THE ASSASSIN - AU/CC/Adult - Epilogue - 11/6/16

[sarammlover]

I feel like these chapters are SO short (even though they aren't). I just want to keep reading and reading and reading. What a great story. I am captivated from beginning to end each week. I still haven't grasped onto Max and Liz yet....I love that Alex has suddenly been thrust into this world and he is going (whether he wants to or not!) Such a great update.

[Roswelllostcause]

Great part can't wait for more!

[Alien_Friend]

Wow!! Thank goodness Maria contacted Alex. I hope Michael can get to her in time. It seems as though Max and Liz will be far behind Alex and Maria if they somehow can't figure out where to find Alex. I bet the circle will figure out that they have not left the job alone so they might be in danger as well. I wonder if they have their own safe houses and stuff too. I hope they can hurry up and catch up soon at least they seem to have the right speculations for now.

Terrific stuff as always ladies.

Looking forward to reading more.

[Double Trouble]

begonia9508: Valkyrie is definitely the correct code name for our female assassin.

There is the possibility that memories might be recovered but whether or not that happens has yet to be seen.

L-J-L 76: Thanks! Max and Liz will be looking into the case and trying to find a way to help. Maria isn’t likely to give them a ring since at this point all she knows is they’re watchdogs that’re somehow linked to her uncle.

We’ll have to wait and see if Maria is able to forgive them, but we’re a ways away from getting to that point yet since Maria’s on the run and they’re back at square one.

keepsmiling7: Lol, you won’t get any arguments from Liz!

The explosion is ground zero for Maria’s investigation. For her it’s what started this entire mess. We’re glad to hear the characters are beginning to get sorted out.

Eva: Well, Maria may not know if she can completely trust her assassin, but right now he’s looking a lot better than the trouble she’s landed in.

sarammlover: Lol, well, we have plenty backed up for The Assassin. The mystery surrounding Max and Liz will clear up in time. And Alex? Oh, he might have a healthy respect for the fear gene, but he’s also getting the opportunity to live out one majorly massive fantasy here! Thanks!

Roswelllostcause: Thanks for reading!

Alien_Friend: Maria brought herself in real danger and it’s up to Bane / Michael now to get her out of this mess.

Max and Liz are still trying to figure it out. They don’t have the same training like Bane or Val do so it will be hard for them to catch up, but with a little bit of luck.. it will happen.



Part 12

County Jail – Courtland, PA

Deputy Jared Gardner leaned back in the desk chair, feet propped up on one end of the desk, hat pulled down over his eyes, and his fingers laced together over his silver belt buckle as he dozed lightly. He reached up to push his hat back with one finger when he heard the door open and he raised his eyebrows at the man standing there.

“Help you with somethin’, friend?”

“Yeah, heard you arrested a friend of mine for car theft. Came down to see about bailing her out.”

“Bail hasn’t been set yet. She won’t be arraigned ‘til mornin’.”

“I see. Would it be alright if I see her?”

“Well… I’d have to check with Sheriff Macklin first.” More like call in for reinforcements, he thought as he studied the way the stranger was looking around the place.

“I really don’t have that long.” His hand moved so fast the deputy never even saw it until he found himself facing the barrel of the sawed-off shotgun with a pistol grip. He nodded at the door at the back. “Let’s go.”

Gardener nodded and got up slowly. He had laughed at the woman’s rant earlier but now it seemed like her crazy story had been true. “I have to get the keys.”

“Drop your gun on the desk first. You try anything, and I mean anything, you’re dead.”

The deputy did as he was ordered and then went to get the keys from a different room. He wouldn’t risk his life for some chick in his jail. For all he cared the man could have her.

Jefferson Trace watched the deputy as he crossed the room and he waited patiently while he unlocked the door that led down into the basement where the cells were located. “You first.” He kept the man in his sights as they went down the stairs. He looked around at the cells and he smiled coldly when he saw the woman that leapt to her feet at the sound of footsteps.

Maria wrapped her cold hands around the metal bars, pressing her face against them to see who would come around the corner. She prayed for it to be the deputy or Bane. Yes, she would be glad to see Bane, but he had said he wouldn’t come after her. He had warned her and now she was paying the price. Her breath was quick while she waited and it only evened slightly when she saw the deputy.

“Unlock her cell.”

The blood in her veins froze and she walked to the very end of the cell, pressing herself against the wall. “No, please don’t, Deputy. I don’t know this man.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks when realization hit her. She was going to die. Right now.

“No, you don’t know me,” Trace murmured as his eyes moved over her. “It’s a shame too, but unfortunately there’s no time for that.” He poked the deputy with the barrel when he didn’t move as fast as he wanted him to. “Send her out here and lock yourself in.”

Gardener followed the other man’s request, gripping her wrist tightly and shoving her out into the corridor when she shook her head and tried to kick him off. He took the bars of the door and pulled it towards him until it locked.

“I do appreciate cooperation,” he murmured as he grabbed the woman roughly, pinning her to the cell so he could handcuff her. “It’s just too bad you had to die during her escape.” He pulled the gun he’d ordered the deputy to leave on the desk earlier, taking aim at the man and squeezing the trigger. He watched dispassionately as the officer’s face revealed pain and shock as he slammed into the wall behind him and slowly slid down to the floor.

“No!” Maria closed her eyes firmly, not wanting to see how the man’s stomach wound caused a puddle of blood to collect so quickly on the ground beneath him. She could hear the pained, troubled coughing of the man, her body trembling like crazy. “No,” she whispered quietly again, waiting for him to end her life.

“Nice job there, Miss Deluca.” His eyes watched the deputy struggle for breath, listened to his gurgled breathing as he slowly choked on his own blood. “That’s a painful wound and one few people recover from even if they receive immediate attention. Which he won’t.”

She slowly opened her eyes, looking at the man on the ground. He stared back at her, but his life was fading quickly. This man had died because of her. It was all her fault.

“Your turn, let’s go.” He jerked her away from the cell and shoved her towards the stairs.

Maria stumbled. She had no control over her body because every sense was filled with fear. I should’ve stayed with Michael, she thought reluctantly.

“Up the stairs, girl,” Trace snapped in annoyance.

“Why don’t you just kill me here?” She spun around, facing her enemy.

The guy wasn’t that tall. He didn’t even look like an assassin. But what did she know in the end? He had the gun and it was aimed at her.

“Fuck, can’t you just do what you’ve been told, bitch?” he snapped and swung his hand, hitting her cheek with the butt of the gun.

Maria almost fell backwards from the impact. It felt like her face was suddenly split, but she refused to cry out in front of the man.

“You don’t wanna get your ass up the stairs?” He brought the gun up and put the barrel right up under her chin. “You think I give a rat’s ass one way or the other where you die?”

“Obviously, because otherwise you would’ve done it down there.” She wanted to sound brave but her voice was wavering. The gun felt cold and the way it was pressed against her skin so hard hurt.

His temper flared when she continued to run her mouth and he gave her another shove just for good measure. He just wanted to get her in the car and out a mile or two, just far enough to make it look like she’d tried to make a run for it. A quiet chuckle sent a feeling of dread down his spine and his head turned to the right to look at the man slouched down behind the deputy’s desk, fingers drumming against the surface while he watched him and waited.

Maria followed the sound and almost cried out in relief when she saw Bane sitting there. Black ball cap pulled low over his face, his posture casually posed as if he had been there forever.

“She’s quite a piece of work, isn’t she, J?”

“If you’d done your job I’d be screwing a fine piece of ass and watching the game I missed the other day, you stupid fuckwad.” His eyes gleamed as he considered his reward if he could bring Bane down with the woman.

“Still paying tramps to have sex with you?” Bane got up from his seat and walked over to the second desk in the room. “Ya know, I really thought they’d send someone capable of doin’ the job this time. Hendricks maybe, or Shadows.”

Maria’s gaze bounced back and forth between them as they debated who was more capable of killing her.

“No strings, Bane.” He prodded the woman with the barrel of his gun. “This right here? Major string. She must be good in the sack if you couldn’t put a bullet in her. I’ll admit, she’s attractive, and under other circumstances maybe I’d nail her a time or two, but good enough to put yourself in the crosshairs?” He snorted and shook his head. “No pussy’s that good.”

For a brief moment he let his eyes travel to the woman. Fear and devastation were written there while a red mark on her cheek was starting to swell. Yeah, Blondie was trouble and maybe he should’ve just done his job, but there was one thing he had learned in life: never question the decisions you made because you couldn’t change them once they were made anyway.

Slowly and unseen by the other assassin, he grabbed his gun that was hidden behind the computer screen on the desk. The first shot had to be perfect – he only had one chance.

“Well, she had something you don’t, J.”

“What’s that?”

“Cojones.”

Trace never had the opportunity to shift his gun, to take a defensive posture. He barely had time to register the fact that Bane had a weapon in his hand. He never felt the bullet that entered his brain through his forehead, death was that quick.

Maria’s eyes widened at the sight of the gun in Michael’s hand and her shoulders hunched when she heard the sound of a body hitting the ground. She was still breathing so she knew that only left one other option. She swallowed hard as she turned her head to look at the man lying there, his eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling as blood welled up and spilled over from the bullet hole that was dead on between his eyes.

“Have fun on your little escape, Blondie?” Bane put his gun back in its holster on the inside of his leather jacket and removed the handcuffs from her wrists.

“He... he killed that deputy b-b-because of me.”

He went on to the stairs and stepped around her to take the weapons the dead assassin was carrying. “Not because of you, because of his orders.” He stopped next to her, lifting her face with one hand under her chin so he could study the damage to her cheek.

“What’re you gonna do now? He said they’d think I killed him.”

“And for that to be true your fingerprints would have to be on the weapon.” He pointed at the one he had placed in Trace’s hand. “You gave them a false name,” he shrugged and let go of her, “so you were never here.”

“He wrote up a report though and they towed the truck away and my fingerprints are gonna be all over it.” She was babbling and she couldn’t seem to shut up even when he started explaining that the truck wasn’t an issue and he had everything under control.

“Woman,” he groaned, “are you ever gonna shut up?” He took one last look around the room and then went to stand directly under the smoke detector that would activate a sprinkler system. “If I were you I’d get outta here. Keep close to the wall.”

With a lighter in his hand, he started to burn special laminated paper that was designed to create a lot of smoke within seconds. The water would wash away trace evidence of their presence before anyone could have a look.

Maria ran outside, ducking into the shadows of the building while she waited for him. She didn’t know what he was doing or how they were getting out of the town, but if there was one thing she knew without question, it was that he had a plan.

Bane followed soon after, his stride straightforward to the cheap truck he had purchased earlier that day. It was much safer to ride in a vehicle that hadn’t been reported stolen and thanks to some of his fake IDs that were unknown even by The Circle, they couldn’t track him that way.

She hurried after him without any questions or waiting for him to impatiently insist that she get her ass in gear. She climbed inside and buckled up as the engine leapt to life and he pulled out onto the quiet street. They were out of the small town and on the highway in a matter of minutes. “Where are we going?”

“Not far,” he muttered and soon stopped at a parking lot that looked like it belonged to an old abandoned diner. He leaned over to pull a backpack from the backseat.

“I don’t think anyone’s here.”

“Exactly.” He shoved his door open and climbed out. “We’re getting rid of your transmitter or I’m not taking you anywhere with me.”

She swallowed hard and her hand automatically shot up to rub the spot behind her ear. “Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked nervously.

“I know how to remove it,” he told her because it was what she needed to hear. Honestly he would just see what came up.

“You’re sure? You won’t like hack off my ear or anything?”

He narrowed his eyes. “I’d rather stitch your freaking lips shut.”

The lips in question lifted in a smirk. “Well, thanks for that.”

“Come on now,” he said, “we don’t have any time to waste.”

“Okay.” She still wasn’t thrilled about this, but if it was the difference between surviving and dying, it wasn’t much of a choice, was it?

Bane had parked the truck behind the building and the darkness outside made it almost impossible to see anything. He had stopped there that afternoon though and the way into the shabby one-story building was imprinted on his mind.

“Follow me,” he told her and moved, reaching behind him to grab her upper arm so he could guide her inside and through the former kitchen of the diner. It had a small storeroom at one end with no windows and a firm door for the cooling system so once they were inside and the door was locked behind him, he switched the light on.

Maria squinted for a moment before her blurry gaze focused and the interior of the room came into sight. There wasn’t much more than old shelves and a large table set at its center directly beneath the overhead light.

“Sit,” he gestured to it while he placed his backpack on the surface and started to unpack several things; a bottle of water, an individually wrapped razor, needles, and disinfectant. “Get rid of your jacket and pullover.”

Maria removed the layers he had requested and then moved around the table, her movements edgy. She didn’t want to piss him off, but she couldn’t help being worried about it.

“Lay down on the table, facedown.”

“You’re absolutely sure about this?” she asked as she sat on the table and shifted around.

He looked at her over the hypodermic in his hand. “Dead serious.”

She closed her eyes and held her breath as she waited for him to do what needed to be done. What if he was wrong? Even scarier than that... what if he was right? Did Uncle Reggie know about it?

He pulled his black sweater over his head and folded it a few times. “Use it as a pillow,” Bane tucked it under her head and then adjusted her position to suit him. “Keep your neck relaxed.”

Relaxed, she thought with an internal snort. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to relax again. She had a million thoughts running through her head but rather than voice them she remained silent. She wasn’t about to risk an unnecessary injury just to verbalize her thoughts.

He studied her back for a moment and then used one hand to brush the straps of her bra down to her arms so they wouldn’t be touched by her blood. Goosebumps appeared on her skin, making him realize how cold the room was. With a quick move, he pulled a blanket out of the backpack and placed it over her until only her shoulder blades remained uncovered.

Bane wetted the spot at her hairline and unwrapped the razor to shave the small area. It wouldn’t be obvious since she wore her hair down and he appreciated that she didn’t make a scene out of looking bold or anything. Once the area was free of hair, he slipped into a pair of sterile gloves and cleaned her skin with the disinfectant and a cotton pad.

“Where’d you get all this stuff?”

“You don’t wanna know,” he muttered and took the small hypodermic he’d already prepared. “I’m gonna numb the area, but it won’t be strong enough for you to feel nothing.”

“Okay,” she whispered fearfully.

He was never in a position where he felt the need to reassure anyone, but her fear was palpable and if she tensed up or jerked suddenly he could hurt her unintentionally. “Look, I know this sucks and you’re scared, but there’s no reason to be. I could do this in my sleep. Just do your best to relax your neck as much as possible.”

“I will,” she assured him, trying to be brave. Although he’d said he wouldn’t, he had come after her and not once had she seen fear in his eyes. He had killed the other man without mercy and he had done it to save her.

He leaned over her to determine the best angle and he paused to straighten and remove his watch. “Here, clamp this between your teeth. It’ll help with the pain.”

Maria looked at him and then at the watch before taking it slowly. “Please make it quick.”

He nodded and began. First the injection, a numbing agent that would help to minimize the pain. Next he placed his left hand against her to hold her in place while he began the process. He heard her inhale when he made it past the numbed area and he tightened his grip on her, knowing it was a normal reaction to try and move away from the pain. “Almost there,” he muttered gruffly and dropped the small scalpel to grab the tweezers. He carefully pinched the tiny metallic object between the pinchers and extracted it. “Now hold still while I sew the wound up.”

It felt like someone was pushing a hot knife into the back of her neck. All she wanted to do was to pull away from the burning pain, but Bane held her head firmly in place.

Maria moved the hand next to her head, trying to clench anything for some relief but the surface was blank, the upper edge of the table too far away for her to reach so the only thing within reach was the man in front of her. Without thinking, she grabbed a fistful of his tight black tee shirt when he started to close the wound.

Bane’s gaze never moved from what he was doing, but he shifted slightly to allow her to grip his shirt without compromising her position. “Just a few more stitches and we’re done.”

Maria tried to breathe even and calm, knowing panic wouldn’t help the situation. She felt her skin being pulled while he stitched the wound and she begged silently for it to be over soon.

He was impressed with her ability to follow his instructions because he knew she was in pain. He knotted the string and clipped it before coating the area with an antiseptic and then placing a bandage over it. “We’re finished.”

Maria tried to get up but felt a little dizzy. “Got it?”

“Stay still. Give your body time to adjust or you’re gonna get up and hit the floor.”

“Did you get it?” she repeated, hoping all the pain hadn’t been for nothing.

He filled the lid of the alcohol bottle with alcohol and dropped the device into it, swirling it around for a moment as he contemplated it. “See for yourself,” he said as he held it out where she could see it.

Maria stared at the thing for several moments wordlessly. “I can’t believe this. They were watching me the whole time?”

“Since they treated you for the headaches. I know you don’t wanna hear this, but your uncle is most likely aware of this.” He gave her a moment to let his words sink in. “He was probably giving you the chemical that was causing the headaches to ensure you’d see that neurologist. And that neurologist probably works for The Circle.”

Her eyes watered. What Bane said was most likely true. “My whole life had been a lie. My uncle... my friends...” No one was left and the closest person who was most trustworthy – and even that was still questionable – was the man in front of her. A killer!

“Then I’d say it’s about time we found the truth.” He wrapped his hand around her upper arm to help her sit up slowly. ”Easy. You start feeling dizzy or nauseous, let me know.”

“Okay,” she took her clothes and started to pull them back on to cover herself up.

He found an empty container and dropped the device inside before sealing it back up. “We need to ditch this and put as much distance as possible between us and it.”

“You could put it in moving car that’s going in the opposite direction,” she suggested.

“There’s a river nearby. We’ll follow it for a couple of miles in the direction it flows and then toss it in before turning back in the opposite direction. The road follows the river for more than twenty miles so that’ll buy us some time. After about an hour we’ll switch direction again. We have to get away from populated areas, give us time to put our strategy together and see if we can figure out what the hell is going on.”

He always had a plan, she thought and knew there was only one way to stay alive and it meant staying with him. Until now he hadn’t given her shit about taking off and she wondered if it would still come. Slowly, she slipped from the table and tested her legs.

Bane cleaned the area, making sure there was no trace they had ever been there before moving to the window to look outside. “We need to go. They’ll discover the bodies at the jail soon and we should put some miles between us before they start setting up roadblocks.”

“Let’s go then,” she agreed. Wow, now she knew how criminals must feel as they made their escape.

The river wound its way through the valley and tossing the tracking device in and letting the water carry it would give them at least a few hours to put some distance between them and the town. Another assassin would have to be deployed and he knew it wouldn’t be long before what had happened at the jail was officially covered up. Nearly 300 miles away there was a private airstrip and if they could reach that location they had a decent chance of surviving this mess.

“Something to eat would be okay too,” she said while they walked back out to the truck. She hadn’t eaten all day and felt the weakness in her body.

He checked his watch and nodded. “We’ll run through the first drive-thru we see.”

The air was cold as they crossed the parking lot but it helped with the slightly dizzy feeling in her head.

“How did you know where to find me?”

He waited until they were in the truck and moving before he answered. “You used your one phone call to reach out to the one person you’re sure you can trust.”

“You talked to Alex?” Why would he involve him?

“No, an associate of mine is with him.”

“Gosh,” she hid her face in her hands, “that’s why he sounded so sure on the phone. You shouldn’t have involved him. Now his life’s in danger too.”

He shot an annoyed look at her. “I had nothin’ to do with involving him in this situation.”

“But you said someone you know is with him. Why, if not because of me and this situation?”

“I didn’t involve him. She went to him looking for information. Look at it this way: he’s safer with her there.”

Maria collapsed into her seat, wishing she hadn’t involved Alex in the first place. Within a day her life had turned into a life threatening hell. Had Uncle Reggie known? He had always been so desperate for her to stop the investigation. What if he was involved? “Do you think my uncle was involved in the explosion? That he knew it was coming?”

“That possibility is being looked into.”

She sighed at his short answer. What she would give for a girlfriend to talk to now. Someone who could relate to the crazy feelings she was experiencing... someone like Liz. That thought hurt even more because she had no clue how much of their friendship had been real.

He pulled off the highway when he saw an exit with a couple of fast food restaurants. He turned into the first one and his thumb tapped impatiently against the steering wheel while he waited for the car ahead of them to move. “What do you want?”

She glanced at the menu board briefly. “Large fries and a double cheese with bacon.”

He chuckled at her selection and nodded, doubling the order and adding a couple of drinks to it when the person inside asked for their order. “Somehow I thought you were gonna ask for a salad. You always order that nasty health muffin at the coffee shop near your college campus.”

“Oh my God, you know about that?” She looked at him wide-eyed.

“Someone in my position has to know as much as possible in order to complete the assignment.” He braked next to the first window and paid the cashier before moving to the next one and getting their order. He put the drinks in the cup holders and handed the bag to her as he pulled back out onto the street. He wasted no time getting back on the highway and finding a secluded spot to stop and ditch the transmitter. Satisfied that would buy them some time he adjusted their route accordingly and then made a motion for her to hand his burger over.

“Damn, they really look good,” she said when she fished one out, licking the barbecue sauce from one finger when it spilled over.

“Yeah,” he muttered, watching her for a moment before looking back at the road.

“They smell even better,” she wrapped the burger halfway in a napkin and handed it to him. “By the way those nasty health muffins taste like heaven.”

“Hey, whatever lie you’ve gotta tell yourself.”

“If we ever get back I’ll prove it to you.” She took a fry and dipped it in a spot of spilled sauce in the wrapper.

“Crap like that never tastes good,” he denied.

“What do you eat? Besides fast food, I mean.”

He shrugged. “What else is there?”

“Well, homemade stuff.”

“Wouldn’t know,” he muttered and took a big bite of his burger.

She glanced over at him. “So you only eat fast food and you manage to look like this?”

“Like what?”

Sexy came to mind but she’d rather bite her tongue off than say it. “Fit.”

He smirked and shook his head. “I work out a lot in my line of work.”

“Uh-huh.” She bit into her own burger and groaned at the taste. “Mmm, that’s heaven right now, fast food or not.”

“So it’s not that you don’t like junk food, you just don’t eat it a lot.”

“I love it. But I like to cook as well.”

“You cook a lot? I mean, you have servants in that mansion you live in.”

“I told my uncle I can cook for myself. What’s the point of having servants for one person? My uncle’s hardly ever around.”

“Good point.” He turned onto another highway and headed north.

“If we ever stay someplace with a kitchen I’ll cook something healthy for you for the first time in your life.”

He rolled his eyes. “If you wanna play house we can keep it to the bedroom.”

Maria choked on a fry. “I beg to differ.”

“Why not?”

“Are you really asking me why I won’t sleep with you?” Heat flooded her cheeks.

“Yeah.” His right hand clenched around the steering wheel and he glanced at her, his gaze moving over her for a moment. “Why not?”

“Uh, because I don’t know you?” Suddenly her heart was hammering madly against her chest. And because I’m a virgin, she added in her thoughts. Was he really considering sleeping with her?

“I saved your life, what else do you need to know?”

Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

[begonia9508]

Someone who can shut up Maria is to handle with respect!
But this idea about having sex given by Michael, is upsetting her too much, for her to never have thought about it! Ho! That was brilliant!

But at least, she seems to believe him finally and it will make their escape much more easier...

Loved it! Thanks EVE

[Roswelllostcause]

Maria, and Michael are so right for each other! They just don't realize it yet!

[keepsmiling7]

I see good things for Maria and Michael in the future......just not yet.
Thanks,
Carolyn

[Eva]

From hell to heaven: the scene in the police station was hard. But it opened Maria's eyes as nothing before. For the first time in days, being with Michael isn't that bad.

Their talk about being domestic was hilarious though! Really funny!

[sarammlover]

OMG....I am so glad Bane got Maria out! I was freaking out a little bit there but glad it has worked out for now. I think its also funny that Maria says she doesn't know him, but she really does. She had a crush on him years ago! HA! Glad the tracker is out of her head and they can be safe, at least for a little bit. And did we decide if Michael has a tracker in him too????

Great update! Is it sunday yet?

[Alien_Friend]

Haha!! That ending was hilarious. Poor Maria. I like that there is a hint of a side of each other that maybe they don't even know about that they have a chance at bringing out within each other.

That rescue was intense. I felt bad for the deputy and Maria blaming herself. Collateral damage is a heck of a thing. I hope they meet up with M/L soon and Maria can finally unburden herself to Liz if she ever can trust her again.

Excellent stuff ladies.