A/N: I have a feeling a lot of you are angry with me. All I can say is… I apologize for the delay in chapters. Work for me has been crazy and I've been slowly writing this chapter throughout the past month. I never thought I'd get this behind. As for the new chapter that was posted a day or two ago, it was to get help for French translations and after I received a good amount of responses I deleted it. Sorry if that tricked some of you. It was not my intention. I didn't want to butcher another language.

A BIG THANK YOU for those who volunteered to help me with the French translations! It was greatly appreciated. Much love!

So, now the next chapter… happy reading!

Kill & Collect

Chapter 9

They drove for another hour and a half and finally reached the next town. The rain had come down significantly harder during their trip but now only drizzles and a partly cloudy sky remained. Jane pulled up to a small stand-alone store and cut off the engine.

"We need to find Korsak's place. I'm going to ask for directions."

Maura raised an eyebrow at her. "You're going to ask?"

Jane looked at her strangely. "Is that a problem?"

"We're in the heart of France, Jane. I doubt they'll speak English."

"I bet they do," Jane defiantly countered.

"It's highly unlikely but fine, you can try," Maura said with a hint of a smile on her lips. "I'll see if I can find ice for your nose."

They climbed out of the truck and headed inside. It was a small stuffy little mom and pop store and Jane was glad of that. She looked around and noticed there were no cameras in the ceilings. She found it peculiar but was thankful of it. This made it more difficult for Hoyt to track them. An older man stood behind the counter and smiled as they entered. "Bonjour," he greeted.

"Bonjour," Maura happily replied with a smile. She then shot Jane an 'I told you so' look before heading to the back of the store. Jane reluctantly approached the counter and gave the man a tight smile. "Hi. Um… do you know where I can find..." but she stopped midway through her question, already seeing the confusion in the older man's eyes. No English. Jane rolled her eyes, agitated that the blonde was right. "Okay, uh… Korsak. Do you know the name Korsak?"

Some recognition shone in the man's face. "Oui, Korsak."

"Good," Jane nodded. "Um… where? Where can I find Korsak?"

The man frowned at her again.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Jane," Maura said, walking up to stand next to the brunette. She set a pack of frozen peas on the counter. "Excusez-nous, monsieur. Nous cherchons un vieil home, Korsak. Où est-ce que nous pouvons le trouver?"

"Oui. Il demeure juste au bout de la route. Prenez la troisième à droite et vous verrez la piste d'atterrissage. Vous ne pouvez pas la louper."

"Merci." Maura gingerly reached into her bra and pulled out a $20 dollar bill placing it on the counter. "Gardez la monnaie."

"Merci," the man smiled and happily took the money.

The blonde picked up the frozen peas and handed them to Jane. "For your nose." She then headed out of the small store and Jane followed, confusion written all over her face.

"Hey." Jane called, to the blonde once they were outside.

"Yes?" Maura easily asked, turning to the brunette.

"Hello? Did he tell you?"

"Yes, he did. Now give me the keys."

"Maura…"

"Jane, you have to keep your nose iced and you certainly can't do that while driving."

"Sure, I can. Now, stop playing around."

"I'm not playing around." She daintily held out her hand with an open palm. "Keys, please."

"Maura, we're wasting time. Just tell me where to go and we'll go." The blonde folded her arms and stared Jane down. The brunette had already learned how to read many of Maura's facial expressions and she could tell the blonde was not going to be swayed. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"You have to keep the frozen peas on your dorsum nasi."

Jane frowned at her, not following.

"The bridge of your nose, Jane," Maura clarified. "I already see significant swelling. Plus, your eyesight will be compromised while driving and-"

"Jesus Christ… fine!" Jane flared out her hands before digging in her pocket and handing over the keys to the truck. "You drive."

Maura gave a triumphant smile and turned to climb into the driver's seat. "Thank you."

"Whatever…" Jane mumbled, walking around the truck to the passenger side. As soon as they were both inside the vehicle, Jane carefully placed the peas on her nose and Maura started the engine.

The drive took them about fifteen minutes and they soon spotted the large concrete airstrip and a hangar in the distance. After following the road around the private property, Maura stopped the vehicle in front of what looked like a small office with two floors. Jane tossed the bag of peas on the seat before they got out of the truck and headed inside.

There was a front desk with a bell and a few chairs against a far well. The cheap tile squeaked under Jane's shoes as they moved further inside. Not a soul was insight. Maura and Jane stopped at the front desk and exchanged glances before Jane hit the small bell.

"Juste un instant!" A man's voice called from one of the back rooms behind the desk. Soon a man in his early thirties with a brown mustache and a friendly face stepped out. "Bonjour. Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour vous?"

Jane rolled her eyes slightly and raised a hand before Maura could respond. "Excuse me, sorry. But please tell me you speak, English."

The man smirked. "I do," he nodded. "I'm American, actually."

"Oh, thank God," Jane sighed with relief. "We're looking for a man named Korsak."

"That'd be me," he smiled.

Jane and Maura exchanged glances and looked at the man with bewildered expressions. "You're old man Korsak?" The brunette asked.

"Oh… no," he shook his head. "I'm sorry. You're looking for my father, Vince Korsak," he said with realization. "I'm Jeremy, his son. We run this business together."

"That's nice," Maura smiled.

Jane glanced at Maura. "Yeah, great. Can we speak to him?"

"He's uh… he's not here."

"Any idea where we can find him? We're kind of in a hurry to fly."

"How soon are you trying to leave?"

"Tonight if we could."

Jeremy looked out the window and noticed the darkened clouds outside and shook his head. "No one is flying tonight. There's a nasty storm coming in."

Jane looked out the window as well and there was no denying that storm clouds were forming. "Shit."

"Maybe in the morning?" he suggested.

"We have no choice, I guess." Jane ran a worried hand through her hair. "Where can I find your dad?"

Jeremy scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish shrug. "He's at a bar in town called the Dirty Robber. It's just up the street. Do you have cash?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, plenty."

"Good. Then you won't be wasting your time. But if you want my father fit enough to fly you anywhere tomorrow you better stop him from getting drunk off his ass tonight. He'll stop if he has good reason."

"Cool. Thanks."

Jane stepped away from the desk and touched Maura's elbow, telling her to follow her. Once they were out of earshot, Jane finally spoke. "We'll have to ditch Frost's truck. Hoyt's guys will be looking for it in town."

"What do you suggest we do? You can't hotwire anything around here. It will be reported stolen and we're stuck in this town for the night."

"I know…" Jane thought for a moment. "I may have an idea." She walked back over to the desk. "Hey, Jeremy. Do you happen to know Barry Frost?"

"Oh, yeah," he smiled. "Barry is a great guy. I've had a few drinks with him here and there."

Jane glanced at the blonde and Maura solemnly lowered her eyes. The brunette internally grimaced, knowing using Frost was not something Maura particularly liked. She shook it off and looked back at Jeremy. "Well, he's the one who referred us to you. Anyway, that's his truck outside. He let us borrow it to ride into town, but I told him I'd leave it somewhere and he'd pick it up later. Is it cool if we just leave it here?"

Jeremy shrugged. "That's not a problem."

"Great," Jane smiled. "Can I borrow your phone to call a taxi?"

"Hey, there's no need for that. If you're a pal of Barry's, you're a pal of mine. I'll give you a lift."

Jeremy pulled his car up to the outside of the bar and turned to Jane who was in the passenger seat beside him. "Here it is. I'd come in with you but I have some errands to run. You should find my Dad in the farthest booth to the left. It's kind of his spot."

"What does he look like?" Maura asked from the backseat.

"Kind of bulky, heavyset… has thick hair with a grayish-white mustache and beard. You can't miss him."

"Alright. Thanks, Jeremy." Jane gave a nod and opened the door to step out.

"It was nice meeting you," Maura said.

"And you guys," he politely smiled. "Hopefully, I'll see you at the airstrip tomorrow."

They walked into the bar and were surprised to see the place was rather decent and busy. It was also spacious and clean for one; nothing like the place where they met in New York. Off to the right was a small stage for live entertainment, tables were neatly lined up with many occupied chairs, the bar had three flat screens hanging above the counter and about six booths lined the left side of the place.

As they walked further inside, a few heads turned their way, but most of the people ignored them. Many were meandering about, laughing, drinking, or playing darts. Light rock music played through the speakers and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Jane looked down the row of booths and spotted an older man fitting Jeremy's description, sitting in the last one.

"I think that's him down there."

"Okay. Jane?" The blonde placed a gentle hand on the brunette's bicep and Jane felt a tingling sensation run through her. "I'm going to find a restroom. I'll join you in a few minutes."

"Yeah, okay," Jane replied. The blonde began to walk away but Jane gently caught her arm, making the Maura look at her once more. "You're not going to try to run are you?"

Maura lightly smiled at her. "I'm through running. Besides, my last couple attempts were not very successful."

"I always catch you. That's why."

Maura stepped into the brunette's personal space and looked into Jane's eyes. "Maybe I let you catch me." The blonde said with a sexy timbre in her voice and a twinkle in her eyes.

Jane's breath caught. Was Maura flirting with her? The blonde gave her a wink before turning and walking further into the bar. Yes, that was definitely a flirt. Jane's heart thumped a little harder at the idea and it was thrilling because the act was so unexpected. The brunette watched her the entire way until Maura disappeared down a hall that had a sign for restrooms above it. Jane stood there for another full minute before shaking out of her stupor. She straightened her shoulders and finally headed towards the back of the bar.

When she reached the booth, she noticed the man already had two empty shot glasses on the table in front of him. "Are you old man Korsak?" She asked.

"Maybe," he replied without looking up. "Who's asking?"

"A potential customer. I want to fly out of the country and I hear you're the man who can make that happen."

He finally turned to Jane and eyed her suspiciously. "How did you know I was here?"

"Your son, Jeremy."

Korsak clicked his tongue. "Damn, kid. I only wanted a few drinks."

"I have cash."

The older man seemed to perk up. "Have a seat."

Jane scooted into the booth across from the man.

"Where are you lookin' to fly?" He asked.

"America… Boston."

"Boston?" the older man chuckled. "From France? That's a hell of a haul… at least a five to six hour flight in my plane. It's not non-stop, I hope you know that."

"Where would we stop?"

Korask gave shrug. "Canada is the safest route."

"Canada?"

"Yeah. I'd have to refuel there."

Jane didn't really like the sound of that, but this was their only hope right now. "Hell, I'll take it. As long as it gets us out of here."

"Us?"

"Yeah, me and my… a friend is with me. Can you fly under the radar? We want this flight to be as discreet as possible."

He gave her a strange look and teased his beard a bit with his hand. Then a slow smirk formed on his face. "You on the run or something?" He joked.

Jane swallowed and remained silent, but kept held the other man's gaze.

He gave a small nod of understanding. "It's alright, kid. I don't need the whole story. As long as I'm paid, I'll do as you ask."

"How much?"

"Five thousand. Then another five hundred to fly you from Canada to Boston."

Jane dug in her back pocket and pulled out a waded money clip. "Three thousand," she said, placing the bills on the table in front of the man. "That's all I got right now."

"Five thousand now or it's a no go," his voice no longer held interest in the deal. He held up his hand and snapped his fingers. "Pamela. Another one please."

Jane looked across the room and saw the young waitress smile at Korsak and nod her head. The brunette sighed and looked back at the older man. She leaned her elbows on the table and stared at him. "I can pay you the rest when we get there. Hell, I'll pay you another five thousand."

"I've been hustled before, kid. I wasn't born yesterday."

Just as the brunette was about to protest further, a voice interrupted them. "Jane?"

Two sets of eyes snapped up at the voice. Maura stood next to the table, looking down at them. She could sense that there was some tension in the conversation. "Is everything alright?" The blonde asked.

Before Jane could respond, Korsak stood to his feet as a small blush formed on his cheeks. "Hello, ma'am. Good evening."

"Good evening," Maura replied, exchanging a confused expression with Jane.

Jane noticed the change in the older man's demeanor and decided to play with this opportunity. "Maura, this is Korsak. He was just telling me that he's not accepting our offer. We need $5,000, so he's not flying us."

"You're kidding?" The blonde frowned slightly at the man. "This was our only hope."

"I know." Jane stood to her feet and glanced at Korsak. He looked like he wanted to say something but the brunette kept on with her charade. "So I guess we'll have to look elsewhere." She grasped the blonde's arm and began to pull her away from the booth.

"Uh, just a second," Korsak spoke up.

With her back to the older man, Jane smiled, but concealed it once she faced the man again. "Yeah?"

"I suppose we can figure out some kind of an arrangement."

"Really?" Jane frowned. "I thought you said..."

"Never mind what I said," he replied, glancing at Maura. "You two seem like you're in a pinch and I want to help anyway I can."

"So, you'll take the three grand? And I'll pay you the rest when we get to Boston?"

"Yes, that sounds reasonable," he smiled. Korsak looked at Maura with kind eyes and held out his hand. "Name's Vince. Vince Korsak. And you are?"

"Um, Maura," the blonde said with a hint of confusion. She took the man's hand not fully grasping what had just happened. "I'm so happy you agreed to help us."

He kissed the back of her hand and then gently released it. "Well, I'm happy to provide my service," he smiled.

Jane rolled her eyes. This guy was obviously a ladies man. And thank God for that because Maura had unknowingly become their ticket out of the country.

"Care to dance with me?" He asked the blonde.

"Oh, I…"

"Do it," Jane whispered under her breath to Maura, leaning towards the blonde's ear.

"What?" the blonde whispered back.

"Just give us a second," Jane gave a smile to Korsak before pulling Maura out of earshot. "You have to dance with him."

"Excuse me? Why should I?"

"Because he was definitely going to turn me down. He wasn't going to say yes to me… but when you showed up, he changed his mind."

"How did I change his mind? I didn't do anything." Jane smirked. "You didn't have to. You were just being your beautiful self." Maura felt herself flush at the flattering statement and temporarily lowered her eyes. "He likes you, Maura. You don't have to sleep with the man, just play along."

The blonde gathered her wits and let out a heavy sigh. "I wish I could just wire money from my account."

"That'd be nice. But unless you want to say, 'Hey, Hoyt we're right here' you can't do that."

"Yes, I'm aware." Maura looked back at Korsak and he was watching them expectantly. She gave a reluctant sigh. "Okay, fine."

"Alright, that a girl. Now give that man a dance."

Maura began to walk away but stopped short, looking Jane in the eyes. "So, you think I'm beautiful?" She had a hint of teasing in her voice.

Jane sheepishly shook her head and lightly smiled. "He's waiting."

Maura smiled at her before turning and heading back towards Korsak. "Uh, Vince was it?"

"Yes," he smiled.

"I would love to dance with you. Just one dance."

"I'll take it."

The blonde looked back at Jane as she was led onto the small dance floor. Jane gave her a wave and a teasing smile. The brunette took a seat at one of the small empty tables. She ordered a beer and sat back in amusement as Maura danced with a complete stranger. Of course, when they had danced once, they were complete strangers. But that was different. There was heat, lust, and excitement between them. The brunette still remembered that night and wished she could relive it over and over again. Maura had truly taken her breath away.

After the dance, which had turned into two, Jane noticed Maura politely smiling at the man and they parted ways. The blonde was headed towards Jane but her path was suddenly blocked by a man that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Jane watched the exchange from afar and her eyebrows furrowed when Maura tried to step around the man but he would not let her pass. Jane immediately stood to her feet and headed over to the pair. "Is there a problem here?"

The man looked at her with a face of disgust and then looked at Maura. "Qui êtes-vous? Sa copine ou quoi?"

Jane had no idea what the man was asking but noticed Maura seemed uncomfortable but more upset than anything else. "You okay?" she asked.

"He was asking me to dance, but I was politely telling him no."

Jane looked the man dead in the eyes. She could tell from his smell and glazed over eyes that he was over intoxicated.

"She said no, Gaston. Come on, Maura."

The blonde walked by the man but suddenly her arm was placed in a vice grip and she was pulled back. "J'ai envie de dancer!" he demanded.

On instinct, Maura whirled around and landed a punch to the man's cheekbone. Jane heard the impact of the punch and looked back just in time to see the man stumble back slightly, holding his face. A few people in the bar let out a few 'ooohs' as they watched the scene play out. Maura winced and shook her hand at the pain. The man looked enraged and came back at the blonde with a punch of his own, but Jane swooped in between them and caught the man's fist with her hand. She turned his wrist and squeezed.

"Ahhh!" the man hollered in pain and he immediately fell to his knees.

"Listen asshole. She. Said. No." Jane growled, leaning in closer to the man with each word. "Back off."

"Ma main! Ok, je suis désolé! Je suis désolé!" He shrieked in pain.

Rage clouded Jane's senses and she forgot where she was. All she knew was that she had to stop this man from harming Maura. She had to stop Hoyt's men from hurting Maura. She had to stop Hoyt. She turned twisted his hand even more and he whimpered in pain.

"Jane," the blonde's soft voice broke into her darkness. Maura touched her arm and Jane looked into gentle hazel eyes.

The brunette continued to squeeze the man's hand. "He tried to hurt you," Jane growled. Her voice sounded dark and dangerous.

Maura saw the anger in Jane's brown eyes and tried to calm her. "I'm okay, Jane. You can let him go."

Jane's jaw muscles tightened and she looked into Maura's eyes a few moments longer. She suddenly threw the man's hand out of her grip and shook her head. The man muttered in pained relief and cautiously climbed to his feet. He then cradled his hand and slunk away.

Jane temporarily covered her face with her hands and took a moment to gather herself. The burning anger within her body was going to take some time to dissipate. She truly wanted to make than man suffer for trying to hurt Maura. She looked around and realized all eyes were on her.

"Hey, the party is over people," Korsak announced to the bar. "Carry on." He said, waving curious eyes away.

Slowly everyone went on about their business and ignored the three people standing in the center of the bar. "Hey," Korsak began in a low voice. "Remind me to never piss you off." They stood there a moment while Jane tried to calm herself down. Korsak looked between the two women and gave a nod. "You two look out for each other, I respect that," he said in a serious matter. "You have a place to stay for the night?"

"Not really," Maura replied. Her hand was still on Jane's arm, rubbing it in a soothing matter. "Maybe a motel? Jeremy dropped us off here."

"I'd take you in myself but I don't have the space. I can set you up at the motel down the street."

"Oh, we can't let you do that. You're already doing so much for us," Maura said.

"It's no problem. In fact, the owner of the place owes me a favor. It's fine."

Maura looked at Jane for confirmation and the brunette gave a silent nod. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Alright. Follow me, I'm parked out front."

When they opened the front doors of the bar, it was pouring rain outside. Claps of thunder sounded throughout the town and they hustled over to Korsak's vehicle and climbed in.

The older man spoke to the front desk of the motel and was able to book them a room for the night, no charge. He jogged back over to his car where Jane and Maura were waiting and climbed back into the driver's seat. Korsak turned to the two women in the backseat and handed Maura the room key. "You're all set."

"Thank you, Vince."

"You're welcome. Now, I'll have Jeremy pick you guys up at 5:30 in the morning. Take off is at 6."

Maura glanced at the silent brunette before turning back to Korsak. "We'll be there Vince, thank you," Maura said.

The man smiled softly and nodded his head. Maura looked at Jane who had not said much since the bar incident. "Are you ready, Jane? We have our room."

The brunette looked into Maura's eyes and nodded. They got out of the car and hurried to their room, getting even more wet from the downpour. The blonde quickly opened the door and they were soon inside. Maura clicked on the light and Jane made a b-line for the bed. She shrugged off her jacket before flopping down onto her back.

Maura stared at her, slightly worried. "Jane? Are you okay? You haven't said much since we left the bar."

Jane released a heavy breath. "I don't know… I… I didn't mean to lose it like that in the bar."

Maura lowered her eyes. She was surprised to see that side of Jane in the bar. Her eyes... Jane's brown eyes were so haunted. "You were only protecting me," Maura softly said.

"That guy had no right to treat you that way."

"It's fine, Jane. It's over."

"When I saw him come after you, I just…" she sighed and placed her forearm on her forehead. "I saw red. I didn't know what I was doing." Jane scrubbed her face with both her hands. "I just don't want anyone hurting you, that's all," she mumbled.

There was a long stretch of silence until Maura's soft voice broke in. "Jane."

"Yea," the brunette tiredly replied, still staring at the ceiling.

"Jane."

Maura's voice sounded different; almost commanding. The brunette's eyes finally shifted towards the blonde and she saw her leaning on the door frame to the restroom. The first few buttons on the front of the flower dress had been undone and a teasing sight of a lacy black bra could be seen. Jane slowly sat up on her elbows, staring at the blonde. Maura's hair was slightly damp, along with the dress and she was now barefoot. The lone glow of the motel lamp made her skin look alluring and her hands teased the next button on her dress.

They looked into each other's eyes as that silent draw towards one another grew stronger. The blonde's hazel eyes became darker by the second. "Can you come over here?" Maura softly asked.

A/N: Yes, I stopped there. But you know I always want you guys wanting more. I'm sorry again for not updating in so long. I hope it wasn't a 'big turn off.' But I know how frustrating that can be, being a fellow reader myself. I'm sorry... it was unintentional.