Lex talionis
Chapter 16. Trust flows

"Any update on Castille or Valentine?" asked Reynolds as he walked through the JOC door.

In the absence of both Isobel and Jubal, and having so recently joined after her medical leave, Maggie had taken over the JOC rather than return to the field. They had solved the last case that had come in with promptness and the ADIC had expressed great satisfaction with her work, but now it seemed that he was beginning to get impatient about the other matter.

At his question, Elise, Ian, Hobbs, and Kelly leaned over their keyboards, as if they were very focused on what they were doing.

OA looked at Maggie. The dilemma almost split them in two halves each.

The JOC team had already told them what they had been doing that night for Jubal. Then, along with Tiffany and Scola, they were talking to Kristen, who filled them all in on what she knew. That was, Jubal and Isobel were conducting an investigation of their own, something related to Adriana Fresneda, the sister of Antonio Vargas' deceased wife. In addition, that Jubal's phone was pinging in Monterrey, Mexico. Kristen had even just sent them the same GPS location she had found out for him.

Maggie didn't want to lie to the ADIC, but she also didn't want to expose Isobel and Jubal and, for that matter, Kristen and the JOC team.

Then he saw in his partner's eyes that he was willing to risk himself for everyone and be the one who lied. Nope. That I cannot allow.

OA was opening his mouth but Maggie beat him to it.

"We just located them, sir. I was just about to brief you," said Maggie, feigning serenity.

OA turned slightly so Reynolds couldn't see him and looked at her with wide eyes as if to say "What are you doing!?". Stuart and Tiff were doing their best to keep their poker faces, but couldn't help but exchange an uneasy glance.

"Really? Where are they? Are they okay?" Reynolds made no fuss, but he seemed genuinely concerned.

"It's all right, sir. It was nothing more than a misunderstanding. They are both enjoying days off.

The ADIC blinked in surprise. "Yes, we've already discussed that. I have the applications from both of them asking for the days. But why were they unreachable?"

"Isobel needed to unwind, sir," OA tried to help. "It's been a tough few months for her."

"Um… I know. I've been telling her to take a break for a while now. But... What about Valentine?"

"Problems with his device. But he's already got it operative back."

There it was. They had reported without telling a single lie.

To their dismay, Reynolds' expression became suspicious. "When Valentine told me the SAC was missing, he seemed very upset and then went after her. Where?"

A cold sweat ran down Maggie's back as the ADIC approached her. She struggled unsuccessfully to find something to say.

"Wherever they are, they're together, aren't they?" he asked her in a more discreet tone.

"Well..."

Reynolds did not give her the chance to find a replica. "Tell Isobel and Jubal," he said in an irritated whisper, addressed only to her, "that I do not condone the indiscretions of their irregular relationship but that they need not panic. Yet. And that I earnestly hope they take my calls the next time I call them," he sounded decidedly more like an order than a wish.

"Indiscretions? Irregular relationship? Sir, don't… Don't get confused," Maggie hastened to try to head that off. "I don't think that's the case. They-"

"I can read between the lines, Agent Bell. Give them my message."

He left the JOC leaving her not knowing what to do.

·~·~·

The property was located on a low hillside, isolated and surrounded by a high wall; large solid metal gates guarded the entrance, which was reached by a long unpaved country road.

The tension between Isobel and Jubal had been such during the drive that Darío insisted they go around the perimeter, while he moved the car out of the way, tucking it behind some bushes, and kept watch.

Going to the right, the two of them walked around at a good pace. They were looking for any other entrance or weak points where they could gain access inside. There was nothing in the immediate vicinity, no buildings or vegetation. Someone was keeping the perimeter clear of undergrowth; the brushwood did not begin until fifty yards beyond the wall.

The sky had become covered with clouds that began to darken, threatening a storm. But even without the sun it was hot; a suffocation of hot, humid and sticky air that the cicadas flooded with their rhythmic and strident song. As if influenced by the weather, both Jubal and Isobel were submerged in a leaden silence.

"It seems pretty impregnable…" observed Jubal.

Isobel agreed tersely. There was no other door, nor was there any place where the smooth plastered wall was lower than ten feet or possible to climb without a rope. Moreover, they saw that numerous cameras were watching outward all around.

They kept walking. The cicadas became more and more a deafening buzzing sound. The oppressive feeling grow to be unbearable inside Jubal.

He had made the mistake of assuming that he was entitled to her trust, when in fact he was not. At all. Moreover, he had taken to complaining about not getting it, instead of trying harder to earn it...

"You're absolutely right," he said hoarsely. He swallowed hard, but the lump in his throat didn't go away. "In being angry, I mean. I'm sorry. I have no words to express how much."

This was not the first time he had made decisions without her input. Nor was it the second, nor the third... He felt terrible. Jubal didn't even dare to ask for forgiveness, because he didn't think he deserved it.

Isobel was still irritated and disturbed that Jubal had gone to Kristen and the team, with all the risk that entailed. And that he had done so without consulting her was especially infuriating.

But they were sorely lacking in resources. How far could the three of them have gotten on their own without that help? Not nearly as far as they had, no doubt. Last night he had said. Isobel sighed slowly. What could Jubal have done? Woken her up to consult with her? Waited a few precious hours to move forward with the investigation?

Isobel shook her head and stopped. She turned to him.

She looked at him and he immediately averted his eyes, but not before Isobel could see that they were full of contempt for himself. A contempt that Isobel immediately found undeserved. Jubal kept his eyes lowered, obviously tormented.

"No... I've- I've been unfair to you," she admitted simply. Jubal looked up with a beginning of relief on his face. "You just want to help me..." That was something that had been absolutely clear to her since the conversation the night before. It was engraved in her heart.

"I should have told you immediately, in any case," he said, still dejected.

He could see that she was still upset, although to Jubal's relief, the anger of feeling betrayed had disappeared from her eyes.

"Yes, maybe. But that's the least of it, Jubal. Don't you see? I'm trying to protect you, to protect all of you, and… And you're making things harder for me," she complained.

"But, Isobel...someone has to protect you..." Jubal protested in turn, taking a step toward her with an eagerness he was unable to subdue.

Isobel didn't just see him approach. She felt him. She could barely conceal the shudder that ran through her at the intensity that emanated from him.

"There are many of us who care about you," Jubal murmured. "Trust us. Please..."

Bowing her head in an attempt to hide her fluster, Isobel started walking again, slowly. "You know, you keep asking me to trust you, but you do exactly the same thing?" she said with discouragement in her voice.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked in bewilderment, catching up with her and searching unsuccessfully for her face with his eyes as he walked beside her.

At first, Isobel didn't answer. She was regretting bringing up the subject. It was something that had hurt her at the time. Just when Jubal thought he was going to have to insist, she replied in a whisper:

"With Tyler's illness, when Rina was shot, when her family took her off life support without consulting you, you pulled away and shut yourself away. It was only when Jess died did you start to come out.

That was true. Jubal had become very withdrawn at that time... "I was very sullen, wasn't I?" he admitted, embarrassed.

"I was afraid... I was afraid you were having a relapse..." Isobel murmured, her throat tightening. For weeks, she had spent endless sleepless nights terribly worried that Jubal would break down and drink again.

"I didn't," he assured her, lifting his chin proudly.

"I know. But you didn't ask for help. You of all people should know that it was very dangerous..."

She was right again. Jubal remembered that she had tried to help him then, but he had always rebuffed her, sometimes even being surly. And even if Isobel was a very reserved person per se, Jubal's chest constricted painfully as he realized that he had not exactly encouraged the opposite.

Trust is a circuit. It does not flow if it does not go both ways. Isobel was not the only one having serious problems placing it in the hands of others.

"I'm sorry," he said bitterly. That... wasn't right."

Isobel suddenly felt very hypocritical. Actually, Jubal had been the one who had initially done the bonding, offered confidences and tried to get Isobel to trust him. He hadn't been nearly successful. She kept trying for a while…until he stopped, perhaps because he ended up thinking his efforts were unwelcome.

"No... No. That was probably my fault," she admitted humbly.

Isobel's acknowledgment of this was for Jubal the key in the lock of her earlier reproach, and it opened a door of hope: Isobel wanted Jubal to trust her, because she really wanted to trust him. It was like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds.

"We're birds of a feather, aren't we?" he said with the beginnings of a rueful and resigned smile.

Isobel nodded with a sad look on her face. Jubal hated seeing her like that. Something rebelled inside him.

"It shouldn't have to be like this, you know? We shouldn't let this happen to us again…" That something suddenly gained a lot of momentum. "For my part, I promise I'll do what I can to make sure it doesn't happen again," he dared to assure her, with an exciting boldness swelling in his chest. "I want you to know that you can count on me. And I will count on you. Always."

Turning to him, Isobel hesitated for a few moments, that last word making things resonate inside her that shouldn't be there. "Okay," she agreed, though.

"Really?" he asked with an expression of hope that Isobel found simply adorable.

"Yeah. I'll do it too," she replied decisively.

Jubal shakily exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"Deal?" he said, offering his hand for her to shake along with a dazzling smile.

Isobel slipped one of her own. She hesitated a moment… and accepted the gesture.

"Deal," she stated confidently.

Jubal's hand -considerably larger- enveloped hers, and Isobel was extraordinarily aware of the warmth of his touch, as she could not take her eyes from his. The firm handshake lasted longer than would have been usual.

When Isobel finally withdrew her hand, Jubal's fingertips couldn't help but caress the tips of hers. The sensation lingered in both of them beyond the contact in the form of a gentle tingling, which in Isobel's case spread throughout her body.

Jubal's heart was pounding; he wanted to have her closer, draw her to him, and he had to make an effort to stop himself. Rina squirmed jealous and he ignored her in annoyance.

They continued walking, side by side. They were finishing the whole turn, already downhill. The silence between them had completely changed. Now it was vibrant, eager for things to happen.

Then, Darío called.

"Hey, guess who just showed up? Adriana has arrived, in a nondescript white van with no signs instead of on her cool bike. She's wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, but that's her, I have no doubt. The front door is opening. Hmm... I think I'm seeing the nose of the black SUV, looming at the end of the road." There was a short pause. His tone of voice changed completely, becoming neutral and cold. "Guns. Get back. I need reinforcements. ASAP."

And he cut.

Shots rang out in the distance. Isobel and Jubal looked at each other in alarm for a split second, and then broke into a run.

·~·~·

They came on the run with their guns already drawn. The shooting was intensifying.

The van was pushing the metal doors so that they were fully open, causing an unpleasant screeching sound. Darío had moved the car, driving it behind the van and was out of it, and using it as cover to return fire and keep the attackers at bay. A few meters away three men, behind the doors of the black SUV, were making holes in the back of the van and in the car, putting Darío in a tight spot.

Isobel and Jubal, arriving from the left of the door, flanked them. Although they both were not in a very good position because they barely had any cover, just the bush behind which they had parked earlier, they opened fire.

Adrenaline pounded the blood in Isobel's ears to the rhythm of the detonations, the familiar smell of burning gunpowder invading her sense of smell and activating her trained but forgotten instinct as a field agent.

The attackers stopped firing and took cover as best they could from the new line of fire, giving Darío a break. The van was heard to pick up revving and they saw that it had already crossed the entrance. The doors immediately began to close again. But they were too slow. Adriana got out and ran to the heavy right leaf to push and close it.

"[Hey!]" she called urgently in the meantime. "[Come in!]"

Gesturing to Jubal and Isobel, Darío gave them suppressing fire, firing while leaning on the hood. They took advantage of this to run crouching down and join him behind the car.

"[Come on!]" insisted Adriana. "[Come in! Hurry!]"

She had already closed the first leaf of the door. She also took out a gun and crossed the driveway shooting to reach the left one, which was already half-closed by the automatic closing mechanism.

The ricochet of a bullet grazed Darío's temple. He ducked out of sheer reflex.

Still scared out of her wits, Isobel gave him an authoritative nod of her head. He hesitated and exclaimed a curse word, but obeyed; he got to safety thanks to the cover of Jubal and Isobel. He then began to cover them from the already closed leaf of the door.

"Jubal!" exclaimed Isobel, gesturing for him to go next.

"Nope," he replied.

He didn't look at her, just kept exchanging controlled fire with the other guys.

Suddenly, the beige SUV entered the dirt road and approached at full speed. She let out an irritated growl and went inside. She called out to Jubal as soon as she crossed the threshold and covered him from there.

Two other men jump out of the second SUV. They carried assault rifles.

Jubal heard Isobel cry out his name in a timbre of anguish. There was no need, though. He was already retreating. He had nothing to do against that kind of fire. Jubal ran for the door.

Rifle shots riddled the car, shattering the glass from the windows. With her heart in her mouth, Isobel watched Jubal leap through the leaves, bullets whistling around him, clattering against the thick metal. Diving forward and crashing into him, Isobel pushed him out of the line of fire... And narrowly avoided that a bullet would got him in the back of the head.

Jubal gritted his teeth as his injured shoulder protested upon impact with his back hitting the ground, as they both ended up sprawled on the pavement.

Without wasting a second, Darío and Adriana pushed hard on the door, which slammed shut with a deep thud. Outside, the gunshots continued a little longer and stopped. She pressed with a sharp blow the button that threw the solid bolts of the door.

"[I'm guessing this isn't going to be covered by the lease insurance]," Darío gasped, making a face.

Looking at him as if he had grown three heads, Adriana suddenly burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Isobel had remained on top of Jubal, her face against his neck. She raised her head abruptly.

"Are you okay?" They both immediately asked anxiously at the same time.

A short, breathless laugh escaped him. Isobel couldn't help but smile. Relief made Jubal hug her, his shoulder completely forgotten.

A sudden burning sensation arose within her as she literally lay on top of him, wrapped in his arms. Her heart was racing and it did little good for her to tell herself it was because of the shooting. She barely noticed that it was starting to rain.

Jubal gazed in fascination as her face flushed; was reveling in the feel of Isobel's body on his, and simultaneously berating himself very harshly for it.

Clearing her throat, Isobel rose to her knees. But, as she used her left hand for support, a whiplash of pain shot through it; she was able to stifle an exclamation, but not a grimace. Jubal sat up quick and held her by gently grasping her arm, searching with great alarm for bullet wounds. Darío and Adriana rushed over.

"What happen?" her friend asked, worried.

"It's nothing," Isobel tried to reassure them.

More shots rang out against the door startling the four of them.

"[Let's go inside]," urged Adriana.

The rain got heavier.

~.~.~.~