Matt goes for a walk

Matt made his way to his bungalow and jumped onto the bed. He bounced into a comfortable position, arms behind his head, and let out a long, contented sigh. It had been a successful trip, so far, with some very exciting promises about the future. The wizard was supposed to meet him, he thought he remembered, but he wasn’t sure. In any case, he would hang out and wait for a minute. He played back the memories with Marsella and Valerie and found himself wondering how he could get them together. Everyone else faded from his mind, regardless of his affection for them.

Matt wasn’t a good person. He knew it. He felt it. He hadn’t discarded the women waiting at home, but they were certainly not on the same level as before. Who cares if Lucy dumped him for disappearing? Would she resist him if he wanted her? Would her friends? He smiled, knowing they would not. A woman with magical power had been so taken by his gift that she had submitted to him. She pretended to have control, but behind her words he saw how she acted, the way she writhed and begged for more. He could disappear as long as he wanted, his girls would be waiting patiently.

With that thought he checked his phone. His smile didn’t fade as every message and voicemail betrayed the growing desperation every woman felt with his absence. He didn’t bother to explain himself after clearing his notifications, he was satisfied for now. Maybe when he needed a release he’d call someone.

Maybe.

He waited a minute before getting too bored to remain in bed and hopped to his feet. No sense wasting his vacation. It was nearly night, only the last remnants of daylight still holding on to the horizon. The sea air was cool and pleasant in the nighttime heat. The night life was just beginning, with attire around the resort transforming from daytime beachwear to nightclub and formal wear.

“I’m kind of horny,” Matt said out loud, to no one in particular, in the same way he might realize he would like a snack before dinner.

He glanced around, predatory eyes looking for a potential mate.

He didn’t know that a different set of predatory eyes were watching him, though not yet him specifically, but certainly everyone that was on the resort. Every word from every conversation was being logged and combed through by technicians far away, searching for any clue about the spell. Matt, however, was oblivious to all of this, and he started taking a walk toward the beach. There was the usual seaside entertainment for this time of night, the last few volleyball games wrapping up and a mix of party goers starting to arrive. His arousal started to radiate from his groin, despite the utterly satisfying day of intimacy he had shared with Valerie. Matt didn't question that sort of thing anymore, he was more than happy to let his baser instincts control him. To anyone watching it looked like confidence, and that was one of the two things that get noticed at an exclusive resort that caters to the ultra-wealthy (the other is ultra-wealth, naturally).

Matt went down to the beach, lit only by a handful of bonfires and smelling of sweat and the sweet-salty air blowing in from the sea. He ran a hand through his hair to organize it a little and tossed his shoes. He didn't see where they landed, and didn't much care, toes sinking into the soft sand. He took a stroll, weaving around the rest of the beach crowd, toward the unlit part of the beach which was nestled between the sea and a rising cliff. He could see a handful of silhouettes against the dying sunbeam that stretched across the water, dancing in the surf. It looked fun and carefree, so he made his way there. Walking over the sand in the dark proved more challenging that he thought, but he was determined to stumble to his destination regardless. As he got closer the peals of laughter and giggles of a half-dozen young women appeared over the waves that splashed softly on the sand. One of them noticed and unleashed an over-eager wave above her head.

"Oh! A new person! Hi new person!" she shouted.

Matt guessed she was inebriated from the tone of her voice, though he didn't really know. It was high-pitched, yes, but from an excess of joy rather than alcohol. Alcohol was definitely involved, Matt learned, when his foot tripped on a bottle half sunk into the sand. He faltered, to the delight of the women, and several dashed in from the shallow water to help.

"You gotta watch where you're going!"

"Is this the guy you were talking about?" a second voice chimed in nearby.

"No," the third said, turning to Matt, "Hey! What brings you here?"

"I was just out for a walk and saw you guys having fun and thought I should stop by," Matt replied, pausing. "Oh, I'm Matt."

The girls introduced themselves as Rebecca, Cheri, and Amanda.

"And still in the water," Cheri continued, pointing with her whole body, "is Darcee and Lexus."

There wasn't much to see in the growing darkness, but Matt could tell one thing right away about all these women: they were stunning. The little light being cast from the fires down the beach and the sun gave them a sense of mystery, but their flawless athleticism was immediate apparent. He couldn't believe there wasn't a crowd of men following them around.

"How'd you guys get this spot to yourselves?" Matt asked in a rare moment of wisdom instead of blurting out his actual questions.

"We went on a beach run, you know, to get our blood pumping, and brought our suits with us," Cheri said.

Amanda cut in, "We just stop running when we find a nice spot."

"Well, this is really cool," Matt commented.

"Okay, I'm getting back in the water, come on!" Amanda said, dashing away with Cheri right behind, both laughing and kicking up sand.

Rebecca stayed behind, shifting her weight on one foot, regarding Matt carefully.

"So, what's your deal?" she asked after an awkward minute.

"What do you mean?" Matt answered, taking a few steps toward the water.

Rebecca didn't move. "You've got a different vibe from the rest of the guys here."

Matt took this moment to get a better look at Rebecca. She wasn't all that tall, with a perfect deep tan across her athletic form. She wore a bright orange strapless bikini that hinted a little cleavage, but drew the eye to her tight waist and smooth, muscular legs. His eyes traced the long, wavy hair that fell across her shoulders, wet from the sea but not so wet as to lose its volume. She was a ten, no question, and Matt found his pulse quickening with every second she continued to study him. No doubt she was doing the same thing he was, though her conclusion did not seem as kind as his of her. While Matt found himself almost infatuated, she was wary and cautious. Her friends had been quick to invite him around, but she wasn't ready to accept that just yet.

"This is my first time here so I don't really know what you mean..." he finally said, voice trailing off uncomfortably.

"How'd you make your money?"

"Excuse me?" he tried to sound offended but in reality he had forgotten his cover story.

"Listen, you're either here because you have money or someone else with money brought you. And if the latter was true you'd be with them instead of wandering alone."

"I mean, you guys are-"

She put up a hand to stop him. "You don't think we can afford this ourselves?"

"I didn't mean, uh, it's just..."

Matt paused, expecting her to cut him off again, but Rebecca held silent, waiting. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, not willing to budge. Matt couldn't find any words, struck by her beauty, and also completely out of his league. His eyes lingered on her lips, a hint of moisture clinging to soft, plump flesh.

"Okay, yes, I made the money," he said when the silence became too unbearable.

"Rebecca! Get in here!" one of the girls laughed from the water, but she held up her hand and didn't break her accusatory look at Matt.

When the silence had drawn on another minute Matt blurted, "On the internet, and stuff. I guess it's like, well, not entirely legal..."

In his head he scolded himself. That was the best he could do? Nobody would buy that. Rebecca was smart, he could see already, and absolutely confident in that. The moment his lie rolled off his tongue he knew she saw right through it.

"That's a cop out, I don't believe it."

One of the other girls, Lexus or Darcee, had come up the beach and tugged at Rebecca to get back to the water. She relented with a final scowl toward Matt that nearly had him walking away, but the other girls waved him in. He shrugged and followed them toward the dark ocean.

—

Black helicopters were churning toward the resort, packed with professional violent men, just a handful of feet above the calm sea. An aircraft carrier receded in the distance, unregistered and free of any identifying marks, just like the puttering black birds themselves. Their expertise was in fighting the forces of magic, and anyone who could wield that energy knew their skill on that front. Their names and designations, officially, did not exist, and anyone who got in their way had a habit of suffering the same fate.

In minutes cell service and radio communication would be knocked out, forcing their targets to coordinate would be with magic, which suited them just fine. The echoes of magical energy were being watched with the utmost care. There would be nowhere to run.

Each had a single mark on their equipment, a white logo emblazoned on their helmets. Most had a single arrow pointing up, one had a circle, his gear betraying his role as communicator, and the last man, with the most bizarre and exotic kit, had a star. The body language of each man was utterly casual, but it was obvious that the Star ran the show, or at least was given an extreme amount of respect.

“Halfway there,” a pilot barked into the shared com space creating a chorus of silent nods in acknowledgement.

The Star spoke next, “Final checks. No surprises.”

Each man obeyed, quickly identifying every piece of gear by touch before flashing a thumbs up. Star nodded, and the silence settled in again as the last hint of sunlight vanished beneath the sea.