Usual warning, lots of action maybe a little brutality, you know the score.
Oh and I am soon to find myself with something resembling a life again which means I can actually get back to reading and reviewing the wonderful works on this site. So if you have any recommendations feel free to share, I haven't read anything new for an age.
Skins isn't mine, if it was I'd kidnap it and run away to an Island to ravish it.
If Naomi could see Anthea's eyes she was certain she would have seen pure fury and determination. Effy was in danger and when that happened it was as though something primeval took over, her motherly instinct kicked in. She was ready and willing to fight, to maim, to kill, even die for her daughter. Naomi understood and she would do all she could to save Effy, to save Emily, even to save Katie.
Mentally Naomi cursed Anthea's temper for killing their hostage so quickly when he would have had all the answers they needed, would have barely needed any more persuasion either just another jiggle of the knife perhaps a little more but it didn't matter now, there was no way to make the dead speak.
She turned looking from Anthea to the dead guy slumped in the chair. "What did he have on him when you kidnapped him?" Anthea just shook her head already guessing where Naomi was going with this "Nothing, nothing personal anyway or anything that would have even linked him to Nox." Naomi nodded, knew it had been a long shot hoping there was something that could lead them to the others setting the trap.
She reached for her phone, dialling Effy's number, cursing as it went to voicemail. Of course had expected as much but she had been hopeful none the less. Running through her options she tried to work out the best way to track Effy and the twins down, Effy's phone might be ringing through to voicemail but there was still a possibility that she would have it on her.
"Cook call JJ, get him to trace the GPS on Effy's phone."
Naomi didn't wait to see if he followed her instructions passed her phone across with Effys number on the screen and instead walked over and lifted the knife from the floor where Anthea had dropped it. She heard Anthea in the background calling in her apprentice to clean up the mess she was leaving behind whilst simultaneously shoving a barrage of weapons into a holdall, also heard Cook tell JJ what they needed him to do, together they worked as a team, operating like a smooth well oiled machine.
Naomi took the opportunity to get changed, if they were going to get the others she couldn't risk doing it dressed as she was, as a member of the team that only yesterday sold her information. She loosened the tie, pulling the knot down just enough so she could move the noose over her head before then losing the jacket and shirt and slipping her own ribbed jumper back on over her vest top. Before she had a chance to change back into her jeans Cook's voice interrupted her. "Got it not far from here twenty miles or so."
They piled out, shutting the warehouse doors on the dead. Naomi slipped into the back, taking her bag with her and wasted no time in shimmying out of her jeans as Anthea gunned the engine, tyres screeching on the tarmac beneath them. Reckless and chaotic driving didn't make it easy to get changed, but it wasn't impossible as they weaved in and out of traffic receiving a barrage of horns, flashed lights, raised fists and gestures but Anthea was a woman on a mission and nothing was going to dislodge her, nothing except perhaps a queue of cars completely at a standstill.
Anthea's fiery curse echoed in the car as she slammed the heel of her hand into the steering wheel in temper, her fear for Effy driving her emotions to a new level. Naomi watched as she shoved the gearstick into reverse flooring the accelerator smashing her car forcefully into the front of the innocent driver behind her, then rammed the car into first and the car surged forwards into the vehicle in front, repeated the action making enough space to slip out of the stream of stationary traffic and mount the pavement making her own road. Pedestrians screamed as Anthea drove through the crowd parting them out of shear fear for their lives, bins, boxes tables, chairs any item in her path was left in a crumpled heap behind her or forced from her path, Anthea was like a hurricane clearing a route leaving destruction in her wake.
Cook was frequently screaming at Anthea shouting at her to watch out for oncoming vehicles or people that weren't moving quickly enough, whilst at the same time urging her on in her quest to reach their destination as quickly as possible, it was a race, a race that none of them had any intention of losing. Naomi leaned into each and every hard corner taken allowing herself to move with the car rather than be thrown around like a doll in the back, now free of the traffic they were tearing through the streets at speed nearing their destination.
Naomi took the opportunity to reach into Anthea's holdall and draw herself a weapon, she of course had her knife, this time slipped into the side of her boot because she didn't have her familiar holster to stow it in on her forearm. She grabbed a glock, released the mag and checked it was full before sliding it back in and releasing the slide, cocking the barrel and flicking the safety on and off her habitual nature taking over as she prepared for the battle before her. Looked in the bag and grabbed herself a flash bang slipping that into her jacket pocket as well as another mag for her glock.
The building they were heading to was a hotel, a maze of corridors rooms, basements, staff access areas, essentially a nightmare and JJ couldn't narrow it down any further and even if he had the chances of them being in the same location was unlikely. It was going to be somewhat like looking for a needle in a haystack and worse off they had 3 needles to find which meant that they as a team were probably going to split up. Tactically Effy, Katie and Emily were likely to be in close proximity to one another but realistically in combat they could easily be separated running to take cover or offensive and defensive positions depending on the situation before them.
Anthea slammed on the breaks at the front of the hotel virtually abandoning her car across two spaces, she at least had the common sense to remove the keys form the ignition before the three of them exited doors slamming behind them. Naomi slipped her glock into the back of her jeans and threw the holdall to Cook who rummaged, pulling out his own gun and amo before passing the bag to Anthea who didn't bother looking in the holdall instead turned on her heel and led the way into the hotel with Naomi and Cook following behind her.
Naomi knew Anthea couldn't lead this mission despite her actions thus far, she was too emotionally charged, willing to put herself at risk for the sake of her daughter and that would inevitably put everyone at risk, she couldn't let that happen.
She turned to Cook "Give me your phone a minute" he handed it over without question, she scrolled through the names finding the one she wanted and dialled JJ.
"JJ its Naomi, yeah that Naomi...JJ...JJ shut up, I need you to hack into the security system here, find out where the others are, use the camera's you got it? Yeah, I understand, look just get it done JJ this is like child's play for you right?" She rolled her eyes at Cook as JJ nattered away in her ear, but she could hear the tapping of keys in the background so just decided to let him continue.
Stood holding the phone in the lobby her eyes were alert glancing back and forth despite her focus on the voice in her ear. She turned her attention to Cook and Anthea, looking at them each in turn "Fifth floor...closed east wing...Just two of them?" She sighed at that piece of news which meant they were definitely splitting up.
"Do they look the same?" she asked trying to establish if that was both of the twins or if one was Effy. "I mean do they look alike, like sisters or different." She pinched the bridge of her nose "Okay find the other one, call me back on my phone" she reeled the number off and handed Cook his phone back.
"Fifth floor, Effy and one of the twins, I'll pick up the last one." Naomi turned to Anthea specifically stared her hard in the face. "You know if she sees you she'll probably try to shoot you too" Anthea didn't reply instead swivelled turning her back on Naomi and ran to the stairs slinging the holdall over her shoulder as she went.
Naomi and Cook moved towards the lifts "Looks like your wish just might come true, a hot twin and shooting" she joked at Cook before turning serious "Watch Anthea's back and your own, if Effy sees Anthea, she's going to think she's behind this, she won't hold back."
"Cookie can handle a couple of women, don't you worry babes, plenty of practice" he added with a wink. Naomi shoved him in the chest "Pig" she countered as she heard the ping signalling the arrival of the lift.
"JFDI yeah?" he nodded "You fucking know it babe." Their old school motto for 'Just Fucking Do It' bringing back fond memories, her phone began to vibrate in her pocket as Cook stepped into the lift "Text me when its done" she ordered before slipping her phone out and answering.
"Okay got it, thanks JJ look do me a favour keep an eye out for any back up, if Vendetta send a reaper team in Cook and Anthea are in deep shit, call him if they do you'll have to be their eyes keep them out of sight...one last thing I need to you remote wipe their security feeds, we were never here, got it? Send Anthea or Cook to take out any physical logs they have on site when they're done alright? Good." She hung up and set out at a sprint to the stairs that Anthea had travelled up slipping her phone in her pocket as she went. He'd found the other scuffle on the first floor in the goods and storage area that ironically was on the ground floor from the back of the hotel due to the fact that it was partly built into a hillside.
Naomi made quick work of the two flights of stairs taking them two at a time before she broke into a sprint down the corridor, JJ had given her rough directions, it's a good job too as she found herself in another lobby with three exits off and no signs, not that she needed it, she ran though the small crowd and took the right corridor sprinting again her arms pumping along with her legs spurring her on, she braced a foot on the wall as she turned to stop herself from losing too much speed and continued her sprint, she could start to hear fighting, the distinct sounds of combat familiar to her ears, it only increased her adrenaline, made her stronger, allowed her to push her body harder, faster.
She reached the end of the corridor and stopped, her heart was pounding in her chest, pumping chemicals through her body she was alert and ready like a cat set to pounce on its prey. She sunk low to the floor and snuck a glance around the corner, there were a couple of guys there with their backs to her, they seemed to be watching something or either waiting their turn to get in on the action, it was rather unusual, but then nothing she had seen Nox do had been typical.
Pulling her gun from her back she crept from around the corner up behind the guys and looked in the gap between them to see what they were watching, and that's when her heart plummeted and quickened further all at once. There before her eyes was tiny pocket sized Emily Fitch, Emily who owned the elbows of death that had split her cheek open the day before, the very same one and only Emily locking horns with three rather large and thuggish looking guys who were gaining the upper hand getting licks in that would have rocked the biggest and toughest fighters.
Naomi's killer instinct took over as a rather sickening thud echoed in the room from Emily's body hitting the wall hard, barely moving out of the way before a fist smashed into the wall where her face had been only moments before. These guys were taking no prisoners, they may have been under orders to capture Stella and Lux alive but it seemed there was no instruction on how broken or bloody they could be on arrival.
Naomi wasted no time with taunts or sarcasm, she slipped her gun back into the waistband of her jeans and instead pulled the knife from her boot, aiming to keep her presence unknown leaving her the advantage of surprise. She rushed out a leg sweep taking the guy to her right off his feet before slamming her boot into his face knocking him unconscious as she jammed her blade into the throat of the other guy to her left silencing him in an instant.
Naomi dragged them both back a little further into the corridor so they couldn't be seen before she snuck a look back in the room now able to see properly. Felt a rush of pride at the fact that Emily was still holding her own though her moves looked more desperate than they had been when she had been fighting Naomi the day before.
Turning her attention back to the task at hand she counted the guys in the room, there were three fighting Emily, another three to the left of her and two to the right. They sure as hell sent in a massive team for two little Fitch's, it made her subconsciously question just what exactly Emily and Katie had been up to with Karlakov.
Wiping her blade on her jacket she slipped it back in her boot, pulled her gun from behind her back flicking the safety off and then pulled the flash bang from her pocket. She ripped the pin out and took a deep breath before raising her glock held steady and strong in her right hand. She released the breath and stepped out her legs powering her forwards as bullets poured from her gun, two into the first fighter with Emily, one into the second fighter before she flung the flash bang off to her left and her gun moved to her right taking out one more of the Nox team as she sent a barrage of shots at them. She pushed herself harder allowing the adrenaline to keep her momentum as she shoulder barged the last guy and flung herself on Emily hearing a small squeak escape her lips as she did so, taking Emily clean off her feet crushing her on the floor below her. She clenched her eyes shut and reached her left hand out to make sure that Emily's were covered before the flash bang went off pushing hard against her pinning her to the floor.
Even through closed eyes she could feel the brightness hoped to god Emily's eyes had been covered. She could feel the smaller woman beneath her, the quickened beat of her heart, the rapid rise and fall of her chest, puffs of hot air against her throat.
Naomi opened her eyes and immediately after removed her hand from Emily's eyes. Mouthed 'are you okay?' knowing full well that if Emily's hearing was anything like hers she wouldn't be able to hear a fucking thing thanks to the flash bang.
A nod was all the response she received but it was all she needed, brown eyes met blue and a second felt like an eternity as she saw everything written in those orbs, fear was evident, expected but hidden beneath was also determination and shock which Naomi could only presume was due to her rather forceful arrival but there was something else there, something darker, something she couldn't think of especially right now so instead she rolled to the right off the smaller woman beneath her before rising and leaning a hand down to help hoist Emily to her feet.
They had only moments, seconds even before the rest of Nox's vision returned and they needed each and every one to mount an offensive because escape right now wasn't an option.
Glancing around Naomi counted how many opponents were left, she had taken three out in her initial attack leaving five more unless someone else turned up to join the party.
Naomi spotted one getting to their feet and immediately took advantage raising her gun and firing rounds straight into his chest, the noise from the gun only barely audible to her ears. She felt rather than saw Emily move next to her, saw the flash of her foot reach high and connect solidly with a waiting head, couldn't help but be inspired by the fight this girl had.
She took a shot at a second assailant over Emily's shoulder not making full contact but sinking a slug into his right shoulder at least giving Emily a bit of a break. She then turned to her own raising her gun, his forehead in her sight as she pulled the trigger but was dismayed when all she heard was the click of an empty chamber. Knowing she didn't have time to load another mag Naomi hurled the gun at him, hitting him square in the face before she followed the path of her weapon and ran at him delivering a front kick hard and into his midsection forcing him off his feet.
Taking advantage of her offense she rained blow after blow on him, dancing around him much like she had Emily. She might not have had Emily's natural fighting ability but she had already seen these guys fight, experienced it first hand and although everyone was different they had at least been trained by the same person, they had the same traits as well as the same faults and she took advantage of each and every one, taking the occasional blow if it left her with a stronger offence, an acceptable sacrifice.
She kept continuing to glance over at Emily when she could, started to grow concerned as Emily was back battling two at once and she was taking more and more shots, growing tired, fatigued or perhaps her body just suffering from the pain it was forced to endure.
Naomi took her chance to land a roundhouse kick, it was a rather dangerous move, more flashy than useful especially if fighting an experienced fighter but her challenger was neither and she was willing to take the risk, it connected spinning her assailant away from her, tipping his balance and buying her a moments relief. She took the opportunity to reach for the knife in her boot and hurled it at one of Emily's attackers, watching as it span in the air before sinking deeply into the guy she had shot only moments before. He staggered for a few steps before sinking to his knees and finally to the floor leaving Emily just the one attacker left.
She turned her attention back to her own issue and was fortunate to be just in time to block a shot with her forearm that could have taken her out cold. Her arm ached with the blow a grunt of pain leaving her lips involuntarily, these guys were powerhouses and when they got a good full swing you had no choice to block it and hope that your body could withstand the blow.
They battled on the pair of them, neither gaining ground or losing it, Naomi found ways past his defences but nothing really rocked him to the point she could capitalise, he just came back for more like some sort of machine, it was going to call for something radical something that was going to hurt. She waited, waited for the perfect opportunity and when she saw it she let him land the blow to her face, although masking it slightly as she turned with the shot reducing some of the impact but still taking part of it too. She fell to the floor landing on her chest, faked being unconscious made sure she was facing Emily and the other fighter betting he would run over to help his comrade and collect the cargo rather than check to see if she was out cold.
As soon as his footsteps passed her she took the opportunity, hopped to her feet and front kicked the back of his knee as she jumped on his back wrapping her arms around his throat and her legs around his waist, holding on for dear life bracing herself for the fall she knew was coming as he toppled backwards. His hands grabbed at her over his head but she ignored them instead held her grip firm her forearm around his throat wrenching on his neck strangling the life out of him until his movements stilled, this time did hold on just that little bit longer wanting to take him out not just knock him out.
She rocked her body pushing his dead weight off her, it took a couple of attempts but she was able to free herself eventually, she looked over at Emily pleased to see she was gaining the upper hand and that they could finally get the heck out of dodge post hasty.
Except she felt the cold hard metal of a gun pressed against the back of her head, felt the blood drain from her face in an instant as the realisation set in, of course there had been one more person left except for the one fighting Emily, she had lost track and now she was paying the price.
"SPEED!" A rough voice shouted from behind her, Emily's eyes flashed to her own and she could see the horror written all over her face "I've got your friend here" he accentuated his comment by shoving the barrel of his gun forcefully into the back of Naomi's head, metal clanking against skull.
Emily looked defeated, she could continue to fight but one shot and it was all over for Naomi, and then that gun was going to be pointed at Emily and she had nowhere to run and no defence against bullets. She dropped her arms to her side and Naomi begged her with her eyes to fight, to run or do something but Emily was giving them what they wanted, all to save her.
Naomi watched as the guy Emily had been fighting grabbed her and forcefully shoved her to the floor, wrenched her arms behind her back and snapped a cable tie around them pulling it tight so a grimace of pain crossed her features.
Brown met blue one more time and then Naomi felt the barrel leave her head before it returned again hard striking her before the darkness took her.
