Chapter Ten: Getting the Pawns in place
Bethany found a patio door that led her into the room Sands was sleeping in, or at least where she thought he was sleeping.
"Get out, Beth," he growled, aiming a gun at her.
She blinked in the darkness. "Now, Sheldon, do you really want me to leave?"
"You're such a slut, you know that?"
"No more than Ajedrez and you screwed her, didn't you?"
It felt like everything was spinning around him. Sands shook his head wildly, careful not to send his glasses flying. "Shut up. Just shut the hell up, Bethany."
"No, someone's got to say it. I'm just the voice of reasoning that I've always been." She leaned forward to him and took his gun, noting his pained expression with a sense of sadistic satisfaction. "You bedded her, told her everything, and then she ripped your eyes out."
"Then I killed her."
"Really now?"
"Yeah," Sands answered, his cool exterior returning. His voice dropped as he leaned next to her. "Like I'll do to you if I find out your screwing me over. Figuratively of course. Not even I'd drop as low as to sleep with you, Beth."
He'd expected the slap, but not quite as hard as she dealt it. His glasses went flying and he scurried after them, trying to ignore her laugh. She reminded him of Ajedrez on so many different levels. "Get the hell out, Beth."
"Fine by me, Sheldon."
He heard her leave and fell back onto the bed. His jaw hurt. He'd make her pay in the morning.
-------------
"I was thinking maybe you should go back up to DC," Bryan Russell said at length as he sipped his coffee, staring over the mug at Bethany.
The dark haired girl was leaning back in her chair, smoking. "Why's that? We can't leave without Sheldon and you said you'd give him a week."
"I know," Bryan said quietly. "And I will. Really. I'm his friend before I'm his boss. I know how Sands gets." He paused, looking at her carefully. "Who did you call last night, Bethy?"
"No one."
"That's a load of bull and you know it."
Bethany shrugged. "It's really none of your concern who I call on my personal line."
"It is if it has to do with this mission and/or the people involved."
"You think I'd sell you out?"
"In a heart beat, Beth, I'm not stupid. You sold your own parents out when you were younger, later selling your country out. Why do I think you're any more loyal to the U.S.? Or even just to Sands and me?"
"I don't know, why do you think that?"
"I think the man was looking for a reason," El said from the doorway. "I wouldn't turn on Sands, senorita, or it'll be your end."
Beth glared. "Why don't you go back to playing your sad little tunes and mumbling in your sleep about whoever it is you miss, El?" She stood. "El Mariachi, isn't it? That's why they call you El. I've heard El Mariachi picked up the so called 'Blind Gunfighter' sometime earlier. Would that be Sands, El?"
"Ask him yourself. I won't tell what is not mine to tell."
Bethany let a small grin spread across his face. "I'd suggest we get our dear Sheldon home before something bad happens, Bryan. You'll regret it if you don't."
"He'll be fine, Bethy. He's good at what he does. It won't hurt us to let him go after the cartel for a week. The most it can do is help."
She shrugged. "Your downfall."
"Or perhaps it'll be yours," El said slowly. "That is what really has you worried, isn't it?"
"You don't know hit," Bethany growled, storming past him.
"Sorry, she gets like that."
El shrugged. "She and Sands are a lot alike."
"Too much."
"She sold out her family?"
Bryan nodded. "Yeah. Long story. They were spies over here – well, I meant in American - from Russia during the Cold War. She was young, but she knew what she was doing."
El nodded slowly. "And you believe she'll sell you and Sands out?"
"Bethy'll sell anyone out for money."
"Does she have connections?"
"Yes. All over. She's CIA."
-------------------------
Sands walked the streets slowly, counting each footstep he made. Bethany had followed him, he was sure. She'd been keeping tabs on him since she'd come, and none too discreetly either. He wished that he could just put a bullet through her head and be done with it.
He stopped and turned, putting on his best act of glaring, and Bethany would have been sure that she saw his eyes narrow behind his dark glasses if she had not seen the gaping holes the day before. He had tugged her into an alley before she knew what was happening and had a threatening gloved hand pressed against her mouth. "Keep quiet until I say otherwise." He felt her nod against his hand. "Now, you're going to tell me exactly who you called last night, how much they know about me, and where they are."
She tugged away from him. "What makes you think –"
"Did I say you could speak yet? No. I didn't. Now, you're going to tell me all this, and then you're going to call your nice little cartel buddy and tell them I've taken a turn for the worse. The drugs the doctor gave me have stopped working and I'll be down longer than you had expected. Got it? You can say yes now."
"Screw you, Sheldon," she growled. "Why do you think that I'd betray you?"
He slammed her against the building. "Now now, Bethy, I was playing nice until now. Say yes and we'll continue playing nice, savvy?"
Bethany felt hot tears sting her face. "Yeah, I savvy," she growled. "Now let go of me, Sheldon, and I'll tell you exactly what you want to know."
----------------
The phone rang loudly in the half dozing mariachi's ear. El stirred and picked it up slowly.
"El?"
"Sands? Where are you?"
"It's set. I need you to come down town and meet me at the church. Time to kick cartel ass."
El blinked, letting the American's words sink in. "I'll be there soon."
--------------------
The phone clicked shut and he smiled. "My name is Sheldon Jeffery Sands. I throw shapes, I set them up, I watch them fall. I'm living la vida loca."
-----------------------
A/N: It looks to me like the chapters are getting shorter.... I'm sorry. I'm getting writers' block on it ::sigh::
Raphe1: I don't want to say I never add female characters in as love interests, but I try to keep it rare. With Sands, its usually not a love interest, but a bed interest. Hehe... snarky... I love that word....
Empath89: I know, he's just so lovable... I mean, El is the angstiest character in the movie until Sands gets his eyes ripped out in a rather brutal fashion (not that you can get your eyes ripped out in an Unbrutal fashion....) Anyway, they're both lovely characters. I love Sands! ::huggles sands::
ES Young: Sorry, probably not going to happen. Hate to disappoint, but I don't want to add someone in for Sands. I thought about it, really I did, but she came out this way, and therefore will not be getting together with our lovely Sheldon. Too bad... Poor Sands.... He'll just have to settle for one of his raging fangirls....
Sly-chan: I don't think Sands trusts much of ANYONE, 'specially after the whole cartel incident....
VanillaFluffy: I think Sands just learned from the Ajedrez event. I mean, c'mon, when your lover turns you over to your enemies and laughs as the slice and dice you, that's going to ruin a relationship and possibly any others that might have come along... Sands is just being his normal tacky self. I kinda like Bryan... He's too soft for his position though. ::huggles Bryan:: and he has my last name too :)
Bethany found a patio door that led her into the room Sands was sleeping in, or at least where she thought he was sleeping.
"Get out, Beth," he growled, aiming a gun at her.
She blinked in the darkness. "Now, Sheldon, do you really want me to leave?"
"You're such a slut, you know that?"
"No more than Ajedrez and you screwed her, didn't you?"
It felt like everything was spinning around him. Sands shook his head wildly, careful not to send his glasses flying. "Shut up. Just shut the hell up, Bethany."
"No, someone's got to say it. I'm just the voice of reasoning that I've always been." She leaned forward to him and took his gun, noting his pained expression with a sense of sadistic satisfaction. "You bedded her, told her everything, and then she ripped your eyes out."
"Then I killed her."
"Really now?"
"Yeah," Sands answered, his cool exterior returning. His voice dropped as he leaned next to her. "Like I'll do to you if I find out your screwing me over. Figuratively of course. Not even I'd drop as low as to sleep with you, Beth."
He'd expected the slap, but not quite as hard as she dealt it. His glasses went flying and he scurried after them, trying to ignore her laugh. She reminded him of Ajedrez on so many different levels. "Get the hell out, Beth."
"Fine by me, Sheldon."
He heard her leave and fell back onto the bed. His jaw hurt. He'd make her pay in the morning.
-------------
"I was thinking maybe you should go back up to DC," Bryan Russell said at length as he sipped his coffee, staring over the mug at Bethany.
The dark haired girl was leaning back in her chair, smoking. "Why's that? We can't leave without Sheldon and you said you'd give him a week."
"I know," Bryan said quietly. "And I will. Really. I'm his friend before I'm his boss. I know how Sands gets." He paused, looking at her carefully. "Who did you call last night, Bethy?"
"No one."
"That's a load of bull and you know it."
Bethany shrugged. "It's really none of your concern who I call on my personal line."
"It is if it has to do with this mission and/or the people involved."
"You think I'd sell you out?"
"In a heart beat, Beth, I'm not stupid. You sold your own parents out when you were younger, later selling your country out. Why do I think you're any more loyal to the U.S.? Or even just to Sands and me?"
"I don't know, why do you think that?"
"I think the man was looking for a reason," El said from the doorway. "I wouldn't turn on Sands, senorita, or it'll be your end."
Beth glared. "Why don't you go back to playing your sad little tunes and mumbling in your sleep about whoever it is you miss, El?" She stood. "El Mariachi, isn't it? That's why they call you El. I've heard El Mariachi picked up the so called 'Blind Gunfighter' sometime earlier. Would that be Sands, El?"
"Ask him yourself. I won't tell what is not mine to tell."
Bethany let a small grin spread across his face. "I'd suggest we get our dear Sheldon home before something bad happens, Bryan. You'll regret it if you don't."
"He'll be fine, Bethy. He's good at what he does. It won't hurt us to let him go after the cartel for a week. The most it can do is help."
She shrugged. "Your downfall."
"Or perhaps it'll be yours," El said slowly. "That is what really has you worried, isn't it?"
"You don't know hit," Bethany growled, storming past him.
"Sorry, she gets like that."
El shrugged. "She and Sands are a lot alike."
"Too much."
"She sold out her family?"
Bryan nodded. "Yeah. Long story. They were spies over here – well, I meant in American - from Russia during the Cold War. She was young, but she knew what she was doing."
El nodded slowly. "And you believe she'll sell you and Sands out?"
"Bethy'll sell anyone out for money."
"Does she have connections?"
"Yes. All over. She's CIA."
-------------------------
Sands walked the streets slowly, counting each footstep he made. Bethany had followed him, he was sure. She'd been keeping tabs on him since she'd come, and none too discreetly either. He wished that he could just put a bullet through her head and be done with it.
He stopped and turned, putting on his best act of glaring, and Bethany would have been sure that she saw his eyes narrow behind his dark glasses if she had not seen the gaping holes the day before. He had tugged her into an alley before she knew what was happening and had a threatening gloved hand pressed against her mouth. "Keep quiet until I say otherwise." He felt her nod against his hand. "Now, you're going to tell me exactly who you called last night, how much they know about me, and where they are."
She tugged away from him. "What makes you think –"
"Did I say you could speak yet? No. I didn't. Now, you're going to tell me all this, and then you're going to call your nice little cartel buddy and tell them I've taken a turn for the worse. The drugs the doctor gave me have stopped working and I'll be down longer than you had expected. Got it? You can say yes now."
"Screw you, Sheldon," she growled. "Why do you think that I'd betray you?"
He slammed her against the building. "Now now, Bethy, I was playing nice until now. Say yes and we'll continue playing nice, savvy?"
Bethany felt hot tears sting her face. "Yeah, I savvy," she growled. "Now let go of me, Sheldon, and I'll tell you exactly what you want to know."
----------------
The phone rang loudly in the half dozing mariachi's ear. El stirred and picked it up slowly.
"El?"
"Sands? Where are you?"
"It's set. I need you to come down town and meet me at the church. Time to kick cartel ass."
El blinked, letting the American's words sink in. "I'll be there soon."
--------------------
The phone clicked shut and he smiled. "My name is Sheldon Jeffery Sands. I throw shapes, I set them up, I watch them fall. I'm living la vida loca."
-----------------------
A/N: It looks to me like the chapters are getting shorter.... I'm sorry. I'm getting writers' block on it ::sigh::
Raphe1: I don't want to say I never add female characters in as love interests, but I try to keep it rare. With Sands, its usually not a love interest, but a bed interest. Hehe... snarky... I love that word....
Empath89: I know, he's just so lovable... I mean, El is the angstiest character in the movie until Sands gets his eyes ripped out in a rather brutal fashion (not that you can get your eyes ripped out in an Unbrutal fashion....) Anyway, they're both lovely characters. I love Sands! ::huggles sands::
ES Young: Sorry, probably not going to happen. Hate to disappoint, but I don't want to add someone in for Sands. I thought about it, really I did, but she came out this way, and therefore will not be getting together with our lovely Sheldon. Too bad... Poor Sands.... He'll just have to settle for one of his raging fangirls....
Sly-chan: I don't think Sands trusts much of ANYONE, 'specially after the whole cartel incident....
VanillaFluffy: I think Sands just learned from the Ajedrez event. I mean, c'mon, when your lover turns you over to your enemies and laughs as the slice and dice you, that's going to ruin a relationship and possibly any others that might have come along... Sands is just being his normal tacky self. I kinda like Bryan... He's too soft for his position though. ::huggles Bryan:: and he has my last name too :)