The sand was quite massaging to walk on: toasty warm, a bit grainy, a bit smooth, and giving way slightly with every step.
Vast amounts of it constituted the Puerto Ricoan beach, stretching out for for what was easily a mile out in each direction, forming one long, continuous re-curve line. The beach itself, consisting of that cushiony, off-gold sand, was flanked on one side by a lush,emerald colored, tightly packed mass of jungle foliage. On the other, the staggering expanse of the Caribbean , with its cobalt blue waves reaching to the horizon, though they lightened to azure as they rolled onto that plethora of sand.
Raising a steady wall of noise; the wrsssh, wrsshh, wrsshh, of ocean water repeating its timeless cycle of reach up onto the shore, then sliding back, only to return seconds later to repeat it all again, for the literal millionth one.
Overhead, the sky was around 2/3rds cloudy. The clouds themselves were just beginning to turn grey, hinting at rain, yet there was still ample sunlight, pale and glowing, reaching the surface of the Earth through the openings between them.
From off that gargantuan body of water, a breeze swept in. It was right on the border of cool and warm, mildly roaring in one's ears, the way breezes do.
Overall, it was a fine scene. It wouldn't have been out of place on a postcard, or travel brochure. This was a place that seemed, in just about every way, to be taylored for relaxing. After all, how you not be the kind of person who wouldn't take all of this in- the sands , the waves constantly crashing, and the lush hue of the nearby jungle- and not think, at least somewhat, " This is the kind of place I could kick back on " .
Rachel Kane thought so.
She'd covered at least half this beach already, walking at a careful pace, barefoot. Off to her right, the sky was just beginning its shift from the onyx of night to the burnt orange of morning.
All along, she'd savored those good things about this stretch of coast. Rachel Kane had been through more than enough in life to leave her hurting for somewhere calm. Somewhere quiet, where the trees, if not so tall they touched the sky, were at least tall enough to leave long shadows over her.
The ocean looked inviting as well. Some of its waves had touched Rachel's feet, and she liked how cool they felt.
" You, ah, interested in getting them all the way in ? "
She wasn't alone, of course.
The question was put forth by the man walking beside her. His shaven head was shaded by a boonie hat , and he had his thumbs hooked into his cargo shorts pockets. With his long strides, he was covering a lot of beach with each step.
Rachel had to jog a bit every few seconds to keep pace. Taylor wasn't in a hurry; he just moved fast by default.
" Only if you don't shove me in first ", she replied.
Taylor shrugged. Subtly, in a way that wouldn't be noticed unless you were standing close by.
" Don't give me ideas ".
Rachel'd been studying Taylor's mood and gestures as they'd been walking. Actually, she'd been so ever after they'd arrived here, only a day ago. After the Battle of Zurich ( as the press had taken to calling it ), Taylor had promptly approached WA brass, and tended his Commander's resignation, citing the familiar reasoning for it of: " I've done my bit; now let someone else carry the baton ".
To his surprise , as he admitted to Rachel later, WA had actually granted it. They had willingly signed off on his Honorable Discharge from active soldiering, and there was even talk about awarding him a commendation. Taylor was baffled by that last one; he hardly remembered anything of what had happened in Zurich, and he was fairly certain someone else had done the bulk of the work.
Rachel suspected he knew she'd a lot to do with both, but didn't let that slip. Besides, Taylo was perceptive enough to have a good idea of it.
If WA wanted to pin honors on him, let them, he decided. Taylor had gotten a something more valuable than that, or at least something that he realized now that was critically important to him: A way out of that career line.
And, of course, there was someone that'd emerged from that.
Rachel knew how much she mattered to him. Now she knew.
Maybe he'd brought her here, to this Caribbean locale, on what was basically a " head clearing " trip. Somewhere to go that would take them far away from Singapore, and Cairo, and Zurich. Somewhere where they could both be calm, and begin to heal.
It was something, at least.
And, Taylor seemed to be getting from this what the Frozen Forest lied about.
Rachel was sure of it; she could see it all over him.
For example, he was smiling now. Not smirks, smiling.
" Watch out ", Rachel warned him, poking his shoulder. " I am still a CIA operative you know. Ticking me off isn't a good idea. "
Taylor hmmed a bit with amusement.
" Relax. I know what you're capable of. "
He put an arm around her right then. It was quite unanticipated, yet it sent a pleasant shiver down Rachel's spine. Intimate gestures like this reminded her of the fire that'd burned between them back long before Taylor's augmentation days.
Actually,now that she thought about it- or rather, didn't have to- that fire hadn't gone out. It seemed that, perhaps, Zurich had fanned it back up. Rachel had remembered telling Taylor she wouldn't leave him, because he hadn't left her. She had been quite serious about it, but only now, did she really understood the depth behind that.
" Do you remember when either of us did something like this ? ", Rachel thought aloud.
" Hm ? "
" I mean, going somewhere without a mission sending us there. No orders, not official business, just us wanting to go. "
Truthfully, Rachel couldn't remember. Even before, her career as a CIA operative, and his as a WA Black Ops commando had them always on the clock, and even when they traveled to exotic and beautiful places, they couldn't really stop to admire the roses, so to speak.
That near-endless grind had ultimately taken its price of both them: it'd cost Taylor his arms.
Sure, WA had given him cybernetic replacements, but that wasn't the same. He hadn't been the same. Rachel felt her heart break upon seeing him in such a state, wounded as badly as he was, waiting for cold steel limbs to be bolted onto him.
Feeling it was the only way to have a future.
Well, that wasn't the case. Not anymore.
" Can't say I do ", came the tellingly honest reply from Taylor.
" But, from I can see here so far, this is turning out to be good first. Long as its with you."
That is exactly what Rachel had hoped and prayed for from him:
Something that told her he was finally getting past the nightmare of Corvus.
She still loved him, and vice versa. And, they finally had a shot at a future that was theirs, and not the WA's.
Free from them. Free from Corvus.
Free.
" Here's a good spot, eh ? "
Taylor's remark certainly seemed to fit; he and Rachel were currently standing atop a rocky promontory that jutted out into the ocean, offering a prominent vantage point out over it. Its surface was uneven and roughly textured, and strewn with loose stones.
Behind them, the jungle that thinned out a bit, before finally ending where the rocks began. A handful of palm trees still loomed at the edge , though, their fonds gently waving in the still present breeze.
Rachel had to agree; this was a fine place to stop, and take a breather.
" Finally. I was waiting for a chance to get off my feet ", she admitted, glancing over to smile at Taylor.
He raised a brow at first, but then smiled, sightly, back.
" Come on then. Careful though; its a bit of a drop. ", he cautioned.
" You worry so much ".
As Rachel began to saunter over to sit with her legs over the promontory'd lip, Taylor did something spontaneous again: with great aplomb, he smacked her on the ass.
" Oh ! "
She pivoted to direct a faux glare at him. Taylor played innocent.
" Someone's invisible, evidently. "
Rachel could only shake her head, chuckling lightly, before continuing on to finally sit on the edge of the rocks. Peering down for a second, she noted that the water below wasn't too far down- about 20ft-, with the depth being enough so that if someone fell from here, they'd land with plenty of ocean under them.
If they fell. Or rather, were pushed.
She let her heels bounce and tap against the face of the promontory, as Taylor joined her.
The sun was cresting higher, and the sky was lightening, with the clouds now reflecting a pale glow over everything. The breeze was finally dying down, letting the usual warmth of the tropical climate to be more keenly felt.
" Now, this is what I'd call soothing ", Taylor observed. " Its not frozen, at least. "
" You're not a fan of the cold anyway. I've heard you crying. ", teased Rachel.
" Well, that's just mean. "
The day was at last beginning. But viewing it from here, at a place such as this-
And with someone who she loved, someone who'd stayed by her through the worst of the Corvus nightmare.
They had earned this. However the lived life after this, coming here was the first step, and they were determined to enjoy it for all that it was worth.
" Rachel ? "
" Hm, yes ? "
" There's a few things I have to tell you, about us being here. They're pretty important. "
Well, that was a just a bit vague.
But then again, Rachel reminded herself, Taylor was a Black Ops man at heart. Being vague was just a little residual effect of that.
Besides, it was nothing to do with their Corvus days. She wanted to hear this.
" Well, speak your mind then ", she told him.
Shifting around, Rachel faced him, putting her back to the edge of the rocks, waiting for him to speak.
After another moment or so's pause, he did.
"Alright. First off- this is something I should've said before, so I will say it now. ".
He inhaled, then spoke:
" I love you, Rachel Kane ". Taylor revealed,with absolute sincerity. " Have for a while. I won't let anything get in the way of that. "
It didn't matter how much Rachel already knew this; there was no comparison to actually hearing it.
None at all.
Where her heart had broken after Taylor had been mangled by the hunt of Dylan Stone, now it was brimming with joy. She found herself smiling again, and felt her cheeks warm up a notch or so. Rachel lowered her head, somehow feeling sensitive about being seen that way.
Just how women respond to being told something like this, she knew.
But, it doesn't matter how many others have heard this besides me. Its still more than I can say.
Flicking a strand of hair over her ear, Rachel slowly looked back up at Taylor.
He was looking at her. One corner of his mouth was turned up in a distinct smile, and she didn't remember seeing him so, well, content.
" Well-I. I- dang it, John. You came to your senses at last ".
" I would be a robot if I didn't ", Taylor noted.
" Forget all this metal they stuck on me. Still more man than machine. "
" You're man enough for me ", Rachel conveyed, and then promptly leaned in to kiss him squarely on the mouth.
In doing so, she shut out the rest of the universe for a handful of seconds. She was aware of Taylor's hand sliding onto her thigh, and felt their foreheads touch, but aside from that, she was unaware of anything else.
Not that she was concerned with anything else right at that moment.
Finally, they pulled back, though only a few inches separated them, leaving them still looking each other right in the eyes.
Rachel loved that she couldn't detect any pain in Taylor's. It had to still be there in him, but it was crushed beneath other feelings; better ones. The nightmares and ghosts were finally chained up and held at bay.
They'd lost.
" So ", Rachel murmured. " What else did you have on your mind, hm ? "
She was atop the world right now. Things seemed picture-right at the moment.
" Only this ", Taylor ran his hand up onto her shoulders.
" You're an excellent swimmer. "
The comment was quite out of the blue, to say the least. Unanticipated, to a T.
Rachel blinked, significantly thrown. Her mind automatically raced to figure out what he was aiming to say.
But, it was already too late.
Taylor pushed her.
Not hard, not a shove. But,with enough force to send her over the edge of the promontory. With a startled shirek, Rachel found herself sliding right over the edge, limbs flailing as gravity took charge.
" SURPRISE ! ", Taylor yelled, before launching into a long bout of laughter.
" YOU TRAITOR ! " , wailed Rachel, as she disappeared.
In the 3 or so seconds it took her to fall, a thought a second ran through her mind:
I still love you.
That was dastardly.
And now I must take my revenge.
She'd barely finished that last thought, before tumbling into the waters of the Caribbean.