| Subject: Chapter 1 |
Author:
Rita
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Date Posted: Saturday, July 28, 07:19:44am
In reply to:
Rita
's message, "TMTC" on Tuesday, July 24, 12:04:39pm
Chapter One
Six months later
Michael was now living alone and under an assumed name of course, in the penthouse suite of an apartment building in an exclusive upper-middle class neighborhood. Posing as a security consultant, Michael had acquired his current home by making a deal with the owner of the building. In exchange for a free consultation and security system upgrade, Michael was allowed to do anything he wanted with his own apartment’s security.
The arrangement worked out well for Michael. The security upgrade had certainly been expensive but Michael had managed to ‘save’ quite a bit while in Section. Plus, Nikita had made sure he received a sizable lump sum ‘pension’ payment before he left Section two years ago. Between the two, Michael had more than enough money for several lifetimes.
Life without Adam had been difficult, but Michael knew he had done the right thing for his son. Diana had come through and found Adam a good home with an affluent family in an upscale suburb of Los Angeles, California.
As much as he had wanted to, Michael had not gotten in touch with Nikita these past few months either. He’d kept tabs on her and the organization through his own resources, but he hadn’t made any contact with anyone since he’d left Section.
However, just before he left Michael had given Walter a special PDA, similar to the one he’d given Nikita after the Shays mission all those years ago. Other than Nikita, Walter was the only person in Section he trusted.
Michael had given the older man explicit instructions along with the device. There were only two circumstances for which it was to be used. One was to contact him if Nikita was in trouble. The other was to give it to Nikita if she ever asked for his whereabouts.
Michael hadn’t expected to hear from Nikita for a while – not until she’d been promoted out of Section. To his wary but pleased surprise, Nikita had just recently contacted him. The message had been brief but it had nevertheless stirred up emotions he was sure they’d both buried to get through the last two years.
And now he was waiting for her to come over for dinner.
********
Nikita was nervously pacing the aerie, preparing a contingency. She would be leaving for dinner at Michael’s home in less than an hour and her original plans for the night had to be revised out of necessity. She wasn’t happy with the changes, but she knew it had to be done. Resigned, she left Quinn in command and left for her dinner engagement.
As the armored limousine drove away from Section, Nikita contemplated the evening ahead. Despite knowing that it would undoubtedly be a long time, if ever, before they’d be able to do it again the thought of seeing Michael in such an intimate environment set her heart beating faster and her pulse racing.
********
At precisely eight o’clock, the security desk called upstairs to inform Michael that his guests had arrived. Sitting at his desk in the den he checked his own security monitor, which was also tapped into the building’s system. Once he made sure it was indeed Nikita (plus her two personal bodyguards) he told security to let them up.
Double checking the front door monitor after his doorbell buzzed, Michael opened the door for Nikita.
“Hi,” Nikita smiled almost shyly while devouring Michael with her eyes.
“Come in,” Michael responded without taking his eyes off her face, equally enthralled.
Nikita stepped past him while her bodyguards positioned themselves in the hallway, one on either side of Michael’s doorway.
Two years apart was a very long time. Their feelings however, had not diminished in the least in that time span. Even though they both knew seeing each other in person would be overwhelming, neither were prepared for *how* overwhelmed they would actually be.
Dinner ended up being late and reheated because everything was put aside. Communicating wordlessly, as they had done for so many years before, they read the need and desire in each other’s eyes. Invitation understood and accepted, Michael took Nikita’s hand and led her to his bedroom.
********
An hour and a half later Nikita and Michael took their after dinner wine over to the living room couch. Conversation during dinner was minimal, each reveling in the fact that they were spending this time together. However, dinner did have to end some time and now they sat down to talk for the first time in two years.
“Are you all right?” Nikita asked, taking a sip of the sweet wine, her apprehension returning now that they were actually talking. “Is there anything you need?”
“I’m fine,” Michael replied, his two years away from Section hardly evident in his now carefully guarded demeanor, a reaction to his sensing the change in Nikita’s mood. “And you?”
“So far, so good.” Nikita smiled sadly. “Most days are bearable.”
“Why are you here?” Michael finally asked after a long pause.
“I missed you.” Nikita confessed, looking away.
“Is that all?” Michael asked, surprised. He’d expected Nikita to ask for his help, had purposely given her an opening to do so.
As if in answer to his question, Michael’s vision blurred and a feeling of déjà vu swept over him. This time however, he didn’t even have a chance to react. He’d barely registered the sensation before he lost consciousness, the wineglass dropping to the floor from nerveless fingers as his head fell against the back of the couch.
Shaking her head sadly at what she was about to do, Nikita sighed, walked quickly to the door and opened it before she changed her mind.
Motioning inside, she ordered her two bodyguards, “Take him.”
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