Dani's character has been troibled for some time but can't get to the heart of the issue. Maybe Angela will help her in more ways than one.
@Caesar73 @GreyLord Thank you once again for accompanying this tale on its journey, there are ever more twists to come.
Revelation (M/F) (F/M) - A sequel to Devastation
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
@Bandit666 @Caesar73 @GreyLord @slackywacky
Kim flops back on the makeshift camp bed and stretches out. Tara sits on the edge of her bed exhausted. Anya cracks her neck and falls forwards on to her bed. Ali yawns and scratches the small of her back.
As if of one mind they all change into t-shirts and shorts with a flourish.
“Hey Ali, did I hear right? Has your dad fixed the dam?” Kim psis, exhausted.
“Kind of. It cracked last night with an aftershock and he sealed it. Today he worked with that sorceror Phobos and his people to freeze some of the water in the reservoir to support the dam while it is repaired.” Ali psis.
“That is pretty sick.” Tara psis with a heart image, “Do you think we will end up working with Phobos?”
“No idea. We got the other triage centres up and running today, so we wont be needed to do that. But Sasha mentioned that we might have to go to the field hospitals tomorrow.” Kim psis, with a shrug.
“Really, more IT?” Ali psis, with a groan.
“Sorry babe, but we have skills that are in demand and people that need us.” Kim psis, sending a hug.
“Think of it this way, with the work we do, we give others the tools that they need, to do what they do.” Tara psis, with an image of her flexing the muscles in her arms.
“I guess so.” Ali psis, “I suppose if we can get them set up, before they start operations, we won’t need to retrofit. We can create something new.”
“True dat.” Anya psis, “Dad says, if we see if we have some time free, the local guards could use a new dispatch and crime management system.”
“Cool. Shame we can’t put any of this on a CV, we could be earning six figures by our sixteenth birthdays.” Ali psis, with a dollar sign.
“We play our cards right, we wont have to.” Tara psis enigmatically.
“How do you mean?” Ali psis confused
“Look at what we have done in two days and think about how long it would take a regular IT team. We have created a 3d rendered interactive map, with live inputs from ground teams and aircraft in a few hours and managed the roll out of a real time patient logging system with intuitive case logging for twelve triage centres.” Tara psis, with a wink, “We have already done a lot, if we can achieve more, we could become the go to support solution for Atlantean relief ops.”
“I know we are good at it, but I don’t know, if I want a career doing IT.” Kim psis.
“My dad always says, just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to.” Anya psis.
Kim nods, “That is so true. We have proven we can do this. Just as we proved ourselves in Santander. It doesn’t mean we have to do this for the rest of our lives, but we could if we wanted to.”
“You know what the problem is?” Ali psis, “We have a world of possibilities before us and can do anything, but we have no idea what we want to do.”
“What do you reckon? Interdimensional trouble shooters? Ninja commandos? Combat trained tech support? Elite thieves?” Tara psis playfully.
Kim lays her head back on her pillow, “I am way too tired for this. Sorry for this, but my bed has been calling me for the last four hours, I need to crash.”
“To be fair, we have had two sixteen hour days on the bounce and tomorrow will probably be as long. I second the motion to crash.” Ali psis, with a loving image of her pillow.
Anya and Tara psis their assent and within minutes all four are asleep.
Moses cracks open a bottle of lager and sits back in the armchair, rubbing the bottle across his forehead. He stares at the bottle and takes a deep swig, as the door opens.
“Hey man. How is it going?” Alex says, shrugging off his jacket and changing from his Sheath to a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Moses nods to him and passes him a cold beer, “You good, brother?” He asks, with a faraway look in his eyes.
Alex takes the bottle and cracks the cap. He slumps in the other chair and takes a deep pull, “After a day breathing stale air through a tube, there are no words to describe how good this tastes.”
After a moment with no response, Alex asks, “Is everything OK with you?”
Moses stares at his bottle and drains the rest of it, “I dunno, brother. Weird day.”
“That good eh?” Alex asks, keeping things light.
“I’ve been offered a job here in Haven.” He takes another bottle from the cooler and rubs the back of his neck with it, before cracking it open, “Head of Havens Security Guards, here in the city.”
Alex blows out his cheeks and whistles, “Jeez, where did that come from?”
“Their command structure was decimated by one of the aftershocks. The remaining Guards, were scattered across the city. I helped a guy called Lewis set up a new command centre and draw the remaining officers back to give them a cohesive structure based on how we ran ops in the DEA.” Moses explains, before taking a sip of beer, “An hour ago, President Titus himself called me. Wanted me to head up Haven operations until a full staff can be put in place and then, run an anti smuggling agency for the whole realm “
“Shit. That’s heavy.” Alex says, draining his lager and taking a second, “Wasn’t planning on hitting it hard tonight, but I think it will be one of those nights.” He cracks the bottle and takes a pull on it, “What are your thoughts?”
Moses bumps his knee with his fist and shakes his head, “It is a great opportunity, chance to be in on the ground floor and build things up and then make a real difference to a lot of people. Kind of like what I was doing in the DEA, but with an almost unlimited budget.”
“I sense a but and think I know what it is.” Alex says, quietly.
“I can’t do it to Anya.” Moses says earnestly, “I have promised her that I will always be there for her. I do this and it’s a minimum eighteen months, long days and never being able to be there for her. I can’t do that to her. Or to me for that matter.”
“That’s fair. They are growing up so fast. Rach and I still can’t get over how smart Ali is and how quick she picks things up.” Alex says with a sigh.
“Tell me about it. Have you ever seen the girls when they are working on something together. They are like a wordless whirlwind.” Moses says, with a hint of pride. “I wish her mom could see her.”
“She is looking down on her from heaven every day mate.” Alex says warmly.
“You believe that?” Moses asks, feeling tired.
“From what you’ve said about her, that’s where she’d be and that’s what she’d be doing.” Alex says, with a smile, “The stuff we’ve seen kinda makes you a believer.”
“You are not wrong there.” Moses says, thoughtfully, “I will call the president in the morning and tell him no. I’ve missed enough of my daughter’s life. I want to be there for her, while she still needs me.”
“Behave mate, she will always need you. Just like Kim and Tara will always need Sasha.” Alex says, considering switching to water, before snagging another lager.
“You’re a good dude, you know that? Ali will always need you too. She is a sweet kid. They all are really.” Moses says with a sigh.
Alex sits forward for a moment, “If we are going to get into this, shall we at least get a pizza to soak up the booze.”
Dani sits with a cup of tea and reclines in her chair wearing a comfortable dressing gown and slippers. She smiles at the soft knock on the door, closely followed by Angela’s entrance in scrubs, “Hey you, was wondering if I would see you tonight?”
Angela raises an eyebrow, “Oh really. Wondering if I was coming back for more?”
Dani’s eyes widen, “No, I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant...” She flounders, turning bright red.
Angela smiles gently and sets down her back pack, “Hey, steady on. I’m teasing you.”
“Sorry, I’m kind of new to all this.” Dani says, bashful.
Angela glides around behind Dani’s chair and begins massaging her shoulders, “Don’t worry. Last night we were two girls having fun. That doesn’t make you gay and if you want, we can leave it at that.”
Dani moans softly, feeling the tension leaving her shoulders, “I am so conflicted. I have never had feelings like this for a woman before, but I feel so drawn to you.”
“I can understand that. What we did was amazing, but when we talked this morning, was almost as good. Everyone, even Niki, talks to me with deference. But you spoke to just me and I really appreciated that.” Angela says, hugging Dani from behind, “If nothing else, it would be nice to have a friend.”
Dani screws around in the seat to look up at Angela, “I would like that too.”
Angela winks down and playfully says, “We could always be friend with benefits.” She feels a pang of regret when Dani leans forward in the seat, pulling out of her arms and then stands facing her. “I..... Sorry.”
Dani slowly unties the belt of her dressing gown and then shrugs it to the floor. Angela gasps, seeing Dani in a black thong and bra, with nude stockings and black suspenders. Dani shakes her pure, white hair loose and lets it spill over her shoulders, down to her breasts.
“Now why would you be sorry?” Dani asks, with a glint in your eyes.
“Oh wow. You look amazing.” Angela says, biting her lips unable to tear her eyes away from Dani’s perfect breasts, the curve of her thighs or the ripples of her tight stomach.
“Last night, was the most wonderful, intense experience of my life. I wondered if there was anything I could do to repay you.” Dani says, smiling warmly.
Angela composes herself and flashed a cheeky grin, “Anything?” she asks, playfully.
“Anything.” Dani says, almost shocked at herself, feeling breathless with anticipation.
Angela bites her lip seductively, “I am not normally into it, but seeing you bound, gagged and helpless last night, lit a fire in me.” She says, in a husky voice, “I want you.”
Dani feels a flutter in her stomach, “Take me.” She says, her breathing ragged.
Angela opens her backpack and pulls out a coil of rope and slowly unwinds it. Dani closes her eyes and shivers in anticipation when Angela moves around behind her. She doesn’t resist when Angela guides her hands behind her and gasps when she feels the first wraps of rope tighten around her wrists.
Once Angela winds the ends of the rope between her wrists, clinching the bindings tight, Dani feels a sense of peace, “That feels nice. Wonder where the backpack came from.”
“Just enjoy it, Dani. It will feel better and better.” Angela says, holding a white ball gag in front of the other woman’s mouth. Dani opens her mouth wide to accept it and Angela guides it behind her teeth and then lifts her hair before securing it in place.
Dani steps back pressing her back to Angela’s body, tilting her head back to rest on her shoulder.
Angela leans down, softly nuzzling the neck of her prisoner and her palm traces a path across the plain of Dani’s stomach up to her breasts, drawing a low moan from her.
Angela takes a second coil of rope and wraps it around Dani’s body just below her breasts then winds the ends between her arms and back to both pin her arms to her body and pull her elbows together. Finding a little rope left she playfully wraps it around Dani’s body above her breasts and ties it off.
Dani’s lips curl into a smile around the ball in her mouth, as she feels her arms pulled back and her breasts swell. Angela shows her appreciation from behind by running both her hands up Dani’s sides the slipping each into a bra cup and gently squeezing her breasts.
“Last night was good, but tonight will be better. Everything is better with tighter ropes and foreplay.” Angela whispers, drawing a sensual moan from Dani.
“I won’t lie. You are gorgeous and I don’t want to mess this up.” Angela continues, taking another coil of rope from the bag, this time wrapping around Dani’s waist with several turns of rope, pinning her lower arms in place. Dani looks down confused, seeing Angela knot the rope just below her navel and then tie a knot in the rope seemingly at random.
Angela swings the end of the ropes between Dani’s leg and catches it deftly. Dani gasps feeling the rope pulled tight, bisecting her labia and the knot placed against her clitoris. Confused, she thinks, “Why is Angela tying my thumbs together?”, before she tries to pulls her hands around so she can see the knots and realises, “Oh damn. Every time I move my hands, it will rub my clit.”
Angela strips with a flourish, then steps around in front of Dani to admire her handiwork, “Damn D, you look amazing. How does it feel?”
Dani wiggles her hands and nods, with a twinkle in her eyes.
Angela places her hands on Dani’s shoulders and slips the straps of her bra down and then pulls the cups of her bra down, exposing her breasts. She stands back wordless, before tenderly stroking them and softly kisses her nipples, “I want to take my time and worship every inch of your bound body and show you a universe of pleasure.”
Dani shudders, moaning softly, surrendering to the feeling of Angela’s gentle caress, sending ripples of pleasure through her body right to her core. Until, a soft knock at the door, echoes in the quiet of the room like a hammer blow.
Angela and Dani look at each other, like deer trapped in a cars headlights, when the knock comes again, this time with a soft voice saying, “Angela, I am so sorry to bother you. It’s Sasha. Can I speak to you?”
Dani’s eyes go wide with fear, when Angela says, “Just a minute, I’m not decent.” The older woman cups Dani’s chin and places a gentle kiss on the ball in her mouth, “Don’t worry, I will get rid of her, I am no where near done with you.”
Dani grunts softly in confusion but doesn’t resist when Angela guide her towards the wardrobe. Angela gently helps her into the wardrobe and places a soft kiss on her cheek, before saying, “As soon as she is gone, you are mine.”
Dani shakes her head and mumbles her objections, pleading with her eyes, when the door is closed and she finds herself bound and gagged in darkness, with only a sliver of light, where she can see into the room.
Angela changes into a loose silk pyjama top and bottoms. She opens the door quietly and smiles at Sasha, “Is everything alright?”
Sasha looks exhausted, but determined and nods, “I need to talk to you. Is Dani about?”
“Come in.” Angela says, smiling to herself, “Dani popped in but had to go out again. Not sure where, but she did say she would be tied up for at least a couple of hours and not able to talk till later.”
Dani hears Angela and groans internally, pulling again her bonds, trying to find a little slack but quickly realises two things. First, she was bound both tightly and very securely and would not be able to struggle free without making a lot of noise. Second, most movements and twists to get free, will cause her thumbs to pull the knot against her clit. She gets quietly down on her knees to wait for her sister to go and hopes that the crotch rope doesn’t betray her.
“Sounds like Dani. She can be impulsive and takes off to do things without explanation.” Sasha says, noticing Dani’s cigarettes on the table. “Strange she would leave her smokes behind.”
Angela blushes slightly, “Please don’t tell Hal, but sometimes when I am stressed, I’m partial to a smoke. To be fair, it has been a rough couple of days.” She plucks one from the pack and lights it, offering the pack to Sasha.
Sasha stares at the pack for a moment and then relaxes her body language, taking one. She lights it and takes a slow draw, “If you tell anyone, I will kill you.” Sasha says, “I used to hate the taste of these, but since Liam was born, every so often I fancy one.”
Dani’s eyes go wide in the darkness hearing this confession from her sister. She involuntarily flexes her hands and suppresses a moan, as the knot between her legs does its job.
Angela looks at Sasha with fresh eyes wondering what else she is hiding, “Why don’t you take a seat and I will pour us some wine?”
Sasha takes a seat and slumps forward, “I can’t stay, I need to get to the girls.”
“Nonsense, after all you have done for us over the last couple of days, the least I can do is pour a glass of wine and lend an ear to your woes. Dani will be tied up for a while, so you can relax, just you and me.”
Sasha considers for a moment and nods, “A glass of wine would be nice and I do need to talk to you.”
Angela beams a smile, imagining what is going through Dani’s mind at this point. She pours a large glass of a deep red wine and sets a glass before Sasha. “What’s on your mind?” She asks, sitting on the other chair, flashing her legs.
“How is Dani?” Sasha asks, taking a guilty drag of tobacco smoke.
Angela sips her wine and relaxes her body language, “I have spoken to her in a professional capacity and.” She pauses, considering her words for a moment, “She is protected by doctor patient confidentiality for those discussions.”
Sasha nods and takes a sip of wine, “I completely respect that. I was hoping for your personal take on how she is.”
Angela takes another sip of wine, as much to buy thinking time, as it is to quench her thirst, “She is complicated, but I guess you know that. At her heart, she is vulnerable and gentle, despite her demeanour. She has a toughness that has always protected her, but now it keeps her from healing. Almost as if she cuts off parts of herself that might hurt her and locks them away inside. She is so wrapped up in darkness, she may feel like she will never break free.” Angela says calmly and firmly as she can without smiling, “If she could let someone reach inside her, she could let the light in and eventually find herself free.”
“Wow.” Sasha says, taking a final pull on the smoke before stubbing it out, “I have never heard it put like that before. Do you think you can help?”
Angela nods, “In time, perhaps.”
Sasha leans over and puts a hand on Angela’s knee and speaks in a low solemn tone, “Please Angela, find a way to reach inside her and touch that part of her that can still feel the light.”
“I am going to kill Angela.” Grinning darkly despite the ball in her mouth, Dani thinks to herself, feeling a shudder of pleasure from the crotch rope wash through her.
“I will do all I can to reach into her core and show her the light.” Angela says, with an inscrutable smile.
“Thank you. You have no idea what that means to me.” Sasha says, taking a mouthful of wine.
“My pleasure.” Angela says, “If you don’t mind me saying, it almost feels as if you feel responsible for her recovery.”
“After Liam was born, he became the centre of my world I devoted myself to him and even pushed the girls away. I wasn’t there for Dani. Even after Niki disappeared, I closed myself off and even though, I could see Dani was suffering, I wasn’t there for her.”
Dani feels her eyes moisten, “No Sasha, it wasn’t your fault. I shut myself off.”
“Every time, I could have reached out, I instead focused on Liam, with the occasional deployment to natural disasters.” Sasha confesses, unable to stop herself, “I thought the girls were OK but in truth Dani was there for them, when I wasn’t. Despite everything, she put aside her problems to be there for the girls.”
“Oh no. Babe, everyone understood how you needed to be there for Liam and the girls were OK. I did what I could, but if they really needed you, you would have been there.” Dani thinks, feeling her sisters pain.
“I have failed as a mother, a sister and as a friend.” Sasha says, breaking down.
Angela crosses the room and hugs Sasha tightly, “Let it all out. You are safe here.” She whispers, gently.
Dani shakes her head, “This is stupid. I am in here bound and gagged as a tease, but my sister needs me.” She twists against the ropes subtly, unable or unwilling to free herself.
“You don’t understand, I knew.” Sasha sobs, “I knew I was neglecting the girls, telling myself that they were tough and would be OK. Besides Alex, Rachel and Moses were there for them to lean on. I knew Dani needed me and I ignored it all. I just wanted to make sure he was OK.”
“Well this could have gone better.” Angela says, feeling the pain of the woman now in her arms and imagining the turmoil of the woman’s sister, bound and gagged in her wardrobe. Gently she speaks “Nikita hasn’t told you about me, had she?”
Unable to speaks, Sasha shakes her head and continues to cry, allowing Angela to continue, “Where Nikita has a gift for healing the body, I have a gift for perceiving a person’s mental pain and knowing how to heal it. Sometimes, the words are hard to hear and the actions hard to bear, but they heal those who listen.”
“Fuck, did she con me into bed?” Dani wonders, twisting involuntarily against the ropes and pulling the knot between her legs, with a soft whimper.
Sasha wipes her eyes and looks at Angela expectantly, “So you know what to say to Dani to help her?”
“Yes and I have begun the process. I also know the words for you too.” Angela says, with a raised eyebrow.
“What do you mean?” Sasha asks, with a frown.
“OK, brace yourself.” Angela closes her eyes for a moment and then springs into action. Sasha tries to move but Angela’s legs have her arms pinned in a vice like grip, by her side. At the same time Angela clamps her mouth shut with her hand, before barking “You are a fucking idiot, who has spent months being a good mum looking after her new-born and letting her girls find their own way. So busy being a good mum in fact, that you are a bad mum. You are an idiot.”
Dani pulls on the ropes and bites down on the ball in her mouth. “What is she doing to Sasha? How the hell is she able to pin her down like that?”
Sasha looks up fearfully, as Angela continues, “As for Dani, if she had come to you and said she wanted to talk, you know you would have listened and no force on earth would have stopped you from helping her. For that matter, same with the girls, if they needed you then you would have been there.”
Sasha squirms uncomfortably, but cannot pull free of the other woman’s grip, “You miss Kurt, Liam is a part of him that you share and the girls are a part of him, that you love and still have. But you know what, they lost him too and maybe if you share your grief with Kim and then the pair of you share what kind of man he was with her sisters you would all be happier.”
Sasha nods as if each word resonates in her heart and soul and understands the truth of the and relaxes in Angela grip.
Angela sees the look of comprehension in Sasha and removes her hand from her mouth, “You know what you need to do now, don’t you?”
Sasha nods already feeling lighter, “Thank you Angela.”
Angela smiles and climbs off of Sasha, “Sorry if that was a bit rough.”
Sasha drains the rest of her wine and smiles at Angela, “You said what I needed to hear, in the way it forced me to listen. No apology needed.”
“Good luck.” Angela says, earnestly.
Angela stands still in the quiet of the room after Sasha’s departure. She takes a deep breath and composes herself, before striding up to the wardrobe door.
Slowly, the darkness of the wardrobe is dispelled as light starts to creep in. Tear soaked eyes look up, filled with anger and sadness. The ball lodged in her mouth stifles the words she speaks but not their venom.
Angela helps her up off her knees and out of her temporary prison. Despite Dani’s protests and struggles, she manoeuvres her to the sofa and sits her down.
Dani glares at Angela, when the other woman approaches and hooks a finger under the strap securing the ball in her mouth and pops it free, “You fucking bitch, how could you make me listen to my sister pour out her heart like that? Let me go or I will.....”
Angela silences her with a finger softly pressed to her prisoner’s lips, stealing her voice, “Do come now, my dear.” Angela says softly, ignoring Dani’s pleading eyes staring at her, over her stilled mouth, “With a gesture, you could have sent the ropes to a pocket dimension. You could have stepped into the Dead World and back and been free in an instant. Hell, with your strength, you could have shredded the ropes. Instead, you chose to stay bound and gagged, to listen to your sisters pain.”
The words hit Dani like a truck and she can do nothing but stare up at Angela, as the other woman continues, “You can blame me all you want, but I didn’t compel you to remain bound. You chose your helplessness, over your sister’s pain. Why did you do that, do you think?”
Angela pulls her hand away and Dani looks up at Angela. “I know Sasha is hurting but I am too wrapped up in myself to ask what was wrong. I guess hearing the words, it was obvious.”
“Interesting, why didn’t you free yourself? For that matter, why are you still bound now?” Angela asks, with a raised eyebrow.
Dani's lips tremble as she sees the words in her mind, but is frightened to give them a voice, “I.” She hesitates, “I know what I am capable off. I am frightened of being free and need to be controlled.”
Angela smiles, “For some, it is enough that I tell them what they need to hear. You are not one of those people. You need to find out for yourself.” She sighs and cups Dani’s cheek, “I am sorry, but this is for your own good.” She says gently, before popping the ball back in Dani’s mouth and tightening the strap. “This will be a long night.”
Kim flops back on the makeshift camp bed and stretches out. Tara sits on the edge of her bed exhausted. Anya cracks her neck and falls forwards on to her bed. Ali yawns and scratches the small of her back.
As if of one mind they all change into t-shirts and shorts with a flourish.
“Hey Ali, did I hear right? Has your dad fixed the dam?” Kim psis, exhausted.
“Kind of. It cracked last night with an aftershock and he sealed it. Today he worked with that sorceror Phobos and his people to freeze some of the water in the reservoir to support the dam while it is repaired.” Ali psis.
“That is pretty sick.” Tara psis with a heart image, “Do you think we will end up working with Phobos?”
“No idea. We got the other triage centres up and running today, so we wont be needed to do that. But Sasha mentioned that we might have to go to the field hospitals tomorrow.” Kim psis, with a shrug.
“Really, more IT?” Ali psis, with a groan.
“Sorry babe, but we have skills that are in demand and people that need us.” Kim psis, sending a hug.
“Think of it this way, with the work we do, we give others the tools that they need, to do what they do.” Tara psis, with an image of her flexing the muscles in her arms.
“I guess so.” Ali psis, “I suppose if we can get them set up, before they start operations, we won’t need to retrofit. We can create something new.”
“True dat.” Anya psis, “Dad says, if we see if we have some time free, the local guards could use a new dispatch and crime management system.”
“Cool. Shame we can’t put any of this on a CV, we could be earning six figures by our sixteenth birthdays.” Ali psis, with a dollar sign.
“We play our cards right, we wont have to.” Tara psis enigmatically.
“How do you mean?” Ali psis confused
“Look at what we have done in two days and think about how long it would take a regular IT team. We have created a 3d rendered interactive map, with live inputs from ground teams and aircraft in a few hours and managed the roll out of a real time patient logging system with intuitive case logging for twelve triage centres.” Tara psis, with a wink, “We have already done a lot, if we can achieve more, we could become the go to support solution for Atlantean relief ops.”
“I know we are good at it, but I don’t know, if I want a career doing IT.” Kim psis.
“My dad always says, just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to.” Anya psis.
Kim nods, “That is so true. We have proven we can do this. Just as we proved ourselves in Santander. It doesn’t mean we have to do this for the rest of our lives, but we could if we wanted to.”
“You know what the problem is?” Ali psis, “We have a world of possibilities before us and can do anything, but we have no idea what we want to do.”
“What do you reckon? Interdimensional trouble shooters? Ninja commandos? Combat trained tech support? Elite thieves?” Tara psis playfully.
Kim lays her head back on her pillow, “I am way too tired for this. Sorry for this, but my bed has been calling me for the last four hours, I need to crash.”
“To be fair, we have had two sixteen hour days on the bounce and tomorrow will probably be as long. I second the motion to crash.” Ali psis, with a loving image of her pillow.
Anya and Tara psis their assent and within minutes all four are asleep.
Moses cracks open a bottle of lager and sits back in the armchair, rubbing the bottle across his forehead. He stares at the bottle and takes a deep swig, as the door opens.
“Hey man. How is it going?” Alex says, shrugging off his jacket and changing from his Sheath to a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Moses nods to him and passes him a cold beer, “You good, brother?” He asks, with a faraway look in his eyes.
Alex takes the bottle and cracks the cap. He slumps in the other chair and takes a deep pull, “After a day breathing stale air through a tube, there are no words to describe how good this tastes.”
After a moment with no response, Alex asks, “Is everything OK with you?”
Moses stares at his bottle and drains the rest of it, “I dunno, brother. Weird day.”
“That good eh?” Alex asks, keeping things light.
“I’ve been offered a job here in Haven.” He takes another bottle from the cooler and rubs the back of his neck with it, before cracking it open, “Head of Havens Security Guards, here in the city.”
Alex blows out his cheeks and whistles, “Jeez, where did that come from?”
“Their command structure was decimated by one of the aftershocks. The remaining Guards, were scattered across the city. I helped a guy called Lewis set up a new command centre and draw the remaining officers back to give them a cohesive structure based on how we ran ops in the DEA.” Moses explains, before taking a sip of beer, “An hour ago, President Titus himself called me. Wanted me to head up Haven operations until a full staff can be put in place and then, run an anti smuggling agency for the whole realm “
“Shit. That’s heavy.” Alex says, draining his lager and taking a second, “Wasn’t planning on hitting it hard tonight, but I think it will be one of those nights.” He cracks the bottle and takes a pull on it, “What are your thoughts?”
Moses bumps his knee with his fist and shakes his head, “It is a great opportunity, chance to be in on the ground floor and build things up and then make a real difference to a lot of people. Kind of like what I was doing in the DEA, but with an almost unlimited budget.”
“I sense a but and think I know what it is.” Alex says, quietly.
“I can’t do it to Anya.” Moses says earnestly, “I have promised her that I will always be there for her. I do this and it’s a minimum eighteen months, long days and never being able to be there for her. I can’t do that to her. Or to me for that matter.”
“That’s fair. They are growing up so fast. Rach and I still can’t get over how smart Ali is and how quick she picks things up.” Alex says with a sigh.
“Tell me about it. Have you ever seen the girls when they are working on something together. They are like a wordless whirlwind.” Moses says, with a hint of pride. “I wish her mom could see her.”
“She is looking down on her from heaven every day mate.” Alex says warmly.
“You believe that?” Moses asks, feeling tired.
“From what you’ve said about her, that’s where she’d be and that’s what she’d be doing.” Alex says, with a smile, “The stuff we’ve seen kinda makes you a believer.”
“You are not wrong there.” Moses says, thoughtfully, “I will call the president in the morning and tell him no. I’ve missed enough of my daughter’s life. I want to be there for her, while she still needs me.”
“Behave mate, she will always need you. Just like Kim and Tara will always need Sasha.” Alex says, considering switching to water, before snagging another lager.
“You’re a good dude, you know that? Ali will always need you too. She is a sweet kid. They all are really.” Moses says with a sigh.
Alex sits forward for a moment, “If we are going to get into this, shall we at least get a pizza to soak up the booze.”
Dani sits with a cup of tea and reclines in her chair wearing a comfortable dressing gown and slippers. She smiles at the soft knock on the door, closely followed by Angela’s entrance in scrubs, “Hey you, was wondering if I would see you tonight?”
Angela raises an eyebrow, “Oh really. Wondering if I was coming back for more?”
Dani’s eyes widen, “No, I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant...” She flounders, turning bright red.
Angela smiles gently and sets down her back pack, “Hey, steady on. I’m teasing you.”
“Sorry, I’m kind of new to all this.” Dani says, bashful.
Angela glides around behind Dani’s chair and begins massaging her shoulders, “Don’t worry. Last night we were two girls having fun. That doesn’t make you gay and if you want, we can leave it at that.”
Dani moans softly, feeling the tension leaving her shoulders, “I am so conflicted. I have never had feelings like this for a woman before, but I feel so drawn to you.”
“I can understand that. What we did was amazing, but when we talked this morning, was almost as good. Everyone, even Niki, talks to me with deference. But you spoke to just me and I really appreciated that.” Angela says, hugging Dani from behind, “If nothing else, it would be nice to have a friend.”
Dani screws around in the seat to look up at Angela, “I would like that too.”
Angela winks down and playfully says, “We could always be friend with benefits.” She feels a pang of regret when Dani leans forward in the seat, pulling out of her arms and then stands facing her. “I..... Sorry.”
Dani slowly unties the belt of her dressing gown and then shrugs it to the floor. Angela gasps, seeing Dani in a black thong and bra, with nude stockings and black suspenders. Dani shakes her pure, white hair loose and lets it spill over her shoulders, down to her breasts.
“Now why would you be sorry?” Dani asks, with a glint in your eyes.
“Oh wow. You look amazing.” Angela says, biting her lips unable to tear her eyes away from Dani’s perfect breasts, the curve of her thighs or the ripples of her tight stomach.
“Last night, was the most wonderful, intense experience of my life. I wondered if there was anything I could do to repay you.” Dani says, smiling warmly.
Angela composes herself and flashed a cheeky grin, “Anything?” she asks, playfully.
“Anything.” Dani says, almost shocked at herself, feeling breathless with anticipation.
Angela bites her lip seductively, “I am not normally into it, but seeing you bound, gagged and helpless last night, lit a fire in me.” She says, in a husky voice, “I want you.”
Dani feels a flutter in her stomach, “Take me.” She says, her breathing ragged.
Angela opens her backpack and pulls out a coil of rope and slowly unwinds it. Dani closes her eyes and shivers in anticipation when Angela moves around behind her. She doesn’t resist when Angela guides her hands behind her and gasps when she feels the first wraps of rope tighten around her wrists.
Once Angela winds the ends of the rope between her wrists, clinching the bindings tight, Dani feels a sense of peace, “That feels nice. Wonder where the backpack came from.”
“Just enjoy it, Dani. It will feel better and better.” Angela says, holding a white ball gag in front of the other woman’s mouth. Dani opens her mouth wide to accept it and Angela guides it behind her teeth and then lifts her hair before securing it in place.
Dani steps back pressing her back to Angela’s body, tilting her head back to rest on her shoulder.
Angela leans down, softly nuzzling the neck of her prisoner and her palm traces a path across the plain of Dani’s stomach up to her breasts, drawing a low moan from her.
Angela takes a second coil of rope and wraps it around Dani’s body just below her breasts then winds the ends between her arms and back to both pin her arms to her body and pull her elbows together. Finding a little rope left she playfully wraps it around Dani’s body above her breasts and ties it off.
Dani’s lips curl into a smile around the ball in her mouth, as she feels her arms pulled back and her breasts swell. Angela shows her appreciation from behind by running both her hands up Dani’s sides the slipping each into a bra cup and gently squeezing her breasts.
“Last night was good, but tonight will be better. Everything is better with tighter ropes and foreplay.” Angela whispers, drawing a sensual moan from Dani.
“I won’t lie. You are gorgeous and I don’t want to mess this up.” Angela continues, taking another coil of rope from the bag, this time wrapping around Dani’s waist with several turns of rope, pinning her lower arms in place. Dani looks down confused, seeing Angela knot the rope just below her navel and then tie a knot in the rope seemingly at random.
Angela swings the end of the ropes between Dani’s leg and catches it deftly. Dani gasps feeling the rope pulled tight, bisecting her labia and the knot placed against her clitoris. Confused, she thinks, “Why is Angela tying my thumbs together?”, before she tries to pulls her hands around so she can see the knots and realises, “Oh damn. Every time I move my hands, it will rub my clit.”
Angela strips with a flourish, then steps around in front of Dani to admire her handiwork, “Damn D, you look amazing. How does it feel?”
Dani wiggles her hands and nods, with a twinkle in her eyes.
Angela places her hands on Dani’s shoulders and slips the straps of her bra down and then pulls the cups of her bra down, exposing her breasts. She stands back wordless, before tenderly stroking them and softly kisses her nipples, “I want to take my time and worship every inch of your bound body and show you a universe of pleasure.”
Dani shudders, moaning softly, surrendering to the feeling of Angela’s gentle caress, sending ripples of pleasure through her body right to her core. Until, a soft knock at the door, echoes in the quiet of the room like a hammer blow.
Angela and Dani look at each other, like deer trapped in a cars headlights, when the knock comes again, this time with a soft voice saying, “Angela, I am so sorry to bother you. It’s Sasha. Can I speak to you?”
Dani’s eyes go wide with fear, when Angela says, “Just a minute, I’m not decent.” The older woman cups Dani’s chin and places a gentle kiss on the ball in her mouth, “Don’t worry, I will get rid of her, I am no where near done with you.”
Dani grunts softly in confusion but doesn’t resist when Angela guide her towards the wardrobe. Angela gently helps her into the wardrobe and places a soft kiss on her cheek, before saying, “As soon as she is gone, you are mine.”
Dani shakes her head and mumbles her objections, pleading with her eyes, when the door is closed and she finds herself bound and gagged in darkness, with only a sliver of light, where she can see into the room.
Angela changes into a loose silk pyjama top and bottoms. She opens the door quietly and smiles at Sasha, “Is everything alright?”
Sasha looks exhausted, but determined and nods, “I need to talk to you. Is Dani about?”
“Come in.” Angela says, smiling to herself, “Dani popped in but had to go out again. Not sure where, but she did say she would be tied up for at least a couple of hours and not able to talk till later.”
Dani hears Angela and groans internally, pulling again her bonds, trying to find a little slack but quickly realises two things. First, she was bound both tightly and very securely and would not be able to struggle free without making a lot of noise. Second, most movements and twists to get free, will cause her thumbs to pull the knot against her clit. She gets quietly down on her knees to wait for her sister to go and hopes that the crotch rope doesn’t betray her.
“Sounds like Dani. She can be impulsive and takes off to do things without explanation.” Sasha says, noticing Dani’s cigarettes on the table. “Strange she would leave her smokes behind.”
Angela blushes slightly, “Please don’t tell Hal, but sometimes when I am stressed, I’m partial to a smoke. To be fair, it has been a rough couple of days.” She plucks one from the pack and lights it, offering the pack to Sasha.
Sasha stares at the pack for a moment and then relaxes her body language, taking one. She lights it and takes a slow draw, “If you tell anyone, I will kill you.” Sasha says, “I used to hate the taste of these, but since Liam was born, every so often I fancy one.”
Dani’s eyes go wide in the darkness hearing this confession from her sister. She involuntarily flexes her hands and suppresses a moan, as the knot between her legs does its job.
Angela looks at Sasha with fresh eyes wondering what else she is hiding, “Why don’t you take a seat and I will pour us some wine?”
Sasha takes a seat and slumps forward, “I can’t stay, I need to get to the girls.”
“Nonsense, after all you have done for us over the last couple of days, the least I can do is pour a glass of wine and lend an ear to your woes. Dani will be tied up for a while, so you can relax, just you and me.”
Sasha considers for a moment and nods, “A glass of wine would be nice and I do need to talk to you.”
Angela beams a smile, imagining what is going through Dani’s mind at this point. She pours a large glass of a deep red wine and sets a glass before Sasha. “What’s on your mind?” She asks, sitting on the other chair, flashing her legs.
“How is Dani?” Sasha asks, taking a guilty drag of tobacco smoke.
Angela sips her wine and relaxes her body language, “I have spoken to her in a professional capacity and.” She pauses, considering her words for a moment, “She is protected by doctor patient confidentiality for those discussions.”
Sasha nods and takes a sip of wine, “I completely respect that. I was hoping for your personal take on how she is.”
Angela takes another sip of wine, as much to buy thinking time, as it is to quench her thirst, “She is complicated, but I guess you know that. At her heart, she is vulnerable and gentle, despite her demeanour. She has a toughness that has always protected her, but now it keeps her from healing. Almost as if she cuts off parts of herself that might hurt her and locks them away inside. She is so wrapped up in darkness, she may feel like she will never break free.” Angela says calmly and firmly as she can without smiling, “If she could let someone reach inside her, she could let the light in and eventually find herself free.”
“Wow.” Sasha says, taking a final pull on the smoke before stubbing it out, “I have never heard it put like that before. Do you think you can help?”
Angela nods, “In time, perhaps.”
Sasha leans over and puts a hand on Angela’s knee and speaks in a low solemn tone, “Please Angela, find a way to reach inside her and touch that part of her that can still feel the light.”
“I am going to kill Angela.” Grinning darkly despite the ball in her mouth, Dani thinks to herself, feeling a shudder of pleasure from the crotch rope wash through her.
“I will do all I can to reach into her core and show her the light.” Angela says, with an inscrutable smile.
“Thank you. You have no idea what that means to me.” Sasha says, taking a mouthful of wine.
“My pleasure.” Angela says, “If you don’t mind me saying, it almost feels as if you feel responsible for her recovery.”
“After Liam was born, he became the centre of my world I devoted myself to him and even pushed the girls away. I wasn’t there for Dani. Even after Niki disappeared, I closed myself off and even though, I could see Dani was suffering, I wasn’t there for her.”
Dani feels her eyes moisten, “No Sasha, it wasn’t your fault. I shut myself off.”
“Every time, I could have reached out, I instead focused on Liam, with the occasional deployment to natural disasters.” Sasha confesses, unable to stop herself, “I thought the girls were OK but in truth Dani was there for them, when I wasn’t. Despite everything, she put aside her problems to be there for the girls.”
“Oh no. Babe, everyone understood how you needed to be there for Liam and the girls were OK. I did what I could, but if they really needed you, you would have been there.” Dani thinks, feeling her sisters pain.
“I have failed as a mother, a sister and as a friend.” Sasha says, breaking down.
Angela crosses the room and hugs Sasha tightly, “Let it all out. You are safe here.” She whispers, gently.
Dani shakes her head, “This is stupid. I am in here bound and gagged as a tease, but my sister needs me.” She twists against the ropes subtly, unable or unwilling to free herself.
“You don’t understand, I knew.” Sasha sobs, “I knew I was neglecting the girls, telling myself that they were tough and would be OK. Besides Alex, Rachel and Moses were there for them to lean on. I knew Dani needed me and I ignored it all. I just wanted to make sure he was OK.”
“Well this could have gone better.” Angela says, feeling the pain of the woman now in her arms and imagining the turmoil of the woman’s sister, bound and gagged in her wardrobe. Gently she speaks “Nikita hasn’t told you about me, had she?”
Unable to speaks, Sasha shakes her head and continues to cry, allowing Angela to continue, “Where Nikita has a gift for healing the body, I have a gift for perceiving a person’s mental pain and knowing how to heal it. Sometimes, the words are hard to hear and the actions hard to bear, but they heal those who listen.”
“Fuck, did she con me into bed?” Dani wonders, twisting involuntarily against the ropes and pulling the knot between her legs, with a soft whimper.
Sasha wipes her eyes and looks at Angela expectantly, “So you know what to say to Dani to help her?”
“Yes and I have begun the process. I also know the words for you too.” Angela says, with a raised eyebrow.
“What do you mean?” Sasha asks, with a frown.
“OK, brace yourself.” Angela closes her eyes for a moment and then springs into action. Sasha tries to move but Angela’s legs have her arms pinned in a vice like grip, by her side. At the same time Angela clamps her mouth shut with her hand, before barking “You are a fucking idiot, who has spent months being a good mum looking after her new-born and letting her girls find their own way. So busy being a good mum in fact, that you are a bad mum. You are an idiot.”
Dani pulls on the ropes and bites down on the ball in her mouth. “What is she doing to Sasha? How the hell is she able to pin her down like that?”
Sasha looks up fearfully, as Angela continues, “As for Dani, if she had come to you and said she wanted to talk, you know you would have listened and no force on earth would have stopped you from helping her. For that matter, same with the girls, if they needed you then you would have been there.”
Sasha squirms uncomfortably, but cannot pull free of the other woman’s grip, “You miss Kurt, Liam is a part of him that you share and the girls are a part of him, that you love and still have. But you know what, they lost him too and maybe if you share your grief with Kim and then the pair of you share what kind of man he was with her sisters you would all be happier.”
Sasha nods as if each word resonates in her heart and soul and understands the truth of the and relaxes in Angela grip.
Angela sees the look of comprehension in Sasha and removes her hand from her mouth, “You know what you need to do now, don’t you?”
Sasha nods already feeling lighter, “Thank you Angela.”
Angela smiles and climbs off of Sasha, “Sorry if that was a bit rough.”
Sasha drains the rest of her wine and smiles at Angela, “You said what I needed to hear, in the way it forced me to listen. No apology needed.”
“Good luck.” Angela says, earnestly.
Angela stands still in the quiet of the room after Sasha’s departure. She takes a deep breath and composes herself, before striding up to the wardrobe door.
Slowly, the darkness of the wardrobe is dispelled as light starts to creep in. Tear soaked eyes look up, filled with anger and sadness. The ball lodged in her mouth stifles the words she speaks but not their venom.
Angela helps her up off her knees and out of her temporary prison. Despite Dani’s protests and struggles, she manoeuvres her to the sofa and sits her down.
Dani glares at Angela, when the other woman approaches and hooks a finger under the strap securing the ball in her mouth and pops it free, “You fucking bitch, how could you make me listen to my sister pour out her heart like that? Let me go or I will.....”
Angela silences her with a finger softly pressed to her prisoner’s lips, stealing her voice, “Do come now, my dear.” Angela says softly, ignoring Dani’s pleading eyes staring at her, over her stilled mouth, “With a gesture, you could have sent the ropes to a pocket dimension. You could have stepped into the Dead World and back and been free in an instant. Hell, with your strength, you could have shredded the ropes. Instead, you chose to stay bound and gagged, to listen to your sisters pain.”
The words hit Dani like a truck and she can do nothing but stare up at Angela, as the other woman continues, “You can blame me all you want, but I didn’t compel you to remain bound. You chose your helplessness, over your sister’s pain. Why did you do that, do you think?”
Angela pulls her hand away and Dani looks up at Angela. “I know Sasha is hurting but I am too wrapped up in myself to ask what was wrong. I guess hearing the words, it was obvious.”
“Interesting, why didn’t you free yourself? For that matter, why are you still bound now?” Angela asks, with a raised eyebrow.
Dani's lips tremble as she sees the words in her mind, but is frightened to give them a voice, “I.” She hesitates, “I know what I am capable off. I am frightened of being free and need to be controlled.”
Angela smiles, “For some, it is enough that I tell them what they need to hear. You are not one of those people. You need to find out for yourself.” She sighs and cups Dani’s cheek, “I am sorry, but this is for your own good.” She says gently, before popping the ball back in Dani’s mouth and tightening the strap. “This will be a long night.”
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
Will we hear more about the long night? Whatever Grand Master @wolfman decides will be best. That was an excellent interlude.
A List of my stories:An Unlikely Savior Completed
Spy Task Force Completed
Tale of an Archer Completed
The Bandit Scout on Newhome updated 05/30/23
Not much left to add @GreyLord
I love this Statement of Dani - it is telling the reader much imho:
"Dani's lips tremble as she sees the words in her mind, but is frightened to give them a voice, “I.” She hesitates, “I know what I am capable off. I am frightened of being free and need to be controlled.”
You might be in luck.
The full truth of the matter will be revealedCaesar73 wrote: ↑3 months agoNot much left to add @GreyLord
I love this Statement of Dani - it is telling the reader much imho:
"Dani's lips tremble as she sees the words in her mind, but is frightened to give them a voice, “I.” She hesitates, “I know what I am capable off. I am frightened of being free and need to be controlled.”
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
Angela looks down at Dani, stroking her face gently with the back of her hand. “I can guide you to the truth, but it will be a hard road. Nod if you want to do this.”
Dani stares up and Angela and thinks for a moment, “I should tell her to fuck off. But why didn’t I free myself, for that matter, why am I still tied up?” She nods her head, and stares up at Angela expectantly.
“Very good. I will apologise now, as this may be tough at times.” Angela says, softly, “I am here for you. Despite what you may end up thinking of me, I am on your side.”
Dani bites on the ball in her mouth and tries to adjust its position, but to no avail. She then looks up at Angela pleading.
Angela shudders slightly and then takes a length of rope from her back pack, “Damn darling, but those baby blue eyes of yours, ruin me.” She doesn’t resist being rolled away from Angela and lays still, when more rope is coiled savagely around her arms just below the elbows and cinched tightly. Angela takes her time stroking Dani’s body and then tightens the ropes around her chest further pinning her arms.
Dani feels Angela gently pull her ankles together and then wrap a rope around them and cinch the bindings tight. She slowly moves her legs, testing the bonds before, more rope is added above and below her knees.
“For what it’s worth, I am sorry it has to be this way.” Angela whispers before rolling Dani onto her side. Dani feels a rope attached to her ankle bindings and threaded through the back of the ropes around her chest. She squeals, feeling the rope pulled tight drawing her ankles up and forcing her back to arch.
She grunts in pain and tries to pull again her bonds unable to find any slack. “Fuck this is tight. Even Arno wasn’t this brutal. This doesn’t feel right.” She thinks, feeling Angela pulling her hair into a ponytail. She yelps feeling her hair pulled back by a rope which is tied off to her ankles.
Angela rests a warm hand on the small of Dani’s back, “Shhhh darling, I know it is uncomfortable, but it will be worth it.”
With a gesture, Angela removes Dani’s thong. Dani squeals in surprise, feeling something teased and then pushed inside her womanhood, buzzing like an angry hornet. With another gesture from Angela, Dani’s thong is back in place.
Dani can only watch as Angela raises the fore and middle finger of her right hand to her lips and seductively, licks Dani’s juices from them. “Mmmmm. Like a fine wine.”
Angela cannot help but marvel at the rippling of Dani’s muscles and undulations of her helplessly bound body, as the vibrator goes to work, she leans down and places a soft kiss on each of Dani’s eyelids, before whispering, “My little battery powered friend has served me well over the years.” She pauses, stroking Dani’s ribs and gently caressing her breasts, “Don’t worry, it’s clean.” She says, warmly, “From experience, I know it is set to a level that will be enough to take you up the mountain, but not enough to push you over the edge.” Angela gentle strokes her captives cheeks and sweeps the hair out of her eyes.
Dani feels the pressure in her core build slowly, until it grows no more. She shakes her head and thrashes her body but to no avail. “Hush darling, you are on the edge, but, nothing you can do will allow you to climax. When and if you do, depends on if I allow it. This form of denial is to help your mind to enter a fugue state, where physical sensation falls away and it is just you and your mind.”
Dani cannot stop the tears, knowing she should have shaken hear head and she would be free. She howls in frustration, feeling so close, but so far from the bliss she experienced the other night.
Angela places a soft kiss upon the ball in Dani’s mouth and then gently nuzzles her neck before whispering, “Be back soon lover, just going to have a soak in the bath. It’s been a long day and I need to unwind. Sorry beautiful, but a girl had needs. I’ll only be an hour, or so.”
Dani shakes her head furiously. The ball in her mouth renders her pleas unintelligible. Angela sets her arrester to sound suppression and drops it by Dani’s side the steps back and with a gesture, her clothes disappear. Dani can do nothing but watch her captors, sculpted frame stalk towards the bathroom door.
Dani’s throat burned from screams that no one can hear. She screams silently, a mix of anger and fear while her body relentlessly fights the ropes that bind her inescapably.
“This is worse than anything I have ever experienced. Nothing I do can stop it. The bullet is trapped by my thong and I can’t dislodge it. The rope teases but won’t let me finish. I can’t bring myself off. This is awful.” Dani thinks, desperately. “Why can’t I free myself?”
Between the agony of her tight bonds and frustration, come a point where all she can do is cry. Dani breaks down and her body is wracked with sobs. If the arrester was turned off she would hear the water draining from the bath and the sounds of a hairdryer in the bathroom
When her tears run dry, she feels the frustration wash over her again and weakly struggles.
Angela enters the room in a silk bathrobe and spends a moment taking the sight before her, softly speaking, “Dear God’s, I hate myself for doing this to you. However, if you can take this on board.” When Dani notices her and looks up, Angela smiles, wistfully “Act two.”
Angela smiles down at Dani and in a mocking tone, says, “Look at you all red faced and soaked in sweat. Anyone would think you were struggling there.” Angela reaches down and turns off the arrester, so she can hear Dani’s cries.
“You look so cute with those baby blues, your red face and that big ball in your mouth.” Angela says, playfully, triggering a flurry of moans and grunts from her prisoner. She shakes her head, “Here, let me help.” She says popping the ball out of Dani’s mouth.
Dani weakly croaks, “Please, stop this. I can’t take any more. I will do anything. Please let me climax. This is driving me mad “
“Why are you asking me?” Angela shrugs, “You could free yourself whenever you want, but you choose not too. If you can’t be bothered to help yourself, why should I?”
“Please Angela. If you want me to beg, I will beg.” Dani pleads, her lip quivering.
“Forgive me.” Angela thinks, before whipping her hand back and slapping Dani’s face, then clamps her hand over Dani’s mouth and pinches her nose, “Don’t ever beg. You hear me.” Angela says, resisting Dani’s attempt to pull free, “You are a goddess and goddesses don’t beg. You hear me.” Angela snarls. Dani’s eyes go wide and she tries desperately to pull away.
Dani gasps, gulping air down as Angela frees her mouth. “Please stop this.”
As Dani lays helpless on the couch, Angela sits on the sofa, with her legs either side of her prisoner. She releases her ponytail and Dani lacks the strength to hold up her head. She plants face first in Angela’s crotch. She feels her face roughly pressed between her captor’s her face legs, holding her head down to rock her arched body. “You want it, earn it.”
Angela closes her eyes and quivers gently with the first wave of pleasure released within her. Despite her weakness, Dani buries her face between Angela’s legs, relentlessly licking and sucking the lips of her labia, teasing her clit.
Angela throws her head back and gasps, as the first flush of orgasm passes through her. Dani feels Angela’s juices squirt into her mouth and swallows as quickly as she can. In that moment, she feels a spike in sensation between her legs, just before the vibrations begin to subtly slow, then cease.
Angela giggles uncontrollably, feeling another orgasm wash over her from Dani’s exquisite tongue. Her body spasms, shuddering in tune to the pulses of pleasure, savaging her senses.
Dani desperately works her tongue, until Angela eases the pressure on the back of her head and purrs, “You can stop now, darling.”
Dani pants and gasps for air, “Was that good enough?” She says weakly.
“Very good darling.” Angela smiles down at the woman staring up at her from between her legs.
“Please the vibrator has stopped.” Dani says, her soulful eyes, burning a hole in Angela’s heart.
“The batteries probably dead.” Angela says, thoughtfully picking up her phone, “I have spare batteries.” She taps her phone a few times and sets it back down.
Dani follows Angela with her hungry gaze, as the older woman climbs off of the sofa and goes to her bag. Angela moves with a deft practiced grace stepping away from her bag and gliding back to her bound captive.
With a gesture Dani’s thong vanishes and Angela slips her fingers into Dani, with a feather touch. Dani gasps as the vibratory is plucked from her womanhood and she waits nervously, almost scared to speak.
Angela switches the battery and turns the bullet back on, then places a soft kiss on its tip, before slipping it back into her and replacing her underwear, “There darling, good as new.”
Dani grunts in frustration, “Please turn it up, its too low for me to cum.”
Angela lights a cigarette and places it between Dani’s lips. She turns away without a word and returns to the bathroom. Between the vibrator keeping her on the edge and the cigarette smoke burning her eyes, Dani struggles not to cry. She barely manages to look up when Angela returns, using a small hand towel to wipe herself clean.
Dani moans softly, at the soft caress of her cheek. Angela plucks the cigarette from Dani’s lips and places it in her own mouth. Angela grips Dani’s chin and roughly shoves the towel into her mouth. Dani tries to shake her head and push out the towel with her tongue, but it refuses to budge.
Angela takes a deep lungful of tobacco, before snatching a roll of vet wrap from her backpack. Without emotion, she wraps the wrap around her prisoners mouth. Each layer wrapped tighter than the last, smoothing the contours her lips until she is smooth from her chin to just under her nose.
“I just got a message from Sasha inviting me for a drink on the battlements of the Palace. Very romantic.” Angela says softly, “I’ll only be an hour or two. But I will be thinking of you. Bound. Helpless. Waiting. Unable to escape the taste of my pussy.”
Dani looks up confused, when Angela picks her up off of the floor and carry her bound body to a small trunk in the corner of the room, she hadn’t noticed until now. “Don’t worry darling, even if we get on and I fuck her brains out, I will still be back for you.”
Dani squirms in her arms and tries to pull something free, anything. However the ropes are too tight and she hangs her head, as she is placed into the trunk. “You never know, we might come back and I will turn off your sound suppression, so you can listen to us fuck.”
Dani howls in frustration, as Angela drops the arrester into the trunk and closes the lid with a lock.
Angela waves her hand, to become clothed in a black cocktail dress and heels. She picks up Dani’s cigarettes and lighter popping them into her purse.
Before she leaves, she looks down at the small trunk and sighs, “I know you will be angry when you get free, but it will be worth it and I will take any punishment you give me.”
She reaches into her purse one last time before leaving, pulling out a slim remote control. She smiles to herself and slides the power to maximum, before dropping it back into her bag.
Inside the trunk, Dani silent howls silently as the vibrator inside her, clicks on to its most powerful setting.
Dani’s body shudders with the force of another orgasm. She weakly struggles against the ropes that bind her, knowing there is no escape. No way to prevent her body betraying her again. “Every part of my body hurts. The rope are too tight and my muscles can’t take this position anymore.”
She has no idea how much time has passed in the tiny trunk. No sounds find her ears, nothing to mark the passage of time. Apart from the angry buzzing between her legs and the burning of her muscles, the only sensation she knows is the inescapable taste of her captors juices.
“I just wanted some fun. I didn’t want this. This is so unfair.” She thinks, trying not to cry, “Why can’t I free myself?” She thinks, feeling another orgasm building within her.
Angela opens the bedroom door quietly, and is at once both relieved and disappointed that Dani is still in the tiny trunk. With a gesture of her hand, her dress is replaced with a baggy t-shirt. With shaking fingers she opens the trunk and gazes into the box.
Her heart breaks looking down in Dani, deep rope marks biting into her sweat drenched body. Blood shot eyes stare up at her, looking through her.
Angel reaches down and gently scoops Dani up in her arms. “I hate this.” She thinks, carrying her to the bathroom, setting her on the floor by the bath tub.
With gentle fingers, she unwraps Dani’s face and removes the cloth from her mouth, then she produces a pair of shears and snips off the ropes that bind her captive. Closing her eyes she removes Dani’s thong and pulls out the vibrator. She pulls Dani against her so she can lay back against her chest and turns on the taps.
While the tub fills, Angela gently rubs Dani’s limbs and body. With the ropes gone, only the knots in her muscles remain. She gently lifts her prisoner and lowers her tenderly into the bath. Supporting her body to prevent her slipping under water, Angela gently washes every inch of Dani’s body.
Dani moans softly, enjoying the soft and gentle touch of her captor, more than the vibrator, despite the fact that it will not bring her as much pleasure.
“I don’t understand.” Dani mumbles, while Angela squeezes a spongeful of warm water down her shoulders.
Angela softly kisses the top of Dani’s head and hugs her from behind, wrestling with herself internally, before saying, “I need to push you as hard as I can. Take you to the edge and beyond, to disconnect your mind and body, so you can see the truth about yourself.”
“What truth?” Dani mumbles, softly. “Why can’t I free myself, when you tie me up?”
“Sorry but you have to get there yourself.” Angela says sadly.
“In that case, why did you stop?” Dani asks, leaning back and enjoying the warm soothing water on her skin.
“Because.” Angela begins, but stops herself, “Because, I see what it would take to get you there and I don’t know if you can do it without it destroying you. I like you too much to hurt you Dani.”
“I would hate to see what you would do to someone you didn’t like.” Dani retorts, instantly regretting it, “Sorry, that was a cheap shot. I like you too. But.” She hesitates.
“I know. You aren’t gay. Doesn’t mean we can’t be friends though.” Angela says, earnestly, “I am 34 years old and command some of the forces of the universe. I have seen and performed miracles and wonders you have never dreamed of. But, I have never met a woman like you before “
Dani closes her eyes and exhales slowly, “I have to be so fucking stupid, but OK. I am going to take a risk and trust you. If this is so important, then you have my permission to do whatever you have to. It is now not your decision, it is my request. Do your worst. But if this is just some game for you, I will annihilate you.”
“I understand that, however, there’s a problem. I have tried to push you to overwhelm your senses with pleasure and effectively disconnected you from your body and that didn’t work. I don’t know how to push you harder without serious injury.” Angela confesses.
“If overwhelming my senses failed, how about sensory deprivation?” Dani suggests.
“That could work. Give you the chance to connect with yourself at a deeper level.” Angela says, moving around to the side of the tub, “But first, let’s get you out of the tub and into bed.”
Dani allows herself to be lifted from the tub and puts her arms around Angela’s neck. Angela snags a towel and manages to wrap it around Dani.
Angela gently rubs Dani’s body with the towel. Taking care to dry every inch of her body, before lifting her and dropping the towel and laying her on the bed. Despite her exhausted state, Dani moans at the older woman’s sensual touch.
Dani allows Angela to brush her hair and weave it into a plait. Angela pulls the blanket over Dani and tucks her in, with a soft kiss to her temple, “You take the bed, I will sleep on the sofa.”
With a weak croaking voice, Dani pleads, “Hold me. Please.”
Angela smiles gently and nods, before turning off the light and climbing into bed next to Dani. “Good night darling.”
“Good night Angela.” Dani says, scooching back in bed, pressing her back to Angela chest. She closes her eyes, unable to escape the feeling that something is wrong.
Dani stares up and Angela and thinks for a moment, “I should tell her to fuck off. But why didn’t I free myself, for that matter, why am I still tied up?” She nods her head, and stares up at Angela expectantly.
“Very good. I will apologise now, as this may be tough at times.” Angela says, softly, “I am here for you. Despite what you may end up thinking of me, I am on your side.”
Dani bites on the ball in her mouth and tries to adjust its position, but to no avail. She then looks up at Angela pleading.
Angela shudders slightly and then takes a length of rope from her back pack, “Damn darling, but those baby blue eyes of yours, ruin me.” She doesn’t resist being rolled away from Angela and lays still, when more rope is coiled savagely around her arms just below the elbows and cinched tightly. Angela takes her time stroking Dani’s body and then tightens the ropes around her chest further pinning her arms.
Dani feels Angela gently pull her ankles together and then wrap a rope around them and cinch the bindings tight. She slowly moves her legs, testing the bonds before, more rope is added above and below her knees.
“For what it’s worth, I am sorry it has to be this way.” Angela whispers before rolling Dani onto her side. Dani feels a rope attached to her ankle bindings and threaded through the back of the ropes around her chest. She squeals, feeling the rope pulled tight drawing her ankles up and forcing her back to arch.
She grunts in pain and tries to pull again her bonds unable to find any slack. “Fuck this is tight. Even Arno wasn’t this brutal. This doesn’t feel right.” She thinks, feeling Angela pulling her hair into a ponytail. She yelps feeling her hair pulled back by a rope which is tied off to her ankles.
Angela rests a warm hand on the small of Dani’s back, “Shhhh darling, I know it is uncomfortable, but it will be worth it.”
With a gesture, Angela removes Dani’s thong. Dani squeals in surprise, feeling something teased and then pushed inside her womanhood, buzzing like an angry hornet. With another gesture from Angela, Dani’s thong is back in place.
Dani can only watch as Angela raises the fore and middle finger of her right hand to her lips and seductively, licks Dani’s juices from them. “Mmmmm. Like a fine wine.”
Angela cannot help but marvel at the rippling of Dani’s muscles and undulations of her helplessly bound body, as the vibrator goes to work, she leans down and places a soft kiss on each of Dani’s eyelids, before whispering, “My little battery powered friend has served me well over the years.” She pauses, stroking Dani’s ribs and gently caressing her breasts, “Don’t worry, it’s clean.” She says, warmly, “From experience, I know it is set to a level that will be enough to take you up the mountain, but not enough to push you over the edge.” Angela gentle strokes her captives cheeks and sweeps the hair out of her eyes.
Dani feels the pressure in her core build slowly, until it grows no more. She shakes her head and thrashes her body but to no avail. “Hush darling, you are on the edge, but, nothing you can do will allow you to climax. When and if you do, depends on if I allow it. This form of denial is to help your mind to enter a fugue state, where physical sensation falls away and it is just you and your mind.”
Dani cannot stop the tears, knowing she should have shaken hear head and she would be free. She howls in frustration, feeling so close, but so far from the bliss she experienced the other night.
Angela places a soft kiss upon the ball in Dani’s mouth and then gently nuzzles her neck before whispering, “Be back soon lover, just going to have a soak in the bath. It’s been a long day and I need to unwind. Sorry beautiful, but a girl had needs. I’ll only be an hour, or so.”
Dani shakes her head furiously. The ball in her mouth renders her pleas unintelligible. Angela sets her arrester to sound suppression and drops it by Dani’s side the steps back and with a gesture, her clothes disappear. Dani can do nothing but watch her captors, sculpted frame stalk towards the bathroom door.
Dani’s throat burned from screams that no one can hear. She screams silently, a mix of anger and fear while her body relentlessly fights the ropes that bind her inescapably.
“This is worse than anything I have ever experienced. Nothing I do can stop it. The bullet is trapped by my thong and I can’t dislodge it. The rope teases but won’t let me finish. I can’t bring myself off. This is awful.” Dani thinks, desperately. “Why can’t I free myself?”
Between the agony of her tight bonds and frustration, come a point where all she can do is cry. Dani breaks down and her body is wracked with sobs. If the arrester was turned off she would hear the water draining from the bath and the sounds of a hairdryer in the bathroom
When her tears run dry, she feels the frustration wash over her again and weakly struggles.
Angela enters the room in a silk bathrobe and spends a moment taking the sight before her, softly speaking, “Dear God’s, I hate myself for doing this to you. However, if you can take this on board.” When Dani notices her and looks up, Angela smiles, wistfully “Act two.”
Angela smiles down at Dani and in a mocking tone, says, “Look at you all red faced and soaked in sweat. Anyone would think you were struggling there.” Angela reaches down and turns off the arrester, so she can hear Dani’s cries.
“You look so cute with those baby blues, your red face and that big ball in your mouth.” Angela says, playfully, triggering a flurry of moans and grunts from her prisoner. She shakes her head, “Here, let me help.” She says popping the ball out of Dani’s mouth.
Dani weakly croaks, “Please, stop this. I can’t take any more. I will do anything. Please let me climax. This is driving me mad “
“Why are you asking me?” Angela shrugs, “You could free yourself whenever you want, but you choose not too. If you can’t be bothered to help yourself, why should I?”
“Please Angela. If you want me to beg, I will beg.” Dani pleads, her lip quivering.
“Forgive me.” Angela thinks, before whipping her hand back and slapping Dani’s face, then clamps her hand over Dani’s mouth and pinches her nose, “Don’t ever beg. You hear me.” Angela says, resisting Dani’s attempt to pull free, “You are a goddess and goddesses don’t beg. You hear me.” Angela snarls. Dani’s eyes go wide and she tries desperately to pull away.
Dani gasps, gulping air down as Angela frees her mouth. “Please stop this.”
As Dani lays helpless on the couch, Angela sits on the sofa, with her legs either side of her prisoner. She releases her ponytail and Dani lacks the strength to hold up her head. She plants face first in Angela’s crotch. She feels her face roughly pressed between her captor’s her face legs, holding her head down to rock her arched body. “You want it, earn it.”
Angela closes her eyes and quivers gently with the first wave of pleasure released within her. Despite her weakness, Dani buries her face between Angela’s legs, relentlessly licking and sucking the lips of her labia, teasing her clit.
Angela throws her head back and gasps, as the first flush of orgasm passes through her. Dani feels Angela’s juices squirt into her mouth and swallows as quickly as she can. In that moment, she feels a spike in sensation between her legs, just before the vibrations begin to subtly slow, then cease.
Angela giggles uncontrollably, feeling another orgasm wash over her from Dani’s exquisite tongue. Her body spasms, shuddering in tune to the pulses of pleasure, savaging her senses.
Dani desperately works her tongue, until Angela eases the pressure on the back of her head and purrs, “You can stop now, darling.”
Dani pants and gasps for air, “Was that good enough?” She says weakly.
“Very good darling.” Angela smiles down at the woman staring up at her from between her legs.
“Please the vibrator has stopped.” Dani says, her soulful eyes, burning a hole in Angela’s heart.
“The batteries probably dead.” Angela says, thoughtfully picking up her phone, “I have spare batteries.” She taps her phone a few times and sets it back down.
Dani follows Angela with her hungry gaze, as the older woman climbs off of the sofa and goes to her bag. Angela moves with a deft practiced grace stepping away from her bag and gliding back to her bound captive.
With a gesture Dani’s thong vanishes and Angela slips her fingers into Dani, with a feather touch. Dani gasps as the vibratory is plucked from her womanhood and she waits nervously, almost scared to speak.
Angela switches the battery and turns the bullet back on, then places a soft kiss on its tip, before slipping it back into her and replacing her underwear, “There darling, good as new.”
Dani grunts in frustration, “Please turn it up, its too low for me to cum.”
Angela lights a cigarette and places it between Dani’s lips. She turns away without a word and returns to the bathroom. Between the vibrator keeping her on the edge and the cigarette smoke burning her eyes, Dani struggles not to cry. She barely manages to look up when Angela returns, using a small hand towel to wipe herself clean.
Dani moans softly, at the soft caress of her cheek. Angela plucks the cigarette from Dani’s lips and places it in her own mouth. Angela grips Dani’s chin and roughly shoves the towel into her mouth. Dani tries to shake her head and push out the towel with her tongue, but it refuses to budge.
Angela takes a deep lungful of tobacco, before snatching a roll of vet wrap from her backpack. Without emotion, she wraps the wrap around her prisoners mouth. Each layer wrapped tighter than the last, smoothing the contours her lips until she is smooth from her chin to just under her nose.
“I just got a message from Sasha inviting me for a drink on the battlements of the Palace. Very romantic.” Angela says softly, “I’ll only be an hour or two. But I will be thinking of you. Bound. Helpless. Waiting. Unable to escape the taste of my pussy.”
Dani looks up confused, when Angela picks her up off of the floor and carry her bound body to a small trunk in the corner of the room, she hadn’t noticed until now. “Don’t worry darling, even if we get on and I fuck her brains out, I will still be back for you.”
Dani squirms in her arms and tries to pull something free, anything. However the ropes are too tight and she hangs her head, as she is placed into the trunk. “You never know, we might come back and I will turn off your sound suppression, so you can listen to us fuck.”
Dani howls in frustration, as Angela drops the arrester into the trunk and closes the lid with a lock.
Angela waves her hand, to become clothed in a black cocktail dress and heels. She picks up Dani’s cigarettes and lighter popping them into her purse.
Before she leaves, she looks down at the small trunk and sighs, “I know you will be angry when you get free, but it will be worth it and I will take any punishment you give me.”
She reaches into her purse one last time before leaving, pulling out a slim remote control. She smiles to herself and slides the power to maximum, before dropping it back into her bag.
Inside the trunk, Dani silent howls silently as the vibrator inside her, clicks on to its most powerful setting.
Dani’s body shudders with the force of another orgasm. She weakly struggles against the ropes that bind her, knowing there is no escape. No way to prevent her body betraying her again. “Every part of my body hurts. The rope are too tight and my muscles can’t take this position anymore.”
She has no idea how much time has passed in the tiny trunk. No sounds find her ears, nothing to mark the passage of time. Apart from the angry buzzing between her legs and the burning of her muscles, the only sensation she knows is the inescapable taste of her captors juices.
“I just wanted some fun. I didn’t want this. This is so unfair.” She thinks, trying not to cry, “Why can’t I free myself?” She thinks, feeling another orgasm building within her.
Angela opens the bedroom door quietly, and is at once both relieved and disappointed that Dani is still in the tiny trunk. With a gesture of her hand, her dress is replaced with a baggy t-shirt. With shaking fingers she opens the trunk and gazes into the box.
Her heart breaks looking down in Dani, deep rope marks biting into her sweat drenched body. Blood shot eyes stare up at her, looking through her.
Angel reaches down and gently scoops Dani up in her arms. “I hate this.” She thinks, carrying her to the bathroom, setting her on the floor by the bath tub.
With gentle fingers, she unwraps Dani’s face and removes the cloth from her mouth, then she produces a pair of shears and snips off the ropes that bind her captive. Closing her eyes she removes Dani’s thong and pulls out the vibrator. She pulls Dani against her so she can lay back against her chest and turns on the taps.
While the tub fills, Angela gently rubs Dani’s limbs and body. With the ropes gone, only the knots in her muscles remain. She gently lifts her prisoner and lowers her tenderly into the bath. Supporting her body to prevent her slipping under water, Angela gently washes every inch of Dani’s body.
Dani moans softly, enjoying the soft and gentle touch of her captor, more than the vibrator, despite the fact that it will not bring her as much pleasure.
“I don’t understand.” Dani mumbles, while Angela squeezes a spongeful of warm water down her shoulders.
Angela softly kisses the top of Dani’s head and hugs her from behind, wrestling with herself internally, before saying, “I need to push you as hard as I can. Take you to the edge and beyond, to disconnect your mind and body, so you can see the truth about yourself.”
“What truth?” Dani mumbles, softly. “Why can’t I free myself, when you tie me up?”
“Sorry but you have to get there yourself.” Angela says sadly.
“In that case, why did you stop?” Dani asks, leaning back and enjoying the warm soothing water on her skin.
“Because.” Angela begins, but stops herself, “Because, I see what it would take to get you there and I don’t know if you can do it without it destroying you. I like you too much to hurt you Dani.”
“I would hate to see what you would do to someone you didn’t like.” Dani retorts, instantly regretting it, “Sorry, that was a cheap shot. I like you too. But.” She hesitates.
“I know. You aren’t gay. Doesn’t mean we can’t be friends though.” Angela says, earnestly, “I am 34 years old and command some of the forces of the universe. I have seen and performed miracles and wonders you have never dreamed of. But, I have never met a woman like you before “
Dani closes her eyes and exhales slowly, “I have to be so fucking stupid, but OK. I am going to take a risk and trust you. If this is so important, then you have my permission to do whatever you have to. It is now not your decision, it is my request. Do your worst. But if this is just some game for you, I will annihilate you.”
“I understand that, however, there’s a problem. I have tried to push you to overwhelm your senses with pleasure and effectively disconnected you from your body and that didn’t work. I don’t know how to push you harder without serious injury.” Angela confesses.
“If overwhelming my senses failed, how about sensory deprivation?” Dani suggests.
“That could work. Give you the chance to connect with yourself at a deeper level.” Angela says, moving around to the side of the tub, “But first, let’s get you out of the tub and into bed.”
Dani allows herself to be lifted from the tub and puts her arms around Angela’s neck. Angela snags a towel and manages to wrap it around Dani.
Angela gently rubs Dani’s body with the towel. Taking care to dry every inch of her body, before lifting her and dropping the towel and laying her on the bed. Despite her exhausted state, Dani moans at the older woman’s sensual touch.
Dani allows Angela to brush her hair and weave it into a plait. Angela pulls the blanket over Dani and tucks her in, with a soft kiss to her temple, “You take the bed, I will sleep on the sofa.”
With a weak croaking voice, Dani pleads, “Hold me. Please.”
Angela smiles gently and nods, before turning off the light and climbing into bed next to Dani. “Good night darling.”
“Good night Angela.” Dani says, scooching back in bed, pressing her back to Angela chest. She closes her eyes, unable to escape the feeling that something is wrong.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
Imagine me bowing @wolfman - that was an incredible intense chapter on all levels: Bodily, emotionally - and in a spiritual sense. Maybe Angela is helping Dani healing. That she thinks that Angela is rougher on her than even Arno says something about the intensity of the expierence.
You aee too kind. Thank you for very kind words. Time will tell if Angela is helping Dani or if someyhing else is going on.Caesar73 wrote: ↑3 months ago Imagine me bowing @wolfman - that was an incredible intense chapter on all levels: Bodily, emotionally - and in a spiritual sense. Maybe Angela is helping Dani healing. That she thinks that Angela is rougher on her than even Arno says something about the intensity of the expierence.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
@Caesar73 said 'intense.' And intense it was, in spades. Having just finished reading this chapter, my thoughts and emotions are still in a whirlwind. Few writers, @wolfman, can evoke that level of response from me. Kudos!
A List of my stories:An Unlikely Savior Completed
Spy Task Force Completed
Tale of an Archer Completed
The Bandit Scout on Newhome updated 05/30/23
I was aiming for a confusing mix of emotions by the end of this chapter, with everything that happens. I am honoured by your comments.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
@Bandit666 @Caesar73 @GreyLord @slackywacky
Dani shifts dreamily in bed, spreading out her arms under the covers and savouring their comforting warmth. “I can’t believe, I have slept two nights in a row.”
She rolls onto her back and her gaze falls upon Angela. The silk robe, loosely tied at the waist shows a tantalising glimpse of her treasure chest. The early morning sun, streaming through the window gives her pure blond hair an ephemeral glow. She is immersed in the tablet she holds, not realising she is being watched.
She watches for a moment, thinking to herself, “The sun is shining, I have a beautiful woman watching over me. What a perfect start to the day. Yesterday was rough, but today might be better.”
Dani smiles gently, “Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?”
Angela looks up with a start, beaming a smile, “Good morning, gorgeous. How are you feeling this morning?”
Dani smiles for a moment, “Sore, but OK.”
“I think I might have a chance to give you a massage, before I head out “ Angela says with a wink.
“That sounds nice.” Dani says, returning the wink. “Why don’t you come back to bed?”
“Sorry, had to read up on my notes for today.” Angela says, “Besides, I can watch you sleeping better from here.”
“How can she have patient notes for today, if she is working triage?” Dani wonders, but soon dismisses the thought, when Angela leans forward, allowing her robe to spill open slightly.
Dani smiles, then stretches a hand out from under the covers and beckons Angela with a finger.
“Not going to ask me to join you? Just going to lay there and finger me till I come?” Angela says playfully.
“You are terrible.” Dani says, with a smile, adding, “I think I might play hard to get.” Before turning away from Angela.
She doesn’t resist when Angela gently guides her hands behind her and wraps a rope around her wrists, tying and clinching it tightly, “You aren’t that hard to get.” Angela says playfully, before taking another rope and binding Dani’s elbows together tightly.
Dani grunts with the tightness of the rope and tests her bonds, “That’s a little tight.”
“Sounds like a you problem.” Angela says, picking up another rope.
“This wasn’t quite what I had in mind.” Dani says, trying to wriggle across the bed only to be pulled back, by her ankles and pinned face down on the bed. “This doesn’t feel right.” Dani thinks, knowing something is off and begins to fight her bonds and captor.
Angela roughly wraps the rope around Dani’s left ankle and bends her leg viciously, loops the end around her throat and ties it off to her right ankle. Leaving her back severely arched and the rope digging harshly into her throat.
Dani tries to escape but Angela is too fast for her. “This is nuts, how can she overpower my like this?” She reaches with her mind for the Dead World, but finds it beyond her grasp. She tries to banish her bonds to a pocket dimension, but they hold fast.
Dani’s eye bulge from the pressure on her throat and she manages to force out the words, “Why so rough? Please stop, you are choking me.” she wonders, feeling a flush of fear pass through her.
Angela sits on the bed in front of her and grabs a handful of hair, forcing her captives face between her legs. “Sorry darling, but we have been talking and this is the only way.”
Dani nips the woman’s privates, causing her to twist away. Dani wriggles across the bed, trying to escape Angela’s grasping hands. “What do you mean we?” Dani asks fearfully.
Angela lunges across the bed, grabbing a handful of Dani’s hair in an iron grip, “All of those you have betrayed and locked away.” She hisses, then drags Dani to her by her hair and forces her captives face back between her legs.
Between the rope around her throat and her face pressed tightly between Angela’s legs, Dani struggles to breath. Each gasp for air, is a battle. A battle she slowly loses, unable to stop herself pressed tighter and tighter.
Until it is no longer a fight and it becomes a surrender. Then all is darkness.
Dani feels the ice cold steel of the chair at her back and underneath her, as keenly as the metal cables biting into her skin. Her legs are pinned separately to the legs of the chair and her arms are savagely bound to the arms of the chair.
More cables snake around her stomach, torso and throat, pinning her in place.
Dani cannot move her head, she opens her eyes and finds herself unsurprised by what she sees.
The barren plain devoid of any landmarks, stretches beyond the horizon in all directions. The dark sands the same colour of the sky, with little to tell them apart. In a moment of clarity, she begins to understand what is happening.
She takes a deep breath and speaks softly, “It wasn’t you that stopped me escaping your ropes, it was me. The Angela that came to me isn’t real. A supposedly perfect woman. A temptress, who is always attentive to my needs, but who can be as vicious, as anyone who ever lived. Just like me. A succubus, who will make me forget myself, long enough, to allow me to find something else.”
Dani stares dead ahead as the chair slowly spins a little way around to reveal Not Angela standing before her. Resplendent. Radiant. Naked. “Hello darling. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to figure it out.”
“Was any of it real?” Dani asks, bitterly.
“It was real in the sense that it happened, however, you have never met the real Angela in person. Everything you know of her from your time in your quarters, comes from your own twisted imagination. Even the conversation you heard between Sasha and I was a figment of your imagination. You constructed me from what you saw in the conference call and your idea of what a temptress should look like and how she should behave.” Not Angela gently squeezes her breasts and strokes her skin before, grabbing her own rump, “Thank you for that, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.” Dani says sadly, “I literally made myself a friend.”
“Don’t feel too bad about it. To be fair, it was less that you made me and more that I am a manifestation of your fears of losing control.” Angela explains, gently.
“I wish I could argue against that, but since Arno made me kill those people, I have been terrified of it happening again.” Dani says, pulling against her bonds slightly.
Angela pulls back her arm and slaps Dani hard across the face, “Sorry, force of habit.” She says, sheepishly, “When you killed Arno, you didn’t just kill him. You killed the part of you, that he was able to control.”
Dani wiggles her jaw, trying to ignore the sting, “No worries. I guess I made you that way.” She says, with as close to a shrug as she can give, “So with that part of my mind gone, does that means that my mind cannot be controlled again?”
Angela nods gently, “Pretty much. You have freed yourself of being controlled by an external influence.”
“There’s more isn’t there?” Dani asks, feeling the subtle constriction of the cables.
Angela takes a step towards Dani and slips her hand between her legs, in order to move the chair, “Yeah, you need to meet the others.”
Dani stifles a moan, at the intimate contact and allows the chair to be turned.
A familiar version of herself in biker leathers and white hair smiles at her, her blue eyes dulled by death and her skin sallow and partially rotted, “Been a while.” The Zombie says, jamming her thumb to her left, at a version of herself with jet black skin, “This is Spectre.” Then she nods to her right at a naked version of herself swathed in shadow, “This is Wraith.”
“Hello Zombie, how have you been?” Dani asks, unsure what else to say.
“It’s been quiet like the grave. You have kept me locked up in the darkness, for a while.” Zombie says, coldly.
“I didn’t realise. I’m sorry.” Dani says, confused.
“Of course not, you made me to be the dead version of you in the real world, the murderer who didn’t adhere to the rules of the living world. I was a tool for your ruthless hunt of those who hurt Niki.” Zombie says, harshly.
Spectre steps forward and lays a hand on the Zombie’s arm, “At least she acknowledged you. She probably doesn’t even realise that I was the living version of herself in the dead world.”
“Get fucked, you two.” Wraith hisses, “She created me and barely has a use for me.” She snarls and continues in a sinister tone, “I am the dead version of her, in the dead world. She created me years ago and used me for less than a minute, and barely since then.”
“I don’t understand, where did you come from?” Dani asks, starting to pull the pieces together.
Dani senses another walk around from behind the chair and stand at her side, where she cannot see the speaker, “When Medteqniq hit the chateau, a grenade exploded next to you. You should have died then and there. Instead, in that moment, your will repaired your body and your mind splintered, leaving me in the darkness, while a harder version of you came into being.”
The speaker steps in front of her, bending down, to show the scorched flesh of her ruined face. “You didn’t give me a thought at all, did you?” She asks, sadly.
“I didn’t know.” Dani says, feeling a dull ache in her heart.
“You wouldn’t, would you?” The Scorched says, coldly. “And there are a lot more of us.”
“Are you saying for every pivotal moment in my life, I have created a new version of myself?” Dani asks, trying to understand what is happening.
All in unison, speak softly, “Yes.”, before Spectre adds, “However, it goes deeper than that. You have compartmentalised yourself so much that, you only ever see a part of who you are. The person you are today, is a fraction of the whole you.”
Dani sits for a moment, trying to ignore the pain she feels, “When Arno forced me to kill, I couldn’t let go of who I was before and they have been fighting each other in my mind.”
“Yes.” Zombie says, “The Before Arno wants to go back to how you were before and The Post Arno wants you to acknowledge what he did and move on. Neither will back down.”
“You wanted to disconnect me from my body to bring me here didn’t you?” Dani asks, addressing them all.
“Yes, darling.” Not Angela says, stroking Dani’s cheek and nibbling her ear, “You are the only one that can deal with this.”
“How? I don’t know how.” Dani says weakly.
Wraith lights a cigarette that doesn’t exist with a lighter that isn’t there, “You must choose one to continue and end the other.” She says in a matter of fact tone.
“Fuck’s sake Wraith. We talked about this.” Spectre says, exasperated.
“What? You arseholes dance around things too much,” Wraith protests with a shrug.
“Maybe, but another trauma just creates another of us.” Spectre hisses, “Eejit.”
“Before, she did it subconsciously. However, her now knowing that she does it, should stop it happening again.” Wraith fires back.
“So, let me get this right.” Dani starts but is cut off by a large red ball gag, shoved into her mouth.
“Sorry, darling, it is best to let them hash it out.” Not Angela says, buckling the strap tightly behind her head. “Besides, you look so fucking horny with that in your mouth.” She whispers into Dani’s ear, “If you could moan and grunt a little right now, you would ever hotter.” Angela deliberately sits in Dani’s lap with an arm around her neck and begins idly playing with herself.
Dani growls into the gag and looks up angrily at her fake former lover, who purses her lips and winks, “Fuck me, your gorgeous, when you are angry.”
“Damn it Angela, can you stop being a fucking whore for a minute? This is serious.” Wraith says, with a hint of anger.
“Behave yourself. Fighting amongst ourselves is what brought us here.” Corporal Taylor orders.
“Fine.” Wraith says, suppressing her anger, she turns to Not Angela, “Sorry. You are only behaving, as per the way you were created. Dani needed a whore to control her and that is what she made with the part of herself, she wishes was more free.” She curls her lip in a snarl for a moment, “I am sorry to you too, Dani.” To which Dani just grunts and nods.
“Focus. We need to sort this out.” Zombie says, “Bring them out.”
Dani watches them carry out two tightly bound versions of herself. One of them is dressed crisply and smartly. She looks calm and slightly bored, in a seated position with her wrists bound to her ankles. Her mouth is sealed with a large red ball gag. The other is less polished, somewhat wide eyed and frantic looking. She is bound the same as the other woman.
“How do you want to do this?” Zombie asks, picking her teeth with a hunting knife.
Not Angela bites her lip, “Give them both to me for a few days. With enough straps and baby oil, I can stop them fighting and help them put aside their differences”
“Great idea, let’s feed them to the sexual predator. That will help.” The Spectre says, coldly, “Ass.”
Dani feels the ice cold hands of Wraith brush the back of her neck, as she removes the ball gag from her mouth.
Dani takes a moment and looks around all of the versions of herself. “They are all a part of me, not just a version of me. If I kill one, I lose a part of myself.” She thinks, “Do I really want that?”
“Dani, darling? Is everything alright?” Not Angela asks, gently shaking her shoulder.
“I am thinking.” Dani says, softly, whilst thinking ,”Whether this is my mind or not, they are using my power to hold me. But they have kept me off balance and stopped me from seeing that.”
“Which one goes?” Spectre hisses, angrily.
“That’s my choice and I won’t decide without due consideration.” Dani barks, asserting herself, “Now, let’s start by getting this shit off of me.” Dani says, obliterating the cables that hold her.
Dani rises to her feet and conjures a pair of black leggings and a white silk blouse. “That’s better.” She says smoothing her clothes down.
“Stop pissing about.” Corporal Taylor says, in full, dress uniform.
With a wave of Dani’s hand, the Corporals blazer becomes a black straight jacket, pinning her arms to her body and her skirt tightens and lengths, pinning her legs from hip to ankle.
As the Corporal struggles, she sees some of the fire in her that she once had, before everything changed. She catches her before she falls and helps her sit, “Easy Corporal, all things in good time. I am not rushing this.”
“The longer you are here, the harder it will be to get back.” Spectre warns, fearfully.
“Then let’s go somewhere else.” Dani says, instinctively putting her hand on the Spectre’s arm. She closes her eyes and flexes her will.
Dani opens her eyes to see the familiar vista of the Dead World, the shattered ruins of Haven, strewn around them. Standing around then, with looks of bemusement stand the scions of Dani, embodied in necrotic bodies.
She turns to Zombie thoughtfully, “How do you spend your days?”
The Zombie shrugs, “I spend them in a silent, dark, nothingness waiting for you to need me. Same as everyone else.”
Dani nods thoughtfully once more, turning to Spectre, “What happens to you, when I need you?”
Spectre thinks for a moment, before speaking, “We become like a filter, allowing the exertion of your will, through us.”
“Interesting.” Dani says, with a faraway look in her eyes, before turning to Wraith, jerking her thumb towards pre and Post Arno, “What happens to the one of them that is chosen to go?”
“The one you choose, ceases to be a part of you and is gone forever.” Wraith says, sadly.
Dani nods to herself and keeps her own counsel, as her scions watch with baited breath. She waits a beat longer than necessary before saying, “You are all now embodied, in the Dead World. If you die as you are, you can use me as a conduit, to pass to the Great Beyond. You may be able to have the afterlife you deserve or you can stay as you are, existing in darkness until I need you. The choice is yours.”
Spectre steps forth and speaks coldly, “So the choice is, die and face a possible afterlife or oblivion, or alternatively carry on as we are?”
“I think so.” Dani says, sheepishly.
Spectre stands staring into oblivion, still as the grave, while the others look on. She blinks and comes back to herself, then looks Dani in the eyes, “Will it be quick?” She asks, weakly.
“I will try to make it as quick and clean as possible.” Dani pledges.
Spectre nods solemnly, “I am so tired of this existence. Death or freedom. It is still an end to this hell of mine.”
Dani locks eyes with Not Angela and asks, “Can you help me make her comfortable?”
Not Angela’s face shifts from lustful to caring and she nods, donning a nurses uniform, before constructing a bed and helping Dani to lay Spectre down. Spectre gasps at the physical contact and the sensation of touch and begins to cry.
Dani places a gentle hand on Spectre’s shoulder, whispering, “I’m sorry, for everything.” She embraces her scion tenderly and holds her close, rocking gently.
The knife in Dani’s hand flashes, in motion. Spectre feels no pain and closes her eyes. Dani begins to cry as Spectre’s necrotic form fades on a non existent breeze. Her essence passes through Dani to the Great Beyond, leaving her memories with her creator.
Dani gasps, feeling the pain and joy of Spectre’s life, as if it were any once living being.
“I would like to be next.” The Scarred One says, “End my pain.”
Not Angela changes the bed covers and Dani helps The Scarred One onto the bed. “Thank you for protecting me. I am sorry, I didn’t treat you better.”
A moment later Wraith steps forward, “My turn.”
Time stretches and one by one her scions step forward, to be excised from her mind while their memories, become a part of their killer.
Until finally, only two remain.
Dani smiles softly at Not Angela, “It’s time.”
Not Angela shakes her head a subtly back away, “I’m not ready.”
Dani nods gently, “I know. However, it’s time.”
“Could I have a now or never choice instead?” Not Angela pleads.
“I’m sorry darling. The longer we wait, the worse it will be.” Dani says, gently putting her hand on her scion’s arm.
“Wait. Wait. What about one last ride? For old times sake?” Not Angela pleads, “Make me pass out with pleasure and claim my life when I am out cold.”
“A moment of passion, where you overpower me and keep me bound? I don’t think that is wise.” Dani says sadly, with a small part considering it.
“So I guess, this is it then.” Not Angela says, sadly, then smiles, “Thank you for all we shared.”
Dani wrestles with her emotions, but ultimately does the only thing, that’s right for her to do. She pulls Not Angela close and embraces her tightly. “If you were real, I could have loved you.” She whispers softly to her scion.
Before she can react, the knife flashes again and Dani has only one scion left.
“Saved the best till last?” The final scion says, wistfully.
“Something like that.” Dani says, finding it hard to meet her gaze.
The version of Sasha that spoke to Angela while Dani was bound in the wardrobe steps forward, “You wanted to talk first, just you and me, babe?”
Dani nods gravely, “Yeah. Figured you would give me some straight answers.” She says, lighting a cigarette and offering the pack.
Sasha thinks on it for a moment, before taking one, “Fair enough, ask away.”
Dani exhales a plume of smoke at the Dead Sky, “How much of what you said to Angela, when I was listening was true?”
Sasha sighs, “Wow, start with an easy one.” She creates a pair of armchairs and takes a seat, before pulling two beers, “You had better sit down.” Dani takes the offered beer and sits in the other chair.
“I was based on your observations of the real Sasha.” Sasha says, nodding, “Is there anything you want to know in particular?”
“Did you mean what you said about Sasha’s feelings?” Dani asks, thoughtfully.
Images begin to flash in Dani’s mind as Sasha speaks, “Yes. You have seen her throw herself into looking after Liam and you’ve noticed the girls coming to you, Moses and the Mitchell’s more. Not much of a leap to say that she has focused on the little one. Throw in a few regretful looks when the girls come to you and a picture starts to emerge.” Sasha explains, before taking a swig of beer.
“Makes sense.” Dani says before huffing her cheeks out, “Is the advice Angela gave you, good?”
“What do you mean?” Sasha asks then takes a lungful of tobacco, “Chill, talk to the girls about who their dad was and be there for them? Yeah it is fairly solid babe.”
“OK good.” Dani says, with a troubled look, “Sorry, but I can’t get my head around Sasha smoking. Is that really a thing?”
“You have seen cigarettes go missing and written it of as a mistake. But you have noticed the smell of smoke on her clothes and know that she is the only one who could have taken them.” Sasha explains, between taking pulls from her cigarette.
“Do you have any advise for me?” Dani asks, nodding.
“Two pieces actually. You are a woman of two worlds, open yourself up to both.”
Dani nods thoughtfully, “I can do that.” She stares out at the horizon for a moment, before asking, “ And the second piece of advice.”
Sasha places a hand on her shoulder, “Stop stalling, it will only make it harder.”
Dani opens her eyes, to look up at the ceiling of the room she once shared with
Not Angela. She rolls onto her side, feeling numb unable to process what has just happened.
She rolls out of bed and begins rifling through the room, only finding traces of her own things and nothing of Angela.
With a hiss, she turns on the shower and sets it to its warmest setting. She steps into the shower stall and sits in the lotus position, relaxing as the water cleanses her body.
“What the actual hell was that all about?” she asks herself, allowing her mind to find an answer, instead of chasing the question. “On some level, you must have known what was happening. Maybe this was your way of visualising the problem and dealing with it.”
She hangs her head, letting the jet of water pummel the back of her neck, “No that isn’t right. I can feel their memories and insights. I didn’t have that before.”
Feeling the tension leave her body, she rolls her shoulders, “Maybe my mind has been protecting itself by splintering and some of the splinters were in conflict and now I am someway whole again.”
She opens her eyes and marvels at the view before her. The bathroom fills her sight, but it is overlaid on the Dead World, stretching out to the horizon.
Dani senses explode and she feels every living being in the realm and senses the part of their bodies that is slowly dying.
She exhales feeling the approach of the spirits of the dead and feels their passing, as they pass through her to the Great Beyond.
As the water caresses her body and scalp from above, she weeps softly, “If I hadn’t splintered myself and cut myself off from part of myself to protect me, I could have brought those who died on the island back.”
When the water falling on her eventually starts to cool, she reaches up and shuts it of, sitting quietly in the bathroom. The only sounds, her breathing and the dripping of the shower.
Silently she rises to her feet and then floats into the bedroom, grabbing a towel and drying herself off. She discards the towel and wraps a robe of necrotic matter around her body.
Dani lights a cigarette and exhales slowly, seeing the smoke curl into the faces of her former scions. She smiles gently and takes another lungful of tobacco smoke, “I held their splinters inside me and knew nothing of them, but now they are gone, I see all they knew.”
She walks over to the window and bathes in the early morning sun. Despite the warmth she shivers, “I cleaved away parts of myself that suffered and shut them away in the dark. I created splinters that helped me and discarded them until them were useful. I feel their loneliness and hate myself for their suffering.”
Dani opens the window and lets the fresh air in. “But for all the bad, I gave them life and in the times that they existed, they had the highs and lows of life. Now their memories and experiences, will always be a part of me and I will never again deny them. For the first time in a very long time I am whole.”
Dani shifts dreamily in bed, spreading out her arms under the covers and savouring their comforting warmth. “I can’t believe, I have slept two nights in a row.”
She rolls onto her back and her gaze falls upon Angela. The silk robe, loosely tied at the waist shows a tantalising glimpse of her treasure chest. The early morning sun, streaming through the window gives her pure blond hair an ephemeral glow. She is immersed in the tablet she holds, not realising she is being watched.
She watches for a moment, thinking to herself, “The sun is shining, I have a beautiful woman watching over me. What a perfect start to the day. Yesterday was rough, but today might be better.”
Dani smiles gently, “Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?”
Angela looks up with a start, beaming a smile, “Good morning, gorgeous. How are you feeling this morning?”
Dani smiles for a moment, “Sore, but OK.”
“I think I might have a chance to give you a massage, before I head out “ Angela says with a wink.
“That sounds nice.” Dani says, returning the wink. “Why don’t you come back to bed?”
“Sorry, had to read up on my notes for today.” Angela says, “Besides, I can watch you sleeping better from here.”
“How can she have patient notes for today, if she is working triage?” Dani wonders, but soon dismisses the thought, when Angela leans forward, allowing her robe to spill open slightly.
Dani smiles, then stretches a hand out from under the covers and beckons Angela with a finger.
“Not going to ask me to join you? Just going to lay there and finger me till I come?” Angela says playfully.
“You are terrible.” Dani says, with a smile, adding, “I think I might play hard to get.” Before turning away from Angela.
She doesn’t resist when Angela gently guides her hands behind her and wraps a rope around her wrists, tying and clinching it tightly, “You aren’t that hard to get.” Angela says playfully, before taking another rope and binding Dani’s elbows together tightly.
Dani grunts with the tightness of the rope and tests her bonds, “That’s a little tight.”
“Sounds like a you problem.” Angela says, picking up another rope.
“This wasn’t quite what I had in mind.” Dani says, trying to wriggle across the bed only to be pulled back, by her ankles and pinned face down on the bed. “This doesn’t feel right.” Dani thinks, knowing something is off and begins to fight her bonds and captor.
Angela roughly wraps the rope around Dani’s left ankle and bends her leg viciously, loops the end around her throat and ties it off to her right ankle. Leaving her back severely arched and the rope digging harshly into her throat.
Dani tries to escape but Angela is too fast for her. “This is nuts, how can she overpower my like this?” She reaches with her mind for the Dead World, but finds it beyond her grasp. She tries to banish her bonds to a pocket dimension, but they hold fast.
Dani’s eye bulge from the pressure on her throat and she manages to force out the words, “Why so rough? Please stop, you are choking me.” she wonders, feeling a flush of fear pass through her.
Angela sits on the bed in front of her and grabs a handful of hair, forcing her captives face between her legs. “Sorry darling, but we have been talking and this is the only way.”
Dani nips the woman’s privates, causing her to twist away. Dani wriggles across the bed, trying to escape Angela’s grasping hands. “What do you mean we?” Dani asks fearfully.
Angela lunges across the bed, grabbing a handful of Dani’s hair in an iron grip, “All of those you have betrayed and locked away.” She hisses, then drags Dani to her by her hair and forces her captives face back between her legs.
Between the rope around her throat and her face pressed tightly between Angela’s legs, Dani struggles to breath. Each gasp for air, is a battle. A battle she slowly loses, unable to stop herself pressed tighter and tighter.
Until it is no longer a fight and it becomes a surrender. Then all is darkness.
Dani feels the ice cold steel of the chair at her back and underneath her, as keenly as the metal cables biting into her skin. Her legs are pinned separately to the legs of the chair and her arms are savagely bound to the arms of the chair.
More cables snake around her stomach, torso and throat, pinning her in place.
Dani cannot move her head, she opens her eyes and finds herself unsurprised by what she sees.
The barren plain devoid of any landmarks, stretches beyond the horizon in all directions. The dark sands the same colour of the sky, with little to tell them apart. In a moment of clarity, she begins to understand what is happening.
She takes a deep breath and speaks softly, “It wasn’t you that stopped me escaping your ropes, it was me. The Angela that came to me isn’t real. A supposedly perfect woman. A temptress, who is always attentive to my needs, but who can be as vicious, as anyone who ever lived. Just like me. A succubus, who will make me forget myself, long enough, to allow me to find something else.”
Dani stares dead ahead as the chair slowly spins a little way around to reveal Not Angela standing before her. Resplendent. Radiant. Naked. “Hello darling. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to figure it out.”
“Was any of it real?” Dani asks, bitterly.
“It was real in the sense that it happened, however, you have never met the real Angela in person. Everything you know of her from your time in your quarters, comes from your own twisted imagination. Even the conversation you heard between Sasha and I was a figment of your imagination. You constructed me from what you saw in the conference call and your idea of what a temptress should look like and how she should behave.” Not Angela gently squeezes her breasts and strokes her skin before, grabbing her own rump, “Thank you for that, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.” Dani says sadly, “I literally made myself a friend.”
“Don’t feel too bad about it. To be fair, it was less that you made me and more that I am a manifestation of your fears of losing control.” Angela explains, gently.
“I wish I could argue against that, but since Arno made me kill those people, I have been terrified of it happening again.” Dani says, pulling against her bonds slightly.
Angela pulls back her arm and slaps Dani hard across the face, “Sorry, force of habit.” She says, sheepishly, “When you killed Arno, you didn’t just kill him. You killed the part of you, that he was able to control.”
Dani wiggles her jaw, trying to ignore the sting, “No worries. I guess I made you that way.” She says, with as close to a shrug as she can give, “So with that part of my mind gone, does that means that my mind cannot be controlled again?”
Angela nods gently, “Pretty much. You have freed yourself of being controlled by an external influence.”
“There’s more isn’t there?” Dani asks, feeling the subtle constriction of the cables.
Angela takes a step towards Dani and slips her hand between her legs, in order to move the chair, “Yeah, you need to meet the others.”
Dani stifles a moan, at the intimate contact and allows the chair to be turned.
A familiar version of herself in biker leathers and white hair smiles at her, her blue eyes dulled by death and her skin sallow and partially rotted, “Been a while.” The Zombie says, jamming her thumb to her left, at a version of herself with jet black skin, “This is Spectre.” Then she nods to her right at a naked version of herself swathed in shadow, “This is Wraith.”
“Hello Zombie, how have you been?” Dani asks, unsure what else to say.
“It’s been quiet like the grave. You have kept me locked up in the darkness, for a while.” Zombie says, coldly.
“I didn’t realise. I’m sorry.” Dani says, confused.
“Of course not, you made me to be the dead version of you in the real world, the murderer who didn’t adhere to the rules of the living world. I was a tool for your ruthless hunt of those who hurt Niki.” Zombie says, harshly.
Spectre steps forward and lays a hand on the Zombie’s arm, “At least she acknowledged you. She probably doesn’t even realise that I was the living version of herself in the dead world.”
“Get fucked, you two.” Wraith hisses, “She created me and barely has a use for me.” She snarls and continues in a sinister tone, “I am the dead version of her, in the dead world. She created me years ago and used me for less than a minute, and barely since then.”
“I don’t understand, where did you come from?” Dani asks, starting to pull the pieces together.
Dani senses another walk around from behind the chair and stand at her side, where she cannot see the speaker, “When Medteqniq hit the chateau, a grenade exploded next to you. You should have died then and there. Instead, in that moment, your will repaired your body and your mind splintered, leaving me in the darkness, while a harder version of you came into being.”
The speaker steps in front of her, bending down, to show the scorched flesh of her ruined face. “You didn’t give me a thought at all, did you?” She asks, sadly.
“I didn’t know.” Dani says, feeling a dull ache in her heart.
“You wouldn’t, would you?” The Scorched says, coldly. “And there are a lot more of us.”
“Are you saying for every pivotal moment in my life, I have created a new version of myself?” Dani asks, trying to understand what is happening.
All in unison, speak softly, “Yes.”, before Spectre adds, “However, it goes deeper than that. You have compartmentalised yourself so much that, you only ever see a part of who you are. The person you are today, is a fraction of the whole you.”
Dani sits for a moment, trying to ignore the pain she feels, “When Arno forced me to kill, I couldn’t let go of who I was before and they have been fighting each other in my mind.”
“Yes.” Zombie says, “The Before Arno wants to go back to how you were before and The Post Arno wants you to acknowledge what he did and move on. Neither will back down.”
“You wanted to disconnect me from my body to bring me here didn’t you?” Dani asks, addressing them all.
“Yes, darling.” Not Angela says, stroking Dani’s cheek and nibbling her ear, “You are the only one that can deal with this.”
“How? I don’t know how.” Dani says weakly.
Wraith lights a cigarette that doesn’t exist with a lighter that isn’t there, “You must choose one to continue and end the other.” She says in a matter of fact tone.
“Fuck’s sake Wraith. We talked about this.” Spectre says, exasperated.
“What? You arseholes dance around things too much,” Wraith protests with a shrug.
“Maybe, but another trauma just creates another of us.” Spectre hisses, “Eejit.”
“Before, she did it subconsciously. However, her now knowing that she does it, should stop it happening again.” Wraith fires back.
“So, let me get this right.” Dani starts but is cut off by a large red ball gag, shoved into her mouth.
“Sorry, darling, it is best to let them hash it out.” Not Angela says, buckling the strap tightly behind her head. “Besides, you look so fucking horny with that in your mouth.” She whispers into Dani’s ear, “If you could moan and grunt a little right now, you would ever hotter.” Angela deliberately sits in Dani’s lap with an arm around her neck and begins idly playing with herself.
Dani growls into the gag and looks up angrily at her fake former lover, who purses her lips and winks, “Fuck me, your gorgeous, when you are angry.”
“Damn it Angela, can you stop being a fucking whore for a minute? This is serious.” Wraith says, with a hint of anger.
“Behave yourself. Fighting amongst ourselves is what brought us here.” Corporal Taylor orders.
“Fine.” Wraith says, suppressing her anger, she turns to Not Angela, “Sorry. You are only behaving, as per the way you were created. Dani needed a whore to control her and that is what she made with the part of herself, she wishes was more free.” She curls her lip in a snarl for a moment, “I am sorry to you too, Dani.” To which Dani just grunts and nods.
“Focus. We need to sort this out.” Zombie says, “Bring them out.”
Dani watches them carry out two tightly bound versions of herself. One of them is dressed crisply and smartly. She looks calm and slightly bored, in a seated position with her wrists bound to her ankles. Her mouth is sealed with a large red ball gag. The other is less polished, somewhat wide eyed and frantic looking. She is bound the same as the other woman.
“How do you want to do this?” Zombie asks, picking her teeth with a hunting knife.
Not Angela bites her lip, “Give them both to me for a few days. With enough straps and baby oil, I can stop them fighting and help them put aside their differences”
“Great idea, let’s feed them to the sexual predator. That will help.” The Spectre says, coldly, “Ass.”
Dani feels the ice cold hands of Wraith brush the back of her neck, as she removes the ball gag from her mouth.
Dani takes a moment and looks around all of the versions of herself. “They are all a part of me, not just a version of me. If I kill one, I lose a part of myself.” She thinks, “Do I really want that?”
“Dani, darling? Is everything alright?” Not Angela asks, gently shaking her shoulder.
“I am thinking.” Dani says, softly, whilst thinking ,”Whether this is my mind or not, they are using my power to hold me. But they have kept me off balance and stopped me from seeing that.”
“Which one goes?” Spectre hisses, angrily.
“That’s my choice and I won’t decide without due consideration.” Dani barks, asserting herself, “Now, let’s start by getting this shit off of me.” Dani says, obliterating the cables that hold her.
Dani rises to her feet and conjures a pair of black leggings and a white silk blouse. “That’s better.” She says smoothing her clothes down.
“Stop pissing about.” Corporal Taylor says, in full, dress uniform.
With a wave of Dani’s hand, the Corporals blazer becomes a black straight jacket, pinning her arms to her body and her skirt tightens and lengths, pinning her legs from hip to ankle.
As the Corporal struggles, she sees some of the fire in her that she once had, before everything changed. She catches her before she falls and helps her sit, “Easy Corporal, all things in good time. I am not rushing this.”
“The longer you are here, the harder it will be to get back.” Spectre warns, fearfully.
“Then let’s go somewhere else.” Dani says, instinctively putting her hand on the Spectre’s arm. She closes her eyes and flexes her will.
Dani opens her eyes to see the familiar vista of the Dead World, the shattered ruins of Haven, strewn around them. Standing around then, with looks of bemusement stand the scions of Dani, embodied in necrotic bodies.
She turns to Zombie thoughtfully, “How do you spend your days?”
The Zombie shrugs, “I spend them in a silent, dark, nothingness waiting for you to need me. Same as everyone else.”
Dani nods thoughtfully once more, turning to Spectre, “What happens to you, when I need you?”
Spectre thinks for a moment, before speaking, “We become like a filter, allowing the exertion of your will, through us.”
“Interesting.” Dani says, with a faraway look in her eyes, before turning to Wraith, jerking her thumb towards pre and Post Arno, “What happens to the one of them that is chosen to go?”
“The one you choose, ceases to be a part of you and is gone forever.” Wraith says, sadly.
Dani nods to herself and keeps her own counsel, as her scions watch with baited breath. She waits a beat longer than necessary before saying, “You are all now embodied, in the Dead World. If you die as you are, you can use me as a conduit, to pass to the Great Beyond. You may be able to have the afterlife you deserve or you can stay as you are, existing in darkness until I need you. The choice is yours.”
Spectre steps forth and speaks coldly, “So the choice is, die and face a possible afterlife or oblivion, or alternatively carry on as we are?”
“I think so.” Dani says, sheepishly.
Spectre stands staring into oblivion, still as the grave, while the others look on. She blinks and comes back to herself, then looks Dani in the eyes, “Will it be quick?” She asks, weakly.
“I will try to make it as quick and clean as possible.” Dani pledges.
Spectre nods solemnly, “I am so tired of this existence. Death or freedom. It is still an end to this hell of mine.”
Dani locks eyes with Not Angela and asks, “Can you help me make her comfortable?”
Not Angela’s face shifts from lustful to caring and she nods, donning a nurses uniform, before constructing a bed and helping Dani to lay Spectre down. Spectre gasps at the physical contact and the sensation of touch and begins to cry.
Dani places a gentle hand on Spectre’s shoulder, whispering, “I’m sorry, for everything.” She embraces her scion tenderly and holds her close, rocking gently.
The knife in Dani’s hand flashes, in motion. Spectre feels no pain and closes her eyes. Dani begins to cry as Spectre’s necrotic form fades on a non existent breeze. Her essence passes through Dani to the Great Beyond, leaving her memories with her creator.
Dani gasps, feeling the pain and joy of Spectre’s life, as if it were any once living being.
“I would like to be next.” The Scarred One says, “End my pain.”
Not Angela changes the bed covers and Dani helps The Scarred One onto the bed. “Thank you for protecting me. I am sorry, I didn’t treat you better.”
A moment later Wraith steps forward, “My turn.”
Time stretches and one by one her scions step forward, to be excised from her mind while their memories, become a part of their killer.
Until finally, only two remain.
Dani smiles softly at Not Angela, “It’s time.”
Not Angela shakes her head a subtly back away, “I’m not ready.”
Dani nods gently, “I know. However, it’s time.”
“Could I have a now or never choice instead?” Not Angela pleads.
“I’m sorry darling. The longer we wait, the worse it will be.” Dani says, gently putting her hand on her scion’s arm.
“Wait. Wait. What about one last ride? For old times sake?” Not Angela pleads, “Make me pass out with pleasure and claim my life when I am out cold.”
“A moment of passion, where you overpower me and keep me bound? I don’t think that is wise.” Dani says sadly, with a small part considering it.
“So I guess, this is it then.” Not Angela says, sadly, then smiles, “Thank you for all we shared.”
Dani wrestles with her emotions, but ultimately does the only thing, that’s right for her to do. She pulls Not Angela close and embraces her tightly. “If you were real, I could have loved you.” She whispers softly to her scion.
Before she can react, the knife flashes again and Dani has only one scion left.
“Saved the best till last?” The final scion says, wistfully.
“Something like that.” Dani says, finding it hard to meet her gaze.
The version of Sasha that spoke to Angela while Dani was bound in the wardrobe steps forward, “You wanted to talk first, just you and me, babe?”
Dani nods gravely, “Yeah. Figured you would give me some straight answers.” She says, lighting a cigarette and offering the pack.
Sasha thinks on it for a moment, before taking one, “Fair enough, ask away.”
Dani exhales a plume of smoke at the Dead Sky, “How much of what you said to Angela, when I was listening was true?”
Sasha sighs, “Wow, start with an easy one.” She creates a pair of armchairs and takes a seat, before pulling two beers, “You had better sit down.” Dani takes the offered beer and sits in the other chair.
“I was based on your observations of the real Sasha.” Sasha says, nodding, “Is there anything you want to know in particular?”
“Did you mean what you said about Sasha’s feelings?” Dani asks, thoughtfully.
Images begin to flash in Dani’s mind as Sasha speaks, “Yes. You have seen her throw herself into looking after Liam and you’ve noticed the girls coming to you, Moses and the Mitchell’s more. Not much of a leap to say that she has focused on the little one. Throw in a few regretful looks when the girls come to you and a picture starts to emerge.” Sasha explains, before taking a swig of beer.
“Makes sense.” Dani says before huffing her cheeks out, “Is the advice Angela gave you, good?”
“What do you mean?” Sasha asks then takes a lungful of tobacco, “Chill, talk to the girls about who their dad was and be there for them? Yeah it is fairly solid babe.”
“OK good.” Dani says, with a troubled look, “Sorry, but I can’t get my head around Sasha smoking. Is that really a thing?”
“You have seen cigarettes go missing and written it of as a mistake. But you have noticed the smell of smoke on her clothes and know that she is the only one who could have taken them.” Sasha explains, between taking pulls from her cigarette.
“Do you have any advise for me?” Dani asks, nodding.
“Two pieces actually. You are a woman of two worlds, open yourself up to both.”
Dani nods thoughtfully, “I can do that.” She stares out at the horizon for a moment, before asking, “ And the second piece of advice.”
Sasha places a hand on her shoulder, “Stop stalling, it will only make it harder.”
Dani opens her eyes, to look up at the ceiling of the room she once shared with
Not Angela. She rolls onto her side, feeling numb unable to process what has just happened.
She rolls out of bed and begins rifling through the room, only finding traces of her own things and nothing of Angela.
With a hiss, she turns on the shower and sets it to its warmest setting. She steps into the shower stall and sits in the lotus position, relaxing as the water cleanses her body.
“What the actual hell was that all about?” she asks herself, allowing her mind to find an answer, instead of chasing the question. “On some level, you must have known what was happening. Maybe this was your way of visualising the problem and dealing with it.”
She hangs her head, letting the jet of water pummel the back of her neck, “No that isn’t right. I can feel their memories and insights. I didn’t have that before.”
Feeling the tension leave her body, she rolls her shoulders, “Maybe my mind has been protecting itself by splintering and some of the splinters were in conflict and now I am someway whole again.”
She opens her eyes and marvels at the view before her. The bathroom fills her sight, but it is overlaid on the Dead World, stretching out to the horizon.
Dani senses explode and she feels every living being in the realm and senses the part of their bodies that is slowly dying.
She exhales feeling the approach of the spirits of the dead and feels their passing, as they pass through her to the Great Beyond.
As the water caresses her body and scalp from above, she weeps softly, “If I hadn’t splintered myself and cut myself off from part of myself to protect me, I could have brought those who died on the island back.”
When the water falling on her eventually starts to cool, she reaches up and shuts it of, sitting quietly in the bathroom. The only sounds, her breathing and the dripping of the shower.
Silently she rises to her feet and then floats into the bedroom, grabbing a towel and drying herself off. She discards the towel and wraps a robe of necrotic matter around her body.
Dani lights a cigarette and exhales slowly, seeing the smoke curl into the faces of her former scions. She smiles gently and takes another lungful of tobacco smoke, “I held their splinters inside me and knew nothing of them, but now they are gone, I see all they knew.”
She walks over to the window and bathes in the early morning sun. Despite the warmth she shivers, “I cleaved away parts of myself that suffered and shut them away in the dark. I created splinters that helped me and discarded them until them were useful. I feel their loneliness and hate myself for their suffering.”
Dani opens the window and lets the fresh air in. “But for all the bad, I gave them life and in the times that they existed, they had the highs and lows of life. Now their memories and experiences, will always be a part of me and I will never again deny them. For the first time in a very long time I am whole.”
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
It seems Dani has found, finally, Peace. If she really has found peace remains to be seen, Excellent @wolfman
Tine will tell is this leadd her to peace, however, now she is at least on a path to recovery
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
Dani steps out onto the balcony, in black leggings and a white t-shirt. She sighs feeling the soft kiss of the sun against her skin. “After last night, it feels like a blessing to be able stand here.”
She takes a sip of fresh orange juice and savours the taste, from both the living and Dead World. With a gentle smile she embraces the souls that pass through her as a conduit to the Great Beyond and bids them luck on their journey.
A movement out of the corner of her eye, catches her attention. She turns to see Sasha waving from a few rooms down. She returns the wave and downs the rest of her drink, before floating to her sister’s balcony, taking in the spectacular view of the classically built Palace.
Sasha greets her with a hug and smiles, “Hey, how are you? Haven’t seen you since we got here.”
Dani smiles, “Have been busy. How are you?”
“Same. Triage has been mental. I am seeing patients at five to ten minute intervals with no breaks, sixteen hours a day.” Sasha says, with a grin, “I am loving it. This is why I studied medicine.” She motions to the chairs on the balcony and takes a seat.
Dani sits next to her, pulling it a pack of cigarettes and extracting two, offering one to Sasha to test a theory, “I know you have been pinching then.”
Sasha winces and takes the offered smoke, lighting it with her own lighter, “Sorry, just after Liam was born and things went crazy I started to smoke for a part of my day, that was just mine.”
“I get that. Sorry, I have been distant.” Dani says, with the events of last night and this morning on her tongue.
“We all have really.” Sasha says, taking a drag on the smoke and holding it for a moment before slowly exhaling. She looks at Dani with fresh eyes and frowns, “Is everything alright?”
Dani hesitates for a moment, not knowing where to begin, “Ever had something happen that was so absurd on one hand you can’t believe it and on the other, you couldn’t make it up.”
“Yeah.” Sasha says, leaning back in her seat, “The girls are going to be asleep for another couple of hours. I can tell something is up. I haven’t been there for you much, but I am here for you now.”
Dani runs her fingers through her hair and rubs the back of her neck and lays out everything that has happened since she arrived in Haven.
Sasha nods listening to her sister closely and watching her body language. When Dani finishes Sasha rubs her face with both hands, “Should have had a coffee first.” She thinks about everything from the details about Angela to the self conjured delusions and confrontation between Dani and her Scions, “Do you think it was real?”
Dani exhales slowly and shrugs, “It felt real and I feel different today. I think it really happened. It felt weird.”
“In what way?” Sasha asks, leaning forward in her seat.
“It felt like I was in a play, but at the same time in control of what I was doing.” Dani says, remembering the feelings from this morning.
“Was it like, with Arno.” Sasha asks, tentatively.
“No.” Dani shakes her head and lights another cigarette, offering one to Sasha, “With him I was a passenger, but this was different. Like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.”
Sasha accepts the smoke and lights it, “You are a bad influence.” She breathes out smoke thoughtfully, “How do you feel about everything now?”
“I feel less conflicted to be fair.” Dani shrugs, “A bit lighter too.”
“You know, it might be an idea for you to have a word with Angela.” Sasha says, with a smile, “Don’t worry, she is nothing like the version you made. She flirts with Niki to wind her up, she is all about guys.”
“Carl or Jim?” Dani asks playfully.
“Probably Jim although, I think she would eat him alive.” Sasha chuckles, before becoming serious again, “All joking aside, I could ask her to have a chat with you about things.”
“So she is a psychiatrist, as well as a doctor?” Dani asks sceptically.
“She is a doctor, surgeon, psychiatrist and a gifted Alchemist. That is why she is head of the order.” Sasha says with a hint of admiration.
“Damn. To be fair that is impressive. Can I think about it?” Dani asks, stubbing out her cigarette.
“Of course.” Sasha says then turns distracted by a sound behind her, “Sounds like the girls are up and moving.”
Dani smiles, stretching out her back and flexing her shoulders, “I should probably crack on, it will be another long day.”
“Dani, wait.” Sasha says as her sister gets up to leave, “Before you go. I have to say, I love the hair, it really suits you.”
“What do you mean?” Dani asks, before catching a glimpse of her reflection, seeing her hair once again its natural dark chocolate colour. “Whoa. I didn’t even realise.”
Sasha gets to her feet and hugs Dani tightly, “Whatever happens, I have always got your back babe. Niki is here for you too.”
Something in those words stirs a part of Dani that hasn’t felt anything in a long time and she smiles, “Actually, my work can wait, do you need a hand fixing breakfast?”
Kim yawns, nursing an iced tea in a glass bottle. Tara waves to get her attention and points out of the front of the container shuttle. “The hospital is massive.” She psis.
“Hold on tight everyone, we are going in hot. This shuttle is needed in downtown.” The pilot calls out over comms.
Sasha checks that all of the girls are buckled in and tightens her belt straps as the craft descends alarmingly toward the roof of the building.
Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when it decelerates instantly landing with a puff of dust.
As soon as the green light shines above the door, every seat belt pops open and Kim and her sisters grab their gear and head for the door, with Sasha following close behind.
A tall, sharply dressed engineer, beckons them over towards a door on the east side of the roof. When they draw level, he places a hand on Sasha’s shoulder, “You guys are expected, can you go down the stairs to ground floor, then first door on the left. Phobos is waiting for you.”
“Phobos? What is he doing here?” Kim asks, confused.
“They need some specialist help setting up operations here. Phobos’ Esotericans are a little stretched here and he needs a little help from some magically inclined individuals. Thought it might be a change from IT.” Sasha says, leading them down the stairs.
The girls give excited gasps as they bounce down the stairs, “Steady on. I don’t know exactly what you will be doing but it should be interesting. I will be around, supervising ward set up and setting up shift patterns for medical staff. Niki says he is a smart and honourable man, listen to him.”
“Every word. I promise. Thank you so much for this.” Tara says, wide eyed.
“I hope whatever he has you do, is interesting.” Sasha says, with a wink.
Kim and her sisters wait nervously by the door nod to each other before knocking.
“Come in.” Phobos calls out softly, greeting them with a disarming smile and a “Welcome.” When they enter the sparsely furnished dormitory.
“How can we help, Mr Phobos?” Anya asks, nervously.
“Oh please. It is just Phobos.” He says gently, “Do you know what the most important resource for a hospital is?”
“I dunno, doctors and nurses.” Kim says with a shrug.
Phobos gives a chef’s kiss, “Perfect. You are quite right. Now, doctors and nurses work a twelve hour shift saving lives, then what happens?”
Ali bites her lip nervously, “They go off shift?”
Phobos claps his hands sharply, “Precisely, which means that they cannot work for twelve hours. This us so much easier when dealing with people who get it.”
“But if they need twelve hours off to rest, that limits the time that they can be available, so you will need at least four shifts to rotate every six hours. That way you can have at least two shifts on duty at once “ Anya says, thinking aloud.
“That is where you come in.” Phobos says, solemnly, “My people in this realm are busy at the dam, keeping some water frozen and moving the rest of the water as a result, I am a bit short of magical support for what needs doing.”
Ali steps forward, “We know a little interdimensional magic but that is about it. How can we help?”
“Oh Niki made me aware of what you can do. Don’t worry. This is much easier. Just inscribe a few runes, visualise a little bit and you are done.” Phobos says, almost dismissively, but watching their reactions closely.
“So, what actually will we be doing?” Ali asks, cautiously. “We know enough about magic to know that it isn’t to be trifled with. I wont be a part of this, unless we know what we are doing, how it is to be done right and what to do if it goes wrong.”
Phobos casts his gaze around the young women and sees that they are all in agreement and smiles, “Very good.” He says, quietly.
He purses his lips and speaks softly, “You will be placing time dilation wards on the medical ready areas. When successfully placed, then for ever hour that passes outside the room, four hours will pass inside. If it is done incorrectly then it won’t trigger and will need to be re-done.”
“Is there a chance that if done wrong the dilation effect becomes reversed?” Anya asks, curiously.
“You might think so, however, the runes for that effect are very different.” Phobos explains, “Now, let me show you how you do the first room. Then I will talk you through the second and you will talk me through the third.”
Dani surveys the abandoned square and marvels, “I can’t believe how different the world looks. I see the life there was and the world there is like they are superimposed. Even though the spirits of the departed are gone, I see the wisps and shadows of their existence. I never saw that before.”
She watches the dead, pull themselves from the ruins around her and lay down on the street before her, among the shadows of their existence.
One body is not moving however, trapped beneath a collapsed wall to heavy to move. Dani floats into the building, passing through the outer wall then rests her hands on the collapsed wall trapping the body.
She closes her eyes feeling the stone, beneath her hands and channels the energy of the Dead World into the broken stone. The wave of entropy cascading through the wall, crumbles if to dust a moment later and the body is able to continue its journey unabated.
Dani floats back outside and stares up at the sky, “By splintering myself, I shut myself off from some aspects of my abilities. I am in both words and can crumbles living matter with necrotic energy. I wonder what else I can do.”
In a silver room, deep in another dimension and silver woman sighs, “Another piece is in motion.”
A silver man shakes his head, “She is in motion but nowhere near ready.”
The woman shrugs, “The rite of the Mirrored Self would have killed her and she would be no use in the coming storm. You may not agree with my methods, but the results will speak for themselves.”
“You were reckless and foolish. What is coming requires a deft hand. Yes you got her to bring herself together as one, but even now she questions it.” He says harshly, “If her questioning what happened, gets in the way of her evolving into her power, all may be lost.”
“Your problem is that you have no faith.” She says pursing her lips.
The silver man flashes with anger and snarls, “It is my faith that got us here. You would do well to remember that.”
“Pah. If we followed you we would have seen Atlantis and its allied realms, consumed by the Annunakin by now.” She says scornfully.
“And if we had followed you, Atlantis would have been crushed at the time of the diaspora.” He growls, “However, we are now set upon a path and need to co-operate if we want a new dawn to shine.”
“Of that, we are agreed. For now the second piece is in motion and ascending into her power. It may take time, but we can always give her a little nudge.”
He leans back against a silver wall, “From now on, we act as one, all actions agreed by the other.”
“Agreed. Do we start moving the third into place?” she asks, with a smile.
“No. She is not ready yet and I fear she may never be ready. Mind risk, the fourth is moving into the picture. Perhaps we should set our sights on the wild cards.” He says, thoughtfully.
“Hmmm, not like you to engage in risk. The first two are set and have a role to play, number four tips the balance. However the wildcards, could change everything depending upon their actions.” She challenges, with a grin.
“What is life without a little risk?” He says, with a dark smile.
Kim looks up expectantly, waiting for Phobos to inspect the last room of the day. After splitting into two teams, Kim and her sisters had completed the rooms in the first hospital and moved to the second by lunch time.
Now at the end of a sixteen hour day, she stands, while her sisters sit, nursing ice cold bottles of water. Phobos turns to the sisters and smiles, “This ready room has been completed to the same standard as the others. You have done some excellent work for me today ladies and I am not one to forget a favour owed.”
“Thank you Phobos, it has been good to experience a different side to the support effort.” Tara says, with a smile.
The old man smiles with a glint in his eye, “It is boring and repetitive work. However, I appreciate the sentiment and I am serious on the favour. It would have taken longer for my people to do this and there would be an error in at least one room. All of your work is in order and works “
“Thank you Phobos, we are happy to help.” Anya says brightly.
“It was cool to learn something new. Thank you for that Phobos.” Ali says, being echoed with the thanks of the others.
“You are most welcome.” Phobos says, then pauses thoughtfully, “It has been a long day and whilst your help has been appreciated, you should get back.” He smiles, with a look of certainty in his eyes, “By the time you are in your quarters, you will each have received a message with a link to an Atlantean college aptitude test. If you wish to apply, you are welcome to do so.”
“Whoa, steady on. We are not sure if we will be going to Atlantis after this and if we are we don’t know for how long.” Kim says, raising her hands slightly.
The old man smiles and winks, “No one knows what the future holds, besides it never hurts to keep one’s options open.”
Tara chews her lip for a moment, “So what kind of courses could we apply for?”
Phobos smiles, gently, “Your answers on the application, indicate the course best suited to you. That is where you would complete your initial induction, before electing to continue or switch disciplines.”
“Can we think about it?” Kim asks, suspiciously and psis, “Let’s not get pushed into anything.”
“Of course, you will have the links for your use, whenever you choose. I cannot promise esteem in the fields of academia, I will only promise you a chance. The only condition is that should you wish to fill them in, that you do not confer, when filling them out. Your answers must reflect you and your soul.”
“I guess that is fair.” Kim says, still trying to shake her suspicions, “What if we get something we don’t like?”
Tara cuts in, seeing an escalation brewing, “Thank you for your offer, we will consider it and let you know.” Whilst psying, “This is a fight we don’t need right now. Let’s just get back and chill.”
Ali checks the time and screws up her nose, “We will need to be up in six hours, we should get moving.”
“It will take less than ten minutes to put the time dilation enchantment on our room. We can have time to rest and to talk out possibilities.” Anya psis.
“Good point.” Kim agrees, on all fronts, “Tomorrow will present new challenges for us all.”
“Thank you for today Phobos, it has been eye opening.” Anya says, with a smile.
Phobos smiles, warmly, “You are most welcome. If I have further need of your services I will be in touch.”
“Our comms are always open.” Kim says with a smile, whilst psying, “The dilation works on any enclosed space. We can work with that.”
She takes a sip of fresh orange juice and savours the taste, from both the living and Dead World. With a gentle smile she embraces the souls that pass through her as a conduit to the Great Beyond and bids them luck on their journey.
A movement out of the corner of her eye, catches her attention. She turns to see Sasha waving from a few rooms down. She returns the wave and downs the rest of her drink, before floating to her sister’s balcony, taking in the spectacular view of the classically built Palace.
Sasha greets her with a hug and smiles, “Hey, how are you? Haven’t seen you since we got here.”
Dani smiles, “Have been busy. How are you?”
“Same. Triage has been mental. I am seeing patients at five to ten minute intervals with no breaks, sixteen hours a day.” Sasha says, with a grin, “I am loving it. This is why I studied medicine.” She motions to the chairs on the balcony and takes a seat.
Dani sits next to her, pulling it a pack of cigarettes and extracting two, offering one to Sasha to test a theory, “I know you have been pinching then.”
Sasha winces and takes the offered smoke, lighting it with her own lighter, “Sorry, just after Liam was born and things went crazy I started to smoke for a part of my day, that was just mine.”
“I get that. Sorry, I have been distant.” Dani says, with the events of last night and this morning on her tongue.
“We all have really.” Sasha says, taking a drag on the smoke and holding it for a moment before slowly exhaling. She looks at Dani with fresh eyes and frowns, “Is everything alright?”
Dani hesitates for a moment, not knowing where to begin, “Ever had something happen that was so absurd on one hand you can’t believe it and on the other, you couldn’t make it up.”
“Yeah.” Sasha says, leaning back in her seat, “The girls are going to be asleep for another couple of hours. I can tell something is up. I haven’t been there for you much, but I am here for you now.”
Dani runs her fingers through her hair and rubs the back of her neck and lays out everything that has happened since she arrived in Haven.
Sasha nods listening to her sister closely and watching her body language. When Dani finishes Sasha rubs her face with both hands, “Should have had a coffee first.” She thinks about everything from the details about Angela to the self conjured delusions and confrontation between Dani and her Scions, “Do you think it was real?”
Dani exhales slowly and shrugs, “It felt real and I feel different today. I think it really happened. It felt weird.”
“In what way?” Sasha asks, leaning forward in her seat.
“It felt like I was in a play, but at the same time in control of what I was doing.” Dani says, remembering the feelings from this morning.
“Was it like, with Arno.” Sasha asks, tentatively.
“No.” Dani shakes her head and lights another cigarette, offering one to Sasha, “With him I was a passenger, but this was different. Like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.”
Sasha accepts the smoke and lights it, “You are a bad influence.” She breathes out smoke thoughtfully, “How do you feel about everything now?”
“I feel less conflicted to be fair.” Dani shrugs, “A bit lighter too.”
“You know, it might be an idea for you to have a word with Angela.” Sasha says, with a smile, “Don’t worry, she is nothing like the version you made. She flirts with Niki to wind her up, she is all about guys.”
“Carl or Jim?” Dani asks playfully.
“Probably Jim although, I think she would eat him alive.” Sasha chuckles, before becoming serious again, “All joking aside, I could ask her to have a chat with you about things.”
“So she is a psychiatrist, as well as a doctor?” Dani asks sceptically.
“She is a doctor, surgeon, psychiatrist and a gifted Alchemist. That is why she is head of the order.” Sasha says with a hint of admiration.
“Damn. To be fair that is impressive. Can I think about it?” Dani asks, stubbing out her cigarette.
“Of course.” Sasha says then turns distracted by a sound behind her, “Sounds like the girls are up and moving.”
Dani smiles, stretching out her back and flexing her shoulders, “I should probably crack on, it will be another long day.”
“Dani, wait.” Sasha says as her sister gets up to leave, “Before you go. I have to say, I love the hair, it really suits you.”
“What do you mean?” Dani asks, before catching a glimpse of her reflection, seeing her hair once again its natural dark chocolate colour. “Whoa. I didn’t even realise.”
Sasha gets to her feet and hugs Dani tightly, “Whatever happens, I have always got your back babe. Niki is here for you too.”
Something in those words stirs a part of Dani that hasn’t felt anything in a long time and she smiles, “Actually, my work can wait, do you need a hand fixing breakfast?”
Kim yawns, nursing an iced tea in a glass bottle. Tara waves to get her attention and points out of the front of the container shuttle. “The hospital is massive.” She psis.
“Hold on tight everyone, we are going in hot. This shuttle is needed in downtown.” The pilot calls out over comms.
Sasha checks that all of the girls are buckled in and tightens her belt straps as the craft descends alarmingly toward the roof of the building.
Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when it decelerates instantly landing with a puff of dust.
As soon as the green light shines above the door, every seat belt pops open and Kim and her sisters grab their gear and head for the door, with Sasha following close behind.
A tall, sharply dressed engineer, beckons them over towards a door on the east side of the roof. When they draw level, he places a hand on Sasha’s shoulder, “You guys are expected, can you go down the stairs to ground floor, then first door on the left. Phobos is waiting for you.”
“Phobos? What is he doing here?” Kim asks, confused.
“They need some specialist help setting up operations here. Phobos’ Esotericans are a little stretched here and he needs a little help from some magically inclined individuals. Thought it might be a change from IT.” Sasha says, leading them down the stairs.
The girls give excited gasps as they bounce down the stairs, “Steady on. I don’t know exactly what you will be doing but it should be interesting. I will be around, supervising ward set up and setting up shift patterns for medical staff. Niki says he is a smart and honourable man, listen to him.”
“Every word. I promise. Thank you so much for this.” Tara says, wide eyed.
“I hope whatever he has you do, is interesting.” Sasha says, with a wink.
Kim and her sisters wait nervously by the door nod to each other before knocking.
“Come in.” Phobos calls out softly, greeting them with a disarming smile and a “Welcome.” When they enter the sparsely furnished dormitory.
“How can we help, Mr Phobos?” Anya asks, nervously.
“Oh please. It is just Phobos.” He says gently, “Do you know what the most important resource for a hospital is?”
“I dunno, doctors and nurses.” Kim says with a shrug.
Phobos gives a chef’s kiss, “Perfect. You are quite right. Now, doctors and nurses work a twelve hour shift saving lives, then what happens?”
Ali bites her lip nervously, “They go off shift?”
Phobos claps his hands sharply, “Precisely, which means that they cannot work for twelve hours. This us so much easier when dealing with people who get it.”
“But if they need twelve hours off to rest, that limits the time that they can be available, so you will need at least four shifts to rotate every six hours. That way you can have at least two shifts on duty at once “ Anya says, thinking aloud.
“That is where you come in.” Phobos says, solemnly, “My people in this realm are busy at the dam, keeping some water frozen and moving the rest of the water as a result, I am a bit short of magical support for what needs doing.”
Ali steps forward, “We know a little interdimensional magic but that is about it. How can we help?”
“Oh Niki made me aware of what you can do. Don’t worry. This is much easier. Just inscribe a few runes, visualise a little bit and you are done.” Phobos says, almost dismissively, but watching their reactions closely.
“So, what actually will we be doing?” Ali asks, cautiously. “We know enough about magic to know that it isn’t to be trifled with. I wont be a part of this, unless we know what we are doing, how it is to be done right and what to do if it goes wrong.”
Phobos casts his gaze around the young women and sees that they are all in agreement and smiles, “Very good.” He says, quietly.
He purses his lips and speaks softly, “You will be placing time dilation wards on the medical ready areas. When successfully placed, then for ever hour that passes outside the room, four hours will pass inside. If it is done incorrectly then it won’t trigger and will need to be re-done.”
“Is there a chance that if done wrong the dilation effect becomes reversed?” Anya asks, curiously.
“You might think so, however, the runes for that effect are very different.” Phobos explains, “Now, let me show you how you do the first room. Then I will talk you through the second and you will talk me through the third.”
Dani surveys the abandoned square and marvels, “I can’t believe how different the world looks. I see the life there was and the world there is like they are superimposed. Even though the spirits of the departed are gone, I see the wisps and shadows of their existence. I never saw that before.”
She watches the dead, pull themselves from the ruins around her and lay down on the street before her, among the shadows of their existence.
One body is not moving however, trapped beneath a collapsed wall to heavy to move. Dani floats into the building, passing through the outer wall then rests her hands on the collapsed wall trapping the body.
She closes her eyes feeling the stone, beneath her hands and channels the energy of the Dead World into the broken stone. The wave of entropy cascading through the wall, crumbles if to dust a moment later and the body is able to continue its journey unabated.
Dani floats back outside and stares up at the sky, “By splintering myself, I shut myself off from some aspects of my abilities. I am in both words and can crumbles living matter with necrotic energy. I wonder what else I can do.”
In a silver room, deep in another dimension and silver woman sighs, “Another piece is in motion.”
A silver man shakes his head, “She is in motion but nowhere near ready.”
The woman shrugs, “The rite of the Mirrored Self would have killed her and she would be no use in the coming storm. You may not agree with my methods, but the results will speak for themselves.”
“You were reckless and foolish. What is coming requires a deft hand. Yes you got her to bring herself together as one, but even now she questions it.” He says harshly, “If her questioning what happened, gets in the way of her evolving into her power, all may be lost.”
“Your problem is that you have no faith.” She says pursing her lips.
The silver man flashes with anger and snarls, “It is my faith that got us here. You would do well to remember that.”
“Pah. If we followed you we would have seen Atlantis and its allied realms, consumed by the Annunakin by now.” She says scornfully.
“And if we had followed you, Atlantis would have been crushed at the time of the diaspora.” He growls, “However, we are now set upon a path and need to co-operate if we want a new dawn to shine.”
“Of that, we are agreed. For now the second piece is in motion and ascending into her power. It may take time, but we can always give her a little nudge.”
He leans back against a silver wall, “From now on, we act as one, all actions agreed by the other.”
“Agreed. Do we start moving the third into place?” she asks, with a smile.
“No. She is not ready yet and I fear she may never be ready. Mind risk, the fourth is moving into the picture. Perhaps we should set our sights on the wild cards.” He says, thoughtfully.
“Hmmm, not like you to engage in risk. The first two are set and have a role to play, number four tips the balance. However the wildcards, could change everything depending upon their actions.” She challenges, with a grin.
“What is life without a little risk?” He says, with a dark smile.
Kim looks up expectantly, waiting for Phobos to inspect the last room of the day. After splitting into two teams, Kim and her sisters had completed the rooms in the first hospital and moved to the second by lunch time.
Now at the end of a sixteen hour day, she stands, while her sisters sit, nursing ice cold bottles of water. Phobos turns to the sisters and smiles, “This ready room has been completed to the same standard as the others. You have done some excellent work for me today ladies and I am not one to forget a favour owed.”
“Thank you Phobos, it has been good to experience a different side to the support effort.” Tara says, with a smile.
The old man smiles with a glint in his eye, “It is boring and repetitive work. However, I appreciate the sentiment and I am serious on the favour. It would have taken longer for my people to do this and there would be an error in at least one room. All of your work is in order and works “
“Thank you Phobos, we are happy to help.” Anya says brightly.
“It was cool to learn something new. Thank you for that Phobos.” Ali says, being echoed with the thanks of the others.
“You are most welcome.” Phobos says, then pauses thoughtfully, “It has been a long day and whilst your help has been appreciated, you should get back.” He smiles, with a look of certainty in his eyes, “By the time you are in your quarters, you will each have received a message with a link to an Atlantean college aptitude test. If you wish to apply, you are welcome to do so.”
“Whoa, steady on. We are not sure if we will be going to Atlantis after this and if we are we don’t know for how long.” Kim says, raising her hands slightly.
The old man smiles and winks, “No one knows what the future holds, besides it never hurts to keep one’s options open.”
Tara chews her lip for a moment, “So what kind of courses could we apply for?”
Phobos smiles, gently, “Your answers on the application, indicate the course best suited to you. That is where you would complete your initial induction, before electing to continue or switch disciplines.”
“Can we think about it?” Kim asks, suspiciously and psis, “Let’s not get pushed into anything.”
“Of course, you will have the links for your use, whenever you choose. I cannot promise esteem in the fields of academia, I will only promise you a chance. The only condition is that should you wish to fill them in, that you do not confer, when filling them out. Your answers must reflect you and your soul.”
“I guess that is fair.” Kim says, still trying to shake her suspicions, “What if we get something we don’t like?”
Tara cuts in, seeing an escalation brewing, “Thank you for your offer, we will consider it and let you know.” Whilst psying, “This is a fight we don’t need right now. Let’s just get back and chill.”
Ali checks the time and screws up her nose, “We will need to be up in six hours, we should get moving.”
“It will take less than ten minutes to put the time dilation enchantment on our room. We can have time to rest and to talk out possibilities.” Anya psis.
“Good point.” Kim agrees, on all fronts, “Tomorrow will present new challenges for us all.”
“Thank you for today Phobos, it has been eye opening.” Anya says, with a smile.
Phobos smiles, warmly, “You are most welcome. If I have further need of your services I will be in touch.”
“Our comms are always open.” Kim says with a smile, whilst psying, “The dilation works on any enclosed space. We can work with that.”
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
Different thoughts on this Chapter: It is one of Contrast. We have the intense, intimate Conversation between Sasha and Dani and it is a good thing that Dani is on the mend.
Then we have this mysterious Sequence .... the first "Piece" - I guess - is Niki. The next the two Persons talk about - the one that is not ready, might never be - has to be Dani. As to the two Persons talking here? Going out on a limb here - Angela is one of them.
Truly intriguing @wolfman
Then we have this mysterious Sequence .... the first "Piece" - I guess - is Niki. The next the two Persons talk about - the one that is not ready, might never be - has to be Dani. As to the two Persons talking here? Going out on a limb here - Angela is one of them.
Truly intriguing @wolfman
I am glad you picked up on the contrast, there are othrt forces at work and the whole has yet to be revealed.
I will not say who the silver people are as such, but one of them is secretary from where Nikita went through the rite of the mirrored self.
I will not say who the silver people are as such, but one of them is secretary from where Nikita went through the rite of the mirrored self.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
@Bandit666 @Caesar73
@GreyLord @slackywacky
Alex cracks his neck and addresses the assembled engineers and technicians, “Good work every one. We have tested the majority of the network and repairs are ongoing. We are two days ahead of schedule, however, we are looking at getting the arrester array online today and restoring power to large tranches of the city.”
He taps his screen highlighting areas of the city in green and yellow. “The majority of the city in green is ready for the switch on. The yellow sections have been isolated from the network until repair work can be completed.”
Alex focused on the main yellow areas and continues, “We have a number of teams engaged in circuit tracing and infrastructure repairs. Given the damage in the Springs and Eternal districts, we may not be able to bring them fully online until later in the week. As interim measures we have several shelters in the area which are not part of the local network, but will have power and water.”
“Daedalus, can you take your teams and check the breakers in Heart and Soul districts and position your people to monitor when we have the switch on.” Alex commands, pointing at a senior tech, who smiles and nods in the affirmative.
“Gregory, I need your guys to do an extra check on river district. We have been getting so twitchy reading in some of the tests.” The soldier orders, thoughtfully.
“I have been monitoring the tests there, we have a couple of local transformers that might cause a problem, if they continue to be an issue, my guys will bypass them as a stop gap.” Gregory says stroking his chin.
“Thanks brother.” Alex says with a nod, “Anthony, your guys have been on station in Vale, Meadow and Central. How are we set there?”
Anthony yawns, nods, “The areas were hit hard by aftershocks. There is a lot of building damage, however, the majority of the power infrastructure seems stable. We will keep checking and run additional tests on local breakers, but we should be OK for go live.”
“Great work. You have had a lot of ground to cover and not much time.” Alex checks his tablet, “I think that is all from me, any other business.”
“What happens if this doesn’t work?” Daedalus asks.
The engineers break out in low level murmuring, Alex raises his hands in a calming gesture, “Legitimate question and we need to address it. If the power output surges, first priority is preserve the power infrastructure. Power supplies can be rebuilt, however we loose the distribution network, we will be months rebuilding it.” He pauses, searching the faces of those present to confirm he still has the crowd with him, “If parts of the network fail due to power load, trip the breakers to protect vulnerable areas and we will deploy teams to shore up your teams repair work. If the power doesn’t come back online due to problems with generation or the main transformer, we keep working on the network and Corven will work on a solution.”
Alex hears a snort of derision from the back of the room and focuses on its source, “If you have a problem with Corven or this plan, speak to me after this meeting. We have one purpose here. I believe in what we are doing and the plan we have in place.”
“Who put you in charge?” a lone voice rings out.
“Corven, Titus and Halpron. Next question.” Alex says batting the question aside.
“Shows what they know.” the voice rings out again.
“Yes it does.” Alex says, calmly, “I appreciate you may not like the decision but you will stick to it and toe the line. As of right now, you are taking up time that should be used for meaningful discussion and it is time we will not get back. So we will move on. Any other business?”
An awkward pause descends over the room for a moment before another question is heard, “What measures are being taken to ensure that demolition of unsafe buildings is not going to damage already repaired and secured infrastructure?”
“Good question. We have mapped out all secured powerlines and the clearance crews are focusing away from the lines. We have specialist teams dismantling buildings near to lines, to minimise risks of cutting lines with controlled works.” Alex says, eyes scanning the room for hands, ears alert for questions or dissent.
Moses cruises above the city in a repurposed police interceptor of the HSA. “Be it Anchorage, Cambodia or here, I am better on the front lines than behind a desk.” He says to himself, settling into the seat. “There may not be many officers left in Hope, but they are pulling their weight and then some.” He thinks listening to the radio chatter in the background.
“Crime is low and responses are swift. Without the need for excessive force. Seems that natural disasters have a way of bringing people together.”
“Bushman, you got your ears on?” Control asks.
“Go ahead control.” Moses says, checking his nav screen.
“We have a high rise collapse in progress. You are the closest unit, can you attend?” Control says calmly.
“Send me the coordinates, show me en-route and attending. Sitrep?”
“Family of five, holed up in their apartment, to scared to move due to instability of structure. Rescue teams onsite, but building has experienced a partial collapse.” Control confirms.
“Any casualties?” Moses says, slowing his breathing and getting his head right.
“None confirmed at this time. However, the whole building is unstable and we have no way of getting the family out.” Control says, nervously.
“ETA two minutes, get medical back up and tactical support on site. Have we establishes contact with the family?” Moses says, shaking his head.
“Negative. Nikita confirms five life forms present in the property, one is fading fast.” Control confirms, calmly. “Medevac four minutes out. Atlantean tactical support is six minutes away.”
“Shit. I am going to have to go in.” He thinks, before reporting, “I see the property and smoke from rescue team. Will check in when on the ground.”
Moses eases the cruiser down and steps out as soon as it is safely down. He wastes no time approaching the rescue team, in full sheath, helmet and arrester.
He stashes his helmet and approaches the woman who appears to be in charge, “Moses, HSG liaison. Talk to me.”
A harried young man in a yellow high visibility sheath, strides over to him and takes his hand, shaking it vigorously, “We have secured the building as much as we can but it is in a bad way, frankly it should have collapsed by now.”
“Where in the building are they?” Moses says, looking at the shell of the housing block in dismay.
“Fifth floor.” He points to one of the few windows with glass in it, “Whole place is a house of cards.”
“What do we know about the occupants?” Moses asks, scanning the building
“Family of four, living with the wife’s father. Two boys ages ten and fourteen. Indictations are that the old man has suffered a heart attack.” The young responder, explains.
“Do you have a plan?” Moses asks, taking a deep breath to centre himself.
“The vibrations from us walking in there could be enough to trigger a collapse. Current thinking is that we fly in with arresters, strictly hands off and pick them up and fly out again. But it is so risky.” He explains.
“In the absence of anything else, go with what you have.” Moses says with a shrug, “What’s your name son?”
“Elmer, sir.” The Responder, answers.
“What is your timetable for the extraction?” Moses asks, thinking to himself, “This is a bad idea.”
“We need an extra guy to pick up slack if one of the team is downed and...” He stops and turns fearfully at the anguished scream of metal and slow motion collapse of the building. “ALL RESPONDERS MOVE IN.” He shouts, then dons his helmet and streaks toward the building.
“Shit.” Moses says, donning his and flying full tilt after the man.
The five responders streak like yellow lightning into the building, through an open fifth floor window. Moses follows them and respects their bravery and the ceiling above begins to collapse and the floor beneath falls away.
Elmer blasts through the door to the flat and scoops up the old man while the team grab the others.
Moses hovers in the doorway, seeing that the family is in the arms of the responders, “We gotta book outta here. You fly low, I will fly above and run interference for debris.”
Elmer nods, “On my mark, back the way we came.” He takes a breath allowing Moses to move from the doorway, before he says, “Mark.” and bolts for the door.
Room by room the advance, slower than before to avoid the debris that falls in their path. Moses, orbits above them, heaving a cabinet to one side before, splintering a bookcase with his sledgehammer.
As the approach the safe exit, they know time is too short and that they are not going to make it.
Elmer holds the now limp body of the grandfather and freezes, with the wails of the children are like an undulating air raid siren.
Moses takes a split second decision bellows, “ON ME.”
He smashes through a wall and pulls out an automatic shotgun. He decides to take a risk and the boom of the weapon echoes like the thunder of the gods. The outer wall of the room, explodes outwards into the afternoon air.
He pats the responders on the back, as they blast past him and out of the building. He closes his eyes for a moment, having only counted four and turns back to the corridor, seeing Elmer still hovering in place.
Moses glides back and grabs Elmer and drags him to the outer wall, throwing him out, with the old man he still clutches tight.
He pauses for just a moment to thank God for getting them out, when a deafening crack splits the air.
The responders look back at the building watching for signs of Moses emerging from the dust, but all they see, is a growing dust cloud envelope the shell of the building.
Sasha rolls her shoulders, feeling relieved to be free of the pressures of triage for another day. She eases the shuttle on a direct trajectory towards the Palace.
Behind her Kim and her sisters doze after a long day, assisting medical personnel in triage.
“Guardian do you copy?” Control says over comms.
Knowing the girls aren’t listening, Sasha responds, “I copy over.”
“We have a patient with suspected heart attack and trapped responder with critical Injuries. You are the closest medical personnel. Can you attend?” Control asks, calmly
Sasha considers the fatigue of her daughters and their sisters, balanced against the need to help, “We can deal. Details?”
Moses awakes in near darkness. A rasping cough clears his mouth of dust and phlegm. He winces feeling a lancing pain through his leg.
“The arresters are great for high speed impacts, however, when it comes to heavy weights resting on a body, they are shit.” He thinks, tentatively pulling his leg.
He pulls out a torch to take a look, however he already knows that he will see a support beam crushing his leg. He also doesn’t need to look lower down to see the amount of blood he has lost.
“My leg is trapped and I have no way to free it or stop the bleeding, although.” He says, thinking aloud before producing a heavy duty cable tie with a flourish.
He secures the cable tie around his thigh, then pulls an extendible baton. He jams the baton inside the cable tie and pulls back on it to tighten the tie around his leg.
“That might buy me a little time. But, at best it’s borrowed time.” He thinks, laying back on the stone beneath him.
Sasha lands the shuttle in a clearing and turns to the girls, “With a bit of luck, this should be a quick patch and dash. But just in case, Tara can you take the flight controls for fast dust off, Ali and Anya, prep the couch for patient transport and Kim, grab a trauma kit and bring it to me, if I need you to.”
With a thumbs up from the girls, she disembarks and strides towards a group of first responders, gathered at the base of a large fresh pile of rubble.
“Who placed the call for medical support?” Sasha calls out on her approach.
A young man in a bright yellow Sheath, raises his hand, “That would be me. The names Elmer.”
“Details were brief, care to fill me in?” Sasha asks, casually.
“Standard evac, gone bad. We moved in to get a family out of this building as it collapsed. We had a support liaison from Atlantis. When things went bad, he got us out and is now trapped under the rubble.” Elmer explains, “To be honest, he isn’t Atlantean. I think he is American from his accent.”
Sasha feels her heart lurch in her chest and soundless asks, “Moses?”
“Yeah, that’s his name. Big guy built like a gladiator, soft spoken like a preacher.” Elmer says with a hint of appreciation.
“Where is he?” She asks, her mind racing.
Elmer points to an opening in the rubble, “He is in there, pinned under a support beam. We are working on a way of getting him out but the structure is very unstable.”
Sasha freezes for a moment, thinking of Moses, of Anya and a million and one other things, before she sprints towards the hole, “Get your people on standby.” She calls back, diving into the hole.
Moses loosens the tourniquet, his breathing shallow, his movements slow. Movement to his left draws his, slow gaze. Their eyes lock and both know what it means.
“Of course, it would be you.” Moses says, gently.
“No, no, no.” Sasha says, taking everything in all at once. Moses, pinned by the leg, complexion pale and sweating, eyes unfocused.
She races to his side and begins to focus, “Right. OK. We need to get you on er, fluids. Then secure this beam and get cutting gear in here to free your leg and then... “ Sasha has her speech robbed from her by the simple brush of Moses hand on hers.
“Stop.” He says, gently, “We both know, that if this beam moves, all of the toxins that have built up in my leg, will flow into my body and toxic shock will kill me within minutes. We also both know, I am not getting out of here with this leg.”
Sasha feels the colour drain from her face, as she looks down at him, unable to look him in the eye, she nods, “This space seems unstable at best. To get you out quick, I have to take your leg off.”
Moses nods, “As your sister would say, Stop buggering about then.” He wheezes a laugh, within soon turns into a coughing fit. He spits blood and looks up at Sasha, showing fear in his eyes for the first time since they first met, “I have lost a lot of blood.” He confesses.
“Don’t you quit on me now.” Sasha warns, “Fight, you lummox.”
“Yes ma’am.” Moses says, snapping a salute as best he can, “Get your team in and lets do this.”
“I haven’t got a team, it’s just me and the...” A look of horror plays across her face, “We were just heading back to the Palace.”
Moses lays quiet for a moment that seems to last a year, before softly speaking, “What are the chances of another team being available? Don’t answer that, I already know.”
“I can’t do this alone and I have no one else, I can rely on.” Sasha says to herself as much as to Moses. “I have to bring them in.”
Moses nods, “Before you do, I need to talk to you.” He almost seems to shrink in on himself, “I know my chances are slim.” Sasha moves to interrupt but Moses waves her off, “If I don’t make it, I need you to look after Anya. Don’t argue. Don’t tell me I am going to make it. Just say, if I don’t, you will be there for her.”
Sasha swallows hard and places a hand on his shoulder, “You don’t even need to ask. I will always be there for all of the girls.”
Moses nods satisfied, with a faraway look in his eyes, “Get them in here and do what you have to do.”
Sasha composes herself and opens her comms, “Kim, bring the kit to me and can you please bring the others to assist?”
Kim hefts the kit and dashes past the bemused responders into the opening under the building, with Anya by her side and Tara and Ali bringing up the rear.
They both sense something is off as they enter the claustrophobic space. Anya drops to one knee, suddenly weak, seeing her father.
“Daddy?” She says weakly.
“Hey darlin’ seem to have got myself in a bit of a jam.” He says with false bravado.
Kim freezes, while Anya bolts forward, embracing her stricken father, “Easy kiddo. Feelin’ a bit delicate here.” He says, hugging her back. He looks up at Sasha and mouths, “Give us a minute.”
“Daddy, what happened?” Anya asks, her eyes moist with tears.
“I helped get some folks out of here, but then zigged when I should have zagged.” He says, trying to be brave.
“Does it hurt?” She says, unable to look away from the mashed ruins of his leg.
“It hurts some, but Sasha has given me something for the pain.” He shifts slightly and takes a breath, “Sasha is going to have to take off my leg to get me out of here.” He shushes her protests and cries and pulls her close, “Easy there. I need to talk to you not as your father, but as one adult to another. Can I do that?”
Anya dries her eyes and nods on the verge of another wave of tears and he continues, “This is bad. There are a lot of risks and I might not make it.” The big man says, trying not to choke on his words, “Sasha will look after you.” He stops himself, “What the fuck am I doing?” he whispers under his breath.
“You make me proud every single day. Every moment, I see you becoming the woman you were always meant to be and I am so proud of you. You are the best thing in my life and I am blessed to be your father.”
Anya cannot control the tears and breaks down, bawling into his shoulder. “Daddy.”
“It’s OK darlin’. Whatever happens today, you are going to be alright. You will be looked after and loved. Even if I don’t make it.” Moses says, feeling his heart thump in his chest. “From the moment you were born, your mom and I loved you completely, the only change is that the love has grown. I am sorry your mom can’t be here for you. Just as I am sorry that if this goes wrong, I won’t be either.”
“Please, Don’t say that Daddy.” Anya begs, “Don’t leave me.”
Sasha places a gentle hand on her shoulder and looks Moses in the eye, “It’s time. We need to start.”
“Let her work darlin’.” Moses says, weakly stroking his daughter’s cheek.
Anya numbly backs off. Sasha waves her hand, sending his Sheath to a pocket dimension and begins prepping his leg for surgery.
Kim nervously approaches him with a cannula, but hesitates unable to find a vein. Anya gently takes it from her, softly saying, “It’s OK, let me.” She dons her helmet and uses the IR setting to see the heat from her fathers blood vessels under his skin and inserts the needle, before Kim tapes it in place.
“Kim, get an in-line bag of saline Anya, prep O2 and two shots of epinephrine.” Sasha says, wearing her game face, already in the headspace she need for surgery as she lays out a bone saw and a selection of scalpels. “Tara, in one hour, take over from Kim and Ali, you take over from Anya.”
Sasha preps a syringe of anaesthetic and inserts it into the cannula, she looks at Moses and takes a breath, “OK big guy, need to do this. You ready?” When he nods, she smiles gently, “Count backwards from ten.” She says, depressing the syringe.
Moses makes it to six before his eyes close and his body relaxes.
“Kim monitor vital signs. Anya I need you to assist me.” Sasha commands quietly, then looks at Anya, “If you can’t do this, step away. There is no shame in that.”
Anya nods wordlessly and she dons latex gloves with a flourish, leaving her hand hovering over the tray of surgical implements. “Could auntie Niki help?”
“No love, she is spread too thin across the city to come here and help.” Sasha takes a breath and holds out her hand, “Scalpel, please.”
Anya plucks the scalpel from the tray and pinches her fingers either side of the blade, pressing the handle into Sasha’s hand.
Contrary to popular belief, it is hard to safely amputate a limb.
At the start there is a part of the body attached, having blood pumped around it.
At the end of the procedure, that blood is still going to be pumping, unless all the arteries are tied off and veins sealed. Nerves will still transmit pain unless they are excised. Ligaments and tendons will retract if they have been severed.
It is not a quick process. It is slow. It is arduous. It is messy and unforgiving. Luckily, Sasha is meticulous and laser focused. For their part the girls, switch every hour, fulfil their roles and manage to hold their emotions in check.
After six hours of painstaking surgery, three bags of saline and two more syringes of anaesthetic, a blood spattered Sasha, takes a deep breath and sets down the suture.
Allowing herself a moments rest, she turns to Anya, “Can I have some water please?”
Anya pulls a water bottle from an extra dimensional pocket and twists off the lid. Holding it out to Sasha, who takes several large gulps, before sitting back down. “Thank you Anya. Bone saw, please.”
The grim rasping of the saw fills the small space under the rubble. Anya shuts her eyes and turns on sound dampening but she can still hear the echo of it in her mind. Tara puts her arm around her sister and guides her away from her father side allowing Ali to take over.
“It’s stopped babe.” Tara psis, when the sawing has stopped. Anya fares to turn off the sound suppression and can only hear the sound of Sasha’s heavy breathing, as she recovers.
Sasha hangs her head and slumps on the spot, “Good work everyone.” She says softly, “Once he is stable, we can get Moses to Hospital. I have briefed the emergency room to have blood and oxygen on standby as soon as we arrive.”
Kim and her sister breath a sigh of relief. Anya crawls across the low space to her father and takes his hand.
Sasha smiles at each of the girls, “I am so proud of you all.”
The air is split by Anya’s tortured scream. Sasha reacts first, seeing Moses’ body going into spasm.
She manages to prise Anya’s hand from her fathers iron grip and the girl scampers back nursing her broken fingers.
As suddenly as the spasms started, they cease. Kim grips his wrist and looks up fearfully, “No pulse.”
Sasha tears open his undershirt and places a hand under his right armpit and another on his left pectoral. “Clear.” She barks, harshly. “Clear.” Kim echoes, releasing his wrist.
The powerful shock from her suits defibrillator jolts his body and for a moment she keeps her hands in place until her suit reports, “No pulse detected, begin compressions.”
Sasha laces her fingers and locks her arms and almost on automatic rocks back and forth compressing Moses’ chest.
Kim, Ali and Tara gather around Anya, trying to comfort the girl, as they all watch and pray.
Sasha stops compressions and whips her left arm out, snatching the first prepared syringe and plunging the needle into his chest. She shouts, “Clear.” Before sending another Jolt through her patient and starting the chest compressions once again.
Time seems to slow for a moment, she gazes upon the face of Moses, her friend. Lifeless but not without hope. She feels the hopes and prayers of Ali, Tara and Kim, spurring her on. But most of all she sees the pain and heartbreak in the eyes of Anya.
With every ounce of strength, she holds back her tears, knowing that failure is not an option, in this battle against death itself.
@GreyLord @slackywacky
Alex cracks his neck and addresses the assembled engineers and technicians, “Good work every one. We have tested the majority of the network and repairs are ongoing. We are two days ahead of schedule, however, we are looking at getting the arrester array online today and restoring power to large tranches of the city.”
He taps his screen highlighting areas of the city in green and yellow. “The majority of the city in green is ready for the switch on. The yellow sections have been isolated from the network until repair work can be completed.”
Alex focused on the main yellow areas and continues, “We have a number of teams engaged in circuit tracing and infrastructure repairs. Given the damage in the Springs and Eternal districts, we may not be able to bring them fully online until later in the week. As interim measures we have several shelters in the area which are not part of the local network, but will have power and water.”
“Daedalus, can you take your teams and check the breakers in Heart and Soul districts and position your people to monitor when we have the switch on.” Alex commands, pointing at a senior tech, who smiles and nods in the affirmative.
“Gregory, I need your guys to do an extra check on river district. We have been getting so twitchy reading in some of the tests.” The soldier orders, thoughtfully.
“I have been monitoring the tests there, we have a couple of local transformers that might cause a problem, if they continue to be an issue, my guys will bypass them as a stop gap.” Gregory says stroking his chin.
“Thanks brother.” Alex says with a nod, “Anthony, your guys have been on station in Vale, Meadow and Central. How are we set there?”
Anthony yawns, nods, “The areas were hit hard by aftershocks. There is a lot of building damage, however, the majority of the power infrastructure seems stable. We will keep checking and run additional tests on local breakers, but we should be OK for go live.”
“Great work. You have had a lot of ground to cover and not much time.” Alex checks his tablet, “I think that is all from me, any other business.”
“What happens if this doesn’t work?” Daedalus asks.
The engineers break out in low level murmuring, Alex raises his hands in a calming gesture, “Legitimate question and we need to address it. If the power output surges, first priority is preserve the power infrastructure. Power supplies can be rebuilt, however we loose the distribution network, we will be months rebuilding it.” He pauses, searching the faces of those present to confirm he still has the crowd with him, “If parts of the network fail due to power load, trip the breakers to protect vulnerable areas and we will deploy teams to shore up your teams repair work. If the power doesn’t come back online due to problems with generation or the main transformer, we keep working on the network and Corven will work on a solution.”
Alex hears a snort of derision from the back of the room and focuses on its source, “If you have a problem with Corven or this plan, speak to me after this meeting. We have one purpose here. I believe in what we are doing and the plan we have in place.”
“Who put you in charge?” a lone voice rings out.
“Corven, Titus and Halpron. Next question.” Alex says batting the question aside.
“Shows what they know.” the voice rings out again.
“Yes it does.” Alex says, calmly, “I appreciate you may not like the decision but you will stick to it and toe the line. As of right now, you are taking up time that should be used for meaningful discussion and it is time we will not get back. So we will move on. Any other business?”
An awkward pause descends over the room for a moment before another question is heard, “What measures are being taken to ensure that demolition of unsafe buildings is not going to damage already repaired and secured infrastructure?”
“Good question. We have mapped out all secured powerlines and the clearance crews are focusing away from the lines. We have specialist teams dismantling buildings near to lines, to minimise risks of cutting lines with controlled works.” Alex says, eyes scanning the room for hands, ears alert for questions or dissent.
Moses cruises above the city in a repurposed police interceptor of the HSA. “Be it Anchorage, Cambodia or here, I am better on the front lines than behind a desk.” He says to himself, settling into the seat. “There may not be many officers left in Hope, but they are pulling their weight and then some.” He thinks listening to the radio chatter in the background.
“Crime is low and responses are swift. Without the need for excessive force. Seems that natural disasters have a way of bringing people together.”
“Bushman, you got your ears on?” Control asks.
“Go ahead control.” Moses says, checking his nav screen.
“We have a high rise collapse in progress. You are the closest unit, can you attend?” Control says calmly.
“Send me the coordinates, show me en-route and attending. Sitrep?”
“Family of five, holed up in their apartment, to scared to move due to instability of structure. Rescue teams onsite, but building has experienced a partial collapse.” Control confirms.
“Any casualties?” Moses says, slowing his breathing and getting his head right.
“None confirmed at this time. However, the whole building is unstable and we have no way of getting the family out.” Control says, nervously.
“ETA two minutes, get medical back up and tactical support on site. Have we establishes contact with the family?” Moses says, shaking his head.
“Negative. Nikita confirms five life forms present in the property, one is fading fast.” Control confirms, calmly. “Medevac four minutes out. Atlantean tactical support is six minutes away.”
“Shit. I am going to have to go in.” He thinks, before reporting, “I see the property and smoke from rescue team. Will check in when on the ground.”
Moses eases the cruiser down and steps out as soon as it is safely down. He wastes no time approaching the rescue team, in full sheath, helmet and arrester.
He stashes his helmet and approaches the woman who appears to be in charge, “Moses, HSG liaison. Talk to me.”
A harried young man in a yellow high visibility sheath, strides over to him and takes his hand, shaking it vigorously, “We have secured the building as much as we can but it is in a bad way, frankly it should have collapsed by now.”
“Where in the building are they?” Moses says, looking at the shell of the housing block in dismay.
“Fifth floor.” He points to one of the few windows with glass in it, “Whole place is a house of cards.”
“What do we know about the occupants?” Moses asks, scanning the building
“Family of four, living with the wife’s father. Two boys ages ten and fourteen. Indictations are that the old man has suffered a heart attack.” The young responder, explains.
“Do you have a plan?” Moses asks, taking a deep breath to centre himself.
“The vibrations from us walking in there could be enough to trigger a collapse. Current thinking is that we fly in with arresters, strictly hands off and pick them up and fly out again. But it is so risky.” He explains.
“In the absence of anything else, go with what you have.” Moses says with a shrug, “What’s your name son?”
“Elmer, sir.” The Responder, answers.
“What is your timetable for the extraction?” Moses asks, thinking to himself, “This is a bad idea.”
“We need an extra guy to pick up slack if one of the team is downed and...” He stops and turns fearfully at the anguished scream of metal and slow motion collapse of the building. “ALL RESPONDERS MOVE IN.” He shouts, then dons his helmet and streaks toward the building.
“Shit.” Moses says, donning his and flying full tilt after the man.
The five responders streak like yellow lightning into the building, through an open fifth floor window. Moses follows them and respects their bravery and the ceiling above begins to collapse and the floor beneath falls away.
Elmer blasts through the door to the flat and scoops up the old man while the team grab the others.
Moses hovers in the doorway, seeing that the family is in the arms of the responders, “We gotta book outta here. You fly low, I will fly above and run interference for debris.”
Elmer nods, “On my mark, back the way we came.” He takes a breath allowing Moses to move from the doorway, before he says, “Mark.” and bolts for the door.
Room by room the advance, slower than before to avoid the debris that falls in their path. Moses, orbits above them, heaving a cabinet to one side before, splintering a bookcase with his sledgehammer.
As the approach the safe exit, they know time is too short and that they are not going to make it.
Elmer holds the now limp body of the grandfather and freezes, with the wails of the children are like an undulating air raid siren.
Moses takes a split second decision bellows, “ON ME.”
He smashes through a wall and pulls out an automatic shotgun. He decides to take a risk and the boom of the weapon echoes like the thunder of the gods. The outer wall of the room, explodes outwards into the afternoon air.
He pats the responders on the back, as they blast past him and out of the building. He closes his eyes for a moment, having only counted four and turns back to the corridor, seeing Elmer still hovering in place.
Moses glides back and grabs Elmer and drags him to the outer wall, throwing him out, with the old man he still clutches tight.
He pauses for just a moment to thank God for getting them out, when a deafening crack splits the air.
The responders look back at the building watching for signs of Moses emerging from the dust, but all they see, is a growing dust cloud envelope the shell of the building.
Sasha rolls her shoulders, feeling relieved to be free of the pressures of triage for another day. She eases the shuttle on a direct trajectory towards the Palace.
Behind her Kim and her sisters doze after a long day, assisting medical personnel in triage.
“Guardian do you copy?” Control says over comms.
Knowing the girls aren’t listening, Sasha responds, “I copy over.”
“We have a patient with suspected heart attack and trapped responder with critical Injuries. You are the closest medical personnel. Can you attend?” Control asks, calmly
Sasha considers the fatigue of her daughters and their sisters, balanced against the need to help, “We can deal. Details?”
Moses awakes in near darkness. A rasping cough clears his mouth of dust and phlegm. He winces feeling a lancing pain through his leg.
“The arresters are great for high speed impacts, however, when it comes to heavy weights resting on a body, they are shit.” He thinks, tentatively pulling his leg.
He pulls out a torch to take a look, however he already knows that he will see a support beam crushing his leg. He also doesn’t need to look lower down to see the amount of blood he has lost.
“My leg is trapped and I have no way to free it or stop the bleeding, although.” He says, thinking aloud before producing a heavy duty cable tie with a flourish.
He secures the cable tie around his thigh, then pulls an extendible baton. He jams the baton inside the cable tie and pulls back on it to tighten the tie around his leg.
“That might buy me a little time. But, at best it’s borrowed time.” He thinks, laying back on the stone beneath him.
Sasha lands the shuttle in a clearing and turns to the girls, “With a bit of luck, this should be a quick patch and dash. But just in case, Tara can you take the flight controls for fast dust off, Ali and Anya, prep the couch for patient transport and Kim, grab a trauma kit and bring it to me, if I need you to.”
With a thumbs up from the girls, she disembarks and strides towards a group of first responders, gathered at the base of a large fresh pile of rubble.
“Who placed the call for medical support?” Sasha calls out on her approach.
A young man in a bright yellow Sheath, raises his hand, “That would be me. The names Elmer.”
“Details were brief, care to fill me in?” Sasha asks, casually.
“Standard evac, gone bad. We moved in to get a family out of this building as it collapsed. We had a support liaison from Atlantis. When things went bad, he got us out and is now trapped under the rubble.” Elmer explains, “To be honest, he isn’t Atlantean. I think he is American from his accent.”
Sasha feels her heart lurch in her chest and soundless asks, “Moses?”
“Yeah, that’s his name. Big guy built like a gladiator, soft spoken like a preacher.” Elmer says with a hint of appreciation.
“Where is he?” She asks, her mind racing.
Elmer points to an opening in the rubble, “He is in there, pinned under a support beam. We are working on a way of getting him out but the structure is very unstable.”
Sasha freezes for a moment, thinking of Moses, of Anya and a million and one other things, before she sprints towards the hole, “Get your people on standby.” She calls back, diving into the hole.
Moses loosens the tourniquet, his breathing shallow, his movements slow. Movement to his left draws his, slow gaze. Their eyes lock and both know what it means.
“Of course, it would be you.” Moses says, gently.
“No, no, no.” Sasha says, taking everything in all at once. Moses, pinned by the leg, complexion pale and sweating, eyes unfocused.
She races to his side and begins to focus, “Right. OK. We need to get you on er, fluids. Then secure this beam and get cutting gear in here to free your leg and then... “ Sasha has her speech robbed from her by the simple brush of Moses hand on hers.
“Stop.” He says, gently, “We both know, that if this beam moves, all of the toxins that have built up in my leg, will flow into my body and toxic shock will kill me within minutes. We also both know, I am not getting out of here with this leg.”
Sasha feels the colour drain from her face, as she looks down at him, unable to look him in the eye, she nods, “This space seems unstable at best. To get you out quick, I have to take your leg off.”
Moses nods, “As your sister would say, Stop buggering about then.” He wheezes a laugh, within soon turns into a coughing fit. He spits blood and looks up at Sasha, showing fear in his eyes for the first time since they first met, “I have lost a lot of blood.” He confesses.
“Don’t you quit on me now.” Sasha warns, “Fight, you lummox.”
“Yes ma’am.” Moses says, snapping a salute as best he can, “Get your team in and lets do this.”
“I haven’t got a team, it’s just me and the...” A look of horror plays across her face, “We were just heading back to the Palace.”
Moses lays quiet for a moment that seems to last a year, before softly speaking, “What are the chances of another team being available? Don’t answer that, I already know.”
“I can’t do this alone and I have no one else, I can rely on.” Sasha says to herself as much as to Moses. “I have to bring them in.”
Moses nods, “Before you do, I need to talk to you.” He almost seems to shrink in on himself, “I know my chances are slim.” Sasha moves to interrupt but Moses waves her off, “If I don’t make it, I need you to look after Anya. Don’t argue. Don’t tell me I am going to make it. Just say, if I don’t, you will be there for her.”
Sasha swallows hard and places a hand on his shoulder, “You don’t even need to ask. I will always be there for all of the girls.”
Moses nods satisfied, with a faraway look in his eyes, “Get them in here and do what you have to do.”
Sasha composes herself and opens her comms, “Kim, bring the kit to me and can you please bring the others to assist?”
Kim hefts the kit and dashes past the bemused responders into the opening under the building, with Anya by her side and Tara and Ali bringing up the rear.
They both sense something is off as they enter the claustrophobic space. Anya drops to one knee, suddenly weak, seeing her father.
“Daddy?” She says weakly.
“Hey darlin’ seem to have got myself in a bit of a jam.” He says with false bravado.
Kim freezes, while Anya bolts forward, embracing her stricken father, “Easy kiddo. Feelin’ a bit delicate here.” He says, hugging her back. He looks up at Sasha and mouths, “Give us a minute.”
“Daddy, what happened?” Anya asks, her eyes moist with tears.
“I helped get some folks out of here, but then zigged when I should have zagged.” He says, trying to be brave.
“Does it hurt?” She says, unable to look away from the mashed ruins of his leg.
“It hurts some, but Sasha has given me something for the pain.” He shifts slightly and takes a breath, “Sasha is going to have to take off my leg to get me out of here.” He shushes her protests and cries and pulls her close, “Easy there. I need to talk to you not as your father, but as one adult to another. Can I do that?”
Anya dries her eyes and nods on the verge of another wave of tears and he continues, “This is bad. There are a lot of risks and I might not make it.” The big man says, trying not to choke on his words, “Sasha will look after you.” He stops himself, “What the fuck am I doing?” he whispers under his breath.
“You make me proud every single day. Every moment, I see you becoming the woman you were always meant to be and I am so proud of you. You are the best thing in my life and I am blessed to be your father.”
Anya cannot control the tears and breaks down, bawling into his shoulder. “Daddy.”
“It’s OK darlin’. Whatever happens today, you are going to be alright. You will be looked after and loved. Even if I don’t make it.” Moses says, feeling his heart thump in his chest. “From the moment you were born, your mom and I loved you completely, the only change is that the love has grown. I am sorry your mom can’t be here for you. Just as I am sorry that if this goes wrong, I won’t be either.”
“Please, Don’t say that Daddy.” Anya begs, “Don’t leave me.”
Sasha places a gentle hand on her shoulder and looks Moses in the eye, “It’s time. We need to start.”
“Let her work darlin’.” Moses says, weakly stroking his daughter’s cheek.
Anya numbly backs off. Sasha waves her hand, sending his Sheath to a pocket dimension and begins prepping his leg for surgery.
Kim nervously approaches him with a cannula, but hesitates unable to find a vein. Anya gently takes it from her, softly saying, “It’s OK, let me.” She dons her helmet and uses the IR setting to see the heat from her fathers blood vessels under his skin and inserts the needle, before Kim tapes it in place.
“Kim, get an in-line bag of saline Anya, prep O2 and two shots of epinephrine.” Sasha says, wearing her game face, already in the headspace she need for surgery as she lays out a bone saw and a selection of scalpels. “Tara, in one hour, take over from Kim and Ali, you take over from Anya.”
Sasha preps a syringe of anaesthetic and inserts it into the cannula, she looks at Moses and takes a breath, “OK big guy, need to do this. You ready?” When he nods, she smiles gently, “Count backwards from ten.” She says, depressing the syringe.
Moses makes it to six before his eyes close and his body relaxes.
“Kim monitor vital signs. Anya I need you to assist me.” Sasha commands quietly, then looks at Anya, “If you can’t do this, step away. There is no shame in that.”
Anya nods wordlessly and she dons latex gloves with a flourish, leaving her hand hovering over the tray of surgical implements. “Could auntie Niki help?”
“No love, she is spread too thin across the city to come here and help.” Sasha takes a breath and holds out her hand, “Scalpel, please.”
Anya plucks the scalpel from the tray and pinches her fingers either side of the blade, pressing the handle into Sasha’s hand.
Contrary to popular belief, it is hard to safely amputate a limb.
At the start there is a part of the body attached, having blood pumped around it.
At the end of the procedure, that blood is still going to be pumping, unless all the arteries are tied off and veins sealed. Nerves will still transmit pain unless they are excised. Ligaments and tendons will retract if they have been severed.
It is not a quick process. It is slow. It is arduous. It is messy and unforgiving. Luckily, Sasha is meticulous and laser focused. For their part the girls, switch every hour, fulfil their roles and manage to hold their emotions in check.
After six hours of painstaking surgery, three bags of saline and two more syringes of anaesthetic, a blood spattered Sasha, takes a deep breath and sets down the suture.
Allowing herself a moments rest, she turns to Anya, “Can I have some water please?”
Anya pulls a water bottle from an extra dimensional pocket and twists off the lid. Holding it out to Sasha, who takes several large gulps, before sitting back down. “Thank you Anya. Bone saw, please.”
The grim rasping of the saw fills the small space under the rubble. Anya shuts her eyes and turns on sound dampening but she can still hear the echo of it in her mind. Tara puts her arm around her sister and guides her away from her father side allowing Ali to take over.
“It’s stopped babe.” Tara psis, when the sawing has stopped. Anya fares to turn off the sound suppression and can only hear the sound of Sasha’s heavy breathing, as she recovers.
Sasha hangs her head and slumps on the spot, “Good work everyone.” She says softly, “Once he is stable, we can get Moses to Hospital. I have briefed the emergency room to have blood and oxygen on standby as soon as we arrive.”
Kim and her sister breath a sigh of relief. Anya crawls across the low space to her father and takes his hand.
Sasha smiles at each of the girls, “I am so proud of you all.”
The air is split by Anya’s tortured scream. Sasha reacts first, seeing Moses’ body going into spasm.
She manages to prise Anya’s hand from her fathers iron grip and the girl scampers back nursing her broken fingers.
As suddenly as the spasms started, they cease. Kim grips his wrist and looks up fearfully, “No pulse.”
Sasha tears open his undershirt and places a hand under his right armpit and another on his left pectoral. “Clear.” She barks, harshly. “Clear.” Kim echoes, releasing his wrist.
The powerful shock from her suits defibrillator jolts his body and for a moment she keeps her hands in place until her suit reports, “No pulse detected, begin compressions.”
Sasha laces her fingers and locks her arms and almost on automatic rocks back and forth compressing Moses’ chest.
Kim, Ali and Tara gather around Anya, trying to comfort the girl, as they all watch and pray.
Sasha stops compressions and whips her left arm out, snatching the first prepared syringe and plunging the needle into his chest. She shouts, “Clear.” Before sending another Jolt through her patient and starting the chest compressions once again.
Time seems to slow for a moment, she gazes upon the face of Moses, her friend. Lifeless but not without hope. She feels the hopes and prayers of Ali, Tara and Kim, spurring her on. But most of all she sees the pain and heartbreak in the eyes of Anya.
With every ounce of strength, she holds back her tears, knowing that failure is not an option, in this battle against death itself.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
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Dear @wolfman you are the Master of Drama - no doubt about that. To me reading this Chapter was like watching a Movie. Chapeau!
High praise indeed. Thank you for your very kind words. I am pleased it has been well recieved
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
Wow. Just.....wow.
Links to all of my stories can be found here in the Story Catalog: https://www.tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=6023
It's really great to hear from you. I am pleased that you enjoyed this latest chapter. I hope you are well.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
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slackywacky
- Millennial Club
- Posts: 2625
- Joined: 5 years ago
- Location: Canada
Unfortunately I am running behind on reading this story (been binge watching the Shetlands TV series). I should really read more, but it pulled me in... 2 more seasons to watch... aarrgghghhh.. I'll finish reading this story some day.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment.
Slackywacky, also @DeviantArt
My active stories:
Slackywacky, also @DeviantArt
My active stories:
- All in the family - Updated 24/04
- Bondage model by choice - Updated 10/04
- Hitchhiker - Updated 29/03
I understand the lure of Shetland, it is a great series. I am sorry I am posting too fast to keep pace, but it just keeps flowingslackywacky wrote: ↑2 months ago Unfortunately I am running behind on reading this story (been binge watching the Shetlands TV series). I should really read more, but it pulled me in... 2 more seasons to watch... aarrgghghhh.. I'll finish reading this story some day.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
@Bandit666 ,@Caesar73 @GreyLord @slackywacky
Dani hovers in place above the city, the lands of Haven spread beneath her. Shadows of the dead swirl around her, silently. She feels the souls of the dead, pass through her on their way to the Great Beyond.
She flexes her power and commands the remaining dead of the city to rise up from where they fell, to gather in the streets for collection.
“When I splintered myself, I split my power.” Dani thinks, sensing all the dead in the city and beyond.
Wait.
A moment of sharp focus, let’s her pluck a soul from the stream of those heading to the Great Beyond. “Oh no. Where did you come from?” She thinks, holding Moses on the periphery of the light.
At the speed of thought, she finds herself in the rubble. Hovering unseen within the veil between life and death, both alive and dead. She senses the force of grief in this place, before she looks into the eyes of Anya.
Dani watches Sasha, almost foaming at the mouth with effort, pumping Moses chest, unable to give up on him.
From within the veil, Dani holds up her hand and draws the entropy from his body and releases his soul from her grip. She watches calmly as the soul floats back into its body and lights it from within.
Her spectral fingers reach into his chest and wrap around his heart and squeeze gently.
Sasha sobs as she pumps his chest in the living world. Despite her enhanced physique, her muscles burn. “Don’t you fucking dare die on me.” She thinks, tossing back her sweat soaked hair.
She looks at Anya seeing the pleading in her eyes and begins to feel a pit in her stomach open up, “I have been doing this for five minutes a dedicated trauma team is eight minutes out.” She thinks, “I am such a fool, I should have called in for support instead a good man will die and a lovely girl will lose her father. Just because I am to arrogant to admit the chance of failure “
Anya watches through tears as Sasha pumps her fathers chest, “Please don’t let him die.” She whispers, weakly.
Sasha screams as Moses sits up and gasps for air. Anya and her sisters watch stunned as he lays back down and begins breathing. Sasha takes his wrist and nods, “He has a pulse, weak but stable. We have to move him. Tara get to the shuttle and prep for immediate dust off, Ali go with her and prep a couch for transport. Anya, Kim. Can you help me?”
Dani watches from within the veil, “I was never here. This is their win.” She smiles and with a thought is across the city, “Death is everywhere, so I can be everywhere. That is interesting.” She thinks, lighting a cigarette that doesn’t exist with a lighter that isn’t there.
The responders at the foot of the rubble sit in the waning light of the day and stare aghast at the first two girls to emerge from under the rubble, covered in blood, dust and gore, sprinting faster than humanly possible towards their shuttle.
They still stare as, Moses is carried out by Sasha supporting his shoulders and two identical girls holding his legs.
Within seconds of the shuttle doors closing, it is airborne and on its way, “Jesus, what did we just see?”
“No idea, but next time we are in a bar, the story will get us a free drink.” Elmer says, wearily. He checks his comms and claps his hands together, “But first we got another call. Elderly lady, trapped in her home, two blocks down.”
Sasha supervises Moses transfer to critical care and fills out the required reports. Then returns to the waiting area to see the girls passed out with exhaustion. “You all did so well, it was me that let you down today.” She thinks, speaking to an administrator.
A team of orderlies gather and help her to get them into a six bed room, down the corridor. One by one she helps them into bed, before she sits on one of the spare bed and softly begins to cry.
The room swirls around her and she finds herself on the roof of the building. She spins around confused, hands raised ready for attack.
“Steady on.” Dani says, softly. “Have been listening to comms and thought you might need a bit of air.”
“How the hell did we get up here?” Sasha asks, still confused.
“I can go anywhere there is death and it looks like I can pull others between life and death to come with me.” Dani says, lighting a cigarette and offering one to her sister.
Sasha takes it and lights it, “You are a bad influence.” She says taking a lungful of smoke.
“Rough day.” Dani says, most statement than question.
“Yeah.” Sasha says, staring out over the city and taking another drag. “I fucked up.”
Dani pulls out a hip flask and offers it to Sasha. “No you didn’t.”
Sasha gulps a mouthful of scotch from the flask and coughs, before speaking, “I chose to send for the girls to help me remove his leg. We were there for six hours and I could have called for a replacement team at any time. I put those girls through hell today and I nearly lost Moses.”
Dani sends a plume of smoke skyward and then looks into her sisters eyes, “Why do we do this? Whatever happens, whether it is you, me or Niki, we say to ourselves, we are terrible for the choices we made.” Dani says, shaking her head, “Why do we never just own it and go, you know what, I did that and this happened.”
Sasha thinks for a moment and suppresses a laugh, “That is a good one from you.”
“I am having a change in perspective on a lot of things right now. Arno put me through hell and made me murder so many people. I didn’t give him the power to do that, he took away my power to say no. Now to coin a phrase, he is dead and I am alive, so fuck him.”
“We do wallow a lot to be fair.” Sasha says taking another pull from the flask, “Shit that is strong stuff.”
“Some of the local brew, not bad once you get used to it.” Dani says taking a drink, “You know what? You could have done things differently, but you didn’t. There are few surgeons that can match you for skill. Any other surgeon may have been able to amputate Moses leg, but not as quickly or as well as you did. Yeah, you could have called in another team to support, but they wouldn’t have been available to help anyone else. More to the point, you have shown the girls the sharp end of the life we live.”
Sasha flicks the ash from her smoke and nods as her sister speaks, then takes a pull on the cigarette and exhales, as she speaks, “I won’t lie. You have a point. Maybe this is what they needed to see, to understand the reality of what we do.”
“There you go.” Dani says with a wink, “Now stop buggering about, are you OK?”
Sasha puffs out her cheeks and exhales slowly, “Yeah, all things considered. I am going to have tomorrow based here to supervise Moses treatment and give the girls a break. Angela is good with it.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Dani says, taking a slug from the flask, “You did the right thing, babe. It might not feel like it, but you did. When the chips are down, you make the right call. That’s what you do. It’s what you have always done.”
“Even when I left you tied to a tree, in the freezing cold and you were nearly eaten by a wild boar in France?” Sasha asks, with a smile.
“Anyone can have an off day. You still owe me a car by the way.” Dani says with a shrug.
“I owe you a lot more besides.” Sasha says, as she stubs out her cigarette. “I could do this all night but I think I should get back to the girls.”
“Would you mind if I joined you guys tonight?” Dani asks, sending a last plume of smoke into the air, “I spend my days with the dead, would be nice to have some living company for a little bit.”
“You are always welcome. There is always a place for you with us. I am sorry if you have ever had reason to doubt that.” Sasha says, with a smile.
Alex smiles and nods at the clerics as he passes them. He glances into the side ward, seeing his daughter and her sister asleep and Sasha and Dani bedding down for the night. “Will have a catch up in the morning.” He thinks to himself, approaching the door he is dreading opening.
Groggily, Moses looks up as the door opens a crack. Seeing a familiar face he beckons them in, “Hey man, how was your day?”
Alex shakes his head, “I thought you were having a quiet day. Instead you end up legless.”
“Here we go.” Moses wheezes a chuckle.
“I don’t want you to worry, I’ve cancelled your entry to the ass kicking contest.” Alex says taking off his jacket and sitting in the seat next to the bed.
Moses chuckles, “Even with one leg, I would still beat you, brother.”
Alex snorts a laugh, “Yeah that is probably true. Oh by the way, I have an eyepatch and a hook for you and a parrot will be here Friday, so you can go full pirate.”
Moses wheezes, as he laughs, “Enough man, I will burst my stitches.”
“Sorry fella. All joking aside, how are you doing?” Alex asks, seriously.
Moses allows the laughter to subside before he admits, “I came close to punching out. I thought I was done for.”
“I’m glad you made it, mate.” Alex says, “All joking aside, man. It is good to have you still with us.”
“When I was in the darkness, all I could think when I was pinned down was that Anya would be alone.” Moses confesses, “And when I thought I was going to die without seeing her again, it damn near broke me in half.”
“I can appreciate that, at least if anything happens to me, Ali still has Rachel and Dean.” Alex admits, “We will always be there for you and Anya mate. So will Sasha, Kim and Tara.”
“Thanks brother, we are a weird family, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Moses says, trying to prop himself up on the pillows.
Alex gets up from the chair and adjusts the pillows, helping Moses to get comfortable. “What about if you meet someone else?”
Moses shoulders sag, “Not going to happen for a while, still too raw.”
“Never say never. When we are out of here, get your dancing shoes on. Well shoe. We will take you out, Rachel has a few teachers she works with.”
“Nice try, but I am going to pass. I need to focus on Anya.” Moses says, with a grin, “Dancing shoes. Well shoe? Nice one. I am on about a million pills and a course of PCS. They reckon that I will grow the leg back in a couple of months or so.”
Alex shakes his head in disbelief, “This is such a mad place. You are getting your leg regrown, I am working with mages to maintain a wall of ice while they turn a reservoir to cloud and make it rain over the sea, whilst wearing a suit that can stop a rifle round and fly over a battlefield.”
“You aren’t wrong. It gets more unreal every day.” Moses says with a weary nod, “Anya told me that Phobos has given her and her sister applications to college in Atlantis.”
“Ali told me the same thing. We have told her, that whatever she decides, we are behind her.” Alex confesses.
“Is it wrong that I have told Anya to go for it, to keep her out of the field?” Moses asks, sheepishly.
“After today. I think we might push Ali the same way, to keep her safe and you can be damn sure Sasha will be speaking to Kim and Tara.” Alex admits.
Anya wakes feeling exhausted. Silently, she looks around the room to realise that everyone else is asleep.
She lays back, closing her eyes but all she can see is Sasha performing chest compressions on her father. “Screw this.” She thinks pulling the covers off of herself.
She looks down at her blood stained clothes and quietly strips, placing each item in the rooms bin. A moment later she is dressed in t-shirt and jeans, with a pair of black sneakers.
Anya creeps towards the door and opens it quietly. Due to the hour, the lights in the corridor are low and most activity sounds distant. She slips out with her Unseen training, passing those she encounters like the forgotten wisp of a memory.
It takes her a moment to find the duty station and peer over the sisters shoulder to find her father’s room and she is on the move again.
Skir knows he is screwed. When they pulled him from the buried wreck of his car, the responders discovered, about two kilos of cocaine, divided into baggies for sale.
Now he sees the silhouettes of officers through the frosted glass of his hospital room. He get out of bed as quickly as his ribs will allow and pulls the scalpel that he managed to conceal later.
The door opens and Skir lunges, grabbing the female HSG officer and pulling her to him, with the blade pressed to her throat. “Don’t mess with me. She is local law, so don’t have the armour of Atlantis. I will cut her head off, before you can clear that weapon, now back off.”
The other officer slowly backs away and raises his hands. “Easy Skir, be smart. You will never get out of here and if you do, you won’t last long on the streets.”
Skir nudges the female officer forward and presses the blade harder, “If I don’t get out of here, neither does she.” He snarls.
He doesn’t see the hand that grabs his wrist and wrenches it away from his hostages throat, but he feels a hand at the base of his neck.
The other officer sees Skir slam face first into the wall with a crunch and spray of blood from his nose and pounces on him, efficiently securing his arms behind his back.
Anya barely breaks her stride with the hostage taker and no one is any the wiser of her passing. “Seemed like the right thing to do.” She thinks, continuing on her way, before coming to a halt before a light coloured door. The chalkboard by the door, marked “Black”.
She listens at the door for a moment, before entering. She gasps softly seeing her father laying still on his back with his eyes closed.
Her lip quivers for a moment, before she sees the gently rise and fallow his chest. She wipes a tear from her left eye and cautiously approaches the bed, taking a seat at her fathers side and wrapping her hand in his.
The sound of Moses soft snoring acts like a lullaby on the young woman and she lays her head down on the side of her fathers bed looking up at him until sleep closes her eyes and she feels at peace.
Nikita flops into a sumptuous armchair in the apartment she shares in the Haven Palace with Halpron and takes a moment to enjoy the stillness of the room.
Halpron emerges from the bedroom seeing his bride to be and gives a concerned look, “Today has hit her hard. She needs time.” He thinks, returning to the bedroom to pour her a glass of wine.
He quietly stalks across the room and places it on the table before her, then heads to the bathroom to run a hot bath for her.
He doesn’t hear her approach until she places her wine glass on a shelf over the bath, “You are too good to me.” She says softly kissing the side of his neck.
“You deserve it, my love.” He says softly. He turns to face her and smiles gently, “I know you have had a rough day with Moses. I wanted to help you take your mind off of things.”
“What did you have in mind?” Nikita asks, innocently.
Halpron places his hands on her shoulders and pulls her close, softly kissing her lips before turning her around and softly kissing her neck. His strong arms reach around her and with delicate precision, he plucks the buttons of her shirt undone. She allows the shirt to fall to the ground feeling her hands on her hips, slowly sliding her trousers down, while his lips trace a line of kisses down her spine.
With a small flourish her bra disappears, quickly followed by her underwear. She reaches behind her to stroke his manhood through his trousers. He catches her hand and pulls her close to him, whispering in her ear. “Tonight is about you. Don’t worry about me.”
He effortlessly lifts her off of her feet and lays her in the bath. She reclines in the bath enjoying the soft kiss of the water on her skin. Halpron clicks a button and the water jets begin to pulse.
She shifts her body subtly, so that a powerful water jets blasts into the small of her back. She purrs allowing the water to do its work and rests her head on the side of the bath.
Halpron slips a hand in the water and his fingers tease the lips of her labia, before he gently rolls her clitoris. Nikita moans softly and bites her lip.
She cannot resist the wave of pleasure inside her, instead she wills its arrival to wash away the cares of the day and leave her mind clear once again.
He leans over the bath and softly kisses her lips, before whispering, “I love you.”
Pleasure explodes within her and she bucks and writhes under his touch, feeling wave after wave of bliss pass through her body.
He slows his motions, matching her come down until she lays still. He moves his hands slowly, radiating out from her womanhood, stroking her skin and showing tenderness to every inch of her body.
Gently, he lifts her from the bath and wraps her in a towel. He cradles her in his lap and softly rubs the towel against her skin, to gently dry her, before kissing stray droplets of water away.
Nikita sinks into his arms and purrs, “Why are you so good to me?”
Halpron wraps her in his massive arms and holds her tight, “You stand at my shoulder and watch over Atlantis and its allies. So it is for me to stand at yours and care for you and watch over you, for you are queen of my heart.”
Nikita smiles and blushes, “Even now after all we have faced, you make me feel like a little girl, in a world of wonder “
“In your arms, I feel like a King, moreso than when I wear a crown.” He confesses, effortlessly lifting her body and carrying her to the bed.
Dani hovers in place above the city, the lands of Haven spread beneath her. Shadows of the dead swirl around her, silently. She feels the souls of the dead, pass through her on their way to the Great Beyond.
She flexes her power and commands the remaining dead of the city to rise up from where they fell, to gather in the streets for collection.
“When I splintered myself, I split my power.” Dani thinks, sensing all the dead in the city and beyond.
Wait.
A moment of sharp focus, let’s her pluck a soul from the stream of those heading to the Great Beyond. “Oh no. Where did you come from?” She thinks, holding Moses on the periphery of the light.
At the speed of thought, she finds herself in the rubble. Hovering unseen within the veil between life and death, both alive and dead. She senses the force of grief in this place, before she looks into the eyes of Anya.
Dani watches Sasha, almost foaming at the mouth with effort, pumping Moses chest, unable to give up on him.
From within the veil, Dani holds up her hand and draws the entropy from his body and releases his soul from her grip. She watches calmly as the soul floats back into its body and lights it from within.
Her spectral fingers reach into his chest and wrap around his heart and squeeze gently.
Sasha sobs as she pumps his chest in the living world. Despite her enhanced physique, her muscles burn. “Don’t you fucking dare die on me.” She thinks, tossing back her sweat soaked hair.
She looks at Anya seeing the pleading in her eyes and begins to feel a pit in her stomach open up, “I have been doing this for five minutes a dedicated trauma team is eight minutes out.” She thinks, “I am such a fool, I should have called in for support instead a good man will die and a lovely girl will lose her father. Just because I am to arrogant to admit the chance of failure “
Anya watches through tears as Sasha pumps her fathers chest, “Please don’t let him die.” She whispers, weakly.
Sasha screams as Moses sits up and gasps for air. Anya and her sisters watch stunned as he lays back down and begins breathing. Sasha takes his wrist and nods, “He has a pulse, weak but stable. We have to move him. Tara get to the shuttle and prep for immediate dust off, Ali go with her and prep a couch for transport. Anya, Kim. Can you help me?”
Dani watches from within the veil, “I was never here. This is their win.” She smiles and with a thought is across the city, “Death is everywhere, so I can be everywhere. That is interesting.” She thinks, lighting a cigarette that doesn’t exist with a lighter that isn’t there.
The responders at the foot of the rubble sit in the waning light of the day and stare aghast at the first two girls to emerge from under the rubble, covered in blood, dust and gore, sprinting faster than humanly possible towards their shuttle.
They still stare as, Moses is carried out by Sasha supporting his shoulders and two identical girls holding his legs.
Within seconds of the shuttle doors closing, it is airborne and on its way, “Jesus, what did we just see?”
“No idea, but next time we are in a bar, the story will get us a free drink.” Elmer says, wearily. He checks his comms and claps his hands together, “But first we got another call. Elderly lady, trapped in her home, two blocks down.”
Sasha supervises Moses transfer to critical care and fills out the required reports. Then returns to the waiting area to see the girls passed out with exhaustion. “You all did so well, it was me that let you down today.” She thinks, speaking to an administrator.
A team of orderlies gather and help her to get them into a six bed room, down the corridor. One by one she helps them into bed, before she sits on one of the spare bed and softly begins to cry.
The room swirls around her and she finds herself on the roof of the building. She spins around confused, hands raised ready for attack.
“Steady on.” Dani says, softly. “Have been listening to comms and thought you might need a bit of air.”
“How the hell did we get up here?” Sasha asks, still confused.
“I can go anywhere there is death and it looks like I can pull others between life and death to come with me.” Dani says, lighting a cigarette and offering one to her sister.
Sasha takes it and lights it, “You are a bad influence.” She says taking a lungful of smoke.
“Rough day.” Dani says, most statement than question.
“Yeah.” Sasha says, staring out over the city and taking another drag. “I fucked up.”
Dani pulls out a hip flask and offers it to Sasha. “No you didn’t.”
Sasha gulps a mouthful of scotch from the flask and coughs, before speaking, “I chose to send for the girls to help me remove his leg. We were there for six hours and I could have called for a replacement team at any time. I put those girls through hell today and I nearly lost Moses.”
Dani sends a plume of smoke skyward and then looks into her sisters eyes, “Why do we do this? Whatever happens, whether it is you, me or Niki, we say to ourselves, we are terrible for the choices we made.” Dani says, shaking her head, “Why do we never just own it and go, you know what, I did that and this happened.”
Sasha thinks for a moment and suppresses a laugh, “That is a good one from you.”
“I am having a change in perspective on a lot of things right now. Arno put me through hell and made me murder so many people. I didn’t give him the power to do that, he took away my power to say no. Now to coin a phrase, he is dead and I am alive, so fuck him.”
“We do wallow a lot to be fair.” Sasha says taking another pull from the flask, “Shit that is strong stuff.”
“Some of the local brew, not bad once you get used to it.” Dani says taking a drink, “You know what? You could have done things differently, but you didn’t. There are few surgeons that can match you for skill. Any other surgeon may have been able to amputate Moses leg, but not as quickly or as well as you did. Yeah, you could have called in another team to support, but they wouldn’t have been available to help anyone else. More to the point, you have shown the girls the sharp end of the life we live.”
Sasha flicks the ash from her smoke and nods as her sister speaks, then takes a pull on the cigarette and exhales, as she speaks, “I won’t lie. You have a point. Maybe this is what they needed to see, to understand the reality of what we do.”
“There you go.” Dani says with a wink, “Now stop buggering about, are you OK?”
Sasha puffs out her cheeks and exhales slowly, “Yeah, all things considered. I am going to have tomorrow based here to supervise Moses treatment and give the girls a break. Angela is good with it.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Dani says, taking a slug from the flask, “You did the right thing, babe. It might not feel like it, but you did. When the chips are down, you make the right call. That’s what you do. It’s what you have always done.”
“Even when I left you tied to a tree, in the freezing cold and you were nearly eaten by a wild boar in France?” Sasha asks, with a smile.
“Anyone can have an off day. You still owe me a car by the way.” Dani says with a shrug.
“I owe you a lot more besides.” Sasha says, as she stubs out her cigarette. “I could do this all night but I think I should get back to the girls.”
“Would you mind if I joined you guys tonight?” Dani asks, sending a last plume of smoke into the air, “I spend my days with the dead, would be nice to have some living company for a little bit.”
“You are always welcome. There is always a place for you with us. I am sorry if you have ever had reason to doubt that.” Sasha says, with a smile.
Alex smiles and nods at the clerics as he passes them. He glances into the side ward, seeing his daughter and her sister asleep and Sasha and Dani bedding down for the night. “Will have a catch up in the morning.” He thinks to himself, approaching the door he is dreading opening.
Groggily, Moses looks up as the door opens a crack. Seeing a familiar face he beckons them in, “Hey man, how was your day?”
Alex shakes his head, “I thought you were having a quiet day. Instead you end up legless.”
“Here we go.” Moses wheezes a chuckle.
“I don’t want you to worry, I’ve cancelled your entry to the ass kicking contest.” Alex says taking off his jacket and sitting in the seat next to the bed.
Moses chuckles, “Even with one leg, I would still beat you, brother.”
Alex snorts a laugh, “Yeah that is probably true. Oh by the way, I have an eyepatch and a hook for you and a parrot will be here Friday, so you can go full pirate.”
Moses wheezes, as he laughs, “Enough man, I will burst my stitches.”
“Sorry fella. All joking aside, how are you doing?” Alex asks, seriously.
Moses allows the laughter to subside before he admits, “I came close to punching out. I thought I was done for.”
“I’m glad you made it, mate.” Alex says, “All joking aside, man. It is good to have you still with us.”
“When I was in the darkness, all I could think when I was pinned down was that Anya would be alone.” Moses confesses, “And when I thought I was going to die without seeing her again, it damn near broke me in half.”
“I can appreciate that, at least if anything happens to me, Ali still has Rachel and Dean.” Alex admits, “We will always be there for you and Anya mate. So will Sasha, Kim and Tara.”
“Thanks brother, we are a weird family, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Moses says, trying to prop himself up on the pillows.
Alex gets up from the chair and adjusts the pillows, helping Moses to get comfortable. “What about if you meet someone else?”
Moses shoulders sag, “Not going to happen for a while, still too raw.”
“Never say never. When we are out of here, get your dancing shoes on. Well shoe. We will take you out, Rachel has a few teachers she works with.”
“Nice try, but I am going to pass. I need to focus on Anya.” Moses says, with a grin, “Dancing shoes. Well shoe? Nice one. I am on about a million pills and a course of PCS. They reckon that I will grow the leg back in a couple of months or so.”
Alex shakes his head in disbelief, “This is such a mad place. You are getting your leg regrown, I am working with mages to maintain a wall of ice while they turn a reservoir to cloud and make it rain over the sea, whilst wearing a suit that can stop a rifle round and fly over a battlefield.”
“You aren’t wrong. It gets more unreal every day.” Moses says with a weary nod, “Anya told me that Phobos has given her and her sister applications to college in Atlantis.”
“Ali told me the same thing. We have told her, that whatever she decides, we are behind her.” Alex confesses.
“Is it wrong that I have told Anya to go for it, to keep her out of the field?” Moses asks, sheepishly.
“After today. I think we might push Ali the same way, to keep her safe and you can be damn sure Sasha will be speaking to Kim and Tara.” Alex admits.
Anya wakes feeling exhausted. Silently, she looks around the room to realise that everyone else is asleep.
She lays back, closing her eyes but all she can see is Sasha performing chest compressions on her father. “Screw this.” She thinks pulling the covers off of herself.
She looks down at her blood stained clothes and quietly strips, placing each item in the rooms bin. A moment later she is dressed in t-shirt and jeans, with a pair of black sneakers.
Anya creeps towards the door and opens it quietly. Due to the hour, the lights in the corridor are low and most activity sounds distant. She slips out with her Unseen training, passing those she encounters like the forgotten wisp of a memory.
It takes her a moment to find the duty station and peer over the sisters shoulder to find her father’s room and she is on the move again.
Skir knows he is screwed. When they pulled him from the buried wreck of his car, the responders discovered, about two kilos of cocaine, divided into baggies for sale.
Now he sees the silhouettes of officers through the frosted glass of his hospital room. He get out of bed as quickly as his ribs will allow and pulls the scalpel that he managed to conceal later.
The door opens and Skir lunges, grabbing the female HSG officer and pulling her to him, with the blade pressed to her throat. “Don’t mess with me. She is local law, so don’t have the armour of Atlantis. I will cut her head off, before you can clear that weapon, now back off.”
The other officer slowly backs away and raises his hands. “Easy Skir, be smart. You will never get out of here and if you do, you won’t last long on the streets.”
Skir nudges the female officer forward and presses the blade harder, “If I don’t get out of here, neither does she.” He snarls.
He doesn’t see the hand that grabs his wrist and wrenches it away from his hostages throat, but he feels a hand at the base of his neck.
The other officer sees Skir slam face first into the wall with a crunch and spray of blood from his nose and pounces on him, efficiently securing his arms behind his back.
Anya barely breaks her stride with the hostage taker and no one is any the wiser of her passing. “Seemed like the right thing to do.” She thinks, continuing on her way, before coming to a halt before a light coloured door. The chalkboard by the door, marked “Black”.
She listens at the door for a moment, before entering. She gasps softly seeing her father laying still on his back with his eyes closed.
Her lip quivers for a moment, before she sees the gently rise and fallow his chest. She wipes a tear from her left eye and cautiously approaches the bed, taking a seat at her fathers side and wrapping her hand in his.
The sound of Moses soft snoring acts like a lullaby on the young woman and she lays her head down on the side of her fathers bed looking up at him until sleep closes her eyes and she feels at peace.
Nikita flops into a sumptuous armchair in the apartment she shares in the Haven Palace with Halpron and takes a moment to enjoy the stillness of the room.
Halpron emerges from the bedroom seeing his bride to be and gives a concerned look, “Today has hit her hard. She needs time.” He thinks, returning to the bedroom to pour her a glass of wine.
He quietly stalks across the room and places it on the table before her, then heads to the bathroom to run a hot bath for her.
He doesn’t hear her approach until she places her wine glass on a shelf over the bath, “You are too good to me.” She says softly kissing the side of his neck.
“You deserve it, my love.” He says softly. He turns to face her and smiles gently, “I know you have had a rough day with Moses. I wanted to help you take your mind off of things.”
“What did you have in mind?” Nikita asks, innocently.
Halpron places his hands on her shoulders and pulls her close, softly kissing her lips before turning her around and softly kissing her neck. His strong arms reach around her and with delicate precision, he plucks the buttons of her shirt undone. She allows the shirt to fall to the ground feeling her hands on her hips, slowly sliding her trousers down, while his lips trace a line of kisses down her spine.
With a small flourish her bra disappears, quickly followed by her underwear. She reaches behind her to stroke his manhood through his trousers. He catches her hand and pulls her close to him, whispering in her ear. “Tonight is about you. Don’t worry about me.”
He effortlessly lifts her off of her feet and lays her in the bath. She reclines in the bath enjoying the soft kiss of the water on her skin. Halpron clicks a button and the water jets begin to pulse.
She shifts her body subtly, so that a powerful water jets blasts into the small of her back. She purrs allowing the water to do its work and rests her head on the side of the bath.
Halpron slips a hand in the water and his fingers tease the lips of her labia, before he gently rolls her clitoris. Nikita moans softly and bites her lip.
She cannot resist the wave of pleasure inside her, instead she wills its arrival to wash away the cares of the day and leave her mind clear once again.
He leans over the bath and softly kisses her lips, before whispering, “I love you.”
Pleasure explodes within her and she bucks and writhes under his touch, feeling wave after wave of bliss pass through her body.
He slows his motions, matching her come down until she lays still. He moves his hands slowly, radiating out from her womanhood, stroking her skin and showing tenderness to every inch of her body.
Gently, he lifts her from the bath and wraps her in a towel. He cradles her in his lap and softly rubs the towel against her skin, to gently dry her, before kissing stray droplets of water away.
Nikita sinks into his arms and purrs, “Why are you so good to me?”
Halpron wraps her in his massive arms and holds her tight, “You stand at my shoulder and watch over Atlantis and its allies. So it is for me to stand at yours and care for you and watch over you, for you are queen of my heart.”
Nikita smiles and blushes, “Even now after all we have faced, you make me feel like a little girl, in a world of wonder “
“In your arms, I feel like a King, moreso than when I wear a crown.” He confesses, effortlessly lifting her body and carrying her to the bed.
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
I always find it almost impossible to single out what makes one of your Chapters as wonderful as they are - all piece fit together, there is a natural flow in your storytelling always.
There are three Moments, which I like to mention when I look at this Chapter: It is the beginning, when Dani rescues Moses, the End, when Nikita and Halpron share an intimate Moment, and there is that moment Dani and Sasha share. Sasha chiding Dani playfully.
There are three Moments, which I like to mention when I look at this Chapter: It is the beginning, when Dani rescues Moses, the End, when Nikita and Halpron share an intimate Moment, and there is that moment Dani and Sasha share. Sasha chiding Dani playfully.