A dish best served cold, part 2

part 1

by Gail (gem225@hotmail.com)

Page drifted back to consciousness. She felt good, her body sore in a pleasant way that told her she'd had a good night with a guy who knew what he was doing, but she was pretty sure she was going to be ready for some more before too long. She hoped he'd stayed around. She sighed and began a stretch, starting with her head and moving down. But her arms wouldn't move. They were bound.

"Good morning, Page darling."

She snapped open her eyes to find Clark Palmer sitting on a chair at the foot of the bed, perfectly cool and debonair in a dark suit and tie. It came back to her. He'd taken her captive because he was pissed about the sting. Damned bastard. He stood, smiling, and came over to sit on the bed by her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Damn you, Palmer." Her voice was low and angry. What was he playing at now?

This was a smaller room than she'd been in before, but it was just as bare. Just the bed and the chair. There was what looked like a bathroom off to the side, but it was a fair bet she'd never see that.

"Not that much better, I see." His voice was light. "And after all we've been through, you're still cursing at me? That's not very nice, baby." He reached up to stroke her face. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to start from scratch. But you're beginning to make me think we will."

His touch brought the rest back. The sexual torment, the men, the rape that turned into an orgy with her as the centerpiece, the star. The sound of her voice begging him to let her come. The sound of her begging. Oh, god. He'd done it. He'd made her beg for him. She felt the stab of a needle as she moaned, and heard his laugh.

"Well, that sounds much more promising." He touched her lips with a long finger, and she tightened them. "So, tell me, Page. Do I need to put you back in that chair, or are you going to cooperate? I'm hoping you'll be a good girl now, but I'll still find a way to have fun if you won't." He stroked his hand down to her neck. "But tell the truth, baby."

She felt desire waking in her again, too familiar to mistake. "You just shot me up with that damned drug again, didn't you?"

"What a smart one you are." His voice was amused. "It's a smaller dose this time, though. Shouldn't drive you quite as crazy." He smiled into her angry eyes. "I always stack the deck, Page. You're going to have to get used to it."

"Let me go, Palmer."

"Last night it was Clark." His voice was soft, seductive now. "Last night you were begging me to let you come. Did you forget about that?"

No, she hadn't. But she didn't want to think about it. If she did, she'd be lost again, she feared. And the drug had kicked in even more, electric current shooting through her, heat weakening her until all she wanted was his hands on her, his mouth, his cock. It was all she could do not to show it.

"And I let you. I gave you just what you wanted. Now it's your turn." He licked his lips slowly, and she found herself squirming under the sheet as she watched him. "We can have a lot of fun if you'll just be smart. I want what I didn't get from Miss Susan. You going to give it to me, or do I give you to Stone and Kelleher for some more working over? They'd be happy to get their hands on you again, baby. I promise you they'll think of some interesting ways to drive you crazy. Hell, you might like it."

"The hell I will." But her voice was shaky, and her clit was throbbing with an insistence that she couldn't ignore.

His smile deepened. "We both know who's going to win if we start all over again, Page. Don't we?" He pulled back the sheet. "God, you look gorgeous. And ready for anything." The knowledge in his voice was too much to take. "Come on, Page, don't start fighting again. Don't waste your strength. Last time you thought you had a chance. This time, you know you don't."

He was right, and he was leaning over, his mouth over her left nipple, blowing hot air on it. She moaned. "Please, Palmer."

"Say it right, Page." He laughed softly. "You know what my name is. Say it, and tell me I win."

She wanted to fight. She wanted to, but she'd already lost. He'd beat her last time, and nothing had changed. He'd beat her again. "Clark. Please."

"Please what, Page?" He let his tongue touch her nipple for a moment, then went back to breathing. Her breathing was ragged. "What do you want? Tell me what I want to hear, and we can get on to making you feel a little better."

"Please kiss them. Please."

"Who won, Page? Tell me that."

She shuddered as the electric current shot through her again. She couldn't take it. She wasn't good enough to win. "You won, Clark."

She saw the gleam in his eyes turn brighter and more intense. "That's better, Page." He stood up and started taking off his clothes. "I've waited a long time for this," he murmured when he was finished, lean body paler than she remembered but just as muscled. "Ask me again, Page. What do you want?"

She was broken, beaten, wanting so much she couldn't stand it. "You, Clark. Please."

His laugh was satisfied. "Of course you do," he purred and got under the sheet with her. "Let me show you just what you've been missing."

She moaned as he sucked on her nipples. Back to where she'd been on that table, and before that, in that alley. Desperate, hungry, wanting, and about to be taken. And wanting it to happen. Wanting it badly enough to beg for it. She hoped that drug he'd mentioned was good, because she was going to need a lot to change these vivid sensations into dim memories.

She felt his fingers on her wrists. "You don't need these any more," he murmured. "Unless you want to be tied down, and we can get to that later. You're going to be good for me, Page. You know I'm giving you what you need."

Free. She had a brief flash of hitting him, knocking him out, getting away, then his mouth took hers, and she was lost again. She moaned under him, her body rocking and spreading for him as his cock pushed between her wet lower lips. "Please," she begged when he sucked on her bottom lip. "Please, Clark."

"Ask me to nicely, Page." He kept just at the opening, taunting her with what felt like an erection as big as Stone's. "I want to hear you say it. Tell me what you want."

"I want you to fuck me." Her arms were around him, pulling him closer. She wanted that hardness inside her, wanted it to fill her up, make her come, make everything else go away. She needed it. "Please, Clark."

"Yes, Page." His voice had laughter and passion in it. "All you ever had to do was ask."

He drove into her before she could respond to that. She cried out and arched under him. She was so wet, so ready, so desperate, and he was so good and hard. The drug was easier to take when she was getting something more than just teasing, a clinical part of her mind noticed, then she slipped back into the passionate haze.

*****

Clark Palmer took his time coming, giving her all she could want before shooting into the condom he'd put on at some point. She was limp beneath him as he pulled out of her slowly. She felt him kiss her swollen lips again, and opened her eyes to see his satisfied smile. She blinked at him, and he laughed.

"You look like a woman who's gotten all she needed," he teased, sitting on the bed and reaching for his shirt. "Are you, Page?"

"Yes." She knew that, but otherwise she didn't know what to think now. She was in a daze, mind shut off. She couldn't seem to find her anger, or any other strong emotion except need.

"There's a bathroom in there. Go take a shower. You'll feel better. And I'll see that you get something to eat. You have to be hungry." He finished buttoning his shirt and reached for her hand, then tugged on it until she sat up. "I need to check on some things. As gorgeous as you are," he kissed her again, "I've got work to do. I won't be long."

She watched him get dressed. There was something she couldn't understand, and finally it came to her. He'd gone to a lot of trouble to get her there, to break her, and now he was treating her as though she was that lover he'd thought he was getting at the resort. Why? Because he was sure she wouldn't fight him any more. Well, that wasn't going to happen. She was a fighter. She just needed a little more time. But she felt so out of it, so numb. As if it didn't matter. The drug. That had to be it.

"Anything in particular you want, baby?" He was actually smiling in a simple, uncomplicated way at her. "We've got some good cooks here. I'll bet we can make anything you can think of."

She swallowed her pride. She had to eat, had to plan, even though she could barely think. "How about eggs Benedict? And toast and coffee and juice."

"Your favorite. I remember." He leaned down to kiss her again. "Yes. I'll order it right away." She saw him turn away, and did a quick look around the room. He caught it. "Getting ideas, Page?"

"No." She knew her answer was too quick, and he laughed shortly.

"Of course you are. Damned CIA training. You just won't give up. All right, darling," she hated the way he said it this time, "you get your breakfast. But some company, too." His eyes were cold. "Seems you're only reasonable when you're coming or ready to. All right. I can deal with that." His smile was just as cold. "Get in the shower, Page."

"I'm not moving."

"Yes, you are." He had a gun in his hand. "Or do you want to try getting shot, too?"

She didn't move. "Then shoot me." The numbness was wearing off. "Get it over with!"

He smiled. "All right."

She saw his finger pull on the trigger, and dove for the floor. She heard the gun go off, but nothing hit her. Then the door burst open, and Stone and Kelleher ran in.

"Are you all right, sir?" Stone was speaking even as he jerked Page to her feet. Between he and Kelleher, they had her immobilized.

Palmer put the gun away. "Just fine. But you might want to check the wall." His smile was sardonic. "I'm not going to shoot you, baby. A gun wound would be hell to live with, and I've never been into nursing."

Page pulled against Stone's grasp. "Let go of me, damn it!"

He scowled down at her. "You don't threaten Mr. Palmer or try to hurt him, Page. I won't allow it."

"He shot the gun at me, idiots." It was like she hadn't spoken.

"It's all right, Stone." Palmer's voice was amused, and she swallowed curses again. He wasn't taking her seriously. And he was too far ahead of her. "We were having a disagreement about a shower. She didn't want to take one. Get her in there, will you? I've got some place to be."

"My pleasure, Mr. Palmer."

"And make sure she gets clean. I'll order breakfast for half an hour from now. She's to eat all of that, too."

"Yes, Mr. Palmer."

Palmer came over to stand in front of her. "You just won't learn, will you, Page?" He stroked her cheek. "You're going to do what I want, because I know you much better than you know me. And because I've got the resources, and you don't. Think about that while I'm gone."

"Go to hell, asshole," she flung back at him, wincing as Stone tightened his grip on her wrists. "Fuck off and die."

Palmer's eyes glinted. "Gentlemen, I think that after Page's shower and breakfast she should do something more fun. Say, watch a video." Page's heart sank at that. It had to be some kind of recording of her. "See to it."

"Yes, sir." Kelleher answered this time. "In here?"

"Of course. Maybe you all can find a way to," he paused, "enjoy it together. I'm sure Page will be more willing to be reasonable after she's eaten."

Page set her mouth in a grim line. That wasn't going to happen.

"Page?" Palmer's voice was light. "Try and hold out against yourself for a little while, won't you? I know you'll hate yourself for giving in anyway, but at least you'll be able to say you didn't just fold. Have to do the Company proud, you know."

"I won't give in at all." She meant it. She was going to keep fighting.

"Won't you?" His hand slid down her body, stroked her wetness. "Then I guess it'll be rape again. Poor baby. And you had such a bad time before." He laughed as she trembled. "Try not to hurt her, gentlemen. It would be a shame if our guest here didn't enjoy herself."

"Don't worry, Mr. Palmer." Stone's voice was cold. "Miss Martinez won't have anything," he jerked her up against his body more firmly, "to complain about."

"I do now! Let go of me, you fuck!" Stone didn't budge.

"Be good, Page." Palmer's voice was soft. "I'd think you'd be just a little grateful I'm letting you shower and eat. I don't have to, you know. I can have them take you out and throw you into some mud, then stake you out in the sun until it dries on you. It's a pretty hot day out there, Page. And we've got a fair amount of insects here, a lot of them stinging ones." He smiled and touched her face again. She knew it was tense. She hated getting stung. "Now, that's better. Finally something that scares you." He flicked his eyes over to Stone, then Kelleher. "If she gives you any real trouble, take her for a walk, a long one. And don't bother to put any repellent on her. The mud," he shrugged, "you make that call. It's supposed to be good for the skin, though. It actually might help her."

"I hate you, Palmer." She threw that at him like the knife she wished she had.

He only laughed. "Say that next time I'm inside you, Page. It'll add some spice to the sex. Of course, you're not too coherent when you're hot, are you?" He opened the door and went out.

Page felt her body sag and her eyes close. She didn't want to let up now, but it was happening anyway.

"All right," Stone said briskly, "I'll handle the shower. You get this place straightened up and get the video equipment."

"You got the cuffs?" Page forced open her eyes at that.

"Of course." Stone, still trapping her wrists behind her with just one large hand, pushed her toward the door to the bathroom. "Come on, Page. You are lucky, you know," he added when they were inside. "I wouldn't have let you eat."

"Fuck and run, that's you, right? No wonder you're DSD."

He laughed. "You want to fuck?" She felt him get hard against her ass. "That's an idea. I don't think Mr. Palmer would mind if I did that."

She opened her mouth to tell him to fuck off, but he swung her around in a deft motion and took her mouth with his, devouring it, plunging his tongue deep into the cavity, until she couldn't breathe. She tried to pull away, but he was holding her too tightly. When he released her, he had his cuffs in his free hand and snapped them on her, in the process also wrapping them around the showerhead. She was stretched to the limit, almost on tiptoes, her hands clenched around the fixture to keep her balance. Stone's big hands stroked her skin. He chuckled.

"I've got to get my clothes off, Page. Don't move."

He took his hands away without more warning, and she fought to stay in position. Her arms were already screaming from the strain of holding herself up, but she knew she could hurt herself badly if she let herself fall.

"Let me down from here," she demanded, her voice husky.

"Since when did you give the orders, Page?" Stone's voice was just as husky. "Mr. Palmer wants you to have a shower, and I didn't hear him say you got to dictate the terms."

"What do you want?" The question was a surrender, she knew.

He chuckled again. "Spread those legs of yours, and I'll show you."

She tensed. "No way."

"Then I'll just have to do it for you. Some times you are so much trouble, Miss Martinez." She felt his hand on her waist, taking some of the strain away, then his leg thrust between her thighs, pushing them apart. "And always so hot, so ready for anything. How do you keep saying no, Page? Is that you're just too stubborn? Or do you like being forced?"

"You know so much, you tell me." It was all she could do to get the words out. Of the two trainees, Stone was the more dangerous to her. Big, strong, and intense enough to make her weak, and he knew it. Her only defense was words. "Say, Stone, you ever get it on with Kelleher? He looks just your type. Pretty and not too smart. And which of you takes it up the ass? I'd bet on him, but then you big, strong guys, I've heard you like it too."

Stone laughed as his other hand stroked her wetness. "I'll tell him you said that." His voice promised she'd pay for her words. Just not now. "Maybe the two of us can work on you together again. That close enough for you? One of us in each hole." He laughed again. "The ones without teeth. And just for that crack, I'd take the back one. Women like getting fucked in the ass, too, Page. I've known my share. I'd love to hear how you'd sound then. You ever do that?"

Before she could answer, he had his cock rubbing against her lower lips. "Can't even get a woman without tying her up, can you?" she forced.

"I get you because Mr. Palmer said I could," he breathed into her ear. "But I think I'd be able to get you anyway. I can just see you and me in some bar."

"Oh, dream on."

"I will."

The smooth confidence in his voice made her even wetter. Damn. She'd never liked men who were so cocky. Why now? The deprivation, she knew, the brainwashing, the situation. But knowing it was an artificial response didn't stop it being a response. She'd been conditioned, and he was perfectly willing to take advantage of it.

"A drink or two, a little table in a dark corner, my lips on your neck and my fingers under those short skirts I hear you like wearing when you go looking for the cock you need," his voice reminded her of all the times she'd done just that, not helping her at all, "fucking you with them, getting them all wet with your juices, and I'd have you. I'd have you lick them clean and thank me for the chance. I'd have you begging me to put it in you, right there, right then. I'd have you begging to get under the table and suck me off if that would get you what you wanted. Begging, Page. Just like you're going to be now. So why not get going on it? You know you want it." He pressed the head into her, and she moaned. "Come on, Page, you know the drill. You want to come, you beg me to let you." His fingers were merciless on her clit, making it hard for her to think about anything but coming. "I liked hearing you beg when we all had you on the table."

She moaned again. That time was more of a blur than anything, but she did remember that much. Stone in her, stopping, and she needing more, breaking, begging Palmer. Lost, and begging. Something about that struck her. Palmer liked her lost. How could she use that? She took a deep breath and filed that. She'd have to make a moment or two later. Right now she had to deal with Stone.

"Go to hell." She wasn't going to break for him, even if she was trembling, on the edge of coming so hard she didn't know if she could recover from it. "You'll do what you want, no matter what I say."

"Finally, some sanity," he muttered. His voice was rougher now, exciting her the way it had before, and his cock was stretching her as it pushed in. And it felt so damned good. "But I won't get you off unless you beg me, Page. I can fuck you so long and hard you'll be sore for the rest of the day, but I won't," he slammed into her with each word, "let you come." As he thrust, the hand that wasn't holding her up moved down to her thigh and pinched brutally enough to cut through her arousal and take it down to a much lower level. "See? I'll get what I want, and you?" He pinched again. "You won't get anything. And I know you want it. You want all of us, Page. You even want this right here. That's why Mr. Palmer's doing all this. Because deep in your heart, you want it desperately. He knows that. He knows you."

She couldn't stand to hear any more of that. He couldn't be right, he couldn't be, but she couldn't even consider it now. "More," she growled. Maybe he'd think that was begging.

He didn't. "Orders? When did you join the DSD? No. You want it, you beg. You know what I want to hear. Do it, or don't come. Because pretty soon I'm not going to hear you no matter what you say, Page. I'll be too busy driving into that hot cunt of yours, getting what I want." He was still thrusting, but more slowly. "Do it, Page. Be the little bitch we all know you are. Our bitch. The one we all want."

And just then, the softness in his voice by contrast, the almost-tenderness of the words, broke her again. She wanted to come, had to come, and to do that, she had to beg. Now.

"Please, Tom."

"Oh, that does sound nice." His finger slid up to stroke her clit, and she squirmed against him. "Please what?"

"Please let me come. Please, Tom." God, she hated begging. But she needed what he was offering. She needed it so much. "I need it. Please," she added with more desperation.

He answered by driving into her and taking her clit between two fingers, working it with a skill that showed her she wouldn't be too damned safe in any bar with him if she wasn't looking to get laid. She cried out and barely managed to keep her hold on the shower fixture as she came.

Stone was panting. "That's good, that's good," he crooned. "Oh, good Page, good Page." Like she was some kind of dog, she thought distantly and came again as he slammed into her and came himself.

He pulled out after a long moment. "All right." He fixed his pants, stepped out of the shower, then frowned and reached up to adjust the shower head. Now she could stand without straining, but her arms were still over her head, and aching. The bastard. He'd wanted her off-balance, and she hadn't had to be. "Time to wash you off." He took off his jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and turned on the water. At least he made sure it was warm, she thought. That was something, but not too fucking much.

Page turned her head away as he started lathering up the soap, not wanting him to see the tears that threatened. She had to find a way out of this. She was breaking faster and faster each time, getting weaker and weaker, more enslaved by her body and their treatment of it. If she didn't find something soon, she feared she'd turn into exactly what they were making her out to be, a creature, a thing.

Stone was mercifully silent through the shower as he soaped, scrubbed, then rinsed her off. She used the time to think about her insight earlier. It didn't take long to come to a conclusion, the only conclusion. She had to do what they wanted, but in a way that kept her protected, too. And she did know how to do that; she just hadn't want to give up. But if she didn't now, she'd do it later, and she couldn't take that chance again. She had to go over the edge, and she just needed one more episode to do that. If she was lucky, she'd already put that in motion, with some help from Palmer. Now all she had to do was make it good enough for even Palmer to buy.

*****

After the shower, Stone took her out to the bedroom, where there was a bowl of oatmeal waiting on a tray. He kept a cool eye on her as she tried to eat it. It wasn't one of her favorites, but it was food, and the smell of it made her want to devour it. But it was hard with the cuffs and her exhaustion. She dropped the spoon on the first try. Stone picked it up, but didn't give it back to her.

"Here, I'll feed you." The simple exasperation in his voice almost made her smile, and worse than that, feel grateful. "Just open your mouth." He brought it up to her mouth, and she took the just-warm oatmeal in. It was almost better than sex.

Kelleher came back into the room, pushing a cart with a monitor and a VCR. "Can't even manage that, huh, Page?"

She swallowed the last of the mouthful. "If you want me to eat on my own, take off the cuffs. At least Stone here isn't laughing at me." She hadn't planned to say that, but acting off now would show Palmer how far from herself she'd gone, give him the clues and rationalization for the later 'break.'

Stone picked right up on it. "Have some more, Page." His voice was gentler. Oh, of course. Another try of 'good cop, bad cop.' Well, why not? They weren't that bad at it, and it was getting her some food. "And shut up, Jack. She's got to eat." Their eyes flashed in a quick message, one even Page could read. *It's working.* And that was the whole point for them, getting her broken so that their precious 'Mr. Palmer' would be happy with them. She took in some more.

Kelleher shrugged. "Whatever. She could manage a while longer, I'd say."

"It's not your call." Stone's voice was cold now. She'd known he was in charge when it was the two of them, but watching it play out was very interesting. "Get the video ready."

Page waited until Kelleher turned his back. "Tom." He leaned in. "What is that of?"

He fed her another mouthful. "I don't know. We'll find out together."

He was probably lying, but she wasn't going to call him on it. "All right."

She caught herself before adding a thank you. Her peril was that close now. The worst thing about being a captive over a period of time was thinking that one of the captors was nicer than the rest and trusting them. She wasn't close to trusting Palmer or Kelleher, but there was something about Stone that was making it hard to stay distant. She shivered. If she could turn to Stone, Palmer would use what had worked to make her turn to him. And the thought of that was way more than she could handle.

"Cold?" Stone didn't wait for an answer. "Turn down the air, Jack."

Kelleher shot him an annoyed look, one that Page was pretty sure was faked, and went out of the room. She kept eating. It was so good. "Done."

Stone held up a glass with a straw. "Water. Say 'please,' and you can have some."

She closed her eyes before she spoke. "Please." Her voice was husky. They'd think they had won. But they hadn't. She had made a decision to say that, one of the hardest decisions of her life.

"Very good, Page. Here." She opened her eyes to make sure she got the straw, and saw the looks on their faces. They were happy.

After a short while, Stone took the water away. "You don't want to get sick," he said firmly at her moan of protest. "More later, if you're good."

Kelleher came over, and the two of them got her back on the bed, her cuffs in front of her and attached to a chain that gave her some room to move, but not much, and certainly not enough to get up and strangle one of them. Stone settled on one side of her, and Kelleher on the other.

"Now what did Mr. Palmer say?" Kelleher's voice was avid. "Something about all of us enjoying this together." He hit the play button, then got on the other side of her, his hand trailing over her skin.

Stone was already kissing her neck. "Don't you want to enjoy this, Page?"

She felt the wild desire rising again. Had they drugged the oatmeal or the water? Didn't matter. "Yes," she got out, and was rewarded by a hard kiss on her mouth from Stone.

"She's supposed to watch." Kelleher tapped Stone on the shoulder. "Come on, Tom. You can make out later."

Stone pressed up against her side as Kelleher did the same. "Watch the movie, Page."

She was already watching. It was what she'd feared, the gang scene. Kendall was getting himself off as her face showed the pain he was inflicting. She let out a small cry and brought her hands up as far as they would go, her belly, trying to protect herself.

"Now for the good part." Kelleher had a grin on when she glanced at him. Oh, he was enjoying this. Stone was staying quiet, shooting Kelleher a look of disapproval.

Kendall pulled out, and Stone came up. She gulped.

"It's all right," Stone whispered. "You liked this part, Page. This is when you started being smart." His hand was firm on her back, rubbing, soothing her. "Remember? And Mr. Palmer gave you what you wanted." He was way too smart.

"He was good to you," Kelleher chimed in. It was at the part where she was begging, and she couldn't stand to watch. She turned her head and buried it in Stone's shoulder. "Hey, stop that."

"Let her be." She heard the machine click to a stop. "Page, it's all right. You're all right. Don't you know that all we want is to take care of you? To see that you get what you want? But we don't know if you don't tell us. If you don't ask for it."

She was shaking. The look on her face, the naked, open, begging look even before she opened her mouth and said the words, was too much to take. She breathed in, then out. It was time. She couldn't take this any longer. It was going to happen, and all she could hope now was that it was going to happen safely. She let something go in her, and all the pain was gone, so gone that she didn't even remember that it had been there.

She lifted her head and smiled. Two cute guys. That was nice to find in her bed. Now, which one to kiss first? She decided on the bigger one, and leaned over, taking his lips in a long, slow kiss. She tried to raise her hands, but they wouldn't move. Oh, well. She'd manage without them.

The guy pulled away and studied her face. He drew in a sharp breath. "Get Mr. Palmer. Now."

"Come on, Tom. Look at her. We've been waiting for this."

She gave the first guy a smile with a promise for later and turned to the other one. Didn't want him to feel left out.

"No. Something's changed. Get him."

The second man got off the bed and went out of the room. The first one turned her to face him, and she gave him another smile. He wanted her all to himself? Fine with her. She leaned in to kiss him again, but his hand on her chest stopped her.

"What's wrong?" Her eyes were puzzled. She didn't understand this at all.

"Nothing's wrong." The man's voice was deep and soothing. "But I think we should wait on that. O.K.?"

She shrugged. "O.K. But I really don't want to." She squirmed against him. "I *really* don't want to."

His tense face relaxed into a smile. "I can see that. But you'll be fine."

"I don't think so." Her face was mischievous. "I think I'm going to go crazy if I don't get off." Just then the door opened, and she sighed. A man was coming in, lean, dark, and very intense. "Here comes company." She gave him a longer look. "Hmm. Would he like to join in, you think?"

"I'll ask him if you like, but I do need to talk to him." The man, Tom, stared into her eyes. "And then I think he'll want to talk to you."

"Do you think you could set me free?" It wasn't as though she really minded being restrained, but it would be nice to have her hands free. She gave him one of her best smiles. "I'm good with my hands."

He smiled at that, but shook his head. "You need to stay secure for now."

"Why?"

"It's for your own safety."

She frowned and wanted to ask what he was talking about, but then the new man was over by the bed. His eyes flickered over her, and she shifted a little. It was fun to put on a show. "Well, Mr. Stone." His voice was lighter than Tom's, but still interesting. "This is different."

"Yes, sir." There was respect in Tom's voice, as well as an urgency that she didn't understand, but didn't worry about. "I suggest we talk privately."

"I agree." The other man reached out to touch her face, and she lifted it. His long fingers stroked her cheek, and she made a small noise of approval at how good it felt. "Very different."

"If you'll excuse us, Page."

She frowned. Page? Who was that?

"What is your name? Do you know?" The new man was smiling as he asked.

She thought a moment, then shook her head. Her name? She didn't know. And she didn't care. "You can call me whatever you like."

"Your name is Page." The new man, the one Stone had called 'sir,' was sitting down next to her. "Do you know mine?" She shook her head. "That's all right. Don't worry. Now, I need to talk to your friend here." He shot Stone a look of amusement that she didn't understand. But maybe the two of them had something going on? Shit. Just what she needed, cute guys being into each other. What a waste. "And then we'll see about making you feel a little better. Sound good?"

She gave him a big smile. From the look in his eyes now, he was definitely into women. Maybe he was bi, or something. No problem for her. "Sounds wonderful."

"You are an amazing woman," he murmured. "But then I knew that."

He gave her another smile, then walked over to a corner with Stone. She couldn't hear them talking. So he knew her. Good. Somebody had to.

*****

Stone's face was worried. "Mr. Palmer, she doesn't remember anything. Or she's acting up a storm."

"She had no reaction at all to her name, Stone." Palmer's voice was patient, but the glee in it was obvious. "And just before, she was in a great deal of distress. Then, suddenly, she was happy and fine. A complete break. The only way her mind could deal with it. Stone, this is a success. Believe me."

"I hope that my handling of the situation meets with your approval."

"Yes, Mr. Stone. You handled it very well. But I think that Page would tell me you neglected a vital part of what *she* needed." He laughed. "We'll have to keep an eye on her, but I'm very happy with the results. It's more than I'd been willing to hope for, and everything I wanted. No more angry, fighting CIA agent, just a sweet, hot, happy girl. Finally, my Susan back." The last was said too quietly for Stone to hear.

"Sir?"

"We don't want her getting too restless." He glanced over at Page, who was fidgeting. "And the drug does seem to be affecting her. Why don't you take some time and give her what she wants? Look on it as a reward for all your hard work."

"What about Kelleher?"

"Mr. Kelleher was not as observant as a good agent needs to be." Palmer's voice was calm, but his disapproval of the other man's actions were definite. "I think he needs some more training. You," he smiled, "have shown you don't. Go ahead and let her hands free. The situation will be monitored, so you shouldn't be in any danger if she is managing to fool us all. And," his eyes twinkled, "enjoy yourself."

"Mr. Palmer." There was one more thing Stone needed to have clear before he went back to the bed and the woman there.

"Yes."

"What are your plans for her, sir?" He knew he was taking a risk, but to his surprise, his mentor just smiled.

"I'm going to take a vacation. And Miss Page is going to pay me back for all the nights I slept alone." Stone swallowed his next question, but Palmer read it in his eyes. "And then I'm going to return her to the CIA, as is. Let them wonder what trauma wiped out one of their best agents. Kendall will cover all the bases we need covered. A drug or two, and she won't be able to remember anything, even if she wants to. And she clearly doesn't want to." He tilted his head and smiled at his protege. "Anything else? Because you have a woman waiting for you."

"Yes, Mr. Palmer. And thank you."

"Thank you, Mr. Stone. You and your partner helped instill the cognitive dissonance that caused the break. And you caught it before something went wrong. Let me have a moment with her."

He saw Stone's quick nod, then went over to Page. She looked up at him with a smile.

"You guys finished?"

"Absolutely." He sat down beside her. "My name is Clark."

"Hello, Clark." The sparkle in her eyes made him smile. Oh, yes. His Susan, back and ready for fun. And he was going to see that she got it. He'd had his revenge, and now it was time for what he'd missed out on. "So, is it our turn to talk now?"

"I would like to talk with you, Page, because there are some things I want you to know, but I have to be somewhere else. Would you mind if I left you here with Tom?"

She let her eyes travel down Tom's body. Big and gorgeous. Just her type. Her lips curved into a smile. "Only if he's not going to be so shy."

The man looked amused. "I think he'll get over it, if you give him a little help, and I'm sure you're good at that." His hands were down at her wrists, undoing them. She flexed them. It felt good to have them free. He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "He definitely likes you. Told me so over there."

"Clark," she put her hand on his arm, and her face had a touch of anxiety, "is there something wrong with me? I mean, most people know what their name is."

"You're just fine." His voice was reassuring. "I'll tell you all you need to know later."

"But you can't just leave me like this, not knowing anything."

"All right. You're here for your own protection."

"Somebody's after me?" That was what came to her, and it felt right.

He nodded. "Good; you do remember that much. You've been really upset about it. My best guess is that it got too much for you, and your subconscious decided to shut down so that you could get some relief. And that's all right. You're not crazy or in any danger here. We'll take care of you."

That clicked with the way she felt. "I'm glad."

"Good. But right now, I think you need to have some fun." He winked at her. "I'll leave you and Tom alone, see if you can figure out anything to do."

"Mr. Palmer. You'll take the video equipment?"

"Yes. I'll be needing it."

Page watched them with a bemused smile. She liked these guys. They were interesting.

Clark flashed her another smile. "I'll be in later. I hope you'll have some time for me then."

Oh, really. Well, he was interested. Good. "Doesn't look like I'm going anywhere," she joked. For a moment she felt a flash of panic, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.

"You worry too much." Clark's voice was soft. "Do you want something to help with that?"

She thought and was sure he meant drugs. No, she wasn't a quitter. "I'll be all right."

"If you change your mind, you tell Tom. You've needed help before, Page, so don't think you're being weak or anything. You're not. Now, if you two will excuse me, I've got work to do."

He gave Page one last smile, then nodded to Stone and left, pushing the video unit out in front of him.

Page smiled at Tom as she heard the door close. "So, want to join me?"

He grinned. "Love to. Looks like I've got some time on my hands." He got out of his suit jacket before sitting down. "You said something about being ready to go crazy. You still feel that way?"

She tilted her head. "Definitely."

"Then I'm the man for the job." His voice was confident, as was the arm he slipped around her. "Let me show you."

"You're not so damned shy, after all." Her eyes were bright. "It has been so damned long since I got any."

He laughed at that. "Poor you."

He leaned over and started kissing her, and she let herself go with it. He was good, so very good. She was going to enjoy him a whole lot. He knew just how to touch her, how to make her squirm against him and moan.

He pulled away after a series of long and very passionate kisses. "Unless you really want me dressed, I'd like to get out of these."

She licked her lips. "Go right ahead and take them off." She watched avidly as he stripped out of the shirt, and laughed as he yanked off his shoes, then his pants. "I'm not going anywhere," she teased.

He lifted his head to smile at her. "I wouldn't let you. Damn, I want you."

"I want you, too." Something flashed through her mind, and she frowned. Something about she shouldn't be trusting him. Why? But it was gone, and she couldn't get it back. "Wait a minute," she said abruptly.

"What's wrong?" The look on his face was one of concern. "You all right, Page?"

"You sure it's all right we do this?"

"I thought you wanted me," he murmured and got his mouth on her nipple to suck it. She gasped, and when he stopped, she wasn't thinking any more.

"No, don't stop, Tom, please, please..."

His laugh was rough. "You sound so damned good when you beg me, Page." And there was something about that that made her wonder if she should know more than she did, but then she knew she was missing things. And one thing she didn't want to miss out on was this incredible man.

She stopped thinking and instead gave in. It was what she really wanted to do, anyway.

*****

She was lying in bed, very satisfied, when she felt Tom get up. "Where you going?" she murmured.

He glanced down at her. "Play time's over. I have to get back to work."

"I'm not some kind of toy."

"I know. I'm sorry." He hesitated. "But I do have to get back to work."

"So when will you be back with me?" She still wanted him, and hell, there was no reason he shouldn't want her.

"Page, I..." His voice died off. "I don't know. Listen, you need to talk to Mr. Palmer."

"Clark," she said absently, then something clicked in her mind. Was that it? Clark Palmer was her guy? Oh, hell, that would explain a lot.

"Clark," he agreed. There was a knock on the door. "That's probably him now." He stood, then leaned over to give her a kiss, gentle and sweet. "Thanks, Page. I had a great time."

"You really don't expect to be back," she said very softly.

He shrugged. "No."

Oh, well. Damn her memory, anyway. It was clearly fucked. "Bye then, Tom. You are damned good."

"Then I can call on you for a reference?"

"Sure. You even can call on me for a replay," she returned impishly.

Tom was at the door when she said that, and he gave her a grin before opening it. "Mr. Palmer."

"Stone." His eyes went right to Page, and only then did he smile. "You look much better. Stone," he said again, and Page heard the dismissal in it. That was promising.

"Yes, Mr. Palmer." Stone slipped out the door, and Palmer closed it behind him.

"You're not telling me everything." She decided that attacking was the best idea. "I need to know more about why I'm here, what's going on. Why Tom thinks that was his one chance at me."

"Tom's a good man." He sat on the bed by her after she nodded permission. "But it's complicated. Can't you trust me just a little? I'm here to help you, really."

She frowned, then shook her head. Nothing was working right. "Just tell me more, please."

His eyes gleamed, then they softened. "Maybe this will help you feel better." He leaned over and gave her a long, soft kiss, and oh, yes, it did. He was hers, she could tell.

"So if we're doing it, what the hell did you let Tom at me for?" she murmured, and after a moment he laughed.

"You wanted him, baby. Does that mean you've remembered me?"

She sighed. "I can tell we're together. That's it."

"You forgot all about *me*, too. I didn't expect that."

"But you expected me to forget."

"Listen to me." He took his hand in hers. "You're in danger. I'm trying to protect you. Can you let me?"

She really wanted to believe him, and she did not want to know any more, after all. Thinking made her head hurt.

"If you do, we can have a nice vacation," he wheedled. "I know it doesn't make sense, I know you want it to, but please just leave it. It will all come back to you in time. Just not now."

It wasn't like she had a choice. She was here, she did trust him, and hell, she really didn't want her head to keep hurting this way. She nodded.

"You'll see," he breathed and kissed her again. "It will be just fine."

*****

(Two weeks later)

She stumbled off the plane and found a wall to lean against. God, she didn't even know where this was, although she thought the announcement had been for D.C. Yes, that sounded right. What the hell was she going to do?

"Martinez." She heard someone say what she knew was her name as soon as she heard it, and turned. No, didn't know him. "I got the message you were coming in, so I came to pick you up. Are you all right?"

She put her hand to her head. It didn't hurt, but it felt so weird. "ID, now." He gave her a startled look, then pulled out a card. She scanned it. Clayton Webb, CIA, just like her. "All right." She looked at him more closely. Nice face, nothing special, but something about the eyes showed clear intelligence. "All right, Webb, do me a favor. Get me the hell out of here."

He drew in a sharp breath. "Damn, Page, what the hell happened to you?" First name. Did she know him? She thought she did. "And where's Kendall? No one can find him."

"I don't know."

He had his arm around her, but he wasn't holding like he had a right to. It was more like he was worried about her, although there was something that made her think that they were more than friends. Interesting.

He got her into the car and started it up. When they were on the highway, he blew out a long breath. "You've been gone longer than expected."

"I really do not know what you're talking about," she snapped. "I don't even really recognize you, if you're interested."

She had to trust someone, and he seemed safe. Felt safe. She hoped her instincts were still trustworthy, but then they had to be. They were just about all she had.

"I'm hurt." The note in his voice was dry, but also amused. "Is this your way of trying to get out of dinner?"

She was about to yell, but then she realized he was trying to calm her down. "You do know me, don't you." It wasn't a question.

"I know you pretty well, yes," he agreed. "In fact, we sleep together."

"And work together," she said slowly. Yes, they did sleep together. She knew that.

"Not often. I do more with State." He kept his eyes on the road and spoke in a calm voice that had a friendliness to it that made her feel even better about trusting him.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because you said you couldn't remember. I know you, Page, and you hate not knowing. Listen, I'm taking you to my place. I'll make you some coffee, we'll talk, and get this figured out."

"Not to Langley?"

"No." His voice was abrupt. "I'm not going to have you poked and prodded and tested."

Something about those words made her whimper. That had happened to her. Testing...someone laughing...

The car wasn't moving. "Page. Damn it, Page, stop that!" She was being shaken. "I will kill whoever did this to you," she heard a voice mutter, then she opened her eyes. He was staring at her. "What did I say?"

"Testing. Something about that." Her head was hurting now. "Damn this."

"All right." His voice was grim. "Relax. We'll be there in a little while."

"Put on some jazz," she said after a moment. "I remember, we like the same music."

He let out a soft chuckle. "You mean I like what you like. Safer that way."

She managed to smile. At least some of her memories were coming back.

*****

His place was very nice, museum quality. She said so to him and got a sharp look in return.

"Just because you're forgetting does not give you the right to criticize."

"It wasn't a criticism," she protested. "It just looks like you're never here."

"Usually I'm not." He sighed and handed her a mug of coffee. "Talk to me."

She took a deep breath, then let it out. More was coming back to her all the time. "I know that I was on assignment. Something happened. I was cleaning, and after that...what I remember is being on the plane just a little while ago. More accurately, the plane landing and getting off it."

His face tightened, and he was opening his mouth to answer when there was a quiet ring. He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open.

"Webb. Damn," she heard him say. "Yes, I'm talking with Martinez now. I'll call you." He clicked it off. "Kendall's been found."

"He's dead," she said flatly. It was clear from his face.

He nodded. "Executed. Whoever had you decided to kill him, I'm sure."

"So am I. So why am I alive?"

"There's more. They checked Kendall's computer, and it had been totally wiped. No records of anything, no stored files, no backups, nothing in the central system. It's all gone."

"Saretta." He nodded. "But he doesn't have the backing for that, or does he?"

"There are rumors he's got serious allies. Kendall didn't tell you?"

She shook her head. "You know Scott. Knew him." For some reason she didn't really care that he was dead. Oh, well. "He holds on to things."

"Yes." He frowned. "I never liked him being assigned to you," he muttered.

"You could have said something," she said dryly, then winced. Her head was hurting even more, damn it. "Clay, you have any aspirin?"

Now his frown was at her. "Of course, but who knows what you've got in your system?"

"Because you're fucking worried about some drug interactions does not mean I'm going to put up with a headache!" It felt really good to yell even though it made the headache worse. He just sat there, and she glared. "You know me too damned well," she spat at him.

There was a small smile on his face. "Yes, guess I do. Compromise?"

"You really tired of living, Webb?"

"Not now that you're back around," he said much too seriously for her taste, and she gave him a glare, then relented. "I've got some herbal tea. Try that, and if it doesn't work, then drugs?"

She rubbed her head. "As long as I don't try to think, I'm fine," she joked, then realized that it wasn't a joke. "Thinking makes my head hurt," she said slowly.

So maybe it was what she needed to do. She had a memory of that happening recently. Her head was hurting, and someone convinced her to stop thinking. She should have fought through the pain, but damn, it had hurt too much. The pain was the barrier. The barrier was the problem. The problem had to be solved, so the barrier had to come down. But how to do that? Nothing was coming to her.

She looked over at Webb, who was staring at her, but keeping quiet. "Fine, make the damned tea. Never thought I'd see the day when you got into that herbal shit. Yeah, it's all coming back," she added tiredly at the expectant look on his face.

He nodded and stood. "Take it easy, Page. Try some deep breathing. We will get whoever did this to you."

She closed her eyes. "Yeah, we'll get him. And he'll pay."

She was asleep when he got back, and he drank the tea himself as he guarded her sleep, the look on his face one of fury and pain.

*****

Page expected that the next place she would go would be Langley, but that didn't happen. People came to Clayton's to examine her and talk to her about the little she knew. Clayton was always there with a grim look on his face that made even the nosiest shut up as soon as he said 'enough', and she didn't protest his presence. She hated admitting it, but she didn't want to be alone with these people. The best guess was that she had been betrayed by one of the Company, one of her own, and she found herself not trusting anyone except Clayton.

The doctors and experts came for a few days, then stopped. Her superior came with flowers to see her and informed her that she was on indefinite sick leave, and that Clayton had taken responsibility for her care, that even though she was technically on leave, she was expected to do what he told her to.

Page was too stunned to say anything to her superior, but made up for it when she and Clayton were alone.

"You can't just keep me here!" she shouted at him. "Damn it, Clay, I have to find out who did this!"

"You're staying here until you feel better. You still keep getting those damned headaches, or am I imagining that look of pain on your face?" he shot back. "And you're not sleeping too well, Page. The Company experts agree with me. You need care. Some of them think you should be in a hospital, but I vetoed that."

That thought made her want to break something, but she restrained herself. She knew how much work Clay had put into his place, and she didn't want to hurt him, even though he was the goddamn most annoying person in the world right now. "I need to get back to work. That's all that's wrong with me." Even as she said it, she knew that was a lie, but she was too angry to care.

"Fine. Go back to work. Show whomever did this to you that you're out there, a target. Let him take you again. Page, we both know that one of the reasons for your abduction had to be to get you out of the business."

She couldn't speak. That had not occurred to her.

"You didn't think of that." His voice was suddenly gentler.

"Yeah, whatever," she managed. "But if that was the goal, why didn't they kill me?"

Clayton shook his head. "I don't know." She could tell that was something he didn't want to think about. "Page, please. We will find the people who took you, but until then, you need to stay safe. You need to let this bastard think he did what he wanted. I'm looking."

"Anything yet?"

"There are a few leads," and she could hear the carefulness of his phrasing.

"And none of them are going anywhere, are they? Whoever did this is really smart. Maybe too smart to get caught."

"We will find the people who took you," he repeated, this time more sharply. He took a long breath, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I won't be too long. You want me to bring back some food?"

"Sure. That sounds good. You want to tell me why you won't even touch me?"

That was really bothering her. They slept in the same bed, and he held her when she woke up from her nightmares, but he always wore a t-shirt and shorts and wouldn't come to bed unless she had on a nightgown at the least. She wanted him, wanted to wipe out whatever had been done to her with some real sex with him, but he was not cooperating.

His look in return was serious. "There's a good chance you were raped, Page. I'm not going to take the chance of you remembering that and forgetting that it's me inside you. It could be really bad."

"I won't forget."

"You may not be able to help it. There'll be time for sex, but not until you're doing better."

"I hate this, Clay." Her eyes were blazing. "I'm hiding from the world, and I didn't do anything wrong."

"I know. But you have to be safe." He picked up his briefcase. "Listen, I've got to go to Langley. I'll be back in a while."

"Yes, Mr. Webb, I'll be good," she said in her best sarcastic voice.

It only made him smile. "You could try calling me that other times," he suggested. "I like that."

"You'll be lucky if I ever give you another chance, and don't get cocky, Webb."

His smile widened. "You always told me I had reason to, Page."

That almost made her smile, but she suppressed it in time. He couldn't think he'd won that easily yet. "All right, fine, go to Langley. I'll watch a movie or something."

"Something nice. How about a Bogart movie?"

"You always want me to watch Bogart. You got any of the Die Hard ones?"

He winced. "No."

She laughed. "All right. I'm sure I'll find something."

"Page, listen to me." He was suddenly serious. "I need you to stay here. I know you, and you're thinking about taking off. Don't."

"Anything you say, Mr. Webb," she said and shrugged. "How fucking far would I get with no money and no car?"

His eyes narrowed. "Let's assume that we know the answer to that one, Ms. Martinez, and not try it."

She knew that he was deliberately using the formal address to remind her that he was technically her boss right now. "Yes, sir."

He stared at her for a long moment. "I will not be happy if you leave. Do you understand?"

"I got it," she snapped. "What the hell more do you want?"

"A set of handcuffs," he returned dryly. "But I never felt safe having something you could use against me here."

The idea of being restrained made her shiver, but she controlled it. She'd never liked that, she remembered. A legacy from the fucking gang rape. Something Webb didn't know about, at least not from her, and she wasn't about to tell him now.

"That upset you." Clayton Webb was too damned smart. "Page, it's a certainty they had you bound."

"I know they did," she said and made herself look at him. "The memories have to come back. Even if they used drugs."

"Why do you say that?"

She frowned. Why had she said that? "Because I got told they would. So that I would be safe to go back." It was so damned hazy. "He said that I wouldn't be able to trust my own mind."

"Anything more?"

She tried, but she couldn't. All she got was a feeling that she'd been too hot to think straight, and, she glanced at Clayton's set face, she wasn't going to tell him that. Not now. "Go to Langley. Find something to catch this fuck."

"You seem sure it was one person."

"I am sure of that," she said slowly. "Damn, who would want to take me, keep me, then let me go? It doesn't make sense."

"I know." He smiled, a chilling smile. "When I find him, I'll make sure to ask him about that."

She frowned. "This is my problem to take care of, not yours. I'll be doing the asking."

He gave her a look that she knew meant that he wasn't going to argue now, but would later if the subject came up again. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, and I'll quiz you on the movie, so stay here."

"Get going," she said, making sure she gave him one of her best smiles.

He nodded back and went out the door. Page went right over to the cabinet with the videos and started looking through them. She finally picked out two and had one in each hand as she straightened.

"All right." She jumped at the cool voice coming from behind her. "Nice to see you really are going to do what you said."

"Webb, get out! I don't need you spying on me." She glared at him as he stood in the doorway.

"Just making sure, Page. Maybe I should put agents around the place."

"You'll tip off this guy," she said shrewdly. "Put them around my apartment, or don't bother. Let him sweat it out."

"You're right."

She knew that he was about to tell her to stay put again, and held up the videos to stop that. "Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Which do you want to watch?"

An unwilling smile crossed his face. "That's a hell of a choice to have to make. Young Frankenstein."

"Wise choice," she said and slid the Blazing Saddles tape out of the box. "That one's made to see with a big, strong guy." She grinned at him. "Guess you'll do." He laughed at that. "Now get out of here so I can see this before you get back."

"I'm really going this time, I promise." He was out the door again, and she let herself relax. She'd known he'd come back. She knew him pretty damned well by now.

Fifteen minutes after he'd left for the second time, she was going out the door. Just a short walk, she told herself. Then she'd fast-forward the movie, watch the rest, and be safe and sound for when Clay got back. Just a little while outside in the sunshine wouldn't be a problem. And she had a weapon, the corkscrew with its little sharp knife. She didn't mind using a knife at all. She'd be fine. He worried too fucking much.

She set as brisk a pace as she could, wanting to look purposeful and enjoying the chance to move. Her body protested, then her muscles relaxed and it became easier. She made sure to go only a few blocks before making a turn to start the square that would bring her back to Clay's in time.

She kept walking, then saw a park with kids playing and mothers with strollers. Perfectly safe. The thought of sitting out there, just for a moment, was so tempting. She couldn't remember the last time she'd just sat in the sun. Why not? Clay would find things to do once he was at Langley, she knew, and he'd never let her answer the phone when he wasn't there. No problem. All right, she admitted to herself, she was getting a little stupid here, but fuck, she needed this and she was going to have it. No one was going to snatch her here, with all these people around. It would be unprofessional and absolutely too risky.

She picked out a bench in the sunshine and sank down on it. After a few moments of watching the children play, her eyes drifted closed. She hadn't been sleeping at all well, with nightmares coming over and over, but nothing from them clear when she woke.

"You're going to get burned if you stay in the sun."

She jerked up and glared at the man who was sitting on a nearby bench. He hadn't been there when she sat down.

"Sorry," he looked it, "but I couldn't help myself."

He smiled, a very charming smile. Cute guy. Hell, more than cute, gorgeous. Tall, dark, just what she always wanted to find in a bar. And somehow familiar. But he couldn't be. She knew she'd remember getting this in her bed. Probably just wishful thinking.

"Thanks."

She made herself stand. This rebellion of hers had gone on long enough. Time to get back and relax with the movie. Maybe she'd even make popcorn. She was pretty sure Clay had some of the microwave packets stashed away.

"You're welcome." His smile flashed again. "Guess it would be too much to expect you'd have time to hang out and talk."

Damn, she was tempted. She gave him another look, then smiled. "Much too much to expect."

"Can't blame a guy for trying," she heard him call cheerfully as she walked away.

Her smile turned into a grin. No, she didn't blame him at all. It was damned nice to find out she still had it. Too bad she couldn't stay and see about getting laid, but that would really be pushing her luck. No, time to get back and be good. There were only so many chances she could take in one day, and she was sure she was at her limit.

*****

When Clayton got back, she was in the living room. "Hey, come on, you can still catch the end of this one," she called. He'd gotten back more quickly than she'd anticipated, but she was at the right part of the movie, so she was fine.

He was taking off his suit jacket as he came toward her. "Great. I love that part."

She stopped the movie to let him get settled. "Anything I need to know?"

"Nothing." He sighed and sank down beside her. "Umm, you smell good." He nuzzled his face into her neck, and she let herself grin. This was more like it. "All nice and warm." His arms slid around her. "Must have been that sunshine you got out on your walk." His arms tightened and kept her there when she tried to pull away. "You goddamned idiot." His voice was harsh now. "You think I'm doing this for nothing? You *want* this fuck to find you? Is that it? You miss whatever the hell he was doing to you?"

"Maybe I should." Page knew she'd been stupid, wrong even, to go out, especially now that she saw how upset it had gotten Clayton, but she wasn't backing down. She never did that. "Hey, at least he wanted me. He wanted me bad enough to grab me." She stopped. What the fuck had she said?

"Tell me more about this man." Clay's voice was low. "Where did you meet him?"

Anger. Her anger was bringing it back. But her anger was gone now. All she had was her damned, fucking headache again.

"Sorry, Clay, that's all for now."

He had her by the shoulders now. "Page, you're remembering."

She winced at the pain in her head, and the intensity in his eyes. "I know. Let go of me."

He released her and blew out a long breath. "You'll remember more now. I know it."

"You followed me." She wanted to get that settled.

"A good thing I did. I thought I was going to have to come and get you in that park. I got a picture of that man who was talking to you. I'll run a check on him." His eyes were cold. "Page, you know better."

"Fine. You caught me; I was wrong; it's over with."

His sigh was exasperated. "I'm not leaving you alone again. If I have to go out, you'll have protection. Is that clear?"

She opened her mouth to protest, then saw the look in his eyes of anger and fear. She didn't want Clay to be scared. She ended up nodding.

"Thank you." His eyes cleared. "How about the end of the movie?"

She shook her head. "Clay, my head's killing me. I'm going to lie down." She got up before he could say anything. "Night for now."

"Sleep as long as you like," she heard him call after her. She sighed and went into his bedroom, stripping off her clothes as soon as she got inside and pulling on a damned nightgown out of habit. As soon as she was safely under the covers, the headache faded, and she drifted into sleep.

*****

She woke hours later, her throat raw and arms around her. "Page, you're all right." Clayton's strained voice. How was he here? Didn't matter. He'd listen.

"My god. He had me in a chair, Clay, and he let them all touch me, do whatever they wanted to me. He drugged me," she whispered. She was still there, never would get out. "I couldn't think. That damned drug..." Her voice died out.

"Who drugged you?" The voice was soft now, gentle. "Tell me, please."

Please. What a nice word. She let herself relax. Maybe she was all right now. "Palmer," she whispered. "Clark Palmer. The Venus drug. It made me hot, too hot. I couldn't fight."

She heard the angry intake of breath, but his voice was calm when he spoke again. "Tell me anything you can, Page. Everything."

She was waking up now, and it was getting clearer. "Clay, he's a DSD agent. Come on." She tried to pull away from him. "Clay, we have to check the computer. I got him in a mission, and he grabbed me for revenge." She shivered. "And he got what he wanted from me. God, that was Stone in the park. He's got Stone watching me." At least now she knew she was out.

"I will kill him."

"It's my fight," she said sharply. "You have no right to take revenge for me. Don't you fucking try."

"We'll talk about it later." He let go of her. "First, let's find out about this Clark Palmer."

*****

She took her gun out before she rang the doorbell, and it was a good thing.

"Palmer." She was glad to see that he was surprised to see her, and that he took her seriously enough to freeze. "Don't try any shit with me. I will shoot you."

"Whatever you say, ma'am," he said after a long moment. "Do I know you?"

"Nice try." She jerked her head toward the hall. "Out, and down the stairs. Make it look good."

He simply nodded and did as she said. As soon as they were in the stairwell, she pushed him against the wall and pulled out a set of handcuffs. "Hands behind your back," she said tersely and saw him comply. She snapped on the cuffs and made herself breathe. First part done. She stepped back. "Keep going."

They went down the stairs until they reached the exit, then went out to the car.

"In." She opened the passenger-side door and waited until he got in, then buckled the seat belt over him. His eyes were bright as they followed her movements. "Don't try talking, Palmer. You've got nothing I want to hear."

"You must have something you want, ma'am," he said softly. "If you'd tell me what it was, maybe I could help you."

Trying to ingratiate himself with her, trying to find out just how much she remembered. "You know damned well who I am and why I'm doing this." She started the car. "And I said shut up. Unless you'd like a gag."

At that, he shut his mouth. Well, something that worked. She knew what he was doing, trying to be what she wanted. That was fine, but not here. Palmer could try all the tricks he could think of when they got to their destination.

*****

Page. With her memory back. That was clear. And Stone hadn't alerted him she was coming. Maybe she'd taken him out. It wouldn't surprise him. Palmer moved his head only enough to see her grim face. Now what the fuck was she going to do? Kill him? No, Page wasn't stupid. She would had to have realized he'd have a plan in reserve to implicate her if she did. He wasn't even worried about her blowing the whistle on him. The humiliation to herself would be greater than the damage to him, and she had to know that.

So this had to be something private, and something sweet Page was doing on her own. No problem. He could play this, give her what she wanted, then get out. Page had a ruthless streak, but she was CIA. She'd never gotten it properly developed. Pity. Maybe he should try and get her to come over to the DSD. He amused himself by thinking of ways to do that as she drove. This might be fun. Page looked tense. She needed to relax, and he knew how to get her to do that. He shifted in his seat as he felt himself harden. He could enjoy having her one more time.

*****

She didn't say anything to Palmer until they were there. "We're going inside, Palmer, and you're going to be good for me, aren't you?" Damn, it was a trip having him at her mercy, and she reminded herself to stay cool. She couldn't let him see that she was getting turned on by this.

"Anything you want, ma'am." His eyes promised even more than his words. He bowed his head. "Tell me what you want. I'll do it."

"You can't play me, Palmer."

His lashes swept down over his eyes. "No, ma'am. Please tell me, is that how you want me to address you?"

Oh, shit. This shouldn't be working, and it was, even though just a little. "Palmer, you know who I am."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't know how to address you." She gave him a hard stare. "Please, ma'am?"

"Don't do this, Palmer." Finally she gave in. He wasn't playing nicely, and letting him have this wouldn't hurt. "Page Martinez. But you knew that. Call me Ms. Martinez."

"Yes, Ms. Martinez," he murmured. "Thank you."

He was better than she'd thought. But he wasn't going to win this. There was a tap on her window, and she lowered it to see Clayton Webb.

"You just going to stay in there?" Clay's eyes moved over to Palmer. "I see you've got company."

"Yes. Get him out. And Clay?" She smiled at him. "I'll understand if he's got some bruises once you've got him inside."

She glanced at Palmer, whose face was suddenly tense. A very nice thing to see. Maybe he was smart enough to be afraid now.

Clayton opened Palmer's door and unbuckled him, then yanked him out and threw him against the car. "Clark Palmer, is that right?"

"Yes, sir," she heard Palmer say, and let herself smile. A little something for Clay.

"You goddamned fuck. I should kill you now for what you did to her."

"Are you going to let him kill me, Ms. Martinez?" Palmer's voice was too controlled, even though Clay's hand was in his hair, pulling his head back. He was trying to play her against Clay, and Clay wasn't helping. Thank god it wasn't just the two of them in some room somewhere. She didn't want to think about what Clay might do to Palmer. He'd had some pretty insane ideas about the kind of revenge he wanted to take, but she'd vetoed them all.

"Bring him in," she ordered, then headed toward the small, shabby-looking structure. It wasn't much, but she didn't need much. Just privacy, and time. And Palmer.

She waited by the door until Clay pushed Palmer inside. "Keep guard. I'll call if I need you." She kept her voice down.

"I don't like you being alone with him." His voice was low, too.

"I need this." That shut him up, just like it had when she first said it. "Go."

She shut the door behind him, ignoring the look in his eyes, and turned to Palmer, who was on the floor, kneeling. Oh, nice touch. But he wasn't running this. She took a few quick steps to stand in front of him. "Get up."

He struggled to his feet, and she could tell that he was making it look harder than it was. She laughed.

"Oh, Palmer, you are fun when you try to be sneaky. But it doesn't work with me." She leaned closer to him. "We picked up Stone an hour ago. So don't think he's going to save you. Nice of you to make sure I was safe." She tilted her head to look into his face, which had an expression she could read. He'd already considered the possibility that Stone was out of the picture. "Aren't you worried about him?"

"If Stone was following you, I'm sure he can take care of himself." He wet his lips, and she knew that he was trying to distract her. "Or did you want me to offer anything to get him free? Fine, Ms. Martinez. I'll do anything you want."

"What if I don't want anything you can do, Palmer?"

"You have to want something, or you wouldn't have brought me here. Tell me what you want."

The direct approach. He knew her better than she liked. "That's nice to hear. I want you to admit that you kidnapped and tortured me for your own amusement. That's what I want."

He stilled, and she watched him. "You have to be kidding. We both know that would be a lie." He glanced up, and she knew that he was looking for a camera.

"This is off the record, Palmer. I'm not interested in blackmail."

"Whatever you say, Ms. Martinez. Ask me something else." His voice was all promise again. "Oh, wait, let me guess. You told your friend that you wanted to get me here to confess, when what you really want is," he paused, "find out more about the DSD's capabilities."

"I know more than enough about that, thank you," she said coolly. Let him play his games, let him find out that they wouldn't work on her. Let her find out that she could resist him. That was the real goal, to break whatever hold Clark Palmer had on her. And he had one. She was glad that she had thought to wear layers, to hide the fact that her nipples were getting hard.

"What, did you let Stone show you what he can do? Bet your friend wasn't too happy about that. But then maybe you cut him out of the loop, just like you're doing now."

He wasn't moving, wasn't that stupid, but his voice was getting to her. Didn't matter. She'd stay here until she was sure she would never fall for any of his tricks again. And the only way to do that was to let him use them on her.

She swallowed. This part she hadn't told Clay. He thought she was going to get him to confess. Well, she was, but a few other things were going to happen. Maybe. One thing for sure.

"Are you scared of me? No need. I'm cuffed. I can't hurt you. And you're the one in charge here. I'm your prisoner." His eyes held hers. "You can do anything you want with me. Your friend does know to leave us alone, right?"

"If he hears something he doesn't like, he'll be in here. So watch it, Palmer. He'd love to kill you." She kept her voice calm.

"But you don't want me dead. That's strange, considering you're the one talking about me having kidnapped and tortured you. Do you want to tell me more about that? I'd like to know just what fantasies you've come up with, why they're so compelling that you had to grab me. Did you want me to act them out with you?"

"Admit you took me, Palmer. You said you'd do anything I wanted."

"If you want me to lie, I'll lie. Sure, I kidnapped you, held you hostage, raped you, right? That's what I did?" He took a step toward her. "Tell me what I did. I'll confess as soon as I know."

Shit, he was a good gameplayer, but she was still in control of herself. "You know damned well what you did to me."

He took another step. "Did I kiss you? Maybe if I kissed you again, I'd remember."

"Maybe you would," she murmured and raised her face. "If I order you to kiss me, will you?" Clay would kill her, no, kill *him* for this, but this was her game now. She had to know.

"Anything, ma'am," he whispered, and the gleam in his eyes told her that he was sure he was in control, sure she still wanted him, sure he could get her to do anything he wanted if he got this.

"Then do it." God, she was so glad that he had the cuffs on. She both wanted and didn't want this, but she knew she needed to do it.

His lips found hers in a warm, soft kiss with just enough tongue to make it interesting. Very nice, she thought. Take it easy, make it good. He was trying to seduce her, but that wasn't the game plan. She stepped back.

"Didn't I do it well enough for you, Ms. Martinez? Let me try it again."

She stared at him. Yeah, gorgeous, and sexy, and a fucking controlling bastard. "You've done enough, Palmer. I'm through with you. Doesn't matter if you're willing to admit what you did to me; I know it. If you ever come near me, I'll make sure that your superiors know, as well as mine."

His eyes hardened. "Throwing around things like that without proof could ruin you, Page. Think about that."

"I'm not worried about that, Clark. Just as long as I take you down, I'll go." She went over to the door. "We're finished here."

Clay's eyes were relieved. "I'll take him."

"Dump him somewhere. Stone, too. Get them both the fuck away from me."

"Page, goddamn you, you can't do this!"

She turned to face him. "I didn't do anything, Clark. Just found out I was through with you. Don't forget what I said."

"I won't. Fucking bitch."

"Don't forget it, Palmer. Next time, don't fuck with me." She stared at him until he looked away. "That's better. And Palmer? You didn't do that great a job of being what I wanted. You might want to work on that."

All Palmer did was glare until Clayton dragged him out to the car. She went out to watch them leave, then let herself relax. There was no guarantee that Clark Palmer wouldn't decide to take revenge for what she'd done to him, but she'd deal with that if she had to.

She was done with Clark Palmer. And it felt really good.

The End

Gail (gem225@hotmail.com)

Posted 1/17/01

JAG

Fiction