Yes, it has been a long time to be sure and I extend my apologies to you
all. I am sorry, but life has ways of twisting things to it's own
advantage sometimes...
Anyway, It is here: the continuation and hopefully finalization of Vicious Cycle.
Chapter 9 Movement to action
Vicious ran his hand along the soaked tabletop, bringing his fingers together in front of him. He rubbed the blood between them as Garret came up from behind.
"Vicious, here it is. Her passport was still inside the pocket. It'll be impossible for them to escape the planet now."
Vicious took the garment from him and held it for a moment, then handed it back to Garret. "A beast that has lost his place. He has nowhere to return to now." He glanced down at the body on the couch. "He will come."
"Take care of it." Garret nodded. There was nothing he could do now but wait. He walked out pausing ever so slightly at the door of Annie's store, a second of nostalgia hitting him. The rain was starting to let up now and he waved off the umbrella offered to him, and stepped into the car. His man shut the door for him and the car drove off leaving Garret and the others to clean up.
It had only been a thought, but he cursed himself even so. This was going to be it. This would be the final test between them. Between Spike and himself. This would put it all to rest, and he needed to keep focused on that. He had been waiting for this moment his whole life. So why did he see Kahni in his mind when he left the store? He pushed the thought away angrily.
"Go directly to the office." He instructed the driver, who glanced in the mirror and nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shin sat alone in his room. The gun sat alone on the table in front of him. It had been a present from Vicious, a very expensive present. But Spike had been the one to show him how to use it and when. Shin grabbed the bottle of wine between his feet and took a swig. He felt like Julia. At least he thought he did. To be torn between two men so powerful, to fear for your life and yet never wish to be parted from them. They were family to him. But he had to think of Kahni now. Still, taking another drink, he wondered how Spike and Julia had faired..... ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Kahni stood in the rain outside the building, her long black tresses soaked, her hands still stained with blood not hers. She rubbed them together and held her palms out again. Why wouldn't the damn rain wash it away...why wouldn't it just go away!... She glanced up to the tower. She wondered if he was home yet. Home. Did she even know what that meant? Did he? She shook her head violently and held her hand to her temple. What was she thinking? She'd never second-guessed Vicious before. Why was she...why would she start to now? NO. She told herself. She wouldn't. She gathered her nerves and walked into the building towards the elevators, her boots leaving muddy and wet prints over the expensive oriental and Turkish rugs. The staff looked at her warily but didn't approach. She went into the elevator, pushed the button and waited for the door to close. Then she fell to her knees and wept.
She managed to stand and was somewhat gathered when the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. She stepped out and stumbled down the hallway to his chambers. She opened the door and quietly stepped inside. The lights were low, a small table lamp and the bar lights were the brightest in the open office. She shut the door behind her and sniffed, then wiped at tears that had already dried on her cheeks. Then she saw him, sitting in a side chair, his head hung low, his breathe barely audible. She took him for sleeping, but something bothered her. She stepped closer and reached out then hesitated. She started to turn away when he spoke. "Did he, survive?"
She swallowed but still couldn't find much of a voice. She mouthed the word "no" and hoped it had been audible to him.
"Come here." He said, his voice soft, his hand extended. She felt like she was a thousand miles away from him. She stepped up close and fell into his embrace afraid she wouldn't have had the strength to make it otherwise. She clung to him, his hand stroking her damp hair. She smelled of blood and earth, no longer of lavender and rainwater, but he drank her scent in anyway. Something flooded over him and he grunted as she pulled away from him.
"Y...you're bleeding!" she gasped. How, how could she have not known that. How could that have slipped past her sights. Was that perhaps why he had the lights down.
"It's nothing." He said steadily. "An old wound that tore open is all." She went to stand up, but he held her arm. "Where are you going?"
"To get a doctor..." she gave him a puzzled look. He wouldn't release her arm. "That's been taken care of."
"But..."
"......I could use a drink." He said quietly, finishing her thought. It was then that he let go of her arm, still a bit unwillingly. She looked at his shoulder again, then turned and went to the bar. She made him a drink and poured one for herself. She drank hers before returning to him. She held it out and as he went for it she pulled back a little. He glared up at her.
"Take your shirt off." She said. "First. So I can at least clean it up."
He stood up quickly, taking her off guard and she nearly dropped the glass. He snatched it from her hand and walked away from her and over to the wetbar. He downed the drink and poured himself another. She stood for a moment indecisively. She felt like she would collapse, she didn't know where to go. A flash of Lin caught in her mind and she choked back a sob. When Vicious finished his drink, his head turned, then he glanced over his back.
All she wanted was to be held, just for a little while. To be told it would be alright. All he needed was to keep her at a distance, just for a little while, then everything would be alright.
He turned back and poured a small amount of whiskey into the glass. He set the bottle down onto the marble countertop with a small 'plunk'. "The supplies are in the cabinet in..."
"Yes." She said, and without hesitation went into his suite and into the bathroom. He sighed and closed his eyes. His shoulder ached like hell, but something else, something in the pit of his stomach was hurting worse. Was this what fear was? Was this what Spike had felt, that made him quit the syndicate, afraid of putting Julia into anymore jeopardy.
Julia.......Had he ever felt this with Julia?
Kahni came back in the room. He set his glass down and started unbuttoning his shirt.
Vicious woke and rolled over to be greeted by a rumpled pillow. He sat up and held his head. His shoulder screamed of pain but he ignored it. He waited for his eyes to focus and then looked around the room.
The clock read 2 in the morning. He frowned. He looked around the room but saw no one. He listened but heard nothing. He tried to shake his head, but it wouldn't clear completely. Damn her.
He reached for the empty whiskey glass by his bed. He dipped a finger in and ran it along the inside. Pulling it out he felt a slight chalky film on his fingertip. A cold look came over his face. He threw the covers off and jumped out of bed, dressed and came out. He checked the practice room, her office and his. She was nowhere to be found. The back of his eyes burned. He went over and sat at his desk.
He stared at the piece of paper laid completely centered onto the desk pad. He placed a hand over his lips and sat back in his chair staring at the fish tank.
"Stupid girl." He muttered.
Anyway, It is here: the continuation and hopefully finalization of Vicious Cycle.
Chapter 9 Movement to action
Vicious ran his hand along the soaked tabletop, bringing his fingers together in front of him. He rubbed the blood between them as Garret came up from behind.
"Vicious, here it is. Her passport was still inside the pocket. It'll be impossible for them to escape the planet now."
Vicious took the garment from him and held it for a moment, then handed it back to Garret. "A beast that has lost his place. He has nowhere to return to now." He glanced down at the body on the couch. "He will come."
"Take care of it." Garret nodded. There was nothing he could do now but wait. He walked out pausing ever so slightly at the door of Annie's store, a second of nostalgia hitting him. The rain was starting to let up now and he waved off the umbrella offered to him, and stepped into the car. His man shut the door for him and the car drove off leaving Garret and the others to clean up.
It had only been a thought, but he cursed himself even so. This was going to be it. This would be the final test between them. Between Spike and himself. This would put it all to rest, and he needed to keep focused on that. He had been waiting for this moment his whole life. So why did he see Kahni in his mind when he left the store? He pushed the thought away angrily.
"Go directly to the office." He instructed the driver, who glanced in the mirror and nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shin sat alone in his room. The gun sat alone on the table in front of him. It had been a present from Vicious, a very expensive present. But Spike had been the one to show him how to use it and when. Shin grabbed the bottle of wine between his feet and took a swig. He felt like Julia. At least he thought he did. To be torn between two men so powerful, to fear for your life and yet never wish to be parted from them. They were family to him. But he had to think of Kahni now. Still, taking another drink, he wondered how Spike and Julia had faired..... ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Kahni stood in the rain outside the building, her long black tresses soaked, her hands still stained with blood not hers. She rubbed them together and held her palms out again. Why wouldn't the damn rain wash it away...why wouldn't it just go away!... She glanced up to the tower. She wondered if he was home yet. Home. Did she even know what that meant? Did he? She shook her head violently and held her hand to her temple. What was she thinking? She'd never second-guessed Vicious before. Why was she...why would she start to now? NO. She told herself. She wouldn't. She gathered her nerves and walked into the building towards the elevators, her boots leaving muddy and wet prints over the expensive oriental and Turkish rugs. The staff looked at her warily but didn't approach. She went into the elevator, pushed the button and waited for the door to close. Then she fell to her knees and wept.
She managed to stand and was somewhat gathered when the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. She stepped out and stumbled down the hallway to his chambers. She opened the door and quietly stepped inside. The lights were low, a small table lamp and the bar lights were the brightest in the open office. She shut the door behind her and sniffed, then wiped at tears that had already dried on her cheeks. Then she saw him, sitting in a side chair, his head hung low, his breathe barely audible. She took him for sleeping, but something bothered her. She stepped closer and reached out then hesitated. She started to turn away when he spoke. "Did he, survive?"
She swallowed but still couldn't find much of a voice. She mouthed the word "no" and hoped it had been audible to him.
"Come here." He said, his voice soft, his hand extended. She felt like she was a thousand miles away from him. She stepped up close and fell into his embrace afraid she wouldn't have had the strength to make it otherwise. She clung to him, his hand stroking her damp hair. She smelled of blood and earth, no longer of lavender and rainwater, but he drank her scent in anyway. Something flooded over him and he grunted as she pulled away from him.
"Y...you're bleeding!" she gasped. How, how could she have not known that. How could that have slipped past her sights. Was that perhaps why he had the lights down.
"It's nothing." He said steadily. "An old wound that tore open is all." She went to stand up, but he held her arm. "Where are you going?"
"To get a doctor..." she gave him a puzzled look. He wouldn't release her arm. "That's been taken care of."
"But..."
"......I could use a drink." He said quietly, finishing her thought. It was then that he let go of her arm, still a bit unwillingly. She looked at his shoulder again, then turned and went to the bar. She made him a drink and poured one for herself. She drank hers before returning to him. She held it out and as he went for it she pulled back a little. He glared up at her.
"Take your shirt off." She said. "First. So I can at least clean it up."
He stood up quickly, taking her off guard and she nearly dropped the glass. He snatched it from her hand and walked away from her and over to the wetbar. He downed the drink and poured himself another. She stood for a moment indecisively. She felt like she would collapse, she didn't know where to go. A flash of Lin caught in her mind and she choked back a sob. When Vicious finished his drink, his head turned, then he glanced over his back.
All she wanted was to be held, just for a little while. To be told it would be alright. All he needed was to keep her at a distance, just for a little while, then everything would be alright.
He turned back and poured a small amount of whiskey into the glass. He set the bottle down onto the marble countertop with a small 'plunk'. "The supplies are in the cabinet in..."
"Yes." She said, and without hesitation went into his suite and into the bathroom. He sighed and closed his eyes. His shoulder ached like hell, but something else, something in the pit of his stomach was hurting worse. Was this what fear was? Was this what Spike had felt, that made him quit the syndicate, afraid of putting Julia into anymore jeopardy.
Julia.......Had he ever felt this with Julia?
Kahni came back in the room. He set his glass down and started unbuttoning his shirt.
Vicious woke and rolled over to be greeted by a rumpled pillow. He sat up and held his head. His shoulder screamed of pain but he ignored it. He waited for his eyes to focus and then looked around the room.
The clock read 2 in the morning. He frowned. He looked around the room but saw no one. He listened but heard nothing. He tried to shake his head, but it wouldn't clear completely. Damn her.
He reached for the empty whiskey glass by his bed. He dipped a finger in and ran it along the inside. Pulling it out he felt a slight chalky film on his fingertip. A cold look came over his face. He threw the covers off and jumped out of bed, dressed and came out. He checked the practice room, her office and his. She was nowhere to be found. The back of his eyes burned. He went over and sat at his desk.
He stared at the piece of paper laid completely centered onto the desk pad. He placed a hand over his lips and sat back in his chair staring at the fish tank.
"Stupid girl." He muttered.