Bought and Paid For
Prologue
Prologue
Hunter Burgan gripped the 24-carat top of his walking cane – that he didn’t need but carried anyway – and glanced round the darkened room which seemed unchanged from the first time he’d placed an order with the Bios Institute, a few years ago. Though he was perfectly happy with his first order, he’d recently signed a multi-billion takeover deal and had decided to treat himself.
He gazed intently through the two-way mirror at the roomful of tightly-clad men, his discerning eye appraising each one’s good and bad points, searching out what he wanted. These were apparently his best character matches, and as he’d requested, the vast majority of the men were young, slim, and innocent-looking. Dressed identically in tight white pants and a close-fitting white T-shirt, they all looked very similar, but though Hunter wasn’t sure what exactly he was looking for, he knew when he’d seen it.
“Them. Those three. There.” He pointed to a group near the back of the room who, unlike their preening, flexing companions intent on impressing a possible client, were lounging on a semi-circle of uncomfortable plastic chairs. They were chatting lazily amongst themselves, one was cleaning his nails with a piece of card, and were apparently oblivious to the unseen attention from behind the mirror stretching the length of the room.
“The three seated in the far corner?” The grey-suited Bios Institute attendant peered into the room and checked his clipboard. Hunter nodded brusquely, his eyes locked on the three he’d chosen. “I’ll have them brought to a private room for you. Would you like to view them individually? Or compare the three together?”
“I have a meeting at two... The three together.”
“Very good sir.”
Five minutes later Hunter stood before a second two-way mirror, this time looking out at a smaller room, where the three boys stood in a line, now noticeably less comfortable than before. Hunter smiled to himself. He called to the attendant. “Can you have them slowly turn in a circle?” The message was passed on and, self-consciously, the three men shuffled round three-sixty.
The corners of Hunter’s mouth twitched in a flicker of a smile. “I want them to stretch up and turn round again.” A pause and the instruction was carried out, arms stretched up, shirts rising up to show off glimpses of taut flesh.
“The one on the left. He can go.” Hunter flicked his fingers in a gesture of dismissal, now closely comparing the remaining two. “Can they strip? I can ask that?” The attendant nodded mutely and Hunter signalled for them to do it. Shirts were taken off and pants wiggled out of with no finesse, but Hunter wasn’t too concerned about their acting skills. “And turn again.” He watched carefully, part of him enjoying this power-trip.
“Him. On the right.” With one last long stare, Hunter turned away from the window, the decision now final in his mind. “Yes. Though I’ll want some changes made…”
“Of course Sir, right this way, we’ll take down your requirements.”
As Hunter left to finalise his order, the two boys in the viewing room hastily dressed, one ushered back into general population, the other led off towards the surgery to be readied for sale.
Hunter Burgan gripped the 24-carat top of his walking cane – that he didn’t need but carried anyway – and glanced round the darkened room which seemed unchanged from the first time he’d placed an order with the Bios Institute, a few years ago. Though he was perfectly happy with his first order, he’d recently signed a multi-billion takeover deal and had decided to treat himself.
He gazed intently through the two-way mirror at the roomful of tightly-clad men, his discerning eye appraising each one’s good and bad points, searching out what he wanted. These were apparently his best character matches, and as he’d requested, the vast majority of the men were young, slim, and innocent-looking. Dressed identically in tight white pants and a close-fitting white T-shirt, they all looked very similar, but though Hunter wasn’t sure what exactly he was looking for, he knew when he’d seen it.
“Them. Those three. There.” He pointed to a group near the back of the room who, unlike their preening, flexing companions intent on impressing a possible client, were lounging on a semi-circle of uncomfortable plastic chairs. They were chatting lazily amongst themselves, one was cleaning his nails with a piece of card, and were apparently oblivious to the unseen attention from behind the mirror stretching the length of the room.
“The three seated in the far corner?” The grey-suited Bios Institute attendant peered into the room and checked his clipboard. Hunter nodded brusquely, his eyes locked on the three he’d chosen. “I’ll have them brought to a private room for you. Would you like to view them individually? Or compare the three together?”
“I have a meeting at two... The three together.”
“Very good sir.”
Five minutes later Hunter stood before a second two-way mirror, this time looking out at a smaller room, where the three boys stood in a line, now noticeably less comfortable than before. Hunter smiled to himself. He called to the attendant. “Can you have them slowly turn in a circle?” The message was passed on and, self-consciously, the three men shuffled round three-sixty.
The corners of Hunter’s mouth twitched in a flicker of a smile. “I want them to stretch up and turn round again.” A pause and the instruction was carried out, arms stretched up, shirts rising up to show off glimpses of taut flesh.
“The one on the left. He can go.” Hunter flicked his fingers in a gesture of dismissal, now closely comparing the remaining two. “Can they strip? I can ask that?” The attendant nodded mutely and Hunter signalled for them to do it. Shirts were taken off and pants wiggled out of with no finesse, but Hunter wasn’t too concerned about their acting skills. “And turn again.” He watched carefully, part of him enjoying this power-trip.
“Him. On the right.” With one last long stare, Hunter turned away from the window, the decision now final in his mind. “Yes. Though I’ll want some changes made…”
“Of course Sir, right this way, we’ll take down your requirements.”
As Hunter left to finalise his order, the two boys in the viewing room hastily dressed, one ushered back into general population, the other led off towards the surgery to be readied for sale.