4: A Countdown Novel

Transmission Resumed- Flash Forward

Nefertiti I

Heir to the Throne of UPAE

Colombian Complex (C.C.)

Unknown Date

 ...- - - ...

A hand brushed her neck, long fingers, smooth skin, a scar there, and then a ring. The ring caught on her hair, tugging it sharply. She did not make a sound. That would betray weakness, and betraying weakness was something she has never been able to do when safe, let alone when the enemy was standing their and... Touching her. 

                "Come quietly and I will not shoot," he whispered, hot air flitted across her ear and down her throat. 

                "Then shoot,"  she hissed, but smiled as she twirled away from his chest, dancing shoes glittering in the light of the chandeliers. He had two minutes to make a decision before the song changed and she switched to another partner, or when she did not others would notice and question why the Heir was dancing two rounds with a man from The Republic of Antarctica. If the imbeciles noticed at all. "I wound not mind a bullet to the brain right now." 

                He laughed, but it held mirth, not humor. "You have not changed a bit, Nefertiti." 

                "You indeed have," she snapped as he seamlessly moved them into a lift. She gritted her teeth has his hand brushed her thigh on the way down. Where was Roy? Where was Kain? Chester was missing too; she could not catch sight of his military uniform. Sliver should definitely have noticed by now, he was The Spy for crying out loud. How could they all be so oblivious? 

                "I have not," he says with a smile and a wink with the blue eye not hidden under the patch that covers his left. "Merely... the situation,"  The song grinds to a halt with a twang and a scream as Sliver bursts into the ball room, blood on what is left of his jacket, blood smeared on his face, skin blushing purple with new bruises. He is glancing wildly around, searching for someone. Searching for her. Nefertiti’s stomach drops out when the others don't appear behind them. They couldn't be dead. "Well, if that isn't my cue, I don't know what is," He steps away from her, dropping into a frivolous bow and tipping his hat. "We will meet again Nefertiti, and soon.” He bares his teeth in the semblance of a grin. "Maybe then I will finally get to tell you how pretty I think you are." 

                He fades back into the scrambling crowd, and Nefertiti just stares at the knife he left on the ground. That was how close she was to dying, her heart's flesh wrapped around that blade. Had she died, he would have perished as well, so revenge was not his only motive. Also, he managed to tell her who he was with that last comment, even if he did not resemble the boy she had met years ago. He wasn't in this just to kill her then. 

                It was a game. 

                A lazy smile spreads across her lips, tugging up the corners and revealing the diamonds in her teeth. She was good a playing games. 

                Flipping open her organizer, she watched the tracker in his shoe blink green across the screen. 

She was good at winning them.