A/N: Just a heads up this chapter gets very violent and people die. You've been warned. No, really. This is a warning.
Also, I borrowed a couple of lines directly from the episode 'Emily Lake' which I just re-watched to make sure I had all the character names right.
Hope you enjoy.
Here we go again
Part 9
Emily carefully strained against the zip ties holding her hands tied tightly behind her back. She sat slumped trying to look defeated. But she didn't feel defeated. Exhausted yes, but her mind was whirling a million miles an hour trying to identify any opportunity for escape. Trying to process what was happening. Trying to not picture Myka lying on the floor of the cabin with blood on her face.
The guy named Marcus, the one Myka shot, had grilled her in the car until the other man, she wasn't sure of his name, told him to shut up already. That Sykes would ask all the questions he wanted when they got her to him. At the name Sykes Emily had caught her breath. That was the man Myka had warned her about. The man who would kill her. Marcus asked a few more questions but she had clamped her mouth shut after that. Thinking about the things he had asked her and watching the road for clues to where they were going.
Eventually they arrived at some kind of airport hangar where Marcus roughly shoved her into a chair and secured her hands. But not her feet. Looking down she contemplated slipping out of the now ruined wedge heeled shoes that she had so carefully selected that morning. She should have worn boots...
She wasn't sure how long she sat there. She was fairly certain she had slept for a little while even though she was sitting upright. The sound of someone approaching brought her fully alert again.
"Ms. Wells?"
Lifting her head up at the soft voice she met the gaze of the young man who had hit Myka at the cabin. Frowning, she felt her hands clench at the strong urge she felt to hit him very very hard. Voice flat she answered back, "Lake. Emily Lake."
"Right." Bending down Steve cut one of the ties on Emily's wrist noting how the plastic had gouged into her skin. Glancing up he caught her eyes. "It would be best if you didn't try to get away. Just do what they say and you will be okay."
"Yes, because taking the word of my kidnapper is wise. I don't think you've held me long enough for Stockholm syndrome to kick yet Mr...?" Once her other hand was released Emily rubbed her wrists where the raw skin showed angry red lines from the plastic.
"Steve." Pulling the woman to her feet he tried to not let any sympathy for her circumstances show on his face. "Mr. Sykes wants to speak to you." He pulled her along beside him aware of the way she was alertly taking in everything around her. "You said you are a school teacher?"
Darting her gaze to the man beside her, Emily answered coldly. "No. I didn't say that."
Stopping at the base of the stairs Steve looked closely at the woman he had helped kidnap from the protection of his former warehouse colleague. Something was off but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. When she met his eyes with a brave tilt to her chin he asked, "Are you afraid?"
"No."
"Lie." At her surprised look he asked another question. "What did Myka tell you about who you are?"
"That's a ridiculous question. As I said before: my name is Emily Lake. I live in Wyoming."
Steve glanced around quickly to see if anyone from the office had noticed he was taking too long to bring their hostage upstairs. When no curious faces appeared in the window above them he leaned closer to the woman at his side and spoke quietly. "Lie. She told you who you really are."
Emily clamped her mouth shut refusing to respond.
Gripping her arm tightly in frustration Steve resisted shaking her. He knew they were close to the end game and he was looking for any advantage he could find. When they had tracked Myka he had been shocked to find her alone with their target. She and Pete always teamed up in a crisis. Then when Sykes had sent them to retrieve the Janus Coin he had again been shocked to see the state that Artie and Pete had been in. They should not have been able to overwhelm them so quickly even with Marcus refusing to die. In fact he had never seen Pete or Myka be so quick to shoot someone as they were Marcus... They had both emptied a clip into the man on sight. With Steve using their distraction to get the jump on them and knock them out. He'd managed to keep Marcus from shooting either of them though. He could only hope they were somehow following his trail. Would somehow get to the hangar before Sykes ordered them onto the plane being prepped for takeoff.
With one last searching look, Steve pulled her up the stairs and into the office. Directing her to sit on a sofa pushed up against one wall. Stepping back he watched Walter Sykes roll closer in his wheel chair.
Sykes held out the the Janus Coin Steve and Marcus had retrieved for him and smiled at Emily. "Lets see if this really works, huh?"
Emily met the smirking gaze of Walter Sykes and tried to not panic. In that moment she was both terrified and eager for what was about to happen. If Myka was to believed... "What is that?"
"This is the end of Emily Lake," Sykes answered.
Just as the man was about to grab her hand a young man in the other office spoke up distracting everyone in the room.
"Sir, Mr. Sykes, I'm sorry, but ahh… one of the exterior sensors just went down." Tyler hesitated to continue but Marcus' intimidating look forced him to stutter out the rest of what he intended to say. "Our security has a blind spot. Anyone could walk in right now…"
Tyler trailed off as Sykes threw a glare at Marcus. "Go finish what you should have done before. Make sure no one gets in here." As Steve went to follow, Sykes called out to him. "No, you stay here Steve."
Steve watched a moment as Marcus ran down the stairs pulling his gun out as he went. Turning back around he saw Emily eyeing the gold coin still in Sykes' hand even as the man dialed someone on his cell phone.
"That plane had better be ready! We are headed your way." Disconnecting the call Sykes looked at the people around him. "Shall we go on a little trip everyone?"
"Shouldn't we wait for Marcus?" Steve asked.
"No. His hunting will be the perfect distraction for our little intruder and then HE has another task to take care of while we are traveling." Sykes looked over his shoulder at Tyler. "Grab your gear. Let's go. Steve you can bring along Ms. Lake." Holding up the coin again he smiled, "We will save HG Wells' resurrection for a moment when there are fewer unknown variables in play."
The sound of nearby gunfire stopped them all in their tracks for a moment. Each frozen in place looking wide eyed at one another. Then time suddenly sped up again as Steve watched Emily Lake leap forward to grab the coin out of Sykes' hand. Steve pulled his gun even as Sykes snatched up his riding crop and bent it forcing Emily's hand to open and drop the coin. Steve watched it role across the floor and disappear under a desk. When he looked back at the two Emily was on her knees in front of Sykes' wheelchair struggling to move her arms forward even as the invisible force of the riding crop held her in place.
"Well! That wasn't very mannerly now was it Ms. Wells?" Despite the polite words Sykes' voice was flush with anger at the extra complication the woman had just caused him.
Helena's mind was spinning as she tried to process all the thoughts bombarding her. Moments before she had been in a clearing with Pete and Artie conceding that destroying the Janus coin was the only way to truly guarantee Walter Sykes couldn't execute his plan to destroy the warehouse. She had wanted to ask them to tell Myka one last time how very sorry she was for everything, but settled on just requesting they tell her, and the others, goodbye. And then the blue blue sky disappeared into nothing.
Glaring at the man in front of her, Helena's arms strained against invisible bonds. In a cultured English accent she answered, "So sorry to disappoint you."
Laughing, Sykes shook his head. "Oh, no, you do not disappoint Ms. Wells! I am certain you will be everything I need you to be. Now stand up!" With a twitch of the riding crop he forced her to her feet. "We have a flight to catch."
Gun still raised, Steve hesitated after witnessing Emily Lake's transformation. Debating if now was the moment to turn the tables on Sykes with Marcus distracted and HG Wells apparently back among the living. But the woman was a wild card. He had no way of knowing if she would be his ally or enemy. Before he could decide a flash of movement beside him took the decision away from him. That and the feel of cold steel pressed against the back of his head.
"Put the gun down Steve. It's over."
Despite the power of the riding crop Helena turned her head at the sound of Myka's voice. The sight of the haggard agent shocked her. Myka was drawn and pale with traces of dried blood visible on her face and neck. Suddenly another image of Myka laid out on a cabin floor bleeding from her temple flashed in her mind as various memories battled for domination in her head. "Myka!"
"Helena." Myka smiled at the sound of her name being spoken in a lilting British accent.
"Well isn't this a lovely reunion. Too bad it can't last…" Before Sykes' could finish his taunting statement Marcus flew in the doorway tackling Myka from behind.
Grappling on the floor with the much larger, and healthier man, Myka manage to land a series of elbow strikes to Marcus' face while he tried to keep her hand with the gun in it pinned to the ground. With his full body weight pressing down on her Myka knew she wouldn't last long if she let it be about brute strength. Twisting and shimmying around she used her free arm to start choking him out even as he beat her gun hand against the floor trying to make her let it go. Dimly she could hear Helena shouting her name and Sykes shouting at Steve to shoot. Hand going numb from the impact she dimly realized that Marcus had dislodged her gun from her grip a second too late. Hearing the gunshot before she felt it Myka's body went still along with the rest of the room's occupants.
Marcus slowly sat up on his heels looking down at Myka as her hands drifted to her own stomach and blood began to spill out. She felt herself becoming weightless. Wishing she had another chance to do it all over again. Then she distantly heard Helena shouting in the background to be released.
"Let me go to her you bastard or I swear to god I won't do a single thing to help you." Helena screamed at the man who still held her body in check with the artifact in his lap.
Shrugging, Sykes released his hold. "Go ahead." Turning to Marcus and Steve he smiled. "That takes care of Agent Bering." Sykes shot Marcus a meaningful look as the man slowly got to his feet. "Shall we precede as planned gentlemen?"
Despite his regenerative powers Marcus was still recovering from the well placed bullet Myka had put into him just before charging up the stairs. Staggering to his feet he was easily knocked aside as Helena push past him to kneel beside Myka's prone body.
Ignoring everyone else in the room Helena pressed one hand down on top of Myka's futilely trying to stop the blood flowing out of her abdomen and forming a dark wet pool on the floor beneath them. With her other hand she cupped Myka's face leaning close to hold fading green eyes with her own. "Hey, hey, don't go yet. I just got back."
Myka smiled weakly, "Wish I could stay…"
Choking back tears Helena shook her head voice pleading, "Stay. Stay right here with me okay?"
Pulling one hand out from under Helena's, Myka used it to touch the face hovering above her. Frowning with sadness when she saw the red smudge her touch left behind on a pale cheek, "So sorry…"
"No. No sorry's this time. You did amazing Myka." Now Helena's tears couldn't be held back and she sobbed a little as she saw Myka's eyes begin to fade. "You are amazing. I love you so much. I am so proud to call you friend."
Myka struggled to stay conscious as her exhausted body slipped out of her control. Breaths coming slower as her heart and lungs struggled to continue to do their work. Focusing on the dark eyes so close to her own filled with tears and sadness. "Do you remember? What I told Emily? Do you…?"
Helena squeezed her eyes shut briefly at the pain hearing Myka's faint voice caused before looking back down with determination. "Yes. I remember everything. You did good Myka. I'll take care of it from here for you."
Lips rising in a small smile, Myka finally gave in to the heavy darkness pulling at her. Her chest and lungs hurt with each breath as if there was a band around them keeping them from working properly. Hand dropping away from Helena's face she stared up at the other woman. "Promise me… promise to live Helena."
Nodding her head and openly crying, Helena agreed. "I promise." Tears continued to pour out of her eyes without her realizing it as she watched Myka's body struggle to take its last breaths and the life fade from her eyes replaced by an empty gaze and utter stillness.
