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Alina slowly opened her eyes at the sound of her phone chirping. It was a little after seven on Monday morning and she was seated in lotus pose on the deck. The cell phone was a few feet away on the arm of one of the Adirondack chairs. Raven was perched on the back of the other one, hunched down and watchful. Alina stretched and reached out to grab the phone, smiling at Raven. He still only went away to hunt and then came straight home. He wasn't sure how he felt about this strange place yet, with all its hustle and bustle.
"Yes?" Alina answered the phone and slowly began to untangle her legs.
"Do you have a coffee maker?" Stephanie asked.
Alina blinked.
"Yes."
"Good. I have bagels," Stephanie answered. "I'm out front."
"Come around back. You can park back here."
Alina hung up and did one final stretch as Stephanie's gray maxima rolled around the side of the house. Raven lifted his head and watched as Stephanie shut off the engine and got out of the car, carrying a white bakery bag and her purse. Alina watched Stephanie as well, amused that even at seven in the morning, she still looked frazzled.
"Morning!" Stephanie called, slamming her door shut and starting across the lawn toward the deck. She stopped dead when she saw Raven watching her. "Oh My God! What is THAT?!?!"
"A hawk," Alina answered, laughing.
Stephanie stared at him with wide eyes.
"He looks dangerous," she finally said.
Alina nodded.
"He's a bird of prey," she said. "He can be very dangerous, but not unless you try to harm me. He's my pet."
Stephanie licked her lips and continued to stand there, frozen, staring at the black hawk. Raven stared back, unimpressed. Alina sighed and moved forward to meet Stephanie. She reached out and took the bakery bag, then turned and led the way back up onto the deck. Stephanie followed reluctantly, keeping an eye on Raven the whole time.
"Do I even want to ask why you have a pet hawk?" Stephanie asked, relaxing slightly as they stepped onto the deck and Raven made no attempt to fly at her, claws barred.
"He adopted me," Alina answered simply, crossing the deck to the sliding door. "He was injured and I took care of him."
Alina glanced at Raven fondly. As if on cue, Raven straightened up and spread his wings in a stretch. Stephanie jumped and grabbed the back of Alina's shirt. Alina burst out laughing and opened the door as Raven settled back down on the chair contentedly.
"Is he laughing at me?!" Stephanie demanded, stepping into the house and closing the door behind her. "Did your bird do that on purpose?!"
"Probably." Alina chuckled and led the way into the kitchen. "So to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Stephanie dropped her purse on the bar and looked around the kitchen and dining room curiously.
"Can't a friend bring bagels for breakfast?" she asked.
Alina set the bag on the counter in the kitchen and went over to the coffee machine on the counter. It was a super-automatic espresso machine that made full cups of rich coffee on demand. Alina had paid over two thousand dollars for it and didn't regret a penny.
"I drink espresso. Is that ok for you?" Alina turned to look at Stephanie. "If not, I have tea."
Stephanie's eyes widened again as she moved across the kitchen to inspect the coffee machine.
"I've seen these in the gourmet kitchen stores," she remarked. "They're expensive! Is it worth it?"
"It is if you love your coffee," Alina answered. "Espresso or no?"
"I'll try it." Stephanie looked at Alina. "What did you say you did again?"
"Consulting." Alina placed a mug under the spout on the coffee maker and pressed a button. The machine began grinding beans, and a few seconds later hot espresso started streaming into the mug. "There's milk in the fridge and sugar substitute in the sugar canister," she added.
Stephanie grinned and turn to the refrigerator to pull out a quart of skim milk. She wrinkled her nose, but said nothing as Alina handed her the steaming mug of black coffee. Alina put another mug under the spout and pressed the button before turning to get plates from the cabinet.
"Shouldn't you be at the office?" she asked.
Stephanie sipped the espresso and immediately grimaced. She began pouring milk into the mug.
"I wanted to come talk to you first," she answered. She tasted the coffee again and reached for the sugar canister. "This is really strong!"
"It's espresso," Alina retorted. She pulled two toasted bagels with cream cheese out of the bag and put them on plates. "I don't suppose this cream cheese is low fat?"
"No. You need some fat in your diet," Stephanie answered cheerfully. She added more skim milk to her coffee. "Everything in your fridge is fat free."
Alina took her coffee from the coffee maker, grabbed one of the plates and headed back towards the deck. Stephanie finished doctoring her coffee, picked up the other plate and followed.
"Aren't you putting milk in yours?" she demanded.
"No. I drink it black."
Stephanie grimaced at her back and followed her outside. They went to the opposite end of the deck from Raven to a black iron bistro table and two chairs. Stephanie sat down and glanced at the hawk. He was paying no attention to them, staring instead at something deep in the woods to his left. She relaxed and looked at Alina.
"This is a nice house," she commented. "Are you going to stay?"
Alina laughed.
"I've only been back a few days," she answered. "I don't know yet. Why did you want to talk to me?"
"Saturday night you were very interested in my investigation," Stephanie began slowly. Alina watched her as she took a bite of her bagel and waited patiently for Stephanie to continue. "If there is something I should know about you being back, I would appreciate it if you would tell me now." Stephanie finally blurted out.
Alina swallowed some coffee and shrugged.
"I'm not with your mysterious assisting agency that is showing up today, if that is what you're asking," she replied calmly, her face not giving anything away. "When does your agent arrive, anyway?"
"He's there now," Stephanie answered, taking a bite of her bagel and watching Alina while she chewed.
She’d been giving a lot of thought to Alina's reappearance after Saturday night and she knew that it wasn't just a coincidence. But Alina was giving nothing away, and Stephanie realized that she was going to have to wait for Alina to tell her why she had come back on her own. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it had something to do with her 'consulting.'
"Then shouldn't you be there too?" Alina asked mildly.
Stephanie shrugged.
"John is briefing him," she answered. "I'm in no rush to meet the suit that is going to get in my way."
Alina grinned.
"Maybe he's cute," she suggested, wiggling her eyebrows.
Stephanie laughed despite herself.
"He's probably as cocky as they come," she retorted.
Alina nodded and sat back, sipping her coffee.
"Probably," she agreed. "Why do you have another agency coming in on this again?"
"At first I thought it was because Angelo had ties to some international gun trafficking," Stephanie said after a moment, "but now I'm not so sure. It's Homeland Security that is sticking their nose in."
Alina raised an eyebrow.
"National security?" she asked. "That's more than gun trafficking."
Steph nodded.
"I know," she finished her bagel and eyed the half that was left on Alina's plate. "Are you going to finish that?" she asked.
Alina shook her head, watching as Stephanie reached out and took it.
"The only reason I'm telling you any of this is because you helped me on Saturday night at the tracks," she said around a mouthful of bagel. "I don't know what you did in the military, or out of it, or for whom, but you know more about this mess than you're letting on." Stephanie held up a hand when Alina opened her mouth to talk. "All I'm saying is that I will share information with you, if you do the same."
"What makes you think I have any information to share?" Alina asked, setting down her coffee mug. "I was curious on Saturday. I told you that."
"Curious my foot." Stephanie snorted and washed the bagel down with the coffee. "You were deliberate. As long as you aren't working against me, and I don't think for a minute that you are, then we should be able to share information quite happily. Don't you agree?"
Alina was quiet while she considered Stephanie. She had connected the dots much faster than Alina had expected, but she found that it wasn't as much of an inconvenience as she thought it would be. Stephanie was clearly prepared to work loosely with Alina, and that was even without knowing why Alina was interested in her case. Things would move much faster if Stephanie freely gave Alina the information she needed. In return, she just had to keep Stephanie satisfied with any conclusions that she herself would draw eventually. It really was a win-win situation.
Alina tried to ignore the feeling of disquiet that she felt in using her old friend to help her complete her own mission. Years of working alone made her unused to this situation. Alina never had to consider how her actions would affect others. Now that had changed. She needed Stephanie. And Stephanie was completely unaware of it, but she needed Alina too. Stephanie had no idea what she was getting herself into.
"That seems reasonable," Alina finally spoke, dropping all pretense of non-involvement. "How will you explain me to your superiors?"
"I don't need to," Stephanie replied. "You're a source." She stood up and stretched, then smiled. "To be honest, I am more concerned with how I'll explain you to John."
Alina shrugged impatiently.
"I told you. The past is the past," she retorted. "You'll have no issues from me."
"It's not you I'm worried about," Stephanie retorted.
"Took you long enough to get here." John looked up from his computer screen as Stephanie dropped her bag onto her desk and set her coffee down.
“I had breakfast with Alina.” Stephanie dropped into her chair and looked at him. “How's the visitor?”
“With the bossman.” John got up from his desk and sauntered the two feet to hers. He leaned on it and looked down at her. “Alina, huh? How is she?”
“Just fine.” Stephanie pulled open her bottom drawer and dropped her purse into it. “She does not send her love.”
John chuckled.
“I never imagined she would,” he retorted. “She's changed,” he added.
Stephanie leaned back in her chair and looked up at her handsome partner.
“It's been ten years,” she said. “She grew up.”
John shook his head.
“It's not just the time,” he said. He played with a stapler on Stephanie's desk while he searched for the right words to say. “Her eyes are different. She's different. It's like...I don't know...like there is no emotion inside her anymore.”
Stephanie was quiet for a moment. She knew what John was trying to say. She had seen it too. However, she wouldn't have said that there was no emotion. Just that it was very effectively hidden.
“Why do you say that?” she asked. “Because she didn't fall for your 'I've- changed-since-you-went-away-let's-be-friends' act?”
John put the stapler down and stood up.
“Drink your coffee, Steph,” he advised, heading back toward his desk. “Your claws are showing.”
“Ms. Walker!” a voice called across the expanse of partial cubicle walls.
Stephanie looked up to see her boss motioning from his office door.
“Better drink it fast,” John advised, seating himself. “Don't want to make a bad impression on our colleague from Homeland Security.”
Stephanie picked up her coffee and headed toward the office.
“Ass,” she muttered as she passed him. She heard him chuckle after she passed and grit her teeth. Sometimes she just wanted to punch him.
“Good morning, Rob.”
Stephanie walked through the open door into her boss's cluttered office. It wasn't a very large office. It boasted a desk that was covered with piles of folders and papers and two bookshelves that were also crammed with a mix of binders and folders. There were three filing cabinets, the tops of which held an assortment of tropical plants, and two chairs faced the desk. One was occupied by a man wearing a charcoal gray suit.
“Good morning.” Rob Thornton moved behind his desk and motioned to the man in the suit. “This is Damon Peterson, from Homeland Security.” The suit stood up and turned toward her. Stephanie found herself staring up into the brightest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. “Damon, this is Stephanie Walker. She is the agent in charge of the case.”
“Hello.” Stephanie held out her hand and Damon shook it firmly.
“Good morning.”
Damon flashed a smile and Stephanie found herself smiling back. Lord, the man was good-looking! She seated herself and her coffee in the other chair and turned her attention to her boss. As soon as she sat, the other two men sat.
“We'll be working with DHS on this one, Steph,” Rob informed her, sitting back in his chair and steepling his fingers over his stomach. “They seem to think your floater may have some connection with a terrorist they believe got into the States on a stolen visa.”
Stephanie blinked.
“A terrorist?” she repeated, swinging her head to look at Damon. He was sitting back in his chair, relaxed, watching her. He nodded when she looked at him.
“We believe he got into the States over a month ago. We have been working with local LEOs to try to determine where he is now,” he told her. “I believe your floater was supplying guns either directly to him or to his go-between.”
Stephanie took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh.
“Fabulous,” she muttered.
Damon chuckled.
“Of course, we could be wasting our time here,” he added. “But we need to be sure. Robert has assured me of your co-operation.”
“Of course.” Stephanie nodded. “What I know, you'll know.”
“Wonderful.” Damon stood up. “Get me copies of everything you have and I will try to make this as painless as possible,” he added with another flashing grin.
Stephanie stood up and smiled.
“I never claimed it would be painful!” she protested.
Damon winked.
“You don't have to,” he replied. “I'm used to it. No one is ever happy to see us come into their office.”
“What's this terrorists' name?” Stephanie asked as Damon turned to shake hands with Rob.
“Johann,” Damon answered over his shoulder. “Johann Topamari. Thanks again, Rob.”
“No problem.” Rob shook his hand. “You're sure you won't set up here?”
“No, thanks.” Damon grinned. “I've learned that it's more effective for me to work off-site. I have a temporary office set up with everything I need.”
“Oh? You're not working here? With us?” Stephanie's spirits lifted somewhat.
Damon looked down at her.
“I'll tag along, if needed,” he said, “but I won't be hovering over your shoulder.” He stood aside and motioned for her to precede him out of the office. “However, that being said, I'll know if you withhold anything from me, so I wouldn't advise it,” he added as she passed.
Stephanie looked up at him consideringly.
“You know, I think you would,” she said slowly.
“Good! Then we understand each other,” Damon said with a return of his smile. “That's a good base for a successful relationship.” He held out his hand again, but this time there was a business card in it. “Numbers and emails are on the front and address on the back. I look forward to working with you.”
“Well, I won't say the same because I try not to lie,” Stephanie replied, taking the card. “But I have to say I feel much better about this than I did earlier.”
Damon laughed.
“I like honesty. It saves time,” he said with a grin. “Did you get forensics back yet?”
“Not yet. I'm expecting it today.” Stephanie turned toward her desk. “Have you met John?”
“Earlier. He gave me a run-down of our two bodies,” Damon answered. “I'll leave you to get on with it. Forward me the forensics when you get them.”
“Will do.”
Stephanie watched as he walked away, headed for the elevators. Women turned and watched him as he passed and she shook her head, turning to go back to her desk. She sank into her chair and picked up a pen absently, twirling it around her fingers and staring off into nowhere.
She had two bodies in the morgue, one of whom was suspected of supplying a known terrorist with arms and ammunition. As a result of that, she now had DHS looking over her shoulder. She had an old friend who mysteriously re-appeared suddenly from God-knows where, right on time for the first body to float up, and who was clearly no stranger to the finer points of sniper positioning. Stephanie sighed and threw her pen down on the desk. Add to that a bird of prey and an ex-boyfriend who was destined to cause complications, whether he meant to or not, and she was pretty sure that this was shaping up to be one of the more challenging cases of her short career.
And Stephanie had the uneasy feeling that things were just getting started.
Alina glanced at her watch and sipped her coffee. She was seated in a coffee shop on a side street in Haddonfield. It was a cute little coffee shop, with a cute little name and big comfortable arm chairs with low tables between them. It fancied itself a haven for artists and independent thinkers, and a section in the corner was set aside for either speakers or musicians. Abstract art mingled with framed replicas of long past political figures on the walls while Coldplay moaned out of hidden speakers. The owners had no interest in high priced cappuccino and chic tables. The coffee was reasonably priced and served in plain white mugs, and the chairs were mismatched and comfortable. This was meant to be a meeting area of minds and people who also happened to enjoy a good cup of coffee.
Alina glanced around in some amusement. She was sure that in the evenings the shop attracted just that sort of clientele. However, at ten-thirty in the morning, she was fairly confident that she was the only childless woman there. Her fellow patrons fell into the sole category of busy, stay-at-home soccer moms, stopping for their mid-morning pick-me up. Alina turned her attention back to her folded over newspaper. When Hawk got here, she really must remember to ask him just how he had found this pretentious hole.
A few moments later, the bell chimed above the door and Alina lifted her eyes to watch Hawk stroll up to the counter and order himself a large, part this and part that, with a dash of something else monstrosity of a coffee drink to go. She stifled a grin. He was even dressed for the part, in low rise jeans and a faded green Gap tee-shirt. Her eyes briefly landed on his rear and Alina raised them again quickly as he turned around. One thing she had always acknowledged was that Damon had a mighty fine ass.
“Sorry I'm late. The contractors were late,” he flashed a grin as he stopped before her and Alina felt her lips curving into an answering laugh.
“No worries,” she said, tucking her paper back into her over-sized black leather tote bag and standing up. “I'll forgive you this time,” she added with a wink.
The girl behind the counter was watching them curiously, enjoying her own view of Damon's rear end.
“Do you need a refill?” Damon asked, taking in her short denim skirt and bright yellow halter top in one glance. His lips were twitching by the time they got to her matching yellow wedge flip-flops.
Alina nodded, watching over his shoulder as the girl behind the counter immediately straightened up and snapped to attention.
“I would love one,” she said.
They walked back to the counter and Damon ordered her a large, 20 oz. straight espresso, black. He remembered her coffee preference. The man really never forgot a thing. The girl behind the counter gave Alina the same brief look of amazement that she had given her earlier when Alina had ordered the same thing.
“Are you sure you don't want to have some steamed water added?” she asked once again. Alina smiled.
“No, thank you,” she answered.
Damon chuckled.
“That would dilute the caffeine and we can't have that,” he told the girl with a grin and a wink.
She laughed and turned to get Alina's coffee. A few minutes later she handed her the to-go cup.
“God bless you,” she said to Alina. “If I drank that, I would be up for days straight.”
Alina smiled and took her coffee and she and Damon turned to leave the shop.
“That girl will forever remember you as the woman in yellow, who drinks straight espresso by the gallon,” Damon said as they exited into the sunshine on the sidewalk. “Let's walk.”
“And she will forever remember you as the guy with the great ass,” Alina retorted, turning right and walking with him toward the main street that was filled with shops and bistros.
Damon grinned.
"Will she now?" he demanded.
Alina nodded.
"You know darn well she was staring," she answered. "How did you find that place, anyway?"
"Appalling, isn't it?" Damon asked cheerfully. "I fully expect it to go commercial and find one on every corner soon. Reminds me of a tiny hole in the wall in Amsterdam."
"I've never been to Amsterdam," Alina said thoughtfully. "Never had occasion to. Is it nice?"
"It's...interesting," Damon answered. "I can't imagine they would want you there. You would cause too much ruckus. It's turning into a modern day Casablanca. More spooks than tourists."
Alina nodded complacently. She had never had any illusions about her job.
"So why the pressing need to meet?" she asked as they emerged onto Main Street and joined the mid-morning throng.
"I found out something that you might find interesting," Damon answered, sipping his coffee. He grimaced and tossed the full cup into the closest trash can. Alina grinned and handed him hers. He drank some thankfully. "Mmmm....much better."
"Why did you order that milky nonsense?" Alina demanded.
Damon grinned.
"All part of the illusion, m'dear."
"Hmmpf," was Alina's only response. "I never mess with my coffee. The shoes were bad enough."
Damon burst out laughing.
"When I told you to blend in, I really didn't think you would listen so well," he said, taking another look at the trendy skirt. "I didn't know you had legs!"
"You know exactly what I look like," Alina retorted, hiking her absurdly large bag higher on her shoulder. "What do you think I will find interesting?"
“Well, I got a call last night from your friend and mine, Harry...in DC.” Damon got back to business and turned his attention from her legs to the pavement in front of them. “Turns out that he is a little concerned about some developments that cropped up over the bridge.”
“Is he still playing cops and robbers for Homeland Security?” Alina asked, taking her coffee back and drinking.
“Trying to. Apparently, something happened over at Three Mile Island.”
“Three Mile Island?” Alina glanced at him, surprised despite herself. “As in...nuclear plant....one reactor shut down since the 70's....mother of all cold war horror stories...that Three Mile Island?”
“That's the one.” Damon grasped her elbow lightly and turned her down an oak-lined side street. “I think the Church is down here, darling.”
“I think you're paranoid, dear,” Alina retorted, nevertheless slipping her arm around his waist. “No one is paying an ounce of attention to us,” she hissed.
“I know,” Damon answered cheerfully. “I just wanted to see what you would do.”
Alina bit her lip to keep from laughing and pulled away.
“Will you be serious?!” she demanded.
Damon laughed down at her, his blue eyes glinting.
“I'm always serious with you,” he murmured with a wink.
He turned his attention back to the street and guided her across to a Catholic church. They went inside and moved down the dimly-lit center aisle of the deserted sanctuary. Damon stepped into a pew three-quarters of the way to the front, and Alina briefly genuflected in the aisle before following him. They knelt on the kneeler together.
“I didn't know you were Catholic,” Damon whispered.
“There's a lot you don't know,” Alina whispered back. “Now tell me about the Island.”
“A security guard lost his clearance badge last week,” Damon replied, his head bowed as though in prayer.
Alina kept her face forward toward the alter, her eyes alert.
“That doesn't constitute an incident,” Alina answered.
“No,” Damon agreed. “But the guard is now missing.”
“Well, hell.”
Alina bowed her head and glanced at Damon. Brown eyes met blue.
“Your friend at the Bureau doesn't know it yet, but she's about to get dragged into one big mess,” Damon said.
Alina shrugged.
“She's already in it,” she retorted. “Any ideas on the whereabouts of the guard?”
“Not yet.” Damon lowered his head again and Alina did the same. “The badge was reported missing at night when he came back from a break and it was gone from his desk. He followed security protocol and then left for the night. He didn't show up for his next shift 2 nights later, and he hasn't been seen or heard from since he walked out the gates.”
“Fabulous.” Alina closed her eyes, her mind working rapidly. “When was his missed shift?”
“Friday,” Damon answered. “Three days ago. They're looking for him, but they want you to be aware.”
“And you're going to make sure, if the body surfaces, that Stephanie is brought in,” Alina stated rather than asked.
“Of course.” Damon chuckled. “She is one unhappy camper with me sticking my nose in, but I won't take it personally.”
“Don't.” Alina smiled slightly. “She has no idea who you are. If she knew you were with me, she would love you.”
“Well, don't be too modest now.”
Damon crossed himself awkwardly and sat back on the pew. He felt, rather than heard, Alina chuckle. She remained kneeling for a moment, and Damon afforded himself of the unabashed pleasure of viewing her from the back. He always said that she had a fine body and he was thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to become re-acquainted with it now from his vantage point. After a moment, Alina crossed herself and joined him on the pew. They sat for a few moments in silence.
“I am not getting involved in a possible incident on the Island,” she finally said. “I'm only taking care of my agenda, not theirs. Homeland Security is not, and never was, our job.”
“I told them you would say that,” Damon replied.
They fell silent again, Alina brooding and Damon patiently waiting. He knew Viper well. He knew that she wouldn't sit by and allow a possible terrorist attack occur on US soil if she had the ability to prevent it.
“I was enjoying my sabbatical,” Alina finally muttered, her tone coming as close to a whine as Damon had ever heard from her. “I hadn't necessarily retired, but the effect was the same.”
“People like us never retire,” Damon answered. “You know that.”
They fell silent again. Alina knew he was right. They had been trained to become assassins. They worked on the “right side” of the law and in conjunction with the United States government. They were sanctioned at the highest level. But they were trained to kill for a living. This was not something that allowed for a career change. She had always known that. Even if and when they retired, killers were still killers. Contracts were still made. Consulting was still done. The game was never really over. Not until your own time came.
“Tell me something.” Alina looked over at him. “Did you volunteer for this? Or did I just luck out that it was you?”
Damon grinned. Blue eyes met brown again.
“Both,” he said with a chuckle. “No one else could have handled you.”
“Oh, so that's what you think you're doing.” Alina stood and picked up her purse, turning to move out of the pew. Damon laughed and stood up.
“I have my aspirations in life,” he retorted, following her.
Alina made a sound that sounded very suspiciously like a snort and began walking back up the aisle toward the door.
“Well, given the developments, I guess I'm stuck with you,” she said as they reached the heavy wooden doors to the sanctuary. “But you might as well know, I am not thrilled with the situation. As much as I love you, I have never cared to be manipulated. You might want to pass that message on.”
Damon reached around her and pushed open one of the heavy doors, holding it open for her to pass out before him.
“Trust me,” he said. “I already warned them.” They stepped back outside into the warm spring sunlight. “But I'm a little hurt to actually hear you say it,” he added.
Alina looked up at him.
“It's nothing personal,” she told him. “Think of yourself as Jafar's parrot. You're essentially harmless, but trouble is usually right behind you.”
Damon stared at her, torn between shock and laughter.
“I don't know which bothers me more,” he told her. “You saying I'm harmless or the fact that you watch Disney movies!”
Alina's lips curved into a slow grin.
“I told you, there are a lot of things about me that you don't know,” she answered.
She turned and started to head back to the main road and Damon followed.
“Apparently,” he murmured, his eyes falling once again to her legs.