Monday, March 19th, 2018
South Kensington
London, England
19:40 GMT
The police constable was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He had only been on the beat for seven months and was still learning the trade. The man was one of almost thirty-five thousand uniformed officers – male and female – who policed the Greater London area. The district to the west of Central London holds some of the most exclusive real estate in the world including the Royal Albert Hall and the infamous Iranian Embassy which endured a six-day siege in 1980 which was very publicly put down by the SAS storming and securing the embassy in just seventeen minutes. Unfortunately, the district attracted those who believed that the well off would have no problem donating their expensive wrist watches, jewellery, and even expensive motors to alternative causes. He had simply walked past while the three men had been undertaking some illicit activity and he had attempted to intervene to his cost. Despite his futile attempts at pressing the emergency button on his radio which would call for help, he went down, doing all he could to prevent injury to his head.
None of the men saw they had a visitor.
"Three against one; how fucking manly of you!"
"What the fuck!" one of the men exclaimed as he turned towards the voice which was electronically distorted but not like that of the average Vengeance vigilante; this voice seemed alive, like it was electrically charged.
While the narrow alley was only dimly lit by the distant streetlights, they could make out the form of an armour-clad vigilante, confirming Vengeance. The eyes were a piercing electric blue but as the man watched, the peaceful electric blue began to transform into an evil electric yellow. At the same time, the combat armour began to luminesce in the darkness. Electric blue appeared to sweep through the armour from head to toe much like a shimmering electrical spark might flow across the armour and it was very off-putting the man considered. No weapons were immediately visible beyond a combat knife mounted on the outside of the right calf, although a pair of pistols containing SIG Sauer P229 Pro compacts were carried but were mounted horizontally in holsters in the small of the back. Their normal locations on the thighs or utility belt were otherwise occupied. On the right hip was a pouch containing an unknown item while on the left was a similar pouch containing equally unknown objects.
However, the unknown was soon to become known.
..._...
The three men faced off against the . . . whatever.
"I have had the worst time of my life over the past several months, and I so want to vent," the vigilante growled. "I despise people who pick on those who cannot fight for themselves. That man is doing a hard job which you bastards just make all the harder. However, I am his backup, and I will pick up where the police cannot. I do not adhere to the rule of law as this constable will, but I do have rules which allow me to become judge, jury, and if required, executioner. I am a vigilante. I am here to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I am here to ensure that nobody manipulates the law to cover their actions. I care not for loopholes. I only care about justice. Tonight, I am going to show you bastards what I am capable of doing to those who anger me. Oh, considering none of you will be conscious for me to tell later; I am Spark."
With that, the right gauntlet dove into the right pouch and withdrew a nasty-looking chain whip, but not just any chain whip, this five-section chain whip was fitted with a taser-tip and capable of delivering forty debilitating strikes on a single charge. The device lashed out and the first man absorbed the voltage which struck his left leg, numbing it completely and he fell to the ground. The next strike took out the second man as the tip touched his neck and the man shook violently as he sank to the stone of the alleyway floor. The chain whip did not strike again as Spark expertly coiled the device and stowed it in the pouch attached to her right thigh. She was going to deal with the last man directly and she stepped closer.
Her target felt more comfortable as he noticed that the vigilante was a foot shorter than himself and a female. He advanced, safe in the knowledge that he could snap this impudent vigilante in half. He allowed Spark to punch him and then instantly regretted it as a massive electrical charge raced through his body from the point where he was struck in the right abdomen. He shrugged off the strike with difficulty and dodged the next strike but then as he staggered away from the vigilante, he felt barbs strike his right side and he saw the vigilante glaring at him as he sank to the ground, his eyes taking in the tiny wires which ran from the gauntlet to his side.
Then he passed out.
..._...
Spark ripped out the wires and ran towards the police constable who lay moaning on the ground.
A quick check showed that he was not in medical danger, so Spark depressed the red button on his radio to summon assistance. As Spark watched from a safe distance, a dozen marked police cars screeched to a halt and the police constable was being scooped up by a dozen of his colleagues, one of whom called for an ambulance while others studied the three unconscious men who lay in the alleyway.
"She said what?" one of the police officers, a sergeant, asked.
"She said her name was Spark – she was a Vengeance vigilante," the injured police constable said.
The sergeant searched the nearby buildings with his eyes but saw nothing as he had expected. Nonetheless, he raised a hand and waved his thanks at the darkness. Unknown to the man, he was being observed by a trio of vigilantes from the rooftop of a small commercial unit.
The taller of the trio wore body armour of a dull yellow hue with gold trim and she nodded approvingly from behind her mask with yellow eyes piercing the darkness. "A nice speech; bit lengthy," she commented.
"Leave her be, Belle," the shorter of the trio commented. She was clad from head to toe in black body armour with dark grey highlights. The girl spoke from behind her own black facemask with lighter grey highlights around the eyes which glowed a deep green.
"Thank you, Rigour," Spark commented. Her combat suit had ceased pulsing and her eyes had returned to their peaceful electric blue state.
"I agree with Rigour," a voice added in their earpieces. "It was a very good takedown. How do you feel, Spark?"
The voice was that of Obsidian from Archive Central and she had been observing the entire event over hacked CCTV cameras.
"I feel good," Spark replied happily. "It was a rush."
For a first night out, it was definitely a successful one.
Archive Central
Five levels below Admiralty Arch, the capacious command centre was dimly lit by concealed LED lighting which gave the opaque glazed walls of the facility a clean and clinical feel.
Three computer stations, each equipped with a sextuple array of thirty-two-inch screens were arrayed in a semi-circular shape. Occupying the opposite side of the circle, two curved tables were arrayed, each of which was fitted with a triple array of forty-two-inch touchscreens angled at a sixty-degree angle. On each wall to the left and right were a pair of gigantic eighty-inch screens arranged horizontally side by side. Standing at one trio of forty-two-inch touchscreens, Obsidian was observing a confusing array of windows, some of which showed CCTV images while others showed maps of London and yet others showed the status of those out on the streets, namely Belle, Rigour, and Spark.
"Get back to Archive Central for a debrief," Freya Lawrence AKA Obsidian ordered before she tapped a button on the central screen to silence her microphone and then turned to another person standing beside her. "Successful, I thought."
"I have to agree," Ginny Turner AKA Minder replied. "I still hate her being out there without me."
"She has Electra," Freya reasoned.
"I know. I know."
"Starla, they're returning – be ready," Freya ordered.
A young girl leapt up from one of the computer stations and vanished out of the room while Freya laughed at her younger sister, Frieda, who insisted on being referred to by her codename even though they were in the command centre.
MI5 Safehouse, Wiltshire
United Kingdom
21:00 GMT
The girl was apprehensive and worried as she was led, blindfolded, down corridor after corridor before she was finally pushed into a wooden chair.
She had spent the previous twenty-four hours (or so) either being prodded by doctors or being kept in solitary confinement. Although, there was an unknown period of time where she could not remember anything as she must have been drugged because she woke up with a minor headache and realised that she had no real idea how much time had passed but she was not in the same room she had occupied when she had fallen asleep.
Unbeknownst to the girl, she had been examined from top to toe, internally, and externally to check for any form of electronic monitoring. MI6 had to decide whether the girl was a plant by the Russians or just a girl wanting a new life. It was not a decision which could be taken lightly as a wrong decision could be disastrous. Yes, the treasure trove of information which she had provided was amazing but only if it were true. Large sections had been confirmed as accurate and authentic, but forgery was a typical method used by most intelligence services. MI6 had dug deeply into the girl's history, right to the very moment she was conceived and even further back to when her parents themselves were each conceived.
To begin with, a maskirovka was required to ascertain if the girl was truly what she purported to be.
..._...
The blindfold was removed and Anastasiya blinked in the bright lights which prevented her from seeing much of her surroundings.
But despite her sight failing her, her other senses were working overtime. She smelt a familiar odour. It was of cheap cigarettes - Прима. Prima cigarettes were had a foul odour, but Russian conscripts smoked them as they were cheap, very cheap. Then came the metallic rasp of . . . it was an AK74 charging handle being worked. No. It could not be. How long had she been unconscious? Her eyes began to focus on objects at the periphery of her vision which soon came into focus as the light was adjusted slightly. It was a uniform. As she saw more of the uniform, absolute fear worked its way through her body. It could not be true she kept telling herself but every one of her senses told her that she had been returned to Russia. She was going to die horribly under interrogation; an interrogation where they would not cease until she died.
"Анастасия Жукова, вы предательница России-матушки.," a voice stated. {'Anastasiya Zhukova, you are a traitor to Mother Russia.'}
Anastasiya grinned and stared defiantly into the light as she spoke.
"Я предатель. Я охотно отвернулся от своего дома, поскольку мой дом превратил меня во что-то ужасное. Я не мог позволить этому продолжаться. Дрылов — животное, которое охотится на маленьких детей, чтобы их покалечить и превратить в свои игрушки. Я воочию убедился, что мы, Охотники, были ничем по сравнению с настоящим существом: Хищниками. Я хочу, чтобы мой разум был свободным, но если я не смогу быть свободным, то я охотно умру." {' I am a traitor. I willingly turned my back on my home as my home turned me into something horrible. I could not let it continue. Drylov is an animal who preys on young children so he can mutilate them and turn them into his playthings. I saw firsthand that we Hunters were nothing compared to the real thing: a Predator. I want my mind to be free but if I cannot be fee then I will willingly die.'}
Anastasiya could make out the soldier with his AK74 and the officer of the SVR with a PMM Makarov in his leather holster on his uniform belt. She realised that she was not secured to the chair, nor were her wrists or ankles secured. She sprang out of the chair, and she punched the SVR officer in the chest hard enough to double him over and as he did so, she grasped the 9.2-millimetre PMM pistol from the holster and she pushed the muzzle into the soft skin under her jaw.
"Я не умру от ваших рук, полковник. Ты можешь допросить мой холодный труп. Я умру свободным!" {' I will not die at your hands, Colonel. You can interrogate my cold corpse. I die free!'}
Anastasiya pulled the trigger but heard only a click. Feverishly, she racked back the action and tried again. Finally, she ejected the magazine and stared at the empty shell. She dropped the weapon and sagged to the floor, sobbing, as she knew she would now die the death of a traitor. They would inflict unbelievable pain upon her mentally and physically before she was allowed to succumb to death.
"Anastasiya."
"Anastasiya."
The voice was familiar.
"Anastasiya. You're safe."
Anastasiya raised her head up and she stared into the eyes of Jake and the girl.
"It was a test," the girl stated. "You passed. I'm Charlotte by the way."
"A test? A TEST! What fucked up individual dreamt that up!" Anastasiya demanded as she sat up and glared at the grinning 'soldier' and the 'Russian officer' who was grimacing with pain but smirking, nonetheless.
"That would be me," a tall man stated. "I am Jasper and we had to be certain you were not a plant. Now, let's get down to the debrief, shall we?"
"Иди на хуй!"
"You go girl!" Jake said with a grin.
Jasper raised an eyebrow at the crude language aimed at himself as Charlotte laughed.
..._...
Anastasiya was allowed to rest before her real debriefing which would take place the following morning.
Her exertions had torn the medical dressing which had been placed over her bullet wound so Jennifer took her to the expansive medical centre and redressed the wound. Her clothes she had been wearing for the flight out of Russia had long gone and she wore fresh clothes supplied on her arrival at the safehouse to replace an uncomfortable set of overalls supplied in Ukraine. Once finished, Jennifer took Anastasiya back into the main house and thence up some wooden stairs to the third floor where Anastasiya could hear sounds of laughing and shouting. She hesitated.
"They won't bite," Jennifer stated. "Well, Rylee might."
Anastasiya laughed but still felt apprehensive. Then she stopped dead at the doorway into a dormitory and she could see a young girl wearing Pinkie Pie pyjamas prancing around. Then she recognised Charlotte who wore Daring Do pyjamas. Charlotte noticed Anastasiya and waved her into the dormitory.
"Please find Anastasiya a bed," Jennifer directed. "See you all in the morning."
As Jennifer left, Anastasiya felt very alone.
"You helped us escape, Anastasiya, and you've proved your honesty," Charlotte said. "This bed, over here."
Anastasiya was surprised to find a set of pyjamas waiting for her. She grabbed them and went to change in the toilet.
"You have got to be kidding!" she thought as she studied herself in the mirror.
"Awesome!" Rylee exclaimed as she recognised the image of Tempest from the My Little Pony movie on Anastasiya's pyjama top.
"Not awesome but it's okay," Anastasiya grinned as she clambered into bed, somewhat gingerly due to her wound.
Anastasiya was tired, very tired, and she fell asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow.
Archive Central
Level Six
Charles Allerton was grinning as his ward bounced all over the safehouse.
The previous few days had been a literal whirlwind of events which had all but blown the young soldier's mind. While he had known that his new ward, fourteen-year-old Amber Dawson, had a murky past for which he had received a personal briefing of classified information some of which Amber herself had no idea about, and he knew a small about her actions as part of Vengeance, he had no idea that she would become a true Vengeance vigilante. Then had come the explosive revelations that Vengeance possessed a bunker beneath London and that London's very own Vengeance vigilante, known to the world as Belle, resided in that bunker. On top of that had come the nuclear revelation of whom Belle was during the day. Of course, young Electra had downplayed Mary's lineage to put Charles at ease, but the man still felt wary being so close to royalty, despite his day job. However, he was very pleased to meet Sergeant Ginny Turner, so much so that Mary had been quick to drag Ginny away. Needless to say, Charles was there for Amber, so he filed away his immediate concerns about Vengeance and Princess Mary.
He had been on hand as Amber had prepared to go out onto the London streets that night and he had driven the blacked-out Range Rover taking Belle, Rigour, and Spark to a relatively safe part of London so that Spark could test out her new suit and offensive equipment. Charles had watched from a distance, and he was more than impressed by Amber's behaviour and courage as she stood her ground. Knowing that Belle and Rigour were just yards away was crucial for his peace of mind as he had been very worried, especially as technically, Amber's body was still healing, but the young teen was getting fed up with 'taking it gently'.
"It was amazing!"
"You did very well," Ginny confirmed. "You saved that constable's life, and those men are going to prison for a long time."
"It felt good being in control," Amber said. "So much of the past year, I have been the fall guy. Thanks to you all, I have regained my self-respect and my health. I also know that I can hold my own as a Vengeance vigilante."
"You are just as fucked up as the rest of us, Amber," Electra responded with a broad grin.
"I am not...," Mary began.
"Yes, you are," Ginny stated, cutting Mary off. "Get used to it."
Mary scowled as Electra and Amber laughed.
Tuesday, March 20th
MI5 Safehouse, Wiltshire
02:02 GMT
Charlotte had no idea why she had awoken but she opened her eyes and stared into the darkness of the dormitory.
Everything appeared normal but something was off, or rather missing. Jake was not in his bed. Charlotte felt panic rising inside as she searched the dormitory but came up empty. She had no idea why she was panicking but she was, nonetheless. She headed out of the dormitory and into the passageway outside. With intense relief, she saw somebody standing at the end of the corridor beside a fire door which led to a steel fire escape. She ran to him, and she wrapped her arms around his chest. Without a word, Jake grabbed Charlotte's hand and pulled her down the corridor and into an empty dormitory. They fell onto a vacant, unmade bed and Charlotte pulled off her pyjama top, kicking off her bottoms to expose her body, her bruises, and her bandages. Jake grinned as he feverishly followed suit. Her phone fell to the floor and music began to play. Neither reached out to stop the music.
Here I am, this is me
There's nowhere else on earth I'd rather be
Here I am, it's just me and you
Tonight we make our dreams come true
For two whole minutes, they lay naked beside one another. Charlotte actually found herself giggling which she found absurd while Jake was nervous as hell. He had seen Charlotte naked before, but it somehow felt different; they had both escaped certain death at the hands of the Russians and were finally together. Jake kissed Charlotte on the lips, savouring the taste, the soft lips and the throbbing in his groin which told him he was ready.
It's a new world, it's a new start
It's alive with the beating of young hearts
It's a new day, it's a new plan
I've been waiting for you
Here I am
Charlotte returned the kiss, enjoying Jake's warmth as his warm skin pressed against her own and she felt something hard prodding her stomach.
Here I am
Charlotte nodded her acceptance as she spread herself for Jake and took him inside as she accepted another kiss.
Here we are, we've just begun
And after all this time, our time has come
Yeah here we are, still going strong
Right here in the place where we belong
Jake felt intense happiness as he demonstrated how much he loved Charlotte. So many years they had been together. So many years they had suffered. They were together and they would never be apart.
It's a new world, it's a new start
It's alive with the beating of young hearts
It's a new day, it's a new plan
I've been waiting for you
Here I am
Charlotte bit her lip as she felt incredible sensations flow through her body like electricity and she wrapped her arms around Jake, holding him tight as she kissed him.
Yeah, here I am
Here I am
Together they clung together as Jake screwed the living daylights out of Charlotte who writhed on the bed as she fought intense sensations building up throughout her body.
Waiting for you!
Here I am, this is me
There's nowhere else on earth I'd rather be
Here I am, it's just me and you
Tonight we make our dreams come true
The two fourteen-year-olds both came explosively with Jake filling Charlotte with warmth and love. Charlotte screamed out loud, oblivious to all those sleeping not too far away.
It's a new world, it's a new start
It's alive with the beating of young hearts
It's a new day, it's a new plan
I've been waiting for you
Here I am
Jake pulled out but could not take his eyes off Charlotte. Her beauty was simply beyond compare. He ran his hands over her bare breasts eliciting a giggle before they kissed again and again.
It's a new world, it's a new start
It's alive with the beating of young hearts
It's a new day, it's a new plan
I've been waiting for you
Then Jake rolled away and lay beside Charlotte, both breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling as they sought to breath.
Here I am
Right next to you
And suddenly the world is all brand new
Jake looked over at Charlotte. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling as she slept. Jake sighed happily as he too closed his eyes, unable to stop grinning.
Here I am
I'm gonna stay
Now there's nothing standing in our way
Both would sleep soundly for the first time in a long time.
Here I am
Here I am, this is me
Later that same morning...
Tanya was the first to awaken.
Her mind was toiling over the appearance of her mother the previous evening. It had been a rude surprise as she had been focussed on the come down from an adrenaline high brought on by their mission to Russia where she had ruthlessly killed numerous Russian soldiers in cold blood to facilitate the success of that mission and the recovery of her friends. Her mind and her memory was still regenerating and she could remember very little about her life before Urban Predator. However, during the night, in her dreams she had encountered vague memories and those memories had remained when she had awoken but no longer vague with many vivid and new. She found herself actually remembering who the woman she had seen the previous evening was in relation to herself. As she left the dormitory, she had walked past another door on the way to the bathroom and she heard snoring. Curiously, she peered inside the room and saw one bed occupied. She stepped closer and then cringed as she realised that the occupants were both naked. It was fairly obvious that the pair had engaged in sexual activities during the wee hours which gave Tanya another reason to cringe. Surprisingly for the girl, she felt concern for her friend's injuries; much more than she normally would. Both had medical dressings dotted around their bodies and evidence of torture was obvious to Tanya's experienced eyes.
Then she grinned as Charlotte awoke.
"Hi, Tanya."
"You do know you're naked and in bed with Jake who is also naked and with a boner," Tanya responded.
Charlotte grabbed for a blanket as she felt her face exploding into nuclear heat.
..._...
Tanya left the naked Charlotte to her naked Jake and headed back down the corridor – she was hungry.
"You seem happy," Rylee commented as she raced after her friend.
"I think Charlie and Jake have busted their respective cherries," Tanya grinned. "I found them both naked in another dorm – Jake was sleep but he must have been dreaming about Charlie as he had a raging boner."
"Ewww!" Rylee commented. "Too much information for this time in the morning, Tanya. Hungry?"
"Yes, I am!" Tanya replied. "After seeing Jake, I'm in the mood for a sausage butty – but not a hard one."
"TANYA!"
Rylee bolted as her friend burst out laughing.
"You winding up Ry?" Simon asked.
"Yes."
"You know that always ends badly."
"I'm in a good mood and I want to have some fun."
Simon stopped as they walked down the stairs and he turned to Tanya.
"You are not Tanya Enfield – did we bring somebody else back from Russia?"
"Can't a girl change her mind?"
"Girl's always change their minds – like a fucking metronome."
"Fear it," Tanya grinned as she strode off towards the dining room.
Simon just shrugged – he was used to girls being unfathomable.
..._...
In the dining room, Tanya, Rylee, and Simon, were wolfing down a full cooked breakfast when Charlotte and Jake appeared.
Charlotte was avoiding everybody's eyes, her face scarlet, while Jake simply grinned like a buffoon.
"How's the old cherry, eh, Charlie?" Tanya grinned as Charlotte sat down and buried her burning face in her hands.
"Splattered!" Jake responded happily. "A hole in one!"
"She was good?" Simon asked.
"Amazing! It felt amazing being inside her. When you pop Rylee, you'll know what I mean."
"Do you want to die, Jake?" Rylee growled.
"I hear Charlie had a good night last night," Rachel commented as she and Jennifer walked past in search of food.
"Kill me now," Charlotte moaned.
"I want you both to see me later this morning so I can check your bandages," Jennifer ordered. "Besides, they must have been roughed up some."
Charlotte groaned and screamed into the tabletop.
"That was what woke me, last night," Anastasiya said. "It was that scream."
"It was Jake boning Charlie," Tanya laughed.
"Boning?" Anastasiya asked, not understanding the word.
"Jake stuck his пенис into Charlie's влагалище," Rylee offered before she sniggered as Anastasiya blushed violently.
As everyone went back to getting and eating their breakfast, Charlotte was finally able to surface and get her own food.
..._...
After breakfast, Charlotte and Jake escorted Anastasiya to her debriefing.
Naturally, the Russian girl was apprehensive, especially after what she had endured the previous evening. However, Charlotte had been given permission to sit with Anastasiya during the debriefing. For everyone else, it was business as usual. They had written reports to complete – a drudgery they all hated but knew was necessary.
There was no blindfold this time but that did not reduce the apprehension as she sat down in a chair placed in the centre of a group of long dark oak tables arranged in a 'U' shape covered with piles and piles of paper. Behind the tables sat several men and women, some of whom were obvious worker drones there to assist their bosses, while three men and two women had the main seats, three facing the single chair and one to each side. They started off easy as the man to the right of Sir Edmond who sat in the centre began to speak.
"Your full name?"
"Anastasiya Mikhailovna Zhukova."
"Date of birth?"
"Two thousand and three. November twenty-third."
"Where were you born?"
"Vladivostok."
"What do you remember about your parents?"
"Not very much," Anastasiya admitted. "My memory does not go back beyond when I was ten. I assume, due to my name, that my father was called Mikhail."
"Your father was Mikhail Zhukov," the man offering up the questions explained, "and your mother was called Karina. As far as we can tell, they both died around the same time Doctor Drylov brought you onto his program. They were political dissidents which was probably why they were targeted."
The questions continued for another hour before Sir Edmond called time for elevenses.
..._...
Charlotte and Anastasiya headed for the dining room for something to eat and drink.
As they walked down the corridor, Charlotte felt something was off and then she saw another Predator step out of a side corridor on the right. Charlotte was surprised to see Freya – she was not supposed to be... Anastasiya flipped out and before Charlotte could do anything, Freya was on the floor quite literally fighting for her life as Anastasiya went to town on the girl.
"Ты чертов предатель! Вы работаете на Дрилова!" {' You damn traitor! You work for Drylov!'}
"Ты называешь меня предателем, акула!?" Freya responded as she forced Anastasiya's hands from around her throat. {'You're calling me a traitor, Shark!?'}
"Charlotte; this is Синий сапфир..." Anastasiya was cut off as she screamed when Freya shoved the younger girl against the wall. "She is a traitor. She works for Drylov and the FSB. They..." Anastasiya was thrown across the corridor into a wooden locker which shuddered at the impact. "She's a mole... Infiltrated Urban Predator..."
Raucous claxons were sounding throughout the safehouse and men in suits appeared, and they pulled the two girls apart; both of whom were covered in blood, but Anastasiya was the worst as most of her wounds had ruptured. Jennifer and Rachel rushed out of the dining room and dropped to the ground beside the two girls.
"What the hell happened here?" Rachel demanded as she checked over Freya who was sitting up but cringing with pain.
"I would like an answer as well," Jennifer stated as she began to rip off torn medical dressings. "Somebody, get me a medical kit!"
"It was my idea," Sir Edmond said as he walked up to the incident. "I invited Miss Thompson here today as another test for Miss Zhukova."
Charlotte turned and glared up at Sir Edmond.
"You are such a fucking arsehole!" she growled as she took the man down with a haymaker to the jaw.
Everybody stopped what they were doing to watch as the head of MI5 fell to the ground.
..._...
A shaken Sir Edmond was helped to his feet by one of his minions and he turned to berate the angry Charlotte, but he was interrupted by a calm but commanding voice.
"You seem to have been in the wars, old chap."
Sir Edmond did not seem pleased by the arrival of his opposite number from MI6.
"These animals...," Sir Edmond began as he gestured at Charlotte and the fallen girls.
"Thank you for your assistance, Sir Edmond, but I will be handling the debriefing from this point onwards. We would not want any more cockups, now, would we?"
Sir Edmond knew that he was treading a thin line, and that Mallory was the PMs favourite, and his word would be taken above his own. The man turned and strode off down the corridor.
"Right, that's him out of the way. Now, Miss Perrin, I hope we can have a chat over a cup of tea in the dining room while your friends receive medical treatment. I am very keen to hear about your travels."
Charlotte looked up at the man who smiled down at her, instantly liking him.
"Gareth Mallory. I am generally referred to as 'M'. I run MI6."
Charlotte nodded and waved Mallory forwards.
"Oh no, dear lady, you go first; I would like to keep you where I can see you."
Charlotte grinned broadly as she stepped past Freya and Anastasiya.
..._...
Some forty minutes later, Anastasiya lay in her bed in the dormitory.
Jennifer had finished suturing and dressing her wounds, both old and new, and she sat back giving the girl an evil expression.
"You destroy my work again, young lady, and I will not be repairing them for a third time."
"I am sorry, Doctor Staite. I did not mean to react like that, but that girl is just like me."
"We know," Jasper said from the doorway. "Freya was recovered some months back and she told us straight away of her previous duplicity. We know all about Doctor Drylov's attempt to infiltrate Urban Predator including that Freya chose to remain at Urban Predator and not be a spy for Drylov. Ultimately, the drugs Urban Predator used dulled Freya's memories and she had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the facility you were trained in, but she was able to remember much of the layout which allowed the rescue mission. Without that knowledge, the mission could never have gone ahead. I believe that her codename was Blue Sapphire."
Anastasiya nodded.
"So, I owe her an apology and my life."
"You owe me nothing, Anastasiya," Freya offered from beside Jasper. "I am just glad that you are free."
"So am I," Anastasiya replied.
Jasper and Jennifer left the two girls to talk.
..._...
Tanya Enfield was struggling to process her thoughts.
She and her two friends were strolling through the lush greenery of the vast park which surrounded the main house and provided security for the facility. Their stroll was cut short as Tanya's mouth dropped open and she stopped dead.
"What's wrong," Rylee asked her friend.
"Look at that amazing set of wheels," Tanya almost stammered.
Rylee and Simon turned to follow Tanya's eyes and they too were in awe of the amazing machine cruising towards them. It was a classic Aston Martin DB5 in silver with the registration BMT 216 A. The car stopped a few yards away and a tall man stepped out of the driver's side and walked towards the trio.
"Look at those headlights," Tanya drooled.
"Look at those eyes," Rylee pointed out.
"Down girls!" Simon directed.
The man stopped a few feet away.
"Good morning, ladies."
"You have a name?" Tanya asked coyly.
"His name's Bond – James Bond."
The trio had been so focussed on the man that they had totally missed the stunning woman who had appeared from the same car. She was tall with long black hair styled in curls which accentuated her skin which reflected her Jamaican and Trinidadian heritage.
"Eve Moneypenny. You three must be Tanya, Simon, and Rylee."
"You know who we are?" Rylee asked, somewhat dumfounded.
"I do my homework."
"I understand you've just come back from Russia," Bond stated as Moneypenny handed the trio a letter, signed by Jasper, advising them they could speak freely.
"We dropped in and flew out," Simon commented.
"It was a blast," Tanya added. "Can I get a look at that amazing set of wheels?"
"Of course," Bond responded. "Just don't go pressing any buttons."
Tanya ran off happily.
..._...
Tanya realised that it had been a trap almost instantly.
"Hello, Tanya."
The voice came from the back seat of the Aston Martin and Tanya recognised it instantly.
"Hello, Mum."
"You were amazing."
"Huh?"
"In Russia. I watched the operation."
Turner cringed.
"You saw what I am? You saw me kill?"
"I am very proud of you, Turner. Without you and your skills, Charlotte and Jake might still be in Russia."
"True."
"I've missed you and I've been searching for you all over the world. I only found out that there are Predators and what they are, just before I watched you in Russia. I am so sorry for what you endured but I am so glad that you are alive."
Tanya smiled, pleased by her mother's response, and she turned in the plush leather of the driver's seat to face Madison.
"I forgot who I am for quite a while and that included forgetting who you were. Rylee and Simon have helped me remember who I am, and they have been there as my memory has begun to recover. Seeing you, last night, it triggered so many memories and my dreams were filled with you. I was able to remember the flight to Brazil but not much else after that. But I did remember you and that . . . and that . . . I love you more than anything."
Madison pulled her daughter into her arms and they both hugged as tears streamed down their cheeks.
..._...
A hundred yards away, Bond and Moneypenny were being barraged by questions.
Naturally, Rylee was pestering Eve.
"You ever shot anybody?" Rylee asked.
"Yes, Eve," Bond asked with a smirk, "have you shot anybody?"
"Not recently," Moneypenny stated with an evil look, "although one of the first people I ever shot was a sexist bastard with a massive ego."
"Who?" Rylee demanded.
"Me!" Bond exclaimed as he subconsciously rubbed his left shoulder.
"Wait," Simon commented, "aren't you both on the same side?"
"That was the idea," Bond quipped in a very dry tone.
"It was a difficult shot and I had to take it," Moneypenny offered somewhat defensively.
"Yes, you did take it," Bond responded acidly.
"That's so cool!" Rylee laughed.
"I think your ruse worked," Simon commented as he saw Tanya emerge from the Aston with another person.
Rylee and Simon stayed quiet as their friend approached.
"Guys," Tanya called out, her face lit up in the most enormous smile either of them had ever seen. "This is my mother. Mum, this is Rylee and Simon; my best friends in the world."
"I suppose I owe you both for keeping my daughter alive and sane," Madison began.
"Tanya, sane? Yeah, right!" Rylee laughed.
"They're both nuts," Simon cautioned with a grin before he turned serious, "but we trust each other more than anybody else we know. Tanya, I'm really pleased for you."
"Me too," Rylee said as she gave her friend a hug.
"I know this has been a shock for Tanya, but it was much more for me as I watched the three of you carve your way through the Russian defences and rescue your friends. You are all amazing."
"Please don't," Simon begged. "They both have egos like you wouldn't believe!"
Madison laughed as her daughter and Rylee cringed.
..._...
As the group walked back towards the main house, they found two girls walking in their direction.
"How was your debriefing, Anastasiya?" Simon asked.
"That Mallory is something else," Anastasiya replied. "He put me so at ease as I answered the questions. I think he's happy with me."
"Mallory is a good guy," Bond assured the girl. "You can trust him."
"Unlike that oaf, Sir Edmond," Moneypenny chuckled. "Well done, Charlotte. I wish I could have seen that bastard go down."
"Charlie to my friends," Charlotte grinned. "I'd give you an encore, but I understand the fucker's gone back to London."
They all laughed at Sir Edmond's downfall but then Simon and Bond stopped laughing as they approached the main house and found the access door which was supposed to be secured wedged open by...
"Man down!" Simon called out as he dropped to one knee beside a man in a suit.
"He's a safehouse security guard," Bond commented as he grabbed a radio from the man's belt. "This is Bond – we have a man down at the rear entrance."
"Copy that," a voice responded over the radio. "CCTV shows... Damn! It's the boy – Jake Bedford. We have him taking the guard down and he's speaking Russian."
"Sound a silent alert," Bond responded. "Notify Mallory. Lethal force is NOT to be used on the boy, repeat, no lethal force to be used on the boy."
"Acknowledged. Silent alarm. Notify Mallory. Lethal force NOT authorised."
"Come on," Bond said as he helped the groaning man to a sitting position as medical and security personal arrived at took over. "Over here."
Bond punched in a code onto a small panel and pulled open a steel door. Inside were a dozen G36 assault rifles, an equal number of Glock 17 Gen4 pistols, and rows of loaded magazines.
"Take a weapon and the magazines with yellow bands only," Bond directed. "They're non-lethal stun rounds."
"We're familiar with them," Simon commented as he grabbed an assault rifle and expertly checked the weapon before inserting a magazine which bore a yellow stripe and grabbing a second which he stuck in the back pocket of his jeans.
Simon was swiftly joined by Rylee, Tanya, Bond, and Moneypenny who all drew weapons. Charlotte grabbed Anastasiya and took her inside, away from trouble.
"Please find him," Charlotte told Simon.
Simon nodded. He knew that Charlotte would like nothing else but to go after Jake, but she was in no physical state to pursue him right at that moment. The group headed out into the grounds of the safehouse and began to search for Jake.
Preferably, before he killed anybody.
..._...
Charlotte and Anastasiya were met by Mallory who immediately took control of the situation.
"Both of you, with me. We are going to the command centre where we can monitor things via CCTV. It looks like the boy was relapsed into his – Yakov was it?" Charlotte nodded. "Porton Down are synthesising a permanent reactant to Drylov's botch job and it should be here within four hours."
"Four bloody hours!" Charlotte exclaimed, her mind racing. "I need a map and my phone."
Five minutes later, they were in a large but not especially modern command centre. A dozen screens displayed live CCTV images which were being scrutinised by four men for traces of Jake/Yakov. Charlotte was busy checking a map of the area and she had identified the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory known as Porton Down, some twenty-five miles away to the northeast. She also tracked across the map to where she knew there was support some twenty miles away to the west. She then dialled a number on her phone.
"Hi, Charlie!" Kate responded. "You okay?"
"No. Jake has relapsed and taken out a security guard. We need medication from Porton Down, but they need some time to complete the formula and then we need to get it shipped here. We don't know where Jake is right now, but we think he's heading north of us. Are you guys still at Yeovilton?"
"You need a helicopter," Kate reasoned, catching on quickly. "I'll see what we can do and let you know when we're airborne. Stay safe."
"Thanks, Kate."
"We have people in the area with a helicopter – I hope. Can Porton Down be ready for them to collect, in say forty minutes?"
"Let me make a call," Mallory responded. "They will be ready."
Charlotte sincerely hoped so.
Some twenty or so miles to the west...
Yeovilton
Keira went in search of the commander of 815 Naval Air Squadron.
The pair went back many years and Keira hoped that her relationship with the man would get them a helicopter. Commander Doug Lexler, though, was not a happy man. While he respected Keira as a professional pilot, he could not just hand over a multi-million-pound helicopter.
"Look, Keira, this is not rent-a-helicopter."
"A life is at stake," Keira pushed.
Kate watched the conversation (argument) which had been going on (raging) for almost ten minutes. Finally...
"Okay, Keira, but you break it then we'll share a court martial. Take 381 and not a scratch, you hear me, lieutenant-commander?"
"Aye, aye, sir!" Keira grinned. "Kate, grab our gear."
Kate already had their flying kit ready in two large bags which included their flight suits, boots, and helmets. Within ten minutes, they had changed and were aboard ZZ381 which was an almost new Royal Navy HMA2 variant of the AW159 Wildcat. The crew chief stood in front of the aircraft, and he held up several red-flagged pins to prove that they had been removed and all systems had been primed. The cockpit of the Wildcat was a smaller variant of that fitted to the Merlin helicopter with only four screens instead of five. Kate rapidly flipped switches as she worked through the pre-flight checklist, doublechecking everything as she was less familiar with the helicopter type. Keira took over as the twin turboshaft engines spun up and she engaged the main rotor blades atop the cabin and the smaller rotor at the tail. Kate prepped their navigation, setting their destinations and routing. The aircraft was slick – no weapons – which that meant they could push the helicopter to its maximum speed.
Eight minutes later, they were flying east at 160 knots indicated air speed.
MI5 Safehouse
He had fallen asleep as Jake but awoken as his alter ego, whom all had thought gone.
Yakov had retaken control and he figured that he could make his escape. Everyone thought of him as that bastard Jake who everybody seemed to love – ugh! Mind you, the sex had been good, and it had been those chemicals released by such activities which had allowed him to begin reasserting control over the mind which he had Jake occupied. Taking control had not been easy but the brat had been relaxed and was not overtly fighting for control. Then had come the opportunity to retake control. He had avoided anybody who might get in his way then just when he was about to get out of the damned safehouse, a guard had gotten in his way. The man would not let him out and Yalov had lost his temper. Naturally, the guard had not expected a physical attack and he had gone down quickly to lie unconscious on the floor.
Yakov had rushed outside, knowing that he had to get away from the main house and the CCTV cameras which he knew would be searching for him. Digging into Jake's mind, Yakov searched for anything which might help him. Apart from the various images of a naked Charlotte, there was not a lot there. Apart from... that traitorous bitch – she would die. As Yakov ran in a vaguely northerly direction, he spied a way to expedite his escape. A man dressed in black motorcycle leathers was just mounting an impressively dirty BMW F 800 GS Adventure when he was kicked down from behind and before he could gather his wits, the engine roared into life and was kicked into gear.
Yakov pulled on the light blue full face safety helmet and slipped the clutch.
..._...
The dark blue Range Rover slewed to a stop.
"Get in!" Rachel Clarkson yelled at the armed group as they emerged.
Everyone clambered in with Bond clambering into the passenger seat leaving Moneypenny to jump in the back seat with the Zetas.
"Drop us off at the Aston," Bond directed as Rachel stomped on the accelerator and he was thrown back into his seat.
Seemingly seconds later, the large 4x4 came to a violent stop beside the silver Aston Martin DB5. Bond and Moneypenny leapt out with Bond turning before he slammed the door as Simon slithered into the front passenger seat.
"Seatbelts on, children: Mummy's driving!"
Rachel scowled as she pointed out the windscreen at a motorcycle five hundred yards ahead.
"Do try and keep up, Bond," Rachel called out as she stomped on the accelerator again.
"Women bloody drivers!" Bond laughed.
"Get in, Bond!" Moneypenny called from the driver's seat.
Very quickly, Moneypenny had the four-litre six-cylinder inline engine producing 290BHP as it raced after the Range Rover.
..._...
Yakov raced up the road hoping that he was in the clear but then he glimpsed something massive in his right mirror and grimaced – they were on to him.
He immediately slewed left and went off road onto terrain the big BMW motorcycle lapped up as Yakov negotiated puddles of standing water from recent rain and made for a cluster of houses a few hundred yards ahead. He was not pleased to see that the vehicle in pursuit was a Range Rover and he scowled as the massive vehicle easily left the road and took to the mud and grass with the grace of a four-legged animal with some slippage but with little loss of traction as the advanced four-wheel drive system reacted to the undulating terrain beneath the multi-purpose tyres. The motorcycle passed into a small woodland as it moved behind the houses which prevented the Range Rover from making progress, so and irate Rachel hauled the large vehicle around and headed in a northerly direction to hopefully cut the youth off but she was unfamiliar with the terrain and it was Bond, two hundred yards further up the road in the DB5 who cut off the motorcycle and rider.
Yakov expertly avoided the silver obstacle while taking a moment to admire the beautiful coachwork as he cut ahead and across the road. Then Yakov frowned as the DB5 raced ahead, avoiding him completely. Yakov yelled out angrily as copious amounts of thick white smoke billowed out of the Aston's exhaust pipe obscuring everything and leaving him disorientated as he braked to a halt. He looked upwards and caught sight of some treetops and he knew they had to be to the east of the road, so he revved the engine and released the clutch, vanishing into the clouds of oily smoke before breaking out into the open and then swerving down a farm track.
Unfortunately for Rachel, the smoke caused her too to come to a halt until it lazily cleared by which time the motorcycle was no longer in sight.
Wildcat ZZ381
The agile maritime attack helicopter came around at speed as it circled Porton Down and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
Heads raised on the ground as the surprise arrival hurtled past before executing a speed-shredding turn and coming into a combat landing where a white 'H' indicated the landing zone beside the Porton Down Fire Station. The helicopter's rotors continued to spin at speed even as a police Ford S-Max raced up the road with blue lights flashing. The Ministry of Defence police car drove onto the grass before stopping twenty yards short of the deadly rotor blades. A helmeted crew member appeared at the side door on the starboard side, heaving it open and waving the police forward. One officer was holding a black plastic case which he carried as he ran towards the helicopter and handed the case off to the crew member who then slid the side door closed.
The helicopter increased the pitch of the rotor blades and the machine lifted into the air in a decidedly nose down attitude, rapidly increasing speed, and altitude.
..._...
Keira and Kate in their acquired Wildcat raced to the southwest.
They passed over the medieval cathedral city one minute after leaving Porton Down. The thirteenth century cathedral with its towering 123-metre was a sight to behold as they raced past without time for even the quickest of selfies. Despite the urgency, Keira was enjoying being back in command of a maritime helicopter and the feeling had rubbed off onto Kate who now had another aircraft type to add to her logbook and she had not flown in a few weeks. The green fields of Wiltshire swept past beneath them as they closed on their destination and the radio came to life, tuned into a discrete Vengeance channel.
"Scorpion. Doctrina. Target is on two wheels and heading north off-road. Last estimated location one mile north of eight-four-two."
"Doctrina. Scorpion. We are three minutes out with the goods and will start a search at two miles out."
The nose of the Wildcat carried various active and passive sensors. Beneath the nose, a three-sixty-degree Seaspray 7400E AESA radar was able to scan for targets such as ships and periscopes to then be attacked with the carried missiles or torpedoes. However, the radar was not of much use that day, instead, it was the sensor mounted on the nose which would be of use. The L3 Wescam MX-15Di electro-optical/FLIR camera turret spun 180-degrees on its mount at the nose and unmasked the camera as Kate flicked switches in the cockpit activating the forward looking infra-red system fitted to the helicopter.
They came in low and fast from the northeast in the hope that they might surprise their target.
"I have a heat source, two-eight-three moving left," Kate reported as she manipulated the controls for the FLIR. "Hold course. Heat source is small – could be a motorcycle. I have another heat source zero-one-four – it's a Range Rover heading to cut off the primary contact."
Kate's mind did the maths and came up short – the motorcycle was going to miss the Range Rover by a wide margin. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" she declared, and Keira pulled the agile helicopter into a perfect hover at three hundred feet, extensive woodlands spreading out beneath them and restricting them from directly interceding in the chase.
"Target has turned towards us along the track below. Move forward six hundred feet and drop into clearing."
Keira eased the helicopter forwards at thirty knots until she could see the clearing in the trees – it would be tight, but it would be possible. Keira eased the helicopter down, her eyes – and those of Kate – never leaving the ring of trees which could turn their streamlined flying machine into an incendiary fireball of epic proportions. The Wildcat settled onto its tricycle wheeled undercarriage and Keira shutdown the engines but left the rotor blades to spin freely. They both pushed open their hatches and jumped out.
Kate retrieved the drugs they had collected from Porton Down and both ran into the trees to await the arrival of their target.
Not far away...
Yakov was annoyed.
The smoke from the car had forced him offroad and slowed his escape tremendously and as a direct result, they were on his tail.
He figured he did not have long before they brought in additional support to hunt him down – dogs and maybe helicopters. Talking of which...
Yakow eased the motorcycle to a stop as he approached a broad clearing in which sat the most unexpected machine. Yes, it was a helicopter, but he had expected a 'black' helicopter belonging to the government. Okay the naval helicopter did belong to the government just the wrong part of the government. But that was all irrelevant as Yakov tried to grasp why a military helicopter – and a naval one at that – had seemingly been abandoned in a woodland. There was no sign of pilots or crew, Yakov noted as he pulled off his helmet. The helicopter appeared top be in pristine condition, but he did not even consider taking it for a flight – he had no idea where to even start. Maybe he could find the crew and...
Though he could not see the Range Rover, he could hear the engine as the large vehicle made its way down the deeply rutted track full of mud and standing water. But before he could regain the motorcycle, a tall woman stepped out from the trees.
"Hello, Jake," Keira offered.
"That is not my name."
"Oh, but it is," Keira responded as she stepped closer to Jake/Yakov.
The boy knew whom he was fighting, and he knew that she could hold her own in a fight. He also knew that he occupied the body of someone she cared about and that was a weakness he would exploit. However, he saw nothing wrong with some good old-fashioned baiting to put Keira off.
"You've been letting yourself go, Keira. Bits are sagging. Too much time sitting in helicopters has made you fat."
Keira did not react to the bait. She knew it was childish on the boy's part, but she also knew that he had little else to throw at her and that he wanted to unnerve her. The pair began to circle as they searched for a point to strike. Keira did not want to physically harm the boy and only needed to distract him. She darted forwards and jabbed the boy in the face.
"Fucking bitch!" Jake/Yakov exploded as his nose did the same with blood spattering his face. "I am going to gut you and then I'm gonna fuck and gut that bastard brat of a sister!"
Keira grinned as she kicked the boy to the ground, ignoring his baseless threats as she grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him out of the mud and then slammed him against the nose of the Wildcat. Unbeknownst to Jake/Yakov, the end was nigh as Kate appeared with a hypodermic needle in her right hand.
"Hi, Jake!"
"Katy."
"Укуси меня!" Kate responded as she stabbed him in the arm with the needle and depressed the plunger.
Yakov sensed he was going to die as the body he inhabited began to fight back at his presence and he could feel control being pulled inexorably away from him as the body itself sagged and consciousness began to fade.