The Ghost Network, 8/13. A/A. NC-17
Title: The Ghost Network
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17.
Pairing: Ariadne/Arthur
Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to Christopher Nolan and not to me. I like making his toys do naughty, naughty things.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-movie. For the
inception_kink meme prompt: Serial killer or Assassin Arthur, victim or FBI agent Ariadne, and Stockholm Syndrome. It's an AU fic, folks, but I tried to keep them as IC as possible! Also written for the "wild card" box on my
hc_bingo card.
Summary: Someone has been killing people involved in sleep labs. As part of the Sleep Crimes Unit of the FBI, Ariadne has to help track down the Dream Killer. Things go very wrong very fast, and she's exactly in the last place she wants to be.
Prior chapters:
One - Entering The Dream
Two - Building The Maze
Three - Going Under
Four - A Different Point Of View
Five - A Hole In You And Me
Six - Catching The Princess
Seven - Inside The Maelstrom
Hide the kids... More smut in this chapter!
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Missing forum?
I don't see a forum for workplace concerns and eveyrone already calls me a noob just for asking questions about getting started in this business. There's no real way to complain about peole I work with, and I don't know at this point where else to go. Is there a board just to vent about this?
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Missing forum
There used to be a forum for those kinds of concerns, but it was moved to higher level members. Part of it had been concern for "noobs" simply complaining about aspects of the job they didn't like as opposed to valid abuses of the system. Is it venting that you need or a place to discuss legitimate concerns?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Missing forum
This might be a bit of both, tbh. My boss has been coming onto me and won't take no. He's also been skimming money from the Carduccis, and I don't want to be caught in the middle, but it's not as if I can put an ad in the paper about being a professional dream forger.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Missing forum
Others have had concerns regarding Carducci-owned labs. I'm unlocking those forums so you have access. Be careful in how you voice your issues, however. It's a tight knit community and the Carduccis have a way of knowing who says what about them.
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Missing forum
Thanks for the access. It's helpful to know I'm not the only one with this situation.
One other question - I don't know if it's another forum I don't have access to, but where would I go if I think my boss is doing something to the sleepers?
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Sleeper concern
What do you think is happening?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Some of them go in for sleep therapy, and I'm finding more walls and locked rooms than I should. I'm supposed to be forging their therapist or family members or whatnot to get the catharsis, but sometimes I can't find them. When I get the kick, my boss is still under and so is the sleeper. They come up ten minutes later, and the sleeper doesn't look right.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Again: What do you think is happening?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
I know he's not killing them, since they don't wake up. I don't think he's acting as an extractor, because they're ordinary people. I don't *want* to think the worst, but I'm almost left with nothing else to think.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re:Sleeper concern
Have you told anyone else of your concerns?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Are you kidding??? I work in a Carducci lab! I'm new, but I'm not *that* new. I'd like to actually survive this and go to another lab if possible.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Did you talk to any of the others that work in the lab? Or the sleepers themselves?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
The sleepers look drugged when they get up, and there's no regular chemist to check what the percentages should be. That shit's way over my head, so I don't know if my boss is doping them up. One of the girls flinched when my boss reached otu to grab her and keep her from falling. I know there's been whispers about guys pulling that shit in labs, and he's backed off of trying to make a pass at me. I don't know if it's gone to the sleepers, then. the girl that flinched told me she had tons of nightmares that just weren't going away, no matter how many sessions she had here. I know *I* haven't been able to get at her at all in the past month or two.
Thanks for listening, btw. Your'e the only one really taking me seriously about this. I don't know how safe the forums are anymore. I saw the post about how feds are in it.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re:Sleeper concern
I've unlocked another higher level forum for you. There aren't many members in it, since I have to carefully screen all members in the network first. First and foremost, of course, is to stay safe. The new forum should be able to help in terms of searching for new placement in your area. I don't think your complaint is the first that your boss had gotten, but I can't be sure.
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
So you really do read all the posts? :) I thought that was just a rumor. Thanks for the new unlock. It really helps. I might have a hookup into a new lab soon. :)
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
I'm glad I can be of help. That's why the network is here.
Energy Maven Calls For New Guidelines!
...recent tussles between SomnaCorp and InteLiv have reached an all time high, with reported legal disputes between the two reaching in the millions. Maurice Fischer, a prominent businessman and avid proponent of dream therapy, had repeatedly made overtures to take over part of InteLiv but had been rebuffed. He testified in front of Congress regarding the apparent monopoly that SomnaCorp had on the somnacin production, even after it had left patent in 2008. The majority of SomnaCorp's production had been for government-licensed labs, but there had been a limited number of private sleep labs that complied with federal regulations regarding somnacin use...
FDA Declines To Revisit Ruling
...Despite objections to the contrary, SomnaCorp's patent of somnacin has not been renewed. The approval process for generic companies had been delayed indefinitely, and the FDA spokesmen were unable to provide comment explaining the controversial move...
***
Ariadne sighed as Arthur slid his arms around her. "You're very distracting," she murmured, taking her hand off of the mouse. She had been reading through his folders of saved messages and saved articles from his news feeds. "I thought you wanted me reading all of this..."
He laughed against the side of her neck, but there was an edge to it that Ariadne still couldn't place. Something was making him antsy, something that he wasn't willing to share with her just yet. "You read quickly, Ariadne," he murmured, breath tickling her neck. He sucked at the skin there for a bit, and she could feel his lips curl into a smile. "I'm glad you find me as distracting as I find you."
"Oh? And how distracting is that?"
Arthur moved one of his hands down along her stomach, feeling the muscles tighten through the flimsy fabric of the nightgown. "Like this."
She laughed slightly, leaning back into his touch. "Arthur... You're upset about something." She turned in his arms, the office chair turning with her. She spread her legs wide so that he could stand between them and she could rest her head on his chest. He was perfectly still, though his heart beat a rapid tattoo.
"How can you tell?" he asked, voice neutral.
Ariadne looked up, her arms still around him. "I know you well enough by now to know when you're upset," she said softly. "It's how you talk, the way you hold me. Your heart's pounding, Arthur. What's happened?"
He gave her a rueful smile and threaded his hands through her hair. "If only I could tell you."
"I'd help you if I could."
"I know," Arthur said, a faint smile on his face. "I don't want to hurt you," he murmured, "and asking you to choose now would be cruel."
Ariadne pulled his shirt out of his pants and unbuttoned it so she could rest her cheek against his bare skin. "I don't know how I'd choose," she admitted softly, closing her eyes. Reading the messages that had been sent to Arthur over the network had twisted her stomach. He hadn't goaded anyone into giving him information. If anything, he had been very careful not to lead her into anything, and let her make her own claims. Ariadne had checked KissMeKate's profile and posts on the other message boards, and everything hung together. Arthur didn't simply make her up in order to prove something to Ariadne. She existed, and Arthur even had the background check in his communications folders.
She knew he had her own FBI profile, but she hadn't opened it. There was no need to. She had already told him about what was in it.
"See?" he said softly, his heart slowing a little beneath her ear. "I can't do that to you."
Ariadne slowly unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his trousers. "I'm with you now."
His smile was slow and sensual, one that set her blood to boiling. "I think I like the honeymoon phase of things."
"You don't take any time off, do you?"
"I never had reason to before," Arthur admitted, letting her push off all of his clothes. He let her pull him to the floor so she could kneel beside him and take him into her mouth. Arthur sucked in a breath and threaded his fingers through her hair, taking care not to pull or yank at her head, no matter how much he wanted to. She felt exquisite around him, warm and wet and perfect, and he dragged a hand away from her head with difficulty. Trailing his fingers along the back of her thigh, he lifted the nightgown and traced the bare flesh beneath it. "I see someone's been a naughty girl," he said in a strangled tone of voice.
Ariadne lifted her head and blew across the damp skin. She gave him a wicked grin, eyes alight with mischief. "How naughty do you plan on getting?"
He laughed and slipped his fingers inside her. "As far as I can get."
"Good."
He worked her with his fingers as she ran her tongue along the length of him, balancing her weight with one arm and cradling his balls with her other hand. She sucked harder as she came, clamping down hard on his fingers. Ariadne shifted slightly to mouth his balls, then moved again to kiss her way up his bare chest. Arthur reached around her to slide off her nightgown, and Ariadne helped to toss it aside. She gasped as his fingers hit her clit and his other hand moved to her breast. He nudged her gently, making her shift position slightly. She cradled his head and helped him suckle at her breast while he still had his fingers inside her. Ariadne moaned, head thrown back and thighs trembling. He pulled her back into that position when she tried to shimmy away after she came, and he worked her to another orgasm. He only stopped when she was so unsteady that she nearly collapsed on top of him. Rock hard, Arthur moved to take her from behind, slamming deep within her depths. Fingers scrabbling across the floor for purchase, Ariadne had to collapse down to her forearms for balance. She rocked backward to meet his thrusts, strangled moans deep in her throat as the pleasure flooded her. Arthur came suddenly, surprising him with the force of it, and he kept going until Ariadne nearly shrieked with her own orgasm.
Arthur hissed slightly when he pulled out, too sensitive and breathing ragged. "At this rate, I'll never get any work done," he said shakily, looking down at the satisfied expression on her face. If this was a dream, he would have had no refractory time, and he could pounce on her again. As it was, he lay down beside her on his carpeted floor, stroking the curve of her cheek. "Time off is good, I guess," he said with a smile.
"It can be."
He brushed his fingers across her lips and she flicked her tongue out to run them across the pads gently. Arthur shivered, pupils blown wide with desire. "He's in Trenton," he said abruptly. "The target, I mean. I can take you with me. It should be safe enough for a little road trip."
Ariadne smiled, her hand on his forearm. "Thank you."
It was going to be very revealing.
***
Ariadne slept through most of the drive, which Arthur had encouraged. They were driving from Maryland to New Jersey, which would take most of the afternoon. His secretary called, relaying messages from Eames and AD Saito. He didn't even dare call either of them back until Ariadne was certainly deep asleep.
"You're on the road?" Eames had said incredulously.
"Good ear," Arthur replied with a smile, making a mental note to keep on his toes around that one. As if he hadn't already, but still. "I'm meeting with another client today. I'll be busy through the entire afternoon, so I thought I'd multitask. How can I help you?"
"Well, I sent you what I could regarding the current investigation, just as you requested. Your secretary sent me the passwords to access the Ghost Network."
"And?"
"It's a bloody mess in there, the higher up you go."
"That's why I have my secretary do it," Arthur replied with a smile. "She's good with computers. Why don't you give her a call? She can walk you through it better than I can, I'm sure."
"All right, thanks for the tip. And the access."
"Anything to help the cause," Arthur told him brightly. "I might be busy for a few days, but I'll check in regularly."
"Thanks for the help."
Arthur grinned as he hung up. He might have liked the Inspector if they weren't actually working at cross purposes.
AD Saito's call was much briefer. He simply wanted to confirm that Arthur was comfortable enough working with them, and possibly putting himself at risk to the Dream Killer. "I can honestly tell you that it's a pleasure to work with you, Saito," Arthur said. "There's been a number of challenges you've brought my way, and I've really liked the mental exercise. I realize this is personal, so it's a favor back to you for the prior consults."
"Very much appreciated, Arthur," Saito replied. "I thought about other agents for this, but it seemed neater to have your expertise."
"Glad to be of service," Arthur replied, meaning it. He did respect Saito. In another lifetime, they might have been friends.
Ariadne stirred as they drove through Philadelphia. He had missed the turn to stay on I-95 while staring at Ariadne's legs and the rise and fall of her chest. He liked the city, and had lived there for a few years as a teenager. "Hey, are you hungry?" he asked with a smile. "I know the best place for Philly cheese steaks."
She laughed and agreed as she stretched out, and it felt so very ordinary. They were on a road trip, almost like a vacation. It didn't have to be anything so sinister.
They sat at an outdoor cafe. It was fall now, something that had surprised Ariadne. It had just crept up on her. She had been gone for about a month real time, but somehow it had felt so much longer than that. She supposed she could run, but what would that serve? There was something compelling about Arthur, and she needed to understand what he did. If she did, she could do something about it. Unconsciously she rubbed at the inside of her left arm. "Do you know a lot about different cities, then?"
Arthur gave her a pleased grin. "I've done a lot of traveling. It's something rich parents tend to do with their kids, I guess. How about you?"
"We did road trips. Disney, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, that kind of thing. My dad loved to go camping, too. I made the best s'mores."
Laughing, he put down his sandwich. "We should go camping, then. I've never done that. My mom hated bugs. And dirt. And birds."
"And nature?" Ariadne guessed with a smile. Arthur laughed along with her. "You don't talk to her anymore, do you?"
Arthur shook his head. "She very happily ignores the world and takes her Xanax in her bungalow in Switzerland. My father is dead."
"I'm sorry. Mine died, too. Heart attack four years ago. We never even realized anything was wrong with him. He was so active."
"You talk to your mother a lot, then?" Arthur asked.
Ariadne winced. "Every week, usually, but it would go down to every few weeks if a case was really tough. And we'd e-mail each other back and forth. I visit for holidays and stuff, but I've been so consumed by work."
"And you can't exactly talk to her now," Arthur said with a sigh. She mutely shook her head. "We'll figure something out," he said quietly. "She's important to you, so she should know that you're safe and not in danger like everyone seems to think."
"Aren't I?" she asked, head cocked to the side and amused smile on her face. "Everything I've ever known, going up in smoke?" She couldn't face her mother like this. She didn't know what the hell she was doing, and wouldn't be able to explain this. She loved Arthur, but she didn't understand him sometimes.
"You can't help it that everyone's been lying to you. Or that they don't understand that they've been lied to as well." He shrugged and started in on his sandwich again. "Things aren't changing, Ari. I'd love it if it did."
She smiled softly at him, her hand falling to his knee to give it a squeeze. "We'll be okay."
He covered her hand in his and grinned at her. "Yes, I think it will be."
***
From: Ghost
To: Annalise
Subject: Ariadne
Attachment: ariadne.jpg
She is doing well and very much alive. She sends her love. While there is an extensive search for her currently still underway, she will not be found. I prefer that she stays with me.
***
Nathan Bruss was a very spry fifty-seven years old. He generally wore tailored three piece suits to impress business prospects to increase funding, and it was a trait that the Carducci family liked. He treated their organization like any other business prospect, bringing his sleep lab expertise to their organization in return for steady funding and payment. They turned a blind eye to some of his other dealings if they didn't impact on business or the Carducci reputation, and he tried his best to be discreet about those dealings. He traded somnacin for cocaine on occasion, as there were always junkies looking to score somnacin to tweak their high. He liked the rush and the buzz of the cocaine, and it helped him to finish all the books for the legal sleep lab as well as the Carducci establishment. Still, that was small time action and was purely for personal use, so it was something that the Carduccis allowed.
His main addiction had to do with the lithe teenagers or younger adults that came into the labs. They were fragile and traumatized, so easy to manipulate, so easy to convince that this was the ticket to redemption and a pain free existence. He liked hooking himself into their dreams, locking them in and recreating his own little fantasy worlds there. It was easy enough to adjust the dosing so that they would forget about the experience. He had some training as a chemist, and remembered the bits he needed to use. He didn't need to follow the latest papers or dosing suggestions. He had a formula that worked for him. The girls never remembered what he did to them while asleep, and some of them were so lost that he was able to take them to his back office for some real time action. The sluts ask for it, he thought, a smile crossing his face as he observed the current crop of sleepers in the Carducci lab. It wouldn't be so easy if they didn't want it.
He watched the eyelids flicker as eyes rolled during active sleep. He walked between the stations and paused in front of his current forger. Kate Murray was twenty-six, with long black hair, a nose ring and pockmarked olive skin from too much acne as a teen. She had been too discomfited with his advances when awake, and he wondered if she was a lesbian. He didn't look fifty-seven, after all. It couldn't be his looks. Nathan laid his hand over her breast and squeezed. She wasn't his usual taste, as she was plump and curved, but there was the air of the broken around her, and that overrode her physical looks. She would be tasty once he got inside her head, he was sure.
Nathan straightened up when he heard the chirp of his phone. Someone requesting a private audience at this hour? It came with no referral information, but the Carduccis weren't always good about that. If people paid enough, referral information was waived. Nathan found that annoying, but he supposed that it was part and parcel of working for the mob.
He left the lab area and headed for his office, pasting his businessman smile on his face. He could do this routine in his sleep. There were no formal records in this lab, just a series of letters and numbers that identified patients and accounts. Perfect anonymity within the record keeping, so he could track dosing schedules that were effective, as well as payment status. It wouldn't do to have someone behind on payments.
The Carduccis were pleased that he handled all of those delinquent accounts himself. They never asked how he handled it, and he never volunteered the information.
The light appeared to be out over the back entrance to the building that the lab was housed in. He would have to have housekeeping handle that. He opened the door and gestured grandly for the couple standing there to come inside. "I'm Nathan Bruss," he said, smiling his best salesman smile. "Why don't you come in, so we can discuss what your needs are?"
"It's hard for me," the woman said, voice warbling. She was petite and pretty, unable to meet his eyes. Delicious. "I mean..."
"It took a lot to get her to come this far," the man piped up. His voice was forceful, and he had the air of someone used to being in command. Rather like Nathan himself. He hated the nameless man on sight. "I don't think she'd go into your office. Could you talk out here?"
To know where to go and to bypass Carducci security usually meant six figure fees. They would be most decidedly upset to have to return the consultation fee just because Nathan didn't like standing in a chilly doorway. With a sigh, he stepped outside and let the door shut behind him. "Which of the Carducci brothers referred you?" he asked.
The woman looked up, and her direct gaze was startling. "Is Kate here?" she asked, voice much less warbling than before.
"What does she have to do with anything?" Nathan said with a frown. He stepped down another step, arms unfolding. This didn't seem like a referral anymore, but a shakedown, and he had never backed down to anyone.
"So she works here. She helps with the trauma cases?"
Nathan came down the rest of the way, attempting to paste a genial smile on his face. "Is that what you're concerned about? You want to make sure that your trauma history is handled appropriately?" When she remained silent, he smiled more broadly. "I can handle your case myself."
"I heard about what happens here," the woman said, eyes sharp. "I need to know if it's true."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you really help the trauma cases?" She stepped backward, out of range of his grasp, and Nathan followed her with an unhealthy intensity. "Or do you just make it worse?"
That sense of being railroaded was back, and Nathan looked between the two of them. "What did the little slut say?" He stepped forward, hands in fists. "She shouldn't have gone over my head for this. If Kate wanted a raise, she would have to earn it like every other slut working for me: on her knees." He was angry enough that he forgot he stepped out of range of the outside security camera. "Who are you?"
Fast as lightning, the man grasped his arms and the woman pressed a needle into his throat. It burned as it went in, and the world swam. "I really had hoped she was wrong," the woman said, voice soft and mournful.
"When they ask for help like that," the man told her gently, "they usually never are."
***
***
Time for chapter 9!
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17.
Pairing: Ariadne/Arthur
Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to Christopher Nolan and not to me. I like making his toys do naughty, naughty things.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-movie. For the
inception_kink meme prompt: Serial killer or Assassin Arthur, victim or FBI agent Ariadne, and Stockholm Syndrome. It's an AU fic, folks, but I tried to keep them as IC as possible! Also written for the "wild card" box on my
hc_bingo card.
Summary: Someone has been killing people involved in sleep labs. As part of the Sleep Crimes Unit of the FBI, Ariadne has to help track down the Dream Killer. Things go very wrong very fast, and she's exactly in the last place she wants to be.
Prior chapters:
One - Entering The Dream
Two - Building The Maze
Three - Going Under
Four - A Different Point Of View
Five - A Hole In You And Me
Six - Catching The Princess
Seven - Inside The Maelstrom
Hide the kids... More smut in this chapter!
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Missing forum?
I don't see a forum for workplace concerns and eveyrone already calls me a noob just for asking questions about getting started in this business. There's no real way to complain about peole I work with, and I don't know at this point where else to go. Is there a board just to vent about this?
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Missing forum
There used to be a forum for those kinds of concerns, but it was moved to higher level members. Part of it had been concern for "noobs" simply complaining about aspects of the job they didn't like as opposed to valid abuses of the system. Is it venting that you need or a place to discuss legitimate concerns?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Missing forum
This might be a bit of both, tbh. My boss has been coming onto me and won't take no. He's also been skimming money from the Carduccis, and I don't want to be caught in the middle, but it's not as if I can put an ad in the paper about being a professional dream forger.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Missing forum
Others have had concerns regarding Carducci-owned labs. I'm unlocking those forums so you have access. Be careful in how you voice your issues, however. It's a tight knit community and the Carduccis have a way of knowing who says what about them.
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Missing forum
Thanks for the access. It's helpful to know I'm not the only one with this situation.
One other question - I don't know if it's another forum I don't have access to, but where would I go if I think my boss is doing something to the sleepers?
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Sleeper concern
What do you think is happening?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Some of them go in for sleep therapy, and I'm finding more walls and locked rooms than I should. I'm supposed to be forging their therapist or family members or whatnot to get the catharsis, but sometimes I can't find them. When I get the kick, my boss is still under and so is the sleeper. They come up ten minutes later, and the sleeper doesn't look right.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Again: What do you think is happening?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
I know he's not killing them, since they don't wake up. I don't think he's acting as an extractor, because they're ordinary people. I don't *want* to think the worst, but I'm almost left with nothing else to think.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re:Sleeper concern
Have you told anyone else of your concerns?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Are you kidding??? I work in a Carducci lab! I'm new, but I'm not *that* new. I'd like to actually survive this and go to another lab if possible.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
Did you talk to any of the others that work in the lab? Or the sleepers themselves?
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
The sleepers look drugged when they get up, and there's no regular chemist to check what the percentages should be. That shit's way over my head, so I don't know if my boss is doping them up. One of the girls flinched when my boss reached otu to grab her and keep her from falling. I know there's been whispers about guys pulling that shit in labs, and he's backed off of trying to make a pass at me. I don't know if it's gone to the sleepers, then. the girl that flinched told me she had tons of nightmares that just weren't going away, no matter how many sessions she had here. I know *I* haven't been able to get at her at all in the past month or two.
Thanks for listening, btw. Your'e the only one really taking me seriously about this. I don't know how safe the forums are anymore. I saw the post about how feds are in it.
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re:Sleeper concern
I've unlocked another higher level forum for you. There aren't many members in it, since I have to carefully screen all members in the network first. First and foremost, of course, is to stay safe. The new forum should be able to help in terms of searching for new placement in your area. I don't think your complaint is the first that your boss had gotten, but I can't be sure.
To: GNMod
From: KissMeKate
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
So you really do read all the posts? :) I thought that was just a rumor. Thanks for the new unlock. It really helps. I might have a hookup into a new lab soon. :)
To: KissMeKate
From: GNMod
Subject: Re: Sleeper concern
I'm glad I can be of help. That's why the network is here.
Energy Maven Calls For New Guidelines!
...recent tussles between SomnaCorp and InteLiv have reached an all time high, with reported legal disputes between the two reaching in the millions. Maurice Fischer, a prominent businessman and avid proponent of dream therapy, had repeatedly made overtures to take over part of InteLiv but had been rebuffed. He testified in front of Congress regarding the apparent monopoly that SomnaCorp had on the somnacin production, even after it had left patent in 2008. The majority of SomnaCorp's production had been for government-licensed labs, but there had been a limited number of private sleep labs that complied with federal regulations regarding somnacin use...
FDA Declines To Revisit Ruling
...Despite objections to the contrary, SomnaCorp's patent of somnacin has not been renewed. The approval process for generic companies had been delayed indefinitely, and the FDA spokesmen were unable to provide comment explaining the controversial move...
***
Ariadne sighed as Arthur slid his arms around her. "You're very distracting," she murmured, taking her hand off of the mouse. She had been reading through his folders of saved messages and saved articles from his news feeds. "I thought you wanted me reading all of this..."
He laughed against the side of her neck, but there was an edge to it that Ariadne still couldn't place. Something was making him antsy, something that he wasn't willing to share with her just yet. "You read quickly, Ariadne," he murmured, breath tickling her neck. He sucked at the skin there for a bit, and she could feel his lips curl into a smile. "I'm glad you find me as distracting as I find you."
"Oh? And how distracting is that?"
Arthur moved one of his hands down along her stomach, feeling the muscles tighten through the flimsy fabric of the nightgown. "Like this."
She laughed slightly, leaning back into his touch. "Arthur... You're upset about something." She turned in his arms, the office chair turning with her. She spread her legs wide so that he could stand between them and she could rest her head on his chest. He was perfectly still, though his heart beat a rapid tattoo.
"How can you tell?" he asked, voice neutral.
Ariadne looked up, her arms still around him. "I know you well enough by now to know when you're upset," she said softly. "It's how you talk, the way you hold me. Your heart's pounding, Arthur. What's happened?"
He gave her a rueful smile and threaded his hands through her hair. "If only I could tell you."
"I'd help you if I could."
"I know," Arthur said, a faint smile on his face. "I don't want to hurt you," he murmured, "and asking you to choose now would be cruel."
Ariadne pulled his shirt out of his pants and unbuttoned it so she could rest her cheek against his bare skin. "I don't know how I'd choose," she admitted softly, closing her eyes. Reading the messages that had been sent to Arthur over the network had twisted her stomach. He hadn't goaded anyone into giving him information. If anything, he had been very careful not to lead her into anything, and let her make her own claims. Ariadne had checked KissMeKate's profile and posts on the other message boards, and everything hung together. Arthur didn't simply make her up in order to prove something to Ariadne. She existed, and Arthur even had the background check in his communications folders.
She knew he had her own FBI profile, but she hadn't opened it. There was no need to. She had already told him about what was in it.
"See?" he said softly, his heart slowing a little beneath her ear. "I can't do that to you."
Ariadne slowly unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his trousers. "I'm with you now."
His smile was slow and sensual, one that set her blood to boiling. "I think I like the honeymoon phase of things."
"You don't take any time off, do you?"
"I never had reason to before," Arthur admitted, letting her push off all of his clothes. He let her pull him to the floor so she could kneel beside him and take him into her mouth. Arthur sucked in a breath and threaded his fingers through her hair, taking care not to pull or yank at her head, no matter how much he wanted to. She felt exquisite around him, warm and wet and perfect, and he dragged a hand away from her head with difficulty. Trailing his fingers along the back of her thigh, he lifted the nightgown and traced the bare flesh beneath it. "I see someone's been a naughty girl," he said in a strangled tone of voice.
Ariadne lifted her head and blew across the damp skin. She gave him a wicked grin, eyes alight with mischief. "How naughty do you plan on getting?"
He laughed and slipped his fingers inside her. "As far as I can get."
"Good."
He worked her with his fingers as she ran her tongue along the length of him, balancing her weight with one arm and cradling his balls with her other hand. She sucked harder as she came, clamping down hard on his fingers. Ariadne shifted slightly to mouth his balls, then moved again to kiss her way up his bare chest. Arthur reached around her to slide off her nightgown, and Ariadne helped to toss it aside. She gasped as his fingers hit her clit and his other hand moved to her breast. He nudged her gently, making her shift position slightly. She cradled his head and helped him suckle at her breast while he still had his fingers inside her. Ariadne moaned, head thrown back and thighs trembling. He pulled her back into that position when she tried to shimmy away after she came, and he worked her to another orgasm. He only stopped when she was so unsteady that she nearly collapsed on top of him. Rock hard, Arthur moved to take her from behind, slamming deep within her depths. Fingers scrabbling across the floor for purchase, Ariadne had to collapse down to her forearms for balance. She rocked backward to meet his thrusts, strangled moans deep in her throat as the pleasure flooded her. Arthur came suddenly, surprising him with the force of it, and he kept going until Ariadne nearly shrieked with her own orgasm.
Arthur hissed slightly when he pulled out, too sensitive and breathing ragged. "At this rate, I'll never get any work done," he said shakily, looking down at the satisfied expression on her face. If this was a dream, he would have had no refractory time, and he could pounce on her again. As it was, he lay down beside her on his carpeted floor, stroking the curve of her cheek. "Time off is good, I guess," he said with a smile.
"It can be."
He brushed his fingers across her lips and she flicked her tongue out to run them across the pads gently. Arthur shivered, pupils blown wide with desire. "He's in Trenton," he said abruptly. "The target, I mean. I can take you with me. It should be safe enough for a little road trip."
Ariadne smiled, her hand on his forearm. "Thank you."
It was going to be very revealing.
***
Ariadne slept through most of the drive, which Arthur had encouraged. They were driving from Maryland to New Jersey, which would take most of the afternoon. His secretary called, relaying messages from Eames and AD Saito. He didn't even dare call either of them back until Ariadne was certainly deep asleep.
"You're on the road?" Eames had said incredulously.
"Good ear," Arthur replied with a smile, making a mental note to keep on his toes around that one. As if he hadn't already, but still. "I'm meeting with another client today. I'll be busy through the entire afternoon, so I thought I'd multitask. How can I help you?"
"Well, I sent you what I could regarding the current investigation, just as you requested. Your secretary sent me the passwords to access the Ghost Network."
"And?"
"It's a bloody mess in there, the higher up you go."
"That's why I have my secretary do it," Arthur replied with a smile. "She's good with computers. Why don't you give her a call? She can walk you through it better than I can, I'm sure."
"All right, thanks for the tip. And the access."
"Anything to help the cause," Arthur told him brightly. "I might be busy for a few days, but I'll check in regularly."
"Thanks for the help."
Arthur grinned as he hung up. He might have liked the Inspector if they weren't actually working at cross purposes.
AD Saito's call was much briefer. He simply wanted to confirm that Arthur was comfortable enough working with them, and possibly putting himself at risk to the Dream Killer. "I can honestly tell you that it's a pleasure to work with you, Saito," Arthur said. "There's been a number of challenges you've brought my way, and I've really liked the mental exercise. I realize this is personal, so it's a favor back to you for the prior consults."
"Very much appreciated, Arthur," Saito replied. "I thought about other agents for this, but it seemed neater to have your expertise."
"Glad to be of service," Arthur replied, meaning it. He did respect Saito. In another lifetime, they might have been friends.
Ariadne stirred as they drove through Philadelphia. He had missed the turn to stay on I-95 while staring at Ariadne's legs and the rise and fall of her chest. He liked the city, and had lived there for a few years as a teenager. "Hey, are you hungry?" he asked with a smile. "I know the best place for Philly cheese steaks."
She laughed and agreed as she stretched out, and it felt so very ordinary. They were on a road trip, almost like a vacation. It didn't have to be anything so sinister.
They sat at an outdoor cafe. It was fall now, something that had surprised Ariadne. It had just crept up on her. She had been gone for about a month real time, but somehow it had felt so much longer than that. She supposed she could run, but what would that serve? There was something compelling about Arthur, and she needed to understand what he did. If she did, she could do something about it. Unconsciously she rubbed at the inside of her left arm. "Do you know a lot about different cities, then?"
Arthur gave her a pleased grin. "I've done a lot of traveling. It's something rich parents tend to do with their kids, I guess. How about you?"
"We did road trips. Disney, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, that kind of thing. My dad loved to go camping, too. I made the best s'mores."
Laughing, he put down his sandwich. "We should go camping, then. I've never done that. My mom hated bugs. And dirt. And birds."
"And nature?" Ariadne guessed with a smile. Arthur laughed along with her. "You don't talk to her anymore, do you?"
Arthur shook his head. "She very happily ignores the world and takes her Xanax in her bungalow in Switzerland. My father is dead."
"I'm sorry. Mine died, too. Heart attack four years ago. We never even realized anything was wrong with him. He was so active."
"You talk to your mother a lot, then?" Arthur asked.
Ariadne winced. "Every week, usually, but it would go down to every few weeks if a case was really tough. And we'd e-mail each other back and forth. I visit for holidays and stuff, but I've been so consumed by work."
"And you can't exactly talk to her now," Arthur said with a sigh. She mutely shook her head. "We'll figure something out," he said quietly. "She's important to you, so she should know that you're safe and not in danger like everyone seems to think."
"Aren't I?" she asked, head cocked to the side and amused smile on her face. "Everything I've ever known, going up in smoke?" She couldn't face her mother like this. She didn't know what the hell she was doing, and wouldn't be able to explain this. She loved Arthur, but she didn't understand him sometimes.
"You can't help it that everyone's been lying to you. Or that they don't understand that they've been lied to as well." He shrugged and started in on his sandwich again. "Things aren't changing, Ari. I'd love it if it did."
She smiled softly at him, her hand falling to his knee to give it a squeeze. "We'll be okay."
He covered her hand in his and grinned at her. "Yes, I think it will be."
***
From: Ghost
To: Annalise
Subject: Ariadne
Attachment: ariadne.jpg
She is doing well and very much alive. She sends her love. While there is an extensive search for her currently still underway, she will not be found. I prefer that she stays with me.
***
Nathan Bruss was a very spry fifty-seven years old. He generally wore tailored three piece suits to impress business prospects to increase funding, and it was a trait that the Carducci family liked. He treated their organization like any other business prospect, bringing his sleep lab expertise to their organization in return for steady funding and payment. They turned a blind eye to some of his other dealings if they didn't impact on business or the Carducci reputation, and he tried his best to be discreet about those dealings. He traded somnacin for cocaine on occasion, as there were always junkies looking to score somnacin to tweak their high. He liked the rush and the buzz of the cocaine, and it helped him to finish all the books for the legal sleep lab as well as the Carducci establishment. Still, that was small time action and was purely for personal use, so it was something that the Carduccis allowed.
His main addiction had to do with the lithe teenagers or younger adults that came into the labs. They were fragile and traumatized, so easy to manipulate, so easy to convince that this was the ticket to redemption and a pain free existence. He liked hooking himself into their dreams, locking them in and recreating his own little fantasy worlds there. It was easy enough to adjust the dosing so that they would forget about the experience. He had some training as a chemist, and remembered the bits he needed to use. He didn't need to follow the latest papers or dosing suggestions. He had a formula that worked for him. The girls never remembered what he did to them while asleep, and some of them were so lost that he was able to take them to his back office for some real time action. The sluts ask for it, he thought, a smile crossing his face as he observed the current crop of sleepers in the Carducci lab. It wouldn't be so easy if they didn't want it.
He watched the eyelids flicker as eyes rolled during active sleep. He walked between the stations and paused in front of his current forger. Kate Murray was twenty-six, with long black hair, a nose ring and pockmarked olive skin from too much acne as a teen. She had been too discomfited with his advances when awake, and he wondered if she was a lesbian. He didn't look fifty-seven, after all. It couldn't be his looks. Nathan laid his hand over her breast and squeezed. She wasn't his usual taste, as she was plump and curved, but there was the air of the broken around her, and that overrode her physical looks. She would be tasty once he got inside her head, he was sure.
Nathan straightened up when he heard the chirp of his phone. Someone requesting a private audience at this hour? It came with no referral information, but the Carduccis weren't always good about that. If people paid enough, referral information was waived. Nathan found that annoying, but he supposed that it was part and parcel of working for the mob.
He left the lab area and headed for his office, pasting his businessman smile on his face. He could do this routine in his sleep. There were no formal records in this lab, just a series of letters and numbers that identified patients and accounts. Perfect anonymity within the record keeping, so he could track dosing schedules that were effective, as well as payment status. It wouldn't do to have someone behind on payments.
The Carduccis were pleased that he handled all of those delinquent accounts himself. They never asked how he handled it, and he never volunteered the information.
The light appeared to be out over the back entrance to the building that the lab was housed in. He would have to have housekeeping handle that. He opened the door and gestured grandly for the couple standing there to come inside. "I'm Nathan Bruss," he said, smiling his best salesman smile. "Why don't you come in, so we can discuss what your needs are?"
"It's hard for me," the woman said, voice warbling. She was petite and pretty, unable to meet his eyes. Delicious. "I mean..."
"It took a lot to get her to come this far," the man piped up. His voice was forceful, and he had the air of someone used to being in command. Rather like Nathan himself. He hated the nameless man on sight. "I don't think she'd go into your office. Could you talk out here?"
To know where to go and to bypass Carducci security usually meant six figure fees. They would be most decidedly upset to have to return the consultation fee just because Nathan didn't like standing in a chilly doorway. With a sigh, he stepped outside and let the door shut behind him. "Which of the Carducci brothers referred you?" he asked.
The woman looked up, and her direct gaze was startling. "Is Kate here?" she asked, voice much less warbling than before.
"What does she have to do with anything?" Nathan said with a frown. He stepped down another step, arms unfolding. This didn't seem like a referral anymore, but a shakedown, and he had never backed down to anyone.
"So she works here. She helps with the trauma cases?"
Nathan came down the rest of the way, attempting to paste a genial smile on his face. "Is that what you're concerned about? You want to make sure that your trauma history is handled appropriately?" When she remained silent, he smiled more broadly. "I can handle your case myself."
"I heard about what happens here," the woman said, eyes sharp. "I need to know if it's true."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you really help the trauma cases?" She stepped backward, out of range of his grasp, and Nathan followed her with an unhealthy intensity. "Or do you just make it worse?"
That sense of being railroaded was back, and Nathan looked between the two of them. "What did the little slut say?" He stepped forward, hands in fists. "She shouldn't have gone over my head for this. If Kate wanted a raise, she would have to earn it like every other slut working for me: on her knees." He was angry enough that he forgot he stepped out of range of the outside security camera. "Who are you?"
Fast as lightning, the man grasped his arms and the woman pressed a needle into his throat. It burned as it went in, and the world swam. "I really had hoped she was wrong," the woman said, voice soft and mournful.
"When they ask for help like that," the man told her gently, "they usually never are."
***
***
Time for chapter 9!