They have a lead, though...

"**** threats again?" Montrose asked. "Why now? What makes you think they'll work this time?"

"Because I mean it this time," Singer grumbled. "I'm gonna **** the life out of her whether she talks or not."

"You know that's-"

"Fucking stop me then," Singer said. "Restrain me or kill me or report me. Do what you're gonna do. I have had enough of this bullshit and I'm not gonna just let her sit in there and make me look like an asshole any longer."

Montrose sipped his coffee thoughtfully. He forgot that most people didn't have the sort of patience that professional torturers developed as a necessary skill for the job. "Well, at least we have a lead."

"A lead?" Singer asked, looking aghast. "A fucking lead? What, because the brainwashed robot in there has a little more energy? Or because she said some vague horseshit about today being important? It's all games, Dan! She's just fucking with us!"

"Maybe," Montrose said. "Still, we might as well keep trying until midnight."

"You might as well keep trying. I'm gonna take a walk to clear my head. I'll be fantasizing about hearing her stupid fucking voice for the last time tonight."

Montrose took a moment to collect his thoughts before re-entering the chamber. Sam was singing a tune he didn't recognize under her breath and waltzing around the room. Her face lit up when he entered.

"Bullwinkle! How are you doing, man?"

He leaned against the wall and studied her silently. After a few seconds, she started laughing at him.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Montrose didn't reply, so she sat and began drumming on her knees. Finally he spoke.

"It's not the boss that's excited, is it?"

She stopped drumming suddenly, confirming his suspicion. "It's you, Sam. You're excited. Something big is happening today, isn't it?"

She just shrugged. "Can't say."

He nodded. "Of course you can't. But I've spent enough time with you to know when something is coming from Sam. You're getting out today, aren't you?"

A slight facial twitch, almost imperceptible. Good. "It's ok, Sam. I know it's going to happen. Whether your boss assimilated the head of our agency or is just sending a team of... 'members' to storm the compound, the result will be the same. I'd like to ask for a personal favor, though."

Sam was clearly intrigued. "Yeah?"

"Assimilate me. I want to be like you. Sam, I've seen you smile and hum through the worst things a human being can endure, and it's all because of him."

She nodded. "I'll do what I can, but you understand that it won't be like that most of the time for you. Probably never."

"I know," he replied. His voice was shaky. "I... I'm not a good person, Sam. I don't know who you were before all this, but it seems like there's less of you in this world now. I think this world needs a lot less of me and people like me. I think your organization can achieve that, and I'd like to help."

"Starting with you," she said. "But what makes you think it's going to happen today? It will definitely happen at some point, but why would the boss show his cards now?"

"He didn't," Daniel said. "Sam, you did. You told me everything with your body and your voice. He's spoken through you and he's always so careful, so controlled. I knew when I saw you dancing around the room that there's no way it came from him."

"I can't-"

"I know," Daniel said. He put a hand on her knee. "You can't trust me and you can't tell me anything. But you'll know soon enough that I never had any intention of stopping it. Thank you, Sam."

One month earlier...

Daniel stepped into the room and stared in shock. In front of him, lounging lazily on the old mattress, Sam was completely nude. He felt a sudden surge of attraction, then realized why. She was clean.

"Good m-"

Daniel slammed the door without a word. He stormed into the kitchenette where Singer was eating an apple.

"What the fuck did you do?" he demanded.

Singer smirked. "Gave our prisoner a shower. It's the right thing to do."

"Did you get a blowjob from her?"

Singer actually laughed. "A blowjob? That's all she offered? Geez, I'm glad I held out. You wouldn't believe the kind of shit-"

"Why would you do that?" Daniel demanded. "We still don't know how this contagious cult thing works! She could have infected you or something!"

"Relax," Singer said. "I think you'd know if I had some jerkoff's thoughts beamed into my mind. I'm fine, she's clean - it's a win-win."

"You asshole," Daniel said with resignation. "You just fucked our prisoner. Do you have any ideas how many laws you just-"

"I never said I fucked her," Singer said menacingly. "I told you I gave her a shower, and that's all. That's all you ever heard me say. Anything else would be a baseless accusation."

Daniel stared at him with disgust. "I'm not... Singer, just try not to fuck our prisoner again. Please, just do your job with a modicum of professionalism."

"Hey, maybe control your fucking prisoner!" Singer shot back. "She came on to me!"

"Hey, Bullwinkle," Sam said apologetically when he re-entered the room. "I guess you found out what I did."

"Not specifically," he muttered as he closed the door behind him. "Enough. I should have just given you a shower in the first place. Then you wouldn't have had to..."

Sam approached him slowly. His eyes were downcast, but they looked up to hers as she put her hands on his sides. "I didn't have to. I wanted to, Bullwinkle. I wasn't using sex to get a shower, I was using a shower to get sex."

"You wanted to?" he asked incredulously. "With him?"

"Eh," she said. "You were a much better choice, but you made it clear you weren't interested. Probably for the best, honestly. You and I have-"

She was cut off when he darted his head forward to kiss her. After overcoming her initial shock, Sam reciprocated. He felt her supple, nude form press against his and his loins stirred. He broke the kiss suddenly.

"No." Daniel stepped back. "No. I can't."

"Why not?" Sam asked. "Why can't you? Do you have someone?"

"No," he said. "No. I just- you're not yourself. I can't."

Sam laughed, relieved. "That's what you're worried about? Bullwinkle, I'm completely myself. I feel good, I'm clean, and I like you! You think the boss is doing this? He doesn't know about that sad little face you make when you see Rocky being mean to me. He doesn't see those muscles under your shirt, that way your mustache twitches when you're upset, your habit of wiping your glasses when you're nervous."

Daniel paused and put his glasses back on. "Fine. You're still a prisoner. It's unethic-"

"Oh, come on, Bullwinkle. You're a professional torturer. Ethics are hardly a concern for you."

She advanced on him and he closed his eyes. As her hands ran up his chest to his face, he suddenly grabbed them to stop her.

"No! No, you can't, you're- I don't deserve it."

Sam looked at him with heartbreak in her eyes. "Oh, Daniel. I-"

Before she could finish, he fled the room.