FEMMES FATALES (/2)(Fm, Fdom, MC) George Williams paced the length of the sitting room in his hotel, waiting for the 'phone to ring. Mara had promised daily reports, and she was now three days overdue. He glanced at the door. Mara's brother, Bryan, whom he had contacted to express some concern over the fact that he had not heard from her since she left town, was due to come over and see him. New developments, he had hinted. Mara was probably out canvassing the neighborhoods, and would call when she thought she had something. Meanwhile, something had come up, something that might bear on the case. For the time being, they would call their cousin, the Sheriff and see what he knew of Mara and how her inquiries were proceeding. They would ask the Sheriff to call them at the hotel, because there was someone they wanted Mr. Williams to meet. His head turned to the door as someone knocked. He went to the door and opened it, standing dumbfounded when he saw a middle-aged man standing there with Bryan Foster. The stranger was tall, lean and wiry, with a long face dominated by an aquiline nose, dressed in clothing that would have been more stylish many decades earlier. The man brushed past George and walked over and seated himself on the couch; Bryan followed. "Well, don't just stand there, sir," the stranger said, amusement and a British accent tinging his voice. "Shut the door and come talk to me." The elder Mr. Williams did as he was told, and accepted the card the man offered, before sinking into a chair across from the couch. Then he looked at the card and frowned. He blinked and read the words there again. "Are you joking? This is real?" "I was told that you were on the hunt for the person responsible for the disappearance of your son," the stranger replied. "I have information that might be invaluable to you in that endeavour." "I'm not hunting vampires, ghosts or things that go bump in the night, Mr. ...Harker," George replied, angry at the man for wasting his valuable time. He handed the card to Bryan. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm expecting..." "I seriously advise you to listen to Mr. Harker, Mr. Williams," Bryan interrupted. He was frowning with worry. "As you know, my brothers' firm does many confidential investigations as well as legal work. We are familiar with Mr. Harker's name and work." He looked over at the occult investigator. "When he contacted us, we wondered how a mere missing person's case would rate the attention of such a man." "You are expecting a 'phone call from a very beautiful young lady," Harker interposed. "Or barring that, a call from the local constable...pardon me, Sheriff, with information about her." George stared at him in dismay. "Don't be so surprised, sir. Only a fool hunts alone. I've had people following Miss Foster since she entered her old haunts." George and Bryan exchanged glances. "But she doesn't have any idea what she faces in this investigation. She is more likely to find what she is looking for than my agents are, to her harm. While we are better equipped to deal with the situation, but are having difficulty gaining any local cooperation. I suggest that we combine forces." He rose to his feet. "We can't help her unless we leave now. Do you need to pack?" "Just a few things," Mr. Williams replied. "Get to it then, and then let us depart. The game, as they say, is afoot!" George Williams hurried into the bedroom and threw a change of underclothes and a shaving kit into his overnight bag. Then he removed a parcel wrapped in oiled silk from an not very obvious pocket of his suitcase, hesitated for a moment, and put it at the bottom of the overnight case. He returned to the sitting room. "I'm ready. Let's go." Williams and Bryan followed Harker downstairs. As they passed through the lobby, he stopped to leave word at the desk that he would be out for a few days, and would appreciate it if the hotel would hold his messages. The telephone rang as they walked out the door, and the desk clerk almost called him back when the young woman asked for Mr. Williams. Instead, he shrugged and sent it into the voice-mail system. Outside, a chauffeur waited beside a long, black limousine. He opened the door for the three men and got behind the wheel. They stopped briefly at Bryan Foster's residence, so he could collect a few essentials, and then headed out of the city. As they headed west on Rt. 7, Harker smiled at the expressions on the faces of his two companions. "I am not abducting you, gentlemen," he said, amused. "You can relax and ask the questions that are bouncing around in your minds. I will try to answer them as best I can while we are en route." He looked them both squarely in the eye. "Let me start by informing you that Carl Williams was not the first person to disappear in this area." "Cousin Ed was looking into some cases of missing persons about eight years ago," Bryan agreed with a nod. "In fact, the last time we talked to him, he said he was still investigating the matter, but that he had no conclusive evidence of any wrongdoing. He had Mara running background checks for him; wouldn't tell anyone who those names were supposed to be, or why he needed private inquiries made. Then he seemed to drop the whole thing." He smiled ruefully. "Mara was really annoyed with Edward when he seemed to back away from the matter." "And you didn't think it odd that your cousin would decide not to pursue these cases more diligently?" Harker asked Bryan. "From all that my people have learned about the Sheriff, that is not entirely in keeping with his usual way of doing things." "Now that you mention it," Bryan nodded slowly, after thinking the matter over from this fresh viewpoint, "it did seem rather odd. Edward isn't usually so careless. You don't think my cousin is involved in these disappearances, do you? That's ridiculous! Edward would never..." "Such things have been known to happen before, young man," Harker broke in gently. "And by 'involving' your cousin, She has seen to it that no-one will come near Her door without Her knowing about it." "'She.' So you think you know who's responsible for these abductions?" George Williams spoke up. He watched the expression on Bryan Foster's face as he realized that Harker was certain his cousin could be involved in the mystery. He eyed the enigmatic Harker sharply. "You think one of your 'creatures' has taken up residence in Northern Virginia, don't you?" "My investigations have established this almost to a certainty," the occult researcher replied. "What crap!" exclaimed Williams. "Dracula's daughter in the Blue Ridge? Give me a break!" "You Americans have such closed minds," Leonard Harker sighed. "Why can't you accept that there might be things out there that are beyond your comprehension? I did not say that the person responsible for these disappearances was a vampire, although I have encountered vampires of various kinds in the course of my career. My organization has in fact located and interviewed men who said they were victims of a woman who lives in the area, the same area where there have been so many unexplained vanishings. The experience they describe includes an encounter with a strangely compelling, mysterious woman, followed by a period when they dropped out of view. They have few intelligible memories of the time they were missing. When they returned, they were extremely debilitated; it often took them weeks, or even months, to recover. No medical cause could be found, although their weakness often left them vulnerable to various infections." "No bite marks on the neck?" Williams asked sarcastically. "No inexplicable anemia?" "I have told you," snapped Harker, "we are not dealing with a vampire of the movie or literary sort. The accounts we have gathered, compared to the serious authorities on the subject, indicate a being more like the so-called psychic-vampire, probably with a strong sexual element to her choice of prey and even her method of feeding. Paracelsus would have called her a succubus. But this individual appears to have some unusual powers of mind-control for that kind, and an exceptionally predatory and lethal nature. Has the disappearance of your young lady not warned you that something more is going on than you are currently aware of?" "Her 'disappearance' could be just a matter of a flat tire, or a broken 'phone," Bryan chimed in, making an effort to bring some normalcy back into the conversation. "I am confident that Mara can take care of herself...." "Were this a normal situation, with a convict on the run, or an ex-husband skipping out on his child support payments, that would no doubt be true," Harker broke in with an urgency that frightened Williams. "But we are NOT dealing with either of those cases here." He looked at the other two men, his expression even more grave. "Put aside, as unproven if you will, the concept that the woman we seek is not human, gentlemen. Simply remember that she has caused the disappearance of fourteen people in the last eight years, including one of my trained operatives, and has gained, somehow, the cooperation of at least some members of the local community and the non-interference of the rest. She is dangerous, and she has allies in those she has enslaved to her will. They will not let us near her easily." "Then I think it's time we alert *our* operatives," Bryan said, beginning to sense the dimensions of his worries. "May I use your 'phone, Mr. Harker?" Harker frowned slightly, and opened the cabinet that held the car 'phone. Bryan quickly dialed his brother. "Steven? It's Bryan. Things seem to be a little more involved than we assumed. Call in Mason and have him and his associates get down there." He paused to listen and frowned as he looked over at Harker. "I'm not sure if their being armed is going to make that much of a difference. And Steve...*don't* tell Ed." He paused again. "Nor the State Troopers either. Okay, let Adam Corwin know, he is a friend of Jeff's and Mara's. But not officially, just as a friend. I don't think the law covers this situation very well." ***** Mara hung up the 'phone with a snort of frustration. She had spent the last two days checking out the names which had appeared on her list that fell within the pattern she had noted on her search grid. She had been so involved, that she had forgotten to check in directly with her brothers or Mr. Williams, figuring that her contacts with her cousin the Sheriff would serve the same purpose. Now she suspected this was not the case at all, and when she tried to reach them, all she got was voice-mail. The news of Larry's death in an 'accidental' fire encouraged her suspicion that her friend had known something which might have helped her investigation. She was saddened by his passing, and alarmed at the coincidence. Had he said anything, among his rather cryptic remarks, which she should have taken as a cry for help? And just why had he drugged her? When she had awakened queasy and light-headed, she had visited, not the local GP, but the county coroner, and had tests done. These had come back today, and confirmed the presence of a sedative. He had said he wanted to protect her. For what reason did he think that drugging her would protect her? Combined with the way other people were acting, these things were starting to make her paranoid. She was almost sure she was being watched. She was beginning to regret that she had not driven down to the city to have those blood tests done. Mara had stopped at Edward's office after Larry's funeral, more than a little annoyed at her cousin's lack of cooperation in her investigation. She would have thought that *any* County Sheriff would have been a little more concerned about the disappearance of so many people in his jurisdiction. Edward had simply pointed out that a rumor of a disappearance was not a disappearance in fact, and left her to work on her own. The meeting was far from satisfactory. He had bluntly told her that he was under no obligation to tell her about every private party that stuck their noses into cases; there were always curiosity-seekers, news services hunting for stories, and so on. She had left the Sheriff's Office in a very foul mood, and decided to stop at her cousin's Fred's grocery store to call her brothers and Mr. Williams at once. Edward's unwillingness to cooperate changed the assumptions under which her investigation had been proceeding. They should be informed immediately. Especially now that she had narrowed the field of search significantly. "Hi, Fred," she called as she walked in. "Can I use the 'phone?" "Sure, Mara," he cousin replied, and waved her to the telephone on the counter behind the cash register. As she dialed Mr. William's hotel number, she noticed the Sheriff standing on the sidewalk outside his office, seeming to watch her through the window. She defiantly meet his gaze, and he turned away. A tingle of paranoia touched her spine, and she turned to face the wall, cupping her hand around the mouthpiece to add a bit of privacy to her conversation. Williams wasn't in, so she left a message. Her brothers' office lines were busy, so again she had to use voice mail. She hung up, sighed explosively in frustration, and turned around. She was surprised to see that Homer, the man she had met the other day, had come in while she was on the 'phone. He held a list in one large hand, which Fred had to take from him as he smiled over at Mara, his eyes warming. Fred gave Mara a knowing look as he went to obtain the items on the list. "H..Hello, Ms. Mara," Homer stammered. Mara smiled up at him, "Getting more groceries for your employer, Homer?" "That is the job Ms. Preston has given me," the man nodded, a happy smile on his face. "Have you come back here to live?" "No," Mara replied, shaking her head slightly, "I'm here on a job. I just stopped by to spend some time with my cousin." She looked over at Fred. "That is if you can spare me a few moments. I need to eat, or I'm going to pass out." "Just give me some time to finish getting these items for Homer," Fred smiled in pleasure at the invitation, "and I'll be right with you, Mara." Mara nodded and went over to the magazine rack along the window by the front door, from which she could watch the Sheriff's Office. Homer followed her, and she was amazed that such a large man could move so quietly. She looked up into his face and was struck by the expression of longing she surprised in his eyes. "You look like an angel standing there in the sunlight, Mara," Homer said after a few moments of studying her. He lifted a hand towards her and then dropped his arm, confusion dancing across his eyes. He stepped away as Fred came towards them. "I'd better go, now." Fred handed Homer some packages, and the man went outside to a sedan, where a young man sat behind the wheel, waiting. Mara could not see him clearly through the tinted windshield, but he might, *might* have looked a little like the Carl Williams she was looking for. Homer loaded the groceries, got in, and they drove off. "Let's get us some lunch," Fred said as he turned the sign in the front door from 'Open' to 'Closed.' He locked up the store, and accompanied Mara down the street to the lunch counter. They spent a pleasant half hour together, reminiscing over her childhood, until Mara slipped some seemingly innocent questions into their conversation. "Nice guy, that Homer," she began. "Seems okay," Fred agreed non-committally. "I don't remember him from when I was growing up," she probed further. "Nope," Fred confirmed. "Moved in a couple years after you left. Works for one of those new people..." He trailed off, as if afraid he might have said too much. "Which?" Mara asked, trying to keep her voice casual. "Lilith Preston," Fred sighed, recognizing that he had been out-maneuvered. "She's on your list. Moved into the old Stump place. Keeps pretty much to herself. I wouldn't go bothering her, Mara. My brother Ed, he places a great store by her. The Sun and Moon don't rise and set without her leave, by his way of thinkin'." Mara realized she was on doubtful ground when she heard the Sheriff's name mentioned. She shifted the subject by asking about one of Edward's former lady friends. The rest of lunch passed pleasantly enough. After lunch, Mara went back to her car, and checked her list. Yes, the name was there. Lilith Preston, moved in about nine years ago...just before the disappearances began. She frowned. She really had very little to go on: a coincidence of dates, a half glimpsed face in a car. Not enough to call in Adam Corwin and the State Police. It might have been enough to ask her cousin to drop by and have a look around, but now she couldn't trust him. She would have to check this out herself. It occurred to her that this might be dangerous, but she dismissed the thought. She believed that her family connection with the Sheriff would still protect her, and besides, everyone knew she was here and looking for the missing Carl Williams. The only question was, should she wait for her brother, or Mr. Williams, to get back in touch with her, or should she get out there right away? She never hesitated; her quarry must not be allowed to catch its breath or go to ground. Or dispose of the evidence, in this case, Carl Williams himself. However, no sense being careless. She drove to her Grandfather's house and left three messages indicating where she was going: one on the computer, highlighting Lilith's name and location on the list and map; one pinned up on the corkboard by the 'phone; and a message on her brother's voice-mail. Then she was ready to face the suspected kidnaper. She drove up to the high valley, and paused at the foot of the driveway leading to the nineteenth century house. "Pretty ritzy, Ms. Preston," she remarked, as she noted the improvements which had been made. As she drove up to the door, she noticed a man coming around the side of the house. She looked intently at his face, and noticed a resemblance to the man she was looking for, but this man couldn't possibly be Carl Williams! He appeared to be several years older, and haggard, as if he had suffered a great illness from which he was having trouble recovering. She saw him glance back as she pulled the car up, and then continue into the house. She hopped out of her T-bird and hurried to the entrance. As she lifted her hand to knock, the door opened, and a pretty young woman smiled at her somewhat vacantly. "May I help you, Miss?" "Julie, do not keep Miss Foster waiting at the door," Lilith practically purred as she came down the main staircase. "Show her into the study." Julie stepped aside, and Mara entered the mansion, her every sense jangling an alarm. She followed the maid into the study, and turned as Lilith entered. Mara scanned her quickly: tall, willowy but voluptuous, dressed in a charcoal gray jersey dress with a cowl neckline that framed and set off her fair complexion and night-black hair. Elegant, assured, the poise of the aristocrat, used to getting her own way. Altogether, a very dangerous person to have as an opponent. "Welcome to my humble home, Miss Foster," Lilith said. "I have been hearing *so* much of you from your cousin Edward that it is a pleasure to meet you in person." She turned her head towards the maid. "Julie, please fix us something to drink." She returned her attention to Mara, and fixed her dark eyes on the younger woman. "Now, how may I help you?" "My cousin never mentioned that he knew you, Ms. Preston," Mara began, her eyes taking in the rich surroundings. "If he had, I might have been spared the trip up the mountain." "And I would have been robbed of the pleasure of your company," Lilith replied, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I believe I have heard that you are looking into the disappearance of a young man in our area?" Mara nodded and pulled out Carl's picture, handing it to Lilith, who contrived to brush her fingers along the back of Mara's hand as she took the photo from her. Mara froze for an instant at the unexpected touch, a puzzled look passing quickly across her face, and then continued, "His name is Carl Williams, Ms. Preston. His parents hired our firm to look into the matter because my brothers and I grew up around here." "A very sensible decision on their part," Lilith commented. She looked the photo over carefully, and then handed it back to Mara, who took it carefully, avoiding contact with her fingers. "He is rather good looking, is he not? Too bad, but I am afraid I have no knowledge of the young man you seek. As you might suspect, I do not get many visitors this far up the mountain, Miss Foster. And I do not usually leave the mansion except for emergencies." "I met your employee, Homer, running some of your errands while I was visiting my cousin Fred," Mara remarked. "He's sweet, but a little unnerving." "Poor Homer," Lilith smiled fondly. "He really can't help it, the dear. He feels things so deeply, and sometimes he can't express himself in speech too clearly. You should read his writing, my dear, to understand him better. He certainly is taken with you." Lilith noted the slight reaction that Mara could not quite control with a pleased smile. At that moment, the phone rang, and Julie came into the room to tell her that had an important 'phone call. "Please excuse me for a moment. I shall not be long." She went into the hall and picked up the receiver there. "This is Lilith." A frown appeared on her exquisite features. "Yes, your cousin just arrived....I do not believe she knows anything." Anything more than I have let her discover, she thought to herself. "Are you certain her 'phone call was not just a daily report to her client?" Her frown deepened further. "Do not worry too much, edward. We knew she would get around to visiting me eventually." Especially since I dangled the bait in front of her eyes, she added silently. "I will see to it that she is not a problem." As I should have done before now, and not relied on you, a part of her chided. "Good-bye, edward." She hung up. Mara was browsing the titles on the bookshelves when Lilith returned to the study. Lilith smiled and motioned for her to sit on the couch, as Julie brought in a tea service on a tray and set it down on the coffee table. "Please join me in a cup of tea before you leave." Mara smiled briefly with her lips only. Not very likely, Ms Preston, she thought, not after sharing the drugged cocoa with Larry. But she took a seat and watched Lilith pour two cups, her every move elegant and graceful. Something about this woman continued to bother Mara. She didn't know just what it was, though, and that too bothered her. Lilith turned towards Mara, and fixed her with an intense look. "Cream?", she asked, watching her with an extremely attentive expression. Mara nodded, uncertain now under Lilith's scrutiny. Her hostess poured a dollop in the cup without for a moment lessening her deeply searching gaze. "Sugar?" she said next, her whole body conveying an expectant attitude. "Yes, thank you," Mara replied. What does this woman want? Why is she watching me like that? she thought. Lilith extended both her hands holding the cup and saucer towards Mara. As Mara reached for the saucer, Lilith withdrew it just beyond her grasp. For a second, Mara froze, confused. In that second, Lilith very gently took Mara's extended hand, and guided it with the lightest of touches half-way up between her lap and shoulder height, as the younger woman looked at her in confusion. She smiled warmly at Mara, her hand stroking the back of Mara's as her dark eyes fixed on her visitor's. Mara frowned, and tried to pull away, alarmed by the intensity in the woman's gaze, but somehow, she couldn't move. "You work so hard, Miss Foster," Lilith purred as her hand moved up and down, around and back, softly touching Mara's hand and wrist now here, now there. "You need to rest. A strong man to take care of you." Mara shook her head, fighting against the sudden lethargy that seemed to be settling over her. "You fight me? You are a challenge, my dear. But if you resist, you must be feeling the effects of my suggestions. Your conscious mind resists, but you respond unconsciously, automatically to my words." She spoke to Julie, who was still standing by, but without changing her tone, or breaking eye contact with her victim, "Tell Homer I'd like to see him please." Lilith returned her full attention to Mara. "You try to resist, you try so hard to resist. It is so hard to resist. You work so hard. You must be tired, so tired. Tired of resisting. The harder you resist, the more tired you become. You want so to rest, to let someone else take care of you." At that moment, there was a knock on the door frame, and Lilith glanced over to see Homer enter. He was staring at Mara with genuine concern. "Mara," Lilith continued softly, soothingly, "here is your friend Homer. He likes you very much. He is a good man, a strong man. He will look after you. You will do that for me, Homer, won't you?" Homer nodded, a large smile on his face. She spoke again to Mara. "Homer will take very good care of you, my dear." Mara tried to get to her feet, her mind telling her that she needed to escape, but her body would not move. Homer came over to the couch, a pleased look on his face. Lilith smiled at Mara, her eyes warm with...triumph? Pleasure? "I won't let you do this," Mara said slowly, her words an effort. "I am not..." Lilith laid her fingers across Mara's lips and Mara quieted. "You are whatever I will you to be, Mara," she said in her compelling voice. "Right now, you are very tired and sleepy, and you are going to take a little rest." Mara shook her head, and tried again to get up, but Lilith restrained her with just a gentle touch on her shoulder. She stroked Mara's hair, "Rest now, my dear. You are such a beautiful girl. Relax and go to sleep. It is time you belonged to someone who can appreciate you. Sleep, now, for me. You are mine now, to do with as I will. That's right, sleep...sleep deeply, now." Mara's head nodded, and her eyes fluttered closed. "And I will that you become Homer's mate. Yes, deeply asleep, now. He does like you so much, my dear, and he will take such good care of you." Homer's smile grew even broader as he reached down to pull Mara to her feet. "No," she murmured in protest as she tried to summon up the will to fight him, but her struggles were weak and ineffectual. Lilith stood too, and continued to stroke her hair and back, and shortly she sagged limply into Homer's arms. "Homer," Lilith commanded, "you are to keep her in your rooms. She is not allowed in the house unless I ask you to bring her here. She is not allowed out on the grounds." "Yes, Mistress," Homer nodded, his eyes shining with happiness. He picked Mara up in his arms and carried her out through the kitchen, the other servants ignoring the sight. He took her along a brick path to the old carriage house, and into his bedroom. He sat down on the bed, laying her head in his lap so that he could stroke her hair as she slept.