David Dun - Unacceptable Risk

He and Benoit sat down at the table in the middle of the large suite near glass doors that opened onto a balcony. Green and gold draperies were pulled nearly across the doorway. On the table was a plate of French pastries, but he wasn't sure about taking one. He knew that fat in quantity could interfere with Viagra and he didn't want anything di minishing his potency.

Her hair was dark brown, and soft like a feather boa, her face unmarked by age. She looked younger than her thirty- eight years. If she slept with him, he told himself, she would need a very good reason. He knew as he sipped his tea that such a reason would no doubt be very bad for him. Strangely, he could not rise from the table and leave.

"I will get right to the point. There are things you should know in addition to the things I have told you on the phone." She obviously enjoyed his undivided attention. "These are things that I have not told anyone, not even Baptiste." She turned in her chair and he noticed that her blouse was not buttoned to the top and with the angle he could see some cleavage. "Baptiste does not have your stature. I do, how ever, like him." She sipped her tea and his curiosity about her information was getting to him. "I miss the women's magazines. Baptiste brings me one or two…"

"What would you like?"

"Cosmopolitan in English and Vogue, also in English. I like to practice the language."

"It will be done."

"I miss lingerie, you know. Do you like lingerie? I mean as opposed to just nudity. Most men, of course, enjoy a nude woman."

"I like lingerie. Yes. But I think you toy with me."

"Of course I do. That is why you came here. I am very good at it. Would you choose for me some elegant lingerie, a long white silken robe and buy it for me?"

"Yes. I think so."

"I would like that. You seem a wise man and they say you are good with money."

"Who says?"

"Friends. The same friends who say that you are going to be appointed a minister."

"These are your friends in le Senat? " Larive commented.

"I hardly have friends in le Senat. These are staff people of the people in le Senat."

"I hear otherwise."

"Well, that is flattering. You may continue to think such good thoughts of me."

"You are an intriguing woman."

"Men find that I am intriguing. Many women find me un acceptable. Those are usually the women whose husbands want to sleep with me."

"And what do the husbands think?"

"They are attracted to any beautiful stranger. The more mysterious, the better. They cannot help it. I guess it is like a disease in a way."

"You are more attractive than your explanation allows."

"You are a very astute man. But intelligence is definitely not an antidote for what you crave. Is it?"

"No. It is nothing more than an annoyance where my loins are concerned."

"You put it very well. You can see it happening to you, watch it unfold, but still you are drawn. And I think it is not bad at all. It is just the way you feel and sometimes a person should live in the moment."

"My grandmother would have said that this is Satan's lie." He allowed himself a smile.

"My feet are cold. Would you like to rub them for me?"

"Of course."

"Let me sit on the bed and take off my stockings." She wore parity hose and pulled up her skirt to take them off. She wore the slimmest of underwear, a thong, and her butt was beautiful-even with the quick glimpse. The thong was tiny in front; she obviously trimmed her pubic hair. When she sat down, she let her skirt ride high, but he could no longer see her upper thighs and it frustrated him. Then he felt a slight sense of panic. He knew it was happening, but the reality of it was like a drug rushing through his body. This woman was a criminal. Although his reputation was immense he had been faithful to his wife for two years. An old almost forgot ten anxiety came over him. When she had herself situated, he knelt and began a foot rub. The irony of being on one knee did not escape him nor did the physical discomfort.

"What is it that you were going to tell me?" Larive broke the silence.

"It is more than telling you something. It is something we can do together."

"What is that?"

"We could save the United States from a disaster and obtain Chaperone and the vector technology for France. All at once."

"Save the United States from what?"

"What Devan Gaudet is planning. He calls it Cordyceps." Benoit was full of information.

"What is Cordyceps?"

"I'm not sure yet. But I can imagine." She told him the story of Cordyceps and the beetle.

"Intriguing," the admiral said. "I've noticed that your plans hinge on your going to the United States."

"Because Georges Raval understands Chaperone and I understand Georges," she explained.

"Have you told this to Baptiste?"

"Of course. He lacks imagination, though. Would you like me to take off my skirt? It appears that you cannot see whatever it is you are trying to look at."

"You are very beautiful."

"Do you want the skirt off or not? You are a shy boy. I don't know how you ever get what you want." She stood and unzipped her skirt, letting it drop to the floor, then sat again.

He wondered about her blouse. It would be very good if she took that off as well. And the panties.

"I need to go to the United States and see Raval's aunt in New York. This must be in person. She knows me and will send a message to Georges or tell me how to find him. I will explain that France owns Chaperone, which he knows, and I will tell him how he can make some money by helping the rightful owner. In the end, though, we must go through Gaudet."

"Why through Gaudet?"

"I've been at work for a couple of days now, as you know. It's obvious to me already that our lab does not really under stand the vector technology. We are altering brain cells, but not in the correct patterns. Our scientists don't understand the promoter DNA sequences. The sum of it, without getting too technical, is that we do not get well-defined and predictable mood alteration from modification of cells in the limbic system. Gaudet does much better, as we have seen. All he lacks is Chaperone, which enables the subjects to live with the brain alteration. His scientists clearly understand the technology. So I will get Gaudet to sell you his lab, all the Grace Technologies papers and research, and give you leads to hiring all of his employees as part of the deal."

"That makes some sense." Larive was impressed by this gorgeous, conniving woman.

"Now for the second reason I need to go to the States. I need to work with Gaudet and I know he is there. I can talk with him. I believe that he trusts me sufficiently to tell me about Cordyceps. He won't be able to resist bragging to me because we were lovers for over a year. He will believe I have come back to him."

"It's the right thing to do, obviously, stopping this Cordyceps. But why should we risk Chaperone when it's the U.S.'s ass that's on the line. Just to play devil's advocate," Larive proposed.

"If the U.S. markets go, Europe will go with them."

"I suppose to some extent that is true."

"More important, you need a relationship with the U.S. so you must be seen as cooperating. Appearance is everything. So are relationships. Of course, if for some reason we fail to stop Cordyceps, there is a fortune to be made."

"What?" This woman continually surprised him.

She outlined Gaudet's plan to short the market and also to invest in gold stocks and gold bullion so that money would be made when the market fell. She explained how it could be done.

"There is another thing I need to tell you." She appeared to be on a confessing jag.

"Yes?"

"Baptiste plans to make a deal for a five-million-dollar kickback from Gaudet and to use that money to short the market himself. He will make a fortune if Cordyceps goes forward."