DISCLAIMER: I own Naught, Zip, Zero, Nadda...except of course this particular storyline. AND I'm not profiting from this in anyway except as a form of amusing myself and hopefully others.
The Bourne Amenity
Chapter#1
They were robotic: precise, mathematical and cold. At a glance they seemed aloof and even maybe withdrawn but when you found yourself under their scrutiny, requiring answers of them and addressing issues that most would find inappropriate you realized they were simply impregnable. Human beings whose sense of self was so beaten and twisted that all remaining of their former selves was a hallow shell. Humanoid robots of flesh, blood and bones whose only link to humanity was bodily needs and function but whose eyes lead deep into a void. Like a machine whose lights turned off after being powered down and whose 'on' button was a text message, a picture and one word: "TARGET".
As Nikki watched the elite assassin that sat opposite her, she wondered what could possibly be running through his mind. What does one, whose soul purpose in life was to kill and to be invisible, think when no mission was provided and he was simply left alone to not exist. She was not envious of him and the fact that she would probably never fully know or understand his thought processes.
She was also very scared. She was always scared when their monthly check ups were required. But of all the mindless, soulless agents she liked Jason Bourne the most. He was quiet in his manner like the others, but unlike the others he didn't radiate a sense of imminent death when he entered the room. His presence was dark and warning, but never threatening. His eyes didn't glow with bloodlust and his mental evaluations never indicated an obsession with his kill missions. The fact that Nicki thought he was probably the most physically appealing man she had ever seen may or may not have influenced her opinion of him. Setting down the Dictaphone beside her and pressing the bright red button to record their encounter. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and started the routing check up.
"Code in: Nikki Parson. Everest."
"Jason Bourne. Avalon."
"Have you anything to report?"
"Negative."
Nikki glanced down at the questions listed on the paper before her. She had done this so many times since she had been hired by Conklin during her graduating year at Harvard but she never could never quite get used it. She could never get used to having perfect deadly strangers reveal their deepest darkest and sometimes intimate secrets to her. Most who did have sexual relations were rough with the women at best and violent at their worst. Their escapades had left the agency with so many angry women that they were forced to provide their assets with…'specialized services'. Licking her lips, Nikki glanced up at Jason Bourne, he had never seemed to require services. In fact, according to his mental evaluations, as well as Nikki's own observations, he didn't even seem to show interest in the act. Although she sometimes felt a pang of pity and loss for him, she was also quite relieved. She was well enough informed to know that the 'kill squad agents' (as Conklin referred to them) were prone to unpredictable bursts of violence as well as chronic migraines and paranoia brought on by training. She was also very well aware of the danger that put her in when questioning them. Shifting in her seat she looked back up at the assassin who seemed to be unaffected by what he undoubtedly new was coming. Nikki exhaled silently through her mouth and began her interrogation.
"Have you experienced any paranoia attacks since your last Code in."
"Negative."
""What are your sleeping patterns like?"
"Irregular."
"When you sleep, what's the longest you sleep for?"
"Forty-two minutes."
"Does your concentration suffer?"
"Only if I'm not on a kill mission."
Nikki's sharp intake of breath was so loud to her she almost jumped. Shifting slightly, she glanced up at the sky blue voids and was unsurprised to see that they were unaffected by her reaction. He simply sat and watched her, his eyes as piercing as daggers while his demeanor remained unchanged. Clearing her throat she continued, trying to keep the rising tide of fear out of her voice.
"…Uh... D-Do you get nightmares?"
"…"
Surprised at the silence that followed her question she looked up and examined his face again. Noting that though his demeanor was unchanged; his eyes were no longer voids. They were deep dark blue pools of misty anger. Shifting again Nikki was afraid to go any further but she knew she had to try.
"B-Bourne?" she pressed.
"Affirmative." His voice didn't betray his mood swing, only his unblinking eyes bearing down on her gave it away.
"What are they about?" she tried.
"…I can't remember- It's the same dream every time." His voice was like a winter wind and she knew she was walking on a very thin layer of ice with nothing but endless abyss beneath.
"If you can't remember what makes you so sure it's the same dream?"
"…I don't know."
His answer was just short of a bark. She looked back up into his eyes, and saw something in them that she had never seen there before… She couldn't quite place what it was but it was an unfamiliar expression that brought the voids to life and though it seemed out of place on him and completely threatening, it also made his mechanical demeanor a little more fluid.
Nikki decided that although whatever was bringing the kill squad agent's eyes to life was making him seem more attainable, she also decided that being attainable meant having a temper and quite frankly she was afraid to have him decide that she was his next target.
Sitting back in her chair, she licked her lips; trying to think of a way to tame the tempest that seemed to be whirling behind his eyes. She noticed his breathing begin to hitch and his arms begin to clench. God! He's unbelievably beautiful She thought Yeah…and unbelievably unstable! Her mind added quietly. She was in serious danger, and she wanted to run but her training at Langley kicked in. Running is a bad idea, he's a trained killer, and he's used to the chase. I have to calm him down. Find safe ground, unthreatening ground. Find something that might throw him off enough to calm him down but not enough to confuse him...something simple.
He was watching her hard, the muscles in his jaw were clenched and beads of sweat started to glisten on his forehead and drench his sleeves. He was watching her. His eyes were narrowed in concentration…Watching…watching…watching... His muscles clenching and unclenching, waiting patiently like a predator waiting for its prey to come out of its burrow. Like he just need for her to take that one step in the wrong direction. Nikki shifted, he didn't blink. I wonder if he would look like that before we fu- Nikki stop it. He's a KILLER for crying out loud. He's looking at you like that because he wants to SNAP YOUR NECK!
Suddenly she smiled at him, leaned forward and putting her hands on the desk she asked: "Did you want something to drink? Or maybe I could open the window. Your sweating like you've been put in a furnace."
He blinked at her, once: the anger in his eyes dulled. Twice: his muscles unclenched for the final time. Three times: he exhaled silently and answered in calm and uncharacteristically gentle voice "Affirmative. Water…Just water."
"Okay. Just give me a second." She left and came back quickly bringing a jug of water and two glasses. Putting them on the desk she filled them both up. She sat and took a sip, watching him drain the glass, only to refill it and drain it again. She watched him close his eyes and rub his temples then the bridge of his nose. Nikki decided the coast was clear.
"Migraine?"
"Y-Affirmative."
Did he almost say 'yes'? she thought as she wrote down a reminder to ask the doctors at Langley to send some her regularly required special meds.
"You need pain killers" she stated "I'll let headquarters know. They should send some pretty soon."
He nodded carefully placing his right palm on his temple; his left hand was clenched in a fist hidden away from her view on his knee.
He needs a break…I think I've pushed him enough for today. Anymore and I might end up missing…
"You look tiered Bourne. You should go home and take a rest."
He stared at her as if he was having a hard time understanding the shift in routine. After the mental evaluation there was always a physical one. When he didn't move, she smiled "Aren't you tiered?"
"Affirmative…but the contact objective is incomplete."
She smiled again "I'm still going to be here tomorrow. We can finish this then. Go home."
He stared for a little while longer then he got up without a word and walked out.
When she heard the door close, she took a deep breath and sighed in relief: she'd survived another encounter. Cheated death one more time- she laughed out loud and it soon broke into hysterics. All the while remembering what those eyes had looked like. Then she realized what had made those eyes more attainable: there had been an expression of emotion present in him that she had never seen before. There had been a human being behind those eyes- an angry, unhappy, unstable man behind those eyes.
Nikki sobered a little as she thought this over…Ah…the possibilities…the probabilities…The danger! Her mind reminded her once again. Nikki rubbed her forehead. No Nikki! No! He's an assassin! The Assassin..
...to be continued... (DUH)
