Disclaimer: Human Target property of Fox. Additional characters and story mine.
Author's note: I like to think Guerrero's personal history is a bit complicated. I don't think Chance would be the only one to cross the line. Too much? Let me know.
"Powell is what you'd call freelance, as in really freelance. He's got no agenda as such, other than taking the jobs that pay the best or that he finds interesting in some way." Chance explained. "When it comes to tech or anything involving computers in any way, he's the best."
"Better than Guerrero?" Winston asked, unable to resist such an easy shot.
"Way better than me, dude. But that's not the issue here." Guerrero seemed unphased by the challenge to his digital expertise, confirming that his issue with Powell was a personal one.
"Guerrero and Powell don't really get on." Guerrero snorted at the understatement. "There have been a couple of incidents when Powell managed to hack Guerrero's intel and compromise it before he had the chance to hand it to our old boss."
"Surely you checked it before you handed it over? Kept it on a secure drive or something?" Winston asked.
Guerrero glared at him. "We're not talking about handing over a homework assignment here, dude. It was secure. I still don't know how exactly he managed to do it but he hacked encrypted files on a secure, non-networked device in the time it took me to walk across the room and hand it to the old man. It wasn't just a virus corrupting the files either. He just messed with very specific, very significant details. Just enough to render the intel dangerously inaccurate without drawing attention to the fact that it had been messed with. That first time I nearly got it both barrels from the old man and I'm not talking figuratively, dude."
"Okay, so he likes screwing with Guerrero's work. I can understand how that would upset you but…. How do I put this?" Winston paused. "How come the guy is still breathing? This was back in the bad old days, right? Why didn't you just…" he mimed firing a gun.
Chance laughed. "The old man considered Powell an asset, despite his sense of humour where Guerrero's work was concerned. As much as Guerrero would have loved to have killed the guy it wasn't worth the trouble it would have caused with the old man. Plus there was Kelly to consider."
"Dude, I'm warning you…"
"Who's Kelly?" Winston asked, ignoring Guerrero's warning.
"… leave it alone, Chance. I'm not kidding!"
"Powell's sister." Chance was now grinning.
"You're dead to me dude."
"Oh, I see." Winston was smiling too now. "I take it there was some 'ungentlemanly conduct' involved."
"Something like that. He never did tell me the details."
"That's because it was none of your business! It was complicated."
"Not that complicated, buddy. Powell asked you too keep his little sister out of harms way in a safe house for a week and she took a bit of a shine to you, didn't she?"
"How little?" growled Winston.
"For Christ sake, she was twenty three! It wasn't like I took advantage!" Guerrero protested.
"That's not the way Powell saw it, buddy." Chance smirked.
"It was an intense situation. Powell was in over his head with some seriously unsavoury people, they threatened his sister, I kept her alive while he sorted it out! We were stuck in that cabin with no electricity for a week. Stuff happened. It's no big deal! Don't make a thing out of it."
"Sounds like it was a big deal to Powell." Winston said.
Chance, to Guerrero's annoyance, was still grinning. He pretended to look both ways as if checking for eavesdroppers then put one hand to his mouth and said in a stage whisper, "You know who else thought it was a big deal? Kelly's long-term girlfriend!"
"Kelly's what?" Winston asked, his eyebrows shooting up.
"I'm so not discussing this." Guerrero stood up and walked to the door as if to leave.
"Kelly is a lesbian. She came out to her brother when she was twenty-one." Chance was enjoying the rare situation to make Guerrero squirm too much to hold back what details he had. "Powell was just getting used to the idea when Guerrero made his move."
Guerrero froze in the doorway but didn't turn around. "I didn't make a move on her, dude. If anything it was the other way around."
"I'm having a little trouble picturing Guerrero seducing lesbians in a log cabin in the woods…" Winston said rubbing his chin and putting on an exaggerated expression of confusion.
Chance laughed, enjoying the show.
"Dude. I will say this once." Guerrero turned to face his amused tormentors. "I was stuck watching one chick, who yes, under normal circumstances is a lesbian, but for whatever reason was straight that week. Maybe she's bi, I don't know. I don't care. It just happened. It was fun. It was over when we left that cabin. It's really not worth the hassle it's caused me over the years with Powell. Now can we just drop it? Please?"
It was the "please?" that finally got Chance to drop the subject. That and he'd already shared pretty much all he knew already.
"Okay, I get it." Winston said. "You and Powell don't really get on. So why is he coming to us for help?"
"He approached me on Kelly's behalf." Chance explained. "She's a defence attorney and she's having some kind of trouble with a client."
"Why didn't she ask us herself?" Winston asked.
"Well," Chance said, shooting a glance at Guerrero. "Remember that long-term girlfriend I mentioned? They're still together and she's more or less forbidden Kelly to ever contact me or Guerrero under any circumstances. She thinks the police can handle the situation."
"Doesn't want Kelly's ex-boyfriend sniffing around. I can understand that." Winston said.
"Dude, I was not her boyfriend." Guerrero said through gritted teeth.
"It sounds like a real case to me." Winston said, ignoring him. "I'm sure Guerrero can keep it in his pants long enough for us to help the lady out."
"Great. I'll set up a meeting." Chance met Guerrero glare with an smile, radiating innocence.
Oh, this is going to get interesting! thought Chance.