Pulled from sleep, Doctor Mercurial’s eyes snapped open, not that there was anything to see. A deep inhalation brought his attention to the head on his chest. Thoughts and memories filtered into place. The woman curled up by his side was Jezebel. Last night, he’d given her only comfort. Though she’d been eager to lie naked in his arms, she’d shied away from anything more sensual. He felt no need to push it.

Now he needed to make plans and preparations. He laid a hand on her head, and bid her sleep to deepen. Then he raised it, and she levitated to follow. He slipped out from under her, and settled her back into the bed, resting her head on the pillow next to where his had been.

Navigating by memory, he walked to the door. His hand met curtain. Of course. They’d come in by curtain and he’d left it there, so any departure would bring her back to the warehouse. He stepped through, and out the curtains of the dining room.

The sun was just rising, and Katie and Terry were waiting for him in their usual bodies and attire, Katie with an hourglass figure in a French maid outfit, Terry a small, slender man in a white button shirt and dress pants, both with tan skin and black hair. They bowed in unison. “Good morning, master.” As he took a seat, Katie handed him a tablet and Terry went to the kitchen, quickly returning with a platter bearing eggs, ham, strawberry guava, and iced coffee.

Merc read through the document on the tablet, everything Katie could find on the internet about his targets. Contact information, personal information, class schedules, including for the boyfriends, Ron, Kenneth, and David, and a floor plan of the school. It seemed Ron was set up to become vice president of his father’s company. “‘Tech solutions’?” He enquired. “That sounds awfully vague. Is that the new code for ‘money laundering’?”

Katie visibly struggled to keep a straight face. “It’s mostly a logistics company. Warehouses, trucks, and schedule planning for their clients.”

Merc nodded. “Have a vanity and chair moved to the north guest bedroom. Ivory and black makeup. Put a candle on it. Don’t wake the woman there, but she’s pretty deep.”

“Yes, master,” Terry responded, and hurried out.

Out on the beach, Jackie was running around in a bikini, being chased by Harley, one of his pets. Mercurial watched them play between studying the information, while enjoying his meal. Harley’s arms were cut off at the elbow, his legs a few inches above the knee to keep him even, all capped with rubber dog paws. A rubber muzzle covered most of his face. He was otherwise naked. Merc wondered with a chuckle how he would feel about playing an imp.

A few minutes later, Harley noticed Merc, and galloped over as fast as his legs would carry him. He put his rubber forepaws up on the sliding glass door, the bobbing of his head causing his latex tongue to dance in mimicry of panting. “Arf! Arf!”

Merc chuckled, and waved the door open. The dog boy rushed in excitedly, danced at Merc’s side for a second, then slipped under the table. The master laughed out loud as a rubber nose jammed between his legs.

“All right, down girl,” he laughed as he pet Harley’s hair, and the pet lay his chin on the chair.

“Good morning, master!” Jackie called as she bowed, Seeing Harley now otherwise occupied, she ran off on her own.

On the other hand, he was hard, and had been for much of the last evening without doing anything with it.

“All right,” he assented, and unzipped his pants, to more excited “Arf”s. “Good girl.”