“Katrina.” A voice spoke near her ear. “Kaaatttrrriiinnnaaaa.” Again that voice spoke. It was so familiar, yet also so foreign. “Katrina! Wake up!” Ignoring the voice, Katrina rolled over, the lush green grass lulling her in and out of sleep. “Katrina! Get up already!” Megan….great… Katrina opened and blinked her eyes, squinting into the fierce sunlight. She noticed Ivan, her miniature leopard, curled up against her, using her arm as a pillow. He purred softly as Katrina stroked him. “Katrina are you awake yet?!” called Megan.

“I am now,” muttered Katrina. She gingerly removed Ivan’s head from the crook of her elbow, ignoring his meows of protest. Lifting Ivan into her arms, Katrina could feel the last of the early morning dew on his dappled, golden fur. Carefully she stood up, the harsh rays of the sun beating down on her tanned skin and blonde hair.

“Oh Katrina! We’ve got another case!” Megan spoke cheerfully, but Katrina could detect anger within the undertones of Megan’s loud voice.

Great…just what I need right now. Another bloody case and I’m on vacation at that! Why me? Why the heck does the Underground Federal Bureau of Investigation always send me these cases? And at the most inconvenient times! If this letter is what I think it is…then it will have a letter attached. In code.

“Is this case from the UFBI? And is it in code?” Katrina asked contemptuously. She began to brush the moss and leaves out of her hair and off her body. She was seething with rage, and it was beginning to show. Breathe Katrina. Breathe. You don’t know for sure what that letter holds.

“Yes.” Megan knew well enough by now that keeping information from her partner was never a good idea. “You know how bad I am at decoding things. I’ll leave this one up to you.” Putting down the letter, Megan went back to cleaning up the campsite. Katrina picked up the
letter, her brow furrowed, and then her expression slowly changed from joy to simmering hatred. Her palms were soaked with sweat, and her skin took on a reddish tint, and not from the blistering heat of the Californian afternoon in the middle of summer.

“Megan…We’d better clean this up, and get the h*ll out of here. He’s back. This is what the letter says.

“Mo ghrá, mo chroí, go bhfuil sé chomh maith go bhfuil fuair tú arís. Beidh mé ag éileamhort arís. Ní bheidh tú fág mé, ní fhéad faidh sé saoire do mhian féin a bheidh le mianach leat. Tá a fhios agat go bhfuil i do chroí is é sin go léir cad ba mhaith leat. Beidh mé libh arís ar ball mo chroí. An mbeidh tú do chuid féin a thabhairt suas go díograiseach, nó caithfidh tú mé ar ais ag bhfeidhm? Is é sin do chinneadh. Ach ní bheidh ort a bheith saor.”
Toraigh O Raymond

“English Katrina! You know I can’t speak Irish!” Megan laughed sarcastically before continuing. “Seriously though, I’m guessing it’s not good, but you have to translate it for me.”

“Fine” replied Katrina. Roughly translated it is this: “My love, my heart, it is so good to have found you once again. I will claim you once again. You shall never leave me, nor can you leave your own desire to be mine. You know that in your heart that is all what you want. I shall see you soon, my heart. Will you give yourself up willingly, or must I take you back by force? That is your decision. But free you shall not be.
Raymond O Toraigh”

“Oh and the coded letter was the location of the Sanguis Veneni Dispositione Sicarii Caedem…(the biggest organization of assassins located between the Final Alliance, of Russia, The United States, Italy, Germany, Norway, and Japan) and also the location of the latest victim.” Katrina spoke as if this was not her main concern. I may work for the victim, but frankly, my issues with my ex are trumping even my passion for helping the families of the victims of homicide. I don’t know how much longer I can actually take it anymore. This game of cat-and-mouse is getting really old. But can I really get rid of him? He does have a point, part of me wants to be with him, even now, even though he really hurt me a lot while we were a couple. Why? Why am I still attracted to this despicable man?!

“So we are leaving immediately I guess?” Megan’s voice snapped Katrina back to reality.

“Yeah. We’re going to have to report to Quantico first. I have to get some things from my desk. Then we have to take out the Sanguis Venei Dispostione Sicarii Caedem (SVDSC) quickly.” Katrina began packing all of her things. Ivan, sensing the cloud of tension that settled over the small campsite, ran over to Katrina. Pawing and meowing at her, he jumped to her shoulder and rubbed his head against her in some attempt at marginal comfort. Petting Ivan to reassure him, Katrina took her personal belongings and placed them in the private jet she bought for work. The runway was just off the campsite that UFBI agents used when seeking sanctuary from the horrible reality they dealt with on a daily basis. Inspecting the outside and inside for any signs of sabotage, she called to Megan for final boarding. Megan, a licensed pilot, gave the “all clear,” and after everything was secure, began preparing for takeoff. Katrina sat in the soft, tanned kid leather of her seat, Ivan in her lap, purring contentedly.

“Katrina, we will be arriving at the UFBI Quantico headquarters in approximately four hours. I’ll provide updates as needed.” Megan spoke, the authority of her voice a product of her pilot training.

Katrina lay back against the warmth of the leather and began to think. Thank God I didn’t tell Megan the rest of the letter. Raymond is now the leader of the Sanguis Veneni Dispositione Sicarii Caedem. That is what he meant by “force!” It has to be. He can’t control his temper, but can I trust his “love” for me? Some part of me really wants to, but I can’t. I can’t let him see my weakness. No! Never will I allow myself to be abused in that manner again. That was the reason I filed for divorce. But does he know I still wear the ring he gave me the day of our wedding? Perhaps Megan was right. I shouldn’t have married him, but I was lost in his mesmerizing spell. He treated me so lovingly and gently. What I fool I was! A love-struck fool.
Tears began to flow from Katrina’s eyes, staining her flushed red cheeks. As the salt water droplets began to fall, Katrina struggled to keep up with them, she could not wipe them away fast enough. Ivan turned his head up, and seeing her distress, began to mew loudly with grief. Trying to offer any comfort that he could, and witnessing his own failure, began to cry also, his meowing of sorrow momentarily distracting Katrina from her own tears.

“Attention! May I have your attention please Katrina?” Megan’s voice came over the intercom.

“As you wish, my captain,” Katrina caustically replied.

“I thought you would be interested in knowing that we are five minutes away from the landing strip outside of UFBI-Quantico headquarters. I have the all-clear to land, so prepare yourself and Ivan for descent,” Megan stated, taking no notice of Katrina’s characteristic sarcasm.

“10-4” Katrina replied, hurriedly adjusting her restraints so that both she and Ivan would not be harmed in case of emergency (Megan’s landings were sometimes a little rough) and packed up all her equipment and files.

Upon their arrival at the gate, Katrina’s superior, S.S.A Matthew Lobachevski greeted her and her partner, and provided them with case file for the newest homicide linked to the SDVSC.

“Katrina…I know how important this case is to you, I know you are having problems with you ex. But you are overwrought and overworked. I can have one of the other agents work this case. You need a sanctuary from this work.” S.S.A. Lobachevski began, carefully, as he knew instinctively how annoyed S.S.A. Katrina Psy was.

“Agent Kane, please have my men unload your luggage from the plane, and go wait in S.S.A. Psy’s office.” The curt dismissal sent Megan scampering off, leaving Katrina and Matthew alone.

“Perhaps we should discuss things further in your office S.S.A. Lobachevski?” Katrina asked pointedly.

“Please call me Matthew. You are my closest associate, and my dearest friend. You don’t have to be so stiffly formal around me. In theory, you and I have equal rank. But you are right; we should discuss these matters in my office, come this way please.” Matthew grinned as Katrina blushed. She allowed herself to be escorted to his office, arm in arm. He held the door open, shamelessly flirting with her. She played along. When he was sure they were alone, he embraced Katrina tightly. “I’ve missed you so much Katrina,” he said, both his eyes and words filled with joy and love.

“As I have missed you, my friend and my heart,” Katrina replied, her voice only slightly betraying her true emotions, they were mixed, between sadness, anger and joy, but she wasn’t about to let Matthew know about that. “But you know I can’t give up this case. I have to take the SDVSC out, before they get even more powerful and influential. Our own president is now tainted by their corruption. You know that.” Katrina’s voice was nearly hysterical.

“Of course.” Matthew’s voice was full of grief. “But please be careful. Our sources indicate that Raymond is now the SDVSC’s leader, and they mean to take you out or give you back to Raymond.”

“I am always careful. Do not worry, I love you Matt, even if something keeps telling me to return to Raymond, I never will. He killed the relationship that we had. I will take him out personally.” Katrina laughed caustically. “But I am home now. I am safe Matt. Believe me.” Katrina begged.
At least somebody misses me. Why couldn’t I have fallen for Matt over Raymond? Then none of this crap would’ve happened. It isn’t like Matt isn’t my type. He’s loving, loyal, and caring, but he also has the dangerous/mysterious bad boy side to him. Just like Raymond. No… I can’t compare Matt to Raymond. Never. I just can’t. They are foil opposites.

“Katrina. If you do anything reckless, I’ll come kidnap you and take you far away, and I’ll worry about our little game of Truth and Consequences later.” Matt grinned, then pinned Katrina against him and kissed her. Katrina surrendered herself willingly to his embrace. Yes. This is love; this is what it means to be loved. I’ve chosen the perfect man. One who understands and who doesn’t let my profession or my past affect our relationship.

“S.S.A. Lobachevski, your presence is required for the meeting. Yours also S.S.A. Psy,” Matt’s secretary spoke from the door.

“Alright meet me there--” Matt’s reply was interrupted by a loud crashing, and the ceiling began to fall near them, a fire raged not far beyond, and even in Matt’s office they could feel the heat and soon after ash and smoke began filling the room. Katrina’s eyes burned at the impurities in the smoke as they irritated her eyes, she rubbed them, and she heard Matt scream. “We’ve got to get out of here! We are being attacked! Get to the shelter! Katrina run!” Matt threw himself in front of her, and had his left leg smashed by the crumbling cinderblocks and ancient bricks.

“Not without you! I won’t leave you Matt! If you are going to die here than so am I!” Katrina’s eyes glinted, her dominant tone a tangent of her surplus grief and indignation. Grabbing Matt by his wrist, she dragged him to the shelter, barely avoiding contact with more of the rapidly crumbling structure.

As they entered the safe shelter, they saw that Megan was the only agent that made it out, aside from them. In the center of the shelter floor was a murder victim with a note pinned to the outside of the woman’s breast pocket. It read:

Mar sin, roghnaigh tú ar teitheadh eh? Agus cinneadh tú go raibh tú ag dul a bheith bainteach le fear eile, mo leath-dheartháir féin! Hahahah cad ina amadán a bhfuil tú mochroí. An raibh tú nach dtuigeann mo bhriathra? Dúirt mé go raibh mé ag dul a thógáil ar ais ort le forneart más gá. Mé a fuarthas cheana féin rialú an SDVSC, agus mé scriostaan foirgneamh UFBI. Ya francach diabhal. Beidh mé ag iarraidh imeacht bronntanasseo duit ... .... spraoi a bheith agat, ní rachaidh tú a ghabháil dom, ach tá tú mé, agusbeidh obey dom tú Katrina! Mark mo bhriathra S.S.A. Psy agus mo "daor"Leath-dheartháir. Beidh tú ag freastal orm roimh an gcogadh seo bhuaigh. Céad slánagus dea-imscrúdú.

Katrina translated for Megan, who was looking at them, confused. Matt was pale as a spector in the black canopy of night. Katrina bandaged his leg, and gave him her private supply of Vicodin for the pain. A rush of color rushed to his cheeks, but his body was still cool to the touch…too cool. The leg wasn’t that bad, but the shock nearly killed Matthew.

“So you chose to flee eh? And you decided that you were going to get involved with another man, my own half-brother! Hahahah what a fool you are, my heart. Did you not understand my words? I said I was going to take you back by force if necessary. I've already gained control of the SDVSC, and I've destroyed the UFBI building. Ya d*mn rat. I'll leave to you this...gift....have fun, you'll never arrest me, but I shall have you, and you shall obey me, Katrina! Mark my words S.S.A. Psy and my ‘dear’ half-brother. You will serve me before this war is won. Farewell and good investigating,” translated Katrina.

“My brother wants you back. Are you going to obey his demands Katrina?” Matt asked, his courage faltering with the shock this note brought forth.

“Never. But we should probably go, as there are people heading this direction, and quickly,” Katrina answered, her tone not revealing any of what she truly thought. “Split up! Here they come,” Katrina whispered.

“I know I saw one of them sneak in this way!” A harsh voice spoke as footsteps approached. From her hiding place, Katrina could see that he was barely an adult. He held a search light in his hand.

“Chaz…let’s leave this dump. They ain’t here!” said another male’s voice, slightly higher than the firsts. The men’s aftershave made Katrina sick to her stomach.

“Relax Ryan,” The first voice “Chaz,” spoke again. “That ex of the colonel is here. Release the vials!” Harsh laughter echoed around her.

Oh crap! Thought Katrina. That sweet smell, I can’t recognize it. This is bad! I don’t know if that chemical is condensed sleeping fumes or a lethal poison. And they’re looking right at me! I can’t try to escape. He’s got a .357 magnum! My .45 cal. Glock isn’t going to do anything against that! But the vapor is heading this way! I can’t just stand here. Hmm. If I do try to run. Curses!! I have no choice!

“She’s here all right! After her!” Ryan screamed. A well- aimed kick to the groin silenced him. Suddenly she heard a blast and felt something pin her to the ground. Her vision failed, and her face smashed painfully into the concrete floor.


“Ha-ha. Call the colonel. We’ve got her!” Chez’s voice was a blade piercing the flesh of Katrina’s hope.

“You idiot! Capture her cat too. That cat knows how to screw up a plan!” Ryan ordered.
***
“Crimson Dream” Part II

Katrina opened her eyes, finding herself looking at a prison wall. She tried to lift her head, it hurt. That was when she noticed Ivan in a cage far too small for him. Katrina tried to reach up and stroke him through the bars but could not. As her eyes began to adjust to the faint light, Katrina noticed that she was covered in bruises. Well, no wonder I hurt. What the heck happened to me? Katrina wondered aloud, A man chuckled in a dark corner of the room.

“So we meet again mo chroí.” Her ex smiled. “And all it took was the death of 2,000 underground FBI agents and your own injuries. A grave pity.” Raymond’ smooth voice a razor that destroyed many people, including herself.

“Raymond, you d*mn fool. Let me out of here or God-willing I will find a way out! I’ll kill you if I have to!” Katrina’s shaky voice revealing all of her uncertainty and causing Raymond to laugh harder.

“Ahh mo chroí, will you ever learn?” Raymond sighed. His condescending tone was igniting her infamous fury. “I always let you go. I rather enjoy our little game. But no, this time I will not release you!” roared Raymond.

You son of a rat. How did I ever fall in love with a sociopath like you? You and your murdering group of renegades! As Katrina puzzled over thoughts, and a migraine, two infamous quotes kept returning to her mind. “A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic” by Joseph Stalin, and “The great masses of the people…will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one.”-Adolf Hitler. Of course! Her ex’s two idols.

“Raymond. Can I release Ivan from his solitary confinement?” Katrina asked quietly. She need Ivan’s comfort right now, that was for sure.

“Of course. I only kept him there because he scratched me when I tried to treat your wounds.” Raymond laughed aloud. A sign that he was in a good mood. At least he isn’t torturing me, or threatening to kill me... “My S.S.A. Katrina Psy, and my wife, I’m so glad that you have returned to me. I see that you missed me too, as you are still wearing the ring I gave you when we were first married.” Raymond smiled at her, and moved over to where she sat, the closeness causing Katrina to flinch. Katrina reached up to the cage, and succeeding in picking the lock, removed Ivan from his confinement. He began to purr, snuggling up in the crevice of her waist. Katrina smiled for the first time since before she met Raymond and Matthew, almost eight years ago.
I don’t know why, but everything seems right. I have my husband and my pet. But where are my partner and boss? And why am I in a jail cell?

“I see you are curious as to how you got here. All in good time. You’re sweating ferociously, as though you are nervous, and well this is not your room of course, but after you nearly killed my two strongest body guards in a delusion, I could not take chances. I had you moved here until you regained consciousness. Do you know where we are my dear?” Raymond was getting more excited with every word he spoke. Katrina shook her head. Not wanting to think about the fact that these walls held secrets, the meetings that she and Raymond had held, the things that they had done together. She shook her head. It couldn’t be…”Even though you deny it, this is indeed the first jail cell we were put in. Remember all the fun we had? The neighborhood still hates us, but now they are my slaves. All of them are my slaves, and as you are my wife, they are your slaves as well.” Raymond’ cruel voice grated against Katrina’s ears. A raging hornet’s nest hanging from the tree of Katrina’s life.

“Raymond, can I see Matthew and Megan? What have you done with them?” Katrina begged and pleaded, but to no avail. For hours she continued pleading with Raymond, but to no avail before finally collapsing and crying on Raymond’ shoulder. But still he did not give her any news as to the location of her superior or her partner.
Two weeks passed, each day longer than the day before. Every day she woke up to her ex’s cackling laughter, and spent hours begging him unsuccessfully to inform her about Matthew and Megan. She refused to eat, and took only a few sips of water each of those fourteen days. She would not be coerced into anything. She realized while she was pleading with him to tell her the information that she sought that Raymond was beginning to crack. All because of her dominant nature, and her pressing her advantages, He was losing faith in his ability to keep in charge of things, and Katrina only used this to her advantage. Finally, Raymond broke his silence. On the fifteenth day he gave Katrina the response she had so craved.

“We do not have Megan, but we tortured and killed my half-brother, a fitting punishment for stealing my wife. His body was dissolved in acid. I personally witnessed it. He finally succumbed to Lin Chi. I’m surprised. Most don’t make it past the first round of hideous torture. He survived eleven rounds. He never screamed, nor cried out. He endured it all in silence.”

“You twisted man!” Katrina screamed. “How could you!” She screamed herself hoarse before collapsing in faint onto the bed. Her flushed body writhing in the pain and shaking because of the great sobs. Her voice becoming a moan and from there, a stifled cry.

“I had to kill him.” Raymond spoke calmly, but his tone was ice. “I killed my own flesh and blood to obtain my grail, my Holy Grail, you. Katrina I you are mine and I’m not about to let you go. You, Katrina, you ran away from the truth, so I am forcing you to face it now. You never loved my younger brother. You only loved me. You went to him because you didn’t want to be alone. You yearned for me! Just admit it now. You know as well as I do that I speak the truth.” Raymond paused, glancing at her, her pale face devoid of all expression and emotion.

“Raymond. I will tell you this now, whatever my heart says, I shall not return to you! Matthew never hurt me, you did! You killed him because I love him and not you!” shrieked Katrina, her face losing all control. A glowering Katrina moved as far away from Raymond as common courtesy (after all, this was Raymond, the man who was a stickler for ‘proper form’ and who also had a very distinct opinion of what a ‘women’s role’ was in society, the latter being a good and loyal wife and child-bearer.)

“You refuse to admit the fact that he was worse than I? He raped you when you guys traveled together! Remember? He forced you to have sex with him, he held you down and tortured you because you refused!”That foolish brother of mine deserved to die for touching what is mine!” thundered Raymond. His words bullets that ricocheted off the prison walls. Raymond was getting very mad now, and he intended to show Katrina once and for all who the boss of their relationship was.
“SHUT UP!” Katrina screamed.
“Let me out of this prison, if this is my hometown of Giragé then I want to see my old garden. I just want to see the animals in the garden, and my magnolias, nightshades, and my lilies and roses. I want to go back to the place where I first met you and your brother. Please?” Katrina had hatched her escape plan. I still have my cell phone! I’ll call Megan. That’ll work. It has to! That is unless Megan got in her head that she was going to go after the SVDSC on her own. If she did that…she’s probably going to be in deep trouble. That girl…why is she my partner again? Well this is no time to worry about it.

“Yes. But you have only ten minutes, and then we will talk again over dinner. I shall have my chefs prepare a scrumptious meal. Do not try to escape mo chroí.” Raymond laughed at his own inside joke. You idiot. Of course I’m going to try to escape. You do not mess with Katrina “Akuma Neko” Psy. Never. Arashi-sama you died in vain for me. Matthew, my Arashi, my storm, I love you, and I promise you that you did not die in vain.

As Katrina began her walk, out of her ex’s presence, she noticed a crumpled piece of paper on the ground. Megan’s handwriting. “To Katrina” Katrina read the note hurriedly, and grimacing, ran toward the gates surrounding the SVDSC’s fortress, the damp, grey, ivy-covered brick walls were no joy to her memory. So many times during her childhood, she had gotten beaten up there, all because she was not a subservient personality. Raymond wants me to live here and be forced to remember what I went through? He’s more obtuse than I initially believed.

Katrina, out of earshot and vision of Raymond, began to run, the gates of the south side, which led to the meadow, stopping when she heard a muffled man’s voice. Ivan, who had kept silent this whole trip, began to meow. Shushing him, Katrina strained her ears to listen.

“Now we’ve got Agent Kane. Why the Colonel didn’t let us kill her is something else again.” It was Ryan. Katrina would recognize that bandit’s voice anywhere.

“Hush. We’ve got Katrina and Megan, and the Colonel killed his own half brother for favor of Katrina. We’re walking on a razor’s edge right now, if things don’t go exactly according to plan…well you know how the colonel gets.” Chez, the other bandit, spoke now, his voice was smooth, like a snake’s skin, and as poisonous as the most deadly spider venom. That was when they noticed her.

“Curse it all, Katrina’s here snooping. Raise the alarm! After her!” they screamed. Katrina took off, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

“If Megan and I hadn’t returned. This so-called “easy” case is the biggest mistake I ever made! I got my boss and lover murdered, and Megan’s been captured. Although that isn’t my fault, I wasn’t here to prevent it. Now look where I am?” Katrina sighed into the brisk night air.
As she ran faster, she found that she could no longer hear or see the bandits.

Katrina ran through the trees. “The bandits have to be far away by now”. She slowed herself to a brisk jog. She noticed too late that the pace of her run was causing shoe impressions to be left in the dew-soaked grass. Suddenly she heard hard breathing and hard footsteps coming closer.

“There she is! Get her!” The voices of her pursuers were banshees in the night. Swearing silently under her breath, Katrina quickened her pace once again.

“D*mn it all! Megan’s been captured. That idiot partner of mine. So stupid! I warned her time and time again not to go after the Sanguis Veneni Dispositione Sicarii Caedem all on her own. But she did. Now I have to go save her, unless I want her to die, which obviously I don’t. I like having somebody to file my UFBI paperwork.”
Megan’s last cryptic message replayed solemnly in Katrina’s mind. “Katrina, if you are coming. I beg of you! Hurry! The SVDSC always kill with the coming brilliance of the sun.” Katrina almost laughed. Megan was absolutely horrible at writing in code. SVDSC, Kill coming. There will be another murder. A gift to me…figures. Raymond probably arranged this. That arrogant, self-centered man! The rest of the note replayed in Katrina’s mind. “Also, beware the crowning, your ex is now the leader, and he wants you back. He will do whatever it takes. They may kill me, but you must go on! You have to solve this murder. If only for me and for the UFBI, if only for the victims’ families you mu…” and then the note had been cut off. Megan’s panic was almost audible through the hastily scrawled note. Katrina could picture what horrible torture the SVDSC was planning to inflict on her partner. It wasn’t pretty.
If only Raymond did not ally himself to the SVDSC after we broke up. If he hadn’t, none of this would have happened. For all I know the violent, despicable man I call my ex might already have killed my partner. So much for an “easy” case! “Curse you Raymond, for doing this” Katrina muttered under her breath. Now she had to save her best friend and partner, otherwise both of them were potential murder targets.

Suddenly Katrina’s eyes began to see only grey spots, but Katrina refused to give in to the comforting relief of fatigue, so she kept running. The faster that she ran from the rapidly increasing sounds of footsteps, the more fatigue fastened its crushing yet oddly gentle hold on her. She began to give in, she started to collapse, her spirit fleeing to the asylum of fatigue. But that never happened. She collapsed slightly, then strong arms pinned her against a strangely familiar, muscular, male anatomy.
A harsh grating voice whispered in her ear. “Finally I have found you mo chroí”
Katrina fought to free herself from her ex’s “loving” embrace, but could not. “Now, now, mo chroi, you know you cannot escape my grasp or your love for me.” A kiss landed in the vicinity of her lips. Katrina tried to fight, but she could not do anything to even remotely free herself.

“Love is no longer what I feel for you Raymond. You hurt me in body and mind. I became a shadow of my former self. That is why I left you. I left once and I shall leave again!” Katrina tried to keep her voice emotionless, but knew that her grief and anger were displayed prominently on her face.

“You left me once, but I will always hunt you down. Now I have the power to force you to obey me!” thundered Raymond. With that he grasped Katrina so hard that she convulsed.

“I…will…be…free of….you…Raymond…” Katrina fought for breath with every word. Then her world went dark. He’s going to kill me. But the question is can he really kill me, Supervisory Special Agent Katrina Psy Toraigh? That is what we will have to see.

As these thought pulsed through Katrina’s head, the pressure on her neck, it decreased, than increased, finally she blacked out.


I have to be dead, I have to be, and I’m no longer in pain. I’m free. I see Matt, and Ivan. Is my leopard dead?! No! Even Megan! Why? Raymond why? Why did you do this to me? The sight of my friends is too much to bear. I’m losing it. No more, please, no more! AAAAAGGHHHH!

“Mo Chroí, you nearly gave me a heart seizure. Please, go back to sleep, I am still here, relax, breathe. See? Ivan is sitting on your chest. He’s alive, and so is Megan, so am I. Mo chroí it is good that you are back here with me. I love you Katrina, and I hope you still love me.”

Katrina turned to face the man she knew as her husband. “I love you too Raymond, I love you as a woman, and as a fellow member of the Sanguis Veneni Dispositione Sicarii Caedem. Megan has done good work; it allowed us to get access to the UFBI. That was a brilliant plan you dreamed up. Your stupid brother had to pay for raping me, and I hope you killed him painfully. I only love you Raymond, and I’m a loyal wife, and the only true leader of the Sanguis Veneni Dispositione Sicarii Caedem-Divisio Nece Puellae.”

“Yes and an amazing actress. You really had Matthew believing that you loved him. Ha! I’m the only one who you love, well and our leopard, a gift from our second-in-command team, Megan and Ian Kane.”

With that, Katrina moved closer to Raymond, her eyes filled with joy and love. Wrapping him in her embrace, she sighed, as fun as infiltrating the UFBI was, she was glad to be back home with her only love, and he was right, acting was fun. They had planned every movement, the only regret Katrina had was not witnessing the murder of her rapist first-hand.

Yes, and now I have had my vengeance. The UFBI is in tatters, and its leader’s murder shall never be solved. I can live my life in peace, committing murder with Raymond and Megan. The FBI, no not even the world can stop me now! I am going to take my revenge unto the world. I will build this world anew, with Raymond and I as its leaders. Nothing can stop me from achieving this goal! Nothing at all!

“Ivan, Raymond, tomorrow, we shall begin our conquest, and then we shall be all-powerful! Tomorrow, we begin a new life, as murderers and traitors, but as honorable traitors.” Katrina said, her eyes dancing with murderous intent.

“Katrina, dearest heart, tomorrow is a long way away, forever is eternal, and we shall begin when the sun begins to rise, but for now, come, let us go to bed, sleep will allow us to focus on our plan.” Raymond laughed cruelly, embracing her tightly beneath the sheets of their elegant bed.

Katrina responded by brushing her hand across her loving husband’s tanned, muscular, bare chest. Her tossed, golden hair was gleaming with the radiance of a thousand suns, shining in the pale moonlight that shone in a beam that came through the arched window. The stars of the heavens became adrift in the sea of the endless darkness of night. Yes, I, along with Megan and Raymond, shall begin. But for now, I shall sleep. Sighing deeply, Katrina kissed Raymond and moving closer to him, lapsed into the chasm of sleep, and with Ivan in the crook of her free elbow, and Raymond’s arm around her, Katrina passed through the gate of her malevolent dreams, and began, albeit unconsciously, planning her next, despicable, bloody move.