Still horrified by the scene she had just witnessed, Ashleigh found herself back in a white walled cell, clinical, cold, and empty. Her face was damp with tears, her entire body shook with shock, she barely struggled as her jacket was tugged off, and a hypodermic needle produced. She didn't know what they were putting into her body, barely felt the needle slide under the skin of her bare upper arm, or the slight resistance as the liquid was forced into her body. The needle was withdrawn, the arms holding her loosened, and with a sigh of relief, Ashleigh fell forwards into a deep dreamless sleep. Nothing mattered anymore; she was going to die, perhaps now, perhaps in the next twenty four hours. Sleep was a blessed relief.
Like before, she woke up with her face pressed to the cold floor, and a sense of disorientation surrounding her. She lay still, letting herself wake up slowly; trying to work out what had woken her up. She heard it again, and listened. Footsteps. Coming this way. Slowly she raised herself a sitting position, and leant against the wall. Her head was as fuzzy as before, and her muscles ached. She had a smattering of purplish bruises across her knuckles where her fist had connected with the heavy's jaw in the observation room. She flexed them gingerly, still listening as the footsteps came closer. They stopped, right outside her cell, and there was a clang as the hatch was slid abruptly open. She squinted up, but someone had arranged a light above it, and she blinked, momentarily blinded. Then the footsteps moved away.
Anger rose once more in her. She had been ambushed again. Knocked unconscious more than once, and now Dmitrov was dead, James was God knows where, and she was trapped her. She stood, she was shaky on her feet admittedly, but she was at least able to stand.
'Bastard!' she howled after the footsteps. 'Cowardly bastard!' The insults felt good, she spat them out viciously, relishing the way they echoed down the corridor. 'Not hanging around? Scared I might kick your ass? Come on, I'm only a woman, come here and prove what a man you are!'
Nothing. No response. It didn't matter what the words she shouted were, it was good just to vent some spleen. She took another deep breath, 'Your mother was a...'
The door crashed open, knocking her backwards, a hand reached out caught her by the throat and she found herself pinned against the wall, her feet barely touching the floor.
'It's not nice to insult people's mothers.' A voice hissed. 'I would have thought that you would have at least been taught that...'
Ashleigh found herself face to face with someone she recognised. The last time she had seen those pale blue eyes, he had been standing behind Alec, obedient to the last, a dog to his master. 'You?' she laughed, 'I should have known it.'
Kristov glared at her, the English bitch, his fingers ached to crush her windpipe, but he restrained himself, this was a moment to be savoured.
Ashleigh, despite her precarious position, was feeling reckless. What did she have to lose? She laughed again. Kristov responded by slamming her back against the wall a bit harder.
'So who's bankrolling you?' Ashleigh managed to ask as the little flashes of light that had exploded in her head died away. 'Not Alec, surely. Does he know you're working for someone else? I'm guessing its Deronda that's yanking your leash now.'
'Perhaps,' Kristov's tone was icy cold, like his piercing stare. 'Or perhaps I'm working for the real power round here.'
This caught Ashleigh's attention. She stared hard at him, waiting to see if he confirmed her suspicions.
'And the powers that be have insisted on your removal. I asked for that pleasure specifically.'
Ashleigh's wariness was beginning to grow. She might be facing death, but if she had to die, she would be putting up a struggle first. She would not make things easy for this double crossing bastard. 'Did you?' she smiled, forcing the expression onto her face. 'Ah yes, I did catch you quite hard, didn't I?'
His spare hand flew to his jaw line, where a dark bruise was beginning to form. Ashleigh had been so dazed; she hadn't recognised the brute who had been restraining her. Kristov's eyes narrowed and with a grunt he threw her to one side. She hit the sidewall and slid down onto the floor, winded. God, that hurt, she thought, she had forgotten what it was like to literally have the air knocked out of you. Her solar plexus ached; her neck gave a protesting crack when she finally gathered the strength to move. She was getting to him, needling away at him, making him angry. If he was angry, she could outwit him any day of the week.
Whatever they had injected her with; it was still in her bloodstream. Ashleigh began to wonder if she would ever feel fully awake again. Each movement she made seemed to be in slow motion, she moved slowly to one side, he watched her, judging her. She had to wake up.
With a stinging backhand he caught her cheekbone, and she tasted blood on the inside of her mouth. He dodged her jab, but missed the uppercut that she threw up at him, aiming for his throat, but catching his shoulder. She tried not to wince as she connected with him; the man was pure muscle, at least eight inches taller than her, and probably twice as heavy. Her body was refusing to work. Her eyes drooped, despite the attempts to focus; her body was heavy, so heavy. Her shoulders slumped, and he was getting closer. She was tired, she wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight she realised, she was lucky to have managed to catch him once, she swayed on her feet, trying to ignore the evil smile that now broke his face in two, the smile that was getting closer... She was going to die...
Would he be merciful? A sharp wrench to her head would snap her neck quickly, she believed it was almost painless, and over in a second, or would he break her first, lingering over his duties, drawing it out she was begging him for death? She had a nagging suspicion that it would be the latter. Well, bring it on...
A lightening quick hand reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her close until he could grab her other wrist as well. He could hold both of her slender pale wrists in one of his huge hands, and with a sadistic smile of pleasure on his face he began to bend her hands back. She stared at him impassively, but as her hands were twisted in a direction they were never designed to move in, a grimace of pain came over her face, a bit further and she began to gasp at the pain, until finally she fell onto her knees, and still he held her...
There was a sudden blur of movement and Kristov collapsed heavily to one side. He was still holding onto to her wrists, and Ashleigh was dragged forward, and then suddenly released. As quickly as she could, she threw herself backwards into the corner of the cell. She looked up and stared. As did Kristov.
Alec was the last person she had expected to see in the compound.
He was dressed all in black, suit, shirt, tie, overcoat, everything, right down to the long straight cane he carried. Which he had just brought down hard on the side of Kristov's neck. Alec ignored Ashleigh; instead he was staring scornfully at the man he had once employed.
It had been in one of his brief moments of wakefulness that he had seen Kristov with Lucinda. For goodness knows how long he had been at Lucinda's mercy, lying in a soft warm bed while various doctors treated his injuries, usually at gun point and on pain of death not to mention to anyone who their patient was. Alec had patiently endured the processes, the strapping up of his ribs, several of them had broken in the attack as he had suspected, he was battered and bruised from head to toe. The drugs they had given him had made him sleep, one way of ensuring obedience he thought, Lucinda was not so confident in his loyalty just yet. Eventually, frustrated and with a growing suspicion that he was being held prisoner here, he had began to palm the tablets he was given. So easily done, and for the first time in days he had slipped into a sleep that was not drug induced. The voices had woken him, hushed and insistent. Peering through his lashes, eyes barely open, he had seen Lucinda outside the room, giving orders in that baby soft voice of hers. When Kristov had joined her, he had felt surprise, and instantly, with every cell of his body knew that it was Kristov that had betrayed him. With Alec there would be no mercy. No man ever left his service alive. For someone who had betrayed an entire nation, Alec had very firm ideas on the notion of loyalty.
It was now, with more than a hint of pleasure, that he would take his revenge. He had barely seen Ashleigh cowering in the corner, all he had seen was Kristov. He stood back, drawn out to his full height, an opposing figure, radiating confidence. Alec was in control here.
Kristov struggled to his feet, one hand going to the base of his neck where the cane had hit him hard. He knew enough about this man to fear him, and the power he held, but Kristov was a strong man. The power Lucinda had given him in return for information had increased his arrogance ten fold.
'Who gives you your orders?' Alec asked almost mildly.
Kristov licked his lips and then decided to see if he could lie his way out of it. 'You do.'
Alec raised an eyebrow. 'Do I? And who do you work for?'
'Janus.'
Alec moved with lethal speed, and the cane he held cracked viciously across Kristov's face. Blood spurted from Kristov's nose, to Ashleigh, horrifically reminiscent of Dmitrov's last moments of life. The Russian swore, and cupped a hand across his now broken nose.
'Who gives you your orders?' Alec asked for a second time. Kristov remained silent, trying to stop the flow of blood.
The third time, Alec roared it, inches away from his henchman's face. 'Who gives you your orders?'
'Lucinda Elliot.'
Alec nodded slowly and then stepped away. He glanced in Ashleigh's direction, where she still sat upon the floor, her dark eyes seeing nothing but him. Kristov spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor.
'And what made you think you could touch my property?' Alec asked, his tone quiet once more, but filled with menace. 'What made you think that I would let something as low as you touch something that belonged to me? You want what belongs to me, my power? Then take it from me.'
Alec was standing deceptively still, cool, calm, composed, his face blank, devoid of all emotion. Kristov was now eyeing the man who had once been his boss with a calculated gaze, taking in the awkward stance, the cane that was used to support his weight.
Alec smirked. 'Now is your chance. You've been waiting for this moment for so long, don't try to tell me you haven't. I would have. Here it is. I'm a broken man, but if you think you can, go ahead...'
Kristov nodded slowly. 'Man on man.'
'Man on man,' Alec agreed. 'You have my word.'
Ashleigh never even saw the gun taken out. Kristov stopped dead in his tracks. 'You said man on man. You gave me your word.'
'Did I?' It was a disturbing smile that graced Alec's face. Kristov eyed the gun warily, and looking into Alec's eyes, knew the end had come. 'So I did.'
There was a dull thud and Kristov suddenly clutched at his stomach, blood slowly trickling between his fingers. Alec stepped over him. 'Where I come from, if a dog is disobedient, you shoot it. No man betrays me.'
Kristov groaned in agony, and sank to his knees. The bullet had torn into his stomach, and Ashleigh cringed. She knew one of the slowest ways to die was a gunshot wound to the stomach or gut. She stared at Alec who had just committed cold blooded murder in front of her, and relief flooded through her. Slowly, with a huge effort she made it to her feet, her entire body ached, and she started to shake, Alec was here, she was going to be ok. With a small sob she threw herself into his arms, her mouth seeking his.
Alec was surprised to suddenly find her in his arms, he rocked slightly at the force of her embrace, feeling his back protest at the harsh treatment, but then her lips were on his, and he wrapped her in his arms as she pulled him to her, one hand tugging his head closer to hers. He could feel her shaking, sense the weariness in her small body. The kiss broke, and she was gazing up at him with a dirt smudged face, her cheek reddened where Kristov had hit it, dark circles under her eyes, her lips cracked slightly from dehydration. With a gloved hand he brushed her cheek, sweeping away a streak of dirt, and he saw the trails that her tears had left on her face earlier. Gently he pressed his lips to hers again, insistent once more, but tender, aware of her injuries.
When they paused for breath once more, Ashleigh saw the bruises on Alec's face, the gash through his eyebrow, deep and painful looking, the healing split in his lip, the way he winced as she tightened her arms around him. 'Who did this to you?' she asked quietly.
'It doesn't matter,' he said quickly, not wishing to get into a discussion of his injuries at that moment. 'We have to get out of here.'
He pulled her forward, past Kristov's body, and the pool of his blood, Ashleigh staggered, and he caught her painfully jarring his ribs as her weight fell against him.
'Sorry,' she murmured, already sleepy again. He shook her hard, but she simply gazed up at him with hooded eyes. He dragged her arm around his shoulders, and supported her as well as he could. 'They injected me...'
He froze. 'Injected you? With what?' He was pulling off her jacket, he grabbed her arm, searching for the small needle mark.
'Don't know,' she yawned, 'Made me sleep.'
There it was, the small puncture mark on her upper left arm, a small trace of dried blood. He hoped to god it was just a sedative or something, if he could just get her out of here, they could find out, make sure she was ok...
She had stopped. She was refusing to move any further, tugging at his arm. 'James!' she insisted. She was trying to pull him back down the corridor they had just staggered along, not seeing his wince of pain.
'What about him?' His tone was very clear.
Slowly Ashleigh looked back at him. There was a look of shock on her face at his coldness as if he had slapped her. 'James is somewhere in here. We have to go and find him.'
He said nothing.
'No!' she grabbed him again, she had to stop herself from shaking him so agitated she was. 'You can't just come here and rescue me. You can't leave him here! They'll kill him! They'll kill him like they did Dmitrov!'
So the Russian agent was dead. It didn't matter. Alec spoke slowly, as if he were explaining things to a child. 'We had a truce, Ashleigh. And you broke it. I just can't simply forget that...'
She understood what he was saying, he knew that. 'Fine,' she said shortly. 'Fine. The truce stands. Help me now, and I'm yours to command. I'll do anything, but please, just help me to find James.'
'All the conditions?'
She didn't back down, but he saw her swallow. She was well aware of what all the conditions were, her lips still burned from the kisses they had shared moments earlier. 'All of them.' She agreed.
He nodded at her, a satisfied smile on his lips. They went to find James.
Like before, she woke up with her face pressed to the cold floor, and a sense of disorientation surrounding her. She lay still, letting herself wake up slowly; trying to work out what had woken her up. She heard it again, and listened. Footsteps. Coming this way. Slowly she raised herself a sitting position, and leant against the wall. Her head was as fuzzy as before, and her muscles ached. She had a smattering of purplish bruises across her knuckles where her fist had connected with the heavy's jaw in the observation room. She flexed them gingerly, still listening as the footsteps came closer. They stopped, right outside her cell, and there was a clang as the hatch was slid abruptly open. She squinted up, but someone had arranged a light above it, and she blinked, momentarily blinded. Then the footsteps moved away.
Anger rose once more in her. She had been ambushed again. Knocked unconscious more than once, and now Dmitrov was dead, James was God knows where, and she was trapped her. She stood, she was shaky on her feet admittedly, but she was at least able to stand.
'Bastard!' she howled after the footsteps. 'Cowardly bastard!' The insults felt good, she spat them out viciously, relishing the way they echoed down the corridor. 'Not hanging around? Scared I might kick your ass? Come on, I'm only a woman, come here and prove what a man you are!'
Nothing. No response. It didn't matter what the words she shouted were, it was good just to vent some spleen. She took another deep breath, 'Your mother was a...'
The door crashed open, knocking her backwards, a hand reached out caught her by the throat and she found herself pinned against the wall, her feet barely touching the floor.
'It's not nice to insult people's mothers.' A voice hissed. 'I would have thought that you would have at least been taught that...'
Ashleigh found herself face to face with someone she recognised. The last time she had seen those pale blue eyes, he had been standing behind Alec, obedient to the last, a dog to his master. 'You?' she laughed, 'I should have known it.'
Kristov glared at her, the English bitch, his fingers ached to crush her windpipe, but he restrained himself, this was a moment to be savoured.
Ashleigh, despite her precarious position, was feeling reckless. What did she have to lose? She laughed again. Kristov responded by slamming her back against the wall a bit harder.
'So who's bankrolling you?' Ashleigh managed to ask as the little flashes of light that had exploded in her head died away. 'Not Alec, surely. Does he know you're working for someone else? I'm guessing its Deronda that's yanking your leash now.'
'Perhaps,' Kristov's tone was icy cold, like his piercing stare. 'Or perhaps I'm working for the real power round here.'
This caught Ashleigh's attention. She stared hard at him, waiting to see if he confirmed her suspicions.
'And the powers that be have insisted on your removal. I asked for that pleasure specifically.'
Ashleigh's wariness was beginning to grow. She might be facing death, but if she had to die, she would be putting up a struggle first. She would not make things easy for this double crossing bastard. 'Did you?' she smiled, forcing the expression onto her face. 'Ah yes, I did catch you quite hard, didn't I?'
His spare hand flew to his jaw line, where a dark bruise was beginning to form. Ashleigh had been so dazed; she hadn't recognised the brute who had been restraining her. Kristov's eyes narrowed and with a grunt he threw her to one side. She hit the sidewall and slid down onto the floor, winded. God, that hurt, she thought, she had forgotten what it was like to literally have the air knocked out of you. Her solar plexus ached; her neck gave a protesting crack when she finally gathered the strength to move. She was getting to him, needling away at him, making him angry. If he was angry, she could outwit him any day of the week.
Whatever they had injected her with; it was still in her bloodstream. Ashleigh began to wonder if she would ever feel fully awake again. Each movement she made seemed to be in slow motion, she moved slowly to one side, he watched her, judging her. She had to wake up.
With a stinging backhand he caught her cheekbone, and she tasted blood on the inside of her mouth. He dodged her jab, but missed the uppercut that she threw up at him, aiming for his throat, but catching his shoulder. She tried not to wince as she connected with him; the man was pure muscle, at least eight inches taller than her, and probably twice as heavy. Her body was refusing to work. Her eyes drooped, despite the attempts to focus; her body was heavy, so heavy. Her shoulders slumped, and he was getting closer. She was tired, she wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight she realised, she was lucky to have managed to catch him once, she swayed on her feet, trying to ignore the evil smile that now broke his face in two, the smile that was getting closer... She was going to die...
Would he be merciful? A sharp wrench to her head would snap her neck quickly, she believed it was almost painless, and over in a second, or would he break her first, lingering over his duties, drawing it out she was begging him for death? She had a nagging suspicion that it would be the latter. Well, bring it on...
A lightening quick hand reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her close until he could grab her other wrist as well. He could hold both of her slender pale wrists in one of his huge hands, and with a sadistic smile of pleasure on his face he began to bend her hands back. She stared at him impassively, but as her hands were twisted in a direction they were never designed to move in, a grimace of pain came over her face, a bit further and she began to gasp at the pain, until finally she fell onto her knees, and still he held her...
There was a sudden blur of movement and Kristov collapsed heavily to one side. He was still holding onto to her wrists, and Ashleigh was dragged forward, and then suddenly released. As quickly as she could, she threw herself backwards into the corner of the cell. She looked up and stared. As did Kristov.
Alec was the last person she had expected to see in the compound.
He was dressed all in black, suit, shirt, tie, overcoat, everything, right down to the long straight cane he carried. Which he had just brought down hard on the side of Kristov's neck. Alec ignored Ashleigh; instead he was staring scornfully at the man he had once employed.
It had been in one of his brief moments of wakefulness that he had seen Kristov with Lucinda. For goodness knows how long he had been at Lucinda's mercy, lying in a soft warm bed while various doctors treated his injuries, usually at gun point and on pain of death not to mention to anyone who their patient was. Alec had patiently endured the processes, the strapping up of his ribs, several of them had broken in the attack as he had suspected, he was battered and bruised from head to toe. The drugs they had given him had made him sleep, one way of ensuring obedience he thought, Lucinda was not so confident in his loyalty just yet. Eventually, frustrated and with a growing suspicion that he was being held prisoner here, he had began to palm the tablets he was given. So easily done, and for the first time in days he had slipped into a sleep that was not drug induced. The voices had woken him, hushed and insistent. Peering through his lashes, eyes barely open, he had seen Lucinda outside the room, giving orders in that baby soft voice of hers. When Kristov had joined her, he had felt surprise, and instantly, with every cell of his body knew that it was Kristov that had betrayed him. With Alec there would be no mercy. No man ever left his service alive. For someone who had betrayed an entire nation, Alec had very firm ideas on the notion of loyalty.
It was now, with more than a hint of pleasure, that he would take his revenge. He had barely seen Ashleigh cowering in the corner, all he had seen was Kristov. He stood back, drawn out to his full height, an opposing figure, radiating confidence. Alec was in control here.
Kristov struggled to his feet, one hand going to the base of his neck where the cane had hit him hard. He knew enough about this man to fear him, and the power he held, but Kristov was a strong man. The power Lucinda had given him in return for information had increased his arrogance ten fold.
'Who gives you your orders?' Alec asked almost mildly.
Kristov licked his lips and then decided to see if he could lie his way out of it. 'You do.'
Alec raised an eyebrow. 'Do I? And who do you work for?'
'Janus.'
Alec moved with lethal speed, and the cane he held cracked viciously across Kristov's face. Blood spurted from Kristov's nose, to Ashleigh, horrifically reminiscent of Dmitrov's last moments of life. The Russian swore, and cupped a hand across his now broken nose.
'Who gives you your orders?' Alec asked for a second time. Kristov remained silent, trying to stop the flow of blood.
The third time, Alec roared it, inches away from his henchman's face. 'Who gives you your orders?'
'Lucinda Elliot.'
Alec nodded slowly and then stepped away. He glanced in Ashleigh's direction, where she still sat upon the floor, her dark eyes seeing nothing but him. Kristov spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor.
'And what made you think you could touch my property?' Alec asked, his tone quiet once more, but filled with menace. 'What made you think that I would let something as low as you touch something that belonged to me? You want what belongs to me, my power? Then take it from me.'
Alec was standing deceptively still, cool, calm, composed, his face blank, devoid of all emotion. Kristov was now eyeing the man who had once been his boss with a calculated gaze, taking in the awkward stance, the cane that was used to support his weight.
Alec smirked. 'Now is your chance. You've been waiting for this moment for so long, don't try to tell me you haven't. I would have. Here it is. I'm a broken man, but if you think you can, go ahead...'
Kristov nodded slowly. 'Man on man.'
'Man on man,' Alec agreed. 'You have my word.'
Ashleigh never even saw the gun taken out. Kristov stopped dead in his tracks. 'You said man on man. You gave me your word.'
'Did I?' It was a disturbing smile that graced Alec's face. Kristov eyed the gun warily, and looking into Alec's eyes, knew the end had come. 'So I did.'
There was a dull thud and Kristov suddenly clutched at his stomach, blood slowly trickling between his fingers. Alec stepped over him. 'Where I come from, if a dog is disobedient, you shoot it. No man betrays me.'
Kristov groaned in agony, and sank to his knees. The bullet had torn into his stomach, and Ashleigh cringed. She knew one of the slowest ways to die was a gunshot wound to the stomach or gut. She stared at Alec who had just committed cold blooded murder in front of her, and relief flooded through her. Slowly, with a huge effort she made it to her feet, her entire body ached, and she started to shake, Alec was here, she was going to be ok. With a small sob she threw herself into his arms, her mouth seeking his.
Alec was surprised to suddenly find her in his arms, he rocked slightly at the force of her embrace, feeling his back protest at the harsh treatment, but then her lips were on his, and he wrapped her in his arms as she pulled him to her, one hand tugging his head closer to hers. He could feel her shaking, sense the weariness in her small body. The kiss broke, and she was gazing up at him with a dirt smudged face, her cheek reddened where Kristov had hit it, dark circles under her eyes, her lips cracked slightly from dehydration. With a gloved hand he brushed her cheek, sweeping away a streak of dirt, and he saw the trails that her tears had left on her face earlier. Gently he pressed his lips to hers again, insistent once more, but tender, aware of her injuries.
When they paused for breath once more, Ashleigh saw the bruises on Alec's face, the gash through his eyebrow, deep and painful looking, the healing split in his lip, the way he winced as she tightened her arms around him. 'Who did this to you?' she asked quietly.
'It doesn't matter,' he said quickly, not wishing to get into a discussion of his injuries at that moment. 'We have to get out of here.'
He pulled her forward, past Kristov's body, and the pool of his blood, Ashleigh staggered, and he caught her painfully jarring his ribs as her weight fell against him.
'Sorry,' she murmured, already sleepy again. He shook her hard, but she simply gazed up at him with hooded eyes. He dragged her arm around his shoulders, and supported her as well as he could. 'They injected me...'
He froze. 'Injected you? With what?' He was pulling off her jacket, he grabbed her arm, searching for the small needle mark.
'Don't know,' she yawned, 'Made me sleep.'
There it was, the small puncture mark on her upper left arm, a small trace of dried blood. He hoped to god it was just a sedative or something, if he could just get her out of here, they could find out, make sure she was ok...
She had stopped. She was refusing to move any further, tugging at his arm. 'James!' she insisted. She was trying to pull him back down the corridor they had just staggered along, not seeing his wince of pain.
'What about him?' His tone was very clear.
Slowly Ashleigh looked back at him. There was a look of shock on her face at his coldness as if he had slapped her. 'James is somewhere in here. We have to go and find him.'
He said nothing.
'No!' she grabbed him again, she had to stop herself from shaking him so agitated she was. 'You can't just come here and rescue me. You can't leave him here! They'll kill him! They'll kill him like they did Dmitrov!'
So the Russian agent was dead. It didn't matter. Alec spoke slowly, as if he were explaining things to a child. 'We had a truce, Ashleigh. And you broke it. I just can't simply forget that...'
She understood what he was saying, he knew that. 'Fine,' she said shortly. 'Fine. The truce stands. Help me now, and I'm yours to command. I'll do anything, but please, just help me to find James.'
'All the conditions?'
She didn't back down, but he saw her swallow. She was well aware of what all the conditions were, her lips still burned from the kisses they had shared moments earlier. 'All of them.' She agreed.
He nodded at her, a satisfied smile on his lips. They went to find James.