Chapter 10

Flying into another airport I found myself growing tired of this game. I look over to Natasha to see her as cheerful as usual was the only consultation to this long nightmare. I gently grab her arm "Promise we will get a hotel and actually stay there for few days this time. There are three sites we need to visit in this area so if anything we will just rent a car and take our time this round."

She gently pats my arm back. "Sounds good to me, first thing I'm going to do is get a nice shower in."

I smile at the idea. "Here let me get your bags." We walk down to the baggage claim finding our bags we head to the nearest hotel.

Walking in the main lobby I scan the area looking to see if that girl was around. To no avail she wasn't relieved we get to the counter and check in.

I hear Natasha in the bathroom looking for the shampoo and conditioner I yell to her. "I'm going to get some food, anything special you would like?"

"Nothing spicy please, if you want you can just get a pizza. Something simple like that would be great." She yells through the door.

"I'll be back in a little while." I walk out the door and head for the lobby. I walk up to the desk waiting for the attendant to return I look out the window enjoying the view.

"Can I help you, sir?" out of nowhere.

"Yes, is there any restaurants nearby that have some simple food I can order?"

"Hold on while I get you the menus." He reaches under the counter pulling out a variety of pamphlets handing them over to me.

"Thank you." I walk over to the lobby and find a chair and begin to sort through them.

"I'm not going to ask how you escaped out of those ropes."

I look up to see Christina standing next to me. Quickly I stand up "You're not going to kick me are you."

"No, please have a seat." She motions to the chair and sits in the chair next mine. "I might have been too aggressive last time and I would like to make amends."

I sit back down "Maybe just a tad." I set the menus down. "Hold that thought." I quickly get up again and walk over to the counter. "Excuse me…"

"Yes?" the man behind the desk answers.

"If you could please order a pizza for me and have it delivered to my room I would greatly appreciate it." Handing the man a hundred dollar bill "Please keep the change."

"Of course sir." He quickly heads to the back of the room. I in turn return to my unexpected guest. "My apologies… you were saying something about being too aggressive."

"Yes…" clearing her throat. "…as I was saying I would like to start over and try again discussing the problem at hand."

"You mean me stealing items from sacred burial sites?"

"To be blunt yes." She says with as much conviction.

"Sorry I can't really stop, I have a buyer who really wants these items and wants nothing more than to have them at any cost."

"What if we compromise, I can get you the same items but at the same time leave the real ones where they belong."

"Doesn't work like that my dear. I'm not paid good money to find duplicate items."

"You know I had to try?"

"Indeed, will I be running into you everywhere I go?"

"Unless of course. I stop you from taking the items when I next see you."

"Who do you work for?"

"I should ask you the same question?" crossing her arms she sits back into her chair.

"I thought you knew."

"I know what company you work for, but I do not who you represent."

"Well this hasn't been fun." Getting up I start walking away.

"All I can say is that you are going about things the wrong way." She says as she watches me walking away.

"You have no idea… but then it wasn't my choosing on what I'm doing in the first place."

As the elevator starts to close I hear her one more time. "Everyone has a choice!"

I walk back to the room to find Natasha already dressed from her shower. "Where's the food?" she says as she is bent over tying her shoes.

"Food will be here in a little while. You will never guess who I ran into downstairs."

She sits up crossing her arms "Don't tell me that Bitch found us here?"

"Yep, I'm beginning to appreciate her resilience, but getting frustrated at her persistence." I say grabbing a chair.

"So is she going to come up here and tie you up again." Giving me a little smile "or was that your idea?"

"No…" giving her a twisted look "…in my defense she kicked me and knocked me out then tied me up."

"You say." She gets up and walks back into the bedroom in a few minutes she walked back in handing me a note. "Some guy named Bob called told me to tell you that he would be here tomorrow to help with your problem."

"How…" assuming that his employer had something to do with it "…well that's good news right?"

"I don't know who this Bob is?"

"He works for the company, don't know to much more about him."

"Also there was a missed phone call on your cell phone from… you?"

Grabbing my phone a sense of excitement came over me "That has to be the Professor." Calling the number back I wait patiently for him to answer.

"Professor?" giving me a curious look she follows me into the bedroom.

As the phone goes to voicemail I leave a quick message. Hanging up the phone I sit down on the edge of the bed. "Damn, why didn't I keep my phone on me?"

"Because you left it on the counter when you went to get some food." Giving me another smile she sits next to me resting her head on my shoulder. "So who is this Professor?"

"A man I met at the Smithsonian. He was looking in a book for me regarding certain aspects of the items I'm looking for" getting up I walk over to the window "I feel that there is something going on that is beyond my comprehension and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it."

"Like what? All you did was take some stupid necklace" leaning back on the bed "how could that be beyond your comprehension?"

"I wish I could go into details with you, but there is something bigger than both you and me. I just want to make sure that I don't do something really stupid is all."

"Sound advice." It was then that somebody knocked at the door. "We will dwell on this more, but first let's eat." Getting up she gives me her usual smile and skips to the other room.

"Make sure it is the bellhop before you open the door." Not really sure what Christina would actually do to try and stop me I didn't want to take any chances.

"Really you are starting to get paranoid." Opening the door she sees the bellhop with a pizza box. "Honey, do you have cash?"

The bellhop simply hands over the pizza "It is already taken care of." Simply bowing he walks back down the hallway.

Watching him for a second "Funny looking man." She simply smiles as she shuts the door. Setting the pizza on the table she yells back into the room to me "You didn't think to get drinks did you?"

"No."

"It's ok I will run down to the lobby and get some. I promise I won't be long."

"I will be waiting." Crashing back down on the bed I close my eyes for a second.

"Didn't think that little Jezebel would ever leave."

I turn my head to see the Dark one sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Seriously what do you want?"

Entwining his fingers together he just stared for a good long second. "I've sent Bob to come out and help you with your little problem."

"I thought that you didn't care if I failed. That you would just find somebody else that can fill my shoes and do it."

"True, but I also said that I liked you." Getting out of the chair he sits next to me. "Plus it would take too long to fill someone else in at where you are at just easier keeping you in the game a little longer."

"Swell." I sit up and scoot over a little getting away from him.

"Take the night off. Enjoy yourself this very well could be the last time you can relax." Smiling as he pats me on my leg he gets up and walks out the room.

I get up and follow him into the other room "Damn it what are you talking about?"

"I didn't say anything?" I see Natasha standing there with a couple sodas in her hands looking confused at my outburst and of course the boss long gone as usual.

"Sorry" taking the sodas out of her "I was just talking to myself."

"Oh…" looking around "could have sworn that you were actually talking to someone."

"It's nothing." We sit down and enjoy our food in silence. A feeling of frustration was over flowing me and I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about this job was more different than what I was usually used too. Getting out from the table I look at Natasha "I think I'm going to turn in. I just had a really bad day and just want to be done with it." Giving her my best smile I look at her and simply say "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Jon…" she gives me her little smile and watches me go into the other room.