The Society of Guardians Ch. 04

That probably should have been a giveaway.

But I was just thinking that was one of Toni's disadvantages. She really had no idea where I was going after the police station. Maybe she expected me to go to a different precinct... Or the National Guard! I actually didn't think of that one! The thought of the military moving through the city completely under Toni's control sent chills up my spine. Hopefully, she hadn't thought of it either.

Still, I knew she'd still be watching Ed's precinct. I was at the point now, that I needed to goad her out. I just wasn't sure how to go about it. I was still trying to think of an idea as we made our way closer to the precinct. Walking in broad daylight, touching everyone I passed, adjusting memories, and removing influence. All the while, I was looking around, keeping eyes out for anyone that even looked strangely at me.

Nikki was walking next to me, holding my hand unconcerned by a thing... Like there wasn't anything to be worried about.

Maybe that was why I was so on edge.

Luckily for both of us.

I caught the flash, before I heard anything. Like the flash of a camera... from on top of a building in front of us. Followed by a few other flashes from other building tops. I didn't see anything coming my way, but my reflexes flipped into overdrive. I scooped Nikki up and dove under the overhang of a nearby storefront as I saw the high-velocity projectiles zip through the space that held our heads moments before.

Our heads. Not just mine. Two bullets for each of us. She wanted Nikki dead as much as me. Concerning.

The next projectiles were a little easier to track... and even more alarming. Two RPG's shot from nearly the same locations. The rockets came streaking from the rooftops down at the crowded street. The people on the street had reacted to the bullets hitting the sidewalk by dropping to the ground, not having any idea from where the gunfire was coming. Unfortunately, that left them dead center of the target area for the second round of attacks.

Toni didn't care how many other people she killed as long as she took me out. The brazen bitch!

I met her brazenness with a bit of my own.

I focused on the incoming rockets, watching them speed towards me. The thought of running away was quickly quashed. There was a small gap between them. Just a quarter-second between impacts.

Just enough time for a crazy stunt!

I was so focused on them that the rockets seemed to slow down as they neared. I could read the military logos and specs on their sides. I lashed out my hand catching one of the rockets, pulling it around, spun and returned it to its sender like a wicked discus throw, and duplicated the feat with the second.

I watched, partly in surprise, partly in wonder as the rockets raced back to the rooftops resulting in spectacular explosions. Having never thrown rockets before (oddly enough!) my aim was off and while both rockets impacted the buildings, they were a few floors below the rooftop ledge. Clouds of smoke and fire billowed up, obscuring vision of the ledge. I took advantage of the momentary cover, grabbed Nikki, and dove into the nearest building.

Looks like I got my wish. Toni was directly focused on me now!

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Unlike the last two times that I was at the precinct, this time I wasn't brought into an ambush, nor did I sneak in. This time I blew through the precinct like a cleansing wind. Only this wind didn't come in through the front door.

It crashed in through the second story window! Right into Captain Murphy's office.

I had waited until Ed was in his office, then texted Steve to go into his office. Once Steve arrived, to Ed's confusion, I crashed through the window and raced over to touch Ed, inoculating him (seems like as good a description as any). I didn't want to stop there though, I moved into the larger office to cure everyone.

As soon as I stepped of the office, there was one officer staring at me with far more recognition than I'd expect for someone I'd never seen before.

The telltale sneer suddenly appeared on his face.

Toni!

Finally, I found someone she was in immediate control of. Time to see if my trick worked!

I jumped over the desks between us as the officer tried to pull out his pistol. As I touched him, I felt a fleeting pinch of hatred as I squeezed Toni out of his mind.

It was like I'd just screamed, 'Free Beer!' in a college campus. Except for Ed, Steve and the one I'd just touched, every man in the room whipped their head at me... and they all looked like I'd just pissed in their Fruit Loops.

I didn't give them a moment to draw their guns. I zipped through the office touching everyone as I went. I could see the immediate change in attitude after I touched them. The angry sneer dropping off their face replaced by confusion, dismay, and regret. A few were able to pull their guns and fire off wild shots, but I must have looked like a blur as I sped through the room. Their shots all went well wide of me and luckily didn't catch anyone in the crossfire.

Once I'd gone through everyone. I took a moment to survey the room. Stunned silence filled the room as they all stared at me.

I didn't see any sneers. Didn't see any hatred.

Just respect. And maybe a little awe.

These were men that were regularly putting their lives on the line for the people of the city. The looks that I was getting from them was a little embarrassing... but incredibly gratifying.

"Ok, men." Ed finally spoke to the room breaking the silence, "It's a little hard to believe, but we are going to need this man's help with this case." He cracked a smirk, "He's a little better suited to deal with this. Listen to him and follow him like he was... Like he was the Commissioner or the Mayor." He scoffed, "Hell! Like he was the President, for Christ's sake!"

I gave him a soft chuckle and took a deep breath.

"Ok. Here's what I need."

Things were going to move pretty fast right now. I needed to have everyone in place.

I couldn't believe I was going to do this. It'd better work.

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My cell phone rang. Cecilia's phone was trying to Facetime me. I knew it wasn't Cecelia herself though.

"Hello?"

The video came through of a blonde's enraged face. Toni. Wow. She really was an attractive blonde. She'd probably be very appealing if the sneer she wore didn't contort her face into such an unseemly visage. Surprisingly, the look I'd seen so much on other faces seemed to fit her face better than the others. Almost like she'd been wearing it for years.

"Where's your video?! I wanna see your sniveling face." She raged.

"Sorry, I have an Android. I can't do Facetime videos. I have an app that lets me join the voice though... And what a lovely voice! Do you have a bunch of marbles in your mouth? Maybe just a mouthful of food?"

"Fuck you, Worm!" she yelled, "I've had enough of you! If you remove my influence from anyone else, I'll begin slicing pieces off your precious doctor!" Her voice was filled with hate. The video spun to show Cecelia and I winced.

Dr Cecelia Shepherd was naked and bent over what looked like a sawhorse. Her arms and legs tied to the legs of it. An array of bloody red lines crisscrossed her legs and back. Toni moved the video around to her face showing the ring gag forcing her jaws open. Her bruised face was covered in blood, sweat and worse.

"She's been entertaining some of my boys."

The video scanned the huge apartment. The fancy leather furniture and avant-garde decorations seemed out of place behind the six naked men. Sweat glistened on their bodies from previous exertions. One held a leather flogger, swishing it menacingly. The large windows were covered by elegant draperies, hiding the view.

As I scanned the room, I was shocked. Sitting on a couch in the background was Clyde! He was the only man in the room still dressed. His face looked far different than the one from Katia's memories or even the one as he had left the mall a few days ago. The haunted look in his eyes as he stared blankly ahead showed he'd had some trouble reconciling with his actions. It was tough feeling any pity for him though.

"Please, continue." Toni's voice commanded the men.

The man with the flogger stepped forward as two men approached either end of the sawhorse, grinning as they tugged some life back into their flaccid members. The swish and crack of the whip as it drew fresh lines across Cecelia's back felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

"NO! STOP!" I yelled. "I'll stop ridding your influence from people. Just, please! Leave her alone!"

Toni's laughter filled my ears.

"Okay, for that we'll leave her alone..." The video turned away from Cecelia to a side door as it opened.

I groaned as Nikki was pushed through the door by two men holding her arms as she struggled vainly to escape. Her clothes had been ripped off, leaving her in just her panties. A bright red ball gag strapped in her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Her eyes were filled with fear as she stared at the men ahead of her.

When her eyes fell on Toni she started screaming into her gag, her eyes suddenly hot with anger. Spittle dribbled down her chin as she vainly screamed and thrashed in the men's strong grip.

"My, my. She's a handful." Toni taunted both of us. She reached out a hand and cruelly mashed Nikki's large breasts. "More than a handful actually! This is going to be fun!"

"PLEASE, NO!"

Nikki was forced to her knees in front of Toni. She struggled but was held firmly by two the big men.

Toni slipped around behind Nikki and moved the phone to catch both of their faces. Toni's positioned right over Nikki's shoulder.

"So, what will you give me not to ravish her?" Toni asked as she dragged a fingernail down the side of Nikki's face.

"Anything! Please!"

Toni's eyes sparkled at my begging.

"Anything?! Wow..." She stood and turned the video to show Clyde's distraught face. "I want you to give him back his voice!" she demanded.

Clyde broke from his stupor to stare at Toni first in surprise, then his eyes widened in horror.

"I cannot control him, since he's like me. But I want him to be free to enslave the sheep."

"NO!" I couldn't let him loose again.

"Awww... isn't that too bad!"

The video turned to Nikki as she was pushed forward onto her hands and knees and her panties were ripped from her hips. The man standing behind her was stroking himself hard. Another man moved in front of her as the two still held her in place.

"WAIT!!" I screamed in panic. I couldn't let them start on her again.

"So, what's it going to be?" Toni gloated knowing she had me caught.

"Let her talk to me. I-... I need to know she's not your slave again."

Toni chuckled, "Oh, of course. We need to free up that luscious mouth of hers anyway." She pulled the gag off Nikki's head.

"YOU FUCKING DYKE! I'LL FUCKING EAT YOUR HEART!! GOD DAMN YOU!!!" Nikki screamed in rage.

"My goodness. Such a mouth on this girl!" Her voice filled with mirth. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Nikki! Has she taken you? Are you still in control of yourself?"

Nikki kept screaming at Toni, seemingly oblivious to my question, "WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU, YOU'LL BEG ME TO KILL YOU! YOU'LL BEG EVERYONE TO..."

Toni was chuckling at Nikki's tirade as she went on.

Little did she know it was all an act.

The explosion of the door to the apartment blasting inward wiped the smirk clean off Toni's face.

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A few hours earlier...

"Are you serious? You want me to let them capture you?!" I was incredulous.

Nikki and I had just evaded the snipers and rockets and we were making our way through some buildings.

"Yes." Nikki had an idea that she thought would work. "She won't kill me now. I'm too useful a hostage to kill. She'll use me to get you to do something... Even more so than Cecelia. She knows we connected." She explained. "The whole way through the city she was just sitting back watching us. Waiting for us to walk into yet another ambush."

I couldn't help but shake my head. I'd fallen for it yet again!

"Use this location app to find me." She handed me back my phone that she'd been fiddling with, "She'll eventually contact you to gloat and I'll tell you what the room number we're in without her knowing." She gave me a hard passionate kiss, "Now go! Track me down and you'll get us all!"

I groaned as I left her behind and went to the precinct.

Once we'd pacified the precinct, we sent all the officers out into the city to search for Toni and Cecelia. I'd changed into one of the other officer's uniforms to disguise myself and joined the rush. Once away from the station, I'd ditched the squad car and the uniform and zipped to the location in the app.

I knew Toni would be tracking me using my phone from Nikki's, so I'd left it in the precinct, making Toni think I was pacing the halls of the precinct waiting for someone to find something or her to call. I was really listening and watching mine through Steve's phone.

Of course, Toni knew we'd be tracking Nikki using her phone, just like she was tracking me, so she'd sent Nikki's phone on a ride into another state.

What she couldn't know was that Nikki had a separate account for the app on her watch... which she'd very discretely hidden. As long as they didn't start fucking her, they probably wouldn't find it... fucking her ass, that is. (Yeah, we'll probably get her a new watch if we survived this!)

The app would show me her location on a 2D map, but I'd spend hours trying to find which story in the high-rise apartments. I needed Nikki to tell me which one they were in.

Nikki wasn't quite such a potty-mouth... or a cannibal! It was the words after 'Fucking' in her tirade. Dyke. D -- Fourth letter in the alphabet. Eat. E -- the fifth. Four-Five. They were in apartment forty-five.

I'd never raced up the stairs so fast in my life as Nikki continued her rant.

I burst into the apartment to the startled looks of four more of Toni's minions. It wasn't the room that held Nikki, Cecelia and Toni, but was some sort of formal living room. Two guys stood by a hallway going deeper into the apartment and two more sat on the couch near the wall.

I needed to take care of Toni as soon as possible, so I breezed through the room, knocking the two that were standing hard against either wall, ignoring the other two. As I moved into the next room, I saw a familiar scene: all three ladies about like I'd seen them moment ago. A guy stood in my way aiming his gun at me. I caught his arm, snapped it in two pointing the gun behind him as his fingers spasmed as he screamed, squeezing the trigger.

Directly behind him on the far side of the room, standing near the window was Toni. The gun was pointing nearly directly at her. I watched as the bullet zipped towards her. My eyes widened in excitement, but then I groaned in disappointment as it went right past Toni face to crash harmlessly through the window.

"STOP! OR THEY DIE!!" Toni screamed.

Two naked men each held a gun to Nikki's and Cecelia's heads. I stared in dismay as I screeched to a stop.

I wasn't quite sure where the guns had come from, but I couldn't make a move to save one without losing the other. I glared at Toni for a moment in consternation and that was all it took for me to get jumped from behind by three men.

Everything fell apart. It seemed like such a good plan. I'd been sure it would work. Everything had played out just as I had anticipated it to up to this point... Or how we'd anticipated it to.

Nikki's eyes mimicked mine. We both knew we'd misplayed this... somehow.

Toni's control of everyone in the room seemed to allow them to react significantly faster than we'd thought they'd be able to. I had been so sure I'd be able to make it through to Toni before she'd even react.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" Toni's sneer was as evil as ever. "I may not be quite as fast as you, but I'm fast enough. If you save one, the other dies. If you try for me, they both die."

Toni had everyone under her control.

"I knew you'd do something stupid thinking you could just bowl through everyone." Toni sneered. "You're such a man. Leaving your girlfriend behind to go gung-ho was just so stupid... Now, it's over. You're poor bleeding heart can't stand to lose either of the women you care so much about!"

Seeing Toni's face gloating in exultation, knowing she'd won was twisting my guts in knots. Knowing now that nothing was going to stop her from taking over the city. The permanent sneer on her face was surprisingly replaced by an almost happy smile. It looked completely foreign on her face.

I was looking at Nikki and Cecelia, trying to build up the courage to save one or the other.

Both nodded at me. They both were smart enough to know I had to choose. I couldn't allow this to happen.

I couldn't allow Toni to win.

To continue what she was doing... was just wrong on so many levels. Everything in my being cried out for me to move.

But looking at Nikki's or Cecilia's faces, I just couldn't doom one of them. My indecision was going to cost me some day...

Maybe just not today.

I watched in amazement as Toni was suddenly tackled back against the window. The stray bullet must have compromised its integrity, because with a shattering of glass it gave way and Toni and her assailant tumbled through and out the window.

The men under Toni's control were suddenly screaming, "AAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Looks of terror on their faces.

Their screams cut off suddenly and they looked around stunned and confused.

---------------------------------------------------

Toni had had everyone under her control. Except for one.

Of all the people I'd ever think would be the one to save me, he had to be the absolute bottom of the list.

It was Clyde.

Clyde had saved me. The first and last deviant I'd 'saved' managed to save me too.

The irony of it was deafening.

Once Tony had tumbled out the window and everyone started screaming, I didn't waste any time throwing the men off me and disarming everyone quickly. Then I immediately went to Cecelia, freeing her from the restraints and pulling her into my arms.

When the men stopped screaming and took control of themselves again, a few looked at me and raised their hands claiming innocence. A few other immediately came over to Cecelia, tears filling their eyes. Knowing the pain they had wrought. It was hard to be angry at them. They had been forced into it as much as Cecelia and they had as much control.

Cecelia was nearly comatose as I held her in my arms. I did my best to relieve some of the pain she was feeling and considered removing some of the harsher memories, but she roused herself enough to speak.

"Leave me my memories." She said quietly, knowing what I was thinking. "I want my experiences. Good and Bad." Her eyes found mine and she brought her hand up to my face. "I chose this. I chose to be a part of this when I brought you to those patients." She closed her eyes and sighed, "And I'd do it again."

"I'm so sorry Cecelia. I should have come for you sooner. I just-..." I felt guilty I hadn't been able to save her sooner.

"Stop." She shook her head slowly, eyes still closed. "You came for me. That's all that matters." She opened her eyes again and stared at me, "I knew you would." The corners of her mouth quirked in a semblance of a smile. "It made everything easier knowing you'd come. Knowing there would be an end. I never had any doubt."

I know I did. Especially there at the end. But I couldn't tell her that.