International Affairs 2

Never before in her life had Cordelia felt so miserable and helpless. Only partially clad, tied in an uncomfortable and straining position and gagged with a nerf ball that almost choked her, she was trembling with fear whilst Linh was smiling enigmatically and still was sitting between Cordelia`s legs. The Asian did nothing more than strike over her pantyhose-clad thighs, but to Cordelia, her petite fingers felt like the claws of a monster.

Then, there was a knock at the door. Linh rose and Cordelia had writhed in panic as she could overhear the muffled conversation between the woman and Alex. It sounded as if Linh was reprimanding Alex for something, though not very vehemently. Then, Cordelia heard the door fall shut and then, Alex stepped into the room.

»Dr. White«, he said, bowing mockingly towards her whilst Cordelia helplessly squirmed in her bonds, trying to find a position that would at least partially cover her exposed crotch. There was a gleeful glance in Alex`s eyes and this time, he pronounced her title as if it was a pet name.

Her eyes widened as he slowly took of his jacket and hung it over the chair. Alex noticed it, showed a wolfish grin and eased his necktie. Then, he approached the bed and made a move as if he wanted to throw himself upon her. Cordelia whimpered through her gag. Alex laughed and then, he sat down on the bed, placing himself close to her middle, but not touching her. However, the way he let his eyes wander over her made Cordelia shiver.

»Dr. White!«, he chuckled, as if he found the thought ridiculous that a veritable PhD was lying in front of him, tied and gagged. Then, he suddenly grinned like a schoolboy.

»Did you know, that when at University, when you were still Miss White, we had a little game among us boys? A game you sure will find childish and maybe a little sexist, but nevertheless harmless?«

He looked at her expectantly, but Cordelia just stared at him as if she was a rabbit and he the snake. Alex now let his eyes wander to her crotch and continued:

»We always wondered whether your underwear would – well, fit your last name.«

It took the frightened girl a few moments to get what he meant, but then, she let out a faint sound. Alex smiled:

»You were always so modestly dressed that this wasn`t an easy task. However, since you even back then preferred short skirts, it sometimes could be answered!«

He chuckled at the memory and though it was indeed ridiculous, grown up young men looking underneath the skirt of a fellow student, Cordelia could not help blushing all over. Alex still was looking directly at her crotch.

»Today, the question is easy to answer – Dr. White!«

When he used her title this time, his index finger gently brushed over her pubic mound. The light touch made Cordelia shiver and again, she mewed through her mouthfilling gag.

»However – today, we can even answer another question: do you know the basic rule of dressing up properly?«

He now knelt so his knees touched the tops of her thighs and bent over her. Cordelia looked at him with eyes like saucers. Alex brought his mouth close to her ear so she could feel his breath on her neck and whispered:

»Do you know that bra and panties should match?«

»Uuuhmmm! Nnnnggg!«

She vigorously shook her head and protested through her gag when Alex now began to work on the top button of her blouse. He did nothing quickly and though the button was a bit bothersome to open, he did not lose his patience or start ripping the cloth. Instead, he looked at her, smiling lecherously, and slowly, one by one, opened the buttons. Then, equally slowly, he parted it, revealing her bra-clad breasts and her naked belly. Her chest heaved from her heavy panting and she was trembling with fear as he looked down on her.

»Pretty in white, Dr. White!«, he breathed.

***

When the door opened, Tina reacted as cool as she could: she threw the cell phone onto the bed and jumped for the heater. A second later, the door swung open and she pretended to be startled by the Asian woman entering.

»Oh, s-sorry, Madam, I-I thought you were out!«

Linh looked at her with an icy smile.

»Tina, isn`t it?«

Of course, when she had served them their drinks two nights before, the woman had asked for her name and since it was written on her badge anyway, she had told her. Obviously, the Asian could even remember little domestics like her.

She stammered an explanation about the fact the receptionist had sent her since there had been a complaint about the heating and she even thought of giving the number of an adjacent room to explain why she was here without being called by the woman or her partner.

»So, this isn`t number 141? Oops, shame on me!«

Exaggerating her role a bit, Tina even curtseyed. Linh still smiled and said:

»It`s okay, Tina! I won`t tell your superiors! But now, please leave!«

Curtseying again, Tina left. Once in the corridor, she accused herself about being so careless, but then, she could see the door open again. Quickly, she went for the next room, pretending to knock. The Asian passed her and in the corner of her eye, Tina could see something protrude from her handbag: the end of a stick or handle that reminded her of that of the little whip she had seen lying on the nightstand.

***

»What do you think of that?«

Ulinka oppressed a yawn. For an entire hour, Katja now was deciding what to wear for showing herself in the lobby. Ulinka could remember that she had made less effort for finding a proper dress for her prom night. Katja`s dilemma was: she looked great in casual wear and she looked gorgeous in evening dresses – a fact even Ulinka had to admit. But she looked a bit inappropriate in business dresses, just as if she was just an impostor.

»The curse of being beautiful!«, Ulinka mocked. Katja, still dressed only in a black lacy bra and an equally black lacy thong, sighed. Finally, she decided for a knee-length black dress, decent and plain enough to look professional, but also elegant. Combined with some decent jewelry and flat shoes, it would fit.

»Can you help me with my hair?«, Katja asked, now sounding like a teenage girl. This time, Ulinka sighed:

»Your bodyguard/hairdresser to the rescue!«

»My Daddy pays you, no matter what you do!«, Katja replied, now sounding much less charming. Ulinka took a brush and a few hairpins and told her to sit down in front of the mirror, oppressing her thoughts about spoiled bitches that needed a beating once and awhile.

***

When the door opened, Cordelia for one second had the hope it would be a potential rescuer, but it was just Linh who obviously had taken Cordelia`s key. She handed Alex his cell phone, but when he wanted to take it, she held it firm and said:

»We had a visitor.«

She told him about Tina and concluded:

»Maybe, it is as she said and maybe, she was just nervous because, she`s a shy girl. But she pretended to have our room mixed up with number 141, which is not even close to our room. And when I left, I saw her knocking on the door of number 164. So, either she is a little dumb or doesn`t know the numbers-«

»Or she has been in our room for other reasons«, Alex completed her thoughts. He cursed himself for both having forgotten his cell phone and not having locked it. Sure, they had taken care to buy a new one just before they had started their job and in addition, they had only sent text messages that sounded harmless – but there was the photo he had taken of Katja Heller. A harmless picture, but it could lead to an investigation. And whilst the contents of their room were indeed harmless, some of the things in the boot of their car weren`t.

»Well, I think we have crossed the Rubicon anyway!«, he said, pointing at the bed. Cordelia mmphed and tried to figure out what these two were talking about. Linh had taken something from her handbag: a thing that looked a bit like a duster and which she let whirl through the air when she talked.

»Well, we could of course just wait for the night, leave with just her«, she pointed at Cordelia with her strange device, » and would stand a good chance of escaping unseen.«

Alex also looked down on Cordelia who definitely did not like the assessing look in his eyes. It was as if he was taxing her value.

»Hm, she`s just three months younger than me, but still a sight!«

Cordelia felt a cold shiver run down her spine. There was only one reason why he was concerned about her looks and her age. But that could not be! This was something from a bad novel or a sleazy film! And yet, these two had broken into her room, tied and gagged her and were just discussing to kidnap her out of the hotel.

»She`s a brunette«, Linh added, also sounding as if this was a bad thing. Cordelia made a small sound and now, Linh now smiled at her, surprisingly friendly, and when she spoke, it sounded almost apologetically:

»Don`t be offended, it`s the same with black hair!« She brushed through her jet black hair. »It`s the customers that prefer blondes and redheads, blame them, not me!«

Now, Cordelia screamed through the ball in her mouth. Alex now turned his attention towards her, too.

»Well, I could have been a graduated assistant Professor by now. It was your fault I had to look for another lucrative business!«

Cordelia shook her head, trying to cope with the sheer monstrosity of what the words of her captors implied: she had not fallen into the hands of someone who sought revenge, but of two veritable white slavers!

White slavery! A word that screamed Yellow Press and Sexploitation films. However, Cordelia knew that such human trafficking existed. But never in her life would she have thought that she would ever come in contact with it.

Linh looked at her watch.

»In half an hour, there will be a lecture of Professor van Bell in the main conference room. You better go there, since I am sure that she«, Linh pointed at the wall of the adjacent room, »will attend it, too. I think I will pass that one.«

Linh looked at Cordelia and blinked. Cordelia suddenly felt even more helpless and exposed and desperately tried to get her thighs a bit closer together. Alex grumbled:

»The work for me, the fun for you!«

»Just don`t forget your cell phone – again!«

For a second, Alex looked angrily at Linh, but then, his lineaments softened and he smiled. He and Linh exchanged a kiss, on the lips, but nevertheless rather friendly than passionate, and he left. Linh then turned towards the bed again. She giggled and said, as if they were just having small talk at a party:

»Alex sure would forget his own ass if it weren`t a part of him!«

»Mmhhhrrrrrrrmmmm! Uuuuhhmmmmph! Mmmhhmm!«

Cordelia wailed through her gag, throwing herself around on the bed and pulling on her bonds. The absurdity of her being the bound and gagged captive of these two criminals and Linh talking to her as if this was all normal was just driving her hysteric.

»Stop it!«, Linh said in a sharp tone, but Cordelia continued to squirm and moan. Linh raised her right arm that still held the stick with the bands tied to it.

»I said: stop it!«

At the word »stop!«, the whip hit Cordelia`s buttocks. A painful tingle ran through her and with a croak, she stopped screaming through her gag. Linh whipped her butt once more. Her eyes glanced, but she seemed to have herself under control.

»Never again let me have to repeat an order! Did you get me, Bitch?«

Cordelia whimpered and stared at Linh who seemed to have come directly from hell to torture her. Again, Linh hit her.

»I asked you a question, Bitch!«

»Mhmmm!«

With tears in her eyes, Cordelia now nodded and though her gag made such efforts unintelligible, she even tried to say »Yes, Mistress!«

Smiling as if nothing had happened, Linh placed the whip on the bed. Some of the leather bands touched her exposed crotch and Cordelia stared at them as if they were vicious little snakes. The tingling in her buttocks already ceased; in fact, the beating had not been worse as if Linh had spanked her with her bare hand. But the mere fact that she had been beaten at all and that she could do absolutely nothing to prevent it was horrifying.

»Now, be a good girl and behave! Your Mistress has got work to do!«

***

»What the-«

Ulinka turned out the shower. For a few seconds, she had thought that she had been hearing strange sounds from the next room, but now, everything was quiet. So, she toweled herself and put on her bathrobe before she left the bathroom. Luckily, Katja had left for some lecture in the conference room. It was unlikely that something would happen to her there and in addition, Tina would have an eye on her.

She quickly got dressed and then, she pressed her ear against the wall, but there still were no sounds from number 223.

»Phew, this protection service really makes one paranoid!«

Since Tina had had a look on the booking list, she knew that the room had been given to a Miss Cordelia White. She had even cross-checked her and it seemed that this woman was indeed an assistant Professor from Great Britain. Not quite what she had in mind when she thought of a potential threat to Katja.

»As if there even is a real threat!«

Ulinka was sure that the only thing that would happen during the next days was that she and Tina had earned their food and rent for the next two or three months, for at least Katja`s father was no miser. At that moment, the door was opened.

»Hello, Tina!«, she said without even turning around. Tina, who had let herself in with her general key, looked puzzled.

»How could you know it`s me?«

»Well, any other hotel employee and even Katja would have had the goddamn courtesy of knocking before entering!«

She turned around, but her smile vanished when she saw that Tina seemed to have something to tell. And indeed, Tina quickly told her about her encounter with Linh.

»Curiosity kills the cat!«

Tina made a declining gesture.

»That`s not why I am here! This woman, a Miss Linh Nguyen from Hanoi, shares her room with a Mr. Alexander Drummond! You know I photographed the booking lists!«

»So? Will you accuse her of living together with a man she`s not married to?«

Now, Tina showed the triumphant smile of someone who knew more than her interlocutor and she continued:

»The same Mr. Drummond has just left this room!«

Tina pointed at the wall behind which room 223 was. Now, Ulinka frowned. But then, a smile appeared on her face:

»Maybe, the honorable Mr. Drummond is betraying the unknowing Miss Nguyen – with Miss Cordelia White from next door!«

She told Tina that, when she had been in the shower, she had heard some muffled sounds that could have been that of a woman in the throes of passion. Tina pouted. She had been sure that this was some clue. Then, her face brightened.

»Well, there is only one way to find out!«

Tina jumped up and headed for the door.

»You-you want to ask her if-«

»Of course not«, Tina replied, »I just want to see if she looks, well, like a woman that somehow looks – postcoital!«

Now, Ulinka had to laugh.

»This time, please, don`t forget to knock before entering!«

***

The lecture went about »The Decline of the Tiger States in the 21st Century«. Quite interesting, and since he had an M. A. in economics, Alex could have easily followed Professor van Bell. Unfortunately, he spoke in a slow, soporific way and so, Alex, hidden behind his laptop and pretending to take notes, preferred on concentrating on something less boring: his target Katja Heller.

He had been early enough to get a seat opposite to Katja in the room where the tables had been arranged in a U-shape. So, he had a good look at her, since she was at least pretending to be listening carefully to what Professor van Bell had to say.

Her short dress allowed him to admire quite a lot of her shapely legs. Remembering his confession towards Cordelia, he tried to look if he could see even more, but Katja had turned half sideways to have a better look at the speaker. Anyway, he would be able to see more of her soon, if their plan would work out.

PING!

Alex, who had forgotten to mute his laptop, quickly did so before anyone would become angry or suspicious. Then, he opened the chat. It was Daniel. Daniel, besides Linh, had acted like a supervisor to him when he had entered the organization. According to what he had told him, Daniel had started like him: a University drop-out who had found an entirely different business, so to say. Linh had added that he somehow had semi-retired since his last job in Germany and that he was living with one of his last victims.

»Thanks for asking! Of course, you can bring another friend!«

Of course, this was the coded answer to his question whether there was interest in another woman, together with Katja Heller. The market was big and growing, but he also had to take care of logistics. Somehow, he was still doing what he had studied.

»Okay, thanks! See you!«

Alex clicked away the chat. They always kept conversation to a minimum, just in case the wrong people looked over his shoulder. Then, he looked at Katja again and in his mind, he completed the list he had made of her:

Katja Heller, 23, M. A. in economics. Long, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Slender. Now, he had to start guessing: Katja was some 5´ 7´´ and he would have betted she was a 32B. Well, these questions would soon find an answer, too.

***

 »Who is it?«

Tina had knocked, but when she had heard no answer, she had been about to use her key, when she finally had heard steps. However, Miss White did not open the door to speak to her.

»Miss White? Is it you?«

»Hmmm! Who wants to know?«

»Room service!«

»I haven`t ordered anything!«

Tina knew that the other woman was watching her through the peephole and could see that she was carrying no tray. So, she repeated her old lie.

»Some other guests have complained about the heating! I just wanted to check if everything is okay!«

»Everything`s fine, thank you! I just had a shower and everything worked well!«

Now, a thumping could be heard. Again, Tina asked if everything was okay, but the woman answered that she was fine, that only her hairdryer had fallen from the sideboard.

»Thank you for your concern, but I have already missed the current lecture and have to prepare for the next! I will call the reception if the heating seems odd to me!«

Tina, who knew that she still was watched, left, but only went back into the next room, telling Ulinka about the short dialogue.

»Well, the situation hasn`t changed: it could be, and very likely, that it is just as she just told you. But it could also be the case that she has something to hide. Maybe, just the fact she has an affair, maybe – something worse!«

Tina bit down a smile. At least, Ulinka now no longer did as if she was just overreacting. The two former policewomen sat together to work out a stratagem.

***

»So, you are still looking for number 141!«, Linh said to herself when she saw Tina leave. It had been strange to have this chamber maid in her room, but her knocking at her door again was more than just strange: it was suspicious.

»Mhhmmmph! Uuuhhmm!«

Cordelia was still lying as Linh had left her, with both her wrists and her ankles cuffed to the upper bed posts, an uncomfortable position that forced her to spread her legs wide to her sides. She still had her mouth covered with silver tape, keeping the wedged nerf ball in her mouth and reducing her cries to moans and grunts.

She now looked a bit more disheveled and the bed sheet was slightly crumpled, giving evidence of the vehemence with which Cordelia had tried to break free when Linh had been at the door, talking to the chamber maid. On the floor, the desk lamp was lying.

Slowly, Linh took the small lamp that luckily hadn`t taken damage on the carpeted floor and put it back on its place. Then, she grabbed the Martinet from the bed.

»So, you thought it was a good idea to make yourself noticeable?«

Cordelia whimpered when Linh playfully let the leather bands run through her fingers. Then, to Cordelia`s surprise, she smiled.

»Well, it was worth a try! You would be foolish not to do everything to get free! I don`t expect you to behave otherwise!«

Cordelia frowned. She had expected Linh to punish or at least threaten her, but now, she showed some understanding?

»However, I also can understand a thief trying to steal my wallet, but that does not mean that I let him do so! On the contrary, I will do anything it takes to prevent him from doing so! A-ny-thing-it-takes!«

When she repeated her words, each syllable was accompanied by a hard whack on Cordelia`s buttocks, causing her to scream through her gag. Then, Linh jumped on the bed, pushing her hands under her victim`s still tingling backside.

»Anything it takes, Bitch! Did you get me?«

Frightened, Cordelia nodded. Linh now again showed her trademark cold smile.

»You must know that I do not believe in any promises or agreements! I believe in punishment and the effect of learning! Better don`t forget that!«

She emphasized her words by clawing her fingers into Cordelia`s panty-clad buttocks, causing her to mew and rear up. Then, Linh bent over her and stroked her sides with her fingers before pushing her hands under her shoulders. With one swift move, she unhooked the clip of Cordelia`s bra.

»Perhaps, that will keep you from struggling too much!«

She withdrew from Cordelia`s back and looked down on her breasts that heaved from breathing.

»Otherwise, you might show off more than you like!«

With her index fingers, she traced the edges of the bra cups, pushing the now loose cups down a little. Cordelia was petrified. She definitely felt underdressed already and she did not want this evil woman or Alex to see more of her. The thought was as horrifying as being touched by these two thugs!

Linh rose from the bed, took her cellphone and sent a message to Alex. It was a picture of Tina she had taken through the peephole. Due to the lens, the contours were slightly distorted, but Tina was still recognizable and in addition, Alex had seen the girl before, too. The accompanying text message just said:

»Take care of her!«

***

»Take care of her!«

Alex frowned, looking at the strange looking picture. In his eyes, Tina had just been the girl that had brought him and Linh their Espresso. A shy, pretty redhead, small, but busty. Actually, a potential candidate for his business. On the other hand, Linh was not one to be easily frightened. He looked up and stretched his back. Currently, the Professor was having a break, giving the audience the opportunity to visit the bathroom, have a coffee or to just chat with each other. Such conferences were always overcrowded with single persons and so, quite a few men were gathering around Katja and talking to her. She showed her trademark lovely smile and at least feigned interest, when suddenly, another person stepped close to her. To Alex`s surprise, it was Tina – the very girl Linh had just warned him about!

It was in general quite ordinary for her to be here. Tina was a chamber maid and the conference room usually was served by the waiters and waitresses in their dark red shirts. Of course, this was a contemporary hotel and not Downton Abbey, but it was strange that a chamber maid would talk to a guest. Alex looked closer at them.

The two girls had withdrawn a bit, but he could see that Tina seemed concerned whilst Katja showed a slightly annoyed expression. Then, Tina left and Alex made a decision. Him observing Katja wasn`t necessary and if there was a problem, he needed to talk to Linh. So, he quickly folded his laptop, told the man beside him – who wasn`t interested at all – something about a necessary call and left the conference room.

***

In the mirror, Ulinka checked her appearance. She was wearing a tight black T-shirt with long sleeves, tight blue jeans and white sneakers. An outfit that allowed sportive activities and, if necessary, fighting, but did not look as if she belonged to a gang of burglars or a combat team. She checked for her gun she had kept when quitting service and put it into her belt. Then, she went for her bag, took a stick that looked like the foot of a tripod and opened the window.

The stick that could be extended to some two yards was in fact a simple periscope. Low tech, but effective and much less noticeable than a drone had been.

Ulinka pushed the periscope as close to the adjacent room`s window as possible and looked. Unfortunately, her neighbor had closed the curtains and in addition, the simple mechanism had a very narrow ankle, but at least, there was a small gap between the curtain and the window frame. Ulinka could only see the corridor and the foot end of the bed, but nothing of Cordelia White. She cursed and was about to withdraw when there suddenly was a move and a person appeared. Now, Ulinka gasped. She hadn`t seen Cordelia White yet, but according to the booking lists, she was British. Of course, the petite Asian with the long black hair could be British, too, but Tina had given her a description of Linh Nguyen and it definitely fit. Linh, the roommate and supposed partner of Alexander Drummond, who had only recently been in that room, too! In addition, Tina had spoken to someone who had pretended to be Miss White and the only person inside this room, at least as far as Ulinka could see, was Linh!

»Tina, forgive me for calling you overzealous! This is just one suspicious little incident too much to still just call it a coincidence!«

Ulinka checked her gun and slowly walked for the door.

***