Chapter fifteen,
Michael woke up with pain flaring through his shoulder, down his left arm and up into his neck. He must of moved in his sleep and was now wide awake trying to steady his breathing so as not to wake up Fiona who lay sleeping next to him. Carefully he sat up holding his arm tight against his body, his right hand supporting the left elbow. He could feel where the two ends of the broken clavicle had been grinding against each other and now the whole area was inflamed. He tried to take short shallow breathes as even the slight movement of his chest made the pain worse.
He climbed out of his bed and padded bare foot into the kitchen, he had pain killers in one of the drawers, it took him a couple of minutes to find the packet and then to get them out trying to only use one hand. Normally he would of put up with the pain but in a few hours they were putting Sam's plan into action and he needed to be able to do his part.
He slumped down into a chair waiting for the tablets to take effect, he knew he was paying for the day before, when he kept the arm out of the sling he was meant to be wearing. Half an hour later, the pain had barely reduced, he got up and began to pace. Trying to take his mind off the throbbing ache that seemed to of taken over the whole of the upper left side of his body. Hearing Fiona beginning to stir he sat back down, no need for her to lose sleep as well. He reached over to her with his good hand and gently brushed her hair off her face, feeling the texture of her long golden brown locks in his hand. She stirred again, and he removed his hand from her hair to pull the blanket up around her a bit more. Then he sat back wishing the damn painkillers would start working.
He began to think about the job, about how he was going to come face to face with the person who burnt him. He hadn't thought about Chloe Brenner, as she had been, for years. But when he heard the name and was told it was her, he had immediately believed it to be true. When he had seen the photograph and his blood had dripped on to her face it brought all the details flooding back.
"Michael, what are you doing up?" Fiona sat up. He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, he must have been dozing off.
"It's ok Fi I've just taken a couple of pills you go back to sleep." He replied.
She climbed out of the bed untangling her feet from the sheet and blanket that had covered her. Getting up she went and turned on the light. So she could see him properly, he had sounded awful. He shut his eyes tight as the light came on, and groaned when she came over and gently examined the black and blue bruised skin that covered most of the left side of his upper body.
"You need something to bring down the swelling." She told him. She moved to the kitchen, looking in the small freezer section of the fridge. "Don't you have any ice?" She asked
" The is an instant ice pack in the drawer, the second one down under the one with the detonators and fuses." He could hear her opening drawers and rustling around. Then she was back at his side, pressing down on the pack to start it working. She handed it to him.
"There, try and hold that in place." She sat on the bed facing him. "Anywhere else hurt?"
"Nothing I can't handle." He relaxed back in the chair as best he could.
"Really, because the is something I'd like to talk about." She sat forward, staring at him intently.
"Fi now isn't the time-" He hated it when she wanted to talk. It normally led to fighting. He really wasn't up to a fight. Of any sort.
"It's the perfect time Michael. What do you think Ottoman is going to do to you when he realises you're not following his plan?"
Michael shut his eyes, when he opened them he had a cold guarded expression on his face. She sighed, why did he do this every time she asked a question he didn't like. She tried to explain her fears.
" You've still not got full use of your hands, I've seen how you have trouble buttoning your shirts. Now this, with your shoulder. I'm worried about you, if you do this Sam's way without clearing it with them, they could cripple you, or kill you. Why are you risking your life to keep this woman away from Ottoman?"
He thought about ignoring her question, but he knew she wouldn't give up, so he decided to tell her the truth.
She was surprised when he began to speak, he still had the guarded expression on his face and his tone was emotionless like he was just giving a report.
"Her husband, her first husband was my training officer when I was recruited into the CIA. I got to know them both really well. She worked at the Pentagon, a tactical analyst, threat assessment that sort of thing. Anyway a few years later I'm working with Larry, we come back after a mission and while we're in a bar we meet up with David, he and Larry knew each other, they had apparently done quite a few jobs together back in the day. After a couple of drinks he says he is going home to surprise Chloe, he wasn't due back for two more days." He paused, moving the ice pack slightly. Fiona kept quiet letting him take his time. Frightened he'd clam up if she interrupted him. "Well he certainly surprised her. Larry gets a phone call and we drop everything and get round there. David's found her with another man and killed him. She's hysterical and covered in blood. David is screaming at her and then Larry starts giving out orders. Says the is no way he is letting his friend ruin his career over an unfaithful wife and we have to clean the mess up. Well we shove her into the bathroom and get to work on the room by the time we're finished you would never of known anything had happened. So Larry then starts talking about leaving no witnesses, and David agrees with him." He took another break. Moving the ice pack again this time to the back of his neck. " In the end they let me talk to her see if I can convince her to keep quiet, Larry is screwing a silencer onto his gun while he is telling me I have ten minutes. Well I get it done, she promises to keep her mouth shut and if the police ever turn up she'll tell them what we tell her to." He wiped a hand over his face, the guarded look slipped a little. "Fi, I became just like my Dad, she was already scared and I nearly pushed her over the edge."
"You kept her alive." Fiona pointed out. She had over the years faced down many dangerous men, but she knew how to look after herself. She had chosen a way of life that led to these things sometimes happening. The whole thing seemed a mess, an unfaithful wife, a drunk husband with a gun and two trained assassins trying to sort it all out, a combination sure to end up with threats and violence.
"I don't think she saw it that way Fi" He replied. "She put in her resignation the following day and applied for a divorce. I think she came after me because as far as she knows I'm the only one left alive." He yawned as he finished speaking. The pain killers finally having an effect.
"Come on, lets go back to bed get a couple of hours sleep. I'll go out early, see if I can get you some sort of support for your shoulder." She helped him to his feet and over onto the bed. "Just promise me you won't sacrifice yourself for this woman if she won't do as Ottoman wants." He went to speak but she put a finger to his lips. "It wasn't a request." She kissed his forehead and pulled the covers over him. Then climbing in next to him she laid an arm over his stomach and went back to sleep. She felt sorry for Chloe, she really did, but it was Michael and she would do whatever it took to keep him safe.
He lay still, his eyes opened and shut a few times, he actually felt a bit better for having spoken about what had happened, he fell into a dreamless sleep.
.
It was a little after mid-day Sam sat across from the Hotel, waiting for a call from Jesse to say Chloe was on the way out of her room. He hated what he was about to do. He hated the reasons why he was doing it. They were not going after the person who had burnt Michael to find out why they had done it, as soon as Michael had heard who it was, he knew why. They weren't trying to get the burn notice lifted either, too many things had happened now for that to be a possibility.
No, they were going to bully and threaten a woman he had known for years, who at one time had been his lover. All in the name of a corporate giant out to make more money and to free a dangerous sociopath who worked for them.
In end Sam had made Michael change part of the plan. He said he would take full responsibility for whatever happened. Michael had raised an eyebrow, and informed him if things went wrong they would all end up paying. Fiona had scowled at him, but kept her mouth shut.
The call came, she was getting ready to leave. So here he was getting out of his car, straightening his tie, putting on his jacket and slicking back his hair. Then he headed across the road and into the hotel. All the time telling himself how much he hated this job.
He walked into the lobby and straight up to the reception desk a big friendly smile plastered onto his face.
"Hi," He greeted the receptionist. "Could you let Ms Diane Summers Room 647 know that I've arrived." He saw the lift doors open and Chloe Sherrington step out with her two bodyguards.
"I'm sorry sir the is no one with that name staying here." As the receptionist finished her speech, Sam pretended to notice Chloe for the first rime.
"Sorry I must of got the wrong hotel" He turned away even while speaking to her. "Chloe!" He raised his voice just loud enough for her to hear. She turned and looked him up and down, then scanned the room, satisfied, she smiled and held out her hand to him. "Sam, Sam Axe so good to see you, you're looking well."
He took her hand and brought it up to his lips kissing it with a mere brush of his lips. He then lent in and kissed her cheek. "Chloe, baby you are a sight for sore eyes why didn't you let me know you were coming to Miami?"
"It's just a business trip, I leave in a day or so. What are you doing here? Her eyes were still glancing around the room. This was Michael Westen's best friend, and Michael had already killed at least three of her best people. As far as she knew she was safe but it always paid to be cautious.
"I think I may have been stood up. Met a lady last night we were meant to be going out for a meal but I've got the wrong hotel." He gave her his most charming smile, and she returned it.
"Well her loss is my gain, I've got a table booked, come have lunch with me." Sam was always good company. At the moment she really needed the distraction of a hour or two of harmless flirtation.
They had a long lunch talking for the most part about the old days when she had been between husbands one and two. She casually asked a few questions about Michael, he told her nothing she didn't all ready know. All in all it was an enjoyable few hours. While they had talked and joked Sam had managed under the eyes of her security to drop a bug and a tracker into her handbag.
Eventually they got up, Sam suggested a walk along the beach. But didn't push it when she said no. she told him she had work to do but promised to be in touch soon. He smiled and kissed her cheek before saying goodbye. He walked away feeling like a traitor.
She watched him leave knowing that something was wrong but not knowing what. She would keep her guard up and tighten her security.
.
As Sam walked away he knew he was being watched he could feel unfriendly eyes on him. It wasn't long before he felt a very unfriendly gun press into his back. "What are you doing talking to our target?" A voice whispered into his ear as he was pushed into a black SUV.
"We-" The gun barrel moved from his back to under his jaw.
"Shut up." The pressure of the barrel increased.
"In my-"Sam tried to explain a second time.
"Where's Westen?" The gun was moved from his face and dug into his ribs.
Sam hesitated if he told them where Michael was before they knew what he had planned it would all go wrong. He chose his words carefully. "I dropped a bug and a tracker into her handbag the receiver is in my car. Mike is inside waiting to talk to her in her room." He waited to see what effect is words would have.
"Keys." He was ordered. He handed over his car keys and tried to get comfortable now the gun barrel had been removed from his face. It wasn't easy as he sat between two men both holding guns pointed at his stomach.
A third man came back to the car with the equipment to listen to Chloe's conversations. Once they were set up and could tell the bug was working the man who had been doing all the talking made a phone call.
"He's changed the plan on us, Axe had lunch with her and planted a bug, we're listening in now. Westen is going to interrogate her in her room."
"Yes we have him." The man glanced at Sam. "Yes sir I'll keep you informed." He closed the phone and smiled at Sam. "Looks like your staying with us. And you better hope Westen is successful, because at the moment that's your only hope."
A/N: One chapter left should be finished in a couple of days. Thank you for reading. A big thank you to all who review.