The first thing Alicia registered was pain, excruciating pain as her arms were locked and the muscles strained from her being suspended by heavy duty rope. Her feet were bound by rope and her toes barely touched the ground but at least she has able to move.

It gave her options. Not a lot of options but it was still good. She dropped her head back and groaned from the hangover effects of the tranquiliser she opened her eyes and realised she hanging from a branch. She looked around and realised where she was. It was an old Sixer camp site up in the tree canopy but when she had last been here it was abandoned. This place did not look abandoned if anything it was lived in.

There was a cot to one side and boxed of what looked to be food rations and medical supplies. How could they not have noticed this stuff missing from Terra Nova? Then the memories of what happened if her, the fight, her house and finally getting hit with a dart and passing out. She did a mental check up of herself.

She had a bad hangover from the tranquiliser dart and her arms hurt but otherwise she was fine. She just hoped her baby was ok as she had no clue what was in the dart but the lack of abdominal pain and cramping was a good sign. So she kept that positive note in her head.

It didn't make any sense, why was she here? What happened to Terra Nova? What about Taylor and the others? Kate?

She heard a zip noise and watched as a rope pulley system that was used to get to the ground and into the room activated. A man appeared and stepped onto the floor of the tree hut. He was carrying a container labelled 'Power cells'.

"Escher?" Alicia said in disbelief as she recognised him as one of Kate's co-workers.

"You're awake" Escher said.

"What the hell is going on?" Alicia demanded. Escher shook his head as he placed the box he was carrying to the side and proceeded to open a medical supply box.

"I believe the D.O.D. call it being 'rendered'. You should know since you worked for them" he said as he pulled out a syringe and a small bottle. He syphoned some of the liquid into the syringe and walked up to her.

"You kidnapped me, why? What do you want?"Alicia asked as she recoiled from his hand as it moved toward her but she didn't have enough energy or give in her ropes. His hand brushed the hair from her neck before he traced the side of her face lovingly. Her skin crawled in revulsion at the contact.

"You don't remember me" He said as his eyes roved her face, his expression one of a man who finally reunited with a lost loved one.

"Should I?" she asked, she winced as he stabbed her in the neck with the syringe and injected her. Before she could demand what was in the syringe he cut in first.

"I know the facers did a great job but my eyes are still the same and the voice among other things" he said walking up to her. She looked at him showing no recognition of who he was. "You really don't remember me Darling?" he drawled in a cultured South African accent. Alicia's eyes widened as she recognised his voice. "I didn't forget you or the promise I made to you… it's all I've been thinking about for years" he said as he moved away to take care of the syringe.

~Flashback~

"You're here because you fit a very niche profile. Lieutenant, do you know what Sheep dipping is?" D.O.D. Agent McClellan asked a 24 yr old Second Lieutenant Alicia Washington sat in General Philbrick's office in her dress uniform, her hair was cut into a short and sleek bob. The only time she wore a skirt was when she had to put on her dress uniform for ceremonies and such like. Or so she had memorised from the manual. She had just finished basic training, Officer School and her medical degree. She couldn't wait to be assigned to a unit and serve with her brothers and sisters in arms.

"No sir" Alicia said as she kept a neutral expression as the General watched her reactions from his leather chair behind the desk as he smoked a cigar. She was nervous as hell what second lieutenant gets called into a General's office at the Pentagon. She was however surprised to that there would a be guy from the D.O.D. Agent Laurent McClellan, as he introduced himself when she arrived. He had approved of her appearance that made her want to punch him in the face for being so openly leery at her body. She deserved respect but she refrained from physical violence as General Philbrick was in the room last thing she needed was a disciplinary note on her record before she even got started.

"I didn't think you would. Sheep-dipping is an old term for camouflaging or disguising the true identity of an individual or individuals who are of a military background before they engage in clandestine intelligence activities. The D.O.D. want you for a deep cover mission" McClellan said as he handed her a plex with a mission brief and files on it.

"Me Sir? I'm a medic not special ops." Alicia said firmly she was all for protecting her country but she knew her own limitations.

"Deep cover, No longer than a year. His name is Declan Ellyas, he is what we like to call a 'Fixer' or 'Middle man'. A terrorist wants something i.e. weapons, someone to clean up a mess or build an army. He'll propagate these items or services. He's very good at it. He has strong ties to many terrorists. Lately he's been helping East African Rebels acquire military grade weapons."

"Which isn't good as things are heating up in that area" Philbrick said. Alicia nodded in agreement she knew US Military was currently preparing to go over for NATO on a joint peacekeeping mission to hopefully stabilise the country before war broke out.

"What we need is someone to infiltrate his world. The objective is to obtain his client list and ascertain his business partners along with new up and comers who crop up. So we can keep track of who's who and intervene when necessary. The intelligence derived from this mission would be incredibly valuable and save many lives." McClellan said, Alicia felt unsure of herself as the person who should do it.

"But Sir I'm not qualifi-"

"We'll train you, give you a new identity and everything else you'll need. Now, General Philbrick can't order you to do it Lieutenant. It has to be your choice but I can promise you after this mission you'll have any station you want. So are you in?" McClellan said sweetening the deal.

~End of Flashback~

"Ellyas"

"That's right"

"You're supposed to be dead, they told me you were dead!" she said shaking her head adamantly in disbelief. Fear and panic rolled through her not because she was losing feeling in her body below her neck but because he was supposed to be dead. Her debriefing from McClellan that day had forgotten to mention how truly psychotic Ellyas was and the fact that he held grudges. She had barely escaped him the first time.

"I survived Darling, spent 7 years in a rendition camp until my comrades found me" he said as he moved around her. "It took me few years building up resources and finding out where you were. I spent a lot of money to buy a ticket to Terra Nova and getting the new face but it was worth it. I promised you that I'd be back." he said.

Alicia paled at his words, she remembered his words clearly as the day he said them. They haunted her, stopped her from settling down, it was why she was so gung ho in her fighting she'd rather go out saving lives than for a psychopath's personal pleasure.

"I'm not the same person I was. We aren't the same people, please can't we just leave the past where it is and move on?" she implored, diplomacy was not one of her strengths but it wasn't like she could free herself and kill the man which she sorely wished to do.

"Move on?" he scoffed bitterly. "You made me love you and then betrayed me!" he said in a quivering voice as he was a mixture of anger and sadness.

"You're sociopath… Someone like you could never understand the concept of love because you're incapable of it" Alicia told him. Like she said being diplomatic was not a strong suit. She could see she struck a nerve as his eyes filled with tears. He didn't even bother to hide his emotions as he was hurt and angry.

"And you think Commander Taylor loves you? You're just his whore as much as you were mine" he sneered at her.

"I'm confused was I your whore or someone you loved? Because I can't be both" Alicia said feigning innocence. Ellyas backhanded her across the face. He turned away from her and rubbed his face taking a step back trying to control his anger. Alicia tasted blood in her mouth from the hit as her teeth had cut the inside of her cheek. She waited for him to turn around and hit her again but after a few seconds he turned around to face her.

"You musn't anger me. I don't want to hurt you in your current condition" he told her. Alicia's breath hitched. "Of course I know about your child" he told her, she couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes.

"Shhh, shh it's ok I'm not going to kill him or her… children are a gift that should be cherished" he told her.

"I have a location" Kate said as she ran down the stairs of the Command Centre to Taylor and Jim who had just decided to go check Escher's place. She passed a plex to Taylor and he looked at the map coordinates.

"He's only going to be there for another 6 hours before he moves to a secondary site. It looks like he's planning set out a nice trail to follow." Kate added. She told them what Carter had said. They layout of the old Sixer campsite being used, where traps were laid down, good vantage points for a sniper along with the best way to approach the camp without being detected.

"You were only in there for 10 minutes" Jim said in disbelief to Kate. He was amazed at how quick she had been to get such a large amount of information but also curious as to what kind of deal she made to get the information.

"I'm sorry, should I have taken longer?" Kate asked Jim sarcastically.

"It will take 3 hours to get here-" Taylor started to say but Kate interrupted.

"And 4 more hours from that location to where they are holding Malcolm, it's on the way. We take two rhinos just the four of us… Carter being our fourth person of course. Save Alicia first, you three will head back to here. Carter and I continue on." Kate said Taylor quirked an eyebrow impressed with how quickly she had come up with a plan and the information. But he shook his head.

"No, I'll pull 6 more soldiers from duty they'll be support. We will adapt the plan and when Wash is secure Jim and the soldiers will escort Wash back to Terra Nova before you, Carter and I continue on. I'm not allowing you to go alone into that camp without back up. I'll gather the troops and Carter doesn't get a weapon" Taylor said.

"But-"

"No 'buts' Kate, I make the final decisions around here. Now go get changed and gear up, we roll out in ten minutes" Taylor said, Kate closed her mouth and nodded.

Malcolm awoke with a jostle. It took a few minutes for the noise of an engine and voices. He kept his head down and eyes closed as his head pounded painfully. They were transporting him back to their camp. That much was obvious. He opened his eyes slowly and looked down at his hands and saw his wrists were tied with plastic cuffs.

"This mission is FUBAR" of the soldiers said near him.

"Tell me about it but at least we got the engineer. I'd rather be in 2149 than here, paradise my ass" the other said bitterly opposite where Malcolm said. Malcolm kept his head down and just listened.

"Yeah, they are living it rich in that colony. Oh man! did you see those five houses go up on the east perimeter?"

"Yeah that was sweet" the one next him said in appreciation. Malcolm felt his stomach twist in fear as he knew Kate had been checking the newly constructed houses that morning. Cold dread and nausea rolled over him and he felt the bile rise but quickly swallowed it back down.

"Apparently the 2016 woman was in there"

"Bout time that bitch died, shame though she had a tight body wouldn't mind a go at that. If you know what I mean"

Malcolm felt the urge to punch the man for comment but knew it would not help him nor would it accomplish anything. He wasn't a violent man anyway. He just had to survive. So he blocked out the men's voices and laughter and told himself that he did not know for sure if Kate was dead and given her record for dying. It was a sure bet that she was still alive and she would come for him.

"Where's the fire?" Alicia asked. She couldn't be bothered bargaining or arguing with Ellyas. She was better off not trying to piss him off. It was not easy for her to surrender but she had to think of more than herself. Her Father always said to know when to pick your battles. But she was surprised the man wasn't torturing her to an inch of her life.

Ellyas was unstable, she knew. She should as she lived with the man for over 6 months. She had met him at a children's charity dinner, she was clad in a red floor length gown with a thigh high slit. Her hair styled up and her ears and neck adorned in diamonds. She never felt so beautiful, so powerful in her life at the time. It was intoxicating until she learned how superficial it all was.

~Flashback~ 7 months into the mission, San Francisco Dome.

Alicia flicked her fringe out of eyes and fixed her concave bob before she opened the door to the beautiful 4 bedroom house. Shame none of it was real or that she could keep it or the wardrobe.

She smoothed the creases out of her canary yellow dress that looked as though she had been poured into it fitted her so well. It was sleeveless with a boat neckline, a black belt cinched at her waist accentuating her lithe hourglass figure with a pencil skirt bottom that finished at her knees and black patent leather peep toe stiletto. She wore a little make up besides a bit of blush and eyeliner and mascara. No jewellery except for a diamond bracelet.

Her cover as a concierge doctor to rich and wealthy who liked to remain anonymous made it affordable to wear expensive clothes. It was the reason Ellyas liked her as she was versatile for all his needs. She was counting down the days until she back in fatigues and boots. She told herself once she went back she could forget this life. It could be just a bad dream. She was living a life of luxury and all she wanted was to be a soldier not Doctor Barbie pandering to a psychopath's fantasy.

She hated herself, she hated her decision and the D.O.D. who wouldn't pull her out of the mission. She hated McClellan who kept playing her and twisting her mind into making it seem like this was all worth it.

They had everything they wanted and now they wanted her to stay permanently at Ellyas's side as the man was in love with her. The longer she stayed the more Ellyas opened up to her but she wanted out.

It was true she had played on Ellyas's affections and rose within the ranks quickly as his arm candy. But everyday she was called by her cover name the more she felt she was losing herself. She looked in the mirror and couldn't recognize herself anymore. She had compromised herself by becoming involved with Ellyas but told herself the information she passed onto the D.O.D. was worth it. She had whored herself out to get closer to the information. She told herself it would save lives but it didn't make her hate herself any less. She opened the door and plastered on a smile as she smelt the smoke of a lit cigar in the air and knew he was home.

"Hello Darling, I thought you'd be at the Gentleman's Club for dinner tonight with Eric and Peter" Alicia said as she kicked off her heels and joined him on the couch in the lounge room.

"No, I received some bad news today" he said looking a mixture of sad and angry, he didn't look at her as he spoke and she could feel the anger roll off him in waves.

"Scotch?" he asked as he got off the couch and went to the bar.

"Sure. So this bad news… Does this mean you'll be going away?" She asked as she got up from the couch to join him at the bar. She took the cigar from his hand and took a couple of puffs.

"No, it requires my immediate attention though" he said. Alicia placed the cigar in the ash tray on the bar so he could hand her a glass of scotch.

"Anything I can help with?" Alicia asked with a smile. He had let her into his side of the business when he had someone who needed medical attention but didn't want to sign into a hospital etc. She took a long sip of her scotch as she ran a hand down the front of his shirt.

"I do believe so" he said, he watched her as she finished the scotch and placed the glass on the bar. She moved in for a kiss but stopped as her world started to kilter. She felt like she had drank 15 shots straight instead of one. Ellyas caught her face with his hands.

"Are you feeling ok?" he asked innocently. He quickly caught her as her legs gave out. She tried to reply but her world slowly blacked out before she could.

"Wakey Wakey" Ellyas said, Alicia coughed and sputtered from the pollution and foul odour of the smelling salts as they roused her from unconsciousness. She tried to move but found her movements impeded as her wrists and ankles were strapped to the edges of a metal table. She looked up and saw Ellyas wearing a rebreather looking down at her. She swore she could see tears in his eyes and true sadness. Alicia felt panic and fear grip her as she struggled to breathe in the polluted air.

"Where are we? Is this some kind of joke?" Alicia asked before coughing, she had to maintain her cover. She pulled on the restraints, she was still wearing her dress but her shoes and accessories were gone. She could tell by the architecture she was in the basement of an old house probably out in some long forgotten and abandoned town.

"I wish it was" He said as he brandished a knife. Alicia started to panic, she had seen his handiwork with a blade. He turned her right arm so her palm was facing up. "I really do hope Edmonton is wrong about you."

"What are you doing?" She asked him as she knew he was going to cut out her tracker once it was out that was the end. She would be lost and the D.O.D. would write her off.

"I'm finding your tracker dear. Ah here it is" he said as found the small scar line.

"That's my implant for birth control" she told him vainly hoping he wouldn't cut it out. But Ellyas didn't care his mind was made up.

"No it's not." Ellyas told her, Alicia cried out in pain as she felt the blade sink into her upper arm like a hot knife through butter. She passed out before it was even removed.

48 hours later,

Alicia screamed out in agony as the electrical current coursed through her body. When it stopped she slumped back onto the table. Ellyas walked up to her and tapped her face to keep her conscious. He had brought in an air filter for the room, it didn't do a very good job but it circulated just enough fresh air to make the air breathable without choking.

"Come on, you've lasted this long. Don't give in yet" he said the only reason she was still alive was that he kept reviving her. SERE training felt like a holiday in comparison. He wiped the sweat from her face in a loving gesture. He'd been asking that question over and over, but she didn't answer. Her training said to remain quiet when maintaining her cover was no longer possible. She was a good soldier she followed orders even if she didn't know why anymore.

"Just kill me" She begged him, she just wanted it all to be over. He clicked his tongue at her. Alicia rolled her head to the side, closing her eyes. She felt nothing but the agony, the pain but even that was hollow. She was lost, when she didn't check in they would leave her to rot in this hole with Ellyas.

"I can't I love too much" he told her.

"Then stop this please" she pleaded, it seemed instead of him being sympathetic he grew angry instead.

"No, you betrayed me to your government. I thought you were my soul mate but you're just one of them, you used me. The problem is that I don't know how much you've given them. So we're going to continue this until you tell me everything you told them" he told her.

"You might as well kill me now. I'm not telling you anything" Alicia told him in a dark tone. She couldn't be bothered being the simpering female. Ellyas smiled.

"Finally some progress, I meet the woman behind the mask, the real you. Funny how I still don't even know your real name. I know it's not Lisa Montgomery but what do I call you?" He asked as he walked around the metal table, his fingers tracing her body. Ellyas's phone rang and he sighed as he stepped back to answer it. Alicia watched him as he turned to face her.

"Yes, I'm looking at her right now" he said he smiled as she wanted to know who he was talking to. "Yes, yes" he turned his back and started talking in a low voice, Alicia tried to listen to what he was saying but couldn't hear his voice over the sound of the air filter for the room. After a few seconds he hung up and sighed as he turned back to face her.

"I have some business to attend but I will be back" he told her. She watched as he prepped a syringe he then moved back to her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before he sedated her.

Alicia drifted off to sleep, she had no idea how long she had been out for but when she woke up she felt something tugging on her ankles and wrists. She opened her eyes and flinched as a soldier in complete black combat gear kept undoing the straps of her restraints.

His identity was covered by a rebreather and helmet. She knew it was Ellyas, he liked to play head games and he always had a contingency plan for everything. He was messing with her. The drugs in her system had a strong hold her but it didn't mean she wasn't going to fight him.

"Relax lady, you're safe" Ellyas taunted her in a convincing American accent. But she wouldn't be fooled. She looked around and saw there were three other soldiers in the room with them. Their guns lowered.

Once her wrists and ankles were released and she summoned all the energy and strength she had knowing she only have one shot and rolled off the metal table. She punched him hard in the solar plexus and then slipped behind him and pulled him into a choke hold with one arm she pulled the Ka Bar knife and held it to his throat. She felt disorientated from the drugs and a slight head rush she didn't remember Ellyas being 6 ft tall but pushed her knee into the back of his forcing him down to her level.

"Hey! Hey! Don't want to kill your boss right?" Alicia told the soldiers who had now gone on the defensive. Her speech slurred from the drugs. Ellyas was giving up too easy but then she did have a knife to his throat. "You wanted to play Ellyas, tell your dogs to stay while you show me the exit door" Alicia said as she dragged the man as her human shield.

"They're not his dogs to order. Now I'd appreciate it if you let my Sergeant go considering we're here to recover you" One of the soldiers in front of her said. Alicia couldn't tell who until one of them stepped forward.

"Excuse me?" she said as she held onto Ellyas, the soldier who stepped forward lowered his weapon before her pulled off his rebreather and helmet. He was a handsome man in his late thirties with reddish brown hair that was going grey at the sides. He looked at her with piercing blue eyes.

"I am Colonel Nathaniel Taylor, the soldier you're holding by knife is Sergeant Williams and while he's a pain in my ass I'd prefer you not to give me anymore paper work for today" Taylor told her. He had strict orders to retrieve a dead body, but here they were with woman who was very much alive and out of mind on drugs.

"It's true lady Sergeant Gareth Williams, Serial number-" Ellyas or who she thought was Ellyas continued talking. Alicia felt her head turn in circles it was all becoming too much for her.

"Shut it Sergeant" Taylor ordered the man in Alicia's hold. Sergeant Williams became silent before Taylor continued to talk in a calm voice to the young woman. "General Philbrick sent us to recover your body but you're looking pretty spry for a dead woman Lt. Washington" he commented her. He motioned to the soldiers to lower their weapons, he saw the anger in her eyes at hearing her own name.

"Where's Ellyas?" She asked.

"In D.O.D. custody, he told us where to find you. D.O.D. were going to leave you here to rot but Philbrick doesn't roll that way. Now release my Sergeant and he'll remove his helmet and rebreather so you can see he's not your enemy." Taylor told her.

"How do I know if you aren't lying? That this isn't some sick joke?" Alicia asked, he could hear how desperate she was for a sliver of hope as she was waning in strength and energy. He wondered how long she had been on that table. By the state of her, he'd say at a week.

"It's not a joke. You can trust me. Just let him go and everything will be ok. You got my word on that Soldier" He told her.

~End of Flashback~

"No fire, just preparing to leave for our next destination" Ellyas commented. Alicia spent the last 4 hours suspended from the branches. She still couldn't move or feel anything. All she could do was hang from her ropes and watch as Ellyas packed and moved equipment and items out of the tree hut to the ground. She had counted at least three other male voices and assumed Phoenix Soldiers.

She felt her fingers begin to tingle as the paralytic was wearing off and could feel her pinky begin to move. She remained calm as she didn't want to excited or give anything away to Ellyas.

TBC~ Cya all for next update!

P.S. Do we like the flashbacks?