Chapter Eight – Cocky as the King of Spades
By the time Emma made it inside the large hanger, Killian was out of sight working on something under the wheelhouse. She could hear metal on metal and frustrated grunts coming from where she presumed he was. Seconds later, both his leather jacket and beanie were thrown to the ground.
Not knowing what to do with herself, Emma decided to go through the bags Killian had packed. First she opened the oversized brief cases. Inside she grinned at what looked back at her. There were eight guns total. Seemed fair enough; four for him, four for her. There were two .45ACP Barettas, replicas of the gun she had used at the range the day before, for her obviously. Two Glock20 10mm Automatics sat next to two small Smith-Wesson five-shot revolvers. The last two guns were identical sawn-off shotguns with cross-body straps. She then noticed the ammo, everything seemed pretty usual except for the buck shot that was laying under the shot guns. Well, I guess they weren't the ones worrying about cleaning up afterwards.
In the next brief case were the silencers, climbing rope, tear gas, tazers, and a variety of knives along with ankle, arm and back straps. The last thing she noticed was the custom House walk talkie system that would come in handy if they had to split up. That seemed like all the mission equipment two people could ever need. Especially two as trained as them. Emma was confident she could show up with a paper clip and a straw and she could still come out the victor. But still there was the duffle bag. She assumed it was probably filled with first aid equipment, probably a change of clothes, food and water.
Still entranced by the arsenal before her, Emma started to separate the harnesses and strap them onto herself. Emma had just finished hooking a few throwing knives to her ankles when she heard Killian return. She turned her body towards him and glanced up. His leather jacket was still discarded as he carried it and his beanie in his hands. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead as he pushed his dark hair off of it. His arms had scuffs of grease and oil on them, but underneath that they seemed engorged from the work he was doing on the plane. Emma could see his veins pulsating with his heartbeat near the crook of his elbow. Emma lost all thought of her task at hand as she was captivated by his presence.
"You like what you see your Majesty?" Killian was already agitated, and then working on the plane's wheels just pissed him off. Why not throw some jabs back at the Queen to let off some steam?
Emma's eyes narrowed darkly, "I can see why the expression is 'cocky as the King of Spades'. But I don't think you could handle a challenge."
"Its ok to admit that you are scared Emma, I know it must be intimidating being with someone who holds more power than you." He walks closer to her, staring darkly at her face.
"Don't forget, you do not rule over me yet Sire." Her glare heated up at him, standing her ground.
"Aye and I cannot wait for that day love." He was right in front of her now as he slid his index finger under her chin, smirking when she slightly pulled away. "Is something the matter Emma? I thought I was the one who couldn't handle a challenge?"
Not backing down, she closes the gab between them, their bodies lightly touching, just enough for the excruciating heat to transfer between them. As she looked up at him she could clearly see clearly into his eyes. They raged like the storming sea, sending shock waves down the back of her legs. The color smoldered bright as their aura's mixed in the close space.
His scent was the same as his car but, now, it was mixed with a twinge of sweat and oil. He stood about four inches taller than her but as he looked down into her eyes the distance was diminishing. Their faces were so close, their noses softly brushed and they both just stood there frozen in the moment.
A few fiery beats passed and Emma asked huskily, "Well?"
"Well what?" Killian responded just as low.
"Are you going to kiss me or are we just going to stand like this all night?" Looking down at his lips from her position.
Killian just smirked smugly and crashed his lips down onto hers. In a flash her hands were tangled in his thick locks, pulling him closer to herself. His arms reached around her lithe body as his large hands pushed her leather-clad hips into his. Killian released a groan when she purposefully shifted her hips against his. He could feel her smirk into their kiss, which only made him want it more. Killian moved one of his hands to the back of her neck, ravishing her mouth hungrily. Now, her hands had made their way up his shirt, which was faintly damp with sweat. Her delicate fingers roamed over the taut muscles of his back as she arched into him further.
After a few more blissful seconds the two detangled themselves from each other. Killian's forehead rested on top of Emma's as they both breathed deeply, trying to catch their breath.
"Where was that last night?" Emma jokingly asked, her hands gripping the front of Killian's shirt for balance.
"I do not take advantage of inebriated women," Killian lifted his head, putting some distance between them. He bent down to pick up the bags to carry to the plane, all three in his right hand. On his way back up he grabbed the blonde swiftly around the waist again and quickly stole another fervent kiss, "especially ones who are half naked."
The plane ride wasn't as bad at Emma initial expected it to be. After their heated encounter, Killian seemed to relax a bit, coyly flirting back when Emma made her typical suggestive comments. They discussed Emma's childhood in The House; what it was like growing up with only three other kids your age. "Poor August, only two girls? Those are some rough odds." Killian chuckled.
Emma told him about her grandmother's cancer and how her grandfather was killed on a mission. And then Killian shared how his father had passed in a car accident. Both so sudden, both so tragic. Emma found it so strange how at ease she was with this man now. Apparently, they just had to get the sexual tension out of the way and then they were good.
"When was your first kill?" The conversation was moving away from carefree and flirty but both seemed fine with the transition.
Killian chuckled dryly, "I had managed to go two years on active duty and never come close to something like that. That's how it goes sometimes. Some are lucky and never see combat up close. Some," he paused, "aren't."
"We were in the South Pacific somewhere, hundreds of kilometers away from land. We received a distress call from a civilian vessel not too far from us. Me and another mate volunteered to take a raft and go retrieve them. We didn't follow protocol and our Lieutenant should have stopped us.
"I should have turned us around when I saw the size of the boat. Something that small would have never made it out on the open ocean without assistance. But I wasn't focused on logic; I thought I was being a hero.
"The only person on the vessel seemed to be this mousy looking kid. He couldn't have been older than 18. When we tried to communicate with him, he didn't speak English. But the way he was motioning with his hands made us think there was someone else with him who was hurt. As we were boarding his boat he took out my comrade. The cut was so quick I didn't even have time to process what was happening. He was dead before he hit the deck.
"For looking so young, he was fast. He got a few good swipes in before I came to my senses," Killian motioned to the scar on his right cheek. "I tried to fight off the inevitable for as long as I could. I could see it in his eyes he had been in a similar situation before, and came out victorious. He didn't even flinch when I drew my firearm. He just kept coming. So that was it. Quick and painless." But his voice gave away that it was anything but.
Emma knew a first kill was a milestone in their lives. Eventually all of them just blurred together, but never the first one. That one always stuck out, waking you up in the middle of the night years later.
"It was my first mission as Queen of Hearts. Everyone knew I had yet to have my first and it seemed like I was on center stage. How would I do it? Who would it be? All their whispers filled into my head and it was almost my downfall. I was surveying as my team surrounded the area. I was thinking more about the details of my kill then my actual environment. Before I knew it I was cornered by this big Korean bloke. I am not even joking, he had a real sword. Seeing him charging at me I knew this was it. I pulled out my gun and the rest is history." She tried to smile as she relived the entire scene in her head. When she got to her room that night she cried until the sun came up. That was the start of her not being able to sleep for 3 days straight. She had never told anyone that detail though, not even Neal.
Silence filled the air between them and they both contemplated their first kills. After a few minutes Emma felt a shift in the plane. "We're descending now, we should land in about fifteen minutes." Killian was typing something into the main computer on the jet's dash.
It had taken them but minutes to find a suitable car to steal. Once they were out of the large field there was a small housing development just on the other side of a tall brick barrier wall. Killian was driving again as Emma returned to her previous task: arming herself. She had attached the cross-back, shoulder holster to herself and placed each of her guns at her sides. The revolver was strapped to the outside of her right thigh but she passed on the shotgun. She felt comfortable with the three firearms she had. Her ammo was secured in a small pouch on the belt she wore around her hips. Next came the knives. She already had a set of throwing knives on her left ankle, so she added to the collection by placing an all black six-inch blade on the backside of her belt, lying horizontal for easy access. Emma was ready. She had more than enough artillery to handle this situation alone, let alone with backup.
As Killian started to slow the car, Emma knew they were close. The knot in her stomach seemed to grow and overtake the space inside her. None of it had seemed real until this very moment. With the building only yards in front of her—her son was in there somewhere.
The abandoned building was located in an industrial district on the outskirts of the Turkish town, surrounded by similar looking warehouses. Emma didn't know how Killian could tell the difference between them. As the car rolled to a stop, Killian turned off the engine and started to strap the remained weapons to his seated form. Emma just stared into the darkness, trying to calm the storm that was raging in her chest.
Shoving the receiver into his ear and hooking the radio to his belt, Killian handed the spare set to Emma, "Are you ready?"
Still staring into the darkness she grunted, "Hn."
As they both silently exited the vehicle Killian began to whisper, "Mission review: we will go in through the southwest corridor door. The room we are looking for is on the second floor down the western most hallway. We should not run into any trouble until we make it to the bypass area where the passageways connect. The staircase is on the right hand side from there. It is enclosed so we need to be prepared to encounter Gold's men. If we're lucky we can do this the easy way. Silencers are on to insure we stay covert. We get what we need and we get out. Good?"
Emma only nodded noiselessly. Killian could feel the shift in the air as he looked back at her. All the light was gone from her eyes as they dulled in the darkness. Shadows hooded her complexion as she glared at the building in front of them. Her steps were light and quick, never making an audible noise against the ground. This was the Queen of Hearts.
The rotted wooden door swung open into a dark narrow hallway. The only light that filtered in was from the old fog lights behind them. They could see more light at the end of the corridor thirty yards down. As they entered, a musty smell hit Emma in the face and her stomach tightened. The hallway was overwhelmingly tight. She didn't even think both her and Killian could walk side by side down it. It seemed to be a straight shot but Killian could feel the floor shifting towards the south. They were headed right for the middle of the warehouse.
A brighter area was just up ahead, the yellow light was pale but still gave more light than where they had came from. This was where Gold's men would be, if there were any here. As they made it to the opening, everything laid still and motionless. But they both knew never to trust that. The room was filled sporadically with huge crate and thick support beams.
Killian signaled he would go out into the open first and for Emma to cover him. He could feel his blood pumping through his ears but he was trained to remain on high alert. When he reached a crate halfway towards the stairwell he signaled Emma to come towards him. They both expertly surveyed the area as she moved. When she reached him he again moved towards the entrance to the stairwell. When both of them were at the bottom they paused to listen for any sign of life. No voices, no footsteps.
They needed to move up the stairs quickly as to not be ambushed in the tight space. Without a sound they reached the top within seconds. The second floor area was far more open than the dingy downstairs. The corridors were more like strips of metal fenced in by guardrails. The entire space was open, leaving them totally vulnerable to an attack. The only benefit was they were now in sight of their destination.
Killian could hear nothing from his companion behind him, not even her breathing, but he knew she was still very much there. Scanning the surroundings again for any sign of movement only a few flickers from the lights above. Just as the blueprints told them, the thick metal door stood between them and, potentially, Henry. The only way to get through it was a metal vapor torch. However, the tool was fairly loud and would alert any and everyone within a hundred feet of their presence. The plan was for Emma to get through the door and for him to cover her. But the second she tossed him the torch and ran towards the staircase to the third floor, he knew she had gone rogue.
"Fuck!" he whispered harshly.
He had mentioned that Gold's office was up there and now he regretted it. He couldn't follow her and risk not saving Henry, "Fucking fuck." he whispered again. He had no choice but to get through the door and get that boy out.
Emma silently reached the simple wooden door at the stop of the small staircase. Without another thought she kicked in the door. She knew this was the worst way to enter an enemy's territory but being here just made her blood boil and her rationale fly out the window.
It was an average sized room but it seemed much larger seeing there were only three other people in it with her. Straight ahead of her was a large mahogany desk with two plush leather chairs facing it, both occupied. The larger man on her right side stood first, reaching into his suit jacket to pull out a gun. He had a bullet in his head before he was even fully facing her. The next tried to crouch down behind the chair but he was not completely shielded and he too fell within a second.
As the two lay motionless, there was only one person left. Robert Gold.
He sat in his high-back office chair unmoving, fear clearly shining in his eyes. He didn't even move to wipe his employee's blood off of face.
With a Baretta in each hand the Red Queen slowly made her way towards him.
"God, have I looonged for this moment," her fierce eyes narrowed as her grip on her weapons tightened.
Gold's voice was shaky, "Your Highne-"
"Shut the fuck up you piece of shit." She cut him off, his voice only infuriating her, "Its my turn to talk." She slowly walked towards his desk, "You could have lived a long and healthy life Gold. You could have kept fighting with my father and the rest of the Cards until you died of old age. But you couldn't be content with that could you? You just had to find me. You selfish fuck. And you see what that got you? This."
As she made her way around his desk she ordered harshly, "Stand up."
With his hands slightly up, defensively, he stood from his chair. A wicked smirk crossed her lips, "You deserve this." Then the blonde shot him once in each knee cap. The man screamed out in agony and crumbled to the floor. Not done with him, she put one gun away and lifted his head by his long greasy hair. His face contorted in pain and she laughed. Then Emma placed her remaining firearm under his chin.
"You are going to rot in hell for everything you have done." Just as she was about to pull the trigger Gold made a swift movement and grabbed the large blade attached to her back, slashing her deep from her back hip across her oblique and up towards her sternum in a last stitch effort to save himself. Emma only grimaced but did not release her grip on him.
"Fuck you." Click.
It only took a matter of seconds for Killian to make a hole big enough for him to fit through. The room was pitch black and musty. Pulling out a mini flashlight he moved quickly to survey his surroundings. The only thing in the room was a tiny cot in the back left corner with a small lump on it. He swiftly picked the unconscious boy up in his arms and made his way back out of the chamber. There was still no sign of Gold's men but he couldn't take any chances, especially now. He shifted the boy onto his back so he now had access to his arsenal. In an all out sprint he retraced his steps back down the stairs and through the corridor. Fifteen seconds later he was back at the car. His hands slightly shook as he placed the sleeping child in the backseat of the stolen vehicle.
His stomach dropped at the paleness of Henry's skin. Thick dark circles were present under his small, lidded eyes. He noticed his brown hair was matted and tangled in a mess on his head. Killian could see the resemblance between the boy and his mother and he was sure, that when his eyes opened, fierce green would be staring back at him.
But where was her mother? There was no guarantee she was safe since she did not follow the plan. His only hope was the walkie. "Red Queen? Are you there? I've got the package and we're ready for take off." He paused but heard nothing. Again he tried desperately, "Emma? Come on, say something." After another beat he heard the transmitter crackle but then it went dead without any words. He waited.
"I'm…coming." Her voice was faint but the sound of it calmed his nerves. He decided to move toward the rotting door again and keep watch down the corridor for her. It felt like an eternity but finally he saw her figure turn down the hallway. With the light coming from behind her, he couldn't see her expression. But from the hobble in her gait he knew she had to be severely injured. He risked both of their safety as he ran to her frail body. As he neared her he noticed that her arm was slung over her left side as she walked. Reaching her, her full weight fell into his body, as she could not carry on. Now that her arms lay limply at her side he saw the long gash in her black top. He could not even see her skin through the pooling blood.
The blonde was barely conscious as he hoisted her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the awaiting car. "Gold is dead," she mumbled into his firm chest. He could not comprehend that information as his mind was in overdrive. Killian had to get both her and Henry to a hospital.
Just as he strapped Emma into the front seat and started the engine she made one last effort before the pain overcame her. She grabbed his hand that rest on the gearshift and whispered, "Take care of him Killian, for me," and then her arm went completely limp and she fell into blackness.
"Emma? Emma?!" his gaze moved from the road to the lifeless body in his front seat frantically. "Stay with me!" When she did not move or answer him he only pressed down on the gas harder.
AN: Does Henry even have green eyes? Lol oh well! Hope you enjoyed. Chapter 9 coming soon.
