Bound by Control 2: A worm turned

The next day, Roy was driving Sheila to an appointment in Snodland, a journey of some 17 miles from their Dartford home. As they approached the A282/A2 junction, flashing blue lights from an unmarked police car appeared in their rearview mirror. Sheila signaled for Roy to pull over, her instincts telling her something was amiss.

A plainclothes female police officer stepped out of the police car and tapped on the glass of the rear passenger door. Roy's hand instinctively went below his seat, where he kept his highly illegal pistol. He knew this wasn't standard police procedure, and his senses were on high alert.

Sheila pressed the button, and her window lowered. "How can I help you?" she asked the very attractive female cop, her voice steady despite the tension in the air.

The cop smiled, an enigmatic curve of her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Mrs. Adams?" she inquired, her voice smooth and professional.

"Yes, that's me," Sheila confirmed, her curiosity piqued.

The cop handed her a black envelope, its surface smooth and unmarked. "You would be wise to keep this appointment," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Thank you, and have a nice day." With that, she got back into the unmarked car and drove away, leaving both Roy and Sheila puzzled and more than a little unsettled.

Roy and Sheila exchanged a glance. What was in the envelope, and why had the cop gone to such lengths to deliver it?

Sheila carefully opened the envelope. Inside, she found a black card with gold decorative lettering, the contrast stark and almost ominous. The message was brief and to the point: 

                                                   The King's Head,

                                                 Rochester High Street,

                                                       7:00 PM today.

                                                    Private Function. 

                                               The Sisterhood of Nyx.

Sheila smiled to herself. She had been expecting this. They had lost too much, and the Sisterhood of Nyx would want answers. She understood their position; if the roles were reversed, she would act in exactly the same way. From what she’s learned of the Sisterhood, it was known for its ruthless efficiency and its unwavering pursuit of justice, or at least, their version of it.

The card was a summons, a silent show of power. Sheila folded the card and placed it back in the envelope, her mind already racing with possibilities and strategies to navigate this, not unexpected, turn of events.

As they continued their journey to Snodland, Sheila's thoughts were a whirlwind of preparation and anticipation. She knew that whatever awaited her at The King's Head, it would be a test of her wit and her resolve. The Sisterhood of Nyx was not to be underestimated, and Sheila was prepared to face them head-on.

Sheila dressed soberly for the meeting, choosing a simple yet elegant black dress that exuded professionalism and authority. She ordered Roy to wear a suit to ensure they presented a united and respectable front. They pulled into the car park situated in Boley Hill, the imposing shadow of Rochester Castle looming overhead, and the grandeur of the Cathedral standing opposite.

Walking arm in arm, Sheila and Roy presented the image of a normal husband and wife out for a date night, their true dynamic as Mistress and slave carefully concealed. The public bar of The King's Head was half empty, the low hum of conversation and the occasional clink of glasses filling the air. Sheila approached the barman, her voice steady and confident as she delivered the code phrase: "Private function."

The barman nodded, his expression neutral, and pointed toward a stairwell tucked away in the corner. Sheila acknowledged him with a nod and motioned for Roy to follow her up the stairs. Their footsteps echoed softly on the worn wooden steps, the anticipation building with each ascent.

At the top of the stairs, they found a door with a sign that read "Private." Sheila pushed the door open without knocking. Roy followed closely behind, his presence a steady, comforting force at her back.

As Sheila walked into the private room, she was greeted by Lady Katherine Dunstan**, a 67-year-old woman with an air of authority, and her associate, Sharon. Lady Katherine stood and extended her hand, introducing herself and Sharon as representatives of the Sisterhood of Nyx. 

"Welcome, Mrs. Adams," she said. "I'm Lady Katherine Dunstan, and this is Sharon. We're very pleased to make your acquaintance. We’ve heard a lot about you."

Sheila shook her hand, “Lady Dunstan?” She asked

"Katherine, please. Sheila, no formalities here, dear.” She replied.

She gestured for Sheila to take a seat, but when Roy moved to sit beside her, Katherine interjected, "This meeting is for ladies only, not for male ears.”

 Sheila smiled, feeling a growing respect for Katherine. "Roy, wait in the bar and drink only soda water," Sheila instructed. Roy turned to leave, but Sheila feigned a cough. He halted and bowed his head. He knew his mistake. "Yes, Miss," he replied. Sheila waved her hand to dismiss him.

Katherine smiled at Sheila and asked, "Would you like a drink, dear?”

 "A Chardonnay would be nice," Sheila replied. 

Katherine turned to Sharon. "Sharon, would you be a dear and bring a bottle and glasses for us all?" Sharon smiled and left the room to fetch the drinks. 

"She's a force of nature, that one," Katherine explained to Sheila. "Very smart, a great asset to us."

Sheila simply nodded. 

Katherine then inquired, "How's your brother-in-law, Lance, isn't it?”

 "He's fine," Sheila answered.

 Katherine proceeded to list Sheila's associates and family members one by one: Kay, Anne, Marcus, Eamon, Michael, and former Chief Inspector Jennifer Warden. 

Sheila sarcastically clapped her hands. "Congratulations, Katherine, you've done your homework.”

Sharon entered the room carrying a tray with a bottle of Chardonnay and three glasses. She set the tray on the table and poured the wine efficiently, handing a glass to each of them. As she did, she could sense a slight tension in the air.

Both Katherine and Sheila thanked Sharon for the wine.

 "Well, Sheila," Katherine began, her voice carrying a note of amusement, "I suppose that's what men might call a bit of 'dick swinging.'" She used air quotes around the phrase.

Sheila smiled, raising her glass in a silent toast.

 "The truth is, Sheila," Katherine continued, her tone turning serious, "you and your people have cost the Sisterhood quite a bit of money and inconvenience. So naturally, questions were going to be asked."

Sheila met Katherine's gaze steadily, her voice calm and confident. "Ask away," she replied.

Katherine leaned forward, her eyes locked on Sheila's. "Sheila, when did you first become involved, and why?" she asked.

Sheila took a sip of her Chardonnay. "It started with a call from my niece, Kay," she explained, her voice steady and confident. "She reached out to me, and we had our first meeting with her and Michael. I saw the business opportunity and the skills that Michael could potentially offer me in the future."

Katherine nodded, her expression a mix of understanding and calculation. "And from there?" she prompted.

"The more I learned, the more I wanted to know," she said

Katherine leaned back in her chair. "So up to this point," she asked, "you hadn't heard of the Sisterhood?"

Sheila shook her head. “ Just rumors, you know, mixed in with pathetic men's fantasies about powerful women. The internet is rife with them, but if you look hard enough, there are signs, but had I heard of you specifically?" she replied. "No."

Katherine nodded. "I see. So, what made you continue, after you found out that this thing was bigger than just Christine, Olivia, and what was his name, Michael?"

Sheila took another sip of her Chardonnay. "Well," she began, "to be honest, I was pissed off that you guys were operating on my doorstep without tapping on my door first."She paused,. "Jesus, I could have found you much more viable subjects than Michael. After all, he's hardly Alpha material, is he? I could have taken him in and broken him on a wet Sunday afternoon. If you had come to me, I could have delivered some real challenges for you."

She took another breath and, smiling, she continued. "But I guess all's said and done, Michael turned out to be more of a challenge than you thought he would be.”

Katherine nodded, a slow, thoughtful movement. "Yes," she said, "mistakes were made, but this was a trial study, first of its kind in this country."

She leaned forward, her eyes locked on Sheila’s. "So, what now?" she continued. "Now that you know of the Sisterhood, what will you do with this knowledge?"

Sheila met Katherine's gaze steadily. "Is this where you threaten me, Katherine? Because if it is, I'll just leave now and save you the trouble of wasting both of our time."

Katherine put up her hand, a gesture of calm and reassurance. "Not at all, Sheila," she said. "We have looked into you and your organization, and if you were willing to make a few 'management changes' and meet some of our very reasonable terms, I believe our two organizations could work very well together."

"Management changes?" Sheila asked, her eyebrows raising slightly in curiosity.

"Yes," Katherine replied, her voice firm and authoritative. "There can be no men in top-tier management positions. Lance, for instance, we know you have his brother under your control, but we need Lance to be in the same position or gone completely."

Sheila smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Roy was easy; he has been besotted with me from day one. But Lance, well, let's just say I don't hold that kind of interest for him.”

"So, we understand, Sheila," Katherine began, "Do you have any objections if he disappeared completely?"

Sheila blinked, wondering if she was hearing Katherine correctly. "Christ," she replied, "he's a fucking arsehole, but I don't want him dead."

Katherine laughed. "Nor do we, Sheila. He has certain skill sets that we could use, and we believe he could be trained to be useful to our organization."

"Train him," Sheila said, "I'd like to see that." And she meant it, feeling a twinge in her pussy at the idea.

"Well said," Katherine replied, "If you could incapacitate him in some way, we'll gladly take him off your hands and give you regular updates on his training."

Sheila smiled, "I think I could arrange something," she said,

Katherine leaned forward, “Now, as I’m sure you understand, we cannot have any of the women involved in our organization to be held in submissive positions to men. To that end, we require that Christine, Olivia, and Jennifer Warden be released and returned to their intended status."

She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle. "This would mean that Christine's husband would be returned to his submissive status, Olivia and her husband would be released, and Jennifer Warden—it is essential that she is released as her contact list is invaluable to us, and to you, I imagine. This might mean that she may require retribution on the boy Marcus.” She took a breath, then asked, “ Is any of this going to be a problem.

Sheila thought for a moment, her mind racing with the implications of Katherine's demands. She knew that releasing Christine, Olivia, and Jennifer Warden could be problematic, especially given her own involvement in their capture. With a steady voice, she responded, "I would have to talk to Anne about Marcus, and, as I'm sure you know, I had a hand in capturing all of these ladies. Is that going to be a problem?”

"For Christine and Olivia, it will be a lesson learned for their lackluster performance. We will have a serious conversation with Jennifer, but I'm sure we can come to an agreeable term."

Katherine explained, and then continued. "There is only one more loose end we need to tie up. This Michael character, is he going to be a problem in the future?"

Sheila shook her head. "No, I don't think so. He will be working for me, and he is with my niece. I will have a serious conversation with her about taking control of him, and I am actually thinking it may be prudent for me to do some hands-on orientation, as it were.”

Katherine and Sheila shook hands, sealing the deal with a firm grip and a nod of mutual understanding. Sharon sent a text to the Sisterhood, informing them that a deal had been struck and that their alternative plan would not be needed.

Katherine turned to Sheila. "Now, Sheila, dear," she began, "tell me about your husband. Is he, how should I put it, bodily proportionate?"

Sheila smiled, a mischievous curve on her lips. "Yes," she replied, "the Adams boys have been blessed in that manner. Would you like to borrow him?"

Katherine laughed. "Well," she said, "the night is still young, isn't it?"

** first appeared in Sharon Beats Johnny