The closer the day of departure had come, the more glued together they had become, as if the could save something of the other´s presence for the time they´d be separated. It seemed as if the world around them had shrunk and it had suddenly become impossible to pass the other one without touching him.

At some point after breakfast, when she had headed him off again on his way to another cup of coffee, she apologized for it.

„It´s alright", he answered. „Don´t worry."

He had noticed the same tendencies on himself as well.

„Crazy", she stated. „One should think that it should unnerve me to have someone that close around after being solo that long."

He didn´t answer, but realized that similar thoughts had kept crossing his mind.

She had sticked to her intentions not to wail or at least tell him about her worries, but he could tell that she wasn´t as lighthearted as usual.

She threw a look at his watch.

„´bout time to leave, huh ?" she asked.

He nodded.

„If anything comes up, and that includes visits by freaks and fuckin´ anything,..."

„I´ll talk to Tool", she interrupted. „You told me about a dozen of times, remember ?"

„Don´t get into any brawls, alright ?"

„I´ll do my best."

He frowned.

„What´s next ?" she challenged. „You´re going to tell me not to stay up late ?"

„Get some sleep from time to time! You have a tendency to just refuse it..."

She rolled her eyes.

„So you noticed."

„I almost forgot..."

He snatched a note from the fridge´s door where it had been pinned.

„You got an appointment, Monday, elevenhundred. This is the addess."

She glanced at the piece of paper in her hand. She knew the area, but had no idea what kind of place he was sending her to.

„Another arrangement ?" she asked.

„Ask for Thien."

She looked up to him, frowning.

„That´s a guy or a girl ?"

„A girl, actually", he answered with a grin. „You know, my care doesn´t go that far that I make appointments with other guys for you."

„What the hell´s this about ?"

„Find out", he said mysteriously.

She put the note into her backpocket.

„Alright. Thanks."

He grinned.

„Thank me if you´ve been there", he advised.

„If anything comes up..."

„I´ll talk to Tool."

Cathie smiled, having some kind of déjà vu.

„Anything else ?" she challenged.

„Stay out of trouble..."

„What the hell do you guys think of me ?"

Barney shrugged.

„You just get back in one piece", Cathie demanded. „I am not keen on having too much work with any of you."

„We´ll do our best!" Christmas promised flatly, passing them on his way out.

„Sounds somehow like he´s used to say that at goodbye scenes, no ?" she asked, watching him throwing another bag at the pick-up bed.

„Seems so", Barney agreed.

Tool joined them.

„You guys ready ?"

Barney nodded.

„Yeah, just waitin´ for Toll Road..."

„He just called, he´s late, so he´s meeting you at the base. He says he´s got everything he´ll need already there."

Barney nodded.

„Alright", Barney said, turning to Cathie.

„Take care", he adressed her. „And you take good care of her, will you ?"

„You´re trusting him with takin´ care of a girl for you ?" Cathie asked.

Tool held one clenched fist out to Barney who made his own knuckles touch the friend´s for a second. The friends nodded to each other.

Cathie waved to the men on their way out of the shop to the cars.

Gunnar, the last to leave, saluted her lazily on his way out, not even turning his head.

„No goodbye ?" Tool asked.

She gave him a wry smile.

„Already done", she answered quietly. And it had been no farewell she would have wanted to repeat in public.

Three days later, at Daisy´s ...

Daisy handed Darla her drink while she looked around. The high class call girl noticed the empty table at the corner close to the back exit. As it was known which group of regulars usually occupied it, the table stayed usually empty even if the place became crowded.

„Not a single Expendable here tonight ? They´re on a job ?"

Daisy shrugged.

„Seems so."

Darla took a sip of the sweet cocktail in her hand.

„Who´s your help ?" she asked, watching Cathie serving some guy a drink.

„Cathie ? She´s helping me out, she is working for Tool and Ross. Worked for Kingsley before."

Darla rolled her eyes.

„Poor girl."

„Bilked her of her pay", Daisy added.

„Sounds like Kingsley indeed!" Darla said, her eyes still on Cathie. „What does the girl do for them ?"

„Don´t know exactly. She´s a nurse, if I am not mistaken."

Darla put her drink down.

„Really ?" she asked.

Daisy introduced the two women to each other when Cathie returned to the counter.

„Cathie, this is Darla, a long-time friend. Darla, this is Cathie."

The two women nodded to each other.

„Nice to meet you!" Cathie said.

„Same goes for me", Darla responded politely.

A short while later, Darla bent forward to talk to Daisy confidentially.

„She´s one of the guys´ girl ?" she asked.

Daisy shrugged.

„Not that I know", Daisy answered. „But if you´re that curious, why don´t you ask Gunnar."

Darla threw her a wry smile.

„Oh come on! That´s not my style."

„Well, ask Tool then. What makes you think that anyway ?"

„Just a feelin´...", the good looking blonde answered off-handedly.

Daisy threw her a wry look and turned to serve some other customers their drinks.

„You and your feelings..."

„Darlin´, could you take over for me for a minute ?" Daisy asked.

Cathie nodded.

„Sure!"

„Thanks!"

Daisy hurried towards the woman´s restroom.

„Can I get you somethin´ else ?" Cathie adressed Darla.

„Yeah, another one of these", Darla answered, pointing at her empty cocktail glass.

Cathie nodded.

„Daisy tells me you´re working for Barney", Darla said.

Cathie frowned.

„For Tool, actually."

Darla nodded understanding.

„You don´t happen to know if Barney´s lot is in town at the moment ?"

„They are actually not", Cathie answered without hesitation. „But that´s as far as my knowledge goes."

Darla watched her for another moment, then nodded.

„I´m gonna get in touch with Tool", she said. „He knows possibly more."

„I think he´ll come along later on", Cathie answered, though she was sure that if there would have been any news about the boys´return, Tool would have already informed her.

Darla searched for a cigarette in her handbag, found one and bent forward.

„You have a light ?" she asked.

„Yeah, just a second."

Cathie fumbled a lighter out of her pocket. Darla recognized the skull and crow engraving on it while Cathie bent forward as well to enlighten the cigarette.

„Thanks", Darla muttered.

Cathie just nodded.

When Daisy was back, Cathie returned to the other side of the counter, serving the next round of drinks.

„I should have bet", Darla told the friend.

Daisy raised her eyebrows.

„I thought your expertise is usually only makin´ men confess to you ?"

Darla gave the friend a rarely seen naughty grin.

„Oh, she didn´t confess, honey! But she didn´t have to! But what a puny landlady you are ?"

Daisy grimaced.

„So you´re gonna reveal your insights to me ?"

„Have a guess!" Darla challenged, putting her chin down girlishly to neatly manicured fingers.

„Well, Christmas is with Lacy..."

„Still ? Really ? I wonder what he´s seeing in her anyway...", Darla commented drily.

„Caesar´s still with his Elizabeth..."

„The day those two part I´ll kill myself."

The two of them got interrupted by Cathie returning to the counter to pass on the latest orders.

Darla sat back meanwhile, entangling her fingers in her necklace, but Daisy didn´t take the hint.

„Name it", Darla challenged when Cathie was out of earshot again.

„Jeez, Darla! Is it Barney ?"

Darla wagged a finger at her.

„Uh, in that case, you´d become jealous, wouldn´t you ?" she teased the friend, knowing that she had always had a soft spot for the Expendable number one.

„That girl has fallen for our Northman. Or vice versa."

Daisy threw her a wry look.

„You know if you´d say it´s Barney, I´d maybe believe it..."

„You´re obviously gettin´ sloppy!"

Daisy put her palms down to the counter and bent forward.

„Are you sure you´re not imagining things - especially with not a single one of them around ?" she challenged.

Darla sipped again at her cocktail.

„Believe me, darlin´ - there´s no doubt!"

Having known the wayward Swede for so many years, she couldn´t imagine any other reason why the girl should be wearing his favourite Viking pendant around her neck while he had left town for another suicide mission.

A short while later, a new arrival caught Daisy´s attention.

„´s that Lacy over there ?" she asked Cathie.

Cathie followed her gaze to the door.

„That´s Lacy!" she confirmed in surprise. „What the hell´s she doing here ?"

„Whatever the reason is - go and save her!" Daisy suggested. A girl like Lacy, looking as good as innocent, caused a stir beneath the male customers around her, and not everyone of them seemed to know who the girl belonged to.

„Hey!"

Lacy turned to Cathie, relief showing on her face the moment she recognized her.

„Hey."

She sounded distressed, Cathie could tell.

„You´re alright ?"

Lacy nodded hesitantly.

„I was looking for you", she told her.

„For me ? Why didn´t you call ?"

„I wanted to talk to you face-to-face..."

Lacy´s voice trailed off the moment she realized that she was drawing a lot of unwanted attention.

„Come on", Cathie told her. „I´ll get you a drink!"

„So what´s wrong ?" Cathie asked. She had taken a five minute break and had Lacy made sit down at the otherwise empty Expendables´ table, just for the statement. Daisy smiled watching her doing it. Cathie had definitely a way of handling the men around.

„I can´t get through to Lee", Lacy whispered.

Cathie looked at her, nonplussed.

„What do you mean ?"

„I can´t get through. Every time I try I´ll only get the mailbox."

Cathie had trouble to hide her confusion.

„You know that they left town, do you ?"

Lacy frowned.

„Sure."

„You´ve tried to call him while he´s ...working ?"

Now it was Lacy´s turn to look at her in confuse.

„Yeah. Why shouldn´t I ? We´re talking every night if he can..."

Cathie sat back, stunned.

„But for the last two days, I couldn´t get through..." Lacy repeated.

She bent forward a little as if to avoid being overheard.

„Did you talk to Gunnar ?"

Realizing that Lacy wouldn´t know that it was the first time Gunnar had went for a job since they had gotten involved with each other, she decided for the simple version.

„We don´t talk when he´s working", she said simply.

„Never ?" Lacy asked, looking taken aback.

Cathie shook her head.

„Man needs to concentrate."

„So you haven´t heard from Gunnar either", Lacy stated.

„No."

Lacy looked that worried that Cathie feared she would start to cry while she herself could still not believe what she just had been told. She wondered silently what Gunnar´s face and answer would have been like if she had suggested to call him. Lacy would probably even scold poor Lee for not calling her.

„I talked to Tool", Lacy said. „But he said that he´s not been in contact with them either. Think that´s true ?"

Cathie nodded.

„Yeah. Why should he tell you different if he did ?"

„I thought he might have told you...you working with him and everything..."

Cathie served Lacy another drink, this time at the bar. Daisy had changed places with Cathie to grant them some more minutes.

„You´re not worried ?"

Cathie lost nerve.

„You know what they´re doing, don´t you ?"

Lacy frowned in that girlish way of hers, but nodded.

„Lee doesn´t talk about the details... but I take it it´s dangerous enough."

Cathie nodded.

„And you don´t worry ?"

Cathie sympathized with her despite her rather odd views.

„They know what they´re doing."

Lacy stared into her drink.

„Still..."

Cathie put a hand to her forearm.

„I try not to worry. The risk comes with the job - but they´re good. They have been doing this for years. They are trained to do stuff like that."

Remembering that she had just screamed bloody murder at Gunnar discussing exactly this topic not even a week ago, she wondered privately how convincing she might sound to Lacy.

„And that´s reassuring for you ?"

Cathie sighed. She had obviously been not that convincing.

„You know, my father was a soldier, most of my brothers are, I´ve been in the middle of a military conflict... you get used to it in a way. It may sound a little extreme to you, but there´ll be enough time to grieve if things really do go wrong."

„That sounds extreme indeed", Lacy stated.

„We quarreled before he left", she added then, looking even more gloomy than before.

„Oh girl!"

So that was what things were about.

Cathie squeezed her hand softly, knowing that Lacy gave Lee regularly a hard time when he had appointments with the rest of the team to rather unusual times - or on Sundays. Still, the concept of giving the man a hard time for leaving her for another job, to earn another considerable amount of money which made her life surely quite comfortable felt extreme to Cathie in return.

„I mean, do you like letting your boyfriend go only God knows where in the middle of the night, and you´re be left behind, not knowing anything ?!"

Realizing that they had a completely different view of things, Cathie decided to skip diplomacy and switch to attack.

„Lacy, have you any idea how badly in love Lee is with you ?"

Lacy looked up.

„He´s a soldier, at least in the widest sense. He doesn´t like leaving you!"

„What are you telling me ?" Lacy asked, sounding hurt. „That I shall kiss him goodbye as if he was of for another day at the office ?"

„Don´t get me wrong, but imagine for a second things go really wrong out there. What would you want to be his latest memory of you ?"

„You´re talking about putting up a brave front", Lacy said.

Cathie nodded.

„I´d prefer Gunnar remembers me smiling..."

„...rather than complaining", Lacy finished the sentence.

Cathie nodded again, admittedly surprised that Lacy had just found such honest words.

„You look at all this from a very different point of view as I do", Lacy stated finally.

Cathie tilted her head in agreement.

„I have a very different background as well."

Lacy frowned.

„Granted", she answered lowly.

Cathie smiled to her.

„And a very different character of a man to deal with", Lacy added lowly.

Cathie nodded, watching Tool arrive. She waved to him to gain his attention.

„I have to get back to work", she told Lacy lowly. „But whatever your plans are for the rest of the night, do me a favour and let Tool take you home. You have a lot of admirers here Lee would not want to know you alone with."