"They're in here! I know it!"
"Search all the seats on this train. No one gets off or on until we're done our search"
"Let's get to it! We want Tala and Bryan alive. The rest you can kill!"
Johnny awoke with a start. He hadn't slept peacefully since the train had left the station. He had that feeling, that sensation that something bad was afoot. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his palms were clammy. The conversation with Robert. It had been cut off so suddenly earlier.
He sat up in his small space and looked over. Tala was still asleep and so were Rei and Kai. Was he dreaming? Those voices seemed too real to be imagined. Shaking his head he again watched everyone just to be sure they were all okay. Johnny normally couldn't care less, but for some reason, since Robert had asked with tears almost, he took extra care to ensure he did it right. After all, this was something Robert really seemed to believe in.
Robert had changed. Not that it was a bad thing, but it seemed since they had attended the world championship in Moscow, Robert had seemed to have a lot more respect for everyone. Even the Demolition Boys, who had been the enemy. Johnny noticed that Robert also seemed to smile a lot more. He wasn't sure whether to be scared or surprised, but either way he had a mission to complete, and being a knight, he would never live it down if he failed. At least it was dark and everyone was asleep. No one would see the worry on his face.
Bryan though, was awake and stood, staring out the window. His eyes were emotionless, or at least they looked that way. Johnny remembered that it was just how Bryan looked during the finals. Taking a deep breath and stifling a yawn he spoke.
"Why are you up?"
Bryan Merely shrugged. Johnny knew Bryan spoke very little outside battle. His behavior had been strange and the way he stuck to Tala like glue perplexed everyone. For a boy that had no emotions, he certainly did not act like it. But all of a sudden he seemed to fall back into his old mood.
"You okay?"
Bryan's silvery violet eyes rose to meet his and he nodded. Johnny had been wrong about his gaze being emotionless. He seemed sincere. His eyes had changed, from a murderous madman just last year, to someone the farthest point from. Johnny figured it was the freedom that changed a person.
"Johnny? Why are you here really? What aren't you telling us?"
Johnny froze. Did he mean Robert's father, or the fact that he was actually sent to retrieve Robert's father. They didn't know about Boris. Johnny heaved a sigh and turned back to bed leaving Bryan to look out the window.
Bryan just remained silent, not questioning him again. His own mind was troubled. There was no way they had gotten away that easily.
*~*~*~
"We are now in our descent," the pilot crackled over the speakers. "If you look below you can see the city. We will be landing at approximately 8:45 pm local time."
Johnny had been sitting by himself the whole flight. He was tired and cranky, and more worried than he had ever been. His Phone hadn't been working at all since he had been talking to Robert earlier, and now the phone wasn't even WORKING!
"Bloody cell phone!" Johnny grumbled as he looked across at the others in the first class seats.
Tala spoke quietly. "What's wrong with it Johnny?"
"Bloody thing's been on the fritz since this mission began!" Johnny snapped yet again.
Tala reached across the aisle and took the phone from Johnny's hand. Looking it over he seemed to be troubled. His forehead creased with anxiety and he turned off the phone quickly. Tossing it into one of the garbage bags near him he immediately explained to the very angry Johnny.
"Johnny, that Phone is not on the fritz.There's a satellite signal tracking it. It's blocking your transmissions. It's not letting you call out, but it's locked on to your phone. They can tell exactly where we are."
Bryan's fear had been confirmed. They weren't out of the fire yet. He hoped that throwing it away would throw them off for just a little while. They had planned to head to Paris first, but bad weather at that airport had forced them onto a direct flight. Either way, they were in big trouble now.
Just as the plane came to a stop, they had started to rise when a stewardess approached them.
"Would you please wait? There is someone from Copenhagen who wishes to speak with you before you leave the plane."
They all looked at each other. By now Kai and Rei seemed thoroughly shaken, and Bryan felt that they had been caught for sure.
"What the Bloody hell happened!" came a soft but dominating voice, as a young man stepped on to the plane, clad in A pair of Black suede pants and a warm, body fitting Blue sweater. "You had me just about crazy with worry Jonathan MacGregor! Now all of you this way! Hurry!"
The others grabbed their things, still not able to see his face, and came out into the darkness, Following the teen to a small but very advanced looking plane. As soon as they ascended into the cabin the doors were shut immediately and the engines whirred to life. They finally saw who had ordered them to follow him.
It was Robert. They all seemed to relax, glad it wasn't BioVolt.
"God Robert, you Coulda been a little less demanding!" Johnny growled as he settled into a seat.
Robert grinned. "And you my friend could have called me."
"About the phone." Johnny began.
Robert seemed to ignore the others in the room for a moment and came to sit on the floor right by Johnny's seat. He placed a finger to Johnny's lips and shook his head. "No worries. They're safe, you're safe, and that's all that matters to me. My father is safe here too. They flew him in this morning."
"What about Ian and Spencer? Any word?" Tala spoke, almost afraid to speak. He was a bit shy now considering he still felt awful for everything his team had done in the past.
Robert looked at him with a strange gentleness in his eyes. "We have not heard word, but the BBA in Leningrad said they made it out of Russia safely."
"What's." Bryan's voice faltered. "What will happen to Boris.?"
"He is here in Copenhagen, safe. We are going to fly to England. There is a BBA official there who has something for us. This little side trip will also throw off BioVolt"
"You're leaving Boris here!" Tala seemed upset.
"No you silly child. I am going too." Came a voice from near the back of the cabin.
There sat Boris, still of course bandaged but now dressed in a pair of loose dress pants and a sweater.
"Boris.How did you get here?" Tala did his best to hide the surprise.
"Like Robert said, I was flown in this morning."
Bryan shook his head. "No Robert said his Father was flown in."
"Holy Shit!" Rei squawked. "No way!"
Boris nodded. "As if you needed any comparison. Our features are similar and our blood identical."
Everyone stood and sat motionless until everyone was required to take a seat and sit for the takeoff.
"I.I don't believe it." Tala stammered. "We've always been around you. Even since we were kids.how?"
"Complicated and long Tala. Complicated and long. Just relax. The most important thing is everyone is safe."
Bryan spoke up. "Except for Sergei and Ivan."
"What?" Johnny tilted his head to one side, an eyebrow raised. "There are MORE of you?"
"No no!" Tala corrected. "We are not much used to English names. Our Russian names are quite different. Sergei is Spencer real name. Ivan is Ian's real name. Sometimes we forget."
"Either way I'm sure they are fine." Boris suggested. "They are capable. Just like you are."
Conversation died away as the jet left the runway and taxied off, slowly beginning its ascent. It was a full twenty minutes before someone finally spoke.
"So what are your real names then?" Rei said from over his seat.
"I am Yuriy." Tala replied. "He is Boris."
"Man that's confusing. Two Boris'."
"Sometimes yes. But in Russia Robert's father went under Borlkoff. So it wasn't so bad. But let's just stick to the names you find easiest. Less confusion."
Rei nodded then turned towards his silent partner. "Kai?"
"I kept my name Rei, and I'm quite accustomed to hearing them called by their Russian names."
Rei just nodded and sat back closing his eyes. He hadn't slept much since this whole rescue mission had started and now was his best chance for a quick nap. He had barely slipped into sleep when he felt a strong arm around his shoulder and he soon came to rest on Kai's chest. Rei opened one eye. Kai didn't smile, but he did tighten his grip, which usually was a gesture of affection. Rei settled back and glanced back across the aisle. What he saw made him grin. Maybe Johnny wasn't such a crab after all.
"You had me scared to death Johnny. I thought you weren't coming back."
"As I said before Robert. Someone must hold the line against the darkness. Your darkness."
"And if I do not wake tomorrow?"
"Then I will honor your memory and you shall live on in me forever. Bodyguard, Friend, Brother." Johnny raised a hand to brush across Roberts face. "Lover. I shall be all four."
"You mean that?"
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"No. No you haven't. Do not leave me again Jonathan."
Johnny smiled and removed his bandanna using it to wipe a tear that had threatened Robert's composure. Taking his beloved Salamalyon from around his neck he placed it around Robert's neck.
"Now you have me near you always."
"Johnny, I cannot take it! This is your."
He was silenced with the first kiss he had ever received. Gentle, questing and reassuring all at once. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, in the arms of the one person who understood him.
Jonathan MacGregor.
"Search all the seats on this train. No one gets off or on until we're done our search"
"Let's get to it! We want Tala and Bryan alive. The rest you can kill!"
Johnny awoke with a start. He hadn't slept peacefully since the train had left the station. He had that feeling, that sensation that something bad was afoot. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his palms were clammy. The conversation with Robert. It had been cut off so suddenly earlier.
He sat up in his small space and looked over. Tala was still asleep and so were Rei and Kai. Was he dreaming? Those voices seemed too real to be imagined. Shaking his head he again watched everyone just to be sure they were all okay. Johnny normally couldn't care less, but for some reason, since Robert had asked with tears almost, he took extra care to ensure he did it right. After all, this was something Robert really seemed to believe in.
Robert had changed. Not that it was a bad thing, but it seemed since they had attended the world championship in Moscow, Robert had seemed to have a lot more respect for everyone. Even the Demolition Boys, who had been the enemy. Johnny noticed that Robert also seemed to smile a lot more. He wasn't sure whether to be scared or surprised, but either way he had a mission to complete, and being a knight, he would never live it down if he failed. At least it was dark and everyone was asleep. No one would see the worry on his face.
Bryan though, was awake and stood, staring out the window. His eyes were emotionless, or at least they looked that way. Johnny remembered that it was just how Bryan looked during the finals. Taking a deep breath and stifling a yawn he spoke.
"Why are you up?"
Bryan Merely shrugged. Johnny knew Bryan spoke very little outside battle. His behavior had been strange and the way he stuck to Tala like glue perplexed everyone. For a boy that had no emotions, he certainly did not act like it. But all of a sudden he seemed to fall back into his old mood.
"You okay?"
Bryan's silvery violet eyes rose to meet his and he nodded. Johnny had been wrong about his gaze being emotionless. He seemed sincere. His eyes had changed, from a murderous madman just last year, to someone the farthest point from. Johnny figured it was the freedom that changed a person.
"Johnny? Why are you here really? What aren't you telling us?"
Johnny froze. Did he mean Robert's father, or the fact that he was actually sent to retrieve Robert's father. They didn't know about Boris. Johnny heaved a sigh and turned back to bed leaving Bryan to look out the window.
Bryan just remained silent, not questioning him again. His own mind was troubled. There was no way they had gotten away that easily.
*~*~*~
"We are now in our descent," the pilot crackled over the speakers. "If you look below you can see the city. We will be landing at approximately 8:45 pm local time."
Johnny had been sitting by himself the whole flight. He was tired and cranky, and more worried than he had ever been. His Phone hadn't been working at all since he had been talking to Robert earlier, and now the phone wasn't even WORKING!
"Bloody cell phone!" Johnny grumbled as he looked across at the others in the first class seats.
Tala spoke quietly. "What's wrong with it Johnny?"
"Bloody thing's been on the fritz since this mission began!" Johnny snapped yet again.
Tala reached across the aisle and took the phone from Johnny's hand. Looking it over he seemed to be troubled. His forehead creased with anxiety and he turned off the phone quickly. Tossing it into one of the garbage bags near him he immediately explained to the very angry Johnny.
"Johnny, that Phone is not on the fritz.There's a satellite signal tracking it. It's blocking your transmissions. It's not letting you call out, but it's locked on to your phone. They can tell exactly where we are."
Bryan's fear had been confirmed. They weren't out of the fire yet. He hoped that throwing it away would throw them off for just a little while. They had planned to head to Paris first, but bad weather at that airport had forced them onto a direct flight. Either way, they were in big trouble now.
Just as the plane came to a stop, they had started to rise when a stewardess approached them.
"Would you please wait? There is someone from Copenhagen who wishes to speak with you before you leave the plane."
They all looked at each other. By now Kai and Rei seemed thoroughly shaken, and Bryan felt that they had been caught for sure.
"What the Bloody hell happened!" came a soft but dominating voice, as a young man stepped on to the plane, clad in A pair of Black suede pants and a warm, body fitting Blue sweater. "You had me just about crazy with worry Jonathan MacGregor! Now all of you this way! Hurry!"
The others grabbed their things, still not able to see his face, and came out into the darkness, Following the teen to a small but very advanced looking plane. As soon as they ascended into the cabin the doors were shut immediately and the engines whirred to life. They finally saw who had ordered them to follow him.
It was Robert. They all seemed to relax, glad it wasn't BioVolt.
"God Robert, you Coulda been a little less demanding!" Johnny growled as he settled into a seat.
Robert grinned. "And you my friend could have called me."
"About the phone." Johnny began.
Robert seemed to ignore the others in the room for a moment and came to sit on the floor right by Johnny's seat. He placed a finger to Johnny's lips and shook his head. "No worries. They're safe, you're safe, and that's all that matters to me. My father is safe here too. They flew him in this morning."
"What about Ian and Spencer? Any word?" Tala spoke, almost afraid to speak. He was a bit shy now considering he still felt awful for everything his team had done in the past.
Robert looked at him with a strange gentleness in his eyes. "We have not heard word, but the BBA in Leningrad said they made it out of Russia safely."
"What's." Bryan's voice faltered. "What will happen to Boris.?"
"He is here in Copenhagen, safe. We are going to fly to England. There is a BBA official there who has something for us. This little side trip will also throw off BioVolt"
"You're leaving Boris here!" Tala seemed upset.
"No you silly child. I am going too." Came a voice from near the back of the cabin.
There sat Boris, still of course bandaged but now dressed in a pair of loose dress pants and a sweater.
"Boris.How did you get here?" Tala did his best to hide the surprise.
"Like Robert said, I was flown in this morning."
Bryan shook his head. "No Robert said his Father was flown in."
"Holy Shit!" Rei squawked. "No way!"
Boris nodded. "As if you needed any comparison. Our features are similar and our blood identical."
Everyone stood and sat motionless until everyone was required to take a seat and sit for the takeoff.
"I.I don't believe it." Tala stammered. "We've always been around you. Even since we were kids.how?"
"Complicated and long Tala. Complicated and long. Just relax. The most important thing is everyone is safe."
Bryan spoke up. "Except for Sergei and Ivan."
"What?" Johnny tilted his head to one side, an eyebrow raised. "There are MORE of you?"
"No no!" Tala corrected. "We are not much used to English names. Our Russian names are quite different. Sergei is Spencer real name. Ivan is Ian's real name. Sometimes we forget."
"Either way I'm sure they are fine." Boris suggested. "They are capable. Just like you are."
Conversation died away as the jet left the runway and taxied off, slowly beginning its ascent. It was a full twenty minutes before someone finally spoke.
"So what are your real names then?" Rei said from over his seat.
"I am Yuriy." Tala replied. "He is Boris."
"Man that's confusing. Two Boris'."
"Sometimes yes. But in Russia Robert's father went under Borlkoff. So it wasn't so bad. But let's just stick to the names you find easiest. Less confusion."
Rei nodded then turned towards his silent partner. "Kai?"
"I kept my name Rei, and I'm quite accustomed to hearing them called by their Russian names."
Rei just nodded and sat back closing his eyes. He hadn't slept much since this whole rescue mission had started and now was his best chance for a quick nap. He had barely slipped into sleep when he felt a strong arm around his shoulder and he soon came to rest on Kai's chest. Rei opened one eye. Kai didn't smile, but he did tighten his grip, which usually was a gesture of affection. Rei settled back and glanced back across the aisle. What he saw made him grin. Maybe Johnny wasn't such a crab after all.
"You had me scared to death Johnny. I thought you weren't coming back."
"As I said before Robert. Someone must hold the line against the darkness. Your darkness."
"And if I do not wake tomorrow?"
"Then I will honor your memory and you shall live on in me forever. Bodyguard, Friend, Brother." Johnny raised a hand to brush across Roberts face. "Lover. I shall be all four."
"You mean that?"
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"No. No you haven't. Do not leave me again Jonathan."
Johnny smiled and removed his bandanna using it to wipe a tear that had threatened Robert's composure. Taking his beloved Salamalyon from around his neck he placed it around Robert's neck.
"Now you have me near you always."
"Johnny, I cannot take it! This is your."
He was silenced with the first kiss he had ever received. Gentle, questing and reassuring all at once. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, in the arms of the one person who understood him.
Jonathan MacGregor.
