Action
Sorry I had to introduce poor Sam just to have him killed. I'm not that kind of girl. Oh wait... I'm exactly that kind of girl! Also, his chapter is called Action because the Team is deciding what to do... and we may see some A&A action.
"Thank God your both alright." Eames was saying. It was evening when the Point Man and the Architect had returned to the hotel in defeat. Arthur had wanted a lovely day out with his Lady. He wanted to make love to her, take her out to eat, show her his favorite haunts. Instead, after he broke the news to her of Sam, they wanted nothing more then to call the Team and return to the safety of their friends.
"Who was he?" Cobb asked.
"Took some work, but he admitted that he works for Edwards." Arthur said sitting down in a comfortable chair. He felt exhausted. "As far as the police were concerned, he broke his fingers in the fight." Arthur added sharply. Ariadne had retreated with Sybil and Yori to a bedroom. Hecate stood in the other room. Not apart of the Team, and still with them. Eames had poured his friend some scotch in ice and handed it to the Point Man. Arthur nodded and gently sipped it before rubbing the cool glass on his head. He almost never drank. It wasn't his or Ariadne's style. But Forger knew the Point Man needed to relax.
"Edwards knows were here." Cobb said. Saito stood.
"I'm alerting hotel security and engaging a privet guard." The business man said. Cobb nodded. "Cobb," Saito added sadly "Perhaps you should contact the people who are with the Children." Cobb followed Saito out of the room to make calls necessary to protect their families.
"I'm sorry this happened." Hecate said leaving her isolation. Arthur cut her a hard look.
"Just tell me were close to getting this guy." The Point Man.
It was nearly midnight before everyone could gather in the now crowded hotel suite. With Cobb and Braker's team, as well as Satio and Yori, there were thirteen of them. When Hecate had told Braker what happened in Arthur's home, the Australian (ever friendly) had given her a warm hug. Whispered she had made it though worse, that Edwards didn't know who he were messing with. What fool would pick a fight with the Architect who could trap COBAL's extractor? Ariadne had cast an appreciative smile at the Australian. She seemed to take what he said to heart. Arthur could only fester. Braker had a natural way with Ariadne. He had never asked her about how close they were. He sensed it was platonic. Like her relationship with Cobb or Eames. But there was something special about their friendship. Braker had a wife (who divorced him after the PASIV-4 hospitalized him) and Ariadne had been his friend to talk to. Even if it was only email and the visit last year to Australia.
"Edwards sent an assassin to Arthur's home here in the city." Cobb told them. "We need to step up our extraction."
"As well as our possible Inception." Eames added from the window. The Forger looked down at the people walking, city that never sleeps. "We don't know what we may find in his mind."
"How many of us are going in?" Sybil asked.
"Your not." Cobb answered her. Sybil looked hurt. Cobb, sensing he didn't appreciate her skills, added "We need you outside as our control. The Team is large and Yori needs your experience in case something goes wrong."
"In case you have to go in like before." Yori added. Sybil seemed appeased by this.
"But that is not going to happen." Cobb said. "The Team is the Australians, Myself, Hecate, Eames, Arthur and Ariadne."
"Ten people all sharing the dream? Why so many?" Ariadne asked.
"CEO's are being taught by extractors to defend themselves." Braker told her. "We have to assume Edwards subconscious is like an army. My Team is trained for this kind of work."
"Looks like you have your work cut out for you." Cobb said nodding to her.
"I'm up for it." Ariadne said with a smile.
"You can work with our man Roy here." Braker said patting the short Australian Architect on the back. "He's rubbish, but better then nothing."
"How many levels?" Eames asked.
"Five." Hecate said. "There is no fear of Limbo now. We can use a sedative to stabilize each level."
"Five levels, will be very hard to sync a kick to. With Fischer and Browning, we were lucky." Arthur said, ever the pessimist.
"No, you were good." Hecate said. "All of you knew your jobs, understood the dream world and were able to work together. That is why COBAL was afraid. That is why Edwards sent a man after you. Because he is afraid."
"Arthur's right." Eames said turning away from the window. "We were lucky the past few times. We need to be very careful about how we bring ourselves back out again."
"We can use the music as a count down like before. We need to plan a simple kick on the top level, stronger, after each level down." Cobb said.
"Assuming this new compound works like in the experiments." Yori said "If you do drop into Limbo, you won't remember anything except the top six levels. Limbo will seem like a normal dream."
"If there is a problem, how do we bring you out from our end?" Sybil asked. "Go into the dream and shoot you in the head again?"
"The machine will activate with each passing dream level." Hecate told her.
"It will tell you how deep were in. Give readings for each of us. When you see one of us go off the grid, they will be in Limbo. That's your cue to stop treatment and bring them out." Cobb told her. "Only I have more experience in Limbo then you do." He admitted. "Your the perfect Control." Sybil finally smiled at this. She had a real job, a role in the Team.
"So when do we grab this Joker*?" Arthur asked
"We need to find that out. Research his life. Find out if and when he will have any dental or medical procedures. Any long flights." Braker told the Point Man. Eames nodded.
"Anything that will put him under." The Forger added. "We also need one more thing." The group all looked at him. Eames shrugged. "We need a simple little idea."
As dawn broke, everyone felt the drag of exhaustion over take them. The privet security guards had arrived. A burly group of former military men. The type who loved their work and who's hearts never left the structure of the armed forces. They were quick to install metal detectors, and stopped anyone from coming onto the floor. Even the maid's cart was stopped and searched. The maid told to leave. One of the guards even went to the store to provide the team with food and other necessitates, making room service unnecessary.
"It's nice what money can buy." Eames whispered to Cobb nodding at the guards.
Inside their privet suite, Arthur showered and tried to ignore the headache he felt coming on. Ariadne gave him a smile as he left the bathroom. The Teams had spent all night planning and now was the time to sleep. Arthur had no energy left in him and only put on pajama bottoms.
"Remind me never to drink again." He said crawling into their large clean bed. She laughed.
"So I guess a little loving is out the question?" She asked rubbing lotion on her arms. Arthur sat up and smiled.
"That's never out of the question. You know better then to ask." She stood up and shed the white Kimono robe she had bought in Japan, just last week, to reveal a transparent nightie.
"When... when did you pick that up?" He asked, his eyes wide. His hands moved under the covers. She smiled shyly at him.
"You know me." She explained. "Your not to tired are you?" She asked sweetly. He smiled and shook his head.
"Never." He said shifting under the covers as he removed his pajama bottoms. She climbed in the bed and knelt before him just out of arms reach. She could see his hand under the covers, working.
"Come here." He said looking at her body, totally nude under the sheer fabric.
"No." She said. He shifted slightly, looking angry.
"Are you being a tease again?" He accused. His breath coming in and out rapidly. "You know what happens to a tease."
"I know." She said with a smile. She moved her hand down between her legs, rubbing herself. She bit her lip slightly and she rocked gently on her own hand. Arthur tried to reach for her, but she was just out of his reach. He gasped working himself harder. Looking at his Lady, her exposed body, her lips, red from her biting, her big eyes looking at him, her hands moving, her hips rocking.
"Come here!" He barked. She smiled and shook her head. He had enough. With a mixture of anger and lust he seized her. Her breathing was rapid as he pulled her under him.
"What did I say was going to happen to a tease?" He huffed angrily moving his hand over her now exposed area, hot and wet from her own touch. She gasped and arched and he delved his fingers into her. Grinding his hand on her.
"Arthur." She breathed hotly. He was far to excited. She was to beautiful. He couldn't wait anymore to have her. Her body was wanting as he mounted and road her. He told her to keep her eyes open as he trusted harder. She was gasping and rocking with him as he suddenly came. Breathless and now truly exhausted, he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
*Joker, na na na na na na na na BATMAN!