Disclaimers: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Lao Ma, Alti, Borias, and everyone else who sounds familiar belong to Pac Ren and Universal Studios. I am not making money off of this story.

Genre Disclaimer: Ok. Bear with me, please, because this is kinda tough to explain. Sometime last year, I read a story on the internet that moved me so much, I was inspired to write a sort of companion piece to it. That story was "Lost Soul Walking" by DJWP. In her words, "This is NOT UberXena fiction. It just starts out like it is." The same can be said for this piece. While not directly related to "Lost Soul Walking", "Desert Storm" can be considered a sort of prequel to it. It is a story, if you will, about the lifetime before the one depicted in that fabulous, outstanding story. (Can you tell I loved it?) In addition, this is somewhat of an ambitious piece of fiction, in that I am attempting (don’t know if I’ve succeeded, but I’ve attempted) to take the entire X:WP universe and modernize it. We start, in updated terms, with my version of Xena’s betrayal by Caesar (seen in "Destiny"), and continue up through the X:WP episode known as "Remember Nothing". The plot will be very recognizable to you. It’s meant to be that way.

Special note: Because of this, Gabrielle does not appear, except in offhand mention, in a great deal of the first half of this story. Do not look for her, because you won’t find her. After all, she was not a part of ‘evil Xena’s’ life. If she were, things might have turned out differently, but because this is based on the premise of "Lost Soul Walking" it cannot happen differently. Gabrielle will, however, make her presence known, and that quite strongly, in the second half of the story. If you can hang on till then, I believe that you will not be disappointed.

Sexuality and Violence Disclaimers: We’re dealing with an updated dark Xena through much of the first half, and an updated redeemed Xena through the second. There’s gonna be violence. There are gonna be naughty words. There are also descriptions of sexual activity in this work. There are allusions to heterosexual sex, but nothing graphic. There are some graphic (though I hope tasteful) scenes of sexual expression between women as well. That is how I see the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, and that is how I will continue to write it.

And, finally, thanks: To, as always, the incomparable Mike. A better beta and a better friend one could never hope for. Thank you also, as always, to Mary D, who rescued this story from the refuse heap and begged me to keep going on it. If you hate it, blame her. <w> Grateful and heartfelt appreciation goes out to DJWP, for continuing to write stories that grab me somewhere above the liver and giving her kind permission to mention her story in these disclaimers. If you haven’t read her stories, please, do yourself a favor and do so. Finally, this story is dedicated to a group of people without whom I would most probably be living on the streets. Elizabeth, Rachel, Sulli, and the rest of the "Get Sue to Atlanta" crew, this one’s for you!

DESERT STORM

"Where are they?" Geraldo asked for perhaps the hundredth time, pacing along the front of a flattened area clear-cut from the surrounding jungles and running a hand through his thick black hair.

"They should be here shortly, sir," Varguez, the chauffeur, replied from his place by the long black Lincoln. "The pilot did say they ran into trouble in customs, remember."

"That was six hours ago!" Geraldo replied, coming to the end of the dirt strip and reversing to begin the track all over again. The grass was plastered flat under his boots. "They should be here by now."

Geraldo Nunez Rodriguez, known as el Toro by his compatriots, was a man unused to waiting. As the eldest son and sole leader of one of Colombia’s largest drug cartels, he was used to being waited on hand and foot. When his mouth opened, people jumped. Or they died. His life was simple and cruel and he liked it that way.

Or at least it was simple until she came along. The plains of his handsome face creased into a smile as a picture came to his anxious mind unbidden. A picture of how she had looked when they first met, her face and form almost invisible under the crust of dirt she wore like a cloak, the pupils of her dazzling eyes pinpricks as his cocaine jolted through her system.

The droning of a nearby plane broke Geraldo from his musings and he looked up, a smile breaking across his face as he recognized the markings of the craft. "About time," he muttered, walking to stand well away from the crude airstrip just in case the pilot had problems with the landing. Within a very few moments, the plane landed safely and taxied to the end of the runway. Shutting down the engines, the pilot opened the door and rushed to the side of the plane, opening that door and pulling down the steps nestled inside.

The first person out was one of his young associates, grim-faced and carrying a large briefcase. Geraldo’s grin widened as the man’s companion exited next, negotiating the steps with negligent grace despite the slight limp she still bore even after several rounds of surgeries. Rather than detracting from her charm, the drug lord felt the slight imperfection only added to it. "Kael!" he cried out, waving one hand as she exited.

The smile she gave him doubled the drug lord’s heart rate. He realized he was probably in love with his partner some time before this and his body’s response seemed to confirm this fact nicely. The contrast between the dirty woman sitting in an alley and this vision of female beauty stunned him as it always did.

Geraldo cut his gaze from the vision descending from the plane and brought it to the young man stepping diffidently toward him, briefcase in hand. The man’s hair was mussed and the corners of his long moustache drooped down, disconsolately. He had the air of a whipped puppy and the drug lord smirked openly, knowing exactly who had caused this normally brash man such distress. "Any trouble?"

The young man affixed a false smile on his face. "None, senor," he said, thinking himself safe. A small pop was heard and the man’s eyes rolled back in his head. His hand reflexively opened and the briefcase flew into the surprised hands of Geraldo as the courier collapsed to the ground, dead, blood streaming out from the wound behind his ear.

"Liar," Kael snapped, re-holstering her small gun at the small of her back.

Stunned, Geraldo looked from the briefcase in his hands, down to the dead man and back up to meet Kael’s disgusted gaze. "You can’t keep killing the help like that, my dear," he said in a soft voice.

"That man was a liar and a fool, Geraldo," Kael replied, crossing her arms. "Maybe when you learn to start hiring real men instead of the inbred bastards of your family members, this organization will have a chance to flourish." An ebony brow raised over one sapphire eye. "Until then," she snarled, toeing the dead man over onto his back, "you get what ya pay for."

Geraldo looked down at his dead associate, sighing. With a simple hand gesture, the chauffeur was beckoned to take the body into the jungle where the animals would take care of its disposal. Soon, all that was left of the young man’s life and deeds was a blood stain on the runway and a case filled with millions of dollars in the hands of the drug lord. "What happened?" he asked finally, looking up at the woman who had captured his heart, even though it appeared she herself didn’t own one.

"He froze like a kid caught with his pants down. Right in front of customs, no less." She sighed disgustedly. "I wound up having to convince the agent to give us a free pass."

Varguez returned from his chore and escorted the two into the waiting limousine. As soon as the two were safely ensconced within, he got in the car and started the engine, pulling away from the airstrip and back to Medellin.

Laying the briefcase on the floor between his feet, Geraldo turned to his partner and lover. "So, how did you manage to ‘convince’ the customs agent to let you go?"

Kael smiled lasciviously, turning her body and straddling the drug lord’s hips. "Let me show you," she said, giving the drug lord a kiss that set his hair on fire. Pressing her warmth against his now powerless body, he gave in to the wild, feral feelings only this frightening woman could bring out in him.

The massive room was shadow-cloaked, lit as it was by only the fire cheerily burning in the stone fireplace. The scent of wood smoke wafted gently through the room and Geraldo sniffed at it appreciatively as he gazed down at Kael lying naked on her side, dozing lightly. The light from the fire stroked the burnished skin of her body, highlighting the sweat sheen that coated her skin like another lover. He smiled tenderly as he ran blunt fingers gently through her tousled raven hair. He thanked God for sending her to him, his dark Angel. In the months they had been together, she’d proven her worth admirably. Her mind was as sharp as any he’d ever seen and her physical abilities, especially in areas of combat, were unparalleled. With her aid, he’d quickly moved up the ranks from just another middle-of-the-road cartel to one of the biggest in Medellin. If things continued on their present course, and he had no doubt but that they would, they would eventually control all of Colombia.

His gentle touch woke Kael and she opened her eyes, the firelight dancing in their depths creating a shimmering miasma that the drug lord couldn’t help but be drawn into. "What," she stated, wiping a tendril of hair stuck to her lips and watching him watch her.

"Just glad to have you back," he hedged. Her response to him the last time he tried to tell her how he felt shrank his male ego enough for him not to want to push the issue further. For now, it was enough that she shared his business and his bed. There would be time enough to convince her to share his heart in the future.

She didn’t answer. Instead, Kael pulled away from his gentle touches, running a long fingered hand through her hair to settle it somewhat. Then she pushed her long body upwards to settle her back against the ornate oaken headboard, turning her head to gaze into the blazing fire, her thoughts her own and far away.

Geraldo studied her strong profile for long moments before he reached over to the nightstand and pulled a long white envelope from it. "I have something for you," he said softly, handing it to her.

Kael drew her gaze from the fire, staring down at the envelope in her hands. Her eyes narrowed, and when she looked over at Geraldo, her gaze was cold. "Tell me this is a joke," she said, her voice low and ominous.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," he said truthfully, a tendril of fear snaking through his guts.

"This," she said, gesturing at him with the envelope. "Payment for services rendered?" Her eyebrow arched to hide behind her bangs.

His eyes went wide as the implication struck him. "No!" he said, laying a hand on her arm, which she promptly shrugged off. "Nothing like that!" Shifting on the bed, Geraldo ran his hands through his own hair. "Kael, do you know how many men I’ve had killed for even thinking that about you?"

"Then what’s this?"

"A gift." At her angry glare, he hastened to explain. "For both of us. Please. Open it and you’ll understand."

Looking at him in warning for another long span of moments, Kael finally shifted her gaze downward to where the envelope was cradled in one large hand. After another moment, she gave an internal shrug and tore it open, shaking out the contents. "Plane tickets?" She brought the tickets up closer to her face so that the light from the fire could decipher the words. A malicious smile bared her perfect teeth when she read their destination. "You finally did it."

"No, my dear. You did it. Apparently, Ming Dao was quite impressed with the way you decimated the members of Chao Lin’s tong who visited us last month."

"That was fun," Kael sneered, remembering the screams of the dying men.

"A little barbaric," he said, grinning slightly. "But creative," he hastened to reassure.

"Dead’s dead. I always did like a good kill."

"Quite true. On both counts. While you were away, Ming Dao contacted me and offered us both a chance to sit with him and talk. The opportunity to bring heroin and opium into the business is one we’ve been waiting for for a long time," he explained unnecessarily.

"So, it’s all set?"

"We leave in the morning."

"Wonderful." Her grin was that of a predatory cat on the trail of a particularly tempting morsel.

Geraldo smiled, moving close to her, happy when she let him. "Yes," he murmured, covering her responsive mouth with his own, "it is, isn’t it."

To Be Continued...