Horatio woke twice during the night, disturbed by Mich moving in her dreams. Each time he spoke to her softly, his voice calming her subconscious, returning her to sleep. However, when he awoke with the alarm at 6am, Mich was gone.
He knew that she would be, but wished that there hadn't been the need. Glancing around, he noted that her robe was lying on the floor, not over the back of the chair as was her normal habit. He gave a wry smile – that meant that she had woken later than planned. Stretching out, his hand caught something under Mich's pillow. Intrigued he pulled it out and found her cell phone – the alarm set for 4.30.
Chuckling, he dropped the phone to the bed as he sat up – at about 4.30 Mich had still been with him, returned to sleep as he had spoken to her quietly. The chuckle died away as the reality of the situation hit him. Mich had gone to start the last day of the hunt and he had his own part to play.
Several people had said that he should take the day off, but he had refused, surprised at first that Mich agreed with him. Her explanation simple – Today they had an opportunity to catch the Lynx, but if Horatio didn't turn up for work as their adversary expected, they tossed their hand to the winds of chance – and his life would be more in danger than ever before.
&&
Mich cursed silently. She had woken up later than she wanted and had little time to spare. Of the three buildings she needed to check out, two were clear and she had just entered the third. Carefully and quietly she moved up the stairs, thankful that the guard on duty at the entrance had not noticed her as she slid in through a side door.
Every few minutes she paused, listening for any sound that might announce her discovery, or give away the location of her prey. Reaching the top floor she paused, controlling her breath, willing it to return to normal and checked her watch.
She cursed again seeing it was nearly 7am – Horatio would be well on his way – quite possibly just a few blocks away from the PD which was less than 800 yards away. Overhead she heard the sound of a helicopter and smiled. Using the distraction to cover the noise, she opened the door onto the roof.
&&
As the sun came up the Lynx had stirred, its heat warming skin that had chilled during the night. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings and smiled. No-one had discovered her place of concealment. She slowly began to stretch each of her muscle groups in turn, going through exercises learnt a long time ago, beginning with her toes, moving up her legs, working the joints too, easing the stiffness out of them.
Reaching her back and shoulders, she grimaced in pain as her left shoulder protested at the slight movement she demanded. She concentrated a little more on the problem shoulder, relieved to feel the ache easing away. A soft touch with her fingertips confirmed that the stitches were holding and the bleeding had stopped.
She had taken a sip of water to quench her thirst, then another to rinse her mouth. A cereal bar was sufficient to stop the worst of the hunger gnawing at her stomach. As the light grew stronger she began to take sightings off various targets, working out where her best shot would be.
An hour passed and several people began to move in the street below her. Glancing at her watch she smiled, the red-haired Lieutenant would be here soon if his normal routine was anything to go by. The helicopter over her head was an annoyance, but she froze in her position, not wanting to be spotted.
Glancing down, she spotted the Hummer and readied her rifle. The M40A3 had served her well over the years and today would be no different.
&&
Horatio stepped out of the Hummer and paused, glancing around at the rooftops nearby. Something told him that Mich was out there – and so was the Lynx. He hesitated for a moment, suddenly wary of stepping out from behind the Hummer's protective bulk.
He looked up as a voice called his name and saw Eric walking toward him, a purposeful rhythm to his stride. Adjusting his sunglasses, Horatio took a deep breath and started to walk towards the younger man. Game time.
&&
Mich walked stealthily across the roof top toward the side which had a clear view of the PD, as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the sun, she saw her worst nightmare confirmed. Wrapped in her Ghillie suit, the Lynx would have been invisible to all but the trained eye.
As she moved closer, she noticed the Lynx's finger tighten on the trigger and flicked one of her throwing stars at the assassin, afraid to call out in case she caused the Lynx to fire. She was a millisecond too late as a gunshot rang out.
The Lynx cried out in anger and rolled to her feet, the Ghillie suit falling from her body as she did so. Blind hatred crossed her face as she saw who had found her and she drew the rapier blade from her back and pulled a dagger from its place on her leg.
Her eyes widened as Mich drew her own blades and began to close the distance between them. She spat in her anger, "Wolf… I thought you had retired…"
"I am retired, have been for a couple of years."
The Lynx gave her a confused look, "It was you… The job done here a few years ago." Mich nodded, but said nothing, "Who sent you after me?"
"No-one."
"Then why…?"
"It's personal…" Mich said nothing more as she advanced, not knowing in that moment if Horatio was alive or dead.
**
The area outside the PD was total chaos, Eric knelt down next to Horatio's still form his gun drawn, searching for any sign of the assassin. Frank was soon next to him shouting into a radio, asking for the helicopter to scan the area.
A moment later it arrived and the news that Frank heard made his eyebrows rise. He pointed toward the roof of the building almost a thousand yards away. "Up there, but we'll need to be careful, our assassin is not alone."
Eric glanced at Frank, "Mich?"
The older man shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know, but the description I have is of two people fighting with swords on a rooftop."
"Swords!"
Frank pulled a face and shook his head, he had seen and heard so many strange things in his lifetime – especially here in Miami – that nothing really surprised him any more. Undoing the clip on his holster, he led the way to the 12 storey building.
&&
Mich's face was impassive. The Lynx's anger clear to see. The older woman had become complacent in her work, but she felt that Mich had been lucky, too lucky.
"Who helped you to find me? The Lieutenant? He knew all along didn't he…? I should have guessed."
Mich said nothing, knowing her adversary was trying to get information from her as they circled each other. Her opponent had tapped blades with her a couple of times, testing the strength of Mich's arm. She knew she had to be careful, the Lynx was well known in the 'secret' world for her skill with a blade.
Watching her carefully, Mich realised that the Lynx was wary and almost smiled to herself. Anna had left service and turned rogue before Mich had acquired her own set of blades and didn't really know how good the MI5 agent was. It was Mich's only advantage.
The rapier blade was about 30 cm longer than Mich's katana and designed for piercing the opponent as opposed to the katana's razor sharp cutting edge, the katana was also slightly heavier. It would mean that both of the former agents would be using different techniques.
Mich could attack and defend using both blades – either singly or in a double attack. The Lynx's rapier was a much quicker weapon, and complemented with a dagger for defence or a close quarter attack meant that the women were equally matched.
The Lynx moved first, lunging in with the point of the rapier aimed at Mich's face. The former MI5 agent moved quickly, bringing up her katana for defence but she could not prevent the tip of her opponent's blade from slicing across her cheekbone.
Grimacing in pain, Mich gritted her teeth, realising then she had to take the fight to the Lynx and go on the offensive. The advantage with her katana was the quickness of the blade to move between attack and defence, she had to get the Lynx to over extend.
She brought her blades up to a more vertical position, giving her greater flexibility of movement and once more began to circle. The Lynx chuckled.
"Out of practise Wolf…?"
"First blood does not mean you have won…" Mich watched her opponent closely, noticing that her left arm was hanging a little too low for correct defence and smiled. "How's your shoulder?"
The Lynx snarled, but did not respond to Mich's goading, recognising it for what it was. Taking a quick step forward she again went for her face, but this time Mich was ready, spinning away trailing a curving katana blade behind her.
When they once again faced each other, Mich was the one smiling, noticing that the Lynx was carrying a fresh cut on her left arm. Her opponent was now weakened on one side. However the rogue agent was no fool and changed her stance to a slightly more sideways approach.
For the next few minutes, Mich sought to exploit that weakness and although she managed to get in a couple more cuts – one of which crossed the Lynx's ribs, she did not escape unscathed. A slice across the back of her left hand was extremely painful and the blood was flowing freely.
Taking a deep breath, she discarded her left hand blade. It was a risk, but she knew that fighting with one blade she would be able to compensate for her weaker left hand. Working with one blade would make her stronger in the attack, but would also mean she had to get in closer.
There was also something else she had on her side – she had spotted the helicopter flying overhead and knew the PD would be on their way, all she had to do was hang on until they arrived. It was an option that part of her didn't want to take. The pain of her wounds had caused the anger within to rise and the Wolf was not prepared to take prisoners.
Gritting her teeth, she prepared to take the roof top duel to the next level.
**
The Lynx took a deep breath as Mich cast the blade to one side a little more concerned than earlier. She had thought that the longer rapier blade would give her a greater advantage, but it had not been so. From the cuts on Mich's hands and face she knew she had hit her target, but her opponent shrugged them off as if they were nothing.
Mich had been able to get close in on very few occasions, but each time she had caused damage, the cut across her ribs was particularly painful. Looking carefully at Mich's face, the rogue agent suddenly noticed that something was driving her on. For a moment she felt fear when she realised that it was as Mich had said… Personal.
The Lynx narrowed her eyes and gave a cruel smile, "So… You didn't say… What is so personal about this job?" Mich said nothing, flexing her wrist and pulling a face at the restriction in her movement. "I take it you know this Lieutenant…?"
"A little…"
The Lynx laughed, "So that's it… He asked you a personal favour… What a fool you are, by the end of the day, CIA will be all over Miami. This time they'll find you, because you trusted a cop."
Mich remained silent, trying to control the anger boiling under the surface. The next moment the Lynx attacked again, but the lunge lacked power. Instead of attacking back directly, Mich allowed time for her opponent to recover, wary that the powerless lunge my have been a ploy to drag her in closer.
The Lynx laughed again. "Having doubts about your friend – or his colleagues? I bet one of them is on the phone right now…"
Mich could hold back no longer and went on the offensive, putting together a combination of attacks that the rogue agent could barely protect herself from.
"Horatio and the team would never…"
The Lynx's eyes went wide open, "Horatio? You're on first name terms…?" She rolled away from the onslaught, gasping for breath. Looking at the fury in Mich's eyes she suddenly made the connection.
"He's helped you, to recover…" Her shoulders dropped, eyes meeting Mich's, understanding the situation. "You came after me because he's your partner, but I am only doing my job…"
"No… Your job was with CIA, working for us, but you changed sides, started working for the cartels… The highest bidder… You took out some of the best agents we had, they were irreplaceable."
The Lynx's voice became cold, "I felt it was about time I got decent pay for what I was doing."
Mich's voice turned to ice, "and now you're going to pay for what you have done…"
The Lynx prepared for an attack and saw the look change in her opponent's eyes. All her life she had faced dangerous opponents, but never had they been as single minded as the one she now faced.
Mich took a deep breath and straightened in her stance, within her, the Wolf rose to the surface, ready to finish the battle, giving strength to tired arms and legs, blocking out Mich's fears for Horatio's life, looking for blood.
The former MI5 agent moved so quickly, her opponent was nearly caught out, but she just managed to bring up her dagger in defence, though the power of the blow was enough to send her damaged arm screaming in pain.
The Lynx ducked and rolled desperately trying to get away from a blade that was spinning just inches away from her head – she knew that if Mich connected, she was dead. She brought up her blade, hoping it would prevent Mich from getting closer, but it was knocked aside without hesitation. The power of her opponent was enough to make her fall to the floor.
Before the Lynx could roll away, Mich placed her foot firmly on the wrist that held the rapier, forcing the rogue agent to release the weapon. In her anger she lifted her own sword high above her head, about to plunge it through the assassin's heart.
"Hold it! MDPD."
The Wolf inside snarled, ignoring the order issued by the large Texan as Frank burst through the door onto the roof. Taking a deep breath Mich began to transfer the power of her body into the sword when another voice cut through the still air.
"Don't do it…"
Mich hesitated, unsure if she could believe her ears. Once more her alter ego tried to regain control and once more the voice called to her.
"Don't do it sweetheart… Let it go."
As one of Frank's officers cuffed the Lynx, Mich's fingers released the blade, letting it fall harmlessly to the ground. Suddenly her knees became weak and she had the feeling she could no longer stand. Horatio caught her as she dropped pulling her close as he kneeled beside her, arms wrapped tightly around the sobbing woman.
"It's ok sweetheart, it's over…"
**
As Horatio glanced around, he noticed that there were several officers whispering quietly between themselves. Realising he needed some damage control he called Frank over.
"Frank, I'm gonna need some help with this."
The large Texan chuckled softly, "No need Horatio, I've already set it up for you… As far as the PD officers know, Mich is from a specialist group within Scotland Yard who were trained to track down and catch terrorists… After she retired she moved here, but offered her services to us on a consultancy basis."
Horatio gave a soft smile, a half truth was better than an outright lie – and more believable, "and how do you propose explaining the blades?"
Frank grinned, "She trained on an exchange with the Japanese police and became interested in Kendo while she was out in the far east. They think she's quite good." He paused for a moment, "You shouldn't worry Horatio, a lot of people like Mich and the way she tries to help out. Some of the officers have improved their shooting technique since she came along. They have too much respect for her to say anything."
Horatio fell silent, hoping that Frank was right.
"Mind you, I could be wrong… The fact that she could decapitate them with one swing of those blades could be the deciding factor…"
Horatio chuckled and turned his attention back to Mich who had turned ice-cold in his arms. Frank left, taking with him the rest of the PD officers, a quick glance over his shoulder as they did so to make sure H was alright.
Mich gave a huge sigh as the tears stopped and shuddered, leaning into Horatio, she began to get warmer, her breathing returning to normal. After a moment she looked up, her face contorted with pain. "She got me Horatio… The Wolf… She's back."
H pulled Mich closer, "I'm not surprised, I think you needed her today and that's how she came back in."
Gently he helped Mich to her feet and led the way back to the door, picking up Mich's blades as they left. The rest of the evidence was left on the roof for the team to go through. Eric was the first to meet them and passed on a short message.
"The Chief wants the two of you to disappear, before the TV crews turn up."
Horatio scowled, but said nothing, then realised that it meant he could stay with Mich, she certainly needed him more than the PD right now. Mich glanced up at the younger man. "The Lynx… Where is she?"
Eric looked troubled, "She's in the lock-up with both us and FBI watching her – I heard a rumour that CIA are sending someone down too – another reason why the Chief doesn't want you around."
Horatio caught the look on Mich's face and quickly led her away. "There's nothing you can do here sweetheart, let's go home…"
&&
Arriving at home, Mich gave Horatio a curious look. He had been silent all the way home and she found herself staring at him, wondering what had happened.
H chuckled, "Yes, she got me – but not badly."
Removing his jacket, Mich pulled a face when she saw where the blood from his arm had soaked through the sleeve. Carefully, she helped him remove his shirt not convinced that this was a scratch until she had seen it with her own eyes. Quietly she cleaned the superficial wound with water and then placed some antiseptic gauze over the shallow cut before adding a light bandage.
Horatio gritted his teeth and put up with her fussing, knowing it would help her to calm down. Several times in the car she had almost broken down, knowing that her alter ego was back – and worried about the news that CIA were on their way.
When she was done, he pulled her close, holding her tightly while Mich allowed the tears to run.
**
Slowly the tears died away and H thought it was about time they spoke.
"I don't think you need to worry about the Wolf Mich."
She stared at him with unblinking eyes, "How can you say that Horatio, I was ready to kill the Lynx on that roof top, even though Frank and his boys were there."
"But you didn't, that means that something stopped you."
Mich sighed, "You stopped me, when I heard your voice and I knew you were ok, I hesitated."
H smiled, "Exactly… If she was in control, you wouldn't have hesitated, regardless of who spoke to you." Mich shook her head and he continued talking slowly, "Think about it. You paused because you heard my voice – it helped you regain control. It means that she is not in charge Mich. Ok, I accept that she has regained some strength over you, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."
Mich stared at him in shock, "How can you say that?"
Horatio gave her a hug, "Because it's nice to know that someone has my back when I go in for something…"
Mich dropped her head for a moment, before looking back up, a soft smile on her face. "You think you can live with her though? She's given you hell over the past few months."
Horatio smiled, "Now I understand her, I don't think it's going to be a problem… Besides, she is kinda interesting to have around."
"You just have to find a new balance within yourself sweetheart, accept that she is here for good and I will help with the rest. Besides, I think she likes me…"
Softly Mich began to chuckle at H's teasing then flinched as he caught the back of her hand. Immediately H cursed when he saw the cut on the back of her hand. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
Mich shrugged her shoulders, "I've had worse."
H shook his head and reached for the bowl that Mich had used and filled it with warm water before gently cleaning the wound. Glancing up, he chuckled at the look on Mich's face. "You made me sit and suffer your fussing, so now you can do the same…"
Done from the hand wound he checked the other scratches here and there, slightly worried about the scratch across her face. Mich sighed, but said nothing, secretly enjoying Horatio's attention. He chuckled and he led her out of the kitchen upstairs. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted – how about we catch a few hours sleep?"
Mich needed no persuading and they were soon in bed, Mich feeling drowsy almost immediately, suddenly she sat up a thought coming to her mind. "What do I do about the CIA Horatio, what if they come looking for me?"
H pulled her back down, "The Chief said he'll take care of it if necessary…"
Mich was not convinced, but could not fight the tiredness and warmth creeping over her body, snuggling up to Horatio, she heard him sigh softly and the two of them fell asleep.
**
Frank folded his arms and quietly watched the woman who sat on the opposite side of the table. Her face betrayed nothing of her feelings, though the tightening at the corner of her eyes indicated to the tall Texan that she was angry.
He tried to conceal his satisfaction at having caught her. For good reason Horatio was being kept out of the loop on this one, and Frank was glad his colleague had been sent home. Had the red-haired Lieutenant been present, Frank had no doubts as to how this interview would be going right now.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Paula standing quietly in the corner of the room, her face showing interest, but nothing more. Outside, he could see several officers pretending to go about their business, but he knew that just about every PD officer had passed the interview room to get a good look at the 'spy' they had caught.
Frank had already been told by the Chief that his name would be on this case file, with Calleigh signing off on the documentation regarding evidence from the lab. He sighed softly, he had been waiting for the ballistics expert for almost an hour, but calmly accepted the delay.
The person sitting down was no ordinary criminal, the fact that she was still cuffed and also had ankle bracelets on testified to that. As did the five FBI agents that had just landed on his doorstep. Three were patrolling outside the building, one outside the door, the fifth would be joining him for the interrogation.
Impassively, the Lynx returned his gaze though inwardly she was seething. She was not surprised that she had been fully restrained, though was a little wary. Everything she knew about interrogation led her to believe that the detective would begin to question her straight away, but he had not done so.
In fact he had said nothing apart from speaking to the female cop behind her. Glancing out of the window into the PD she stiffened when she saw a familiar face and her resolve faltered. As always, she would say nothing, but the CIA agent that she had just seen caused her to pause in her thoughts.
Inside she began to smile, she had something that the Agency would dearly like to have… Information.
Frank noticed the flicker in her eyes and knew she had come to a decision. No-one in the PD expected the former assassin to talk, in fact, people had begun to take bets on how long she would stay silent.
"So, shall we begin?" Calleigh's bright voice broke his thoughts as she took the seat next to him. She was followed by FBI agent Sackheim, who took up a position in the opposite corner to Paula. The FBI had no jurisdiction here as such, but if the Miami murders could be linked to others across the country, they needed to know what was going on.
"I'm not talking to you. I want to talk to him…" The Lynx nodded towards the agent standing outside.
Calleigh gave the assassin the sweetest smile she could, "Well isn't that a shame, he doesn't want to talk to you. He just wants to make sure you get put away."
The Lynx glared back at her, "Then I am exercising my right to remain silent."
Calleigh looked back, a smug expression on her face, "Well, that's your choice. As for me, I'm glad… You remain silent, I have plenty to talk about for both of us."
She placed a picture on the desk, "This is Gregor Ivanovich, shot just over five months ago. He was killed by a .303 bullet, or if you prefer metric, a 7.62mm. Today we caught you on a roof top with a rifle specially modified for sniper work. Your prints were all over the weapon, and a test fire resulted in matching striations between the two bullets, and a bullet recovered from a second victim."
"Doesn't prove I killed him, could have been someone else using the gun."
Calleigh grinned, "The telescopic sight has been specially adapted for someone who is short sighted, enabling them to use the weapon without wearing glasses or contact lenses. Should I ask for an optician to come and see if your eyesight matches…?"
When the Lynx remained silent, she placed another photograph on the table. "Shall I continue?"
**
For almost two hours, Calleigh laid out the evidence on the table, working step by step. She outlined the assassins technique in using her blade, revealed that they had confirmed her identity when she'd started using the crossbow and darts and finally closed her evidence with the Sig sauer 9mm pistol which had been recovered from the Lynx's motel room.
The Lynx said nothing. She knew from what Calleigh had said, the team going after her had certainly done their homework. She was surprised at first that they had linked the murders from the autopsy reports and then mapped out her possible target areas, but as Calleigh continued, she realised that they would not have caught her without the Wolf's help. She sat in her chair and waited refusing to say anything further.
Agent Sackheim listened to Calleigh's presentation with interest. The blonde CSI had merely delivered the evidence against the assassin as she would in court, and he knew that on evidence alone, the Wolf would be convicted. However, something niggled at his conscious. How had the team found out where she was staying? When had they realised that they were working to find a paid assassin? Most troubling of all, how had they found out that the rogue agent would be on the rooftop this very day?
Catching Frank's eye, he nodded for the detective to join him for a moment and stepped outside. Frank could see the curious look on the agents face and quickly took him to an unobserved area to talk.
"Ok Frank, spill it. I know you can convict the Lynx on pure evidence, but from where I'm standing, there must have been a lot of footwork to get some of that evidence."
&&
Mich woke up slowly and turned over, noting that Horatio was already up. Glancing at the clock, she realised that she had slept for about four hours and chuckled to herself, she really had needed it. Dressing quickly in jeans and t-shirt, she made her way down stairs.
Horatio was talking to someone on the phone and waved to her pointing to the kitchen. Curious she moved there and saw that he had been preparing lunch. Smiling, she finished washing the salad and began preparing the chicken that he had taken out of the fridge.
A few moments later, she felt a pair of hands slide around her waist and smiled as his lips brushed the side of her neck. "Who was on the phone?"
"Frank. Apparently the interview with the Lynx went as you predicted."
"She said nothing?"
"Not a word, Calleigh was very happy about that and Sackheim says that just on the evidence alone the case will stand up in court, so we don't need to reveal your help."
Mich sighed with relief, but there was something in Horatio's tone that caught her attention, "but?"
"She's talking to someone from the Agency."
Mich turned to face him, her face pale. "Who?"
"Some agent by the name of Tomkins."
Mich closed her eyes and dropped her head, "He's not an agent Horatio, but Assistant Director of Operations. He's the last person I would have wanted to speak to the Lynx. She won't hesitate to give away my identity."
Horatio pulled her close, "We have to trust the team and the Chief sweetheart, I won't let them take you back."
Mich spoke through tears, "You may not have a choice Horatio."
"Then they'll have a fight on their hands."
**
Frank remained silent for a moment. Then remembered what Horatio had told him, Sackheim was a pain in the butt, but he also knew a little of Mich's background.
"We had a little help."
"From whom?"
"A retired Scotland Yard agent who has come across the Lynx's work in the past."
Sackheim's head snapped up and he looked at Frank carefully. "How did she get involved?"
Frank thought about his answer carefully. "Horatio occasionally brings her in to help us out on cases involving the cartels. She's also good at anti-terrorism, but fortunately we haven't needed her help in that area yet."
Sackheim nodded, "A specialist, independent, expert witness…"
Frank smiled, "That's it."
Sackheim shook his head, "one day Horatio is going to put his neck out a little too far… I hope someone has his back."
Frank said nothing but nodded, turning he saw Calleigh making her way towards them, a worried look on her face.
"The CIA agent has just gone in to talk to the Chief."
Frank traded looks with Sackheim, "Trouble?"
Calleigh looked from one man to the other. "The Lynx was talking about something, I was asked to leave and Paula was asked to wait outside the door and all the microphones have been turned off. I think she's trying to make a deal."
&&
General Tomkins looked at the angry woman in the lock up and smiled quietly to himself. Finally the Lynx had been caught; turning to the Chief he indicated that he had seen enough. "My superiors have agreed that she should be tried here in Miami and when sentenced, we'll take her to one of our courts for her crimes elsewhere."
The Chief nodded, "Military prison? From what you've told me, she could escape. You do know that she wants to bargain – says she has critical information for you."
Tomkins nodded, "She mentioned it." He gave a cold smile at the memory, the Lynx had told him that she had been caught by the Wolf and was willing to give her location in exchange for her life.
The Chief raised an eyebrow his tone of voice becoming guarded, "and?"
General Tomkins straightened his back, "She has nothing that we need Chief, except for her to pay her debt to society. We'll send someone for her when you're done, could you just keep me informed how things go?"
The Chief nodded and watched quietly as the General got into his car before sending a message to Horatio that Mich was in the clear. In the car Tomkins smiled, two years ago, he would have accepted the Lynx's information, but now…
Picking up the file on the seat next to him, he glanced at the details that had been collected over the last couple of weeks. The Wolf was definitely in Miami, he knew that for sure and judging by the atmosphere in the PD, he suspected that there were a couple of people here who knew exactly where she was.
Carefully, he sealed the file with an 'eyes only' tag and signed it so no one would look inside. On his return to CIA, it would be placed in his personal store and sit there for the next ten years. Unless the Wolf was desperately needed, he would let her enjoy her freedom – she had certainly earned it.
**
Mich stood staring out of the window at the sunset, waiting for Horatio to come home. She missed her father and grandmother a great deal, but a return to the UK was dangerous. She took a deep breath. The Wolf was never far away and it scared her to think that if she ever lost control, her alter ego would very easily take over. A tear slid down her face as she finally accepted that she would never be rid of her past self.
A pair of hands slid gently around her waist as Horatio came in from outside. Looking at her carefully he realised she'd been crying – again.
"What's wrong sweetheart?"
"She's never going away Horatio…"
Horatio sighed as he sat behind her, arms wrapped around her waist, when talking about her alter ego, Mich always used the third person, as if it would help to eliminate the past. "What made you think she would?"
"I don't know, I just hoped… I don't need her anymore…"
"Maybe you do – and she knows that. Maybe she won't leave until she's certain you'll be ok."
Mich stared at him, "How can you say that…She caused so much trouble between us… I nearly lost you because of her…"
"No… We had problems because you couldn't talk and I didn't understand… Now I do… and you are able to share things with me." Mich dropped her head. "Sweetheart, I know there is more in your past than you have told me – it will all come out slowly, I don't mind waiting."
Horatio took a deep breath, it was time he got Mich out of this mind set. "Can I ask you something?"
Mich turned, curious at his tone of voice. "Always, you know that. I no longer wish to hide things from you Horatio, it's just that sometimes…"
"I know, it's difficult… But my question is a little more personal."
Mich gave him a guarded look, "Ok…"
"Why do you want to be rid of her?"
Mich stared at him, not quite knowing how to answer. Horatio could see the confusion on her face at his question. "She makes me do things when I get angry. Things I have no control over. Things I shouldn't do."
Horatio smiled gently, "No she doesn't, not anymore, you proved that in your fight against the Lynx."
"She causes problems between us Horatio, I don't want that."
"She hasn't caused a problem between us since I left the hospital… That was months ago."
Mich began to flounder, trying to find more answers – but each time Horatio countered her negative position with a positive response. After a short time, Mich gave up, "What are you trying to say Horatio?"
Horatio stepped sideways, pulling Mich with him and turning her around to look in the mirror above the fireplace. "Take a good look Mich, what do you see?" Mich shook her head, completely confused by the direction he was taking.
"I see the Wolf…"
Mich's face registered the shock she was feeling.
"I see someone strong, independent and determined. I see someone who is not afraid to make tough choices and fight for what she believes is right. I see someone who will do anything to protect her family and those she loves… Isn't that the Wolf?"
Mich stared at her reflection, as Horatio's words sank in she turned to face him a tear sliding down her cheek, "but…"
"All you are seeing is the negative sweetheart, but the Wolf has her positive aspects too. It is those that helped you catch the Lynx… stopped her from killing me… Without the Wolf I would not be here…"
"Mich, you have to accept that you are the Wolf – you are the same person… It's just you have to try and control the negative." Gently he turned Mich around so she could look in the mirror again. "Do you see now? That you are her and she is you?"
Mich remained quiet for a moment, her eyes straying from her own reflection to Horatio's. Seeing the honesty on his face, the hope that he had got through to her. A slight smile started to appear on her face and she turned to face him, "You know what I see? A silver tongued red-head whose Irish blood is showing through… Your ancestors must have kissed the Blarney stone."
H chuckled, but Mich wasn't finished, "I see a man who will fight for a lost cause if he believes it is worth it. I see a man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders… I see a man who believes he has the power to change things."
Mich lifted her hand and gently touched his cheek, "I see a man who has the strength to fight me when I'm being an ass and can turn me back onto the right road. I see a man who is willing to put himself in harm's way to protect me and my family – even when I'm dumb enough to say I don't need it. I see a man who is willing to help me to overcome my problems even when I say I don't want his help."
Her voice softened, "I see a man who I respect and trust more than anyone on this planet and who will support me when I need it most. I see a man who loves me for who I am and is not afraid of my negative aspects."
"I see the man I wish to be by my side, because he is not just my partner, or my lover, but because he is also my best friend and not afraid to tell me the truth. I see the man I love…"
Horatio pulled Mich close, holding her tightly. They still had a long way to go, but now he knew they would make it. It might take a while, but it would definitely be worth it.
Epilogue
Mich sat quietly on the log, looking out over the farm that had become her home. Six months and Christmas 2010 had passed since her fight against the Lynx and her former adversary had been convicted of multiple counts of murder in a Miami court.
As she had thought, the assassin had refused to speak, but the team had been diligent in their search for evidence and Horatio was able to put the case clearly in court. Mich had been afraid that she would be called to the stand, but the threat never materialised. The CIA had been represented by General Tomkins and the judge had been left with no doubt of the former agent's guilt.
The rogue agent had then been taken to the Naval Consolidated Brig in San Diego to serve out multiple life sentences. She had only tried to escape once, but the specialist team employed to watch over her had been vigilant and she had not managed to get more than 100 yards away before she was pinned down. It had yet to be decided if she would be subject to the death penalty for treason. One thing was sure, the assassin would never see freedom again.
Mich sighed. At first she had been afraid that the Lynx would also try and bargain for her freedom by telling CIA where she was, but no threat had materialised and she was starting to feel relieved. Her alter ego was also quiet, several new clients had arrived at the barn and at Horatio's suggestion, all would undergo a three month probationary period, after which they would be asked to stay or leave.
It had helped Mich a lot to know that she had a get-out clause from her contracts. Though occasionally, she did find her anger rising at some incident or other, she was always able to keep it under control, the Wolf staying mainly in the background.
Hearing a soft footstep she turned and raised an eyebrow at Horatio who chuckled, "I can never creep up on you can I?"
Mich gave a soft smile and leant back into him. "Did you give my blades to Ryan?"
Horatio nodded, "Yes, he promised to look after them for you."
Mich sighed, "I hope I'll never need them again."
H gave her a hug, "Same here, but somehow I get the feeling I'll still need your help from time to time."
Mich grinned, "I'll always be ready to help, you know that – I just hope I won't need my equipment to do it. Has Stetler stopped digging?"
Horatio chuckled, "The Chief overheard him a short time ago trying to get information out of some of the Patrol Officers and had a quiet word… Since then he's barely been seen out of his office."
Mich sighed, "Thank goodness, but I don't think that will last long. Someone really needs to nail that idiot."
He nodded his agreement and held something in front of her wanting to change the subject. Mich eyed the envelope curiously, "What's that?"
"I don't know, a courier dropped it off as I pulled up, why don't you have a look, its addressed to you…"
Opening the envelope slowly, Mich's eyes opened wider and wider as she read the letter inside. Horatio, reading quietly over her shoulder, kissed her cheek softly. "Congratulations sweetheart. Short listed for the British 2012 eventing team, an Olympic medal is definitely a prize to work for."
Mich turned to give him a hug, "I've got the only prize I need right here."
As Horatio returned the hug he smiled, in the last six months Mich had started to settle down accepting who she was. Though she was still a little volatile he accepted it easily, knowing that with the smooth occasionally came the rough. The result was a quieter Mich than the one he had met and he was glad she was part of his life.
