Saving the World One Bra at a Time

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia got into a cab and gave the cabby her sister's address. Then quickly she changed her mind, and redirected him to the address of Gabi's burnt apartment building. Once she arrived she paid the cabby to stay put, while she went inside. Most of the building was intact, thus Sophia could easily get through the debris and broken glass. Her eyes took in the way the paint had peeled and bubbled as well as how the black burnt wall of the hallway were different shades of black. Sophia's thoughts focused on the things most officials wouldn't think of looking for. The fire, she had read about back when it had happened. It was written off as a mom sleeping and her cigarette falling into the trash. Sophia had always thought that was convenient, now she had to wonder if that was what it was supposed to be like.

She finally stood in front of Gabi's old apartment entrance. The door no longer existed, and the yellow "Do Not Cross" tape was torn and hung loosely from the doors. Sophia walked in and could still smell the burnt, charred wood. She looked at the blackened furniture and the black walls. It was obvious to her that the fire was started in this apartment, and not in the one the police had stated on the news. "Lots of people covering this up." She picked through the rubble and lifted things here and there.

The agent in her told her that there was something, something that Gabi would keep. Every agent kept secrets, sure they weren't supposed to, but everyone eventually learned you had to protect yourself. Sophia went to the window and stared out at the view of the city. She could see the college campus in the distance and she tried to remember what tugged on her mind. Something about Gabi and her art. There was something there, Sophia just couldn't grasp it. Turning away she moved off into Gabi's bathroom. The small room was just as black as the rest of the house and soot and debris and ash crunched under her feet.

She opened the broken medicine cabinet and looked at the tubes of pills. "Nothing unusual there," she thought, lifting away the usual pills for aches and pains, the bottles barely readable. Sophia looked around the room and grabbed her small black wallet. Pulling a mini-philips screwdriver out she proceeded to unscrew the vent in the wall. Reaching in she felt for something, finding nothing there, she looked up and began to remove the isolating fan. Once more she ran her hands around the opening and once more nothing was revealed. Growing more frustrated she tried to picture what was calling at it her.

Leaving the bathroom, she walked to Gabi's bedroom, did the same thing and again found nothing in the vents. She had even pulled up various floor boards that were weak from fire and water damage. The kitchen was her last stop. She moved into that room and looked around, nothing was there. Turning to leave a small fleck caught her eye. She focused on it and moved towards it. Her eyes didn't blink in fear of losing the small fleck. When she reached it, she touched it with her finger. The charred wall paper fell away in little pieces. Sophia dug out her knife and began to scrap it away. Soon she came to a patch of wood that was painted pink. Her brow raised and she moved over to a counter and found a huge knife, then began to wedge it in between the thin slots of wood.

At last the wood fell away and she looked at a steel safe. "Oh Gabi... not the straight shooter are you." She laughed and silently sent her sister a prayer of thanks. Sophia pulled from her mini-packet and pulled out a thin scope. She placed it to the door of the safe and the small narrow stem to her ear. Slowly she spun the dial and heard the sounds of the click before spinning back and hitting the next. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, she spun the dial again and heard a soft click. The door gave way and Sophia opened it. "Well, sis... planning on a getaway also weren't you." Sophia congratulated her sister and herself. "We do think alike don't we."

Reaching in Sophia pulled the 9mm off of the large stacks of cash that rested in the safe and tucked the cash in her shirt and the gun in her waist band. Her eyes and fingers looked on as she pulled a small disk from the back of the safe, that she place in her pocket. She pulled out three passports and three wallets that held sperate alias for her sister. She looked at each one, "Hmmm... these have never been used. Another back up plan. Getting more and more impressed with you every moment sis." Sophia didn't see anything else, but to be safe she ran her palm along the sides, back and bottom of the safe, then she slowly ran her fingers over the top and into each corner. In the right back corner on the bottom of the safe, she found it, pulling a black velvet back from a small hole that had been formed into the wall of the safe. Sophia felt the weight of something, opening it she poured out a green uncut emerald, whistling low, her eyes gauged the piece to be about 5-cm stone, the carat value between 800-900.

She heard it, a soft scrunch. Reaching to her waist she fingered the safety off the gun. "Turn around.. "

Sophia said only one word, "Sure." Spinning quickly, she dropped down and threw herself to the right, her arm up she shot the man in the chest. Blood pooled from his mouth and bubbled out. He fell as if in slow motion. Sophia looked down at his dead body, "Guess we didn't tip you well enough did we." She left the dead pizza boy behind her, as she calmly walked out of Gabi's apartment. As she got in the cab, she felt a vibration in her back pocket. Pulling it out she saw the phone she had taken from Reese flashing her name. "Hmmm... guess he wants to talk." She opened it and text him back four words, "Pizza dead. Your next." She flipped the phone off and told the cabby to head south. She needed to put her little treasure away for safe keeping.

Sophia thanked the cab driver when they got where she had told him to go, passed him the money he needed, no heavy tipping, she wasn't chancing anything. She moved deep into the wooded park and found what she had been looking for. Wiggling the stone she placed her treasure trove away then moved away. Sophia knew no one was there, fortunately the only person that knew about this place was dead, she had killed him herself.

Looking around she moved back to the cafe where Reese had found her, she waited because she knew he'd find her. She flipped the cell phone back on and waited... knowing he was tracking her right now, pissed because he had lost her single for some time... insuring her that Gabi's secrets were safe and Sophia would do whatever she had to in order to keep it that way.

 

[poohlive]

"I believe that's mine," It had taken Reese a while to figure things out. He received a voice mail with four simple words on it. A call from an unlisted number explaining absolutely nothing to him. He couldn't make sense, but a short tracko f the phone realized that it was a call from himself... and then he remembered that it was indeed Sophia who had his phone at the moment.

He wondered if perhaps she had already dealt with the pizza boy. That would be a shame, no questions to ask, nothing gained there. He thought that was a promising lead, now he was back to sitting and waiting.

And then he remembered her threat. An empty threat at the time, but not anymore. She might have actually put him out as someone who had forced Gabbi, hurt her, pushed her this far. And, maybe he did. It wasn't a happy thought, but aside from their little cat and mouse game of sexual frustration, he had never been easy on the girl.

She had deserved a lot better, he was just the kind of jackass who could never do that for her. Sorry kid, better luck next time. Don't fall in love with someone who's so fucked up next time.

He came up to her, slowly, cautiously, some fucked up version of a wild western, where the enemies squared each other at high noon.

"Well, I'm here."

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia looked at the man that sat across from her, "I knew you'd come." She got up and told him to follow her. Sophia could feel the flares of fire on her back as he followed her. The thought of him taking orders from her infruiated him, but she didn't care.

He thought he had all the cars, but now Sophia really doubted that. She had a small disk and she'd bet her life it would involve more then any of them knew. Sophia motioned for him to get into the cab, at first he refused, but eventually he did.

She pulled a small cylinder from her purse and slowly ran it over his body, "Just in case love..." A loud buzzing sound was heard coming from Reese's pocket. Slipping her hand inside she pulled the circular bug from it's hiding place, tossed it out the window, the proceeded to run the cylinder over him again. This time a buzz came from his pants pocket. "Hiding more down there the the usual Reese?" He raised her brow and made no move to reach in and remove the listening device.

Sophia glared at him, leaned in and slid her hand in his front pants pocket. His body shifted slightly and her fingers brushed against his penis, she fought back the blush and find the bug she had been searching for. Pulling it out she tossed it out the window also. "The phone please." He glared at her, and at first refused, then she pulled the 9mm, that she had taken from Gabi's burned out apartment and pressed against him. "I'm beyond caring who I kill to help my sister, don't fuck with me." Reese pulled out the phone and gave it to her. Sophia turned it off, then slipped it back in her pocket.

Sophia had the cabby head towards her dorm, she had decided she needed a few things of her own and having Reese with her was the best way to keep him close enough she could watch his movements.

"Now... Reese, I know you'll lie but humor me. Why don't you tell me who you work for? Why the pizza dude wanted to kill my sister? By the way he's dead. Why you think I should work with you? and Why I don't blow your brains out right now?"

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Olivia waited to find out about Gabriella, she had just received notice that Sophia was with Reese. She cringed at the thought of her with him, but what else was she to do. She had been ordered not to interfere so she allowed Sophia to be near the one that could do more then hurt her body, he could crush her heart.

She had known Gabi and Sophia for years. Watched them grow up, kept a watch over them, in her own way. In a way they were more like her kids then they were her nieces. With each year that past by Olivia could see how the two women were being groomed. Each one being led down different lives. Sophia had been placed in a stable home, raised by two loving people, and given whatever she needed, without a question as to how it came to be. Yet, she was not selfish or a bragger, but in fact just the opposite.

Gabi had been adopted also, but unfortunately her adoptive parents had died and before Olivia could make arrangements. Then Alexander had stepped in. He had decided to act on the lives of his children. Thinking his wife was dead, he had hunted down Olivia and convinced her that she would be allowed to watch over the children. She agreed, and when she went to place Gabi in a new home, he had told her “No.” Questioning his decision, he told her that he wanted them different, wanted to see which one would be the survivor, which one the better spy.

Olivia was livid as she watched Gabi moved from foster home to foster home, sometimes she would run away and live for days and weeks on the streets. Finally Olivia had found their mother and she had been able to undermine their father's work and eventually Gabi was able to get her Diploma and attend state college, then with great ease and under the table arm twisting her and Sophia were accepted into MIT.

Now with the women knowing they were related, fraternal twins no less, Olivia really had to watch out for the girls. She had been able to fake her own death, and now she solely worked for Cassandra. Grapping her cell phone she called up the girls' mother, “I'm going to check on Gabi. I've got a couple fella's tailing Sophie, but I'm pretty sure she is headed to her dorm.”

“Good. She'll be okay with Reese.”

“I know... at least he isn't ready to kill her yet, it is her heart I'm worried about.”

“Well, Olive ol' girl, hearts are made to be broken, we both know that.”

“I guess, I just wished it wasn't our girls'.”

She hung up and headed back to the hospital. “Reese, don't hurt her again.” She shook her head, she had never met Reese, Olivia and Cassandra were quiet players on a chest board and so far no one knew of them. Not Reese, Gabi, Sophia or

 

[FurryFury]

Gabrielle didn't know it but she was in a secure hospital surrounded by professionals who had long ago let their priorities be shifted from the Hippocratic Oath to orders from the higher ups.

At anytime, a patient there could be terminated simply due to orders. Don't ask questions. Just do what you are told. That was what they lived and died by.
-----------------------------------

Dinsmore was on a secure conference call with his higher ups. The urgent subject at this time was Gabrielle as a security risk verses her value to the organization.

It was a murky subject at best. They had time and resources invested in her, yes, of course, but that alone did not outweigh the two dangerous unknowns here. One, a brain malady was inherently dangerous. Despite Reese's terse and all too brief statement, everyone was nervous. The only thing keeping her alive right now was that, so far, she had only spoken of birthday cakes and such oddities from her childhood. That and the simple fact that everyone at that hospital had top secret clearance. It would take a simple order and she would be dead by anyone there.

Less understood and controlled was the situation with her sister. That was most alarming and Reese really hadn't helped with much Intel yet. They were beginning to wonder about Reese's loyalties. Surely he could have come up with more than he claimed in the time he spent with the assets.

While the debate raged Dinsmore and his number two, Ms. Pillions listened to their boss most of all. They spoke only when necessary neither showing any favoritism for Gabrielle. They were beautiful cold machine like humans when at work. Witherspoon's and Donald's reports were at their finger tips but the decision was not theirs, not at all.
------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Jennings scanned the data about Gabrielle's health. She had not regained full consciousness yet. The poison was almost gone from her system. He would operate in the next twelve hours unless something went wrong. His phone rang. He listened to orders and affirmed he would follow them. Hanging up he began writing out orders.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The waiter who worked for Alexander walked off shift after the three of them took off. He had been a good worker who showed up on time but suddenly he was gone.

He didn't know or care who his employer was. He got paid and took pride in a job well done.

Going straight to a locker at the airport, he shed his waiter's outfit in a bathroom, put on a business suit and changed his hair color. Then he bought a ticket on the next flight out to Paris.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabrielle was being prepped for surgery. She could not talk. Her world was quiet and dark. There were no unicorns, bats or fire, just quiet.

Then suddenly she saw herself on the table, brain open. How pale she looked. The blood was so bright. What was happening?

 

[poohlive]

Reese stared at her, incredibly, wondering what was going on in this poor girl's skull. She was losing it, or at least beginning to. He could see that already. Why she wanted to take him along for the ride though, was simply beyond him.

She still felt that old familiar feeling, that must be it. She is still torn from before, and isn't quite sure if she wants to kill him or not, but knows she needs something comfortable and useful around. Reese thought for a moment of really taking her down, a simple flick of the wrist, that artery on the neck. She would have all of ten seconds to give up before blood stopped going to be brains. It would be a race of time, with good odds on Reese's part.

A part of him wanted to keep her in whatever fantasy she was cooking up. Whatever task she thought could help her sister, no matter how foolish or benign, she wanted to help Gabrielle however she can. Reese thought, if he was by her side, she couldn't get into too much trouble. He didn't try to stop her simply because of that.

He knew how distraught and emotional she probably was, and this wild goose chase could only end in disaster, but still, he wanted to stay by her side. No reason not to humor the poor woman... for a few hours at least.

"Ok, ok. Calm down," he took in her questioning, "I wouldn't lie to you on purpose. You know me too well for that. I only give you truth I'm allowed to, and everything else is just a dead end. All right? That's about as honest as you're going to get from me.

"I can't tell you who I work for any more than you can tell me who you work for. It's as simple as that. Besides, it doesn't really matter, does it? The moment you and Gabrielle took off you became a rogue agent. You're lucky people are interested in you two, otherwise you both would have been dead.

"I don't know anything about the pizza dude, that why I wanted you to come with me to question him. Find out what his involvement is, who he works for, so we can get to the bottom of this. I only have a hunch so far. And if you'd like to know, my hunch is that someone drugged Gabbi not to kill her, but to make everyone else aware that she had a brain tumor. It reacted to the tumor, and nothing else. She didn't fall asleep, or lose motor functions, it just knocked her tumor around for a bit, like some fucked up kickstart. So, whoever pizza boy was working for, he knew an awful lot, and now he's dead. That takes out our only lead

"Work with me? I highly doubt this is working together, love. I think, at best this is a fucked up kidnapping with a willing victim. I thought it might help you if you had a little work, because sitting in that hospital waiting would drive someone like you crazy. A little exercise, some half beaten mission about the safety of your sister seemed good at the time. Now? Now I think you're just too paranoid to realize who the good guys and bad guys are, so you're just trying to keep everyone close, with a gun pointed to their head."

Reese nodded at the gun pointed to his head.

"As for killing me? I don't know. You've had a gun pointed at me since the cafe. You could have pulled the trigger a hundred times... a thousand and walked away. You want an answer to why you don't kill me, I think you should ask yourself. If I'm as dangerous as you think I am, if I need to be codgled and prodded and gotten ride of all my dangerous cell phones and bugs.... I don't know why you haven't killed me yet, but I suppose I'll find out, sooner or later."

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia looked at Reese. Was he right? Was she paranoid? She didn't know anymore. As the cab pulled up to her dorm, she paid the cabby, looked at Reese and told him, "Just go Reese, when your ready to kill me, just do it or try to, because right now, if Gabi dies... well, just go because, I don't want you any more and I'm done with you." She was tired of dealing with him, and his mind games, she just wanted to take care of her sister.

Closing the door, she left him in the cab, not turning to see if he and the cab left or not, she just needed to rest. Her body was screaming for her to shower and eat and sleep. Sophia walked through the dorm halls, and into her quiet room. Her roommate had told her she'd not be around this week, because of a family emergency.

Sophia tossed her dorm keys on the bed and sat down. Her tears fell from her eyes and she wept. Tears of exhaustion, pain, confusion, and fear. The tough shell she had formed, finally broke and she soon found herself hiccuping in anguish. Wiping her face and blowing her nose, Sophia headed to her bathroom. She had to pay a lot of money up front to get a private bathroom. Most students shared the dorms main showers, but she had coughed over the dough after she was hired by the agency to get her own bathroom. She had thought of the private dorm room, but decided that was the only way she may ever have a semblance of normal college life.

She looked out the bathroom window and noticed the cab was gone. She shrugged her shoulders and decided she'd watch her back and as soon as Gabi was safe they'd leave. Taking off the clothes that Sophia had been wearing for the past 48 hours, she pitched them in the trash. Turning on the water to her shower, Sophia brushed the last two days of nastiness from her mouth and then pulled back the shower curtain. Climbing into the stream of hot water, Sophia enjoyed the feel of the water hitting her skin.

The hot steam relaxed the tense muscles and she was soon easing her mind away from the last two days of torment. Sophia took the quiet moment of her shower to let her mind take her to the different places she had visited before her recruitment. Hawaii with her adoptive parents, Nepal with her adopted grandparents, Panama with her... she stopped, took a deep sigh and remembered Panama.

 

[FurryFury]

Whoa, whoa, what the fuck is this? Gabi thought. They are taking pieces of my brain out. Oh shit! This is not good! This is not good at all.

Hold on! Why can I see me? This is just wrong.

Oh shit! I'm like dead or something. She glanced at the anesthesiologist, the doctor's and nurses, looked at the monitors but nope, they didn't seem worried about her mortality, the machines made normal damn beeping noises.

She floated. Oooh! Holy shit! She was floating. Neat trick!

She smiled and experimented with the sensation.

Flipping on her back as if she were in a pool, she relaxed some. Gabrielle turned her back on her mortal shell still have her brain cut into and watched the "in flight" movie.

 

[poohlive]

What pissed him off the most was that now she had two of his cell phones. He didn't know why that exactly was the one thing that made him mad above all others. She had been toying with him like a cat does a mouse, pawing with one hand and then the other, before letting him go, only to pounce and do it all again.
It was becoming more and more difficult to jump through her little hoops though, all with a happy smile on his face.

But he just thought of all the shit she'd been through today. all of it, from being ousted by her people, to finding out she had a sister, to Gabbi's brain tumor. God, she must be in utter turmoil, shock reaching down to the core. It was for that reason only he played her game, and did it with little resistance.

She was becoming paranoid. Too paranoid? No, not possible. There was no such thing as too paranoid. In this game though, parnoia can certainly hurt you, make you regret decisions, and hastily choose before thinking. He'd seen her do it already, more than once.

If she kept this up people would start talking... they'd start wondering about her sanity, wondering if she should be taken down for the greater good. they were doing the same for Gabbi, simply because she might accidentally spill a few misplaced words.

And he loved her, as much as a man like himself could love a woman like her, like her or her sister for that matter. He loved them both, and if Gabbi was going to make it out of this, she'd need her sister. And if Sophia was going to recover from this, she needed Gabrielle alive and kicking.

So, in the matter of one day, he'd become both their guardien angels. Protecting one and the other, dangerously opposing all those that seek harm. God, all he wanted was a closer look...

And, he certainly got it.

Reese found his way in, moving to sit on Sophia's bed. He stared at the far wall with steeled blue eyes. He looked up at the private bathroom, the shower going.

 

[FurryFury]

The movie was pretty cool although the background music sucked. Beeping machines and classical music all the way through.

It started with Gabrielle's birth. There she was all wet, bloody and screaming. Furious to be cold and alone in the world. A tiny beast who wanted her other half but was alone. So small and squished looking. Aww! Gabi thought watching the nurses foot print and bathe the baby girl who simply turned red with anger.

--------------------

The doctor and his team worked hard on suctioning out the blood and taking as much of the tumor as they could without leaving Gabi a vegetable.

-----------------------------

Alexander boarded a small private plane.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia shook off the thoughts of her time in Panama, not wishing to wallow in the memories of old. She rinshed the soap from her body and then turned off the shower and stepped out. Her feet hit the cold floor and water pooled at her feet. Shivering she grabbed the towel from the bar and wrapped it around her body. Knotting the front together, she pulled a comb through her hair and tugged through the knots and then put the wet mass into a ponytail.

Opening the bathroom door, the steam billowing out, Sophia moved over to her dresser and opened the top drawer, She pulled out her white bikini cut panties and a white satin bra. Grabbing a pair of white bobby socks she, tucked them under her arm and bent to open the second drawer. Sophia selected a pink MIT t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts. Placing them on the top of her dresser, she removed her towel, tossing it behind her, not caring where it landed.

As she began to put one leg into her panties she heard a groan from behind her. Sophia froze, and turned around slowly, her eyes wide in her small face, "You son of a... " Sophia stopped then stood tall, her panties forgotten. "I told you to leave, now go away." She crossed her arms, completely forgetting that her body was naked, her rage consumed her and the need to have the man from her bedroom was more then enough for her to focus on.

 

[poohlive]

"I just want to help," Reese said, her anger and cruel words forgotten, shaken off his back like drops of water from a duck's back. They beaded, and pooled down to his feet. It was beginning to annoy him how much he could take from her, but he kept reminding himself just what she's been threw today.

That's enough for someone to go through in a lifetime, and here she had done it all in one day. She looked good despite it all.

Damn she looked good. Even better than Panama.

"You've got to stop doing this, Sophia. You need to calm down for a bit. If too many people see you like this, they'll start to consider you a liability. You can't dash off in a hundred different directions, retaliate at everyone. I've already been pulled into one meeting about your sisters life, please don't make me go through one with you."

He realized he sounded like he was chastizing her again, and instead lowered his head. It dangled somewhere between his knees like a wild scavenger dog.

"I'm here because I don't want to see you get hurt, either of you, if I can help it. And I'm sorry..."

He bit his lower lip, "I'm sorry for everything."

Except Panama.

 

[FurryFury]

The "in flight" movie continued. Gabrielle saw her real mother and father beaming with joy at her birth.

She felt herself put on her mother's chest finally once the nurses quit their strange and shocking ministrations. She heard another baby crying but it wasn't her. She cried to in sympathy for that baby.

The smell of her mother's skin was home. She was crying at first but then she felt that hard bit of flesh in her cheek, turned her head latched on and began to suckle. Rich clear fluid filled her mouth warm and soothing.

Beside eventually, her was her twin. Baby Gabrielle felt safe on the film and the two babies felt asleep side by side, flesh to flesh, mouths on nipples, sucking as they dreamed of being back in floatation.

Why? Thought grown up Gabrielle. Why am I floating again, this time outside my body?

Why did Mama and Daddy have to die?

Why were Sophia and I separated?

How could I have forgotten so much?

Why am I seeing all this, remembering all this now?

She shook her head, her long blonde hair flowing in slow motion as if she were in water.

What does all this mean?

Am I dying?

Is it too late?

----------------------

Something that sounded very much like a power tool was being used below. In Gabi's brain, a delicate yet brutal operation was still going on.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia felt the chill from the air-conditioner and realized she had been standing there the whole time naked. With a growl of anger, embarrassment and frustration, she grabbed her clothes and moved back to the bathroom, "Wait there," she told him as she shut the door behind her.

Sitting down on the toilet seat, she buried her head in her hands, he had a point she was running around senseless she had a wad of cash hidden along with a huge emerald, new identities that belonged to her twin, that she just found again... and a man that still pulled at her senses. Groaning she pulled on her panties and put on her bra, hooking the little clasp in the front. "Well," looking at herself in the mirror, "he obviously is over you, so that part of your heart will be safe," she told herself.

Sophia pulled on her pink t-shirt and her denim shorts, buttoning the snap and pulling up the zipper, she pulled her socks up next. Taking a deep breath she moved back into the room with Reese. Walking over to the closet, she pulled out her sneakers and slipped those on also, then turning to Reese, she took the chair from her desk and sat down.

"Ok, I'll admit, I'm off my game. You aren't helping matters. Gabi could die, I don't trust, someone is pulling all the strings in this game." Sophia took a deep breath.

"I won't ever trust you, that is what makes this next statement so hard." Sophia looked into his eyes, "I'll follow you and do what you ask me to, but.... remember Reese, unfortuate as it is, because you may one day decide to be honest with me, I can't ever believe it, and believe it or not, that really hurts and bothers me. I hate not having one person I can trust, and everytime I turn around, there is something you say or do that makes me not trust you."

Reese sat there looking at her. Sophia sighed and stood up, "Look you obviously need a rest and a shower also, not to mention a new phone or two." She smiled weakly, "Let's go Reese, unless you want me to call you something else."

 

[poohlive]

Reese gave a funny half smile, which almost seemed cute had not a glint of razor sharp teeth reveal themselves as he did it. There wasn't much he could do in this situation, and he supposed at this point, it was the best he could hope for. At least she had calmed down, at least she was willing to listen, even if she wasn't willing to believe.

He got off the bed, and moved toward the door, "Follow me? You seem to be the one with the plan. What is going on in that mind of yours? What do you want to do?"

He told her about the meeting he had in his office, the meeting with higher up's who would have rather kill off Gabrielle before having her cut up and little pieces of her brain examined for government secrets. Or she could just slip something out in the middle of a drugged up supor. He'd seen better agents do the same thing with less stress on them.

"She's only a few nods of the head away from eating a bullet. And I don't even know how your people think of you at the moment. I'm sure I'll get a report soon enough. Maybe you should call them, see what is going on?"

 

[FurryFury]

Alexander gave the stew the sort of feral smile that made most women more than curious. Might as well make the flight interesting he thought to himself.

----------------------------------

The operation went on. Classical music blared while the surgeon used magnified glasses with a light to do the fine delicate work now.

------------------------------------------------

This hospital is not normal,floating Gabrielle thought. Snap, clang a memory sharpened and revealed itself. It is the same one I was born in perhaps that is why I am seeing these things?

Now in separate isolettes side by side, the movie continued. Baby Gabi and Baby Sophie cried and slept while strange "supplements" were injected into their IV lines.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The former restaurant waiter was in flight. He looked like a business man. The only thing wrong with his image was that he seemed was relaxed and harmless. He smiled at a young man beside him. The young man smiled back. They fell into an easy conversation about the City of Love. Clearly there was interest on both side. How fortuitous, the man thought. I have my payment, some time off in the most romantic city on earth and now this pretty boy falls into my pocket. He flexed his bicep a little and continued to converse.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia took out her cell phone and called, Tom, she called him through their own private lines, went through the series of commands that he had set up, finally his voice came on the line. "Where the fuck are you?" Sophia held the phone away from her ear and squinted her eyes at it, then brought it to here ear.

Reese waiting patiently, only hearing one side of the conversation while Sophia talked with Tom.

"I'm at the dorm."

"Stay put, I'm coming to get you."

"No, not yet."

"What the fuck do you mean not yet! Your in a hell of a lot of trouble Soph, and if you don't get your ass in here, your gonna shot!"

"Calm down, and let me tell you what has happened."

Silence greeted Sophia and she explained to him everything, only leaving out the part that involved Gabi's hidden safe and where Sophia had been while Reese couldn't trace her.

"Shit, so she was your sis? I'm happy for you hon, but your still in over your head."

"No shit, To... " she stopped from saying his name. "Look, I just want her to be safe. I know there isn't anything I can do. Yes, I know what I know."

"Well you need to meet the other players."

"Agreed."

"Soph, hon. I want you to be careful, I'll keep you informed on this end, and I'll buy you more time, but you have to keep me in contact with you ok."

"I will."

"Sweetie," Tom's voice took on a more concerned tone, and Sophia sighed, closed her eyes and waited. "If he was going to kill Gabi, there had to be a reason, and you can't trust him. I lo.." Tom stopped, "Just be safe, babe, I need to show you how well I can defuse a nuke." She heard his off handed chuckle and sent her own back to him.

"Yeah... I know Tom. Me too."

She closed the phone and looked up at Reese, "Let's go meet your people. If they want me and Gabi dead, then we'll walk right in and let them do it, my guess is that they either want something they think one of us has, or... they are working for someone higher then they are."

 

[poohlive]

"Already set up," Reese said, putting the phone down. They seemed more than eager to meet her. Too eager, as soon as he mentioned the idea, they were on top of it, setting time, place, getting together what they could on recon.

Reese held an image in his mind, an image of some file in one of their desks. For situation A, solution A; for Situation B, solution B. A list of all possible scenarios and solutions.

Now, what if on top of that file was Sophia and Gabrielle's names. They had planned for this long ago, and her wanting to meet the higher up's was one of the solutions they have come up with. As of this point, they were doing what the piece of paper told them.

Would they kill her? They did want to meet at an old industrial bulding at the edge of town, far away from any witnesses. Although, Reese would have asked for the same thing, no people... no witnesses. Secluded, away from town. He just hated them already having a place set up.

This could be bad... very bad. How much of a liability was Reese now? He was sticking his neck out awful far for these girls. What if whoever wanted them dead realized what a hero he was being, and thought it better to take care of him as well.

He cursed himself, realizing just how paranoid this game can make you, and told Sophia of his worries.

"I think we'll just have to risk it," He concluded, "I don't see another way. If they want to kill us, they don't need us to come to them, we'd already be dead. I saw two of three of them on my way in here. Whether they're here for you or me... or us both, I don't know yet. But, if we want information, they'll have it. It's your call.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Cassandra & Olivia

Cassandra hung up the phone, "Seems we have a situation, with Gabi."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Olivia sighed as she looked over at the twins mother. "What is it?"

"Seems there is a dead body in her old apartment."

Olivia frowned, "You mean the one that we burned down?"

"Yes, seems that the man we sent to bring in Sophia is dead." Cassandra explained what little she had gotten from her informant on the phone. "It looks like someone, most likely Sophia, went into Gabi's burned out apartment, and found a safe. Took what was in there and then killed Jon."

Olivia sat there stunned for a moment, "Well, it is our fault isn't it? Jon was just doing what we said, and Sophia had no clue as to how the poison was given to Gabi or why. She probably had to make a life or death decision and unfortunately for Jon, she didn't ask questions first."

Cassandra laughed, "No one in this family does."

"Should I bring her in?"

"No, not yet. Besides, I have to arrange a new toy for Alexander, seems his last one didn't last long enough to do her job. He really needs dealt with."

Olivia got up and made her way to her sister's side, "Perhaps, you should come out of hiding and deal with these daughters of yours together."

Cassandra laughed, "Oh yes... a happy little family again, right. I'm sure that is what Alex would want. We'll see what happens, the longer I can keep my people providing him with his playthings, the more we'll learn."

"And as far as the girls go?"

"Watch Reese, it may be time to bring him to our side. Everyone needs to know who the good guys and the bad guys are, we know... but right now, we need to evaluate, who is screwing who. And check out that guy Sophia works so close with, Tom. I want to know everything about him."

Olivia nodded her head and left, the room, and headed to do her sister's bidding, and make a few phone calls. Cassandra looked up into the sky, watching a jet fly above her. She moved away from the window and pulled a small album from her desk. Inside it her eyes moved over the picture of a young couple holding to beautiful and precious twins. A tear fell and hit the plastic of the album, shutting the picture away and placing the album back into the drawer, Cassandra picked up her phone and called a friend, "I need you." Then she hung up.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia

Sophia looked at Reese, "Let's go. I can't make the next move until I know all or at least more of the players."

The two individuals moved away, each one silent and lost in their thoughts. Sophia recalled the sound of Tom's voice. She had thought she had heard something in it, something more then the usual hints and crude humor. Right now though Sophia couldn't think of that. She had to concentrate on Gabi, and she still needed to work out this thing with Reese.

As they hailed a cab, they waited together silently. When the cabby pulled up, Reese opened the door and Sophia slid in, followed by him. Reese gave the directions to the driver, then settled back against the seat.

Sophia kept quiet for a long time, then sighed, "Was I an assignment?"

Reese looked at her, his brow raised, "Meaning?"

"Not know of course... in Panama... I assume I was, but I wasn't with the agency then. I joined last year, so if I was an assignment... why?"

 

[poohlive]

Reese gave a worried frown as he looked at her. As if the barrier of steel around him had broken. Even his icy blue eyes softened for a moment, wavered, like the road ahead on a hot day. They changed, allied themselves with nothing, and then dropped back in place.

He tried not to look at her again.

"It's... hard to explain. Assignments, so far up I'm not sure they're even on paper. Even my people don't know about it. I was... I was recruited by a rogue agency for Panama. It wasn't for you... at least not you personally. My assignment wasn't to go to Panama and break your heart, if that's what you're asking."

It was so hard to keep the truth from her, the whole truth. He felt nails on chalkboard inside his head, begging to just tell her, have it out with her. He couldn't though, not now. He needed her too much. If he told her the truth, she would kill him... or at least try, and he couldn't afford that right now.

"It was your family. All of them. More than one branch has been keeping a close eye on all of you. I'm almost certain they knew of your sister before you, and set up this coincidental encounter with the two of you. They knew about your sister's tumor... and probably drugged her at just the right time to let both of you know. You remember a year ago, when you were recruited... supposedly at random? You know well enough by now none of our agencies do anything at random. They picked you, for several reasons. The least of which is that your sister was working for another branch. None of this has ever been a coincidence. It's all part of someone's plan, and with any luck we'll find out who that someone is."

 

[FurryFury]

Four years, they had four magical years together, Sophia and Gabrielle, with their Mommy and Daddy. The "in flight" movie continued and Gabi watched it all play out moment by moment. She saw the peace, the anger, tears and joy in the home. There were odd things here and there that prickled at her but mostly she just watched and smiled.

Until she watched the birthday partly all over again. The ambulance took Sophia away. Mommy and Daddy left Gabrielle with a neighbor. They went to the hospital so see Sophia but Gabrielle never saw any of them again.

Mommy and Daddy died that day. A woman came and got Gabrielle. Test were run, she was placed with couple after couple but she had forgotten her sister, and now she knew why. She saw the doctor who "fixed" her mind. She saw him, it dawned on her that he was now cutting away inside her mind.

She looked around for the stew, surely this flight had blankets. Gabi needed a blanket because now she was chilled and scared.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that it wasn't his intent to hurt her, that she wasn't a perk to the job. But she had her doubts, he had been caring, waiting on her, taking her dancing, slowly seducing her. She had fallen hard, and now she just wasn't sure if she had been part of the job, or a nice icing on the cake fuck.

She looked up at him, her eyes trying to read what was truth and what was fiction. Right now just having him close to her was almost to much. She didn't know what way was up or down. Sophia decided that for her own sanity, she would allow Reese to handle his people and she would handle hers, and as far as emotions went; she wouldn't have any for anyone except Gabi.

"Thanks for trying to explain," she said, then looked outside, the clouds were getting darker and she knew that sooner of later it would start to rain. The cabby pulled into the lot of an old warehouse and Sophia's instincts kicked in. She pulled her 9MM and made sure it was loaded and the safety off. The couple got out of the car and the cabby drove off. Reese waited for her, then the two moved ahead. Two men in suits waited for them, neither said anything until they all met together.

"Your gun, Miss," one of them said.

Sophia smirked, "Not just yet, unless your belly is looking for a bullet."

"We have snipers, Sophia," the other said.

"Take me out then, if you want me dead, I wouldn't be here right now would I?"

They said nothing then turned and walked ahead of them. Reese and Sophia followed behind. She looked up at Reese, "Well, lov... it's your show and your people, guess you can make the introductions to your lovely new partner, can't you."

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Sophia/Reese/and....

Reese and Sophia moved through the warehouse, then through a door. One of the men typed in a code on an electronic keypad and then the steel door slid free. An alarm quickly sounded and the man glared over at Sophia, she knew her weapon had set off the alarm, shrugging her shoulders, she raised a brow and smirked. The other man typed in a series of codes then the alarm ended as quickly as it had started.

The four people moved through the hall and into a large open room. Desks were scattered everywhere and people stopped to stared at the new arrivals. Everyone knew that the newcomers were both highly sought after, neither one really knew how deep they were into the tangle that was being weaved around them.

They were shown into a room and kept there. The two men left and Sophia and Reese just looked at each other.

"Well, that was simple," Sophia said, her nerves were on edge, "So these are your people? huh??"

Reese looked her straight in the eye, "Sophia, I have never seen this place, or any of those people out there."

"Yea... right."

"Dammit! Soph, I am fucking telling you the truth! I don't have a clue what we are doing here. I haven't been in this building and I don't fucking know anymore then you do."

Sophia's eyes grew wide, she could tell this time he was clueless. "Well, were about to find out together, aren't we."

The door opened and a very lovely woman, with blonde hair and blue eyes came in, "Hello Sophia, Reese."

They both answered her with a nod, and kept quiet.

"Your sister is doing fine right now, and we speeded up the process of finding her a match, your not one, however as you know that happens sometimes. Perhaps if you had been identical twins then it would have been great, however... we have several blood type records and blood tests perform on our agents all the time, and it looks like we have a match."

Sophia sighed, her body only easing slightly, "She'll live then?"

"She should, unless the donor were to change their mind at the last minute, but we won't allow that."

Sophia and Reese both nodded their agreement, they both wanted Gabi to live.

"Now as you know your both a bit tangled in a mess right now. Well let me tell you this, you both work for the good guys as does Gabi. We work to end the destructive work of one known as Alexander. He has been a big part of all our lives, maneuvering people and placing them here and there about the world. He seems to have developed a bio weapon, and we need to stop it from developing."

Reese and Sophia both sat quietly trying to absorb all of this information, "What is your name, by the way," Reese asked.

"Olivia, I'm not the head of the organization, but second in command. Perhaps one day you'll meet Cassie, she is unique."

Reese's eyebrows lifted.

"Reese," Olivia smiled, "a woman in charge... does that surprise you?"

He said nothing, hoping to end this interview still alive.

Olivia continued, "We found out about your sister's tumor a while back, but we needed the two of you together to find out if you were a match or not. Then once we did that we quickly had her poisoned, thus speeding up the effects of the tumor, so you would act quickly. Reese was told to knock Gabi out, not kill her. He was supposed to take the both of you to the hospital, as a good citizen. We had just learned a short time before that, of the relations you had in Panama."

Sophia blushed, as she felt Reese's hand on her thigh. She left it there not wanting to draw attention to them.

"When we realized that you were running, things got a bit... tricky. We needed all of you back together so we could help Gabi and then go after Alexander."

She pushed a file to both of them, "Here is what you need to know on Alex, you will both need to fly to Geneva and destroy everything he has on the bio weapon. You'll be provided with all the intel you need, as well as weapons."

Olivia got up and moved to the door.

Sophia stood up, "Wait!"

Olivia looked back, "Yes?"

"Whose the donor?"

"Your mother."

Olivia closed the door leaving Reese and Sophia alone.

 

[poohlive]

Reese tried to keep his head down on the file, but he couldn't help the white elephant in the room. Sophia seemed to be painting the walls, and he couldn't stand to see those eyes for more than a few seconds. He didn't know why, but he felt she had to blame someone, and he was the only one left in the room.

Such piercing eyes, asking all questions at once, and none of them he could answer, at least not the important ones.

"Yes," He said at last, leafing through pages of intel, "I knew. I knew back in Panama. Our files are... very thorough. I told you they picked you for a reason, they pick everyone for a reason."

He gave her a small smile, a king smile, without his teeth, and handed her a page of the report.