Caught in the Crosshairs (closed)

[BeachBum25]

Westport... Trevor knew it well. He had been to Westport several times. He had conducted several missions in Dublin and Belfast in the past and each time, he had used a loop through Mayo and Connemara to make sure he didn't have anyone following him and to get to different departure points.

He started making his way north from Killarney. He took the ferry across the Shannon and decided to avoid Galway on the way to Westport. He took his time; always making sure that there was nobody following him. He did not want to get complacent. He wanted to get to Westport, let Skylark know he was fine with splitting up and then move on to taking out the people that were hunting them for the Horsemen.

Two days after getting the notification from Skylark to come meet her, he arrived in Westport. He did not, however, go directly to the B&B. He watched from a distance. He wanted to see who was coming and who was going. He noticed a couple entering the B&B. They didn't carry much in with them. He thought it was odd that people were travelling around Ireland and only had one backpack. Maybe they were just taking in what they needed for the night.

After the couple were inside, Trevor walked past the car the couple got out of. There was nothing inside. Trevor walked back up the road a little. He waited to see Skylark. He checked to make sure his weapons were loaded. While he waited for Skylark to show herself, the other couple came out of the B&B and stood just outside. They each looked in both directions, and then talked to each other before walking in the direction opposite. One of them was carrying the backpack. Trevor thought that maybe he was being paranoid. Then again, maybe he wasn't.

 

[zydrate]

Nicole knew that Trevor was in town. She had told him where she was and he hadn't yet shown. She wasn't one to pace or fidget as she waited... at least, not usually. Looking at the time, she sighed and walked to the window, peeking out the slit of the curtain.

And that's when she saw him. Just standing there down the road. Muttering a curse under her breath, she grabbed her jacket and put it on as she exited the room, making sure to lock it behind her. It was late in the afternoon and there weren't many people around. Which was good. She didn't want to have to explain Trevor yet.

Could she have picked a better place to stay? Perhaps. But the smaller the place, the better. The less people, the better.

Shoving her hands in her pockets as she walked toward him, she sized him up and gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement. Nothing was said between them at first but the silence wasn't long.

"Took you long enough," she said. She wasn't upset... she just wasn't used to waiting. But, she would have to get used to it. They both had a lot to get used to. "Let's go upstairs and talk... I have a lot to tell you." Not waiting for his response, she put her arm through his and held his hand, "I told the owner I was waiting on my husband... so, act loving..."

They both held hands and Nicole lead Trevor up to the room she was renting out. She locked the door behind her and leaned against it, "You look rested..." and good... she thought, but kept that to herself. She waved a hand to the desk, beckoning him to have a seat as she took a seat on the bed. "I know I said we should split up but... I have some news. Something I found out and that I will need your help on... that is, if you're willing to stick around for a while longer?"

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor remained outside watching to see if the other two guests returned. He was always careful when on a mission, but with this he was much closer than usual. His missions throughout his career were those which could be accomplished from a distance. Very rarely did he get close to his target. Now, he was close to everything, and he was the target... well, Skylark and him, and he had no idea who it was that was after them.

Watching Skylark approach him, he smiled as she gave him attitude. He was getting used to it by now. She was full of attitude and had no problem with letting him see it. He took her hand and played the role of the loving husband as they walked inside. As they entered, he looked in both directions to see if he could locate the other two guests, but he wasn't able to see them.

Once in the room, he watched Skylark close and lock the door. He felt an urge to pin her against the door and kiss her hard. He resisted that urge. Hell, knowing Skylark, she would probably thrust one of her knives into him for doing that. He didn't respond to her comment that he looked well rested. He was, that was certain, but he was also on edge.

Moving over to the desk, he took a seat and looked around the room. It wasn't much, but it was perfect for what they needed. They wouldn't be here long before they went their separate ways. Wait..... is she changing her mind about us splitting up?

"Wait a second Skylark. I have spent all of our time apart coming to grips with continuing this mission separately, and now you are saying that you don't want us to split up?" He thought for a second. This is why he liked working alone. He made a decision and then he went with it. There was nobody else with him. There were no team members that could change their minds about how to handle a mission. Only he made the decision on what to do and not to do. The agency knew that once they gave him a target, they were out of it.

"What new information do you have? Is this going to be a permanent work together until the mission is completely over with and we have eliminated all of the Horsemen, or is it just be together for one more part of the mission? Either way, I might be okay with it. I just need to know what I am getting myself into. Is this short-term or long haul?"

He sat there looking into Skylark's eyes. Yes, he was attracted to her. It was an attraction that had started early on with a physical attractiveness, but had been developing more over time... for him anyway. It was one of the reasons he had come to accept her idea of splitting up. Now, she was changing courses on him.

 

[zydrate]

Nicole didn't say anything when he finished talking. She just sat there and looked at him. She had a feeling he was frustrated... well, weren't they all. After all, they each had a hit on them and if they didn't take care of it now, then what was the point of living? Or at least trying to live which would be hard if they were to be on the run for the rest of their lives.

After what seemed like minutes, Nicole took a deep breath. "OK, well, I'll tell you what I know and from there, you can do what you want. You want leads? I'll give you leads. You want names, I'll give you names... at least what I know so far... and from there, again, you can decide."

"Arslan Aursar, Prince Arslan, if you will. He's on the horsemen. His father left him a huge bankroll and not to mention, ties with certain, quote unquote, war criminals specializing in weapons and trafficking. Rahmin Nassir, close personal friend of Arslan and rumored to be one leading a small group of hunters out to kill us. He doesn't work for Arslan, per say, but he is connected to him in some capacity. At this point, it doesn't matter because he's going to be dead."

She stood and grabbed a small bag, which had printed out pictures of those she was talking about and looked at them for a long while before handing them to Trevor. "Your targets. It doesn't matter how you do it, just get it down. Arslan is cocky and does not know who the other horsemen are... He's a small time player, one just there because his father used to be a member of the horsemen."

Nicole wanted to tell Trevor where she got her information but right now, she kept that to herself. She had sources and she wanted them to remain safe and the less people that knew about them, the better. "Rumor is that Arslan is going to be in Monaco for the F1 races this coming weekend. His yacht will be there at least. If you don't know, the races in Monaco are huge... everyone will be there and, it will also be crowded... super crowded."

"You get to do your thing if you wish.... the Prince will be there and so will Nassir... he just doesn't know it yet." That was where Nicole came in... she was going to put herself on the radar and out in the open in order to lure them to the races... "So, take it as you will..."

 

[BeachBum25]

Listening to Skylark talked, he started to see the old Skylark... the one with attitude.... the one who believed she knew it all and thought that there was only one way to do things.... her way. He wasn't sure why she was so full of attitude at the moment. He had come here to tell her that he was okay with her plan of splitting up, and now she seemed to have a different plan in mind.

He took in the information that she shared about Nassir, Arslan and the race in Monaco. Once again, when talking about the Grand Prix of Monaco, Skylark made a somewhat condescending remark. Trevor wondered why there was so much hostility coming from Nicole. "I have been to Monaco for the Grand Prix... several times. I am aware of the crowds and the party atmosphere that surrounds it."

He thought about the yacht being there and he pictured the marina where all of the major players docked their yachts. Depending on the slip the yacht pulled into, Trevor could get an easy shot at it. There were a couple of things that needed to be clarified, however. "Will Nassir be on the yacht with Aslan? If not, will they be together at all during their time in Monaco? Since you seem to be putting yourself out in the open, are you going to be on the yacht with them? Taking them out on the yacht will be easy. However, if you are going to be there with them, it could make things a little challenging between shots."

He thought about the information she was giving. "Before we deal with all of that, however, we need to deal with the immediate threat." He paused to see if she reacted. "The couple staying here are looking for us. They knew you were here but they were waiting for me to get here. They knew if they tried to take you out alone that it would warn me off. They are now walking the town, but I am sure they will be back soon, and I am sure they have asked the proprietor to let them know when your "husband" arrives. We need to take care of them, and then we can move on to Monaco and eliminate the next 2."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole could only shrug at what Trevor asked about where Nassir and Arslan would be... "You'll see when you get there... I can't say where they'll be exactly, its something we'll have to be ready for." She stopped and sighed, relaxing herself as she sat the bed, leaning her elbows on her knees, looking at Trevor, "Listen, I can only guarantee that Arslan will be on his yacht and perhas sometimes in the casino...he's not predictable. But, I want to distract Nassir.." she had wanted to add that he was hers. Only becaue of how many kills he had on his list.

"The prince has too much security to get him alone... and besides... I'm not his type..." she said. It wasn't anything that hurt Nicole, it was the prince's taste ran in the opposite direction. "So it's best he's taken from far away. His death will bring on a lot of speculation so it'll be a while before they can blame anyone."

She sighed. She was tired. This was getting to her. Being on the run wasn't fun. This wasn't an assignment given to her where she knew the outcome would be for information. She wasn't used to this and that was probably why she was taking her hostility out on Trevor when she didn't really mean to. It was then Trevor mentioned the immediate threat... Nicole jerked her head up, looking at Trevor, her face a show of confusion. What was he talking about?

"The couple next door?!"

Idiot! She thought... "No, they're just some couple I'm not even sure who they are!" Truth be told, making sure to check them out hadn't crossed Nicole's mind. She jumped up and rushed to the door, ready to confront them when she felt Trevor grab her from behind, an arm wrapping around her waist and the around her arms, preventing her from moving any further... "Let me... let's--" a hand covered her mouth before they heard talking in the hall and a door opening and then closing...

 

[BeachBum25]

Covering her mouth, Trevor whispered into Skylark's ear, "ssshhhh. Relax. They have no idea we know." He held her tightly, pulling her back against him. He felt her resist a little, but held on tightly until he was sure that she was calmed down. He had to admit that he liked having Skylark in his arms. She felt good being so close to him.

After a minute, Trevor took his hand away from Skylark's mouth. "It is okay Skylark. I wouldn't have suspected them of anything if I hadn't seen them checking in with only a backpack. I waited for a little and saw them walk back out with the backpack. When they exited the lobby, they looked both ways and just stood there for a second. Everything seemed odd. The hair stood up on the back of my neck. They are definitely after us."

He continued to hold her tightly; still concerned that she would go rushing out without him. Once again, he whispered in her ear, "We go into the room together... unannounced. I will go first and I will take out the one holding the backpack, or closest to it. You can have the other one and get him/her to talk and find out for whom and for what. We will need to leave right after it. Can't stay around and wait for anyone to find the bodies."

Still holding onto her, Trevor waited for Skylark's body to relax a little before he let her go. "We need to go in hard and fast. No knock. I'll take the door and we need to be in and out in 10 minutes. If the second one doesn't give us information in that time, leave him or her in a puddle of blood. I am starting to get pissed off at all of these people. I am frustrated at what is going on and only having one person in the world that I trust."

He took his backpack and made sure the suppressor was attached to his favorite handgun. He looked at Nicole. "We have this. We will deal with Monaco once we are out of here." Trevor took out 200 Euros and left them on the bed to help with the clean-up. He took the handle to the door and looked at Nicole for confirmation that she was ready to go.

 

[zydrate]

Nicole could've fought back but she didn't want to... She had to see how this all played out. She relaxed a bit as Trevor gave his reasoning to her and Nicole nodded in agreement. They had to approach this reasonably. No stupid moves. What he had said was a good plan.

There was no time for praises, instead Nicole grabbed her own bag and weapon that was housed inside. She was already personally armed with 3 blades on her person...just like always.

She readied her gun and waited for Trevor to open the door, which he slowly did as to not make a sound as they both stepped into the small hallway that separated the bedrooms.

Giving Lonewolf a slight nod indicating it was now or never... And just like that the door was kicked in and Trevor was the first to rush n and just like that, fired one shot as Nicole also fired one shot at the other person in the hand as they were probably reaching for a weapon. She hasn't realized it was a woman until she had cried out from the shot.

Shoving her gun into the back of the waistband of her jeans, she slickly produced a knife as she kicked the woman in the face, keeping her down....

Now came the fun part... "Let's talk..."

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor took the door and fired a single shot in one smooth motion. The projectile went through the side of the man's head and he was dead before he even realized the door had been kicked in. Skylark fired as she followed him into the room. It was a perfect shot the hit the woman's hand as she reached for a weapon.

Watching Nicole go to work, Trevor looked down at the woman. "I have told others who did not believe me, but I am going to tell you as well.... just give her what she asks for right away. I promise you that you will tell her, eventually, so, is it going to be worth all of the pain she will inflict on you? Just tell her."

Despite what he said, Trevor knew that the woman would not give the information up easily. While Nicole went to work, Michael went through the backpack the man had. He was surprised to see blocks of c4 and some blasting caps in addition to several handguns with suppressors attached.. He wondered if they were just planning on blowing the whole building once they confirmed that both he and Skylark were there.

He looked for identification in the backpack or on the man's person, but found none. That wasn't a surprise. They probably had some information in the car. They needed to have something in case they were stopped by the Garda. Trevor found the keys to the car in the man's pocket.

Once he was finished with checking the man, Trevor looked over at Nicole to see how she was doing in extracting information. Neither woman was too loud, but they were running short on time. The woman's scream when Nicole shot her surely attracted attention. He knew, however, that he did not need to tell Nicole they were running short of time. Nicole was a professional and had an internal clock like he did that told her it was time to move.

Nicole finished the woman, and they put their weapons away and made their way downstairs. "Let's take their car. we can get out of here and ditch it somewhere once we are away from here." They got into the car that was parked right out front and headed out of town. It was time to make their way to Monaco. They would have time to discuss what Nicole got from the woman and then move on to what Nicole had in mind for the Grand Prix.

 

[zydrate]

Nicole didn't have time for any more niceties or even prepping with gloves. No, this would be a rush job and very messy... she threw the woman on her stomach and straddled her on her back, pinning her arms beneath her knees so she would be limited in movement.

Grabbing the back of the woman's head, Nicole yanked her head up, "Who sent you?"

No answer.

OK... she slammed the woman's head on the carpeted floor, muffling her scream as Nicole cut off an ear... "Perhaps you didn't hear me, who sent you?"

With 2 minutes to spare, Nicole finished the job with a bullet. The info she got made her think hard about all this. They were watching. And she was still beating herself up about not recognizing the immediate threat sooner. She let herself wallow in self pity for a minute more before she cleaned up her knife on the woman's jacket and placing it back on her person. She grabbed her own bag and followed Trevor down the stairs... she was worried about the owners and in the back of her mind wondered if they had been killed---which was a high possibly...

There was no time to think more about it... at least right now, there would be no trace of Nicole as she had signed in under a fake name and paid in euros.

Taking a breath, she told Trevor, "Head to Castlebar, from there, we can 'borrow' another car and then head back to Dublin. Then we'll need to get ourselves to Monaco."

She knew he wanted to know what she had found out from that impromptu interrogation and hell, they had plenty of time, that was for sure.

They had been driving for about 10 minutes in silence and Nicole used that time to think about what the woman had confessed to her. There was no time to be wary of Trevor anymore. She had to trust him and that was saying a lot but she had no other choice. They needed to rely on each other until all this was taken care of. She started to go through the small compartment in the car... nothing. Pulling out a small flat wallet that was in the back of the woman's pocket, she went through it... no ID or anything pertinent. Perfect.

She turned to Trevor and said one name, "Harrison Blair." Nicole said. Speaking up for the first time since they started driving. She watched him for his reaction... he had none... at least not to the untrained eye. Yeah, he had heard of him. Nicole never had a run in with him but there were rumors of his brutality, especially in interrogation... "He's in charge. He's sent out soldiers all over the world and since he has the money, he can afford it. Apparently, we're worth more alive than dead.

She let him about that for a bit before speaking up again, "Thanks... for back there," she said, hoping he understood about stopping her from doing something foolish.

 

[BeachBum25]

Using the GPS in the cell phone that he found in the backpack, Trevor did as Skylark said and headed for Castlebar. It was taking them toward their ultimate destination in Ireland, Dublin, which would then allow them to make their way out and head to Monaco. They rode in silence for a while before Nicole started to share information.

Trevor watched as Nicole went through the small compartment in the car looking for information. He sensed frustration emanating from her when she found nothing. He continued driving; knowing that, when Nicole was ready, she would share information that she got from the woman.

"When he heard the name, he remained silent and showed no outward signs of emotion. Harrison Blair had been his handler for a number of years. He had a reputation for being brutal in getting what he wanted. Trevor had never had a problem with him because Trevor always delivered.

After his time as Trevor's handler, Blair had moved up the chain of command. He had been a station chief in Russia, and had moved into the top position at the CIA. All along, he used his positions to gain a large amount of wealth. He had sold his services, and the services of his underlings. Trevor had turned down an assignment once, because it didn't feel right. He later found out the hit had come directly from Blair and that Blair was upset with him. That had been a few years ago. Did Blair still hold a grudge?

As Nicole shared the information that it appeared they were worth more alive than dead, Trevor just nodded his head. "Nicole, I know it is different for us to be working together. We have both been working solo our entire careers, and that is what he is hoping for. He figures that we will not be able to work together and we will eventually go our separate ways and be easier to capture because nobody will have our backs. I stopped you back there because it was in both of our best interest."

Continuing along the narrow roads on the way to Castlebar, Trevor's mind raced. This mission they were on had already been personal because the Horsemen had made it personal. Now, it was even more personal. Now that he knew that Blair was behind it all, shit was going to get real.

"I know that you have had second thoughts about working with me. I know you have had doubts about whether or not I really had your back or if I was one of those after you. If I was one of those looking to collect on hitting you, I would have done it long ago. I do not believe in letting things drag on. I would not have come back for you in Switzerland. Hell, you wouldn't have made it to Switzerland, and I certainly wouldn't have had your back back there."

He took a few breaths. He let himself get worked up, because it had been building up inside him. He knew Nicole had doubts. If she still had doubts, then they wouldn't be able to work together.

"After we finish what you have planned in Monaco, we go after Blair. No more being on the defensive. We go on offense. We attack. We take him out... No, he is mine. This just got real personal." He didn't share with Nicole why it was real personal, and, unless she asked, he wasn't going to.

 

[zydrate]

"Both of our best interest? I thought you just wanted to get your hands on me." Nicole said. She thought about what he said that if he were sent after her, she would be dead... but at the very least, she thought she would have put up a pretty good fight.

He had to know who Blair was personally. Nicole had only heard of the man and the stories weren't good. But he wasn't anyone to her until now. He was in charge and if the stories she had heard about him were true then they were in for more than she had bargained for.

"You're right, I had seconds thoughts about working with you. I didn't trust you. Well, to be truthful, I still kind of don't and but right now, I have no choice but to trust you... you haven't killed me yet, so that's something, I guess... You have to understand I had a sort of rhythm while on assignment and my own handler knew it. I would get an assignment, complete it, deliver the information and go on my way for a couple of weeks. That was it. No questions asked about what I did in my spare time. All I know is that the assignments were from the top and given on a certain day of the week. I'm just making this," she gestured around, "up as we go. I don't have a definite plan. But that's what we do, right? We do our job. No questions asked. Well... this whole damn game is something totally unexpected and yes, I hate it."

She stopped there. That was probably the most she had said to him since they were thrown together in this situation. With a hard sigh, she just shook her head, "But again, you're right, we have to go on the offensive... from here on, we're in this together. From Castlebar, we get another car and from there get to where we need to go and end this damn game."

 

[BeachBum25]

"Maybe I did." He paused for a second to let that sink in.

"Neither of us asked for this. Neither of us was looking for a partner. Neither of us wanted to be with the other. I was also on a great rhythm... had a routine. Arrive at my destination having already done my preliminary work... do a little bit of recon.... verify the target's presence... wait... take my shot.... leave. Nobody knew me... Nobody saw me. Just put the money in my account and let me know when you need me again. Now, Blair has fucked all of that up."

He drove quietly for a while. While he drove he got angrier. He had to relax... or at least try to. One of his best attributes, other than his ability to hit a target the size of a dime from a great distance was that he never got personally involved, which meant there was no emotion involved. That wasn't the case now.

"I knew from the time Blair was my handler that he wanted more. He was never satisfied. He wanted more money. He wanted more power. He wanted the glory. He loved taking credit for my kills. My next handler after him told me that Blair always took the credit for the planning and execution of my missions. He used me as a stepping stone to the top. To be honest with you, I had forgotten all about him until you mentioned him."

They were almost to Castlebar. "I know why he wants me. The big question is... Why the Crazy Horse? Why did he put his on so many? Why you? We will find out, and, as much as I want him to die, I want him to suffer. I am going to love watching you work him over. I want to hear him say why ... right before I put a bullet between his eyes."

 

[zydrate]

“Tease.” She said in his response to him holding her back.

Nicole was going to ask him about his kills. But knew he wouldn’t give up any information about the reasons he was given. Just like Nicole, he did his job just as he was trained to do. Hell, by this point, Nicole had lost count of how many kills she had herself.

“I’m not sure it has anything to do personally… I have a feeling that if all the agents were dead, all dying on assignment and not being able to replace us fast enough, the US Government would have no choice but to rely on an outside contractor to complete their ‘requests’. And with Crazy Horse, only a few handlers and those at the top knew about the code about getting all the agents in one place, at least the agents who were still alive.”

“Crazy Horse has a double meaning, as far I make it out. One, it’s a code word for us for when we’re recalled in such a manner. The other? Well, Crazy Horse was a Sioux Chief who resisted the invasion of Black Hills. He joined Sitting Bull to defeat General Custer. So, I’m wondering if in our case, Blair is General Custer.”

“Could these little missions with us killing members of the horsemen just be a test? Something to put Blair in complete control?”

 

[BeachBum25]

"I am a tease? So, you wanted me to have my hands on you? If I had known that, I would have kept them on you and not worried about the two people back there." He maintained a straight face and continued to look forward as he drove.. not giving Nicole any indication of whether he was joking or being serious.

"Maybe it isn't personal Nicole, but I am taking it that way. The person running this whole thing used to be my handler. This is very personal, and that worries me a little. I do not want emotions to get in the way of doing what I need to do to him."

Having to rely on outside contractors was a terrible idea that would lead to many complications and numerous failed missions. "Outside contractors are in it for the money. If they get more money from someone else, the whole mission they are hired to do would be compromised and sources of intelligence would be exposed. I am not sure what Blair's end-game is, but I know what mine is.... Blair has to die... and it has to be on our terms."

He thought about Nicole's Custer analogy. "Yes, Blair is going to be Custer, and we are going to take care of him like the Battle of Little Bighorn. He is never going to get complete control, and I will make sure that anyone that stands in our way pays the price."

They pulled into Castlebar on the N5 and found a place to park the car on the street. "We need to get some food and a little rest, then we can head for Dublin and make our way to Monaco. Once we are finished there, our mission will have one singular focus."

They found a small pub to get something to eat. The waitress was surprised when they both only wanted water to drink with their food. Trevor would love to have a Guinness, but this was no time for alcohol. They had to be 100% focused.

Once they were finished eating, they headed back out onto the street. "Pick a place you would like to stay. We both need to get some sleep. Not much, just a couple of hours. We can head out of here once it gets dark... there won't be as many people around when we "borrow" another car. Oh, and don't worry, I won't do anything inappropriate when I get you alone in the room."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole just glared at him and shook her head as she turned to look at the scenery while he drove. She let her mind drift a bit as she looked around and thought it was beautiful here. It was a shame her 'job' had her travel around the globe but she was never able to look and just be a tourist.

Where did that thought come from? She sighed and relaxed as much as she could. She wished they could go faster because she had wanted all this done with but of course, they had to remain under the radar... Like Trevor, she was tired of these games and just wanted them to be over. They had stopped to rest and left the car where it wouldn't be readily discovered. It was the height of tourist season it seemed and just like Switzerland, there were people everywhere.... so in a good way, she and Trevor just blended in right with them.

Once in the pub, Nicole ordered a hot bowl of Irish stew looked around as they waited for their order. They couldn't talk much in public because what they had to say wasn't for just anyone's ears. They could probably pretend to be a couple but what was the use? That scenario was only good if they were undercover.

It was just starting to turn from late afternoon to early evening as she nodded in agreement to what Trevor said about getting a place to stay for a few hours... she pointedly ignored what he said about being inappropriate as she stopped and looked around. There were pros and cons to choosing something either cheap or expensive. She was probably over thinking it but didn't care. They had to be careful.

"How about the Wilshire? It's a few blocks from here. It's nothing fancy, not that we need it. It seems like there are plenty of ways to get a car around here later on. I heard there are several parties going on and even a few going to Monaco for the races this weekend." It was amazing what was discussed in the women's restroom during happy hour.

She let Trevor go and get a room as she wandered the small lobby. Out of habit, she looked around for potential emergency exits should they need it...

 

[BeachBum25]

As they walked to the Wilshire, Trevor looked around. He was trying to see if there was anyone paying particular attention to them. The number of people in town made it more challenging to see if anyone was following them. However, it did make it easier to move around and not be noticed.

Trevor made his way to the hotel clerk while Nicole moved around the lobby. He knew what she was doing; there was no need for her to tell him what she was doing. Speaking with the clerk, Trevor made it clear that he wanted a room on the second floor overlooking the street. The clerk said that the only room available on the second floor faced the rear courtyard. Trevor asked what the lowest floor with a room facing the street was, and the clerk told him it was the fifth floor, which was too high up.

"I will take the room on the second floor. If you get a cancellation for a street view room, please let me know, because I would prefer to be able to people watch from my room." He provided the information needed by the clerk and a credit card to pay for and guarantee against any damage. He had never used this id before, and never would again.

Making eye contact with Nicole, they moved to the stairwell and went up to the room. He told her that there was nothing with street view so the courtyard view had to do. Once in the room, Trevor moved immediately to the window to check out the courtyard and see where the courtyard led to. Then, he moved around the room checking everything out as Nicole did the same.

Sitting down on the bed, Trevor looked at Nicole. "We need to get to Monaco, quickly. We need to get there, take care of what needs to be done and then move onto Blair. I want to get in and out of Monaco without anyone seeing me and without anyone knowing I was ever there. If you say there are people in town here that are going to Monaco, we need to avoid them. I don't want any chance encounters once we get there."

"Why don't you get a shower, and then get some rest. I will take the first shift while you rest. Once we are ready, and once it gets dark, we can get out of here and head for Dublin. Once we leave here, I will make sure the plane is ready to take us to Monaco."

 

[zydrate]

The room wasn't half bad... it was one of the better ones she had been able to try to enjoy. Perhaps she would sleep a little easier with Trevor here to take the first watch. When he had suggested a shower, Nicole didn't answer. Yes, she had wanted one but she could also sense Trevor's urgency... an urgency she had felt too but hid a lot better than he did.

She understood though... hell, if her handler had turned into a douche, she'd be pissed to find he was somehow involved.

Too bad her handler was dead.

She had gone to check on him when she and Trevor first separated after their first meeting. Yes it was dangerous but she had to know. Was he in on it? She wasn't sure because by the time she had gotten to him, he was loaded with lead... someone had ambushed him in his own home.

Ballsy. Only because he lived in the suburbs and in a quiet neighborhood. And someone had quietly taken him out.

"Alright.." she stood up and took her jacket off, tossing it on a chair before grabbing her bag and headed to the small bathroom. She had checked it out earlier but old habits made her check it again. Once deemed safe, she prepared for a hot shower, knowing it would relax her enough to catch an hour or two of sleep. It would be all she needed. Her and Trevor.

Once she was done and changed into some different clothes, she headed of the bathroom, dressed only in a t-shirt and panties. There wasn't time to be modest (not that she ever had a reason to be). She had her damn hair in a messy bun as she tossed her bag on the bed, took out her gun and checked it before setting it on the nightstand and then putting on a pair of pants. It was how they slept. She couldn't afford to be unarmed and needed to be dressed in case something came up to where they would need to get out quickly.

"You need to relax." She said to Trevor quietly as she laid down and turned to face him where he was sitting, "We'll make it on time and from there, we'll do what we have to do..."

 

[BeachBum25]

He would be lying if Trevor said that he did not think about Nicole as she was in the shower. During their time together, he had definitely developed an attraction to her, something that had never happened before. Of course, he never worked with anyone before, which meant he never really spent any significant amount of time with another person. Developing a relationship of any kind did not happen in his line of work.... not in Trevor's mind anyway.

When he wasn't thinking about Nicole in the shower, his mind was on Blair. This was personal..... like nothing before. He was going to get Blair. He was going to make him pay... and then he was going to kill him. This kill would be up close... unlike the missions that Trevor specialized in.

Alternating between sitting facing the door and moving to the window to check the courtyard, Trevor was focused on making sure that nobody got to Nicole and him. He watched carefully as a man and a woman walked through the courtyard and then turned and looked at the building. It was obvious that male-female teams were going to be part of the strategy to get Nicole and him after what had happened in Westport. The couple walked out of the courtyard and down the street. Trevor made a mental note of the two, but he felt confident they were not a threat.

Trevor turned when he heard the bathroom door open. Seeing Nicole in a t-shirt and panties did not help after he had been thinking of her in the shower. He turned back to the door. "Get that out of your head," he said to himself. "Thinking of her like that will only result in you losing your focus."

He turned back around when he heard Nicole tell him that he needed to relax. "I have no doubt we will make it on time and take care of what we need to do in Monaco and then get on to Blair. Don't worry about me. Relax is not something that I do. When I am like this is when I perform best."

"You need to get some sleep Nicole. We have two important missions ahead of us. Both of those missions will require us to work as a team: the one in Monaco because you have all of the details, and Blair because I want to see him suffer at the hands of the best before I kill him." Despite the rage that he had burning inside him, Trevor's voice was calm. He was able to control that rage and use it to his advantage.

He got up and looked out the window. Two suits. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. It might be nothing, but Trevor was concerned... not concerned enough to get Nicole up... yet.. but concerned enough that he was going to watch them. Trevor watched as they moved around the courtyard slowly; periodically looking up at the building.. and in the direction of the window he was watching them from.

They had to move. Trevor did not take his eyes off them. "Nicole. Sorry to do this but we've got to move. I think we have been made, and I think someone with the hotel told them what room we are in. Two suits in the courtyard. They do not seem to have communicated with anyone, but that doesn't mean there aren't any others inside."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole could've groaned and complained but what good what it do? They were technically on the run but also on a mission so their comfort wasn't a priority. Instead, she opened her eyes, forcing herself awake and not wasting time to grab her bag as she grabbed a hair tie and put her hair in a quick twist behind her head.

Trevor had said 2 but their could be more. Of course...

"If you were out there, where would you place your operatives?" Even thought she and Trevor worked alone, they were still trained in operations and strategic mission planning with a team.

"There are a total of 6 floors, we're on the second floor... theoretically would get down to the courtyard from here... or chance it in the halls and perhaps either the stairs or service elevator?" The elevators were 38 steps to the left of their room. The stairs were further down near the end of the other hall.

There was no time to discuss what to do next, they had to move. Those looking for them had around 45 minutes to find them and still had time to surround the building with operatives... but, would they be killed on site or captured?

"What if we break into another room and stay there until it seems clear?"

Even though she liked Trevor, it was still taking her some getting used to the idea that they had to work together and that meant waiting for input her suggestions and vice versa. But yet, that was good, one could offer ideas that the other didn't think of.

 

[BeachBum25]

"There has to be at least one in the stairwell, one in the lobby, two out front and the two in the back. So, there are a minimum of six. However, I am thinking there are more. Probable one at the top and one at the bottom of the stairway and there are probably at least 2 in the lobby."

He had no idea how they would have traced them to Castlebar; other than it was a straight shot from Westport and the two dead operatives there. That meant there must have been at least two dozen operatives in Ireland looking for them, because there had to be another team that was looking in the opposite direction from Westport.

"There is an elderly couple in the room across from the elevators. It will be easy to get in there. That will give us eyes on the front. Once we have an idea of what we are dealing with in the front, we can then set up some type of a diversion. I have two flash-bangs in my bag. I normally don't need them for my missions, but I grabbed them from the condo in Switizerland... you just never know."

"We need to get to the elderly people's room. You knock, you have a friendlier face than I do. When they answer, we will force our way in... gently. I don't want to hurt them, but, I have a feeling there is going to be collateral damage if we make it out of here, so, we will do whatever we have to do."

Trevor looked at Nicole. he could tell that Nicole was formulating her own plan in her mind. This was the problem with working with someone, you had to at least let them think you are considering their thoughts.

"So, do we move, or do you have something better in mind? We don't have a lot of time."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole nodded, "Let's go." She said and opened the door a crack before looking out as did Trevor, she looked to the and he to the left. Clear. They both had the same training and knew what to do as the moved in a hurried pace and without interruption. Trevor signaled to her with a small pat on her shoulder to indicate that they were at the room where the elderly couple were at. With a quick deep breath, Nicole put her weapon behind her back and Trevor pushed himself up against the wall, out of sight.

Nicole knocked on the door and instantly, her demeanor changed as she smiled when an old opened up the door, "Hi, would it be possible to use your phone? I'm locked out of my room." she said, giving him a pleading look.

The man smiled at Nicole and nodded, "Si, si... phone?"

Nicole smiled and pushed herself a bit in more through the entry, "Sei italiano? Posso entrare?"

Smiling again, the man waved Nicole in and that's when Trevor pushed in behind her and both showed them their guns as the older woman gasped hard at the sight and Nicole spoke up, "Silenzio... piano, spostati laggiù."

"Non un suono e nessuno si fa male, sì?" Keeping her eyes on the two, even though they were older, she knew better to watch them as Trevor did cleared out the room. "I'm going to move them to the washroom." Nicole said as she urged them to the small washroom that was barely big enough for 2 people let alone 3 but she made do. Nicole quietly told them as she grabbed the cincture from the woman's robe and tied their hands together, "Non importa quello che senti, non una parola o un urlo per almeno dieci minuti, sì? Usciremo di qui prima se collabori." With that, they were tied together and Nicole closed the door on them and grabbed a towel, placed it around the knob of the door and kicked it to jam it into place.

There was scream heard some where down the hallway and Nicole looked at Trevor, "What next? Sounds like they're forcing their way into the rooms."

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor moved into the room and watched as Nicole talked to the people in Italian. After checking the room, he moved to the window and checked out the front of the building. He saw two men standing near the entrance to the hotel; focused totally on the people coming and going. Trevor did some assessing in his head... if there are two in the front and two in the back there are probably two in the stairwell and two in the lobby.. so, the minimum is eight.

Suddenly, he heard the screaming. He looked at Nicole who was looking at him and asking him what they should do. "Well, there are at least ten of them. We could shoot our way out, but that would be very challenging. We could use the couple as shields, but it isn't right to involve them in our fight. I think what we do is wait until they go into another room and move in behind them and take them out. That reduces the number of bad guys. After that, we go down in the elevator, making sure there are others in there with us. We go to the back. The two in the back aren't nearly as attentive as the two in the front."

He took a breath. "Once in the lobby, we will have to identify the bad guys there and either eliminate them of avoid them. I think elimination will be the only possibility for the two out back. From there we will have to play it by ear, because I have no idea what they have on the periphery. We will need to get on the road."

He didn't wait for a response from Nicole. He moved to the door and waited until he heard more screams; indicating they were going into another room. He opened the door and went toward the stairway where he saw an open door. He didn't hesitate. Trevor moved into the room and took out the two men he saw harassing the room's occupants.

What he did not see, however, was a third bogie that was checking out the washroom. Before he knew the guy was there, Trevor felt a burning in his shoulder. The shot spun Trevor around and left him exposed. Fortunately, Nicole was right behind him. Trevor went to his knees and fired one more shot into the man as he fell from the volley set off by Nicole. "Fuck. How could I be so fucking careless." He looked to Nicole... the look said "thank you." The words for that would come later. For now, they had to get out of here.

 

[zydrate]

Everything happened so fast and Nicole's instincts and training kicked in automatically. She didn't have much practice with close quarter combat, yes she was trained in it but it wasn't something she faced much in the field. Usually she had the upper hand in most scenarios.

The 3 agents were dead and the room was silent as the 2 other occupants were dead. "Damn, they love making a mess," she said as she kicked an agent over and grabbed his walkie-talkie. She offered a hand to Trevor to help him up, "You ok?" She asked as she pulled his shoulder toward her and gave a small nod, "Looks to be a clean shot, let's go."

"Watch my six" she said as she lead him to the elevators... not the main elevators but the service elevators, the ones that housekeeping used, "They'll expect us to go through the lobby and even if they have some in the basement then at least there will be less collateral damage. Just then, the walkie-talkie she had grabbed sounded with some commands in German asking for an update. Nicole handed it to Trevor as they entered the elevator and she pushed the button for the basement. "Ready?" She asked as the elevator descended to it's destination. She raised her weapon as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

The hall was clear... so Nicole went first, carefully stepped forward but with a purpose, her weapon still at the ready. She heard on the comm that they think they went down through the basement. Damnit, now they had to move fast, "How's the shoulder?" she asked and that's when something caught her eye, the exit sign.

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor climbed to his feet, using his good arm to push himself up. Holding his weapon in his left hand, Trevor was happy that he was able to shoot accurately with both hands.... he wasn't just accurate, but deadly accurate. He followed Nicole out of the room. "Gladly," he replied when she told him to watch her six. Following her to the service elevator, Trevor made sure nobody was coming behind them.

He nodded to her as the elevator got to the basement. Moving into the hallway, Trevor nodded when Nicole asked about his shoulder. "It is fine for now. I can worry about it after we get the hell out of here. Following her toward the exit, Trevor noticed a metal door to the left. "Hold on." He opened the door and saw a supply room and a dark hallway.

Turning back to Nicole. "If they know we are in the basement, they will be looking for that exit. I think this hallway exits into the neighboring property. If I was a betting person, I would bet that they have no idea that it exists. Let's go this way."

He saw the uncertainty in the look she gave him. He went anyway. If she followed him, fine. If not, it would mean the end of their work as a team. Trevor knew that he was forcing the issue, but he felt certain that the bogies would be waiting for them at the exit from the basement, and they had a better chance going the way he had discovered.

Exiting the hallway through the door at the end, Trevor was right... it opened to the neighboring property and there was nobody there. He put his gone away, but kept his hand on it as he moved. He was moving on adrenaline right now, and he knew that as soon as he stopped his shoulder would hurt like hell and that he would need to do something about it.

Slowly moving toward the front of the property, Trevor looked around and it seemed that, momentarily anyway, that the coast was clear. Then, he turned to look for Nicole. For the first time wondering whether she had followed him.