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The hallway was warm from the heat still operating even in the late April warmth. The few lights were just enough to allow a person to see where he or she was going, and in this case it was a she. Her hair was long and blond. Her eyes were sharp blue under long dark lashes. Her body was thin with a large front and a not so large behind. The movements of her early twenty year old body were fluid as she walked like she was not going anywhere in particular. She came to a plane double wooden door and knocked six times. When the door opened she spoke with a voice was of a woman that she wasn’t, "I am here master."
* * *
"I’m free!" The hallway was bright with too much artificial light mixed with sun light. Three dozen people flooded from a thin door each with bulging backpacks and tired looks on each person’s face. There was one face in particular that proclaimed the great statement. She had milk chocolate skin and long black hair. Her face was a smooth oval and a mouth that seemed so perfect on her face that no others could be imagined. Her body was well toned and her breasts prominent on her chest. Her legs were long and muscular giving her a well-proportioned body.
"Kelly," called out a young man not going with the flow and the dark woman came up to this man to greet him with a large kiss on the lips. He wasn’t particularly tall standing only five feet eight inches he was eye to eye with Kelly. His arms had muscle on them but they didn’t bulge under his shirt. His torso was flat but thick with muscle and short thick legs coming out the bottom. Brown strands of hair was parted on the side and his brown eyes were sharp and careful. His pale pink arms wrapped around Kelly to hold her close in return for the kiss.
"Pierce how long have you been out here?" Kelly asked when she broke off the embrace. They started to walk out of the building.
"Well I had that damn art history final, but that only took twenty minutes so about fifty-five minutes," Pierce said holding open the door for Kelly. Outside was bright with the sun shinning down into the city of Chicago and particularly the University of Chicago. The tall buildings could be seen in the distance, but for where the two were it was nice, for finals week. "May I treat you to lunch?" Pierce asked.
"Sure," Kelly said shifting her bulging backpack on her shoulders.
"At the cafeteria?"
"Can I change my vote?" Kelly joked as she walked with Pierce to the building.
* * *
The cafeteria was crowded with early lunch students who were mostly looking at books and notes than eating. The food was sub-standard and the building had every window and fan going to try and cool down the building. Workers were putting ice under their hats to keep themselves cool behind the steam tables where food was dished out. The tables were divided into the light and dark sections. The light side was near many small televisions showing sports and soap operas and a wall was all windows. The dark side had little light and the wood was stained dark, but the draw was a large screen television tuned to MTV.
"Hey it’s Green," Pierce said holding his tray of food. Before the two was a man who no one would say was normal. To look at him you would say he came from all over the world. His background was everything from Europe, to Asia, to Africa, and a little Mexico mixed in which gave him the face that was round but flat and an olive complexion from decomposing olives. He was tall, over six foot, but thick, which gave him a stocky appearance from far away. His profession was detective homicide and more than once Pierce has worked with and against him. To say they were friends might be stretching the truth, but the did have a bond.
"Green what are you doing in my world?" Pierce asked walking up to him.
"Pierce," Detective Green said in mild surprise before continuing, "since when is this your world?"
"You got another name for it?" Pierce said. "So why are you here?"
Green looked around before saying, "ah hell you’ll find out soon. Linda Parent committed suicide last night. I’m trying to find her boyfriend Kevin Howard. His roommate said he would be here."
Linda Parent was one of the head cheerleaders for the university and was lusted after by every man who knew her. She was a sophomore who worked hard and looked good doing it. The story was she and Kevin Howard meet the first day of collage and was going out ever since. Kevin was a computer scientist and well known for setting up the computer network for the chemistry department. The thing was two months ago she broke it off and Kevin never got over that and still held out a flame for her.
"If he is here," said Kelly, "he would be behind the wall over on the light side."
"Thanks," said Green, "keep yourselves clean." Green walked off around the wall.
"Let’s go sit with Benny," Pierce said. Benny is Bernard Grouse who for the most part is the largest man at the university. His height is over seven feet and his frame is to match. He could win any fight just by sitting on the person, but that wouldn’t happen since Benny is the kindest person around. He never liked to play football so he quit is sophomore year to focus full time on his degree in journalism. Benny can hear a conversation from a hundred yards and be able to repeat it verbatim. Benny also likes to share information for a price.
"Hey Benny," Pierce said, "can we sit with you."
Benny was looking over his notes for a future final but greeted them all the same, "sure just as long as you don’t mind if I study."
"Not at all," Kelly said sitting down, "didn’t you have Dr. Richard for English II?"
"Yeah," Benny said, "don’t worry her final is a pushover."
"Good glad to hear it," Kelly said digging into her salad, "I have her final this afternoon."
"Say Benny," Pierce began, "what have you heard about Linda Parent killing herself?"
Benny looked up and closed his notebook, "now I can’t tell you for free. You’ll need to pay me for such information." He was smiling. Pierce took an orange from his tray and put it on Benny’s tray. Benny shook his head, "no," and nodded at the slice of lemon pie sitting on Pierce’s tray.
"Fine," Pierce said replacing the orange with the lemon pie that had its yellow filling dripping out the sides.
"All I know I learned is from Linda’s roommate Teresa," Benny began, "about three months ago Linda started to act funny. She would leave at odd hours after a phone call and some times she wouldn’t even be back for two days to two hours. When she got back from these little trips Linda wouldn’t say where she was or would give a very lame excuse. Last night Linda again took off and Teresa was asleep when she got back because Linda was found in her bathtub. She had apparently slit both wrists."
"Nasty," Pierce said putting down his chicken sandwich. "Any idea where the phone calls were coming from?"
"According to Teresa for the past three months there would be a great number of hang up phone calls. Whenever Teresa would pick up the phone whoever was on the other end would hang up. Twice Teresa did that call back function and once it was form a call box down by the library and the other time it was from one of the labs at the Geology department."
"This isn’t a case," Kelly said trying to remind Pierce.
"I know, but I would like to know what is going on around here," Pierce said.
"Pierce," said a voice behind Kelly and Pierce. When the three of them looked there was a young man deathly pale, it was Kevin Howard. His head was round with a blond hair and his arms long and thin. His eyes were sunk deep into his head.
"Kevin have a seat," Pierce said, "sorry about Linda. I just heard."
Kevin just nodded. "Pierce," Kevin began, "I want to use my favor you owe me."
"Sure anything," Pierce said all business.
"I want you to find out why Linda killed herself," Kevin said. His head was down and his eyes were even lower. It’s like all the bones in his body turned to jelly.
"Are you sure that’s what you want," Pierce asked, "you may not like where it leads."
Kevin nodded, "I know, but I’m sure that her new boyfriend had something to do with it. I just want you to tell me who he is."
Pierce nodded his own head, "Okay." Pierce pulled out a notepad from his pocket, "Kevin I want you to write down all the phone numbers, that you know of, that went into her apartment."
Kevin looked confused but started writing. "I think that’s all of them I know of. I’m not sure about her roommate’s home phone number but I think that her parents are out of Indiana."
"I’ll let you know what I find," Pierce said, "and Kevin you might want to get a drink. You look like you need it. Benny I need to ask you not to tell anyone that I am investigating this, at least for now."
Benny gave a small smile, "How about forty-eight hours?"
"Okay," Pierce said.
"But then you tell me everything you know," Benny added.
"Deal," Pierce said standing up and taking his tray with him.
"I guess lunch is over," Kelly said standing up too.
"You don’t have to come with me," Pierce said walking over to the conveyor belt to take the dirty trays away.
"Oh you need me," Kelly said. "Who else will make sure that your back is covered and no one is trying to kill you."
"You want to get out of studying for your English test," Pierce said.
"True."
* * *
The building was old and the red brick on the outside was starting to chip off. To the administration it was great for appearances, but poor for everything else. Everything else included the phone bank for the school. Every time a phone is used on campus it is routed through a computer on the second floor, and that computer keeps a record.
"Are you going to use your powers to open a locked door," Kelly said making reference to super human powers that Pierce hates to use. The door in question was in a long empty hallway with white tiled floors and wood and drywall walls.
"Not in this building," Pierce said leaning on the doorjamb. The latch on the door was given just enough room to allow the door to swing in.
"Cool trick," Kelly said.
"Thanks," Pierce said looking inside, "don’t tell anyone about it or they might change the doors around here."
"What do you want me to do?" Kelly asked taking off her backpack.
"Stay out here and study for your English final," Pierce said, "and let me know if someone is coming."
Kelly snorted at that remark and sat down on the cool tiles, "sure I’m not doing anything."
Pierce smiled and entered the room. The computer was simple and it only took a second to pull up Linda Parent’s phone records. Pierce clicked on the program to eliminate outgoing calls, and then from the list that he had from Kevin he eliminated the phone number from him. In the end he had a list of about thirty phone calls from the last month, some repeated but not many. He was just about to print out the list when he heard three knocks from the floor out in the hallway.
"Hey what are you doing here?" The voice was muffled through the door.
"Well I was studying, thank you very much," Kelly’s unmistakable voice replied.
"In a hallway?"
"Well up to about ten seconds ago no one was bothering me."
"Oh sorry. Um good luck with your final."
If there was a response Pierce hadn’t heard it. Pierce waited and then there came the two knocks on the floor to say everything is clear. Pierce hit the print button a list was printed.
"So now what?" Kelly asked when they were outside.
"You have to go to your final."
"Oh hell I have half an hour yet," Kelly said.
"And that half an hour is suitable for cramming, now get," Pierce said giving Kelly’s rump a playful pat.
"Okay, but you had better be outside when I get done," Kelly said walking off not waiting for Pierce’s response. Pierce had a little smile on his face as he headed for the dorms.
* * *
"Teresa?" Pierce asked the woman who opened the door.
"Yes," she looked confused, "who are you?"
"My name is Pierce McKullen. I’m here to investigate Linda’s death for Kevin," Pierce said still not making an advance to enter before being invited. Teresa was thick in the middle and thighs with dark hair on her head done up in a tail. Her skin had a bad complexion but her eyes were quite beautiful.
Teresa closed her eyes and then opened the door for Pierce to enter. The room showed signs of recent packing. The posters were gone off the walls the one door that was opened showed the sheets were off the bed. "There’s a rule that if your roommate dies you get all A’s for the semester," Teresa started to sob, "what a shitty way to boost my GPA!"
"Teresa," Pierce said looking at the door to the bathroom that still had the police seal on the door, "I need to ask you a few questions. Are you up to it?"
Teresa wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "I’m okay. I have been crying since this morning."
"I need you to take a look at this list of phone numbers and see if you recognize any of them," Pierce held out the list. Teresa took the list, and Pierce added one more thing, "may I look in Linda’s room?"
Teresa closed her eyes and nodded her head. Pierce opened the door to a very different room. Everything was there, the bed was made and the books were still on the desk. A notebook was opened to some type of math lesson. Pierce started to look in her waist basket.
"I know this one number is from the gym, and this other one is from the art building. She would like to call and see if I wanted to get something to eat late at night," Teresa said from the door.
"Great could you please mark next to those numbers where they are from," Pierce asked.
"Yeah," Teresa said, "did you find anything?"
"Yes," Pierce said picking up a long thin box on the end of his pen, "she was pregnant."
"What!" Teresa exclaimed.
"This is a home pregnancy test. You pee on the tip of a stick and then it comes up with a plus sign or a minus sign. Since the stick isn’t here. She took it with her. She was worried. That stick was the only proof that she was pregnant and if the stick didn’t exist then in her mind she wasn’t pregnant."
"I didn’t know," Teresa said.
"Well this was on top so she just found out herself. Tell me the last time you saw her was she acting different?"
"Well," Teresa said and then trailed off, "it is finals week and I spent much of my time studying, so the last time I saw Teresa was when I woke up and she told me the bathroom was all mine. She didn’t seem different."
Pierce nodded his head, "do you know who this new boyfriend was?"
Teresa shook her head, "no she would get a phone call and then off she went. There was one weekend that she didn’t come back for two days. When I called the campus security they couldn’t find her until she showed up one day here. Linda said that her friend was real sick so she stayed with her. When I pressed her for a name she wouldn’t give it. She had to be lying."
"Are you finished with the list?" Pierce asked.
"Yeah," Teresa said handing back the paper.
There were ten phone numbers that were not marked and each was different. "Thank you very much," Pierce said. "Do you want to know if I find something?"
Teresa thought for a minute and then said, "yes and no. I want to know why Linda killed herself, but I don’t want think about it that much."
"I’ll be delicate," Pierce said opening the door to the apartment, "and thank you." Pierce walked down the hallway when he saw someone coming. "Twice in one day," Pierce said, "if I didn’t know better I would think that you were following me."
Detective Green was walking toward Pierce, "Shit were you just in there with Teresa Abbot?"
"Yes," Pierce said not giving way any information.
"You’re investigating Parent’s suicide," Green said as a statement more than anything else.
"As a favor to Kevin Howard, yes," Pierce stopped just in front of Green.
"Shit," Green said and then said to Pierce, "as policy I have to tell you to say out of police business."
"Noted," Pierce said, "and ignored."
"Okay what did you find out?"
"Well is seems that whoever Linda’s new boyfriend is he gets around. This is a list of all the numbers that went to Parent’s apartment that isn’t family of friends, and these phones are all over campus. Oh and did I mention that Linda was pregnant?"
"The pathologist just called she was seven week’s pregnant. As for your list, what does that mean?" Green did not like that Pierce knew so much, but some things Green can live with.
"Well that could mean that he is a campus security worker or one other thought. Someone could hack into the phone’s computer system and make the computer think that the call going out was from somewhere else on campus."
"So how do find out?" Green asked.
* * *
"I think that this is illegal," Green said outside the phone bank room.
"Hey call the president of the university and find out if you’re paranoid," Pierce said.
"I think I will," Green said pulling out his cellular phone. "This is Detective Green I would like to speak with the president please, thank you. Hello sir, yes I have a lead. I need to ask you if it is all right for me to check out the phone records for Parent’s apartment. Oh thank you, now when you say I can go anywhere you mean anywhere on campus? That is quite generous sir. Yes I will tell you everything as soon as I can." Green closed his phone and looked at Pierce, "we’re okay to go anywhere on campus that we want."
"You didn’t tell him we were working together," Pierce said.
"No need to worry him," Green said, "now get us in."
Pierce did his trick again and opened the door. "Now all I have to do is find out who was calling the computer at the same time as Parent was being called," Pierce sat down at the computer.
"This could take a while," Green said looking at all the wires and cables.
"Found it," Pierce said. "Now there were three phone calls at that time, and at this time two, and just to make sure at this time twenty, but all three times have one phone number in common."
"And what number would that be?" Green asked.
"Engineering building, acoustic lab, room 326," Pierce said making a print out.
* * *
"So this your home away from home," Green said.
"No," Pierce said, "I’m in the chemical engineering wing. This is the first time I’ve ever been here."
"Shocking," Green said checking out the door numbers.
"Here we are room 326," Pierce said looking at the double doors. "After you."
"Why me," Green said looking at Pierce suspiciously.
"Because you have a gun," Pierce said.
"Is the door even unlocked?" Green asked hoping that it was contrary to his statement.
Pierce turned the knob, "damn I guess we’re going in."
"You used your powers," Green said.
"Honest truth I didn’t," Pierce said sticking his head inside. It was empty.
"So what are we looking for?" Green asked.
"A computer hooked up to a phone line. All the computers on campus should be hooked up to LAN cables, so we find one that isn’t."
"Like this one." Green was standing before a large computer hooked up to an even larger tower. There was a clear phone cord coming out the front.
"Let’s see this would be it, yes."
"Do you see what I see?" Green asked looking at a paper taped next to the monitor.
"I can’t see anything but the back of your head. By they way did you know you’re going bald?"
"Shut up, this is Parent’s phone number here," Green said pointing to a number halfway down a list of numbers.
"So she was on their list," Pierce said. "We need to know who works on this computer."
"Who are you people?" A man entered the lab where the two detectives were. He was older with a thin face filled with wrinkles. What gray hair he had was very thin on top. Wearing a polo shirt five years out of style and brown slacks he screamed professor.
"I’m detective Green," Green said holding up his badge. "My investigation into the death of Linda Parent has lead me here. I need to know who has used this computer in the last two days, and pray tell who are you?"
The professor looked at Pierce with skepticism and said, "and who are you?"
"Pissed you didn’t answer my boss’s questions," Pierce said acting angry
The professor was taken aback, "My name is Doctor Joseph Brick. This is my laboratory. Um, as for that computer two of my graduate students use it, Robert Striker and George Baker."
Green was furiously writing the names down when Pierce came up with his own question, "what do you know about the numbers on the list next to the computer?"
Doctor Brick looked perplexed, "I know they’re phone numbers."
"Why would the two students have such phone numbers?" Green asked.
Doctor Brick hesitated and then said cautiously, "this computer can be a great asset to the military. What it can do is not for civilians to know. If you want more information you will have to talk with the chair of the engineering department."
To say the expressions on the faces of Pierce and Green were not pleased could only be considered an understatement. "Has that list grown any in the past few months?"
"Grown," Dr. Brick began, "I don’t-."
"This is your laboratory," Pierce stated, "have you noticed Striker or Baker add any more numbers to the list?"
"I think that a few numbers have been added," Dr. Brick said, "but I can’t be sure."
"How often do Mr. Baker and Mr. Striker use the computer?" Green asked.
"About three hours every day, give or take a few hours," Dr. Brick said.
"And they call those number listed," Green stated.
"Yes they will dial in the girl’s number and then-." Dr. Brick stopped himself.
"We understand you can’t tell us," Green said. "Do you know where we might find Mr. Baker and Mr. Striker?"
"I think that Robert is proctoring a final for his class of undergraduates right now. George most likely is at home sleeping," Dr. Brick said.
"Thank you very much," Green said closing his notebook. "One thing if Mr. Baker or Mr. Striker comes here make sure they don’t get on that computer and call me on my cell phone. Here’s my number." Green handed over one of his cards and then held open the door for Pierce.
"Detective," Dr. Brick called out, "how did Miss. Parent die?"
"She was murdered," Green said.
* * *
"Thank God that’s over," Kelly said coming out of warm room into an even warmer hallway. There standing in the hallway was Pierce. Kelly came over and hugged him and more rested on him than held him.
"What no kiss this time?" Pierce asked jokingly.
"I’ll let you carry me home," Kelly said, "that’s just as good."
"I’m not going home," Pierce said letting go of Kelly.
"Shit," Kelly exclaimed, "I’m tired."
"Then you go home, I want you to, make sure my uncle isn’t throwing away the good music, and your brother hasn’t killed himself. I have to stick around campus for a little longer and talk to a guy named George Baker," Pierce said.
Kelly, still leaning against Pierce, "that’s nice."
"I do have another reason why I want you to go home," Pierce said.
* * *
Pierce said knocking on the door labeled 105. Nothing happened, so Pierce knocked again. From inside there was the sound of a door shutting and still nothing. Pierce made a fist with both hands. With the bottom of each fist he started to hit the door very rapidly. The speed and reverberation of the door made it sound line one long roll of thunder. Pierce varied the speed until the sound was at maximum. The door flew open.
"What the fuck do you want?" He was fatter than health permitted with a round middle and thick legs and almost no neck to speak of. His brown hair was greasy and matted to his head in swirling patterns. He was not happy.
"George Baker?" Pierce stated.
"Fuck you what the fuck do you want?"
"I’ll take that as a yes. I want to talk to you about your computer in the acoustics lab," Pierce’s response was.
The man looked confused, "the lab, what the fuck are you talking about?"
"May I come in?" Pierce asked.
"Yeah sure," George turned inside. The room was the definition of chaos. There were cloths both dirty and clean scattered around. There were books and papers everywhere. The carpet was dirty and had dark spots on it. The air was stuffy and smelled of old pizza. "Now what’s this about the lab?"
"Dr. Brick said that you and a Robert Striker worked on a computer that was hooked up to the phone line."
"Yeah so what the fuck of it."
"I’m more interested in the list of phone numbers that is taped next to the monitor. A woman killed herself last night and I tracked numerous phone calls to your computer in the lab," Pierce replied.
George looked at Pierce, "you serious?"
"More often then not," Pierce said, "so what about the list?"
"Fuck I don’t know," George said.
"What do you mean you don’t know?" Pierce prodded.
"Just the fuck what I said. I don’t know any fucking thing about that fucking list," George all but yelled.
"You look at it every day at work, how could you not know about it," Pierce shot back.
"’Cause I didn’t fucking put it there!"
"Who did?"
"Dr. Brick."
Tension filled the small foul smelling room. George looked half-dead as he sat his great bulk down and hung his head on the presumed neck. Pierce wrote something down on his notepad and then said in a commanding voice, "tell me everything. What does that computer do? Who have you used it on, everything."
George sucked in a deep breath, "five fucking years ago Dr. Brick came up with the idea to scan a person’s mind and turn those brain waves into musical notes. Well this one guy who was calm and subdued was scanned and his brain played calm music which made people who listened to it be calm and subdued. Then another guy was angry and mad, and his music made listeners mad and angry. So Robert Striker, a fellow graduate student, and I thought that we could take the music of a deeply hypnotized person’s mind and see what happens. Well anyone who listened to the music in ten or so notes became so deeply hypnotized that they would do anything we told them to do. To pay for our grant we had to show the US government that this had military or covert actions so we hooked it up to a phone line, but we didn’t do fucking jack with it. The most unethical thing we did was use it on the dean of engineering and had him order donuts for us, and that was the only person we hypnotized without permission. The usual test was to call the other phone in the lab and have a volunteer pick it up, and then test them. We didn’t do any fucking thing like making someone kill herself."
"Does the name Linda Parent mean anything to you?" Pierce asked.
George thought for a moment, "yeah it does. Dr. Brick said her name, what three days ago? She was supposed to come by and see him, or some fucking thing like that."
"Do you know what about?" Pierce asked.
"No," George said thinking, "wait yeah there was something about a summer job, I think. He was talking about a summer intern and then he said ‘Parent’ or something like it. Fuck I thought that he was going to talk to some kid’s parents."
"Mr. Baker," Pierce began putting away his notebook, "I would like you to not go to the lab today. Stay near your phone, you’ll be expecting a phone call from the police."
"Police! I didn’t do a fucking thing!"
"And I will vouch for that," Pierce said, "but you will need to give them a statement." Pierce opened the door to leave the large mound of man, but then he stopped, "oh there was one other thing. Do you have backups of the computer’s hard drive?"
* * *
"I’m going to kill him," Green said. He was headed strait for the front doors of the engineering building. In his path was Pierce who had just showed up.
"Get in line. I want first shot," Pierce said holding open the door for Green.
"So you found out that he had been accessing the computer that, oh just happens to control people’s minds."
"In a nut shell," Pierce said.
The pair arrived at the doors to the acoustics lab and Green did a polite knock, "Dr. Brick this is Detective Green. I have a few more questions for you."
Pierce was just able to hide his grin when the door opened by Dr. Brick, "ah gentlemen please come in." Dr. Brick took a seat next to the computer that was the focus of all the problems. "So what other questions did you have for me?"
Green took a deep breath, "how long did you expect to get away with the murder of Linda Parent?"
"Ha!" Dr. Brick gave a deep laugh at this, "who says cops don’t have a sense of humor? I’m still going to get away with killing Linda. It occurs to me, you two are the only ones who know Linda did something other than kill herself. All I have to do is get rid of the both of you."
"Like you did to Miss. Parent," Green said.
"Yes," Dr. Brick confessed.
"Out of curiosity," Pierce asked, "did you get rid of Parent because it was the end of the semester or because she was pregnant?"
"Yes," Dr. Brick said, "she confessed to me that she was pregnant. I could make her forget she was pregnant, but in time she would realize she was with child. So get rid of the student and make it look like end of year stress. Does that answer your question? I just realized I don’t know who you are?"
"Lucky me," Pierce said pulling something out of his pocket, "I carry this thing around all the time." Pierce held up a micro-cassette recorder.
Dr. Brick’s face fell, "now I have to get rid of you both."
"You’re under arrest for the murder of Linda Parent," Detective Green said making an advance on Dr. Brick.
"Not a step closer," Dr. Brick said posing his hand above a large green button on the computer. "If you take one step closer I will press this button and you two will rip each other apart."
"Do you care?" Green asked Pierce.
"Not at the moment," Pierce said.
Dr. Brick pressed the button. He quickly put his index fingers into his ears. Green had a passive face and then raised on eyebrow at Dr. Brick when he opened his eyes. Detective Green walked up to the man with a Ph. D and grabbed one of his wrists pulling it around to the back and did the same with the other. Dr. Brick looked more surprised than anything else.
"Were you expecting something to happen," Pierce said smiling at the murderer.
* * *
The room was small and hot. The wallpaper was faded but the main focus was the computer. Next to the twin bed sat a computer that looked like one a mad scientists would use. There were wires going to different plastic boxes and three external hard drives and external memory all leading to a large tower hooked up to a large flat screen monitor. Everywhere computer books and electronics filled the small room. The only two things that looked normal were the wooden door and the bed with a dark blue cover and drawers under it. At the computer, currently, was Kelly, tapping away at the keyboard. She had changed into a thin blue blouse unbuttoned enough to show just a hint of cleavage and the black bra holding it up. She was now wearing tight cut off blue jeans that showed off more of her long brown legs that ended in tan sandals.
Pierce entered the room and flopped down on her bed. "So the world turns one more time," Kelly said.
"Once more on its own accord," Pierce said. "Thank you for sending that virus by the way. It really saved Green and I."
"You can thank me by taking me out to eat," Kelly replied.
"I think the school cafeteria is still open," Pierce said knowing what was coming.
"Oh hell no. I pick the place." There was a long pause and then Kelly asked, "I have to ask, what favor did you owe Kevin?"
Pierce gave a little laugh, "you know how about a month ago you were kidnapped."
Kelly’s eyes went wide, "you mean by the love sick cyborg who professed its undying love to me and ever kiss felt like I was being hit with a tazer blast. Yes I do remember that."
Pierce smiled at Kelly. "Well you know I stink at making viruses, so I asked Kevin. I told him that I owed him a favor, any favor. He collected today. Can you explain something to me? Why is it that every time I go into the police station with Green everyone assumes that I have been arrested?"
Kelly gave a little chuckle, "well everyone knows that some of the things that you do are not quite legal, so naturally everyone assumes that you have been caught. How is our dear detective Green?"
"Well after giving my statement he said he was going to track down the rest of the phone numbers," Pierce said. "Oh and he wanted me to thank you for sending that virus."
"Speaking of my virus," Kelly said tapping an external hard drive, "I have everything from Dr. Brick downloaded right here."
"Good I’ll give it to George Baker and Robert Striker tomorrow," Pierce said not moving from the bed. "So what did you find?"
Kelly smiled that Pierce knew she was looking at the programs, "well there is the program to change brain waves into musical notes, and the other program hypnotizes anyone who hears it." There was a long pause and then Kelly said, "so, um, do you want to try it out?"
"No," Pierce said with his eyes still closed, "every time we find something we aren’t suppose to have things go wrong. Remember when we played with Green Lantern’s ring?"
Kelly smiled at the memory, "yeah, that was fun. No one got killed."
"And I still don’t know how that was possible," Pierce said shaking his head, "so if you want to play with the program go ahead, but I won’t use it on you."
Kelly stuck out her tongue, "you’re not having fun. Okay how about this we flip a coin." Kelly pulled out a quarter, "heads I get to use the hypnosis program on you, and tails you get to use it in anyway on me. Even if you tell me to never use the program again."
Pierce opened his eyes to see Kelly’s mischievous smile, "oh hell why not."
Kelly flipped the coin and let it fall to the ground. "Um, it’s heads," Kelly said trying to sound convincing.
"No it’s not," Pierce said sitting up to look at the coin showing tails.
"Okay," Kelly said picking up the quarter, "best two out of three." She again flipped the coin. "Oh hell someone up there likes you," Kelly said looking down at the image of the capital building.
"Okay show me how to work this program?"
Kelly clicked on the computer, "it’s quite simple. I’ll put on my headphones and then we run the program by pressing the ‘enter’ key. When I am deeply under press the ‘escape’ key and remove my headphones. Then you can tell me to never use the program again."
Pierce smiled an evil smile, "sure I will."
"Should I be worried?" Kelly asked as she plugged her headphones into the computer.
"Yes," Pierce said reaching over and pressing the ‘enter’ key. In less than three seconds Kelly’s eyes slowly closed and her head slumped forward onto her chest. Pierce watched as Kelly’s chest rose and fell rhythmically and her body fell slack. Pierce watched the sleeping beauty almost like she was a brown statue that was so perfect that to even get close to her might shatter her fragile beauty. Pierce waited a full minute and then reached over and pressed the ‘escape’ key. It was as if nothing happened. Kelly was still asleep and nothing was different than the screen showing that the program ended. Pierce gently removed the headphones from Kelly’s ears and let her sleep for a few more seconds.
"Kelly can you hear me?" Pierce tried to make his voice sound gentle and soothing.
"Yes," Kelly said in a faraway voice the spoke of unconsciousness.
"Will you do anything I ask you to do?"
"Anything you ask," Kelly responded.
"Okay Kelly here is what I would like you to do. When I snap my fingers you will open your eyes and, as if you are not in a trance but you will be, you will put some dance music on. You will then do the sexiest striptease you could ever think of performing. When you get down to just your panties you will wake up from this trance and remember everything. Do you understand?"
Again a far off voice responded, "yes."
Pierce raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. Kelly opened her eyes and straitened her spine. She opened a drawer in the desk the supported her computer and removed a CD. Placing it in her computer Kelly started to play rhythmic electronic beat that filled the small room. Kelly got up from her chair and looking deep into Pierce’s eyes she started to sway her body to the beat. Her hips moved and the wave seemed to flow up her body making her breasts move and her head sway as well. With the look of passion she unbuttoned the top button on her blue blouse with her teeth. She got close to Pierce giving him a good look at her more exposed breasts. She then swayed and in doing so partly unbuttoned the next button and then when the sway reached her other hand she finished unbuttoning the next notch. There was only one more button left to go, so Kelly turned around and bent over to give Pierce a good view of her bottom, and she straitened up her blouse was open. Giving Pierce his first view of her bra covered breasts Kelly turned around. Still swaying with the beat Kelly was able to let the blouse slide down and off her arms.
Pierce had to resist reaching out to touch the chocolate colored flesh, and did this by sitting on his hands. His mouth was dry.
Running her fingers between her pants and her skin Kelly teased the idea of what was to come. With her hand still on the inside of her cloths Kelly unbuttoned the bottom button of her cut-off jeans. Wiggling her finger through the larger hole she made she made the ‘come here’ sign to Pierce. Pierce did get closer just to be pushed away by Kelly’s other hand. Kelly slipped out the other buttons in one smooth pulling motion up. Now with rocking her hips making her cut-off jeans slide down. Her black panties soon began to appear at the sides and the middle of her waist. Her legs were like roadways for the former pants to fall down to her feet that slipped free of the sandals. She posed with her long legs apart and made her hips sway in a circle.
Turning around Kelly gave Pierce a good view of her spine that was shielded by only a black strap for her bra and a more complete cloth of her panties. Kelly slipped the straps of he bra off her shoulders, and turned again to Pierce. Her breasts were still covered but now nothing held them up and gravity had little effect on the mounds. She covered her breasts, which were covered by her bra, with her hands, and she slipped her hands between her bra and her breasts. By some means, that Pierce at the time didn’t know nor care, Kelly’s bra slipped down to her narrow waist. Then with an explosion that was synchronized with the music Kelly removed her hands to show her brown breasts with their dark nipples. Pierce could see little hairs on her skin as it erupted in goose flesh, but then as quickly as it appeared it disappeared. Kelly then turned around and wiggling like a snake she pulled up her bra. When the bra got to her breasts Kelly turned around to show Pierce the bra pull up her nipples and then when the bra was released the breasts quivered from the release. With nimble fingers Kelly was able to push the bra into the air and then flicked it towards Pierce.
"Oh my God!" Kelly cried.
"Do you want this back?" Pierce asked holding up Kelly’s bra. She was bent over to shield her body. He arms were crossed over her breasts to keep Pierce from seeing what he was just teased with.
Realizing how foolish she was acting she stood up and turned away from Pierce. "Give it back," Kelly said indicating the bra. Pierce rested it on her shoulder, and she took it. "Okay so that thing is dangerous," Kelly said speaking of the program.
"Yeah but you wanted to use it," Pierce said turning off the music.
"I know," Kelly said fitting her bra on her chest. "Thanks for not doing anything more drastic," Kelly said getting her blouse.
"We’ve gone farther before, but I didn’t want to do something I know you wouldn’t do to me."
"Thanks," Kelly said, putting on her blouse, "oh and just so you know." Kelly quickly pulled down her panties, to show her smooth rear end, and then she quickly pulled up her panties again. "I would have gone much further than that."
The End
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