Part 1--
I can't say anything, Vixen realized as soon as it was out of her mouth. He probably doesn't even remember having an older sister.
She looked at the picture again. The little boy she saw in it was the spitting image of Nik's son Matthias. "His little boy looks just like him," she mumbled.
Vixen heard people coming down the hall and quickly replaced the photo in the envelope and put it back in its hiding place in her footlocker. She could feel herself shaking at the realization that her baby brother not only survived, but had been living near, and training with, her for years.
"Vix... you okay, girl?" she heard Kylee say.
She cleared her head, then replied, "Yeah, Ky, I'm good. Just thinking too much I guess."
"Well, good," Kylee said. "Sus and I are going out for a bit with Julia and Ryan. You want to come along?"
Vixen thought about it for a few minutes, then said,
"No, I think I'll stay in tonight. I have some things I want to get done that I've been putting off."
"Okay," Kylee said. "I'll see you bright and early in the morning then."
"You know it, girl," Vixen said as Kylee left.
After she was sure that she was alone, Vixen tried to remember a couple of things from her past. One was any memory at all with Nik in it.
The other was her original name.
----------
"Do we get to keep him, Mama?" Veronika asked as she admired the baby boy in her mother's arms.
"Yes, my dear," her mother said; "He's your baby brother."
"I always wanted a little brother or sister," Veronika said. "All my friends at school have brothers and sisters, now I have one, too!"
"Yes, Veronika, and you'll be great friends, too," her mother said.
"But I'm seven, Mama," Veronika said. "How can the baby and I be friends?"
"You'll grow up together and have fun together, and learn together. You can teach him a lot just by being older," Mama said.
"Oh," said Veronika, not really understanding what her mother meant. Then she asked,
"Mama, why does he have such light colored hair?"
"Because your father does," Mama said. "Or, he did. It got darker as he got older, and I think Nikolai's will too."
"Why did you name him Nikolai, Mama?"
"That was your grandfather's name, God rest his soul," said Mama. "You don't remember him. He died when you were a baby."
"It's a nice name."
"Papa and I thought so, too," Mama said. "That's why we named him that."
Just then, the baby woke up and started fussing. "I think someone is hungry," Mama said. "Veronika, could you help your Papa with dinner?"
"Yes, Mama," Veronika said as she left the room.
----------
"Veronika? Nikolai?" Vixen mumbled as she woke up from an unintended nap. She looked around and realized she was still alone.
Is Nik's real name Nikolai? And who's Veronika? Vixen asked herself.
This is just too much, she thought. I have to find out the truth about all this.
Only thing that concerned her was: could she ask Dan Donegan to research her past?
----------
Papers were drawn up ordering the arrest of David Draiman, Julia Terranova, Nikolai San Marco, and Jeremiah Donovan.
"I don't care how you get them here," the Captain said sternly, "just get those bastards here by any means possible."
"Draiman will be hard to catch," one non-com said. "It's easier to catch a cold."
"I want the girl first," the Captain said. "I'm certain that she's the 'SpineSplitter'. If you have to kill anyone to get to her, I don't care. She is the one who has the best skills. Without her, the BlackOps team or whatever the fuck they call themselves, are useless. The other two are Draiman's bodyguards/enforcers. We have to get through them to get to Draiman."
"We'll do our best to get these Undesirable assholes under our control," a seargent said. "No matter how long it takes."
"The girl first, though," the Captain said. "I have plans for her."
The Captain dismissed his troops and headed back to his office.
Every time he thought about Julia Terranova being under his control, it excited him. She will submit to me, and to any other man who wants her, he thought cruelly. He was not beyond rape to get what he wanted.
He remembered another young woman with whom he tried to persuade to talk by subjecting her to a platoon of prison guards. He was young then, too, and loved to assault this bitch every chance he got.
The Captain got up and locked his office door. Then sat back down in his chair. He reached inside his uniform trousers and released the hardness his cruel desires created.
He then masturbated to his thoughts of the young woman he wanted as his prisoner, begging him not to rape her.
"Stupid whore," he said aloud just before his climax; "You will be my bitch, and you'll like it. Let's see how badass you are after I get through with you!"
He then ejaculated into his wastepaper basket.
"You're mine, Julia Terranova," he said in a wicked tone of voice. "And you'll have nothing to say about the matter."
----------
"Did Vixen say why she didn't want to come along?" Julia asked Kylee when she and Susie arrived at the apartment Julia shared with Ryan.
"Just that she had some things to do that she'd been meaning to take care of," said Kylee.
"I'm worried about her, Ky," Julia said. "She has the same kind of blank outs my mom has. And Vixen is under much more stress than my mother is."
"We tried to get her to change her mind," Susie said; "But Vixen was insistant that she wanted to stay behind."
"She's kinda stubborn like that," said Julia. "I've always noticed that about her. It makes her good at what she does, but it can also work against her."
Ryan came into the room then and asked,
"You ladies ready to hit the big town?"
Julia laughed. "Ryan, it's only dinner in Chicago! It's not like we're clubbing or anything. I couldn't get into a club anyway."
"We can make it as fun as we want it to be," Ryan said. "Just imagine the guys who will be jealous of me being accompanied by three fine looking ladies."
"You're such a big talker, Ryan," Susie laughed. "And I don't think Julia is willing to share that much of you with me and Kylee."
"Oh, I don't know," Julia said, winking; "it might be fun!"
"The three of you would kill me!" Ryan exclaimed, his face turning red.
"You might enjoy the floor show, baby," Julia said, teasingly.
"Maybe we should go before we get outselves into something we can't get out of," Kylee said. "Off to the big town!"
The four of them left, and none aware that they were being watched.
----------
Jordan was reading in bed when David came to join her.
"Another PR journal, Jordan?" asked David playfully. "You don't know everything about public relations yet?"
"Things change all the time, David," said Jordan as she put the journal aside. "I have to be able to keep up."
"You do a wonderful job with the publicity for the rallies, baby," he said; "Have I told you that lately?"
"Only all the time!" said Jordan. "Good thing I don't let it go to my head, or I might become this impossible PR diva!"
"I've had my fill of divas," David said as he slipped under the covers with his wife; "PR or otherwise, and you'll never, ever be a diva. You're too levelheaded for that, my angel."
He leaned toward her to kiss her and she met him half way. They snuggled under the covers together, kissing and caressing each other.
"God, Jordan, you're so incredible," David sighed. "You complete my life. I love you more than mere words could express."
Jordan snuggled up against David's body. She didn't say anything at first, then,
"There are no words for what we share, my love. I sometimes wonder where I'd be if I hadn't met you all those years ago after I escaped from prison."
"You don't have to wonder, Jordan," David said, getting on his knees and straddling Jordan's body. She spread her legs to accomodate him.
"I want you, David," she said urgently as he pressed himself against her. "Take me hard and fast, my love."
"Anything my angel desires," David said as he entered her. He was always amazed how ready she was for him. He took her as she requested: hard and fast.
He enjoyed her when she was in these kinds of moods. Lately, hard and fast is how she wanted him to love her. Six months without sexual contact did that to her, David thought.
He took her to several orgasms before he himself let go deep inside her. To hear her cries as she climaxed the final time pushed him over the edge.
He collapsed, exhausted, beside her. "Baby, you still wear me out in the sack," he said. "I thought we were supposed to slow down when we got older."
"We're going to have a bunch of little ones here soon," said Jordan as she kissed David's sweaty scalp; "We have to be able to keep up."
"True," he concurred, "but do you have to practically kill me in bed?"
"That's what you get when you marry a hot Italian broad from Boston, my dear," Jordan said, smiling.
"And I got the hottest one of all," David said. "Thank God! Did you do this to poor Jacob, too?"
"Damn straight I did," said Jordan. "How do you think we got Julia, hmmm?"
"Oi vey..." David said.
----------
Part 2--
The adults at Christine's house in the Arlington Sector were discussing plans for dinner. Christine's son, JT, would be home shortly from school.
"There's this place in town that serves this great meatloaf," Christine said; "JT begs me to take him there all the time."
Miranda had a look on her face that told the others that meatloaf wasn't her thing.
"I love meatloaf, personally," Chris said. "Nothing beats comfort food, and it's been a while since I had good meatloaf!"
"Randa," Christine said; "there are other things on the menu at O'Malley's other than meatloaf." She handed Miranda a take out menu.
"I'll look this over," Miranda laughed; "I don't want to be a party pooper and disappoint my nephew."
"I think I'll get the meatloaf, too," Rebekah said. "Though they do have a great buffet on Sundays."
JT came in the door at that moment and seeing a stranger in the house, asked Chris,
"Who are you?"
"My name is Chris," he said. "I'm going to work for Director Cooper."
"JT," said Rebekah; "Chris is a friend of mine. I didn't know he'd been recruited by your Aunt Miranda until I brought him here."
The boy looked wary. "How did you meet him, Beckers?"
"JT!" said his mother, surprised that her son would give a total stranger the third degree.
"Well, JT," said Rebekah, "when I lived here before, I took the bus a lot, and Chris was one of the people waiting for the same bus. We got to talking and found out we had a lot in common. Then I left to go to Chicagoland, and I ran into him on my walk this morning."
Rebekah hated to lie to JT, but she didn't think Christine would approve of her telling JT how she and Chris really met. JT seemed to be satisfied with that answer.
"JT, we're ordering in from O'Malley's," Christine said; "do you want the meatloaf?"
"Do fish swim? Of course I want the meatloaf!" JT said.
"Good, so four meatloaf dinners and whatever Aunt Miranda wants," Christine said, noticing that Miranda was still looking over the menu.
"I'll have the Yankee Pot Roast," she said. "I never did acquire a taste for meatloaf. We didn't eat it when I was growing up."
"Why not, Aunt Miranda?" asked JT.
"Because my family is Jewish and we don't eat pork," she said. "And I still don't, though your cousins and your uncle do."
That remark went right over JT's head, Christine thought to herself.
"JT, you need to get started on your homework, son," said Christine.
"Yes, Mom," he said, and dragged his backpack to the kitchen table.
While JT was doing his homework, Christine and the others discussed where Chris would stay.
"Could he stay in those apartments that Julia and I stayed in the last time we were here?" asked Rebekah. To Chris she said, "The Agency owns the building, and a couple of apartments are always kept for visitors."
"I could check on that," Christine said. "I'm pretty sure that we could accomodate him for a couple of days, until Miranda is ready to return to Tidewater."
"We'd need to leave at least by Friday," said Miranda. "I have training scheduled for Saturday."
"I could be ready to go on Friday," Chris said; "I really have nowhere else to go."
"That's good," Miranda said. "The training is tough, and you're going to be trained by some of the best. I hope you don't mind that one of your trainers is my 21 year old son. He's lived this life since childhood and has trained some of our best agents."
"I don't have a problem with that, Madame Director," Chris said. "Whatever I need to do to learn how to perform my new duties properly, I'll do."
"Your military background will certainly help you," said Miranda. "Just forget all the crap the New Army taught you about their 'government' and you'll be fine."
"I never believed in their ideals anyway," Chris said; "especially after I learned they killed my sister. I hated myself for being part of the machine that led to her death."
Christine, who had been on the phone, came back over to where Miranda, Rebekah and Chris were standing.
"Two pieces of good news," she said; "First, there is an apartment available for Chris to stay in while he's here; and two, I've placed our order with O'Malley's and will pick up dinner in about an hour. After dinner, Rebekah will take Chris over to his temporary lodgings."
"Sounds good," said Miranda. Chris and Rebekah nodded in agreement.
----------
"You'll never know what hit you, you Resistance bitch," the man following a female Disturbed One said under his breath.
His assignment was to follow this particular Disturbed One, to find out where she went and who she saw.
What he didn't know was that he was following the wrong woman. He was just told to go to the Montpelier Sector and follow a woman named Rebekah Mannion. He'd been given a picture, and he found his target pretty easily.
He would be given further orders to kill her, however for now, he was just to stalk her every move.
The stalker made one key error.
In his haste to start his assignment, he forgot that he, too, could be followed. He was careless with his materials, and at some point, left the photograph of his target behind.
To be found by, of all people, her father.
----------
He'd seen the young man leave the internet cafe and noticed that he had forgotten something.
Grabbing the package that was left on the table where the young man sat for the better part of two hours, he headed out the door, but he couldn't see the young man in either direction, so he came back inside.
Looking inside the folder for a name or a phone number, he discovered two things: one was that the young man was an Illegals assassin; and two, his target apparently was a young woman with whom the finder was very familiar.
Luke Terranova, Sr. just about lost his lunch.
"That's a picture of Jordana!" he said under his breath. "The Illegals want to take my other daughter away from me, too? Losing Jessikah wasn't bad enough?"
On the back of the photograph, Luke discovered some written notes.
Name: Rebekah Mannion
Age: between 21 and 26 years of age
Gender: Female
Height: five-foot-three to five-foot-five
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown, possibly Hazel
Reason for Targetting: Resistance assassin
Oh dear Lord, thought Luke. They think Jordana is an assassin? That's absurd! It was Jessikah who liked to shoot when they were young.
Luke noted the name "Mannion" and recognized it immediately as his late wife's maiden name.
Maybe it's a coincidence, he thought. It's not an uncommon name around here.
"Hey, Luke," the propriator of the internet cafe said to him, "whatcha got there?"
"I'm not sure," said Luke; "Just some papers and this picture." He handed the items over to his friend to look at.
"That's your daughter, isn't it?" he asked Luke.
"Sure looks like her."
"No, it is, Luke. Look," the propriator said; "this girl has that same scar at her hairline that Jordana has; from the accident where her sister was killed."
"I noticed that," Luke said, "but I don't want to believe that the Illegals want to kill my daughter!"
"Makes you wonder who she pissed off, huh?"
"The only problem I have with this is the name on the back," Luke said. "I don't know anyone named 'Rebekah Mannion'."
"Someone related to MG, perhaps? Wasn't that her name before she married you?"
"Mannion was, yes," Luke said. "I don't know of any relatives named Rebekah though."
"You should tell Jordana about this," the propriator said.
"No, I don't want her to worry," Luke said; "I know who I can call."
"Who?"
"My sister."
"You have a sister? I've known you for thirty years, Luke, and you've never mentioned a sister."
"She was a little girl when I left home," Luke said. "Then my father disowned her for some really stupid reasons. I reconnected with her back in January after she became ill. I have three nieces I didn't know about."
"What's her name?"
"Jordan," Luke said. "Jordan Draiman is the name she goes by now."
"Wait! The wife of the Disturbed Ones leader is your sister?!"
"Yes," Luke said. "And I have to say, David's a pretty nice guy, and he loves my sister very much."
"Wow," the propriator said, "this is too surreal."
----------
Noah woke up in the hospital, but that's all he knew about his surroundings.
"Where the fuck am I?" he asked aloud to the empty room, "And how did I get here?"
His hand went to his chest to see if the pendant and the jumpdrive were still on a chain around his neck. The necklace was gone!
Noah's last memory was running towards the Chicagoland compound, with armed New Army soldiers chasing him. Then, nothing until waking up just now.
A nurse came in after a few minutes, and Noah asked her, "Where am I? What hospital?"
"This is the Disturbed Ones Medical Center at Chicagoland," she said. "You've been here for about four days. I'll go get your doctor so you can ask her any other questions."
"Thank you," said Noah.
I made it! Noah thought. I made it to Chicagoland! Maybe I was able to give the pendant to someone who took it to David and the band.
"Mr. Paul," the doctor said as she walked into the room, "it's nice that you're awake now. You're pretty banged up. Broken shoulder, gunshot wound. You're going to be here for a while longer while you heal up from your injuries."
"I had a pendant on a chain around my neck the last I remember," he said. "Who has it?"
"I believe that Dan Donegan has it," the doctor said. "The paramedics who brought you in said you handed something to Mr. Donegan before you were put in the ambulance."
"I see," Noah said. "Other than being shot and a broken shoulder, am I in reasonably good health?"
"Your vitals are consistant with the injuries you have, and you were a little dehydrated, but overall I'd say you're in pretty good health for a man your age," said the doctor. "But as I said, you're going to be here a while."
"I'm still alive, and I should be thankful for that," said Noah.
"Indeed," replied the doctor before she left the room.
----------
David called a meeting of the band in his office. When they had all assembled there, David said,
"Brothers, I just got off the phone with Jordan's brother, Luke. There's an Illegals assassin in his area who has orders to kill Rebekah Mannion. There's one huge problem, though."
"What's that?" asked John.
"The assassin is stalking the wrong person," David said. "They're stalking Jordana Terranova."
"Jordan's niece?" Mike asked. "Why would the Illegals be doing that?"
"Because they don't know who Rebekah Mannion is, and they must have gotten intel indicating that Jordana is Rebekah," David said.
"What's the plan, David?" asked Dan. "Do we have Morbus send the real Rebekah to the Montpelier Sector to kill the person stalking Jordana Terranova?"
"No," David said; "I'm sending Julia to do it."
"And Jordan's cool with this?"
"It was Jordan's idea," David said. "See, it was Jordan that Luke called to tell us about this. And since we care enough to send the very best, we're sending Julia. She's getting ready to fly to the Montpelier Sector as we speak."
"I still don't see why we don't send Rebekah to do it," John said. "Julia's family to Jordana; Rebekah isn't."
David knew this was coming, and he decided to let the band in on Rebekah's secret.
"What I'm about to tell you does not go beyond these four walls, understand?" David said. "The reason I'm sending Julia is that Julia hasn't formed an emotional bond with Jordana. Sending Rebekah would be worse. See, Rebekah is much, much closer to the situation that any of you realize."
"How so?" asked Mike.
David sighed. Morbus and Christine had given their permission for him to let the others in on the secret. He only hoped that Rebekah understood why they had to blow her cover.
"Remember when Luke was here, and he mentioned that Jordana had a twin sister who died in a car accident? What I'm telling you is that Jordana's twin didn't die in the accident. She was claimed by the family of a girl who did die in the accident and that other girl was buried in Jessikah Terranova's place. Sending Rebekah to take care of the threat against Jordana would be a bad idea because Rebekah is Jordana's twin. Rebekah Mannion is Jessikah Terranova."
The other three sat in stunned silence. John was the first to speak.
"Julia doesn't know that Rebekah is related to her, does she?"
"No, she doesn't," David said. "Look, I didn't believe it either when Morbus told me months ago. I haven't even told Jordan. That's how Director Collins wants it for now. She had forbidden Rebekah from mentioning to Julia, Jordan, or anyone else who she really is. It's to protect her father, brother, and sister. But now, with this threat against Jordana, it's better that Julia take care of it. It will all be explained to Rebekah later."
"I'd wondered who was buried in Jessikah Terranova's grave," Dan said; "I'd found paperwork on her that indicated that someone else had claimed Jessikah as their own child. I even called Christine about it, and she said not to say anything for the time being."
Before David had a chance to respond, the intercom on his computer chimed, followed by Viki's voice saying,
"David, Julia is here."
"Send her up, Viki."
When Julia got to David's office, she felt that something weird was going on. She noticed that everyone except David was looking at her.
"What are you all staring at?" she asked.
----------
Part 3--
The voice mail on his phone was short and to the point:
"Joshua, the body has been positively identified. I'll be picking you up at one this afternoon to take you to the Regional Coroner's office in Ocean City."
Wow, that was quick, thought Josh, looking at the time on the phone. It was half past twelve. His lawyer would be at the house in half an hour to pick him up.
Good thing it's my day off, he thought, or this could get messy.
He'd already missed a week of work total because of this guy, and to finally know who he is will be a relief.
I hope they don't make me look at him again, Josh thought. Once was enough!
----------
Christine hated to have to allow David to tell the band about Rebekah's identity, but she had agreed with Morbus that sending her to the Montpelier Sector to complete this mission would be counterproductive, given everything she'd already been through. Christine was afraid that Rebekah might breakdown and approach her family to tell them she was still alive.
Christine now looked at Rebekah and Chris talking in the living room, and knew she couldn't spring this information on her. If she could resist heroin now, after learning that her twin sister was in danger would probably send her over the edge. Christine agreed with David to send Julia on the mission instead.
The dinner from O'Malley's was as excellent as promised. JT talked everyone's ears off about how much he loved O'Malley's meatloaf! His mother had to shush him a couple of times so other people could talk, but it always came back to JT and the meatloaf.
"Rebekah, why don't you take Chris over to the apartment now so he can get settled," Christine said.
"Okay," replied Rebekah, then to Chris, said,
"You'll like it there. It's furnished, probably stocked with groceries, and a lot nicer than where you were staying."
"Let's go check it out, then," said Chris. "Any place is better than where I was staying before!"
After Rebekah and Chris left, and JT was in his room, Christine said to Miranda,
"Sometimes, I really hate keeping secrets from her."
"It's for her own protection," said Miranda. "She's too emotionally wound up to do that mission any justice."
"I'm just afraid that she'd go to her family and tell them that she's still alive," Christine said. "And that would put all of them in danger, not just Jordana."
"You're concerned about her relapsing, aren't you?"
"Yes," Christine said; "because if she goes back to that life, we may never get her out."
----------
Julia looked at David and the others like they had all lost their minds.
"What are you looking at?" she asked again.
"Julia," David said, "You understand your assignment?"
"Yes, David," Julia said. "Find the scum who's targetting my cousin and eliminate him." All four men noticed the change in Julia's demeanor. She wasn't a seventeen year old girl anymore. She was in assassin mode.
"Correct, Julia," David said. "Kill the Illegals bastard who thinks Jordana is Rebekah Mannion. For our purposes, 'Rebekah Mannion' is a name that you use on some assignments. The real Rebekah must be protected at all costs. She is not in the frame of mind to do this herself."
"May I make contact with my uncle and cousins after my assignment is completed?"
"If you wish," David said. "But nothing about Rebekah to them. It's just a name for now."
"What is the time frame?"
"As soon as possible," Dan said. "I'll send you updates as needed."
"I'm ready to go," Julia said. "Please tell Ryan where I've gone."
"I will," David said. "Good luck, Julia."
With that, she was gone. None of the four men present saw her leave.
"She's doing that same shit Morbus does," Dan said. "It freaks me out!"
"She is his daughter, after all," said David.
----------
Josh and the lawyer arrived at the Regional Coroner's office at the appointed time. They were met by the coroner himself and ushered into an office. Josh noticed that the Sheriff was not there.
This was noticed by the lawyer as well. "Are we waiting for the Sheriff?"
"No," said the coroner; "He chose not to come at this time. He does not know what I am about to tell you."
"And that is...what?" asked Josh.
"Son," the coroner said, addressing Josh, "the man you found has been positively identified as Neil Douglas Hope. He died approximately two to two and one half months before you found him."
"Holy shit!" said Josh. "So he did just lay down one night and died!"
"That's what our inquiry found," said the coroner. "The President is now a widow. I have notified her security detail of his death. She will find out this afternoon, after they receive a copy of my report."
"So why are you telling us this now, Doctor?" asked the lawyer.
"Because the Sheriff has indicated that he plans on arresting Mr. Rockwell on charges of murder," the coroner said. "I wanted to give you a head's up. He clearly sides with the New Government, and putting people in prisons for things they didn't do is their stock in trade."
"So what do I do to defend myself?" asked Josh.
"I'm sending an official copy of my report with you when you leave," the coroner said. "The sheriff's office will probably doctor the one they get to make any charges against you stick. This way, you have my official report stating that Mr. Hope died because he had an inoperable brain tumor that has been growing long before he sought treatment. Surgery would not have saved him. If anything, had he survived the surgery, he would have been confined to a wheelchair or a skilled nursing facility for the rest of his life."
"Poor man," said Josh. "He probably chose to die than to risk having to live like that."
"That's what I think as well," the coroner said. "If the sheriff tries to blame you for what happened to Mr. Hope, I have my official copy of the autopsy under lock and key; and I'll testify on your behalf."
"That's very generous of you, Doctor," the lawyer said; "But if it is the New Government we're dealing with, your career could be over."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," said the coroner. "I've seen too many people arrested by the New Army and never seen again. I lost a grandson that way just last year. He didn't do anything."
"I see where you're coming from," said the lawyer. "And it's my job to keep Joshua out of a New Government prison."
As Josh and his lawyer got into the car to go back into town, Josh asked,
"That copy of the autopsy report, it's going to be in a safe?"
"Yes, Joshua," the lawyer said. "And I'm the only one with a key. No one will arrest you for something you didn't do. I'll stake my reputation on it."
----------
The senior member of Sarah Kathryn's security detail came to the President's office unannounced.
"This better be good, Frank," Sarah Kathryn growled; "nothing short of World War Three."
"Madame President," Frank said; "I think you're going to need to brace yourself, because I have some bad news for you."
"How bad is bad, Frank? I've certainly gotten bad news before."
"Your husband has been located, Madame President," he said.
"That's great," said Sarah Kathryn. "So how is that bad news. Where was he?"
"On the Delmarva Penninsula, in a house on the beach that had been owned by his late sister."
"Neil had told me about that house, but I assumed that it no longer stood," said Sarah Kathryn. "I didn't even think to have McManus and his team look there. So when is he coming back?"
"He's not, Madame President," Frank said. "Mr. Hope apparently had been at this house since he was released from the mental health facility back in February. I received word just a few moments before I walked in here that Mr. Hope died there in April. His body was found about six weeks ago, and was so badly decomposed that they had to run a battery of tests just to identify him. The coroner there sent me the autopsy report. Mr. Hope apparently had a inoperable brain tumor that had been growing for years."
"He's dead? Is that what you're saying, Frank? That my husband is dead?"
"Yes, Madame President," said Frank. "I'm so very sorry for your loss."
Sarah Kathryn sat in her chair in shock and disbelief. Is this why he wanted a divorce, because of this tumor? It certainly explained his headaches, she thought.
"Thank you, Frank," she said. "Let me deal with this and decide what to do."
"As you wish, Madame President," said Frank. He then left Sarah Kathryn's office. He hadn't gotten ten feet down the hall when he heard her scream.
----------
Part 4--
Vixen couldn't rest until she could find some answers. Specifically, answers about who the hell she really was, whether Nik really was her long lost and long thought dead baby brother, and what could she do to get revenge on the people who did this to her.
In the pocket of her jacket was the picture she had held on to since she was nine years old. The one with the little boy who looked like Nik's son Matthias.
She headed to the compound headquarters building. When she got inside she spoke with Viki, the receptionist.
"Hi, Vixen," Viki said; "What brings you here this afternoon?"
"I know I don't have an appointment, and I'd be willing to wait, but I'd really like to see Dan Donegan if I could, Viki," said Vixen.
"Let me see if he's free," Viki said. "I know you wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."
"You have no idea, Viki," said Vixen.
Viki called up to Dan's office, spoke for a couple of seconds, then hung up the phone. She turned to Vixen and said,
"Dan's in the middle of something, but he should be done in about ten minutes. Fifteen, tops."
"I'll wait," Vixen said.
She sat in the reception area and played with the corner of the envelope that contained the photo. She was understandibly nervous. If this panned out the way she hoped it would, it would answer a lot of questions about her life before being kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery.
Who the fuck am I? she thought; Who am I really?
"Vixen?" she heard Viki ask.
Vixen looked up.
"Dan will see you now," said Viki.
"Oh, okay," Vixen said.
She went up to the fourth floor and walked into Dan's office. Dan was typing at his computer. When he saw Vixen enter, he said,
"What can I do for the lovely Ms. Vincent today?"
"I'm hoping you can answer some questions for me."
"Such as?"
Vixen laid the picture on Dan's desk. He picked it up and looked at it. Vixen saw his eyes grow wide briefly.
"Where did you get this, Vixen?" he asked.
"I've had it in my possesion since I was about nine years old."
"I ask," Dan said, "because I've seen this picture somewhere before, many years ago."
Vixen was surprised. "You have?"
"Yes," said Dan. "I think it's still in my database. It might not be because it was so long ago, but let me check."
Dan clicked on the keyboard a few strokes until he found what he was looking for.
The picture that Vixen laid on his desk was also in his files.
In Nik's adoption file.
NAME: Nikolai Gunter Belov
AGE: 3 years, nine months
PLACED WITH: San Marco, Peter and Kiera
NAME CHANGED (Y/N): Y
FAMILY STATUS: Both parents and older sister deceased or assumed deceased. No other living relatives.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF ADOPTION (MO/YR ONLY): June, 2001
CHILD AGE AT ADOPTION: 4 years, 3 months.
OTHER CHILDREN IN ADOPTED HOUSEHOLD: Terranova, Julia Rachel (GUARDIANSHIP ONLY)
OTHER CHILD(REN)'S AGE(S): 12 months
My God, Dan thought, Vixen is Nik's sister! She's the little girl in this photograph! And her real name is Veronika!
----------
"Well, what did you find?" asked Vixen.
"Do you know who the little boy in this picture is, Vixen?" asked Dan.
"My brother, I'm assuming."
"What else would you like me to find out for you?" Dan asked.
"My real name, my real age," Vixen said, "and if Nik San Marco is my brother."
"What makes you think your age is wrong?"
"Because I remember hearing something about making me older so that they could send me out to hook sooner," Vixen said. "I turned my first trick at thirteen. I don't remember having my tenth, eleventh, or twelfth birthdays though. I matured early, so maybe that's why they changed my age. I seem to remember being seven when my brother was born. So if my brother is now twenty, I must be twenty-seven, and not almost thirty."
"I can see if I can find out how old you really are and your real name," Dan said. "You used to be known as Amanda Amador, that much I know from Morbus' files when he recruited you. To find out if you and Nik are related, I'll need you to give up some blood so we can run a DNA test. We do them routinely now, but when we first recruited you, we didn't do them unless there was a compelling reason to."
"I don't want Nik to know about any of this," Vixen said. "He probably doesn't remember having a sister. Julia is the only sister he knows."
"How about after we find out, and it's determined that you are related to him?" asked Dan.
"Let me think about that, okay?" asked Vixen. "I don't want to cause undue stress on Nik or his family."
"Fair enough," Dan said. "I'll make an appointment for you to get blood drawn for a DNA test. I'll give the info to Morbus. He should be back from the Arlington Sector tomorrow or Friday."
"Is Rebekah coming with him?"
"Rebekah is staying in Arlington for a little while longer," Dan said. "She needed a break."
"I know she was taken aback by that assignment we had been offered," Vixen said; "as was I. We talked about it briefly on the way back to the dorms. None of the other girls know about that though."
"Your secrets, and Rebekah's, are safe with me, Vixen," Dan said.
"Thank you," said Vixen.
----------
"Madame President!" Frank yelled as he ran back to Sarah Kathryn's office. Once there, he saw her on the floor, screaming and crying. She was seemingly out of control emotionally.
A crowd started to gather in the outer office. Frank went out and barked,
"Get me a damn doctor! The President just got some bad news regarding her husband!"
Within minutes, the doctor was there giving Sarah Kathryn a sedative. As she fell into unconsciousness, she mumbled, "Let me die, please just let me die!"
"She needs to be in bed until this wears off," the doctor said. "She'll need to deal with her grief, then inform the nation of her husband's passing."
"I'll make sure she gets back to her quarters," Frank said. "Can we use a stretcher, because I'm sure as hell not going to carry her fat ass back there!"
"Of course," the doctor said.
Once Sarah Kathryn was back in her quarters, her staff had instructions to let her sleep. The doctor and his staff would monitor her health throughout the night.
If learning about his death wasn't bad enough, she would be shocked to learn what he left her in his will.
Nothing.
----------
Rebekah and Chris got to the apartment that Christine had arranged for Chris to use while he was in town. He found that Rebekah wasn't kidding about how it looked. It was indeed nicely furished, close to Director Collins' home, and stocked with three days worth of meals and incidentals.
"Wow, Bekah, this is some spread!" Chris said. "I could live here forever!"
"I told you," Rebekah laughed; "Much better than that shithole you called home until last night."
"Oh, yeah it is," he said. Then, "Bekah, stay with me?"
"I don't think Christine would mind too much," Rebekah said. "I'll call her in a bit. Besides, we still need to get to know each other better."
Without another word, Chris kissed Rebekah and she responded. It was a sweet, sensual kiss that could have led straight to the bedroom, as it had the night before. But it didn't, and for once, Rebekah was glad.
"Wow," she said; "I don't think I've ever been kissed like that!"
"Like what?"
"Like you mean it, and not because you want to get me into bed."
"That's because," Chris said, "I do mean it. I want you to stay, have a snack with me, talk all night, fall asleep at dawn. I've never really had that kind of relationship with a girl before. Sad, isn't it? I'm nearly thirty-one years old, and have never really been in love."
"If it makes you feel better," Rebekah said, "the last time I felt this close to a guy was with my high school boyfriend. When I was 'killed' in the car accident, he left town. I have no idea where he is now."
"Maybe this will be a fresh start down that road for both of us," Chris said; "but I don't want to go any faster than you're willing to go. We both have a lot of trust issues. I'm glad you trusted me last night with your body. I'd never take advantage of you the way you had been before. That's just not my style."
"What about when you go to Tidewater later this week?" asked Rebekah. "I know I can't come with you. If Vince Cooper is anything like Morbus, there's no fraternizing with the opposite gender, even after hours. I'd just be in the way, and you need to concentrate fully on your training."
"That's what I'd been told, but Bekah, I'd like to continue to see you after my training is over," said Chris.
"I'd like that," Rebekah said. "I'll probably be back in Chicagoland by then."
"Let's see what happens, okay?"
"That's okay with me, Chris," Rebekah said. "I think I'd really like that."
----------
Julia was on her way to the Montpelier Sector to take care of some "family" business.
She was to report to the Disturbed Ones office to get information about the man she was looking for. Then to a local cyber cafe to meet with her Uncle Luke.
How dare the Illegals target Jordana like that! Julia thought blackly. She's never done anything to anyone except be related to me and Mom. Whoever is targetting her, they will feel my wrath!
After landing and getting off the jet, a car was waiting to take her to the office to get her information.
"It's an honor to meet you, Julia," the Commander in Charge of the Montpelier Sector said. "We had been told that Chicagoland was sending the best shooter they have, and here you are."
"What do I need to know about the Illegals combatant, Commander?" asked Julia.
"Everything we have on him is in this file. He's local, recruited by the Regional Leader," the Commander said. "What really sucks is that this is someone that Jordana Terranova knows, so were he to face her, she'd have no idea how much danger she is in until it was too late."
"Does Jordana have any idea of the danger she's in?" asked Julia.
"No. Her father wanted it this way," said the Commander; "Apparently she's a bit excitable. A by-product of losing her twin sister years ago."
"Was Jordana's twin identical or fraternal?" Julia asked. "Reason I ask is that I have fraternal twin half sisters." Julia already knew the answer to her question, but she wanted see how much the Commander knew about Jordana's family. "My sisters resemble each other, but that's it."
"Jordana and Jessikah were identical twins," the Commander said. "When they were little girls, no one but their parents and brother could tell them apart."
"I see," Julia said, satisfied with the Commander's answer. She continued,
"I understand that I'm to meet my uncle at a cyber cafe here in town?"
"Yes," said the Commander. "Your uncle is a part owner of the Bits n Bytes Cyber Cafe. It's an institution in town, and it does great business."
"When will I be going over there?"
"Now that you have your orders and information about the assassin," said the Commander; "we could head over there now."
"Lead the way, Commander," said Julia.
----------
Luke Terranova, Sr., paced in the back room of the Bits n Bytes. He was nervous on two fronts: one, his daughter was in danger; and two, it was his sister's daughter coming to save her cousin's life.
"Luke, geez, calm down, would ya?" Chase, the day manager, said. "Everyone in the Resistance knows Julia Terranova is the best at what she does. What are you so antsy about?"
"Because she's my niece, Chase," Luke said. "I know she's good with weapons, but she's still family."
"Okay, Luke, I'll grant you that," said Chase. "This is one of the three nieces you didn't know about until earlier this year, isn't she?"
"Yes," said Luke; "the other two are Jordan's daughters with David Draiman. Julia's father is deceased."
The chime on the front door sounded and Luke and Chase went out into the main part of the cafe.
Luke was taken aback by the tiny girl with punk rock short hair wearing all black. This can't be the same teenage girl I met back in January, he thought. This girl looks like a trained killer, and not like Jordan's daughter.
"Commander, it's good to see you again," Luke said. To Julia he said, "You are who I think you are, right?"
"Yes, Uncle Luke, it's me," Julia said.
"You look so...um, different."
"This is my uniform, of sorts," said Julia. "Sorry if it's not what you expected, but you do want your daughter to live, right?"
Luke noticed the tone of voice Julia used. She was all business. She sounds like she could end my life at any second if I screwed her over, Luke thought.
"Of course."
They all went into a back office and discussed what would go down that night.
"My intel indicates that Jordana's would be assassin would strike tonight," Julia said. "The Commander gave me information about the killer. There's also a picture of him so I have some idea what he looks like."
"May I see the picture?" asked Luke.
The Commander slid the photograph across the desk to Luke. When he saw it, he gasped. It's Jared's brother, he thought.
"I know this guy," Luke said. "His younger brother dated Jessikah before she died. This guy's name is James Hurst. Jared was his younger brother. Jared left the area after Jessikah's funeral. James stuck around, getting into trouble."
"How much younger was Jared than his brother?" Julia asked.
"I think he was three years older than Jared," Luke said. "Jared was a freshman in college when Jessikah died. When she graduated the following spring, she was going to attend the same college. Jared dropped out of school and disappeared."
Julia thought she better get some additional information about James and Jared Hurst. She sent a message to Dan Donegan to look up any info he could find on either one of them.
Dan messaged her back within ten minutes, saying that the information she asked for was on its way, and that she could access it from a secure computer.
"Are any of the computers here secure?" asked Julia.
"Just this one," Luke said, indicating the laptop sitting on the desk in the office.
"I'll need to use it," Julia said. "I have additional information coming."
"Here," Luke said, turning the laptop around so Julia could use it.
She went to a specific website and typed in a code. The information that Dan sent was listed at the top of the page.
The information was this:
THIS INFORMATION IS FOR JT00 ONLY.
HURST, JAMES MICHAEL
DOB: 05031989
AGE: 28
HEIGHT: 70 INCHES
WEIGHT: 175 LBS
HAIR: DARK BROWN, WAVY
EYES: BROWN
OCCUPATION: ESPIONAGE AGENT, NEW ARMY
WHEREABOUTS: UNKNOWN
===
HURST, JARED SCOTT
DOB: 06191993
AGE: 24
HEIGHT: 72 INCHES
WEIGHT: 175 LBS
HAIR: LIGHT BROWN, WAVY
EYES: BLUE
OCCUPATION: UNKNOWN
WHEREABOUTS: UNKNOWN
===
TERRANOVA, JESSIKAH MARIE
DOB: 10011995
AGE: --
HEIGHT: 63 INCHES
WEIGHT: 105 LBS
HAIR: DARK BROWN, LONG, WAVY
EYES: BROWN
OCCUPATION: --
WHEREABOUTS: DECEASED JUNE 2012
October first is Jessikah's birthday? Julia thought. That's Rebekah's birthday! It's got to be a coincidence.
At least Dan's information cleared up one thing in Julia's mind-- Jessikah's grieving boyfriend isn't the man she's assigned to kill. Dan's information included the last known photo of Jared, and he and the man who's assigned to hit Jordana don't even look close enough to be brothers.
"Commander," Julia said; "I'm ready to start my assignment." To Luke and Chase, she said, "The website I accessed will not show up in your computer's history. It will be like I was never there."
Before either Luke or Chase knew it, Julia was gone. Even the Commander was at a loss for words.
"How the fuck she does that," the Commander offered as explanation, "I have no idea."
----------
Part 5--
Following Jordana around was a piece of cake for Julia. The girl really is rather boring, she thought. Work, lunch, back to work, gym, home, walk the dog... Julia didn't see how any reasonable person would think this girl was a trained assassin. But then again, Julia thought, the Illegals are not reasonable people. Julia was at a loss to explain to anyone how the New Government's collective mind worked. All she knew is that they're going to assassinate someone who hasn't done anything other than support the cause.
And that it was her job to stop it.
But in following her cousin, Julia also found the man who was tasked with killing her.
Prepare to die, scumbag, Julia thought as she saw James Hurst shadowing Jordana's every move. No one, no-fucking-one, threatens my family and lives to tell the tale.
The man appeared to be unarmed, but Julia's training told her that was no guarantee. Everyone was armed unless proven otherwise. Peter had taught her that when she was eight years old, and Morbus reinforced that lesson when she was fifteen.
When Jordana finally went home, Julia knew that the assassin would strike as Jordana was walking the family dog. He'd kill the dog, too.
Not if I have anything to say about it, she thought.
Julia saw Hurst through the trees that surrounded the home where Jordana lived with her father. Julia saw her in, and found that she could walk right up to Hurst from behind.
Hurst was hiding behind a stand of trees, wearing camoflauge gear. He didn't hear anything until the barrel of Julia's gun was aimed at the back of his head.
"Turn around and you're dead where you stand, Hurst," Julia hissed in a low voice.
"How do you know who I am?"
"Spies," said Julia. "Who were you sent here to kill?"
"Rebekah Mannion."
"You know you're standing on property owned by the Terranova family, right?"
"I was told that the female Disturbed Ones assassin was here," said Hurst. "If she's not, then my information was in error."
"She's not. Rebekah Mannion doesn't exist," Julia said. "You were misled."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Does the name Jessikah Terranova ring any bells?"
"Oh, shit, is this what this is about?" Hurst said. "My younger brother dated her before she died. He went apeshit insane with grief and left town, left school, left a good paying job over that stupid bitch. I put him out of his misery. Maybe he and Jessi are running around Hell together."
"You killed your own brother? Who died and made you judge, jury, and executioner?" asked Julia, feeling her anger rising.
"Look, bitch, I don't know who you are, or why you're asking me questions about my brother and his girlfriend, but they're both dead and there isn't a God damned thing you can do about it," Hurst said.
"Wanna bet there isn't?"
"Yeah, because as long as I'm here, I'll take out Jordana and her father, too," said Hurst. "I'm not going to let some tough talking bitch get in my way."
Julia shoved the barrel of her gun right up against the base of Hurst's skull. "Turn around slowly and walk deeper into the forest," Julia said. Hurst did what he was told, because he realized he didn't have a choice. The girl would not hesitate to put a bullet through his brain.
When she had marched him into a spot that was far away from the house, she removed the gun from the back of Hurst's head. She felt him relax. Wrong move, motherfucker, Julia thought.
"So much you know," Julia said. "You're going to be sorry you fucked with me and my family."
"Your family?" Hurst asked, shocked.
"Yes, James, you're going to feel it all the way into hell."
"And why is that?" he asked.
"Because Jessikah Terranova isn't dead," Julia said.
"The hell she's not. My family went to her funeral!"
"How do you know who's buried in that plot, James?" asked Julia. "I know Jessikah isn't because I'm standing right here."
"What?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"
Julia pulled on Hurst's hair, forcing his head back far enough for him to see her. When he finally saw the woman who had been tormenting him, he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Oh, my God!" he gasped. "Jessi, it really is you! But how...why?"
"You'll never know, because your miserable life is about to be over. You killed Jared. You were going to kill my sister and father. You're an Illegals scumsucking backstabber, nursing at the tit of Madame President and her pimps. You will never live to tell anyone I'm still among the living."
With that, Julia got out her blade and slit James Hurst's throat from ear to ear, then shoved the knife into the now open cavity and pierced his spine.
Julia was covered in her victim's blood, and had a change of clothes in her bag. She thought briefly of setting Hurst's corpse on fire, then thought better of it because she didn't want the forest to go up in flames.
So she left him there. No one would find him for a very long time. She doubted he'd even be missed, even by the very people who assigned him to kill Jordana.
As she left the forest in the opposite direction of her uncle's house, Jordana had emerged to walk the dog. She had no idea how close to death she came that day.
----------
Noah wasn't really up for visitors, but when David and Dan arrived in his room, he felt he had no choice.
"How are you feeling today?" asked David.
"Like shit," Noah said. "I don't remember how I got here."
"You were chased onto the compound by New Army troops, they shot you, and in the fall into the ditch, you broke your shoulder," Dan said. "Before you got brought here, you gave me the pendant you were wearing, saying that I wouldn't believe you if you told me who you are, and to look at chip embedded in the pendant. So we looked at it and have one question."
"Am I Steve Kmak," said Noah. "In another lifetime, I was. I haven't been for about ten years now."
"Pardon us if we don't exactly believe you right off the bat," David said. "So we're checking your DNA to see if it matches what we have on file for Steve Kmak."
"I suppose that's fair," Noah said. "Because honestly, I don't remember a lot about my life before I was sent to prison on trumped up charges. The sadistic prison guards made sure of that."
"Were you beaten like we've heard others have been?" asked Dan.
"That and worse," said Noah. "Because of who I was, I got more severe treatment, or rather mistreatment, than other inmates. They did every sick thing you've heard of short of setting me on fire. That was next, which is why I started escaping when the opportunity presented itself. Eight times, I was quickly recaptured and sentenced to solitary confinement for months at a time. This time, I kept running and didn't look back."
"What was on the jumpdrive you carried?" David asked. He wanted to see how much Noah knew about it.
"All I was told by the person who gave it to me was that it contained information that could end the war and impeach the current system of government," Noah said. "That if I was successful in my escape, to bring it to Chicagoland."
"And had you not been successful in your escape?" asked David.
"I was to destroy it."
David and Dan both nodded, then Dan said,
"I looked over the information on the jumpdrive and forwarded it to our espionage team; They intentionally leaked the information to see if the Illegal government would take action on it."
"They probably never saw it," Noah said. "Because the person who gave it to me was captured before they could send it to the Capitol Sector. Hey, look, are you guys done interrogating me, because I'm tired."
"For now, yes," David said. "I'm sorry that you feel that we're interrogating you. We're just trying to get information."
"That's understandable," Noah said. "David, I wanted to tell you that your speech in Austin back in May was pure genious. I had just escaped and watched it in a safe shelter with about fifty other Disturbed Ones. I didn't know you had little ones though."
"They're only two," David said, "but yes, I do have two beautiful little girls with a wonderful woman."
"Maybe someday, I'll get to meet them," said Noah.
"Maybe you will," David replied. "We'll let you rest now."
"Thank you," Noah said. "I'm sorry I'm such a bother."
"Considering all you've been through," David said, "you're one lucky man to still be alive to tell the tale of what goes on in Illegals prisons."
Soon, Noah was alone. All he wanted was sleep.
And he got that.
----------
"So, this poor bastard is the President's husband," said the sheriff to the coroner. "Who else knows this?"
"The young man who originally found the body and his lawyer," said the coroner.
"You know and I know that boy killed this man," the sheriff said; "And I'm going to have him arrested for murder. I'll be issuing an arrest warrant when I get back to my office."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the coroner said.
"Well, you're not me, are you, Doctor?"
"Had you bothered to even look at my report," said the coroner; "you would have seen that Neil Hope did not have any wounds on his body, or evidence of any anti-mortem trauma. His cause of death is natural causes due to a cancerous inoperable brain tumor."
"So? That doesn't matter," the sheriff said; "No one's going to believe the kid anyway. They'll believe what I tell them, because I'm the sheriff. I uphold the law."
"You're not God," the coroner said. "Yes, you uphold the laws, such as they are. I believe the boy when he said he just found the body. If you say anything different, I'll call you out."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I would," said the coroner. "And I don't care if it ends my career. It's people like you, and like the Committee, and like Madame President who make these ridiculous, absurd, and sickening laws. You all rule by fear, and I refuse to be ruled by fear. I refuse to allow an innocent man go to prison because you're the 'law'. I have the original copy of my report under lock and key, and I'll testify on the boy's behalf if you have him arrested. I will expose you for the fraud you are, Sheriff, because you don't scare me."
"Well la-de-dah, Doctor," replied the sheriff; "Nice speech. How about I arrest you as an accessory after the fact."
"You have no jurisdiction here, Sheriff," the coroner said. "We already have a sheriff who upholds the laws here, and she isn't ruled by fear, either. She's tough yet fair."
"Let's see how far that attitude gets you, Doctor," the sheriff said.
"Mr. Hope saw through the bullshit his wife's government puts out," the coroner said. "That's probably why he was divorcing her. We'll never know that for sure, now will we? Dead men tell no tales."
The sheriff knew that the doctor was right. He could never get away with arresting him. But the kid, he doesn't stand a chance. He'll be sorry he ever "found" Neil Hope's remains, he thought.
The sheriff would never get a chance to file those papers. His own stupidity and self importance would be his downfall.
----------
Sarah Kathryn made arrangements for Neil's body to be transported back to his hometown, to be buried in the plot with his mother, sister, and grandparents.
She hoped that she would be able to attend the funeral, but with the way her luck was running, that might be impossible.
During the news conference where she announced the death of her husband, Sarah Kathryn kept her emotions in check. The next morning, the announcement was in the papers, and a period of mourning went into effect.
For the first time in years, she heard from her only child. He would be attending the funeral and asked that his mother not do so.
"After all, Mother," he had said, "he was divorcing you."
Sarah Kathryn got the distinct feeling her own child hated her guts.
She knew that Neil had a will, and that once it was filed by the court with the certificate of death, there would be a reading of the will. She expected to get the bulk of his estate, which included not only savings, but property and investments.
She had no idea how wrong she was.
----------
After Julia reported back to the Commander following the death of James Hurst, he seemed surprised that Julia got the job done so quickly.
"I had to act on him, before he tried to carry out his assignment," Julia said. "He was waiting for the ideal time right outside the house."
"At least the bastard is dead and can't hurt anyone anymore," said the Commander. "What did you do with the body?"
"Left it where I killed him. He's so deep in the woods that it's probably not even on Uncle Luke's property anymore," replied Julia. "He won't be found for a long, long time."
"He won't be missed."
"I already knew that," Julia said. "He murdered his own brother because he grieved too much for the girl he loved."
"Sick bastard," the Commander said. "I'd have killed him just for that. How did you find out about that?"
"I pretended that I was Jessikah Terranova, and the fucker believed me! I let him look at me, and he thought he saw a ghost," said Julia.
"You do look a lot like Jordana," the Commander said. "So that wouldn't have been hard to believe."
"I'd like to spend some time with my uncle and cousin," Julia said; "if that's okay with them."
"Actually, Jordana found out you were in town, and she wants to see you."
"Does she know why?"
"No, your uncle came up with a cover story about you checking out colleges," said the Commander.
"Not with the firepower I came here with I'm not!" Julia said, laughing. "But I'll stick to the script."
"I'll arrange a ride for you to your uncle's place, though I realize you just left there."
"I'm not sure they would have wanted to see me then, being covered in blood and all," Julia said.
"I'll call Luke and let him know you're coming over," said the Commander. "You'll get a nice hot meal. Jordana is a great cook!"
Julia laughed; "I gathered that when I was following her, since she works as a chef in a restaurant."
----------
Part 6--
Jayme wanted to be surprised, or at least shocked when she read about Neil's death in the paper, but she was neither. She had prepared herself for the very real possibility that he was dead.
The cause of death was only reported as "natural causes", but Jayme knew it had something to do with the physical stuff Neil had blamed on new medication he was taking.
The President was supposedly distraught at the news of her estranged husband's passing. After being missing, she had realized he'd been dead all this time.
Jayme didn't buy it.
Their child would grow up without her father doting on her every move. He would have been pleased he'd been given a second chance. But now, Jayme had to prepare to raise her daughter alone, just as she was doing with her son.
What did surprise her was the call she got from a lawyer in the Eastern Shore Region, saying that she had been named in Neil's will. She asked him if she had to be present, and he said she did not. Jayme was relieved. She did not want to face Sarah Kathryn Hope in her present condition.
But what she'd hear would shock her. And it would ensure that she would never be without for the rest of her life.
----------
After Rebekah called Christine to say that she might stay over with Chris to talk, that's what they did. Talked. About everything. Their childhoods. Their sisters. What they had each been through since the Illegal government came into power.
Some of what they talked about was very personal, and tears were shed on both sides.
They did fall asleep at dawn, right there on the couch, fully clothed. Chris protectively had an arm around Rebekah as they slept.
Their sleep was interrupted by Rebekah's phone ringing somewhere around one in the afternoon.
It was Christine, wondering when Rebekah would be back, and reminding her that Chris had to leave with Miranda the next day to go back to Tidewater for training.
"I'll be back within the hour, Madame Director," Rebekah said and ended the call.
"She worries about you," Chris said. "She's like a mom to you, isn't she?"
"She is," replied Rebekah. "She's the closest thing I've had to a mother since my own mother died when I was six."
"No wonder you were itching to get back here from downtown," Chris said. "I'm almost envious."
Rebekah smiled. Chris realized that this was the first time he'd seen her smile.
"You have a nice smile, Bekah, and you don't show it often enough," Chris said.
"I don't really have anything to smile about," Rebekah said. "Emotions can be mistaken for weakness. I know that's bullshit, but since I've been a trained sniper, smiles weren't part of my arsenal."
"I'd love it if you smiled more, even if it's just for me."
"Thanks, Chris," Rebekah said. "We should get back to Christine's now. She's expecting me."
"Well, then, let's go."
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Julia arrived at her uncle's looking like a normal seventeen year old girl. She could see that Uncle Luke was relieved that she was not in assassin mode all the time.
One of the first things Julia noticed when she walked in the house was a family portrait that looked have been taken about a year before the accident that Jessikah was killed in. She and Jordana were mirror images of each other. She couldn't tell which one was which.
"Everyone looks at that picture when they come in," Luke said. "For the record, Jessikah is on the left, Jordana on the right."
"How can you tell?" asked Julia. "To me they look alike."
"If you only knew Jessi, Julia," Luke said. "She was the outgoing one. Jordana is more reserved."
"Sounds like my twin sisters," Julia said. "Niki is outgoing and Kimber is quiet. Mom says Niki's the protector."
"That was Jessikah," Luke said; "Even though she was the younger twin, she always looked out for Jordana."
There was something about the picture that nagged at Julia. Something about the girls' eyes that haunted her. When Jordana came into the living room and saw Julia, the older girl gave Julia a hug. If you only knew how close to dying you came today, cousin, you might be hugging me tighter, Julia thought to herself.
"I'm glad you decided to come here to check out colleges, Julia," said Jordana. "We've got a couple here that might have what you're looking for."
"That's great, but I don't think I'm going to have time to go to both," Julia said. "I have a previous commitment at Chicagoland that I have to get back for on Saturday."
"You'll come back, right?" asked Jordana.
"Yeah, probably," said Julia. "I'll bring my fiance with me, since he's going to have to live wherever I end up going to school."
"You're engaged?" asked Jordana, surprised. "But you're only, what, seventeen?"
"We were planning to get married after my next birthday," Julia said. "I'm so far ahead of my peers academically and emotionally that I already feel like I've lived an entire lifetime."
"When is your birthday, Julia?" asked Luke.
"June 10th," she replied. "So I just had a birthday. In fact, it was also the day Ryan proposed."
"Cool," Jordana said. "My birthday's in October. Jessi and I were fall babies."
"They were supposed to be born around Thanksgiving," Luke said; "but they had other plans. Came a tad early, they did. Almost two months early."
"When in October, Jordana?" asked Julia.
"The first," Jordana said. "We spent the first month of our lives in the neonatal intensive care unit. We were pretty small, about three and a half pounds each."
"And I thought my sisters were small!" Julia exclaimed.
Throughout dinner, which was excellent, Julia couldn't get that picture in the entryway out of her mind. Something about those girls' eyes that seems familiar to her. She saw it looking at Jordana as well. Fortunately, neither her uncle nor Jordana caught on.
Julia decided to turn in around nine that evening. She never went to bed that late unless she was out with Ryan or with friends. With a 6am report time for training, Julia could ill afford to be sleepy and lethargic.
She bid her uncle and cousin goodnight and headed to the bedroom that had been set aside for her.
Julia was just about asleep when she remembered where she'd seen the same kind of eyes she'd seen in Jordana, and in the photograph in the entryway of her uncle's home of both Jordana and Jessikah.
Rebekah.
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