Thank you, Castiel's drycleaner, for your support and for being an awesome Beta.
And thank you to my reviewers of Chapter 3: Riley Carbine, Deth Faenim, gottalovealoser, DeceptionsDance, Flashtabulor, SivanShemesh, and Thornangel. I love reading what you think about my story.
I know that you wanted to see what was happening with Jensen and Wolfe last chapter but I had to do Clay and Cougar first. You'll see why at the end of this chapter.
I'm sorry that this chapter is so long but I really wanted all of this in here.
Jensen's Petunia
Jensen followed Wolfe into the jungle to collect firewood for the campfire. The talented hacker was busy wondering what had just happened in the clearing that he did not realize Wolfe had stopped walking. He marched straight into Wolfe's back.
Wolfe knew that Jensen was not paying attention to where he was going and had stopped walking purposefully. The tall sniper dropped the wood he had collected and twisted so that he could catch Jensen in his beefy arms as the young man stumbled.
Jensen braced himself against Wolfe's chest and forearm as he straightened himself up. "Sorry Wolfe. Guess I wasn't paying attention."
Wolfe smiled at the blushing man. "It's okay Jensen. You probably just have a lot on your mind. Like usual."
The blonde hacker squinted his eyes as he contemplated the temporary sniper. "You seem to know an awful lot about us Wolfe. You know our names and what each of us does. I heard you mumbling under your breath. You said you'd like to see Roque 'try it'. Then you'd show him demolition. What did you mean? What did you want him to try? What do you want to demolish? What-"
"Jensen...Stop…Take a breath." Wolfe couldn't help but smile. The feeling of Jensen in his arms after he stopped the blonde from falling felt nice. Then the young man started his tirade and he couldn't believe how many words the boy could fit into a minute; without even having to take a breath. "Yes I do know a lot about your unit. Before coming here I was given your team's files and read thru them. I learned a lot about you and the others."
Wolfe sat down against one of the many trees. He motioned for Jensen to sit against the tree next to him and waited until the boy obeyed before continuing. "Clay's divorced with two children whom he never sees. Roque has anger management issues and his weapon of choice is a knife. His collection at home totals more than 640. Porteous prefers to be called Pooch and married Jolene seven months ago. Until he met her, he only had love for anything that contained an engine. Alvarez goes by Cougar and is the second best sniper in the world." Wolfe made sure he stressed the word second.
Jensen had paid close attention to Wolfe throughout the long explanation. He thought he heard a trace of derision as the other sniper spoke of Cougar but Jensen couldn't be sure. Then he realized that Wolfe hadn't said anything about him. "What did you learn about me?"
Wolfe had been waiting for Jensen to ask that question. "Well Jake," the other sniper captured Jensen's gaze. "I learned a lot about you. Your mother died due to complications during the birth of your little sister when you were five."
Jensen felt his eyebrows rise at that statement. He knew the military knew his parents were dead but he didn't realize that they would know his mom died during the labor of his sister. He heard Wolfe continue with the story of what he knew about Jensen.
"Your father was an abusive alcoholic who directed his anger towards you after your mother died. You protected your sister from him until he died from alcohol poisoning when you were seventeen."
There was no way that was in his file. Of course it was public knowledge that Carlisle Jensen died of alcohol poisoning in an X-rated movie house with his pants down around his ankles. He had found the police report accidentally one day while he was hacking just for the fun of it. Jensen had told himself that it was so he could keep his skills at the best of the best. Really it was because he liked breaking into supposedly secure places.
"You lied to the cops who told you of your father's death when you told them you were eighteen and that you would take care of your sister. They didn't care enough to check either. You took on two jobs in order to support the both of you."
Actually it was four jobs, one full-time and three part-time. But there was no way that the military would know that. The recruiter he signed up with barely asked him enough information for his dog-tags.
"At least until you realized that you had mad abilities with anything having to deal with a computer. Then you took jobs that would hone your skills. Your sister became pregnant when she was seventeen and the father bolted so you took on the responsibility of the baby as well."
Jensen realized that anyone could find that out. He signed the birth certificate as the father. The hospital didn't know he was actually the uncle so no one batted an eye. Even if they did know, he would have just told them that they were from West Virginia. (*** I mean no offense by this. My Aunt lives in WV and the people themselves joke about the inbreeding that goes on there. ***)
"A year after the baby was born you knew you needed to do something meaningful with your life that would make your sister proud so you decided to enlist in the military. You've been sending most of your pay home ever since you joined. At first it was to pay for your sister to go through a college nursing program. Now it goes to anything that your sister or your niece may need."
How the hell does he know all this? There isn't any damn way that all this is in my fucking file! Jensen was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. If he knew all this…
"Your sister is so proud of who you've become and loves your unit as if they were her extended family. She was a bridesmaid at Pooch and Jolene's wedding and visits Jolene whenever she can. She's been helping Jolene to adjust to the military life."
Jensen could only look at Wolfe in astonishment. It took the hacker a while but he's now aware that Wolfe didn't find out any of this from his military file. So where the hell did he get all this information? And if he knows this…oh God! Does he realize?
Wolfe was calmly watching the emotions cross over Jensen's face the entire time the caramel-skinned man was talking. Now he was ready for the million-dollar question that would tell Wolfe whether or not Jensen realized that Cougar had feelings for him. "There is one thing I don't get Jensen."
Jensen froze at those words. He could fell his heart stop as he waited for Wolfe to confirm that he knew Jensen's deepest, darkest secret. Please…
"Why is your sister listed as Cougar's next of kin?"
Oh no!
"Why would he ask your sister to do that? It doesn't make any sense to me." Wolfe watched Jensen carefully as he awaited Jensen's verbal response.
Oh thank you God. He doesn't know. Jensen could feel the tension drain from his body. He smiled at Wolfe in relief. "Cougs didn't ask Sarah to do that. Nope. She knew that Cougar didn't have anyone else and was worried about what would happen if something went wrong on one of our missions. So she became his next of kin. Then she worried that something might happen when we weren't on a mission. So she became his emergency contact and now has the ability to make decisions on his behalf if he is unable."
Jensen watched Wolfe closely to make sure that Wolfe bought that explanation. He should; the young hacker did tell him most of the truth. He just left out one tiny, yet extremely important, part.
Wolfe began smiling brightly. Good. The boy doesn't realize the Spaniard's feelings. He'll be putty in my hands. "Of course that explains it. Now it makes perfect sense. Your sister is a very caring person."
Jensen smiled back at Wolfe happy that his secret was still safe. Just in case, let's change our focus. "So tell me about yourself Wolfe? Where are you from? Who are your parents? Do you have anyone waiting back home? How did you become a sniper? Where did you-"
Wolfe began laughing. "Jensen, Jensen slow down. So I guess an hour's notice isn't enough time for you to be able to find out a whole lot about me huh?"
Jensen could only shake his head.
"How about this? I'll tell you about myself and when I'm done, if you have any questions, just ask. Okay?" After seeing Jensen nod Wolfe began telling his story. At least the one he thought would get him closer to Jensen.
"I was born in Cuba and raised there until my parents were murdered when I was seven." Wolfe took in the widening of Jensen's eyes and continued with his story. "Then I went to live with my Abuela, my Grandmother, in New Jersey. She lived in an apartment building not far from Fort Dix. She was fond of the soldiers there and used to make them great home-cooked meals. They looked out for her and when I moved in they began looking out for me too. They taught me how to take care of myself and my Abuela."
Wolfe could see that this story was in deed having an effect on Jensen. Good.
"When the soldiers discovered that I had a knack for rifle shooting they began grooming me for their sniper program. The day of my eighteenth birthday I enlisted and became the best sniper the base had ever seen." Definitely better than Carlos 'Cougar' Alvarez.
"I sent most of my pay home to my Abuela to use as she needed until she died when I was twenty." That's right Jensen. Eat this bullshit up. "I continued with the military until I was twenty-three. Then I was transferred to a special facility where I began training to become what I am today. I can't say any more than that otherwise I really would have to kill you." Wolfe smiled confidently at Jensen.
Jensen was quiet for ten seconds before the questions started. "Wait, you're Cuban? Wow. Did you lose your accent because you moved to Jersey?"
Before Jensen could utter the next question that was about to come out of his mouth, Wolfe answered his first ones. "Yes I'm Cuban. No I didn't lose my accent." Wolfe allowed his accent to emerge. "My Abuela herself had the same thick accent the day she died that she had when she first moved from Cuba. When I joined the…special facility they trained me to hide my accent and to even be able to mimic others so that I could fit in wherever I was needed."
All other questions flew out of Jensen's mind when he noticed Wolfe fingering the chain beneath his clothes. He had actually been doing that quite a bit. "What's with the chain?"
Finally! Wolfe had been waiting for Jensen to notice and to ask about the chain. This was the part of the story that would lead Wolfe to being victorious over Cougar. He would have Jensen first.
Wolfe plastered what he hoped was a bittersweet smile on his face and really started to lay it on thick. "This chain," he began as he removed it from its hiding place behind his shirt, "holds the only connection I have left to my Rafi."
Jensen didn't quite hide his astonishment at the sound of a man's name passing over Wolfe's lips.
Wolfe pressed on. "I had never thought of myself as being gay before I met Rafi. When I met him, everything changed. It was as if I were coming alive for the first time in my life. When we were together the sun was brighter, the air was clearer, life was great. Then, Rafi died. The sun's rays died, the air suffocated me, life was…meaningless. From that day on I lived for my job. When I wasn't working I slept. As long as I didn't have to think or feel I was able to function. I never thought I would feel that way again."
Wolfe reached over and took Jensen's hand in his. "Then I saw your file. And I started to feel all those old feelings that I used to get with Rafi. I knew then that I had to know you. So I found out all I could about you, came here, saw you, and all those old feelings just kept growing stronger. I think I need you more than I needed Rafi, mi hermosa rubia hacker." (my beautiful blond hacker)
For the second time in his life, the first being the birth of his niece, Jake Jensen was speechless. Although that could have been a result of the shock he was currently suffering. All he could do was stare at his hand in Wolfe's and wonder how it got there.
This can't be happening. This CAN'T be happening. This isn't right.
Wolfe began leaning closer to Jensen. He was six inches from Jensen's face when the confused hacker realized that he was moving in for a kiss.
NO! NOT HIM!
Jensen jumped up and backed away from Wolfe. He reflexively stopped when his back hit a tree. The stunned blonde kept shaking his head back and forth as Wolfe followed him to the tree.
Before Wolfe could move within two feet of Jensen he stopped when an immovable wall made from a very furious Cougar blocked his path.
Cougar could barely contain his rage. His hands were tight, white fists at his sides. Before he did something that could endanger his team on this next mission, Cougar took a deep breath and snarled, "Take the firewood to Clay."
Wolfe smiled at Cougar, gathered the wood and walked back in the direction of the campsite. Soon Cougar. Your hacker will soon be mine.
Cougar watched Wolfe until the man was out of sight. He listened to make sure that the temporary sniper was still heading in the direction of the campsite and that he did not stop. When he was sure that they would not be overheard, Cougar turned to face Jensen.
Jensen still looked to be in a state of shock. The poor boy hadn't moved in the past three minutes.
Cougar felt himself calming as he watched Jensen. The boy was fine and mostly untouched. Gilipollas asquerosa, cómo él atreve toque Jensen. (Filthy asshole, how dare he touch Jensen.)
Jensen could feel himself returning to normal. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to figure out what he was going to say to Cougar. "Look, Cougs-"
Cougar stepped forward until just a few inches of space remained between him and Jensen. "Jensen," Cougar inhaled deeply, held it in for ten seconds and then released it. "Jensen, I need to tell you something."
TBC in Chapter 5.
