PART 4
"Easy Face!" Murdock breathed, not wanting to distract his partner as the delivery truck spun around the corner in front of them.
Peck was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, his features set in concentration as he aimed the gun he had rested on the open window frame beside him. He was aiming at the delivery van's front off side tyre. Very carefully he squeezed the trigger.
The tyre blew and the vehicle slewed to an undignified stop at the other side of the road. "Piece of cake!" Peck muttered as he got out of the car and made to catch up with Murdock as he approached the van.
The driver, a young boy, with long unkempt hair that dangled greasily into his eyes, swore as he climbed out of the cab.
"Man, you got a blow out there, son," Murdock breezily said, kicking the flat tyre and wearing his 'stating-the-goddamn obvious' expression.
"Awwh shit!" The boy cursed. "I am so not gonna make my drops now."
"Uh-huh," Murdock agreed.
The kid opened his mouth to continue his whine but stopped when he felt the cold metal of Face's magnum pressed into the small of his back.
"Never mind, pal," Peck spat. "I am sure you can deliver the package to me that I want."
The boy shuddered. "I don't know what you ….." he stammered.
"Sure you do – it's real simple," Murdock said as Peck manoeuvred the kid back around to the driving side.
"You got a package," Peck hissed. "A special package. We want it now. What's to know?"
The boy was pale and drawn licking his lips nervously, as Peck pushed him into the cab. "You don't understand!" he tried again.
"No friend," Murdock said. "It's you that doesn't understand. He 's the one with the gun and you're the one who does as he says."
The boy hesitated for a further moment, his eyes flashing fearfully. "OK," he breathed. He leant forward, across the seats to click open the glove compartment. His hand reached out and fell upon the smooth handle of the gun he kept there. The fear left his eyes. Murdock was staring straight at him from the other side of the cab; he noted the change and let out a warning cry. Face, who was positioned behind the kid, was quicker than them both. He hit the boy with the butt of his own gun sharply on the back of the head. The kid poleaxed and fell forwards across the seats.
"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" Peak muttered as he leaned over him, unmindful of the boy now he was no longer a threat, and took the plastic package that was secreted behind the gun in the glove box. Standing back up he tossed the packet to the pilot.
Murdock smiled. "Criminals just ain't what they used to be, Sundance!" he laughed. Then his face grew serious. "What was that guy's name that kept getting blown up on the train?"
They got back to the car, leaving the unconscious driver in his van. Face snorted. "Murdock it's years since I saw the film. How the hell should I know?"
The pilot pouted but gunned the engine and they pulled out into the traffic. Face took out his knife and carefully slit through the plastic of the package. He dipped his finger in to the white powder and tasted it. His features creased with distaste. "Smack," he confirmed.
Murdock whistled. He threw a glance at his passenger but Face was looking out of the window, his features blank and unreadable.
"Facey," he began. "You just might have lit a neon sign over your head, saying 'Stepford, here I am'! I told you we shouldn't get into this shit."
Peck shrugged, keeping his emotions tightly controlled and appearing unconcerned, he smiled beautifully. "Always said I should have my name in lights!"
Murdock shook his head. "This is serious stuff, Face! If this is Stepford's stuff, are you sure you want to get involved?"
Peck snorted. Murdock had raised the same concern the night before when Peck had outlined his plan and asked him to help. They had their most heated discussion in a long while. The essence of Peck's argument had been the same as the answer he gave now. "Oh yes," he replied firmly. "I've waited too long. If the old bastard hasn't had the sense to die yet, then it's time I did something to help ease his passage. It's time this was concluded, one way or another."
"Let it go, Face – you are so much more precious than this." Murdock said his voice soft. "I don't want you hurt."
Peck's smile was grim. "You better look after me then, HM," he said. "C'mon, I don't want to get caught with this crap in my possession – how would I explain that to my parole officer?"
"Since when did you worry about what your parole officer thinks?" Murdock asked.
Peck shrugged. "Is it my fault they gave me the original parole officer from hell? If it had been a she, blonde, pretty, I may have been more interested in keeping my appointments!"
Murdock relented, as he knew he would. "OK, whatever you say kid, whatever you say. After, can we swing by Blockbuster and see if I can get a copy of Butch and Sundance… please?"
Face sighed. He stretched out his cramped legs, felt the blood move a little faster through his veins, fidgeted in his seat and then settled back down to wait. He was in the foyer of one of the most expensive downtown hotels.
He glanced at his watch – 11.15 pm. An unbidden wave of relief washed through him. Where the hell did that come from? With a jolt he remembered his dream from the night before; he was going to die at 11 o'clock for something he had not done!
"Shit!" he breathed, admonishing his weakness. This was just stupid – it had only been a dream after all. He still could not remember its entire content only the fact that he was going to die. As this was the last in a long line of nightmares that had plagued him through his sleeping (or lack thereof) life, why was his body showing such a violent reaction of relief just because he had managed to survive past 11 o'clock?
Christ! He could not allow this; he had to find some control. This could not go on. He was strangely relieved to find himself in a hotel lobby at this time of night, at least he had an excuse not to go to bed – sleep, he decided he would prefer to do without!
After he and Murdock had returned from the delivery van escapade, they had both noticed the blonde girl from the cemetery apparently hiding in a car in the parking lot of their motel. Peck had to admit she was an interesting proposition and had decided that he would try to find out more about her. She was barely capable as a spy, being so stunningly beautiful she was always going to find it difficult to merge unnoticed in a crowd.
Murdock had thought it was a really bad idea and they had argued again with the intense passion that only concern for a loved one can bring. In the end Murdock had reluctantly agreed but only if Peck would wear a radio mike which kept him in contact with the pilot at all times. As he sat in the hotel Face moved his hand up to his ear to nervously check for the thousandth time that it was still secreted there. For although he had whined against the idea, when it was foisted on him, he had to admit it did make him feel a little safer knowing that he could contact the pilot at any time.
So during the afternoon Peck had left the motel room and driven around for a while. He had then made a conscious effort to appear to lose her but had actually tailed her, much more professionally then she had managed with him. She had driven around for a while looking for him and then come back to this hotel.
She had left her car with the valet to park and Peck had watched her from across the block. She was young and curvy with long slender legs that seemed to stretch all the way there. Peck felt a long repressed shudder deep inside when he looked on her. 'Stop it!' he told himself, remembering his conversation with Drake earlier. 'You are old enough to be her father at least for Chrissakes!' But he had always been a sucker for a pretty face and just because he had not had the opportunity recently did not mean that he had got over that weakness.
The girl seemed to hitch up her shorter than short skirt as she got out of the car. Even from distance Peck fancied he could see the beautifully smooth thigh that was revealed. She ran her hand seductively along it and his mouth went dry. Somewhere deep in his head the thought fluttered that she knew he was there watching and she was putting on a show. He shook his head at such an outrageous thought and left his car to follow her inside.
He wanted to see her pick up her key but she walked straight past the reception desk and over towards the elevators.
"Damn!" he breathed.
She waited for an elevator and he ducked behind a tall potted plant as she glanced behind her, smiling. When he came out again, she had entered the elevator and the doors slid shut.
He rushed to the door then and watched as the elevator ascended until it stopped on the twelfth floor.
Peck snorted – unsure of what to do. He considered following her up there but did not know which was her room. He also thought about asking at reception but since he didn't know the girl's name, it would be difficult. Sighing he moved back to the lobby. He decided to sit and wait to see whether the girl came down or whether she was staying in the hotel. And he had been waiting ever since.
He sighed again.
"Hey Facey!" a familiar voice sounded in his ear. "You doing an awful lot of heavy breathing. Is there anything you want to tell me about?"
Peck smiled. "Nothing to report, Captain," he said. "Just a whole lot of waiting. How's the movie?"
"Ahh Facey; the last scene made me cry! Sure you don't want any back up, muchacho?"
"There's no reason for both of us to spend the night in a hotel lobby," Peck replied.
"Yes there is!" Murdock's tinny voice sounded suddenly hurt. "At least we'd be together. And I could cover your back, and your front and your…."
"I'm good, Murdock," Peck responded when really he felt a strong tug of longing at his bowels and he wanted to scream at the pilot to come down straight away. He did not therefore put up too much complaint when Murdock seemed to make a decision and said, "Goddamn it – I'm coming now!"
Murdock arrived about half an hour later. They sat for a while and then the pilot fidgeted nervously so he decided to go for a walk around the hotel. Face told him he believed that the girl was on the twelfth floor so he decided to take a look.
Peck remained in the lobby, moodily watching the pilot's rangy form striding out towards the elevators. He glanced at his watch; it was resolutely ticking its way towards midnight. Peck rubbed at his eyes, feeling tired and irritated, he never-the-less still preferred to be in the lobby rather than risking another torrid time with his demons in bed.
"Face!" Murdock's voice hissed in his ear. "She's just left room 1211, she's heading for the elevators, coming your way, maybe?"
Peck flexed his tired muscles back to vigilant mode, leaning forward to get a better view of the elevators. In his ear Murdock continued, "Keep an eye out for her. I'm gonna check out this room."
"Don't do anything dangerous, Murdock!" Face replied. "There might be somebody else in there."
"Hey lover, you know caution is my middle name!" Murdock quipped. Although he couldn't see it the pilot sensed Peck's scowl as he retorted. "Yeah, right! Be careful!"
"Of course!"
"Oh and Murdock – I don't even know your middle name."
Murdock laughed gleefully. "And you love a mystery, Face!"
Peck couldn't summon up the energy to answer so he just groaned balefully. However a few seconds later, Murdock heard him exclaim. "Oh shit!"
"Face?" The pilot stopped. He was on his way to the kitchens to see if he could snag a room service uniform to make his planned entrance into room 1211 more plausible.
Peck's voice was strained and slightly fractious as he continued. "She's coming my way!"
"Your way?" Murdock repeated.
"What the hell am I going to do?"
"Use that famous Faceman charm!" Murdock replied glibly.
"But …." Peck's voice changed noticeably and Murdock felt a sudden sense of alarm as he heard the silky smooth tone. "Hi, have we met?"
Murdock listened for a while until he was sure that Face was in no imminent danger. He shook his head. 'Smooth operator,' he thought as he carried on his way.
Down in the lobby Peck was entranced and considering pinching himself to ensure he had not slid into some parallel universe. His new companion had entered the lobby and made a beeline straight towards where he sat. He had to fight hard to keep his mouth closed and retain an air of confident indifference as she glided towards him. His earlier thoughts on her beauty had been inadequate; she was quite simply gorgeous and a long forgotten yearning stirred deep within him.
She was dressed in a figure hugging, off the shoulder powder blue evening dress that clung to all of her best curves, her suntanned skin was flawless and seemed to glow with radiance even in the stark hotel light. Long blonde tresses flowed over her shoulders in waves of soft curls and pearls shone at her neck. As she moved towards him he looked into her eyes, they were the colour of the sea, shifting from green to blue, constant only in their continual change. Her strong mouth, quirked into a confident smile as she stood in front of him and waited expectantly.
"Hi," Peck tried for coolly interested and wondered if he managed to pull it off. He stood up, noting with her heels she was a good few inches taller than him. He refused to be intimidated; he'd been out with tall women before, in fact he was positively attracted to long legs! His throat went dry but he managed manfully, "Have we met?"
Her voice was as husky with sexiness as he hoped it would be. "I've been waiting a lifetime for this," she purred.
Peck gulped, slightly floored by such a confession, maybe twenty years ago he would have expected such a response but now! Still, couldn't argue with a lady; he forced his most magnificent smile. "You have?"
She sat down on the couch beside him, patting it gently until he sat beside her. Her eyes never left his as she said "Can't sleep. I have far too much energy."
He rolled his eyes appreciatively. "Maybe a nightcap would help?" His eyes were still drinking in her loveliness and it took all his strength finding coherent speech to cover the desire that was kindling deep within.
She smiled and the flame roared stronger. "Yes, that would be nice."
He nodded bemusedly and then, managing to compute her words, he giggled nervously. "Oh yeah, sure!" He signalled the waiter immediately.
A few minutes later she gazed at him evenly over the rim of her glass, wide eyes shadowed with blue. A sudden crisis of confidence hit Peck and he had to really fight the urge to look over his shoulder to see who behind him was deserving of such a smouldering gaze. Easy! Peck schooled himself, keep smiling! It had been so long since he had found himself in such a situation and yet he had been a master of them once. Indeed he had practised the art so often in his youth that even after the time lapse it was as if a switch deep inside had suddenly been flicked. He forgot his lack of belief, his feeling of inadequacy and began to flirt mercilessly, smiling, batting his eyes, touching, keeping eye contact; very soon he was completely at ease and enjoying himself.
"So do I know you?" he asked. "I don't normally forget a pretty face and I cannot believe that I would one as beautiful as yours."
She smiled. "No," she replied. She eased herself along the couch so that their bodies were so close, they touched. Electricity sparked between. "But I can remedy that very soon."
"Remedy…." Peck repeated, losing himself in her softness and breathing in the sweet scent of her. "I…. ah … I…"
The rational side of his brain was lurching, searching for any sort of explanation that this beautiful young woman should be coming on to him in this way, but the rest of him did not care. It had been so long since he had felt this, so long that he felt himself reacting before he could control himself.
He leant in towards her, his mouth opening and his hands moving to embrace her. "Templeton Peck," she breathed. "Man of my dreams!"
Peck's adrenaline was pumping so hard that he could hardly hear, and certainly could not think but did not hesitate to grab her, squeezing her tightly; they kissed passionately. They were entwined for long minutes, tongues twirling and sucking, hands running up and down the other's body, searching and caressing
and …
… Peck managed to get a strong enough grip on his seething emotion to manage to pull away but the rest of him screamed in frustration as he broke the kiss.
She regarded him, eyes flashing avidly but her mouth curled in a superior smirk. She damn well knew the effect she was having on him and seemed to be enjoying it immensely. And yet he could pull away no further, could not break her gaze because he was enjoying it just as much as she.
"Do I know you?" he asked again after two false starts when he just could not seem able to locate his voice.
"Not yet," she purred, her tongue ran achingly along her deeply red lips.
Peck groaned but the vague memory of all the times he had got himself and the rest of the Team into trouble from similar situations throbbed annoyingly at the edge of his mind. "Why are you following me?" he managed.
"You were following me," she retorted, moving closer again.
"I was… I was…" And then she was kissing him again. Deep inside of Peck his whole being seemed to flutter. He couldn't resist it, couldn't fight it… didn't even want to. "You are so beautiful," he managed to breath in between shattering kisses.
"I know," she responded. "And you are all the man I ever wanted."
"Oh god!" Peck whispered feeling his emotions sweeping through him unfettered. He tried to pull back again. He should not be doing this. He was going to blow everything… but it was so enticing. No! What about Murdock? What about the fact the pilot was listening, hearing exactly what was going on right now? He needed to get control of himself but even as he thought it, he felt himself deepening the kiss.
The listener in question was feeling decidedly uncomfortable with what he was hearing coming from the lobby. He had snaffled a uniform plus a pass key and made his way back up to the twelfth floor. On entering the room he tried to ignore what he was hearing through the earpiece, he had sniffed around but found nothing of any great value at all.
Now he was returning back to the kitchen and unable to block out the heavy sounds coming from his lover and the woman below. He could bite back his anger no longer. "Face!" he hissed. "Put her down!"
Peck snorted. The shock of Murdock's voice in his ear adding to the guilt he was already feeling, grounded him somewhat. He pulled away. "I got to …. I got to…."
She smiled, still looking serene and cool while Peck could feel the flash of heat in his own cheeks and the dribble of sweat down his back. She peeled herself off him and stood up, her eyes still fascinatingly fixed on his.
"We should continue this later," she grinned. "Dinner tomorrow?"
He was breathing heavily, patting down his hair and straightening his clothes. "Of course," he said. "What is your name?" he asked feeling like a pubescent boy on his first date.
Her eyes were deep pools of unreadable blue. "Lorelei," she purred.
He gulped. "Lorelei? As in beautiful siren and luring sailors on to the rocks?"
Her smile widened. "My father had a strange sense of humour. Until tonight then." And she was gone.
Peck shuddered, the heat turning cold on his skin. He shook his head in puzzlement. What the hell had just happened?
Murdock rushed into the lobby and pulled him out of his reverie. "What the hell was that all about?" the pilot fumed.
Peck was still stunned. "I honestly don't know," he murmured.
"C'mon," Murdock continued. "It's late. We need to go!"
Peck stood on legs that still felt crazily shaky and followed where his partner led. He lifted his hands up to his lips as if to verify they had so recently been kissed. There was the hint of her strong perfume and he could taste her loveliness but apart from these meagre signs it was as if the whole experience had been a fanciful dream.
TBC