An Altered Existance(M/L,Adult)[COMPLETE]

[Shadowlynxbehr]

BANNER BY DUCCIA



Title: An Altered Existance
Author: Shadowlynxbehr
Disclaimer: Don't own anything to do with Roswell or the anime Weiss Kreuz: Knight Hunters or it's associations, so please don't sue .
Pairings: M/L
Rating: Adult: due to the graphic nature of their jobs as assassins and the sexual nature of some of their relationships. WARNING:There will be several missions described where it could get violent. I don't intend to be that graphic, but I thought I should warn you just in case even a mention of murder or a kill could be offensive to you.
Summary: A group of four undercover agents/assasins deal with life, love, and their jobs. Max: the unofficial leader who is the quietest, deadliest, and most mysterious of the four. (Not much is known about his past.) Michael: the most laid back, happy-go-lucky one that always has a smile on his face. Alex: a one-track mind playboy who is fiercely loyal to his friends. Kyle a computer whiz who is the youngest of the four and very naive about life, but extremely book smart. Liz is also an assasin with sword skills and night vision. Maria has telekinesis, but it isn't known yet. Tess is human at first, but an accident gives her powers. And Isabel is the only human, but she still helps out.

Author's Note: I got this idea while watching an anime series called Weiss Krueg, or Knight Hunters and from a dream I had I've only seen the first four episodes in a twenty something episode set and that's just the first season . I thought it would be interesting to put the four main Roswell males as the group, but with an added twist. These assasins are similar to mutants since they have supernatural powers too. Also, none of the girls are in the series as far as I know, since it's supposed to be an action series with no romance. Trust me, there's romance here .





Prologue

Settling into his seat in front of his babies, Kyle Valenti stretched his arms in front of him, bringing his hands together and flexing them until his fingers popped. With a grin, he flicked a switch making all of his babies start to hum and flicker to life.

He picked up a state-of-the-art headpiece and wrapped it around his head, putting the earpiece in and the microphone near his mouth. “All right, ladies let’s see if we have contact.”

Once more he flicked another switch, hearing a bit of static in his ear before imitating it into the mouthpiece. “Sss, do we sss have contact sss?”

“Ha ha, very funny” came a voice that sounded as if the owner was smiling indeed.

A soft groan also sounded through the earpiece followed by a new, yet irritated voice. “Spaniel, we are in the middle of a mission! Now is not the time to joke around!”

“Lay off of him, Akita. He’s only trying to ease us into this. Isn’t that why we have him on our team? To be the buffer for our frayed nerves?”

Kyle snorted. “Gee, thanks Dalmatian.”

“Any time, Spaniel,” came the good-natured reply.

“Okay, everyone in position yet?” asked Kyle.

“Dalmatian in position.”

There was a few seconds of silence followed by, “Terrier is in position.”

More silence followed and just when Kyle was starting to get nervous, there came the last reply. “Akita is in position.”

Kyle grinned as he surveyed the screens in front of him and made a few adjustments. “Okay then, Spaniel is good to go. Whenever you’re ready Akita.”



TBC...



I know, it's really short . I had intended to post the first part with the prologue, but as I've been sick all week and haven't been able to work on the story, this is all that I have completely ready. As soon as part one is ready to go I'll post it. And hopefully I'll get on schedule as I have claimed at my Author's page on this site.

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Part 1

Kyle was in complete control now. He knew the other three were out there doing their parts, yet depending on him to keep things running smoothly. Sure, when he first flicked on the computers and other electronic gadgets he had to help them run a perfect mission he joked a bit, but once everyone was in position and ready to put the mission in action, he became all business.

The youngest of the four at twenty-two, he was still the smartest of them all when it came to anything electronic. A true computer genius who had excelled in academics too, he was also the least physical of them all. Hence the reason why he remained hidden away with his techno toys while the other three did their more physical jobs. That youth and book smarts was also the reason why he was the most naïve of them all when it came to dealing with life and using common sense.

However, despite his slight innocence, he had made it onto the team because of his capability with technology. There wasn’t a single computer or any other electronic device he couldn’t take apart and put back together again as if it was as simple as breathing. No instrument of technology stood a chance if it had to stand against Kyle Valenti, otherwise known as Spaniel to his team members.

But the thing that really cinched his position on the team was the fact that he was like the other team members in a way. Like them, he too was an enhanced human. Sure, in popular culture there were all sorts of names for them. Exceptional, superhuman, altered, extraordinary as well as more derogatory names like freak, mutant, weirdo, or monster.

Even the secret branches of the government had classified names for them, but officially they were called enhanced humans. Some of them had been born that way, others had been made that way through experimentation or an accident of some kind. Kyle’s had happened when he was eleven and it had been by accident.

Already heavily into computers, he’d been working on one during a huge lighting storm. Lightning hit the cables of his home, short circuiting the electricity and sending a huge jolt into the computer Kyle had been working on. Next thing Kyle knew, he’d woken up on the floor on the other side of the room from his now useless computer.

The kicker had been discovering that he now had the power known as technopathy which is the ability to manipulate any kind of technology there was. The moment the secret branch of government that dealt with super humans found out, they’d snatched him up and placed him in a program to develop his skills. Now, he’d honed it so well that he could control electronic devices with a simple touch or even with his mind if he had to.

It was through that program where he’d met and became friends with Alexander Whitman, otherwise known as Dalmatian to the team. Alex was the one who had recruited Kyle into the team in the first place when the government realized they’d done all they could to advance Kyle’s abilities. True, he was working with another agency now, but he knew the government kept close tabs on all of those humans with special abilities like his.

Alex was almost the complete opposite of Kyle. Almost. One thing they shared was their one track mind, but while Kyle’s mind was on computers, Alex’s was on women. The twenty-five year old was known as the flamboyant playboy with a heart of gold. Meaning he loved to flirt and sweep women off their feet, but when it came to those he considered friends or family, he was the most loyal one of them all.

Alex didn’t have a superhuman power like Kyle’s really. However, he did have the ability to paralyze or torture someone with the touch of a hand or even just one finger and he could also throw things much farther than most humans could. He could even throw incredibly heavy things that even the world’s strongest men could lift! It was those abilities that had landed him in the government’s program where his strength was increased and honed the best they could.

While in the program, Alex had picked up a flair for expertly using all kinds of retractable gadgets such as wires, nooses, blades, and tazers. He’d also become somewhat of a natural gymnast with his tall, lean physique. It was that physique which fooled everyone into thinking he wasn’t a strong man at all. The perfect disguise for one of the world’s strongest men.

Not only were Kyle and Alex close friends from being in the program together, but Alex was also the one Kyle had relied on to get him from place to place since he’d never learned to drive. Having been in the program since he’d been a young boy, Kyle had never gotten around to learning the fundamentals of life, which meant the older Alex had to be the chauffer more often than not.

Alex had been born with his abilities although he hadn’t really discovered what they were until he’d been older. He’d discovered his strength in a fit of anger one day by intending to shove against a boulder in a park only to shove it so hard it rolled a few inches away. It wasn’t until after he’d joined the program once he’d graduated from high school when he discovered his ability to paralyze with a touch.

That had been discovered by the agency as they tested him the way they tested all the people who walked through their doors. The agency always made sure they tested everyone for every type of ability they could think of in order to enhance or develop them to their full potential. Because of their thoroughness, Alex had come to learn all of the things he was capable of doing.

When Alex left the agency after they’d done what they could for him, he’d immediately run into Michael Guerin whom he’d gone to high school with. Michael remembered the friendly Alex who had always seemed to let the jibes and taunts of the class bullies leave him unaffected. In fact, it had often been Michael who would come to Alex’s rescue, not knowing that if Alex had wanted to, he could have revealed his secret strength and put an end to the bullies once and for all.

For his part, Alex remembered the laid-back, happy-go-lucky Michael as the kid who always seemed to get out of trouble with a word and a smile. What he hadn’t known then was that Michael had his own superhuman powers which he had managed to keep a secret from everyone, including the government. Unlike most kids, Michael had realized what he was capable of and had figured out how to use his abilities without calling attention to himself.

After the two of them had finished reminiscing about the past, their secrets had begun to come out. Michael had asked Alex how he’d managed to survive all the taunting by the bullies and Alex had confessed what he could do. It was then that Michael had confessed about his own abilities, making Alex realize exactly how Michael always managed to get out of huge messes with barely a scratch.

Michael had the ability to implant a thought or suggestion by just whispering a word or two. He’d used that to persuade others not to fight with him. He’d gone on to tell Alex that his other abilities included being able to hear from a far greater distance than most humans and he could also run faster than most of them too.

Later when Michael asked Alex to join the team he was on, the last of his abilities came to light. Using his verbal powers, Michael who was known as Terrier to the team, could guide any arrow he shot from the myriad of bows he was skilled at handling. He could shoot anything from a crossbow to a long bow with almost no difficulty at all.

By the time Kyle had joined the team, Alex and Michael had become fast friends and hung out together even when not working together. Granted, Alex was the one who flirted with all the women while the friendly Michael sat in the background smiling at his friend’s antics. When Kyle joined, it became the three of them out on the town with either Alex or Michael chauffeuring Kyle around.

True to their natures, each man had a car that seemed to fit their personalities. Alex drove a convertible sports car, while Michael drove a Harley motorcycle which had a passenger side car that could be attached when needed. The fourth member of the team and the one who’d been working undercover the longest of them all, owned several high powered sports motorcycles built for stealth, speed, and agility.

Max Evans was the quietest, deadliest, and most mysterious of them all which only served to reason why his modes of transportation were some of the most expensive and high-tech machines on the road. Known as Akita to the team members, nothing much else was known about him despite the fact he and Michael had been working together for a few years before Alex and then Kyle had joined the team.

The others knew he was the same age as Alex, making Michael the oldest at twenty-six. At least that was the age he’d given the agency when he’d first joined them. They also knew his superhuman skills included using special one word chants or commands in an Asian language to manipulate his opponent in hand to hand combat and that he seemed to be stronger than most humans. That meant he was able to withstand most injuries that would otherwise incapacitate most others.

Still, he wasn’t impervious to the more formidable weapons of the day and age which meant he could still be killed if he wasn’t careful. Besides those skills, he was a master at swordsmanship and could even use the chants to manipulate his swords into doing what he commanded it to do.

Whether he fought with swords or hand to hand, it was clear he’d trained under some mystical martial arts master in order to do the things he was capable of. As silent as the famed ninjas of old, Max Evans could fight as if he was performing a skilled, poetic ballet for a grand audience. As beautiful as it seemed to watch him perform, one couldn’t come away from witnessing that performance without a sense of deadly menace and foreboding.

That was why he’d been dubbed the unofficial leader by the others despite his reluctance to do so. He was the one who was all business the moment any new mission had been assigned to them. That was why he was also always the last to answer Spaniel on the headset when he waited for the word to set the mission in action.

Once Akita gave the word, the others got serious and began to put things into action. From his hidden place with his computers, Kyle listened in, directed, and assisted the other three as they moved to fulfill their goal.

Still, he knew he wasn’t the leader. He simply kept things running as smoothly as possible, controlling the things he could to keep the others out of as much trouble as possible. That was the control he had. Listen, monitor, and assist when needed. It was what he was good at.

“Spaniel. Target acquired,” came the low voice of Akita over the headset.

“In position?” he replied.

“Affirmative.”

“Terrier?”

“Moving into position as we speak.”

A few moments of silence followed before Terrier added. “In position. Go ahead Akita.”

“Moving in now,” answered Akita.

Kyle knew that there would be more silence as Max and Michael quietly got closer and closer to their target. So, he patiently waited and watched the computer screens in front of him, completely alert for any sign of trouble.

************************************************************

Max melted from one shadow to the next as he kept his target in sight while making his way closer to him in order to make a good, clean kill. The team had been hired to take this man out because he had been involved in several attempts of espionage against one of the companies he was a partner in. Unfortunately for him, his partners had gotten wind of his treachery and decided the company was better off without him.

They had contacted the agency in charge of Team B and soon the team had agreed to accept the mission. Now, it was up to Max to take the target out without making a scene. If he missed, Michael would be there to back him up. However, Max was determined to make sure he never made a mistake that could be costly to all of them.

Slipping into yet another shadow, Max pressed his back against the wall and slowly lifted his hand up behind him until his fingers curled around the hilt of his sword. Whispering in a voice so low, that not even Michael with his enhanced hearing could pick it up, Max commanded his sword to be silent as he removed it from its sheath.

His eyes remained glued to the target who was only a few feet away from him as he pulled his sword out and commanded it to become invisible. While it really didn’t disappear, it simply didn’t catch the light or give itself away to the enemy until Max wanted that enemy to know he was there.

Without another word, Max readied himself to rush the target, his eyes already finding the exposed skin where he intended to slide the sword in to swiftly end the target’s life. Just before he launched himself at the target, another shadow detached itself from the wall not too far from where Max was hidden and slammed into the target’s side, knocking him to the floor.

“Shit! We’ve been had!” Growled Max into his mouthpiece. “Terrier, I’m going to distract the intruder, you take out the target!”

“Copy Akita.”

Max faced his new opponent who was now on his feet with his own sword withdrawn. As the two of them began to dance around each other, Max was sizing his opponent up just as he knew the other one was doing to him.

Although his opponent seemed rather short, Max could tell he was light on his feet and very agile. For all his training of swordsmanship, Max was certain he’d look like a lumbering giant next to the movements of this compact fighter. Still, he wasn’t about to let the target slip away, which meant Michael now had to deal with him while Max kept this one occupied.

Briefly he wondered what this guy was doing there in the first place. After all, they had been meticulous in setting up the kill and making certain there could be no interference. So, how did this guy know they’d be there. Or had this guy been here all along, hiding and waiting until it was time to make his presence known?

Suddenly his opponent shifted to the left as if indicating he was going to run, but before Max had a chance to react to that, the man lifted his blade and shoved it into the wall. With the tip embedded in plaster, the man grabbed hold of the hilt and used it to propel himself over Max.

Quickly recovering from his stunned reaction, Max whirled around in time to see the man trying to run towards the target who was now on his feet, scrambling for the door.

“Terrier, where the hell are you? The target is getting away!” barked Max into his mouthpiece as he quickly gained on the other swordsman.

“Waiting to spring the trap on our poor, unsuspecting target,” came the reply with just a hint of laughter behind it.

Max bit his tongue to keep from making a comment back as his opponent suddenly whirled around to face him. Max was quick enough to bring his sword up so that blade clashed against blade as his opponent leaned as much of his weight into him as possible in an attempt to make Max lose his balance.

Max glared into the dark brown eyes of his opponent for a moment before forcing him back with a shove. However, the guy seemed to have anticipated that move as he let go of the sword with one hand and snatched the mask off of Max’s face before stumbling back with the force of the shove.

Angrier than he’d ever been, Max’s chest heaved as he roared into the mouthpiece. “Damn it Spaniel, I’ve been exposed. My opponent knows my face now!”

“What?” came the confused reply. “How is that possible?”

Max gritted his teeth in frustration. “This guy is much faster than me and seems to know my every move before I do it!”

There was a laugh of disbelief. “Geez, is this guy psychic or what?”

The opponent in question narrowed his eyes and rushed Max, bringing his sword up high. Just as Max lifted his own sword to parry, he suddenly lowered his sword, ducked and plowed into Max’s chest making him stumble backwards.

Losing his balance, Max’s sword flew from his hand and he went down and landed unceremoniously on his ass. Without hesitation, he stretched his arm out towards his sword and whispered a word of command to bring the sword flying back into his hand.

Just as he did, his opponent landed on his chest in a crouch and once more their swords clashed right in front of Max’s face. Max glared at his opponent and hissed a command to immobilize him. In response, the opponent leaned closer and hissed at him.

“Why are you interfering with my target?”

Max blinked. “Your target? He’s my target!”

His opponent laughed. “Silly boy, I was hired to take him out!”

Max narrowed his eyes. “So were we!”

As his opponent seemed to sit there contemplating this, Max took the opportunity to reach up and snatch off the mask. The moment he did, his eyes went wide as he watched the long, silky brown hair spill out behind the very pretty feminine face he’d just revealed.

“Fuck! You’re a woman!”

“What? I am not!” came the amused reply on his headset.

The woman on his chest laughed before she leaned so close to Max that he could literally feel her breath against his face. With her lips inches from his, she spoke into the mouthpiece.

“He means me, Spaniel.”

“You? Who is this?”

“That’s exactly what I want to know!” replied Max.

She gave him a seductive smile as she ran her hands down his chest, clearly enjoying herself. “I’ll tell you, if you tell me.”

Max narrowed his eyes. “Not going to happen!”

She slowly sat up and slid back slightly until Max swore he could feel her ass rubbing against his groin. Gritting his teeth, he growled at her. “Why aren’t my commands working?”

She laughed. “Because I’m special like that. You’re going to have to work at it if you intend to have me at your mercy, handsome.”

A snicker sounded over the headphones. “Handsome? You calling Akita handsome?”

The woman gave Max a wicked grin, and that coupled with Kyle’s taunting was more than Max could take. Suddenly not caring that it was a woman straddling his waist, he reached down with a free hand, grabbed her thigh and flipped her off of him.

Rolling away from her, he came to his feet in one fluid motion with his sword at the ready. She had mirrored his own move after he’d pushed her off of him. Rolling to her own feet and readying her sword too.

They stood there facing each other off for a few moments before Max hissed. “Back off and let us do the job we were paid to do!”

She shook her head. “Uh uh, handsome. It’s my job.”

Max clutched his sword harder as he tried to think of a way out of the mess he was in. The woman smirked at him before blowing him a kiss and lunging at him. Once more the two of them were clashing swords, only this time the woman was clearly keeping him on his toes.

As he parried her sword thrusts, he realized she wasn’t just fighting him for the right to the target. Now she was fighting with him as a sort of foreplay. Again and again their swords came together and when they did, she took the opportunity to lean in as close to him as possible until some part of her anatomy brushed against his. And as much as he’d never admit it, Max was clearly responding to her brand of flirting.

************************************************************

The moment she’d exposed his face, Liz swore she’d forgotten how to breathe. This had to be the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on and she’d eyed quite a few over the last several years. Her curiosity piqued, she decided to see if the rest of him felt as good as he looked.

She was pleasantly rewarded when she managed to get him flat on his back and straddled his very hard, muscular chest. Taking that opportunity to feel just how sculpted those pectorals and abs were, she’d ran her hands down his chest before moving back to feel just how much her frisking was affecting him.

Unsuccessful at seducing him to reveal his identity, she’d grinned at him as she’d flirted with him once more until he’d pushed her off of him. She was again amazed that he seemed to be hesitating to harm her as he tried to warn her off once more.

Of course, she refused to let go of the job she was hired to do and briefly wondered why someone would hire two different assassins to take out one target. Still, she was going to enjoy this while she could, so she’d teased him once more knowing he’d respond to it.

Blowing him a kiss, she lunged at him fully expecting him to react to her teasing. Sure enough, they had engaged in a fight that soon turned into nothing more than a kind of foreplay for the both of them.

She knew without a doubt that he was trying not to let their swordplay affect him, but he was fighting a losing battle. When Liz set her sights on a conquest, she usually got what she wanted. And tonight, she wanted him.

She parried his next thrust, ducked beneath his arm and danced around him, letting her free hand trail over his ribs and around his back before quickly grabbing his very nice ass. Grinning, she danced away as he turned to face her, his eyes clearly darkening to brown from their natural shade of hazel.

She felt a thrill of anticipation travel down her spine when she noticed the way his eyes gave her a quick once over before he lunged at her once more.

************************************************************

Pinning her against the wall, Max leaned his face as close to hers as possible and tried unsuccessfully to ignore the way her body rubbed against his.

“Are you going to give this up, yet?” he asked in a husky voice.

She smiled as she brushed her lips against his in a ghost of a kiss, “Not on your life, handsome.”

“Um, guys? We have a slight problem,” came Kyle’s slightly worried voice over the headpiece.

Max didn’t relinquish his hold on the woman and she didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get him off of her either. “What kind of slight problem are you talking about Spaniel?”

“He means me,” came a feminine voice in place of Kyle’s.

Max narrowed his eyes and glanced down at the woman he still held pinned. “What is going on here?”

************************************************************

Kyle couldn’t move. And despite the fact that she held a gun pointed straight at his chest, it was the blue eyed woman’s beauty that clearly had him immobilized. Unable to stop staring at the petite buxom blonde, he watched as she took the headpiece from him and began to communicate with the others.

“Look, just do what I say and I won’t harm your teammate. The point here is to acquire and deal with the target. Has anyone got a bead on him?”

“I do,” came a reply.

She frowned down at Kyle in question.

“That would be Terrier.”

She nodded. “Okay Terrier, give your position to the others so they can assist you if need be.”

“Terrier, don’t you dare give your location away. It could be a trap!”

“Listen, Akita is it?” she snapped. “We’re running out of time here! Now either get with the program or Terrier will just have to do the job alone!”

There was a few moments of silence before Terrier gave the coordinates of his position.

“I’m seconds away from you,” came yet another voice.

Once more she glanced at Kyle.

“Dalmatian.”

“Good, Dalmatian. What about you Akita? Can you rendezvous with them?”

“Yeah,” came the reluctant reply. “On my way.”

“Copy that. Now go do the job you were paid to do and immobilize the target as quickly as possible!”

************************************************************

Michael held up his hand and indicated where the target was hiding as Alex came up behind him without so much as a sound. Still, with his superb hearing Michael had known who it was that was joining him. A few moments later, Michael indicated with his head to where Max and the woman he’d been fighting with were now getting into position.

Clearly the two of them had put their swordplay aside to team up on the mission. Making sure the target couldn’t see any of them, Michael sent a few hand signals towards Max indicating where the target was. At first Max appeared to look confused until the woman next to him repeated the hand signals Michael had given. When she was done, Max nodded his head at Michael in the affirmative.

The four of them quickly assessed the situation before Max began to signal the plan to them. One by one all of them nodded their assent, even the woman with Max agreed to the plan. As soon as all of them were ready, she was the first to move into action.

Sauntering out of her hiding place, the woman nonchalantly walked by the target’s hiding place while swinging her hips suggestively. As she did, Michael concentrated on the target and whispered to him.

“She looks good, doesn’t she? You know you want a piece of her.”

Following the suggestion implanted in his mind, the target came out of his hiding place and began to follow the woman who appeared not to notice him. As soon as he was clear, Alex pulled out a retractable wire and flicked it out until it wrapped around the target, holding him hostage.

As the target struggled, Max came out of his hiding place with his blade raised and eyes trained on the spot where he intended to slide it in. A few moments later, the mission was accomplished as the target’s lifeless body slid to the floor.

************************************************************

“Mission accomplished,” came Akita’s voice over the headset.

The woman smiled. “Good. Now get rid of the evidence and get out of there! You have less than ten minutes to do so!”

“Affirmative.”

She set the headset down and turned to Kyle. “You should get ready to assist them if they don’t get out of there soon.”

He frowned. “Why is that?”

“Because in less than ten minutes a few of his associates are supposed to meet with him.” She indicated one of the monitors which Kyle glanced at. His eyes went wide and he grabbed the headset from her.

“Guys, listen she wasn’t kidding. Get out of there! There are now about eight of his associates on their way into the building to meet with him!”

“We’re on our way!” came Terrier’s reply.

Kyle turned to the woman. “Thanks for the heads up…”

She nodded. “You can call me Tess.”

“Right.” He turned to look at the monitor again, watching as the men disappeared into the building. A few seconds later he breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed the others slinking through the shadows away from the building.

“Thanks again…” he turned only to find she had disappeared. “…Tess.”

************************************************************

Max kept her in his sights. He refused to let her go until he got the information he wanted. She quickly hurried before him, making her way through the bushes until she turned into an alleyway. This gave Max the opening he needed.

Quickly overtaking her, he grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him. She grinned up at him.

“Can’t get enough of me, I see,” she said, in a sultry voice.

He pursed his lips. “Enough of that! I want to know who it was that hired you for the job!”

She shrugged. “You have questions. I have questions. I guess we’ll just have to agree that we’ll never know the answers.”

Max gritted his teeth. “You aren’t going anywhere until I get answers!”

She pouted. “Now, handsome. Is that any way to ask a woman to talk to you? I think you should work on your social skills a bit more.”

Max growled. “My social skills are just fine woman! You’re the one who’s a tease!”

She laughed. “A tease, am I?” Her smile faded from her lips, but not her eyes as she leaned into his body and whispered huskily. “Hm, I don’t think I’m the only one who was a tease tonight, handsome. I can’t seem to get that sword of yours out of my head now. And judging from the way you wielded it, I’m positive I would have enjoyed it all night long.”

Max didn’t have an answer to that as he stood and stared into her eyes. A slow smile began to spread over her lips once more as they moved even closer to his. To her amazement, a similar smile began to blossom over his lips as he too closed the distance between them. Just as their lips were about to touch, the sound of running feet intruded on their moment.

“Geez, Akita we were starting to get worried!” exclaimed Kyle as he came around the corner.

Max whirled around to face him with a glare. “Not now, Spaniel!”

Liz laughed as she backed away from them. They both turned to look at her as she gave Max a wink. “Later, handsome.”

With those words, she disappeared into the night.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Part 2

Alex grinned at the goofy look on his friend’s face. Kyle was obviously somewhere far away from the computer and desk he was sitting in front of. Still, he wasn’t about to let the rest of the night pass by as he waited for Kyle to stop daydreaming.

“So little bro, you coming out with us tonight or no?” he asked.

Kyle blinked as he returned to the present. “Nah, got a few things I need to get done here that can’t wait until tomorrow.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, you guys go on without me.”

Alex shrugged. “Okay, suit yourself. I’ll be sure to tell you all about all the beautiful women you missed and the one I chose to savor for the night.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Seriously Alex, I pity the poor woman who will be swept off her feet then left mourning your loss not even twenty-four hours later.”

He laughed as he spread his arms wide. “What can I say? The ladies love me.”

“Yeah, yeah” muttered Kyle as he waved his hand and concentrated on the computer screen once more.

Alex turned and walked out of the room that served as headquarters for Team B. The room was located in the basement of an office building which served as a front for the agency that was in charge of the only team that worked for them. Sure they were called Team B, but the B actually stood for Breeds, as in dog breeds. Most agencies only had one team that worked for them unlike the government which usually had a classified amount of teams working for them.

To outside eyes, the building obviously housed several offices since many people were seen going in and out of the revolving doors during the day. There was even an underground parking garage for employees to park their cars before riding the elevator up to their floor.

Of course, it was entirely possible that many of those who worked in that building weren’t aware of the secret room in the basement which was actually located below the parking garage. They weren’t even aware that there was a smaller garage where the members of Team B parked their own cars.

No one knew about the secret entrance to Team B headquarters that was in the building across the street except for those who were directly involved with the team. Headquarters actually consisted of two huge rooms and one smaller room, although there was only a half wall that separated one of the large rooms from the smaller one.

The huge room that was only partly separated from the other room was where all communications between the team and the agency took place. In one corner of the room was where the computer workstation was that Kyle was usually found. He was the one in charge of writing out the reports after a mission and sending it up to the agency.

In another part of the room was a big screen television surrounded by several plush couches and chairs. In the middle of that was a large coffee table which housed the intercom where the agency relayed the mission to the team members as they reclined on the surrounding couches. Once they had their mission, they usually moved to either the computers or to another part of the room that contained a huge dining table that served as a planning area. That table always seemed to be covered in maps, photographs, and other items that helped with a mission.

The smaller room that was only partially separated from the large room was a small kitchen. Sometimes the team members could be there for days planning a mission, so it was only natural for headquarters to sometimes served as a home away from home. That kitchen was always well stocked with whatever it was that the members fancied.

The third room, which was almost as large as the communications room, served as the bedroom. Similar to a firehouse plan, there were four beds in there and each bed had a nightstand and a small dresser/vanity combo. Each member was allowed to decorate their corner as they saw fit so long as it didn’t bother anyone else or distracted from their jobs.

At the back of that room was a small alcove which housed a gurney and counter with an under cabinet. The alcove led to the small bathroom that contained a shower, toilet, sink, and mirrored medicine cabinet above it. The agency had obviously tried their best to be as accommodating to their team members as possible and even tried to provide that which they felt necessary to care for whatever came the team’s way.

As Alex made his way towards the bedroom, Michael came walking out of the kitchen and gave him his trademark lopsided smile. “So, what’s the plan? We going out to celebrate yet another successful mission?”

Alex nodded. “Yep. Looks like it’s just you and me though. Kyle’s busy with his babies and says it can’t wait until tomorrow. And Max left as soon as he changed. Didn’t even really say goodbye.”

Michael shook his head, but the smile remained on his face. “He’s in one of those moods then.”

“Yeah, brooding and sulking at his best.”

Michael chuckled at Alex’s sarcastic comment as they made their way into the bedroom where the door that led to the secret parking garage was. They both grabbed their bags from their beds and soon were on their way for a night of revelry.

************************************************************

Liz studied herself in her full length mirror, turning this way and that. Satisfied that she looked good, she grabbed her keys and wallet before heading for the front door. Dressed to hunt for a hot-blooded male in a skin tight leather ensemble of black pants and red bustier, she walked out of her apartment and locked the door.

Turning around to walk out of her patio, she stopped when she saw her neighbor and good friend walking up the sidewalk towards her own place. Liz glanced down at her watch before putting her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at her neighbor.

“Isabel Amanda Laroche, what are you doing out at this time of night!”

Isabel walked up to her own patio and looked over the divider at Liz with wide eyes. “What? I was hungry and didn’t have anything in the fridge, so I decided to make a run to the store.”

She held up the grocery bags as proof. As Liz shook her head, Isabel frowned when she noticed what Liz was wearing. “Wait a minute! You’re one to talk! You’re going hunting tonight aren’t you?”

Liz shrugged. “So what if I am? It’s not like it’s anything I haven’t done before.”

Isabel sighed. “Liz, don’t you think it gets rather boring bringing home all those boy toys so much? I would think that by now you’d want a guy to stick around for more than a night.”

Liz smiled. “Well, yeah that would be nice, but until I find the one that I want to stick around, I’m going to continue having fun.”

Isabel chuckled. “Yeah, okay. Well, I’d tell you to be careful, but I know you’d kick anyone’s ass before they could lay a hand on you.”

“You know it! Now, get inside young lady and don’t think about leaving again until the morning.”

Isabel rolled her eyes at Liz’s wagging finger. “Gee, you act like I’ve never even been on a date before. I’m twenty years old Liz, I think I can take care of myself.”

“While that may be true, Izzy there’s still so much you don’t know about the world and you know I’ll worry about you no matter what because you can’t protect yourself the way I can.”

“I may not have your abilities Liz, but I’m not stupid. You know I won’t put myself in a dangerous situation if I can help it.”

Liz nodded. “I know, I know. Still I’ll always worry about you Izzy Belle.”

Isabel gave her a smile as she unlocked her door. “Have a good night Liz. See you tomorrow for lunch?”

“Of course. I’m making that chicken salad you love so much. You bringing the dessert?”

“Um hm.”

“Okay, good night Izzy.”

“Night Liz.”

Liz waited until her friend had gone inside and locked the door before making her way down the street. Ever since Isabel had moved in next door to her over a year ago, the two of them had gotten to be close. Liz had immediately become protective of the much younger and slightly naïve girl and Isabel had taken to the rambunctious, fun nature that Liz had.

It hadn’t taken long for the two of them to start hanging out at each others place even though they lived right next door to each other. They’d both found enjoyment in getting together over meals they each contributed to or simply vegging out in front of the TV.

Eventually they began to confide in each other about serious topics and Liz finally came out and told Isabel what she did and who she was after she’d known her for almost seven months. Isabel had surprisingly taken it all in stride, simply asking all kinds of questions since she was so curious about Liz’s job and powers.

Now they were almost as close as sisters since Liz was so protective of Isabel and Isabel often admired Liz for the things she could do. Still, Isabel often worried about the way Liz handled relationships with men or the lack thereof. She wasn’t thrilled with the way Liz seemed to play with them for a night before moving on.

Granted, Isabel had never had a relationship either. She’d dated a few times, but nothing ever came out of those dates. Still, she wasn’t promiscuous like Liz. In fact, she had already confirmed Liz’s suspicion that she was still a virgin.

While that was Isabel’s personal choice, she didn’t begrudge anyone who wasn’t a virgin. However, she just wished Liz would take better care of herself instead of being so free. It was one thing to have a fling and entirely another to bring home a different guy a few times a week despite the fact that Liz was careful with her body.

That was why Isabel had made those remarks to Liz about the boy toys. And Liz agreed with Isabel on the idea of having someone to stick around for a while, but she wasn’t going to sit and wait for that to happen. So, she continued walking down the street until she reached the metro.

She could have made it to her destination on foot in less time that it took most, but she decided to use the public transportation this time. As she waited for the metro to arrive, she ran through the list of bars she liked to frequent until she decided which one she’d head to first. With a smile on her face and a destination in mind, she stepped up to the curb as the metro finally arrived.

************************************************************

Kyle sighed at the computer screen even though he wasn’t even seeing what was there. His thoughts were still on the blonde he’d met during the mission he’d been on with his team. She’d left such a lasting impression that he hadn’t been able to think of much else since then.

Granted, the first impression he’d had was that of a revolver pressed to his temple until she’d finally stepped around him into his view. At that point, he would have given her anything she’d wanted, but all she’d asked was for him to vacate the seat he’d been sitting in so she could peruse his babies. It was possible she’d been the only one who had ever made Kyle willingly hand over his babies as easily as he’d done that night.

He’d put her in the report just as Max and the others had put in the other woman who’d been there too. However, no one knew what the other woman’s name was. All he had on the blonde was that her first name was Tess, but of course she could have been lying.

Still once he’d reported her, the subject had been dropped. None of the others had asked him anything about her, like what did she look like or anything like that. They’d just listened to his report and that was that. It was almost like he’d been the only one who was aware she’d even been there because Alex and Michael kept ragging Max about his fight with the unnamed swordswoman. Tess had never been mentioned again, but the other woman kept coming up as Alex and Michael teased and Max scowled.

Sighing once more, he reached out and flicked off the computer. He was calling it a night after spending hours trying to see if anything popped up about a woman named Tess. Frustrated at not finding anything and still unable to get her out of his mind, he stood up and stretched. Then he made his way to the bedroom where he was bunking for the night since his regular rides had left in search of entertainment before going to their own homes.

************************************************************

Michael smiled at the woman who sat next to him at the table. Her friend was currently swooning in Alex’s arms out on the dance floor. Michael knew Alex had found his date for the night, which meant he had to somehow placate her friend sitting with him.

While Michael wasn’t a playboy like Alex, he did occasionally take a woman home with him when the mood struck. However, the mood wasn’t there that night. He’d simply wanted to go out to have a drink and relax, unwinding from the mission they’d had. Unfortunately, the woman sitting next to him wasn’t on the same page.

She leaned into his side once more, making sure her breast brushed against him and giving him a great view of her ample cleavage. Leaning in to speak into his ear loud enough for him to hear, yet low enough to be a come on she said, “I think my friend’s a little tipsy. She seems to be hanging all over him.”

Michael gave her another one of his trademark smiles. “Yeah, I guess she should be getting home soon then. Did she come with you or…”

She giggled. “She came with me, but I don’t think she’ll be going home with me. She’s found her ride for the night.”

He nodded as he turned to look at the dancers.

“How about you? Want a ride?” she asked huskily.

Michael knew she wasn’t talking about a vehicle, still he answered her with a slight strain to his smile. “No thanks, I’ve got a ride already.”

The woman pouted. “Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Yeah. Well, I think it’s finally past my bedtime.” He rose to his feet and gave her a nod of his head. “It was nice meeting you. Have a good night.”

With that, he walked to the edge of the dance floor and sent a thought to Alex. “Hey man, I’m gonna call it a night.”

Alex glanced up at him over his partner’s shoulder and whispered in a voice that would carry only to Michael’s ears. “Okay, be safe man. See you later.”

Michael waved before turning around and walking out of the club. He walked to the side of the building where the parking lot was and smiled as his ride came into view. Climbing onto his bike, he started it up and sighed.

“Okay, Harleygirl, lets go home.” With a roar of the engine, he was soon cruising down the road.

************************************************************

Alex gazed at the sleeping woman lying next to him before getting up to use the restroom. He knew she’d wake up feeling completely satisfied with the way things had gone that night if the smile she currently wore was an indication. Still, he had been a little disappointed himself with the outcome.

Hoping to thoroughly enjoy himself, he now felt as if he’d missed out on something. That there had been something missing from what he’d shared with the woman. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. It had never really happened before. Almost every woman that had ended up in his arms had seemed to satisfy him, but tonight wasn’t the case.

Granted, he didn’t think it was really her fault, but rather something to do with him. As he stood at the sink, he wondered if he was just losing his touch or was it that women weren’t as interesting to him as they were before. Shaking his head, he sincerely hoped that it was just stress from his job and nothing more.

He dried his hands on a towel, flicked off the light, and made his way back to bed. Sliding in next to the woman, he lay on his back staring up at the darkened ceiling for a few moments until sleep finally claimed him.

************************************************************

Liz sauntered into her third bar of the night after the last two had turned out to be rather dull. The moment she walked in she knew luck had found her, because sitting at the bar nursing a mostly empty glass was none other than the man she knew as Akita.

From the looks of it, he’d been sitting there for quite a while and was obviously brooding. Still that didn’t deter her from going up there and planting herself in the stool right next to his.

For his part, Max had gone to that bar as soon as he’d left headquarters. He’d been drinking ever since, but still wasn’t even remotely close to being drunk. Plagued by shadowy memories of his past, he’d been trying to drown his misery in the drink, but unfortunately for him he had a high tolerance level of alcohol.

There had never been a time when he’d been able to get so drunk as to forget everything. For as long as he’d known, Max had always remained completely sober while his drinking companions had passed out on the floor hours before. And yet there he was, trying in vain to finally get drunk for once in his life.

“Hey handsome, mind if I join you?” asked a very familiar voice.

Max turned to see his previous opponent sitting down next to him even as she gave him the once over. He couldn’t help but give her the once over himself, admiring the way the leather pants clung to legs and hips. Then there was that red bustier which called attention to her curves and ample cleavage.

Liz could see the approval in his eyes as he looked her over, yet she was surprised when that approval quickly turned to desire as his eyes met hers.

“Only if you tell me who hired you,” he replied with a grin.

She chuckled. “Sorry, I’m not on duty right now so I’m not talking shop. I can see you’re not on duty either.”

He shrugged. “You’d know, you were there.”

She nodded. “Um hm. So, why aren’t you out with the guys celebrating?”

He laughed bitterly. “What’s to celebrate?”

“Oh I don’t know. That you completed a successful mission?”

“Right. So, I should be celebrating the fact that we killed a guy?”

Liz watched as he raised the glass to his lips and downed the rest of the drink before indicating to the bartender that he wanted a refill. She remained silent and studied his profile until the bartender handed Max his drink and asked her what she wanted. When the bartender came back with her drink and left again, Liz finally spoke again.

“So, why do you do it if it bothers you so much?”

“It doesn’t bother me. Besides, it’s the only thing I know I’m good at.”

Liz arched an eyebrow at the sad note she detected in his voice, but decided not to delve into it for the moment. Max downed the drink once more which made Liz stare at him with a bit of concern.

As he signaled to the bartender Liz asked him, “Don’t you think you should slow down a little?”

He smirked at her. “I’ve got an incredibly high tolerance level. I think it’s part of what I am.”

She grinned. “Well, then lucky you.”

He shrugged. “I guess.”

She laughed. “Guess you can’t ever use the drunk excuse the morning after some really bad sex, huh?”

He quirked an eyebrow at her. “I take it you’ve used that excuse.”

She gave him a mischievous look. “Oh, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Max leaned in towards her with darkening eyes. “I just bet that you do.”

She leaned in also. “And I just bet you want to know what they are.”

He shook his head as his eyes traveled down to her lips. “Nope. Because I’m certain you’d want something in return.”

She licked her lips. “Hm, you might be right.”

He grinned as his face inched closer to hers. Her lips were nearly touching his as she said, “So, is there any way I can find out if that sword of yours will keep me occupied all night, handsome?”

“Maybe.” He paused before adding, “Why do you say that?”

“Say what?”

“Handsome? Do you know what kind of ammunition you gave the others?”

She chuckled making her breath tease his lips. “Well, I don’t know your name, so I had to choose something that fits.”

“Right,” came his sarcastic comment.

She ignored it and said, “I’m Liz.” When he just continued to stare at her, she whispered against his lips. “Well, I guess you won’t mind me calling you handsome again.”

A slow smile spread over his lips until it began to reach his eyes. “Not really.”

When she began to frown he added, “Max.”

“Max,” she breathed against his lips making his eyes turn even darker. “I would really like to know if your sword is as good as I think it is.”

************************************************************

They stumbled through the door of her apartment with their bodies already tangled together and lips fused in a sizzling kiss. Liz knew it was her fault since she’d toyed with him during the entire ride back to her place. She couldn’t help herself when she was sitting behind him on that lethal bike of his as they sped through the city.

Thoughts of what she’d like to do to him on that bike had prompted her to wrap her arms around him so that she could feel his ripped body with her hands. He hadn’t protested her feeling him up, but she’d grinned when the bike jerked for a moment right after she’d slid her hand over his groin.

Needless to say, the moment he’d parked the bike in the lot of her apartment, he’d turned around to pluck her from her seat and pulled her against him. His lips crashed down on hers and they still hadn’t come up for air until they’d stumbled into the door.

As they began to fumble with each others clothes, Liz closed the door with her foot. The moment she’d done that, Max lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He slid his arms beneath her thighs and captured her lips in his once more.

Mumbling against her lips in a breathless voice he asked, “Bedroom?”

She mumbled back as her fingers tangled in his hair. “Down the hall, right door.”

Max walked them both to the bedroom even as Liz continued to kiss his lips, neck, and shoulders. Somehow he managed to make it to the bed where he tried to lay her down only to have her pull him down on top of her.

As their bodies slid against each others, they removed the last of their clothing and came together once more in a tangle of breathy pants and dampened skin. Max dipped his head and captured her breast in his mouth.

She bucked up against him when his teeth nipped at her areole before his tongue laved away the sting. She wrapped her legs around his hips and flipped them over leaning over him with a grin.

He returned her grin as she took his hands in hers and lifted them over his head. She gave his lips a deep kiss before feasting on the skin along his jaw, neck, and chest. She couldn’t hide the widening grin when she felt and heard the moan he gave as she teased his nipples with her teeth and tongue.

Letting go of his hands, Liz ran her fingers along his arms and shifted back until she was straddling his thighs. Max couldn’t stifle a groan when Liz looked down at his groin and licked her lips hungrily. She lifted her eyes to his, winking at him before leaning over and taking her first lick of him.

Max’s eyes rolled back into his head as her mouth began to take him fully inside. Curling his fingers in her hair, he set the pace for her to lick and suck to her heart’s content. He couldn’t help the way his toes curled when she moaned against his shaft, indicating how much she was enjoying him.

A few moments later, she released him with a soft pop and leaned over to pull a condom out of her nightstand. Max lay there breathless, watching her as she expertly rolled the condom onto him before rising to her knees. He curled his fingers around her waist and guided her down onto him as their eyes met and held each others.

She sat there for a few moments staring at him as they both enjoyed the way he felt deep inside of her. Then, with the skill of a professional bull rider, she began to drive them both into a frenzy.

She took both of their breaths away as she bucked against him again and again. Her nails dug into his chest and her thighs gripped his sides as she rose and fell in time to the lifting of his hips.

He could feel her walls tightening around him in a viselike grip as his eyes drank in the sight of her above him. It turned him on to see the way she was enjoying his body. The way her eyes were at half-mast and her lips were slightly parted. The way her hair clung to her sweaty skin and the way her cheeks were flushed with her exertions. She had to be the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

Liz moaned when he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside of her. She couldn’t remember anything ever feeling as good as he felt inside of her. With a grin of satisfaction, she realized she’d been right. She was definitely going to enjoy his sword all night long. In fact, she was already hoping for a repeat performance in the near future and she hadn’t even climaxed yet!

With a grunt of need, Liz leaned forward and pressed her palms against his chest. Max lifted his hands up her sides and around to her back before lowering them to her ass. Holding her in his grip, he pulled her forward even as he lifted his hips. It was the push she needed to go careening over the edge as she screamed his name to the ceiling.

As her scream died out, Max flipped them around once more and gripped her thighs in his hands. Liz looked up at him as he leaned over her and began thrusting hard into her. Sweat dripped from his hair and face to splash against her overheated body. Still they both ignored that as he began to bring her to yet another orgasm.

Squeezing him close with her thighs and body, Liz arched her back and curled her toes against his legs. Just as she climaxed, Max threw his head back and let out a guttural moan as he finally felt his own release happen. Liz opened her eyes in time to watch his expression as he climaxed and couldn’t believe just how sexy he could be.

Even as sweaty and flushed as he was, he had to be the sexiest man she’d ever had the chance to be with. As he collapsed over her body, she held him close and decided she definitely wanted a repeat performance with him someday soon. Still, she knew they still had a couple of hours left until dawn.

Waiting until his breathing had evened out a bit, she began to once more tease his body with her hands until he began to respond to her ministrations. Oh yeah, she was more than glad that he was willing to let her enjoy him for a few more hours. Granted, he was enjoying her too as those hours stretched out until light began to peek around the curtains and their bodies were finally too exhausted to go on.

************************************************************

Liz finished washing up a bit in the restroom before looking at herself in the mirror once more. She couldn’t help but smile at the way she looked thoroughly ravished. Max had been so much more than she could have ever dreamed of and she was glad she’d managed to find someone who could match her stamina.

He’d satisfied her again and again and had even allowed her to take the lead often. Most guys were intimidated by that, but he hadn’t been. But what she’d enjoyed the most about it was that no matter how hot and heavy it got, he still managed to make her feel like the most beautiful, cherished woman alive.

With a last look at her reflection, she turned off the light and made her way back into the bedroom. As she neared the bed, she glanced down at the rumpled covers and froze. Her eyes quickly darted around the room until the distant sound of a motorcycle reached her ears.

Closing her eyes, she sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed. She had hoped she would have been wrong, but somehow she’d known he’d leave when she wasn’t looking. While she had used the restroom and cleaned up, Max had gotten up, dressed, and left without so much as a goodbye.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Warning: scenes of violent fighting in this part as there will be in most of this story...

And I am asking that all of you take to heart the fact that this is an alternate universe where you must suspend reality and let your imagination wander. If anyone has ever watched anime or any Japanese action film, you will know what I mean. There are things that are not possible, yet they make it so. And I REFUSE to believe swordfighting is a dead sport , it still remains to me one of the most brutal forms of fighting there is. How many people do you think really died with only ONE swipe of a sword??? Yeah, brutal!



Part 3

Liz sighed as she looked up at the building in front of her. She couldn’t believe she was really there, but she knew she really had no choice. When she’d received the newest mission and looked it over, she knew there was no way to do it alone, especially after she’d gone to scope out the area.

Watching the place where the target was holed up for several days and reading all the Intel on the target and his whereabouts, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get to him without getting caught in a bloodbath. More to the point, she knew she didn’t have the capability to get in, kill him, and get out without getting killed herself. She would need some serious backup.

So, after going over several different options and trying to come up with a feasible plan for just herself, she finally realized she would have to go ask for backup. She just hoped they would trust her enough to be willing to work with her.

She made her way into the building, heading towards the back where there was a small janitorial closet. Once she’d made up her mind about seeking help, she’d inquired on the secure government website about the whereabouts of a team with members known as Akita, Spaniel, Terrier, and Dalmatian.

Needless to say, the informant on the site was extremely wary of giving that information out and had to go verify her security clearance with the agency she contracted with before they were willing to give her an answer. Surprisingly, it had taken only three days for them to get back to her when she’d been certain she’d have to wait a week if not more.

As she approached the closet, she glanced around to make sure no one was watching before slipping inside. Closing the door behind her as quietly as possible, she moved to the back of the closet and opened the first aid kit that was hanging on the wall. She reached in and found the almost invisible latch that made the inside of the kit swing out to reveal a small metal square behind it.

Feeling around the right side of the door, she found the indention and pressed it so that the square opened with a soft click. Inside was a blue button which she pressed before quickly closing both the metal door and the first aid kit. A few seconds later the tall work shelf to the right of the kit slid forward with part of the wall to reveal a set of stairs which went down into the ground.

Without hesitance, Liz walked down the stairs and heard the opening close behind her a few seconds later, plunging her into darkness for a few moments. She wasn’t afraid since her eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness and she continued walking down the stairs.

Suddenly lights flickered on from beneath the steps and she froze since she was almost blinded. She gritted her teeth and waited for her eyesight to return to normal before she continued down the stairs. That was the one thing about her vision, it adjusted quickly to the darkness, but took a little longer for it to readjust to the light.

************************************************************

Kyle felt like throwing something. He’d been working on trying to solve the mystery of the blonde for days now and there was still not a single thing for him to find. Glaring at the computer screen once more, he wondered if he should just ask Alex or Michael to take him to the library where he could look up information on residents of the city like any normal human would.

Just as he was about to turn the computer off, he heard the series of blips which indicated someone was coming down the stairs and craned his head to look at the screen which would show who it was. His eyes went wide when the visitor appeared on the monitor, clearly making her way down the stairs to the door that led to their underground headquarters.

Getting up, he ran to the door of the bedroom and stuck his head in. Michael was lounging on the bed reading a comic book, oblivious to everything else.

“Mike! We got company coming!”

Michael peered at him over his comic. “Who?”

“Max’s swordswoman.”

Michael grinned. “No kidding!”

Kyle narrowed his eyes. “Cut it out Mike, how the hell did she know how to find us huh?”

Michael shrugged as he stood up and tossed his comic on the bed. “Dunno, maybe Max told her.”

As he followed Kyle out of the room, Kyle turned and tsked him. “Yeah, right. As if Max would ever divulge a secret to a stranger. Let alone where our headquarters are to someone he knew.”

Michael chuckled. “Yeah, but she’s hot! I’ll bet a hundred bucks she seduced it out of him!”

Kyle sighed. “You’ll never learn will you?”

They had reached the back of the dining room and Michael grabbed one of his small crossbows he kept hanging on the wall nearby, while Kyle picked up a small handgun from the nearby console table. They both stood at the ready and aimed their weapons at a spot on the nearly flawless wall.

A few moments later a seam appeared in the wall before part of the wall slowly began to swing open to reveal a stunned Liz. She immediately raised her hands in the air to keep them from shooting her.

“I’m not armed!” she said hastily.

Kyle lowered his gun, but only slightly. “How did you find us and why are you here?”

She looked between them as she answered. “I got clearance from the government website and they told me how to find you. I came to ask your team for your help on a mission I’ve been asked to do.”

When neither one of them seemed to budge, she continued. “Please, if you’d let me come in and explain the mission, you’d see. I have every intention of compensating the entire team for your help.”

Slowly Michael lowered his crossbow. When Kyle finally lowered his gun and indicated for Liz to come in, Michael grinned at him.

“Well now, I can’t wait to see Max’s face when he finds out about this.”

************************************************************

Max walked into the room glaring at the other three members of his team, totally ignoring the fourth person for the moment.

“Which one of you gave the okay for her to breach headquarters?”

Michael grinned at Kyle. “I win.”

Max glared at him for a moment before glancing at the others. “Well?” he barked.

Kyle sighed. “Akita, she got clearance from the government website. The secure one!”

Max narrowed his eyes at Kyle. “And that was all it took for you to let her in here? Are you insane?”

Alex stood up and held a hand out to placate Max. “I think you should hear her out before you take Spaniel’s head off.”

Max turned his glare on Alex, but Alex didn’t quell under it the way Kyle and sometimes Michael did. After a few seconds of glaring at Alex, Max pursed his lips and turned to look at Liz.

Folding his arms over his chest, he growled at her. “Fine! Explain yourself!”

Liz lifted her chin in defiance and something dark flitted through her eyes for a moment before it was gone. The other three shifted uncomfortably as the tension seemed to rise and Alex was just about to say something when Liz slowly nodded.

“Okay, here’s the deal. I’ve been offered a mission. Unfortunately I can’t accomplish this by myself because there are certain skills I need which I don’t have.”

She looked around at the others. “I remembered that some of you have the skills I need, so I decided to try to ask for your help.”

Kyle frowned at her. “What about your team?”

Liz shook her head. “I don’t have a team. I work alone.”

Kyle gave her a puzzled look. “You-you work alone! But isn’t Tess your partner?”

Liz returned his puzzled look. “Who’s Tess?”

“Tess. The woman who helped us out that night we met you, remember? You were with Akita when I told you both over the headset that we had a problem and then she took over speaking to you all.” He looked at the others. “Don’t you remember?”

The others nodded as Michael spoke up. “Yeah, we remember. But Spaniel, we only heard her over the headsets. You were the only one to see her.”

Kyle turned back to Liz. “Well if she wasn’t working with you, who was she working with?”

Liz shrugged. “I don’t know, but she must have been hired by yet another person who wanted our target dead.”

Alex whistled as he sat back down. “Damn, he must have really pissed off tons of people to have three contracts taken out on his life!”

Max, who was the only one left standing, rolled his eyes. “Never mind that, it’s already over with. So, you’ve come to ask us to help you in this mission you’ve been given. Why would we be interested in helping you out?”

Liz gave him a look before she turned to the others. “I’ve already talked to my contact. They’ve agreed to up the price so that all of us will be well compensated for the job.”

“Well compensated huh? Guess that leaves me out,” grumbled Max as he turned to walk out of the room.

Liz stood up and glared at his back. “I know you are not going to turn down the opportunity to send yet another evil person back to the hell they came from Max!”

Silence descended in the room as Max froze where he stood. All of the others stared at Liz with wide eyes. She knew his name.

************************************************************

“I’m telling you Tess had to be the one who contacted Liz! How could she have known exactly when to show up and how to get us all to work together?” grumbled Kyle into his headset.

A sigh echoed over their headsets before Liz’s voice came through. “If Tess was the one who contacted me for the job, we’ll never know Spaniel. But now is not the time to argue about this!”

“She’s right,” agreed Max’s voice. “And Spaniel, we’re getting ready to go to work remember? Code names are the way to go.”

“Ha ha! Funny, Akita!” came Kyle’s voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Wasn’t trying to be,” came Max’s deadpan reply.

Kyle sighed as he surveyed his babies. “Fine! All systems are go here. Everything looks clear and quiet for the moment. Whenever the team is ready.”

“Team is moving into position now,” came Max’s voice in a quieter tone.

Kyle watched the computers, keeping track of everything as the rest of his team and Liz made their way towards the target. After they’d all gotten over the shock that Liz and Max had actually spent a night together in which Max had told her his name and Max had finally relented to hear her out, she told them the details of her mission.

They all agreed that she would need help on it since they had skills that would be beneficial to the mission. Plus, Liz had indeed managed to get her contact to pay them a sufficient amount once they finished the job.

Once they’d all agreed to help her, they gathered around the dining table at their headquarters as Liz filled them in on who their target was, who was with him, and where they would make their move. Two days later the guys had all managed to scope out the place in question and agreed with Liz on the plan of attack.

Once they’d finalized the plan and Liz had been briefed on how to use some of Kyle’s techno toys that she wasn’t familiar with, they’d given her a code name to use just like they each had. She now knew their real names just as she knew Max’s, but she also knew that while performing their mission they’d all be using code names for the duration.

It was a while before Kyle heard Michael’s voice over the headset. “Everyone is in position Spaniel. The others are taking out the target now.”

“Roger that,” replied Kyle.

Michael was hidden high up in one of the huge trees that clustered the front lawn of the multiple acre dwelling. It was obvious that their target had plenty of money to spend since he’d rented the massive home that was surrounded by a tall stone wall to keep out intruders.

There were also several guards who continuously swept the entire area both inside and out of the house. However, the only stationary guard were the two at the entrance gate which was wide enough to let in two vehicles side by side. Other than those two guards, no one else was stationed anywhere else around the walls.

Which made it easy for Michael to use his voice to manipulate a few guards to look the other way when he went over the wall far away from the front entrance. Once he’d found the perfect tree to hide in, he used his thoughts to give the others the clear signal then proceeded to play lookout for them as they made their way over the wall and towards the house.

Liz, Max, and Alex made their way to the house one by one while Michael made sure no guards came near them or noticed that they were there. Once they were at the house they would be on their own since Michael would remain in the tree for the duration of the mission. He would be the one to catch any stragglers if they gave the other three the slip.

Since Max was inside the house with Liz and Alex, Michael had to be the one to relay messages from Kyle to the others because silence was imperative for the moment inside the house. The three of them entered through a window in the den since their previous observations showed them that room was never used by the inhabitants.

Once they were all inside, they began communicating by hand signals. Liz moved to the door and listened for a moment before peering out of the crack. Seeing that it was dark as expected since most of the inhabitants were either in the kitchen or upstairs in the huge sitting room, she gave them the okay and slipped out of the room.

Max was the next to move to the door which he peeked out of to watch Liz disappear up the stairs. He waited a few more moments then followed in her footsteps. Alex was the last to make his move upstairs where he knew Max and Liz were already in hiding.

Without wasting any time, Alex got to work with his retractable gadgets. Pulling out several wires, he rigged them to the area around the stairs. He knew Max and Liz were watching the door for any sign of movement and would alert him if anyone came out of the room before he was done.

Luckily they all remained inside and Alex was soon finished with his work. Moving to the bathroom door next to the sitting room, he slipped inside and made his way to the window. Peering outside, he quickly looked around and pulled out a tazer from his coat.

Holding it up to the window, he pressed the button and watched as electricity arced over the end of it for a few moments before he turned it off. Counting to ten, he quietly raised the window and slid the upper half of his body out, twisting around to look up at the roof.

Hoping that was all the time Michael had needed to influence any guards in the area, he pulled out another wire from his coat and aimed it for one of the posts at the edge of the roof. His aim was perfect as the wire wrapped around the post and he tugged it to test its stability. As soon as he was certain it would hold his weight, he slid out of the window completely and climbed up to the roof.

Undoing the wire, he scooted over and wrapped the wire around another post as quickly and efficiently as possible. As soon as he tested it, he flipped over the side of the roof and began climbing down towards the window of the sitting room. Maneuvering himself slightly to the left, he continued down until he was right besides the window.

The curtains were slightly parted, but no one was looking out of them as they were all engrossed in whatever they were watching on TV. Still, he quickly counted seven men, including the target and every single one of them was heavily armed just like they’d been briefed about.

He pulled out the weapons he was going to use and mentally prepared himself for the attack. Two seconds later he’d burst through the window and threw a retractable tazer out at the two closest men. They went down on contact and Alex withdrew his tazers before throwing them at the next two who were now on their feet and rushing him.

At the same time Max burst through the door and began attacking with his sword. Thrown off by the attack from both sides, the remaining four guards tried to huddle around their leader knowing he was the target. Alex pulled his tazers back knowing the guards were now ready for them and reached out to pick up a chair which he tossed at them.

Max moved in and swung his sword at them which made two of the guards duck before pointing their guns at him. Max said a chant and held the sword before him as a shield. The guards gaped when they saw the bullets seem to hit an invisible wall before falling harmlessly to the floor.

Using their confusion, Max leaped at them and swiftly took out one of the guards before turning to the other one. Unfortunately the target wasn’t as stunned as the rest of them and managed to shoot at Max before he could finish off the other guard. Max had seen the target move and was quick enough to duck before the bullets found their mark.

He kicked out with his foot to bring down the guard as he swung his sword towards the target. But the target was already moving out of Max’s reach and before Max had a chance to go after him, the room began to fill up with more guards. Several of them surrounded the target while the others kept Max and Alex busy.

Alex fought his way towards Max by using his retractable weapons or occasionally picking up a couch or desk and throwing it at the guards to clear a path. Max was making his way towards the door where the target had already gone out of surrounded by his guards.

Out in the hallway, Liz was valiantly fighting to keep the guards and the target from making it to the stairs and therefore their getaway. Max and Alex came out of the room and began to make their way towards Liz, all of them thinking that the target would eventually be trapped between the three of them.

However, several shots rang out from downstairs making Liz duck to avoid the debris flying from the ceiling where the bullets had struck. Some of the debris fell against the wires Alex had set at the edge of the stairs, letting everyone know to use caution. Still, that was enough time for the guards and the target to streak past Liz and down the stairs. Furious, Liz whirled around and threw herself down the stairs.


Alex heard Max gasp as they both fought their way through the few remaining guards. They reached the edge of the stairs and Alex was sure he’d see Liz lying in a heap somewhere down there, but his eyes widened when he saw that she was still on her feet and fighting as if she were superhuman.

It was then that they realized that she was just that. All along they’d thought she was a normal human, albeit great at swords and very athletic. But still, she had seemed human. Now they saw she was clearly…not.

She was fighting the guards to get to the target, but instead of just using her sword, there was another one in her other hand. However, this was no ordinary sword. This one was glowing red and was very translucent. So translucent that Max and Alex could see the floor through it. But the kicker was that when she thrust that sword at one of the guards, she aimed at their heads and it clearly went through their heads without leaving any mark whatsoever.

The only indication that the sword had affected them in any way was the way they suddenly clutched their head and went down screaming in agony. The victim would then convulse a few times until their eyes rolled up into their head and their bodies went limp in death. Everyone who witnessed it seemed to be a bit paralyzed in shock until Max snapped out of it and tore down the stairs to help Liz out.

His movements jarred the target back into action so that by the time Max had made it downstairs, the target had grabbed a couple of guards and was racing out of the house. As Max reached Liz, she cut down another guard with her real sword and growled at the remaining guards.

“Where the hell are all these men coming from? There weren’t supposed to be this many here!”

Max shrugged as he fought beside her. “He’s a very shady character. I knew there had to be something he was hiding.”

She hissed at another guard she’d just downed. “Damn it Akita, he’s getting away!”

Max narrowed his eyes at the door where the target was disappearing out of. “Not if I can help it. Come on.”

Alex helped to clear a path for them by dropping several pieces of furniture over the banister before rushing down after them. He hadn’t expected them to wait for them as they darted towards the door the moment they had a clear path. As they reached the door, they heard shouting from outside which told them Michael was now in on the action.

As they rushed outside, they could see several guards aiming at the trees trying to find where Michael was hidden while the target climbed into a car with more of his guards. Ignoring the guards shooting at Michael, Max and Liz ran towards the car which was already peeling out of the driveway.

Unfortunately neither one of them could run as fast as Michael could and soon the car was nearing the already opened gates. Max continued towards the car, yelling back at Liz.

“Come on, we’ll chase them on my bike!”

They watched as the electronic gate suddenly stopped and began to close instead. Max grinned at Kyle’s attempt to help them, but the car plowed right through the gate since it hadn’t closed all the way yet. As the car reached the street with Max and Liz still running after it, they heard Michael’s voice in their heads.

“Guys, the target told the driver to head for the Ames River. He’s got a speed boat there that will take him to a private landing strip.”

“Thanks Terrier!” yelled Max as he and Liz rushed out of the gates towards the other side of the road where he’d hidden his bike deep in the brush. Since the house the target had rented was almost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lots of wilderness, it had been easy for Max to hide his bike not too far from the gates yet far from prying eyes.

Liz followed him into the brush and helped him drag his bike out as quickly as possible. He jumped onto the bike and started it before reaching a hand out to her.

“Hop on, we can still catch him!”

Liz swung up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She held on as Max sped off down the road. As soon as he was racing it steadily, Max reached beneath his seat and pulled out the headset he had stowed there. Slipping it on, he flipped the switch and spoke into it.

“Spaniel, you copy?”

“Yeah, loud and clear. The house has been cleared. What’s your location?”

“East on Graves Street, just passing mile marker twelve.”

There was a moment of silence before Kyle spoke again. “Got it. Dalmatian is hot on your tail. Terrier and I will clean up the remains here.”

“Affirmative.”

As Max continued speeding down the streets towards Ames River, they kept a look out for the car which Max was certain they’d catch up with before they could reach the river. A few minutes later Kyle’s voice came back over the headset.

“Clean up is almost done. How are you two holding up?”

“Still traveling. Haven’t spotted the target yet.”

“Need help?”

“No, we’ll handle this. Just clean up and return to rendezvous point. Any survivors?”

“None, had to finish off the last ones before they turned Terrier into a rag doll.”

Max couldn’t help but grin at that. Kyle rarely interfered with the others, but when he did it was always what was needed.

He heard a chuckle over the headset, then Michael’s voice. “Spaniel’s such a modest kid. He fried them! You know they weren’t expecting it!”

“What did he do?” asked Liz, making Max glance back at her. He couldn’t believe she’d been able to listen in what with the wind whipping by them at their speed.

“He manipulated the electricity of the garden lights. Managed to make the electric current travel between the lights which surrounded the guards. They had no chance to move out of the way of the currents. Luckily Dalmatian wasn’t inside of the area or he’d have gotten it too!”

“Hey! I made sure neither of you were anywhere near before I did that!” came Kyle’s petulant voice.

“That you did,” replied Alex. “Now you two go back to cleaning up and let Akita, Setter, and I get back to work.”

“Roger that!”

************************************************************

They caught up with the car about a mile from the river. The moment Max saw the car, he gunned the engine and pulled alongside them. Pulling out his sword, he punctured the tire and backed off before the car could swerve into them. Unfortunately the driver was skilled enough to keep the car moving towards their destiny.

The back window was lowered and one of the guards stuck his head out to shoot at them. Max swerved to get out of the way before pulling his sword in front of them and chanting to create a shield. Bullets hit the invisible shield as Max raced alongside the car.

Liz leaned in to speak in Max’s ear. “Get closer to him!”

Max did as Liz asked wondering what she could do since both of them were mostly skilled at swords and neither of them had a gun. His question was soon answered as the bike moved close enough that the front wheel was parallel to the back wheel of the car. Liz lifted her hand and Max could see the red outline of the strange sword she’d wielded before.

Without a word, Liz threw her hand forward and the sword left her hand and seemed to disappear into the guard’s head. With a scream, he clutched his head in agony and began to convulse. Liz leaned in to Max again.

“See if you can get up next to the window!”

Max gunned the bike and sped up to the window. Reaching out, he grabbed the now lifeless guard and dragged him the rest of the way out of the window, letting the body fall to the road. The moment the window was cleared, Liz lifted her hand and Max stared in amazement as he saw another red sword disappear inside the car.

Another agonized scream echoed out of the car letting them both know the sword had found a target. Suddenly Max had an idea.

“Dalmatian, be careful. We’ve left a body in the road.”

“Got it.”

He looked over his shoulder at Liz. “I’m going around to the drivers side. As soon as I get the window out of the way, take your shot.”

Liz nodded as Max slowed down the bike enough to go around the back of the car. Then he sped up again once he was on the other side of it. The driver tried to swerve into them to throw them off, but Max was used to riding his bikes as if he’d been born on them.

As soon as he was parallel to the driver’s window, he pulled his sword out, said a strengthening chant, and shoved the tip of the sword through the glass. As soon as the glass shattered, Liz lifted her hand and threw a red sword at the driver’s head.

Max swerved his bike away just as the driver screamed and clutched his head. The car swerved off the road and crashed into a ditch where it came to a dead stop. As Max slowed the bike down, Liz jumped off the back and raced towards the car.

The target and the last two guards scrambled out of the car and began running in the opposite direction. Liz threw another red sword at the guard closest to her, sending him screaming to the ground. She took off in pursuit of the other guard as Max gunned his bike and sped off after the target.

The target tried to run deeper into the undergrowth, thinking he could outmaneuver Max on his bike, but Max was quicker. Max was used to taking bikes through tough terrain. Like a cowboy on the back of a bronco, he pulled out his sword as his bike reared up to push through some shrubbery and with one downward slash, managed to finally acquire the target’s life.

************************************************************

With a sigh of relief, Liz sank down onto the edge of her bed. She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was until she’d finally made it home and seen her bed. The mission had been completed even though a few surprises had turned up.

None of them had expected such a huge amount of guards, except for Max. After Max, Liz, and Alex had cleaned up the remains of the car and its occupants they had returned to headquarters where Kyle and Michael were already waiting for them. Then it was a quick debriefing as Kyle had typed up their mission and sent it to the email address that Liz had provided.

They’d waited for about an hour before a reply was sent and the money had been wired into Liz’s account. From there, she’d wired the money due the guys into the account that Kyle had given her so that it would be split up between them. Once they’d all been paid and the paperwork had been done, Liz was free to return home.

She’d thanked the guys for helping her with the mission before stumbling to her car and going home. Now all she could think of doing was going to sleep for a while, but tried to force herself up to take a bath first. Just as she got to her feet, there was a knock at her door.

Frowning, she made her way to the door and looked through the peephole. With a gasp of surprise, she stepped back and opened to the door to stare up at Max.

“What are you doing here Max?”

He gave her an awkward shrug. “I thought we should talk.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Talk? About what?”

He sighed. “It seems, you’re not what we all thought you were.”

Slowly a smile spread over her face. “Oh that! Yeah, I didn’t think it was that important.”

Max widened his eyes for a moment in shock, but realized she was teasing him. Narrowing his eyes, he stepped towards her. “Didn’t think that was important, did you? Well, care to tell me if there’s anything else you don’t think is important to tell me?”

Liz backed up into her apartment. “Um, I’m not sure…”

He followed her into the apartment and shut the door behind him. “Not sure? Well, I thought it might be beneficial to us if we knew exactly what you were capable of.”

“What I’m capable of?” she asked, her voice growing husky.

He nodded as he continued to advance on her. “Everything you’re capable of.” He’d emphasized the word everything.

She backed up until he had her pinned against the wall where she looked up at him with wide, innocent looking eyes. Max grinned.

“Well?” he asked.

She sighed as she lifted one hand to trail her fingers down the front of his shirt. Shrugging she whispered. “The sword is pretty much it and I have night vision.”

Max backed up and stared at her. “Night vision? You mean, like a cat has night vision?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He grinned. “I guess we gave you the wrong code name, should have been Whippet since it’s a sight hound. Or maybe a feline name would have been better.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “There are other animals with night vision Max.”

“True. So, how does it work?”

“Well, if the lights suddenly go off, my vision is immediately adjusted to see clearly. But it’s not the same the other way around. If I’m seeing in the dark and suddenly the lights are turned on, it takes a few moments for me to get my bearings.”

Max frowned. “That’s not something you want your opponents to know, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“And the sword? What exactly is it?”

She sighed as she looked up into his eyes. “I’ve been calling it a psychic sword since I manifest it with my mind and it only works when pushed into the head of my opponent. It has no effect on any other part of the body.”

Max arched an eyebrow. “Interesting.”

Liz nodded. “Yeah and as you’ve seen, I have to be relatively close to someone to throw it. If I’m too far away, it’ll just fade away before it makes contact.”

“I see, but you’re able to create several of them over and over again.”

Liz nodded. “Yes, but the more I use it, the more it drains me of energy. I get tired easily if I use it too much.”

“Makes sense. You’re using a part of your brain that most humans don’t ever use. It’s only natural for you to tire so quickly.”

Liz shrugged. “I thought that after a while, I’d get used to it. You know, gets better with age? But that’s not true.”

“Do you use it often?”

“No. Like I said, it tires me, so I try to use it only when everything else has failed.”

Max nodded. “Again, it makes sense. Think of it as a muscle. You know if you don’t use your muscle often and build up its strength and stamina that it doesn’t get stronger. That may be the same with your mind. You don’t use it enough to build its strength so you can’t use it for that long.”

Liz stared at him for a moment before nodding. “You may have a point.”

Max smiled as he sat down on the edge of her bed. “So, what else can you do?”

“That’s it. Just night vision and the sword. All of my other abilities you already know. Sword fighting and my athletic ability.”

Max grinned. “Hm, well I’m still impressed.”

She sat down next to him. “Impressed? Exactly what about me impresses you?”

He chuckled. “Everything. That wicked psychic sword. The fact that you can see in the dark. The way you handle a sword. And the way you move your body in a fight.”

He’d said the last two sentences in a deep throated voice. And when he’d finished, he’d looked her up and down as if he were undressing her with his eyes. Liz couldn’t help but give him a seductive smile.

“I don’t believe it! All of that is seriously turning you on, isn’t it?”

Max leaned close to her until his lips grazed hers. “You have no idea,” he growled.

Suddenly she forgot just how tired she’d been. “Oh, I think I have a very good idea.”

************************************************************

“Harder Max!” she cried as her nails dug into the back of his shoulders.

Max obliged her as he thrust his hips harder, sending him even deeper inside of her. He buried his face in her neck and Liz moaned at the way he panted against her skin. She wrapped her legs higher around his waist and he moaned into her neck.

Sliding one hand down beneath her hips, he lifted her slightly as he continued to pound into her body. She threw her head back as she let out a cry of satisfaction. As she came all around him, Max mumbled against her neck.

“God, Liz!”

Liz clutched him closer to her as she rode out her orgasm and nibbled on his ear. “Come for me, Max!” she whispered. “I want to feel you come for me!”

Max grunted against her neck as he thrust his hips against hers a couple of more times before he lifted his head up. Liz looked up at him, watching the expression on his face as he came hard inside of her. She lay there holding him as his body jerked once before he collapsed on top of her.

They remained there for a few moments before Max sighed and rolled off of her. She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow to look down at him. A few moments later he opened his eyes to see her watching him.

“What?” he asked in a breathless voice.

She grinned. “Now I know what turns you on.”

Max chuckled as he slid out of the bed and removed the condom. She watched as he tossed it into the trashcan before he sat back down on the bed. She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Well, now that I know that about you, how about telling me some more.”

She felt him stiffen slightly in her arms before he moved to lie back down. “I think you know everything that turns me on now.”

She rolled her eyes as she lay next to him. “No Max. Tell me more about yourself.”

He sighed. “You already know all there is to know Liz.”

She rolled over onto her stomach. “Okay, how about this. I tell you something about myself and you have to tell me something about yourself. We’ll take turns okay?”

Max closed his eyes. “Liz…”

“Oh come on Max! I’ll start!”

He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. “Okay, fine. But before we start, can I get something to drink?”

Liz chuckled. “Sure, anything in particular?”

He shook his head. “A glass of water is fine.”

She nodded and leaned over to press a kiss against his lips as she brushed her body against his side. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

He grinned and watched as she walked out of the bedroom completely naked.

Liz went to the kitchen and took out two glasses from the cabinet. Then she walked over to the refrigerator to put ice cubes into both glasses before walking to the sink and filling them up with water. When she was done, she made her way back to the bedroom with a glass of ice water in each hand.

“Here we are, a glass of ice…”

Her sentence remained unfinished as she stared at the open window next to her empty bed. He had disappeared again.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Part 4

Michael grumbled under his breath as he climbed off of his Harley. “Please, he says. I don’t have a ride and I’m desperate! What was I thinking?”

Kyle climbed out of the seat that was attached to the side of the bike. “You weren’t thinking Mike because you are such a nice guy and a great friend.”

“R-r-r-ight!” he retorted.

Kyle just grinned at him as he tossed his helmet into the seat and made his way up the steps into the public library. Michael followed at a more leisurely pace and the two of them entered the revolving doors at the front of the library.

As they walked past the turnstiles, Kyle looked up at the sign and noticed he had to go to the basement to find the information he was there for. Turning to Michael, he punched him lightly on the arm.

“Hey man, I’ve got to go to the basement to look up the info, you want to hang out here or?”

Michael sighed as he shrugged out of his jacket. “I’ll wait near the newspaper racks, I guess.”

Kyle nodded before making his way towards the stairs to the basement. At the bottom of the stairs, he made his way into a room with a door labeled ‘archives’. Inside, he walked over to the desk where a woman who looked almost as ancient as some of the items sat in a chair. As he approached her, she peered at him over her spectacles.

“May I help you?” she croaked.

Kyle gave her what he hoped would be a pleasing smile. “Yes. I need to look up some information on a long lost cousin of mine, on my mother’s side.”

She continued to peer at him over her glasses for a moment before making a sound similar to a scoff. “Fine, follow me please.”

Kyle followed the woman thorough several shelves stacked high with books and other materials until the got towards the back of the row. There she indicated the shelves that lined the back wall and the computers among them with a wave of her hand.

“You should be able to find information on almost anyone who’s ever lived in this town over the last century or two. However, please note that I said should and almost. There are bound to be plenty of exceptions.”

Kyle nodded. “Right, I understand.”

“Good. Instructions on how to use the computers are on the clipboard next to each one. Should you require more assistance, I’ll be up at the desk.” With that, she made her way back through the row of shelves to her desk.

Kyle shook his head as he walked over to one of the computers and spared a glance at the clipboards. Sitting in the chair, he flipped the screen on and flexed his fingers. “All right baby, show me if you can find this mysterious woman who goes by the name, Tess.”

************************************************************

With an impatient sigh, Michael closed the newspaper he’d been attempting to read and tossed it onto the table nearby. Tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair he was sitting in, he glanced around the library with a bored look before noticing the time on his watch.

Kyle had been gone for nearly thirty minutes already and he was losing his patience. Just when he was thinking maybe he should go find Kyle and tell him he’d be back to pick him up in a couple of hours, his eyes landed on something interesting between a couple of the tall rows of book shelves.

A slender woman with dark blonde hair appeared to be re-shelving a cart of books. She was wearing a knee length dark brown skirt with matching pumps and a bright green shirt with a dark brown sweater tied around her shoulders. Her wavy, dark blonde hair was pulled up into a messy high ponytail and wisps of it fell into her eyes, making her occasionally shove them impatiently out of the way.

As she continued to work, Michael tilted his head with interest as he watched her place books back on the shelves. He was fascinated with how she could work in those pumps and the form fitting skirt she wore. Then there was all that luxurious hair she had which he was now imagining what it looked like all loose and spilling down over her shoulders.

He took a swift intake of breath when she bent over from the waist to pick up a book she’d dropped, giving him a perfect view of her nicely shaped behind. A few moments later, she rose to her toes and stretched her arm out to place a book on one of the higher shelves above her head.

He admired her slender, yet shapely form for a moment or two before he decided to go offer to help her place the book on the shelf that was slightly out of her reach. Getting up from his chair, he slowly maneuvered his way to her side between the rows of shelves.

“Hi. Need some help?” He asked when she paused the moment she knew he was near.

“Um, I think that should be my line,” she replied in a quieter voice as she turned to look up at him.

The moment he saw her eyes, he felt the wind knocked out of his gut. Her eyes were as green as the shirt she wore and they were as breathtaking as the shy smile she graced him with. As she turned away from him to put the book back on the cart, he shook his head and remembered why he was there.

“Well, I just couldn’t help but notice that you needed some help putting that book back on the shelf there.” He held out his hand for the book. “I’d be happy to put it up there for you.”

She hesitated for a moment before she picked the book up from the cart and handed it to him.

“Just tell me where to put it.”

“Um, to the…the right of that thin blue book.”

He pointed to the book she’d indicated and when she nodded, he made a space to the right of it before sliding the other book in besides it.

“Th…thanks,” she whispered as she turned back to the other books.

“No problem,” he replied with a smile. He watched as she picked up yet another couple of books and moved down the row to put them up. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, prompting him to give her another one of his smiles and he was rewarded with a slight blush to her cheeks as she continued on down the row.

Deciding that she wasn’t thinking of telling him to get lost just yet, he moved to her side and said, “Listen, if you have anymore books that need to be put on one of the higher shelves, I’d be happy to put them there for you.”

“Um, o…okay, let me see if…if I have any more.”

She walked over to the cart and rummaged through the books, picking up a few more. He watched as she walked down the row, glancing at the books on the shelves and the ones in her hand. Every once in a while, she stopped to place one on the shelf before moving on. When she got to the third book she held, she stopped and glanced up at the shelf before turning to look at him.

He smiled when her eyes met his and smiled wider when she looked away with a deepening blush.

“Um, this one goes up there.”

He moved to her side and took the book from her, placing it where she’d indicated with her soft, quiet voice.

“Thanks,” she said when he was done. “Um, you know, you don’t have to do this really. We have a ladder for these purposes.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I know. I just thought It’d be easier this way.”

“Oh, well I don’t want you to have to go out of your way. If…if you’re busy or something.”

“Nah, I’m not in a rush to be anywhere right now.”

She looked up at him again and he gave her another smile. This time, she returned his smile even as she continued to blush. Slowly she looked away again and returned to putting up the books.

************************************************************

Kyle sighed. He wasn’t having any luck. He’d searched up and down the archives, trying to find some information on a woman named Tess to no avail. There wasn’t so much as a mention of a blonde haired, blue eyed petite woman who went by the name of Tess. Sure there were others named Bambi, Barbie, or Paris but no Tess.

Now he was certain the name she’d given him wasn’t even her own. Still, there should have been some record somewhere about a woman like her. No one could be that elusive, could they?

Standing up, he stretched his cramped muscles before turning off the computer screen and making his way up to the front of the archive room. He’d been there for nearly two hours and was amazed Michael hadn’t come down to gripe about what was taking him so long.

As he passed the desk, the archive lady looked up at him over her glasses. He tipped his head towards her in a nod as he continued out the door towards the stairs. She simply ‘hmphed’ before returning to the book she was reading.

************************************************************

Michael took the book from her and reached up to place it on the shelf before following her down the row. They were now near the end of the room and she was almost done with putting up all the books from the cart. Still, he’d managed to remain with her, having a small conversation despite her being so shy.

Granted, he’d been doing most of the talking but she’d nodded, smiled, and answered him in short sentences. He’d managed to introduce himself and to get her name too, Maria DeLuca. He’d told her that her name fit her very well, receiving yet another blush for his compliment.

Maria moved to the next shelf and found the place where the book went before pushing it between the ones already there. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye again and felt those butterflies flutter inside her stomach at his smile.

He had a wonderful smile, she admitted to herself. The kind of warm and open smile that seemed rare these days. His smile was so kind and friendly and seemed to reach his eyes that she was certain he wasn’t one of those guys who liked to prowl for unsuspecting women.

Then there was the way he seemed to be a little hesitant to approach her too. He seemed a little shy, yet polite as he talked to her and helped her with the books she couldn’t put on the shelves out of her reach.

As they’d moved along the shelves and talked, she couldn’t help but size him up even though she’d never really looked at him directly. Still, she was able to see that he had light brown hair that reached his shoulders and a slightly pouty lower lip. His eyes were also a light brown and his lightly tanned skin seemed to glow from within.

This was so unlike her to just willingly accept the company of a strange guy so easily. Usually when a guy came up to her like this, she hastily told him she was done and made her way to the offices in back where the guy couldn’t follow her. She’d remain there until she was certain the guy had left before returning to what she’d been doing.

Yet there was something about Michael that kept her there. Somehow he made her feel relaxed and unafraid. His friendly, open personality was the kind that attracted anyone for miles around like bees to honey. And for once, Maria didn’t mind being the bee.

“So, have you been working at this library for a long time?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not really.”

“Right. Um, do you like what you do?”

She gave him a shy smile. “Sort of. I’m trying to work my way up.”

He nodded. “I see. So you want to be a professional librarian then?”

She shrugged. “Can’t think of anything else to be.” She glanced up at him and exchanged another smile with him before looking back down at the book she held.

“Um, I hope I’m not being too forward here, but I was hoping…. I mean, I’m wondering… well, I wanted to ask you…um, if you’d go out with me sometime?”

Maria stopped in the middle of placing a book on the shelf. Without turning to face him she whispered, “Go out with you?”

“Yeah. You know, like on a date?”

Suddenly she felt like her face was on fire. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d been asked on a date. As a matter of fact, she was trying to remember if she’d even been asked to her high school prom.

When she didn’t answer him, he began to get nervous. “Look, it…it doesn’t have to be right away or anything. I mean, we could even go to lunch. Somewhere where there’s lots of light and lots of people. If…if you’re nervous I mean.”

She shook herself out of her daze and turned to him, gazing at his mouth instead of his eyes. “No that’s okay.”

He frowned, making the pouty lower lip, pout even more. Maria suddenly had the urge to know what it felt like to nibble on it.

“Oh, okay. Well, I just thought it might be nice,” he paused before going on. “You sure you can’t go out with me?”

She blinked. “Huh?” She shook her head again. “Oh, I meant it’s okay we don’t have to do lunch. Somewhere crowded, you know. But I would like to go out with you, Michael.”

She felt the butterflies return when his lips bloomed into a smile. “Really?”

She nodded unable to resist smiling as broadly as he was. “Really.”

Michael could see Kyle motioning to him from where he stood near the newspaper rack. “Okay, how does Friday night sound?”

It was her turn to pout. “I work until six.”

Ignoring the looks Kyle was giving him, Michael continued to pursue her. “Oh, well could I pick you up from here at six then?”

“Sure, that would be nice.”

He gave her another smile. “Great, then I’ll see you here Friday at six o’clock okay?”

“Okay.”

He moved past her to walk to Kyle who was now making his way towards them. He stopped and turned to her one last time.

“See you Friday, Maria.”

“Friday,” she echoed.

“Bye,” he said, with a wave.

“Bye Michael,” she returned with a wave and a smile.

Finally turning away from her, he couldn’t help the huge grin that spread over his face. To think, he hadn’t wanted to come to the library in the first place, yet here he was getting ready to leave the library after successfully getting a date with a pretty girl named Maria.

He almost skipped to where Kyle was waiting for him, still amazed that she’d agreed to go out with him. He was certain she thought he was one of those creepy guys that lurked around libraries and was expecting her to tell him to get lost. Thank goodness she hadn’t thought that though.

He could only hope it was because he’d been polite and friendly towards her. It had been completely natural for him to be drawn to her anyway. What with her pretty looks and shy personality, he couldn’t help himself. There was something about her. He couldn’t really put his finger on it, but he knew part of it was the way she carried herself.

Then there were those beautiful green eyes and that thick luxurious head of dark blonde hair. And when he’d heard her voice, so soft and melodic, oh yeah he was a goner. He’d also liked the way she was slender and leggy. Perfect.

“Yo, you okay man?” Kyle’s voice finally penetrated the haze Michael had fallen into.

“Huh? Yeah I’m fine,” he replied as they walked out of the library.

“So, you find what you were looking for?” Michael asked as he climbed onto his bike and Kyle climbed into the side car.

Kyle grumbled. “Nah. It was a dead end. I spent nearly two hours in the basement and got nothing but a headache. I really need a drink, man.”

Michael chuckled. “Okay, we’ll pick something up on the way home.”

Kyle simply nodded from his seat as Michael started the bike and drove them out of the parking lot.

************************************************************

Maria pulled her car into the driveway of her tiny one bedroom house. Humming softly to herself, she put the car into park and turned it off. Picking up her bag, she slung it over her shoulder and got out of the car.

She closed the door before moving to the back door and opening it up. She leaned in to grab the three grocery bags she had which contained the items she needed to make dinner for herself that night. Juggling the bags in her arms and shifting her purse bag on her shoulder, she shut the door with a nudge of her hip before making her way up to the front door.

Still humming to herself, she smiled as she remembered her day at the library and meeting the handsome Michael. As she reached her door, she fiddled with the keys trying to find the right one. As soon as she had it, she leaned down and tried to stick the key in the door despite the fact that the bags were impeding her sight.

With a sigh, she tried shifting her burden a bit so that she could see the lock better. Just as she was lifting the key to the lock, a sound from behind her startled her. Instinctively, she dropped her bags and flung her hand out with a soft cry.

Several rocks that had been lying among the flower bed besides her door suddenly rose into the air and flew past her. As she turned around, she watched the rocks fly through empty space before landing a few feet away, narrowly missing her car. Two cats streaked through the tiny yard and disappeared beneath her car.

Still clutching her chest, she shook her head and berated herself for jumping at the sound of two alley cats fighting. Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed herself down and looked around to make sure no one had seen her. When she knew the area was clear, she looked at the rocks lying on the ground near her car.

Slowly, the rocks rose from the ground and made their way back to the flower bed where they settled back down in their original places. With a satisfied smile, Maria replaced her purse bag on her shoulder and unlocked the door before pushing it open. Gathering up the grocery bags, she made her way inside humming to herself once more.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Part 5

Michael leaned back against his bike, watching the doors of the library. Maria would be getting off any moment now so that the two of them could be on their way to their first date. He was actually looking forward to having a normal evening, rather than the usual night on a job or hanging out at a bar with the guys.

When Alex had asked Michael if he was going to join him and Kyle for a few drinks, he’d taken them by surprise when he informed them that he was going out on a date. Needless to say, they’d teased him a bit and Kyle wondered if Michael even knew what to do on a date. Mostly they teased him because they couldn’t even remember the last time Michael had seemed interested in just one girl. Occasionally, he met someone at a club and they had a night of it, but that was as far as it went.

Still, Michael had reassured them that he knew how to take a girl on a date more than the naïve Kyle or the playboy Alex knew how. The only one who hadn’t been interested in Michael’s plans had been Max. Of course, Max hadn’t even been there when Michael had told the other two about his date.

Lately Max had seemed to be making himself more scarce around the guys unless they were working. Michael had a sneaking suspicion where Max was spending so much of his free time now, but he wasn’t going to say anything until Max mentioned it first. After all, Michael knew how much Max valued his privacy.

As one of the library doors opened, Michael straightened up and grinned. Maria was walking towards him with a shy smile on her face. Looking her over, he was glad she’d chosen to wear comfortable Capri pants and a t-shirt. Her long hair had been pulled back in a French braid with wisps of it still straying into her face.

She approached him with an amused look on her face. “I guess I’m dressed appropriately then.”

Michael nodded. He’d attached the side car to his bike since he wasn’t certain that she was used to riding a motorcycle. “I hope you don’t mind? I don’t really have a car that’s better than this ride.”

She grinned as she trailed her finger over the handlebars. “It’s okay. I’ve never been on one, but I’ve always wondered what it was like.”

Michael returned her grin. “Really? Well, if you want, I can remove the side car and you can ride behind me.”

He watched as her eyes lit up. “Oh yes,” she whispered. “I’d like that.”

************************************************************

Liz leaned back against the mirror and wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders. Her legs around his hips kept him trapped as she pulled his mouth down on hers. As their kiss deepened, he was breathing hard into her mouth. The panting matching the rhythm of his hips against hers.

Arching her body at a better angle to take him deeper inside of her, she moaned in pleasure and dug her fingers into his shoulders. He gripped her ass and held her in place as he pounded hard inside of her. She moaned again when he found the sensitive spot inside of her.

“Yesss!” She threw her head back against the mirror as she picked up her own pace, urging him on.

He groaned as he leaned over her and took a nipple into his mouth, giving it a few quick flicks with his tongue before biting it gently.

“Fuck!” moaned Liz as his mouth caused yet another wave of liquid heat to leave her body. He was now laving her nipple with his tongue to take the sting away.

She arched up some more, offering him more of her breast and he took the invitation, sucking more of her flesh into his mouth. All the while, neither one of them had stopped the frantic movements of their hips towards each others.

She could feel his fingers digging into her ass. He was trying to hold her still so he could go even deeper, but Liz couldn’t stay still. Not when he made her feel that good. She was now convinced she’d met her match and was positive there wasn’t another male out there who could make her toes curl, see stars, or leave her extremely satiated and exhausted when he was done with her.

Then there was the fact that she just couldn’t get enough of him. The more she had, the more she wanted. That was why she couldn’t seem to be still when they came together. It was as if she was trying to hurry it and enjoy it all at the same time. She knew he was trying to figure out what she was doing. Especially since she seemed to be rushing it one moment, then slowing it down the next.

Still, he hadn’t complained yet so that had to say something. He grunted as he managed to shift her slightly which sent him deeper. Liz gritted her teeth and lifted her fingers to tangle in his hair. He buried his face in her breasts as he began to rapidly hammer away at her.

Liz gasped as she could feel the end nearing. Her toes began to curl in warning, so she lifted her legs slightly and tightened them around his waist. He growled at that, knowing she was trying to take the lead again just like she usually did.

For a few more moments, they struggled to win dominance over the other. It was already a familiar dance between the two of them. Always the struggle to see who would be the dominant one, which was very often Liz.

This time however, he refused to back down. Grabbing hold of her thighs, he pulled them away from his body. Holding them aloft with his hands, he spread them out to open her more to him. She glared up at him, which he ignored as he began to pound hard into her again.

This time Liz had no choice but to reach over her head for the wall sconce which she held on to for dear life as he pushed her to the edge once again. Completely open and at his mercy, all she could do was look up into his eyes as her body began to tremble in anticipation of the end.

His eyes sparkled as a ghost of a smile graced his lips. “That’s it baby, let go for me.”

Liz whimpered in protest which only served to make him try harder. A few seconds later she was staring up at the ceiling and screaming to the heavens in satisfaction.

“Oh yeah!” he breathed as he followed her climax with his own.

Liz shut her eyes to see the stars behind her eyelids even as she could feel him throbbing inside of her. When he finally slowed down and released her, she slumped back against the bathroom counter trying to get her breathing to slow down.

Her heart felt like it was trying to pound its way out of her chest, but she knew she wore a silly grin on her face. She felt him shift slightly, but before he could move away from her, she wrapped her legs around his. Snapping her eyes open, she gave him a warning glance as she muttered breathlessly.

“Don’t you dare go anywhere buster! I’m not through with you!”

Max quirked an eyebrow at her. “I was just going to get a towel to wipe us down.”

She continued to look at him in suspicion for a few moments before she said, “We don’t need towels. We can take a shower.”

He gaped at her. “A shower. You want to take a shower now? I thought you just said…”

She grinned as she grasped his bicep and pulled him down to her. “We’re taking one together, Max.”

Once more she saw a ghost of a smile on his lips as he whispered. “Oh.”

That was the only indication that he was going to let her be the dominant one again.

************************************************************

Maria glanced up at Michael who sat across from her at the table. He gave her a smile when he noticed her looking.

“How was it?” he asked.

She returned his smile. “It was really good, thanks Michael.”

“I’m glad. So, you up for some dessert?”

She chuckled. “Here?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I know this really good pie shop around the corner from here.”

She nodded her head. “Pie sounds good.”

As Michael went to pay the bill, Maria waited near the entrance looking out at the night. She thought about their date so far as a smile played across her lips.

He’d taken off the side car before she’d climbed on behind him on the bike. Before they’d gone to dinner, he took her for a scenic drive through the city and then out to a less populated area. There he’d picked up the speed a bit more just like she’d hoped.

She’d loved every moment of riding the bike with him. It had been thrilling to feel the wind whipping her braid out behind her and the hum of the engine vibrating through her. She’d begun to enjoy it so much that she’d asked Michael if he could go a little faster.

He’d obliged her and had even begun to take some nice curves on the bike, allowing her to feel a sense of freedom and adventure. Maria had never really led an adventurous life. It wasn’t that she was frightened of things, she just never had the opportunity to do those kinds of things.

Her parents were always working which left her at home with babysitters who mostly talked on the phone while she watched TV. Then as she got older, her friends were the more studious types, preferring study groups and sleepovers to going out and being active.

Still, Maria had often daydreamed of what it would be like to do some of the more adventurous things she’d heard from other classmates, read in a magazine, or seen on TV. And the fact that she’d discovered her powers after puberty, had also helped to fuel her imagination.

However, Maria had known that what she could do wasn’t normal for a human being. She’d learned that from watching so much TV and reading so many books. So she’d kept her powers a secret from everyone, including her parents. Since she kept them a secret and had never really used them, they weren’t as honed as could be.

In time her powers had just become one more thing she was curious about. Something she’d take out and daydream about when she got bored. But now, Michael had allowed her to experience one of the things she’d been curious about.

He was also very different from the guys she was used to getting attention from. Most of them lately seemed to be creepy stalker guys at the library. Before that, most of them were made of the same mold as her friends had been. Every one of them was about as entertaining as reading a computer language was.

But Michael had an easygoing way about him. He always seemed to have a ready smile and spoke to her as if she were the most interesting thing in the world to him. He’d done most of the talking as usual, but it had never once been about him. He wasn’t one to brag or talk about himself.

Instead, he told her stories to make her laugh and managed to get her to tell her own stories too. She had no idea how he was doing it, but he had made her feel very comfortable in his presence. So much so, that she had begun to talk a bit more and was able to have eye contact with him for longer periods of time.

“Hey, you ready?” he asked as he walked up to her side.

She turned to smile up at him as he held his arm out to her. Sliding her arm into his she answered. “Ready when you are.”

************************************************************

Max sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his shirt over his head. He felt the bed shift behind him, then a moment later she slid her arms around his torso. Laying her hands on his chest before he had a chance to pull the shirt all the way down, she nipped at his earlobe.

“Why don’t you stay the night, handsome?”

He looked at her over her shoulder. “I think I’ve already spent enough time here with you.”

She rolled her eyes. “What, you don’t even want me to cook something for you?”

He shrugged as he stood up and began fastening his pants. “Not particularly hungry right now.”

She stared at him. “You serious? I’m famished! I would have thought you’d have burned off all that energy we’ve spent tonight.”

An amused look seemed to flash through his eyes. “Well you were the very aggressive one tonight.”

Liz sighed as she sat back on the bed and gave him a look from beneath her eyelashes. “Can’t help it. You always look good enough to eat.”

Max stopped putting on his clothes for a moment as he stared at her. “I thought you just said you were famished.”

“I am.”

He narrowed his eyes. “For food.”

She pouted. “Oh come on Max, stay.”

He turned away from her and picked up his boots, refusing to answer. He heard her groan behind him.

“Fine, be that way. Serves me right, I guess. For becoming the pursuer instead of the pursued.” She climbed off the bed and headed towards her bathroom. With a wave of her hand, she indicated the door. “You know where the door is. See you around Max.”

She heard him sigh behind her. “Liz…”

That was all he got to say because in the next instant she’d shut the door in his face and walked over to the sink where she picked up her brush. A few minutes later, she heard the front door close and knew Max had left.

With a sigh, she finished brushing her hair and made her way back into the bedroom to clean up the mess the two of them had made during their time there. She knew she really had nothing to complain about. Max was everything she’d ever wanted in a guy.

He wasn’t a braggart and he wasn’t the least bit intimidated by her. He was a no nonsense, no strings attached, tiger in bed, hot blooded male. Perfect. Every single time they came together, it was always so hot and explosive that it boggled her mind.

Yet, she was wondering if her aggressive pursuit of the elusive and mysterious Max Evans was even worth continuing with. Because despite the fact that she was heavily physically attracted to him, she knew it was becoming more than that. And that was something Liz’s mind just couldn’t seem to fathom.

************************************************************

They strolled leisurely down the path towards his bike. Maria had her hand in the crook of Michael’s arm and was enjoying the scenery, including the man next to her. For his part, Michael was also enjoying the company of his date even if said date was coming to a close.

She looked up at him as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for tonight Michael. I had a wonderful time.”

He smiled. “You did?”

She returned his smile. “Yes. And you were right, I’ve never had any pie like that. It was delicious.”

His smile widened. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Maybe I’ll take you there again sometime.”

She answered his hopeful tone with a nod. “I’d like that.”

Michael stopped walking and turned to look at her. “You would?”

“Sure.”

“I mean, would you be interested in going out with me again sometime?”

Maria nodded with a soft chuckle. “I know that’s what you meant. I’d love to go out with you again.”

Michael just stared at her as if he couldn’t believe that she’d agreed to go out with him on a second date. He looked as if that had been too much to ask. But it only lasted a few brief moments before a look of relief spread over his face and he leaned towards her.

Maria had been anticipating that and let her eyelids drift down a bit as she tilted her head back. But in the next second, Michael had stiffened and jerked his head up.

“Michael wh…”

She didn’t have time to finish as he grabbed her arm and pulled her a few feet away. She gasped as she heard a thud behind her. Turning to look, she saw that the tree trunk had splintered a bit right where they’d been standing.

Before she had a chance to react, Michael was pulling her further into the surrounding brush. She heard a few more thuds as Michael pushed her behind a couple of thick trees before trying to peek around them. She watched as he seemed to be listening and looking at his surroundings.

When things seemed to be calm, he glanced down at her and whispered in a voice she almost didn’t hear. “You okay?”

She nodded and whispered back. “What is going on?”

“I don’t know. I think someone is shooting at us.”

She frowned. “What? Shooting at us? But I don’t hear a gun.”

“It’s on a silencer.”

Her eyes went wide. “H-how do you know that?”

He didn’t answer her as he appeared to be looking in the distance again. For the first time since she’d met him, she saw him frown. Immediately she realized that it really didn’t suit him at all.

“They’re in the trees. Across from us.”

Maria turned to peek through the leaves. “Can you see them?”

“Not really, but judging from the hits, I think that’s the direction they came from.”

Of course, he wasn’t going to tell her that he knew that was where the sniper was hidden since he’d heard the bullet leave the gun from the get go. She’d think he was nuts because normal human beings couldn’t hear a silencer from that great of a distance.

At the moment, her attention was on the trees he’d mentioned. He took that opportunity to look around, trying to figure out a way to get them out of there without any harm coming to Maria. As he tried to figure a way out, he wondered just who was after them and why.

Maria turned to frown at him. “I don’t see anyone.”

Michael nodded. “It’s got to be a professional. We’ll never know they’re there until it’s too late.”

Maria swallowed. “W-why are they shooting at us?”

“No idea.” He paused for a moment before adding. “Damn, I can’t see a way out except directly in the line of fire.”

Maria looked at him. “Maybe they’ve left.”

Michael shook his head. “If it’s a professional, they’ll probably be there all night.”

Now Maria was openly staring at him. “Y-you speak as if you know this very well.”

Michael returned her look for a few tense moments before he let out a sigh. “I work undercover in a lot of dangerous situations. I was trained as a professional, so yeah, I know this well.”

Maria’s eyes widened. “Then…then it’s you they’re after!”

Michael frowned as he glared at the distant trees. “Yeah, I think I have to agree with you there.”

“But why?”

“I don’t know. Could have been hired by someone who’s pissed off at me for putting away someone they knew. Could be anything really.”

Maria stared at him for a few moments as she seemed to be digesting it all and thinking about it. Then she shook her head in disbelief. “Gee, no one would have guessed you did dangerous undercover work with the way you are. Somehow it’s really hard to see.”

Michael actually broke into a grin at that. “Thanks.”

She couldn’t help but smile in return before she glanced at the trees. “So, you think they’re still there?”

“Yep.”

She sighed. “What do we do then?”

“Well, we can sit here all night and hope they leave at daylight, if we’re lucky and they don’t find us before then. Or we could try running for it right in the line of fire.”

She turned back to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Those are our choices?”

“Yep.”

She shook her head again and looked back at the trees for a few minutes. He had gone back to trying to figure a way out of there when she whispered to him again.

“Michael, can you say exactly where you think they are hidden?”

Michael leaned closer to her and looked out at the trees. After a few minutes he answered her.

“I think they’re in the center of that bunch directly ahead of us. Most likely in the taller of the bunch to get a better view of us and a better angle.”

Maria looked at the trees he’d told her about and appeared to be thinking again. After a few moments she turned to him with a nod.

“I say we run for it.”

Michael blinked. “What? Maria, if we run we will be leaving ourselves wide open. There won’t be any cover whatsoever.”

Maria nodded. “I know, but I guess it’s the chance we have to take.”

Michael shook his head. “No, I can’t put you in danger like that.”

She sighed. “Listen, I’m a really good runner. Just tell me where to go and I’ll do it.”

He tried to protest a few more times, but Maria seemed to find a way of talking him into it. Despite his serious misgivings, he finally gave in and outlined the path they were going to run through together. As he told her this, he also made sure she understood that she was to stay to his left so that he could shield her somewhat from the line of fire. Maria wanted to protest since they were after him not her, but Michael refused to change his mind on that.

When they were ready, he slowly stood up and motioned for her to follow him. She moved as quietly and slowly as she could until she was standing on his left side. Sliding his hand into hers, he gave her a reassuring squeeze and nodded.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, get ready….go!”

They burst out of the trees at a dead run, heading for the direction of the distant parking lot. As they ran, Maria glanced around briefly amazed that the place was so empty of others before she looked towards the trees Michael had said the sniper was in.

She heard Michael curse beneath his breath. “Shit! Duck!”

But Maria didn’t duck. Instead, she kept on running while looking back at the area in front of the trees. Within seconds debris that had been scattered over the ground began whirling through the air, creating a sort of haze between the two of them and the sniper.

Michael glanced back at her when he realized she hadn’t done what he’d told her to and saw that she was looking in the direction of the trees. He turned his head the other way and nearly stumbled in shock as he finally saw the whirlwind of debris that obscured the distant trees.

“What the…”

He stopped running when he realized that no one was shooting at them anymore and glanced back at Maria once more. She appeared to be concentrating on the whirlwind of debris and Michael could see her beginning to tremble. Staring at her in disbelief, he watched as she gritted her teeth and a bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face.

He knew without a doubt that she was the one who was controlling that whirlwind. When she gasped as if in pain, it spurred him to look towards the trees once more trying to figure out if the sniper was still there. Unfortunately the whirlwind effectively silenced any sound that would have given away if the sniper was still there.

Turning back to Maria, he spoke in a voice he hoped wouldn’t startle her. “Maria, I know it’s getting hard, but keep that up for a little longer okay? I’m going to carry you to the bike. Once we’re on it, you can stop that and we’ll be out of harms way.”

Maria nodded her head jerkily to let him know she’d heard him. Without another word, Michael scooped her up into his arms and began running as fast as he could to the bike. Maria craned her head to look over his shoulder, still concentrating on the whirlwind.

As soon as he’d gotten to the bike, he sat her down in front of him and started his bike quickly. The moment she heard the engine roar to life, she collapsed against him in exhaustion. He knew without looking back that she’d let go of the whirlwind. A split second later, they were speeding out of the parking lot and out of harms way.

************************************************************

She gaped at the scene before her. Out of nowhere a whirlwind had started and obscured her vision of the couple in front of her. Just when she knew she’d failed to get the job done, the whirlwind had stopped and she’d spotted the couple on a bike in the distance.

The moment she saw the bike, she’d recognized it instantly even without its side car. It couldn’t be. She reached into her shirt and pulled out the instructions that had been given to her, re-reading them again. With widened eyes, she glanced up as the motorcycle sped away into the distance.

Why hadn’t she figured it out the first time she’d read the instructions? She should have known that it was the same bike that belonged to the one she only knew as Terrier. Frowning, she looked at the instructions once more and realized that all of the other descriptions had to fit the others.

Granted, she only knew for sure what Spaniel looked like, but since there were only four targets in the instructions, it just had to be his group. With a growl of fury, she gathered up her rifle and began to make her way out of the tree.

She was going to find out just who’d put a contract out on that group’s life and why they had kept it a secret from her. There was no way she was going to fulfill that contract because she knew that group was one of the very few good ones left in the world today. Those guys were the last of a dying breed and she refused to take part in obliterating what was left of honor and loyalty.

************************************************************

Maria was still slightly shaking as she let herself into the house with an extremely quiet Michael following closely behind her. She wandered over to the couch and sank down into it. With a sigh, she leaned back and glanced up at Michael.

He stood near the edge of the couch looking at her. “You okay?” he asked.

“I’ll be okay. Just need to rest. I don’t use it much, I think you can tell.”

“Yeah.” He paused for a moment before he said. “How long have you…”

“Been able to do that? Since I hit puberty.”

His eyes widened. “Does anyone know?”

She shook her head before wincing. “I’ve never really used it. Thanks to lots of reading as a kid, I knew it was better to keep it a secret.”

“Right.” He sat down on the couch with a sigh. “Is…is that all you can do?”

“As far as I know.”

He smiled. “Want to find out?”

She blinked at him. “What?”

He gave her a sheepish smile. “I know how we can find out if that’s all you can do. We can also help you learn how to use your telekinesis much better than you already do so you won’t get so tired so easily.”

She sat up on the couch. “Wait a minute! Who’s we?”

He gave her another sheepish smile before running a hand through his hair. “Okay, look. I’m gonna tell you something and hope to God you don’t go blabbing to anyone else. ‘Cause it could get really bad for you.”

She frowned. “Are you sure you want to tell me then.”

He sighed. “Maria, just listen okay? Remember I was saying I work dangerous undercover missions? Well, there’s more to that than what I told you.”

She stared at him for a few moments. Even Michael appeared to be hesitant to go on. Finally she nodded her head with finality.

“Okay then. What else are you keeping from me?”

************************************************************

“You sure you want to do this?” he asked as he helped her off his bike and led her towards the doors.

She nodded with confidence as she followed him. Michael had told her the truth about what he did for a living and even of his own powers. She’d sat there in amazement to find out that he was living a much dangerous, yet exciting life then she’d ever dreamed of. Needless to say she’d been full of questions after he’d told her the truth.

He’d answered as much as he could and then had told her how the group could help her learn to hone her powers better. They had training facilities at headquarters, he said. She could practice there without harming anyone or allowing any prying eyes to discover what she could do.

When she’d said she was interested in finding out more, he’d called ahead to see if Kyle was around to help them out. Once he’d gotten the go ahead, he and Maria were on their way to headquarters.

She followed him inside a door and found herself in a room with four beds. Michael continued to lead her through the room to another door on the other side of the room. Walking through that, they were now in what looked like a living room. A man she recognized as the one who’d been at the library with Michael got up from a chair which was in front of a huge computer station.

He smiled at them as he held out his hand to her. “Hi I’m Kyle and you must be Maria.”

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Part 6

Maria grunted in exasperation as she tried to focus on the task at hand once more. From besides her, Kyle gave her a reassuring smile.

“It’s okay Maria. It’ll come to you eventually. Trust me, I didn’t hone my skills overnight either.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’ve never had to hide your powers.”

“True, but I wasn’t born with them like you were. So the instinct wasn’t in me like it’s in you. Just relax and don’t try to force it. It’ll come.”

She nodded as she got back to her task. She knew Kyle was right, but it didn’t make it any less frustrating. It had been weeks since she’d come to them and Kyle had started working with her. Michael and Alex also worked with her, but since Kyle’s powers dealt with controlling something with the mind, he seemed the most adept at helping her.

Even Michael’s ability to implant thoughts in someone else’s mind wasn’t the same as Kyle’s or Maria’s because they had to deal with moving or controlling something that had physical substance. So, she spent most of her training with Kyle while Michael sometimes remained in the background watching them.

Of course, when she wasn’t training she was either working at the library or spending time with her new boyfriend. And Michael was indeed her boyfriend, he’d said as much before the first week of dating was even over. She chuckled to herself as she briefly remembered the way Michael had made sure Alex stopped hitting on her.

“That’s it Maria, you are getting good at picking up objects. Now, let’s see what else you can pick up.”

Michael straightened up in his seat at that, watching as Alex continued to work with Maria.

“Hm, Maria? Have you ever picked up a man?” Alex asked with a sly smile.

Michael was on his feet instantly and growled. “Alex! Stop flirting with her!”

Alex winked at Maria before looking at Michael. “What? There’s no harm in flirting with a beautiful single woman is there?”

Maria had blushed at his ‘beautiful’ comment, then blushed even further when Michael answered with another growl.

“Who said she was single?”

Alex blinked in confusion. “She’s not?”

Michael glanced at her and Maria swore she saw his gaze soften for a moment or two before he turned back to give Alex a gimlet stare. “No.”

Alex’s hands came up in an ‘I-give-up’ gesture, but now he was sporting a huge grin. “Whoa there! Okay, I got it.”

He turned away and winked at Maria again before moving to the far side of the room to talk to Kyle. As he did, Maria looked at Michael who stood there looking at her with that same soft gaze. The moment their eyes met, a smile had spread over Michael’s face and Maria couldn’t help but return the smile.

As they stood there smiling at each other and looking into each other’s eyes, she knew without a doubt what they were silently saying. He was asking if it was alright for them to be a couple and she was saying that it was.

Ever since that day, she and Michael had seemed closer than ever. And she was finding it easier with each day to confide in him the way he confided in her. She was still amazed that Michael was so open and honest with her. Especially when it came to his job. He’d been straight up with her in explaining what his job entailed and even what could happen.

After spending a few weeks training with them and seeing the inside of headquarters, she had no doubts whatsoever just how dangerous Michael’s job was. Still, she admired him for his bravery and courage to do something like that. She knew that despite honing her powers, she’d never be able to work in a field like the one Michael was in. She was simply going to hone her powers and then at the end of the day, she was still going to be a librarian and the girlfriend of one Michael Guerin.

********************************************************************************

Max was leaning back against the headboard watching her brush her hair. She could see him in the mirror as she did so. He had one arm behind his head and the other across his chest. One knee was bent and the sheets barely hid his nudity from her.

As she scoped out the sexy vision in the mirror, she knew he was scoping out the vision she presented as she sat in only a pair of red lacy underwear at the desk. She let him look for a few more moments before she finished her brushing, then she got up and stretched languidly.

Max raised an eyebrow and as she turned towards him, she could see the amused look in his eyes. Making her way back to the bed, she crawled onto it and up towards him. He lowered his leg, so she crawled up his body until she was straddling his hips.

Slowly she sank down and rotated her hips, allowing her lace covered crotch to rub against his bare one. She resisted smiling in triumph at the sudden darkening of his gaze and the growing hardness against her womanhood. Still, he didn’t make any movement towards her.

She reached down to remove his arm from across his chest, lifting it up over his head before leaning down until her nose was nearly touching his. Looking into his eyes, she moved even closer to tease his lips with hers. When he parted his lips, clearly expecting her to kiss him, she pulled back slightly.

He growled low in his throat. “What?”

She shrugged and trailed fingers down his bare chest while her eyes followed their progression. “Just thinking this is getting to be a habit.”

“Habit?”

“Mm hm,” she breathed as she let her hand caress his abdomen. She could feel the way his muscles fluttered beneath her touch, but his face remained impassive.

“It’s not a habit. There are times I win.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about who gets to be the dominant one during the sex, Max!”

She saw the warning sign of his jaw clenching, but chose to ignore it as usual. “When was the last time you spent an evening at your house Max?”

“Yesterday.”

“Nope, try again.”

“I was home yesterday evening Liz.”

“You may have been there for about an hour, then where did you go?” as she gave him the ‘you-can’t-fool-me look he was already familiar with, he turned his head to the side and sighed.

“What is this about?” he clipped.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position, ignoring the way her center pushed down on his and made him flinch. Folding her arms over her breasts she glared at him. “You know something? I am tired of playing these games with you, Max! Either you admit you can’t get enough of me or you can forget about ever coming here again!”

He turned back to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “Excuse me? I’m not the one who keeps tracking you down and seducing you in public places until you’re so hard you just have to come home with me to get any satisfaction!”

She smirked. “I could have said no and then come home to take care of myself alone.”

Max growled. “No you couldn’t! You do it on purpose! Making sure no one else even approaches us and interrupts the little seduction act you’ve got down perfectly. You know exactly what you’re going to do to me before you’ve even found me. In fact, you probably already have the next time you track me down all planned out!”

He was right of course. She already knew what she would do to him the next time she was up for hunting him down and seducing him back to her place. And she knew if he left her again that night like he always did, she would be hunting him the following evening.

Yeah, it was a habit for both of them. Max was spending most of his evenings at her place because she was relentless in her pursuit of him. Still, she was trying to get him to admit that he wanted more than just the few hours he spent with her. While most of it was spent in her bed, that didn’t mean all they did was have sex.

Granted, he usually stayed in the bed or wherever it was they’d last had a romp while she got up and did whatever she wanted to do. She had made him dinner a few times despite the fact that he never said he was hungry. She was amazed he even ate it after telling her he wasn’t hungry.

The times he was there with her, she simply went about the apartment as if it were completely natural to have him there with her. All he ever did was lay there and watch her do whatever it was she was doing. She had to admit, she actually liked the picture he presented as he lay in a sexy, rumpled mess while his possessive gaze followed her wherever she went.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. He could keep right on claiming the only thing between them was sex, but the signs were all there. “While that may be so, you can’t tell me you are going to say no this time!”

He glared at her. “You never know, I might just surprise you!”

She laughed. “Surprise me? God Max, what is going on with you?”

“Nothing!”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“Doing what? Sleeping with you? You seem hell bent on making me do it!”

“Stop trying to use sex to cover up what’s really going on Max! What are you keeping from me?”

“That’s really none of your business!”

“None of my…! Hello! Whose bed and apartment have you been spending your evenings in?”

He closed his eyes in exasperation. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly opened his eyes and lifted her off of him. Depositing her on the bed, he turned away from her and got up.

She glared at his back. “Oh no you don’t! Don’t you dare think I’m going to let you walk out of here now! I’ve told you about me Max! It’s high time you talked to me about you!”

Max whirled around to meet her glare with one of his own. “I never asked you to tell me anything!”

“You didn’t have to!”

“Damn it Liz! What the fuck do you want from me?”

“I want you to talk to me!”

“I’ve never talked to anyone before you! What makes you think you’re so special?”

She gaped at him and when he turned away to put on his clothes, she picked up a pillow and threw it at him. It hit him in the back of his head.

He hissed and turned to growl at her. “What?”

“Talk to me damn it!”

He grunted and picked up the pillow before tossing it back on the bed. As he returned to his clothes, she picked up another pillow and threw it at him. Once more he turned to growl at her, but she began pelting him with all of the other pillows on the bed.

Max couldn’t do anything but drop his clothes to use his arms to keep the pillows away from him. When Liz ran out of pillows, she launched herself at him. Max saw her coming and used his quick reflexes to catch her by the arms. He tried to keep her at arm’s length, but Liz was in full battle mode.

Next thing he knew, she’d swept his feet out from under him. He went crashing down on the floor and rolled over onto his back. Before he had a chance to spring up, she was pining him down with her body on his chest. Grabbing his wrists, she slammed them down over his head and leaned over him to glare into his eyes.

“I said talk to me!”

Max grunted when she sifted slightly to add more pressure to keep him pinned down. Unfortunately, that meant he could feel how wet her panties were. He knew without a doubt just how much fighting with him turned her on. Then again, every little thing she did turned him on too.

When he didn’t say a word, Liz dug her nails into his wrists and squeezed his body with her thighs. “Now Max!”

He took a swift breath as he felt her heat brush up against his groin. Instantly he was hard as a rock. Feeling that and the way her thighs gripped his body was too much to resist. He began to laugh.

“I can think of something much better than talking.”

“Don’t change the subject Max!” Her body betrayed her words as she began to grind her heat harder into his rock hard erection.

He growled beneath her as he began to lift his hips to meet her movements. Within moments, he had her beneath him and was just about to remove her drenched panties when his pager went off. This time she was the one to growl into his mouth right before he let go of her lips.

Lifting his head, he looked around for his pager. Spotting it on the floor next to his discarded belt, he reached for it and looked at the screen. He scowled and slowly began to remove himself from her warmth.

Liz rose to her elbows. “What is it?”

He got to his feet and began getting dressed. “I’ve got to go.”

Liz remained where she was for a few more moments watching him. Judging by the sudden tension in his shoulders and back, she knew what that page meant. They were calling him in for a new mission.

With a nod of her head, she got up and began getting dressed too. It took a few moments for Max to realize what she was doing.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked as he finished buttoning up his shirt.

She continued to get dressed as she answered him. “What does it look like? I’m going with you.”

Max glared at her. “No you’re not!”

She simply continued to dress as Max’s scowl deepened.

********************************************************************************

Kyle looked around at the group that had blossomed by two. Maria and Michael were sitting together on one couch while Alex sat on the arm of the other couch next to Liz. On the other side of Liz sat Max who still wore the scowl he’d been wearing since they’d arrived there at headquarters together.

Max was clearly still upset over the fact that Liz had accompanied him despite the obvious display that Alex created as he blatantly flirted with Liz from the moment he’d sat down next to her. She had told them that she was going to help them out if they could use her, ignoring Max’s growling at her involvement.

When Kyle had asked Maria if she was interested, she’d shaken her head and said she was still learning about her powers, but even so she had no interest in doing the kind of work they did. Her answer had prompted Max to growl once more as he commented that Maria was a smart woman.

When Michael had grinned proudly at Maria, Max added that Michael could learn a thing or two from her about being discreet. Michael’s smile faded and everyone knew Max had been commenting on the fact that Michael had told Maria everything about them, then brought her into their headquarters.

With a sigh Kyle asked, “So, is everyone clear on what we have to do tonight?”

There were nods all around.

“Good, then we’ve got two hours to get ready. We’ll rendezvous at our checkpoint exactly ten minutes til then.”

********************************************************************************

Maria glanced at the clock once more before trying to go back to working on the computer. It’d been nearly an hour since she’d given him a kiss goodbye and wished him luck during his mission. Since then, she’d been trying to get some work done on one of the computers Kyle allowed her to use while she waited for them to return to headquarters.

She sat down and stared at the computer screen once more. Clearing her mind, she tried concentrating on her work, but couldn’t help looking at the clock again. She turned to look at the computer once more before glancing up at all the other computers around it.

Biting her lip, she mustered up her courage and moved to turn on the other monitors. Within moments they were all flickering and humming to life. She grinned as she took in everything in front of her. Now she knew why Kyle wouldn’t let her use the other ones. They were clearly all wired into the ones he was using at the site of the mission. Still, she was clearly able to understand most of what she could see and what she couldn’t understand, she was certain she’d figure out quickly.

That was part of why she’d wanted to be a librarian. Nowadays, a librarian had to be rather knowledgeable about computers and any other form of information technology there was. Books were no longer the only way to get information, as sad as that was for many people.

And Maria had always been rather gifted when it came to computers, so that coupled with her shyness led her to think that a career as a librarian would be great. That way, she could work with technology and read to her heart’s content without having to deal with that many people.

Grinning, she flexed her fingers and began to catch up on everything that the group was currently doing during their mission.

********************************************************************************

Kyle studied one of the monitors in front of him before hissing into the microphone. “Terrier, sniper at your two o’clock. Top corner of the opposite building.”

“Got him, Spaniel.”

“I thought you said you swept the area!” came Max’s voice.

“I did Akita! This guy snuck up there after I’d done it!” replied Kyle.

Silence answered him before they heard a different voice. “Listen, if they’ve managed to sneak in this sniper, what else do you think they’re capable of slipping past us?”

“Keeshond has a point,” replied Max.

“I have to agree,” came Alex’s voice.

“Tell me this is the last time your code name is changed,” muttered Kyle. “I’d really like to remember it this time.”

Laughter followed his remark. “I promise not to change it again, Spaniel. This is my own choice after all.”

A gasp followed that. “What! Are you saying you didn’t like my choice? I’m hurt Keeshond!”

“Sorry Dalmatian, but Setter just didn’t fit as well.”

“All right guys, stop with the chattering and lets finish this before something else slips past us.”

“Roger that Akita.”

********************************************************************************

Maria frowned as she watched the screens in front of her. They were getting into trouble. She could see it clearly. Things weren’t going the way they were supposed to. Already, Kyle had found a sniper who’d somehow snuck by them. Then not even fifteen minutes later, Dalmatian had almost walked into a trap.

Something was wrong and she knew it. She was sure that something else was going to go very badly. With her worry increasing by the minute, she continued to watch the screens.

********************************************************************************

“Shit! We’ve got to retreat! Retreat now!” barked Michael’s voice into everyone’s ear.

“What? Why?” came Kyle’s reply.

“West side of the property. Gated entrance.”

Kyle typed a few entries and watched the monitor. Sure enough, the gate was open and a group of heavily armed men were silently entering through it. “He’s not kidding! Abort now!”

With Michael’s affirmation, the others began making their way out of the building. Michael kept watch through the scope he carried with him as Kyle began monitoring all areas of the grounds as fast as he could.

A few seconds later Kyle’s eyes widened as he saw wording appear on one of the lower screens.

Spaniel! Don’t be angry. I am watching at headquarters. Look at the roof of the building.

Kyle immediately switched one of the monitors until it was looking at the roof of the building. There were more men moving up there.

“Um guys, there’s armed men both on the roof and entering the West gate. I think we were set up.”

“You think!” snapped Max.

“Hey! I’m just saying! No need to shoot the messenger!”

Kyle! Watch the monitors! More entering the stairs at side of building!

Kyle growled as he switched screens again, looking for the stairs Maria was talking about. Sure enough, he could see more men disappearing inside.

“More men entering East side of building, first floor.”

“Christ! We are trapped in here!” came Alex’s strained voice.

“Not yet,” replied Liz.

Kyle, tell them to get to the fourth floor, on the side with the stairs. Looks like they can jump it.

Kyle found the area she was talking about and quickly relayed the information to the guys.

“Fourth floor, East side is your way out.”

“Roger that.”

Kyle watched the monitors as Alex, Max, and Liz began making their way towards the fourth floor. Alex was the first to reach it. He quickly assessed the area as Max and Liz came running up to meet him.

“Not sure if we all can bridge this distance,” he over his shoulder to them.

Liz moved up to glance at the distance before she shook her head. “You’re right. I can jump a great distance, but this is too far.”

Max pulled her back to look at the distance himself. He looked at Alex. “What about you? Can you jump it?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, if I get a good enough running start.”

Max pursed his lips. “Fine, then you throw me and Liz over. When you go over, use one of your retractable wires to wrap around my sword when I hold it out for you.”

Alex nodded. “Works for me.”

They could hear footsteps in the distance. Liz groaned. “We’re running out of time!”

Without another word, Alex grabbed Max by the waist and chucked him over the balcony. The trajectory took Max through the air and to the opposite side where stairs ran the length of the side of the building. With a graceful flip in the air, Max landed in a crouch on the landing before straightening up and motioning for Liz to go over.

The moment Max gave the all clear, Alex picked up Liz and threw her over too. She went flying across the air straight into Max’s arms. He set her down and immediately pulled out his sword while she watched the surrounding area for any sign of the enemies.

Alex backed up a bit and waited for them to give him the all clear. As soon as they did, he took a running start and jumped from the balcony. A split second later bullets rent the air as men burst onto the balcony he’d just vacated.

Everything else happened all at once. Alex pulled out a wire and aimed it at Max’s raised sword. Liz pulled out her own sword and began to use it to block the bullets coming towards her and Max. The wire wrapped around Max’s sword and he pulled back hard just as Alex tightened his own end.

A few moments later Max reeled Alex in as if he were a fish on a hook. As Alex landed besides Max, Max removed the wire from his sword so that he could help Liz in blocking the bullets. The moment he reached her, she cried out and stumbled back.

Max turned in time to see her stumble into Alex as she clutched her shoulder. Blood was already seeping through her fingers. With a growl of anger, Max whirled around and began chanting at his sword. When the sword began to glow a faint reddish color, he lifted it over his head and swung it out towards the men in a huge sweeping motion.

A huge gash appeared in the side of the building as the men all went flying backwards from the invisible force. Without waiting to see the results, Alex swung Liz up into his arms and began running through the building with her. Max brought up the rear, keeping sight of the other building until they were completely inside.

“Spaniel, Keeshond is injured! We need out of here now!” yelled Alex into his microphone.

“Terrier’s clearing the way as we speak. Just get downstairs and head out the front door. We’ll be waiting in the parking lot.”

“Affirmative,” replied Alex.

As they raced downstairs, Max took the lead so that he could protect them if need be. When he reached the front doors, he could see the van careening to a stop just in front of the steps. He waited until he heard Michael’s voice in his ear giving the all clear before opening the door and hovering around Alex and Liz as they made their way to the van.

The side doors flew open to reveal Kyle who took Liz from Alex so that he could climb into the van too. Alex immediately climbed into the front seat next to Michael. As soon as Max had climbed in and shut the doors behind him, Michael peeled out of there.

Kyle had laid Liz down to look at her wound, but Max shoved him out of the way and bent over her. He cursed under his breath as he took in the amount of blood soaking her shoulder.

“I’m okay Max, it’s just a scratch.”

Kyle couldn’t help but grin at the brave face Liz wore when faced with Max’s wrath.

“Next time you feel the need to block any bullets I suggest you duck the ones you can’t!” Max hissed.

Kyle leaned over to look at Max. “Dude, she’s not kidding, it’s just a scratch. You know as well as I do that even the smallest cuts tend to bleed like there’s no tomorrow.”

“He’s right, Max. It’s just a flesh wound.”

Max continued to growl and cuss all the way back to headquarters. As he did, Kyle returned to his computers to thank Maria for helping him out. She responded with an “I’ll keep a look out as you come in, just in case someone is following.” And as Alex kept a lookout from his seat, Michael managed to drive them through the city safely without coming under the radar.

Nearly an hour later, Liz was lying in Max’s bed at headquarters with her shoulder cleaned, fixed, and bandaged. Max was sitting besides the bed wearing a scowl on his face as he glared at her.

“Really Max, it was just a scratch.”

He continued to glare. “Yes, but did you see any of the other team members ending up with a scratch on them?”

“So what are you saying? That I wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I’d been on a team?”

“No, I’m saying since you aren’t on the team, you need to stay out of this!”

“What?”

Max stood up and slid his fingers through his hair, clearly agitated. Liz watched him as he walked away from her before stopping suddenly. Turning back around to face her he growled, “Next time I’m with you and get a page, do me a favor and don’t tag along!”

She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as Max stalked out of the room. She was right. Max Evans had more feelings for her than he cared to admit.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Part 7

Michael looked at Maria as she slept peacefully besides him. She’d finally managed to fall asleep about an hour earlier, exactly three hours after he and the team had returned to headquarters with an injured Liz.

The moment he’d laid eyes on her, he’d smiled with pride. Kyle had told them all on the ride back just what Maria had done to help them out. They all knew that Maria seemed to know her stuff when it came to computers.

As soon as Maria had seen them, she’d rushed to Michael’s side. Glimpsing a hurt Liz being carried in by the others, she’d immediately checked Michael herself just to be sure he wasn’t hurt either. Despite his reassurance that nothing had happened to him, she’d simply told him she had to see with her own eyes.

As soon as she was done with him, she’d kissed his cheek and went to help with Liz. Amazingly, she hadn’t flinched when she saw the blood on Liz’s shoulder and had offered to clean and bandage the wound so that none of the guys would see her naked.

Michael had noticed the grateful look on Max’s face that had appeared for only a few seconds before he was back to scowling at Liz. Apparently Max was as possessive of Liz as he was with Maria.

Once Maria was done and Liz was dressed again, Kyle checked the bandage and announced how impressed he was with Maria’s work. This time he even asked Maria if she was interested in helping them out from now on. All she’d have to do was work there at headquarters while the rest of them went out into the field and she’d be there to help out Kyle and Alex who were both skilled with dealing with injuries.

Maria said she’d think about it, but Michael was mostly amazed that Max hadn’t even put up a fight about it. Then again, he could have just been too focused on Liz to care about anything else. As soon as they said Liz was good to go, Max had scooped her up and growled that he was taking her back to her place.

Even Liz was wise enough not to argue with a grumpy Max at that point. After the two of them had left, Alex promptly dragged a reluctant Kyle out to celebrate their survival, leaving Michael and Maria alone at headquarters.

The two of them had cleaned up a bit before Maria suggested that they go back to his place. He’d been surprised at that, but she said she didn’t feel like being alone yet. So, they’d gone back to his place and took turns taking showers.

He’d given her one of his shirts to wear and when they were both done, they curled up together in his bed where she asked him to tell her exactly what had happened out on the mission. He’d told her everything he knew and she agreed that it smelled like a set up.

Eventually they’d both begun to drift off to sleep, but Michael had woken up a few minutes later to enjoy watching Maria sleep. It was during that hour as he watched her that he realized just how deep his feelings already were for her.

Lying there with her in his arms felt like the most natural thing in the world. It felt like they’d been doing it forever and he was certain that Maria felt as comfortable as he did when they were together. He could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him. It was also in the little things she did. Like when she immediately looked him over before she paid any attention to anyone else in the room after that mission.

He shifted slightly so that he could lie on his side where he could get a full view of her. A soft smile played over his lips as he lifted a hand to glide his fingers through her long blonde hair. A few moments later her eyelashes fluttered before her lids lifted to reveal those vivid green eyes.

They sparkled at him as a sleepy smile appeared on her face. “Couldn’t sleep?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I was asleep, but I think I’d much rather watch you sleep. It’s very relaxing, you know?”

She chuckled. “Really?”

“Um hm.”

She gave a little sigh and moved to rest her head on his chest. They remained quiet for a while as his fingers continued to glide through her tresses. She brushed her fingers down his side before tilting her head back to look at him.

“Michael?”

“Hm?”

“I…” she faltered.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, go ahead.”

“I just don’t want you to freak out or anything okay…but…”

When she hesitated again he spoke up. “I won’t. Promise. What is it?”

She lowered her eyes to look at his chest and spoke in a barely there voice. “I think I’m in love with you.”

Michael heard every word she said with his superb hearing and sucked in his breath amazed that she’d said the same thing he’d been thinking about her. “You…you do?”

She nodded as she slowly brought her eyes back to his and realized he was smiling brightly.

Michael lowered his forehead to hers and whispered, “Well, I’m glad you do because I love you too.”

She beamed at him. “You do?”

“Yes. I think I loved you from the moment I saw you shelving books at the library.”

Her smile widened. “Oh Michael!”

He caressed her cheek. “You have no idea what a miracle you are to me, do you?”

She blushed. “Not really, but I intend to find out.”

He chuckled. “How’s that?”

“Oh, well I guess I’ll start with this.” Without any hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Michael was stunned that she’d even instigated it, but it only lasted a few seconds. Then his brain kicked into gear and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her over him as he rolled onto his back and deepened the kiss.

Maria gave as good as she got. Parting her lips for him when his tongue slid over her bottom lip, then moaning as his tongue dueled with hers in her mouth. When they finally had no choice but to come up for air, Michael stared at her even as he tried to get air back into his lungs.

“Wow!” he managed to get out.

She grinned at him. “I practiced a lot on my pillow.”

The image of Maria and a pillow flashed through his mind. Returning her grin he replied, “Lucky pillow.”

She laughed as she leaned in to brush her lips over his. “Hm, well you get to be the lucky one now.”

As she deepened the kiss once more, Michael couldn’t help but silently thank his lucky stars for bringing her into his life.

********************************************************************************

Liz groaned as she opened her eyes to see Max sitting in a chair next to her bed. She knew he’d been there ever since he’d brought her home hours ago.

“Max, my wounds are healing fine now. There’s no need to watch over me!”

Max narrowed his eyes at her. “Tell me you learned your lesson.”

She rolled her eyes as she fell onto her back. “Geez Max. I do this for a living. This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten hurt you know.”

He lowered his hands to the arms of the chair. “Really? Well then maybe you need to think of a new career.”

She gaped at him. “A new career! Oh come on! You can’t tell me you haven’t gotten hurt a time or two!”

“That’s different!” he growled as he began to rise from his seat.

She sat up on the bed. “How is it different? And if you say it’s because I’m a woman so help me Max…”

He stepped towards the bed and towered over her. “You are a woman!”

Liz stared at him for a moment before she launched herself off of the bed straight into his arms. “You son of a!”

Max caught her and pulled her close to him to prevent her from swinging at him again. “Liz…”

“Don’t you Liz me! You got some nerve you know! Telling me how to live my life!” She continued to struggle against him, trying to free a limb to get in a jab or two.

Max turned her around and yanked her back towards him. Wrapping his arms around her tight, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Listen to me! Listen! That’s not what I meant. This has nothing to do with a job and everything to do with how I see you!”

Liz went still in his arms, giving Max the opening to continue.

Brushing his lips over her neck he sighed. “You are a woman in every sense of the word, baby. And I don’t know how to react to that. Every time you look at me with those eyes of yours, I can’t think of anything else but how much I want to be wrapped up in you again.”

She closed her eyes as his lips placed feather light kisses from her neck up to her cheek. “And you being a woman and making me feel this way…in the middle of a job…you know as well as I do just how dangerous that can be.”

His hands had traveled up beneath her shirt and were cupping her breasts tenderly. She sighed as she leaned back against him and replied, “Yes.”

Max buried his face in her hair, taking a deep breath of her scent before she turned around in his arms and their lips met half way in a deep kiss. Max lifted her up into his arms and settled himself on her bed with her in his lap.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and slid her hands into his hair, leaning back to give him access to her neck. Max kissed his way around her neck and throat as he lifted her shirt over her head.

Tossing the shirt away, he wrapped his arms around her torso and lay back on the bed, pulling her down on top of him. Liz slid her hands down his chest and took his shirt in her hands. He lifted up slightly to allow her to pull it off of him before laying back on the bed to gaze up at her.

Liz watched as his hands caressed her skin from her waist to her sides and then up to cup her breasts again. She reached behind her to undo her bra before removing it completely. Max moaned as her bare breasts spilled into his hands and she shifted back to rub her groin against his.

Liz closed her eyes for a few moments enjoying the way Max’s hands felt on her skin before she leaned over him to kiss him once more. As their kiss deepened, their hands began to pull off the rest of their clothes until it was just skin against skin.

Still, it was a long while before the two of them stopped kissing and caressing each other so that they could become one again.

********************************************************************************

Kyle stirred his drink once more and stared moodily into it. Glancing up quickly, he saw that Alex had managed to find his date for the night and was currently convincing her to go home with him. With a sigh, he went back to staring at his drink.

He really hadn’t wanted to go out tonight, but Alex had talked him into it. He knew Alex didn’t like to celebrate by himself, but still he’d had his own plans. Plans which involved him sitting in front of a computer trying to find more clues as to who that buxom blonde had been.

The memory of Tess was still fresh in his mind despite the fact that the others had seemed to have forgotten all about her. He wanted to know just who she was and where she was. How had she known what they were doing that night? The way she’d carried on, he could have sworn she’d been working with Liz.

However, Liz had said she’d always worked alone and she’d never heard of anyone named Tess. Apparently no one else seemed to know anyone named Tess either. Kyle was coming up against brick wall after brick wall and it was beginning to annoy him. He couldn’t remember ever having this much problems tracking down someone on one of his babies before.

“Hey man, you okay?” Alex’s voice broke in on his musings.

Kyle blinked up at Alex in confusion. “What? Oh, yeah. I’m okay.”

Alex looked at him for a moment before nodding. “You want me to take you home? I’m heading out anyway.”

Kyle looked over Alex’s shoulder to see his date waiting for him. Shaking his head he waved Alex away. “Nah, I’m good. You just go and enjoy yourself.”

“You sure?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. See you later Alex.”

Alex grinned and patted Kyle on the back. “Later Kyle.”

Kyle watched as Alex walked over to the woman and held out his arm to her. She preened prettily and allowed Alex to escort her out of the club. When they were gone, Kyle sighed and picked up his drink. Finishing it in one swallow, he decided to go call a cab and head on home.

As he got up from his seat, a flash of blonde hair caught his attention. Straightening up, he stared in the direction of the dance floor. It was her!

He hurried down to the dance floor while keeping the blonde head in sight. As he got halfway there, she began to move off the floor in the opposite direction. Kyle picked up his speed, but got delayed a bit as other dancers wouldn’t move out of his way.

Eventually he made it to the other side in time to see her disappearing out of the front door. Scrambling out after her, he looked in either direction until he saw her heading for the parking lot at the side of the club. He ran after her calling her name.

“Tess! Hey Tess, wait up!”

As he reached her, he grabbed her shoulder and swung her around to look at him.

“What the…” came a surprised feminine voice, much higher than what Tess’ should have been.

He immediately let go of her shoulder. “Oh! Sorry…I thought you were someone else.”

She gave him a once over before giving him a sexy smile. “Well, I could be someone else if you want me to.”

He slowly shook his head. “No, sorry. I’m really sorry. Um…I’ll just go now.”

He backed away as she shrugged and continued on towards the parking lot. When she’d disappeared he sighed dejectedly and walked to the street to hail a cab. It was time to go home and try his luck once more on the computers.

********************************************************************************

Maria moaned into his neck as his hands roamed over her skin. She was on her back now and they’d both progressed to removing their shirts and her bra. She loved the way Michael had held her breasts, as if she were made of something amazing to him.

And when his mouth had covered one of them, she’d been lost in a world of feelings she’d never experienced before. It felt so good to run her hands over his bare chest and back. To feel the way his muscles moved beneath his skin and her fingers. And when his lips and tongue danced over her bare skin, she could feel more wetness between her legs.

As his mouth took her other breast into it, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to rub herself against him. He moaned around her nipple, sending little ripples through her body down to her center.

She slid her hands down his back and around to the front of his pants, letting her fingers play with the buttons of his jeans. He groaned as her fingers brushed over his bulge before he slid off of her and rolled onto his back.

She turned on her side and looked at him. “Why’d you stop?”

He sighed and turned to look at her. “I don’t think we should go there yet.”

She smiled at him. “You don’t think so?”

He shook his head as he looked at her. “Listen Maria, you know I love you, but I don’t want to rush things…and well…”

She placed a finger over his lips to silence him. “I know Michael. It’s okay, I wasn’t ready for it either.”

“Really? Then what was…”

She shrugged as a faint blush began to creep up her cheeks. “I just thought you needed a little something else, you know?”

He stared at her for a moment with surprise written all over his face. “You mean you would have…”

She nodded. “If you’d do it for me…”

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. “God, I really, really love you!”

Her laughter was muffled against his neck. “I love you too Michael.”

He pulled her away to take her lips in his. It didn’t take long for the kiss to grow heated again and soon she was on her back with him sliding down her legs. As he began to lift her skirt up, he looked up into her eyes.

“We won’t do anything else but this okay?” he reiterated.

She nodded to let him know she understood. “Okay.”

Michael gave her a genuine smile before he lowered his head between her legs. Maria closed her eyes to enjoy herself for a while, knowing that she would return the favor later.

********************************************************************************

Liz opened her eyes to see the sun filtering in through the blinds. As she sighed and began to think that she was alone again, she felt arms tightening around her body bringing her back flush with a warm chest.

Turning her head slightly, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was now the following morning and Max was still in her bed. He’d stayed the entire night with her and was now spooning her body closely to his.

She shifted slightly and felt his arms tighten some more. She couldn’t help the smile that spread over her face as she realized that every time she moved, Max seemed to hold her tighter. It was as if he was afraid she was going to leave him.

Glancing at the morning light peeking through the blinds once more, she quickly turned around until she was facing him. He grunted in his sleep and shifted slightly to wrap both arms around her. She was pressed chest to chest with him, but he slept on.

Liz simply lay there watching him sleep. As she gazed at his face, she realized just how much younger he seemed to look as he slept. It looked as if years had just fallen away, taking the lines and creases from his face.

There was no scowl, no angry look. Nothing but long eyelashes resting peacefully against tanned cheeks. And full lips still puffy from the kisses they’d shared the night before. She smiled as she let a finger trace the line of his jaw and nose, admiring the lines of his face.

Awake, those lines made him look regal and intimidating. Asleep, he looked like a handsome angel. She chuckled softly to herself thinking Max wouldn’t like it if she told him that.

Still, she continued to look at him as he slept since she was sure she wasn’t going to get another chance like this to look her fill. Little did she know, she’d have plenty of more hours to enjoy the view.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Part 8

Kyle finished his perusal of his babies before he spoke into the microphone. “Eskimo I’m good to go, how about you?”

“Just a second…” There was a brief pause before the reply came. “Okay, good to go, Spaniel.”

“Great, okay Team B, sound off.”

“Terrier in position.”

“Dalmatian in position.”

“Keeshond in position.”

Kyle waited patiently until the last team member checked in. “Akita in position.”

“Affirmative.” After a few flicks, twists, and presses he spoke again. “Okay Team B, move in on Akita’s command.”

There was silence once more as Kyle watched the screens before him. He knew without a doubt Maria was doing the same from her position at home base.

It was nearly a month after the mission that had been a set up had occurred. Maria had taken only a few days to agree to help them out, but only from home base and as the one to prepare any emergency supplies should they need them.

In the month that had passed, Max had been spending more and more time at headquarters, using the computers when Kyle wasn’t around. Frustrated at being set up, he’d finally dragged Kyle in and demanded him to find out what had gone wrong on that mission.

Needless to say, Max hadn’t been very ‘nice’ when Kyle had managed to arrange a meeting by speaker phone with their superiors. Michael and Liz had to subdue a furious Max who was cursing up a storm and threatening to track the ‘clueless’ leaders down to put them out of their misery.

After Liz and Michael had managed to drag a raging Max out of the room with Maria trailing along after them, it was up to Kyle and Alex to placate the ruffled feathers of their superiors. As soon as they were off the phone, Alex had looked at Kyle and said it was going to have to be up to the team themselves to figure out what was going on.

Kyle and Maria had immediately began to work hard at trying to follow any leads they had to figure out what was going on. It was Maria who had been the one to voice what they’d all begun to think after that phone meeting. It was entirely possible that they were being set up from within.

Max completely agreed with her. Growling beneath his breath that even their superiors could lose their sense of honor in the face of money or power. He’d looked around at them all and said from then on they couldn’t trust anyone outside of the team itself and by that, he’d included Maria and Liz as part of it. Every one of them knew how much it had cost Max to extend his trust to the two women, but as far as he was concerned, they had proved their worth.

Still, everyone knew the moment any one of them proved him wrong, Max’s brand of justice would be swift. With that on their minds, they all agreed to trust no one else outside of the group of six and continued to take any missions handed down to them. However, each mission was treated as a trap and every one of them went over the entire plan with a fine tooth comb before anything was put into action.

So far, they’d had two other missions and both had been carried out with no incidents whatsoever. The only incident had been at the end of the first one when Liz had not shown up at the rendezvous point afterwards until a few minutes too late. That lateness prompted Max to once more argue with her about why it wasn’t a good idea for her to be in on their missions.

Needless to say, the two of them had argued all the way back to headquarters giving Michael, Alex, and Kyle huge headaches. The moment they’d arrived at headquarters, Liz had gathered up her belongings, told Max to go to hell, and stormed out of the place. Kyle had immediately joined Maria at the computers to write the report they would be sending to their superiors and Michael and Alex had gone back outside to retrieve the rest of their gear for cleaning and repairing.

When the two of them returned, Max was nowhere to be found and the following day both Max and Liz were back at headquarters looking as if the argument had never happened. Whatever was said between them must have been an agreement they both were comfortable with because Max didn’t protest at all when the next mission came along and Liz suited up with the rest of them.

Now they were working on yet a third mission and as before, every precaution had been taken before they’d put the plan into action and just as before, all six of them had their part to play in it.

“I’m in,” came Max’s reply. “Dalmatian, make your move.”

“Moving now,” replied Alex.

More silence as Kyle continued to watch the monitors. “How’s it looking Terrier?” he asked.

“Not even the wind is stirring,” came Michael’s reply. Kyle knew he was perched high in one of the trees just off of the property where he had a clear view of the surrounding area on three sides of the building. The fourth side was currently being monitored by Liz and all of the cameras she’d managed to set up for Kyle.

“Dalmatian in position,” came Alex’s reply.

“Affirmative,” replied Max. “Keeshond, move in when you can.”

“Scoping,” came Liz’s response.

Once more things went silent as they waited for Liz to make another visual sweep of her area before she joined Alex and Max inside of the building. Once she was inside, all she had to do was make her way to the basement to retrieve the files hidden there with Alex along to help her bypass the security systems there. Max would be traveling up to the top floor where the owner of the building lived in his swanky penthouse suite.

********************************************************************************

She glanced up from where she was leaning over the target she’d just put out of commission moments ago. She’d been told the information she was to retrieve was always kept on his person, so she’d been looking thorough his clothing for it. So far, she’d come up empty handed and as she heard the swish of a sword she knew she’d been had.

Ducking out of way with a roll, she narrowly missed being split in half by the sword which embedded itself in the wood of the desk right behind the spot she’d just been in. As she came to a stop in a crouch, she stared at the man who had just tried to kill her.

Her eyes went wide. “You’re Akita, aren’t you?” she asked.

His eyes narrowed at her. “You were expecting us then?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m here to do a job.”

She glanced at the downed target, making him glance there too. He frowned at her. “You were sent to assassinate him?”

“Yes and to retrieve some information.”

He spoke into his headpiece. “Keeshond, Dalmatian have you acquired the files yet?”

She frowned at him. “Files? I was told he would have the information on him. I was searching him when you interrupted.”

His eyes widened, “Keeshond!”

“Akita, get out of there! It’s a trap!” came Dalmatian’s reply.

“What?” he asked as a shockwave seemed to reverberate through the building from below.

She gasped. “Oh my God! They’ve set us all up!”

He didn’t hesitate any longer as he grabbed her by the arm, his sword in his free hand, and ran out of the room towards a set of stairs at the back. Beneath them the building groaned and trembled, indicating it was about to collapse in on them all.

As they raced up the stairs towards the roof, he yelled into his headpiece. “Dalmatian, what’s your status?”

“They’re alive, Akita. I’ve got them in my sights. Covering them until they make it out of the area. Where are you?” asked Michael.

“Heading for the roof. I’m not alone.”

“Need assistance?” he asked.

“Terrier, I’ve got Dalmatian and Keeshond covered now. Go assist Akita, the building is unstable. Collapse is imminent.”

“Roger that, Spaniel.”

Max used his sword to break the lock of the door before throwing his weight into it and stumbling out onto the roof with his captive in tow. He rushed to the edge of the building which he knew was closest to where Michael had been perched in the tree.

Glancing over the edge, he tried to figure out a way off of the building without becoming fertilizer for the ground below. She leaned over to look down too, her eyes going wide as she saw the dust cloud spreading out from the building’s base.

“It’s not going to hold up much longer.”

Just as she said that, a huge metal arrow lodged itself in the side of the building just below Max’s hands.

A few moments later Max heard Michael’s voice in his ear. “It’s holding, Akita. Slide down it to me in the tree. I’ve got you covered.”

Max grabbed the woman and hauled her to the metal wire. He pulled out another sword from his back and draped it over the wire. Showing her how to do it.

“Hold it like so, use it to slide down to the tree. Terrier is there waiting for us and covering us. Quickly now!”

She didn’t hesitate to scramble off the building gripping the sword on either end as the flat part of the blade glided easily along the wire. Max waited until she was halfway down before doing the same with the sword he’d used on her earlier.

Gripping either end, he swung his body off the building and hung below the wire, using his feet to push away from the building thus creating momentum to slide down towards the trees. He could see Michael reaching out to pull the woman in just as Alex reached the bottom of the tree.

“Dalmatian, guard her! She was sent to do the same job we were!” Max commanded over the headpiece.

“Understood,” replied Alex as the woman jumped out of the tree. Just as Alex wrapped a wire around her and used his touch to paralyze her, Max could feel the trembling of the wire he was sliding down.

“Damn it Akita! Hurry up, the building’s coming down now!” Max was relieved to hear Liz’s voice over his headpiece despite the fact she was barking at him.

Alex lifted up the woman and ran back to the truck with her just as Max reached the tree. Michael reached out once more and pulled Max in. As they both scrambled out of the tree, Maria’s voice sounded over all of their headpieces.

“Guys, authorities have been alerted and are enroute to the building! Get out of there now!”

“What’s their ETA, Eskimo?” asked Michael, as he and Max ran towards the truck.

“Ten minutes, if not less!”

Max growled. “Dalmatian, the motor!”

“Starting now,” came Alex’s response as the truck roared to life.

The minute Michael and Max had landed inside the truck, Alex peeled out of there and Liz slammed the door shut behind them. Max scrambled to his knees just as Liz launched herself at him.

“Geez, Max! You just love playing with danger don’t you!”

“Not now Keeshond!” he hissed as he indicated their captive lying on the floor of the truck.

A shocked Kyle was leaning over her unconscious form checking her vitals before he finally looked up at them all.

“Guys, it’s Tess.”

********************************************************************************

Tess didn’t make any move to struggle against the bonds holding her captive. Instead she sat there looking up at them with what she hoped was a sincere look trying to get them to understand that she was in dark as much as they were.

“I swear I’m telling you the truth! I was hired to assassinate the target just as your team was! But I was told the information would be found on his person, not in the basement as you were told!”

They had her tied in a chair in the middle of a room that resembled that of a training room. However, the room had clearly been swept clear of any sign of training items with the exception of a punching bag hanging from the ceiling in one corner and several mats lying on the floor.

That was where she’d woken up. Glancing around to see more than four men there. Akita was standing in front of her with his arms folded over his chest and eyes narrowed in suspicion. Besides her was Spaniel clearly looking worried, while both Terrier and Dalmatian were leaning against the wall closest to the door, clearly guarding it despite their relaxed stances.

Besides the four men, there was also two women in the room. One of which stood near Terrier while the other one paced slightly behind Akita. It was the woman who was pacing behind Akita who was next to speak.

“It was a trap, Akita. There was no safe, no elaborate security system existed at all.”

“She’s right,” replied Dalmatian. “Nothing but a huge empty room with a table in the center of it piled high with explosives.”

“And as we ran out, we saw more explosives rigged beneath the stairs,” added the pacing woman.

Spaniel glanced up at Akita. “We were set up again, Akita and this time so was she.”

Akita glared down at her. “Who are you working for?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know!”

His eyes narrowed even more. “You don’t know?”

She shook her head. “No. I get contacts through a secure site on the internet. I don’t work with a company like you do. I’m an independent for hire.”

Akita growled. “You must have some way of contacting those you work for.”

“The only way is through the site. The last time our paths crossed, I went back and tried to trace the line back to the source wanting to know why so many of us were hired to take out just one man. I came up empty. Whoever they are, they seem to know how to cover their tracks well.”

“Maybe I can track them,” spoke up Spaniel.

She turned to look at him with a nod. “I’ll give you the information, maybe you can.”

Spaniel nodded and looked at Akita. “Let me try Akita.”

He continued to just stare at Tess. “It could be just another trap Spaniel.”

Tess shook her head. “It isn’t! Don’t you see? I was set up just as you were this time! I was told to find him in his penthouse along with the information. I was sent there the same time you all were! Those explosives were meant for all of us!”

Terrier straightened up and took a few steps towards her. “Any idea why they would want to put you out of commission?”

“I have an idea, but only if it’s the same ones who hired me for the last job.”

“What last job?” asked the woman who’d been standing next to Terrier.

She glanced at the woman as she replied, “The one where I tried to take Terrier and you out at the park and you created that whirlwind to prevent me from doing so.”

The woman gasped as all eyes turned towards her and Terrier.

Terrier narrowed his eyes at Tess. “So, you were the sniper.”

She nodded. “Yes. I didn’t realize it was you until I saw you speeding away on your motorcycle. It finally clicked and I looked at the paper I’d printed out with the information of those I was supposed to assassinate. Spaniel is the only one I’d seen personally, and I found his description on it. I knew you were Terrier from the description on the paper. Which meant the other two I had yet to see had to be Akita and Dalmatian.”

Dalmatian moved closer too. “Well, then I guess the next question is who has a contract out on our team?”

Akita nodded. “Yeah, and if you knew it was us, why didn’t you finish the job?”

“That’s why I think whoever set us up this time has to be the ones who hired me to kill the four of you. The moment I realized it was you four I was hired to kill, I went back to tell them I wasn’t going to fulfill the contract. Of course they told me I couldn’t back out of the contract, but I refused. They threatened me, but I didn’t think they could trace me. I guess I was wrong.”

“Guess you were,” replied Spaniel.

“You didn’t answer my question,” growled Akita. “Why didn’t you finish the job?”

She looked him in the eyes as she replied, “I’m an assassin who still follows the code. The last time our paths crossed, I knew what I was up against. I knew what I was seeing. Your group is one of the very few good ones left. The last of a dying breed. And I am not going to be the one to rid the world of what is left of honor.”

Spaniel whistled. “Damn that was good.”

Akita growled. “You recited that!”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking when I was up in that tree watching Terrier speeding away on his bike! And it’s the truth! I absolutely refuse to assassinate one of my own!”

“Did you try and trace them?” asked Spaniel.

She nodded. “Yes, after I refused to carry out the contract, I tried to trace them. Again, I couldn’t find anything. But if they were making good on their threats, what better way then to get not only me, but the team too all at one time.”

Terrier sighed. “She’s got a point Akita.”

Akita didn’t move for a few moments more. Clearly he was trying to assess the situation. They waited until he looked at Spaniel.

“Give Spaniel the information for both jobs you did. The one where we first met and the one where you were supposed to take us out. Do your best to track them down Spaniel.”

He nodded. “I’ll get on it.”

Akita turned to Dalmatian. “I need you to rig up a cage to keep her in until we get some clearance from Spaniel.”

The dark haired woman moved to his side. “Wait, Akita. Maybe there’s a way we can find out if we can trust her.”

He glanced down at her with a frown. “We’ve talked about this Keeshond, no one besides the six of us is to be trusted.”

She nodded. “I know, but I might be able to find out if she’s lying.”

When he didn’t reply, she continued. “Akita, it’s worth a try.”

“What do you intend to do?” he asked.

She held up her hand which suddenly glowed red. His eyes went wide. “We want her alive Keeshond!”

She nodded. “I won’t kill her, I’m just going to probe around in her head a bit.”

Spaniel moved closer to Tess. “Um, are you sure that’s safe?”

She turned a kind smile on him. “Trust me Spaniel, I won’t hurt her.”

They all turned to look at Akita once more, who was studying Tess again. After a few moments he slowly nodded.

“Do it.”

Tess’ eyes went wide as the dark haired woman moved to stand in front of her. Leaning over until she was looking into Tess’ eyes, she gave her a gentle smile.

“This won’t hurt. Just close your eyes and relax.”

********************************************************************************

Kyle and Maria were in front of the computer screens hacking away trying to find a path to the two jobs Tess had given them. While they were busy doing that, Alex was securing Tess in the room that housed the beds for when they stayed at headquarters.

Liz, Max, and Michael sat in the living room discussing what Liz had found out from her psychic probe of Tess’ mind.

“She’s completely human,” said Liz.

Michael stared at her. “You’re kidding!”

Liz shook her head. “Nope not at all. She’s got no special powers whatsoever. She just happens to be trained as a sharpshooter as well as the use of other guns. He father was a military man. Apparently he had no qualms with raising his daughter to shoot guns.”

“Damn!” whispered Michael.

“Was that all you found out?” asked Max.

Liz looked at him. “She’s telling the truth, Max. She has no idea who set her up or who wants to kill the four of you, but she thinks it’s all related. I think I agree with her.”

Michael nodded. “Yeah, me too. It just seems too neat to be a coincidence.”

Max sighed as he added his own agreement. “I know. If she’s telling the truth then yeah, I agree too.”

“So what do we do now?” asked Liz.

“We wait and see if Kyle and Maria can dig up some info on her jobs. In the meantime, I guess we all have to take turns watching her. Even if she’s telling the truth, she could still try to go back and lead them to us.”

“She said she wouldn’t Max.”

Michael agreed with Liz. “She had her chance at the park, Max. She could have pursued Maria and I until she caught up with us. Or she could have gone after the rest of you, but she didn’t.”

Max nodded. “I know, but it’s better to be on the safe side for now. Let’s wait a few more days and go from there.”

Maria walked up to them with a sigh. As they all looked up at her, she shook her head. “No luck so far. Kyle wants to ask her a few more questions. He thinks he can still figure it out.”

Max nodded. “Fine, go talk to her then.”

As Kyle walked past them, Max called out to him. “Kyle! I know what you’re thinking, but until we are absolutely certain, you have to keep treating as an enemy!”

He nodded. “I know, Max. I know.”

As Kyle and Maria disappeared into the other room to go talk to Tess some more, Michael got to his feet.

“I’ll go relieve Alex from guard duty.”

Max nodded as Michael followed the others out of the room. When they were alone, he turned to look at Liz. “I’m going to go clean up a bit, then we should go grab some food to bring back for all of us, okay?”

“Okay.” Liz watched as Max left the room and smiled at Maria who returned just as he left. Maria made her way to the couch and sat down next to Liz with a sigh.

“Boy, what a day huh? And I wasn’t even out there with you guys!”

Liz chuckled. “Yeah, you missed a hell of a ride.”

Maria frowned. “Uh, no. I think I’d pass that one up any time.”

Liz glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. “What’s the matter? You don’t think you could do it? According to Kyle and Michael you’ve got great powers.”

She nodded. “Yeah, but I’m not that much of an adrenaline junkie like you guys. I mean, yeah I like excitement every once in a while, but I don’t think I have what it takes to be as tough as the rest of you.”

Liz smiled as she wrapped an arm around Maria’s shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short just yet. You just haven’t had enough training that’s all. Tell you what, why don’t you train with me a few times. Maybe you need to be with someone of your own gender instead of with the men. Trust me, I speak from experience. Sometimes a woman’s expert touch is just what you may need.”

Maria laughed at that, but nodded her head. “Okay, I think I could go for that.”

Liz grinned. “Really?”

She nodded. “Really.”

“Man, that was easy! Now if I could just get Max to open up to me that easily, my day would be set!”

Maria gave her a sympathetic look. “Still a brick wall huh?”

Liz nodded. “Yeah, more like a fortress.”

“The infamous Alcatraz?” Maria asked.

They both shared a laugh. “Yep, just like that.”

Their laughter faded away for a few moments as they lost themselves in their own thoughts. Suddenly Maria sat up and turned to face Liz.

“Hey, are you busy tomorrow around two in the afternoon?”

Liz scrunched up her face. “Two? Um, I don’t think so. Why?”

Maria grinned. “Could you meet me at the library where I work? There’s something I want to show you.”

Liz nodded. “Sure, I think I can do that.”

“Great! But listen, don’t mention this to anyone yet. I don’t want Michael and Max to know that we’re meeting okay?”

Liz winked. “Got it. I won’t say a word.”

Maria nodded as she got up and headed back to the computers. Max walked into the room and held out his hand to Liz.

“Ready?” he asked.

She slid her hand into his. “Ready.”

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

As a bonus...I thought I'd include a bit of description of the Dog Breeds I used as code names for the characters....let me know what you think


Keeshonden
Keeshonden tend to be very playful, with quick reflexes and strong jumping ability. They can be stubborn, but they are quick learners and eager to please. Because Keeshonden are quick learners, they also learn the things you didn't necessarily wish to teach them - very quickly. However, Keeshonden make excellent agility and obedience dogs. So amenable to proper training is this bright, sturdy dog that Keeshonden have been successfully trained to serve as guide dogs for the blind; only their lack of size has prevented them from being more widely used in this role.

They love children and are excellent family dogs, preferring to be close to their humans whenever possible. They generally get along with other dogs as well and will enjoy a good chase around the yard. Keeshonden are very intuitive and empathic and are often used as comfort dogs. Most notably, at least one Keeshond, Tikva, was at Ground Zero on 9/11 to help comfort the rescue workers. The breed has a tendency to become especially clingy towards their owners, even in comparison to other dogs.

If their owner is out, or in another room behind a closed door, they may sit, waiting for their owner to reappear, even if there are other people nearby. Many have been referred to as their "owner's shadow," or "velcro dogs".

They are known by their loud distinctive bark. Throughout the centuries, the Keeshond has been a very popular watch dog on manors in the Netherlands and middle Europe, as well as being a watch dog on barges. This trait is evident to this day, and they are alert dogs that warn their owners of any new visitors. Despite being a loud and alert watch dog, Keeshonden are not aggressive towards visitors. They generally welcome visitors affectionately once their family has accepted them. Unfortunately, excessive barking may become a problem if not properly handled. As with other watch dogs, Keeshonden have a distinct territory that they want to guard. Therefore, a happy Keeshond should have a yard to watch out for.

The Keeshond is a very bright dog as evidenced by its level of achievement in obedience work. This intelligence makes a Keeshond a good choice for the dog owner who is willing to help a dog learn the right lessons, but also entails added responsibility. Keeshond ownership, when the dog and human have worked together to become a good pet and a good pet owner, is a very positive experience.

Many people purchase a Keeshond thinking that, being a family dog, they must also be an easy to train dog. While affectionate, the Keeshond may not be for the inexperienced trainer. Consistency and fairness is needed with a Keeshond. While most dogs need a structured environment, it's especially necessary with a Keeshond. Their intelligence, in some ways, can be a liability, especially in obedience work, where they can get bored with repetitive training.

Being an intelligent dog, most problems with Keeshonden stem from the dog inventing its own activities (often destructive ones, like digging and chewing). They need daily contact with their owners and lots of activity to remain happy. Therefore, it is not the right choice of breed for those who want a dog that lives happily alone in a kennel or backyard.

Keeshonden can also be timid dogs. It is important to train them to respect their owners and family, but not fear them. Keeshonden want to please their owners so harsh punishment is not necessary when the dog does not obey as quickly as desired.

Akita
Although the American Kennel Club has put the Akita in the Working Group, several different breeds contributed to the modern Akita, some hunting dogs and some dogs used as competitive fighting dogs, however it must be made clear that the common 'Japanese Fighting Dog' moniker is inaccurate. While the Akita's ancestry may lie with dogs used for fighting (see the Edo Period below) the modern day Akita is a long way from this and indeed most good breeders will not breed from dogs that are known to have aggressive natures. In general the Akita is very laid back, and has an easy-going temperament which makes it a very good family environment pet.

Akitas are a large breed, not a giant breed. They are excellent house dogs. They require only a moderate amount of exercise. Akitas are known to be very quiet dogs, only barking "when there is something to bark about".

The two most outstanding characteristics of the Akita as a house pet are that they are very clean and that they are very easy to house break. Akitas have been described as almost "cat-like," as they are clean and odorless. This may also be one of the reasons why they housebreak so easily. Most Akitas respond so well to housebreaking that they are trained in a matter of weeks, although it may take longer if other "slower learning" dogs are present.

As far as the family children are concerned, there are few worries. Akitas are devoted, patient friends and protectors of children. Akitas are typically very gentle with children, and it is said that Japanese mothers often left their children with only the Akitas to watch over and protect them. Remember, however, that young children should never be left unattended with a pet. And while an Akita may love "his" children, he will not necessarily love their friends, especially when they run around the yard and scream. When raised indoors with children, they can be excellent companions.

Left unattended in the backyard or in a kennel, they tend to develop "personality" problems and become very destructive to the yard, which is due to boredom. They are highly pack oriented, thus, isolating them from the pack (i.e., the owner) causes them great stress.
Akitas tend to be stubborn and require a firm but loving education where "no" always means "no" and never "whatever".

The Akita is a dominant dog who may expect other dogs to be submissive. If they fail to live up to the Akita's expectations, incidents can happen.

Akitas have a high and well-developed prey drive, particularly to small animals, including cats. An Akita is not likely to shower affection on someone that is not a member of his family or a close friend that he sees frequently, and can be extremely aloof. Akitas properly socialized and raised with other animals usually accept them as members of the family.

The loyalty and devotion displayed by an Akita is phenomenal. The typical pet Akita will follow you from room to room, yet has the uncanny ability not to be underfoot. Your Akita lives his life as if his only purpose is to protect you and spend time with you.

Akitas may, however, have a tendency to be very aggressive to other dogs and small animals and have a strong prey drive. It is not uncommon for an Akita to catch and kill small (or even large) animals (including cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and small dogs) if it is allowed to wander and should therefore never be allowed to run off its lead around other animals.


American Water Spaniel
An American original, this flushing spaniel also doubles as a competent retriever. Like many of the spaniel breeds, it hunts both feather and fur (and even fish!) with equal enthusiasm. Friendly, intelligent, and often willing to please, this dog is also very protective of its owner. In old age the dog may become temperamental. One of their favorite foods is very strange: bananas. This dog is very soft-mouthed but can be trained to play tug-of-war. It will be very attached to the alpha of the house and think of children as kennel mates until they grow up. Unspayed females will have a mind of their own when in heat (even when very well trained).

This little brown dog also has many of the common spaniel characteristics.
The AWS has a mind of its own at times and reaches peak performance with the owner that is dedicated to teaching the dog just what is expected of it. The breed takes well to training, and especially excels at training that offers some variety rather than rote training drills. Harsh training techniques do not work for the majority of AWS. In fact, such techniques often cause a dog to become shy or even bite out of fear. This is a breed for the trainer that is consistent and fair when dealing with the dog.

American Water Spaniels do not have to hunt to be happy. They make fine companion animals and, because of their size, they fit well in cramped quarters. However, the breed does need exercise and training to mature into a loving friend that some people look for. To avoid possessiveness, excessive barking, and a willingness to take over the household, novice owners should attend a local obedience class and set aside daily play time for their companion.

Terrier
The Jack Russell is a working terrier. Terrier work requires a dog that will bark at prey so that the dog can be located underground and be dug out if necessary. As a result, Jack Russell Terriers are most definitely vocal dogs.

Jack Russell Terriers are also very intelligent, high-energy dogs – requirements of a working dog which must problem-solve in the field and work tirelessly against often formidable quarry. Due to their compact size, friendly and inquisitive nature, and intelligence, Jack Russells are popular as pets. Prospective buyers should be aware, however, that while these dogs may enjoy sitting in a lap, they are not “lap dogs” – they are dogs that require training and regular and consistent exercise to maintain their temperament and to occupy their minds.

Jack Russell Terriers are very playful.
Jack Russells that are not trained on a consistent basis, or are not exercised regularly, may exhibit unmanageable behavior, including excessive barking, escaping from the yard, or digging in unwanted places inside and outside the house. In America, several Jack Russell rescue networks have to work constantly to find temporary and permanent homes for Jack Russell Terriers whose owners could not meet these requirements for keeping these dogs as house pets. Prospective Jack Russell Terrier owners are advised to do their homework.

Most Jack Russell Terriers easily mingle with children, though they do not tolerate even unintentional abuse. Most are outgoing, and very friendly towards other dogs, but a good number show same-sex aggression issues. Some JRT's exhibit a Napoleon Complex regarding larger canines that can get them into dangerous situations. Their fearlessness can scare off a larger animal, but their apparent unawareness of their small size can lead to a lopsided fight with larger dogs if not kept in check.

It is not uncommon for a Jack Russell terrier to be cat-aggressive, and homes with other small fur-bearing animals in them (pet hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets etc.) would do well to think through the ramifications of bringing a working terrier into the house.

Dalmatian
As a result of their history as coach dogs, the breed is very active and needs plenty of exercise. They are very fast runners, with a great deal of stamina and self-reliance. Given freedom to roam, they will take multi-day trips on their own across the countryside. In today's urban environment, they will not likely survive such excursions and must be contained. Their energetic and playful nature make them good companions for children and they have an instinctive fondness for humans and horses. These qualities make them somewhat "unbreakable", and forgiving of rough handling by children. However, it is imperative that they be socialized with children while still puppies, and also that children be taught the correct way to play with a Dalmatian. These are powerful dogs that are easily capable of injuring a child in the process of innocent play.

They have very sensitive natures and never forget ill-treatment, and cannot be trained by using rough methods. However, their rambunctious and playful personalities necessitate constant supervision around very small children, whom they may accidentally knock over and hurt.

Dalmatians are extremely people-oriented dogs, and will get very lonely if left by themselves, and should be trained to accept their owners' absence if they must be left alone as otherwise they will pine severely. A better option is to provide companions. These dogs crave human companionship and do poorly if left alone in a backyard or basement.

Dalmatians are famed for their intelligence, independence, and survival instincts. In general they have good memories and are usually kind natured (though individual specimens may vary). Originally bred to defend carriages and horses, these dogs can become territorial if not trained otherwise.


Eskimo
The American Eskimo Dog, or Standard German Spitz, is a breed of companion dogs originating in Germany. Despite its name and appearance the American Eskimo dog is neither from Alaska nor a descendent of the Husky. The American Eskimo is a member of the Spitz family, which also comes from Germany. The breed was formerly called a German Spitz, but due to anti-German prejudice during the First World War, it was renamed to American Eskimo Dog. In addition to serving as a companion, it has been used as a watchdog, and also achieved a high degree of popularity in the 1930s and 1940s United States as a circus performer. The breed became popular as circuses would sell the puppies during their travels across the nation.

The American Eskimo Dog is intelligent, alert, and friendly, although slightly conservative. It is never overly shy nor aggressive, and such dogs are to be severely penalized in the show ring. At home it is an excellent watchdog, sounding a warning bark to announce the arrival of any stranger. It is protective of its home and family, although it does not threaten to bite or attack people. The American Eskimo Dog learns new tasks quickly and is eager to please.

American Eskimos were bred to be companion dogs, and thrive on being a part of a human family. They are easily trained and very intelligent, as well as being strong-willed and independent. At home, they make excellent watchdogs, barking to announce the presence of strangers. The American Eskimo dog can be protective of its home and family, but in general they will not threaten to attack or bite a person (unless provoked). American Eskimos must be trained early in age. As with all dogs, temperament may be partially inherited and partially trained.

American Eskimos can take longer to mature than other breeds, and can behave more like puppies than like adults for up to two years, at which point they begin to mature and grow adult coats. They are a very intelligent breed and need to be stimulated for their maximum intellectual and behavioral potentials to be realized. When their intelligence is not stimulated or they are ignored, they can develop behavioral issues. Owners can avoid this problem by socializing the dog through obedience training or participating in dog sports.


There ya go