Here we go my freaky darlings! Chapter 8 is up. Again sorry for any spelling errors.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER: 8

Demarko Alrichkov

"So, you know this guy?" Leon asked. It was the morning of the next day, after Angela Smith had checked his wound and progress, he was allowed to sit up on the side of the sofa, but walking without help at this point was a boundary that Angela made it clear he wasn't going to cross. He was currently nursing a glass of orange juice in his hands, simply because the fact that he wasn't allowed coffee, something he regrettably resigned to. He was watching Jake pacing the small area of the living room with envy whilst Angela had made it her job to stitch the items of clothes that needed mending due to being torn by bullets, and Ben was listening in intently to their conversation, sitting on one of the lounges that lined the room.

Jake continued to furiously pace, his anger transparent to the occupants in the room. "Yeah, I know him." He said bitterly, wishing that phrase would turn to 'I knew him', but it turns out the bastard was still alive.

"And you think he's the one behind this?" Watching Jake was starting to make Leon dizzy, causing the agent to wonder if it was actually possible to wear a hole in the ground by mindless walking. Looking at the younger man, Leon knew that the man wasn't just angry, it was something like his own reaction when he faced Jake Krauser back in Spain after 2 years of being confirmed dead. No, one wouldn't be just angry at the reappearance of a friend- turned enemy, but it seemed to Jake- enemy to enemy.

"I dont think, I know." Jake said, pausing for a record timing of a second before continuing. "The bastard's a snitch, a killer, and a damn good one. If anyone was capable and sick of pulling this off, its him."

"Tell me about him." Leon said, eyes fixed on the man walking back and forth, he added, "And sit down, damn it. Your making me dizzy." He said, looking at Angela who also nodded. Ben remained silent.

Jake signed, forcing himself to stop and sitting down, rubbing at his head tiredly. "Demarko Alrichkov," He began, tensely. "Met him back under the employ of Edonian rebel forces. The best but not the brightest, got himself a dishonorable discharge from the Russian Secret Service a number of years back, something about unsanctioned hits and miss treatment of prisoners. Was believed to be dead about 2 years ago when a building was rigged with explosives."

Leon had his fair share of people coming back from the dead, and more than once, so this didn't surprise him in the slightest. But really, people should try a new trick, because that one was old. Coming back from the dead? Really? That hasn't happened before... "You know him." Leon pressed, eyes boring into the other.

Jake looked as intently back, "Yeah." He nodded, "And he's bad news, hero. Even Simmons' name would have been a lot more cheery than this jackass." He paused, mind working as memory's surfaced. "What I learnt from him back in Edonia... He has no care for life, no purpose in his actions, unless its to cause chaos, and pain. He's the guy who would sit back and laugh whilst the world burned."

Leon sat back quietly, placing the half empty glass on the table next to him. The room was again silent as he sat there, thinking, mind working over their situation.

Angela paused briefly in her stitching, looking at the two younger men then to her husband. They both knew the conversation was somewhat classified to their ears, but It seemed that the information that was passing in the open seemed not to concern the agent who was thinking. They weren't part of this operation that was stepping up, but had assigned themselves to the recovery part, something they knew happened the moment the two men walked into their apartment the other night, injured.

Leon wanted to ask where Jake had been prior their discussion the previous day when he found out what the younger man had done, part of him wanting to thank Jake for it, the other part of him though, wasn't sure. When Leon woke up at early dawn this morning, even though all the sleep he'd had it still felt like it been months without rest, again this time he had to remind himself as to why he woke up in the Smiths apartment. Angela had been there beside him, administering another pain killer in his system before informing him that Jake had come by a few short hours ago, leaving some things before disappearing again for a short moment.

As Leon watched him, all thoughts on yesterday were forgotten. The Ex-mercenary was troubled, anxious, angry, stressed and was that worry behind it all? All for one name, Demarko, and Leon wanted to know why this had the stoic professional at such a level of unease, and not just for the investigation, but for Jake.

"Demarko Alrichkov..." Leon let the name role, mentally processing each syllable, sound, even the personality of the name, its ring. Demarko... Demarko... He paused, looking up at Jake, who too looked up as if on que. "Demarko. Marco... Polo."

Jake could have sworn. Of course, the line of code that he heard a few times in his years under the Edonian employ, a line used by non other that Demarko. "It was him on the phone." Jake spoke up in realisation, remembering the events that transpired at the Dee's house, the caller on the phone, the suspect of attack.

Leon nodded, parts of the puzzle coming to fit. "Yeah. But is he the master mind behind all this?"

Jake didn't hesitate. "I'd bet my next pay day on it. Demarko doesn't answer to anyone, he's a man who craves control." The ex-mercenary stood up again, despite the tired looks that the others gave him in the room, Jake started to pace again. "What I want to know is, how the hell does he know you?" He directed his gaze to the agent in question.

Leon shook his head, bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose tiredly. "I don't know." He muttered, now that they have the 'who' part to this investigation, what was left and vital was the 'why'.

"What did he say to you?" Jake asked, his tone underlined with anger, wanting to know why Demarko was so interested in Leon.

"Not much." Leon replied, not missing the other mans fury. "Only that he knows me, that Steve Jension is really dead, and, well, you know the rest." Eyeing the younger man as he started pacing again, Leon felt the urge to reassure the ex-mercenary, but didn't come up with much. "If you know this guy, then that give us a hand, we can track him down, predict his moves." Leon started, not really sure if it was helping the stressed angry man, but a plan forming non the less. Its about time they had something to follow, and it was easier to follow someone you know rather than a crazed sycopath who've you've never heard of before. "You being here, Jake, I think is the key. You can help me bring this man down, so now that Demarko is the one running the show, a man that your familure with." Pausing, Leon didn't take his eyes of the younger man. "I'd say that officialy makes us partners."

Jake paused, looking at the agent in mild surprise, not knowing what to think of the statement. Though it was true, they are in this together now. The ex-mercenary stood still for a moment, eying the agent with a calculating look. "Whats the fine print?" Jake asked suspisously, knowing better now to know all the details before agreeing to anything.

While Leon's expression didn't change from its seriousness, one could see the spark light up in his eyes, that of a rookie police officer. "What fine print?" He asked simply.

Jake was stuck for a moment, when his face suddenly broke into a lopsided smirk. "Off the books? Your on, hero."

Leon too smirked, finishing the glass of juice, all the while keeping eye contact with the younger man, taking his time, and after placing the now empty glass on the side table, which Ms Smith proceeded to take and walked into the kitchen, followed by Ben, Leon stated the terms. "The Government still don't know your here, or of your involvement with this investigation, and its going to stay that way. As for the job, when it's been completed, you'll get your cut from my pay. Seeing as the Government don't know about you being here, which also means we'll need to be carefull. no slipping up."

Jake sat down, listening. "Do they still keep tabs on you?" He asked dryly, with faint annoyance.

Leon shook his head. "Not like they used to, but I'd still be carefull if I were you."

The younger man shrugged, brushing aside the others works with a care free demeanor. "Take your own advice." Jake said, eyeing the other with seriousness, before redirecting the conversation. "And my cut?"

"Well, I think 50-50 would satisfy, don't you?" Leon said, before adding with a smirk. "Depends on your behaviour."

"Huh." Jake frowned. "What ever."

Leon narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "This is my operation, my rules." He stated firmly, yet his eyes still had that light edge, adding, "Say it."

Jake looked at the agent, straight face, quiet for a moment, before giving in. "Your rules." He said, dead panned and innocently.

"~=[Page-Break]=~"

"Theirs something your not telling me." Leon said to Jake, his voice quiet.

Jake thought for a moment, considering whether or not he wanted to speak his thoughts to the agent, when the more reasonable side of him won over. "He'd set himself out to kill me, Demarko," He shrugged, a dry laugh passed his lips, "I was a rival, my rep was threatening his own, I got more calls for employment, more money. Something he wanted to get back." Jake made a movement with his hand, pointing at the scar marking the left side of his face. "He nearly succeeded, gave me a parting gift before he left for the money that got him killed." He paused, "Well, thats what It looked like."

Leon signed, looking away briefly. "Damn it. I was worried you were gonna say that."

Jake frowned. "How so?"

Looking back at the ex-mercenary, Leon spoke of his thoughts. "Well, If he could see me in the window that day, then Demarko would have surly seen you too. If what you say goes deep, then I fear he'll come after you now."

Jake paused, seeing the truth in the statement, but not that it worried him, If anything, he wanted the man to come after him.

"Stop." Leon suddenly said, shooting the younger man a look. "I know that look, and although it might come handy later, but not now. We still don't know what he wants."

Smirking, Jake looked at the agent, surprised that the man could tell what he was thinking, which hadn't worked before. Jake was gonna say something, when he stopped.

Leon was standing up, hand clasped on the side of the couch to steady himself as he put all his weight on his good leg, despite the effort being painful anyway, the wince on his face showing no doubt. He shuffled forward carefully and too his annoyance, he was only a step away from the couch when a body was suddenly in front of him, stopping his movements, hands were on his shoulders.

"The fuck are you doing?" Jake said, having read the older mans face clearly before the agent proceeded with the thought of walking, or what ever he intended to achieve. "Arse. Couch. Now." Jake demanded, gently but forcing the man back where he came from, earning an annoyed tired look from the other when he couldn't fight back.

"We can't site around, Jake, this is serious." Leon muttered, his limbs aching and straining from the small attempt of getting up.

When Jake had the man laying down again, he took a seat next to the agent. "Yeah, I agree. But your in no condition to fight right now, so until you can fight me back, your not moving." He paused, poking the man in the shoulder randomly. "What the hell were you gonna do anyway? Charge to battle in a wheel chair... hah, maybe arm the thing with a fifty cal? Coz' that wouldn't look weird-"

Leon glared, but the smirk showed through anyway. "Fuck you." He said good naturally.

"Arse." Jake shot back.

"Bastard." Leon muttered, closing his eyes and settling back into the pillows.

"Boys! No fighting!"

Leon and Jake looked at each other sheepishly when Ms Smith walked in, a scowl on her features, arms crossed.

"He started it." Jake said absently, completely missing the look both Leon and Ms Smith gave him.

Angela stood there in her usual attire, putting the tea towel in the pocket of her apron as she eyed both men. "I don't care who started it, I'll finish it." She said seriously, before her face changed to a pleasant one, if not a little confused. "How you two got together is beyond me." She muttered.

"We're not-" Leon began about the same time Jake started, "He isn't-", only to be cut of by Ms Smith.

"But love works is mysterious ways, that's how I met Ben." Angela continued, ignoring them. "That's all okay here, so long as there is no making out on the couch." She pointed at the both of them with one hand on her hip.

Leon brought a hand to his head, signing. However long it would take for him to walk around again without getting lectured, this was going to be a long week. Looking at Jake as the younger man made it clear that he wasn't going to be leaving this couch, Leon couldn't help but feel something had changed between them. He wasn't sure whether it was what had happened in the past week, or if it was the blood transfusion, they went from hostile to acquaintances to men who were bickering like brothers, or on Ms Smiths opinion, like a couple.

Because looking at the younger man now, things were indeed different, and Leon wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing.

That's it! Anyways, Not sure how long the next chapter will take, I haven't written anything or any plans for it yet, so... thoughts? Anyone? I thought in this chapter that Leon and Jake would start to get along, and that the blood thing will unknowingly to them make them brothers, in a way. Also, this isn't a slash fic, don't panic, its just I thought it would be funny if Ms Smith always thought otherwise, she cares for Leon like a mother would, worried about him always being lonely. Right, enough of my rambling. Thoughts on up coming chapters?

R&R