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

[sarammlover]

I am so in love with Alex and Val's characters! I love their chemistry and fire and passion and the way they match each other in every way. Its amazing. I also love that Michael is so horny all the time! Sexy and Horny 24/7. Great update!

[begonia9508]

Great new parts!

But the last one (46) was the really good one! First with Alex and Isabel; Hot it was...

And then, Michael and Maria; he should be more careful with her: she will surprise him, one day, with what he explained to her and maybe...

Thanks and waiting for more! EVE

[Double Trouble]

keepsmiling7: Lol, she’s obviously got good taste.

Yeah, they’re not wasting time.

L-J-L 76: Thanks! Looks like all that work’s paying off finally. We’ll be checking in on Max and Liz today.

Roswelllostcause: It’s quite possible that there is more going on.

Eva: Yep, they need every bit of information they can get their hands on.

sarammlover: We’re glad you love them! We’re having a lot of fun writing them. The two of them are evenly matched and their personalities balance each other out. Lol, somehow Michael just goes together with sexy and horny. Thanks!

begonia9508: Thanks!

Alex and Isabel are definitely turning up the heat!

Lol, Michael may just be surprised in time.



Part 47

She could do that. Maria nodded to herself and waited for a moment before she did as instructed and let the muscles in her arms relax. She moved them as described and when he dropped forward, she lifted her head to hit him with her forehead.

“Good, let’s repeat that move again, get used to it.” They went through it several times before he was satisfied. “Okay, now do it again and then do your best to send my nuts into the stratosphere without actually makin’ contact.”

“How is that supposed to work?”

“Go for the inside of my thigh, just take it easy on the impact.”

“Alright,” she agreed and did as he had requested.

It took everything he had to keep from wincing when she brought her knee up. She didn’t make contact with his nuts but just the thought was enough to make him cringe. He dropped to the side, taking his weight on his shoulder before getting back up and resuming his position. “Good, now do it again.”

“Okay,” she agreed, wondering how much longer she could handle his close proximity.

“You’re doin’ good,” he assured her. “Put a little more into it this time. After you take the shot with your knee follow through with your weight and reverse our positions.”

“Okay.” She did as he had described and suddenly found herself on top of him.

“Now that is how you do it.” His hands dropped to her thighs and his eyes slowly traveled over her.

Maria smiled down at him before it slowly registered what kind of position she had put herself in. “So that was okay?”

“It was executed perfectly.”

“Good.”

His hands slid up over her thighs to reach for her hands, linking their fingers and pulling her down over him. “There’s somethin’ else you could execute perfectly,” he murmured against her lips.

“An’ what’s that?” she asked hoarsely, feeling something hard pressed against her belly.

He just chuckled and wrapped an arm around her as he reversed their positions again. “You really need to ask?”

“Uh...” she felt the heat creeping into her cheeks. Well, everywhere, but mostly in her cheeks. “Guess not.”

“Ready for another lesson?” he growled as his hand slipped down over her side.

Maria shuddered. “I don’t think you’re talking about self defense lessons any longer.”

“Depends on what you want.” He knew what he wanted but he also knew what she wanted mattered and while he was happy to persuade her he didn’t want to push her into something she wasn’t ready for. It was a completely new experience for him, putting someone else’s needs ahead of his own.

She kind of knew what she wanted, but she didn’t trust herself. But maybe she could trust him? Her hands went along his shoulder and gripped the collar of his shirt.

It wasn’t exactly a verbal confirmation, but she wasn’t telling him to back off either. He shifted his weight to his left side as he cradled her neck and lowered his mouth to hers. His lips were soft and firm, constantly mobile as he explored her.

Maria tried to force every thought away so she could just relax and enjoy what he was doing to her. There was a hint of nervousness, but so far her curiosity was winning.

He let his hand trace over her side, coming to rest against the side of her breast. He nipped at her lips and took his time letting his fingertips move over the soft mound, rasping his thumb against her nipple as it stiffened.

He was so aware of everything he was doing and everything he could do to her, she thought, but it didn’t stop her from responding with a groan.

He slid down her body, his lips trailing over her throat, pausing to suck on her pulse point before moving lower. “Y’know, you’re very sexy,” he mumbled just before his lips closed over her still covered nipple.

She smiled, feeling lightheaded. “An’ so are you.”

His hands found the edge of the tank top and he pushed it up, moving up enough to reveal her naked breasts to his hungry eyes. He palmed her breast, testing its weight and enjoying the way her skin flushed under his watchful gaze. Without waiting any longer he traced his tongue around the distended nipple, teasing her and then rasping his teeth against it before sucking on it.

Maria sucked in a breath at the sensation. She had imagined stuff like this before, but feeling it was different and so much better.

He lifted his head and blew a heated breath over her wet flesh. “It only gets better,” he promised as he pressed open-mouthed kisses over her abdomen.

“Uh-huh,” she answered breathless.

His tongue traced along the waistband of the yoga pants and he caught the material in his teeth, giving it an experimental tug. He glanced up to gauge her reaction, see if she was resistant.

Her eyes met his and she knew what he was silently asking. There was a small internal battle, but the curiosity and need was stronger than her doubts so she gave a slight nod.

There was a world of trust in that small movement and he knew he had to be careful not to destroy it. He rose up over her, his eyes meeting hers directly as his thumbs hooked in the waistband. “You say the word at any time and I’ll stop.”

“Okay,” she whispered very quietly and although she didn’t realize it at first, she was relieved he had said it.

He eased them over her hips, not rushing as his palms slid along her thighs and calves to finally pull them free. He tossed them aside and took her hand, pulling her up so he could rid her of the tank top as well. He crawled up over her, urging her to lie down once more before he kissed his way down her body again. In spite of his own body’s desire to rush he ignored the directive and took his time. There would be time for rushing later, after she had a little more experience.

He kneaded her thighs as he moved closer to his destination, feeling her tense slightly when his breath ghosted over her mound. He rested his chin on her stomach and reminded himself to give her a minute to get used to the idea.

Oh, God, he was going to.... Maria blushed at just the thought of it. She didn’t want to stop either. The wetness between her legs was unmistakable and he hadn’t even really touched her there.

He grinned when the blush surfaced and spread out across her body. He kissed her belly and shuffled back, leaving a trail of kisses down over her thigh before moving in toward the part of her that desperately needed his touch.

“Michael,” his name rolled off her tongue without a thought.

Um-hmm, she was too far gone to think about being embarrassed by what she wanted. His thumbs brushed over the sensitive flesh, massaging the bundle of nerves and enjoying her hiss of indrawn breath. He nudged her thigh and nodded in approval when she shifted to give him more room. He lowered his head to let his tongue slide through her slick folds, teasing her and working her up before letting it play over her clit.

THIS was better than anything she had ever felt before. It was even better than what he’d done with his hands!

Yeah, she was enjoying the ride, he thought as satisfaction washed over him. He teased her entrance before easing one finger inside, testing her readiness and then adding another. He kept his fingers busy, getting her used to the feeling as he nipped her clit and then sucked on it in earnest.

Maria’s lower body bucked up when it became too hard to resist the urge to move anymore. He was doing incredible things to her and it was the only thing that made sense.

He chuckled and the sound vibrated against her, making her inhale sharply. Damn, what he’d give to just bury himself in her right now! He was so hard he could hardly think straight. He did his best to control her movements as he finished her off and sent her over the edge.

Maria had no clue what hit her when waves of pleasure rushed through her like fireworks of ecstasy. She grabbed onto his hair, onto his shoulder, anything within reach when she came.

He crawled up over her body and rested his weight against her, making sure his rock hard erection was pressed right against her hot, wet, still trembling center. “And it still gets better,” he said and took her mouth in a hard kiss so she could taste herself on him.

She couldn’t reply because his mouth sealed hers with a hungry kiss while she felt his body pressing into her in a wanting way.

He raised his head to meet her dark green eyes, searching them. “Tell me what you want.”

“I...” She bit her lip. What did she want? It was really hard to say, especially after having one mind blowing orgasm.

He sighed heavily and dropped his forehead to rest between her breasts. She was gonna kill him. He was gonna die of a terminal hard-on.

“Sorry.”

He shook his head and drew in a calming breath as he brought himself under control. “Don’t be sorry,” he said as he met her apologetic gaze.

She swallowed and brought her nerves under control. “It’s not easy to say what you want and what not if you’ve never had it.”

He nodded and grinned. “You’re never gonna know until you have it.” He rolled his hips against her and watched her eyes darken.

“That’s true,” she admitted.

“Yeah,” he breathed and kept up a steady motion with his hips. He wasn’t above a little persuasion and he made no apologies for it. If she said no he’d back off.

Maria shuddered when she felt his arousal. She was doing that to him, it was kind of a way to have some power.

She held all the cards right now and he knew the exact moment she realized it. He reached back and grabbed the back of his tee shirt so he could pull it over his head and toss it aside. He lowered himself against her again, skin to skin, and he swore gruffly before taking her mouth in another deep kiss.

She hesitated a moment, but when his hot skin touched hers, the overwhelming feeling of needing to touch him again reared up and her hands started to wander along his muscled back.

Her hands on his body scorched him but damn, he’d give just about anything to have them fumbling with his belt. He was in serious need right now. He angled his head, changing the pressure and intensity of the kiss from time to time.

It wasn’t hard to figure out what he wanted. Michael was a pretty strong man and he wasn’t hiding his needs. For the first time she wasn’t really scared about it, there was just that little nagging question if she was ready or not. If she should be ready or not.

He released her mouth and looked into her eyes, seeing the hesitation, feeling it in her body. “It’s not gonna happen this time, is it?”

“I’m just not 100 % sure.” She made a face, realizing how bad that sounded.

“I could sit here and do my best to convince you.” He smirked. “And I could probably talk you into it but I don’t want it to be somethin’ you regret afterwards. So, I’ll survive if you say no, but if it’s no,” he took her hand and brought it to the bulge beneath his jeans, “I’ll settle for a hand job at this point.” He wouldn’t be thrilled about it because hand jobs only went so far, but he’d given her his word.

She swallowed. “I can do that.”

He sighed, partly in relief, partly in frustration, but he forced a tight smile and nodded. “Make it quick.”

“Okay.” She reached for his belt and started to open it, her eyes locked on her fingers.

Michael tried to control his patience but he felt like he was gonna explode. His eyes clenched shut when her fingers brushed against him and he tried to keep his thoughts focused before he did something to completely embarrass himself.

It was still a little nerve wracking to touch him, even after doing it in the tub. This time she was watching him and he was watching her... that kinda made it more intense. Slowly she let her hand wander inside his now open pants and she felt his hardness under her fingertips.

“You remember what I told you the last time?” he rasped roughly.

“Yeah,” she admitted huskily and looked into his eyes while her grip around him tightened.

He nodded. Fuck, he wanted to be inside her so bad! Wanted to feel her so tight around him, her body gripping him even tighter than her hand, wanted to watch her as he sank into her heat and saw the wonder in her eyes when she finally understood what it was all about. He groaned at that thought and pushed harder into her grip.

Once she got a little braver she found it interesting to watch his face while she touched him. His expression was... almost open and that was something new since it was hardly possible to decipher any of his emotions normally.

Part of him wanted to look away or just close his eyes but something about her kept him from doing that. It was intense to see how your touch affected the other person but it also exposed vulnerability and that wasn’t something he was used to sharing with anyone.

She changed the angle of her touch and knew exactly what it did to him when his expression took on an even more passionate note while his eyes darkened. With a slight soft smile, she leaned in and nipped at his lips.

Her smile said what words couldn’t and his right hand tangled in her hair to pull her closer. He didn’t want teasing nips and light touches.

Maria groaned into his mouth when his passion washed over her. She increased the speed of her strokes and his body went taut suddenly.

“Fuck,” he hissed as he broke the kiss. He collapsed, just barely managing to keep all of his weight from dropping on her.

Maria felt the wetness on her hand and it was more erotic than she had thought it would be. Rolling to her side, she watched him as he recovered.

He grunted and rolled over, lifting one arm to lazily rest over his eyes. “Now I could go to sleep.”

“Well, we don’t have much to do anyway, do we?” She sat up and looked for her tank top.

He reached over and grabbed her hand, pulling her over to lie on top of him. “Where d’you think you’re goin’?”

“I was just gonna get dressed.”

“Huh-uh, clothes are overrated.”

“Well... okay.”

He gave her a lazy smirk and let his hands roam at will. “Good.”

“I guess I could rest for a while.” She rested her head on his chest.

“Yeah, that’ll work.” He couldn’t explain or understand the need to be close to her, but he had stopped questioning it for the moment. He was too drained to give it much thought anyway. He just wanted to enjoy the feel of her naked body stretched out on top of him as she relaxed and her slight weight grew heavier.

*****

Max stepped out of the bathroom, a victorious grin on his lips as his gaze landed on his girlfriend. Liz had retreated to the relative safety of the bed and she didn’t look impressed with his skills. She had come running out of the tiny bathroom after knocking just about everything over in her haste to escape the confined space. She’d unceremoniously shoved him towards the small room and taken refuge as far away from the bathroom as possible while insisting he take out the invading army. It had turned out to be an army of one, but cockroaches always seemed to have friends just waiting to make an appearance when it was least expected.

He hated bugs but he was a man and there were certain responsibilities that came with that designation – things like killing bugs. It didn’t matter how much he hated them or that he’d rather call someone to handle the situation; if his woman was feeling threatened by some creature it was his duty to get rid of it. So he’d armed himself and gone into battle and anything she hadn’t managed to knock over he took out as he took up the fight. The damn thing hadn’t gone down easily and it had been surprisingly agile, making it difficult to go in for the quick kill.

“Did you get it?”

“Of course.”

She made a face and rolled her eyes at his smug tone. “Of course,” she mocked. “It’s wintertime, shouldn’t those things be dead or hibernating or something?”

“How should I know? I’m not an entomologist.” He shrugged. “Although I seem to recall hearing someone say cockroaches could survive a nuclear attack so…”

“Well, that’s a comforting thought.” She shuddered when her mind supplied her with an image of a cockroach army marching past a dead zone in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.

“Want me to turn the shower back on?”

“Only if you’re planning to take one.” Gargantua had crawled up out of the drain and then skittered up the wall. No bug should be big enough that you could hear it moving. “I’ll pass.”

“So you’re just not gonna shower the rest of the time we’re here?” he teased as he stretched out next to her.

“I’ll figure something out.” She shoved his shoulder when he laughed at her. “It’s not funny, Max.”

He held his right hand up, his thumb and forefinger close together. “It’s a little funny.” He leaned in to kiss the pout from her lips. “We should be hearing from the others soon. We’ll find out if it’s safe enough for us to move on.”

“How long should we wait?” She let her fingertips trail over his jaw as she watched him.

“Not much longer. I know they said to hole up and stay low, but we can’t stay in one place for too long either. It increases our chances of being spotted.” He lifted his head, turning slightly as he listened.

“What is it?” she whispered.

He motioned to the door and her eyes locked on the knob when it moved slightly. They exchanged a quick look and she nodded. They rolled away from each other, going for their weapons just as the door came crashing in. Boots pounded across the floor as they fired at the faceless men but the body armor prevented their bullets from being effective. One of the men took aim at Liz and time seemed to stop when her body was thrown back into the wall by the impact.

His last bullet spent, Max threw his weapon down and charged blindly at the man who had shot her. He was hit with an electrical charge before he could make contact and he stumbled backwards for a moment, fighting to stay on his feet. He looked at his girlfriend’s crumpled body and rage unlike anything he’d ever experienced flooded his veins.

“Restrain him,” a white-haired man ordered as he stepped into the room. He snapped his fingers and motioned to the young woman. “Get her up.” He watched the young man as he struggled against the hands holding him. “She’s not dead,” he murmured silkily. He tossed a small sand-filled bag in the air before snatching it back again. “Very effective in subduing an attacker, wouldn’t you say? There’s minimal damage to the subject.”

Max watched him warily. He didn’t like the way the guy was referring to Liz. His posture stiffened when the man approached him and he fought the urge to shift uncomfortably at the assessing look in his cold eyes.

“Where are Bane and Valkyrie?”

“Who?”

The man nodded. “It’ll take longer this way but make no mistake, Mr. Evans I will extract the information from you one way or another. Your cooperation will make things easier for you but it’s not necessary.” He moved to the young woman being supported between two of his men and he reached up to gently brush the backs of his fingers over her cheek. He smiled when he heard the struggle behind him and without hesitation he pulled his hand back and backhanded her.

Max fought harder against his captors when the man hit Liz but it was useless. His hands had been bound behind him and the men on either side of him were immovable. “I don’t know who the fuck you are but you’re dead,” he snarled.

“My name is Janus and you and I have only begun. She makes you weak and vice versa.” He smiled in anticipation. “There are answers one or both of you must provide to bring about the capture of the terrorist threat posed by two rogue agents.”

“Rogue agents turned terrorists?” Max scoffed. “That’s the best you can come up with?”

Janus smiled at the tone. “People are sheep, Mr. Evans, and they’ve been primed to fear the threat of domestic terrorism. All they want is the comfort of their small lives. They don’t want to know how the threat is eradicated; they just want to know that they can continue to go about their daily lives without having to give anything up.”

Max’s mind was racing as the pieces started to fall into place. “You’re saying you’re sanctioned by the government.”

“The government is comprised of a bunch of hedonistic fools blinded by power and wealth.”

“The entire government can’t be corrupt.”

“They wouldn’t need the entire government,” Liz said, wincing at the pounding headache and the throbbing in her cheek. “All they’d need is key figures to further their agenda. And based on the scope of their organization I’d say they have all the right players.”

Janus looked between them, studying them, and wondering which of his methods would be most effective as far as persuading them to cooperate. The connection between them was strong and he wanted to destroy it. But first things first, he reminded himself. “Travers, clear the rear exit and let’s get these two into their cages.”

“We’re American citizens and I demand-”

Janus grabbed her chin in an iron grip and forced her gaze to him. “You are a threat to this country and I’ve been charged with identifying and capturing any and all of the terrorists working with you.” His grip tightened painfully, forcing tears to her eyes. “I will obtain that information at all cost.”

“You’re the terrorists. You and everyone associated with the Circle.”

Max controlled his expression when she finished her statement by spitting in the man’s face. He wanted to caution her but these people weren’t going to be sympathetic to their cause and they had every intention of making sure they suffered because of their association with the others so there was no reason to hold back.

“You two will be fascinating to experiment on,” Janus said, his tone thoughtful as he reached up to wipe his face. “It should be interesting to see what it takes to turn you against each other.”

“Never happen.”

He just smiled at their mutual denial. “I have turned the gentlest, kindest people into highly trained killers with no conscience. Everyone has a breaking point. It’s just a matter of locating the trigger.” He pointed at one of his men when he realized they hadn’t located any type of communication device. “I want the room cleared and everything taken to the lab. Somewhere there’s something that will lead us to our two assassins. They have to be in contact with them.” He nodded at the men holding them. “Let’s go. We don’t want a media circus until we’re ready for it.”

[Eva]

Oh boy, the mess had began! Liz & Max are in real danger with nutcase. And he's a very clever nutcase, a combination that scares me the most.

[L-J-L 76]

Oh boy, the mess had began! Liz & Max are in real danger with nutcase. And he's a very clever nutcase, a combination that scares me the most.

First Great Chapter!!!! Please please please please please please please please please please come back and post more really really really really soon? I can't wait to read what Max and Liz will do next. Love the way Max and Liz tried to fight back. Hopefully Max and Liz will be able to figure a way to get out. I totally agree with Eva about the mess, the nutcase and also about being scared. Someone needs to help Max and Liz. Hopefully someone will save Max and Liz before they turn on each other. I hope Max and Liz can fight the nutcase till someone can save them.

From:
L-J-L 76

[Roswelllostcause]

Hell no! Max and Liz did not just get taken by that nutcase! They are really in deep shit now! Someone better get them back before it is to late!

[keepsmiling7]

Loved the cockroach incident with Max and Liz........LOL!
I am very uneasy about this situation with the terrorist aka nutcase.
Thanks for the new part,
Carolyn

[begonia9508]

Oh my! Bad, bad... never expected that to happen in this part...Max and Liz are prisoners now... Who is going to help them? EVE

[sarammlover]

FUCK! They caught up with Max and Liz. Dammit! I hope those two stay safe. Operation save Maria's friends!!! This is getting crazy!!

[Double Trouble]

Eva: Indeed it has! They’re in a very bad situation and Janus is determined to break them.

L-J-L 76: Thanks! We’ll catch up with them again in a few chapters. They weren’t going down without a fight, but there’s only so much that can be done against the odds they were facing. You can count on them to fight as hard as they can.

Roswelllostcause: Oh, yes, they did. They’re in a very bad place and for now they’re on their own.

keepsmiling7: Lol, the man should have to kill the bug... it’s a rule.

Yeah, it’s a very bad situation and Janus is twisted.
Thanks for the new part,

begonia9508: That’s a good question. First, someone has to realize they’re missing.

sarammlover: They did and that’s not good. Janus has decided he wants to break them and he doesn’t appear to be concerned about not succeeding.





Part 48

Michael padded through the house in his bare feet after making the rounds, checking all the exits and entrances. He was feeling pretty good, satisfied with his current situation where Maria was concerned. It was a temporary situation of course, there was no way it could last beyond the time it took to end this mess with the Circle, but for the time it lasted he was good with it. He paused to listen as he neared the kitchen.

Maria had turned the stereo on at some point and as he closed in on the room she was occupying he could hear her singing along with the song playing. He wandered through the rooms and finally found himself where she was, gravitating to her like a moth to the flame. He slouched against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her.

She knew how to cook and he enjoyed watching this domestic side to her. If he were a different man, if he led a different life, if they had met in that different life, maybe things could’ve taken another path. But he was a realist and there was no changing reality. He watched her hips sway to the music and he shook his head in amusement. There was rhythm to everything she did.

His mind supplied him with an image of her on his beach in the Maldives and a part of him wished it was possible. He relentlessly quashed that thought because he knew here and now was all they had. He wanted her to believe it was true because it gave her something to push towards and she needed that.

He forced his gaze away from her and he focused on the laptop. He pushed away from the doorframe and moved to it, tapping one of the keys and bringing it to life. The download bar showed that the files were finally complete so he dragged one of the barstools over and opened the file up.

Maria looked over her shoulder when she noticed his presence, not really surprised by his quiet appearance. He had a tendency of creeping into a room without a sound – it could be blamed on his job as far as she was concerned. “You know there’s no need to creep me out all the time. Make a sound when ya come into a room.”

He shrugged one shoulder and reached over to grab the bag of pretzels he’d opened up earlier, pulling out a handful and shoving them in his mouth. “Can’t just change somethin’ like that.”

Her eyes landed on the computer in front of him. “Is it ready, whatever you were decoding?”

“Yeah.” He typed in the command prompts and waited for the file to open up.

“And what is it?” she asked after a while when he just stared at the screen.

“Looks like one file gives a detailed report of what the assassins’ lives were prior to being drafted by the Circle. The other one provides a contact list for the assassins.” He tapped his thumb against his bottom lip as he considered the ramifications of releasing the truth to the others. “From the looks of it none of them were given a choice about this line of work. The fuckin’ Circle’s wiped out their pasts and orchestrated their futures.”

“Oh,” she put the wooden spoon aside and turned, leaning her lower back against the counter. “So your case wasn’t an exception.”

“No... no, it’s pretty much SOP for the Circle.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“They’re suggesting sending this information to the entire network but there’s a catch.”

She lifted an eyebrow when he didn’t continue immediately.

“We send the information out we’ll only be able to keep it under wraps for a limited amount of time. They’ll flip the kill switch on them to keep them from striking back.”

“Hmm...” Maria tapped her lips. “How possible to you think it is that some of them would help us?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. They all have their own agenda but at the same time the chance to take their lives back, to take back what the Circle took from them...” He shrugged. “It’s worth a shot I guess.”

“So how much time to do we have between sending them the information and the Circle hitting the kill switch?”

“There’s no way to know. It depends on how long Whitman can keep the trail covered.”

“They should get the information about the risk that goes with it then. Maybe a few can get rid of their trackers beforehand or at least disrupt the signal.”

“Yeah, it might be worth a shot. These people have no loyalty to the Circle. And it couldn’t hurt to get them off our backs.”

“So best case... some of them will decide to work with us an’ the others get eliminated?”

“That’s the best case scenario.” He shrugged. “Worst case, they could turn on us.”

Maria frowned. “But why would they?”

“Some people don’t take a threat to their existence very lightly.”

“But it’s not us who are threatening them.”

“Not directly, but threatening the kinda money they pull in can make some of them see us as a threat.”

“I see,” she bit her bottom lip. “Would it make sense to contact a few of them directly before sending out the wave?”

He shook his head. “There’s no way to know who can be trusted with any certainty.”

“Okay. I thought there might be some that you trusted more than others.”

“Val, that’s about it.”

That wasn’t much, but it wasn’t a surprise at all. “So when should we send this out?”

“If we decide to make that move the sooner the better. Our position’s uncompromised and Val would’ve taken precautions to make sure their location is undetectable.”

“What about Max and Liz? Do you see any danger for them?”

He could see a lot of potential danger for them. They didn’t have the training he and Val had and they weren’t seasoned professionals. They had training but the fact of the matter was they had been little more than glorified babysitters. “There’s risk there,” he said finally.

“How do you mean?”

“They’re in the security field, Maria. They’re trained to observe, to protect, but they’re not necessarily trained to kill.”

“Why don’t we ask them to come here? We’re pretty safe her, aren’t we?”

“We’re safe here for now, yeah, but bringin’ them here?” he shook his head. “They’re not trained to outmaneuver hired assassins. We call them here we run the risk of revealing our location as well as puttin’ them in the crosshairs.”

“Is there nothing we can do for them?” She refused to believe it.

“There are only two options, me or Val, and for either of us to leave our post we put you and Whitman in danger.”

“That logics sucks,” she made a face.

“Maybe, but it’ll keep you alive.” He knew what she wanted him to say, knew if he offered to go for them, to put her at risk to make sure they were safe, she’d take it in a heartbeat. Which was exactly why he didn’t make the offer.

“My life isn’t more important than theirs.”

But it was. “I gave you my word that I’d keep you alive, that I’d see this through to the end.”

“So? What if I told you I’d rather you keep them alive than me?”

“No.”

“Just no?” She had expected that, but still...

“Why the fuck would you even ask me that?” he snapped.

“For reasons you obviously don’t understand,” she snapped back and turned back to the meal she had started to prepare.

“Then explain it to me.”

“They’re my friends, okay?” she said, her voice slightly wavering. “The only friends I have left. What kind of life can I live if I’m responsible for their deaths?”

“You have to get it through your damn head that you’re not responsible for their lives. It’s a tough situation but the fact is they chose to move forward with it.”

“You can say that all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m the reason for the turn of events in their lives. If only I hadn’t been so nosy about stuff.”

“So you’d rather go back and be a naïve little puppet Halverson controls?” He slammed his fist down on the counter. “Is that what you want?”

Maria winced at the sound. “Is the current situation so much better?”

“Yes.”

“How so?”

“Because you’re better than that.”

She thought about his comment, on the one hand annoyed by it but on the other hand, it flattered her that he thought about her that way.

“They were told to go to ground and stay low. As long as they do that they should be fine. No, I can’t guarantee their safety anymore than anyone else can, but so long as they do what they were told their chances for survival are on the high side.”

There was no reason to fight over it, she tried to remind herself. She wouldn’t change his mind anyway. Next time they had a fight lesson she wasn’t sure she would miss his nuts though.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I’ll check with Val, see if she’s in a location that has better access, okay? That’s the best I can do for them.” Val wouldn’t run the risk of compromising their position but he could at least check with her for Maria’s sanity.

It was his best peace offering, she thought. “Okay.” Getting a pan out of the sink she turned her head. “Thanks.”

He nodded sharply and turned his attention back to the screen. He cracked his knuckles and typed in a response, encrypting it before sending it back to Val.

“Did she say anything about Alex and how he’s doing?”

“He’s recovering. Sounded fine when I talked to them earlier.” It had been a brief conversation, but the guy hadn’t sounded like he was in any pain.

“Good. At least there’s that.”

“Now he has a war story,” he muttered with a shrug.

“And I bet he even likes it.” Maria snorted. Alex had always yearned for a kick in his life.

“Any red-blooded man would get off on that. Chicks dig scars for some reason.” He’d never questioned it, didn’t really care why.

“Not all scars.”

He shot a curious glance at her. “No?”

“No, some are really ugly or run over the whole face. Women don’t find that sexy at all.”

“But I suppose the right woman can look past that, right?” He rolled his eyes at some line he’d heard on some crappy movie he’d caught a piece of once.

“I guess so.”

“So if I was horribly disfigured you wouldn’t be interested in me anymore?” he asked conversationally.

“It’s different if you get to know someone before or after.”

“I see.” He rolled his shoulders as he scanned over the file he’d opened on himself.

“Do you?” she asked with some amusement.

“Not really.” He closed the file out and looked up at her amused tone. “What’s so funny?”

“Just hard to believe that you got what I meant.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not used to bothering with the softer crap.”

“Understood.” And he didn’t have to. It wasn’t his job, she got that by now.

“Do you?” he mocked.

“Well, not really. But I’ve learned not to ask with you.”

“Smart girl.” He smirked as he opened up the network file again and he rubbed his face. Sure, he’d known it was sizeable, but he’d had no idea the network was quite so extensive.

Maria noticed his face and moved around the counter. “How much do we have?”

He used one fingertip to turn the screen so she could see it. “Bigger than I ever imagined.” He sighed and leaned back, one fisted hand on the counter next to the laptop.

“Whoa... those are all people working for the Circle?”

“Yeah.” He reached out and his finger followed a path around the globe. “We turn them, we effectively cripple the Circle. Without their enforcers it levels the playing field. We’ll have to make our move and then wait to see what happens. Regardless, once they respond to the threat we’ve essentially forced our own hand because we’re gonna have no choice but to take the fight to them.”

Maria swallowed. “Yeah, makes sense.”

“When that time comes Val and I will have to go in alone.”

“Don’t you think you could find a few more to fight with you? There have to be some...”

“No,” he shook his head, “what I meant was without you and Whitman.”

“Oh.” She looked at him and then nodded. They would only be in the way, it made sense. “Maybe we can help some other way.”

His eyebrows shot up. “How so?”

“I dunno yet. Depends on our plan at the time.”

“We’ll see. I’m sure when we take it to them we’ll need eyes and ears on the situation and Whitman’s shown himself to be very capable with computers.”

“He showed that, huh?” She bumped him with her hip, amused.

He tapped the screen with his knuckles. “He was able to crack their encryption.” Hell, it impressed him.

“No doubt, he’s a genius.”

He just grunted in response. He was surprised with the guy’s talents that he hadn’t been recruited by one of the agencies.

*****

The sky was overcast and heavy with the threat of more snow. The temperatures outside the car were in the teens and there was little traffic on the cleared roads. The trip to New York hadn’t been planned but Bane had insisted they needed to get the babysitters out of the city and make sure they were off the radar. She didn’t know what his problem was. They were staying low as ordered and as long as they did that they should be fine. They’d argued about it, but she’d finally given in when she decided they couldn’t afford to have contention in their ranks. There was too much at stake and he couldn’t be on the move with his civilian.

Valkyrie glanced over at Alex when he started humming along with the song on the radio as his fingers danced over the keys of his laptop. He was still working on cracking some encrypted files he’d found embedded in one of the folders and so far he hadn’t had any luck. He was also busy backtracking the assassin email list in an effort to make sure they could all be verified prior to sending out their mass mailing. He’d expressed concern that one or more of them could have been planted to warn the Circle in the event anyone ever got their hands on the list and attempted what they had in mind.

She and Bane had agreed it would be worth the time it would take for him to verify the emails even though they knew there would be no way to know for certain if he was successful until the emails had been sent. Based on their understanding of the trackers the assassins had been implanted with, the kill switches could take out the network in under twelve hours. The way the kill switches worked though, they would likely be looking at a high number of civilian casualties when the assassins were taken out.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and started to run a trace on the next IP address, his bloodshot eyes burning from lack of sleep. “I’ve got two so far that’re suspicious. One of them routes back to the Pentagon and another back to someone with no military history. Considering the training you guys have and the fact that the entire network stems from the armed services, I can’t see an assassin having no formal military training.”

“Can you trace them back to an individual?”

“I can try hacking the emails, searching the content and seeing if that can give us the actual owner of the account.”

She nodded. “Do that. We’ll take them out ourselves. We can’t risk having them blow our cover and destroy our chances at warning the network.”

“Yeah,” he mused quietly. “What if they’ve planted one or more of these dummy accounts and used innocent civilians?”

“Collateral damage,” she said with a shrug.

“You can’t be serious.” He turned his head to stare at her. “If they’re not involved to any degree, if they’re just being used as unknowing pawns…”

“And what do you wanna do about it?” she interrupted him harshly.

“Hell, I don’t know! I just think it’s kinda coldblooded to just kill them outright.”

“We don’t have the time to do anything about it. That’s not possible.”

He carefully closed the laptop. “Doesn’t that bother you?” He shrugged when she shot an icy look in his direction. “These people involved in the Circle, assassins comin’ after us, people who personify evil, I understand the necessity in taking them out. But innocents...” he shook his head. “That’s a completely different story. Isabel.”

She cringed at her real name, still not sure how to handle it. “Innocents die every day, Alex. And that won’t be our fault.”

“It’s our fault if we pull the trigger.”

“We didn’t set the gun on them in the first place though.”

“Does that matter?” He could get behind doing what they had to do, but killing someone who was being used and without their knowledge? No.

“So what’s your plan then?”

“Just let me finish the list, weed out the suspicious emails and backtrack them to see if we can at least establish their level of involvement.”

Val sighed. “Fine, but you only have until tomorrow.”

“And if not, you’ll kill them regardless?”

“If not, then that’s our only option. You want your friend to be killed instead?” She shot a look at him.

He swallowed hard. No, he didn’t want that and she knew it. But was it right to choose one life over another when both were innocent? He opened the laptop back up and went to work. He had to get the answers he needed because he knew without proof nothing he could say or do would stop her from pulling the trigger when the time came.

“We’re almost there,” she said after driving a long while in silence and cursing the traffic now and then.

He nodded and glanced up. He hadn’t even really paid any attention when her creative language indicated they were getting closer to the city. He’d discovered she had little tolerance for things like traffic – really, anything that got in her way – but somewhere along the way he’d learned to filter out her rambling when it wasn’t related to something serious.

“Can you put the location on screen?” She tapped the vehicle’s navigation monitor.

“Yeah.” He complied with her request in just a matter of seconds.

“We need to go to the subway station near Battery Park. That’s where they were supposed to leave the information.”

“For their location?”

“Yep.”

“What’s the plan? Take them back with us?”

“No, we just make sure they’re okay. Maybe reiterate the plan for them to stay low.”

“You think they can stay off the radar long enough for the Circle to be taken down?”

“It’ll be a challenge, but we can’t afford to think beyond that.”

He sighed quietly and nodded. What kind of training did that organization put them through to make them able to see things so black and white? They were so focused on their mission they just seemed to shut everything else out. There were casualties in every war, and maybe in a way this was a war, but neither of the assassins he’d come to know showed any concern for anything outside of their mission.

Well, that wasn’t completely true, he thought. Michael had shown a marked amount of concern for Maria and keeping her safe and alive. And Isabel hadn’t left him to die in that cold wet field outside the compound. She could’ve left him and put a bullet between his eyes to make sure he wouldn’t reveal anything, but she hadn’t done that.

“I hate New York City.”

“Really? You hide it so well,” he said, his tone dry.

Val snorted and reached for the M&Ms in the bag next to her.

Chocolate, he thought. He had no idea what it was about the stuff that seemed to calm women down but if she let him stick around he’d have to make sure it was around all the time. Well, there was one other thing that seemed to soothe the savage beast. Sex worked wonders for a pissy mood. He smirked as he looked around to determine their location and seeing that they were almost there.

“What’s so funny?” She eyed him suspiciously when they stopped at a red light.

He shook his head. “Just wondering if we should pull over somewhere for a quickie.”

Her eyes widened for a brief second. “What?”

He chuckled lightly. “Sex seems to relax you and since bein’ in the city’s causing you to tense up...”

“We don’t have time for that now.”

“Well, if you’re absolutely sure.”

She watched him out of the corner of her eye when she started to drive and shifted in her seat slightly.

He typed in another command and forced his eyes to stay focused on the screen. He could hear her shifting and it took an effort to keep his gaze off of her... an effort that ended up being wasted because his resistance was low. He turned his head and let his eyes wander up over her, welcoming the rush of heat that flooded his veins. “Y’know, the whole point of a quickie is to be quick.”

“Forget it, Whitman. We have to concentrate.”

He shrugged. “There’s always later.” And there would be a later, he had no doubts about that. If he’d learned one thing about her it was that even sex couldn’t break her focus in these situations. That’d be a different story later though, after this little mission was finished and she could focus elsewhere.

Val rolled her eyes and checked the location. “We’ll park here.”

He nodded, his gaze automatically searching the area. “You think there’s reason to be concerned about Max and Liz?”

“If they followed our plan... no.”

He nodded but wasn’t sure he was as convinced as she was.