- The story is short and takes off where "Toys in the Basement Ends". Contains bad language, adult situations and violence.

Eleven Days and counting....

The pain was everywhere. Her whole body ached yet she held on to Michael as they sped down the highway at 75 mph on the motorcycle. She knew they were heading back to Section where she would be admitted to Medlab to recuperate and rest from the entire ordeal.

Thinking back, she knew he would come for her. He always did. But without backup, what was he thinking? The thoughts whirled around in her mind as she rested her entire body against his back, eyes drawn shut, neither saying a word since his decree in the basement.

She knew he loved her even though he had never spoken the words; the exception being, of course, during his loss of memory at the hands of Orlando Perez. When she opened her eyes briefly, she saw that they were heading North and wondered why.

The sound of the bike's engine whipping through the evening air prevented her from inquiring and anyway she had found that with him, all the answers would come in time. So she reclosed her eyes firming her hold onto his midsection and allowed herself to drift off.

Michael felt her arms tighten around his waist and the weight of her body press further into his back and reveled in the feel of her. He could feel her heart beating against his back and his own heart momentarily skipped a beat.

He had sent the Bright Star database back to Section One along with his message to Operations on a timer release and now intended on taking full advantage of his time with Nikita for the next eleven days.

She was right, of course. There was no way of knowing what he would have found when he arrived at that basement but he had spoken words of truth to her when he said had she not been alive, it wouldn't have mattered. She was all that mattered in his life now.

He saw the path up ahead of them about a half mile off and slowed his speed in preparation for the exit. As he pulled into the clearing, he cut the bike's motor and dropped the kickstand softly calling her name, "Ni-ki-ta".

No response. She was fast asleep. He dismounted halfway, holding her up with one hand and removing his jacket with the other. He tossed the jacket onto the grass and lifted Nikita off the bike and onto the ground gently laying her torso on top of his leather.

She stirred but did not awaken and he took the opportunity to observe her closely. The markings around her neck from the noose were clearly visible as were the bruises that cut into her wrists from the handcuffs that she obviously had been forced to wear. He lip was cut and her left cheek was bruised yet her beauty stood out like a shining star.

Collins had gotten off easy. The Bright Star operatives had stolen his intended revenge for the sick fuck's part in the game. His mind momentarily back tracked to the entire scene. The wedding music playing in the background. Collins laying dead in a pool of his own blood still dressed in his wedding attire. And Nikita, his beautiful Nikita, adorned in a wedding dress. My god what she must have gone through.

He wanted to check for other wounds knowing she had been shot but seeing no sign of blood, he proceeded to the back of the bike and began unpacking the camping supplies and medical kit he had bought along. It wasn't long before he had the tent pitched and a small fire going. He returned to her and gently picked up her sleeping form and carried her into the tent to tend to her wounds.

Nikita awoke as Michael removed her dress and carefully checked her left side observing the gun shot wound. "He patched me up", she admitted with confusion. Michael said nothing as he removed the bandages and re-cleaned the wound before applying a new dressing.

Nikita remained silent but watched him as he skillfully administered to her wincing slightly as he taped the dressing down. He stopped briefly looking up at her with concern and an apology evident in his eyes. She took his hand and squeezed it gently silently communicating to him that it was O.K. He leaned down and softly kissed her wound causing her pulse to pick up its pace.

He continued with his ministrations cleaning and applying antibacterial and healing solutions to her wrists and kissing each one as he completed his task. He continued in the same way applying the medicines to her bruised neck and gently rubbing in the ointment before finishing with small kisses along her neck wound. He raised his head slightly and tenderly captured her lips signalling that he was finished.

Nikita pulled him closely to her with Michael carefully positioning himself to her right side and she whispered, "Thank you" before fully showing him the extent of her gratitude.

************

Bains watched from a safe distance as the one man killing machine sped away with his prize down the road. He quickly surveyed the carnage he had left behind in full view before slowly proceeding inside knowing all too well what he would find.

He quickly ascended the stairs out the basement mentally referring to himself as one lucky bastard who had only managed to escape the fate befallen on his team members due to the call of nature at a most opportune time. If he hurried, he could contact his base and still get a trace on the two realizing there might even be a promotion in it for him. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed through on a secure channel before connecting to Bright Star's substation.

"This is Bains. I need to speak with Falcon". "What is your status, Bains?" "The entire team is dead Mr. Falcon and retrieval of the database is still incomplete". "How is it Mr. Bains that the entire team is lost and your'e still alive?"

"I was checking the grounds in the back of the house for hostiles, Sir, when a rescue team arrived for the captured operative and wiped our guys out". "Do you have a location on the disk, Mr. Bains?" "The operatives were heading North on Route 17, Sir, and I'm requesting a back up team along with an area scan to follow them".

"Your request is granted Mr. Bains, however, should you fail to bring back that disk, you'll end up exactly like your current team members. Do I make myself clear?". "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir", Bain replied in conclusion.

************

She smelled the coffee long before she even opened her eyes and inhaled deeply at the wonderful aroma. She sat up carefully stretching her arms up and slightly outward with a small yawn. The action caused her to wince and she quickly checked her side wound to ensure she had not done any further damage.

She pulled the tent's opening flap to one side and peeked outside and there he sat on a small tree log staring pensively forward with both hands wrapped tightly around a thermos cup; steam from the hot coffee spiralling upwards.

She quietly observed him reveling in the opportunity to do so. His hair was uncombed and ruly just the way she liked it and he had changed into black leather. His Baretta 9MM laid securely at his side.

"Good morning, Ni-ki-ta", he said without warning. How does he do that thought Nikita while voicing her own, "Morning", through a stifled yawn. "How do you feel?", he continued. "Like I've been hit by a Mack truck", she replied smiling slowly as she made her way up and out of the tent.

He poured her a cup of the steaming brew and handed it to her as she joined him on the makeshift seat. A chill suddenly caught her and she shivered slightly causing Michael to wrap his jacket securely around her shoulders. "Thanks", she mumbled over the thermos cup suddenly realizing that she no longer doned the wedding dress but instead was clad in her own black turtleneck sweater and leather pants.

She took another sip of coffee quietly enjoying the sounds of Mother Nature in the crisp morning air with the man she loved right beside her. She didn't want to disturb the moment. She felt so at peace. So calm and protected. However, she had to ask.

"Michael, shouldn't we be heading back to Section soon?". He turned to look at her, his movements slow and deliberate as he took in her beauty. His eyes caressed her lips and countenance before answering in his familiar one syllable response, "Why?". Nikita was momentarily stunned into silence. What was the matter with him. Had he gone dippy?

When she finally regained her power of speech, she stumbled over her words, "W-Why, because they'll come looking for us, of course"! "Not for at least 10 more days", he casually responded. Now she was really confused. "What are you talking about Michael? Are we still on assignment?" "No, he quietly replied. To the contrary, we're on vacation".

"Vacation", she repeated incredulously as she witnessed a small smile grace his face. "Yes, he continued. He owed us for Willy, remember? I cashed in our chips and we have 10 more days". Now it was his turn to witness the smile cross her countenance and his heart again skipped a beat as the small smile soon grew into a wide childlike grin before him.

"Let's go", he quietly commanded walking over to the bike and removing a small canvas sack filled with toiletries and other necessities. "Where?", she queried standing up and taking her last sip of coffee. Michael said nothing but took her gently by the hand and headed further down the path until she began to hear the sounds of a running stream below.

He stopped a short distance away from the stream and began methodically removing his sweater and pants. Nikita watched him in disbelief finally commenting that a girl likes a hot bath first thing in the morning. Michael turned towards her noting that she was still dressed and advanced upon her responding with, "We'll take what we can get", as he gently began removing her turtleneck sweater and unbuttoning her pants.

He once again took her by the hand when they were completely disrobed knowing she would go any further on her own volition. As they entered the stream's brisk water, Nikita shivered voicing her discontent. "Burrr, I'll get you for this Michael". Michael said nothing as he quickly dunked himself in the stream and began lathering up with the soap from the canvas sack.

Nikita watched him in awe and before she knew what was happening, he had her submerged in the brisk stream and began lathering her hair and body in a ceremonious cleansing.

***********

Michael heard them long before he saw them as he quietly made his way back to the campsite with the fresh fish he had caught further upstream for their breakfast. He advanced stealthily as he listened to the sounds of dead tree branches crunching underfoot ahead of him.

He crouched low from a safe distance and finally saw them slowly advancing and surrounding the campsite. A team of five Bright Star operatives obviously oblivious to the fact that there was no one currently in the grounded tent. Now he was really pissed. Both at himself for his lack of thoroughness and at the operative who had obviously escaped and managed to obtain reinforcements to track them down on their precious down time together.

He thanked the Fates for the timing. Nikita was still further down the path at the stream where he had left her towel drying her hair and humming softly to herself. He quietly removed his hunting knife from its casing, laying the fish down and took his Baretta out of the canvas sack.

He advanced slowly careful not to advertise his existence and when he was in range with the furthest operative from the team, the one closest to his position, he skillfully aimed and threw the weapon forcefully into his advesary's upper left side piercing his heart from behind. The dead operative fell to the ground in a heap, his eyes wide open in shock.

Michael advanced his position by a few feet and waited as the Team Leader spoke directly to the tent with his unit poised at alert to each side. "Alright, Bains announced, throw your weapons out and come out of there very slowly. No false moves, he continued or we'll cut you down where you stand". No response. Bains motioned for one of his operatives to advance as the other three closed in on the tent oblivious that their fall back man had already fallen.

As the operative bent low, pushing the tent's flap aside with the muzzle of his gun, Michael advanced quickly firing three well placed shots and dropping all three operatives before Bains could turn around. "Drop it", Michael ordered as Bains turned slowly ready to make his move. Before his could get the shot off, Michael nailed him dead center and watched as the blood trickled down his now ventilated forehead.

He quickly began the task of removing the bodies, dragging them two at a time away from the campsite and dumping them in a ditch he stumbled across approximately one half mile away. He covered the remains with tree branches and dirt knowing that the creatures of the wild would take care of the rest.

He returned to the campsite quickly covering any signs of blood with dirt and proceeded on to the task at hand. When Nikita arrived back at their campsite a short while later, she was greeted by the smell of fresh fish frying mingled with the aroma of a freshly brewed pot of coffee. She advanced upon him with concern in her eyes saying, "Michael, I thought I heard gunshots".

"Yes, he replied nonchalantely. Some hunters about a half mile up the trail trying to catch their evening meal", he quietly commented as he turned the fish over in the small frying pan. "Ah, she responded continuing with, smells great". He stopped what he was doing momentarily and looked her directly in the eyes with a small quirk of a smile and commented "So do you" to which she playfully smacked his bottom. He advised her that they would be moving on after breakfast as his eyes once again caressed her countenance and he silently thought to himself, nine days and counting my love, nine days and counting.

THE END

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