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			DAMSELS UNDER GLASS: THE SERIES
			Kat's Story — by Michael Masterton Chapter 2

Kat strided confidently up the corridor, dragging her naked, bound captive with her.  She stopped at the computer terminal door.  She let go of Jamie, who tried desperately to stop the momentum from toppling her over.  She succeeded, and stood upright, trying to retain her composure, which wasn’t easy in her current situation.  She had often gone around the resort complex in the buff, but being bound, gagged and naked was very different.  She watched Kat helplessly.  

“Eve—open this door,” Kat commanded.  

“You are requesting entry to a Category One Restricted Area.  Clearance is required,” was Eve’s response.  

Kat muttered under her breath as she pulled out her ID swipe card.  The usual keypad and transponder sensor was located in an armoured panel beside the door, but there was no card channel.  Kat removed her right glove, revealing the small signet ring on her right pinkie.  Jamie could see the gold cat emblem set into the stone.  Kat held the ring next to the transponder sensor.  Nothing happened.  

“Eve—Is the access system off-line?”  

“No, Ms. Mayfair.  Access to restricted areas on Gondaloo Island is obtained by keying in a six digit PIN code.”  

“What are you talking about?  Pin codes went out with button-up boots....and where is the damn card channel?”  

“Dr. Seaton goes underwater, and hikes through the island’s forests.  A card could easily be damaged or misplaced in this environment, and transponder entry will not be allowed until my command functions are fully synchronized with the Seattle nexus.  Until I-we-I pass that milestone, access is controlled by a PIN code mediated by the local security server.  It changes every four to six days, and is only known to Dr. Seaton, Ms. Wells and myself.” 

Jamie frowned behind her gag.  ‘...I-we-I...?’  Those little verbal glitches were supposed to be getting less common as the system matured... not more common.  

“Eve—open this damn door!”  

“The PIN number is required to gain access to this area.” 

“Eve...” 

“Yes, Ms. Mayfair?” 

“You’re worse than Windows 98.”  

“With respect, that is not correct Ms. Mayfair.  Windows 98 is an obsolete, 32 bit PC operating system, developed by Microsoft, which was replaced by a standalone version of Windows NT, which was replaced by— ” 

“Shut up Eve, I’m not interested.”  

Kat put her glove back on, flexing her fingers as she tugged the cuff.  She turned to Jamie, who had been a mute witness to her exchange with Eve.  Jamie’s heart beat faster as Kat’s gaze locked on her like a smart missile seeking its target.  Her breasts heaved as Kat walked towards her. 

“I guess Eve won’t tell me the code, and I’d never hear the end of it if I asked Margo... so that just leaves you, Honey Bun.” 

Kat’s fingers hovered centimetres from Jamie’s vulnerable breasts, framed in their tight rope bra. 

“Your nipples are erect!” Kat observed.  “Eve, what’s the temperature in here?” 

“Air conditioning systems are functioning as normal.  The temperature through the resort complex is being maintained at 25 degrees centigrade.  If you are investigating Dr. Seaton’s state of arousal, I can provide you with a full physiological report.”  

“That won’t be necessary,” Kat turned back to Jamie, whose eyes were widening above the tape covering her mouth, “I know the signs of arousal.  After all, Eve is usually not accessible where I play.  So, Dr. Seaton—the PIN code please.” 

Jamie responded with an unintelligible string of noises, much to Kat’s amusement. 

“It won’t be necessary to remove your gag.  You can paw the ground for me, like a good little pony-girl.  Understand?  One scrape for one, two for two, pause between numbers?  I could go find a riding crop if that will help get you into an equestrian mood.” 

Jamie looked at Kat, then at the floor.  

“I’m waiting.” 

Jamie tried to hide her feelings of humiliation as she complied with Kat’s request.  Four scrapes.  One scrape.  Six scrapes.  Two scrapes.  Five scrapes.  Nine scrapes.  

Kat laughed at Jamie’s brief, bizarre ballet dance. 

“Okay, so that’s four, one, six, two, five, nine.  Right?” 

Jamie nodded. 

“Good.  Now that wasn’t hard, was it?”  

Kat went to key the PIN into the keypad, then stopped, turning back to Jamie. 

“I guess we should do this properly.  You can enter the PIN number.” 

Jamie motioned questionably with her wrists, which were still securely bound behind her back. 

“You don’t need your hands.  We’ll use another appendage.  That cute button nose of yours will do the job just fine.  Come on.” 

Kat grabbed Jamie by her red locks and roughly guided her over to the keypad.  She placed her hand between Jamie’s shoulder blades, pushing down until the captive freckled nose was level with the keypad.  Jamie’s nipples just touched the cool coral concrete of the tunnel wall.  

“I think you can reach all the keys from here,” Kat said with a smug grin.  “Now, start pecking, my ‘little red hen.’  If you get it right on the first try, maybe you’ll get a reward, like a nice yummy handful of corn!” 

Jamie blushed even brighter, and this time, reflected in the polished chrome of the entry panel housing, Kat could see anger in her eyes. 

“Well....I’m waiting,” Kat admonished her petite prisoner.  After a further pause, Kat leaned close and whispered in Jamie’s ear.  “...and if you’re not interested in a reward... there’s always... punishment.” 

Jamie sighed through her gag, and leaning forward, carefully tapped out the entry code with her ‘cute button nose.’  The door slid open. 

“Finally!  In we go!” 

Kat let go of Jamie, then pushed her through the doorway, propelling her into the middle of the room.  She grabbed her, and then dragged her over to a corner.  Jamie protested as best she could with what noises she get past her gag, and her body movements were calculated to resist Kat as much as possible.  This was going too far!  Was it really necessary for Kat to man-handle... Kat-handle... her this much? 

Kat ignored Jamie’s verbal and physical protestations, and sat her down.  She shrieked as her bare butt came in contact with the cold floor.  Kat straightened and brought Jamie’s kicking legs together.  She produced two more lengths of rope out of nowhere—Jamie wondered exactly where on her skin-tight catsuited person Kat kept her seemingly inexhaustible bondage kit—and used one to bind Jamie’s ankles together.  The other was used to bind her legs above the knees.  

“That should keep you out of mischief,” Kat gloated, checking Jamie’s bonds were all tight and secure.  She smoothed the tape covering Jamie’s mouth, then tapped Jamie under the chin.  Jamie glared at her.  Kat stood up, and faced the bank of terminals, hands on hips, assuming the attitude of a person in charge. 

“Eve, bring up the dossiers on Detective Sergeants Joesphine Atkins and Kathleen Jones.” 

A picture of an oval faced, wide eyed blonde appeared on one screen, while a picture of a dark haired female with fine facial features appeared on the screen on the other side.  Text scrolled up the middle screen, which Kat studied quickly but closely, absorbing the details in seconds.  She stepped back. 

“Eve, do a search on the World Wide Web for any new local information.” 

“Yes, Ms Mayfair,” there was a pause, “I’ve located 82 documents.” 

“What is the first document?”  

“A press release from the National Crime Authority, dated July 15th, 2003.  Headline reads ‘Two of South Australia’s finest join the NCA—Queensland division.’” 

“Continue.” 

“Two of the South Australia Police’s best detectives, DS Kathleen Jones and Joesphine Atkins, have been seconded to NCA, to fight the rising tide of corruption and drug problems in Queensland.  Nearly fifteen years after the Fitzgerald Enquiry, Queensland is once again plagued by corruption.  Experts say this is due to Queensland being now the only Australian state or territory where heroin is still illegal...”  

Jamie was all too familiar with the background of the story that had Kat so absorbed.  Jamie was more interested in her current predicament.  She stared at her ballet slippers and bound ankles, trying to keep calm.  She tested the ropes binding her wrists and elbows behind her back, but they were as tight and secure as before, and firmly resisted her most determined struggles.  She was bound, gagged and helpless, and at the complete mercy of Kat, who was just too unpredictable as a playmate.  Kat was someone you wouldn’t choose to be alone with on a desert island. 

Unable to do anything else, Jamie looked idly around the room, noticing a very strange message on a screen on the side wall.  It read “Dr. Seaton: this is your chance to escape.  Hop out of the room!” 

She wasn’t alone on a desert island with Kat.  She had Eve!  It would explain why Eve had been so obstinate since Kat had arrived.  But it would have been a bigger help if Eve had warned her of Kat’s arrival....but at least now she had a window of opportunity.  She quietly shuffled a few inches backwards, so her back was against the wall.  She bent her legs so her bound, ballet slippered feet were flat on the floor.  She pressed her hands against the wall, and lifted herself up until she was able to get into a standing position.  If Kat turned around now, Jamie would be in big trouble.  But Kat was engrossed in the WWW search results.  The door was a few metres from where Jamie was standing, but seemed a kilometre away, and Jamie would have to hop quietly, without attracting Kat’s attention, or falling over.  Jamie started bobbing up and down towards the door, the ballet slippers on her feet ensuring that her progress was silent beneath Eve reading out the contents of HTML documents.  Jamie quickened her pace once she’d left the room.  She hopped up the corridor, wondering where the nearest sharp object was. 

“That’s fascinating Eve.  Australian politics is very bizarre.  Next document please,” Kat said.  

“Before I continue,” Eve replied, “I need to provide you with some information on an unrelated matter.”  

Kat shrugged. 

“Okay, go ahead.” 

“Dr. Seaton hopped out this room approximately one minute ago.” 

“What?”  Kat looked around, and saw that Jamie was gone, “why didn’t you tell me?” 

“The WWW now consists of approximately eight trillion documents, and is growing at the rate of 750,000 documents every minute.  All available resources had been directed towards undertaking your search.” 

“Oh never mind,” Kat was already walking out of the room.  As she stepped out into the corridor, her anger dissolved into laughter at the sight of Jamie, still bound hand and foot and gagged, bobbing up and down as she hopped up the corridor.  By walking briskly, Kat was moving along the corridor at a faster pace than Jamie, who had realised that Kat was there and in pursuit.  She hopped as fast as she could, but it was easy for Kat to catch up to her and grab her.  

“Where are you going?” Kat asked rhetorically, before turning Jamie back towards the computer terminal room.  Jamie shuffled around, desperately trying to keep her balance.  

“Now, we’re going back to the computer room.  And you are going to hop back, like a cute little red haired kangaroo.”  Kat smacked Jamie on her dimpled rear, causing her to yelp into her gag and almost lose her balance.   

"Pity you don't have more of a kangaroo tail back there, to counterbalance those flopping tits of yours " Kat observed, rubbing her gloved hand over Jamie's firm, freckled rump, "then your hopping might be more efficient.  Let's go!" Kat commanded, with a second smack.  

Jamie had no choice but to return the same way she had left the computer room, and this time Kat was enjoying the spectacle, and with a front view, could see Jamie’s breasts bobbing up and down as she hopped. 

With a gloating grin, Kat started singing in cadence with Jamie's awkward progress.  "Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush kangaroo..." 

Jamie blushed bright crimson.  She'd hated that bloody kiddy show and especially it's insipid theme song.  

Kat's grin widened when she noticed the signs of Jamie's humiliated embarrassment.  "Sorry Freckle Fox," she apologized,  "couldn't resist." 

They re-entered the computer terminal room.  This time Kat kept her bound and gagged prisoner by her side, tightly clutching her by the hair. 

“Okay Eve, now I need you to do a slightly more challenging search.  I want the number of either of those two detectives’ mobiles.  In the meantime, I’ll be dealing with ‘Ms. Houdini’ here.”  

Kat reached behind her back and produced the end of a piece of rope.  Jamie’s eyes widened as Kat continued pulling yard after yard of the thin rope from its hidden compartment, until it lay tangled at their feet like the coils of a sinister snake.  

Kat smiled at Jamie’s discomfiture.  “You’re a casual student of yoga, aren’t you?” she asked.  “Let’s see how flexible you really are, shall we?”