Due time isn't fast enough, damn it! lmao

Changes,
Part 13--

Britt Matthews stood there with an anguished look on her face. Jordan could see that she had gained some knowledge and didn't like what she found out just by looking at her.

"I hope that I can help you, Mrs. Draiman," Britt said. "I've been a big admirer of both you and your husband for years now."

"Please, call me Jordan," Jordan said, then, "We shouldn't talk here. Danny, can we use David's office at the compound?"

Dan looked at Jordan, and at the woman who said she had information about David's abduction, and decided that maybe using David's office was a good idea.

Just then, a boy about ten ran up to Britt and said, "Mom, I saw my teacher in the crowd, and she told me how proud she was to see me here!"

Britt took the boy's hand. "This is my son, Christopher."

Christopher looked at Jordan and said, "You're the lady who gave the speech."

Jordan laughed slightly. "Yes, I am."

"Mom, are you going to tell her what we found?" he asked his mother.

"Yes, Christopher, I am."

Jordan invited Britt and her son into the armored Hummer for the trip back to the compound.

Once in David's office, Dan said, "Britt, we have to ask you for certain information to verify your identity before you give us what you know. I'm sorry, I know it's a pain in the..." Dan looked over at Christopher, then continued, "I know it's a pain. But if you don't mind?"

Britt nodded, "I understand." She gave Dan the information he requested, then left the office. While they waited, Jordan asked Christopher how old he was.

"I'm nine, but I'll be ten soon."

"What do you want to do when you grow up?" Jordan asked.

"I want to work with the Disturbed Ones."

Jordan smiled, and said to Britt, "He certainly knows what he wants to do, doesn't he?"

"That's the way I raised him," Britt said; "because I remember the days before all this happened, and it's sad and makes me angry that we have to fight to get those freedoms back!"

"I've raised my daughter, and David and I will raise our daughters the same way," Jordan said. "I tried to warn people when it was happening, but no one listened. Some even thought I was crazy."

"You just had twins, didn't you," Britt said. "With a surrogate?"

"Yes," Jordan said. "They're almost six months old, and David is an incredible father! I can't thank the surrogate who gave us this gift enough for her selflessness, compassion, and a willingness to help others."

Britt sat there and contemplated for a moment telling Jordan that she was the surrogate who carried Jordan's twins, but she decided not to say anything. Not now, anyway. She had to give her the information Christopher found in Justin's office. She knew way too much about what Justin was up to, and she hated herself for it. At least he wasn't cheating on me like I thought, Britt thought, though I wish it were that rather than finding out that your boyfriend was working with the Illegals to kill David Draiman.

Just then, Dan came back into the office. "Okay," he said, "we can begin." He looked at Jordan, then at Britt and her son, then continued, "Britt, tell us what you know about David's kidnapping."

----------

Morbus started to become aware of where he was and what had happened to him.

He was in the Medical Clinic, and everything looked fuzzy to him. As his vision cleared, he didn't see any doctors or nurses, nor did he see Julia or Jordan. He thought that they would at least be here.

Julia was waiting out in the waiting room with Nicole Donegan and the twins. But Morbus had no way of knowing that. He just wanted to get out of there and help look for David. He'd find that spineless jackoff who shot him and made sure he got what was coming to him.

He moved and realized he was in a lot of pain. How many times did that piece of shit shoot me? he thought. I should have killed him ten years ago when he helped Jordan escape from prison, instead of knocking him senseless.

A doctor appeared from out of nowhere to check on him.

"Morbus, you're in the recovery room," he said smoothly, like a radio personality; "We had a bit of a time in there with you, but you're going to be fine. We'll move you to a room here in a bit."

"Any word on David?" Morbus asked.

"I haven't heard anything since before we went into surgery, so I don't have an answer for you."

"Julia? Jordan? Are they waiting?"

"Miss Terranova is here with Mrs. Donegan, and her baby sisters. I think Mrs. Draiman went to give a speech." the doctor said.

"When can I see Julia?"

"When you're in your room, and like I said, that will be in a while."

Morbus nodded. He still had a lot to tell Julia about his previous life. He wanted her to understand why he didn't say anything sooner. Please, if there's a God, Morbus thought, let Julia understand why I couldn't say anything before now. I just wanted to protect her...

Morbus felt himself surrendering to sleep, and he went gratefully.

----------

"Shh, Niki...it's okay. Jules is here," Julia whispered to her baby sister as she took her out of the stroller. Niki's twin, Kimber, was still sleeping, but looked like she might awake at any moment.

Niki's fussing woke up Nicole Donegan, who had dosed off a few minutes before. Looking over at Julia and Niki, she asked, "Is there anything I can do, Julia?"

"Please hand me Niki's baby bag," Julia said. "She needs a new diaper and bottle."

Nicole handed Julia the bag, then said, "I'll get Kimber when she wakes up. She looks close to it now."

"She'll need the same, I think," Julia said while changing Niki's soiled diaper.

"Okay," Nicole said. "I really have done this before, you know!"

"Sorry, Nicole, I know that," Julia said. "I'm just used to taking care of both of them."

"You'll be a good mom someday, Julia," said Nicole.

"Thank you. I just want to help out Mom and David as much as I can."

"I'm sure they appreciate it."

After the babies were both changed and fed, Julia and Nicole were rocking them back to sleep when the doctor came into the waiting room. He was hoping to see Jordan there, but would tell Julia, and Nicole Donegan the news on his patient.

"How's Morbus?" Nicole asked.

"He's out of surgery, resting comfortably, and should be in a room in about an hour," the doctor said. "We had a bit of a time during surgery, but Morbus will make a full recovery."

"When can we go see him?" Julia asked.

"Probably tomorrow, after he's had a chance to get some sleep."

"I'll let my mom know. Thanks for tell us," said Julia.

The doctor turned and went back through the same door he entered from.

"Julia, why don't you and the babies stay with us tonight?" said Nicole. "I'll message Danny and let him know. He'll tell your mom where you are."

"Okay. I think we all could use some sleep," replied Julia.

----------

Jordan sat wide eyed and in disbelief at what Britt had to tell her. She couldn't believe that the man who was responsible for helping escape from prison ten years earlier was the same one who was now holding David and threatened to kill him.

"Justin has all this paperwork, notes, plans, phone numbers," Britt said. "When he was spending all that time away from me, saying he was 'working', I thought he was having an affair. Now I almost wish he had been. Finding out that someone you care for can be bought and given an assignment to kill another person is sickening to me."

"This address you gave us," Dan said, looking at Britt, "It's a church on the south side of Chicago. That church has been closed and abandoned for years. Why take David there?"

"I don't know," Britt said. "I brought you everything we found. But I know that Justin has never had a kind thing to say about David. He pretends he's a Disturbed One, maybe he even believed in the cause at one time, but now, he's being paid to kill someone. I just want him gone. I had the locks on my home changed this afternoon. He's not welcome there anymore. Not after this."

Dan was starting to believe that Britt had nothing to do with David's disappearance, and was just as much a victim of Justin's duplicity as David was. She and her son had to be protected, because she turned in a traitor to the cause.

"We can arrange for you and Christopher to stay in a safe location for the next few nights," Dan said. "We want to see if Justin comes back to your house tonight and finds that he can't get in."

Britt sighed with relief. "If he's capable of killing, it doesn't matter who it is anymore, does it? He could very easily kill me and my son, couldn't he?"

"If what we think happened with him is so, then that's a very real possibility," Dan said.

"She could stay at my house," Jordan offered. "I've got all those bedrooms."

"It's kind of you to offer," Britt said. "We don't want to put you out."

Dan looked at his phone. "Julia and the twins are staying with Nicole and me tonight, so I guess Britt can stay with you, Jordan, but just for tonight. Tomorrow, we'll move them to another safe location."

After all the details were worked out, Dan went to his home, and Britt and Christopher went to Jordan's home.

Once Christopher was settled in a bedroom, Britt and Jordan were talking in the kitchen. "This is the first night since the twins were born that they haven't been here. I miss them, but they're safe, and with their sister, so I'm not so worried."

"Jordan, I have something else to tell you that I didn't want to say in front of my son or Dan," Britt said.

"What is it?"

Britt took a deep breath. "I kind of feel that what's happened with David is partly my fault."

"How can that be?" Jordan asked. "You had no idea what Justin was up to."

"No I didn't," Britt said. "But Justin found out who your surrogate was."

"He did? How?" Jordan asked, surprised.

"I don't know, but I had signed up to be part of the surrogate program, but hadn't been chosen to be one until about two years ago," Britt said. "When I was going through the process to have eggs implanted, I learned that the parents wanted to remain anonymous, and that was fine with me. Then Justin found out who the babies I was carrying were going to, and I think that made him angry. He'd been pressuring me to have a baby with him, then I get chosen to carry babies for someone else."

"Who?" Jordan asked.

"Jordan..." Britt said. "I was your surrogate."

*gives a long, high pitched whistle, then vocally mimicks an explosion* WHAT A BOMBSHELL!!!!!

HOLY MOLEY! OH MY FUCKING GOD! WHOA!!! AND I THOUGHT MY STORY WAS DEEP! MY SHIT HAS NOTHING ON THIS!!!

*stares at explosion* WOW *goes to find a shovel to dig up Jordan's fallen jaw* yup, deep shit! whoa!!!

Changes, Part 14--

It was Jordan's day to get unbelieveable news; first it was David getting kidnapped and Morbus getting shot and telling Julia he was her father; then Britt's information that it was Justin was part of the plot to kill David; now Britt revealing that she was the surrogate that carried her beautiful twin daughters, and thinking that Justin's knowledge of this drove him to the Illegals.

"I-I don't know what to say, Britt," Jordan said; "other than thank you. You have no idea how long I'd wished I could thank the surrogate who gave David and me a family in person."

"I would have done it even if I knew it was for you and David," Britt said. "I was honored to be able to help." She paused, then, "Maybe it's a good thing the babies aren't here tonight. I don't think I'm ready to see them."

"That's perfectly understandable, Britt," Jordan said. "I had no idea what Julia looked like until she was five years old, because up to that point, I'd been in prison."

"It seems ironic that Justin helped you escape from prison," Britt said, "yet he's holding the man you love prisoner."

"Oh, the irony isn't lost on me," Jordan said. "Justin helped me back then because he was attracted to me; on the other hand, he probably blames David for a lot that's happened since then."

"He had been accused of being a double agent back then," Britt said. "At that point, it wasn't true. But Justin told me that he blamed David anyway for the jobs he's gotten on the compound since then. Nothing in the Security Force, which what he was hoping for."

"I'm sorry that Justin felt a need to defect to the Illegals," Jordan said. "He could have always come to me for help. I guess once I got with David, I was unapproachable in his mind. I've always had an open door, but because I'm with David, I just have to be more careful who I help."

The women saw that it was getting late, so Jordan led Britt to the bedroom next to her son's and bid her goodnight.

Jordan, however, was too wound up to sleep. Too much information fighting for space in her mind. Then she looked over at the side of the bed that David slept on, and prayed that he would be found safe.

And if they had to send someone to kill the motherfucking bastards who did this, Jordan had no problem if Julia's name came up.

After all, Julia would have an ax to grind. They tried to kill her father.

----------

Britt lay in her bed, wide awake as well. She felt better than she had in weeks now that the Disturbed Ones had the information she turned over to them. She hoped Justin would pay for his crimes against the cause in the most painful way possible, and if that meant death, then so be it.

It was and easy decision to make, in light of the fact that two months before, Justin raped her, calling her by Jordan's name and calling her a whore. Britt feared for Jordan's safety.

And for Christopher and her unborn child. Justin's child. The one that was conceived when Justin raped her.

----------

It was a rough night for David, trying to sleep sitting up, shackled to a chair. He wondered if he would be killed if he continued to answer questions by repeating his name and birthdate. He wondered how Jordan was feeling. Was she in danger? Were the children in danger? ran through David's mind constantly that whole night.

The only word that David had gotten from his captors was that Jordan had given the speech he'd been scheduled to give that evening. Boss had come in to tell him, saying, "Mm, mm...yes sir. Draiman, your wife has a fine ass. One I wouldn't mind tapping...when I get done having my way with your stepdaughter, of course..."

"Stay away from my family, motherfucker..." David had said angrily, horrified that this evil piece of slime would lay a hand on either Jordan or Julia in such a disgusting manner.

"Oh, I can't promise that, Draiman," Boss had said. "I kinda like deflowering virgins...ask my ex wife."

"Go to hell, Boss!"

Then he left and David was alone again.

Sleep would finally come, but he'd get a rude awakening in the morning.

----------

Justin returned home, glad to get Draiman under Boss' control. He knew he had two more days in which to kill him, and Pennybaker intended to make David suffer.

He slipped his key into the lock, and nothing happened. He removed it and tried again. Still nothing.

"You stupid bitch!" Justin said under his breath; "You changed the fucking locks on me?"

He pounded on the door. "Britton you stupid fucking whore! Open this God damned door or I'll break it down!" he screamed into the night. The commotion caused neighbors to come out to see what all the fuss was about. Soon, a Security Force patrol drove up, and, recognizing Justin, gave chase.

Justin couldn't get back to his car, so he ran through the woods, but the Security Force officers were right behind him. He didn't know if there were others waiting for him, so he ran out to the nearest road.

There were cars stopped at a light. Justin ran over to one car, opened the driver's side door and pulled the teenage driver out, then took off in their car. Justin laughed as he saw the officers who had been chasing him in the rear view mirror, helping the teenager to his feet.

He drove the stolen car to about six blocks from where David was being held. Then he got out and walked down the street like nothing had happened.

----------

Jordan, Britt, and Britt's son Christopher were up early the next morning. They had breakfast, then a Security Force officer came and took Britt and Christopher to the safe location where they would be staying until Justin was either killed or arrested.

Jordan was alone in the house. The armored Hummer would be out to get her in a few minutes. There was a knock at the front door. Jordan grabbed a gun and went to the vantage point where she could see the visitor, but the visitor couldn't see her.

It was a man Jordan did not recognize, and she knew nearly everyone associated with the Disturbed Ones. She figured it was an Illegal and pressed the button on the wall to summon Security Force officers.

"Mrs. Draiman, I'm Ryan Bosston, and I'm looking for my ex wife and son. I understand they are here with you."

Jordan said nothing. She moved from the vantage point to the safe room, locking the door behind her. Then she pressed the red panic button to tell Dan and the others she was in trouble.

----------

Bosston didn't know that he was being videotaped as he stood at the door of Draiman's house. When no one came to the door, he figured that Jordan was hiding his former wife and their son in the house, and was intent on gaining entry-- legally or not.

He saw several Security Forces officers surround the house, and thought that Jordan must have somehow summoned them. He decided to play dumb when questioned by the officer who approached him at the door.

"I must have the wrong house," Bosston said apologetically. "I'm sorry if I upset the actual residents. I was just looking for my former wife and was given this address. I must have copied it down wrong."

He was relieved when the officers let him go, but didn't know that he had already been identified. His time as a free man was ending. He just didn't know how or when the end was coming.

----------

"Well, shit, I never thought I'd see him here," Mike said. "He's been a supporter of the Illegals for as long as I can remember."

"He goes by the name Ryan Bosston," John said, "but his birth name is Bryan Sawyer. He's essentially a pedophile. He raped a 17 year old girl and got her pregnant, then married her to keep from getting arrested."

"Any info on his wife?" Dan asked.

"The marriage ended shortly after the wife gave birth. She changed her name and her son's name to something else to keep Bosston/Sawyer from finding her," John said.

"What's the intel on him, John," Dan asked.

"He's part of the team who took David," John said. "He's a low level enforcer. He uses sex crimes to get people to tell him what he wants to know. Threatens young girls mostly."

"You think he's trying to break David by threatening to rape Julia?" Dan asked, hating the feeling he'd just gotten over asking that question. He knew he'd do anything to keep his daughter, Maya, safe from people like Bosston and he knew David would be no different.

"That appears to be the plan, based on what Britt Matthews gave us last night," Mike said.

Jordan walked into the room at that moment, and the others got her up to speed on who the visitor to her home was.

"He would have tried to get in whether I wanted him to or not," Jordan said. "If the Security Force had not shown up."

"Yes, Jordan, that is what it looks like." Dan said.

"What are we going to do about this Bosston guy and Pennybaker?" Jordan asked. "We know where they're holding David."

"We're thinking of sending an assassin in to eliminate both Bosston and Pennybaker, and free David," Dan said.

"We have several people in mind," Mike said, "but none of them are women, and I think we have to appeal to Bosston's penchant for young girls. None of the women look young enough to get away with being a teenage girl. Except one, and she's close to finishing her training anyway."

"Julia?" Jordan asked.

"Yes, Jordan," Dan said. "Julia has the skills, the look, and is young enough to get away with it."

"Julia would do it," Jordan said. "They shot Morbus and they took David. She has plenty of motive."

"Let's announce that Morbus has died," Dan said. "That will throw the Illegals off. Morbus even suggested we do that. He may be hurt, but his mind is still sharp."

Jordan sighed. "David would hear that, too, wouldn't he? That his longtime bodyguard is dead. That would certainly piss him off."

"Let's do it then," Dan said. "And if Julia wants to take on the assignment, Jordan, would that be okay with you?"

"I don't think I'd have much say in the matter at this point."

---------

The Disturbed Ones released the following statement:

"We are sorry to report that David Draiman's long time bodyguard, Morbus, has died in service to the Disturbed Ones cause. He was fatally wounded in attempting to prevent the abduction of his employer. He had served the cause faithfully for nearly sixteen years. He was approximately 42 years of age and leaves no survivors. May God have mercy on his soul."

----------

"Are you sure you want people to think you're dead, Morbus?" Julia asked.

"Julia, if it has the effect on the Illegals that I hope it will, then taking out the people responsible for kidnapping David will be easier because they won't have me to fuck with..." Morbus said.

"They'll get me, instead," Julia said. "And I have some scores to settle."

"What scores, Julia?"

"They killed my father," she winked. "What child doesn't want to avenge their parent's murder?"

"I don't want you to take the assignment, Julia, it's too dangerous."

"Are you telling me this as Morbus, or as my father?" Julia asked.

Morbus sighed. "You're going to do it anyway, aren't you?"

"If they ask me, I will."

Morbus let out a small chuckle. "You're stubborn, Julia Rachel, just like your parents."

"Apples don't fall far from the tree, do they?"

----------

That's crazy! Go get 'em Julia!

New section below...

Small Packages, Part 1--

David awoke that morning and decided that he would not believe anything his captors told him. He wasn't going to let his emotions get the better of him, because that's what these shitheads want, he thought. To break me and use my emotions against me.

He was absolutely sickened by the things they told him about what their plans for his family were. What normal human being would kill babies to get information from someone. These two would, David thought. They know that if they threaten these disgusting acts on them, that would make me tell them what they want to know.

I will not break. I will not show emotions, he said to himself. I will not tell these assholes what they want to know. I will be strong in the face of whatever crap they want to tell me.

He heard the door to his private hell open, and soon stood Boss and Pennybaker before him, complete with their smug expressions and condescending attitudes.

"Well, Draiman," Boss said, "looks like your freak of a bodyguard bit the dust this morning. So he won't be here to save your pathetic ass."

"That's a lie!" David said, wanting them to think the news was upsetting him. "I don't believe you."

"Check this out..." Pennybaker said, and threw a copy of the morning paper at David.

David saw the story on the front page. A press release announcing the death of Morbus. Jordan wrote the press releases, so she must be in on it, David thought. Especially the end of the release that said, "May God have mercy on his soul." David knew that was a code that signaled that the death was faked for the Illegals benefit. Jordan would never write that in a regular press release about the death of someone in the organization. It didn't appear in the releases she wrote after the San Marcos were murdered three years ago.

That phrase was in an old introduction the band used to do before playing "The Sickness" where David was brought on stage in an electric chair. The "condemned" rose from the chair after he'd been "electrocuted".

In case it was true that Morbus died, David could see Jordan using that. After all, Morbus, in his previous life as Jacob Rossman, was the father of her child.

"I tried to see your wife this morning," Boss now said. "But she wasn't receiving visitors. The police came instead. Too bad. I was looking forward to having my way with her."

"She would have fought you tooth and nail," David said. "She's not going to just let you ravage her. She went through plenty of that when she was in prison."

"I suppose she'd be protecting her young," Boss said. "Not that that would stop me. I suppose if given the choice to be raped or watch me kill her baby daughters, she'd choose to submit."

David was trying not to let his true emotions show. Though he sat stonefaced, inside he was raging! Stay away from my family, he said to himself.

"You think you're pretty tough, don't you, Draiman?" Boss said. "Let's see how tough you really are..." Boss then punched David full in the face. David felt his nose break and tasted blood in the back of his throat. If I could...Just. Get. Free... he thought, then this would be a fair fight.

"Oh wipe up the blood, Justin," Boss said. "There will be plenty time to make him bleed. Like when we kill him tomorrow night." Justin went to clean up the blood on David's face, and David spat at him.

"Fine, cocksucker," Pennybaker said. "Stay bloodied. I don't give a fuck."

He and Boss then left the room to leave David in pain, covered in blood, and wondering just how they plan to kill him.

----------

When Julia was called to the Administration building on the compound, she pretty much knew why. The meeting took place in Dan's office, with John, Mike, and her mother present.

"Julia, I have a feeling you know why we called you here," Dan said.

"To wipe out the jerks who have David, I imagine," she replied.

"Yes," Jordan said. "You're the only one we have that can get away with being a teenager with the skills you possess; the ones you learned from Peter, and the ones you've been learning over the last five months."

"Well, Mom, that's because I AM a teenager," Julia laughed. "As for my skills, my body count should speak for itself."

"Yes, your body count..." Dan said. "For fifteen, yours is impressive. You actually scare me sometimes with what you can do."

"Julia," her mother said; "You're going to have to do some role playing, and some of it you might not find comfortable, so if what we tell you what you have to do is going to be a problem, let us know."

"And make few cosmetic changes," John said.

"I'm up for the challenge," Julia said. "Just tell me what I have to do to complete this mission and get David out safely."

"One," Jordan said, "is that you're going to have to cut your hair short."

"Okay," Julia said. "What else?"

"You're going to have to be 'bait' for a pedophile," Jordan said. She wasn't sure how Julia was going to take that, given her experience with Bill Riley. But Julia surprised them all, and shocked her mother.

"I can do that. What else?"

"Portray a normal fifteen year old Catholic school student. The uniform and everything," said Jordan. "By normal, you're going to have to be in tenth grade."

"Fine."

Jordan noticed that with everything she was being asked to do, Julia's demeanor changed. Before her eyes, Julia was opening that cold blooded killer compartment, and closing the compartments to her everyday life. Her voice changed, her look changed. By the time they got done giving her the intel on the targets, Jordan feared that Julia wouldn't be her little girl anymore. She would become the female version of Morbus. And that scared Jordan to her very core.

"You'll have to employ your feminine wiles to reach the target, then take them out."

"Done. When do I leave?"

"Tonight," Mike said. "After you cut your hair, get your disguise, and the intel about where David is and the men holding him prisoner."

"I'll be ready."

The transformation was complete. Julia wasn't Julia any more. She was an assassin. Jordan said a quick prayer to ask that God watch over Julia and bring her, and David, home safe.

----------

Ooooh.... THEY'S IN TWUBOLE NOW! OH, THEY IN FO IT!

Forgive the baby talk, but, DAMN! Get em Julia!

Just wait... Julia's going to have to be something she's not to get this done, but she will get it done.

Small Packages, Part 2--
(WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL SITUATIONS. IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED BY THESE THEMES, PLEASE DON'T READ FROM THIS POINT.)
Julia went and did as she was told. She cut her waist length hair boy short. She thought she looked about twelve. Perfect for her target the pedophile.

Next, she had the private school uniform fitted. It was an actual uniform for a Catholic girl's school near Chicago's Miracle Mile, and the school was made aware that "a Disturbed Ones operative would be portraying a student" in order to get information about a case. Julia was enrolled there as a tenth grade student named Rachel Rossman.

After the fitting, Julia went to one of her female instructors for ideas to seduce one of her targets. After getting that done, she headed back to Dan's office to get the intel on her targets, the location where David was being held, and the weapons she would need to complete the mission.

"You don't look like the Julia I've always known," Dan said. "And that's good. Although you are scaring the shit out of me now, because you look like you're ready to add to your body count."

"I'm 'Rachel Rossman'," Julia said with a laugh. "That was really supposed to be my name, had the illegal government not taken over and my father killed. Peter and Kiera just switched my first and middle names, because the New Army was looking for a baby girl named Rachel, not one named Julia."

"Whatever your name is," Dan said, "this is the intel you're going to use. Any updates will be sent to your secure phone." He pushed an large manilla envelope towards Julia and she opened it. Inside was the reports on her targets, the location of the church David was being held captive in, a student ID to the school she was enrolled in, a map, and a driver's license.

"You're going to let me drive?" Julia asked.

"Since you already know how, you might as well have a license to show if you get stopped," Dan said. "But no airborne acrobatics this time."

Mike entered the office and handed Julia a student's messenger bag. There was one book inside it, and three guns with silencers, plus ammunition.

"A math book, Mike?" Julia said, "Really? I ate math books for breakfast before I was twelve."

"I have no doubt of that," Mike said. "Oh, and here's the keys to your car." He handed Julia a set of car keys.

"I'll probably get stopped because I look like I'm a little girl driving a car," Julia said.

"Um, Julia," Mike said, "if I were fifteen again, I'd think you were hot. But God, please don't tell your mother or David I said that!"

"Your kinky little secret is safe with me," Julia said, mimicking zipping her lips shut.

"You ready?" Dan asked.

"Yes, I'm ready." Dan couldn't help but notice the change in Julia's voice. She became before their eyes, a killer. One who would not fail.

"They are planning on killing David tomorrow evening," Dan said. "David should be out by then. You understand?"

"I understand. I will not fail."

With that, Julia left Dan's office.

After she was out of earshot, Mike asked Dan, "Well, Danny, what do you think of our teenage assassin?"

"I think we just unleashed five-foot-three inches and a hundred pounds of dynamite on the Illegals," he replied. "They should be scared shitless, because she scares the shit out of me!"

"Good things come in small packages," Mike said; "Or is that bad things that
do?"

"Good for us," Dan said. "Bad for the Illegals."

----------

David thought of all the gruesome ways that Boss and Pennybaker could kill him, and he didn't like any of them. Nothing like facing your own mortality, David thought. Not a pleasant way to spend an evening alone.

He had not eaten since he was captured, and he was starting to feel weak.

His nose had swollen to twice its size and he was finding it difficult to breathe. He'd had his nose broken before, so he knew it was just a matter of time until he'd start breathing through his mouth. That dried out his vocal chords, so he wouldn't have much of a voice to speak with, let alone sing.

Seeing his life flash before his eyes, David felt nothing. No regret. No pain. No nothing. He remembered his childhood, being shuffled from yeshiva to yeshiva because he caused trouble, the girl who killed herself over him when he was too young to understand how to save her from her own demons...and his own. The early days of Disturbed and the joy he felt when their record "The Sickness" established them as stars. Then this shit with the death of the rightful winner of the election and the installation of Sarah Kathryn Hope as the puppet President for Life. The still ongoing fight to restore the country's historical documents and to regain the way of life they had in a free republic, instead of the police state it was now. Meeting Jordan and falling in love with her.

His only regret, he realized, is that she would have to live without him, and take over his role as leader of the Disturbed Ones. The band Disturbed would no longer exist.

I have to fight, he thought. I can't let them take me down without a fight. I have a country to fight for; I have a family to fight for;

"Never surrender, I'll never be overcome!" David sang from the chorus of "The Curse".

And he would soon learn that good things do, indeed, come in small packages.

----------

Julia arrived at her first checkpoint, the parking garage of a building two blocks from the church where David was being held.

She checked her secure phone. There were no updates from Dan in regards to additional intel on her targets.

She would report to St. Mary's Girls' Academy at 8am, actually sit through a day of classes, then at 3pm, walk in the opposite direction of the church. If her first target was going to show, it would be then, just as school let out. The target would be looking for any girl who looked out of place. That was Julia's role: look like she was lost. The target would take her someplace that was abandoned, like the church. He might try to seduce her, but she would go along with it to a certain point. Then take him out.

That's what her intel report stated would be the likely scenario. If the target deviated from it too much, Julia would take him out sooner. Then she'd go to the church herself and seek out her second target.

Julia decided that the only way to get to either of her targets was to shed a few key pieces of clothing. If her targets thought they were getting some, it would make killing them easier, because they would be so busy trying to get under her skirt, that they'd never see the gun pointed at them. By then, their pathetic, useless, sick and twisted lives would be over.

Julia's knowledge of anatomy helped her employ a technique called "spine splitting". It was exactly what it sounded like; shoot the target in the spine so that the bullet split it in two. Instant death would result. The closer to the head, the better, but it worked anywhere on the spine. This was something that she learned since beginning her training as an assassin. Before, she'd shoot where there were major arteries, or in the head, and the victim either bled to death, or died outright. To Morbus' horror, Julia mastered spine splitting within two weeks.

Julia was now in the thrill of the hunt, and was concentrating on eliminating her targets. Her objective: bring David home to her mother safely. Her personal vendetta, however, was this: kill the men who injured her father.

----------

Julia was petite enough to fit in the footwell of the back seat of the car she'd been given, and there she slept until six forty-five the following morning. She got up into the back seat itself and checked her secure phone. Additional intel had come in, but it was something that Julia was anticipating, so it didn't come as a surprise to her.

She then took a bag from the trunk of the car and walked to a nearby restroom. She entered as Julia Terranova, however she exited as Rachel Rossman, the fifteen year old sophomore who would start classes at St. Mary's that morning.

The idea of sitting through a whole day of classes in subjects she'd already mastered didn't thrill her, but it had to be done to make her look legit. And since the day began with a mass, Julia hoped that God could forgive her for what she was assigned to do that day: kill two enemies of the Disturbed Ones. If confession was involved, what would she say when she got in the confessional? Bless me father for I have sinned, it's been eight weeks since my last confession. These are my sins: I am going to break several of the Ten Commandments today, notably "Thou shalt not kill"?

Julia didn't think that would fly with the priest in the booth adjacent to her. She'd just confess impure thoughts and get it over with. What else would normal, boring Rachel Rossman confess to?

At 7am, Julia headed towards the school. To passersby on the streets of Chicago she appeared to be just another private school girl on her way to campus. In reality, she was a fifteen year old trained assassin who planned on way more than reading, writing and 'rithmatic.

----------

awww shit!

Come on! When does Julia get to off the fuckers?

I'll post the next part tonight sometime... I'm running around like a crazy woman today!

Will it be posted by 9:00 pm MDT?

That's 10pm CDT and yes I think so

please hurry with the next post...im dyin to know!

Small Packages, Part 3--
(VIOLENT AND SEXUAL SITUATIONS BELOW. IF THIS WILL OFFEND YOU, DON'T READ)

Boss came into the room where David was being held. He had a shit eating grin on his face. Tonight was the night David would die. And he had no idea if anyone was coming to get him. It's all on me, he thought.

"Ready to die, Draiman?" Boss asked. "It'll be a lovely night for dying. Too bad your baby daughters won't get to spend their first Hanukkah and Christmas with their daddy."

"Fuck you," David said. "I'll get out of here before you kill me."

"Want to wager on that?"

"Hell yeah," David said defiantly. "The loser dies."

Boss, thinking he had the upper hand, agreed to the terms. "The loser dies. Deal."

Boss then left. It was nearly three pm. Time to look for fresh sacrifices.

----------

Julia was supremely bored. Her classes at St. Mary's were boring as hell. Math was a piece of cake. They were doing trigonometry, which Julia mastered when she was twelve. Literature was dull, though they were talking about Poe and she liked Poe's work, the sister teaching the class added nothing new to Julia's knowledge base. Health class? Oh, please, Julia thought. Basic Anatomy 101? Give me a break!

At 2:55pm, school finally let out, and Julia was happy she could get out of this boring school. She was silently thanking Kiera San Marco all day for teaching her more than her age level warranted.

One of "Rachel's" new classmates gave her some advice; "Don't get lost. There's some creepy man down there that hits on teenage girls. He's a loser."

"I can handle myself if that happens," Julia as Rachel said. "Nothing like a heavy bookbag and a loud voice to scare off the creeps." Julia patted her bookbag. No one knew she had three guns with silencers on them in her bag. They weren't even detected during the security check, because they were concealed inside books lined with lead.

"Rachel" headed off the way she came. When she was sure she wasn't being watched by her new friends, she crossed the street and went the opposite direction.

Right towards target number one.

----------

Oh, here's one I haven't seen before, Boss thought when he saw the girl walking down the street, looking lost. She must be new around here. This one might have possibilities.

As she got closer, she looked at her map again, then around her surroundings. Seeing a man near the corner, she walked up to him and asked,

"I think I might be lost. Which way is Michigan Avenue?"

Boss looked at her as sympathetically as he could. "Oh, dear, you're a couple blocks off. Can I see your map?"

He pretended to be helpful while checking the girl out-- five-two or three, weighs maybe a buck-ten, if that. Short dark brown hair. Brown eyes. Glasses. Well built for her size. Fourteen, fifteen at most. Perfect.

"I see your problem," Boss said. "This is where you are," pointing to a spot on the map; "and here's Michigan Avenue." He pointed to a spot farther away. "You're definitely lost, miss."

"Oh," the girl said, "my parents are going to kill me! I'm supposed to be home by four thirty!"

"What's your name?" Boss asked her.

"Rachel," she said.

"I can call you a cab, Rachel," he offered.

"I don't have the money for a cab," the girl fretted.

"Say, how about I take you home?"

"I'm not supposed to take rides from strangers," the girl said.

"My name is Ryan," Boss said. "We're not strangers if we know each other's names, right?"

The girl wavered, and Boss knew he had her hooked. "I suppose it would be all right."

Boss took her hand and led her to a car. He opened it and said, "Hop in, Rachel, I'll have you home in no time."

The girl got in. Boss felt himself get excited. Another pretty girl to ravage. Maybe he'd kill her, maybe not. Depends on if she was obedient or not.

Julia knew what would happen next. He'd drive around, trying to disorient her. The trouble with his plan, Julia thought, is that I know these streets too well. As long as he takes me to the church, then I can eliminate him there. If not, then he dies where he sits.

----------

After about an hour of driving around, Boss hoped the girl was sufficiently mixed up so that he could have his way with her. He didn't realize she'd be the last girl he'd try to victimize.

"Sorry about the traffic, Rachel," Boss as Ryan said. "It's getting late, I know. I know where you can use a phone, since yours isn't in service."

Boss drove back to the church, and the girl looked at it and got nervous. It looked abandoned. "This church looks like it's been closed forever," she said.

"The city uses the kitchen as a meal stop for the homeless. Sandwiches, soup, basic necessities, stuff like that," Boss said. "Some even sleep here when it gets cold like it has been." He saw the girl shiver under her coat.

"There's the phone on the wall," Boss said. "It may work today. Sometimes the service is iffy. Old phone lines and all."

The girl picked up the phone, and there was a dial tone. She dialed a number, spoke to someone on the other end, then hung up.

"My dad's going to pick me up at school," the girl said; "but he's way on the other end of town, so he won't be here for an hour or so."

"Well, you can't wait outside," Boss said. "There's a room down the hall that's warm. We can talk while you wait for your ride."

He took the girl's hand and led her down the corridor to a room that had a table, some chairs...and a bed. The girl took off her coat and laid it and her school bag on the floor at the head of the bed.

She and Boss sat on the bed and talked, and she soon realized his hand was under her blouse, rubbing on her breast.

"That feels good, Ryan," she said. "You want to see more?"

"Yes, Rachel..." Boss couldn't believe his luck! The girl was a fucking whore! This was going to be too easy! And she took off her blouse and her bra.

Boss started fondling her breasts and kissing her. He allowed his hand to wander down between her legs. He spread them and slipped his hand into her underwear to get her ready to take him.

He heard her moan and knew she was ready for whatever he suggested.

"Precious, have you ever given a guy oral sex?" Boss asked her.

"Yes...do you want a blow job, Ryan?" she asked.

"Oh, God, yes! Please, Rachel..."

She knelt before him and unzipped his pants. She pulled them down and saw his hardness before her. She started to pleasure him, and Boss was enjoying her so much he forgot he was going to rape her. He just wanted to enjoy her body. He'd never see her again, so he figured what the hell. She's too fucking good at what she does to not take advantage of it.

Then, he felt a sharp stab of pain in his groin. He realized that the girl had stabbed him.

"What the fuck was that for?!" he cried, and the next thing he saw was a half naked girl pointing a gun with a silencer on it at his throat.

"You're a fucking cop! I should have known you were too good to be true!"

"You wish," Julia said.

"Who are you?! And what have I done to deserve this?" Boss cried out at her.

"I... am your worst nightmare come true," Julia said. "Prepare to meet your maker!"

----------

Dan just got off the phone. He turned to Jordan, Mike and John.

"Julia's at the church with her first target."

"He'll be dead soon, if he isn't already," Mike said. "God, would I hate for the last thing I ever see on earth is Julia Terranova pointing a gun at me!"

"With Ryan Bosston out of the way, taking out Pennybaker will be a piece of cake," Dan said.

Jordan said nothing, which was noted by the others in the room. "Jordan, what's wrong?" John asked.

"I hate that Julia knows all this stuff, and actually can use it," she said. "But she's the best one we've got. If anyone other than Morbus can get David out of this situation, it's Julia."

Apples don't fall far from the tree, she thought.

"She has until 10pm to get David out," Dan said. "That's when Bosston plans to kill him. But since Bosston will be dead by then, it falls to Pennybaker. I don't think he has the balls to do it, honestly."

"Let's hope you're right," Jordan said. "Or I may not have my husband, or my daughter."

----------

"Who the fucking hell are you!" Boss said. "Who sent you? Why did you stab me there?!"

"My name," Julia said in a completely different voice than she had used as Rachel, "is of no consequence. You are my enemy, and therefore, you must die."

"What did I ever do to you? I don't even know you?"

"Rape. Torture. Kidnapping. Murder. Sound familiar?"

"Why are you going to kill me?"

"Because you're scum. You're worse than scum. You prey on young girls. You've raped several of them. You even married one of your victims to keep her from testifying against you. Now it's your turn to die."

Boss saw that Julia had deadly aim. She would shoot him, and he would most likely die. He decided to try and negotiate with her.

"Look, I have a child," he said. "He's ten. He needs his father."

"I needed my father, too," Julia said; "That didn't stop the New Army from killing him though. Your son had time with you. I didn't get time with my father. I wasn't even born when he died. My pregnant mother was thrown in prison for no reason. The illegitimate government you serve planned to steal me from her. It was only by the grace of a higher power that I was rescued."

"I had nothing to do with that!"

"Oh, shut up, Ryan Bosston... or Bryan Sawyer," Julia said. "I'm going to end your pathetic life and hope you burn in hell."

"How do you know my name?"

"I'm just good like that."

"Who are you?!"

Instead of answering, Julia fired one shot. It pierced Boss' throat, and split his spine just below the base of his skull. He was dead within seconds.

Julia simply gathered up her things and left Boss' lifeless body where it lay on the bed.

It was time to meet target number two and get David out of here.

----------

*jumps up and down with excitement* OMG OMG GO JULIA!!!! YEAH GIRL! WHOO HOOO! *BLASTS THE SONG "RUN"* GET EM GIRL!

*SINGS AND CHANTS ALONG WITH PENNI* GO GET THEM JULIA!!!

DAMN IT I WANNA SEE THE NEXT PART!

Small Packages, Part 4--
(VIOLENT AND SEXUAL SITUATIONS FOLLOW. IF THIS OFFENDS YOU, DON'T READ.)

Justin was in the middle of a major freak out.

Boss told him that he would be back by 7pm to torture Draiman a little more before he killed him at 10:30pm.

It was 7:30pm, and Boss was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Justin himself was being followed.

He went into the room that had been David's prison for the last three days. No food or water in that time made him weak. Pennybaker thought that would be perfect because his captive couldn't fight back to save his life.

He didn't know the strength David possessed; and not just physical strength.

"Hey Draiman," Pennybaker said, "looks like it's just you and me until Boss gets back. He's probably getting laid or something and lost track of time."

"And what are you going to do with me, Justin?" David taunted, knowing that Boss was the brains and the brawn of the two. "You just going to let me sit here and slowly starve to death? Is this my 'Cask of Amontillado'?"

"Your what?"

"Never mind," David said, "you obviously never heard of Edgar Allan Poe."

"I've heard of Poe, asshole," Pennybaker shot back, "but not this cask something."

David sighed. If he had to do one thing before he died, educating this idiot was not one of them.

"'The Cask of Amontillado' is a story by Poe, where a man walls in his rival and leaves him to starve to death," said David.

Pennybaker just rolled his eyes. Draiman was too fucking smart for his own good. His brains ain't gonna save him, he thought.

"Maybe I'll just go out and take care of some things for Boss," Pennybaker said. "He'll be here soon to make sure you get a gruesome send off."

"Gee, thanks." David said.

----------

Julia slipped back into the room where Boss' body lay and took his cell phone from his pants. She found messages between him and her next target. David's death was scheduled for 10:30, and a message between the dead man and her next target said for him to be out of the church at 10:20. "BLDG WILL BLOW AT 2230".

She checked the time on the phone and it was nearly 8pm. She had two and a half hours to find David, eliminate her next target and get out of the church.

Julia was wearing an all black dress, thigh high stockings, and three inch pumps. Her role now was prostitute and her "john" was her next target.

She exited the building and saw her target on the corner. She sashayed up to him and asked, "Lookin' for a good time, baby?"

"How much?"

"Fifty an hour," she said.

"I got time sweetheart," Justin said. "Come back this way with me. I have a friend waiting. Will he be extra?"

"Fifty from him too."

He handed over a hundred and led her back to the church.

Once in the church, Justin led Julia (now being called Amanda) down several flights of stairs. At the bottom, he had her wait while he went into the room.

"Hey Draiman," he said; "We have company, but I've gotta blindfold you."

"What the hell for?"

"I got this cute little hooker to service me, and you get to listen in." Pennybaker said as he put a blindfold over David's eyes and tied it too tight.

Julia was listening in, and found David sitting tied to a chair and blinfolded. He looked every bit like a condemned man. This made her angry, and this asswipe she was going to "service", as he put it, was the man who shot Morbus. This must be Pennybaker. I recognize him from my packet. What a wimp. He's nothing without the other guy.

"Amanda, darling, you can come in now," Pennybaker said. She entered the room and David looked bad. His nose was broken. He looked terrible. It was time to get him out of this dump.

"Who's this?" Julia as Amanda asked. "This your friend?"

"Yeah, name's Dave. He's going on a long trip, and we're giving him a send off."

"Why is he blindfolded and tied to that chair?"

"It's part of a game we're playing," Pennybaker said, unconvincingly. Both Julia and David picked up on it.

"Hiya, Dave!" she said in her best imitation of Dan's voice; "How's it goin' sugar?"

David said nothing, he was trying to place the voice of the hooker. It sounded really familiar to him, like he heard it everyday.

She sounds like a female...Dan Donegan? he thought. That can't be it. There can't be two people, different genders who sound exactly alike.

"Hey, baby," she said to Pennybaker; "Since he's going on a trip, why don't I do him first, then I'll do you."

"Fine, sweetheart. You like that idea Davey old friend?" Pennybaker practically sneered.

David just grunted.

Julia straddled David's lap and undid her coat. She leaned into David's ear and whispered,

"David, it's Julia. Just follow my lead, okay? I'm going to put a gun in the waistline of your pants."

Then, going back to the hooker voice, Julia said, "Davey what do you like? Blow job? Lap dance? Me on top? It's your party, baby, tell me what you want."

"I think I'm going to be sick," he whispered at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just pretend I'm Mom. Call me Jordan if that helps you," she whispered back at him. "We're leaving in a few minutes."

She then took off her coat while grinding herself against David. He did his best trying to believe his fifteen year old stepdaughter was an experienced hooker.

She undid the sash of her dress and allowing it to drop from her shoulders, showing that she was naked from the waist up. Inside the dress was another gun. It fell onto David's lap between them.

Pennybaker was clueless. To him, it looked like "Amanda" was giving Draiman a lap dance, and eagerly awaited his turn. He enjoyed watching Amanda's tits bounce so much that he never saw Julia release David's hands from his contraints.

She then turned around, and rubbed her ass on David's chest. This allowed David to reach for the gun Julia put in his waistband. She then reached behind her for the gun on David's lap, and while Pennybaker was watching the show, she suddenly got up off David and pointed the gun at his chest.

Pennybaker was taken aback, saying, "Hookers carry guns now?"

"Shut up Pennybaker," Julia growled. "Prepare to pay for your sins, motherfucker!"

"What the fuck! Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"My name, just in case you want to tell the Devil who not to fuck with, is Jules Rossman, and I am here to end your miserable life."

She then moved and Pennybaker saw that David had taken off the blindfold and also had a gun. He knew one of the two were going to kill him. The girl had to be an assassin, and David knew she was coming.

"My partner will be back any minute now and he'll finish off both of you!" Pennybaker said.

"No, he won't," Julia said. "Because I killed his pedophile ass earlier. He's laying on a bed in a room near the kitchen with a bullet in his spine and a dagger in his balls."

David looked at Julia in disbelief! What was Morbus and the other instructors teaching this girl? A bullet in the spine? Only Morbus could do that!

"You killed Boss?" Pennybaker said, clearly stalling for time. The watch he wore now said 9:45pm. Forty-five minutes before the bomb went off.

"I did, and now it's your turn," Julia said. "You kidnapped David and killed my father. You threatened my family and our way of life. You helped my mother escape from prison, which is the only good thing you've done in your useless life. That won't keep you from hell."

"I can't defend myself," Pennybaker said. "I'm not armed. You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man."

"He's armed," David said. "His gun is in his waistband under his coat."

At that moment, Justin drew his gun. Before he could aim it at Julia and David, Julia shot Justin in the wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon.

"Now you're unarmed," Julia said. She walked up to him as he was holding his wrist, pulled his head back by his hair, and shoved the barrel of the gun in his mouth.

Then she fired.

She let go of his hair and he dropped to the floor, dead; the bullet lodged deep in his brain.

She got dressed, put on her coat, and untied the restraints from around David's ankles. David tried to stand, but found he was unable to at first.

"I've been in this chair for three days, I'm a little rusty," David apologized.

"They did a good job on your nose," Julia said. "You'll need to get that fixed."

"Where are we going now?" David asked. He walked around a little, trying to get the circulation back in his legs.

"I have some shit stashed outside, so I'll pick that up on the way out," Julia said. "Then we run like hell because they were going to blow up this building with you in it. I have a car in a safe garage two blocks from here."

"What happened to your hair? And what was up with the imitation Danny voice?" David wanted to know as they climbed the stairs to street level.

"I'll explain later," Julia said. "But we have to get out of here now. The building's gonna blow at 10:30! Can you run life your life depended on it?"

"Fuck yeah," David said; "Lead the way."

---------

On their way to the car, they ran into a cop. Julia told them that the old church was going to blow up in fifteen minutes. When the cop asked how she knew this information, she said,

"Look, you can evacuate people and hope it's a false alarm, or risk people's lives and do nothing. Your choice, officer." Then they kept running.

They finally made it to the parking garage, where the car Julia had been given sat where she parked it the night before. Just as David reached the car, he collapsed.

"David, you okay?"

"I haven't eaten or drank anything...in three...days," he said weakly.

"We need to get you to a doctor fast," Julia said, "Can you hold on th--..."

In the distance, the bomb in the church detonated. They felt the ground shake from the force of the explosives.

Julia helped David get into the passenger's seat and she got in behind the wheel and sped out of the parking garage. She kept driving until she saw the lights of the compound in the distance, then she looked over at David.

He'd passed out.

As she drove to the Medical Clinic on the compound, she had to chuckle at one of the last things Pennybaker said-- Hookers carry guns now?

"Of course they do," she said aloud. "This is fucking Chicago!"

HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST...I WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!!

OMG THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED!!!! (best imitation of that lil boy on The Incredibles) lol but really I LOVED THAT POST!!!!!!!!!

THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED!!!! HOLY COW!!! GET 'EM JULIA!!!!

Small Packages, Part 5--

David was hospitalized, suffering from severe dehydration in addition to the broken nose. When he was feeling a little more human, he asked to see Julia. She arrived after her assassin training that afternoon.

"Julia, please don't take this wrong," David said, "but what the hell were you thinking trying to seduce me like that? I mean I know it was part of the act, but my God, girl, I was feeling really creeped out!"

"It had to be done, David," Julia said. "It was either that or let Pennybaker kill you."

"I know, but could you NOT be a hooker next time?"

"I have to play whatever role gets the job done," Julia said unapologetically. "Try not to get kidnapped again."

"You're much better looking than Morbus at any rate," David said, chuckling. "By the way, he IS still among the living, right?"

"Hell, yeah," Julia said. "He had us all scared there for a while, but he pulled through like the indestructible being he is."

"Your mother tells me that he told you his secret," David said.

"That he's my father, yes," Julia said. "It was a shock at first, but he thought he was dying, so he told me."

"Does that change anything between you and him as far as your training is concerned?" David asked.

"No," Julia said. "He's just as tough on me as he is on everyone else."

"Tell me about the new haircut and what was up with that voice you used while you were playing that hooker," David asked. "You sounded like a female Danny!"

"If that's what you thought, David, then I achieved my goal," Julia said. "As for the hair, it was part of the disguise. It's easier to put on a wig or wear a weave with short hair than try to put all that hair up under a short wig."

"It looks good on you," David said. "More grown up."

Before Julia could respond, Jordan walked into David's room. She hugged Julia for a long while. Afterwards, Jordan said,

"I have two bits of good news; One, Morbus can go home tomorrow;"

"That's great!" Julia said.

"Great news, Jordan," David said; "And the other bit of good news?"

"Nik and KateLynn had a baby boy about 20 minutes ago," Jordan said, smiling.

"Really?!" Julia said, excitedly. "When can I go see them?"

David and Jordan literally saw the assassin compartment close, and the compartments to the rest of Julia's life open wide.

"Soon, Julia," Jordan said. "Let the new parents enjoy him first."

----------

KateLynn admired her newborn son. He was so small, so perfect. At that moment, he yawned, and his mother whispered to him,

"You had to work so hard to get here, you're so sleepy...but I'm so glad to finally meet you, Matthias Nikolai."

"Huh, what?" Nik said as he stirred awake, hearing KateLynn's voice. He'd dozed off in a chair shortly after KateLynn came to her room with the baby.

"Dozed off there, didn't you, Nik?" KateLynn said, laughing. "I should be the one sleeping, after all I did all the work bringing Matthias into the world."

"Yes, you did, baby," Nik said as he kissed KateLynn's forehead. "And he's so perfect. I can't believe he's ours!"

Baby Matthias started to fuss a little, then settled back into sleep, as he was passsed from his mother to his father. "Holding him makes me nervous," Nik said. "I don't want to drop him."

"You're going to be fine, Nik," KateLynn said. "You're a natural already. You're just a nervous new dad, just like I'm a nervous new mom."

"You think we should tell people that we got married?" Nik asked. "I mean, we have this new baby, and I have my blushing bride. I only wish my biological parents and Peter and Kiera could be here to see Matthias..."

"They're watching, Nik," KateLynn said as she looked up at Nik; "I have a feeling they'd be very pleased. Besides, Julia, Jeremiah and Joe are your family, too."

"It's too bad Joe decided to stay in New Haven when Jere came back here," Nik said; "He'd get a kick out of this."

"He made the decision that he felt was right for him," KateLynn said. "Jere wished he'd gone to Northwestern anyway. But, yeah, we should tell people that Matthias isn't the son of unwed parents. It'll blow their minds!"

"How come you're so wise, Mrs. San Marco?" Nik asked.

"I'm not, Mr. San Marco," KateLynn replied. "Just common sense."

"I love you, KateLynn..."

"I love you, too, Nikolai."

----------

The Committee wasn't very happy about the latest turn in events. Not only did Bosston and Pennybaker fail to assassinate David Draiman and force the collapse of the Disturbed Ones movement, but they themselves were killed by a female assassin. One who employed the SpineSplitting technique. Only one other assassin the Disturbed Ones employed had the ability to use that technique accurately was Morbus, and even he survived being shot and losing a lot of blood.

No, happy did not describe the mood when the Committee met the day after Draiman's rescue.

"We don't have a name for the assassin who killed two more of our agents, do we?" Jed McClayne, the Committee's chairman, asked.

"No, we don't," Carl Parks, the assistant chair, stated. "All we know about her is that she's about 20 to 22 years old, five-foot-three, and uses the SpineSplitting method of assassination. She was trained by Morbus, so you know she has to have some kind of talent in handling weaponry."

"We got someone working on finding out who this bitch is?" McClayne asked.

"We do, but we're not having much luck," Parks said. "Unlike us, the Disturbed Ones don't maintain their assassins on computers. Makes it very hard to find out anything about them. They've got a very secure computer system that is virtually unhackable."

"Every computer system can be hacked, Parks," Mc Clayne said angrily. "Some just take more time to crack than others."

"We could take another shot at Draiman," Parks said. "We have assassins, too."

"If Justin Pennybaker was the best assassin we had, then we don't have any assassins!" exclaimed McClayne. "And you know how that turned out."

"We could snatch Draiman's twin daughters," Parks suggested.

"Let's not get little ones involved," McClayne said. "I have grandchildren the same age as those little girls. Just leave Draiman's family out of it all together."

"We could attempt to turn someone they know and trust against them," Parks said. "One of the other band members, maybe."

"No, they're pretty tight knit," McClayne said. "They've been together as a band a long time. They're a freaking brotherhood unto themselves."

"I'll get someone to work on it, Mr. Chairman," Parks said. "I'll have something to tell you the next time the full Committee meets."

"You fucking better," McClayne said, and dismissed Parks.

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Later in the day, Julia and Jeremiah came over to see Nik and KateLynn's new son. Julia was excited for her brother and KateLynn. Matthias was an adorable little boy.

"Don't let him become a White Sox fan like David," Jeremiah said. "Us Cubs fans will never hear the end of it!" Jeremiah slipped a tiny Cubs ballcap on top of Matthias' head.

"Once David's released from the hospital, he's probably going to find tiny White Sox stuff," Julia said; "His devotion to his team knows no bounds! He's lucky that Mom likes baseball!"

"Great," KateLynn said, laughing, "I'm going to have a Chicago baseball rivalry in my son's bedroom!"

"No way, KateLynn," Nik said, handing his son back to his mother; "He's going to be a Cubs fan if I have anything to say about it! And Bears, and Blackhawks, and Bulls, too!"

"Oh, my!" Jeremiah said while the others laughed.

"Can I hold him, KateLynn?" Julia asked.

"Sure, Auntie Julia!" KateLynn laughed, handing Matthias over to Julia.

"Aren't you a handsome one," Julia said to her baby nephew. "Mama and Daddy are gonna have to beat the girls off with a stick!"

Nik looked at Julia holding his son. It didn't seem possible that twenty four hours before, she shot two men to death to save David. She was so maternal. Maybe when she has one of her own, she might not want to go out and shoot the bad guys anymore, Nik thought.

Then he thought, yeah, like that's going to happen!

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