by Robert C Ray
"When they believe such a thing," Mirage replied with her fingers intertwined upon her lap as she leaned forward, "they no longer have the need to find you."
Viper already realized this, but figured it would be very difficult to hide behind a rising body count, and she was far from finished. Ryan may have been the last one who needed to die that had any involvement in her creation, but there was an entire government that was responsible for allowing them to do so.
"Why do you send an illusion to speak to me?" she asked of Mirage, as she finally turned her head in that direction. "You are the closest thing I have to family, and I have no reason to harm you."
This may have been true for the moment, yet Mirage felt no need to take any chances. She considered Viper to be rather unstable, and there was no telling how she would feel by conversations end. Certainly, she was not about to underestimate her.
"Trust is something earned," Mirage told her, "and as long as you wish to kill the man that I love, I could never trust you."
Viper sat silent for a moment, remembering the man that she had loved. Charlie was hardly charming, or even handsome, but she simply adored his innocence. It was a shame that he had to have been involved with her creation, yet even if he was not, he would have only encumbered her on her mission.
"You should kill him yourself," Viper said with a tone so cold. "I killed mine, and it truly sets you free."
Mirage did not expect to sway her decision, but she had a different motive for being here.
"I can sense the baby inside of you," she told Viper, having finally turned to look at her directly. "Why would you even consider such a thing?"
To her, the answer was easy. They had made her believe that she had been abducted at a very young age, and then they tortured her over the course of what seemed to be so many years. The thought of giving her own child a life that she felt she had deserved was overwhelming, but hardly was she about to explain all of this.
"I am not without the instinct to procreate," Viper replied.
They both sat there for a moment that seemed like an eternity to them both, but actually spanned the time of about five seconds. If nothing else, they had in common the reality that they were not normal in this world.
"Did you come to pray for your sins?" Mirage asked.
She knew that she had not, yet needed to hear her response, and was hoping to plant a seed that would eventually lead to kindness. All life was sacred to her... even one such as Viper.
Viper smiled back at her in a way that seemed as devilish as they come, and then answered her with a tone of seriousness that could be compared to lightning.
"I came here to pray for the souls of those that I send to god," she said before focusing her attention first to the candles, and then to the crucifix, "because they need my forgiveness before they get his."
The things that Viper had done, or for that matter, was willing to do, did not change Mirage's mind. Her heart was much different, and she felt for everyone, and to be quite honest, she saw honesty in Viper's heart, which was more than she could say about most of the population that she had encountered.
Nonetheless, Mirage could not allow her to continue.
Suddenly, Viper detected the scent of gun oil, which was only followed by the sound of stealthy feet. She looked up and around, and could easily see the slightest differences in the shadows as they moved. There were many of them, and it was far too late to run.
"You clever witch," she said to the illusion of Mirage, before standing to look over to the corner where she had detected her scent from the very beginning. "You tricked me."
Without coming out of the shadows, Mirage dispelled the illusion of herself, though was quite capable of projecting her words as well.
"You left me no choice," Viper heard whispered within her own ears.
Standing from the pew, the petite blonde made her way to the path in the middle, quite capable of detecting every heartbeat that had made its way near her. There were many, and though she considered an exit to be slightly possible, she considered something else as well.
"There is a flaw in your strategy," she whispered back at Mirage, as she got down upon her knees, and locked her fingers behind her head. "Now, I don't even have to find him, because you will bring him to me."
At this, those that were there to take her into custody began to spring from their hiding places, barking orders of surrender, and she felt no need to resist.
In chess, the goal is to capture the king, and when one strategy is thwarted, you simply find the next best strategy.
"I'll make you watch him die," she thought to herself, well aware that Mirage was able to hear it, and it brought her satisfaction when she could sense her discomfort.
The first thing Viper sensed was the tensing of her muscles. She knew this because Mirage’s feet had become rigid, and were much less stealthy.
The second was her heartbeat, for it played a rhythm of worry, and Viper’s ears could hear it well.
The final truth was in her scent, for even though Mirage was capable of controlling emotions more than others, her pores excreted still enough for Viper’s nose to detect.
"I'll see you soon, princess," she said as the SWAT team descended upon her, knowing that she had well placed fear upon the chessboard.
* * *
The seared scent of the tenderloin sent up fragrant whiffs, yet it could not capture Ryan’s attention, for the woman that had consumed his heart was not sitting with him at the small table. Mindlessly, he pushed about the asparagus with his fork, allowing the white cheddar sauce to drift about upon the elegant plate. It was such a delectable dish, but was as simple as sand without her.
His eyes stared straight ahead, seeing nothing before him, for his mind was consumed by the memory of her beautiful face, and for that, he was blind of his surroundings. Anything that his eyes might cross would only give his heart some reason to compare such a thing with her, and everything was now beautiful, because she was beautiful.
Finally, he cut into the steak, and though he could see how perfectly cooked it was, his mind did not notice. As he placed it upon his pallet, if his taste buds found it exciting, his heart would not allow him to realize it.
Truth be told, Sang had been gone for hours, and Ryan was beginning to worry, for he certainly understood what danger there was out there. He felt helpless without her, and though he understood that she was more capable of dealing with such a threat, he still wanted to be near her. To protect her in any way that he could.
Finally, he stood, and went to the window. He knew that it was not prudent, but Mirage was out there, and even though he understood that it would not bring her closer to him, he felt closer to her by doing so.
When the door opened, he turned excitedly, and instantly wanted to run to her, yet his manly pride would not allow such a response. Instead, he began to casually approach her.
She too wanted to run to him, but for a more urgent reason. She was, however, able to see deeply inside of him, and her approach was to match his own. She felt the same way about him, as he did her, and she was more than happy to accept the emotion of the moment.
When he reached her, he did not have to draw her to himself, for she was eager to place herself within his arms, and before he could utter the words upon his tongue, she had done so before him.
"I missed you," she whispered softly in his ear, before allowing him to consume her eager lips, only to pull away before he was willing, "but we have to be going."
For a brief moment, he simply looked down upon her face, and admired for a moment, the woman that he had so deeply fallen in love with. At this very moment, there were no worries, though he was certain that the question that he was about to ask would bring one, in one way or another.
"And where do we have to go?"
Feeling his passion, Mirage delayed her answer long enough to allow it to send a tingle throughout her delicate form, yet she knew that things had to be done in a timely manner.
"The police have captured Viper," she told him with a slight smile, understanding that this would allow his mind to peek out from behind his heart, "and they are waiting for us to come and take her into custody."
Suddenly Ryan’s professionalism took over, and though he withdrew slowly, not so willing to end the emotion abruptly, he knew that he had to consider the task at hand.
"And just how is this going to go down?" he asked.
Mirage turned, and headed for the door, well aware that he was ready to follow her.
"I will explain it to you on the way," she answered in a tone that gently allowed his head to get back into the game, "but we must be leaving."
* * *
Sitting in the back of the transport van, Viper’s ankles were cuffed, as well as her hands, and a short chain connected them both. She seemed so incapable of doing anything, but they had no idea. It was not as though they could have actually been told what they were dealing with, and she knew this.
Both of the men that were with her kept their eyes upon her at all times, and their rifles were always pointed in her direction. They were given specific instructions, and they followed them to the letter, despite the beauty that she radiated. They were soldiers, and they resisted as best they could.
Viper sat in her own mind, and began to cry. It was not a situation that she had anticipated, yet here she was.
"Where are they taking me?" she asked, as she looked up from her restraints, yet they were ordered to not communicate with her in any way, so they sat silent.
It was an uncomfortable silence, because neither of them could believe that such a lovely young lady, being so tiny in stature, would ever be a threat to anyone. She was a very young woman, and there was no way that she could ever be able to harm them, but orders are orders. You follow them, or you disgrace yourself.
"Why are you doing this to me?" she began to sob, as she lowered her head, before raising it again, and shouting at them.
"I didn't do anything!"
At this, she buried her head in her lap, and cried. There were many things that she had gone through, and they all brought her pain, but this was a moment of her own design.
"I'm sorry, but I just don't get it," one of the men felt the need to state, very uncomfortable with the idea of treating such a petite young lady in such a way. "What could she have possibly done?"
The other man was a veteran, with the occasional gray hair to prove it, and though he was feeling very much the same way, he was far more disciplined.
"Orders are orders," he stated in a tone that was unempathic. "We just follow them."
For a short while, they both sat there, staring at her because they were told to do so, but not thinking the way that it was intended. She seemed so fragile, both physically, and emotionally, and it ate at them both.
Finally, Viper looked up, with tears in her eyes.
"I'm so tired," she whispered, as her lean to one side seemed to indicate the truth of this. "You look so tired too."
At this, both of their eyes began to blink, and the events of the day began to burden their minds to the point of encumbrance. Each bump in the road now worked against them, just as they do a baby, and like one, they soon found themselves in dreamland.
Not even Mirage understood all about her, for her mind was very strong, and she was able to keep most of her secrets to herself. One was the ability to curl her hands like a piece of paper, until they were even smaller in circumference than her wrists were.
Seeming without any effort, she removed her restraints, and then did something very similar with her feet, and removed them from there as well. This was what they had made her capable of doing, yet she was not about to thank them for it, despite how useful it was at the moment.
"Such sweet little angels," Viper smirked at the two sleeping men, as she tossed her chains to the floor. "Be thankful that you'll awaken."
* * *
Ryan was in a state of confusion, and not because he didn’t know what to do. It was the confusion of a man that knew exactly what he needed to do, yet was consumed by his own thoughts of the woman that he loved, and she sat right next to him in the passenger seat of the black sedan that she had brought back to the hotel.
Mirage had told him that the police were not going to even process Viper, and that she would be handed over to them from the very vehicle that they were transporting her in, but Ryan felt uncomfortable. It was not that he was afraid of Viper, because he trusted Mirage whole-heartedly. It was just that he did not like the idea that Sangmu would see him in the state of mind that was indicative to the type of man that the government had turned him into. He seemed to forget at times that she knew him far better than he even knew himself.
When they got there, he was to shoot Viper with the tranquilizer gun, and the dart looked large enough to drop a small elephant. In fact, it was, but that is what it would take to put her down.
Mirage told him that the SWAT unit would never even see it happen, and as far as they would be able to tell, it would be a simple transfer. Not even Viper would see it coming.
Once she was under, Mirage would take control of her mind, and would create an environment and scenario that Viper would never be able to tell from the truth. A medically induced coma would finish off her plan, and Viper would be allowed to live in a world that she would be most happy with.
Ryan thought that it would be far safer to kill her, but never mentioned it. He figured that Sang knew how he felt about it, yet hardly wanted to come across as a killer to the peaceful woman that he loved. Besides, trust is a part of love, and he certainly trusted her.
"When we arrive," Mirage finally spoke up after about ten minutes of silence, "you only need to follow me, and I will make them see what they need to see."
Ryan looked over at her, and smiled. She was so beautiful, even under such circumstances, and he was delighted that her calculated mind could not prevent her heart from causing her perfect lips to smile back at him.
Had she been anyone else, he knew that she would have paused to ask him why he was smiling, but he understood that she already knew. This was why she blushed, and turned slightly away.
"You may not need to focus much," Mirage told him without ever looking directly back up at him, yet never ceasing to smile, "but I do."
His thoughts, however inappropriate for the moment, were still quite flattering, and even a mind as advanced as her own, found it difficult to concentrate under the weight of such a feeling.
"Okay, Sang," he said while looking straight ahead at the road, and the timing was well enough to put his own mind in a state that he understood very well. He was now pulling off the highway, and into the rest area where the transfer was to take place, so his training did what it was supposed to do.
Ryan’s eyes began to comb the area, though the darkness left so many places hidden. He was now well aware that Mirage could sense the minds around her, but he needed to know as much as he could, in a way that he understood.
"Is she here?" he asked her as they neared the van that was to have Viper within it, but her answer was a little discomforting.
"Yes she is," Mirage replied, "though something is very wrong."
He tried to ask her what she meant by that, as he began to evaluate the scene as best he could, while she had closed her eyes, and became silent.
The van was right where it was supposed to be, with two squad cars parallel to it, and two more flanking to either side. The fact that a uniformed officer stood outside of each car, while two fully geared SWAT officers were positioned at the back of the van, made it all seem very secure, yet Mirage still sat in a trance-like state beside him.
"What's wrong?" Ryan asked her as he pulled into a spot that was about fifty feet away from the position. Mirage did not answer right away.
For a time, she just sat there, with her eyes closed, and there was no answer forthcoming. He could see that she was alive, yet she did not move
"What's wrong?" he asked again, and finall
y she raised her head, and looked him in the eye.
"Don't move until I figure this out," she told him.
* * *
From the shadows, Viper sat and watched the car that had come. She knew that Mirage would sense that things were amiss, but she also knew that she would not run away. Instead, Mirage would try to find a calculation that made sense of it all, and that is exactly what she counted on.
She watched as two men exited the car that came, but she was hardly fooled. She was well aware that Mirage could have been projecting the image, and she understood that this witch could deceive her own eyes.
Viper also understood that the back door to the van would not open itself, and that one of them would have to open it, for she had made certain that no one else would do it.
At that moment, she would drop one of them, and she really did not care which one it was, because the other would soon follow.
If it was Mirage who opened the door, Ryan would be very alone, and she could then get up close and personal, yet if Ryan was the one to open the door, she would fulfill her promise to make Mirage watch him die.
Either way, Viper was ready to end this chapter of her life, though would soon find that the task would be a little more complicated than first thought.
Suddenly, three choppers appeared, and their lights illuminated the entire area. To make matters worse, they were military, and certainly transporting a delta unit, if not multiple ones.
With precision, armed men began to repel to the ground below, and quickly set up a perimeter. She was not certain how they had found her so quickly, but to think about it at this moment would be a waste of time.
Viper needed a new plan, and she needed it quickly. For this, she needed to see things clearly, so she silenced her mind so that Mirage would be unaware of what she was doing.
Lifting her cell phone, she activated the camera, for the image would tell her the truth, as long as the witch did not realize that she was using it. What she found was disturbing, because neither Mirage nor Ryan ever actually exited the car, and they were now leaving the scene.
Viper’s anger began to boil, and her hatred was consuming. The most logical choice would be to get out of there, and find a different time and place to deal with them, but rage is never a logical emotion.