Author's notes:

This is the continuation of A Long Time from Home and if you haven't read that, I advise you to do so. The series is self-edited, so any mistakes are mine, though I now have a proofreader, that can catch missing words ect. Thanks to Jessejames932006 for doing that.

Some of the chapters will take place in the ancient past and while I have done a lot of research for that, there might be small errors here and there. If you think you found such an error in the story, please double check to be sure that you're correct and then PM me about it, so I can fix it. :)

Due to its length, I placed ALTFH under the 'Novels and Novellas' section, but as you can see, ALTFH II is placed in the 'Sci-fi and Fantasy' section, which fits it better due to the elements of magic that's in it. At least in my opinion :)

Have fun and while you're at it, please rate the chapter and leave a comment :)

About timing on uploads

Trust me, when I say that I do the best I can to upload as frequently as I can. Unfortunately, my RL is pretty hectic at the moment, and as this is a hobby and not a job, it can take a while from time to time.

About the notation:

Mental communication is denoted by a < and ends with a >, so a mental communication will look like this: "< Who are you? >"

Some warnings:

This is erotic action adventure, meaning that there will be both sex and violence, but I don't mix the two.

This story is posted on the Literotica website and the author does not give permission for it to be reposted or reprinted anywhere else without consent.

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11 -- The wedding weekend

Early October 2000, Oldenburg Islands

---- Zarita, Sheena and Angie ----

Zarita had just poured herself a cup of coffee, when a knock on the door pierced the quiet of the hotel room.

It was most likely either the breakfast or Sheena and Angie, and two days ago she would just have asked people to enter, but after having heard about Sheena's experiences in Malaga, it was better to be safe than sorry. With a sigh, she stood from the comfy chair and walked over to the door to see who was knocking.

As she had expected, the two Department 55 agents were waiting outside. With a smile, she opened the door for them. "Good morning."

"'Morning." Greeted Sheena cheerfully and gestured at the wheeled table next to her. "We thought we would bring some breakfast."

"Great idea." Zarita stepped aside, so Angie could roll the table into the room. "Com'on in."

Five minutes later, they were sitting around the room's small round table, with Zarita looking in disbelief as Angie kept moving dishes from the wheel table to the round table. All looking like works of art. Mango, pineapple, papaya and starfruit arranged like art on chilled porcelain, with a sprig of mint and scattered orchid petals sprinkled on top.

Beside it, a basket of warm breads and pastries steamed gently in the open air, an offering of locally made jams next to the bread.

"I know you Americans like to eat hot breakfast." Said Angie with a smile, and placed a plate with perfectly crisped bacon, browned plump sausages and golden, lacy-edged hash browns on the table, spreading a savoury scent touched with island herbs in the room.

A scent that was rivalled a moment later by coffee, as Angie placed a French press of rich, full-bodied coffee in the middle of the table, accompanied by a small silver pitcher of warm milk and a bowl of raw sugar. The last items were three cups of cappuccino, the foam sculpted into perfect rosettes.

"There you go." Smiled Angie and sat down on a chair.

Sheena looked at the near perfectly made table and then glanced at Angie. "You've done this before."

"Oh yes." The blonde nodded as she grasped a cup of cappuccino. "When I was studying at the university, I had a part time job as a waiter."

Zarita grimaced as she took her own cup. "Done that as well. I hate working for tips."

Sheena silently shook her head, while Angie chuckled. "This is European territory. We get paid well and by the hour... Tips are just a bonus." She thought for a moment. "Which was good, because when you're blonde and have these..." She gestured at her large breasts. "... some drunk men think they can be rude."

Zarita swallowed a very tasty mouthful of cappuccino. "Trust me, Angie. It's not limited to the colour of your hair or the size of your tits. I've gotten plenty of rude comments from drunk idiots as well, and I don't have your attributes."

"To be fair," said Sheena, "there're idiots everywhere... men and women both."

"True." Conceded Zarita and reached for the hash browns. "By the way, this is an insanely good breakfast."

Angie nodded. "One of the best on the island... It's a five-star hotel for a reason." She smiled a little. "Just don't expect to lose weight."

Zarita laughed. "I never expect to lose weight when eating hash browns, bacon and sausages." She placed a few sausages next to the hash browns on her plate. "By the way, I need your help. Yesterday, I walked out on the balcony to catch some sun, when I saw Emilian having a meeting with two women in the café on the other side of the road. Both looked faintly familiar, but I couldn't name them." She smiled a little. "Unfortunately, once I had found the camera, Emilian had sat down with his back towards me, but I managed to take a few pictures and I'm hoping that you can name them for me."

Angie swallowed a mouthful. "Sure."

"Good." Zarita pressed a button on the tv remote. "Here."

The TV in the room lit up, showing Emilian talking with two women, just as Zarita had said. One of them was a blonde, the other a brunette.

Sheena felt her eyebrows raise. "I don't know who the blonde is, but I'm almost sure the darkhaired one is Paula Scipio." She paused to swallow a piece of mango.

"European model or actress?" Guessed Zarita.

Angie laughed. "You would think that, but Paula Scipio is the youngest board member of Scipio International... and not just because of nepotism. She earned it."

Swallowing a mouthful of hashbrown, Zarita frowned. "She looks very young for that."

"She is." Agreed Sheena with a nod. "Mid-twenties, as far as I remember... So it's been five years since she graduated from the ESADE Business School in Barcelona with advanced degrees in economics and business. The same year, she was elected to the Board of Scipio International."

"I'm impressed." Mumbled Zarita while still eating and gestured to the other two to continue.

"Oh, we're not done yet." Said Angie with a slight smile. "While on the board, she was selected for an academic exchange at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, where she studied Business Ethics and Environmental Management. Two years later, she graduated with bachelor's degrees in both."

"Okay... have you investigated her?" asked Zarita curiously. "It really sounds like that."

Sheena nodded. "As one of the more successful companies in Europe, we keep a close eye on the Scipio family. Especially when an exceptional member of the family, like Paula Scipio, shows up." She drank from her cafe latte. "However, we haven't detected any form of foul play in their dealings."

"Nice to know." Zarita gestures towards the screen. "And the other one?"

"I don't know who that is." Sheena looked at Angie. "Do you?"

"Perhaps." Said Angie slowly, looking at the screen. "She looks a lot like the American actress Kristina Loken."

Zarita's eyes widened as she looked at the screen once more. "Oh, my God. You're right. That is Kristina Loken. She was in a TV series about some pilots last year." She tilted her head a bit. "Oh, by the way, there was a guy taking pictures of the two women, but he was stopped by what I guess was two of Emilian's bodyguards, who simply took the guy's camera. I hope he doesn't sue them."

"He can't." Angie chuckled and explained that taking pictures of people without their consent was illegal on Oldenburg. "So, I guess you're lucky that nobody saw you taking those pictures or you would be behind bars by now."

Zarita looked wide-eyed at her. "Seriously?"

Angie returned the gaze with a serious expression but burst into laughter after a few seconds. "No. You're an agent from a US department, so they'll most likely just want an explanation."

That caused Sheena and Zarita to laugh as well and the American agent was about to answer when the sound of her phone ringing interrupted her and caused her to glance at the display, which glowed with a single word: Caspian.

With a smile she pressed the 'answer button' on the phone as she brought it to her ear.

"Hey, Caspian." Zarita greeted, "Be warned... I'm with two members from our friends in Interpol and I'm going to put you on speaker.... But nice to hear from you."

She activated the speaker and placed the phone in the middle on the table.

"Well, I would have called you earlier, but after Titan Aerospace revealed their stealth fighter everybody wants to know more about Titan Aerospace and Starlight Merchant Group." Caspian replied with a chuckle on the other end of the line. "Good pictures by the way. Better than some of the others I have gotten."

"Are you sure it's a stealth fighter?" Zarita asked, surprised. "It didn't exactly scream stealth to me. It definitely didn't look anything like the F-117."

Caspian let out a soft laugh. "I thought the same, but according to the experts, an aircraft doesn't have to look like the F-117 to be stealthy, and judging from your pictures, it looks like Titan Aerospace has taken the Saab 35 Draken's delta wing and sharpened it up, balancing stealth with aerodynamics. Compact air intakes, internal weapons bays, canted tail fins... it's a smart design. It's not revolutionary like the F-117 was, but it's clever. And if a private aerospace company in the Netherlands is putting something like this into the skies, well... we're looking at some pretty significant geopolitical consequences. According to the experts, it's a geopolitical game-changer."

Sheena signalled that she had a question and Zarita nodded to her.

"Hello, Caspian. This is Agent Rao and I would like to know what you mean with 'game-changer'."

"Hello, Agent Rao." Said Caspian in a serious tone. "It's a question about NATO corporation. The US expects the NATO member states to buy the hardware they spent billions to develop, but if NATO members start buying planes from Titan Aerospace, why would they buy American aircraft? Even if our jets are stealthier, they won't need them, since this plane outclasses anything the Russians or Chinese can roll out in the next decade, maybe two."

"Did the experts say anything about how it compares to the US stealth fighters?" Sheena asked, her voice tinged with curiosity, while Angie leaned back in the seat, listening to the others talk as she ate her breakfast.

"Yes. It's good, but not great." Caspian admitted with a laugh. "The F-117's extreme shape makes it almost invisible to radar and there's no way Titan Aerospace has Lockheed's cutting-edge avionics. That said, stealth is mostly about airframe design and materials, and from the looks of it, they nailed it."

"On design and materials alone?" Zarita asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought stealth relied heavily on advanced electronics."

"For the basics? Not really," Caspian explained. "Don't get me wrong, it's a complex process, but I think Titan focused on perfecting the airframe first. Electronics can always be upgraded later."

Zarita placed her cup on the table. "So, the Draak is a lot stealthier than most fighters, but not as good as our stealth jets?"

"Exactly," Caspian agreed. "The problem is they've beaten us to the market by a decade or so when it comes to the Joint Strike Fighter, which is the US aircraft meant for exports. That gives Titan a massive edge with countries outside the Joint Strike Fighter program. Zarita, a few days ago we talked about how India needs to have almost five hundred old jets replaced. I think that's a done deal now. They can get a mix of different fighters, including a relatively cheap, but good, moderately stealthy jet without dealing with U.S. restrictions or Russian pressure, and they get to produce part of the jets themselves."

"The same goes for Brazil and South Korea." Angie said and thought for a moment, before adding. "Not to mention Turkey and a lot of other smaller countries."

Sheena swallowed a bite of food. "I guess we can assume that it's going to be a roaring success, but honestly, why're we even talking about this? It's not really connected to Emilian and it doesn't bring Zarita closer to the Baker Twins."

There was silence around the table for a moment, then Zarita sighed. "You have a point. I just find it fascinating that a company I've never heard about can produce a stealth fighter."

"Well, since it sounds like you ladies need to do some planning," Caspian said. "I'll continue my research."

Zarita leaned back in her chair, letting out a long sigh. "Thanks for the breakdown, Caspian. We'll talk later."

"Yeah. Take care, Zarita," Caspian replied, his voice distracted, as if his focus was already elsewhere even as the call was terminated.

"Sorry for being a spoilsport." Sheena told the others. "But we're not getting the job done by talking about politics and stealth fighters."

"No worries," Zarita replied, chuckling as she leaned back in her chair. "I still haven't figured out how to get near the Baker Twins without looking suspicious."

"Not to mention, that we never finished talking about that picture." Said Angie, gesturing towards the screen showing the picture of Emilian talking with Paula Scipio and Kristina Loken. "What happened before and after you took the picture?"

Zarita took a sip of coffee, setting the mug down carefully. "Well, this was one of the first ones I got. I didn't dare take that many, with all the security around. However, after I had put the camera down, Emilian and Scipio were talking about something that made Kristina Loken look at them in shock. Then Emilian and Scipio shook hands and ordered some drinks."

"Sounds like a business deal was concluded." Angie said, as she picked a piece of bacon. "Which might be the cause of Loken's shock." She chuckled. "Some of the numbers are frankly insane."

Zarita arched an eyebrow. "Do you have an example?"

Angie thought for a moment, then nodded. "Well, since we were talking fighter jets, India signed a contract for seventy-five Raptor 27 and a hundred Raptor 29 a few years ago and the price tag for that was around five billion dollars."

That made Zarita cough. "That's a lot of money!"

"Yes." Said Angie slowly, looking like she was still thinking. "As far as I remember, Scipio International, or at least one of their subsidiaries, delivers some of the electronics Titan uses, so yes, a deal sounds reasonable."

Sheena looked at the picture as well. "Well, considering that the deal took place less than two hundred meters away from us, I'm sure I would have detected any illegal use of mental powers."

Zarita looked at her. "I don't think you ever told me the range of your detection ability."

"That's right. I never did tell you." Sheena smirked. "Mostly because it's classified information... Just like yours."

"Good point." Chuckled Zarita but then sighed. "You know, I wish I had your mission. Staying here and being on guard for misuse of physic power, does sound a lot easier than trying to keep an eye on the Baker twins. In short, I have no idea how to do it."

"You can't." Said Angie calmly. "Not without a whole team with you, but as I have said before, the Baker twins can't be more secure than they are with Emilian, so instead of worrying about their security, think about how you can arrange a meeting with them." She pointed over at Sheena. "Since Sheena knows Emilian from Malaga, we could have a 'chance' meeting with him somewhere."

Zarita looked thoughtful for a moment but then nodded slowly. "That might work... at least that way I can report that I have talked with them." She looked over at Sheena. "At least if you agree to meet him."

"Oh, I would love to." Sheena grinned. "As I told you in the restaurant, he's extremely charming. When do the Baker twins arrive?"

"Friday... and they travel in style." Said Zarita as she picked a piece of mango from the platter. "One of Starlight's company jets is picking them up in Los Angeles."

"Perfect," Angie said with a satisfied smile. "If you can get the departure time, we can be in the airport when they arrive. After all this talk, I would really like to see them in person."

"And I'd like to see Emilian for real." Smiled Zarita. "Instead of from behind through the viewfinder of a camera."

"Alright. " Sheena nodded, tapping her fingers lightly on the table. "But I don't want to meet him the same day as the Baker twins arrive. That is too much of a coincidence and it's better to wait until after the wedding." She thought for a moment. "You two go to the airport to keep an eye on him, while I arrange for us to be part of the security at the wedding. John Summers arrives on Friday as well, so you might as well greet him at the airport while you're there anyway."

"That's your personal guard, right?" Zarita asked, making Sheena nod. "Yes. It's a long-standing policy that no Agent is in the field without a specially trained guard. I admit that I mostly found it irritating until Malaga, but now I feel better knowing that someone has my back."

"Understandable."

"Yes but can we get some food now?" Angie asked, gesturing dramatically at the untouched spread in front of them. "It'd be a crime to let all this food go cold."

"True." Agreed Sheena with a chuckle.

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Fall Break Starts

Friday October 6th, 2000, Oldenburg Island

Despite the number of people with different schedules involved in the vacation plans, it all worked out in the end, leading me to stand on the tarmac when the jet carrying Alejandra, Cyra, Zena and Petra arrived in Rastede.

Chloe had a family event on the weekend and couldn't fly with them, but she'd be arriving on a commercial flight Tuesday. That suited me fine, since it gave me a couple of days to train with Cyra and Zena, as the twin's cunning plan had worked out: With the extra days for each project, they would be able to stay a week more, allowing Alejandra extra time to recuperate.

Part of the reason why the plan had worked was that Alice, Karen and Rita had yet another double game week, though I had to promise Alice that I would make sure the three girls did their schoolwork while they were here. A promise I intended to keep, though I wasn't above delegating.

Using a hand to shield my eyes against the sun, I watched the jet as it rolled closer. Like all Starlight Merchant Groups' company vehicles, the corporate jet had a black, silver and gold colour scheme and in my opinion, the metal bird was gorgeous. It was also markedly different from most other civilian planes I had seen so far. Instead of the usual tube with wings stuck to the sides, the body stretched wide and low, the wings merging into it so neatly there was no seam to mark the difference, which had to be the blended wing design I had been briefed about.

That design had also eliminated the tail of the plane, which was where the rest of the Pegasus business jets normally had their engines, so instead they sat high on the rear, half-hidden in the curve of the body, their inlets shielded from my view by the broad back of the aircraft itself.

Like so many others of Titan Aerospace' 'innovations' it the shape was a realisation of decades of Russian research on long-ranged bombers that was shelved by the collapse of the Soviet Union and then brought back to life after Parker had gotten his hands on the research and test data. Since Parker's gift of precognition had informed him that a plane built on the principles would indeed fly, he had handed it off to the engineers at Arcadia, Titan Aerospace's think tank for new planes.

Having little need for a large long-range bomber, the engineers at Arcadia had used the material to create a business jet instead, resulting in the Pegasus Aerospace 10 BWB, which had entered service about two years ago, followed last year by a two-hundred seat passenger plane built on the same principles, called the PA-190.

Parker had gotten one of the PA-10 business jets for himself, since the shape offered a lot of advantages in fuel savings, resulting in planes with a range or around fifteen thousand kilometers. Far more than any other business jets and more than most passenger planes, and more than enough to fly from Los Angeles to Paris non-stop.

Despite that, the blended wing body planes hadn't been as big a success as Pegasus had hoped as it turned out that very few people had the need to fly that far non-stop. Still, they had sold thirty of the business jets and fifty of the passenger planes, most of them to Air Oldenburg, who used them on long distance prestige routes. That made a moderate success, though I was told that if Arcadia hadn't had the Soviet data to build on, the research and development cost alone would simply have been too big to justify building planes like that.

While I had been thinking, the Phoenix had come to a full stop, the mobile stairs connected and the door had opened, allowing Petra to walk down the stairs to the ground. Dressed in a pinstriped dark blue business suit, she looked as beautiful as ever and I realized I had missed her.

Something must have changed in me during the two thousand years of meditation, because like all Baylons, I had always taken years in forming a close bond with people, but after the long meditation, it was happening much faster than before.

Petra lit up in a smile as she saw me and a moment later, we were hugging.

"I know it sounds tacky." Petra mumbled in Ukrainian against my chest, "but I missed you."

"I missed you too, so it's not tacky to me." I replied and gave her a kiss. "Welcome back."

That caused her to smile widely. "Thank you... and now I need the phone I asked for."

Reaching into a pocket, I took out the extra phone and handed it to her. "Delivered by the IT department along with some cases Delina has taken care of."

"Perfect. Thanks." She sent me a smile and walked back to the plane, where Cyra and Zena were walking down the stairs, scanning the tarmac with wide-eyed excitement and huge smiles.

Trailing behind them, a dark-haired woman emerged, leaning on Petra's offered hand for support. I recognized her as Alejandra but compared to the mind-image of her the twins had sent me in Malaga, she had lost weight and was now almost too thin, which I guessed was due to the sickness she was here to get surgery for. Zena and Cyra looked almost the same and came running as soon as they saw me.

"< Hey >" they both sent as they gave me a hug.

"Hey girls. Nice to see you again." I chuckled and let go of them, so we could use sign language. Not that I was good at it, but at least it gave me an explanation as to why I could understand them.

"< Likewise >" Cyra both sent and signed. Then she looked up as Alejandra joined us and gestured between us, while Zena signed/sent. "< Ivan, this is our nanny, Alejandra. Alejandra, this is Ivan >"

"Pleased to meet you." Said Alejandra with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Don't believe everything you have heard." I said as I bowed. "Welcome to Oldenburg Island."

"Thank you... and thanks for all the help you have given."

"Don't mention it and I'm pleased to meet you too." I said as we shook hands. "Now, let's get you to the hospital, so they can start their examinations." I smiled. "The doctors wanted you in there as soon as possible, so you can have more time to recuperate before you go back to the States."

Alejandra smiled and nodded to me but then widened her eyes in surprise when Petra handed her a cell phone. "This is for you, Alejandra. It's a local phone and you can use it all you want to call either me or your family back home if you wish." Not waiting for an answer, Petra took Alejandra's small bag in one hand, placed another on her back and guided her towards the waiting car. "Now, let's get moving." She flashed a smile at the Latino. "You'll love it here."

I tuned their conversation out, as Zena mentally and with great amusement said. "< Petra has that 'personal assistant' thing nailed, doesn't she? >"

"< Oh yeah. It's not just a pro forma title. She's very good >" I replied. "< and just so you know... Delina and Esther have learned sign language as well. Granted, none of us are much good at using it, but at least we can understand what you are signing >"

'You're the best!' Cyra signed.

"Thank them, not me." I gently corrected her. "It was their suggestion."

'Where are they?' Zena asked, looking around.

"In the cars." I explained. "We've parked right outside and that is illegal unless the driver remains in the car."

'Let's go then.' She signed with a wide smile and took hold of her suitcase, but before she could follow Petra, I handed Cyra a phone. "Here. Your phones won't work on the local network, and I promised Alice, you would send her an SMS when you landed. You can do that while we drive."

Cyra pocketed the phone before signing. 'Thanks... We'll do that.'

As we walked through the airport, I felt I was being watched and discreetly looked around, but nobody was obviously looking in my direction, so I shrugged and followed the others to the cars.

---- Zarita and Angie ----

"That was close." Mumbled Angie and leaned back in the seat. Both she and Zarita were sitting in a cozy restaurant on the second level of the airport, from where they could see the arrivals from the smaller of the runways normally used by the corporate jets, while the elevated position and window decorations made it difficult from those on the terminal floor to see people in the restaurant.

"Yes." Agreed Zarita. "Good choice to sit up here. If we had been down at the same level, I think we would have been spotted."

"Most likely. Emilian seems to have an acute sixth sense for when he's being watched."

Zarita shrugged with a smile. "Well, if he had seen us, we would have just been two women admiring a good-looking man." The smile turned thoughtful. "You know, the Baker twin's reaction surprised me. I know for certain they only met Emilian this summer, but they greeted him like an uncle they have known forever."

"And it looked like Emilian knew sign language." Added Angie. "I didn't know that... but if there ever was any doubt that Emilian is a high-ranking member of Starlight, that little show just put that to shame."

Zarita tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Angie smiled. "Not only did they arrive in a Starlight corporate jet in Starlight's own terminal, but they also breezed through the airport without going through customs. Only high-ranking members of Starlight can pull that off."

Zarita blinked a few times. She had been so busy looking at Emilian interacting with the twins, that she hadn't even noticed the little group didn't go through customs. "I didn't notice that. Can they always do that?"

"Most of the time, though luggage is normally checked." Angie said with a small shrug.

"Ahh... the privileges of the rich." Chuckled Zarita with a small shake of the head.

Angie frowned. "I think it's more like a good allocation of resources. The board of Starlight has so many resources that they can get pretty much anything they want, so checking them on a regular basis is pointless. Random checks are better."

Leaning back in the seat, Zarita thought it over before nodding. "Good point... Though I think that the rich should get the same treatment as everybody else."

Angie chuckled. "The Netherlands is the ninth most egalitarian country in the world, but honestly Oldenburg is more influenced by Denmark due to our history... and they're number one on that list." The chuckle turned into a smile. "I think we'll survive a few perks."

"You might be right." Zarita said and changed the subject. "So, when is the third Interpol agent... John Summers... coming?"

Angie glanced at her watch. "The plane arrives in twenty minutes, so we have time to finish our coffee before we go down to the arrival."

"Nice." Zarita stood. "Excuse me. I need to go to the ladies room before drinking the rest of my coffee."

Angie leaned back in her seat with her cup in her hand. "I'll just wait right here."

The Spanish American nodded and walked in the direction of the Café's toilets, leaving Angie alone.

With a slight smile she looked at the place where Emilian and the rest had just stood and activated her power to look into the past. While it wasn't as powerful as Maya Honeycutt's legendary ability, it was better than nothing.

Around her, the world slowed down, stood still and then started to move backwards as she watched people walk backwards through the airport, like a movie playing in reverse.

The result was... just as Sheena had predicted. Despite the fact that she had just seen Emilian walk out of the airport with her own eyes, she couldn't see him when using her power. Where the Chairman of Starlight Merchant Group had been, there was just a slight shimmer, as if he was invisible to her power and she just detected the disturbance he made.

Even more irritating was the fact that everybody he touched also disappeared from her sight until he let go of them again. Just like Sheena had said that Honeycutt had experienced with the Unknown Psychic in Malaga.

Angie stopped the power and drank from the coffee with a little smile to herself. Sheena was indeed as smart as her teachers in Department 55 had told her and the idea of checking if Emilian was as impossible to see as the Unknown Psychic from Malaga was brilliant.

It wasn't anything that would hold up in any court, since it was quite possible that two people could have the same Psychic powers, but it was a good feeling to be able to finally confirm that Emilian was indeed a Psychic.

Now they only needed to contact him before the Americans figured it out, but she didn't doubt that Sheena had a plan for that.

She looked up as Zarita returned. "Ready."

Angie nodded and emptied her cup before standing. "Yes, let's go."

---- Ivan ----

The next two hours went by with getting Alejandra comfortable in one of the hospital's luxurious VIP rooms and saying goodbye as the nurses came to take her to her first examinations.

After that, Petra drove us home, turning away from the main road and into the long private road leading to the estate. As always, it was a beautiful trip with fields and jungle to one side and the coast with the Caribbean Sea to the other.

"< Oh my god, this is gorgeous! >" Sent Zena as she admired the view over the ocean.

"< And there're horses! >" added Cyra, looking at the grass field on the other side of the road, where a few horses were relaxing. She glanced at me with hopeful eyes. "< Are they yours? >"

"< Well, they belong to the estate, so yes >"

That made her smile widely. "< I love riding. Can we go riding? >"

"< Sure >" I sent and was about to ask where she had learned how to do that, when I remembered they had told me about their summer camp, where the outdoors activities included riding, swimming and shooting targets with a bow and arrow. I haven't a clue where to buy a bow, but a good guess would be Rastede, so it would have to wait until we got to town again. "< We can do that after dinner >"

Cyra looked like she was about to ask another question, but at the same time, Petra drove the car into the courtyard and Cyra's mouth fell open as she looked around.

Zena looked around as well, grinning from ear to ear, commenting "< This is an insanely beautiful place >" as Petra stopped the car. "< We're staying here both weeks, right? >"

I nodded. "< Right... This is Vasa Estate, my home. I'll show you your rooms later, but I assumed that you were hungry after the flight, so there's dinner ready on the terrace >"

"< Rooms? >" sent Cyra along with some worry, causing me to chuckle. I had asked them if they wanted separate rooms but had been told that they preferred to sleep in the same room.

"< Yes... Rooms. Plural. You have a little apartment with a bedroom you can share, a bathroom and a living room where you can relax and do your school assignment... it's even connected to the room that Chloe's getting when she arrives, so the three of you will have your own little suite >"

The twins smiled widely. "< That is so cool... Thank you >"

We took a slow walk through the main house and ended up by the lagoon shaped pool, where a dinner table was ready.

"How was the flight?" I asked as I sat down.

"< Luxurious >" answered Zena with a smile. "< And much better than the flight to Spain >"

Cyra's eyes lit up as she nodded. "< I thought a smaller jet would feel cramped, but inside it was the opposite. There was so much room to move around! It felt more like an apartment than an airplane... and we even got to see the cockpit. That was so cool! >"

The remark made me chuckle. I had missed the twin's energy and curiosity.

The sound of footsteps announced the return of Petra, who had wanted to get out of her 'personal assistant clothes' and into a relaxing summer dress, more suited for the weather. As usual, she looked fantastic.

"Ahh better!" she said, as she took a seat by the table. "Sorry for the wait."

Zena smiled at her, as she sent to all of us at the same time. "< No problem, Petra >" There was a slight pause before she continued. "< Where are the others? >"

"Busy." Answered Petra with a slight smile "Ayanna is getting ready for the wedding and Riya is helping her, so you won't see them before tomorrow. Delina and Ester are in the city as well, but they'll join us later."

They continued to talk a bit, while I admired the growth of skill shown by the twins. When I had met them in Malaga, they tended to send out their thoughts in a way anybody with a grain of mental ability could detect or hear. Now, they not only effortlessly focused their thoughts in a four-way conversation, making it very hard for others to hear or detect, they had also mastered the ability to talk with non-Mentats.

Two servers appeared with the food, which was a local dish called Gammeldags kylling (Oldenburg: Old-fashioned Chicken), that consisted of pot-roasted whole chicken, served with rice and beans served side by side, fried plantain and a salad. As with most food on the Island it was a tasty mix of Danish or Dutch food, combined with Caribbean staples.

"Oh... one thing." I said as the twin's eyes brightened at the sight of food. "Any and all questions about the food goes to Chef Jens Hansen. He speaks English and is expecting your help in the kitchen while you're here, so I guess you're going to learn how to make some of the local specialties."

The wide smiles on their faces, made Petra laugh. "You girls really like making food, huh?"

"< A lot! >" sent Cyra as she signed the same. "< It's just so ... relaxing >"

"< It really is >" Zena nodded in agreement.

"Good, because I have a surprise for you two." I said and took two gift-wrapped packages from the bag under the table and handed one to each of them, making their eyes light up with curiosity.

"They're your birthday presents." I laughed softly at their surprised facial expressions. "Yes, I know it isn't until next month, but I'm giving you the presents now, because you're going to need them."

Excitement spread across their faces as they tore into the wrapping paper, revealing elegant wooden boxes. When they opened them, their expressions turned to awe. Inside lay custom chef knives, slightly smaller than standard, with smooth, easy-to-clean lines. The stone handles gleamed, and their names were carefully stamped on each blade.

"<Oh my god, it's beautiful!>" Zena exclaimed, her mental voice radiating joy. Cyra's expression mirrored her twin's delight a heartbeat later.

"I'm glad you like them. Just be careful. They're extremely sharp."

"< We're always careful around knives >" sent Cyra with a smile. "< Can we hold them? >"

"Of course, they're yours now." I said and watched them carefully taking the knives out of the boxes.

The main difference between these knives and the ones I had made in Costa Rica, was the steel, which I had made the way the Ancient Indians had made their famous Seric Iron. Known now as Wootz Steel, blades made from it had been known for their sharpness and toughness.

After some research, I had discovered that it was due to the presence of impurities in the metal, mainly minerals called vanadium, molybdenum and chromium. It only took a call to Starlight Alloys to get a sample of the materials and I quickly discovered that they were the exact same minerals used in Baylon sword making, where they had been known as antiphon (Baylon: Reddish), ferargenta (Baylon: Silvery iron) and canuferro (Baylon: Grey steel).

That had allowed me to order modern iron and the rest of the material, so I could melt the iron along with the correct amount of each element, using a mix of Baylon and Ancient Indian metallurgy to create a modern version of the steel. After forging, quenching, and honing the blades into a hollow grind, I used an Ars Mentalis technique to further polish and harden them, resulting in razor-sharp edges with exceptional durability.

For the handles, I had chosen Poppy Jasper, a vibrant Indian gemstone with warm, earthy tones, but since I don't usually work with stone, I had a professional make and fit the handles, completing the knives with a touch of ancient elegance.

"< This is an insanely cool knife! >" sent Cyra as she tested how it felt in her hand, her excitement spilling over into her mental voices. Zena nodded without taking her eyes off her own knife. "< I can't wait to try it >"

"Well, you'll have to wait until after the wedding." I chuckled, as I started to eat my dinner. "By then Chef Hansen expects you two in the kitchen."

I didn't get more than a mouthful before Zena sent. "< By the way, Ivan, how did you, Petra and the rest learn sign language so fast? We asked Petra, but she said to ask you >"

"Well, as I said, we're only good at understanding it... as in we're able to read what you're saying. We haven't really trained using it." I went to mental communication. "< And to answer your question, it's possible to both learn and teach languages by using mental powers... It takes a lot of energy, but it can be done >"

"< Can we do it? >" came the predictable question from Cyra, making me smile. "< There're some things you need to learn first, but it should be possible... we can talk about it later >"

They both nodded and then Zena asked, "< Have you anything planned for this week? >"

"Yes... Today we relax and tomorrow we go to the wedding. You both wanted more mental training and as we need to do that before Chloe arrives, I guess that's what we're gonna spend a lot of time on the next few days." They both nodded, so I continued. "After that, it's mostly up to you, so let's look at that when Chloe arrives."

"But... " added Petra with a smile. "I would love to take you girls riding, swimming, scuba diving and spear fishing at some point." The smile widened into a grin as she looked at me. "Not to mention shopping, going to a beauty salon and a few other things men rarely think of."

Cyra and Zena nodded eagerly.

After lunch, the twins went to see their rooms and unpacked, while I walked to the bedroom to change into clothes better suited for riding and relaxing on the beach.

I had just undressed, when the door opened and Petra came in, smiling as she saw me.

"Excellent timing." She declared and walked over to give me a hug and a kiss. I returned the kiss, her mouth opening to invite my tongue inside. She tasted like the ice cream we had just had for dessert and I could feel the heat of lust emanating from her body.

Petra broke the kiss and placed her chin on my shoulder, tightening the hug and pressing her curvy body against me. "I need a quickie. Now."

With a nod I pulled off her dress, getting all the help I could wish for from Petra. She did have underwear on, but with a little help, that disappeared just as fast. Then I placed her on the edge of the table and was about to go down for a good licking, when she stopped me. "No licking. I haven't shaved since I left for France."

"No problem." I chuckled and used an Ars Mentalis trick. A heartbeat later, her pussy was as clean shaven as she normally kept it, with a small patch of hair on the mound. Called Rasus (Baylon: To shave), it was an easy trick, similar to the cleaning and drying tricks I was taught as a child and just as handy.

Petra's eyes widened. "How the fuck did you..." She interrupted herself. "Forget that... Is it permanent?"

"No, making it last will take a bit longer." I told her truthfully. "About half an hour."

She looked at me in stunned silence for a moment but then asked. "Is that why I've never seen you shave?"

I nodded. "Yes. I used that trick on myself a long time ago."

She sent me a dazzling smile as she threw her well-shaped legs around me and dragged me closer. "Ivan, I want to get fucked ... now. But at some other time, do you think you could use that power on me, so I don't have to shave?"

A hand sneaked down between us, grabbed my dick and placed the head at the opening to her pussy.

"Yeah, sure." I smiled and then moaned as Petra used her legs to press my dick inside her warm, tight pussy.

"Thanks..." She groaned and gave me a short but passionate kiss. "Now fuck me."

-------------------------

As Petra had said, we only had time for a quickie, so after she had come three times, she declared that it was enough for now and walked to her room to dress in riding clothes.

Still smiling, I cleaned and dressed before I walked outside, where Karl, the stable hand, had four horses ready.

Zena and Cyra were taking their sweet time, leaving Petra to arrive before them, now dressed in stylish riding clothes that hugged her figure perfectly. She walked over with an easy grace and a chuckle on her lips.

"Still exploring their room?" she asked, tilting her head with an amused glint in her eye.

"Seems like it," I replied with a shrug, smiling.

She nodded. "They're good kids."

"Yeah, and they absolutely love having people to talk to," I said with a grin. "If you weren't here, I doubt I'd get a moment's peace."

"You'll survive," she teased, stepping close to lean in and kiss me. Then, with a soft sigh, she wrapped her arms around me in a warm hug. "It's good to be back."

"And it's good to have you back," I said, my smile matching hers as she rested her head on my shoulder.

The moment of peace didn't last long. Her phone rang, cutting through the quiet with its insistent tone.

"One part I haven't missed." She said with a grin as she walked a few steps away to answer it.

As she listened, her expression shifted from casual to stunned, eyebrows lifting high. Covering the microphone with her hand, she turned to me, half-whispering in an incredulous tone, "Prince Salim Al-Sabah of the Royal House of Kuwait wants to know if you have time for a visit!"

My brows shot up. "Is he calling personally?"

"Yes!" she hissed, clearly both shocked and amused.

I hadn't heard from Prince Salim since that cocktail party. Afterward, he'd disappeared to enjoy a vacation in the Caribbean, but apparently, he was back now and during the party I did invite him and the family to the Vasa Estate. An offer I hadn't really expected the prince to accept, but the personal phone call indicated that I might have been wrong in that assessment.

Petra looked visibly relieved when I held out my hand for the phone and switched to Arabic as I said. "Hello, Your Highness."

Petra was staring at me as though I'd just sprouted wings and the whole time I spoke with Prince Salim, her wide-eyed curiosity only grew. It was clear she was dying to know what we were talking about, and the language barrier was clearly frustrating her to no end.

As soon as I handed the phone back, she blurted out, "What was that about?"

I chuckled. "Prince Salim wanted to know if my offer for an informal visit still stands. I told him it does, so he and his family will be coming by. Sounds like they're looking for a place to relax without paparazzi hounding them every other second."

"Oh, fuck!" Petra groaned, already mentally calculating logistics. "This is going to take so much organizing!"

"No," I said firmly, stopping her before she could rush off into planning mode. "The keyword is 'informal.' We treat them like we'd treat Sandra and Ziggy if they came by again. Barbeque on the beach, a little swimming, and a relaxing evening."

She hesitated, studying me. "Are you sure that's what they'd want?"

"Yes. If they wanted formal, they could have visited a number of other people in the region, including Duke Olaf of Oldenburg." I projected reassurance into her. "Forget the titles, Petra. It's just a family wanting to have a nice relaxing evening."

Taking a deep breath, she gave me a hug and leaned against me again. "If you're sure."

"I am," I replied with confidence.

Zena and Cyra showed up a little later, dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts. Since we were going riding on the beach, they also carried a little bag each, which I assumed held their bathing suits, towels and whatever else they needed to go swimming.

They didn't even bat an eye at Petra snuggling up to me, which was a relief. A few weeks ago, I'd explained to them that my relationship with Petra and Delina was similar to the one I'd had with Rita and Karen back in Malaga.

"< Thanks for the rooms >" Cyra said and sent when they came over to us. "< They're totally awesome! >"

"< Yeah... but somebody has forgotten their laptop computers in there >" added Zena.

That got Petra to lift her head from my shoulder to look at them. "No, those're for you. You need them for your school assignment. There is also a small digital camera for each of you."

"< Really? >" signed Zena, her face lighting up in open-mouthed amazement.

"Yes... just don't take pictures of us. There are still bad people looking for some of us." Petra added with a wry smile. "And it's not really a gift. You signed on as junior food consultants and as every consultant working for Starlight Merchant Group gets a work computer, so do the two of you." The smile grew wider. "I just called the IT department and had them correct the oversight."

"< But they gotta be expensive! >" Cyra sent, momentarily forgetting to sign, her hands frozen mid-air.

"Not my problem." Petra said dryly, eyes twinkling. "As I said, it's standard issue. Getting one for Chloe as well was harder, since she doesn't work for Starlight, so I asked Delina if the IT department had any laptops they didn't use, and they came up with one. It's slightly used, but it works, and she can keep it afterwards."

There was a moment of silence, while the twins digested the information, and I used the time to tighten my arm around Petra in a hug. When I had hired Petra as a personal assistant, it had been more as a source of income for her than anything else, but as Zena had pointed out earlier, the Ukrainian excelled in that role.

Getting Chloe a used laptop was a good judgement call as well. She needed one, but getting her a brand new one would likely have been too much for her mother to accept, so getting her a used one was a perfect solution to that problem.

"< The IT Department?? >" sent Zena. "< Ivan, I know you're Chairman for a company, but how big is it really? I mean, first the corporate jet, then the fighter jet escort and now you're handing out laptops and cameras! >"

"< Not to mention this house! >" added Cyra, her eyes sweeping the estate.

I had been expecting that question. Initially, I'd planned to downplay everything as much as possible. Alice was already overwhelmed just learning that I had a well-paying job and money, and with the twins around, it wasn't like any secrets were going to stay hidden for long. Not to mention that with the wedding and everything else going on, keeping things low-key simply wasn't an option.

"The key word is 'corporate,'" I said, gesturing toward the estate. "I inherited the house from my uncle. Aside from a farm in Costa Rica and a handful of vacation homes scattered around, it's pretty much the only property that has my name on it. Everything else you're going to see belongs to Starlight Merchant Group. As you've probably guessed by now, it's a big company with investments in a lot of industries."

"< And the fighter jets? >" Zena asked, one brow raised.

"Your plane was escorted by two fighter jets due to a PR stunt." I explained. "Titan Aerospace has just finished the development and testing of those jets and by showing them off to the guests, we hope to create some interest. I just hadn't realized that they would escort your plane as well."

"< That makes sense >" sent Zena, while I paused to gather my thoughts. "< but it still doesn't say anything about the size of Starlight >"

"That's on purpose." I said with a smile. "Alice is freaking out over the fact that I have a well-paid job. If she discovers the size of Starlight Merchant Group, she's going to have a heart attack."

They laughed, but I could see they were still intrigued, so I continued after a brief pause. "Let's just say that it's big. Among other things, we have hotels here on Oldenburg and several other places around the world, as well as vacation homes and yachts." I shrugged. "It's not Hilton or Marriott, but we manage and usually the jets are used to transport rich people to their vacations."

"< Do you need two young talented private chefs? >" asked Cyra with a hopeful smile.

I smiled back at her. "Not impossible, but as you need to be eighteen before you can sign a contract, we can talk about that in some years." Gently disengaging from Petra, I gestured towards the horses. "Let's ride... oh... we're having a family over for dinner later. I hope that's okay with you guys."

"< No problem! >" they signed in unison, already walking towards the horses.

----------------------

The path to the beach was one we had ridden many times before and the horses knew it well. The only women who could ride a horse when we arrived in this part of the world were Petra and Delina, but the rest had caught up quickly and all enjoyed taking the horses for a ride in the morning or late afternoon.

"< Oh my God >" Exclaimed Zena mentally, when we arrived at the beach where the azure waves lazily rolled onto the white sand, the towering palm trees and green plants providing shade, while adding a vibrant green colour to the scenery. "< This looks like a commercial! >"

"< Totally a Bounty Beach >" Agreed Cyra and looked around. "< Why's it empty? Shouldn't there be like a million tourists here? >"

"It's a private beach." Explained Petra with a chuckle. "The only way down here is by the path we just took or by boat."

"< Like that one? >" asked Zena and pointed into the bay.

Looking in that direction, I discovered Dream Cat coming around the headland at the end of the bay, the winged gold and silver logo of Starlight Merchant Group clearly visible against the black main sail.

"Yes, like that one." I told them. "Except that is Dream Cat, one of the company yachts and unless I'm mistaken, it's carrying Delina and Esther."

Both twins looked at me with wide eyes as the big catamaran came closer. "< You own THAT? >"

"No." I gently corrected. "It belongs to Starlight EcoTech, but I borrow it from time to time. It's like the computers you just received: They're not yours, but you get to use them anyway."

They looked a bit confused, so I explained that the yacht was owned by the research company and was a prototype filled with eco-friendly technology, leading them to ask questions about Starlight EcoTech, which I answered, causing them to smile.

"< That's just the kinda thing we need for our science project! >" sent Zena happily. "< Do you have anything in writing about Starlight EcoTech? >"

"Not at the house, but I can arrange a visit to their facilities where they're bound to have something... oh, and if you need it for your assignment, I'm sure we can arrange an interview with one of the scientists."

"< That'll be ace... Thanks >"

"You're welcome... Now, let's get to the shed and change clothes, so we can take a swim."

The Shed wasn't really a shed, but a cozy beach house with a small stable to place the horses, while we enjoyed the water. It also had a long wooden pier reaching far enough out into the shallow bay for Dream Cat to dock at the end of it. A feat that was only possible because the huge, but lightly loaded, catamaran had a draft of just 1.5 meters (about 5 feet).

While we stabled the horses and changed into bathing clothes, Captain Wolf moored Dream Cat at the pier and when we came out of the shed, we were greeted by Delina and Esther, looking sexy in the type of breezy beach cover-ups women used on the beach so they wouldn't be sunburned.

However, they weren't alone. Trailing them were Riya, Ayanna, Manuel Estevez and, much to my surprise, Isabella Mubarak (a.k.a. Shakira) and her friend Sofia.

"Sorry for surprising you." Delina said with a grin that betrayed no trace of actual regret. "But Riya and Ayanna wanted to say hello to Cyra and Zena, and on the way, we ran into Isabella and Sofia, so I invited them along as well." She flashed a dazzling smile. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." I replied and introduced Zena and Cyra to the people they didn't know.

That was the start of a great afternoon, with people playing around in the water or taking a break in the hammocks by the Shed, while the refrigerator in both the Shed and on Dream Cat supplied cold soft drinks.

"< You know, >" commented Zena both mentally and with sign language later as she, Cyra, Petra and I were relaxing by the Shed, watching a laughing Manuel chase his giggling wife-to-be through the edge of the waves, while Delina and Sofia were watching, and Riya and Isabella were playing some ballgame. "< I feel like I'm in an episode of Baywatch... Everybody's so beautiful! >"

'Yeah' Agreed Cyra and looked at Petra, signing 'How did you all get to look like that?'

"Ehhh Training." Petra said, slightly baffled at Cyra's comment, while I searched my memory to find out what this 'Baywatch' was. As it turned out it was a TV-series featuring good-looking men and well-shaped women in bathing suits, making Cyra's comment quite understandable.

"I can't speak for Sofia and Isabella," Petra added after a heartbeat, "but the rest of us stick to yoga, fitness, and martial arts to stay in shape."

I made a silent bet with myself and won a second later, when Zena asked. 'Can we join your training?'

"Sure..." Petra glanced over at me. "If it's okay with you, Ivan."

"No problem." I said, taking a sip of my refreshingly cool cider. "Being fit is always good and the meditation part of it will help your concentration."

"< Cool >" sent Cyra.

"< That reminds me, that we have a few math questions for you, Ivan >" Zena sent/signed "< Mostly geometry and algebra >"

"Count me out of that." Said Petra with a chuckle. "Math is not my thing."

Ignoring Petra's comment, I said. "Fair enough, but we better do that before Chloe arrives. She's not really equipped to do mental mathematics."

"< Deal >" the twins sent in chorus.

"One more thing, girls, and this is serious." I said in a serious tone of voice. "Do not use your powers when we're not alone. I mean it. There's at least one more Mentat on the Island right now and there might be more, so do not use it."

They looked at me with wide eyes. "Who's that?"

"That's not my secret to tell right now and you will be better off not knowing." I said firmly. "But promise me not to use powers."

They glanced at each other for a moment and then looked back at me. "< We promise >"

"Good," I said, a grin tugging at my lips as I stood to suggest gathering more driftwood for the fire. Before the words left my mouth, Petra's cell phone buzzed to life. She glanced at the screen, answered, then turned her gaze to me with a faintly amused expression.

"The other guests will arrive shortly."

"I better go greet them," I said, brushing the sand from my hands as I stood. "Would you mind collecting some wood for the fire? We're going to need it later."

"Not at all," Petra replied with a quick nod. As she rose, the twins, ever curious and eager, bounded over and volunteered to help.

We hadn't made it more than a few steps before the others caught wind of the plan. One explanation later, it became a full-fledged scavenger hunt. Groups split up, combing the beach in search of driftwood, their chatter and laughter echoing against the gentle lapping of the waves. Meanwhile, I rode up the hill to the estate to greet Prince Salim.

As I dismounted, the hum of engines reached my ears. Three sleek black cars rolled up to the house, their dark windows gleaming under the afternoon sun. The doors opened in near unison, and men in tailored suits fanned out like shadows. A small, wry smile curled my lips. Of course, a Kuwaiti prince would travel with an entourage of armed guards.

One of them approached, his movements precise, a slight bow accompanying his words. "Good afternoon, sir. May I speak with the head of security?"

"Certainly," I replied, raising my voice. "Miss Jobe!"

Halima Jobe emerged from where she'd been leaning casually against a column, her presence commanding. The guard's brows twitched upward in surprise.

"Miss Jobe," I said with a faint smile, "this gentleman wishes to talk with you regarding the security at the estate. Could the two of you please sort that out?"

"Of course, sir," she replied smoothly, leading the man away as the rear door of the middle car opened. Prince Salim stepped out, a broad smile lighting up his face.

"Mr. Emilian, we meet again," he greeted warmly, his voice rich with charisma. "I suppose I should've informed security that Mr. Oldershaw prefers female personnel, but alas, it somehow slipped my mind."

Before I could respond, the remaining car doors opened, revealing Tabitha and Namid, the prince's two wives, who stepped out gracefully with the assistance of their guards. They were followed by a young girl that looked like she was about the same age as Cyra and Zena. Prince Salim introduced her as his daughter Shahla and explained that they had left the two youngest at home with their nannies, since it would be their bedtime soon anyway.

"Welcome all of you." I said and looked at the Prince. "As I said at the cocktail party, this is going to be really informal, Your Highness, so I hope you like barbeque and bathing at a private beach."

Salim grinned, his eyes gleaming. "I was hoping for that... oh and please drop the titles. For the rest of our visit here, I'm just Salim."

That sentence alone told me that I had read him correctly at the wedding. A born noble, he wasn't against all the trappings that usually came with being one, but after many years of exposure to other cultures, he liked to let his guard down once in a while and just enjoy life. That impression was the reason I had invited him to Vasa Estate in the first place and I was glad I hadn't misread him. "Very well and in that case, I'm Ivan."

He nodded with a smile and looked at the horse behind me. "Are we going on a ride?"

"Actually, I didn't plan on it," I answered. "But it's one of the easiest ways to get to the beach from here." I chuckled. "If you can ride, that is."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw princess Shala light up in a smile, so I turned to look at her, switching to Arabic as I said. "Shahla, I think you'll be pleased to hear that I currently have two girls your age visiting me. They're the daughters of one of my friends from America and happen to be mute, but don't let that fool you, they're quite a handful and love riding, so the three of you can go riding when we reach the beach."

A faint smile crept across her face, a mixture of excitement and shyness. "Thank you," she said in English, her tone formal, though her delight was evident.

"Ah, you've made her week," said Tabitha, one of Salim's wives, with a soft laugh. "She's been longing for company her age. And horses, for that matter."

"Perfect," I said. "I'll send one of the bodyguards along to translate sign language and keep an eye on them."

Prince Salim chuckled. "Excellent. I look forward to riding. It's been a while since we had the opportunity to do it."

As it turned out, the entire royal family was adept at riding and the journey to the beach went smoothly, the estate's sweeping hills giving way to the sparkling expanse of water. By the time we arrived, the bonfire had grown, its woodpile replenished, and four large BBQ grills stood ready by the shed.

I quickly introduced Cyra and Zena to Shahla and asked them if they wanted to go for a ride at the edge of the water. They did and a little while later, they rode off along with Esther, who would serve as translator and bodyguard. One of the Prince's bodyguards trailed them, riding a horse as well.

Meanwhile, Prince Salim, Tabitha and Namid had changed into bathing suits in the Shed and joined the rest as we relaxed in the shadow of the giant parasols, swam in the bay or just talked. At least until Petra and Delina arranged for everybody to have a test dive in the bay, using both snorkel and air tanks. An activity the three girls and Esther joined as soon as they got back from their riding trip.

It became even more fun when Cyra, Zena and Shahla talked Petra into allowing them to try spear fishing. They actually managed to spear a hogfish and all three girls were positively beaming with pride when they exited the water, carrying their 16-pound (8 kilo) fish.

Pictures were taken and then Cyra, Zena and Shahla carried the fish into the shed, where the Twins, to the horror of Tabita and Namid, persuaded Shahla to help them gut and clean the big fish, before they stuffed it with butter and lemon under Chef Hansen's amused supervision. The fish was then wrapped in aluminium foil and handed to Chef Hansen, so he could add it to the barbeque.

At some point during all this, the Twins had discovered that Salim was a Prince from Kuwait and when they returned, they very politely asked if they could make a short interview with him for their school project regarding the future of oil. To their delight, he agreed, provided it was conducted on the beach, and while they prepared for their royal Q&A session, I sat down to chat with Isabel and Sofia under the shade of a nearby parasol.

As the Twins interviewed the Prince with the energy of aspiring journalists, Isabel watched them with a smile on her face.

"Active girls," she remarked, switching to her native Spanish now that the royal entourage was out of earshot.

"Very active," I replied with a small chuckle. "But then again, most kids are."

Sofia nodded in agreement. "My son rarely sits still during the day."

Since I hadn't known she had a son, that piqued my curiosity. "How old is he?"

"Oh... Manolo turns nine next month." She said proudly. "On the 16th to be precise."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you." She smiled. "How old are the twins?"

"They become thirteen on the 18th of next month and are very excited about becoming teenagers."

She shivered, which made her breasts jiggle temptingly in the bathing suit. "That part, I'm not looking forward to. Teenagers can be quite a handful."

"Fortunately, I'm not their parent." I said with a smile. "That usually helps."

"Cross your fingers." She laughed. "From what I can see, they regard you as a father figure and that's usually what teenagers' rebel against."

"I'll consider that, should the problem ever arise." Looking over at Isabel, I asked. "What about you? Any plans on having kids?"

She almost spit out the soda she was drinking, making both Sofia and I laugh.

"At least give me a warning before you ask a question like that!" Isabel protested with a grin, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Then she shrugged. "But no, not right now. I'd like to get married before having kids."

"That's fair," Sofia chimed in with a teasing tone. "But honestly, she's already raising plenty of kids."

Curious about that statement, I gestured for her to continue and she explained that Isabella had a foundation called 'The Barefoot Foundation' that helped poor children in Colombia, by providing them with food and education.

The organization was funded by Isabel's personal contributions and donations from private individuals and corporations. Sofia ended her story with a mischievous glint in her eye, leaning closer as if to share a secret. "If the company you work for takes its social responsibility seriously, they should absolutely make a donation."

"Toti!" Exclaimed Isabel, evidently using a nickname for Sofia I haven't heard before. "Behave! We're here to relax, not to talk business."

Sofia laughed her throaty laughter. "Relax, Shak. It's not like I have ruined our day by mentioning it."

I agreed. "At least not mine." Looking at Isabel, I asked. "How do I help?"

She sent Sofia a playful glare before answering me. "Either by donation or by sponsoring a child. The donation can be of any size but sponsoring a child will cost 30 US dollars a month for as many years as you want to sponsor them."

"So, 360 dollars a year." I said thoughtfully. Compared to the orphanages we had made in Costa Rica that was cheap, but then again not having to supply the kids with a staffed place to live would cut down the cost a lot. "That's not bad."

The comment made Isabel smile. "No, most people should be able to afford that."

"I agree... hm... What do you use the donations for?"

"Building schools and managing it all."

I was silent for a moment but then made a decision. The Barefoot Foundation was exactly the type of organization I liked and the whole point of taking over Starlight Merchant Group was to use the money for something worthwhile.

When Parker had taken over Starlight Merchant Group, he had also constructed Pax International, which was a charity meant to do good all around the world, but Parker had lost interest in it and it had been untouched for more than a decade, accumulating money from both Starlight Merchant Group and Erebus, Parker's black market network.

The money had been handled by Starlight Invest and here, twenty years later, there was a huge amount of money waiting to be used. Privately, I was quite proud of the work we had done with the Vista Verde Boarding School along with Gabriella Delgado's two orphanages in Costa Rica, but even the collected cost of that didn't even make a dent in Pax International's holdings.

"I assume you have the account number for donations. Could you please give it to me?"

Isabel pulled a small card from her handbag and handed it to me, her eyes sparkling. "I'm terrible at remembering numbers, but this has everything you need."

Taking the card, I smiled back at her. "Good. I'll have the company look at it later this week."

"Thank you." Isabel said solemnly and then smiled.

"See?" Sofia said with a large smile on her face. "Talking business while relaxing on the beach isn't that bad."

Isabella nodded and stood. "That might be so, but now I want a swim. Are you guys coming?"

"Sure." Laughed Sofia and stood, while I shook my head. "I need to go to the toilet first, but please go ahead."

They nodded and walked off, chatting, while I took a moment to enjoy the sight of them, before I walked to the shed where the toilet was located.

When I came back, the twins had finished their interview with the Prince, so he joined me under the parasol with an iced juice in hand.

"Very intelligent girls," Salim said warmly, watching as they splashed back into the water to play.

"They are," I agreed lazily, savouring the shade and the momentary peace. "Their mother insisted they complete their school projects if they wanted to come here, and they've taken it seriously."

"Smart condition," Salim commented. Then, after a pause, he asked, "Forgive me for asking, but are they yours?"

"No, " I replied with a little smile. "I met their mother on a vacation a while back and we became friends. She's busy studying at the moment, so I invited the girls to spend their vacation here. They're good kids."

Salim nodded as he glanced to the edge of the water, where Zena, Cyra and Shahla were playing with a ball. "Yes, they are. I've rarely seen Shahla become so comfortable with any girls her own age so fast." He paused for a moment. "Or the other way around for that matter. Normally, girls her age become quite shy when they discover Shahla's a princess."

I looked over at the girls, who were playing in the water. "Well, it looks like they're having a very good time."

"Oh, I agree... Too bad we have to go back to the hotel after dinner."

"Shahla doesn't have to." I pointed out. "Dream Cat sails back to Rastede tomorrow morning with pretty much everybody, so she could stay here overnight along with a couple of bodyguards and return tomorrow."

Salim thought for a moment and then nodded "That is a good idea. I'll go ask her."

With the distance, I couldn't hear what he said, but Shahla's nod, followed by Cyra and Zena doing high-fives told me that the offer had been well received.

Dinner was relaxing, tasty and fun, as everybody talked while they enjoyed the food. Especially the freshly caught hogfish was delicious and the three girls beamed as people complimented it.

"You really have to come to Kuwait, so we can return your hospitality." Said Prince Salim. "It's been a very relaxing day... and highly needed after the last few weeks. Especially for Shahla and you're very welcome to bring Cyra and Zena when you come to visit."

Glancing over at the princess, who was in an animated discussion with Zena and Cyra about fish, while Esther translated, I nodded and looked at Salim. "I plan on taking a sailing trip next year, so that might be a possibility."

"That is a long trip in a boat." He stated.

"Well, with yachts the size of Dream Cat it's more like a vacation in a moving luxury apartment." I said with a grin.

Prince Salim laughed, nodding in agreement. "True." He glanced at the huge catamaran. "Personally, I prefer motor yachts, but I must admit that there's something special about sailing yachts."

We spent some time talking about yachting and other hobbies, before one of the bodyguards politely reminded Prince Salim that it was time to leave, after which he and his two wives said their goodbyes and drove back to their hotel.

Apparently, it was customary that the groom didn't see the bride before the wedding on the wedding day, so Manuel had talked Delina into driving him to his house and they left shortly after the royal family.

As darkness fell, we gravitated toward the beach where a bonfire crackled against the night sky. The warmth of the flames mingled with the soft crash of waves, creating an atmosphere of calm.

At Petra's request I fetched both my guitar and my oud from Dream Cat and played some melodies, before Zena asked if she could borrow the guitar and joined in. Since I hadn't known she could play that took me by surprise, so I asked Cyra about it, making her laugh in my head. "< We have music lessons in school, Ivan, and since we can't sing, playing an instrument is pretty much the only other thing to do >"

I nodded with a smile and played along with Cyra, while the rest sang or danced. At least in the beginning, but as time went by, Isabella proved that she was a famous singer for a reason and took over the singing part for a while, until she laughingly demanded a break.

I had been prepared for the twins to argue about their bedtime, but the traveling must have taken its toll on them and before it even reached the time where they should be in bed, I discovered they had fallen asleep in the sand side by side with Shahla. Petra and I carried the twins into their room on Dream Cat, followed by one of the bodyguards, who was carrying Shahla.

This seemed to remind people that there was a wedding the next day and while we were putting the kids to bed, most of the others followed suit.

Petra, Sofia and I weren't in the mood for sleeping just yet, so instead we ended up on a sofa in the living room of the Shed, admiring the view over the moonlight sea and drinking tea, while we talked. To be more precise, I was silent most of the time, while Petra had switched to Spanish as she told Sofia about the trip to France and the christening of the ships.

After having picked up Karen in Los Angeles, they had flown to Paris, where they were joined by two other godmothers: Jan den Adel's niece Sharon den Adel and a French actress named Vanessa Demouy. Then they flew to the city of Le Havre, where the christening was to take place. Despite the difference in background and nationality, all four women had gotten along famously, and the christening had happened in good mood. All four of them had gotten a tour of the ships, gifts of various ship related stuff and about a thousand pictures had been taken of them, making Petra even more happy she had insisted Karen got a new dress before leaving LA.

The day after the christening and the following celebrations, they had been flown back to Paris, where Vanessa Demouy had acted as a guide for the others, since she lived there. They had seen the Louvre, the Eifel tower and Moulin Rouge, eaten French food in good restaurants, shopped and in general had a good time.

Good as the story was, I wasn't listening that carefully, since Sofia had placed herself between Petra and I and for most of the story, she played with her fingertips on my neck, sending small shivers through my body. That was only reinforced by the smouldering look she sent me from time to time and the lust she emitted.

As a form of pay-back, I projected a steady stream of lust into her, gradually increasing the intensity the longer she played with her fingertips.

"We need more wine." Sofia declared, when Petra had finished her story.

"It's in the kitchen." Said Petra. "Shall I get it?"

"Naaah. I'll get it myself." She stood up from the sofa and walked out, causing both Petra and I to look at her shapely ass until the door closed behind her.

"Fuck, she's sexy!" Breathed Petra and sent me a grin. "Oh, talking about sexy... You could have warned me that Karen is sweet, smart and drop-dead gorgeous ... I get your nickname for her. Peach Blossom is just perfect... and there's something about her that's just so sexy it hurts." She tilted her head as if she had realized something and added. "A bit like you actually..."

I smiled. Karen had learned Vis Meditation, after which she had figured out how to use a slow version of Vis Powers while we were in Malaga and as women on some primal level tended to find power attractive, naturally the bisexual Petra would find her extremely sexy.

"Yeah, she is smoking hot. Did you try to seduce her?" I asked teasingly.

Petra shook her head. "I didn't have the nerve to try."

"Chicken," I shot back with a grin. "You're so gorgeous, that even straight women might say yes to you, if you would just ask."

Petra snorted and opened her mouth to say something, but a voice saying, "He's right, you know." made her look in the direction of the kitchen instead.

We both turned to see Sofia leaning casually against the doorframe, wine bottle in hand, a lustful smile playing on her lips. Clearly, she'd heard the last part of our conversation.

Sofia walked towards us, eyes locked on Petra. "Normally, I would ask you to leave, so I could have my way with your boss... " A wide smile played on her lips. "... but last time he told me that you think I'm one of the hottest women in the world... So, let's try this instead." Reaching the sofa, she bent down, took hold of Petra's head and gave her a long passionate kiss.

The sight of two beautiful, voluptuous, bikini-dressed women kissing each other went directly to my dick and in a few heartbeats I had a hard-on.

Still kissing Petra, Sofia held out the bottle of wine towards me and I took it from her hand and placed it on the table. There was a moment of hesitation, but then Sofia placed her now free hand on Petra's breasts, gently caressing them.

With a content sigh, Petra reached out and did the same to Sofia, causing the Latina to moan.

Shaking my head, I stood from the sofa and walked over to lock the front door, lowered the blinds and dimmed the lights. This was going to end with sex and I didn't need the security people as an audience.

Doing that didn't take long, but when I turned around to walk back to the sofa, Petra was laying on her back with her bikini top off, perky breasts partly obscured by Sofia's long hair as the Columbian was busy licking them. However, Sofia had also lost her bikini top and since she was leaning in over Petra's head, her breasts were in Petra's face. A fact that the Ukrainian happily took advantage of, as she licked and kissed Sofia's huge, well-formed breasts.

The sight was so sexy and erotic, that I stopped in my tracks and took my time to enjoy the sight of two insanely well-shaped and sexy women pleasuring each other. That Sofia had one knee on the sofa and another on the floor only made it better, as her round ass was on display right in front of me. The white thong going between the sun-tanned buttocks highlighted how ridiculous sexy it looked.

"Ivan," Sofia suddenly said in her sultry voice. "I want you inside of me now."

"In a moment," I told her and quickly undressed. Last time she had told me to skip foreplay, I had ignored it with great results. However, even from a distance I could feel the lust and need she emitted and decided that this time I might just do as she asked. Not to mention that the sight just made me want to bury my dick in her as soon as I was sure that she was wet enough.

Walking over to her, I pulled her bikini bottom down and let my fingers slide in between her legs, making Sofia moan as my fingertips touched her sensitive lips. She was so wet she was dripping and as soon as I touched her, she wriggled her beautiful ass, inviting me to go further faster.

I started slowly, teasing her lips and ran circles around her clitoris with my fingertips before gently inserting two fingers in her tight pussy, enjoying the feel of her clasping muscles around my fingers.

Sofia groaned again and I smiled a little to myself as I saw Petra massaging Sofia's big, soft breasts while using her mouth and tongue on the nipples, while I was taking my time fucking her with my fingers. From time to time, I pulled the fingers out to massage the outside of her pussy, catching her clitoris between two fingers and applied pressure as I moved my hand back and forth to make the clitoris slide up and down.

"Uhhhh... So good." Sofia moaned against Petra's breasts and switched to Spanish as she said. "Give me your dick!"

Deciding that it wouldn't be polite to keep a woman in need waiting for too long, I removed my fingers and smeared her juices over my dick, as I stepped into position, teasing her even more by dragging the head of my cock up and down her wet lips, feeling them spreading.

Letting the head rest at her opening, I took a firm hold of her flaring hips and thrust forward in a long, slow stroke, closing my eyes in pleasure as the sensation of sliding into her tight channel ran through me.

"Oh Yes!" Sofia hissed with another shiver. "Fuck me hard."

"Si, Señorita." I replied with a grin and began pumping in and out of her. Hard and fast, as she had asked me to do.

The response was immediate, as she moaned louder with each stroke, shivering every time I bottomed out in her, the muscles started to clench and unclench in a pulsing rhythm, making it feel even better. Petra's hands suddenly appeared on Sofia's back, caressing the soft skin and I could feel Sofia's excitement rise steadily, so I let go of her hips and caressed that fabulous ass as my hips slammed into it again and again.

Then her body went rigid and a moment later, she cried out in pleasure as an orgasm ripped through her. Her pussy clenched around my cock, but I kept pounding into her, as her body shook and spasmed. A flood of juice gushed around my cock, lubricating it even more, as I kept on fucking her.

At least that was my plan, but the orgasm made Sofia lose her balance and fall forward, causing her to end up completely on top of Petra, instead of just halfway as she was before.

With a grin, I took hold of her hips and lifted her ass up, so she could place her knees on the sofa, before I buried my dick inside her again.

"Oh, fuck that's good." She moaned as I resumed my fucking, after having changed my position so I was higher up and thus could hit her internal pleasure point with each stroke.

Suddenly, I felt something tickle my balls and looking down, I discovered that Sofia's orgasm had caused her to move so far forward, that Petra's head was directly under her pussy. It wasn't a position the Ukrainian had any intention of letting go to waste and with a little manoeuvring, she managed to be able to put her tongue to use, as she licked Sofia's clitoris.

Petra must have hit the bullseye, because Sofia began shivering almost immediately,

"Ohmygod!" The Columbian groaned, as her inside rippled around my dick, and it was pretty obvious that she was already close to coming again.

Leaning forward, I reached around her and in-between the two lovely bodies to grasp her huge tits, fondling them as I delighted in the feeling of my dick inside her and her soft, yet firm, breasts in my hands.

My fingers closed around her nipples and without warning, she came again. Her pussy spasmed around my cock as thunderous jolts of pleasure ran through her body and her muffled screams echoed in the room.

Muffled? From my position I could only see her hair, so I reached out with my mind, connected with hers and a moment later, I knew why her screams had been softened. Sofia had intended to press her mouth against Petra's skin but had ended up using the top of Petra's pussy to damp the sounds she was making, causing Petra to jerk at the unexpected contact. Intrigued, Sofia had given her a lick, again causing Petra to jerk and shiver, and as her own orgasm slowly faded, Sofia had simply continued to lick, enjoying the pleasure she was giving the Ukrainian.

Withdrawing from her mind, I started to move again, but much slower than before, wanting to give Sofia the time she needed to get Petra off as well... if that was her goal.

Judging from Petra's movements, Sofia started slowly, but whatever hesitation that might have been there slowly melted away as she got into it, causing Petra to moan. That increased when Sofia moved an arm, so she could use her fingers as well, while her hips were rocking into my thrusting cock.

Petra's moans became higher pitched and her legs started trembling violently and judging that it wouldn't take long before she came, I picked up the pace, pounding Sofia in an effort to make her come at the same time.

It didn't take long before I could feel her pussy tighten around my cock and a moment later the brunette lifted her head and released a low wail of pleasure. Then she yelped as I gave her shapely ass a slap. "Don't leave a girl hanging. Keep licking!"

With another groan, Sofia went back to letting her tongue play, which immediately caused Petra to moan. I groaned as well. Sofia's hot pussy was convulsing around my cock and it felt heavenly.

She began to writhe harder beneath me, and her grunting was replaced by guttural moans. Sofia buried her face in Petra's pussy and screamed in stunned, sudden joy as I felt her waves of orgasm immerse my thrusting cock.

Petra came a heartbeat later, her screams of pleasure muffled as she pressed her mouth against Sofia's pussy.

Their orgasms seemed to last a very long time, but finally it faded, causing Sophia to go limp on top of Petra.

With a smile I pulled my dick out of Sophia, causing her to moan weakly, before I left my somewhat awkward position and took a glass of wine, before I sat down on a chair. This gave me an excellent view of the two stunning women on the sofa and I smiled as I drank the wine, admiring them.

It didn't take long before Petra managed to wriggle out from underneath her voluptuous cover.

Then she leaned over and gave Sophia a soft kiss on the cheek. "Are you okay, honey?"

Sophia eyelids fluttered for a moment, as if she struggled to open, but she finally did and looked at Petra with a smile. "Oh, yes. I just need a rest... Now give me a kiss."

With a chuckle Petra shifted her position so she could kiss Sophia while caressing the Colombian's fabulous breasts. Her new position placed her on her knees beside the sofa and she broke the kiss just long enough to say. "I need dick, Ivan."

With a chuckle, I placed the now empty glass on the table and walked over to her, but before I reached her, Sophia looked up with a grin. "Give me a moment. I have a plan."

I stopped and watched as the Columbian beauty sat up on the sofa, placed a long well-formed leg on each side of Petra and then dragged the Ukrainian in for a kiss. Petra groaned as their breasts grinded against each other's as they kissed.

Getting on my knees on the soft carpet, I guided my cock to her opening and slowly entered her dripping pussy, a shiver running up my spine as her pussy clenched around me.

Petra moaned into Sophia's mouth and pressed backwards, making me go all the way inside her, while Sophia started to caress her breasts. A gesture Petra immediately returned and then I was fucking a beautiful woman that was kissing and fondling another beautiful woman, while being caressed in return.

It was an intoxicating sight and leaving the caressing to the two women, I started to fuck Petra with long, hard, and fast strokes, loving the feeling of her clenching pussy around my hard cock. Then she shivered as Sophia reached down between them with her free hand and started rubbing Petra's clitoris, all while kissing and fondling her.

With all that stimulus it didn't take long before Petra's moans turned into groans as she came closer and closer to an orgasm. Then she howled into Sophia's mouth as her body became rigid for a couple of heartbeats, and her pussy clamped down on my cock. Sophia didn't stop rubbing, so I continued to fuck her as hard as I could and to my pleasant surprise, she came again, squirting as she did so.

"Stop!" She gasped. "Too much!"

Sophia laughed and removed her hand, but I had other plans. Caught between me and Sophia, and with Sophia's legs to each side of her, there was no escape unless we wanted to, and I didn't want to. Instead, I took hold of her neck and rammed my dick into her stronger than before.

"Shit!" She gasped and resisted for a moment, but I simply held her into place and fucked her roughly, each thrust causing her to shiver and groan, as the force of the thrust made the flesh on her perfect ass ripple each time my hips hit it.

Despite her protests, Petra pushed back against me, ending up with her head between Sophia's breasts, causing the Colombian to gasp. First I thought that it was from Petra's mouth on her breasts, but then I noticed Petra's right arm move and realized that the Ukrainian beauty had used the opportunity and position to bury her fingers in Sophia's pussy.

That too was an alluring thought and I could feel my own orgasm approach, the feeling sending shivers down my spine.

Then Petra came once more, even harder than before, thrashing on top of Sophia and screaming into her breasts, as muscles contracted around my dick, squeezing and milking it. Then she collapsed on top of Sophia, completely exhausted from the orgasms.

The brunette laughed and looked at me, but instead of the funny comment I had expected, she simply said. "You're close. Fuck me until you come."

If there ever was an offer I wouldn't refuse, that was the one.

It only took a few moments to roll Petra to the side, so Sophia could free her leg. Taking a hold of her hips, I pulled her to the edge of the sofa and aimed the head of my cock at her dripping pussy, before I pressed forward, sinking into her slick tunnel until I was buried completely in her pussy.

"Fuck, it's good!" Gasped Sophia and wriggled her hips. "Now fuck me!"

With a nod, I reached up to caress her breasts as I began fucking her just as hard and fast as I had just fucked Petra.

Ripples of pleasure ran through her body and I could feel that whatever Petra had done had been working, because she was just as close to coming as I was.

Her legs encircled my hips and for a moment she held that position, but then she came again with a soft scream, forcefully grinding her pussy against me and driving me as far inside her as I could come, while the contracting muscles in her pussy milked my hard cock. The intensity was simply too much and with a groan of pleasure, I emptied myself in her with an intensity that made my body jerk and twitch.

Sophia was shivering as she placed her feet on the floor again and pulled herself upright, so she could give me a hug and a kiss. I hugged her back, caressing her back while still enjoying the feel of her pussy vibrating around my cock.

"That..." She gasped. "Was.. fantastic!"

"Agreed." Mumbled Petra from the side. "Ivan alone is sexy, but this was insane."

Looking over, I discovered that she was watching us through half-closed eyes and with a nod, I said. "It was epic."

Sophia kissed my chest. "And thank you by the way."

That made me look at her. "For what exactly?"

She giggled. "For making me so turned on that I would go down on another woman... I always wanted to try that, but I never had the courage to try."

"This was your first time?" Blurted Petra, sounding totally surprised.

"Yes."

Petra laughed softly. "In that case you're a natural... because damn that was good."

Sophia smiled widely. "Likewise, Petra." Then she wriggled her hips a bit around my still semi-erect cock and looked up at me with her large warm brown eyes. "Doesn't that thing ever go soft?"

"Are you kidding me?" I grinned. "I'm in the presence of two of the sexiest women on the planet ... you're both naked and I'm inside you... It'll take more than one orgasm to make that go down."

With a smile Sophia reached out and ruffled my hair. "Cute."

Petra nodded. "Yes, but the thing about Ivan is that he doesn't lie." She chuckled. "And to be honest, seeing the two of you like that makes me want to go for round two."

Sophia looked from Petra to me and back. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Petra and I said almost in unison.

"In that case..."

She started to move her hips back and forth, making my dick slide in and out of her. The sensation quickly made me grow hard again.

The feeling made her smile. "Good thing the night is still young then."

"Yes." Petra got up so she could kiss first me and then Sophia, before saying. "Now that we got you naked and horny, there's no way I will let you off that easily."

"Less talk," mumbled Sophia as she dragged Petra back for a kiss. "More action."

As her pussy contracted around my dick, I could only agree.

------------------------------------------

The wedding

Saturday October 7th, 2000, Rastede, Oldenburg Island

The next morning everybody needed to get ready for the wedding. Fortunately, in a true Caribbean fashion the wedding ceremony started at four o'clock to avoid the midday heat, so we had plenty of time to get ready, and after a lovely breakfast on the beach, Dream Cat sailed back to Rastede with everybody except me.

Ayanna needed to get ready, and Riya had promised to help her. Isabel had to do some sound checks. Sofia was still tired and wanted to sleep. Princess Shahla and her bodyguard had to meet Prince Salim, while Petra had booked a beautician's appointment for the twins, Esther, Delina and herself in a beauty salon, followed by lunch and a final fitting at the tailor's for their dresses.

Having ample time, I spent the rest of the day relaxing while getting ready in my own tempo and then meet with the others outside Vor Frelsers Kirke ('The Church of our Savior'), the biggest church on the island, in good time before the wedding.

By tradition, the bride was to be the last to arrive, ensuring neither the groom nor the guests saw her before she walked down the aisle. True to this custom, Ayanna and her party arrived just moments before four o'clock.

Since her family couldn't attend, I had the honour of escorting her down the aisle. Being the first to see her, I was utterly floored. Ayanna had always been beautiful, but today she was radiant. She wore a traditional deep red Pakistani wedding dress, intricately embroidered with shimmering gold. The artistry of the fabric, combined with her elegance, left me momentarily speechless.

Cyra and Zena flanked her, dressed in matching white gowns also embroidered with gold, looking every bit as adorable as flower girls should. Petra, Riya, and Delina, now bridesmaids, followed closely behind, looking equally stunning.

That wasn't the original plan, but a while ago I had put Giles Cornell, Starlight's Chief Security Officer, to work on annulling the charges against the women. While he succeeded for Ayanna, Riya, Delina, and Petra, the approvals had come too late to make significant changes to the wedding arrangements. Still, there was just enough time to include the three additional bridesmaids, their dresses finished in the nick of time.

Unfortunately, Esther couldn't join as a bridesmaid. Still wanted by authorities, her presence in official wedding photos would have been far too risky, so she had reluctantly declined. However, since Starlight Security controlled which pictures from the official photographers were released, she was able to join the festivities.

The ceremony was flawless, and in less than an hour, Ayanna became Mrs. Estevez, glowing with happiness as the vows were sealed.

From the church, the celebration moved to a spectacular dinner and reception at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton resort. Though I had jokingly referred to it as a "royal wedding" during planning, the reality exceeded all expectations. The grand dining room was brimming with guests from around the globe, dressed in either the latest high-fashion or their sharpest suits. Among the attendees were Duke Oluf II of Oldenburg and his wife Loise, the Mayor of Rastede, and an impressive roster of Estevez's family and friends.

After the traditional dinner, the party flowed seamlessly into the ballroom. I had just stepped inside when I spotted Giles Cornell making his way toward me. The slim, sandy-haired Englishman carried himself with his usual calm confidence, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit like nearly every other man in attendance.

"Hello, Mr. Ivan." He greeted me. Like most other people on Oldenburg, he had the habit of setting Mister in front of my given name, instead of my surname. It was Captain Wolf, who had started that trend, but the five women had continued it, which in turn had been mimicked by Manuel Estevez, then Angela Scott and Sandra Rodriquez used it and by now, everybody called me that.

"Hello Mr. Cornell," I replied with a nod. "And thank you for doing a good job so far on getting those charges reversed." As nobody was within hearing range, I added. "It has made the wedding somewhat easier or at least worry-free."

Cornell inclined his head slightly. "Thank you, sir. However, there's a complication with Miss Gul."

"Yes, I've noticed." I said in a low voice. "Out of curiosity, what's the issue?"

Cornell grimaced. "The Israelis have very tight security and are not easily paid off." He paused. "Interestingly, Miss Gul is not listed as a deserter, but simply as 'disappeared'. That means, the Israeli must have found evidence indicating that Miss Gul didn't leave on her own but was kidnapped." He shrugged lightly. "I have some contacts working on it and she might be able to return to Israel if she wants." He paused as he glanced around to make sure that nobody was within hearing range. "However, the reason I came over, is that we have an even better contact present at the party, but I'll need your permission, before I do anything."

"Oh... do tell."

"Benjamin Schaal of Israel Aerospace Industries is at the wedding. I'm sure he's able to help. Israel Aerospace is state-owned, and they really want to be in on Svalinn Defence's new radar, which means that we might be able to reach an agreement through them. Not to mention that we have already made deals with them on the Lavi fighter." He said confidently. "I've already talked with Nikolas Holtman from Starlight Technologies, and he was very positive about it, as Israel is one of the planned customers for the radar systems anyway."

I thought it over for a moment. "I assume that you and Miss Gul have a believable story made to explain how she ended up here?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good... Please talk it over with Miss Gul first, but otherwise it's okay with me."

"Thank you, sir. I'll go talk with Miss Gul." Said the security officer with a smile, before he turned around and walked off towards the place where Esther and Riya were standing.

I made my way toward one of the waiters balancing a tray of drinks and reached for a cider, almost colliding with Janet Kwon, who was reaching for a cola.

"You!" she exclaimed, her voice half-surprised, half-playful. She attempted to give me a sharp, reprimanding stare, but the amusement radiating off her completely undermined it. Instead of looking intimidating, she just looked irresistibly cute.

"Miss Kwon," I greeted mildly, offering a small smile. "A pleasure to see you again. And may I say, you look absolutely ravishing tonight."

"Well, thank you, Mr. Ivan," she replied, batting her lashes with an exaggerated flutter and breaking into a soft giggle. Her tone dropped to a whisper as she leaned in slightly. "I must say that it was quite a shock to see you walk down the aisle to give the lovely bride away. You could have said something."

"Sorry, but that wasn't possible." I replied just as softly. "If I had told you before, you would have gone home alone and afterwards, you just wanted to sleep. I didn't want to ruin a very good night by telling you at that point."

She tilted her head, considering this, before offering a coy smile. "Fair enough. But I trust that our... enjoyable evening won't complicate the business side of things?"

For a second, her comment caught me off guard. That was so far from my way of thinking, that I looked at her in complete confusion for a moment, before I realized that us having sex would make at least some men think she was easily manipulated, conveniently forgetting that it was her that had orchestrated the night.

Janet giggled, clearly reading my expression. "That look on your face is all the confirmation I need, Ivan. Thank you again."

"Stop thanking me," I replied with a grin. "As I said at Ziggy's, I was honoured to be chosen."

She opened her mouth as though to argue but paused as a pair of guests wandered into earshot. Her expression shifted to something more formal, and she gave me a polite nod. "It's been a pleasure talking with you, Mr. Ivan. I hope we can continue this conversation later."

"Likewise, Miss Kwon," I said, bowing my head slightly. I couldn't help but smile as she walked away, her cute ass moving nicely in her dress.

"Now, that's a mighty fine butt in a beautiful dress." I heard Petra whisper in Ukrainian as she came walking up to me and glanced in the direction I was looking, obviously thinking the same as I did.

"It's even better without the dress." I commented in a low voice, which caused her to look at me in surprise, before laughing softly. "Oh, you didn't!"

"Oh, yes, I did," I said with a smile. "Wouldn't you?"

She glanced at Janet Kwon again and then back at me with a grin on her face. "Every day of the week and twice on Sundays."

"Yeah... Well, unfortunately it wasn't Sunday."

She chuckled but leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You could have invited me."

"Not possible," I said with a shrug. "It was after the cocktail party, and you were in France."

"Ahh." She looked thoughtful for a moment but then leaned closer to whisper. "Why the hell does knowing that turn me on? I mean, knowing that you had sex with Riya or Delina doesn't do that, so why does this?"

"No idea." I grinned. "I didn't know that it turns you on and if so, you've always been like that."

"Well, it's news for me." She grimaced. "Apparently, I'm kinkier than I thought."

Thinking it over, I realized that her only discovering that side of her sexuality now, had to be the result of Parker having removed most of her inhibitions regarding sex, just like her bisexuality had only surfaced afterwards.

"Well, you might as well enjoy it, because you can't change it."

It was well-meant advice, but as soon as I had said it, Petra looked at me with a gleam in her eyes and whispered, "Come with me," as she dragged me into the hallway.

Petra's room wasn't far from the banquet hall and we got there so fast, teleportation would have been slower.

"I want you!" Petra declared with fiery heat in her eyes and voice, as soon as the door closed behind us. "I need that stiff cock inside me right now!"

"Turn around."

With a smile, she took a few steps to the big table in the room and leaned over it, her fantastic ass pushing the thin silk of her dress.

Placing my suit jacket on a chair, I walked up behind her and ran my hand lightly over her ass. The satiny touch of smooth ass flesh through silk gave me an immediate hard-on. I slowly lifted her bridesmaid dress up to get it out of the way. She leaned forward with a satisfied sigh and put her face on the table while I pushed the dress up over her hips. The thin straps of her black thong disappeared into the deep crevice of her perfect butt cheeks. I hooked my fingers in tenderly and pulled it down. The thong was soaked.

"Getting frisky?" I asked with a little laugh and ran my fingers down her wet lips.

"Yes, dammit!" She growled. "What did you do with her?"

"Well, first I kissed her breasts and licked her nipples, while playing with her wet pussy." I said and slowly inserted a finger into Petra's tight wet pussy as I spoke. "Of course, with an ass like that, I also fondled her butt at the same time."

Petra's only answer was a moan as she pressed back, getting more of my finger inside her.

Wetting my other fingers in her juices, I continued. "She liked that a lot... especially as I touched her anus... like this." With a wet thumb, I traced a line from Petra's pussy to her little hole, where I drew a circle, causing her to shiver. "She has a very nice ass... not as spectacular as yours, but close."

Petra bucked under my touch, so I pressed the thumb against her anus. The ring relaxed, opened up a little and almost sucked my thumb inside.

"Yes, like that." I commented, and finger fucked her in both holes, while explaining exactly what I had done to Janet Kwon. Her first orgasm by my fingers and the way the little Asian had sucked and then ridden me like a woman possessed until she came with a scream.

Petra loved it, bucking her hips and grinding against my fingers, while breathing hard and heavy. As I explained the ride, adding another finger to her pussy and increasing the rhythm of the finger fucking to fit the rhythm of the story, she began to moan and shake.

With perfect timing, Petra climaxed as I explained how Janet had screamed out her orgasm. The Ukrainian's pussy pulsed and clamped around my deeply embedded fingers a few times, before her body was wracked with orgasmic spasms. Her pussy flowed over with juice as she hammered a hand into the table and her breathing came back with a deep groan. "Fuuuuuuck!"

"As you wish." I chuckled, but waited until her orgasm had faded, before retracting my fingers and replacing them with my stiff cock, sinking it all the way into the welcoming wetness of her pussy.

"Yes!" Petra groaned against the table and pushed back against me, absorbing my hard dick into her body, as I took hold of her curvy hips and began to drill her.

She tried to move her hips, but I held her still, controlling her body's motions while my dick slid in and out of her in a relaxed tempo I could keep without coming and it allowed me to pull her towards me, driving my cock even further into her. The slick walls of her pussy massaged my cock with each move I made, punctuated by Petra's groans each time I hit bottom.

Petra tossed her head, sending her hair flying over her shoulder, and looked at me with sheer lust in her eyes. "Harder. Fuck me hard!"

Letting go of her hips with one hand, I leaned forward, grabbed her hair and pulled her towards me, slamming my dick into her over and over again. The muscles of her pussy clenched, making her even tighter, but she was so wet, it just added to the feeling of my cock sliding in and out of her.

"Fuck! It's so good." Petra moaned and lifted her left leg to place it on the table. That allowed me to go even deeper and her body began the telltale shiver and shake of an oncoming orgasm.

I increased the speed, loving the feeling of her around me.

A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I moved my head slightly to see what it was. The door to the bathroom was slightly ajar and on the other side stood a pretty dark-haired woman, studying us intensely through eyes half-closed with pleasure, while her hand was between her slightly spread legs, rubbing fiercely. She was dressed in the standard shirt and skirt hotel maid outfit and I realized, that she must have been cleaning the bathroom when Petra and I entered and with the quickness which we had started fucking, there was no way she had been able get out before we started. I guessed she hoped that we would go into the bedroom at some point, so she could slip out unnoticed.

Still fucking Petra, I read the maids emotions, just to ensure that she wouldn't freak out if she discovered I had seen her. I hadn't needed to worry. She was so turned on by the scene that the only thought in her head was getting off. That gave me an idea.

Leaning a bit forward, I used my grip on Petra's hair to turn her head in the direction of the maid, without making it too obvious what I was doing. Then I leaned down and whispered into her ear, that we were being watched. She opened her eyes in shock, just as I rammed my dick into her.

The mixture of being watched and my dick slamming into her, sent her off in a powerful orgasm. Waves of pleasure wracked her body over and over again, as she came with a howl that made me thankful that the room was reasonably soundproof.

I kept fucking her gently, until she just lay there, shivering all over.

Then I turned my head and looked directly at the maid. She was obviously very close to coming herself, but as soon as she discovered I was looking at them, her eyes flew open in shock.

"Oh, do come in!" I said with a smile.

She quickly got her hand out from under her skirt and walked into the room on stiff legs, as if doing something against her better judgement... which she in all fairness most likely was.

Before she could say anything, I said. "I'm not angry you watched, but would you like to join us?"

Without saying anything, she nodded eagerly.

"Nice. Now undress and come here."

"Yes, sir." She answered. Her voice was a bit deeper than I had expected, but pleasant and trembling with either lust or anticipation.

Petra was still dazed, so I didn't bother with any explanations. I simply pulled out of her and turned towards the half-naked maid, who was now naked and watching my hard-on as I moved, wetting her lips with her tongue.

Now that she was closer to me, I could see she was older than I had originally thought, most likely in her late twenties. She was also somewhat bigger than the women I was used to, but not big enough to be considered fat in any way and the soft feminine curves of the large breasts, wide hips and thighs sent tendrils of lust and desire down my spine.

The huge sofa in the room had some very wide armrests, so I told her to lay down on one of them and she did it immediately, placing her ass on the edge and pulling up her legs to give me an unhindered view of her pussy. Unlike Petra, she wasn't shaved, but her bush was neatly trimmed, and she smelled like fresh arousal as I went down on my knees in front of her.

She was still studying me intensely, so I sent her a smile and began to kiss my way up her legs, from her knee to her soft upper thigh. As I came nearer to her pussy, I could feel the heat emanating from her and small drops of juice began running down from her glistening lips.

It was a tempting sight, and I stopped the drops with my tongue, causing her to gasp as I licked the juices away. She tasted just as good as she smelled, and I began to run my tongue along the lips, circling closer and closer to her clitoris.

The maid started buckling her hips, trying to get my tongue to connect with her clitoris, so I placed a hand on her thigh and dived in.

"Ohhh!" she sighed, as I placed the flat of my tongue ever so gently on her clitoris and drew a circle around it, before I dragged my tongue directly over the sensitive organ. Small shivers ran through her body, each time I came into direct contact.

As I found a rhythm with my tongue, I slid two fingers into her slopping wet pussy, hitting the pleasure zone just behind the pubic bone. She responded with moans and buckled her hips, trying to increase the friction against both her clitoris and pleasure zone at the same time. I closed my lips around her clitoris and flicked the tip of my tongue over it several times, each time earning a yelp from her. As a test, I pressed the tip of a finger against her anus.

"Oh Fuck!" She sighed and moved her hips to press down, forcing my finger into her tight ass.

She clearly liked it, so I began teasing her clitoris with both my tongue and lips, while my fingers slid in and out of her holes. I went slowly at first, but as her moaning increased, I went faster and increased the pressure of my tongue against her clitoris.

The muscles in her legs started to shiver and a few heartbeats later, she screamed with pleasure as she exploded in a powerful orgasm. Shocks rippled through her body, followed by smaller aftershocks as her orgasm began to subside.

I used the break to quickly get out of my clothes and put on a condom, and she was still laying shivering on the wide armrest when I stepped between her legs, placed the head of my dick between the wet lips of her pussy and pressed it inside.

"Oh, yessss," the maid hissed, bucking her pelvis to bring me in deeper.

Taking hold of her legs, I sunk my cock all the way into her, making her gasp as my pubic bone hit her clitoris. I pulled all the way out and rammed it home again.

"Give me your hands." I say and slipped my arms under her legs to grab her wrists. With forearms under her knees and me holding her wrists, she couldn't do much and I began to fuck her. I could feel my balls slapping against her soft ass and smell her excitement, as she gasped, shivered and moaned. Her big breasts made waves each time I slammed into her and I could feel she wanted to go faster. I kept my pace, though. It was a tempo I could keep for a very long time without coming and from her reaction I knew if I just continued this way, she would come.

An echo started to sound from my right. Glancing over, I saw Petra sitting naked in a chair, long tanned legs spread out, while she played with herself, moaning. When she noticed me looking at her, she just moaned, "That's sooooooooo hot!" and continued.

A howl escaped the maid, bringing my attention back to her. She was just on the edge of coming and a few strokes later, she did.

Her body spasmed and the pussy convulsed around my dick. "Oh God!"

Sweat formed on her brow, and I could feel her wanting to thrash with her arms, but instead of letting go, I held her tighter and fucked her harder and deeper.

"Oh Shit!" She exclaimed and came again so quickly, it almost felt like one long orgasm. Her pussy clenched and her body stiffened and shook for a few heartbeats as she let out a low wail that was echoed as Petra came as well.

I didn't stop, and the wail increased as I continued to hold her wrists and fuck her hard and deep.

It was simply too good to stop.

Suddenly, Petra was by my side, pressing her gorgeous curvy body against mine and kissed me passionately. I felt something brush over my skin and then the maid squalled again as Petra's strong fingers found the clitoris and expertly began to work it over.

The maid screamed in pleasure as she came again. This time so hard she squirted, sending her juices flowing down my balls to drip on the floor.

I hadn't forgotten the maid's reaction to having a finger in her ass and breaking the kiss, I whispered. "One moment, Babochka."

Petra nodded and retracted just a little, giving me room to withdraw my dick completely from the maid's quivering pussy. Then I lifted the maids legs a bit, so the tip of my dick pressed against her anus.

Even dazed as she was, the maid's eyes flew open. "Yes! Fuck my ass!"

With all the juices lubing up everything, I had no trouble squeezing the head of my cock into her tight ass and then began to pump back and forth, going a little deeper each time.

She hissed as my cock filled and stretched her little hole.

Petra's fingers returned to the maid's pussy, but instead of just playing with the clitoris, she shoved two fingers into the wet hole and used the palm of her hand on the sensitive nerve center.

I could feel Petra's fingers through the thin wall of flesh separating them from my cock and it just added to the excitement and pleasure.

Using my grip on the maid's wrist as leverage, I started to fuck her for real, withdrawing almost completely from her tight ass, before slamming it in again, feeling Petra's fingers massaging the pleasure zone all the way.

The maid moaned and groaned louder. Her body started to shake again and a moment later, she exploded in another squirting orgasm, which made her body spasm violently. There was no way I could hold her arms without hurting her, so I let go of her wrists, making her tumble into the sofa, where she curled up, shivering from the aftershocks.

Petra yelped in surprise when I took hold of her and placed her on her back on the armrest the maid had just occupied. Then I removed the condom and stuck my dick into her hot tight and extremely wet pussy.

Groaning in pleasure, she threw her long legs around my hips and leaned her head back, while I started to fuck her. This time there were no tricks of any kind. I simply leaned down and kissed her, while I pounded her hard and fast.

Her arms went around my head as she kissed me back, moaning into my mouth.

I could feel the shivers starting in my body and fucked her even faster and harder, feeling her climax build along with my own.

Her pussy throbbed and squeezed my cock, and I heard myself unleash an animal-like groan as I erupted in her. Feeling me coming inside her, sent Petra over the edge as well and she moaned into my mouth as we kissed all the way through the intense orgasm.

By then the maid had uncurled and was watching us, shaking her head lightly and a slight smile played on her face. "That was fantastic! You guys are amazing!" The smile turned into a frown. "Unfortunately, I'm running behind schedule now, so I have to leave."

Petra gently pushed me away. "One moment. Do you have any paper towels? Loverboy here made quite a mess."

The maid laughed and fetched a washcloth in the bathroom, allowing Petra to clean herself, before she stood up. Then she walked over to the table, found a business card in her purse and walked back to the maid. "Here. If you get into trouble for being late, call me."

The maid took the card and glanced at it for a moment, before she looked up at Petra. "Thank you."

It wasn't until the maid had left the room, I realized I didn't even know her name.

"Oh well." Said Petra with a grin when I commented on the missing name. "If she ever writes to me, I guess I'll find out." She tilted her head as she looked at me. "Was she good?"

"First of all, please don't ask that question if you're looking to compare her with yourself. My mind doesn't work that way." I said with a slight smile. "However, I'll answer it this time: Yes, she was good to share pleasure with, because she smelled good, tasted good and really liked it."

Petra considered the answer for a moment and then nodded. "Got it." A smile showed on her face. "And now we need a quick bath and to get back to the party before we're missed."

Nodding in agreement, I followed her to the bathroom.

---------------

When I rejoined the party, the orchestra was playing music and people had started to dance.

Pausing for a moment, I was debating what to do next when my gaze landed on Paula Scipio. She stood near one of the grand interior plants, smiling radiantly as she chatted with a fellow guest.

As when I had met her at the cocktail party, her dress was immaculate. A black fabric adorned with rose and pink floral patterns that seemed to shimmer in the soft lighting. Sleeveless, light, and short, it was perfect for the sultry Caribbean weather and hinted at a design meant for dancing. It showcased her curvy figure and long, toned, sun-kissed legs effortlessly, leaving little room for the imagination.

As I walked nearer, Paula Scipio looked over at me and smiled briefly, before doing the polite thing and returned her attention back to the other guest. I used the short walk over to them to take a closer look at the man. A handsome man in his early forties, he had short dark hair with a well-trimmed beard to match and the build of someone who worked out. I did a quick search of my memory to get a name but didn't find a name to match with the face.

Considering that Starlight Security had provided me with a file of every guest which not only included a short description of the guest and the company they owned or represented, but also a recent picture, that was strange.

"Hello, Miss Scipio," I said as I reached them, bowing slightly. "A pleasure to see you again." Then I turned to the man. "Good evening, sir."

The man gave me a curt nod, his expression vaguely irritated. "Good evening," he replied stiffly.

Paula Scipio's smile became wider. "Hello, Mr. Ivan and thank you for selling the yacht. My uncle tells me that it's a wonderful ship!"

I gave her a small smile. "Personally, I prefer catamarans, but I'm glad he's enjoying it."

Paula gestured toward her companion. "Oh, have you two met? This is Timmy Olsen, the owner of Olsen Construction."

Her words clicked into place, and the picture of Timmy Olsen from the file popped into my mind. Same age, same general facial structure, though the beard concealed a lot. However, the Timmy Olsen from the files was missing the pinkie on his right hand.

With a smile, I shook hands with him. "Sorry to interrupt your talk, Mr. Olsen."

The handshake and the way he tried to impress me with his strength by squeezing my hand told me that his pinkie was quite real.

"No need to be sorry, sir." He replied, but the smile on his face didn't reach his eyes. "I planned to go get something to drink anyway. Good day, sir." The smile he sent Paula was much more charming. "I'll talk with you later, Miss Scipio."

"I'll look forward to it." She answered and then he walked towards the bar.

Before Paula could say anything, I took a step closer to her and asked. "Can I borrow your phone?"

"What?" she said surprised.

"I need to make a call, and I don't have time to explain. Can I borrow your phone?"

Still looking puzzled, she pulled her phone from her purse, unlocked it, and handed it over. "Here."

"Thanks." I typed Giles Cornell's number and fortunately, he took it reasonably quickly.

"Cornell, it's Ivan. Walking towards the bar from the west side of the room, there's a good-looking athletic built man, with dark hair and a trimmed beard. Take a closer look at him. He claims to be Timmy Olsen from Olsen Construction, but the real Olsen lost the pinkie on his right hand. This guy hasn't. Do you see him? Good. Let me know what you find."

I ended the call and handed the phone back to Paula. "Apologies for that, but I'm without my phone tonight."

"Never mind that." She said as she accepted the phone. "Are you sure he's not Timmy Olsen?"

"No. That's why I asked Cornell to look into it. However, with all the VIP guests present here, I'll rather not take any chances. Anyway, that wasn't why I came over here..." I extended a hand to her. "May I have the honour of a dance?"

Paula smiled warmly. "I'd love to but give me a moment. I need to let Uncle Marco know about this."

"Certainly."

She pressed a speed-dial on the phone as she walked a few steps away from me to stand in relative privacy by the wall, put the phone to her ear and started to talk.

I turned around to look at the dancing people, but at the same time the music stopped, and people started to mingle around. Some walked towards the bar, while others went back to their table or towards a new dance partner.

The sudden lull in the music also meant that I could hear Paula talking into the phone and she was giving her Uncle Marco a detailed account of her encounter with Tommy Olsen. That in itself wasn't surprising, but that she was speaking Latin was. It wasn't even the school Latin that Rita and Alice had used in Malaga, but a completely fluent version of the dialect used in Spain during Roman times.

I walked a bit further away from her to ensure her privacy and after a while, I spotted Petra walking towards me with a smile on her face. "Nicely spotted, Mr. Ivan. Security got him now and he's not Tommy Olsen. Now they're trying to discover how he even got here and was allowed inside."

Before I could comment on what she had said, her eyes drifted over my shoulder and she took hold of my arm, whispered. "Oh, my god. Is it her?"

Since there was only one person between me and the wall, it didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about.

"Yes, that's Paula Scipio, the youngest board member of the Scipio Corporation." I replied, keeping my tone casual. "Don't let the look fool you. She looks cute, but she's as sharp as a razor and has degrees in economics and business."

"Cute is the wrong word." mumbled Petra. "She's so hot her dress should be on fire."

That caused me to chuckle. "Well, according to Manuel Estevez, she's one of the most coveted young women in Europe... which I guess is both due to her family fortune and her looks."

Petra nodded while discreetly looking at Paula Scipio. "You know, she reminds me of Ava Gardner!"

A quick memory search yielded no results, so I asked. "Who's Ava Gardner?"

Petra snapped out of her ogling and looked at me in surprise. "She was an old-time Hollywood star my father adored. Classy and sexy at the same time... Just like Miss Scipio."

"Well, thank you!" Paula's voice cut in behind us, brimming with amusement.

Petra blushed furiously as Paula Scipio joined us, mumbling "No need to thank me for the truth."

I swallowed a grin as it was usually me that made that statement. "Miss Scipio, the blushing young beauty here..." I gestured at Petra, "...is my otherwise very competent assistant, Miss Moroz."

Paula laughed softly as they exchanged greetings. Then she turned to me, her smile playful. "Sorry for sneaking up on you like that, but you wandered too far for me to grab your attention easily."

"I wanted to give you privacy," I explained with a grin. "And yes, I do speak Latin."

That got me a wide smile. "Yes, I suspected that, since you've read Ancient History... Oh, did you find out if it was an imposter or not?"

"It was an imposter, Miss Scipio." Said Petra. "Security is investigating as we speak."

Paula Scipio sighed. "It happens way too often." Looking up at me, she said. "Don't ever become famous. It's really not worth the hassle."

"Bene vixit, bene qui latuit." I said with a smile, using the same quote as I had given Manuel Estevez.

Paula's expression brightened as she nodded in approval. Petra, however, looked slightly lost, so I translated, "It means, 'To live well is to live unseen.'"

"It's a quote from the roman poet Ovid." Added Miss Scipio and looked at me. "Is that how you avoid all the gold-diggers?"

That made me laugh and nod. "Most of the time, yes. Sometimes, it also helps being with smart and beautiful women that're not gold-diggers." I nodded at Petra. "Like Miss Moroz here."

Paula Scipio fastened her deep blue eyes on the blushing Petra and nodded slowly. "I can see why." The charming smile returned as she added. "Unfortunately, I don't think it would work for me. Men are still trying to seduce my older sister, and she has been married for several years now."

I thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, there's nothing I can say to that really, but if you want some peace and quiet, come visit Vasa Estate some time."

The music started again. The soft, sultry rhythm of a song I recognized as being Dean Martin's Sway began to fill the room, the gentle sway of maracas mingling with the smooth melody of strings.

Paula Scipio turned to me with a glint in her eyes, her earlier seriousness melting into something lighter, freer. "Perhaps, I will... but first, I owe you a dance." She extended her hand gracefully. "Shall we?"

"Indeed."

I took her hand in mine, her touch warm and confident, and led her to the dance floor. The crowd parted instinctively, giving us space under the glow of crystal chandeliers.

The lights seemed to soften as the melody flowed, the gentle sway of the beat drawing us together. Paula smiled up at me, her dark eyes glinting with mischief and confidence. "Shall we see if we can make people talk, Mr. Ivan?" she teased, her voice low enough that only I could hear.

"Lead the way, Miss Scipio," I replied, stepping into her rhythm.

When "When marimba rhythms start to play, dance with me, make me sway" floated from the speakers, Paula's hips followed the music like it was a natural extension of her body. She moved with a grace and precision that was captivating, as though she and the song were one. Her floral dress swirled with each spin and step, the soft fabric catching the light and accentuating her every motion.

I tightened my hold, guiding her into a turn, as I felt a discreet probe from her. In fact, it was so subtle that I was sure she didn't do it on purpose. There was something familiar about it, and I realized that it was the kind of non-aggressive probe used to get a feeling of how another person moved. I had mostly used it during sex, but it could be useful in many other situations, like in dancing.

Instead of letting the probe bounce off my mind-shield, I accepted its gentle touch, connecting with her, as I continued the turn.

She followed effortlessly, her steps light yet purposeful, as if she knew exactly where I was going before I did, which she most likely did due to our connection.

"Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore, hold me close, sway me more." The lyrics seemed to echo the magnetic pull between us as I drew her closer.

Paula's smile widened, her confidence radiating through every move. Her hand rested lightly on my shoulder, her other fingers still intertwined with mine, as we glided across the floor.

"Like a flower bending in the breeze, bend with me, sway with ease." the singer crooned, and it was as if the world around us had blurred. The chatter of the guests faded into the background, and for a moment, it felt like there was nothing else but the two of us and the sway of the music.

Paula tilted her head slightly, studying me as we danced. "You move well," she murmured, the faintest hint of a challenge in her voice.

"So do you." I countered, spinning her with just enough force to make her laugh, her hair cascading in a soft arc as she came back to me. "And this is fun."

She chuckled, her laugh a rich, melodic sound that fit the music perfectly.

"When we sway, I go weak. I can hear the sound of violins, long before it begins."

Paula's movements grew bolder as the song continued, her steps sharper, her turns swifter. I matched her tempo, the chemistry and mental connection between us driving the momentum of the dance.

When the music softened for a moment, I leaned in slightly, keeping her close. "Tell me," I said, "are people talking yet?"

Her lips curved into a sly smile. "Well, at least they're looking. Can't you see that?"

The timing was perfect, I couldn't help myself and softly sang along with the next verse.

"Other dancers may be on the floor, Dear, but my eyes will see only you,"

Paula blushed at that, but before she could respond the song swelled again, and we moved as though the floor was ours alone, while we danced through the final, intoxicating beats of the song. Paula twirled once more, her dress catching the breeze of her motion, and as the music came to a lingering close, I brought her back into my arms, steadying her with a firm but gentle grip.

Paula's eyes held mine, her breath just a little heavier from the exertion. "Well," she said softly, amusement lacing her tone. "If that doesn't make people talk, I don't know what will."

"I don't care about other people, Miss Scipio." I replied with a smile, releasing her reluctantly. "We had a great time and that's enough."

She studied me in silence for a moment, before she smiled. "I totally agree. Until next time, Mr. Ivan."

"Until next time." I echoed with a slight bow.

As I walked back toward Petra, my heartbeat was still settling from the intensity of the dance. The crowd had scattered back to their own conversations and drinks, though a few lingering glances reminded me that Paula and I had drawn more attention than I'd realized. Petra stood near the edge of the dance floor, a glass of champagne in hand, her mouth slightly open as she stared at me.

"Well?" I asked with a raised brow, as I approached.

Petra blinked, as if snapping out of a trance. "Well?" she repeated, her voice a mix of disbelief and admiration. "That was not just a dance, sir. That was a goddamn performance!"

Accepting a cool cider from a waiter, I chuckled. "Relax, Petra. It wasn't that good."

Petra gave me a disbelieving look, crossing her arms. "Trust me, it was. Half the room is still recovering from the sight of you twirling Paula Scipio around like you were born to do it." She winked at me, smiling. "And don't think I didn't notice how close Miss Scipio got, not to mention how she looked at you."

"I didn't say I disliked it." I said with a grin. "I just think it takes more to seduce a woman like Paula Scipio."

Petra studied me for a moment longer, then sighed dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "You're impossible, you know that? Good looking, graceful on the dance floor, quoting dead poets like it's nothing... Oh and you're rich enough for her not to worry about you liking her for the money."

I chuckled, adjusting my cufflink as I replied, "I'll take that as a compliment, Miss Moroz."

"You should." She clinked her glass lightly against mine, a wry smile on her lips. "You earned it."

"Oh, thank you." We emptied our glasses and as soon as Petra had placed her empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter, I took her hand.

"Come on," I said, tugging gently but insistently.

She blinked, looking at me as though I'd lost my mind. "What? No, no, no, Ivan. I'm not--"

"Yes, you are," I interrupted with a grin, pulling her a step closer.

She planted her heels into the floor, resisting with mock outrage. "I'm not going out there to dance after you just danced with Paula Scipio, who danced like she was born to do it. Are you insane?"

"Possibly," I replied with a smirk. "But we'll find out together. Let's go."

"Ivan..." she protested, but I didn't give her a chance to finish. With one decisive pull, I had her moving, her laugh bubbling out as she reluctantly let me lead her toward the dance floor.

The music had shifted to something upbeat yet sultry, a playful Latin rhythm that filled the room with energy. Petra shot me a mock glare as I spun her to face me.

"You're going to regret this," she said, her voice teasing but her steps already following mine.

"I doubt it," I replied with a grin. "You got the same dance training as I did."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips. The first steps were simple as if she needed to be reminded of her lessons, and her movements were hesitant at first, but as I twirled her once and brought her back into my arms, the lessons started to come back, and her natural rhythm took over.

"See?" I said, spinning her again before she could respond. "You've got this."

She laughed, the sound light and unguarded, and I could see her confidence growing with each step. "Okay, okay, maybe I'm not completely terrible," she admitted, her cheeks flushed.

"Not at all," I replied, my voice low enough for only her to hear. "You're a natural."

Petra raised a brow, clearly amused. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Ivan."

I grinned. "It got you onto the dance floor, didn't it, Miss Moroz?"

She opened her mouth to retort but was cut off as I led her into a quick spin that had her laughing again, her hair whipping around her shoulders.

For the next few minutes, we danced in sync, her initial reluctance melting away. As I knew from our lessons, Petra had an exceptional physique, with great balance and agility, and a natural flair for dancing and once she let go of her self-consciousness, she began to enjoy it. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and her laughter blended with the music, drawing a few appreciative glances from nearby guests.

When the song transitioned into something slower, she finally pulled back, smiling widely. "Okay, I'm officially impressed," she said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "This is a lot more fun than training for it." She gave me a playful shove. "Though, I'm still deciding if I should murder you in your sleep for dragging me out here."

I laughed, guiding her off the dance floor as the next song began. "Well, sorry for proving to you that you're better than you think."

Petra paused for a moment, her expression softening before she shook her head with a laugh. "You're ridiculous. But thanks, I guess."

"Anytime," I replied, offering her a grin as I gestured toward the bar. "Now, how about a drink to celebrate a dance well done?"

"Now that," she said, looping her arm through mine, "is an idea I can get behind."

---- Sheena and Angie ----

Sheena was sitting in the back of the hotel's control room, watching the myriad of screens showing the events in the banquet hall from all possible angles. Since Emilian knew her, she had elected to be in the room as an observer, while John Summers was in the hall in person, keeping an eye on everything, along with a host of people from Starlight Security.

"Damn, the boss got some dance moves." One of the techs grinned as he looked at the screen, where Emilian was walking towards the bar with Petra Moroz by the arm. "First Miss Scipio and then Miss Moroz." He looked over at one of the female techs. "Perhaps you should try your luck there, Lieke. The Boss looks more fun than your ex."

The tone was playful, and Sheena smiled a little as she recognized the familiar teasing colleagues had when they respected each other.

"Please," Lieke replied with a chuckle, adjusting a camera feed with practiced ease. "I don't take dating advice from single people."

The other tech shrugged with a carefree laugh. "If I wasn't single, too many of the female tourists would have lonely vacations."

That made one of the male techs laugh. "I think those two women will survive."

The comment made most of the people laugh, but even then, Sheena noticed that their eyes didn't leave their monitors.

Returning her focus to the monitors, she discovered that one of them showed the Baker twins, who were having a conversation with the only other person in the room at their age, a middle eastern looking girl in an elegant but modest dress. A young woman in her early twenties was there as well, seemingly translating from sign language to spoken language.

Sheena leaned back in the seat, thoughts spinning in her mind. That the Baker twins were among the bridesmaids had been a surprise. Mostly because they, at least according to Zarita, had never met the bride or the other bridesmaids.

However, that only meant that they had met without Zarita knowing it, which meant Malaga, as that was one of the only times they had been out of Zarita's sight.

Her eyes suddenly widened. The empty cage in the warehouse! Karen Chai had theorized that it had held other captives that Ivan had freed and, since they were witnesses, had taken along with him. Not only that, but Karen had also thought that the twins had seen most of what went down in the warehouse, which meant that they would have had the opportunity to get to know whoever had been in the cage.

Her eyes drifted over the monitors, as she searched for the bridesmaids, comparing them to the description of Ivan's female companions Angie's cousin Finn had given them. It fit perfectly. Petra Moroz, the dark-skinned Delina and the unnamed Indian. That made it likely that the beautiful bride had been one of the women in the cage as well. Returning to the monitor, she caught the Baker twins signing something that made the translator smile, as she translated.

"Excuse me, but who is the translator on monitor 14?" She asked one of the higher-ranking security people.

He glanced at the monitor. "Oh, that is Esther Gul. One of Mr. Ivan's personal security people."

"Oh." Sheena smiled. "Is she by any chance friends with Miss Moroz and the rest?"

He hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "Yes, mam."

"Thank you... Hmm... And who's the young dark-haired girl they're with?"

"That would be Princess Shahla from the Royal House of Kuwait." He replied, amusement in his voice. "She was only added to the guestlist yesterday."

"Thank you again."

Sheena sent him one last smile and went back to watching the monitors while thinking. Royal children aside, there was a good chance that the bride, the three bridesmaids and, to a lesser degree, the translator were people Ivan had saved in Malaga, though she couldn't figure out how he got them out of Malaga, considering that the police had done their best to lock down all ways out of the city. A group like that would be a lot harder to get out than just a single person.

The door to the room opened, causing Sheena to look over, just as Angie Larsen came into the room, smiling widely.

The tall blonde walked over to sit in the chair next to Sheena, before she leaned in.

"We're in luck." Angie said in a low voice and placed a plastic bag with a business card inside in Sheena's lap.

Sheena carefully took it up and looked at it. It was clearly a Starlight Merchant Group business card and on the front, it said 'Petra Moroz. Personal assistant.' with the contact information printed under it.

She looked up and kept her voice low as she asked. "Where did you get that?"

Angie grinned. "My cousin Renska has a job cleaning rooms at hotels while she's studying at the University and a few hours ago, she was cleaning the bathroom in a VIP suite, when the occupants came into the room and started having sex before she could get out of there. She tried to sneak a peek but was discovered."

"Oh my." Mumbled Sheena with a quiet laugh.

"Well, as it turned out it wasn't so bad. Not only were they gorgeous, according to her, but she was invited to join, which she did."

"Just like that?"

Angie shrugged. "Renska is kind of impulsive and my guess is that she had been looking for quite a while longer than she told me. Anyway, she had some very good sex and afterwards she expressed some worry about having used too much time in one room, so the woman handed her the business card and told her to call if she got any problems from it. It was only when she got time to really look at the card later that it dawned on her that Petra Moroz is the Chairman's personal assistant, which made it likely that the man was the new Chairman himself." She laughed. "I got the description and it fit Ivan Emilian perfectly."

Sheena glanced at the plastic bag containing the business card. "I assume we're going to get fingerprints from that card?"

"Yes." Angie nodded with a grin. "I know there's a good chance that we're not going to get anything from them, but it's worth a shot."

"Make it happen then." Said Sheena with a smile. "Then I'll keep an eye on things here while you do that." She hesitated but then added. "And I have some thoughts I'm going to share with you when the wedding's over."

"Deal."

---- Ivan ----

It had been a wonderful wedding, but after midnight the bride and groom took off on their honeymoon and the twins were so tired that I followed them to their room and tucked them in. As I had expected, they were asleep almost as soon as their heads touched their pillows, so I nodded to Rang Su-Yun and Jeo Li-Na, the two North Korean bodyguards Halima Jobe had assigned to the twins for the day and walked back towards the party.

Unlike Petra's room, Cyra and Zena's room was a small suite on the other side of the building and I was halfway through the reception area when I felt a shiver running down my spine and not one of the good ones. There was danger in the air.

I activated the Vis Power that told me if an attack was incoming and then, without being obvious about it, looked around.

Not many were looking in my direction, but there were a few possibilities. One of them was a middle-aged man with blonde hair and blue eyes, who was sitting in a corner, glancing in my direction from time to time. Another was a slightly overweight younger man, sitting by the bar. The third possibility was a bored looking grey haired elderly woman, who was drinking tea on a sofa, fiddling with a magazine. She wasn't looking in my direction, but she looked as much out of place as a Lescarian in the court of the Ramses the Great.

Just to test it, I walked over to the bar and had the bartender give me a bottle of cider. That move brought me out of view of the middle-aged man, but the feeling was still there, so it most likely wasn't him.

A glint of light on a metal surface caught my eyes, and I smiled to myself when I discovered that the bartender had a knife laying on the desk behind him, next to a cutting board and several sliced lime fruits and lemons. The handle was solid, squared for a firm grip, and had brass pins, meaning the scales were well-seated and unlikely to shift under pressure. The blade itself, short and broad with a squared-off tip, lacked piercing efficiency, but its thickness gave it heft enough to punch through tough material with brute force. Not perfect, but it would have to do.

Lowering my voice, I quietly asked the bartender. "Do you know who I am?"

He nodded with a smile. "Yes, sir. You're the Chairman of Starlight."

"Good. I don't have time to explain, but I need that knife over there."

He blinked a few times in hesitation, so I added mental power as I added. "Hand me the knife.

With a slight nod, he turned, took the knife and handed it to me. "Here you go, sir."

"Thank you." I said as I took it in a reverse grip, hiding the hilt in my hand and the blade in the sleeve.

Taking the cider with the other hand, I walked around a little, looking like I was bored, while judging the intensity of the feeling. Considering the options, I wasn't surprised when the most likely candidate turned out to be the elderly woman.

Drinking from the bottle, I considered reaching out to Petra but decided against it. The two Interpol agents and their American friend were at the hotel as security personnel and even when using the tightest focus possible, there was a chance they, or somebody else, might detect it.

Suddenly Pugna Promptu screamed that an attack was incoming and without hesitation I threw myself to the side, as adrenaline soared through me, making me move faster. A bullet pierced the air where I had stood a heartbeat before, tugging at my suit jacket before punching a ragged hole into the bar. That was way too close for comfort, and I kept moving, as Pugna Promptu told me that more bullets would follow.

Guessing that the shooter would expect me to jump over the bar or throw myself to the ground, I abruptly changed direction, throwing off the pattern, while stopping my instinctive reaction to lash out with my mind.

Two more bullets missed me, one slamming into the bar, while the other made a vase on the bar explode into a thousand pieces as the sound of a gun being fired echoed through the reception area.

Still moving, I risked a glance at the direction of the shooter and saw that the shooter was indeed the elderly woman, who was pointing a gun in my direction, so with a quick throw, I sent the bartender's knife flying.

That took her completely by surprise and while she instinctively tried to dodge, she wasn't fast enough to avoid it completely, and the metal end of the hilt grazed the side of her head, making her stagger and lower the gun.

Changing direction, I was about to rush her, when a security guard showed up and pulled the trigger on the pistol-like device he held in his hand. Something flew from the device, hit the elderly woman and a moment later she fell to the floor screaming, the gun hitting the floor tiles with a metallic sound as it fell from her hand. I guessed it was the same kind of weapon that Julian had been on the receiving end of in Malaga. The one he had called a Taser.

"Are you okay, sir?" The guard asked without taking his eyes away from the downed woman.

"Yes." I glanced behind me. "Bartender, are you unharmed?"

"Y-y-yes." Came the answer from the other side of the bar, but he didn't show himself.

More guards appeared, securing the dropped weapons and handcuffing the woman on both hands and feet, before they started to search her, while I walked over to the knife I had thrown, picked it up and walked back to the bar, where the bartender had finally decided to stand up.

"Thank you for letting me borrow it." I told him with a smile, as I placed the knife on the counter. "It helped."

Looking like he had no idea about what to say, he just took the knife and nodded. "You're welcome, sir."

I nodded back and turned back to look at the scene, just as Giles Cornell came walking into the room, a worried expression on his face. As he noticed me looking at him, he gave me a slight nod and walked over to say something to the security guards. Unless I missed my guess, the local police wouldn't be informed until Giles and I had a chat with the woman.

As I walked out of the reception area, I allowed myself a little smile. There's nothing that can make a person feel more alive than surviving a dance with the Goddess of Death, and I had not only managed to stay alive, but had done so without using detectable Powers.

-------- Sheena ----------

"Tell me we got that!" Someone in the control room said fervently.

There was a snort from Lieke. "We got the whole hotel covered, of course we got it."

Sheena leaned forward in her seat, as she watched a higher-ranking guard who looked like he apologized to the guests, but it didn't really register as her mind was still reeling from what she had just watched.

Despite everything, she had always had trouble understanding what had happened in the warehouse in Malaga, since movies aside, it seemed impossible that a guy armed with knives and a sword could take out a group of guards armed with guns.

However, with the speed, agility and knife-throwing skills Ivan had just shown, the thought was suddenly not so outrageous as it had been. Especially not considering that the warehouse had been a semi-dark maze, while the bar at the reception area was well-lit.

"Still don't wanna date him, Lieke?" grinned the tech from earlier, interrupting Sheena's thoughts.

The female tech chuckled. "Hans, I'll date anyone that can out-dodge an assassination attempt with moves like that, hit the assassin with a thrown knife and walk away smiling."

Sheena nodded to herself in agreement, as she looked at the monitors showing the reception area, thoughts spinning in her head.

The Department categorized psychics in two different groups: External and Internal. Those with External powers could affect other people or things, but largely not themselves, while those with Internal powers by and large only affected themselves. Usually boosting their mind-shield, speed, strength or healing.

Unless the Internal psychics were involved in professional sports, the Department rarely had anything to do with them, except recruiting them as Guardians, for the simple reason that they rarely did anything illegal.

It was the external psychics like Parker that usually became problems for both the ordinary people and the Department that were trying to protect those people from being exploited.

The problem was that Ivan didn't seem to fit in that system. Angie had confirmed that Ivan couldn't be seen when using the ability to look back in time, but that could be both a subconscious Internal power and an active external power.

Considering what had happened to Parker, the Unknown Psychic from Malaga had to have external powers, but while everything pointed to Ivan being the Unknown Psychic, there simply wasn't any proof of it yet. To make matters worse, after witnessing the moves Ivan had just pulled off, there was a fair chance that he had internal powers.

She shifted in her seat. The uncertainty was irritating her and for some reason seeing Ivan dodging bullets and walking away with a smile on his face had made her horny.

When they were done for the day, it was time that she and Angie continued what they had started on the plane.

-------- Ivan -------

"How the hell is that even possible?" Asked Petra, as she studied the damage the bullets had done to my suit. The shots had been closer than it had felt like, ripping holes in the suit and ruining it forever, which was why I was in my suite, changing clothes.

"Because the bullets didn't hit me." I told her calmly as I buttoned the shirt. "Yes, it was too close, but at least she missed me."

Petra accepted that with a nod. "Good point, though I'll simply have to see the recording from the security system at some point. I have a feeling that it'll look insane."

"More like an amateur trying to hit a fast-moving target." I said and thought for a moment, as I reached for the jacket. "I caught a glimpse of her face as she was shooting at me, and she looked extremely frustrated."

"Some kind of revenge shooting?" Petra guessed.

"I don't know, but we're about to find out. Giles Cornell has taken her to the caves under Vasa Estate and we're going there to talk with her."

Like Villa Bonita, Parker's estate in Costa Rica, Vasa Estate had hidden lower levels, but where the ones under Villa Bonita had been a relatively simple hidden cellar, the hidden levels under Vasa Estate were an entire cave system, dating back from when pirates could attack at any time.

Fortunately, Parker had kept his illegal activities away from Oldenburg, so there were no hidden libraries with disgusting plans or anything like that, though admittedly I had thought so when I discovered his sex dungeon, but as it turned out, the place was filled with positive Vis, as every woman he had taken down there, had done so at their own free will and most had even liked it.

However, these activities also gave us the almost perfect place to keep the unknown woman, since it was equipped with all the equipment needed to keep someone restrained without hurting them.

"Right." She sent me a dazzling smile. "Can I come along?"

"Yes."

"Cool. Let's go."

When we arrived in the 'dungeon' an hour later, the woman was chained to the walls with her arms and legs spread, like standing in a X, but the leather cuffs were padded and the same was the wall behind her, preventing any damage to her. She was dressed only in her underwear, revealing a slim well-trained body that was still curvy enough to be womanly.

It was also obvious that she was younger than I had expected. There were no wrinkles on her face and the grey hair was gone, replaced by short dark hair, which suggested that she had been wearing a wig.

"It was rather strange," Giles Cornell told me as he, Petra and I watched her from the other end of the room, out of hearing rage. "She was made to look about sixty, but I doubt she's more than twenty-five."

"Has she said anything?" Petra asked.

Cornell shook his head. "No and if I loosen her, she tries to knock herself out by hitting the wall with her head. Not even the relaxing injection I gave her seems to work."

"Can you become immune to them somehow?" I asked.

Giles shook his head. "No, which is why their inability to work is quite perplexing."

I nodded and reached out with my mind, only to bounce off her mental shield. A few tries later I gave up trying to penetrate it. Her natural shield was just as tough as Karen's, but on the bright side, it was not a learned shield like Cyra and Zena's shield, meaning that she was most likely not a Mentat.

According to Giles, the woman's name was Lisa Carling, and she had a French passport, but as the passport was fake, it wasn't likely to be her real name or nationality and nothing in her room revealed anything about her. The only piece of useful information we had was what the staff at the hotel had told us, that she spoke English with an accent.

"Do you mind if I talk with her? If it was me she was after, I might get a response."

"You're the boss, but don't set her free. She'll hurt herself or someone else." He shrugged slightly. "But whatever you do, we need to make a decision fast. If the police are to get her, I'd prefer to bring her to them sooner, rather than later."

"Agreed." I smiled a little. "You better leave the room, Giles. I might have to threaten her, and I don't want any witnesses to that." I looked over at Petra. "You too."

"Yes, sir." He said with a short nod and left the room followed by Petra, while I walked closer to the chained woman, taking a chair along with me as I passed it.

She looked up as I placed the chair a few meters away from her and sat down. Spread eagled as she was, the definition of her muscles stood out clearly and there was little doubt that while she wasn't as well-trained as Petra or Karen, she obviously wasn't the type to sit quietly behind a desk.

"I don't understand you." I said quietly, watching her face. "Since I've only been here a short while, I find it hard to believe that you were after me. More to the point, as far as I know, I haven't done anything to merit people with guns coming for me and to make it even more curious, you're not skilled enough to be an assassin."

She didn't answer, but there was a remote possibility she hadn't understood me, so I leaned back in the seat and repeated what I just said, but in French this time.

Still no reaction.

I didn't have time to go the long, but easy, route, I decided and stood up, walking over to her. Her big brown eyes following my every move.

Reaching out, I ran a hand over the skin of her arm, from wrist to shoulder. That made her twitch against the chains and without warning, she yanked herself forward, trying to headbutt me, but came up short. Ignoring her movements, I reached out with my mind, and scanned her body, searching for anything unusual that could tell us something about her.

Aside from irregularities originating from several healed wounds and reset bones, she was in excellent condition and while the irregularities told of a hard life, there could be a number of reasons for them. This close she looked younger and the scan told me she was twenty-one.

"You should be having fun in the sun, instead of trying to kill people." I told her in a soft voice, as I bowed down to examine her legs and feet, using both sight and touch. Nothing special.

I straightened to look into her eyes again. Both her continued silence and expressionless face weren't natural and there was something strange going on.

Concentrating briefly, I shifted my vision to look at the Vis in her body, halfway expecting it to be messed up with some Vis Mortem, but it was exactly as it should be.

Shifting my vision back, I walked back to the chair and sat down, thinking the situation through and sighed. The most likely scenarios were mind-control and insanity, with mind control being by far the most likely due to the amount of planning going into this. According to Giles, fake passports of that quality were hard to get.

However, if she was mind-controlled, she was most likely also instructed not to talk with us in case she got caught. Depending on the skill and power of the controller, she might even have been instructed to kill herself if she was captured or as soon as the job was done or both, which would explain why she had slammed her head against the wall when unrestrained.

I shook my head. If the woman really was mind-controlled, it would raise a lot more questions than it answered, so my first task would be to determine if that was the case.

Unfortunately, getting the truth required either a conversation or a mindread. The first option was impossible as long as she kept quiet and the latter couldn't be done unless I broke down her mind shield, which would take time.

An idea struck me. Mind-control is tricky, since the controller in most cases is working against the interest of the controlled, causing a conflict of interest in the mind of the person being controlled, which can cause the victim to break the control. That was especially true in cases where the victim was supposed to have some initiative and ability to think on their own. It was more or less the same problem Parker had discovered, in his effort to make the perfect sex-slave, and creating a self-destructing killer is even harder, as self-preservation and survival is deeply encoded into the mind of all living beings.

"I'm going to assume that it wasn't entirely your idea to come here and that you have been pressured by some means not to talk in case you got captured." I told her. "However, I'm going to ask you some questions and instead of talking, I want you to blink slowly, which should not go against your orders. One time for yes, two slow blinks for no. Are you able to do that?"

It seemed like forever, but finally the woman's eyes closed very slowly and opened up again.

A surge of satisfaction ran through me, and I smiled widely. "Good. I'm going to add another blink. Three times means that you either don't know or can't answer the question."

She blinked slowly once more.

"Excellent. Was I your target?"

Another slow blink. 'Yes'

"Was it your own initiative to come here?"

Two slow blinks. 'No'

I nodded. "So, you were ordered here by someone?"

One slow blink. 'Yes'

I paused for a moment. Now I've gotten contact, there were so many questions I wanted to ask, but most of these couldn't be answered with simple yes-or-no questions. I considered asking Giles Cornell to help me but rejected the idea. There was no reasonable way I could explain to him why she could only answer this way.

The only way to get her out of this predicament and get some answers at the same time, would be to remove the mind-control. Under normal circumstances that would take a long time, but the controller had the same obstacle as I was facing right now, which was the woman's impressive natural mind-shield and for that reason alone, there was a chance that it wasn't so firmly anchored as the mind-control Parker and Curtis had used.

"Do you know what has been done to you?"

Two slow blinks. 'No'

I sighed and used the only explanation I knew a modern person would believe in, made popular by films. "You have been brainwashed. Most likely with the aid of drugs and hypnosis." I paused but then continued. "Before we go any further, I would like to know your name." I told her and explained that I would go through the alphabet one letter at a time and then she would blink twice when I hit the right letter. "Understood?"

One slow blink. 'Yes'

It took some time but by going through the letters repeatedly, I discovered that her name was Dragana Kovac.

Reaching out with my mind, I contacted Petra and asked her to come in. A moment later, the eyes of the chained woman widened slightly, as the beautiful Ukrainian entered the room and walked over to me.

"What's the problem?" Petra asked in her native tongue.

Using the same language, I quickly explained what I had discovered, finishing with the name.

"Dragana Kovac... That's a Slavic name." Petra looked at Dragana. "Balkans?"

One slow blink. 'Yes'

Petra snorted. "Let me guess, Serbia?"

Two slow blinks. 'No'

Looking slightly surprised, Petra asked. "Croatia?"

Three blinks.

"Right." The beautiful Ukrainian woman sighed. "I guess that the reason that you didn't say no, is that you're originally from Croatia, but now live somewhere else."

One slow blink. 'Yes'

I looked at Petra with respect. Those were some really good conclusions.

She discovered it and smiled a little. "It's not that hard a guess. Half a million people fled the area to avoid that war."

"Ah." I thought for a moment. "Well, it still doesn't solve the problem."

Petra thought for a moment. "No, and it's not your only problem. Remember that the Gendarmerie will not only know what happened, but they will have evidence on video and before we go on, it would be nice to know that you're not going to get into problems."

"You have a point." I sighed and thought it over. Given some time, I could most likely remove Dragana's mind control, but if I did that, I would also remove the only evidence of the woman's innocence and the only chance that she would ever have a normal life. In the past, that had been easy to handle as communication was localized. Move to another city or country and nobody would know anything. Now that was impossible, or at the very least hard to do.

To make it worse, the only ones that could clear the woman's name were people with experience with mind-control, which meant Sheena Rao.

With a sigh, I turned to the woman to explain the situation she was in, giving her the choice of letting us try to remove the 'brainwash' or having Interpol take care of it. I wasn't surprised when she chose the Interpol.

"As you wish." I told her and walked over to Petra. "Let's talk it over with Cornell."

She gave me a kiss. "Let's do that."

-----------

It was still dark when I softly knocked on Sheena's door at the Gyldenskiold hotel. The receptionist had already called ahead, so there was no need to hammer on it and risk waking half the floor.

She opened the door almost immediately, looking very cute as she was dressed in a fluffy white bathrobe, that really made her light brown complexion and black hair stand out. She also looked wide awake and was smiling as she said. "Ivan!" before she stepped forward and gave me a hug that I happily returned. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise, Sheena." I chuckled. "Can we go inside? I'm afraid that I'm here to talk about a serious matter."

She stepped back, still smiling but now curious. "Sure. Come in."

The hotel room was bigger than I had thought, bearing little resemblance to the hotel room Sheena had in Malaga. In fact, it was a luxurious suite with a large living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom.

"Nice room," I told her as we walked towards the sofa group, adding. "Better than Malaga."

Sheena chuckled and her Australian accent was more pronounced than I remembered it, as she said. "Oh yes. And just to be clear, Angie Larsen is sleeping in the room over there." She gestured in the direction of the door to her right, before looking at me. "I guess the serious thing we need to talk about is the assassination attempt on you earlier."

I chuckled. "Yes... or rather the would-be assassin."

"Oh." She raised her eyebrows. "That sounds interesting, but can we use a few minutes to catch up, so I can focus on that afterwards. Otherwise, all the unanswered questions will echo in my head while we talk."

"Sure." I said with a smile. "Oh, did Agent Zavala manage to get a hold of you back in Malaga?"

She blinked. "What?"

"I was on my way out of Malaga, when an Agent Zavala called me, asking if I knew where you were." I shrugged lightly. "I told him the last time I saw you, you were at the hotel."

"Oh... yeah, he found me eventually." Sheena tilted her head. "How did you leave Malaga, by the way? There was no record of you doing that." She smirked. "And yes, I looked."

"Ahh... Well, I walked onto one of my uncle's yachts and sailed away." I shrugged. "As you will know by now, I inherited his estate... and have been up to my ears in learning how to run a business ever since."

Sheena laughed. "Yes, it was quite the surprise to learn that you're really a millionaire... Like a romance film with physical attraction instead of romance."

"So, a porno movie?" I suggested, making her laugh and nod. "Yes... we did have a lot of fun."

"We sure did." I said and sent her a lusty look. "And as much as I wish we could do that again right now, we should probably get to the reason I'm here."

Sheena shivered a bit but nodded. "You're right. So, what's going on?"

"As you surely have seen, Starlight Security captured the woman, but she didn't speak a word. Long story short, they called me in to see if that would get a reaction from her and it did." I explained, leaning back in the seat. "However, there was something very strange about her that made me think of the policemen in Malaga. The ones that were hypnotized and manipulated into attacking and kidnapping you, Maya Honeycutt, the twins and the American women."

Sheena raised her eyebrows. "How the hell do you know that? That case was classified."

That made me laugh. "I have an international security company working for me and a lot of money. Very few things are that classified and I was very curious about what had happened, why you had been kidnapped and so on, so I put them to work."

Sheena opened her mouth, paused, then shook her head. "Okay. Continue."

"Well, since she wouldn't talk, I got the idea that she might be able to signal, so we established a system where she blinked for yes and no." I told her and explained what I had discovered. "That leaves me with a problem. She might have attacked me, but she didn't do so of her own free will... At least not if she told the truth." I sighed. "So, how did you guys handle those policemen after the incident in Malaga?"

Sheena winced. "I'm sorry, Ivan, but I can't really talk about our methods."

That sounded so much like the 'I can't talk about an ongoing investigation' Sheena had kept saying in Malaga, that I couldn't help smiling despite the seriousness of the topic. "I guess that is fair, but can you take control of the case and ensure the woman gets help instead of a sentence if she speaks the truth?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "That, I can do."

"Good." I leaned forward a little. "And please tell her to contact me when and if the Interpol manages to remove the programming."

Sheena looked genuinely surprised. "Why?"

"Sheena, somebody fucked with her mind to get to me," I said quietly. "And while I honestly don't know why I was the target of the attack, I can at the very least help her afterwards."

The Australian nodded and opened her mouth, but before she had the chance to say anything, the door to Angie Larsen's room opened and a blonde woman walked out, looking like she had just woken up, as she was dressed in only a green t-shirt and matching panties.

"Sheena, could you turn it down t...." She started but stopped abruptly when she discovered me.

Angie blinked, suddenly wide awake as she realized who was sitting in the room. Her posture straightened a little, though not enough to hide the fact she was still very much in her underwear.

It was a pleasant sight, I quietly admitted to myself. While no world-class beauty, Agent Larsen was by all means a pretty woman. To make it better, she had breasts that rivalled those of Sofia and they strained the thin material of her t-shirt, making it obvious that she slept without a bra. The rest of the body was just as voluptuous. The hips were wide, her legs long with solid thighs and slim calves.

"Sorry," she said with a voice that betrayed the surprise. "I didn't realize we had company."

I gave her a polite smile, doing my best not to let my eyes linger longer than they already had. "Morning, Agent Larsen."

She glanced down at herself and groaned. "Goddamn it."

Turning red in the head, she turned around without another word and vanished back into the bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her.

Sheena snorted with laughter. "Well, that woke her up."

I chuckled too, leaning back into the cushions. "At least she's a pleasure to look at and has nothing to be ashamed about."

"That is true." She nodded, still smiling. "Anyway, I understand why you would want to help and for what it's worth, I think you're doing a good thing. It will, however, be up to her to decide if she wants to contact you or not."

"Thank you... and once the investigation is over, I would like to know what happened."

"If I'm allowed to do it, I'll be happy to tell you." Sheena told me and then blinked as there was a knock on the door. "Your people?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." I replied, as I walked over to the door and opened, so that the two servers could roll the breakfast loaded table inside. "I took the liberty to order some breakfast."

"Oh, thank you." Sheena laughed and the servers set the table with quiet efficiency.

They had just finished and were leaving, when the bedroom door opened again. This time Angie reemerged in a colourful dress and with a vaguely sheepish expression on her face.

"Right," she said, clearing her throat. "Let's pretend none of that happened."

"Already forgotten," I said, raising my hands innocently.

Sheena smirked. "Liar."

"Yes, but at least I'm polite." I chuckled. "There's no chance I'll forget a sight as beautiful as that one anytime soon." The agent blushed, so I changed the subject and gestured to the table. "On the bright side, breakfast is served."

"Thank you," she said with a little smile.

Sheena stood. "Ivan, Angie and I need a moment, so I can quickly tell her why you're here. Not to mention that I would like to get dressed."

"Sure. I'll just drink some tea while you two talk." They disappeared into the other bedroom, no doubt to activate whatever recording equipment they had... if Sheena hadn't already activated it.

Chuckling to myself, I walked over to the table and poured a cup of tea. Some things apparently never change. In Ancient Times, I would expect a Mage or a Mentat to listen in on just about everything and now technology could do the same.

Adding honey to my tea, I stirred slowly.

The level of technology made me extremely happy that I was Baylon. If I hadn't experienced the wonders of Baylon first hand, or if I had been a human from one of the many ancient empires that had somehow survived, chances were that I would have gone insane. The modern world was simply too different from the human world three thousand years ago and with the speed technology was developing, it was only going to get worse from now on.

At least that was what the engineers at Titan Aerospace and Starlight Research had told me, when I jokingly explained that I had trouble keeping up with all the new stuff. With a smile, they had told me not to try. There was a reason why Starlight Research had a whole department assigned to do that, while the engineers from Titan explained that the advances in technology and materials were the main reason they had been able to not only use, but change and improve on the blueprints and data Parker had bought from Russia and other places, thus taking full advantage of the decade's worth of research and prototype building that was behind each of them.

I looked up as the two Interpol agents came back, with Sheena being dressed in a dress just as colourful as the one Angie wore.

She smiled as she noticed my glance. "Yes, I have been shopping and the locals sure do love colourful clothing."

Angie chuckled as she sat down at the table. "It's practical. Not as warm as black and the darker colours and unlike white and yellow, it doesn't get transparent when wet."

"Good point." Sheena poured coffee into her cup. "By the way, Ivan, when're you going to hand the captured woman over to us?"

I shrugged slightly. "Whenever you have made the travel arrangements." I drank some of my tea. "I doubt that the experts in handling brainwashing you'll need for this are on Oldenburg." I thought for a moment. "If you need it, I can have her flown to London."

"That would be nice." Sheena smiled. "I'll need to talk with my boss first, though."

I nodded. "Sure... just do not under any circumstances remove her chains." When both agents looked at me for an explanation, I continued. "We tried and she tried to kill herself."

"Poor girl." Frowned Angie. "That is some next-level brainwashing."

"Indeed." I agreed. "Movie level... Oh and her name is Dragana Kovac, by the way."

"I thought you ... " Started Sheena but stopped herself with a chuckle. "If she can blink yes or no, she can also indicate the right letters in her name."

"Exactly."

Sheena tilted her head. "How come you didn't tell us about her name before?"

"Because, if you couldn't or wouldn't help her, you didn't need her name." I told her calmly.

To her credit, Sheena didn't ask any question about that and simply accepted my statement with a nod. "Fair enough, I guess."

There was silence around the table for a few moments, then Sheena stood. "Excuse me, I better go call the boss."

"Sure." I told her and watched her walk back to her bedroom, before looking at Angie. "You're not saying much, Agent Larsen?"

"Agent Rao is in charge, Mr. Ivan." She told me with a smile. "I'm just following her lead."

"Oh... so how is she to work with?" I asked her as I took a pancake.

"Zeer goed." The blonde said without hesitation. "Very good. She's competent, skilled and patient." She tilted her head as she looked at me. "What do you think about her, Mr. Ivan?"

She had switched to Dutch, so I answered in the same language. "Oh, she's smart and trustworthy..." I smiled a little. "... not to mention easy to talk with, beautiful and sexy."

"Do the last three really matter that much?" She chuckled.

"Not now, but in Malaga her looks made me listen long enough to realize that she was easy to talk with." I told her with a shrug. "The people who say that looks don't matter, are lying to themselves when it comes to first impressions." I added some jam on top of the pancake and folded it to lock the jam inside. "That being said, I've met plenty of good-looking people who proved to be idiots or horrible people when they started talking." Lifting the pancake, I sent her a smile. "I'm happy to say that you're not one of those."

She blushed as I took a bite of the pancake. It was just as delicious as the food had been the last time I had eaten in the hotel. Not that it happened often, but as it was on the list of places that made food I could safely eat, I had been here a few times.

The door to Sheena's room opened as I was chewing and the Indian Australian walked into the room, a smile on her light brown face.

"It's a deal. We'll take care of Dragana Kovac." She looked from me to the blushing Agent in the other seat and chuckled. "I leave you alone for two minutes and you manage to make her blush!"

I swallowed the food. "In my defence, I only told her the truth." I changed the subject. "So, will you need help in transporting her?"

Sheena shook her head. "No, we have a plane here."

"Good." I glanced at the watch. The twins would wake up within an hour. "I need to go soon, but I'll have Mr. Cornell call you so the two of you can arrange the details." I sent them a smile. "And while I hope you'll get bored to tears here while on duty, please come visit me before you leave."

"We'll do that." Promised Sheena and came over to give me a hug as I stood. "See you later, Ivan... and it was good to see you again."

"Likewise, Sheena." I gave the other woman a little bow. "Agent Larsen."

She stood with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ivan."

"You too."

With a smile, I walked out of the door. With a bit of luck, I would be back at the hotel when the twins woke up.

---- Sheena and Angie ----

With a chuckle, Sheena sat down by the table. "Well, that was interesting."

"That's one way to say it." Angie sighed. "Sheena, even the mind images you sent don't do him justice. How the fuck can a guy be that sexy?"

"By being tall, broad-shouldered, intelligent and good-looking." Sheena grinned.

Angie shook her head. "No, there's something else going on." She thought for a moment. "You've seen my cousin Finn. He's all those things and so are several of his friends from the university, and they don't make me feel all..." She searched for the right word. "... hot like he does. There's something else going on."

"One moment." Said Sheena as she found the remote control and activated their 'privacy screen'. A device that made it almost impossible to use electronics to listen in on a conversation. Checking that the readout on the device showed all green, she looked at Angie. "It's not a power. If it was, it wouldn't work on people with a mindshield."

"Good point." Admitted Angie and sighed. "I still need to cope with the fact that I walked in on the Chairman of Starlight, dressed in my underwear."

"Considering that your cousin Renke walked in on him having sex, that's not really a big deal." Sheena told her with a chuckle. "And besides, he clearly liked what he saw, so stop thinking about it."

"You're not wrong, but I still find it embarrassing." Angie shrugged. "I can worry about that later. What are your plans with this Dragana Kovac?"

"According to the boss, we're to send her with the plane to London." Sheena explained. "John Summers goes along to ensure the safety of both her, the plane and the crew." She shrugged. "I know the security has been penetrated a few times, but all in all, it's still better than almost everywhere else."

"All right. Then .... " Angie stopped talking as Sheena's phone started to ring.

The Indian took the call and listened for a few seconds, before saying. "Hello Mr. Cornell, I've been expecting your call."

---------------- To be Continued --------------------------

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