“You’re late Bo,” a hard voice accused as he walked in the door.

Rubbing bleary eyes, he stifled a yawn and threw a nasty look in John’s direction. “Are you the idiot who was pounding on my door? It’s only 6 a.m. for Christ’s sake!”

“Well get yourself some coffee and shag your ass over here. Jensen and I have been working on this for two hours already. I want you in place by tonight at the latest,” John retorted irritably, looking up to glare at Bo from over the top of the paper strewn desk.

Bo didn’t bother with a reply, his attention focused on the scalding hot coffee as he chugged down one cup and then poured himself a refill. “What are you talking about?” he asked, strolling toward the desk as he nursed the second cup.

“The men in St. Julien made a follow-up report, and we’ve had every researcher at our disposal digging through every scrap of information that can be found on that town. Mikos is holed up on an old family estate. Marlena and the kids are with him. Unfortunately, the place is a fortress. A medieval castle fortified with the latest in security technology.”

“Hmm. What do we have on it?” Bo asked with interest, coming to peer over John’s shoulder at the map spread across the desk.

“It’s right here on the outskirts of a small town, a village really, called St. Julien. Castle Chërnobog, named after the Slavic God of the underworld,” John said, his finger indicating a circled area nestled amid the Ural mountains.

“The God of the underworld?” Bo snorted. “Your telling me Alamain is hiding in Castle Satan?” he said, his amused cackle earning him another dirty look from John.

“Whoop it up, laughing boy. I’m sending you in first to scout the area,” John replied dryly as he spread a row of satellite surveillance photos on top of the map.

“Me?! I figured you’d be leading an assault team in first thing? What’s up?”

John stalked restlessly from the table, stretching his arms out and trying to work the kinks from his back. “Bo, I have been up all night going over the plans we have on this castle. The damn thing is built into the side of a cliff. They have more electronic equipment than NASA does, and it is all designed to detect the slightest movement on the cliff wall. The air currents prohibit a parachute drop. We’d have to go in under cover of night, and we’d lose two-thirds of our forces before we hit the ground. The only option that leaves is a frontal assault through the front door. I’ve got the manpower to blast our way through, but it wouldn’t be quick and it sure wouldn’t be quiet. Alamain would have more than enough time to do anything he wanted to with Marlena and the children. I’m not going to risk her life, Bo. We aren’t going in until I know that she will be safe. That means I need to get someone on the inside. Someone who can find out where they’re keeping her. Find out her schedule, how the guards are placed. Hell, Bo. You know the drill!”

“Yea, I know the drill,” Bo muttered distractedly, his attention fixed on the sketchy floor plans of the castle. “Why me? I’m surprised you aren’t going yourself,” he noted absently.

“He wanted to,” Jensen interjected, walking in the door bearing a tray laden with scones and fresh fruit. “I explained to him what a patently idiotic idea that was,” he continued acerbically. “It only took me two hours to talk him out of it, Mr. Brady,” he concluded, glaring at Bo.

“Oh, yea. I guess Alamain’s men might be on the lookout for you, huh John?” he said, looking up sheepishly.

“At the very least, some of his men have been shown picture of him. After all, John was Alamain’s apparent target. It would be suicide for him to try and enter the castle grounds. However, why he chose you in his stead...” Jensen trailed off, rolling his eyes.

“I wanted somebody I could trust,” John replied with a shrug, his hand raising to catch the apple Jensen deftly flipped in his direction. “And will you please stop trying to force feed me fruit!” he grunted, taking a bite despite himself.

“I don’t suppose you speak Russian?” Jensen asked, looking at Bo hopefully.

“No, I don’t speak Russian! Why the hell would I speak Russian!?”

“He can pretend to be mute,” John stated flatly, chucking the remains of his apple at Jensen’s head.

“I am not going to pretend to be mute!” Bo burst out.

“Don’t be moronic,” Jensen interjected.

“Christ, I don’t care how you do it! Figure something out, Jensen. Make him a God damn exchange student for all I care! I want his ass on-sight and I want it done by tonight, do I make myself clear!” John yelled, his patience at an end.

“Very clear,” Jensen replied tightly, his face betraying nothing as he bent to gather the coordinates for the nearest airport.

Bo stood in the tension filled silence, wondering if the two men had been going at it like this all night. The muscles in John’s neck seemed about to pop he was gritting his teeth so hard, and Jensen exuded all of the warmth of an iceberg. He searched for something to say to break the stalemate, but for once in his life, wisely chose to stay silent.

The moment stretched out until Bo was certain that violence would ensue. Finally, with a muffled sigh that must have taken every drop of air from his lungs, John stepped forward. Resting his curled fists on the top of the table, he leaned in toward Jensen who was studiously ignoring him.

“Jensen? I’m sorry. You are right. This is a lousy plan. Bo has no business going in there. But if I can’t go, then I need him to. Can you please try and understand that? I am going insane here waiting. The only way I can do it is if I have someone in there who cares about her just as much as I do. Now if anybody can pull this off, it is you. I am asking you, will you please do this for me?” The words were soft, but there was no doubting their sincerity.

Jensen finally glanced up, only to find himself caught in a pair of eyes so blue they seemed to burn. He allowed himself a ragged sigh, nodding his head reluctantly. “I will get him in, John. Someway, I will find a cover that will get him on the grounds. The first thing to do is get him to St. Julien. We have two men there now and between us we should find some way of getting him into the castle.”

With a nod of his own, John turned away, his hand reaching out to clutch briefly at Jensen’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he said quietly, before breaking the hold.

“Um.... Well, glad that that’s settled and everything,” Bo broke in uncomfortably. “But are we sure about this? I mean, what if somebody’s seen a picture of me? They have to have some intel.”

John gave a casual shrug. “There is no way they would suspect I would bring you in. As far as they know, we’re not even on speaking terms. Still… Just in case, it’s probably a good idea for you to lose the beard. Nobody will recognize you without the fur. Hell, as I remember, you’re just a baby-faced kid under all that stubble,” John said, a wicked grin suddenly lighting his face.

Bo straightened from his contemplation of the map, looking positively livid. “No way! You aren’t turning me into some yuppy wus boy!” he stated emphatically, shaking his head.

With a chuckle, John advised, “Shut up and count your blessings. It’s not like I’m making you cut that shaggy hair of yours.”

“Hell, you might as well cut off my balls,” Bo muttered under his breath in irritation, never knowing when to leave well enough alone.

“Uh uh! Those belong to Hope. I’m pretty sure she wants them back intact,” John teased, watching in amusement as Bo colored at the comment.

Jensen even managed a chuckle, as much at his enjoyment of Bo’s discomfort as anything. “I’m going to make the arrangements with the plane,” he cut in, the smile still on his face. “Be ready in three hours, Mr. Brady. I will send someone to fetch you when the car arrives.”

Feeling as if everything was spinning out of his control, Bo simply nodded reflexively, watching until Jensen was out the door. “You really think this has a chance of working?” he finally asked.

John shrugged, his fingers knotting together as his thumb caressed the surface of the ring he now wore, a nervous gesture of which he was unaware. “We know where she is, Bo. That’s what counts. I just want somebody near her until I can figure out what to do.”

Turning, he finally focused his attention on Bo. Seeing the uncertainty on his face, he forced a tight smile that never reached his eyes. “Bo, I don’t expect you to get her out. I will find a way to do that, you don’t have to worry. I just.... I need to know she’s not alone. Even if she doesn’t know you’re there, I will know it. Does that make sense to you?” John asked, watching Bo curiously.

Bo flashed a grin of his own. “Not really, but it doesn’t have to. I will be there for her. The reasons don’t much matter.”

“They matter to me. Thanks Bo. For everything.”

“Save it for when this is over. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to make a couple of calls home before I go incognito?”

Flashing a wry smile, John nodded. “Give my love to Hope. And Bo, before you take off, I want to see you. Okay?”

“Yea, sure. I’ll be down in a little bit. And John.... We will get Marlena back. I promise you that,” Bo said, watching the older man with concern.

“Oh, I know that, Bo. I will take that castle apart brick by brick if I have to. But the one thing I do know is that I will have her back,” John said softly, the look in his eyes sending a shiver of fear down Bo’s spine.

The feeling of unease lingered long after John had left the room. It wasn’t until he picked up the phone to dial Hope that he realized its cause. The look in John’s eyes had been the same one Stefano had every time he looked at Marlena. With perfect clarity, Bo realized that John intended to destroy anything and anyone who stood between him and the woman he loved.

Bo looked up, jarred from his thoughts by a knock on the door.

“Bo? You done in here? You really need to get packed,” John said, coming in to stand before the desk.

“Hmm. Oh. Yea, I was just.... I just said ‘bye’ to Hope,” he answered, his attention still not completely on the man standing across from him.

“Everything okay?” John asked, concern in his voice.

“Oh, yea. Everything’s fine. I just… miss her,” Bo replied softly, a distant look in his eyes. With a shake of his head, he forced a smile. “By the way, she wasn’t real pleased with me shaving off the beard.”

“She’ll get over it,” John said, smiling faintly.

“You better hope she does. I told her it was all your fault,” Bo answered with a grin of his own.

“Thanks so much,” was the dry response.

“My pleasure,” Bo said with a chuckle as he rose to his feet. “But you’re right. I really do need to get packed. What’d you want to tell me before I took off?”

“Nothing important,” John said with a shrug, his eyes shifting so he no longer had to face Bo’s penetrating gaze. “Just.... Bo, be careful. The Bradys have already lost one son to this thing. They can’t afford to lose another one. Watch your back, okay?”

“Hey, I thought that was your job,” Bo joked, slapping a hand against John’s shoulder as he moved by him toward the door.

“Bo, I’m serious,” John snapped shortly, reaching out with one big hand to stop Bo in his tracks. Holding the younger man in place, John faced him squarely, his eyes hard and worried. “Alamain is not a fool. He’s a very dangerous man. He was good enough to take Dimera. Good enough to get by me. You get careless, he’ll send you home in a box. I do not want to have to tell Mom and Pop I got their only remaining son killed. I sure don’t want to tell Hope she’s a widow. Do you understand me?”

“John, I will be careful, I promise. Don’t worry. We’re going to get Marlena and the kids out and then everybody is going to go home,” Bo answered, his voice softening in response to the concern he saw on the other man’s face.

Quirking a faint smile, John started to nod agreement, his movements slowing as he caught the glint of gold peeking from the open neck of Bo’s shirt. Wordlessly he reached out, pulling at the leather thong to expose the ring that dangled from its end. His fingers caressed the warm metal, surprised by the flash of jealousy that burned through him at the sight of his ring carried by another man. With an effort, he fought down the urge to rip it from Bo’s neck, instead allowing the band to fall reluctantly from his fingers.

“You told me not to lose it,” Bo said softly, the pain in John’s eyes unmistakable. “I won’t.”

Turning away, John gave a sharp shake of his dark head. “I don’t deserve the ring and I sure as hell don’t deserve her! But.... You take care of them both for me. You are the only one I would trust to do that, Bo. Don’t you dare let me down.”

Bo nodded his agreement, almost willing to let it go, but the conversation from the night before still worried at his mind. His stubborn nature interfered and he could not help but ask in exasperation, “What about when we get her back, John? What? You plan to just crawl into some dark hole and die? Have you forgotten what you promised her? You told her you were meant to be together. I was there when you swore it to her before God. I remember the words John, do you?”

“Of course I remember! Don’t be an ass,” John spat, his fists clenching in anger. His fingers ran across the face of the ring he wore, as if to remind himself of what he was. Almost to himself, he muttered softly, “‘They can take a human being and they can do a lot of things to him, but they can’t take away his love....’ It’s one of the few truths I told her.” With a grimace, he turned to again face Bo.

“I will never pretend I don’t love her, Bo. I can’t. But maybe sometimes when you love a person, the only way to prove it is to set them free. I will set her free before I risk hurting her again. That ring is a promise I can’t keep. I won’t wear it as long as that is true.”

With a shrug, Bo said simply, “I’ll keep it safe for you until this is all over. Nobody has to decide anything until then.”

“When this is over, you better think long and hard about whether you want to give it back, Bo. You better think about whether she is really better off with me in her life,” John answered coldly.

The words made Bo uncomfortable, reminding him of decisions he was not ready to make. “Look, I should really be going. I’ll radio in as soon as I know anything, okay?”

Dismissively, John replied. “Yea, you should go. Like I said, just be careful.”

“Scout’s honor,” Bo replied, holding three fingers up in a failed attempt to ease the tension he saw on other man’s face. It was a relief when he finally left the room and the feel of those dark eyes that had watched him go.

“Marlena! You are even more beautiful this morning than usual,” Mikos called out with a mocking smile as he rose from his chair. “Might I assume you have come to some conclusion considering my proposal? Is it too much to hope that that is what has brought a bloom to your cheeks?”

She had to make an effort not to roll her eyes. Instead, she focused on what had to be done to keep her family safe. “Where are the children?” she asked, approaching the dining table cautiously.

“I thought it might be better if we had some time in private. The girls did not seem to mind. They appear to share your overprotective instincts with regard to your son, and preferred to eat in the room with him.”

“I wish you would let me see him. At least let me make certain he wasn’t injured?!” she said, hating the begging tone in her voice.

“I only wish I could, Marlena,” he replied silkily, holding the chair out for her as she reluctantly took her seat. “However, that would require some level of trust between us. Perhaps if I knew you were committed to your new life here on the Alamain compound, I might be more willing to extend such trust.”

She ducked her head as he took his place at the head of the table, not wanting him to see the hatred in her eyes. Her voice was carefully neutral as she said, “This is happening very quickly, Mikos. You pressure me for an answer I am not ready to give.”

He merely chuckled, watching with pleasure as her cheek flushed pink, her body betraying her emotions in ways she would never suspect. “There is no pressure. You may take all of the time you need. However, I am afraid that it might be best if you not visit the children until your mind is clearer.”

“You can’t keep me from them!” she spat out in dismay, turning to look on him with disgust.

“Yes, I can and I will. At least until you can show me that you are willing to be… reasonable,” he replied, raising a glass to her in mock salute.

She turned away, unable to stand the sight of him. Clenching her hands tightly in her lap, she closed her eyes and tried to fight down a rising wave of nausea. Breathing deeply, her skin seemed to burn beneath the tracks of a single tear that managed to find its way down her cheek. She tried to remember Dimera’s words. It was simply a lie. One small lie. She could tell a lie to protect herself. To protect her children, she could do anything. Concentrating on her children, she managed to keep the tremor from her voice as she uttered the word he was waiting to hear. “Yes,” she whispered.

Mikos glanced sharply at her bowed form, certain that she would not have capitulated so easily. “What was that?” he prompted, a pleased smile creeping across his face.

Tilting her head, she met his gaze. Almost proudly, she squared her shoulders, her hand rising gracefully to dash the tear from her cheek. Golden eyes blazed condemnation as she coldly repeated, “Yes. I accept your proposal.”

He regarded her with new found admiration, this ice queen who now sat before him. He had thought that her acquiescence would signal her defeat. Instead, it was simply the start of the war between them. She would fight him every step of the way. She would still be fighting, even when he lay her down and made her his own. His blood quickened in anticipation, his breath catching in his throat as he realized that it could take years before the fire in those eyes was quelled. On shaky legs, he managed to stand. Clearing his throat slightly, he reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small box. “This is unexpected, Marlena. You once again exceed my expectations. Fortunately, I had this removed from the vault last night, in anticipation of this… happy moment.”

Moving smoothly forward to stand beside her chair, he reached down and took her unresisting hand in his. The muscles in her jaw clenched at his touch, the sight of it making him flush hot with desire. With an unsteady hand, he opened the black jeweler’s box and set it gently on the table. “It was my mother’s,” he said, his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand. “It is beautiful, is it not?”

“I am sure that she would be very proud of the way you have chosen to use it,” she answered, finally deigning to look up at him.

For an instance, anger hardened his features, and he pried the ring from its resting place. “Let us do this properly,” he said, fastening his eyes on hers and raising her hand slightly. “Marlena Evans, will you marry me?”

She started to pull away, her composure faltering. The look of amused condescension on his face stopped her, and she forced her body to hold still. She didn’t blink as she hissed the words out like a curse. “Yes, Mikos. I will marry you.”

It seemed to take an eternity for him to slide the gleaming band of gold over her finger, the metal itself biting coldly into her flesh. Light-headed, she watched from somewhere outside of herself as he gently raised her hand and touched his lips to the ring. “We will be together forever. I promise you,” he growled out, his hands rising to lightly frame the sides of her face.

She sat unmoving as his lips brushed against hers, their faint touch the most intimate of invasions. He held the pose for a moment more and then drew slowly back, searching her face for a reaction. Any reaction.

She gave him nothing. “May I see my children now?” she asked in that same distant voice, as if none of it had happened.

Vaguely irritated, he stepped back. “Of course you may,” he answered, the effort at courtesy, however feigned, beginning to wear thin. “Ivan! See to it that my fiancee meets with her children. I am certain that she is eager to share the happy news,” he finished, his voice turning ugly as he watched her expressionless face.

Stiffly, she rose to follow Ivan up the long staircase. Knowing Alamain’s eyes followed her every move, she resisted the temptation to wipe her hand across her lips. She would not allow him even that small satisfaction.

As she reached the door to her room however, her steps faltered. “Ivan? Could you allow me a moment in my room? There is something I need to do. Could you please come back for me in half an hour?” she beseeched, ashamed of her weakness but unable to fight it.

“Of course, Madam,” he replied, eyeing her curiously.

Her hand on the door knob, she looked back uncertainly. “You promise you will come back for me?”

“I give you my word, Madam,” he responded with a bow.

Only when the door pulled tight shut behind her did she allow the tears to begin to fall. With a vicious yank, she tore the ring from her finger and dropped it to the floor. Standing in place, she pulled the blue silk dress over her head, the soft material falling to puddle at her feet. Moving with an urgency she tried to ignore, she stripped every bit of clothing from her body. Completely naked, she bent to gather the strewn garments in her arms. With rapid steps she crossed to the fireplace, tossing her bundle onto the still flickering fire. She stood watching, her hands wrapped tightly around her shaking body, as the fragile silk disappeared beneath the hungry flames. When there was nothing left to burn, she finally permitted herself to enter the shower. Standing beneath the pounding streams of scalding water, she pretended that she could wash away the memories of his touch. 

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