Dani lays down her fork after finishing her traditional Ghanaian mutton and rice, letting out a slow breath, "That was amazing." She says to Sasha and Nikita, "I need a nap now."
"Not much chance of that, we still have dessert to go and I have a feeling that this will be a late one." Sasha says, sipping water from a tumbler.
"'Shame, I could go for another main course." Nikita says, with a sparkle in her eyes.
"We will get room service later, I see bacon and mushroom toasted sandwiches in our future." Sasha says smiling.
"Count me in." Louise says from across the table, as Steve nods in agreement.
"I think we need to hit the dancefloor later, to work up an appetite." Nikita suggests, sipping champagne.
Steve whispers in Louise's ear and she giggles and playfully slaps his arm.
Nikita smiles and subtly dabs a tear from her eye, thinking, "This is nice."
As the plates are cleared from dessert, the stage clears and the music begins. Couples walk hand in hand onto the stage and begin to waltz. The dim lights of the room, give way to the brightly lit dance floor, giving all guests a chance to build their appetites a little more before the main is served.
Steve leads Louise to the stage and their begin to slowly dance, whispering in each others ears. Sasha leans back in her seat watching the swirling figures on the stage in wonder. "What a beatiful night." She thinks, smiling.
A voice behind them with a New England twang, causes the sisters to turn. "Excuse me ma'am. May I have this dance?"
A man dressed in a dinner jacket and traditional Irish kilt stands before them, Dani smiles to herself as she scrutinises them, "Early mid twenties, county Kerry accent, self assured posture, gym three times a week manicured nails. Good looking in a dark and handsome kind of way."
"Who is the lucky lady?" Sasha asks, with a hopeful tone.
"You really are a good dancer." Sean says to Dani as they whip around the dance floor.
"You are not so bad yourself. Where did you learn to dance?" Dani asks, genuinely impressed.
"My mum made me get lessons, when I was a kid." He says turning red, "How about you?"
"I was in the military, we used to have mess functions and I took lessons, so I didn't make a fool of myself." Dani says, grinning at the joy of the dance.
"You are really beautiful." He blurts out, turning bright red.
"You are so sweet." She whispers, into his ear, before pecking him on the cheek. He looks at her stunned, surprised at the touch of her lips against his skin.
He leans in and places a tender kiss on her lips. As she pulls back, his fingers reach up and gently touch his lips and he closes his eyes, remembering the feeling of her lips against his.
Their lips lock once more, in a gentle, heartfelt caress. Tentatively, their tongues explore each others mouth. Dani softly moans, as they continue the waltz of lips and tongue and she feels his arms pull her closer to him. pressing their bodies press against each other, in a quiet corner of the stage.
Sasha looks sadly over to where Dani and Sean are canoodling in the stage.
Nikita nudges Sasha and leans in close, "I need a cigarette. Do you fancy joining me for some air?"
Sasha smiles at her and raises an eye brow, "Do you need a body guard?" She asks, jokingly.
"No. A friend." Nikita says, beaming at her sister.
As they slip out of the discrete exit from the ball room and emerge into the cool evening air, Dani turns to Nikita, "Hope you can be quick, we are not dressed for cold weather."
Nikita lights a cigarette and gives Sasha a smile. "Don't worry, I am sure we can find someone to warm you up."
Sasha blushes, "Is it wrong to be a little jealous of Dani?"
"Looking like you do tonight, you will have no shortage of dance partners, babe." Nikita says, with a smile.
Sashas eyes widen. "Niki, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I am all good. Why?" Nikita asks, turning to look out over the lake.
"Your fangs have gone." Sasha whispers.
Nikita explores her teeth with her tongue and her teeth feel normal. She stubs her cigarette out in the palm of her left hand and watch the burn heal itself before her eyes, then she checks her teeth again. "I can heal and I don't look like a movie monster." She smiles
"You have a beautiful smile." Sasha smiles, "How come they have gone?"
"No idea. I feel more relaxed than I have all day. It could be that." Nikita says, thinking aloud.
"I guess that would make sense." Sasha says, wondering.
"Nothing about me makes sense. There is no reason that I should be able to sees a persons memories when I consume their blood or tears. No reason i should be able to sense heartbeats either." Nikita says, with a look of worry on her face. "What did they really do to me?"
The acoustics of the room allow the sound of a hard slap on the stage to be heard by all attendees, Sasha and Nikita, look up to see Dani red faced, walking away from Sean. He is rubbing his face with a confused look on his face. A moment later Dani is propping up the bar with her sisters, with a hurt look on her face.
Nikita attracts the bar tenders attention with a smile, "Hi, Can I get three double Lafroaig, with a single rock of ice in each, please?"
"Coming right up.", he says in a Swiss accent, a moment later, he returns with the drinks and a smile. "Will there be anything else?"
"No, thank you. How much?" Nikita asks, passing a glass each to Sasha and Dani.
"No charge." He says, before being called away.
She turns to see Sasha with her arm around Dani comforting her. "Whats the matter?" Nikita asks, concerned.
"It was going well, we were dancing and chatting and then all of a sudden I was againt the wall and his hands were all over me. I told him to slow down but he just kept groping me. I had to push him away, but he kept on, so I had to hit him." She nurses the scotch, "I feel bad for hurting him."
"Behave yourself, you said no and he carried on. His problem, not yours." Sasha says, putting a hand on Dani's left shoulder.
"Damn straight girl, screw him." Nikita says, putting her arm around her sister and holding out her glass, "To us, sisters against the world."
They chorus the toast and clink glasses before knocking back their scotches. They all stand for a moment, with watering eyes.
"Wow, that burns." Sasha says, in a hoarse voice.
"I feel like I have been violated twice in one night." Dani coughs and giggles.
"Thats the stuff." Nikita says, enjoying the burn. She turns back to the bar tender and gives a thumbs up and holds up three fingers.
He smiles and pours three more, which she accepts with a "Thanks mate."
Back at the table they sit and sip their drinks, "It's a good night, lot of money being raised." Dani says, warmly. "Everyone has really got on board with Lou's message."
"How can you tell?" Nikita asks, confused.
"Just from reading peoples lips, when they are talking to team members taking pledges." Dani explains, casually.
"That is really cool." Sasha nods, in admiration.
"Nah, it is a party trick. You ran through treetops, during a firefight and tore Price apart on international TV." Dani says, with a grin at her sister, before turning to Nikita, "We haven't got time to list all the cool stuff you can do. I can't do anything cool, I am just a soldier."
"I would trade every power I have, to be as pretty as you and have your figure." Nikita says, sipping her scotch.
"What are you on about? You are stunning." Dani says, earnestly.
"Not next to you two." Nikita wistfuly whispers.
"I think we are going to need a lot more booze." Sasha says, standing to go to the bar.
A man in a butler's uniform comes over as she rises, "Good evening, may I take your order, please?"
"Erm, Guinness extra cold please? Girls?" Sasha asks, looking to her sisters, who both give the thumbs up.
They clink their pints and each take a long draft. "Mmm that is the stuff." Dani says, setting down her glass, then raising an eyebrow, at the sight of the man slowly approaching their table.
"Six foot six tall, easily two hundred pounds of muscle. Moves like a wrestler, I would guess late twenties / early thirties, life of hard work behind him, not afraid to get stuck in. Looks like a wardrobe wearing a tuxedo." Dani thinks.
He nervously rubs his hands together and addresses Sasha, in a soft Manchester accent. "Excuse me miss. I am ever so sorry to bother you. Erm, my name is Kurt. My daughter, Kim and I watched you fight that guy on the news last night. You are amazing. Would you mind if we took a selfie with you, please?" He speaks, nervously and keeps his head bowed.
She smiles, gently up at the big man and nods, "I would be delighted."
He turns and beckons to a small figure in the shadows of the room. She steps forward, open mouthed and staring at Sasha, wearing a yellow summer dress.
"Hello Kim, very nice to meet you." Sasha says, flashing a beaming smile at the girl.
The girl gasps, "You're really real."
As the girl approaches, Sasha sees that she cannot be much older than ten. "I am as real as you are, but not as pretty." She says warmly.
"You are so cool, standing up to that big guy like that. No one will believe that I met you." The girl says, breathlessly, with tears of joy in her eyes. "You are so brave and awesome and cool. I want to be just like you."
"You are so lovely." Sasha says, a little overwhelmed, taking our a handkerchief from her purse and dabbing the girls eyes dry.
"How did you learn how to fight like that? You are amazing." Kim says. "What can I do to be like you?"
"My sister and my father taught me how to fight." Sasha admits, before placing a gentle hand on the girls shoulder. "Don't limit yourself by being like me. Become the best you can be. Work hard, eat right and listen to the widsom of those around you. Every day, you will meet people who want to knock you down, focus on those that lift you up."
"Don't you think I can be like you?" Kim asks, sounding a little hurt.
With a twinkle in her eyes, Sasha smiles warmly, "I think that you can be even better than me."
"Really?" The girl asks, wide eyed.
"Absolutely. You have got it in you to change the world." Sasha says, with a smile.
Kurt looks down at his daughter with a tear of pride in his eye and pulls out his phone. Sasha notices this out of the corner of her eye. "Shall we get a photo or two?" She asks Kim, who nods eagerly.
Nikita taps Kurt on the shoulder, and holds out her hand, "Do you want to get in the photo?" She asks, prompting a nod from the big man, as he passes her his phone.
Sasha poses for several photos, with Kim and Kurt, before he says, "Thank you so much for this. She hasn't stopped talking about you since she saw the news. This means so much."
"My pleasure, she is a delight. I am happy to oblige." She says with a beaming smile, after a range of photos with them, "So what brings you here this evening?"
"I got an invite, as I run the largest distribution company in Europe." Kurt says, smiling at his daughter
examining the photos on her phone. "I brought Kim, as she has had a rough year and I thought it would be good for her."
"Bless her. You wouldn't guess, she is so bright and cheerful." Sasha says, smiling at the girl.
"She disappeared for a month. We thought we had lost her. Even now, she wont talk about it." Kurt says, almost appearing as a small man despite his size.
Sasha hugs him warmly, "She is a tough one and has a great father looking out for her."
Kurt hugs her back, "Truth is when she was watching you last night it was like I wasn't there. Since she came back, she has been withdrawn, barely speaking and distant. She watched the whole thing, including the hurt you have suffered and she didn't flinch. When you beat him at the end, she smiled for the first time. I brought her tonight, because I had to put in an appearance and I didn't want to leave her on her own. When she spotted you, she came back to life."
Sasha steps back and looks at Kim, seeing Dani showing her how to dance, "I had no idea. Is there anything we can do?"
"Not unless you can find out where she was for a month." Kurt says, with a defeated shrug.
"We might not be able to do that, but, we can give Kim some more reasons to smile." Sasha says, with a gentle smile.
As the night continues, the music changes from classic to contemporary and Dani, Sasha and Nikita hit the dancefloor with Kim and Kurt in tow. Kim laughs all night, as they dance the night away. Several hours later Kurt gives Sasha a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you, Sasha. This evening means the world to us. Thank you for making my little angel smile again."
"You have raises a wonderful daughter. She is a darling, it was a pleasure to be able to help in some small way." Sasha says, with a smile.
He awkwardly reaches into his inside jacket pocket, "If you ever need anything, please give me a call." He says passing a business card to Sasha.
Sasha grabs a napkin off of a nearby table and pulls out an eyebrow pencil from her purse and begins writing quickly, "This is my number. Give me a call sometime." She tucks a curl of hair behind her ear, "I would love to hear from you." She says, hastily adding, "Both of you."
Kurt smiles accepting the napkin, "Count on it." They stand close, gazing into each others eyes, as a moment passes between them. Kim shifts slightly in Kurt's arms, and he looks down and adjusts his hold on her. He looks up at Sasha again apologetically, "I should really get her home."
"Of course, she has had a big day." Sasha says, her voice tinged with sadness.
Kurt awkwardly kisses her on the cheek and she waves, as he carries his daughter out of the ballroom. Wistfully, they part both knowing that the moment has passed.
Dani nudges Sasha snapping her away from her thoughts, as she watches the entrancde to the ballroom. "Don't be a dumb ass. If you want him, go tell him."
"Here, here." Nikita chimes in, "Get moving girl."
Sasha stands in a moment of indecision, slowly nodding to herself, "Be back soon." She says, as she follows Kurt from the room. She is bumped as jostled by revellers on her way out of the room and through the lobby. She eventually emerges into the cool night air in time to see Kurt driving out of the car park.
She sighs and clutches his card, wondering how long she should wait before calling him.
Revelation (M/F) (F/M) - A sequel to Devastation
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
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
The finery of the evening is discarded in the suite, as everyone gathers on the suites sofa's at the end of an evening of drinks, dancing and fine food. Dani takes a large bite of a bacon and mushroom sandwich and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "That was a great night."
"Perfect end, to the first day of the rest of my life." Nikita says, devouring her sandwich. "Met my sisters, got a little payback, discovered I am some kind of inhuman creature, stole a ton of gold and went to a massive party."
Steve sits up straight on the sofa, "What do you mean, stole a ton of gold?"
"Oh yeah, we stole Lund's gold reserves." Sasha says, sheepishly, "The bags are in the room at the end of the corridor, next to the drawing room."
Louise jumps off of the sofa giggling, "This I have to see." She runs, still giggling to the room.
Steve moves from his spot on the sofa to sit next to Nikita and puts his arm around her, "How are you doing?", he asks gently.
"My head is spinning if I am honest." Nikita says, finishing her sandwich, "So much has happened today. I am trying to wrap my head around things."
"I can appreciate that. You don't have to deal with everything all at once. Take time for yourself. You have all the time you need." Steve says reassuringly, "We are here for you."
"I want to find out what they did to me and exactly what I am." Nikita says, taking a sip from a bottle of water, before emphasising, "I need to find out what I am."
"We can get you checked over in the morning and we have had a doctor look over the notes we took from Medteqniq. There may be some clues there. If not, we will ask Lund when we find him." Steve says, looking up to see Louise walk in with a bar of gold in each hand.
"They have stolen about a ton of gold." Louise says stunned.
"We were talking earlier." Dani says, finishing her first sandwich. "We were so moved, by your speech, that we would like to donate it to good causes, if we can."
"I am not sure if it is possible. Without documents for legal ownership we may not be able to do anything with it." Louise says, with a shrug.
"Never mind, at least while we have it neither can Lund." Sasha pipes up.
"True, losing this amount of capital will hurt him." Steve says, yawning. "I don't know about anyone else but I am bushed." He looks over at Louise and winks, getting slowly up from the sofa.
"Me too." Louise says, faking a yawn. "Think I am going to turn in too."
Dani, Sasha and Nikita chorus, "Night."
They all stand and exchange hugs before the girls watch Steve and Louise retire to their room.
Nikita picks up her cigarettes and heads for the balcony door. "Be back in a minute." Clicking the door close behind her as she lights up.
"Are you ok? You have been quiet since we got back to the room. Missing Kurt by any chance?" Dani asks, lightly.
"Behave." Sasha says, playfully slapping Dani's leg, "He is just a nice guy."
"Well if you don't want him. I will take his number." Dani says, with a wink, prompting a hurt look from Sasha. Sasha opens her mouth to protest, but is cut off by Dani, "I'm messing with you. You make a good couple and Kim adores you. All the while I was showing her some moves, she gushed about you."
Sasha blushes and tries to deny Dani's words, "I, er, but, erm."
"For the last week, we have gone through hell. He is a nice guy and you have chemistry. Take a chance, reach out to him, you deserve it." Dani says, gently.
Sasha chews her lips and nods, "Something on my mind. Be back in a sec." She gets up purposefully and heads for the balcony, with a steely look in her eyes.
"You don't know what you are asking." Nikita says, lighting a cigarette outside, and exhaling smoke sharply.
"Please Niki. That girl may have had anything done to her." Sasha pleads. "You could find out and we can make it right."
"That's the point, I will have to relive it to know." Nikita says, fearfully.
"I." Sasha pauses, "She is a good kid and if someone has done something to her, we can't let them get away with it."
Nikita looks out over Lake Geneva. A range of emotions play across her features and she wrestles with her fears. "If someone has suffered or has a lot of emotionally charged events in their lives, it hurts me. It might seem to last a few seconds, but in my mind it plays out in real time. When I tried yours, I physically felt every pain you have every suffered, physical and emotional. Dad's was worse, I watched so many people die. I felt his guilt and pain with everyone he hurt. There is no telling what has happened to this girl."
Sasha hangs her head, unable to look Niki in the eyes. "I had no idea what it was like. I thought it was just a flash."
"I wish it was. Even after the vision ends, sometimes, I get flashbacks. Our brothers and sisters haunt my dreams." Nikita's lip trembles, as she exhales smoke, struggling to find the right words. "When they." She pauses, composing herself and taking her sisters hand, "When they implanted stem cells from your baby into me, I felt it. I feel it every day."
Sasha stares at her sister open mouthed, unable to speak as Nikita continues, "The only thing he knew, was the love you felt for him. I know that you had your doubts about keeping the baby, but he didn't feel any of that. In his life he knew only love. I feel that love every moment of every day."
"I had no idea." Sasha says, shocked. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Never the right time." Nikita says, staring out over the water. An unspoken moment passes between then and Nikita discards her cigarette and takes her sisters hand. "How could I say that there is a part of you that is always with me? You are a part of what makes me who I am."
"Oh Niki. I don't know what to say." Sasha says squeezing her sisters hand.
"'Everything I have done today, I have done, with that part of you. You have given me the strength to face anything." She takes a deep breath to centre herself, before continuing, "I wont lie, I am scared, but I will do it. Please, can you stay with me while I do?" Nikita says softly, feeling her sisters strength well up within her.
Sasha holds Nikita's hand and gently asks, "Are you sure that you want to do this?"
Nikita takes a deep breath to centre herself and looks around the bedroom she calls her own, savouring the intricate tapestries, rugs and pottery lining the walls and the display of ceremonial weaponry on the far wall. The winedow is open allowing a cool breeze off of the lake. She lays on her back in a long t-shirt and nods to her sister. "I am ready."
Sasha passes Nikita the handkerchief she used to dry Kim's tears of joy, earlier that evening. "Only if you are sure."
Nikita takes the handkerchief and presses it to her lips, without a word. Sasha looks down in horror as her sister begins to writhe and spasm on the bed. Nikita opens her mouth in a silent scream, revealing the return of her fangs. "Niki!"' Sasha cries, shaking her sister trying to shake her from the visions of the childs life.
Dani, Steve and Louise burst in, seeing Nikita in distress and Sasha panicking. Steve rushes to their side and pulls Sasha to face him, "It's ok sweetheart. Tell me what happened."
"We met a girl at the gala who had gone missing but didn't say where. Niki just tasted her tears to find out." Sasha says, hysterical with grief. "We didn't know."
He nods to his wife, who gently takes Sasha by the hand and leads her away from the bed for a hug with Lou and Dani. Steve leans over Nikita and opens her eyelids to check her eyes, he sees the whites of her eyes, turned blood red and her iris contract at the light exposure. "Good. She's reactive to light, that is a start." He observes, checking her pulse, with two fingers on her corotid artery.
Faster than the eye can follow she twists, clamping her jaw onto his wrist. Steve gasps in pain, and tries to dislodge his daughter from his arm, as he feels his blood fill her mouth. Without warning she releases his arm and slashes her palm open with her fangs, pressing it to his wound.
"Niki. Talk to me." He asks, gently, thinking, "She hurt me as a reflex, is she healing me now?"
She releases his arm and flips up off of the bed. Steve weakly reaches for her, slumping forward onto the bed. She twiches erratically, crying out, "Heavens Aerie." Her muscles ripple rhythmically beneath her skin in undulating currents, as she stalks across the room. She turns back with a look of sorrow and savage fury at her family. In a low gutteral voice she growls, "I am sorry." before she leaps out of the window.
She runs. Visions from Steve and Kim's mind play like a film in her head and with inhuman speed, she races with little regard for any obstacles in her way either charging through them or leaping over them. Kim's short life spools in her mind, her utter love for her father, the hurt she suffered, the joy at meeting and spending time with Sasha. "She is so sweet and they hurt her. They will pay and thanks to dad's blood, I know a lot of ways to hurt them." She thinks as the visions fade.
People shout their surprise as she streaks past, skirting the edge of the lake. However, Nikita is lost in the flood of images swamping her mind She pauses, twisings her head, sniffing the air and looking out over the water.
With a growl, low in her throat, she begins running towards the water, leaping over a parked van, without breaking her stride. She runs headlong into the water and submerges, arms and legs pumping hard in inexorable progress. She comes up for air two hundred metres from shore and dives again, towards a small cruise liner bearing the name "Heavens Aerie."
"What the hell just happened?" Louise asks, in a tone much harsher than she intended.
Sasha cowers back from her, pleading, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know she would do that."
Louise sees the fear and pain in Sasha's eyes and melts inside. She wraps her arms around the young woman and hugs her, "No. No. No. I am so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just a shock." She gasps in surprise as she feels a hand brush her leg.
Looking down she sees Steve's hand brush her leg weakly. He looks up at her and smiles dreamily. "Sss ok. She didn't know. We have to find Nik." He slurs.
Dani races back into the room after checking the medical kit. She places a hand on her fathers chest and asks, "Can you lie back and keep still please?" When he complies, she inserts a needle into his arm and another into her own.
She lays next to him and takes another needle and prepares to slip it into her arm. Sasha, places a hand on her arm to stop her. "No. We need you on your feet to find Niki. Give my blood to dad." She pleas, earnestly. "I haven't got the skills. Find her, bring her back safe."
Dani nods solemnly and slips a needle into her sister's arm attached to a tube. She waits for her blood to fill the tube before attaching it to the needle in her father's arm. She helps Sasha lay back softly cooing, "Relax as much as you can. This is not ideal but this should help replace some of the blood dad has lost."
She pauses before leaving, pressing a sponge into her hand and softly kissing her forehead. She turns to Louise, giving her a hug, "Watch them both closely, get a medic up here as soon as you can. Disconnect the IV after an hour regardless."
"What are going to do?" Louise asks, unable to take her eyes off of her stricken husband.
"I have no idea." Dani says, heading towards the room holding the gold and her gear.
Nikita powers from the depths of the lake, breaking the surface in a spray of water, when she launches herself onto the deck of the boat, like a dolphin leaping from the ocean.
Her head is bowed, and the light behind her, plunges her face into shadow, dark hair spills wet around her shoulders in black strands. He stands resplendent, her t-shirt is a memory, lost in the depths of the lake. The cold of the night is ignored, as the high body temperature from her increased metabolism, evaporates the cold lake water from her skin drying her almost instantly.
"Huh?" A surprised deck hand exclaims walking around the corner to see her there, near naked, shrouded in shadow.
She raises her head to look at him, tears of blood leaking from the corners of her deep red tinged eyes. Nikita bares her fangs and launches herself at the newcomer, slamming him into the bulkhead behind him, broken.
"'Hey you. Get back below deck." A tall angry looking man shouts at her, not seeing the man dead at her feet. He reaches for a weapon on his belt as she charges at him. The clasp on the strap holding the pistol securely pops free, when his hand wraps around the pistol grip. His eyes widen with horror, as he feels like he is moving in slow motion, willing his body to move fast enough, to deal with the snarling near naked woman closing on him. Every inch he raises the weapon brings her a foot closer. With a yelp he flies backwards into the wall, unable to resist the force of her shoulder slamming into his chest.
Nikita sniffs the air, and senses every heartbeat on the boat, steeling herself for what she must do. With effortless strength, she tears off the wooden door leading to the interior of the vessel and crosses the threshold, with blood singing in her ears.
"Perfect end, to the first day of the rest of my life." Nikita says, devouring her sandwich. "Met my sisters, got a little payback, discovered I am some kind of inhuman creature, stole a ton of gold and went to a massive party."
Steve sits up straight on the sofa, "What do you mean, stole a ton of gold?"
"Oh yeah, we stole Lund's gold reserves." Sasha says, sheepishly, "The bags are in the room at the end of the corridor, next to the drawing room."
Louise jumps off of the sofa giggling, "This I have to see." She runs, still giggling to the room.
Steve moves from his spot on the sofa to sit next to Nikita and puts his arm around her, "How are you doing?", he asks gently.
"My head is spinning if I am honest." Nikita says, finishing her sandwich, "So much has happened today. I am trying to wrap my head around things."
"I can appreciate that. You don't have to deal with everything all at once. Take time for yourself. You have all the time you need." Steve says reassuringly, "We are here for you."
"I want to find out what they did to me and exactly what I am." Nikita says, taking a sip from a bottle of water, before emphasising, "I need to find out what I am."
"We can get you checked over in the morning and we have had a doctor look over the notes we took from Medteqniq. There may be some clues there. If not, we will ask Lund when we find him." Steve says, looking up to see Louise walk in with a bar of gold in each hand.
"They have stolen about a ton of gold." Louise says stunned.
"We were talking earlier." Dani says, finishing her first sandwich. "We were so moved, by your speech, that we would like to donate it to good causes, if we can."
"I am not sure if it is possible. Without documents for legal ownership we may not be able to do anything with it." Louise says, with a shrug.
"Never mind, at least while we have it neither can Lund." Sasha pipes up.
"True, losing this amount of capital will hurt him." Steve says, yawning. "I don't know about anyone else but I am bushed." He looks over at Louise and winks, getting slowly up from the sofa.
"Me too." Louise says, faking a yawn. "Think I am going to turn in too."
Dani, Sasha and Nikita chorus, "Night."
They all stand and exchange hugs before the girls watch Steve and Louise retire to their room.
Nikita picks up her cigarettes and heads for the balcony door. "Be back in a minute." Clicking the door close behind her as she lights up.
"Are you ok? You have been quiet since we got back to the room. Missing Kurt by any chance?" Dani asks, lightly.
"Behave." Sasha says, playfully slapping Dani's leg, "He is just a nice guy."
"Well if you don't want him. I will take his number." Dani says, with a wink, prompting a hurt look from Sasha. Sasha opens her mouth to protest, but is cut off by Dani, "I'm messing with you. You make a good couple and Kim adores you. All the while I was showing her some moves, she gushed about you."
Sasha blushes and tries to deny Dani's words, "I, er, but, erm."
"For the last week, we have gone through hell. He is a nice guy and you have chemistry. Take a chance, reach out to him, you deserve it." Dani says, gently.
Sasha chews her lips and nods, "Something on my mind. Be back in a sec." She gets up purposefully and heads for the balcony, with a steely look in her eyes.
"You don't know what you are asking." Nikita says, lighting a cigarette outside, and exhaling smoke sharply.
"Please Niki. That girl may have had anything done to her." Sasha pleads. "You could find out and we can make it right."
"That's the point, I will have to relive it to know." Nikita says, fearfully.
"I." Sasha pauses, "She is a good kid and if someone has done something to her, we can't let them get away with it."
Nikita looks out over Lake Geneva. A range of emotions play across her features and she wrestles with her fears. "If someone has suffered or has a lot of emotionally charged events in their lives, it hurts me. It might seem to last a few seconds, but in my mind it plays out in real time. When I tried yours, I physically felt every pain you have every suffered, physical and emotional. Dad's was worse, I watched so many people die. I felt his guilt and pain with everyone he hurt. There is no telling what has happened to this girl."
Sasha hangs her head, unable to look Niki in the eyes. "I had no idea what it was like. I thought it was just a flash."
"I wish it was. Even after the vision ends, sometimes, I get flashbacks. Our brothers and sisters haunt my dreams." Nikita's lip trembles, as she exhales smoke, struggling to find the right words. "When they." She pauses, composing herself and taking her sisters hand, "When they implanted stem cells from your baby into me, I felt it. I feel it every day."
Sasha stares at her sister open mouthed, unable to speak as Nikita continues, "The only thing he knew, was the love you felt for him. I know that you had your doubts about keeping the baby, but he didn't feel any of that. In his life he knew only love. I feel that love every moment of every day."
"I had no idea." Sasha says, shocked. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Never the right time." Nikita says, staring out over the water. An unspoken moment passes between then and Nikita discards her cigarette and takes her sisters hand. "How could I say that there is a part of you that is always with me? You are a part of what makes me who I am."
"Oh Niki. I don't know what to say." Sasha says squeezing her sisters hand.
"'Everything I have done today, I have done, with that part of you. You have given me the strength to face anything." She takes a deep breath to centre herself, before continuing, "I wont lie, I am scared, but I will do it. Please, can you stay with me while I do?" Nikita says softly, feeling her sisters strength well up within her.
Sasha holds Nikita's hand and gently asks, "Are you sure that you want to do this?"
Nikita takes a deep breath to centre herself and looks around the bedroom she calls her own, savouring the intricate tapestries, rugs and pottery lining the walls and the display of ceremonial weaponry on the far wall. The winedow is open allowing a cool breeze off of the lake. She lays on her back in a long t-shirt and nods to her sister. "I am ready."
Sasha passes Nikita the handkerchief she used to dry Kim's tears of joy, earlier that evening. "Only if you are sure."
Nikita takes the handkerchief and presses it to her lips, without a word. Sasha looks down in horror as her sister begins to writhe and spasm on the bed. Nikita opens her mouth in a silent scream, revealing the return of her fangs. "Niki!"' Sasha cries, shaking her sister trying to shake her from the visions of the childs life.
Dani, Steve and Louise burst in, seeing Nikita in distress and Sasha panicking. Steve rushes to their side and pulls Sasha to face him, "It's ok sweetheart. Tell me what happened."
"We met a girl at the gala who had gone missing but didn't say where. Niki just tasted her tears to find out." Sasha says, hysterical with grief. "We didn't know."
He nods to his wife, who gently takes Sasha by the hand and leads her away from the bed for a hug with Lou and Dani. Steve leans over Nikita and opens her eyelids to check her eyes, he sees the whites of her eyes, turned blood red and her iris contract at the light exposure. "Good. She's reactive to light, that is a start." He observes, checking her pulse, with two fingers on her corotid artery.
Faster than the eye can follow she twists, clamping her jaw onto his wrist. Steve gasps in pain, and tries to dislodge his daughter from his arm, as he feels his blood fill her mouth. Without warning she releases his arm and slashes her palm open with her fangs, pressing it to his wound.
"Niki. Talk to me." He asks, gently, thinking, "She hurt me as a reflex, is she healing me now?"
She releases his arm and flips up off of the bed. Steve weakly reaches for her, slumping forward onto the bed. She twiches erratically, crying out, "Heavens Aerie." Her muscles ripple rhythmically beneath her skin in undulating currents, as she stalks across the room. She turns back with a look of sorrow and savage fury at her family. In a low gutteral voice she growls, "I am sorry." before she leaps out of the window.
She runs. Visions from Steve and Kim's mind play like a film in her head and with inhuman speed, she races with little regard for any obstacles in her way either charging through them or leaping over them. Kim's short life spools in her mind, her utter love for her father, the hurt she suffered, the joy at meeting and spending time with Sasha. "She is so sweet and they hurt her. They will pay and thanks to dad's blood, I know a lot of ways to hurt them." She thinks as the visions fade.
People shout their surprise as she streaks past, skirting the edge of the lake. However, Nikita is lost in the flood of images swamping her mind She pauses, twisings her head, sniffing the air and looking out over the water.
With a growl, low in her throat, she begins running towards the water, leaping over a parked van, without breaking her stride. She runs headlong into the water and submerges, arms and legs pumping hard in inexorable progress. She comes up for air two hundred metres from shore and dives again, towards a small cruise liner bearing the name "Heavens Aerie."
"What the hell just happened?" Louise asks, in a tone much harsher than she intended.
Sasha cowers back from her, pleading, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know she would do that."
Louise sees the fear and pain in Sasha's eyes and melts inside. She wraps her arms around the young woman and hugs her, "No. No. No. I am so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just a shock." She gasps in surprise as she feels a hand brush her leg.
Looking down she sees Steve's hand brush her leg weakly. He looks up at her and smiles dreamily. "Sss ok. She didn't know. We have to find Nik." He slurs.
Dani races back into the room after checking the medical kit. She places a hand on her fathers chest and asks, "Can you lie back and keep still please?" When he complies, she inserts a needle into his arm and another into her own.
She lays next to him and takes another needle and prepares to slip it into her arm. Sasha, places a hand on her arm to stop her. "No. We need you on your feet to find Niki. Give my blood to dad." She pleas, earnestly. "I haven't got the skills. Find her, bring her back safe."
Dani nods solemnly and slips a needle into her sister's arm attached to a tube. She waits for her blood to fill the tube before attaching it to the needle in her father's arm. She helps Sasha lay back softly cooing, "Relax as much as you can. This is not ideal but this should help replace some of the blood dad has lost."
She pauses before leaving, pressing a sponge into her hand and softly kissing her forehead. She turns to Louise, giving her a hug, "Watch them both closely, get a medic up here as soon as you can. Disconnect the IV after an hour regardless."
"What are going to do?" Louise asks, unable to take her eyes off of her stricken husband.
"I have no idea." Dani says, heading towards the room holding the gold and her gear.
Nikita powers from the depths of the lake, breaking the surface in a spray of water, when she launches herself onto the deck of the boat, like a dolphin leaping from the ocean.
Her head is bowed, and the light behind her, plunges her face into shadow, dark hair spills wet around her shoulders in black strands. He stands resplendent, her t-shirt is a memory, lost in the depths of the lake. The cold of the night is ignored, as the high body temperature from her increased metabolism, evaporates the cold lake water from her skin drying her almost instantly.
"Huh?" A surprised deck hand exclaims walking around the corner to see her there, near naked, shrouded in shadow.
She raises her head to look at him, tears of blood leaking from the corners of her deep red tinged eyes. Nikita bares her fangs and launches herself at the newcomer, slamming him into the bulkhead behind him, broken.
"'Hey you. Get back below deck." A tall angry looking man shouts at her, not seeing the man dead at her feet. He reaches for a weapon on his belt as she charges at him. The clasp on the strap holding the pistol securely pops free, when his hand wraps around the pistol grip. His eyes widen with horror, as he feels like he is moving in slow motion, willing his body to move fast enough, to deal with the snarling near naked woman closing on him. Every inch he raises the weapon brings her a foot closer. With a yelp he flies backwards into the wall, unable to resist the force of her shoulder slamming into his chest.
Nikita sniffs the air, and senses every heartbeat on the boat, steeling herself for what she must do. With effortless strength, she tears off the wooden door leading to the interior of the vessel and crosses the threshold, with blood singing in her ears.
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
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
Chief Inspector Harper stretches as he emerges from the drivers seat of his German saloon, into the cool air of the Quayside. "Who is in charge here?" He barks in German.
A world weary, uniformed officer stomps over and looks him up and down, "Inspector Lehman, Who are you?"
"Chief Inspector Harper, Interpol. The injuries reported have a correlation with a case I am currently working on. It is possible that the cases are linked. I am here to see the scene." He says, handing over his credentials for verification.
"Fine. We are nearly finished processing the scene." Lehman says, wearily, checking them and handing them back.
"What do you have so far?" Harper says, ignoring the man's demeanour.
"The boat was found drifting in the early hours of the morning. After it nearly hit a cruise ship, a police launch was dispatched and the boat was boarded, after several attempts to contact the crew were unsuccessful. Officers boarded the boat to find the crew dead." He pauses, recalling the condition of some of the dead men. "A search of the boat showed four women and two men, chained to beds in separate rooms and twelve women and four men chained in the hold of the vessel. We are referring to them as prisoners at this time. Aside from malnutrition and cuts minor cuts and contusions all prisoners are in stable condition. Non restrained persons on the ship are being referred to as crew. At the latest count we have twenty two dead crew members. We are trying to identify all parties."
"He looks lost. This has shaken him badly. He keeps touching his face and rubbing his neck for reassurance. His breathing is erratic too. Something has scared him." Harper thinks, before fixing the man with his gaze, "What else?"
Lehmann slumps, "Near the hold we found a young woman. Naked, covered in blood. She was hammering on the door to the hold where some of the prisoners were being held. She went for one of my officers and bit him. It took two officers with tasers to subdue her. He lost a little blood, but will recover."
"That is a hell of a detail to miss from your report. Who is she? Where is she now?" Harper asks, pointedly.
"She is in heavy restraints in the incident room. We have no idea who she is." Lehmann confirms, sheepishly.
Harper exhales slowly, "What a mess. I have seen the reports on some of the dead men. Any chance, I could take a look at some of the bodies, before I speak to her."
Lehmann jerks a thumb over his shoulder, "Sure. We have set up and incident room in that meat packing plant. I hope you have not had breakfast."
"Thanks for the heads up." Harper says, heading to the incident room.
"Wait." Lehmann says, nervously, "I have been doing this a long time, dealt with the Vory, Triad and Mafia, but I have never seen anything like this. Do you know what is going on?"
"Honestly, I don't know." Harper says, turning back to the man. "I am sorry, but if this is related to my case, my people will be taking over this investigation."
"Oh thank God." Lehmann says, relieved.
Harper removes his leather duster and hangs it on a hook before donning latex gloves and overshoes. The bright blue of the gloves, contrasts sharply to the charcoal grey of his suit and crisp white of his shirt. He adjusts his glasses and enter the cold room where the bodies from the boat are being stored.
"What a mess. Twenty two bodies not all of them intact." Harper says, stepping into the room.
He crosses to the nearest slab and lifts the sheet covering the body, clicking on a dictaphone. "Body shows signs of violence. Severe contusions around the throat of the victim." He leans in closer, examining the wound, "Victims throat has suffered severe trauma, consistent with a wild animal bite. Alternative injury source, heavy spiked mace." He covers the body and moves to the next table.
"Body shows signs of violence. Right arm has become fully detached from the victim at the shoulder." He pauses, examining the victims body and arm at the amputation site. "Interesting, the flesh is ragged and torn. No signs of an incision. Almost looks as if the arm was torn off."
Harper moves from table to table examining each body in turn and recording his thoughts. Before slipping his dictaphone into his pocket and leaving the room. He then reviews the evidence recovered fom the boat, constructing a mental image of the boat and where every body, shell case, bullet and item of evidence collected.
He nods to himself and exits the incident room, walking straight towards Inspector Lehmann. The Swiss officer looks up from his tablet, with world weary eyes. "What are your thoughts?"
"I have been investigating a fire at a medical facility in Basel and a massacre near a boat jetty on the Rhein nearby. The injuries that the men here have sustained are consitent with some of the more unusual injuries sustained at those crime scenes." Harper surveys the boat, quietly nodding to himself, "Having reviewed the evidence gathered thus far, the injuries and Modus Operandi of this incident match my own case. I will need to take it off of your hands."
With an expression of unbridled relief, Lehmann shakes Harper's hand vigorously, "Thank you very much."
"Inspector, I will need the full support of your team. May I just say that your team have done an excellent job here documenting everything. My inital report will reflect this." Harper says, removing and cleaning his glasses, "Now, where is the woman that bit your officer?"
Harper enters the storage container that is being used to house the suspect in the boat massacre and the first thing that strikes him is the smell. Even before he turns on the light, the smell of dried blood and entrails, mixed with the scent of water for the lake, assails his nostrils and makes him gag reflexively. When he recovers enough, he turns on his dictaphone and begins moving into the container.
He pulls the cord hanging from the ceiling and a single bulb flickers to life, bathing the room in a harsh white glow. Harper hangs his duster from a hook on the wall and then sighs in dismay, seeing the suspect bound on a small camping bed. Her bare legs are secured ruthlessly by five evenly spaced heavy leather straps. The suspects upper body is clad in a heavy duty straight jacket pinning her arms across her stomach, while another strap, around her upper chest, pins her upper arms to her sides. Harper shakes his head examining the tight neoprene hood encasing the suspects head. "The last time I saw someone this horribly restrained, it was Kate Shaw after she was framed for murder. Whoever this woman is, they are taking no chances."
Gently Harper reaches down and undoes the clasps at the back of the hood loosening it. He peels off the hood, revealing the blood and oil encrusted face of the suspect and allowing her long, dark, blood matted hair to spill about her shoulders. She closes her eyes against the bright light and grunts gently, prevented from speaking by the rubber ball jammed in her mouth.
"They must have put that in to stop her from biting anyone else." He says to himself, before addressing the girl, "I am going to take that ball out of your mouth, if you try to bite me, I will need to put it back. Do you understand?" He watches her closely, and raises an eyebrow, "She is trembling." He observes, before taking a chance.
Harper plucks the ball from her mouth and helps her to sit up on the camping bed. He takes a seat and watches her closely as she slowly flexes her jaw and blinks against the light. "Hard to tell under all that blood dried to her face, but she looks like she could be a pretty girl, if her teeth didn't look to big for her mouth. Strange she wasn't chained up."
"What is your name?" Harper asks, gently.
She looks up at him, blinking slowly, licking her lips and trying to swallow. He offers her water from a bottle which she drinks greedily. "What is your name?" He asks again, keeping his voice gentle.
The suspect closes her eyes and blurts out, "Fifteen, Rue de Saint Moritz, Paris. Eighteen Frederick Straße Norderstedt. Warehouse, one one one Devlet Volu, Istanbul. The Pelagic Siren, Container ship, registered in Hormuz."
"What? What are these places?" Harper asks, confused. "Wait, you're English."
"Please hurry. They are like Heavens Aerie. Send armed officers. Check Heavens Aerie again, captains suite, false drawer in the desk with times and dates for delivery of men and women. The combination for the safe is thirty two, twelve, seventeen, eighty five, more sites are listed in a yellow book inside. You will also find a list of scheduled stops and clients, in a red folder." She explains through gentle tears. "And yes. I am English."
"She believes what she is saying. Will be interesting to see how she fits in with the crew. No sign of a Caduceus tattoo like all the crew had, but she is still covered up by the jacket." He thinks to himself.
"What happened on Heavens Aerie last night?" He asks watching her lips tremble and tears forming in her eyes. "You are safe now. No one will hurt you. I need to know what happened on the ship last night." His gaze strays to her legs, able to note their perfect definition despite the tightness of the straps holding them.
She hesitates before speaking, "I remember going to a drink at a hotel bar and then feeling strange, next thing I know, I wake up in a nightmare and I hear screaming from nearby. I couldn't find my clothes. I could hear sounds of fighting somewhere above me." She begins to rock back and forth. "I ran to get away from the fighting and went closer to the screaming, I could see people chained up in a cage and I tried to get them out. Then men dressed in black came and jumped on." She looks up at him with pleading eyes, "I just wanted to get away."
"You bit a police officer." Harper says, more as a statement of fact, than an accusation. "She is blinking more than she has been for the rest of this little chat. Her statement is a list of sentences. No emotional context. I am fairly sure she is lying to me.
"I didn't know. I just wanted to get away and they were hurting me." She says, weakly.
"I see. That would be a terrifying situation to be in." He says gently, "But, if that were the case, you would not have been able to give those details you gave me about other operations. Why don't you tell me the truth, starting with your name? Then you can explain why you lied to me."
The womans eyes widen, like a rabbit caught in a cars head lights, "My name is Georgina Hayes. I was kidnapped two days ago-"
Harper cuts her off, noting the change in her breathing pattern once she started to speak. "The truth."
She slumps her shoulders, with a look of defeat, "Fine. My name is Vanessa Rafferty. I want a lawyer."
"Fine I will request a state lawyer for you." he says picking up the ball and hood, "They can take up to twelve hours to arrive, we will pop these back in place while we wait."
Her eyes widen in fear and her lower lip trembles, "Please. No. Not again."'
"Talk." Harper says, growing impatient.
"I was Eddie Simms girlfriend. I have been seeing him for a few months." She says in a weak voice, "I was blinded by the money. When I realised I was in too deep, I was too scared of becoming one of the girls in the cage to run. He's a monster." Vanessa, slowly rocks back and forth, "He made me watch what some of the clients did to the girls and told me, if I tried to run, then next time I will be in the girls place."
Inwardly, he smiles, thinking, "Finally she is telling me the truth." He nods supportively, "What happened last night?" He asks in a gentle tone.
"We had just finished with our clients for the night and were heading out over the water. It had been a good night, I was with Eddie and we were fooling around when the alarms went off. He started shouting that we were being boarded and grabbed his gun. He opened the cabin door and went out. When the door was open I could hear gunshots and screams from some of the crew. I hid under the bed. I remember the screams." She says starting to cry. "Then it went quiet. I remember thinking that I was lucky and it was over. Then I heard the door open and my heart sank. I prayed for the first time since I was a child. She flipped the bed over and I could only stare at her."
"Her?" Harper asks, genuinely surprised.
"The Red Woman." Vanessa mumbles, staring into space.
"Tell me about her." Harper asks, wondering, "Her body language has changed. She is actually scared at the memory."
"I think she was naked. Covered from head to foot in blood. Her eyes." She whimpers, softly, "Her eyes were just two dots of bright blue, staring out from the red covering her body. She grabbed me by my hair and dragged me into the corridor and pushed me into the blood on the floor and stood over me with her foot on my back pressing me down."
"What happened next?" Harper asks, cleaning his glasses.
"She told me that she was here for what we did to the girl." Vanessa says, hanging her head.
"What girl?" Harper asks, feeling his blood run cold.
"Kim Smith. Daughter of a guy who runs a transport company. Eddie and his guys snatched her and were keeping her tied up in a trunk in one of the cabins. His plan was that he would keep her for a couple of months and when the father had almost lost hope, tell him she was alive and he would have to allow Eddie access to his distribution network." She starts to cry, "I never wanted any part of it. The poor kid was terrified out of her mind. After she had been with us for a month, I went to feed her and she was a wreck, covered in her own filth, in pain from being tied up and I couldn't do it any more. I let her out of the trunk and got her to shore. When we sailed off Eddie was none the wiser, that she was gone until the next day."
Harper listens to her quietly and scrutinises her, "She keeps looking around furtively. Making statements rather than telling a story. She is either lying or holding back." He decides, narrowing his eyes.
He stands sharply and slams the palm of his hand into the metal wall of the container hard enough to make a massive bang, "Stop lying to me." He screams, calculating that this should shock her into speaking, "Tell me everything."
She tenses up with shock and begs , "Ok, ok, Please. I will talk. Eddie made the plan, but I snatched the kid and kept her tied up in a trunk. After a month, I couldn't do it any more, I had to let her go."
Harper nods satisfied, "So why did the Red Woman let you go?"
"She told me that because I let Kim go, she would spare me. However, I had to tell you about the other operations and try to set the prisoners free."
"Vanessa Rafferty, by your own admission, you are guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit extortion, Illegal imprisonment and are an accessory to forced prostitution and slavery. Do you have anything to add?" Harper coldly informs the suspect.
She hangs her head unable to look him in the eyes and mumbles, "Nothing further."
He begins releasing the straps on her legs, much to her surprise. "Nothing I have seen shows me that you need all these restraints."
Vanessa grunts, as she flexes her legs for the first time she she was arrested, She stares at the floor, unmoving whilst he undoes the straps of the straight jacket. She does not resist, when he pulls the straightjacket off, revealing her mostly naked and blood soaked body underneath. Nor does she resist, when he pulls her arms behind her back and click a pair of heavy steel cuffs onto her wrists, or when he clicks another pair around her ankles. "I am going to leave you here for a few minutes, whilst I arrange some clothing and transport to a local station."
Harper looks back at the broken woman sat on the cot bed, with her hands cuffed behind her, thinking, "If I had my way, she would rot in prison for the rest of her life for kidnapping a kid. She can sit there feeling sorry for her self, but ultimately, this is her fault."
A world weary, uniformed officer stomps over and looks him up and down, "Inspector Lehman, Who are you?"
"Chief Inspector Harper, Interpol. The injuries reported have a correlation with a case I am currently working on. It is possible that the cases are linked. I am here to see the scene." He says, handing over his credentials for verification.
"Fine. We are nearly finished processing the scene." Lehman says, wearily, checking them and handing them back.
"What do you have so far?" Harper says, ignoring the man's demeanour.
"The boat was found drifting in the early hours of the morning. After it nearly hit a cruise ship, a police launch was dispatched and the boat was boarded, after several attempts to contact the crew were unsuccessful. Officers boarded the boat to find the crew dead." He pauses, recalling the condition of some of the dead men. "A search of the boat showed four women and two men, chained to beds in separate rooms and twelve women and four men chained in the hold of the vessel. We are referring to them as prisoners at this time. Aside from malnutrition and cuts minor cuts and contusions all prisoners are in stable condition. Non restrained persons on the ship are being referred to as crew. At the latest count we have twenty two dead crew members. We are trying to identify all parties."
"He looks lost. This has shaken him badly. He keeps touching his face and rubbing his neck for reassurance. His breathing is erratic too. Something has scared him." Harper thinks, before fixing the man with his gaze, "What else?"
Lehmann slumps, "Near the hold we found a young woman. Naked, covered in blood. She was hammering on the door to the hold where some of the prisoners were being held. She went for one of my officers and bit him. It took two officers with tasers to subdue her. He lost a little blood, but will recover."
"That is a hell of a detail to miss from your report. Who is she? Where is she now?" Harper asks, pointedly.
"She is in heavy restraints in the incident room. We have no idea who she is." Lehmann confirms, sheepishly.
Harper exhales slowly, "What a mess. I have seen the reports on some of the dead men. Any chance, I could take a look at some of the bodies, before I speak to her."
Lehmann jerks a thumb over his shoulder, "Sure. We have set up and incident room in that meat packing plant. I hope you have not had breakfast."
"Thanks for the heads up." Harper says, heading to the incident room.
"Wait." Lehmann says, nervously, "I have been doing this a long time, dealt with the Vory, Triad and Mafia, but I have never seen anything like this. Do you know what is going on?"
"Honestly, I don't know." Harper says, turning back to the man. "I am sorry, but if this is related to my case, my people will be taking over this investigation."
"Oh thank God." Lehmann says, relieved.
Harper removes his leather duster and hangs it on a hook before donning latex gloves and overshoes. The bright blue of the gloves, contrasts sharply to the charcoal grey of his suit and crisp white of his shirt. He adjusts his glasses and enter the cold room where the bodies from the boat are being stored.
"What a mess. Twenty two bodies not all of them intact." Harper says, stepping into the room.
He crosses to the nearest slab and lifts the sheet covering the body, clicking on a dictaphone. "Body shows signs of violence. Severe contusions around the throat of the victim." He leans in closer, examining the wound, "Victims throat has suffered severe trauma, consistent with a wild animal bite. Alternative injury source, heavy spiked mace." He covers the body and moves to the next table.
"Body shows signs of violence. Right arm has become fully detached from the victim at the shoulder." He pauses, examining the victims body and arm at the amputation site. "Interesting, the flesh is ragged and torn. No signs of an incision. Almost looks as if the arm was torn off."
Harper moves from table to table examining each body in turn and recording his thoughts. Before slipping his dictaphone into his pocket and leaving the room. He then reviews the evidence recovered fom the boat, constructing a mental image of the boat and where every body, shell case, bullet and item of evidence collected.
He nods to himself and exits the incident room, walking straight towards Inspector Lehmann. The Swiss officer looks up from his tablet, with world weary eyes. "What are your thoughts?"
"I have been investigating a fire at a medical facility in Basel and a massacre near a boat jetty on the Rhein nearby. The injuries that the men here have sustained are consitent with some of the more unusual injuries sustained at those crime scenes." Harper surveys the boat, quietly nodding to himself, "Having reviewed the evidence gathered thus far, the injuries and Modus Operandi of this incident match my own case. I will need to take it off of your hands."
With an expression of unbridled relief, Lehmann shakes Harper's hand vigorously, "Thank you very much."
"Inspector, I will need the full support of your team. May I just say that your team have done an excellent job here documenting everything. My inital report will reflect this." Harper says, removing and cleaning his glasses, "Now, where is the woman that bit your officer?"
Harper enters the storage container that is being used to house the suspect in the boat massacre and the first thing that strikes him is the smell. Even before he turns on the light, the smell of dried blood and entrails, mixed with the scent of water for the lake, assails his nostrils and makes him gag reflexively. When he recovers enough, he turns on his dictaphone and begins moving into the container.
He pulls the cord hanging from the ceiling and a single bulb flickers to life, bathing the room in a harsh white glow. Harper hangs his duster from a hook on the wall and then sighs in dismay, seeing the suspect bound on a small camping bed. Her bare legs are secured ruthlessly by five evenly spaced heavy leather straps. The suspects upper body is clad in a heavy duty straight jacket pinning her arms across her stomach, while another strap, around her upper chest, pins her upper arms to her sides. Harper shakes his head examining the tight neoprene hood encasing the suspects head. "The last time I saw someone this horribly restrained, it was Kate Shaw after she was framed for murder. Whoever this woman is, they are taking no chances."
Gently Harper reaches down and undoes the clasps at the back of the hood loosening it. He peels off the hood, revealing the blood and oil encrusted face of the suspect and allowing her long, dark, blood matted hair to spill about her shoulders. She closes her eyes against the bright light and grunts gently, prevented from speaking by the rubber ball jammed in her mouth.
"They must have put that in to stop her from biting anyone else." He says to himself, before addressing the girl, "I am going to take that ball out of your mouth, if you try to bite me, I will need to put it back. Do you understand?" He watches her closely, and raises an eyebrow, "She is trembling." He observes, before taking a chance.
Harper plucks the ball from her mouth and helps her to sit up on the camping bed. He takes a seat and watches her closely as she slowly flexes her jaw and blinks against the light. "Hard to tell under all that blood dried to her face, but she looks like she could be a pretty girl, if her teeth didn't look to big for her mouth. Strange she wasn't chained up."
"What is your name?" Harper asks, gently.
She looks up at him, blinking slowly, licking her lips and trying to swallow. He offers her water from a bottle which she drinks greedily. "What is your name?" He asks again, keeping his voice gentle.
The suspect closes her eyes and blurts out, "Fifteen, Rue de Saint Moritz, Paris. Eighteen Frederick Straße Norderstedt. Warehouse, one one one Devlet Volu, Istanbul. The Pelagic Siren, Container ship, registered in Hormuz."
"What? What are these places?" Harper asks, confused. "Wait, you're English."
"Please hurry. They are like Heavens Aerie. Send armed officers. Check Heavens Aerie again, captains suite, false drawer in the desk with times and dates for delivery of men and women. The combination for the safe is thirty two, twelve, seventeen, eighty five, more sites are listed in a yellow book inside. You will also find a list of scheduled stops and clients, in a red folder." She explains through gentle tears. "And yes. I am English."
"She believes what she is saying. Will be interesting to see how she fits in with the crew. No sign of a Caduceus tattoo like all the crew had, but she is still covered up by the jacket." He thinks to himself.
"What happened on Heavens Aerie last night?" He asks watching her lips tremble and tears forming in her eyes. "You are safe now. No one will hurt you. I need to know what happened on the ship last night." His gaze strays to her legs, able to note their perfect definition despite the tightness of the straps holding them.
She hesitates before speaking, "I remember going to a drink at a hotel bar and then feeling strange, next thing I know, I wake up in a nightmare and I hear screaming from nearby. I couldn't find my clothes. I could hear sounds of fighting somewhere above me." She begins to rock back and forth. "I ran to get away from the fighting and went closer to the screaming, I could see people chained up in a cage and I tried to get them out. Then men dressed in black came and jumped on." She looks up at him with pleading eyes, "I just wanted to get away."
"You bit a police officer." Harper says, more as a statement of fact, than an accusation. "She is blinking more than she has been for the rest of this little chat. Her statement is a list of sentences. No emotional context. I am fairly sure she is lying to me.
"I didn't know. I just wanted to get away and they were hurting me." She says, weakly.
"I see. That would be a terrifying situation to be in." He says gently, "But, if that were the case, you would not have been able to give those details you gave me about other operations. Why don't you tell me the truth, starting with your name? Then you can explain why you lied to me."
The womans eyes widen, like a rabbit caught in a cars head lights, "My name is Georgina Hayes. I was kidnapped two days ago-"
Harper cuts her off, noting the change in her breathing pattern once she started to speak. "The truth."
She slumps her shoulders, with a look of defeat, "Fine. My name is Vanessa Rafferty. I want a lawyer."
"Fine I will request a state lawyer for you." he says picking up the ball and hood, "They can take up to twelve hours to arrive, we will pop these back in place while we wait."
Her eyes widen in fear and her lower lip trembles, "Please. No. Not again."'
"Talk." Harper says, growing impatient.
"I was Eddie Simms girlfriend. I have been seeing him for a few months." She says in a weak voice, "I was blinded by the money. When I realised I was in too deep, I was too scared of becoming one of the girls in the cage to run. He's a monster." Vanessa, slowly rocks back and forth, "He made me watch what some of the clients did to the girls and told me, if I tried to run, then next time I will be in the girls place."
Inwardly, he smiles, thinking, "Finally she is telling me the truth." He nods supportively, "What happened last night?" He asks in a gentle tone.
"We had just finished with our clients for the night and were heading out over the water. It had been a good night, I was with Eddie and we were fooling around when the alarms went off. He started shouting that we were being boarded and grabbed his gun. He opened the cabin door and went out. When the door was open I could hear gunshots and screams from some of the crew. I hid under the bed. I remember the screams." She says starting to cry. "Then it went quiet. I remember thinking that I was lucky and it was over. Then I heard the door open and my heart sank. I prayed for the first time since I was a child. She flipped the bed over and I could only stare at her."
"Her?" Harper asks, genuinely surprised.
"The Red Woman." Vanessa mumbles, staring into space.
"Tell me about her." Harper asks, wondering, "Her body language has changed. She is actually scared at the memory."
"I think she was naked. Covered from head to foot in blood. Her eyes." She whimpers, softly, "Her eyes were just two dots of bright blue, staring out from the red covering her body. She grabbed me by my hair and dragged me into the corridor and pushed me into the blood on the floor and stood over me with her foot on my back pressing me down."
"What happened next?" Harper asks, cleaning his glasses.
"She told me that she was here for what we did to the girl." Vanessa says, hanging her head.
"What girl?" Harper asks, feeling his blood run cold.
"Kim Smith. Daughter of a guy who runs a transport company. Eddie and his guys snatched her and were keeping her tied up in a trunk in one of the cabins. His plan was that he would keep her for a couple of months and when the father had almost lost hope, tell him she was alive and he would have to allow Eddie access to his distribution network." She starts to cry, "I never wanted any part of it. The poor kid was terrified out of her mind. After she had been with us for a month, I went to feed her and she was a wreck, covered in her own filth, in pain from being tied up and I couldn't do it any more. I let her out of the trunk and got her to shore. When we sailed off Eddie was none the wiser, that she was gone until the next day."
Harper listens to her quietly and scrutinises her, "She keeps looking around furtively. Making statements rather than telling a story. She is either lying or holding back." He decides, narrowing his eyes.
He stands sharply and slams the palm of his hand into the metal wall of the container hard enough to make a massive bang, "Stop lying to me." He screams, calculating that this should shock her into speaking, "Tell me everything."
She tenses up with shock and begs , "Ok, ok, Please. I will talk. Eddie made the plan, but I snatched the kid and kept her tied up in a trunk. After a month, I couldn't do it any more, I had to let her go."
Harper nods satisfied, "So why did the Red Woman let you go?"
"She told me that because I let Kim go, she would spare me. However, I had to tell you about the other operations and try to set the prisoners free."
"Vanessa Rafferty, by your own admission, you are guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit extortion, Illegal imprisonment and are an accessory to forced prostitution and slavery. Do you have anything to add?" Harper coldly informs the suspect.
She hangs her head unable to look him in the eyes and mumbles, "Nothing further."
He begins releasing the straps on her legs, much to her surprise. "Nothing I have seen shows me that you need all these restraints."
Vanessa grunts, as she flexes her legs for the first time she she was arrested, She stares at the floor, unmoving whilst he undoes the straps of the straight jacket. She does not resist, when he pulls the straightjacket off, revealing her mostly naked and blood soaked body underneath. Nor does she resist, when he pulls her arms behind her back and click a pair of heavy steel cuffs onto her wrists, or when he clicks another pair around her ankles. "I am going to leave you here for a few minutes, whilst I arrange some clothing and transport to a local station."
Harper looks back at the broken woman sat on the cot bed, with her hands cuffed behind her, thinking, "If I had my way, she would rot in prison for the rest of her life for kidnapping a kid. She can sit there feeling sorry for her self, but ultimately, this is her fault."
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
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
I wonder in which Direction the story will develop. Everything seemed to go well for Dani, Sasha and Nikita. Bye the way, we haven't seen Kate for a while 
All manner of twists and turns to come with the sisters.
Kate is taking some time sowing the seeds of a new life with Amy, but worry not we shall see her again.
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
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
Harper shoots a looks of contempt at Vanessa and tuts to himself, as he leaves and slams the door behind him.
Vanessa slides her hands inder herself and brings her chained wrists inder her legs, where she can get better leverage. She takes a deep breath and holds it and sharply moves her hands apart. The chain and the cuffs hold fast, inviting a frown from the captive. She grasps the right cuff with her left hand and tries to pull out her right hand. "Damn it." She exclaims, realising the cuff is too tight to slip past her hand.
She hangs her head and clenches her teeth painfully, taking her right thumb in her left hand and twisting viciously. Her efforts are rewarded with a crack as the thumb dislocates. She pulls her right hand free and clicks her thumb back into the joint. "Compared to the things I have suffered the pain of this is nothing." She thinks dislocating her left thumb and pulling her hand free of the cuff.
"Ok next problem." She looks at the ankle cuffs and scans the room. "That copper left his coat behind. Might be something that can help in there."
"No idea how long I have." She thinks, to herself lifting the mattress off of the cot bed revealing the long lateral springs underneath. "Think of where you are and where you want to be and do what you can until either you get there or something changes."' A voice echoes in her mind.
She detatches two springs from the bed and walks to the limits of her ankle cuff chain where it is linked to the floor. She loops the ends of the springs together and swings them around her head and reaches out catching a shoulder of the leather duster with the hook of one of the springs. She begins to pull on the spring to the point where there is no more flex, then she braces herself and flicks her wrist up. The hook slips from the seam of the coat but it does not move.
The takes the now stretched out spring and has an idea. Slowly, she feeds it forward hooking it through the coat hook of the duster. She flicks her wrist and the coat hook slips off of the peg on the third attempt. She reels the coat in and quickly checks the pockets, finding a set of keys. "Too slow, move faster." She thinks trying the keys on the locks of the ankle cuffs until her efforts are rewarded with a click.
She pulls on the duster and wraps it around her, securing it with the belt around her waist. "Now I look like the worlds worst hooker." She thinks feeling the coat against her blood encrusted skin.
She quickly searches the pocket of the coat taking out the owners phone, wallet, keys, pocket multitool, money clip and ID, "OK Detective Chief Inspector Harper, nice to meet you." She lays Harper's belongings on the bed and pockets the multitool.
Crossing the room quietly, she tentatively tests the door, opening it a crack. "The water is only about ten metres away, but there are a lot of officers milling about. Better to go inland, get away from the lake." She quickly slips out of the door letting it rest ajar as she leaves. Keeping low, she moves quickly, using the parked police cars and vans as cover. Eveery few steps, she stops and senses the heartbeats around her, checking for any changes in position or rhythm. "Harper seems to be in the makeshift office still so has no Idea I have gone yet." She thinkss working towards the loading dock for the meat packing plant.
Five minutes later she is in the womens locker room and has washed off as much of the blood from her face, body and limbs, as she can without the use of a power hose and she sits in one of the toilet stalls. With nervous fingers she pries her eye open with one hand and plucks out the contact lens with a deft pluck. Taking a few breathes to centre herself she plucks the other lens free and wraps them both in a tissue.
She pulls out the multitool and opens up the pliers. She braces herself holding the pliers in both hands and pulling hard on the first tooth, wrenching hard to snap the superglue keeping it in the socket. "This sucks so badly. Why did I do this?" Nikita asks, laying the first of Vanessa's teeth on the tissue.
Nikita thinks back to last night's encounter with Vanessa. "That woman. How dare she try to say she had Kim's best interests at heart? After I said I would spare her, she began laughing about how their lawyer, would get her out in a day and that the boat would be one the water again in under a month."
She coughs with pain as she removes one of Vanessa's back teeth. "I wish I had made her suffer more. She probably didn't feel it when I broke her neck. Bitch."
"Why didn't I leave a note instead of this." She says pulling the last of Vanessa's teeth free. "Because when you felt the heartbeats on a boat approach you had a bright idea. Turns out pulling all your teeth out and replacing them with hers was a good idea and meant you didn't have to fight the police. Although pulling her limb from limb and throwing her body out into the lake may have been a bit much."
As the last of Nikita's teeth finishes regrowing she balls all the teeth and contact lenses up in toilet paper and flushes them away, with a less than heartfelt "Goodbye Vanessa." She opens the stall door and strides to sink and washes her hands and face. She stares at her reflection, "With her teeth in place, I was able to channel her when they questioned me. Now she is gone and they are looking for the Red Woman. Just need to get out of here and away clear and there is a chance I will be ok."
"The place is crawling with police. I can't see a way to get her out without drowning in a sea of blue." Dani reports, over comms from a rooftop overlooking the police command post in the late morning mist. She is dressed in jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket
"Angel. Come home. You have been on the go for over thirty hours. You need to rest." Steve says, gently.
"I can't do that. If the police find out what she is capable of, she will be whisked away and we will never see her again." Dani pleads.
Steve takes a deep breath, "I know. But I don't want to lose you as well."
"I have made a promise to bring her back and I will keep it." Dani says, checking the spare magazines for her tranq pistol, when a movement catches her eye. "Shit."
"Angel? Talk to me?" Steve says, concerned.
"Lioness is on the move. She is out of the cell and heading into the packing plant." Dani says, slipping her back pack on. "I am moving position to get a better vantage point."
"Angel. Sorry I am late to the party, I am in position and ready to assist, let me know when you are leaving plant and which exit you will use." Sasha calls over comms, from a Black SUV with heavily tinted windows nearby.
"Angel. Guardian. Proceed with caution. We still don't know how she will react to seeing you." Steve calls out over comms.
"Understood." Angel says, wondering if she could take Nikita down, if she had to, "Hold position Guardian. I will intercept principal and come to you."
"Affirmative Angel, Guardian on standby." Sasha say, unaware that she is being watched.
Nikita checks the lockers quickly finding most locked. In the two open lockers she finds a pair of boots and a black facemask. As she puts on the boots, she freezes, detecting a familiar heartbeat approaching. "Dani!" She quickly finishes putting on the boots and rises to her feet, hiding on the blind side of the door to the locker room.
Nikita holds her breath, when the door opens and waits. Dani edges cautiously into the locker room, head on a swivel, ducking when she sees movement to her left. She rolls forward and comes up in a combat crouch facing the source of the movement in a ready stance, "Niki?" She asks cautiously.
Nikita looks at Dani, seeing the fear in her sisters eyes, she raises her hands, "It's ok. I am alright." She says, gently, "I am so glad to see you. Is dad ok?"
"He is worried about you. Just like the rest of us." Dani says, cautiously, "Are you ok?"
"How can he ever forgive me?" Nikita says, feeling hurt, she stares at the floor, "How can any of you?"
Dani relaxes her stance and steps closer to her sister, "We all need to have a long talk about what happened last night. This will be ok babe. I promise. But first we have to get out of here."
Nikita nods and chews her lip, "Any ideas?"
Dani pulls a spare earpiece from her pocket and passes it to Nikita. Once she has put it in Dani speaks over comms, "Guardian, Contact made with Lioness. We are en route to extraction, main entrance. ETA two minutes."
Nikita leads the way out of the warehouse avoiding employees, with Dani acting as spotter to identify cameras as they proceed. Dani turns to Nikita, as they approach the entrance where several employees are gathered, ready to head out for lunch. "Face mask on, follow me, stride like you belong."
Nikita nods and dons her mask, falling into step behind Dani. The walk through the middle of the crowd and out into the car park. Sasha pulls up smoothly next to them as they walk through the car park and they get into the back of the vehicle. As soon as the rear doors are closed, Sasha pulls away crisply. "Fuck Niki. What have you done?" Sasha asks in a harsh tone.
"I'm sorry Sasha." Nikita says, settling into the back seat.
"Sorry? Your murder-spree is all over the news." Sasha fires back angrily.
"They took Kim. Kept her tied up in a box for a month and only cleaned it out once a week. They were running a sex trafficking network across half of Europe. They were going to keep Kim for two months until Kurt was desperate and then tell him that to keep her safe, he would need to let them use him distribution network." Nikita explains, "'The captains girlfriend, got cold feet and let her go."
"They didn't...... You know?" Sasha asks awkwardly, not wanting to say the words.
"No babe. They just kept her locked up." Nikita says, suddenly feeling drained.
"'Are they all dead?" Sasha asks, pulling up to a junction.
"All the ones I could get my hands on." Nikita says, remembering the faces of the people she killed. "I have put the cops onto the rest of them."
Sasha pulls out into traffic and looks in the rearview mirror to see her sister crying, "Are you alright, babe?"
"When I taste bodily fluids, the memories fade quickly. I wish the same were true for things I do." Nikita says, staring out of the window.
Sasha passes back a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, and accelerates past several slow moving vehicles and embraces the open road beyond. "I'm sorry I shouted at you. You saved a lot of people today."
Nikita lights a cigarette savouring the taste, "Thanks babe." Nikita says, exhaling smoke slowly, "I'm so sorry, if I give you a reason to be scared. Is dad ok?"
Sasha frowns, "He was a bit rough from blood loss, but I gave him a transfusion and he is on the mend." Her expression softens, as she continues, "You can't just run off like that. Tell us what is going on then we can back you up."
"I will in future I promise." Nikita says, sadly looking out of the window at the mountains in the distance and the bushes and trees lining the road, "I'm sorry."
Sasha relents and flashes Nikita a smile in the rear view mirror, "It's all good. Everyone is ok, apart from a bunch of sex traffickers and you have saved countless people from a life of misery."
"I am not proud of how I killed them, but I did what I needed to do." Nikita says, exhaling smoke at her window. She turns to Dani to see that she is fast asleep beside her. "She must be knackered."
"She hasn't slept since before we hit Medteqniq's facility. When you ran off last night, she tried to catch up to you. When the police arrested you she kept watch and refused to come back without you. I think she was getting ready to storm that command post single handed." Sasha says, overtaking an articulated lorry on the mountain road.
"I had no idea." Nikita says, giving Dani a gentle peck on the cheek before whispering ,"Thank you."
"Only reason she was alone was, I was giving blood to dad and passed out." Sasha admits, embarrassed.
"This is all my fault." Nikita says, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Hey, come one now. It is all ok." Sasha says warmly, a split second before the front passenger side tyre bursts.
The vehicle lurches to the right as Sasha fights to control it after the blow out. The rim of the wheel, digs into the road surface with a squeal and a shower of sparks, before slamming into the kerb. The momentum of the vehicle and the sharp stop flips the SUV over the side of the barrier sending it careening, end over end down the hill side. The vehicle slams into a tree and comes to a sudden halt.
Sasha hangs upside side from her seat belt, moaning in pain softly. Unable to move her pinned left arm, she reaches for the buckle of her seat belt and is lanced with pain. "Fuck, I think my right arm is broken. " She thinks, looking at the blood rapidly soaking her arm. She looks at the rear view mirror, seeing her sisters, unconscious in the rear seats, hanging from their belts. "I have to get them out of here." She thinks trying to reach her belt buckle again, with a silent scream of pain which overwhelms her and gives her tunnel vision.
A sharp jolt of pain, brings her back to her senses again. "Dani. Niki. Can you hear me?" She weakly cries out.
Their silence cuts through her like a knife and she begins to cry and thrash in her seat. "Help!" She screams. A crack of a twig nearby, gives her hope. "Over here, please help us."
She hangs in the vehicle listening closely as, footsteps through the brush draw closer. She prays for Dani and Niki to be able to hang on, "It is ok girls, help is coming."
She breathes a sigh of relief when a pair of boots come into view and the door of the vehicle opens. "Please get us out of here." She pleads, "Help us."
The hard looking man in his sixties, crouches by the doorway, looking inside at the vehicles inverted interior. He nods to himself and unleashes a powerful right hook to Sasha's temple, plunging her once more into unconsciousness. In a deep Glaswegian accent he growls, "Save your breath, by the time this is over, you will wish you had all died in this car."
Vanessa slides her hands inder herself and brings her chained wrists inder her legs, where she can get better leverage. She takes a deep breath and holds it and sharply moves her hands apart. The chain and the cuffs hold fast, inviting a frown from the captive. She grasps the right cuff with her left hand and tries to pull out her right hand. "Damn it." She exclaims, realising the cuff is too tight to slip past her hand.
She hangs her head and clenches her teeth painfully, taking her right thumb in her left hand and twisting viciously. Her efforts are rewarded with a crack as the thumb dislocates. She pulls her right hand free and clicks her thumb back into the joint. "Compared to the things I have suffered the pain of this is nothing." She thinks dislocating her left thumb and pulling her hand free of the cuff.
"Ok next problem." She looks at the ankle cuffs and scans the room. "That copper left his coat behind. Might be something that can help in there."
"No idea how long I have." She thinks, to herself lifting the mattress off of the cot bed revealing the long lateral springs underneath. "Think of where you are and where you want to be and do what you can until either you get there or something changes."' A voice echoes in her mind.
She detatches two springs from the bed and walks to the limits of her ankle cuff chain where it is linked to the floor. She loops the ends of the springs together and swings them around her head and reaches out catching a shoulder of the leather duster with the hook of one of the springs. She begins to pull on the spring to the point where there is no more flex, then she braces herself and flicks her wrist up. The hook slips from the seam of the coat but it does not move.
The takes the now stretched out spring and has an idea. Slowly, she feeds it forward hooking it through the coat hook of the duster. She flicks her wrist and the coat hook slips off of the peg on the third attempt. She reels the coat in and quickly checks the pockets, finding a set of keys. "Too slow, move faster." She thinks trying the keys on the locks of the ankle cuffs until her efforts are rewarded with a click.
She pulls on the duster and wraps it around her, securing it with the belt around her waist. "Now I look like the worlds worst hooker." She thinks feeling the coat against her blood encrusted skin.
She quickly searches the pocket of the coat taking out the owners phone, wallet, keys, pocket multitool, money clip and ID, "OK Detective Chief Inspector Harper, nice to meet you." She lays Harper's belongings on the bed and pockets the multitool.
Crossing the room quietly, she tentatively tests the door, opening it a crack. "The water is only about ten metres away, but there are a lot of officers milling about. Better to go inland, get away from the lake." She quickly slips out of the door letting it rest ajar as she leaves. Keeping low, she moves quickly, using the parked police cars and vans as cover. Eveery few steps, she stops and senses the heartbeats around her, checking for any changes in position or rhythm. "Harper seems to be in the makeshift office still so has no Idea I have gone yet." She thinkss working towards the loading dock for the meat packing plant.
Five minutes later she is in the womens locker room and has washed off as much of the blood from her face, body and limbs, as she can without the use of a power hose and she sits in one of the toilet stalls. With nervous fingers she pries her eye open with one hand and plucks out the contact lens with a deft pluck. Taking a few breathes to centre herself she plucks the other lens free and wraps them both in a tissue.
She pulls out the multitool and opens up the pliers. She braces herself holding the pliers in both hands and pulling hard on the first tooth, wrenching hard to snap the superglue keeping it in the socket. "This sucks so badly. Why did I do this?" Nikita asks, laying the first of Vanessa's teeth on the tissue.
Nikita thinks back to last night's encounter with Vanessa. "That woman. How dare she try to say she had Kim's best interests at heart? After I said I would spare her, she began laughing about how their lawyer, would get her out in a day and that the boat would be one the water again in under a month."
She coughs with pain as she removes one of Vanessa's back teeth. "I wish I had made her suffer more. She probably didn't feel it when I broke her neck. Bitch."
"Why didn't I leave a note instead of this." She says pulling the last of Vanessa's teeth free. "Because when you felt the heartbeats on a boat approach you had a bright idea. Turns out pulling all your teeth out and replacing them with hers was a good idea and meant you didn't have to fight the police. Although pulling her limb from limb and throwing her body out into the lake may have been a bit much."
As the last of Nikita's teeth finishes regrowing she balls all the teeth and contact lenses up in toilet paper and flushes them away, with a less than heartfelt "Goodbye Vanessa." She opens the stall door and strides to sink and washes her hands and face. She stares at her reflection, "With her teeth in place, I was able to channel her when they questioned me. Now she is gone and they are looking for the Red Woman. Just need to get out of here and away clear and there is a chance I will be ok."
"The place is crawling with police. I can't see a way to get her out without drowning in a sea of blue." Dani reports, over comms from a rooftop overlooking the police command post in the late morning mist. She is dressed in jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket
"Angel. Come home. You have been on the go for over thirty hours. You need to rest." Steve says, gently.
"I can't do that. If the police find out what she is capable of, she will be whisked away and we will never see her again." Dani pleads.
Steve takes a deep breath, "I know. But I don't want to lose you as well."
"I have made a promise to bring her back and I will keep it." Dani says, checking the spare magazines for her tranq pistol, when a movement catches her eye. "Shit."
"Angel? Talk to me?" Steve says, concerned.
"Lioness is on the move. She is out of the cell and heading into the packing plant." Dani says, slipping her back pack on. "I am moving position to get a better vantage point."
"Angel. Sorry I am late to the party, I am in position and ready to assist, let me know when you are leaving plant and which exit you will use." Sasha calls over comms, from a Black SUV with heavily tinted windows nearby.
"Angel. Guardian. Proceed with caution. We still don't know how she will react to seeing you." Steve calls out over comms.
"Understood." Angel says, wondering if she could take Nikita down, if she had to, "Hold position Guardian. I will intercept principal and come to you."
"Affirmative Angel, Guardian on standby." Sasha say, unaware that she is being watched.
Nikita checks the lockers quickly finding most locked. In the two open lockers she finds a pair of boots and a black facemask. As she puts on the boots, she freezes, detecting a familiar heartbeat approaching. "Dani!" She quickly finishes putting on the boots and rises to her feet, hiding on the blind side of the door to the locker room.
Nikita holds her breath, when the door opens and waits. Dani edges cautiously into the locker room, head on a swivel, ducking when she sees movement to her left. She rolls forward and comes up in a combat crouch facing the source of the movement in a ready stance, "Niki?" She asks cautiously.
Nikita looks at Dani, seeing the fear in her sisters eyes, she raises her hands, "It's ok. I am alright." She says, gently, "I am so glad to see you. Is dad ok?"
"He is worried about you. Just like the rest of us." Dani says, cautiously, "Are you ok?"
"How can he ever forgive me?" Nikita says, feeling hurt, she stares at the floor, "How can any of you?"
Dani relaxes her stance and steps closer to her sister, "We all need to have a long talk about what happened last night. This will be ok babe. I promise. But first we have to get out of here."
Nikita nods and chews her lip, "Any ideas?"
Dani pulls a spare earpiece from her pocket and passes it to Nikita. Once she has put it in Dani speaks over comms, "Guardian, Contact made with Lioness. We are en route to extraction, main entrance. ETA two minutes."
Nikita leads the way out of the warehouse avoiding employees, with Dani acting as spotter to identify cameras as they proceed. Dani turns to Nikita, as they approach the entrance where several employees are gathered, ready to head out for lunch. "Face mask on, follow me, stride like you belong."
Nikita nods and dons her mask, falling into step behind Dani. The walk through the middle of the crowd and out into the car park. Sasha pulls up smoothly next to them as they walk through the car park and they get into the back of the vehicle. As soon as the rear doors are closed, Sasha pulls away crisply. "Fuck Niki. What have you done?" Sasha asks in a harsh tone.
"I'm sorry Sasha." Nikita says, settling into the back seat.
"Sorry? Your murder-spree is all over the news." Sasha fires back angrily.
"They took Kim. Kept her tied up in a box for a month and only cleaned it out once a week. They were running a sex trafficking network across half of Europe. They were going to keep Kim for two months until Kurt was desperate and then tell him that to keep her safe, he would need to let them use him distribution network." Nikita explains, "'The captains girlfriend, got cold feet and let her go."
"They didn't...... You know?" Sasha asks awkwardly, not wanting to say the words.
"No babe. They just kept her locked up." Nikita says, suddenly feeling drained.
"'Are they all dead?" Sasha asks, pulling up to a junction.
"All the ones I could get my hands on." Nikita says, remembering the faces of the people she killed. "I have put the cops onto the rest of them."
Sasha pulls out into traffic and looks in the rearview mirror to see her sister crying, "Are you alright, babe?"
"When I taste bodily fluids, the memories fade quickly. I wish the same were true for things I do." Nikita says, staring out of the window.
Sasha passes back a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, and accelerates past several slow moving vehicles and embraces the open road beyond. "I'm sorry I shouted at you. You saved a lot of people today."
Nikita lights a cigarette savouring the taste, "Thanks babe." Nikita says, exhaling smoke slowly, "I'm so sorry, if I give you a reason to be scared. Is dad ok?"
Sasha frowns, "He was a bit rough from blood loss, but I gave him a transfusion and he is on the mend." Her expression softens, as she continues, "You can't just run off like that. Tell us what is going on then we can back you up."
"I will in future I promise." Nikita says, sadly looking out of the window at the mountains in the distance and the bushes and trees lining the road, "I'm sorry."
Sasha relents and flashes Nikita a smile in the rear view mirror, "It's all good. Everyone is ok, apart from a bunch of sex traffickers and you have saved countless people from a life of misery."
"I am not proud of how I killed them, but I did what I needed to do." Nikita says, exhaling smoke at her window. She turns to Dani to see that she is fast asleep beside her. "She must be knackered."
"She hasn't slept since before we hit Medteqniq's facility. When you ran off last night, she tried to catch up to you. When the police arrested you she kept watch and refused to come back without you. I think she was getting ready to storm that command post single handed." Sasha says, overtaking an articulated lorry on the mountain road.
"I had no idea." Nikita says, giving Dani a gentle peck on the cheek before whispering ,"Thank you."
"Only reason she was alone was, I was giving blood to dad and passed out." Sasha admits, embarrassed.
"This is all my fault." Nikita says, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Hey, come one now. It is all ok." Sasha says warmly, a split second before the front passenger side tyre bursts.
The vehicle lurches to the right as Sasha fights to control it after the blow out. The rim of the wheel, digs into the road surface with a squeal and a shower of sparks, before slamming into the kerb. The momentum of the vehicle and the sharp stop flips the SUV over the side of the barrier sending it careening, end over end down the hill side. The vehicle slams into a tree and comes to a sudden halt.
Sasha hangs upside side from her seat belt, moaning in pain softly. Unable to move her pinned left arm, she reaches for the buckle of her seat belt and is lanced with pain. "Fuck, I think my right arm is broken. " She thinks, looking at the blood rapidly soaking her arm. She looks at the rear view mirror, seeing her sisters, unconscious in the rear seats, hanging from their belts. "I have to get them out of here." She thinks trying to reach her belt buckle again, with a silent scream of pain which overwhelms her and gives her tunnel vision.
A sharp jolt of pain, brings her back to her senses again. "Dani. Niki. Can you hear me?" She weakly cries out.
Their silence cuts through her like a knife and she begins to cry and thrash in her seat. "Help!" She screams. A crack of a twig nearby, gives her hope. "Over here, please help us."
She hangs in the vehicle listening closely as, footsteps through the brush draw closer. She prays for Dani and Niki to be able to hang on, "It is ok girls, help is coming."
She breathes a sigh of relief when a pair of boots come into view and the door of the vehicle opens. "Please get us out of here." She pleads, "Help us."
The hard looking man in his sixties, crouches by the doorway, looking inside at the vehicles inverted interior. He nods to himself and unleashes a powerful right hook to Sasha's temple, plunging her once more into unconsciousness. In a deep Glaswegian accent he growls, "Save your breath, by the time this is over, you will wish you had all died in this car."
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
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
So, the Sisters seem to be in deep trouble Great Chapter!!
Great Chapter!!A jolt of pain from her arm, jerks Sasha awake. Immediately, she realises that she is sat on the floor and something is very wrong. She feels the heavy chain wrapped around her body from her shoulders to her waist pinning her arms to her sides brutally, putting constant agonising pressure on her broken right arm. Her legs are bent and her knees are held under her chin, by a chain would tightly behind her neck and under her legs. Her mouth is forced open by a large rubber ball pushed behind her teeth and strapped tightly behind her neck.
She looks up to see Nikita and Dani similarly restrained, struggling furiously. She whimpers and tries to remember what happened. "We were in the car and there was a blow out. The car went down the hillside and we were upside down." Her hear is pounding, stopping her from thinking clearing for a moment. "There was a man, who came to help." She shakes her head trying to clear it, then her eyes widen with horrified realisation, "He hit me."
Sasha's looks down at the chains wrapped around her and gasps at the blood weeping freely from her arm. She shivers thinking to herself, "That is a lot of blood."
Nikita closes her eyes and tries with all her might to break the chains, "It's no use, there's too much chain and it's too tight. I can't get free." She hangs her head and catches her breath, forced to breath through her nose. She opens her eyes and glances at Sasha, relief floods her body as she sees her sister is finally awake, but she is shaken by how much blood soaks the chains around the right side of her body.
Nikita screams, a strangled, tortured sound, thrashing desperately against her restraints. She struggles wildly wanting nothing more that to be able to go to her sisters aid. In her bid to escape, she topples sideways, landing hard on her right hand side, forcing the chains to dig into her arm and body, forcing her to stare at Sasha.
She ceases her efforts and lays there as tears start to flow, "For all my strength, I am powerless. They are only here, because of me. I am useless and this is all my fault." Nikita lays quietly weeping and senses the heartbeats around her, "We are not alone. None of the hearts around are from the police incident area, we haven't been arrested. One heartbeat, I recognise from the Gala, the others, I have no idea."
Dani looks at her two sisters, with a sinking heart, "We are screwed, whoever took us has immobilised us all." She looks around the room, taking everything in that she can, "Heavy stone walls, room is cold and damp. Possibly underground. Raised circular structure in the centre of the room, edges about a foot higher that the floor. Maybe a well of some kind. Not much furniture, a table, a couple of folding chairs and a few wheel chairs stashed in the corner. I am more worried about the chain hanging from the ceiling."
Her head is pounding and blood leaks from a deep cut on her forehead, into her right eye. She shifts uncomfortably on the hard stone floor, with a wince of pain, "I am a bit banged up, but thankfully nothing is broken. Sasha is badly injured by the look of it. Even Niki is stuck by the look of it. I have no idea what to do."
She takes a deep breath and considers the situation, "We are all still dressed so this is unlikely to be a sex thing. We are all alive, so there is a chance that whoever took us, wants something, either from us directly or by using us as leverage. Whatever the case, Sasha donated blood to dad and now she is bleeding, I hope we can end this quickly." She nods to herself, "Priorities, get help for Sasha, find out why we are here, then either escape or get word out about where we are."
Sasha and Dani turn to face the door, as it slowly opens. Nikita tries to crane her neck to see a man walk in, carrying a tablet, dressed in black fatigue trousers and a black Bristish Army issue jumper over a black shirt. "He is at least sixty, but he looks like he is in better shape than most men half his age."
Dani assesses the man, with a growing feeling of dismay, "Ex military, looks after himself. Rough hands of a man who has done a day work and a look in his eyes that have born witness to terrible things. This is a dangerous man. This is a man like dad, but driven by something dark."
The man looks at each of them in turn, then runs a hand over his close cut silver-grey hair and neatly trimmed beard. "Good. You are all awake." He says, in a deep voice with a Glasgow accent. He strides over to Nikita and with a rough work worn hand sits her back up and drags her between Sasha and Dani. So they sit side by side, no more than six inches apart. "I apologise for the accomodation, ladies. Best I could do at short notice." He says, in a light, even tone.
Nikita angrily grunts at him, her words rendered unintelligible by the ball in her mouth, but the force behind the words is abundantly clear. Sasha sobs weakly from the pain in her arm, in her own little world of agony. She sways lightly, feeling light headed. Dani sits heartbroken, unable to offer comfort or care to her sisters, as she watches the Scotsman pull a chair over and set it before them.
He slowly takes a seat and calmly taps away on the tablet, he shows them the screen, displaying the photo of a young woman, dressed in a business suit on an unfamiliar street. "Prague December 2011." He says, turning the tablet back to himself loading a different photo, this time of a young black man in jeans and t-shirt on a New York street, "Harlem March 2012." Then another photo, A Japanese business man, on a busy city street entering an officer building, "Tokyo, May 2015." And another, this time of a Indian woman in her fifties entering a bank, "London, June 2017."
The sisters look at the photos, confused. He taps the screen again and before their eyes, the photos all zoom into the subjects left wrists, highlighting a bracelet. "I have been looking for only a couple of months and found this bracelet in images from across the globe. A unique one of a kind design that is your calling card." He says, directing his comments primarily at Sasha. "Then last night one of my people tells me that he has spotted it at a Gala on Lake Geneva being worn by one Sasha Turner, or should I say, 'Lady Chameleon'?"
The sisters launch into a frenzy of unintelligible denials and pleading with their captor. "Silence." He bellows, cowing them, stilling their cries in an instant. "This woman is not your sister. She is an infiltration expert, hired to deliver you into the clutches of Medteqniq." He jabs an accusatory finger at Sasha and hisses, "You murdered my daughter and son-in-law. You kidnapped, tortured and murdered my grandson Matt Freeman and countless others. Tonight you pay the price for your crimes."
Nikita and Dani stare with tear filled eyes at Sasha, who is lost in her own world of pain, oblivious to the dangers that they are in. Dani looks up at the Scotsman with pleading eyes, "No please, Lady Chameleon is dead, I killed her. Sasha has the bracelet because I gave it to her."' She cries out, her words translates by the ball in her mouth into a series of grunts and mewling.
The Scotsman stares at Sasha with the hard, cold eyes of a shark. "But first, you will tell me who on the board of Medteqniq is responsible." He unbuckles the ballgag from her mouth and roughly pulls it out, "Start talking or I will visit hell on your companions."
Sasha looks up weakly, her lips almost forming around words, but the combination of pain and blood loss renders her mute. She looks up with dreamy eyes, feeling herself slipping away. He slaps her hard across the face, trying to illicit a response. "Too far gone." He says, as much to himself as to his captives.
He casts his gaze over his other captives noting, that Nikitas ballgag is now trapped behind cage-like, razor sharp, inch long fangs. He turns to Dani, "Are you willing to talk?" He asks, in a low menacing voice.
Dani nods eagerly and looks at him with pleading eyes, as he unbuckles and roughly pulls out the ballgag. She spits a massive gob of saliva to her side, "Please. I am begging you, please let her go she has lost a lot of blood, she needs help."
"Dani, I have no problem letting her die, for all she has done. She has replaced your sister and ingratiated herself upon you, her one error was continuing to wear the bracelet that has been her calling card for so long." He says, coldly.
"You have it all wrong. The Chameleon is dead." She pleads.
They stare at each other in silence, her words hanging heavily, in the air between them. She squirms under his gaze, feeling his eyes penetrate her soul, before he speaks. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" His tone, a mixture of anger and dismissal. As he lifts the rubber ball back towards her mouth.
She twists her head away, trying to speak. "No please." She says, twisting her face away, "There is a video on Sasha's phone. It shows me killing Lady Chameleon." She manages to blurt out before the ball has been forced behind her teeth once more. She wails pitifully, as he secures the buckle tightly behind her neck.
He sits staring at Sasha in a quiet moment of indecision before, without warning, he stands and leaves the room. Nikita struggles and moans, watching him leave, staring daggers at his back, angrily thinking, "If you hurt her, I will tear you limb from limb." Nikita's fire and defiance are quenched in an instant, with a horrifying realisation, as she senses Sasha's heartbeat starting to flutter and become erratic.
The Scotsman strides back into the room with a mobile phone in hand. He sits back down in the chair and starts slowly and deliberately checking the phone until he finds a video that could fit the bill, "Do you want to change your story before I watch this?" He asks, in a serious tone.
Dani shakes her head, staring up at him through tears, prompting a nod from the Scotsman. He sets the phone down on the table and slowly gets to his feet. To the protests of Dani and Nikita, he attaches the chain from the ceiling to the chain looping behind Sasha's neck and under her legs. He takes the strain on the chain and lifts Sasha off of the ground carrying her using the chain and positioning her over the well.
He returns to the seat and picks up the phone. He looks at Dani with merciless eyes, before speaking. "I will watch the video. If this is true, I will free her and treat her injuries." He pauses before coldly continuing, "If this is a lie. She will be going in the well."
She looks up to see Nikita and Dani similarly restrained, struggling furiously. She whimpers and tries to remember what happened. "We were in the car and there was a blow out. The car went down the hillside and we were upside down." Her hear is pounding, stopping her from thinking clearing for a moment. "There was a man, who came to help." She shakes her head trying to clear it, then her eyes widen with horrified realisation, "He hit me."
Sasha's looks down at the chains wrapped around her and gasps at the blood weeping freely from her arm. She shivers thinking to herself, "That is a lot of blood."
Nikita closes her eyes and tries with all her might to break the chains, "It's no use, there's too much chain and it's too tight. I can't get free." She hangs her head and catches her breath, forced to breath through her nose. She opens her eyes and glances at Sasha, relief floods her body as she sees her sister is finally awake, but she is shaken by how much blood soaks the chains around the right side of her body.
Nikita screams, a strangled, tortured sound, thrashing desperately against her restraints. She struggles wildly wanting nothing more that to be able to go to her sisters aid. In her bid to escape, she topples sideways, landing hard on her right hand side, forcing the chains to dig into her arm and body, forcing her to stare at Sasha.
She ceases her efforts and lays there as tears start to flow, "For all my strength, I am powerless. They are only here, because of me. I am useless and this is all my fault." Nikita lays quietly weeping and senses the heartbeats around her, "We are not alone. None of the hearts around are from the police incident area, we haven't been arrested. One heartbeat, I recognise from the Gala, the others, I have no idea."
Dani looks at her two sisters, with a sinking heart, "We are screwed, whoever took us has immobilised us all." She looks around the room, taking everything in that she can, "Heavy stone walls, room is cold and damp. Possibly underground. Raised circular structure in the centre of the room, edges about a foot higher that the floor. Maybe a well of some kind. Not much furniture, a table, a couple of folding chairs and a few wheel chairs stashed in the corner. I am more worried about the chain hanging from the ceiling."
Her head is pounding and blood leaks from a deep cut on her forehead, into her right eye. She shifts uncomfortably on the hard stone floor, with a wince of pain, "I am a bit banged up, but thankfully nothing is broken. Sasha is badly injured by the look of it. Even Niki is stuck by the look of it. I have no idea what to do."
She takes a deep breath and considers the situation, "We are all still dressed so this is unlikely to be a sex thing. We are all alive, so there is a chance that whoever took us, wants something, either from us directly or by using us as leverage. Whatever the case, Sasha donated blood to dad and now she is bleeding, I hope we can end this quickly." She nods to herself, "Priorities, get help for Sasha, find out why we are here, then either escape or get word out about where we are."
Sasha and Dani turn to face the door, as it slowly opens. Nikita tries to crane her neck to see a man walk in, carrying a tablet, dressed in black fatigue trousers and a black Bristish Army issue jumper over a black shirt. "He is at least sixty, but he looks like he is in better shape than most men half his age."
Dani assesses the man, with a growing feeling of dismay, "Ex military, looks after himself. Rough hands of a man who has done a day work and a look in his eyes that have born witness to terrible things. This is a dangerous man. This is a man like dad, but driven by something dark."
The man looks at each of them in turn, then runs a hand over his close cut silver-grey hair and neatly trimmed beard. "Good. You are all awake." He says, in a deep voice with a Glasgow accent. He strides over to Nikita and with a rough work worn hand sits her back up and drags her between Sasha and Dani. So they sit side by side, no more than six inches apart. "I apologise for the accomodation, ladies. Best I could do at short notice." He says, in a light, even tone.
Nikita angrily grunts at him, her words rendered unintelligible by the ball in her mouth, but the force behind the words is abundantly clear. Sasha sobs weakly from the pain in her arm, in her own little world of agony. She sways lightly, feeling light headed. Dani sits heartbroken, unable to offer comfort or care to her sisters, as she watches the Scotsman pull a chair over and set it before them.
He slowly takes a seat and calmly taps away on the tablet, he shows them the screen, displaying the photo of a young woman, dressed in a business suit on an unfamiliar street. "Prague December 2011." He says, turning the tablet back to himself loading a different photo, this time of a young black man in jeans and t-shirt on a New York street, "Harlem March 2012." Then another photo, A Japanese business man, on a busy city street entering an officer building, "Tokyo, May 2015." And another, this time of a Indian woman in her fifties entering a bank, "London, June 2017."
The sisters look at the photos, confused. He taps the screen again and before their eyes, the photos all zoom into the subjects left wrists, highlighting a bracelet. "I have been looking for only a couple of months and found this bracelet in images from across the globe. A unique one of a kind design that is your calling card." He says, directing his comments primarily at Sasha. "Then last night one of my people tells me that he has spotted it at a Gala on Lake Geneva being worn by one Sasha Turner, or should I say, 'Lady Chameleon'?"
The sisters launch into a frenzy of unintelligible denials and pleading with their captor. "Silence." He bellows, cowing them, stilling their cries in an instant. "This woman is not your sister. She is an infiltration expert, hired to deliver you into the clutches of Medteqniq." He jabs an accusatory finger at Sasha and hisses, "You murdered my daughter and son-in-law. You kidnapped, tortured and murdered my grandson Matt Freeman and countless others. Tonight you pay the price for your crimes."
Nikita and Dani stare with tear filled eyes at Sasha, who is lost in her own world of pain, oblivious to the dangers that they are in. Dani looks up at the Scotsman with pleading eyes, "No please, Lady Chameleon is dead, I killed her. Sasha has the bracelet because I gave it to her."' She cries out, her words translates by the ball in her mouth into a series of grunts and mewling.
The Scotsman stares at Sasha with the hard, cold eyes of a shark. "But first, you will tell me who on the board of Medteqniq is responsible." He unbuckles the ballgag from her mouth and roughly pulls it out, "Start talking or I will visit hell on your companions."
Sasha looks up weakly, her lips almost forming around words, but the combination of pain and blood loss renders her mute. She looks up with dreamy eyes, feeling herself slipping away. He slaps her hard across the face, trying to illicit a response. "Too far gone." He says, as much to himself as to his captives.
He casts his gaze over his other captives noting, that Nikitas ballgag is now trapped behind cage-like, razor sharp, inch long fangs. He turns to Dani, "Are you willing to talk?" He asks, in a low menacing voice.
Dani nods eagerly and looks at him with pleading eyes, as he unbuckles and roughly pulls out the ballgag. She spits a massive gob of saliva to her side, "Please. I am begging you, please let her go she has lost a lot of blood, she needs help."
"Dani, I have no problem letting her die, for all she has done. She has replaced your sister and ingratiated herself upon you, her one error was continuing to wear the bracelet that has been her calling card for so long." He says, coldly.
"You have it all wrong. The Chameleon is dead." She pleads.
They stare at each other in silence, her words hanging heavily, in the air between them. She squirms under his gaze, feeling his eyes penetrate her soul, before he speaks. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" His tone, a mixture of anger and dismissal. As he lifts the rubber ball back towards her mouth.
She twists her head away, trying to speak. "No please." She says, twisting her face away, "There is a video on Sasha's phone. It shows me killing Lady Chameleon." She manages to blurt out before the ball has been forced behind her teeth once more. She wails pitifully, as he secures the buckle tightly behind her neck.
He sits staring at Sasha in a quiet moment of indecision before, without warning, he stands and leaves the room. Nikita struggles and moans, watching him leave, staring daggers at his back, angrily thinking, "If you hurt her, I will tear you limb from limb." Nikita's fire and defiance are quenched in an instant, with a horrifying realisation, as she senses Sasha's heartbeat starting to flutter and become erratic.
The Scotsman strides back into the room with a mobile phone in hand. He sits back down in the chair and starts slowly and deliberately checking the phone until he finds a video that could fit the bill, "Do you want to change your story before I watch this?" He asks, in a serious tone.
Dani shakes her head, staring up at him through tears, prompting a nod from the Scotsman. He sets the phone down on the table and slowly gets to his feet. To the protests of Dani and Nikita, he attaches the chain from the ceiling to the chain looping behind Sasha's neck and under her legs. He takes the strain on the chain and lifts Sasha off of the ground carrying her using the chain and positioning her over the well.
He returns to the seat and picks up the phone. He looks at Dani with merciless eyes, before speaking. "I will watch the video. If this is true, I will free her and treat her injuries." He pauses before coldly continuing, "If this is a lie. She will be going in the well."
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
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
Dani watches the Scotsman, trying to read his expression as he watches the video of her fighting Lady Chameleon. He sets the phone down and rubs his beard. Dani and Nikita let out muffled screams, when he gets up without a word and leaves the room. Both women thrash against the chains that hold them and scream trying to get free, with tears in their eyes.
Sasha's head lolls forward, too weak to fight it. Her face is sickly, pale and covered in sweat. Inside her mind she is screaming as the world seems to drift away and the black dots at the edges of her vision, begins to grow until they are all she knows.
The Scotsman bursts back in, with two large bags. With silent efficiency, he swings Sasha away from the well and lowers her to the ground. He unlocks the chain around her neck and unwraps it from under her legs laying her down on her back. He presses two fingers against her neck checking her pulse. He quickly unlocks and unwraps the chain around her chest freeing her arms.
He retrieves a canula from one of the bags and approaches Dani. "She needs blood." Dani looks at the needle and nods. He unwraps the chain under her legs and lifts her on to a wheel chair and chains her legs together. She gives him an exasperated look. "Save it. I don't fully trust you and she needs help."
Dani settles and allows him to fit the canula into the back of her hand. A moment later, the other end is safely inserted into Sasha's left arm. Then he turns to Nikita with another canula in hand. She glares does at him but nods her agreement. He releases the chain around her neck and chains her ankles together before lifting her into a wheel chair. He quickly slips the needle into her arm and fits another line to Sasha allowing the blood to flow.
The Scotsman works quickly, cutting away Sasha's right sleeve and looking at her damaged arm. He retrieves and opens a roll of surgical tools and uses several sets of forceps to stem bleeding from severed veins and arteries, before he sets about reconnecting them.
Dani and Nikita watch fascinated, while he works. Dani thinks to herself, "Interesting, I never had him pegged as a medic. He seems to be very good from what I can see."
He sets the bone and sutures the wound with fine stitches, before nodding to himself. He turns to Dani and Nikita, "I will be back in a moment. Just need to wash my hands."
As he leaves, Dani sighs with relief and looks at Nikita seeing clearly that her fangs will prevent the ball from being removed from her mouth. "The fangs seem to come when she is agitated and go when she is calm. I have no idea how I can calm her down chained up and gagged like we are."
The Scotsman returns with a large bowl of plaster soaked bandages, setting them down next to Sasha. He straightens up and gently reaches behind Dani's neck and unbuckles the strap of the ballgag and pulls the ball gently from her mouth. "Thank you." She says, unable to look him in the eyes. She flexes her jaw and watches the Scotsman. He unbuckles the strap behind Nikita's neck and tries to pull the ball clear but is confounded at every turn by her fangs. "I am sorry young lady, but this is stuck for now."
She weighs up her options, as she glares up at him, "I could kick out and probably take him down then get the keys, only problem is that Sasha is in a bad way and it might not be safe to try to move her, especially with the other men outside." She relaxes and allows him to chain her ankles together, grateful that she has a little slack and can stretch her legs again.
Nikita quietly grumbles to herself, staring daggers at him as he crouches next to Sasha and takes out a straight razor and a tube of get from his pocket. He rubs the gel over her arm and begins to remove all the hair with the blade. "So......This young lady is Sasha Turner." He remarks briefly glancing at Dani, "You are Dani Taylor. Would you mind telling me who this young lady is please?"
Emotions play across her face, as she wrestles with the decision before breaking her silence. "Nikita Green." She says, softly.
He stops shaving Sasha's arm for a moment, looking up at Dani, "Where do I know that name from?" He ponders for a moment, before the realisation dawns upon him, "Went missing in the Swiss Alps, never seen since. How is that possible?"
Dani hangs her head, "I would prefer not to say."
"Fair enough. We shall come back to that. I have done some research and found that Medteqniq, were working on some form of wonder drug that could exponentially increase healing rates and possibly, be used to aid in the resuscitation of recently deceased patients. Lady Chameleon is dead. Where are her remains?" He asks, calmly finishing off the removal of hair from Sasha's arm.
"What little was left of her after the fire in the clinic, was incinerated with medical waste at the Chateau." Dani says, biting her lip.
The Scotsman begins wrapping bandages around Sasha's arm and asks softly, "How sure are you?"
"I am as sure as I can be. I wasn't there in person, but my aunt Kate was and I trust her with my life." Dani says softly.
The Scotsman nods to himself, satisfied. "Excellent. That is one problem taken care of. You are impressive, by the way. Sasha fights like a champion, but you fight tactically. You are military trained and very good that is for sure."
"Err, Thank you." Dani says, unsure of where he is going with this.
"That explains why your vehicle had enough weaponry and gear to start a war." The scotsman says, taking another soaked bandage from the bowl, "However, it doesn't explain Nikita."
"I'm not sure what you mean." Dani says, feeling worried.
"We followed Sasha from the resort and watched, as she picked you up from the meat packing plant. The same plant being used as an emergency incident area by the police, for a massacre on a boat in the early hours of this morning. Given what little details have been released, it was not a military operation, which tells me, you didn't do this Dani." He turns away from Sasha, to stare with hard eyes at Dani, before continuing, "Which leaves Nikita."
Nikita squirms in her chains, suddenly afraid of where this conversation is going and wishing she could speak. Dani sees her disquiet and softly says, "It's ok Niki. Everything will be alright."
In an almost conversational tone the Scotsman continues, "That being the case, that would mean that Nikita stormed a boat full of armed men and escaped without a scratch. Just like she did from the car crash. That would make her either very lucky or able to heal very quickly."
"He is working it out. What will he do with me?" Nikita thinks, quietly starting to panic.
"Then we come to the subject of her interesting dental work. The fangs weren't there when I put that ball in her mouth. They look fully formed and solid, more like a wolf or big cat than a snake." He applies the last bandage to Sasha's arm and then gets up and leaves the room with the now empty bowl, leaving the straight razor on the floor.
Dani and Nikita exchange a look of fear. Nikita's lip trembles around the ball trapped in her mouth and Dani softly speaks to her, "It's going to be ok Niki. We will get out of here safely, I promise."
Even though Dani does not believe the words she is saying, they provide her sister with some comfort, as the Scotsman returns drying his hands with a towel.
"Where was I? Oh yes her teeth seem to be retractable instruments of death." He stares down at Nikita, with sad eyes, "You are a lot heavier than you should be and your muscles are like steel. Inadvertently, they turned you into a weapon. If they knew, they would move heven and earth to get you back."
"Please, let her go. She has suffered enough." Dani begs.
"If the people who did this, knew what they had made, they would be turning Europe upside down to find her. The fact that they are not, tells me that they have no idea." He says thoughtfully, picking up the razor and placing it in his pocket. "Everything up to now has been about you Nikita. My Grandson and all of your siblings."
"Dr Hermann Lund." Dani says, softly. "He drove the project and he is on the run."
He pulls out his phone and rapidly types a message. Once it is sent, he puts his phone away and speaks softly, "Thank you Dani."
"Can I just ask, how do you know my name? Sasha has been all over the news so I can understand you knowing her, but how do you know me?" Dani asks, warily.
"Stands to reason that the only one on the project who wasn't taken was still alive. Especially given your skill set. Not too much of a leap to make the connection." He explains.
"How do you know about the project and my skill set?" She asks, warily and thinks to herself, "He keeps breaking eye contact, when I ask a question."
"When Matt was taken, I called in a few favours and found out that the person who took him was Lady Chameleon and that he was not the only one. I did some research and confirmed that all members of a fertility clinic fathered by Steve Marks, were being systematically targetted. If I had known before you disappeared, I would have reached out to you." He says with a tired look, "Some of my old contacts gave me a peek at your file."
Nikita closes her eyes, feeling uneasy, as a an old mans face flashes across her mind.
"I am sure he is lying about something, but I don't know what. Lets see what happens if I press him."' She thinks. Dani fixes him with her gaze, "Who are you? Your bearing is military, but you suture like a surgeon. That said you don't come across as a field medic, you move with a certain effortless grace that comes from a lifetime of training and experience. You got into Sasha's phone without a pin, which would indicate some technical knowledge. Access to my file would indicate naval contacts at the very least. If I had to guess I would say you are ex military intelligence. The fact you are operating in Europe, would indicate M.I.6. Trained to deal with any possible issue and operate autonomously." She says, gently shaking her head. "Woe betide anyone who gets in your way."
He looks at her with fresh eyes and a gentle smile, "Your file doesn't do you justice. Retired Colonel Henry McCord, 2 Para. Everything else you got dead on. Pleasure to meet you."
"Did you ever work with dad?" Dani asks, thinking, "Good eye contact there, that might be true."
"Aye, he is a formidable man, he saved my life in Berlin. You are a lot like him." McCord says, warmly.
Nikita feels goosebumps prick her skin, as the man speaks, thinking to herself, "I don't remember everything from dad's blood, but I do remember that he only went to Berlin once and he was only delivering an envelope to a diplomat at the Russian embassy."
The old man's face flashes in Nikita's mind again. A weather worn face, kind eyes, gentle smile, her heart sinks with recognition of who the man is, as she looks at McCord, "You bastard. You are not Matt Freeman's grandfather."
In her peripheral vision, Dani picks up on the subtle shift in Nikita's body language, but decides to play along with McCord, "Thanks. Did you work with him a lot?"
"A few times, Berlin, Jo'burg, Mombassa, Karachi to name but a few." McCord says with a sweep of his hand.
"No you bloody didn't." Nikita thinks, searching the last traces of the memories she obtained from her fathers blood, "You have never worked with him." She slows her breathing, trying to calm herself.
"Niki smells his bullshit too." Dani thinks to herself, subtly looking around the room for a way to get free.
He crouches by Sasha's side and turns the tap on the canula and disconnects the tubes. "She looks much better now. That worked faster than projected."
Dani frowns and looks at McCord, "What do you mean? We talked about her healing but not about it being transferable."
Nikita strains and twists hard trying again to get free, with tears in her eyes. Her pitious moans fill the room with a mournful keening. Dani's heart sinks at the sound and looks up at McCord, "This has been a set up, hasn't it?"
McCord gives a sympathetic smile, "I had to find out what happened to Lady Chameleon. Testing Nikita's healing and finding out about her extra abilities, was just a wonderful bonus."
Dani's eyes flash with anger, "Let us out of this, right now." She demands, trying to pull her arms free and cursing him wildly.
McCord picks up Dani's ball gag and despite her twisting under his grip, forces it into her mouth, stifling her protests. He buckles the strap behind her neck as tightly as it will allow. "Although there are better uses for your mouth, I think I prefer you like this. Much easier for transport."
He slowly walks over to the large bags and pulls out a pair of shears. He crouches by Sasha and cuts off the plaster cast he made a show of applying a few moments ago. He checks his stitches and nods, "Cut healed nicely." He squeezes her arm, using both hands to manipulate the bone, "That's incredible, the bone has set already."
Sasha's head lolls forward, as he lifts her an places her into a wheel chair. With practiced efficiency, he wraps a chain around her upper body pinning her arms to her sides, in the same way as her sisters. Dani's eyes burn with anger, while she watches him chain Sasha's legs and secure a ball gag into her mouth.
McCord takes out his phone and takes a photo of the three sisters and attaches it to an email. As soon as he clicks send, he dials a number. Over the cacophony of grunts and cries from Nikita and Dani he speaks, "Good afternoon, I have confirmation of Lady Chameleon's passing and the manner of her death. You might want to check your email."
He pauses for a moment, visually checking the bonds of his prisoners. "Yes, indeed, I have all three, ready for transport............ Yes, the patient retains her healing ability, a blood transfusion healed a broken arm in a matter of minutes, without dialysis.......There is something else, she has fangs and augmented strength....... Canines are three quarters of an inch, incisors half and inch and sharp to boot...... Of course, Dr Lund, we will be in the air within the hour."
He hangs up with a tinge of sadness in his eyes and turns to Dani, "Enjoy the relative comfort of your situation, in a few short hours, you begin your new lives. For what it is worth, I am sorry."
Sasha's head lolls forward, too weak to fight it. Her face is sickly, pale and covered in sweat. Inside her mind she is screaming as the world seems to drift away and the black dots at the edges of her vision, begins to grow until they are all she knows.
The Scotsman bursts back in, with two large bags. With silent efficiency, he swings Sasha away from the well and lowers her to the ground. He unlocks the chain around her neck and unwraps it from under her legs laying her down on her back. He presses two fingers against her neck checking her pulse. He quickly unlocks and unwraps the chain around her chest freeing her arms.
He retrieves a canula from one of the bags and approaches Dani. "She needs blood." Dani looks at the needle and nods. He unwraps the chain under her legs and lifts her on to a wheel chair and chains her legs together. She gives him an exasperated look. "Save it. I don't fully trust you and she needs help."
Dani settles and allows him to fit the canula into the back of her hand. A moment later, the other end is safely inserted into Sasha's left arm. Then he turns to Nikita with another canula in hand. She glares does at him but nods her agreement. He releases the chain around her neck and chains her ankles together before lifting her into a wheel chair. He quickly slips the needle into her arm and fits another line to Sasha allowing the blood to flow.
The Scotsman works quickly, cutting away Sasha's right sleeve and looking at her damaged arm. He retrieves and opens a roll of surgical tools and uses several sets of forceps to stem bleeding from severed veins and arteries, before he sets about reconnecting them.
Dani and Nikita watch fascinated, while he works. Dani thinks to herself, "Interesting, I never had him pegged as a medic. He seems to be very good from what I can see."
He sets the bone and sutures the wound with fine stitches, before nodding to himself. He turns to Dani and Nikita, "I will be back in a moment. Just need to wash my hands."
As he leaves, Dani sighs with relief and looks at Nikita seeing clearly that her fangs will prevent the ball from being removed from her mouth. "The fangs seem to come when she is agitated and go when she is calm. I have no idea how I can calm her down chained up and gagged like we are."
The Scotsman returns with a large bowl of plaster soaked bandages, setting them down next to Sasha. He straightens up and gently reaches behind Dani's neck and unbuckles the strap of the ballgag and pulls the ball gently from her mouth. "Thank you." She says, unable to look him in the eyes. She flexes her jaw and watches the Scotsman. He unbuckles the strap behind Nikita's neck and tries to pull the ball clear but is confounded at every turn by her fangs. "I am sorry young lady, but this is stuck for now."
She weighs up her options, as she glares up at him, "I could kick out and probably take him down then get the keys, only problem is that Sasha is in a bad way and it might not be safe to try to move her, especially with the other men outside." She relaxes and allows him to chain her ankles together, grateful that she has a little slack and can stretch her legs again.
Nikita quietly grumbles to herself, staring daggers at him as he crouches next to Sasha and takes out a straight razor and a tube of get from his pocket. He rubs the gel over her arm and begins to remove all the hair with the blade. "So......This young lady is Sasha Turner." He remarks briefly glancing at Dani, "You are Dani Taylor. Would you mind telling me who this young lady is please?"
Emotions play across her face, as she wrestles with the decision before breaking her silence. "Nikita Green." She says, softly.
He stops shaving Sasha's arm for a moment, looking up at Dani, "Where do I know that name from?" He ponders for a moment, before the realisation dawns upon him, "Went missing in the Swiss Alps, never seen since. How is that possible?"
Dani hangs her head, "I would prefer not to say."
"Fair enough. We shall come back to that. I have done some research and found that Medteqniq, were working on some form of wonder drug that could exponentially increase healing rates and possibly, be used to aid in the resuscitation of recently deceased patients. Lady Chameleon is dead. Where are her remains?" He asks, calmly finishing off the removal of hair from Sasha's arm.
"What little was left of her after the fire in the clinic, was incinerated with medical waste at the Chateau." Dani says, biting her lip.
The Scotsman begins wrapping bandages around Sasha's arm and asks softly, "How sure are you?"
"I am as sure as I can be. I wasn't there in person, but my aunt Kate was and I trust her with my life." Dani says softly.
The Scotsman nods to himself, satisfied. "Excellent. That is one problem taken care of. You are impressive, by the way. Sasha fights like a champion, but you fight tactically. You are military trained and very good that is for sure."
"Err, Thank you." Dani says, unsure of where he is going with this.
"That explains why your vehicle had enough weaponry and gear to start a war." The scotsman says, taking another soaked bandage from the bowl, "However, it doesn't explain Nikita."
"I'm not sure what you mean." Dani says, feeling worried.
"We followed Sasha from the resort and watched, as she picked you up from the meat packing plant. The same plant being used as an emergency incident area by the police, for a massacre on a boat in the early hours of this morning. Given what little details have been released, it was not a military operation, which tells me, you didn't do this Dani." He turns away from Sasha, to stare with hard eyes at Dani, before continuing, "Which leaves Nikita."
Nikita squirms in her chains, suddenly afraid of where this conversation is going and wishing she could speak. Dani sees her disquiet and softly says, "It's ok Niki. Everything will be alright."
In an almost conversational tone the Scotsman continues, "That being the case, that would mean that Nikita stormed a boat full of armed men and escaped without a scratch. Just like she did from the car crash. That would make her either very lucky or able to heal very quickly."
"He is working it out. What will he do with me?" Nikita thinks, quietly starting to panic.
"Then we come to the subject of her interesting dental work. The fangs weren't there when I put that ball in her mouth. They look fully formed and solid, more like a wolf or big cat than a snake." He applies the last bandage to Sasha's arm and then gets up and leaves the room with the now empty bowl, leaving the straight razor on the floor.
Dani and Nikita exchange a look of fear. Nikita's lip trembles around the ball trapped in her mouth and Dani softly speaks to her, "It's going to be ok Niki. We will get out of here safely, I promise."
Even though Dani does not believe the words she is saying, they provide her sister with some comfort, as the Scotsman returns drying his hands with a towel.
"Where was I? Oh yes her teeth seem to be retractable instruments of death." He stares down at Nikita, with sad eyes, "You are a lot heavier than you should be and your muscles are like steel. Inadvertently, they turned you into a weapon. If they knew, they would move heven and earth to get you back."
"Please, let her go. She has suffered enough." Dani begs.
"If the people who did this, knew what they had made, they would be turning Europe upside down to find her. The fact that they are not, tells me that they have no idea." He says thoughtfully, picking up the razor and placing it in his pocket. "Everything up to now has been about you Nikita. My Grandson and all of your siblings."
"Dr Hermann Lund." Dani says, softly. "He drove the project and he is on the run."
He pulls out his phone and rapidly types a message. Once it is sent, he puts his phone away and speaks softly, "Thank you Dani."
"Can I just ask, how do you know my name? Sasha has been all over the news so I can understand you knowing her, but how do you know me?" Dani asks, warily.
"Stands to reason that the only one on the project who wasn't taken was still alive. Especially given your skill set. Not too much of a leap to make the connection." He explains.
"How do you know about the project and my skill set?" She asks, warily and thinks to herself, "He keeps breaking eye contact, when I ask a question."
"When Matt was taken, I called in a few favours and found out that the person who took him was Lady Chameleon and that he was not the only one. I did some research and confirmed that all members of a fertility clinic fathered by Steve Marks, were being systematically targetted. If I had known before you disappeared, I would have reached out to you." He says with a tired look, "Some of my old contacts gave me a peek at your file."
Nikita closes her eyes, feeling uneasy, as a an old mans face flashes across her mind.
"I am sure he is lying about something, but I don't know what. Lets see what happens if I press him."' She thinks. Dani fixes him with her gaze, "Who are you? Your bearing is military, but you suture like a surgeon. That said you don't come across as a field medic, you move with a certain effortless grace that comes from a lifetime of training and experience. You got into Sasha's phone without a pin, which would indicate some technical knowledge. Access to my file would indicate naval contacts at the very least. If I had to guess I would say you are ex military intelligence. The fact you are operating in Europe, would indicate M.I.6. Trained to deal with any possible issue and operate autonomously." She says, gently shaking her head. "Woe betide anyone who gets in your way."
He looks at her with fresh eyes and a gentle smile, "Your file doesn't do you justice. Retired Colonel Henry McCord, 2 Para. Everything else you got dead on. Pleasure to meet you."
"Did you ever work with dad?" Dani asks, thinking, "Good eye contact there, that might be true."
"Aye, he is a formidable man, he saved my life in Berlin. You are a lot like him." McCord says, warmly.
Nikita feels goosebumps prick her skin, as the man speaks, thinking to herself, "I don't remember everything from dad's blood, but I do remember that he only went to Berlin once and he was only delivering an envelope to a diplomat at the Russian embassy."
The old man's face flashes in Nikita's mind again. A weather worn face, kind eyes, gentle smile, her heart sinks with recognition of who the man is, as she looks at McCord, "You bastard. You are not Matt Freeman's grandfather."
In her peripheral vision, Dani picks up on the subtle shift in Nikita's body language, but decides to play along with McCord, "Thanks. Did you work with him a lot?"
"A few times, Berlin, Jo'burg, Mombassa, Karachi to name but a few." McCord says with a sweep of his hand.
"No you bloody didn't." Nikita thinks, searching the last traces of the memories she obtained from her fathers blood, "You have never worked with him." She slows her breathing, trying to calm herself.
"Niki smells his bullshit too." Dani thinks to herself, subtly looking around the room for a way to get free.
He crouches by Sasha's side and turns the tap on the canula and disconnects the tubes. "She looks much better now. That worked faster than projected."
Dani frowns and looks at McCord, "What do you mean? We talked about her healing but not about it being transferable."
Nikita strains and twists hard trying again to get free, with tears in her eyes. Her pitious moans fill the room with a mournful keening. Dani's heart sinks at the sound and looks up at McCord, "This has been a set up, hasn't it?"
McCord gives a sympathetic smile, "I had to find out what happened to Lady Chameleon. Testing Nikita's healing and finding out about her extra abilities, was just a wonderful bonus."
Dani's eyes flash with anger, "Let us out of this, right now." She demands, trying to pull her arms free and cursing him wildly.
McCord picks up Dani's ball gag and despite her twisting under his grip, forces it into her mouth, stifling her protests. He buckles the strap behind her neck as tightly as it will allow. "Although there are better uses for your mouth, I think I prefer you like this. Much easier for transport."
He slowly walks over to the large bags and pulls out a pair of shears. He crouches by Sasha and cuts off the plaster cast he made a show of applying a few moments ago. He checks his stitches and nods, "Cut healed nicely." He squeezes her arm, using both hands to manipulate the bone, "That's incredible, the bone has set already."
Sasha's head lolls forward, as he lifts her an places her into a wheel chair. With practiced efficiency, he wraps a chain around her upper body pinning her arms to her sides, in the same way as her sisters. Dani's eyes burn with anger, while she watches him chain Sasha's legs and secure a ball gag into her mouth.
McCord takes out his phone and takes a photo of the three sisters and attaches it to an email. As soon as he clicks send, he dials a number. Over the cacophony of grunts and cries from Nikita and Dani he speaks, "Good afternoon, I have confirmation of Lady Chameleon's passing and the manner of her death. You might want to check your email."
He pauses for a moment, visually checking the bonds of his prisoners. "Yes, indeed, I have all three, ready for transport............ Yes, the patient retains her healing ability, a blood transfusion healed a broken arm in a matter of minutes, without dialysis.......There is something else, she has fangs and augmented strength....... Canines are three quarters of an inch, incisors half and inch and sharp to boot...... Of course, Dr Lund, we will be in the air within the hour."
He hangs up with a tinge of sadness in his eyes and turns to Dani, "Enjoy the relative comfort of your situation, in a few short hours, you begin your new lives. For what it is worth, I am sorry."
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
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
Who will rescue the three sisters now? Where is Steve, when he is needed? Near, I hope
Nikita bucks and writhes in the wheel chair, as she is wheeled onto the private jet. "No! It's me you want. Leave Dani and Sasha out of this." She wails, her pleas rendered moot by the large rubber ball trapped in her mouth. She bites down as hard as she can but, with her jaws forced so wide, she has no leverage on the oral intruder.
A hand slams hard across the back of her head, as the operative pushing the wheel chair slaps her open handed. "Settle down. It is a long flight, you might want to save your strength." He says, grabbing a handful of hair and pulling her head sharply back, forcing her to look at him, before adding, "Not that it will do you any good."
Silently she seethes, "I will remember you. God help you, when I get free."
Sasha blinks rapidly in the light of the jets, rear cabin. "My head." She thinks, with a pounding headache. Slowly she looks around the small room and tries to move, "Still chained up, but arm feels better at least."
Her heart sinks, when she sees Nikita wheeled in and parked to her right. "No. This is not fair, she has been through so much." She thinks, watching her sister struggling weakly against her chains.
As the operative leaves, Sasha shuffles to her right in the seat and gently holds Nikita's hand. Nikita gazes into her sisters eyes and tries not to cry, knowing what will happen to her wonderful, beautiful sisters, when they arrive at Dr Lund's facility.
Both sisters turn as the door opens again and Dani is wheeled in. Her pitiful wails fill the room, as tears stream freely down her face. The rough looking man pushing her chair pushes her into a space on Nikita's right and grabs her chin viciously. He brings his face down to hers and maliciously hisses, "Cry all you want, no one cares and once this door is closed, no one will hear you for the rest of the flight."
He stands up straight and looks at Nikita, chained tightly only wearing the coat she took from Chief Inspector Harper. "You have a cracking set of legs darlin'." He stares in a moment of indecision, before slipping his hand between her legs, to the protests of Nikita and her sisters. He begins pumping his hand between her legs, leaning in an whispering to her, "Enjoy it, this is the last pleasure you will get."
Nikita launches herself up and headbutts the man, growling unintelligible profanities at him. He stumbles back, clutching his nose. "Bitch." He says, with a cruel tone, as she falls back down to the wheel chair, chuckling to herself.
He licks his fingers and looks at her malevolently. He grabs a fistful of her hair and viciously pulls her forward off of the wheel chair, dumping her face first on the floor. Then he grabs Dani and Sasha by the hair and pulls them off of their seats, piling them on top of Nikita. "Everyone will think you fell out in transit. This is on you bitch." He says, kicking the pile of women at his feet, not caring which one he strikes, "Have a nice flight."
Nikita winces from the toe of his boot in the back and whimpers to herself, "It is my fault we are here and I have just made it worse."
As soon as the door is closed and they are alone, Dani's mournful tears and wailing stop and she rolls off of Nikita, with a purposeful look in her eyes, "Sometimes the best way to end a fight is to let your enemy think that they have won and then destroy them in ignorance."
Dani rolls off of Niki and then lays back and breathes in, with the little slack she gets, she tries to bring her hands closer together. She pauses, breathing deeply and focusing before trying again. She is rewarded when her right hand brushes the back of her left. She bites down on the ball in her mouth and grasps the canula in the back of her hand and slowly, inch by inch, pulls the needle out. Once the needle is free from her hand she catches her breath.
She shuffles her body to Nikita and rolls onto her side. Nikita looks at her trying to make sense of what she is doing. Dani looks down at her hands, wiggling the needle she holds in her right and pointing with her left at the needle in Nikita's hand. A moment of realisation strikes Nikita and she nods, Trying to move her hand closer to Dani, who slowly grasps the canula and begins pulling out the needle, as slowly as she can.
Dani takes the needle in her right hand and inserts it into the lock. She presses the casing of the lock with her thumb, keeping the cylinder under tension. She uses the needle in her left hand and begins engaging the tumblers at the top of the lock. Taking her time and operating by touch, it is slow going, but when it comes, the click of the lock is the sweetest sound she has ever heard.
She removes the lock from the chains and begins to work her arms to generate slack in the chains, allowing them to slip down her body. Sasha and Nikita look on with admiration, as she frees her legs. She reaches behind her neck and releases the buckle, pulling the ball gag from her outh a moment later. She takes the canula needles and turns to Nikita, to begin work on the locks holding her.
Nikita watches rapt, as Dani sets to work. "She is so together. Everything is going to hell and there she is, focused and has a plan." She feels a wave of calm wash over her and allows her body to relax. She smiles to herself feeling her teeth retract, as the tension she had been feeling drains.
While Dani works on the lock, Nikita focuses on the feeling of her teeth retracting and when then come out. She thinks of the treatment of Kim and feels her teeth lengthen once again. Then she thinks of the feeling of calm she gets from knowing all will be well and her teeth retract, then she extends them once more. "This past couple of days has been so mad, I have been so busy doing new things, I have not actually thought about what I can do, at all."
She closes her eyes and focuses on the heartbeats around her. "Eight of the heartbeats are from the place we were being held, apart from two sitting the other side of the main group. They must be the pilots. One is higher than the others and moving about a little, the others must be seated. Given the grouping, we must be at the back. The one moving about, seems to be bending over a lot, might be serving drinks or something. McCord is sitting at the front, in front of the bastard who put his hand between my legs."
Dani taps her on the shoulder and she opens her eyes to see Dani smiling at her, "All done, babe." Dani says, softly. Nikita hugs her warmly and grunts a thank you, forgetting for a moment that the ball is still in her mouth. She retracts her teeth, as she releases the buckle of the gag and removes it, "Thank you."
Dani looks at her confused, "How did you do that?"
Nikita demonstrates extending and retracting her fangs and smiles, "Just worked out how to calm myself and anger myself to bring them out and put them back."
Dani beams at her, "Cool."
"Nah, what's cool is you picking the locks, where did you learn that?" Nikita asks, deferentially.
"Took an online lock smith course when I was trying to work out what I was going to do with my life." Dani says, with a shrug.
Nikita looks at her with admiration, "You are just awesome. Is there anything you can't do?"
Sasha grunts in frustration and Dani turns to her and pulls out the ball from her mouth and apologises, "Sorry babe, your turn." She sets about opening the locks on Sasha's chains and asks, "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good all things considered, what is going on?" Sasha asks, somewhat wide eyed.
"I would guess one of the wheels was shot, causing us to crash. When we woke up, we were chained up in a basement. You were bleeding and have a broken arm and I had to show a Scottish bloke the video of me killing Lady Chameleon, as he claimed you were her and was going to kill you. Then he found out about Niki and it turned out everything was a set up and he was working for Lund. Now we are being taken to him."
"Oh good, I havent missed much then." Sasha says, chewing her lip, "What's the plan? Go to Lund then take everyone out."
"No. We will be surrounded before we start. I am thinking, take the plane in the air, force pilots to land and we regroup." Dani says thoughtfully, as she works on the lock of the chains around her chest. "Just trying to work out how."
"Two people sat up front. Seven seated together with another who is moving around the passenger cabin from person to person. McCord sat up front, behind pilots." Nikita offers, in a hopeful tone.
Dani pauses from picking the lock and turns to Nikita. "That is so helpful. We now know numbers and key players."
"I could leave the room first and soak up their bullets, draw their fire and you guys could mop up." Nikita suggests.
"That would work, but, I am not comfortable about using you as a human shield." Dani says with a frown, turning back to Sasha's lock, then looking over her shoulder at Niki, "I know you can do it. However, there is a lot of risk with that. You could take everyone on the plane in less than a minute, but if they fire they could penetrate the hull or fuel tanks."
"Could that be a problem whatever we try?" Sasha says, thinking out loud.
"Yeah." Dani nods, as the padlock securing the chains around Sasha's chest pops open, "Not sure how to get around it. if we could get to the hold below us, we could gear up, but no way to do that without being spotted."
The tannoi springs to life and a calm male voice speaks softly, "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. We are on final approach to Nyambe and will be landing within the hour. The temperature is a balmy twenty eight degrees celcius with a light easterly wind."
Dani runs her fingers through her hair, looking suddenly weary, "Come on Dani, think of something. If we don't take the plane in the air, then escaping the chains was for nothing. But if this goes wrong, we are all dead." She thinks, glancing at Nikita and Sasha, who are both sat on the floor, trying not to look nervous. She closes her eyes and nods to herself, "Niki. Your option is the best we have got. Time is running out. We should do it."
Niki springs to her feet and flashes her fangs. "Are you sure?"
Dani nods. "I am sure, if you are. This is your choice."
Nikita offers a hand to help Sasha up off of the floor, "Are you in?"
Sasha takes her hand and rises to her feet, "Hell yeah."
"I will rush in, push forward to the cockpit door and make them focus on me, leaving you and Dani to engage them from behind." Nikita says, removing her coat leaving her in just a thong. "Don't judge me, it's too big and I don't want it to get snagged on something and trip me up."
Dani smiles, "Fair enough. Shall we go on three?"
Nikita giggles with a twinkle in her eye. "Three." She says over her shoulder, launching herself through the door.
A hand slams hard across the back of her head, as the operative pushing the wheel chair slaps her open handed. "Settle down. It is a long flight, you might want to save your strength." He says, grabbing a handful of hair and pulling her head sharply back, forcing her to look at him, before adding, "Not that it will do you any good."
Silently she seethes, "I will remember you. God help you, when I get free."
Sasha blinks rapidly in the light of the jets, rear cabin. "My head." She thinks, with a pounding headache. Slowly she looks around the small room and tries to move, "Still chained up, but arm feels better at least."
Her heart sinks, when she sees Nikita wheeled in and parked to her right. "No. This is not fair, she has been through so much." She thinks, watching her sister struggling weakly against her chains.
As the operative leaves, Sasha shuffles to her right in the seat and gently holds Nikita's hand. Nikita gazes into her sisters eyes and tries not to cry, knowing what will happen to her wonderful, beautiful sisters, when they arrive at Dr Lund's facility.
Both sisters turn as the door opens again and Dani is wheeled in. Her pitiful wails fill the room, as tears stream freely down her face. The rough looking man pushing her chair pushes her into a space on Nikita's right and grabs her chin viciously. He brings his face down to hers and maliciously hisses, "Cry all you want, no one cares and once this door is closed, no one will hear you for the rest of the flight."
He stands up straight and looks at Nikita, chained tightly only wearing the coat she took from Chief Inspector Harper. "You have a cracking set of legs darlin'." He stares in a moment of indecision, before slipping his hand between her legs, to the protests of Nikita and her sisters. He begins pumping his hand between her legs, leaning in an whispering to her, "Enjoy it, this is the last pleasure you will get."
Nikita launches herself up and headbutts the man, growling unintelligible profanities at him. He stumbles back, clutching his nose. "Bitch." He says, with a cruel tone, as she falls back down to the wheel chair, chuckling to herself.
He licks his fingers and looks at her malevolently. He grabs a fistful of her hair and viciously pulls her forward off of the wheel chair, dumping her face first on the floor. Then he grabs Dani and Sasha by the hair and pulls them off of their seats, piling them on top of Nikita. "Everyone will think you fell out in transit. This is on you bitch." He says, kicking the pile of women at his feet, not caring which one he strikes, "Have a nice flight."
Nikita winces from the toe of his boot in the back and whimpers to herself, "It is my fault we are here and I have just made it worse."
As soon as the door is closed and they are alone, Dani's mournful tears and wailing stop and she rolls off of Nikita, with a purposeful look in her eyes, "Sometimes the best way to end a fight is to let your enemy think that they have won and then destroy them in ignorance."
Dani rolls off of Niki and then lays back and breathes in, with the little slack she gets, she tries to bring her hands closer together. She pauses, breathing deeply and focusing before trying again. She is rewarded when her right hand brushes the back of her left. She bites down on the ball in her mouth and grasps the canula in the back of her hand and slowly, inch by inch, pulls the needle out. Once the needle is free from her hand she catches her breath.
She shuffles her body to Nikita and rolls onto her side. Nikita looks at her trying to make sense of what she is doing. Dani looks down at her hands, wiggling the needle she holds in her right and pointing with her left at the needle in Nikita's hand. A moment of realisation strikes Nikita and she nods, Trying to move her hand closer to Dani, who slowly grasps the canula and begins pulling out the needle, as slowly as she can.
Dani takes the needle in her right hand and inserts it into the lock. She presses the casing of the lock with her thumb, keeping the cylinder under tension. She uses the needle in her left hand and begins engaging the tumblers at the top of the lock. Taking her time and operating by touch, it is slow going, but when it comes, the click of the lock is the sweetest sound she has ever heard.
She removes the lock from the chains and begins to work her arms to generate slack in the chains, allowing them to slip down her body. Sasha and Nikita look on with admiration, as she frees her legs. She reaches behind her neck and releases the buckle, pulling the ball gag from her outh a moment later. She takes the canula needles and turns to Nikita, to begin work on the locks holding her.
Nikita watches rapt, as Dani sets to work. "She is so together. Everything is going to hell and there she is, focused and has a plan." She feels a wave of calm wash over her and allows her body to relax. She smiles to herself feeling her teeth retract, as the tension she had been feeling drains.
While Dani works on the lock, Nikita focuses on the feeling of her teeth retracting and when then come out. She thinks of the treatment of Kim and feels her teeth lengthen once again. Then she thinks of the feeling of calm she gets from knowing all will be well and her teeth retract, then she extends them once more. "This past couple of days has been so mad, I have been so busy doing new things, I have not actually thought about what I can do, at all."
She closes her eyes and focuses on the heartbeats around her. "Eight of the heartbeats are from the place we were being held, apart from two sitting the other side of the main group. They must be the pilots. One is higher than the others and moving about a little, the others must be seated. Given the grouping, we must be at the back. The one moving about, seems to be bending over a lot, might be serving drinks or something. McCord is sitting at the front, in front of the bastard who put his hand between my legs."
Dani taps her on the shoulder and she opens her eyes to see Dani smiling at her, "All done, babe." Dani says, softly. Nikita hugs her warmly and grunts a thank you, forgetting for a moment that the ball is still in her mouth. She retracts her teeth, as she releases the buckle of the gag and removes it, "Thank you."
Dani looks at her confused, "How did you do that?"
Nikita demonstrates extending and retracting her fangs and smiles, "Just worked out how to calm myself and anger myself to bring them out and put them back."
Dani beams at her, "Cool."
"Nah, what's cool is you picking the locks, where did you learn that?" Nikita asks, deferentially.
"Took an online lock smith course when I was trying to work out what I was going to do with my life." Dani says, with a shrug.
Nikita looks at her with admiration, "You are just awesome. Is there anything you can't do?"
Sasha grunts in frustration and Dani turns to her and pulls out the ball from her mouth and apologises, "Sorry babe, your turn." She sets about opening the locks on Sasha's chains and asks, "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good all things considered, what is going on?" Sasha asks, somewhat wide eyed.
"I would guess one of the wheels was shot, causing us to crash. When we woke up, we were chained up in a basement. You were bleeding and have a broken arm and I had to show a Scottish bloke the video of me killing Lady Chameleon, as he claimed you were her and was going to kill you. Then he found out about Niki and it turned out everything was a set up and he was working for Lund. Now we are being taken to him."
"Oh good, I havent missed much then." Sasha says, chewing her lip, "What's the plan? Go to Lund then take everyone out."
"No. We will be surrounded before we start. I am thinking, take the plane in the air, force pilots to land and we regroup." Dani says thoughtfully, as she works on the lock of the chains around her chest. "Just trying to work out how."
"Two people sat up front. Seven seated together with another who is moving around the passenger cabin from person to person. McCord sat up front, behind pilots." Nikita offers, in a hopeful tone.
Dani pauses from picking the lock and turns to Nikita. "That is so helpful. We now know numbers and key players."
"I could leave the room first and soak up their bullets, draw their fire and you guys could mop up." Nikita suggests.
"That would work, but, I am not comfortable about using you as a human shield." Dani says with a frown, turning back to Sasha's lock, then looking over her shoulder at Niki, "I know you can do it. However, there is a lot of risk with that. You could take everyone on the plane in less than a minute, but if they fire they could penetrate the hull or fuel tanks."
"Could that be a problem whatever we try?" Sasha says, thinking out loud.
"Yeah." Dani nods, as the padlock securing the chains around Sasha's chest pops open, "Not sure how to get around it. if we could get to the hold below us, we could gear up, but no way to do that without being spotted."
The tannoi springs to life and a calm male voice speaks softly, "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. We are on final approach to Nyambe and will be landing within the hour. The temperature is a balmy twenty eight degrees celcius with a light easterly wind."
Dani runs her fingers through her hair, looking suddenly weary, "Come on Dani, think of something. If we don't take the plane in the air, then escaping the chains was for nothing. But if this goes wrong, we are all dead." She thinks, glancing at Nikita and Sasha, who are both sat on the floor, trying not to look nervous. She closes her eyes and nods to herself, "Niki. Your option is the best we have got. Time is running out. We should do it."
Niki springs to her feet and flashes her fangs. "Are you sure?"
Dani nods. "I am sure, if you are. This is your choice."
Nikita offers a hand to help Sasha up off of the floor, "Are you in?"
Sasha takes her hand and rises to her feet, "Hell yeah."
"I will rush in, push forward to the cockpit door and make them focus on me, leaving you and Dani to engage them from behind." Nikita says, removing her coat leaving her in just a thong. "Don't judge me, it's too big and I don't want it to get snagged on something and trip me up."
Dani smiles, "Fair enough. Shall we go on three?"
Nikita giggles with a twinkle in her eye. "Three." She says over her shoulder, launching herself through the door.
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
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
[mention]wolfman[/mention] I have to apologize to doubt you for one moment The way Dani escaped? Brillant:)
The way Dani escaped? Brillant:)This chapter is a bit like the calm before the storm: It ends before the Action starts, looking forward to one of the Action Sequences you write so brillamtly.
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Dani and Sasha scramble into action, as they see Nikita splinter the flimsy door to the room with her left shoulder and leap forward out of sight.
The men in the passenger cabin duck down at the sound of the door flying open. Nikita streaks forward and drops to the ground, sliding along the aisle, sweeping the waiters feet from under him as she passes him. She slams into the door to the cockpit and rises to her feet, fangs bared and arms spread wide, with fingers spread like claws in a silent challenge to the armed men surrounding her.
The Scotsman draws a machine pistol and unleashed a burst at Nikita's waist in one smooth movement, forcing her to stagger back. Sasha bursts from the holding room with a ten foot long length of chain, that was used to secure her and Dani's legs, in each hand closely followed by Dani. The other men in the cabin, begin drawing their weapons. Sasha flicks out with the chain in her right hand, wrapping the end around the neck of nearest man on her right and pulling hard.
Nikita leaps at McCord wrapping her legs around his waist, pushing his head back hard, forcing him to fall hard onto his back under her. The men watch Nikita and McCord vanish from view, hidden by his seat and open fire tracing an arc of bullets behind them as they fall. Sasha lashes out with the left chain, as the man she ensnared falls backwards over his chair, snagging the weapon tumbling from his fingers and whipping it back to her sister behind her.
Dani catches the sidearm and sidesteps to her left, bringing the weapon up in a ready stance and double tapping the nearest man to her with a brace of rounds to the back of his skull. He pitches forward, his gun firing as he involuntarily twitches. The man who slipped his hand between her legs begins to stand and aim at Nikita over McCord's seat, as she begins savagely tearing into McCord's neck with her teeth.
Sasha flicks both chains towards the next man on her side, releasing them at the last moment. Her target feels the full impact of the length of chain in his chest, knocking him off of his feet and over the seat in front of him, with a crack as hit head hits the toughened glass of the window. Nikita sees a flutter of motion in her peripheral vision and instictively stands, taking the man's right wrist in a vice like grip and seizing his neck. She twists sharply, pulling the man who touched her, over the seat and slamming his back into the cockpit door with a thud. Dani switches targets from the fallen man and shoots the man the other side of him twice in the neck as he turns.
Nikita keeps a firm grip on the neck of the man who touched her and releases his wrist, switching her grip to his groin. She squeezes whispering, "Enjoy it. This is the last pleasure you will get." Nikita lifts the screaming man by his groin and neck, high above her head, before slamming his back down hard over the back of McCord's chair. He stares up at Nikita, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, as the light in his eyes, slowly goes out. His lifeless eyes, stare at her as takes his right hand and crushes it in her fist with a sickening crunch and pop of bone and cartilage.
Sasha vaults forward, sailing over the seats on the right hand side of the plane to take the head of the last man standing, between her legs. Sasha twists her hips, snapping the neck of the man, with a grimace.
Dani maintains a ready stance, watching for any signs of movement from the men who have fallen. She stands ready and calls out, "Sound off. Angel, ready and able."
Sasha takes to her feet and calls out "Guardian, ready and able."
Nikita rips off the shirt of the man who assaulted her and begins wiping herself clean, "Lioness, ready and able."
Dani sets to work unlocking the door to the cockpit, whilst Sasha gathers the fallen men's weapons and Nikita cleans up and searches for some clothing.
"That's better." Nikita says, to her reflection in the aircrafts small bathroom, "Feel a bit cleaner now." She smiles drying herself with paper towels. She stares at her reflection and practices extending and retracting her fangs. "What am I?"
She splashes water onto her face relishing the feel of the cool liquid against her skin. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, "It doesn't matter what Medteqniq made me. I am a woman, a sister, a daughter, a survivor. Anything else is irrelevant. I have the strength to stand alone and with my sisters. I am Nikita Green. That is all that matters."
Nikita turns and opens the door to the bathroom, stepping out with a new found inner strength.
She smiles at Sasha, who gives her a wink and throws her a pair of beige cargo shorts and a pastel yellow T-shirt, to match her own outfit, now that they have changed. Nikita catches them and slips them on, "Thanks babe, they are a pretty good fit. Do we have a plan yet?"
"Dani is still trying to get into the cockpit. The pilots aren't responding on the intercom. I have found some gear including a few parachutes, so we can jump if we need to." Sasha says, strapping a stilleto dagger to the outside of each of her upper arms.
"Looking good babe." Nikita says walking over to her sister and the modest selection of equipment, she has gathered.
"So are you. How are you holding up?" Sasha says, slipping on a shoulder holster and checking a handgun.
"Hungry and tired but doing ok. How are you feeling?" Nikita asks, nervously poking around the equipment for anything she can use picking up and slipping on a pair of socks and boots.
"Yeah, feeling hungry, but pretty good thanks." Sasha says, smiling gently, "I have still got your blood in my system and am feeling like I could take on the world."
"I am really glad you are ok. I was so worried about you." Nikita says, giving her sister a hug.
"Thanks babe. Thanks to you and Dani" Sasha beams, then turns to the gear laid out, "Any idea what gear you would like?"
"I have no idea how to use a gun or knife or anything." Nikita admits, with a shrug.
Sasha lifts a large hunting knife and passes it to Nikita. "Strap that to your calf. It is a good size and useful as a tool for cutting wood or meat. Don't worry about using it in a fight." Sasha begins to rummage through the gear passing items to her sister, "
Nikita takes Paracord, a small mirror for signalling, a torch and zip lock bags from the assembled pile of gear. She shudders, as she takes the multitool, recognising it as the one she used to pull Vanessa's teeth from her own mouth. "Might be handy." She says taking a pack of condoms and a couple of spare pairs of socks.
"Think you will get lucky?" Sasha asks, as she sees Nikita scoop up the prophylactics.
Nikita giggles, "No, nothing like that. Something from dad's memory about putting a condom inside a sock and using it to carry water. The sock stops the condom from bursting."
Sasha looks at her with an expression of surprise, "Do you have memories from everyone you have tasted?"
"Not really, but every so often I get flashes of memories that aren't mine. Nothing I can rely on." Nikita explains, as she loads her pockets.
Sasha spots a pack of cigarettes and taps her sister on the arm with the pack, "I am sure you have a use for these."
"What?" Nikita looks up confused. She sees the pack and gently takes it from her sister, "Lifesaver." She opens the pack and sees that the pack is just over half full with a small lighter tucked inside. She lights a cigarette and savours a deep lungful of tobacco smoke, as she cracks her back, "Smokes and condoms, all I need is booze and I am set for a night out." She tucks the pack and lighter into a ziplock bag and slips the bag into a pocket.
Dani smiles to herself, listening to the conversation behind her. She wipes sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and tries again to open the door to the cockpit. She closes her eyes and uses one needle to tension the barrel of the lock and the other to try to engage the tumblers. "Come on now, open up for mummy." She whispers, to the lock, as she gently and slowly engages each tumbler in turn.
The lock yields with a soft click and she draws her pistol, with a twist of the handle and a shoulder to the door she is in the cockpit and instantly filled with dismay.
Sasha and Nikita rush to the door, upon hearing it open, to gaze at the pilot and co-pilot slumped over the controls. "Looks like they were shot through the bulkhead. I guess we are jumping then." Dani says, resignedly.
"Why aren't we crashing, if no one is flying the plane?" Nikita asks, fearfully.
"They must have set the autopilot earlier." Dani says, looking blankly over the controls.
"So this will basically keep flying until the fuel runs out? It could end up crashing anywhere." Sasha says, concerned.
Nikita steps into the cockpit and pulls one of the pilots off of their chair, apologising as she lays him on the floor. She takes a jacket from a hook on the back of the door and lays it across the seat.
"What are you thinking?" Dani asks, observing every movement.
"I could try to get the pilots memories and either land this thing or send it somewhere safe." Nikita says, shrugging.
"Are you sure?" Sasha asks, knowing how hard it can be to taste the memories of others.
"Yeah, can I have a minute alone, please." Nikita asks, dreading what she will need to do.
"No worries, we will be just outside." Dani says, reaching into her pocket, "I found this, thought you might want a trophy." She says, holding out McCord's straight razor.
Nikita smiles and takes the razor tentatively and opens the blade, inspecting it closely. "Thanks babe. Will do my legs later."
Nikita opens the door to the cockpit, "Let's do this."
Dani and Sasha file in to the room and watch as Nikita uncomfortably takes a seat, and begins flicking switched and making adjustments to the controls. "Ok, Autopilot set to disengage in approximately fifty minutes. We have enough fuel for just under three hours flight time, with a ten minute margin. I can land this, but will need to begin approach. Oh and the radio appears to have been shot as well."
"Could you set it so we jump at the point it was going to disengage and it turns after we have left and flies out towards the sea?" Dani asks, curious.
"I can do that but we will have to pop a door to jump and that will affect the trim and aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft. I am not sure, that the plane would reach the ocean." Nikita answers with a wince.
"Where are we actually trying to get to? What is the plan once we get on the ground?" Sasha asks, staring out of the window.
"We have a choice, go after Lund and stop him once and for all, or regroup and try to get back home, or set up camp and contact dad somehow." Dani suggests, knowing what she wants to do.
"Get the bastard." Sasha says without hesitation.
Dani and Sasha look at an obviously uncomfortable Nikita. "Sorry, are you waiting for me." Nikita asks, breathing heavily.
"Don't worry babe, take your time." Dani says, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"What do you want to do?" Nikita asks, centring herself.
"I want to stop him." Dani says, coldly.
Nikita focuses and sits up in the pilots chair and begins typing rapidly. After a moment she slumps back in the chair, "We jump at original point autopilot was to disengage. The aircraft will continue on a new heading and then drop to a flying height of 1500 feet and will enter the main reception of Lund's facility approximately two minutes after we touchdown."
"Whoa, steady on, there could be a lot of innocent casualties." Sasha says, uneasy.
Dani shakes her head, wide eyed, "Niki, that's not funny." She says, realising Nikita cannot quite keep a straight face.
"It is a bit." Nikita says, with a weak smile before turning to Sasha, "Sorry babe, couldn't resist. The autipilot is due to come off this side of a mountain range, if I change the autopilot, we can jump in about an hour, ending up on this side of the mountains. I just turned off our GPS beacon and flight transponder."
"What about the plane?" Sasha asks, trying not to laugh.
"We could crash it into a mountain. Would cover any trace of what happened on board." Nikita shrugs.
"That could work. What do you, er sorry, what does the pilot know about the area?" Dani asks, thoughtfully.
"Well off of the beaten track, no major game reserves nearby, most villages further north. There are a few passes through the mountains. About thirty miles from the facility. Apparently the locals, head further north this time of year and don't come back until the antelope return." She says, lighting a cigarette with a shaky hand.
"Are you sure you are up to this?" Dani asks, with genuine concern.
"I have got this. This is my mess, we are here because of me. I will do anything to make this right." Nikita says, in a somber tone before a lop sided grin graces her lips. "Why don't you go and get changed and gear up? There is a hatch to the hold in the bathroom."
Sasha and Dani are in the passenger cabin, wearing two of the parachutes. Sasha holds a small back pack with essential supplies, scavenged from the hold, whilst Dani has a back pack for herself and one for Nikita. They both brace nervously, as the aircraft descends.
The aircraft streaks low, as the sun sets over the plain. The peaks of the nearby mountains have a eerie orange glow, which is swallowed by a sea of green, like a frozen wave of foliage, when bare stone, gives way to jungle. The aircraft begins to slow at the point where the jungle starts to thin and give way to the plains of the savannah.
Nikita has taken control of the aircraft and is rapidly reducing altitude and airspeed. A cold sweat soaks her back and brow as she struggles to control the aircraft in the face of a strong cross wind over the plains and downdraft from the rapidly aproaching mountains. "Hold it together, Niki. You can do this." Nikita says, under her breath, trying to convince herself.
She winces, leaning forward, programming a new course on the autopilot. She checks using the pilots knowledge and leans back exhausted in the chair, trying not to let her discomfort overcome her.
Dani and Sasha clap, as Nikita staggers from the cockpit, looking pale. Nikita holds up a hand, "Thanks guys, give me a minute." She pants, heading for the bathroom.
Sasha stands to support her sister, who waves her off, "I am ok, just need to freshen up."
Dani and Sasha watch genuinely concerned, as Nikita almost falls through the door of the bathroom. They rush to the door and wait nervously for their sister, listening to her crying with relief. A moment later they hear the toilet flush, unaware that it is washing away the right, little finger of the pilot.
The men in the passenger cabin duck down at the sound of the door flying open. Nikita streaks forward and drops to the ground, sliding along the aisle, sweeping the waiters feet from under him as she passes him. She slams into the door to the cockpit and rises to her feet, fangs bared and arms spread wide, with fingers spread like claws in a silent challenge to the armed men surrounding her.
The Scotsman draws a machine pistol and unleashed a burst at Nikita's waist in one smooth movement, forcing her to stagger back. Sasha bursts from the holding room with a ten foot long length of chain, that was used to secure her and Dani's legs, in each hand closely followed by Dani. The other men in the cabin, begin drawing their weapons. Sasha flicks out with the chain in her right hand, wrapping the end around the neck of nearest man on her right and pulling hard.
Nikita leaps at McCord wrapping her legs around his waist, pushing his head back hard, forcing him to fall hard onto his back under her. The men watch Nikita and McCord vanish from view, hidden by his seat and open fire tracing an arc of bullets behind them as they fall. Sasha lashes out with the left chain, as the man she ensnared falls backwards over his chair, snagging the weapon tumbling from his fingers and whipping it back to her sister behind her.
Dani catches the sidearm and sidesteps to her left, bringing the weapon up in a ready stance and double tapping the nearest man to her with a brace of rounds to the back of his skull. He pitches forward, his gun firing as he involuntarily twitches. The man who slipped his hand between her legs begins to stand and aim at Nikita over McCord's seat, as she begins savagely tearing into McCord's neck with her teeth.
Sasha flicks both chains towards the next man on her side, releasing them at the last moment. Her target feels the full impact of the length of chain in his chest, knocking him off of his feet and over the seat in front of him, with a crack as hit head hits the toughened glass of the window. Nikita sees a flutter of motion in her peripheral vision and instictively stands, taking the man's right wrist in a vice like grip and seizing his neck. She twists sharply, pulling the man who touched her, over the seat and slamming his back into the cockpit door with a thud. Dani switches targets from the fallen man and shoots the man the other side of him twice in the neck as he turns.
Nikita keeps a firm grip on the neck of the man who touched her and releases his wrist, switching her grip to his groin. She squeezes whispering, "Enjoy it. This is the last pleasure you will get." Nikita lifts the screaming man by his groin and neck, high above her head, before slamming his back down hard over the back of McCord's chair. He stares up at Nikita, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, as the light in his eyes, slowly goes out. His lifeless eyes, stare at her as takes his right hand and crushes it in her fist with a sickening crunch and pop of bone and cartilage.
Sasha vaults forward, sailing over the seats on the right hand side of the plane to take the head of the last man standing, between her legs. Sasha twists her hips, snapping the neck of the man, with a grimace.
Dani maintains a ready stance, watching for any signs of movement from the men who have fallen. She stands ready and calls out, "Sound off. Angel, ready and able."
Sasha takes to her feet and calls out "Guardian, ready and able."
Nikita rips off the shirt of the man who assaulted her and begins wiping herself clean, "Lioness, ready and able."
Dani sets to work unlocking the door to the cockpit, whilst Sasha gathers the fallen men's weapons and Nikita cleans up and searches for some clothing.
"That's better." Nikita says, to her reflection in the aircrafts small bathroom, "Feel a bit cleaner now." She smiles drying herself with paper towels. She stares at her reflection and practices extending and retracting her fangs. "What am I?"
She splashes water onto her face relishing the feel of the cool liquid against her skin. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, "It doesn't matter what Medteqniq made me. I am a woman, a sister, a daughter, a survivor. Anything else is irrelevant. I have the strength to stand alone and with my sisters. I am Nikita Green. That is all that matters."
Nikita turns and opens the door to the bathroom, stepping out with a new found inner strength.
She smiles at Sasha, who gives her a wink and throws her a pair of beige cargo shorts and a pastel yellow T-shirt, to match her own outfit, now that they have changed. Nikita catches them and slips them on, "Thanks babe, they are a pretty good fit. Do we have a plan yet?"
"Dani is still trying to get into the cockpit. The pilots aren't responding on the intercom. I have found some gear including a few parachutes, so we can jump if we need to." Sasha says, strapping a stilleto dagger to the outside of each of her upper arms.
"Looking good babe." Nikita says walking over to her sister and the modest selection of equipment, she has gathered.
"So are you. How are you holding up?" Sasha says, slipping on a shoulder holster and checking a handgun.
"Hungry and tired but doing ok. How are you feeling?" Nikita asks, nervously poking around the equipment for anything she can use picking up and slipping on a pair of socks and boots.
"Yeah, feeling hungry, but pretty good thanks." Sasha says, smiling gently, "I have still got your blood in my system and am feeling like I could take on the world."
"I am really glad you are ok. I was so worried about you." Nikita says, giving her sister a hug.
"Thanks babe. Thanks to you and Dani" Sasha beams, then turns to the gear laid out, "Any idea what gear you would like?"
"I have no idea how to use a gun or knife or anything." Nikita admits, with a shrug.
Sasha lifts a large hunting knife and passes it to Nikita. "Strap that to your calf. It is a good size and useful as a tool for cutting wood or meat. Don't worry about using it in a fight." Sasha begins to rummage through the gear passing items to her sister, "
Nikita takes Paracord, a small mirror for signalling, a torch and zip lock bags from the assembled pile of gear. She shudders, as she takes the multitool, recognising it as the one she used to pull Vanessa's teeth from her own mouth. "Might be handy." She says taking a pack of condoms and a couple of spare pairs of socks.
"Think you will get lucky?" Sasha asks, as she sees Nikita scoop up the prophylactics.
Nikita giggles, "No, nothing like that. Something from dad's memory about putting a condom inside a sock and using it to carry water. The sock stops the condom from bursting."
Sasha looks at her with an expression of surprise, "Do you have memories from everyone you have tasted?"
"Not really, but every so often I get flashes of memories that aren't mine. Nothing I can rely on." Nikita explains, as she loads her pockets.
Sasha spots a pack of cigarettes and taps her sister on the arm with the pack, "I am sure you have a use for these."
"What?" Nikita looks up confused. She sees the pack and gently takes it from her sister, "Lifesaver." She opens the pack and sees that the pack is just over half full with a small lighter tucked inside. She lights a cigarette and savours a deep lungful of tobacco smoke, as she cracks her back, "Smokes and condoms, all I need is booze and I am set for a night out." She tucks the pack and lighter into a ziplock bag and slips the bag into a pocket.
Dani smiles to herself, listening to the conversation behind her. She wipes sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and tries again to open the door to the cockpit. She closes her eyes and uses one needle to tension the barrel of the lock and the other to try to engage the tumblers. "Come on now, open up for mummy." She whispers, to the lock, as she gently and slowly engages each tumbler in turn.
The lock yields with a soft click and she draws her pistol, with a twist of the handle and a shoulder to the door she is in the cockpit and instantly filled with dismay.
Sasha and Nikita rush to the door, upon hearing it open, to gaze at the pilot and co-pilot slumped over the controls. "Looks like they were shot through the bulkhead. I guess we are jumping then." Dani says, resignedly.
"Why aren't we crashing, if no one is flying the plane?" Nikita asks, fearfully.
"They must have set the autopilot earlier." Dani says, looking blankly over the controls.
"So this will basically keep flying until the fuel runs out? It could end up crashing anywhere." Sasha says, concerned.
Nikita steps into the cockpit and pulls one of the pilots off of their chair, apologising as she lays him on the floor. She takes a jacket from a hook on the back of the door and lays it across the seat.
"What are you thinking?" Dani asks, observing every movement.
"I could try to get the pilots memories and either land this thing or send it somewhere safe." Nikita says, shrugging.
"Are you sure?" Sasha asks, knowing how hard it can be to taste the memories of others.
"Yeah, can I have a minute alone, please." Nikita asks, dreading what she will need to do.
"No worries, we will be just outside." Dani says, reaching into her pocket, "I found this, thought you might want a trophy." She says, holding out McCord's straight razor.
Nikita smiles and takes the razor tentatively and opens the blade, inspecting it closely. "Thanks babe. Will do my legs later."
Nikita opens the door to the cockpit, "Let's do this."
Dani and Sasha file in to the room and watch as Nikita uncomfortably takes a seat, and begins flicking switched and making adjustments to the controls. "Ok, Autopilot set to disengage in approximately fifty minutes. We have enough fuel for just under three hours flight time, with a ten minute margin. I can land this, but will need to begin approach. Oh and the radio appears to have been shot as well."
"Could you set it so we jump at the point it was going to disengage and it turns after we have left and flies out towards the sea?" Dani asks, curious.
"I can do that but we will have to pop a door to jump and that will affect the trim and aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft. I am not sure, that the plane would reach the ocean." Nikita answers with a wince.
"Where are we actually trying to get to? What is the plan once we get on the ground?" Sasha asks, staring out of the window.
"We have a choice, go after Lund and stop him once and for all, or regroup and try to get back home, or set up camp and contact dad somehow." Dani suggests, knowing what she wants to do.
"Get the bastard." Sasha says without hesitation.
Dani and Sasha look at an obviously uncomfortable Nikita. "Sorry, are you waiting for me." Nikita asks, breathing heavily.
"Don't worry babe, take your time." Dani says, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"What do you want to do?" Nikita asks, centring herself.
"I want to stop him." Dani says, coldly.
Nikita focuses and sits up in the pilots chair and begins typing rapidly. After a moment she slumps back in the chair, "We jump at original point autopilot was to disengage. The aircraft will continue on a new heading and then drop to a flying height of 1500 feet and will enter the main reception of Lund's facility approximately two minutes after we touchdown."
"Whoa, steady on, there could be a lot of innocent casualties." Sasha says, uneasy.
Dani shakes her head, wide eyed, "Niki, that's not funny." She says, realising Nikita cannot quite keep a straight face.
"It is a bit." Nikita says, with a weak smile before turning to Sasha, "Sorry babe, couldn't resist. The autipilot is due to come off this side of a mountain range, if I change the autopilot, we can jump in about an hour, ending up on this side of the mountains. I just turned off our GPS beacon and flight transponder."
"What about the plane?" Sasha asks, trying not to laugh.
"We could crash it into a mountain. Would cover any trace of what happened on board." Nikita shrugs.
"That could work. What do you, er sorry, what does the pilot know about the area?" Dani asks, thoughtfully.
"Well off of the beaten track, no major game reserves nearby, most villages further north. There are a few passes through the mountains. About thirty miles from the facility. Apparently the locals, head further north this time of year and don't come back until the antelope return." She says, lighting a cigarette with a shaky hand.
"Are you sure you are up to this?" Dani asks, with genuine concern.
"I have got this. This is my mess, we are here because of me. I will do anything to make this right." Nikita says, in a somber tone before a lop sided grin graces her lips. "Why don't you go and get changed and gear up? There is a hatch to the hold in the bathroom."
Sasha and Dani are in the passenger cabin, wearing two of the parachutes. Sasha holds a small back pack with essential supplies, scavenged from the hold, whilst Dani has a back pack for herself and one for Nikita. They both brace nervously, as the aircraft descends.
The aircraft streaks low, as the sun sets over the plain. The peaks of the nearby mountains have a eerie orange glow, which is swallowed by a sea of green, like a frozen wave of foliage, when bare stone, gives way to jungle. The aircraft begins to slow at the point where the jungle starts to thin and give way to the plains of the savannah.
Nikita has taken control of the aircraft and is rapidly reducing altitude and airspeed. A cold sweat soaks her back and brow as she struggles to control the aircraft in the face of a strong cross wind over the plains and downdraft from the rapidly aproaching mountains. "Hold it together, Niki. You can do this." Nikita says, under her breath, trying to convince herself.
She winces, leaning forward, programming a new course on the autopilot. She checks using the pilots knowledge and leans back exhausted in the chair, trying not to let her discomfort overcome her.
Dani and Sasha clap, as Nikita staggers from the cockpit, looking pale. Nikita holds up a hand, "Thanks guys, give me a minute." She pants, heading for the bathroom.
Sasha stands to support her sister, who waves her off, "I am ok, just need to freshen up."
Dani and Sasha watch genuinely concerned, as Nikita almost falls through the door of the bathroom. They rush to the door and wait nervously for their sister, listening to her crying with relief. A moment later they hear the toilet flush, unaware that it is washing away the right, little finger of the pilot.
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
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
-
slackywacky
- Millennial Club
- Posts: 2616
- Joined: 5 years ago
- Location: Canada
Darn, soo many chapters to read... don't you ever take a break? 
Just kidding, keep it coming.
Just kidding, keep it coming.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment.
Slackywacky, also @DeviantArt
My active stories:
Slackywacky, also @DeviantArt
My active stories:
- All in the family - Updated 21/03
- Bondage model by choice - Updated 10/04
- Hitchhiker - Updated 29/03
If people keep reading and enjoying, I will keep going.slackywacky wrote: ↑3 years ago Darn, soo many chapters to read... don't you ever take a break?
Just kidding, keep it coming.
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
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
That we will dowolfman wrote: ↑3 years agoIf people keep reading and enjoying, I will keep going.slackywacky wrote: ↑3 years ago Darn, soo many chapters to read... don't you ever take a break?
Just kidding, keep it coming.
Reading and enjoying Kate looks up the hillside towards the road and shakes her head. She whispers, "Hell of a spill. Nothing they could have done."
"What is your verdict?" Steve whispers, surveying the scene.
The brother and sister stand next to the crashed SUV, concealed from view by the offiers guarding the site by the bushes around them. The woods are dark, but moonlight lances through the branches overhead, like a silver spot light on the scene.
Kate lights a cigarette and approaches the passenger side front tyre. She begins to break down the scene, pointing to key evidence as she speaks, "This tyre burst, as a result of being shot as indicates by marks in the stairwell. Vehicle hit the kerb and flipped, rolling down the hill to rest on it's roof here. There is little blood in the vehicles cabin, which indicates lack of penetrating trauma." She pauses, exhaling tobacco smoke slowly and moving to the front of the vehicle, "Here we see two sets of fresh tyre tracks. Axle width and tyre configuration indicate a Toyota Hilux pickup and a Mercedes Sprinter van. As far as footprints go, this area has been trampled by scene of crime officers and attending patrols, so likely useless."
Steve grits his teeth imaginging what his daughters must have gone through on tier way down the hill. He places a hand on her shoulder, "I really appreciate this. I am sorry to tear you away from Amy."
Kate turns to him and smiles in the silvery light. "She understands." She places a hand on his upper arm and squeezes gently, "We will find them. I promise."
Steve hugs her, "I have lived for so long unaware of who they were and now I have them in my life, I cannot bear to lose them."
Kate slaps steve playfully on the arm, "Behave yourself. From what I know of Dani and Sasha they will be fine, whatever sized army they face. What is Nikita like?"
"She seems nice.Truth be told, I barely got a chance to speak to her at the gala of after. She took off like a rocket. She is a force of nature." Steve says, thoughtfully.
"Just like you eh?" Kate says, stubbing out her cigarette.
"In more ways than she suspects, but at the same time, quite different." Steve says, tentatively.
"How do you mean?" Kate asks, curiously.
"She." He pauses, searching for the right words, "is unstoppable when she decides a course of action, but she is still finding out who she is. She is scared of what she may be capable of. I saw how capable she is. She is faster and stronger than me, but her power is raw, without finesse. She is almost the opposite of Sasha." Steve smiles, apprehensively.
"She stronger and faster than you?" Kate asks, surprised.
Steve nods, thoughtfully and rubs his chin, "Medteqniq did something to her that changed her. She is incredibly strong, heals fast and is tough."
"Come on Steve, you are holding back. What aren't you telling me?"
"She has fangs and can hear heartbeats." Steve says in an even tone. "She also drinks blood and can see a persons memories, when she tastes a bodily fluid."
Kate chuckles and shakes her head, "You prick. Come on spill." She stops laughing when she sees the look in his eyes. "Seriously?"
He nods, "Seriously. That is why I asked Amy to take a look at the notes of what was done to her."
Kate squints trying to make sense of things, "We need to get her back. We cannot let Lund get his claws back into her."
"What is our next move?" Steve asks, hoping to change the subject.
"If I was still a police officer, I would make a back channel request for traffic camera footage for the last few hours and look for a Sprinter van with a Hilux escort. Or, request access to notes on investigation of the crash." Kate says thinking aloud and walking the crime scene, following the tracks of the vehicles, through the mud towards the road.
Steve follows around ten feet behind Kate, letting her focus and giving her space to work.
"You realise how far fetched it sounds." Kate says, as she reaches the road.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. But she tasted the tears of a girl who had been kidnapped, took a chunk out of my neck, gave me some of her blood and tore out the room, like a woman possessed." Steve says, with a tired look.
"Sounds like a handful." Kate says, lighting another cigarette, "How is Lou about all this?"
"Everything is moving so fast. She has been so supportive, but I am worried that I am not there for her as much as I would like." Steve admits, with regret.
"Steady on big guy. Things are crazy, but she still loves you. Everything is all so new for you both, being married, having kids that are all trained killers. It will take time." Kate says, with a gentle smile.
Steve can't help but crack a smile, "They aren't all trained killers, Niki hasn't had training."
"Hold that thought." Kate says, when a glint in the tracks catches her eye. She examines the tracks near the road closely, before beckoning Steve over. "Glass in track here and the tread pattern is changed hereafter. I think they will need a new tyre for the Hilux. Lets see what tyre fitting services there are around here."
Just as the front officer assistant is turning off the lights, in a weary tone the attendant says, "I am sorry we are closing for the day." When Steve steps through the doors of the auto centre,
Steve responds in German, "I am sorry for the late hour, I need a moment of your time, Lars." He says using the name from the attendants ID badge. He quickly assesses him, as the young man turns of the lights for the workshop, "Between eighteen and twenty, hundred and forty pounds, nervous demeanour, probably first time locking up on his own."
"I am sorry sir, I have to close up." The young man says nervously, suddenly very aware that he was alone in the office with a large scary looking man.
Steve tucks the finger in the collar of his shirt and pulls gently as he says, "How can you work in here Lars. It is so hot. You need a fan of some kind."
"The thermostat is broken." The young man says, with an exasperated shrug.
"Yeah, you need a fan in here." Steve says, nodding thoughtfully, before he gives an exaggerated gesture of realisation, "I have a fan in my pocket. If you help me out, I will give it to you."
"I think you need to leave." Lars says, not believing the words he is speaking.
Steve slowly reaches into the inside pocket of his leather bomber jacket and pulls out a sheaf of twenty Euro notes and begins fanning himself with them. "If a Toyota Hilux pickup came in here this afternoon for a right front tyre and you were to show me the paperwork, I would be very happy to leave this fan here, as a thank you."
Lars raises his eyebrows and rubs his hand over his mouth, suddenly forgetting his fear.
Kate stubs out a cigarette, as Steve gets back in the car. "That was quick." She remarks, as he clips his belt on.
"We have a winner. Toyota Hilux, right front tyre, paid for with the credit card of a Mr Henry McCord, with a billing address of McCord aviation services, Geneva international airport." Steve says, with a smile.
"I know that look." Kate says, starting the Land Rover's engine, "Lou will have my guts you know."
"Normally, I would wait and do a full recon, but something doesn't feel right, we are hours behind the curve and I am worried about what has happened to the girls." Steve says softly.
"He is not just worried, he is actually scared for them." She thinks, putting the vehicle into gear, "We aren't far from there, we could have a look."
Steve puts his hand over hers on the gearstick, "Drop me off and circle the airport."
"Are you alright?" Kate asks, looking him in the eye.
"If it is the same Henry McCord that I know, he is dangerous." Steve confesses, "He used to run European operations for M.I.6. He is a doctor by training and a bastard by nature, who has no qualms about killing everyone at the airport, just to prove a point."
Kate nods, as he speaks and lights another cigarette. "You say that like you think it will convince me to let you go alone."
"Why this spot?" Steve asks, clipping wires on the security fence.
"Far enough from Air Traffic Control to avoid a casual spotter, close to McCord's hangar and the security lights are out." Kate whispers, as she keeps watch.
The are both in black kevlar interweave fatigues with a silenced handgun and tranquilliser pistol each. Steve carries a stilleto dagger strapped to his chest, whilst Kate favours a retractable baton in a gravity holder on her right forearm.
Steve finishes clipping and pulls the fence apart allowing Kate to enter the airport, before slipping through himself.
He takes the lead sprinting from the darkened area that they entered to take cover behind a forklift. Kate breaks cover and overshoots his position to hide behind a storage container, whilst Steve covers her, Steve ducks and weaves between containers and a lugguage transportation vehicle to take up position by the McCord hangar. Kate sprints hard and slides to a halt short of Steve's position behind a baggage cart, as an airport security vehicle, hoves into view.
They wait breathless, as the vehicle pulls up the other side of the baggage cart and the two security officers, step out for a smoke. Steve can see Kate from his position and signals her to hold position. He pulls his tranq pistol and takes aim at the further of the two men, waiting for any sign that Kates position has been discovered. Kate stays still and breath shallowly, waiting for the all clear.
One of the men discards his cigarette and begins to walk as if he is going to walk around to Kate's side of the baggae hauler. Steve gives a standby signal to Kate and takes aim. Kate quietly draws her tranq pistol and lays down, watching the mans boots, a he approaches.
Suddenly the radio in the vehicle squalks and the man still by the vehicle answers it. The other man continues to approach Kate and she tries to slide under the baggage cart.
The man at the vehicle shouts, "Ritter, Abendessen!", prompting the man about to discover Kate to turn and jog back to the vehicle.
A moment later Kate is watching the vehicle pull away at speed, with relief. Steve signals her with an 'All Clear' and she sprints across to join him by the hangar.
He points to the far side of the hangar, "Hilux and Sprinter. Hard to tell in the spotlights, but it looks like they are spattered with the same shade of mud, as the dirt at the crash site
Steve takes a moment to centre himself before he sweeps through the hangar door, weapon ready, eyes scanning for targets. Kate follows keeping low, watching where Steve is walking and alert for security personel. Steve fires on instinct striking a patrolling guard in the neck, causing him to drop unconscious onto the hard stone floor of the hangar, between two benches used by engineers.
He picks up the pace and sprints to the offices on the left of the hangar. Two guards burst out seeing their colleague fall to find darts in their necks from Steve and Kate as their greeting. Steve shoulders the door and enters the office rapidly sweeping the offices room by room, silencing any occupants he finds. He pauses at an out of place looking heavy steel door to reload and waits for Kate.
Kate slides and rolls to a halt next to him, "What's the rush?" She says, breathing slightly heavier than normal.
"We don't know their check in frequency. The quicker we drop them, the better the chance that their mates are not alerted by a failed check in." Steve says softly, before joking "I dont know, Kate, you're slipping. Less than a few days out of the field and you are getting slow already."
Kate gives him the middle finger, "I have been with you for more than ten minutes and you haven't killed anyone." She says smiling, "And you have the cheek to imply I am slipping."
Steve grins and winks and extends a hand towards the door, "Shall we?"
Kate smiles and nods, weapon at the ready. "Age before beauty."
The heavy steel door creaks open as Steve forces it, revealing a steep staircase heading down. Steve signals for Kate to watch the doorway silently, before descending into darkness.
At the foot of the stairs, he pauses, listening and sniffing the air, in front of the single door at the base of the stairs. "It is quiet down here. Nothing but a faint buzz from the electrics, but I smell blood."
He holsters the tranq gun and draws the silenced pistol, slowing his breathing. He shoulders the door and rolls into the room assessing quickly, "No occupants, a wheel chair, table, folding chairs and some medical instruments. Blood on the floor, pooled mainly in one area, discarded plaster cast. One or more of them is dead."
The scent of blood, both new and old, hangs in the air like a caul, as he surveys the room. "Something bad happened here and not just once." He thinks, taking a deep breath and looking around the room. A glint in the corner of his eye, draws his focus. He turns weapon ready and approaches the table.
His heart sinks when he recognises the glint, "Sasha's bracelet. They were here." He says, thinking aloud as he pockets the covert weapon.
Kate stands ready, utterly focused at the top of the stairs when Steve returns looking ashen. One look tells her that this is bad. "Talk to me, Steve." She whispers softly.
"They were here." Steve says, lost in thought, "They are gone."
"Gone? Where are they Steve?" Kate asks, trying to maintain her composure.
"No idea. McCord wouldn't leave anyone behind, who would be able to tell us where he is going. No point pushing the guards, that would just take time, we don't have." Steve, says considering options. He snaps back to himself and begins to think clearly, "You lead, I cover. They are not here, but they are somewhere. There may be evidence of where."
Kate nods, wordlessly and turns, in a combat crouch to quickly advance into the main office. She holsters her weapon and surveys the desks in the room, nodding to herself. "That one, three monitors and filing cabinets behind it." She thinks stalking forward and opening the top drawer of the desk, as Steve covers her.
"Ok. We have a receipt book for fuel, seeing a purchase today for a few thousand litres of aviation fuel." She says, softly, pulling out her phone and rapidly searching, "Grade of fuel is used in private jets." She heads to a filing cabinet and checks the drawer headers, pulling a drawer seemingly at random. Kate flicks through the tabs and snatches one of the binders out, splaying its contents on top of the cabinet. "Got a flight plan for a company jet. Departing today at around three pm local, heading to Nyambe private airport in Central Africa."
"Time frame fits." Steve says, with a nod. "Shame I haven't got any cracker software here or we could try and access CCTV."
"Flight plan details shows pilot and co-pilot plus eleven passengers and miscellaneous cargo." Kate says, checking the manifest, deep in thought. "Look like McCord himself was on the flight."
"They will have touched down by now." Steve says, rubbing the stubble on his chin.
"I know that look." Kate says, raising an eye brow. "Lou will have my guts you know."
"What is your verdict?" Steve whispers, surveying the scene.
The brother and sister stand next to the crashed SUV, concealed from view by the offiers guarding the site by the bushes around them. The woods are dark, but moonlight lances through the branches overhead, like a silver spot light on the scene.
Kate lights a cigarette and approaches the passenger side front tyre. She begins to break down the scene, pointing to key evidence as she speaks, "This tyre burst, as a result of being shot as indicates by marks in the stairwell. Vehicle hit the kerb and flipped, rolling down the hill to rest on it's roof here. There is little blood in the vehicles cabin, which indicates lack of penetrating trauma." She pauses, exhaling tobacco smoke slowly and moving to the front of the vehicle, "Here we see two sets of fresh tyre tracks. Axle width and tyre configuration indicate a Toyota Hilux pickup and a Mercedes Sprinter van. As far as footprints go, this area has been trampled by scene of crime officers and attending patrols, so likely useless."
Steve grits his teeth imaginging what his daughters must have gone through on tier way down the hill. He places a hand on her shoulder, "I really appreciate this. I am sorry to tear you away from Amy."
Kate turns to him and smiles in the silvery light. "She understands." She places a hand on his upper arm and squeezes gently, "We will find them. I promise."
Steve hugs her, "I have lived for so long unaware of who they were and now I have them in my life, I cannot bear to lose them."
Kate slaps steve playfully on the arm, "Behave yourself. From what I know of Dani and Sasha they will be fine, whatever sized army they face. What is Nikita like?"
"She seems nice.Truth be told, I barely got a chance to speak to her at the gala of after. She took off like a rocket. She is a force of nature." Steve says, thoughtfully.
"Just like you eh?" Kate says, stubbing out her cigarette.
"In more ways than she suspects, but at the same time, quite different." Steve says, tentatively.
"How do you mean?" Kate asks, curiously.
"She." He pauses, searching for the right words, "is unstoppable when she decides a course of action, but she is still finding out who she is. She is scared of what she may be capable of. I saw how capable she is. She is faster and stronger than me, but her power is raw, without finesse. She is almost the opposite of Sasha." Steve smiles, apprehensively.
"She stronger and faster than you?" Kate asks, surprised.
Steve nods, thoughtfully and rubs his chin, "Medteqniq did something to her that changed her. She is incredibly strong, heals fast and is tough."
"Come on Steve, you are holding back. What aren't you telling me?"
"She has fangs and can hear heartbeats." Steve says in an even tone. "She also drinks blood and can see a persons memories, when she tastes a bodily fluid."
Kate chuckles and shakes her head, "You prick. Come on spill." She stops laughing when she sees the look in his eyes. "Seriously?"
He nods, "Seriously. That is why I asked Amy to take a look at the notes of what was done to her."
Kate squints trying to make sense of things, "We need to get her back. We cannot let Lund get his claws back into her."
"What is our next move?" Steve asks, hoping to change the subject.
"If I was still a police officer, I would make a back channel request for traffic camera footage for the last few hours and look for a Sprinter van with a Hilux escort. Or, request access to notes on investigation of the crash." Kate says thinking aloud and walking the crime scene, following the tracks of the vehicles, through the mud towards the road.
Steve follows around ten feet behind Kate, letting her focus and giving her space to work.
"You realise how far fetched it sounds." Kate says, as she reaches the road.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. But she tasted the tears of a girl who had been kidnapped, took a chunk out of my neck, gave me some of her blood and tore out the room, like a woman possessed." Steve says, with a tired look.
"Sounds like a handful." Kate says, lighting another cigarette, "How is Lou about all this?"
"Everything is moving so fast. She has been so supportive, but I am worried that I am not there for her as much as I would like." Steve admits, with regret.
"Steady on big guy. Things are crazy, but she still loves you. Everything is all so new for you both, being married, having kids that are all trained killers. It will take time." Kate says, with a gentle smile.
Steve can't help but crack a smile, "They aren't all trained killers, Niki hasn't had training."
"Hold that thought." Kate says, when a glint in the tracks catches her eye. She examines the tracks near the road closely, before beckoning Steve over. "Glass in track here and the tread pattern is changed hereafter. I think they will need a new tyre for the Hilux. Lets see what tyre fitting services there are around here."
Just as the front officer assistant is turning off the lights, in a weary tone the attendant says, "I am sorry we are closing for the day." When Steve steps through the doors of the auto centre,
Steve responds in German, "I am sorry for the late hour, I need a moment of your time, Lars." He says using the name from the attendants ID badge. He quickly assesses him, as the young man turns of the lights for the workshop, "Between eighteen and twenty, hundred and forty pounds, nervous demeanour, probably first time locking up on his own."
"I am sorry sir, I have to close up." The young man says nervously, suddenly very aware that he was alone in the office with a large scary looking man.
Steve tucks the finger in the collar of his shirt and pulls gently as he says, "How can you work in here Lars. It is so hot. You need a fan of some kind."
"The thermostat is broken." The young man says, with an exasperated shrug.
"Yeah, you need a fan in here." Steve says, nodding thoughtfully, before he gives an exaggerated gesture of realisation, "I have a fan in my pocket. If you help me out, I will give it to you."
"I think you need to leave." Lars says, not believing the words he is speaking.
Steve slowly reaches into the inside pocket of his leather bomber jacket and pulls out a sheaf of twenty Euro notes and begins fanning himself with them. "If a Toyota Hilux pickup came in here this afternoon for a right front tyre and you were to show me the paperwork, I would be very happy to leave this fan here, as a thank you."
Lars raises his eyebrows and rubs his hand over his mouth, suddenly forgetting his fear.
Kate stubs out a cigarette, as Steve gets back in the car. "That was quick." She remarks, as he clips his belt on.
"We have a winner. Toyota Hilux, right front tyre, paid for with the credit card of a Mr Henry McCord, with a billing address of McCord aviation services, Geneva international airport." Steve says, with a smile.
"I know that look." Kate says, starting the Land Rover's engine, "Lou will have my guts you know."
"Normally, I would wait and do a full recon, but something doesn't feel right, we are hours behind the curve and I am worried about what has happened to the girls." Steve says softly.
"He is not just worried, he is actually scared for them." She thinks, putting the vehicle into gear, "We aren't far from there, we could have a look."
Steve puts his hand over hers on the gearstick, "Drop me off and circle the airport."
"Are you alright?" Kate asks, looking him in the eye.
"If it is the same Henry McCord that I know, he is dangerous." Steve confesses, "He used to run European operations for M.I.6. He is a doctor by training and a bastard by nature, who has no qualms about killing everyone at the airport, just to prove a point."
Kate nods, as he speaks and lights another cigarette. "You say that like you think it will convince me to let you go alone."
"Why this spot?" Steve asks, clipping wires on the security fence.
"Far enough from Air Traffic Control to avoid a casual spotter, close to McCord's hangar and the security lights are out." Kate whispers, as she keeps watch.
The are both in black kevlar interweave fatigues with a silenced handgun and tranquilliser pistol each. Steve carries a stilleto dagger strapped to his chest, whilst Kate favours a retractable baton in a gravity holder on her right forearm.
Steve finishes clipping and pulls the fence apart allowing Kate to enter the airport, before slipping through himself.
He takes the lead sprinting from the darkened area that they entered to take cover behind a forklift. Kate breaks cover and overshoots his position to hide behind a storage container, whilst Steve covers her, Steve ducks and weaves between containers and a lugguage transportation vehicle to take up position by the McCord hangar. Kate sprints hard and slides to a halt short of Steve's position behind a baggage cart, as an airport security vehicle, hoves into view.
They wait breathless, as the vehicle pulls up the other side of the baggage cart and the two security officers, step out for a smoke. Steve can see Kate from his position and signals her to hold position. He pulls his tranq pistol and takes aim at the further of the two men, waiting for any sign that Kates position has been discovered. Kate stays still and breath shallowly, waiting for the all clear.
One of the men discards his cigarette and begins to walk as if he is going to walk around to Kate's side of the baggae hauler. Steve gives a standby signal to Kate and takes aim. Kate quietly draws her tranq pistol and lays down, watching the mans boots, a he approaches.
Suddenly the radio in the vehicle squalks and the man still by the vehicle answers it. The other man continues to approach Kate and she tries to slide under the baggage cart.
The man at the vehicle shouts, "Ritter, Abendessen!", prompting the man about to discover Kate to turn and jog back to the vehicle.
A moment later Kate is watching the vehicle pull away at speed, with relief. Steve signals her with an 'All Clear' and she sprints across to join him by the hangar.
He points to the far side of the hangar, "Hilux and Sprinter. Hard to tell in the spotlights, but it looks like they are spattered with the same shade of mud, as the dirt at the crash site
Steve takes a moment to centre himself before he sweeps through the hangar door, weapon ready, eyes scanning for targets. Kate follows keeping low, watching where Steve is walking and alert for security personel. Steve fires on instinct striking a patrolling guard in the neck, causing him to drop unconscious onto the hard stone floor of the hangar, between two benches used by engineers.
He picks up the pace and sprints to the offices on the left of the hangar. Two guards burst out seeing their colleague fall to find darts in their necks from Steve and Kate as their greeting. Steve shoulders the door and enters the office rapidly sweeping the offices room by room, silencing any occupants he finds. He pauses at an out of place looking heavy steel door to reload and waits for Kate.
Kate slides and rolls to a halt next to him, "What's the rush?" She says, breathing slightly heavier than normal.
"We don't know their check in frequency. The quicker we drop them, the better the chance that their mates are not alerted by a failed check in." Steve says softly, before joking "I dont know, Kate, you're slipping. Less than a few days out of the field and you are getting slow already."
Kate gives him the middle finger, "I have been with you for more than ten minutes and you haven't killed anyone." She says smiling, "And you have the cheek to imply I am slipping."
Steve grins and winks and extends a hand towards the door, "Shall we?"
Kate smiles and nods, weapon at the ready. "Age before beauty."
The heavy steel door creaks open as Steve forces it, revealing a steep staircase heading down. Steve signals for Kate to watch the doorway silently, before descending into darkness.
At the foot of the stairs, he pauses, listening and sniffing the air, in front of the single door at the base of the stairs. "It is quiet down here. Nothing but a faint buzz from the electrics, but I smell blood."
He holsters the tranq gun and draws the silenced pistol, slowing his breathing. He shoulders the door and rolls into the room assessing quickly, "No occupants, a wheel chair, table, folding chairs and some medical instruments. Blood on the floor, pooled mainly in one area, discarded plaster cast. One or more of them is dead."
The scent of blood, both new and old, hangs in the air like a caul, as he surveys the room. "Something bad happened here and not just once." He thinks, taking a deep breath and looking around the room. A glint in the corner of his eye, draws his focus. He turns weapon ready and approaches the table.
His heart sinks when he recognises the glint, "Sasha's bracelet. They were here." He says, thinking aloud as he pockets the covert weapon.
Kate stands ready, utterly focused at the top of the stairs when Steve returns looking ashen. One look tells her that this is bad. "Talk to me, Steve." She whispers softly.
"They were here." Steve says, lost in thought, "They are gone."
"Gone? Where are they Steve?" Kate asks, trying to maintain her composure.
"No idea. McCord wouldn't leave anyone behind, who would be able to tell us where he is going. No point pushing the guards, that would just take time, we don't have." Steve, says considering options. He snaps back to himself and begins to think clearly, "You lead, I cover. They are not here, but they are somewhere. There may be evidence of where."
Kate nods, wordlessly and turns, in a combat crouch to quickly advance into the main office. She holsters her weapon and surveys the desks in the room, nodding to herself. "That one, three monitors and filing cabinets behind it." She thinks stalking forward and opening the top drawer of the desk, as Steve covers her.
"Ok. We have a receipt book for fuel, seeing a purchase today for a few thousand litres of aviation fuel." She says, softly, pulling out her phone and rapidly searching, "Grade of fuel is used in private jets." She heads to a filing cabinet and checks the drawer headers, pulling a drawer seemingly at random. Kate flicks through the tabs and snatches one of the binders out, splaying its contents on top of the cabinet. "Got a flight plan for a company jet. Departing today at around three pm local, heading to Nyambe private airport in Central Africa."
"Time frame fits." Steve says, with a nod. "Shame I haven't got any cracker software here or we could try and access CCTV."
"Flight plan details shows pilot and co-pilot plus eleven passengers and miscellaneous cargo." Kate says, checking the manifest, deep in thought. "Look like McCord himself was on the flight."
"They will have touched down by now." Steve says, rubbing the stubble on his chin.
"I know that look." Kate says, raising an eye brow. "Lou will have my guts you know."
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
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
So Steve and Kate arrive at the Hangar. Everybody is gone .... they know now, the destination of McCord. What would be the logical choice, since they do not know, what happened on the plane? Mounting an rescue operation .... so all paths converge in Central Africa. Showtime Good to see Kate again
Good to see Kate again 
Wow so many new parts to catch up on, so many twists and turns to follow. Excellent as always. Although I think I’d best not leave it too long to catch up in future. But then the problem with that is this is like a good book you can’t put down. In fact this should be a book. A novel for sale on the bookshelves. Or self published on Amazon or google or something.
Keep up the great work and I’ll keep up the enjoyment level.
Keep up the great work and I’ll keep up the enjoyment level.
The jet streaks over the plain towards the jungle cloaked mountains in the horizon, in the orange and purple tinged skies above central Africa.
Sasha exits the jet first, unable to contain her pure unbridled joy at the freedom she feels in freefall, as she whoops and swoops in the quiet skies.
"I have never felt anything like this." Nikita thinks, high above the earth, "The only heartbeats, I feel are Dani and Sasha. I don't feel like I belong to the earth any more. It is just my sisters and I up here." She tries to copy the movements Sasha is making and begin to laugh uncontrollably, giddy excitement.
Dani smiles to herself watching her sisters from above. "Africa wont know what hit it." She tucks her arms and legs in, to dart down next to her sisters and swoop and glide with them. The dive and circle around each other like birds of prey, fighting for dominance over the skies, relishing this moment, as a bulwark against what is to come.
Dani signals her sisters, bringing them in closer, they freefall face down with arms spread and form a triangle, linking hands. Dani nods a count of three and they push apart and pull the cords on their parachutes, each feeling a pang of sadness that their flight will soon be over.
Nikita relaxes under the canopy of her parachute, enjoying the feeling of floating, in contrast to the adrenaline of freefall. "I am beginning to feel the heartbeats of life below, I recognise birds, for what they are but there is so many new beats down their. It almost feels like the world is slowly revealing itself to me, so I can learn all its treasures."
Sasha gazes in wonder at the vista before her, the endless plain to her left reaching as far as the sun, bisected by a river of gold and silver. The edge of the jungle to her right, from her vantage point, appearing as a silken cloak of darkest green, swathing the land and the base of the mountains, that pierce the jungle canopy like massive jagged teeth of grey, tipped in white.
Dani nods to herself, seeing a few patches of rocks near to the edge of the jungle, "They could work for a camp site. Close enough to the river and the jungle for water and wood for the night, but far enough that we aren't likely to be disturbed by local predators. Might even be able to get some fish before the sun sets and the crocodiles go on the prowl." She sighs to herself, "Shame we are not here under better circumstances, it really is beautiful here."
Nikita tries to remember what Dani said about landing, as she pulls on the left toggle of her chute to swings towards, where her sisters wait for her. She sees the ground approaching fast and pulls both toggles of her chute and brings up her legs. "I want to do this right, so Dani and Sasha can be proud of me." She thinks, as she prepares to touch down, as if it is the only thing that has ever mattered to her.
She puts her feet down gently and keeps her balance, turning quickly to gather her parachute, as she had seen Dani and Sasha do from above, albeit with hands shaking more that she bet her sisters did. She is so focused, that she is startled by the soft touch of Dani's hand on her shoulder. "You made me jump."
Dani giggles, "No I didn't you leap of of the plane without being told twice." Seeing Nikita smile, she says, "You are trembling. Take off you pack and have a rest for a minute, I will take care of this."
"Thank you, Dani." Nikita says, her eyes moistening with tears, "Thank you both. Not just for this, but for everything. You are the best sisters, anyone could ever want."
Sasha bounces over to them and hugs Nikita and Dani, "Thank you too, Niki. You are amazing."
Dani adds, "You are both amazing. Since having you guys in my life, I feel like I am not alone any more."
Nikita allows tears to flow unimpeded, "I love you guys."
Dani feels herself get a little choked with tears, "Love you too."
Sasha climbs the small rocky outcrop and drops down in to the naturally formed bowl within with an armful of dry timber from the jungle's edge. She works in silence, piling up the wood in the middle of the twenty foot bowl and laying out the sleeping bags from their packs in a circle around the edge of the camp. She uses some dry grass from the plain as kindling and lights a fire, with a knife and flint as she was shown in Sea Cadets, a lifetime ago. Once the fire is lit she lays some flat stones around the fire angles towards the flames.
She leans back on a rock and looks up at the slowly darkening sky, seeking the first stars to show themselves, "This is beautiful, so peaceful compared to the madness of the last two days." She reflects, climbing to the lip of the bowl to look out over the plain, for signs of her sisters. In the distance she hears the sound of the night time jungle start to come to life in a cacophony from those who call it home.
Sasha waves, spotting Nikita and Dani return from the river with their catches. Dani and Nikita return her wave and begin to jog back to camp.
"Looks like you did well." Sasha says, impresses at the sight of the catch.
Dani smiles and shakes her head and looks over to where Nikita is drying off by the fire, "So I am sitting there, on the bank, trying to make a hook out of thorns and work out what I can use for a line and before I know it there is a splash and Niki has dived in naked for a wash. I shout out to her about crocodiles and she carries on like nothing's nothing." Dani tries not to laugh as she continues, "Then there is this splash and she is gone. I have my gun drawn and am running along the bank looking for a sign of her and then these fish start flying out of the water onto the bank. Then calm as you like, Niki starts walking up out of the river, with a soppy grin on her face and asks, 'Will that be enough?' Never seen anything like it."
"I could sense their heartbeats and was quick enough to grab them and throw them onto shore, before they could react." Nikita thinks to herself, plaiting her damp hair, "I had no idea, I could do that."
"Thought it might be useful to gut and prep them by the river, rather that stink up camp." Dani explains. "Any idea how to cook them?"
Sasha lays the fish on the flat stones around the fire with a sizzle. "They should cook ok on these. Will turn them in a few minutes."
"Cool. Will get some rice on." Dani says brightly, pulling out a mess tin and adding water and rice.
"What are we doing here?" Sasha asks in a low voice, so that Nikita cannot hear.
"Making dinner, what do you think we are doing?" Dani answers quietly, in a confused tone.
"No. What are we doing here? In Africa, poorly equipped, miles from Lund, without transport." Sasha whispers in a conspiratorial tone., "You always have a plan. Come on spill."
"Lund's resources are being chipped away, gold, key people, jet, prisoners. He has fallen back to a place he thinks is safe. But now, his jet is gone and he will commit resources to retrieve it. He will commit at least one helicopter and a number of good people to find it and get us back." Dani explains, pausing as if wrestling with a difficult truth. "We are out of the firing line at the moment and can rest and marshal our resources. We head out before dawn and go to the crash site. We will get there for first light in the morning and it is unlikely that Lund's people would have found the plane by then. We can take out his capture team and force his helicopter crew to take us to his base. Then we dismantle his operation before he knows what hit him."
"What about dad? He will work out where we are and is probably in the air on his way already." Sasha says, stirring the rice, with the tip of a stilleto dagger.
"He will need to arrange transport which will take time. In the mean time, news of our jets crash may have leaked. Certainly will do by the time he is in the area. He will look for the plane and will want to check it himself. If I am right, he will be able to come with us to Lund's base."
"What's going on?" Nikita says, sitting next to Dani. "Damn that fish smells so good."
"We are just talking about tomorrow. We'll get an early start and head for the crash site. Should only take a couple of hours from here." Dani smiles, putting her arm around Nikita.
"Four miles through the jungle and then climb a mountain in two hours?" Sasha says, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Ok, maybe three hours." Dani grins.
As Sasha and Dani serve the rice and fish, Nikita rummages in her bag. Dani calls over, "Dinner is served babe."
Nikita bounces over and sets down a small bottle of white wine before Dani and Sasha, "Grabbed them from the plane. Thought it might be nice." She says, biting her lip nervously.
"As if eating fish caught by hand, under the stars of an African evening, with my sisters, wasn't good enough, now we have wine." Sasha says with a grin.
"Niki, you are full of surprises. I think you should make a toast." Dani says, with a gentle smile.
Nikita opens her bottle and raises it, "To us, The unstoppable deadly sisters." Sasha and Dani raise their bottles, echoing her toast and clinking her bottle.
They all giggle and begin shovelling fork fulls of fish and rice into their mouths, "Damn this is good. I had no idea how hungry I was." Dani admits, between hurried mouthfuls.
Nikita barely pauses from her meal to nod in agreement, whilst Sasha takes a calmer approach, savouring each mouthful. "This is beautiful. Under the stars. Lovely meal. Just us. It really is perfect."
Sasha exits the jet first, unable to contain her pure unbridled joy at the freedom she feels in freefall, as she whoops and swoops in the quiet skies.
"I have never felt anything like this." Nikita thinks, high above the earth, "The only heartbeats, I feel are Dani and Sasha. I don't feel like I belong to the earth any more. It is just my sisters and I up here." She tries to copy the movements Sasha is making and begin to laugh uncontrollably, giddy excitement.
Dani smiles to herself watching her sisters from above. "Africa wont know what hit it." She tucks her arms and legs in, to dart down next to her sisters and swoop and glide with them. The dive and circle around each other like birds of prey, fighting for dominance over the skies, relishing this moment, as a bulwark against what is to come.
Dani signals her sisters, bringing them in closer, they freefall face down with arms spread and form a triangle, linking hands. Dani nods a count of three and they push apart and pull the cords on their parachutes, each feeling a pang of sadness that their flight will soon be over.
Nikita relaxes under the canopy of her parachute, enjoying the feeling of floating, in contrast to the adrenaline of freefall. "I am beginning to feel the heartbeats of life below, I recognise birds, for what they are but there is so many new beats down their. It almost feels like the world is slowly revealing itself to me, so I can learn all its treasures."
Sasha gazes in wonder at the vista before her, the endless plain to her left reaching as far as the sun, bisected by a river of gold and silver. The edge of the jungle to her right, from her vantage point, appearing as a silken cloak of darkest green, swathing the land and the base of the mountains, that pierce the jungle canopy like massive jagged teeth of grey, tipped in white.
Dani nods to herself, seeing a few patches of rocks near to the edge of the jungle, "They could work for a camp site. Close enough to the river and the jungle for water and wood for the night, but far enough that we aren't likely to be disturbed by local predators. Might even be able to get some fish before the sun sets and the crocodiles go on the prowl." She sighs to herself, "Shame we are not here under better circumstances, it really is beautiful here."
Nikita tries to remember what Dani said about landing, as she pulls on the left toggle of her chute to swings towards, where her sisters wait for her. She sees the ground approaching fast and pulls both toggles of her chute and brings up her legs. "I want to do this right, so Dani and Sasha can be proud of me." She thinks, as she prepares to touch down, as if it is the only thing that has ever mattered to her.
She puts her feet down gently and keeps her balance, turning quickly to gather her parachute, as she had seen Dani and Sasha do from above, albeit with hands shaking more that she bet her sisters did. She is so focused, that she is startled by the soft touch of Dani's hand on her shoulder. "You made me jump."
Dani giggles, "No I didn't you leap of of the plane without being told twice." Seeing Nikita smile, she says, "You are trembling. Take off you pack and have a rest for a minute, I will take care of this."
"Thank you, Dani." Nikita says, her eyes moistening with tears, "Thank you both. Not just for this, but for everything. You are the best sisters, anyone could ever want."
Sasha bounces over to them and hugs Nikita and Dani, "Thank you too, Niki. You are amazing."
Dani adds, "You are both amazing. Since having you guys in my life, I feel like I am not alone any more."
Nikita allows tears to flow unimpeded, "I love you guys."
Dani feels herself get a little choked with tears, "Love you too."
Sasha climbs the small rocky outcrop and drops down in to the naturally formed bowl within with an armful of dry timber from the jungle's edge. She works in silence, piling up the wood in the middle of the twenty foot bowl and laying out the sleeping bags from their packs in a circle around the edge of the camp. She uses some dry grass from the plain as kindling and lights a fire, with a knife and flint as she was shown in Sea Cadets, a lifetime ago. Once the fire is lit she lays some flat stones around the fire angles towards the flames.
She leans back on a rock and looks up at the slowly darkening sky, seeking the first stars to show themselves, "This is beautiful, so peaceful compared to the madness of the last two days." She reflects, climbing to the lip of the bowl to look out over the plain, for signs of her sisters. In the distance she hears the sound of the night time jungle start to come to life in a cacophony from those who call it home.
Sasha waves, spotting Nikita and Dani return from the river with their catches. Dani and Nikita return her wave and begin to jog back to camp.
"Looks like you did well." Sasha says, impresses at the sight of the catch.
Dani smiles and shakes her head and looks over to where Nikita is drying off by the fire, "So I am sitting there, on the bank, trying to make a hook out of thorns and work out what I can use for a line and before I know it there is a splash and Niki has dived in naked for a wash. I shout out to her about crocodiles and she carries on like nothing's nothing." Dani tries not to laugh as she continues, "Then there is this splash and she is gone. I have my gun drawn and am running along the bank looking for a sign of her and then these fish start flying out of the water onto the bank. Then calm as you like, Niki starts walking up out of the river, with a soppy grin on her face and asks, 'Will that be enough?' Never seen anything like it."
"I could sense their heartbeats and was quick enough to grab them and throw them onto shore, before they could react." Nikita thinks to herself, plaiting her damp hair, "I had no idea, I could do that."
"Thought it might be useful to gut and prep them by the river, rather that stink up camp." Dani explains. "Any idea how to cook them?"
Sasha lays the fish on the flat stones around the fire with a sizzle. "They should cook ok on these. Will turn them in a few minutes."
"Cool. Will get some rice on." Dani says brightly, pulling out a mess tin and adding water and rice.
"What are we doing here?" Sasha asks in a low voice, so that Nikita cannot hear.
"Making dinner, what do you think we are doing?" Dani answers quietly, in a confused tone.
"No. What are we doing here? In Africa, poorly equipped, miles from Lund, without transport." Sasha whispers in a conspiratorial tone., "You always have a plan. Come on spill."
"Lund's resources are being chipped away, gold, key people, jet, prisoners. He has fallen back to a place he thinks is safe. But now, his jet is gone and he will commit resources to retrieve it. He will commit at least one helicopter and a number of good people to find it and get us back." Dani explains, pausing as if wrestling with a difficult truth. "We are out of the firing line at the moment and can rest and marshal our resources. We head out before dawn and go to the crash site. We will get there for first light in the morning and it is unlikely that Lund's people would have found the plane by then. We can take out his capture team and force his helicopter crew to take us to his base. Then we dismantle his operation before he knows what hit him."
"What about dad? He will work out where we are and is probably in the air on his way already." Sasha says, stirring the rice, with the tip of a stilleto dagger.
"He will need to arrange transport which will take time. In the mean time, news of our jets crash may have leaked. Certainly will do by the time he is in the area. He will look for the plane and will want to check it himself. If I am right, he will be able to come with us to Lund's base."
"What's going on?" Nikita says, sitting next to Dani. "Damn that fish smells so good."
"We are just talking about tomorrow. We'll get an early start and head for the crash site. Should only take a couple of hours from here." Dani smiles, putting her arm around Nikita.
"Four miles through the jungle and then climb a mountain in two hours?" Sasha says, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Ok, maybe three hours." Dani grins.
As Sasha and Dani serve the rice and fish, Nikita rummages in her bag. Dani calls over, "Dinner is served babe."
Nikita bounces over and sets down a small bottle of white wine before Dani and Sasha, "Grabbed them from the plane. Thought it might be nice." She says, biting her lip nervously.
"As if eating fish caught by hand, under the stars of an African evening, with my sisters, wasn't good enough, now we have wine." Sasha says with a grin.
"Niki, you are full of surprises. I think you should make a toast." Dani says, with a gentle smile.
Nikita opens her bottle and raises it, "To us, The unstoppable deadly sisters." Sasha and Dani raise their bottles, echoing her toast and clinking her bottle.
They all giggle and begin shovelling fork fulls of fish and rice into their mouths, "Damn this is good. I had no idea how hungry I was." Dani admits, between hurried mouthfuls.
Nikita barely pauses from her meal to nod in agreement, whilst Sasha takes a calmer approach, savouring each mouthful. "This is beautiful. Under the stars. Lovely meal. Just us. It really is perfect."
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
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
You created three great characters with the sisters. How they grow, how they interact. Especially Nikita. I was a little sceptical at first, how she would fit in. But she does, beautifully.
Last edited by Caesar73 3 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
"You don't even know if they are there." Louise says, gently stroking Steve's arm.
"I know it is a long shot, but I have to do this." Steve says, kissing her cheek.
"You are not a one man army Steve, you can't do this alone." Louise protests, pulling away from him and starting to pull equipment from the weapon rack in the ready room.
"Lou, wait." Steve says, turning to her, when she ignores him, he gently places a hand on her shoulder and turns her to face him, "Lou, I love you so much and there is no one I would rather have by my side. But you are the CEO of a multi billion pound company, you can't drop everything. You have too many responsibilities."
She opens her mouth to argue, but, knows he is right, "I hate this. I worry that this is always going to come between us."
"You are in my heart where ever I go. I feel you with me. Whatever life throws our way, however far apart we are, we face it together." Steve assures her warmly, before giving her a hug.
They embrace in silence until Louise speaks softly, "I am with you in spirit whatever you do. But I mean it Steve you can't do this alone."
"I have to go and there is no time to get support in." He says sadly, "Besides, once I find them, they will back me up."
"At least let me walk you to the plane." Louise asks, huskily.
"I would be honoured." Steve says, with a nod.
Steve stands ready in full battle dress, camoflage fatigues made of kevlar interweave, AK74 with countless reloads in combat webbing, and a 9mm GSH-18 automatic pistol under his left arm, threaded with a silencer. His arsenal is complete by a tranq gun at the base of his spine, a knife strapped to his ankle and a liberal sprinkling of grenades and plastic explosives.
Louise nods appreciatively at his loadout, "Listen up soldier, I order you to come back safely." She smiles and bites her lip.
"Yes Ma'am" Steve says, snapping a salute and giving Louise a smile, that still makes her feel weak at the knees.
He loops his arm in hers and they walk towards the door of the suite. She stops him and turns to face him, gently teasing his lips with her own, before they allow their tongues to lock in a passionate embrace. They separate reluctantly with Steve gazing down at his beautiful wife and whispering, "There will be more of that and a lot more, wheh I return."
Steve opens the door to the suite to find that the corridor is not as empty as he had believed.
"Bloody hell mate, I thought you were never going to put her down. We going to Africa or what?" Mike asks, with a grin and a wink.
Steve surveys the corridor and sees Mike, Kate, Amy, Collins and Garvey all dressed in similar fatigues to himself, with a similar level of armament. The only exceptions are the Dragunov sniper rifles that Mike and Kate wield in place of AK's.
Garvey speaks first, " You are my brother Steve. Sasha saved my life and she is a great kid. I'm in."
Amy smiles and hefts her assault rifle at the ceiling using just the pistol grip, "We have gone through too much asa team to abandon you."
Kate rests her sniper rifle on her shoulder, "We are family. I am just annoyed Louise told me you were going and not you."
Collins leans against a wall, "I am in for all the times, we have raced out of warzones like the devil was chasing us. We brothers in arms mate. Besides, if I stay here, you will probably be walking home."
Steve chuckles and nods, "You're not wrong there. Thanks for this guys. But, this is my fight I can't ask any of you to come."
Garvey, shakes his head with a chuckle, "Behave yourself, silly bollocks. You aren't asking us, we're telling you we are going."
"Thanks guys." Steve says, a little choked up.
Steve waves to Louise from the window of the Hercules, until she has to move away to allow the plane to take off. Steeve sits back in his seat, reflecting on the task at hand. "I have no idea what we are flying into. If this goes to hell, I am glad she is safe." He shakes his head, subtly, "Who are you kidding, you wish Lou was here."
Kate takes the seat opposite him and Amy tucks into the seat next to her. "Thank you for not just taking off without seeing Lou. She would have had my guts for garters."
"I couldn't leave without saying good bye." Steve says, with a gentle smile, "Did you tell her to hold me up so you could get everyone together?"
"I started contacting everyone on the way back from the airport. But, yes, I did ask her." Kate confesses, "Can you forgive me?"
"Nothing to forgive. I am glad to have everyone with me. Thanks Kate." Steve says, with a smile. "We have a few hours in the air, before we get close. Might be an idea to get some shut eye on the way."
Mike Ryan hops into the seat next to Steve, with a nod to Kate and Amy, "Evening ladies."
"Hi Mike. How is it going?" Kate asks, warmly.
"Got the message, just as I was dropping off the canister from London to Dr. Bryce. Caught a lift with Garvey and Collins." He responds, returning her smile.
"Any idea what was in the canister?" Steve asks, lightly.
"Bryce said something about unfertilised eggs. He said he will store them for a bit." Ryan shrugs.
The colour drains from Steve's face as he rises from his seat and pulls out his phone, "Excuse me for a moment, I need to make a phone call."
Steve returns to his seat to find it has already been taken. He raises an eyebrow and takes a seat as Ryan senses his approach and moves. "Welcome aboard." Steve says with a raised eyebrow.
Louise turns to him and smiles, "I couldn't stay behind, not this time. when I vowed to be with you for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, through good times and bad, I meant it"
He nods, putting his arm around her and kissing her cheek. "Truth be told, I am glad you are here. I need you to save me."
She sits up alert, "What do you mean?" She asks concerned.
He nods towards, Kate and Amy, nestled in each others arms, "You can save me from the lovebirds." He says with a warm smile at them both.
Louise laughs gently and playfully slaps his arm, "You soppy sod."
"Look, I have something to tell you." Steve says, allowing his smile to fade.
"That sounds bad." Louise thinks, straightening up.
"Mike picked up a chilled canister of unfertilised eggs from London. I have just spoken to Bryce. He is going to test them against your DNA to see if they are yours." Steve says, gently.
The world seems to lurch around Louise, while she tries to understand the ramifications of what she has just heard. "So, I could have my eggs back?" She says, barely whispering, "All I need is a uterus now." She says with tears in her eyes.
Amy looks at her sideways, with a frown She leans across to her and places a gently hand on her arm. "Lou? It is possible to get pregnant with IVF even if you don't have a uterus."
Louise sits in stunned silence and her gaze flicks between Steve and Amy, "Really?"
Amy simply smiles and nods.
Steve and Lou doze in each others arms, while the rest of the team sleeps. The captain of the Hercules, enters the cabin of the aircraft. He rubs his chin and reluctantly walks over to Steve and shakes his shoulder.
Steve wakes instantly and looks up at the grave expression of the captain. He nods and gently eases, Louise off of his shoulder and settles her in her seat, before silently rising to his feet. Steve points to the cockpit and follows as the captain leads the way.
He closes the cockpit door behind him and leans against the wall. The captain removes his hat and in a somber tone speaks, slowly, "We have been monitoring radio chatter and we have confirmed that a jet has gone down in the mountains near to Lund facility at Nyambe. Indications are that the jet is a match for the McCord jet."
"What is the condition of the craft? Has it been located?" Steve asks, processing the options.
"Went off the radar late yesterday evening, due to inclement, weather no search has been launched yet. Chatter indicates that search parties will be dispatched at first light." Captain Smith reports, "Looks like the nearest airport is at Nyambe and Lund controls it."
"Ok we have a few hours to get there. Sasha and Dani have tracking devices wove into their clothing, if they still have their original clothes with them, we should be able to pick it up within a few miles of their location." Steve nods, thoughtfully.
"Those mountains are notorious for cross winds from the plains and shearing up and down drafts. There is a chance, even if we find them, it may be too late." Smith gently warns.
"I understand." Steve says, solemnly, "They are my children, I have to find them."
"That's fair. We know roughly where the plane went down, we will be in the area in about two hours." Smith confirms.
"Sounds good, I will rouse everyone in an hour or so." Steve says, nodding to himself.
"Even if we locate them, we will not be able to land in the mountains." Smith advises, calmly.
"Don't worry, we have jump gear and we can make our own way back." Steve, says, looking Smith in the eyes.
"You're the boss." Smith says, shaking his head in disbelief, but knowing that arguing is not an option.
"I know it is a long shot, but I have to do this." Steve says, kissing her cheek.
"You are not a one man army Steve, you can't do this alone." Louise protests, pulling away from him and starting to pull equipment from the weapon rack in the ready room.
"Lou, wait." Steve says, turning to her, when she ignores him, he gently places a hand on her shoulder and turns her to face him, "Lou, I love you so much and there is no one I would rather have by my side. But you are the CEO of a multi billion pound company, you can't drop everything. You have too many responsibilities."
She opens her mouth to argue, but, knows he is right, "I hate this. I worry that this is always going to come between us."
"You are in my heart where ever I go. I feel you with me. Whatever life throws our way, however far apart we are, we face it together." Steve assures her warmly, before giving her a hug.
They embrace in silence until Louise speaks softly, "I am with you in spirit whatever you do. But I mean it Steve you can't do this alone."
"I have to go and there is no time to get support in." He says sadly, "Besides, once I find them, they will back me up."
"At least let me walk you to the plane." Louise asks, huskily.
"I would be honoured." Steve says, with a nod.
Steve stands ready in full battle dress, camoflage fatigues made of kevlar interweave, AK74 with countless reloads in combat webbing, and a 9mm GSH-18 automatic pistol under his left arm, threaded with a silencer. His arsenal is complete by a tranq gun at the base of his spine, a knife strapped to his ankle and a liberal sprinkling of grenades and plastic explosives.
Louise nods appreciatively at his loadout, "Listen up soldier, I order you to come back safely." She smiles and bites her lip.
"Yes Ma'am" Steve says, snapping a salute and giving Louise a smile, that still makes her feel weak at the knees.
He loops his arm in hers and they walk towards the door of the suite. She stops him and turns to face him, gently teasing his lips with her own, before they allow their tongues to lock in a passionate embrace. They separate reluctantly with Steve gazing down at his beautiful wife and whispering, "There will be more of that and a lot more, wheh I return."
Steve opens the door to the suite to find that the corridor is not as empty as he had believed.
"Bloody hell mate, I thought you were never going to put her down. We going to Africa or what?" Mike asks, with a grin and a wink.
Steve surveys the corridor and sees Mike, Kate, Amy, Collins and Garvey all dressed in similar fatigues to himself, with a similar level of armament. The only exceptions are the Dragunov sniper rifles that Mike and Kate wield in place of AK's.
Garvey speaks first, " You are my brother Steve. Sasha saved my life and she is a great kid. I'm in."
Amy smiles and hefts her assault rifle at the ceiling using just the pistol grip, "We have gone through too much asa team to abandon you."
Kate rests her sniper rifle on her shoulder, "We are family. I am just annoyed Louise told me you were going and not you."
Collins leans against a wall, "I am in for all the times, we have raced out of warzones like the devil was chasing us. We brothers in arms mate. Besides, if I stay here, you will probably be walking home."
Steve chuckles and nods, "You're not wrong there. Thanks for this guys. But, this is my fight I can't ask any of you to come."
Garvey, shakes his head with a chuckle, "Behave yourself, silly bollocks. You aren't asking us, we're telling you we are going."
"Thanks guys." Steve says, a little choked up.
Steve waves to Louise from the window of the Hercules, until she has to move away to allow the plane to take off. Steeve sits back in his seat, reflecting on the task at hand. "I have no idea what we are flying into. If this goes to hell, I am glad she is safe." He shakes his head, subtly, "Who are you kidding, you wish Lou was here."
Kate takes the seat opposite him and Amy tucks into the seat next to her. "Thank you for not just taking off without seeing Lou. She would have had my guts for garters."
"I couldn't leave without saying good bye." Steve says, with a gentle smile, "Did you tell her to hold me up so you could get everyone together?"
"I started contacting everyone on the way back from the airport. But, yes, I did ask her." Kate confesses, "Can you forgive me?"
"Nothing to forgive. I am glad to have everyone with me. Thanks Kate." Steve says, with a smile. "We have a few hours in the air, before we get close. Might be an idea to get some shut eye on the way."
Mike Ryan hops into the seat next to Steve, with a nod to Kate and Amy, "Evening ladies."
"Hi Mike. How is it going?" Kate asks, warmly.
"Got the message, just as I was dropping off the canister from London to Dr. Bryce. Caught a lift with Garvey and Collins." He responds, returning her smile.
"Any idea what was in the canister?" Steve asks, lightly.
"Bryce said something about unfertilised eggs. He said he will store them for a bit." Ryan shrugs.
The colour drains from Steve's face as he rises from his seat and pulls out his phone, "Excuse me for a moment, I need to make a phone call."
Steve returns to his seat to find it has already been taken. He raises an eyebrow and takes a seat as Ryan senses his approach and moves. "Welcome aboard." Steve says with a raised eyebrow.
Louise turns to him and smiles, "I couldn't stay behind, not this time. when I vowed to be with you for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, through good times and bad, I meant it"
He nods, putting his arm around her and kissing her cheek. "Truth be told, I am glad you are here. I need you to save me."
She sits up alert, "What do you mean?" She asks concerned.
He nods towards, Kate and Amy, nestled in each others arms, "You can save me from the lovebirds." He says with a warm smile at them both.
Louise laughs gently and playfully slaps his arm, "You soppy sod."
"Look, I have something to tell you." Steve says, allowing his smile to fade.
"That sounds bad." Louise thinks, straightening up.
"Mike picked up a chilled canister of unfertilised eggs from London. I have just spoken to Bryce. He is going to test them against your DNA to see if they are yours." Steve says, gently.
The world seems to lurch around Louise, while she tries to understand the ramifications of what she has just heard. "So, I could have my eggs back?" She says, barely whispering, "All I need is a uterus now." She says with tears in her eyes.
Amy looks at her sideways, with a frown She leans across to her and places a gently hand on her arm. "Lou? It is possible to get pregnant with IVF even if you don't have a uterus."
Louise sits in stunned silence and her gaze flicks between Steve and Amy, "Really?"
Amy simply smiles and nods.
Steve and Lou doze in each others arms, while the rest of the team sleeps. The captain of the Hercules, enters the cabin of the aircraft. He rubs his chin and reluctantly walks over to Steve and shakes his shoulder.
Steve wakes instantly and looks up at the grave expression of the captain. He nods and gently eases, Louise off of his shoulder and settles her in her seat, before silently rising to his feet. Steve points to the cockpit and follows as the captain leads the way.
He closes the cockpit door behind him and leans against the wall. The captain removes his hat and in a somber tone speaks, slowly, "We have been monitoring radio chatter and we have confirmed that a jet has gone down in the mountains near to Lund facility at Nyambe. Indications are that the jet is a match for the McCord jet."
"What is the condition of the craft? Has it been located?" Steve asks, processing the options.
"Went off the radar late yesterday evening, due to inclement, weather no search has been launched yet. Chatter indicates that search parties will be dispatched at first light." Captain Smith reports, "Looks like the nearest airport is at Nyambe and Lund controls it."
"Ok we have a few hours to get there. Sasha and Dani have tracking devices wove into their clothing, if they still have their original clothes with them, we should be able to pick it up within a few miles of their location." Steve nods, thoughtfully.
"Those mountains are notorious for cross winds from the plains and shearing up and down drafts. There is a chance, even if we find them, it may be too late." Smith gently warns.
"I understand." Steve says, solemnly, "They are my children, I have to find them."
"That's fair. We know roughly where the plane went down, we will be in the area in about two hours." Smith confirms.
"Sounds good, I will rouse everyone in an hour or so." Steve says, nodding to himself.
"Even if we locate them, we will not be able to land in the mountains." Smith advises, calmly.
"Don't worry, we have jump gear and we can make our own way back." Steve, says, looking Smith in the eyes.
"You're the boss." Smith says, shaking his head in disbelief, but knowing that arguing is not an option.
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
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
Thanks mate, it was a risk with her but I think she is different enough to Dani and Sasha to stand on her own without overshadowing them.
Dani is the brain, well trained, smart and hyper-competent. She has a lot of useful skills and the will, tactical and insightful nature of Steve.
Sasha is the heart, compassionate, powerful in her own right but lacks Dani's insight and willingness to use firearms. She is physically adept and adaptable with Steve's adaptibility.
Nikita is the body in some ways, a few abilities, with power and toughness abounds, but few skills that she can bring to bear and little experience so she makes mistakes and leaps before she looks.
Individually they are good, but together they compliment each other in so many ways.
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
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