See Part One For Disclaimers

Nick ducked behind the corner quickly. Snapping back out, he covered the corridor with practiced precision, confirming that the coast was clear before nodding to Lissa. She came up behind him, her hand on her head before noticing her friend's inquiring look. Rose followed along behind the ex-cop quietly, almost like a ghost haunting the halls, her face just as pale and eerily silent.

"Telling Moira where we are. They're on their way." Not for the first time Nick wished he were a stronger mindspeaker. As it were, if he and Lissa wanted to communicate, it had to be verbal, greatly increasing their risk of being discovered.

As the three headed down into the bowels of the castle, Lissa whispered again, "We're getting closer. I can feel it." Nick nodded, not knowing where his little 'sister' was getting her information from but hoping she was right. She nearly always was.

At last she paused, hesitating and finally stopped, first looking at and then peering through the slots of one door. "This is it."

He nodded. "On three." At the appropriate number, Lissa stepped back and gave the door a hard kick, Nick covering her as the door exploded inward, revealing both Derek and Phillip just as they had last seen them on the monitors. At the sudden sound, the precept's head snapped around, relief evident as he spotted his daughter.

"Lissa! Nick!" Derek cried out, jerking his chin at the other man chained across the room. "Thank God. Check on Phillip, he's badly hurt."

"We know, Dad. Rose is here with us. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, " he protested firmly, "just see to Phillip."

"Fine my fanny, Derek you look like Hell." Moira spoke up, entering the room with Alex. Nick set up to cover the door. As Lissa and Rose, sure that Derek was being taken care of, made a bee-line for the injured priest, Moira checked him over.

Privately she sent, //And don't bother putting on that precept mask for me, I know you're not fine. The question is, are you going to be alright until we can get you out of here?//

The brief smile he sent back was all but hidden as she went to work, magically snapping the locks at his wrists. With a clank, the chains fell away, leaving Derek to rub his sore bones. Grateful, he enveloped her in a hug. //Nothing's broken, just a few bruises and scrapes, nothing serious. Alex?// Including her in the embrace, Derek asked worriedly, noticing and not liking the fact that she wore next to nothing, shivering in the damp air.

//I'm fine, Derek. Just want to go home.// She assured him, managing a small smile for him. //How's Phillip?//

At that anxious question all three turned to Rose and Lissa who were attempting to release Phillip without hurting him further. The former cop was examining the locks carefully, swearing under her breath, clearly sick at the sight of the bruises and other signs of abuse on Phillip's body but refusing to show it. The quiet rage in her low question spoke volumes. "I don't suppose anyone has a hair pin?"

To her surprise, Rose pulled one out of her hair. Lissa took the proffered pin without comment, deftly picking the tumblers in the locks. As the cuffs fell away, without their support, Phillip began to sink to the ground, both women rushing to catch him before he landed.

At their touch, the young priest fluttered open the eye not sealed shut. At the look of terror in her friend's half-aware gaze Lissa grimly reined her fury to a walk before she tore out of there, blindly hunting down Arkady herself. Lissa had never been a volatile woman but after feeling his feeble struggles to get free of them, hearing his pleading moans for "...no...no - please..." nearly sent her over the edge.

//Lissa...// He father's sending cut through the anger enough to channel it through.

//Someone is toast, Dad.// The precept nodded, and his daughter's defenses came down. As long as they were clear on that...

"Phillip...it's Rose...you're safe. We're all here..." The young Healer spoke gently to him, no doubt sending the thoughts as well as both women lowered him carefully to the straw-covered floor. The young man stopped fighting and lay still, only half aware at best as a little more of his attention focused on them. "R-Rose...Lissy..."

"It's not safe here." Nick was looking back every few seconds over his shoulder, the sight of his chosen brother's condition making him wish one or more of those that did this would come down the hall. And into his reach. He would make sure they knew the same fear that had been in Phillip's pleas before they died. "We need to get back to the chopper."

"You go, Nick. Take the others with you; make sure Phillip's safe."

The SEAL looked at his precept, speaking slowly, already anticipating and not liking the answer. "And where will you be?"

The fire in Derek Rayne's eyes told him he had been right. "I'm going after Arkady."

"Derek..."

"This is not up for discussion, Nick. Get Phillip and the others to the helicopter, get them out of here," he told him. "Arkady is mine."

The SEAL nodded reluctantly, acknowledging the command. "Alright people, let's move."

"Wait." Lissa pulled off her oversized windbreaker and tenderly arranged it around Phillip's body. With his resources as low as they were, they didn't need him catching penumonia in the air coming off of the ocean. He was already shivering; from the chill, damp air of the dungeon or his injuries, she couldn't tell. "Nick, you'll need to carry him. Moira and I can play guard."

"I'm staying here."

All eyes turned toward the mage and Lissa held her breath, waiting for the explosion. It wasn't long in coming.

"Moira..." Derek's tone was dangerous as he confronted his wife, her arms crossed and not looking to budge so much as an inch.

"You need me, Derek. We don't know how many men Arkady has on his payroll and going after him by yourself will only get you killed." The arguement was valid, even though her true reasons for remaining were entirely different and far more personal.

"I'd feel alot better if you had someone to guard your back, Derek." Nick put in quietly.

"I'm not going to argue about this..."

"Good. So don't. The Legacy needs their Precept alive and so do I. Nick and Lissa can get the others to safety, they don't need me."

"But I do?" It was more of a challenge than a question as Derek circled her. Moira knew she was walking a fine line here; he was precept of his House and, wife or not, she was challenging his authority to make a command decision. Nevertheless, she stood her ground, knowing him much better than she had the first time she had crossed him.

"You do."

The precept turned to his head of security. Nick had Phillip cradled in his arms, ready to head out. "And you agree?" Nick neither gave in nor looked away from the anger in the gray-hazel eyes as Derek demanded an answer from him.

"Yah - I do."

Derek took a breath surprising them all. "And so do I. Nick, get going, we'll meet you at the helicopter as soon as we find Arkady."

Moira handed Alex her gun as the others started to file out, Rose staying beside Phillip with her hand on his shoulder and Lissa taking point. "Take this, the safety's off and none of the rounds have been fired."

"But what about you?" Taking the gun Moira handed her, butt-first, Alex glanced from it to her uncertainly.

"I'll be fine but you'd better go. Your bus is leaving."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree."

 

 

Six pairs of startled eyes turned at the sound of the hammer being pulled back to see Arkady himself standing with one of his men, clearly furious at what was going on. No one had noticed him enter the room. Now he covered all of them, the gun in his hand steady and pointing directly at Nick and Rose, still clustered around Phillip.

"So you see...I still win. Derek, how very nice of you to invite the rest of your family here to join us." The smirk he gave as he looked Lissa up and down causing her to narrow her eyes and Derek's fists to clench as he made a step forward.

"Arkady..."

"Not another step, Derek. Contrary to what you probably think of me, I do know how to use this." His attention shifted to Derek's daughter, though not enough for Nick, burdened as he was, to take advange of the fact. "Alex wasn't exactly to my taste, my dear, but you'll do. Much better, actually, seeing as who your father is." Ignoring Derek's fury, even though a flicker of his eyes betrayed the fact that he had taken note of it, Arkady grinned, holding all the cards. "Now if you would just lose the gun."

Lissa looked back, catching her father's tortured gaze. Doing as she was told, she reversed her grip on the gun, holding it out to him. "You want it? Come and get it."

The smile grew wider as he reached for it. "A spitfire are you? Well I'll soon break you of that."

"Yeah? Break this!" With all the fury she had been keeping in check, Lissa finally found an outlet. She snapped out with a kick, knocking his gun out of his hand just as she heard a yell behind her. She ducked as two flashes of light, one gray, one white, swept past her catching Arkady and his man full in the chest, throwing them backwards and sending them both slamming into the wall.

As Lissa was getting up from her crouch, Derek Rayne stood over Arkady, hatred and contempt shining in his eyes and the gray mage-energy around his hands as he peered down at the imobilized man. On his knees, Victor Arkady struggled to get up. As soon as he had, Derek slammed him back into the wall, this time keeping him there with the force of his Gift.

The henchman was out like a light.

"Nick...get Phillip and my daughter out of here." The low tone and sheer control of that statement as Derek's enemy hung halfway up the wall sent shivers along Lissa's spine.

Nor was she the only one.

The ex-priest having once again lost consciousness, Nick shifted Phillip in his arms, suppressing the chills at the look in Derek's hard gaze. Nick knew what his precept was capable of even if Lissa didn't and he wasn't sure he wanted to stick around to find out what Derek was going to do. There was no doubt in his mind that Arkady was about to get exactly what he deserved.

There was also no doubt that Derek wouldn't want his daughter to witness what was about to happen.

With one last look at the man silently pleading for their help, they left to make their way up to the chopper.

As soon as they had gone, Derek released him and Arkady dropped to the ground, coughing and rubbing his throat. The other man unconscious, Moira took one look at the situtation and crossed her arms, guarding the door. She had only wanted to ensure Derek would be protected and would make no move to interfere.

For his actions, Victor Arkady would have to answer to Derek Rayne.

"Now," Derek told him calmly, "I believe we have some things to discuss."

 

 

Nick and Rose supported Phillip as they climbed the narrow staircase to the first floor, Lissa having taken point and Alex bringing up the rear. As they cleared the wide landing, they were rushed by three men coming out of the shadows.

Damn it! Helpless to do anything but watch, Nick braced himself for the attack, ready to protect the man in his arms from further harm however he could. Only it wasn't necessary.

The three women exploded.

Fully prepared for the attack, Lissa met the first one head on, taking his rush and using it against him as she twisted, throwing him off balance and past Nick into Alex's waiting defenses. The normally mischieveous researcher was deadly serious as she knocked him to the ground with a yell, using the butt of Moira's pistol.

The second was dealt with by tiny Rose, fully as furious as the other two and ready to defend the injured priest with whatever was at her disposal. It was then Nick discovered first hand the type of weapon a Healer's anger could be as the girl used her Gift without qualm; sending the man screaming to his knees with only a touch.

The last, Lissa dealt with herself. Having recognized him as one of the men that had held Phillip in the tape as he was being beaten, it was all Nick could do to stay out of the enraged woman's way.

"I know you. You're the one that helped beat my friend. I owe you." The anger in hazel eyes gone hard as flint was met only by contempt as the last man measured her. "I've seen how good you are against a defenseless priest with your buddies to help you...let's see how you do against an ex-cop with a grudge."

"A tiny thing like you? I won't even get a decent workout."

One eyebrow raised at that, with a feral grin, Lissa beckoned him on. He came at her swinging but Lissa ducked easily and with a contemptous kick to his backside, sent him sprawling face first into the floor.

Once more balanced and ready, Lissa faced him again. "I guess not too well, huh? Pity - it seems I'm the one who won't be getting that workout."

Her taunts enraged him and, in a rush as primitive as a football tackle, he launched himself at her leaving himself open in the process. She took advantage of that, spinning and kicking him fully in the chest, sending him staggering back more than a few steps. This time she took the offensive. Bending and making a charge if her own, she rammed her shoulder into his stomach while he was still off balance from the kick, the sheer force knocking him into the wall. He hit the stone hard, the wind knocked out of him.

But when Arkady's man staggered to his feet, Nick had to hand it to him; he was determined. He was clearly beaten but refused to give up, whether due to loyalty to his boss or the shame of getting tossed around like a rag doll by a woman the size of your average ballet dancer it didn't seem to matter.

Because Lissa was out for blood.

She only had to remember the terrified look in Phillip's eyes as she and Rose eased him down from the chains and the rage was no longer containable. Controllable, yes - she knew better than to let her emotions rule her head in a fight, but now she had a viable outlet for that anger and was determined to use it to the fullest.

She kicked and puched, spinning away from the half-hearted swings the thug aimed at her. To Alex who watched in numb silence, it was almost like watching a violent ballet. She had enjoyed the sight of Nick and Lissa or Nick and Moira sparring in the grove on the island, delighted in the inate grace of their movements whenever the three of them did katas together, but this...this was completely different.

She knew Lissa almost as well as Derek and Phillip did, but this deadly young woman was someone she had never seen before.

At last and only with Arkady's man on the verge of passing out, Lissa shook her hair out of her eyes, breathing heavily and commented, "I don't think you were so tough. Couldn't handle someone who could fight back."

Alex stepped forward, still a little shaken by the side of her friend she had just witnessed and asked quietly, "Do you feel better?"

Lissa looked up, evidently startled, but said, "I'm starting to. Sorry. I forgot you were there." With that, remembering the scene on the monitors earlier, she spun and kicked the man in the groin, adding, "And that was for Xan!"

Facing the others a little warily, she caught Nick shaking his head in admiration. "What's that for?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just easy to see you're Derek's daughter, that's all."

Blushing at that indication of praise, Lissa's lips quirked in a rueful smile. "Let's go, Xan. There's no one else likely to get between us and the roof. Let's get you and Phillip out of this place." Alex nodded.

Putting a comforting arm around her friend, the two women trailed Nick up the stairs and toward freedom.

 

 

"I told you, Victor, " Derek confronted Arkady steadily, the almost pleasant tone made all the more frightening by the hard set of his features; the cold smile - the hardness behind the hazel-gray eyes gone flat and deadly. ", what would happen if you were to you harm one of my own." Arkady never had a chance against the blow Derek dealt him, a solid punch to the kidneys that left him weak and back on his knees in front of the precept. "Did I not?"

"Do what you're going to do, Rayne." He looked up at the other man, a bit of the smugness returning. "You won't kill me."

"You don't think so?" The flatness was gone, replaced by a fierce inner light. "How can you be so sure? The world would be a much better place if I did."

"Because, Derek - I know you. You're soft. That's why it was so easy to bring you here." Arkady got to his feet. "You won't kill me because you can't."

The self-satisfied smirk was soon lost, replaced by a nervous flicker as the weapons used on the precept earlier, still lying on the floor where his attackers had left them, began to stir of their own voalition. Rising from the dirt floor, they swirled around him as a gust of wind blew through the cellar, stirring Derek's hair as he squinted against the dust.

"Then you don't know me at all." he relpied calmly.

With that, the jack detatched itself, hurtling through the air to strike Arkady's cheek. Gasping in shock, the blow spun him around to face the length of chain that caught his temple. Only Derek hadn't even gotten started. Chunks of masonry danced to his Gift before hurtling towards the villan's chest, the sound of bones breaking audible over the impact of stone and flesh. Arkady clutched his arms around himself staring at the other man in something akin to shock; now suddenly very much afraid for his own life.

"That one was for Phillip." Derek circled him slowly; a cat playing with a mouse that can't possibly get away. "You see, Victor, there is a lot more to me than you ever realized. More than you could possibly imagine."

"How...how are you doing that?"

Derek only grinned at the question. "Doing what, Victor? This?" Another block of stone knocked Arkady's feet out from under him. One eyebrow raised mockingly. "Or perhaps this?" The jack returned, thudding painfully against the base of his skull, no doubt causing him to see stars.

Hunkering down, the precept caught the other man's jaw in his grip. "I told you before...I protect what's mine." Standing back up, he delivered a knee to the chin, sending him sprawling. "With whatever is at my disposal. Get up." When he refused, Derek rapped the chain around his neck, pulling him up by the throat. "Now you will know just what that means."

No longer using his Gift, the mage took his anger and rage out on Arkady with physical violence, kicking and punching until he had Arkady barely conscious. Although his injuries were probably not life-threatening at this point, he huddled around himself, favoring his right arm and chest.

"Now who's the coward, Victor?"

Moira grimaced at viewing this side to Derek. Not that she didn't totally agree with it, because she did. The crimes that man had commited were unthinkable and she had only to remember Phillip or Alex to justify Derek's actions to herself; she only hoped Derek would be up to facing the consequences of those actions once the heat of the moment was over.

Dispite everything, Derek Rayne was not a violent man, having much rather talk than fight. But Arkady's actions with Phillip and Alex and then later toward Lissa had changed all that. Arkady had crossed the line when he had attacked Derek's family and no way would the precept let that go unavenged. That was why he had Alex and Lissa leave the room...some things were better left unwitnessed.

But what worried her more was the way Derek was sweating, and he had been holding his left arm close to his body ever since he had backhanded Arkady into the wall eariler. She knew he had been beaten before they had gotten there...what if his injuries went deeper than the obvious bruises and scrapes? Her feelings intensified when she saw his face.

His eyes were closed and his breathing was labored and shallow, the skin pallid. She had to get Derek out of here before he killed himself.

A weak cough interupted her concerns and Derek's pacing. She turned in time to see Arkady crawling, struggling to get up. He coughed again, this time spitting up blood. "Mercy."

Oh crap.

Derek snapped around in disbelief. He laughed once sharply at the whispered plea. "Mercy? You kidnap me, torture a defenseless man of peace - a memeber of my family - and then threaten to rape both Alex and my daughter. And you expect mercy? Where was your mercy when Phillip was pleading for his life, too weak to move? For what you've done - you haven't even begun to pay!"

The mage-blast that sent Arkady thudding into the wall rivaled in strength and power the one Moira had used to blow open the door to Alex's cell. Only this time, it was directed at flesh and bone instead of wood and mortar.

Victor Arkady slid down the rough stone, unconscious.

But it was then that Derek Rayne's body had had enough. He dubbled over in sudden pain, crying out as he clutched his side and fell to his knees.

"Derek!" Reaching his side, Moira placed an arm around him, easing him down onto a lone chair a few feet away. "Here. Take it easy." //Can you tell me what's wrong?//

He closed his eyes tightly, wincing silently as a sudden movement jarred his arm. He answered her the same way, inadvertantly sharing some of his pain. //I'm not sure...something hurts.//

Moira winced. //Come on, we need to get you up to the chopper and let Rose have a look at you.//

But the precept shook his head stubbornly. //Arkady has to pay...//

//And he will, but we need to get you and Phillip taken care of first.//

//I don't want...it's too dangerous...// A sharp stab of pain interupted the thought and he tightened his grip on her arm.

When it had passed, Derek looked up at her and his eyes were clear, the urgency stilling any further protest she might make. Pursing her lips, she looked around thoughtfully; there had to be something they could do. She found her answer as her eyes landed on the chains that had held Phillip earlier. How fitting that Arkady should wake up and find himself a prisoner in those very same manacles.

"He has to pay...for Phillip. Phillip - Moira...he asked me to forgive him! For...not escaping, for allowing Arkady to...harm Alex." Tears welled up in Derek's eyes and he shook his head angrily to clear them, uttering a sharp, bitter laugh. "He allowed...my God...how could he think such a thing..."

Because it was his nature. Moira tightened her hand on his shoulder briefly. "Alright Derek. Stay here."

While she crossed the cellar, double checking the heavy cuffs, Derek sat panting quietly where she had left him, there being nothing else he could have done. The adreniline rush had worn off once he had stopped moving, leaving in it's wake a heavy weariness and a bone deep ache in his left side that traveled the length of his arm from shoulder to wrist. He probably should be alarmed at that but right now his main concern was for Phillip; that worry consumed him leaving nothing left for himself.

Dragging the unconscious man over to the wall, Moira chained him to the stone. Stepping back to survey her handiwork, she remarked, "Let's see how you like hanging there for hours with broken ribs, you sonofabitch." Derek looked up at that, smiling wanly and Moira helped him carefully to his feet.

Navigating the staircase was pure hell on him but somehow they managed, Derek leaning heavily on Moira, having draped his good arm around her shoulder for support. They reached the top of the stairwell without incident, emerging onto the roof amidst a gailforce wind as Nick started up the chopper, the blades whirring.

Continued

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