The light at the end of the tunnel (closed)

[zydrate]

With a small sigh, Nicole Mason sat in the interrogation room as she waited.

Usually, she was on the other end of the table, the one doing the questioning. But tonight she wasn't. No. With the two guards behind her, it was obvious Mason was not the one in charge. She was under arrest after giving herself up no less than two hours ago. Her stomach was hurting from the beating she took as they had restrained her before cuffing her. Which was funny because she didn't even put up a fight...hell, she didn't even have a weapon on her.

With the back of her hand, she wiped the last of the blood from her mouth just as the door to the room opened and in walked Agent Mark Daniels.

"So, Nicole...the list of charges against you are pretty long. How about doing us a favor and just confessing because the paperwork and all..."

She refused to answer him...instead she just stared at him. Yeah, not talking was a risk, but it was a risk worth taking. After all, they were the corrupt agents, not her. Her evidence was still in hiding and if she could just get to it, then they would get their due.

*****
After a few more tries to get Nicole to confess, she was taken and thrown in cell. Hell, wasn't even a jail cell... just a cold, wet room with make shift bars on a small window and a heavy door.

From what she could see, there was a camera over the door, pointed into the cell. She just looked up at it briefly and walked over to a somewhat dry corner and painfully sat down.

She hadn't said a thing and knew that would only stall for so long.

Nicole sighed to herself as she closed her eyes and tried to assess the damage to her body. Probably just a few sore ribs and some bruising but again, that would probably change soon.

 

[BeachBum25]

After leaving the Special Forces unit he was in Steve Baker wanted to get as far away from everything as possible. He took a job working on a farm in Iowa, which was about as far away from people as he could imagine being. It was perfect for him. After the things he had seen, and the things he had done, he just needed to be away from everything.

There was one person from the unit that he maintained contact with. He had been pretty close with Nicole. They had each other's backs when they worked together. In fact, there had been several missions that they had been chosen to do on their own, because of the great working relationship they had.

There was also that one night. It had been after a particularly difficult mission. They almost didn't make it out alive. They had accomplished their mission, but there had been some collateral damage. They were holed-up in a hotel room, and things happened. The next morning was awkward. It was like the one night of passion they spent together had put a dagger through the heart of their relationship. It was then that Steve decided to leave.

He talked with Nicole now and then, but it was just a sort of check-in. The last time they talked had been strange though. It seemed like something was wrong with her, but she wouldn't admit it. Steve knew her well, and could tell there was a problem. That was why he told the farm owner that he had to leave for a few days, but he would be back.

 

[zydrate]

Even though she didn't want to, Nicole felt herself falling asleep... most in part from exhaustion. She had been going non-stop for a couple of weeks now and this was the first real rest she had gotten...despite the circumstances.

She had a dream about that one night. That one night she had thought was a mistake but really, it wasn't. She and Steve had great chemistry together in the field and it wasn't until that night, she knew that chemistry was far beyond their skills. Of course, hindsight was 20/20 and had she known then what she knew now, she wouldn't have been so quick to let him get away.

Yeah, they still spoke. Oh God, how she had wanted to tell him everything but knew, the less people that knew, the better. But he would have helped her, no questions asked, that was for sure.

She could have kept dreaming about him had she had not been kicked awake. The boot contact to her head sent her world spinning as she tried to fight the pain. Only two pairs of hands grabbed her shoulders and yanked her up and that was when she was face-to-face with Daniels.

"So, Nicole. Ready to talk?"

Nope. She thought.

Daniels knew she wasn't broken yet...

"OK... we'll fix that... we have plenty of time. Besides, I like a good challenge."

 

[BeachBum25]

Steve jumped in his beat-up old pickup and began the journey. He was hoping that once he got there that his fears would be proven wrong, but he was not confident in that. He had a feeling, and most of the time when he got this type of feeling, he was right. He could sense danger, and that is exactly what he was feeling now."

When he arrived at Nicole's place, his worst fears were confirmed. After picking the lock and entering her house, what he found convinced him that she was in trouble. Her service weapon was still there... right next to her badge. What was more alarming was that her back-up weapon was also there. Nicole didn't go anywhere without her back-up.

He saw a couple of small red drops on the floor. Blood.... Nicole's blood. He sat down for a moment and started to develop a plan. First, he needed to find out what got her into trouble. Moving from room to room, Steve looked for anything that would be a clue. he looked for a safe. he looked for a lock box. Then he found the false wall.

 

[zydrate]

Now that it was daylight, Nicole could make out more of where she was.

It was one of 2 abandoned buildings the bureau had kept for...just in case situations. Not many knew of it but those that did knew exactly what happened here.

They were still in the city. That was a good sign.

2 exits. Both had men guarding them.

Her cuffs were digging into her wrists as she was once again sat at the interrogation table. No doubts the 'questioning' being recorded. She said nothing that would indicate she was scared. Nor would she be pushed around or made to confess.

An order was given to search her place more thoroughly. Crap.

She tried to keep her expression stoic when she heard all this. Hell, there was no use hiding anything from her because no matter what. They were going to kill her real soon if they didn't find what they were looking for.

 

[BeachBum25]

The wall popped open and revealed a bookshelf loaded with files. He started looking through them. There were files for a ton of cases. Why did she have them? There had to be something in here that could lead him to Nicole. He found a couple of files from the bureau. Why were they here? One of them would lead to her having a problem... all of these could be dangerous.

He heard the door open. He hoped it was Nicole, but he wasn't taking a chance. He closed the entry through the false wall and sat in the dark. he listened. There appeared to be at least two, possibly three men. He could hear them tossing the place. He wondered how good they were. Would they find the false wall?

His answer came about 30 minutes later when he heard them exit Nicole's place. He waited a couple of minutes, and then slipped out of his hiding spot. Looking out the window, he saw three men moving across the street to an SUV. He sprinted out the back and into his truck. He began to follow them... hoping they would lead him to Nicole.

 

[zydrate]

The men had returned.

They were talking to Daniels, who looked more irritated than before. He didn't say anything, instead, he stalked over to Nicole and screamed at her about the files.

She tried not to laugh. He sucked at his job. Had she been in his shoes, she would have probably gotten the files about 24 hours ago...

Nicole wasn't dealing with an agent anymore. No, she was dealing with a man who was greatly on edge and was about to lose it at any given moment.

"OK bitch, let's do this the hard way," before she could say anything, he was brandishing a knife.

That was the last she could comprehend before she felt a stinging in her left right shoulder as he pushed the blade in slowly before yanking it out. She hadn't realized she had cried out but she guess she did as the pain increased and she felt his fingers dig into the freshly made wound.

"Let's talk now." She heard him say as she gasped in pain.

 

[BeachBum25]

Steve followed them. he made sure to keep his distance. He didn't think they would pay much attention to his beat up truck, but if they saw it a few times it might arouse some suspicion. He kept his distance, and when he saw them pull into the industrial complex, he parked and moved to see where they stopped.

He saw them enter the warehouse, and he moved around the exterior to find any entry points. There were only 2 and they were both guarded. He moved cautiously in an attempt to gauge how many men he would have to deal with. He figured there were at least 6.. probably more. He made his plan for 10. If it was more, he was in trouble.

He heard her scream. That was the first he knew that she was definitely inside. He moved to one of the doors and he pulled the guard outside. He grabbed him in a headlock and broke his neck. He had been quiet enough not to garner any attention, He was lucky with that one, but he knew his luck could not hold up for long.

 

[zydrate]

Agent Daniels waved the blade in the front of Nicole's face, "Last chance Nicole. Come on... I don't want to kill you. I didn't want any of this, you know that.... for the last time, tell me what I want to know."

His face mere inches from hers and it was in that moment that she knew he was tired also, letting his own guard down. It was in that moment, Nicole took the opportunity and brought her head back and then head butted him, her forehead connecting with his nose, to which she was sure she heard a loud crack as she broke his nose.

Daniels jerked back, yelling out loud and that was when Nicole felt an arm wrap around her neck as one of his goons secured her head so she was held in prime position for what was sure to be Daniels' next assault.

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor moved into the warehouse, and, as he did, he saw a man standing in front of Nicole waving a knife in her face. What happened next did not surprise him in the least. Nicole was never one to shy away from a fight; to see her attack the guy with the knife wasn't a shock.

He saw the guy move in behind Nicole as the man with the knife sprawled on the floor. Trevor looked around and took stock in what he was going to have to deal with. He had to take action now... how many bogies was he going to have to deal with?

Man with knife got up off the floor. Trevor determined that the biggest threat was the guy holding Nicole's head. It only took one shot, right between his eyes to eliminate him. The sound of the shot also served to send everyone scrambling for cover.

As Trevor moved toward Nicole, he was able to take out two more bad guys. He grabbed her and led her toward the door he had entered... firing off a couple of shots to keep the bad guys down. They were able to get off a couple of shots, but, fortunately, none of them hit the target. They got to the truck, and he handed Nicole one of his weapons. "keep them off of us until we get out of here."

 

[zydrate]

Several shots were fired in their direction but with the way Steven was driving, each shot fired at them missed their target. Nicole could have shot at them. When they were in somewhat of the clear, Nicole sat down, facing forward and let the gun drop. She was in pain but tried not to show it too much.

The first thing she should have done was ask what the hell he was doing there. How did he know she was in trouble. How did he find her. Those questions were at the tip of her tongue but she didn't have to ask. She knew if anyone was going to find her, it would be him.

"I need to get to my place... I need to get something..." it was a foolish request because she knew that was the first place they would look for her.

 

[BeachBum25]

He punched the gas pedal as they flew out of the industrial complex and out toward the freeway. He heard the questions that Nicole was throwing at him. His focus was on their getaway and what his next steps should be. His truck was easily recognizable; there weren't many old, beat-up trucks like his still around, so, they would be easily seen if they stayed in the truck.

As they traveled along the freeway, he saw that there was a row of car dealerships near the next exit. He took the exit and pulled off into a vacant lot. He turned to Nicole, "Wait here, I will be right back," and jumped out of the truck and ran off toward the back of one of the dealerships. He looked around for a car he could take. He had to avoid the new ones, the chips in the keys made stealing them almost impossible. All the way in the back, he found an old, beat-up foreign car. Perfect.

After hot wiring it, and getting it started, he drove it to where the truck was parked. He helped Nicole out of the truck and into the car. "I don't want to hear your comments about the quality of our new ride." Once she was settled in, he went back to the truck and used his key to remove the license plate from the truck. He put it on the car and then returned to the truck.

As they drove off in the car, the pickup went up in flames. As they reentered the freeway, they heard the explosion as the truck, and anything that could lead anyone back to him disintegrated. He drove for several miles, before turning to Nicole. "So, what were the questions you had for me?"

 

[zydrate]

While he was driving and they were in the perpetual clear, Nicole peeled back her jacket and looked at where Daniels had stabbed her. It wasn't too deep but if she were to move around a lot, it would open again. Yeah, it would need to be sewn shut later but if she showed up at an ER like this, there would surely be questions. No, it was something she'd have to do herself... later.

As she was helped into their new ride, she just shook her head at what he said, "Don't worry...I've been in worst..." she said as she was still trying to her bearings straight as they drove away

"No real questions, I know you have your ways... I just need to get back to my place... so you can just drop me off there." She took a deep breath and wondered what she was going to do next. First off, she needed rest and then after that, she'd have a much clearer head on how to proceed next. She just needed to get something from her place. Yeah, they would probably be waiting or at least, come back there, looking for her, but she would deal with it all then.

 

[BeachBum25]

He took his time and did the speed limit. He did not want to draw attention to them in any way. When he saw a rest stop, he pulled off; they needed gas in their new car and he was pretty sure that Nicole needed something to eat.... he could, too.

After filling up the car with gas, Steve pulled around the back of the restaurant. "I have already been to your place. That is how I found you, because a couple of your "friends" stopped by while I was there. Fortunately, they had no idea about your false wall." He looked into her eyes. "Yes, I found it and was able to get into it. I saw all of the files you had. I am certain that all of this has to do with something in that room."

He got out of the car. "Wait here. I will get you something to eat and drink, and then we will go stake out your place." He went inside and ordered some food to go. While waiting, he had a cup of coffee. He had a feeling it was going to be a while before he got any sleep.

Once the food was ready, he paid for it in cash and he headed back out to the car. He handed the bag to Nicole and started the car. Pulling back on the freeway, he headed toward her place. The next phase of his adventure was about to begin.

 

[zydrate]

Food. She hadn't realized how hungry was. Even though her jaw hurt like hell, she ate. He remembered what she liked on her burger, lots of mayo and cheese.

Once they had parked outside her place, she was half tempted to just get out and get what she needed to get.

"I'd say, give them about thirty minutes and if they don't show, I'm going in..." she said. Nicole knew he wasn't of a talker so she didn't expect an answer from him as they continued to sit there and wait.

After about 10 minutes, Nicole looked over at him, "How did you know I was in trouble?" It wasn't a question she had to ask. She knew he would know. They had a connection that she couldn't explain.

 

[BeachBum25]

He sat there quietly. Although his voice was silent, his mind was racing and his eyes were constantly in motion. He looked at everyone, and he noticed everything. He wasn't sure what Nicole had gotten herself into, but he knew it wasn't good. He also knew that those who held her would be watching her place to see if she returned.

His focus was momentarily interrupted by her question to him. "I know you. I could hear it in your voice the last time we talked. You wouldn't say it, but I could tell. There was just something in the conversation that told me you were in trouble. So, here I am."

His eyes continued to move. He didn't see anyone that seemed out of place. He didn't see any vehicles approach. He didn't see anyone walk up. In spite of that, he didn't have a good feel for the situation. "You are not going inside. Not for a while. Someone is watching. I can feel it. I just can't find them."

 

[zydrate]

Damnit...how the hell did he know she was getting ready to get out and get what she needed. They were parked in a dark area and surely no one would see her...right?

Would she have moved stealthily as she did when she wasn't injured? Probably not. Someone was probably watching. Daniels had eyes all over, that much she found out the hard way.

Hiding a groan of pain, she straightened up in her seat and looked around too.

"I had wanted to get all the intel gathered before I figured out how to proceed. I just didn't realize it would sneak up on me so fucking soon... talk about a hornet's nest.."

She reached for the handle of the car door. "I got it from here... I'll be in and out... no one will know..."

 

[BeachBum25]

He continued to sit there quietly. His attention was on every detail... every light.... every movement... every gust of wind. He was not confident that they could go inside and get back out. He was going to have to do this on his own. There was no way she could move well enough to do it safely.

He noticed her movement, and he grabbed her arm before she could open the door. "No." He didn't say anything else for a moment. He just held her arm and continued to look through the windshield. He knew Nicole well enough to realize she would fight him on it, but there was no way she was going in.

"You can't." He sat there.. still not looking at her. "There is no way that you can get in and out of there... even if nobody is watching the place. You don't have enough strength. You need to stay here. I am going in. Just tell me what they are looking for. I was inside the hidden wall already. They didn't realize you had one. I can get in and get back out."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole wasn't in the mood to argue, in fact, all she wanted to do was sleep.

"I'm sure you've seen all the paper and folders.. the physical evidence .. even though that's some of what could get them in trouble, it's a decoy. There's a key I need to a safe deposit box." Nicole took a deep breath and leaned her head on the back of the seat, "It's in a cup of frozen water in the back of the freezer."

Again, no word from him as he finally let go of her, "I know it's a stupid place but I also know they wouldn't know they won't look in the obvious place." She was on the brink of passing out, "Be careful Cowboy."

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor pulled the car around the block. He wanted to be farther away, so that if any of the bad guys were milling around, they wouldn't stumble on Nicole sitting in the car. He knew they would be looking for his truck, but he wanted to be extra careful.

Once the car was parked again, he took his weapon and handed it to Nicole. "Anyone that approaches you has to go down. It might mean some collateral damage, but don't take any chances. Shoot first, ask questions later."

He got out of the car and walked slowly down an alley. He checked every movement. When he got to the back entrance of her building, he stopped and stood against the wall for a minute. He wanted to see if anyone would approach him. No one did. He went inside and looked around.

Trevor slowly climbed the steps and moved toward her door. He stopped and listened. He heard no movement. He heard no voices. He turned the handle and went inside. The apartment had been trashed. They had already been here. He stood next to the window and saw them crossing the street. They must have been inside before Nicole and he had arrived.

Checking the freezer, he found the cup. He didn't wait to get the key out. He took the whole glass and headed back out and down the steps. When he got to the car, Nicole was either asleep, passed out, or dead. He shook her and she jumped. He said nothing, he started the car and pulled out into traffic.

 

[zydrate]

There was no way she could keep herself awake and Nicole felt herself drift off.

He was never one for words. Maybe that's why he and Nicole made a good team in the past.

She had been dream of that night in the motel room. It was some cheap, pay by the hour place. It was the only place they could find on such short notice. Their plan was just to wait things out until the morning but it turned out into something much more. Nicole had wanted to get back into the action and he had talked her out of it... shut her up by kissing her. It was unexpected but wow.. and from there, they worked off some stress but when morning came, things were totally different..

And just like that, she hadn't seen him until he rescued her hours ago. Yeah, she had called him every now and then to talk and basically check in. But man, what she wouldn't give for a repeat. It took a few days but she knew why the morning after was awkward... she loved him and she had a feeling he felt the same for her.. not necessarily love but he had feelings for her. He just couldn't say it.

If she had the strength, Nicole would have smacked him for jerking her awake but hell, she was out again in no time.

She wasn't sure how long they had driven or where they were but she felt herself being carried and as much as she tried to wake up, she couldn't. She needed rest and things would be better in the morning...

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor got out onto the freeway and headed out into the middle of nowhere. He didn't know where he was heading, but he wanted to get as far away from where he was as possible. He let Nicole go back to sleep. His only reason for waking her originally was to make sure she was still alive.

As he drove, his mind drifted. He had missed Nicole. Yes, they talked periodically, but he missed being with her. He had never told her how much he cared for her. There had been the one night they spent together, but that didn't even scratch the service. He could never find a way to tell her that he loved her. He was always afraid that she would see that as a sign of weakness.

He found a hotel to stop at. They both needed the rest. He paid in cash for a room in the back and pulled right up to the door. He carried her in and laid her on the bed. He got his duffel bag out of the car, and when he was inside and had locked the door, he began to remove the dirty, blood-stained clothes from her body. She barely moved as he did so. He put one of his t-shirts on her and placed her under the sheets. Then he moved the one chair in the room to face the door, and he sat in it, weapon in hand, and fell asleep.

 

[zydrate]

She woke slowly and groaned when she felt pain shoot through out her body... it wasn't bad, just the sort of pain you feel as if having worked out too much the day prior.

Nicole shifted in bed...

In bed?

She looked down and saw she was in a bed..not her own, that was for sure. She also noticed her lack of clothing, well, her own clothing at least, but she had a t-shirt...

Looking up, she saw Trevor sleeping on the chair, gun in hand. At least he was sleeping, getting rest.

Getting up from the bed, she easily found the bathroom and closed the door. Once inside, she turned on the turned on the shower and then took the shirt off and looked at herself in the mirror. Her stab wound had stopped bleeding but she had grabbed a few extra washcloths just in case. From the looks of it, she'd have to have it sewn up. She'd also need new clothes.

Later, she'd take care of that later...

***

After her shower, she was wrapped in a towel and walked out to the main room and saw that Trevor was awake and pacing. She sat at the edge of the bed and sighed. Just doing that little made her tired. "So...where are we?"

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor heard the door to the bathroom close. He was always a light sleeper, but in a situation like this, even the sound of Nicole getting out of bed was enough to wake him. His mind started to race. Where should they go? He looked over at the glass, now defrosted, with the key inside sitting on the nightstand. There were a lot of answers in that glass.

He got up and moved around the room. He hated not having a plan. In fact, it drove him crazy. He couldn't make a plan until he had answers from her, and he knew her well enough that he wasn't going to push her, because then she would just shut down.

Hearing her exiting the bathroom, he turned and watched her walk into the room wrapped in a towel. He watched her sit and he heard her ask the question about where they were. He thought for a moment; looking into her eyes.

"We are in the middle of nowhere. We are somewhere between where I found you and where I have been living. I stopped here because we both needed some rest, and we need to develop a plan. Of course, I need to know what the hell is going on."

 

[zydrate]

And there he was. Business first Trevor.

Nicole was still too tired to argue. She had learned throughout the years that it was best to get the truth out instead of stalling. Especially when it came to Trevor. "Can I get some new clothes first and then breakfast?" She stood up and walked around him to get the pants she had on last night.

"Since we're in the middle of nowhere, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

She'd have to wear his t-shirt on...luckily her wound wasn't bleeding anymore.

"Come on Trevor..." she put her head on his shoulder, "Please?"