"Damn it Hardison!"
Christina pushed herself further into the darkness of the closet she'd stuffed herself into and trembled at the sound of the menacing, rasping voice.
"Really? Seriously? That's strike two." The man hissed threateningly. "No! I'm gonna… You're so… ugh." Anger gave way to frustration as the intruder began to rip open draws, riffling through everything he came into contact with.
In the depths of her hiding place, Christina gripped the disc in her hands tightly, the thin edge of the item digging into her flesh as she held her breath, waiting.
"And I'm telling you it ain't here, man. Wait!"
Feeling her heart leap with his words, Christina closed her eyes tightly, her pulse racing through her adrenaline charged body accelerating her already galloping heart rate to uncomfortable speeds. Outside of her closet everything fell silent. She strained against the silence trying to pick up any indication of what was happening. She counted slowly in her head, trying to calm herself and waited, praying, and hoping.
Before her brain could process what was happening, she'd been pulled from the closet and shoved roughly up against a wall, her back slamming hard against the white plaster and knocking the wind out of her burning lungs. An iron like grip held her arms high up above her head, one hand easily securing both hers, his fingers digging painfully into her wrists. His other forearm crushed her windpipe, pinning her in place against the solid wall and causing her eyes to water as she gasped for air.
Her glassy gaze searched out the owner of the voice connecting with ice-cold blue eyes and a face full of suspicion and threat as he snarled dangerously, "Where is it?"
She snatched a glance at her numb hands and realised she must have dropped the disc in the shock of the assault. This didn't go unnoticed.
"Drop it?" her attacker scorned, a sneer playing on his lips.
Christina gasped for air and struggled pathetically. She was no match for the strength or size of her opponent but she had to try. If this was it, the end of her 30 years, then she wanted to at least go out fighting. Not that it would be much of a fight but still, she had nothing left to lose.
She glanced left across the office, praying that he would follow her gaze again giving her a split second to make a move. It worked; he glared at the door, giving her just enough space to slam her right knee into his groin. He exhaled sharply, cursing loudly as he bent forward, his stance shifting slightly to move his weight to his back leg but he didn't break contact with her arms or throat. She was still stuck with no escape.
Thrashing wildly she cursed, hissed and kicked but it was futile, she had no chance. Accidently she managed a second kick to his groin and briefly he pulled away, spitting words like venom at her.
She took her chance and ran, tearing back to the closet and dropping to the floor, her hands searching blindly for the small disk. She didn't have long before he launched himself at her, knocking her to the floor and causing her face to hit the cheap carpet before resting on something smooth. The disc! She snatched it up and brought her hands together as quickly as she could, splintering the small plastic circle in two.
Her assailant stopped in his tracks, confusion etched on his determined face, she smiled triumphantly.
"Do your worst now, asshole." She taunted with an air of false confidence, her eyes dancing with contempt as she heaved herself to her feet.
The intruders face scrunched up, his eyebrows knitting together as he drew himself up to his full height. "I don't get it." He whispered his eyes shifting around the room apprehensively.
Christina looked at him warily, wondering what he was waiting for. The man took a step towards her and she shrank back defensively but all aggression had vanished from his body. He put a hand up to his ear and turned his back to her.
"It's done." He stated simply.
She didn't wait around to hear anything else. As fast as her legs would carry her she fled to the main stairs, running across the landing to the door at the far end. Her limbs trembled as she broke through the fire door, pulled on her gloves and hooked her legs around the escape ladder. Grasping the sides of the iron she slid to the bottom, passing all the six floors below her in a blur.
As her feet touched the ground she turned to her escape route through the trees behind the glass building and had managed a full three steps before a security guard ran at her from the right and tackled her to the floor. She landed with a dull thud, slamming her head against the unforgiving concrete of the parking lot. This was not going well for her.
Rolling on to her back she groggily kicked her leg out, smashing the guard clumsily in the mouth but he didn't relinquish his grip, instead he growled and pulled at her tighter, dragging her along the ground towards him. Her black jacket and vest snagged and rose up her back and she yelped as the rough floor scratched her lower back painfully.
She struggled and clawed but he easily pulled her under him, laughing menacingly as he knelt heavily on her left hip and bound her sore wrists tightly. Christina howled as he rested his full weight on her already broken body but he would not let up.
Working quickly he had her tied up in seconds. He stood hands on hips, towering over her and admiring his handiwork. She lay defencelessly and looked up into the inky sky.
"Think you're smart do ya?" He chuckled. "We've been waiting for you Miss Mackenzie. Nice of you to show up, finally."
"Fuck you." She spat, pulling at her restraints.
The guard smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Sounds like a good idea to me." He reached for his belt and began fumbling with the buckle
"Seems you're just a magnet for trouble now sweetheart, doesn't it?"
The rasping voice of the man from the office upstairs echoed through the parking lot. The guard turned, his hand going for his gun but before he had chance to complete his revolution he was on the floor, eyes closed, consciousness lost.
"C'mon Christina, we've got a few questions for you."
She groaned in pain as she was hoisted up on to the mans' shoulder and carried away from the building she'd spent the last four years working in.
Her brain worked slowly, dazed, sifting through the information she'd gathered and trying to ignore the pain. The guard was clearly working for Professor Chan so who the hell was this guy but more importantly, who did he working for?
She twisted to try and see something, anything of the man holding her captive but all she could view was the back of his black hat and his long hair tied back.
"Who are you working for?" She asked, her voice weak and tired.
He chuckled as he opened a door and set her down gently in the back of a black Sudan. "It's complicated." He smiled, his eyes bright and crinkled slightly at the corners. His whole demeanour had changed dramatically. She studied his face anew. He had a five o'clock shadow which suited his hard man aura. He removed his hat and a few waves of hair fell freely in front of his startling blue eyes, he flicked his head, watching her watching him and winked.
Christina eyed him warily. Ten minutes ago he was trying to kill her and now he was what? Saving her? She watched him cautiously and swallowed nervously. She was tied up in the back seat of a clearly unstable, psychopath's vehicle. How could this ever end well?
The door slammed and she watched as her captor sauntered to the driver's side and casually hopped in.
"I'm Eliot, by the way."
Christina shivered; everything about Eliot screamed danger. She didn't know where she was going or what would happen but she'd done what she needed so did it really matter what happened to her now?
They travelled in silence; Christina bound in the back of Eliot's car. She stared up out of the window watching the streetlights pass by in rapid succession. Her head hurt, her body ached and she was pretty sure her back was bleeding, but it was worth it. Carl's work was gone and they had no way of retrieving it, the disc was the last piece in her dangerous puzzle and she'd finished it.
She'd known all along that it was impossible for her to survive this, even if and when she succeeded Professor Chan would come looking to tie up loose ends. Christina was a loose end. She'd planned on running and hiding but she knew it was only a matter of time. She sighed and the car stopped.
Eliot turned in his seat and looked down at her, his features soft in the orange glow from outside. She feared him more right now than she did in the office – back there his intentions had been clear but now, in his car she had no idea what he was planning.
"I'm gonna untie you," He began in his gravelly voice, his eyes narrowing slightly, "and I don't wanna regret this okay? So no running, screaming, biting, scratching and," he fixed her with a pointed glare, "definitely no kicking."
Christina nodded knowing that the moment her bonds were gone she'd be doing all of the above and probably more.
"Seriously girl, I'm not sure what your deal is but I know that you need help. You just pissed off a whole bunch of people you do not wanna get on the wrong side of and unless you let me and my, " he paused briefly, an uncertainty glinting in his eyes before he continued, "associates help you're probably gonna be dead by morning."
He leant back, producing a switchblade from his lap, instinctively Christina cowered away. Eliot chuckled again, a low rasping sound emanating from the back of his throat. "If I wanted you dead you'd be lying stiff back at Core Industries, now gimme you're arms and keep still."
She did as she was asked, offering her wrists to the madman in the front seat and closing her eyes as the knife sliced through the rope on her wrists.
Eliot tilted his head expectantly and moved his eyes down her body to her feet. The way he looked at her sent shivers down her spine, it was unnerving and almost lecherous. Swallowing down her bile, Christina sat herself up and swung her legs between the seats allowing Eliot easier access to the rope around her ankles. Again he sliced cleanly through before flipping the knife and offering her the handle.
"Here, take it, not that it'll do you any good but it might make you feel a little more, y'know."
"I don't trust you." Christina said, cautiously taking the knife and bending the blade back into the handle.
"Right back atchya." Eliot grinned.
He opened his door and swung his legs out at the same time Christina did. She pushed up out of the vehicle and made to run but her legs just wouldn't cooperate. They were numb and shaky and no matter how hard she tried to shuffle she couldn't make them carry her. She slammed the door hard in frustration, cursing loud obscenities before dropping unceremoniously to the floor.
Again Eliot chuckled, grating her frayed nerves to the core. "Fuck you." She spat glaring up into his amused smile.
"Aw c'mon, I just rescued your ass,"
"Rescued?" She bit, cutting him off, "Have you forgotten the little ass kicking I got back at Core?"
He shrugged, flipping his now loose hair out of his eyes and smiled. "You got in a shot or two of your own."
She looked down at her crumpled legs beneath her and sighed. He had gotten her out of harms way but why? What did he expect in return? Who were his associates and why were they suddenly trying to help her after he'd been hell bent on killing her not more than an hour ago. They said they had questions but he hadn't uttered a word on the journey to this back alley. This deserted back alley, yeah she felt safe, as safe as swimming with sharks when you're throat has been cut.
But obviously he was on opposite sides to Professor Chan, and as the old proverb went; the enemies of my enemy are my friend, but was that enough of a reason to warrant consenting to his 'help'?
Again she sighed, gritting her teeth in tired frustration. What choice did she have, she couldn't run, hell, she couldn't even crawl; there was no getting away from this Eliot. And she could sure use a friend or two right now, and failing that, an acquaintance no matter how strangely that relationship may have come about. She nodded half to herself and half to Eliot; she was a dead woman walking now so what did she have to lose?
"I'm going to need a hand." She admitted, reaching up with her right arm.
He batted her arm gently away and took a couple of steps forward before stooping down and hoisting her up. With one arm hooked under her legs the other held her back and he carried her towards a door half way down the alley. A million questions buzzed through her skull, pecking angrily away at her curiosity but she bit them all back. She'd get her answers but right now she needed to keep her wits about her without getting lost in any train of thought.
"Open it up." Eliot muttered and she looked at him. "Comms." He said with a slight nod of his head.
"No shit." Christina replied, her eyes now glued on the door, waiting to see what and who was beyond it.
A warm yellow light poured out into the darkened alley, inviting them both in to the building. Eliot stepped in and kicked the door closed behind him. He found the nearest seat and far more gently than Christina was expecting, sat her down.
She quickly took in her surroundings, a decent sized room with hardwood flooring and magnolia walls. A table and chairs adorned the room but other than that it was empty. The most noticeable thing about the room was in fact the occupants. A beautiful woman with a syrupy smile and shoulder length, dark, glossy hair sat opposite Christina, her head resting on one of her hands as she leant easily on the table. Next to her a middle-aged man with unruly hair was taking his time to sit. His steady gaze never wavered from Christina's face as she defiantly stared back in to his guarded blue eyes. He smiled. She supposed it was an attempt to calm her, maybe lull her into a false sense of security but it did nothing but unsettle her even more.
"Hi Christina," He began and she scowled back, aggravated that they already knew her name. "I'm Nathan Ford and I believe we can help you."
Christina fidgeted, adjusting herself in the wooden chair whilst glancing at the mysterious woman and Eliot who had seated himself next to her. Both were watching her intensely.
"Go on." She replied, unsure of how to proceed or what to say.
"You went up against Core Industries, I'm not entirely sure why… yet, but I do know without a shadow of a doubt that you've just moved yourself up to number one spot on Chan's most wanted list. You need our help." Nate shifted back in his chair, his posture relaxed and open.
"And why would you want to help me, Mr Ford?"
"It's what we do." He blinked, staring back at her like it was the most obvious answer in the world.
To her right Eliot stood and crossed the floor to a door on the opposite side of the room. He slipped through it without a word and closed the door quietly behind him.
"Christina," the alien British accent pulled Christina's attention back to the woman, "we're well versed in this kind of situation. Like Nate said, it's what we do. We help people who can't help themselves," she cocked her head and smiled, "and for what ever reason can't involve the authorities."
Vigilantes. Christina grimaced, it did not go unnoticed.
"I'm Sophie… Let us help you." Sophie extended the hand she'd been resting on and leant across the table to gently pat Christina's fore arm but before she could make contact Christina pulled back.
"This is really, unbelievably kind of you but no, I can't accept-,"
"You don't have to worry," Sophie cut her off and leant back pulling her hand away, "we don't want anything in return. We aren't the bad guys." She smiled sweetly. Too sweetly.
"Again, thank you but no. Now I really should be making a move, my husband will be worried about me."
"You don't have a husband." Eliot's distinctive voice sounded amused as he walked back in the room with a folder in his hands. He tossed it down in front of Christina and beckoned her to look.
She glanced down to see the Core Industries logo embossed in the centre of a standard brown folder, no different to the ones she handled on a daily basis. Laying a cautious hand on the file she slid it towards herself and after a fleeting look at her companions she opened the pages. Her heart kicked up a gear as her eyes scanned the familiar text and diagrams.
"How?" But she was unable to finish her question, her voice lost as she attempted to figure out this new puzzle.
They had confidential files, ones it had taken her weeks to lay her hands on. Only a few members of the Core Industries board were privy to every piece of information they had here and none of those would have given up these files without substantial force.
Christina raised her eyes to Eliot and knew at once that he could be interpreted as 'substantial force'.
"Oh no, it's not what you think." Nathan Ford rushed to reassure her, stepping in front of Eliot and breaking her eye contact with him. "No, these were passed on to us, for the most part, by Donavan Groves. I believe you know him."
"No." Christina lied, dropped her eyes down and focussing on the file again, slowly flipping pages.
"Oh. Hmm, see, that's where we have a slight discrepancy. I was led to believe that you and he, ahem, knew each other fairly intimately after last years office Christmas party." Nathan smiled and Christina burned with anger knowing she was beat.
She took a calming breath and flexed her legs, testing them. They felt stronger now, less shaky, she was sure she'd be able to get up and walk away as long as no one tried to chase her. She might even make it to the end of the alley.
"Donovan came to us, told us what Professor Chan has been up to. He told us that Carl had paid with his life for trying to stop what Core Industries are trying to achieve. We know about Elux Power, the cover story of electric car batteries and the black market shipment of bombs. There's no need to hide anything from us Christina, we really do want to help." Sophie sighed earnestly, pausing for a second. "When Eliot found you in the offices tonight he thought you were working for Core Industries, that's why he attacked you but think about it, the second he realised you weren't he let you go, look at him, does he look like the type of guy who you could walk away from if he didn't want you to? If we meant you harm you wouldn't be here, now, would you?" Her silky voice coupled with her pacifying tone seeped in to Christina's over tired brain and she shook her head trying to clear it. She couldn't afford to trust anyone except herself, it was simply too dangerous.
She scanned the documents at her fingertips and licked her lips. They were early pages, before Carl had found the connection between the reservoir spool and connectors. They may have most of the information but they still didn't realise the full implications of what they had. She relaxed a little at this realisation.
A frown crossed Sophie's face. "What is it?" She asked staring deeply in to Christina's eyes.
"I… what?" Christina stuttered, caught off guard.
"Something's wrong with those plans, you relaxed when you saw," Sophie reached across and fished out the paper Christina had just surveyed, "this." She waved the diagram in Christina's face.
"I have no idea what,"
"Please," Nathan cut her off, "I understand why you're so cagey but it's important we have all the information." He glanced at his companions before continuing. "If we're bringing down Core and Chan we need to know everything."
"Bringing down?"
Eliot sighed, scraping a chair across the small gap between him and Christina. Turning it the wrong way around, he straddled the seat and leant forward, resting his arms and chin on the back of the chair. "We're like Robin Hood, take from the rich give to the needy and all that shit. Core Industries have been up to some pretty fucked up shit and we're here to put it right. No more disappearing colleagues, strange deaths or extortion. We know about it all and are dealing with it but if you're holding out on us, keeping some important info quiet then we could end up hurting someone we shouldn't or getting ourselves killed." He stared at her, his concern bubbling through his calm façade.
"I think I should go now." Christina stood, dropping the file back on to the table. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about so I can't help you. I wish you good luck with your endeavour, God knows you're gonna need it but it's got nothing to do with me. Sorry." And she was, if what Eliot claimed was true then they would give anything to help them destroy the evil she'd helped build but she couldn't risk placing false trust in anyone. Her life literally depended on her disappearing, melting away to nothing and leaving no trace.
"So what? You're running away? Where ya gonna go? You think they won't find you, princess?" Eliot hissed.
"Eliot." Sophie's warning rang clear through the quiet room.
"What? This is bullshit! She knows more than she's letting on, you know what happens if we go in there half cocked? We could lose Parker or Hardison or even you Soph. These people don't play nice." Eliot retorted, rising to his feet. "And what about her? I used to get calls like this every day. She's easy pickings. You let her walk outa here and she's dead within the hour."
Christina flinched.
Across the table Nathan sighed. "He's right, Christina. Forgive his bluntness but he's right. I can't let you leave, it's too dangerous." He twisted to look at Sophie and she nodded at him. "C'mon, it's time you met the rest of the team. Follow me."