Chapter 6

When he first saw the woman climbing over the twisted metal and concrete, Myles thought he was seeing things. The chills coursing through his body told him that shock was already setting in, so he couldn't tell anymore what was real and what wasn't. Hearing the distinctive Texas drawl that had grated on her nerves for so long when she slipped down the other side of the mound and landed hard on the ground, he knew he wasn't dreaming.

Hannah, Myles thought with a low groan, closing his eyes against the waves of pain that continued to shoot through him. Well, at least I can still feel everything, he moaned wearily, not wanting to think about the possibility of being stuck down here with that woman indefinitely.

"Myles!" Her voice sounded as if she was right on top of him.

"What!" His eyes jerked opened, expecting her to be looking down at him. Instead, Hannah was on her toes, peering over the pile of rock as if she was looking for something. That is, she was until Myles' sharp response had her jerking backwards, tumbling down the debris toward him as her hands scraped along the jagged concrete trying to catch hold.

"Ow," Myles groaned as she landed across his chest, the impact jarring the rest of his body still trapped under the debris. "What are you doing?" he grunted as he used his free hand to push her off him.

"Looking for you," Hannah snapped awkwardly as she pulled herself off him. Her soft brunette hair that was piled so neatly on her head now hung in disarray around her face, shielding her expression from him.

"Well, I believe you found me," Myles moaned. "Great investigative work," he bit disdainfully, the pain in his legs and back excruciating.

"Ah, sorry, but if you wouldn't have yelled, I wouldn't have fallen," Hannah murmured as she continued to look away from him.

"I'm less than five feet from you. How hard could it have been to look down?" Myles questioned sarcastically. What is she looking at? he wondered, trying to see what had her attention.

"We need to get out of here. Are you hurt?" Hannah whispered, twisting her fingers together in front of her.

"Am I hurt?" Myles repeated mockingly. "Well, I think that's apparent!" he shouted at her, looking down at his trapped limbs.

"What do you mean?" Hannah questioned, her head snapping back around towards the sound of his voice.

"I mean the pile of bricks on my legs should have been a clue, Special Agent Starr!" Myles barked without looking up. "You are part of a F.B.I. surveillance team. If you didn't see them, maybe you need to think about a transfer!"

"Actually, no, I didn't see them, Mr. High and Mighty Myles Leland the Third! I haven't seen much of anything since I woke up after the explosion, Mr. Know-It-All Special Agent," Hannah shouted, her anger boiling over.

Even with all their arguments, Myles had never seen her loose her temper, so this change in behavior surprised him. Looking up, whatever retort he had in mind died on his lips as he saw her face.

For the first time since Hannah had come crawling over the rubble, Myles took the time to look at her, really look at her. Her elegant purple evening gown, which he'd overheard her telling Sue and Lucy made her feel like royalty, was ruined with soot and dirt, not to mention numerous tears. One broad strap held on precariously by only a few thin threads.

The skin that was exposed didn't appear too bad at first glance, until Myles looked closer. Small jagged cuts and scrapes littered her arms and shoulders from where Hannah must have been hit by broken glass or fallen debris. Nothing appeared serious, only a few of which might even require stitches.

However, that wasn't what concerned him the most when Myles finally took the time to study her in the dim light. Hannah's face was one massive bruise, extending from one cheek up across her nose and other cheek into her hairline behind her left ear, as if she'd impacted with a brick wall. Or one impacted with her, Myles thought wryly glance at the ruins that was once a basement around them.

"I had no idea," Myles whispered, his voice calm and soothing almost sounding unnatural, even to his own ears. Though Hannah continued to glare in his general direction, he could see the fear mixed in with the anger she felt for him silhouetted in the red pools of her bloodstained eyes.

Whatever caused that bruise must have burst some blood vessels behind her eyes, Myles thought, reaching out to take her hand with his good one. He hoped it wasn't anything serious, but knowing she couldn't see had him worried.

"Are you okay?" he asked, using her hand to tug her towards him so he could see her face clearer in the shadowy basement.

"I'm fine," Hannah snapped, pulling her hand back, scorn still heavy in her voice. "I just don't know how I'm gonna get you out of here," she mused, slightly irritated as she reach towards the debris trying to determine what she had to do.

Always in charge, Myles rolled his eyes, recalling many of their fights as she continued to feel across the pile of rocks and concrete around him.

"It's no use," Myles informed her quietly, watching her closely. "There's just too much for you to move."

"Maybe if I move it one piece at a time," Hannah murmured almost to herself.

Obviously, the blow to her head affected her hearing too, Myles groaned as she started pulling debris off the pile setting it behind her. Well, if anyone is stubborn enough to do this, it would be her, he laid his head back closing his eyes again.

"How did you find me?" Myles asked, hoping to get her mind on something else before she hurt herself. Opening his eyes, he watched her struggle with a large block of concrete. Despite his own situation, his heart went out to her wishing there was something more he could do.

"Listening and feeling around, I guess," Hannah shrugged, her fingers going nervously through her hair as she spoke. "If you wouldn't have said something, I probably would still be wondering around," she admitted, almost bashfully.

Somehow I seriously doubt that, Myles thought. One thing working with Sue as well as Tara and Lucy had taught him was not to underestimate the strength of a woman when she sets her mind to something. More importantly, even though it had been a tough lesson for him at times, he'd learned that barriers were only obstacles if the person lets them be.

"How far did you come when you were looking for me?" Myles asked suddenly, realizing she may have stumbled across something that could help them without even knowing it. "Did you hear any rescuers? Did you find anyone else that might be able to help us?" he prodded, instinctively going into interrogation mode.

"If I did, do you think I'd be here doing this by myself?" Hannah snapped as she heaved another couple of bricks off the pile.

"I know that," Myles retorted, glaring at her. Why did she always have to be so obstinate? he wondered. "But you might have missed something," he insisted.

"Thank you, Myles!" Hannah scoffed sarcastically, her hands going to her hips in disgust. "I was hoping that, considering the situation we're in, you wouldn't continually bring up what you see as my incompetence as an agent, but I guess that's just too much to ask!"

"That's not…." Myles stammered, but she pushed on as if she didn't hear him.

"I know you haven't thought too highly of me, and considering how we met, I guess that's understandable," Hannah's voice faltered a bit. Myles wondered if she was reminded of the 'unconventional' way they'd met, too. "But I'm trying. Finding my way around down here wasn't exactly a walk in the park, not being able to see where I'm going or what's around me," she continued.

"That's understandable," Myles murmured, but again she ignored his remarks.

"And I'll have you know, Mr. Myles Leland the Third, I'm a tad claustrophobic, so the last thing on my mind was searching for clues or whatever, like you must think every 'good' agent would have done," Hannah bit off angrily. "I did my best to get here and I'm going to do my best to take care of the situation until help arrives."

"I can see that," Myles snipped.

"Now, if you don't mind, my head feels like its going to explode, so I'd really like to get back to work on this pile WITHOUT all the unnecessary questioning and second guessing," Hannah quipped as she reach back into the pile.

Grabbing another rock, Hannah picked it up and angrily chucked it to the side. She was just reaching for another when a loud clink and a menacing hiss filled the air.

"What was that?" Hannah asked with a slight tinge of panic in her voice.

"Oh, I can talk now," Myles jibed as he lifted his head to look in the direction of the hiss.

"Myles!"

"Uh, that would appear to be the gas line you just knocked off the wall with that pitch, Agent Starr," Myles retorted somewhat sarcastically, his eyes widening in worry.

This woman really is trying to kill me, Myles groaned as he listened to the colorless gas escaping.

"That can't be good," Hannah moaned.

"You think?" he snipped curtly. How long did they have before it would choke them out? Myles wondered, looking around the small area they were enclosed in. There's got to be something I can do, he thought. But what?