BountyGrl -A Sniper Story: Chapters 6-10

BountyGrl – A Sniper Story

– by RaysALight - Jennifer Butler



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Summary: Hiya! I love sniping (in video games heh), but ever wonder what would happen if I was a sniper in real life? BG, my alter ego, is a teen girl working for a secret government organization - the Division. With her enhanced body and senses, she, along with her handler, complete jobs around the world until one shocks her to the core.



Disclaimer: None. This story and the characters are mine alone.



Author’s Note: Reviews make me happy; flames make me sad; constructive criticism makes me embarrassed, but a better writer.



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Chapter Six

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“Tell me.” This time, the emotion slipped out of my voice – something I’d learned from him. Jaden held my gaze for a long, silent moment and then looked down at the file he held in his hands.



“His name was Jean-Louis Padaille. The reason you weren’t fully briefed on the subject was because this was a… favor for a friend of the Division.”



My brows rose and then fell sharply. “Let me guess. This friend is of high rank? In another country?” Jaden nodded.



“Most likely. Contrary to what you may think, I don’t have access to the official paperwork; if there was any drawn up in this case.”

I shrugged, not wanting to go into politics.



“What were you saying about a baby?”



He hesitated. He knew I wouldn’t like the answer. Tapping my foot, I frowned.



“I knew something was wrong, Jaden. I’ve had my share of ‘jobs.’ After the target’s taken out, there’s usually a lot of running and scuffling around, trying to hide the body or cover up tracks. And trying to find and kill me, of course.” I swallowed, remembering the sinking feeling that overtook me after the last mission. “This time, I heard a woman screaming. It was muffled. And it seemed like some of the enemies were trying to pull people out of the line of fire, while others were just staring dumbly at the body. No one even shot back at me.” Shivering, I continued. “I don’t understand. You said I hit the right target. Why does it feel so wrong?”



Jaden tossed the file onto the conference table in front of me. With trembling fingers, I opened it and glanced over the pictures and recorded information. I didn’t like to know much about my targets; it made the job too personal for me. The only other time I knew the full name and story of a man I’d assassinated was the very first time I killed. The rest of that horrible day’s still a nauseated blur. Jaden’s voice brought me back to reality.



“The intelligence that the Division received was flawed. The person that we were doing the favor for is running for a highly coveted position in some country’s government. The target, this Padaille guy, was his only opposition.”



I waited. Jaden still hadn’t answered my question. He took a deep breath.



“Apparently, Padaille was vacationing in America… with his wife and daughter and a few cousins. They’d gone to the 24 hour mart to buy diapers, and had taken minimal security with them.”



His words hit me like a bombshell. Tears sprang to my eyes.



“Where’s his wife? Where’s the baby girl?” I whispered. Jaden paused. “They’re dead, aren’t they?”



“The wife wouldn’t let go of the target’s body, though our agents gave her fair warning. She was then classified as a risk to the operation and was taken out.” Jaden ran a hand through his russet hair. Sweat had formed on his brow. “The baby however… is alive and well.”



He took a few steps toward me and settled himself into a chair beside me. “It’s a rather unfortunate situation. In Padaille’s culture, women are viewed as much lesser beings than the men. If he’d had a son, arrangements would have been made right away for the baby to be adopted. But since it’s a girl…” his voice trailed off.



“Where is she now?” I asked, giving up on fighting tears. I angrily brushed them away with the back of my hand.



“She’s here. A few of the women are taking turns babysitting. Division isn’t really sure what to do with her, though. She’ll probably have to remain here for the time being.”



“But she won’t be killed, will she!?”



“My – I mean, the Commander will have to make that decision. He’s away on a business trip for the next few days.”



Jaden cocked a half smile at me when he saw the expression on my face change to a harsh determination.



“So we only have a few days to come up with a plan to present to the Commander.”



“I’m glad to see the fire back in your eyes, but... what are you scheming?” he asked nervously.



“The baby’s going to stay in safe hands, even if she has to stay with us.”



“Us?”



“Yep!” I replied. “Unless you want me to shove your precious HK PSG-1 rifle down the toilet.”



Jaden sighed. “Whatever. You know I’m still paying off the last one you destroyed.”



For the first time that day, I genuinely smiled.



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Jaden paused in front of the door and turned to look at me. He frowned.



“Are you sure you want to do this?”



I glared at him.



“Yes, I’m sure. I was sure the first two times you asked. I want to see her.”



He let out his breath in a silent sigh and turned back toward the door, pressing his forehead against a small console on the right side of the frame. The laser’s line moved down and then back up across his eye and the door unlocked with a soft click.



A second later, the two panels began to part and I slid through the crack, eager and holding my breath.



All at once, time seemed to slow and a lot of things occurred to me. The room was too cold. One of the women supposedly watching the baby was hunched over a laptop, the other one was dozing in a chair in the corner. Power cords connecting the computers to the wall hung within the little one’s grasp. I could hear the very faint hum of electricity being fed to the computers. And the baby girl was sitting all alone on the floor toying with…



My body reacted before my mind finished that thought. Jaden was just walking through the now-open doors as I crossed the room in three strides and picked up the baby in one hand and a .45 caliber pistol in the other.



Suddenly, all eyes were on me. The two women were on their feet and looked slightly startled, but mostly annoyed. Jaden watched me with eyebrows raised. The baby girl looked up at me silently, surprised by the sudden movement and snatching of her toy. I broke the silence.



“You idiots! You let a baby – a baby! – play with a gun? What’s wrong with you!?”



Jaden crossed the room and held out his hands. I wasn’t sure if he was asking for the toddler or the gun, and I really didn’t feel like handing over either. The woman that had been at the laptop held up her hands in mock surrender.



“Relax. The safety was on.”



Jaden had his hand on the gun before I could thumb the safety and take turns pointing it at each of their heads. I bet they’d have a bit more concern for the well-being of all involved then.



I breathed in deeply and let it out.



Jaden uncurled my fingers and took the gun. He set it on the table beside the woman who’d been sleeping, and was now stifling a yawn.

A soft cry further dampened my rage, and I looked at the baby girl. I’d grabbed her by the back of her tiny overalls and hauled her into the air, facing me. Realizing how uncomfortable that must be, I let go and caught her just as she started falling, a hand under each of her arms.



She continued to stare at me, so I gazed back into the intelligent, assessing eyes that were nearly as dark as my own. And mine had been surgically altered. Her skin was a golden caramel brown, just a shade darker than mine that had been changed by so many days under the hot sun. Her hair was an unruly tangle of dark brown-black curls. She was so little, so light. Her tiny hands flexed and grabbed at the air.



She was so… cute, for lack of a better word. A miniature person… Who’d had family of her own until I took them away… Who was forced to play on a cold, dirty linoleum floor with a semi-automatic handgun.



“She’s coming with me. Since obviously you self-indulgent assholes don’t give a shit about her. And here I thought every woman had a maternal side. You will not come near her again.”



Still holding the baby awkwardly in the air and away from my body, I stomped out of the room.



Behind me I could almost hear Jaden frowning. I walked faster. But thanks to my enhanced hearing, I could still hear the idiot woman have the last word.



“I was joking. It wasn’t even loaded.”



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By the time Jaden caught up with me, I was at the entrance to the medical ward. I turned to the side and busted the door open and off its hinges with my right hip. Everyone inside jumped, except Meredith. Other than Jaden and the Commander, she was the only other person I’d really gotten to know since the beginning of my time at the Division.



Her back was to me and her slight frame shook with laughter.



“Now now, B.G. that’s the fourth time you’ve broken those doors.” She turned on her heel to face me and her green eyes widened. “Is that-?”

I crossed the triage room and held my arms straight out, attempting to hand her the baby.



“I want you to check her out. I mean everything. Make sure she’s okay.”



Meredith’s head cocked sideways, her blond curls bobbing with the movement. She nodded.



“I’ll be back to pick her up. Don’t let anyone else take her.” I handed the baby girl over, and Meredith took her and balanced her on one hip, murmuring something softly. She began to bounce a little, and while at first I thought that weird, the baby seemed comforted by the movement, so I stepped back.



Then it hit me. She looked so natural. While it’s true those women from earlier were too dumb to babysit a rock, how could I think that I was well-equipped to raise a child? Why was I even dreaming that she could stay with me, with Jaden – that we could keep her? She wasn’t a pet. I wasn’t even sure what to feed her. Meredith kept bouncing and cooing.



I left the room as quickly as I could, but still fairly slowly so as not to further frighten everyone. Jaden was crouched by the entrance, observing the damage I’d done to the door.



“We need to talk.”



“I know. I’ll pay for it. Take it out of my ‘allowance.’”



“That’s not what I meant, B.G.” He straightened and began to walk with me back through the mazes of hallways from which we came. I didn’t reply, so he cleared his throat and continued. “About the girl – I saw the way you looked at her. I heard what you said to those women.”



I balled up my fists and kept walking.



“You’re serious about the baby thing. You’re already attached, already emotionally evolved. I can tell.” He stopped me, a cautious hand on my arm. “This isn’t like you.”



“Jaden,” I said through clenched teeth. “Not now.” He let go of my arm. I took a step back and looked up at him. “I know what you’re going to say and just… not now. I need a minute. I-” my voice cracked and I shook my head, unable to continue. He looked puzzled and genuinely concerned.



“How about a job then?”



Instantly, I started feeling better. A slow and cold calm began to spread through my veins.



“What job?”



“Here, on the base. They need a terrorist interrogated. He’s got valuable information. Apparently they’ve already tried everything they legally can…” he trailed off.



“And so they send him to me.” My head felt lighter with the rush of endorphins just at the anticipation of violence and the challenge. This was just was I needed.



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Chapter Seven

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As we approached the door, Jaden waved off the guards. They left reluctantly, taking care to give me a wide berth.



“Place your hand on the door handle.”



I did as I was told, and watched as Jaden pressed a button and the keypad beside the door responded with three beeps.



“Codename: WHATEVERITTAKES.”



There was a sudden, sharp pain in the index finger of my right hand. I would have pulled back, but Jaden’s hand was over mine, instantly stilling my movement.



The door unlocked with an audible click.



I swore and wrenched my hand back. A single drop of blood made its way leisurely down my finger.



“You could have warned me.”



Jaden just looked at me, a slight smile tugging at his lips. I sighed and stuck the bleeding finger in my mouth. “No file on this guy?”

“No paperwork. No paper trail.” Jaden shrugged. “You’re cleared to do anything and everything, just get us the information.” I whistled under my breath.



“God bless the U.S.A.”



As soon as I pushed the door open, the cold air hit me, raising goose bumps on my bare arms. I had changed into a black tank top and bland green belted military pants; I was ready to get my hands dirty. I closed the door behind me firmly and took in the room.



There was a tan-skinned man belted to a chair in a slightly reclined position. He was naked and covered in bruises. The chair sat in the middle of what looked like one of those plastic kiddy pools, filled halfway with water. There was a thick towel over his head and a half dozen empty buckets on the ground.



A small security camera was mounted to the ceiling, pointing directly at him. I glanced at that quizzically, then at the one-way mirrored, bullet-resistance glass window which no doubt housed Jaden on the other side.



There’s no way they’d tape this exchange. Most likely that was a live video feed directly to the Commander. I smirked. An audience…

I crossed the room and snatched the towel off his head. It was damp. He blinked and looked at me with wild eyes.



“Excellent,” he rasped. “They’ve sent a woman to talk me to death.” He spat in my direction, but with his head belted to the chair, he missed.



I laughed and bent closer to answer him, my voice silky.



“You’re gonna have to do better than that.” I pulled back and began to walk in a slow circle around him. His eyes followed me. “I’ve been in this room for only a few seconds, and you’ve already revealed plenty. Shall I explain?” He didn’t answer.



“Oh come on now,” I continued, finishing the circle and standing over him. “Don’t pretend you don’t understand me. You speak English, and well. It’s your native tongue. That accent was clearly faked, though I’m not sure exactly which country you were aiming for.” I rested my hands on my knees and leaned closer.



“Your hair’s been dyed, though not recently; the lighter roots are beginning to show. And those hands, just what did you do to dry out your skin so much?” I pulled back and began to run the fingertips of my right hand over his, lightly up his arm and stopped, cupping his cheek in my palm. “I mean, before the interrogation techniques, of course.” My eyes widened.



“And it looks like they put you through the ringer, didn’t they, John Doe? Let me guess. First, they lowered the room temperature, then alternated a bunch of things: bright lights, complete darkness, blasting music and calming concertos. You were cold, then hot, then hungry, then thirsty, then disoriented. They chained you upright, forcing you to stand for who knows how many hours. I’m sure a couple of Special Agents joined in the fun and threw you around the place.”



I looked him up and down, a quick sweep of my eyes. “They’re not supposed to leave any marks, but things tend to get sloppy sometimes, especially if you’re resisting. And now here you are ankle-deep in a kiddy pool of freezing-cold water. And judging by the number of buckets surrounding you, it would seem that you’ve been waterboarded for a number of minutes.”



I sighed. “But I’m sure that was easy for a surfer-boy like yourself.”



He blinked twice in a row. I was right on the mark. “One can tell so much about a person if they just look closely and listen carefully. Your tone of voice, the inflections, the rough fingertips, dried skin, thin nails, the scar on your ankle from the surfboard’s lease… Now we both know that you didn’t grow up in anyone’s motherland, but on a sandy beach in America the beautiful.”



I began to kick the empty buckets out of my way and into the corner by the door. One ‘accidently’ sailed far and bounced off the wall and whacked him in the side of the head.



“Oops. My bad. Here, let me see that.” I untied the belts holding his forehead and chin. He stretched his neck slightly, testing the new freedom of movement. The backs of my fingers brushed the side of his temple in sweet caress. Without warning I backhanded him across the face so hard his head snapped with the motion. He coughed, and looked back up at me. I caught the challenge in his hard stare.



“Tell me, you weren’t at all scared with that thick towel over your head and gallon after gallon of water poured over your nose and mouth? It really feels like you’re drowning. Been through the levels of interrogation myself, and let me tell you, they didn’t go easy on me.”



The corners of the man’s mouth tightened, as if he was fighting a smile. I shook my head.



“That pleases you, doesn’t it? Obviously, your contempt for women wasn’t faked.” I reached my right hand behind my back and pulled my knife from my belt, still in its leather sheath. I pulled it out, marveling in its gleaming six-inch glory.



“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? This is personally one of my favorites. It’s only issued to Navy SEALs. It was a gift, so let’s be gentle with it, okay?”



I balanced the end of the knife’s blade on my fingertip, right on the dot from the earlier prick used to open the door to this God-forsaken place. It wobbled slightly, then stilled, and I looked past the blade at the man watching me with angry eyes. I guess I’d end up getting dirty after all. I took a breath and flipped the knife’s handle into my hands and hurled it across the room. It sailed millimeters over the prisoner’s head and slammed into the wall behind him. Two hairs floated down into the still water.



His eyes were squeezed shut. In the end, they’re all cowards.



Making use of my speed, I approached him and freed him of every constraint, save the one across his chest. He opened his eyes then, glanced at his hands and feet, and began to strain for freedom.



“Patience, Mr. John Doe. Let me explain the rules first.”



He continued to struggle and tried to undo the final belt buckle. He shivered and flexed his numb fingers before attempting it again. I knew he’d be free in seconds.



“You really don’t want to listen to me, do you?” I began to speak loudly and clearly. “Let’s make this interesting. There’s a six-inch knife stuck in the wall behind you. I’m unarmed. You’re free to go if you can get through me. If not, I will succeed in making to spill whatever’s so valuable that the higher-ups are risking me for.”



His eyes brightened. Hope. It was a dangerous weapon to give your enemy, and so was the blade stuck in the wall.



His shaking hands unhooked the belt and he pulled himself to his feet. Moments later, he lunged at me. I side-stepped and his forward momentum forced him face first into the wall. The camera shook with the impact.



“I’m surprised,” I murmured. “You didn’t even go for the knife. Although,” I grinned, “But I’m just a lowly woman, right? A big guy like you could take me on easily.”



He balled his hands into fists and inched toward me. I bent into a fighting stance but kept my palms open. With a grunt he threw all his weight into a punch which I blocked easily and smashed my other palm into his face, momentarily throwing him off guard. He staggered backward.



“What is it with you and women, hm? You don’t like that they’re in places of authority, always bossing you around. If it isn’t a teacher or coworker, they’re your boss or running for president. They’re everywhere here. Could that be one of the reasons you’d want to betray your country?”



With a yell he started toward me again, blindly throwing punch after bunch. I blocked with my hands and forearms and connected with an uppercut to the chin, sending him a foot and a half off the ground and firmly on his ass.



“Or let me guess. Mommy didn’t give you enough attention-”



He cursed and rolled to the side, pushed himself off the floor and dashed to the knife. With both hands, he finally managed to yank it out of the wall and point it at me.



“You will shut your mouth, woman!” he shouted, his adrenaline flowing at the thought of the upper hand.



I wanted to smile. Finally, it was getting serious.



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Chapter Eight

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He charged toward me, knife in hand. I ducked under the attempted stab and grabbed the blade of the knife in my hand. My firm grip pushed the sharpened edge into my flesh and my jaw clenched in pain. I stood and my left hand secured his upper arm just below the shoulder.



His mouth opened in shock as he looked from my blood dripping to the floor between our hands to the determined look on my face. I took the opportunity to raise my knee as hard as I could into his elbow. The blow landed with the satisfying crack of bone and left his arm bent at an awkward angle. The knife fell to the floor with a clang.



“Jaden,” I shouted over his screaming. “I’ll need a med kit in five minutes!”



I could hear the door open and shut in the next room. I glanced at the prisoner’s pale face. His knees began to buckle and I caught him in open arms as he began his decent to the floor.



“No, no, no,” I emphasized and backed him up against the wall. One arm circled around his waist to keep him standing, and the other hand smacked his face lightly. “You have to stay conscious. We weren’t finished talking.” He gasped for breath and blinked his eyes.



“My arm! You-”



“Yeah, yeah,” I answered, easing the man into a sitting position on the floor. “I broke your arm; you cut my hand.”



I pulled the arm with the wounded hand out from behind him and he slumped against the wall. I kneeled in front of him. “Of course, I let you do that on purpose.”



I held up the bleeding palm and used the fingers of my free hand to peel back the sliced skin. The cut ran the width of my palm and was deepest between the thumb and forefinger, exposing bone. His blurry eyes met mine and he looked away. I grabbed his chin and forced him to look into the wound.



“Take a good look, Mr. John Doe. You should know what you’re dealing with. I’m not like you.”



Blood was flowing freely now and I pushed the pain to the back of my mind. Together, we stared into the wound. The internal muscles were flecked with sliver and the ceiling lights reflected off the bone, giving it an uncanny metallic tint.



“What the- what are you?” he stammered, and I pulled back, rocking on my heels. I held the hurt hand to my mouth and coated my lips with the coppery-tasting fluid.



“What indeed?” I murmured, licking my lips. I shook my head. “Enough talk. These folks expect a show, and they’re gonna get one.”



With a grunt, I hauled the man to his feet, careful to apply just enough pressure to the broken arm to make him cry out. He attempted to fight me off, but I spun and connected with a kick to his left side that sent him staggering to the observation window.

I crossed the room in tenths of seconds and grabbed a fistful of his hair. He yelped as I smashed his face into the glass. It didn’t shatter, but his nose did.



Behind the window, the door to the observation room opened and a tall blonde woman walked in, a cell phone pressed against her ear.



“Commander,” she said, peering out through the one-way glass at the chaos in the next room.



“Meredith? How did you get this number? It’s only for-”



“A guy in tech owed me a favor. But that’s not why I called. I’m assuming you’re watching the little performance BountyGrl is giving.”



“How did you-!? You’re not even authorized to be in that part of the building!”



“Well, BountyGrl should not be authorized to torture!”



“They’re enhanced interrogation techniques. And you know as well as I do that Agent BountyGrl is a weapon. My weapon. I can use her in any way I see fit.”



“She’s also a human being! And a pretty unstable one, at that. If you’d only take the time to read my reports, you’d see that she’s been on nearly every mood-stabilizer known to man. I doubt any girl her age is on as many psychotropic medications as she is.”



“It’s my job to give out the assignments. It’s your job to keep her stable.”



Meredith huffed into the phone. She heard the Commander sigh before he continued. “I was given some peculiar intel about a baby. Where is it? Is handling that in your job description too?”



“She’s with one of my coworkers. You know very well that I can’t look after a-” Meredith paused. “Not after…” she trailed off. For once, the voice on the other end of the phone was silent.



“Meredith, I-”



“Don’t worry about it, John. BountyGrl is more important. Jaden thinks she may have developed some kind of attachment. And frankly, I don’t think that’s such a bad idea.”



“…You must be joking.”



“No,” Meredith replied, putting a hand on her hip.



“She’s a-”



“A weapon, I know. But you want me to keep her stable. You want a living, breathing, feeling, thinking weapon.” The loud boom from the other side of the window startled Meredith. She watched as BountyGrl repeatedly bashed the man’s face into the glass until it was unrecognizable. Meredith grimaced, and turned and left the room, knowing Jaden would be back soon. Her voice was serious as she continued with the Commander. “What if this is the only way to keep her human?”



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With a well-placed knee to the groin and another head bash into the wall, John Doe lost consciousness. I lowered him slowly to the floor and heard a triple knock on the door. It was Jaden. I pulled open the door and stood aside to let him enter.



“He’s out,” Jaden observed, his voice steel, betraying no emotion. I nodded and Jaden handed me the med kit. I set it on the floor, unlatched it and pulled it open.



I began to pull out the next tools I’d need for the interrogation. As I reached for a syringe Jaden saw me wince. He knelt beside me and picked out a vial of milky white fluid. “Give him some of this and he’ll be out for a while longer. I can’t officially touch the prisoner, but I can help you patch up that hand.”



I felt the man’s arm for a vein, swabbed it with alcohol and inserted an IV. I flushed it with saline, and then injected the medicine. With this small dose of ‘milk of amnesia’, he’d stay comfortably asleep for the next ten minutes.



Biting my lower lip, I let Jaden work on my hand. He cleaned it, put in some rudimentary stitches and wrapped it with gauze and medical tape.



“You should go see Meredith when you’re done here. It’s pretty deep, but this should hold you until then.”



I flexed my fingers and thanked him. There was a moment of silence as we watched the prisoner begin to stir. I glanced at the camera, then back at Jaden.



“Give me your lighter.”



His brows furrowed. Jaden didn’t smoke, but his mother used to, and it was a small piece of her that he always kept with him. I reached out my bandaged hand. “I’m just going to burn this used gauze; the smell is getting to me.”

Jaden stood and reached into his back pocket. He tossed me the lighter, knowing full well I was lying.



“I have everything I need,” I told him and looked away. “You should return that med kit.”



He didn’t answer. I didn’t want him to watch this next part, and now that I’d given him the subtle warning, it was up to him whether to heed it or not.



“Tell me if you need anything,” he said quietly and left the room with the kit, shutting the locked door firmly behind him.



I pushed myself to my feet and lifted the unconscious man in my arms. It didn’t take much effort to carry him back to the chair where this all began – he wasn’t heavy to me, but his skin was slippery.



I belted his limbs and head in place and draped the single damp towel across his lap. It only took a little more of the medicine to ensure he was in a deep sleep.



After retrieving the knife I looked down at the lighter in my hand and flicked it open and shut with my fingers. I ran a thumb across the initials and hung my head. This would be one of those things that Jaden would never forgive me for. Would I forgive myself? I glanced from the knife to the lighter to the prisoner.



“Stay asleep, John Doe. After this, you’ll wish you’d never woken up.”



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Chapter Nine

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As soon as the prisoner’s eyes popped open, he started screaming. I unbuckled the belt from underneath his chin, loosened it, and pulled it taut across his open mouth. His teeth dug into the leather. At least this cut down on the noise.



His wide eyes darted back and forth, trying to find the source of his pain. I obliged him with an answer.



“What you’re feeling right now is a combination of a broken nose, snapped fingers and toes, and cuts and burns covering nearly every inch of your body.”



He shuddered and began screaming louder, forcing me to raise my voice.



“Now, I know a lot of my fellow agents would disagree with me and would have preferred that I take my time with you. They definitely would have kept you conscious during each and every injury.” The man was visibly shaking. I continued. “You’d have felt every cut, every burn, every break as it happened. However, that would have taken hours. I have other things to do today.”



I wiped my blood-soaked hands on my pants and took a step back. The man’s screams began to die down and his eyes dilated into a mile-long stare.



“If I didn’t know better, I would have thought you were going into shock.” I cocked my head to the side. “But you’re not. You’re special, and that’s probably why they picked you, surfer boy. Not many can mentally separate themselves from pain. In fact, I wonder if you can even hear me now.”



I stepped forward and tightened the restraint over his broken arm. He blinked and groaned, and I noticed a flicker of consciousness in his eyes.



“Please pay attention. As I was saying, I think this technique works much better. When the pain hits you all at once, with such intensity, it can be much more difficult to stand. But then there are people like you. You can keep hitting them and hitting them, and they’ll take it, because deep down they think they deserve it. In cases like this, there’s only one other option.”



I backed up and retrieved a small syringe that I had prepared earlier. I flicked it with my finger to clear any air bubbles and inserted it into his IV. I watched him closely as I pushed in the liquid and smiled when his eyes began to roll back into his head. He quieted instantly.



“Now that’s much better, isn’t it?” I cooed and watched as his muscles relaxed and his cloudy eyes finally met mine.



“Morphine really takes the edge off,” I said, patting his good arm. I kneeled beside him, observing for a few serene moments.



“There is something I should tell you, Mr. Doe. The way I mixed the drug in saline will only provide you with a few minutes of relief.” I began to caress his head, tucking a wayward strand of dark hair behind his ear. “This is a lesson you should learn… a lesson I learned a long time ago. Pain always comes back. Whether it is physical, mental, or emotional; you can try to push it down as much as you want, but it always comes back.”



His breath hitched and he pulled slightly against the restraints. His eyes, now completely focused, began to water.



“Ah, it’s coming back now isn’t it? Pain after relief can seem even worse,” I murmured. “Would you like another dose?”



He nodded furiously, teeth grinding against the leather strap.



“This next one’s on me, but after that, I’m not sure I can help you.” I refilled the syringe using both vials and pushed the pump until the liquids reached the tip and overflowed onto the floor stained with blood and other bodily fluids.



He sighed when I administered the medicine and I bent down to whisper in his ear.



“Now this one won’t last as long, because there’s something we need to talk about. I can continue to help you, but you’ve got to help me too.” I gestured toward the video camera. “I don’t know what the people that brought you here want, but you do. If it’s information, then stopping this nightmare is simple.”



With the knife, I cut away the strap he’d been biting down on and returned the knife to my belt. He coughed and wet his chapped lips. Gently, I ran the back of my fingers down his cheek, now wet with tears.



“I’m sure you’ve been here awhile… away from home, away from friends, away from family. You’ve been fighting so hard for so long. Aren’t you tired?”



“P-please,” he begged in a hoarse whisper. “Medicine! The p-pain-”



“Will come back,” I finished for him. “As it always does. But you can end this. Just look up there and tell them what they want to know.”



“Please!” he sobbed.



“I told you,” I said sadly, turning my back on him, “only you can end this.”



He cursed at me in Arabic and thrashed his head side to side.



“Metro!” he finally shouted.



I looked at him over my shoulder. He choked down a sob and continued.



“We were planning to bomb the Metro system in D.C.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know everything, but I’ll tell you all I know. So, please, help me!”



The door opened and the guards Jaden had dismissed walked in, wrinkling their noses at the smell.



“I guess that means I’m done.” I faced the prisoner. “Answer all their questions, Mr. Doe, and I’m sure they’ll get you the medical attention you need.” I pointed at the syringe and vials on the floor. “The morphine’s over there; it’s labeled. He’s in a lot of pain.” One of the men nodded at me and the other led me to the open door, careful not to touch me.



The door shut behind me, leaving me in a quiet hallway. It didn’t smell and was warm. I looked up at Jaden standing in front of me, crossed arms as usual.



“How’d it go?” he asked.



“He’s telling them everything.”



“Good.”



We began walking in silence toward my quarters. I knew my boots were leaving bloody footprints behind me, but I was too emotionally drained to care.



“Oh, yeah,” I remembered, digging in my pocket. “Here’s your-”



My words were cut off by a faint pop only my ears could hear. The lighter fell out of my hands. I spun and stared down the hall at the way we came. There was no mistake. That was the sound of a 9mm pistol… being fired at close range.



“No, no! But he told them everything…”



“B.G.! What’s wrong? B.G.!”



Jaden’s plea fell on deaf ears as darkness closed in on me and a faint buzzing sound grew louder in my head. I tried taking a step forward, but stumbled and began to fall.



Strong arms caught me just before I hit the floor.



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Chapter Ten

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I opened my eyes and blinked. It was blurry, but one thing shone clear. I was sitting in a river of blood. It flowed in front of me, dark and sordid against a white background. So much blood. So much death. How many people had I killed to cause this? It flowed from my open palms and down my raised knees. Did it ever end? I raised my head from resting on my chest and followed the red path with my eyes. It went on and on and… down a drain at the end.



“B.G.!”



Jaden’s voice drew me back into reality so violently it made my head swim. He had placed me in a bathtub, my tub from the look of it, and turned on a steady stream of ice-cold water. It hit my face like needles, and I turned away and toward his voice.



“It’s okay,” he murmured. “You’re all right.”



I’d begun to shiver so he reached in front of me and adjusted the water’s temperature. He was kneeling beside the tub and holding me up with gentle hands. His sleeves were rolled up, though his shirt was soaked through. On the counter behind him, I saw his pistol and my sheathed knife. I needed to clean it.



I jolted into a sitting position, remembering the prisoner I’d used that knife on.



“He’s dead!” I cried, and my shaking worsened. Jaden’s brow furrowed.



“B.G.-”



“They killed him! Why!?” I shook my head and water droplets splattered from my hair in every direction. Jaden warmed the water further.



“Stop. Breathe. Calm down. Then explain.”



I tried my best to follow his instructions. In and out. So much blood… In and out. My knife… In and out. The muffled sound of the gun…



Jaden’s hand came up to cradle the back of my head. With the water hitting my face, I wasn’t sure if I was crying.



Moments later when I’d relaxed slightly, Jaden turned off the water altogether. He sat back on his heels looked at me. His face was serious.

“You’re talking about the man brought in for interrogation?”



I nodded vigorously. This wasn’t my fault. I never wanted this to happen. I wrapped my arms around my knees.



“They killed him, Jaden. He told them what they wanted to know, and they killed him anyway.”



Jaden’s eyes darkened and he looked away. No doubt it was his father’s order. He tightened one hand into a fist. The silence drew out between us.



“I didn’t know,” was all he could say. Truthfully, there was nothing that could be said that would make this better; there was no way to give back life that’d been lost. There was nothing we could do, and perhaps nothing we could have done.



I was about to say so when Jaden’s gaze met mine. I saw a flood of emotions: guilt, anger, worry, and an apology in his eyes.



He nodded and rose to his feet.



“Finish your shower. I’ll bring you a change of clothes.”



I watched him holster his gun and leave, then bothered to look down. I was still in my tank top and bloodied pants. Jaden had dumped me in a cold shower fully clothed, and had only removed my boots.



I stood, testing my strength. I was a little shaky, but my head didn’t feel as foggy. The wound on my hand was throbbing. With a grunt, I pried off my soaked clothes and tossed them into the trash can by the sink. I turned on the water, upped the temperature and sighed.



Bliss. As long as I didn’t look at the stain at my feet.



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In the other room, Jaden pulled out his cell phone. Thankfully, it hadn’t gotten wet. He pressed and held a number and while it rang he entered the bedroom and began opening the dresser drawers.



“Meredith!” the voice on the other end shouted. “If this is you again-”



“It’s me.” Jaden heard the Commander clear his throat.



“This had better be an emergency.”



“The prisoner,” Jaden replied, trying to match the harsh tone. “You had him killed.” There was a pause.



“You know I can’t answer that.”



“I’ll take that as a yes.” Jaden pulled out a pair of socks and threw them on the bed behind him. He then grabbed a clean shirt and jeans and tossed them on top of the socks.



“If there isn’t a point to this call, I’ll hang up now,” the Commander bellowed.



“She got you what you needed, right? B.G. I mean.”



“You listen up, son-”



“No, I think you need to hear this.” Jaden’s mind was working fast. He had to explain this in a way his father would understand. “If you keep using a weapon and don’t tend to it, it’ll fail you. You always said, ‘take care of your gear and it will take care of you.’ This was hard on her. It would be hard on anybody.”



“Only if you’ve gone soft,” he snapped.



“I assure you, she’s anything but that.” Jaden pushed the anger out of his mind and remembered carrying the bloodied girl in his arms. “You confirmed that mission for the two new agents?”



“What is it you want? I have work to do.”



“Put B.G. and I on it.” Jaden continued before the Commander could refuse. “If not, count us out for the next few days. We’ve both stacked up plenty of leave and-”



“Don’t you dare threaten me.” The voice was dead cold through the phone. “If it’s another mission you want, take your pick. But don’t call me up just to bitch, soldier!”



With that and a slam, the call ended. Jaden flicked the cell phone shut, pocketed it, and then grabbed a bra and a pair of panties with just his thumb and forefinger and dropped it on the pile. He grabbed the bundle and headed back toward the bathroom, wondering if his father had ever thought of him as anything other than a soldier.



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My palm stung. I turned the knobs with my good hand, shutting off the water, and stepped out of the shower. The tiles were cold against my feet and a pool of water had settled where Jaden had been.

There was a triple knock on the door. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself before I answered.



“Come in.”



The knob turned and the door opened enough for a pile of clothes to be tossed on the counter.



“Get dressed. We have another assignment.” He paused, then added, “Also, we should check in with Meredith. I’ll be in the kitchen; I have a few calls to make.” The door shut softly behind him.



I began to put on the dry clothes and was careful not to get them dirty. The blood was seeping through the gauze on my hand. I pulled the shirt over my head and started to ponder his words. ‘We’ have an assignment? It’d been a while since we’d been on a mission together.



I reached for a smaller towel and rubbed it through my hair. It seemed I wouldn’t have time to dry it thoroughly, so I swept my hair up and wrapped the towel around my head like a turban. The fog had begun to lift away from the mirror.



The person that looked back hardly seemed like myself. She was thinner, her caramel skin was paler, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. I blinked. With a frown, I tried to pinch some color back into my cheeks. I shrugged at my reflection and left the bathroom.



“Yeah. We should be ready in thirty. Thanks.” Jaden stuffed the phone into his pocket and turned to face me.



“Thirty minutes?” I asked. “Must be urgent.” He didn’t comment, but gestured toward the two protein bars on the table.



“It was all I could find in here. I should tell food services to restock your kitchen.”



“I’m not hungry.”



He pulled out a chair from under the table, flipped it around and straddled it, his folded arms resting on the back. I could tell he’d predicted my response.



“Sit. We’re not leaving this room until you’ve put something in your stomach. When was the last time you ate, anyway?”



“Umm,” I mumbled and bit my lower lip, thinking. It was no use, I couldn’t remember. With a sigh of protest, I sat down in my chair and began to reach for the first bar. Jaden grabbed it before I could and tore open its wrapper.



“You’d better eat quickly though; we still need Meredith to work on your hand.”



I wanted to tell him that it was only a scratch and that I could have opened the snack by myself, but one of his rare smiles broke my train of thought.



I reached out my hand and he handed me the bar.



As he leaned back, I stuck out my tongue. He just chuckled.