Paz heard it before he saw it. He forced his eyes open, blinking away the fogginess of a deep sleep. What had happened? Cross…Sam and his fingers…soup…she laced the soup with pain meds! Groaning, he went to turn on the bed, but cold metal bit into his skin. His eyes snapped clear and he jerked into a sitting position. He was handcuffed to the wrought iron bed frame.
There.
That noise again. It was coming from the room. He turned to look behind him and nearly crumpled in defeat. "No."
Sam sat in one of her kitchen chairs, bound and gagged. Tears streamed from her eyes as she watched Paz struggle to get free. They had handcuffed his hand with his injured arm and every pull and yank was agony. He heard footsteps in the hall and then several men entered the room. One was Noah Vosen…the other was Eric Byer. One led the hunt for Bourne, for him…the other he was guessing, was for Cross.
"What are you doing?" Paz asked, looking over at Sam.
Byer clucked, the smug look on his face making Paz's blood boil. "Noah told me his assets were causing as much trouble as mine. Looks like he was quite right. However, this young lady played right into our hands. Though we know you just met her, it seems like there are some…feelings toward each other. Am I right?"
Paz didn't acknowledge him. "Why didn't you just kill me?"
Vosen barked. "We have it on good authority that another asset has seen you recently. We want to know who and why. But we know that no amount of torture we can give you will work in making you talk. So we decided to use her."
Sam screamed behind her gag, her eyes wide and red. She pleaded with Paz to help.
"She doesn't know anything."
Byer laughed. "She doesn't need to." He motioned to the hallway and two large men came in. One pulled out a syringe, checked the dose and then plunged it into the side of her neck. The other unlocked Sam's handcuffs and moved to her feet. Sam slumped slightly in the chair, but she was still conscious.
"Paz. I-I can't…can't move…anything!" She cried.
"Vosen, let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" He strained against the cuffs, the metal cutting into his wrist.
Vosen smirked. "She can leave when we get our information." He jerked his head to the men and they pulled her from the room.
Paz sat back on the bed and watched the two men for minutes. But when he heard the whimper from the other room, he jackknifed into an alert position once more. A minute later, a small cry. Many minutes after that, he heard her scream, "Paz!"
Byer looked over at Paz. "Sounds like the drugs are wearing off."
Paz gritted his teeth. "What do you want to know!?" He gasped as another cry sounded.
"The asset. Who was it?" Byer hissed.
"Cross."
He straightened. "What did he want? Where was he headed?"
Paz shook his head. "He didn't say. He thought I needed help…"
Vosen smirked. "Seems that you do." Another whimper, but they were getting fainter. He turned to Byer who nodded, then moved to the other room by the men. He heard him say to the men, "He gave us all he knows. Eliminate him and the woman."
Paz strained against his cuffs. Byer glanced at him once more before walking from the room and slamming the door. "VOSEN! VOSEN she has nothing to do with this!" He continued to pull against the cuffs, when he heard a thud in the hallway. His first thought was that they had done it. They killed Sam. He sagged against the bed, sliding to the floor. Seconds later, he heard another thud. He stood, looking towards the door in confusion. When it slammed open, he tried not to look stunned.
"Cross?" Paz gasped.
Aaron Cross hurried over to Paz and glanced at the situation. "Lean away." He raised the gun in his hand and fired at the link in the cuffs. One link gave and Paz surged from the room. "Paz, don't go in there. She's-"
Paz burst into the guest bedroom and stopped short. The two agents lay dead on the floor, but that's not what caused him to stop. Sam lay splayed out on the bed, blood soaking the sheets around her. Her shirt was shredded in pieces around the room, her torso bare for anyone to see. And she was covered in deep slices, her skin cut in such a way to cause the most pain. He hurried to the bed and carefully felt for a pulse. He didn't need to. Sam blinked her eyes open and stared.
"Paz…I hurt." She whispered.
Paz's anger surged. "I know, baby. I'll make it better, but I need to pick you up, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer and instead lifted her gently in his arms. His shoulder and fingers screamed in protest, but who cared? He turned and stalked into the hallway, coming face to face with Cross who looked shocked to see Sam breathing.
"I thought she was-" Cross started, but Paz cut him off.
"She's not. Not yet. We need to get her out of here. We need help." Paz started to leave the home, Cross following close behind.
"Paz, wait. Here." Cross shrugged out of his jacket and gently placed it over Sam's broken body. Blood dripped in tiny rivulets onto the hardwood floor. "I brought a car." He turned, weapon in hand, and made for the back door. Like the professional he was, Cross made sure the area was secure before motioning for Paz to follow. He led him over to a plain forest green SUV. An older model that many in the city drive. Paz knew the plates would check out, even if the vehicle was stolen.
Cross opened the back door for Paz and waited anxiously as he placed Sam gently on the seat. He quickly ran around and slid into the driver's seat, starting the car and hurriedly backing from the parking spot.
Paz peeled Cross' jacket away from Sam's chest and stared in horror. There was so much blood. He had been tortured, shot, attacked and beaten. He knew the pain she must be in. But even he had never been so viciously mutilated before. Sam's breathing was shallow and shock was setting in rapidly. He placed the jacket back and looked up, catching Cross' gaze in the rearview mirror.
"I never ask for help. It's always just me." He gazed down at Sam. "But she risked a lot to help me, as did you. So please, help me get her safe. Help. Me."
Cross stared and then his head jerked in acknowledgement. "I have an idea. We'll get her the help she needs."
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They pulled into the lot of a hospital. Paz was looking around, wondering what the hell Cross was thinking. "Cross…"
"I know what I'm doing. Just trust me." He pulled into a drive around from the main doors. It looked like an employee entrance, but people still filtered in and out. Cross threw the car in park and shut it off. "When you see me by the door, bring her in." Without another word, he slid from the car and hurried inside.
Paz waited, watching the door closely. It seemed like hours, but at last he saw Cross appear by the doorway. Paz gathered Sam in his arms and hurried her inside. He turned the corner and nearly barreled into a doctor in scrubs. He was standing stiffly, his hands slightly turned out. Jesus. Cross had the man at gun point in a crowded hospital. He watched as Cross placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder and the man tensed.
"Come on, Doc. We need your expertise." He leaned towards the doctor, "And make one move to alert someone, and you won't like what happens." The doctor nodded and started down the hallway. He pushed through a set of double doors, and then angrily jerked open the door to a dark room. He flipped on the lights and then turned to the men.
"What the hell do you want? One of your buddies get shot while you were robbing a bank?" He snapped.
Paz fumed. He gently laid Sam on the exam table and then peeled away the jacket that was covering her body. Her face had been turned into his chest when they were walking and he suddenly missed the warmth of her breath on his pec. He heard the doctor gasp from a few feet away. "Fix her."
The doctor staggered forward and hovered hands over Sam's body. "Oh my god. What happened?"
Cross tucked his gun into the back of his jeans and straightened. "Nothing that concerns you. But the injuries were caused by knives."
"Was she-was she…awake when this happened?" He whispered.
Paz looked him in the eye. "Yes. Shock has set in. She needs help fast."
"No, you don't understand. I get that-" He turned back and forth, looking between the two men.
"Just help her!" Paz hissed.
Cross drew his gun, "If you won't, we can find someone who will."
"I know her!" The doctor shouted. Both men froze. "I know her. She and I work together here. We're both trauma surgeons."
Paz grabbed the doctor by the front of his scrubs, "If you know her, then you better damn well fix her. She is dying right now, because some asshole decided to use her for his gain. So, suck it up, and fix. Her."
The doctor nodded and hurried forward. He leaned against the table and took several deep breaths. When he opened his eyes, his body was poised for action, his eyes clear and focused. "Sam. Sam, I need you to wake up. Sam!"
Paz watched as her eyes flickered open. He breathed a sigh of relief, even though he cringed from the effort it took.
"M-Mark?" She whispered.
He smiled. "Yeah, Sam. It's me." Her eyes started to close. "No, no, no. Sam, I need you to stay awake for a minute, okay? You know how important it is to stay awake. You're in shock, but I need to ask one thing of you."
Her eyes snapped open. "Paz! I need to find-" She started struggling to sit up.
Paz placed a hand on her shoulder and gently forced her down. "I'm here. I'm fine. Listen to Mark, okay?"
She nodded and her half-lidded gaze shifted back to Mark. He stopped smiling. "I have to ask, Sam. The people that did this to you…did they rape you?"
Paz and Cross straightened immediately awaiting her answer. She shook her head slowly and they both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay. I'm going to give you a sedative and then stitch you up. Don't fight it, honey, okay?" She nodded, her eyes closing once more. Mark barked several orders to Cross, who gathered what the doctor needed. Soon, Sam had an IV drip going, sedative and pain meds on board, and Mark was stitching up her torso with methodical precision.
It took several hours, much reassurance, multiple bags of saline and vials of pain meds, before Mark was done. Bandages crisscrossed Sam's body in a mummy-like appearance. Blood covered the exam table and much of Mark's scrubs. Gloves lay scattered on the floor, empty vials strewn haphazardly amongst them. But she was breathing.
Mark pulled off his final pair of gloves, flung them in the trash and then slammed his hands on the sink. "Someone want to tell me what the FUCK happened?" Cross and Paz exchanged glances and Mark noticed the by-play. "No. No more of this secret agent bullshit! That woman is my friend. My friend! And you two idiots bring her in here cut to ribbons and near death. What the hell happened?!"
Paz stroked the hair behind Sam's ear. "She tried to help me. And then they used her against me." He looked at Mark with intensity. "The people who did this, they don't care who is in the way." He paused. "If anyone comes here, you don't know anything. You never saw us. She was never here."
Mark nodded. He turned and rifled through a cabinet, pulling out several different items. Paz and Cross watched stoically, until he tossed them all in a hazardous waste bag and handed it to Paz. "Bandages, pain meds, antibiotics. The dressings need to be changed at least twice a day. Antibiotics need to be taken three times a day. Pain meds, as needed." He looked at Cross. "I expect you know the dosage." Cross nodded. "Keep her safe. Please. There's a side exit when you leave the room on your left. It's marked as an emergency exit, but the alarm hasn't been fixed yet. Use it."
Cross nodded his thanks and went to check the exit. Paz strode over to the doctor and held out his hand. Mark glanced at him before taking it in a firm grip. "Thank you for helping her."
Mark shook his head. "Man, I don't know who the hell you are or what you got yourself into, but your ways need to change if you want to keep her safe." He glanced at Paz's wrist. "And you might want to conceal that somewhat. Not sure how many people are going to be okay with you after seeing a handcuff dangling from your wrist."
Paz nodded. "I plan on changing something. And I'll get the cuff taken care of. Thanks again, Doc." He turned and scooped Sam up, following Cross out of the doorway and out into the beginning of the morning light.