THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Epilogue - 11/6/16
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sarammlover
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 20 - 6/7/15
OMG you are killing me here!!! Poor Maria. I feel so so bad for her. I wish she would just be open and honest with Bane and then move on. SHe sure has been put thru the wringer. Wow. I can't even imagine. ANother fantastic update as always!!!
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Alien_Friend
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 20 - 6/7/15
Awww poor Maria. What a crappy situation. It's not just one single thing she's crying about it's the whole intense situation all rolled up into one. On top of it all she thinks he meant what he said about her. To have self conscious moment like that in a life and death situation can make anyone feel worthless. I'd cry too if I were here. It's sweet that Michael is trying to make an effort to comfort her even though it is falling flat. I don't think it's his fault necessarily, he's doing the best he can under the circumstances.
At least they are alive.
Looking forward to reading more.
Great part. Incredibly intense stuff. I just watched the trailer again and this has so lived up to and even exceeded the expectation that the trailer portrayed.
At least they are alive.
Looking forward to reading more.
Great part. Incredibly intense stuff. I just watched the trailer again and this has so lived up to and even exceeded the expectation that the trailer portrayed.
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Double Trouble
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Part 21
Roswelllostcause: Thanks! Lol, yeah, he definitely doesn’t care for it. Matter of fact, we’re pretty sure he’d deny it.
Earth2Mama: No, lol, he’s trained to shut everything but the mission out so he’s completely out of his depth here.
Ronin deserved so much more than what he got.
Yep, but he’s still in denial so we won’t tell him just yet.
begonia9508: Thanks! Hope that last part didn’t give you nightmares.
Eva: Yep, a person can only take so much and that last round was so much more than she was ready for. Michael’s definitely a very black and white type of individual. But who knows, maybe some of Maria’s thinking will rub off on him.
keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!
sarammlover: Maria’s being dragged through that wringer up one side and down the other. But maybe she’ll get a break this week. Thanks!
Alien_Friend: Thanks for the awesome compliment. We are definitely proud of the trailer and the out-turn of our fic!
Yes, Maria has every right to be rattled up good by now. She kept it together for a long time!
Part 21
How long could a breakdown take, he wondered as he watched her. Was it possible to cry to the point of dehydration? His eyebrows lifted at that thought. If it was she’d have to stop crying soon, right? He waited and when his dehydration theory proved to be erroneous he moved to sit next to her, reaching for the icepack she’d abandoned and pulling her up against him. He had no idea what to do with her and talking to her would be a waste of time since he had his doubts she’d even hear him. He did know they needed to work on the swelling from the bruising she’d suffered because the longer it went unattended the longer it was gonna take to heal. He pulled her closer and pressed the icepack to her side, hoping maybe it’d have a dual effect and the shock of the cold would silence her.
His gesture did shock her and the sobs shaking her body died down slowly, leaving her back resting limply against his body. She wasn’t relaxed by any means, but she didn’t feel like she was going shatter into pieces anymore either. His hand held the icepack against her side, covering half of her upper body in the coldness. “I’m sorry,” she said after several long moments.
He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s an honest reaction.” Or at least he assumed it was. For a woman, anyway.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with my hormones. I just feel so useless, Michael.”
“I’m still kickin’ ain’t I? If you were useless I’d be dead or at best well on my way to bein’ dead. And you kept it together when Ronin had you.” He had no idea what he was talking about. What the hell did he know about reassuring women? “You’re doin’ fine, everything considered.”
“I didn’t completely keep it together. I know you said I shouldn’t fight him, but I kicked him in the nuts once before you got there.”
“That just shows good sense,” he said with a raspy chuckle. Someone should’ve served Ronin’s nuts up on a platter a long time ago.
She snorted. “No clue how you got that knife out so quickly.”
“Maybe one of these days I’ll teach you how to do it.”
“You would?” She tipped her head back to look at him.
“Why not? It’s a good skill to have.” His free hand came up, brushing her hair back so he could rest the backs of his fingers against her cheek below the bandage. “Never know when you might need to know how to defend yourself.”
She smiled sadly. “Yeah.”
“I’m gonna get you outta this cluster fuck of a situation.”
But what would be left when it was over? If it was ever over, she wondered.
“You don’t believe me.” It was a statement more than a question.
She shrugged. “I know for someone like you it must sound dumb, but I don’t wanna be alone. And what’ll be left when this’s over?”
“Well...” He was drawing a blank. “You’ve got friends and you’re almost finished with college, right? So, you’ve got a career waitin’ for you.”
“Friends?” She snorted. “As you pointed out my friends were hired. Other than Alex, I guess.”
“Well, maybe it wasn’t all about the job for them. They seemed pretty straight-laced.” He made a face.
Maria didn’t know what to say to that, so she decided to just sit there, staring at the fire. Thanks to the icepack on her side, it didn’t feel like it was warming her at all, but her back that rested against the decidedly male chest felt quite comfortable.
Don’t even go there, she told herself with a sigh when she remembered his earlier words.
“What’s that sound for?”
“Nothin’,” she whispered, not wanting to admit that his words to the other assassin had hurt her. Why did she even care? Why did it bother her that he didn’t look at her and see a sexy woman?
He shook his head. It was never just ‘nothing’ with a woman. “It’s somethin’,” he said and yawned. “You don’t wanna talk about it just say so.”
“It’s something you said when-” she started, but her sentence died down when the cell in his pants went off.
Yeah, just what I thought, he mused as he dug the phone out and checked the caller ID. It wasn’t just nothing. “Bane,” he barked into the mouthpiece.
“Gimme your location,” Valkyrie said back without a greeting.
He rattled off the coordinates. “It’s too hot for you to come here. They’ve got a general area on our location. Once this storm dies down they’ll be sendin’ in an extraction team.”
“Extraction team?” she asked, the frown on her face clearly showing through the phone. “The two assassins? They already found you?”
“We found them when we went back to cover our tracks. They’ve been dealt with, but one of them made a call before the lights went out, bought us a little time.” He frowned. “How’d you know about them? That there were two?”
“Crap,” she muttered to Alex, “we’re too late, but they’ve been eliminated. Bane, Whitman was able to hack their GPS and we’re picking up the signals for two of their assassins but they’re weakening. If those two are gone then your area’s clear for now.”
“You hacked their system?” He couldn’t hide his surprise. “You’re sure the area’s clear?”
“Unless they sent someone without a tracker, then yeah, you’re in the clear right now. Means your signal’s gone and my tracker’s been removed. We’re heading up north again.”
“Headin’ north? What’s the plan?” He ran a hand through his hair.
“The plan is Boston.”
“You’re gonna hit Halverson’s yacht?” He felt Maria tense up in response to his mention of her uncle.
“Yeah. If we wanna find anything there we have to do it now. Hold on.”
He heard her talking to Whitman for almost a minute before she came back.
“We’ve got a new location for you. Cabin owned by a couple in Philly. He’s a general practitioner, she’s a cop, and they like to hunt. Cabin’s about 15 miles from you.”
“You think it’s safe to hide out in a cabin owned by a cop?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You trust that pencil neck, Val?”
Maria elbowed his good side with a glare.
“Positive,” she said. “Whitman worked for a company that installs security systems during the summer. He developed the security system that was installed at the cabin, even went there to help with the installation. He’s positive the couple abandons the cabin during the winter. Their current location is the Maldives.”
“Good location,” he muttered. “You learned anything new?”
“No, not yet. Been busy getting rid of the shit in my back. Listen, I’ll send you the coordinates, contact us when you’re there and he’ll hack the system from our location. That way you won’t have to break in and you’ll be safe inside. We’ll let you know if there’s any activity in your area or when we’ve found out more.”
“Alright, thanks for the heads up. Be safe out there. I don’t know how deep Halverson’s in with the Circle, but with his niece bein’ targeted there’s a good chance they’re keepin’ a close eye on him right now.”
“Uh-huh, you do know who you’re talkin’ to, right?” She snorted. “Keep your dick in your pants, Bane. Later.”
He snorted. Yeah, Valkyrie was one to talk, he thought. If she was keeping the pencil neck around it wasn’t just for his ability to hack the system. “Fifteen miles,” he muttered as he glanced at the coordinates that came through before he set the phone on the floor next to him. “Better get some rest, Blondie, because soon as this crap lets up we’re gonna have to hoof it and it’s not gonna be an easy walk.”
She tried to move away from him. “Where’re we goin’?”
“We’ll be headin’ about 15 miles north of here. There’s a cabin with a little more in the way of amenities.”
“15 miles is a lot in this weather,” she shivered and placed one hand over his on the icepack so he would let go. She couldn’t bear it any longer; the desire for warmth was stronger than the pain.
Bane tossed the makeshift icepack in the bucket and glanced down at her side. “You probably oughta eat somethin’.”
She nodded, creeping closer to the fire. She wasn’t hungry, but she hadn’t eaten anything for a long while and if they had to walk 15 miles in the snow she knew they needed some energy.
His gaze traveled over her, noting her stiff movements. “We’ll eat and get some rest, wait the storm out. There’s just no other way for us to get there other than hiking it.”
“Yeah, okay.” She looked at him over her shoulder tiredly. “A real shower would be really nice. Hot.”
“Can’t do much about that.” He looked around and nodded at a large round bin leaning against the far wall between the sink and the small pantry. “It’d be a little cramped, but you could have a bath.”
“It would take forever for it to get warm.” She shook her head and shifted, once more feeling the pain in her thigh. “Damn it.”
“What’s wrong with your leg?” he asked, his eyes following her movements.
“He hit me with a thick branch when he came after me. Didn’t feel it as long as my thigh was cold.”
“You’re gonna have to drop your pants, Blondie,” he said, unable to stop the smirk that lifted his lips.
“It’s just a bruise.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Says who?” Wasn’t it enough that he’d already seen her in her bra?
“First off, you don’t even know how much damage there is. And second, what do you know about internal injuries?”
“Nothing before I had to take care of a branch sticking in your side with a fuckin’ knife and some fire.” She got up on her feet, determined to get over with it as quickly as possible. Fumbling with the button of her jeans she thought about something to say for distraction. “What’d Alex find out? You seemed to be surprised.”
“He managed to hack her tracker and get into the system.” He raised one knee and rested his forearm on it while he watched her. He could tell she was trying to distract herself and he found that kind of interesting. He wasn’t used to being around women who were shy or all that modest about their bodies. Part of it was insecurity but for the life of him he couldn’t imagine why.
“Oh?” Her movements stopped as she looked at him. “That’s good right?”
“Hell, yeah,” he muttered, his eyes locking on the slim strip of skin she’d exposed.
“What’d he find?” She pushed her pants down to her knees, grinding her teeth together when the tight fabric moved over the injured area.
“Well...” he shifted, leaning forward to get a better look at her thigh, “they located the tracking system for the Circle’s army of assassins. That’s how she knew we’d been targeted.” He brushed his fingertips over the area that was already heavily bruised. Deep tissue bruising, he mused. That was gonna hurt like a bitch for a while. He probed the area around the discolored skin and glanced up at her when he heard the indrawn hiss. “How bad does that hurt?”
“Not gonna be my favorite feeling,” she admitted, trying to get away from his touch.
“Yeah, kinda figured that much on my own. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, how bad is it?”
“I don’t know. Seven maybe?”
He grunted and pressed his palm over the bruise, the edges of it still visible on either side of his hand. He could feel the heat and swelling from the damaged tissue and he knew if they couldn’t get the swelling down there was no way she’d be walking on it tomorrow. “I know you don’t wanna hear this, but we’re gonna have to ice it.”
Maria winced when his large hand moved from her leg. Now that they were concentrating on it, it had started to hurt more and more. “Best thing is you just stick me out into the snow until it gets dark again.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not about to do any such thing ‘cause wherever you go I go, an’ I’m not about to freeze my nuts off while you sit in the snow. Besides,” he said with a shrug, “in here you can ice it down without coverin’ back up.”
Wherever you go I go – he sounded sincere, but she wondered for how long. “I am not hanging around here in just my underwear. It’s too damn cold inside or outside.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He shook his head again. “Damn shame to cover ‘em up though.” He got to his feet. “I’ll go collect some more ice.”
She snorted while she pulled her pants up again. “Yeah, right.”
He paused in the process of shrugging into his coat and he slowly turned his head to look at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means don’t bother saying things you don’t mean.” She glared at him. “There’s no need to be nice to me. I know why you’re keeping me alive. You know I can’t survive without you so there’s absolutely no reason for you to play a role.” She tightened the blanket around her and grabbed the washcloth he has used before, hoping to get rid of the blood trails on her upper body. It wasn’t her blood and it was disgusting.
“Do you have any idea how fuckin’ confusing you are?”
Maria snorted. “And that coming from a man like you.”
“Remind me to never bother givin’ you another compliment.” He moved to the door and grabbed one of the packs, digging around for something to collect the ice in.
“I will,” she yelled after him, angry with this whole situation. Why was she mad at him? It wasn’t like she wanted him to think she was sexy, right?
“Stupid fuckin’ woman,” he muttered as he stalked around the cabin, snapping off a few long icicles and shaking his head. He didn’t understand women. And why did he care anyway? He didn’t, he was just trying to keep her from slumping into depression and being more of a pain in the ass to take with him than she already was. He leaned back against the outer wall of the cabin and drew in a long breath. He had no idea what her comment meant. She should at least know him well enough by now to know he didn’t bother saying anything unless he meant it. He straightened up and rolled his shoulders. She needed to explain herself.
By the time he got back in, she had managed to clean up her upper body as much as possible considering the circumstances and had shrugged back into her shirt, hoping to feel less naked in front of him. There was still blood in her hair, under her nails and probably on her back where she couldn’t see it, but that would have to wait. Maybe they would be able to reach the cabin Alex had found for them. Sleeping in a normal bed, having a hot shower... all those normal things suddenly sounded luxurious.
“I want you to explain what the hell you meant,” he snapped as he set about breaking the icicles into more manageable pieces.
“Excuse me?”
“Did I stutter or speak words that were too big for you to understand?”
“Shut up,” she hissed.
“Obviously you understand, so answer the fuckin’ question!” He was tired, he was sick of dealing with the female of the species, and he wanted a damn answer.
“You should be smart enough to figure it out on your own, but well...” she sighed, “I may have been a little distracted by the gross man holding me, but I was pretty aware of what you said.”
“So?” His mind wasn’t making the illogical leaps the female mind was capable of making.
“So? Then you stand here an’ tell me how it’s a shame to cover my legs an’ stuff?”
“What the hell does one have to do with the other?” She was infuriating.
She narrowed her eyes. Was he really clueless or was he playing games again?
“Hello? You can open your mouth when it suits you, so let’s have it.”
“Couldn’t you just tell that freak I’m not your type? No, you had to describe in all kinds of detail what you really think of me and now you make me say it out aloud again just to embarrass me more?” Her face was red and this time it wasn’t because of the cold or the bruises. “You’re such an asshole!”
He was taken aback by the venom in her words. “If I’d given him any reason to think I thought you were attractive he would’ve done a helluva lot more than leave bruises on your body. The position we were in, he had the shot, and if they hadn’t had orders to kill me and his sadistic ass hadn’t been so hell-bent on drawin’ it out, he’d have been gone with you. And lemme tell you somethin’, Blondie, the word no? For him it was nothin’ more than foreplay, you get my drift?”
Maria kept her eyes focused on the fireplace while his words impacted on her. Was she being irrational? Yeah, probably. But who wouldn’t be in her situation? He had lived like this the last ten years, he wasn’t afraid of anything and he’d sure as hell never had a problem finding a good lay when it came to women.
For her, this was all new and it scared the shit out of her.
“Maybe you would’ve preferred I kept my mouth shut? Just let him get his rocks off by goading me, puttin’ a bullet in my head, and lettin’ him get off the mountain with you?”
She knew he’d said those things to convince the man she was nothing to him, but yet he’d done nothing later. Not one word about how he hadn’t meant what he’d said.
He had no idea what she wanted from him. “Trust me, Blondie, if I’d told him the truth you’d be miles from here with a guy who seriously gets off on inflicting pain.”
There was no doubt he was right and although he wouldn’t believe her right now, she was thankful for his help.
Slowly, she turned her head. He was standing on the opposite side of the room, close to the front door and an area that was hardly lit by the fire. His features were shadowed, but it was clear that he was pissed. Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth but nothing came out at first. She tried again, forcing her vocal cords to work. “Can you be honest with me, Michael? I... I just have you.”
He’d been honest with her from the beginning. He made a rolling motion with his right hand, silently asking what she wanted to know.
“What do you see in me?”
“What?” What the hell did that even mean?
She sighed. “I wanna know how you see me.”
He snorted softly. She wanted honesty, well, hell, if that’s what she wanted, that’s what he’d give her. “I see a woman who’s a helluva lot braver than she gives herself credit for. I see a woman who wants to do the right thing even though she knows it could get her killed. I see a woman who’s been marked for death, shot at, threatened, and still manages to keep goin’.” His eyes moved over her before going back to the icepack he was putting together. “I see a woman who has no idea how fuckin’ sexy she is.” He shrugged. “That’s what I see.”
Do you mean it – the question was on her lips but she bit it back. She had just asked him for honesty, right? If she doubted his words he was gonna be a helluva lot more pissed at her. Nodding slightly, she turned back to the fire. “I don’t feel sexy, just dirty and stinky.”
He chuckled at her response. “Bein’ on the run isn’t as romantic as people seem to think it is.” He shook his head. “Chicks read those stupid ass romance novels with some hero draggin’ the heroine through a series of improbable situations and the whole time there’s this huge romantic backstory. That’s not the way it really is.”
“No doubt.”
“I figure this storm should let up overnight. There’s plenty of cover headin’ north, so we’re gonna strike out at first light. We’re gonna have to push hard to cover the distance. If we find another hunting cabin, we’ll stop there for the night. If not, we’re gonna have to make the trek before stoppin’.”
She nodded and grabbed her pants, looking at him when he frowned. “I need to pee an’ I’m not going out there without my pants on.”
He reached for his gun, checking it before following her. “Use the woodshed this time,” he said with a smirk.
This was so ridiculous, she thought but couldn’t help it when the corners of her lips tipped up as well. “Yeah.”
He shook his head as he slid his weapon back into its holster. He still couldn’t believe she’d thought it was a woodshed. “I’m gonna see about collecting more wood for the fire while you’re,” he gestured with his right hand, “takin’ care of business.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, do that.”
“Unless you’d rather do it.” He just snorted softly and went in search of firewood, keeping the woodshed in sight at all times. He could just imagine her reaction to the very rustic... amenities.
*****
The weather was cold, but it was a sunny day when Max Evans stepped out of the building that housed the political science department at Georgetown University, glancing around to see if his girl was already waiting for him.
His breath showed on the air when he greeted a passing student he hardly knew.
“Prof sucks ass, doesn’t he? I mean, giving us a paper like that to write overnight?”
“Yeah, he sucks,” he agreed, not really paying attention when he noticed Liz. “Sorry, Dan,” he patted his shoulder, “gotta go.” He pushed past the smaller guy and went to the brunette woman waving at him.
“Hey,” Max leaned in and kissed her briefly when he joined her further down the steps.
“He wasn’t in class,” she said instead of a greeting, referring to Alex Whitman and the only class they normally had together. “I asked a few of the computer nerds he hangs out with but they didn’t know where he was either.”
“Well, it’s been at least 48 hours since anyone’s seen him. We could file a missing person’s report but that could draw unwanted attention. His disappearance has to be connected to Maria’s.”
“Yeah, I agree,” she bit her lip and thanks to the cold it immediately hurt. “Should we check his apartment again? But I guess if he was home, he would’ve been in class.”
“He’s got a dog, right?” Yeah, he thought, because he’d had it one time when they’d run into him and Maria and it’d immediately set off his girlfriend’s allergies. “If the dog was in his apartment we’d have heard it when we knocked on the door. He wouldn’t have left the dog alone if he was goin’ outta town. He would’ve kenneled it or left it with a friend.”
“Maybe we should ask his neighbors?”
“Couldn’t hurt.” He draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “C’mon, maybe we should just do a stakeout. If one of his neighbors has the dog they’re gonna have to walk it eventually. Most everyone in his building attends the university, so it won’t be long before people start getting home. Let’s grab a burger and coffee and head over there.”
“Yeah, let’s go,” she agreed and after getting a few snacks as well as something warm to drink they drove to the apartment building again and took a spot in the parking lot that allowed them to keep an eye on the whole area.
Almost two hours passed and Liz was ready to go home to soak in a hot bubble bath when she suddenly saw a woman at the stairs. She bent down to do something, but her view was blocked by a few bushes.
When the person walked further down the open alley the leash in her hand finally came into view. “Max,” she elbowed him, “is that the dog?”
He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he shifted to follow her pointing finger. He squinted against the darkness, trying to make out the shadowy figures as they emerged into an open area. The dog was a beagle and he was pretty sure that was the breed of dog Alex had been walking the day they’d run into each other. He tried to remember if there was anything distinctive about the animal, but he couldn’t recall anything. “You remember what the dog’s name was?”
She frowned and thought about it, but gave up after a while. “No. Not a clue.” Her gaze wandered to the woman again. “Maybe we should just accidentally run into her, ask her if this’s where Alex Whitman lives since we have to do a project with him.”
He snorted and shook his head. “The last time you got near that dog you were miserable for the next couple of days. I’ll make the sacrifice and make contact.”
Earth2Mama: No, lol, he’s trained to shut everything but the mission out so he’s completely out of his depth here.
Ronin deserved so much more than what he got.
Yep, but he’s still in denial so we won’t tell him just yet.
begonia9508: Thanks! Hope that last part didn’t give you nightmares.
Eva: Yep, a person can only take so much and that last round was so much more than she was ready for. Michael’s definitely a very black and white type of individual. But who knows, maybe some of Maria’s thinking will rub off on him.
keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!
sarammlover: Maria’s being dragged through that wringer up one side and down the other. But maybe she’ll get a break this week. Thanks!
Alien_Friend: Thanks for the awesome compliment. We are definitely proud of the trailer and the out-turn of our fic!
Yes, Maria has every right to be rattled up good by now. She kept it together for a long time!
Part 21
How long could a breakdown take, he wondered as he watched her. Was it possible to cry to the point of dehydration? His eyebrows lifted at that thought. If it was she’d have to stop crying soon, right? He waited and when his dehydration theory proved to be erroneous he moved to sit next to her, reaching for the icepack she’d abandoned and pulling her up against him. He had no idea what to do with her and talking to her would be a waste of time since he had his doubts she’d even hear him. He did know they needed to work on the swelling from the bruising she’d suffered because the longer it went unattended the longer it was gonna take to heal. He pulled her closer and pressed the icepack to her side, hoping maybe it’d have a dual effect and the shock of the cold would silence her.
His gesture did shock her and the sobs shaking her body died down slowly, leaving her back resting limply against his body. She wasn’t relaxed by any means, but she didn’t feel like she was going shatter into pieces anymore either. His hand held the icepack against her side, covering half of her upper body in the coldness. “I’m sorry,” she said after several long moments.
He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s an honest reaction.” Or at least he assumed it was. For a woman, anyway.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with my hormones. I just feel so useless, Michael.”
“I’m still kickin’ ain’t I? If you were useless I’d be dead or at best well on my way to bein’ dead. And you kept it together when Ronin had you.” He had no idea what he was talking about. What the hell did he know about reassuring women? “You’re doin’ fine, everything considered.”
“I didn’t completely keep it together. I know you said I shouldn’t fight him, but I kicked him in the nuts once before you got there.”
“That just shows good sense,” he said with a raspy chuckle. Someone should’ve served Ronin’s nuts up on a platter a long time ago.
She snorted. “No clue how you got that knife out so quickly.”
“Maybe one of these days I’ll teach you how to do it.”
“You would?” She tipped her head back to look at him.
“Why not? It’s a good skill to have.” His free hand came up, brushing her hair back so he could rest the backs of his fingers against her cheek below the bandage. “Never know when you might need to know how to defend yourself.”
She smiled sadly. “Yeah.”
“I’m gonna get you outta this cluster fuck of a situation.”
But what would be left when it was over? If it was ever over, she wondered.
“You don’t believe me.” It was a statement more than a question.
She shrugged. “I know for someone like you it must sound dumb, but I don’t wanna be alone. And what’ll be left when this’s over?”
“Well...” He was drawing a blank. “You’ve got friends and you’re almost finished with college, right? So, you’ve got a career waitin’ for you.”
“Friends?” She snorted. “As you pointed out my friends were hired. Other than Alex, I guess.”
“Well, maybe it wasn’t all about the job for them. They seemed pretty straight-laced.” He made a face.
Maria didn’t know what to say to that, so she decided to just sit there, staring at the fire. Thanks to the icepack on her side, it didn’t feel like it was warming her at all, but her back that rested against the decidedly male chest felt quite comfortable.
Don’t even go there, she told herself with a sigh when she remembered his earlier words.
“What’s that sound for?”
“Nothin’,” she whispered, not wanting to admit that his words to the other assassin had hurt her. Why did she even care? Why did it bother her that he didn’t look at her and see a sexy woman?
He shook his head. It was never just ‘nothing’ with a woman. “It’s somethin’,” he said and yawned. “You don’t wanna talk about it just say so.”
“It’s something you said when-” she started, but her sentence died down when the cell in his pants went off.
Yeah, just what I thought, he mused as he dug the phone out and checked the caller ID. It wasn’t just nothing. “Bane,” he barked into the mouthpiece.
“Gimme your location,” Valkyrie said back without a greeting.
He rattled off the coordinates. “It’s too hot for you to come here. They’ve got a general area on our location. Once this storm dies down they’ll be sendin’ in an extraction team.”
“Extraction team?” she asked, the frown on her face clearly showing through the phone. “The two assassins? They already found you?”
“We found them when we went back to cover our tracks. They’ve been dealt with, but one of them made a call before the lights went out, bought us a little time.” He frowned. “How’d you know about them? That there were two?”
“Crap,” she muttered to Alex, “we’re too late, but they’ve been eliminated. Bane, Whitman was able to hack their GPS and we’re picking up the signals for two of their assassins but they’re weakening. If those two are gone then your area’s clear for now.”
“You hacked their system?” He couldn’t hide his surprise. “You’re sure the area’s clear?”
“Unless they sent someone without a tracker, then yeah, you’re in the clear right now. Means your signal’s gone and my tracker’s been removed. We’re heading up north again.”
“Headin’ north? What’s the plan?” He ran a hand through his hair.
“The plan is Boston.”
“You’re gonna hit Halverson’s yacht?” He felt Maria tense up in response to his mention of her uncle.
“Yeah. If we wanna find anything there we have to do it now. Hold on.”
He heard her talking to Whitman for almost a minute before she came back.
“We’ve got a new location for you. Cabin owned by a couple in Philly. He’s a general practitioner, she’s a cop, and they like to hunt. Cabin’s about 15 miles from you.”
“You think it’s safe to hide out in a cabin owned by a cop?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You trust that pencil neck, Val?”
Maria elbowed his good side with a glare.
“Positive,” she said. “Whitman worked for a company that installs security systems during the summer. He developed the security system that was installed at the cabin, even went there to help with the installation. He’s positive the couple abandons the cabin during the winter. Their current location is the Maldives.”
“Good location,” he muttered. “You learned anything new?”
“No, not yet. Been busy getting rid of the shit in my back. Listen, I’ll send you the coordinates, contact us when you’re there and he’ll hack the system from our location. That way you won’t have to break in and you’ll be safe inside. We’ll let you know if there’s any activity in your area or when we’ve found out more.”
“Alright, thanks for the heads up. Be safe out there. I don’t know how deep Halverson’s in with the Circle, but with his niece bein’ targeted there’s a good chance they’re keepin’ a close eye on him right now.”
“Uh-huh, you do know who you’re talkin’ to, right?” She snorted. “Keep your dick in your pants, Bane. Later.”
He snorted. Yeah, Valkyrie was one to talk, he thought. If she was keeping the pencil neck around it wasn’t just for his ability to hack the system. “Fifteen miles,” he muttered as he glanced at the coordinates that came through before he set the phone on the floor next to him. “Better get some rest, Blondie, because soon as this crap lets up we’re gonna have to hoof it and it’s not gonna be an easy walk.”
She tried to move away from him. “Where’re we goin’?”
“We’ll be headin’ about 15 miles north of here. There’s a cabin with a little more in the way of amenities.”
“15 miles is a lot in this weather,” she shivered and placed one hand over his on the icepack so he would let go. She couldn’t bear it any longer; the desire for warmth was stronger than the pain.
Bane tossed the makeshift icepack in the bucket and glanced down at her side. “You probably oughta eat somethin’.”
She nodded, creeping closer to the fire. She wasn’t hungry, but she hadn’t eaten anything for a long while and if they had to walk 15 miles in the snow she knew they needed some energy.
His gaze traveled over her, noting her stiff movements. “We’ll eat and get some rest, wait the storm out. There’s just no other way for us to get there other than hiking it.”
“Yeah, okay.” She looked at him over her shoulder tiredly. “A real shower would be really nice. Hot.”
“Can’t do much about that.” He looked around and nodded at a large round bin leaning against the far wall between the sink and the small pantry. “It’d be a little cramped, but you could have a bath.”
“It would take forever for it to get warm.” She shook her head and shifted, once more feeling the pain in her thigh. “Damn it.”
“What’s wrong with your leg?” he asked, his eyes following her movements.
“He hit me with a thick branch when he came after me. Didn’t feel it as long as my thigh was cold.”
“You’re gonna have to drop your pants, Blondie,” he said, unable to stop the smirk that lifted his lips.
“It’s just a bruise.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Says who?” Wasn’t it enough that he’d already seen her in her bra?
“First off, you don’t even know how much damage there is. And second, what do you know about internal injuries?”
“Nothing before I had to take care of a branch sticking in your side with a fuckin’ knife and some fire.” She got up on her feet, determined to get over with it as quickly as possible. Fumbling with the button of her jeans she thought about something to say for distraction. “What’d Alex find out? You seemed to be surprised.”
“He managed to hack her tracker and get into the system.” He raised one knee and rested his forearm on it while he watched her. He could tell she was trying to distract herself and he found that kind of interesting. He wasn’t used to being around women who were shy or all that modest about their bodies. Part of it was insecurity but for the life of him he couldn’t imagine why.
“Oh?” Her movements stopped as she looked at him. “That’s good right?”
“Hell, yeah,” he muttered, his eyes locking on the slim strip of skin she’d exposed.
“What’d he find?” She pushed her pants down to her knees, grinding her teeth together when the tight fabric moved over the injured area.
“Well...” he shifted, leaning forward to get a better look at her thigh, “they located the tracking system for the Circle’s army of assassins. That’s how she knew we’d been targeted.” He brushed his fingertips over the area that was already heavily bruised. Deep tissue bruising, he mused. That was gonna hurt like a bitch for a while. He probed the area around the discolored skin and glanced up at her when he heard the indrawn hiss. “How bad does that hurt?”
“Not gonna be my favorite feeling,” she admitted, trying to get away from his touch.
“Yeah, kinda figured that much on my own. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, how bad is it?”
“I don’t know. Seven maybe?”
He grunted and pressed his palm over the bruise, the edges of it still visible on either side of his hand. He could feel the heat and swelling from the damaged tissue and he knew if they couldn’t get the swelling down there was no way she’d be walking on it tomorrow. “I know you don’t wanna hear this, but we’re gonna have to ice it.”
Maria winced when his large hand moved from her leg. Now that they were concentrating on it, it had started to hurt more and more. “Best thing is you just stick me out into the snow until it gets dark again.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not about to do any such thing ‘cause wherever you go I go, an’ I’m not about to freeze my nuts off while you sit in the snow. Besides,” he said with a shrug, “in here you can ice it down without coverin’ back up.”
Wherever you go I go – he sounded sincere, but she wondered for how long. “I am not hanging around here in just my underwear. It’s too damn cold inside or outside.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He shook his head again. “Damn shame to cover ‘em up though.” He got to his feet. “I’ll go collect some more ice.”
She snorted while she pulled her pants up again. “Yeah, right.”
He paused in the process of shrugging into his coat and he slowly turned his head to look at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means don’t bother saying things you don’t mean.” She glared at him. “There’s no need to be nice to me. I know why you’re keeping me alive. You know I can’t survive without you so there’s absolutely no reason for you to play a role.” She tightened the blanket around her and grabbed the washcloth he has used before, hoping to get rid of the blood trails on her upper body. It wasn’t her blood and it was disgusting.
“Do you have any idea how fuckin’ confusing you are?”
Maria snorted. “And that coming from a man like you.”
“Remind me to never bother givin’ you another compliment.” He moved to the door and grabbed one of the packs, digging around for something to collect the ice in.
“I will,” she yelled after him, angry with this whole situation. Why was she mad at him? It wasn’t like she wanted him to think she was sexy, right?
“Stupid fuckin’ woman,” he muttered as he stalked around the cabin, snapping off a few long icicles and shaking his head. He didn’t understand women. And why did he care anyway? He didn’t, he was just trying to keep her from slumping into depression and being more of a pain in the ass to take with him than she already was. He leaned back against the outer wall of the cabin and drew in a long breath. He had no idea what her comment meant. She should at least know him well enough by now to know he didn’t bother saying anything unless he meant it. He straightened up and rolled his shoulders. She needed to explain herself.
By the time he got back in, she had managed to clean up her upper body as much as possible considering the circumstances and had shrugged back into her shirt, hoping to feel less naked in front of him. There was still blood in her hair, under her nails and probably on her back where she couldn’t see it, but that would have to wait. Maybe they would be able to reach the cabin Alex had found for them. Sleeping in a normal bed, having a hot shower... all those normal things suddenly sounded luxurious.
“I want you to explain what the hell you meant,” he snapped as he set about breaking the icicles into more manageable pieces.
“Excuse me?”
“Did I stutter or speak words that were too big for you to understand?”
“Shut up,” she hissed.
“Obviously you understand, so answer the fuckin’ question!” He was tired, he was sick of dealing with the female of the species, and he wanted a damn answer.
“You should be smart enough to figure it out on your own, but well...” she sighed, “I may have been a little distracted by the gross man holding me, but I was pretty aware of what you said.”
“So?” His mind wasn’t making the illogical leaps the female mind was capable of making.
“So? Then you stand here an’ tell me how it’s a shame to cover my legs an’ stuff?”
“What the hell does one have to do with the other?” She was infuriating.
She narrowed her eyes. Was he really clueless or was he playing games again?
“Hello? You can open your mouth when it suits you, so let’s have it.”
“Couldn’t you just tell that freak I’m not your type? No, you had to describe in all kinds of detail what you really think of me and now you make me say it out aloud again just to embarrass me more?” Her face was red and this time it wasn’t because of the cold or the bruises. “You’re such an asshole!”
He was taken aback by the venom in her words. “If I’d given him any reason to think I thought you were attractive he would’ve done a helluva lot more than leave bruises on your body. The position we were in, he had the shot, and if they hadn’t had orders to kill me and his sadistic ass hadn’t been so hell-bent on drawin’ it out, he’d have been gone with you. And lemme tell you somethin’, Blondie, the word no? For him it was nothin’ more than foreplay, you get my drift?”
Maria kept her eyes focused on the fireplace while his words impacted on her. Was she being irrational? Yeah, probably. But who wouldn’t be in her situation? He had lived like this the last ten years, he wasn’t afraid of anything and he’d sure as hell never had a problem finding a good lay when it came to women.
For her, this was all new and it scared the shit out of her.
“Maybe you would’ve preferred I kept my mouth shut? Just let him get his rocks off by goading me, puttin’ a bullet in my head, and lettin’ him get off the mountain with you?”
She knew he’d said those things to convince the man she was nothing to him, but yet he’d done nothing later. Not one word about how he hadn’t meant what he’d said.
He had no idea what she wanted from him. “Trust me, Blondie, if I’d told him the truth you’d be miles from here with a guy who seriously gets off on inflicting pain.”
There was no doubt he was right and although he wouldn’t believe her right now, she was thankful for his help.
Slowly, she turned her head. He was standing on the opposite side of the room, close to the front door and an area that was hardly lit by the fire. His features were shadowed, but it was clear that he was pissed. Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth but nothing came out at first. She tried again, forcing her vocal cords to work. “Can you be honest with me, Michael? I... I just have you.”
He’d been honest with her from the beginning. He made a rolling motion with his right hand, silently asking what she wanted to know.
“What do you see in me?”
“What?” What the hell did that even mean?
She sighed. “I wanna know how you see me.”
He snorted softly. She wanted honesty, well, hell, if that’s what she wanted, that’s what he’d give her. “I see a woman who’s a helluva lot braver than she gives herself credit for. I see a woman who wants to do the right thing even though she knows it could get her killed. I see a woman who’s been marked for death, shot at, threatened, and still manages to keep goin’.” His eyes moved over her before going back to the icepack he was putting together. “I see a woman who has no idea how fuckin’ sexy she is.” He shrugged. “That’s what I see.”
Do you mean it – the question was on her lips but she bit it back. She had just asked him for honesty, right? If she doubted his words he was gonna be a helluva lot more pissed at her. Nodding slightly, she turned back to the fire. “I don’t feel sexy, just dirty and stinky.”
He chuckled at her response. “Bein’ on the run isn’t as romantic as people seem to think it is.” He shook his head. “Chicks read those stupid ass romance novels with some hero draggin’ the heroine through a series of improbable situations and the whole time there’s this huge romantic backstory. That’s not the way it really is.”
“No doubt.”
“I figure this storm should let up overnight. There’s plenty of cover headin’ north, so we’re gonna strike out at first light. We’re gonna have to push hard to cover the distance. If we find another hunting cabin, we’ll stop there for the night. If not, we’re gonna have to make the trek before stoppin’.”
She nodded and grabbed her pants, looking at him when he frowned. “I need to pee an’ I’m not going out there without my pants on.”
He reached for his gun, checking it before following her. “Use the woodshed this time,” he said with a smirk.
This was so ridiculous, she thought but couldn’t help it when the corners of her lips tipped up as well. “Yeah.”
He shook his head as he slid his weapon back into its holster. He still couldn’t believe she’d thought it was a woodshed. “I’m gonna see about collecting more wood for the fire while you’re,” he gestured with his right hand, “takin’ care of business.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, do that.”
“Unless you’d rather do it.” He just snorted softly and went in search of firewood, keeping the woodshed in sight at all times. He could just imagine her reaction to the very rustic... amenities.
*****
The weather was cold, but it was a sunny day when Max Evans stepped out of the building that housed the political science department at Georgetown University, glancing around to see if his girl was already waiting for him.
His breath showed on the air when he greeted a passing student he hardly knew.
“Prof sucks ass, doesn’t he? I mean, giving us a paper like that to write overnight?”
“Yeah, he sucks,” he agreed, not really paying attention when he noticed Liz. “Sorry, Dan,” he patted his shoulder, “gotta go.” He pushed past the smaller guy and went to the brunette woman waving at him.
“Hey,” Max leaned in and kissed her briefly when he joined her further down the steps.
“He wasn’t in class,” she said instead of a greeting, referring to Alex Whitman and the only class they normally had together. “I asked a few of the computer nerds he hangs out with but they didn’t know where he was either.”
“Well, it’s been at least 48 hours since anyone’s seen him. We could file a missing person’s report but that could draw unwanted attention. His disappearance has to be connected to Maria’s.”
“Yeah, I agree,” she bit her lip and thanks to the cold it immediately hurt. “Should we check his apartment again? But I guess if he was home, he would’ve been in class.”
“He’s got a dog, right?” Yeah, he thought, because he’d had it one time when they’d run into him and Maria and it’d immediately set off his girlfriend’s allergies. “If the dog was in his apartment we’d have heard it when we knocked on the door. He wouldn’t have left the dog alone if he was goin’ outta town. He would’ve kenneled it or left it with a friend.”
“Maybe we should ask his neighbors?”
“Couldn’t hurt.” He draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “C’mon, maybe we should just do a stakeout. If one of his neighbors has the dog they’re gonna have to walk it eventually. Most everyone in his building attends the university, so it won’t be long before people start getting home. Let’s grab a burger and coffee and head over there.”
“Yeah, let’s go,” she agreed and after getting a few snacks as well as something warm to drink they drove to the apartment building again and took a spot in the parking lot that allowed them to keep an eye on the whole area.
Almost two hours passed and Liz was ready to go home to soak in a hot bubble bath when she suddenly saw a woman at the stairs. She bent down to do something, but her view was blocked by a few bushes.
When the person walked further down the open alley the leash in her hand finally came into view. “Max,” she elbowed him, “is that the dog?”
He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he shifted to follow her pointing finger. He squinted against the darkness, trying to make out the shadowy figures as they emerged into an open area. The dog was a beagle and he was pretty sure that was the breed of dog Alex had been walking the day they’d run into each other. He tried to remember if there was anything distinctive about the animal, but he couldn’t recall anything. “You remember what the dog’s name was?”
She frowned and thought about it, but gave up after a while. “No. Not a clue.” Her gaze wandered to the woman again. “Maybe we should just accidentally run into her, ask her if this’s where Alex Whitman lives since we have to do a project with him.”
He snorted and shook his head. “The last time you got near that dog you were miserable for the next couple of days. I’ll make the sacrifice and make contact.”
Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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keepsmiling7
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 21 - 6/14/15
I was happy to see Max and Liz on the scene. Can't imagine Max as a "suck ass" professor though......I always think he is just perfect.
Hope the dog will help find Alex.
Thanks,
Carolyn
Hope the dog will help find Alex.
Thanks,
Carolyn
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Roswelllostcause
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 21 - 6/14/15
Max and Liz may have been "hired" to befriend Maria, but they do truly care about her now and want to help her.
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Earth2Mama
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 21 - 6/14/15
Wow... I think that as more thought/feelings that Michael's ever expressed before. Miracle of miracles that Maria was able to get him to admit to as much as he did.
Definitely not as romanitized as in novels - being on the run - but for Michael and Maria... a def. beginning to more of their story.
Definitely not as romanitized as in novels - being on the run - but for Michael and Maria... a def. beginning to more of their story.
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Winner – Funniest Feedbacker & Most Helpful Fanatic Award Round 14
Winner - Most Thought-Provoking Feedbacker Award Round 15
made by April
4-ever a lamptrimming, stargazing, candy-hearted dreamer!
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 21 - 6/14/15
I hope Max and Liz will be able to find Alex and Maria. And I hope Max and Liz will be able to help Alex and Maria. I like the way Alex, lady, Michael and Maria are with each other. I hope Max and Liz can find Alex and Maria before Maria's men do.
From:
L-J-L 76
From:
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 21 - 6/14/15
Michaels opinion was very truthful and realistic. The way he described her and romantic novels in almost one sentence was sweet and funny at the same time, or me anyway. So every couple has his plan, huh. I'm very curious how they will develop their plans.
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begonia9508
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 21 - 6/14/15
Of course, every thing Michael said, is taken the wrong way with Maria! But in the situation they are in, it's not funny and not the time to joke or critizise Maria, she is too feisty for that! 
Thanks EVE
Thanks EVE
- Les jouissances de l'esprit sont faites pour calmer les orages du coeur!
- On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu'il fait quand il s'en va!
- L'amour vous rend aveugle et le mariage vous redonne la vue!
- On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu'il fait quand il s'en va!
- L'amour vous rend aveugle et le mariage vous redonne la vue!
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sarammlover
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 21 - 6/14/15
I am so glad Michael pushed Maria to tell him what was bugging her. And of course in true Bane fashion he was no nonsense about it and very robotic...she will warm him up eventually. And yes, I was glad to see Max and Liz doing their own digging into what the heck is going on! I can't wait for Maria to start healing and get back to her old self.
Great update!!! LOVING this story!
Great update!!! LOVING this story!