Devotion (M/F) (M/M) - A sequel to Deception (Complete)

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Caesar73
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Post by Caesar73 »

Good writing, I agree! Louises Trust in Steve is absolute and that gives her strengh. If her Jailers think, she'll be easy to break, they are in for a surprise.
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Post by BindPam »

Emma wrote: 4 years ago Louise's peril is getting worse, but it does seem like the heroes are getting closer to her rescue....


Good writing, Wolfman!
The heroes are getting closer, but not close enough! Steve! Ryan! Mr. Harris!! HURRY!

(Hang on Louise!)
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Post by wolfman »

Shaw pulls up the face plate of her helmet and surveyed the docks. "So many places to hide, where are you?" She says as she lights a cigarette. 

Her radio crackles into life, as her sergeant speaks, "Dockside holding area clear, proceeding to bonded warehouse, over."

"Proceed with caution, over." Shaw responds, seeing the men emerge from the warehouse at the edge of the dock. 

"Guv? Did it rain last night?" The sergeant enquires. 

"No, dry and clear." Shaw confirms, wondering "What has he found?"

"Got a small pleasure boat here, mostly dry, signs of water on the deck." the sergeant observes. 

"Proceed with caution, consider target armed and dangerous." She advises, stubbing out her cigarette and walking towards the boat. "This doesn't feel right." She thinks as she moves. 

A moment later he emerges from the boat. "Suspect not on board, but we have wet foot prints."

"Tag for forensic follow up and proceed with sweep." Shaw says as the sergeant disembarks from the boat. 

For a moment, she sees her team and time stops. She is flung backwards by the force of the explosion. Mostly noise and light, but the effect on her team is profound, many are thrown into a nearby warehouse wall and soon begin to gather themselves as the explosion fades. 

Her sergeant is flung to the ground hard, taking his uniform smouldering. Motionless. 

An officer that was checking the prow of the boat is flung into the water, thirty feet away. Shaw breaks into a sprint and snatches her radio microphone. "242 to dispatch, explosion at docks, repeat explosion at docks, multiple officer down, requesting urgent medical and tactical backup, over." she releases the microphone to hang by her side as she reaches the team.

"You two." she shouts, not breaking her stride as she runs towards the dock edge, pointing to two officers unsteadily rising to their feet, "check the sergeant first, then triage the rest of the team and set perimeter." 

Shaw dives into the water and swims hard for the spot her officer went in. She breathes deeply and dives down, kicking hard into the murky water, frantically searching. 

She sees a green LED and swims towards it, relief washes through her when she realises the LED, is on the officers radio. She gathers the stricken man and slowly heads for the surface. Her limbs ache from the effort of swimming with the man, and both of ther armour and weapons. 

As she breaks the surface and heads for shore, her team in mostly on his feet except for the injured sergeant, who is nursing an injured arm. Two officers, break from the temporary perimeter and help her and the unconscious officer onto the dock. 

Shaw wastes no time, in checking his pulse and tearing of his body armour. She starts chest compressions. Looking around, "Sarge, are you ok? Is everyone accounted for?"

"Yes Guv, all members of sweeper teams accounted for. I landed a bit iffy, knocked me head and squiffed my arm and leg, but am functional."

"When the medics arrive, everyone gets checked over. No arguments. Can someone check in with the command tent?" She orders, still applying compressions. 

"No answer, Guv." A constable responds. 

"Put the call out to the front gate, I want eyes on the tent and bring back a defibrillator." Shaw requests, breathlessly, "Tell them to send two officer and any contact with the target, fire into the air, support will come. Take no chances. Someone chase bomb squad, he laid one trap there may be more."

The stricken officer coughs up sea water and opens his eyes. "Easy there, just rest." she says, putting the man into the recovery position and sitting back panting. 

"Could have been worse, the dock edge took the brunt of the blast. The boat was a distraction, no way for him to know we would be at this part of the dock. He is probably long gone." She thinks, reaching for her cigarettes, tipping the water from the pack, she shakes her head.

The sergeant, struggles to his feet and limps to her side. "Guv?" he asks offering a cigarette and a light. 

"Thanks sarge, you are a lifesaver." she says taking a deep drag on the cigarette. 

"No Guv. Today you are the lifesaver, you risked your life twice for the team today. Anything you need, we are with you." The sergeant says, solemnly, as the rest of the team clap. ‎




Steve slowly pulls out of the retail park in a white shirt and black trousers, driving a conveniently, parked vehicle, whose owner kindly left the keys in the ignition, whilst paying for petrol. 

He pulls his phone and calls Ryan. "I hope you're clear gents." he whispers as the phone rings. 

"Took your time Steve, you are slipping." Ryan says, relieved, pretending to joke. 

"Sorry about that, someone dashed off with my car." Steve said lightly, "How are you guys doing?"

"We are clear for now, fed and watered, sorry but you will need a new car." Harris says . 

"I had a feeling that would be the case." Steve says, with a chuckle. "Where are you?"

"En route to Bristol city hospital. Looks like Helen had a seizure and is being taken there. If Lombard still wants her, it would be a good opportunity to extract her." Ryan advised. 

"I can't ask you to do this. You are too deep in this already, this is my fight." Steve says. 

"In for a penny, in for a pound." Harris says openly, with Ryan grunting in agreement.

"Thank you, is my face on the news yet?" Steve asks, already suspecting the answer. 

"Afraid so, Steve. How do you want to play this? The hospital will be crawling with the law." Ryan says looking at Harris. 

"Ryan and I can get her easier than you can." Harris confirms. 

"Thanks, if you could that would be helpful." He says, suddenly tired. "A Private investigator has been following Lou and I for a few weeks on Lombard's behalf. I should get her out of circulation, so she doesn't tell the cops everything she knows about us."

"Hmmmm, now could be the best time to do it." Harris says, deep in thought.  

"Worth a chat with her. She might have info on Lombard as well." Ryan says.




Jill McCready was hastily packing her things ready to leave the office, of her private investigation practice. ‎Tucking loose memory cards into the pockets of her trouser suit, she is lost in thought as she hurriedly, begins gathering files and data drives, in preparation to leave.

"Hello Jill." Steve said, stepping into the office. 

She screams, in surprise and drops the files in her hands as she sees him. She breaks out of her fear and runs for the rear door. Steve is faster placing a hand on the door, preventing her from opening it.  

She lashes out at him aiming for his face, groin and solar plexus with rapid strikes, but he calmly blocks each strike, until as she stands panting. He stands back and calmly asks, "Are you done?"

Jill contemplates her options and slowly nods, as her eye moisten with tears.

"Please take a seat." Steve says evenly, indicating a hard backed metal chair. She meekly sits, her lower lip trembling.

"I am so sorry, I had no idea who your were, if I had known, I wouldn't have taken the job. I just follow cheating husbands and find runaway kids, nothing like this." she starts to babble rapidly. 

"It's ok. If you hadn't taken the job, someone else would have." He says softly, "Now, the man who hired you, would have done so knowing I would find out who you were and come here in a rage to kill you."

"Oh, God. Please don't kill me." She begs. 

"Shhhhh, shh, shh. The man who hired you has kidnapped my fiancé using the information you provided, I need to know what you told him and any details on your meetings with him. Can you do that?" He asks, gently. 

She nods, meekly, holding out a flash drive. He takes it from her, gently. "When did you meet him?"

"I only met him once, on his boat. He checked my references and gave me the job of tracking you." She says, calmly. 

"What was the name of the boat?" Steve asks patiently. 

"The Raven's Call." she advises, "It is a private yacht, it was docked in Southampton, I only went on deck. Didn't see below decks."

"She has gone from babbling to coherent, a bit to quick for my liking. She is far too controlled." He thinks, watching her closely.

"Interesting." Steve says evenly, "Tell me about the meeting."

"I arrived about ten minutes early, but he was ready for me anyway, his chief of staff, a big guy with an accent, escorted me from the dock to the upper deck. The client was waiting and I took a seat. He said a business rival was trying to blackmail him. My job was to follow him, sorry, you and confirm your movements. After a month, I reported your movements via email and he paid me." She speaks quickly, out of breath as she rocks backwards and forwards.

Steve sits back considering the scant information given. "Given her profession depends on the ability to spot details and make observations, she has said very little. What's she holding back?" 

He scrutinises the investigator "The rocking of her body is not consistent almost as if she's forgetting to do it at times."

"You can cut the act, your strikes earlier were too precise for someone flailing in a panic and you only rock backwards and forwards when you remember to." Steve says coldly. 

She hangs her head and scoffs, "You can't blame me for trying." She sighs, "Fine, give me a kicking then."

Steve holds up the flash drive, she gave him. "Virus to cripple whatever it is plugged in to?"

"Pretty much." She shrugs. 

"Let's start again shall we, information that you provided, facilitated the kidnap of the woman I love. In the last twenty four hours, I have killed quite a few people. I believe you have information that will help me. You will tell me what I wish to know." Steve says, softly. 

"What is in it for me?" Jill asks, sitting back and raising an eyebrow. 

"If I don't get what I want, I will still find the man responsible and get my fiancé back." He says, openly. "You may have information that may help me, maybe not." 

Steve leans forward, and lowers his tone. "I have a lot of people to kill, I have no interest in making you one of them at this time, unless you make me reconsider. What to you want?"

"Money, forty thousand, cash." She says glancing at the door and tensing almost imperceptively. 

"Trap." Steve thinks as he draws his the police officers pistol and dives behind her solid oak desk.



The door explodes inwards as three armed men burst in sweeping the room for him. "Desk!" Jill shouts. The men fan out and commence firing at the desk. 

Steve keeps low to the ground, "If they were, police then they would have announced it before shooting." He notes, "Fair game then."

He sees the foot of one of the men and plants a round in his ankle, dropping him in agony, his screams silenced, by two more rounds to the chest. 

One of the men starts peppering the desk with rounds. "Keeping my head down, so the other one can move up." Steve thinks, as wood splinters around him. 

He hears a grunt of exertion from one of the men diving behind a chair. Steve sends a five round invitation to the man to take a seat, which he graciously accepts with a low gurgling noise from his chest. 

"I am leaving, cover me." Steve hears, Jill cry out as she heads for the door. Steve stands quickly, shooting the distracted, last man in the throat, as he watches her leave.

Steve draws the tranq pistol and leaves the office. Jill is running for the stairs. Steve takes aim and places a dart her in the base of her neck causing her to pitch forward.

He searches her, taking her car keys, phone and wallet, before dragging her back to her office. "No ID or cards in the wallet only cash."

Steve quickly sweeps the room, collecting data drives. When he checks the filing cabinets and desk drawers, he finds them all empty. "This is all for show. I think, a very different conversation needs to take place." He says, staring at the unconscious private detective.
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Post by Caesar73 »

That Chapter was soo amazing! Well, somehow I have the feeling that Jill will have a not very pleasant conversation with Steve 😁
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Post by wolfman »

Ryan and Harris enter the hospital, on a slow morning at accident and emergency. They are dressed in dark overall and wear surgical style face masks, as they sweep from floor to floor. Each of them carries a large white bag.

Ryan spots the two armed officers outside of the door first. "Contact." he says nudging Harris. 

"If you can maintain eyes on, I will cause a distraction and we take them together." Harris said, deep in thought.

"Signal a bit iffy," Ryan advises, "how long?"

"Ten minutes. If phones are out, we go radio silent. If I am not here in ten walk away, if something doesn't smell right, walk away." Harris whispers. 

Ryan nods and enters a vacant room, laying out a plastic sheeting and covering the furniture with plastic covers, as he surreptitiously watches the officers at the guarded room. 

Harris walks back towards the stairs noting how many rooms he passes and how many staff are on duty. "At least two vacant rooms, plus Ryan's, four nurses and one harassed looking doctor, excellent."



Ryan is disturbed by a knock at the door, he turns to see an armed officer enter, one of the officers, that a moment ago was guarding the room. "What's going on here?" the officer demands with authority. 

Adjusting the dust covers, Ryan looks up, "Last occupant had Coronavirus. The board have ordered all rooms affected to be deep cleaned and repainted to prevent infection."

"We have not been advised of this." The officer asserts. 

"No offence but it is internal, no reason to let you know." Ryan continues, adjusting a cover over the bedside table. 

"Where has your mate gone then?" The officer shifts uncomfortably, not wanting to touch any surfaces. 

"Gone to the loo, he has a bladder like a walnut and decided to go before we got into it." Ryan chuckled. 

"Fair enough." The officer confirms. "Will leave you to it." he says, backing out of the room. 

Ryan watches him, as he uses a hand sanitiser on his hands before returning to position. By the door. 

"Cautious, but a bit gullible, will need to watch him." Ryan thinks.

Harris returns a few moments later, with a twinkle in his eyes. "All set, small fire should be discovered any moment now." Almost in cue, fire alarms sound across the building.



Jill wakes with a start, her head pounding. "What happened?" she tries to ask, but the large cloth tied in her mouth prevents it. "What the?" she thinks, trying to take the gag out but finding her arms stuck. 

She looks around, realising she is tied naked, face down, on a bed, her limbs secure to opposite bedposts, stretching her out. She thrashes violently against her bonds to no avail. 

"Hello Jill." Steve says coldly. "Glad you are awake."

She looks at him fearfully, knowing what he is capable of and understanding that the ambush failed. 

"I say hello Jill, but bearing in mind you have no identification and your office was a sham, I am not sure who you are." Steve's voice is even, with a skeptical tone as he continues, "I don't think for one moment, that you are the private investigator you claim to be and I aim to find out the truth."

Jill shifts uncomfortably, trying to find slack in the ropes, but finding only disappointment. 

"I will take the cloth out of your mouth, there is no one within two miles to hear you. But, in any case please don't scream, it annoys me." Steve says, pulling the cloth from her mouth. 

"Let me go right now, or your bitch is dead." She spits at him. 

He roughly shoves the cloth back into her mouth to stifle her further protests and pulls a chair to the side of the bed. 

"You spent some time watching Louise and I and you will have seen the love we share. If there is any doubt in your mind regarding what I would do in service of that love, let me be clear." Steve says, his voice a low cauldron of barely contained anger, "I will kill everyone involved, until she is back in my arms. There will be no mercy, no quarter and no escape. If you stand in my way and you are lucky, you will die slowly, if you are not lucky, you will live with no hope of release from my wrath. Do you understand?"

She sneers at him, defiantly. 

"Have you seen one of there before." he holds up an aerosol can, "this is a spray duster, used worldwide to clean keyboards and electrical items.

Jill, looks at him confused. 

"Did you know that if you shake as normal and turn it upside down, some of the liquid comes out." Steve says, coldly, "It is compressed fluorocarbon, and it comes out very cold indeed, cold enough to freeze flesh."

Jill squirms slowly, not happy with the way this is going. 

"Did you know when flesh freezes, ice crystals form within the cells bursting them from the inside?" Steve asks, slowly, he pauses before continuing, "It basically kills the frozen flesh, that is effectively, what frostbite is. It's a little more complex, but you get the idea of the permanence of the damage inflicted."

"Now, that you have calmed down, let's talk." He pulls the gag from her mouth. 

She bites her tongue staying silent. 

"Who are you really?" he asks softly. 

She glares at him, thinking, "I will give you nothing."

Slowly, he reaches into a bag under the bed and starts lining up spray duster cans on the bedside table. "Who are you really?"

Jill, defiantly glares at Steve. 

Steve pulls a hair dryer out of the bag and plugs it in, placing it next to her on the bed. 

"Last chance, you know what is coming, you have the power to save yourself. Whatever happens next is on you." Steve starts to shake one of the cans and takes Jill's right, little finger in his hand. 

"Do your worst, I knew I was dead as soon as the ambush failed." She says firmly, breaking her silence.

"Who ordered the ambush and why?" his tone is direct. 

"You know who ordered it." she says quietly. "He is going to find out anyway." She thinks. 

"Why? I thought he wanted me to get Helen for him." Steve asks concerned. 

"She is in a hospital, so his guys are going to pick her up. I feel sorry for her, when dad found out she had an abortion and cheated on him, from your woman, he went mad." Jill said, instantly going red. "This is a gamble." she thinks.

"You are Lombard's daughter?" Steve asks reaching for his phone. "Here we go again." he thinks.

She turns her face away from him as he calls Ryan. "Damn it." he says, in frustration as the call goes straight to voicemail. He tries Harris with the same result. He texts them a warning and turns back to his prisoner. 

"Why would Lombard send his daughter to watch me?" he asks her. 

"Dad's always banging on about working my way up his organisation and proving my worth, he told me to set myself up as a fake investigator and track you two." She explains. 

"Fathers do that," he says reflecting on his own fathers advise to him. "How is your mother about all this?" Steve asks. 

"She is fine with it, they separated a while ago and she has a new man." She explains. 

"Is he an undertaker, she died about two years ago and if Lombard was your dad, he would have had you when he was about twelve. Cut the shit." He says firmly. 

"I am in a bad position, what did you expect?" She says, with a raised eyebrow. 

He takes her little finger and sprays is for ten seconds in front of the eyes. She screams in pain as she watches the pad of her little finger freeze and crack, with frozen flesh falling into the bed. Tears fill her eyes as Steve sets down the can and picks up the hairdryer. On full power it thaws the flesh as quickly as it froze and makes her feel like her finger is on fire. He sets the dryer down and releases her finger. 

"I was not ready for this, being beaten with sticks, I can do. But this is, something else." she thinks, through a mist of pain as the numbed frozen flesh is rapidly thawed. The nerve endings of the finger are alive and even the effect of her breath brushing them is excrutiating.

"That was a taster, next your other fingers, then, the crook of your left elbow, which will destroy the nerve ganglions in your lower arm and hand, then your right. Then either side of your spine. If you hold back at that point your eyes and ear will be next." He explains without emotion. 

"Louise wouldn't want this." He thinks sickened by what he must do. He tries to reach Harris and Ryan once more.



Harris nods, "Now." draws his tranq pistol and steps from the room, shooting one officer in the neck. Ryan follows closely, tagging the officer that he spoke to earlier, with a dart of his own. 

The officers drop quickly and Harris opens the door to the room. Ryan drags them in and looks into the eyes of Helen, as she sits upright on the bed, in a medical gown, her limbs held in place with medical restraints. Her eyes are open but unfocussed. A small bandage covers a cut on her forehead. She doesn't react to the men entering.



Two floors down a three man team dressed as firefighters, walks in to the hospital reception, each with a silenced machine pistol under their jacket.  They move with silent precision as they begin to sweep the building.



Harris takes out a needle and injects it into her canula. Her eyes flutter and she slumps backwards in the bed. Harris removes her canula, while Ryan begins releasing her restraints. 

"Seems too easy doesn't it?" Ryan remarks. 

"Hmmm, don't jinx it. Can you prep her for extraction? I'll keep watch." Harris says taking position to one side of the room where he can watch the approach.

"On it." Ryan says removing the last of her restraints. He supports her body as he removes the pillows from the bed and lays her down. 

Ryan fills her mouth with a gauze bandage and secures it with strips of medical tape. He then takes the tape and binds her ankles and legs above the knee tightly. Flipping her onto her front he thinks, "She is so thin, I barely recognised her." 

He crosses her arms behind her back and is about to secure them when Harris ducks down and whispers. "Company."

Ryan ducks down and sees the three firefighters. He grabs one of the fallen officers carbines. "They are not firefighters, their jackets don't hang right, guessing concealed weapons underneath." He hisses. 

Harris retrieves the other officers weapon and braces against the wall.
 
The men approached cautiously peeking into each room as they pass them. The lead man stops and points to Helen's room, "This one." he announces. 

"Wait, where are the cops?" the second asks. 

The answer is cut short by Ryan. He fires through the microfoam mattress on the bed, muffling the shots, which effortlessly penetrate the partition and shattering the windows. The men instinctively duck to avoid the shattering glass

Harris keeps low as he tags the first two men before they can clear their weapons. The third man draws his pistol and squeezes the trigger as Harris plants a dart into his left eye. Harris topples back bleeding, clutching his shoulder. "We only have a few minutes." He warns, wincing as he shrugs the overall off of his injured side.

Ryan quickly discards the police weapon, cuts off Harris' t-shirt, before packing the wound with gauze and bandaging his shoulder. "Will you be ok?" Ryan asks concerned.

"Feels like a through and through, no bone, just a bloody nuisance." Harris says, ruefully.

Ryan quickly binds Helens hands and lifts her feather light body into one of the white bags. "Lead the way."

Harris slowly gets to his feet and they slip into the stairwell, as the first nurses return to the ward.‎
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Post by Caesar73 »

Steve must hate himself, for what he must do, to save Louise and what a Bastard is Lombard ..... So, Ryan and Harris made some progress. This story is dramatic and intense - and Wolfman, you do a wonderful job!
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Post by Emma »

What a dramatic, captivating (no pun intended) tale! This is really edge-of-your-seat writing. And yes, i'm also thinking Steve is going to have some issues and remorse over what he feels he has to do to free Louise.
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Post by wolfman »

"Steve." Louise shouts as she wakes with a start, he cry stifled by the cloth in her mouth. Looking around, she sees she is alone. She feels her eyes begin to moisten, "This is the longest we have been apart, since we met. I miss him so much." She thinks, sadly. "Apart from the odd hair appointment and work, we have been inseparable. I would do anything to see him again."

She breathes in sharply and shakes her head, "Snap out of it Lou, you know what he is capable of, he is coming and you will see him again soon."

Louise recalls the night of their engagement, setting into the warm feeling that night have her. "He keeps me strong." She thinks, fingering her engagement ring.

Her reverie is interrupted by a nagging throb from her knees. "I am lucky Steve didn't tie me up or, I might be really uncomfortable." she muses, as she feels the pain in her knees.

She twists, checking the limits of her bonds. "Not a bad job, but with a little patience, I could work a little slack." She thinks, considering escape, "No way to get the door open." dismissing the thought, she settles back into position and allows her memories of her time with Steve to wash over her.



Joachim opens the door with a tray, "Food. I want you healthy, so you put up a fight when this is over." He says, coldly. 

Steve's words echo in her mind, "If strength cannot help, use weakness as your weapon." She looks at the floor, appearing lost. 

He removes her gag to feed her, "Please I am so sorry, I was so scared of all you big men, with the nasty looking weapons, I panicked, please don't hurt me." She pretends to babble. 

"Pathetic." he scoffs, shoving a spoonful of porridge into her mouth. 

"It is warm at least." she thinks, waiting for another. 

"Good girl, eat up your porridge." He sneers. 

"Thank you. I didn't expect to be fed. You really are a decent man at heart." she says, softly. "Plant the seed." She thinks.

He snorts, "See if you think that when all is said and done."

"You are not like Lombard and his quest for my sister, or these other men." she says, pretending to be coy.

"These other men as you put it are fine men, some of whom have died because of you." He says harshly, slapping her face. 

"Too far." she thinks, as she reels from the strike. The slap caused her to bite her lip and she swallows blood, saying, "I am so sorry, I meant that you are better than Lombard and his sick desires, I didn't mean to tarnish your colleagues." she says, "I am sure they are all fine men, I am sorry that Lombard's quest has cost them their lives."

"Thank you, for your apology." He says, his anger waning. "If not for this mess, many good men would be alive right now. Good men, friends, brothers. Men I recruited."

She flexes her jaw and allows her eyes to go out of focus, "How many more have to die?" She says faltering. 

Joachim remembers the devastation at the warehouse and shakes his head, still unable to work out how she flooded her cell. "I don't blame you for trying. I would in your shoes. So much blood, so many dead." His voice trails off.

Louise begins blinking rapidly and allowing her head to sway, "I don't feel so good. I can't think straight. The room is," She stops mid-sentence, making her eyelids flutter closed, she let's her body go limp, and rests her chin on her chest. 

"All dead for a fools errand, all because Lombard wanted your sister, first for her love, then her blood. How many more will be claimed by this folly?" He says, grimly as he stares at the ceiling. He turns to Louise and sees her passed out, and thinks of the terrible discomfort she must be in, "She is a victim in all this." He thinks, knowing that the rage he felt towards her was already focusing on a new target. "Do the right thing.", his father's words creep into his mind.

Louise willed her muscles to relax as Joachim released the rope pulling her ankles off of the ground. Joachim unties her ankles and guides her to a seated position, before re-tying her ankles together.

He places a hand on her shoulder and shakes her gently to wake her. Louise opens her eyes slowly, feigning fear as she sees him, she looks down at her legs and looks away, "Thank you." She whispers. 

He turns her chin so she faces him and offers a spoonful of porridge, which she tentatively takes. 

As he continues to feed Louise, Joachim thinks, "You are a victim, like the rest of us. The man upstairs, who is sacrificing us all for his whims is the real foe here."



Steve leaves the room, hanging his head. He dials Ryan again hoping to get through. 

Ryan answers on the second ring, "Ryan look out, Lombard sent a team to the hospital." Steve says, urgently. 

"We know, we got your messages as we left, three men dressed as firefighters." Ryan says, "They have been dealt with but, Harris has been shot."

"Shit, is he ok?" Steve asks, concern tinging his voice. 

Harris chuckles, "I am fine, flesh wound really. No matter, we were successful, we have the sister." Harris says, jovially. "What about the P.I?"

Steve sigh deeply‎, "An admin assistant, trying to get a promotion in Lombard's firm. Just caught in the way."

"Are you ok, Steve? You sound distant." Ryan asked, worried. 

"I am ok, just." He pauses, "She didn't know much, I have all her data on Lou and I so the  authorities won't get it. Which is something." Steve's voice catches in his throat, as he thinks of the woman in the next room.

"Louise is on a yacht called 'The Golden Angel', likely sailing around the Cornish coast towards, Cardiff. It is a big one, probably 30 security plus a dozen crew, full radar and sonar suite, well stocked armoury and two motor launches." Steve checks his notes, seeing keypad codes, system access and key personnel on the boat.

 "Also turns out that Lombard now wants Helen dead." Steve says, exhausted.

"Why? What's changed?" Harris enquired, curious. 

"From the sound of it, looks like she aborted his kid and had an affair from what Jill was saying." Steve offered, suspecting the truth.

"What about the P.I?" Ryan asked. 

"She is out of circulation." Steve said, with a heaviness to his voice. 

"For a pen pusher, she resisted better that some of the toughest soldiers, I have encountered, right to the last." He thought with regret.

"Any action needed from our end?" Harris asked. 

"No." He said with a finality, Harris was not used to hearing from Steve. 

"Steve, we are en route to the office, why don't you come in and get some rest?" Harris asked, speculatively.

"Haven't got time for that, Lou needs me." Steve says, wearily. 

"You are no use to her dead on your feet. Come in and rest. Lombard will be on the back foot, first his warehouse facility, now his strike team. He will be too busy scrambling to recover to do anything else." Ryan says softly. 

"I can barely see straight, let alone shoot straight. If I am going to do this I will need some gear as well." Steve slumps his shoulders, " I am on my way. ETA one hour."

"See you then mate." Ryan says as Steve ends the call. 

Steve looks to the door to the next room, with sadness. "I hope Lou can forgive me for what I had to do."

Slowly, he turns and walks away, as the slowly oozing pool of blood, begins slowly to seep out under the door.



As darkness falls, Lombard puts down the receiver of his yachts internal communications system, following an update from on the status of the hospital team. He sits for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose, thinking.

"They have Helen do they? Fine, let's make his life really difficult." Lombard thinks as, as he snatches up his mobile phone. He dials Jill McCready, the call goes straight to voicemail. He leaves a message in a relaxed tone. "Jill, it's me, send your files to law enforcement and the press when you get this. Cheers." 

Lombard feels an ice cold chill in his stomach, "She has orders never to turn off her phone. I will give her such a tongue lashing when I see her." He says, staring at his phone.

"Who am I kidding? I haven't heard from her security team, I have a feeling, I will not be seeing her again." He thinks, pouring a large scotch. 

He snatches up the microphone for the ships PA system and addresses the crew and security teams. "Attention, attention. From this moment forth, all personnel are to be armed at all times from bridge crew to kitchen staff and no-one goes anywhere alone. We are now under a full lockdown, no communications with the mainand unless, permission granted directly by myself." Lombard tosses the microphone. 

He checks his news feeds, "War in Southampton, mystery fire at Bristol hospital renders five men unconscious, Explosion at Southampton docks, man found beaten to death in abandoned house." He shook his head, this was not the way it should be, he should be on top right now. "I have kicked the wrong hornets nest."

A firm knock at the door, interrupts his train of thought, "Come in." he calls.

Joachim enters, "She has been fed." He announces. 

"Who? Oh, of course, thank you Joachim, do me a favour and bring her up here." Lombard says, his mind whirling. "I have a plan to stop Steve's campaign against us and end this once and for all."

"About time." The big Dane thinks as he says, "Of course.", leaving the room. 

Lombard meditates on what he will say and is pacing the room when Joachim returns, guiding Louise by the arm. Her time in the basement has coated her with a thin layer of grime and her hair is wildly unkempt.

Louise stares daggers at Lombard, "You bastard, Steve is going to destroy you." She mumbles through the cloth in her mouth. She squirms against the big Dane, feeling the ropes burning her wrists. 

"Thank you Joachim, please secure Miss Carter's feet and sit her down." Lombard turns to her, "If you want to get out of this alive, you will not cause any trouble."

Joachim guides an unwilling Louise to a small sofa and crosses her ankles before wrapping rope horizontally and vertically, finishing by cinching them. 

Lombard walks to the sofa and hands Joachim his phone. "Open a video call with Steve please." He says as he sits next to Louise and puts his left arm around her, as she spits the cloth from her mouth. 

"No, get off me." She protests, thrashing wildly, trying to bite him, until Lombard pulls a gun and presses it to her side. 

"Be still, Miss Carter, or I will end you now." Lombard hisses. 



Steve's is woken from his slumber by his phone. "Incoming videocall." He snatches up his phone and answers it. His blood boils when he sees Lombard with his arm around Louise, she looks healthy, but far from happy. "What have they done to you?" He thinks. 

"He looks tired, I wish I could give him a hug" she thinks, before saying a silent prayer for their safe reunion.

"Hello Steve, how was your day?" Lombard asks. 

"Very well, thank you David, my day has been filled with the screams of your people actually. How was yours?" Steve's eye twitched at the memory of Jill's fate. 

"Excellent, in the middle of streamlining, thank you for your help." Lombard quips. 

Joachim's hackles rise at Lombard joke regarding the men whose lives have been lost. "They died for your ego and you dare joke about them?" He thinks. 

"To business," Lombard says, "You have Helen, I have Louise. I want this over, so do what you will with Helen, she is your problem now. I will send co-ordinates in an hour. Louise will be in a lifeboat at those co-ordinates. We will be long gone by the time you get there."

"What?" Steve asks.

"Those men died for nothing." Joachim thinks, cracking his neck as his body tenses. 

"I want an end to this war between us. Helen is no longer the woman I love, and I have no interest in you chasing me to the ends of the earth for this one." he says squeezing Louise. "This is the cleanest ending and we both get to live another day."

"Louise," Steve addresses his love, "How have they treated you?"

"Oh no you dont." Lombard says, covering her mouth with his left hand. "No free chit chat, clock is ticking what is it to be?"

"I want proof she is ok, if you have hurt her, I will annihilate you and anyone who works for you." Steve says coldly. 

"Rest assure she has been, aargh shit." Lombard is cut off mid sentence, by Louise fiercely biting his hand, causing him to pull his hand away.

She turns to camera. "They have treated me fairly and I have not been hurt." She says angling the cut on her lip away from camera, "No sense upsetting him any more than he is already." She thinks.

"Happy?" Lombard asks, flexing his hand. 

"Louise, are you good with this?" Steve asks her. 

"Fine." Louise says, glumly.

"Good, we will send the co-ordinates in an hour." Lombard says, giving a signal to end the call.


Joachim can hold his tongue, no longer. "Seriously, how many have died so you can get your girlfriend back and now you say that you don't want her."

"She is not worth the hassle of getting her back, she has cost me too much." Lombard says. 

"Cost you? What of the men you have fed into a meat grinder?" Joachim roars. 

"Watch your tone, soldier." Lombard says in a low voice. 

Joachim, checks himself and asks, "And what of her?" pointing to Louise, "we are letting her go?"

"Of course not, she will stay here, I may be giving up her sister, but, she will do, just need to dye her hair blonde." Lombard says, off handedly. 

Louise's eyes go wide and she screams and struggles against him. "No, never, let me go." She tries to bite and headbutt him. 

"Be still." Lombard says trying to control her.

"This is madness." Joachim says exasperated, "I will not support this, kidnap is one thing, but not this." He begins closing on Lombard. 

Lombard sees the big Dane approach and turns his pistol on him, firing twice. The big Dane falters and keeps coming. Stunned, Lombard fires again and again emptying his gun at his formerly loyal lieutenant.

Joachim slumps slowly to the ground, his life leaking from his body, as blood soaks the carpet. 

Louise screams, as Joachim falls. Lombard strikes her on the temple with the butt of his pistol and she slumps silently back. 

He stares down at Louise, "I know how you submit to Steve, I will make you submit to me utterly. I will give you no choice, but to give yourself to me." he says, roughly pulling the engagement ring from her finger and dropping it on the table. 
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Caesar73
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Post by Caesar73 »

What a Bastard, Lombard is - killed Joachim. No things are going to get more difficult. Intense again. But I fear for Louise right now.

Let us hope Lombard gets not too much time to lay his filthy hands on Louise....
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Post by wolfman »

As Lombard's men remove Joachim from the room, he looks at Louise and nods. "Tighter body than Helen, this could work out very well indeed." He thinks, as he strokes her unconscious stomach and purrs in satisfaction. 

"I have read my investigators file on you, Miss Carter, I know how you submit to Steve. I will break you and you will submit to me too." He pledges.

He takes her ring off of the table and places it in his trophy cabinet. "A token for my impending victory."

"But first, let's take care of Steve." Lombard says, with a glint in his eyes. Lombard walks to his desk and picks up the intercom to the bridge, "Marcus."

The ships captain asks, "What are your orders, sir?"

"Ready a lifeboat, pack it with plastic explosives and rig a proximity fuse. I want it to blow when someone gets within two metres of the boat. When ready, set a tarpaulin over it and launch it, then give me the co-ordinates and hold position." Lombard says.

"Aye, aye sir." the captain responds.

Lombard disconnects the intercom and looks thoughtfully at Louise. He picks her up off of the sofa and lays her in the pool of Joachim's blood, flicking some on her face and clothing.

He takes out his phone and starts taking photos. "Just in case." He says, checking the images.



Steve waits nervously for the co-ordinates with Ryan, in their corner office. He packs away the bedding, from his rest and keeps checking his phone. 

"Easy fella," Ryan says pouring them both a coffee, "Take the time to rest."

Steve rubs his hand over his face, "Sorry, can't sit still, feel like I should be doing something."

"I know mate, we will get her back." Ryan assures him passing a cup of black coffee. 

"Something doesn't feel right with all this." Steve muses aloud, "Why go to all this trouble only to say, actually, you know what, keep Helen and I will let Louise go. Doesn't make sense."

"Pass. Maybe he is thinking you have devastated one of his facilities and killed a lot of his men and he is worried that you won't stop until Lou is back and his whole operation and him are in pieces."

"It is possible, but I am not convinced." he says shaking his head, "Lombard is a petty man, convinced of his own intelligence, despite ample evidence to the contrary. This smells like a trap."

"Absolutely, what kind of trap?" Ryan asks.

"Hard to say, maybe a surface to surface missile, maybe the boat rigged to explode, or armed men in the boat." Steve says, a faraway look in his eyes. "I hope that if Louise is in the boat, she is alive." He wonders privately.

"How do you want to play it?" Ryan drains his cup and settles in his seat. 

"Working on it." Steve says, slowly nodding, "I am thinking parachute in from helicopter about a mile away, slow descent down, enter water and swim to boat and see what happens."

"Sounds risky, is there no other way?" Ryan asks.

"Maybe, if there was more time." Steve walks to the counter and pours two more coffees. "I need a favour. I have no right to ask, but." He pauses. 

"Anything you need." Ryan says without hesitation. 

"If this is a trap and it ends me, promise me that you will save Louise and tell her that I love her." Steve says solemnly.

"Behave yourself, you will see her again. But in the unlikely event thins go awry, I will not rest until she is safe." Ryan assures him.

"I mean it. I am not as sharp as I once was, love has softened me. I worry that, I might not be able to do this." Steve anxiously shifts his stance. 

"Softened you? No Steve, it has brought you back to life and drives you harder than ever. It is not your edge that has gone, it is your caution. I am worried that you will rush in and it will cost you." Ryan worriedly offers.

Steve sets down the cups. "What worries me, is Helen. We need to get her offsite and out of here. If the police come with a warrant and find her here, everyone gets dragged in for it."

"I know of one of our places with a basement." Ryan starts . 

"Funny guy," Steve shakes his head, "Seriously we need her out of here."

"I will take care of it, question is what do we do with her?" Ryan examines his coffee. 

"Not sure long term, but short term, keep her out of the way." Steve says, with a sigh. 

"I know a place." He says, wincing as he sips his coffee. "I just hope I survive this cup long enough to get her there."

"You keep telling me, you like your coffee, like you like your women." Steve smiles. "So that is how I made it. Bitter and lukewarm."

Ryan's retort is cut off by a text message to Steve's phone. "Here we go." Steve says, reading the co-ordinates, as the emotion drains from his face.



Louise, shakes her head as she wakes. Her mind is foggy, as she tries to remember where she is. She tries to lift her hand to her throbbing temple, and looks down as it refuses to move and she is struck by her lack of clothing, everything except her underwear has been removed, but one thing horrifies her most of all. 

"Where is my ring?" She panics, as she realises it is no longer on her finger. Her eyes sweep the floor and the room until she spots it next to a sailing trophy in a glass cabinet. Relief fills her heart as she lays eyes on the ring and she begins to review her situation.

Her arms are strapped to the arms of the chair at her wrists and just below the elbow and though she cannot see them, she is sure her legs are secured the same way to the legs of the chair. She twists her body to confirm she is completely bound to the seat back. "What now?" She wonders, as she tries to pull herself free from the chair. 

"Lombard." She thinks as her mind starts to clear. "He shot Joachim and hit me. The way it was going, I was sure, Joachim was going to kill him."

She is shaken from her recollections by Lombard's voice, from behind her, cutting through her thoughts. "Welcome back, Miss Carter," He says with a leer,  "How are you feeling?"

"My head really hurts. Why am I tied to a chair?" Louise asks, wincing. 

"I don't want you trying anything foolish, my dear." He says, walking slowly around her, directing his speech towards her breasts. 

"Enjoying the view." She thinks, noting the focus of his gaze. "I am not liking the way he looks at me." 

"Whatever do you mean? I am alone on a ship full of scary men. What could I do?" She asks in an innocent tone. 

"Oh, please, spare me. The men on this ship are a lot less scary than Steve, so let's not play around." He says, confidently. 

"Fair enough, where are my clothes?" She asks pointedly. 

"In the wash, my dear." He winks mockingly. "Besides, now there is one less thing to come between us."

"In your dreams, I only go for real men. Not weak men like you." She scoffs. 

"Weak am I?" He raises and eyebrow and squeezes her hand hard enough to make her eyes well with tears. 

She bites back the pain, "I am sorry, you are right, I respect the physical strength and strength of character, required to hurt a mostly naked and tied up girl, half your size."

He slaps her hard across the face and she stares daggers at him. "Real big man you are, women must fall at your feet. Bet you would have to use a weapon to knock them down, like you did to me." She contemptuously sneers.

"Resist all you wish, I will have you." He growls.

"You will never have me. I am Steve's and Steve's alone." She spits at him. 

He wraps a hand around her throat. "No, you are mine now, and I will make you give yourself to me" He says with a low menace. 

"I would rather die first." She defiantly retorts. 

"I would prefer you alive, my dear. You will be mine, I will break you and you will beg me to take you." His hand slips from her throat to grope her breasts. 

"No, get off of me, stop." She pleads, looking down she sees a small bulge in his trousers.

"You are my property, I will do with you as I see fit." He says releasing her breasts and straightening his jacket.

"Go ahead, molest a bound woman who would never go for the likes of you." She begins, her anger rising, "You are a charicature, a low rent movie villain, with your cheap suits, a strong sense of your own impotence and an army of imbeciles behind you. You're nothing, you're nobody. You don't even have the good sense to have a moustache to twirl." 

"My suits are not cheap." He stammers. 

"Ha, out of all the things I said, that is what you defend." She laughs, "You really are pathetic, Helen always said she wanted to play sudoku after she slept with you to get some satisfaction." 

"She always did like sudoku." Louise thinks darkly, "Still bit of a gamble though."

"But she said it was to unwind." Lombard protests. 

"Just like she never told you about the baby, or the affair." She fires the words at him, hoping to pierce his heart. "Face it, for all your supposed power, she never loved you, she used you for her own ends, just like everyone else."

"Like she used you." He retorts, shaken, trying to gain ground.

"We both got screwed because of her." She says, coldly, "The difference is, I was drugged and you were to stupid to see it."

"Rest assured, Miss Carter, you will be fully aware when I have you. I have read your file, I know how you submit to Steve and you will submit to me."

"I give myself to his as a choice, and no amount of coercion, will make me give myself to you. It would be like going from a lifetime of steak, to a bowl of watery porridge. Insipid, bland and never satisfying." Louise asserted. 

"Oh I think you will be very satisfied when I have you." Lombard's says darkly. 

"Helen joked that she often thought of asking you, if you were in yet when making love because she couldn't always feel you inside her." Louise laughed coldly. 

"You bitch." Lombard says delivering a punishing slap to her cheek.

Her head rolls, "That must be the only way, you can make a woman scream." She says spitting blood at his face.

"Lucky for you, I have things to do." He says storming from the room, his face red with rage. 

Louise smiles darkly, exploring the cut in her mouth with her tongue as she watches his back.

"Good boy. While you are furious with me, your anger will cloud your judgement. When you see pain and threats don't work, I will infuriate you and make your desire to break me consume you, as the walls of your empire crumble." She silently pledges. 

"I will never be yours, I have given myself to Steve and you will never, break our bond." Louise wonders, "Where are you Steve? "
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Caesar73
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Post by Caesar73 »

With Louise you have created an impressive Character. Her resilience is truly great. Good work, Wolfman!
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lochness
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Post by lochness »

For a minute, I saw an image of Lombard in my mind. He looked like Mads Mikkelsen. But, nah... He is no Mads Mikkelsen. Timothy Olyphant?
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Post by wolfman »

lochness wrote: 4 years ago For a minute, I saw an image of Lombard in my mind. He looked like Mads Mikkelsen. But, nah... He is no Mads Mikkelsen. Timothy Olyphant?
Interesting options on both counts, I can certainly see where you are coming from with them.

I won't say who I see when writing, as I want everyone reading, to visualise their own cast.
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Post by Emma »

I'm still amazed by the writing here. It's easy to forget this is a story/text bondage website, and just concentrate on the story being a thriller...which happens to include a heroine who keeps getting tied up!
Don's Stories, Posted by Emma, Are Here!:https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=5915
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Post by wolfman »

Steve sat in the back of the helicopter approaching the drop site, as the sun peeks over the horizon. He secures his diving knife at his ankle and checks his sidearm, a pistol modified for underwater use, before stowing it with two spare magazines, in the holster at the small of his back.

He straps two bang sticks to his left forearm. A simple weapon consisting of a shotgun shell, a pin and a metal tube, about eight inches long. The bang stick, was originally for use against sharks, you simply stab the end with the shell into the target forcing it back onto the pin, even underwater there was enough air trapped in the casing to enable firing, sending buckshot directly into the target. There were no confirmed sharks in this area, but some Great Whites have been known to venture into UK waters in the summer months.

"Just like any other mission." he tries to convince himself. "I will see her soon."

He zips up his wetsuit and slides into the parachute, ensuring that the straps clear the small scuba tank strapped to his side. 

"One minute to drop site." the pilot reports, Collins flew gunships in the Gulf and was a naval search a rescue pilot, based out of the Culdrose naval base, in this area. Steve selected him for this role, as he was one of the best, because of his extensive record and expertise. 

His team was the best non combat evac team Technical Solutions had and he had been working with them since his time in the military.

"Affirmative." Steve responds donning his helmet and swim fins. After a final check of his gear he slides the door in the side of the helicopter open. 

"Once I am clear, pull back to coastline, will signal for evac." He ordered the pilot. 

"Affirmative." The airman says, "sir?"

"Yes?" Steve asks, "All ok?"

"What if," The pilot pauses, "What if you don't signal?"

"If there is no signal in twenty minutes, return to base." Steve confirms. 

"Affirmative, sir." The airman said with a sad tone. "Drop point in ten seconds."



Steve readies himself as the pilot counts down. At the end of the countdown, Steve launches himself, from the craft and counts to fifteen before opening his parachute. 

"This way, the helo can get clear and it is only me at risk." He thinks. "I have always enjoyed this part, between heaven and earth but belonging to neither, just me and the wind. Louise would like the serenity of this."

He checks the horizon, "Nothing as far as the eye can see." He notes, as he drifts, checking his GPS, to confirm he in on track. He adjusts his position slightly to alter his trajectory and begins scanning the water. 

He spots the lifeboat after searching for a minute and he is close. On current heading he will ditch into the sea approximately, one hundred metres away. "Good, I will splash down and stay low. No one and nothing around shooting at me. On track, so far."



Harris waits in the command centre, monitoring Steve's progress. He chases two painkillers, with a slug of cold coffee and stares at the large screen. The feed from the helicopter shows a parachute fading into the distance. 

"This is too risky, he should have a team backing him up out there." He says under his breath, unnoticed by the support team around him. He shakes his head, thinking, "Well you tried to convince him, but he refused to endanger anyone else."

A twinge of pain, from his shoulder, pulled him from his thoughts. "Come on man, give the signal."

"Sir, helicopter reports they are in holding position and on standby." A communications technician reports.

"Thank you, Collins. Please ask them to prepare for rapid evac." Harris orders. 

"Now we wait." He thinks, solemnly.



Steve swims slowly away from his discarded parachute, cautiously closing the distance, to the lifeboat. The water is warm and calm as he approaches.

"Heavy duty steel hull, designed for rough weather and high seas." He notes as he floats ten metres away. "No obvious signs of life."

"Lou!" He shouts. He waits for three breaths and the shouts again "Lou!"

"No answer, she is either unconscious, elsewhere or..." he shakes his head, to escape thoughts of the worst kind. 

He fits the mask of his scuba gear and bites down on the respirator. He stops treading water and allows himself to sink a few feet below the waves.

"If I were setting this boat up, I would put a mine under the hull, blast would go up and into whoever climbs aboard." he thinks as he closes in under the prow of the small vessel.



"Sir, sir!" Collins shouts, "Helicopter reports a flash on the horizon."

The delayed feed shows a plume of fire crest the horizon, corresponding to the location of the co-ordinates. 

"Send them back in, find Steve, now!" Harris barks, gripping the arm of his chair.



"Affirmative." the pilot says dipping the nose of the helicopter forward and streaking towards the drop site. The engine screams as it is pushed to its limit and they descend. "Garvey," the pilot addresses the winch operator, "standby, possible rapid evac required."

"All set, standing by." he says clipping his harness to the bulkhead and readying the door.

The sea is calm and featureless as the pilot descends to two hundred feet and slowly starts sweeping the area, careful not to get too low to the water and have the wash from the rotors disturb the surface. 

"Debris, port side," The winch operator says, professionally. He takes his binoculars and scans the debris as, Collins holds position.



Hushed silence fills the room of the command centre as the team wait for confirmation from the helicopter. "Come on man, show yourself." Harris thinks, as he stares at the feed from the helicopter. 



"Contact," the winch man, says, "Confirm, principal in the water, non responsive adjust position, thirty metres west."

As Collins  adjusts course, the co pilot. The medic unbuckles her belt and slips into the passenger cabin.  She quickly dons a harness and clips onto the winch line. 

Singer, gives the signal and swings out of the aircraft. Garvey lowers her smoothly toward the prone body in the water. "Adjust position, one metre south, over", she calls over the comms. 

Collins adjust position with pinpoint accuracy. "Easy in these conditions, glad it is not force ten out here." He thinks. 

Singer enters the water by Steve's side. He is floating, face down in the water. She rolls him onto his back and removes his respirator. "The principal shows no overt sign of injury, breathing check inconclusive. Prepping for extraction."

She works quickly securing the harness, around his chest, waist, groin, and thighs. "All the war zones we have pulled you from, you will not die off of the Cornish coast." She pledges.

"Principal locked in." Singer confirms. 

Garvey starts the winch, bringing the pair up slowly, when every instinct tells him to hurry. "Steady, is the key, speed breeds mistakes." he repeats to himself as he guides them up to the cabin and slams the door shut, before assisting Singer. ‎

Collins begins heading for shore, keeping the helicopter as level as possible. "We have Steve on board, patient is unresponsive at this time." He switches to professional mode, to distance himself from the emotions he feels.

Harris breathes slowly, "Please keep me informed."

"Patient unresponsive to light and physical stimulus. Respiration failure confirmed, commencing compressions." Singer reports, over the aircraft's internal communication system.

Garvey secures the winch and stands by to assist singer with compressions if she needs a break. Whilst Marks takes the co pilot seat to clear the way for the two rescue technicians.



The clock ticks in the command centre, the only sound in the large, crowded room. The keyboards are still, the phones do not ring. No one moves for fear of cursing the medics efforts and bringing bad news.

The helicopter has no internal cameras, so the assembled support team, stare at the external feed, hoping for some clue as to the drama unfolding inside. 



Singers voice cuts through the static. "Compressions, suspended, negative respiration." She reports. "Epenephrine administered, commencing Defibrillation."

Harris stares at the feed, watching the sea under the aircraft, as the helicopter approaches land. His mind in blank as he waits.

"We are being hailed by the coastguard, they are ordering us to hold position and confirm intent." Collins reports. "Please advise."

"Escape and evade." Harris orders "Be sharp about it, Navy will have fast jets with you in under eight minutes."

"Affirmative, beginning evasion, heading for primary drop point." Collins confirms. 

"Negative, eta from current position, to prime drop is twelve minutes." Harris warns, "Secondary drop closer."

"Confirmed, have land evac on standby. Eta six minutes." Collins, adjusts course and dips the nose of the chopper. 

"What the hell, I need you to stay level or we will lose him." Singer barks. 

"We need the speed or we are all lost, radar confirms fast jet launch. This will be tight." Marks speaks evenly with a touch of nerves in his voice. 

"Negative respiration, Defibrillation ceased, additional Epenephrine administered, resuming compressions." Singer says, breathlessly, her voice tinged with desperation.

Everyone in the command centre, watches the feed as the helicopter, sweeps low and fast over the wilds of southern Cornwall.

After five minutes of agonising silence Singer reports, "Patient unresponsive, additional does of Epenephrine administered commencing defibrillation."

"Contact, contact, fast jets sighted inbound, we are two minutes to back up point. We are exposed, repeat, we are exposed."

Harris yells, "Get out of there!"

The feed from the helicopter spins wildly, as the ground appear to rise up towards the camera. "Ah hell, see you on the other side." Marks says, firmly.

As the command centre collectively holds their breath, the radio cuts in, Collins frantically shouts above the alarms, "Fast jet flyby at speed, craft caught in wash, unable to recover, repeat unable to re..." the radio goes silent.

"Collins!" Harris radios, "Collins sound off."

A feeling of dread sweeps the command centre, as repeated calls to the helicopter go unanswered. 



Alone in a room, bound to a chair, Louise listens unable to escape the radio feed. In the silence following the end of the transmission, he starts to shake, bodily and her tears flow like a river to the ocean. "No, please God, no." She utters between sobs. "I can still feel him in my heart. Please God make it not true."

A tortured moan escapes from her throat rising to a crescendo. A sublime scream of pain, of loss, and the death of her dreams.  

She thrashes wildly in the chair, her world turned upside down. "He can't be gone, he just can't." She cries

She unleashes her impotent rage and sorrow, wildly fighting the straps that hold her to the chair. Her screams echo in the small room and her limbs and chest ache from the exertion. Her eyes go wide and she cries out, as her chair topples hard onto its side and she weeps uncontrollably. Screaming Steve's name, over and over.


Across the lower decks of the yacht, crew members hear the cries of her anguish and hang their heads in shame, sickened by their part in this affair.  Across the boats canteen, crew members and operators alike mumble. 

"This ain't right." 
"I didn't sign up for this."
"I can't go along with this any longer."
"My gut told me to walk away from this, when the warehouse went up. Should have listened."

Lombard sits back at his desk with a cigar, unaware of the murmurs below decks, thinking, "Yes, my dear, he is dead and without the hope he gives you, I will break you like a twig."

He slowly sips a scotch in celebration, "You old fool Harris, I have killed your best operative, infiltrated your systems, have the secrets of your contracts and will crush you underfoot. This is the time of my ascension."
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Post by Caesar73 »

Dear Wolfman, you are truly a master of drama! Everything seems finished now: Steve seems to be dead, Lombnard victorious and Louise broken and despaired - but can not bring myself to believe that Steve is truly dead ....

Some speculation: This is all a charade to lure the Bastard Lombard into safety ... so that he gets overconfident ... but it would be cruel to make Louise suffer like this - on the other hand, if that is the only way to save Louise!

As Emma wrote above: This is truly a thriller, brillantly written!
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Post by BindPam »

I'm really hoping, and do believe, that Caesar is right....because this can't be the end of Steve. It just can't! That WOULD be the end of Louise, too...
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Post by Caesar73 »

Furthermore I think, that Lombard is sadly mistaken, if he thinks, he can break Louise like a twig. Okay, my Motivation is a little selfserving here 😀 But Louise is to strong to give way .....
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Post by wolfman »

Louise lays on her side, still strapped to the chair, she raises a hand to her face to brush her hair out of her eyes. 

Her arm is still strapped to the arm of the chair, but the fall, splintered the wooden joint holding the arm in place.  She breathes slowly and deeply, pulling herself out of her distressed state. "I love you, Steve. I will see you soon."

With calm determination, she reaches across to free her other arm, she smiles. "See you on the other side." she recognised the co-pilots voice as soon as he spoke, "Steve really has to work on his Geordie accent."

With her right arm free, she works on the strapped holding her arm to the detached arm for the chair. "I had better get a move on, I have a feeling Steve will be here soon and I don't want to be a sitting duck." 

She quickly and methodically releases the buckles holding her to the chair and rises to a crouch, scanning the room. "Hmmm, nothing usable or wearable."

Keeping low she edges to the door, opening it a crack and risking a peek. "Ok. This room is at the end of a corridor, seems quiet, I guess my screams were good enough to keep everyone away." She stands and opens the door, just enough for her to slip through. 

Hugging the wall, she inches painfully slowly, down the corridor, stopping briefly, she tries the handle of the only other door she can see. The handle is stiff and grinds softly as she slowly opens the door. In the silence of the hallway, it sounds to her like a scream. She freezes, waiting for the thunder of approaching boots, but hears nothing. 

She exhales quickly, not realising she was holding her breath and enters the room. "Tea room." she whispers, disappointed, was hoping for a locker room. Louise grabs a water bottle from the fridge and gulps greedily. "That's better." She thinks as she begins checking drawers and cupboards. "Great, no food except stale bread and only plastic cutlery." She checks the bin and finds a discarded hair band  and a few discarded carrier bags.  

She puts the toaster on top of the microwave directly under a wooden cupboard. She loads stale bread and clicks it down, jamming the lever with a plastic fork so it will not release. 

Then she grabs the discarded carrier bags from the bin and stuffs them into the microwave filling it.

Louise tied her hair into a pony tail and puts her empty water bottle into the microwave and peeks out of the door, "Good, still quiet." She thinks, calmly, before putting the microwave on for thirty minutes and slipping out. "Even if there is no fire, smoke will fill this boat."



In his office Lombard's eye is drawn to movement on one of the monitors, as he sees Louise slink from the break room. He chuckles, "So Miss Carter, not content with listening to your lovers death, you wish to have a beating as well."

He signals the watch commander and instructs him to send three men to secure her. He rolls his shoulders and settles back into his chair for the show to begin.



As the emotion becomes overwhelming in the control room, Harris returns alone to his office and locks the door. He slumps into his seat and pulls a phone from his jacket pocket. He stares at it, quietly before making a call. 

"Sir." the man on the line says. 

"Can you put him on, please?" Harris says softly, there is a sound of commotion as the phone is passed across. 

"How was that?" Steve asks. 

"Very convincing. The Command team is in tears at the moment, I am deducting the cost of tissues from your wages. Are you sure Lombard would have been watching?" Harris says with a wry smile.

"Jill confirmed that they had back door access to our digital communications network." He pauses as an image of the Jill flashes before his eyes. He focuses before continuing, "Lombard is an ego maniac, he wouldn't pass up the chance to watch his victory."

"I hope he didn't force Louise to watch, as well." Harris says, in contemplation. 

"So do I, but I gave her a hint, that I was still alive. She is smart, she won't let on." Steve says, smiling, thinking of the scent of her hair in the mornings.

"What happened at the drop anyway?" Harris asked, curious. 

"Boat was rigged with plastic explosives. Triggered to go off when someone was close enough. I was under the boat checking the hull for mines when it went off."

"You were lucky." Harris chuckles.

"The boat had a heavy duty hull and when the explosives went off, it basically turned the boat into a shaped charge directing most of the force straight up and out. Have a headache, but am fine overall." Steve explains.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? We have been lucky with this affair so far, our luck will run out sooner or later." Harris sounds concerned. 

"We need to strike fast, before they get to far. If there was more time, we could get a better set up." He pauses as Collins updates him, "We are tracking the yacht's GPS and are on approach." Steve confirms. 

"I just wish you had more people with you." He says rising from his desk. 

Steve nods, "Once I am on board, I will be faster on my own. These guys will wave off and pull back until the ship is clear." Wanting to change the subject, he asks, "How is Ryan getting on?"

"He is en route to a safe house with the sister. They should be arriving within the hour." Harris says, "Look, let me get a team on standby, just in case."

"Ok, if things go belly up, send in the cavalry." Steve pauses, "Thank you, not just for this, or the raid last night, but everything. I would be at the bottom of a bottle, if it wasn't for your support after my folks." he trails off. 

"You are a good man Steve, you remind me a lot of myself in my younger days. What happened to your folks was terrible, I couldn't stand by and see you destroyed by it as well." Harris says, warmly.

"I appreciate everything you have done for me, thank you." Steve confirms, "We're coming up on the target, I'm sorry, but, I had better sign off."

"Godspeed Steve." Harris says, solemnly. 

"See you on the other side." Steve says hanging up.



Steve checks his assault gear on final approach, adjusting his combat armour and securing his handgun in its holster. He ensured the additional magazines and grenades we safely sequestered, in their pouches, before checking his primary weapon, a carbine with folding stock. 

He nods to Garvey and Singer, tapping Collins on the shoulder. "Cheers guys, appreciate this."

Collins laughs, "Just like old times."

"I owe you all a beer after this." Steve says, smiling. 

"For this, we all better be invited to the wedding." Garvey pipes up. 

"Count on it." Steve confirms, with a smile. 

Singer readies a grenade launcher. "Always a party when you show up, don't leave it so long next time." She smiles, as she slides opens the door. 

Collins turns the aircraft ninety degrees and sweeps towards the yacht sideways as Garvey clips a rappeling line, to the winch, before readying his own grenade launcher.
 
"Exit in one minute." Collins confirms, signalling Garvey and Singer to clip in for their approach. 



Marcus warily eyeballs the helicopter, coming in fast and picks up the intercom. 

"Marcus, what's the situation?" Lombard asks, distracted. 

"Sir, we have a helicopter on fast approach, heading straight for us, just spun to present it's flank."

"Sound general quarters. Have a team ready the lifeboats and launches. Just in case, probably tourists looking to see how the other half live." Lombard orders, dismissing a possible assault. 

"Very good, sir." the captain says as the general quarters alarm sounds.



Louise tries the door and slips inside, "This is better than a locker room." She thinks gazing at the toilet. "Thank God." She says out loud, as she sits down.

Upon finishing, she washes her hands, as Lombard's voice booms out over the intercom, "Toilet break is over, Miss Carter, you are surrounded, come out with your hands up."

"It was nice while it lasted." She sighs, hanging her head, in sadness. She opens the door and steps slowly into the corridor as an alarm begins to sound.

The three men rest their hands on their holsters, and coldly watch her as she steps out. The lead man casts a slow, eye over her underwear clad body, ravishing her with his eyes. 

Louise can see no way out, shrinks away from the men. "Please. No. Don't do this." she begs, thinking, "Don't let them think you are any kind of threat."

"Please take her to my quarters and secure her, I will be in for her later. If she gives you any problems, don't worry about putting her in her place." Lombard says cruelly over the intercom, thinking of how he will celebrate with her later.


 
Steve prepares to exit the aircraft as it sweeps in low over the water. Singer and Garvey begin peppering the deck with smoke grenades as the alarm sound on the yacht. The faint pop of small arms rounds can be heard as the aircraft begins to draw fire. 

As the aircraft halts above the boat, Steve kicks the spool of rope out of the aircraft and follows it down. Free rappelling down the line with one hand on the arrester connecting his harness to the line. 

Bullets zip past as he rapidly descends towards the prow and he releases the arrester, stopping less than a foot from the deck. He hits the quick release on his harness and drops to a crouch. 

The helicopter rapidly ascends and peels away, clear of the small arms fire seeking it out, as Steve pulls his carbine free from the snatch holster on his chest with a "ssscritch" of tearing velcro. 

He shoulders the weapon and smoothly advances in a combat stance, weapon up, head on a swivel. As he heads towards the source of the small arms fire, still engaging the aircraft as it retreats.



Louise shrinks back to the wall, before the three men. The lead man approaches, slowly, "Miss Carter, you have to come with us."

Time stands still for her. She feels their lustful eyes bore into her. She smells their sweat and the faint odour of cheap cologne. She hears the faint crack of gunfire above her. "He's here."

The sound of gunfire sets the men on edge. But the sight of this beautiful, mostly naked woman creeping forward, her head bowed and her shoulders drooping like a whipped dog gives them a new focus as she approaches.

"I will do whatever it takes to see Steve again." Louise resolves. She feels no emotion as the tension leaves her body and she prepares herself to surrender.
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Post by Caesar73 »

I suspected that this was a ruse :D And Lombard fell for it. Hook, line and sinker😁 And Louise plays this very good - looking forward, when the microwave goes boom 😂
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Post by BindPam »

Whew!
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Post by wolfman »

It was a wet afternoon about two weeks after they released Helen, dark clouds raced across the sky outside the window, as sheets of rain, lashed the glass. Louise lay in Steve's arms on the sofa, enjoying the roaring fire.

She watched the water run down the window and her mind flashes with images of condensation running down the walls of the bathroom on the day was nearly drowned. 

Feeling her heartbeat quicken against his chest, Steve asks, "What's wrong? Is everything alright?" with a concerned tone.

"It's nothing," she starts, "the rain reminded me of the day I killed Dickens."

"Oh Lou, it is alright, you are safe now." Steve whispers, reassuringly. 

"What if it happens again? You work with dangerous people, I just worry that it will happen again and next time it will be worse." She says, fighting tears. 

Steve thought to himself, "I wondered when this day would come, the day when, she would question this life and want to put her safety first. I can't lose her."

"I can walk away from this life." Steve says, with conviction, "To have you by my side, I would do anything."

"I can't ask you to do that. You love your work and you are so good at it. Besides, there is always a chance that even if we walk away, the past will find us." She says, softly, drying her eyes.

He hangs his head, "I understand." He says, with a touch of sadness. 

"She is my bright light, my world. I can't bear to let her go and I can't bear to risk her light being extinguished by this life." He thinks to himself, as his eyes moisten. 

"Since the first time I surrendered to you, everything has changed, I know who I am, I know I have worth and that I want be with you always." She says, trying to find the right words. 

"So," he pauses, unsure, "what are you saying?"

"I want to be there for you, through thick and thin. This is a dangerous life, I want to be able to stand by your side, always." She says firmly.

"I want that too. I will always protect you." Steve says relieved,  gently squeezing her in his arms.

"I know you will always be my white knight," Louise says warmly, "I will always be there for you, but I don't want you to have to worry when you are away for work." She asserts.

"You will always be on my mind, if we are apart. You are the best thing in my life, I will do all I can to keep you safe." Steve asks, with sincere curiosity. 

She pauses and gathers her thoughts, before continuing, "Trouble is going to find us at some point, I want to be able to keep myself safe, so you don't need to worry and can focus on dealing with whatever it is."

Caught off guard, he responds. "Ok, I can show you a few moves to shake of a..."

She cuts him off, "No. I don't just want a few token moves. I want to know how to act and react, if anything bad happens to keep me safe." 

Her seriousness caught him off guard, but given her experiences, he understood. He quietly nods to himself, "Ok." He says, sitting up, "If you are sure you want this, I can train you, but, it will be hard work. We would need to practice regularly and you would need to do exactly what I say."

"That last part I can most definitely do." she says with a twinkle in her eye. 

Steve can't help but smile, "I'm serious, if you want the full package, we can do it, but some of the things we will do, will be dangerous."

"I understand. I will do whatever it takes to stay safe for you. I love you Steve." She says, with solemn conviction.  

"I love you too, Louise." He says with a kiss. "Shall we begin?"

"Right now? Should I put a tracksuit or something on?" Louise asks, looking down at her jeans and sweatshirt.

"Trouble often occurs according to someone else's agenda, when you might not be at optimum readiness. For training, it is often best to wear clothing you would normally wear, that way you will be able to fight effectively, however you are dressed and not just loose clothing." Steve's seriousness matched her own.

In the following months, when Steve trained, Louise trained, evenings, early mornings, weekends. Louise received an intensive personal protection training course, from a master of his craft.

She constantly surprised him with how quickly she learned. She was an eager student and the physicality of the training, added a hunger and intensity to their sensual exchanges. Within a month she saw her body change with her muscles toning. Her stamina improved with the intensive workouts and fervent intimacy. But the thing she valued most was the confidence she gained.

The irony was not lost on her that since surrendering herself to Steve, she owned her body, in a way she never had before. She felt a fundamental peace inside her, knowing she could do whatever it takes, to fight for her love.



Louise approaches the lead soldier, slowly, keeping her profile small, looking weak.

"Moment of truth", she thinks as she surrenders herself, to everything Steve has taught her. 

She breathes deeply and relaxes. His weight was on his left leg, Louise lashes out driving her left heel to his knee. He flails, trying to regain his balance, Louise thrusts upward with the heel of her right palm, shattering his nose and sending the splinters flying into his brain. 

His last act was to raise his eyebrows in surprise, as his body sagged to the floor.

Louise drops to the floor with the dead man and draws his gun on the way down. She hits the ground and takes aim, shooting each of the other two men through their mouths, severing their spinal cords before their brains can tell their bodies to move.

Louise lays still for a moment breathing hard, her hands trembling, "I can't believe that worked." She thinks as she looks at the fallen soldiers. "Ok Lou, think, you are ok and have a gun, what would Steve do." She thinks to herself, "Stay quiet and don't do anything foolish, get clear as soon as you can."

She listens out for the approach of reinforcements drawn by the shots. "Steve must be keeping them busy." She thinks smiling to herself.

She removes the gun belt of the man before her. Louise stands and fits the gun belt around her waist and thigh. Removing the guns magazine, she confirms how many rounds are loaded and holsters the weapon. ‎ 

Her gaze falls on her bare ring finger and she feels a tinge first of sadness and then of anger "Steve's ring is a symbol of our love, I must get it back." She thinks to herself, "Lou, don't be stupid, you can handle yourself, but you have never had to do this for real."

She begins to slowly move towards the wall and edge along it towards the corner. "It is the most precious thing, I have ever been given, I can't lose it." she decides.

Louise then looks directly at the security camera and says firmly, "I want my ring back.", before heading deeper into the yacht.



In his office, Lombard stares at the security monitors, confused, "That is not right." He says, shakily, "She is supposed to be submissive, why isn't she submitting?"

His eyes are drawn to another display, showing, the deck of the yacht, wreathed in smoke, lit from within by sporadic muzzle flashes, as tracer rounds zip across the screen. Five men stride into view, weapons ready, advancing in practiced precision. They fall in unison as a lone man fires rapid bursts, cutting the men down.

"For goodness sake." He says out loud, picking up the intercom, he calls the captain. 

"Sir." Marcus says, grimly. 

"What the hell is going on?" Lombard shouts. 

"The helicopter I informed you of has launched an armed incursion. We have unknown numbers of enemy combatants on deck and sustained significant casualties. At this time, the bridge is secure, however we cannot guarantee the security of the lower decks. I have roving security patrols, both above and below decks as a reactionary force." The captain reports, in a direct tone.

"Tell your men to look out for the woman as well, she is armed and should be considered dangerous." Lombard barks. 

"Very good sir." The captain says as he hangs up the intercom, "First the warehouse, now my boat, but this ends here." He pledges. 

"Get me the security commander." He orders. 



Steve advances relentlessly, towards the bridge of the ship. He ducks behind a stantion for one of the lifeboats and reloads. "Be safe, Lou. I am coming for you." He says, as he breaks cover. 

A soldier steps out from behind a blind corner. Steve spots him in his peripheral vision as the soldier is raising his sub machine gun, and stitches him with a tight, three round burst to the heart. The soldier reflexively, pulls the trigger as he falls, sending bullets ricocheting across the deck. 

Steve proceeds as, rounds dance around him, untouched as if he is a desert mirage in the heat of a Saharan summer. He braces against the corner that the soldier stepped from, and with a sharp intake of breath, swiftly rounds the corner. Three men nursing wounds from ricochets, greet him with their weapons raised. As Steve walks away, the men are no longer concerned with their ricochet injuries.

A shot hits the deck near his feet and he dives sideways, rolling and taking up position concealed, behind a barrel. He keeps low and risks a peek drawing more fire. "Sniper, upper deck, behind balcony." He thinks. "Smoke is thinning up here, need to move."

He moves in a swift combat crouch, strafing the snipers position as he advances towards the balcony. He pauses, using a flipped over table as cover he trains his weapon on the snipers position and waits. The sniper quickly pops his head out of cover to find Steve's position, instead only to find a bullet with his name on it, which leaves him stumbling back with a thud. 

Steve ejects the magazine of his weapon with his left hand and slams a new one home with the right, in under a second, as he approaches a main access door leading to the interior of the ship.

He comes to a stop to the right of the door and draws a grenade with his left hand. He shoots the carbine one handed, through the door glass and tosses the grenade in. A second after detonation, he sweeps through the door, double tapping the wounded soldiers within before they can bring their weapons, meaningfuly, to bear. 

Steve reloads smoothly and stows the carbine in a snatch holster on his back and draws his pistol, before proceeding below deck.
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Post by Caesar73 »

What should I say? This Chapter is outstanding - and we get an explanation what Changes Louise went through. Quite a Change to the Louise we know from the very beginning. Lombard surely did not see that coming. I like Louise telling him, that she will come after him, her resolve, her determination!

Equally impressive: The fighting Sequence on Deck!
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Post by wolfman »

"Surrounded by enemies and failed at every turn by the incompetent and the lazy. This is just not fair. What have I done to deserve this?" Lombard says to himself, exasperated. As he finishes his scotch, he watches the feed showing his former prisoner, pledging to find her ring.

"Well, no sense waiting for a knock on the door." He says, rising from his chair and purposefully crossing the room. With haste, he begins to load bundles of money from a safe into his briefcase. 

"I have enough here to get clear and find my bearings at least." He thinks as he clicks the case closed, "and I can sell Technical Services system access and contract details to the highest bidder to get enough to set up again. Then they will all pay."

He opens the drawer of his desk and withdraws a large revolver, and pockets a spare speed loader. He surveys his office for the last time, as his gaze falls upon Louise's ring, he sneers, "That can go down with the ship."

"Time to make a move, I think." He whispers, as he lights a cigar and steps into the corridor. 



Steve advances cautiously, "It's too quiet." he notes as he stands still and listens at the threshold of the dining room. He sees a shadow move under the door to the kitchen, in the far corner of the room. "Ambush."

He silently enters the room thinking, "The best way to avoid a trap, is to know it is there." He crosses the room, picking up a drinking glass on the way and takes cover behind a large cabinet, "probably got all the cutlery and linen to lay up for functions, sturdy, should hold." He assesses.

He places the drinking glass on the carpet and removes a fragmentation grenade from his combat webbing, before pulling the pin. Steve places the grenade into the glass, keeping the spoon on the grenade in place. 

He bowls the glass at the door to the kitchen and takes cover. The glass thuds against the door, not hard enough to break, but hard enough to be heard. The door flies open and three men burst into the room. The swing of the door breaks the glass against the wall, releasing the spoon, as the men start spraying the room with sub machine gun fire. 

Steve counts to three, then covers his ears and opens his mouth, as the grenade detonates next to the shooters, peppering them with shrapnel, as the concussive wave from the blast, liquifies their internal organs. 

He breaks cover and ends the men's suffering, before a sweeping the kitchen to confirm there are no more enemy combatants. He fails to notice that the gas line for the cooker has been ruptured by the explosion, as he re-enters the dining room.

He hears the rapid footfall of soldiers in the corridor as they approach the door. Steve overturns the large dining table with a heave, and takes cover. "Six soldiers at least, could be a problem, but does it saves me having find them."



Louise staggers as an explosion rocks the boat from above. "This is stupid, Lou. You are not cut out for this, leave the heroics for Steve and get yourself out." She thinks at the threshold to Lombard's office, as she listens for any signs of movement inside.

"No, I have come too far." She chides herself and she opens the door stepping in to find the room unoccupied, save for a used scotch glass and a faint haze of cigar smoke hanging in the air, of the opulent office. "He has spent more on this boat, than he has on his people.", The finance manager part of her echoes in her mind

She goes to the trophy cabinet, finding it locked. "There you are." She says smiling as she spots her ring. Louise holsters her weapon before snatching a letter opener from the desk and forcing the lock of the cabinet. 

Her eyes moisten as she reaches inside, reclaiming her ring. Tears of joy flow, when she slips it onto her finger. 

She turns to away from the cabinet to find herself looking into the frightened blue eyes of a small teenage cabin boy, dressed in a white blazer, shirt and trousers. "No, if he sounds the alarm in am done for." She begins to cry inside as she slowly reaches for her pistol.

"No! Please." The young man says, fearfully, putting his hands up, "Lombard is gone, I am not supposed to be here."

Louise halts her hand. "Then why are you here?"

"This ship is lost. I am out of a job, I was looking for something to pay the bills." The would-be thief responds. 

Louise hears Steve's voice echo in her mind, "Kill him, or let him go, anything else is a risk if you are looking to escape." She starts slowly backing away, "Stand and face the wall."

"Please don't kill me." He pleads. "I won't tell anyone, please let me go."

"I can't kill him, with Dickens and the men today, I had to fight to end a threat. This would be an execution." She thinks. 

"I just want to leave. Face the wall and count to fifty before turning around, or I will rethink not shooting you." She said with more confidence than she felt.

The boy's eyes shine, "Thank you.", he says, starting to turn, he pauses to slowly remove his white blazer and places it on the desk, "You could use that more than me." He turns to face the wall and begins to slowly count.

"Thank you." She says taking the jacket and putting it on. "It is a snug fit, but better than nothing." Louise thinks, as she puts the gun belt around her wait over the top of the jacket before buttoning the it snuggly around her, leaving her cleavage devastatingly on display with her long legs resplendent in their toned glory.

As he reaches twenty, she slips unseen from the room, drawing her pistol, she heads sets off to find Steve and get off of this boat.



Steve readies his carbine and tosses a smoke grenade out into the corridor, he hears the men start to cough and he dons his gas mask and charges. 

He rolls into the corridor and stops in a crouch, the long burst cutting the men down, sounding like thunder in the narrow corridor. 

Steve stows his empty carbine in the snatch holster at his back and retrieves a sub-machine gun and three magazines from a fallen soldier and, stepping over the bodies, continues his search for his love. 



Louise crosses the corridor, seeing a sign marked "Launches", she realises, "This must be the way to the motorboat I was brought in on." 

A rattling of gunfire up ahead in the smoke causes her to duck around a corner. She crouches under the smoke and sees a pair of legs running. "I know that cheap suit." she says to herself, as she checks her weapon and takes aim through the smoke. "I can't shoot him in the back, I can't execute this man. No matter what he is done." She thinks, as her aim waivers. 

She looks at the ceiling, remembering, her kidnap, the massacre at the warehouse and the men she was forced to kill, "He is responsible for so many deaths. If he gets away, so many more will due because of him. There is no one else to do this."

Louise takes a slow deep breath, steadying her two handed grip. Taking careful aim, she squeezes the trigger.

Lombard is slammed forward as the round shatters his shoulder blade. He is sent sprawling on the floor, losing his case and gun.

The security director bellows like a wounded animal from the wound and slowly staggers to his feet. A volley of gunfire from the unknown assailant behind him causes him to leave the discarded case and gun, running for his life. "Discretion is the better part of valour, I just need to live to fight another day."

"Shoot less, hit more." Steve's voice chastises Louise in the back of her mind, as she empties the contents of her pistol towards the fleeing man.

Without lowering the gun from the target she ejects the spent magazine from the weapon and slams another home. She clicks the slide shut and tries to aim through the smoke, but cannot draw a bead on the target. After a deep breath she plunges into the smoke. 

Lombard hears steps approaching fast, he turns fearfully unable to see who is closing on him. "Steve? Harris? On of the other TS operatives? One of mine?" His mind reces as he backs away, until his back slams agonisingly into a bulkhead door. Through waves of pain he uses all the strength he can muster to turn the wheel at its centre and open it. 

Louise hears the door open and surges forward, "No, you don't." She cries. 

Lombard recognises the voice in the smoke as he start to close the door. "This can't be happening, it should be her running from me." He thinks, terrified of the scorned and armed woman closing fast on him. 

Louise reaches the heavy steel door as it closes and hears a clunk from the other side. She tries to turn the wheel at the centre of the door only to find it jammed. She bangs the butt of her pistol against the door in frustration. 

Louise stops abruptly, recognising where on the ship she is and by extension, where Lombard is. She chuckles to herself, "Don't think you have escaped me you foolish little worm."

She turns from the door and heads back towards the sound of gunfire, "It is like Steve is telling me where he is."



Between the cloying smoke starting to fill the corridors and the painful wound to his shoulder, Lombard is coughing hard. His throat is burning as he stumbles through the lower decks, towards the motor launches moored to the rear of the vehicle. 

Through racking coughs, he curses, "That bloody woman, when I get out of here I will make her suffer like no one has suffered before. I will kill everyone she loves and make her watch. I will flay her alive and make her eat her own skin." The stricken man's monologue is interrupted by body racking coughs, "No, I will have her broken and make her my mindless slave and send her to kill Steve and that old goat Harris. Then I will rent her body out by the hour for pennies and when she is physicaly broken, I will have her killed and sell her organs." He drops to a knee, under another flurry of choking coughs.

He heads down a side corridor near the room that held Louise, "My throat is burning, I need a drink." He places his hand on the warm handle of the break room door and pushes hard.

He is confused, as a strong breeze brushes past, as the air from the corridor is sucked into the room. The sudden rush of air turns the smouldering cupboards and vapour from melted plastic bags to explode in a fiery conflagration. The sudden heat overpressurising the gas in the fridge causing it to explode, devastating the cupboards around it.

"What the hell?" Lombard thinks as the explosion throws him backwards painfully, into the wall behind him. He slides down the wall, trailing blood from his shoulder and the back of his head as the fridge door drops to the floor at his feet. Every part of him hurt as he coughs hard covering his chin with blood. Dazed, he looks down at himself, confused by the melted plastic cutlery impaling his singed clothing and his body.

Exhausted and in pain, he thinks, "I don't understand.", as his lungs fill with blood from his internal injuries and he dies in as much confusion, as he lived. The last things he hears, are the ping of a microwave and the creaking of the damaged wall, as the sea presses the other side.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;

https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719


To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
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slackywacky
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Post by slackywacky »

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow.

The quality of the writing is top notch.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment.
Slackywacky, also @DeviantArt

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