**** PART FIVE ****

When they arrived at room he had reserved for her, Dom was fully aware of her nervousness and was soaking it up like a wet sponge. This part of the game was always exciting for him, he was like a shark smelling fresh blood. Now the only question was how far she was going to allow him to "play".

Hoping that by this point he would have offered to get together sometime tomorrow, Nahla didn't know what to do. Should she make the offer and hope he agreed, eliminating the need to sleep with him? Then she remembered Madeline telling her that he had to do the pursuing. Damn!

Unlocking the door and swinging it open, Dom extended an arm inviting Nahla to enter the room. Smiling shyly, she did as he bid. It was a large suite and obviously one of the more expensive rooms that the hotel provided. Her suitcase and purse had already been retrieved and lay beside the dresser.

Nahla turned to speak to Dom, but he had other plans. Before she knew it, he had swept her into an embrace and captured her lips in a searing kiss. Nahla's knees nearly buckled at the emotions it invoked. He backed them up with small steps towards the bed, telling her without words what he wanted. When he had her lying back in a prone position, his mouth moved from her now swollen lips, tracing a path of feather-light kisses down the column of her neck.

Arriving at the juncture of her neck and shoulder he proceeded to purposely leave a mark on her fair skin. Feeling his hands roam over her body, Nahla tried not to flinch at his touch. It was bad enough that she had enjoyed his kisses, but allowing him to proceed further left her feeling like a traitor. No one but Jace should be touching her and kissing her.

Rolling them to their sides, Nahla felt Dom reached underneath her to tug at the zipper of her dress. Something about his movement caused Nahla to snap, she couldn't go through with this! It might mean her cancellation, but she wouldn't betray Jace this way!

Dom felt her begin to struggle and he laughed. He was thrilled that she wasn't going to be the docile little thing he thought. It made things all the more interesting when they protested and put up a fight. But it wouldn't matter in the end because he always got what he wanted.

"Dom, please, let me up!"

"Oh I don't think so," he replied, taking both of her hands in his and holding them above her head. This allowed his other hand free reign on her body.

"You can't do this, I'll scream!"

That just caused him to laugh. "Go ahead, I made sure there are no guests occupying the rooms surrounding this one. No one will hear you." He then reached into his coat pocket and removed a rope, taking just a moment to bind Nahla's wrists to the bed's headboard.

At that point Nahla became hysterical, screaming and crying for help. Unable to move from her position on the bed, she struggled against the bond as Dom began to divest himself of his clothing. Remaining in his boxer-briefs, he retrieved a small pocket-knife from his pants pocket.

Upon seeing the knife, Nahla renewed her effort to gain her release from the ropes that held her captive, her throat becoming raw from screaming. Dom straddled her body, using the knife to first cut the straps of her gown, lowering the bodice to feast his eyes upon her. He then moved to the gown's hem, slowly slicing a path upwards.

Nahla had ceased her struggle for fear of being cut by the knife, but she continued to plead and cry for his mercy. Dom just laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself and continuing his task. He had just passed her knees when there was a loud knock at the door.

"Hey! Is everything alright in there??" cried a voice from the hallway. Dom cursed but remained silent, slapping a hand over Nahla's mouth to prevent her from crying out. Taking the only chance she had, Nahla bit full force into the soft flesh between Dom's thumb and pointer finger.

Howling with pain, Dom reared back then struck Nahla full force across her cheek with his good hand. She reeled from the impact but didn't waste a minute before screaming for help! Two seconds later three men burst through the door.


Nahla immediately recognised them as Section. Michael and Roarke came in directly behind them. Michael kept a gun trained on Dom, "Get off of her," he ordered, his tone deadly.

"You got no business breaking in here like that. I'll have you arrested." Dom spat.

Roarke laughed at that statement. "I'd like to see you try."

As soon as Dom moved off of the bed, two of the other operatives took hold of each arm. Roarke quickly cut the rope binding Nahla to the bed before wrapping the bedspread around her. "Are you okay?" he asked, pulling her close for a moment. He could see that she wasn't. Nahla leaned against him for a moment but didn't say anything as she watched Michael and the three other operatives escort Dom out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"Where are they taking him?" Nahla asked, turning to look at Roarke, who had moved to open her suitcase and look for something for her to put on.

"Taking out the trash," he replied.

"They're not going to kill him, are they?"

"You want him to live after what he just tried to do to you??" Roarke asked
incredulously. He laid a set of clothes beside her then turned his back so
she could change.

"No, but what about the mission. I thought Operations and Madeline wanted him brought in alive?"

"Don't worry, he won't die just yet. He'll be taken in for questioning," Roarke replied, not telling her that he just might help Michael cancel the bastard. "You ready to go?"

"Yes, let's get out of here."

On the flight back to Section, Michael and Roarke insisted that Nahla get some rest, but every time she closed her eyes the memories returned. Unable to sleep, she returned to the front of the plane and took a seat next to Michael.

"How did you know I needed help?"

"You were never alone. Your earrings held a transmission only Comm unit," he explained. "We knew where to find you because you had a tail at all times."

"Ok, that's the third time information has been withheld from me on this mission. If I weren't so eternally grateful for what that last piece of information resulted in, I'd be seriously pissed right now!"

"You didn't need to know everything, your profile didn't require it."

"Michael would you drop the mission mode act and talk to me, not at me!" Nahla said in frustration. She noticed he lifted his eyes to glance around to make sure no one else was listening.

Reaching over, he took Nahla's hand in his. "I have to be that way in order to maintain authority over my team. There can be no room for emotion or the mission is likely to fail. I apologize for being hard on you, but I needed you to be strong. The best way to do that was to use anger."

As much as she hated to admit it, she could understand his reasoning. "I understand. Now."

"Are you alright?" he asked for the first time.

Nahla sighed. "I just want to forget the whole thing ever happened."

"The memories will fade in time. But don't rush it," Michael advised.

Nahla nodded. "Thanks."

Several hours later, they walked through the door of van access. At the end of the hall, the first person Nahla saw was the last person she wanted to see.

"Jace!"

**** PART SIX/END ****

Nahla desperately wanted to run both to and away from him. But there was an
obstacle in her path. With her sights on Jace, she didn't see that Operations and Madeline were there as well to welcome them back.

"Take him to containment," Operations ordered the operatives who held Vitriani in custody before turning to face Nahla, Roarke and Michael. "Debrief. My office. Now."

Nahla winced at his tone. Although they had successfully completed the mission, it was obvious Operations wasn't happy about the change in profile. She turned to look at Jace, but he was no longer standing in the hallway. Why had he left?

Operations darkened the Perch windows before turned to address the trio. "Why was the mission profile changed?! You weren't due to return until tomorrow."

"There was an anomaly in the profile," Michael replied calmly.

"If you are referring to Vitriani's preference for unwilling women, we were already aware of that fact." Madeline said.

"Yes," Operations interjected. "Well done Nahla, you performed even better than we could have hoped for."

Nahla and Roarke were equally confused. "W-what do you mean?" and "You purposely sent her in there to get raped?" came out simultaneously.

"We were quite aware of the fact that Vitriani would accept no less than her going to bed with him, and of course there was no way Nahla would accept. It simply isn't in her nature," Madeline explained. "But I will say Nahla, you surprised even me that you went as far as you did."

"It was a test." Michael said, joining the conversation. "Is he Section?"

"Yes." Operations answered. "He's an abeyance operative from a substation that has been reported several times for this kind of behavior. Until now we didn't have any proof to substantiate the rumors. Thanks to Nahla, we now have the intel necessary to order his cancellation."

"And the hotel manager?" Nahla asked.

"Section as well, I suspect." Replied Roarke.

"Very good, Roarke." Madeline said with a smile.

"If that is all, I have a request?" Michael inquired; knowing that was all the information they were going to get.

"What is it?" Operations asked.

"I want to cancel him."

Operations pondered his request for a moment, taking a second to glance at Madeline before returning his gaze to Michael. "I don't see why not."

Michael simply nodded, turned on his heel and left the Perch.

Sensing they were dismissed as well, Roarke and Nahla left to quickly follow after Michael, knowing where he was headed.


Roarke saw Nahla at his side, but he didn't want her to witness Vitriani's cancellation. "Nahla, why don't you go to Medlab and have Jace take a look at your cheek and wrists?" he told her but didn't stop walking. He was going to have to hurry if he wanted to stop Michael.

Nahla struggled to keep up with Roarke's long strides, "I will, after I know that he's dead."

They caught up with Michael just outside of the white room. "Michael, wait." Roarke called out.

Michael ignored Roarke and turned to Nahla. "You shouldn't be here."

"Well I am. I want to be sure he's dead."

"Oh you have no worries on that count." Roarke replied, an almost sinister look passed across his face. "I'll make sure of it."

"No, you won't," interrupted a third voice.

"Jace!" Nahla cried out, turning at the sound of his voice. They stood there for a moment, not saying a word. Then Jace simply held out his arms and she flung herself headlong into his embrace. His hold was tight enough to probably crack a rib but she didn't care.

"I want to cancel him." Jace said in a voice Nahla didn't recognise.

"Jace, NO!" Nahla pleaded.

"It's my right. That bastard had no right to lay a hand on you."

Michael and Roarke completely understood where he was coming from. They would want the same thing if they were in his shoes. Michael offered Jace his gun, holding it butt first in his open palm.

Jace let go of Nahla to take the gun.

"Jace, please, don't do this!" Nahla cried, now standing there with tears streaming down her face.

When he turned to look at her, there was anguish in his own eyes. "I have to. I can't bear the thought of what he almost did to you."

Nahla moved to stand directly in front of him, framing his face with her hands. "Jace, as a doctor you've taken an oath to protect life, not end it. I don't want you to take a life, even his, even though I understand the reason. I don't want his blood on your hands!"

Jace wrapped both arms around Nahla's waist, pulling her close. As much as he wanted to do it, Nahla's love and acceptance was more important. And he knew that if he walked into that room and fired the shot, he'd chance losing that which was most important to him.

Michael took back the gun that Jace held out, seeing Jace nod his permission for Michael to finish the job. Although Roarke had wanted a part in Vitriani's cancellation, the best thing now was to not argue further over who was going to do it.

Seeing that he no longer needed to be there, Roarke turned to leave. Jace's voice stopped him.

"Thank you Roarke, for saving my girl," Jace said, letting go of Nahla for a moment to step up next to Roarke and offer a hand.

"Anytime." Roarke replied, grasping the proffered hand. He then stepped past Jace to stand in front of Nahla. "You'll be alright?" he asked.

Nahla smiled. "Yes, thanks to you and Michael. I don't know what."

"Shhh. Don't even think about it. It didn't happen. That's all that matters." Roarke replied, gathering her close for an impromptu hug.

Jace stood watching them, instinctively knowing that they had formed some kind of bond during the mission. But his instincts also told him he had no cause for concern, theirs would be a big brother, little sister relationship.

Roarke released Nahla, kissed her softly on the forehead, and then led her to where Jace was standing. It didn't take any prodding on his part for the couple to resume an embrace.

"You take care of this one, she's something special." Roarke said and then took his leave.

"Don't have to tell me twice." Jace murmured, pulling her close.

Not a moment later, Jace and Nahla heard a single shot ring out. Even though she was expecting it, the sound still made her flinch. Jace let go of her, but kept an arm about her waist. "Let's go down to Medlab, I want to have a look at your cheek and wrists."

Seated on a gurney, Jace sat before Nahla on a stool, applying some kind of ointment to her wrists. "How did you know what he was going to do to me?" she asked.

He stopped what he was doing to look up at her. "I heard."

Nahla frowned. "You heard? From who?"

"You."

"Me? I don't understand."

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he explained. "It was kind of a quirk that I found out. I was on my way to Munitions to ask Walter if he knew where you had gone for the downtime he had told me you were taking. As I was passing by Comm, I heard Birkoff say your name."

He paused for moment before continuing. "That's when I found out you were on a mission, not on downtime. I made Birkoff give me a comm unit. " He paused again. "I heard everything."


"NO!" Nahla cried out, hiding her face in her hands. He had heard every single ugly detail of her encounter with Vitriani. It was something she had hoped to spare him from learning the details of.

"Nahla, look at me," he said as he pried her hands away from her face. "Don't hide from me."

"How can you even look at me knowing what he did? What I let him do?" She said, unable to meet his gaze, tears yet again rolling down her face.

"Sweetheart, I don't hold it against you for what you had to do. I only wish I could have somehow spared you the pain. Please, don't shut me out. Let me help you!"

The crack in his voice made her look up, and she was astonished to find him crying. She reached out a finger to gently catch a single tear. "You're crying? For me?"

"Yes for you. Don't you realise how much I love you!?" He cried.

And suddenly she did, without a doubt. Cradling his face in her hands, she leaned down to kiss away his tears. "I'm sorry I ever questioned your love, it won't happen again."

"Good, because you are my world," he replied, pulling her face down for a long, all consuming kiss that left no room for doubt.

The End

This story ©Nahla March 21, 2001
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