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All recognisable characters from the X-men comics do not belong to me, although I wish they did.

A Place in this World
by Vicki Lew
January 1999

Chapter 6

"It'll cost you quite a bit, Senator."

Jack O'Connor stared icily at the shifty-eyed man sitting opposite him, before replying, "I don't really care. I have the money, and it'll be yours if you do the job right."

"Our little facility lacks support from icons like you, sir. What we need is your thumbs-up with our project as well as your financial support."

"Listen, Ulrich, just get the job done, and you'll have everything that you need from me."

The little man chuckled. "Very eager, aren't you, Senator? One other thing, about the casualty count of this job...?"

"As many as it takes, Ulrich. As many as it takes. But take her alive and kicking."

The dream was fresh in her mind, even as she sat on the couch that she'd fallen asleep on. The hall was silent, illuminated by the bright moon.

She dreamt of killing him often.

Too often, in fact.

For everything he ever did to her, and for the way he treated her.

Her heart would race at the thought of having his blood pour down her arms, fresh and warm from his torn neck, all her hatred for him washing away along with the flow of the thick fluid.

Sabine slid off the couch and walked towards the frosted windows, and went very still. She squinted through the misty glass and randomly floating snowflakes; someone was standing on the hillock opposite the front gates. Her eyes made out the figure of a short, plump woman wrapped in a thick jacket. The longer she stared, the more familiar the stranger seemed...

"Mattie?" she whispered as she recognised the African-American.

Grabbing a jacket, Sabine stumbled out into the snow, running towards the gate, swinging it open and dashed across the road. She was overjoyed to see her nursemaid, the only woman who cared for her and-

Her eyes widened in shock; it wasn't Mattie at all, it was a mistake that took her too long to realise. The next few seconds hit her like a massive explosion. A motorcycle skidded on the road, sending sparks flying as its side scraped at asphalt and she saw Randolph Gedrick stumbling off the rider's seat, screaming for her to run. Men dressed in black combat gear swarmed towards her, emerging rapidly from the thick growth of forest further up upon the hill.

Gedrick got to her first and grabbed her arm, dragging her away. "C'mon, Sabby! For fuck's sakes, let's go!! They'll kill y-urkk!"

All she heard was a sharp whistling then she felt something hot splattering on the cheek. Nausea rose in her throat when she caught sight of the damage the bullet had done to Gedrick's head. With blurry eyes, she turned towards the gates; these men were out to get her, and they had made Gedrick an example.

In her terror, her legs refused to function normally, and she stumbled over Gedrick's body, getting a faceful of asphalt and slush. As she struggled to get up, a gloved hand grabbed a fistful of her hair and forced her head backwards painfully. Her scream for help welled up from her insides and when she released it, it echoed into the darkness.

Lights came on in the mansion, and floodlights lining the front gates illuminated the area. Seeing that her assailant had been temporarily blinded by the lights, Sabine kicked hard into his gut, freeing herself from his grip. She started towards the gate once more as the X-men burst out from the mansion, armed and ready.

Cyclops sent the attackers who were in closest proximity to Sabine flying back into the woods with his optic blasts, but not before a bullet burrowed itself into the back of the young woman's right knee, ripping through flesh and bone and making its exit from her kneecap. The leg gave way and she hit the ground hard once more, crying out in pain.

Some of the men formed some sort of wall in front of her immediately, and fired torrents of bullets at the X-men, distracting them while the others tranquillised and dragged the fallen woman into a waiting getaway van.

"NON!" Gambit shouted from behind Jean Grey's protective TK bubble. "Dey're gettin' away! On my count, Jean, lemme out...Now!"

The Cajun tore through the weakened shield and let fly a full deck of charged cards at the enemy, mini explosions dispersing their firepower. Storm called upon arctic temperatures and froze the firing squad from the neck down, immobilising them.

"Stop right where you are!" The X-men turned to see one of the masked men pressing a gun to an unconscious Sabine's head. Recognising the threat, they complied. "Now back off, or she gets it!"

They watched helplessly as the black van sped off into the night.

Continued in Chapter 7

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