only since I met her, sir. They’d never let me into a place like this without the kind of cash she has.”

“Come then, Antonio.” Roche ordered rather curious. “Have one of the Watchers handle the limo.”

“Yes sir. Thank you sir.” Antonio said closing the driver side door and then fixing his collar and hair in the reflective side windows.

“Will you be needing me this evening, Mr. Roche?” Tammy asked a bit unnerved at the thought of Angel showing up at any moment. She looked around nervously to see if the Watchers were here already.

“You don’t wish to see a real world demonstration, Tammy?”

“I’d rather not sir. That girl scares me.”

Roche laughed. “Yes – well she’s going to scare a lot of people in the days to come.” Roche began to feel loose again. He had been so nervous about the meeting today and it had gone as he expected, he had just hoped for some shared resources to push Angel over the edge. He had been struggling with the final aspect of her development and so far had been met with only the most limited successes.

“I’d really like you to stay, Tammy.” He said in a way that was clearly not a request.

“Very well, sir.” She said quietly.

Roche was not an angry or violent person by nature. He couldn’t be. With the work he had to do and the abstract problems he dealt with on a regular basis, he required a cool level headed problem solving mind. But when he knew things, when he wanted things, he could be fearsome.

It felt like behind those mysterious brown eyes there prowled a caged tiger. Tammy could almost see it pacing in his soul back and forth ready to snap the bars of its cage and shred anything it desired. Roche never raised his voice, he never screamed or called anyone names. He was not the type of person who would speak ill of others behind their back, but there was still a sense of imbalance to him in a way that Tammy could never pin point. Obsession is what it was.

She decided that he had grown more and more intense in this manner over the last few months. It really started when Angel had her first successful test and ever since then, Roche had been utterly consumed with his secret project.

Tammy had seen Angel before – many times actually, but she never remembered leaving Angel’s presence without the chills.

“Here we are.” Roche said as a black SUV pulled up to the curb. Four large men stepped out. Even Roche seemed dwarfed next to them. They were Watchers. Their job was to keep Angel safe, secret and out of trouble. It took a very special kind of mind to watch Angel and only a few people were blessed or rather cursed with such a mind. Fewer had the bodies that Roche required to do this special work.

Roche came to the side door and waited for one of the Watchers to open it. He leaned forward and smiled. “Are you ready to play, Angel?” he asked leaning forward.

A gaunt leg planted slowly emerged and found its way to the ground. A Watcher reached in to steady the emerging figure. “Play?” Came her voice as she was steadied out of the SUV.

“That’s right, Angel. It’s time to play.”

Angel was a delicate figure. She stood all of 5 foot 5 at the age of 17 years old. She had the smallest body frame imaginable. Her sickly arms and legs looked as if they could barely support her body. Her wiry shoulder length hair was the color of rice with no shine to it whatsoever. But her most stunning and fearsome feature was her eyes. There was either no pupil, or the entire eyeball was a pupil for she stared forward with black bulbs in her head and she blinked far too rarely which only made her feel even more ghastly.

Roche liked her in white; she was his little Angel so she wore a knee length halter top dress with white and silver matched with long white gloves and white boots. She had no earrings but a necklace and a series of silver bracelets on each gloved wrist.

Tammy supposed that if Angel closed her eyes, she would look almost … nice. But her eyes, eyes she never closed were awful to behold. Tammy shivered.

“I’d like to play, master.” Angel said at last. “I don’t like the Watchers. They don’t play.”

“No they don’t.” Roche said delicately cupping her cheek in his hand. “But if you play too much, you’ll get tired and then you won’t be able to play anymore, right?” He said as if speaking to a six year old.

“Yes, Master.” She confirmed. “I don’t want to get tired because then I can’t play.”

The Watchers stood by emotionless like the good sentinels they were. They were big, strong and not so very bright but they did their job and they obeyed their boss.

“Watch the limo; we’ll be ready in an hour or two.” Roche ordered as he led Angel towards the entrance of Club Wind. Tammy and Antonio followed and the Watchers went about their business to move the vehicles and standby.

As Roche approached the entrance two tall burly men approached him.

“She’s with me, boys.” He said knowing their thoughts.

“I’m sorry sir but I need to see some –“ the man froze and nearly wet himself upon seeing Angel’s face. Especially her eyes. She looked like a skeleton with flesh and even a 220 pound door attendant inwardly shrunk at the site of her.

“ID. - Mr. Roche.” The other finished transfixed on Angel. The girl stood holding Roche’s arm and said nothing. She stared only blankly ahead as if waiting for something.

“I said she’s with me.” Roche said as he leaned forward to impress his point.

The two door attendants looked at each other and decided to let this one pass. It was Mr. Roche after all and if anyone asked, he didn’t come here all that often.

“See that she doesn’t drink anything, sir.” They asked politely happy to be out of the girl’s presence.

“Holy Shit! Did you see that thing?” the first said as Roche disappeared inside.

“I’m blaming you if we get busted for it.”

“I don’t think anyone’s gonna say nothing.” The other replied as a line of guests began to form waiting to be checked for entry and the two door attendants continued staring in the direction the girl in white disappeared in.

Club Wind was mostly a dancing club but occasionally had comedians, magicians and other entertainers perform. Roche liked to watch the dancing. He never danced, but something about observing the sensual and even savage reminded him of his animal nature and put him at peace with it. There was more to being alive than just having a mind, he had to reassure himself. He would never consider himself a lady’s man but he was certainly not disinterested in a woman’s company. And after long or disturbed days, he would go on the prowl. He never kept regular company – he didn’t need it. So he found what he wanted when he wanted it and left it … her … when he didn’t need her anymore. But it was time for a change. He decided. And a challenge.

He liked to watch though and more than anything else … he liked to be in control. Perhaps that’s what he loved about he really loved about Angel. Control. So much potential power at his finger tips and she called him – master. He controlled her and all that came with her.

The dance floor was busy with feet and bodies and the lights in the room were low and intimate. The air had a hypnotizing aroma to it fused with smoke and the blue and orange lights. With the addition of the vibrant music, the atmosphere of Club Wind was a truly intoxicating experience – well conceived and well executed. Just like Roche preferred.

Roche lead his company to an open table in the corner. He preferred tables like these which allowed him to watch from the shadows soaking in the sites without being conspicuous. Tonight however would involve more than watching. He sat down and waited. Even after drinks were served he remained still and quietly. Tammy, not one for dancing either, attempted several times to engage Antonio in conversation. It was a thing she did when she was nervous. But Antonio, apparently the only warm blooded person at the table was too busy oogling over the various female bodies that passed in front of him. So eventually Tammy gave up. She pulled a crossword puzzle out of her purse and set about a nice distraction with a glass of red wine to help take the edge off.

Angel sat still and quiet under Roche’s arm. Her deep black eyes remained fixed ahead. She never spoke. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t conversing.

After roughly thirty minutes of this Antonio finally stood up. “Alana!” He said embracing a ravishing black haired beauty. The same woman he had appeared at the fundraiser with. Antonio, considered himself very lucky to be with Alana. Not only was she was gorgeous but she was rich. It was, after all, not Antonio’s 911 Carrera S Cabriolet that they had arrived at the fundraiser in.

“Hello, Antonio.” Alana said in a sultry voice. “Working tonight I take it?” She said noticing his clothing. He usually wore something looser and more open. She loved being able to feel his body and the hair on his chest. She had a thing for men like Antonio; young, strong, and absolutely hot. He wasn’t wealthy, but he made for excellent company and that was enough for now since she wasn’t exactly poor.

Roche stood up as did Tammy in a professional manner.

“Alana, this is my boss, Mr. Roche and his assistant Tammy Hendricks.” Antonio introduced and then he saw Angel and he froze not knowing what to say. His eyes darted to Mr. Roche pleading for help.”

“This is my niece. We call her Angel.” Roche said as Alana saw the still sitting and motionless girl. Her eyes were covered in shadows so Alana thought little of the figure beyond the fact that it was strange for someone to bring a niece to a night club.

“Okay. Right.” She said. Then turning to Antonio she asked, “Shall we dance?”

“Of course, my darling.” Antonio replied anxious to get away from his rather dull company and of course he didn’t object to the idea of getting close to a body like hers. Alana stole another glance at Roche. There was something about him - some mystique that held a part of her attention captive. She sensed a calculating mind; a strategist of sorts. But what exactly she couldn’t tell.

Roche sat back down and Tammy returned to her crossword puzzle. It was her third so far.

“Soon.” Roche said aloud answering an unvoiced question.

Tammy looked up at him then to Angel and then back to her puzzle. ‘Why did she have to be here?’ Tammy thought. ‘I wonder if we’re going to get caught? What does Roche have planned in such a public place like this? Oh! Nova!’ she thought finding another word! ‘Yeah, Nova would work.’

Roche leaned back and watched Alana dance. She had the body of a model, long black hair and deep brown eyes, full lips and a lovely porcelain skin. But as adorable of a target that she might be, he decided it best not to interfere with the interest of one of his employees. There were other ‘targets’ in the club that he had been eyeing carefully. Studying and learning as much as he could. Then he straightened upon contemplating the challenge he had decided to undertake. Finally, it was time to make his move. 

He turned to Angel who continued staring straight ahead and her only reply was a slow nod. The girl smiled and straightened pleased to be freed from her boredom. Roche smiled. It was time to be in control. This was more than just a field test it would be a testament of the things to come, a small dose to the world that would never be the same again.

He rose from the corner table and headed for a table some ways away. Tammy stopped to watch him. She looked at Angel, then at Roche again. A small smile curved up one side of her mouth, happy not to be the focus of Angel or Roche’s attentions but entirely curious about what was about to happen.

Roche came and stood before a table with two very lovely ladies sitting close to each other giggling and talking. They sat close to the stage and near the front so they could be seen. They got a kick out of gunning down men brave enough to approach them. Roche had seen it happen several times since he’d come in. One wore a strapless red dress, gold hoop earrings, gold chains and long sandy colored hair. The other had shorter blond hair and green eyes and a deep yellow V top plunging down to her waist and a black mini-skirt. Both outfits left little to the imagination and both girls were exactly the sort of furniture Roche was looking for. But the challenge itself was where his real interest lay piqued.

“May I sit down?” He asked politely knowing their response.

“Not interested.” The blond said quickly.

“Yeah, you’re not quite … my type.” The girl in red said. They both burst out laughing.

“Well, you never know.” Roche said pulling out one of the chairs and sitting down as if his invitation had been accepted. The women stared at him awestruck for a moment. “Things can change.” He said staring boldly into the red one’s eyes.

“Look buddy.” The blond started now a bit more than irritated. “Why –“

“You have astonishing skin, Rebecca.” He interrupted her and spoke to the woman in red. “You must love it so very much.”

“I … do.” She said dumbfounded that he knew her name. “I - How“

“And Julia.” He said turning back towards the one in red. “It would be nice to get the two of you out of that tiny little apartment wouldn’t it? Sick of paying rent in a place barely habitable? Bored of sitting at this table, front and center, shooting down every man brave enough to come over here and attempt conversation with you?”

“Who the hell are you?” Julia said leaning on the table attempting to be forceful. How the hell did he know all this? Her eyes were glaring but deep down she was a little freaked out - maybe more than a little.

It was rather shocking to the girls that he was still here sitting at their table. “Join me at my table?” He said gesturing to the darker corner he had just come from. He had to offer. It wouldn’t be proper to move to the next phase of his plans if he didn’t at least offer.

“Why don’t you get the f-“

“Rebecca, you’re going to need to get that looked at.”

“Huh?” She asked again cut-off.

“Your arm, that’s got to be a rare condition … especially for skin like yours, honey.” 

Rebecca looked down at her right arm which suddenly started to burn. “Argh.” She groaned as the sensation began to spread. The color of her arm suddenly reddened and then deep black blisters surfaced above her elbow and started growing towards her shoulder and fingers.

“Such skin too. It would be a shame to waste it, don’t you think?” Both of the girls wanted to scream but neither could find their voice for some reason. The music drowned out any commotion they were making and the continued to stare at the stricken arm bubbling with some unearthly disease.

“My God – what’s happening to me?” Rebecca managed in a voice barely above a whisper as the burning sensation found its way to her diaphragm.

“You two haven’t … y’know … touched each other recently have you?” Roche said. Julia suddenly grasped her hand as if a nail had gone through it. “I believe it’s rather easy to spread.” Roche said leaning back in his chair with a devilish smile on his face.

Then he slid over to the rounded bench the two suffering ladies where sitting on. “Would you like to know what the cure is?” He asked casually. 

Rebecca’s blistering skin was as black as soot and the condition began to spread up her neck and onto her other shoulder. “Yes.” She begged in a faint whisper. “Yes please, please stop it.”

“Then kiss me.” Roche ordered.

Rebecca froze for a moment. The searing had spread to her legs already. Her ears felt like they were going to burst, her throat was stiff and un-responsive and then it began affecting her back, like a thin knife being driven in slowly and twisted. 

Roche simply sat close to her and waited. But Julia had heard him too. She desperately reached across her friend and wrapped her right hand around Roche’s head then pulled him towards her, she placed a kiss on his lips.

“I think you can do a little better than that, Julia.” Roche said before their embrace broke. Julia pulled him close again and opened her mouth to receive Roche’s. She kissed him with a mix of desperation and passion that truly exhilarated Roche. This was even better than he’d imagined it would be. “Better.” He said at last as Julia exhaled a sigh of relief. Her pain subsided but then she turned to see her friend who’s body was almost completely covered now in the mysterious black bubbling condition.

“Kiss him, Rebecca!” Julia planted her hand behind her friend’s head and thrust her towards Roche who welcomed her paralyzed body. As soon as their lips touched her face cleared of the disease and the pain accompanying it. She began to kiss him wildly and the pain quickly subsided as she did. Upon realizing the connection to her passionate exertions and the apparent cure, Rebecca swung a leg over Roche’s lap and opened her lovely mouth to kiss him with unbridled fury.

When the last of the pain disappeared from her body she collapsed on his shoulder.

“Who … are you?” Julia asked after carefully inspecting her and her friend’s flesh.

Roche raised a hand and pushed Rebecca away so he could look into her eyes. “I’ve just done what hundreds of men couldn’t do at this table. I am the first and last master either of you will ever have. Leave my side and you will die. Obey me and you will live. Do we have an understanding?” He asked looking at Julia. A sharp but familiar pain in each of their right arms suddenly sprung to life snapping them out of their hesitance.

“Yes. YES!” They both cried in unison nodding their heads. “Yes.”

Roche turned an ear towards Rebecca. “Master,” he whispered.

“Yes, Master.” They both replied quickly.

“Excellent. We’re leaving.” He said as he prepared to stand and Rebecca dismounted this new ‘master’. The two women were close at hand when Roche stood.

Suddenly Angel stood and the movement startled Tammy who required an additional moment to realize what was happening. Roche was beaming with pride as he wrapped an arm around the waist of each girl clinging to him and thankful to be free of the horrific pains they just experienced. And with that, no one would have thought further on the company now moving towards the door.

However, there was one witness who wasn’t about to be left behind. “I know those girls don’t play for the team as your boss does.” Alana said to Antonio. “How did he do that?”

“He has his ways.” Antonio said more or less oblivious. He was focused on necking with Alana on the dance floor and everything else was distraction. 

An idea flashed across her mind. “Won’t your boss need you to drive?” She asked.

“Oh crap!” Antonio blurted. “We’re leaving already?” He said finally realizing what was going on.

“I’ll come with you.” Alana said grabbing for him.

Roche leaned back and watched Alana dance. She had the body of a model, long black hair and deep brown eyes, full lips and a lovely porcelain skin. But as adorable of a target that she might be, he decided it best not to interfere with the interest of one of his employees. There were other ‘targets’ in the club that he had been eyeing carefully. Studying and learning as much as he could. Then he straightened upon contemplating the challenge he had decided to undertake. Finally, it was time to make his move.

He turned to Angel who continued staring straight ahead and her only reply was a slow nod. The girl smiled and straightened pleased to be freed from her boredom. Roche smiled. It was time to be in control. This was more than just a field test it would be a testament of the things to come, a small dose to the world that would never be the same again.

He rose from the corner table and headed for a table some ways away. Tammy stopped to watch him. She looked at Angel, then at Roche again. A small smile curved up one side of her mouth, happy not to be the focus of Angel or Roche’s attentions but entirely curious about what was about to happen.

Roche came and stood before a table with two very lovely ladies sitting close to each other giggling and talking. They sat close to the stage and near the front so they could be seen. They got a kick out of gunning down men brave enough to approach them. Roche had seen it happen several times since he’d come in. One wore a strapless red dress, gold hoop earrings, gold chains and long sandy colored hair. The other had shorter blond hair and green eyes and a deep yellow V top plunging down to her waist and a black mini-skirt. Both outfits left little to the imagination and both girls were exactly the sort of furniture Roche was looking for. But the challenge itself was where his real interest lay piqued.

“May I sit down?” He asked politely knowing their response.

“Not interested.” The blond said quickly.

“Yeah, you’re not quite … my type.” The girl in red said. They both burst out laughing.

“Well, you never know.” Roche said pulling out one of the chairs and sitting down as if his invitation had been accepted. The women stared at him awestruck for a moment. “Things can change.” He said staring boldly into the red one’s eyes.

“Look buddy.” The blond started now a bit more than irritated. “Why –“

“You have astonishing skin, Rebecca.” He interrupted her and spoke to the woman in red. “You must love it so very much.”

“I … do.” She said dumbfounded that he knew her name. “I - How“

“And Julia.” He said turning back towards the one in red. “It would be nice to get the two of you out of that tiny little apartment wouldn’t it? Sick of paying rent in a place barely habitable? Bored of sitting at this table, front and center, shooting down every man brave enough to come over here and attempt conversation with you?”

“Who the hell are you?” Julia said leaning on the table attempting to be forceful. How the hell did he know all this? Her eyes were glaring but deep down she was a little freaked out - maybe more than a little.

It was rather shocking to the girls that he was still here sitting at their table. “Join me at my table?” He said gesturing to the darker corner he had just come from. He had to offer. It wouldn’t be proper to move to the next phase of his plans if he didn’t at least offer.

“Why don’t you get the f-“

“Rebecca, you’re going to need to get that looked at.”

“Huh?” She asked again cut-off.

“Your arm, that’s got to be a rare condition … especially for skin like yours, honey.”

Rebecca looked down at her right arm which suddenly started to burn. “Argh.” She groaned as the sensation began to spread. The color of her arm suddenly reddened and then deep black blisters surfaced above her elbow and started growing towards her shoulder and fingers.

“Such skin too. It would be a shame to waste it, don’t you think?” Both of the girls wanted to scream but neither could find their voice for some reason. The music drowned out any commotion they were making and the continued to stare at the stricken arm bubbling with some unearthly disease.

“My God – what’s happening to me?” Rebecca managed in a voice barely above a whisper as the burning sensation found its way to her diaphragm.

“You two haven’t … y’know … touched each other recently have you?” Roche said. Julia suddenly grasped her hand as if a nail had gone through it. “I believe it’s rather easy to spread.” Roche said leaning back in his chair with a devilish smile on his face.

Then he slid over to the rounded bench the two suffering ladies where sitting on. “Would you like to know what the cure is?” He asked casually.

Rebecca’s blistering skin was as black as soot and the condition began to spread up her neck and onto her other shoulder. “Yes.” She begged in a faint whisper. “Yes please, please stop it.”

“Then kiss me.” Roche ordered.

Rebecca froze for a moment. The searing had spread to her legs already. Her ears felt like they were going to burst, her throat was stiff and un-responsive and then it began affecting her back, like a thin knife being driven in slowly and twisted.

Roche simply sat close to her and waited. But Julia had heard him too. She desperately reached across her friend and wrapped her right hand around Roche’s head then pulled him towards her, she placed a kiss on his lips.

“I think you can do a little better than that, Julia.” Roche said before their embrace broke. Julia pulled him close again and opened her mouth to receive Roche’s. She kissed him with a mix of desperation and passion that truly exhilarated Roche. This was even better than he’d imagined it would be. “Better.” He said at last as Julia exhaled a sigh of relief. Her pain subsided but then she turned to see her friend who’s body was almost completely covered now in the mysterious black bubbling condition.

“Kiss him, Rebecca!” Julia planted her hand behind her friend’s head and thrust her towards Roche who welcomed her paralyzed body. As soon as their lips touched her face cleared of the disease and the pain accompanying it. She began to kiss him wildly and the pain quickly subsided as she did. Upon realizing the connection to her passionate exertions and the apparent cure, Rebecca swung a leg over Roche’s lap and opened her lovely mouth to kiss him with unbridled fury.

When the last of the pain disappeared from her body she collapsed on his shoulder.

“Who … are you?” Julia asked after carefully inspecting her and her friend’s flesh.

Roche raised a hand and pushed Rebecca away so he could look into her eyes. “I’ve just done what hundreds of men couldn’t do at this table. I am the first and last master either of you will ever have. Leave my side and you will die. Obey me and you will live. Do we have an understanding?” He asked looking at Julia. A sharp but familiar pain in each of their right arms suddenly sprung to life snapping them out of their hesitance.

“Yes. YES!” They both cried in unison nodding their heads. “Yes.”

Roche turned an ear towards Rebecca. “Master,” he whispered.

“Yes, Master.” They both replied quickly.

“Excellent. We’re leaving.” He said as he prepared to stand and Rebecca dismounted this new ‘master’. The two women were close at hand when Roche stood.

Suddenly Angel stood and the movement startled Tammy who required an additional moment to realize what was happening. Roche was beaming with pride as he wrapped an arm around the waist of each girl clinging to him and thankful to be free of the horrific pains they just experienced. And with that, no one would have thought further on the company now moving towards the door.

However, there was one witness who wasn’t about to be left behind. “I know those girls don’t play for the team as your boss does.” Alana said to Antonio. “How did he do that?”

“He has his ways.” Antonio said more or less oblivious. He was focused on necking with Alana on the dance floor and everything else was distraction.

An idea flashed across her mind. “Won’t your boss need you to drive?” She asked.

“Oh crap!” Antonio blurted. “We’re leaving already?” He said finally realizing what was going on.

“I’ll come with you.” Alana said grabbing for him.

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