Undercover Ops: Ch. 00

Undercover Ops: Prologue

Cassidy dove off the speeding bike which immediately careened out of control and hit the riot control transport blocking the street. She tucked her head and hit the ground hard despite rolling with the force of the impact. Stars burst across her vision. She skidded to a stop behind a stack of utility crates even as the corporate security bullets began to rain behind her.

I hope they didn't bring anything heavier than a shotgun!

Her current hiding place would protect her from most standard issue firepower but it would be useless if they had anything explosive.

She ducked around the opposite side of the stacks for a quick review of the situation. There were five security personnel hiding behind the singed vehicle shooting at her. She didn't see any heavy weapons so she hazarded a couple of shots at the most exposed targets. She ducked back behind cover too quickly to determine if she hit anyone but, from the lack of screams, she highly doubted it.

"You'd think they'd be a little less hostile. I only copied the blueprints, it's not like I stole the fragging prototype!"

Tucked into her leather jacket was a disk containing corporate espionage. It was a fact of life, in this day and age. So much so that a smaller corp. could spend as much as half (or more) of it's annual income on people just like her to steal secrets from, and sabotage, rival companies. The bigger ones, megacorps, spent a far smaller percentage but theirs generally exceeded the GNP of most countries, and that didn't count the standing armies masquerading as security forces.

The truth was that there really was no one like Cassidy. She was the best there was at breaking in and getting what her contract demanded. She had never failed, despite working alone where most in her profession worked as a part of a team. Tonight would be no exception. She heard the recon drone coming and smiled.

Like clockwork! The shooting had abated somewhat, conserving costly ammo probably, while they called in a remote drone to pinpoint her exact location and follow her if she tried to run. Oh, I intend to run alright, just not the direction you expect.

With a grip and flex of her cybernetic arms she launched herself on top of the crates. Two strides and she was air-born towards the enemy position. She saw the bewildered expressions of the security personnel who tried to shift their focus upward. They began to correct their aim when her pistol barked twice. She landed better this time, tucking into a roll that put her at the feet of one of them. Another shot and a third fell. She didn't spare the dead man a second thought as she spun, already anticipating the response of the final two. She heard the screech of metal above her head as she took out the final opposition.

The whine of the drone's hovercraft accelerated. Her pulse raced from the excitement. She walked over to one of the corpses and kicked him onto his side. As expected he'd collapsed forward onto the controller. She grabbed it and brought the drone into a comfortable landing before she deactivated it. In no time, all of their weapons, equipment and the drone were loaded into the bulky armored personnel carrier. Off into the night she streaked. By the terms of her contracts any info or equipment she liberated, in addition to that defined under the terms of her (temporary) employment, was hers to do with as she saw fit. Most of this gear would be sold on the black market. She laughed at the thought that the very same megacorp might buy it from her contact.

After a short drive she parked the vehicle in a very secure, and very hidden, location. She left instructions with it for her black-market supplier, not only requesting its sale but the purchase of another of her bikes. She knew she'd have a new bike by morning but it still annoyed her that she would need to spend a few days customizing it to her preferences.

She sighed. Cassidy wasn't scheduled to meet with the agent until late the next morning. The time for work was over, it was time to play. She patted her jacket, confirming the data was still intact and secure before she headed out.

She reached the club, Screaming Frenzy, quickly despite her lack of transportation. Getting home later would be a challenge but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. The bouncer smiled and waved as she breezed past. She chuckled as one of the people waiting thought it a good opportunity to sneak by, only to meet Johan's considerable girth.

The club, as always, was crowded. She looked around, studying the fashions on display by patrons and employees alike. She looked down at her own attire and felt a little self-conscious. Her black pants might look, at quick inspection, like some sort of spandex or other fashionable poly-fibre but it was the latest in impact-absorbing materials. Barely seen under her black padded leather jacket was a body-suit and delicate looking pseudo-sleeves, both of the same, extremely expensive, fabric and all black (of course).

She felt her shoulders slump as her posture seemed to fold in on itself. She couldn't help it, in fact she hated that it happened. She might be top gun in her line of work but in social settings she reverted to the castaway of her early teen years. She'd been told, even then, that she wasn't ugly, but that didn't make her attractive either. These days her body was a well honed machine. She looked at her arms and laughed, some parts literally.

Unfortunately, her rather common appearance wasn't her only problem. Few men wanted anything to do with her once they found out who she was, or simply what she did. They felt threatened by her; either insecurity over their own abilities or simply fearful of a strong woman. The only exceptions were men like Johan. She'd actually had a fling with him a while back, but the truth was she didn't really go for his type, she'd always preferred the teddy bears; big and cuddly not brawny.

She sighed, slunk over to the bar and ordered a strong drink. She leaned against the bar, ignored the bartender's glare over wasting precious space, and allowed her trained eyes to take in the room. Cassidy knew at a glance who everyone was. Not their names so much as where they came from and what they did. The corporate execs were dancing with professional party-goers, downtrodden wage slaves, and independent ops like her. That was what she liked about the club, it attracted all kinds and everyone got along to varying degrees.

Cassidy pushed away from the bar, much to the bartenders delight, when she became aware that she was being watched. In the crowd she couldn't pinpoint who was watching her, but she had long since learned to trust her instincts on such things. "Always know the layout!" The number one rule her mentor had drilled into her. She headed towards the restrooms. As soon as she was in the hallway she relaxed. She couldn't sense anyone watching, at the moment, and anyone who tried would leave themselves exposed in the open corridor.

Suddenly she felt it again but nobody had entered the hall. She spun and took the corner slightly farther down the hall. She collided with someone as she ran, looking back over her shoulder. When she turned to apologize she stopped, he had been watching her. She saw the instinct of panic in his eyes. It wasn't the look, she'd seen far to often, of someone afraid of her reaction, but rather of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie dough.

He smiled sheepishly at her and extended his hand to help her to her feet. She wondered how he'd managed to stay standing when she'd ended up unceremoniously on her ass. As she gripped his hand she added a little extra force, just to gauge his reaction. If he noticed he didn't react. He simply pulled her to her feet.

"I'm Merritt. Are you okay?"

His smile threw her off. There was a shyness in it that she didn't understand. It was the kind of look guys gave the super-models. Like he didn't believe she would even notice him much less speak to him.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Look, sorry about that. It's all my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going and was in a hurry to get to the bathroom."

Cassidy was rambling, trying to get her bearings and take the measure of this man who had been watching her. He was slightly taller than her, probably about six feet tall, and had a little extra weight on him. Although he wasn't 'body-builder toned' she could tell he was pretty strong. He was dressed in a black button up shirt, black slacks and a black and silver zebra-striped silk tie. His long brown hair was pulled back and his soft blue eyes... she felt herself being drawn into them.

"Sorry I delayed you."

He stepped aside, opening the path to the bathroom. His false smile couldn't hide the dejection. She cursed her automatic excuse. She smiled gently to him, nodded and rushed in to the women's room. There was someone at the mirror fixing her makeup and it looked like another in a stall. Cassidy walked up to another sink and splashed some water on her face.

She felt flushed. Her heart was racing faster then it had during the firefight. She wondered why he had been spying on her. She couldn't accept the obvious answer and even if she did he'd be gone by the time she left the bathroom.

After all I would take that bathroom line as an exit strategy if someone delivered it to me.

She took a deep breath, held it and let it out again. She shot a glare at the makeup woman who was smirking at her reaction and returned to the door. Another deep breath, as she prepared herself for his forced flight, she opened the door. As expected, he was nowhere to be seen. She frowned. It seemed she was no better with men then they were with her.

Dejected, she moved back towards the bar for a new drink. She stopped in shock halfway there. She had been forced to slip along the wall on exiting the bathroom corridor, so it wasn't a big surprise that he hadn't spotted her yet. Her surprise stemmed from the fact that he was heading back towards the bathrooms with two drinks in hand. Thinking quickly, she slipped back through the crowd to discreetly arrive before him.

She 'exited' as he reached the hallway so he could spot her, or not, without either of them getting embarrassed. Much to her surprise she desperately hoped the second drink was meant for her. He stopped, smiled nervously, and offered her the second glass. Her heart raced as she accepted it. It was stronger then the one she had spilled but equally tasty.

She always found it ironic that the toughest IO on the planet had a weakness for fruity, or when she was being particularly brutal 'girly', mixed drinks. Either Merritt did too or he'd somehow guessed she did. She mentally smacked her head.

Of course he guessed! My drink ended up all over him, giving him a pretty good idea of what I like. Method deciphered, she smiled and took another sip. She looked up at him and found herself once again staring into eyes that glowed in response to her obvious approval.

She reached up for another sip only to discover her cup empty. She looked at it in disbelief. She couldn't have drunk that much that quickly! He laughed, extending the other cup towards her. She took it gladly, finally noticing the soda bottle poking out of his pocket.

"Those can be dangerous. They're so sweet you don't notice how much you're drinking."

She looked at him dubiously, nodding at the drink in his pocket. "Trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?"

To his credit, he caught the glimmer of humor in her eyes but still had the decency to blush. Some truth to the joke apparently. That decided her. She upended the large cup, drinking it quickly, and winked at him. He smiled, laughter in his eyes. She took his hand and began to lead him towards the dance floor. Slightly to her surprise she kept walking past it, towards the door.

She looked over her shoulder. There was surprise, and no little wonder, in those wide blue pools. There was also a trace of pain and she realized her grip was a little too energetic. Conscious of the problem, she kept a firmer control on her mechanical limbs and continued to drag him into the night.

The air was musty and humid. Clubs always had very potent air purifiers, so it was always a shock to reenter the city streets. She looked around instinctively for her bike before remembering the incident earlier.

"I don't suppose you have a car? My bike's, uh, in the shop."

He nodded and motioned her towards a small utility/sport car. It was the kind of car the wage slaves loved to get and pretend they were IOs, racing around the suburban streets at eighty miles an hour.

He drove, and responded promptly and professionally to her directions. A corner of her brain caught the habit and wondered what he did for a living. If she had to guess he either drove a cab or a delivery car. The only other logical reason for it was that he was security or an IO but he didn't have the physique or bearing for it.

Besides, most of us have some implants. Hazard of the job. She stared down at her well camouflaged limbs with sorrow. She snapped out of it when he gasped at the sight of her complex.

Her apartment was the one place she felt the need to splurge. She made excellent money, between the size of her contracts and the additional income from her procurement. She had no real vices to speak of, so she spent much more money on her 'home'. Not only did she live in a very high-class building (so high that many mid-level megacorp execs couldn't afford it) but she had spent extra to obtain the rights to upgrade the building's security. It was subtly done so that only she and the owner knew all the measures now in place.

The perfect gentleman, Merritt, was prepared to see her to the building's door and leave, when she invited him up. It had been far too long. She needed company, needed to unwind and most of all needed to discover the mystery that was Merritt. He gladly accepted and it wasn't long before they found themselves curled up on the couch discussing music and the latest holo while drinking tea.

She glanced at the clock to discover that hours had passed! He noticed her gaze with some surprise of his own.

"I'm so sorry Cas. I've kept you up. I really should let you get some sleep for your meeting tomorrow."

She vaguely remembered telling him she had an appointment. She hadn't told him anything else about her profession, better that he learn later, or not at all. She liked him too much to scare him away like all of the others. He quickly gathered his jacket and was almost to the door when he turned around.

"I've really enjoyed the night. I hope we can meet again, perhaps at the club?"

She wanted to. She knew she would be there every night looking for him again. It surprised her, really, the strength of her reaction to him. She'd never felt so strongly for anyone on meeting them. She'd known some Ops who had pheromone implants, so she knew it wasn't a chemical ploy. Her voice stopped him at the door.

"Please stay." The strength of the plea, almost desperation, surprised her. "The night at least?"

He looked back, his hand on the doorknob. He wanted to. Her heart leapt at seeing the pure desire in his eyes. She could also see his reason warring with his feelings. She didn't know why logic was telling him not to, but given her gauge of him at least part revolved around a desire to wait and form a more lasting bond. Her heart melted. In a few strides she crossed the room. Her mechanical arms carefully enfolded him. She barely whispered, "Mer," before her mouth found his.

Her stomach was aflutter. Her heart raced and skipped. She tried to think of what she would say next but her mind seemed lost in a haze. All that mattered was the contact with him, the subtle shift of his lips, the sweet caress of his tongue on her lips. His arms wrapped around her, pulled her hips against his and cupped her head. She felt the warmth of his body pressed against her and her body responded in kind. Her cornucopia of sensations gained some, as she felt pure desire beginning to spread from her core.

She broke the kiss with a start, and they both gasped for air. The sensitive faux skin of her arms and hands detected many of the same symptoms raging in his body. She didn't need them to tell her he wanted it too. With the kiss, he had given in to his own desire. She stared into his gorgeous eyes, pale in the low light, and lost herself completely. The powerful gaze was broken only by another kiss.

They were moving. She was losing touch with time. She felt herself pulling desperately at the pseudo-sleeves. Their lips were the only point of contact as she dragged him, or perhaps he pushed her, towards the bedroom. The warmth of desire in her loins quickly became an inferno of need. Her body called for his.

She didn't care that she wouldn't finish, she hadn't, after all, in far to many years. With her hands she couldn't even properly attend to her own needs. She pried her eyes open, looked for the buttons of his shirt, only to discover he already had it off. Her eyes closed once more, to fully appreciate the depth of the kiss and the electricity flowing through her tense body.

Her knees hit the bed and she began to sit down when his hands grasped her shoulders to stop her. He broke the kiss. She left her eyes closed as she tried, in vain, to catch her breath. She could hear him do the same but the sound was coming from lower. She began to open her eyes when nerves, already sensitized by anticipation, enjoyed the slow exposure as he slowly peeled off her skin tight pants.

She shook with pleasure as the protective fabric left her body, replaced by the sensuous brush of the environmentally controlled breeze. Her eyes were closed and she gasped for air when, with light taps to the side of her feet, Mer indicated she needed to step free.

She sensed him stand once more. Felt his hands press lightly against her cheeks, and tilt her head to her now favorite side. As he leaned in for another condemning, kiss her body lunged towards him. She pressed against him, every nerve of her bare skin wanted contact and reveled when it was received. Of its own accord her knee lifted to ride along the side of his leg. As her hips shifted forward, the fabric of her body-suit, the only remaining impediment to her skin, slid against tender flesh. She gasped, amazed by the moisture already flowing from her in anticipation of him. She didn't even know his size but felt certain she would know when he entered her. Her body shuddered, simply at the thought of it.

She squeaked in delight. One hand firmly held her butt, its wrist helped to support the weight of her raised leg. His other hand snaked between their bodies and began to lightly caress between her legs. She couldn't breath. The men she'd been with since the accident weren't particularly skilled. With them it had been about finding simple orgasm with someone rather than her pleasure and release. Add to that fingers powerful enough to crush steel and she had been neglected. She was frozen in euphoria as he began slow circles around her engorged mound, through the body-suit.

His hand let go of her butt and she collapsed breathlessly onto the bed. She was barely aware of anything. Fire raged between her legs, sought escape. Her heart raced in a futile attempt to get oxygen to her body but her lungs refused to work. She was light-headed. He was knelt at the foot of the bed, it looked like he was praying. She felt the exquisite joy as the bottom clasp released, opening her lust to the world. As he lifted the flap out of the way she felt the air against her, felt her natural lubrication slowly flow. The scent of it wafted up to her, mingled with his intoxicating scent.

She was finally becoming able to relax into the delicious melody of sensation he played on her body when a powerful note struck. His tongue, slick with the cream of her desire, slipped upward. It began at the tender flesh between her holes, dipped inward, and pressed delightfully as it reached her glory. He continued up to her budding flower. Into the recesses of the petals his tongue sank. She screamed as he pushed aside the concealing flesh to trace the most tender base of her overly sensitive mound.

After so many years it was far too much. She hurriedly attacked the sturdy headboard. She felt the hard metal bend and strain beneath her grip but she knew the alternative would do serious damage to Mer. She quickly lost that little control of her body as he mercilessly tormented underused organs.

Her legs wrapped around his head, to draw him tighter. His tongue stopped its motion for a moment (her breath caught mid-scream) as he repositioned himself. Her screams redoubled, a vain attempt to release the amazing energy his continuous climax was built within her. As he sucked her bud into his mouth, he allowed it to brush against his teeth. His tongue once again darted out to tease and torment the captive flesh. She felt herself losing consciousness, her legs fell limp even as her body continued to wrack and writhe against and with his ministrations. Blessedly he stopped!

She whispered his name as he kissed the soft hair above her torment. It was a deep-felt gesture and she wondered its meaning. He climbed onto the bed and lay next to her. He wrapped an arm across her shoulders. The light kisses he danced across her neck sent fresh waves of horrifying anticipation throughout her. She couldn't imagine ever being able to handle that again, much less immediately afterwards. She put a hand down by his waist and groped until she discovered he wasn't fully hard. She looked at him accusingly and he simply shrugged. She knew her hands were out of the question so she began to lower herself down the bed.

A hand on her chin stopped her before she got too close.

"Only on one condition." She looked in confusion. He was limiting her while she offered this? "You will stop when I ask and move to a new position if I want?"

She was afraid of what position he could choose while she swallowed him but agreed anyway. He had shown her more than any man ever had, she owed him at least that request, no matter how uncomfortable it might become.

Lips tentatively kissed his tip. He sprang erect for a moment before sagging halfway once more. She built up her courage and opened her mouth further. Instinctively her tongue recoiled to give her more room for the large organ. She had never done this before. Even the men not threatened by her could not bring themselves to trust her ferocious teeth around their most precious parts. She was surprised by the slightly salty and sweet taste as her tongue darted experimentally forward. Already she was rewarded by the soft moans he issued forth.

Cassidy had seen women at this all her adult life. It was a common sight on the streets, but for all her study she really didn't know what to do. She tried sucking on it but it didn't seem to do much. Her tongue caressed his flesh but his moans grew only slightly. She thought back. She knew she couldn't grip and rub him as she took him into her mouth (or run the risk of crushing him in an overzealous grip) but she remembered the rocking motion of their heads. Slowly she slid forward, taking more and more of his length into her. At first she was unsure of her tongue, then she had another concern. Before she consumed him fully, he reached the back of her mouth and she gagged. Quickly she pulled herself free, coughing and choking.

She looked up at him with worry. His eyes were watching her.

"It's ok. You don't have to."

His hand reached for her face, applying pressure to guide her to his lips but she resisted. She'd seen men larger than him taken fully by the tiniest of women. She carefully gripped his hips and brought her mouth back to his now hard member. He gasped as he filled her mouth once more.

She stopped just shy of the point she had gagged. She bought herself time to think by alternating sucking on his delicious length and running her tongue along its width. On instinct she tilted her head back, opening up her throat as she had seen showmen do when swallowing swords. Without further thought her head plunged, lips reaching for his base. It was uncomfortable in the extreme but the moan of pure ecstasy the broke from his lips warmed her lust. Carefully she pulled herself to his tip, feeling him pulse in excitement.

He moaned constantly now. Curious, she tilted her head again to swallow him whole. He screamed and pulsed wildly in her mouth. She knew his measure. She sucked him in even as her mouth began to pull free. He screamed for her to stop. This was it. He would now reveal some position she would be forced to countenance.

To her surprise he did not request her on her back to force her mouth unhindered. Instead he remained on his back and brought her hips around to straddle his face. He was still erect before her, and she hungered for his release as he had brought hers. She was pretty sure of his intentions and wasn't sure she could bear another round of his tongue but had agreed to his proposition. Even as she contemplated the turn, his tongue darted forward and electricity once again soared through her veins. She hadn't realized how close to climax she remained, even so many minutes later.

Her body shook, muscles quaked from the strain. Within moments of his resumption she knew she was on the verge of orgasm. She knew she would lose her motivation and control so she plunged herself around his girth. He paused to scream, gaining her a precious moment to press harder. He lunged forward to suck her in as he had before. Her body exploded. She felt the sticky cream flowing down her legs to cover his face. Carelessly she pulled her mouth free again, afraid of losing control and biting him. She gripped his hips, perhaps too tightly, as she screamed and exulted in the inferno that raged through her.

A small spark of guilt formed as she knew she could not finish him while he continued, although he surprised her when his already large shaft grew still. He enjoyed the knowledge of her, helpless in the face pure ecstasy. Even still it would not be enough. Finally, he stopped and she collapsed across him, unable to lift her head as she would.

Slowly he maneuvered her. A serene smile crossed her lips as he angled her so she could feel his warmth. She could only slightly lift her head, but it was now enough to kiss him. He held the kiss firmly, with passion. Heavy eyes began to sag. She would pay him back in full but first...

Sensation. Pleasure. Pressure. Her heart burst with need. Her body fell away to the slow steady thrust as he pushed deep within. Nerves untouched for years cried their joy as he deftly played along their length. She felt that now familiar pulse from somewhere within her core, unsure if it was her or him. She lost sense of where the two were separate. He was glorious as he heaved and grunted. Somehow, she knew. His hips thrust hard, sent her farther from herself into bliss. He throbbed as he erupted deep within her and she let herself drift away. The warmth of his body and the glory of his manhood filling her followed her into her dreams.

She awoke quickly, as she was trained. It was still early in the morning with plenty of time before her meet, time enough to collect her new bike. Strangely something felt missing. She looked around briefly before suddenly remembering the glorious lullaby of the night before. But Merritt was already gone.

She stumbled into the kitchen. Her hips had never hurt this much before. Then again she had never awoken with the vague sensation of utter satisfaction before. She almost felt that if he had been there to take her, she would have finished instantly. She smiled at the thought and memory. She hoped he would return soon, surprising herself with the intensity of her desire. She noticed her jacket on the table, neatly arranged. Confused, she stepped over to discover a rose in her inner pocket.

She smiled at the sight before a horrifying thought occurred to her. She pulled the rose free and gripped it painfully in a false hand. She reached in, instead of the disk for her employer she found a note.

I'm sorry. I very much hope we can find one another

at some point when neither of us are on a job. Please

know I was only hired to obtain the information you

acquired. Everything else was nothing more than me

and you. I do know of your reputation and I hope that

you find it within yourself to forgive me and find me so

we can discover everything we can about each other.

Separate the truth from the lies.

Yours, M.

Cassidy smiled softly. She held no grudge against him for doing his job. She would indeed hunt him down, though not for revenge. She lifted a hastily discarded boot and flipped open the heel to reveal a micro-disk.

"But first I have a meeting to attend. Oh Mer, I hope you were hired for the data itself and not to simply stop me, that way you'll be able to succeed."

She had a feeling their game was just beginning and was likely to be great fun!

Copyright 2006, By Deathlynx