Cassie took a deep breath as she stood before her fellow Harbingers and let it go in a sigh of relief that she had something substantial to say to them. "Mrs. Radson called me early this morning. She's finished the potion."

She heard Diane's sigh of relief, but she did not need her empathic sense to see the fear in Diane's eyes as well. She shared some of it, and wished Ned had let her finish what she had to say to him earlier. She felt a spike of anticipation from Richie and could not help but give him a forlorn look. While she was glad the responsibility for the decision over the disposition of the potion had been lifted from her, she still felt that no matter what was decided, it would be unfair to someone.

"So when ... when do we take it?" Diane asked in a small voice.

"I'd like everyone to meet at Mrs. Radson's this afternoon. I know some of you will be late because--" She stopped herself as she caught Melinda's sullen face. "Um, well, you know. And I'm sorry if you can't make it, Melinda."

"Not like it's going to matter anyway," Melinda muttered.

Cassie's mood was crashing just as fast as it had been elevated. She wanted to do something for everyone despite clearly lacking the resources to do so. Ned squeezed her shoulder, as if sensing her dilemma. She had to focus. She had two priorities: rescuing Jason and protecting Diane. Everything else was going to have to wait.

"Um ... anyway ... just make it as soon as you can. I'll be there early but we won't start without the rest of you."

Diane gave her a nervous look. "So ... she's going to give to us today? Just like that?"

"She said it spoiled quickly," Cassie said. "So I imagine she'll be dispensing it today once we're all there."

"I sure as hell don't want to wait," Richie declared.

Cassie wanted to say something to manage his expectations, but Ned squeezed her shoulder again. He was right; anything she would say now would cause an argument or leave bad feelings between her fellow Harbingers.

She glanced at Melinda. The constant flood of despair mixed with tainted, induced lust made her mildly nauseous. She felt guilty for all the times she complained about how pushy and whiny Melinda could be. She would have given anything to have that Melinda back. If anyone were deserving of the potion ...

Cassie stopped that line of thought right there. She had no business making those sorts of judgments. Perhaps that might suit her mother but not her.

"Cassie, is she going to teach us how to use this thing it will give us?" Diane asked.

"What the hell is there to learn about it?" Richie demanded. "You drink it, your brain splits. Or something like that. All I know is then the Darkness can't do fucking jack shit to you."

"I don't mean just for the protection. I mean if we want to use it to ... um ..."

Diane gave Cassie a sheepish look. Cassie doubted Debby understood what the others intended.

"Look, of course she's gonna tell us all that shit," Richie said. "Why the hell else is she going to give it to us?"

"She is giving it out largely for protection," Cassie felt obliged to say despite how Richie narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm the one who has to go after Jason, and even then I'm going to do it from a distance."

"I can handle it. Mrs. Radson knows it, or she sure as hell better know it. I've stood up to my mother before. I can deal with this."

"It's not that simple, Richie. It--"

"For chrissakes, quit worrying about it. You're the one who said I had my father helping to protect me."

Cassie was at a loss for words. She glanced at Diane, who looked on with reluctant interest. Cassie had never meant for Richie to use that supposed link -- if it really existed -- as a universal panacea.

"Yeah, I think mebbe all our jawin' 'bout it is just so much hot air," Ned drawled. "Mrs. R. is the expert, so why don't we jus' wait and let her sort it all out."

"You can't fucking tell me you don't want some of it, too," Richie said.

Ned paused. "Gotta admit, I'm curious. But I don't need it. I guess I'm kinda flyin' under the Dark Poobah's radar 'cuz I don't have superpowers like the rest of you." He smirked. "I'm just the Nose, the team mascot."

Diane's lips twitched into a tiny smile. "I'd hardly call what I can do a superpower, Ned."

"So what about me?" Melinda suddenly piped.

Cassie's heart sank. "I ... um ..."

Melinda's eyes shimmered, and she shook her head. "No, forget I said anything. I know, I can't get there, no one can get it to me, and I'm too far gone anyway."

"I didn't mean ... Melinda, no one is too far gone, not even ... um ..." Cassie trailed off. No matter who she mentioned, either Jason or Heather, it would come out sounding wrong, and she sensed Melinda was close to bursting into tears.

"Face it, Cassie," Melinda said in a low, quavering voice. "It's over for me. Next week I get to be a s-sex slave full time."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Richie demanded.

Melinda shivered. "Aunt Jo all but told me ... she said ..." She swallowed and glanced between the other Harbingers. Her lips twisted into a frown. "Just forget it. Keep your fucking pity to yourself, I don't deserve it."

Cassie was close to tears herself. "Melinda, please, don't say that. I-I wish ... If only I ..."

She glanced at Richie, hoping he would say something to pull Melinda back. Sometimes he had a better knack for dealing with Melinda than anyone else beside Jason. Instead, he stood there, just staring, his hands sinking deeper into his pockets, his shoulders hunched. Cassie was too upset to get any sort of clear feeling from him, other than he was debating something with himself.

"Cassie, couldn't there be enough for four?" Diane suggested in a tentative voice. "Or maybe we could stretch it a little if--"

"No, I said forget it!" Melinda cried, wiping one of her eyes. "You all need it more than I do. I can't do shit with it. Who the hell do I have to rescue? My mother? When she wanted to be this way?"

"We don't know that yet," Diane said.

"Spare me, okay? I said I don't give a shit what you see. It doesn't matter anymore." She sniffled and shook her head, looking towards the school. She let out a husky sigh. "I have to get inside and show off my pussy to more guys. Later."

Melinda fled. Cassie could not call out as her throat had closed up, and it took all her willpower not to cry. Ned squeezed her shoulders, and she managed to let out her next breath without sobbing.

"Richie and I will keep going," Diane said to Cassie. "We'll find out what happened to her mother. Maybe it will do some good."

Cassie nodded in appreciation, though she doubted they would ever find anything which could help Melinda get out from under her Aunt Jo's influence, and Melinda's blind hatred was only going to make her even more vulnerable to manipulation.

"If we can get into that fucking house, that is," Richie muttered.

"I ... took care of that," Cassie said.

Diane stared. "You did?"

"Of course she did!" Richie declared. "She's loaded. She just had to throw some money at whoever owns it now and--"

"Actually, the house is caught up in legal wrangling and has been sitting empty for some time," Cassie said in a stiff voice. "Nevertheless, I arranged for the guard on duty today to let you in and give you free reign of the place as long as you don't take anything. Please don't ask me to explain how I did it."

Richie's eyebrows rose, and his lips curled into a lascivious smirk. It disappeared the moment Ned glared at him.

"Anyway, we better head inside. We'll talk again later," Cassie said in a hasty voice.

Diane nodded and headed away. Richie hesitated, then jogged to catch up with Diane. Cassie let out a long sigh and draped her hand over her eyes. Ned slipped an arm around her. "You did as good as you coulda done, babe."

"I know," said Cassie. "I just never feel like it's enough. I wonder if this is how Jason felt all that time Richie was dealing with his mother and Jason had no help to offer."

Ned steered her towards the entrance. Cassie did not care for once what Harry was thinking as his gaze narrowed on them. Cassie snuggled up against Ned and hardly took any notice of her surroundings as they passed through the door into the school.

"Ahem. Miss Kendall."

Cassie blinked and stopped. She and Ned turned around. "Um ... yes, Mr. Seeger?"

Seeger scowled, but his eyes betrayed doubt. "If you would, Miss Kendall, I would like to see you in my office before your first class."

Cassie's heart thumped. While she had intended to see Seeger anyway, she could only imagine what else had gone wrong. "Did I do something wrong, Mr.--"

"No, Miss Kendall. But I fear I have."

Cassie's mouth dropped open, and she exchanged an equally confused look with Ned.

Seeger sighed. "Forgive me for abusing my position of authority, but report to my office. Now."

Melinda managed to avoid lifting her skirt more than three times despite how warm and wet her pussy was and so deserving of being shown off. By the time she reached her locker, she was panting softly from pent-up lust. Not that it mattered if she satisfied it now, for it would only return with a vengeance when she sat in her first class of the day.

She wondered which of the boys she would pick. It would have to be someone nearby so he didn't have to strain his neck too much to look. She imagined a few more would want to look, but she had to hide herself from them when they did. Only the one she picked would get the special viewing and the privilege of watching her slowly masturbate.

For that was what a slut did: make false promises to one guy and mercilessly tease the others. None would get to shove his cock into her, even the one she picked, even as much as she would want it the more he looked at her.

Melinda caught someone approaching out of the corner of her eye and was surprised to see Heather walking towards her. "Hi, Melinda," Heather said in a slightly husky but otherwise normal voice.

"Um, hi," Melinda said. Her eyes swept over her older sister. "So did Bendon take that whatever-it-was off you?"

"Yes, my punishment is over. I'm her good little girl again."

Melinda shuddered. "I wish you'd stop saying things like that. I feel like I'm in Stepford High instead of Haven High. So what do you want?"

"I wanted to ask you if you tried to give yourself to Jason yet."

Melinda peered at Heather. "Why are you saying that? In fact ... how are you able to talk to me at all? Last time you were totally spaced-out by Thursday."

"Please, Melinda, answer me. Did you try to give yourself to him yet?"

Melinda slowly shook her head. "Actually, I tried, and he sort of said 'no.' Or at least he said he had to think about it, which is just as good as a 'no' right now."

"Could you hold off for a little longer?"

Melinda narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Heather looked uncertain but suddenly shivered and let out a husky sigh. When she spoke again, her voice was soft and dreamy. "Because I feel something will happen on Monday."

"But Aunt Jo wants to take me as her slave by Monday!"

"Please, Melinda, you have to wait until then."

"You're not making any sense."

"Please, do it for me."

"But why would ..." Melinda trailed off. Her eyes widened. "Did you have a precog? You saw something will happen on Monday?"

"Something like that, yeah," Heather said. She smiled and swayed her hips. "So will you do it for me, baby sis?"

Melinda uttered a husky sigh and shivered as her skin flushed hot. "I-I asked you not to call me that."

"Sorry. But will you do it?"

Melinda frowned. Heather's little slip had left her pussy aching, and she was dying to show off her self-pleasuring skills to one of the boys. "I'll try. But ... if Aunt Jo takes me ..."

"She won't, I promise."

Melinda wanted to believe her sister. She had no other hope. She doubted she could take much more. It had been a struggle that morning just to maintain her anger and frustration. It was all too easy to fall into the rhythm Aunt Jo wished of her, if for no other reason than sheer exhaustion at resisting it.

She had sensed over the past few days that Jo had been holding back. Jo had avoided complete control for the fun of humiliating her, or perhaps to weaken her resolve and thus enslave her more easily. She felt Jo had succeeded on both accounts.

But if I had some of that potion, maybe I could hold out against her, Melinda thought.

"All right," Melinda said in a quavering but hopeful voice. "I'll do it."

Seeger wrung his hands, a gesture he had not done in some years. He stared across the desk at Cassie as if in disbelief that this was the girl he had intended to see. He had thought Jason's selection of the Kendall daughter to be inspired; who better than someone used to an environment of influence and leadership to take on the role Jason had been forced to depart?

Now he saw just a little girl, looking as scared and worried as he felt. He almost reconsidered this course of action, but he had no other options. It was this or nothing. A long shot at best, even if the Harbingers were at full strength, but his conscience would bother him a lot more in the long run if he did not try.

What was remarkable, however, was how the girl looked at him. Her face betrayed as much sympathy as it did confusion and worry, as if she already sensed what he was feeling or could read his thoughts.

"Miss Kendall," Seeger said in an uneven voice. "I fear ... I fear I may have bitten off more than I can chew."

"Sir?" Cassie asked, nonplussed. "I don't understand."

"When I heard what Laura ... what that woman is doing to and with the older Miss Sovert, I ..." Seeger swallowed and wiped his face with his hand. "I could not just sit by the sidelines and do nothing! Especially after hearing what she also reportedly did with multiple male students of this school."

Cassie blinked. "Has she been influencing other students as well into--"

Seeger could not stop himself from talking, as if he needed to hear his own voice, even the more frantic it became. "I tried to find evidence on my own. I tried to interview the boys I suspected Laura had ... trysted with. Few would admit to it. Those who did had not enough to say nor had any hard evidence to back it up."

Cassie gave the appearance of someone trying not to become exasperated and failing. "Mr. Seeger, what is it you want of me? The Harbingers are very taxed right now and can't handle much more."

"I understand that, Miss Kendall." Seeger paused, his eyes misty. "I am to blame for this. I acted too rashly. Simply put, if I do not find some hard evidence of Laura's impropriety with the students, I will be forced out of my position by the end of this coming Monday."

Cassie gasped and placed her hand over her heart. "Oh, goodness, Mr. Seeger, I ... we ... w-we don't want to lose you."

For a moment, Seeger was too stricken for words. Never in all his years had a student expressed anything close to the genuine affection he sensed from Cassie. First Jason had given him the utmost respect, and now this. Even if he failed and was forced out, at least he could take some solace from this.

"I don't expect heroics," Seeger said in a shaky voice. "But if you or the others have anything ... anything at all ... that I could use, I beg of you to pass it my way."

Cassie did not respond. She simply stared at him, and he could not tell if it were shock or revulsion.

"The very request would be enough to kick me out of here before Monday," Seeger said in a hushed if still urgent voice. "But if there is evidence, it ... it has to be of the act itself." He swallowed, suddenly feeling like he needed a shower. "Just her word against Laura's would not be enough, not with the mental influence she can likely exert over the members of the school board."

"I-I don't know if we could do that," said Cassie. "Not ... not that we wouldn't give you that evidence if we had it. We would trust you with it."

Seeger let out a quavering sigh. "That means a great deal to me, Miss Kendall."

"I just don't know for the life of me how we would get anything like that."

Seeger nodded. "I understand. And I will think no less of you or your fellow Harbingers if this is beyond your capabilities at the moment. I feel content that I asked for the help."

Cassie sighed, and Seeger heard in that one sound a far greater responsibility than he had ever meant to bestow upon her. He felt both foolish and selfish.

"Thank you for confiding in me, Mr. Seeger," Cassie said. "I'll tell the others. Maybe someone will come up with something."

"Thank you, Miss Kendall, that is all I ask. It's almost time for your first class, so we should end this here."

Cassie nodded, stood, and headed towards the door in silence. Seeger very nearly called her back to tell her to forget the whole thing. Instead, he spread his hands over the top of the desk as he watched the door close behind her.

Seeger let out a despondent sigh and shook his head.

Cassie stared at the congealing mess on her plate that would have been her lunch had she any appetite. She sensed Ned was going to try yet again to nudge her into eating something. She was sure she would snap at him if he did, so she chose to explode at the situation instead before he could speak.

"I can't believe this is happening," Cassie said. "It's too surreal. Never mind that I can barely keep up with everything else that's going on right now."

"He did tell ya he wasn't expectin' much," Ned said in a tentative voice.

"Maybe that's what he said, Ned, but that sure was not what he was feeling. He's at a complete dead end. He's counting on us, and I know I'll feel terrible if we let him down."

"Well, fuck, there has to be something we can do," Richie grumbled. "We should be jumping at the chance to kick Bendon's sorry ass out of here."

"And jus' what d'ya have in mind fer us ta do?" Ned said in a sour voice. "Hide in the bushes under a window with a camera?"

"Why the fuck not?"

"Yeah, an' what's yer brilliant excuse if ya get caught?"

"But that's what it comes down to, isn't it?" Cassie said. "He couldn't come out and say it, but that's what Mr. Seeger wants. It would have to be a photograph or a video."

"I told you," Richie sneered at Ned.

Ned frowned. "I ain't dismissin' the idea itself, I jus' don't see how we're gonna pull it off."

"I don't want anyone else taking any more risks!" Cassie exclaimed. "I'm already worried about Diane and what she's trying to do for Heather."

"We can't let this go!" Richie declared. "We can't let Bendon kick Seeger out of here." He paused and blinked. "Shit. You really know things are fucked up when I'm the one defending Saggy-Seeger."

"Would you please stop calling him that?!" Cassie cried.

"Oh, chill out, Cassie, everyone calls him that."

"I'd like to think he's earned a little more respect than that considering how he's risking everything for the school."

"Whoa, pardners, settle down," Ned drawled. "We're gonna be doin' the Dark Poobah's job for it at this rate. Okay, look, lemme poke around a bit and see if I can figger out something."

Cassie stamped her foot and whirled around to face him. "I absolutely refuse to see you put yourself in harm's way over this."

Ned held his hands up. "Babe, I ain't gonna go near Bendon or her house without yer stamp of approval. That's a promise."

Cassie frowned for a moment, then let out a short sigh and shook her head, draping a hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just ... I-I've just never been this nervous before. If it were just the ... what Mrs. Radson was working on, or just the danger to Diane, or ..." She trailed off when it started to sound like lame excuses to her own ears.

"Then how the hell are we supposed to do anything if we don't go over there?" Richie demanded. "Why not just try it?"

"'Cuz we gotta know what we're gettin' ourselves inta first, that's why," said Ned. "Hey, I'm the one who jus' loves ta go in with both guns blazin', but we don't 'xactly have a lotta resources, ya know?"

Cassie could not express how grateful she was that Ned had tempered his more gung ho attitudes of late. If she had to deal with him wanting to fly off in every direction, it would not be long before she screamed at him. "Even in the best of times, Ned, this would be something very tricky to pull off, and we have only four days to do it."

"I know. Which is why I'm gonna start with a little, ah, social engineerin'."

Richie stared at him. "What what?"

Cassie's eyes widened. "Wait, are you talking about approaching this by hacking into something?"

"Now what the fuck are you talking about?" Richie demanded.

"Not necessarily," Ned said. "But I remember jawin' with Jason about his hackin' stuff at one point. He mentioned how ya can get inta some systems by jus' findin' out who uses it and trickin' 'em inta givin' ya their passwords. Or ya jus' find out who might have a weak password that can be cracked. I figger mebbe I can treat Bendon's house like that an' see if I come up with something we can use."

Cassie gave him an admonishing look. "Ned, you just said you wouldn't go near either Bendon or her house if I didn't approve, and I'm not about to--"

"Not Bendon. Heather."

"Are you fucking serious?" Richie snorted. "Did you get a good look at her today? She's like totally lost it now."

"Yeah, an' that's what made me think about it. She's zoned out enough that she ain't got her mental censors workin' right. Unless Bendon thought ta tell her ta say nothin' 'bout what goes on there, I'll bet I can practically get a floor plan from her."

"But won't she go back and tell Bendon that you talked to her?" Cassie asked.

"Well, yeah, mebbe. But it's not like I'm gonna be askin' her if there just happen to be easy places ta hide where ya can get good pictures of the action from. I hope ta be a little more subtle than that."

Cassie tried not to doubt him, even if "subtlety" was not a word she would associate with him. She reminded herself how his powers of observation and associative mind managed to find the hidden code for the potion. As much as she wanted to think that delegating was too much like her mother, she had to let the others do what they were best at.

"I admit, this is gonna be a fishin' expedition," Ned said. "But ya don't catch the big one if ya ain't even willin' to cast the line in the first place."

"I still think Heather's too fucking loopy to tell you anything," Richie grumbled. "But, whatever, I guess. So what do you want me to do?"

"Jus' keep doin' that voodoo ya do so well with Diane."

"You're going with them, of course," Cassie said, trying not to make it sound like an order and failing.

"Ayep. I can only talk ta Heather at school anyway. Besides, ya already primed the dude ta expect three people."

Cassie nodded quickly. "And, please, head right over to Mrs. Radson's afterward."

"Will do, boss."

Cassie almost winced at the title. She realized she had her own selfish reasons for wanting to see Jason freed, so she could return the mantle of command where she felt it rightly belonged. Though at that moment, she felt the right person for the job was anyone but her.

Richie headed back to his locker at the last possible moment after lunch period, waiting as long as to see the first arrivals for the next lunch period. With the small taste of freedom that lunch had given him, he wanted the school day to be over. Dragging himself through yet more classes was little more than a pain in the ass, and it was little wonder he had the worst grades in his afternoon subjects.

When he arrived at his locker, he stopped short when he saw Melinda there, tapping her foot and sighing dramatically. "There you are!" she called out. "Finally."

"What is it, pipsqueak?" Richie asked as he opened his locker.

"I need to ask you for a favor, Richie," Melinda said in a forlorn voice. "I really really need you to do this for me."

Richie gave her a small smirk and almost said "Yeah, of course I'll have hot sex with you" but at the last moment thought it sounded too dickish. "Yeah, sure, whatever you want. What is it?"

"I want you to share some of your dose of the potion with me."

Richie froze. He stared at her and frowned. "You want me to what?"

Melinda bounced in place. "Please, Richie? Please?"

"But ... I ... why do you need it? You're not gonna try to rescue--"

"I'm not rescuing anyone," Melinda snapped. "But Heather told me something might happen on Monday that will help me."

"Okay, you just fucking lost me. What the hell are you talking about?"

Melinda sighed and rolled her eyes. "I told her I ... " She glanced around and lowered her voice. "That I was thinking of giving myself to Jason."

"Are you fucking nuts?!"

"Richie, please! Let me finish! She told me not to do it, that I need to hold out until Monday. But Aunt Jo might try to take me permanently by then. I need something to stop her."

Richie ground his teeth. He wanted to tell her that the potion was his, that he needed it to free his mother, that nothing was more important to him than that. Yet the memory would not leave him of Melinda being taken away by the cult, and it again played out in his mind with cruel clarity.

He would have welcomed his father's voice at that moment, either to tell him to stop being a dick and help a friend avoid enslavement, or to stop being a dick and don't let himself be distracted from helping his own family.

"Melinda, I want to," Richie said, though he was not sure if he believed it himself. "But I don't know if that would weaken it or something, or make it wear off faster."

"Well, can't you just delay taking it? I'm going to have to anyway since you're going to have to get it to me tomorrow."

Richie's hands clenched into fists. Why the FUCK is she doing this to me?! he railed at her in his head. Why the FUCK do I have to be the one to sacrifice something?! My mother hasn't been screwed over enough?!

"Richie, this means a lot to me," Melinda said, her eyes shimmering. "I can't do this anymore. Y-You have no idea how humiliating this past week has been."

Aw fuck, Richie thought as she realized Melinda was on the verge of tears. If there was anything which could shatter his resolve, it was seeing a girl cry. "All right," he said in a low voice. "I'll do it."

Melinda's eyes still glistened, but her lips twitched into a smile, and she threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she whispered in a heavy voice in his ear. "I'll make this up to you, I promise."

Richie did not respond. Nothing could ever make up for it if he failed to rescue his mother.

Henry sat in stark silence in his office, the cell phone held to his ear. The only sign that the connection had not been dropped was a slow, suffering sigh from the other end. "I'm getting very tired of this, Hank," said Ted Havers.

"I have submitted the most cogent argument I can in favor of authorizing a one-time use of my abilities," said Henry in a cool, businesslike voice. "I am sure it has been sent to you by now for your official review. I am willing to get on a plane within the next two hours if you need me to resubmit the request in person and--"

"No."

Henry fell silent and waited.

Another silence. Another sigh. "Don't do this to me," said Ted.

"I am doing nothing but submitting a formal request by the proper channels as official protocol dictates."

"Yes, and now I have to explain to my superiors why you're even daring to make this request in the first place!" Ted thundered. "They'll be asking the same things I did of you. Did he understand the risks he was taking when he came on board? Does he comprehend the standing orders concerning the use of such powers outside a controlled environment?"

"I covered both in my request. Have you even read it?"

"No, because until I do, I have the option of closing it with a final status of 'will not review.' If I open it and read it, I can no longer do that."

"I have built up a complete and detailed explanation of why freeing my wife from this outside influence is in the best interests of the Project and, indirectly, national security."

Ted sighed again.

"If you do not at least read it, then you've shown that your only interest is in stonewalling me and dictating how the Project is to be run. I am willing to file a formal complaint in that regard."

"This does not need to be adversarial," Ted declared.

"To be blunt, Ted, you made it abundantly clear in the past few phone calls that an adversarial approach is my only recourse."

Henry head a loud thump on the other end of the phone. "Dammit, Hank! You don't understand how critical this is! It's like dealing with a deadly virus. One tiny slip-up, one minute loss of containment, and everything is lost!"

"Unless you're seeing reports that I am not, then everything is currently stable."

"That's what we had thought right up until that night you called me and told me we almost lost it, all because of some stupid girl and a pendant we knew nothing about."

"I also recall mentioning that that particular vector was closed to it."

"And what if another is about to open?" Ted demanded. "What if the movement of the line is a prelude to that, and we just have not found it yet. What if the very thing you are trying to do is exactly the vector it needs?"

Henry fell silent. Now it was his turn to let out a small, frustrated sigh.

"I see you haven't thought of that, have you?" Ted said in a grave voice. "This could be an elaborate setup to lure you into doing exactly what you are proposing, only instead of freeing her from its influence, its influence overcomes you and thus risks breaching the integrity of the Project."

"I feel the risk of that is very small."

"But not zero. And on the basis of that, permission is denied."

Henry ground his teeth.

"Of course, officially, no permission need be granted or denied," said Ted in a lower voice. "Thanks to this little talk -- which I hope has made you see reason -- I can simply close it sight unseen and the upper echelons will never--"

"Wait."

Ted hesitated. "Yes?"

"Don't close it yet. Keep it in the queue."

"Regulations state that I have to process these in a timely--"

"Fuck the regulations!" Henry roared. "You know how many times we've had to skirt around them to get things done in this damn Project? We'd still be wrangling over the design of the hospital wing if we didn't take a few end-runs around--"

"What would be the purpose of me keeping this request open?" Ted said in a exasperated voice.

Henry's mind raced. "If ... if I could find empirical proof that the risk was zero--"

"That is likely an impossibility."

"Nevertheless, assume for the moment that I could, would that at least make you reconsider? Or are you just hell-bent in denying everything I request sight unseen?"

"That was uncalled for. The fact that I am even talking to you now should prove that is not the case."

"Then leave it open for a little while. Please. If I still can't come up with something that will satisfy you, then you can close it, and I'll never submit the request ever again in any way, shape, or form."

Ted hesitated. "Never again? No calls, no nothing?"

"Nothing. Not a peep from me about it. Ever."

"Very well. I can leave this open for no more than a week. After that I will have to process it."

Henry let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ted."

"Now, are we done here?"

"Yes, we're done."

"Good." The call was terminated a second later.

Henry frowned as he closed the cell phone and dropped it into his pocket.

Ted had been right. He had not thought of the possibility that the Haven Entity had engineered this as a means to get at him and the Project rather than his son, but that would assume it had specific knowledge of the Project. Even Jason's hacking skills could not have breached the hospital subnet used by the Project.

The only thing telling him that rescuing his wife would be safe was a gut feeling. Jason was indeed the focus of its intentions, and Audrey had simply been a means to that end. Even so, a danger indeed existed that the Entity could put up enough of a struggle for control of Audrey that it overwhelmed him.

If he was going to do this, he had to do it when the Entity was distracted, and that would be the moment of the inevitable Harbinger counterattack to get Jason back. Or so he hoped they were planning as such; he had only one way to find out.

Henry took out his cell phone and dialed another number.

"Office of Homeland Security, Communications Monitoring Division," answered a bright female voice. "This is Sarah. How may I help you?"

"Code alpha seven delta tango," said Henry. "Haven Project."

"Identification code, please."

Henry recited all ten letters and digits.

"Confirmed." He heard typing in the background. "Aaaand ... voice-print confirmed. Hello, Henry, it's good to hear from you again."

"Same here, Sarah. Unfortunately this is not a social call. I need a request, and I'd like it to be hush-hush, please."

"Hmm. I'm not really supposed to do that anymore, not with the tighter regs these days."

"I know, honey, I know, but all I want is a cell phone number."

"Okay, I guess I can swing that. What's the name?"

"Cassandra Kendall. She's underage, so the phone will likely be in the name of her mother, Dorothy Kendall."

Furious typing, then a pause. "Wait. Not the Kendalls?"

"If by that you mean the richer-than-God Kendalls, yes, that's them."

"Henry, Robert Kendall has been poking his nose around in government circles, and a few of them are dangerously close to yours. You sure you want me to go through with this?"

Henry raised an eyebrow. Yet another thing Ted had not told him. "Yes, please, go ahead. This is very important."

"All right." She continued typing. "This is going to take awhile. I'll have to call you back."

"Not a problem, honey. Thanks, I really appreciate this. I owe you one."

Sarah chuckled. "I'll add it to the growing pile. Talk to you later."

"Later."

When Jason arrived at the Inn after school, Stacy was not in her office, and he found Kim waiting for him in the usual room in which he held his trysts with his slaves. She lay on the bed, writhing and naked, her fingers playing with her already wet pussy. He enjoyed her little moans and sighs as he undressed, never letting her rise to orgasm. He felt a little guilty for not using her the day before, but he would more than make up for it that day.

After all, he was planning to "double her pleasure," in a way.

He made his needs known without words. She left the bed and crawled to him, panting in anticipation and rising desire. She knelt before him, cradling his balls in her hand as her eager and willing lips slid down his shaft. Her free hand slid between her thighs and stroked her needy folds.

Jason closed his eyes as her head bobbed on his cock. He enjoyed the slow rise, in no hurry despite his need to speak with Stacy. Everything he wanted to do to protect the Harbingers hung on what Stacy could do to help him.

He did not let Kim bring him too far towards orgasm. He kept her ministrations slow and teasing, just enough to whet his appetite. He was tempted to let her go all the way, her tongue and lips having become so skilled in such a short period of time, but that would mean waiting until he was hard again to put his cock where it really needed to go.

He let out a husky sigh as she turned her head to one side, easing her tongue along the underside of his shaft. She teased the sensitive spot behind the head before inching him inside her mouth again. He let her do this a few more times before nudging her back, both physically and mentally.

Kim panted softly, her hand still working her slit, hips writhing. He bid her to stand and replaced her hand with his, fingers teasing her clit with slow, circular strokes. She closed her eyes and shivered, uttering a tremulous sigh. Her hips trembled as if with the desire to shove her pussy against his hand. She knew better than that; she would be his good little girl and let him set the pace.

He withdrew his fingers and held them up until Kim had licked them clean. He took her hand and led her to the bed. She knew what he wanted and arranged herself. She lay on her back and drew her knees up and to the side, exposing the glistening pink flesh of her sex.

Jason climbed atop her, urgent and lustful. She drew in her breath and held it, eyes smoldering. He thought for a moment he saw a small shimmering of fear in her gaze, as if she knew what he was about to do. He dismissed it, as it would no longer matter. She would be what he wanted of her, and she would be happier for it. She would no longer need to pine for just his cock.

Or, for that matter, his gender.

Her breath emerged as a soft gasp as his cock slid into her tight tunnel. She wrapped her legs and arms around him, tilting her head back with a husky sigh. His hips pumped against her, and she panted and rocked to his thrusts. As she had waited two days for the touch of his cock inside her, her mind was filled with nothing but lust and obedience.

Thus did Jason find her mind open to him at once. He could slip inside it as if it were but an extension of his own. As she gasped and panted in rising pleasure, her mind filled with a blissful fog of growing ecstasy, masking his presence if she had the will to look for it.

She moaned and tilted her head back as her pleasure peaked, the bed rocking and squeaking from the force of his thrusts. Jason held her back just enough to gather her pleasure like floodwater pressing against a dam. She whimpered and squirmed in ever more desperate need to consummate the act.

He held her back a little longer. He had to make sure he had it just right. He did not know yet if he had succeeded with Cindy, as she had not been at the front desk when he had entered the Inn.

Jason let her go, and his mind rode her orgasm like waves on the ocean. Like Cindy, she would crave sexual contact with other men. It would become a need, an instinct to flirt with someone who found her attractive, to entice them into hot sex to satisfy her addiction.

She would crave pussy as well. Women would hold just as much fascination for her, and any female showing even remote signs of interest would get her pussy buzzing and wet in anticipation of intense girl-on-girl action.

Kim let out a long, satisfied sigh as her orgasm waned and his cock withdrew. She smiled at him and ran her hands along his arms and his sides. "That was so nice, Master," she said in a breathy voice. "I hope I pleased you."

Jason gave her a small smile as he drew back. He thought he had heard the door to Stacy's office open and close. He was anxious to catch her before he had to leave. "Yes, you did. You've been a good girl."

"Do you have to go now, Master?" she asked in a sad voice.

Jason climbed off the bed and gathered his clothes. "I do, unfortunately. But I'll be back over the weekend." He wanted to tell her that he might even bring another slave along for her to play with, but he had yet to determine if his plan would come to fruition.

He dressed and exited the room, then jogged towards Stacy's office and knocked on the door.

"Please, come in, Jason," came Stacy's bright voice. "You're done rather early with Kim. Is there something wrong?"

"Not really," Jason said as he took his seat. "But I think I'm stuck and may need some help."

Stacy folded her hands before her. "I'll do whatever I can. What do you need?"

"I've decided I'm going to enslave Diane," Jason said. "For the good of the other Harbingers and herself. Eventually I plan to have her be a slave for all of us once the others come around."

Stacy nodded. "You're making the only decision you can given the circumstances."

"But the other Harbingers have taken to protecting her. They're not letting her out of their sight. She's either being escorted or in plain view of the others every second she's out of the house."

"I see the problem, yes. What is it you want me to do to help?"

"That's just it, I'm not sure. I thought that if I cannot get to her when she's outside of the house, I'll have to take her inside the house. The others would never suspect me doing something like that, and where her house is located, there's lots of ways to approach it without being seen."

Stacy leaned back, looking pensive. "So you need a way to get her parents out of the house, is that it? When are you planning on doing this?"

"As soon as possible. I'd like to do it tomorrow, before the others have a chance to catch on. That would mean one parent to get out of the house. She has a working father but a stay-at-home mother."

Stacy nodded. "Yes, I see. I think I can help you, Jason."

Jason's eyes widened. "You can? That would be awesome if you could!"

Stacy smiled. "A few of the people who patronize the Inn's special services are Haven police officers. I believe I could call on one to set up a convincing ruse."

Jason gave her a wary look. "What kind of ruse? I don't want to get anyone in trouble."

"Not at all. I would leave it up to the officer to think of a specific idea. Perhaps something like claiming Diane was hurt and her mother had to come get her right away. Or she was detained for some questioning and her mother had to validate an alibi. I can think of a dozen other ruses."

Jason felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had been afraid he would be forced to shift for himself, as if it were a test.

"So all we need to know now is timing," said Stacy.

"That's the problem. I won't know until tomorrow afternoon. Diane goes off somewhere with Richie, and it's not always clear when they'll be back. I'll have to follow them and have your friend get her mother out of the house as Diane heads back home."

"Then come straight here when you know she's about to head home," Stacy said. "I'll make sure to be available all afternoon tomorrow. I'll get this set up for you at my end by then."

Jason smiled. "I really appreciate the help."

"It's the least I could do, Jason, for everything you've done for me." Stacy grinned. "Take Cindy, for instance. Thanks to you, she is far more productive than she ever was."

"Oh?" Jason said in a dubious voice. "I thought what I had done to her would be a distraction from her job, not--"

"Let's just say her responsibilities have changed."

Jason slowly nodded, his eyes widening as realization dawned. "Oh, but I didn't mean for her to ..." He trailed off as Stacy gave him a knowing look. "But ... she's happy this way, isn't she?"

"She's getting exactly what she craves, Jason," Stacy said. "She is very happy with it, and now she's a danger to no one."

Jason slowly smiled and nodded. "Yes, and that's what mattered in the first place."

"Exactly. And can I assume you've given me another one?"

"Oh, Kim? Yes. And she likes pussy, too."

"Excellent, Jason. Yes, helping you with Diane is indeed the least I can do for you."

Jason's smile widened. He could not think of a better outcome than this. He finally felt like everything was falling into place.

Stacy leaned forward and folded her hands under her chin. "And when this is all said and done with Diane, I am sure you will be able to think of other ways in which you can better serve the Harbingers."

Jason paused, then slowly nodded. For once, he was looking forward to being the leader of the Harbingers again. With this power and the knowledge to use it wisely, he could better ensure the Harbingers would work together as a team.

He just had to apply his mind to the task.

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