Jhondie
I hate flying. It's not the act of flying that I hate, it's the airlines and stupid pilots and planes and lines and mechanics and even that girl behind the counter. By the time they announced that we were going to be landing in Seattle, I had vowed to do something evil to the lot of them as soon as I got the chance. I got stuck with a layover and paced for over an hour, waiting until I could get back on the plane and get to Seattle. What the hell is their problem with a direct flight? That's what I was supposed to have at least, but no, they just had to decide there was some problem or the other and we had to land then. Since we could land there, why not just go on and land in Seattle and have problems there?
If there was the slightest problem with the paperwork, then I was just going to bust my way out of there, and deal with the sector crap later. I was not in the mood to play games when the passengers started to get off of the plane. The guy that had sat next to me knew that quite well. He smiled at me a few times during the first bit of the flight. Then he tried to talk to me. I told him to shut the fuck up. He got the hint and moved to another seat. I was not in a mood to play.
Justin. Where are you? Are you hurt? Did you get away? Will I be able to find you? That was all I could think during the entire flight. I tried to plan and strategize, but those thoughts kept creeping in and breaking my concentration. I was so scared that he was hurt. Maybe he had been able to get a hold of someone while I was in the air or getting to the airport. I could find him. I was going to start at the hotel, and work my way around. The lawyer, Steiner. Maybe Eye's Only. Then…I wasn't going to think about that just yet. Get the initial recon, and go from there. That was the plan.
I went to the counter and patiently waited in line for my passes. I gave the girl there the fake name and she smiled sweetly, and asked me if I would mind waiting for a moment. She didn't know how close she came to death right then and there. A second later, a manager-looking type came out, and handed me my paperwork with an envelope on top. He flashed me a nervous smile and muttered something about a mutual friend leaving me a note.
I stepped to the side and opened it, scanning the words. "Waiting area C outside of terminal A." Short and sweet. Eye's Only himself? Doubtful. Maybe he sent an informant to help me get started. That seemed more likely. I stood in line, thinking of a good "thank but no thanks" speech if whomever it was wanted to tag along. There might be some nasty work up ahead, and I didn't want a civilian getting in my way. Ally or not, he didn't need to know about me, and I could handle any situation far better than he could.
I shouldered my backpack and waited in the line for the police to check me through. I had to be nice here and not let them see that I was agitated. My ID was good, and the papers looked well enough, but under careful scrutiny, I wasn't sure what would happen. I would much rather walk out of here than fight out of here. It would be less trouble in the long run. The police finally got to me, and searched my backpack. Freak. I noticed him lingering when he sifted through my underwear. And it was the plain cotton stuff, not the silky lace. One word out of him, and he was going to have a flying lesson.
They let me through, and I silently thanked the boss for getting me quality paperwork. I had a full city pass, and the inspector gave me a smile and wished me good day. Maybe that passed as flirting here. Whatever. I wasn't in the mood. I strode out of there, heading to the waiting area that the note had said. I thought about not going at all, but if he was sent by Eye's Only, then he deserved the courtesy of acknowledgement. I scanned the waiting area. It wasn't crowded, but there were several people there. Whoever it was had better know me, because I didn't have a clue.
There was a mother with a couple of snot-nosed little brats. One was wailing loudly. The other was swinging from the arm of the chair while she tried to bottle feed a baby. At least she wasn't whipping her boob out for the world to watch her feed the kid. A couple in their forties sat in the corner, and they jumped up as I approached. I thought for a minute they were coming to me, but a young woman behind me ran to them and they embraced tightly. There was a guy yammering on his cell phone loudly, and then someone else sitting behind a newspaper. If it was the loudmouth, then I was going to save the speech and walk out right then and there.
The man holding the newspaper rearranged it slightly, and my heart suddenly started slamming in my chest. For a second I felt a little dizzy. Was that my imagination or did I get a flash of dark hair and familiar knees? Don't let it be coincidence, I prayed. Please let it be him. I steeled myself, forcing self-control where I wanted to run over there and jump on him. I walked forward, and with a single finger, lightly pressed down on the top of the paper.
Justin
Exhausted was not the word for how I felt when I got to the airport. Public transportation in Seattle was like a game show. The big prize was that the bus would actually show up. I finally got there, and was shocked to see that I was on time. Actually, I was early. Maybe it was because on driver was on a phone talking about some hot chick he was supposed to be meeting at a bar and that he had to get there fast. Then he hit the gas, and I realized that I had less of a chance dying with those gunmen than on this bus.
The airport was a good selection for a meeting. With night flights being more prevalent, there were people around, not to mention the sector police. I was fairly confident that it would be harder to shoot me here. At least I hoped so. At that point, I was almost too tired to care. I had been told to go to a certain waiting area, and I grabbed a paper on the way. "Streets of Seattle" was a pretty decent publication even if it was held under censorship. But the best part was that the paper was large enough to block me from view. An informant would know to look for me there, but most other people wouldn't notice me. I could go for anonymity just then. And then a hand rather imperiously pushed down my paper.
I looked up, not sure if I was going to see a cop or an informant. Neither. What I was not expecting was seeing Jhondie standing right in front of me. For a moment her expression was almost scary. It wasn't the woman I knew. It was cold and calculating, and…and a lot like Zack. And then the mask broke, and I was suddenly on my feet and we were holding onto each other like we were drowning. I didn't want her to be there. It wasn't safe. It was crazy. But damn I was glad to see her.
I didn't care what kind of spectacle we were making when I kissed her. I guess people must have thought we just hadn't seen each other in a while. That was partially true, but they had no clue as to how truly happy I was to see her. Wait, no I wasn't. I wasn't supposed to be. She should not be here. This was not exactly a vacation spot, and she was going to be in the line of fire.
We finally broke apart, and I managed to get in the first words. "What are you doing here?" I asked in a low voice.
Her eyes didn't leave mine. "Making sure you weren't dead," she replied.
"I told you I wasn't."
She looked confused. "When? By the time I left, I hadn't heard a thing. God, Justin, I had no clue what happened, and I was scared to death."
"We must have just missed each other then," I muttered and then hugged her again. "You shouldn't be here."
She pulled back and gave me her best "you did not just say that look". It's a pretty good one actually. She has to be really mad to make it work though or else she just looks cute. She wasn't quite cute at that moment. "I shouldn't?" she said in a low voice that should have been a shout. "I admit I don't know exactly what happened, but it sounded to me like someone was trying to kill you. Someone is after you, is there anything in the world better to have than something like me?"
"You mean something better than knowing that you're safe and not risking your life, and not being a fugitive in a military state?"
She glared at me, and then waved her hand dismissively. Oh no, she did not do that. "It doesn't matter. I came here to find you and get you back to LA in one piece. We can get on the next flight and…"
"And you can enjoy the peanuts on your way back," I interrupted. Her eyes flared up at me. I realized we were being looked at, so I took her by the arm and smiled and we started walking out of the airport. "I can't leave yet Jhon."
"Like hell you're not," she snapped. "Little hint about life. When people start shooting, they're serious. It's time to call pride and walk away."
"I kind of noticed that they were serious," I retorted. "I was the one that spent a couple of hours last night playing hide and seek with them."
"I got those patents and now they're after me," I said. "It stands to reason that they want to kill whoever owns them, and I don't think it's a coincidence that the last person they thought owned them also died."
"That's all the more reason for you to leave," she insisted. "There's a hell of a lot more people that would rather you live."
I grabbed her arm and turned her so that she was facing me. "That is all the more reason for me to stay," I said firmly, my eyes locking onto hers. "They're not going to stop if I'm in LA. And I'm not leaving here until I know exactly what happened to Uncle Justin."
She debated for a second, and then shook her head. "No. It's too dangerous. At least in LA you're playing on home turf. You're going back with me and that's final."
I had never heard her like that before. But I had heard that exact tone and seen those mannerisms. I couldn't help a smirk of disbelief. "Sure Zack. Whatever you say." I let go of her and started walking away.
She caught up to me easily, the outrage obvious. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed.
"Let's see," I replied sarcastically. "I've got to find out who killed my uncle, get the bad guys thrown in prison, and shut down their company. I've got way too much to do to wait for you to stand down from this soldier crap and start thinking again. What I need is my partner, not a commanding officer."
I moved so that we were maybe an inch apart. "You know I love you," I continued in a low voice. "I didn't expect you here, but since you are, you can either stay and help me or get your ass back on a plane to LA so I don't have to worry about it. Either way, I'm staying. If this was one of your brothers or sisters, you'd be doing the same damn thing." I kissed her forehead and then turned and walked away. I was a little shocked at what I said to be honest. Not that we hadn't argued before, but I had never been that blunt or harsh with her before. At least she wasn't the type to start crying at the start of an argument. As much as I hated to admit it, her tears worked on me. Still, I couldn't go back and apologize and leave. I had to stay.
I made it out of the airport when a hand touched my arm. I turned and Jhondie was standing there. "I don't like this at all," she repeated. She gave a little shrug and a half smile. "But partners don't desert each other even when one is being dumb. So where do we get started?"
I hate flying. It's not the act of flying that I hate, it's the airlines and stupid pilots and planes and lines and mechanics and even that girl behind the counter. By the time they announced that we were going to be landing in Seattle, I had vowed to do something evil to the lot of them as soon as I got the chance. I got stuck with a layover and paced for over an hour, waiting until I could get back on the plane and get to Seattle. What the hell is their problem with a direct flight? That's what I was supposed to have at least, but no, they just had to decide there was some problem or the other and we had to land then. Since we could land there, why not just go on and land in Seattle and have problems there?
If there was the slightest problem with the paperwork, then I was just going to bust my way out of there, and deal with the sector crap later. I was not in the mood to play games when the passengers started to get off of the plane. The guy that had sat next to me knew that quite well. He smiled at me a few times during the first bit of the flight. Then he tried to talk to me. I told him to shut the fuck up. He got the hint and moved to another seat. I was not in a mood to play.
Justin. Where are you? Are you hurt? Did you get away? Will I be able to find you? That was all I could think during the entire flight. I tried to plan and strategize, but those thoughts kept creeping in and breaking my concentration. I was so scared that he was hurt. Maybe he had been able to get a hold of someone while I was in the air or getting to the airport. I could find him. I was going to start at the hotel, and work my way around. The lawyer, Steiner. Maybe Eye's Only. Then…I wasn't going to think about that just yet. Get the initial recon, and go from there. That was the plan.
I went to the counter and patiently waited in line for my passes. I gave the girl there the fake name and she smiled sweetly, and asked me if I would mind waiting for a moment. She didn't know how close she came to death right then and there. A second later, a manager-looking type came out, and handed me my paperwork with an envelope on top. He flashed me a nervous smile and muttered something about a mutual friend leaving me a note.
I stepped to the side and opened it, scanning the words. "Waiting area C outside of terminal A." Short and sweet. Eye's Only himself? Doubtful. Maybe he sent an informant to help me get started. That seemed more likely. I stood in line, thinking of a good "thank but no thanks" speech if whomever it was wanted to tag along. There might be some nasty work up ahead, and I didn't want a civilian getting in my way. Ally or not, he didn't need to know about me, and I could handle any situation far better than he could.
I shouldered my backpack and waited in the line for the police to check me through. I had to be nice here and not let them see that I was agitated. My ID was good, and the papers looked well enough, but under careful scrutiny, I wasn't sure what would happen. I would much rather walk out of here than fight out of here. It would be less trouble in the long run. The police finally got to me, and searched my backpack. Freak. I noticed him lingering when he sifted through my underwear. And it was the plain cotton stuff, not the silky lace. One word out of him, and he was going to have a flying lesson.
They let me through, and I silently thanked the boss for getting me quality paperwork. I had a full city pass, and the inspector gave me a smile and wished me good day. Maybe that passed as flirting here. Whatever. I wasn't in the mood. I strode out of there, heading to the waiting area that the note had said. I thought about not going at all, but if he was sent by Eye's Only, then he deserved the courtesy of acknowledgement. I scanned the waiting area. It wasn't crowded, but there were several people there. Whoever it was had better know me, because I didn't have a clue.
There was a mother with a couple of snot-nosed little brats. One was wailing loudly. The other was swinging from the arm of the chair while she tried to bottle feed a baby. At least she wasn't whipping her boob out for the world to watch her feed the kid. A couple in their forties sat in the corner, and they jumped up as I approached. I thought for a minute they were coming to me, but a young woman behind me ran to them and they embraced tightly. There was a guy yammering on his cell phone loudly, and then someone else sitting behind a newspaper. If it was the loudmouth, then I was going to save the speech and walk out right then and there.
The man holding the newspaper rearranged it slightly, and my heart suddenly started slamming in my chest. For a second I felt a little dizzy. Was that my imagination or did I get a flash of dark hair and familiar knees? Don't let it be coincidence, I prayed. Please let it be him. I steeled myself, forcing self-control where I wanted to run over there and jump on him. I walked forward, and with a single finger, lightly pressed down on the top of the paper.
Justin
Exhausted was not the word for how I felt when I got to the airport. Public transportation in Seattle was like a game show. The big prize was that the bus would actually show up. I finally got there, and was shocked to see that I was on time. Actually, I was early. Maybe it was because on driver was on a phone talking about some hot chick he was supposed to be meeting at a bar and that he had to get there fast. Then he hit the gas, and I realized that I had less of a chance dying with those gunmen than on this bus.
The airport was a good selection for a meeting. With night flights being more prevalent, there were people around, not to mention the sector police. I was fairly confident that it would be harder to shoot me here. At least I hoped so. At that point, I was almost too tired to care. I had been told to go to a certain waiting area, and I grabbed a paper on the way. "Streets of Seattle" was a pretty decent publication even if it was held under censorship. But the best part was that the paper was large enough to block me from view. An informant would know to look for me there, but most other people wouldn't notice me. I could go for anonymity just then. And then a hand rather imperiously pushed down my paper.
I looked up, not sure if I was going to see a cop or an informant. Neither. What I was not expecting was seeing Jhondie standing right in front of me. For a moment her expression was almost scary. It wasn't the woman I knew. It was cold and calculating, and…and a lot like Zack. And then the mask broke, and I was suddenly on my feet and we were holding onto each other like we were drowning. I didn't want her to be there. It wasn't safe. It was crazy. But damn I was glad to see her.
I didn't care what kind of spectacle we were making when I kissed her. I guess people must have thought we just hadn't seen each other in a while. That was partially true, but they had no clue as to how truly happy I was to see her. Wait, no I wasn't. I wasn't supposed to be. She should not be here. This was not exactly a vacation spot, and she was going to be in the line of fire.
We finally broke apart, and I managed to get in the first words. "What are you doing here?" I asked in a low voice.
Her eyes didn't leave mine. "Making sure you weren't dead," she replied.
"I told you I wasn't."
She looked confused. "When? By the time I left, I hadn't heard a thing. God, Justin, I had no clue what happened, and I was scared to death."
"We must have just missed each other then," I muttered and then hugged her again. "You shouldn't be here."
She pulled back and gave me her best "you did not just say that look". It's a pretty good one actually. She has to be really mad to make it work though or else she just looks cute. She wasn't quite cute at that moment. "I shouldn't?" she said in a low voice that should have been a shout. "I admit I don't know exactly what happened, but it sounded to me like someone was trying to kill you. Someone is after you, is there anything in the world better to have than something like me?"
"You mean something better than knowing that you're safe and not risking your life, and not being a fugitive in a military state?"
She glared at me, and then waved her hand dismissively. Oh no, she did not do that. "It doesn't matter. I came here to find you and get you back to LA in one piece. We can get on the next flight and…"
"And you can enjoy the peanuts on your way back," I interrupted. Her eyes flared up at me. I realized we were being looked at, so I took her by the arm and smiled and we started walking out of the airport. "I can't leave yet Jhon."
"Like hell you're not," she snapped. "Little hint about life. When people start shooting, they're serious. It's time to call pride and walk away."
"I kind of noticed that they were serious," I retorted. "I was the one that spent a couple of hours last night playing hide and seek with them."
"I got those patents and now they're after me," I said. "It stands to reason that they want to kill whoever owns them, and I don't think it's a coincidence that the last person they thought owned them also died."
"That's all the more reason for you to leave," she insisted. "There's a hell of a lot more people that would rather you live."
I grabbed her arm and turned her so that she was facing me. "That is all the more reason for me to stay," I said firmly, my eyes locking onto hers. "They're not going to stop if I'm in LA. And I'm not leaving here until I know exactly what happened to Uncle Justin."
She debated for a second, and then shook her head. "No. It's too dangerous. At least in LA you're playing on home turf. You're going back with me and that's final."
I had never heard her like that before. But I had heard that exact tone and seen those mannerisms. I couldn't help a smirk of disbelief. "Sure Zack. Whatever you say." I let go of her and started walking away.
She caught up to me easily, the outrage obvious. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed.
"Let's see," I replied sarcastically. "I've got to find out who killed my uncle, get the bad guys thrown in prison, and shut down their company. I've got way too much to do to wait for you to stand down from this soldier crap and start thinking again. What I need is my partner, not a commanding officer."
I moved so that we were maybe an inch apart. "You know I love you," I continued in a low voice. "I didn't expect you here, but since you are, you can either stay and help me or get your ass back on a plane to LA so I don't have to worry about it. Either way, I'm staying. If this was one of your brothers or sisters, you'd be doing the same damn thing." I kissed her forehead and then turned and walked away. I was a little shocked at what I said to be honest. Not that we hadn't argued before, but I had never been that blunt or harsh with her before. At least she wasn't the type to start crying at the start of an argument. As much as I hated to admit it, her tears worked on me. Still, I couldn't go back and apologize and leave. I had to stay.
I made it out of the airport when a hand touched my arm. I turned and Jhondie was standing there. "I don't like this at all," she repeated. She gave a little shrug and a half smile. "But partners don't desert each other even when one is being dumb. So where do we get started?"
