BURNING THE PICKET FENCE
Part 38 – State of Havoc
Primatech, Odessa TX
October 12, 2006
A loud blast awoke Sarah who had fallen asleep in her office. "What the hell?" She whispered quickly checking her watch. Three p.m.
She jumped up from the couch as she threw on her shoes running out the door nearly crashing into Noah Bennet.
"What the hell was that?" He asked with an agitated tone.
"I have no idea, but it sounded like it came from the back cell blocks." She pointed toward the back of the warehouse.
"Sylar!" Bennet's color quickly faded from his face. "Oh God!" He whispered. "Eden!" He took off running followed by Sarah.
"Noah wait!" Sarah looked at him concerned. "What's going on?"
"It's Eden!" He walked quickly with long strides as Sarah struggled to keep up. "She wanted to give Sylar a gun then use her ability to make him kill himself."
Sarah abruptly stopped. "Oh fuck no!" She quickly sprinted ahead of Noah.
"Sarah! Hold up!" Noah called after her, but she did not stop until she got to the cell block quickly keying in the access code and slamming the door open.
Neither of them was prepared for what they found inside.
Eden's body was half-way through the glass and her head was blown nearly clean off. Sarah looked at Sylar who stood in front of Eden's body splattered with blood and gray matter.
"SHIT!" Noah shouted running to Eden's body trying to lift her from the glass. "Oh my GOD!" He pulled out his pistol facing Sylar. "You son of a BITCH!"
But before he could fire, Sarah kicked the pistol out of his hand then pulled out her tazer sending the electrodes into Sylar's chest. He screamed then fell to the cement floor cold as Sarah ran to take his pulse.
"What the FUCK, Sarah!" He shouted at her. "I had the drop on him!"
She whirled around then stood up angrily. "You were about to kill him! I wasn't about to let that happen!"
"He just killed Eden!" Bennet hollered nearly blowing back her hair.
"The orders are to keep him alive!" She yelled back at him. "That order came right from the top Noah!"
"She was a good person!" He screamed almost tearfully. "Eden did not deserve this! She was our friend!"
"No!" Sarah shouted spitefully. "She was your friend! Apparently you forgot we aren't supposed to grow close to our colleagues! She is dead and I am sorry. But it's not like we were sorority sisters or anything."
"Eden looked up to you like a mentor." Noah shook his head in dismay. "She looked up to you. Why are you so cold?" He whispered horrified.
Before she could respond, Thompson came running in followed by Sean Fallon. "Oh holy fuck!" Thompson shouted. "How in the hell did this happen? I thought I made it abundantly clear that everyone was supposed to stay away from him who didn't have proper clearance! McCain is only a freshman agent."
"Don't you mean was?" Sarah asked calmly as everyone turned to look at her. She looked up at Thompson. "What do we do about him?" She pointed to Sylar.
"Keep him sedated and continue running tests." He barked looking at Bennet. "I am holding you responsible for this. Where is the Haitian?"
"He is off the premises." Bennet replied coolly. "He is taking care of some business."
Thompson grabbed Bennet by the collar. "You see to it that the body is disposed of and Gray is kept under guard 24/7. I don't care about your personal investment here, I want him alive! You got it?" He turned to Fallon. "After the body is wrapped up, take her somewhere remote and dump her…preferably in another country! Try Canada."
"I'm on it." Fallon replied then Thompson glared at Bennet one more time and stomped from the room.
Fallon looked at Sarah and Bennet shaking his head cynically. "Nice job!"
"Go fuck yourself!" Sarah sneered as Fallon saluted her sarcastically and walked off whistling.
When they had left Sarah walked out the door arms folded as Bennet followed her. "What the hell was that?"
"What was what?" She asked as she kept walking focusing straight ahead.
Bennet grabbed her shoulder causing her to stop walking. "You are always the first one to tell Thompson to go to hell! Yet you just sat there letting it all happen! What the hell is the matter with you?"
"Because he is right." She replied nonchalantly.
"What are you talking about?" Bennet sneered angrily. "You think I am responsible for her death?"
She shook her head quickly. "No, but rather you want to admit it to yourself or not; you wanted her to go in there and kill him."
Bennet furrowed his brow narrowing his eyes. "You are wrong! I specifically told her to stay away from him!"
Sarah laughed spitefully. "Common Noah! I know you! And it all adds up! The Haitian is mysteriously off the premises; she somehow has the code to his cell for which she does not have clearance! Eden was resourceful and you knew if she was left alone she would find a way in."
"Even if it was true, you know you can't prove it." He retorted.
Sarah shrugged. "I don't need proof. I know I'm right. But don't worry…I won't rat you out." She patted the side of his face began the walk toward her office.
"Where are you going?" He called after her.
She stopped walking and looked back over her shoulder. "I am going to my office. And when they get the blood and gray matter scraped up from the floor, I am going to go check on my patient." She turned around and walked away, her heels clicking on the cement floor as she walked.
"So none of this affects you at all?" He shouted to her. But she just kept walking straight through the double doors. Bennet stood watching the doors swing back and forth.
A cold shudder momentarily overtook him.
Isla Cangrejos, Caribbean Sea
Not So Distant Future
Michael "Havoc" Torres lay in bed staring at the aquamarine ocean spreading across the landscape that was his front yard. The sound of a dreamy exhale pulled him from his thoughts. He had almost forgotten about the beautiful woman with deep mocha skin lying beside him. He watched her intently as she sighed in her sleep then rolled over, draping a tanned arm across his chest. Though he enjoyed the feel of her body against his, it was not right. It never felt right. No woman, no matter how sensual and gorgeous, would ever compare to the beautiful and deadly woman he had been forced to admit he loved; Elle.
He carefully lifted her arm as not to disturb her then rolled out of bed stumbling into the bathroom. The first order of business was to relieve his bursting bladder of the numerous beers he had ingested the night before. He turned on the shower and stepped inside allowing the hot water run over his body then took a bar of soap lathering his muscular body and hair before quickly rinsing off.
As he stepped out he took a towel and vigorously rubbed his dark hair. Removing the towel from his face, his reflection caught his eye. He wiped the steam from the mirror staring at himself for a moment. The man looking back at him was not the man he once was. It was more than the dark contacts he was forced to wear to hide his pale, slightly luminous, white. More even than the carefully groomed goatee he had taken to wearing.
From the time he had come to work for The Company just the mention of his name brought fear racing to even the strongest hearts. Unbribable, unkillable, indefatigable, the adjectives used to describe him ran long on what couldn't be done to him. He had faced the worst of opponents, and emerged from battle with marks that lasted less than a week. All his opponents lay dead or captive behind him. There had been no job he had been unwilling or unable to accomplish. And he had loved every second of that reputation.
But now? Staring in the mirror, he didn't see Havoc anymore. It had been years since he had been forced into hiding. Years without the one companion he had come to rely on. Years of looking over his shoulder in fear that Robert would locate him and decide to finish the job. It had changed him in ways he didn't like. This identity of Richard Cypress, despite being in use for several years by this point, still felt uncomfortable.
He was startled out of his thoughts as his cat Aña rubbed against his legs. He looked down at her beautiful white fur as her crystal blue eyes stared back up at him. Reaching down to scratch her ears he smiled. "What is it girl?"
"We have company master." She purred. "Two women are coming this way. They carry a strange animal with them."
Havoc cocked his head slightly. His eyes narrowed as he considered the news. "How far away are they?"
"Not far." She replied. "You have time to prepare."
He nodded and looked at the girl laying in his bed then back at Aña. "Go watch for them. Let me know when they get closer."
"Yes master." She replied.
Havoc quickly walked back to the bed and gently stroked the girl's arm. "Esmeralda; you need to wake up."
She gave a soft moan and rolled onto her back smiling up at him. She was a beauty and had he not been in a hurry, he would have loved to engage in more lovemaking, but his instincts told him his visitors were going to impact his day in a big way.
"What's the hurry, lover?" She sat up letting the sheets fall displaying her well formed breasts.
Havoc reluctantly stood up. "There's some business that just came to my attention. It's urgent, and I have to deal with it immediately."
The girl pouted sadly. "When will I see you again?"
"I'll call you when I'm done." The partial lie grated on his nerves. If what was coming his way was what he suspected, she would never hear from him again. He grabbed her by the hand helping her up then handed her clothes to her. Once she was dressed he walked her to the door. She turned smiling at him as he kissed her gently. "Thank you for a wonderful night. I will see you soon." The girl held onto his hand letting it fall as she walked away.
Havoc watched her for a moment, then looked down the beach as two forms headed his way. He could already smell them, and although he didn't recognize the one, the other was all too familiar. Frowning in consideration, he closed the door and went to his closet. Pulling out a metal steamer chest, he hurriedly unlocked it and smiled when he saw his old friends waiting for him. Pulling out one of the pistols, he ran a hand along the smooth metal of the barrel in what an onlooker would have thought was a lover's caress. Slapping the clip into place, he cocked it, readying a bullet in the chamber. Grabbing one of the blades from inside the chest, he slid it behind his waistband.
On an angered impulse, he pulled out his dark contacts and set them in the container before slipping on the sunglasses from his end table. He didn't know why they were here, but he was tired of hiding.
If they were coming for trouble, Havoc would be ready.
Mohinder's Apartment
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Oh for crying out loud!" Matt groaned looking at his bedside clock illuminating in red numbers three fifteen a.m. He pulled the pillow over his head hoping it would stop.
But it didn't.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Shit!" He groaned angrily throwing back the covers. He pulled his bathrobe over his pajama bottoms then stomped through the obstacles in his way heading for the door. "What is this world coming to when a guy can't get any sleep after watching football all day!" In his angered haste to get to the door he stubbed his toe on the doorframe. "Motherfucker!" He grimaced under his breath as he clenched his teeth in rage.
He was met in the living room by Mohinder who was busily pulling on a shirt. "Are you expecting anybody?"
He looked at him incredulously. "At this hour? Are you hitting that special chai again Mohinder?" He trudged to the door jerking it open.
Sylar pushed past him without waiting for an invitation to be let in.
"Out!" Matt shouted as he brushed past him. "I don't even let people I like popping in at this hour, so you can imagine how I feel about you being here!"
"Sorry to interrupt." He snarled briskly. But this hardly a social call! I need to see the brat you two rescued off the streets!"
"After you killed her parents!" Mohinder shouted at him. "And even if she was here, which she is not, I wouldn't let you see her! She's terrified of you!"
Sylar sighed dejectedly closing his eyes then opening them again. "Ok…I know she hates me… and I am not here to ask for forgiveness, I just need her ability!"
"You asshole!" Mohinder got in his face snaring through clenched teeth. "You are not going to touch a hair on her head!"
Sylar rolled his eyes with irritation. "Look I'm not going to kill her! I just want her to locate Sarah, then she can go back to bed and we can all be happy."
Matt stepped forward with his hands on his hips. "You're still under some delusion that Sarah is alive somewhere."
He nodded quickly. "I am not deluded, I know she is alive! I can still feel her!"
Matt and Mohinder looked at each other then back at Sylar. Matt placed his hands on his shoulders. "Sylar, she is dead. I know you loved her, but it is time to let her go man."
"Matt is right!" Mohinder's voice was insistent. "We saw the proof on film. There is no walking away from being dismembered the way she was."
Sylar threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "You don't understand she's…"
"She's what?" They all turned stunned to find Angela standing in the doorway.
"Great!" Matt grinned with his hands on his hips. "Now you're here!"
"Is that any way to greet your mother?" Angela replied smiling curtly.
"Yeah?" Matt shouted twisted his face sarcastically. "Well I don't remember your ass serving me milk and cookies after school. But if you insist, you owe me a lot of back pay in allowance!"
"You are quite a grouch when somebody wakes you unexpectedly." Her eyes twinkled in amusement. "You share that quality with your brother Peter." Angela turned to Sylar. "I think you have bothered these gentlemen enough for the evening." She turned to Matt and Mohinder. "It appears my daughter's lover is living in denial. I apologize for the intrusion."
Matt nodded angrily then looked at Sylar. "Molly is off limits to you. Got that?"
"Yeah, I got it!" He sneered then angrily skulked out the door followed by Angela.
Once outside Sylar continued his journey down the block.
"Where do you think you're going?" Angela shouted after him.
Sylar turned around holding his arms out at his side. "Wherever I have to go to find Sarah!"
Angela's eyes narrowed coldly. "Her ashes will be shipped to us and...."
"Don't bullshit me, goddammit!" He screamed grabbing her coat causing her to yelp in pain. "Sarah is immortal! You saw to it that I made her that way! I nearly lost her in the process!"
"Unhand me!" She shouted in a deadly sneer causing him to let go immediately. She straightened herself then looked up at him; her eyes blazing in anger. "For argument's sake let's just assume for a moment you are correct and Sarah is alive." She folded her hands in front of her with a knowing gaze to him. "Why do you suppose she is not here with you? After all she loves you; in a sick, demented sort of way. And insane as it may have been, you had a life together. What do you reason would keep her away from you?"
Sylar took a deep breath then pondered for a moment swallowing audibly. "I can only assume she feels she needs to keep her distance to stay alive." He thoughtfully rubbed his lips together then looked at Angela. "And rather she wants to admit it or not, she cares for our child and she will likely help Maya disappear with him."
Angela smiled close mouthed while nodding, but said nothing.
"Are you admitting to me she is still alive?" He whispered hopefully.
She tilted her head coyly as she pulled on her gloves then walked away leaving him with a relieved smile on his face.
"Where are you Sarah?" He whispered to himself. "Talk to me, baby."
"We have walked a long way." Maya looked at Sarah wearily as Alejandro continued to fuss in her arms. "Are you certain this is the way to his villa?"
"I'm sure." She replied eying the landscape vigilantly, then smiling with recognition. "And if this map Noah gave me serves me correctly, that should be his house right over there." She pointed to a small but lavish home near the beach.
Maya stared at her nervously. "You have not seen him for many years. How will he react to having you appear unexpected like this?"
"He'll likely try to kill me." Sarah folded her arms smiling assuredly. "But unless he has lost his touch, which I highly disbelieve, he already knows we are here." She smiled knowingly. "He has a heightened sense of awareness and can pick up a scent from miles away." Sarah raised an eyebrow then turned to approach the cottage. Maya gasped loudly as Sarah began to walk inside.
"You aren't even going to knock?" Maya wailed incredulously.
Sarah turned to her shrugging with arrogance. "I've never been big on civilities." With conviction she barged through the door. Maya followed timidly as Sarah looked around cautiously. "If he is home he is likely standing in a corner cocking his pistol waiting for the right moment to make his presence known." She whispered.
"That makes me feel so much better." Maya hissed as Sarah disappeared behind a door. "Where did you go?" She called out to her beginning to panic. "Sarah? Where are you?"
Suddenly she gasped in horror clutching Alejandro as she felt the cold, hard steel of Havoc's pistol on the back of her head.
He grabbed her hair and pressed his lips to her ear. "Who the fuck are you, bitch? And what the hell are you doing here?" He hissed into her ear.
"I…I am here to find you." Maya's voice trembled in fear. "They told us you could help us."
Havoc began to laugh caustically. "Answer the fucking question, bitch!" Tightening his grip, he waited for her to start gasping for air. "Who the fuck are 'they'?"
"Th…the people who sent us." She stammered as tears began to build up in her eyes. "We need you to help us!"
"The people who sent you." He sneered condescendingly as he ran his pistol up and down her cheek. "Maybe a complete fucking idiot would buy into your dumbass mommy with baby act, but it's bullshit. You may be deadly, your scent gives that much away, but you're also fucking terrified." Dropping his voice still lower, he rasped, "And you should be, sister.' Glancing over her shoulder at the baby, he nearly smiled at it before catching himself. "Where the fuck did you grab the kid. Nice touch, by the way. Most people wouldn't expect an assassin to come knocking with an arm full of kid. But I'm not most people."
"What are you talking about?" She shook her head vigorously. "I am not an assassin! This is my son. If you would put the gun away, I can explain everything. I am traveling with…"
"No shit!" He snarled. "I could smell your stinking partner before you even knew which house to crawl up to." He tried to keep the fear from showing. Noonan had been the only Agent he considered an equal while with the Company. After this long away, he knew there was a chance, slim as it may be, that she could actually beat him. "From the scent that is even more nauseating than your own, I think I know who it is."
But before he could finish his thought, Maya began to shudder from the fear; black tears flowed from her eyes.
"What the FUCK!" Havoc fell to his knees, his pistol still pressed against her as he dragged her down; his own eyes turning black as he felt the foreign substance invade his body. "What the hell are you doing to me?" He gasped, clutching his throat with his other hand.
"I'm sorry!" Maya screamed as the baby began to cry. "I don't want to hurt you!"
"You have one fucked up way of showing that, bitch!" Havoc grasped for life as he cocked the trigger. "Make it stop or your brains are on my fucking wall!"
Sarah crawled in from the kitchen wheezing. "Maya! Control it!"
"Noonan!" Havoc sneered struggling to stay alert.
With every fragment of strength she telekinetically flung the pistol form Havoc's hand causing him to jerk back releasing his grip from Maya. "Dammit Maya!" Sarah shouted. "Control it or you are going to kill all of us!" She looked at Havoc. "Hav, you are scaring her!"
Havoc managed a caustic laugh. "Too fucking bad. She's not exactly winning Miss Congeniality at the moment!" He looked at Sarah in confusion and horror as he watched the black tar-like tears roll from equally black eyes. He reached up and ripped off the sunglasses touching his own eyes then looked at his hand which was covered with the same black substance. "What the fuck is this bitch doing?" His voice was barely to be heard as he struggled to remain on his feet.
"Maya! You're killing us!" Sarah hissed with a rasping whisper. Maya took a deep breath. The blackness in her eyes slowly disappeared. Sarah and Havoc inhaled excessively to recover as their eyes turned to normal.
Even as he recovered, Havoc grabbed his blades and threw them with as much force as he could manage. Sarah flipped into an almost lazy backward spiral, grabbing the blades in mid air, slicing both hands as the edges contacted her flesh. Less than a second later, she had landed on her feet and thrown them back. Havoc batted them aside, letting them carve along flesh and bone, barely missing his jugular as he growled and climbed to his feet.
They circled each other like vultures; eyes fixated on the other speculatively waiting to see who would to make the first move.
Sarah flashed a superior grin as Havoc suddenly found himself being propelled across the room slamming into the wall breaking the plaster before falling to the floor. Barely noticing the shattered ribs, he nearly bounced back to his feet, hurling the sai he had grabbed at her as she picked up a sofa cushion which it instantly penetrated. She shook her head waging a finger at him.
Her smug victory was short lived; her face quickly fell as she watched Havoc morph into a large black panther. "What the fu..."
Before she could finish the sentence, Havoc leapt at her with a bone-chilling growl. Maya screamed as the massive panther tackled Sarah in with a single, fluid motion that carried her to the ground. She screamed in agony as his claws and fangs shredded her pale flesh. As he stepped back, pacing around her and letting her blood drip from his fierce muzzle, he watched in surprise as her torn flesh knitted back together. "I hate cats!" She sneered through clenched teeth.
That brief moment of stunned surprise gave Sarah the break she needed. As a keening sound grew in his ears, the familiar breeze swirled around him. Closing his eyes against the growing pain, he shifted almost involuntarily back to man form. As his eyes opened, the agony hit. Every vein, every artery and pore, felt as if liquid fire filled them. Every nerve began firing with the most excruciating pain signals he had experienced. He struggled against a scream of pain, nearly breaking his jaw from the force with which he clenched his teeth together as the pain continued to grow.
Finally as the agony doubled, then doubled again, finally building to a crescendo of excruciating torment, a howl of anguish broke through his will. With a triumphant smile, containing more than a hint of a smirk, Sarah let the vortex die, laughing quietly as Havoc released a muted of sigh of relief. "You want to keep it going? Because I can do this all day."
Slowly climbing to his feet from where he had dropped when she let him go, Havoc raised his eye to where Sarah stood with a cocked eyebrow and smugly folded arms. Bending over for a minute, letting his ability conquer the last effects of that nearly lethal attack, he laughed suddenly. "It's a damn good thing you're in top form, Noonan." Standing up, he sneered at her before walking over to his pistol. "Because no way in fucking hell are you going to take me down without a fight. If you want me dead, you're gonna have to buy my life with your blood." Bending over and grabbing the pistol, he cocked it and pointed it at her before she had time to blink. "And I think you'll find the price higher than you want- because no fucking way am I dying today." Raising the pistol slightly, he lined it up with her right eye with a mocking grin.
Staring at the barrel only a fraction of her inch from her eye, to Havoc's silent astonishment she did not break a flinch. "You think I'm here to kill you." She whispered quite composedly as the corners of her mouth turned up slowly. "And why would you think that?"
"Because it's how the game is played, Noonan. We both know that!" His face twisting into a contemptuous scowl, he kept the pistol unwavering in its aim. "Your appearance always brings the death card, and I'll be damned if I make it easy for you!"
She continued to meet his gaze imperviously. "And you know damn fucking well if I was here to kill you, you would already be dead."
"Then why are you here?" He sneered and turned pointing at Maya. "And who in the fucking hell is your black-eyed friend with the torpedo tits and fucking brat?"
Sarah did not her eyes off of him as she spoke. "This is Maya Herrera and the baby is her son Alejandro. The Reader's digest version of the story is that we had to get out of town really, really fast." Havoc stared at her then began to laugh spitefully as Sarah's eyes narrowed disdainfully. "Are you going to share with the rest of the class what you find so damned amusing?"
Before he could answer, Alejandro began to wail loudly as Havoc bristled with irritation. "It has been a long journey." Maya peeked at his diaper. "I must feed him and he will need to nap." She looked to Havoc. "Where can I take him?"
Havoc ran his fingers through his black hair, thinking quickly. "Um, yeah actually. There's a guest bedroom at the other end of the kitchen." Lowering the gun in confusion, he pointed out the direction. "Nobody's using it right now. You can go ahead and use that."
"Gracias." Maya smiled nervously walking away with Alejandro.
"De nada." He replied watching her leave. "Don't get too fucking comfortable, because your ass is leaving here pretty damn quick." After she left, he shouted out, "I just made that fucking bed. Don't let that brat shit all over it!" Dropping his gun the rest of the way, he leaned back against the wall and glared at Sarah. "Okay, something is wrong with this whole fucking picture." Narrowing his eyes, he let his voice drop to a whisper. "Cut the shit and tell me what you're doing here, Noonan."
"Fair enough." Sarah retorted speaking evenly. "I got burned."
Havoc blinked slowly, remembering all too well. "Let me guess. You were too good and, more importantly, not completely under his control, so he ordered a hit."
"And he succeeded." Her lips turned up into a slow smile. "Or so he thinks he did."
Havoc jerked his head back twisting his face into a confused scowl. "Care to explain?"
Sarah closed her eyes taking deep breath then explained in detail about how she was blindsided in Africa and how she turned the tables and killed Adian Thompson and the Kill Squad. When she was finished, Havoc continued to eye her skeptically. "Sorry, but that still doesn't explain why he would want you dead. You were the golden girl, his prize pupil. Hell, he loved you more than the daughter that was actually his. Why the hell were you targeted?"
She hesitated a moment rubbing her lips together. "The story he is telling is that he thinks I have gone soft."
"And have you?" He asked
"You tell me." She narrowed her eyes complacently.
Havoc nodded, laughing slightly as he slid the gun into his waistband. "Not too soft, anyway. You did all right."
"Alright?" She protested incredulously as his blade flew from the floor into his shoulder. Havoc winced slightly before removing it and tossing it back at Sarah who was upon him in a flash grabbing his hair. "You will never be able to kill me and you know it. And it pisses you off!" She hissed angrily before releasing her grasp. "But I have also resigned myself to the fact that I will never be able to kill you either, so let's just call a ceasefire and move on."
A ceasefire?" He frowned before rolling his eyes and nodding in agreement. "Okay. You've proven that you can hold your end up in fight. You were always the only one I was never sure I could beat." Hesitating briefly, he raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I don't think you tracked my ass down after a three year disappearing act just to kiss and make up." Flopping into a chair, one leg over the arm, he kept his narrowed eyes focused on her. "If you're not here to kill me," gesturing at the bedroom where Maya and the baby had disappeared, he grinned, "and I know damn well you didn't bring the Madonna and her blessed infant down out of the goodness of your heart, since that would require you to actually have one, what are you doing here? It sure as hell ain't your style to do this kind of shit, Noonan."
Sarah sat on the edge of the sofa folding her arms across her knee. "You're right." She replied then grimaced disdainfully. "I have been traveling for three days with her listening to her goddamned Latino music and constant bitching about my excessive lifestyle. Let's suffice it to say I can't stand the woman!" She exhaled as Havoc noted a hint of softness in her eyes. "We have an odd connection and it is very complicated." She inwardly noted Hav's curious expression. "I will explain in detail later. But for now just know that I have my reasons for helping her and none of them have to do with a hidden soft spot for poor unwed mothers or a recently acquired love of children."
He thought about it for a second before nodding and sitting up. "Fair enough. And now for the part where I'm actually less of an asshole than normal and tell you that you can stay around as long as you want, but no fucking way are you staying here. I have a bit of an open and revolving door policy around here with the local availables. And all they'd need is one look at you…"
He looked Sarah up and down then laughed as her lips turned up arrogantly. "I cramp your style?" She offered with an enticing tone to her voice as she eyed the bulge in his camo pants.
Hav flashed a roguish grin staring at her intently. "Don't make that mistake, babe." He deliberately ran his eyes over her perfect body, slowly and salaciously. "If you didn't, literally, smell like death warmed over which is an instant kill to any interest I might have in you, you wouldn't be walking, you'd be running to my bedroom right now where I would have you cumming like a fucking freight train."
Sarah stood up shaking her head as she laughed scoffingly. "Don't flatter yourself, Havoc." She gave him a playful slap on the cheek then whispered in his ear. "I sleep with my sister's seconds." She went to grab her bag.
"Sarah." The mention of Elle hurt him, and it showed in the sudden softness and catch in his voice. "How is she?"
Sarah leaned against the doorframe crossing her arms across her chest. "Same as always; irritating, whiny, and batshit crazy. Why do you ask?"
He shook his head quietly. "You're wrong, Noonan." He leaned back in the chair. "I don't know who you're describing, but that's not Elle."
Sarah did not speak for a moment as she watched the tenderness in his eyes. "I spent a lot of time away from her. I was not on the reservation when she was working with you. I heard stories and rumors that when she worked with you she was an unstoppable force." She swallowed perceptibly exhaling slightly. "Bob messed with her as a child; he messed with her as an adult. Perhaps it was the absence of you in your life that made her into the girl I now know. I don't know." She half-smiled penitently. "With Bob in her life, I don't know what to believe anymore." She picked up her duffle bag and began walking for the door.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Havoc called after her.
Sarah turned twisting her lips perplexedly before slapping herself on the forehead. "Of course! Maya." She started heading for the second bedroom.
"Don't!" Havoc nearly leaped to his feet, laying a hand on her arm. "From the sound of it, the kid's finally sleeping. She's been on the road for days with that fussy brat. Give her a few hours to sleep it off."
Sarah emitted a taunting smile. "It sounds like you are the one who has developed a love for children." She cocked her head skeptically. "Or maybe mamasita is making your wooden soldier stand at attention."
Havoc looked lost in thought for a few minutes, a gentle look in his eyes that was completely alien on his harsh face. "She reminds me of someone I used to know. And, you've gotta admit, he's a cute little fella." Looking back up, he grinned complacently. "So you're not actually here to ask for my help?"
Sarah shook her head while pushing out her lower lip. "No. Because rather you know it or not you've already signed up." She leaned into him almost purring as she spoke. "It is time for Robert Bishop to die. And the thought of his guts splattered ."
Apparently ignoring what she'd just said, he grabbed a pen and small notepad. "Since I don't want to make my playdates to suffer from inferiority complexes, you just became my kid sister. Give yourself whatever fucking name you want, as long as the last name is Cypress." Finishing what he was writing, he handed it to her.
"Cypress?" Sarah wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Can't I be your married sister?" She looked down at the paper.
He threw back his head in laughter. "Nobody on this island could believe you were married, Noonan. It's written all over you that you're not the marrying kind. You burnt that picket fence a long time ago." Pointing to a name on the paper, he shrugged. "Go to the village and find Ramon Cruz. Tell him I sent you and he'll set you up. All you have to do between now and then is find a name you can live with." Raising an eyebrow at her expression, he grinned. "It's only temporary, Noonan!'
Sarah smiled thoughtfully. "I've always liked the name Alicia. I think I'll go with it."
Havoc wrinkled his nose nodding in agreement. "Alicia Cypress. It works."
Sarah shrugged in accordance. "Just remember next time you think you can get me off that I'm your sister."
"Name only." He grinned. "If you didn't smell like an open graveyard, you'd be on whatever flat surface was nearest, legs spread and begging me for more."
"No." Sadly and thoughtfully she lowered her eyes. "I kind of have a steady. It's a shame he thinks I'm dead and I'll probably never see him again." Havoc noticed the tears forming in her eyes that she tried to conceal. "Well if I am going to be living out the next several months; or years in exile, I had better go and find a place to live." She opened the door pausing to look at the lush landscape and aquamarine waters in front of her. At that moment a warm breeze caressed her face as she smiled tilting back her head allowing it to engulf her senses. Smiling enigmatically she turned to Havoc. "You know, it's funny. I expected the afterlife to be a whole lot warmer than this."
She threw her duffle bag over her shoulder and walked along the beach toward the village.
Watching her walk away, he whispered to himself. "Looks like I'm not the only one who discovered a soul hiding inside a killer. Wonder what man was able to get inside that shell."
--END—
Author's note: I hope you have enjoyed the new characterHavoc. He will be playing a huge role in the next several chapters.
The Havoc character was created by my good friend Synch in his story "Let Slip The Dogs of War". As our characters were similar, we thought it would be fun to collaborate. And since only Synch can give his awesome character his voice, Havoc's parts were perfectly written and executed by him. Synch has a wonderfully unique writing style and I am enjoying working with him on this venture.
Rather you enjoyed this or not, please leave feedback. I like to know what you guys are thinking.
And please check out Synch's story LSTDW. If you are a fan of Elle, this is a great Elle-centric story. You will be glad you checked it out.
Onyx