Tremendous thanks to my loyal reviewers. Your reviews keep me motivated and updating just as fast as the story will allow. Please, please keep letting me know your thoughts and opinions: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's the only way I know what you like and can get better. I do not own any of the established characters only Haydence and my plot (as always).
The Russian assassin adjusted his scope. He could see the woman dimly but only the shoulders and frame of the man holding her was visible. His orders were to take out the pathetic whining drug dealer so the Russians on the ground could take the girl. A better price for the bio-weapon had been offered and accepted. They had only brought enough of the real bio-weapon to fool Durning into complacency before killing him. Durning was simply a loose end that needed to be eliminated.
Although the drug dealer's features were obscured, the assassin estimated the position for the headshot. Once he fired the initial shot, the others could finish the job. Just then the girl looked over her shoulder at her captor.
"Do you trust me?" Hayd's eyes were locked onto red dot pointing at Lucas's head.
The words, "Of course," automatically came out of Lucas's mouth.
"I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Charles Durning is expendable. Lucas North isn't." With that she grabbed him by his suit and brought him out into the light.
When the lead Russian recognized Lucas, he brought his hand up quickly. The assassin lifted his rifle up while the one carrying the money dropped the suitcase and started to draw his gun. Even caught off guard by Hayd's actions, Lucas got to him quicker. Knocking the gun out of his hand before he could get a firm grasp on it, Lucas and the man exchanged punches before a series of shots rang out. He finished the Russian off with a jab below the jaw.
Finally allowing himself to look up, Lucas saw the lead Russian slowly collapsing to the ground. Blood oozing out from two holes in his chest, Haydence shifted her gun from the Russian on the ground to the direction of the unseen sniper above. Although she had the presence of mind to re-aim, Lucas could tell something was wrong with her.
Over the com, one of the Lucas's team's called in, "Hostile sniper is down. Repeat. Hostile sniper is down. Area is secure."
"It's ok, Hayd. We've gotten the sniper." Lucas held his hands out palms down and tried to move gently towards her.
"Are you sure? How can you be sure?" This was the first time she'd shown real fear.
"I promise you. Everything's ok."
Hayd looked down at the gun in her hand and numbly sat down crossing her legs in front of her. She didn't release it.
Lucas was beside her immediately. "Are you injured? Are you hurt? Haydence!"
She remained silent at the questions and jumped when Lucas raised his voice as he said her name.
"I'm fine, Lucas. I'm not hurt at all. You go do what you have to do." Her words tried to reassure, but they seemed distant.
He touched her hand for the briefest of moments before placing the Russian who was starting to come around into custody. After that he spoke to Harry over the com and handed the bio-weapon over to agents taking it back to Five's chemical experts. The teams brought in the rest of the Russian contingency. The whole area once empty now swarmed with people.
When he finally had a chance to look for Hayd again, she wasn't where he'd left her. He searched the area and no sign of her.
"Harry, everything's under control here. One thing though. I can't find Hayd."
"Well, you need to, Lucas. She needs to come in and be debriefed before this can be over."
"Understood. Is that tracking signal still working?"
"Hold on. Yes, it is. But it's stationary and getting weaker."
"Send it to my phone."
When Lucas found her, she was sitting alone on a bench near the Thames watching the sun come up. He slowly approached her from an angle which would ensure that he didn't sneak up on her. Sitting down on the other side of the bench, Lucas could tell Hayd was upset as she turned trying to avoid him looking at her face.
Her voice was soft and numb almost a whisper. "I could have killed you."
"What?"
"It was a stupid plan that could have gotten you killed. And, I'm sorry. Hmmp, I have one good idea about hiding the tracking thread in me and I think I'm James bloody Bond."
"By the way, where did you sew that tracking thread?"
Hayd wiggled her toes now grubby from walking barefoot across London, shifted one foot beside her on the bench, and pulled out a little section of thread from between her toes. It looked as if she had been pulling it out bit by bit not caring if she bled.
Lucas tried to hide a smirk. "Only you."
She glanced over at him, still upset.
Lucas tried to reassure her. "Look, it's ok. I'm not hurt. You're not hurt. You did well – for a civilian."
Hayd failed to acknowledge his attempt to lighten the mood. "You don't understand. I can only think of what would have happened if the sniper had gotten you. I see you with a bullet in your head bleeding out onto the pavement. And that would have been my fault. I can't . . . I can't breathe." She hung her head and leaned over the bench.
Lucas reached out a tentative hand to lightly stroke her back. At his touch, she broke and let her tears flow. He tried to embrace her but she just pulled away.
"How can you be so calm? I almost got you killed. It was a horrible plan."
"I did agree to it, Hayd."
"And what does that say about your judgment? Oh, this won't work. This won't work." She shook her head, "How can I be so fucking arrogant?"
"Shhh. Just try to calm down." He waited till she was able to take a few steady breaths. "I hate to do this, but you need to come into Thames House for a debriefing."
Hayd nodded not trusting her ability to speak calmly at the moment.
Lucas stood up and a car pulled into park just behind them. Realizing her knees where shaking under her, Hayd steadied herself on the bench for a moment before walking towards it. Lucas's eyes stayed locked on her. The fallout of the mission had affected her harder than he thought it would. Following her into the backseat of the car, he tried to reassure her by lightly touching the back of her hand. But, Haydence gently removed her hand from underneath his and curled up facing the opposite direction. He brought his hand up to him mouth worried. They had both survived the Russians, but a feeling struck in his gut that he just might have lost Hayd anyway.