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: 19:20:38 03/13/08 Thu
Author: Mary
Author Host/IP: cpe-69-135-186-204.woh.res.rr.com / 69.135.186.204
Subject: Characters & Shadows - Chapters 43
In reply to: Mary 's message, "Characters & Shadows - Cont." on 19:35:52 03/09/08 Sun

Chapter 43

<i>Nikita’s blue eyes were open and she was looking for him. The softest sound came to his ears, “Michael?”</i>

For a second he feared that he was still dreaming and that this wasn’t happening but then she said his name again and he knew that it was real and that she was awake. Adrenaline surged through him and he felt his heart rate increase, hope was actually a part of his world again. “Nikita. Welcome back love.” He moved as close as he could to her, looking directly into those beautiful eyes that he missed so much. He brushed the hair back from her forehead and kissed her ever so gently.

She had a perplexed look on her pale face as she was trying to figure out what was going on. He needed to reassure her. “It’s ok. You’re fine. I’m right here. You’re in the hospital.”

She tried to speak again but it barely came out as a squeaky sound, “Hospital?”

“Here,” Michael reached for the water and gave her a small drink. “Is that better?”

She slightly nodded, “Why am I here?”

“You have been very sick. You’ve been here a while.”

“How long?” she asked still trying to figure out what was happening to her.

“A couple days. But you’re going to be fine now.” He continued to touch her, needed to touch her to know that she was real and she was alive and that she was all right.

He saw her look at the bandage on his arm, “What happened? Are you ok?”

Michael smiled, almost laughed at her being concerned about him, “It’s a long story, but I am fine. Don’t worry.”

“No, Michael. Tell me what happened to you.” She grew a bit more agitated and Michael didn’t want that. She needed to be calm and rest.

In a slow calming voice he told her, “Shush, settle. A small accident. No big deal. I’ve been much more concerned about you.”

She tried to shift on the bed but found herself much weaker than she had anticipated and the attempt at movement made her head spin a little. Michael gently took her shoulders and laid her back against the soft pillows, “Hey now, you need to take things very slowly. Your body has been through a lot.”

“That’s my line,” said Brian as the doctor came walking into the room. “Look who is finally awake. Remember me?”

Nikita nodded, “But I don’t remember your name. I’m sorry.”

Brian smiled, “Don’t be, it’s normal for what has happened to you. Please, call me Brian. You are certainly looking much better Nikita. We were very concerned.”

“That’s what Michael said.” Brian could tell she was growing tired, her eyes were already getting heavy just from the small time she was awake.

“You are getting better. But you are going to need a lot of rest. Your body has been through a terrible trauma and it will need time to heal.”

“What….what did I have…?” Nikita asked even as she was starting to fall back asleep.

“Kita you just sleep. We’ll have lots of time to talk about this later.” Michael told her, soothing her.

Brian looked over at Michael, “You look like you could use some rest too my friend.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Bullshit. You have always been so full of it. You look like you are going to pass out on the floor.”

“He’s right,” Walter added walking into the room. “You need some sleep, real sleep.”

Michael started to nod his head but Brian cut him off, “There’s a room where you can sleep on this floor. It’s not far, just a few doors down.”

“And I will sit here with her and make sure that nothing happens to a single hair on her head, while you get some rest,” added Walter before Michael had a chance to say a word.

*****

Adrian was once again back in the conference room that she hated with a passion with the same panel in front of her ready to drill her about the latest operation.

“Gentlemen we have obtained end game success with the Fanning mission.”

“Success?” A familiar voice to her right asked. “Really is that what you call it?”

Patiently she replied, “Fanning has been taken out of play. His operation is being dismantled as we speak.”

“That is not the way we understand it. There is a faction led by a Suba that remains active at this point.”

“I just need time and he….”

“Time? You need time? Why are you allowed to state what you need and why should we be willing to give you any more time? This last operation has been a debacle. There is not final closure on the Fanning operation and too many innocents were part of the end game at the target location.”

She knew not to hesitate at all so she didn’t, “While the profile was not executed exactly as planned I still believe that Suba can be contained and quickly.”

From the gentleman on the left, “We do not have the same confidence as you in this matter. This faction will be a formidable entity. But there is another matter of more urgency to us.”

“And that is?”

“Your lack of empathy for the collateral on the Fanning operation. There was no reason the antidote could not have been administered once we knew that Fanning was on his way to the target location. You assumed a huge risk with that woman’s life.”

Adrian was now seething with her anger but she tried to maintain a cool façade, “I got the job done. Fanning is no longer a threat and the woman lives.”

In a disapproving tone another voice joined in, “You’re missing the point Adrian. Things are becoming too black and white for you, you’ve been at this job for too long. You lost sight of some of the fundamental principles that this organization stands for.”

Adrian stood there silently, she was absolutely stunned. She had devoted her life to MI-6, she gave everything to her job. How could they do this to her?

“You are being retired Adrian, effective immediately. You have served MI-6 well for many years, your record is exceptional. But it’s time for new leadership. We will clean up the rest of the Fanning fallout and then your successor will be put in place.”

She asked with bitterness, “May I ask who the committee has selected?”

“If he survives, Marco O’Brien is our choice.”

She was defiant enough at this point to push it and ask, “Why?”

“You should already know the answer. But, it’s because of the sense of balance that he maintains. He sees the value of the end game and he balances the cost to obtain it.”

*****

[ 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.