7.
~ Like a racehorse out of the starting gate, Arthur was on her. Their lips barely having time to separate as he kept whispering how beautiful she was. His fingers becoming clumsy as he struggled out of his tie and shirt.
She smiled at him as her nimble fingers took over the task. She grinned happily as she watched his eyes raking shamelessly over her naked body, liking what he saw. His look made her feel beautiful as his fingertips dared to touch her bare skin as she undressed him. His light touch grazing over her back, her belly, her breasts.
"I can't fight you." He whispered at last.
"You shouldn't try." She told him playfully.
~ Morning came and Arthur over slept. He had never overslept before but his new lover left him worn out and his body needed to recover.
"Wake up." She whispered in his ear. Her lips teasing him for another round.
"I'm worn out." He whispered barely able to turn over. His body sore and dehydrated. His skin still hurt slightly from the bites she had nipped into his flesh.
"I know." She told him. Her body smelling fresh and clean from her shower. "But it's Friday and the mission in in a few hours."
He nodded as she left him.
"I'll fix breakfast and then we can leave." She told him.
He rolled back into bed. His blankets still smelling like her. She had been amazing. Her body was perfectly attuned to his every want and need. Like she could read his mind. Then there was another part of her that seemed to take advantage of him. That left him unwilling and unable to refuse what she wanted.
He would have promised her anything. Done anything, so long as she didn't stop.
'What have I gotten myself into?' He thought as the memories of her came back. He wanted her again. Her touch, her body, was something he could easily find himself addicted to.
~ The rest of the Team was waiting for them that afternoon.
"You alright?" Eames asked. "You look a little worn out."
"I'm fine." Arthur said running a hand over the chin he had halfheartedly shaved that morning. He did look exhausted.
By sharp contrast, Ariadne looked bright and chipper. Her eyes alive and she seemed happy and ready for this mission. They didn't look at one another as Cobb drove them to the club to meet Roxanne. It was almost night fall as the van went on to district 5. Their passes looked over as the district guards were not used to seeing people in a running vehicle.
They were waived though without much fuss.
"Our contact will be inside." Ariadne said pointing to the club off a lonely, broken stretch of highway.
"You sure we can trust her?" Cobb asked.
"About as sure as I can be." Ariadne said sadly as they watched the prostitutes wander up and down the street.
~ "Change of plans." Roxanne said with a sigh. "He was feeling a little more friskey then normal and I had to drug him. You guys will have to do it here."
Roxanne was an older woman who was trying desperately to hang on to the last threads of her sex appeal. She had stuffed herself into an ill fitting micro skirt with a garishly sequined bra. Her rolls and folds spilling off her making Arthur turn away. His appreciation for Ariadne's raw natural beauty growing.
"It's alright." Ariadne said. "We can do it here."
"No. This was not apart of the plan." Cobb said. The Extractor not liking it when things deviated from the plan.
"Cobb, we had to used fake district passes just to get here. It's too late to go back now." Eames told him as they looked over the unconscious Hinder.
'This place is disgusting.' Arthur thought as he prepared the PASIV to take them all under.
"I'll keep a lookout." Roxanne said easing herself to the door. She suddenly looked very skittish.
"Roxanne?" Ariadne said. Her eyes narrowing at the woman, sensing something was wrong. Roxanne fidgeted nervously.
"I'm sorry, Ariadne. I really am." She said before leaving the room.
"Ambush!" Ariadne hissed as Arthur picked up on her body language and shut the PASIV device with a snap. The room seemed to explode then.
Ariadne and Arthur ducked behind the bed as the doors flew open and men armed with machine guns started to shooting.
Hinder's unconscious body was struck several times and he bleed out in his sleep.
"Cobb!" Ariadne screamed over the gun fire. "Back door!"
She watched as Cobb and Eames vanished from a back door in the room. Hopefully getting away.
"What do we do?" Arthur shouted as the temperature in the room seem to grow hotter from the gun fire. They were hidden behind a large metal dresser. It provided safe cover for the moment.
Ariadne removed a hand gun she rarely used and hissed to Arthur.
"I'll provide cover fire. You run for it. Don't go to the van. Stay on the streets. Find Cobb and Eames." She hissed.
"What about you?" He shouted over the sound of gun fire.
"I said go!" She shouted at him as she returned fire. Arthur hesitated only for a second. He took one last look at her before dashing over to the back door.
~ He could still hear the gun fire going off in Roxanne's room as he raced down the hall. He hated to leave Ariadne. Although she was highly trained and their Point Man, he hated the thought of leaving a woman behind as he made his get away.
His more rational thoughts was that he needed to get away. Not to save himself, but to keep the cause alive. Someone had to report on what had happened. He raced down confusing corridors, looking for an exit. His eyes finally landing on a broken red sign.
As he fled into the parking lot, he was just in time to see Cobb and Eames executed.
"No!" He found himself shouting as the guards converged on him. Arthur ducked down and narrowly missed the bullets flying directly at him.
Suddenly, the guards were being shot it.
He could scarcely believe it as he watched Ariadne coming out of the back entrance. Her hand clutched to her side and shooting the guards.
"Are you hurt?" She shouted as she reached him.
"I... I don't think so." He told her in disbelief. "Where do we go now?"
~ Ariadne smiled at him over the pain in her side. She had taken fire trying to get away. It was superficial, but hurt a bitch. She had to get Arthur out of here. Cobb and Eames were lost, but she had to get Arthur out. She believed in his cause and she had to save him.
"We go that way. You stay behind me." She panted as she reloaded.
"Your hurt." Arthur said looking over her blood stained clothing.
"It's not my blood." She lied. "Now, lets go."
Arthur must have put his head up too soon. Or else, she didn't clear their escape thoroughly. Neither one of them saw the guard lurking in the shadows behind a derelict car.
As soon as Arthur made to run, the guard stood and coldly shot him in the head.
