Disclaimer: seaQuest DSV & all its characters remain the property of Amblin Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: This story was written way back in 2002 and posted on various sites at that time. Hope you enjoy it. Contains swearing.
888
Fallen Angel
By
Maggie M.
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"Dammit Bill, no!" Nathan glared at the man whose face was currently filling the view screen and invading his privacy yet again.
"We need your help. I need your help."
"Look, I told you when I retired after that third tour… No more."
"But Nathan, you won't be doing it for the U.E.O. or anyone else… You'll be doing it for me." Noyce cajoled.
"Right..." Nathan stressed sarcastically.
"I'll be doing all the nosing around but I need back-up and you're the best man I could think of."
"We'll be out on a limb." Nathan wavered.
"No, we have someone on the inside. All we need to do is find out exactly what the man is up to, the rest will be taken care of by…"
"The U.E.O."
"Nathan…"
"No Bill. You've dragged me back twice now, and the second time I gave up something that I've regretted ever since. Find someone else." He sighed and closed the link before grabbing a beer from the refrigerator and making his way down to the end of the jetty.
"Hello Darwin boy." He spoke into the portable vocoder that Lucas had made for him.
"Bridger sad..?"
"No Pal… annoyed."
"Why?"
"Because they won't leave me alone"
"Bridger never alone. Darwin here."
"I know, but you're different."
"How Darwin different?"
"You're a friend."
"Others not friends?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"Bridger need friends."
"Yeah Pal, I know…"
"Friends help friends."
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Two Days Later…
"Nathan, how nice to hear from you"
"Hello Janet, are you well?"
"I'm fine you don't look so great though." Her voice held an inquiry.
"I'm okay." He replied softly, not fooling her for a moment. "Is Bill there?"
"No, I'm afraid he isn't, he had to go away on business. I don't know... since he retired he seems to work harder than ever."
"Yeah, well, that's Bill. I thought he wasn't leaving until tomorrow."
"So did I but the dates got switched, his flight leaves in about an hour."
"Thanks."
"Nathan… Why don't you come over for dinner when he gets back? Bring someone with you." She finished hopefully.
A flicker of sadness crossed his face. "I'd love to." The double-edged meaning to that statement wasn't lost on either of them.
"It's a date, then."
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Bridger boarded the jet with just a few minutes to spare. By the time he'd managed to get to the airport through the rush hour traffic and then spent an eternity trying to explain to airport security who he was and why he should be allowed to get on the plane, it was a miracle he'd made it at all. He threw himself into the seat next to Bill Noyce.
"Damn Nathan, I was beginning to think that you meant it when you said you weren't coming."
"I did."
"What changed your mind?"
"A pushy dolphin."
"Should I ask?" He smiled.
"No." Nathan replied vehemently. "Just tell me what the hell I've gotten myself in to this time."
"Have you heard of Carlos Santos?"
"Should I have?"
"He's an arms dealer, among other things."
"Legit?"
"On the surface."
"Go on…" Nathan prompted.
"He owns a tropical island, bought and paid for with drug money. Lives there with an army of bodyguards and a 'mistress-come-lover' – although there are hundreds scattered across the globe. Who stays there depends on the flavour of the month."
Nathan nodded.
"Anyhow, the U.E.O. got wind of an arms deal…"
"You said he was legit?"
"I said, 'on the surface', he's legit. This deal involves chemical weapons."
"Great." Nathan snorted. Chemical weapons had been banned worldwide, years earlier.
"All we have to do is find out when and where, so that the U.E.O. can deal with it."
"Uh-huh. You mentioned someone on the inside?"
"An undercover agent called Tony Radley." Bill confirmed.
"Do we know what he looks like?"
"No."
"What do we know?" Nathan was seriously contemplating what punishment would be suitable for Darwin when he got back. If… he got back.
"Not much I'm afraid. His code-name is Topaz, but we won't be talking to him directly."
"Then how the..?"
Bill put up a hand to appease his friend. "He'll get word to us."
Nathan sighed in exasperation.
"Look Nathan, we've lost three people already. Santos doesn't like being crossed and he'll kill anyone who tries."
"Why hasn't he been arrested before?"
"Because he's good for the local economy."
"Uh-huh. What's our cover?"
"He's holding a legitimate sale and everyone will be represented. I'm there for the company and also for the U.E.O. You're my er… trusty sidekick."
"Oh great. I get to be Muttley to your Dick Dastardly."
"Something like that," Bill laughed.
"I guess I don't get a medal at the end?"
"'fraid not."
"Darwin, I'm gonna turn you into bouillabaisse, myself," Nathan muttered, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes.
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They were met at the airport by a couple of men with suspicious looking bulges under their jackets at around armpit level and taken to a waiting helicopter. For the hundredth time Nathan wondered just what the hell Bill had gotten them involved in.
They landed at a remote island, on the front lawn of a huge estate. The house was exactly what you'd expect… Whitewashed walls and columns, two storeys and Lord alone knew how many rooms. Nathan and Bill glanced at each other with resignation as the helicopter took off again, both realising their bridges had been burned behind them.
Two more men approached, dressed identically to the last. Picking up their luggage they followed them into the house in silence. The two friends exchanged another glance and Nathan shrugged. They were shown upstairs and led to their rooms which, thankfully, were next door to one another.
"Reception tonight. 8:00… Someone will come for you."
Bill tried to ask a question but their escorts turned and left, Nathan shrugged again and they both disappeared into their respective quarters to change.
Nathan looked around his suite… he guessed you'd call it. It was spacious and airy with French doors leading out onto a balcony. He opened them and stepped outside to be greeted by a magnificent view of the ocean. It was an incredible sight and just the room he would have chosen. He shook himself mentally and pulled his mind back to the situation at hand. This wasn't some flashy hotel in a tropical paradise, this room… this house… had been bought and paid for with the lives of countless innocent people. The thought made him angry and then disgusted with himself. Closing the doors again, he headed for the bathroom…
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The shower had done very little to relax him, stepping out he grabbed a towel while taking in the opulence of the room, with its marble fixtures and gold-plated fittings. All he wanted to do now was get the job done and get out of here as soon as possible. He reached for another towel to dry his hair and a piece of paper floated to the floor. Retrieving it, he read the brief note…
The room is bugged. All the rooms are bugged. So is the balcony. Topaz
Quickly, he got dressed and made his way down the hall to Bill's room, tapping on the door.
"Come in… Oh Nathan, I think…"
"Yes, the view is terrific, isn't it?" his visitor interrupted and Bill stared at him as though he'd lost his mind.
It was clear that Noyce had washed and changed but obviously, either he didn't have a note, or hadn't seen it. Nathan laughed to himself when he remembered just how he'd found his. His friend hadn't needed a separate towel to dry his hair for a very long time.
"Nathan?"
Raising a finger to silence him, he made his way to the bathroom and, after a few moments, found what he was looking for in exactly the same place. Picking it up he handed it to Bill who nodded in understanding. They talked generally about their surroundings and then Nathan returned to his own room and lay down on the bed.
A tap on the door woke him and he stretched and sat up, looking at the clock. Geez, he'd been asleep for almost three hours, only vaguely disturbed by the coming and going of the helicopter as it ferried in more guests. He hadn't even realised that he was tired. The tap came again.
"Yes."
The door opened and a foreign-looking woman entered. In broken English she told him that she was there to remind him about the reception and that he was to wear formal attire.
He thanked her and went to his suitcase, pulling out the dinner suit he'd remembered to pack at the last minute. A half-hour later he was ready to go. He ran his finger along the inside of his shirt collar and tried to ignore the fact that it had a stranglehold on his neck. "Bill, you're gonna owe me for this for the rest of your life." He muttered and ran into the very person as he left his room. Noyce just looked at him knowingly and smiled.
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"Nathan, for God's sake… Could you at least pretend to be enjoying yourself."
"Why?"
"Heads up…" Noyce looked around the room and noticed their host heading towards them. "We're on."
They turned as one to greet the man and Nathan tried hard to hide his distaste as they shook hands, taking a moment to study him as he turned his attention to Bill… He was the epitome of the old 'tall, dark and handsome' analogy - over six-foot, tanned and well groomed with a neatly trimmed moustache. Nathan guessed that they were probably about the same age but in comparison, he looked older than Santos… more weather-beaten and careworn.
The man was dressed in an immaculate white suit, not a crease in sight, and had the air of someone who was used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. Two black-clad minders stood behind him, ready to jump in at the first sign of trouble.
His voice was softly accented and charming as he addressed Noyce. What Carol would have declared as 'sexy as hell' Nathan loathed him on sight. He could almost hear his late wife's voice in his ear… 'You're just jealous, darling.'
"It's an honour to have the Secretary-General of the U.E.O. in my humble home."
"Ex Secretary-General" Bill corrected.
"Just so…" He bowed. "And this is..?"
"Nathan Bridger, he's a friend."
Santos smirked knowingly and turned to Bridger. "Nathan Hale Bridger, designer and ex-captain of the world's most deadly submarine – seaQuest. Married once… widowed. One son, Robert Hale Bridger, now deceased. Ex Navy…"
"You seem to know an awful lot about me." Nathan interrupted.
"Of course, I make it a point to know my… guests." He rattled off a whole slew of information that couldn't be found in any file and Bill stared at Bridger in astonishment.
"How did you..?"
"I have my sources," The man stated not bothering to hide a smirk. "Now ex Secretary-General Noyce, since you're the man in charge here, would you join me in the library for a private meeting?" Nathan made a move to follow but Santos' men stepped forward to bar his way.
"I'm afraid you're not needed my dear Captain. Stay… Enjoy the party. In fact, I have just the companion for you. It seems my latest lover is an ex of yours and she was very helpful to me when it came to information on you." He gestured across the room and a woman stepped out of the crowd and moved towards them. Bill studied her from the feet up, since his view was partially blocked.
She was dressed in a silky, long, sheath-style dress of midnight blue, which was split to mid-thigh – exposing long shapely legs. As his gazed moved up he heard Nathan's hiss of in-drawn breath and hastily brought his eyes to her face.
"Nathan, is that..?"
"Yes it is." His friend replied through gritted teeth.
Santos could hardly keep the smug look from his face as he held out his hand to the woman. "Mi amore, come and keep Captain Bridger company while Noyce and I have a little chat." His arm closed tightly around her waist before sliding down to rest on her bottom, she didn't seem to object just smiled indulgently. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed.
The man turned back to Bridger. "You can look Captain, you can even dance with her, but everything else is mine. Understood?"
The anger was plain on Bridger's face… Santos was delighting in rubbing his nose in it. "What else would I want to do with her?" He retorted.
"You have no idea what you're missing, Captain. Oh forgive me, I believe you do." Nathan scowled at the woman not able to believe that she'd told this man absolutely everything. "Obviously, you weren't the man she needed. If you had been you wouldn't have to ask." He looked at her once more. "I'll want you later."
"I'll be waiting, my love. Just don't be too long."
"I won't. You know I can't bear to be parted from your body for more than a few hours." He leaned in to give her a kiss. It was both passionate and hungry and the two friends didn't need to see to know that he had his tongue down her throat. When they finally separated Noyce and Santos headed off together and, as if by magic, the lights were dimmed and the music changed to a slow ballad.
"Dance with me?"
Nathan shrugged and took her into his arms, carefully keeping his distance - the thought of what he'd just witnessed making him feel sick.
"It's good to see you again, Nathan."
"I wish I could say the same, Doctor."
"Ouch."
"Well, what do you expect me to say?"
"Hello would be nice."
"Hello." He spat out grudgingly.
They were silent for a few moments, their movements as they danced less than graceful, the rapport that they used to have, completely gone… Finally Nathan spoke. "What's happened to you, Kristin?"
"Nothing… I'm still me."
"No. No you're not. The Kristin Westphalen I knew would never be here like this… with these people."
"You're here." She countered. "And no doubt Bill is doing a deal with Carlos as we speak."
"Damn it, you know better than that. You really think I'd be here if I had a choice?"
"Oh, don't tell me… Bill dragged you kicking and screaming from the boat and you had no idea where you were going until you arrived. How is the military, Nathan? Still cleaning up other people's lives? Still killing in the name of peace and love?"
He tried to reply but Kristin kept up her onslaught. "You know, one country's bad guys are another country's heroes." She tried to walk away but he grabbed her by the wrist.
"Would you listen to yourself! You think that your lover is a hero? Jesus Kris, what are you even doing here? You've thrown away everything that you believed in. And why him, of all people..?"
Her eyes glittered with anger. "Because, he asked me... because he didn't run out on me… because he keeps his promises good or bad… I know why you're both here and he suspects… Get out while you can, if you stay you'll be lucky to leave this place alive."
"Because you're going to tell him like you've told him everything else? At least I'll have tried to do the right thing. I'll die knowing that I was on the right side!"
"And who'll mourn you Nathan? The U.E.O… General Thomas?"
"Not you apparently" His temper flared. "God, how could I have been so blind? You really did a number on me, didn't you? - The dedicated doctor and scientist and I fell for it. I must admit though, I never figured you as a… as a… gangster's whore! What the hell happened to you?" He asked again.
"You did." She pulled from his grasp and started to walk away again but this time when he made a move towards her, two of Santos' bodyguards stood between them.
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"Christ Nathan, will you slow down!" Bill yelled, bending double and putting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"I didn't ask you to tag along." Nathan called back angrily from way up the beach where he'd been running back and forth since the crack of dawn.
"I thought you might want to talk."
Bridger stopped in his tracks, took a few slow breaths and began to walk back towards his friend, smiling slightly when he saw the state that he was in. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just give me a minute. I'm not as young as I thought I used to be."
"You never were."
"Ha, ha." He sat down on the sand and waited for his friend to do the same. "You think she'll turn us in?"
"I don't know Bill." He replied sadly. "I don't know her at all anymore."
"Maybe you never did."
"She couldn't have changed that much, could she?"
Bill sighed. "Nathan, there are things you don't know."
"What things?" He asked suspiciously.
"When you signed on for that third tour, Kristin applied for the post of CMO."
"She what..? I thought…"
"She wanted to surprise you. Thomas didn't want her on board so he told her that you'd vetoed her application."
"What?"
"There's more."
"Tell me." He whispered quietly.
"He used his considerable connections to get her funding withdrawn and all her projects quashed."
"God damn it! Why?"
"Because of you… He didn't like the influence she had over you."
"Then that's what she meant last night." He sighed.
"I don't understand."
"I asked her what happened to her and she said me. That's what she meant… But that doesn't explain all this."
"When she left the U.E.O., Santos approached her, asked her to work for him and in return, he'd fund her research for as long as it took."
"You knew she was here and you didn't tell me? You let me…"
"No. I wouldn't do that to you. I was told that she worked for him, I didn't know that she was his… his…"
"Mistress..?"
"Yeah, I guess. And I had absolutely no idea that she would be here. You have to believe that old friend."
"I do Bill." He sighed. "Why would Santos of all people, be interested in her research anyway?"
"I told you, on the surface he's legit, and what better way to prove it than spend his money funding research for the environment and the good of the world? Will she tell him?"
"Maybe, I said some terrible things to her last night."
"How terrible..?" Bill queried worriedly.
"I called her a whore." He confessed ashamedly.
"We're dead." Noyce muttered.
They made their way slowly back to the house and their rooms. Noyce had another meeting with Santos and the other bidders so Nathan decided to try to do some nosing around. He climbed wearily out of the shower and picked up the towel, another note fell out and fluttered to the ground.
Watch your back, they're on to you. Don't make any trouble until I contact you again. Topaz
Nathan felt a hurt the like of which he'd never felt before. She'd obviously told them after all.
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