Chapter 182 -- LFN Storyboard 2

[ 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 ]

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

Date Posted: 07:36:59 10/04/08 Sat
Author: taurus2124
Author Host/IP: CPE-124-188-8-70.nsw.bigpond.net.au / 124.188.8.70
Subject: Chapter 182
In reply to: taurus 's message, "The Rising Dragons - continued" on 08:30:04 09/28/08 Sun

Chapter 182

Andy Koo returned to the parlour where Karen Ho and Wang Yu were waiting for him. He was glad that they had seen the last of Michael Samuelle and Nikita Wirth. There was nothing more that the triad wanted from them. Their death was inevitable; it was now only a matter of time.

All eyes glanced towards him as he entered the room.

�Is everything organised Andy?� Karen asked.

�Yes ... they will be dead within the hour.�

�Excellent! And we got the information we wanted?�

�Oh yes ... it took a while but Samuelle capitulated.�

Karen raised an eyebrow at his words. �That�s surprising ...�

�Not really.�

�... I would have thought that Nikita would have given in first.�

�She may have ... but I didn�t give her the choice. Besides ... it gave me great satisfaction to have Samuelle tortured.�

�Yes, I can see why that would please you.� Karen replied knowingly.

A boastful Andy Koo elaborated further to those gathered. �I wanted to see how far I could go without actually killing him ... if he hadn�t capitulated then I was going to torture Nikita again in front of him.�

�That would have been interesting ... nonetheless the conclusion would have been the same. Sun Yee Lok will be very pleased,� Wang Yu stated looking at Karen.

�Let�s hope we have put an end to it once and for all and things can get back to normal ... there's been entirely too much externalising of emotion around here lately,� she replied.

The others nodded in agreement, yet despite the problem of Nikita and Michael Samuelle being solved, Karen still had one other urgent problem to solve. Her thoughts turned to a more personal pressing matter. She turned to Andy Koo. �Well? ... Do you have it?�

A slight satisfied smile crossed his lips. He placed his hand in his pocket and withdrew a small vial of liquid holding it up in triumph for Karen to see. She sighed; relieved that at last she had the extracting agent. Karen held Andy�s gaze then without looking at the vial she reached out her hands trying not to show how worried she really was.

�I hope this stuff works.�

Loosening the top he tipped some of the liquid into her palms coating her exposed hands with the agent. Karen immediately rubbed them vigorously together until all the liquid was absorbed into to her skin.

Andy tried to reassure her. �Don�t worry ... it will work.�

She coated her hands with the reactive agent once again. Karen examined her hands. She felt her skin start to soften and return back to its normal colouring.

�Is there any damage?�

She briefly looked up at Andy then back down at her hands relieved that the liquid had indeed worked. �Nothing permanent ... it�s been effective.�

�That�s good.�

Regaining her composure Karen was back to business once more. �Shall we go then ... the helicopter is ready and waiting and we have a meeting scheduled with my father, Sun Yee Lok. He will want to know what has gone on.�

Andy laughed, �Oh we can certainly give him the answer to that!�

�Yes ... all in all it has been a most successful outcome. I�m sure he will be delighted. Let's go.�

As they prepared to leave the room, Andy Koo turned to his bodyguard and issued his orders. �Robert ... take care of things.�

�Certainly sir.�

�You know what to do. We want no trace of them whatsoever.�

�I understand. I�ll clean up and dispose of the bodies.�

�Good.�

Satisfied that everything would be taken care of, Karen and the two men all exited the room for their departure back to Hong Kong and their meeting with the leader of the Rising Dragons. It was a meeting that was long overdue, but one at which there would be much to celebrate. They had eliminated their enemy and solved the mystery of Tony Wong and Madame Cheung�s deaths. The Rising Dragons� mantra had been fulfilled. The triad had sought its retribution at long last.

�An invincible, powerful brotherhood
The triad rules supreme
Don�t ever try to obliterate
For retribution will be extreme
The Rising Dragon!�

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Michael and Nikita were taken to another room deep in the monastery that was Spartan except for two chairs. As the guards ushered them inside, Nikita stumbled on the threshold of the doorway, but one of the guards kept her from falling. Grabbing hold of their captives, the guards tightened their grip painfully on the two Section operatives� arms, then pushed them towards the chairs indicating that they sit down.

�I guess that this is the somewhere more comfortable,� Nikita flippantly stated to the guard as they were unceremoniously thrust into the chairs.

Ignoring her retort, the guards bound both of their wrists to the arm of the chair, then left them alone closing the door behind them as they left.

Except for the beating of their hearts, eerie silence surrounded them.

They sat side by side in what appeared to be some sort of execution chamber. Nikita looked around the room evaluating their surroundings and searching for anything that might indicate what the triad had in mind for them here in this dungeon like room. Seeing that there was little hope of escape, she stared straight ahead, her mind filled with thoughts that this may indeed be where she and Michael finally met their demise.

Michael also surveyed their surroundings glancing around the room like Nikita had done. He too had thoughts ... not of their demise � but of what he could do to secure their survival from this place. As he looked around the room he saw several gas valve outlets. So that was their plan ... he and Nikita were to be asphyxiated. Michael flexed his sore muscles and clenched his fists pitting them against the restraints on his hands. Maybe he would, by some miracle, be able to release himself from the bonds and free them both before the effects of any gas took a hold.

Nikita watched Michael carefully. Her heart bled for him. She knew he had been tortured repeatedly because of her and she blamed herself for both of them being in this predicament from which there seemed to be no escape. Although she knew that the Team was on its way, would they even arrive in time. Nikita�s eyes fixed on his battered face, �Are you okay?�

The sound of her voice cut deep into his thoughts. Michael looked over to her and met her forlorn eyes. Nikita was well aware of the plight they were in, but her compassion also shone through. She felt his suffering. Trying to reassure her of his state of mind, he replied with a voice a little raspy. �I'm fine.�

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nikita knew Michael wasn�t being truthful. His face was covered in welts of congealed blood; a trail of drying blood ran haphazardly down his cheek from the wound on his temple and bruises were evident over his body. He had endured more than anyone should. Michael must have suffered horrendous torture ... yet he was not a broken man. Physically he was battle scared but Nikita knew mentally he was as strong as ever and would be trying to find a solution to their dilemma ... even if there was none that she could see. He was Section One�s best operative. Michael would not want her to know he was in pain or was suffering. If he could endure what the triad had meted out then so would she. Nikita let his lie go unchallenged for every moment of this incarceration was too precious. In the scheme of things it was not important ... their lives were in the balance here ... it was more important that she spend their every last moment conveying her feelings for him.

She glanced at the door but no one seemed to be monitoring them. Nikita turned her head towards him. �What�s going to happen now Michael?�

Her words brought him back to the reality of their dire situation. His eyes followed the path of hers to the small glass pane in the door of the chamber before returning to meet her gaze. �What do you mean?�

Nikita shifted slightly on her seat. �They�ve had the opportunity but they haven�t killed us yet? Why?� Tension centred in her shoulders. She tried to allay the thought of impending doom in which they found themselves.

�I don�t know,� Michael replied trying to reassure her.

�Do you think they are planning something?�

He lifted his shoulders slightly. �It�s possible.�

She grasped at straws at anything that might be a plausible explanation as to why they had been left
alone. �Perhaps they�re going to trade us off for something from Section One.�

�Maybe.�

The inflection in her voice was haunting. �You think so?�

�They could use us in exchange for any further Intel Section has about the Rising Dragons.�

�But you know Operations ... He won�t negotiate. He�ll pass on any deal.�

�Yes.� Michael lowered his voice echoing the reply that Nikita had already announced in her own mind.

�Well if that�s for real, then we�re on our own.�

Michael glanced over at her, a telling look in his eyes.

�We�re going to have to think of something fast if we want to get out of here alive ... or else ...� Nikita took a new breath before continuing, �... or else ... we�re going to die together aren�t we?� she replied softly closing her eyes in despair.

Michael stretched his fingers out towards her. Nikita opened her eyes and felt the rough and warm touch of skin on skin. His fingers brushed the very tips of her fingers straining repeatedly until he managed to grasp them. He squeezed her flesh in his. �Is that so bad?�

Nikita entwined her fingers with his and turned her head to see his piercing gaze wash over her. �No.�

His look filled her heart with emotion. His gaze was open, tender and compassionate. Michael�s eyes pierced her soul and revealed his inner feelings.

�No �� she repeated, �... I wouldn�t want it any other way.� Nikita held his gaze for a long moment, then bit her lip and turned her head away from him so that Michael could not see the tears that welled in her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back at Section One, Birkoff's monitor showed that the parameters of the rescue Mission profile status were set.

�Okay, all teams, you�re in. Start the sequence. Everyone to second mark. We're closing in. We have a fix on Michael and Nikita�s location.�

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Play on text from ... Rescue, DD, TP and TTBH

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

Replies: