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Date Posted: 22:04:00 01/06/08 Sun
Author: Mary
Author Host/IP: cpe-72-224-142-55.maine.res.rr.com / 72.224.142.55
Subject: Characters & Shadows - Chapter 28
In reply to: Mary 's message, "Characters & Shadows - Cont." on 15:23:40 01/01/08 Tue

Chapter 28

Kip hated when it snowed in the city like this. He knew that all the stragglers from the streets would be ensconced at the diner since it was open all night, and they knew that he didn’t really have the heart to kick them out. He had meant to be here by 3:00 a.m. but the roads were much worse than he had anticipated, the storm was a nightmare and everything was starting to be cancelled for the days ahead. This town could deal with a lot of snow, but there was also ice and he just heard that dangerously cold temperatures were settling in for the next few days, that brought this town to it’s knees.

He was right as he entered the diner just before four, the place was packed. Mostly with street people drinking black coffee and trying to stay warm. But some of the regulars were at the counter already. And the plow drivers were in grabbing a quick breakfast. He took off his coat and grabbed an apron ready to get busy right away. It was going to be a long few days. He saw Nik working the tables and lots of coffee was brewed. Tom the overnight guy had most of the orders being worked.

“Hey Tom, how ya’ doin’?”

Tom continued cooking the eggs and pancakes in front of him with just a shrug of his shoulders, “I got it. Might check on Nik.”

That statement surprised Kip, Tom was dependable and a decent cook, but he never said more than three words at a time, tops. He went out to the counter and said hi to some of the regulars that were complaining about the storm and started filling cups. Then he saw her coming back from some tables carrying an empty pot. If he didn’t know better he’d think she was strung out or back from a bender, she looked like hell. “Mornin’ Nik.”

“Hey.” She said not looking up at him and went to make some more coffee leaning against the counter and she started coughing a little.

“Linda comin’ in soon?”

She still wouldn’t look at him, “Haven’t heard from her.” Her normally gravelly voice sounded terrible.

“You feeling ok Nik?”

She finally looked up at him and she looked even worse close up, “Just tired. Might be getting a cold.”

Kip just nodded, “Linda gets here, you leave.”

*****

Michael was pissed, frustrated and exhausted. He was furious at himself and his own stupidity. He had stormed out of Nikita’s like an angry idiot and hadn’t looked back. He had been so pissed at her for the first few minutes as he left her building as fast as he could and got in his car. She was infuriating, and she had been so cold, so nasty. But what had really done it for him was that she had called him “Mikey”. No one had called him that since he was a child and he despised it. It was like that one button that somehow she just knew to push and he had lost it right then and there.

But to add salt to the wound then she had said it was just sex. Just sex. How could she think that? It had been the most mind-blowing experience of his life and she had called it just sex. So like a moron he had let her push him away and he and his ego took out of there like a maniac.

After he had drove for a while to cool off he started to realize what had really happened and he let out a string of expletives and turned his car around as fast as possible. All that additional stupid move bought him was then sliding in a spin off the road and into a fairly deep ditch next to a bridge in the middle of nowhere. The next thing he was aware of was the paramedics placing him in the ambulance and he was on his way to the hospital for stitches in his forehead that had hit the windshield. He hadn’t even been smart enough to put on a seatbelt before taking off in the storm.

Worse, the hospital personnel recognized him right away and called the production company who forwarded the emergency call to Madeline. So in the midst of the chaos of the accident and the ER, Michael then had to deal with Madeline. After annoying delays for x-rays, finding out there was just a slight mild concussion, and then waiting for the doctor to put in the stitches he was finally able to make a phone call on Madeline’s cell. The first thing he did was dial Nikita’s number but he received no answer, that worried him out of his mind. She had to be there, was she unable to answer the phone? Had something happened to her since he had left? And even though he continued to call, there remained no answer at her apartment or on her cell and his anxiety of it continued to grow and grow. He briefly thought of calling Walter but then realized it was the early hours of the morning in the middle of a snow storm and interrupting the older man would not be a good idea.

Madeline picked that moment to come back into his room, his head was now throbbing since he had refused any pain medication at all, and pronounced, “I finally have this all worked out.”

God but he was grumpy right now and his patience was thin, “What worked out?”

“Since that sport car of yours is now in the shop for a good long while, you have a new rented four wheel drive SUV that will be here shortly. You should be much safer in that. I told you before not to buy that car. Now you see what it gets you. If you had just listened to me in the first place…”

But he cut her off, “No lectures tonight, please. I need to find Nikita.”

“Nikita? What do you mean find her?” Madeline had been agonizing over what had happened with Michael and Nikita at the theater. She should have paid more attention to the young woman today and her physical and mental state. Sometimes she just got so caught up in making sure that everything was perfect for the show for Paul that she lost all sight of anything else. Besides she had been so concerned lately with the erratic ways that Paul had been acting, he had been secretive and shunning any of her suggestions for them to spend time together. That had taken all of Madeline’s attention and now she was feeling guilty for what had happened with Nikita.

He knew instantly had made a stupid mistake in that moment, but he had no choice but to tell her some of what was going on, “I was at Nikita’s earlier and we had a fight. I got angry and left and now I can’t reach her.”

She smiled a knowing woman’s smile and shook her head, “So that’s the real cause for the accident tonight. Men! Let me guess you realized after you made a fool of yourself that you had to go back and then you were speeding to get back to her.”

He sighed, “Something like that.”

“And now she is scorned and won’t take your calls.”

“I hope so.” He said under his breath.

But Madeline had caught it and felt something twist in her stomach, “Why would you want her mad at you?”

He knew he may as well tell her, she would figure it out anyway, this was Madeline after all. “Because if she is at home and not taking my calls then that means at least I know for sure where she is and what she is doing.”

“Where else would she be in this storm? Authorities are telling everyone to stay off the roads unless it is an emergency. It would be nuts to be out right now.” Madeline had real concern in her voice and Michael just had a feeling that she really meant it. He decided in that moment to share a little of the concerns that he had swimming in his aching head.

“Something is going on with her that we don’t know and I can’t get her to talk about it. She pushes me away and doesn’t want help from anyone.” He rubbed his temples as the pounding was really getting to him.

Madeline noticed his pain and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Let’s get you something for that headache, get out of here, and we’ll figure out how to help Nikita.”

He simply nodded and hoped that he could trust Madeline, he wanted to.

*****

Getting home was much harder than she could have imagined. The roads were a total mess with the winds picking up and the snow blowing like it was made it impossible to see in the darkness before dawn. A normal ten minute drive became almost an hour and a few blocks from her apartment she just gave up altogether and walked the rest of the way. She was completely nerve wracked and frozen by the time she made it into her building and up to her floor. The last thing she expected as she exited the elevator was to see Carla coming out of her apartment. “Carla? What are you doing?”

The other woman jumped as Nikita had frightened her. She obviously hadn’t expected to get ‘caught’. But Carla was quick, as she had been trained, “There you are!” she exclaimed as she threw her arms around the shivering Nikita. “I have been so worried about you that I finally used the extra key to get into your apartment and see if you were there.”

Nikita had to cough before she could speak, “Why were you worried?”

“Well I saw you leave late in this weather last night, you were pulling away as I was getting home. Then I was watching for you to come back but you never did. I tried calling but when I got no answer I just had to check on you.”

At her friends concerned look Nikita tried to reassure her, “I just had something I had to do. But I’m fine.”

“Um, Nikita. You don’t look fine at all. You look sick girl and frozen solid. Come on over to my place and I’ll make tea, get you warmed up.”

But Nikita knew she couldn’t do that. Under her coat was her uniform and she didn’t want anyone to know about the other job. “I’m way too tired. I just want to fall in bed and sleep for a while. Maybe another time?”

Carla looked disappointed but agreed, “Ok. I’ll come over later and we’ll have tea. I think everything will be closed today.”

Nikita nodded and Carla went back to her own apartment. Speed dialing the cell, “Target located and on premises. Surveillance initiated. Put medical team on pre-alert. Go to step two of profile.”

*****

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