Encouraging the Obsession (Closed)

[Vagrant]

(This thread is closed for myself and AndreaSubbie)

Dr. Candace Mahael sat in her office looking at the package that had been waiting for her that morning. Opening it had revealed a card and a cellphone. Following the directions on the card, which just said 'turn me on' she had turned the phone on, being presented with a picture of her children. Her children that should have been at summer camp. Her children who were decidedly not at camp. She sat, stunned, just looking at the picture of her children in a place she didn't recognize, and with a phone number as the caption. With nothing else to do, she called the number.

Elsewhere, when the phone he had prepared for this meeting rang, Caspian Volkov smiled. "Good morning Dr. Mahael, I've been waiting for your call. I can assure you that your children are safe and being well taken care of. They are my guests, and I will be quite happy to continue to take care of them and make sure they are protected. In exchange, I'm hoping that you can do something for me... a small favour if you will. Yes, you know how this works, that's right. You aren't to tell anyone that anything is wrong. Your children are away at summer camp just as planned. If you call the police, bad things may happen to them. Yes, that's right. Now, for my favour. One of your patients, Andrea Holmes, shot and killed one of my men. Yes, she's had a rather one track mind when it comes to me and my business. Ahh, I see my name has come up, I'm not surprised. I want you to approve her for active duty. Yes, I want her back on the job, I can deal with her attention, I find it rather amusing, actually. But I want you to keep seeing her. You're going to strengthen this obsession she has for me. We'll talk again soon, I think it's time for your appointment with our mutual friend."

The line went dead and Candace sat frozen in her chair for a few moments, processing what just happened. She should call the police. She really should. If she gave in to this man's demands, it would be the first step to her abandoning her ethics. If she did what he was asking, altering her patient's treatment, it would be the first step towards a very dark place. She should call the police. Candace reached for her phone and pressed a button. "Send in Ms Holmes please"

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Here we go again, thought Andrea. She sighed, got out of her chair in the waiting area, and went through into the Doctor's room.

It was all a waste of time, a waste of everyone's time. But rules were rules, and she needed to get signed off. She needed to get back to work. Catching bad guys. Not just Volkov. It was stupid to suggest that she was obsessed. She was out to get everyone who broke the law. Especially those who murdered and otherwise destroyed lives. The real bad guys. And they didn't come much badder than Volkov. Which put him top of her list. Or would have, if she were an obsessive kind of woman. Which she wasn't. All of which proved that this was a waste of time.

She wasn't obsessed. Just wanted to do her job. Fairly. Equal treatment for all, scaled according to badness. The baddest got the most attention. If that happened to be Volkov it was because he was bad. It was his own fault. Not her obsession. If anything, he was the one obsessed. Obsessed with doing bad. If he stopped his criminal activity she would forget him in an instant. Already had, almost. Wasn't giving Volkov a second thought. Or a second's thought. Nope, he was nothing to her, didn't feature in her head, took up no space at all.

She sat in the available therapy chair, the one she supposedly chose herself but felt manipulated into choosing. Thankfully, her mind was free of Volkov as she made herself comfortable, straightening the pressed crease on her dark dress slacks, adjusting the fit of her short tailored tan jacket, tugging the collar of her fitted cream button-front blouse, checking that her dark hair was secured in the ponytail. She raised one foot to cross that leg over the other, the snug running shoes secure on her feet should she get another crack at one of Voltov's men. Like the one she'd shot.

If only her colleagues hadn't messed up and interfered. She'd had it totally under control. Was going to bring the guy in for questioning, was going to turn him into an informant. All those weeks of investigation, preparation. Then the men had to interfere and take over and totally screw everything up. Hence the gunfight. Hence shooting her potential asset, her line into Volkov's organisation. She hadn't meant to kill him. It had all gone wrong. because of the men. And to cap it all, her boss was taking credit for the justifiable shooting of a gangster while she had to attend therapy.

But at least she wasn't obsessed with Volkov. Which meant the Doc would sign her off, she would return to duty and have another go at getting something on Volkov. On all the bad guys, obviously. Not just Volkov. Just because she'd been hunting him since joining up straight from University didn't mean that she'd become obsessed. But three years, and she'd come so close. Until her male colleagues jumped in and messed everything up.

"Sorry, what was that?" She realised that the Doc had spoken but she had been so busy settling into the chair that she hadn't heard properly. It had nothing to do with having Volkov on her mind.

Volkov? Who was he? He barely registered with her. She was NOT obsessed.

 

[Vagrant]

Candace stood and smiled as naturally as she could, considering her mind was still reeling after learning that her children had been kidnapped, and that to get them back she would have to do the bidding of the man that her patient was fixated on bringing to justice. His first request seemed harmless enough, but she knew that more would come in time. Each request would be a chip at her integrity, a corroding of her ethics. As they sat down, her eyes moved to the drawer she put the phone and then back to Andrea. She could tell Andrea what had happened. This would be further evidence to help her patient prove that her fixation on this man, Caspian Volkov, wasn't irrational.

"Andrea, I've been going over my notes from our previous sessions and I don't see any signs of PTSD regarding the shooting that you were involved in. I understand that the department has also determined that the use of force was justified in the circumstances. So, I'm going to sign your release to return to duty." She paused. "With one stipulation. I want you to continue to see me, twice a week, to work through your obsession with this Caspian Volkov." She held up a finger as she knew that Andrea was going to insist once again that she was not obsessed with him. "My notes are full, absolutely full, of instances where you were focused almost solely on Mr. Volkov. I'm not saying he isn't a criminal, or that he hasn't earned your attention. What I am saying is that you need to learn to channel this in a more healthy manner. Your return to duty is predicated on you accepting this arrangement, and your continued attendance of therapy with me. If you miss even a single session without what I deem an adequate reason, I will file the paperwork to have you placed on leave. Do you agree with that?"

 

[AndreaSubbie]

"That's ridiculous! You know full well I'm not obsessed with this man. What's his name? I don't even remember!"

This was what the Dictor did. She would ask a provocative question and then sit back and listen and take notes, saying little, not interrupting, letting Andrea do all the talking. And Andrea talked and talked, making an excellent case to prove that Volkov was nothing to her, that she wasn't fixated, that the notes just proved that it was the Doctor who was fixated, always asking questions about him, making Andrea talk about him. And if she happened to talk more about his case than any other, then it was the Doctor's fault for asking about him all the time.

Eventually, the young detective ground to a halt, running out of words. Didn't the Doctor understand how difficult it was for a young woman to make Detective? That she'd had to start her investigations of Voltov while still a Patrol Officer? How she had to endure the snide comments of colleagues because she wouldn't date any of them? Everyone mistaking her focus for obsession.

But she knew an ultimatum when she heard it. She couldn't return to duty without the Doc signing her off, and she wasn't going to do that unless Andrea agreed to this ridiculous arrangement of therapy twice a week.No excuses. Grudgingly, reluctantly, Andrea agreed. What choice did she have?

Sighing, Andrea made the required statement. "Yes, Doctor, I agree to attend sessions twice a week, and I'll try to channel my focus as you said." She hoped that would be enough to get the return-to-duty. "So when's our next session?"

Andrea checked her watch. Either they were going to get down to it or she would be allowed to go early as a reward for her agreement. After all, she appeared to have agreed to an open-ended commitment, therapy twice a week with no obvious end in sight.

 

[Vagrant]

The doctor sighed. "That, right there, "She said as Andrea claimed to not even remember the man's name. "We both know that you remember his name. Remembering the name of a suspect in a crime is not something that should be unusual for someone like you. And yet in an attempt to appear like he is meaningless to you, you flail about wildly in a performative attempt to minimize his importance. That is what I mean by helping you to deal with this in a healthy way."

After Andrea agreed to her terms, she looked at her watch and nodded. "Good. We have enough time in this session to get started." Leaning back in her chair, she slowly started the metronome on her desk swinging back and forth, making a soft noise as it reached the apex of each swing. "Now, I want you to relax for me, focus on your breathing the way we discussed in previous sessions, and just focus on my voice." The doctor's voice slow and calm, soft and soothing. She kept talking, leading Andrea in relaxed breathing, guiding her to focus on her voice, while the metronome swung in the background.

As Andrea went into her trance, the doctor smiled. "That's good Andrea. I want you to float on this relaxing feeling, not hearing anything until I saw your name... just float. That's it. Nothing to listen to, just relaxing, until I say your name."

Seeing her follow the instructions, Candace pulls the cellphone from her desk and calls the lone contact saved in the phone. "I have her here now. What is it you want me to do exactly?" And then she listens to her instructions.

"Ok Andrea, you're enjoying this relaxing feeling. It's so much different than how you normally feel, all stressed out about proving yourself. You have to work hard, that's true, but some things are beyond your control. Your interest in Caspian Volkov, for example. You know he's a criminal, he's a powerful man. But he'll slip up sooner or later. He'll make a mistake, and that's when you'll be there to bring him down. But in the meantime, you should play it cool. He's a powerful man, he may have cops on the take. He may have influence at city hall, he's a powerful man. You need to keep that in mind, shouting from the rooftops may not be the best way to bring him down. You need to be subtle, circumspect. Powerful men aren't taken down easily. It takes months, or years. Rushing things will only ensure that he gets off again. You want to take the powerful crime boss off the streets, not embolden him further with yet another appearance in court where his lawyers easily explain why he's not guilty. You know he's guilty and you need as much evidence as possible to prove it. If you want to bring down this powerful man, you need to find evidence, but you need to be more subtle about it. If you're subtle, people will stop accusing you of being obsessed, which you're not. You're focused. Focused on bringing down this crime boss. Bringing down this powerful man."

As the session comes to a close, the doctor brings Andrea out of her trance and promises to have the proper paperwork filed. "I'll see you on mondays and thursdays from now on, ok Andrea?"

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Walking back to the precinct after therapy gave Andrea plenty of time to think. Now that she was returning to duty she'd be able to really focus on bringing Voltov down, focus because she wasn't obsessed. No, she was focused, and obviously the therapy sessions were a further waste of time. But she'd agreed to the deal, return to duty in return for Mondays and Thursdays, but she didn't have to take them seriously. Just go through the motions, enjoy the relaxation stuff, and work hard on bringing the powerful crime boss to justice.

And he was powerful, with clever lawyers. She'd need to be subtle, careful, circumspect. Find evidence, build the case, take her time. The phrase getting him off echoed through her mind, a play on words, the naughty meaning making her smile. This had nothing to do with attraction, the two meanings of the phrase just an unfortunate coincidence. But he was a powerful man. She would be careful, take her time, build the case, be ready for when he made a mistake. Focused.

Andrea reported in to her sergeant and went to her desk to fill in her calendar with repeat appointments twice every week with no end date yet, a time waster stretching out for an eternity until the Doc stopped the sessions. Or maybe just a nice relaxing start to the day twice a week paid for by the Department. Maybe she might enjoy the sessions, especially if like today's actual therapy it had nothing to do with that powerful crime boss but was simply relaxation therapy. She could handle that.

In the meantime, there were bad guys to catch and powerful men she mustn't allow to get off.

She went back to her Sergeant and reported for duty.

 

[Vagrant]

With his plans for the detective underway, it was time for Caspian to focus on other matters. But he still needed to keep the detective on a short leash, even if she didn't know she was on one.

Like always he was careful to distance himself and his immediate associates from anything outright criminal, but his organization was large enough to compartmentalize. While planning to receive a shipment of cocaine from his south american supplier, he was sure that the only ones involved on his end were not going to talk to anyone they didn't need to in order to get the job done. He could be less careful on ventures that didn't mean as much as this shipment, he wanted to keep Detective Homes on his trail but only when he could afford to cut and run. This wasn't one of those deals.

Getting an idea, he pulled out his phone and called one of his people. "It's me. I have something I want you to do. I want you to invent a story that we're going to be buying guns from a dealer, leave them unnamed, at a warehouse... I don't care where, so long as it's near the interstate and away from the docks." He smiled. "And make sure that one of the more loose lipped snitches hears about this. I want a certain detective to hear about this. You know she won't be able to resist trying to kick the hornet's nest to see what comes out. Right. I bet I'll have an unexpected guest show up in my office in a day or two." He chuckled. "She'll be a marionette dancing on my strings soon enough. Just you wait."

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Sergeant Rafferty, 'Gerry', sent Andrea on a little errand to collect the intelligence bulletins from the other end of the Detective Bureau and bring them to him at his desk. He stared openly at her ass as she walked away, the tailored pants making the most of her anatomy in a way that she surely wasn't aware of. All the other male eyes in the room followed her progress. There were few sights in the Department as delightful as Detective Andrea Holmes walking away, he decided. Unless you counted looking down her top when leaning over her as she sat at her desk concentrating on the piece of paper you'd just given her. These intelligence briefs were so damned useful.

"You've looked through these already?" he asked as she handed him the file.

"Yes Sarge, nothing on Volkov. I need to go out and call on a few of my snitches, do the rounds."

"Take your partner. I don't want any more of this lone ranger shit. And clear your other cases, too. You know we have a quota from the L T, and your obsession with Voltov can take a back seat now that we've reduced his manpower by one."

Typical, she thought, the men taking credit as usual for everything she did. Andrea went back to her desk to check emails and see if her return to duty had been cleared so that she could get her gun back. She was itching to go talk to her informants. There was a powerful man out there and she needed to stop him from getting off. Again that double meaning haunted her and she shook herself to get rid of it.

By lunchtime, Andrea was positively buzzing with her new lead. Find the evidence, build the case. That was what she had resolved upon. She wrote up the tip she'd received and put it in the system, but secretly she intended to follow it up herself. There was only a suggestion, but Volkov might be getting a weapons shipment. She needed to go over the local maps and satellite images to work out which warehouses near the interstate looked promising.

 

[Vagrant]

True to her word, Dr. Mahael had submitted the paperwork for Andrea's return to work. There was no mention of requiring further therapy, or of the doctor's concerns about her obsession with Caspian Volkov. In a message sent directly to Andrea, the doctor explained that she had omitted their deal from the official paperwork to avoid any blackmark on Andrea's record. Many cops went to therapy, that wasn't unusual, and she was still bound by doctor patient privilege. But their dal still stood, she would revoke her sign off if Andrea didn't keep up her end of the bargain, and that would be something that stood out.

On the intel front, there were a few possible locations that would fit with the rumours she heard, but nothing concrete. Since the job didn't actually exist, there were no real leads that could be found. Caspian's man wasn't too concerned about specifics like which warehouse it would be. There wouldn't even be many other sources of the rumours available since it was only that day that the story was made up. Caspian knew that most cops would disregard the reports as holding now weight, but he bet that Detective Holmes wouldn't be able to let it go. He suspected that he would have a visit from her soon.

Elsewhere, Doctor Mahael had cancelled her appointments for the day, citing a family emergency. Upon receiving the package and discovering what it was and what it meant, she had no choice but to compartmentalize her feelings in order to not breakdown at the news that her children were kidnapped by a crime lord and were being used as leverage. Once Andrea had left her office, all of that came crashing down on her, and she sobbed, crying uncontrollably. She called the number in the phone for the third time that day.

"Well, I certainly am popular, to what do I owe this call my dear doctor?" Caspian's voice came from the speaker.

"I'm doing what you asked, when do I get my children back?" She pleaded. He couldn't see her, but her eyes were red and puffy from the crying.

"And you want me to just... take your word for it? Would that be a smart decision? No, I think your children will stay with me until I'm certain you are doing what I asked to the best of your ability. I want to see results, my dear! Results! As I understand it, your children were supposed to be at Summer camp for the next 2 months. Their absence at home won't be noticed until at least then, so you have at least until then to show me that you are my obedient pet therapist. Don't disappoint me doctor. I know two little darlings who are counting on you."

 

[AndreaSubbie]

“... so what dya reckon, C or D?” Andrea heard the end of the question as she walked into the Detective Bureau.

“Or E?” asked another.

“No way, in your dreams pal!”

The men stared at her chest as she walked by. These were supposed to be her colleagues. She snorted in disgust, which got a laugh. At her desk, she got what she needed and left to join her partner in the car. They were about to go on a stakeout.

Two hours later she and bill Jackson had just about exhausted all the conversation they could think of. The coffee was gone, and so were Bill's donuts. Being a big guy he could put away quite a few. He admitted to two hundred pounds, but at six feet five he carried it well.

“So you obviously convinced the shrink, Andi,” he said, finally broaching the sensitive subject of the shooting and its aftermath. “I warned you about getting obsessed.”

“Yes, Dad!” she replied, glancing over with affection at her bigger older partner. He always seemed to be telling her off for something, but always like her really cared. The grizzled white hair that contrasted starkly with his dark skin reminded her that soon he'd collect his pension and she'd be on her own, without Bill to watch out for her, to look after her.

“Actually this morning I didn't get much grief about Volkov. It was more like a relaxation thing that the Doc is starting with me, much better than the grilling I usually get about my focus on ...”

Jackson interrupted with, ”Obsession, you mean!”

“No, I'm focused, not obsessed! And I wouldn't mind starting every day with the relaxation stuff. It's certainly better than the interrogation and supposedly getting a healthier handle on my FOCUS on Volkov.”

Any more discussion was interrupted by some action at the store they were watching. It had taken hours of sifting through crime data but Andrea had done it. She'd widened the parameters for the computer search of local robberies and got too many hits. But patience and perseverance and hours of unpaid overtime had revealed a previously hidden connection. A fair number of crimes had MOs that were almost similar but with a few minor differences in each case. When she plotted them on her computer map they were all within walking distance of this convenience store. Which was why they were watching it. Somehow it might be connected to the series of robberies. And it looked like they might be about to harvest the fruits of her labours.

 

[Vagrant]

Her instincts and deductive reasoning as a cop were dead on as there clearly was something going on at and around this convenience store. A small time local gang was using it as their meeting location for the night. Every so often the clerk would come out and threaten to call the cops, and the young men and boys would laugh and disperse, but it wasn't long before they were back again. They knew the clerk was spineless and wouldn't follow through on his threats. If the two detectives wanted to question or arrest any of them, they might get one or two, but the bulk of the gang would no doubt scatter. It was up to them if they believed the effort would yield anything worth while.

Later that night, Caspian was again getting a phone call. "She spent hours staking out where? Hmmm, thanks for the heads up, feel free to do what you want with them they have no relation to my operations... too small time. Anything else you want to..." He paused. "Is that so? That could be useful. No, we've already been through this, I have no intention of hurting her or killing her. There are other ways to take a piece off the board. You have my word."

The next morning, Andrea had a call from Doctor Mahael. "Andrea, sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, but I just wanted to let you know... I've had a cancellation that frees up an early appoint on a daily basis. I know you want to finish up with this therapy as soon as possible, so if you're interested, I can schedule you in for daily hypnosis sessions in the hopes that we can help you faster."

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Andrea tried not to sound enthusiastic, but it was just what she needed to hear. "Well, okay Doc, if you insist. It would be good to finish. And it would be the hypnosis? Just like yesterday? The relaxation? Okay, I'll be there."

Andrea would have to skip her home workout if she was to make it to the Doc's office on time, so she quickly dressed in work clothes, again smart practical slacks, blouse and jacket, gun and badge. She looked around her small, compact two-room apartment where she'd lived like a nun for the past two years, ever since joining the Department fresh out of training. It was bleak, devoid of personality, like a dorm room. As if she spent all her time and energy on work. Thank goodness she was only focused, not obsessed.

Once at the Doc's office she reported in to the receptionist and waited to be called. She was a little nervous, a little excited, a little apprehensive. But she was looking forward to it.

When she went in she walked confidently to her usual chair, ready and eager to begin. She wasn't masking her enthusiasm at all well.

 

[Vagrant]

Soon enough, Candace was looking across her desk at Andrea, the metronome ticking in time with her breathing and the young detective was deep in a trance.

"Ok Andrea, listen to my voice. All you hear is my voice. The more we meet in the mornings, the better you feel about your time in therapy and the more you look forward to the next session."

She looked down at her notes for her goals for today.

"Andrea, I want you to think about your diet. It's important that you eat healthy. You're going to start making sure that you are eating only healthy foods. It's also very important that your diet includes lots of very specific foods." She begins to list a number of fruits, vegetables and other ingredients. She doesn't say why, but these foods are known to naturally promote breast growth. "Your diet must include these foods. They will help you maintain a healthy body."

"You are also going to spend more time in the gym. Your routine is going to change though. You won't consciously decide to change, but you are going to start doing exercises that will strengthen your butt and thighs, decrease the size of your waist and overall tone your body, not build muscle. The idea of having more feminine curves is a turn on. Deep inside a part of you wants to be soft and feminine. The more your body changes, due to your workout and diet, the larger this part of you will become. Soft and feminine is what that part wants to be. The more you see these effects, the more of a turn on it will be for you."

"When you sleep at night, you are going to start having wet dreams. Every night your dreams will be full of arousing images. Images like you dancing on a stage. The spotlight is on you, but you can't see beyond. You can't even see the whole stage. But from the darkness you hear voices. Male voices. Some are giving you compliments on your body. Compliments that make you aroused. The more your body changes to be more soft and feminine, the more compliments to your body will arouse you. Other voices will be asking you to dance certain ways. You like to indulge those voices. But there is one voice, powerful and commanding, that gives you orders. He does not ask you for anything, he commands. Following his orders makes you wettest of all. Every dream will end with him shouting an order at you and you will awaken having an orgasm."

The rest of the session was spent going over these changes to Andrea's psyche, making sure they were firmly in place.

As Andrea awakened from her trance, she was greeted with Dr. Mahael's smiling face. "That's today's session done, how do you feel this time, Andrea?"

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Andrea blew out a big breath. "Wow! Er, I feel good, relaxed. But I skipped my workout this morning and feel like I really should put in some gym time. And though this will sound weird being the start of the day, I'm really looking forward to getting some sleep tonight? I dunno. Anyway, thanks for doing this, Doc. Same time tomorrow?"

Back at the precinct Andrea booked some time in the gym for after work, reported in to Sgt Rafferty, put up with his comment on how refreshed she looked, and headed to Bills' desk to discuss the day ahead. It turned out that the guys they picked up at the convenience store weren't able to shed any light on Volkov's activities, but they had given the Robbery Squad a lead that had led to arrests at silly o'clock that morning and the recovery of stolen property. Bill had already been thanked by the L T. Andrea hadn't. Typical.

They scouted a few warehouse locations near the interstate, but saw no suspicious activity. Andrea was going to have to do more research to narrow down where Volkov's gun business was going to be conducted. Maybe it was time to visit his office again, try to provoke him, get him to make a mistake. Bill thought it a bad idea, and her usual bossy charm and daughter-like manipulation weren't working. Maybe she needed to come across as more feminine? Softer? Less aggressive, more sweet. Sugar, not fire? Did any of that make sense?

After lunch, she told Bill she was running an errand and took an unmarked car to Volkov's offices. The legitimate ones. The place where he spent much of his time.The place where she'd always confronted him. Parked outside she was undecided if she should go in. She had nothing new, just this rumour of the gun supply. All very vague. Go in or not go in. He was a powerful man, after all. Why was that important?

 

[Vagrant]

As she was outside the high-rise building, wondering if she should go in to confront him, a fancy black car pulled up in front of the building and out stepped Caspian and his personal assistant.

As it happened, he noticed her there and called out to her. "well well well, look who's here. Should we be worried that you're here to shoot someone? I heard you were recently involved in killing someone. I mean, that's what I heard. It had nothing to do with me, after all." He chuckled, referencing the fact that the man she killed had no official ties to him or his company. None that the DA could prove, anyway.

"I joke, I joke... Come, if you're here to brighten my day then lets not do this out on the sidewalk. My office is just up stairs. But then again, you know the way. You've barged in a dozen times already after all. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you had the hots for me." He winked and then started walking towards the building, not even bothering to look to see if she was following. If the good doctor had no effect as of yet, he was certain Andrea would follow him screeching like a harpy about how he just spoke to her. If she followed along at a less than screaming volume, that would be evidence that his plans were in motion, and working. If she didn't, well, that would in itself be proof that her therapy was having an effect as well.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

She gripped the steering wheel like she could twist it out of shape, and fumed. Thank goodness Bill wasn't there to see how humiliating the odious Volkov could be. And she hated being humiliated. Just like Bill getting all the credit for the arrests that morning, and the L T taking credit for her shooting that Volkov just mentioned while she suffered the procedural consequences.

But he was a powerful man. She needed to be subtle, circumspect. Gather evidence.

Andrea got out of the car and followed Volkov's entourage into the building, waiting for the next elevator rather than joining him in the one he was using. At his floor, she went straight to reception rather than barging in as she always had done. He was a powerful man.

"Detective Holmes to see Mr Volkov, and no I don't have an appointment, and yes, he is expecting me."

While she waited she started to plan her workout for after hours, perhaps changing her routine a little. Maybe cut out the pushups and pullups, the ab crunches, go more aerobic and squats? She was interrupted by the receptionist telling her to go through.

 

[Vagrant]

The intercom buzzed in his office followed by his receptionist's voice. "Mr. Volkov, the police are here to see you."

He smirked and held the button down to reply. "Thank you Sabrina, please send her in."

As the doors opened to let her in, closing behind her, he watched her walk across the white marble floors of his office. In her police uniform, she was the epitome of those silly 90's teen movies about the 'ugly duckling who ended up being a real hottie just by taking off her glasses and combing her hair. The message of those movies was supposedly that anyone could be beautiful, but he had never seen them that way. To him, the message was for women, appearance was the only thing that mattered. The supposed heroine of the stories, the ugly ducklings, never got the male attention they oh so craved until they started wearing make up and dressing to accentuate their figures. These were lessons he whole heartedly supported. He looked forward to the ugly duckling before him learning that self-same lesson. He could only imagine the hottie underneath those drab and boring clothes.

"Good day, Detective Holmes! Such a pleasant surprise seeing you here." He chuckled softly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

As she mentioned the guns, he couldn't help but smirk, barely trying to hide it because he knew in her arrogance, she would likely assume he thought he was untouchable and there was no way she could catch him. But in reality, he was so amused by how easy it was to get her to chase this invented story. No operation was air tight, he was certain that given enough focus and enough time, someone would be able to put together scraps of information that his people had been unable to keep contained and discover his real agenda, but for all her drive to catch him, just the whisper of something else... an easier hook to bite, and here she was, confidently parroting back his own invented story as if she had discovered something on her own.

"Well, you caught me." He held out his hands, wrists together. "Cuff me Detective.... oh wait! If the guns you are talking about haven't changed hands, and no money has been exchanged, that means I haven't purchased anything yet. And that means no crime has been committed. Unless you want to tell me that Attempted Capitalism is a crime now?" He wanted to see how she reacted to being taunted by the man she hated more than anything.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Andrea wanted to scream, to shout, to argue, to taunt, to ridicule, to put this criminal in his place. But he was a powerful man. Be subtle, circumspect. She didn't have anything like enough for a bust. Didn't know when, where, the players, the merchandise. But maybe if she couldn't get an arrest, she could thwart his plans. Preventing a crime was better than solving one, surely.

"If the guns haven't changed hands, and no money has been exchanged, and no crime has been committed, then I win. Again. You lose." That all sounded a bit rude, and he was a powerful man, so she added as a softener, "Mr Volkov."

She'd noticed how he'd looked at her as she walked in, a sort of amused contempt, it seemed to her, not the usual dirty schoolboy lust of her colleagues. For some reason that bothered her more than if he'd ogled her. Was she too muscular? Maybe she should be more feminine, softer. Except there was no way she wanted to please a man like Volkov, and especially NOT Volkov. No way!

And yet, something deep inside liked the idea of soft and feminine. Perhaps she'd been living like a nun for too long, a nun who worked out building biceps you could actually see, a six-pack that was visible in a bikini. Not that she wore bikinis. Don't go any further, her brain told her, this is not a road to go down in the presence of a powerful man like Volkov. She was getting sick of that phrase, powerful man. Why did it keep cropping up?

Andrea felt confused. She should have just won, beaten him, stopped his planned crime in its tracks. So why did she feel as if he was playing with her?

She needed to go shopping. For food. vegetables and fruit. A list popped into her mind.

"I have more important things to do. I know what you're up to, and I'm on your case. I won't let it go. I'm focused on you, Mr Volkov. Be warned!"

Satisfied that her parting shot carried the right tone, the turned and left his office, his building, his street. She returned to the Bureau with her arms full of fresh produce.

 

[Vagrant]

"Thank you for the warning detective, I'll be sure to note that my plans have been ruined. Well, potentially ruined. You still have to catch me in the act. But I'm sure with the full might of the Miami police behind you, that will be child's play."

He could have told her that he had no deal to by guns from anyone, that what she heard was bad intel, but he decided against it. She thought she won this round, in some weird fashion.

After she left, he went about his business. His real business. Later, his informant in the PD told him that she had been personally hunting for any sign of his men around any warehouse she could find that could even charitably be called 'near the interstate'. Good, she had effectively been sidelined and distracted from his real interests, and also demonstrated an effective means to point her at something he wanted her attention on. This could absolutely be used to his advantage.

The other benefit to her visit was that it showcased the effectiveness of his new acquisition. Doctor Mahael was as good as her reputation. He had given her enough information for what he wanted of Andrea Holmes for a few weeks, so he was content to let that simmer without his direct intervention. Though he was looking forward to future visits from the detective. Also, he had to admit, having the good doctor's children staying in his home was definitely amusing.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

The rest of the week went by in a bit of a blur, full of activity. Every waking moment seemed accounted for, and non-waking moments, too. Every night she woke up after a few hours having had the most vivid dream. Although different each time they were based on the same scenario. She was dancing, usually in her work clothes, on a spotlit stage before an audience of men that she couldn't see, only hear. They would tell her to dance in a more soft, feminine way, and she would say she didn't know how, though she wanted to, and they would tell her to eat more fruit and veg, reciting the same items she'd bought. They would also say nice things whenever she danced how they liked, complimenting her for being soft and feminine, and she tried so hard to earn those comments. They made her feel sexy inside. And then there would another voice, commanding, important to please, and finally he would shout, "Come!" and she'd wake up with a shattering orgasm, all hot and sweaty and hands touching her body in a sticky embrace. She would wake the same way in the morning. Twice every night. Yet she still felt as if she'd slept well. She half wanted to tell the Doc so she might help her get rid of the dreams, they felt such a guilty pleasure. But she loved them, and anyway was too embarrassed to admit to them.

Her waking hours were divided between working out in the Department gym after hours and hunting everywhere for the warehouse Volkov was intending to use for his arms shipment. That she couldn't find any sign of suspicious activity simply confirmed to her that she had succeeded. She had warned Volkov off and he'd heeded that warning, canceling the deal. There had been no more whispers from her informants which just added to her conviction.

Her other waking hours, before work, were spent with Doc Mahael. She was looking forward to each session more than the last, and if she'd been an obsessive kind of person, which obviously she wasn't, she might even be said to be dependent on them. She had even confided almost as much to Bill, telling him how the sessions set up her day and made her feel good, almost gave her energy and purpose. She also admitted that they had replaced her former muscle workouts every morning, and that now she was doing more aerobic exercise in the gym after work each day. And eating better. The new, healthier, focused but not obsessed Andrea.

Monday

Soon enough, Monday rolled around, and she was at the Doc's office early, having had to cope with two days without therapy. Thank goodness she didn't crave these sessions. Thank goodness she wasn't that needy.

She felt flooded with relief just to be there and forgot to try and appear nonchalant.

 

[Vagrant]

While Andrea was laser focused on this rumoured weapons deal, Caspian continued to manage his legitimate business interests, while also overseeing the majority of the city's drug trade and a large prostitution ring.

His evenings were spent in one of the several high end restaurants he was a silent partner in, always accompanied by at least one stunningly beautiful woman. After diner they would retire to one of his night clubs which were popular spots for club goers. He never actually drank to excess, despite spending every night in places where he could endulge as much as he wanted. He drank to maintain a slight buzz, adding a spark of enjoyment to the night, but no more.

The only dealers and whores that were allowed to operate in his clubs were his own, obviously, but the actual numbers doing so were quite low. The majority of both were else where, in other clubs, working the streets, or out of some high class escort service. One evening while partying, while he was scanning for attractive women that should be invited up to the vip area, he saw a furtive young man scanning the crowd as well. He watched him for a time until he was certain that the man was a dealer. But Casian didn't recognize him, though he for sure did not know all of the low level dealers working for him, the floor staff of the club would absolutely be able to tell him whether or not he was an approved dealer. He flagged down a member of the club security team and subtly noted the figure he had noted and asked if the man was one of theirs. Upon being told no, he was quickly ejected from the premises, and Caspian went back to his entertainment.

Monday morning, back in the doctor's office saw Andrea and Dr. Mahael meeting once again. "Good morning, Andrea, I hope you had a good weekend. Before we start with the hypnotherapy this morning, I'd like to take a few minutes to review the past week. This is something I'd like to do at the beginning of every monday session going forward. It should give us a chance to review your progress and make any adjustments to our approach to helping you keep a healthy balance to your work life and help you keep focus on what is important. So, can you tell me in your own words how you think the last week has gone? Have you noticed any changes to your routine since we've started?"

Candace listened intently, noting down the important points that Andrea brought up, and asking further probing questions to get more clarification from time to time. This was important for her to gauge which aspects of the suggestions were being taken in more than others, and which ones needed further work.

Seeing Andrea's anxiousness for getting to the hypnotherapy, this discussion doesn't linger more than needed, and before long the metronome is clicking and Candace's voice is once again guiding her patient into a deep relaxing trance.

"That's very good Andrea, you've taken all of my suggestions and applied them to your life. That's very good. You should be very proud of yourself. You're also going to keep doing all of them, because they have made your daily routine so much better. As you see your body changing due to the new diet and exercises, you won't be able to stop yourself from thinking about how sexy you are starting to look. It's only natural to want to show off your new sexy curves. Also, it's only natural to respond to compliments, no matter how lewd or inappropriate, by flirting and getting horny. Each compliment is affirmation about how sexy you are becoming, and further convinces you that the changes to your diet and exercise are good for you."

Candace looked at her notes briefly both prepared before the session, following Caspian's orders and those she had made while Andrea talked about her week. "Your dreams are getting hotter now. The clothes you're wearing while you dance are sexier than you normally wear, and this makes the dreams so much better. Also, you're going to start having a new dream. Variety is the spice of life after all. In this dream you're in a large spacious and opulently decorated office. You don't know why you're in the office but this won't bother you. From outside the door you hear someone approaching and you know you need to hide. The only place to hide is under the large desk dominating one side of the room, facing away from the door, so you scurry under there. The door opens and two men enter, discussing something you can't quite make out. You recognize one of the voices though. It's the commanding voice from your dances. The man with that voice comes around the desk to sit down, seeing you in your hiding spot. But he doesn't reveal your presence to the other man. He simply smiles and moves his chair in, spreading his legs to give you space, but also blocking you in. You can't place his face, and you have no idea what office you're in. All you know is that from his clothes, the decorations, and his commanding presence, that he is a powerful man."

 

[AndreaSubbie]

After answering the Doc's progress questions as briefly as she reasonably could, Andrea didn't try to hide her relief that the relaxation part of the session was about to begin. She needed it more than ever because not only had she been denied it for the two days of the weekend, but she was also feeling a bit guilty for not mentioning the strange, troubling, yet delicious dreams she'd been having. Hopefully, the relaxation part would set her mind at rest.

She had reported back, "The week has gone pretty well. Busted open a case at work. I've been facing up to my obsession, learning to channel it in a healthy way. Changes to my routine? Skipping morning muscle workout in favour of hypno-relaxation; aerobic exercise in the gym after work; eating healthier, just seemed to fancy more fruit and veg and stuff." Then they got to the good bit, the relaxation.

After leaving the Doc's office Andrea felt good about herself, very good indeed. Proud of herself, even. As she passed shop windows on the way to the Precinct she made a point of checking out her reflection, liking how she looked, proud of her softer looks as well as her progress.

Back in the Bureau she reported as usual to Sgt Rafferty and went to grab a coffee, choosing to walk past the busiest section of the office where the most troublesome of her colleagues congregated.

"C or D, I don't care! Just look at those babies bounce!"

She couldn't tell who'd said it but where normally she might either scowl, or shoot a scathing look over her shoulder, this time she spun around, hands wide, holding her jacket open and giving her shoulders a little jiggle to make her tits bounce some more, then carried on her way to get the coffee. There was a stunned silence behind her.

Once back with her partner, he suggested, "well that's one way to shut them up, but not one I'd recommend, Andi dear!" And he said it with good reason because it only made the guys keep on with the comments, and each time she seemed to encourage them rather than put the guys down.

By the time she got home, she was wondering why she'd ever been so hostile. It had been fun, being complimented. It made her feel that her new food choices and exercise regime were a good idea. And when she went to bed, she was positively looking forward to a repeat of her lovely dream. Instead, she woke up as usual with an orgasm on the command, "come!", but the dream had morphed from dancing on stage in her work clothes to somehow her being in clubbing gear of tight shiny pants and thin halter top, to hiding in the manager's office under his desk with him sitting at it, to returning to the stage for her climax. It didn't seem to make sense, but that was dreams.

Tuesday

 

[Vagrant]

"That's it, Andrea, nice and relaxed, floating on a sea of calm, soothing relaxation." Dr. Mahael spoke evenly to her after putting Andrea in trance the next morning. If Andrea had been fully awake, what happened next would have shocked her. A door to a side office opened slowly and out stepped Caspian Volkov. Candace continued with her induction. "You can only hear my voice. You can only feel the calming relaxation. You will ignore everything, even my own voice until I say the word Sugarsnap." She paused for a moment. "Andrea, can you hear me?" Waiting for her patient to respond, after a few moments of nothing, she gave Caspian the go ahead.

"It seems you do good work doctor." He walked behind Andrea's chair and reached around to grope at her tits. "Nice, these are bigger than they seem under her uniform. Maybe she won't need implants after all."

Moving to the front of her he knelt down and looked into her tranced eyes, knowing they don't see him. "You are already mine, detective. You just don't know it yet. You are a puppet dancing to my strings."

Caspian stepped back.

"Sugarsnap Andrea, come back to my voice. It is only you and I here, there is nobody in the room with us. We have complete privacy, and you trust me implicitly. I want you to tell me again what changes you've experienced since we started this therapy. And I want to hear about your dreams. Leave nothing out."

They both listened, Candace for the second time, as Andrea explains under trance this time what she had been doing.

Candace motioned for Caspian to sit out of the way and then began to reinforce this week's suggestions. When it was time to end the trance, she gave Andrea the instruction that even when she was out of the trance, she would ignore anyone besides herself and Candace in the room. And then she brought Andrea out of her trance, hoping that the instruction stuck, and she would not register the presence of the man she was obsessively trying to bring to justice in the very same room that was supposed to be her safe space.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Without knowing that she was doing it, Andrea had answered the Doc's question honestly, starting with what she'd already recounted the previous day about changes to her routine that she'd noticed. "I've been feeling really good about myself, liking how I look, sleeping well, eating well, more relaxed, even coping with the sexist rude and sexual comments from the guys at work about my chest and ass! Changing my exercise from strength to more feminine and the timing to after work because I really want to be here for the morning sessions, and I think my bras are getting tighter. But my dreams!"

Andrea paused for a moment and placed her hand firmly between her legs, pressing into her body, gripping her trapped hand with her thighs.

"My dreams! There are two, the first one excites me because I'm being admired by men, admired not for my brains or detective skills but for my body. I'm in my usual work clothes on stage, lit by a spotlight so I can only hear the men in my audience as I dance for them. But they want me to dance in a softer, more feminine way and I don't know how, but they tell me to eat more fruit and veg and even list the specific items I should buy, and they like me and tell me and praise my chest and ass and legs and waist but want them developed more, and I want to get more praise because they make me feel sexy, and then another strong voice starts up, very authoritative, and he commands me to come and I wake up with an amazing orgasm, and it happens twice a night. But now it's changed a bit and I'm dressed in shiny tight sexy pants and a tight halter top with no bra, my nipples poking the thin silky fabric, boobs jiggling as I dance, and the men in my audience like it and say I have nice tits and I'm all proud, but then I have to hide in the office but two men come in and I can't hear what they're saying except maybe I should enjoy lewd comments about my body and I hide under his desk but he sits down at the same desk knowing I'm there and I'm trapped between his legs, and suddenly I hear the command to come and I orgasm again, making me feel sexy and excited and breathless."

Andrea opened her eyes and blinked, blinked again, and stretched her arms up high as if she'd just enjoyed a most relaxing and pleasant sleep. She smiled at the Doctor, and glanced around the room knowing that they were alone but feeling a need to confirm it. Feeling a need she couldn't identify.

"Well, that was nice. Better than nice. I could swear that each session is even better than the last, and have to admit, Doc, that despite my misgivings, I'm starting to enjoy our therapy sessions. It's almost a pity that you're so good at this, because pretty soon you'll have succeeded in whatever the aim was and let me go. There's just something about hearing that metronome start ticking and the quality of your voice. I dunno."

The young detective gave a contented sigh and looked down at the hands in her lap.

"It's funny, though, because despite knowing that these sessions are protected, the doc-patient thing, I'm almost afraid to open up completely. I wonder if this is what confession is like for Catholics? They want to unburden their soul but fear the actual vocalising to a real person. Maybe that's why they can't actually see the priest? Makes it easier? Like when you go for a walk with someone when you have to tell them something difficult? Because you don't have to make eye contact, makes it kind of easier? I dunno if I'm making any sense. I don't even know what I'm trying to say. I suppose I'm part wanting to be rid of my obsession with Volkov, my FOCUS on him, but then we won't have these sessions anymore. And I'm also afraid that I'll lose my sense of purpose? I have a mission, to get Volkov. He's all I think about most of the time. Pretty much all the time. Like that bust that went down. I didn't tell you about it, but it was to do with robberies and a convenience store. But I did all the work because I thought it might give me a lead to Volkov.

"And then there's that thing about the men getting all the credit for my work. The L T for the shooting, though I didn't want to shoot the guy, just recruit him as an informant on Volkov. And my partner Bill getting thanked for helping solve the robberies. But they never thank me, or congratulate me because I'm a woman. I'm rambling, Doc, just forget everything I'm saying. Basically, I don't want to stop these morning sessions. I'm not ready yet. I need them. I know I need them. Want them. Crave them. No that's probably too strong a word? Crave? Haha, anyone might think I'm hooked, haha." Andrea was silent for a while, glancing at her watch, noticing that they were almost out of time. Almost, but not quite. She made no move to leave.

 

[Vagrant]

Candace smiled at her patient. In this, Andrea was her patient, and not her victim. The fact that she was being coerced to do this to the young detective didn't change the fact that Candace had been violating her sense of self for a week, and she had to admit that she would be continuing to do so. But for the moment, she could be a therapist again.

"Andrea, I want you to listen to me. Seeing a therapist, coming to see me, isn't a sign of a problem. There could be a problem, but it could also be that you just need help. Needing help isn't a problem. We all need help. We're all human. We have limits to how much hardship we can handle on our own. You first came to me as a matter of policy. You were involved in the shooting death of a suspect. It wasn't your intention to kill the victim, but that is what happened. That can be traumatic. Law Enforcement and other first responders have a very particular aspect to your jobs that almost no other occupation does. When you interact with someone in the course of doing your job, it is almost exclusively on a very bad day. If not the worst day of their lives. Coming to see me because here you get a reprieve from that is healthy. Knowing that coming to therapy is best for you is healthy. We'll continue seeing each other until we agree that it's no longer needed."

After seeing Andrea out, she sat back behind her desk and waited for a moment in silence.

Looking over at Caspian, still sitting off to the side, she finally spoke. "Now I have all the time in the world to do what you want me to do to her."

She had meant every word that she said to Andrea for the reasons she had given her. Going to therapy was healthy for her. But as she was saying it, she couldn't help but realize that she was giving herself more time to warp her into the mafia slut that Caspian had first told her that he wanted.

Standing, Caspian nodded his head. "You do good work. But just like I said to Detective Holmes when she was in a trance, I own her... I own you as well. You are mine for as long as I want you. For the moment, I have your children, but even when all of that is done and they are back home... I can ruin your career. No one will ever trust you to do anything if they were to ever find out what you are doing to one of your patients. Even under duress. You can be bought, Doctor. You know it, I know it. And if you were to ever do something against my interests, the world will know it."

"I'm having a party at my home this weekend. You are invited. I do hope you will come, you can see your children. They've been asking about you."

"Also..." He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out an envelope, placing it on her desk. "For your work so far. You'll be given nine more by the time the job is done."

After he leaves, Candace slowly reaches for the envelope, opening it to discover ten thousand dollars in cash. He was paying her one hundred thousand dollars to corrupt a single cop.