EXCERPTS

From the original story titled
'MAN-TO-MAN STUFF'
by Derek Arnold
made longer by Jim Stewart

'PLAYGROUPS'
(2800 words)

Dan Drummond, up-and-coming senior police officer on a British regional force has been abducted while on an under-cover operation.

Now, strait-jacketed and gagged, his old school friend Harry Ansell begins to reveal the truth behind Dan's testing experience ...

“Listen, Dan,” he insisted, “just listen. Your team does the official stuff ... but the covert group I work for is very unofficial. You don't know how unofficial".

My mind was in overdrive at the thought of under-cover work on my patch, and the implications of my being snatched ... and whether Harry was for real ... but he continued ...
“And before I tell you any of it,” he continued, “I need to get some other stuff off my chest. To level with you. Dan, I've been a sensual, what? ... deviant all my life. An arch “pervert” as I guess you'd call it, since I could first get my dick hard. And I've had a ball doing all sorts of man-to-man stuff ... and am still having a ball.

Gagged and strait-jacketed, I was powerless to do anything but stare at him as he sat/crouched before me. He continued ...
“The difference between my top secret officially "unofficial" activities and my personal and private ... seriously unofficial ... ” he began ... and then ground to a halt, looking at a loss how to explain.
He tried again ... “Dan ... even before you blundered out onto the street and nearly fucked-up our operation two days ago, I was seriously thinking of organising to snatch you and, without you knowing where you'd been taken, jump you though a few hoops ... before releasing you relatively unharmed, without you knowing who had done it to you. And, hopefully, you'd be too embarrassed by what had been done to you to make too much of a song-and-dance about it ... if you know what I mean.”

I stared at this improbable person, this stranger to me. Mercifully, I had a plug in my mouth so there was no need to find anything appropriate to say.

Harry shrugged; "It may shock you, but I've been playing that sort of game for years, mate. Heavy stuff, with like-minded misfits from various countries. I'm sure you think of people on the SM and fetish scene as pathetic idiots, if you've ever allowed yourself to think of them at all … but, Dan, there's an international network of serious, intelligent, responsible players of elaborate games out there. And I mean scarily, extremely heavy games. And ... well ... my long-time hobby just happens to have turned into a business a couple of years back. A well paid, and officially-financed business.”

... “I've been a sensual bastard all my life, Dan. And from the start I knew leather was part of that – leather and stuff - and tough challenge-games played with people who got off on them. You'd be amazed, man. All sorts of game-playing goes on in the real world … games to suit all tastes. To some extent I suppose you're right to call it a perversion; but a perversion of social conventions, that's all.

The action that's attracted me has always been about power, Dan. Power and the loss of power. The gaining or willing surrender of ... control; control and counter-control, competitive and challenging. OK, I've also been turned on by the sensual appeal of leather or rubber. Yes, Dan, rubber. You got a taste of it yesterday in that suit. Perhaps enough to put you off for life. I don't know. I designed that 'interrogation' suit. Had it made by our technical guys.”

He watched my boggling eyes, and confirmed his statement. “It had only just been finished. And we were all ready to test it. Several of the guys I get together with unofficially were eager to test it ... from inside and out. But you just happened to ... well, make yourself available. Oh Dan, the games I play are intense and demanding. And, since the early days, I've liked to play them with men who can give and take ....

 

The police officer's mind continues to be blown ...

 

... "Dan, one of your top brass at Group Headquarters sets great store by you. You have a friend in a very high place, mate. He has you marked down for rapid promotion ... if you don't fuck up again like you did two days ago. He's one of the few locals filled in on our current operation. He even knows about some of the crazier unofficial games my guys indulge in, strictly for kicks. Luckily for us, he considers them to be useful training for ‘proper' operations, as he calls them.”

Harry smiled, provocatively. “He also knows what a perverted sense of humour I have. So, when I told him a couple of weeks ago that I was thinking of using you as target for a practice ‘snatch' ... he told me to go ahead: said it would do you good to be more fully aware of the real dangers of being in charge of sensitive information. Referred to you an over-confident, pushy hard-nut; good promotion material, but occasionally deserved to get your arse slapped ... if anybody was big enough to do it, he said. Well, that was a challenge I couldn't resist, could I?

My mind refused to respond to all the implications. Who the fuck was Harry tied in with? – and was this all bullshit? ... Group Headquarters Top Brass ... ?

“Rest assured,” the bastard continued, “there's no real danger if I decide to keep you locked in that nifty cock cage I locked onto you earlier today. It's safe enough: I can tell you from experience. We all put ourselves to different tests. That's what pushes our buttons. We test equipment. And we all put ourselves through some amazingly – embarrassingly thorough training. Training sometimes takes forms that would blow your nicely brought-up mind,

Dan. When I encouraged my lads to put you to the test in the experimental suit – it was a step towards – some special training. And, you survived it pretty well – considering. My lads can be totally ruthless. They need to be. But it was not our aim to break you, Dan. We know only too well, that it's possible to break any man. That's never our aim. Once broken by a skilful interrogator, it's not always possible to put a man back together again. I've seen it," he said ruefully before lightening his mood. “You did bloody well, Dan.”

Drowning in a mixture of disbelief and curiosity about the activities of this group he kept hearing about, Dan needed to ask questions. He needed answers. Was this bastard for real? Did he really have me kidnapped and forced into that ‘torture' suit just for devilment? … lock my cock ands balls into this fucking device? Was he serious about doing such things just for the pleasure of it? Did men really go to such extremes ... for fun … and get off on it?
What sort of men were they ... ?

The fact that grown men, uninhibited by conventional thinking, could get together and test and challenge themselves and each other in whatever way their natures energised them, had suddenly impacted on Dan Drummond's mind. He'd spent a lifetime repressing urges to let-rip – run amok – refusing to allow nagging natural inclinations to distract him – knock him off his career path.

Harry was suddenly slapping my face – not hard, but bringing me back from where my battered brain was taking me.
“Listen to me, Dan. Don't lose it. Concentrate. You're reaching a point of exhaustion. I know the signs. The deliberate softening up process when I left you tied into a stressed position – left you alone, as you thought.”
He shook his head. “Far too dangerous. In fact I was only in the next room all the time – keeping an eye on you.” He winked facetiously, as I took in this fact.

“It was great just watching you – dealing with it. Stress positions and isolation are deliberate processes we use sometimes. I've been pushing you on purpose, Dan, because I (and a couple of other very experienced people) have decided to put a proposition to you.”

 

 

Later, Harry tells more about the group of guys who enjoy developing and carrying out ‘capers' ...

 

... “You may find this hard to believe, Dan,” he said, “but however bizarre or kinky that suit may have seemed to you, we've been systematically following-up on some scientific research from the nineteen fifties. Total enclosure / isolation / sensory distortion / sensory manipulation / electro-pulsing; lots of effects to re-evaluate from that period - just as a matter of interest - and self-challenge … and the guys who I play with are more than happy to (how shall I put it?) get heavily involved. Volunteer to take risks … test and be tested …

... and the technology behind the take-down when Dan was ‘snatched' …

... "I suppose even you in your innocent life have heard of amyl nitrate or butyl nitrates. So-called Poppers. Necessary to a lot of SM people, but with valuable clinical uses. Well, an interesting variant has been developed as part of an ‘official' line of enquiry my team have been helping with. The new mix we used on you is perfectly safe, believe me. It's already been scrupulously tested.

We have a couple of very skilful anaesthesiologists who work with us ... and play with us. Oh, what they know about breath control scenes ... could blow your mind. Most fantasies about knock-out drops or being bopped on the head and waking up bright as a button in some erotic predicament: forget it. Waking up sick-as-a-dog and with a blinding headache is more like it, if not brain damaged. But, our tame anaesthesiologists are professionals. They've developed a couple of take-down compounds. Immediate results. Virtually no after-effects. Safe in skilled hands. And … very useful in control and counter-control power games. …

So now, once we've got somebody under (safely and simply) our guys can take a person anywhere and do anything to them ... for however long it takes ... even a heavyweight like you, matey. At least I didn't let them use their version of the drug which keeps a subject conscious but totally unable resist, physically. That can blow your mind. Fully conscious but unable to move without being given a helping hand. Sort of a date-rape drug with a difference. At least you were unconscious when they stripped you and manoeuvred you into the suit.”

My mind raced ... and I hoped this was not just one more “mind-fuck” as he'd called it. But my pulse was galloping – and this good-looking, stocky – booted bastard I'd known since puberty, sat before me – revelling in his control of the situation. Playing a scene, I told myself. Domination. Dominator. The word variations echoed in my brain. Blowing my mind. Certainly another fucking mind-fuck …

“Before I let you out of that strait-jacket and un-gag you ... I need to establish a few rules. You've got to trust me, Dan... “ he insisted as I glowered back at him. “Not only in the official-est of high security work I sometimes do – but in the devious game-playing I indulge in – trust is the essential factor. I know you'd like to know more about our covert operation – but I can't tell you any of that - not yet.”
His voice then took on a more challenging tone, as he continued: “But - do you want to know more about the other - rough-and-tumble playtime stuff we get up to, Dan?”

After a pause, I nodded ... but found it difficult to continue to meet his steady gaze.

He didn't seem to be quite convinced, and sighed slightly. “Even that brings with it a security risk.” he said uncertainly. “After all, you are a copper at heart, Dan, always have been. And some of the stuff we get up to is ... “ he tilted his hand side-to-side to indicate – questionable. “And, some of the group members are seriously anti-Establishment. That could land me in deep shit with them if I ... if you ... “
He seemed to make a decision. “Dan, it's not a risk I'm prepared to take on my own. If you're willing to go before a – let's call it a Group Selection Committee – I'm sure you could convince them you'd be an asset to a lot of the fun-and-games we indulge in. All depends if you're willing to … risk it.”

He stopped because I was nodding my head, determinedly – and his grin returned.
“Could never resist a challenge – huh? There may be hope for you yet, Dan-boy. But seriously, they're a tough bunch and they play rough – but always safely. No physical harm or damage – well, not lasting damage. They may not be as nice to you – as kind to you, as I've been in the last few hours ... !”
He grinned as he watched my eyes react to this provocation ...

“If I take you and introduce you – it has to be on my terms – with strict co-operation from you; accept my instructions to the letter - he paused, waiting for me to lose the battle I was having with my better judgement. Eventually, I nodded grimly ... and the bastard smiled that smile I knew of old when he'd got the better of me ... temporarily, I promised myself.

 

As Harry prepares to take Dan back to ‘the base' to meet other members of the team, he comments on Dan's elaborate home gym set-up

 

… “I bet you watch yourself in these mirrors when you're working out. Do you like to see yourself testing yourself, pushing yourself? Enjoy the pain as much as gain? Well, sonny, if you decide you'd like to join our little “playgroup”, you'll have lots of opportunity to test yourself in any way your latently kinky heart desires. And there'll be plenty of guys more than happy to assist, on a tit-for-tat basis.

Harry hauled himself up and did a couple of chin-ups on the exercise frame. “I think you're into serious work-outs. Did I tell you about Greg, who is a professional personal trainer at a gym when he's not fooling around with us? I think he'd enjoy putting you though your paces. I'll tell you, Dan, he has ways of making his ‘clients' sweat that would make you sweat to even think about.” With that Harry, dropped down and produced the stun-gun from his pocket. “You can adjust the kick of this little fellow and it will really keep a person on their toes without knocking them down. With this in one hand, trainer Greg can keep any of his tough customers pushing their own limits, and sweating their balls off.”

Grinning, he massaged his groin. “Makes me horny just to picture him jumping you through a few hoops; pushing your limits. In the old days you could never resist a challenge. Well, old Greg's good at devising challenges. I've been on the receiving end of some of his more elaborate ‘scenarios' as he calls them. But then, I get my own back on him when we strap him down and work him over in ways we know he hates. He enjoys that ... after he's had time to calm down and we let him loose.”

Teasingly, Harry puts out another challenge ...

… “I said I'd take you to meet a few of the ‘team' - but the location of our Base has to remain secret."
He considers seriously …"l suppose I could phone for an ambulance and you'd be there before you knew where you were. Couple of hairy-arsed paramedics, used to dealing with drug-crazed crazies. They know how to subdue people however much of a struggle they put up. That way you wouldn't know where our little base is ... in case you decide you're not up for it ... or we decide you might be too much of a security risk ...

… Treat this little trip into the unknown like an adventure ... A challenge. A dare. A fucking ... holiday away from yourself. You're not turning your back on your principles, your career or your family, mate. We've all got real lives, outside the ‘game'. You're just going to be widening your horizons. New worlds to conquer, new challenges to ... enjoy! Some of it you'll love, some of it you'll ... survive. I've enjoyed seeing you mad, desperate, determined and, I suspect, speculating on how to take your revenge on me. Well, not yet, old buddy. You've got a lot of ground to cover before you get that opportunity. Me and a few other guys will have a lot to ... teach you. So for now, buddy, my hand is very much on the control.” He patted the stun-gun in his pocket. “A situation illegal in the real world - but in our world how real is real?” ...

END OF ‘GROUP PLAY' EXCERPTS

“MAN-TO-MAN STUFF” IS A 40,000 WORD STORY
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