Chapter 41
Walking alone, Irina's feet now quite sore in her cursed sandals, the pair began to realize the change in flora: the greens were less green and the trees taller and more scattered. Underfoot the ground wasn't as moist and there was a lack of that humid, dewy smell they'd gotten used to. Up ahead the Australian Bush stretched out before them.
Of what she could remember from the day before, they could only have driven a maximum of seven miles before coming to their temporary hiding space and then only a couple more into the forest on foot. She guessed, quite loosely, that they were still a couple of miles off where they had been originally held.
The elaborated plan that the two had decided on earlier in the afternoon was to gain access to several things, top priority: a car with a full tank and, if possible, weapons, maps and a communications device. But a car would do nicely. All they hoped for was that Cameron would have gone off on something more important and left them with only Furgul and Fergus to deal with; regarding this, Irina had the same sinking feeling as Jack in her stomach and knew plain well it would not be so easy.
Turning to look at him as the ground flattened out again she took the time to ask him, "So, Jack, what's next for us?" The way she pronounced the word 'us' made it perfectly clear what it was she wanted Intel on.
He eyed her, debating inside himself whether or not this was a good time to discuss the topic and deciding that it was possible it would be the only time. "Irina, I honestly don't know." He paused then, unsure of where the conversation should turn, "What would you like to be next?"
She smiled at him, that sad half-smile of the person who knows that happiness is unattainable. "Me?" the ironic look entered her eyes, "What do I want? Well, a nice house, nothing too big but big enough, dinner with my daughter at least once a week along wither adoring boyfriend. A dog maybe, a big bed and an abundance of time."
Jack's eyes mirrored her own sad look of defeat as he saw that only now that they knew what they wanted should they realize that it was completely unattainable. "Ah, but that requires one thing you don't have. Freedom."
"Yes, and most likely I'll never have it." She stopped, not wanting to be upset. She took on a happy air and continued, "Still there will be missions, I'll continue to cooperate and who knows, I might get an outing once a month." Jack looked ready to add his own two cents but she was on a roll, "We could never be seen in public together, not unless you were staring at me with that well-known hatred in your eyes, but I suppose you might get stuck with the job of escorting me."
Her eyes went to her feet as they moved along. "That's what I have to look forward to Jack, a couple of hours with you, unable to speak or touch, every month. Best scenario possible."
"We," he interjected. She looked up, not understanding the comment, too caught up in her own tragedy. "That's what we would have to put up with, what we have to look forward to. And the missions, you never know...success means another mission..."
She smiled at him but he saw through it. She tried again, "Do you think they'd let me out for Sydney and Vaughn's wedding?"
The briefest of shocked looks crossed Jack's face before he waggled a finger at her, "You're still going to provoke me aren't you?" She nodded, happy for the playfulness of their new topic. "Still going to push me until I teeter on the edge of insanity, argue with me whenever you can find something to argue about." Her nodding became more certain as he continued. He grinned at her, grabbing for her hand and pulling her close to his side, their steps falling in sync, "Good," he whispered into her ear.
He kissed her softly on the side of her head, smelling her again. She smiled, knowing that she'd undoubtedly have to replay this scene a million times to keep her happy but knowing she had some of the best memories she could ask for. "You think it's good that I get to you?" she queried.
"Of course I do," he leaned in, his breath hot against her ear again, he was certainly good at this, "If you haven't noticed, you screaming, provoking or just annoying the hell out of me is actually just a wonderfully unique way for you to show off your best assets."
She pulled away from him, dropping his hand on the way as his breath became too much to handle and his words too interesting to be muddled in her haste to pin him against the nearest thing solid. "My best assets?"
"Mmmmm?"
"My best assets?" she repeated.
"Oh, your body, you smile, you smirks. Eyes, hair, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, stomach..."
"How terribly superficial," she interrupted, taking on the voice of a snob to accentuate her teasing mood.
"I wasn't finished...Your poise, posture, grace, elegance, confidence, intelligence, honesty, vulnerability, passions, desires..."
"My desires?" again she interrupted.
He shook his head, "I could keep going..."
"I've heard enough. Any more and we'll have to stop and...sit down...for a while." She winked playfully before moving on, her gait quicker.
Up ahead an unnatural glint of red stopped Jack in his tracks. Irina stopped instantaneously beside him and looked where he was looking. Another red four-wheel drive sat about two hundred meters in front of them and beside that sat the scatter of small buildings.
The place seemed to be deserted.
Still, not taking any chances, the pair moved quickly, through the trees, using them as cover until the car was just a ten-meter dash across the clearing.
Irina looked at Jack and Jack looked back, together they silently counted to three. On three they leapt forward towards the car. Half way there were stopped by the audible sound of several gun being aimed at them.
"I knew you'd come back. And this time, I know exactly who I'm dealing with, so I called in some help." Cameron, and another ten armed professionals, surrounded them.
So, now that they're together, you think that the tension and arguing is over, well, wait til you see what's next. Not to mention the bad guy, the mission, Syd and Vaughn and the future.
Reviews if you may...
Walking alone, Irina's feet now quite sore in her cursed sandals, the pair began to realize the change in flora: the greens were less green and the trees taller and more scattered. Underfoot the ground wasn't as moist and there was a lack of that humid, dewy smell they'd gotten used to. Up ahead the Australian Bush stretched out before them.
Of what she could remember from the day before, they could only have driven a maximum of seven miles before coming to their temporary hiding space and then only a couple more into the forest on foot. She guessed, quite loosely, that they were still a couple of miles off where they had been originally held.
The elaborated plan that the two had decided on earlier in the afternoon was to gain access to several things, top priority: a car with a full tank and, if possible, weapons, maps and a communications device. But a car would do nicely. All they hoped for was that Cameron would have gone off on something more important and left them with only Furgul and Fergus to deal with; regarding this, Irina had the same sinking feeling as Jack in her stomach and knew plain well it would not be so easy.
Turning to look at him as the ground flattened out again she took the time to ask him, "So, Jack, what's next for us?" The way she pronounced the word 'us' made it perfectly clear what it was she wanted Intel on.
He eyed her, debating inside himself whether or not this was a good time to discuss the topic and deciding that it was possible it would be the only time. "Irina, I honestly don't know." He paused then, unsure of where the conversation should turn, "What would you like to be next?"
She smiled at him, that sad half-smile of the person who knows that happiness is unattainable. "Me?" the ironic look entered her eyes, "What do I want? Well, a nice house, nothing too big but big enough, dinner with my daughter at least once a week along wither adoring boyfriend. A dog maybe, a big bed and an abundance of time."
Jack's eyes mirrored her own sad look of defeat as he saw that only now that they knew what they wanted should they realize that it was completely unattainable. "Ah, but that requires one thing you don't have. Freedom."
"Yes, and most likely I'll never have it." She stopped, not wanting to be upset. She took on a happy air and continued, "Still there will be missions, I'll continue to cooperate and who knows, I might get an outing once a month." Jack looked ready to add his own two cents but she was on a roll, "We could never be seen in public together, not unless you were staring at me with that well-known hatred in your eyes, but I suppose you might get stuck with the job of escorting me."
Her eyes went to her feet as they moved along. "That's what I have to look forward to Jack, a couple of hours with you, unable to speak or touch, every month. Best scenario possible."
"We," he interjected. She looked up, not understanding the comment, too caught up in her own tragedy. "That's what we would have to put up with, what we have to look forward to. And the missions, you never know...success means another mission..."
She smiled at him but he saw through it. She tried again, "Do you think they'd let me out for Sydney and Vaughn's wedding?"
The briefest of shocked looks crossed Jack's face before he waggled a finger at her, "You're still going to provoke me aren't you?" She nodded, happy for the playfulness of their new topic. "Still going to push me until I teeter on the edge of insanity, argue with me whenever you can find something to argue about." Her nodding became more certain as he continued. He grinned at her, grabbing for her hand and pulling her close to his side, their steps falling in sync, "Good," he whispered into her ear.
He kissed her softly on the side of her head, smelling her again. She smiled, knowing that she'd undoubtedly have to replay this scene a million times to keep her happy but knowing she had some of the best memories she could ask for. "You think it's good that I get to you?" she queried.
"Of course I do," he leaned in, his breath hot against her ear again, he was certainly good at this, "If you haven't noticed, you screaming, provoking or just annoying the hell out of me is actually just a wonderfully unique way for you to show off your best assets."
She pulled away from him, dropping his hand on the way as his breath became too much to handle and his words too interesting to be muddled in her haste to pin him against the nearest thing solid. "My best assets?"
"Mmmmm?"
"My best assets?" she repeated.
"Oh, your body, you smile, you smirks. Eyes, hair, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, stomach..."
"How terribly superficial," she interrupted, taking on the voice of a snob to accentuate her teasing mood.
"I wasn't finished...Your poise, posture, grace, elegance, confidence, intelligence, honesty, vulnerability, passions, desires..."
"My desires?" again she interrupted.
He shook his head, "I could keep going..."
"I've heard enough. Any more and we'll have to stop and...sit down...for a while." She winked playfully before moving on, her gait quicker.
Up ahead an unnatural glint of red stopped Jack in his tracks. Irina stopped instantaneously beside him and looked where he was looking. Another red four-wheel drive sat about two hundred meters in front of them and beside that sat the scatter of small buildings.
The place seemed to be deserted.
Still, not taking any chances, the pair moved quickly, through the trees, using them as cover until the car was just a ten-meter dash across the clearing.
Irina looked at Jack and Jack looked back, together they silently counted to three. On three they leapt forward towards the car. Half way there were stopped by the audible sound of several gun being aimed at them.
"I knew you'd come back. And this time, I know exactly who I'm dealing with, so I called in some help." Cameron, and another ten armed professionals, surrounded them.
So, now that they're together, you think that the tension and arguing is over, well, wait til you see what's next. Not to mention the bad guy, the mission, Syd and Vaughn and the future.
Reviews if you may...