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  "She tried to kill me!" she cried loudly, before curling back into her defensive position, and them mumbling. "Why did she try to kill me?"

  "Who tried to kill you?" he implored as he placed his hand upon her shoulder, but quickly she turned, and wrapped her arms around him.

  "I went to see Madame Jasmine," she cried softly in his ear. "I thought that she might be able to help me, but instead she tried to kill me."

  Pulling slightly away from her, he placed his hands on her cheeks, and brushed away her tears with his thumbs.

  "Who is Madame Jasmine?" he asked, never having had the need to know.

  "She was the one who was in charge of my sensuality," she told him as she stared off to the side, as many different emotions seemed to race through her mind.

  It pained him to see her this way, and he desperately wanted to find the words that would comfort her, but he needed first to know the answer to one very important question.

  "Is she... dead?" he asked, unable to finish his sentence, yet they both knew what he was trying to say.

  "I think so," she replied, finally raising her gaze to meet his own, as she began to cry again. "Why did she want to kill me?"

  He did not know how to answer such a question, and he had not the heart to tell her that many people would soon be trying to kill her. All he wanted to do was to comfort, and protect her, but he was beginning to understand just how difficult a task that was going to be.

  "I don't know, Kitten," he lied as he stood, and walked over to the bag from the mega-mart, "But things have become a bit more complicated."

  Pulling out the black bandana, he went back to where she still sat on the floor.

  "You'll need to put this on sooner than I had expected," he told her as he handed her the item, and she took it with shaking hands. "They could have the triplets looking for you as we speak."

  For a moment, she simply held it as she stared at the floor, but then stared up at him with pain and confusion in her pale, green eyes.

  "You don't hate me now, do you?"

  Quickly he was back beside her, pulling her into his arms, and holding her tightly.

  "Don't you ever believe such a thing," he comforted as she returned the embrace, and laid her head softly on his shoulder. "I could never hate you, Kitten."

  For a short while, they sat like that, together, until she pulled herself away from him, and blindfolded herself. This of course, was the only way to keep the triplets from locating her, for they could only see things through the eyes of their target.

  Mirage had a mind that could greatly confuse what they saw when they would try to look through her eyes, but Viper's talents were quite different, and she was unable to stop them otherwise.

  "Please don't leave me alone tonight," she begged of him, but he never had any intention of doing such a thing. Right now he figured that she needed him more than ever, and he was not about to abandon her.

  "I'm not going anywhere," he told her as he pulled her back into his arms, and she returned the embrace, and continued to cry upon his shoulder.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Passion and Sorrow

  Slowly, Ryan began to awaken upon the soft ground, as the sound of the waterfall played gently with his emotions. The light of the moon and stars shone down upon him, as thoughts of a beautiful Asian woman danced within his clouded mind. Now he had tasted her passion, and the love he had developed for her, he knew to be as real as any emotion he had ever felt.

  Sitting up he glanced around, and was saddened by the fact that she was not there beside him, though it was quickly overpowered by the euphoria that the thought of her brought. Wherever she had wandered off to, he knew that she could not be too far. He was, after all, on an island.

  Standing, he walked to the pool's edge, and splashed some of the cold water on his face before drinking some from his cupped hand. It did well to clear the haze of sleep from his mind, and his life before he first arrived here did not seem to matter at all. He was certain that he would rather spend the rest of his days here with her, than to remember whom he was, and return to his old life alone.

  "Princess," he called out in less than a yell, yet received no reply. He may have been alone at the moment, but it bothered him not at all, for the memory of her soft lips and passionate form were still fresh upon his mind.

  Casually he walked back to where he had been laying, and picked his clothing up off the ground before putting them back on. He was not certain whether he should stay put, or go looking for her, but his desire to be near her made up his mind for him.

  His first thought was to go back in the direction they had came from, and hope that he found his way back to the sanctuary through the dense jungle, but a better idea occurred to him. The river that ran out from the pool would likely lead him back to the spot behind her simple abode, and it was far less likely that he would get lost that way.

  Quickening his pace, he began his way along the water's edge, eager to find his love. Since he could not remember his life before the island, he was not certain if he had ever felt this way before, but he knew that he never wanted to lose such an emotion. The happiness plant had given him a rather pleasant feeling, though could not compare to what he was now experiencing.

  Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of light on the other side of the river. Turning his head he could see that it was a torch moving through the denseness of the jungle, and a smile grew large upon his face.

  The water did not seem as cold anymore, as he quickly made his way across the river, and onto the opposite bank. He was certain that the warmth of her embrace would cure any shivers that he might become afflicted with.

  Unfortunately, as he began to make his way through the jungle toward the source of light, he began to notice that something was not quite right. Whoever was carrying the torch did not move with the same grace that the beautiful princess always did, and that led him to only one conclusion. It had to be one of the savages, and he was not about to be spotted by him.

  Lowering his stance he turned, and began to make his way back to the river. Before stepping out from the trees, however, he saw another one of them walking along the water's edge on the opposite side.

  Slowly and carefully, he began to walk back toward the waterfall where he had last seen his love, and he now believed that it would have been wise to have stayed there to await her return. He only hoped that she was safe wherever she was.

  The trip back was a bit more difficult, as he fought his way through the jungle in the dark. Although the trees were easily seen, the smaller plants would occasionally trip him slightly as he tried to keep an eye on the flickering torches. What troubled him the most was that the one on the other side of the river was moving upstream as well.

  Finally, he neared the clearing, but what he found troubled him even more. The third savage was there with a torch of his own, examining the burning embers that, not long ago, had been providing him warmth. He surely could have used that warmth right now as his wet clothes did nothing to protect him from the slight chill of the night, but he had not the time to concern himself with that.

  Crouching even lower, he glanced at the flickering light of all three torches, before determining his next course of action. He was not prepared for a direct confrontation, and it was unfortunate that the clearest path to avoid them led in a direction that would take him further away from her sanctuary.

  He could also find a good place to hide, where he could watch them in silence, hoping that they would give him the opportunity to get around them, and back on the path that led back to more familiar places. This, he figured, was his best option, so he glanced around to find the best available spot.

  Slowly he moved further into the jungle away from the waterfall, until he found a tree that had a large enough trunk to conceal him. It was not the best of hiding places, but he had the aid of the darkness, and as he crouched behind it, he could still see the light of all three torches.

  The first man t
hat he had seen had made his way to the river, and was walking toward the falls, while the other had found his way to the burning embers, joining the one that was already there. Clearly, they could not see him as he remained hidden in the darkness, but they were surely looking around in the hopes of finding someone.

  Thoughts of her began to run rampant through his mind. What if they had already found her? As adept as she was in this environment, he really doubted that, and he figured that they could have only found her had they stumbled upon the campsite as they laid there sleeping. Actually, he never knew if she had fallen asleep with him or not, and the fact that she was gone when he awoke made him certain that she must still be out there.

  What could she possibly be doing right now, he wondered, and what if he had not awakened before they had wandered into the camp? Nonetheless, he found contentment in simply believing that she was safe, but that peace of mind gave way to instincts as the nearest torch came to a stop, and seemed to concentrate upon his direction.

  Slowly he began to back away from the tree that had offered him concealment, eager to distance himself from the flame. He did not think that he could be seen in the darkness, but the savage continued to slowly move toward him.

  Then it happened. A loud crack came from beneath his foot, which echoed through the silence of the dark jungle, and the man with the torch stopped where he was. This pause was brief, and the light of the torch began to dance frantically as the savage began to run directly his way.

  Without hesitation he turned, and began quickly up the gentle slope of the mountain's base, and was delighted that the soft ground did well to keep his steps silent. He could only hope that he did not happen upon another branch that would give away the direction that he had taken.

  Having gone a good distance, he glanced back to notice that the flickering torch had passed his last location, and he was relieved to see that the savage had not discovered his path. He also remembered how he had thought that he had lost them during his first encounter, only to get surprised by a blow to the back of the head. Keeping this in mind, he continued to move further up the slope, knowing that it would not be a difficult task to find his way back.

  Suddenly he saw something up ahead that appeared to be the light of the moon reflecting off something white. It seemed to be moving ever so slightly, and was certainly not one of the savages, which only aroused his curiosity.

  Slowly he crept in its direction, and he began to see that it was the shape of a large, four-legged animal, yet it was not alone. In front of it was a silhouette, and it was beautiful enough to be only one person, but still he approached with caution. The island had surprised him many times already, and he had surely learned to expect the unexpected.

  As he got closer, the type of animal it was had become apparent except for one small detail. It was a horse, but there was a glistening white horn extending from its forehead, and as far as he knew, unicorns where still a thing of fantasy. Certainly, his eyes must be playing tricks on him.

  Just then, it turned its head toward him with its ears clearly directed upon him, which froze him where he stood. Although it was only a matter of a few seconds, it seemed like an eternity as he stared into its deep blue eyes that seemed to pierce into the depths of his soul. Standing there motionless did not even seem to be voluntary, but more as though it were required of him, yet caused him no fear.

  Suddenly it darted off into the denseness of the lightless jungle, leaving only the silhouette of the beautiful princess staring back at him, and he began to make his way to her.

  Stepping into the clearing, his heart fluttered as he approached the exotic beauty that had captured his confused heart, though his heart began to sink when he saw the expression on her delicate face. She wore a simple smile, though tears were evident in her slightly squinted eyes. Like the look of a mother when her first-born enters the world on their own, she seemed both happy and sad, and he found himself at a loss for words.

  "The animal that you saw leaving is called Passion," she told him in nearly a whisper as she grabbed both of his hands, "and the savages have found me, through her."

  He did not understand what she was saying, because the men she was referring to were a good distance away, still at the base of the island's mountain. He glanced around just to be certain, and he could see that they were alone, yet before he could say anything, she lifted her index finger to his lips.

  "There are many things that will begin to make sense very soon," she explained without releasing him from her gaze, "but first, the sorrow will come."

  Before he could ask what the sorrow was, she pointed off into the distance behind him, and when he turned, he could see a massive storm lighting up the horizon.

  Pulling him to her lips, she passionately reassured him of her feelings, and as she did, she gently lowered him to the soft ground. Straddling his hips she pinned his arms by his head, and looked playfully down upon him, though still there was that look of sorrow in her eyes.

  "For now, you need to rest, my love," she whispered softly, before kissing him on his forehead, and as though a spell had been cast upon him, sleep overcame him once more.

  * * *

  Colonel McClure had a lovely wife who did well to retain much of her beauty, even in the elder years of her life, and her cooking was well refined over the course of their forty-three-year marriage. Tonight she made him his favorite (a seven-bone roast, braised in a burgundy sauce, with all the fixings), and she placed the plate in front of him as he smiled up at her.

  "You're the best, Emma."

  "I know," she replied with a smile of her own, before she sat across from him, in front of her own plate. When they first met, she did not have a high opinion of herself, but he was not going to allow that.

  "I am going to tell you how beautiful you are until you believe it yourself," he had told her, and then began to do so, repeatedly, until she could not take it anymore. Since then, she felt it was simply best to agree with him, and eventually she began to believe it herself.

  The tender roast crumbled beneath his fork, but before he could drown himself in its majestic flavor, his cell phone began to ring in the other room.

  "This had better be good news," he said as he excused himself from the table, and stepped into the living room. He had received only bad news over the course of more than a week, and he felt that he was due for something better.

  Lifting the phone from the end table, he took a deep breath before answering it.

  "Talk to me."

  "The triplets have located Mirage, sir," the voice told him in an almost excited tone. "It seems that the target has been at the hospital with Captain Pierce the entire time."

  "Why didn't I figure that out from the start?" the weathered colonel whispered to himself, before presenting the next question. "Has she been eliminated?"

  The man on the other end paused for a moment, because it was the colonel himself who gave the order to never refer to her as a "she", or anything else that would humanize her. She was to be seen as a tool, and nothing more; a genetically engineered operative with the sole purpose of advancing their agendas.

  "Not yet, sir," he finally replied, "but the two closest operatives are only two hours away. I just thought that you could use the good news."

  "It is good news," he reluctantly replied, "but it means nothing, if the target is not terminated. Keep me informed."

  At this, the colonel ended the conversation, and returned to the dining room table, where Emma still sat smiling at him. He was uncertain if it had been good news or not at this time, but he was certain that he was with beautiful company, and he was not about to let his thinking cloud that, or take away the pleasure of such a wonderful meal.

  "Don't let it get cold, Douglas," she said with a grin that seemed suggestive, and they both enjoyed the rest of their evening together.

  * * *

  The cold rain and brisk wind pulled him from his dream, and he smiled because she had been there. This time, however,
they were not on the island, and she had been wearing a navy blue skirt-suit. Certainly, she had a beautiful aura about her no matter what she was wearing, but she almost seemed familiar in such attire.

  Standing he brushed back his wet hair, and glanced around, only to find that she was gone once again. He hoped that the savages were no longer in the area, because he was determined to make it back to the sanctuary. If being away from her was not bad enough, the storm gave him a bit of a chill, and the simple shelter would seem even more comforting under such circumstances.

  He found it unfortunate that the wind blew the moist air straight into his face as he descended the base of the mountain, yet the denseness of the jungle did offer the occasional break.

  When he arrived back at the waterfall, he found no signs of life, and it was not just that there was no one to be seen. Even every trace of the small fire pit was nonexistent. The grass could not have grown over night, but there it was, right where the fire had been.

  He could not believe his eyes, so he swam to the other side, and when he got there, he ran his feet through the grass. This caused him to question whether it was even the same waterfall, but everything else was exactly how he remembered it.

  Turning downstream, he began to walk the river's edge at a quickened pace until he reached the spot that lead up to the sanctuary. He was now familiar with these trees, and ascending the hillside was no longer any trouble at all, even in the midst of the raging storm. The problem began when he reached the top.

  Looking carefully around, he saw no sign of the sanctuary at all. Everything was overgrown as though it had never been there at all, and his mind was overwhelmed with confusion. Surely, he was in the right spot.

  Stepping out into the clearing, he saw the path that would take him to the beach, but it was not a beaten path. It too was overgrown, as though no one had ever walked upon it, though it seemed the only way to continue.

  In a state of disarray, he walked the length of the narrow clearing, occasionally reaching out to touch the wet plant life, only to make certain that they were truly there, and not a figment of his imagination.