Wow what a response! I hadn't anticipated so much from such a small introductory chapter. Well here is chapter 2, a little longer than the first. I didn't know what city to use so I kept it unnamed. It's somewhere in Spain though.

The week went by as usual. Nicky went to work at a local accountant's office. It was a big village but was almost a small city where the majority of people were farmers and fishermen. He was an older gentleman, quite vivacious and upbeat. He had hired Nicky for her vast computer skills since he lacked the desire to learn to be proficient in that area. If only he knew just how knowledgeable she really was.

All she did the entire day was type up what he had written by hand. It wasn't difficult work but it was very boring. Her mind was used to more complex duties and responsibilities. She had to remind herself every now and again that she wasn't in that world anymore, and that was for the best.

The young woman had been in this city for the past 3 months and she knew it was time to move. Hell, she should have moved much sooner to minimize the chances of being found. But she wasn't like them. She wasn't like Bourne. She became comfortable and at ease in this city with her kind boss.

Besides it had been so long now with no incident or even anything alarming on the news. The trial for both Vosen and Hirsch was still raging in the States so there wasn't really anything to worry about. There was no mention of her name in any of it, which was just as well. However it did strike her as a little odd that no media had found any links from the blackbriar project to her. Maybe Landy had pulled a few strings to prevent that.

There was still no news of Jason Bourne on any news channel. The authorities in New York had officially declared him dead with his body never resurfacing. Oh those poor, naïve fools, Nicky couldn't help but think each time she saw a pompous "expert" explain how no one could survive such a fall.

Finally after a full day at work, she left the office at around 7ish. Her boss let her surf the internet on the computer after her shift was over. Since she didn't have a t.v or the internet at her place, she got informed on world events from here.

She was out of there an entire hour later than she was used to, but there had been some stuff she wanted to read about more.

The streets were still lively with people, making her feel more normal as she walked towards her apartment. Unlocking the front door, she yawned slightly as she made her way up the stairs since there was no elevator.

Her key was already ready and she automatically inserted it in the keyhole and turned. However she didn't go in. Something was wrong, she could tell. It took her a full minute to realize that she hadn't heard the tell tale click that she had unlocked her door.

Nicky didn't hesitate. She turned the other way as quickly but as quietly as she could, she took the stairs two at a time up, not down. The young woman climbed three more flights of stairs to finally stop and sit on the sixth floor. It was a risky move but she didn't want to be predictable.

She hoped that whoever was in her apartment would leave eventually using the front entrance and in the process she could see who it was. If they did, then she could return to her place and take a few important things and leave right away. To where? She couldn't even begin to phantom. All she knew is that she wasn't safe.

It took two more hours with nobody entering or leaving the apartment building to final make her doubt herself. Nicky didn't know if she was being ridiculous now. Had there even been someone in her place? Or had she been too distracted to hear the unique click?

Taking a deep breath that did little to calm her fears, she went back to her apartment needing to know. She looked both ways as if expecting someone to be looking at her from a corner but saw nothing.

Painfully slow, she eased the door open. Night had come a few hours ago, so her small place was bathed in darkness. Should she turn on the lights? What would Bourne do? He'd have his gun out and pointing, that's what her logic told her.

Her gun! If she could get to it, she could at least be armed to face whatever was there.

Nicky took of her shoes and was left barefoot to walk one step at a time across her wooden flooring soundlessly. Her wide eyes watched for any movement but nothing seemed out of place. Eventually she stood right beside her bed fighting an irrational fear of someone being under the bed and swiftly opened the drawer where she always kept it.

Her gun wasn't there.

I was writing this and even I got spooked. I am scared to go to sleep now, what if something is under my bed??????????? I shouldn't write at night anymore. It doesn't help that my computer is in the basement, the dark, dark basement. :S