Revelation (M/F) (F/M) - A sequel to Devastation

[wolfman]

"Oh man." Nikita thinks as she is pulled brutally back to her own body, with flashes from Sasha's life. Her heart aches with the pain in Sasha's heart and it breaks at her sisters sorrow. 

Nikita's eyes drift open and she sees Sasha being comforted by her father. With every ounce of her strength, she pulls her arm free from the blanket and places a hand on her sister's leg. 

Sasha jumps at her sisters touch and looks down to see Nikita returning her gaze. "Thank you." Nikita says softly, her voice hoarse. 

Steve gently whispers to her, "I thought we'd lost you."

"Sorry I am a bit late, my life and the lives of everyone I brought back, flashed before my eyes. It was too much." Nikita says breathlessly. "Until Sasha tears washed everything away." 

Steve and Sasha gently lift her and help her to sit on one of the bench seats. Sasha wraps an arm around her and let's Nikita rest her head on her shoulder. "It is so good to have you back."

Nikita rests her head on Sasha's shoulder and speaks dreamily, "It was odd. Normally when I die my life flashes before my eyes and then I am back. This time, I saw you, Dani, dad and Lou in an early memory. You all spoke to me and made me realise a few things."

"What do you mean we spoke to you?" Sasha asks frowning. 

"A woman I used to work with tied me up at work and long story, short, I died. You freed me after I died and we all spoke about how I died and came back without realising it. I have always been able to come back." Nikita says, softly, but with a new strength. "I worked at a supermarket and I always saw that as a bad thing, but it was just what I did to get by. With limited options, I did what I had to do. I am proud of that."

Amy smiles and chips in, "It is possible that your sub-conscious spoke to you, using familiar faces, as avatars. In effect you told yourself what you already knew."

"Since I met you, you have done what you thought was right, that takes strength and courage. You are so brave." Sasha says, warmly.

Nikita sits forward sharply, realising that she can sense everyone in the cabin and looks around her, before locking eyes with Sasha, with trembling lips, she asks, "Where's Dani?"



Nikita sits numb, staring at the floor, "For all she knew, I was dead and she sacrificed herself to save my body."

"She blamed herself for everything that happened and I think that, she didn't want to fail you again." Sasha says, sadly.

"Wow." Nikita says softly, "I never realised she cared so much about me. I thought it was only one way."

"She cared immensely. Dani loved you." Sasha says, with a tearful smile, "She loved everyone."

"I wish I could have gotten to know her better." Kate says, lighting a cigarette, offering one to Nikita. 

Nikita accepts and lights it with shaking hands, "These are pretty much the only thing from my old life, I have left."
 
"Well, moving forward, you have all of us. We are all here for you." Steve says, gently.

"Thanks dad." Nikita smiles. 



"Are we going to look for Dani?" Sasha asks, hopefully. 

"We need to get clear and set up a proper search party." Steve says, working out what they will need. 

"Drop Sasha and I down there, we will follow the river and I should be able to sense her.". Nikita says, fighting to sit up. 

Sasha places a gentle hand on her shoulder, "You are too weak right now. You need to rest. I will go."

"Neither of you are going. Niki, Sasha is right, you are too weakened. Sasha, you are so capable, but you haven't got the skills to survive alone down there." Steve says, regretfully, "I will go alone."

"The hell you are. If you go, I go." Louise says, getting to her feet.

"We all go, or we all get out of here." Kate, interjects, "No half measures."

"Whatever we do, we do it fast this bird is pretty much running on fumes." Collins says, "We have maybe an hours air time before this becomes a giant paper weight."

Steve looks at Sasha and Nikita seeing the fatigue and pain in their eyes. "They would jump out at speed if they thought it would help Dani. But they are both too exhausted to drop into a jungle. I can't risk losing them." He thinks, sadly.

Quietly he nods to himself, before speaking, "This area is too hot. We can't stay. We need to get out of here, regroup and come up with a plan." He closes his eyes, feeling the weight of the words he has just uttered.

"No. We can't just abandon her." Sasha cries, pleadingly, "We just can't. We have to save her."

"We have to save ourselves first, then we come back for her." Steve says, with a heavy heart.

Nikita looks at the open door and places her hand on the floor and weakly begins to crawl towards the exit, with singular purpose. Hand over hand, as fast as her weakened body will allow. Louise realises what she is doing and drops to the floor beside her throwing her arms around her. "Please Niki, just stop. You are not in a fit state. You need to rest."

Nikita curses her weakness, unable to escape Louise's grip. She hangs her head and mournfully says, "I need Dani."

Under his breath, Steve whispers, "So do I."



Three days later

The sun beats down, with furious intent. The air is thick with the scents of the jungle one side of the river and the dust from the savannah the other. Aside from the gentle rumble of the river, the banks are quiet.  Even the insects, still their wings, as three figures proceed along the river.

Steve, Sasha and Nikita had followed the river for two days, Steve on the jungle bank and Sasha on the savannah side, with Nikita in a small motor boat, running along the centre of the river, monitoring life pulses. Aside from a couple of close calls with crocodiles, it had passed without incident.

"Got something." Sasha calls out standing at the bank.

Nikita steers the boat to the other bank to pick up her father. He steps into the boat and sits back as she maneuvers the small vessel across the river, "You have picked this up well, Niki. You are a natural. Dani will be so proud of you."

"Do you think she's still alive too?" Niki asks, hopefully.

"Never a doubt in my mind. I can still feel her in here." He says, tapping his chest.

They join Sasha on the bank and stare at the shallow furrow in the dust. "Well spotted." Steve says, crouching next to the trail, examining the marks on the ground. "She was hurt." He says thoughtfully, "Dragged herself out of the water, using her hands. The tracks are defined quite well, given the amount of traffic from the local wildlife, we could be talking early hours of the morning."

Nikita starts running, following the trail, sprinting away from the river calling her sister's name. "Dani."

"Niki, wait." Steve shouts, after her. Breaking into a run with Sasha at his side.

Nikita wipes the sweat from her brow and stares back at the river and her sister and father behind her, "We are ten miles from where she went in to the river. It is a miracle she made it this far." She thinks reaching down into the tracks, Dani made crawling from the river, hoping in some way to touch her sister.

"Miles of rapids, rocks, crocodiles, to climb out here." Nikita's heart leaps, as she reaches the crest of the hill. "We are getting close." She calls out, ignoring the tracks becoming more bloody as she proceeds. But as she reaches the crest of the hill, her heart sinks.



Sasha stares at the patch of blood, at her feet, dimly aware of her father speaking. "Looks like she made it this far and collapsed." He says looking at the disturbed and bloody ground. "The place is littered with lion tracks, I can't tell much more than that, the ground is too disturbed."

Sasha stands quietly, staring at the ground. Steve, puts his arm around her, but she shrugs away, wordlessly. Again he tries and again she ducks out of his embrace. "Sasha-" He begins, in a pained tone.

"No." She shouts, "You stopped us from trying earlier, we could have found her and saved her."

"We would never have found her in time." Nikita says, pushing through her own grief. "We have been searching for two days."

"Bullshit. You could have sensed her if we flew low and slow." Sasha says, voicing her grief and lashing out.

"It was too dangerous. We had the local military closing in and we were low on fuel." Steve says, feeling his daughter's pain.

Sasha sinks to her knees, "She can't be gone. I still feel her."

Nikita kneels with her sister and slips an arm around her shoulder, as they mourn the loss of their sister. Steve crouches beside them and wraps his arms around his daughter's and the three become united in their grief.

[Caesar73]

The emotional intensity of this chapter is awesome - but there is still some hope for Dani, how slim it might be.

[slackywacky]

Darn, more new chapters... I have to catch up. Maybe less playing games on the computer and more reading...

[wolfman]

Eighteen Months Later

The stale air is thick with the smell of cheap booze, tobacco smoke and sweat in the small beach bar on the outskirts of Kampot. The neon lights above the door, soon give way to a feral, low lit gloom inside.

"You want another?" The Cambodian bar tender asks, polishing a glass.

The drinker, takes a pull on her cigarette and thinks to herself for a moment, before responding, "I can still remember my name. Hit me." She says, in Khmer.

The bartender snatches a bottle of vodka off of the shelf and slaps the glass on the bar, filling it with a double. The drinker slides over her change and knocks back the shot in one gulp.

A tinny voice blares over the bars PA system in Khmer, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have another challenger for our reigning champion. Place your bets everybody. See if the Volcano, has what it takes to defeat The Zombie."

The drinker takes a last drag on her cigarette and flicks it on the floor, to the protests of the bar tender, "Hey bitch, pick that up." He barks.

The drinker stops and turns to him with a gaze that grips him lovingly between his legs. She cooes back at him, "I would honey, but I love watching you bend over for it."

The drinker pushes through the crowd and enters the arena. The crowd cheers, as soon as she emerges. She shambles around the arena in tattered black leather biker trousers and jacket, her pure white, sweat slicked hair, flowing around her shoulders and sticking to her face like a mask.

The crowd parts and she smiles to herself seeing her opponent, "Six foot eight tall at least, built like a tank. Starred up Vory enforcer by the look of it. Maybe he is the key to letting go of the pain I feel." 



She circles left watching him assume a low stance, forearms up like a boxer, hands open. She fixes him with her gaze, and speaks in English accented Russian, "Let's see what you've got, big man."

She slowly moves closer to her foe and raises her eyebrows in surprise, when he springs forward, with a speed at odds with his size. He comes in low and hard, trying to tackle her, she leaps forward, placing a hand on his back, pushing him down, as she vaults over him.

The Zombie, sighs, spinning and lunging at his back as he stumbles. She unleashes five rapid thumb strikes to his right armpit, paralysing his arm. His left arm goes instinctively to clutch his right in pain. In that moment, she places her hand on his left elbow and shoves hard spinning him to face her. 

He launches a blow at her jaw, but she is already ducking under the blow. At the moment his fist passes through the spot where her jaw was a split second ago, the Volcano feels the first of a storm of hammer blows to his pelvis.

He lashes out with an awkward left jab, hoping to end the onslaught. Whilst he is strong, the blow glances harmlessly off of her shoulder. She grabs the inside of his wrist with her right hand, before he can pull back his arm and places her left against his elbow, shoving hard. With a frustrated "Ooff.", he finds himself face down on the mat. 

"Sorry fella." She whispers, with a twist and snap of his wrist. He howls in pain, trying to free his arm from her grip. "Do you yield?" She asks, in an almost bored tone. 

Her face saddens, when he continues to struggle. He howls again, when she snaps his elbow, blubbering to himself in the aftermath, trapped in a world of his own pain.

The stricken man's trainer storms into the ring, screaming in Russian and jabbing a finger in the Zombie's chest, as his fighter is carried out on a stretcher with a broken wrist, shattered elbow and a fractured pelvis.

The referee steps in and lifts the Zombie's hand, declaring her the winner, to boos from the assembled crowd. The fallen fighter's trainer is ushered away by the bar manager, whilst the Zombie looks on dispassionately.



She stands up slowly, stretching her back and rolling her shoulders before lighting a cigarette and pushing her way back to the bar.

The Zombie, retakes her seat at the bar and looks at her reflection in the mirror, ignoring the ghosts of those she has killed amongst the crowd behind her. She dabs a cut on her lip with a napkin from the bar and sighs.

"You want another?" The Cambodian bar tender asks, polishing a glass.

The drinker, takes a pull on her cigarette and thinks to herself for a moment, before responding, "I can still remember by name. Hit me." She says, in Khmer.

The bartender snatches a bottle of vodka off of the shelf and slaps the glass on the bar, filling it with a double. The drinker slides over her change and knocks back the shot in one gulp.

A tinny voice blares over the bars, PA system in Khmer, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have another challenger for our reigning champion. Place your bets everybody. See if the Cyclone, has what it takes to defeat The Zombie."



The Zombie emerges from the bar, squinting against the rising sun. She pats the pocket holding her share of the betting for the night and nods to herself, satisfied. She inhales the scents of the city, savouring the scent of freshly caught fish and rice from the local vendors, remembering that she needs to eat.

She walks unmolested through the early morning crowds, hunting for the freshest produce and fish. The masses seem to part subconsciously before her, aware on some level of the danger this woman possesses.

Her stool is free at Prem's stall and she takes a seat, in silence. Prem, a Cambodian man in his early sixties, places a bowl of steaming sticky rice, stir fried vegetables, prawns and fish before her. She opens a fresh pack of disposable chop sticks and devours the bowl in front of her, thinking, "This place proves to me that I am not quite dead inside. I couldn't appreciate the beauty of this simple food, without a soul."

The meal costs the equivalent of one US dollar, but the Zombie pays one hundred dollars, just like she does every day, despite Prem's unspoken objections. No words are exchanged between them, just a look shared betweeen and old soldier and a new warrior, in appreciation of each others crafts.

She drifts through the coastal town's streets, savouring the sights and sounds of this place. She does not plan her route, but as always, she arrives at the Buddhist temple at it's heart. She marvels at the wood and gold temple, lighting a joss stick and offering a prayer for those who need help finding peace.

The Zombie takes out the roll of cash from the bar and nods to herself, "About ten grand US." She strips around a thousand dollars in local currency from the roll and puts it into her pocket, the rest she deposits in the donation box for the temple, deciding, "At least they can do something good with this money."



The Zombie stumbles into the abandoned building she calls home, slowly swaying in the unlit corridors. she thinks to herself as she navigates the detritus filled halls, "I hate the sour, damp smell of this place, but it serves it's purpose well."

She trails her fingers along the wall, feeling every crack and imperfection in the buildings old walls. Tentatively, she steps over bricks that have fallen from the ceiling, dislodged by burst pipes and rain water. She looks up in the gloom at the exposed ceiling high above her head and stares at the dappled sunlight streaming through. "Even in this place there is beauty." She sighs, sadly, "I miss the beauty of my sisters smiles."

She wearily climbs the stairs and opens the door to the former office that serves as her room. She takes in the room with a sweep of her gaze and nods to herself, "Everything is as I left it, bucket in the corner, mattress on the floor, windows closed, empty box of nails on the floor, drill on the table, broken shock collars in the bin."

The Zombie steps over her welcome mat thinking, "'Only clean thing in here." She chuckles to herself, before she falls face down on the mattress and closes her eyes, "Now to wait."



Sergei crouches watching the old military buildiing and smiles to himself. "This will be easier than I thought." He looks at the men with him and addresses them, "The Spetznaz gave us skill, but each day gives us purpose." He pauses for effect before continuing, "Our brother is hurt and the woman responsible will pay. She is dangerous, but we are armed and she is only one woman. We will have her in chains before lunch."

His men nod and cry out in ascent. He casts his eye over the assembled men, ex-Spetznaz and ruthless to the core. This woman had hurt his most prized cage fighter and enforcer and she would pay dearly for crippling him. He watches as his men ready thier stun batons, checking their charge and swinging the two foot sticks, checking their balance and warming up.

"We take her alive, then we take her apart. Yvgveny take six men up the fire escape. If she tries to run, stop her. The rest of you, come with me." Sergei says, focusing on the layout of the old warehouse, seeing the route he will take in his mind.

He appraises his number two nodding to himself, "Yvgveny is a good man, he had my back in Afghanastan, Chechnya, Ukraine and the Balkans. He is one of the best soldiers I have ever worked with." He thinks back to the glory days, side by side with the giant of a man, charging a machine gun nest with explosions and tracers all around, like a ghost through the battlefield.

"Once this is done. I will pass the torch for control of drug operations here and take over the Vory operations in Vietnam. Then with my brother in control of Laos, we will control the flow of heroin out of the golden triangle." He thinks, zipping up his bomber jacket and nodding to his men.

In silence, Yvgveny leads his team around the outside of the buildling. Sergei leads his eight man team into the building, from the front. "These are all good men. I made a point of handpicking all of them. They are each exceptional in their fields. Once this witch has been punished, I will reward them for their service and they will follow me to the gates of hell if need be."



Sergei walks carefully forward confirming his footing, with every step. "Damned place is falling apart. If I breath too hard a wall is coming down." He says under his breath, before turning to his men and signalling them to be careful.

He sniffs the air, something stale and sour he cannot identify assails his nose and he squints in disgust, "Best fighter in the city and she lives in this shit hole. If we are lucky she keeps the money she saves on rent under her mattress."

Seeing the her prints in the dust on the floor end at a doorway, he calculates that this must be the room. He hugs the wall, next to the doorway and signals his men to take up position, behind him. He doesn't have to look to know that they are lined up behind him with batons drawn. He clicks his radio twice, to signal Yvgveny.



Yvgveny clicks his radio once, without speaking to confirm he is in position. He looks back at his team lined up behind him on the fire escape, while he watches the Zombie, asleep on her bed, "She wont know what hit her." He chuckles to himself, "The Volcano is a buffoon, for facing an unknown combatant without back up. Well we will send a message that we will not be crossed."

He looks over the edge of the fire escape at the collection of twisted metal underneath and thinks to himself, "Once we have dealt with the woman, she is going off of the roof into that mess."

Sergei hears the clicks from his radio and looks at the men behind him. He smiles to himself, "This place would be a death trap to lesser men, but here we are. At this bitches door and she has no idea."

He pulls his baton and cracks his neck, quietly turning the handle of the door and pushing it silently open. He holds up his hand, to stay his men thinking, "I will take this woman myself. She will pay for hurting Yuri."'

Sergei cracks his neck and baton in hand, he enters the room. He steps on the door mat and everything goes wrong.



Unknown to Sergei, the door mat, covers a crude pressure plate resting on the tips of a dozen 5.45mm by 45mm rounds with the percussion caps resting on the tip of nails. Sergei's weight on the pad, forces the rounds down on to the nails, firing them. Three rounds hit the ceiling, the rest strike Sergei in the legs and lower body.

The sound of the rounds firing, activates the solenoids taken from the sound activated shock collars, sending current to a series of detonators, a split second later. One set of detonators, trigger explosives under the floor of the corridor outside the room, sending the men outside crashing down to the floor below and dumping rubble onto them. At the same time, the other set, explodes inside the building, turning the sections of the wall where the fire escape is anchored to, to dust. Yvgveny, screams as the fire escape collapses and he and his team plummet towards an alley full of twisted metal .

The Zombie opens her eyes, with a smile, thinking, "'Hell of an alarm clock."'



Sergei gazes at the Zombie, through a veil of pain. He struggles to sit and looks down at himself in despair, watching his life blood slowly ooze from his body. With all of his strength, he utters one word, "How?"

The Zombie lights a cigarette, the flare of the lighter, illuminating a once beautiful face, highlighting her sickly pallour and sunken eyes, rimmed with black. She exhales smoke disdainfully down at him, "You thought of me merely as a cage fighter and a drunk and then based your strategy on that, instead of finding out who you were dealing with."

The old Russian coughs up a gob of blood and spits it onto the floor, "Who are you?" He asks, trying to focus on the woman, desperate to find out why before he dies.

"You invested in Herman Lund's project in Africa. A project which took my sisters and brothers from me." Her face is hard like steel, but her heart still aches for her sister. "You paid for my sisters death. I am here to deliver your due."

"Africa? The mad German's freak show?" He chuckles to himself, coughing up more blood. "You did this because I gave him thirty thousand dollars?"

"I would have done this, if you had given him a hundred. I saw the weak link in your organisation, became a cage fighter to draw him in, paid a bar tender to give me shots of water from a vodka bottle and badly injured your guy, to force you to come here."  She says, coldly.

Sergei subtly reaches for his back up pistol, tucked into the back of his trousers on her blindside. "So you knew what I would do?"

She throws a piece of paper on the floor in front of him, "I wrote that two months ago." 

He flop his arm by the paper and opens it, struggling to read. As his eyes scan the document, his mouth opens in shock. "This is a list of the men I have with me today and how they are deployed."

"The more information I have, the better the plan is, that I can make." She says, stubbing out the cigarette. "You live in the moment, believe yourself untouchable and take risks. You were an easy target."

Sergei's hand closes around the back up pistol and he whips it around pulling the trigger twice, shooting her in the chest. "So were you."

The Zombie smiles down at him unflinching, as he stares in desbelief at her chest. "Why aren't you bleeding?"

She gives him a lop sided smile and says, "Why do you think I am called the Zombie." Without breaking eye contact, she reaches down, pulling a balisong from her pocket and flicking it open one handed. Sergei's eyes widen as she advances slowly towards him, twirling the blade.



An hour later, police officers arrive after an anonymous tip is called in.  The officers advance from their vehicles, weapons ready, air support on standby. They sweep through the building like a storm until they reach a shipping container in the centre of the building.  Sergei's body lays blood soaked and limp, next to Yvgveny's corpse, against the locked door to the steel box.

The officers surround the entrance and steel themselves, as they open the door. Soft moans greet them from the gloom, the lead officer lets his torch lead the way, showing several naked and tattooed men, hanging by their ankles from the top of the container. Their wounds are bandaged and their hands are locked behind them, their mouths stuffed and they are all alive.

The men squirm and twist trying to free themselves. Their sweat slicked skin glistens in the dim light of the container, as their moans fill the air. Each man is injured to a greater or lesser extent and the volume of their cries reflects the depth of their hurt.

As the officers begin to free the men, they babble about the relentless western woman, who passed among them, bandaging the wounds of the injured, before rendering them helpless.



The Zombie watches from a nearby hill top, as the officers take the Vory men into custody and nods to herself. She undoes her leather jacket and strokes the kevlar interwoven neoprene underneath, feeling where it stopped the bullets. "Glad I lifted a few of these." She thinks, smiling to herself.

"Sergei and Yvgveny were the last names on the list." She sighs, lighting a cigarette. "Finally, I can rest."

The Zombie pulls out a rag from her pocket and wipes the sweat and grime from her face and hands, revealing a deep tan. She pulls out a cellphone and dials a number, holding the phone to her ear. 

"Hello?" Her sister asks, his voice thick with sleep.

She fights to speak, but cannot force the words from her throat. Tears form in her eyes, "I am not dead." She wants to tell her, "I have been hunting down those responsible. I'm sorry I stayed away. I love you babe. I just want to see you again."

"Hello? I can hear you there, I know that there is someone on the line. I am not mad, just talk to me." Her sister says, in response to the moans and sobs the Zombie utters.

"'Gimme that." The Zombie hears in the background before, she hears sounds of a struggle. She listens closely, fearful of what is happening on the other end of the line.

"I have know idea who this is. But this ends now, we have had months of silent phone calls. My wife dreads the phone ringing. We are notifying the police. Don't call again." A man's voice shouts harshly.

"No, please!" The Zombie screams in silence, "I am sorry, I stayed away. I thought, it would be quick and I could return, but the weeks turned into months. I should have come back."

The phone emits a monotone hum, signaling that her sister has hung up. The Zombie, snaps the phone in two and removes the sim card before, flinging the part of the phone, impossibly far away. She sinks to her knees, paralysed by tears, "Why can't I just talk to her?"

She rubs the tears from her eyes, "She got married? I hope she is happy." She curses herself, "What else have I missed?"

[Caesar73]

Hmm, I have an idea, who this Zombie might be ... Dani? Most intriguing. If it is Dani, I hope she finds her sisters and her Familiy again. This phone call at the end? It is heartbreaking.

[wolfman]

One week later

Sasha pulls into a spot at The Centre MK and sits back in the seat of her Japanese roadster. She smiles down at her step daughter and catches the twelve year old gazing up at her. "Are you ready to shop till we drop?" She asks, tucking a curl of blonde hair behind the girls ear.

Kim beams at Sasha, nodding enthusiastically, "I have saved my Christmas money and I want to get something nice for dad."

"You are so sweet. That money is for you to treat yourself. Why don't we pick out something for your dad together and I will pay for it. You save your money and treat yourself." Sasha says, smiling warmly, whilst thinking, "With all she has been through, she is selfless."

"Sasha?" Kim asks, nervously chewing her lip, "Can I ask you a question?"

Sasha beams, down at her, "Of course, you can ask me anything."

"You aren't going to leave us like mum did are you?" She asks, her young soulful eyes, pleading.

Sasha reaches out gently and cups her step daughters cheek, "I am not going anywhere, darling. You don't need to worry."

Kim looks up at her and smile, her her eyes wide with hope, "Do you mean it?"

Sasha hugs her and smiles,   "With every part of me, from top to toe."

Kim hugs her back, "Thank you, Sasha."

"You're welcome love. What do you say, shall we get ourselves a hot chocolate and get this shopping party started?" Sasha asks, with a twinkle in her eyes.

They emerge from the car, into the cold January morning air and scamper towards the entrance for the shopping centre. Both in jeans and boots but where Kim wears a green faux fur coat, Sasha hugs a warm, ice white puffa jacket around herself.

As they enter the shopping centre, giggling together, neither acknowledges, the woman in black biker leathers and crash helmet watching their every move from the back of a powerful black German motorcycle. Neither do they notice, when the motorcyclist, places her hand on her chest, in response to her heart beating for the first time in eighteen months.

The Zombie shudders watching them enter the shopping centre, thinking to herself, "Only one beat, but it felt like I was alive for a moment there. It can't be a coincidence."



Sasha smiles at Kim, watching her look through the store selling gadgets and toys for boys, until she emerges from the crowd and begins tugging at her sleeve.  "Can I show you something?" She asks,  with a grin.

Sasha beams at Kim, "Lead the way."

Kim leads Sasha through the store, coming to a halt before a display of phone accessories, pointing at digital key ring, "Dad could put our pictures on this and always have us with him, even when he is working away."

Sasha's heart melts a little and she smiles, "That is a lovely idea. Shall we get one each."

Kim nods, with a grin.

They giggle, hand in hand in the queue to pay, under the watchful eye of a figure dressed in black, with a skin toned face mask, which hides her hair only leaving her eyes showing. The figure stands outside the shop, the other side of the throng of shoppers making their way between stores.



"I think that is perfect for you." Sasha says, beaming a smile at Kim.

Kim examines her reflection in the mirror, seeing how she looks in the skinny jeans, top and dark green puffa jacket. "I wish I could look as pretty as you."

"Hey, come on now, you are beautiful." Sasha says, standing next to Kim and putting an arm around her. "When I was your age, I wish I looked like you."

"I doubt that." Kim says, staring down.

"I wore braces on my teeth for two years to straighten them and I had terrible acne. You have lovely skin and pretty much perfect teeth. You are naturally lovely." Sasha says, squeezing Kim's shoulder. "Besides, looks have nothing to do with people liking you."

"If I am so lovely, why don't the other kids at school like me?" Kim asks, with moistenng eyes.

"What do you mean, darling?" Sasha asks, gently.

"No one talks to me at school. I hate it there, I miss my old school." Kim confesses, "I feel so lonely."

"Oh Kim. Why didn't you say something?" Sasha asks, hating herself just a little.

"You and dad have been so happy and there has been so much going on. I didn't want to upset you." Kim says, looking at the floor.

"Darling, we are never too busy to listen to you. I know things have been crazy lately, I am sorry that you have been feeling like this." Sasha says, hugging her step-daughter.

"It is worse than being bullied. It is like I don't exist." Kim says, beginning to cry. "I don't matter."

"Of course you matter, you mean the world to your dad and I." Sasha starts but is cut off, as Kim interrupts, "Not even my own mum wants to know me."

"That is her loss. She doesn't know how amazing you are." Sasha says, gently, "Ever since I met you, you have accepted me. I have always been worried that you would hate me for getting between you and your dad. But you have been absolutely lovely."

"I could never hate you. You have shown me so many awesome things." Kim says, cracking a weak smile, "You taught me how to free climb, scuba dive, ride a horse and so many other cool things."

"I love spending time with you, so does my sister." Sasha says, with a grin, "Speaking of which, she has a day off tomorrow, shall we all go horse riding?"

Kim gives a warm grin, "That would be awesome."

"Then it's settled." Sasha says, with a smile, before looking thoughtfully at Kim, "When we get home, we can have a chat with your dad about school."

Kim hugs Sasha and whispers, "Thanks Sasha, you're the best."



They exit the centre as the sun begins to set, giggling. Each of them is laden down with bags

"How on earth are we going to get everything in the car?" Kim asks looking at all the bags they have between them.

Sasha opens the small boot of the roadster and begins to load bags in. "This is going to be snug." She takes bagsone at a time from Kim and slots them artfully into the vehicles trunk, packing it to capacity. "All in. That was a tight squeeze. Shall we get a pizza tonight?" She asks dimly aware of the sound of a speeding vehicle.

Sasha doesn't hear Kim's response, as she bounces off of the bonnet and over the roof of the German saloon. She comes to rest on her back in dazed agony. She vaguely feels Kim shake her to try to wake her in a screaming panic.

Weakly, Sasha reaches for Kim, as the girl is roughly pulled away. Kim squirms and struggles, but is no match for the two large men who roughly pull her hands behind her back and wrap her wrists mercilessly with duct tape. Kim tries to scream but one of the men shoves a towel into her mouth and holds it there, as the other ruthlessly tapes her mouth, before wrapping her ankles in viciously tight duct tape.The men throw her in the boot of their vehicle with the gentle care of someone emptying a bin. 

The taller of the two men stands over Sasha and plants his foot on her chest, "Ten million in cash." He drops a disposable phone on her chest, "We will be in touch."



The Zombie, watches unnoticed from within the crowd gathering, "Half the people are just filming this, a couple on phone making calls, hopefully to emergency services. They will look after Sasha. Too many bystanders here for an intervention." She thinks, slowly pushing through the crowd to her motorcycle. "Need to isolate them, before I engage."

As the men slam shut the boot of the vehicle and get in she mounts her bike and starts the engine. The crowd parts forcefully as the German saloon peels away in a could of tyre smoke. They roar from the car park and join the main road, ignoring trafic signals, to a chorus of frustrated beeps from angry drivers.

The Zombie, gives chase effortlessly threading her poweful bike through the snarled up traffic and opening the throttle hard when she is clear of the throng. She switches lanes spotting the car, speeding around around a roundabout. She slows fractionally, timing her entrance to the roundabout perfectly, dipping the bike and sailing round to the third exit, with her knee mere millimetres from the tarmac.

She straightens up, out of the apex of the turn and accelerates out of the turn hard, streaking after the fleeing car, like a missile. "I am coming for you." She hisses, as the car picks up speed.



"No idea who it is, but they are sticking to us, like shit to a blanket." Emerson says, gunning the engine of the saloon and taking a hard right. "Don't just sit there like a couple of spare pricks at a bris, deal with him."

Ed draws a handgun and opens the rear left window of the vehicle, he waits for Emerson to swing the vehicle round a sharp corner before kneeling on the rear seat and sticks his head and gun arm out, aiming behind the vehicle. "He's gone.", he calls out, seeing the bike continue along the road that they were on.

"Fair enough, get back in here and close that window, we dont want to draw any attention." He turns to the front passenger, "Radio ahead, confirm package secure and we are en route to RV."

Dean nods, pulling out the dual band encrypted radio handset from his inside pocket.



Kim bucks and squirms in the boot, yelping in pain, as she is slammed once again into the side of the vehicles boot. She begins to cry, thinking of Sasha, "I hope you are alright Sasha, you looked so still. Please be ok."

"I can't believe that this is happening again. Why does this keep happening to me?" She thinks to herself, trying to pull her hands free.

The vehicle brakes hard and her chest is slammed into the back seat of the vehicle, with a grunt. She moans softly, as she rolls onto her arms. "This hurts so much. Daddy please, make it stop." 

Kim tries in the moment that the vehicle is not careening around to try to slide her wrists under her backside, but is thwarted when the car pulls away sharply and swerves, she finds herself powerless to be bounced around the boot, like a golf ball in a tumble dryer.

[Caesar73]

Be strong Kim, help is on the way!

[wolfman]

Emerson pulls the Saloon into the empty car park, of a restaurant on the edge of one of of Milton Keynes lakes. He slowly edges the vehicle around the car pack to pull up next to a large black van. Ed and Dean jump out of the vehicle, weapons drawn, eyes alert for trouble.

The Zombie watches from the other side of the lake, nodding to herself, "They were getting jittery, I am glad Milton keynes is laid out like a grid. It made tracking them here from parallel roads easy." She sees, two men get out of the van and open the rear doors and closes the visor of her crash helmet, "They are getting ready to move Kim. It's now or never."

She starts the bike and, takes off at speed along the path around the lake.



Emerson opens the boot of the saloon and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Did neither of you clowns think to pack her in." He says in an exasperated tone over his shoulder, as he sees Kim, her heavily bruised face soaked in tears.

All eyes turn to the lake shore, as a motorcycle roars over the embankment soaring towards the van. Emerson turns from the vehicles boot, to face the bike, unable to draw his weapon before the front tyre of the bike strikes him in the chest.

The Zombie drops the bike and spins low, sticking a leg out to sweep one of the mens feet from under him, she follows up with a sharp crack of her fist on the top of his skull. She rolls over his back, scooping up his handgun, coming up in a shooters crouch, as the man last man behind the van, takes aim. She snaps off two shots, one for the back of his right hand and one two inches above his left knee, dropping him with a scream.

A volley of shots spangs off of the tarmac around her, sending her diving for cover behind the saloon. "Both on the right hand side of the car, covering each other." She thinks taking a breath. She fires off a brace of shots, catching the lights above them on the second shot, showering down a rain of sparks on the men to the rear of the vehicle.

The Zombie, dives left and squeezes off a shot under the car, catching Dean in the ankle. He collapses to the ground, dropping his weapon and clutching his ruined leg. Ed snatches up his colleagues, discarded weapon jumps onto the bonnet of the saloon, running over the vehicles roof, hoping to draw a bead on their attacker. 

She rolls forwards, keeping tight to the vehicle. He catches the movement of her rising to her feet, out of the corner of his eye, but is too late to stop her slamming the butt of her pistol into his ankle. With a howl, he pitches face first onto the rear windscreen of the car. Haplessly, he rolls off of the saloon landing with an almost comedic slap facedown on the tarmac. She slowly stalks towards the boot of the vehicle, stepping over Emerson and kicking him in the head as she passes.

She takes a moment to peer into the boot and check on Kim. The girl stares up at her with a mixture of fear and hope. "Don't worry Kim. You are safe now. I just need a minute to sort these jokers out." The Zombie says softly.



Less than two minutes later, the men's ankles, wrists and elbows are tightly zip tied behind their backs and they are lined up face down by the side of the van. Ignoring their moans of pain.The Zombie unloads their weapons and keeps two pistols and all of their magazines, thinking, "Enough weaponry to be serious, military level tech, seem like ex-military. We need to move quickly, there may be more on the way."

She approaches the boot of the saloon wary of reinforcements turning up. Peering within, her gaze locks with the tearful eyes of Kim staring back at her. She can see that the child has a black eye and a cut on her cheek. "Hello sweetie. Sorry I took so long. Do you want to get out of here?"

The Zombie smiles, as Kim nods enthusiastically at her. Gently, she lifts the girl out of the boot and sits her on the boots sill. Gingerly, she peels the tape from the girls mouth and around her head, careful not to pull too hard on her long blonde hair. Kim takes deep lungfuls of air, the moment her mouth is free. "Please help me." The girl says, weakly.

The Zombie, relaxes her body language and places a gentle hand on Kim's shoulder, "You have my word. I will do everything I can to get you home safely."

Kim looks up hopefully, "Thank you for saving me."

"No problem at all." The Zombie says, with an unseen smile.  She opens a balisong one handed and gently says, "I need you to keep very still." Kim watches fascinated, as her saviour makes short work of the tape holding her ankles.

The Zombie puts her arms around the girl and cuts the tape holding her wrists, freeing them. Kim throws her arms around The Zombie and hugs her, as tightly as she can. The Zombie returns her hug and holds her close, "You are ok now. I will protect you, I promise."

"I-is Sasha alright?" Kim asks, looking up hopefully at The Zombie's helmeted face.

"I don't know, darling. But Knowing Sasha, she will be ordering a bacon and mushroom sandwich, as we speak." The Zombie says, trying to keep her tone light, despite her concerns.

"Lets get you home, eh?" The Zombie asks, setting the girl on the ground, before checking the time. "Less than two hours since she was taken, heading to her home is probably the safest option at this stage."



The Zombie gives an unseen smile behind her crash helmets visor. She feel Kim's arms wrapped around her chest, hugging her from behind. Kim grips tightly, feeling The Zombie accelerate hard out of the car park and away from the men who took her. She wears a black crash helmet like The Zombie's, pulled from the bike's pannier.

"I dont know why, but I trust her." Kim thinks, "I feel safe, like I do when I am with Sasha and her sister. I know I am going to be ok."

The Zombie feels Kim's grip relax, very slightly and nods to herself, thinking, "She is a brave young woman."

She notices a movement in the motorcycle's mirror, "A Jaguar XE. Could be nothing, but there is no sense taking any chances." She thinks, taking a lazy left turn off of the dual carriage way into a housing estate.

The British racing green sports saloon follows her into the estate and she tenses slightly. In her mind she sees the layout of the city, from the map she memorised this morning and plans her route, taking the next right and the next right straight after, accelerating hard out of the turn. "Kim, there is a car, that might be following us. I am going to try to lose them, you will need to hold on very tightly." She says, over the radio in her helmet.

"OK." Kim says fearfully, tightening her grip as, parked car sail past like ghosts in the night, there one moment and gone the next.

The Zombie sees the car turn the corner behind her and pick up speed. She executes a series of sharp turns trying to maintain their distance from the car but however she evades, the vehicle stays with her. "They are good." She thinks, recalculating her strategy. "We're faster in the turns, but on the straight, they have the power." She says to herself, forgetting Kim can hear her.

"Please don't let them get me, again." Kim begs, holding The Zombie tighter.

"Don't worrry, sweetie." The Zombie says, hating herself for worrying the girl, "We'll ditch our chaperones soon and get you home."

The bike roars down narrow streets, with the car on her tail, slowly gaining. The streets are quiet, as the bike eats up the road. The car is relentless, matching the bike turn for turn. The Zombie pushes the bike for all she is worth and shakes her head softly, "This is not working. The turns on this estate are not tight enough to build the distance we need to get away."

The Zombie swings the bike into a tight side street, with cars parked on either side and spots a parked car with it's indicator flashing. She slows the bike slightly and flashes her headlights, seeing in her mirror that the vehicle behind them is almost on them. She smiles to herself deviously.

Sixty metres ahead, the parked car pulls out in front of the bike, filling the available space on the road. She sees the masked occupant of the vehicle behind them, draw a weapon and thinks, "They are getting ready for a hard stop."

She spots the gritting lorry, pull into the street behind her pursuers and smiles to herself, "Time to close the box."

The Zombie draws a pistol with her left hand and fires three shots at the rear tyres of the vehicle in front of her, bursting them. She pockets the weapon and then slams on the rear brake and slides through the gap in the parked cars, to mount the pavement. Dropping two gears, she accelerates hard, back in the direction she just came from. As she draws level with the gritting lorry, she slows, drawing the pistol again and shooting the right front tyre, before peeling away, into the night.



"Lioness to control, I have been corraled. Suspect and principal are getting away, over." Nikita says, frustratedly smacking the steering wheel.

"Understood Lioness. Confirm position and situation of target, over." Kate says, watching the data feed from law enforcement chatter.

"Target vehicle is south bound on pavement from my position." Nikita says, reaching for the door handle, "I am pursuing on foot, over."

"Negative, Lioness, support units are inbound, over." Kate warns, sternly.

"Advise all units to exercise extreme caution. I can't sense the rider." Nikita advises. "Something is very wrong here, over."

"Lioness, please clarify over." Kate asks, confused.

Nikita pulls off her facemask and hangs her head, "Either she has no lifepulse, or has a way to mask it, or it is very weak. I can read Kim, she is fine apart from cuts and bruises, but the rider is like a shadow."

"Understood, Lioness. Confirm when you have your vehicle clear. We have your location and other units are inbound to support. Once you are clear, return to Nirvana, over." Kate says, keeping her voice even, despite the growing sense of disquiet, she feels.



"One of the great things about Milton Keynes is that there is a network of bicycle paths, that can get you anywhere in the city, without crossing a single road." The Zombie explains, as they approach the edge of the city. 

"That's so cool. Do you think we will be able to escape ok?" Kim asks, through chattering teeth.

The Zombie, has a quick look around, pulls the bike to a halt near to an industrial park on the shores of another of the cities lakes and hops off. "We will sweetie. But first." She unzips her jacket and slips it off. "It will be a little loose, but should keep you nice and warm."

"But wont you get cold." Kim asks, feeling the weight of the coat.

"I don't really feel the cold." The Zombie says, helping Kim into the jacket and zipping it up, "How are you doing?"

Kim nods and lifts the visor of the helmet, "I am ok. I am really worried about Sasha."

"Me too." The Zombie says sadly.

"Do you know her?" Kim asks, trying to see the face of the Zombie, through her heavily tinted visor.

The Zombie slumps her shoulders, tilting her head to one side, "I did once, but I have not seen her for a while."

"She is awesome. I am sure she would be happy to see you again." Kim says, beaming at The Zombie.

"I made a mistake and someone dear to us both, got hurt. I couldn't face her after that." The Zombie says, helping Kim onto the back of the bike.

"Sasha always listens to me, doesn't matter what it is about, or how busy she is, she always makes time. Whatever the problem, she forgives me." Kim says, gently squeezing The Zombies hand. "Whatever has happened, Sasha will forgive you, too."

The Zombie staggers backwards slightly, as her heart beats for the second time.

 "Are you alright?" Kim asks, concerned.

"Yes, Kim. Just had a little wobble." The Zombie says, trying to keep her voice even.

"Um, you saved me and I don't know who you are." Kim says awkwardly.

"I don't have a name any more." The Zombie says. "I was once an Angel, now I am a Zombie."

"Zombie's are evil. You aren't evil. You saved my life and have looked after me. You are good." Kim says, nervous of upsetting her saviour, "Can I call you Angel?"

The shrivelled lump in her chest that used to be her heart, melts just a little and a tear escapes from her normally dry, eyes. "I-I would like that."

[Caesar73]

Angel? That fits. A fallen Angel on the road to redemption. It seems to be a fair assumption: The Zombie was once called Dani. In some ways heartbreaking. The thawing of the Ice around her heart. The Action Sequences breathtaking as usual.

[wolfman]

The countryside whips past in silent darkness, as the bike cuts through the evening gloom. The road is lined with tall trees whose canopies hang high over the riders like a shroud, hiding them from the unblinking eye of the moon.

The Zombie is wary, as she guides the motorcycle south, towards Kim's home. "We are not out of the woods yet. The people that took her may have more people, like the one we ditched in Milton Keynes. This could be a long night." She thinks, watching the road.

"How are you doing, Kim?" She asks, worried about her young passenger.

"I am ok, thanks Angel, but I need a wee." Kim confesses, embarrased.

"Damn. They will probably be watching places with a toilet round here and I was hoping to avoid built up areas. We will have to take a chance." The Zombie thinks, before saying, "Ok, we will try to find a toilet."

"Would it be safer for me to go in a bush? I have done when camping and it's ok." Kim offers.

The Zombie smiles to herself, "That would be good, if you think you can.", she says, pulling off of the road, with a feeling of relief as she heads a little way into the woods..

"We have been camping a few times." Kim says, getting off of the bike and stretching, "When it gets warmer we will go again. I like looking at the stars and sleeping by a camp fire."

"I wont lie, there is something liberating about sleeping outdoors." The Zombie says passing Kim some sanitary wipes. "I'll wait here." She watches Kim as she disappears into the bushes and allows herself to relax for a moment.



On the wind she hears the roar of engines approaching rapidly along one of the lanes. Reflexively, reaching for a gun that is still in the jacket Kim is wearing, The Zombie firmly says, "Kim, we might be having company."

"I'm so sorry, I need more than a wee. I can't go any quickly." Kim says, fearfully.

"Don't worry sweetie, go as quick as you can, love. Then hide, until I call you." The Zombie says, pushing the Motorcycle behind a bush and taking cover.

She crouches motionless, watching as, three sets of lights zip past. "Hmmm. Might be heading after someone else, but no sense in taking a chance."

As the lights and the roar of the vehicles engines fade, she settles back against a tree, cautiously watching the road and the surrounding areas for signs of movement. The sound of a powerful engine, draws a frown from The Zombie. She sees a set of lights come around the bend of the road, adjacent to the wood where they hide. "That almost looked like the Jaguar, that chased us in Milton Keynes." She observes, silently.

The Zombie waits for a few moments, before saying, "All clear."

Kim emerges from the bushes nervously, "Were they after us?"

"Not sure, but not worth taking the risk." The Zombie says, gently, "Did you have enough wipes?"

"Yes thank you." Kim says walking over to where the Zombie is crouched. Kim throws her arms around the Zombie and hugs her tightly, "Thank you for everything Angel." She whispers, trying not to cry.

Despite Kim holding on to her, ever since she first got on the motorcycle, something in The Zombie, melts. She hugs Kim back gently and smiles under her crash helmet. "You are welcome, lovey." As the words leave her lips, The Zombie feels her heart lurch once and only once, in a ripple that traverses her body, then takes a natural breath for the first time, since she died.

Kim lets The Zombie go and gently holds her hand. The Zombie, bends down and pulls a small object from her boot. She presses it into Kim's hand and the girl examines it closely. "I know it is smaller than your thumb, but that little phone has come in handy so many times. It has a good battery life and camera for photos and video and a decent amount of memory. There's a single number saved in the phonebook. If you are ever in trouble, or need a friend, call it and you will be able to reach me. Phone is under contract and you will always be able to reach me."

"Are you going away?" Kim asks, hurt.

"Once you are back with your father and Sasha, there may not be a place for me. But, you will always have a place in my heart." The Zombie says, squeezing Kim's hand soflty.



Back on the bike and on the road again, The Zombie, becomes lost in her thoughts, "This is so strange. I have felt nothing since I died. But today, I have felt my heart beat three times. Maybe there is hope for me after all."

She guides the motorcycle, down narrow lanes, with one eye on the hedgerows, looking for escape routes in case trouble comes, "Could I really get to the stage where my body comes back to life?"

"I am so tired. I have been keeping myself going with will power alone for so long. I always thought that once, i saw Sasha again, I would walk away and then just drop. But now, I wonder." She thinks pulling up to a junction.

She eases the bike left and gently accelerates away, "It feels like it has been so long. So long without rest, without sleep, without warmth. I have made peace, being a dead woman walking. What would it mean to live again?"

The Zombie is snapped from her reverie, by the sight of a car parked in a layby on this lonely road. "That was one of the vehicles I saw earlier. Where are the others?" She wonders, suspiciously watching the vehicle.

"Kim, something feels wrong, if something happens, you will need to hang on real tight." The Zombie says, gently.

"Are we in danger, Angel?" Kim asks, nervously.

The Zombie, considers lying to Kim, but decides that she deserves the truth, "I am not sure, but we should stay alert just in case."

"Ok Angel, I will stay sharp." The girl says, trying to sound as brave as she can.

The Zombie guides the bike past the parked car and assesses the occupants, "Two men, medium build, dark heavy clothing, seats are reclined making them easy to miss from a casual observation. Could be concealing body armour, no weaponry on display, but that means nothing. Lights on dashboard indicate that the engine is running. Let's see if they follow us."

She flicks her gaze between the road ahead and the mirrors of the bike, watching the car as it glides from the layby onto the road like a cat slinking towards a mouse. She pulls back on the throttle a little, picking up a little speed.



"Target confirmed. They are heading your way." Gant confirms from the vehicle, tailing the motorcycle.

"Understood, follow them in and we will spring the trap." Pike orders, over the radio.

"What happened with the Jag?" Gant enquires, remembering the woman in the Jag that he was tailing earlier.

"Hit the car with sonics and driver crashed it." Pike says with a chuckle, "Turns out the driver is the step-mums sister. She is stashed in her boot and wrapped up witrh her own gear, in case we need more leverage or an alternative hostage."

"Result, any trouble with her?" Gant nods approvingly.

"Nah, sonics knocked her equilibrium sideways and all she could do was flop around like a landed fish." Pike says, "We got lucky, she could have taken the team single handed if she'd had an opening. She is one of Nirvana's top rescue technicians."

"Well now she needs to be rescued." Gant laughs.



Nikita suppresses the urge to vomit for the fifth time since she was dumped in the vehicles boot. She strains against the leather sleeve encasing her arms from her wrists to just above her elbows, but she is confounded by the thick leather straps wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her back and gives up with a huff, "All my strength and I am stuck, I can't get the leverage to rip my arms free and they have wrapped my hands into fists. If I extend my claws, I will cut my hands off."

A wave of cramp seizes her legs and she grunts in pain, wishing she could straighten her legs. "This is just the worst. With my ankles strapped like this, there is no way I can releve the pain in my legs. This is going to be a long night."

She rubs her head against the carpet in the truck, hoping to remove the heavy leather hoodencasing her head. "I can't believe they took me so easily." She thinks, frustrated, recalling the moment she was taken, "I was driving and then there was this high pitched noise. It felt like the world was spinning and I couldn't lift my head without feeling sick. Must have been a sonic weapon. If I get out of this, I will recommend that we have one of them for each team and countermeasures for all operatives."

Nikita feels all the tension drain from her body, "That is a big if. This is state of the art reinforced gear, I am going no where. No one knows I am out of action. I can't get free, or, get to the car and all my gear. Dad is still flying back from the far east, Kate running ops with Lou, Sasha and Kurt are probably waiting for Kim." She curses herself, "I wanted to save Kim, now I need saving."

She feels the lifepulses of those around her and considers transferring the marks from her pulse to them, "I wish I could, but Africa changed me too much."

Nikita breaks out in a cold sweat as she feels a familiar pulse approaching at speed. The thick towel held firmly in her mouth by the hood, swallows her scream as her mind races, "I can feel Kim, she is heading this way. They are going to take her." The thought galvanises her into action and she bucks and writhes against her bonds and the bags around her, pinning her in place.



"This feels off." The Zombie thinks, as they enter a section of the lane with high stone walls either side. She feels the car behind them, keeping a steady pace and respectful distance from them.

She sniffs the air detecting a faint aroma of burnt rubber and petrol. Her eyes flick to a fresh set of skidmarks on the road, "They were made tonight and then the car left. No signs of broken glass. This is wrong."

The Zombie slows the bike slightly noticing a body laying in the road ahead of them. A quick check of the mirror shows that the car behind them is still there. "Kim, there is a trap we cannot avoid. Things might get scary. I need you to be brave and crouch by the bike when I stop and close your eyes. I promise everything will be ok."

"Angel." She says, with her lips quivering, "Are we in trouble?"

The Zombie takes a sweeping glance of the area and gently says, "No, but they are. This is the plan......"

[wolfman]

The Zombie eases the vehicle to a halt and rests the bike on the kick stand, Kim hops off and crouches by the side of the bike. The Zombie reaches down and gently squeezes her shoulder. "Whatever happens, don't open your eyes until I tell you."

She walks over to the body in the road and drops to one knee beside it. "Any second now." She thinks.

The body springs into action, jabbing her in the leg with a contact taser. As the weapon rasps loudly in the quiet of the night, she drops to the ground. Pike activates the sonic weapon and directs it's beam of sound towards, The Zombie.

Gant, holsters the taser and checks his victim's pulse, before shrugging, "She's dead."

Pike turns off the sonic weapon and steps out from a concealed position behind a small broken section of the wall, "Seriously?"

"Dead as a doornail, boss. No pulse at all." Gant confirms, with a shake of his head, putting the taser away and drawing his Mini Uzi from a snatch holster. Cautiously, he watches the road, seeking any sign of onlookers or hapless travellers.



Kim begins to tremble, thinking, "I didn't think it would be this scary, I hope Angel is ok."

The men start to gather around the fallen woman and chuckle to themselves, as Gant addresses them, "Gentlemen, I present to you, the woman who took down Emerson and his team."

The men turn as Kim screams and struggles to be free of the man, who has just wrapped his arms around her. "Mission accomplished." Gant says with a smile and a nod, before looking concerned, "Where's the woman?", as he notices that his victim in no longer on the floor.



The men draw their weapons and form a circle tight circle facing out. Kim screams and kicks out at the man carrying her over the the rest of the group. The Zombie, armed with a balisong in each hand, leaps from the top of the wall to land in the centre of the men's defensive circle. 

In a fluid movement, she thrusts the knife in her right hand into the base of Gant's skull. She leaves the blade embedded and catches her victim's Mini Uzi, as it slips from his lifeless fingers. The silenced machine pistol coughs unleashing a tongue of hot lead, as she spins. The men around her drop like skittles, cut down with their weapons still holstered.

The man holding Kim raises his weapon and with authority says, "Stop or I will kill the girl."

He drops to the ground with a balisong in his eye, thrown by a dead woman who didn't even glance his way.



The Zombie runs over to Kim and hugs her, kissing the top of her head. "Are you alright?"

The girl stares up at the Zombie's crash helmet in open mouthed awe, "That was incredible, Angel. It happened just like you thought it would."

"Lucky guess." The Zombie says, warmly, "Are you ok?"

Kim nods, then she points to the motorcycle and winces, "I am, but you shot your bike."

"Can I tell you a secret?" The Zombie asks, in a conspiratorial tone.

"Erm. OK." Kim says, unsure.

"It's not my bike." The Zombie says, smiling to herself, as she recalls the look on the drug dealers face, when she dragged him off of it, two days ago.

Kim bursts into laughter, partly from the nervous tension, that has been building up in her, that and she found it funny. The Zombie finds herself smiling with genuine warmth at the sound of the girls laughter.



Nikita lays still in the boot of the vehicle. Her immobility has nothing to do with her bonds. Her breathing is shallow as she recalls the sound of gunfire and the speed with which the men fell. "It was so fast, not even dad and Kate could take out that many people, that quickly."

She breathes a sign of relief, feeling Kim's lifepulse, strong and steady. Nikita frowns as she hears, Kim's muffled laughter and notices something feint near to the girl. "I didn't see it before, but I can sense a weak pulse of her companion." She concentrates trying to focus on the strange lifepulse, "No. Not weak, more like hidden or suppressed perhaps."

Nikita tries to free herself once more and slumps her head in sorrow. "Great, if I can't get free, I will be stuck here for, who knows how long." She tries to cry out, but the mouth packing and the boot of the vehicle, conspire against her even when Kim seems to be standing by the car.

"Actually, it might be for the best that they don't find me. I have no idea what Kim's companion will do to me, if I am discovered." She decides, trying to work out a way of freeing her fingers, so she can use her claws.



The Zombie kneels by Kim and Squeezes her shoulder, "I need you to be brave a little longer. I have to make sure that no one is a threat and make sure their cars are safe, so we can use one. While I do that, I need you to hide near the wall and keep an eye on the road. If something comes, can you whistle?"

Kim nervously, bites her lip and shakes her head, "I don't know how to whistle." She hangs her head in shame, thinking, "The first real thing she has asked me to do and I can't do it."

The Zombie pauses for a moment, noting the change in the girl, "Thinking about it, that is probably for the best, a whistle is too obvious. Can you hoot like an owl? That way is any bad guys are hiding they wont think a person made the noise."

Kim looks up nervously at The Zombie and utters, "Hooo hoohooohooo"

The Zombie nods, slowly, "Hmmm. Sounds like a barn owl. That is perfect."

Kim looks up with hopeful excitement, "I wont let you down, Angel."

"I know you wont Kim, you are brilliant." The Zombie says, assuringly.



The Zombie moves quickly from person to person, making sure that they are all dead. She picks up the man who was holding Kim and moves him to the centre of the ring of bodes, pressing the gun she used into his hand. Then she presses the hands of several of the men around the balisong in his eye and the one still lodged in her other victim.

She steps through a large gap in the wall where all the vehicles are parked and begins to search them. She takes a spare Mini Uzi and several magazines, as well as several other useful items. "Same comms gear as the men who took Kim. I would guess same route organisation, but different arm."

The Zombie takes out a small note pad and pen, then begins to write, "Geiss Digital radios, Guvari sonic pulse emitter, Viaballistic nine mm hundred and thirty grain ammunition, Mini Uzi with trillium sights and custom suppressors, Conduit contact tasers."

She thinks to herself, "Specialist gear, limited supply, might be easy to track to purchasers."

Taking a moment, she notes down the addresses listed in the satnav and checks the vehicles pockets and glovebox for parking receipts. The Zombie, works quickly and moves to the next vehicle.

She freezes as she hears Kim, "Hooo hoohoohoooo."

The Zombie listens closely, trying to hear the sound of an engine/ When no sound is heard, she frowns, then moves over to Kim's side in a combat crouch, Mini uzi in hand. "All alright?"

Kim points at the Jaguar and whispers, "Watch."

The Zombie watches the vehicle closely and is just about to ask, what she is looking for when the vehicle shakes very slightly. She reaches up and squeezes Kim's shoulder, "Well spotted. Thank you being so vigilant."



The Zombie cautiously approaches the Jaguar and raises her Mini Uzi to her shoulder and checks the front and back seats of the car through the windows, "All clear there."

Niki senses Kim's companion approach the vehicle and her blood runs cold, "You dumbass. Your should have stayed still. This is a crappy way to die." The sound of her crying echoes within the hood as tears of frustration soak her cheeks.

The Zombie moves to the rear of the vehicle and folds the stock of her weapon, wielding it right handed. bracing herself she reaches for the boot release of the vehicle, with a feeling of dread in her stomach.

The Zombie rests her hand on the lid of the boot to steady herself, as her heart thumps four times in her chest. "What the hell?" She asks herself, trying to compose her thoughts, as she breathes out naturally. She places a hand on her chest, as the reverberation of the last beat fades. She trembles as for just a moment, she feels warmth wash through her body.

Niki freezes in place, shaken by the brief but vibrant lifepulse that just flashed from within Kim's companion. If she could speak, she would only say one word, "Dani."

The Zombie clicks the boot release and stands back as it rises. She gazes in dismay at the brutally bound occupant of the vehicles trunk. She reaches down and places a gentle hand on the shoulder of the woman in the boot. "Don't worry. You are safe now."

Niki's breathing is shallow and she fights to relax thinking, "Can it really be true?" Forgetting for a moment, that her mouth is stuffed and clamped shut she excitedly tries to say "Dani, it's me, Niki. I have missed you so much."

"Shhhh." The Zombie says softly, "Don't panic, I will try to get you out of this." She opens one of the cars rear doors, the returns to the boot to lift the bound woman and carry her to the back seat.

"I am nearly three hundred pounds and she lifted me like it was nothing. She might be as strong as me." Niki thinks, as she feels a tugging sensation through the hood.

The Zombie works quickly with nimble fingers undoing the straps holding the prisoner's hood in place, speaking in a soothing tone, "Soon have you out of this."

Niki gasps, once the hood is removed and the cloth is pulled from her mouth. She stares up at the slender, black clad figures crash helmet, reflecting her own face back at her, in the tinted visor. "Dani? Is that you?"

A single tear escapes from The Zombie's left eye and trickles down her cheek, she tentatively reaches down to stroke Niki's cheek. Her lips tremble and she finds herself struck dumb, by the sight of her dead sister alive and well at her side.

"Dani? It's me Niki." Nikita's voice trails off, "Your sister."

The Zombie reaches up and undoes her crash helmet and removes it slowly. She pulls off the facemask and looks sorrowfully at Nikita, "I am sorry Niki, Dani is dead."

[Caesar73]

What a dramatic scene. Especially the end of this Chapter. The recognition on both sides. Niki and Dani. Extremly well written [mention]wolfman[/mention] - first I loved your stories most, for their extraordinary action sequences. But the way you develop your characters, you describe the feelings and emotions of them? Incredible.

[Bandit666]

Well, what more could I add. I think [mention]Caesar73[/mention] has summed up your stories to perfection. The inventiveness. The why you cast your characters delightful. Long may it last [mention]wolfman[/mention] .

[wolfman]

Well, what more could I add. I think [mention]Caesar73[/mention] has summed up your stories to perfection. The inventiveness. The why you cast your characters delightful. Long may it last [mention]wolfman[/mention] .

What a dramatic scene. Especially the end of this Chapter. The recognition on both sides. Niki and Dani. Extremly well written @wolfman - first I loved your stories most, for their extraordinary action sequences. But the way you develop your characters, you describe the feelings and emotions of them? Incredible.

Thank you gentlemen, I aim to please. Your patronage is greatly appreciated, I hope you continue to enjoy as this tale unfolds further.

[wolfman]

"Hey come on now. It will be ok. If anyone can find her Nikita can." Kurt whispers to his wife, thinking "I can't believe my Kimmy has be taken again."

Sasha lays in his arms, sobbing sorrowfully, "I couldn't stop them. I couldn't save her. This is my fault."

"No darling, this is on the men who took my little girl." Kurt says, softly. He cradles Sasha, letting her bury her face in his chest as, she cries. he closes his eyes, holding back the tears welling up inside him, "If I let the tears come, they will never stop. Sasha needs me to be strong. If I crumble, she will blame herself and try to find Kim herself. She can't do that in her condition."

"I am so sorry." Sasha mumbles, looking up through her tears at her husband. "Help me get dressed, I need to be out there looking for her."

He gazes down at his heavily bandaged wife, noting that the cast on her arm is barely dry. "You can't go out in your condition. Besides, we need to stay by the phone in case they call."

"I just feel so useless." Sasha says, her voice trailing off.

"There is nothing you could have done." Kurt says, gently kissing the top of her head, "I am just glad you are ok. Nikita will find her." 

"I am worried about Niki." Sasha says, wearily, "She has been pushing herself ever since Dani left. She gives everything and holds nothing back for herself. I am worried she is going to have some kind of breakdown."

Kurt kisses the top of Sasha's head thoughfully and gives her a gently squeeze, "I know how much you miss her. If you are really worried about her, why don't you ask her to stay with us for a few days, when Kim is back? 

"Really? You would be ok with that?" Sasha asks, looking up at Kurt.

He nods gently, "Of course." He pauses, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You need help in your condition and I think Kim really likes having her around."

At the mention of Kim's name, Sasha begins to well up, "What if we can't get her back?"

"Not an option, we will get her back." Kurt assures her softly, whilst silently praying.



Niki stares at her sister's pale blue lips, grayish pink skin with flecks of colour the shade of burnt umbre and pure white hair. "She looks like a corpse with fake tan." She thinks, before looking into her sister's eyes, "Blue and beautiful as ever."

"Dani? What happened to you?" Nikita asks, breathlessly trembling.

"She died that day in Africa." The Zombie says, numbly, "She was dead before she hit the water."

"Stop it Dani. I know it is you, I have felt your lifepulse." Nikita says, gently.

"I died the moment I undid my belt. As I fell, I felt everything that brought any type of joy into my life, drift away. I saw the hurt in Sasha's eyes, as she held your dead body and felt the pain of everyone on the helicopter and my heart just stopped and until today, hadn't beaten since." The Zombie explains, staring into space.

"Dani, I don't know what you are but, you aren't dead" Nikita says, in a pleading tone. 

"This is my penance for what I did to you." The Zombie says, unable to look into Nikita's eyes. "I killed you, so I don't deserve to live."

"No." Nikita says softly, barely breathing, "When I killed all those people and brought them back, the strain was immense. I felt the lives of everyone who died, flash before my eyes. I did that. Not you."

"In the lift shaft, I knew you were feeling uncomfortable and felt something was wrong, but I pushed you to proceed. If I had let you stay back, you wouldn't have died." The Zombie says, mournfully.

"Behave yourself. Do you really think you could make me do something I didn't want to do? I felt fear, but knew when you were prepared to go in, I could face anything with you by my side." Nikita says with a shake of the head. "Besides, when Sasha cried for my passing, the force of her emotions dragged me back to life. Your sacrifice brought me back to life. If you hadn't sacrificed yourself, I wouldn't have been able to come back."

"'Well done me."' The Zombie says bitterly, "I put you in that position in the first place. I knew you were upset and I could feel something off about the place and I still pushed."

"Even if you hadn't persuaded me, I would have gone in there. There is no way, I would have let you and Sasha go in there without me." Nikita shifts, uncomfortably, "Hang on, you felt something there?"

The Zombie moves closer to Nikita and begins undoing the straps on her legs, "Yeah, I could feel something wasn't right. There was a darkness to the place."

"Sasha said she felt it too." Nikita says, softly. She emits a long and slow "Aaaaaaahhhh." As The Zombie frees her left leg and she is able to stretch it out. "Thank you Dani."

The Zombie flinches at the mention of her old name and removes the strap from Nikita's other leg, before mumbling, "You are welcome. If you want to turn around, I will do your arms."

Nikita stays still and looks The Zombie in the eyes. "I mean it. Thank you Dani. Not just for this, but for every time you saved my life. If you hadn't checked the files on a hunch, I would never have been free. You gave me a life, you gave me a family and I will never be able to repay you. Everything I am now, everything I have done. I owe to you. Thank you."

The Zombie, opens her mouth to speak, but no words come, as her heart thumps twice in her chest. She gently hugs her sister and begins to weep. Nikita  kisses her sister on the cheek and whispers, "Let go of the pain. Stop hurting yourself."

The Zombie begins undoing the straps holding her sister, as she has her arms wrapped around her. "The pain is the only thing that keeps me going."

Taking a chance, Nikita pushes the point, "No, I saw your lifepulse flare when you first realised it was me and just then when I thanked you and to be fair, bodies don't cry." She grunts a sigh of relief as Dani pulls the last of the straps free and begins working of the sleeve around her arms. "It almost feels like your pain is blocking everything else."

"When I fell, I felt myself leave behind everything good. When I hit the water, lifeless, I hated myself for making Sasha an only child, making dad loose two children in one day. But most of all I hated myself for failing to keep my promise to bring you and Sasha home safely." The Zombie, explains. "My pain is all I have left."

"You kept your promise, I came back back from the dead and Sasha and I went home. There is nothing to forgive. No price left to pay. Come home Dani. Let your pain go. You have me, I am always with you." Nikita says gently.

"Thank you Niki. You have no idea what that means." The Zombie says, trying not to cry. "It has been too long, everyone has moved on." The Zombie says, removing the sleeve around Nikita's arms, freeing her, "There is no place for me any more. Everyone is settled in their lives now. No one needs me."

Nikita, throws her arms around Dani and begins to cry, wailing, "I need you Dani. Dad has Lou, Sasha has Kurt and Kim, Kate has Amy, I have no one. I get so lonely." She holds Dani tightly, feeling her sisters heartbeat, "I have aced the Nirvana academy Rescue technician training course. Spent every other night at a local hospital, parked in their car park, remotely healing as many people as I can. Worked on disaster relief operations and saved so many lives. I have worked so hard to fill the space you left and I can't do it. I am not strong enough. I am not you."

"I never wanted that for you. I always saw how amazing you were, I just wanted you to be you." The Zombie, whispers.

"Being like me wasn't enough. We needed you and when you weren't here, I stepped up." Nikita admits, sadly, "Dad and I alternate chasing leads down on you. Sasha is building a life with Kurt and Kim. I haven't seen Sasha in six months. Kate and Amy run the academy and Louise is almost like the glue that holds us together."

"Why did you keep looking for me?" The Zombie asks, frowning.

"No one really believed you were dead. Sasha and I could still feel you. Dad said the lion tracks around where we found your blood, would have wiped out your prints if you had gone. Kate set up a facial search on social media looking for you in the back ground of posts. Lou was the clincher though, when we got back from Africa after finding your blood, she said, 'If there's no body, she isn't dead.' She has been great." Nikita explains, shaking, "I couldn't bear the thought that you were really gone."

"As time went on, I could feel you and I tried to call Sasha, but could never find the words, so I kept away." The Zombie admits, sadly. "I am sorry."

Nikita smiles gently and hugs Dani again, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I am just pleased you are ok." She pauses enjoying the feeling of having her sister back, "I have got to know. Why come back now?"

"I have been hunting down all of the investors, in Lund's project to stop them coming after Sasha, Dad or Kate. I killed the last two last week. I tried to call Sasha and found out she was married and I wondered what else I had missed." She eases back from Nikita and places a hand on her shoulder, "I am so tired Niki. I came back now to make sure everyone is happy, so I can finally rest." Her voice trails off, to a whisper as she continues "I haven't slept since I died. The only thing that has kept me going is force of will. I am scared that if I sleep, I will never wake. I can make peace with that if everyone is ok."

"Everyone will be happy to see you again." Nikita says, with a smile, "Speaking of which, shall we get out of here?"

The Zombie smiles and nods, "Let's get Kim home. She has had a busy day."

"Haven't we all?" Nikita says, with a lop-sided grin.

"Do you want to warm up the car? I will go get her." The Zombie says, with a wink.

"Hey Dani." Nikita calls watching her sister walk away. 

The Zombie turns, concerned, to see Nikita smile as she waves and says, "It's good to have you back babe." 



Kim crouches by the wall watching the road. She nervously glances back at the Jaguar she saw move thinking, "What is taking so long? I hope you are ok Angel."

She picks up a stick and holds it like a knife, trying to make herself feel brave. She feels herself trembling subtly both from the cold and her nerves. She gently begins to rock back and forth and hug herself thinking, "It happened again. What have I done to deserve this? Why do people want to kidnap me?"

Kim closes her eyes for a moment and she is back in the car park in Milton Keynes, looking down at Sasha and feeling the men grab her from behind and pin her down. She begins to softly cry, as the feeling of helplessness engulfs her.

She screams, feeling a hand on her shoulder and looks up fearfully.  The Zombie crouches by her side and scoops Kim up in her arms. Softly she whispers, "Hey Kim, it's only me. You are ok."

Kim hears The Zombie's voice and hugs her, "I am so sorry, I only took my eyes off the road for a moment."

"You have been a superstar." The Zombie says, carrying Kim towards the car. "You saved someones life tonight."'

Kim wipes her eyes, "Really?"

The Zombie nods towards the open drivers door of the car prompting a cry of "Auntie Niki." The Zombie, lowers the girl to the ground allowing her to run to the car.

The Zombie smiles and waves her off. She lights a cigarette and thinks to herself, "They need a minute."

She takes a moment to empty that paniers on her bike and sets a timer. She loadsher gear into a collapsable back back and shrugs into it. She walks between the ambushers cars and spraying a thin mist of liquid as she goes.

The Zombie walks to the ring of bodies slowly and pulls out her pad. While she finishes her cigarette, she makes a few notes. She stoops and picks up the discarded sonic emitter and retreives a few pairs of ear plugs, stashing them in her back pack.

The Zombie glances over to the car and smiles, seeing Kim and Niki hugging. Her smile falters for a moment as she thinks, "There is something Niki is not telling me. She is holding back and I get the feeling it is something that she hasn't shared with anyone. She is hurting and it is consuming her." She stubs out the cigarette and places the end in a small ziplock bag. "She is more like me, than she knows."



Seeing her saviour properly without a crash helmet for the first time, Kim gasps. The Zombie strides towards the car, her straight, pure white hair streaming behind her. The moonlight casts an ethereal shade to her high cheekbones and pale skin, making her face glow in the night.

The Zombie sees Kim sat on the back seat of the car and decides to get in the back to make sure the girl is ok. Kim looks up at her with her eyes wide and whispers, "You are so beautiful, you really are an angel."

"No dear, I am no angel." The Zombie says, clicking her seat belt around her. "And there is only one beautiful girl sat on the back seat of this car."

Kim throws her arms around The Zombie and hugs her again. "That you for rescuing Auntie Niki and me."

The Zombie hugs the girl and lets her stay nestled against her, knowing how tired she is. Niki looks in the vehicles rear view mirror at the pair and smiles to herself, before putting the vehicle into gear and pulling away.

Kim snuggles into The Zombie's side whispering "Love you Auntie Angel."

In the time it takes The Zombie to look down and softly kiss Kims head, the young girl has already begun snoring softly.

[wolfman]

The console of the vehicle begins to ping faintly, causing The Zombie to look up from the girl sleeping soundly against her side.

Nikita whispers, "Dad."

"Don't say about Kim and I, in case comms are compromised." The Zombie says, softly.

Nikita nods, accepting the call, in a weary tone, "Hi dad. How was Cambodia?"

"No luck, I think I just missed her. Is everything alright? We have been trying to reach you for the last twenty minutes." Steve says, sounding tired.

"Yeah, sorry. Chasing up a lead." Nikita responds, not wanting to give to much away.

"Any joy?" Steve asks, allowing a hint of hope to creep into his voice.

"No. Didn't pan out." Nikita says, hating herself for lying, "How is Sasha? Is she ok?"

"Sasha is badly bruised and has a broken arm and fractured leg, but is ok." Steve pauses, thinking of the pain in Sasha's voice when he spoke to her, "Sasha needs you. She is beside herself with worry. She blames herself for Kim being taken. I swear to God, if they have hurt that little darlin', they will wish for the blessed release of Hell, by the time I am done with them."

"Where is she?" Nikita asks, flicking her gaze between the road and the rear view mirror.

"She is home with Kurt." Steve says, wishing he was there to comfort his daughter, "Is there any way, you can go to her? She needs you."

Nikita sees The Zombie gives the thumbs up in the rear view mirror, "I am en route and attending. ETA twenty minutes."

"Thanks Niki." Steve says, with relief in his voice. "I really appreciate it."

"No worries dad." She says, stifling a yawn.

"When Kim is safe, I want you to have a holiday. Anywhere you want, I will pay." Steve says, almost pleadingly.

"OK dad." Nikita says suppressing a smile.

"I mean it Niki. You are pushing yourself too hard. You need to recharge or you will burn yourself out." Steve says, gently.

"I promise that when this is done, I will take some time out." Nikita relents, "I will take a break, when you do."

"I am serious, Niki. I know how capable you are, but you have not stopped since Dani left. I am worried you are pushing yourself too hard." Steve says, gently.

"I could say the same for you dad. Ever since Dani left, you have been chasing every lead, no matter how small." Nikita says, looking in the rear view mirror at Dani, "Can you come to Sasha's place? We need to talk."

"Lou and I will be there in a couple of hours. It will be good to see you." Steve says, with a tired warmth to his voice.

"It will be good to see you too." Nikita says, brushing a tear from her cheek.



"Niki? What's been going on?" The Zombie asks concerned, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder.

Nikita expression shows the struggle within her as she considers lying, but decides to be honest. "I guess you aren't the only one who has been frightened to rest." Nikita begins, wearily, "Sasha's tears brought me back. I felt the pain that she felt as watched you fall, powerless to save you. Over the next few weeks, she retreated into herself. I called Kurt and asked him to bring Kim over and that little girl was able to do what we couldn't. Kim healed her pain."

Nikita, eases the vehicle around a long lazy bend and wipes a tear from her eye, "She healed it for Sasha." Nikita pauses, "But I feel that moment, every time I close my eyes. The emotion she felt was powerful enough to force me back to life. But it is a double edged sword."

"How do you mean?" The Zombie asks, feeling the upwelling of emotion in her sister.

"Her tears dragged me from the jaws of death, but wouldn't let me go. Almost like it is a prison I can never escape. Turns out metabolising drugs and alcohol as soon as they are in your system, does nothing to ease ones pain. Everyone else had processed their grief, but each morning I felt it as if it was yesterday. It felt like a void, I could never fill." Nikita says, in a distant tone, staring at the road, while she drives, "So I keep moving. I volunteer for every extraction or rescue. When I am not on operation, I chase leads for you. When I am not chasing leads, I hit the gym and when I am exhausted, I push myself harder until I pass out."

"What have I done to you?" The Zombie asks, feeling the weight of every moment she has stayed away.

"While you were getting Kim, I closed my eyes and just felt relief. No sense of loss, just a sense of peace." Nikita says, softly.

The Zombie feels her heart beat and break at the same time, "Oh Niki. I am so sorry. I wish I had come back sooner.", as she gently squeezes her sister's shoulder.

Niki reaches up and squeezes Dani's hand. "I can't tell you how good it is to have you back sis."

"It-it feels good to be back." The Zombie says, taking a natural breath and sensing a brightness to Nikita, she hadn't felt in a while..

"Dani?" Nikita speaks with an air of fear, "Are you going to leave again?"

"I am so sorry for everything you have been through. I didn't realise how selfish I have been." The Zombie says, "Would it be ok, if I stayed for a while."

Nikita smiles at Dani in the rear view mirror and nods, "I would really like that."



Nikita eases the car to a halt, outside the middle cottage of a cluster in the grounds of Nirvana's training academy. She glances in the rear view mirror, "This is it."

The Zombie nods nervously, gently beginning to wake Kim.

Nikita feels Sasha and Kurt's life pulse and closes her eyes for a moment, before saying, "Dani, no smoking in the house. Is that cool?"

"Of course, I don't smoke often."' The Zombie admits, "Do you still smoke?"

"Occasionally. Never on operation though." Nikita confirms with a smile in the mirror, "And never around Kim."

"I can respect that." The Zombie says, gently shaking Kim, softly cooing, "Come on sweetie, time to wake up."

Kim yawns and rubs her left eye, before looking up at The Zombie mumbling, "What's going on?"

"You are home love." The Zombie says, softly, as she opens the door and nervously steps out of the car. She watches, as Kim runs towards the front door of her home, with Nikita in hot pursuit.

Her heart thumps in her chest as she watches Nikita open the door and usher her inside. The Zombie sees the light of the homes hallway a mere twenty metres away and suddenyl feels very small, as she approaches.



"Daddy." Kim cries as she runs into her home, heading for the living room.

Sasha and Kurt exchange a tearful look of surprise and turn to the doorway of the living room. "Kim?" Kurt shouts rising to his feet.

Kim bursts into the room and leaps into her father's arms, "Daddy." She says crying with a mixture of excitement and relief. Kurt wraps his arms around her and kisses her cheeks and the top of her head, "Oh my baby. I have been so worried about you."

"I was so scared until I was rescued, then I knew everything would be alright. We had a car chase, but we were on a motorbike. We went so fast. Can we get a motorbike?" Kim says excitedly, before seeing Sasha on the sofa, heavily bandaged, in a loose fitting t-shirt and tracksuit trousers. "Sasha, are you alright?" She asks, wide eyed.

"Yes dear, I am now I can see your lovely smile." Sasha says softly.

Kurt sits back down on the sofa with Kim between him and Sasha, "Be careful darling, Sasha is a bit sore."

Kim twists in kurts arms and gently hugs Sasha, "I am so glad you are ok." She says, tearfully.

Sasha opens her mouth to speak, when a movement from the doorway catches her eye.



Nikita edges uncomfortably into the room, fighting not to blurt out the words on the tip of her tongue. "Hey. How are you feeling babe?"

Sasha smiles warmly at her sister, "I should have known. Why didn't you call?"

"Couldn't take the risk in case comms were compromised." Nikita says crossing the room. She hugs her sister gently and gives her a kiss of the cheek, before taking a seat in one of the arm chairs. "How is erm, everything?"

Sasha subtly mouths the words, "Kim doesn't know.", before speaking normally, "A bit sore, but alright overall.

Kurt turns to her, then with a sincerity he feels with his entire being, speaks softly, "Thank you Nikita. I will never forget what you have done. Thank you so much."

Nikita suddenly feels weary, as she hears the front door close, "It wasn't me."

Sasha raises an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side, watching her dead sister enter the room.

[Caesar73]

The conversation between Dani and Nikki was intense, deeply felt, emotional. And you choose the perfect end for this chapter: Sasha looking up and seeing her sister - and then: cut

[wolfman]

Sasha stares wide eyed, at the lifeless visage of her lost sister, as she enters the room. So many things fight for her attention, the marbled dead skin, blue lips, dark lifeless circles around her eyes, flowing pure white hair. Sasha watches open mouthed, slowly crossed the room and nervously wrings her hands.

"Hi." The single word, utterled softly by The Zombie, is deafening in the small room. The Zombie casts her gaze downwards, "I am sorry, Sasha. I am sorry I stayed away so long."

Sasha stares at her sister, her lip trembling slightly, her face a mask of disbelief.

Sasha rises from the sofa shakily. Half hopping, half limping to her sister, staring into her eyes, almost as if she were looking into Dani's soul. "Kurt, Why don't you take Kim upstairs and run her a bath?"

Something in his wife's tone, worries Kurt and he senses that leaving the room with Kim would be for the best. "Come on honey, let's get you upstairs. I'll run you a bath." He says, lifting his daughter, gently.

"But Daddy, I want to see auntie Angel and auntie Niki." Kim pleads, yawning a little.

"I know you do darling, I am sure you will be able to see them after your bath." Kurt says, hugging Kim and carrying her out of the room with her head on his shoulder. 

Sasha backs away and collapses back on to the sofa, staring at the floor. She winces in pain and swallows hard. "Niki, I am really sorry, but can you please help me?"

Nikita moves to her sister's side on the sofa and gently takes her hand and closes her eyes. She reaches out with her mind and sweeps aside the blockages in her life pulse. She shakes feeling Sasha's bruises on her own body and shooting pains from her arm and leg, as she absorbs the injuries from her sister and heals them.

The Zombie watches Nikita's suffering ease, while she rapidly recovers and her ragged breathing returns to normal. Mournfully, she thinks to herself, "Sasha hates me. She can barely look at me. I should have come back earlier."

Sasha stretches her back and cracks her neck, turning to Nikita, with a smile "Thanks babe."

Nikita winces gently, feeling the last vestiges of pain course through her body, "No worries, babe."



Sasha's eyes lock with The Zombie's "I think you need to sit down." She says, with an inscrutable expression.

The Zombie warily takes a seat in the arm chair that Nikita vacated and opens her mouth to speak. But Sasha beats her to it. "How have you been?" She asks coolly.

"Dead. Busy." The Zombie, replies her heart sinking at the coldness of her sister.

"Too busy to call." Sasha asks, trying to mask the hurt in her voice.

The Zombie moves to explain, but Sasha cuts her off again, "Why are you here?"

"I saw them take Kim and I wanted to make sure she got home safely. Then we stumbled across an ambush and the men there had Niki tied up in her car's boot." The Zombie explains, in an uncertain tone.

"After being missing for so long, you decide to turn up the day that Kim is kidnapped to save the day." She says, unable to stop her lip trembling. "I want to believe you, but you have to admit, it seems a little too convenient."

The Zombie raises her hands and pleads, "Please Sasha, I swear, I am not a part of this."

"Is she lying?" Sasha asks, without looking away.

"I don't know. She has no lifepulse for me to monitor." Nikita answers, shakily, "She is for all intents and purposes dead. Every so often her pulse returns for a beat or two, but most of the time, there is nothing. From what I have seen she is Dani."

"I know she's Dani." Sasha snaps, before softenng her tone, "I can see it in her eyes. But you have to admit, the timing is off." Sasha says, firmly.

"Hang on, all she has done tonight is help." Nikita says, hurriedly, "She saved Kim and brought her home. She saved me."

"I want to believe it. But I just don't know." Sasha says sadly.

Nikita nods to herself, and whispers "I know a way to prove it." She leaps forward at The Zombie, claws bared.



The Zombie, rolls backwards off of the back of the sofa and raises her hands defensively, "I know what you are thinking. Please don't do this."

Nikita advances on her sister, slashing lightly with her claws, The Zombie deflects the blows with her forearms, allowing the reinforced fabric of her coverall, to take the blows. She ducks back as Nikita slashes for her face, desperately evading the frenzied assault. 

"Let me do this." Nikita begs, lashing out with a glittering storms of claw strikes.

The Zombie backs up desperatly flailing, arms sweeping in powerful arcs, like an impenetrable wall, "Please don't, you have no idea what it will do to you." The Zombie says, pleading.

Nikita spins and sweeps low,striking The Zombie's legs hard and dropping her to the ground. Nikita lunges for her foes, with claws flashing, "If it means you can stay, I will take the risk."

The Zombie desperately grabs for Nikita and catches her by the wrists. Nikita flicks a finger down, pricking the back of The Zombie' hand with the tip of a claw, before rolling to the side.

The Zombie turns to face Nikita with hands raised and open, pleading, "No, don't."

Time seems to stand still for everyone in the room watching Nikita. She smiles gently at The Zombie, "I know you are innocent." Wìthout hesitation, she licks her sisters blood off of her claw and drops to the floor convulsing.



The Zombie lunges forward to catch Nikita and lower her to the ground before stepping back to give her some room. Nikita flails wildly on the floor, helpless to stop herself. Sasha leaps from her seat and seizes The Zombie's arm and spins her sister to face her, "What the hell is happening?"

The Zombie looks even more grey than normal and begins to cry, raising her hand to her mouth. "I have been dead since Africa. She is experiencing eighteen months of living death and the pain I feel every day." She drops to her knees, "I tried to stop her."'

Sasha watches in horror at Nikita's silently screaming face, trying to imagine what she is feeling. The spasms plaguing her sister subside and her breathing slows and returns to normal. The Zombie picks her up and lays her on a sofa, while Sasha fetches a blanket.

Nikita's eyes drift open and she dreamily locks eyes with The Zombie. She struggles to sit and weakly hugs The Zombie, whispering hoarsely, "You poor thing. I had no idea how much you suffer." She turns her head to face Sasha and speaks softly, "She has been in the UK for just over a day, before that she was travelling from Cambodia."

"I am so sorry." Sasha half whispers through tears of relief and she puts her arms around Dani and Nikita, "Dani can you forgive me?"

"I understand why you would question it. I can appreciate that it might seem strange that I am here to see Kim get taken and be there to help. In your shoes, I would question it." The Zombie admits. "There is nothing to forgive.  You have a family and want to make sure they are safe. I get it."

"I feel awful. I am sorry I doubted you." Sasha says, chewing her lip.

"Don't worry. We are cool." The Zombie says, warmly. She squeezes Nikita's shoulder and speaks softly, "How are you holding up?"

"How the hell do you do it?" Nikita asks, staring up at Dani, like she is seeing her for the first time.

"Do what?" The Zombie asks, confused.

"Your body actually is dead. When you said about force of will keeping you going, I had no idea you meant it literally." Nikita shakes her head, staring at her sister, "And the pain. How do you cope?"

"My body is dead, which means I don't heal. Every injury I have sustained since I died is still there. Every toxin, is still in my system." The Zombie says, sadly.

Sasha hugs the Zombie tighter, "Is there anything that can be done?"

"I saw you and Sasha this morning as you were about to go shopping, seeing you made my heart beat for the first time in eighteen months. It has beat a few times today, when I have felt strong emotions." The Zombie says, distantly.

"Does that mean you might come back to life?" Sasha asks hopefully.

"Maybe." The Zombie says, sadly.

"What's wrong?" Nikita asks, concerned.

The Zombie undoes the top half of her coveralls and turns around before pulling them down to reveal a tapestry of cuts, bullet wounds and gouges. She grimly pulls up her coveralls and re-zips them before speaking sadly, "I think if I come back to life, there is a good chance I will live for about two minutes, before either the poison in my system or the injuries I have sustained, kill me." She confesses.

"I can heal you, babe." Nikita says brightly.

"Thanks Niki, but given the range and nature of my injuries, I don't know what it would do to you." The Zombie says gently. She places a hand on Nikita's shoulder, "Promise me that if I do come back to life, you wont try to heal me."

"What do you mean? I can help." Nikita says, confused.

The Zombie runs her fingers through her hair, wearily, "I know you can, babe." She smiles supportively, "I have lived the life and done the things. Fought the Yakuza on a bullet train with a wakisashi in each hand. Chased river pirates on the Amazon in a burning boat. Danced the night away with Bollywood movie stars before a duel at dawn on the shores of the Ganges. Performed a base jump off of the Burj Khalifa, just so I could perform a drop kick to take my target off of his bike. Watched the sunrise at the pyramids and the sunset at Chichen Itza. Most of all, I met you two and everyone else." She slumps to the floor and leans her back against the sofa, "I am so tired. I haven't slept since the last time we were together in Africa." The Zombie whispers, almost seeming smaller in this moment, "I am a wreck. I just want to rest." She says weakly, staring at something unseen.



Sasha awkwardly lowers herself down and sits on the floor beside her sister, putting a gentle arm around her shoulder, "You are home now. You can rest all you need, but please don't leave. I need you as much as I need Nikita."

"I am in no rush to go but if my time comes, I am ready." The Zombie says, at peace.

Sasha looks up at Nikita and smiles warmly, before turning back to The Zombie. "Drop that shit, I am going to need a baby sitter."

"Nice try, but Kim is about old enough to look after herself." The Zombie responds warmly.

Sasha hesitates for a moment before saying softly, "Not for Kim."

The Zombie feels her heart thump in her chest, "What do you mean?"

Sasha smiles, "Dani, I am pregnant."

[Caesar73]

At first Sashas cool, even stonecold reaction, might be a surprise to the casual observer. But if you think it through it is rather plausible. The incredulity, the shock, the anger.

Then Nicki cuts the Gordian Knot - and then the end of this chapter ... Sashas "I'm pregnant" - repeating myself here, but you have knack for that.

Looking forward to the reaction of Steve, of Louise, of Kate!

[wolfman]

"Niki probably realised as, soon as she got close enough to sense my lifepulse." Sasha says softly to Dani, "You are the first person either Kurt or I have told."

The Zombie, hugs Sasha as if her life depends on it, unable to speak. Nikita hugs her sisters with tears in her eyes, "I am so proud of you babe. How far gone are you?"

"Three months. Kurt and I have decided not to find out if it is a boy or a girl." Sasha says, in a coy tone.

"Three months?" Nikita says with a knowing look on her face "Honeymoon baby?"

Sasha grins and nods, "I think so."

"I am so happy for you." The Zombie barely manages to utter, through tears of joy.

"This is the best day ever." Nikita says, wiping her eyes, "I never thought I would be reunited with my sisters and find out I was going to be an aunt."

"We haven't told Kim yet. I think we will when she comes down." Sasha says, in a conspiratorial tone.

"I am sure we can keep quiet." Nikita says, beaming, "I am really glad we are back together again."

"I am glad too." Sasha says brightly, before her expression becomes more serious. "I need your help."



The Zombie helps Sasha to sit on the sofa and takes a seat next to her. "What's wrong?" She asks, as Nikita sits the other side of Sasha.

Sasha chews her lip and takes a deep breath, "For the past year or so, I have been getting silent phone calls at odd times of the day. It has made me quite upset at times, I need you to help me find out who is doing it and get them to stop." Sasha says, breaking down in tears, "I feel trapped. I look at everyone and ask if it is them. This is not good for my baby, please make it stop."

"I will tear them apart." Nikita says, her eyes flashing with anger.

The Zombie closes her eyes and puts her head in her hands. "It was me."

Sasha looks at The Zombie incredulously, "What?"

"About six months after I went in the river, I was sat in a bar in Mogadishu, it had been a brutal day. I felt so alone and just wanted to reach out to someone. I decided to let you know I was alright. When you answered, I just couldn't find the words. I tried again each time I assassinated someone who had invested in Lund's operation, but it just got harder." The Zombie explains, unable to meet her sister's gaze, "Last week, when I called and Kurt told me you were his wife, it made me realise that I had missed so much. It made me come back. I am so sorry Sasha."

Sasha begins to laugh gently, "I thought it might have been someone trying to make me think you were alive to drive me crazy."

"I am so sorry." The Zombie says, apologetically.

Sasha chuckles to herself releasing all of the tension that she has been feeling about the silent calls. "You are on nappy duty for the first six months."

"Fair enough." The zombie says, feeling herself relax. "You still owe me a car though."



"Did you really do all that stuff you said?" Nikita asks, curious.

With a weary tone, The Zombie speaks softly, "Yeah." She pauses, weighing up whether to say more, "I am not proud of what I have done. But, I am at peace with it."

"I don't know what you have done, but, I am grateful for you bringing Kim and Niki back. I will never be able to thank you enough." Sasha says nudging The Zombie gently, "You should have been called Guardian."

"No babe, you were always a better protector than me." The Zombie says with a shrug.

"Kind of seems to me that you are an avenging angel." Nikita says jokingly.

"I don't know. Angels are supposed to be good, beside they fly." The Zombie says, with a knowing smile

"Seriously though. Thank you. You have no idea, what it means to have Kim back." Sasha says in a heartfelt tone.

The Zombie smiles gently, "You never have to thank me for anything." She says warmly, then turning to Nikita to continue, "Neither of you do. I am sorry I have been away for so long, I will stay for as long as I can."

For a brief second Nikita's eyes widen, before she grins at her sister. "We are here for you." Subtly she nudges Sasha and nods towards, Dani.

Sasha smiles warmly, "There will always be a place for you here, you can stay as long as you want."

"I am sure Kurt might object to me staying in the marital home while you are building a life together." The Zombie says, with a sad smile.

"My cottage is next door. Yours is next door to mine." Nikita says with a wink.

The Zombie sits in open mouthed surprise, "What do you mean?"

"None of us really believed you were dead. When we have these places built for the family, we made sure one was here for you too." Sasha explains. "There is not much furniture, figured you would want to choose your own stuff."

"I don't know what to say." The Zombie says, shocked, "Thank you."

"You are welcome babe." Sasha says, gently, "It's good to have you back."



"What else have I missed?" The Zombie asks, leaning against a wall in the garden as they take in the night air.

"Nirvana group have set up a training academy here. Dad, Kate and Amy are the lead instructors. We provide outsource training to the world elite military and law enforcement units. You name it, CQB, FIBUA, HRT, high speed driving, counter insurgency and a number of other fields." Nikita explains, with a lop sided grin.

"We also run a rapid response service for hire and are licensed to operate in twenty countries. Nikita runs our most successful crisis management team." Sasha says warmly, "I am training to be a doctor. Amy is coaching me through the program and I have never been happier. Kate oversees any law enforcement operation, we are involved in." 

"Sounds fairly full on. What about dad, does he go on operation much?" The Zombie asks, curiously.

"No, when he is not training, he has been searching for you." Sasha says sadly, cocking her thumb at Nikita "Same as this one, burning the candle at both ends. In the last six months alone she has saved almost a hundred lives in one way or another and chased a dozen leads on you including Mumbai."

The Zombie smiles at Nikita, "You really are amazing. You have paid your penance, forgive yourself."

Sasha shakes her head, "Good luck, I have been saying that for the last year."

Nikita winks and smiles, "I guess now you are back I can rest a bit."

"Good to hear." The Zombie says, before turning to Sasha, "Now. Stop buggering about. You and Kurt. I want to know everything, dating, proposal and the wedding."

Sasha and Nikita exchange a smile before Sasha begins.



The Zombie feels tears moisten her eyes as Sasha finishes, "It sounds just perfect, a proposal on the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset on Valentine's day, a wedding in a stately home and reception under the stars. The honeymoon South East Asia. I am so happy for you babe."

"He has been great. You wouldn't think it to look at him, but he is a gentle soul and a great dancer." Sasha says, with a faraway look of love in her eyes, "Sasha has been an absolute delight too. Dad adores her. Having her around helped us cope with your loss."

"She is so brave. Despite everything tonight, she didn't complain or whine. She was so brave." The Zombie says with a hint of admiration.

Nikita opens the kitchen door and smiles, "Shall we head back inside? Dad and Lou will be here soon."

Sasha moves towards the doorway and she and Nikita looks back at The Zombie, "Are you coming?"

"I need a minute if that's ok." The Zombie says, with a smile.

"Of course, come in when you are ready." Sasha says, brightly.

As the door closes, The Zombie lights a cigarette and leans back against the wall with her eyes closed, thinking, "I had no idea how hard this would be. I wasn't prepared for how much hurt I have caused."

She exhales a plume  of smoke skyward, "This is the hardest day of my life. Which says something considering how rough some days have been. It feels so good to be home, but I am worried about what tomorrow will bring. We need to find out who was behind the kidnapping and from what I have worked out so far, it will be another hard day."

"The men that took Kim and Nikita were well trained and well armed. They have specialist gear, that is not easy or cheap to get. That tells me that they are well funded. I don't think this is over, by a long way." She muses, staring at the stars.

"Could be a rival company looking to discredit Nirvana, but it doesn't feel right. Maybe something related to Kurt. I seem to remember that his firm is an international haulier." The Zombie wonders, slowly exhaling, "It doesn't feel like it is about the money, or strong arming him into something long term. It almost feels like a distraction, pulling everyone's focus towards it, to make us miss something else."

She smiles to herself, thinking of Sasha and Nikita, "They are so different. Nikita has a confidence about her and a sense of focus, that she didnt have before. Sasha has a strength and sense of peace to her. I am glad she has settled down, she will be an amazing mum. They seem so comfortable together. I really regret not coming back sooner, I would love a better relationship with them both."

She stubs out her cigarette and nods to herself, "Time to repair the damage I have done." She shrugs herself away from the wall and strides back into the house.



"Are you good?" Sasha asks, warmly as The Zombie enters the living room.

The Zombie nods and smiles, "Yeah. Better than I have been for a while. I know I have hurt everyone. I am going to do everything I can to repair the damage I have done."

"You saved me and Kim. You need to let go of your pain and stop punishing yourself." Nikita says, warmly.

Everyone turns as Kim bounces back into the room, fresh from a bath, dressed in soft yellow Pyjama's, followed by Kurt looking sheepish, "Sorry, she wanted to come back."

"I didn't want to miss the party." Kim says brightly before staring at the Zombie, "Wow, you look so much prettier now you have washed that stuff off."

"What do you mean, sweetie?" The Zombie asks, confused.

Nikita passes a small mirror from her pocket to the Zombie, with a knowing smile. The Zombie sees her reflection, stunned that the deathly palour that normally looks back at her, is replaced by normal pale skin tones. With shaking hands she reaches up and touches her cheek, feeling its warmth. Confused she looks up at Nikita, in open mouthed shock.

"Your heart has been beating since Sasha told you she was pregnant. Your life pulse is steady and strong." Nikita smiles, tearfully, "Welcome back."

[OldTUGger]

Great twist there at the end, Wolfman. Top-shelf drama!

[Bandit666]

I have to agree with [mention]OldTUGger[/mention]. What a great twist. At the end of yet another gripping and enthralling series of updates to this epic thriller.

My only request. Keep up all this amazing work.

[wolfman]

Dani undoes her coveralls and peeks within to see her injuries gone. She slumps back on the sofa, open mouthed in shock.

Sasha smiles gently at her sister, "Niki and I saw the colour returning to your cheeks but didn't want to say anything, until we were sure."

Dani looks up, her lips quivering, "I am not dead anymore." She looks down at herself, feeling her body slowly coming back to life. "How is this possible?"

"Nearest I can guess, your mind had shut down your body and you were literally moving it with your mind. But since you have come back you have felt a number of strong emotions that have cut through your minds control. What do you feel right now?" Nikita asks, gently.

Dani feels hot tears trickle down her cheeks, "I feel." She pauses struggling to put her finger on exactly what she feels, "At peace." The words seem alien to her, even as she utters them, but she feels their power.

Kim snuggles into Sasha's side and seeing Dani's tears, nervously whispers, "I am sorry Angel, I didn't mean to upset you."

"'Oh you wonderful, beautiful, fantastic young lady. Nothing could be further from the truth. You gave me the best news ever. You give me my name back. Call me Dani." The recently resurrected woman says.

"Pretty name for a pretty lady." Kim says, drying her eyes with a smile.

"Dani is Niki and my older sister." Sasha tells Kim, gently.

"Eh? I am older than you two." Dani asks, frowning.

"Yeah. Older than Sasha by three weeks and older than me by six months." Nikita explains, with a smile. "You are the oldest out of all of us, I am the youngest."

Dani smiles "I always figured Sasha was the oldest."



"Dani? Have you had any crazy adventures like Sasha or Auntie Nikita?" Kim asks, wide eyed, hanging on to every word from her saviour.

Dani runs her fingers through her hair, thoughtfully and nods. "There have been a few wild times."

Sasha shoots her a warning look. Dani smiles and winks back at her.

"Can you tell us about them?" Kim asks, excited.

Dani takes a sip of tea and sighs, "Kurt, you make the best tea." She turns to Kim, leaning forward, "Good stories need a good cup of tea and I do have one, you might like."

"Nothing too scary, Kim has had a lot of excitement today already." Sasha warn gently.

"Not to scary, just odd." Dani says, inviting a cautious nod of approval from her sister.

"It was a hot day, I had fallen into a river in the middle of Africa. For a couple of hours, I was bashed about a bit by the currents." Dani pauses, noticing Sasha and Nikita tense up, "I was ok overall, just a bit bruised. Anyway, I managed to crawl out of the river and up the bank. Felt like it took hours, to get up there and I was spent. As the sun beat down on me, I just laid down and stared at the sky, feeling every rock from the river."

"Were you scared?" Kim asks, fascinated.

"Oh yeah. I was in the middle of no where. My gear was in the river and I was too tired to move." Dani says with a wink, "It was a hot day and there was a little breeze rustling through the long grass, around this little clearing I was in. That was the only sound, it was almost like everything was holding it's breath." She says, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then I turn to my left and I am pretty much nose to nose, with this massive lioness."

Kim's jaw drops and her eyes widen. She squeezes her father's hand, as she leans forward.

"I stare into this big cats eyes, as close to me, as I am to you. Then I realise, that there are about a dozen lions around me. I have never been so still in my life. This massive lioness comes right up to me and begins to sniff me." She says quietly, before raising the volume of her voice suddenly, "She roars up at the sky and the other lions scatter. Then it is just me and her."

Dani looks around the room to see everyone is hanging on her every word, "The the lioness takes a few steps back, staring at me with her massive golden eyes. I am still in too much pain to move much at this time and I think that was for the best. If I had moved she would have gone for me. Instead, I just lay still as she started scratching at the ground. I am bracing myself at this point, thinking she is about to pounce." Dani pauses, taking a sip of tea, "'But she doesn't. She just claws at the dirt for what seemed like an eternity and then just turns tail and starts padding off towards the long grass. Then just as she is about to disappear into the grass, she turns and looks at me and I swear she nodded."

"I see what you mean about odd." Sasha says, shaking her head subtly, as she tries to digest the tale she has just heard.

"That's not the odd part." Dani says, draining the last of her tea, "A couple of hours later, the pain was starting to fade to a dull ache and I was able to move again. I struggled to my feet and took a look around and that when I saw, the scratch marks that the lion had made in the dust."

Everyone leans in closer subconsciously, as Dani take a deep breath and softly says "I stood there for a while just staring at the marks in the dust. 'Tell Niki thank you for the fish."'

Everyone laughs, as the tension breaks in the room. Everyone that is, apart from Nikita, who thinks to herself, "She is not making it up. Her lifepulse is steady and not erratic like someone who is lying."

Dani catches her eye and mouths the words, "We'll talk."



Steve eases the Range Rover to a halt outside Sasha's house and looks gravely at Louise, taking her hand gently in his, "Before we go in, I just want to thank you for everything." He raises her hand to his lips and gently kisses her fingers, "I am sorry for how hard this is on you."

He looks up at her, smiling as he thinks, "She has been so good about everything. I still cannot believe my luck. Once the dust settles on everything, I will spend the rest of my life, making this up to her."

"What is hard for me is seeing you and Nikita, running yourselves ragged chasing every possible lead on Dani." Louise says, supportively, "Why don't you let some of our people chase a few leads. You need a break. I am worried about you."

"In my heart, I know you are right, but I just can't let it go." Steve says, shaking his head, "Now Kim has been taken. I swear to God if they have hurt that little darling, I will find them and....." Weariness forces his voiuce to trail off.

"You are exhausted Steve, you are only just off of the flight from Cambodia. As of tomorrow, I think you should take over from Kate co-ordinating for a few days. She could do with a bit of field work." Louise says, placing a gently hand on his shoulder. "I need you back Steve."

"Whenever I go, I feel your absence. I am so torn." He admits, "I want to stay, but I feel, if I do I am abandoning Dani. I don't think Niki would forgive me."

"I am thinking of pulling her from active duty for a couple of weeks to be fair." Louise confesses, "She is phenomenal. We are getting about twenty calls a week, requesting her be assigned on permanent retainer to some of our clients. She has a great reputation amongst our clients. I am worried that she is putting too much pressure on herself."

"Sasha has said as much too. I think she is trying to fill the void left by Dani, by becoming as much like her as she can." Steve says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It normally doesn't hit me as hard not finding Dani, but with Kim taken as well, I am really feeling it tonight."

"I know you are, we will get them both back. I have faith." Louise says, tenderly, "Shall we get in there? I have a feeling you need Sasha and Niki, as much as they need you tonight."

"I need you more." Steve says, unbuckling his seat belt and leaning across to gently kiss his wife. She fumbles with her belt, releasing it. They embrace with a desperation in their arms, each trying to cling on to the one thing that will stop them from floating away.



Everyone in the living room looks up nervously, as there is a knock at the door. "It's dad and Lou." Nikita says sending a wave of calm around the room.

Nikita gets up from her seat and moves towards the door, bracing herself. She casts her gaze back over the room and smiles to herself, seeing her loved ones looking up at her. Sasha and Kurt in each other arms, Kim snuggled up between them and her recently returned sister looking nervous. She thinks to herself, "Never thought, I would see the day."

Nikita steps through the cloak room and opens the door to her father and step mother. "Hi dad." she says, warmly, hugging him, tightly. "Hi Lou." She says, brightly, extending her embrace around her step mother.

"Hello sweetie. How is everyone?" Steve asks in a concerned tone. 

With a knowing smile, Nikita answers, "Not bad all things considered." She pulls away slightly from her father's embrace, "It's good to see you. Do you want to come through?"

"Niki. before we go in." Steve says, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. 

She turns to face him smiling gently, "What's up dad?"

"I just want you to know, how very proud I am of you." Steve says, in a heart felt tone, "I am sorry, that I don't tell you that enough."

Nikita feels her eyes moisten with tears and her voice cracks when she speaks, "Thanks dad, I am proud to be your daughter."

Steve smiles gently, "You have much more to be proud of, not just being my daughter. Be proud of the strong woman you are." 

Nikita feels her cheeks flush with embarrassment, "Come on through."

[wolfman]

Steve feels his heart melt as he sees Kim nestled between her father and Sasha. She beams a cheeky smile up at him, bouncing off of the sofa into his arms.

"Hello darlin', it is so good to see you. I was really worried about you." Steve says gently.

"Angel saved me." Kim says, hugging him.

With a confused look he asks, "What do you mean? Who is Angel?" Steve looks up and his jaw drops as soon as he sees a face, he was beginning to fear, he would never see agan.

Steve leans against the door post, exhausted, as Kim slips past him and hugs Louise.

"Dani?" Steve asks, assessing his daughter, "She is leaner that she used to be. She looks older, not just for the passing of years, but for the things she has seen and done. There is a tiredness about her, a weariness and a hardness in her soul. But for all that has changed, her intelligence and willpower still shine. I have no idea about the hair though."

"Hi dad." Dani says, awkwardly getting to her feet.

Slowly he lurches forward and throws his arms around her, "Hello Dani. Good to have you back."

"Thanks dad. Are you alright if I stay for a bit?" Dani asks nervously.

"Of course. You are home, you don't need to ask." Steve says, warmly.

"I am so sorry, I stayed away so long." Dani says, sadly, "I have caused so much hurt, I want to make it right."

"You followed your heart and did what you needed to. The main thing is you are safe and you are back." Steve says, holding Dani close, still unable to believe she is here.



"What a day eh?" Steve asks, still smiling.

Nikita chuckles, "Yeah, it has been an eventful day."

Sasha beams a smile at everyone and gently kisses the top of Kim's head. "I am just glad everyone is ok."

"Thank you Angel." Kim says, her eyes wide unable to look away from her saviour, now that everyone has settled.

"Thanks Dani." Nikita says, with genuine admiration.

"Stop it, you will make me blush. I just did what needed to be done." Dani says, in a shy tone.

"That should be a family motto." Louise says, with a chuckle. "Do what needs to be done."

Kim giggles, "Why don't you get tattoos?"

Sasha, Nikita and Dani exchange a wary look, before Nikita says, "Tattoos don't stay on my skin. So whilst I would love to, I can't."

"Oh that's a shame." Kim says, crestfallen.

"It was a nice idea, sweetie." Sasha says, warmly. "Maybe, we could get matching necklaces instead."

Kim sits quietly thinking, before her face lights up, "Sasha, you and Angel could get one each and get a transfer for auntie Niki." She exclaims.

Sasha catches Kurt's eye and mouths the words, "Shall we tell her?", to which Kurt smiles warmly and nods.

"I can't get a tattoo for a little while sweetie." Sasha says, gently.

"Oh alright." Kim says, in a somber, disappointed tone.

"Although maybe Angel, Niki and I could get transfers instead." Sasha says, to approving nods from Dani and Niki. "Maybe you could help design them."

Kim's eyes light up, "Could I really?"

"Yeah, we need an artist." Nikita pipes up.

"If I can get one too, I will teach you calligraphy." Steve says, warmly.



Kurt returns from the kitchen with a large home made meat covered pizza in each hand, placing them on the table in the middle of the room, before returning for a third large pizza with a generous topping of roast chicken and sliced chilli peppers.

As everyone takes a slice of pizza, Kim turns to Dani and asks, "Do you have any more stories Angel?"

"Let your auntie eat, darling." Kurt says, gently.

"It's ok. Maybe a short one." Dani says, before taking a large bite of the meat pizza, "Wow, this is really good."

"I was hiking along the Road of Bones in eastern Russia, on my way to Magadan. This is a really remote area, my car had broken down and there was no one around for miles." She pauses, taking a sip of sparkling water, "So it's getting late and I have been walking for hours. I remember how quiet it was. There was the occasional knock of wood on wood as branches, brushes each other in the breeze, but apart from that, it was silent."

Dani pauses with a faraway look in her eyes, before continuing, "As it starts to snow, I know I am in trouble. I manage to make a shelter by bending a few branches and putting a groundsheet over them and get a fire going."

Dani devours another mouthful of pizza and continues. "The next morning I wake up and if feels like I am almost frozen solid. I manage to get up and dig my way out of the shelter, and there is about two feet of snow on the ground and I can't see the road. I manage to get myself moving and start walking through the snow. It is really hard going and get to the point where I can't walk any more and I just drop face down in the snow. I couldn't move and I remember thinking that this could be it."

"About an hour later, I feel myself being carried but I am so numb, I can't feel the hands picking me up. I am laid down and there is this weird scuttling noise, as I feel my blanket laid around me. I have no idea how long I lay there until, I was warm enough to move again all the while listening to this scuttling noise. I roll onto my side and see a fire has been made and there is more wood to burn." Dani pauses for effect. "But there is no one else there."

Every one in the room is silent as she continues, "Eventually, I am warm enough to move and I sit up and look across the snow. There are no footprints between the spot I sit and the spot I fell. Then, I look around the area I have been laid down and all I can see is the skeleton of a squirrel, perched next to me."

Dani reaches down and takes another slice of pizza. "I got myself up and dusted myself off and started walking, ten minutes later, thumbed a ride on a snow plough."

Steve and Nikita, both look at Dani with the same thought, "She believed that happened. She wasn't making that up."

Sasha shakes her head and softly laughs, "I think you need to work on your stories a bit."

Dani smiles back, "Yeah maybe, I should."



Everyone sits back in their seats and Kim yawns softly, as she leans against her father. Kurt looks at Sasha and mouths the word, "Now."

"Kim? I need to ask you an important question." Sasha says softly, causing everyone's ears to prick up.

Kim sits up and rubs her eyes, then she looks at Sasha, with all the seriousness, that she can muster, "Ok." She says nervously.

Sasha takes a deep breath and centres herself, before asking, "How would you feel about becoming a big sister?"

Louise hugs Steve warmly, with tears in her eyes, as he brings his hands to his face, covering his mouth. He is unable to control the tears that start to flow as he thinks, "Oh you wonderful girl." 

Dani and Nikita smile teary eyed, watching as Kim thinks about the question. Kim mouth drop open as she realises what she is being asked, she whoops with joy and jumps out of her seat and screams. 

Kim is screaming with excitement, seaking so fast, the words have no meaning, while she bounces around the room. Steve crosses the room and warmly hugs Sasha as she stands to greet him, he leans in towards her ear and whispers, "I am so happy for you both, you will be an amazing mother."

Sasha whispers back, "And you and Lou will be amazing grandparents."

Steve's eyes go wide and he almost feels the sprouting of his first grey hair and the sound of those words.



Steve helps Louise into her coat and turns back to Sasha, Dani and Nikita. He feels his heart swell, gazing at his daughters reunited, "It is so lovely to have you back together again."

Dani feels herself welling up, "Thank you all for welcoming me back. It means the world to me."

Sasha, Nikita and Steve all hug her between them. "You have no idea, how good it is to have you back." Sasha says, to the ascent of Steve and Nikita.

Louise smiles at the scene and takes out her phone snapping a photo on her phone surreptitiously, hoping to immortalise the moment. "This feels right somehow." She thinks surveying the scene, as she slips her phone away. 

She smiles as, Steve says his goodbye's to his daughters, thinking, "Dani is so different to how I remember her. There has always been a strength to her but, there is something else. She has a confidence about her, that wasn't there before."

"Why don't you all come to us for breakfast in the morning" Louise asks, with a gently smile.

Sasha looks at and nods of her sisters and says, "We would be delighted."



Dani enters the spare room and peels of her leather trousers and kevlar interweave coveralls and feels the wirght of her fatigue weigh heavily upon her. Slowly she removes her bra and underwear, her muscles tired. She smiles with relief seeing that the room has an en suite shower. She turns on the fan in the shower and starts the water running.

She closes the door to the bathroom and stares at herself in the mirror, unable to tear her eye away from her no longer dead face. Slowly and deliberately, she splashes water on to her face, thinking about the day, "I saved Kim and Nikita, met Sasha again and found out she is pregnant. My sisters, dad and Lou all seem happy to have me back and I am alive again."

She tests the water in the shower and turns the temperature up slightly, before stepping under the jet. She stands letting the water wash over her body, revelling in its warmth. "This feels so good." She thinks as she feels the water cleanse her and imagines that as the water drains away, it takes the pain and weariness of the last year with it.

Suddenly overcome with fatigue, she collapses to her knees and begins to cry, thinking, "It is so good to be home."

[Caesar73]

Steves reaction was priceless! Good work - I look forward reading about Kates reaction! Great interaction between the characters.