The Circle Widens

Jaya was at the Starlight Inn with Tyran since he was working the late shift. She enjoyed talking with him when he could get a few words in edgewise with the crowd. Even Joshua was there, talking up a storm.

She finished her fourth drink and got up. "Well, I'm going to head home for now," Jaya said to Tyran. "If you want, you can join me there," she said with a smile.

"I think not." He said with a sigh. "I’m very tired. As soon as I kick the last customer out I’m going to bed."

"All right," she replied as she leaned over the bar and kissed him. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes, I’ll be there at noon. I have another late shift tonight."

She sighed. "All right," she smiled. "I'll see for lunch. Good night. Good night to you too, Joshua," she said as she left.

"Goodnight, Jaya," he replied.

She left the bar and started the long walk home. She didn't mind the walk. The night was full of stars and it was quiet . . . Suddenly, she felt the presence of someone behind her. She didn't think much of it, considering not many people were a threat to her.

But suddenly, before she could initially react, he tried grabbing her from behind. She immediately flipped him and sent him to the ground.

"What the hell do you want?" she said with surprise as he got to his feet.

"I want *you*!" he said.

"Not likely," Jaya replied as he attacked her again.

She gave a swift knife hand to his solar plexus and he went down hard, unable to catch his breath for a moment

"I'll . . . get you . . . for that, bitch!" he snarled and got to his feet as she began walking away.

She turned at his words, only to see too late that he had a knife in his hand. He swiped at her, and managed a deep cut across her abdomen. Though the pain was strong, she pushed it to the back of her mind. She grabbed his hand and they began struggling for the knife. She could end it there with just a simple move she thought. But she had to drag it out long enough . . . She had to know who was behind this.

"Who sent you?!" she asked knowing that he wasn't on a mission of his own.

"Someone who knows who you are, who will pay me for your corpse!" he sneered.

Suddenly, his eyes seemed to pop out with surprise and he stumbled away from her. Stuck into his chest was the knife.

Jaya watched as he fell down, onto his back . . . dead. She looked at her hands. They were covered with blood, as well as most of her shirt. She looked around trying to get her bearing and made her way back to Tyran's bar.

As she entered, several people reacted in shock at the bloody mess that was Jaya Bourne.

"My god," said Joshua getting up from his stool.

"Jaya!" Tyran ran to her. He caught her just before she fell. He looked at her, baffled and scared. "Jaya? Somebody, help!"

"I'll call Dominic!" Joshua said running to the comm.

"You think this is bad . . . You should see the other guy," Jaya said forcing a smile as Tyran got her to a chair.

"What happened, Jaya?" He asked her with worry. He eyed Joshua urging him to hurry!

"Tell Joshua he might want to call Security too . . . The guy . . . who did this . . . He's dead . . . Just down the street . . ." she said.

"I better call Alec." Tyran took his personal communicator and touched it.

A groggy voice answered the comm. "Yeah . . .?"

"Alec, some goon attacked Jaya!"

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I am in the bar, but that goon is lying dead in the alley behind here."

"I'm on my way," he said closing the comm, not wanting to ask too many questions.

"Dominic's on his way," Joshua said.

"Oh god . . . I always forget how much cuts hurt until I get one . . ." Jaya said. Tyran was holding a bar towel up against the wound, but she knew she'd already lost a lot of blood.

"Shhh . . . .” He tried to soothe her. “Josh, give me the first aid kit!" He ordered and looked even more worried. "Hurry up, Dom!" He mumbled.

Joshua went and got the kit. "Here," he said, handing the case to Tyran, floored by all the blood he saw.

"Good, and get me some clean towels from my linen closet." He said. He wanted to keep Josh busy.

Joshua quickly complied. Another groan issued from her, but she was still awake and conscious.

Suddenly, Dominic burst through the door of the Inn. As soon as he saw Jaya, his face paled. "Good god!" he exclaimed as he went to them. "I followed the blood all the way in here . . ."

"Dominic . . ." she said, forcing a smile. "It's just a scratch."

"You can keep that delusion, young lady," he said. "However, I know better." He quickly opened his case and began pulling out a dermal regenerator and a hypospray. "Tear the bottom of her shirt off. I need a good look at the cut."

Tyran complied. He was luckily not sick from seeing blood. Apparently it was only at the sight of his own.

"That's quite deep," Dominic said as Joshua returned with the towels. "Why don't you get a bowl of warm water?" he said to help keep Joshua distracted.

"Yeah, sure . . ." Josh said and disappeared again.

Immediately, he went to work, trying to repair the wound and injecting her with a medication to help replenish her blood supply . . . It would help her body in the production of it. But he knew there was a chance she might need blood transfused into her.

"What in god's name happened?" he asked.

"Some goon stabbed her here in the alley, I am waiting for Alec." He said softly. "Maybe it would be better if I send Josh home, and we move her to my bed?"

"I think that's a good idea . . . Get her into a more comfortable position," he said. "Do you have someone that can lock up the place for you? Where's Danayal?" he asked.

"Danayal’s at home. He had the early shift. Josh can get him for us. He lives close to their home, and it’ll give him something to do."

Dominic nodded. "All right," he said.

As soon as Joshua was back with the warm water, he left to go get Danayal.

"I don't think I'm feeling so good . . ." Jaya said softly as the room began to spin.

"I’ll take you to my bed, that’s better than the chair.." He lifted her, and carried her through the bar, into the large living room, and from there into his bedroom, where he put her on his bed.

She let out a breath as she laid there; a wave of pain coursing through her.

Suddenly Alec entered the bar. Not seeing Tyran he walked back into Tyran's apartment and to the bedroom. As he saw Jaya, his face paled.

"Oh, god, what happened?" he asked.

Dominic was giving her something for the pain, though she was hardly saying anything about it. But it was obvious to everyone she was feeling it

"I told you . . . she was stabbed. I hope you found the body of that goon."

"Yeah, I have people taking care of it as we speak . . ." he said as he sat on the other side of the bed beside Jaya.

"What happened?" he asked her gently.

She turned her gaze to him, no one having seen Joshua come back in.

"A guy came up behind me . . . Attacked me . . ." she said. "He said someone knew who I was . . ." She shook her head. "Someone who'd pay a lot for my corpse apparently."

"Josh?" Tyran looked up, and saw his friend in the door. "What are you doing here? Where’s Danayal?"

"He's closing the bar as we speak," Josh replied. "I came back here to check on Jaya . . ."

Her eyes closed for a moment before opening again. She was fighting the pain killer.

"You need to rest," Dominic said to her.

"No . . . I have to go . . ." she said trying to get up through the pain. "I have to find out who this is . . . It's not the Dark Shadow . . . I know it's not . . ." She said, not paying attention to who was in the room or who wasn't.

“Josh, go help Danayal! We can’t use you here right now." Tyran ushered him out, worried.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" he said. "What was she saying about the Dark Shadow? He's that assassin, isn't he?" Joshua looked even more confused now.

Alec looked at him and then at Jaya and shook his head. "This is what happens when you try to have a normal life . . ." he said to her.

"Josh, shut you big mouth! You’ve seen nothing and you heard nothing, understood?" Tyran growled.

"But I don't understand," he said. "You're not the only one that cares about her, you know . . ." But reluctantly, Joshua returned into the bar and got a drink. He didn't want to go anywhere until he knew Jaya would be all right.

"Do you trust him?" Alec asked Tyran. "I mean, I know a lot about the guy, but do you personally trust him?"

"I trust him, but not his wife, she tends to be a blabbermouth first class." Tyran looked concerned.

Alec sighed. "I warned her about making attachments . . . Sooner or later the wrong person hears too much . . . But . . . Well . . . maybe it wouldn't be so bad having him know . . . he does work at the space port . . . It could be an advantage for us - for her . . ."

"As long as he keeps his mouth shut... and Danayal also knows more than he’s telling, I know him.."

Alec shook his head. "It was one thing when it was just you, but . . . seems like there's a Domino Effect going on here . . ."

"You can trust them . . ." Jaya said softly as her eyes opened again. "They won't say anything . . ." she said softly.

"And how do you know that?" Alec asked.

"Because I know them . . . I've read their thoughts and emotions . . . I knew they were trustworthy from the moment I first . . . met them . . ."

"Your skills didn't do so well tonight with that guy in the alley . . ." Alec replied, meeting her green eyes.

"I wasn't paying attention,” she explained. “I knew he was there, but I didn't assess him as a threat . . ."

"That's reckless, Jaya . . . You know that . . ."

"Yeah, and I'm paying for it . . ." she replied. "Not a mistake I plan to repeat . . . You should tell them, Alec . . . before they figure out the wrong thing on their own . . ."

Tyran waited for Alec's response. It was already late, 3:30 am but he knew both Josh and Danayal were still waiting for the news on Jaya’s condition.

Alec was quiet as he looked at Jaya. "You're serious?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. The pain was still there, though it was more mild that before.

"All right . . . call them in here . . . Might as well get this over with . . . But you do know what this means, right? Each person that knows the truth means your cover is blown just that much more . . ."

She shook her head. "It won't be blown . . ."

"For Danayal I’ll stick my hands in the fire. He hardly says a word anyway. And you know him, Alec!"

"Yeah . . . get them both . . . It's better they hear the truth from Jaya and myself now . . . They already have heard enough to come to the wrong conclusions. We need to give them the right ones and answer any questions they have."

Danayal took another sip of his whiskey, he hardly drank but now he did it. Tyran did not like it, but Joshua handed him the drink before he could say no.

Joshua was drinking his own. They both turned and looked at Tyran.

"How is she?" Joshua asked.

"She wants to see you two..." Tyran said calmly.

Joshua wasn't sure if he should take it as a good sign or not. He put his drink down on the bar and walked into Tyran's apartment and to his room.

Danayal followed; the drink still in his hand.

Jaya was still lying on the bed. The wound had been cleaned and healed, but she was still weak. She looked at both men and smiled. "Hey . . . I bet you two are confused," she said.

"Just a little," Joshua replied.

"Are you alright, Miss Jaya?" Danayal asked. He now noticed the drink still in his hand and put it on Tyran's nightstand.

"I'll be fine," she said gently. "I just need to rest for awhile . . . But I have a feeling you two have a lot of questions now."

Danayal only nodded. He stared at her, his dark brown eyes filled with worry.

"I'd personally like to know what's going on," Joshua replied. "Who wants you dead?" He had heard enough of her talk earlier.

"It's hard to say who wants me dead," Jaya replied gently, “but there are a few people out there, I suppose."

"But why? Who are you, Jaya? You said someone knew who you were . . . what exactly does that mean . . ."

"I know… I… I heard you and Tyran talk one day... I was here and you didn’t notice me. I was in my room here. I... I heard him say, he wished you had a normal job sometimes. Not the one of an assassin." He blushed, and Tyran was stunned.

At those words something clicked in Joshua's mind . . . Her flight plans . . . The news pieces on the assassinations . . . So many coincided, but he'd never put it together before.

"You're the Black Tiger?" he said with stunned disbelief. "I can't believe it . . ." He looked at Tyran, unable to believe he could be in love with an assassin, or how he himself could have found one so friendly and caring. He really did consider Jaya a friend and this revelation blew him out of the water.

"It's not what you think," Jaya said to him.

"Take it easy, Josh. You know me better than to fall for someone heartless." Tyran said gently.

Danayal stared at her. "It scared me."

"Well, my intention was never to scare any of you," she said. "In fact, what I tell you now, has to stay in this room . . . No one can know this. Not your spouse. Not your girlfriend, not friends outside of this . . ."

"Okay, I get that," Joshua replied. "So what's going on here then?"

"I'm *not* an assassin . . . I'm only made to *appear* to be an assassin," she explained.

"Why?" was Danayal's simple question.

"Because of the Dark Shadow," she replied. "Someone has to stop him, and I got the job."

"Just how is *that* suppose to work, and what about these people the Black Tiger has killed?" Josh asked.

"Well, first let me tell you, that those people aren't dead . . ." she replied with a gently smile. "Part of my job, is finding people that are targets . . . contracts have been put out on them, and I make sure I provide a way for them to disappear . . . They go on living in obscurity, but at least they go on living . . ." Suddenly, there was a darkness that entered her eyes . . . a compelling sadness. "Sometimes I don't get there in time . . ."

"I am sorry to hear that." Danayal looked very relieved. "No one will hear a word from me..." He eyed Alec. "I’m sure that if I would talk I can say goodbye to my freedom."

Alec grinned. "Well, it wouldn't be a good situation for anyone if you said anything . . . as it is, you folks got the wrong idea . . . Generally that's what we want, but not here . . . Not anyone who knows her face and her so personally."

"But apparently someone does know," Jaya replied with a sigh.

"So what happens now?" Joshua said. "I mean, will there be another attack? And what about Rachel? Is she safe?"

Jaya sighed and looked away, tears misting her eyes. "I love Rachel, and I hope you know I would NEVER put her in harms away . . . I've lost a child. I would never wish that on anyone . . ." she said as she wiped at a tear as it trickled from eyes.

"You’re fine, Josh, no one is after you or Rachel. The only one he’ll target shall be me. You are of no interest to anyone I think. Neither you or Danayal." Tyran said.

"No . . . the people after me are quite specific . . . They're not going to want to take anyone out they don't have too. It raises too many questions and they don't get paid for it . . . and a lot of this is all about the payment," she said.

"Don't worry," Alec replied. "So far, this has been the first real attempt on Jaya's life . . . and the guy waited for her to be alone."

Josh almost sighed with relief. "Good," he smiled. "Rachel would have been heartbroken not to see you again . . . She's really attached to you, you know . . . But I need to know she's safe . . . I mean it."

"Trust me when I say that I will *always* make sure she's safe," Jaya said with conviction.

The look in her eyes said it clearly. She was telling the truth. Nothing would happen to Rachel as long as Jaya was around.

"Will this happen again?" Josh asked with concern.

"With the life I lead, I don't know . . . It could," she replied.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

"Just be her friend . . . and don't say anything to anyone . . ." Alec said.

Danayal sighed. "And what about Tyran? Is he in danger?"

Jaya looked at Tyran, not knowing what to say. He knew how she felt, what her fears were . . . and how she loved him.

"He has the right to an answer, Jaya? Alec?" Tyran looked at the both of them.

"It's your call, Tyran," Alec said.

"You already know what I do and what I think," Jaya added softly, her green eyes saying so much more.

"Jaya thinks I am in danger. I think Alec has to say what he finds himself." He put his arms around Jaya, careful not to hurt her. "And to me, it’s worth it. Thanks to her, I live again."

Alec let out a breath of air and shook his head. "You already know that in the beginning I thought you two together was a bad idea, but . . . I don't know. You two are good for each other, but I do think it puts you in danger. Knowing what we know about the Dark Shadow, you're in the way . . . You know that."

"I already told you, I am willing to take the risk." He replied.

"Yeah, I know," Alec said with understanding. "But they asked if you were in danger. The answer to that question is yes."

"What will happen to me then?" Danayal asked softly. He knew he only had his freedom thanks to Tyran, because Tyran was his guardian, and was held responsible for his deeds.

"We'll try to see to it that nothing happens to Tyran," Jaya said. "Believe me, I don't want anything to ever happen to him either . . ." she said as she kissed him gently.

"But if the worst should happen, Danayal, don't worry. Between myself, Jaya and Dominic everything will be fine . . . We'll take care of you."

"You have your friends here, Danayal, and don’t worry, I can take care of myself, you know that." Tyran said. Danayal nodded. He knew that yes, but still, that Dark Shadow scared him to death.

"I still don't get it? Why would Tyran be in the way, but not me and not Danayal?" Joshua asked. "And how is it that you came by this job?"

Jaya went silent as memories bombarded her . . . Tears misted her eyes again and Josh almost regretted asking the question. She couldn't find her voice.

"Because the Dark Shadow killed her family," Alec replied softly. "Her husband and daughter were killed in a blast that was meant for her . . . Her daughter died in her arms . . ."

Jaya wiped a tear off her cheek. It still hurt so much.

"Oh my god . . . I am so sorry," Joshua replied.

"And for me being a danger because of that man, well Alec, you know that... tell them..."

Alec sighed. "The whole purpose of Jaya Bourne's creation was to force the Dark Shadow into a confrontation with the Black Tiger. That's when Jaya was suppose to make her move and take him down . . . Well, things have gone off course," he said. "Something completely unexpected happened."

"What?" Joshua asked.

Alec paused for only a moment, and then as matter-of-factly as he could manage, he said, "The Dark Shadow is in love with Jaya Bourne, the Black Tiger."

"What?!" Joshua said, not sure he could take much more of these revelations.

"I discovered that, and... it was something that made me realize, I am just... in his way." Tyran said softly.

"Then this is lunacy! You're putting yourself in harms way, deliberately!" Josh replied.

"I've told him that myself," Jaya said smiling gently. Suddenly, she moaned as the room spun around her again.

"What's wrong?" asked Dominic.

"Room spinning . . ." she said softly as she closed her eyes, but the feeling didn't go away.

"You need to rest . . . You've lost a lot of blood . . ."

"You better stay here. I’ll take care of you." Tyran said softly.

"The rest of you, I think we need to let her rest," Dominic said. "Visiting hours are over."

"Wait," Joshua said suddenly filled with concern. "She *is* gonna be okay, right?"

"She should be fine with some rest,” Dominic assured him.

"Okay . . . well, let me know if there's anything I can do . . . I don't know what to tell Lara . . ."

"Just tell her some goon attacked Jaya," Alec replied. "You don't need to go into details . . . Tell her you don't know why, but it was probably an attempted robbery."

Josh nodded. "Okay . . . Tyran, let me know how she's doing later."

"I will, I’ll come by later. I don’t want Danayal on the streets alone at this hour.”

Josh nodded. ”Goodnight then . . .” and vanished out the door.

"Well, I can say your instincts were right, Jaya," Alec said. "Even with his concerns about safety, he does care about you . . . I believe he trusts you."

She smiled gently, though the room was still spinning a bit.

"Go to sleep. I’ll stay here until I’m sure you’re fine, and then I’ll take Danayal home, or if you’re too tired, Danayal, stay." He suggested.

Danayal didn’t answer. He felt they wanted to be alone, and yet he did want to stay rather than to go home.

"Stay," Jaya said softly. "It's okay . . ." She curled into Tyran, trying to make the spinning stop.

"Well, I'm gonna go," Alec said. "I'll check back in later . . ."

"I'm going to stay for a bit," Dominic said as he gave Jaya another injection; this one to off-set the dizziness a bit and to help her relax further. It wasn't long before Jaya drifted to sleep in Tyran's arms. "I want to watch her over the next hour and make sure she's recovering completely," he said. "Because if she's not, I want to take her to the hospital immediately."

"Alright. Danayal, go to bed. You have to take over my shift tomorrow. Use the one in your own room..."

Danayal nodded and walked to the living, the door to his small room was there... he soon was asleep.

"Everyone's had quite a night," Dominic said as he gazed at Jaya's sleeping form, still curled into Tyran's arms.

"Yeah..." Tyran mumbled tiredly, but he didn’t want to fall asleep....

Before he knew it his eyes fell shut and he was sound asleep beside Jaya. He dreamed of the Dark Shadow. That he’d come to kill them all . . .