Hostage Situation

After a late lunch, Allison lost herself in a book and a cup of tea sitting at a small table outside her usual cafe. The spring breeze chilled her bare knees, between her fine, tall leather boots and the hem of her exquisite black dress. Her phone sat on the table, displaying a feed from a security camera in her spa. It was unfortunate that Dinah had come looking for her, but she certainly knew why.

Emily. Allison didn't relish the thought of her young niece coming all the way to Japan to attempt to emulate her lifestyle, but certainly little Emily deserved better than to be pressed back into the hands of her very mundane, artless parents. Allison suspected, as usual, that Dinah's new interest in protecting Emily was more a matter of besting Allison again than it was of genuine concern for the girl. Allison certainly cared for the girl, more than most, but she would not miss an opportunity to destroy Dinah in her own way.

After hassling the staff, Dinah had let herself into Allison's office. She'd helped herself to a set of keys. Allison watched her with casual interest in between pages of her book, until the two girls showed up. She cycled through security cameras to get a better look at them. One of them she recognized as her little street urchin errand girl, the other she had never seen before. It wasn't long until the situation escalated. Dinah had a way of losing control of herself.

Allison stood up, collected her things, left money on the table for her meal, and began the walk back to the spa. There was no audio accessible from her phone, but the video was telling enough. She couldn't help but curl her lip at Dinah's handling of the girls... She had no finesse at all, no artistry, no poise. She was nothing more than a footballer tomboy dressed in a curvaceous woman's body. She would always be the the most popular girl in the pub, but nothing more.

By the time she arrived at the spa, Dinah was seated in one of the salon chairs in the front looking rather cross. Allison circled around and entered through the back door close to her office. She pulled her office door shut and locked it, but the door lock and the dead bolt, for which she had the only key, before continuing to the door to the stone room. She drew a breath, settled her expression, and then unlocked it and entered.

She looked at Jamie and Mercy as though she were both surprised and terribly concerned. "Oh, my darling girls, Cathleen told me you'd met my sister-in-law, but it looks as though she's lost her temper! Are you alright? Has she hurt you?" She asked with extraordinarily convincing concern. There was no trace of the smirk she wore on the inside.

"Come along, why don't you get up into the chairs and let me take care of you. I can fetch Sukiyo, she does excellent work and we can make you forget all about these awful experiences. Sit down and tell me what happened." She walked easily to the wall adjacent the door and silently pressed a button on the intercom. She adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder, but did not set it down.

"Silly me..." She said and crossed the room to help Mercy and Jamie up, her heels clicking against the stone floor on each step. She held out her hand to Jamie and gently helped her to her feet, and then to Mercy. "Darling, I'm Allison Watson, I don't believe we've met."

Mercy's face went pale as she heard the clicking of the door. She did not want to see her captor so soon but she could do nothing. Jamie seemed to be a useless sobbing mess right now and it was up to her to figure out a plan of attack. She seriously considered the thought of bum rushing the burly woman and seeing how the chips would fall. But... through the door came another woman. She looked friendlier, somehow, though at the same time, the woman who was clubbing the two girls with a wine bottle just a few minutes earlier seemed to have quite the jovial smile on her face.

Allison seemed to worry about them, which was good. Mercy shook her head and looked over the woman. "That monster's gone, right!?" She blurted out. But then she sighed and listened to the woman. When she heard her name, her eyes lit up. This was the woman who had her contract. This was the woman ... that Jamie knew. She pressed her hand down her shirt as she was helped up and nodded to Allison. "You're th owner then?" She asked as she looked at the offered seat. She took it and looked at Allison. "This is some establishment you run, Ms. Watson." Her voice was still shaky but she adjusted her glasses and tried to return to professional mode. It was her best mode., not like all these other modes that Jamie had forced her into!

"My name is Mercedes Wrenn. Only my friends call me Mercedes, you may call me Mercy or Ms. Wrenn..." She muttered the last bit. "We haven't met, Ms. Watson. Forgive me for saying this but I wished we hadn't. I wish this whole ordeal was out of my mind!" She leaned back in the chair. "You have something that belongs to me, if Ms. Valentine can be trusted... which... I have yet to see any evidence of." She said pointing a finger at Jamie. Mercy closed her eyes. "But I'll take you up on your offer... I could certainly use... attending too..." She muttered, already starting to feel relaxed.

"H-hi Allison." Jamie said meekly while trying to collect herself. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve and shuffled over to sit in one of the chairs. A moment later, a Japanese woman wearing the smock of a spa employee entered. It was difficult to tell her age exactly, but she was still young, calm and impassive with stunning, dramatic eyes and silky raven hair.

"This is Sukiyo, she is our massage specialist. She's quite talented." Allison and the woman exchanged an inscrutable look, and then the Japanese woman crossed the room an ornate jug with water by diverting the flow down the wall. She placed the jug next to the foot of Mercy's chair, and then moved to a stone chest built into the floor at the end of the room and carefully removed the wooden lid and with a pair of metal tongs she reached into the chest and removed three smooth. fist-sized stones and placed them on the lid.

She returned to Mercy's chair and gently took each of her ankles, one at a time, and placed her feet on either side of the basin, and then carefully poured the water from the jug into the basin. Then she placed the stones in, one at a time, each one sizzling just a little as it went under the water. She stirred the water once with her hand and Jamie watched her with quiet fascination. Every movement was deliberate and precise, and never rushed. Jamie liked how the water never once splashed.

Allison circled around behind Jamie's chair and grabbed the little girl by the shoulders, and firmly pulled her against the back of the chair. She placed her hand against Jamie's cheek, which was at first uncomfortable but then comforting. Relaxing. Jamie unconsciously breathed a sigh and Allison began to use her hands to delicately massage away tension from Jamie's face and neck.

Meanwhile, Sukiyo removed each of Mercy's black dress shoes and placed them neatly on the floor next to the chair, far enough away that they wouldn't get wet if Mercy splashed water out, and then removed her socks and placed them folded over the shoes. She rolled up Mercy's pant legs to mid calf and then placed Mercy's feet in the water, which was perfectly steamy and hot.

Allison was never one to miss an opportunity. Though she had no shortage of money, she did not have so much that she did not need to manage it carefully. Her greatest asset was her ability to use all of her resources to their fullest. While she didn't care at all about these girls and their tension, she believed that they were like everyone either with her or against her. She was making an investment.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Wrenn." Allison said after a length of silence. "What is it of yours that I have? Hmm... The contract. Yes. I have it for you, Ms Valentine didn't know what to do with it but to bring it to me. Very interesting, though, to look at you one wouldn't take you for a wrestler. But then, the same could perhaps be said for me..." Whatever she said, Allison's sleek, toned, full body was evidence enough to the trained eye that she was not some weakling girl. The swell of her curves was not enough to hide her musculature.

Sukiyo began to massage Mercy's foot, starting lightly on her instep and then moving up her calf, skillfully erasing tension while the heat of the water penetrated her muscles. She returned to her foot and began to use her fingers and work deeper, applying just enough pressure in the right places to make her tingle and shiver as the rest of her body seemed to relax with it.

"I do have the contract for you. But as you are new to the business, and I understand you may need the income, I thought perhaps we could discuss a modification or two that I took the liberty of drafting. But let's not discuss business. What do you think of this room? I think that you have stumbled into the room for which you are best suited. This is the only one quite like it in all of Japan, for a variety of reasons..."

"Allison, do you have anything for me?" Jamie blurted out. She felt stupid as soon as she said it, but certainly Allison had something good for Mercy and Jamie didn't want to be left out. What had she done to deserve any sort of reward? "Um, I brought you Mercy. She's a lawyer, I thought... maybe you'd like her."

Allison ignored Jamie's plea for now. "Oh? A lawyer?" Of course, Allison hated lawyers more than most. She viewed her business with them to be a grim necessity, on the same level as, though less pleasant than going to the dentist.

Mercy let Sukiyo go to work on her, a little distrustful at first but as everything seemed to fall into place, she closed her eyes and let out a soft breath as her feet were wonderfully attended to. Every ache and concern seemed to melt away and she slouched in her chair and a dopey smile spread across her features. She barely acknowledged that anyone in the world except Sukiyo and her wondrous hands existed. This was the kind of treatment that she was sure Margaret got often. This drove her to be a spectacular lawyer so that she may do the same.

"mmhmmmneh.." Mercy muttered as Allison greeted her. Her eyes opened halfway when Allison questioned her career. "I'm not." She said in an even tone. "That contract was part of a larger contract that my previous employer wished for me to sign. Now that I am no longer employed, that contract isn't tied to the other one, however, at the moment it is my only means of employment in this dreadful country. I need that to be able to work. To be able to get enough money to go home unless I can find something here that suits me better."

Mercy eyed Allison as she spoke of modifications. Her brow furrowed in concentration at the words. Allison was partially right. Mercy was new to the wrestling business. But she was not new to business and even less new to contracts. In fact, she was fairly certain that generally speaking she knew her way around them better than Allison did. But she took the opportunity to not lay down her hand as Allison commented on the room.

"It['s exquisite." She said. She was truthful but her tone seemed like it held back the compliment that Allison was fishing for. She looked around and then down to Sukiyo. "This woman is what makes the room delightful." She said as she closed her eyes and let out a pleased smile. "But the uniqueness is certainly inviting. I can see... you're a woman of taste...""

She opened her eyes only to narrow them at Jamie. What a greedy blood sucker. She was the teet sucking fish that rode on the sides of sharks like Mercy.Worse yet, she was acting like Mercy was a THING. That was MERCY'S job. To treat people like things. She sighed. "I'm only a paralegal." She corrected. "But I assure you I could pass any bar the states had to offer me and I've done more practical lawyering than most of the people you'll encounter int he field.

Mercy adjusted her glasses and looked over Allison. She knew all too well that some people considered lawyer to be a four letter word. Most lawyers were worse. Mercy was probably one of them. Keeping that in mind, she regarded Allison. She glanced around the room. That damn Jamie. Things seemed like they could start getting very bad and she suddenly felt on guard despite the wonderful massage. She had to be careful. She almost hoped that brutish she-beast would come back in. At least she'd have someone reasonably close to her own size to pick on.

Mercy leaned back in her chair. "What could you possibly want with a contract? Especially MINE? I'm not exactly looking for a manager, you see." She wasn't without options either, if push came to shove. She still had at least ONE ace up her sleeve.

"Darling, you're tense. Is Sukiyo's work not to your liking?" Allison said and moved to stand behind Mercy's chair, leaving Jamie to look on with a hint of jealousy. She put her soft, strong hands on either side of Mercy's neck and cradled her head, for the moment letting the deliberate, tender touch do the work.

"Don't worry at all about the contract, I assure you if you're not interested in what I have to offer then I will return to you your original contract and you can be on your way. It would be a shame, though, for a talented young woman such as yourself to be limited to a mere wrestling contract. You clearly have other skills, why not use them? An intelligent, capable woman such as yourself should not be limited by those above her, she should surround herself with people who will help her grow." Allison said, soothing Mercy's ears with her velvety voice. "I also think a woman such as you knows the value of money... Not just the things it can buy. Would you like to make a lot of money? Earn respect, learn how to command it... You want to be a powerful woman, and yet you are not. But for now, please just relax. Business is to be discussed in my office, not here."

What about me, Jamie wanted to ask. There had to be something she could do for Allison that would win her the things she seemed to promise to everyone else. She didn't even need as much money. She just wanted a little of her own.

Allison began to massage Mercy's neck, from her shoulders to behind her ears, while she waited attentively to see how Mercy would respond. She knew Mercy's type. She could be won like anyone else, perhaps even more easily given the nature of Allison's resources.

Mercy was a stiff person by nature. She wasn't high strung but she was wound tightly. Sukiyo was doing an amazing job but there was still tension this room. Allison was partly to blame. Jamie as well. The possibility that Dinah could return also didn't help and the general stress of the day was wearing on her.

"She's... doing a wonderful job..." Mercy purred a bit and let out a content sigh. "It's just..." When Mercy felt Allison begin to massage her neck, her head lolled back until it pressed into Allison's stomach. She let out a soft, pleased breath and melted into Allison's touch.

"Yes... yes... a terrible shame..." She muttered, her eyes mostly closed as she let her body be attended to. "I'm... nnnnnn... willing to entertain your ideas... Ms. Watson... nnnn..."

Jamie pulled her knees up to her chest with her feet on the edge of the chair. She hugged her knees while she watched everyone attending to Mercy. Why was she so great anyway? Didn't Jamie do good by finding her for Allison in the first place?

"Suki, is my dear sister-in-law still lingering in the salon?" Allison asked without looking up.

"Yes, Ms Watson, I believe she is."

"Mm. Jamie, would you please go ask Ms Clarkson to leave? I think she's stayed quite long enough, don't you?"

Jamie's eyes widened, and she almost froze. "B-but, if I do that she'll know someone let us out! She'll come back here!"

Allison smiled. "You're right. How silly of me." It was impossible to tell from her expression if the thought had actually not occurred to her. "Simply tell her that I let you out, yes? I am the proprietor of this establishment, am I not? Run along now."

Jamie nervously got up, and without taking her eyes off of Allison and Mercy she began the slow march to the door as if it was her own funeral. With one last forlorn look at Mercy, she disappeared out the door.

"Now, then, Ms Wrenn. Tell me what you want most in the world. What sort of woman are you, hm? What do you desire."

Mercy was surprised that Allison was actually going to acknowledge her sister-in-law let alone send Jamie off to die by her hands. Better her than Mercy, she thought and as Jamie gave her a look, she smirked at the urchin and lifted up her hand enough to wave a little bit at the girl.

Mercy then let out a sigh and listened to Allison's words. "I'm going to be the best, so that if I want something, I can just have it. I've worked hard and I've worked with the best. I know what it takes and I plan on doing anything I have to to be there." She stated her words matter-of-factly. Lawyering came naturally to her, she had a silver tongue that was appropriately forked and she was going to use that to get where she needed to be. She'd use anyone else she had to as well, especially someone like Jamie and Allison too, if she were able to. But she was in the dragon's den so to speak, so she remained calm and cool as she spoke with the woman.

Allison grinned. Though by itself it was never complete, Allison did so love ambition. "My darling, I understand completely."

Jamie meekly pried open the door to the salon and peered out. Sure enough, there were the other two spa employees tending to customers, while Dinah sat in a chair with her feet up somewhere they shouldn't be, hands behind her head, talking about something no one else in the room cared about as if it was the most important thing ever. Jamie almost had a moment to mentally condescend to the woman, but she spotted her first.

Dinah sprung up to her feet and strode quickly and purposefully to Jamie, who was frozen in place. She didn't need any explanation. She threw the door open, grabbed Jamie by the scruff and physically dragged her like a rag doll back to the room while Jamie screamed.

Allison heard the footsteps in the hall and casually moved out from behind Mercy's chair to receive her guest. Dinah rounded the corner into the room and threw Jamie on the floor, but didn't break stride. She walked up to Allison, and just as she opened her mouth to say something Dinah hammered her in the face with her fist, which sent her sprawling.

After a moment, once Allison's senses returned, she did her best to look composed and to appear unhurt. She was neither. She glared up at Dinah, her hated, long-time rival, and suddenly she was back in high school. She hated most of all how Dinah could cause her to regress like that, doing more damage than any punch she could ever throw.

"Hello, Dinah." She said in a low growl.

"Sarah, we've got a lot to talk about." Dinah said as she closed in on Allison and reached down to grab her by the hair. Allison couldn't move fast enough to stop her, and was dragged painfully back to her feet. She might've had the upper hand, still, were it not for Dinah's sheer strength.

Dinah jerked Allison's head to the side and made her stumble, and then slammed her knee into Allison's stomach. It knocked the wind out of her, made her groan, twisted her face with pain, and dropped her back to one knee. While she was still reeling, Dinah jerked her head up by her hair and gave her a huge, jarring slap across the face that sent her back down. It was humiliating, but the power behind it was enough to stun Allison again.

When Allison fell, her purse hit the stone floor with a heavy, metallic clunk. Jamie panicked. She wanted to run away, but Allison was her best hope of making money or getting fed, and she didn't want to make her angry by abandoning her. In a momentary lapse of reason, Jamie threw herself at Dinah and wrapped her arms around her waist. She couldn't move her, but she tangled up her legs with her own and prevented her from doing any more harm for the moment.

Jamie's panic hit a new level when Dinah looked down at her. "Help!"

Mercy let out a deep sigh at Allison's words. She figured the woman was crafty, but for now she seemed to be on the same wavelength. She was willing to let Allison get to work, until suddenly things began to get wild once more.

The door swung open and Jamie was tossed into the room like a rag doll. Allison and Dinah tangled and Dina seemed to do exactly to her that she had done to Jamie and herself, with much the same ease. She watched Jamie and saw the open door. Now was the perfect time to run away and get the heck out of here and let this woman do what she wanted with Dinah. But to Mercy's shock, and horror, Jamie jumped on Dinah.

Mercy jumped up sharply from her seat and crept towards the door. Her jacket, her shoes and socks, her contract were all still in this place. She wanted to forget all about it. They weren't worth her life!

But she looked at Allison and Jamie who struggled and gulped hard. If anything, trying to save these two from this raging beast of a woman might put her in an advantageous position with them. She searched the room quickly, her fists and physical strength would be entirely useless.

Finally, she settled on the spilled wine bottle used to beat Jamie and her senseless earlier. She practically jumped at it and tried to grab for it so she could hop to her feet and swing it at Dinah's head. If THIS wouldn't stop this woman, then all three of them would be dead and raped at Dina's whim! Probably in that order too!