NATURAL BORN KILLER PART 2
"He that can have patience can have what he will." -Benjamin Franklin
Rome, Italy, circa 1486 (Earth)
Laurent L'Andre's horse gallops down the dirt path with great haste. It's heading towards a gap in the Alban Hills, which are about 12 miles southeast of downtown Rome.
One advantage to having a secret assassin base in the Alban Hills is the scenery: the hills aren't tall enough to be capped by snow like some mountains nearby, meaning that they are lush and green with trees as far as the eye can see. But besides being eye-catching, another advantage is the fact that this area hasn't been settled all that much yet.
And both the remoteness and the trees help keep the homebase of Il Credo Divino a secret to most of the world.
This small, faint dirt path Laurent is on actually has gone on for about 2 miles. Unless you were feeling extremely adventurous, the hilliness and remoteness of the path would deter most curious appetites.
But not Laurent. He's heading to the place he calls home. And he's in a hurry because there's a reward if he gets back to base before a certain time.
It's been two days since he sprung up out of the haystack to kill Leroi-Baptiste, the gangster who killed his family and effectively seized control of Tenay, the French town Laurent grew up in.
Laurent's face is in bad need of a shave. The bags under his eyes reveal that he hasn't slept much these past couple days. He could also use a bath as well.
His horse comes up to a large metal gate surrounded on each side by a tall stone wall that expands to the hills on each side of it. Above the wall, Laurent can see the tops of two large hills that complete the backside of the enclosed Il Credo Divino compound.
Laurent pulls up to the gate and, in English, says "Laurent L'Andre! Returning from assignment!" His statement is apparently heard and understood, because the gate starts to open slowly.
The "official" language of Il Credo Divino assassins is English. This came about after one assassin was discovered in England. No one understood a word he said at first. Soon, there was the idea of adopting his language as the official language of the group because not many in Europe or western Asia would understand it when they conversed among themselves in the field. It was like their own private code. Plus, many assassins agreed that English had a certain elegance to it.
Laurent marches on his horse through the gate as soon as it become wide enough to walk through. He is now in the Il Credo Divino compound.
In the middle of the compound is a large circular ring. The surface is made up of dirt and a couple of prospective assassins clad in regular clothes training with their trainers on hand to hand combat.
Behind the ring are a series of large stone buildings, all about three stories high, ranging from barracks to classrooms to the Grand Assassin's office building. They all form a half-circle along the foothills of the two large hills Laurent saw earlier.
Laurent heads right towards the stables. As he pulls up to the entrance, a stableboy walks out and speaks in Italian "Laurent! Sei tornato dalla tua prima missione! Sei stato tu successo?" ("Laurent! You've returned from your first mission! Was you successful?") Laurent gives a small headnod to the boy and tersely says "Molto." ("Very.")
Laurent hops off the horse and lets the stableboy take the horse into the stables. Behind him, he hears a man in a Russian accent say "You're late."
Laurent turns around and finds a teenage Aleksander Derevko, looking much younger and actually showing off a full head of brown-colored hair...almost the exact same shade Irina Derevko, his great-great-great-great-great-great-great- granddaughter would have. He also is in an off-white robe like Laurent.
Laurent looks up to the sun and points. "I am not late, Alec! The sun hasn't reached it's apex!" Alec looks up and studies the sky a bit. He then sighs and says "Shoot. Well, a bet is a bet, and you returned within a week of when you left here." Alec looks back down to Laurent and smirks. "Guess the drinks are on me tonight, friend." Laurent and Alec exchange a quick hug and start walking towards the stone buildings.
As they pass other assassins and trainees milling about the compound, Alec, who looks much friendlier in his late-teen days, asks "So, how'd you do it?" Laurent shrugs and says "Haystack. Leroi didn't do any heavy lifting himself, so he would have delivery men deliver his booze, produce, and things of the sort. Getting in was simple. I just showed up with a box to deliver at the end of his daily delivery window. That meant a few hours in the hay...but it was worth it in the end."
Alec chuckles and says "I take it the escape was easy?" Laurent nods and says "Quite easy, actually. Rooftops were my mode of exit. No one suspected a thing."
Alec sniffs and forms a look of disgust. "At least you didn't waste another day there...Leroi would have probably would have smelled you before you struck! Good lord..." Laurent sighs and says "The bathroom in our building had better be available...even I can't stand the smell of myself."
As they approach the door of one of the buildings, Bruno De Luca, the man who rescued Laurent 10 years ago as his family was getting murdered, steps out and opens his arms. In his customary Italian accent, he says "Well, well, well! The fabulous Frenchman returns!"
Bruno clasps both hands around Laurent's right hand. "Was the mission a success?" Laurent nods and says "In more ways than one. Not only is Leroi dead, but Garlan's shoes are for real."
Laurent lifts up his right boot, allowing Bruno and Alec to examine it. Alec asks "What is so special about a French boot?" Laurent replies "They are light as a feather and they are as quiet as the night air. My escape on the rooftops were made easy by these."
Bruno presses in on the soles and nods approvingly. "I like the cushion on these. Tell me, how is old Garlan doing these days?" Laurent shakes his head and says "Not well. He's hurting for business, Bruno. I think Leroi was trying to squeeze him out. I know it is not my place, but I think these boots would make all of our jobs easier, and I'm sure Garlan would appreciate the business we would provide him."
Bruno stands up straight and thinks about that proposition for a bit. "Tell me...do you think Garlan would keep us quiet if we asked him to become our shoe supplier?" Laurent quickly replies "Garlan knew I was in town and didn't say a peep to anyone. After we eliminate the rest of Leroi's gang, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to keep..."
Bruno holds up his hand. "We will not be eliminating the rest of Leroi's gang, Laurent." Laurent raises his eyes open widely in surprise. "What? Then what the hell did I just do?" Bruno quickly replies "Have you seen a chicken run around with their head cut off? Think of Leroi's gang in that same vein. The remnants of Leroi's gang are now leaderless and rudderless. We have...'friends' in the region that will take care of the leftovers, and Tenay will be back to normal, like it was when you were a baby."
Laurent lets out a deep sigh and says "I was hoping to rid that town of those scum for good..." Bruno cuts him off. "You already did. The hard part is over. Leroi is not the easiest man to get to, but you did just that, and he is no longer among the living. The rest of his gang will be easy. Remember, we don't fight wars. We suppress oppression and promote progress, and we've already accomplished the first part of that statement. Your actions have ignited the second part of our plan, which will be the revolution that takes place. Now come on, we will finish your debriefing inside and perhaps as soon as tonight, you will be initiated as the newest member of Il Credo..."
"E sei tu!" ("It's you!")
The three suddenly turn to the right where the familiar Italian voice came from. They look at a man in his late 20's or early 30's, standing at about average height, short black hair, and a somewhat goofy expression on his face. He wears a baggy tan robe and looks like he just found his long lost dog. He looks like a smart man who knows a lot about a lot of things, but definitely looks on the eccentric side. A large leather bag sits next to his feet.
Bruno asks the man in English "Excuse me?" The man waves Bruno off and looks at Laurent and Alec. Now in perfect English, the Italian man replies "I was talking about you two. I've seen you two before." Alec steps up next to Laurent and tells the man coldly "You've seen us, but we've never seen you. That means we're either not doing our jobs right or you're a liar."
The man shakes his head as he continues to walk up to Laurent and Alec. "Neither of those statements are true. I believe you two are among the best assassins this group has to offer..." Bruno tells the man "The blonde haired Frenchman is not yet an assassin..." The man cuts him off. "Doesn't matter. He's here for a reason, is he not?" Bruno stays silent.
The man continues. "I have seen you two in my dreams. I already know what you two are capable of, because my dreams always seem to come true." Laurent looks at Alec with a confused expression on his face, then back at the man. "Who...or maybe I should ask...what are you?" The man replies "I am a prophet. I have dreamed of extraordinary machinery, science, and of amazing things that happen in the future. I have dreamed of a wonderful future, full of wonderful things. And you two are giant keys to that very future." Bruno steps up to the man and sternly asks "Tell me your name and state your business here. Now."
The man gives Bruno a goofy closed smile and says "My name is Milo Rambaldi, and I was here to seek the assistance of Il Credo Divino. Now, however, I am here to ask for the assistance of these two gentlemen."
Bruno relaxes, but still keeps his gaze at Rambaldi. "I have heard of you, Milo. I was informed that you would be coming by sometime soon. I understand there have been threats against your life of late." Rambaldi nods and says "My life has been quite stressful of late, yes." Rambaldi then looks back at Alec and Laurent. "Tell me what it is I need to do to get these men allocated to my service."
Bruno turns back to Laurent and Alec and studies them for a bit, then turns back to Rambaldi. "Come inside. Laurent just completed his first mission, and will become a full assassin tonight. After I am done with his mission report, I will talk to you about we can be of service to you..." Bruno then furrows his eyebrows and sternly says "...and we will talk about why we should support your...'cause'. Come."
Bruno turns and heads inside. Rambaldi motions his hand towards Bruno. "After you, gentlemen." Laurent and Alec head inside, both a little baffled at Rambaldi's interest in them.
San Felipe, Mexico (Elysium)
"Ok class, who here can tell me the answer to this math problem?"
The brown-haired man grabs a piece of chalk and writes "7 + 2" on the chalkboard. The rest of the class, made up of kids from as young as Maria Falk at 5 years old up to 7 years old, look on inquisitively. The kids are all taught how to speak English because it is the universal language in Elysium...almost like how Il Credo Divino adopted the language over 500 years ago.
The man then sets down the chalk and turns to face the class, and at first glance, he almost looks like Michael Vaughn, if not a bit older.
His face is handsome. His brown eyes are what women call "puppy dog eyes". He has brown hair and wears a similar smirk that Michael would often wear. His face is scruffy and his body is fit. His jaw is a bit more square than Michael's, and he's a little bigger in height and frame than Michael.
But as much as this man looks like Michael Vaughn, it's not him. This is Bill Vaughn, his father.
A boy's hand shoots up and he says "Mister Vaughn! Mister Vaughn!" Bill scans the rest of the class, hoping that some other kid raises his or her hand. There are no takers.
Bill sighs, points the kid and says "And once again...what is it, Mister Ortega?" The boy replies "Nine!" Bill grins and says "Very good!" Bill then looks out at the nine other kids in the room and says "You guys can answer, too! No need to be shy!"
As Bill turns back to the chalkboard, Maria, who is sitting to the boy's left, says "Good job, Emilio!" Emilio gives her a big toothy grin in return, which reveals a couple missing teeth since he's of the age where he's losing his baby teeth left and right. But despite his glee at impressing his best friend, Emilio doesn't say anything, which isn't surprising given his reputation for being a bit on the quiet and shy side.
Emilio Ortega has very short buzzed black hair and a typical Mexican tan complexion. He's a big boy for his age of 6, but not in a fat way. He is a bit stocky, but you can just tell he's going to be a big, handsome kid when he grows up.
Bill starts writing up a new math question on the board, but is interrupted when the door to the classroom opens. Thinking it might be Julieta Romero, the orphan mother to the kids he teaches, he turns and is surprised to find Eddie Falk standing in the doorway.
Maria turns and happily says "Hi Uncle Eddie!" Eddie waves at her and says "Hey Maria!" Eddie then looks at Bill, who asks "Hey Eddie, I take it you're here to pick up your niece?"
Eddie shakes his head. "In a bit...is Julieta around? I thought she'd be in here." Bill replies "Check out back, she likes to hide out there and read when class is in session." Eddie nods and says "Thanks Bill. I'll let you get back to teaching these little brainiacs." Eddie gives the kids a smirk before turning to head to the door.
Bill suddenly asks "How's your mom doing?" Eddie stops and, with his back turned to Bill, chuckles a bit. He knows the history that Bill and Mary Falk have. Eddie then turns to Bill and says "She's been better. Maybe you should give her a call." Bill gives Eddie a few understanding nods. He's heard already about the falling out Mary had with Tom Falk Senior.
Eddie walks out of the classroom and steps outside. The classroom is actually the smaller unit of a two-unit strip mall in town. On Earth, the smaller unit is unoccupied while the larger unit is a gun dealership, something that is forbidden in Elysium as a peace-keeping requirement. Now, it has a new use in Elysium: the home of the San Marcos Orphanage, San Felipe chapter. Yes, Julieta named it after the Argentina orphanage her and Nadia grew up in.
It's a nice day in San Felipe today. It's New Year's Eve and the weather this time of year is dry and nice. A couple thin clouds in the sky today do little to block the bright orange sun.
Eddie walks past the first window he finds and looks inside the nursery room. He sees another orphan mother tending to the babies and toddlers. Her name is Lucia Cortez. This older woman was a local of San Felipe who was a pediatric nurse at the local hospital while she was alive. But seeing as there's much less need for medical services in the afterlife, Lucia has found another purpose that makes her feel good while working in an area of expertise for her. Julieta looks up to Lucia a lot. Eddie notes that Lucia looks a little busy.
Eddie rounds the corner and starts walking out to the back. When he gets to the back and walks through the fence gate, he sees the large playground area that the orphans have to play in. Numerous jungle gyms, slides, merry-go-rounds...if it's a playground item, it's probably here. The playground looks very well funded and very well stocked with just about anything a little kid could want.
And then Eddie sees her...behind a swingset and sitting under a large palm tree on a wooden bench sits one of the most beautiful things Eddie Falk has ever seen in his life.
She sits with her legs crossed, her calves poking through the bottom of her light blue ruffled long skirt, which matches the thin and light blue cotton shirt that she is wearing. Her long black hair, longer than even Nadia's, gently sways in the breeze while it drapes down her back. Her face is shaded by the large egg shell hat she is wearing as she reads. Her slender body looks very relaxed and at ease.
The stylish and beautiful Julieta Romero has left Eddie thunderstruck once again.
Maybe it's her beauty, the fact that he's been without love for over a decade while he waited for his wife on Earth to either die or remarry, or perhaps both. Whatever the reasons, Eddie was never like this around women in real life. He more than held his own with the fairer sex in life. But things are different now and he's not 100% sure why.
Eddie takes a deep breath and starts walking her way, ignoring trying to figure out the reasons for his nervousness. Julieta doesn't look up from her book at all as he approaches her.
He gets to about 5 feet from her when he bends down and looks at what book she's reading. He sees it's "The Hunger Games". Eddie smirks and says "I see your good taste in books matches your good taste in clothing."
Eddie's voice causes her to jump a little in surprise. She looks up at Eddie and, realizing it's him, beams a bright smile towards him. "Eddie! What are you doing here?" Eddie gives her a strange look and says "Nadia didn't tell you I was coming?" Julieta just shakes her head, still in shock over seeing Eddie, who never has stopped by the orphanage before. Eddie lets out a quick chuckle and says "And here I thought you two told each other everything."
Julieta gives Eddie a confused shrug and says "She did say a few days ago that you might be coming to pick up Maria from a time to time, but she didn't say you were coming today!" Eddie looks back at the orphanage building and replies "Yeah, Nadia had some errands to run and my brother is having a meeting, so she asked if I could pick up Maria."
Julieta looks down at her watch and says "You're early, class doesn't get out for another few minutes." Eddie curiously asks "What is Maria doing in there anyway? She's not supposed to start school for another year." Julieta looks back up at Eddie with a smile. "She likes to learn and she likes to hang out with Emilio, and when school is in session, she gets to do both! Sit down, stay a while!"
Julieta scoots over a bit, allowing Eddie to sit down next to her. He does a little nervously, which Julieta picks up on, but she doesn't say anything. Instead, she examines Eddie's attire: a nice button up short sleeve shirt and jeans. Pretty basic and casual. Still, she can't help but notice how handsome he looks.
Eddie beats her to the complimenting punch and says "I couldn't help but admire you from a distance for a few seconds while you read. You look stunning today, Julieta." Julieta gives Eddie a flattered smile and says "Why thank you!" Julieta looks down at her attire and says "I didn't even do anything special today, either." Eddie quickly tells her "You don't have to. You're one of those types that probably looks like she's ready for the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit magazine from the first moment you roll out of bed in the morning." Julieta laughs and says "Oh really? Clearly you haven't seen me roll out of bed before! I really looked like Hell this morning..."
Eddie laughs a bit and says "Oh, I doubt it. But hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?" Julieta laughs a bit and says "That might be true, because you're looking pretty nice yourself!" Eddie looks down at his clothes and says "Really? This is pretty close to what I usually wear everyday..." Julieta adjusts Eddie's collar a bit and says "Good, don't change a thing." Eddie gives her a touched smile, but doesn't say anything due to embarrassment.
After a few awkward seconds, Julieta breaks the silence by asking "So, you like The Hunger Games too?" Eddie nods and replies "Yeah, I read it a few months back. It's not Shakespeare, but it was a pretty fun read. How far along are you?" Julieta replies "About a third of the way or so. I don't get a lot of time to read, just what's left over from cleaning up while the kids are in school. I wish I had more time..."
Eddie then says "Well, there's the new program that Nadia's been bragging about. Pretty soon you'll have more free time than you'll know what to do with!" Julieta laughs and says "Oh I hope so! I've been dying to travel and see the world!"
Eddie smiles and says "When the time comes and you need some extra hands to help with the new program, I'll come down and help." Julieta gives Eddie a kind smile and says "I'd appreciate that. Oh it's going to be so nice to see places like New York! I've dreamed of going to Times Square...oh if only..."
Suddenly, Eddie gets an idea. He turns away and thinks about what he's about to propose. He smirks when he decides to ask it.
He turns back to Julieta and says "I can make that happen." Julieta gives Eddie a funny look. "Make what happen?" Eddie replies "I bet you that I can get you some time off so you and me can go to New York for a night. My treat."
Julieta shifts her body towards Eddie, very interested in how he can pull this off. If you haven't been to a place before, you can't teleport there. Instead, you have to travel via the normal methods of travel...train, airplane, car, etc. Knowing this, Julieta asks "Have you been to New York?" Eddie nods. "Yeah, quite a few times, actually. When I was in the Seals, I was based in Groten, Connecticut for a spell, and me and the boys would go into New York City a lot. That's where I met my wife..."
Eddie then hangs his head at the mention of his wife. Julieta notices his look of shame and puts her right hand on his left, which is on the back of the park bench. "Nadia would often tell me how much you loved your wife on Earth, how you were so intent on waiting for her." Eddie nods and, head still hanging, says "She was worth waiting for. But she got married the other day. I'm happy for her. She would have had to wait a long time as a widow, but now she can move on. And so can I."
Eddie then looks up and looks deeply into Julieta's eyes. "Julieta, I have to admit something right here and now. I can't hide it anymore." Julieta concernedly asks "What is it?" Eddie replies "I don't know how to say it except...I think you're beautiful, I think you're smart, and I think you're a blast to hang out with. Some of my happiest times in the past few years have been when you would stop by my brother's place, even though our visits would usually be brief."
Julieta lets out a flattered giggle and strokes some hair behind her right ear. "Eddie! I had no idea you felt that way about me! I'm flattered!" Eddie quickly replies "I meant every word. And I want to make your New York dream come true. I'm thinking a nice steak dinner at this nice restaurant overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, and then we'll head to Times Square and do whatever you'd like. Dancing, shopping, drinks...you name it."
Julieta smiles wide at that prospect. She lets out an exited giggle, but just as quickly a frown forms and she looks down. "Oh Eddie, I have the kids..." Eddie cuts her off. "I'll get Nadia to help out." Julieta shakes her head. "Oh no! I don't want to burden her..." Eddie sighs and says "Julieta, it's in the bag. Me and Nadia talked about it and she says she'll relieve you. Done deal."
Julieta looks away in disbelief. This could actually happen. Not only could she get to see New York, but she'll get to do it with a cute guy that she's had something of a crush on herself. She's not the type to tell him that he's cute, though, at least not right off the bat. She's not one to be very open with her romantic feelings in general unless she's really comfortable with someone. But she did envy Nadia somewhat for having Tom in her life: the doting, loving, and fairly handsome husband who would die for her, the kind of man you usually only find in fairy tales. And knowing how close and how similar Tom and Eddie are, she wondered what Eddie would be like as a boyfriend. Besides, the prospect of her having a boyfriend is enticing, considering her love life has been dormant since arriving in Elysium, just like Eddie. Oh, and to top it all off, she thinks Eddie is cuter than Tom anyway.
Her thoughts are broken when Eddie holds Julieta's right hand with both hands. Eddie looks deeply into Julieta's eyes when she looks back up at him and says "Come on, Julieta. I just want to make you happy. Just give me one chance to do that." Julieta cracks a wide smile that all the facial muscles in the world couldn't hide. She turns away in a vain attempt to hide it, but Eddie's no fool. He definitely saw it and smiles himself. Julieta's experiences with men in life were not good at all, as is typical with women forced into prostitution in Argentina. But a guy saying that he wants to make her happy...better words couldn't have been said to her and they couldn't have been said by a better guy in her eyes.
Julieta turns back to Eddie with that same wide smile on her face. She leans in and gets close to Eddie's face, causing his smile to disappear and a look of hope to wash over his face. Her naturally throaty voice gets even sultrier when she tells Eddie "Pick me up here at 6 Friday night?" Eddie smirks and says "Deal." Julieta grins and says "Let's seal that deal..."
And then Julieta leans in and gives Eddie a kiss on the lips. She couldn't resist doing that either. The closed lip kiss lasts a good 5 seconds before she finally releases. She feels the euphoria almost immediately. And so did he.
Eddie keeps his eyes closed and reflects on that kiss. He literally felt electricity shoot throughout his body when Julieta's lips met his, like he was feeling his very first kiss. He exhales suddenly and says "Whoa..." in a way that would make Keanu Reeves proud. Julieta laughs at that, then gives Eddie another quick peck on the lips.
That last kiss would not go unnoticed by a surprise spectator.
The little girl gasps loudly and shouts "JULIETAAAA!" Eddie and Julieta quickly shoot their glance over at Maria Falk, who stands there with her jaw wide open in shock. She was sent to tell Julieta that class was over, but she got a lot more than she bargained for this trip by seeing Julieta kissing her uncle.
Eddie quickly wipes his mouth off and asks "How long have you been standing there?" Maria ignores Eddie and disbelievingly tells Julieta "You kissed Uncle Eddie, Julieta!" Julieta smiles and says "Yes, I did." Maria innocently asks "Why?"
Julieta turns to a flummoxed Eddie, then back at Maria. "Why did you kiss Emilio when he saved you from the merry-go-round?" Maria replies "Because I like Emilio and he's my friend! Do you like Uncle Eddie, too?" Julieta turns back to Eddie and says "Yeah, I do."
Suddenly, Maria turns and runs back inside the orphanage. She's got to tell everyone! Eddie turns to Julieta and says "Those kids aren't going to let you heard the end of it." Julieta rolls her eyes and says "Oh come on, I can take it! They're just kids!"
Eddie and Julieta walk together back to the classroom. They walk in and almost immediately, the kids shout "OOOOOOOHHHHH!" in unison at them, causing them to be a bit embarrassed and causing Julieta to blush a bit. It's clear to both Eddie and Julieta that Maria spilled the beans on their kiss in the playground. The kids are done with class and Bill is packing his things up. He looks up at Eddie and smirks. "I thought this might be coming..." Eddie raises an eyebrow at him. "Ok, who's the rat?" Bill, keeping his smirk, says "Don't tell your mother I narc'd her out, ok?"
Eddie rolls his eyes. His mother? Part of a conspiracy to aid one of her sons? How shocking...
Eddie then looks down at Maria. "Ok, we're taking you home, munchkin." In a move perhaps inspired by what just transpired with her uncle and Julieta, she turns and gives Emilio a peck on the cheek. The rest of the class repeats their "OOOOOHHHH!" while Emilio hangs his head and blushes. Julieta asks "Maria, what did your mother tell you about doing that?" Maria looks up at Julieta and says "I know...but you two are friends too and you kissed each other! Why can't we?"
Eddie and Julieta both look at each other and smile. They don't have an answer for that. After all, maybe they'll be more than friends soon.
Eddie then says "Have a great day, Julieta. I'll call you tomorrow." Julieta gives Eddie a hug and whispers "You take care, Eddie. I can't wait for Friday night!" As they hug, Maria starts walking towards Eddie. As she does, she turns and waves to the class. "Bye everyone! Bye Emilio!" The rest of the class waves at Maria and she leaves with Eddie.
But while all of that was taking place, they all were oblivious to the horror that Nadia was going through...
Elsewhere in San Felipe, Mexico (Elysium)
The first thing Nadia Falk realizes when she returns to consciousness is that the back of her head is throbbing in pain.
The second thing she realizes is that she can't move her hands to address that pain in her head.
She cracks open her eyes for the first time since being knocked out in the produce section of the grocery store. She looks up and sees that her arms are extended upward and above her head, and her wrists are wrapped in chains that are looped around a water pipe above her head. She pulls down but sees there's no breaking the pipe and there's no breaking the tight grip the chains have on her wrists.
Nadia looks down at her feet and sees chains wrapped around her ankles as well, but not moored to the ground like her arms are to the pipe above her head. She can hop around a bit, but she doesn't have much range of motion at all.
She looks back up and examines her surroundings. Apparently she hasn't gone very far because she can see boxes that once carried various food items sold at the store. She comes to the conclusion that she must be in the back of the store. Her first instinct is to scream for help...
"Buenos días mi 'Abeja Zumbante'" (Good morning my 'Buzzing Bee').
That familiar Spanish voice comes from behind her. Nadia is shocked to hear it. This man is not someone that would be allowed in Elysium upon death. But if it is really him...
A hand lightly caresses her right cheek, breaking her thoughts. Even the feel of this man's hand feels familiar to her. Her stomach starts to feel queasy, for this man is touching her softly and gently, making his intents known right off the bat.
That hand slides down the front of her body and over the white silk shirt she's wearing, causing her body to shudder at the way this man is touching her and confirming those bad intentions. His hand feels like a snake slithering down her body to her. Quite frankly, she'd probably prefer the snake over this man's hand.
And then that man moves that very hand back up from her waist to her left shoulder as he steps in front of her. That's when she sees him. Cesar Martinez. He really made it to Elysium somehow. Nadia wonders if this is a dream, but she quickly surmises that it's not because she's good at getting out of bad dreams like this, what few she has anymore because her life has been very rewarding and comfortable these past five years or so.
Nadia immediately notices the bullet hole scar that is on Cesar's forehead, almost dead center above his nose. That scar symbolizes the most unlikeliest death she ever saw while she was an agent for either Argentine Intelligence or the CIA: Her then-boyfriend's titanium-boned right hand blocking a bullet, allowing that bullet to ricochet off his hand and plunge into Cesar's forehead.
Cesar has a smirk that might be permanently grafted to his face. He looks down at Nadia's body once again and runs his hands up and down the front of her body as he says "My Buzzing Bee...you know, it was amazing how your skin always managed to feel like silk, even when it was dirtied by the streets of Argentina. And now you're wearing a silk shirt on the day of our reunion..."
Cesar is cut off when Nadia spits in his face. Cesar takes his right hand off of Nadia's left shoulder to wipe Nadia's spit off, his smirk not leaving his face.
Nadia closes her eyes. Cesar is not touching her, meaning she can teleport to safety without him tagging along for the ride.
But not two seconds after she closes her eyes, she is gagged by the spit-soaked right hand of Cesar being tightly clasped around her throat. Her eyes pop open to see Cesar waving his left index finger in front of her face, smirk still present. "Ah, ah, ah...you don't want to do what you were just about to do." With Cesar's hand constricting her throat, Nadia sarcastically replies "And what was I going to do, 'Mi Oso Feroz' (My Big Bad Bear?)"
Cesar lets out a laugh as he lets go of her throat and says "You remember the nickname I had, just as I remembered yours! You don't know the great joy this gives me..." With a deathly sneer on her face, Nadia says "FUCK YOUR JOY!"
Cesar doesn't give up his smirk. Instead, he brushes his right hand on her face again, but she recoils backwards. Cesar settles for the hand on the shoulder again as he says "My joy will matter a great deal here in a bit. But back to what we were talking about before...oh yes. You were going to teleport to safety, and I would have just had to have had to track you down with my two new friends. And you'd be easy to find, because I already know where you...where your husband...and your little angel lay their heads at night. I will give them a nightmare in Hell to replace the ones they're having over your death."
Nadia computes what he just said. Something doesn't make sense right off the bat. "Why not just bust down the doors of our home instead of doing all this? Your friends must be pretty pathetic if they think they can't handle us head-on." Cesar starts laughing at the irony of that comment. "Have you met your ancestor Alec Derevko?" Nadia shrugs and says "Once or twice, why?" Cesar stops laughing and says "'Pathetic' was a word that he used to describe your mother when our attempt to assassinate Rambaldi and Aristotle was foiled."
Nadia's eyebrows raise up as high as they can go. "My mother is here?" Cesar slowly nods. "Yeah, and to be quite honest, she had something different in store for you. She wouldn't tell me what it was, though, and I was tired of waiting for her to reveal her cards. Patience was never one of my virtues."
Cesar holds up his right fist and Nadia sees that his knuckles are cut up. If Cesar attempted to swing at Irina Derevko, Nadia knows he'd probably be turned into origami. Cesar notices Nadia studying his hand. "Mr. Wonderful's former right hand man in Storm Crew tried to stop me. I hope he regains vision in his left eye, I think it was about swollen shut when I bailed to find you."
Nadia immediately realizes that the other 'friend' of Cesar's is Mitch Hayes, the traitor that betrayed Tom Falk and buried the rest of Storm Crew in the exploded rubble in Torino and enabled the Covenant to do their Project Alloy surgery on Tom.
Then something else jumps out at her. She shakes her head and says "People can't die in Elysium. What makes you think your ploy on the Elysian High Council would have even worked?" Cesar lets out a laugh as he pats Nadia's left cheek condescendingly. "Is that what they tell you? I heard this place was like something out of a John Lennon song, but to outright lie that people cannot lose their lives here? Consider us and the others that came with us through the portal your 'Instant Karma'."
Cesar starts back with the hands again, this time grabbing Nadia by the hips and rubbing his hands up and down the sides of her body. Nadia knows what Cesar is here to do and she knows why he turned his back on Irina and Mitch to do it. He doesn't care about any revolutions. He doesn't care about honoring agreements. All he cares about is himself and, when it comes to her, what's between both his and her legs.
But Nadia's not done with the questions, and seeing as Cesar is in an apparently chatty mood, and knowing what she was taught about rape as a young teen in the San Marcos orphanage, it helps to get as much information as possible before the bad things really happen, and Cesar's cockiness and desire to soak in her body before violating it is making that easier than other rape defenses.
Nadia focuses her eyes back onto Cesar's and stares a hole through him. "Cesar." Cesar looks up, his attention grabbed by the calmness of Nadia's voice. Nadia then asks "Who are the others and how did you get here?"
Cesar's smirk widens a bit. "Oh, you'd love it. If I were to let you live after this, you'd have to hide from Arvin Sloane...Elena Derevko..."
Cesar continues with the names of Julian Sark and Kelly Peyton. He even mentions the previous existence of Gordon Dean and Francisco Alvarado before they were killed. He even mentions Alvarado's army of men that, just like him, want revenge on Tom Falk, who he refers to by his Mexican cartel nickname "Halcon Diablo". He doesn't mention that the army may be lost because of Alvarado's death, however. Last he heard, Kelly Peyton was looking for it.
But Nadia's not interested in any of that at the moment. Her mind freezes on the mention of Elena Derevko...the woman that raised her under false pretenses...the woman who turned her into an infected zombie in Sovogda...the woman who forced her own father to shoot her and helped take away nearly a year of her life...the woman whose actions on Nadia forced Tom into prison because of the madness that overcame him over what Sark said about the supposed sexuality she was exuding in her Rambaldi Fluid treatments in Japan.
She has always hoped that she'd have a chance to meet Elena face to face one more time. She regretted hearing that Irina shot Elena in Sovogda, although she knew there was no way she would have gotten her hands on Elena almost a year after the fact. But there is unfinished business between Nadia and Elena, and for a brief moment, she almost feels happy that Elena has resurfaced, because she might be able to settle that business now...
Cesar slaps Nadia in the face hard, breaking her trance. She doesn't yell out in pain, but slowly turns and faces Cesar, who still has that damn cocky smirk all this time. "Good, I have your attention again. As for the portal, you'll never find it. You could send all of Laurent L'Andre's and Alec Derevko's best men to comb through every inch of the Siberian Forest, but it will take forever, and by then, we'll have done our business and we will have enjoyed the good life on a beach somewhere that hasn't been settled in this little utopia of yours."
Before Nadia can inquire any further, Cesar reaches into a knife holder on his belt and pulls out a large, intimidating hunting knife. He presses the tip of it on Nadia's forehead. She doesn't wince. She knows better than to show pain to her captor. But she can't help but feel a bit worried.
Cesar's smirk disappears for the first time since she regained consciousness. In a sinister tone, he gets in Nadia's face and says "You've wasted enough time. It was fun chatting with you once again, but I crossed the portal for one reason and one reason only. This will not be over quickly, Nadia. You probably won't enjoy this, but I don't care. But unlike our last foray in Minsk, you'll be conscious this time!"
And at that moment, Cesar grabs the front of Nadia's brand new silk shirt with his right hand and starts cutting it down the middle with the knife in his left hand. Tears start to form in Nadia's eyes, for she knows she's a sitting duck and she can't do anything about the rape that's going to take place. She's not in the elite shape that she was in during her agent days because she hasn't needed to be anymore, so jumping up and giving Cesar a dropkick with her bound feet might prove difficult.
He finishes cutting down the front of Nadia's shirt and then starts feeling her up. She tries to shift away, but Cesar just grabs her and pulls her back towards him, the knife in his left hand now pointed at her temple. Cesar's touching has turned from gentle to rough.
Nadia feels Cesar's free hand all over her body once again now that Cesar is done pulling her towards him. He even slips his hand under her bra, causing her to tearfully groan in terror. Now, she's feeling very much violated.
But wait a minute. Cesar still hasn't proven to her that death is possible. So she decides she has nothing to lose anymore.
"HEEEEEEEEEELLLL..."
That's as far as she got before Cesar punched her in the mouth, stopping her from screaming at the top of her lungs. She screams in response the punch, but this does not deter Cesar from his business for a few seconds.
Cesar then pauses the touching and looks into her eyes with a look of total possessed fury while he grabs her now-hurting jaw. "You listen to me...buzzing little bee...you don't know what I've gone through in Hell...you don't know what it feels to spend 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, shoveling and shoveling and shoveling an endless pile of lava rock to make room for the new arrivals in Hell! I have not felt the softness of a woman since your husband got lucky and put my own bullet in my forehead! So shut up, quit squirming, and let me do what I came here to do! Maybe this will be over sooner than you hope."
Nadia starts sobbing as Cesar reaches down with his right hand and unbuttons her pants. She closes her eyes tightly, bracing for what's about to happen. She just hopes that this ends quickly. She can feel her lip now puffy and busted open from Cesar's punch. Her jaw is stiff, and she can't scream if she wanted to because of the swelling. But since all Cesar wants is to get in her pants, maybe he'll have mercy on the girl that he ran with for over 3 years on the Buenos Aires streets and get his business done quickly.
Soon enough, she starts to feel her pants start to be tugged down her waist. This nightmare is about to become reality for her.
And with a loud shriek from Cesar, it stops.
She didn't even feel the back of Cesar's hand on her waist anymore. She didn't feel the knife on her right temple anymore, but she did feel the handle of it hit her shoulder before falling to the ground.
Something happened while her eyes were closed that she did not expect. Someone did hear her abrupt scream.
Before the knife bounced off her shoulder, she heard Cesar scream like a girl suddenly...and then nothing as the sound of a sharp object pierced his skin, along with the sound of liquid squirting, like being forced through a crimped hose, and splattering on the floor.
Nadia opens her eyes wide. She sees another man's left hand palming the top of Cesar's bald head. She sees the hidden blade extending from the bottom of a sheathe on the man's wrist piercing through the bullet hole scar on his forehead. She sees the blood that is starting to stream down Cesar's face from the blade being plunged into his forehead, forming the beginning stages of a crimson mask.
She looks down and sees that Cesar no longer has his left forearm or hand attached to his body, just blood gushing out of where his elbow used to be. There was actually blood squirting out of that wound for a couple seconds, but the bloodflow has slowed just a little bit already.
She looks down further and sees that very forearm and hand on the floor in a bloody mess, lying next to the knife. She sees some of that blood has made it to her tattered shirt and pants.
And then she looks up and to the right and sees a tall hooded man staring his blue eyes into Cesar's shocked eyes. She sees the short sword in the man's right hand coated with blood. A closer look reveals this man has blonde hair and stands a couple inches taller than Cesar.
Nadia puts all the pieces together. Forehead. Forearm. Blade. Blood. Sword. Tall blonde haired, blue eyed man in a hooded robe.
Those pieces form one conclusion: Laurent L'Andre cut off Cesar Martinez's left arm at the elbow, and then plunged a hidden blade into his forehead.
Laurent L'Andre has just saved Nadia from a certain rape. That much is certain. But so much still isn't.
Nadia's thoughts are broken when Laurent suddenly leans in closer to Cesar, who looks like he's barely clinging to consciousness. His French accent still very present, Laurent coldly tells Cesar "You pitiful...you pathetic pig of a man. And not only are you all of that, but you're also stupid. I heard every single word you said. And because of that, your comrades are as good as dead. I know all that I need to know now. We will find your portal. We will find your friends. And if you do end up back in Hell, I hope they have a special use for rapists that is worse than shoveling rocks. May your days be unbearable for the rest of eternity wherever you go, for you are no longer welcome here."
Laurent quickly pulls the hidden blade out of Cesar's forehead and lets it disappear back in the sheathe. Cesar's eyes roll to the back of his head, and he collapses in a lifeless heap after his knees give way.
Nadia studies his body for a bit, as does Laurent. Nadia ascertains that Cesar looks plenty dead...
And then Cesar's body just disappears. Just like that, it's gone. This causes Nadia to jump back a bit in surprise. Of course, she can't jump back far, being chained and all.
She stares at the blood splatter that is on the floor, the only remaining evidence that Cesar was there besides the forearm and hand that remain on the floor next to Laurent's boots.
Nadia looks up at Laurent and is visibly trembling. Everything she thought she knew about how life works in Elysium just got turned upside down in the last 5 or 10 minutes. She saw a man that shouldn't be here. She heard that others that shouldn't be here are here, including her mother and aunt. She nearly got raped. And she just saw what she thought was impossible: death.
Laurent notices the trepidation etched all over Nadia's face. In a rare move for him, he shows genuine concern when he asks "Are you alright, my lady?" Nadia's swollen bottom lip starts quivering. She looks down at her tattered silk shirt and at her exposed bra and belly. But besides the puffy lip and the throbbing that's still going on in the back of her head, she's feeling alright physically. Mentally...
She whimpers a bit, but quickly composes herself, feeling the need to regain some of the strength that she was losing. She takes a few deep breaths to compose herself, and Laurent gives her all the time she needs.
Still looking down at the ground, she lifelessly says "I'm fine. Just get me the hell out of here." Laurent looks up at the chains that Nadia's arms are tied to. As he studies the knots Cesar tied, he gets an idea and relays it to Nadia. "I need you to pull down on the chains as hard as you can."
Nadia does as instructed, stretching the chain as tight as she can. Laurent leaps and swings at the chain with his short sword. His plan is successful, as the chains break from being pulled tight and his sharp short sword cutting through them.
Nadia, so many questions flowing through her head, finally asks one. "Where were you hiding? I didn't hear you coming." Laurent flatly replies "I have a good shoemaker from my hometown in France. The soles in my boots are designed to deaden the sound of my steps. I was well hidden, trust me."
He sheathes his sword in it's holder on his right hip, not caring to wipe off Cesar's blood. He then grabs Nadia's hands and starts to take the remaining chains off. As he does, Nadia asks "You...you were here all this time?" Laurent remains silent, choosing to remain focused on untying Nadia.
As soon as the chains are removed from her wrists, she grabs the front of Laurent's robe and shrieks "WERE YOU HERE ALL THIS TIME?" Laurent, showing no signs of intimidation from Nadia's yelling, reassuringly says "Ever since you regained consciousness. I was not going to let him rape you, Nadia. But I had to be patient. I needed to wait to see if he'd reveal any more info about his group's plot. The information I had on Cesar Martinez revealed that he has a tendency to reveal too much information when his confidence is high. He's what some would call 'cocky'."
Nadia shakes her head. "You knew...you knew that this was happening, that I could be a target..." Laurent cuts her off as he kneels down to work on the chains around her ankles. "You, Tom, and Mary Falk were mentioned as specific targets, along with Milo Rambaldi and Aristotle."
Nadia quickly fires "Why Aristotle?" Laurent shrugs as he works on the chains. "That is the part that confuses me. I understand the revenge angle, but the fact that he targeted Aristotle escapes me. There would be nothing for him to gain. Sloane is not one that kills for the thrill, either. Cesar gave me no insight into that puzzle, and so I remain confused."
An anxious Nadia then asks "Why didn't you tell me, Tom or Mary before that there was a plot against us?" Laurent pauses for a bit. Mary actually saw two of Arvin's group of nine bolt from Jack Bristow's house the night he arrived in Elysium, as well as a woman that teleported them to safety. She couldn't make out who they were because of their masks, so she didn't know that they were Irina, Mitch and Cesar. But he quickly goes back to unknotting the chains and says "We did not inform you because we didn't want you and your family to break your habits needlessly. You are not in Elysium to worry."
Nadia, having caught Laurent's pause, shakes her head in disbelief again. "But you let me think I was about to get raped! I haven't been this frightened since my father the me through the glass table at his home!" Laurent defeatedly sighs as he finishes with the chains on Nadia's left ankle, knowing his initial explanation didn't soothe Nadia's concerns one bit. He looks back up at Nadia and says "We had little information on these people. Now we know more about them, maybe enough to bring them down or at least find the location of the portal they walked through. It was a calculated risk. But I assure you, Nadia, that Il Credo Divino is now at your complete disposal. We will provide protection for as long as this ordeal takes place. You will live in fear no more. We will not allow anything to happen to you or your family."
Nadia looks back at the blood splat that Cesar left behind. "Laurent?" Laurent doesn't look up, having almost untied the final chain wrapped around her leg. Instead, he flatly replies "What is it?" Nadia replies "Where do people that are killed here go?" Laurent shakes his head. "I am not certain." Nadia quickly asks "They don't go back to Hell?" Laurent shakes his head again. "Again, I am not certain. There may have been records in the early days of Elysium that detailed what happens should a person lose their life here. But those records cannot be found. It's been thousands upon thousands of years since Elysium is believed to have started. I do know that this has not always been a peaceful place. I can tell you that it has been peaceful since I arrived 500 years ago. Beyond that, I do not know."
Laurent undoes the final chain. He then walks over and grabs a large blanket nearby and drapes it over Nadia, covering her completely from front to back. "Come, I will take you home. I would teleport you, but I know how painful injuries become after teleportation." Nadia just nods and walks out the back of the store with Laurent escorting her out, still in great disbelief over what just transpired.
Meanwhile, in the parking lot of the grocery store, a compact car screeches into the lot. The driver, Irina Derevko, pulls up next to the white car that Cesar was driving earlier. The driver's side door is wide open.
Irina examines the car, then turns to her passenger Mitch Hayes, who looks completely pissed off while he keeps an ice pack over his swollen left eye that be can barely crack open. She asks him "Is this the car that you saw Cesar take off in?" Mitch nods as he removes the ice pack and says "That's the one. Stupid son of a bitch!"
Irina then starts looking around the parking lot as she turns in front of the store. She knows she's taking a risk being out in public like this, but the whereabouts of Cesar and Nadia take precedence at the moment. It helps that the windows are tinted at least.
She knows what car Nadia drives, a black Cadillac. She saw it before when she did some spying on Tom and Nadia a couple days ago.
She spots the Cadillac a few cars up the row. She recognizes the plates on it as Nadia's. She drives down the aisle and parks a few spots down from the Cadillac.
As she parks, Mitch continues his hissy fit. "I just KNEW that stupid meathead would be trouble! The guy's a total hothead! He never trusted anyone! He..." Irina looks over at Mitch and says "Shut up! You're hurting my ears. I trusted you two with a simple task of patience and you couldn't even do that..."
Mitch cuts her off angrily. "HE HIT ME!" Irina raises her eyes incredulously. "And you didn't do anything except writhe on the ground like a little girl who stubbed her toe on the cabinet. Maybe I should be questioning why I picked you, too."
That's enough to quiet Mitch, who just turns away and presses his ice pack in harder on his swollen left eye.
Meanwhile, Irina turns away herself. She doesn't seem all that distraught over Cesar's betrayal of Mitch. She's actually rather calm, in spite of Mitch's whining. It's not like Irina to break her cool demeanor, but she's not immune to expressions of panic either. But yet, she doesn't show the slightest bit of trepidation here. Instead, she has the kind of look that someone has when everything's going according to plan.
She's not questioning her decision to pick Cesar and Mitch at all, even now that Cesar has gone rogue and Mitch is bitching his head off.
Why? With Irina Derevko, the reasons are never simple. Only she knows why.
Meanwhile, Mitch has stopped his sulking long enough to notice a car parked off in the back, along the edge of the lot facing the side of the building. As he eyes it down, he says "Irina, does that car off in the back there seem out of place?" Irina studies that very car. She notes that it's parked a little crooked. "Whoever was in it probably got out in a hurry..."
Just as she finished saying those words, Laurent L'Andre emerged from the back with a shaken and blanketed Nadia Falk. Mitch groans. "That does not look good at all..."
Irina is not distraught over seeing Nadia alive at all. In fact, seeing Nadia emerge from the back causes the smallest of smiles to crack on Irina's face, like she's happy Nadia's alive.
As Nadia gets in the back of the car, Mitch turns to Irina and notices that smile. He makes a mental note of it, but doesn't say anything about it. Instead, he turns back to see Laurent get in the car and start to pull away.
Irina and Mitch both slouch down low in their seats...a move not really necessary because Laurent and Nadia are far away and their windshield is tinted as well, but it's best to be on the safe side.
After they pass, the two return to their upright positions. Mitch then says "Ok, they're gone. How do we extract Cesar?" Irina doesn't answer at first. She has a look on her face like she's putting the pieces together. Mitch turns to Irina and asks "Irina?"
Irina turns to Mitch and flatly says "There is no Cesar to extract. He's dead." Mitch shakes his head and says "How do you..." Irina cuts him off. "Cesar did something to Nadia, but he didn't kill her. Instead, she emerged with Laurent L'Andre, a stone-cold killer. Blood was on his robe as well as Nadia's pants. I'll bet you all the demons in your section of Hell that was Cesar's blood. Cesar thought he could get some fun out of Nadia before killing her, and Laurent made sure that fun didn't happen. In fact, knowing how Cesar's pigheadedness would prevent him from looking for any followers, I'll bet that Laurent could have killed him at any time he wanted."
Mitch snickers a bit and says "You're making a lot of assumptions about this Laurent character." Irina shakes her head slowly as she looks back towards where the car was. "No, I know a natural born killer when I see him. I saw it in his eyes when he took out Gordon Dean in the council chambers. I heard it in his voice when he negotiated with Sloane. Laurent makes killing an art form. Cesar didn't have a prayer against Laurent."
Mitch thinks for a bit, then says "Good, so Cesar's dead. He was a liability anyway. Where do we go from here?" Irina replies "We stick to the plan. But we're going to have to be more careful. Our secret is out to Tom and Nadia. They'll probably be guarded, more than likely by Laurent's men. Knowing Cesar, he ran his damn mouth off within earshot of Laurent, and Nadia heard everything, too. I only wonder how much he said."
As Irina starts the car back up, Mitch sighs and says "Sloane and Elena won't be happy when you see them in Sovogda tonight..." Irina replies "Sloane and Elena don't need to know." Irina then turns to Mitch and gives him a stare, affirming her point. Mitch just nods and turns to the road as Irina starts to drive off.
As Irina drives away, she smiles again, this time much wider than before. Cesar is dead, Nadia is alive, and the element of surprise is gone. Tom and Nadia will be alert and in search of information on how to get rid these unwanted guests from Hell.
And that's just fine with Irina.
END OF CHAPTER