A Dark Past

The rescue

Nathan knew well enough that he couldn't go to the police about this. Charles had people everywhere plus they would only end up asking him awkward questions. To find her he had to work alone. Every minute he ran looking for any sort of clue, she might be injured, dying, maybe even...no he refused to think that. Until he had solid evidence to believe that in his mind she was alive. "I'm coming Magalie just hold on a bit longer" he whispered in the dark but of course no one heard him. He was alone with the wind and the night it was as if Amsterdam was a whole continent away.

Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he recognized someone, another henchman of Charles. He had many of them scattered all over the world but this person Nathan knew very well (maybe a bit too well). He was acting very oddly his hood pulled over most of his face obscuring most of his vision and Nathan wondered what he was doing in the middle of Amsterdam on a near deserted street when he was supposed to be working in Shanghai.

Something wasn't right that was for sure. Nathan knew Charles didn't trust him and he knew he wasn't telling him the whole story of what they were really doing in Amsterdam. But it must be important enough for Charles to call all of his best and most skilled "employees" for lack of a better word to Amsterdam away from their current missions. Nathan tried acting relaxed and casually walked over to where Charles's henchman or "mg6" as his code was (no one ever knew anyone else's name).

However he was unsuccessful and for some reason mg6 began to run. Now why would he do that? Nathan wondered unless he was hiding something important. Something like Magalie. He quickened his pace determination filling his lungs. Despite the current situation a filling of elation swept through him as he kept gathering speed. He remembered when he was a child chasing his siblings through the streets trying to keep up with them even though he was the baby of the family. The day when he finally out passed them all was a moment of triumph for him. He had finally proven something, that even though he was the youngest he could do everything just as well as they could or better.

From then on running was more than a necessity it was something that relaxed him and helped him unwind after a long and stressful day. Coming back to the present Nathan was gaining on him metre by metre and suddenly he had him by the cuff of his collar and he had pushed him into the wall. Mg6 glared at him revulsion and hatred in his dark and beady eyes.

"What do you want with me" he growled trying in a desperate attempt to break free of Nathans' impossibly tight grip on him.

"You know what, where is she"? Anyone walking down the street wouldn't have recognized him as kind and gentle Nathan, there was a new look in his eyes like he would suddenly break and do something unpredictable. He was desperate and this man held the answers, Nathan didn't have time for pleasantries. 

Mg6 grinned wildly a crazed look on his face showing of his blackened and rotting teeth. "Oh little Magalie? sorry can't help you there. Fine pretty one she is but she should never have disobeyed the boss like she did. Women have a nasty habit of doing that don't they? Always looking for an opportunity to show us up and ridicule us. Magalie was no exception. If you had any brains you'd let her go, forget her. She's better off dead now."

Nathan moved his hands to mg6's throat tightening his grip until he was choking desperately in a feeble attempt for air. Nathan eventually let go not enjoying the pleasure he felt at watching another man suffer. What sort of monster had he become? but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Listen carefully I'm only going to say this once buddy O.K.? I'm not giving up on her I don't care what you think. Now you better hurry up and tell me exactly where she is before you end up smashed against that wall there to be found tomorrow morning."  

Mg6 stared at him surprised at if he had to be honest with himself a little bit scared. He could tell he was serious and meant every word he had said. "Fine I'll tell you but you're not going to get out of there alive no matter how much you want to rescue her. She's in the hotel just around the corner in one of the rooms on the twentieth floor. You didn't hear it from me."

Nathan nodded curtly at him as mg6 picked himself up muttering obscenities all the way down the street. He rounded the corner and at first didn't see any hotel on the street. Just as he was cursing mg6 and his foul deception he saw a shabby building at the end of the street. The paint was cracked and faded, and the windows were so clogged with dirt there was no need for blinds. It was a narrow building but very high and Nathan cursed recalling that mg6 said Magalie was on the twentieth floor. He heard voices coming from the entrance of the hotel and he quickly hid himself among the bushes trying to listen in.

He recognised the long drawling voice of nf5 speaking loudly for all to hear. "I told him we should just leave her here unattended, I mean it's not like she can escape and besides we've got more pressing matters to attend to" Peeking out of his hiding place he saw the others nodding in agreement. Just leave! Nathan willed them in his mind.

However to no avail one of the other men (someone who he didn't recognise) spoke up: "I think one of us should stay here just in case, who knows what the boss would do to us if she did somehow manage to escape". Nf5 nodded "You're right, you'd better stay here so we'll go ahead as planned." This just made everything harder for him. The man who had been ordered to stay was by no means a small man.

His bodyweight would be probably double that of his plus he looked strong enough to move a mountain which was a small feat since Nathan was 6,2 and weighed over 12 stone. As soon as the man had walked away Nathan moved around to the back of the building, there was no way he was getting in the front entrance with the giant himself keeping guard. He went in the back entrance which was fortunately agar and walked up the stairs until he finally reached the twentieth floor. There was only one problem, he had no idea what room she was in. He saw a couple walking a little ahead of him and ran to catch up with them.

"Excuse me you don't happen to know if a woman called Magalie is in any of these rooms?" he asked them casualy as if this wasn't a near crisis situation. "Who wants to know?" the woman said her dark brown eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Sorry, I'm Nathan her...cousin" he finally decided on "I've just come to collect her but she failed to inform me of what her room number is" he smiled charmingly the gentleman as usual. "She's in room 516" the man said gesturing down the far end of the corridor and turned to leave.

Nathan breathed a sigh of relief, this was all going a bit too well. Going over to room 516 he tried the door but of course found it locked. Looking around for any witnesses he broke the door down( a trick he had learned at a young age) and through the debris saw Magalie her wrists tied to the sides of the bed and a gag covering her mouth. She was barely conscious and there was a fresh cut on her forehead as well as bruises all over her arms. He ran over to her shaking her awake afraid he was too late but eventually her eyes flickered open. She jumped frightened for a second but soon recognised him. He sighed in relief taking the gag of her mouth and untying the knots that tied her to the bed.

"Nathan you came" she whispered her voice raspy after hours of trying desperately to scream for help but no one coming. He held her closely trying to comfort her "Of course I did, I can't believe you ever doubted me". She smiled letting the tears roll down her cheeks as she hugged him back never wanting to let go.