by Tinnean
Yeah. He wasn’t even nineteen yet. He was still going on the assumption he’d live forever.
“Theo read our fortunes last year, when Paul was in the hospital.” Spike shivered, and it was clear he was remembering that time. “I’m glad you killed that guy.”
I didn’t bother to correct him. What was the point? He wouldn’t believe me anyway.
And of course that was the moment a young nurse came into the bay. She stared at me, horrified.
“He’s an actor.” I grinned and nodded toward Spike. “I’m running lines with him.”
“Sorry.” She laughed and shook her head. “That’s Hollywood for you. Here’s the icepack the doctor ordered for you. Twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off.”
“Thank you.” Spike took it and rested it carefully against his cheek. “My head really hurts. May I have an aspirin or something?”
She went to the chart clipped to the end of the bed and flipped through the pages. “I don’t see any orders for that. I’ll ask the doctor on call, though.”
“Has the tox screen come back for him yet?”
“Not yet, but I’ll call the lab. I’ll be back as soon as I hear anything.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled and hurried off.
“So, what did Theo predict for you?”
“Huh? Oh, Paul would live to be ninety-five, and mine would be the last face he saw.” He stared into my eyes. “His would be the last face I saw too, because if he dies before I do, I’ll slit my wrists.” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you gonna try to talk me out of it?”
“Nope.” I wouldn’t want to live past Quinn’s dying myself, so I had no intention of giving him grief over it. “You’ll do whatever you feel you have to.”
Paul strolled in, holding two cups of coffee. “Sorry, babe, nothing for you yet. Vince, you take it black, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I took it and raised it to my lips. It wasn’t half bad.
“What does Spike have to do?”
Shit. I’d hoped Paul hadn’t heard our conversation.
Spike shook his head frantically, then winced and swallowed a couple of times.
“He’s not sure if he should stay with Falling Water or jump into acting with both feet.”
Spike stared at me in awe. What, didn’t he think I could lie?
“Don’t burn your bridges, babe.”
“You’re right, Paul.” He rested a hand in his lap while the other one held the icepack to his cheek. “Well, it was just a thought. I’ll be a waiter with aspirations. Although I have to say, since I let my hair go back to its natural color, I’ve been getting good tips.”
Just then the doctor arrived with the nurse at his side. “Mr. Wells—”
“It’s just Spike.”
“All right. Spike. I’m Doctor Cassem. The lab results have come back. There are traces of scopolamine in your blood, and we’d like to keep you here in the ER overnight for observation. Nancy says you’re still complaining of a headache, so I’m going to write you an order for ibuprofen PRN.”
“Huh?”
“As needed.”
“How long do I have to wait?”
“I have it right here.” He held up the little paper cup. “Nancy?”
She went through the routine of checking to make sure Spike was who he was supposed to be, gave him the paper cup with the tablet in it, and poured him a glass of water from the bedside pitcher.
He swallowed the tablet and washed it down. “Thank you.”
“It’s a busy night. I’ll be back later to check on you,” Dr. Cassem said, and as he left, the woman from earlier came in and held out something to me.
“What… Oh, thanks.” It was my insurance card. That explained why the doctor called Spike “Wells.” That was the name on it.
“You have excellent insurance.”
“I work for an excellent company.”
“I’ll need you to fill out this young man’s paperwork.”
Almost twenty-seven hundred miles from DC, and I was still doing paperwork. “Okay, let me have it, and I’ll get it to you as soon as I’m done.”
“My office is just down the hall. I have to get back. Dr. Cassem is right. We are busy.” She bustled off.
I placed the Styrofoam coffee cup and the clipboard on the bedside table and put the card back in my wallet, but I couldn’t get started filling out the forms. “Dammit.” I snapped my fingers. “No pen.”
Nurse Nancy winked at me and handed me one.
“Thanks so much,” I muttered.
“My pleasure.”
I braced a foot on the lower bed rail, leaned the clipboard on my knee, and started filling in blanks.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked Spike.
“No, thank you.”
“If you do need anything, just let us know.” And she left as well.
“Alone at last.” I stared down at the line that wanted to know his closest relative. I shrugged and wrote my name. They could think I was his dad or his uncle, fuck if I cared.
Paul dragged a chair over. “Take a load off, Vince.” He climbed onto the bed and stretched out beside Spike.
Spike nestled against him and sighed. “That’s better.”
“It is. Vince, can you stay a few days? I don’t think I’ll be comfortable leaving Spike alone when I go back to work.”
“I can stay.” Human Resources would be overjoyed I was taking more time off.
“Cool! I can take you to the beach and the zoo, and we can go down to Disneyland again—”
“Spike, I don’t think you’re up to playing tour guide.”
“Uh… Maybe not.” The short burst of enthusiasm seemed to have worn him out, and he looked like he was about to fall asleep. I rose and put the clipboard down on the chair, then took the icepack from him. It was about twenty minutes anyway.
Paul ran his palm up and down Spike’s arm, careful to avoid the ugly bruise, and kissed his temple. “Love you, babe.”
“Me too, you,” he mumbled.
“Did you reach Theo?”
“Yeah. He was making breakfast, and I think I scared him. It sounded like he dropped the dishes.” He yawned. “There was a huge crash, and they probably broke. But as soon as he realized I was cry—I mean I was just relieved that Spike was okay, he was relieved too. I’m glad this is all over with.”
“So am I.”
“Vince, I can’t thank you enough…”
“It’s not necessary.”
“I couldn’t have gotten through this without you.”
“Paul, that’s what friends are for. Now try to get some sleep. I’m here, and I’ll keep watch.” I could have saved my breath. He was already asleep.
I untied his running shoes, and once I removed them, I set them on the floor under the bed, pulled the blanket up over them, and raised the side rails. Then I found the bed’s controls and lowered it as well. The last thing we needed was for one of them to roll over and fall out of bed.
I stepped back and studied them. Paul’s black hair didn’t contrast as much with Spike’s auburn hair as it had when he’d been a platinum blond, but they still made a cute couple. And with the stress wiped from his face, he didn’t look much older than Spike.
Well, they were all tucked up for the time being. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was a little after 3:00 a.m., which made it just past 11:00 a.m.in London. If I called now, I should be able to reach Quinn.
I picked up the clipboard and the icepack and went to the nurses’ station. “This was for the kid in bay eleven. It needs to be replaced in about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll see his nurse is aware.”
“Thanks. Also, he and the guy with him are asleep. I’m just stepping out to make a phone call, so if they wake up before I get back, could you have someone come get me?”
“You bet.”
“Thanks very much. Now I just need to drop this off.” I held up the clipboard.
“Oh,
you can leave it with me.”
“Thank you.” I peered at her nametag. “Betty. I appreciate it.”
“Enough to maybe have coffee with me? I get off in a few minutes.”
“Thank you for asking, but…” I cleared my throat. “I’ve got to make that phone call. I promised my guy I’d keep him in the loop.”
“Oh? Oh!” She smiled ruefully and shrugged. “Well, it was worth a try. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
I walked out into the night. Sunrise wouldn’t be for another couple of hours, and the air was still cool. I was glad I’d worn my jacket.
I took out my phone and pressed one on speed dial.
Quinn picked up on the first ring. “Good morning, Mark.” I knew he had to be alone.
“Hey, babe. Do you have time to talk?”
“For you? Always.”
This wasn’t the place for phone sex, but hearing his voice was almost as good.
“First tell me you’re all right.” He’d worried? I was touched.
“I’m fine.”
“In that case, proceed.”
“Okay, so here’s what happened…”
Chapter 28
“So I’ll be out here a few more days,” I told Quinn as I finished bringing him up to date. “At least until we know for sure how Spike is.”
“Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m glad you were able to rescue Val.”
“Me? I didn’t do a fucking thing. It was your uncles who got to him. And Cisco.”
“Well, you set things in motion.”
I snorted. “Something’s still bothering you.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m really pleased that your friend has been found safe. It’s just.... I was rather hoping I’d see you tomorrow night.”
“But you’re in London.”
“Mother and I are cutting our trip short.”
“How come?”
“There’s no reason for us to stay. Jack Abberley took the news very well. As a matter of fact he wasn’t as upset as Mother thought he’d be. Not that she wanted him to be upset, but for the past ten or twelve years he’d vowed he loved her.”
“Want me to kill him?”
He laughed. “No, Mark, but thank you for the offer.”
“Well, just let Portia know I’m available if she wants him erased.”
“I’ll be sure to pass on your message.”
“So who’s Abberley in love with?”
“What makes you think he’s in love with someone else?”
“Quinn, there has to be someone else. Jesus, if I didn’t have you, I’d be in love with Portia!”
“Well, I’m glad you have me.”
“Yeah, so am I. So the woman he’s in love with? Or is it a man?”
“No, she’s a very lovely young Iranian woman, and she’s his housekeeper. She has been for the past seven years.”
So that was it: proximity. “How young is young?”
“She’s about twenty-five, I believe.”
And Abberley was at least three times her age. Well, Quinn’s uncle had married a woman young enough to be his granddaughter. Either the marriage would last, or, like Tony Sebring’s, it wouldn’t.
“So what’s got you bent out of shape?”
“I’m not—” He blew out a breath. “I’ll be home in Alexandria, but you’ll be in Los Angeles.” He had a point. Still….
“That’s no big deal. You’ve got the time off, don’t you? Fly on out to LA. We can be Spike’s bodyguards, and afterward I’ll take you to Disneyworld and hold your hand in the Haunted Mansion.”
“Would you really?”
“You bet your ass.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Hey, gotta keep my guy safe, don’t I?”
“Yes. Thank you, Mark.”
“Okay, then. Call me as soon as—” A soft chirrup indicated I had a call coming in, and a quick glance at the screen showed me who it was. “Quinn, I’ve got another call. Can you hold on?”
“Certainly.”
“Thanks, babe.” I touched the icon that put Quinn on hold and took the incoming call. “What’s up, Pete?”
“I regret to disturb you at this time of day.”
“Not a problem. I was up anyway. What can I do for you?”
“I must hope it will be something, Mark. Things are not going well here. Your M. Stanley is refusing to send help not only to Tactics but to my group as well.”
“And?”
“I need you here.”
“Jesus, Pete, you’ve got almost as many years in this business as I do under your belt. You should be fine.” I had no intention of seeing my vacation with Quinn go up in smoke.
“I had hoped I wouldn’t have to do this.” He sounded mournful.
“Do what?” I suddenly had an uneasy feeling.
“Un moment.”
“Good morning, Mark.” It was Femme. Her lightly accented voice was cool and clipped.
I didn’t wait for her to say anything. I’d promised her my help if she ever needed it, and it looked like my promise was coming home to roost.
“How bad is it?”
“Somehow, Tactics has obtained the backing of the Scarlet Chamber. We’ve gone farther underground, but if we don’t have your aid, we won’t be able to hold out for long.”
“And you think one man will be enough?”
“When the man is you, and combined with the best that was once the Division’s? But of course.”
“Okay. Can you tell me where you are?”
“In the same building Prinzip had its headquarters.”
“Do they know where you are?”
“Babineaux says no.”
And he’d be the one to know. “It’s going to take me at least twelve hours to get to Paris. I’m in LA right now, and I’ll have to make arrangements.” God alone knew how long that would take.
“Whenever you can get here, Mark. As long as we know you’re willing to help.”
“I gave you my word, Zhenshchina.”
“And I had hoped never to have asked for you to keep it.”
“That’s the business we’re in. How are you?”
“I’m well. You have heard of Homme?”
“Yeah.” Aleksei Ushakov had been born on an island in the Barents Sea. At a very young age, he’d been taken to a training facility he referred to as “the other place.” It was cold and grim, but he’d learned a good deal there, and eventually he was recruited to the Division to work under Femme.
“He’s a good man,” she said. “I plan to keep him.”
“Let him know you have friends in deadly places. If he doesn’t treat you well, I’ll come after him.”
“Thank you, my friend, but that won’t be necessary. And of course the same holds true for your M’sieur Mann.”
I felt cold. “Who else knows about Quinn?”
“Pierre suspects, but he’ll say nothing, and I’ll see it stays that way. Just a small token to repay what you did for me.”
“I appreciate it.” Other than Portia Mann, Femme was the only woman I’d trust with that information.
“I look forward to seeing you soon, Mark. I’d like you to meet Homme.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to that myself. Put Pete back on, okay?”
“Mon cher m’sieur—”
“Don’t try to sweet-talk me, de Becque. You’ve put a serious crimp in my vacation plans.”
“You have my eternal gratitude.”
“Yeah, yeah. Listen. I told Femme it’s going to take me some time to get to Paris. Fucking stay alive until then, will you?”
“We have enough supplies to last a week, and plenty of ammunition.”
“It won’t take me that long to show up. I’ll let you know when I land.”
“Merci, Mark. Merci bien. I’ll send Giuliani to pick you up.”
“Fine. Just remember: don’t get dead.”
He laughed. “Bi
en sûr.”
I touched the icon and disconnected his call. “Quinn, you still there?”
“I am, Mark. Problems?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“You kept me on hold for ten minutes.”
Jesus, it was that long? “I’m sorry. And yeah, there’s a serious problem. The Division and Scarlet Chamber have hooked up. I’ve got to go to Paris and deal with it.”
“Mark, you’re not in the field any longer. This isn’t your problem.”
“It is. A friend is calling in a favor.”
“De Becque?”
“No. It’s Femme.”
“Ah.
“Uh… are you jealous, Quinn?”
“Should I be?” He sounded merely curious. There was no coolness in his voice as there had been when we’d first started fucking with each other’s minds more than a year ago.
“You’re the one I want forever with.”
“Then why would I be jealous?”
“Well, I’m dropping everything to fly to France for her.”
“Just as you dropped everything for Val. I know you, Mark. As little as you’d like other people to realize it, you’re a good man, an honorable man. Now, I imagine you need to get a good deal accomplished before your flight—”
“Yeah, that flight. It’s too bad the Concorde isn’t flying out of Dulles today.”
“Let me call Uncle Bryan. He knows someone who flies charters. She’ll do it for him.”
“Can she get me to Paris?” I would have objected, but I figured Bryan Sebring owed me for having all the fun the evening before.
“She can’t make Concorde time, but she’s fast.”
“Thanks, babe. I appreciate it.”
“I’ll get to it then—”
“Quinn, wait!”
“Yes?”
“Stay in London. Well, stay in Europe. It shouldn’t take long to get this done. There’s a little bar in Paris near the Place Pigalle, Le Petit Homme. Meet me there?”
“Of course, Mark. Place Pigalle, Le Petit Homme,” he repeated. “When?”
“Shit.” I had no clue when I’d get to Paris or how long it would actually take me to wrap this shit up.
“Never mind. I’ll be there, and I’ll see you when I see you.”
“Thanks, Quinn. I… uh….”
“I know. Forever.”
“Well, yeah, but….” He deserved more than that.