ASYLUM: Chapter 23

 

Chapter 23

  Felicia has appointed a committee to develop ideas for community activities and it’s paying dividends. We’ve had a Las Vegas Night and it went over pretty big; I’ve never understood the penchant some people have for gambling, but apparently, it’s going to become a regular thing. One of the regular events has become a lecture series and I attend those when possible. Another one I like is Debate Night; a topic is chosen and the participants have a week to prepare. It amazes me the heated arguments that can result from topics like, ‘Should the meatloaf served in the cafeteria be replaced with another entrée?’

   Track and field. I can see that getting popular real fast. People seem to really get into it on a personal level and there’s always a huge turnout for any of the events. Surprisingly, Major Packer came up with a twist and it sees even more people show up to compete and to watch. It’s like the Olympic Biathlon, but instead of skis, it’s boots and fighting gear. Each person who competes is required to start the competition with a basic load in a pack, your spare mags, everything. The thing is, you can go light if you want, but there are things you have to do along the way. Build a fire and heat water for coffee or tea. Build an expedient shelter, et cetera. One of the hardest challenges, is to find the course using a compass. There are two events, one for professionals and one for amateurs.  In the first week of competition, Debra took first place in the women’s bracket and a Ranger by the name of Carhill, took first place for the men. It was actually a lot of fun. Debra’s final point score was only seven below the guy that won the men’s bracket. Most of the amateurs were Militia, but there was a smattering of non-Militia also. It seems to have influenced another influx of volunteers.

   The latest activity has me a little nervous though, a weekly dance. Debra is really excited and, well, I’m not. Dancing in our Livingroom? No problem. Dancing in front of people I probably won’t know? My stomach gets queasy just thinking about it. I’ll do it for Debra though, even if it kills me. Besides, Debra says when people are dancing, they don’t exactly watch the people around them that are also dancing, so it’s kind of like dancing in the Livingroom. We’ll see.

 

I was a little late getting home from the office, but Danni saved my bacon there. She showed up and demanded an audience with Captain Tarn about an emergency situation and frankly, she wasn’t pulling any punches.

   She was cursing as she entered my office, “God Damn it, Daniel! Get your ass to the apartment right this fucking minute! Debbie is starting to look like she’s going to start crying because you haven’t shown up yet!”

   “I am! I swear! It’s this message we just transcribed looks promising and…”

   She reached across the desk and slapped the screen down on the lap top; thankfully, it was designed for rough abuse. “Your chances of looking promising to your wife are rapidly diminishing! Half the crew is over there waiting on you to show up, are you coming, or not!”

   “Of course, I am! I’m actually looking forward to it. Geez, Danni!”

   “I’m not seeing it! I talked to your office staff earlier and every one of them are planning to go and you’re holding them up also!”

   “They are?”

   “What the hell do you think? Look at them all staring at us as we speak!”

   Julia stepped into the office and asked, “Permission to speak freely, Sir?”

   “Granted.”

   “Have you ever heard the expression, ‘happy wife, happy life?’ If I was your wife, I’d be getting a bit tense right about now, but I’m not your wife, so then there’s this, if I miss a dance with Tony because you make me late? You’re not going to believe how miserable life can be with a pissed-off analyst.”

   I started to smile, but went with serious instead, “Excellent advice, Ortiz. Wrap things up and clear out of here.”

   “Thank you, Sir.” She left the room, but as she entered the work area, I heard her say, “The Captain says wrap it up! If we hurry, we can get there on time!” As I watched, everyone started rushing about.

   “Well?” Danni asked.

   “Yeah, I’m coming.” I picked up the computer and the papers scattered around my desk and stacked them in the safe Dak had provided me. “Let’s go.” As I walked through the office work area, I started double checking everything was put away.

   “Daniel!”

   “Danni, this is my job. I am responsible for the security and safety of every person in the Hole and I take that responsibility serious!”

   “Fine! And you could have taken care of all of this an hour ago, come on!”

   Damn, she had a quick answer for everything! “Okay, okay, let’s hurry.” I took off at a jog and she kept pace with me. “Why aren’t you ready to leave? It’s going to get crowded if we both try to shower at the same time.”

   “I don’t have a date, so I volunteered to fill in for Banner tonight, so just hurry up for Debbie’s sake.”

   “Danni,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

   We reached the door and she held me up by placing her hand on my arm, “You know, Dan didn’t like dancing either.”

  “He didn’t?” I patted the top of her hand and asked, “How did you get him to do it?”

   She smiled and said, “My secret feminine wiles, in other words, no dance, no sex. I’m just looking out for you my brother.” She laughed as she jogged away.

   I entered the apartment and Debra started shoving clothes into my hands, “Shower and shave, Hon! Pretend you’ve got a major inspection in twenty-five minutes!”

   I started to enter the bathroom and stopped as I started to say, “Babe, can you get…”

   “What?”

   “Uh, Debra, you look absolutely stunning!” And she did. She was wearing yellow high heels with a strap around her ankles. The yellow skirt was short, at least four or five inches above her knees and pleated so it would flair out as she spun. She has the best-looking legs of any woman I have ever been with and she seldom has to shave them. The blouse she was wearing was yellow also, but instead of being tucked into the hem of the skirt, or hanging loose, she had it knotted below her breasts. The thin material of the blouse couldn’t be seen through, but there was ample cleavage and her nipples were beginning to press against the thin fabric. Her makeup was perfection and her curly long tresses framed her face and draped over the front shoulders of the blouse.

   “Do I? I hoped you’d like it.”

   “Yes, I do, there are going to be so many jealous men when I walk in with your hand on my arm.”

   “No one will notice if you don’t hurry, now get in the shower!”

 

   Yeah, there was some jealousy alright, but it was good natured. We found the table where the crew was seated and joined them as the first song started to play. It was a slow song and Debra dragged me onto the floor and we danced. The thing is, the song we always danced to at home, I knew how to dance to, but here I was trying to dance to other music. Towards the end of the first song, Debra was beginning to wince every time I stepped on her toes.

   “Honey?”

   “I’m sorry babe, I really am. It’s just, how do I dance to these songs? They’re different from what I’m used to.”

   She stopped right on the dancefloor and began to say, “You’re trying to use the same steps we use for Hysteria.”  The song ended, but she didn’t allow me to take her back to the table. Most of the other dancers were waiting also. “Just flow, Honey, and don’t worry about the steps, do what feels right, I’ll follow you and we’ll be fine, okay? You refuse to admit it, but you have a natural rhythm and if you follow your instincts, we’ll be great, okay?”

   I gave her a quick nod and said, “Okay, I’ll try, but…”

   “Honey, don’t try, no buts, just do it.”

   The next song started and I did what Debra told me to do. The song was a little more upbeat and I started to respond to the music and I held Debra against me as we moved about the floor. Finally, the song ended and Debra blew a curly strand of hair out of her eyes. Then she looked up at me and said, “See? I told you, you could do it and you didn’t step on my toes, not even once!”

   “Really?”

   “Yes, really. Let’s go to the table and get a beer; I’m thirsty!”

   That’s the way it went, at first, Debra was pulling me up for the next dance, but after a while, it was me pulling her to the dancefloor. I was starting to gain confidence and having fun with my wife. Several, no, a lot, of men asked permission to dance with her and depending on her expression, sometimes I would allow it and sometimes I made an excuse for her. I noticed she would willingly dance with fellow Rangers and Militia members, but she was more selective with others. Finally, I asked if her choice of dance partners was about knowing who they were.

   “No, it’s not that, I’ve danced with some men I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.” She paused and then said, “It’s the smell, there’s something about the way they smell. Not bad, but, just wrong somehow.”

   Late into the evening, they announced last song and then they said it was a special request. Debra and I gravitated to the floor and waited until I recognized the first notes with surprise. Hysteria. She smiled up at me and we started to dance. I honestly don’t remember the actual dance, all I remember is the dampness of her bare waist with perspiration, the way it glistened between her breasts, the tiny beads of moisture on her upper lip, the way her nipples pressed against the fabric of her blouse, and her scent, god her scent was over-powering me with desire. The first time she spun as I held her hand above her head, I noticed she was wearing thong panties and so did every guy who was watching, but I didn’t care. God she was so beautiful, so graceful, so sensual. We ended the song the way we did at home, with full frontal contact, her hands behind my neck and mine at her waist. She kissed me passionately as she began to tremble and then she moaned into my mouth as she seemed about to collapse. I tightened my hold on her and supported her weight, as she softly said into my mouth, “Oh, god, I love you so much.”

   Her scent was stronger than I had ever experienced it before and the only thing I could think of, was to get her home so we could make love. “Are you ready to go home?”

   She shook her head and said, “Not yet, let me, uh, get my breath back, just hold me…please?”

   I did and then glanced around the floor, there was no one within thirty feet of us and every single person was staring, at us. Finally, Sara Banner stepped forward with Ted by her side and began to applaud. Then others began to clap also as they laughed and shouted encouragement and praise for our dance. I felt like melting into the floor. So much for no one noticing us.

   Debra glanced around and then pressed her face into my neck as she whispered, “Oh, my, god.”

   “Babe?”

   “Table, chair, now.”

   I directed her from the dancefloor and to our table that was mostly empty, but everyone was drifting back and resuming their seats.

   “Wow,” Nadia said. “If I could dance like that…”

   Rich gave me an evil look and said, “You just set male supremacy back a hundred years.” Then he laughed and said, “I can’t blame you though, that was really sweet.”

   Dak was looking a little chagrined, but finally said, “Those twirls; I kept covering my eyes, but I peeked between my fingers every time, I couldn’t help it, sorry.”

   Felicia punched him in the shoulder and said “Dak!”

   “Well, why don’t you dress like that and dance like…”

   She hit him again, “Dak! I swear, if you say one more thing…”

   Ted and Sara rejoined the table and Sara said, “Oh, my god, that was amazing! Debra! I knew you could dance, but the two of you together? Oh, my goodness!”

   Debra gave her a faint smile and said, “Thank you, Sara, I’ve never…”  Then she turned to me, “That was so sweet of you to request our song to be the last one of the dance, but…”

   “I thought you did?” I answered.

   “You didn’t request it?”

   “No, you know how we usually finish that at home and I didn’t think, you know…”

   “Aren’t you glad I took time off for the last dance?”

   I looked up and Danni was standing next to Debra with her hand on Debra’s shoulder, “You requested our song?” I asked.

   “I knew neither of you would and you two have spent so much time practicing it, I figured why not? That dance floor is a lot bigger than your Livingroom and by god you guys used it all. You, my brother, were a perfect partner for Debbie and you made me proud of you. In fact, if I didn’t need to get back, I’d go ask for at least one more song just so I could dance with you, but,” she glanced at her watch and said. “I have to run; I’ve already been gone longer than I promised.” Then she dropped a rolled-up towel in Debra’s lap and whispered to her, “You better take this for the walk home; I get off in two hours, so I’ll see you then if you guys are still up.” She hurried away.

   “What’s the towel for, Babe?”

   “Hush!” She squirmed in her seat and looked around as she said, “I wish more of these people would hurry up and leave.”

   “That’s okay,” I replied. “We can leave now and be home in a few minutes.”

   Nadia and Rich stood up and announced they were heading home and then Dak and Felicia did the same, leaving Ted and Sara. After they walked away, Sara said quietly to Debra, “My wrap might be a better choice than the towel; it won’t be so noticeable.”

   “Oh no,” she whined. “Was my skirt…”

   “No, but I imagine it is now.” Sara smiled as she said, “Many of my countrywomen have the same, shall we say, situation?” She laughed and said, “Including myself on occasion.”

   Debra put a grateful expression on her face and said, “Sara, you are such a sweetie!”

   Sara stood up and stepped behind Debra’s chair, “Stand up and I will hold the wrap behind you.” Debra did and Sara adjusted the fold of the wrap and then brought it around Debra, “Hold it here and all will be well.”

   “Thank you, Sara, thank you so much!”

   Sara took Ted’s hand and said, “Are you ready for bed?”

   Ted chuckled and said, “Boy, that could draw a lot of different answers, but yes, I am.” He took Sara’s arm and waved to us as he led her through the crowd towards the exit.

   “What about you?” I asked. “Want to go home and fool around a little?” I could smell her scent and it was driving me to distraction.

   “Yes, I want to go home, and I want to fool around, but I want to fool round a lot.” She smiled and we started threading our way through the crowd. It took a while because several groups stopped us and commented on our dance, but eventually we escaped. Once we were away, Debra seemed to relax and snuggled up to me.

   “Okay, I said, what was all that evasive talk back there about?”

   She looked up and with a puzzled expression, but finally she said, “You really don’t know?”

   “Know what?”

   She laughed and said, “God I love you. Daniel, when the dance was over, and we kissed? I was so aroused by dancing with you to our song, that I…well…I had an orgasm. A big one, a really big one.”

   “You’re shitting me!” I took a couple of more steps and then said, “That’s why you were so tensed up! Geez, your body was hard as a rock.”

   “Can we not analyze the whole incident?” She said. “It was very embarrassing and sometimes I get really…um…”

   I laughed and said, “Wet?”

   That earned me a shot to the shoulder; a hard shot to the shoulder, “Watch it buddy!”

   “Babe, I didn’t mean anything bad, and I love it when it happens; it means I really pleased you and it makes me feel good.”

   She looked up at me rather dubiously and then said, “Really? You like it?”

   “Of course, I do. Why do you think I kept asking you if you were ready to go home?”

   She smiled and said, “My scent?”

   “Incredibly strong, I was having trouble thinking straight.”

   “Yeah, yours was too. I think it was part of the reason I reacted the way I did.” We walked along together as she held my arm with both hands and then she said, “That’s never happened before.”

   “Never?”

   “No, I admit there have been times I became very aroused when I danced, but, no, never.”

   I smiled and said, “Sooo, I guess I’m kind of special?”

   We turned and started walking towards the door to our apartment as she said, “I don’t have the words to describe how I feel about you, Daniel. I try to tell you, but nothing I say can really…Daniel?” She said as she pointed ahead of us.

   Down past our door was a Security Cart with its warning lights flashing. Two of Williams’ men were standing guard in front of the Intelligence Office’s door. “Ah shit! Go change, Babe, I better go see what’s happened.”

   “Go,” she said. I trotted ahead and approached the two men.

   “Captain Tarn,” The Sargent in charge said.

   “Sargent Sloan, what’s going on?”

   “We received an alarm that someone entered an incorrect pass code in the keypad and we were sent to check things out. There was no one here when we arrived, so we were told to wait until you came.”

   “Thank you, but you say no one got in?”

   “Apparently not, do you want us to stay until you check the interior?”

   “Yes,” I said as I entered the passcode into the keypad. The lock clicked and I pulled the door open and walked inside. I went straight to Pina’s desk and powered up her computer, clicked on the security icon, then on the video file. “How long ago did the attempted entry occur?”

   “Ten fifty-seven pm.”

   I place the curser on the time bar, slid it backwards to ten fifty-five and then clicked on Play. There was no movement on the screen until ten fifty-six when an individual walked into view, paused as they looked around, and then punched in the wrong code to the keypad. The person tried the door and when it didn’t open, quickly walked away off-screen. They were wearing a set of over-sized coveralls that were supplied by Facilities for its workers, a hood, and a throwaway face mask. There was no chance they could be identified from the video. “Damn it!” I said.

   I turned off the feed and clicked on a camera that would record someone coming from the direction the first video indicated. You could see the person come around a corner from the service lane behind my apartment, walk to the door and disappear from the view of the camera.

   “Daniel?” I looked up and Debra was standing just inside the door of the office. She had changed out of her skirt and was now wearing a pair of sweats.

   “Lieutenant Tarn,” Sargent Sloan said as he nodded to her.

   “What happened?” Debra asked.

   “Someone attempted to enter the office with the wrong code and it tripped an alarm in the Security Office; we’re trying to see if we can identify who it was from the recordings of the cameras outside.”

   She walked around the desk and stood next to me as I replayed the second video. “Not much chance of that,” she said. “It was a good choice on her part to wear those baggy coveralls.”

   I looked up and said, “Her?”

   “Yeah, she’s tall and long-legged, the limp in both legs throws it off a bit, but yeah, definitely a woman.” She replayed the video and then froze it just before the person stepped into view, “See that? That little movement just before she walked into view? That was her head, I bet she was pulling those rubber boots on just before she walked out and into view. I bet, yeah, I bet she had some sort of uncomfortable object in her boots to hide her natural gait. She knew about the cameras, or suspected there would be some and realized a disguise involves more than just a clothing component. She hid her walk and mannerisms along with her appearance.”

   Sloan nodded and said, “Smart.”

   Debra replied, “Or well-trained, but it gives us a hint, or two, of who she might be.”

   I pulled Pina’s chair over and said, “Have a seat, Babe.” After she settled, I asked, “Explain?”

   “The only reason for hiding her walk and mannerisms is, she knows you and you know her. Maybe not well, but there is the chance you would recognize the way she walks, her shape, her body type. She hid all of those from you. Yeah, she’s either close to you, or somewhere around the periphery of your life.”

   “Great, so now the suspect is a friend?” I didn’t like that, at all. “Unless, she wants me to go there and start being suspicious of everyone I know and trust.”

   “Possibly, but I wouldn’t overthink it; Occam’s Razor.” She looked up and smiled at me.

   The second security man looked back and forth between her and I and asked, “Occam’s Razor?”

   “Back during the medieval period there was a…” I started.

   Debra placed her hand on mine and squeezed as she said to the man, “The simplest answer is usually the correct one.”

   “Oh, okay, so the Captain probably knows her somehow.”

   “That would be my assumption,” she answered.

   I returned Debra’s smile and said, “Well, we’re not going to solve this tonight, so why don’t you return to your normal duties, Sargent, and I’ll get this place locked up again.”

   “Yes, Sir.” He turned to his fellow and said, “Lets hit it Crip.” They walked out as I sighed and raised up from where I had been sitting on Pina’s desk.

   “Let’s lock up.” I pulled Debra up from the chair, shut down the computer and we walked to the door where I locked it and we started home. “Sorry, Babe, are you still in the mood?”

   “Always, but what about you?”

   “Yeah, I am.”

   “Good, because there’s something I want to do. I’ve been teetering on the edge for a while and after tonight, after you danced with me, I guess I’m ready.”

   “Babe, you know how I feel about you doing things for me that might make you feel uncomfortable, or you dislike. If you’ve been, ‘teetering’, then you are not comfortable, so, no.”

   “It’s hard to explain, Honey.” We reached our door and I opened it to allow her to enter and then I followed. Inside she turned and waited as I locked the door and then faced her. “It’s not that I dislike it,” She said. “But I’m concerned you may not accept it. Hell, you know how independent I am and you’ve always encouraged my independence. You like that I’m strong willed and demand to be treated as an equal,” I nodded. “I guess maybe I was a little uncomfortable with the idea even though I enjoyed the way it made me feel when I thought of it, which is damned often.”

   “I’m in the dark here, Babe, but let me say this. Most of the things we do? I never dreamed of before you introduced me to them, but you have never taught me something I wasn’t willing to do for you because I love you. If this is something you want, then even if it seems outlandish to me, I’ll do it, for you.”

   “That’s what you say now, but I wonder?”

   “There’s only one way to find out, Babe, and talking about it as you try not to, is not the way. Just show me.”

   She nodded and then said, “Alright, I’m going to take a quick shower and freshen up, can I get you to change out of your clothes and just put on your bathrobe?”

   “Of course.”

   “I have this sort of picture in my head of how it might go, can you move the Marlow chair into the center of the Livingroom and then sit in it as you wait?”

   “Yes.”

   She placed her hands along the sides of my face to give me quick kiss and then said, “Daniel, I love you so much.”

   “I know, and I love you the same.” She smiled and went to the bathroom and closed the door.

   I entered the bedroom and changed from my clothes to the bathrobe, went to the Livingroom and centered the chair as she asked me to. I looked at the clock and saw Danni wouldn’t be back for another hour and then sat down to wait. Fifteen minutes later, I heard the bathroom door open.

   “Daniel?”

   “Yes.”

   “Will you close your eyes for me?”

   “Is that what you need?”

   “Yes.”

   “Tell me when and I will.”

   “Now, and keep them closed until I tell you, alright?”

   “They’re closed, Babe.” They were. I waited nervously and with determination not to exhibit any shock or possible disgust when I opened them again. More than anything, I didn’t want to see dejection or disappointment in her eyes. Then it happened, her scent. It was strong, at least as strong as after the dance. I could hear her breath as if she was almost gasping. Rapid inhalations and then exhales.

   “Daniel,” She said in a quiet, but hurried voice, “Open your eyes.”

  

   We finished mere minutes before Danni returned and I suppose it was for the best. I don’t think Danni would have understood why we were doing, what we were doing, and probably would have ripped my head off. I admit I was very hesitant with what Debra wanted at first, but when I came to realize she truly wanted what we did that night, I did what was necessary to give her what she needed. I’m looking forward to doing it again, but not for me, it’s for her. Don’t get me wrong, both of us enjoyed the hell out of it, but she is the only one who will ever indicate when it is time for it again. After Danni returned and we all eventually went to bed; Debra and I are once again sleeping in the bedroom with Danni sleeping in the Livingroom, Debra told me she would wear something special when it was time to do it again. It’s a gold choker with two fine chains that dangle from it, she bought it in East Los Angeles when we were there for John’s funeral and that’s how long she has secretly desired to do, what we did. She seems different now, more at ease, less nervous about what she has always referred to as my ‘prudish side,’ as she puts it. Seeing her more at ease in her everyday life was worth stepping out of my comfort zone for her. Yeah, it was worth every moment to see her so, fulfilled. I just hope she never realizes what I did, because it’s the one thing she asked me to promise to never do. I shared her with the other guy, the other me, and she loved every moment of it.