|
"You should have noticed that there're a few more empty seats. Eight more of your brethren were dismissed this morning. The fact that you have made is this far is already worth giving yourself a pat on the back. But don't be too happy yet, the simulated crime exercise is coming up and you'll find that your instructors can be as devious as real criminals. For today, go and enjoy yourselves, relax and go boozing tonight — you deserve it after going through the past few weeks." The Director smiled then, something that had never happened in fifteen weeks of training. The cadets were astounded. A few jaws dropped open and all were staring at the Director unashamedly. The Director looked distinctly uncomfortable at their obvious amusement and gave them a sharp look. "Class dismissed."
"Alex, we're going to the Blue Lagoon for drinks. Coming?" Leander yelled from the foyer. "Yeah Alex! The Director gave us permission to go out tonight! It'll be fun, just a couple of us getting each other drunk," Pierce Bickerstaff added. "I…" she started to reply. "Forget it guys, you all should know by now that Alex isn't the kind to go boozing. He must keep in the Director's good books, what with his son being Alex's mentor and such." Brent cut in mockingly. Nykki glared at Brent, silver eyes against green. Finally, Brent backed down and looked away. "Come on guys," he said loudly, trying to cover up his defeat. "We're wasting valuable time talking." The rest of the group looked at Nykki, Ellie DeWitt was looking at her calculatingly. Between Brent and Ellie, I think I'll be too busy looking after my back to enjoy myself, she thought laughingly. "Forget it guys, go without me. I need to catch up with my beauty sleep. I'm sure your day wouldn't be complete without my presence, but as the French would say, tant pis! Enjoy yourselves, I will take my leave now." She bowed deeply, spreading her free arm with great flourish. They burst out laughing at her comic act. "See you later then." They waved good-bye. Nykki turned and headed for her room, the humor wiped off her face and her emotions boiling within her. The bastard, she thought furiously, who does he think he is? Brent Shepherd is nothing but a good-for-nothing son of a bitch! She snorted derisively and went on her way.
"What are you doing here? It seems as though everyone else has gone out." Christopher found Nykki sitting at her desk and reading. Nykki was startled by the sound of his voice. "I might ask the same of you. Don't you ever knock?" The letter was clutched in her left hand, she hoped he would not notice it. "Not when it's your room and when the door is open." She noticed that he walked rather unsteadily. "Great, Wilder, what in the world do you want? I'm trying to get some work done here." "Don't you ever lighten up Nykki? Lessons are over, it's time to relax for a while. Enjoy yourself." He strode towards her. Nykki hurriedly crumpled the letter and dropped it into the dustbin next to her and prayed fervently for Christopher to disappear. He stopped next to her and looked down at the desk. "'Rules and procedures for Federal Agents', J. Simon, 1990 edition? Isn't it a bit dull?" Nykki smelt the alcohol in his breath and wrinkled her nose. "Have you been drinking? You smell like the floor of a bar after an all-night brawl." "Drinking, of course I've been drinking. I've been drinking since I met you. Do you know how infuriating you are?" His words were slurred. "Chris, I think you're drunk. Now, go back to your room and, like the good boy you should be, take a hot shower and go to bed." "Will you come and take a bath with me?" His voice was decidedly hopeful. "I could show you what I can do." "No, I will not. Now, hurry back to your room." "Aw, you're mean Nykki." Christopher sounded like an unrepentant ten-year-old boy being punished by his teacher. "Come on, how about a good-night kiss? I promise to go back and follow all your instructions after my good-night kiss." Nykki glared at him. "I am not going to…" Christopher started to settle himself comfortably on the floor, as though he was going to spend the night in her room. "All right, all right, if it will make you happy, promise you'll go back immediately after?" "I promise, Scout's honor." He puckered his lips childishly. Nykki got up and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek. "No fair," Christopher complained, "That wasn't a genuine good-night kiss. It should be on the lips." "Well, you didn't say where you wanted it." Nykki replied with a wide grin. "Humph, then I won't go back." Christopher started to sulk. He looked hilarious sitting cross-legged on the carpet and sulking like a child denied his favorite toy. Nykki relented. "Fine, fine, have it your way. Tell me what you want me to do." "Well, first, sit here," Chris patted the ground next to him. "You put your arms around me and press your lips on mine. I do the rest." Christopher looked innocently at her. She got up and sat down next to him. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm being conned?" she asked him, cocking an eyebrow. Christopher just shook his head and motioned impatiently for her to get moving. Nykki hesitantly put her arms around his neck, and placed her mouth on his. Her lips remained still. Christopher played his own lips against hers and they became soft and sweet. He tried to be gentle, though the taste of her leaped through him like an aphrodisiac. He saw her eyes drift shut, and felt her response — the subtle movements of her body against the length of his, the clutching of her hands against his shoulders. He held her close, drowning in the pleasure of pleasuring her. He longed to explore her mouth, but he knew he'd have a fight there. She whimpered and tensed, maybe she realised that something wasn't right. He allowed the feel of her to wrap around him, to weave into him. He knew with every nerve in his body, with the depths of his soul that he could make beautiful love to this woman. It was in the shape of her body against his, the taste of her on his lips. It was in the faint aroma from her body, an aroma more potent than the finest French perfume. He thought he could detect the slight swell of her bound breasts against his chest as she breathed. Her thigh had come to rest against his, a source of delightful torture. Driven by need, he slid a hand up her head to feel the silky smoothness of her hair. His lips pressed deeper into hers, gently molding them to fit his. Time ticked by. It seemed like eons later when she finally broke the kiss. Reluctantly, very reluctantly, he let her go, and schooled his face into drunkenness. She scrambled to her feet rather dazedly, and gave him a look of suspicion. He looked back at her with childish happiness. "Come on, Christopher," her voice was shaky. "It's time for you to go now." He let her lead him to the door, shove him out of her domain, and close it behind him. Christopher stood by the door. The happiness he felt was not feigned, and he felt better than he had in days. Two can play at wearing masks, he thought to himself as he walked back to his room to wash the smell of the scotch he had gargled from his mouth.
Nykki remained where she was after closing the door, her head pressed against the dark wood. Turning, she looked at the spot where the two of them had been fondling each other just moments before. She had serious doubts about Chris being drunk… but tonight was not the night to ponder about it. She would pound him into the ground tomorrow, when she saw him. She hurried back to her desk and fished the letter out of the bin. She quickly smoothed it out and stared at the words written on it.
It was simply signed "Dad". Nykki looked at the beloved curving hand-writing on the plain white paper. My father. He's really here, she thought to herself. She had found the note tucked under the door that morning. Tonight. She glanced at the clock on the desk, it was already six-thirty. Nykki took one last look at the letter clutched in her hand, and took a deep breath to try to calm the butterflies in her stomach. Grabbing the black audio tape and stuffing a Lugar 7.65 that was hidden in her desk drawer into the back of her jeans and pulling down her bulky sweatshirt, she quickly grabbed her jacket and hurried out to meet O'Malley.
The train station was quiet. They were half an hour early. There were only a few people sitting on the benches waiting for the arrival of the interstate service. No one looked up when Nykki and O'Malley entered the station. O'Malley headed straight for the check-in counter, and returned with a one-way ticket to Boston in his hand. "Nykki, take this." He shoved the train ticket into her hands. "What's this for? Are you planning to send me off without even seeing my father? Without even helping Nicholas?" she asked furiously. "It's for your own good, Nykki ..." O'Malley was interrupted by Nykki's snort of contempt. "For my own good? How many times have I heard that? What crap. I'm not a ten year-old child whom you can just easily bundle up and get rid of. I'm an adult now, and I deserve to be treated like one. I am not leaving without my twin!" "Nykki, listen to me. You have to get away. If Mason gets here on time, he'll see you off. If not, he and Nick will meet you in Boston. From there, you can all start a new life. No one will bother you again. It's too dangerous." O'Malley pleaded. "I'm sick and tired of living like a fugitive! I didn't do anything wrong, we didn't do anything wrong, why do we have to run?" her voice shook with suppressed anger. "It's always 'It's for your own good Nykki' or 'It's too dangerous'," she mimicked harshly, "I want to do something about this for once, not run and hide like a coward." "You're not a coward. But you have to realize that presently, hiding is the best for you. The Met thinks Mason is a murder suspect. I know he was framed but there's nothing we can do about it. Someone must have told them that he was in Washington, they've tried to arrest him once already. What you must do now is to give the audio tape to Mason, and he'll bring it together with the video recording to Jerry Dunphy at the CNN office. That way, we can clear your father's charges, and also bring the real criminal to justice at the same time. After that, you can come back here." "But…" She did not doubt the wisdom of his words, but the stubborn desire to see justice finally done and common sense warred within her. "I guess you're right," she conceded finally, "but, I hate being a bystander. The bastard has wrecked my life, I want him to pay." O'Malley was too surprised by the fact that Nykki knew who was the actual criminal behind the whole matter that he could only stare at her. "What do you mean by 'him'?" he asked cautiously. "Vernon Trent uses the same words in every speech he gives — 'And you can take that to the bank'. I am not going to let him get away with kidnapping — and you can take that to the bank!" "But…" "But nothing. You were the one who had me enrolled in the academy, so now, these are the consequences. You are not going to put me off again." "I knew I shouldn't have given you the tape ... even Mason warned me about it. He said that you would definitely figure out who it was as soon as you heard it. Where's the tape now?" "In my pocket. What…" Nykki was interrupted by three approaching men who could only be described as hooligans. "Uncle Mal…" He glanced at the three men, and Nykki heard his sharp intake of breath. "Keep quiet Nykki, and keep the tape properly." O'Malley hissed. The three men were now less than ten feet away. "Nykki, listen to me. When I say run, run as fast as you can. Got it?" She nodded dumbly. "O'Mally, what a surprise," the hooligans were standing in front of them, three of them effectively blocking the other people from seeing what was going on within the knot of people. "I never expected to see you again Kats, are you still making your living as a police informer?" O'Malley asked, seemingly unconcerned. Kats bared his teeth and his friends moved even closer. "I've got loftier goals now." He answered arrogantly, a man sure of his position in society. "Answer me. What are you doing here?" "I'm just bringing my son here to visit my mother in Boston. My mother's sick." O'Malley replied guardedly. "Your son?" Kats said disbelievingly. "He doesn't look like you, does he, Ontario?" Kats spoke to the man standing on his left. Ontario sneered. "Yeah, if I didn't know better, I'd say that's one of Mason Storm's bastards." Nykki bristled at the word, but O'Malley hurriedly grabbed her hand as she reached for her hidden gun. "Where's the tape O'Malley? We want it. Now." Kats' tone turned menacing. The third unnamed man suddenly struck out and grabbed her, wrenching her arm sharply behind her back. No one expected what would occur next. A gun suddenly appeared in O'Malley's hands and he pointed it at Nykki's captor. "Let the kid go," he commanded evenly. Her arms were freed and she sidled up against O'Malley. He whispered to her. "Remember, when I say run, run for your life. No matter what happens, don't come back, don't even look back. Understand?" Nykki nodded slightly. With the gun still pointed at Kats and his men, the two of them edged towards the exit. Nykki pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold night air. Time seemed to be frozen. Just as her feet hit the pavement outside, O'Malley's shout rang out in the night. "Run Nykki!" Shots exploded in the night. Nykki suppressed the fear that shot through her when the shots started. It reminded her too much of a night years ago. She hesitated a moment before running.
O'Malley heard her steps fading and gave a sigh of relief. Then, he concentrated on the three. They had drawn firearms themselves and were slowly making their way toward him, cautious of the stray shots of his gun. O'Malley ducked behind a car and quickly reloaded his gun. His only thought was to stall the three long enough to let Nykki get away. The gun reloaded, he jumped up from his position and started firing. One man fell. Suddenly, a searing pain tore through his shoulder and another through his chest. Just before darkness claimed him, he managed to let loose another barrage of shots. As he lost consciousness and collapsed onto the cold ground, he was mumbling, "Run Nykki, keep running…"
A clock in the distance struck eight. Nykki heard O'Malley's cry and halted in the middle of the street. She spun around and saw O'Malley falling onto the ground. "No!" Two men turned and looked in her direction, and running towards her. She stopped herself from running back to O'Malley and headed to an alley nearby that would lead to Washington's Chinatown. She hoped that she would be able to lose the two pursuers in the Saturday crowd there. She didn't see the third person joining the chase.
|