PRESENT DAY

“When you betrayed me and left me for dead, I was shattered. Literally and emotionally. I had a hard time understanding how you could go from trying to get me out of the agency to planning my execution. I broke both my legs, broke my ribs, damn near broke my skull, and I was heartbroken. I had no will to live. It took me a lot of therapy to realize that I was in love with you the whole time we were together. I just wanted to respect our rules, which I put in place. So, I tried to find you, you know, try to see if it was all in my head and you were somewhere miserable and mourning my loss.

“Imagine my absolute shock when I learned that you’d moved in with another chick, and you were doing things with her that we had planned to do together. I wanted to kill you on the spot but then I thought to look for Carlson. Then I learned of what really happened that day, and then I accepted just how wicked you really were.”

*****

SIX YEARS AGO

Fred put the last item of clothing into his backpack and took one last look at the room. “What a waste. Didn’t even get to do the chair trick like I’d wanted.”

He turned to leave but then he received a phone call.

“No go.”

The voice on the other end of the line was not a happy one. “She didn’t go for it?”

“No, she did not. It appears you played your hand quite well.”

“Brother, you know how I feel about her but orders are orders. The only way to save her is to get her to take this.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“Lucius, take it easy. Remember, she’s your assignment, not your lifetime fuck partner.”

“Mind-boggling to think you actually have a wife and children, Carlson.”

“Not my wife, not my kids, Lucius. Now I’m giving you one more chance before I make the official assignment. If Alexia ends up getting her dream vacation mission, we will both be the old drunks who hate our life’s work.”

“Yeah, like we’re not already. Listen, do we need to keep playing this hatred for each other card, or can we put a stop to it? I don’t even know why we do it, anyway.”

“Trust me, brother. Just a little while longer.”

“Okay. I’ll make another attempt.”

“Good because I may have injected some help into the mix. Godspeed, agent.”

The call dropped. Fred looked at the phone, wondering what Carlson meant by help. He opened the door to leave and almost crashed into Mansura, who immediately slapped him again, and them overwhelmed his lips with hers.

*****

Mansura was playing with the chest hairs on Fred, seemingly pleased by their length. “Suppose I chose to think that you’re not being the condescending bastard I think you’re being, how would this work?”

Fred lay beneath her, enjoying her toying around with his chest. “I need to know you’re in before I can tell you.”

Mansura kept playing with his hairs and then suddenly plucked one out in the most vicious possible way. Fred winced in pain but held firm. “I can pull your hair out too. Don’t think I can’t find the real hair under the fake.”

“I got a call from your nemesis on my way to the safe house. He reminded me that the agency doesn’t just remove the agent; they remove the whole family. My cousin just gave birth. I can’t do that to her or any of the others.”

Fred nodded his head in understanding, having just received the answer to what Carlson said earlier.

Mansura continued, “I wouldn’t care if it was just me, but I love them. I can’t have them uprooted from their lives just like that.”

“Even though they think you’re dead?”

“Even still, Lucius. Its hard, yes, but we were really close. I could likely reconnect with them when all of this is over.”

Fred pulled her close until she was eye to eye. “For what its worth, I know you could’ve taken on the agency and won. I just knew that the risk would be too great in the end. Too much would’ve been sacrificed.”

“I didn’t think about it until Carlson’s reminder but you were right. You know how bitter that tastes in my mouth to say.”

Fred smiled. “You crazy woman.”

Mansura smiled right back at him. “You goddamn motherfucker.”

*****

PRESENT DAY

Mansura went over to the bed, which was in full view of Fred’s vision, and gently run her claws over Sena’s arms. Sena looked hypnotized, like a spirit had taken over her and she could only move on command. “When we were at that resort right before the mission, you did something to me which no man before or after has ever done. It was so good that it ruined sex for me because no other man could get me to that high of a height right before the jump. If anyone got close to it, they jumped before they could get me there, and I was left to figure out the rest of the climb on my own. For the record, I’ve never figured out that climb.”

Mansura gently pulled Sena’s legs until they were hanging off the edge of the bed. “Took me a while to figure it out, and I’m not sure if I have, but I’m going to try it on your wife.”

The powerlessness of Fred’s immobility was fully brought to bear when his screams were all he could give.

Mansura turned to him and smiled. “You know, it wouldn’t be punishment enough if your girl is facing away from you. Thank you for that suggestion, Lucius. That was excellent, as always.”

Then she turned to Sena. “Baby girl, would you mind turning around for me?”

On command, Sena turned around like a lifeless body being moved. Now her face was looking directly at Fred, who could see the lifelessness behind her eyes.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY WIFE!!! LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS! ITS BETWEEN YOU AND I!”

Mansura got onto the bed and crawled between Sena’s thighs. She looked up at Fred one more time and smiled. “Bon appetit!”

And then she proceeded to devour Sena from below while Fred’s horror intensified and Sena’s pleasure began.

Geeeeezz!! She might be out for revenge, but this is one hell of a boundary-pushing punishment!! This is definitely ending on a wild note, isn’t it? Let’s see…