Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.

~ the crane ~

The warehouse. Some time past noon.

Footsteps on the stairs leading up to Chance's living-quarters.

Click-clack high heels footsteps.

Pissed off click-clack high heels footsteps.

They came to a halt in front of the couch in his living-room.

"I know you're not sleeping."

Chance opened his eyes half-way, blinked a few times, furrowed his eye brows in puppy manner and gave Ilsa his most seemingly innocent smile.

She was having none of it. "Oh, cut the crap."

"What makes you think I wasn't sleeping?"

She so wanted to wipe the smirk off his face. "Because nobody can sleep with this kind of ruckus going on downstairs!"

"NO! We've got to join the parts A5 and Z7 first!" Winston's voice.

"We can't join them! You need oval head woodscrews for that, and these are lag screws!" Guerrero's voice.

"According to this manual, the first step to…"

"Listen, "first step", whom do you believe more, a crappy instruction translated from Chinese by google translator or…"

"Parts A5 and Z7 have to be…"

Chance, laying sprawled on the couch like a contented cat, stretched out his limbs. "It was your idea to buy a new desk and let them set it up."

"You scanned the installation manual last night after the desk's parts were delivered, changed its text with photoshop and swapped it with the original one. But you didn't stop there. You also swapped the screws to make absolutely sure they'd start arguing!

Chance tilted his head. A broad grin spread across his face. Blue eyes sparkled up to her. "Why in the world should I do that?"

"Because you're bored! Nothing is exploding, no building to jump from, you're going stir-crazy. Where's the original manual?"

He spread his palms in a gesture of complete innocence. "I have no idea."

"I can't work with the two constantly going at each other's throats!" Ilsa spotted the corner of a piece of paper underneath his back. She lunged forward and grabbed it. Chance shifted, pinned the paper and part of Ilsa's hand with his full weight. Ilsa didn't want to let go and kept pulling.

That's pretty much the situation in which Winston found the two.

All three of them froze.

Ilsa jumped backwards. "You planned all of this!"

Rolling with barely suppressed laughter, Chance shook his head.

"If you two are finished, there's a message from Emma Barnes just come in."

Chance cocked his eyebrows. Something to do? Finally?

"She wants you to take a look at this." Winston handed him the printout of a surveillance cam still, apparently from an airport. It showed a Bob Marley type of man, but with more beard.

Is it him?, said the message Emma had added to the photo.

Chance's expression darkened. All signs of playfulness disappeared as he slowly studied every feature of the man.

"Call her", he finally told Winston after staring at the picture for a full minute. "Tell her she's right." He got up.

"It's Baptiste."

A/N: A big thank you to tree979 who helped with the couch part! *ducks again and hides under furniture*