Chapter Nine
It was dark when the van finally came to a stop. Chloe's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, slightly confused. The gentle rocking of the van as it bumped along the road, coupled with the quietness inside the vehicle had lulled her to sleep about two hours into the drive. Now she sat up and looked about her.
Sark and Devin sat up front, talking quietly to each other.
"Do you think they'll come after her?" Devin asked in a whisper.
"Of course they will," Sark replied, "the Covenant does not take their losses lightly."
"How are we gonna keep her hidden?"
"I don't know," Sark shook his head, "All we can hope is that we can gather the information they want before they find us."
"How are we gonna do that?" Sark glanced over his shoulder and saw Chloe watching them.
"It's about time you woke up," he said without answering Devin's question. He opened his door and got out then opened Chloe's door. "Come on," he said, "Devin's got to get rid of the van before the Covenant can track us." He offered his hand to her and she looked at it like it was a viper about to strike her. She stood slowly, bending over so that she wouldn't hit her head on the roof of the van, and climbed out. Her knees buckled beneath her and Chloe started to fall. Sark caught her quickly and she felt a shock run through her body as he arms slid around her waist to steady her.
"I can stand on my own." She said, pushing his arm off of her once she had regained her balance. Sark pulled away and walked over to the open passenger's side window.
"Drive around the drop off point a couple times, just to make sure you lose anybody who's tailing you, then come back once you've destroyed the van." He said.
"You got it." Devin replied. Chloe could feel Devin watching her, she looked over at him and he waved to her before driving off. Then there she was, alone with Sark.
Chloe had been alone with him before, but there had always been the knowledge that someone else was close by just in case things got...out of hand. But now there was no one else. It was just her and Sark, all alone in a safe house. Sark led her inside the safe house, which was more of an apartment than anything.
There was a small kitchen/dining room and a little living room branching off of the kitchen. There was one bedroom and one cramped bathroom. Chloe shuddered as she looked around. It was so small inside that she could barely put enough space between her and Sark, who was casting an unnerving glance her way. He was standing near the bedroom and Chloe could just imagine what he could do to her in her weakened state. She shivered again, knowing that her clothing offered her little protection from his prying eyes. Her eyes widened as he slowly advanced on her, his eyes sweeping her body.
"Here," he said shoving a blanket towards her, "the heating isn't working this should keep you warm. You can take a shower if you want, there's some clothes in the bedroom if you want to change."
"Thank you." Chloe mumbled as she took the blanket from him and headed towards the bedroom.
There was a small closet inside the room and she made her way towards it, making sure not to get too close to the bed, just in case Sark decided to come in as well. She opened the closet and surveyed the clothing with a critical eye. It was all designer clothing! Chloe was somewhat reluctant to put any of it on. She slowly reached out for a pair of jeans and a red tank top and black blouse. She made her way from the bedroom to the bathroom. After locking the door behind her, Chloe stripped out of her jogging outfit that was now stained with dirt, sweat, and bits of dried blood, and climbed into the steaming shower.
The hot water scorched her skin and massaged her aching muscles. It felt so good to have the kinks worked out of her back and shoulders. Chloe wished that she could stay in the shower forever, but she knew that sooner or later Sark would want to get in there, and she didn't want to be in the shower when he decided to come in. She got out and dried off quickly before pulling on the clothes. It was heaven to wear clean clothing. Chloe found a brush on top of the sink and pulled it slowly through her wet, tangled hair. Feeling refreshed and ready to face anything, Chloe opened the door and walked into the living room.
Falling down on the sofa, Sark propped his feet up on the coffee table and waited for Chloe to finish in the bathroom. Steam floated out from under the door and he hoped she wasn't using all of the hot water. After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened and Chloe emerged. She wore a pair of faded jeans that hugged her lean waist and accentuated her hips. The tank top she wore had a plunging neckline that revealed a good amount of cleavage. The blouse she wore over the tank top hung open and showed an expanse of bare stomach that was not covered by the other top.
Sark's eyes traveled over her body slowly, taking in every inch of exposed skin. He could see Chloe tense and smirked at the power he had over her. He rose from the couch slowly and stalked towards her like a predator about to pounce on his cornered prey. Her breathing became heavier and more urgent, as if she could read what was going on in his mind. He had no doubt that even the most dense person could read his mind right then, the lust in his eyes was evident.
Chloe backed up as Sark drew closer. He advanced on her, and Chloe's eyes sought any possible escape. Finally, he had her backed against the wall. Sark reached out and slowly ran his hand up her arm and over her neck, stopping to feel the pulse that was pounding there. Chloe inhaled sharply, and Sark could feel the fear in her.
"Take your hand off me." Chloe said. Though she sounded strong and fearless, Sark knew that she was trembling inside. Her hands were shaking slightly and he could see the sweat beading on her forehead.
"You don't mean that." Sark said, looking her straight in the eye. Chloe quickly looked away from his gaze and Sark reveled over the affect he had on her as she tried so hard not to meet his eyes. He let his hand travel up to touch her face gently. Chloe gasped and tried to pull away from his touch. Sark grabbed her arm and held her there.
"Please just let me go." She begged him, her voice wavering slightly.
"I don't think so." Sark replied simply, inching closer to the frightened young woman.
He had her cornered, and Chloe hated being cornered. She hated the feeling of vulnerability and helplessness. With a surge of courage and strength, Chloe placed her hands against Sark's chest and tried to push him away. However, his rock solid chest wasn't the only thing that was steardy about him. He simply stood there with a detestable smirk on his face. Chloe wanted to smack him, but she knew that would only make him more excited. Sark was the type of man to feed off violence, and Chloe would not add to his addiction.
She could feel him leaning in, his body pressing closer to hers. Chloe now regretted picking out this outfit. Perhaps if she had gone with something a little less revealing Sark would not have advanced so soon. Perhaps he would have given her a little more time to become accustomed to being alone with him before pouncing on her. But no matter how she ran it through her mind, Chloe knew that the outfit hadn't had an affect on him. Sark did what he wanted to, and it didn't matter if she was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and her comfy pants or sexy lingerie. He would still be looking at her like a piece of meat he was about to devour.
Sark's body pressed hers against the wall. His breath felt warm on her face and Chloe could just feel the lust radiating off him. A shudder ran down her spine as he inched closer, his mouth mere centimeters from her own. Chloe's lips parted instinctively, awaiting the feel of his mouth on hers. Her eyes closed, whether in fright or anticipation she didn't know.
"Van's destroyed Boss." Devin's voice broke through the fog that had settled over Chloe's brain, "And I don't think I was follo..." Devin stopped talking and Chloe opened her eyes to see him staring at her and Sark. Their position would seem like that of a lovers' embrace if somebody was looking through a window and watching them. Sark glanced over his shoulder at Devin and Chloe took the opportunity to push him away from her and flee to the bedroom where she locked the door behind her.
"What the hell is going on here?" Devin said after Chloe ran into the bedroom.
"I don't need to explain myself to you Devin." Sark said gruffly, "I can do what I please."
"But she's our prisoner!" His friend cried, "And what did you tell me about getting attached?"
"I'm not attached to her, simply attracted." Sark replied, "It's not a crime to kiss a woman."
"You can't treat Chloe like this Julian!"
"Oh so she's Chloe now," Sark gave his companion a knowing look.
"No," Devin tried to defend himself, "Wait, I thought we were talking about your unprofessionalism?"
"We were." Sark said with a shrug, "but not anymore." Devin seethed slightly and marched past Sark and into the bathroom. Sark shrugged nonchalantly and sat back down on the couch.
Well there you go guys, yet another chapter done. I'm finally over my writer's block, for now at least. I probably won't be updating for a while because my family and I are going to Pennsylvania for my grandparents' anniversary. So I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter since it will probably be at least a week before I update again.
Csk8-20: I'm glad you liked the details. Often times I wonder if I'm doing a good job detailing, and you made me sure that I was doing fine.
Natalie: There you go, there's Sark's move. I hope you liked it.
Somewhere Outthere: Sorry, but Chloe has no connection to Rambaldi. I simply put his name in there for reasons which will present themselves later in the story.
Spymantha: Yes, a change in scenery always gets the creative juices flowing.
RedRose121: I'm so happy that you enjoy my story that much. I hope this chapter had enough "Sark lovin'" in it for ya.
Blondw/smelborp, soccerchic1099, and Katherine: Thank you for reviewing.
It was dark when the van finally came to a stop. Chloe's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, slightly confused. The gentle rocking of the van as it bumped along the road, coupled with the quietness inside the vehicle had lulled her to sleep about two hours into the drive. Now she sat up and looked about her.
Sark and Devin sat up front, talking quietly to each other.
"Do you think they'll come after her?" Devin asked in a whisper.
"Of course they will," Sark replied, "the Covenant does not take their losses lightly."
"How are we gonna keep her hidden?"
"I don't know," Sark shook his head, "All we can hope is that we can gather the information they want before they find us."
"How are we gonna do that?" Sark glanced over his shoulder and saw Chloe watching them.
"It's about time you woke up," he said without answering Devin's question. He opened his door and got out then opened Chloe's door. "Come on," he said, "Devin's got to get rid of the van before the Covenant can track us." He offered his hand to her and she looked at it like it was a viper about to strike her. She stood slowly, bending over so that she wouldn't hit her head on the roof of the van, and climbed out. Her knees buckled beneath her and Chloe started to fall. Sark caught her quickly and she felt a shock run through her body as he arms slid around her waist to steady her.
"I can stand on my own." She said, pushing his arm off of her once she had regained her balance. Sark pulled away and walked over to the open passenger's side window.
"Drive around the drop off point a couple times, just to make sure you lose anybody who's tailing you, then come back once you've destroyed the van." He said.
"You got it." Devin replied. Chloe could feel Devin watching her, she looked over at him and he waved to her before driving off. Then there she was, alone with Sark.
Chloe had been alone with him before, but there had always been the knowledge that someone else was close by just in case things got...out of hand. But now there was no one else. It was just her and Sark, all alone in a safe house. Sark led her inside the safe house, which was more of an apartment than anything.
There was a small kitchen/dining room and a little living room branching off of the kitchen. There was one bedroom and one cramped bathroom. Chloe shuddered as she looked around. It was so small inside that she could barely put enough space between her and Sark, who was casting an unnerving glance her way. He was standing near the bedroom and Chloe could just imagine what he could do to her in her weakened state. She shivered again, knowing that her clothing offered her little protection from his prying eyes. Her eyes widened as he slowly advanced on her, his eyes sweeping her body.
"Here," he said shoving a blanket towards her, "the heating isn't working this should keep you warm. You can take a shower if you want, there's some clothes in the bedroom if you want to change."
"Thank you." Chloe mumbled as she took the blanket from him and headed towards the bedroom.
There was a small closet inside the room and she made her way towards it, making sure not to get too close to the bed, just in case Sark decided to come in as well. She opened the closet and surveyed the clothing with a critical eye. It was all designer clothing! Chloe was somewhat reluctant to put any of it on. She slowly reached out for a pair of jeans and a red tank top and black blouse. She made her way from the bedroom to the bathroom. After locking the door behind her, Chloe stripped out of her jogging outfit that was now stained with dirt, sweat, and bits of dried blood, and climbed into the steaming shower.
The hot water scorched her skin and massaged her aching muscles. It felt so good to have the kinks worked out of her back and shoulders. Chloe wished that she could stay in the shower forever, but she knew that sooner or later Sark would want to get in there, and she didn't want to be in the shower when he decided to come in. She got out and dried off quickly before pulling on the clothes. It was heaven to wear clean clothing. Chloe found a brush on top of the sink and pulled it slowly through her wet, tangled hair. Feeling refreshed and ready to face anything, Chloe opened the door and walked into the living room.
Falling down on the sofa, Sark propped his feet up on the coffee table and waited for Chloe to finish in the bathroom. Steam floated out from under the door and he hoped she wasn't using all of the hot water. After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened and Chloe emerged. She wore a pair of faded jeans that hugged her lean waist and accentuated her hips. The tank top she wore had a plunging neckline that revealed a good amount of cleavage. The blouse she wore over the tank top hung open and showed an expanse of bare stomach that was not covered by the other top.
Sark's eyes traveled over her body slowly, taking in every inch of exposed skin. He could see Chloe tense and smirked at the power he had over her. He rose from the couch slowly and stalked towards her like a predator about to pounce on his cornered prey. Her breathing became heavier and more urgent, as if she could read what was going on in his mind. He had no doubt that even the most dense person could read his mind right then, the lust in his eyes was evident.
Chloe backed up as Sark drew closer. He advanced on her, and Chloe's eyes sought any possible escape. Finally, he had her backed against the wall. Sark reached out and slowly ran his hand up her arm and over her neck, stopping to feel the pulse that was pounding there. Chloe inhaled sharply, and Sark could feel the fear in her.
"Take your hand off me." Chloe said. Though she sounded strong and fearless, Sark knew that she was trembling inside. Her hands were shaking slightly and he could see the sweat beading on her forehead.
"You don't mean that." Sark said, looking her straight in the eye. Chloe quickly looked away from his gaze and Sark reveled over the affect he had on her as she tried so hard not to meet his eyes. He let his hand travel up to touch her face gently. Chloe gasped and tried to pull away from his touch. Sark grabbed her arm and held her there.
"Please just let me go." She begged him, her voice wavering slightly.
"I don't think so." Sark replied simply, inching closer to the frightened young woman.
He had her cornered, and Chloe hated being cornered. She hated the feeling of vulnerability and helplessness. With a surge of courage and strength, Chloe placed her hands against Sark's chest and tried to push him away. However, his rock solid chest wasn't the only thing that was steardy about him. He simply stood there with a detestable smirk on his face. Chloe wanted to smack him, but she knew that would only make him more excited. Sark was the type of man to feed off violence, and Chloe would not add to his addiction.
She could feel him leaning in, his body pressing closer to hers. Chloe now regretted picking out this outfit. Perhaps if she had gone with something a little less revealing Sark would not have advanced so soon. Perhaps he would have given her a little more time to become accustomed to being alone with him before pouncing on her. But no matter how she ran it through her mind, Chloe knew that the outfit hadn't had an affect on him. Sark did what he wanted to, and it didn't matter if she was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and her comfy pants or sexy lingerie. He would still be looking at her like a piece of meat he was about to devour.
Sark's body pressed hers against the wall. His breath felt warm on her face and Chloe could just feel the lust radiating off him. A shudder ran down her spine as he inched closer, his mouth mere centimeters from her own. Chloe's lips parted instinctively, awaiting the feel of his mouth on hers. Her eyes closed, whether in fright or anticipation she didn't know.
"Van's destroyed Boss." Devin's voice broke through the fog that had settled over Chloe's brain, "And I don't think I was follo..." Devin stopped talking and Chloe opened her eyes to see him staring at her and Sark. Their position would seem like that of a lovers' embrace if somebody was looking through a window and watching them. Sark glanced over his shoulder at Devin and Chloe took the opportunity to push him away from her and flee to the bedroom where she locked the door behind her.
"What the hell is going on here?" Devin said after Chloe ran into the bedroom.
"I don't need to explain myself to you Devin." Sark said gruffly, "I can do what I please."
"But she's our prisoner!" His friend cried, "And what did you tell me about getting attached?"
"I'm not attached to her, simply attracted." Sark replied, "It's not a crime to kiss a woman."
"You can't treat Chloe like this Julian!"
"Oh so she's Chloe now," Sark gave his companion a knowing look.
"No," Devin tried to defend himself, "Wait, I thought we were talking about your unprofessionalism?"
"We were." Sark said with a shrug, "but not anymore." Devin seethed slightly and marched past Sark and into the bathroom. Sark shrugged nonchalantly and sat back down on the couch.
Well there you go guys, yet another chapter done. I'm finally over my writer's block, for now at least. I probably won't be updating for a while because my family and I are going to Pennsylvania for my grandparents' anniversary. So I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter since it will probably be at least a week before I update again.
Csk8-20: I'm glad you liked the details. Often times I wonder if I'm doing a good job detailing, and you made me sure that I was doing fine.
Natalie: There you go, there's Sark's move. I hope you liked it.
Somewhere Outthere: Sorry, but Chloe has no connection to Rambaldi. I simply put his name in there for reasons which will present themselves later in the story.
Spymantha: Yes, a change in scenery always gets the creative juices flowing.
RedRose121: I'm so happy that you enjoy my story that much. I hope this chapter had enough "Sark lovin'" in it for ya.
Blondw/smelborp, soccerchic1099, and Katherine: Thank you for reviewing.