She awoke with a start in a small dank cell. It wasn't really a cell, it was an old storage room, but it had been converted, with a small bunk secured firmly to the floor. A single light was fixed into the ceiling, covered with a grill. She stared directly into the light, letting it flood her bleary vision. She breathed in the cold, stale air, trying to garnish as much information as possible via her senses. Elise put a hand to her ribs in surprise; it didn't hurt to breathe any more. She rubbed absently at her midriff as she looked down to assess her current state. Her coat was gone, and all her weapons. They'd even taken her light flak jacket and she was left only with a sleeveless vest. Fortunately her pants seemed to have been unmolested. Her eyes moved slowly downward and she blinked at her bare feet.
"Bastards stole my boots." She muttered as she rolled off the bunk, her feet cringing from the contact with the cold cement slab. She found her boots tucked under one end of the bunk, but her knives were gone of course. She stamped her feet back into her boots and stretched her muscles out as she walked to the small metal door at the end of the cell. There was the tiniest of windows in the centre of it and she tried to peer out, to see where she was. But it was no use; all she could see was the opposite wall, a dull grey length of cement. She spun back around into the cell, her eyes scanning frantically. There had to be a camera in here somewhere. They were probably watching her at this very instant, who 'they' were she wasn't entirely sure, but she assumed the Denton's brothers were near at the very least. How else would she have gotten here? The last thing she remembered was Paul standing over her as she passed out. Smouldering anger began to bubble up inside her as she recalled the events in Vienna. Elise collapsed back onto the bunk, pulling her legs up one at a time as she yanked on the laces of her boots. They nearly snapped off as she vented her frustration with the Denton's on her poor, helpless laces.
The little voice started chuckling quietly and Elise felt her rage flashing white-hot. It was mocking her defeat; she of all people was taunting her. She grumbled low in her throat trying to ignore the voice as it grew into a steady cackle, laughing outright at her failure and rage.
"Shutup, shutup!" She shouted, clutching at her head with her hands, trying to squeeze the little voice and it's mocking laughter out of her head. "Why won't you just die!" She roared, wanting to hit something but still maintaining enough of her rational mind to think better of slamming her fist into the solid walls around her.
'You first.' The voice retorted still chuckling, but it finally fell silent, sated for the moment.
All she could hear in the cell was the sound of her own sharp breathing. She sat back down on the bunk and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. Although it was a small room, it still wasn't close enough to give her comfort. She scrambled off the bunk and slithered underneath it. It was cold against the floor but she didn't care, it was dark and tight and she immediately felt at ease. Her eyes were becoming heavy when she heard the door scrape open, feet stamping heavily into the cell. She turned her head enough so that she could watch them with her eyes, two pairs of identical combat boots. It was almost cute, as though their Mummy dressed them the same each morning.
"Are you going to come out?" One of them asked. It was definitely Paul, JC's voice had a huskier quality to it. She swung her leg out and they jumped back at her sudden attack. She could hear JC muttering something under his breath and Paul trying to hold him off.
"I'd rather not have to sedate you." Paul again. She doubted JC would want to speak to her after the beating she gave him. She couldn't suppress the cruel grin that spread across her features and she licked her lips, as though she could still taste his pain.
'Perhaps I should go along…I will kill them!' She didn't even blink at the sudden suppression of her thought processes. Morgan's final commands to her were still in place and she could not disobey them. She slowly slid out from under the bunk as the Denton's eyed her warily; Paul had a dart gun at the ready. She was grateful for her lack of height as it automatically lulled people into a false sense of confidence. She noted in the corner of her eye that the cell door was wide open. They were overly-confident she thought as she smirked inwardly. Paul motioned with his gun that she should move in front of them and she started to turn complacently.
Her hand snapped back, knocking Paul's gun to the floor with a clatter as the same hand flicked up at his throat. Simultaneously she kicked out at JC's knee, grinning triumphantly as the joint bent inwards. She spun again to take care of Paul who she saw as the bigger threat and his fist slammed into her. The force of his strength enhanced blow knocked her back into JC and they both tumbled to the floor. JC tried to wrap his arms around her, to keep her pinned on top of him and she blindly snapped her head back against his while digging into his ribs with an elbow. She scrambled free of his grasp, ready to launch herself at Paul when she felt something bite her thigh. She looked down at the tranquiliser dart and brushed at it absently as she stepped toward Paul. He fired another dart into her chest and she grunted as she fought to stay upright. It was no good; her feral hatred alone could not resist two tranquilisers. She landed on the floor hard, still trying to claw her way toward Paul.
"Whose brilliant idea was this again?" She heard JC grumble sarcastically as she faded out to the sound of mocking laughter.
Elise woke slowly to the hum and bleep of medical equipment. She was staring directly at the ceiling and her first reaction was to spring to her feet but she found that she was strapped tightly to a med-table.
"Awake at last Sleeping Beauty." Toby announced from the doorway. He strode to the side of the table and smirked down at her. "I told them to make the bindings extra tight."
"Toby untie me." She commanded, even in this helpless position she would never plead for anything. "Help me and Morgan and I would be willing to overlook your recent…transgressions." He seemed to consider her offer.
"With the Denton's out of Hong Kong I have no doubt you'd clean out the compound in minutes." He stepped closer and her arms twitched against her restraints expectantly. "I also have no doubt that I'd be your first victim." He smirked again.
"Get out of my sight traitor." She snarled at him. He laughed outright in response.
"You're in no position to be making demands Elise."
"So how is it that they are letting you roam freely?" Tong was an even greater fool than she had originally thought if he put any trust in Atanwe.
"Let's just say I've been very forthcoming with all I know about you and Everett. Plus I tried to convince Tong to not go to Vienna. That put me in a good light considering recent events." Toby sneered at her, revelling in his triumph over the woman that had replaced him in Everett's plans.
"Morgan and I know how paranoid Tong is. The chances of him going to Vienna were slight." Her eyes sparkled with glee. "Until you turned up, fearing for your life and insisting that I was in Hong Kong. As we suspected it convinced Tong that the rendezvous in Vienna wasn't a trap." Now it was Elise's turn to smirk. Tied down and virtually helpless she could still intimidate Toby. "You misinformed him just as you were meant to puppet. I wonder what Tong would think about that…"
She left the open threat hanging and Toby glared at her. They both knew that it would not take much to make Tong suspicious of Toby, considering his previous alliances. Elise would take great delight in destroying Toby's chances for gaining Tong's complete trust. The man would be lost without someone to hold his leash. He wasn't smart enough to become a player in world politics himself, he was a born lackey and needed direction.
"Of course, you could always untie me…" She suggested smugly observing the inner conflict that played clearly on his features. His choices were pretty grim, leave her there and ruin his chance of starting a new career. Or let her go and possibly die anyway. He was spared the decision however as Tong entered the lab.
"She's awake at last then?" The short, grizzled Tong asked as he approached the table. Toby stood frozen in place, it was too late now to let Elise go and take his chances. His eyes scanned the room frantically for a weapon; maybe he could kill her before she said anything. His fears were unfounded however, for the minute Elise's gaze fell upon Tong, Everett's commands kicked in. Her hands clenched furiously, the knuckles turning white and she fought against the bonds holding her down. Her arms trembled from the tension in her muscles as her nails dugs into her palms, drawing blood.
At first both Tong and Toby seemed oblivious to her sudden reaction and Tong babbled on, unaware of the loathing that emanated from her.
"You are most remarkable young Elise. I knew Everett was quite brilliant but you overwhelm all my expectations. Everett is quite a craftsman." Elise was not even listening to anything he said. She simply glared at him as he fiddled with the control panel near the med-table. She could clearly visualise her hands snapping his neck, or tearing out his throat, but the inability to do so caused her immeasurable anguish. There was a great throbbing pain in her head which she instinctively knew related to her inability to kill Tong. When he was dead the pain would stop, she hated him and it was his fault that she was hurting.
"See here Toby, embedded just above the cerebellum." Tong indicated a point on the screen before him. It was a clear image of Elise's brain and he was pointing at a dark speck deep in her brain. "And here there are filaments that branch off into motor control, sensory input and the like." He pointed out several thin lines that radiated out into her brain.
"It could possibly explain the fast reflexes. I'm not entirely sure of its function yet, but I'm convinced it's somehow responsible for the erratic behaviour we've observed." Tong's fingers tapped against the keyboard. "I'm not sure how Everett got it in there, but I know I cannot remove it. I think I can shut it down, but I don't know what that would do."
"Elise…" Tong began, turning from the screen for the first time. "I believe this device has some control over your thought processes. Is there anything you can tell us about it?"
Elise was still pulling furiously against the restraints and she growled in frustration.
"Don't waste your lies on me. I will kill you!" Her voice had taken on a hysterical tone as she arched her body off the table. Her relentless fighting against the bonds had begun to tear at her exposed skin, drawing blood. She seemed oblivious to the pain.
Tong took a step back from her, horrified by her manic behaviour. "I just want to help you." Elise's only response was an anguished grunt.
"My suggestion would be to put her down, like the rabid animal she is." Here was Toby's chance to be rid of this most irritating thorn. Tong just shook his head, turning back to his computer.
There was a crackle of static in Elise's head, the info-link. She could faintly hear a garbled message from Everett. Eventually the line became clear as Everett managed to bypass whatever dampening measures Tong had erected.
'Elise, I see now why I have not heard from you.'
"You can speak to me Everett." Tong had managed to hack into her info-link and Morgan grumbled at the intrusion.
"You should not have interfered in matters that do not concern you Tong."
"And what will you do Everett? I have your assassin bound quite tightly and soon I will figure out how to disable your control over her."
"That is only a minor setback Tong."
"I will kill him!" Elise shrieked. She would not give up, she would not fail. Morgan sighed in disgust.
"I see now where I have made errors. This is most disappointing." Morgan abruptly severed the link but Tong was monitoring Elise's brain scan with increasing interest.
"Wait…there's something. Oh my god!" He raced frantically to shut down the chip in Elise's brain as her anguished cry echoed through the underground complex.
It was merely split seconds before she lapsed into unconsciousness with a groan of relief.
"What was that?" Toby asked confused.
"Everett's twisted version of a kill-switch." Tong uttered his jaw set in angry determination.
"Is she…?" Toby asked trying to look sombre although inside he was hoping she was dead.
"No, but who knows what damage has been done."
"So what do we do?"
"What else can we do?" Tong sighed in resignation. "We wait."