© August 2012

Part Seven of Eleven

Chapter Seven: The Cabin

    Nicole left the hotel with Sara the next morning before Samantha did, so they didn’t get spotted together. Sara was sat in the car waited for her mother to turn up, while Nicole stood leaning against the car as she placed a call to Ferret.*

    “Ice!? Is that you? Why the hell didn’t you call me yesterday?” Ferret’s voice asked in a panic on the other end of the cell phone.

    “Sorry about that Ferret, but I had a crazy sort of day.” Nicole chuckled. “Turns out one of the detective’s on the case is working for the bad guy and has a couple of thugs working with him. They look like ex military, and the detective managed to get a tracker on the woman’s son.” Nicole explained, only just remembering to refer to Sara as still being a boy. “Is that what you wanted to inform me of?” Nicole asked with a smug tone to her voice, like she already knew she was right.

    “I didn’t know any of that Ice. What I wanted to do is warn you that some bigger names have taken an interest in this job since your name was linked with a possible counter hit on the guy at the safe house, and also the two officers.” Ferret started to explain.

    “We knew this could be the case from the beginning.” Nicole shrugged. “Do you have any idea who the other players are?” Nicole asked trying to focus on just how serious it had gotten.

    “There’s that large German calling himself Thor, and a couple of others.” Ferret said in a vague tone, but Nicole could sense that tone to Ferret’s voice that said he knew something else.

    “Who are the others Ferret?” Nicole growled into the phone.

    “Athena and Viper.” Ferret said as he waited for Nicole to blow her top.

    “Athena and Viper?” Nicole growled. “Why would both of them show an interest in this job?” Nicole asked as she tried to get her feelings under control.

    “You know they both have scores to settle with you over some jobs you beat them to, and even though the payoff is small, they both want to get involved if it means taking you out.” Ferret explained.

    “I have beaten them to quite a few jobs in the past, so I shouldn’t be surprised to hear this really.” Nicole sighed. “Do you have any idea where they are at the minute?”

    “I have images of them both visiting a mall, but they don’t seem to have any idea, or the police don’t beyond that point.” Ferret explained as it sounded like he was doing something on a keyboard at his end of the phone. “The police are looking at security footage; it looks like they want to see what disguise Samantha and her son are using to avoid detection, and also what the person who took them from the safe house looks like.” Ferret added.

    “I’m hoping they both look different enough to stop anyone from spotting them in a crowd of people, and I dumped the car we were using yesterday, but I wasn’t able to burn it out, so it’s only a matter of time before they find it and get DNA from it.” Nicole explained to Ferret.

    “I don’t have anything on the police system to say they’ve found the car yet, so I doubt they’ve learned anything from the mall yet either.” Ferret informed her.

    “I need you to find me photos of all the detectives on the case involving Samantha Kaye, and send them to me as soon as you have them. I need to find out which detective is helping Damon Gunn to carry out the hit on Samantha.” Nicole ordered him. “I’ll call you again in two hours for the information.” Nicole added before she ended the call and then took the phone apart and snapped the sim card in half before dropping it all down the nearest drain.

    Sara was sat in the back of the car applying some makeup when Nicole got in the car to wait for Samantha to arrive. Nicole couldn’t help smiling when she saw how different Sara was to the boy she first met back at the safe house. Sara was wearing a pale green dress and she’d padded out the bra with a set of false breasts that were glued to her chest, making them feel a little more real, due to the pull on Sara’s chest. She’d also spent some time that morning painting her nails and playing with her hair.

    “I’m quite jealous of you right now Sara.” Nicole pouted as she turned around in her seat to look at Sara in the back.

    “You’re jealous of me?” Sara asked with a puzzled look as she put her small compact mirror away.

    “Yes, because you get to spend some time as a young girl. I never got to do that, or enjoy all the things I hope you get to do before you become a woman.” Nicole said with a sigh as she rested her chin on her hands as she looked at a blushing Sara in the back of the car.

    “But you’re a woman now Nikki! What could be better than that?” Sara asked with shock in her voice.

    “Please don’t be in such a hurry to grow up Sara.” Nicole said as she reached out and cupped Sara’s cheek in her hand. “I just want you to enjoy being a girl before you become a woman.” Nicole added.

    “Do you really think I will become a woman one day Aunty Nikki?” Sara asked, amazed at the change in the woman that was once her father.

    “I said I’d do all I could to make your dream come true, and I always try to keep my word Sara.” Nicole smiled. “I feel it’s the least I can do after not being part of your life for the past twelve years.” She added.

    “Will we ever see you again when this is all over? I’d like to still have you in my life.” Sara said in a whisper, hoping not to have Nicole start shouting at her again, like she had all the other times she’d brought the subject up with Nicole.

    “I’ll come up with some way to stay in touch with you, but please don’t keep going on about it. I don’t want to be away from you either, but I can’t undo everything I’ve done, and I have some very dangerous people after me now as well, and I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you or your mother because of me.” Nicole said with fear in her voice.

    “I thought you said you didn’t have those kinds of feelings for my mother anymore?” Sara asked.

    “I don’t have those feelings for your mother, but I do still love her, just as I’m coming to love you.” Nicole smiled as she gave Sara’s cheek a pinch.

    “So you love her like a sister?” Sara said as she understood what Nicole was getting at.

    Before Nicole had time to say anymore questions, they saw Samantha walk around the corner and make her way over to the car.

    “Did it look like anyone was following you when you left the hotel?” Nicole asked once Samantha was in the car and they were leaving the city again.

    “I couldn’t see anyone, but I’m not sure what to look for.” Samantha shrugged.

    “You’ll be at my version of a safe house tonight, and then you can both relax a little while I plan out our next move.” Nicole frowned.

    “Do you have any idea what that plan might be yet?” Samantha asked with some hope.

    “Yes, but we’ll talk about it once we get to the cabin.” Nicole said before she remembered what she was saying.

    “Cabin?” Samantha asked with a raised eyebrow as she realised that Nicole had slipped up for the first time.

    “Yes, a cabin, but it’s got some mod cons, so don’t look too worried.” Nicole smiled. “Hot water, electric, and a barbecue to cook on.” Nicole added with a grin now as she saw Samantha relax.

    “I hope you have more than just a barbecue to cook on?” Samantha asked looking worried again.

    “There’s a kitchen and cooker as well.” Nicole smiled.

    “What about the internet?” Sara asked from the back seat.

    “Sorry, but that would be part of the grid we’re trying to get away from.” Nicole pointed out.

    “How do you keep in touch with people then?” Sara whined.

    “Simple, I don’t.” Nicole frowned. “I don’t have any devices at the cabin for anyone to trace, but I do have a good collection of books there for you to sit and read.” Nicole added.

    “Read? That sounds so boring.” Sara whined some more.

    “Not half as boring as being dead is.” Samantha snapped at Sara. “This isn’t just some adventure we’re having young lady. People want to kill us.” Samantha reminded her.

    “Don’t be too hard on her Sammi, she’s dealing with it all pretty well, and it is an adventure in a roundabout way.” Nicole said in Sara’s defence.

    Samantha looked at Nicole in shock, just before she looked at a smirking Sara sat in the back. “When did this happen?” Samantha asked.

    “When did what happen?” Sara asked looking all innocent at her mother.

    “You two become best of friends?” Samantha asked with a smirk of her own as she liked the fact Nicole was warming to the fact she had a daughter. Samantha felt a small glimmer of hope that Nicole may want to keep in touch with Sara when all this was over.

    “I find she’s bearable when she’s not whining all the time.” Nicole grinned as she looked at Sara in the rear view mirror.

    “I don’t whine.” Sara whined, which soon had Nicole and Samantha laughing.

    “No, you never whine do you sweetie.” Samantha said.

    Nicole didn’t want to risk stopping for too long, so they stopped in a small town on the way to the cabin and grabbed some food to eat on the way, so as not to get caught on to many cameras. Nicole went in for the food while Samantha and Sara waited in the car. Nicole didn’t want to worry the two of them with the news they now had two high class assassins after them, just because of what Nicole had done by stepping in and saving them in the first place. Nicole didn’t think Athena and Viper would be onto her so soon, but they did have a unique way of tracking people down, just like she did, and they had the money to buy the right sort of people to help them.

    They were soon turning off the main roads and heading up a dirt road through a forest. Nicole then parked up behind an old run down looking cabin that left Samantha and Sara looking worried that this was the place Nicole wanted them to stop at. Nicole pulled up in front of the barn to the side of the cabin and then got out and opened the doors to the barn and then got back in the car before she drove it into the barn where Samantha and Sara saw a large 4x4 with some heavy duty wheels and tyres on it as well as some other vehicles that were covered with tarp.

    “Don’t look so worried, this is just the place I park the car and take that up to the real cabin.” Nicole explained as she got out the car and started moving all the stuff over to the 4x4.

    Samantha and Sara helped, and they were soon back on the road, if you could call it a road they were travelling on. Samantha and Sara could see the reason for the 4x4 now.

    “I can see why we switched vehicles now.” Sara said from the back seat where she was gripping the seatbelt like her life depended on it.

    “If it was easy to get to, then everyone would be going to it.” Nicole said as tried to focus on not driving them off what little road there was, into a ditch.

    “I think we should be quiet and let Nikki drive the car sweetie.” Samantha said nervously as she gripped the dash in front of her.

    Nicole hit a dip in the track and it scared Samantha and Sara enough to make them both scream out, so they both shut up and let Nicole focus on her driving. They both let out a sigh when they rounded a bend and saw a large log cabin come into view and Nicole parked up right outside the place.

    “Does this look a little better for you?” Nicole asked as she saw the two of them grinning as they got out the 4x4 and took in the view overlooking a valley full of trees and not another living thing in sight for as far as they could see.

    “Wow, this place is so beautiful.” Samantha sighed as she finally felt like they could stop looking over their shoulders and relax. “Do you come here very often?” Samantha asked.

    “I started coming here more after Max died.” Nicole said as she too looked around at the place Max had found to build his secret get away. “Max bought the parcel of land and then built this place from the ground up with his own bare hands.” Nicole explained.

    “Max was the guy that found you and trained you all those years ago right?” Samantha asked as she tried to remember some of the vague talks she’d had with Nicole since they were thrown back into each other’s lives.

    “Yes, he found me a couple of days after I ran, or Nicolas ran. I pulled a gun on him and tried to force him to take me someplace, but he just threw a screwdriver at me and knocked me out by hitting me in the head with the handle.” Nicole giggled at the memory of that night they met.

    “Why didn’t he just kill you, if he was also an assassin?” Samantha asked with some confusion. “Not that I’m not glad he didn’t kill you.” Samantha smiled.

    “Max told me that I had a look in my eyes when I was pointing the gun at him, so he gave me a choice.” Nicole said.

    “A choice, what sort of a choice?”

    “Let him train me to become a fixer, as he called it, or he could just kill me and then bury me out in the woods.” Nicole said with a shrug.

    “What?! Do you think he really would have done it, if you hadn’t said yes to him?”

    “I’m not sure. Max always seemed to know what I was thinking, so he already knew I’d say yes.” Nicole said with a faraway look in her eyes.

    “I think some of it rubbed off on you, but I can tell you miss him.” Samantha said as she wrapped an arm around Nicole’s waist and rested her head on Nicole’s shoulder.

    “Max was more of a father to me than my real father was.” Nicole chucked at the bizarre thought of a trained assassin turning out to be more understanding and caring than the man partly responsible for bringing a child into the world.

    “What sort of people did Max kill?” Samantha asked in a whisper, not sure if Nicole would answer or not.

    “He was the one that taught me to only take on the high paying jobs and never target families or children. I think Max lost his wife and child in a hit that got out of hand, and he became a fixer in the hopes of stopping the same thing happening to others.” Nicole explained. “I found some photos of Max with a woman and a small child; I also found a small grave site and buried Max there.” Nicole added.

    “Who will bury you when the time comes Nicole?” Samantha asked.

    “Not my problem, I won’t be around to worry about it.” Nicole shrugged as she tried to hide the fact she did wonder if anyone would remember her when she was gone, but she had Samantha and Sara in her life now, and they seemed to like her, even if she was a killer.

    “Are you two going to start kissing each other?” Sara giggled as she started making kissing sounds.

    Nicole was glad Sara had distracted Samantha, as she didn’t want to talk about her death anymore. Nicole smiled as she watched Samantha chasing Sara around. Samantha did finally catch Sara and they just fell to the ground giggling.

    Once Samantha and Sara were back on their feet, they all got the 4x4 unpacked, and Nicole showed them to the bedroom they would be using.

    “I’m sorry, but the two of you will need to share this bed, as we only have the one bedroom.” Nicole explained.

    “Where will you be sleeping?” Samantha asked.

    “I’ll take the couch, it’s pretty comfy, and I can keep an eye out for trouble.” Nicole said as she left the bedroom and left Samantha and Sara to get cleaned up while Nicole went and got the barbecue warmed up.

    Nicole soon had some steaks cooking that they had picked up on the way to the cabin, and Samantha and Sara were busy in the kitchen making a mixed salad to go with them.

    Samantha and Sara looked to be enjoying some real home cooked food for once, and they were soon falling asleep with full bellies. Samantha led Sara to the bedroom and they both got ready for bed, while Nicole stopped up and started cleaning her pistols. Nicole always did this at the end of a mission, and also just to relax and clear her mind.

    Nicole didn’t think it would hurt to let the police and the other fixers chase their own tails for a couple of weeks while she recharged and thought up a plan to get everyone off Samantha and Sara’s back for good.

    “I need to go down the mountain for a while, but I’ll be back by dinner time.” Nicole said a couple of days after they arrived at the cabin.

    “Can you bring back some things we’re running low on, while you’re down there?” Samantha asked.

    “Yes, I can do that, just make a list and I’ll pick it all up for you.” Nicole said as she slipped on her boots and tucked in the figure hugging jeans she was wearing with the chequered blue shirt.

    “Can I come with you Aunt Nikki?” Sara asked.

    “No! You can stop here where you’re safe.” Nicole said in a stern tone that left Sara no doubt she meant every word of it, and arguing would be a waste of time.

    Sara threw down her shoes and stormed off back to the bedroom acting more like the twelve year old she was again now.

    “I’m sorry about that Nikki, but she is only twelve at the end of the day.” Samantha sighed as she heard the bedroom door slam shut.

    “I understand that Sammi, but I hope she will understand that I’m only doing it for her own good.” Nicole said as she finished getting ready to leave.

    “I know she does Nikki; but she also wants to be just like you, but that can never happen while we’re stuck here hiding out.” Samantha tried to explain the reason for Sara being so moody.

    “I’ll be making some calls while I’m down the mountain, so I’ll see what I can sort out to help Sara feel like she’s making some progress on her transition.” Nicole said as she gave Samantha a hug before she left.

    Samantha waved Nicole off before she went back into the cabin, so she could try and make Sara understand the reason for Nicole not taking her down the mountain with her.

    Sara was sat on the bed flicking through a magazine using angry actions to turn each page. She looked at her mother and then went back to looking at the magazine like Samantha had never entered the room.

    “Sara sweetie, can we have a chat about Nicole?” Samantha asked as she sat on the bed next to Sara and forced her to put the magazine down.

    “What’s the point of talking about anything mother. Nicole still just thinks I’m a kid, and she couldn’t wait to get away from me just now.” Sara scowled.

    “Do you really believe that Nikki thinks that?” Samantha asked looking hurt at Sara’s words. “Nicole cares for you so much that she can’t do her job properly if she had to look out for you while she’s out there meeting with people and trying to keep us safe.” Samantha added as she pulled Sara into a hug with her.

    “Do you really believe that mummy?” Sara asked as she got a hug from her mother.

    “I know that sweetie, so let’s go for a walk while we wait for her to return.” Samantha said as she broke the hug and got to her feet just before she pulled Sara to her feet and then led her out the cabin and up the trail that led to the mountain top.

    “I spoke to Nikki the other day about me becoming a girl, and she said that I’ll look even better than she does because I’ll be starting earlier. Do you think I’ll look prettier than Nikki?” Sara asked as they walked up the trail.

    “You’re already prettier to me sweetie.” Samantha said as she wrapped an arm around Sara’s waist and pulled her closer. “We will get you to a doctor and on the right path just as soon as we get all this behind us.” Samantha added.

    “I know mum, and I’m sorry for playing up, but I just feel like I’m treading water at the minute. To be dressed all the time, but still be so far away from where I want to be.” Sara pouted as she rested her head on her mother’s shoulder.

    “And looking at Nikki just makes you want it even quicker?” Samantha worked out.

    “Yes, I do feel jealous of her when I think she was once like me.” Sara said as she realised that she had been argumentative with Nicole since she found out who she once was. “No wonder she hates me.” Sara added with a heavy sigh.

    “I’ve already told you that Nikki doesn’t hate you. I think she feels sorry for you, and wishes she could do more to help you, but it’s going to take time.” Samantha smiled.

    “I hate waiting for it to happen though mummy.” Sara pouted.

    “I know.” Samantha growled as she hugged Sara a little tighter just before she started giggling.

    Nicole made it down the mountain much quicker without Samantha and Sara in the 4x4 with her. She parked it in the old barn and then she took one of the other three normal road cars she had stored in the place. All the cars were kept road legal, so she never had any trouble with the police, and she also made sure the ID she was using, matched the way she looked.

    “Have you seen any of the news broadcasts?” Ferret asked Nicole when she got to a point where she had a signal on the cell phone she was using.

    “Hello to you to Ferret.” Nicole said sarcastically. “And no I haven’t seen any news in a couple of days.” Nicole added with a little confusion in her voice as to why it was so important for her to see the news.

    “The reason I ask, is because I was worried something might have happened to you, the woman and her son.” Ferret said.

    “Why would you think something like that Ferret, what’s happened?” Nicole asked as she sensed something was very wrong.

    “Over the last couple of days since we last spoke, three different women matching the same description as this Samantha Kaye have been killed.” Ferret explained the reason for his worry.

    “Just women?” Nicole asked as she sensed there was more to Ferret’s tone than just the death of three women.

    “No, they all had young sons with them that were also killed.” Ferret said with an edge of anger in his voice. “The bastards killed the mothers and the kids.” Ferret added.

    “How did they all die?” Nicole asked as she tried to keep her anger under control.

    “All three were made to look like failed muggings, but the fact they all look close to what Samantha and her son looks like, just makes me see that they were failed hits.” Ferret explained what he knew.

    “Sounds like sloppy locals looking for an easy payout. Athena and Viper wouldn’t make a mistake like that.” Nicole thought out loud. “I know this is a long shot, but have you had any word of where they might be?” Nicole asked.

    “They’re ghosts, just like you are, but I doubt they know where you are because I’ve seen no trace of the police knowing where you took them. Hell, I don’t even know where you took them, other than a cabin out in the wilderness someplace.” Ferret said with frustration.

    “All part of what makes me good at my job Ferret.” Nicole said in a cold hard tone. “I’m sorry those people died, but I can only keep these too alive.” Nicole added.

    “Even at the cost of so many others?” Ferret asked; shocked at just how heartless Ice could be, but then he remembered how she earned her name of the ice princess. “What’s so special about this woman?” Ferret almost pleaded.

    “Keep out of all that Ferret or I may have to rethink us working together in the future.” Nicole warned.

    “I was just wondering if you’re doing all this has anything to do with the trouble in her old home town with a guy called Jason Ackles and a Nicolas Johnson. Were you related to one of them, and you feel like you owe her something?” Ferret asked.

    Nicole felt a lump in her throat when she heard those names, but she soon realised that Ferret was none the wiser as to her being one of them, by the fact he’d just asked if she was related to one of them, and not one of them. “I’m asking you not to look into it anymore than you already have Ferret.” Nicole said in a calm voice that was full of warning.

    “Fine, I’ll stop looking and asking questions, but you need to put a stop to this Damon Gunn and get the contract he took out on your friend removed, so no one else dies because of it.” Ferret said as a counter offer.

    “I’ve already worked that much out, and I need all that info I asked you for the other day.” Nicole reminded him.

    “I’ve just sent it all to your email as an encrypted file.” Ferret said with a smug tone to his voice. “You will find info on all the detectives on the case and also everything I could find on the Gunn’s as well.” He informed her.

    “Thanks Ferret. I’ll get it all downloaded and then work out a plan of how to get at this Gunn and force him to remove the contract he took out on Miss Kaye.” Nicole said.

    “What do you plan to do about Athena and Viper?” Ferret asked.

    “Keep out their way and keep them away from their target.” Nicole said not having any real answer for him. “I’ll call if I need any more help.” Nicole added just before she took the phone apart and destroyed it.

    Nicole was soon on the road again and heading for the local community college where she could blend in and get the email Ferret sent her, and not get noticed as she did so, and if anyone were able to trace it, they would then have to pick her out of a large crowd of students.

    She got to the college and had no trouble grabbing the file before she made her way over to a Costco and stocked up on food and all the things Samantha asked for. Nicole even called in and saw a doctor she knew to do deals under the table, and she soon had a prescription for a course of androgen blockers to help Sara on her way to womanhood. Nicole also got some injectable estrogens to help Sara to start developing as a girl. Nicole was hoping it would make up in some way for all the things she wasn’t able to do as a father.

    Nicole grabbed some news papers on her way back to the cabin, so she could make Samantha and Sara understand the reason for her needing to leave again, and take care of this problem once and for all, but she could only do that if she knew the two of them were safe.

 

To Be Continued Next Sunday  

 

Story by SaraUK

 

Edited and Posted by SamanthaK

    EDITORS NOTE: Please Comment and/or leave Kudos and let Sara know you like her work please, Any comments on spelling, grammar or the layout of the story please PM me “Samanthak” not Sara. Thank you