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

[wolfman]

Dani wakes slowly after a restless night and stretches her still tired muscles, before laying back on the bed and thinking to herself, "Arno and the Bland Group are dead. Jim has the control software, but I have no confirmation about anyone else having it, so the platforms are still a threat." 

She shakes her head bitterly and berates herself, "I should have stayed on the island to obtain further intelligence, but I just had to get out of there."

Her mind is filled with thoughts of her ordeal at the hands of Edward Arno and feels a strange calm, "I have shed all the tears I am going to shed over what he did to me. I screwed up and paid the price. But he is dead now and I am not. Time to end this and move on."

She closes her eyes and trawls through the islanders memories for any clues about another site that might hold the control software.



Champ stands weapon ready in the state room, "What the heck happened here?" He thinks, loking at the blood stained floors and slick walls dripping with gore.

He returns the salute of the trooper that enter the room and commands, "Report. Tell me we have control of the SDI network, or at least a way to restore NORAD's access."

The trooper stands at ease and shakes his head, "Thus far we have only found one body. Satellite array was disabled and hardline cable to the mainland has been cut. All the aircraft and boats that serve the island are destroyed or disabled. This place was hit and hit hard for that matter. As far as intel on the orbitals, we are still looking, but there is a lot of ground to cover."

"Too much to hope for I guess. Any indications who hit this place? Champ asks, already knowing the answer.

"None sir, no bullet holes, no bodies, cameras have been wiped and Madagascan ATC indicates three small commercial flights over the last few days. The scale and apparent timeline of destruction indicates a large scale assault. They would have to have used a boat of some kind, but there is a lot of ocean around us. No idea how we find it." The trooper confesses.

"Chasing God damned ghosts again." Champ says under his breath, prompting a "Huh?" From the trooper, which Champ dismisses with the wave of his hand and a "Never mind. Get technical to download and analyse all files onsite. There has to be something."

"Sir." The trooper responds before turning tail.

Champ slings his weapon on his shoulder and looks out of the state room's window, "Just like Guam all kinds of shit, without an ass to pin it on. The team in Grand Cayman report no intel regarding who was behind the destruction of the hotel and no local intel apart from Baron Samedi destroying a bank. If it wasn't for an odd transfer of funds to a CIA front, we would never have been put onto this island." He looks up at the sky, "There is another player in this game and they are a lot better at it than we are."

He rests back against the grand table in the centre of the state room and keys his radio."Alpha Team secure all electronic intelligence. Bravo Team collect blood samples from around the site, we may not have bodies but we may find out who was here. Charlie Team secure evac site and prepare for dust off in two hours."

Champ rubs his chin thoughtfully and sighs, "Wish I hadn't lost that tablet, I have a feeling it would have led us right to whom we seek. My gut told me the broad from Chicago was dicey, but she seemed so plausible. Glad I left her and the tablet off the books."

"What the hell is going on here?" Champ asks, the empty room.



"Well, what do you have to report?" The voice on the line barks in Mandarin.

Zhao sits in their Grand Cayman safehouse and reviewing the guest list of the Phoenicia hotel. "We have a common thread between Copraktik and The Phoenicia. A programmer by the name of Atul Rann. Seismic sensors in the area read the same as Guam. Registered impacts and sonic booms on the island, but not from any approach."

"Your hypothesis may be correct after all." The man on the line says, "An orbital weapon. The Russians have never developed such a technology. Indications from chatter are either American or potentially Indian."

"This system would likely need a lot of high payload transport to HEO, India doesn't have that capacity. The Americans are looking into this as well, they were in Guam and there was a team in Grand Cayman also." Zhao pauses thoughtfully, "Copraktik had the hallmarks of a front company, maybe it was a US front company related to the weapon and Rann stole it for sale to the highest bidder."

"Find me proof, Zhao." The General orders, "Shut this down, before this weapon is used against soveriegn Chinese interests." Then slams down the phone.

"Yes sir." Zhao responds, to the dead line, while thinking, "Do this, do that, get on with it."



"Has your asset checked in yet?" The severe looking man with eyes older than his years asks.

"Not since before the Phoenicia." Maerig confirms, uncomfortably. "She gave us valuable intelligence on investors. We have traced a number of accounts and linked them to members of an organisation known as the Bland Group."

"Do we have anything on them?" The other man asks.

"Not yet. But it appears that they financed Rann." Maerig confirms.

"Rann's body has been found in the rubble, there are signs he was tortured." The other man says, "Is it possible she has control of the weapon and used it to destroy the hotel to cover her tracks?"

"No." Maerig says, with absolute conviction.

"How can you be so sure?" The other man, asks suspiciously.

"I looked into her eyes, when she gave her word, Foriegn Secretary. She meant it. She is not an architect in this mess, but she will be its downfall." Maerig asserts.

"Very well. I will accept your assessment. But if you are wrong, you are finished."' The Foreign Secretary says, firmly, "Now, do we have any idea where our rivals are?"

"Uncle Sam is hot on the heels of something. Some chatter from the Indian Ocean, nothing concrete." Maerig pauses, "China has boots on the ground in Grand Cayman, but no confirmation on their progress at this time."

The Secretary stares out of the window with his hands clasped behind his back, "What of the Russians?"

"Far too quiet, I think that they are hanging back and waiting to see how the cards fall, before they act." Maerig says, thoughtfully.

The Secretary nods mulling over what he has heard here today, "Keep me informed. I want to know as soon as she makes contact." He pauses for a moment, "There is another thing, if this goes awry and blows up in our laps, your agent will need to take the fall to protect the crown. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly, sir." Maerig says, thinking, "I will make a leather jacket from your flayed and tanned skin, before I betray one of my people."

"Very good. That will be all." The Home Secretary says, dismissing the Dragon.



"Jim? Why don't you come back to bed?" Natalie asks, laying in bed with only a thin silk sheet to cover her modesty.

Jim snaps back to focus and lays down the tablet on the coffee table. "This is bad news." He thinks, to himself.

"Jim? Is everything alright?" Natalie asks again, her voice tinged with concern.

"Yeah just coming." Jim says with a smile, thinking, "I think she is ready for another round."

He bounds up the stairs taking them two at a time, before appearing in the doorway to his room, in silk boxers and a loosely tied robe. "Hello beautiful."

"Hey handsome. Everything alright?" She asks, beaming a smile.

"Yeah, just looking at the tablet Dani gave Carl in Spain." Jim says, divesting his clothing and climbing into bed, next to his lover. He pulls her close and plants a deep passionate kiss on her lips.

"Sounds thrilling. It is a shame that you are bored of me so soon, preferring the company of a tablet." Natalie says with a cheeky smile.

"She is tracking some very bad people and they have access to an orbital weapons system. The tablet holds the control codes." Jim says blithly, pulling Natalie closer to him.

Natalie's eyes widen in shock, "Seriously?"

"Yeah, it is a connected system that can strike anywhere in the world and there is no defence against it." Jim says, nuzzling her neck.

"That sounds terrifying." Natalie says, then softens in response to his kiss, purring with pleasure.

"Don't worry darling, with the software on the tablet, we should be able to take them down." Jim whispers, stroking the soft skin of her lower back.

"That's good to know." She whispers, submitting to his touch and laying back to allow him free access to her body.



A stern looking marine in fatigues with no unit insignia, looks down at the only body they have found on this island, "His throat was crushed and once his attacker was upon him, he would have died fast."

He shakes his head walking around the room, "Leather straps, tape, professional quality restraints. This guy was set up to do very bad things." He squats by a small pile of restraints, near to the bed, "These have been used." He thinks to himself. "Someone was a prisoner here and looking at some of the items in this room, they were not treated well."

Sargeant Wolf takes a few swabs from the restraints, "Probably nothing but nevertheless." He thinks, writing up the labels.

He frowns to himself and looks carefully around the room, "Interesting, this appears to be the only room with no cameras. This must be the man who watches everyone else, but remains unseen."

Wolf strokes his chin thoughtfully, as his gaze falls on the bedside table. On a whim he sits on the edge of the bed and opens the top drawer. His eyebrows raise slightly, spying the notepad concealed at the back of the drawer.      

Idly he begins to read the scribbled notes in the pad and mull them over in his mind, "Danielle Taylor. British. Brothers and sisters have special abilities. Step mother runs Nirvana. Swept through every man, woman and child on the island in under three hours."

He sets down the pad on the bed and uses his phone to take photos of the pages. He attaches them to an encoded message and hits send, "As soon as we get a signal that will send."

Slowly he tears out the pages and stuffs them one by one into his mouth, chewing and swallowing each in turn, "This information will cause a stir in Lubyanka Square." He muses, tossing the empty pad into the rubbish bin and begins destroying the swabs, he took from the restraints, "The Americans don't need to know."

A soft knock at the door, draws his attention. As he looks at the door the voice the other side, with a strong Bronx accent says, "Gotta hustle Sarge, wheels up in ten."

Wolf smiles to himself, and in a deep Texan accent calls back, "Not much here, Private. Just a rich dead guy and a collection of sex toys."

[GreyLord]

The plot thickens. The game is still afoot. Trouble is still abrewing. There is still much work for the [mention]wolfman[/mention] to do. Great new chapter.

[wolfman]

The plot thickens. The game is still afoot. Trouble is still abrewing. There is still much work for the @wolfman to do. Great new chapter.

There are other players in the game but who will show their hand? They all have their own take on what is going on, but who will act on it first?

[wolfman]

Two days later

Jim rouses himself from sleep, hearing a soft beep to his left. He gingerly reaches over Natalie and retrieves the hidden burner phone. Silently he slips from the bed and heads downstairs to the living room, before answering the call, "Badger."

"Good to hear your voice, Jim." Dani says, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Thank God." He whispers, "I was beginning to get worried."

"Sorry."' Dani says, soundly slightly hurt to Jim's weary ears. "It hqs taken me a while to get to a secure location where I can call."

"Where are you?" Jim asks, knowing that even he will not be able to trace the call if she doesn't want to be found.

"Back of beyond." Dani says, "Do you still have the tablet from Spain."

"Of course, The software is in place. It can be used to target and fire. However," He pauses, not able to find the words.

"It's ok Jim, give me the bad news." Dani says, sighing.

"This unit should not exist. So it is not part of TACNORAD and not set up with their protocols. I can brute force into their system, but as soon as the American's automatic countermeasures realise that I am in they can try to lock me out, I can try to override them, but there is no guarantee."

"How do we get around that?" Dani asks, seeing the risks involved.

"Either we obtain a code key and install it on the tablet, so it shows as one of their terminals, or we load up the software at NORAD." Jim explains, with a shrug.

Dani runs her fingers through her hair and nods to herself, "Do we know how many other terminals there are?" She asks, thoughtfully adding. "There may be a Bland tablet with a Code Key

"Copraktik is gone, NORAD is locked out, there was one on an artificial island in the Indian Ocean that went dark a couple of days ago, plus this tablet."

"So in effect we could log on and wait and then the system will lock us out. Then there is no one else who can access the system." Dani asks earnestly.

"Potentially yes, but there is no way of knowing about other terminals." Jim says, thinking he just heard the whimper of an animal on the line.

"Could you command all platforms to fire at a single target and empty their payloads?" Dani asks, thoughtfully.

"Yeah that would work." Jim confirms, "What target?"

"Fire it into the sun." Dani says, nodding to herself.

"I am good with that. I can try brute forcing it this evening, it might take a few of hours. I will need to fight the countermeasures in real time." Jim says, with a gentle smile.

"Damn, I was hoping it would be done sooner." Dani says, cracking her neck. "Any chance you could get it done this morning?"

"Oh shit, you don't know." Jim says, putting his face in his hands.

Dani frowns, confused, "What don't I know?"

Jim takes a deep breath, "Fey got back from Spain yesterday with Hel's body. The funeral is today." When Dani doesn't respond , he softens his tone and speaks softly, "It only just dawned on me, that no one has told you. I am so sorry."

"My fault." Dani says, her voice faltering, "Should have been in touch sooner."

Jim hears the waiver in her voice and senses something amiss. "Dani? Is everything alright?"

"Most of the group I am tracking are dead. There are a few left, once they are in hand, I can come home.' Dani says, with something unknowable in her tone. "Can you lay flowers on the grave for me?"

"We are always here for you, Dani. You don't have to do this alone." Jim assures her.

"Thanks Jim. I have to go. Text me when it is done." Dani says, hanging up.



She sets down the phone and wipes blood from her cheek with the back of her hand. After a deep breath to centre herself, she turns to the terrified man bound in barbed wire at her feet and pulls the rag from his mouth, "Thank you for conducting the fund transfer. The victims of the Bland group may not get their loved ones back, but the money will help them rebuild their lives."

"I have done everything you have asked of me, please let me go." The man begs.

"I didn't ask you to transfer thirty million to your own personal account. That is money that could have helped the people that the Bland group have hurt but you saw fit to take it. What was the best that you thought would happen?" Dani says coldly, picking up the already bloodied set of pliers.



Dani closes her eyes and discards the pliers, letting them dissipate before they hit the ground. She frowns thinking she hears a noise from the other side of the office door. Without hesitation she steps across the threshold, a split second before the door crashes inwards.

The three man team enters weapons raised, on a hair trigger. She watches from the dead world, as the men quickly and professionally sweep the room. "Clear." The big Texan calls out, lifting his face mask, revealing a clean shaven chisel jawed man, "We got a body and blood."

Dani nods recognising Champ, when he enters the room and addresses the Texan, "Bag it all up. Photos of every surface. Data from every device."

"It's going to be a bust just like every other location we have hit in the last two days." The Texan says, sounding tired.

"Maybe, maybe not soldier. It is the job, so get on with it." Champ orders, with a shake of his head.

He heads outside to get some air and looks up at the gunmetal grey of the sky. "Another fucking ghost. We are always one step behind these guys. Only a couple of the Bland Group's money launderers left, whoever is behind this has stolen billions."' He thinks, taking a swig from a hip flask.

"What is the end game here?" He asks, thinking aloud.

[GreyLord]

As always, [mention]wolfman[/mention], you lead upward on onward. As you do that, you leave us panting for what may come next. Great work!

[Caesar73]

Excellent new chapter: The last line poses the most important Question: What is the Endgame? I also liked the Conversation between Dani and Jim - Dani seems exhausted, no Wonder here after her ordeal at the Island. Let us hope she keeps her act together and finds some solace and shelter with her Familiy.

[wolfman]

I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has read or commented on this tale, taking it to over 150,000 views. Thank you.

Special mention to [mention]GreyLord[/mention] , [mention]Caesar73[/mention] , [mention]slackywacky[/mention] and [mention]Bandit666[/mention] for their support of this tale

[wolfman]

Under a cloud of summer rain, the trees part to reveal a small procession carrying a coffin. The palls bearers and those gathered behind ignore the rain. All lost in their grief. There is no breeze, or birdsong. The only sounds are the hiss of rain against the leaves and the crunch of gravel under the mourners shoes.


Dani rests in the boughs of a tree, dressed head to toe in dark red leather, with knives and other blades in various sheaths all over her body and a whip coiled around her waist. She lights a cigarette and take a deep lungful of smoke, exhaling slowly. She is utterly focused on the task before her.


Steve feels the weight of the coffin on his shoulder and the weight of the daughter he never knew like a mill stone around his neck. Jim is stoic betraying no emotion, while he does his part to carry his sisters body. Carl bears the rear of the coffin behind his father, lost in his memories of his fallen sister. Nikita holds the coffin with her inhumanly strong arm and shoulder, feeling weak at the loss of a sister she barely knew.


Dani sees the four vehicle convoy approach and prepares herself. The sedan leads with the limo tucked in behind it and two black SUV's in behind. Discarding the cigarette, she drops from the bough of the tree and falls through the dead world, emerging into the living world next to the passenger of the limo.


Behind the coffin Tara pushes Kim's wheel chair next to Louise pushing Sasha's chair. Ali and Anya hold hands, walking slowly behind them. Then behind them all Kate, Singer and Fey silently follows.


The Limo driver feels the curved blade, hovering at his throat, pinning him in his seat. When the intruder commands him to , "Drive as normal." He is more than happy to comply.


Kim sits in her wheelchair feeling her sister's sadness, "First Dad and my uncle, then Anya's mum and now Hel. Over the next week, we will be at the funerals for all of our fallen sisters. Maybe Sasha is right and we should step back and recover, but it feels right for us to be there to support our sisters families."


The man in the back seat cowers before her, looking up at her gleaming, black horns, blood-soaked fangs and bright yellow eyes. "Please I will do anything you want, please don't kill me." The Demon in blood red leather, glares down at him and hands him a piece of paper, "All of the money you have from the Bland Group, transfer it to the account on the note."


"We want to find out about those we have lost. Help them to live on in our memories, make their legacy worthwhile." Kim pledges silently, knowing Fey will tell her anything she wishes to know about Hel.


"This is a robbery?" The man in the back of the limo says, incredulously. The Demon grabs him by the throat and hisses, "This not a robbery, this is a balancing of the books. The money will be split between the loved ones, who have lost their lives at the hands of the Bland Group."


Tara feels light headed for a moment and stumbles slightly. Fey catches her arm and asks, "Are you alright love?" Tara smiles in response, simply saying, "Yes thank you Fey. Just a little dizzy." She continues pushing her sister and thinks to herself, "Just struck me how much family I have now. Even then when I stumbled, there was someone to catch me. That is kind of special."


"Pah, go to hell." The man in the back of the limo says. The Demon fixes him with a malicious stare, "That is where I came from and where I will return when we are done. In the mean time, I am here. With you." She says, making a blade hover mere millimeters from his throat.


"I don't tell you guys, often enough that I love you." Tara Psis, out of the blue. "You don't have to, we feel it with every word you psi." Kim psis back. "Love you babe." Ali psis with a grinning face and a massive love heart. "I love all you guys so much." Anya psis, with a lovestruck face.


"No." The man in the limo says defiantly. The demon turns the blade at the man's throat into a ballgag and forces it into the his mouth, buckling it tightly. "It doesn't matter what you say. You will do what I tell you, or you will suffer unimaginably in this world and the next." She says, with a cold fury.


Fey smiles to herself watching the four sisters and thinks, "I don't need any special abilities to see that they are close and have each other backs." She pauses watching Kim and her sisters for a moment, "The way that they watch the treeline and surrounding area is textbook Dani. They have taken the lessons from her book to heart." She smiles to herself, Unseen by everyone else and pulls out her phone. 


The man starts to laugh, the sounds garbled by the ball in his mouth. Dani backhands the man across the face and snarls, "This is not a joke." Drawing further peels of laughter from the man. Dani rips the ball from his mouth and growls, "What's so funny?" He grins, "You are. You look the part and say the right words but it is all so forced. You talk a good game, I will give you that, but the story is laughable."


Anya chokes back tears, thinking of the moment she was forced to helplessly watch when Pilar executed Hel. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." She says softly, her words carried off by the wind, before anyone who could hear them. She feels Kim's warm hand on her heart, as she psis, "You did all you could, none of us could have done more." 


"Have it your way." Dani says coldly, "Transfer the money and you and your driver live. Defy me and I will end you." To emphasise her point, she presses a hand to his mouth and slams an inhumanly powerful fist into his right thigh, with a crunch of bone. The man screams into her hand and squirms in agony uner her grasp. She siezes his thigh in a vice like grip and squeezes. In a cold sweat he nods, his eyes pleading for the pain to stop.


The procession enters the church with every member alone in their thoughts, but united in their grief. The pall bearers lay the coffin down with gentle reverence, each silently offering a few silent words. The assembled mourners all take their seats and bow their heads, as the priest leads them in prayer.


Dani sidesteps into the dead world, a moment before the limo careens into a wall. The security SUV's race forward and screech to a halt, spilling out their occupants. They override the vehicles security and open the doors. The first thing that greets them is the smell of death, that bursts from the vehicle with avengence. If this was not enough to repulse the men, the blood and gore that coats the inside of the vehicles, seals the deal. Dani takes no pleasure from the scene, floating into the dead sky, thinking, "Another one down, soon this will be over."




As one man cuts the power and turns on a phone jammer, the other makes short work of the lock on the door. They know time is short and their window is small to search the property, before the mourners return, so every moment counts. The man with a scarred face points to the kitchen, then taps his chest and points to the living room. The other man nods silently and draws his sidearm heading for the kitchen.

Scar searches the living room with ruthless efficiency, eliminating items from his search with a glance. The other man steps out of the kitchen and taps his foot to confirm he is clear. Scar points to a locked office and continues his search. The other man stalks towards the door, pulling the lock pick gun.

Scar hears the click of the office door, as it yields to his comrades efforts. He concludes the search of the living room is a clear and heads for the nearest bedroom. Room by room they clear the house, finishing with a baby room, before moving to the next house along.

"The faint wiff of tobacco lingers in the air, but it is not fresh. Maybe a few days old." Scar notes, crossing the threshold of the house and heading for the living room, while his comrade makes a beeline for the kitchen. "This will go faster now we know the layout of the properties."

He is halfway through the search of the downstairs bedroom, when he hears two sharp finger clicks, indicating that his comrade has found something. He emerges from the bedroom to review his comrade's findings, when he is pulled up short by the shout of "Who the hell are you?", from his left.

Scar turns sharply towards the stairs, seeing a blonde woman with green eyes, with only a thin silk dressing gown to cover her modesty. Most alarming is the handgun she is aiming professionally at his chest. He raises his hands away from his sides and speaks softly, "Sorry to bother you. We have been made aware of an immediate threat, we are searching for an EOD onsite."

"Bullshit, any such device would have been detected before it entered the building." Natalie says, gesturing with the gun, "Who are you?"

The other man emerges from the office, pistol drawn and aimed at her, "Drop the weapon." He orders.

Natalie sees the tablet in the mans off-hand and knows exactly why they are here, "Drop your weapon or I kill your associate."

"Kill me and he will shoot you and leave with what we came for." Scar says, with a shrug. "Is it worth dying over?"

The other man begins circling away from Scar, trying to make it hard for her to keep both of them in view. "Drop it lady or I will drop you."

Natalie switches her aim to the other man for a moment, ordering him, "Get back over there." He slowly edges towards Scar and smiles seeing the realisation on the woman's face that Scar also has a weapon aimed at her.



"I'm screwed. No way I can draw a bead on the scarred guy after shooting the tablet guy." Natalie decides, knowing her doubt is showing on her face.

"You know the odds. You hold that gun like a pro. There is only one way out of this for you." Scar says, in a soft calm voice.

"I can't let them leave with the tablet. It could start a war, if the weapon falls into the wrong hands." She thinks shifting her aim from tablet guy's chest to the tablet he holds. "No chance. I have the tablet in my sights and I will see it destroyed before I let you take it." Her voice is as unwaivering, as her aim.

"Do that and we cut you down." Scar says, with a twitch of his eye. "We are so close, we can't let this dumb bitch stop us now." He thinks, burning with rage inside.

"Maybe, but you don't get the tablet and maybe I take out your partner too." Natalie says, hoping he buys her bluff.

"Steady on." Tablet guy says, "Let's be practical here. Do you really want to die to stop us?"

"I don't want to. But I will give my life to stop you." Natalie says, thinking, "Oh God, where are you Jim?"

"I believe you, miss." Scar says, compassionately, before asking, his partner, "Do you have a shot?"

"Yes sir, I have the shot." Tablet guy says.

"So do I." Natalie says, firmly.

"Your move love. You fire, we fire." Scar affirms.

Natalie flicks her gaze between the two men and the tablet. Being halfway up the stairs, she has the higher ground but they have her cold. She settles her aim on the tablet and whispers under her breath, "I love you, Jim."



The humid late afternoon air is hot and still. To any outside it almost feels slick against one's skin. But something else hangs in the air. An anticipation. A thirst. Like the world is holding it's breath. Then with a volley of gunfire, the breath is released.

[GreyLord]

This is high-tension writing, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. So very good!

[Caesar73]

The End of the Chapter was breathtaking - outstanding. Prospects look dire for Natalie, but I hope for her still.

[Bandit666]

Well it’s safe to say there’s many reasons to celebrate. Firstly the reaching of the 150’000. The second the quality and frequency of all the updates. But mostly it’s the constant cliffhangers and high tension. Awesome as always [mention]wolfman[/mention]

[wolfman]

[mention]GreyLord[/mention] [mention]Caesar73[/mention] [mention]Bandit666[/mention]

Thank you gentlemen for your continued support and kind words. I may not have tie ups in all chapters, but I like to think that the cliff hangers add tension so when someone is tied up, it makes it mean a bit more.

[Caesar73]

@GreyLord @Caesar73 @Bandit666
but I like to think that the cliff hangers add tension so when someone is tied up, it makes it mean a bit more.

They certainly do add to the tension nicely And you are so very good with Cliffhangers [mention]wolfman[/mention]

[wolfman]

Carl eases the lead vehicle away from the church, he sees Jim's vehicle, behind with Kate and Amy's bike bringing up the rear. He has had a strange feeling all day, that he has been unable to shift, no matter what he tries. "The smooth flow of the pattern is now a ripple. Something is wrong." He thinks, changing down a gear and gunning the engine.

Jim frowns, seeing the other vehicle shoot forward. Slowly he accelerates to match the speed of the other vehicle, trying not to alert his passengers. "Something is off. Carl is driving like he is in a hurry." Jim thinks, linking with the other vehicle and pinging an earpiece on charge in the centre console.

Carl slips in the earpiece and speaks softly, trying not to disturb his sleeping passengers, "Badger?"

Jim manipulates the earpiece, sending, "What's going on? You are driving like the Devil's chasing you."

Carl smiles to himself, knowing that Jim isn't actually speaking, but hearing his soft Kenyan accent. He snaps back to focus, "Something and nothing. Just a feeling."

"I am monitoring comms and traffic patterns in the area and there is nothing to indicate a threat." Jim confirms, sweeping his senses over the dizzying array of signals in the area.

"There is a ripple in the flow, something misaligned." Carl mumbles, trying to zero in on the problem.

"Calm down, grasshopper. Why don't you pretend I don't understand?" Jim sends, with a shake of his head.

"Imagine the pattern of the world as the surface of a calm lake. When all is well the surface is like glass, but when something is amiss there are ripples." Carl explains quietly, trying nit to disturb Kim and her sisters, "There is a ripple."

"What does that mean?" Jim asks, warily. He casts a gaze into the rear view mirror, seeing Fey, Steve and Louise all lost in their own thoughts, while Nikita, dozes in the front passenger seat.

"I don't know, it feels different to ripples I have felt relating to us or Kim and her sisters, or Dani." Carl subvocalises.

Jim feels his heart race and he reaches out, using his phone to log on to Nirvana's systems and their households security systems. "Power and comms are down at the houses." He sends, gunning the engine, with only one thought on his mind, "Natalie."

"Oh hell." Carl says out loud, stepping on the gas. The SUV lurches forward, as if rammed from behind and continues to pick up speed. 



Kim drifts awake feeling the vehicles speed pick up. Her gaze lazily falls on the vehicles odometer and then she is fully awake as she realises that the vehicle is doing over a hundred and twenty and still accelerating, "Uncle Carl? What's wrong?"

With an expression on his face akin to quiet contemplation, Carl looks down at her for a moment and gives her a wink, "Hel wasn't one for being maudlin about things. She liked to drive fast and take risks. Feels right to put my foot down." He explains, with a grin.

Kim smiles up at him, "Okey dokes." She bites her tongue for a moment, knowing what she wants to say, but knowing that there is never going to be the right time.

Carl senses the disquiet in the young woman and reaches over for a moment, squeezing her hand. "If you keep a thing in your heart, it will grow in darkness. But if you bring it into the light, you can see it and deal with it."

Confusion clouds her face as she thinks, "How does he know?" She bites her lip and then in a faltering voice speaks softly, "It's my fault, she dead."

"No it isn't." Carl says, with a faraway look in his eyes, whipping through traffic.

"I chose the route that we took, I led us into an ambush." Kim confesses, "My mistake killed her."

"She could feel the presence of people around her and has had the same training you had and she was more experienced. If she had detected a problem, with the route, she would have said." Carl explains, gently, "Much as it is natural to blame yourself, this was not on you. She died as she lived. Wild, free and trying to help others." He pauses for a moment, threading the SUV through an impossible gap between a truck and a people carrier. "You have survivor's guilt. You are questioning why you are alive and someone else is dead. This is more common than you might think."

Kim sits quietly in the aftermath of his words, feeling his belief in them on some level. "If it is survivors guilt, why do I feel so bad?"

"You feel bad, because you are a good person and you wish that you had died so that someone else could have lived." Carl says, with a sigh, "We have all been there. When a situation could have gone another way, we doubt ourselves and blame ourselves for not acting differently.  The problem is, that you can't change yesterday, you can only strive to be better tommorow."

Kim sits back in her seat for a moment, feeling as if a little weight had been lifted, "How can I be better?"

Carl smiles and winks at her, "That question is a trap." He says holding up a warding finger, "That is based upon the assumption that you are deficient. Instead try asking yourself, who am I? Am I the best version of myself I could be?"

"How can I truly know?" Kim asks, fascinated.

"By testing your limits." Carl shrugs, "Be true to yourself. Understand the world around you and make peace with the actions you take."

"I can try that. I feel the belief you have in the advice you have given, so I am cool to try it." Kim says, thoughtfully, before pointing out, "The problem I have is that I don't get that same sense of belief when you say that you put your foot down because Hel liked to take risks. There is a problem, isn't there."

Carl realises that he has been caught out and nods, "Maybe." He pauses, before deciding to confide in her, "Comms and security at the houses have been cut. Might be nothing, but it pays to be cautious."

"Understood, Uncle Carl." She says, psi-ing her sisters, "Trouble, wake up."

Carl sees the three young women in the back seat open their eyes simultaneously and stretch. "They are good kids, but somewhat scary at times."



Jim reaches across and places a hand on Nikita's leg, shaking it gently, "Niki? Come on darlin', wake up." Jim says with regret, wishing he could let her rest.

Nikita grogily wakes and rubs her face, "S'up?" 

"Sorry to wake you, but there might be a problem at the houses." He says, softly.

"No need to whisper son, you are Carl are driving like maniacs. It is obvious that there is a problem." Steve says, checking his sidearm.

"Comms and security feeds for the houses are down. Might be nothing." Jim says, trying to convince himself.

"Let Kate know. Get her to head to security and have a team review security footage. Tell Singer to get the infirmary on stand by." Steve asks, giving Lou a gentle smile, "Probably nothing." He says, knowing that his gut is telling him that it is a lie.



Carl brings the lead vehicle to a halt, in a cloud of dust and stones. "Wait here and be alert for signs of incoming hostiles." He says, firmly to Kim and her sisters.

Jim screeches to a halt behind Carl's SUV and leaps out of the vehicle. Nikita beats him to the punch and sprints for her front door, sensing what awaits them inside. She makes eye contact with Carl and flicks her eyes to Jim.

Carl clamps a hand to Jim's shoulder. Jim turns sharply to face his brother, "I have to get in there." He pleads.

"Let Niki and I clear the building, you are too emotional." Carl warns.

Jim shoves past his brother and evades Nikita's grasp, barging through the front door. The house is too quiet, apart from his breathing, he only hears a soft dripping. He inhales the scent of blood and death and it galvanises him into action.

He charges into the living room almost tripping over the body in the doorway. His gaze flits frantically around the room, until he sees the mop of blond hair in a pool of blood at the foot of the stairs. 

Jim cradles her head and sobs softly, his words incoherent. Natalie coughs up blood, onto the thin material of her  dressing gown. "Jim?"

"Hush darling, Save your strength. Help is coming." He says softly, his eyes dart to the doorway, as Nikita charges in, heading to his side. "Niki...."

"No words." Nikita says, closing her eyes and reaching into Natalie's lifepulse, just as she is about to sweep all of the blockages into her own, she pauses, thinking, "Trouble is coming, we need all hands on deck." With that thought, she sweeps the blockages from Natalie, Sasha, Kim and her sisters and Kate into her own.

Jim looks on as Nikita collapses with a scream and becomes deathly still.



Carl smiles to himself as Jim cradles Natalie on the sofa. He checks over the body of a scarred man, while Kate searches the other dead man. Kate glances at Carl thoughtfully and asks, "What do you think happened here?"

Without looking up Carl begins, "Natalie probably interrupted them, when they searched the place. Three way standoff. She had the higher ground. Probably fired first." He pauses looking around then pointing, "Hitting the tablet. Winging the man holding it.  The bullet holes in the wall indicate the other man blazed away when she dived down. But she landed hard and was winded, she was probably hit at that point. At that stage, it devolved into a frenzied exchange of bullets."

"I was hit on the stairs and twice in the air." Natalie calls out weakly from the sofa, "I kind of fired blindly when I dived and when I hit, it was all a blur."

"Shhhhh, rest." Jim sats tenderly, stroking her hair, knowing he will never be able to repay Nikita for the gift she has given him. He pulls blanket over her and gently picks her up, "Let's get you upstairs and clean you up."

No one questions it, after the events of the day. Steve pats him on the shoulder on his way from the Kitchen, "Patrols have been increased and local authorities have been made aware. Lou is just co--ordinating damage control with her people."

"We are just trying to get some clue about these guys. But the weapons had their serial numbers filed off, they have no identification and have used acid to erase their finger prints." Kate confirms, drawing a blank. "Security are looking for their vehicle."

Steve pulls down the mask covering the lower portion of the scarred man's face and forces his mouth open. "Uh-huh." He says reaching into the mans mouth and gripping one of his left rear molars between his thumb and forefinger. He twists and pulls, ripping the dead man's tooth free. 

He holds it up to the light  showing that it is man of metal covered in synthetic enamel, with thin wires trailing off of it. "Implanted digital comms, the wires connect to induction speakers and microphones set into the jawbone."

"How the hell did you know that?" Kate asks, impressed.

"I know him. Kolya Petrovich. Spetznaz counter insurgency specialist. I worked with him briefly in Afghanistan. Highly skilled operative." Steve confirms, setting the tooth down. "'Natalie was lucky." He says, looking up as louise enters the room.

"Steve, I know that look." Louise says, shooting him a warning look.

"They invaded our homes. I need to end this before it begins." Steve says, exhaling slowly. 

Louise looks at the blood stains on the floor and bullet holes in the walls and knows in her heart that he is right and that this needs to end for the safety of everyone. "Can you end it?" She asks, knowing the answer.

"One visit and they wont come back." Steve says, thoughtfully.

"How can you be sure?" Carl asks, skeptically.

"I can be very persuasive." Steve says, with a look of utter calm.

[Caesar73]

I like that line of Steve: "I can be very persuasive" I am sure he will be Good to see him in Action. Hopefully he will visit hell on the bad Guys!

[GreyLord]

Beautifully written. I like Carl's advice to Kim. The team moves into high gear very smoothly. Thank you, [mention]wolfman[/mention].

[wolfman]

I like that line of Steve: "I can be very persuasive" I am sure he will be Good to see him in Action. Hopefully he will visit hell on the bad Guys!

It has been a while since Steve has got his hands dirty. Maybe he has changed.

Beautifully written. I like Carl's advice to Kim. The team moves into high gear very smoothly. Thank you, [mention]wolfman[/mention].

Thank you for your kind words. Carl is wiser than he let's on. But that is all Iwill say on that for now.

[Caesar73]

I like that line of Steve: "I can be very persuasive" I am sure he will be Good to see him in Action. Hopefully he will visit hell on the bad Guys!

It has been a while since Steve has got his hands dirty. Maybe he has changed.

That will be interessting to see - and I am very curious what you have in mind. The way you develop your characters never fails to amaze me. All the main Characters have gone a long way: Steve, Louise, Kate, Dani, Nikita. Well done [mention]wolfman[/mention]!

[wolfman]

Kirill was an anxious man. To the world he looked like a accountant or even a librarian. However, his appearance was a lie, a finely crafted illusion, designed to decieve any who meet him. He has a generously sized, corner office in the Russian Embassy in London. The room may be large, but the book cases and filing cabinets, encourage an air of claustrophobia, in any who visit.

Once again he checks his phone for a progress update. "Damn them, they should have checked in by now." He curses quietly.

Kirill jumps, when he looks up from his phone to see a man sat in the chair opposite him. He relaxes for a moment taking a deep breath, "Shit, you had me worried for a moment." He says in Russian and thinks, "So this is the fabled Steve Marks. I thought he would be bigger."

The newcomer sits back in the chair and swipes a piece of lint from the leg of his black suit trousers. The powerful looking man is dressed in a dark suit, with a pale grey shirt and black tie, his shoes are black leather, polished to a shine.

"What are you doing here?" Kirill asks, impatiently.

"Do you really expect me to believe, that you don't know?" The man says, lacing his powerful fingers.

"I heard you were out of the game and had gotten married and stepped back from state and private operations." Kirill says, pouring a double vodka from a bottle in his top drawer and knocking it back, before pouring another.

"Your sources are correct." Steve says, calmly, "I am here on a personal matter."

"Oh really, are you trying to tell me you are here for marriage guidance." Kirill laughs.

Steve chuckles to himself, then laughs a little louder. He slaps his leg and begins laughing maniacally, then stops and without emotion speaks in a low, dangerous tone, "No."

Kirill feels a chill descend over the room, thinking, "He knows." He composes himself and asks, "Well, in that case, w-what are you doing here?"

Steve fixes him with a deadly stare, "You sent men to the homes of my children, where they shot my son's girlfriend." He pauses for effect, "On the day, I was burying my daughter." Steve leans forward subtly, "I don't care, why. I don't care who is pressing you. You will cease all operations relating to my family, with immediate effect."

Kirill begins to feel a sheen of sweat on his top lip, "Supposing I knew what you were on about. Why would I back off?"

"Both of us know, the trouble the other can cause for us. I don't think either of us wants a war." Steve says, taking a measure of the man.

"What of my men?" Kirill asks, trying to buy time.

"Dead. I am sorry to say. There was a firefight and they lost their lives." Steve admits, before adding, "The tablet that they were sent to retrieve was also destroyed."

"Their bodies?" The Russian asks,with a slight twitch of his left eye.

"In bags at the door. I took the liberty of cleaning them up and bagging their belongings separately." Steve explains.

Kirill strokes his chin, thoughtfully, "Do I have your word that the tablet is destroyed?"

Steve pulls out his phone and plays a recording of the confrontation between the Russian men and Natalie. Kirill watches thoughtfully, nodding when the tablet is destroyed by the first shot of the encounter and gunfire erupts from both sides in a cacophony of bullets.

Kirill sits back in his chair, with his elbows on the armrests, his fingers steepled in front of his lips. "This is why I was sad when you left the game. You understand the way things are done. These agents that come up through the ranks now are animals. They lack finesse, seeking only to kill or blow up the world. But you, you are a civilised man."

Steve smiles darkly and speaks in a low soft tone, "Make no mistake, I am here because this is the quickest way to end this. You cross me on this, there will be no limit on the retribution, that you and your people will face."

Kirill tries to read the man, but he is giving nothing away. "You would go to war with the FSB?"

"The FSB comes for me, I will rip it to shreds." Steve says, glancing to his left for a moment.

"Now, I know you are bluffing." Kirill says coldly. "You have spent too much time listening to the stories people tell about you. You overestimate yourself."



"Have you noticed how quiet it is, since I entered the room?" Steve asks, leaning back in his seat.

Kirill frowns and listens for a moment, thinking, "It is very quiet. I hear no noises from people walking around, typing or speaking."

"Everyone else in the building is unconscious. If I choose to, I could knock you out, install a data tap, unlock your systems with your biometrics and send the entire FSB database to intelligence agencies around the world." Steve says, calmly.

The FSB chief accesses the security system for the embassy and sees nothing out of place, everyone is at their posts and all appears normal. "Nice try, Marks."

Steve gets up with a smile, "Feed has been spoofed, why don't we take a look?"

Kirill nervously rises to his feet and follows Steve, thinking, "He has a reputation for the impossible in the community, but there is no way he has managed this."

Steve leads Kirill through the eerily quiet building past countless unconscious officials, security personel and civil servants.The FSB chief shakes his head in disbelief, "How is this possible?"



Back in his office, Kirill slumps back in his desk chair. Steve pours the man a double vodka and the FSB chief accepts it with shaking hands.

"Do we have an understanding?" Steve asks, without emotion.

Kirill is visibly trembling, as he nods, "Yes. I will send it up the line, that the tablet is no more and there is no value in pursuit of you are your family."

Steve extends his hand, "Thank you Kirill." He says, while thinking, "And thank you Amy and Jim."

[Caesar73]

Steve has indeed changed [mention]wolfman[/mention] - but this new Steve Marks is as dangerous as the old one. Instead of resorting to physical Violence he let his Personality work for him. I like that Side of Steve very much so.

[GreyLord]

For some time, in this story, highly talented super heroes and heroines have been at work. In this chapter, we have the old master returning to the field. Yes, [mention]Caesar73[/mention], ha has changed. And changed for the better. But all of the old danger is displayed. Kudos to the [mention]wolfman[/mention].

[wolfman]

[mention]Caesar73[/mention] [mention]GreyLord[/mention]
Thank you for your kind words, gentlemen.

I thought it would be fun to see Steve in action again. It is easy to think that his children are world beaters and forget how capable he is. The action will soon shift back to Dani, but there may be a more extended return of Steve to the frobt line at some point in the future.

[Caesar73]

I thought it would be fun to see Steve in action again. It is easy to think that his children are world beaters and forget how capable he is. The action will soon shift back to Dani, but there may be a more extended return of Steve to the frobt line at some point in the future.

I would like to see Steve back in the middst of a wild meleé at some point - but no complaining on my part [mention]wolfman[/mention]

[Caesar73]

This Saga? It is just great stuff. [mention]wolfman[/mention] is doing an outstanding job. This story has it all.

[GreyLord]

This Saga? It is just great stuff. @wolfman is doing an outstanding job. This story has it all.

Indeed, it does have it all.