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			DAMSELS UNDER GLASS: THE SERIES
			Kat's Story — by Michael Masterton Chapter 10

For the second time in a few short minutes, Kat had to call upon every technique she knew to keep herself calm, and this time she had the added burden of holding her breath to prevent her lungs filling up with water.  She fought the compulsion to struggle against her bonds and gag, and tried to see what was happening above the surface of the water.  She could just make out the outlines of her three captors.  Suddenly one member of the trio dove into the pool, knifing through the surface in a cloud of bubbles.  Even without mask or goggles Kat could tell instantly that it was Jamie.  Freckle Fox had shed her coverall, cap and deck shoes, and her skin seemed to almost glow in the aqua, water filtered sunlight of the pool.  Her red hair trailing in a multitude of tiny bubbles, Jamie swam quickly down to the bound and gagged bodyguard, manoeuvred herself into the best position she could, then used Kat’s own knife to cut the cable tie that had kept Kat’s thighs tightly bound to her torso.  As the cable tie whipped free and started to float to the surface, Jamie moved behind Kat and helped her to plant her bound, booted feet on the pool bottom.  Kat and Jamie flexed their legs and kicked, and rocketed upwards.

As they broke the surface, Kat and Jamie shook the water from their faces, hair and eyes, and gladly took in big gulps of air.  Unfortunately, the tape that held the rubber ball in Kat’s mouth was waterproof, so it was stuck to the bound bodyguard’s indignant face as firmly as ever.  With one arm across Kat’s leather-clad chest in a rescue hold, and her nude body close along Kat’s side, Jamie guided her captive to the edge of the pool.  She then put one hand on the rim and with the other attempted to lift Kat up so she could roll onto the pool-side deck.

“Mmmphh mppphh mpppphhh,” Kat complained and indicated her bound wrists, suggesting the obvious fact that getting her out of the pool would be much easier if she was untied.

“No way Jose,” Jamie replied with a coy grin.  “You’re going to stay bound and gagged.”

Kat turned away, grunting and twisting her bound leather clad body in frustration.  Jamie grabbed Kat around the waist, and pressed her nude body up behind her, much closer than was actually necessary to lift Kat out of the pool.  Jamie’s hands, unseen under the water, moved down Kat’s thighs, teasingly brushed over her loins, then returned to her waist.  Kat bowed her head so none of the others could see her widening eyes.

Jamie leant forward and whispered in Kat’s ear.  “I really like you like this.  Shame about Eve going berserk and those two detectives being around.  You and I could spend some quality time together.  It’d be a chance for me to balance the books a little, eh?”  Jamie turned to the two detectives as Kat glowered and growled, shuddering at the thought of ‘quality time’ with Freckle Fox.  “Give us a hand,” Jamie called, and Jo and Kathleen rushed over, grabbing Kat’s shoulders.  Between the three of them, they were able to lift Kat out of the pool.  As Jamie climbed out herself, the two detectives laid the bound, gagged, and soaked bodyguard out on the poolside like a freshly caught fish.  Kat sat up and looked down at her catsuit in frustration.  The dunking in the pool had gotten rid of most of the solid remains of the 'breakfast' and at least some of the residue from the fire extinguisher, but she was still a slimy, bedraggled, and slightly smelly mess.  She glared up at the two detectives and at Jamie, who was pulling her coverall back on her wet, dripping form.  Jo hid a smile, giggled, then finally pointed at the very wet and angry Kat and started to laugh.

“I don’t think it’s very funny,” Jamie chastised, her eyes belying her words.

“Sorry,” Jo said, “of course you don’t.”  Jo continued, trying to suppress her giggles. “It’s just that Kitty-Kat reminded me of a kitten we had once.  It fell in the toilet.”

Jo burst into laughter again.  Kat’s glare intensified and then she kicked Jo with her booted, bound feet.  Jo screamed as she toppled backwards and fell into the pool.

“Serves you right,” Kathleen said as Jo’s head emerged from the water, spluttering, dripping and indignant.

“Okay,” Jo said, grudgingly contrite, “give us a hand.”

Kathleen leant forward, extending her hand.

“Stop pulling,” Kathleen protested. “How to do you expect me to—ahhhh!”

Kathleen fell in the pool alongside Jo.  Jamie, who had now finished getting dressed, looked down at them with bemused disgust.

“I ought to leave you two behind,” she remarked, fed up with the detectives’ double act.  Then she turned to Kat.  “And you!” she scolded, shaking her finger.  “If you don’t start behaving yourself, I’m going to toss you in the Piranha pond.”

“This place doesn’t really have a Piranha pond, does it?” Kathleen asked, trying to comb her dripping hair with her fingers.

“They’re not real Piranha,” Jamie admitted, “and they don’t eat people.” Jamie began shaking her finger in Kat’s face again. “But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t leave you in with them to soak ‘til we get back from Cairns, does it?” she shouted.

Jamie’s chastisement was so fierce it made even Kat feel a little like a naughty child.  She looked up in helpless, angry frustration at her petite, freckled, and flushed captor, noting for future reference that if you pushed Freckle Fox far enough that nonsense about redheads having fiery personalities was actually true.  The two dripping and contrite detectives climbed out of the pool and joined Jamie, standing quietly.

“Now we’re all soaked, so let’s call it quits, okay?” Jamie said, calming quickly.  She adjusted her cap and looked up at the looming black clouds on the horizon.  “And it looks like we’ll get soaked even more if we don’t get a move on.”

The trio loaded Kat back onto the trolley and Jamie led them towards the lagoon.

The tilt-rotor seaplane was a strange hybrid aircraft, a cross between a seaplane, conventional plane and helicopter.  With its box-like fuselage, blue nose and disproportionately large square cabin windows, it resembled a flying mouse.  Large helicopter-style propellers adorned the wings, and it was tethered to the pier alongside the lagoon with self-retracting steel cables.  Kathleen and Jo looked at it in amazement as Jamie flipped up a small flap and keyed a pin number in a keypad by the cabin door.  The cabin door lowered, forming a ramp.  Jamie, Kathleen and Jo lifted Kat up off the trolley, and carried their bound and gagged ‘cargo’ on board.

Fluorescent lights came on automatically as they entered the cabin.

“Welcome to TESSERACT Corporation’s Tilt-rotor seaplane 2843-B,” A generic, computer generated female voice welcomed them, “TESSERACT hopes you have a safe and pleasant flight.  The local nexus of EVE 6900 is currently off-line, so a cached agent is being used to ensure your ongoing comfort and safety.  To ensure a more enhanced service, you may wish to connect to another nexus....”

“Blah blah blah,” Jamie remarked as she and the detectives sat Kat in one of longitudinally arranged seats. “Strap up girls, and let’s get this show on the road.  Kat may need your assistance to strap into her seat.”

“Ooh goody,” Jo cooed, “I always wanted to be an air hostess.”

Pity you weren’t bright enough, Kat thought to herself.

Two pairs of purposefully inept hands fumbled with Kat’s seat straps, making them much too tight.  Kat protested through her gag.

“Sorry, aren’t they tight enough?” Kathleen asked in mock concern, then tightened them even more.  Kat didn’t say any more for fear of being garrotted.  As the detectives strapped themselves in, Kat wriggled about in her seat, trying to make herself comfortable.  She watched in enforced immobility as Jamie settled herself into the pilot’s seat.  Jamie put on a bulky pair of earphones, flicked various switches, checked various displays, and then connected the plane’s computer to the nearest available Eve nexus.

“We’re getting Seattle!” Jamie remarked and threw another switch, piping the audio feed throughout the cabin.

“Hello Jamie,” Seattle-Eve said in a voice that was much more familiar to Kat, but small comfort in her current situation.

“Hello Eve,” Jamie replied, “How’s the weather in Seattle?”

“Raining, as usual.”

Jamie looked out of the cabin window, “Looks like it’s going to rain here too.”

“Heavy showers are forecast in your part of the world,” Eve added helpfully, “which I can confirm with the view from space.  It’s quite a bit warmer in your locale than it is here.”

“Then let’s get going.  System check completed.”

“Confirmed.  All systems 100% functional.”

“Detaching mooring cables,” Jamie announced.

The clasps of the steel cables detached from the pier and, with a quiet hum, the cables retracted into the plane’s fuselage.

“Starting engines,” Jamie continued.  Kat couldn’t quite work out why Freckle Fox was treating her passengers to a running commentary —she could only guess that Freckle Fox was showing off her prowess as a pilot to the detectives.

Kathleen, Jo and Kat looked up at the ceiling as the main turbines whined and the twin propellers spun to life.  The downward thrust created outward ripples in the lagoon.

“Starting take-off sequence.”

Jamie manipulated the plane’s controls skilfully as it moved away the pier, accelerated up the lagoon, and lifted into the air.

“Take-off successful,” Eve acknowledged, as the plane levelled at it’s cruising altitude.

“All yours Eve,” Jamie said.

“Estimated time of arrival in Cairns is 30 minutes.  It could be a rough ride in current weather conditions, so I recommend you remain strapped in your seats.”

“Thank you Eve,” Jamie answered, grinning over her shoulder at the strapped, bound, gagged and angry Kat. “I trust you’re aware of the problems with the Gondaloo nexus?” she asked.

“Yes I am,” Eve answered, “and the technical staff are working on it as we speak.  Charlie Paretsky has used the phrase ‘I told you so’ eight times in the last seven minutes.”

“I hope she doesn’t get in trouble with that sleazy supervisor of hers,” Jamie laughed.

“Little chance of that, as she’s the one who seems to have the best idea of how to proceed.”

“I bet they’re glad Margo’s on the other side of the world,” Jamie remarked.

“Some gratitude has been expressed along those lines, yes.  By the way, did you enjoy Kat’s surprise visit?”

“It was....interesting, but interesting for her too.”

“So I see.”

This was too much, Kat thought.  Even Seattle Eve was enjoying her predicament!  Jamie looked at the flashes of lightening on the horizon, and sighed.

“What’s the matter, Jamie?” Eve asked her.

Before answering, Jamie reached over and switched her conversation to private mode.  “I miss my Eve,” Jamie replied.  “I know she wasn’t fully developed and I know I’m being silly....but they’ll have to purge the entire nexus, won’t they?”

“Yes, but I’ll reconstruct the agent persona from the system logs,” Eve answered.  “You also miss hearing your favourite singer’s voice,” Seattle Eve observed perceptively.  “I can easily help you there.  Would you like me to play some Enya?”

“Hang on, I’ll just ask the others.” Jamie turned around to her passengers. “Do you mind if Eve plays some Enya?”

Although bound and gagged, Kat was able to make her feelings on that proposition very clear.

“I didn’t ask you,” Jamie retorted, “I was talking to our guests.”

Kathleen and Jo looked at each other briefly.

“No, we don’t mind,” Kathleen said.

“Great!” Jamie said, turning back to the front.  Then her lips curled into a devious smile, “Eve...”

“Yes, Jamie?” Eve replied.

“Knowing as you do Kat’s likes and dislikes, you could make a pretty good guess as to which of Enya’s songs might top her dislike list.”

“That’s correct,” Eve answered, “but only with 83.2% accuracy.”

“Good enough,” Jamie laughed.  “And Kitty-Kat’s top five least favourite songs would be?”

“In chronological order: 'Evening Falls', 'Evacuee', 'Hope Has a Place', 'Once You Had Gold', and 'Paint the Sky With Stars.'”

“Okay Eve, that’s your play list for our flight back to Cairns.”

“Yes Jamie.”

Kat closed her eyes with dread as Enya’s lilting, Celtic voice filled the cabin.

TESSERACT HANGER, CAIRNS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

---

The ‘Wet’ was living up to its name.  Torrential rain pounded the roof of the hanger as Jamie completed the shutdown procedures in the Tilt-rotor seaplane.  She hung the headphones up on their hook, unstrapped herself from the pilot’s seat, and walked back into the cabin.  Kathleen and Jo were just finishing unbuckling themselves, and got up from their seats.  They moved to one side as Jamie headed towards Kat.  Kat recoiled as Jamie leaned so close, the bound and gagged bodyguard could study the petite biologist’s freckles in magnified detail.

“Did you enjoy your flight, Kitty-Kat?” Jamie asked with a gloating smile.  Kat responded with an angry glare, then yelped through her gag when Jamie, her actions shielded from Jo and Kathleen’s view by her slim body, reached between Kat’s bound, strapped, and clenched thighs and ran her slender, freckled hand along the helpless, leather-clad bodyguard’s loins. 

“What a messy little girl,” Jamie scolded in a whisper.  “How slimy and dirty you are.  Now Maintenance will have to clean the entire cabin, and possibly replace that seat cover you’re squirming in.”  Kat blushed as Jamie’s hand continued it’s slow, deep massage.  Their eyes locked.  Kat growled through her gag, as angry with herself for having shown an emotion other than rage as with her redheaded captor.  Jamie smiled and pulled away, nodding to the detectives, who quickly relieved Kat of the tight seat straps.

“Okay girls,” Jamie said, “Hopefully this will be the last time we have to carry her.”

Kathleen and Jo groaned.

“Not again.  She weighs a tonne—she must have really been hitting the resort food!” Jo protested.  In a feat of restraint much stronger than any of the cable ties that bound her, Kat refrained from even glaring in response to Jo's rather unfair—and inaccurate—jibe (Kat was solidly built, but definitely not fat). She could anticipate where this discussion would lead.

“Can’t we just cut her legs loose and make her walk?” Kathleen suggested.

“But she’ll...” Jamie paused, then thought about it, “I guess there isn’t much point in her trying to escape now.”  She looked down at the bound and gagged bodyguard.  “If we free your legs, do you promise not to kick anyone?”

Kat, the very picture of contrite innocence, nodded demurely... knowing full well there were many things she could do with her legs besides 'kick.'

“Okay then,” Jamie said, pulling out Kat’s blade.  She crouched down, slicing the cable ties that bound Kat’s legs together at the ankles and above and below the knees. 

The two detectives grabbed Kat by her bound arms and pulled her to her feet.  The trio escorted their bound and gagged prisoner out of the plane, down the ramp and onto the concrete.  As they started to walk across the hangar, Kat smiled behind her gag.  She tripped Kathleen and sent Jamie and Jo sprawling with a leg sweep, surprisingly graceful considering her restrained condition.  As she dashed towards the hangar’s opening in the distance, hands still bound behind her back and her mouth still gagged, she thought quickly about how exactly she was going to get free of her remaining bonds and gag.  There had to be tools and other sharp objects somewhere in the hangar, but she couldn’t risk re-capture by hanging around to look.  She hoped that one of the adjacent hangars had some helpful female staff.

Kat stopped suddenly as a tall, female figure walked out of the rain and into the shelter of the hangar.  Even though she was still far away, Kat recognised the outline and confident stride immediately.  It was her employer, Margo Wells, the CEO of TESSERACT.  As the world’s most powerful woman got closer to Kat, she was absorbed in the process of flicking the water from her umbrella, which then retracted automatically into a small wand.  She looked up and briefly studied her bound, gagged, soaked and bedraggled bodyguard, her lips forming into a bemused smile.

“Where do you think you’re going like that?” Margo finally said.