| "Trouble in the Moonlight" | ||
|
July 10, 2008 Outside the Dacha 0350 hours Paige walked silently through the wooded area surrounding the Dacha of Petrenko. She was pissed to be deterred on the initial sweep. Well, she thought, there wasn't supposed to be an initial sweep. It was just supposed to be It. Now, they had to regroup. Something they really didn't have time for. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath catching glimpses of the Dacha between tree branches. It was a full moon, not what she had hoped for. What she had hoped for was cloud cover to hide their assault as they neared the estate and left the safety of the trees. Now, it seemed it worked out for the better as the light it offered gave her a decent view of the goings on still around the Dacha. "Alpha 2," her comm clicked alive. "Alpha 2," she whispered quietly. "Heading back to the nest?" Simon asked. "Yeah, just checking some things out. I'll be there in 20 or so." "Copy," he said before her comm clicked out. She continued moving slowly and silently climbing a small sloped hill to get a better view of the Dacha. What the fuck was going on anyway? Where had all those traps come from? The fireworks and the lights, the lights were the worst. But more importantly - who had set them? They were good whoever had, and that worried away inside of her at some level. Enemies sucked�formidable enemies sucked more. Besides a small group of Red Cell operatives, she hadn't come up on formidable enemies all that often, and now she was left feeling a little violated. She stepped on something soft, rolling her ankle. She tried to stop herself from falling but whatever she stepped on moved too, almost pulling her down with her momentum. Body. The thought went through her mind instantly as she tightened her grip on her weapon. She fell hard on the ground. The body, perhaps being just as startled as she was, was finally reacting. She heard it breathing, a muffled sound of surprise more than anything. She pulled the weapon up aiming it at where she believed that sound was coming from. Just as her weapon clicked into place she felt the pressure against her temple. She froze, the body whose legs entwined with hers froze as well. This was interesting. Here they were, two people, legs twisted up together, weapons pointed at each other's head trying not to breathe, and no circus music to accompany the situation. She stared at the man trying to gauge which was going to be the first to react. If either of them moved too soon they would most likely both end up dead. The moonlight offered a view of her partner and immediately her mind went to work, kicking into gear at the familiarly of his face. His eyes were what tripped the memory. She knew him. Christ, she fucking knew him. "Moonlighter," she whispered though she didn't move. Those startling hazel eyes narrowed the slightest bit but it was in confusion, not recognition. "It's me," she tried again, "from Club Samovar." "Trouble," he answered after a moment, but still not so convinced. Trouble? Trouble, trouble...of course...that's how she answered him when he inquired of her name, Trouble. "Yeah," she said, moving slowly to take the weapon off his chest and pull her mask off. "In the flesh." After a moment's hesitation, one long enough for her to consider if he was going to take the weapon off her temple at all, he finally relinquished the weapon and rolled on his back. They untangled their legs and sat up next to each other but not really looking at each other. She was trying to figure out just exactly how all of these things were clicking into place. Of all the people in the world to come across out here - why him? Why the Moonlighter? "I'm guessing you don't really work for the FBI," she commented. "I'm guessing you don't really work for the CIA." She shrugged, "touche." The conclusion to be drawn though was quite clear - their bosses at least knew about each other. Somebody higher up on both sides had set up their meeting in the library with their false covers. Those same someones that had apparently wanted them to work together on taking out Konstantin. They weren't working together now, though, and they were both lucky that hadn't killed each other. Paige got up dusting the grass and dirt off of herself. "I hate to state the obvious but your team's here to protect Petrenko?" He looked uncomfortable for a moment, and that may have been because of her bluntness. But really, it seemed pretty simple to her. "I wouldn't exactly say you were being neighborly towards him." "We'll give you round one, but I can assure you, you won't get round 2." If he took it as a threat, that was fine with her. He smirked. What was it with men and smirking? "I'll tell you what, you give me your address and I'll make sure your body bag gets sent there. Can't be fairer than that." She grinned, adorable and a sense of humor. Well, he'd been much more adorable without all the bruises on his face. She studied him as he finally looked back and she could see plainly the clearness of his eyes. The way his features didn't hold that tenseness she'd seen before. He had conquered his demons, he had evolved since she'd last time they had met. He'd been changed, good or bad, neither or both, it didn't matter, but he'd changed. She wondered if she looked the same way? And someone had certainly done a number on his face. "Who had fun on your face?" she asked furrowing her brow as she studied the bruises. Beating, without a doubt. Interrogation or for fun? She couldn't tell. But for whomever it was to get that many clean shots in, the Moonlighter had to have been tied. Bruises never lied and they told her it was a deliberate beating. What exactly had the Moonlighter been up to since they last crossed paths in New York? "Well, some girls like that kind of thing, and who am I to say no?" She nodded her head softly. Adorable, a sense of humor, and kinky? No, the beating was deliberate but it wasn't a sex deliberate thing. She didn't pick him as the type to get into that shit. He looked more like the all night long, slow and steady, kind of lover. Jesus christ, what was she thinking? She blinked clearing her thoughts and dragged her mind from the gutter. "So what are we gonna do about this?" she asked him quietly. "What ARE we going to do about this?" he answered. Was he amused with the situation? She shook her head, "you can't answer a question with a question." "Why not?" She chose to ignore the question answered with a question. "Because you can't. That's just the way it is," she replied. He nodded his head and sighed and looked uncomfortable again. "It was nice seeing you again, Trouble." Then he turned and started walking away. Walking away? That was it? "You can't just walk away," she said after him. But he just waved his hand in the air and continued walking. Arrogant prick, she thought to herself. "You'll be dead by sunrise," she called to him. She grinned as he stopped in his tracks. Nothing like challenging a man's ego to get him to pay attention to you. He turned also grinning and with a sigh walked back to her. She watched him with a small smile on her face letting him know she was teasing him but still meant business. "So, you're willing to deal?" he asked. She nodded her head. "I think it's stupid for us to go at it again, we'll all end up getting dead, or at least a majority of us." "Agreed," he answered evenly. "I can only promise to talk to my boss'. They're pretty hell bent on Petrenko's ass being nailed to the wall. He's done some bad things...into some bad shit." "I know," the Moonlighter nodded his head. "I will contact my superior and explain the situation. Maybe there is a solution that is acceptable to us both." It was Paige's turn to sigh. "I don't know what they'll say, but..." she heard her comm click on 'Alpha 2'. She raised her hand to the Moonlighter and he nodded his acknowledgement. "Yeah," she responded quietly. She glanced towards the Dacha. "The perimeter's clear, not too much longer," she responded to Simon's questions. Her eyes flicked back to the Moonlighter who watched her intently. "No, nothing unusual and no one's about." Sending Saf out? "Negative, I'm on my way back, now." She nodded her head to his response and turned the comm off. "I gotta go," she said flatly. "We'll meet back here in four hours. Is that enough time to talk to your people?" Paige shrugged, "it will have to be." "Come alone," he said evenly. "You, too," she responded. "I give you my word," he extended his hand. Paige took it, "you have my word, too." Return |
||