The next time Street saw Chris a couple of days later she wouldn't look at him. He hated it. The bruise on her cheek was just blooming to look at its best, the way bruises do when they are a couple of days old. It was dark and swelled over her sunken cheek giving her a very uneven face. He was sure the long black pants and sleeves hid the rest of his actions.
It was like he was reliving his childhood. He was once again unable to do anything to protect a woman he loved. As the hours and eventually days had passed and he didn't see her he had worked himself up into a state. He was passed worrying. He had to know how she was, where she was, and being locked in the cell gave him no answers. He had driven himself mad thinking about her for hours on end. He had been elated with their progress that night, she had admitted she was Chris, but it had been stripped away from him with dark thoughts.
He'd not been given a thing to eat the whole time. Did they just not eat? He was starving. His tummy rumbled at every opportunity. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was sleep; yet he was so hungry he couldn't nod off.
It wasn't until this morning when he was removed from the cell. He caught sight of her. Through the window at first. He'd been taken into the main part of the house and chained to a chair. Alvaro was with him, tasked with getting some answers out of him. She'd driven up the drive in the grey truck they had arrived in. She'd stretched her stiff limbs out, grabbed a large duffle bag from the truck bed, and made her way into the house. She was surprised to see him out of the cell and turned on her toes and left the room the way she came in.
He could hear her moving around. She was busy doing something, he couldn't work out what. Occasionally her figure would pass across the hallway and he would get a glimpse of her through the open door. It was a couple of hours before he heard her speak:
'Alvaro,' the call came from another room. Alvaro took one look at Street before leaving the room to follow her voice.
'Off without a hitch?' he asked her.
'Yeah. No problems,' she dismissed him as Street listened to them through the wall. 'I need to know,' Chris started off slowly.
'Yeah?' Alvaro questioned impatiently.
'What's Benz plan?' She asked him serious now. She could always see the end game. Everything Benz did made sense to her. Everything apart from keeping this guy alive. He was no use to them. If anything the police would be searching high and low for the guy, putting them more at risk. So what was the reward? He never did anything without a reward of some kind. There was a pause.
'I don't know,' Alvaro finally admitted. 'He's been talking with Karlos. I think they are planning something big.'
Street had been fiddling with the ropes around his wrists all morning. One, she was questioning Benz. Two, she had bonded with Street. Three, she had admitted she was Chris. Was she ready to leave with him?
When the ropes fell to the floor he took it as a sign. He was leaving right now; and he was going to be bold enough to ask her to go with him. He reached down untying his ankles from the wooden chair, his ear still trained on the conversation in the next room. Chris had mumbled something to which Alvaro replied:
'As soon as they want it sorted they will fill us in.' Street was up from the chair he checked the window. It was nailed shut. Looks like they were leaving the hard way.
'Did you get anything from him?' she asked.
'Not much. Don't think he's the sharpest knife in the draw,' Street clenched his teeth together.
'I mean who doesn't take back up when chasing down a lead,' she laughed at him. That hurt. He had always loved her laugh, and now he wasn't so sure.
He was just stood in the middle of the room thinking about her laugh when she re-entered with no warning. She looked slightly alarmed, but didn't shout out. They stood watching each other. Who would make the first move?
'This had to be the worst escape attempt ever,' she condemned him. Half empty bottle in one hand, she reached over and picked up a loose knife from the work surface. She completely underestimated his ability.
'How about you help me and we get out of this joint together?' His cheeky charm had been completely shot down the first time he had used it on her, but now they had a clean slate maybe it would work. She raised an eyebrow at him.
'What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?' he smiled. This was reminding him of their first week in work together.
'I've never had anyone say no before,' Street was enjoying the flirting a little too much.
'I guess I get to be your first then,' was it just him, or was she enjoying this too. The smile on her face lit up her eyes. He found the old Chris in those eyes.
'What do you say then Chris?' He held his hand out to her. The smile faded from her face. 'Sorry Jamie,' but the moment was broken.
'You're not going anywhere,' her voice was cold.
'Look what he's done to you,' she looked confused at his words. Then it clicked, the bruise.
'You think Benz did this?' she laughed darkly. 'One of your friends did this,' she pointed to her eye.
'Who?' Street could barely get the word out.
'He was at the hospital. He was in SWAT uniform. Caught up with me while I was out a couple of days ago.' Street couldn't believe it. She had seen the team since they had been here. He was lost for words.
'Benz,' Jamie shouted holding the knife up in front of her. He didn't see this coming. Street held his hands up either side of his head.
'I was just achy needed to stretch,' he spoke as Benz strode into the room.
He had already racked up a considerable amount of bruises in his short time with them, and cursed Chris inwardly for the ones that were about to be added. She would owe him for this big time, and he couldn't wait for the day when he could collect.
Thanks HI Comm for your amazing comments. Love to hear what you're thinking. I've got this one scene in mind, but I haven't worked out how to get there! Hopefully it won't take too long. Thanks for reading.
