Title: Chorus of the damned

Author: Nightowl (Kay De'Vil)

Archive: Yes

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Violence and bad language

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies, I don't own them all characters are the property of MGM Studio's and all afillated companies.

Note: Some of you may have already read this story if you've been to the legacyweb page, I've made a few alterations to it tonight, trying to improve on what was and probably still is not a very good piece of work (first published piece of fan fic)

Please send me feedback, I like feedback keeps the creative juices flowing. Kay

By Kay De'Vil.

Nick lay down on the couch, maintaining a tight hold of Kat's hand "Talk to me Kat, I don't want to go to sleep"

"But Nick, mom said you need to rest, you have to sleep... I promise I won't leave you."

His hazel eyes glistened as he forced down the wave of fear that now gripped him. "Please Kat, I'm afraid." He felt her squeeze his hand as she gently touched his cheek.

"Shh, you're safe now.... Just try to relax," her soft tone and gentle words began to lull him to sleep.

He tried to fight it, but it was as useless as trying to hold back a tidal wave. Soon he found himself in the warm folds of sleep.

Kat watched Nick as he slept he looked so peaceful. She smiled to herself as she looked at him, and saw the pain of experiences vanish for at least the moment. Cautiously she lay down next to him and pulled the blanket over them both. He still maintained a firm grip on her hand, even in sleep.

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Philip, Alex and Rachel left the control room and headed for Derek's office. They had received a call from him saying that Sloan had given him some good news.

As they passed the lounge, they paused to check on Nick. Coming around the couch, they smiled at each other, at the scene that greeted them. Nick and Kat laid side by side, both fast asleep.

Rachel nodded her head towards the hall and they left as silently as they had entered.

They where still grinning as they entered Derek's office, "Oh, they looked so sweet" commented Alex as they entered. Derek looked up at them confused.

"Who looked sweet?" he questioned.

"Nick and Kat, they're fast asleep in the lounge" explained Philip. His grin suddenly vanished at Derek's distraught expression.

"NO, we have to wake him!" exclaimed Derek as he jumped to his feet and raced out of the office. The others followed, bemused and bewildered by Derek's behaviour.

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Once again, Nick awoke to find himself in the cave. The sound of the crashing waves seemed more distant this time; the sea spray wasn't as heavy in the air either. Clearly he was further inside the cave this time, but still it was damp and bitterly cold.

With his upper body devoid of any clothing and only covered by the bandages he quickly began to feel the effect of the cold. He began to shiver uncontrollably. Something touched his arm, immediately he shied away from it, pressing himself against the cold wall of the cave "Who's there?"

"Nick, what's happening? Where are we?" it was Kat's voice.

Nick didn't know whether to be pleased or angry. "Kat, are you all right?" her hand gently touched his arm

"God Nick, you're cold" she immediately moved to his side, pressing her body against his in an attempt to warm him.

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Anxiety was etched across Derek's face as he rushed into the lounge and across to the sleeping duo. At first he tried to gently awaken Nick, but to no avail. In pure desperation he shook Nick's shoulders violently.

"Derek please be careful, you'll open up his wounds!" pleaded Rachel as she moved over to Derek and pulled him away from Nick.

"Rachel we have to wake him, Marthos will try to take him in his sleep," continued Derek as he again began to try and shake Nick awake.

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Pain surged through out Nick's shoulders until he was unable to stand the pain any longer and he cried out.

Kat and Nick awoke almost simultaneously.

Nick cried out and grabbed for the hands inflicting the pain.

"Nick, thank God we where able to wake you," stated Derek with relief.

Nick's face was etched with confusion and pain. "What's happening, why did you wake me Derek?"

"You mustn't go to sleep Nick," stated Derek anxiously.

"But I need to rest, I'm so tired" objected Nick as his eyes again began to flutter closed.

"Damn it Nick, I'm trying to keep you alive. STAY AWAKE!" Derek again grabbed Nicks shoulders as he shouted at the tired ex-SEAL, his frustration growing with each passing moment that Nick grew closer and closer to sleep again. "Don't go back to sleep... Nick fight it! It's your only chance. You must stay awake." When Nick didn't respond, Derek lost his temper and violently slapped the ex-SEAL across the face.

Immediately Nick was wide awake. His first reaction was to strike back, but he caught himself before his fist hit Derek. Glaring at the direction the assault had come, Nick slowly questioned, "What did you do that for?"

"Nick, you must stay awake. You are vulnerable when you're asleep.... Marthos can take you then." Derek watched his young friend's face, he saw something flash across his eyes, but it was gone before he knew what it was. "Nick I understand it will be difficult, but you have to stay awake."

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'Marthos' the demon paced the sacrificial cave, his patience quickly growing thin "He should have been here by now" it stated to its minions "GO! Find him... bring him too me," it ordered. Quickly its minions vanished, leaving the demon alone at the sacrificial altar.

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A fresh pot of coffee lay on the table at Nick's side, in his hand he held a half-full mug of coffee. "Why is this happening?" he questioned to no one in particular.

The silence that followed warned him that the reason was bad, he tried to use his other senses to locate his friend's positions in the room but failed. "Who's done this" he demanded growing annoyed at their silence. He heard Philip cough and turned his head in the young priest's direction. "Philip?"

"I'm sorry Nick, I don't know how to say this" Philip's voice held a mixture of anger and sorrow. "It's your father, from what we've been able to piece together. Your father made a deal with Marthos, he asked for something.... the payment is to be your soul." Nick just lay there in silence, listening to Philip's words.

Derek couldn't bring himself to look at Nick as Philip told him of their suspicions, when he did finally look at him it was just as the mug in the ex-SEAL's hand shattered.

Nick appeared to be oblivious to what had just happened, and the blood that now trickled out from between his fingers.

Derek moved to his friend's side and tried to force him to release the broken pieces of the mug still within his hand, but Nick held a firm grip on them, and no matter what he tried, Nick's grip remained solid. "Nick let go" he ordered as he tried to pry the fingers away.

As he sighed, Philip joined Derek and together they tried to break Nick's grip "Damn it Nick, let go. LET GO," cursed Derek.

Suddenly Nick released his grip and began to tremble "Why?" he questioned repeatedly, his voice barely above a whisper.

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William Sloan slowly rose to his feet at the sound of someone knocking on his hotel room door "Who is it?" he questioned as he approached the door

"William, it's me Chris... Chris Bateman", sighing with relief Sloan unlocked the door and opened it.

In front of him he saw a man in his mid-sixties, dressed in a suit, with a quizzing glass tucked in his waist coat breast pocket "Thank you for coming on such short notice Chris."

"Don't mention it William," replied the man as he stepped into the hotel room and Sloan closed the door behind him, again locking it. "Now, what seems to be the trouble?" questioned Chris as he sat down on the bed.

With a heavy sigh, Sloan returned to his chair by the window and returned to staring at Angel Island.

As the sky was suddenly lit up by another flash of lightening, moments later followed by an almighty clap of thunder. Sloan began to explain. "Marthos has come for Nick Boyle," he stated.

"We knew this day would come, eventually," replied Chris sadly.

Sloan nodded as he looked at his friend. "I only wish there was more we could do."

"Does Derek know?" questioned Chris sitting forward.

"Not everything.... and I pray we never have to tell him the whole truth." Sloan again looked out the window, "All we can do now, is hope that after tonight Nick's torment will finally be over."

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Alex sat watching as Rachel re-bandaged Nick's shoulders. Unknown to him at the time, Derek had reopened Nick's shoulder wounds

"That should do it for the moment" stated Rachel as she stood up "How do you feel?"

"Not too bad, a bit nauseous" he replied as he stifled a yawn. "What time is it?"

"3 am" replied Rachel as she placed her hand on his forehead and felt the raging temperature. Concerned, Rachel glanced back at Alex and the others "Here have some more coffee."

She placed the mug into his hand as he said, "I feel like I'm swimming in the stuff. When this is all over, I don't want to see another mug of coffee, let alone drink one."

Rachel smiled at him, out of force of habit. She almost burst into tears again when she realised he couldn't see her smiling.

Gathered in the lounge, the group awaited the dawning of a new day together. "What's the time?" questioned Derek for the fifth time in 30 minutes.

"3:45 am" replied Rachel sounding slightly annoyed.

As Derek and the others glanced at her, she sighed saying, "I'm sorry, this waiting is killing me."

Derek stood up and went over to her, placing an understanding hand on her shoulder he said "It's OK Rachel, why don't you try to get some rest, we'll call if we need you."

She hesitated for a moment then nodded agreement, her eyes falling upon her sleeping daughter, who was still lying at Nick's side. Reluctantly, Rachel stood and after one last glance at Nick and Kat she left the lounge heading for her room.

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The freshly cut meadow smelled sweet and alive to her as she ran, playing with the other children in her dream. Their game of tag sent the children running throughout the meadow in all-different directions.

Laughter and screams of excitement filled the air as Kat raced around the meadow trying to 'tag' one of the other children. Suddenly the sky above became dark, and Kat found herself stood alone in the meadow.

Bitter winds began to lash around her, her hair being blown into her face, preventing her from seeing. A haunting laughter filled the air, carried on the wind. "Who's there?" she called out, but the only response was that same laughter. As suddenly as it had started the wind vanished.

Scared and confused, she slowly looked around the meadow, as she turned her eyes locked on the figure stood behind her. To her horror she found the demon Marthos stood grinning at her. She screamed and tried to run away, but the demon's minions grabbed her.

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Nick felt the tension in Kat's body and knew something was wrong. His mind flashed back to his last dream, 'My God, Kat! Kat was in my dream!' Glancing around desperately trying to see if he could make out the forms of his friends he began to call out to them "Derek! Alex........ Philip!"

"It's OK Nick, were here" replied Derek his voice laced with anxiety "What is it, what's wrong?"

"Kat's in trouble, serious trouble" he stated his own voice hovering on the verge of hysterical.

"Nick, Kat's fine... she's fast asleep right next to you" stated Alex as she tried to calm him down, confused by his undue concerns for Kat.

Nick's frustration grew with each passing moment "Damn it, listen to me. Kat is in danger. When we where both asleep she was in my dream."

The silence that greeted him told him that they didn't understand. "Marthos can take me in my sleep right, we'll he can take Kat as well. She's his logical choice. He knows how much she means to me."

It was Philip who spoke first. "Dear God, what can we do to stop him?"

"We must wake her!" exclaimed Derek as he rushed over to the couch and began to shake Kat. She didn't wake. "I can't wake her!" the fear in his voice promoted Nick into his decision.

"I'm going to get her" he stated as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Nick you can't, you'll be giving Marthos what he wants!" exclaimed Alex.

Nick simply replied "I won't let anything happen to Kat, I'd rather die than see her hurt because of me." Closing his eyes he forced his body to relax.

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Continued in part 4.