THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Epilogue - 11/6/16

[Eva]

Oh my, oh my... Indeed, it could have been worse but it's still not good. It's totally not good at all. Brody and Padre are used to go on, no matter what. And it will take a little miracle to stabilize Michael. They got him good, that's a fact. I can only hope they can reach to a safer place and most of all very soon!

[sarammlover]

Every week I think, it can't get worse than this. How are they going to get out....and they have ALMOST made it out alive....here is hoping Michael gets some medical attention quickly!! I also might need a recap on who is hurt and where! HA! Great update.

[Double Trouble]

Roswelllostcause: Chances are good things can always be worse no matter what the situation is.

Eva: Nope, we’re not at good yet. There time is limited and the enemy is still there so they’re gonna have to work fast.

sarammlover: Lol, they are getting closer. That recap will be coming up. Thanks!



Part 64

Brody clenched the radio in his hand. They had two options and now he had to pick between bad and worse. Pressing the button again, he brought it up to his mouth. “Soon as we reach the rock formation, there’ll be a narrow path and it narrows even further as we climb. Stop there and take care of him. We’ll be right behind you and keep the motherfuckers off your ass.”

The line crackled with static and a moment later Val’s voice could be heard, the sound tinny as it traveled over the radio. “Got it.”

“Two minutes,” he radioed back, “that’s all you got.” His eyes met Padre’s and the man nodded in appreciation. “I hope I don’t regret it.”

“It’s a good position. Our men on the other side cleared a path and there’ll be protection from the rocks above us so the only direction we need to protect is our back.”

As soon as they reached the location Brody had pointed out Kyle stopped the vehicle and turned to look at Bane. His face was pinched and drained of color, easily identifying the toll his pain level as well as the loss of blood was taking on him. “We need to get him horizontal before he goes into shock.”

Val nodded. They had stabilized the piece of rebar as well as they could but without any way to shorten the steel rod they couldn’t do much more in that arena. Removing the rod could easily open up a world of problems and he could bleed out before they even made it to the plane waiting for them. Jumping up to lean out the window and fire at their attackers had only aggravated the situation but they hadn’t had much choice.

“In the backseat with him,” Kyle suggested.

“Yeah.” She grabbed Bane’s shoulder and pulled him away from the door before glancing at Alex. “Hold him still.” She shoved her door open and got out, moving to the front and opening the door.

“Sure,” he did as he was told, getting a good look at the man’s face. Ungh, he was not doing good.

“Okay, big man, we’re gonna have to move you,” she said as she looked him over. She could patch the shoulder wound more but they had done everything they could do with his leg.

Bane grunted when he heard someone talking to him, but his mind was too fuzzy to form a reply.

Kyle hopped out and ran around to give her a hand. The time they had been given was ticking away. He shouldered his buddy’s weight as they moved him, grateful when Whitman dropped down on the other side and leaned back in to grab the man’s shoulders and help pull him across the seat.

“You are such a heavy ass,” Val grunted.

He couldn’t focus on what was said though he did catch the tone, but he was too weak to come back with a smart remark.

“Do we have a first aid kit?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, drop the panel in your door.” He frowned when the damaged panel was dropped and he saw the hole through the center of the kit. His gaze lowered to the floorboard and he saw the exit path. “Great.” He nodded at the back. “Check the back, there’s a backup kit under the floor panel.”

Alex nodded and found it. “Well, it’s old but it’ll do for now.”

Val took it and opened it up, sorting through the items inside. “Is the antiseptic in the other kit usable?”

Kyle went through it. “I guess so.”

“Soak the wound,” she said as she peeled the blood-soaked material away from it. She shook her head when the liquid hit the wound and it didn’t draw much of a reaction from Bane. The radio crackled to life and without looking up from what she was doing she spoke. “Alex, tell him we’ll be ready to move in under a minute.”

“Sure,” he agreed and did as he was told, not caring to look at the amount of blood that seemed to be all over the man anyway.

She packed the wound and then applied a dressing as she listened to Brody’s caustic response at being informed that they weren’t on the move yet. She understood the necessity of moving right away, but she wasn’t willing to just let Bane bleed to death without doing her best to prevent it.

“That’s the best we can do,” Kyle looked at Bane after they were done. “Hang on, man.”

She shifted him around a little so they could close the door and then looked at Kyle. “I know we couldn’t have breached the compound without their help but I’ll be glad when we go our separate ways.”

“The cooperation might not be over yet though.”

“No, but I’d just like to put some distance between us for a while.”

“Well, they’re not coming back with us, are they?”

“Hell no! Can you imagine the fit Bane would throw if he regained consciousness and found out they were there?” She shook her head.

“Yeah, he doesn’t like too much company.” Kyle snorted and they started to roll again slowly.

She rolled her eyes. “He sure as hell doesn’t.” Although he seemed to be tolerating Deluca’s company without any problem.

“Unless your name’s Maria.”

“Yeah, as much of a loner as he is, that was a little unexpected.”

“Well, they say every Jack has his Jill.” Alex shrugged.

“They do say that, don’t they?” Kyle said and shot an amused look at Val.

She kept her eyes on the road. “It’s just a saying romantic people came up with.”

He chuckled and looked around as they left the safety of the rock formations. “Yeah, I’m sure it is.”

The radio crackled again. “Stay to the left.”

Val nodded when Kyle moved to comply and she keyed the radio. “We got company?”

“No, our men secured the road, so stay left unless you wanna hit a mine.”

“That’s good advice,” Kyle muttered. “Nice of him to warn us now.”

“That’s Brody,” she muttered.

“Hate to have him against us.”

“No kidding,” she snorted and glanced at Bane again. It was hard to admit to herself, but losing him would be bad and not only for the operation.

“Is it safe for him to fly in his condition?” Alex asked. It wasn’t like they had many options and he knew flying would put more distance between them and any members of the Circle who might be following them.

“Nothing is safe at the moment.”

He nodded. He’d pretty much expected that answer. “If he needs a blood transfusion can your wife handle that?”

“If someone has the same type.”

At the rate the man was bleeding he’d be surprised if he didn’t need a transfusion. He wondered if someone else would have a matching blood type. He knew he had the universal type so if no one else was a match he’d be called upon to help out.

They drove, staying far to the left and moving as fast as possible, Brody following right behind. When an explosion rattled the car they all looked back and Val grinned when she saw just smoke instead of the enemy.

“Won’t take ‘em long to figure it out,” Kyle muttered.

“No, but they’re running out of vehicles.”

“If nothin’ else, it’ll buy us time to get the hell outta here. I’ll feel a lot better once we’re in the air and we can put some real distance between us and them.”

“Ditto.”

“I had hoped we’d be able to take out some of the organization’s more powerful figures.” She rubbed her temple, trying to keep the headache threatening to emerge at bay. “Granted, taking the network down works in our favor and I know someone has to remain standing to take responsibility for this mess, but I wanted to see Janus dead even if we didn’t get any of the others.”

“Maybe there’ll be another chance,” he said with a shrug.

“Might be a while before we can launch another assault on them.” Well, only if they waited for Bane to be back on his feet.

“Patience was never one of your strengths,” Kyle chuckled.

“You can say that again,” Alex muttered from the backseat.

“You have no room to talk.”

“Me?”

She turned to look at him. “Would you call yourself patient?”

“Generally speaking, yes.”

She snorted and shook her head. “You aren’t an’ you can just admit it, Whitman.”

He shook his head. “You have no idea just how patient I can be.”

The radio crackled again and got their attention. “We’ll hit a road in a mile, let’s follow it. We’re gonna get rid of the last of our followers now.”

Val turned to look at them just in time to see two of Brody’s men lean out the windows of their vehicle one on each side, grenades in their hands.

The ground shook with the force of the dual explosions and Kyle held tight to the steering wheel, fighting to keep the tires away from the right side of the road. They were closing in on the road Brody had indicated and he turned onto it less than a minute later.

“Thank God,” Alex muttered. A few more minutes with those bumps and he sure as hell would have puked.

“I really don’t like not knowin’ our route.” Kyle checked the mirrors before locking his gaze on the road before them.

“Yeah, me neither,” Val admitted.

They hadn’t had a lot to go on regarding the compound until meeting up with Brody and the team he’d assembled and that made him uneasy. So far the guy hadn’t done anything to make him question where his loyalties were, but he still didn’t trust him. This road wasn’t on any of the plans they had been given and he could only hope they weren’t driving straight into an ambush.

Brody watched as the last of the enemy following them was left behind in a burst of fire and smoke before he finally turned his head forward and dared to rest back in the seat. He had the feeling he was breathing for the first time in hours and it finally took some pressure off his chest. “Well done, everyone,” he told his men with an appreciative nod and also squeezed Padre’s shoulder. “We need to stay on the move. They’ll send more to take us down but they shouldn’t know our departure plan.”

“Our best bet is getting them to the airstrip,” he said with a nod at the vehicle ahead of them, “while we hang back, make sure no one follows.”

“Agreed.”

They had a better chance if they split up. The airstrip they had landed at was abandoned and hadn’t been used in more than a decade. It had been a privately operated airfield and thanks to its remote location it was off the grid. He shot a quick glance at Brody when he picked up the radio to relay the plan.

*****

The cabin was silent. So silent that the sound of a spoon striking the sides of a cup as Tess stirred her coffee was extremely loud and grating. Maria sat at the center island, fingertips massaging small circles against her temple. Her nerves were stretched taut and she felt like she was going to snap in two at any moment. The minutes had crept by, slowly turning into hours, and still there was no word. Neither of them had been able to sleep and they’d passed each other numerous times as they paced from room to room, unable to remain still for very long.

The sun had come up, shining brightly and glaring off of the snow, but in spite of the many furtive glances outside they were oblivious to the view. As the sun climbed higher and the shadows became longer there was still no word, no sign that the others were returning. Maria had finally decided to make them something to eat but after picking at the light meal it had been tossed out and they had cleaned up in silence.

She nodded when a cup of coffee was placed in front of her but she made no move to pick it up. There was little point in drinking it. She was cold but it wasn’t the kind of cold that could be chased away with a warm drink. Was Michael alright? Had they found Max and Liz? Was Alex okay? Had he been able to get them into the compound? She wished she knew; wished the sound of a vehicle approaching could be heard to announce their arrival.

“It’s been so long,” she muttered as she turned the mug in her hands.

“Sometimes these things take longer than planned,” Tess said carefully. She was worried too, but dwelling on it wasn’t going to help the situation.

“I know, but at this point...” Maria sighed, shaking her head.

“There are a million things that can go wrong and hold a mission up. They don’t always amount to casualties.”

She nodded dumbly. Technically she knew that and had repeated it to herself over and over but with every passing minute, her impatience and worry increased and there was just nothing she could do about it.

“Their intended exit could’ve been compromised and they had to reroute, they could’ve run into mechanical difficulties...” They could be dead or at the mercy of their captors. She forced that thought back, refusing to voice it.

“This waiting is insane though!”

“Yeah, it’s a helluva lot easier being on the other side of the clock,” she admitted quietly. She wasn’t used to being the one left behind, the one waiting and worrying. It had happened on the rare occasion, but as a rule she was in the thick of things, not sitting at home hoping and praying Kyle came home. Yeah, she always worried when he was out there, but when you were out there too you couldn’t risk letting that fear outweigh the mission objective. That fear could be paralyzing and she hated it.

“Not sure about the easier part, but at least you have an occupied mind for sure.”

“Well,” she smiled faintly, “that right there makes it a little more tolerable. So, how can we occupy ours?”

She snorted quietly and shook her head. “I wish I knew. Unfortunately in this situation it seems like everything leads right back to what’s going on with them.”

“Yeah,” Maria sighed, sipping at her coffee.

“So, what was he like when you knew him years ago?”

“I didn’t really know him.” She stared out the window as she tried to remember. “He came across like a rebel though.”

“That sounds like him.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Guess some things can’t be changed.”

“Yeah,” Maria smiled faintly. “I had a crush on him but I don’t think he really paid any attention to me.”

“No, I’m sure he was too busy being who he is. Plus, he’s older so it’s a good thing he didn’t really pay much attention to you.” She smirked. “He’s sure paying attention to you now though.”

The other woman snorted. “And it started with being on his hit-list.”

“There’s probably no way to ever forget that,” she said with a laugh.

“No.” Maria snorted. “Jeez, he was gonna kill me. Unbelievable!”

“He never saw you comin’. I know the way he thinks and sometimes it’s a bit warped, but he’s completely off balance where you’re concerned.”

“I guess so,” she chuckled and looked at the other woman. “It’s not only him. I’ve never had anyone in my life either.”

Tess nodded. They were perfectly matched and she hoped Michael didn’t fuck it up. “I suppose he’ll disappear once this part’s over. It’d be too big a risk for him to be in the spotlight when those left standing are taken to trial.”

Maria nodded and swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

“Can you see something developing between the two of you beyond what you’ve had here?”

“He doesn’t want that.”

“But you do.”

She shrugged. “It would be nice to have him around longer. See what it’s like without the stress and all.”

She sighed. “Getting out from under that kind of pressure makes a big difference. Things are... not necessarily easier, but not as difficult.”

“I don’t think he believes that.” Maria ran her hands over her face tiredly. “Michael believes that he’s only good at being an assassin. He’s never given a more normal life a second thought so he’s convinced he wouldn’t be any good at it.”

“Do you think he’d be good at it?” Tess asked.

“I dunno,” she admitted. “All he remembers is violence, murder and betrayal.”

“True, but no one’s ever too old to learn new stuff.” The curly blonde shrugged and placed her mug on the counter. “Kyle was a lot like Michael when we met, ya know?”

“Yeah?” Maria turned her head to her curiously. “And how’d you convince him to change?”

“I didn’t. It just came naturally with time.”

She wondered if that would even be possible with Michael. She sighed quietly. He’d been pretty adamant that their time together was over, that once this mission was completed it wouldn’t be long before they went their separate ways. She couldn’t help hoping that he’d change his mind and give them a chance. There was no way of knowing if it would work out between them. He wouldn’t be an easy man to live with and she didn’t need any past experience with men to know that.

Kyle might have been a lot like Michael, but there were also some pretty big differences. Tess’ husband had embraced his life with his wife. He was obviously happy and he didn’t have any problem expressing his feelings for her. She tried to picture Michael being that open and she just couldn’t bring it in clearly. Maybe it was fear. The fear of hoping for something that wasn’t likely to work out.

“How did you and Kyle meet?” she asked to distract herself from her thoughts. “He wasn’t an assassin, right?”

“No,” Tess laughed, “he was a Navy SEAL.”

Maria nodded, remembering Michael mentioning that he and Kyle had served together in the Navy. “Did you like, meet on a mission or something?”

“We met in a camp in Afghanistan,” she nodded. “He was coming in after a mission and I had just been ordered there as a pilot.”

“An’ did you guys like see each other and knew you would work out or...”

“No,” Tess chuckled. “I was giving them a hand in the medical camp there because they’d had massive attacks recently and the doc there had already worked way too many hours for weeks on end. Kyle came in after spending almost a whole month out in the desert. He was stinky, he was unshaven, and had no interest in anyone helping with his minor injuries.”

“Sounds like Michael.”

“I know, right? He was there too and just as much of a pain in the ass.” Tess snorted. “I had put up with grumpy military men most of my life though, so I knew how to handle them and I think they started to respect me when they realized I wasn’t there to be messed around with.”

Maria nodded, not surprised that the other woman had managed to set them straight, whether by word or deed.

“Kyle’s a man of action but he’s also an observer. Once he got it through his thick head that I had no intention of amusing him for a night or two the other brain kicked in.” Not that it had stopped him from pursuing her. No, he’d continued with his mission to get into her panties, refusing to acknowledge that there was more to it than getting laid and blowing off some steam. But somewhere along the way his method of pursuit had changed and it had eventually become more than just the thrill of the chase.

“There’s really no way to know if it’ll work, is there?”

“Not without putting everything you have into it.” She laughed quietly. “And even then there are no guarantees other than the promise of a lot of hard work because if you want it to work you’ve gotta be willing to give it everything you’ve got. And that’s especially true with guys like them.”

“Sounds exhausting,” Maria admitted with a little smirk.

“Oh, it is,” Tess chuckled, “but it can also give you a lot. Kyle and I are different in some ways and the same in others. We work together as a team in more than one way but it was all a way of building our relationship. No couple’s perfect from the start. You have to learn to accept each other’s faults and you have to make compromises without giving up who you are.”

“Seems like you worked out the perfect recipe for a relationship. Ever thought about writing a book about it?”

She snorted. “Never.”

“Could make you rich, although I think…” Maria trailed of when she heard a sound and she didn’t waste a second before running to look out the window.

“Hey, be careful, we don’t know who it is,” Tess warned and pulled her away.

“But it could be them, they could be back.”

“It could also be someone here to kill you. We don’t take a chance like that and just run to the window.”

“There was no alarm,” she protested, doing her best to get a look outside.

“No, but the one thing you have to know and understand is that there’s always someone better out there. If they take you out there’s no one left to stand against them.” Not to mention she would NOT want to be the one to share that news with Michael if someone managed to get past their security and kill the other woman. She reached for the weapon holstered at the small of her back, holding a hand up to keep Maria back, and approached the window from the side. She used the barrel of the gun to move the curtain aside, her breathing slow and controlled as she scanned the road leading to the cabin.

The vehicle that approached wasn’t the one they had left in and she couldn’t see through the tinted windows to identify its occupants. As soon as it rolled to a stop the doors began to open and her hand flexed around the grip. In spite of the dusky light left by the sunset she recognized her husband’s outline before she could make out his features. She frowned at the pronounced limp that hadn’t been there when she’d watched him leave less than 24 hours earlier.

“It’s them.” She shook her head when she saw Maria’s intention to run for the door. “Go pull the chairs away from the dining room table. We’ve got injured people coming in.”

“But-”, Maria started to protest but stopped when she realized her own needs weren’t important at the moment. She turned on her heel and went to the dining room as instructed.

Tess hurried to the front door, disarming the alarm and pulling the door open as the group made its way to the porch, three of them huddled around one person. As they climbed the five steps and stepped into the light she was finally able to get a good look at them and to assess the situation. Kyle and Alex were carrying Michael between them and Val was doing her best to keep his leg immobile.

“Dining room table,” she said and ushered them inside, her mind already going over the possible complications. She’d had the foresight to pull her equipment out and had everything set up in the dining room. A plastic cloth covered the table and she glanced around, nodding when she saw that the chairs had been moved as she instructed.

[Roswelllostcause]

Well they got back to their base camp more or less in one piece. Now comes patching up the injured.

[keepsmiling7]

Great part,
Thanks,
Carolyn

[Eva]

Thank God! They made it! I can 't say "in one poece" but hell, they made it! Rescue time, Tess!

[sarammlover]

YAY! I know they aren't out of the woods yet but they made it back to the cabin! Where are Liz and Max? Were they in the jeep too?? I get the willies just thinking about that rebar in Michael's leg....OWIE!

[Nix]

I love this story. Thanks for another great segment. I look forward to next Sunday.

[Double Trouble]

Roswelllostcause: Yep, Tess is gonna have her hands full with this group.

keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!

Eva: Nope, they’ve definitely got to be put back together, but at least they’ve got Tess in their corner!

sarammlover: That was a major win right there, lol. Liz and Max... Liz and Max... where the heck did we leave them? DT scrambling to find them. Ah, wait! We’ve found them. Now we just have to share their location with you, right? Hold on just a minute... Yeah, talk about a major OWIE!

Nix: Welcome to our little corner of the universe! We’re glad you’re enjoying the story. We’ve got a lot more of it coming!




Part 65

Although it was freezing cold outside, Val was sweating like she’d been sitting in a sauna for an hour. The adrenalin was still rushing through her veins and doing its job, keeping her blood pressure elevated and the pain to a minimum. “He was shot in the shoulder as well. Lost consciousness about two hours ago.”

“Has he been conscious at all since then? In and out?” she asked, shooting a cursory glance over the other woman.

“More out than in.”

As soon as they placed him on the table and stood back she moved in, pulling a penlight out of her pocket and leaning over Michael, lifting one eyelid and then the next to test his response. She shook her head and shifted back, peeling the makeshift bandage back to check his shoulder. After determining the severity and deciding it could wait, she moved further down to the thigh injury. “He never does anything halfway, does he?” she muttered as she started removing the bandage. In spite of the thickness of the bandage it was soaked in blood and she knew how badly this could turn out when the rod was removed.

“He took a good beating,” Val nodded and leaned against the wall to take a breath.

“Yeah, I can see that. He’s not the only one. Find a chair and plant your ass in it.”

“We’ll go back for the others,” Kyle said, nodding at Alex to follow him. He knew the other man needed medical attention but they couldn’t leave Max and Liz in the truck any longer.

“How serious are their injuries?” Tess asked when they returned about ten minutes later. She had sent Maria to help them before she’d had the opportunity to see Michael and get distracted and she knew the woman was being hit from all sides.

“Physical injuries seem pretty superficial. Liz was partially conscious when we found her but hasn’t regained consciousness since and Evans was conscious long enough to ask where his girl was, but not since then. I didn’t see any evidence of broken bones or internal injury. They’ve been worked over pretty good. Looked like they’d been kept separated so I don’t know how much one will know about what happened to the other. She was sensitive to light and sound. Their wrists are covered in abrasions, they’re badly bruised, there’s evidence they were subjected to electroshock, and they have multiple small incisions inflicted with intent. The cells they were held in were wired and charged with electrical current, floors and walls.”

Tess glanced at him, seeing the ghosts of old memories lurking in his eyes. His description of their injuries was clinical, his tone detached, but it was the only way he could get through providing the necessary information. From the corner of her eye she saw Maria pause in the doorway and she wasn’t surprised. Her friends were hurt but they were alive and out of the Circle’s custody. Now there was the more pressing matter of Michael’s condition. “You put them in the third bedroom?” she asked, staying on track with the conversation.

“Yeah, figured separating them might be traumatic.” He walked up next to his wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Tell me how I can help.”

Her fingers came up to rest against his cheek in a brief caress before she focused on the task at hand again. “I’m gonna need you to remove that rod. Alex, get up here next to his head and hold him down. As much blood as he’s lost I doubt he’s gonna regain consciousness but in the event that he does you’re gonna have to keep him immobile.”

Maria just stood there and watched in horror – she was hardy able to move. He looked so pale and weak, it scared her.

Tess finished pulling the bandage off and she dropped it on the table. She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the pants away, clearing the material from the wound. “Shit,” she muttered as she studied the angle of entry and the bruised skin around it. “Okay, I’m pretty sure it nicked the artery but the rod pressing against it’s keeping him from bleeding out so we’re gonna have to move fast.”

“You give the order,” he nodded.

She glanced at him as she reached for a bottle. “I’m gonna sterilize the area around the rod and then I’ll make an incision. I need to be able to get to that artery and see how badly it’s damaged before I have you pull it out.”

“Okay, go for it,” he nodded.

“Maria, come over here. Stand down there by his ankle and hold his leg straight.”

She swallowed hard. “Okay.”

“Don’t look at the wound if you think you’re gonna blow chow,” she advised, remembering the woman’s reaction when she’d tried to remove his tracker on the plane.

“Might tell Valenti that as well,” Val snorted.

Tess chuckled. “He knows better than to puke on one of my patients.” She used a razor to shave the area around the wound and then reached for a couple of clamps that she placed on a clean towel. She poured the antiseptic over the wound and then reached for a scalpel. “Okay,” she breathed, “here we go.” She made the necessary incision and released a relieved breath when she saw that the artery wasn’t fully severed. After applying the clamps to prevent further bleeding in the event the artery was subject to more damage during removal of the rod she glanced up at her husband. “You’re up. Just move with the angle of penetration.”

He nodded wordlessly and pulled the pipe, his stomach rolling when it caused a wet sucking sound.

She watched as the rod was removed, keeping an eye on the damage, and as soon as it was free she went to work. She grabbed the saline solution and flushed the wound, followed by the antiseptic wash, hoping to prevent infection from taking hold. She knew chances were greater of infection setting in due to the length of time the rod had been imbedded in his leg, but maybe for once luck would be on their side.

She reached for the hypodermic already filled with lidocaine, injecting it to anesthetize the area. She set about repairing the artery first before placing sutures in several places. “Keep your eyes averted,” she ordered as she started to trim the edges of the wound where it was damaged and threatened to increase the odds of infection.

“No need to tell me that,” he said, grossed out.

She chuckled and glanced up at him. “Your leg... through and through?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.

“Good. Any other injuries?”

“Nothing major,” he said and nodded at Val. “She’s next.”

“Injuries?”

“Just some bruises mainly,” she shrugged, but the movement hurt.

She finished suturing the leg wound and began applying a dressing. “Okay, let me take a look at his shoulder wound, see how much damage we’re looking at there.”

Kyle nodded. “His vest might be in the way.”

“I’d be disappointed if anything involving him was easy.” She shook her head and switched positions, working the vest off of Michael with their help. She cut his shirt away and peeled it back, making a face at the piece of material that had been packed into the wound. “Prime breeding ground for bacterial infection,” she muttered under her breath. Yes, even with the extensive medical training under her belt she’d been in positions where she’d had no choice but to do the same thing. It was still a dangerous practice.

“I would’ve liked to see you do better, Harding,” Val shook her head, irritated. Now that she was coming down from her high, she could feel all kinds of injuries that she hadn’t even been aware of.

Tess just chuckled under her breath. The assassin had a tendency to take offense to anything she felt was being aimed in her direction. “Wasn’t pointing fingers, Val, just stating a fact. I’ve been known to pack a wound the same way. If your only other option is to bleed out, it tends to narrow down your choices.” She leaned in close and started muttering to herself. “There you are, you little bastard.” She grabbed one of the instruments and went after it, glad when it was easily retrieved. It was a small caliber slug and judging by the size of the entry wound, the damage the bullet had sustained and the lack of damage to the bone, she was fairly certain it had been a ricochet. “Minimal damage to the surrounding tissue, which is a miracle.” She cleaned the wound and closed it before dressing it and stepping back. “Okay, we need to get him to bed. Kyle, make sure his leg and shoulder are elevated. Maria,” she glanced at the younger woman, “I need to see to the rest of them so keep an eye on Michael. He’s also filthy so get him outta those clothes and clean him up. He’ll rest better if he’s clean. Kyle, Alex, soon as the two of you are finished, get back in here.” She turned to Val. “You’re up.”

“Since when you are the boss here?”

“Since I’m the one with the medical degree. You’re on my turf now, Val.” She shrugged. “If you’d rather sit over there and hurt, that’s your choice. But, if you’d rather make sure you don’t have any internal injuries followed by a nice muscle relaxer, that’s also your choice.”

The taller woman rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Tess smirked and cleared away the plastic covering the table, rolling it up tightly and disposing of it before shaking out a fresh sheet of plastic and spreading it out over the table. She could hear the others moving down the hall as she smoothed the wrinkles out. She gestured to the table and waited to see if Val would take a seat.

“Everything quiet here while we were gone?” she asked and got on the table.

“Um-hmm, no problems to report.” She waited patiently for the woman to strip her gear off, knowing any offer to help would be met with refusal and disdain.

“They knew we were coming.”

“They had to expect it at some point. Once your trackers went offline it would’ve been foolish to think you’d just disappear.”

“If Brody hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t have made it back.” As much as it stung, she had to admit it.

She could sense how much Val despised that admission. “It would’ve been suicide to hit that compound with two or three people so it’s good he was there. Did he and his team make it out?”

“Yeah. Most of them anyway.”

“And what about the mission objective? Were you successful?”

“We were.”

“Then the Circle’s gonna be in utter chaos at the moment. They have no assassin network to rely on and we have enough information on them to have them brought up on charges.”

“Yeah, we have a good chance of striking again.” She looked down the hallway. “Bane needs to be on his feet soon. What’re his chances?”

She shook her head. “He’s gonna need a few days. He gets up on that leg and starts moving around too much too soon he could cause that artery to rupture. That happens he could bleed out before it could be stopped.”

“But he will make it?”

“He’s got a good chance. If we can avoid an infection setting in that increases his chances even more. The longer a foreign body remains embedded in a wound the greater the chances of infection, but at least we can keep an eye on him and if he shows any sign of infection we can start treating him immediately.”

“Good, we need him.”

“You might be reconsidering when he wakes up and treats us to the wounded bear routine,” she laughed.

“No kidding,” she snorted and winced when Tess touched her stomach.

“Took a couple shots to the abdomen, hmm?” She probed gently, searching for any signs of internal injury.

“A few, yes.”

“There’re no signs of internal bleeding or injury outside of the obvious bruising. You’re gonna be very colorful for a few weeks. Now that the adrenaline’s fading the pain’s setting in. You’re sore now, but after you’ve had time to get a few hours sleep, you’re really gonna be hurtin’. Nothing you don’t already know, I know, but it doesn’t hurt to remind you.” Of course, her body would be screaming that warning loud and clear come morning. “The muscle relaxers will help though.”

“I’ve been injured worse before.”

“I don’t doubt that. But this time you get to be injured and recovering with a houseful of people.” She smirked as she imagined just how distasteful that little reminder was.

“I don’t have to stay here.”

“No, you don’t,” she muttered agreeably as she moved around the woman’s side to inspect the bruising pattern that had spread. She applied pressure to her ribs and nodded when she inhaled sharply. “Not broken. Possibly fractured, definitely bruised.”

“Hurts all the same.”

“I’m not feeling anything to indicate a break in any of the ribs, so that’s a good thing. I think the damage is limited to bruising so what you’re gonna do is curl up with an ice pack, take a painkiller, and be still for the next 72 hours.”

“72?” she spit out.

“72,” her tone was non-negotiable. “And no, wrapping your ribs so you can get back out there isn’t an option. We’re safe for the moment and our chances of staying that way depend on whether or not we’re capable of fighting our way out if the situation arises. Ice, painkillers, rest.”

“We can’t give the Circle too much time though.”

“Three days won’t give them enough time to recoup from their losses. Michael’s not gonna be in shape for a fight for a while, so count yourself lucky that it’s only 72 hours.”

Val sighed impatiently. “Fine.”

She chuckled at the grudging tone and stepped back. “Go get cleaned up and I’ll have an ice pack waiting for you.”

“Take care of your man.”

“Val?” she called, stopping the assassin before she could leave.

The other woman hesitated without turning to look at her.

“Thank you.”

“For?”

“Getting him back here in one piece.” Physically at least. She wouldn’t know the extent of mental and emotional damage until he went through the adrenaline crash and what he’d been through really hit him.

“Don’t thank me.”

“Well, I appreciate you having his back out there whether you want it or not.”

“Well, you’re welcome. We had each other’s backs I’d say.”

She nodded, knowing how true that was. She cleaned up and sanitized her instruments, carefully drying them and placing them on the tray so they could be used again while she waited for the men to come back. She’d noticed Alex limping and she wanted to get a look at him and send him off to bed then check on Max and Liz so she could focus all of her attention on her husband.

Kyle groaned tiredly as he sat down. “Long ass day.”

“It’s over now,” she said, rubbing his shoulder as she looked at the other man. “Alex, have a seat so I can take a look at you.”

“Sure.”

“You take any bullets?” she asked as she removed the hastily applied bandage wrapped around his head.

“No, but I did get thrown up against the rocks after an explosion and cracked my head open. Val’s pestered me for the past few hours to keep me awake. She’s worried I might have a concussion. Oh, and something hit my leg in the truck, not sure if it was shrapnel or a bullet, but it left a huge hole in the floorboard.”

“Yeah, I noticed the lights seemed to be bothering you.” She pulled her penlight out and checked his eyes, noting his responses. “Headache?”

“No. I had one hell of a headache after hitting the rocks, but it finally disappeared.”

“Good.” She reached up and rested her hands on either side of his neck, pressing gently but firmly before turning his head from one side to the other. “Does that bother you at all? Any pain?”

“No.”

“Okay, that’s good.” He was quiet while she cleaned the head wound and he tried hard not to fidget when she applied the sutures to close it. “That actually looks worse than it is, but it’s common for this type of wound to bleed excessively. Did you receive any other injuries when you were thrown against the rocks?”

“My shoulders and chest ache but…” he nodded when she motioned for him to remove his shirt.

“Yeah, I have a feeling they’re gonna ache for a while,” she said when she got a look at the bruises covering his upper body. After determining he hadn’t suffered any broken bones and miraculously he appeared to be free of internal injuries and bleeding she turned her attention to his leg. She cut his pants off from the knee down and she winced when she saw the cauterized flesh. “Well, the good thing is that whatever hit you just grazed you. Judging by the shape of the wound I’d say large caliber round… maybe 30mm.”

“You’re good.” He cleared his throat nervously when she looked at him. “What? Is it bad?”

“No, but cleaning it’s gonna hurt like a bitch,” she answered honestly.

“I don’t suppose we can just forego that?”

“No, contrary to popular belief, cauterizing is not as sterile as one might think.”

He looked at his leg and made a face. “Guess it’s gotta be done.”

“You do have a light concussion so I can’t give you anything that’ll knock you out. I’m sorry.”

She was genuinely apologetic, but he had a feeling she wasn’t half as sorry as he was going to be.

“I’ll apply a numbing agent, but it’s not gonna kill the pain.”

He nodded. “Let’s just get it done. I know you’ve got more people than just me to see to.” He lay back against the table and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes against the bright lights. He reached down and unbuckled his belt, pulling it free and clamping the leather between his teeth.

“Kyle.”

He nodded and got to his feet, coming around the table and pinning Alex’ shoulders to the surface. “You got a mental escape, now’s the time to use it,” he warned just before she began. The man he held down was tall and lanky and surprisingly strong. In spite of his best efforts to be still, the pain had him trying to rear up off of the table more than once. He never commented about the silent tears that leaked from the other man’s eyes; he’d been there. Sometimes the pain was so great you had no control over how your body reacted to it.

When Tess was finished she applied an antiseptic and gently bandaged the area, praying the wound wouldn’t become infected. She really didn’t want to put him through that again. She patted his other leg and reached over to help Kyle pull him up. “Go ahead and clean up but don’t get that leg wet.”

“I won’t. It’ll be okay with me if we don’t ever do that again.”

“Here, I’ll give him a hand while you look in on our two rescues,” Kyle said as he took Alex’s right arm and pulled it over his shoulders. He paused when his wife called his name and he accepted the ice packs she held out.

“One for Val and one for you, Alex. You’ll wanna ice down your chest. That impact with the rocks left you with a pretty bad contusion, but given two to four weeks you should be good as new. The ice will help and if needed I’ll give you some anti-inflammatory pills to help with the pain.”

“You’re sure she’s gonna be okay?” he asked.

“She’ll heal a lot faster if she follows my instructions,” she said as she nodded. “She needs to let her body rest and recover for the next three days.”

“I’ll do my best to keep her in bed.” Not that he’d be any match for her if she refused and decided she’d had enough of lying around. Hopefully she’d just follow doctor’s orders and for once listen to what someone else had to say.

She chuckled and waved them off. “I’m gonna check on Max and Liz and then it’s your turn, Valenti.” She nodded to let him know to just go straight to their room once he’d gotten Alex settled for the night. She packed her instruments up and replenished the supply of bandages, gauze, and medical tape before heading for the bedroom the couple had been left in. She opened the door and stepped inside, turning the lights on and using the dimmer switch to ease back on the brightness.

She studied the couple for a few minutes, taking in their condition before beginning. They had been dressed in scrubs and since stripping their dignity would’ve been high on the Circle’s list, she had a feeling they probably hadn’t put the clothes on themselves. She was sure their captors had done their best to degrade them at every turn as they tried to break them.

Max had only regained consciousness once since they’d located him so she started with him. He showed no signs of fever, his respiratory system didn’t reveal any signs of distress, his pupils reacted to light and she wasn’t seeing any signs of concussion. He was dehydrated but that was to be expected. His left eye was swollen shut, but the eye itself didn’t show any visible damage. She winced at the raw skin of his wrists, easily seeing where the manacles had cut into his flesh. He’d fought against them, at least for a while, until he’d either been too exhausted to continue, or more likely, until they’d prevented him from having even that small choice.

She cut the scrubs away so she could see the extent of the damage. She peeled the bandages away from the wounds that had been covered, shaking her head at the calculated method of inflicting pain. Small incisions, burns from electric shock, bruises that indicated he’d been hit and kicked repeatedly. She cleaned the wounds and placed fresh bandages over them before gently easing him over onto his stomach so she could check his back.

His back was in even worse shape. She forced herself to stay calm but it took an effort. She’d seen Kyle in this state, but it had been so much worse. The wounds he had sustained had taken months to heal. Evans and Parker hadn’t been held as long as he had, but the damage had been done. Physically, they would heal rather quickly, but mentally, emotionally… that was going to be a long road.

She pulled the covers up over him and reached up to touch his shoulders, feeling the heat in them. She gently eased his arm to the side and tried to rotate it while pressing her palm against his shoulder. She froze when the small movement drew a pained response from him. “Alright,” she said quietly, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze, “we won’t do that again.”

“Liz?” he croaked weakly.

“She’s right beside you, Max. Can you turn your head?”

She could see the effort it took for him to move and she could only imagine just how badly that move hurt, considering the state of his shoulders. The tension in him eased the moment his eyes landed on his girlfriend and ignoring the pain, he reached out to touch her. “Okay?”

“I’m getting ready to examine her. I know you’re in pain, but you’ll be able to flex that arm more easily if you’re on your side. I can help if you need – “

“No!” He shook his head and fought with what little strength remained in his body to maneuver himself onto his side. “Got it, m’kay.”

“Alright.” She understood. Kyle hadn’t been able to handle being touched after his captivity and it had been a painful learning process and adjustment for both of them. “There’s water for you on the nightstand if you want it,” she said as she got up and moved around to the other side of the bed.

The process was much the same and she could feel his exhausted gaze following her every move as she examined his girlfriend and treated her wounds. “You’ve been unconscious for some time but I can’t find a physical reason for it. Did they administer any type of sedative at some point?”

He frowned as he struggled to remember. “Alarm went off somewhere. Argument about movin’ us. Said they couldn’t move us unless we were unconscious.” He rubbed the side of his head against his arm to scratch it. “Saw the needle, don’t ‘member anything else.”

“You’re both exhausted and dehydrated. I know you’ve been manhandled and had no choice in what’s happened to you the past few days, so I want your permission to set the two of you up on an IV drip to get your fluid levels back where they need to be.”

He nodded after more than a minute of contemplating her question. “She’s okay?”

“She will be, it’s just gonna take time.”

“Janus… did they kill him?”

Tess could hear the burning hatred in his voice when he spoke the man’s name. “I don’t know. I’ve been too busy patching everyone up, but I can find out for you.”

He nodded, the move jerky.

She went through the process of setting up the IVs, adjusting the drips and then collecting all of her equipment and cleaning up. “Have you eaten since you were taken?”

He shook his head slowly. “Didn’t know if it was drugged.” Refusing to eat had earned them more abusive treatment but they hadn’t given in.

“Alright, well, we’ll get your fluids leveled out and once you’ve had some sleep we’ll try to get a little food into you. Nothing big, it’ll take a little bit for your bodies to adjust to eating again so we don’t wanna rush it.”

“You’ll find out about Janus?”

“I’ll get your answer for you.” She pulled the covers up over them and quietly stepped out into the hallway. The answer could wait until morning. He’d be asleep before she could get back to him. She went through the process of sterilizing all of her equipment and replenishing her supply of bandages and other things before turning in the direction of her bedroom. Kyle was waiting for her and she didn’t want to keep him waiting any longer.

[Roswelllostcause]

Now that everyone is patched up they all need to rest.