Magnus was landing the plane in Croatia. She had left Will behind and in charge of the Sanctuary when the feeling in the pit of her stomach that was gnawing at her refused to go away and she'd had no word from Emma or Mihovil in five days. She would have left sooner but there was little that she could have done to leave before she did. She knew that Emma was angry with her when they had parted ways, but she didn't think the young woman was vindictive enough to not answer the phone when she called.
When the cell had stopped ringing and went straight to voicemail she had made plans to fly and figure out what was going on. She had no operative near the area and so she was flying in herself with no further intel than what she already had, which was next to nil. She adjusted the controls and began her final descent. It wouldn't be long until she had some answers. She would have loved to bring Will with her, but there was very little he could do to help if she ran into any trouble. He was still recovering from the 'conquest of Vladic and the pipe bomb that could' as he had so aptly called it.
Helen set the plane down and left it in the hanger before going to find a vehicle and a hotel. She needed a base in order to start, a place where she would be able to come back to and unwind after finding no answers. The car was easy to find and soon she was driving along a busy road in a foreign country that she had only been to a few times in her lifetime. And all of those times before she'd had someone else with her. Even with all her defensive tactic training, her sharp shooting skills, and her observant nature she knew that sometimes it was just easier and safer to travel with a male companion.
Quite often women would travel to this land in hopes of being an au pair, volunteering for an NGO to help some down trodden people and were never seen from or heard from again. Human trafficking was not a crime in these parts; it was a way of life, a very good career. She took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel tightly turning onto another avenue. With the people they worked with and the fact that since Emma had moved into the Sanctuary her abnormal abilities had become common knowledge and with all of the computer hacks they had been having as of late, the danger the young woman was facing was ten-fold. Which was why Magnus hadn't wanted to send her in alone in the first place, but her options had been limited.
She bit her lip and let it pop from between her teeth before taking another turn. If only she'd left Emma to her own devices and not convinced her to join her cause, then she would be safe at home in New City going to work at the local Child and Family Protective Services as a social worker and paying her rent on life. Doing a fine damn job of it, she had been too. Helen had been so selfish. She should have seen it.
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Mihovil watched as his second came into the tiny room with no furniture except a bed. He was just zipping his pants after fucking the whore tied to the small cot. She was so drugged that she hadn't moved during the entire ordeal. The door was shut soundly and the man spoke. "Magnus just landed."
"I expect a house visit soon then." He wiped a hand over his face. "Send her home. She is useless for now." Walking from the room he made his way from the whore towards the garage.
There was a slight hesitation before the man spoke again. "You don't want me to kill her?"
Mihovil paused in his stride and didn't look back at the man in question. "Who is like God?"
"You are."
There was a brief pause before he moved and continued on his way. He only had to wait until dawn before Magnus arrived at his front door. She was escorted in by two of his guards who had kindly left her armed. He had told them to do so of course.
"Mihovil…?" Her voice was question and warning mixed together.
"Helen Magnus." Scathingly he strode toward her, drawing her name out like it was a prayer from his lips. "So nice to see you here." He nodded to the two goons that had brought her in and they left.
"Where is Emma?"
"She's safe." He smiled at her and his eyes went black. "You know, I do believe there is something about my physiology that you don't know."
"Oh really? And what is that?"
"We are immune to stunners." Just as he said it there was a flash of light from somewhere out of her line of sight. Magnus hit the deck in reaction, her body curling into the fetal position and her heart pounding before the blackness over took her senses.
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She recognized the gates when she opened her eyes. She was outside of the Sanctuary on the other side of the walls than she wanted to be. Groaning she turned onto her side and felt the roiling in her stomach begin, the light from the sun was blinding her. She vomited onto the sidewalk, her body heaving with each retch that racked through her. It took her far longer than she had anticipated to work her weak body that was still resting heavily on the ground to the iron rods of the gate.
Reaching out, she grasped the cold, cold metal in her fist and started to pull herself up. She lasted long enough to press the code into the key pad and watch as the gate swung open. She collapsed when she went to move toward the opening, her body landing in the way of the metal guards. It started to swing shut and she rolled so it landed on her back and her stomach rather than her ribs. The metal was pinching her and she was finding it harder and harder to breath. Her stomach was rolling again and she started dry heaving until the black and fuzzy sensation took over her eyes and her ears buzzed. She fell into the darkness on her own just as she saw the feet of Will coming toward her.
He'd heard the alarm as it sounded and when looking at the video camera he saw the limp body. He'd run from his office through the halls down the stairs and out the front door. She was completely unconscious when he got there. Reaching to his belt he groaned when he realized that his radio was not attached. There wasn't time enough to run back inside for assistance. He needed to get her in to the infirmary right then and there. Sliding over to the keypad he opened the gate until he could pull her free from its tight grip.
Grunting from the force he dropped her hands and closed the gate before gentle picking her up in his arms. He made it to the front door before he realized his second dilemma of the day. He had to open the door. Setting her down, he swung open the doors before picking her up again. Finally they made it into the infirmary and he set her onto the gurney. Pulling over the monitors he began to undress the rags from her body and slap on the nodes to monitor every vital sign he could think of.
Her body started shaking then, violently against the bed. He watched as her limbs flailed up and hit the side bars that he had raised. He needed to tie her down. Running to another drawer he pulled it out and grasped the five restraints. He really didn't want to do this, but he saw little other option. He tied her legs down first and then her writs before strapping the middle one over her abdomen. She was convulsing so much at that point that the bed was rocking on the stationary wheels.
Then it stopped. Suddenly and without warning all her movements stopped. He reached forward and pressed fingers to her neck, not quite trusting the monitors. Will sighed an audible relief when he felt the steadying beat of her pulse under his fingertips. He closed his eyes breathing deeply and tried to settle his own heart rate that was beginning to beat faster. What the hell was this? He heard her moan softly and he looked at her face. Her lips started to part and he could see words forming, but no sound was coming out. He shook his head and moved to grasp a needle. He would need blood, she was obviously not herself.
Pressing the needle firmly into the skin on her arm after cleaning off the gunk and dirt with an alcohol swab he drew the blood he would need. Probably needed an IV too, now that he thought about it. He set the vial aside and moved around searching for the necessary items he would need. One year of med school had in no way prepared him for this. He would have to recall the Big Guy to help out. After three or four tries in many different places in her arm he finally got the IV started and set. He needed information and unless she was going to wake up he wasn't going to get any from her, not that she was ever forthcoming with information anyway.
He was just leaving the room after standing there for another fifteen or so minutes, really not wanting to leave her alone. This was why he let Magnus do all the medical stuff, so he didn't have to deal with patients on this level. Either that or he just need to have the ability to be in two places at once, like to astral-project somewhere else, or split into two and be rejoined hours later. It would be the perfect ability. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard her voice call softly. "Wi—Will?"
Going back to her side he took her hand carefully and let the warmth from his own fingers seep into her skin. "Hey there. Yeah it's me."
"Mmmm." She swallowed hard, either searching for words or clearing a very dry throat. "Wh-where am I?"
"You're home." He pressed fingers to her neck once again and her lids fluttered open for a second. "You're at the Sanctuary."
She shook her head rapidly and violently from side to side as if she was trying to rid an unknown aggressor from only her face. "No…" She kept on doing it until he rested his palm against her face and she calmed.
"You are here. I promise you, you're safe now."
"Will?"
"Yeah, I'm right here." He was still gripping her hand and her cheek. She wasn't look at him. "Where am I?"
He sighed; this could be a long night. "You're at the Sanctuary. You're safe now."
She nodded and began to shake again, slightly this time her muscles tightening and pulling. The tears streaming down her face making clear tracks from the dirt that was caked on her skin. "Will?"
"Yeah?"
"How did I get here?"
"I don't know, Emma. I don't know. I was really hoping you could tell me that." His thumb was brushing lightly over her cheek bone in a soothing and calming manner. "Rest now, I'm not leaving. I'll be right here when you wake up."
