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Date Posted: 12:28:17 12/12/07 Wed
Author: Mary
Author Host/IP: PMP.jax.org / 209.222.204.104
Subject: Characters & Shadows - Chapter 18
In reply to: Mary 's message, "Characters & Shadows - Cont." on 18:11:16 12/08/07 Sat

Chapter 18


Nikita was finally home and she was glad the day was over. Petrosian was trying to find every way possible to keep the business running but she knew that it was fruitless, her job there was at an end. She had to find a way to make money and pretty fast. She had a very amount of money that was hers but it wouldn’t last for long. She still hadn’t called the theater to answer the letter that had arrived that morning with the ‘gift’ from Madeline. She wasn’t sure what to say or what to do about that. She ignored the calls today from Madeline and Michael. What was she supposed to say to them? If she took the part and then she suddenly had to leave town that would draw all kinds of attention that she couldn’t afford.

She hadn’t heard back from Marco and that was the thought that really concerned her. He should have called either last night or this morning, but nothing so far – that just wasn’t like him. Something was wrong and she could feel it. If David had done anything to hurt Marco she didn’t know what she would do. She knew she needed to think, needed to be prepared. If she had to run then she might need to leave at a moment’s notice and nothing could be left behind that would leave a trail.

All of her possessions were divided already into two categories and they were always kept separate: those items that could be traced to her and those items that were generic enough to belong to anyone. The first list was very short but she kept those treasures in a bag in the back of her closet. Always hidden, packed and ready to go. Along with enough money to get her far away from here if needed.

She was waiting for the phone to ring but it still startled her when Marco sent his initial signal. She then continued to wait for it to ring again. When it rang Nikita was out of her chair immediately and answered it, “Hello.”

“Nikita, you need to listen to me very carefully. Something serious is going on with David and I need time to figure out what it is.” Marco’s voice sounded tired to her and more stressed than she could remember it being for a long time.

“What is going on?”

“I don’t have time right now. Sorry sweetie. But listen carefully. Stay exactly where you are. Your cover is secure for now but I can’t have you moving. It’s too dangerous. Change nothing. Keep everything exactly the same and give me time.”

She dreaded telling him, he sounded so stressed already, but she better than to keep it to herself. “There may have to be a change.”

His tone was clipped and short, “Why?”

She knew to be direct and not waste his time, “I’ve lost the job with Petrosian. I’ll have to give up the apartment.”

“No. I’ll wire you the money.”

“No, we have been through this and it’s too dangerous.”

“It’s more dangerous to have you on the run. I can’t protect you right now.”

That really scared her. She had never heard him say that before, “Marco, are you ok? Something is really wrong isn’t it?”

She heard his deep and tired sigh, “I don’t want to scare you any more than you already are. But yeah something really bad is building here. I’m working to figure it out on my end. Do you have any other options?”

She needed to tell him now what she had been holding back. Her wants and desires hadn’t mattered in her life for so long that even telling it to Marco had seemed absurd to her and she hadn’t ever kept anything from him. He was the only other person on earth that knew the whole story. She had to tell him. “I know this will sound stupid but I’ve been offered a part in a play.”

The silence on the other end of the phone told her everything she needed to know. He thought it was ridiculous and that she shouldn’t even be thinking about such things. She felt such shame wash over her as she stood there clutching the phone.

“There in town? Where you are right now?”

She was surprised by his question, “Well, yes…but…”

“Will you get paid? Enough to keep you in the apartment?” his words were fast as he was thinking this through, she could tell.

“If I take a part time job on the side, yeah, there would be enough.”

“Do it.” He was decisive.

“Are you sure? There might be press.” she was confused.

He thought for a moment, “Even better. I need you near a lot of people. Being alone like you have been, you probably aren’t safe anymore.”

“But David will know…”

“Sweetie, trust me. You have for a long time. You have to continue to do that. I have my reasons.”

She couldn’t help the tears that ran down her face, “Marco I’m scared. You know what he’ll do to me if he finds me.”

“I’ll protect you. Don’t panic on me now Nikita.”

Closing her eyes she willed herself to calm down, “Ok. I’m ok. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize to me, ever. You stay near other people. You take the part in this play and you live your life as best you can. If you see anything unusual you know what to do and how to reach me.”

She took a deep breath, “All right. I know.”

“I have to go for now. I’ll be in touch when I can.”

“Marco, wait…”

“Yeah?”

“Will you be ok?”

“I’ll be fine sweetie. You stay safe. Bye.”

*****

He hung up the phone and self-hatred filled him. He was doing what he had to do. He was doing what he was told to do. He always knew it would come to this. Years ago when he had set her free he knew it would come with a price. He had hoped to find a way out of it, had searched for someway to take David down without having to use her. But David was too well insulated. He hadn’t been able to find a way.

So he had failed her. She just didn’t know it yet. He wouldn’t in the end be able to keep her safe. He didn’t know if he could live with himself over this. He had done so many horrible things in his life, but to let her be hurt, to use her like bait like this…he didn’t think he could do it. But he had, he was setting her up.

The one woman that Marco O’Brien had fallen in love with so long ago and he was placing her out there to be slaughtered. They promised that there would be no innocent collateral damage, but he knew better than to believe that – than to believe them. He had heard those words before and knew that they were hollow and well used for the people that he answered to. He had been on the inside for a long time and he was growing tired of this game.

With a sigh he pushed up out of the chair, checked his gun, put on his game face and left to find the mole in David’s organization that didn’t exist.

*****

Nikita was stunned by the conversation with Marco. She trusted him, completely but she had never heard the tones of voice that he had used while talking with her just now. He sounded exhausted and just lost underneath his words. Something very bad was happening and she had no idea what it was, but she knew to be prepared. She went to the nightstand in her bedroom and re-checked her gun, the one that Marco had given her.

He had taught her to shoot. At first David encouraged it, he wanted his wife to be able to protect herself if need be. But then the jealousy had started and the rage and it never went away. On that night when she finally got free Marco had giving her a backpack full of equipment that she might need one day. One piece was a gun that she held in her hand right now. She knew how to use it and she would if she had to, of that she had no doubt.

She also double checked the battery on the emergency cell phone that she kept only for one purpose. If she was exposed, if David found her she knew to make one call on that phone. And never to use it otherwise. It was charged. She put them both back in the drawer and went to get a glass of wine. She needed one.

Then the doorbell rang.

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