Assassin 7
Casey sighed as she leaned back against the now familiar white tiled wall.
Her mind was spinning with information, what she had to do, and reports she would have to type.
She grabbed her head, "Stop, stop, stop, just fucking stop." She whispered, eyes clenched shut.
Her mind gave her peace after another few minutes.
She sighed, leaning back against the wall again, her eyes still closed.
'I hate my life.' She thought.
A whoosh sound echoed through the sweat room and she opened her eyes to see a shadow approaching her.
She waited, seeing who it was first.
Tom again.
"Are you following me?" she asked.
Tom sat beside her, "No, well, yes, but only to see if you are ok." He explained.
She sighed.
Such a difficult question.
"I'm ok physically, but inside my head, I'm brimming with annoying stuff." She told him, closing her eyes again.
Tom watched her shadowy figure interestedly.
"Why don't you do something to take your mind off of stuff like that?" he asked
"I am, sitting here in the sweat room, or working out, it gives me a reason to not think." She explained.
He nodded, coughing a little.
She opened her eyes, "Deep breathes, in through your nose, out through your mouth." She stated.
He did as told, it was still hard, but he managed.
"You wanna go out and party? It would really get your mind off of annoying stuff." He said.
….
"Annaed and Tom are going to the club," Bill said to Alex who was stretching on the floor.
"I, i.e. we, are not going." she said flipping to her feet.
"We aren't?" he said in a questioning tone.
"Nope," she said smiling.
"What are we going to do?" he asked her.
"What do you want to do?"
…
The music was pounding and people were jumping to the beat, Annaed was finally feeling it.
She allowed herself to have one drink, and then moved on to water.
Tom drug her to the dance floor and they danced, his arms around her waist, her eyes partially closed.
After about two hours she retreated outside with him and they lit a cigarette, cooling off before going back in.
Tom watched as she leaned against the railing, her head tilted back, and smoke trailing out of her mouth.
He found it sexy.
She looked up at him and then lifted an eyebrow, "You need something?" she asked.
Tom shook his head, a little embarrassed at being caught, but then again he wouldn't give up the view right at that moment.
She nodded and shut her eyes again, taking another drag at the cigarette, "This is peaceful." She said.
Tom nodded, agreeing silently.
"I like this, haven't been anywhere this peaceful in a while." She muttered.
"Where were you then?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Annaed opened her eyes, looking at him for a few silent seconds before letting some smoke trail out of her nostrils.
"I guess I could tell you." She stated, tapping the ash off the end of the cigarette butt before sighing.
"I was in Iraq for at least a year, when I got out of that hell hole I was shipped back to the US for a little while. Then they sent me here." She stated.
Tom nodded, "What was it like over there?" he asked, for once curious.
She shrugged, "It was war."
….
Alex had spent a fair bit of time trying to explain only rudimentary NAP to Bill but he didn't get it so she gave up. Bill was only willing to try to learn it because he saw something magical in the way her eyes shone with peace and excitement when she talked about it.
"Why don't you give up being an assassin and just be a physicist?" he asked her.
"Because there is no way out," she said, "and you know jobs like this aren't that bad."
"Like this?" he asked watching her.
"No dead bodies, no running for my life, no watching people die, no feeling like I need a hundred showers and knowing that even that will never wash off all the innocent blood I spill?" Bill looked at her with wide eyes.
"How long has it been since you had a boyfriend?"
"Since the Academy, I gave up though because they were brutes."
"Not all guys are like that," he said watching her closely.
"I know, but I can't put another innocent life in danger." she said.
"Even if they are willing to take the risk?"
"Especially not then," she said.
"Couldn't you keep them safe?"
"I could, but there will eventually be someone better than me, and that someone would hurt them," she said.
"I think you worry too much," he said.
"No," she said but she could feel her resolve wavering in his amber eyes.
"Relax," he said running his fingers across her face and pushing her hair away.
"I can't," she said her breath becoming uneven.
"Yes, you can," he said leaning in and kissing her.
…
Casey consumed more drinks, her mind still whirling with earlier necessary things.
She just wanted to forget it, if only for just a night.
Tom watched her as she knocked back drink after drink.
When she finished with her last round she slid off the barstool and then walked towards the dance floor.
He hurriedly followed her, catching hold of her waist, she turned to him and looked up, eyes unfocused.
When she blinked and seemed to recognize him she nodded and then turned back around.
Tom barely caught her words, "Dance with me."
He gripped her waist and trailed after her.
When she reached the middle of the packed bodies she grabbed his other hand and then pulled both of them around so they rested in the middle of her hips.
Then she started rocking back and forth, moving her hips with the beat and closing her eyes.
Tom let her take the lead, doing as she did and staying silent.
After a moment she turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her head on his chest.
Her military etiquette flew out the window; she wanted to be herself for once in a long while.
The drinks helped her with that, helped drain her of her earlier training, helped her forget everything that had been beaten into her.
Tom knew something was definitely wrong, before she had only allowed him to put his arm on her. Just one arm.
Now she was leaning into him and holding onto him as if he was her last wall of support. Like she would fall if he released her.
Casey sighed and moved a little faster, for some reason she felt completely safe in this man's arms. She never felt like that, she never let herself get close to men after a few years ago.
But his arms around her, his breath on her neck, it was like she was encased in a living comforting wall.
She liked it.
…
Alex's breathe sped. Bill's lips were softer than angel's on hers. He held her face in his hands, how she wanted to kiss him back. He moved one hand to her back. Memories flooded her mind like an ocean. But as always panic dark and gruesome formed in her breast. She freaked. She shoved him back and he staggered and when he looked up she was pressed into the wall. Her eyes were like a frantic deer's. He bowed his head.
"I can't do that," she said. Her breath was fast.
"I'm sorry Alex," Bill really did look apologetic.
"You shouldn't have done that," she said starting to look angry.
"Please don't get mad at me," he said his gold eyes melting.
"Okay," she said looking at her feet.
"Look I just wanted to help," he said. He had no idea how to feel he felt horrified, ashamed, rejected, sad, hurt, and curious.
….
After another hour and a couple more drinks Tom led Casey out of the bar.
She leaned heavily on his arm, "Thanks Tom."
He put her in his Audi and then walked around to the other side, getting in and starting it up.
She was silent the whole trip back to the hotel, Tom glanced at her from time to time.
When they pulled into the parking lot he helped her out of the car, when they were on the elevator he turned to her, "Are you ok?" he asked.
She shook her head, looking at him finally, "No, I'm not." She said.
Tom moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her once again, "Do you need something?" he questioned.
She looked up at him, for a minute all was silent, but then she pulled him down and let a feather light kiss land on his lips.
Instantly Tom had her backed into the corner, arms around her and trailing kisses along her lips and jaw line.
She sighed, this is what she needed, a release.
Tom looked up when the elevator dinged; he took Casey by the hand and led her towards the room.
When they got there he took her to his room, she was completely out of it.
He placed her on the bed and crawled over her body, landing kisses on every exposed part of her body.
Casey sighed in content, eyes closing.
Tom reached her face and held onto it with one hand, kissing her lips once again.
She sighed again and then he pulled the covers up.
…
"Well hello," Alex said her eyes going wide as she stepped into Tom's room. Tom jumped away from Casey.
"Uh," he said and Casey stumbled blearily up.
"Are you drunk?" Alex demanded of Casey, who just stared.
"Uhm, Marcy," Tom said trying to come up with something to say.
"I should have known better than to expect help doing this job," she said.
"Nothing was going to happen," Tom blustered.
"Nothing?" Alex asked backing him up.
"Nothing," he said starting to feel hot.
"Nothing?" She asked running a finger down his chest.
"Nothing." he said again but his breath was short.
"Are you sure?" she said stepping close to him.
"Very," he said breathing hard.
"Promise?" she said pouting and resting a hand on his chest.
"I swear," he said leaning down for a kiss.
"I think not," she said, stepping back.
"Damn," he said.
"Maybe another time," she said walking away.
"Wait," he said running after her.
"Nope," She ducked into Bill's hold in the next room.
"Marcy!" he cried following her.
"Leave her be Tom!" Bill said.
…
. Casey closed her eyes as she lay on the bed.
She was just so damned tired and Tom and Marcella weren't helping things at all. How would she be able to sleep when they were talking in such loud voices next to the bed?
It would be terrific if she could either sleep or do something to take the tiredness away.
She felt the bed dip again and opened one eye, Tom was coming closer, and she found that she didn't really care at that moment.
When he was looming over her again his hand stroked her cheek, she just watched him this time, wondering what he was going to do.
…