Reckless [.06]

I buried my pride with some difficulty and headed back out of the room to discuss strategy. 
     "Please, dazzle me with your plan," I muttered dryly.  Julian arched an eyebrow as Charlie watched a swallow flit about. 
     "Well, if you insist on following us, and you must know, we head for New York."  I let my mouth flop open as the shock hit and registered. 
     "What?  You want to take him to one of the biggest cities on the face of the earth?  Are you flaming mad?"  Asides from a slight frown Julian ignored my outburst. 
     "And I suppose you prefer that we take him to some backwoods mountain cabin where a bear would probably finish him off?" 
     "You wouldn't be able to handle a bear?" I questioned tilting my head marginally.  His frown became more pronounced. 
     "The more people that we throw him in with the less obvious he is." 
     "Oh well that logic is just perfect.  Have you thought at all about the easy accessability of New York, and how close we already are?  The more time we spend in travel the harder it is to track." 
     "That's debateable, if we duck down quick enough, they won't see us at all." 
     "Oh, well then how about we just bunk down here for the long haul?  Haven't you ever played hide and seek without being found?  No place is totally hidden, you have to keep moving." 
     "Well, since you're clearly the expert, what's your plan?"  I smiled without constraint, this was what I'd been waiting for. 
     "I already have tickets for a cruise around the arctic circle, I purchased the last fifty.  The cruise is sold out and leaves from Anarbor in two days." 
     "So, if we make it to the boat, we're clear?" Charlie questioned breaking into the tense atmosphere. 
     "I'm starting to like you Charlie." 
     "Well, that's good," he said, letting an easy smile drop onto his lips.  We both moved our gazes back to Julian at the same moment, I hated it, but Charlie trusted him.  Charlie was the objective, and so Julian may as well have been sodered to my hip. 
     "You have money for warmer clothes?" Julian asked, locking his gaze with mine. 
     "Not a problem, trust me."  Any debt that I ran up truly wasn't a problem, if this mission wasn't successful then I wouldn't make it out to explain where the money went.  Whether Julian knew that my life was tied into this wasn't my concern, his was too.  Hopefully I wouldn't have to wait too much longer.

We drove straight through to a small town outside Anarbor, after wiping and leaving behind my small car.  A concession that small I could afford.  Julian drove smartly, quickly, leaving more than enough shopping time to spare.  We again reached a problem at the shop however. 
     "Shouldn't you try that on?" Julian questioned through slitted eyes. 
     "I know my size," I responded, knowing that my nostrils must be flaring. 
     "Uh, guys?  Can you calm down?  I think that guy is staring at you." 
     "Well, if she wouldn't be so ridiculous!" 
     "Keep your panties on will you?" 
     "Have we not already proved that you can trust us?" Julian gritted out, veins in his hands popping out clutching at the hangers in his hands. 
     "The first and last time I trusted someone in this line of work I wound up with the blade of a dagger in my collarbone."  I could picture the scar, that thin white line puffed up, without the slightest difficulty as well as the awful color a black sweater turned while soaking in blood.  Could remember gasping in that frigid Russia air while trying to run and push all that blood back inside me at the same time.  I had barely made it out, and then chose to make the switch to escape tactics.  Sitting at a table miles from the actual killing I was much better at, markedly better.  Julian inhaled deeply through his nose and let it out in increments from between his lips.

     "I suppose I can see where you're coming from then."  The show of consideration was unexpected, I was shell shocked.  "Are you ready to check out?" 
     "Erm, sure."  We all bought heavy jackets, not parkas, moveability was important, fur lined boots, as well as formal attire for the dinner hour.  On our way to the checkout I swept my eyes around the store, searching for the 'guy that was looking at us' there weren't too many people in the store, an elderly couple, a few attendents, and one man standing too relaxed near a corner.  To the untrained eye he wouldn't even be a blip on the radar, but he was exactly what I was looking for.  "Julian," I murmured looking back to him and pointing a finger to the man.  The hand was hidden behind a bundle of clothes, only Julian could see it.  I watched as his eyes scanned over the area, not pausing on anything, that would give us both away.  He nodded so slightly I wasn't sure I had seen the movement. 
      "Did you want to grab that dear?"  I bit my lip, he was really asking a much more important question, did I trust him with Charlie long enough to kill this man?  I struggled inside myself for thirty seconds. 
     "Could you?"  Whatever his reaction was, he hid it in a blink and offered the stack of his clothes to me.  Charlie watched the exchange with mock disinterest. 
     "Don't let her leave without me,"  The tone was joking, but the warning was real, if I wanted to take Charlie I had a feeling he would have to be unconcious for it.  It was too much effort, I decided reaching the counter.  If Julian was good in hand to hand combat then he would be useful.  Beyond the rudimentary skills I didn't know much. 
We reached the car to see Julian leaning against it.  While his posture was relaxed, his face was somewhat tense.

     "I don't like this," he grunted throwing the clothes in the trunk.  I frowned, I didn't either. 
     "It's too close for comfort, but I think that we should continue on.  If we run into trouble on the ship we can conveniently disappear at the next port.  What do you think?"  As soon as the words were out I regretted them, I didn't want to ask for his opinion.  First of all, it rarely agreed with my own, and secondly, it made me unstable. 
     "No," he murmured decisevely, "You're right, we should keep going.  And if we have enough time in port we can really screw with their heads."  I paused at his remark,
     "What exactly did you have in mind?"  His answering smile chilled my spine. 
     "We've plenty of time for explanations later," he murmured opening the trunk for our purchases.  We all climbed back in the car, we were to spend one night in a motel in Anarbor before our ship left port. 
     "So you never explained how you came to be here," Charlie began after a few moments. 
     "I am not sure that I can explain, how much information do you have?" 
     "He knows it all," Julian interupted smoothly. 
     "Are you FBI or something?" 
     "CIA actually." 
     "Why do I get the feeling that you aren't on assignment at the moment?" 
     "He's missing in action right now," Charlie quipped. 
     "Would you mind if I asked why?"
     "Of course not, but would you mind if I didn't answer?" 
     "How about story for story?"  Came the suggestion from the back. 
     "Alright.  I was just finishing an assignment in Paris when I got the call.  Apparently I was the best that could be acquired." 
     "Well, don't be modest," Julian still had his eyes on the road, but his tone was quite insulting. 
     "Sorry, what I meant to say is that I was the best alive and available." 
     "Hm." Julian replied.
     "So that was it?  You got a call?" 
     "Yep, pay that big...well, I just couldn't deny."  Julian shot a look out the corner of his eye, but didn't say a word.