Chapter 146 -- LFN Storyboard 2

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Date Posted: 19:45:03 01/12/08 Sat
Author: taurus2124
Author Host/IP: CPE-124-188-2-98.nsw.bigpond.net.au / 124.188.2.98
Subject: Chapter 146
In reply to: taurus2124 's message, "The Rising Dragons ... continued ..." on 20:19:07 12/29/07 Sat

Chapter 146

In next to no time Michael wasn't surprised to discover that he had reached his destination. Finding himself in front of Nikita's apartment building he parked his car, got out and raced inside the building making his way to her floor in swift haste. The corridor was deserted. His heartbeats sounded overly loud in his ears as he neared her door hoping that he would find Nikita at home. He couldn't let himself believe the alternative but braced himself for the worst if not. Looking around surreptitiously Michael paused for a few seconds as he stood in the hallway outside her apartment before knocking on the door.

But there was no answer.

Lifting his hand, he knocked again ... louder this time. There was still no response even though he�d seen her car parked below in the underground parking lot. Reaching into his pocket he removed the U-key he�d brought with him. Inside her apartment, the security monitor showed him standing outside but unbeknownst to Michael this was the only life in an otherwise eerie quietness. He checked the door then inserted the key into the lock, jiggling it somewhat until he heard a soft click. As the lock clicked open, Michael twisted the knob and slowly pushed the door slightly open.

Drawing his gun he quietly entered and once inside closed the door behind him and looked around. The interior of the room was bathed in the early evening glow of the illuminated buildings around the harbour coming to life. He�d become quite familiar with her apartment in the last couple of days and Michael felt the presence of her touch. Nikita had made it a home ... a safe haven for the two of them. Hesitantly, he stepped forward looking around then entered further into her apartment. Michael�s eyes scrutinized the room. It was empty ... no Nikita. There was no sign of her at home. As he walked through her apartment nothing appeared to be out of place and there were no signs of any struggle or of a disturbance.

Except for the relentless ringing of the phone peeling on the bureau drawer, the apartment was deserted. He moved to answer the phone but the caller had hung up before he reached the handset. He immediately noticed the flashing red button on her answering machine indicating that Nikita had been left some messages when people had failed to find her at home too. Michael checked her message bank.

Lifting the receiver he depressed the play button to reclaim the left messages. He listened as the recording listed the amount and time of the messages.

You have three new messages. No saved messages. Message received today at 7.15pm

�Hi Nik ... Just letting you know I�ve returned home from my interview at Police Headquarters. Boy was that an eye opener! We�ll have to compare notes. Let me know okay.�

Then there was another an hour later...

�Hey where are you girl? Getting your hair done hmm? ... Can�t talk long I�m on my way out again ... it�s work. I wanted to wish you luck with your dinner date with Andy tonight ... Have fun and don�t do anything I wouldn�t do! I expect to hear all about it when I get back from my business trip in two or three days. Gotta go Bye. Catch you soon."

Although Karen was the last caller one message in particular stood out.

"Nikita my dear ...

I was so looking forward to our dinner date tonight but regretfully I will be unable to make it. I have unexpectedly been called away on business about my nightclub for the next few days and the police also need to interview me before I go. I do apologise but I will contact you as soon as I return to reschedule. Please accept my apologies and my rain check. I�ll be thinking of you ... until next time.

Andy"

Michael closed his eyes in worried concern.

Was Andy Koo responsible for Nikita�s disappearance? Were her neighbour Karen Ho and her boyfriend responsible? If so they would pay dearly. What if it was Inspector Jiang Ng who had arranged Nikita�s disappearance?

Dread at that scenario flashed through Michael�s brain for they would never know if he was party to her vanishing as he�d already met his demise at Section One.

With staunch determination he started his search in the living room. Michael looked around the room then made his way through her apartment looking for any small clues of a struggle or disturbance of any kind to indicate that Nikita had been taken, but the room was clean and nothing was disturbed. Seeing that the balcony doors were wide open, swinging in the breeze, Michael quickly strode toward them. Nikita had obviously left them open to have a cup of tea on her balcony and enjoy the view. Although he found a used tea cup on the small table in the alcove there were no other clues on the balcony, but she had probably left that from this morning.

Re-entering the apartment Michael quickly climbed the stairs to Nikita's bedroom where he saw her night attire scattered on the bed.

He stared at the crumpled remains of the bed linen that lay in a tangle on the floor. Their lovemaking this morning had been playful and intense but they had left the bedroom as they left it when Nikita had been called into the OCTB and a while later when Birkoff had alerted him to the change in plans for Inspector Ng and his subsequent return to Section for the interrogation. The evidence of their coupling was a poignant reminder that tonight they would have repeated their dalliances now that the dinner date was cancelled. He stepped around them and looked in the closets but found nothing. Her clothes were all there nothing was disturbed. The sexy little red dress Nikita had chosen to wear for this evening was hanging on a hanger, but everything was as it should be. Knowing that her dinner date had been cancelled Michael was surprised that she hadn�t contacted him of Andy Koo�s change of plans ... but then again she may not have been able to do so. She may not have even known that Andy Koo had left a message on her answering machine. There weren�t any clues in the bedroom so he continued to her bathroom.

Nikita had not showered as the towels and shower stall were dry. So too was the bath. Next he checked the kitchen and saw that Nikita had placed another rose in a bud vase and had left it on the counter where they�d made such explosive love. Michael couldn�t help but catch his breath. Memories of their lovemaking here flashed through his mind too ... of Nikita in the throes of passion so responsive to his body, and of their simultaneous capitulation ... memories of him lying beside her and watching her sleep and then of waking up with her. It was too painful having these thoughts as Nikita was nowhere to be found. Shaking those reminiscences from his mind, Michael anxiously made his way back into the lounge room having found no trace of Nikita anywhere in her apartment.

He paused, his face thoughtful as Michael tried to understand what had transpired and where Nikita might be. Surely there would be some evidence of her having come back to her apartment after the Flash Mission? It bothered him that it appeared as though Nikita had not returned at all as she had planned even though her car was in the parking lot. Had she simply gone out or had something happened to her before she had reached her apartment?

Michael took a deep breath fearing the worst. Something was not right ... there was no sign of forced entry. Nothing was disturbed. Where was she and why hadn�t she made her rendezvous as agreed? A feeling of cold dread coursed through him. Something had happened to her, he could sense it. Something was definitely wrong. The very thing he had feared had eventuated ... Nikita was missing and there was nothing to indicate that it had occurred in her apartment or for that matter who was responsible. Michael breathed deeply. He felt as if his heart had been ripped out. But before he left her apartment, he decided to try once more to contact Nikita on her cell phone.

Relief registered on his face when he heard a voice.

�Hello?�

�Jos-e-phine.�

�Who is this?� a strange voice answered.

Standing quietly in the centre of the room, Michael pensively closed his eyes allowing the shock and pain to course through his body. He knew that having these emotions was, and always would be, dangerous, but at that moment it didn't matter. His initial relief at hearing someone answer Nikita�s cell phone was now clouded by real concern for her safety. She must have dropped her cell phone and somebody must have found and tampered with it.

�Where did you get this phone?� he demanded, but Michael was met with stony silence from whoever had her cell phone. The caller had disengaged.

He knew for certain now that Nikita had indeed been kidnapped. But by who ... who would want to take her and why? Where was she?

Nikita could be anywhere in this city of millions.

The real concern for Michael was that people who went missing in China were often never found. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack but he would find her and those who had captured her would regret doing so. If they harmed a single hair on her head he would not be held responsible for his actions. Digging deep inside himself for the cold, calculating and logical rationalism of his personality Michael let it take control of his emotions. He could not let sentiment cloud his judgement for he needed to keep a level head if he was going to find her. Opening his eyes slowly a steely determination registered on his face. Placing his gun inside his jacket, Michael left and closed the apartment door after him.

Having found no trace of Nikita, he knew exactly what he would do. Michael headed to retrieve the security tape of the parking area before returning to Section One to use its facilities to find her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~
Play on Text from ... Last Night

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