Tool looked up from his latest draft. A girl stood in the doorframe, looking uncomfortable.
„Can I help you, darlin´ ?" he asked, getting up. He had seen hundreds of girls with a similar uncomfortable look and - besides doing a good job on their tattoos - he felt obliged to make them leave his shop in a much more relaxed state - whatever it took.
But he somehow suspected that this lass was not here to get tattoed, at least not right now. He hadn´t seen the dark marks on her jaw and temple in the dim light on the distance, but getting closer, it was obvious that somebody had not treated her very nicely.
She realized that he had been mustering the bruises and felt obviously everything else than fine.
„I am looking for Barney Ross."
„What happened to your face, darlin´ ?" Tool asked bluntly, studying her the same subtle way he used to study all his clients and people in general. She was in her late twenties or early thirties, dark brown hair, usually surely in a tidier ponytail, framing a pleasant face with big eyes, bright but dark.
She studied his face for a second as well.
„A disagreement with my boss", she answered hesitantly.
Tool chuckled, feeling her unease to decide if she could trust him, the stranger. She had obviously cried recently, and shouldered a heavy bag and backpack. She looked nervously around her as if she feared to be followed.
„s´ that why you are looking for Ross ?" he asked, a smile in his eyes, herding her inside the shop and closing the door behind her.
„Not directly", she answered with a shy smile.
„Well, Ross ist not here right now", he told her, forcing her gently to set down her bag. „But you can wait for him, if you want to." She was in faded military trousers and heavy boots paired with a dark red tanktop which allowed him to throw a look at her bare arms. „I could get you a nice little tattoo while you´re waiting ?" He looked her in the eyes. „Or at least a little ice for your face ?"
„So where do you know Ross from ?"
Cathie moaned slightly when he touched her face carefully with the ice pack. He had herded her inside his chair for the tattooing and had made her sit back there.
„He was a friend of one of my brothers", she answered. „And we´ve met recently."
Tool raised an eyebrow.
The shop´s door opened behind them and Cathie jumped a little.
„Cool, babe! Nobody´s doing you any harm here", Tool assured her, turning to have a look at the visitor.
To Cathies relief, it was not Kingsley or one of his fellows, but in fact two members of Barney´s team.
„Hey boys!" Tool exclaimed. „Haven´t seen you leave."
The tall blond put a sixpack beer down on a nearby table. He still limped slightly.
„We had gone out of food", he stated lazily.
„Really", Tool commented with a smirk.
Gunnar ignored it while Lee threw a surprised look at Cathie.
„If I were you, I´d be careful", he advised the tattoo artist. „She´s a thug."
Cathie blushed.
„Really ?" Tool asked, pretending to muster her again.
„Really", Christmas affirmed.
Gunnar bent forward and put one finger under her chin to make her lift her head a little. She jumped at the unexpected touch, but he simply ignored that.
„Let me guess", Christmas said.
The deepening blush was answer enough for him.
„So you know each other", Tool resumed, patiently watching them. „Spares me the introduction."
Gunnar retracted his hand, not without caressing the line of her jaw within the motion. He grabbed a nearby chair, sat down and put his feet up to the table right next to the beer, opening a can.
„She was on the Mexican job last week", Lee told Tool.
Tool made an appreciative sound.
„Well, at least one who did a good job there, no ?"
Gunnar and Lee threw him simultaneously dark looks but it was Tool´s turn to ignore it.
„In that case, why don´t you tell us what happened to your face, darling ?" he suggested.
When Ross finally arrived at the shop, he was not quite sure what to make out of the scene in front of him.
Cathie lay on her back on Tool´s favourite tattoo chair, the guy cooling her jaw with an ice pack. Gunnar was there as well, looking absent-minded. Lee was on the phone, probably talking to his girlfriend again.
„What the hell ... ?" he asked after mustering the bruise Tool exposed for him to look at. He threw a questioning look at Gunnar.
„Wasn´t me", the Swede said.
„Do I wanna know ?" Barney rumbled.
Tool chuckled, gesturing towards Gunnar to come closer. He handed him the ice pack.
„Barney and I got to talk, so have an eye on our girl here and be nice!"
He turned towards the teamleader and they let Cathie and the Swede alone.
„What about your arm ?" Cathie asked.
„Getting better", came the short answer.
„Your leg ?"
He chuckled lowly.
„Hurts like hell."
„Sorry to hear that. Still no painkillers ?"
He shook his head.
„I gave up on that."
She nodded understanding.
„But Tool´s been right - good job!"
„Would have been much better if I hadn´t lost my nerve."
He shrugged.
„YOU didn´t wet your pants, didn´t you ?" he challenged.
Cathie grimaced at the thought of poor Samuel Wilton who Gunnar was obviously referring to.
„Well, it was no place for an honest businessman, wasn´t it ?" she remarked cynically.
„No place for a nice little girl like you either."
He mustered her bruises again.
„Somebody should rip that guy a new one."
His dry tone made her chuckle.
„Yeah, somebody should! Maybe Ross is up to it ? I take it Kingsley has withheld vital information from you people ?
„Kingsley is an idiot with a deathwish! If it had been up to me..."
„He could have gone to hell there", she finished his sentence. And Wilton and she herself as well.
He frowned, shifting the ice pack to the other bruise and she moaned softly.
„I would have saved your sweet little ass, darling, don´t worry!"
„Even not knowing if I could pay you ?" she teased.
„There are other ways to thank a man, you know", he retaliated in a canting tone.
She laid back, hoping that she didn´t blush, and sighed.
„You win", she admitted tiredly. Right now, she wished only for a shower and a bed.
„That easily ?"
„Sorry." She laughed drily. „Gimme revenge when I am better."
Tool and Ross returned from the back room and the both of them looked up.
„Tell me that you kicked Kingsley´s ass !" Gunnar demanded.
„Not yet", Ross answered, finding himself a place to sit. Lee was finally done with his call and joined them.
„So he finally kicked you out."
Cathie nodded.
„Well, she could surely not have expected that he would propose to her after she tried to bash his head in", commented Lee casually.
Her expression at that comment told clearly that she wished people would just stop talking about that little scene on the plane. Right after landing, she had barely made it out of the plane and had lost everything she had eaten that day right away. Road had had to support her to keep upright. She was still quite embarassed regarding the whole episode.
„Next time I´ll lend you a hand", Gunnar offered.
„Did he threaten you ?" Ross asked.
„No." She shook her head. „I think we´re even now, and know just enough of each other that none will try and step on the other."
„And now you have no place to stay and no job", Barney concluded.
Cathie sighed.
„What´s worse, I don´t have any money as he ows me not only for our last trip, but for the two before as well."
„And let me guess, he was not willing to pay you", Lee said.
She nodded.
She followed Barney with the eyes, who paced slowly in front of the chair she lay in.
„Look, I have some patients, nursing cases I look after when their families need an outtime and stuff like that, but right now, I am broke", she explained.
He nodded, exchanging a glance with Tool.
„We talked about your former career", Tool said. „How good are you with needles ?"
She frowned.
„Depends on what you want me doing with them", she answered drily.
„Believe me", Gunnar threw in. „She´s good with them!"
„Well, my man for the piercings just chucked up. Some experience with that ?"
Now she grinned.
„Actually yes! Pierced some of the girls who didn´t get their daddy´s permission to get it done, so...if you don´t need very special skills there..."
Tool nodded, scratching his chin.
„There´s an empty storing room on the third floor we don´t need. It´s not much and surely needs cleaning..."
She gave him a wry smile.
„Luckily I am not spoiled."
„You could stay for a while then", Barney offered. „We´re not through yet with Kingsley regarding our payment. Maybe we can educe yours from him as well."
She waved a hand.
„Forget about it. A roof over my head is quite enough for me right now."
„Free cost and board then", Ross stated.
„Cooking welcome!" Tool added with a grin.
„Though you will have to share the kitchen and the tv with the guys when they´re in...", he warned.
She sat up, putting the ice pack finally aside.
„I appreciate your worries, but I got five older brothers and I have been patching up soldiers for ten years before they kicked me out of the army."
„Isn´t there´s also an old bathroom up there ?" Barney asked.
Tool nodded.
„Yeah, not the nicest one, that´s for sure, but you would have it on our own, as the guys are simply too large to use the shower there..."
„Sounds like paradise", Cathie smiled.
The deal was made.