Efficacy

Efficacy 6

Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: This story contains adult content.

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Castor: Steal My Love

"Pack all of your things, at least as much as you can carry, don't let anyone see you." I explained to my twin, "Leave at exactly 2:06am and take the car, the one Wednesday doesn't know about, the one you brought to fix up."

"Why can't we just take one of Wednesday's cars, wouldn't that be better?" Pollux interrupted.

He was so damn naïve at times that it killed me, "Think Pollux, Wednesday probably has those cars wired with tracking devices, or worse explosives, we wouldn't get far."

"Damn you really think that she'd do that?"

"Yes Pollux."

"'So we have no choice?"

"That's why you need to listen to me word for word if we are going to abandon the dollhouse!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat startled me, and I immediately ended the call. I turned around slowly, only to come face to face with the bitch herself.

Wednesday.

She was dressed in a pair of Dereon skinny jeans a a purple fitted button up with the sleeved rolled up her arm. She had on a pair of purple Jimmy Chu heals to top it off. To her left and right were two big bodyguards who stood there silently.

"That was some conversation." Wednesday stated impassively.

Damn it.

How could I have been so careless?

She had heard the conversation I had with Pollux. She knew about our plans to run away.

Fuck.

"Wednesday I can ex--"

She rose her hand to silence me.

"Castor, Castor, Castor." She taunted, "I would have expected this from Pollux, but from you? I'm shocked!"

She faked a shocked expression.

Everything about her was fake.

It was part of what made the Dollhouse, well...the Dollhouse.

It was also what I hated most about it all.

"Unless you can tell me it was all your bother's fault and you had nothing to do with his betrayal."

This was my chance. I could tell her it was Pollux's fault and spare myself of her wrath. I could sacrifice my brother, my twin, so that I could live just a little bit longer.

But even I had my limits.

I wasn't that evil. Pollux was my brother, he was all I had, and he was more important then this Dollhouse bullshit.

"I cannot do that." I stated firmly looking at Wednesday.

"Oh well that's a shame," She stated holding out her hand. One of the bodyguards handed her a gun and she aimed it at me. "Its too bad Castor, I actually liked you."

Then she pulled the trigger.

________________________________________________________________________

I jumped up from the bed abruptly gasping for air.

In my disturbance, Affinity aroused from his sleep, and turned on a lamp by the bed. He gazed at me sympathetically.

Was he really the enemy? Why was he so...caring?

"You had a bad dream." He stated more than asked.

"More like a living nightmare."

"You want me to hold you?"

I looked into his dark eyes. He was sincere in his request. Silently I laid my head onto his chest, and allowed him to wrap his powerful arms around me.

Soon the nightmare became a distant memory, as I listened to this man, this stranger's heart beat soothe me.

I could not even begin to explain why it was that this total stranger, who was by fate my enemy, had penetrated my shields and facades so quickly, with such ease. Why it seemed that I allowed myself to become vulnerable to him, and forget my mission and the fact that he belong to Patience, as I belonged to Wednesday.

And nothing could change that.

His heart beat began to slow down, and his breathing faded into a calming rhythm; he had fallen back asleep.

I robbed my face against his smooth chest, reveling in his scent. It was intoxicating. Maybe that was part of his allure. Maybe his goal was to get me to fall blindly for him, then use me to gain information for Patience.

Naw...he wouldn't have taken this far. He wouldn't still be here with me, right now.

Maybe he felt something, like I felt something. It wasn't love, but it was something that pulled us to each other. That attracted one another as if we were moons trapped in one another's gravity.

And everything else ceased to exist.

I yawned silently, as I close my eyes and awaited the comfort of sleep.

This time the nightmare faded into a blissful dream of the man holding me now. Of the stranger, whose arms encircled me, and wrapped me in his embrace.

________________________________________________________________________

The next morning when I woke up I was alone. The previous night, felt like a dream or perhaps a distant memory.

The sun was shinning brightly, filtering through an open curtain in the room blinding me. I sat up in the bed and shielded my eyes from the sun's rays. The sheet fell from my body as I sat up, collecting in my lap and exposing my naked torso. My body ached in ways that have become unfamiliar to me; you see sex was part of the job requirement, being in the Dollhouse, however passionate, raw, unadulterated love making, wasn't part of the deal.

Not that I was in love with this man, a stranger at that, its just...our actions...what we did...

It was over now, time to get back to business.

I ran my hand over my head nonchalantly, trying to will myself to forget him. It was nothing more than what it was, a momentary relapse in judgment.

There was a soft rustling sound outside the door of my room. Immediately I went into defensive mood, it could be an intruder, a spy from Patience.

That would be pointless, after all I did just sleep with her top right hand man. I shook my head.

Just as I was about to get up to investigate the source of the sound, the door opened and in walked Affinity in only a pair of tight boxer briefs, which clung to his body like a second skin, and in his hands was a tray with delicious looking food. He smiled when he saw me awake, and sat down next to me, laying the tray over my lap.

"Thought you'd be hungry after last night." He stated with a cocky grin.

I rolled my eyes playfully and looked down at the tray.

French toast, fruit, orange juice, toast, muffins, and more.

Wow, he really did all this for me?

"Surely you don't expect me to eat all this by myself?"

He let out a little chuckle, "I would hope not, that's a lot of food and I'm pretty hungry myself," I blushed, damn I could be so stupid sometimes, "and I would think that you'd wanna watch your figure. From the looks of it, you look like you live in the gym."

I blushed harder and quickly shoved a piece of toast in my mouth before I said something stupid again. At this he just laughed even harder.

After that we ate in silence, for the most part. There were a few exchange of words here and there, mostly about the job, but other than that, nothing. Both of us seem reluctant to bring up last night in the conversation.

I know I didn't wanna bring it up because I didn't want him thinking I was some emotional little girl who just had sex for the first time and now thinks she's in love. It was my understanding that this was just a one night stand, just sex. I knew how to separate the two, I'm not a novice to the game.

But the question still remains, why did he stay? Surely after a one night stand you don't spend the night, you don't cuddle, and you sure as hell don't have breakfast the next morning together.

Fuck it. I was starting to get a headache from thinking too much, and it was starting to take its toll on me.

"Your so quiet." Affinity stated softly, snapping my out of my reverie.

"Uh...no...I uh...was just...thinking."

"About?" He had stopped eating and was now giving me his full attention.

I shrugged my shoulders, "stuff, nothing important."

"Liar."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said," he started scooting closer to me until his face was inches away from my own, "you're a liar."

"Why...what makes you...think that." I was stumbling again.

"What happened to you last night?" He asked shifting the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"Your nightmare?"

It took me a second to realize what he had been talking about, but then I remembered. Yes how could I forget, the nightmare. "Oh that, you know...the usual, nightmares."

"You seemed pretty shaken up, wanna talk about it?" He asked sincerely.

I shook my head and looked away, "nah, its no big deal. Just a nightmare, a reminder of...life."

He grunted and sat back on the edge of the bed again. "Okay well I gotta go, see you later?"

I nodded my head affirmatively. "Sure."

I watched him, almost in a trance, as he put his clothes back on. He was truly magnificent, yeah that word described him well...magnificent.

Once he was finished, he leaned over slightly to kiss me on the lips softly, and then he left.

No goodbye, no `call me,' nothing.

It was for the better, I was safer this way, I was safe for today.

He just made it easier to push it all away.

I shrugged my shoulders and resolved to forget about Affinity and what happened. I was here to do a job and I couldn't allow anything to get in my way, least of all some guy.

I got out bed and walked towards the bathroom, with my dick on hard leading the way. Once in the bathroom I turned on the shower, and quickly relieved myself from the piss that had been building in my bladder. With a sigh of relief, I flushed the toilet and climbed into the shower, letting the hot water soothe my aching muscles. The steam from the shower began to fill the room, as I washed my skin haphazardly. My head was somewhere else, it was with him. Try as I might, I just couldn't forget what happened and how good it felt. That stranger made me feel things that I have long since forgotten, he made me feel alive for once. Like I wasn't just some pawn to be used by someone, but rather a real person.

Maybe giving in to my immoderate desires wasn't the best thing to do. I was starting to think like Pollux, and that was the last thing I needed right now, and that dream was proof of all that.

I shook off those images of Affinity and the memories from last night, and cleaned myself and exited the shower before any more inane ideas came to my head.

Just as I was entering the room, my phone vibrated. I quickly ran to the dresser beside my bed to retrieve the phone. I looked down at the screen to see that it was Pollux calling...great.

I touched the talk button on the screen, "Hello."

"Castor! Thank God I've been calling you all morning! Where the hell have you been?!"

He was so melodramatic, "Calm down I've been busy, after all I am on a mission for Wednesday!" So I lied a little, more like not telling the whole truth. He was already wound up about something, no sense in adding fuel to the fire.

"Wait...yeah I forgot about that. Are you okay bro?"

"Yeah fine, so what's up?"

"Oh the usual, life in the Dollhouse." He was being sarcastic, I hated when he did that. It usually meant trouble for me.

"Spill."

"I can't...we can't keeping living like this--"

I knew where this was going and I intended to put an end to it, "Pollux," I stated firmly interrupting him.

"Damn can't you just hear me out for once!" He yelled in frustration.

"I have heard you out many times. If this is the same bullshit from before, one of your harebrained schemes to leave the Dollhouse and escape Wednesday, then you can just forget it, or at least count me out!"

He was silent for a moment, I could tell he was shocked at how I reacted. Maybe I overreacted a little bit, but I couldn't take that chance.

That dream.

I couldn't take the chance of the dream becoming a reality. I had to save myself and Pollux at all cost, even if I had to endure his hatred.

"So that's how it is now bruh?" I spoke with such vehemence, such rage, "You just gone chose this bitch and this lifestyle over your own bro? Nigga you ain't worth shit and that's real talk. I don't know why I felt like I could trust you in this, my own brother, when its obvious that your just like all the rest of them. Your content with living this lifestyle, following orders, doing this doing that, being the loyal little puppy that's at Wednesday's disposal. I don't want that anymore, I never really wanted it in the first place. I just want to live my life how I want to live it, not how Wednesday commands me to. I thought you would get that, I thought that you being my brother, would be empathetic to how I feel, but I guess I was wrong. Damn how I wish I wasn't wrong."

My eyes stung with a vengeance. I wanted to tell him that I understood completely how he felt, how I was tired of living this way, how I wanted to just settle down, find love, be loved...but I couldn't. There was no way I could tell him that, give in to how I was feeling without exciting him, and doing something rash that we both would live, or not live, to regret.

Not with that dream.

"What are you afraid of?" Pollux asked me after a while of silence.

"Death."

It was that simple.

As selfish as it sounded, I wanted to live, and I would rather live a life that's not worth living, then to not live at all.

I know, that's some fucked up logic.

"Well I guess...there's nothing left to say then...goodbye Castor." He sounded defeated, like he just didn't care anymore.

"Pollux wait," I delayed him. Now was my chance to speak up, say something, anything. "Don't do anything okay? Just...promise me...you won't do anything irrational."

That was the best I had? My brother came to me in his time of need, poured his heart out to me, and all I could do was ask him not to do anything stupid? What was wrong with me?

For once I was glad that our parents were dead, for they would be so ashamed of how I was treating my little brother right now. It would've killed him.

"Yeah whatever." With that he hung up.

I sat on the bed, and laid my back on the covers, the phone fell a few inches away.

Was I too hard on him?

The answer to that question was an obvious yes.

Well then was it necessary, was I doing the right thing? Was I going to far trying to protect him, or was I pushing him further away and losing the only real connection that I have left on this earth? Was I losing the only thing that separated me from all the others in the Dollhouse, the one thing that made me retain my humanity?

"DAMN IT!" I yelled out in frustration. The sound silence was my only response. That always seemed to be the response, silence. It was a reminder of how lonely this life truly was. How I had no one but the silence to keep me company.

I hated, no I loathed it.

This loneliness.

But there was nothing I could do about it, at least not right now. I just hoped that Pollux could hold out until then, I hoped I could hold out until then.

I put aside those feelings to continue getting dressed for my first day of work.

I decided to go for a more causal look, seeing that what I saw of everyone else at the company when speaking with Mr. Baldwin. I choose a simple pair of tight grey pin-striped slacks with black suspenders, and a long sleeve white button up with a skinny grey tie with black pin stripes. Looking myself over in the mirror and being satisfied with what I saw, I walked out the room and left my problems behind.

________________________________________________________________________

I drove to the office in mild fashion, taking the black on black leather interior 09 dodge charger r t, courtesy of Wednesday and the Dollhouse. I parked the charger on the far side of the parking lot, away from prying minds. I took a moment to look myself over in the mirror to make sure everything was perfect, I didn't want to leave anything to chance, it was my first day of work after all.

I exited the car and walked toward the elevator, my department was on the fifth floor. I pushed the appropriate buttons and rode the elevator in silence, or it would have been if it weren't for the cheesy elevator music. While waiting for my floor, my mind drifted back to Pollux and how things between us were uneasy. I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't let him run around relying on hopes in dreams, that did nothing in a situation like this.

What was hope anyway other than a four letter word? It holds no value, no power, yet many people use it faithfully.

I guess I'm just more of a realist.

I see things for what they really are, nothing more, nothing less. And as far as I was concerned, in the real world there was no room for hope, there was no such thing.

The elevator sounded and the doors slowly opened to the fifth floor. I walked into the well lit room towards the receptionist. She was a black woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun resting at the back of her head. She had on a white blouse that was unbuttoned and showing her cleavage, and from where I was standing, she was packing. She was good looking, but forgettable.

"Is there something I can help you with sir?" She asked, her voice was naturally raspy in a sexy kind of way.

"Yes, I'm actually here to report for my first day of work. I've already spoken with Mr. Baldwin, who informed me that he would not be in attendance to show me around today."

The woman smiled at me, "Oh of course, Castor is it?" I nodded, "Yes Mr. Baldwin speaks very highly of you, he has great expectations of you. I'm Chrisette by the way."

Also forgettable, I smiled in common courtesy extending my hand, "Nice to meet you Chrisette."

She gasped it and shook it softly, "I'll show you to the computer tech. department." She typed something on the computer, and motioned for me to follow her as she began to walk. We walked through two giant wooden doors and down a narrow hallway that seemed to never end. If the lights were dim, and I didn't see random people walking down the hallway enhancing smiles, I would have sworn that she was leading me into a dungeon. We came to the end of the hallway to another set of doors. She pushed them open to reveal a bright room with computers and people walking around casually.

"This is it, the computer tech department." She smiled widely at me.

"Wow." I was really amazed by the level of technology and advanced equipment in the room. I felt like a kid in a candy shop, I was in my element.

"Hey ." She said flagging down some guy. "This here is Castor, and its first day on the job."

"Oh we've been expecting you Castor, welcome." The man said extending his hand.

"Thank you." I said shaking his hand back.

"I'm the supervisor here and if you need anything just feel free to ask me."

"Actually," Chrisette spoke up, "Mr. Baldwin had to take a leave of absence today and won't be here to show Castor around, so why don't you being the supervisor of his department, show Castor here how things work."

"Sure I have time." The man smiled at me.

"Okay great, I have to get back to the front." She turned to leave but paused, "your in good hand Castor, he knows what he's doing." With that she left.

For the next twenty minutes I trailed behind this man, who later introduced himself as Jim...or John...Joe...whatever. He was a white man in this late thirties, mildly attractive, but still not my type. I watched as he demonstrated some of the equipment, stuff I could do in my sleep, and was introduced to people's whose names I quickly forgot. I wasn't here to make friends, surely I could fake that too. It was all about Efficacy.

"How about we go up to the other floors and I can introduce you to the other members of the company."

I nodded my head in agreement.

And the torture continues, we traveled up some stairs, met some more people...blah blah blah. I was near the point where I was just about to suggest we wrap this thing up, when I was introduced to the son of Terrence Baldwin. He was speaking intently with a man, presumably a worker, and they were going over papers. When he saw us approaching, he smiled and wrapped up his conversation with the man.

"Hello Mr. Baldwin." Jacob said.

"Now you know Jim," that's his name Jim, "that I'd rather you all called me by my name around the office. Mr. Baldwin is my father."

"Very well sir." Jim motioned towards me, "This is our new recruit Castor Anderson."

I let out an audible gasp, dude was a spitting image of his father, but a younger version of course. My dick went from soft to hard in record time. I saw his eyes look down at my growing member then back up to me, he gave me a knowing smile, and I smiled back cockily.

Same broad shoulders, but instead of being bald like his father, he was sporting a low cut hair cut that gave the illusion that he was bald, or close enough to it. Other than that they were exactly the same, same dark skin, sexy chocolate brown eyes, around 6'3 and very muscular, more than his father and me apparently. His charming smile, with the one dimple on his right cheek. My body shivered with anticipation, I could see why Antoinette warned me to stay away from him, but since when have I care about what SHE wants?

"Hello Castor pleased to meet you, I'm Josiyah Baldwin son of Terrence Baldwin." He extended his hand for me to shake.

I took it gripping it lightly and using my thumb to caress his hand slightly, "Oh the pleasure is all mine Mr. Baldwin."

We continued to hold hands for a while, "Mr. Baldwin is my father, call me Josiyah." He smiled.

"Very well then...Josiyah."

We locked eyes for a moment and everyone else seemed to vanish, including Joe.

I was getting serious vibes from dude, like he wanted to just take me to one of the vacant rooms in the building and fuck me crazy, and I was more than willing to take him up on that offer.

"Not that this hasn't been fun, but I'd like to have that back now." He laughed, motioning towards his hand.

"Oh yeah sorry about that." I said releasing his hand and scratching the back of my head nervously.

"Its no problem, really." He was smiling again, that damn smile.

"So Josiyah, what is it you do here?" I asked, making small talk.

"Nothing really, my father just has me supervising everything, making sure the corporation runs smoothly. I guess you can say he's grooming me to take over someday." He sounded a little unsure of himself.

"Is that what you want, to take over?" I asked perceptively.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Honestly, I don't know. I mean I want to make him happy and to do the right thing and be his successor, but I'm not sure if that's what I really want anymore. When I was a kid, I looked up to my father, aspired to be like him. Strong, compassionate, intelligent, successful, now...I just don't know anymore. I'm sorry it must seem like I'm being ungrateful or something--"

"No its okay," I reassured him, "its actually nice to know you just like the rest of us, human."

He smiled warmly, "You're an unusual person, but in a good way. There's something so...captivating about you."

"Must be my good looks." I joked making light of the situation.

We both laughed.

"I don't think its that, not that your not good looking--" my eyebrows arched questioningly, he quickly clarified himself, "I'm not gay, but I do appreciate a good looking person when I see one, male or female." I nodded my head approvingly, though I was not entirely convinced.

"Castor I don't know what it is about you, but I can tell that if you stick around long enough, then we'll see a lot more of each other."

"Of course, I have no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon, so I hope so. Who knows, maybe we could continue our discussion later?"

"I'll be looking forward to it." He stated extending his hand.

I grabbed his hand and shook it, but when I tried to pull back, his grip tightened and held my hand for a moment longer. When I looked up in astonishment, he just winked at me and smiled. Then he let go of my hand and walked away.

My heart began to beat in my chest rapidly. Down Castor, he was playing you he's straight and with Antoinette. Just settle for having him as a friend, that's all I needed now anyway. Anything else would just complicate matters.

"Looks like you made a great first impression on Mr. Baldwin's son." John said breaking me from my daydream.

"Oh...umm yeah...right."

Joe introduced me to a few more people before we finally returned to the computer tech floor. He gave me some mindless task to do, busy work, and left me alone.

Finally.

I couldn't even begin to focus on work right now. Images of Pollux, Affinity, and Josiyah all flowed in my head in random motions. I was worried about Pollux because of the dream and the phone call from him about wanting to leave the Dollhouse. That triggered me to worry about him even more, which in turn triggered memories of Affinity holding me after the nightmare that night and the breakfast in bed. And lastly Josiyah, whose image was the worst because there was something about him, something that could potentially ruin everything. He was a liability, one that I couldn't allow to get to close to me.

I was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. I turned around to see Jacob standing there. "Is there something I can do for you Joe?" I asked, trying to hide the fact that I was clearly irritated.

"Its Jim, but that's okay you met a lot of people today that I wouldn't expect you to remember all their names." He laughed.

I wasn't trying to be rude, but this dude seriously annoyed me and I didn't really know why. As far as remembering his name, obviously he wasn't that important or else I would have remembered.

I faked a smile, "Your right, sorry about that Jim."

"Its okay." He said shrugging it off, "there's one more person that I would like to introduce you too, and who is eager to meet you."

I groaned inwardly, great another somebody who's a nobody.

I nodded my head and followed John...damn...Jim.

Jim walked towards the elevator and pressed the button and the doors opened. We stepped inside and rode the elevator up to the eighth floor, and as luck would have it, Jim was one of those type of people when stuck in an elevator, try to initiate conversation about nothing. The elevator stopped and the doors open, I couldn't have been more happier if I tried. As soon as the doors open and we stepped off the elevator, there was immediately another set of doors. Jim opened the doors slightly to reveal a dim lit room. He ushered me into the room, then shut the door behind me, leaving me alone in the room.

That was...odd.

I looked around the room as best as I could, given the lighting, or lack thereof. I was able to make out a large desk in the center of the room, with a large chair facing away from me. Next to the desk was a figure, maybe a tree or something, and curtains covering the window.

Just as I was about to voice my concern, the curtains slowly opened and light filtered in from the windows. The room suddenly came into view, and the figure standing by the desk came into focus.

"You?" I gasped in astonishment.

The chair to the desk turned around slowly to reveal a woman. With the curtains finally opened, the woman, who had opened them, walked over to take her spot on the other side of the woman sitting in the chair.

What the hell is going on here? What was this all about?

The woman in the chair gave me a smirk, and immediately I knew who she was.

"Hello Castor Anderson, I'm Patience Crane and I've been expecting you."