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  The slight breeze at her back limited the usefulness of her nose, and the forest limited the usefulness of her eyes, though her ears could hear a faint whining that could only come from a man made object. This was the direction that she would go, for she knew that her target was to be somewhere in this general area.

  Carefully she made her way through the woods, certain to step where not a sound would be made, for her target was the second best at what he did, and she was not about to allow him to know that she was coming. With her enhanced senses, and Shin Tzu’s knowledge that they had given her, she was the very best at what he did, and it would soon be his turn to pay the price for his part in creating her.

  Scanning about, Viper saw many things. So many insects called this place their home, as well as many small animals, and they all thought that she was unaware of their presence. They were wrong. She simply had no interest in them.

  Slowly she continued for about a mile deeper into the woods, and the sound was getting closer. She knew that it had to be just over the hill, yet as the wind changed directions, she caught the scent of something familiar. It was the smell of death, and it was not what she had been expecting.

  She quickened her pace, but remained cautious as she moved toward the scent. It could be a deception, and she was not about to be caught off guard.

  As she reached the top of the hill, she could see a small camp through the trees, and as she scanned the area, she believed that there was no one out there watching her. He was very good at what he did, but he could not hide from the wildlife, and they were indicating that she was out there alone.

  On the other hand, there was a lot of insect activity near the camp, and though she could not yet see a body, she knew that one was there.

  Feeling safe enough, Viper walked normally to the small camp, where she saw the satellite uplink, and it was still active. Obviously, it was the source of the noise that she had heard, but a normal human would not have heard it, even this close.

  Next to it were the ashes of a small campfire that had long since gone cold, and she knew that she had gotten here far too late.

  Glancing into the small, earthen shelter, she found Shin Tzu there, hunched over, with the tip of a Japanese short sword protruding from his back, and etched in the dirt in front of him, three simple words.

  "I am sorry," it said, and Viper accepted his apology, for he was the only one willing to accept any blame for what they had done to her. She had hoped to kill him herself, yet was touched with respect, for he showed great honor.

  "I forgive you," she said as she stood, and began to make her way back toward civilization. "Perhaps god will have mercy on you."

  This left only her firearms instructor, and she was certain that Captain Ryan Pierce would attempt to put up a fight. He was, after all, a soldier, and not the type of warrior that Shin Tzu was.

  "I'm coming for you," she whispered with disdain in her tone.

  * * *

  Robert Winston had awakened in the woods, and was fortunate enough to find his way back to the jeep in the dark, where he found that Kitty’s was long gone.

  His ride back to the lodge was as lonely as it was confusing, and he only hoped that he would find her there, waiting for him to return, but when he arrived, the jeep was not there either.

  Parking, he made his way to the door, and opened it with the key, still hoping that she would be inside, yet found disappointment once more. He did not care what she had done to him, or even that she had deceived him with a false accent. He only wanted to be with her, but his fears had proven to be correct.

  On one of the pillows, he saw a folded letter, and he quickly opened it, and began to read. What it had to say, however, was bitter sweet.

  She explained that she was a government operative that knew too much, and that they were now hunting her. She told him that she was sorry for using him, but she needed to get far away, or they would kill her, and that she could never allow them to find her with him, or they would kill him too.

  She said that she had developed strong feelings for him, and that had made it hard for her to leave, though also made it even more necessary.

  "Perhaps we will cross paths in New York City," Kitty ended the note, which was the destination on the other airline ticket that she had given him, and he had no idea that she had set everything up for him there as well.

  Certainly, he would be leaving first thing in the morning, but now he laid down with a smile, knowing that he would at least see her in his dreams. What he did not know was that her ticket was taking her to the opposite coast, but she felt the need to leave him with hope in his heart.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Sweet Dreams

  The trip to the top of the empire state building would normally take little time at all, yet Mirage was able to make it take as long as she needed. She was with the one that she loved, and he had a question for her that she was eager to answer.

  "How did you survive?" Ryan questioned, ready to hear how she could even be here. "I saw you killed with my own eyes."

  It was less than a week ago that he had seen it. It was a moment that ripped at both his heart and his soul. It was a short video where he had seen her die, and it was his own friend Captain Brandon Jacobs who had pulled the trigger. He meant well, for he had considered her an abomination to God, created by science, but he had never had the chance to actually meet her. He never had the chance to fall in love with her as Ryan had.

  Mirage slightly saddened, as she smiled lovingly up at Ryan with her light blue eyes. She did not want to make him believe that she had died, but she had no other choice, for if he did not believe it, the others might not have as well, and her survival had depended on it.

  "I may not be able to project illusions into the camera with my mind," she began to explain as she reached over, and held his hand, "but mankind has been doing it for quite a while now."

  At this, he threw her a confused expression, so she continued.

  "I used your head gear to create something like a movie," she explained as he listened intently. "Then I used it to make your friend believe that he killed me."

  "Italy has many kind people that were convinced to help me record my own death," she went on. "They have an adequate movie industry, and what your friend had thought was a mosquito bite on his neck was actually a dart. Once unconscious, I controlled what he thought that he saw."

  "After that," she finished with a smile that he had grown to adore, "I simply fed the footage from your goggles into his."

  "You are a very clever girl," Ryan told her as he pulled her into his embrace. "I’m just so glad that I didn't lose you."

  Kissing him on the cheek, Mirage whispered softly into his ear.

  "You will never lose me," she told him as the doors of the elevator opened, "unless you simply can't keep up."

  At this, she removed herself from his arms, and tossed him a playful grin, before darting out onto the rooftop.

  Quickly he followed her, determined to keep up, yet had no idea where she might be leading him. There really is no place to go when you get to the top of the Empire State building, except for back down, but he was about to find out how interesting that trip could be.

  As he reached the other side, he found her already beginning to put on a suit that had been conveniently lying there, and there was another one like it beside her.

  Frantically he began to put it on, as she giggled cutely his way. It was a wingsuit, and it could only mean one thing. They would be going back down in a far more interesting fashion.

  "Are you serious?" he asked as he zipped up the suit.

  "You're not afraid, are you?" she jested as she fastened her chute, and then stood on the edge where the fence appeared to be missing.

  "After you, Princess," he replied, and instantly she leaped outward.

  Having fastened his own chute, he ran to the edge, and launched himself from it, not willing to allow her to get too far ahead of him.

  Extending his lim
bs, Ryan began his glide above and behind Mirage, as she headed north on Fifth Avenue, but she abruptly banked left onto 34th street, and he was soon to be making the same maneuver.

  Drifting to the right, he gave himself as much room as possible, and then held his breath as he suddenly tilted his body to the left. Adrenalin raced through him, as he sped around the corner, and he nearly ran into the side of a building, though he quickly stabilized himself.

  Her next turn was a bit gentler, as she turned to glide north on Broadway, yet his relief was short-lived, for as he rounded the corner, he found that she had opened her chute, and he was soon to be upon her.

  Instantly, he pulled his own cord, and breathed a sigh of relief as he settled in behind her, by about thirty yards, which was close enough to see her smile brightly back at him.

  Gently they glided up Broadway, and soon they were approaching Central Park, which was as lively as it gets on a Saturday in the late spring. He was not worried, however, because he trusted her, and knew that she would lead him to a safe place.

  Drifting to the right, they passed over trees and people, and surely enough, she had found a safe place to land, though it was not exactly what he had been expecting.

  Softly she set down smack dab in the middle of the pond, and he was soon setting down beside her. The water was cool, and a bit deep, so he quickly removed the chute, and the wingsuit, and as he treaded the water, he could see her emerge upon the shore, stepping out in an attractive, white bikini.

  Swimming up to the shore himself, he stepped out of the water to find her wearing an elegant blue dress, while holding a dark gray tuxedo on a hanger in her left hand.

  "I bet you’ll always be able to surprise me," Ryan told her as he accepted the clothing, and began to change into them.

  "You can bet I will always try," Mirage replied. "Now come with me."

  Taking him by the hand, she led him over to 59th street, where a carriage had been awaiting her arrival.

  "I will only get in if you kiss me," she told him as he offered her a hand to enter.

  A large smile grew upon her face, which slanted her Asian eyes a bit further, but then he grabbed her unexpectedly, and pressed his lips firmly to her own.

  He had wanted the feeling of her lips on his own, but what he had found was a passion that consumed him. Certainly, he had hoped for such a thing from her, but he was realistic. He was reluctant to believe that such a beautiful woman would ever be so openly passionate toward him.

  "Ok," he said in almost a stutter, as he helped her into the carriage, and was quick to follow, with a look of happiness mixed with simplicity.

  "Will you love me forever," he asked, placing his hands upon her own, and she was quick to draw him in once more, yet this time it was a loving embrace.

  "I will not age," she whispered into his ear, "and I will love you long after you have no breath."

  At this, he began to understand that she would outlive him, and he contemplated life with her in his elder years. He would be old, and she would be forever beautiful, which meant that he would be holding her back.

  "Your age will never matter to me," Mirage began to explain, "because I will always have to deal with this."

  Ryan started to think about such a statement, yet she began to tell him more.

  "If I am afraid of age, then I will never feel true love, for I will have to live forever," she said in a somber tone, as the carriage began to move. "Unless I am killed, and I am not ready for that yet."

  "I’ll never allow any harm to come to you," he told her, as he softly stroked her cheek, "and I will always be here for you."

  She did not have the heart to explain it to him again. She would never age, and she would have to eventually bury him, and this understanding was painful enough, but she chose to allow him to believe that he was the one to protect her.

  "You are so sweet," she told him as she cupped his face in her hands, and laid an empathic kiss upon his lips, "but we have many more things to discuss."

  He was in a daze for a moment, but eventually found the strength to ask her what she had meant.

  "Like what?"

  Settling back into the seat, she looked forward, wearing a smile that resembled the way that he felt.

  "I have chosen a name," she told him, and her expression was that of beauty mixed with somberness.

  "Please tell," he said excitedly, eager to hear new things from her, and he understood that this one was very important to her.

  "I have chosen Sangmu," she said without ever looking his way, but then turned to him. "It is Tibetan, meaning kind hearted one, and that is what I aspire to be."

  He thought about this for a moment before he spoke again.

  "That is very fitting, and it’s beautiful, Sangmu."

  This was the best response that Mirage could have hoped for, and she quickly pulled him back to herself. His heart was everything that she had already known it to be, and she found herself not disappointed.

  "You are a special man," she told him, yet he quickly put his finger to her lips.

  "You already know how special you are," Ryan explained, "and I already know that I am special enough to be with you. You complete me."

  At this, she did not kiss him again, but pulled him to herself, and embraced him endearingly. He was to be her first true love. She understood that there might be others after he passed, but he would always be the first, and nothing could ever change that.

  "So, where are we going?" he asked.

  "The Russian Tea Room," she said as she tilted her head downward with a smile, but never looked back up at him. "Every man has to eat."

  He thought about this one as well, and found himself uncomfortable with the idea of "every man." To him, they were equals, despite the fact that she was far beyond any human, yet she still tried to choose the role of the lesser one, and he was not about to allow that.

  "I never want you to act like you are less than me," he told her, "because you are far more than my equal."

  She was Mirage, and she could project images into the minds of others, and she could only do this by seeing deeply inside of them. He was beginning to realize that she understood him better than he understood himself.

  "I will allow you to be the man," she said with a devilish grin, "but you had better do it well."

  At this, he found comfort. He felt that he was a man, and she was his love, and there is hardly a greater feeling in all of life.

  As the carriage made its way down Seventh Avenue, Sangmu leaned over, and placed her head on Ryan's shoulder. She seemed so content, and the emotions that ran through him were ones that he had not felt for a very long time. His job had hardened him, but she had brought back feelings that reminded him of innocent times.

  "Will you really always be with me?" he asked her, and she raised her head to reveal her light blue eyes, before answering the question.

  "‘Til death do us part," she smiled back at him, and the warm feelings that she had caused became greatly amplified.

  Here she was, the most beautiful woman that he had ever known, or could even ever dream of, and she was implying that she would like to be his wife. Certainly, he would like to ask her this very moment, but he wanted the unforgettable moment to be of his own design.

  First, he would need a ring, and a simple ring would not do. It had to be as unique, and as special as she was, so he would have to do a little research, and consider all of his options.

  Then he would have to pick the perfect time and place. The time would have to be after they had resolved the problem of Viper, and he would have to choose a place in accordance with where they were at the time.

  Surely, there would be flowers, and whatever he could come up with between now and then. Everything had to be as perfect as she was, for he would have it no other way.

  "You shouldn't think so hard," she told him as she laid her head back on his shoulder, and she was right. There would be time for it, and he did not want to miss a single moment of the p
resent.

  Surprising Mirage was obviously not an option.

  Finally, they reached the Restaurant, and Ryan was quick to exit the carriage so that he could gently help her from it.

  "Thank you," she replied in almost a whisper as she tucked her arm under his, and allowed him to lead her into the Tea Room.

  The doorman held open the large red door, and on the other side waited a young man in a tuxedo, eager to guide them to the table that had been awaiting their arrival.

  The dining room was extravagant, with red chairs, pale green walls, and beautiful paintings displayed throughout. The shiny, golden ice holders did well to bring a sparkle to the room, and Ryan was simply amazed.

  As they sat down, they were given a drink menu, and told that the maitre d would be arriving shortly. Surely enough, he arrived before they had the time to discuss it with each other, but Ryan found a simple solution.

  "It will be the lady's choice," he told the man before he could say a word.

  "Very good, sir," the maitre d answered in a most sophisticated fashion, and then turned his attention to Mirage, who was still examining the list.

  "The Cristal Rosé sounds wonderful," she decided, as she lowered the menu, and gazed up into Ryan's eyes with an endearing smile, "because it is a very special day."

  "Excellent choice," the man told her before turning to fetch a bottle.

  Ryan could not stop looking at her, and he finally got the nerve to ask the question that had been bothering him the most.

  "Why do you love me?" he asked without blinking. "You know what kind of things I've done for my country, and they are not the type of things that you would approve of."

  Reaching across the table, she gently placed her hands upon his, and caressed them with her thumbs.

  "I wish to be honest with you, Ryan," she told him as she looked lovingly into his eyes. "I am able to see deeply inside of peoples minds, and yours is no different."

  "You are not like the others," she went on to explain. "Any time that you have to hurt someone, it hurts you dearly, and you always wish that you had not had to do such a thing, but you are a soldier, and you follow orders."