The next day Sands woke up early, got dressed and put his sunglasses on. He found Samantha's cell phone and dialed the number to his boss at the CIA. The phone rang twice before it was picked up.
"Telford here," came the familiar voice of his boss.
"Sands," he replied shortly.
There was a pause on the other end. The line crackled.
Sands…hello, where ya been buddy…we've been…worried about you?"
"Cut the crap, Telford. I know the CIA is looking for me and I don't think they're trying to help me."
"Yes, well, security and all that. You understand, I'm sure," he replied silkily.
"I'll come in," Sands replied shortly, "but under my own conditions."
"What would those be?" Telford asked smoothly.
"You let Sam go. She walks away from this, keeps her job, goes back to life as usual. She knows nothing, just got caught up in this thing with me," he replied.
"Deal. We don't have any issues with her anyway, Sands. It's you we want."
"Fine," Sands said shortly.
He told Telford where he was and hung up the phone. No doubt they would be there soon to apprehend him. He sat thinking about what he had done. He didn't like to give up. He never had before, but this time it was different. It wasn't just him involved and he wasn't who he used to be. Being blind, he would not have been able to save Sam if they got involved in a gun fight.
He still didn't know why the CIA had decided that he was a security risk and held out hope that he would be able to talk his way out of it. He was sure they would interrogate him before they decided what to do with him. Maybe everything would still turn out good for the both of them.
"What did you do?" Her icy voice cut through his thoughts. "I heard you telling someone where we are!"
"I had to, Sugarbutt," he said simply.
"Who were you talking to?" Her voice was strained as she asked.
"Telford," he replied.
"You're turning yourself in?...NO! Absolutely not!" She got out of bed, got dressed and started moving around the room gathering things up. He caught her arm.
"Yes, I am," he said bluntly.
"Why?" she yelled at him sounding furious and hysterical at the same time. "They'll kill you. You can't!" Her voice cracked as tears welled up in her throat. "Let me go so I can get our things. We're leaving."
"No!" he said angrily.
She lashed out at him and started punching him in the shoulder with her free hand. "Let…me…go! We need to leave!"
When he didn't release her she said angrily, "What? Are you giving up? The great Sands is giving up? How can you do that? Why would you do that?"
"Because I don't want you to die!" he hissed at her.
"Because of…me?" she said quietly as the impact of his words took her anger away. "Sands I can handle myself. I can help you. I…."
He kissed her hard and long on the lips and held her close.
"No, you can't do this." Her words were muffled by his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed as he kissed her.
The door to their room came crashing in.
Telford and two other men were standing in the doorway with guns drawn.
"How sweet," Telford remarked as he saw them embracing. "Grab the girl!" he ordered the men.
Samantha made a lunge for their guns still sitting on the table, but was caught by one of the men who slapped her across the face and roughly held her, pressing a gun under her chin.
"Telford?" Sands said his eyebrows raised. "You're in Mexico?"
"Yes, well I couldn't very well let you get away now could I?"
Why are YOU here? You never leave Virginia," Sands asked.
"Well, you see Sands, the stakes are rather high. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out really. You are usually much more perceptive than this," he said smoothly as he sat down in one of the chairs.
Sands mind was spinning trying to figure out what he could be talking about. He knew his boss hated him. That much he had known for quite some time. He wasn't sure why, although there were several reasons he might. But they had a good working relationship, stilted as it was.
"Still don't get it, eh?" He laughed at Sands silence. "Tie them both up and put them in the car," he ordered the men.
"You said you'd let her go!" Sands hissed at Telford.
"I lied," he responded simply as the men bound their hands and gagged them both.
