VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, [7], 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 11:54:23 12/01/08 Mon
Author: Odelle
Author Host/IP: CPE0013f7f24246-CM0013f7f24242.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com / 99.234.121.213
Subject: When A Time Comes (Chapter 5)
In reply to: Odelle 's message, "When A Time Comes" on 11:10:52 11/24/08 Mon

Nikita slipped the next disk into the reader. She ran her trimmed nail absently against the grain of the ancient desk, waiting for it to load. It had been a good day today. Long, hectic, overwhelming – all the things that made a day “good” in her books. And it was still barely dinner time.

She trained her ears to listen for the children’s steady banter upstairs. A few in the main hall, others in the playroom. No grumbling yet. Arguments usually increased toward mealtime. But there was still a lot of time left until that distraction. And still infinitely more time left until the morning briefings began again.

That was a long stretch – too long, given Guillome wasn’t here.

He had gone to Prague the night before last. He wouldn’t be back tonight, or likely tomorrow, either – based on his call an hour ago. She sighed and pondered the possibilities for the night. When Guillome wasn’t home, she’d plan sleepovers in the den with the little ones. And quietly sneak out for her solitude, once they had fallen asleep. But four nights in a row was a long stretch for Guillome to be gone – and the kids could only have so many late-nighters before they grew cranky in the daytime.

Perhaps she’d go for a run tonight. Something to get her pent up anxiety out – a task that was generally her partner’s forte.

Running the pad of her finger back the other way on the desk, she felt the familiar valley where Isaac had bit the table like a lion, in his newfound power with his first tooth. She smiled softly, and shook herself out of her thoughts.

“Ms. Jones.” It was Henry, her butler. The raise of her gaze gave him leave to continue. “Mr. Hannington to see you.”

Her eyebrows arched slightly in surprise. Justus? She nodded him in.

A moment later, Justus rounded the corner into her office. She shut her screens down; while the new file had long since loaded, it was now doomed to be lost to the evening. Justus didn’t come often, and the kids would want him to stay for dinner; thus, no more work would likely be done until he headed back to Section.

“Hey Nik,” he grinned, sliding into the chair across the expanse of mahogany. “How’s life treating you?”

His easy drawl always made her feel warm. There was a familiarity in him, for her – this man she selected as her second, so very many years ago. Few people could be trusted on the entire planet. And Justus Hannington was among a very select few.

“Same as usual.” And, without a beat: “We didn’t have an appointment,” she leaned back in her chair, arms on armrests, hands clasped in front of her, “Do I owe this pleasure to the Breach Report I received this morning?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” he rubbed his hand along his chin, as he visibly constructed his answer. “I wanted to brief you on the situation myself.”

“Generous. But we do have Vision calling now, Justus.” Her eyes twinkled with humour, though it didn’t reach her lips enough to show. Of course he didn’t need to come. For him to come alone, himself, it had to be huge.

“This breach was particularly unique.”

“Indeed, it seems they managed to reach Comm this time.” Dangerous. Far too dangerous these days, especially with all they work they’ve done to ensure security.

Justus softly cleared his throat, “Not “They”, him. Just one man.”

Her eyebrows shot up, “One man? You didn’t find the team?” Impossible. Derick Frazer would have sent out a legion to find the team. He would never have returned without each one of them.

“There was no team. Just him.”

His eyes were locked to hers. She felt his gravity, and her skin prickled with awareness.

“Just one, remarkable, extraordinary man. Capable of breaching even our utterly undocumented defensive security,” Justus continued. Her jaw clenched her front teeth together, a shiver slid down her arm, but went concealed, ignored.

She didn’t let any thoughts surface to interrupt her mind. “Who?”

“No records on him anywhere. It appears he’s neither terrorist nor – certainly – not innocent. Nor Section, for that matter – I suppose.” His eyes underscored a hard truth she refused to acknowledge.

Her spine felt stiff. Frozen, paralyzed. Impossible thoughts edged her mind, but she wouldn’t let herself wonder. Not about something so clearly impossible. “Where is he now?”

“We released him.”

“What?” she frowned. Why would Justus ever release a perpetrator of a breach? Under no circumstances. None.

He nodded, the intensity of his stare hitting the home-run into the innermost parts of her barricading her denial. Something buried deep inside simply screamed.

“I was tempted to give him the grand tour. A creature like that, capable of breaching our walls...” he shook his head, “hardly seemed like I could be his superior. He came long before me, after all.”

No words would come. No questions. Emotion threatened to engage her logical mind. A logical mind that prayed that this was a conversation about a hostile. That’s all it could possibly be. Her nostrils flared as she breathed softly.

He reached into his suit pocket, and pulled out a small piece of paper. “I thought perhaps it was best if he didn’t try the same at this Fort Knox.” She watched with untrusting eyes as he gently unfolded it and slid it facedown toward her on the table. “But if you’re free, and you want…” he shrugged and stood. But her eyes were locked to the paper now sitting delicately before her.

She barely registered the click of the door as he left.

Swallowing the threatening tide, she picked up the paper to find her fingers shaking. She shook her head once to clear it, looking up and away. Control returned, and she sighed. Her eyes slipped shut and her breathing became normal again.

When she was sure she could, she looked down at the little ivory page.

It was a reservation confirmation. For Marios. 8pm tonight.

************

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.