The noise of sirens wailing alerted the masked intruder in the back room. The intruder cursed silently and swept the last of the museums precious jewels from their safe. The intruder smiled, pausing to admire the bright blood red ruby that the museum added to the new Russian monarch collection. It was breathtaking. This was the whole purpose for the thievery, it wasn't just the act itself that caused blood to run hot and toes to curl with excitement, but it was the jewels themselves. Exquisite. Stealing them was better than sex.
The sound of footsteps caused the intruder to look up. Placing the jewel in the small case she began to slip silently out the window, locking and closing the curtains in one sweeping motion before she shut the window. The intruder would have let out a whistle had the door in the room not slammed open and cursing followed.
"Damn, we missed her!"
"But how? We had everything set!"
She smiled to herself as she began to skillfully jumped to the terrace under the window beside her. It was fairly large, and her experience and adrenaline kept her sailing past the cold stone until she reached the side of the building. She remembered scanning the maps and staking the place out. The architects of this building obviously didn't factor in the fact that the over sized rooms would case the museum to be only about four feet from the next building. Absolutely perfect for a thief with a love of heights.
With a shiver of delight Ino threw herself onto the balcony connected with the fire escape and let out a brief laugh as the wind whipped her cheeks and the metal slammed into her knees. Success. Her gaze quickly swept the area around, making sure there was no one present with a damn camera phone to catch her flight, not like last time... The stakes were far too high. With that thought she slipped to the ground off the fire escape and into the dark protection of the alleyway.
Damn, she was good.
A brief crash and a can rolling to a stop beneath her feet made her look down... right as the can exploded. She fell back in surprise, the back of her mind cursing her for letting her guard down before she got very...very.. sleepy.
Shit. Knockout Gas.
Ino's vision and hearing blurred, but before she blacked out completely, she saw black boots walk toward her.
***
Kiba Inuzaka and Asuma Sarutobi threw the captured criminal in the back of their van, none too gently. After the last heist the thief managed to pull off, their agency called them in to extract him. Secretly, while Asuma hated those who were too lazy to earn their own keep, he was impressed with his skill. The objects stolen were usually under the highest security and most of that security had increased since this thief had begun its worldwide assaults. What he found most interesting was not only was the man able to enter and escape so effortlessly, but he had hurt no one in the process. This thief was a ghost.
This, he believed, was the reason the agency wanted the man so badly. The desire was only heightened by the fact that it had taken him three tries to finally capture the sneaky son of a bitch and the only reason he was able to capture him this time was truly laughable. An informant had said that the heist would go down at the museum down the block and while he was racing on foot to get there, he heard a bang. One that sounded exactly as if someone had jumped out a window and landed on the fire escape. He knew then that his informant had lied and before a few seconds had passed, through the knockout gas at the thief's feet.
Kiba, the little asshole, had come late, as he was loitering down the street waiting for his senior agent's call. No doubt, checking out the women.
As the two sped the van away and got on the highway their prisoner stirred. At first they paid no attention, too distracted with making a clean getaway then the well being of the thief.
But then the thief gave the most unmasculine groan Asuma had ever heard. His head whipped around behind him and then he stared at Kiba with two eyebrows raised. Kiba returned his shocked stare and then slowly whistled.
"Shit." Asuma cursed, praying inside that the man beneath the mask was really not a woman.
The word hardly out his mouth before a string of swearing was heard from the back.
Kiba grinned.
"This is about to get really sticky."
Asuma cut a glare at him. "Hey, I don't want to know about any part of you getting sticky got that?" he growled. "Besides, he's probably just gay or something."
"You DID NOT just say I'm gay!" A feminine,but very pissed off voice, shouted.
"Shit."
***
Asuma jerked the wheel, smiling a little as he heard a thump and then pulled over on the side of the dark hallway.
"What the HELL?!"
He couldn't believe it. He heard of female thieves, but none of her caliber... none of this one's skill. God he prayed this person that he captured was not a woman.
He jerked open the van only to lose his breath at vivacious, seering green eyes met his. Defiance radiated off her. She was beautiful. Her mask was cast aside to reveal long, ice blond hair and perfect, womanly features. It was only then he noticed the curves suppressed beneath the suit and desire shot through him toes up.
Son of a bitch.
The woman had one perfect eyebrow arched as she took in this man before him. Her captor. Strong jaw, short beard, unruly hair, but damn those eyes were hot with fire... bedroom eyes as she used to call them... and damn did it make her want to shiver.
"Oh, what the hell?!" Kiba shouted as he saw her, throwing up his hands in exasperation.
"Why do those damn profilers get paid when they can't even get the damn gender right." He shouted.
Ino's lips quirked into a smile, amused by the rowdy behavior. Had both of them been that way she would've been able to get free very quickly, however as her eyes pulled back to the man that was most certainly the leader, she knew damn well fleeing was not an option.
Asuma lit a cigarette and took a deep breath, calming himself and the raging need that had swelled in his belly. When he looked up he regarded her with detached curiousity.
"You're a woman." He said, rough voice causing her eyebrow to hitch higher.
"I'm also not gay." Was her haughty reply.
This time his mouth quirked up.
"My mistake." He said, taking another drag. "What's your name?"
"Go to hell." She bit off, clearly not happy at being in the back in some stranger's van.
His smirk turned into a full fledged grin. "Okay, go to hell. Here is how it's going to be. You are going to be quiet until this ride is over, if not," he patted Kiba's shoulder, "my partner here is going to shoot you with a tranquilizer."
She scoffed. "You don't have the balls to do it yourself?"
His eyes narrowed, obviously not used to people stepping on his masculinity. "No darling, because when I shoot, I shoot to kill."
For some reason Ino did not doubt his words but took a breath of relief at the knowledge they were not going to kill her. She only had a few options. One, try and fight them off now and run blindly into the night. Two, wait until they drove off again and then smash the door open and jump out... though looking around and seeing nothing with the strength enough to do that she quickly eliminated off that possibility. Three, she could scream and then risk them knocking her out or worse. Fourth, go quietly and wait for an oppurtunity.
"Look at her think of way out like that." Kiba remarked dryly at Asuma, "I just love it when they get false hope in their heads."
"And I just love it when puny ass guys act like badasses to overcompensate for the tiny growth they have to carry around." She replied curtly.
Kiba and Asuma grinned at each other, silently agreeing this one had one helluva mouth.
"So, what's it going to be?" Asuma asked her.
Ino returned to a relaxed sitting position and raised her eyebrows expectantly. However, Asuma knew when the time came, she wouldn't submit so easily and he would have to fight to keep himself contained. She was a criminal, thief, and captive. She represented much of what he stood against. He would not let this piece of trim send his morals crashing down. No matter how pretty the face, or sensual she was. He had other, far more important obligations.
Ino's breath caught at the change from bedroom eyes to frigid caution that had settled in his eyes. He was dismissing her.
Like hell big boy.