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This chapter follows on from 'Resistance to Interrogation'

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Big Boy Pants

...

"I am not fucking reassigning Yousef Turani," Saul yelled into the speaker phone, then gestured irately for Quinn to sit down near his desk. "Turani is flying out tonight with the rest of you guys. He knows Brody better than anyone. He'll keep Brody focused on the mission. It's too late to change the personnel now!"

"But Turani is still a mess." Quinn could hear the southern drawl of Hafez 'A-Z' Azizi on the line. "After he freaked out the other day during the polygraphs. Says he needs to take some leave."

"Have you asked him what this is all about?" Saul groaned.

Quinn flinched. He knew exactly what it was about. Turani was likely wracked with guilt for fucking Carrie. Wanted to get away before Brody found out.

A-Z paused for a moment. "Turani mentioned marital problems."

"Marital problems?" spat Saul. "Tell him my wife Mira fucked a Mossad agent called Alain Bernard in our bed!"

Quinn looked away as he saw the wretched pain in Saul's eyes.

Saul threw a photograph of Mira across the room. "I'm still managing to get the fucking job done!"

Quinn dived to retrieve the broken fragments of frame and glass.

"Yes Sir," A-Z coughed, sounding embarrassed over the speaker. "I will tell him that."

Saul gestured for Quinn to bin the broken frame, but slipped Mira's photograph inside his diary. "Tell Turani that Carrie is bipolar and she still manages to get the fucking job done!"

"Bipolar? Really?" A-Z sounded surprised. "OK..."

"Tell Turani that Peter Quinn is a deceitful, ill-disciplined, hand-stabbing bastard..." began Saul.

"Let me guess," A-Z drawled. "But he gets the job done?"

"Yes he does," nodded Saul. "So Turani needs to put on his big boy pants and get over whatever fucking marital problems he may or may not have. Put his personal life aside and get on that plane with you guys and Brody tonight."

"Yes Sir." Azizi sounded more confident. "I will go and give Turani his orders and your advice right now."

"Good," growled Saul. "I don't want to hear any more problems from your Navy SEALS. The game is on. I want Brody over that fucking border and into Iran as planned."

"Yes Sir," agreed Azizi. "There'll be no more problems."

...

"Hand-stabbing bastard I'll accept, but deceitful?" Quinn arched an eyebrow at Saul. "Ill-disciplined?"

"Virgil informed me that you and Turani were fighting in Fara's office," Saul's eyes narrowed. "I can only assume you've fucked his wife or something..."

"What?!" Quinn spluttered.

"Listen I don't care, but get your ass over to Dam Neck and put it right. Make sure Turani is in the right frame of mind for the mission."

Quinn glared at Saul, offended by his unsavoury assumptions. "Yes Sir, but I..."

"Take Carrie with you," Saul added. "Perhaps she can talk some sense into Turani."

"Carrie!" Quinn rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I don't think that..."

"That's an order," Saul whispered menacingly. "If Turani won't comply I'm holding you personally responsible for fucking everything up."

Quinn felt his bile rising. He doubted he could remain emotionally detached and undo the train wreck that had been unfolding since Turani and Carrie had shared a shower.

...

"I overheard..." Quinn paled with suppressed rage as he explained the entire situation during the awkward car journey with Carrie to Dam Neck.

"You're just jealous," Carrie overreacted. Offended, angry and unrepentant. "Turani let it slip how you feel about me!"

"Fuck!" Quinn swerved then gripped the steering wheel tightly. "I don't want to go down this road." He meant it in more ways than just the diverted traffic.

"Carrie..." Quinn squirmed. He jabbed the sat nav screen harder than necessary. "This isn't about you or me!" He glared at her as the traffic ahead came to a standstill. "This is about getting Turani's head back in the right place ready for the mission."

"Well, I might not be the best person to talk to him," Carrie huffed.

"I know that," Quinn agreed. "But this is also about ensuring Brody doesn't find out about you and Turani."

"You really think Brody will give a shit?" Carrie laughed dismissively. "We're not involved or anything. Brody's not my keeper."

"Carrie! Who are you kidding? Brody's the father of your unborn baby." Quinn lectured. "He's the man you almost quit your career for."

"It's all in the past," Carrie gestured contemptuously. "Me and Brody are just... He doesn't even know about the baby."

"He's the man who punched Eric Baraz for simply talking to you!" Quinn was emphatic. "Can you imagine what Brody will do if he finds out that you and Turani..." Quinn tailed off, his jealousy prickling again at the memory of her ecstatic moans.

"Not my problem," Carrie twitched.

"Carrie! What is wrong with you? Can't you see what you've done?" Quinn fumed. "You've compromised the mission with your selfish behaviour!"

"What?" Carrie was incredulous. "I had a bit of fun with somebody?"

"He's Brody's friend!" Quinn growled. "He's a married man!"

"Before you judge me, or give me that perpetual look of disapproval..." Carrie folded her arms. " Oh, I've seen your puppy dog eyes lately... all this What you put yourself through... it was fucking incredible... Like I said, you're just jealous because I fucked Turani instead of you."

Quinn shook his head. "That's not true, Carrie."

"Oh no? Well let me repeat what I overheard Max and Fara gossiping about...word for word," Carrie spat. "You knew how I felt about her, but you still went ahead and fucked her! Isn't that what you said to Turani?"

"Carrie you're twisting this. Let's remember the objective here. We need to get Turani's focus back on the Iran mission. He needs to move on from... this indiscretion." Quinn felt nauseous. "Turani's going out of his mind. It was out of character. He's a great soldier and doctor, a loyal husband... "

"Loyal husband?" Carrie pffted. "There's no such thing. No man has ever said no to me yet... Well apart from Saul..."

Quinn looked at her disdainfully. "There's no line you wouldn't cross is there?"

"And that's why you want me!" Carrie reached across and squeezed his thigh. "You know my darkest secrets and you still want me. You've overheard me fucking other guys and I bet it makes you want me even more..."

Quinn swallowed and couldn't deny it. He pushed her hand away. "How do you feel about Turani?" He felt childish immediately after asking the question.

Carrie smirked and looked out of the window. "Why?"

"Because I know Turani! He might be expecting more from you Carrie! A-Z mentioned marital problems. Maybe he's leaving his wife for you or something."

"Shit," Carrie bit her lip. "Not another Estes..."

"Why Turani?" Quinn glared at her. "Why him? Of all people!"

"I'd been off my meds for a few days..." Carrie raked at her hair. "I'd been drinking..."

"You're pregnant!" Quinn lamented. "Why were you drinking?"

"Because I'm falling apart Quinn... Turani was there." Carrie's eyes clouded despairingly. "He was kind to me and I just needed something... Someone...to make me feel good. He was there."

"Did it help?" Quinn chafed inwardly.

Carrie sighed, melancholy now. "You have no fucking idea."

...

Quinn felt sick as he drove through the checkpoint and into the car park at the Dam Neck Military Facilty.

"Can I stay in the car," Carrie fidgeted, agitated now. "I can't face seeing Turani. Or Brody."

"I'll go and talk to both of them separately," Quinn nodded wearily. "I don't know what I'll say. I don't know what to expect..."

"Tell Turani..." Carrie shrugged, searching for a facade. "I'm sorry I used him."

"I'll try and put things right." Quinn saw through her false insouciance and gritted his teeth.

"Quinn," Carrie softened. "I-I-I... oh this is fucking absurd. Can you drop the puppy dog eyes in future? You're a great colleague. A friend even... I just... I can't. Don't go there. I'm bad news."

"No shit," Quinn grimaced as he spotted a sweating Brody jogging across the car park towards them. "Do you want to come inside with me, or stay out here and talk to Brody?"

"I'll stay here," Carrie exhaled and rubbed the curve of her abdomen sorrowfully. "Talk to Brody about the mission. Say goodbye."