She came to just as she felt his hands slide out from under her body she wanted him to keep them there but he took them away, it took her a few more seconds to recover her senses enough to realise what had happened. He was taking off his shirt and walking into the bathroom. She dropped her legs heavily off the bed onto the grey carpet tiles beneath her feet and followed him in slowly, anything other than slow would have made her vomit.
He knew she was behind him she was sure of it but still he dropped his trousers and stepped into the shower. "You threw up on us, I took off your clothes and put a top on you but you will need to shower." The bruise across his ribs was far worse than the night before; she stood for a few seconds watching him struggle to lift his arm to wash. There would be no helping him now something between them had changed.
Looking down at her bare and still shaky legs she moved back into the bedroom area. There was a pile of dirty clothes in the corner and a wet patch on the carpet where he had cleaned her mess. "This can't be normal I don't eat and I vomit I do eat and I vomit." Placing a hand on her perfectly flat stomach she began to wonder at what point a woman should visit a doctor to get his stuff on the right track.
She heard him moving in the bathroom then he opened the door and stood looking at her his face a perfect lesson in how to play poker. "Get in for a shower I'll find out if there is a laundry service here and get you something to eat. If you can try to delay your departure until you are capable of walking on your own."
Nodding she stood from the bed and used the wall to balance, "I lost my temper I'm sorry but you can't imagine how insane all of this is."
Stepping aside he let her pass and seconds later she heard the outer door open as he left. Much as he had done the previous night she let her head drop against the tiles but the water running down her face mingled with her tears and brought no comfort to her pain. At some point he must have come into to the bathroom because there was a clean set of clothes sitting on the shelf when she came out. The sight of them made her tears flow with even more vigour than before she angrily swiped her hand across her eyes and wished them away, "I can't do this I can't spend months having no control over my own emotions."
Delicate tapping at her outer door forced her out of her unhealthy malaise, "Come in."
Expecting Altaïr but seeing Malik's graceful stride confirmed her thinking, she had burned her bridges with that man. Placing a laptop bag at the foot of the bed he took a few steps towards the door before he paused and looked at her. "Are you unwell?"
'God how do I even look at this man I just called him a terrorist and now he is being nice?' She rubbed her forehead keeping her head low. "Not ill exactly..."
She heard his footfalls then felt the bed beneath her displace as he sat beside her, "Would you like to talk about it?"
"I'm pregnant. I haven't been to a doctor so I am going purely on the results of a piece of plastic that you pee on but I found out on the same day you all showed up." Finally gathering the courage she faced him, "I'm so sorry for what I said I planned on just speaking but facing you all at once is incredibly off putting I snapped and wound up being a malicious bitch."
"Does the father know?"
"No he doesn't in this case I think we can consider the father a donor and nothing more."
He sighed before getting to his feet but not to walk away instead he moved to her left side and sat down again, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Is it Altaïr?" She made no reply so he continued speaking, "We believed there was more to his desire to rescue you than owing you something he was unbearably driven. Can you imagine having to be around such a single minded men when he is in that state of mind?"
Resting her head on his shoulder she laughed but only because she felt it the appropriate response to his comment there was no joy in the sound.
"Don't tell him Malik I shouldn't have told you."
"What do you intend to do?"
"I honestly don't know. Three months ago my biggest problem was ignoring my mother's constant attempts at match making now I long for those heady days of peace."
"What you said in there... some of what you said was fair. I have no right to assume control of your life but I've being doing this for as long as I can remember and I know how to handle things. I forgot you have only recently been introduced to the world of phone tracking and computer hacking."
"My phone was switched on until the rest stop, that's when I saw all this text messages and even then I only shut if off because the battery was dying, does that mean they know we were there?"
He smiled and nodded, "Not your fault we should have checked but no harm done we are here for only a matter of hours and to be honest are probably targeting the people they would have sent after us in any case." Drawing her attention to the foot of the bed he said, "In that bag is everything you need to learn that we are who we say we are. James Turner is a liar and has sealed his own fate, we were unsure of his involvement but now there is no doubt."
Another knock and Kadar stuck his head round the door, "Food is here."
Malik stood and pulled her up with him but she drew back. "I don't want to eat honestly I'll just lie down."
But not to be beaten he lifted her back to her feet with ease. "No sense hiding away because of a silly outburst it was nothing at all we say far worse to each other over some football team or other."
"I want to look at this stuff and let my stomach settle really I'm not hiding."
After a few more objections they left her alone. She lifted the bag and sat on the uncomfortably stuffed sofa at the window looking at file after file of information, tactics and names, there were literally years of planning here and it all seemed to back up what they said. Then she moved to the photos, most of them were all of her going back for weeks. She began to notice a man in the pictures with her and panic threatened to take hold of her when she looked back and saw he was in almost all of the pictures. They had followed her and she had been clueless but the biggest shock was still lurking in the last photograph. It took her some time to place him she had to alter his appearance to allow for time but when she imagined greying hair and ruddy cheeks she sprang from the couch and ran full tilt into the next room.
"Why is his picture here?"
Malik glanced at the man in question, "He is one of the highest ranking Templars in Europe but this is the only image we have of him and its years old."
"He is here in London now. I saw him, hell I spoke to him."
"Where did you see him?" Kadar's voice sounded the same but his face had taken on an entirely more sinister expression it was the face of a killer every bit as dangerous as the two other men watching her.
"At the church in Temple I went in there well it doesn't matter why but he is the vicar there."
Altaïr was very interested to find out her reasons for going to the church but her knowing this man was far more immediately important. "You are sure?"
She dropped her arms to her side and sighed, "Yes I am. I know you don't think I can cope with this and my recent outburst did nothing to help me but you all really do treat me like a child. Yes the mean streets of Mayfair aren't the ideal place to hone your military skills but I can learn. I don't panic you know that from Syria I did what needed to be done and under fire too. I just want to be treated the way you treat Sophia." She stopped talking remembering the horrible thing she had said about her.
"If things here go to plan we will be in Syria in few days and you will have all the time in the world to earn your place in our order but let me emphasis this Maria you will earn it, there will be no going easy on you."
Malik had barely finished speaking before Altair cut in, "She isn't coming to Syria she wants to get away from us."
Malik rolled his eyes at his friend, "Novice, when will you learn that woman seldom mean what they say when they are pissed off." Holding up his hand to Maria he added, "Yes you made some valid points like we discussed but most of what you said was worthless venting and nothing more. Besides she has something to tell you but you would know that if you weren't so determined to respect her wishes and leave her alone."
She gaped at him but he simply smiled, "What? I said I wouldn't tell him and I haven't that is your job. Now sit down and eat but everything is cold now."
"That's alright she prefers it cold she ate your whole pizza last night congealed cheese and all." Kadar shifted over as he spoke and patted the space he had just made, "Sit here and whisper the secret to me so I can torment him for a while."
She sat down agonisingly aware of his eyes on her but there was nothing she could do refusal would look petty besides which she was starving.
"Sophia and Ben will meet us in the car park in an hour, Maria you will have to stay here alone we need every available man tonight."
Dropping her fork into the carton of cold rice she was holding, "Okay Malik in spite of everything we just said to each other I'll go wait in my room while you go do whatever is it you do with GI Jane, I'll keep right on being housewife Barbie."
"Yes we did discuss this, your training will begin in a few days right now you would be a liability to us."
"Then you can swap your clothes and be combat Barbie." His attempt to lighten the mood worked Malik laughed and Altaïr smirked.
Tossing a cushion at his head Maria walked to the door and decided to have the last laugh, "Who knew being a terrorist would be so bloody boring!" She saw the carton leave Malik's hand but got the door closed just in time to hear it thump against the other side. "Have fun cleaning that up."
Her door opened and this time it was Altaïr, "Is it safe to come in?"
Lowering the volume on the TV she smiled, "Yes for now it is."
"You have something to tell me."
"Malik was being a drama queen he could have told you. James sent me some text messages about you well I told you what they said and yes he is probably involved."
He sat on the bed beside her, "Malik told me all that but then he sent me here to speak to you."
"Oh." Moving herself higher onto the pillows she nibbled her lip, "It's nothing important we can talk about it when you get back."
"You're sure?"
Grinning she nodded, "I'm so pissed off about being left here again though. I mean how will I know what has happened if something goes wrong?"
"If we aren't back by dawn leave and go somewhere nobody would think to look for you but if we don't come back they will have no further need of you Maria they were using you to flush me out."
"Let me come, I'll wait in the car I promise I don't want to sit here and worry."
Cautiously he reached for her hand and when she never pulled it away he held it tighter. "I understand your frustration but Sophia has had more training than Kadar she is a soldier like any other. What Malik said was right you being there would only give me something else to worry about and what with this..." He pointed to his ribs, "I'm already handicapped."
"Okay for now I will accept that but only for now."
"Maria I've seen you keep your head in circumstances which would have made other men wetting themselves there is a place for you in our order. Speaking of which can I assume what you read convinced you?"
She moved closer to him her eyes wide, "Those pictures were so freaking creepy I mean I just had no idea he was there."
"Also the person taking the pictures but that was one of our people probably Sophia actually."
She winced, "I never meant what I said about her the Scarface thing... I'm just evil when I'm riled up."
"I have to go but we will be fine we have been up till now."
Getting onto her knees she moved closer to his face and kissed his cheek, "I hate being left here these are going to be long hours but come back safe okay all of you." She kissed him again this time closer to his mouth but before either of them could develop it into more they heard a voice from the doorway.
"Do we all get a kiss or is that privilege reserved for the highest rank?"
She grinned and pounced out of the bed, "Kisses for all Kadar come here!" He pretended to run but she caught him easily and placed a big noisy kiss on his cheek.
Malik leaned over and helped himself to his kiss, "Did you tell him?"
"I will later once you are all back safe and sound."
"Good I'm looking forward to being an uncle."
Altaïr came towards them, "What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing we're just being silly."
She followed Malik and Kadar into the hall with Altaïr at the end. He took her hand as he passed her and pulled her to him placing a firm kiss on her lips. "We will be back soon."
Sophia and Ben were sitting in a huge black car, Altaïr got in front with Ben and the others got in back.
"Good to finally put a face to the words on the screen but pleasantries later business first. The men we have been watching go to a cottage at the foot of the next valley every six weeks so this is our best chance to get them. Sophia gave you the layout and the guard details are there any more questions?"
None of the Syrian men had any and he hadn't expected them to. These guys were born into this life and were the most skilled and feared branch of assassins in the world. "Good then let's roll."
He had to admit to feeling a little intimidated that he would be carrying out a mission with them it was like a footballer getting to play for Barcelona or something. Glancing into the rear view mirror he saw Sophia looking at her files as always. His wife was a stickler for detail but she knew this stuff inside out, all she was doing now was keeping her eye on the prize.
A/N Can I just say the previous chapter (11) and most of this one were written in the daze of a hideous hangover and honestly I'm too afraid to look so I'll just clean up the crap that I thankfully never submitted and move quietly on :/ It never happened...
New A/N I shouldn't drink and type so basically this went a way it never should have and rather than abandon it I've stripped away the last three chapters deleted and gone forever. This will end entirely differently now sorry if you had read it but what can I do, I'm an amateur!