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 79 - 10/9/16

Post by sarammlover »

GROSS GROSS GROSS!!!!! The smell, the tunnel, the snake, the spider, all of it! I think I gagged a few times reading this! HA HA HA. But seriously. I have a feeling next week's update is going to be reallllllll good!!! Great job!
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 79 - 10/9/16

Post by L-J-L 76 »

Wondering how things are going with Max and Liz. Hoping Max and Liz are safe and having a happy life together.

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Part 80

Post by Double Trouble »

Eva: Yeah, they really are. Teamwork is once more going to get them through their mission.

sarammlover: LOL, yeah, gross for sure! We may just skip the gross stuff this week, we’ll see. Thanks!

L-J-L 76: We have a feeling they are.


Part 80


Bane leaned against the wall outside the room as soon as he had pushed it open slightly, his hand holding his weapon ready for action. “Are we playin’ hide an’ seek now?”

Alex could feel the aggravation as it rolled off of Val and he wisely kept the urge to laugh under control. “The plans left this little gem of information out.”

Val was shooting daggers at Bane. “Not one fuckin’ word.”

The other man just chuckled low. “Did you find the treasure in there?”

“Yeah, you,” she deadpanned. “Imagine my disappointment.”

He walked into the room, letting his gaze move around, unimpressed by her words. “Our treasure is waiting somewhere in this building.”

“Then let’s not waste anymore time.”

“Agreed.” His gaze went to Whitman. “Maybe it would be for the best if he waited here.”

“Hell no!” Alex crossed his arms over his chest as he met the assassin’s gaze defiantly. “I’ve got her back and you don’t get a say in it.”

Bane snorted. “You got her back?”

He bristled at the perceived insult. “There a reason you think that’s funny?”

“He comes along,” Val ended the discussion.

Alex allowed a smirk to surface at the annoyance on the other man’s features as he gestured to the door. “I suppose you’ll wanna take point.”

Bane shrugged. “Not my fault if he ends up dead.”

“Let’s just go.” She had her reservations, but they were of a personal nature. She just didn’t want anything to happen to him. But you couldn’t suppress the male spirit or you risked permanently damaging it. She’d been working with him, pushing him hard to learn the skills needed to make sure he survived this mission, and he was as ready as she could make him. The rest was ultimately up to him.

“We arrived just in time for dinner,” Bane nodded. “Perfect timing.”

She didn’t bother pointing out that she’d chosen mealtime intentionally. “He’ll be alone. All intel indicates he takes his meals away from the others.”

“Time to make him choke on it,” he said and checked his gun before taking a knife in the other hand.

“As near as we can figure, he’s taken the two rooms at the end of the corridor as his personal quarters. There isn’t an excessive amount of power coming into the compound, but what there is seem to be drawn from that location,” Alex said as he took his position between them.

“Do you have any information about how many people we can expect to be there?”

“From what I’ve been able to decipher of the blueprints the walls are fortified to prevent a direct assault. There’s also an interior wall built about three feet into the first room to allow room for guards to be positioned on either side of the door so they can get the drop on anyone attempting to enter the room.”

“So could be everything or nothing.”

He nodded. “Could be.”

He had expected that. “There’s a door to the right when we reach the next floor. Sounded like the kitchen area.”

Val ran over the map in her head. “That sounds about right.”

“The doors are massive. If we can manage to lock them from outside we’ll have a large number of the people located inside the compound unable to follow us.”

“I can handle that,” Alex offered. “I can lock the door and head for the second level using the old dumbwaiter system. I don’t know if it’s in working order or not, but I can use it one way or the other to get where I need to be to meet up with you guys.”

Bane pressed his jaw together before he could say anything and glanced at Val.

She was hesitant to agree but she knew they were going to need the advantage of time on their side and the best way to do that was to limit the number of people they were going to have to fight off. Given enough time Janus could slip through their fingers again and that was a risk they couldn’t take.

“Isabel?” Alex knew it depended on what she said.

She tried to focus on her breathing at the thought of him getting trapped on the wrong side of that door with several dozen bloodthirsty guerillas. Somewhat succeeding in settling her heart into a normal rhythm she looked at him. “Don’t engage unless you have no other option. Take care of the door and get to the second level. No heroics.”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and saluted instead. “That’s the plan.”

She shook her head at him. “Don’t be an ass, Alex.”

“I’ll see you soon.” He nodded.

Bane exhaled loudly before growling, “Maybe you two would like to make out a little before we get the mission underway.”

“Let’s go,” Val growled, shooting one more warning look at Alex before they separated.

“I’m surprised you’re still lettin’ him stick around,” he muttered once they were on the move.

“We are not discussing that.”

He snickered as he checked the door on his right, making sure it was locked. “No plans to drop him off after this?”

“We are not discussing that either.”

“You’re just no fun, Val.” Isabel, his mind whispered and he realized Whitman hadn’t once called her Val. He shot a glance at her over his shoulder. “What’s up with the name?”

“Obviously that’s my real name, Michael!”

He chose not to get into that. That name belonged to someone else. “Call it what you want,” he muttered.

“Well, mind your own business, how about that?”

“Whatever.” So far the level they were on remained clear of threats. He motioned to the stairs at the end of the corridor. “There’s our ticket.” If the layout remained true to the plans the stairs would lead them directly to the rooms Janus occupied.

“Then let’s take him down for good.”

He checked his weapons once more as he took up position on one side of the dark passageway. He hoped like hell Whitman was successful in blocking that door so they didn’t have guerillas cutting off their escape.

Val mimicked his move on the opposite wall, pressing herself against it and tightening her grip around her gun.

Bane forced himself to take measured steps, knowing that rushing could lead to mistakes being made. If they failed they wouldn’t give up, they would continue to hunt Janus to the ends of the earth if necessary, but he was ready for this to be over. He slammed the door on any temptation to pursue that thought and he checked with Val when they reached the top of the stairs.

Giving him a slow nod, she prepared herself for whatever would come. Her hand gestured to the door to tell him that she would open it while he should get ready to fire.

This was it. He could feel it in his bones. The gun in his hand had been fitted with a sound suppressor to avoid drawing unwanted attention. He knew the guerillas waiting on the other side of the door wouldn’t be worried about that so they only had one shot of bringing them down without letting reinforcements know what was happening. His shots had to count – quick, accurate and deadly. Taking a calming breath he took aim and nodded to let her know he was ready.

Slowly she counted down from five in her head, then her hand tightened around the door handle and she opened it quickly and with force.

He fired off two shots, dropping one of the armed guards where he stood and only wounding the second when he dropped to the floor unexpectedly. He slammed the heel of his boot down on the man’s hand, stopping him from firing and drawing attention to them. “Not a smart move,” he muttered as he brought the barrel of his gun to rest between the man’s eyes.

“We were expecting you, Bane.”

“Well, you’ve done a helluva job preparing for our arrival,” he sneered. “Was it also part of your plan to die?”

Val entered the room and stood next to them. “You done with small talk?”

“Never was much good at it anyway,” Bane muttered and pulled the trigger.

Leaning down, she inspected one of the dead guard’s knives and nodded approvingly before taking it from him. “Thanks, buddy.”

He rolled his eyes, mainly to cover the fact that if he’d seen it first he would’ve snatched it for himself. However, since it wasn’t worth fighting over he motioned to the next door. “Last thing standin’ between us and Janus.”

“That we know of.”

Instead of snapping at her for the comment he cautioned himself to stay on target. He wanted this to be over but he didn’t want it to end with him six feet under while Janus continued his sick research. It would only be a matter of time before he went after – STOP! His inner voice bellowed out the order and he shook his head to clear it. He couldn’t afford to let his thoughts go there. It was the one distraction that could take his focus at the crucial moment. He forced his mind to clear of everything but the mission. “Let’s do this.”

“Hell yeah.” Val followed and they took the same position as the moment before. “Ready?” she asked and brought her hand to the doorknob.

The bad thing about a direct assault was that they had no intel on the setup inside the rooms. He pressed a finger to his lips and nodded as he crouched down and brought his weapon up.

She locked her eyes with his and nodded right before she opened the door just as quick as the other. Instead of waiting this time, she leaned around it, using it as a shield and aiming her gun at the inside.

He ducked into the room, gun tracking every inch as he scanned the area for the occupant. Finding it clear of their target he nodded at a door at the far end of the room.

“Where’s the little creep hiding?” she muttered and moved forward.

“I have no reason to hide, Valkyrie.”

They whirled around at the sound of the silky voice and she bit back the automatic response when she saw the man she hated with a passion standing there, one hand wrapped tightly around Alex’s collar as he forced him to his knees. There was a bleeding gash on his right temple where he’d been struck and it took a monumental effort to remain where she was.

“Sorry, it didn’t go according to plan,” Alex muttered. “This asshole was waitin’ for me when I went for the dumbwaiter.”

“What’re you planning to do, Janus?” Bane asked, his tone coldblooded. “It’s still two of us against you. Think you can take both of us at the same time?”

“A year ago there would’ve been so much more to that threat.” He sighed and shook his head as the fingers of his left hand dug into his captive’s shoulder. With his right he lightly pressed the blade of a knife against the underside of the man’s jaw. “Your programming went wrong somewhere. You’ve developed a conscience, something I must admit, is very disturbing.”

“The only person with bad programming is you,” Val snarled.

He clucked and shook his head, pressing the blade with just enough pressure to draw blood. “Even now, your reaction reveals your internal struggle – you can kill me but in doing so you forfeit his life. There was a time not so long ago when nothing came before carrying out the mission.”

“Things change,” Bane shrugged. “You’re the only one holding onto something that’s long dead.”

“Long dead?” Janus snorted. “You’ve managed to crush an empire! You have no idea what you’ve done. All that work just wasted because of you. Years of study, research and test subjects thrown away.” He stared at them, hatred burning in his eyes. “You can’t stop me and you’ll never destroy the Circle.”

“Your Circle is egg-shaped by now and we’re about to scramble it.”

“The only thing scrambled around here is your brain.” He was still struggling to figure out where his programming had gone wrong with them. Two subjects that had shown such promise. But it wasn’t just two, was it? He’d also lost control of Brody and he could find nothing in his research to explain that one.

While Bane kept Janus occupied with talking, Isabel and Alex communicated silently. She had shown him how to free himself from a grip like the one Janus had on him and they needed to act sooner rather than later. It could be too late if more people were added to this party.

Alex made a slight move with his eyes to let her know he was ready. Well, as ready as he was ever going to be. He felt the pressure ease slightly where the blade of the knife pressed against his throat and he held his breath as he carefully pulled his left arm forward. He could remember the others talking, discussing the rumors that the man holding him hostage was unable to feel pain, and he hoped like hell if nothing else he felt this. Without waiting a second longer he grabbed the hand next to his neck and rammed his elbow as hard as he could into the man’s crotch before rolling away from him.

Val reacted quickly, reaching for him to pull him further away, while holding her weapon on Janus. The moment of surprise was definitely on their side, she thought satisfied as she saw the shock on the man’s face. As soon as Alex was out of his reach, she brought her other hand up that was holding her newly acquired knife.

Janus narrowed his eyes as he stared at them. While there was no pain associated with the impact, it had been unexpected and had stolen his breath long enough for his captive to escape. “You’ll never escape the compound.”

“Well, the good thing is, neither will you,” Bane said calmly. Did he want to die? No! But he was ready as long as he was taking that bastard with him.

“What did you hope to accomplish with the Circle?” Val asked, keeping one eye on Janus while checking to make sure the wound he’d inflicted on Alex was superficial.

“What every sick motherfucker wants. Power over others,” Bane answered instead.

“Power, wealth, the knowledge that success meant the world would bow before us. Gods... we were gods.”

“You’ve always been a crazy motherfucker,” Bane muttered

“Your reign of terror is over,” Val said.

“There will be someone new,” Janus grunted.

“Maybe so, but they won’t be our problem.”

Janus lifted his head to look at Bane. “You sure? What if I’ve already set someone on your little blonde?”

He shook his head even as he moved, his long stride quickly eating up the distance between them, and before the other man had the opportunity to draw his next breath Bane had clamped his hand around that scrawny throat and shoved him back into the wall. “You think I wasn’t prepared for that?”

“It’s eating you up, isn’t it?” The other man coughed.

He laughed harshly. “You’re mistaken if you think anyone could get to her,” he grated out.

“You sure about that?” He hadn’t been able to find her, but Bane didn’t need to know that.

“If you’d found her – and I stress the word IF – you would’ve already made your move and I know for a fact she’s safe.” And she was thriving in her new life. “Where she is you’ll never touch her.”

“No one can disappear forever.”

“No one?” His lips curled up in a cold smirk. “You’re about to do the world a huge favor and do just that.”

Janus tried to keep his expression in check. “We all die. It doesn’t mean things that we started just end.”

His eyes narrowed. “We set the events in motion that caused your empire to come crumbling down around your feet. You haven’t had anywhere near the time, not to mention the money, you’d need to rebuild it.”

“You sure, Bane?”

“Sure enough.” He cocked his head to one side as he studied the soulless bastard pinned to the wall. “Who gave you the right to fuck with people’s lives?”

“It’s not something you’re given by anyone.” His eyes widened meaningfully. “You just take it, Bane. That’s your problem; you can’t see what power you could have achieved without falling off of the track.”

“You created an army of killers, men and women who killed without thought or conscience because it’s what you programmed us to do. For years you held our lives in your hands, gave yourselves power that was never yours to have.” His hand tightened around the man’s throat, feeling the fear thrumming through him. “You no longer control any aspect of our lives.”

Val stepped in and looked first at Janus and then at Bane. “Nice banter, but can we proceed to the part where we kill him and leave?”

Alex made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a snort as he imagined the two of them fighting over the right to put Janus down but he just held a hand up and shook his head when they both shot a glare at him. Boy, they had that look down to perfection.

Janus tried to laugh, but it was just a gasp. “Have you fought over who will kill me yet?”

Bane’s eyes were cold as they locked on the enemy once more. He’d imagined this moment so many times, conjured up dozens of ways to wipe this man from the face of the earth, and now that the moment was upon him he just wanted it over. “You’re not worth fighting over.” He pressed the barrel of his gun under the man’s chin.

“I agree,” Val said and used the knife she had collected earlier to ram it into the wall right next to the man’s face, enjoying it when he flinched.

“There’s a time I would’ve put a considerable amount of time and effort into drawing this out because what you’ve done to us, to ALL of us, demands you pay for those crimes. But that would make me no better than you.” Not to mention Janus would never feel a moment of it. His hand flexed around the weapon as he readied it to fire. “Unlike you, I’m not interested in making others suffer.” He shook his head as his finger settled over the trigger. “Not even you.”

Janus stared at the man holding him, knowing his end was close. He couldn’t deny the feeling of anger in him – anger that Bane of all people was the one who would take his life.

Val frowned as Bane continued to stare at Janus without pulling the trigger. “What’re you waiting for?”

He looked at her briefly. “Good question.” With that he pulled the trigger.

Alex made a face when the large caliber bullet tore through Janus’ head, painting a morbid bloody portrait on the wall behind him that was scattered through with bits of bone and brain matter. He was very glad he’d decided to forego a large breakfast that morning.

The heavy body sank to the floor as soon as Bane let it go. He followed it with his eyes briefly, then wiped the blood from his face and glanced at Val. “Let’s get outta here.”

She pushed the body over with one booted foot, staring down into the empty eyes staring sightlessly and the mouth gaping open. Somehow it seemed so anti-climactic after everything Janus had taken from them. Regardless, there was a feeling of closure. He deserved to die in this hole and there was no one who would mourn the loss. Her eyes scanned the walls, locating the weakest points. “Just a sec.” She pulled several timed explosives from her pack and placed them strategically, setting the timing device and then stepping back. “Might as well make sure there’s nothing left.”

“Good plan,” he agreed.

Val nodded. “The way we came in’s probably our best escape route.”

“Yeah, now that the door’s open.” He winked.

“Fuck off,” she muttered and pushed him to get him moving.

He chuckled and led the way out, still careful because they weren’t aware of how many people were still in the compound.

Alex was glad that had ended the way it had – quick and efficient. It revealed more about these two people than either of them would ever admit. He sure hoped they didn’t run into more snakes, deadly or otherwise, or more spiders. The damn things were too big to be called spiders. They were more like dinner plates with legs. He shuddered without realizing it. He’d rather face enemies of the two-legged variety than the eight-legged or... well, no-legged in the case of snakes.

Bane saw a movement down the hallway and as they strode forward he fired off a couple of accurate shots, bringing the two men heading for them down in a single second.

At least they shouldn’t run into much resistance, Val thought as they continued on their way. Most of the men would still be away from the compound, guarding the perimeter. The fact that Janus had shown up with Alex but no guards attested to the fact that he hadn’t alerted anyone to their presence.

They reached the treasure room a few minutes later without too much trouble. Bane sighed in relief without realizing it and waited for the other two before closing the door behind them.

Val smirked when Alex eyed their exit warily and she chuckled outright when Bane came up from behind him and slapped him on the back hard enough to knock him off balance.

“Ladies first, Whitman,” he said graciously, watching the guy stumble as he tried to catch himself before he fell flat on his face.

“Age before beauty,” she countered and reached out to grab Alex’s flak jacket before he could give Bane any further amusement.

Bane smirked, feeling a lot better now that the bastard was dead.

She rolled her eyes at him. “I’ll take point.”

“Forget it,” he said and shouldered his way past her. “If you take point I’m gonna be stuck crawlin’ through that tunnel with Whitman’s ass in my face.”

She made a face. “So now we’ll see your ass, awesome.”

“So I’ve been told,” he said with a smug grin.

“Get a move on or I’m gonna put a bullet in your ass.”

He laughed and shook his head as he lowered himself to squeeze his broad shoulders into the shitty little tunnel. “No need to ruin a work of art.” Besides, he already had one scar on his ass from a bullet. There was no reason to add a second.

The way out was pretty quiet and other than a few little disgusting creatures, nothing and nobody caused any trouble. Bane got out and checked their surroundings quickly before nodding to the other two. “All clear.”

Val checked her watch, mentally calculating the time. “We’ve got seventeen and a half minutes before those charges take the building down. That should be enough to bring the rest of his guerillas back to the compound. We’ve set up enough surprises on our route to keep them off our backs.” She looked at Bane. “Safe to assume you’ve covered your escape route?”

He nodded wordlessly.

Once again she found herself reluctant to leave but she quickly shook that off. There was no time for sentimentality. It was only a matter of time before the enemy was drawn back to their location and they needed to be well on their way by them. She met his dark gaze when he looked at her and she could see the questions there as his eyes flicked to Alex before coming back to settle on her. Wondering if she would keep Alex with her now that their mission was complete? No matter, she decided, she wasn’t gonna give him an answer. “Good luck, Bane.”

“Same to you.” His gaze shifted to Alex. “And you.” Goodbyes weren’t his strength, but this was supposed to be the last that mattered. Everything was done, now he could... yeah, what?

Alex studied him for a moment before he nodded. “Now that this’s over, what you do is up to you. The future’s wide open and the only one callin’ the shots is you.”

The other man snorted. “Feeling poetic, Whitman?” He took a step backwards. “Have a good life. Be safe.”

“Just sayin’.” He smirked when the man just shot a look at him. “It’s been an adventure.” He held his hand out, waiting several seconds before Bane finally gripped it hard and shook it. “Good luck with... whatever.”

Another silent nod followed. Bane looked at Val for a long moment and then he turned to leave. To what? He had no clue.

“Let’s go,” Val ordered and turned to lead the way back into the jungle. Now that it was finally over she was exhausted. She was ready to go home. Home, she thought. It was a word that had never held much meaning for her, something that had seemed so unattainable. She glanced at Alex out of the corner of her eye when he paused a moment before following, not out of hesitation but just one of those things he did to let her know he was his own man. She smiled as she sidestepped the first of the explosive devices she had set up along their path. Home finally had a meaning and she was ready to get back there.

“So,” Alex started once they had walked for at least ten minutes in absolute silence, “are you gonna tell me your thoughts?”

“About?”

“About whether or not you’re planning for us to last after this.”

“You certainly chose an interesting moment to have this conversation,” she mused as she checked her watch. Less than two minutes and what was left back there was going up in flames.

“You think?”

“You’ve had six months and change to bring it up and you choose now?”

“Now is as good a time as any.”

“I don’t see what there is to discuss.”

“Then give me an answer.”

She was given a brief reprieve when an explosion rattled the ground and she glanced over her shoulder to look at the black smoke rising into the air. Good riddance. “I’m thinking if we pick up the pace we can be home in time to throw a couple steaks on the grill for dinner.”

He chuckled at the answer. It was her way of saying that she wasn’t planning to send him packing. With a shrug he started to move again. “Sounds like a good plan.”

She breathed a sigh of relief when he dropped it. She wasn’t interested in letting him get away but she wasn’t comfortable talking about it either. Maybe one day, but right now she was still getting used to this thing between them.
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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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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 80 - 10/16/16

Post by Eva »

Thrilling to the last minute, in every way possible. Alex surely changed a lot during this story. But hey, who didn't? Even our tough hero who thinks he has to play cavalier seul in every situation. (for people who don't speak French, playing cavalier seul means doing everything on your own).
Speaking of Michael, will he go ack to Maria. That will be the big question in the next chapter.
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 80 - 10/16/16

Post by Roswelllostcause »

I have a bad feeling that things aren't over yet.
Check out my Author page for a list of my fics!


http://www.roswellfanatics.net/viewtopi ... 1&t=155639
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 80 - 10/16/16

Post by sarammlover »

Janus is dead! YAYAYAYAYAY!!! He didn't seem upset that he was going to die. And I LOVE that Val taught Alex how to get out of that hold and he was able to live. Phew. Now what????? I can't wait for more!
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 80 - 10/16/16

Post by L-J-L 76 »

So sorry for bothering you but I was wondering what is going on with Liz, Max and Maria while Michael, Isabel and Alex were killing Janus and the bad guys.

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Part 81

Post by Double Trouble »

Eva: Yep, these characters have gone through quite a few changes over the course of the story. They’ve all gotten stronger, just in different ways.

Good question. Let’s check in with him and see what he has to say about that.

Roswelllostcause: You just never know!

sarammlover: Nope, Janus didn’t seem to even have fear of death. Val wasn’t going to take any chances – if Alex was going with her, he had to know how to protect and defend. Got more coming up!

L-J-L 76: We’ll find out about Maria today. As for Max and Liz, we will find out about them as well, but not today.




Part 81

Maria sipped her coffee while sitting on the porch of the guesthouse, bare feet propped up on the railing, laptop in her lap and her gaze resting on the lake. She was taking a break from her research on the ancient religious rituals of Pompeii to enjoy the view. It didn’t take long for her mind to wander to Michael and she wondered if he had completed his mission, if he had made it back alive. It was impossible to keep those thoughts caged up for long once her mind was unoccupied.

When she was working on research for Alfred it kept her mind busy enough that she wasn’t obsessing about it, but if she got distracted, it was a different story. The past six months had been busy but she loved the work she was doing and the people she had been surrounded with were wonderful. Her attention was pulled to the side when Montgomery came around the side of the house to check on her.

The ex-Marine was serious most of the time but he was also an engaging conversationalist and had a sense of humor once you got past his stoic façade. She could understand why Albert was attracted to him and sometimes she’d catch him watching the older man and she wondered if it was possible that those feelings were reciprocated. It would be a shame if they were and they never acted on it.

Harrison, the ex-SWAT officer, was a lot quicker with a smile and a joke, but he took his job just as seriously. She’d seen him react with amazing speed and skill the evening that some obsessed fan of Albert’s had gotten into the house by hiding in a crate that was supposed to contain the new stove for the kitchen. He’d made sure the man was removed from the house swiftly and he’d taken care of the police reports.

It was Montgomery’s handling of Albert after that incident that had started her questioning if he might possibly harbor feelings for their employer. He’d been so gentle and attentive, never leaving Albert’s side until he was absolutely certain the shaken man was alright. It had taken a bit of research to discover why the situation had turned him into a major recluse; for the next month he hadn’t left the house. It had taken a lot of cajoling and reassurance before he’d so much as ventured out onto the porch again.

“Mornin’, Maria,” Montgomery called as he followed the flagstone path around to the guesthouse.

“Monty,” she greeted with a smile. “You’re out and about fairly early.” He normally had the overnight shift so it wasn’t often she saw him until late afternoon or early evening.

“I’m not on duty. Just came by to see if Albert might want to go into the city, keep me company while I run a few errands. It’ll distract him.”

“Uh-huh,” she teased. He didn’t shift, didn’t blush, but his eyes gave him away. “It’ll do him good to get out for a while. He’s been doing so much better but he’s not getting out nearly as often as he was.”

“No, he’s not, and it’s not good to stay so isolated.” He tapped his temple. “Bad for the mind and the body.”

She chuckled. “Indeed it is. Well, good luck with that.”

“Oh, I’ve already got his agreement. I’ve never seen him move faster. No, I came around to get you because he asked to see you before we go. Harrison said a delivery came just before I got here and I believe that’s why Alfred wants to see you.”

Maria frowned. A delivery? What kind of delivery could make the old man to want to see her? Immediately her heartbeat increased. What if it was from Michael? She didn’t want to feel any hope, but she couldn’t help it. And then those thoughts were shadowed by much darker ones. What if it was some kinda message from whoever might be left from the Circle? Had they found her?

“Maria?” Montgomery waved a hand in front of her face when the woman stared into thin air blankly.

“Huh?”

“The delivery was vetted when it arrived. We’ve always been cautious about deliveries, but since that weirdo managed to get in a few months back nothing comes past the front gates without us checking it top to bottom and from the inside out.”

“I know.” It didn’t have to be anything threatening for someone who hadn’t been involved. She was sure the Circle would find a way to just send something harmless that would make her just as scared. Shaking the dark thought off, she got up. “Okay, let’s go then.”

He nodded and gestured for her to go ahead of him, following at a relaxed pace. He watched her move from stone to stone, her movements fluid and graceful. She had been good for Albert and he knew her work as his research assistant had been invaluable to him. Emily was waiting at the front door, ushering them in with a big smile.

Maria stepped in and her gaze immediately landed on Albert who was standing by one of the large windows, glancing out. He felt her presence and turned around, his expression one of delight. “Morning, Albert. I was told there was a delivery?” she asked, trying to sound neither excited nor worried.

“Have you perchance been seeing someone?” Albert asked with a smile that lit his eyes up. He had grown quite fond of the young woman over the time that she’d been with them and he could easily identify the hope she was trying so hard to hide.

Maria frowned. “Seeing someone?” They both knew she wasn’t.

He stepped aside and motioned to a large bouquet of flowers arranged artfully in a bucket of all things. “I must admit, flowers are most often delivered in a tasteful vase, but I suppose there must be some significance to the sender’s choice.”

Flowers? Her stomach turned upside down while she went to check them, looking for any kind of card or whatever, but there was nothing. Her brain was running wild while she tried to figure out who could have sent them, but there wasn’t anyone that came to mind but one person.

“Well, I’d say either you have a secret admirer,” with no taste in delivery methods, he thought, “or, they’re from John.”

“John?” She frowned. “Oh, yeah.” Damn it.

“They’re a beautiful lot,” Emily said as she admired the flowers.

“Yeah,” she whispered, remembering part of her last conversation with Michael.

“I don’t suppose you’d agree to let me know you’re still alive when it’s all over.”

He shot a sideways glance at her. “It’s not safe for us to maintain contact.”

“Not even a single line to let me know you’re alive?”

“Messages will be too dangerous,” he dismissed her shortly.

“Just a sign you’re freakin’ alive, Michael. Doesn’t have to be a message.”

“So what then?” he snapped. “Want me to send ya a fucking bucket of roses or what?”

She glared at him. “Just forget about it. Drop me off and then leave.”

“Yeah, well, that was the plan before you started talkin’ it to death.”

“Well, excuse me for wanting to know you’re alive. You can be such an asshole when you wanna be,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at the passing scenery.


She shook herself out of her thoughts and slowly reached up to brush the tips of her fingers over the soft petals. Who else could they be from?

Albert observed her reaction, wondering why there hadn’t been a card sent with the flowers.

“I wanna take them to the guesthouse,” she said quietly. So he was alive. He had made it!

“Enjoy them, Maria.” He turned to look at his bodyguard who happened to be off duty and had asked him to accompany him on some errands. “Montgomery, I do believe we have a date in town.”

“Yes, Sir,” he said a little amused and gestured outside.

Maria watched them leave and then stared at the flowers again. As happy as she was to get this ‘message’ from him, in some ways it hurt to know he was alive but intended to stay away from her.

*****

Albert settled down across from Montgomery at a small table at the cafe, his eyes browsing over the menu. They had decided on one of the outdoor tables since the weather was so nice and he was immensely enjoying this opportunity to have the bodyguard all to himself. He made conversation with the pretty waitress as she took their orders and then disappeared.

“If you’ll excuse me for a moment, Albert,” Montgomery said as he stood.

He nodded and reached for the bag resting in the chair next to him. He’d been surprised when Montgomery had suggested the bookstore in one of the older parts of the city, but he hadn’t turned down the offer because he could lose himself for hours among so many volumes of the written word. He removed his purchase and ran his hands lovingly over the leather bound book, his touch reverent as he opened the cover to trace his fingers over the printed words. It was a rare find, but so worth every penny he’d paid for it.

He inhaled deeply and lifted his head to glance around when he suddenly experienced that familiar sensation of being watched.

Michael stared at the old man in pure shock. What the hell was he doing here? As far as he knew from research he had hardly left his house the past few months due to a stalker and yet here he was, sitting in the same restaurant where he had just decided to grab a bite to eat. That wasn’t the plan! Albert wasn’t supposed to even know that he was here.

Why was he even here? He didn’t really know. Something had drawn him here after everything else in his life was done. Okay... not something – Maria. But he had only wanted to watch from a distance. The flowers were supposed to be the closest he got to her.

Albert stood and made his way over to the man, his manners preventing him from taking a seat without an invitation. “John, I hadn’t expected to see you again.”

“Me neither,” he muttered, still pissed at himself that he been too careless to hide his presence better. An entire life as an assassin and as soon as he retired he got busted. Go figure.

“You’re looking...” he cleared his throat. “Surprised,” was the word he finally settled on. “The roses were received this morning. You chose an interesting container for them.”

Michael gestured at the empty seat at his table and waited until Albert had settled down. “Roses?”

“Do you deny you sent them?” He studied his nails for a moment. “Perhaps they were sent by another suitor.”

He couldn’t help but snort at the choice of words.

“She’s a beautiful young woman. Not the type to want for male attentions or affections.”

“She’s a free woman.”

The older man eyed him shrewdly. “Is she?”

Michael’s eyes narrowed. “She’s been with you for the past half year.”

“Indeed she has. How many dates do you suppose she’s had in that time, John?”

“None, if you’ve watched her the way I asked you to.”

He chuckled with amusement. “How long do you wish for her to remain alone?”

“I don’t wish for her to remain alone. It was important for her to lay low for a while.” Yeah, who was he kidding? The thought of her being with another man was killing him – even after spending seven months apart.

“Um-hmm. And what do you intend to do now? Return to her or set her free?”

“We can’t be together, Albert.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

Michael exhaled through his nose in frustration. What he wanted and what he intended to do were two completely different things.

“Have you completed your job?”

“I have.”

“Yet you’ve returned to where you left her rather than move on to the next job.”

“There isn’t a next job and I just wanted to make sure everything here is going smooth.”

He nodded. “Then you intend to set her free.”

He nodded although he felt like screaming a resounding ‘no’.

“John, I’ve suspected you of being many things over the years, but a liar has never been one of them until now.” He shook his head in disappointment.

Michael leaned back in his seat and stared at the other man through his sunglasses wordlessly and with crossed arms.

“Maria’s a young woman who’s full of life and while I have come to care for her, love her even, I know she can’t remain on the estate indefinitely. Like a flower, without the proper cultivation she’ll slowly wither away.”

“She’s not supposed to stay with you forever.”

He sighed in frustration. “The location is irrelevant, John. You can be such a bullheaded ass when it suits you!”

That actually made him laugh. “You sound almost like her.”

“I must admit she’s been a joy to spend time with. The work she’s done for me has been the best I’ve ever had.” His fingers played with a linen napkin as he glanced up at John. “And that very same work can be done from anywhere in the world. It’s the wonder of the computer age, my boy.”

Michael pressed his back teeth together. The last thing he needed was someone telling him what could be. He had accepted a long time ago that he and Maria couldn’t be and now he was again having doubts.

“Can you move on and leave her? Can you stand back and wait while her broken heart mends and she eventually finds love with another man?”

His hands clenched into fists while his thoughts drifted to a conversation with her, that they once had in a small cold cabin in the middle of nowhere. They’d both been wounded and exhausted, but it was one of those things in life that he would never forget. Back then he had promised he’d take her to his house in the Maldives and yet he had never followed through on his promise.

Could he now? If not forever, then maybe for a little while? What did it matter if they had to split up again or not? It wasn’t like either of them was over the other at this point.

“Or possibly, what might even be worse than her moving on, can you stand the thought of her never having love in her life? Of her closing herself off to the possibility with anyone else because letting you go isn’t something she can do?” He leaned back in his chair, his posture straight as he met John’s dark gaze. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was one of those who held on to something that no one else believes is possible. I don’t expect you to share your feelings on the subject, but even someone who’s never known love must be able to identify the truth of a woman in love.”

“You don’t know a whole lot about me or my history with her.”

“No,” he murmured agreeably, “but I know what love looks like.”

Michael sighed. He wanted to see her again. Badly. But was it really the right decision? His thoughts drifted to Val. Obviously she hadn’t had such problems sticking with Whitman. For some reason she believed that it could work. So why not him?

“She’s waited faithfully since you left her here.” He smiled and held a hand up. “That may not mean much in this day and age, but there are still those of us who can appreciate that.” He had a feeling John was one of them, at least where Maria was concerned.

“I have to go,” Michael got up before the bodyguard could return as well. “Don’t tell her you met me. I’ll contact you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Albert nodded and stood to return to his own table, knowing before he looked that John would be gone.

*****

“I’ll need to see some ID, Sir.”

“Why is that important?” he growled at the man behind the counter of the small 24-hour gas station.

“Regulations, Sir. Shop’s been robbed a few times.”

“If I planned to rob you, don’t you think I’d use a fake ID?” He reached into his wallet, irritated, and threw the requested ID card on the counter.

The other man sighed. “I know. I don’t make the rules.” He glanced at it for a moment and then handed it back with a nod. “Thanks, Mr. Guerin. Anything else besides the gas?”

“No.” Hearing his given name out of a stranger’s mouth was weird. He wasn’t even sure why he had finally gotten an ID with his real name since he wasn’t planning to use it wherever it could cause problems. Maybe it was the feeling of being a real person for once. He had used so many names in his life that sometimes they all blurred into one and his true identity had been lost. Now that the worst of the storm seemed to be over and the Circle had been destroyed, it was time to figure out who he really was and what he wanted to do. His real name? Well, maybe it would help to find the real personality in him as well.

He took his credit card from the clerk once the gas was paid for and left without so much as a goodbye. His mind was already elsewhere and the short drive to his destination went by without his full attention as well. He forced his concentration back to the task at hand when he parked the motorcycle in the shadows of a group of trees and sprinted the short distance over to the walls surrounding the huge property. With a few quick moves he made it to the top quietly.

For a man so careful, Alfred Barkley’s property was poorly lit, he thought. It made it pretty easy to slip in without the notice of either the watchdogs or the bodyguards. Okay admittedly, not every intruder was as well trained as he was in moving without a sound, but still… in a small way it pissed him off.

Michael shook the feeling off and slipped off on the other side. Nothing had happened to Maria so it didn’t matter anymore. He made his way towards the guesthouse where she was supposed to be, easily dodging two men. When he reached the porch, he glanced around again to make sure he hadn’t missed anyone or anything following him.

Nothing, he thought satisfied and moved forward, freezing when the planks under his feet squeaked loudly. FUCK! How had he not thought about that? Glancing around again, he listened into the mostly silent night. No one seemed to have heard it, but it still pissed him off for being so stupid.

He walked around the house, hidden in the shadows the moon was creating and with any further sound until he reached the back that looked out over the lake. Right in front of the bedroom window he stopped, taking his time to prepare for his next step.
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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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Eva
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 81 - 10/23/16

Post by Eva »

Mr. Guerin, huh? I'm grinning here like some stupid woman who won the lottery. :lol: Michael is a goner! Certainly after that man-to-man conversation with Albert. Great stuff!
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sarammlover
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Re: THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Part 81 - 10/23/16

Post by sarammlover »

I do love that he got an ID with his real name!! LOVE IT! And I can't wait for this reunion!!!!! AHH!!! A whole week to wait!
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