Amy and Antony - Part 14

Steve Walker awoke with a start and tried to get his bearings.

The last time he had been aware of anything, he had been in a prostitute's bedroom being massaged by the tiniest, cutest girl he had ever met. But the girl had tricked him and put him to sleep with an injection.

That girl had better be a long way away from me thought Steve, cos if I ever catch up with her...

Steve forced his mind back to his present situation. He was lying flat on his back on some kind of metallic surface. His eyes could only take in a bland white painted ceiling and ceramic tiling that comprised part of the walls of the room he was in.

Steve realised that he had clearly been moved from the bedroom and into another room, perhaps a completely different building. The room had a sterile, clinical feel and smell about it. During a long career as a police officer, Steve had spent enough time in laboratories, mortuaries and hospitals to be able to guess that he was in some kind of lab.

But what was it for and why had he been brought here?

Steve tried to sit up. To his shock and horror, he found he could not move as much as his little toe! Steve was inwardly panicking. Was this paralysis a permanent thing? Even if it wasn't, for the moment he was helpless.

There was a swooshing sound as the entrance to this chamber admitted some people. He could hear their footsteps getting closer and closer until he could see four people. Four female people. Three of them, he recognised instantly, but the fourth was a stranger.

He recognised two of the older women as Dr Craig, a Female Dawn Activist he had arrested, the female barrister who had grilled him in court but he could not recall her name and, to his disbelief, the girl prostitute who had been responsible for putting him in this situation.

His mind was momentarily filled with rage. Has he been able to move, he would have pounded the scheming minx into the middle of next week! But, all he could do was lie there helplessly and seethe impotently.

The fourth woman, who was older than all those present and had silver hair, wore a lab coat and carried a clip board. She was checking the monitors situated above Steve's head and nodding in satisfaction.

"A perfect specimen" she said, in a pronounced German accent "for our first test of the prototype".

"How much longer will the drug work for?" asked Dr Craig.

The German woman considered this for a moment "long enough, Dr Craig".

Dr Craig turned to the barrister "Will anyone miss our specimen?"

The younger woman shook her head "No one could care less about him. His expulsion from the police force is imminent. I checked with our source. Your arrest and subsequent court case caused the service considerable damage, both financially and in terms of their reputation, so they are washing their hands of him. His soon to be ex-wife has already found a new partner. He has no other family and as far as anyone knows, he is emigrating to Thailand".

Dr Craig's face suddenly invaded Steve's vision. Her expression was cold and impassive. "So, he is quite alone and helpless. Perfect!". Dr Craig allowed a tiny smile to crease her features and she spoke to Steve for the first time.

"You foolish man. Like all men, you allowed your primitive instincts to rule you! Not that it would have done you any good with that sweet little east european girl as "she" is not as she seems, are you Antony?"

The "girl" appeared in Steve's vision, sans wig, and "she" was clearly a he. The boy gave him a cheeky wink. Steve felt humiliated to be tricked and outwitted by a weedy boy.

"Thank you Antony, you can go now!" Dr Craig said, with authority. The boy, still clad in his mini-skirt and the rest of his working girl outfit, except for the wig that he held in his hand, bobbed a little curtsey and disappeared.

The three real women observed his exit with smiles.

"He is a rather sweet boy" said Dr Craig "If only ALL boys could be just like him! Just think how easy our task would be then....but, back to business! How long until the prototype is operational, Professor-Doctor Hartmann?"

The German woman looked mildly offended by the question "It is ready now, Doctor. We just need to run a few more routine tests".

"Then please proceed. Quickly. The Matriarch will be here soon. The prototype must be ready for her to see by then!"

Hartmann scurried off, shouting commands in German to a gaggle of female technicians, who rushed to obey her.

Amidst all this, Steve lay there, feeling helpless, humiliated, and alone.