| "Paper Trail" | ||
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Safehouse 2, Woodbridge, NJ May 10, 2008 1100 hours The soft knock at the door gained her attention though she did not move. Whoever it was could go to hell, or just away, really, would be fine. Paige sat slumped in the chair Sara had vacated. The Tiger shifted lazily on the bed (that he still refused to give up), silent, for a change. She held the icepack loosely over her jaw knowing no matter how much she tried, the bruise and the swelling would be evident, and how exactly to explain that? The door opened slowly as she creaked open an eyelid just enough to discern who dared to disturb her quietness. 'Damn' she thought as she recognized Joshua. She pulled herself up in the chair. "Sorry, didn't mean to bother you," he said with a small smile. "Yes, you did," she replied flatly and stood backing against the cabinet counter edge. He scoffed at her tossing a bag on the stretcher and disturbing her Bathroom Tiger who let out a throaty growl of disapproval in his direction. He approached her as she stiffened under his gaze. He was concerned, she could see that clearly enough. "What's this all about?" he said quietly as he gently removed her hand from her face. He studied what she imagined to be the beginning of a lovely colored bruise just under her jaw line. "What did you run into?" he now studied her eyes. "Sara's fist," she said quietly. He nodded putting her hand, still in his grasp, back to her face returning the icepack to its former locale. "She didn't take the news too well," he said more than asked. "Would you?" she countered. He shrugged moving slightly closer to her. "I make it a point to know what I'm sleeping with." She stared at him though the comment clearly scraped her. She had been reduced to a 'what' not a WHOM as she should be referred to as, but a 'what'. Those 'whats' she thought angrily should be limited to behind shower curtains...not sleeping partners. He closed his eyes shaking his head a little bit. Apparently he had recognized the reaction on her face. "No, I didn't mean it that way, I just meant," he took a breath feeling his words out, "you know, do a background check, people like us can't sleep around..." "Do you?" She interrupted him, curious, for the opportunity to finally ask him something about himself. He looked at her, amused, "which one?" She let a small smile pull at the corners of her mouth, "both?" He studied her though she had not expected that reaction from him. He finally smiled, "I don't sleep around." She arched an eyebrow at him as she waited for the answer to the second part. He didn't appear though as if he were going to say anything. "And background checks?" she prompted him. "Don't need to...one of the perks of the job," he grinned at her. She grinned back, "well, Mr. Lovell, perhaps YOU should be the one to have a talk with the dear Sara. I doubt very highly she would attempt attaching her fist to your jaw." He laughed softly amused with Paige and her antics. "I dunno if I want to risk it though." Paige still smiling, "risk it?" He removed the hand that held the icepack from her face again, then traced a finger slowly across her jaw. "Risk a bruise like this one is going to be." "That bad, huh?" she grimaced not happy with a bruise on her face. "Not that it's that bad, just that...you're that pale," he turned her chin so that she was face to face with him again. He studied her face, "you look really tired." "I'm exhausted," she admitted, "just this Samovar and the timing..." she shook her head softly. "I miss you," he said quietly as he intensely held her eyes. She dropped her gaze drawing her bottom lip into her mouth. Why would he say something like that? Even hypothetically, he couldn't possibly be serious? Or expect her to take it seriously? How deluded was he? Maybe he expected her to just swoon and throw her arms around him professing...whatever it was he trying to accomplish. Or maybe, he was breaking her down, slowly from the inside, just as Section like to do. He was Section after all, wasn't he? Not exactly Section but in charge of Section, kind of, and what kind of creature would that make him? He had spoken to her again and her eyes, returning to focus, focused on him. He held her face in his hands gently. "I do miss you," he almost tried to will her to believe him. "And I would love to stretch you out on that bed over there and show you just how much I miss you..." "Please, Joshua," she stopped him as she put her hands on his waist. "Just don't do this...don't say things..." she stopped feeling tape where there should be none. He straightened with a sigh as she palpated a little harder his left side and the heavy tape that was secured over it. "What's this?" she asked. "Nothing, little scratch," he said never taking his eyes off her, though the intensity from an instant before had all but vanished. She smirked at him, "a little scratch does not require this much tape." She imagined in her mind the area the tape covered and estimated where the wound would actually be. Her thumb brushed lightly over it as she watched him. He was not going to tell her anything and she wanted to see whatever lay beneath. So she pressed, hard, into his side. His response was immediate as he grabbed her wrist and pressed his weight against her pinning her to the counter with the uncomfortable edge digging into her back. He was breathing a little heavier and it was clear she had hurt him. So, she thought to him, you're just as human as we are. Before he completely bent her wrist back and snapped it she closed her mouth over his, waiting for his response. His response was delayed, perhaps, being a little surprised she had done that, and his grip on her wrist then relaxed immediately. She broke the kiss still leaned uncomfortably back on the counter with his weight on her. He realized his position and eased himself up. "Let me take a look at it," she whispered her thumb gently passing over the tape. He struggled with something in his mind, she could see it in his eyes. One thing, she thought, she had to say about Joshua, was that he did not readily hide his emotions and what he was feeling. He was the complete opposite in regards to this when compared with the likes of Michael, who could snap a kittens neck in front of a seven year old girl and not twitch a muscle. Joshua, though, he either didn't have it in him, or he just didn't care. "A quick look?" he asked her finally breaking through whatever struggle his mind was in. She nodded gesturing for him to the bed. He lifted his shirt from his pants as he lay down. She turned on the overhead light and pulled it closer. She didn't expect him to tell her what happened so she did not bother to ask. She donned her gloves and removed the bandages. "Who put these on...Scooby-Doo?" she mused at the pathetic way it was wrapped. "Ha ha, it was a rush job," he answered sarcastically. She shrugged inspecting the wound carefully. It had been sharp, whatever it was, and had penetrated into his abdomen, then, not as deeply, ripped almost straight up over his ribs for about 5 inches. Various other somewhat deep incisions were also made to either side of the largest one. "What the hell did you do?" she asked not being able to visually place a weapon into the slashes that presented themselves. She moved over to the sterile equipment, "It's deep enough to justify stitches, though I'm guessing..." "No stitches, clean and change," he said evenly. "Right," she mused, and gathered up some equipment and dumped it onto a roller table. She quickly assembled her equipment than went to work on the incisions. "Tell me, did you even clean it before you bandaged it up?" "Paige," he said with a hint of warning. "Ok, ok, sorry..." she grinned. She quickly cleaned the wound and dressed it with some butterflies and a proper covering. "Done," she said snapping off her gloves and smiling at him. He sat up and pulled the bag he had dropped before closer to him. "I would love to return the favor of making me feel better," he winked at her, to which she rolled her eyes eliciting a grin from him. "But, I have to be somewhere for a couple days...so...I need you to do something for me." That's why. The thought stopped her breathing for a moment. That's why he said that he missed her because he wanted her to do something. She stood watching him silently. "Ok, first off, relax, it's not a big deal. I have a friend in the state department, he's expecting some documents, I just need you to drop them off." She narrowed his eyes at him. "If it's not a big deal than how come Rebecca or Gray don't know?" "Alright," he said getting up. "They don't know because it's not sanctioned by them. This is...a non SIA matter and I need someone I can trust to deliver the papers." "I don't know," she shook her head floored by his explanation. "It's in Newark, it would take an hour, probably less, and it would really help me out." He did not have a pleading tone to his voice or a pathetic look to his face. He did, have a slight pout on his lips that caught her attention, though. "I don't know," she said again. He sighed, "if you do this and miss something direly important from the SIA, which you won't, but, I will totally cover your ass and take complete responsibility. How's that?" "Not enough," she said crossing her arms over her chest. He rolled his eyes fixing them on the ceiling for a moment before looking to her again, "and when I get back I'll take you out to dinner or a movie or something." Paige mulled it over in her mind for a few minutes. "They won't be open all day..." he prompted her. "Fine, gimme the papers." He smiled and pulled out the envelope and opened it revealing another one inside. "You'll be going in as a courier. Take this to the mail room and simply drop it in inter-office mail. Easy as that." "And these documents would be?" "Proof," he said simply. "Proof of what?" she pressed him. "What would you think if seemingly random shipments of laboratory equipment went missing?" "I'd think someone was putting together a lab." "Exactly. It started with a shipment of knock out mice, that's what caught our attention. Coupled with glassware, medical equipment, blah blah blah." "Interesting," she nodded her head. "What do you think?" he asked her. Apparently today was a day of firsts, and Joshua asking her opinion, on something apparently important enough to be handled below SIA radar, was definitely a first. "I'd have to see everything." "Well," he pulled out some of the papers, "they're all blue light coded." "Oh," she said disappointed seeing they were blank, "then I reserve my opinion." "You'll deliver them?" "One time," she warned him. "Just this one time." "Good deal," he said packing the envelope back up. "I really appreciate it." He handed her an address, "the mail room should be open until at least one." "Should I contact you when it's done?" "Not necessary," he said smiling at her, "I trust you'll get it done." And she would, she knew she would. "When are you getting back?" "Couple days, hopefully," he gestured towards the envelope, "digging up some intel on some names found on the shipping documents." "Fun fun," she said sarcastically. "Yeah, well, it's a dirty job but someone has to do it. I'll call you when I'm back." She nodded her head. He paused but did not come near her. "Alright, I'll see you later." She watched him leave before picking up a shiny piece of metal. The narcotic cabinet door lock was no match for her and her trusty scalpel head and within seconds Paige had filched a bottle of valium from it. She dropped it in her pocket, grabbed the envelope and headed out of SH2. Paige's Place 0200 hours Paige sat with her legs tucked under her feeding Michael the Fish slowly. The blue creature made it a point not to look at her. "I told you I was sorry I haven't been around," she pleaded with him. "I promise I'll buy you your very own plant in case I have to go out again, k?" She tapped at his bowl. She had been lucky. Her blue finned friend had not perished in her lack of care. The envelope had been delivered without incident. She had not, though, been able to discern who or where its final destination would be because the guard had taken it from her to deliver it himself to the mailroom. Standard security, he had assured her with a friendly smile, surely she understood. She had nodded her understanding with a 'have a good day' and left. The ride to and from Newark had at least given the opportunity for her to think. Not about Samovar, because that and what had happened, including the Moonlighter as well as the killing (murderer), needed to be handled with a clear head. That, she did not have at the moment, but she would, she mused, as she swallowed two of the little white pills. She curled up in her bed prepared and now armed with the ability to sleep. Then, she promised herself as she drifted off into a medicated dream land, then, she would take the next few days and break all the primers once and for all... Return |
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