Chapter 2 One

After rolling over onto his back, Nikau Kaur blinked his eyes open. He had the dream again. It was the same song that kept appearing in his dream for the past several days. A song he didn't recognize but in his dream...it means something. He would try to play that song on his guitar but couldn't seem to get it right. His bandmates had no idea what to think either at first so Nik just kept it to himself afterward. While alone at home; he worked hard to try to get the song right. In the back of his mind, he knew this one song would make the band, The Empire.

His dream included a woman who came along with a song. But that was another issue. First time he saw her in a dream, he was completely astonished. Despite never having seen her or even knowing her name, there was something about her that meant something to him. There was something about her reddish blonde hair and her hazel eyes that made an impression on him.

The song. There was something about the song that meant something to him in his dreams. It also meant something to her. It was like the song belonged to him.

After grunting loudly, Nik sat up alone in his bed. No matter how long she tried to search for this woman around Auckland, he couldn't find her at all. He was beginning to wonder if she actually existed at all and she was just a figment of his imagination.

She, however, seemed like an actual person to him. The influence she had on him made him write the song that kept appearing in his dreams. It was as if she was his muse. Nik had already begun writing a third song for an upcoming album he was working on.

Nik stood up and stretched. A few steps later, he pushed the curtain aside at the window. His plans for the morning included visiting Phia Beach as the sun began to rise over the city. Additionally, he needed to finalize some preparations before he left for a concert in Christchurch in a few days. While he was in Christchurch, his sister, Sienna, was going to stay in his apartment. On bare feet, he crossed the room away from the window. As Nik walked into the bathroom, he scratched his bare chest.

He exited the shower a few minutes later, relieved and showering, only to find his sister sitting on the couch looking through a magazine.

"Sienna," Nik greeted her as he walked past her toward the kitchen.

"I brought a plate of pikelets," In response, she returned his greeting with a plate of pikelets. "I made you a cuppa."

Nik entered the kitchen. "Sounds good. TA"

Watching her older brother move about the kitchen, Sienna leaned against the door frame. "How long are you going to be gone?"

"A few days at the most."

Sienna nodded. "Mom wants to talk with you before you leave."

As he pulled down a couple of plates, Nik paused. "How is dad doing?"

"He's doing well. He is taking some new medications, and they seem to be helping."

Nik let out a breath, not realizing how long he'd held it. A smile spread across his face as he said, "that's good. How are the studies going?"

"It's going as well as it can be," she said with a smile. Her preference for traveling abroad over attending the academy was known to him. After she had attended the academy for two years, Nik had agreed that he would pay for her to travel abroad for a year, then come back and finish her studies. In six months, it will be two years and she's already planning where she wants to go.

"Do you know where you want to go?" Nik asked to change the subject.

"England. I would love to see England."

Nik laughed heartily.

"Why is going to England so funny? I recall you being there last year. You posted a lot of photos online, I saw them all."

As soon as he stopped laughing, he turned serious. In fact, it was true. Additionally, the country had a dark side that she shouldn't have seen. "That's fine by me. Are there any plans Aria has a say in?"

Sienna would not have to travel alone by taking Aria along with her.They had been best friends since they started school together.

"I haven't spoken to her about it yet. We're going to talk about it here while you're gone."

Nik handed her a plate of pastries while nodding. "Ok. You do promise that you're not going to throw a major party while I'm gone?" He had come home one night after a six-month tour in England last year to find his apartment full of people and they were having a party. Kicking the party-goers didn't go as planned when they recognized him from The Empire. Let's just say, it got to the point that Nik had to call security to get the people out of his apartment.

"You can count on me, Nik." Taking a bite out of the pastry, she remembered what happened last time.

"Are you going for a walk on the beach?" She asked him. It was a part of his ritual before a tour.

Before he took a sip of the black brew she made for him, Nik said, "Phia Beach."

In the living room, Sienna turned to the shiny red guitar leaning against the wall. "What are song are you working on?"

"Yep. I have two songs written already and need to put some music to the lyrics." Nik smiled at his sister. He wanted to tell her everything about the dreams and the woman in them. But he decided to keep quiet. He didn't think she would understand. He didn't understand it either. Hell, he didn't even know if she was real or not.

"Let me read them," she pleaded.

Nik knew she was a sucker when it came to her. She smiled as he pulled out the lyrics and read them to her.

~ * ~

Lauren turned to the Lieutenant standing before her. They stood there staring at each other before the smile on their faces turned to laughter. As she pointed a finger at Emily, Lauren said, "No."

The two women turned and walked away from the building on the base they stood in front of. Lauren knew it would be the last time a man would mug a woman in Hagley Park. With her best roundhouse kick, she kicked the man in the head then tossed him on his ass. When he landed on his back, he had a priceless look on his face. The man rose and jogged off. As he left, Lauren had no idea what he was saying. She had been in New Zealand for less than a month and she still had some trouble with the slang.

Emily laughed as she said, "He won't forgive you for that,"

Lauren tried to stop laughing as she said, "I don't give a damn if he does or not." Her dream from the night before popped into her head and she stopped laughing. Her dream involved a man who caused her to sigh. As they Leviced to their slow seductive song, she remembered the feel of his arms holding her tightly. As her lips touched his, she shivered in Christchurch, New Zealand, which was hotter than Hell. She would be sent to New Zealand, of all the places in the world.

"It's good to leave the base," Lauren said.

Emily nodded in agreement. "It is."

Lauren had arrived on base three weeks earlier and had become friends with the young Lieutenant immediately. She waved a hand in front of her face. "We should be getting back soon. We have that drill in the morning."

Rolling her eyes, Emily frowned. "I know that. My responsibility was to schedule it. Besides, it's for the enlisted group. Since you're the captain and I am only an LT we can be late and not get into trouble, right?"

Lauren smiled. "As true as that may be, we do have to lead by example. To be clear, I do outrank you." Lauren tapped Emily's shoulder with her own.

Emily moaned. "I know, so please don't remind me." Emily dug into her purse. "I managed to get some tickets to a concert for next week." She showed Lauren the tickets." She pulled out the tickets to show Lauren. "Wanna go with?"

Lauren didn't look at the tickets. "I'll think about it. Who is it anyway?" Lauren didn't know any of the local bands. She didn't have time to get to know the ins and outs of New Zealand. She knew she was coming here but didn't have the time to study the local culture. From what she could tell, this country was almost like the United States.

As Emily tucked the tickets back into her purse, she replied, 'the Empire."

'the Empire of what?" Lauren grinned at her friend as she asked.

Emily shrugged as they made their way to Emily's rented car in the parking lot. "I have no idea. Just The Empire."

"The day has been good. We have to get to the airport for the jump back to the base." Lauren glanced out the window as she spoke. Though the dream was still in her mind, her South Island weekend getaway had come to an end. She had been having dreams about the same man since she arrived in this country. Because of her ability, she wondered if it would come true. Would she do anything if the time came to meet her dream man? Furthermore, she had to consider whether she wanted to stay or leave the Air Force.

"Are you considering reenlisting?" Emily asked quietly as they drove past the crowded streets toward the airport.

Lauren replied, "I am." In real life, there weren't too many places to apply for her line of work. She was a paramedic. She'll admit it though, there are places but they're just not hiring at the moment. Not even for an ambulance driver.

"I can always become a forest ranger," Lauren told Emily as she smiled at her.

"Let's make the enlisted want to become officers first, and then we'll talk about becoming a park ranger." Emily laughed.

"Are you planning on making a career of being in the Air Force?" Lauren inquired.

Emily grew quiet. Lauren knew Emily's background. She was an orphan and had no family back in the States. It was one of the reasons they became such good friends. Each of them had no regrets about joining and reenlisting. Then, shortly after becoming an officer, Lauren had to reenlist and retrain hard for two years. No one knew of her little secret either, but everyone in the military knew she wanted two years. In response to questions about how she knew certain things, she said it was just instinct. Every time she stayed true to her story.

"There's nothing for me in the real world, no one for me either," Emily admitted.

There was no doubt in Lauren's mind. There was still an entire year to think about it. After a long pause, she finally said, "I have a year to think about it."

The car pulled into the airport parking lot. Emily turned in the keys to the car rental counter as Lauren went to get their bags. The only ride they took was a helicopter, so they did not have to go through security checks. A young enlisted member saluted them back as they flashed their military IDs. As they climbed into the copter, they put on the headphones to drown out the noise.

"I need you to wake me up," Emily said as she cuddled up in her seat and closed her eyes.

As she leaned back in her seat, Lauren nodded. It was still early in the evening and getting darker. Ohakea Base would take several hours to reach.

As the lights of the city came on, the helicopter rose into the air. Throughout the city, they glistened like diamonds. After turning north, the helicopter began to glide toward Ohakea Base. She thought about the man in her dream and the song they were dancing to. Her heart was touched by the song. She felt as if it was written just for her. Her heart melted whenever she thought about the slow music and the words. She felt her skin tingle as he sang the song. She wanted things she hadn't wanted in a long time because he made her want them.

~ * ~

When Nik and the rest of the bandmates entered the private airstrip they used for quick trips in New Zealand and neighboring countries, it was still very early in the morning. Two small planes were sitting on the strip. One was for the band equipment and the other was for them.

Nik stood between the planes at a distance of forty feet. "G'day. " Levi looked up and down at him as he replied, "You don't seem well."

"I am knackered and couldn't sleep last night. Throughout the night, I was tossing and turning. I hope to get some sleep on the plane." Levi scratched his chin.

"What's going on with Joey?" Ethan asked as he stepped up to them and clapped Nik on the shoulder.

Seeing Nik's expression, he shrugged.

"No idea," he replied. He's being dodgy with the cargo today." he observed as Joey struggled with the large load. One of the larger pieces of cargo fell off the plane and landed hard on the ground, making the three men cringe. From the sound that came from it apparently was the drum kit. The band members hoped the drum kit wasn't damaged from being dropped hard onto the ground.

"Would you like to place a bet on what that was?" Ethan asked with a slight chuckle.

"No," Levi and Nik answered at the same time.

"How are things going, mates? What fell?" Rhylie asked as he approached the other three men.

Without looking at the fourth man who approached them, Levi was the one who answered, "Where is the other guy who helped Joey load the plane?"

All three men shrugged. An approaching car caught Nik's attention. "He's here now."

"Late as usual," Ethan said as he watched the man exit his vehicle.

Levi made the suggestion, "We need to help or we'll be late."

Eventually, Joey and Ari began loading the cargo onto the plane with the help of Levi, Ethan, and Rhylie. Nik walked over to where the pilots stood and waited for them to take off. The two were talking about filing the flight plan to get to Christchurch in time for the concert when Nik heard them Nik glanced at the scenery around him before approaching his band mates, as they finished loading the equipment onto the plane.

"Done," Ethan shouted, and he ran his hands up and down his thighs.

Nik turned his attention to the pilots. "We're ready."

The small plane was heading toward the back when Nik took his seat and buckled his seatbelt. Likewise, the others followed suit. As the plane began to take off, Levi tilted his seat back and closed his eyes. Ethanr and Rhylie started talking as they sat together. His head had been ringing with the lyrics of one song that kept popping into his head at the moment, so he got a notebook out of his backpack. He kept seeing her in his dreams. "Wishes on Falling Stars," Keeping a notebook at hand, Nik tapping the top of the page when the words whispered in his mind. It sounded like a good title for the song so he wrote it down. He already knew the song was going to be slow and seductive. He continued to write down the lyrics that came to him. Words that he wanted to tell the woman in his dreams.

Within minutes of getting the title down, the words seemed to flow through him and he was finished. As he read the lyrics he just wrote, he tucked the pencil behind his ear. While reading his lyrics over and over again, he began tapping his thigh to get the right beat. Then he grabbed his guitar and began running through the lyrics and began to sing out loud which caught Ethan and Levi's attention as they turned to look at him.

"What do you have there?" Ethan stood and walked over to Nik, asking a question.

As he paused to respond to the question, Nik answered, "Just a new song I've been working on and you've been teasing me about for the past couple of weeks." Nik and Ethan took their instruments out as Rhylie took out his keyboard and started playing along with them.

It took Nik a few minutes and several failed attempts to put music to the lyrics before he found the right combination to the music he had in his dreams. Since the plane kept experiencing turbulence, it was difficult to get the music right for the new song and the guys kept cringing with every dip.

"What the fuck is going on?" Nik asked as the plane made a light descent. They were in the middle of the wops.

He looked at him with frightened eyes from inside his seat. It was eerily quiet on the plane as Nik and the others became scared. As Nik was about to unbuckle the straps and get into the cockpit to ask what was going on, the plane dropped another time and all of a sudden everything around him went black.

~ * ~

"What?" Lauren asked on the satellite phone. She shifted in her seat and covered one ear as she tried to listen to the called. They were on their way to D'Urville Island for some needed drills with the airmen. They needed some practice runs to keep up with the training they had during basic training.

"Where?" She wrote down the location, then tapped the pilot on the shoulder and handed him the paper. "Copy that." She said and disconnected the call. "A new location has been selected. It's not a drill, but the real world," she told him. She sat back in her seat.

"Listen up. This is real-world. I repeat, this is not a drill, but a real-world situation. A call came in and we're heading to Whanganui National Park. We're going by air because there was a plane crash on top of the mountains that could not be reached by land, so we're close and already in the air."

She could tell by the look on their faces that they were ready to tackle this. She hoped they were. 'there are six men on board the plane. At the moment, survivors are unknown." She looked at the four people in the helicopter." She looked at the four people in the helicopter. Emily wished she were with her, but the woman had another class she was teaching. As Lauren was the Captain and Emily was ranked below her, this was her class. This will be a challenging assignment for these airmen, she hoped they were ready for this.

"Almost there," Roger, the pilot informed her.

Her head nodded in agreement. "Make sure everything is packed and ready." She ordered them. As she watched the other airmen do the same, she was astonished. Everyone on board took the class that involved jumping from the plane. When the pack was snug, she turned to the airmen behind her. The three men on board, as well as another woman, all looked eager to begin the rescue effort.

'ten seconds," Roger informed her. Lauren pushed the door open and looked down. The plane wreckage made her cringe. Based on how the area looked, it was very hard to tell whether any survivors were there. Her eyes could not detect any movement in the wreckage. At the moment, all she could see were the bright steel colors against the mountain's lush foliage.

"Now," Roger called out, and Lauren stepped out of the helicopter.