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Date Posted: 19:20:47 01/03/08 Thu
Author: Mary
Author Host/IP: cpe-72-224-142-55.maine.res.rr.com / 72.224.142.55
Subject: Characters & Shadows - Chapter 26 Warning: Adult Language
In reply to: Mary 's message, "Characters & Shadows - Cont." on 15:23:40 01/01/08 Tue

Chapter 26

Michael had time to try to sort through his barrage of feelings as Nikita slept. He had an awful lot to think about as it had been quite a day an he was trying to sort things out in his head. Actually it had been quite a couple of weeks. Ever since the beautiful Nikita had come into his life nothing had been the same. He had loved other women in his life, certainly loved Simone. But none had made him feel like Nikita did. The depth of feelings just amazed him. She touched a part of him that he hadn’t even known existed. And he craved her touch, that spiritual way that she completed him was like nothing he could even begin to describe.

Was this that incredible perfect love that poet’s wrote about and that lover’s hungered for? Was it possible that for some reason he was lucky enough to find that true soul matching love that completed you entirely? Was that what was happening to him? He knew that he didn’t even feel like he could breath without Nikita near him. When he saw her today looking so weak and peaked it tore through him to think that she might be in any kind of discomfort or pain. And he immediately felt her pain, it had swept over him, and he had never felt a connection like that before in his life. Somehow he had just known the pain of her headache, the way her muscles rebelled at her movement and the only thing that he could think of was relieving her of that pain, or supporting her and comforting her. There was nothing else in the world for him at that moment.,

But then it got worse, much worse, when she almost collapsed right in front of him. When he saw her spirit just completed washed away with the effort of just the simple act of standing he thought his heart would break. She seemed so incredibly fragile in those moments and the thought that he had just found her in this world, had just discovered this marvelous feeling and that he could lose that in some way…well, it was just unthinkable. Absolutely unthinkable.

He was forced with those thoughts to go and check on his love as she slept. He crept silently up the stairs and she lay on her side, seemingly in a sound asleep. She was murmuring in her sleep occasionally but it was nothing that Michael could make out. In the darkness of the room he could not make out the pallor of her face, but as he gently stroked her forehead she seemed cooler than she had before. If there had been fever then the Tylenol must have done it’s job. He pulled the soft blanket up and tucked it around her to make sure she stayed warm in her sleep.

Maybe she did just need some rest and she would be fine. At least that is what he told himself. She had to be fine. Anything else was totally unthinkable at this point. He would make sure that nothing else was wrong. And not just in terms of her health today. Something else was very wrong. He could see it in her eyes, there was constantly an underlying fear – a worry – that drove her all the time. It never let her truly relax, she was never really at ease. Even after they made love he could feel the tension in her as if she was waiting for something bad to happen. And the more she tried to relax and hide it, the more that Michael could tell it was there.

He had to figure out the mystery that was behind Nikita Wirth and fix whatever had happened to her. It wasn’t really behind her so much as it was beside her, always lurking, seemingly waiting to strike. He couldn’t let that happen no matter what. Nothing would ever hurt this woman again. Nothing would ever make her unhappy or frightened again. Not while he was around. Not while she belonged to him.

His entire focus was just on this woman now. All thoughts of what he had learned today had quickly fled from his mind. This is what he needed to be focused on. And only this. Only her.

He backed out of her room and made his way to the kitchen to quietly make coffee. He took a moment as it brewed to really look around the apartment and that was when he realized what he had been missing. There were no pictures. None. Not of family, not of friends, no pictures of herself. Absolutely nothing that would make the space her own, nothing that would tell the story of Nikita Wirth. It wasn’t barren, it was warm and there were some items that told of her taste but nothing that might indicate any type of life at all. He hadn’t had the time when he had been here before to really notice, after all when he was with her he usually had <i>other</i> things on his mind.

The coffee machine beeped letting him know that it was done an he poured a cup for himself. He sat and began to plan the dinner that he was going to make for Nikita tonight. As he laid out the ingredients for the healthy omelet and fruit that he would be making he began to think that they should take the day off tomorrow. Spend some time resting, perhaps he could talk into Nikita into seeing his doctor. Her exhaustion today really concerned him and he would be much happier if she would agree to be seen by Brian.

His thoughts were interrupted as the phone rang. He reached for it quickly so Nikita was not disturbed, when he answered it no one was there. Thinking that was odd he simply hung it back up and took it as a wrong number.

Not two minutes later the phone rang again. Once again picked it up quickly so as not to disturb the sleeping Nikita. Before he even had a chance to say hello there was a hushed male voice at the other end of the phone, “Nikita, I only have a few seconds. They’re close, I’m tracing it, I need time. Don’t panic, stay still.”

Michael felt a cold chill at the mention of her name, “Who is….” He never got to finish the phone went dead. Michael checked the phone. Then he punched in a *69 to see who called but all he got was a recording, “unknown”. He had an ominous, terrible feeling about this in th pit of his stomach that quickly grew. Who was that? How did he know Nikita? And what did he mean “They’re close”. Who is ‘they’? And what do they want with Nikita?

*****

Paul was tired. Even with the day off today it had been stressful having to deal with Corrine and her problems. She was terribly unbalanced right now and the new medications were not helping her mania at all. She was barely sleeping, was cleaning everything in sight over and over again. He had the nurse come over to try to help but when Corrine was like this there was really no way to help her. But she couldn’t be left alone either. At any moment her mood may change and she may become despondent and try to hurt herself. Paul just couldn’t deal with it anymore and had left the house about two hours ago to drive and try to find some peace.

His driving finally took to the theater. The one place where he could always really think, the place where he was always ultimately in charge. His word ruled here in this venue, this was his kingdom and no one told him what to do. This was the place that Corrine could not touch. She might rule his ultimate destiny of getting his hands on all that money, but she couldn’t touch him here.

No as he walked in and brought up the lights…This. This was his. He could make it into whatever he wanted it to be. He was very much enjoying the stage that was being built for Section One. There was an office that overlooked the entire organization. They called it the Perch. He loved it. It was such a symbol of power, of aristocracy watching over the peasant that he directed below him. When he was in the theater by himself he loved to climb up in the perch and stand over what he ha built. For all of this was his.

His to create, his to direct, he owned it and no one told him what to do with it. Oh Madeline tried sometimes but she was controllable. More controllable than she knew. Her feelings for him were her Achilles heel and he used it to his best advantage. Used her to his best advantage. After all she was a beautiful woman and magnificent in bed. He never tired of her as he had so many others.

Now the actors were another story all together. Particularly Michael. He was a difficult one to manage. He was a great asset but be had his costs that went along with that. The man was growing more wise as to the ways that the company worked and Paul had a feeling that eventually Michael would be smarter than he was, would eventually take over the company. But he had to be held in check until Paul was ready for that to happen. And Paul was no where near ready for that yet.

No Michael needed to be controlled, hence the Lisa Fanning and Nikita scenario that they were trying. He knew what Madeline was trying to do but he ofter wondered over the last week if it was going to work. He had to admit though it was brilliant getting Nikita fired from her previous job. He had done that all on his own. If she was making enough money from that job then she wouldn’t have needed this one and the extra job on the side just to keep her so tired that eventually she wouldn’t be able to do this at all. So he made sure that Petrosian went out of business. It wasn’t that hard to do and it was well worth it. Paul owed Petrosian one and now they were even.

So things did seem to be going Paul’s way and he was quite pleased with himself as he lit up a cigarette and gazed over the theater from the Perch.

“Are you enjoying yourself up there Paul?” a voice called from the back. With the lights on he was unable to tell who it was.

“Who’s there?”

“We haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet in person. I represent your backer. I suggest you come down here and we can have a little chat.”

Paul looked around the theater and noticed at least three other men in long black coats blocking the exits. His palms began to sweat and his heart was racing. He took a deep calming breath and reminded himself to take control of the situation. He quickly came down and walked off the stage.

The other gentleman was oriental, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Paul hated men with ponytails. If you’re a man, look and act like a man. “What do you want?”

“Now is that any way to greet us? We came to talk to get to know each other better. My name is Suba. Shall we go to your office, I hate the theater, it’s for fags.”

Paul gave him a look that could kill but Suba merely showed the gun that he wore and directed Paul, “The office. We have business to discuss.”

Suba wasted no time once in the office with his goons standing guard. “I understand your leading lady is quite a looker.”

Paul was confused, “What about it? Look I want to meet with your boss to discuss arrangements for payment.”

Suba just smiled, “Oh we think you have something he wants more than his money. Where is she?”

“Who?” Suba had lost his patience this is this old guy and he backhanded him viciously sending him sprawling to the floor.

“The blond. Where is she?” he shouted.

Paul was still trying to catch up with what had happened here so quickly and violently, “What do you want with her?”

“None of your fucking business. Now where is she?” Suba was looking around the office and saw the picture laying on the desk. He smiled with a dangerous leer, “Oh yeah. That’s her. Need a stepladder for that one.”

He threw the picture back on the desk. “Arul, get in here.” Paul watched as one of the goons opened the door. “Call Marco. We got her.”

*****

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