The Past Never Dies Quietly
By Didi
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and don't know anyone that does. Suing me will probably get you the 38 cents in my pocket now and nothing more than that. Summary: Tasha takes steps to confirm a rumor. Note: Okay, I knew that it was a bad idea to start a new fan fiction when there are other ones that I haven't finished yet. Can't devote enough time to any one exclusively. (sigh)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Five
"And she hasn't even called?" Nikki asked, oiling her fine precision gun to extreme conditions. It was never wise to allow your gun to go un- maintained or unused.
"This is Tasha we're talking about here," Johnny pointed out with a grin.
"True," Nikki conceded and glanced over at the pacing Quick. "What's up man? Not exactly like to you worry about Wonder Woman Tasha. It's not she can't take down an army all on her own or anything like that."
Quick waved it away, "Worried about Val causing an international incident by suggesting to Prime Minister of Argentina that he paint his capital in hot pink."
Johnny and Nikki gave quick laughs but soon realize that the semi cheerful façade Quick was quick to hide his true self behind was fading once more. "What is, my man?" Johnny asked, watching the frown settle itself over Quick's features once more. "And don't tell us nothing."
Had it not been for the disquiet feeling that he's been getting for several days now, he probably would have kept his mouth closed. "Tasha went on a mission of some sort. Wouldn't tell me what or want the help from the rest of the team. Said she'd handle it on her own and that it was personal but would call if she needed anything."
"And has she?" Nikki asked, her dark Italian eyes narrowing with concern.
"Silent as tomb."
Johnny made a face. "Bad analogy."
Quick shrugged. "Sorry."
"Do we have any clue as to what she was working on?" Nikki asked, already reaching for her phone. Tasha has been like a big sister to her for many years now. She'd blow up just about anything for that girl. And she'd even call in a few markers with 'The Family' for her if need be.
"No," Quick shook his head. "But I've got a feeling this has her ex- husband written all over it."
Nikki rolled her eyes. "Which one?"
"Good question." Johnny shook his head and picked up his cell phone. "Let me see if the FBI has anything first. We'll move from there."
"Grandpa is sure to have someone in the various parts of the earth that has some information," Nikki began to dial.
Maybe it was because he was no longer burdened with Tasha's uncertain safety, or maybe it was the lousy hotdog Johnny had made for lunch finally passing, but Quick felt infinitely better now that the others were helping to track down their illusive friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It smelled like death warmed over. Tasha waved one hand over her nose and tried not to gag as she moved slowly over the corpse of a fallen tree as silently as possible. Slipping her hand into the back pocket of her black jeans, she pulled the silencer out and screwed it to the barrel of her 9mm.
She was deeply glad that she had changed out of her the fashionable heeled boots and into some military issue combat shoes before leaving her hotel room again. The large parka was cumbersome to move it but necessary in this subzero temperature. The thin leather gloves made gripping the gun difficult but it was better than allowing her fingers to contract frost bite.
The mini mag-lite did little to illuminate the dark tunnel that had once been the heart of one of the most productive coal mines on the eastern hemisphere. But like much of Russia's industrial efforts, this one was laid to waste when the cold war ravaged the land of all things precious, leaving a hollow shell where life once thrived.
Licking her lips, she wished she had remembered to bring chapstick with her when she packed, but little things like personal comfort were not foremost in her mind at the time. Taking a left at the fork, she searched her mind for the right combinations of turns to make before she was hopelessly lost in the labyrinth of mining shafts. "Left, right, left, left, straight down three levels then left once more before right," the murmuring was likely to draw attention to any none hibernating animals seeking shelter in these tunnels but it made her feel better to remember the way.
Peter had once said that the tunnels were all that was left of his family's legacy. What that had meant, she wasn't sure. But he had brought her here several times during their brief first marriage and several more time after the second try at the alter. For some reason, he always seemed happy to be in these smelly caverns where each breath drawn meant inhaling a lung full of coal dust.
She had to tuck the gun away as she came to the pulley shaft that had once carried thousands of dollars' worth of nature's most natural fuel. The cable looked fairly steady and too new to have been there for long. The fine dusting of coal dust did not disguise the modern cable rope any. Plus, the stops of blood that lined the rope did not help any either.
The sight of the dry burgundy spots made her shudder. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the rope and began the slow descent that she'd done many times before. Gripping the mag-lite with her teeth, she climbed hand over hand down until she reached the second level.
For anyone that had never been into these maze-like mines, the danger of suffocation and starvation was very likely. Slipping her gun from behind her, she moved slowly, watching for the fork that would take her left.
She came to the fork and stopped, glancing down at the swirl of dust on the ground. She traced her hand in the pattern for a moment. "He fell down here, hands and knees on the ground." She could almost see him panting for breath. "Then got up with a little help from the wall." She reached out and saw a faint marking on the wall where his bloodied hand had touched. "And continued forward." She shook her head. "You always were so incredibly stubborn."
Putting the gun away, she moved won the tunnel without must surprise as it led to a large cavern more than tall enough for her five feet ten inch frame. Being greeted by the cocked and readied gun shocked her less than if she hadn't been met by it.
"Hello, love," Peter grasped out, lowing the barrel of the semi-automatic. "About time you got here."
~~~~~~
TBC.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and don't know anyone that does. Suing me will probably get you the 38 cents in my pocket now and nothing more than that. Summary: Tasha takes steps to confirm a rumor. Note: Okay, I knew that it was a bad idea to start a new fan fiction when there are other ones that I haven't finished yet. Can't devote enough time to any one exclusively. (sigh)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Five
"And she hasn't even called?" Nikki asked, oiling her fine precision gun to extreme conditions. It was never wise to allow your gun to go un- maintained or unused.
"This is Tasha we're talking about here," Johnny pointed out with a grin.
"True," Nikki conceded and glanced over at the pacing Quick. "What's up man? Not exactly like to you worry about Wonder Woman Tasha. It's not she can't take down an army all on her own or anything like that."
Quick waved it away, "Worried about Val causing an international incident by suggesting to Prime Minister of Argentina that he paint his capital in hot pink."
Johnny and Nikki gave quick laughs but soon realize that the semi cheerful façade Quick was quick to hide his true self behind was fading once more. "What is, my man?" Johnny asked, watching the frown settle itself over Quick's features once more. "And don't tell us nothing."
Had it not been for the disquiet feeling that he's been getting for several days now, he probably would have kept his mouth closed. "Tasha went on a mission of some sort. Wouldn't tell me what or want the help from the rest of the team. Said she'd handle it on her own and that it was personal but would call if she needed anything."
"And has she?" Nikki asked, her dark Italian eyes narrowing with concern.
"Silent as tomb."
Johnny made a face. "Bad analogy."
Quick shrugged. "Sorry."
"Do we have any clue as to what she was working on?" Nikki asked, already reaching for her phone. Tasha has been like a big sister to her for many years now. She'd blow up just about anything for that girl. And she'd even call in a few markers with 'The Family' for her if need be.
"No," Quick shook his head. "But I've got a feeling this has her ex- husband written all over it."
Nikki rolled her eyes. "Which one?"
"Good question." Johnny shook his head and picked up his cell phone. "Let me see if the FBI has anything first. We'll move from there."
"Grandpa is sure to have someone in the various parts of the earth that has some information," Nikki began to dial.
Maybe it was because he was no longer burdened with Tasha's uncertain safety, or maybe it was the lousy hotdog Johnny had made for lunch finally passing, but Quick felt infinitely better now that the others were helping to track down their illusive friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It smelled like death warmed over. Tasha waved one hand over her nose and tried not to gag as she moved slowly over the corpse of a fallen tree as silently as possible. Slipping her hand into the back pocket of her black jeans, she pulled the silencer out and screwed it to the barrel of her 9mm.
She was deeply glad that she had changed out of her the fashionable heeled boots and into some military issue combat shoes before leaving her hotel room again. The large parka was cumbersome to move it but necessary in this subzero temperature. The thin leather gloves made gripping the gun difficult but it was better than allowing her fingers to contract frost bite.
The mini mag-lite did little to illuminate the dark tunnel that had once been the heart of one of the most productive coal mines on the eastern hemisphere. But like much of Russia's industrial efforts, this one was laid to waste when the cold war ravaged the land of all things precious, leaving a hollow shell where life once thrived.
Licking her lips, she wished she had remembered to bring chapstick with her when she packed, but little things like personal comfort were not foremost in her mind at the time. Taking a left at the fork, she searched her mind for the right combinations of turns to make before she was hopelessly lost in the labyrinth of mining shafts. "Left, right, left, left, straight down three levels then left once more before right," the murmuring was likely to draw attention to any none hibernating animals seeking shelter in these tunnels but it made her feel better to remember the way.
Peter had once said that the tunnels were all that was left of his family's legacy. What that had meant, she wasn't sure. But he had brought her here several times during their brief first marriage and several more time after the second try at the alter. For some reason, he always seemed happy to be in these smelly caverns where each breath drawn meant inhaling a lung full of coal dust.
She had to tuck the gun away as she came to the pulley shaft that had once carried thousands of dollars' worth of nature's most natural fuel. The cable looked fairly steady and too new to have been there for long. The fine dusting of coal dust did not disguise the modern cable rope any. Plus, the stops of blood that lined the rope did not help any either.
The sight of the dry burgundy spots made her shudder. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the rope and began the slow descent that she'd done many times before. Gripping the mag-lite with her teeth, she climbed hand over hand down until she reached the second level.
For anyone that had never been into these maze-like mines, the danger of suffocation and starvation was very likely. Slipping her gun from behind her, she moved slowly, watching for the fork that would take her left.
She came to the fork and stopped, glancing down at the swirl of dust on the ground. She traced her hand in the pattern for a moment. "He fell down here, hands and knees on the ground." She could almost see him panting for breath. "Then got up with a little help from the wall." She reached out and saw a faint marking on the wall where his bloodied hand had touched. "And continued forward." She shook her head. "You always were so incredibly stubborn."
Putting the gun away, she moved won the tunnel without must surprise as it led to a large cavern more than tall enough for her five feet ten inch frame. Being greeted by the cocked and readied gun shocked her less than if she hadn't been met by it.
"Hello, love," Peter grasped out, lowing the barrel of the semi-automatic. "About time you got here."
~~~~~~
TBC.