" It's about time we got a new car, " Christie announced after they'd been driving most of the day. She wasn't entirely sure where she was taking them but every instinct told her to just get the hell away.
" We're stealing another? " Brad asked, a note of horror creeping into his voice.
" We didn't steal the last one. I did. But perhaps you're right. A new car won't throw them that much off our trail. Even as it is, if they're only halfway decent assassins it won't be too hard for them to keep track of us. "
Her companion didn't answer. He was fiddling with the tip of his thick plait of hair, his lips set in a dissatisfied line.
" I'm doing the best I can, " she insisted. What was this sudden need to defend herself? Never, absolutely never before in her life, had she felt she needed to excuse or justify her behaviour. Yet here she was, and even more was coming.
" It's just, I'm not used to having someone else around to worry about. Like I said, I'm an assassin, not a bodyguard. I've never had to look at things with a mind to preserving a life, instead of taking it. "
" Apart from your own. "
She was shocked by the hard note in his voice. She was as shocked as if he'd just leant across and slapped her. He wasn't even looking at her. She struggled for words, but could find none. Swallowing hard, she turned her full attention back to the road, noting signs to a large service station.
The service station was busy even with the sun just dipping below the horizon. There were people everywhere, most of them heading into the small complex of shops and cafes. She didn't like leaving Brad on his own but they needed petrol and the two of them together would be too noticeable. She headed towards the petrol pumps and parked in a space so she could see the car when she paid for the petrol.
" Stay here. Keep a low profile. I'll just get some petrol and we'll be on our way. "
He nodded and sank down into his seat. She sighed and climbed from the car. He should be grateful! Here she was, putting her own life at risk, spending her own precious time, protecting this man she barely knew! And he had the absolute nerve to pass judgement on the way she lived her life. Yes, she had looked out for herself. Why should she feel ashamed of that? No-one else was going to look out for her. Too many people had tried to take advantage of her in the past. So she'd learnt fast. Christie looked after Christie and she did it well. Why then did she feel so grubby all of a sudden?
He watched her go in to pay for the petrol. He watched her graceful, easy movements, the slight sway of her hips as she walked. He shook his head and slammed a fist against the dashboard. And this was why there were people trying to kill him, no doubt. Why hadn't he kept his mouth shut? She was going out of her way for him, when he had offered her nothing in return, and he'd still managed to insult her. If his feet were as clumsy as his mouth tended to be, he would be no fighter at all.
He had meant to cast no aspersions on her lifestyle. Who was he to judge? If she was reprehensible in any way, what did that make the man who loved her? He'd been thinking so much of what he'd asked of her, the serious risks that he had never considered when he started out to find her. When this had started, he'd thought only of finding her and using it as something to talk about with her. Instead, things were getting serious.
They'd found him. Despite his best efforts. And he had dragged her into it with him.
He climbed from the car, Christie's insistence that he stay hidden entirely forgotten, and headed for the shops. People milled around him, a few giving him strange looks. He was accustomed to it. He did tend to stick out, what with being six foot and having long white hair. Disheartened and morose, he went into one of the small gift shops.
Hallmark was not currently producing a card for such an occasion as he found himself facing, there was no Thank you for saving me from your fellow assassins card on the market yet. He would have to find something else.
Chocolate perhaps. He considered the brightly wrapped boxes thoughtfully. Surely, a hardened killer such as Christie was not immune to the allure of chocolate. Or perhaps it was unwise to lead her into the way of temptation. Did assassins eat chocolate? The rustlings of sweet paper would surely give them away as they stalked their prey, not to mention how much slower they would be with the excess weight of an ample stomach.
No, not chocolate. Brad looked at the buckets of flowers. He personally liked flowers, but… how to present them to Christie? He contemplated the moment when he would hand over a bunch of carnations to his assassin companion. The inevitable look of confused derision and the smart remark she would be compelled to make. Flowers were also out of the question. Which only left…
She'd taken her eyes off the car for a matter of seconds to hand over the cash and he was gone! She scanned the crowds frantically. How could a six-foot white haired Asian guy disappear so quickly? Her heart thrummed nervously in her chest and she felt a throb of anxiety stop her from concentrating fully on the situation. Relax and think, she ordered herself. He can't have gone far. There had been no sounds of a scuffle. He would surely have called to her. Unless… unless he was already sedated. Halfway to god-knows-where in the back of a van! Her inner core of control cut into her panicked thoughts: No, they'd just kill him. They don't need him alive. They'd have left him in the car if he was dead. He's gone from the car so he's… running? Someone chasing him already?
She tried to put herself in the place of an assassin chasing Brad down. Not too big a leap of the imagination surely, but for some reason she couldn't even begin to consider it. He was too irrational. Too unpredictable.
Maybe that was it. What was the last thing she'd expect him to do? Wander off down the motorway? No, he was erratic but not suicidal. No, he'd… what… go shopping?
Taking a deep breath, Christie plunged into the shopping complex. She darted past the shops, peering in each one as she went. Three shops in and she skidded to a halt. Feeling angrier than she had done in a while, she marched into the gift shop and made for the tall man stood buying something.
" Hey! What do you think you're doing? " she started to demand, grabbing his elbow to spin him round.
She was flat on her back before the sentence was complete. She struggled to get breath back into her lungs. Looking up, she saw Brad looking down at her, a nervous smile on his face and a gleam of panic in his eyes.
" Oops, " he commented. " Sorry about that but you really shouldn't have snuck up on me. "
He held a hand out to pull her to her feet, which she ignored. She was too busy being outraged at him, but more significantly, at herself. He'd floored her! Brad Wong had floored her! He'd thrown a move on her before she'd even realised! How many other men could she say that about?
" Hey lady, is this guy bothering you? " a male passer by asked, helping her to her feet. Christie didn't take her eyes off Brad as he fidgeted uncertainly in front of her.
" Yeah, he is… I mean no. I'm fine, thanks. "
Letting the good Samaritan go on about his business, Christie stared Brad into submission. He faced her warily and his lips crinkled into a fretful half-smile. Finding nothing to say, Brad instead stuck the small paper bag out to her.
She took it apprehensively by its string handles. Even as she reached in, she kept her eyes fixed on him. She frowned as her hand met something soft and fluffy. She pulled his offering out and regarded it doubtfully.
It was a small, stuffed bear wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses.
" You were going to tear me to shreds no matter what I got you, so I figured I would go the whole way and get you this, " Brad explained as Christie remained staring at the bear mutely.
She nodded slowly.
" Hmm, " she mused. " So, what's its name? "
He was taken aback by her surprisingly calm response. She looked to him for an answer.
" You get me a bear and you don't name it? " she asked, slightly incredulous.
He frowned and shrugged his shoulders.
" Billy? " he suggested helplessly.
" Billy the Bear, " Christie considered, looking back at the bear. " Billy it is. Come on, we'd better head off. "
It was incredible. No, Brad amended, She was incredible. Somehow, despite her being the one who had ended up on the floor, she had won that round. He was the one left speechless and staring as she headed off to the car, Billy firmly clasped in her hand.
He smiled to himself and followed after her.
They drove for another couple of hours before Christie finally pulled to a halt outside a small travel lodge. Brad was heartily relieved. Not so much for his own need for sleep, he was tired but not excessively so, but for Christie's sake. She had insisted on doing all of the driving, despite Brad giving her quotations of the various statistics of car accidents that could be put down to fatigue. She hadn't eaten either, refusing all his offers of food.
The lack of food and sleep didn't appear to have touched her though. She didn't appear haggard or stressed. She was her normal smooth, controlled self. Her eyes were alert and her gait as she entered the motel was as steady as ever.
As she booked a room for the night, he wondered if it would be worth his life to make a crack about a double bed. One look at her told him the answer. He remained silent.
She led him up the stairs to their room and unlocked the door. She gestured for him to go in but he hung back. She scowled.
" I doubt they're mind readers Brad. Even I'm not good enough to get into someone's room before they've even decided to book it. "
She paused, and then pulled the door to.
" Or maybe that's what they expected us to think. "
" Before your paranoia takes you completely over, perhaps I should explain I was merely thinking along the lines of ladies first? " Brad commented as Christie considered the possible dangers.
" And they say chivalry's dead, " he muttered as he moved by her and entered the room.
Flicking the light on, he froze.
It was a nice enough little room. T.V., en suite bathroom, kettle, mini bar.
What made him stop though was the double bed. His heart did something funny in his chest and he gulped. Once again, he wasn't entirely sure how to react. He hadn't really paid attention to her booking in at the desk, he'd been too busy weighing up the consequences of making a lewd suggestion. And she'd outdone him. Or was this a trick question of sorts?
" Changed your mind, have you? " he asked, keeping his voice light and even.
She pushed past him and threw her case onto the bed.
" Down, boy, " she said dryly. " We can't both sleep at the same time, is all. "
She removed her laptop from its case and began plugging it in. She paid him no attention whatsoever. If this was a come-on, it was the lamest one Brad had ever experienced. No, her earlier comment coupled with her complete lack of interest in him told him that he still had some way to go if he wished to win her over.
Smothering a sigh, he began to go through the comfortable routine of making a cup of tea. He watched her at the computer for a few moments. Her shock of white hair fell over her sculpted, marble face. Her bright blue, glittering eyes were fixed on the screen. Still working on the computer, she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her boots off. She placed them neatly to one side and then began to peel her jumper off.
Seeing a flash of her bare, pale skin underneath, Brad coughed lightly. She jerked to a halt. She raised her eyebrows and laughed at herself.
" I completely forgot you were there, " she murmured, half to herself, as she pulled the jumper back down.
She really knows how to make a man feel appreciated, Brad grumbled to himself.
" Would a continuous loop of my inane chatter remind you of my presence? " he asked sourly.
" Don't you threaten me, " she warned. She was silent for a few minutes then switched off the laptop. " It's all still working. Everything's there. I don't know whether to be pleased or not. "
She wandered into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. A few seconds later he heard the drumming of the shower. Alone at last, Brad sighed heavily and sat down with his cup of tea. Would she notice, he wondered, if he did actually end up being assassinated? Probably not so long as whoever it was did it quietly. In his heart, Brad knew he was being childish. Yet how else could he feel? He loved her. It was a simple fact. And she barely seemed aware of his existence, except for the frequent scoldings he got for talking too much. He sighed again and looked around the room. What was he to do?
He brightened a little as a thought struck him. He knew what he could do. He started for the door, then paused as he remembered the furious spark in her eyes when he had disappeared at the service station. Tearing a strip from one of the leaflets on the counter, he penned her a quick note and slipped it under her mug of tea. He stood back, satisfied with his efforts. Then he left.
He'd floored her! Even now she could barely get that thought out of her head. The shower was hot and soothing but inexplicably she could find no peace. This man, for all his chatter and flirting, was a supremely competent fighter. She'd been well aware of the rank he'd achieved in the recent DOA tournament, but she hadn't really considered the skill that entailed. He'd been stopped only by the ninjas. He'd placed higher than she had. The implication was that he was a better fighter than she was. She didn't know how to deal with that. He acted so much the fool it had been too easy for her to treat him as one. But, she was forced to admit, he was no fool. He could most likely take care of himself. So why was he here?
She ignored the numerous insinuations her paranoia instantly suggested. He was more than she had realised, she understood finally. And she… liked him. There. She'd admitted it to herself. She'd liked seeing the look of surprised hope flutter across his face when he'd seen the double bed. She'd enjoyed ignoring him and feeling his eyes on her. Hell, she'd even made as if she was stripping in front of him. But he'd been too much of a gentleman to allow it. The thought of his hesitant cough made her both smile and sigh. It would have been much easier to move things on if he'd allowed her to undress. She wouldn't have had to really consider the mistake she was making. But Brad was a gentleman, and she had to admit, she liked that about him too.
Yet still she came back to the ultimate reality. He was living in a dream world. He didn't know her. They were strangers to one another. And just supposing she allowed herself to make the biggest mistake of her career and fall for him, where could it go? Nowhere. Would he be content to sit and wait in the hotel room while she went out to carry out a kill? She doubted it. He would be a liability. An attractive, amusing, diverting one, but a liability none the less.
She sighed again and brought her imagination back to heel. No romantic involvements, that was the rule. Well, none that last longer than a night. Would that be enough? It wasn't the familiar burst of lust she was experiencing though. Sure she could bed him but after that? Would that get him out of her system? Maybe, or maybe it would just make things worse. She didn't want to encourage him. No, probably best just to sort this out and move on. Leave him and his dreamworld behind, enticing as it was.
Luxuriating in the heat of the shower, Christie suddenly realised what the noise she had heard a few moments previously was. The door. And she understood the significance of that only too well. He had wandered off again.
She leapt from the shower and pulled one of the cheap complementary bathrobes on. Hurrying into the room, she found it empty as she expected. As she made for the door, she caught sight of a slip of paper tucked under a mug on the sideboard.
Gone out it said. Just as unhelpful as Christie had come to expect Brad to be.
Feeling rather pleased with himself, Brad made his way through the small lounge back to the stairs leading to his and Christie's room. He threaded his way easily through the tables of late night drinkers. Mainly business men and lorry drivers. The bottle of red wine he had tucked under his arm had been purchased from the off-license just across the road. He had barely been gone five minutes. He could go back upstairs and set it out in some nice glasses and surprise her when she got out of the shower. Whenever that might be. Brad had noticed she tended to spend excessively large amounts of time in the shower.
Or, he mused, seeing her storm towards him, he could use it to knock her out cold should her fury be too much and she forget her promise to look after him.
Even as minor anxiety welled up in his stomach seeing the tight set of her lips, his breath caught slightly in his throat when he looked at her.
She was dressed only in a white bathrobe that accentuated her pale flawless skin and revealed more than it concealed. Her hair was damp and the drops of water in it made it sparkle silver. Her eyes sparkled even under the dim lounge lights.
She strode up to him and placed her hands on her hips. He noticed she didn't try grabbing him this time.
" Get upstairs, " she spat, pointing to the stairs.
Brad hesitated, unsure if he wanted to be shut in a room alone with a furious assassin.
" If he won't go I will darling! " one of the drinkers called out from where he was sat watching the unfolding drama.
" Hey! " Brad protested. " She asked me first! "
Restraining the urge to throttle him, Christie remained pointing silently at the stairs.
As Brad bowed his head and made his way to the flight of stairs a loud cheer went up from their audience. They wouldn't be cheering like that, he mused, if they knew why she was actually chivvying him back to the room. If she had planned what they thought she did, Brad would be moving a damn sight quicker.
He suddenly realised she'd paused. He turned back and saw her looking absently out of the window.
" Christie? " he prompted.
She turned back to him instantly.
" Get upstairs, " she repeated, all rage gone from her voice.
He placed the bottle down on the counter and began looking for a bottle opener. He heard her come in after him and shut the door wordlessly.
" It is your fault you know, my friend. If I were not so confident in your abilities to look after me, I would perhaps not take so many risks. If you tended to bungle things, then perhaps I would want to stay tucked up under the bed. But no, you are more than competent and I know I can trust you. "
" You'd think, wouldn't you? " she remarked quietly, unexpectedly right behind him. He heard the tiny click and then felt the coldness of the gun against the back of his head.
" Christie? " he asked, all of a sudden terribly unsure of the situation.
He heard her sigh wearily.
" I'm sure you know the drill. No sudden moves and do as I tell you. "
He swallowed hard.
" Well, this is a surprise. "
" Isn't it just? Now, move into the middle of the floor and kneel down. I'm getting a sore arm reaching up like this. "
Her voice was low and tired, but definitely serious.
" I suppose we can't talk about this? " he asked, waiting for the response he knew was coming.
" What's there to say? I'm an assassin and I know how to play the game. "
He moved hesitantly to where she guided him and knelt down.
" Those people downstairs, they saw us together, they'll know it was you, " he pointed out, forcing his voice to stay calm.
" They saw you with the wine, we had a bad relationship. You got drunk and were abusive. I killed you in self-defence. It'll hold up long enough for me to make my exit. "
He thought quickly about what would be the best strategy for escape. But suddenly realised he didn't want to. If Christie could be rotten to the core, what hope did it hold for the rest of the world? After the last few days, he would have sworn he knew her. At least well enough to trust her. Yet here was this. He sighed and his shoulders slumped.
" Don't feel too bad Brad, half a million's a lot of money. " She paused then called out. " You might as well come in Joachim. "
The door opened and Brad watched the other assassin come in. The man seemed displeased with the situation but hardly likely to challenge it.
" You saw me then? " he asked resignedly.
Christie shrugged nonchalantly.
" And now you're stealing the hit? " Joachim shook his head. " Not fair, Christie, not fair at all. "
She shrugged again.
" It fell in my lap. I didn't realise what it was worth until I met up with you. "
" So why's he still alive? " Joachim prompted. " Surely he should be dead by now? "
" I was waiting for you to catch up. I wanted confirmation about who to claim the money from. I presumed it was Delacroix, but I wanted to be sure. "
Joachim looked even more irritated.
" Of course it's Delacroix. Don't tell me, you'd have raised the price if the employer were a little higher up in the world? "
Once again Christie shrugged.
" Naturally. How long did it take for you to work out your mark was with me? "
" Not too long. I was surprised about you being around, and while I hoped the story you fed me about Madrid was true, I was pretty sure it wasn't. All I needed then was to know that you two fought in the same tournament. "
Christie nodded, then smiled silkily. She moved closer to Joachim, not taking her eyes off Brad kneeling on the floor. She leant closer to the assassin until her body was right against him.
" What makes you think I was telling fibs about Madrid? " she asked huskily.
Joachim paused and turned a stunned face to her.
" You were serious? " he asked, his voice low and rough.
She smiled again.
" We've even been provided with wine, to celebrate the beginning of our beautiful friendship. Pour some out for us and I'll finish up the business here. "
Brad fumed to himself. What a bloody stupid, awful, nasty world. He was heartily glad to be leaving it. He looked up at her as she levelled the gun at him. Her eyes fixed on him thoughtfully.
Then completely unexpectedly, her lips curved into a crooked smile.
In a second she had crossed the floor and cuffed Joachim twice about the head sharply with the gun. He fell limply to the floor.
" Twice I've pulled that on you now! " she mocked the prone man.
While Brad was still forcing his heart back to its normal rate, Christie was tugging the man across the floor. She pulled him up onto the bed and then pulled the belt from her bathrobe and bound Joachim's hands to the bedpost.
Her robe fell open to reveal her underwear as she searched the unconscious man. She pulled out his wallet and a palm pilot. As she flicked the small computer into life, she threw Brad an annoyed glance.
" Quit staring at me already, " she snapped.
Coming back to his senses, Brad realised he had indeed been staring at her. Stifling his awkwardness, he threw his hands up defensively.
" After what you just put me through? I think I'm entitled to one free ogle. "
She glared at him and pulled the robe shut.
" After I just saved your life, you mean? Well, if I'd known that was the price for saving you I'd have gone out and given Joachim directions to our room when I saw him. "
" Be reasonable, my friend. You did pretend you were going to kill me. Hardly a kind and caring act. "
" Kind and caring don't tend to be part of an assassin's job description. Now, get your things together. We have to move again. "
She was already halfway through dressing herself.
" Don't I have time for a shower? " Brad asked irritably, tugging his trainers back on.
Christie threw him an incredulous look.
" No, no shower, no T.V. and no quick cup of coffee. We move NOW. Yeah I know, " she added, seeing his sour look, " who'd have thought assassination attempts could be so inconvenient? "
Five minutes later they were in the car again. Despite his protestations, Christie had overridden Brad and taken the steering wheel again.
She heard him sigh heavily and then his stomach grumble. She flicked a glance at him. He seemed decidedly sulky.
" Would you cheer up? You're alive aren't you? " she demanded.
" Yeah, thanks for that. " His tone left her in some doubt about how to accept his words.
" You're not still upset about my little… joke, are you? " she asked after a moment.
" Upset? Who would I be upset? I found it all perfectly hilarious. "
" It was the best idea at the time, " she stated unapologetically. " Your drunk-man-act is impressive, but I wasn't sure when I saw Joachim outside how well you could act scared and near death. And I needed to know if I was right about who was paying for the kill. "
She heard him mumble something.
" What was that? " she insisted.
He turned to look at her, flicking a strand of his long white hair out of his decidedly angry amber eyes.
" I said: I wasn't scared, I was disgusted. "
In spite of herself she was intrigued.
" Disgusted? " she echoed.
" Yes, that you weren't the person I thought, I hoped, you were. "
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head.
" One more time Brad: you don't know me. Got it yet? "
There was silence for a long time, before he spoke again.
" So tell me. "
" No. Go to sleep. "
He shrugged.
" What harm can it do? "
" None, but I'm tired, and I'm not going through it with you. "
" So let me drive and you sleep. "
" No! Now just stop bothering me or I'll stick pins in your eyes. "
" Is that a you thing or an assassin thing? " he asked, echoing her words from earlier, much to her annoyance.
" What? What do you mean? " she snarled.
" The constant threatening. Ninety percent of your orders are backed up with graphic and imaginative threats. I was wondering if all assassins spoke like that. "
" I don't know. Why don't you go ask them? In fact why don't you start with the one we left back there? "
Brad fell silent. Christie was just beginning to enjoy the peaceful silence when he started up again.
" So, tell me about your childhood, " he said reasonably.
She pulled a face.
" Are you playing psychiatrist now? You want to find out what traumatic event drove me to this line of work? "
" Did a traumatic event drive you to this? "
" Yeah, my mother bought me Malibu Barbie instead of Swan Lake Barbie, " she answered caustically.
" How am I supposed to get to know you better, if you keep hiding behind sarcasm? " Brad asked patiently.
" Anyone would think there was a message for you in that. "
" What kind of message? "
" The same kind as a gun to the head. "
" You already gave me one message like that for the night. A man could take that badly, you know. "
Stifling a heaving sigh, Christie bit her lip. Don't let him drag you into these games. You're tired and emotional. Who knows what you could say. Best just to stay out of it.
Her policy decided, Christie resisted all of Brad's attempts to draw her into conversation. She even ignored his highly irritating rendition of a Cantonese drinking song he had learnt.
Eventually even Brad realised he could not entice her out of silence. Seemingly caught between poking her hard in the ribs to get her attention or going to sleep, he wisely chose the latter option.
Seeing him slumped against the window, his white hair a messy halo, Christie breathed a sigh of relief. Finally she could get a moment's peace.