"Thanks for the ride, guys," Sheila said as the Guild limo pulled up in front of the house.
"No problem, Dr. Mrs. The Monarch," Watch said, as Ward climbed out of the passenger seat and moved to open the back door for the Councilwoman.
She climbed out and pulled her Guild jacket more tightly around her shoulders.
"Cold tonight," Ward said, as he escorted her up the steps that led up to the house, pausing at the landing midway-up.
"Sure is," she said, "Monarch and Twenty-One must be freezing on that camping trip they're on."
"Ew, camping," Ward muttered, wrinkling his turned-up nose, "Watch's and my idea of roughing it is staying in a hotel that doesn't have free HBO."
Dr. Mrs. burst into laughter, and he smiled.
"Goodnight, Ward," she said, after a moment, turning and heading up the steps to her front door.
"Goodnight, ma'am!" he called, as he stated back down to the limo.
Sheila unlocked the front door to the mansion she shared with her husband, The Monarch and their henchman, Twenty-One, and closed it behind her. As she moved into the foyer she shivered, wondering why it was so cold in the house.
She looked around, and saw a pane in the window in the study was broken, and the window open, the curtains blowing in the breeze.
Before she could react, a strong arm captured her tiny waist, a knife was held to her throat, and she gasped.
"Not a sound, gorgeous," growled the ugly, unfamiliar voice, "You do as you're told, and I won't hurt you. Deal?"
She nodded carefully, mindful of the blade under her chin.
"Good girl," said the stranger, "I've been watching you for weeks, and tonight, you are MINE."
Her hand drifted toward the holster on her hip, and the knife was pressed more tightly to her throat.
"No you don't!" he snapped, snatching the gun from the holster and pressing it to her head, tossing the knife aside.
"I told you, I've been watching you. I know you carry a piece."
"You're making a BIG mistake, whoever you are," she warned as he hefted her under his arm and carried her into the living room, "I work for people who can DESTROY you."
"I'll take my chances," the drifter chuckled.
"Well," she tried another approach, "My husband will be home any second now!"
"No he won't," the intruder said matter-of-factually.
"Judging by the amount of camping gear he packed up earlier, he'll be gone for days, along with that bruiser of a rent boy."
He forced her down on the floor and straddled her, keeping the gun trained on her every moment.
"There is nobody coming to help you, sweetheart," he whispered, running his fingers over her cheek.
"And if you fight me, I'll carve you up so badly, even your husband won't want you."
She closed her eyes, and made the mental decision to obey him. If she wanted to live, she had no other choice. All she could do was try to put her mind someplace else. She'd been trained to withstand torture... this was no different.
"Cross your wrists above your head," he ordered.
She did so, and he pinned them to the floor with one strong hand. Once she was rendered helpless he laid the gun aside and began to push up the short skirt of her Guild uniform, his vile fingers brushing her thigh.
(Oh God... Monarch... I love you...,) she thought, as tears filled her eyes.
All of a sudden, the front doorbell rang, and her eyes flew open as the thug's hand was hurriedly pressed over her mouth. He hesitated for a moment, a look of panic on his face. Then he let go of her mouth, snatched the gun back up and dragged her to her feet.
"Don't get clever on me, sweetheart," he hissed as he hauled her out into the foyer, "Or I'll shoot YOU, AND whomever this is."
He moved with her to the door, and stepped to the side, out of sight, but still holding the gun on her.
"Councilwoman?" called Watch's voice from the other side of the heavy door, and the bell was rung again.
"Just get rid of him, or else...," he breathed, gesturing with the gun.
She steadied herself, schooled the look of terror off her face, and opened the door to find both Watch and Ward standing there, and Watch holding her laptop in his hands.
"You left this in the limo," he said kindly, smiling at her, holding the device out to her.
"Oh!" she said, a little too loudly, taking it from him and setting it on the table beside the door, "Thanks!"
"Everything OK, ma'am?" Ward asked, raising an eyebrow, "Your eyes...,"
"Allergies!" she said, a little too quickly, wiping the tears from her eyes, glancing at her captor as he glared at her.
"This old house... so much dust." She tried to give a halfhearted laugh, but it sounded a little hysterical.
"You're sure everything is all right?" Watch asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh yes, everything is fine," she replied, "I just got a text from The Monarch. He says our daughter officially hates camping."
She shrugged a little at the two agents, acutely aware of the invader who hid just out of their sight beside the door, holding a gun on her.
"Well," Watch said, "Goodnight again, Councilwoman!"
"Goodnight Ma'am," added Ward.
"Goodnight, guys," Sheila said.
The two agents turned to head back down the steps, and her heart sank as she realized her attempt at signalling for help had fallen on deaf ears.
She closed the door, and backed away toward the living room as her attacker came toward her again, brandishing the gun and leering horribly.
"Now, where were we?" he sneered.
At that moment, the door crashed open and Agent Watch flew at her attacker with a growl, tackling him to the floor.
Agent Ward came through the door right behind him and crossed to Sheila. He quickly guided her away from the scuffle and enfolded her protectively in his arms, placing himself between her and the danger.
Meanwhile, Agent Watch battled her would-be rapist, exchanging blows with the thug. The attacker raised the gun, but Watch caught his wrist in a grip of iron and slammed it against the wall, knocking the weapon from his grasp and then kicking it away down the hall.
The home invader was out of his league with Watch, and the sharp-jawed agent quickly gained the upper hand in the fight. A moment later, the drifter managed to disentangle himself from the agent and bolted out the front door.
Watch pursued him, disappearing into the darkness.
Sheila and Ward stood there in the sudden silence, the agent's rapid breathing the only sound.
"Are you hurt, ma'am?" he asked after a few more seconds, still holding her tightly in his arms as she began to tremble.
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his middle, clinging to him, taking comfort in the solid warmth of his body.
"Why don't I call your husband?" he suggested, reaching for his cell phone.
"You can't," she said, her voice muffled against his jacket, "He left his phone here, Twenty-One's orders. They're incommunicado for survival training."
"Right," he said, simply.
They just stood there together, holding each other, Ward offering wordless comfort, and she gratefully taking it.
After a few minutes, and to Sheila's great relief, Agent Watch returned safely. He closed the front door behind him and engaged the deadbolt before striding over to her and Ward.
"Here," he said, reaching out for her, "Ward, go and do a sweep of the house, make sure that bastard was working alone."
Ward gave a curt nod and released Sheila into his partner's arms. The blond agent disappeared down the hall to check the rest of the floor.
"Are you OK, Mrs. The Monarch?" Watch asked of her, holding her tightly against him.
The events of the night began to take their toll, and she felt tears threatening behind her eyes, much to her shame. She tried to fight them down, but when Watch began to gently rub her back, she couldn't keep it in check any longer and began to cry.
"You and The Monarch don't have a daughter," the agent said softly.
"Oh God... thank you, Watch," she wept, and he held her closer, cradling her head with one strong hand.
She nestled against his broad chest, half-afraid she would die of embarrassment at her show of emotion, feeling weak for weeping in front of him.
"You're safe, now," the older agent said gently, as she clung to him, "It's all right."
Ward came jogging back up the hallway and paused to lay his hand on Mrs. Monarch's back as he passed by.
"She OK?" he asked his partner quietly, and Watch gave him a thumbs up.
"First floor's clear," Ward announced, turning toward the staircase, "I'll check upstairs."
Then the blond agent turned and disappeared up the stairs.
Slowly, Sheila got control over herself, but she still held on to Watch.
"Do you think he'll come back?" she murmured, a tremor in her voice, pulling back slightly to look up the tall agent's angular face.
"No," Watch replied, simply, "He's not going to hurt anyone, ever again."
She blinked up at him, impressed and a little intimidated by the cold, steely look in his eyes, and the clenching of his jaw. She couldn't remember ever seeing the man show much in the way of emotion.
"You mean...?" she began, hesitantly.
"I wish I COULD take credit for it," he began, with an ironic little shrug, "But the dumb-ass tried to cross the highway and ran right in front of an 18-wheeler."
"Oh, God," she breathed, with a shudder, "What about the police...?"
"Don't worry about it," he said softly.
"This sort of thing happens in Newark all the time, and nobody is going to look too deeply into the death of a violent drifter."
Ward appeared at the top of the stairs, and Watch looked up at him.
"Upstairs is secure," the younger agent announced, coming down to join them.
"Good work," Watch said, before turning his attention back to Sheila.
"Listen, Councilwoman," he began quietly, "Ward and I are going to stay here with you, tonight."
"Oh no," she began, "You don't have to..."
"I'll sleep better if I know you aren't alone, ma'am."
She relented with a nod, snuggling against his comforting warmth.
"Here, dude," Ward said, moving into the study, "Can you come give me a hand with this?"
"We'll be right back," the older agent said reassuringly as he released her and followed his partner.
She came to the doorway of the study to find the two agents moving the heavy china cabinet across the floor. They pushed it up against the wall, effectively blocking the broken window by which her attacker had entered.
"That should do until you can get that window repaired," Watch said, dusting his hands off on his black jodhpurs.
"And we'd both strongly recommend you and The Monarch invest in a home security system," Ward added, "Besides Twenty-One, I mean."
He grinned at her, and in spite of everything, Sheila gave a short laugh. But a moment later, her head began to spin, and she moved to sit at the foot of the stairs.
Ward came to her in an instant, taking her hand and kneeling in front of her.
"What's wrong?" he demanded, "Are you all right?"
"Sorry," she murmured, looking blearily up at him, "Just... dizzy all of a sudden... and fr-freezing."
"I'll get you some water," he said, getting to his feet and jogging down the hall toward the kitchen.
Watch came to sit beside her on the stairs, wrapping an arm around her.
She shivered, leaning against him. The agent unzipped his jacket a few inches, reached inside, and produced a silver flask.
"Don't tell anybody," he said, with a conspiratorial wink as he handed the vessel to her.
She gave a tremulous chuckle and twisted the attached lid from the flask, and took a sip as Watch rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms, trying to warm her.
"Whoa!" she said, coughing slightly, holding a fist to her mouth, "Jack Daniels?"
"Madame!" Watch said, with mock horror, holding a hand over his heart, "Johnnie Walker."
"Tastes like smoky paint thinner," she said, pulling a face as she took another hit, "But it does warm you up, doesn't it?"
"Always works for me," the agent replied with a grin, taking the flask back from her, screwing the top back on and tucking it away inside his jacket.
"This is so stupid," she murmured, holding her head, "I've been through more stressful situations than this... What's wrong with me?"
"This wasn't just stress, you were assaulted," the agent said gently, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her more tightly against him, resting his chin against the top of her head.
"I'm not some frail little flower," she said, "You know I'm not..., why did that creep unnerve me so badly?"
"You might have a mild case of shock," Watch said softly, "Try not to think about him anymore."
Ward returned and handed her a glass of water. She accepted it with a trembling hand, drank it down, and then took a few deep breaths.
"Feel better?" Ward asked, taking the empty glass from her and moving to set it on the table beside the door.
She nodded a little, but still leaned heavily against Watch.
"I'm so tired," she murmured, "All I want to do is go to sleep."
"I think that's a great idea," Ward said, moving past her and heading up the stairs, "I'll go get your bed turned down."
"Last door on the left!" she called after him, blinking at how surreal the situation was.
She took Watch's offered arm, and he helped her to her feet, but she was terribly unsteady. Most of it was the stress, but the Johnnie Walker surely didn't help, either.
The Guild agent seemed to realize that she was in no condition to climb two flights of stairs, and without fanfare, scooped her up in his arms.
"Can you hold on to me, ma'am?" he said softly, and she obediently wrapped her arms around his neck. He cradled her, safe and snug against his chest, as he started up the stairs for the next floor.
Watch was strong and solid, and being carried by him was strangely comforting. She snuggled against him, hugging his neck and laying her head on his broad shoulder.
He glanced down at her, his jaw clenching like mad, and she thought she heard him swallow nervously.
Smiling a little to herself, she brushed a hand across his pale cheek. His face flushed, and he gulped a second time.
"In here," Ward called to him from the doorway of her bedroom as they reached the top of the stairs.
Watch carried her down the hall and paused in the doorway. She glanced around the room, and chuckled a little.
Ward had turned down the bed-covers, and had helpfully laid out a pair of plaid flannel pajamas that she had worn exactly once... Last Christmas, when Monarch had eagerly presented them to her. And then she had only worn them so her husband's feelings wouldn't be hurt.
Watch came into the room and gently set her down on the edge of the bed. He motioned for Ward to follow him, and they both stepped out, closing the door behind them to give her some privacy while she changed.
She stripped off her Guild uniform and boots, and put on the soft, warm, comfortable, but definitely un-sexy pajamas. After brushing her teeth and washing her face in the master bath, she climbed into bed and called out to her two knights in shining armor.
"OK, you can come back in!"
The door opened, and Watch hesitantly stuck his head in the room.
"Come on in," she called with a smile, motioning to him, "I'm decent."
He chuckled nervously, and walked into the room, followed by Ward. They came to stand at the foot of her bed.
After a moment, Watch moved to the window at the head of the bed and pulled the curtains back, checking the locks and peering out into the night.
"Relax, Watch," she said comfortingly, reaching out to touch the hem of his jacket, "We're way up on the second floor."
"Right, right," the sharp-featured man said, with a quick nod, moving back to stand at her bedside.
"OK, then," Ward said, taking one last look around the room, "If there's nothing more you need right now, Mrs. Monarch?"
They moved toward the bedroom door, and Sheila felt an uncharacteristic rush of fear and sudden loneliness.
How that evil bastard had messed with her head!
She bit her lower lip nervously, not sure how to ask for what she needed.
"What's wrong?" Ward asked, moving to sit at her bedside, apparently reading her expression.
"Could you... would you mind...," she began uncertainly.
"Ma'am?" Watch asked softly.
"Is there any way someone could... sleep in here with me?"
The two agents looked at each other, and shrugged slightly.
"Of course," Watch said softly, "Whatever you need."
"We are at your service, Councilwoman," Ward added.
"Thank you," she breathed, smiling in relief.
"You grab some sleep, Ward," Watch said, moving to the door, "I'll stand guard downstairs."
"You sure?" the younger agent asked.
"Yes," Watch replied, "I'll wake you in a few hours, and we can switch."
"Goodnight, Watch," Sheila called to him.
He gave her a smile and a nod, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.