Kimberly POV
The first thing Kimberly saw with her blurred vision when she regained consciousness was a very tall black man, perhaps the tallest she'd ever seen. The next thing she realized was that she was bound to a wooden chair with very sturdy rope and there were several other men next to the tall man waving guns and knives in her face. Kimberly soon became extremely confused and frightened.
"Wh-what's going on?" murmured Kimberly slowly at first but then she started getting anxious, "Where am I?! What happened?! Who are you people?!"
"Keep quiet, lil' girl!" shouted one gun-toting men standing beside the tall man, we're the one asks the questions."
"She's talkin' like she don' recognize you, boss," said another one of the men, "ya sure ya got the right girl?"
It was with that statement that Kimberly finally regained her senses from her fuzzy, tranquilizer induced haze. Kimberly saw the gigantic man in front of her and immediately recognized him. Standing before Kimberly was the man that perhaps has been the most pictured and talked about in the local Fleming and surrounding area news and radio stations since she could remember. That man, of course, was David "Big Dave" Rutherford Sr., and he was standing right in front of Kimberly. This was not Lil' Dave who used to go to Reagan, the one that started selling drugs school property and became an all-round thorn in the backside of Kimberly's father Scott, the principal. No, this was the original, the real deal, Big Dave who was the most infamous men in the area.
"'Course it's her, Chuck," said Big Dave in a deep guttural baritone to the man who asked the question, "the fuck you take me for, nigga?" Kimberly realized in the back of her head that through all the years people have been mentioning his name, she's never actually heard him speak before, let alone less than three feet away from her. "Darren, untie her and lower 'dem damn guns," he said to the first man who shouted at Kimberly, "she ain't no prisoner here, man, o' a hostage. She should what's goin' down." Kimberly soon also realized that she was back in Fleming and remembered what Tony had said and done to her before she blacked out.
"Why did Tony do that?" said Kimberly after the guns were lowered and she was untied, "How am I back here?"
"Those are great question, honey," said Big Dave leaning down on one knee so he could be at level with Kimberly, "and I'll explain best I can. I know you know who I am and there's a lot o'folks who want me dead and I can't risk just havin' anybody come inta my base without me havin' the propa security. That's why ma'men brought the heat like'at. What all 'dis has to do with is yo boy Zachary Monroe."
"Zach?" said Kimberly surprised, "What does he have to do with you or what Tony did or what was happening at the school."
"Everything, girl, everything." said Big Dave emphatically, and he proceeded to tell Kimberly about everything. Big Dave told Kimberly about Marcus Pang murdering Zach's parents and starting the fire in the house. Big Dave said that Kimberly knew the name Marcus Pang for he was the man who was hired by Meadowlark and Carole to assassinate Meadowlark, unbeknown to Pang that it was a staged plan. Big Dave told her about Max Crawford and Alice McKay, the involvement of Kimberly's father; Skip Harris, Coleman Maddox; Lt. Roscoe and his fellow National Guardsmen; Skip's former partner Topher/Kevin Depper and his misdeeds with Wanda/Audrey Wellington, which Kimberly already knew about. Big Dave told Kimberly Everything that took place in Seattle. He told her about Zach's family history with his Uncle Charlie, where Charlie was currently. He also told her about Alexi Gustav and Alfonzo Martinez, III and Big Dave's own employment with Martinez II. Big Dave told Kimberly about his own partnership with Pang. At the end of Big Dave's narrative, Kimberly had tears in her eyes. I never knew all that about Zach she thought to herself and she cursed herself once more about how cruel she was to Zach the last time she saw him. However, one confusing thought still remained in her mind.
"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked, "and what does this have to do with Tony."
"Well that's pretty simple, actually," answered Big Dave, "y'see, Todd Tonic adopted that girl Amber and he was makin' that school unsafe for her and f'everybody. I couldn't take it anymore. Tony's m'cousin and he owed me a favor a ways back and I told him t'look afta Amber." Kimberly was still had trouble grasping the connections but one startling thing dawned on her.
"Amber is your daughter, isn't she?" said Kimberly.
"You be a smart'n, lil' girl," confirmed Big Dave with a smile, "and y'probably wonderin' why I took ya now. Y'see, Marcus had been trackin' down Zach but Crawford was getting' in his way so I made a deal with Marcus, I handle Crawford and he'll handle the kid and in turn, it would bring my fear and control ova Fleming. Problem is, Marc turned himself in t'da Feds afta what went down in Seattle and I now I think I'm out of my cut from what he was gettin' paid from Alexi, specially wit' that crazy-ass Japanese killer that Martinez hired t'take Marcus's place cuz he wudn't gettin' the job done. I need the money to get my daughter outta harms way, so I had Tony take you t'me so you Zach would come here and I could get my money I was promised."
"Why couldn't you just take Amber out of there yourself?" asked Kimberly, "Why take me to get Zach, why can't you just get Zach yourself?"
"Numba one, Amber don't know that I'm her dad and I'm afraid that if she knew, she'd be ashamed o'herself," said Big Dave, "Todd's a good man, we go way back to when he was sellin' guns t'Alexi in Vegas when Martinez's dad was in charge. But he be startin' a war that could cost lives, including Amber's. Todd agreed that I should pay Amber's way outta that place in a way she won't know it was me or my relationship wit' her. Amber led you to Tony thinkin' it was a plan to keep you safe, but after Tony drove you away, a couple of the other hired security, who was helpin' Tony, did the samething t'her that Tony did to you and now she's back in California wit' Todd's ex-wife, Trisha. But she gon' need money t'help support Amber and that's where you come in. Zach has been one lil' hard fucker to catch and that's sayin' a lot comin' from me. I even had my son help out but Zach's too well protected and we can't risk too public an incident because we may be gangsta's but we ain't psycho killas. When Marcus went into Reagan went lookin' f'Zach and took his friend Corey Miller instead, Marcus did that outta desperation from pressure from Alexi who be gettin' the same from Martinez and what Marcus did was not part'a our arrangement."
"What am I supposed to do?" asked Kimberly, beginning to shake nervously and nearly at her wits end. She was also surprised and suspicious about Tonic's ex-wife, because until now no one ever mentioned that he ever had a wife or if Amber had a mother, but she decided to hold her tongue on that for now.
"You should know the answer to that," said Big Dave, "there's nuthin' that boy loves more than you." That statement made Kimberly instinctively blush. "You gonna bring him to me."
"And what happens if I don't?" said Kimberly, "You don't think I'm going to trick Zach freely. What's in it for me?"
Big Dave rose, his face and bearing suddenly became dead serious.
"What's in it for you?" said Big Dave, "What's in it for you?" he repeated with more anger in his voice, "Do not take my kindness now as something; t'play wit'. There's a reason why I'm the most feared man in the area. It's cuz I don' take no prisoners. If you was a little olda and wudn't a bargaining chip for me and you or someone close to you got in my way, I would've had my boys blow y'brains out wit' out thinkin' twice. What's in it f'you is I won't torture and kill everyone close to you and make you watch and then I kill you if you don't do what I say."
"You said you're not psycho killers." Kimberly adamantly protested.
"We ain't but we do what we need t'do f'business," said Big Dave, "if we need t'get drastic f'you ta see we ain't playin' then that's what we do."
"You said this is for Amber, your daughter," said Kimberly, "that's personal, that doesn't sound like business to me."
"You really startin' t'try my patience, lil' girl!" Big Dave yelled, "My personal business is my business, now, no mo' questions." Then he turned back to his henchmen, "Chuck, Darren, all a'yall, tie her back up and tranq her again. When she wake up maybe she be mo' willin' t'help out. The two a'you are gonna go wit' me t'meet wit' my son and then we gon; look f'that little spit-fuck. The rest a'ya'll're gonna rotate every hour watchin' her and watchin' outside, two and two, in case she try somethin' stupid o' the lil' hero Monroe try's t'brake her out. If that happens or she wake up y'call me, if it's the boy then ya knock him out if y'have to but do not kill him because if any of you do, I'm sayin' it now, if any a'ya'll kill Zach Monroe, I swear on everything Holy in this world I will do to you and ya family what I told this bitch what I do t'her."
Zach POV
It had been several months since Zach lost Leo and all the chaos that had ensued in Seattle. A great deal had taken place in Zach's life since he and Corey left Seattle on Crawford's plane. However, Crawford did not come back for many weeks following the war in the Emerald City, and when he did return, it was without Alice and he denied answering about what happened to her or where she went. Additionally, Utu Sal-Ore, Crawford's personal assistant, took Crawford's place in watching over Zach, who arrived in Fleming the next day after Zach and Corey returned home and that was also the first day that Zach's and Corey's first day back at Reagan since being kidnapped by Marcus Pang.
In the wake of Pang's attack on the school, Reagan had changed drastically. Number one, all school sanctioned extracurricular activities like sports; student clubs, student council, etc were all cancelled for the rest of the year. Secondly, the school security detailed has tightened tenfold. There's surveillance cameras scattered in every hallway, classroom, restroom, office, gymnasium and even broom closets. Most importantly, Scott Adams, Kimberly's father and Zach's legal guardian, was forcibly and indefinitely deposed as the head principal of Ronald Reagan High School in light of what happened there with Pang. The school board placed Scott's ex-wife, Kimberly's mother and school vice-principal Margaret Adams as the interim principal for the rest of the year.
The first thing Zach did when he arrived back at the Adams residence was to tell him about what happened with him and Wanda, which, of course, Scott already knew about and long predicted would happen and he forgave and was more than understanding of Zach's calamity.
For the next several months Zach had returned to his regular old routine. Zach and Corey were best friends and the former helped the latter in his withdrawal from drugs. Elliot Fineman had been permanently removed from the school and was sent to the same Jewish boarding school as his brother in New York City. Jamal Rutherford had begun hanging out with Zach and Corey. In fact, the three of them attempted to start their own band but since none of them knew how to play an instrument and only Zach had a decent voice, they scrapped the idea until they would learn to play an instrument.
Furthermore, the group of Kimberly's old friends from Clay; Kevin Thornton, Tyler Kennedy, Derrick Brown, Roger McMillian, Stephen Finch, Angie Brown and Cassie Smith were now back on good terms with Zach. Jamal and Angie were no longer together and neither were Tyler and Billy. Even Ryan Philips and his crew kept their distance, which now excluded the couple of Eric Patterson and Zach's ex-girlfriend Stacey Ross. The two of them were the only two remaining thorns in Zach's side that habitually and shamelessly flaunted their relationship in front of Zach; trying desperately to get a reaction out of Zach but to no avail. It was the first time since before his parents died that Zach truly felt happy but he knew it could not last.
Zach's months-long streak of delight had ended today, when Lil' Dave and his gang had returned and kidnapped him from Scott's house in middle of the night, but not before knocking him out with a chloroformed cloth smothered on his faced. When Zach arose, he realized he was hanging by a thick rope from one of the thick gas line pipes of the selfsame warehouse where Zach first met Lil' Dave where Jack used to sell drugs. Zach was hanging less than ten feet from the floor. The first person he saw was Lil' Dave and to his immediate right was Jamal with a very apologetic look on his face. The rest of Lil' Dave's crew were point guns in his face. The first thing Lil' Dave told Zach was that not only was Kimberly back in Fleming but she was also being held hostage in Little Harlem by his father Big Dave and his gang.
"You're lying, Lil' Dave" said Zach, "Kimberly's safe still in Canada, there's no way she's here."
"You stupid o'somethin'?" said Lil' Dave, "She here, I don't know how she here but here."
"Well I don't believe you." Said Zach.
"Does this satisfy, ya lil' prick?" asked Lil' Dave as he flashed Zach his iPhone with a live picture of Kimberly bound tied up and unconscious.
"What do you want from me?" said Zach, suddenly shaking nervously out of concern for Kimberly." Lil' Dave had gotten Zach's full attention at that point.
"What we've always wanted, Zach," said Lil' Dave, "you, Zach. You know we always wanted you."
"So you have me?" said Zach, "What does this have to do with Kimberly?"
"My dad tol' me that he said f'her to come get you," said Lil' Dave, "she be safe as long as she lead him to you. I'm supposed to keep you here until she do."
"Why can't you bring me there?" asked Zach.
"Because if we do," said Lil' Dave, "My pops will pop yo girl."
"That doesn't make any sense!" screamed Zach, "You want her to lead your dad to me, but you have me, but if I go to her, than your dad will kill her?! This seems pretty specific to me, please explain!"
Now it was Jamal's turn to chime in,
"Zach, why you gotta be so damn stubborn all the time?! I doesn't matter why and how it goes down the way it do, just that it does."
"You think I'm blaming you, Jamal, but I'm not." said Zach, "I knew this day would come that they would promise you your dad's release from prison if you got them to me."
"We ain't getting paid t'ask questions, son," said Lil' Dave, "I just wan' ma sister safe." He then explained to Zach how Amber Tonic is really Big Dave's daughter and the deal that Gustav/Martinez and company had laid down for them after Pang turned himself in in Seattle, which Zach did not know about until now. He also told Zach about what Kimberly's been going through with Amber and Jonathan, Double T, Edward Meadowlark, Lorelei Carole, Tony the security guard, the fight, Pang's involvement thereof. Lil' Dave also told Zach that for most of the year, the animosity between Kimberly and Gail were born out of their mutual love for Zach, from which he became bright red. Now I know why she said those things that day in the ruins of my house, thought Zach feeling ashamed and all the more worried about Kimberly's current situation.
The truth was, both Zach and Jamal knew that Crawford was waiting nearby in a van with Utu and was listening to everything. Instead of putting a microphone on Zach, Crawford put one on Jamal so Lil' Dave wouldn't suspect anything. What the Dave's' did not know was that this whole thing was planned for. Zach and Jamal knew that Lil' Dave would come back and take Zach. Zach also knew of Amber's true parentage for a while now, through Crawford of course. They both knew something was going to happen but they did not expect that Kimberly would be involved. Zach figured that someone somewhere along the way knew about Crawford's counter plan and called an audible, or perhaps, Zach suspected, Kimberly was part of the plan from the start.
"So you just do as your told?" said Zach, "Y'know, Dave, it doesn't have to be like this."
"What are you talking about?" asked Lil' Dave.
"You don't have to follow everything your dad says," said Zach, "you can be your own man if you wanted to. You weren't always like this."
"We don't need to explain nuthin' to ya." Said another one of Lil' Dave's men.
"Na," said Lil' Dave, "I wanna hear 'im out. Boys, ya'll go out and stand guard. Jamal, you stay here with me." As soon as it was only Zach, Lil' Dave and Jamal in the room, then Lil' Dave returned his attention back to Zach. "This is the only way to make sure Amber is safe."
"Is it?" said Zach, "Is it the only way or is that just what your dad has told you based on what he's been told? There's a lot that just does not add up. Todd Tonic is a billionaire, he could afford to send Amber to the best and most well-protected boarding school that money can buy, what's in it for him to let your Dad spend the money to help her?"
"'Cause he and my Dad think Amber's in trouble no matter where so she has to be sent to somewhere nobody gon' find her." Explained Lil' Dave,
"And where is that?" asked Zach. These questions have been plaguing Zach and Crawford for months.
"I'm through playin' wit' you!" yelled Lil' Dave who was finally losing his cool, "I'm bringin' my boys back in and then I'mma call my Dad we gon' end this!"
At that very moment there was loud gunfire and police sirens outside the warehouse and then they heard Sheriff Callahan's voice booming from a Megaphone, "DAVID RUTHORFORD, WE HAVE THIS PLACE SURROUNDED! PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN AND COMEOUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"
Kimberly POV
Back in Little Harlem, Kimberly was never knocked out again when Big Dave and his people left. In fact, right when it happened many of Big Dave's men started fighting and the one's called Chuck and Darren had returned without their boss and they were staging a mutiny against Big Dave who they knocked out and brought to the cops. Chuck and Darren informed Kimberly that they were both loyal friends to Jamal's father Jesse Buford aka the Golden Grill and knew that Big Dave never had any intention of helping Buford get out of prison. They also told Kimberly that it was Big Dave who set up Buford to get arrested by Zach's father in the first place.
After they freed her, Chuck and Darren led Kimberly to an old brown station wagon. Chuck got into the driver's seat with another one of their group while Darren, Kimberly and three other men all crowded in the back. They were all heavily armed.
"Where are we going?!" cried Kimberly, "What's happening with Zach?!"
"He's safe Kimberly," said Darren, "he's back at your Dad's place. That's where we're goin' but there's bad people out there that want you dead and it got nothin' t'do with Dave o' his boy." As they drew closer, Kimberly was beginning to recognize the surroundings, This is the first time I'm back since I left in August!, she thought. It had already began drizzling when Kimberly left Big Dave's building but now it was starting too poor and storm and Kimberly found this painfully reminiscent of the night that she saw Zach's house burn down.
Just then, there was a gunshot that went straight through the rear window and shot of the men in the head. The others started rolling down the windows and peering out the window and fired back.
"That was a sniper bullet!" yelled Darren.
Kimberly could barely see through the windows, but she began to hear the chopping of a helicopter growing louder and louder.
"They was shootin' from the choppa!" cried another man in the station wagon.
Almost immediately after, Kimberly saw from the back window that they were being followed by a large group of vehicles led by a very large Humvee colored in camouflage, maybe those are the National Guard guys that went rogue in Seattle like Big Dave told me Kimberly surmised. Behind the group she saw the faint flashing of an army of police cars and she could hear the sirens from her seat. There was shooting coming from inside and outside the car. The next thing Kimberly knew was that Chuck, the driver, had been shot and Darren climbed back into the car to grab hold of the wheel and managed to get off the main street onto and a side road of gravel near what looked to be an old farm.
"Jump out!" yelled Darren, as he grabbed Kimberly and held her to his chest and they rolled out onto the nearby field of long-dead corn and the car crashed exploded into the seemingly deserted barn. Only one other person made it out of the car alive other than Darren and Kimberly and that was the man sitting next to Chuck, Darren called him Ronald. Kimberly scraped her face on a piece of glass from the window during the tumble before they made it to the grass; she also twisted her left ankle. Darren and Ronald was both walking upright but were bleeding from the head. They both pulled out their guns to embrace for the next attack.
"Run behind the house, Kimberly!" shouted Darren pointing at the big farm house that stood opposite the barn where the station wagon crashed. Kimberly was worried about Darren's safety and thought that she would never be able to repay him and the fallen Chuck for saving her. But there was no time; Kimberly ran as fast as she could and made it to the house.
There was silence for several minutes and then all she heard was the overwhelming blare of police sirens. She came out and the first person she saw was her Mom, Dad and Timmy; they all came running out of Sheriff Callahan's care to embrace their daughter and big sister.
When they arrived at Scott's house, they all rushed in out of the snow and many followed them in, while there were others, like the Tinsley's' and the Millers'. Instinctively, the first place Kimberly went to was her hold room to lie down. But when she opened the door she was caught by surprised to see Zach in nothing but a white towel around his waist dripping from head to toe; he had obviously just gotten out of the shower and was just as shocked.
Zach/Kimberly interchange POV
The first thing they both thought was that the other one looks gorgeous and beautiful with wet hair. They just starred at each other in silence; lost in an intensely emotional moment. They started walking closer to each other; Kimberly was so lost in the moment that she forgot to close the door, while Zach clung to his towel not realizing that it had unraveled from the back exposing his bare bottom to the air. It was at that moment, they could no longer contain what they felt for each other. They embraced each other like they were holding on for dear life. They both began to cry happy tears.
"I was so worried about you." Zach muttered quietly over a wave of emotion
"Me, too," Replied Kimberly in kind, as they each leaned their heads longingly against the other's, "I had no idea that you went through so much. I was so harsh on you. Big Dave told me everything; he told me about your parents, about Wanda, about the CIA people; everything. You should know that I've regretted every awful word I said to you at your old house since that day. I was caught by surprised and scared and I was with Jonathan." Kimberly also shared what happened to her in Little Harlem.
"It's okay, Kim," said Zach, he began softly caressing her cheek with his free hand, "I won't lie, I was pretty upset about it, but I realized that I put you in an unfair position. I was being selfish; I didn't realize how serious you and Jonathan were," then he paused, "or are."
She shook her head weakly "It's no use anymore, Zachy," Kimberly softly whimpered, "I can't help it! I'm in love with you! I've been in love with you ever since I saw you looking at me at the baseball field in the summer. I've never felt this way before about anyone or anything. I've never seen anyone so pure and genuine as you, your care for your friends and parents, especially because of what happened to them. I saw the whole house burn down, Zach! I know we had just met that day, but I was never more scared for anyone in my life."
"I felt the same way when I saw you fall during your big gymnastics match with Amber on Thanksgiving weekend," said Zach, "That kiss you and I shared before the meet was like nothing I've ever experienced. I feel drawn to you lie a magnet. And you're no slouch yourself from what Lil' Dave told me, Ms. Revolution." Kimberly giggled through her tears at this remark, "That whole thing must not have been easy." Then he paused and raised her chin so he could look straight in her eyes and in the most serious voice he said, "I want to be with you, more than anything else in this world. I love you."
And with this, they kissed and kissed getting more passionate by the second. Kimberly was caressing his face, hair and neck as Zach was doing the same to her. In the process, Zach completely dropped the towel, becoming completely nude. After Kimberly went to close and lock the door they resumed their intense passion and Kimberly began disrobing herself.
Before they could get too far, Zach and Kimberly stopped.
"I think we should wait to do this," said Zach, "at least until we tell everyone, especially Jonathan." They broke apart and began getting dressed
"Right, Jonathan," said Kimberly as if she forgot all about him because for a moment she had, "yes, we should tell him."
Zach sensed her hesitancy, "I know it won't be easy, Kim. I know you've spent most of this whole year as his girlfriend, and you may still have strong feelings for him. So if you need time, if you're not ready to be with me, I understand." At this point they were both pretty much fully clothed.
"No, it's not that Zachy," said Kimberly, getting close to him as they embraced once more, "I want to be with you, in every sense, more than anything in the world. It's just I worry about him. I felt that my being with him was the only thing keeping him from changing for the worse. Two of his new friends at Meadowlark, Cornelius and Darius;"
"I've met them." Said Zach, with a hint of contempt in his voice at hearing their names.
"Well, they've been influencing Jonathan in a bad way," said Kimberly, "the more he's around them the more he's becoming like them; arrogant, rude, condescending, self-entitled and angry."
"We can both help him," said Zach, "after all, he's still one of my best friend's regardless if he thinks the same way. I think that deep down, he'd be happy to see us together."
"I don't know, Zach," said Kimberly shaking her head, "with the two of them around him, I don't think he's the same person he was that you grew up with."
"So, what are you suggesting?" said Zach. Kimberly could hear the faint accusatory insinuation in his tone. But before Kimberly could reply, there was a knock on the door; it was Scott and Margaret.
"Zach, you're needed down stair," Scott said, "Kimberly, you stay here. We need to talk, alone." With that Zach left the room, still troubled by Kimberly's words and what they implied.
Zach POV
Zach came downstairs and saw a large group of people conversing about Scott's front foyer and living room. Timmy Adams, Jonathan, Gail, Jonathan, Sr. and Eleanor Tinsley; Officer Ralph, Annette and Corey Miller; Sheriff Callahan, Police Commissioner Phillips, Todd Tonic, Crawford, of course, and surprisingly, Alice, who looked all patched up from her fight with the ninja assassin in Seattle. Of Zach's friends there was Jamal, Kevin, Tyler, Derrick, Angie, Cassie, Billy and Elliot, who he was surprised to see as we said Zall. Present as well was Roger, Finch, Jack, AJ, Lacey, Craig, Cornelius, Darius, Magnus, Sebastian, Amber, Sasha and a taller young fellow that Zach did not know. Carlos and the rest of Leo's family were also present.
Because his father was there, Zach was not surprised to see Ryan Phillips along with Peter, Francesca, Tyron, Carina, Natalya, and Leroy Higgins but was really surprised to see both Eric Patterson and Zach's ex-girlfriend Stacey Ross there together. The only person who Zach noticed was not there was Utu, who must have gone back to Crawford's secret base.
As soon as Zach arrives down stairs, Crawford and Alice approach him.
"Hey, kiddo," said Alice cheerfully, "it's been a long time."
"What've you been up to?" said Zach, equally happy to see her.
"Come on, Zach," said Crawford, "Alice and I need to talk to you about something very important in private." Zach nodded 'okay' and followed them to the back living room. The three of them sat on the couch.
"First of all, Zach, how are you," said Crawford, "did Lil'
Dave and his men hurt you?"
"No I'm fine, Max," said Zach, "did everything as we planned and I've even got some information for you about what's happening behind the scenes with the Operator and Martinez and how Double T fits in." Max and Alice glanced at each other knowingly in response to this.
"That's good, Zach," said Crawford, "that's very good and we can discuss that in detail later. Right now, there are a couple of things that we need to tell you."
"I'm leaving, Zach," said Alice, "I'm being reassigned."
"Okay," said Zach, not really shocked at this, "you haven't been here since you and Max did it," Max and Alice both smiled at this, "and I only saw you for a little bit when you were fighting that tough ninja dude back in Seattle."
"But there's more to it than that, hon," said Alice, "I'm joining Skip Harris's former partner, Coleman Maddox and we're leading a team of multi-divisional agents to Europe to find your Uncle Charlie." This definitely got Zach's undivided attention.
"You are?" said Zach, "Why? How do you know he's in Europe? I should come, too, he's the reason my parents are dead and I still don't know why."
"You know you can't go, Zach," said Crawford sounding annoyed at the suggestion, "Leo told me before he died. How he knew, I don't know, that guy seemed to know everything. He said Charlie's in danger and being held captive somewhere in Holland, but that's only his last known location, he could have very well moved."
"Well I hope you do find him and that he's safe." Said Zach, "You said Coleman Maddox was Skip's former partner, I thought he's the new partner and Topher was the former."
"Well, Zach," said Crawford, "Coleman and Skip were partners until Skip was murdered in Seattle."
"Murdered?" said Zach, shocked at this revelation, "How? By who?"
Alice and Crawford looked at each other once more,
"It's complicated, Zach," said Alice, "that's actually what I've been doing since I last was here and Max was helping me."
"But that's not what we need to discuss with you, Zach. This is about you and Kimberly." said Crawford trying hard to broach the sensitive subject very delicately but firm at the same time. This also got Zach's undivided attention who became serious and looked Crawford dead in the eyes. "We heard what you two were doing up there just now and what you were talking about," continued Crawford, "and for starters we both want you to know how happy we are for you. I know you've wanted this for so long."
"I never stopping rooting for you, kiddo." remarked Alice.
"But in light of all that's happened within the last forty-eight hours," said Crawford, "I, General Sanders, Alice, Kimberly's parents and everyone else involved all feel that Kimberly must also be under my watch just like you are. During my month long absence between Seattle and returning here, one of the many things I had to take care of was to pay the Operator a visit."
"You mean, Gustav, right?" Crawford nodded in the affirmative to Zach's question. Zach had forgotten that Gustav is called the Operator.
Crawford continued,
"He told me that there's a new player in the mix and I don't mean Papageno's old crew who've also become a threat to you and to Kimberly because of the mess we made in Seattle. Gustav informed me that neither he nor Martinez, VI hired Toko to kill you after Pang failed to apprehend you, but it was by the new Director and his partners. Remember what I once told you, the Director was the man who was in charge of the Perfect Soldier Project and its compounds and who did the same to my parents as was done to yours. I was raised in such compound as you well know and that the new Director has been trying to start a new PSP. They are planning to take the new PSP formula that you found out about in Seattle and use it on kids. They hired Todd Tonic to help construct a new school; Kimberly's school of Meadowlark but when he realized what it was going to be used for he backed out. In response to this, the Director turned his attention to threatening the families of the school's Headmaster and Headmistress. Lorelei Carole at the behest of Edward Meadowlark had convinced Kimberly that Tonic was an evil man and destroy the school so they could make room for the new facility. The Director sees you and Kimberly as threats to what he's trying to accomplish."
"So what does this all mean?" asked Zach
"You and Kimberly are now liabilities to each other's safety," said Crawford, "the people after you will look for the two of you together now. The more you are separate the easier it will be for me to keep the both of you safe. So until this threat is ended and you are both safe and I am no longer needed, you and Kimberly can never be romantically involved." Zach's heart sank to his stomach when he heard those words.
Kimberly POV
Upstairs, Kimberly was having the exact same conversation with her parents.
"What do you mean I can't be with Zach!" cried Kimberly, she jumped out of her seat, "do you know how long we both waited to be together! Don't understand that I love him more than anything." She was sitting on her old bed which was now Zach's while her parents sat across from her on Timmy's bed.
"Of course we understand, Kimberly," said Margaret, "that's why we're trying to be so sensitive. Besides, we heard on the surveillance with Agent Crawford and Major McKay what you said. You still want to be with that Tinsley boy."
"Only to help him from becoming someone no one will recognize anymore." Claimed Kimberly
"Really?" said Margaret sarcastically, "Do you really expect your father and i\I to believe that? We know that you had sex with Jonathan Tinsley not once but twice and that kind of thing can take an emotional toll on a young girl like you. We know you used protection on both occasions; we spoke to young Mr. Tinsley about it downstairs. You want to be with Jonathan because you're also in love with him." Kimberly did not deny it
"But I love Zach more," said Kimberly, "I always have. Like I said, I don't want anything more than Zach."
"That doesn't mean you want to be with Zach," said Margaret, "at least not right now. You're scared, Kimberly, You're scared of what being with him could mean."
"And why do you think I'm scared of being with him?" said Kimberly, wondering the same thing herself. It's the biggest question that she's had, that she has not been able to answer.
"You tell us." Said Margaret.
"Would you stop with this psychobabble!" yelled Kimberly, "who are you to tell me what I'm thinking and how I feel. The CIA can kiss my ass, I know what I want and it's Zachary Monroe and neither you nor they can stop that. You two can't even hold on to your own marriage!"
"You watch how you speak to your mother, young lady!" Shouted Scott, "If you must know we've been back together for months now!" This brought Kimberly more internal joy than she could show. Kimberly calmed down a little upon hearing this revelation.
"We may not be able to stop your feelings, sweetheart," continued Scott in a more calm and sensitive voice, "but we can warn of what could happen if you act on those feelings. The two of you could end up dead" those words stung Kimberly like a thousand bee, "and I'll be damned if I'm going to let that happen. You're smarter than this Kimberly and you know now first had what kind of people we're dealing with and what they're capable of. Would you really want to be the reason that the love of your life has a bullet through his head and would you really want to hurt him, and us, if God Forbid, the same thing would happen to you?" Kimberly did not say anything; she could not argue, she knew what she had to do but she was scared out of her mind to do it. She never saw her dad get so emotional.
"We'll give you a second to think about all this, Kimberly." Said Margaret as she tenderly patted her daughter on the shoulder, "Come on, Scott. Everyone's probably waiting for us downstairs." They both left the room with Kimberly lost in her thoughts.
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