I want to start by saying 'thank you' yet again for all of the awesome comments and support. I also appreciate the understanding with my recent mishap. But don't worry, I'm doing just fine! It's life and I was able to learn something from all of the different experiences. And if anyone was wondering...this damn story is legit 435 pages now. With 12 font...Times New Roman. And I'm just sitting here like, 'Huh. I literally have written a novel.' But the end is near! Sort of! And if anyone gets excited with updates and upcoming news, I have an announcement. I'm kinda having a 'trilogy' going on with this story. The current Vasquez ordeal is part 1. Once that concludes, we will find our friends ending up somewhere where none of them want to end up...Africa. But that'll probably won't be for several more chapters.
Half of this chapter was written by tipsy, college-girl me. I wonder if it's obvious which parts those are...
Chapter 23 - Laying-Low
The atmosphere felt stiff and stagnant as faint dust particles floated before their faces. The room was stark and appeared to be veiled in a dank shadow, despite the floor lamp humming quietly in the corner. A single queen-sized bed sat dead center of the room with it's faux wood headboard resting against the pasty wall. The bed cover possessed a dull pattern straight out of the late 70s, and gave them the impression of absolutely hating life. Above the bed was a sad excuse for a ceiling; the popcorn textured surface was just a further reflection of the lack of care and attention the hotel rooms had received in the past.
Rico had to crunch up her nose and emit a faint chuckle.
"Well. This looks cozy." She commented sarcastically. "Definitely worth the 'out-the-ass' deposit."
Soap had to lower his brow and step further into the room to drop the bag heavily onto the floor; it thudded with a plastic rustling sound.
"The lass at the front desk was clearly full of shite." He stated lowly. "She was just taking advantage of our obvious foreign descent."
Rico watched him closely as he fully entered the room to scan his eyes over the environment.
She crossed her arms in exasperation. "Then why didn't you say something?"
He turned around and faced her. "I didn't want to make a scene."
"Fair enough."
She peered off towards the window on the opposite end of the space with its blinds and curtains drawn shut. He analyzed her closely. Observing the way her cheekbones curved near her eyes and how they sloped down to meet daintily with her thin jawline, giving her a heart-shaped face. Her eyes suddenly met up with his and immediately caused him to snap back into reality.
Sighing, his hand raised up to find the bluetooth radio piece in his ear and removed it promptly. As he unhooked the tiny receiver from the hidden interior of his coat, he began to speak. "I guess this is where we will be spending the next few hours. I say we leave immediately at dawn." He gestured his head towards the bed. "You should try to get some sleep."
The muscles in her face twitched a quick expression of confusion. "What will you do?"
"Stay up and cover guard duty."
"You can't go a night without sleep. Not a night like tonight." She raised her chin up and dropped her arms to her side. "We should rotate."
He was quick to shake his head as he began to loosen the knot in his tie. "I'll be fine. Chances of me actually getting shut eye are next to none. I'll survive though; it wouldn't be the first night without sleep."
She raised a concerned brow in his direction as he finally got his tie loose and let it fall gracefully against his chest and shoulders.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked softly.
As he began to undo the buttons of his coat, he replied. "I'm saying it's hard to get rest when you're at the edge of your seat."
Comprehending what he was saying, she completely understood. "I know where you're coming from. So you have my sympathy."
His grey eyes darted up from his now open coat, and were quick to find her face. "You too?"
She slowly looked towards the bed; her eyes reflecting disinterest. "I think it's fair neither one of us will get any sleep tonight."
He nodded slowly at her and pulled his arms free from the dress coat, as he began to calmly fold it up neatly after setting the M9 down gently. Her attention landed onto the bathroom door, which was slightly jarred and allowed for the pitch dark confines of the bathroom to emit an air of uncertainty.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to excuse myself for a bit to change and clean up. I'm not one to favor being painted up like a clown." She stated.
"The make-up isn't that bad." He responded, letting his voice fluctuate slightly. "Echo could have eased up a bit on the eyeshadow though."
She glanced in his direction and was met with a faint smirk. It was a very cheeky smirk, as it pulled lightly at the ends of his mouth. His expression was enough to force a grin on her face. "So I'm not the only one then who thinks I'm all glammed up for the Oscars, then?"
He had to shrug. "It was able to captivate Arsenio long enough for me to pick-off five of his men. So I'm willing to admit that you pull off the Oscar-look just fine."
"Does it captivate you as well?" She raised a teasing eyebrow at him, causing him to look down at the cuffs of his sleeves.
He let the smirk gradually disappear from his face as he became at a loss of words. A slight burning sensation began to tingle his cheeks. He knew he wasn't one for the smooth talk, at least, not when it came to these sort of scenarios. His skill in smooth talking was overpowered by his straight-talking ways and his blunt words.
Biting the inside of his cheek, he finally peered up after undoing the buttons at the end of his sleeves. He was greeted by Rico's intrigued expression.
Raising his preoccupied hands up, and gesturing towards the bathroom, he spoke casually. "Don't mind me. Go ahead and clean up. I'll make sure no baddies get in."
Slightly amused by his reaction she nodded in agreement and began to excuse herself. "Alright. Don't be afraid to shout for help if you get scared."
He had to roll his eyes and let his smile return. "Remind me again. Who was the one screaming like a defenseless schoolgirl in the car?"
"Yeah, yeah, Evel Knievel."
"'Ay, last I checked he was a stud."
"And last I checked he was dead." She replied from within the confines of the bathroom after disappearing and switching on the lights.
"You got me there."
He heard her chuckle faintly before the door closed.
For some reason, his heart was racing within his chest. He was unsure if it was the adrenaline from before still dying down, or the obviously awkward scenario the two soldiers were now finding themselves in. Wanting to distract himself, he began to look through the contents of the large duffle bag they had received from Talon.
There were two different sets of new outfits, another M9 with an extra magazine, a pair of men's combat sneakers, Rico's heels from before, two chargers for their radios, and from a quick glance, about 10,000 pesos. Snatching up the fresh clothing provided for him, he pulled a white, cotton undershirt, a pair of thick field pants, and a long-sleeve shirt with a mid-height collar from within the bag.
Unchanging and redressing swiftly, he set his pristinely folded suit down overtop of his black dress shoes and began to place new rounds into the current magazine in his suppressed Beretta. He listened intently to the variety of noises which encompassed him and his thoughts. The water from the shower emitted softly from within the bathroom, an old clock-with its hands out of place-ticked from the corner, and the sound of passing tires squealed on the road out before the second-story window.
His eyes climbed up towards the window as a thought occurred to him. Could the window be opened? Would it serve as a potential escape route should things escalate? Setting the fully loaded M9 carefully onto the mattress, he rose up and paced towards the window, promptly drawing the curtains and blinds. He peered out onto the street below before his attention went towards the window frame in search of any locks. He immediately noticed the lack of a rail for the windows to slide on, and began to draw the conclusion that the window would have to be shattered in order to exit from.
Sighing, he turned on his heels after letting the glass of the window return to its hiding spot behind the blinds, and began to observe the space around him. He had a dying urge to plan ahead and verify the different escape options had they become compromised. His eyes found the door and immediately wondered if a fire escape was present nearby, but he refused to leave the room with Rico still occupying the bathroom.
Deciding against making any swift and rash discussions, he was willing to be patient and briefly wait it out. It wasn't long before he preoccupied himself with some other tasks, such as setting up the radios on the chargers.
After a brief passing of time, he heard the water shut off and was followed soon after by the sound of the bathroom door prying open slightly. He craned his neck to gaze over his shoulder to see Rico peek her head out from the opening with wide, lively eyes. A cloud of steam danced out from the opening and rose towards the ceiling.
She parted her lips to speak. "Hey. I forgot to grab that spare outfit out from the bag. Mind handing it to me?"
Quickly understanding the request, he brought himself up from the armchair to deliver the bag to her slender hand which outstretched in his direction at the sight of the bag.
"Here you go."
"Thanks." She replied just before disappearing back into the solitude of the bathroom.
A short interval of time crawled on before she returned to the room with damp hair and a bare face, cleared of any thick covering of make-up. She had a very fair and natural look. Her attention shot over towards the bed and far-end of the small space to see Soap's broad back facing her. His arm and shoulder moved with short movements as he wrote with a pen and scribbled down his thoughts.
She stepped closer. "What are you writing?"
Without turning around, he kept his eyes on the pen and small notebook. "Crunching numbers. Talon provided us with 10,000 pesos. So, now I have to figure out our budget." He paused momentarily to straighten his posture and stretch his shoulders before resuming with his verbalized thoughts. "Not much I can do now until I get back in contact with Price. We need an update on the checkpoints. We may have to go on foot, and as of now, we don't have a rendezvous established."
He finally turned his head around to look up at Rico who had somehow managed to get much closer without his realization. She stared back with an alert expression.
"Should we contact him now? Let him know we found some cover for the time being?" She inquired.
"Hmm." His attention went off towards the small end-table near the right corner. "Radios are charging right now. But I got a better idea."
"Oh?"
"We need to do some scouting to discover all possible escape routes." He suddenly brought his weight up from the bed and towered over her.
"So...like fire escapes and rooftop doorways?"
He nodded. "Aye. So let's do that now before we settle in." He gestured his head towards the side of the bed. "Grab the M9 from the bag and conceal it."
She perked up. "They provided an extra sidearm?"
"Yes. It's right in the main pocket."
"Sweet." She was quick to place herself next to the bag where she instantly began to scour its contents. It wasn't long before she straightened up from her bent over position to analyze the newly acquired M9. "Alright. Finally. No longer a damsel in distress."
"That M9 wouldn't have prevented all of that shouting and screaming from earlier."
A slightly annoyed expression pulled at her face as the depth of her aqua-tinted eyes glimmered with a comeback. "You're not going to drop that for awhile, are you?"
"I'll drop it when it's no longer funny."
"Which will be never for you."
He let an amused smile appear on his face before finally showing signs of heading for the door. "Let's go."
"Lead the way."
"No screaming this time, though. We have to keep a low-profile." He stated flatly.
"Oh my God…"
He couldn't resist a snicker as they both exited their room and let the heavy door close softly and latch closed.
Taking several minutes, they covered the entire second floor using their attentive eyes and discovered several options for potential exits. Two fire escapes sat at both ends of the narrow hallway, a set of concrete stairs remained concealed behind a commercial metal, push-door, and then there was always the window in their room, and of course, the windows at both ends of the hall.
Aftering taking several mental notes, Soap decided the task was complete.
"Good enough. Let's get back to the room and contact the old man."
Returning to the room, Soap immediately went for the end-table where he promptly obtained his radio piece in attempts to reestablish connections with Darkhorse and Echo.
It wasn't long until Soap heard Price's thick, raspy voice.
"Soap. What's your status?"
"Sir. We're currently in Punta Gorda 5 klicks from the park; we found cover in a nearby hotel." Soap replied.
"Good. Stay hidden until daybreak. The wankers are prowling neighboring roads and residential areas in close proximity of the Vasquez villa." Price replied with words that poured out with the usual proper articulation the old man possessed.
"What is the status on those checkpoints, sir?" Soap spoke calmly into the open space around him; Rico watching with anticipation.
There was a brief moment of silence before Soap heard the old man sigh. "They are still present. I can't imagine them holding out much longer. It won't be long until the muppets throw in the towel and retire."
"And how about you, old man? How are things on your end?"
Price sat further into his chair and rested against its back; an air of confidence and suave danced around him. He ran his tongue over his teeth behind closed lips and shot his keen eyes in the direction of an Echo operative sitting quietly near the front of the long van. They both locked stares as Price casually rose up a Villa Clara cigar and gestured.
"Mind?" Price asked with a coarse voice.
The woman shook her head. "No, sir. My pops was a smoker."
Price nodded smoothly and brought a lighter to the butt of his cigar. His face lit up with warm hues, casting a sea of shadows onto the deepening creases in his face.
Soap's voice suddenly sounded again. "Sir?"
Blowing a stream of smoke from his mouth, Price relaxed in his chair and nodded slowly. "Just peachy."
The Scotsman let a serene stillness fill their ears before finally deciding to break the silence in
the atmosphere. "Copy that. We'll get back in touch at dawn."
"Sounds good." Price replied as a thought occurred to him; his eyes widening slightly. "Oh, and Soap?"
"Aye?"
"Be safe. Stay alert, and watch your 6."
Soap nodded. "Understood."
Soap exhaled quietly through his nostrils as he removed the ear bud and glanced at Rico, who was standing near with attentiveness. They both took a moment to stare before Soap flattened his brow and gave her an observant stare.
She blinked at him as he sat silently in thought. He liked her confidence, her wide teasing smile, the way she walked-it wasn't a strut, more of a feminine swagger-and the way she was able to go from this seemingly tough tomboy, to this elegantly dressed beauty. She was a natural looking woman, but appeared to glow with intelligence and life. He respected her ability to be bare of any cover-up and still hold her chin up with poise.
"What?" She inquired quietly with smart eyes.
Opening his mouth, he suddenly froze and let his lips close shut up just before finally summing up some courage to try out some of the smooth talking he was so desperately in need of improving.
"You looked beautiful tonight." He said lowly; almost a mumble.
She cocked her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't get that."
He looked down at his hands and cleared his throat. "I said you looked beautiful tonight."
She stared at him gingerly as he watched his fingers intertwine. He let his words sink in while he gradually began to nod, as if he was suddenly agreeing with himself.
"Yeah. You looked good. You played the part well." He added-in before biting the inside of his cheek and peering up at her.
She stared back at him with soft eyes; a relaxed look on her face.
Then a faint smile began to pull on one end of her mouth. "I guess I was due to finally look good for once."
"Well. No. No, you always look good. I'm just saying you looked wonderful tonight."
"If only I could look wonderful all of the time…" She trailed off, her voice fluxuating with a teasing tone. Although she appeared cocky, she was actually growing shy and nervous, as she defaulted to a casual stance and nonchalant mannerisms.
He saw through it quickly, especially once she bit her lip and let her eyes looked off to the side.
Rising up, he stood before her, letting his aura overwhelm hers. "It's a compliment. In case you didn't realize."
Her right hand moved across her stomach and gripped onto her opposite elbow as she continued to bite her lip. She nodded and looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I know." She finally let her eyes flash up and meet his; they reflected with sincerity. "Thank you."
"Ah, there ya go. See? It's not hard to accept a compliment every once in awhile."
She let her smirk return. "You're right. I guess it's just hard to tell at first with you."
"Why's that?"
"Because you're so awkward about it."
On cue, he brought himself closer and couldn't resist grinning at the sight of her satirical mannerisms returning. "Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I'm awkward?"
"Sometimes."
He rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow in thought. "Huh. Well, thanks for the input. I'll remember that next time you freeze up on me and cower away from my impressive appearance."
She had to laugh at that one as her cheeks began to burn. "Oh my God...good one. I almost couldn't detect the seriousness in your voice through all of that sarcasm."
"You're right. You caught me. It was a serious remark masked in an intended joke." He replied facetiously. "I'm such an arse."
"You are." She smiled up at him, and couldn't fight off the sensation in her core. Something tingled in the area just below the stomach and right next to her hip bones.
"What else am I?" He drew himself in closer. They were now only standing several inches apart. He lowered his chin and gazed into her face.
She shrugged. "Depends on what kind of mood you're in."
He had to raise an eyebrow as he lowered his voice. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm detecting some mild implication."
"Well…" She trailed off as she let her eyes scroll up from his chest and meet up with his crystal-clear eyes, which were framed in dark lashes. "I don't know."
He observed her closely and casually nodded. "You're nervous aren't you?"
"Oh, what gave that away?"
"Well," he began, "you can't think of a comeback. So, that means I win this round."
Their eyes locked as a strong emotion began to surface. Both fell silent as she flattened her brow and let her pink lips part slightly. As her core sent a thrill up through her spine, he could sense his heart beginning to beat against his broad chest. There seemed to be a gravity between them once she spotted his gaze falling towards her lips.
As if the chemical gravity intensified between them, he lowered his face closer to hers. Noticing the gesture, she let her eyes flutter shut as their lips met.
Their lips began to press and caress against each other as he drew himself in and decreased the space between them. Unable to resist, he forced his tongue out and pushed its way through her lips to meet up with the inside of her mouth. The kiss quickly escalated into passion once he placed his chest strongly against her breasts and held her close with a strong arm he had folded behind the curve in her lower back.
Needing to catch her breath as he continued to push against her and dance with her tongue, she pulled back and gasped lightly. Not agreeing with her tactics, he improvised and began to place hot kisses against her neck and collar bones. She swallowed hard and tried to wiggle free as the sensation in her core came on full-force.
Feeling her squirming lightly in his grasp, he removed his lips from her skin and picked her up to set her back against the bed. She landed forcefully against the mattress, but her heart continued to race as he clambered on top and began to pull her shirt up.
"Wait-" She said quietly, but froze at the ecstasy that came from his lips beginning to kiss and brush against her stomach and hips. Biting her lip, she relaxed back and began to run her hands through the thick strip of dark-brown hair that ran along the center portion of his head. His hair was full, and soft to the touch; it glimmered in the light with just the right amount of sheen.
He began to work the kisses up towards her ribs and towards the center of her chest. His large hands felt up her bare sides as he hovered over her and sucked on the middle of her breasts. Her heart continued to race as she brought her head up to peer down at his current task. His brow was furrowed and it was obvious he was preoccupied.
Tugging on his hair, it forced him to pull away and come face-to-face with her dilated, blue eyes. They brushed noses and breathed hot breath against the skin on their mouths and chins. His masculine warmth encompassed her as she became surrounded by his welcoming musk. She felt his erection forcing against her pelvic bone once he had pulled open her legs and found and cozy spot between them.
They resumed to kissing while they breathed heavily out through their nostrils.
The passion eventually led to their clothes ending up on the floor and the sheets veiling their wistful moment. Forgetting their current ordeal and their recent mishap, they removed themselves from reality by continuing to savor the physical and emotional connection. The bed moved with their motions and began to tap harder and harder into the textured wall. Not caring, Soap turned the scenario into a personal game by increasing the strength of his pelvic thrusts and causing the bed to bang against the stark-white wall.
Her nails dug into his back as he lifted her hips up and straightened his posture. The sheet fell from his broad shoulders and revealed his bare skin and defined back. Unable to fight back the gasping and moaning clinging to the back of her throat, her voice began to escape through her parted lips. Her eyes pinched shut and she brought a hand up to brace herself against the headboard she was beginning to near.
Time seemed to stand still as they entered their own personal world, and enjoyed every second of it; despite the noise, despite the force of the movements, and despite the current stressful predicament they were trapped in.
The room was tinted with an interesting contrast of shadows that came from the single light source in the corner, and the air around them felt warmer. They contently laid in bed; relaxed expressions plastered on their faces.
Soap stared at the ceiling in thought with a protective arm thrown over Rico, who lay comfortably on her side and against his chest. Her comforting breath left through her straight nose and softly hit the grove in his neck as she breathed peacefully. She ran her hand through the dark hair on his chest and suddenly sighed with relief.
He blinked and glanced down at her forehead, which was partially covered by honey-tinted, wavy hair. He spotted the tip of her nose and the slight curve in her light eyelashes. She looked at peace as she lay still and remained enveloped by delight. Looking at her with affection, he let a faded smile appear at the ridges of his mouth. An untrained eye would have missed the change in his facial muscles.
Forcing himself to look away from her relaxed state, he met up with the digital clock on the end-table. It was late. He released a soft exhale from his lungs.
As if detecting his change in thoughts, she suddenly peered up with tranquility in her eyes. He met her stare and analyzed her features.
She smiled at him. "What are you thinking about?"
"You." He answered calmly.
Maintaining the charming smile on her face, she spoke softly. "Hey." Her eyes moved slowly for the window as he kept his attention on her. "What do you think about…" She fell quiet and got lost in her thoughts.
He flattened his brow. "Think about what?"
She chewed on the inside of her cheek and continued to speak quietly. "About...what just happened."
He let the question absorb quickly before responding. "You're meaning about this obvious, little relationship we got going on."
"Um, well, yes." She suddenly raised up her shoulders, as if beginning to shrug. "I guess I'm wondering if we're just fuck buddies, or not."
"Hmm." He murmured. "Well, I see 'fuck buddies' as being two people who solely base their relationship off the act of having intercourse. Nothing else. I like to believe what we have going on is about more than the sex."
His grey-eyes maintained their connection with hers as he dwelled on his recent words. Her eyes were glittering with curiosity; he could see she wanted to know more.
He decided to further his explanation. "Considering this is now our third moment during our near six month course of getting to know one another, I'd say it's fair to say we're not just fuck buddies."
She nodded slowly in understanding. "I guess what I'm just worried about is that you'll only view me as something you can...release your sexual frustrations on."
Soap pulled his head back slightly to get a better look into her eyes. He had a look of mild distraught.
"I would hope you knew me well enough to know that I'm not the type to just-"
"Tap it then leave it?"
He chuckled to himself; his smile reflected his true emotions of fondness. "Sure. If that's the phrasing you want to use."
She let her brilliant smile return before she rested back against his chest. He allowed his head to return to the pillow as he let his attention return to the ceiling, getting stuck deep within the confines of his intellectual mind.
His lips suddenly parted. "Bailey."
Her eyes flashed open; she immediately had to pull herself up to look down at him with wide, alert eyes.
He was slightly thrown-off guard by her reaction, but noticed it was not of a reaction of hostility.
"Bailey." He sat up and leveled out with her posture. "Please try to get some sleep."
His hands were now gripping her arms tenderly. He had a look of sudden determination erupt on his face. Somehow, his eyes had went from containing a light-blue pool of serenity, into a lively, strong-willed sea of ambition.
"I'll be here. Don't worry about if I get rest or not. You need to be able to wind-down and relax." He spoke rigidly. "Alright?"
She swallowed hard as she felt a sudden worry creeping up her spine. "I-I'm kind of worried. I don't think I want to sleep. I want to stay awake and keep guard with you."
He squeezed her arms lightly. "Trust me. You'll be safe. I won't let anything happen. You have my word."
She stared deeply into his face, which was no longer placid with content, but rather, roughening with a sudden urge to protect and guard against any threats.
Nodding in comprehension, she replied. "I guess I'm just scared that we won't make it out."
He sat up straight and turned to completely face her. "We will make it out. But you have to trust me, and have some faith in my promise."
"I do. I do have faith in you."
He gestured his head firmly. "Good. Because fuck buddies don't do anything for one another, other than just fuck, remember?"
"Yes. I remember."
"I will keep you safe." He clenched his jaw and leaned in to give her a quick a kiss before pulling back and gazing towards the floor. "Let's get dressed. We need to be prepared for anything." His voice came out deeply.
He was quick to remove himself from the bed, revealing all of his bare skin, and retrieve the clothes that were scattered over the floor. Outstretching an arm, he offered Rico her clothes, which she accepted gingerly.
While she dressed quietly, he stood near the end of the bed and re-equipped himself.
The sound of passing cars came from outside their window, and was followed by a few distant voices which were wrapped up in night life.
He fixed his collar after sliding on the long-sleeved shirt and gave her a nod of the head. "And you should be worried about whether or not we'll get out."
She sent him a sudden look of distress.
"Because that worry will turn into fear, but will quickly be replaced by a burning passion to escape from that corner we're finding ourselves in. And from that passion will come determination. With that, we will prevail."
Sorry. It was a bit of a short chapter for how long you all had to wait. I'm just trying to keep the flow of the story somewhat natural, without feeling too rushed. Again, thanks for being patient.