It wasn't an "I told you so" but she knew she was partly responsible for their present situation. She felt awkwardly grateful for Denby's diligence. Diane flicked off the safety and rose to position herself defensively next to the doorframe.

Harry followed, and they both listened in silence for a few moments. They heard nothing but their own hurried breathing.

Harry moved closer to Diane as she opened the bedroom door a crack and looked out to the hall. She could see the foot of the man lying still at the other end. For some reason, waiting there in her dark bedroom with Denby seemed more of a risk than advancing into the hall. She began to open the door wider for her exit, when Harry reached around her and firmly closed it instead.

He shook his head slowly and looked at her with a very disarming grin. That word, "Dangerous" popped into Diane's head again. His height gave him the advantage and he moved even closer, turning her toward him.

Harry reached down and placed one finger over Diane's lips, "Listen..."

Over the pounding of her own heart she heard a wonderful sound. Sirens.

Harry's back-up had arrived, and they both knew the other hit men would be leaving in a rush She leaned against the door frame, let her head fall back, and smiled. Harry could hardly believe the change in her face. He'd never seen her fully smile before and he was struck with wonder. Even the wound on her mouth couldn't taint the perfection of Diane's countenance. She was luminous and he found himself responding to her in ways he found hard to supress.

They both let out a sigh as he proclaimed, "The cavalry has arrived."

As Diane lowered her gun, she suddenly became aware that she was standing there in nothing but her t- shirt and tiny underwear. Harry saw her embarrassmentand moved away, half- heartedly averting his eyes. He turned his back to her as she he moved to her closet. There was a pair of jeans within easy reach and she bent to step into them, showing quite a bit more leg than before.

"Do you mind, Denby?" she said as she noticed him watching her reflection in the mirror. He demurely cleared his throat and headed for the door.

Safely dressed, Diane met Harry in the hall as the sirens stopped directly outside of her building. She turned on a few lights and crossed over to the window. Pulling back the curtain to look at the street below she said, "Looks like the 15th."

Harry nodded and knelt down to check the body for a pulse. She watched him as he shook his head and then stood to re-holster his gun. Diane approached, looking down to the floor at the hands that had had nearly killed her. She got a chill. This had been a very close call...for both of them.