AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you're all having a pleasant weekend :) I am because I'm happy to be writing this story again and sharing it with you all :) A brief detour to plans in this chapter because I followed where passion and romance led me.
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Fifty-Three: Lockdown: Part Thirty-Two: Close Protection: Part One
The Cuckoo Club
London
United Kingdom
Tuesday, 27 November, 2007
22:10 hours (10.10pm)
As Carina emerged from the sleek limousine, the sight of Chris, Sarah, Bryce, Cole, and John Murray greeted her, waiting for her on the pavement.
She met the team's glance and recognised some familiar faces, but also noticed a few new ones.
"Hey, cuties," Carina said, glancing around at the team, before finishing her glance at Sarah. "Whatcha doing here?"
Sarah felt as though she was under a microscope because of Carina's glance as if every feature of her was being scrutinised.
It unsettled her.
"We're on an operation," John Murray revealed.
"Button it, laddie!" Chris warned sternly, glaring at John Murray before turning his glance to Carina. "We ask the questions. What are you doing with the PM's daughter?"
"That's classified," Carina said, still eyeing Sarah up before she turned her attention to Bryce. "Not bad, but the blonde's way more exquisite," she murmured to herself.
Sarah narrowed her eyes, having heard some of what the woman she'd only just met had said.
"Well, lassie, we'll just have to declassify it, won't we?" Chris said back, taking out his phone to report the situation to command.
"Suit yourself," Carina said, still eyeing up Bryce, who held her gaze.
Cole Barker scoffed sharply, his tone dripping with disdain. "We saved your skin, and this is the thanks we get!"
"No. I had it under control," Carina said assuredly.
"It didn't look like it to me," John Murray said.
"We knew it was coming," Carina said, looking around the team.
Cole held a fixed glance at the troublesome MI6 Agent. "Knew what was coming?"
"Classified," Carina said, her tone ice-cool.
Scoffs erupted amongst Sarah, Cole, and John as they turned to face each other, while Bryce was busy and mesmerised by looking at Carina, and Chris was in discussion with command.
"We're getting nowhere," Sarah said, shaking her head.
"That's the way it is with Carina, Sarah," Jamie revealed, arriving in their proximity.
The teammates turned to look at Jamie, observing as Big Dan frogmarched Jeff and Lester toward their position, but stopped just out of earshot.
Carina turned her attention to Jamie's arrival. "Hey, Jamie. Who are your new friends?" she asked, nodding over to Jeff and Lester.
"You scratch our leg, girl, and we'll scratch yours," Jamie said back.
Red Team smirked at Jamie's reply, which even Carina found amusing.
"Speaking of legs," Carina said, running her hand down her leg and biting her lip suggestively. "I enjoyed the last time we saw each other, Jamie. Did you?"
"He can't answer that because he's with someone now!" Cole chuckled rowdily.
"And thank god for that as well, mate!" Jamie murmured under his breath, shaking his head.
Jamie's teammates burst into laughter while Carina looked on in amusement.
Soon glancing around again, Carina asked after a moment, "Where's Chuckles?"
"He knew you were here, and last I saw of him, he was running as fast as he could towards the English Channel to swim to France to get away from ye!" Jamie laughed.
Red Team snorted in sync while Cole, now pointing at Jamie, said, "And you almost joined him!"
Jamie chuckled as Chuck—who'd been at the driver's door ordering him not to move the vehicle—appeared in view, moving to stand by Jamie.
Carina ascertained Chuck's presence, locking her gaze on him. "Hey, Chuckles!" she said. Her words were barely out of her mouth before she ran over and embraced Chuck.
Her actions caught Chuck off guard, and he could only stand, helpless, while Red Team—Sarah excluded—roared with laughter, filling the surrounding space with their merriment, which caused a glare from Chris a few paces away.
Sarah's fists, meanwhile, clenched at her sides as she watched Carina intimately embrace the man who belonged to her and only her.
Gritting her teeth, she was about to drag Carina away from Chuck.
Fortunately, Chuck pulled away from Carina's tight grip just in time when Big Dan said, "I wouldn't turn round if I were you, Carina, because Sarah will kill you."
Sarah's fury was immediate and intense as she locked eyes with Big Dan, her gaze burning with anger. "Shut the fuck up, you stupid little child!" she roared.
"Button it!" Chris—still on the phone with command—warned, glaring at Sarah.
Cole waved it off with a quick gesture."Leave her, Chris, it's not her fault," he said, defending her as he pointed in scorn at Big Dan. "It's that pillock who doesn't know when to drop it!"
Carina, now turned and looking at Sarah—who was still seething in immense rage and shooting Big Dan an ice glare—said, "I guess those two share a bed and take each other's clothes off."
Sarah's heart raced with anger again as she ignored Carina's comment and strode purposefully up to Big Dan. "Now look what you have started! Are you happy now?! You bloody big child! Leave me the hell alone and stop talking about my personal life!"
"I SAID BUTTON IT!" Chris roared suddenly, glaring at Big Dan and Sarah, the culprits stopping him from receiving orders. "The next one who talks faces disciplinary measures!"
O-o-O-o-O-o-O
A Hotel in Mayfair
London
United Kingdom
Wednesday, 28 November, 2007
Midnight
Red Team's convoy, including a surveillance van, Jeff's van, and the limousine, arrived on the street of the hotel where some of them would be staying.
Bryce and Jamie were in the limousine, Chris and Cole were in Jeff's van, while the rest of Red Team were in their vehicle, with Jeff and Lester still in custody, and soon to be transferred to a police station.
"Right," Chris said on comms, pulling Jeff's van to a halt. "As detailed, until we find out what the attempted attack on Amy was about, some of us will stay in the three rooms allocated to us this evening. Wallace is happy with four of us being part of that close protection in the three rooms on the same floor, while he wants the rest of us part of the questioning of those two idiots, as well as trawling through Jeff and Lester's communication devices in this van."
"So basically, some of us get shit jobs, and the others get luxury?" Cole asked.
"Exactly, laddie!" Chris said, his tone chirpy. "And I'm deciding who gets what."
Groans erupted on comms from Cole, Dan, Bryce, and Jamie because they knew they wouldn't get the best jobs after their recent conduct.
"It's so good to hear their tears," John Murray said with joy.
Sarah, still professional—though pissed with Big Dan and Carina—asked, "So, who gets what?"
"Sarah, Chuck, you'll get one of the two rooms to share. Your professionalism that you've both shown this whole assignment is one we should all be matching," Chris said.
Chuck and Sarah's eyes met as they shared a smile, Sarah's mood perking in the blink of an eye.
"Thanks, Chris," Chuck soon said.
"You're still on assignment and part of the close protection. DO NOT forget it," Chris warned.
"We won't," Sarah said, still gazing at her lover.
"John, as your standards weren't far behind Chuck and Sarah, you get another of the rooms to yourself," Chris said.
John Murray's eyes lit up inside Red Team's van. "Chris, you beautiful bastard, my old son! If you were in this van with me, I'd kiss your face off!"
"Less of the old, but as for the rest, keep sweet talking, laddie!" Chris said back.
Chuckles erupted on comms from the team.
"As for the last room, one of us will share it with Carina and Amy. Bryce, you get the job," Chris said.
Bryce narrowed his eyes inside the limo. "I thought I'd get punished for my behaviour! Thanks, Chris!" he said, his excitement instantaneously.
"HE THINKS IT'S A REWARD!" Jamie laughed strongly, appearing on comms.
Red Team—minus Bryce, who was now winking at Amy and Carina—shared the laughter with Jamie.
"He won't be thinking it once Carina is finished with him, laddie!" Chris laughed, shaking his head. "And if Amy is as bad as the papers make out, he'll have his hands full!"
The laughter intensified as Big Dan snorted. "Chris, you crafty little devil! I very much approve of Speedy's assignment, fella."
"Bryce, I want you to check in with me every three hours with a status report. As for the rest of us, Dan and I will take those two idiots with Morgan to the nearest police station, while Jamie and Cole are staying behind outside the hotel as immediate backup to close protection, and in charge of the two vans."
Cole sighed. "As I said, the shit jobs…"
"You all deserve it for your behaviour. And if it happens again, you're off the team," Chris warned, glancing at Cole seated next to him.
Cole nodded. "Fair enough. It's deserved, and I'll take it on the chin because it wasn't my proudest moment."
"Nor mine," Jamie said, appearing on comms. "I just hope this assignment's over quickly so we can all fuck off back home and resume our lives."
"You and me both, fella," Big Dan said.
"Right, let's move out," Chris commanded.
With the order given, Red Team flooded out of their respective vehicles, with Chuck and Dan throwing Jeff and Lester out of Red Team's van, while Amy and Carina departed the limo soon after.
After disembarking from their vehicles, Red Team was met with a refreshing, yet very cool breeze from the remnants of the cold weather period as they moved towards each other, linking up just a few yards away from the hotel.
Sarah, noticing Big Dan was looking at her, glared at him and warned, "Don't look at me."
"Sarah, it's all in friendly spirits," Big Dan protested, detecting her growing frustration.
Sarah shook her head, her glance ice-cold towards Big Dan. "It's not. And if you poke at me with your childish bullshit while we're on assignment while I'm trying to do my bloody job again, I can promise you I won't be held responsible for what I do."
"Ok, let's leave it there," Chris intervened, unprepared to allow any disagreements during an important assignment. "But Sarah's right. Talking about our personal lives and having a joke at each other's expense is one thing while we're all off-duty, but not on assignment. As I said on comms, Sarah's professionalism for this whole assignment is an example for all of us to follow. And if she can do it, I expect nothing less than the same from all of you. The joking about Sarah's personal life while on duty stops here, from this moment on, because the next one who does it is on a charge."
As Amy and Carina approached the team's proximity, the issue that was being discussed came to a halt, with everyone nodding in agreement.
Glancing around Red Team, Carina asked, "So who's coming in with us then?", finishing her glance at Chuck. "Chuckles?"
"Bryce is," Sarah said as soon as Carina stopped talking, giving no one else a chance to speak. "As for the rest of us, it's classified, none of your business, but we'll have additional bodies positioned close by."
"Hmm, I guess he wouldn't be my first choice," Carina said, still looking at Chuck.
"I don't care what your first choice or your sixtieth choice is," Sarah said, glaring at Carina. "You have no oversight of our team, so let's move before we all freeze out here."
Carina and Amy turned to face each other, sharing a giggle before they each reached out to grab an arm each of Bryce.
"Come on then, party boy!" Carina said as she and Amy pulled Bryce into the hotel.
The touch of the two attractive women's hands sent electricity coursing through Bryce's body, filling him with an overwhelming sense of excitement.
Red Team—minus Sarah—erupted in laughter as Bryce was led hastily into the hotel.
"No alcohol permitted by any of you, or I will have you RTU'd (returned to unit) as soon as I find out and I WILL CHECK!" Chris warned.
Bryce looked back and nodded at Chris, while Chuck, Sarah, and John Murray did the same.
"Right, let's be off to our duties," Chris commanded.
The team rolled to perform their respective tasking.
O-o-O-o-O-o-O
Chuck, Sarah, and John arrived on the floor of the three rooms SAS Command arranged for them.
Bryce had already long since confirmed on comms he'd arrived with Amy and Carina in the central room, and with the team now split to their duties, Red Team shut down their communications there.
However, Chris was only a phone call away and would remain on standby for the duration of tasking, as well as check in with Bryce every three hours for an update.
Chuck, Sarah, and John soon came to a stop outside the room Bryce was in.
"Right then, mate, we'll be seeing you tomorrow," Chuck said with a grin.
John Murray was smiling from ear to ear over the luxurious tasking and reprieve Chris had given him. "Aye. I hope you both have a wee blessed night because I will have one!" he said, laughing.
Chuck and Sarah shared the laughter with the Scot.
"We will. Have a good night's rest, John," Sarah said with a smile.
John Murray nodded as the three teammates shook hands before they split for their two rooms.
The Scot was first to enter his room, with Chuck and Sarah entering theirs soon after.
Chuck closed the door to the hotel room behind him and turned around to face Sarah, who was standing right in front of him, a small smile playing on her lips, showing her happiness at being alone with him.
His eyes crinkled with joy as he matched and raised hers, emitting a deep, loving grin at his girlfriend.
"By the way, I'm sorry that happened with Carina earlier," Chuck said, turning serious.
Sarah's smile faded. "What, when she threw herself at you?"
Chuck nodded.
"It wasn't your fault. You didn't instigate it," she said, forcing a smile.
"I know but..." he said, sighing. "I could see you were really upset by it and rightly so. I wouldn't like it if any guy did that to you. Actually, I'd probably put them on the deck even though I'd prefer to avoid confrontation when necessary but there's no way I could keep cool if someone touched you without you doing anything to welcome it."
Sarah nodded. "I know, that's why I reacted like I did. I don't want anybody touching you who shouldn't be either."
Chuck smiled with understanding. "I'll be a lot more firm to anyone who tries that again, Sarah, I can promise."
"Good," Sarah said, her glance a relatively stern formed one.
Chuck narrowed his eyes at the way his girlfriend was now looking at him. "You wouldn't...shoot me though, right, if I couldn't get the next one if there was a next one to try it to stop?"
Sarah held her glance, weighing up her options as she danced her shoulders.
Chuck's eyes closed tighter as he deemed that maybe she would shoot him if it happened again. "Ok, maybe you would. Duly-noted."
A smug look formed as she held her glance at him.
"So, a hotel room to ourselves, huh?" he asked, changing the topic.
Sarah smiled joyfully. "I knew being professional would come with perks eventually."
Chuck suppressed fond laughter, nodding. "I'm afraid you'll be taking the floor though, 'cause I'm having the bed," he couldn't help but tease.
Sarah's jaw dropped open as she narrowed her eyes and pointed at her boyfriend. "For that, it's you who'll be taking the floor. And there was me, hoping we were gonna share it together."
"Why would I want to share a bed with you?" he asked, his teasing tone accompanied by a mischievous grin.
Sarah held her narrowed glance, shaking her head. "I think I'd rather go next door with Carina than be with you now."
"You realise Bryce is in there too, probably with his clothes off already by now, right?" Chuck said, his grin still present.
Sarah narrowed her gaze further, her eyes becoming slits. "That is so not cool!"
Chuck suppressed additional laughter. "It looks like you're stuck with me, beautiful."
Sarah laughed, nodding. "Yeah, and I'm not allowed any alcohol to help me bloody well get through it!"
He continued fighting off laughter. "Don't worry, I'd rather be next door, too."
"If that's not a joke, CHUCK!…" she warned, her jaw hitting the floor as she stared at him with an intense piercing glare.
"It's totally a joke," he said quickly, detecting it was a joke probably taken too far. "If I had the choice of you or both those two crazies in there together, it's not a contest…" he moved closer to his girlfriend, taking a gentle hold of her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You. Only ever you," he whispered, staring into her eyes, entranced by their shimmering beauty.
Sarah felt her cheeks flush as her lover's words washed over her, their eyes locked in a moment of intense connection.
"Me too. Only you," she said, her eyes fixed on his, not looking away even once, swallowing away lumps caused by the intensity.
The moment his smile spread across his face, she knew they had reached a new level of commitment to each other.
She smiled back, a sparkle in her eyes accompanying it, revealing her intense longing for the guy she was falling for.
Finding themselves caught up in the moment, they moved towards each other to kiss, closing their eyes for the first time since being alone.
As they kissed, their lips met with the softest of touches at first, but as the intensity of their passion grew, so did the fervor of their embrace.
Opening her eyes while kissing him, she felt the fiery desire she had for him intensify.
Soon breaking the kiss, she tugged at his hand towards the bathroom but stopped once his hand put up resistance.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
Struggling for breath because of the intense desire she felt for him, Sarah turned to look at him and blurted, "I want to make love with you in the shower while feeling the hot water run down my body."
Chuck narrowed his eyes.
Detecting an impending question, Sarah interrupted before he could talk. "He said we couldn't have alcohol. He didn't say we couldn't have sex."
Chuck paused for the briefest of moments, his brow furrowed in thought, before breaking into a wide grin. "Why, Sarah, what an excellent point!"
She smiled back, her excitement growing as she dragged him into the bathroom with increased urgency.
As soon as they were inside, she spun around and collided with him, kissing him with an intensity that left them both breathless as the lovers fought to remove their clothes.
They broke from their passionate kiss, their breaths heavy as they removed their jackets and boots, tossing them aside and moving to stash their sidearms at an easy-to-reach place if they needed to leave the shower in a hurry.
With their sidearms in place, the urgency between Sarah and Chuck grew by the second as they rushed to strip down and get in the shower to make love.
Sarah yanked at her buttons, removing her shirt, then pants, and finally her underwear, as Chuck did the same.
First to finish undressing, Sarah stood, entered the shower, and fiddled with the knob, setting it to high heat as the shower responded.
Holding a hand out while careful to dodge the initial cool stream of water, Sarah waited until the cascading cool water started to steam when she heard Chuck complain. "Stupid pants! Get off!"
Sarah smirked, exiting the shower to see what the holdup was.
She caught Chuck in an awkward stance, trying to disentangle his pants from his heel.
"It's because you're panicking," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Chuck nodded, looking sheepishly at her for his blunder. "Of course I'm freaking out! Because I'm in a hurry to make passionate love with the most beautiful woman in existence, who happens to be my girlfriend," he said, winking up at her.
With a loving smirk, Sarah gazed at him. "I guess I can help you achieve that," she said, moving to help remove his pants from him. "I totally fell for the wrong guy."
"It's too late now! You're stuck with me!" he joked, grinning up at her as the lovers held a gaze and Sarah finished removing his pants.
Sarah snorted in joy at his remarks, still gazing up at him with a burning inside her for him.
Soon undressed with her aid, he looked at her. "If you tell anyone about this…"
"Shut up and kiss me," she said, staring into his eyes.
Chuck, overcome by a sudden overwhelming feeling, stood up and pulled Sarah into a passionate embrace, kissing her face off with a desire that grew with every second of every hour he was with her.
Sarah backed herself into the shower, with Chuck following her as the lovers continued to kiss, soon feeling the now steaming water connecting onto their bodies.
She gasped for air as they parted from the kiss, her eyes blazing with uncontrolled desire. "Take me away to that special place where I forget everything but you, baby," she breathed, her forehead resting against her lover's.
He did precisely that because forgetting, she did!
Everything but him slipped away like sand through her fingers...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry folks, I followed the passion of Chuck and Sarah and ended things here (I also see a potential mature standalone too). However, considering how this chapter ended, I'm sure there will be no complaints :) Next chapter, lockdown truly concludes, but Red Team will get much more than they bargained for next chapter; trust me on that!
FOOTNOTES: Once more, I offer my thanks for the continued interaction and feedback for the story. If you could leave your feedback with a brief comment again today, you will have my eternal thanks and gratitude :) See you in a few days!