Dangerous Mine:
Chapter 10: Duty And Loyalty
Author's Note: I do love these characters.
—
"You made it an hour," Vin said flatly.
"An hour and four minutes if we're going to be precise," Sam countered. "And you know they're likely to crucify me for even waiting that long. Only reason I did was because your happy ass fell back to sleep. The team would skin me alive if they thought I was keeping it from them. Hell, they still might."
The sharpshooter might have grinned, but his face was still six kinds of swollen. Even a quirk of his lips hurt. "Doc give you any clue when I might be getting out of here?" He asked.
"You've been back in the world of the living for like two hours and you're already asking that?" One coppery eyebrow shot upward. "Think you may need to slow your roll there just a bit."
"Says the woman that signed out AMA when she was here," he observed dryly.
Exasperated, she plunked down on the chair next to his hospital bed, one leg folding beneath her. "Two things. One, I did not have the luxury of the federal government footing my tab. And second," she shot him what she hoped was a withering look, "I did not have a literal BUILDING dropped on me. Besides, I went home and immediately had my apartment blown up so," she raised her hands, palms up, "maybe not the smartest decision on my part."
Vin grunted, then immediately grimaced. "You'd do it again."
"I would absolutely do it again," she agreed without waiting so much as a breath to consider, nodding. "I hate hospitals. But I also didn't have six clucking mother hens worrying about me I needed to answer to. I can only imagine Chris' face if you walked," she cast a sideways eye at his leg and corrected herself, "crutched out of here."
The sharpshooter snorted. "Course you did. Damn Sammy, we may all have been pretty pissed at you leavin, don't mean we stopped carin. Otherwise we wouldn't still be pissed. You're one of us, like it or not. Course," his eyes twinkled, "I do squarely blame you for Vanessa getting dropped in our laps. And Ezra's subsequent lapse of his friggin senses. That one may take me a bit longer to get over."
Sam chuckled while she used her thumb to wipe at the tears that had managed to pool in her eyes. "So you're really not a fan of hers either then I take it."
Vin lips twisted in a frown. "Can't put my finger on it exactly. Something about her just don't sit right with me."
"Fair enough. But what I don't get is how none of you knew!" she teased.
"I don't know if you ever noticed, but Ezra is real good at keeping things close to the vest. And frankly Sammy, it ain't any of us that Vanessa has reason to be green eyed about, where it might have tipped us off."
"Jealous?" She snorted. "That woman is a decorated agent that has my job, and looks like she walked out of a copy of a Victoria's Secret business collection magazine."
"That's… not a thing Sam," Vin chuckled, then immediately regretted it. "Damn it, don't make me laugh."
"Missing. The. Point." Sam rolled her eyes. "She's got less than zero reason to be jealous of me."
The sharpshooter shrugged. "Ez doesn't have a picture of her in his apartment," Vin pointed out.
"It's a picture of all of us," she corrected.
"Uh huh."
"Shut up Vin." The soft ping of her phone diverted Sam's attention briefly. She was still chuckling as she checked it. It felt good to banter, comfortable, like they used to. Maybe Chris was right, forgiveness wasn't off the table. "JD." She wagged the phone toward him before setting it face down back on the table. "Boys should be here in ten." She ran a hand through her loose copper hair, her teeth finding the flesh of her cheek. Forgiveness was possible, didn't mean she had to look forward to what went into it. Especially with Ezra, after their fight last night, that much was obvious.
—
To say that the nursing staff at Swedish Medical were unhappy with the barrage of men that crammed themselves into Vin's ICU room would have been putting it mildly. But it seemed Chris' patented dark stare had an effect on the general population as well as his own team. The nurses hovered just outside the door, but no one said a word.
Immediately, Nathan took Vin's chart, departing after a moment or two to go hunt down his doctor. Buck had brought along the office rubber chicken, though it's 'DO you feel pretty?' post it note had been replaced by a head bandage and leg cast he and JD had made out of some medical tape Nathan kept in his jump kit. JD brought Vin his Nintendo Switch, and promised to duel him later in Mario Kart. Josiah brought a couple hunting and survivalist magazines. Ezra brought him an old phone, as Vin's had been destroyed in the blast, with access to the southerner's spotify account.
"How you feeling?" Their black clad leader asked, once the others had said their hellos and offered up their gifts. "How's the leg?" He gestured at the now casted leg held slightly aloft. Vin had gone through surgery the day before to fix the compound fracture.
"Can't feel it yet much," Vin admitted. "Doc said the nerve block ain't worn off yet. Got a couple new screws for my trouble though. Gonna be setting off all kinds of alarms at DIA security now." Chris managed a thin smile. "Other than that though? Just itchin to get out of here."
"Yeah, pretty sure you're gonna have to suck it up for at least a few more days."
"Hell Vin, does the elevator in your building even work?" JD blurted out.
The sharpshooter shot the younger agent a withering look. As far as he was concerned, JD was the definition of not helping. "Sometimes," he drawled.
"And is this currently one of those times?" Chris questioned.
Vin squirmed a little beneath their leaders gray blue gaze. "No." He admitted grudgingly after a long moment. "I'd manage." Grumpy. Petulant. It eased Chris' worry more than a little.
"Then you're staying," Chris said, in his very much 'that's not a request' type tone.
"Two days," the younger man crossed his arms over his chest. The gesture might have had more of it's intended effect, but for the IV's and beeping heart monitors surrounding the sharpshooter that made him look small and frail.
"Seven."
"Three."
"Six" Chris was well aware that as much as they all hated hospitals, Vin's aversion was worse than most.
"Three," Vin tried again.
"Four." Chris growled, an edge of finality that brooked no further argument. It was as good an offer as the younger man was going to get. And one Chris hoped he might actually be able to stick to.
"Fine. Where we at with the case?" Change the subject, before Chris could recant on the four days. Take a win where he could get it.
From his perch on the arm of Sam's chair, Buck's face fell. "Not nearly close enough to putting that son of a bitch in the ground," he practically snarled.
"We have the estimable Josiah's profile, and a rather loose description courtesy of myself and Ms. Hunter," Ezra supplied. "But he's not leaving much in the way of clues, so we're rather dead in the water as they say."
"Then ya'll need to be not here," Vin said insistently. "Best thing you can do for me is catch that son of a bitch." None of the other men stirred, torn between duty and their loyalty.
"I'll stay with him," Sam volunteered.
"Well that's an astounding reassurance." Ezra's voice dripped with sarcasm that no one in the room missed.
There was no pretending the undercover agent's words didn't sting. They all saw the verbal blow reverberate over her face. Lips pressed tight together, Sam rose. "I'm gonna take a lap, I'll come back when you all head out," she said quietly. Hands stuffed in her pockets she walked out of the room.
Nathan passed her as she left, though he'd heard much of the exchange from the hall, where he'd been speaking to Vin's doctor. "Best thing for Vin now is more rest," he informed them. He hung the other man's chart back on it's space at the end of his bed. "That head wound you got was no joke." He started herding them out of the room, even though it was like herding cats. Cats with ADHD and authority issues. "You rest now, you hear? You're gonna sleep a lot, and that's okay. You need it."
"Yeah, yeah, not my first rodeo Nathan. Go. Go." Josiah, JD and Buck filed out. Nathan shortly behind.
Chris placed a hand on the sharpshooter's good leg. "We'll be back tonight," he informed him. "Tell Hunter to call me if there's even a breath of trouble."
"Will do pard." Chris nodded once, then left, Ezra on his heels. "Hold up a minute Ez." The southerner stopped, his back still to his friend. "Just wanna say thanks."
The words cast a bitter taste in Ezra's mouth. "For what exactly Mr. Tanner? Had I not let him get the drop on me, you would not be presently incapacitated in a hospital bed."
"Ain't your fault Ezra. And you need to get it out of your head that it is." Ezra's jaw clenched. He could have, should have, done more. The guilt sat heavy, no matter what Vin said. "I know that's why you're bitin Sam's head off, and it ain't fair either, no more than you beating up yourself. You hadn't come after me? You hadn't yelled that warning? I wouldn't be here at all. So thank you. And thank you for getting me out."
Ezra's chin dropped and he turned, flashing his friend a gold toothed smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'd say anytime, my friend, but I prefer to never repeat that particular performance."
"Me neither pard." The words were starting to come a little harder. Nathan was right, he was tired. "Now… lay off Sammy huh? She knows she screwed up. You gotta decide," the sharpshooter yawned heavily, "you gonna forgive her or not? You can't stay with one foot in that water forever."
"I'll give the matter some serious consideration," he promised. And he meant it. He just didn't know if he could do it. He thought he'd gotten past Hunter's abrupt exit from their lives, hell, he'd pretty well convinced himself he hadn't cared that much in the first place. And then, when she'd waltzed back in? He thought he'd gotten over it then too. Till the words came hot from his lips the night before. The undercover agent might have said something else, but Vin's eyes were shut, his breaths coming slow and steady. Ezra padded quietly out of the room. The others had already made their way out of the hospital wing. Ezra had driven over separately in his Jag. The solitude helped him clear his head. They all knew it, so they let him.
The soft click of heels on linoleum from the direction of the waiting room drew his attention. "Vanessa?"
The statuesque agent strode over quickly. "JD messaged me," she explained. "So it's true? Vin's awake?"
"It's true," he affirmed.
"Oh thank God." She blew out a deep breath. "That's got to be such a relief for you." Her hand found his forearm and squeezed.
Ezra's natural instinct recoiled from the show of softness, mostly, he realized, because it was tempting to lean into it. To let Vanessa be exactly what she wanted, lighthouse in a storm. "I'm a little surprised to see you here if I'm being honest." He kept the words light, careful.
"I'm mad at you Ezra, but I also care about you. Deeply." At that she slid her fingers down his arm until her hand found his. She squeezed it, taking a step closer to him. She brought her left hand to his face, her thumb gently stroking his cheek. "I know you well enough to know it's been weighing on you. Let me be here for you." She said softly. She was close enough to smell her perfume, feel the soft rush of her breath. Companionship. An easy rapport. Those things that had led Ezra to begin the relationship with Vanessa in the first place, before the veritable napalm that was Hunter had exploded back into his life. Before house bombs and fingernails and viral murder videos and teeth.
He stayed there a long moment, her lips hovering tantalizingly close to his own. Then he stepped back, though he didn't release her hand. "It seems to me, the fundamental issues with our relationship have not come to a resolution." It was still wrong. It still wasn't love. He knew it, but in the moment it was hard to care.
"We can deal with all that later," she assured. "Or we don't. I'm not asking for anything, this isn't the time. But let me be here for you now." She stepped back into his space, and this time he didn't retreat. Her lips brushed tentatively over his. Indecision be damned. Consequences be damned. He could deal with it later. He just wanted to feel something good, something other than the guilt that Vin's own assurances couldn't wash away. He drew her closer, deepening the kiss for a moment before drawing her into an embrace. They were in public after all.
Vanessa let her body curve against the other agent's. Across Ezra's shoulder she could see Vin Tanner's room, and Samantha Hunter rigid outside the door, watching them. Ruby red lips curled in a nasty smile. Mine, she thought, and there's nothing you can do about it.
—
The men of Team 7 trod back into Denver's Swedish Medical after 7 that evening. Despite their lingering relief that Vin had woken, the day had been long. And fruitless. JD's algorithm to find men that fit both Ezra's description and Josiah's profile had yielded over four hundred results. A narrower field, to be certain, but not narrow enough to be particularly helpful. And as Nathan had pointed out at one moment, this was only the list of men who fit every aspect of the profile, not those that hit just some, or even most. Shoulders slumped. Heads hung. Dejection hung around them like a pall. The entire day had been a bust, and the only thing each and every one wanted to do was head back to the hospital. One night shift nurse moved to intercept them, but one of the other's stopped her with a shake of her head. Ezra walked at the back of the group, Vanessa near his shoulder.
The men of Team 7 entered the small, sterile hospital room to find it transformed since they'd left it that morning. Vin was propped up in his bed, face brighter than it had been earlier, chatting with Mary and Inez, the 7's longtime friend, and owner of their favorite bar, The Saloon. Inez was perched on the foot of the bed, next to Vin's good leg. "Hola!" she greeted them all with a bright smile. Mary rose from the chair next to Sam's, moving to Chris' side. The other's filed in behind the black clad leader, offering up hellos and warm embraces to both ladies. The women had brought a few balloons, a couple vases of flowers, and a small white teddy bear propped next to Vin with one arm in a sling, and the other draped over the shoulders of the office rubber chicken. A gift from JD's girlfriend Casey, who was away on an internship from school, but sent her love, Inez explained.
"Sam texted us this afternoon," Mary told Chris quietly as the others crowded the bed. "Hope you don't mind."
"Course not," he returned, unable to suppress the smile that pulled at his lips. "Vin's your friend too. I'm sure he's glad to see you." It was good to see both women. They could all use a morale boost. "I'm glad you're here," the Team leader said, voice customarily gruff, but still managed to be warm. Mary ducked her chin, a soft flush rising on her cheeks.
"Now," Inez stood from the bed, "for the surprise." She rounded the end of Vin's bed and stooped, rising with two large sheet pans in her arms, the tops covered in foil.
"Inez are those…" Buck began.
"Your enchiladas?" JD finished, face brightening.
The menu at the Saloon was generally limited to the typical bar fare. Fries. Burgers. Various items that could be deep friend and served with ranch. But a few times a year Inez joined her line cooks in the kitchen to turn out specials like her birria, mole, and her green chile enchiladas. Dark eyes twinkled as Inez nodded. "If I know you at all I know you've only been eating the likes of fast food and greasy take out," Inez scolded jokingly. "And I certainly won't let Vin eat what they serve here."
"Downright cruel of these ladies making a man in a hospital bed wait for the likes of you all to eat." Vin told them. "So let's eat!" Sam pulled out paper plates and disposable utensils from a bag and began to pass them around. Soon the noise level in the tiny room had dropped to a low buzz, despite bodies being crammed into every square inch, as everyone happily ate. They were whole again, fear for Vin's survival abated, and it was worth more than a little cheer. Vanessa left soon thereafter, with a couple thank yous to Mary and Inez, and a 'get well soon,' for Vin. Frankly, Chris was surprised she'd stayed as long as she had. She leaned close to Ezra on her way out, saying something only the undercover agent could here. Ezra frowned but nodded.
As the clocked ticked closer to 9, it became apparent Vin was tiring once more. Buck and JD collected plates from everyone in a garbage bag they'd found under the sink in Vin's bathroom. Mary stepped into the middle of the room and cleared her throat. "One other thing," she said, holding up her hands to gain their attention. "Inez and I both know it's not just good food you guys have been lacking. It's sleep. So go home. Inez and I will stay with Vin tonight."
A murmur rippled amongst the team. None wanted to be the first to accept. "Well what about the Saloon Inez?" Buck questioned. "You shouldn't just close down on account of us getting some shut eye."
Inez waved off his protest. "Lucia can handle the bar tonight." She named the young woman taking business classes at CU Denver that had been working at the Saloon for a little over six months. JD's girlfriend Casey, had first brought Lucia around to the Saloon, and she and Inez had hit it off right away. "It's good practice for her before I officially make her my assistant manager."
"And you must be needing to get home to Billy," Nathan said to the blonde journalist.
Mary shook her head. "He's staying at his grandparents tonight."
Ultimately, Vin made the decision for them. "Oh hell guys you know they're right. Go home. Sleep. So I can." THe chuckle, wince combo. Couldn't say it was his favorite. "You too Sammy, I don't care how bizarrely well you can fold yourself up in them chairs, you're gonna wind up with a permanent kink." Vin yawned. "Now git. I'll see ya'll tomorrow."
Begrudgingly, they trickled out while Mary lowered the angle of Vin's bed with the remote and Inez fussed with his pillows. Ezra and Sam were the last. The latter had her phone out, and was studiously avoiding eye contact. "What, pray tell, are you doing?" the southerner asked once they were out in the hall.
"Ordering an Uber."
He barely managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. "That is patently ridiculous Hunter. We're going to the same place. I can give you a ride."
She stopped in her tracks. "Are we?" Ezra opened his mouth to say something, but she leveled him with a look. No bullshit. She knew. Damn it.
"Where else but my domicile would I be heading?" He moved past her to the elevator bay, Hunter trailing in his wake.
"You really want me to answer that question?"
Ezra considered it for a moment, before hitting the button for the elevator, maybe slightly harder than strictly necessary. "No," he bit out. No, because if she did he might actually have to consider what he was doing. That he was battling himself between the lure of physical comfort, and the potential ramifications of his actions. That however he felt, that he was a solid 80% sure kissing Vanessa that morning had been a mistake. No matter what the other agent had claimed, Vanessa wanted something from him, and it wasn't something he could give.
"What are you doing Ez?" Hunter asked softly. "This ain't you."
Where was that damned elevator? He hit the button again, his temper flared. He hated that she had the nerve to say that to him, hated even more that she was right. And he really, really hated that it still mattered what she thought of him.
They made the drive to Ezra's Cherry Creek apartment in silence. Ezra kept his eyes locked forward, the muscles in his jaw in stark relief against his skin. Hunter kept her head turned away, gazing blankly out the passenger window as the city slipped past. Their muteness lasted through parking the Jag and the elevator ride up to his apartment. Inside, Ezra tossed his keys in the shallow dish on his kitchen counter and pulled out the expensive bottle of bourbon he'd been favoring as of late. Then he retrieved a tumbler from the cabinet above the sink. Briefly, he thought about grabbing two.
"I think," Hunter started slowly, her voice making his hand pause over the second glass. He looked back over his shoulder. She stood at the entrance to her room, fingers tapping on the doorframe. "I think, once Vin goes home, it would be best that I go stay with him." Her throat was tight as she said it, the words thick on her tongue. She hated that this is where they had gotten to. That she'd done so much damage. It wasn't fair to him that she stay, to be a constant thorn in his side, a reminder of her betrayal. Still, she wanted him to ask her to stay.
Ezra looked away, chin falling toward his chest and he gave the briefest nod. So this is what is had come to. His anger had chased her out. And despite knowing how many mistakes he'd made in his life, he couldn't seem to let go of hers to offer forgiveness. "Yes," he agreed, "that might be best." He missed the ripple of sorrow that slid over her features as his thumbs hooked beneath his counters, squeezing his hands till his knuckles were bloodless. He heard her door click shut. He considered the bourbon for another moment, then pushed the bottle away, put the tumbler back with a sigh and went to bed.
—-
It was Wednesday. A slow night at The Saloon. A few patrons lingered and the short, curvy Lucia had just made the announcement for last call. Two of the handful of customers that remained left. Dark eyes kept watch of her from beneath the brim of a low baseball cap, his beer more than half full, growing warm where it rested between his palms. Lucia hugged her servers, both young women in their 20s, and sent them home early. He'd seen her do it before.
It should have been the other one, Inez, but Lucia would do just fine. Since being hired, she'd made friends with every one of Larabee's team. Besides, the ATF Team leader had obviously pulled some strings, and managed to get police protection for Inez and a few others. It had meant adjusting his plan. Which was fine really, in the end, everyone associated with Team 7 was a sinner of some kind. And he would mete out God's justice. He sipped his beer, eyes flicking back and forth between the clock on the wall and Lucia. Not long now. After another few minutes he rose, leaving his half empty beer on the table.
A summer storm had rolled in over the foothills. The inky black night kaleidoscoped in a palette of blues and purples, as lightning flashed overhead between the clouds. Thunder rumbled while Lucia locked the back door. It was just past two, and she was ready to go home and crash for a few hours before her online summer class went live. It was only a short walk to her faded green Civic, parked beneath the bar lots one light, but she kept her keys poking through the fingers of her right hand fist just the same, her left lightly holding the can of mace she kept in her bag. She wasn't usually a nervous person, but something in the air had her skin crawling. Maybe it was the storm.
The headlights of the car flashed when she used the key fob to unlock it. Letting go of the mace, she reached for the door handle. She never even heard him, until he was too close for her to react. Two hands hit the center of her back, sending her flying into the side of her car. Instinctively, she threw her hands up to block the impact. Her keys dropped from her hand, and the impact still drove most of the air from her lungs. Her knees bucked as she sagged into the car. Lucia tried to spin, but one hand caught her right wrist, wrenching it up viciously behind her back. THe other grabbed the base of her hair. She cried out.
"You," the disembodied voice behind her snarled. "Are a purveyor of their sin. And now you'll answer for it." With a last yank of her hair, the man drove Lucia's face into the car frame. She crumpled, boneless, to the ground. Lightning flashed overhead, and the first drops of rain hit the pavement. The man stooped to collect the car keys before unceremoniously shoving Lucia's limp body into the backseat, and drove away.
—
Chapter 10
Please, if you've gotten this far let me know what you think. Next couple chapters are written but for some mild tweaking needing to be done.