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Christopher looked worriedly at his watch. The sulfur dots showed that it was already half-past eight, and yet the twins were still not back from their hiking foray. Richard O'Malley paced uncomfortably and Eric Larssard was seated in a wicker chair biting his pen. "Where in the hell are they?" Chris burst out angrily. He was worried about the twins, and especially Alexander. Despite the differences between himself and Alex, he cared for the boy, and inexplicably, felt the need to protect him. Alex was so unpredictable, anything could happen. "They should have been back hours ago!" Anxiety knotted his stomach as his brain played through all the possible scenarios of the twins' tardiness. What if those people have got them? "Damn!" O'Malley swore under his breath. He turned towards Chris. They could not wait any longer. "Let's go find them."
The first thing Nykki was aware of was light. A small globe of yellow light intruded through her partly open lids into her darkness and drew her from unconsciousness. The second thing she noticed, was pain. It rushed into her head and down her neck and side, until every bruised muscle and laceration throbbed madly. She heard someone moving around her and tensed, thinking it was another assailant, but that someone gently raised her head and a cup was pressed to her lips. She smelled the sweetness of brandy and relaxed. If whoever it is wants to kill me, he'll be putting a knife to my throat, not giving me wine to drink, she rationalised to herself. The drink warmed her bruised throat and settled gently in her stomach, where it spread with a healing heat through her body. Nykki slowly opened her eyes - or rather, eye, since one was so swollen she could barely crack the lid. The orb of light wavered for a moment and settled into focus, revealing a small lamp by the bedside. It illuminated the wood panels of her room. She squinted at the light and looked higher into three pairs of eyes. As the pain eased, memory returned, and along with it the reason for the pain. "Nick, where is he?" she sat up and looked about wildly, ignoring the pain shooting up her side. "Tell me! Where is he?" "Alex," Nykki looked up to see Chris Wilder's vivid blue eyes directed at her. "Alex," he said again, in a gentle voice she had never heard him use before, "lie back down before I push you back there. You look like hell." "I feel like hell," she replied, a little surprised. For the scant second their eyes met, Nykki felt an outpouring of concern from the man, and instead of disobeying him like she usually did when he issued commands, she lowered herself back down onto the bed before repeating her question. "Where is my twin? And don't put me off again," she cautioned. "We couldn't find Nick," replied Richard O'Malley shortly. For the first time, he actually looked his forty-nine years, the dark circles under his eyes accentuating the few wrinkles on his face. "When we found you, you were unconscious What in the world did they hit you with anyway, you've got a lump on the back of your head." "And with numerous bruises, cuts and a black eye to boot," added Eric Larssard. "What happened to the two of you?" asked O'Malley, already dreading the answer. "I don't know. One minute we were hiking down that blasted hill, the next minute this band of Neanderthals jumped out and grabbed Nick. We tried to get away, almost did, until one tripped Nick, and another clubbed me from behind like some caveman. The whole thing seemed like a badly coordinated movie... Gods, I ache." She winced. "We'll leave you to rest. I'll bring breakfast for you tomorrow morning," promised O'Malley. She opened her mouth to speak but he had already anticipated the question. "I'll try and find out what happened. Don't exert yourself, in other words, you are not allowed to leave the room tonight." O'Malley warned, before leaving the room with Larssard. As Christopher turned to leave, Nykki called out to him. "Chris. Could I speak to you for a moment?" Christopher turned round and walked back to the bed. "Yes?" He waited expectantly. Nykki reached for his arm to pull herself up. "I seem to be always getting into messes, don't I?" she remarked ruefully, mouth quirked up at one end. Christopher caught his breath at the unexpected glamour of the weak smile and froze in amazement when he felt an odd, inner tingle from the boy's touch. A boy's touch. Brusquely shaking off the slender hand, he wondered grimly if the association with the guys in the academy was turning him into some sort of pervert. Good Lord, what am I? he thought to himself, a little shocked. Christopher shook himself and forced Himself to look at the boy. "Yes?" he inquired with the politeness of a stranger. Nykki was unaware of his change of tone because all her attention was concentrated on finding her twin. "Chris, could you go up to where you found me and see if there's anything there?" Chris looked at the silver eyes and saw the anxiety in them, and the determination. If he didn't agree, he would most probably, go and search the place himself. "Sure Alex," he finally answered in a gentler tone. "Anything to help find Nick. Now go to sleep. Oh yes, and finish the brandy, it'll make you feel better." She took a swallow of the drink. "I'll finish the drink, but you'd better leave first. I get drunk very, very easily, and that's no exaggeration." Her words were already beginning to slur. Christopher looked at the dreamy look invading his eyes and chuckled despite the uneasiness that still lingered within him. "I'll take your word for it. Goodnight." Alex did not answer, he was already halfway to dreamland.
O'Malley sat by the bed and looked at Nykki sitting quietly in bed. "As I said earlier, your father, Mason Storm is not dead. He's been in a coma for the past eight years. He regained consciousness three months ago and then disappeared. He 'escaped' from the Los Angeles Coma Research Center with the help of an orderly." "That report I read in the papers, a couple of weeks back, about a patient named John Doe killing a security guard and a female nurse, then escaping from the research center, that was Dad, wasn't it?" Nykki asked quietly, expressionless. "Yes it was. Yesterday night, there was a CNN report by that Jerry Dunphy 'revealing' the true identity of John Doe. Afterwhich, he said he received a phone-call from Mason Storm himself, saying that he would deliver evidence to prove his innocence. I found a tape on Mason the night he was supposedly killed. The doctors had thought he was dead, but later, one of them came to me and said, very agitatedly, that he had a live corpse on his hands. I gave orders to the whole staff that no one was to say anything about it." He paused, and took a sip of water. "Mason contacted me here a week ago, he said was that some people were chasing him and his pal, and that he'll contact me when he arrives in Washington." "He's here already." It was a statement. "Yes. If he wasn't, whoever that has been after him, and us, wouldn't have broadcast the hospital killings again, and wouldn't have taken the risk to get Nick. I am sure they plan to use Nick as a hostage. The only reason they didn't get you was because they didn't know you were here, and especially not as a boy." "Why? Why is all this being done?" >[? "That night you kids came to me, not only were your parents murdered, another agent was also killed. His name was Jonathan Denver, and he was Mason's partner on the case. Earlier that night, your dad had gone to the wharf, and he reported back to Denver near nine. It must have been good news because Denver was grinning from ear to ear after that call. I think your parents were killed that night because of that case. The audio tape I've had with me these years is a copy, the original's with the LAPD, there's also another copy with the LA Field Office. The investigation of the killings went on for a while, but was ended suddenly. That was when we started to move around." "There were people in the Los Angeles Field Office taking bribes weren't there? And also in the LAPD." Nykki said. "That's what I suspected. I transferred to Seattle and we moved there. My transfer was supposed to be confidential, but I guess someone leaked and off we went again." "And we moved again every time you suspected that you had been traced." Nykki concluded. There was a thoughtful silence. "Here," O'Malley reaching into the pocket of his coat and handing her a black audio tape. "This is the tape? The tape those people have been looking for?" Nykki asked, turning the cassette round in her hands, and eyeing it dubiously. "I would have thought that something that caused so many people to die needlessly would look, well... more lethal." "I understand how you feel. I keep wondering how such a small thing could kill so many. I've listened to it more than a thousand times over the past few years, trying to make out the different voices, the quirks and such, phrases that repeat. I still don't know who is on the tape, maybe you will." "Yeah, thanks. I'll listen to it," Nykki answered. "Yep, that about sums it up. How do you feel?" O'Malley asked. "Fine, aches and pains all over. Oh yeah, I've also got a very sore eye," she answered wryly, responding to his deliberate attempt to change the subject. "Fine, I ..." He was interrupted by Christopher. "Didn't expect anyone to be here at this time Richard," remarked Chris from the door. "The Doc almost took my head off when I said I wanted to visit. Said that too many people have been around already. Dad just announced to the staff and cadets that Nick has been granted leave because of some problems concerning his college graduation which needs his immediate attention." "How long have you been standing there?" Nykki asked suspiciously. "I just got here. Richard, Dad wants to see you in his office, pronto." Chris replied. "Damn, I forgot about the meeting! Alex, I've got to go, get some rest okay. See you around Chris, take care of him. He has the very bad habit of not looking after himself." O'Malley gave Nykki a wry smile and a quick hug before rushing out of the room. He managed to close the door before breaking into a dead run towards the Director's office. "Hi, Alex, how are you feeling this morning?" asked Chris. "You seem to be in good spirits." "Not that great, but it's okay. Did you find anything?" she asked eagerly. "No, not a single thing was left behind, not even a scrap of paper." "Thanks anyway Chris, it was just an idea." She changed the subject. "What are you going to make those people do today? Nothing special I hope." "Mostly physical stuff. Hupperman's been called away again, so there won't be any of his lectures today." "How about that special speaker? Isn't he supposed to be here today?" "Nope, the talk's been postponed. Alex..." Christopher's voice trailed off. There was an uncomfortable silence. "Alex," he began again, "I need to know why your twin was abducted." Her guard immediately sprung up. "Why?" she retorted coolly. "I don't know, and I don't think it's any of your business." "But..." he started. "But nothing," her voice overrode his, "It. Is. None. Of. Your. Business." Nykki enunciated each word clearly, giving emphasis on the capitals. "I'm just trying to help." "I don't need your help. Period," she stated flatly. "You know what Alex? You are too much!" Christopher burst out angrily. "So I am too much. I never said I wasn't. Besides, you were the one that started this argument!" she hissed back. "Why, you... Forget that I said anything. But never ask me for help you again!" he shouted back. "That's fine with me!" Christopher slammed the door behind him as he went out.
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