A/N: Again thanks for the reviews.

Jacked Up 6

Molly was significantly quieter after Sam put her in her place. She still fought them and made a few snotty comments, but mostly she just kept her mouth shut. She had that far off look in her eye as if she was rehashing all the choices she had made in life that had brought her to this moment. Sam knew that look all too well. Regret. Every once in a while he allowed himself to wallow in it. A few seconds over a beer or when he was brushing his teeth or after he killed someone was all it took to remind himself that he was in a better place, doing better things than what could have been in his life.

Today was no different. He had many regrets to contemplate and lots of planning on the fly to worry about. I need some caffeine, he thought just as Ballard walked in the side door of the warehouse with familiar white cups in his hand. He didn't have much use for the guy, but at this second, the former Marine was his new best friend.

"Did you get something for her?" Sam asked as he picked up his cup from the tray.

"I didn't know we were feeding her," Ballard remarked casually glancing in Molly's direction to see her reaction. "People are more compliant when they're hungry."

"You learn that at Gitmo?" Whiplash asked setting the cup down on the table.

"Among other things," Ballard chuckled. "Just another of my illustrious tales as a US Marine."

Sam laughed sadistically with his partner and held back the urge to smash his skull in with the folding chair next to him. I hate marines, he thought as he took a large gulp of the coffee. "I got plenty of those stories too," Sam said in between swallows.

"I'm sure you do. Got any ideas on what you're going to do with our package?" Ballard asked gesturing toward Molly.

"Ugh, I thought that was your department Einstein," Sam replied with a sly grin. "You're the one that brought her to the party."

"What was I supposed to do with her? She was at the pick up point with Gilliam's wife. I couldn't have her running off to the police," Ballard said shrugging his shoulders. "Little did I know she was a spy. Besides the boss told you to off her."

"Off her?" Sam questioned arching his brow at the odd choice of words. "I don't remember him saying that exactly."

"You know what I meant," Ballard replied setting his cup down. "What she was saying last night about inviting you into her family … what was that?"

"Her husband was my team lead," Sam remarked taking a final swallow of his coffee. "I was the new guy and she wanted to make me feel comfortable." He crunched the cup up in his hand and tossed it across the room.

"Oh yeah?" Ballard grunted with a sick expression on his face. "Maybe she needs make me feel comfortable," he said setting his cup down on the table.

Whiplash stared at the man without saying a word, not audibly anyway. There was no way in hell he was going to let Ballard do anything like he was implying to Molly. However, she didn't need to know that, the fear factor of the threat could work in his favor later. He watched Ballard walk to the cot where Molly was sitting and circle her like a predator. Sam knew that Molly heard every word they had said and now she was practically daring Ballard to touch her. As amusing as it was to watch, Sam could barely stomach it. Five, four, three, two, one, he counted off as he held his breath while Ballard messed around with Molly's hair and touched the side of her face with the barrel of his gun. She squirmed out of his reach and when a muffled scream escaped her gag, Whiplash couldn't take it anymore.

"Ah, I'd be careful if I were you," Sam blurted out just as Ballard tried to touch her breast. A hint of the memory of Bob's wave off at the bar raced through his mind as he scrambled for a reason that Ballard needed to step off. Other than if you touch her again, I'm going to kill you. "Yeah, rumor on the base was that she had VD." He mentally winced at the archaic word and chided himself for having to play the bastard.

Ballard's hand froze in mid air and he glanced up at Sam twenty feet away. "VD? As in venereal disease?"

"Yeah … venereal disease, STD … whatever it is they call it for females," Sam said nonchalantly. "She sleeps around. A lot. God only knows what kinda infestation she's got."

He watched Ballard shove Molly hard against the cot and saw a look of relief in her eyes, yet he kept a stone face and narrowed his eyes in a cold hard way. He didn't need Molly thinking he was getting soft or being nice to her now. Her holy-than-thou attitude was still really pissing him off. All his life he had to put up with people from the "privileged" side of the tracks. It was nauseating to live with people who thought they were better than everyone else, deserved more than everyone else did. So, yeah, it bothered him to find out that Molly was one of those people … when Jonas so clearly wasn't. No wonder why he can't keep her in check. Wonder what else she is up too when we're out saving the world, Sam considered as he looked over her in disgust.

He didn't have long to contemplate it because Ballard's cell phone rang with a rushed order from the boss to move out. Molly was none too cooperative while Sam manhandled her down a flight of stairs, threatening at one point to let her fall on her head. She continued to struggle at the car and it didn't take long for either man to get annoyed with her fight for freedom. Like she'd even get away? Sam thought as he looked around the street. I guess she could run down the street and try to flag down a city bus … but knowing her, she'd probably run into that abandoned building and look for a phone booth or something. Sam slammed the trunk lid down and jumped in the passenger's seat of the car. He sighed heavily when Molly started banging around inside the car again.

"I think you need to put her in a headlock again," Ballard muttered under his breath as he drove down the street.

"Naah, not a good idea. She might die from carbon dioxide poisoning then," Sam replied running his hand across his forehead.

"Like that would be a big loss?" Ballard questioned.

"She's no good to us dead," Sam barked. The car slowed at a stop light and the pounding from the trunk got a little louder. "Geezus! Find somewhere secluded quick!" Sam directed the driver, as he craned his neck to see if anyone was noticing the noise coming from their car.

The call from Drake was unexpected, but the information was nothing Sam didn't already know. Russians, hit team, and finally a way to dump Molly back into the safety of her husband's arms so he could get on with things. The plan came together quickly in his head and even though he didn't exactly need Molly to make it all play out, he made it look like he did.

"Turn her around," Sam said as he walked toward Molly. He watched her struggle in Ballard's grasp and he reached in tentatively to pull the gag down.

"What do you want from me?" she asked with a cocky sneer. She pulled away from the two of them again and Sam caught her firmly by the arm.

"You and Jonas, all those years you've been married … you must have a way to reach each other in emergencies," Sam stated looking deep into her eyes with the meanest glare he could muster. "A secret code?"

Molly practically laughed in his face. "No we don't," she replied flippantly.

"No," Sam nodded. It didn't go unnoticed that she was trembling in his grasp. He knew she was lying, still trying to be tough despite that both men could do heinous things to her at any given moment. He let go of her arm and pulled out his gun. "Well, that's too bad. Guess you're no use to me after all," he added leveling his weapon right at her face.

Looking down the muzzle of the gun only changed Molly's attitude slightly. "Even if we did, why would I tell you," she quizzed him, trying to buy time before her demise. "You're just going to kill me anyway."

"I've been nice to you up to this point," Sam said swiftly. "But if you don't give me that code, I'm going to kill you right now." He didn't move the gun one inch and kept his eyes trailed on her face.

"Think about it, what if I lie? What if it doesn't work?" Molly answered, still trying to be confident despite her situation.

What if? Sam thought as he decided to auntie-up the stakes. He cocked the gun slowly, so the sound of the bullet sliding in the chamber echoed loudly in Molly's ear. "My strong advice to you is to make sure it does," he replied shoving the gun a little closer to her heart.

"The point is, you want to get my husband's attention. The only way you can do that is to keep me alive," Molly remarked crisply and slowly. She took the bait, hook, line and sinker.

Finally you idiot! Sam smirked looking over at Ballard, who had a similar expression on his face, although for hardly the same reasons. Sam watched a smug grin creep across her face. Her compliance set his plan into motion and he'd let her think she held all the cards for the moment. If things went his way, both she and Jonas would realize the truth soon enough anyway.

"Get in the car."

TBC