A/N: Ninkita made it better. Thanks, Hun!
"Are you okay?" Masen asked, as he wrapped a handful of ice cubes in a damp washcloth and pressed it gently to her cheek.
She nodded and replaced his hand with her own. The skin was puffy and tender, but he hadn't hit her hard enough to bruise. Bella was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, swinging her filthy feet and watching her partner work. He was hovering beside her, sifting through a generic first-aid kit for alcohol wipes and Band-Aids. His right hand was smeared with grime, and dark red blood continued to ooze from a deep puncture in the pad of his middle finger.
Bella ran her tongue against her bottom teeth. It stung and felt swollen. His finger must feel even worse. He hadn't used his full strength when he slapped her, but she was beyond pulling her punches by the time he had clamped his hand over her mouth. She'd been trying to hurt him when she bit him.
Agent Masen washed his hands, grabbed another washcloth from the stack of linens he had piled up on the counter, ran it under warm water and began sponging her leg clean.
"What are you doing?"
"We need to treat these cuts." He was standing inches away from her, but he didn't meet her eyes.
"Those aren't cuts. They're scratches. Shouldn't you be doing something about your finger?" She lowered her icepack and reached for his injured hand.
"It's nothing. You have cuts and gouges all over your legs and feet. What made you go out like this? You could have at least worn shoes!" He grabbed her wrist and pressed the ice back against her face with a dark look.
"Stilettos in the woods. Ha! Are you insane? I didn't want to break my ankle."
He glanced up, saw she was smirking, and scowled. "Lace doesn't offer much protection from the cold or broken branches. You should have at least worn a shirt and long pants."
Bella looked down at the lacey blue shift. It was stained, wrinkled and torn. "It was almost midnight. Why would Marie still be dressed for the day? If she had the chance to make a run for it, she wouldn't stop to make herself presentable. She would just go!"
He didn't argue with her, but he didn't agree either. He rinsed the cloth in the kitchen sink and moved to her other leg. She almost stopped him, but the warm, damp towel actually felt good as it cleaned the sweat and grit from her skin.
On the other hand, the alcohol didn't. It burned like acid and she hissed through her teeth as Masen worked.
"Great job out there," he finally said.
"You, too," she replied softly.
He finally raised his eyes and looked her full in the face. He appeared. . . older. And tired. He'd never looked anything less than energized before, and she realized for the first time how much playing Edward Cullen was going to take out of him.
"Let me take care of your hand. Please."
"I meant it when I said it's nothing. I've had much worse." He stepped back and turned away.
"We can't afford to take risks, and you know it. Come back here."
He hesitated, but finally turned around and held out his hand. She set it palm up in her lap and got to work cleaning, disinfecting and bandaging the small wound. "You know what they say about human bites."
He chuckled wryly, "No. I can't say that I do."
"They say they're worse than dog bites. More bacteria. I mean, I like to think my mouth is cleaner than the average person's, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."
He flexed his fingers experimentally. She let go, and he turned to lean against the counter beside her. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.
"Of course. I'm fine. Why?"
"I don't know. I guess I keep expecting that at some point you'll realize what we're heading into. And then you'll come to your senses and run away screaming. When you do, I won't be able to stop you. I won't want to. Because the fact is, the only thing worse than failing at our mission would be to let one more bright, innocent girl fall into the hands of those monsters. That scene tonight. . . that was tame. We weren't being scrutinized or video-taped. We weren't even certain anyone would react or have the guts to come outside and investigate. Thirty minutes, if that, and here we are, back inside, safe and secure. This is a luxury that we won't have a week or two from tonight. So, I guess I'm saying, if it's too much, get out now. I won't make you stay."
"Masen, I need to do this. We need to do this. We're the only ones who can. We're going to shut those bastards down once and for all." Her voice was strong. She knew she was right, and she needed him to share her conviction.
"As long as you're sure."
"Not a single doubt."
"Okay, then." He raked his hands through his hair, dislodging pine needles and bits of lichen. "Let's get some sleep."
Bella slipped off the counter carefully, pleased that her feet were only a little sore. She dropped the dripping washcloth in the sink and prodded her cheek and jaw gently with the pads of her fingers. It didn't feel too bad.
"Do you think they called anyone?" she asked as she wiped up the worst of the dirt and water from the floor.
"I didn't see any headlights arrive or leave, and their lights turned off a few minutes ago. My guess is that they are all in bed sleeping off their booze right now."
She peered out of the window and across the golf course. Sure enough, the landscape was dark.
It had been a very long day, but she didn't feel tired yet. Her body was still humming with the adrenaline that the second botched escape scene had unleashed. However, she knew she needed to sleep and allow her body to begin the healing process, to let her mind work through everything. A hot shower, some clean clothes and she would be ready to settle down. They turned out their lights and went upstairs, Masen following just a couple steps behind her.
"You know, you didn't have to carry me all the way back here. I could have walked."
"You were a bit dazed. Besides, if the police do receive a call and come out here to search the area, they'll only find one set of footprints leaving."
"That makes sense," she replied thoughtfully. But that didn't explain why he had shifted her from his shoulders to carrying her in his arms once they were out of earshot. The fireman carry was way easier. "Well, I'm going to grab that shower now and get some sleep. Should I set an alarm?"
"No. Sleep as long as you can. We'll wait to see what happens in the morning before we decide our next step."
"Sounds good. Good night, then," she said with a smile. He nodded and waited until she disappeared into her room before he went to his own.
Bella awoke to sunlight streaming into her bedroom and Masen laughing from just inside the door. She sat up abruptly, then realized that she was completely naked, wrapped in a still-damp towel. Mostly wrapped.
"Wow. Your hair looks like a haystack."
Her hand shot to her head where, sure enough, she discovered it had dried into a hopeless, snarled mess. "Oh my gosh. What happened?"
"Well, it would appear you got a good night's sleep," he laughed again, leaning against the door jamb with his hands tucked into the pockets of his khakis.
"I need to brush my teeth. Gross." Bella wiggled off the bed and scampered to the bathroom. She took one look at her reflection and burst out laughing. He was spot on with his comparison. She rewrapped her towel so she would have both hands free to vanquish her morning breath and her matted hair.
Masen came up behind her and took the brush from her hands. "Allow me." He picked a twig and a clump of moss from the tangles, dropped them in the waste bin, then began combing through the matted strands. There was a crease between his eyebrows as he worked, trying to be gentle.
She spat and rinsed, then started in on the other side with her wide-toothed comb. "I'm never doing that again."
"Fleeing into the woods?"
"No. Going to bed with wet hair. Jacob would have a heart attack if he saw me now."
Masen's lip curled and he shook his head. "I'm sure he's seen worse. And in some circles, the haystack look is probably popular. I must admit, I kind of like it."
"Ha ha. You're a real comedian, you know that?"
"Stand-up used to be part of the syllabus at Quantico. They stopped because of me. Said nobody could top my skills, so why try?"
Her eyes watered when she yanked out a particularly vicious tangle. "Oh, I'm sure. They've replaced it with barre training."
"Sweet. Maybe you can teach me some moves."
"Plies and high kicks. That's what this gig needs," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically.
"You never know what might be useful. . ."
"So don't discard. . ." She giggled and ran the comb from scalp to tip, pleased that they had at least managed to complete one mission successfully. "There. Way better. Thanks."
"Any time. Let's get some breakfast and spy on the neighbors."
Bella hung up her towel and dug through her suitcases for clean clothes. She shimmied into her underwear and a skirt, while her partner disappeared downstairs to forage for breakfast. She wondered briefly if he could cook, then shrugged. She was hungry enough that it almost didn't matter.
She looked over her reflection, doing a little turn to the left and right. Her lower legs were a web of fine scrapes and scratches. Her feet had fared worse. She had two actual cuts, and one was a bit red. She treated it with antibacterial ointment and put on a fresh bandage, then slipped several clunky silver bracelets onto her wrists. They covered some of the visible damage, but not all. Her left upper arm was a bit sore. A motley collection of bruises darkened her skin. Her left cheek was still slightly tender, but once she applied her makeup, there was no obvious damage.
"Good enough," she said to nobody in particular, then packed her bags and suitcases and headed downstairs.
Breakfast consisted of a mountain of scrambled eggs with too much pepper- she only ground her teeth on one fragment of shell, toast with smoked gouda melted on top, and orange juice- minus the vodka this time. They sat on the couch facing out across the golf course and took turns with the binoculars.
Shortly after they sat down, Bella spied a patrol car pulling up in front of the cabin they had fought outside of the night before. It was hard to make out what was happening through the trees, but she was able to make out two uniformed police officers and three civilians.
The men wandered around the exterior of the cabin for almost half an hour before the cops got back into their car and drove away. Bella was relieved, until she realized that Masen's knuckles were turning white as he held the binoculars up to his eyes and followed the car's path.
"Damn," he said under his breath.
"What's wrong? What are they doing?"
"Heading back to the guardhouse. Probably getting a guest list, if they don't have a copy with them already. Only seven of the cabins are occupied right now, since it's the middle of the week, but it's still going to take some time to interview everyone. Maybe they'll enlist the help of the guard to speed things up. I don't want to be here past lunch time."
"But this is good, right? We made an impression. That's what we wanted to do."
"Yes and no. It's a fine line we're walking. We can't let them see you." His eyes slipped down to the bruises and scratches that marred her skin.
"So I'll go upstairs and start the shower."
He looked thoughtful. "Good idea. Let's set the table." Masen rearranged their breakfast dishes to look like a couple had just finished a casual meal. He gathered the dirty towels and first aid supplies and threw them away in the bin under the kitchen sink. "Bring me a pair of shoes, a bra and one or two blankets."
Bella grabbed the binoculars and ran upstairs to fetch the props while he finished arranging the scene. He took the shoes and dropped them a few feet apart between the front door and the living area. He flung the bra under the coffee table and spread the blanket on the floor in front of the electric fireplace, rumpling it slightly. His head snapped up when he heard the sound of tires on pavement approaching.
"Upstairs. Quickly. And stay put, this will only take a minute."
Bella ran up the stairs, turned on the shower in her bathroom, then shut the door. She tiptoed back out to the sitting area and listened. There was a loud knock at the door - three smart raps.
Masen answered the door. "Good morning, officers. How can I help you?"
"Mr. Cullen?"
"That's right."
"You're vacationing alone, correct? May we come in?" The officer's voice was deep, with a hint of an east coast accent.
Bella heard Agent Masen pause, then let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, not exactly alone. Just. . . well. . . yeah, that's fine. Come on in." She smiled a little at the familiar sound of booted feet on hardwood. That's what her dad's footsteps always sounded like. "Have a seat. Oh, my God. Sorry. Let me just. . . I'll just put this over here. Sorry. That's just. . . Yeah. . . She's having a shower. I'm sure she'll be right down. Hey, can I get you guys anything?"
She bit her lip to stifle a giggle. He sounded like a bumbling, embarrassed version of himself. There was a slight nasal tone in his voice, and she could even imagine his twitching smile, shy awkwardness and jumpy motions. He was making himself appear non-threatening and it seemed to be working. The officers declined drinks but laughed at his discomfiture and settled onto one of the couches in the living room. She could hear the leather sofa creaking as they moved.
"We're checking into some reports of commotion in the area last night. Did you happen to hear anything strange?"
"Commotion? Nothing I noticed. But it is pretty quiet along this stretch. I think the more expensive cabins along the lakeshore are a lot busier. The views, you know?"
"Of course. That's what we would expect, too. But we actually received reports of a woman screaming last night."
"People could hear us? How? We weren't that loud! I mean. . . Oh, my God. Oh, boy. . ." he trailed off into embarrassed silence.
One of the other men choked out a laugh. "Uh, no. We're not talking about that kind of scream. Uh, more like somebody being hurt."
"Oh. Well. No, I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. I mean, we have so many wild animals roaming through here at night, I guess I've learned to tune them out."
"So you come here often?" The second officer was speaking. His voice was slower and softer, an easy-to-listen-to tenor.
"A couple times a year. Just when I need to unwind a bit."
"What kind of animals have you seen here in the resort?"
"Oh, wow. All kinds. Bats and squirrels, raccoons, lots of birds. I saw a rabbit get taken by an owl one evening while I was out walking. It screamed so loud it gave me chills. I stay inside now after dark. And the bears! Not so much down here, but up north a ways the bears are fearless around people. Mountain lions, too. Hey, do you think they heard a mountain lion? I read somewhere that when they cry it sounds like a woman screaming." He was rambling a bit, eager to help, sounding nerdier by the second.
"We considered that. The report was filed by a small group visiting from Oklahoma. Not nearly as many critters out that way."
"No. Probably not. Just the coyotes."
"Yeah, they've got plenty of them, just like we do. Hey, what happened to your hand?"
"What? Oh, this. It's not a big deal. My dog bit me. Her previous owner didn't understand how to enforce boundaries, but I'm training it out of her."
"Ouch. I hope it heals up fast. Well, we really appreciate you taking the time to chat with us. If you or your lady friend hear or see anything suspicious, make sure you call it in. You never know."
"Absolutely," he assured them.
"Nice car you got out there," deep voice said when they got to the front door.
"Thanks. She's my baby." He spoke in that proud, affectionate voice that so many men use when speaking about their cars, boats or motorcycles.
"She's a beauty, alright. Well, enjoy the rest of your visit, okay Mr. Cullen?"
"I will. Absolutely. Have a great day, officers."
Bella waited until the door closed and she heard the patrol car pull away before she shut off the shower and headed downstairs. Masen was washing the dishes. She stepped up beside him, taking the dripping plates, wiping them dry and replacing them in the cabinets.
"Are we in the clear?"
"I think so."
"Do you think they bought the wild animal theory?"
"Maybe. Probably. Unless they did see footprints in the woods. They didn't seem to have a lot of confidence in the guys who made the initial report, but they'll still have to complete an assload of paperwork. It'll all get filed in their report, including the names of all the guests that they interviewed. They looked the other way about me having an unregistered guest, because that's not out of the ordinary, but if they're good cops they'll include it in their report."
"Good. What next?"
"We need to cover some ground. I want to hit Sheridan tonight, then we'll have a long haul clear through to Chicago the next day."
Bella untangled a strand of her hair that had caught in her collar. "Okay. I'll grab my suitcases."
"Oh, and Ms. Swan?"
"Yes?" she asked, pausing on the steps.
"This time, I get to ask the questions."
The fine edge of just enough
Master of miss direction
Slipping in and out
Another's skinned
To battle dragons
Snatch back
The treasured
Who lie within
-Rebadams7
A/N: I've had a handful of readers ask about my update schedule. Bwahahahaha. Schedule? You guys are hilarious. My life makes a madhouse look tame. My goal is to update each story at least once per week. Sometimes that doesn't happen. I wish it wasn't so, but with 4 kids - my youngest has severe allergies and lots of developmental challenges, my freelance writing - yes I am completely broke and have to bring in some $$ somehow, and all the other stuff that comes along with being human - periodic showering/eating/sleeping/etc. I don't have nearly as much time to devote to reading and writing as I would like. I pretty much update when I can, as often as I can, as soon as the chapter is ready to post. I know that can be frustrating (I read ff too), but that's just my life. Taking that into consideration, I am SO grateful for everyone who is reading, rec'ing, reviewing, grinding their teeth, shaking their fists, discussing, lurking or even venting. :)