Thawing Out: Red Alert

From the moment Tom and I stepped out of the elevator coming back from lunch, I knew something had gone wrong. Joseph Candle was waiting in my office for a change. He paced the room looking up at me as I entered but there was no happiness in his eyes. It was the tilt of his shoulder and set of his jaw that told me how serious the situation must be and try as I might, there was nothing come to mind which seemed to warrant the mood displayed.

"Looking for me?" I asked. 

He nodded curtly and closed my office door, shutting Tom out without even the courtesy of a greeting. It was out of character for the man, but then I had not ever seen him rattled before. He gestured toward my chair and I sat down wondering if he would sit himself or continue his restless pacing. As if reading my thoughts he settled down in the chair across from my desk and struggled to find the words he wanted to say.

"I take it something is wrong?" I asked.

He paused a moment considering carefully how to approach what he must have assumed was a sensitive subject. My thoughts ran toward my family and for an awful moment I was consumed with the fear that something had happened to my parents on account of the work I was doing. With Alexander Kemp on the run and no doubt blaming me personally for all his trouble it made more sense than I liked.

"I expect you remember Olivia Stratford." Mr. Candle said.

The name was familiar as it should have been, but at first I could not place it in any context. Then a flood of recent memories came back along with her face. She had been sent to the Bad Land Survival Camp to spy on me among other things no doubt and based on the things we had discovered, she had a connection inside of Quondam Innovations. The unanswered question had always been whether or not she knew both my alias and true identity or only my alias. We also had never discovered exactly who she was working for, but with the mention of her name pieces of a complicated puzzle began to snap into place. There was little reason to doubt she was affiliated with Alex Kemp and the person who had leaked information about me to her was no doubt the same person undermining Q5's operations in a similar fashion.

There was also the small matter of the black eye Olivia had left me with which had indirectly resulted in a rather serious spanking at the hands of my father. Given half a chance I certainly intended to make her pay for that in one way or another. 

"How could I forget?" I said.

"She was being transported to a maximum security prison this morning to begin serving her time for the assault in Utah. The transport was attacked by a tactical team during transit. Everyone was killed with the likely exception of Ms. Stratford." Mr. Candle said.

"Likely exception?"

"Her body was noticeably missing from the corpses at the scene."

"You think she's going to come after me?" I asked.

"She did seem to develop a rather personal grudge against you. I honestly have no idea what her next move could be, but as you know, we have never been able to determine exactly how much she knows about you."

"Can I safely assume you have a course of action in mind beyond telling me all of this?" I asked.

"I've called in a few favors. Your parents and your brother and his family are all being discreetly watched by the FBI. No one is aware of the direct connections between that surveillance and Quondam so it should keep them reasonably safe. However, I think its time we take the necessary steps to ensure Virginia West exists beyond these walls."

"What do you mean?"

"Miss West has a condo she has never been inside of and a car she has never drove. The personal component of your identity is completely lacking and it won't take much poking around for someone to figure out that when Virginia West leaves the office, she simply disappears."

"I think I follow you." I said. "Now are you absolutely certain no one can trace my family's surveillance back to here?"

"It went through so many hands it is highly unlikely." Mr. Candle assured me.

"And they won't ever know about it?" I asked.

"That too is unlikely. I can't make you promises in terms of absolutes but if things proceed as they should then no one will ever put the pieces together and your family will never know about any of this."

"So what exactly do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Go home as Virginia West for a few nights. Not just as her but to her place with her car. We should have started this sooner but with all the activity since you joined the team there has hardly been an opportunity."

"Sounds easy enough, except I don't know where I live or where I parked my car since I've never lived there and never drove from there to here or here to there. I'm like an amnesia victim in someone else's life." I said.

"The address is on Miss West's driver's license. The car is parked in the first level reserved section in a spot marked with your name and in case you can't read a map, the car has GPS with your home address programmed into it. I believe you should still have the keys for both the car and the condo unless you took them out of the purse I gave you." Mr. Candle said.

"And what about my actual life? People might start to worry if I just disappear." I said.

"You should notify them tonight you are going out of town and won't be back for at least a week possibly two. I'll have Cathy make the necessary arrangements to support your story."

"You've just got answers for everything, don't you?"I said.

"Not quite everything but these are simple matters." 

"Right. The bed better be comfy and I'm expecting a large screen TV with premium cable." I said.

"I'm sure everything will be satisfactory but if you need anything, Cathy will take care of it." 

"I take it you'll have some security on me as well?" I asked.

"Of course. I will speak to Mr. Clark about it shortly." Mr. Candle said.

With those words Mr. Candle stood and left me to my thoughts. It was a cruel thing to do because my thoughts were anything but pleasant and left alone all I could do was indulge them. That is when I got the brilliant idea to go outside for a walk and at the same time appease my curiosity with a quick or long peek at my car or rather V's car. She's me and I'm her so it's still my car right? Just nod your head and agree with me because I'm in no mood to argue.

Everyone else was far too busy to notice me slip passed them and slide into the elevator. Kyra and Dr. Michaels were too wrapped up in the crystal analysis and Jack was playing Where in the World is Alexander Kemp? If the look on his face was any indication he was losing. Tom was completely occupied with Mr. Candle and that left me the ability to become a ghost and disappear.

The parking garage was dark and cool. After walking in the direct sunlight on the path from Quondam Tower it felt good to walk in the shadows. My eyes quickly found the old clunker I was rarely proud to declare as my car, parked just where I had left in the morning. I hadn't really expected it would have moved but it's good to verify these kinds of things when you are being stalked by a crazy woman.

I turned the corner onto the first main aisle which housed the premium parking space and immediately noticed the five cars which had to belong to the Q5 team. The first was a white BMW with a beige leather interior. It was a 5 series and I'm guessing the chrome emblem on the front fender saying, "V12" had something to do with its engine size and nothing to do with it being my twelfth car, since as far as I know, there is just the one. The low profile tires and titanium wheels told me it was built for speed and maneuverability and something about the overall look of it just screamed, "Jack Barker" to me.  Walking passed I was able to see the reserved sign on the wall in front of the vehicle which confirmed my guess.

I cannot say I would have turned the car down, but personally it just wasn't my style. Four doors have a way of making a car seem like it is designed for an older, more family oriented driver and that's just not me right here, right now. The car next to it on the other hand was a lot more like what I was hoping for. Sporty, small, nice curves, and a convertible top to boot. The light blue color would even have been okay by me, especially with sparkles I could see in the smooth paint. I don't know what the TT stands for but Audi definitely knows how to make a roadster.

My breath waited while I crossed fingers and toes, hoping the sign would tell me it was mine but unfortunately it was Kyra's. It was not really all that surprising, but a girl can dream now and again. The next one had to be Tom's. Big, gigantic, yellow, lots of chrome, oh and the fact it said, "HUMMER" across the back was just a dead give away. I'm sure he thinks nothing of the 8MPG he gets driving around town and polluting the atmosphere like a couple herds of flatulent cattle.

The ultimate in box cars could only belong to Dr. Michaels. The crossover style XC90 from Volvo is supposed to combine the best of the SUV's with the best of the Station Wagons and they might have succeeded but it looked like the worst of both to me. I mean a station wagon with extra deep wheel wells and monster tires is still a station wagon, it just looks like it's ready for a derby rather than the family garage. Thankfully the sign confirmed I was right yet again and I wouldn't be driving around a tank without armor.

That left just one car that had to be mine. I would never have even walked up to one of them on a lot, but that's because I know I couldn't afford it or the gas required to drive it. Virginia is a little better off when it comes to affording the nice things in life though. It wasn't too extravagant either, nothing I would feel like I needed my head up in the clouds to drive around in at least. The Chevrolet badging meant it was still an average person's car but it came with two doors, a flashy new body, and dark blue color that almost looked black in the shadows.  I dug into my purse to find the keys and pressed the button marked unlock. The horn beeped and the soft click of a lock disengaging confirmed it was a match.

With everything hitting the fan in my life, I still found a smile as I slipped in the driver's seat of my Camaro. The cool gray leather felt good against my back and the car still possessed that mysterious aroma of plastic, leather, carpet, electronics and who know what else, that we call the new car smell. I closed the door so I could inhale it deeply, against the warning labels advice and enjoyed the soft clunk as the door sealed me off from the outside world. The key slid in the ignition and I was sorely tempted to take my wheels for a ride around the block or the city, or hell the state, but sadly, I was all too aware of my responsibilities on the 32nd floor.

The few minutes outside of the office was exactly what I had needed to clear my head and get focused again. Sadly, however, my escape while unnoticed in the moment had been noticed in an after the fact kind of way. When I walked back inside of Q5, Jack came to stand in his office doorway, arms folded across his chest, foot tapping impatiently on the floor and a scowl of disapproval clearly sculpted on his face. 

"A word if you don't mind, Miss West." Jack said.

I had a half a mind to tell him I did mind, but the other half of my mind told me to never mind the crazy half of my mind. Instead of saying something stupid that I would regret before the words finished rolling off of my tongue, I nodded my head and set my direction toward him and his office. Jack didn't wait for me to arrive but retreated back into his office and waited for me by his desk.

"Was it my imagination or did I ask you to supervise the analysis of that crystal?" Jack asked.

"I seem to recall something like that." I said.

"So why am I getting reports from Kyra?" He asked.

"I don't know. Let me ask her." I said.

"I'll tell you why. It's because you weren't anywhere to be found and nobody has any idea where you went."

"I needed some air." I said, defensively.

"If you are going to supervise a project you need to actually be present and if you have to leave you should make sure those people who are reporting to you know what to do while you are gone. You're supposed to be a smart girl but times like this I wonder if you've got a brain at all." Jack said.

The statement was completely over the top, not to mention unfair and inaccurate. I realized there was a lot more going on than met the eye as I took in his statement. He was frustrated, not with me in particular, but with the lack of information on finding Kemp and because Gina was responsible in many ways for that fact, and she happened to be my friend, I was an easy target for his venting. His patience worn then it didn't take a psych major to see it would be easy to push him into a deeper state of agitation, which was precisely what Kyra had done.

That was the other side of the problem. Kyra obviously has been developing a dislike for me since our trip Italy, but for the largest part I fail to follow her reasoning, emotional or logical. I'm certainly not a threat to her position on the team. My computer knowledge was barely enough to turn the stupid thing on when I arrived and if it weren't for her tutelage I still wouldn't know any more than that. Relationship wise, she had me beat as well. All the guys liked her and had a solid, respectful interaction with her. All I could figure is she was as into Tom as he was into her, but she was misreading his time with me as some sort of attraction. Whatever it was, the time was fast approaching where she and I will have to settle it once and for all. That time however, was not quite yet. First, I had to deal with an annoyed Jack.

"Kyra obviously sent it to you because she knew it would piss you off with me. For whatever reason she has an issue with me at the moment. I'm sorry you ended up in the middle of it. I'll have a talk with her, okay?" I said.

"No, it's not okay. From the moment you arrived you've managed to rub everyone in this office the wrong way at one point or another. I don't have time for childish games or office politics or whatever the hell you want to call it." Jack said.

"I understand you are frustrated, but that's no excuse to take it out on me." I said.

"My frustration level has nothing to do with your unprofessional conduct. I've let a lot of things slide with you, hoping you'd get your feet under you and all these little problems would take care of themselves, but enough is enough." Jack said.

Everything I could think of to say was only going to make things worse. I chose to keep quiet instead while the knot in my stomach grew to epic proportions. I should have stayed in bed for the day, but it was far too late for that.

"I promised you a bare bottom spanking after your behavior in the Philippines, but after everything that happened I decided to be a nice guy and let it go, but you've just proven to me that was a mistake and it's one I'm going to correct right now." He said.

I blinked. I blushed. I shifted from foot to foot nervously anticipating the now inevitable events soon to come. Nothing was helped by the fact his office door was open, his voice was raised enough that anyone would have heard and the walls between us and them were transparent, meaning privacy was only an illusion and one that I was seeing straight through like everyone was seeing through the walls to where Jack and I stood.

"Put your skirt and panties on my desk and then you can bend over it." Jack said.

The temptation to object was overwhelming. I think all that stopped me was knowing that my objections would only end with me doing what he ordered in the first place and the only real difference would be that I would have embarrassed myself even more by arguing like a spoiled brat that didn't want to accept the consequences for her actions. True as the image might be, it wasn't the image I wanted my coworkers associating with me. Of course I wasn't too keen on the bare red bottom association either. In the end I did as I was told as quickly as I could manage without falling over in the process and then hugged my torso to the desktop, as if it could somehow protect me from the humiliation I was feeling.

Jack pulled open the top drawer of his desk and removed one of those awful corporate paddles, made of dark blue leather.  He took up position behind me at his leisure allowing me to suffer through the eternity of seconds with my naked buttocks jutting out into the air.  The first swat made me jump against the desk to the point I could feel the edge of the desk pressing into my thighs. I made a small squeak of a sound but otherwise internalized my reaction to the sudden strike and proceeding sting. I told myself I had worse at home many times as I waited for the next swat.

Jack didn't keep me waiting too long. In fact, he suddenly got himself into a hurry and gave me about ten swats in a matter of a few seconds. Tears sprang from eyes as the sting built behind me and no amount of shifting, wriggling, or jumping forward could take me out of the line of fire or ease the burn being imparted. When Jack paused at the end of his flurry I thought maybe my ordeal was coming to an end, but I was not that lucky. He had a lot of frustration to work out and apparently my bottom was just the target he had been looking for.

After a break that was just long enough to get me to thinking I might be able to sit comfortably again within the hour, he started in again. The next flurry stung even more if that is possible and I swear it was a full twenty swats, ten on each pulsing cheek, before he paused again. I couldn't see it to be sure, but my butt had to be as red as a maraschino cherry. Too bad Jack wasn't thinking about ice cream or dessert.

 Jack finished the job with another ten swats, delivered slowly at the rate of one every ten seconds or so. Each was a hard swing that had the leather cracking like a firecracker against my tenderized buttocks. I was definitely sorry I had gone for that walk and even sorrier I hadn't taken the time to fix whatever the problem was with Kyra. 

A soft knock on Jack's door frame alerted me to the presence of someone getting a close up view and interrupted things right at the point I think Jack was about to let me get up. Unsurprisingly it was Kyra, with a report for Jack on something entirely unrelated to the crystal. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to pay much attention to their conversation, but out of the corner of my eye I got a clear view of Kyra's smirking face. Obviously she thought she had won something, but she should know better with me and if she doesn't, she soon will.

"I certainly hope you've learned something here today." Jack said after Kyra left us alone again.

I nodded with my face still pressed against his desktop, not really trusting myself to speak quite yet.

"Good because if I have even a hint that you are being a troublemaker, we will be right back here to do this all over again." Jack said.

"Stand up." He ordered.

I pushed myself up from the desk, biting at my lower lip to keep from sobbing in front of him. He had managed to make that paddle sting almost as much as a spanking from my father might have. It was a respectable accomplishment and one I wouldn't be forgetting anytime I tried to sit for at least a couple of hours.

"Now I think you have some work to do and I expect a full progress report on the analysis of the crystal before you leave tonight. Understood?" Jack said.

"Yes, Mr. Barker." I said, managing to keep an even tone in my voice.

"Then I guess you better get to it." He said.

I grabbed my panties and skirt, dressing myself in seconds and left his office as quickly as I could manage without actually running.