A/N ~ I never got around to sending thank yous to everyone who left reviews on my last two Joadi fics, and for that I apologize. But thanks to everyone who left a review and I'm glad you enjoyed them. This one is a modern day AU, and with that there are a few changes in characters and their origins, etc. I'm still going to try to stick to canon as much as possible.

No beta, so read accordingly and forgive any mistakes.

Disclaimer ~ I do not own Black Sails or any of its characters.

Enjoy!

"The target should be coming into view in approximately two minutes, twenty seconds." Eme's Intel was never wrong, and Madi had come to rely on it for some time now.

Jack Rackham's car was headed for Rawson Square along with a motorcade of three cars. He was scheduled to arrive at 1:56pm, shake hands with the crowd for about three and a half minutes, and then mount the steps to the stage at precisely 2pm. Her assignment today was to make sure he didn't make it through the first ten minutes of his speech, and Madi didn't plan to screw this up.

"Copy that." She twisted her earwig and secured it just a little bit tighter in her ear. Steady hands loaded a magazine into her rifle, and she took a look through the scope.

She was kneeling just before the third floor window of the office building opposite the statue of Queen Victoria that stood in front of the House of Assembly and had the perfect vantage point for the event today. She didn't anticipate any casualties besides Rackham, and her escape route was already planned.

Rackham was running for Prime Minister of the Bahamas in the general elections, and his campaign had gained tremendous momentum in the past few months. He had initially been the underdog in the race, but having been a native son to the country and a charter member of the political party that had brought majority rule to the Bahamas, he had emerged the front runner.

His leadership, if he won the election, promised to turn the archipelago in a new direction, but there were certain people who were afraid of the policies he promised to put into place. They couldn't risk him being elected to the highest office in the land. Those persons wanted him taken out before the vote in another week.

"Here he comes," Eme said.

"I see him," Madi replied.

Six months ago Eme had approached her on the street and told her that her long disappeared father had returned to Nassau and wanted to see her. After vanishing from her life when she was only four years old, the only contact she had had with him were a handful of letters that were sent to her every few years and expensive gifts that appeared at Christmas. He had managed to call her every so often. Their conversations were brief, polite even, but if Madi was honest, she knew virtually nothing about him.

It had come as a shock that he was a spy, a covert operative and had his own agency that carried out extra judicial killings and other acts of espionage all over the world.

Now, he wanted her to join his team. He wanted to teach her all that he had known. Wanted her to pick up the mantle and eventually succeed him after he was gone. While she initially balked at the idea, she eventually agreed to meet with him.

He was different from the man she remembered. He was taller, bigger, more imposing, and there was a hint of sadness and regret underneath the surface of all that he did and said.

She embraced him with tears stinging the back of her eyes, curious about the man who had abandoned her. Curious about his life and where he had been. She was unsure about just where she fit into his life now, and what his motives were for finally reappearing, but her apprehension couldn't persuade her to walk away from him. So when he made the offer in person for her to join his organization, she agreed.

This was her fourth assignment, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about it.

She looked through the scope as Rackham's vehicle came into view, and noise erupted from the throng of people below. Placards and signs waved, and the police escort lined up as he exited the vehicle and turned to the crowd. Journalists and photographers from different media outlets were there to cover the event, broadcasting the speech live to everyone in the capital and in the family islands.

They're about to get the scoop of a lifetime, Madi thought.

"Rackham! Rackham! Rackham!"

The chant was heard over and over again, and soon Rackham's campaign music filled the air. He was being escorted to the stage, and the hour was nearing two o'clock.

"I must say, you do look sexy when you're holding that rifle."

The voice in her ear was deep and unmistakable, and Madi smirked. John Silver had been a huge part of her training. He had introduced her to weaponry, hand to hand combat, how to gather Intel and use it, and how to function in a world that was so different than what she was used to.

Her father had put her squarely in his hands, and he enjoyed being the one that was tasked with molding her into what she needed to be. At their very first meeting he showed up clad in dark jeans, a blue jersey shirt and a pair of chukkas. His long curly hair had been in a ponytail, and he sported a scruffy moustache and beard. She hated the instant attraction she felt for him. Hated that she got momentarily lost in his soulful blue eyes.

She soon learned that the feeling was mutual, and though he had asked her out several times, she had refused. She didn't believe in mixing business with pleasure, especially the type of business they were in.

He shadowed her for the last three assignments that she had been on, but she hadn't expected him to be here today. His voice was so very near her ear, and the goosebumps that travelled over her skin were unwelcome at the moment.

She needed to focus.

"I need you to be quiet if you don't mind," she said, softly, her gaze still fixed on her target.

"Actually, I don't mind, but situations are never always ideal. Sometimes, you have to work under unique circumstances."

Madi sighed, very much aware that he was testing her again. And in more ways than one.

Rackham was at the podium giving the crowd a welcome. "I am aware of that, John. Nevertheless, you are intentionally -" She fired, and the bullet hit Rackham's right temple. The blood spatter hit his red headed bodyguard to his right, and Rackham fell flat on his back, mouth agape. "…trying to distract me."

She rose from the ground and quickly started to dismantle the rifle, ignoring the scramble that began just below them. The square was filled with chaotic screams and people running for safety.

"Amazing," Silver said as he turned to her. "Let's go."

She loaded the rifle in its case and followed him down a corridor. Three flights of stairs took them down to ground level and from there they stepped into the alley in the back of the building. The exit took them right onto Woodes Rogers' Wharf, and half a block away, a 23' Scout Dorado was waiting for them in the water. Silver took the case from her, helped her aboard, and they pulled away from the dock.

Madi settled onto the leather seat as Silver steered them towards Paradise Island. She stared out at the water feeling oddly detached from the fact that she'd just killed a man and altered the political process of a small island nation. She still hadn't gotten quite used to the feeling, but a small part of her warned that the easier it got, the more of her soul she would lose.

She felt torn between pleasing her father and forging a destiny of her own. Her mother certainly hadn't approved, and they had yet to have the conversation about the fact that Moshidi Scott had known the exact business that her husband was involved in without sharing that information with her daughter.

"How about dinner?"

Madi turned to look at Silver. His invitation hadn't been the first so it hadn't surprised her. The fact that he was asking her right now after what she'd just done however, did surprise her.

"I can fire up the grill out in the back yard. We can sit by the pool and have drinks." His back was still turned, and Madi noticed they were nearing the dock on the other side.

"I don't know. I was planning on a quiet evening at home…check in with my father and then spend some time in front of the television."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well as it turns out I have to check in with your father tonight, too. We can call him together." He turned to her then, a sly smile on his face. "I promise to be as quiet or as loud as you want me to be."

She couldn't help the smile that split her mouth. His grin was infectious, and with his hair blowing in the wind, he looked especially handsome.

Conversations with Eme had revealed that while he hadn't been involved in a relationship for over two years, his last one had ended quite tragically. Eme hadn't gone into details about exactly what happened, but she did mention that for a long time he had been of no use to Mr. Scott or the agency. If not for his old friend Billy helping to pull him out of the horrible place he'd gone to emotionally, he might not have survived. Madi was wary of getting involved with him, coworker or not.

"Take my advice will you, and just ignore that voice that's telling you not to say yes."

She shrugged and decided to give in. Just this once. "Okay. Yes."

Silver's condo was a one bedroom unit in a gated community over Paradise Island. It boasted well-manicured grounds, a balcony that overlooked both bridges between Paradise Island and Nassau and a small marina to dock his boat in the back. Inside he had an open floor plan with a spacious living room. His furniture was minimal, but a huge off white sectional provided seating in front of a flat screen TV. The dining area was adjacent to the kitchen which came with stainless steel appliances and other amenities. His bedroom was huge and had a sliding door to the balcony, wood floors and an en suite bath.

He had another apartment in New York and one in London, but he found that this particular one was his absolute favourite. It gave him access to the beach, the clear blue water, and the island's warm summer days appealed to him more than cold winters anywhere else.

Having Nassau as his home base for now allowed him to be closer to Madi, and he couldn't deny that it was one of the most recent perks of the job that he enjoyed most.

Six months ago, Mr. Scott had introduced him to his daughter, and for six months while he'd trained and prepared her for the work that they would do together, something unexpected started to happen. Without knowing it, without realizing it, he found that he was developing feelings for her. Her regality, strength, and sensitivity had drawn him in. He found himself looking forward to her quiet wisdom, her sharp wit, and her curiosity about…everything around her. Silver was physically attracted to her as well. He thought she was fucking beautiful. He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips, the deep brown colour of her skin and her full mouth. She occupied his thoughts at the most inappropriate times, so much that he had trouble concentrating. Sometimes he would lie awake in bed at night with his cock twitching at the very thought of her.

But beyond the physical, she appealed to something deep inside him, a part of him that he had kept locked away for the last two years. A part of him that he vowed he would never let resurface again.

But she practically called to it, willed it to come forth to the light. He found it unsettling at times even though a part of his heart was excited about living again, feeling again. Maybe loving again.

She'd never entertained his advances in the past. She was adamant about keeping him at arm's length, but today she was here in his apartment, and he felt it was nothing short of a miracle.

He watched her from the kitchen while hunched over the island. She sat on his couch with her knees tucked under her, eyes glued to the TV. She was watching the aftermath of what she'd done as it played out on the local news. He could see the weight of what she'd just done all over her. It was in her body language, the slight slump to her shoulders, the way she tapped her fingers on her thigh. She still wasn't used to it, and though he realized she had the potential to be great, the job was still very daunting for her.

"You shouldn't watch that," he said, moving towards her. In one swift move he took the remote from her and switched the TV off. "It's best to not think about it at all after it's done."

She turned to him, and he saw what appeared to be reluctant acceptance in her eyes. "Is that what you do? Not think about it?"

He sat beside her and thought about how best to answer her. He could lie and tell her what he thought she wanted to hear, but in the end he decided to be truthful. She had a tendency to see through bullshit pretty well, and he was sure this time would be no different.

"To be honest, no. Not at first. But as time went on, it became less difficult to put aside my feelings about it in order to move forward. It does become easier. I promise you that."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked.

"The fact that it becomes easier?"

"Yes."

"Well it depends on how long you intend to stay in this business and how good you intend to be at it."

She nodded. "I always had this idea of my father in my head. Perhaps I was naïve or perhaps I wanted to preserve some ideal image of what I wanted him to be since he left me and my mother behind to make this life for himself. To realize now that he is not nearly what I imagined him to be was a shock to say the least. After recognizing who he truly is, what he truly is, I know now that for me to take his place, I would have to go down a dark path, so far away from what I have known myself to be. I am not sure that I truly want to follow him there."

He hadn't realized how heavily it was all weighing on her. For most of the time he'd known her, she seemed to acclimate quickly to her decision to join them at the agency and everything it entailed. The conflicted look on her face let him know that there was still a war waging inside her. A battle between her conscience and what she had resigned herself to do.

"We all have a dark side within us," he began. "We spend most of our lives denying its existence, and if we do come into contact with it, we try to suppress it for fear of what it would drive us to do. Yes, this road is dark, and what you can become is both scary but liberating at the same time. But know this - you don't have to do it alone." He moved closer to her on the couch, so close that their knees touched, and he reached out for her hand. He was relieved when she didn't recoil, and instead of pulling away, she let him link their fingers together. "Maybe having someone else be there for you, to act as a tether ready to pull you out of that darkness can make all the difference in the world."

Madi searched his eyes, seeing in them the offer to be that tether, that lifeline for her. She felt the depth of the offer as strongly as she could feel his thumb caressing the back of her hand. It was heartfelt, and she was taken aback by the intensity of it in his eyes. She knew that a connection was forming between them, but until this moment she hadn't known just how strong it had become. She felt the strings of those emotions tugging at her, pulling her in his direction, and for the first time in six month, she didn't feel like fighting it.

"Maybe," she answered, swallowing hard. Her mouth was suddenly dry, and she felt at a loss for words. But who needed words right now when he was inching himself towards her and his mouth was so close?

Now she was breathing his air. Now she could feel the whisper of his breath on her cheek while he stared into her eyes. Now his lips were pressing gently onto hers, and the soft gasp she let out was captured in his mouth.

A simmering fire, she thought. It was the last thing that crossed her mind as his hand moved from her face to the back of her neck and then softly over her ear. A simmering fire that she knew could potentially burn them both, but how sweet it felt to be devoured by this flame. He was teasing her mouth open, sliding his tongue just past her lips when she heard him swear softly.

His phone was ringing. Loud and shrill it pierced the air and immediately doused the heat of the moment. He ran the pad of his thumb over her lips before reaching for it and answering.

"Silver."

She cleared her throat and sat back, took a deep breath.

"Mr. Scott."

It was her father, and he must have asked about her because Silver's next words were "I have. She's here with me."

Madi listened as he gave him a short summary of what happened. Her father was not in Nassau at the moment. He had been in New York for almost a week working on an assignment that he had yet to inform her or Silver about. She had a feeling however that whatever it was, it was going to affect the three of them in an interesting way pretty soon.

Silver excused himself and stepped out onto the patio in the back yard. Madi sat on the edge of the chair with her thoughts. Thoughts about what her father had lined up for her next and thoughts about the kiss she had just shared with Silver.

Was this something she really wanted to start with him and how would her father react if he found out? she wondered.

She wanted to make him proud, wanted him to have faith in her. How would a relationship with his most trusted protégé affect the way he viewed her now?

She stood up as he came back inside and took the phone from him when he handed it to her.

"Hello?" she said.

"Madi, Mr. Silver tells me that you did an excellent job today. I expected nothing less."

"Thank you."

"There is something else that has come up, and it will require you and Mr. Silver to work closely together as this is a danger that none of us could've anticipated."

His words gave her pause as she waited for him to continue.

"I will tell you both everything that you need to know. But first, you will travel to New York to meet me. Tomorrow morning. The tickets will be waiting for you at the airport."

"The airport?" she asked.

"I will see you soon."

He hung up, and Madi stared at the phone for a moment.

"He said he wants us to come to New York."

"Yes," Silver answered. The moment they had just shared was temporarily forgotten. They had to get to work.

"He knows that we are getting close. He'll call for reinforcements soon."

Flint's eyes were glued to the New York City skyline before him. The sky was darkening and the onset of evening was upon them. Behind him Max stood with her arms crossed in front of her, waiting for him to acknowledge that she spoke. It had been a little over two years that she'd joined his organization, and there were many times she questioned her decision to do so. Today was one of them. Still there was no going back. What was done was done, and they had to proceed as planned.

"And when he does call for reinforcements, will you be able to carry out my instructions without being distracted by your past?"

She scowled and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ears. "There is very little that can distract me right now. John Silver is not one of them no matter what we shared in the past."

"Even though your relationship with him was incredibly serious?" he asked, finally turning around. "Even though you were madly in love with him and risked your life for him over and over?"

She looked away, not willing to look into his eyes and admit that perhaps when it came to John she might be vulnerable. Years had managed to dim most of the attachment she had to him. It had taken the edge off of her need for his touch, but the guilt of her deceit in the end still held her in its grip from time to time.

"Must we have this conversation every time he is brought up? I said that I could do it, and I meant it. Is that not enough?"

"I suppose it is. I suppose it is enough that you deceived Mr. Scott when I asked you to. I suppose it is enough that you decided to work for his enemy while his life's work almost collapsed because of it. Perhaps it is enough that you not only deceived your partner, your lover, but betrayed him in the worst way - making him think that you were dead and that he was the cause of it. I suppose," he said moving closer to her. "…that you've done enough to gain my trust and confidence in you by now."

"So what happens when they arrive?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter who Mr. Scott recruits, my dear Max. No one can stop what's coming. Not now."