Anthony part 2
I hope it won't take another year for the last bit of this story. Here is part two anyway.
if you need to read it again, there is a link to Part 1
Part 2
An hour later he was in the bedroom, on watch for the woman to wake up and conveniently hiding away from Angela. His time had been spent meditating on the recent event and he had come to the conclusion that he was screwed. His boss was mad at him, the woman they were supposed to “baby-sit” was angry at the both of them, even Oliver had left in a bad mood, though in his case it had probably already abated. The best he could hope was for Angela to keep the bill for when the job was done and the woman to wake up in a better mood than the one she had gone to sleep in. Maybe if he explained the situation to her? Why had she been fighting with Angela anyway? They had seemed perfectly fine when he had left them. Unless she had tried to escape and his boss had decided to set an example?
A groan coming from the bed interrupted his thoughts. The woman was moving and sighing and slowly coming back to the real world. Anthony got on his feet and closer to the bed, ready to ward off any threatening move.
Her eyes fluttered open and she did a slow once over of the room. There was a tired resilience written in her features that Anthony didn’t really like but, what could he do?
He moved from his seat to come closer to the bed, the woman’s eyes followed him across the room and he felt uneasy under her gaze.
He leant against the wall at the head of the bed and waited for her to do something.
"You work with a she-demon." Stated the woman calmly.
The way this sentence reflected his own thoughts so exactly amazed Anthony for a while. If the circumstances had been any different he would have approved frantically and asked the girl to go out with him. As it was he just wasted efforts into keeping a composed air that eventually dissolved into mad laughter. He laughed a bit too nervously but still it felt good. If it hadn't been for the lost expression of the woman he might have just kept on going until he died of lack of oxygen. "You… nailed it… so perfectly." He managed to croak between bouts of hilarity. "Ouch that hurt." As he was hugging his middle in a vain attempt to ease the pain from his abdominals he caught a glimpse of the woman's mouth and noticed that it had somewhat of an upside tilt at the corners. By the time he stopped laughing it had disappeared. Then a heavy silence set that Anthony didn't know how to break. He was trying to solve his own little dilemma that could be summarized as: to make or not to make friend with the prisoner. He sensed that it would be easy enough, he also knew that Angela wouldn't like it and that it might make further interactions awkward.
The choice was taken out of his hands when the smile of the woman returned more powerfully while she said "I changed my mind about you, you don't seem to be a he-demon."
As he returned the smile, Anthony thought that it might be worth the later troubles to have just one person around on speaking terms with him.
It was already late in the evening, around nine, Anthony found out when he finally deigned to check the time. Too early to go to bed, too late to really do anything. But his stomach reminded him with a loud rumble that it wasn't too late to catch up on the dinner he hadn't taken. "Are you hungry?" He asked the woman politely. She had been starring at him with yet another of those smiles. It seemed the more Anthony's body betrayed him the more she was feeling up to forgive him for sticking a needle in her. At the question her smile widened further.
"Very. I could eat tons of food." The sparkle in her eyes implied that there was a joke in here somewhere but Anthony decided to leave it be. He crossed the room to go back in the salon and find out what could be done to fill their empty stomachs. To find out, also, if Angela was in a better mood and if she had decided how she would make him regret his earlier words. Speaking of whom, Angela was seated in a couch and reading a paperback that had seen better days. It was in Italian and Anthony knew, for having read it once, that it was a sappy love story. Angela said she read it because the heroine made her laugh with all her naivety and sweetness. In his least charitable moods, Anthony sometimes wondered if it wasn't just because she still had to finish it after all those years, or maybe she just kept it around for the front-picture, a reproduction of a painting showing a musketeer protecting a woman.
But right now her mind was obviously far from the story. As soon as Anthony entered the room, he was caught in her gaze like a deer in headlights. The room was soon filled with overwhelming uneasiness. Apparently she hadn't forgiven him yet.
"You hungry?" Meekly asked Anthony when it became evident that Angela wasn't going to start the hostilities. She didn't answer, just kept on glaring so he decided that the answer was yes.
Making a strategic retreat he just took the time to throw a "I'm going to get some food" behind his shoulder before the door shut close behind him.
As he made his way to the hotel lobby he mused on how intense Angela had been and how much trouble he must be in. The smell of food that reached him from a nearby fast-food just increased the nausea that the encounter with Angela had left him with. He didn't waste any more time than he needed to get something for the three of them. As much as he didn't like to face Angela again he liked the idea that she was alone with the prisoner even less.
There was no bloodbath to greet him when he re-entered the room but their charge had left the sleeping room and was now sitting at the table, discreetly keeping an eye on Angela who was pretending to read her book again. The atmosphere was as filled with electricity as it had been when he left. With an inward sigh, he put the three meals on the table.
"I took burgers, I hope it is alright."
The woman shrugged and started sorting through one of the bags. "As it is, I am hungry enough for anything." To illustrate her words she brought a burger to her mouth and bit a big chunk out of it. Under Anthony looked at her, fascinated by the sauce dripping down her chin.
Angela dropped her book, stomped to the table and looked through the bags until she found a napkin that she threw at her. "Disgusting." She commented.
Their prisoner didn't react and just made a pleased sound before taking another bite. Anthony decided then that his hunger had returned enough to pick at some fries. His sitting with the woman was probably taken as treason by Angela who took her part of the meal and locked herself in the single bedroom with it. Anthony didn’t mind, the woman spared a chuckle at Angela’s childishness and then resumed her meal.
Halfway through the meal, after Anthony had thought of her as the woman for the umpteenth time, he finally asked her name.
“Melaike.” She answered simply. She didn’t add anything nor did she ask for his name. He decided that he would give it nonetheless.
“My name is Anthony.”
They finished their meal in silence and then went to bed. Angela was still brooding so Anthony shared the room with Melaike. She snored, but it didn’t keep him from falling asleep, not one second.
Anthony was woken by someone shaking his shoulder none too gently. He opened his eyes to find Angela only covered by an opened shirt and her underwear.
“Please” he whimpered, “Tell me you are not drunk again”.
She had enough presence of mind to look perplex, that was a good sign. Her voice didn’t slur either when she asked what he meant. Her suspicious expression finished to reassure him that there would be no re-enactment of a best forgotten episode of their shared-life. It had been a real relief the next day to find that she didn’t remember what had happened, such a relief that he had never spoken to her about the incident again, avoiding the subject of that night as best he could. Since he wasn’t about to tell her now, of all times, he dodged answering by asking her what she wanted.
“I wanna talk to you.”
“What now?” Anthony felt the irritation rise in him. “Could you not wait until tomorrow?” His voice had gotten louder and Angela shushed him with a finger pointed toward Melaike. The woman was still sleeping but Anthony felt that she wouldn’t be for long if they stayed in the room. With a sigh he got out of bed and gestured to Angela to precede him in the other room.
The light was lit and Angela’s book was back on the couch. Maybe she had felt that she needed to stand guard or she was upset about something and couldn’t sleep. Melaike had managed to make Anthony forget that she was their prisoner but it didn’t mean that she wouldn’t try to escape. Well he wouldn’t let himself be enrolled for watch duty tonight. He didn’t think he owed that to Angela, not with how tired he still felt. With this in mind he waited for Angela to start the conversation.
“I am sorry.” She said finally.
It wasn’t what Anthony was expecting. Wasn’t something Angela said often and never with such good-will. It was so unexpected that Anthony didn’t know what to do. “I… uh… okay?” He sought a reason for which she might want to make amend so earnestly, found none and, hold habits kicking in, wondered where the catch was.
As if she could read his mind, Angela started to justify her sudden apology. “There has been a lot of work lately and not much free time. Also I realize that being always sharing time and space with each other might be rough on the nerves. I haven’t been at my best either and things between us have become tense and messed up and so I apologize.”
Her ramble didn’t make much sense in Anthony’s opinion. It felt as though she was saying sorry more for the sake of saying it than because she felt she had done anything wrong. At least, Anthony mused, she had noticed that things were wrong and was trying to do something about it. Asking for forgiveness wasn’t the right way to go about it but Angela probably thought that since it was hard on her it would be enough. He didn’t want the rest of their mission to be like that evening so he decided to accept Angela’s peace offering. For now at least.
“Okay. I accept your apology. I apologize also for that joke earlier, it was not funny.”
Angela smiled, obviously pleased that he would take things so well. “Good. I accept your apology.” She stood still and Anthony wondered if she expected him to say something more.
“Is there anything else?” He asked nervously, hoping that he wasn’t making a mistake, right after they had managed to fix the previous one. “Because I would like to go back to bed.”
“Oh.” Obviously it wasn’t what Angela had been waiting for but she hurried to hide the disappointment. “No, nothing else, you can go.” Anthony hesitated. But he didn’t know what he could say and admitting his ignorance might be just as bad as saying something stupid. The fear of things becoming tense once again won in the end. With a last good-night he turned around and went back to his bed.
“Yhea, good night.” Answered Angela from behind him. Even though he itched to turn around and ask her what she was expecting from him -what the fucking hell her problem was with him- he forced himself to keep his eyes on the door. Angela was and would forever remain a mystery, it wasn’t only a conclusion he had come to, it was a way of protecting both of them. There could be only pain if they got too close. Oliver would know and from then on… there was no way out that he could see. So it was better to just avoid anything deeper than that boss/employee relationship. Maybe he should thank the Lord for Angela’s thorny nature. Maybe that was what people called a blessing in disguise.
After the door clicked shut behind him, he spent a little time, just standing with his back resting on the wood. It would freak people to know just how fast and how well his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he mused inwardly. He could never see perfectly in total darkness, but well enough to see how Melaike’s head was turned toward the door, eyes opened and expression intent. Had she heard? Even if she had, would she get how deep the unease ran? Would it matter?
“Did you hear?” He asked, low enough that Angela, who was still in the next room, couldn’t hear him.
“She is still a she-demon.” Answered Melaike in the same tone.
Anthony nodded though she couldn’t see him. She had heard and she had understood. Well he could live with it he guessed. He didn’t sleep very well for the rest of the night and when Melaike sneaked out of her bed the next morning and tip-toed to the door he watched her and greeted her loudly before she could try to get in the next room. Sneaking out was useless anyway, Angela had been awake for an hour already. He had heard her leave the suite and come back. Hopefully she had gone to get some breakfast.
Indeed, a while later the three of them were having breakfast together. Anthony had noticed that Angela was wearing the same dark circles under her eyes that he was. On the bright side she had ignored Melaike until now. Their charge had been behaving as well and had given no reason to complain. The messy eater of the previous day had disappeared entirely and Melaike was eating her breakfast almost with grace.
They left soon after that. Angela and Melaike had been able to get a change of cloth but Anthony hadn’t packed anything and had to wear his rumpled shirt. When he threw Angela a murdering look she shrugged. “I sent you a text to tell you to pack. Not my fault you didn’t get it.”
Anthony sighed. “I’m going to need cloth though, and a charger for my cell, and a razor.” The best way to do that would be to let Angela with Melaike and go get them, he could catch up with them at the next halt. Or even before if he was quick. But could the two women stand each other for that time? “Do you think you can leave me in town and be on your own for a while?” He asked Angela finally.
She hesitated but nodded firmly. Melaike didn’t look pleased but didn’t say anything. He was holding her arm in an apparently friendly manner, actually it was to keep her from trying to leave. They reached the car without trouble and Angela went in the driver’s seat while Anthony and Melaike shared the rear bench. Very few words were exchanged during the drive to the town centre. Anthony left with the promise that he would see them at the next hotel as son as possible. Angela told him that he was better be quick. “Or else,” she menaced good-humouredly, “I’ll find things for you to do, lots of things.”
Angela might think it was a joke, Anthony took it very seriously. He had been sent to buy frilly panties and bras once, Angela’s idea of friendly payback. Never again.
A surprise was waiting for him at his apartment. Oliver was waiting for him, coffee on the table along with one of Anthony’s bag, looking full.
“Do not forget to brush your teeth every night and to send a postcard.” Said the blond with a wide smile. By watching him you would never guess that he had been biting Anthony’s head off not even two days ago. But it was Oliver for you. He could never hold a grudge for long, because that meant actually remembering the people you were mad at and he had better things to do, didn’t he?
Anthony had lost some of his momentum. “Thank you, for breaking in my apartment and getting my things ready.” He said.
“Do not mention it, it was my pleasure.” Replied Oliver much too politely to be genuine.
Anthony didn’t bother going through the content of the bag. Instead he sat at the table where Oliver joined him and started pouring coffee.
Anthony eyed him warily while wondering what Oliver thought he was doing. The scene had him thinking back on Angela’s own peace offering the night before. “What do you think you are doing?” He finally wondered out loud.
Oliver didn’t answer straight away, instead he took the time to sip his coffee. “Mmh, yummy.” He approved. “You should try it, I made it especially for you.”
Anthony sighed and brought his own cup to his lips. It smelled very good as far as coffee went. He was no specialist and could drink pretty much anything but this one tasted especially nice. Nothing like the cheap stuff he had in his cupboards. Which meant that Oliver had bought it.
“Nice.” Acknowledged Anthony. “So? What is the occasion?”
“I thought that I would leave you a bitter taste of a different nature than the last time we met, since you and I are not going to see each other for some time.”
This declaration was explainable by the current job Anthony was working on but the solemn tone worried him nonetheless. “Is everything alright?" He asked with a false detached air "Are your elders unhappy?”
His question provoked a baffled look, followed by a laugh. A genuine laugh that Had Oliver losing his breath and cling to his ribs. When he spoke next, he was whipping tears from his eyes. “Anthony, Anthony, so caring and so concerned.” His gaze locked with Anthony’s confused face. “What am I going to do with you?” He asked quietly, as if he was talking to himself.
Anthony rolled his eyes to show how unimpressed he was by Oliver’s antic. “So I take it you are going on well with your hierarchy right now?”
Oliver smiled bitterly and nodded with false sheer. “Yeah, lots of fun. Smiles and sunshine everyday. We even have pet names for each other. Mine is Fuck-up right now. Want to join?” Anthony preferred not to answer so Oliver kept going. “Seriously though, you do not have to worry about me. Not when you already have so many reasons to worry about yourself. Speaking of which, you should go. I believe you are making two lovely ladies wait for you, something a gentleman should avoid at all costs.” He added in a more conversational tone.
Anthony recognizes the cue for what it was. Oliver was done with the conversation and wanted Anthony to be on his way. The fact that Oliver knew about Melaike wasn’t a surprise, he always knew plenty, if not too much.
He had no trouble finding the girls at a drive-in that also provided a descent meal. Angela took the wheel after that and it was only when they stopped into the yard of a three stars hotel, that had nothing to do with the rundown thing they were supposed to spend the night in, that Anthony realized that they hadn’t followed the plan. He waited until they were all installed in their room before telling Angela so, away from Melaike's ears.
"Don't worry," she replied with a coy smirk "Everything is under control."
She then spontaneously and loudly volunteered to find them food and made a hasty retreat toward the door with a brief order to "Keep an eye on her" and a wave in Melaike's general direction.
"O…kay." Anthony stood a moment longer while he wondered what she wasn't telling him. Again. Before he decided that he couldn't leave their charge behind to run after Angela and torture her until she spilt the bean. Melaike had already colonized the couch and figured out how to use the TV. He sat next to her. "What are you watching?" He asked though it was obvious that nothing had managed to hold her attention yet. An orange monstrosity with four arms appeared on the screen, fighting things while an old man with an Hawaiian shirt and a little girl with orange hair and purple circle around her hands were being cornered by other… things. One look at his distraught expression and Melaike dropped the remote at her side.
"Cartoons" She stated with a false bored voice and mischief clearly visible in her eyes.
The four-armed alien -who turned out to be a little boy actually- was replaced by a yellow sponge wearing pants, the story still didn't make much sense but his eyes were glued to the screen nonetheless.
When the insanity paused to allow some advertisement, he hastily turned to face Melaike. "How can you watch this?" He asked with horrified fascination.
"I don't." She answered with sadistic glee "But your expression was worth an exception."
"That…" he was about to say that was cruel, but seeing as she was being held against her free will making him suffer was only fair pay-back. He had to say something, though, because Melaike was waiting for his next words. "That is flattering. I guess. What do you usually watch then?" It wasn't a very subtle way to change topic but he wasn't very picky right now and Melaike didn't comment on it.
Discovery channel wasn't much more interesting. But Melaïke wasn't watching him stare at the screen in horror at least. Seriously though, what was so interesting about volcanoes?
The week was spent changing place everyday, waking early driving never more than two hours and getting set in a new place. Angela was keeping her distance and Anthony was looking over Melaike, spending his entire days with nothing to do but watch TV and talk and share little unimportant things. He learnt her favourite colour, her favourite movie, the name of her first pet. Listened to her tell him very seriously that when she was five there was a monster living under her bed whose name was Alphonse. She had funny stories, touching stories, cute stories, disturbing ones even and he listened to all of them, at first because there was nothing else to do and then because Melaike proved to be a good story teller. Through those stories, he found out that the wild cat who had attacked Angela on the first day was actually a ridiculously tame pet. Melaike liked little children, kitten and flowers. She watched clouds and played at guessing shapes. She helped little grannies carry their grocery. She had been raised thinking that a kind angel with fluffy white wings was watching out for her and that everything would always be alright. After so much time spent around Angela, the workaholic adventuress of all extremes, Melaike couldn't have seemed more exotic if she had had green skin.
Exactly seven days after the beginning of this stupid mission, he and Melaike were lounging in another motel room, while Angela had left to get the food. On the TV was a comedian, Anthony had never heard of before, but his jokes were making Melaike laugh. And Anthony found that he liked the sound a lot. It was joyful and carefree, everything such a wonderful person should be. Her smile was warm, her eyes looking kindly at him. He felt better than he had in years, more awake, more alive. And too wise not to recognize the feeling at the source of this well-being. Fuck. He was in love.
"Shit!"
Melaike turned to him "Uh? What did you say?"
He went to his feet so fast his head spun. "I am getting a drink. There is a vending machine in the hall. Do you want something?"
Melaike was surprised. "Aren't you supposed never to leave me alone?" Yhea, there was that as well.
"Are you going to jump out the window?" The girl made a show to look through the glass, down to the ground four floor below. By that point, Anthony was ready to bet she probably wouldn't have left even if the room had been on the firth floor. Still he locked the door behind him, glad that the hotel was old enough that the lock still needed a normal key and Angela had left it to him.
He walked quickly to the machine and then spent ten minutes starring blankly ahead. His mind kept going back to the most awful thing that could have happened to him.
"What a moron." He murmured for himself. "Falling in love. With a human." His mind pointed out that it wasn't any human either, but the girl he was supposed to baby-sit for some gang, no less. What a screwed timing. "What am I going to do?" The question had been asked to no one, so it came as no surprise when he never got an answer.
He was barely calmer when he went back in the room. TV was off and Melaike was obviously waiting for him. Her eyes searched his face. Found something, though he didn't know what. Unease maybe, or fear.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
That made him chuckle. Captive wanting to make captor feel better. Said a lot about what kind of villain he was.
"Thank you, but I believe it is best if I decline this offer." He offered softly. Then he proceeded to spend the following hour in uncomfortable silence, sitting stiffly two meters away from the woman he loved.
When Angela came back from her hiding place, carrying bags from the local fast-food, as if that would explain her absence, Anthony and Melaike were sitting on opposite sides of the room, Melaike watching Anthony with incomprehension and Anthony pretending that he was alone in the room.
Angela had to slam the door for them to notice they weren't alone anymore. "Dinner's ready." She announced, almost not missing a beat. Almost.
Things were shared by Angela. Which didn't uphold any importance, until Melaike started to nod of on her fries. Not only did she nod of, but Anthony had to rescue her from dropping asleep face first on her hamburger. "What!?"
No amount of cold water and soft slaps on her cheeks could wake her and Anthony finally gave up and carried her to her bed. When he came back, glaring angrily at Angela, she mock-innocently raised her eyebrows in question.
"Did you drug her?" He asked archly.
Angela made a noncommittal sound. "Since she's not about to wake up anytime, can we talk? I'd like to have a conversation with you that doesn't involve eavesdroppers."
He frowned "Not that the poor girl has a choice."
"Indeed. Still, now we can talk with our minds at peace. I'll start."
"I've got news from our employers." Her face was too grim as she announced this.
"What's wrong?" Wanted to know Anthony. If they'd asked for Melaike back she would have looked gleeful, same if they were supposed to let the woman go. What could they ask of his boss to make her unhappy?
"You're not going to like this." Started Angela "They asked for the hostage back." She paused but wasn't finished, so Anthony waited. "My contact tells me they didn't give the Spear what they wanted. Only thing it can mean is that the gang plan to make an example of the girl."
Example of the girl… they wanted to kill her. Make it gruesome so that it became memorable. "No!"
His vehemence was a little out of character but Angela merely nodded. "Yhea, I thought so as well." Absentmindedly her eyes went to the door behind which Melaike was waiting. "She deserves a lot of things. Death ain't one of them."
Relief flooded through Anthony. Right now he could have kissed his boss. "What do we do?" he asked instead "What options do we have?"
"We can keep running. Or…" She stopped with a grin that promised doom. Too bad whoever she intended it for would probably end up being him anyway, thought Anthony.
"Or?"
"Or we can take up another friend of mine on his offer."
Anthony rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Hoping the headache he could feel coming would wait a little more "Offer?"
"A very good one. I say we accept it."
Anthony's glare didn't impress her in the least and so he finally broke down and asked. "And what awesome task would we be set up to do?"
Angela beamed. "Why, I thought you would never ask." then her glee turned into a proper evil glee. "There is a contract with an impressive set of zeros on one side, and the disparition of "Spear's current batch of leader on the other just waiting for us in a dusty drawer. So what do you say Partner, should we sign?"
The idea sounded good, which was usually the trick with Angela. "Before I agree with anything, I want to know who we are dealing with." he demanded to know.
She didn't look pleased. "You," She said with her finger pointed at him like a gun "Deal with me." Finger didn't change target, go figure. "And I take care of petty details like where the money come from."
It was Anthony's turn to feel pissed. "My, that conversation reminds me of something" He seethed through clenched teeth. "Should I bring you on a car ride again?"
Angela's frown worsened. "I thought we had dealt with that."
"Yes, by agreeing that you should let me know things. Or was I misled?"
He knew it was on the tip of Angela's tongue to agree that, yes, he had completely misunderstood and she had never promised any such thing. He also knew that if she was working so hard to hide it, he wouldn't like whatever it was she wasn't saying.
"Angela I told you already. I am your partner, not your guard dog. That there is no love lost between us I can understand, but I would certainly hope that we can work together without me having to hate you, which I am coming closer to with each passing day." His voice was a nasty sneering murmur, packed neatly with all the frustration he had gained during the last week or so and especially in the last few hours.
"Hate me?" Angela had palled "Is that what you feel? You hate me?" Indignation, of all things, was slowly making its way in her voice.
"I don't hate you, but I wonder about the other way around. So tell me boss, do you hate me?"
Angela's expression was worth all the kicks and shouts. Disbelief, horror, hurt. All bound neatly and displayed with such abandon that she couldn't not be genuine. "Hate you? How could I hate you?" her voice broke on the last words. Tears escaped the corner of her eyes.
"Oh God, no." Anthony murmured. Of course there was a real hell somewhere, but suddenly he wondered if this wasn't worse. "Angela… Do you…" please let him have got it all wrong. "You don't… I mean… I like you a lot but…"
All of a sudden there was a pair of hands starring him straight in the face. "Stop!" ordered Angela, arms extended in front of her as if she was planning to stop a car or something. "Fuck we are not having this conversation! Certainly not now, in a hotel room with a dosed hostage in the next room." Her hands went to rub her face, not doing anything for the crazy looking eyes "Actually, we're not having it. Ever."
"But…"
"Shut up! I don't want to know!" she snapped. "I'm…" she turned around, looking for something she couldn't find "I…" more tears ran down her face. "I need to do something."
And with that she ran away. Didn't even try and bang the door. Somehow that made Anthony wince worst than if she had.
TBC
if you need to read it again, there is a link to Part 1
Part 2
An hour later he was in the bedroom, on watch for the woman to wake up and conveniently hiding away from Angela. His time had been spent meditating on the recent event and he had come to the conclusion that he was screwed. His boss was mad at him, the woman they were supposed to “baby-sit” was angry at the both of them, even Oliver had left in a bad mood, though in his case it had probably already abated. The best he could hope was for Angela to keep the bill for when the job was done and the woman to wake up in a better mood than the one she had gone to sleep in. Maybe if he explained the situation to her? Why had she been fighting with Angela anyway? They had seemed perfectly fine when he had left them. Unless she had tried to escape and his boss had decided to set an example?
A groan coming from the bed interrupted his thoughts. The woman was moving and sighing and slowly coming back to the real world. Anthony got on his feet and closer to the bed, ready to ward off any threatening move.
Her eyes fluttered open and she did a slow once over of the room. There was a tired resilience written in her features that Anthony didn’t really like but, what could he do?
He moved from his seat to come closer to the bed, the woman’s eyes followed him across the room and he felt uneasy under her gaze.
He leant against the wall at the head of the bed and waited for her to do something.
"You work with a she-demon." Stated the woman calmly.
The way this sentence reflected his own thoughts so exactly amazed Anthony for a while. If the circumstances had been any different he would have approved frantically and asked the girl to go out with him. As it was he just wasted efforts into keeping a composed air that eventually dissolved into mad laughter. He laughed a bit too nervously but still it felt good. If it hadn't been for the lost expression of the woman he might have just kept on going until he died of lack of oxygen. "You… nailed it… so perfectly." He managed to croak between bouts of hilarity. "Ouch that hurt." As he was hugging his middle in a vain attempt to ease the pain from his abdominals he caught a glimpse of the woman's mouth and noticed that it had somewhat of an upside tilt at the corners. By the time he stopped laughing it had disappeared. Then a heavy silence set that Anthony didn't know how to break. He was trying to solve his own little dilemma that could be summarized as: to make or not to make friend with the prisoner. He sensed that it would be easy enough, he also knew that Angela wouldn't like it and that it might make further interactions awkward.
The choice was taken out of his hands when the smile of the woman returned more powerfully while she said "I changed my mind about you, you don't seem to be a he-demon."
As he returned the smile, Anthony thought that it might be worth the later troubles to have just one person around on speaking terms with him.
It was already late in the evening, around nine, Anthony found out when he finally deigned to check the time. Too early to go to bed, too late to really do anything. But his stomach reminded him with a loud rumble that it wasn't too late to catch up on the dinner he hadn't taken. "Are you hungry?" He asked the woman politely. She had been starring at him with yet another of those smiles. It seemed the more Anthony's body betrayed him the more she was feeling up to forgive him for sticking a needle in her. At the question her smile widened further.
"Very. I could eat tons of food." The sparkle in her eyes implied that there was a joke in here somewhere but Anthony decided to leave it be. He crossed the room to go back in the salon and find out what could be done to fill their empty stomachs. To find out, also, if Angela was in a better mood and if she had decided how she would make him regret his earlier words. Speaking of whom, Angela was seated in a couch and reading a paperback that had seen better days. It was in Italian and Anthony knew, for having read it once, that it was a sappy love story. Angela said she read it because the heroine made her laugh with all her naivety and sweetness. In his least charitable moods, Anthony sometimes wondered if it wasn't just because she still had to finish it after all those years, or maybe she just kept it around for the front-picture, a reproduction of a painting showing a musketeer protecting a woman.
But right now her mind was obviously far from the story. As soon as Anthony entered the room, he was caught in her gaze like a deer in headlights. The room was soon filled with overwhelming uneasiness. Apparently she hadn't forgiven him yet.
"You hungry?" Meekly asked Anthony when it became evident that Angela wasn't going to start the hostilities. She didn't answer, just kept on glaring so he decided that the answer was yes.
Making a strategic retreat he just took the time to throw a "I'm going to get some food" behind his shoulder before the door shut close behind him.
As he made his way to the hotel lobby he mused on how intense Angela had been and how much trouble he must be in. The smell of food that reached him from a nearby fast-food just increased the nausea that the encounter with Angela had left him with. He didn't waste any more time than he needed to get something for the three of them. As much as he didn't like to face Angela again he liked the idea that she was alone with the prisoner even less.
There was no bloodbath to greet him when he re-entered the room but their charge had left the sleeping room and was now sitting at the table, discreetly keeping an eye on Angela who was pretending to read her book again. The atmosphere was as filled with electricity as it had been when he left. With an inward sigh, he put the three meals on the table.
"I took burgers, I hope it is alright."
The woman shrugged and started sorting through one of the bags. "As it is, I am hungry enough for anything." To illustrate her words she brought a burger to her mouth and bit a big chunk out of it. Under Anthony looked at her, fascinated by the sauce dripping down her chin.
Angela dropped her book, stomped to the table and looked through the bags until she found a napkin that she threw at her. "Disgusting." She commented.
Their prisoner didn't react and just made a pleased sound before taking another bite. Anthony decided then that his hunger had returned enough to pick at some fries. His sitting with the woman was probably taken as treason by Angela who took her part of the meal and locked herself in the single bedroom with it. Anthony didn’t mind, the woman spared a chuckle at Angela’s childishness and then resumed her meal.
Halfway through the meal, after Anthony had thought of her as the woman for the umpteenth time, he finally asked her name.
“Melaike.” She answered simply. She didn’t add anything nor did she ask for his name. He decided that he would give it nonetheless.
“My name is Anthony.”
They finished their meal in silence and then went to bed. Angela was still brooding so Anthony shared the room with Melaike. She snored, but it didn’t keep him from falling asleep, not one second.
Anthony was woken by someone shaking his shoulder none too gently. He opened his eyes to find Angela only covered by an opened shirt and her underwear.
“Please” he whimpered, “Tell me you are not drunk again”.
She had enough presence of mind to look perplex, that was a good sign. Her voice didn’t slur either when she asked what he meant. Her suspicious expression finished to reassure him that there would be no re-enactment of a best forgotten episode of their shared-life. It had been a real relief the next day to find that she didn’t remember what had happened, such a relief that he had never spoken to her about the incident again, avoiding the subject of that night as best he could. Since he wasn’t about to tell her now, of all times, he dodged answering by asking her what she wanted.
“I wanna talk to you.”
“What now?” Anthony felt the irritation rise in him. “Could you not wait until tomorrow?” His voice had gotten louder and Angela shushed him with a finger pointed toward Melaike. The woman was still sleeping but Anthony felt that she wouldn’t be for long if they stayed in the room. With a sigh he got out of bed and gestured to Angela to precede him in the other room.
The light was lit and Angela’s book was back on the couch. Maybe she had felt that she needed to stand guard or she was upset about something and couldn’t sleep. Melaike had managed to make Anthony forget that she was their prisoner but it didn’t mean that she wouldn’t try to escape. Well he wouldn’t let himself be enrolled for watch duty tonight. He didn’t think he owed that to Angela, not with how tired he still felt. With this in mind he waited for Angela to start the conversation.
“I am sorry.” She said finally.
It wasn’t what Anthony was expecting. Wasn’t something Angela said often and never with such good-will. It was so unexpected that Anthony didn’t know what to do. “I… uh… okay?” He sought a reason for which she might want to make amend so earnestly, found none and, hold habits kicking in, wondered where the catch was.
As if she could read his mind, Angela started to justify her sudden apology. “There has been a lot of work lately and not much free time. Also I realize that being always sharing time and space with each other might be rough on the nerves. I haven’t been at my best either and things between us have become tense and messed up and so I apologize.”
Her ramble didn’t make much sense in Anthony’s opinion. It felt as though she was saying sorry more for the sake of saying it than because she felt she had done anything wrong. At least, Anthony mused, she had noticed that things were wrong and was trying to do something about it. Asking for forgiveness wasn’t the right way to go about it but Angela probably thought that since it was hard on her it would be enough. He didn’t want the rest of their mission to be like that evening so he decided to accept Angela’s peace offering. For now at least.
“Okay. I accept your apology. I apologize also for that joke earlier, it was not funny.”
Angela smiled, obviously pleased that he would take things so well. “Good. I accept your apology.” She stood still and Anthony wondered if she expected him to say something more.
“Is there anything else?” He asked nervously, hoping that he wasn’t making a mistake, right after they had managed to fix the previous one. “Because I would like to go back to bed.”
“Oh.” Obviously it wasn’t what Angela had been waiting for but she hurried to hide the disappointment. “No, nothing else, you can go.” Anthony hesitated. But he didn’t know what he could say and admitting his ignorance might be just as bad as saying something stupid. The fear of things becoming tense once again won in the end. With a last good-night he turned around and went back to his bed.
“Yhea, good night.” Answered Angela from behind him. Even though he itched to turn around and ask her what she was expecting from him -what the fucking hell her problem was with him- he forced himself to keep his eyes on the door. Angela was and would forever remain a mystery, it wasn’t only a conclusion he had come to, it was a way of protecting both of them. There could be only pain if they got too close. Oliver would know and from then on… there was no way out that he could see. So it was better to just avoid anything deeper than that boss/employee relationship. Maybe he should thank the Lord for Angela’s thorny nature. Maybe that was what people called a blessing in disguise.
After the door clicked shut behind him, he spent a little time, just standing with his back resting on the wood. It would freak people to know just how fast and how well his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he mused inwardly. He could never see perfectly in total darkness, but well enough to see how Melaike’s head was turned toward the door, eyes opened and expression intent. Had she heard? Even if she had, would she get how deep the unease ran? Would it matter?
“Did you hear?” He asked, low enough that Angela, who was still in the next room, couldn’t hear him.
“She is still a she-demon.” Answered Melaike in the same tone.
Anthony nodded though she couldn’t see him. She had heard and she had understood. Well he could live with it he guessed. He didn’t sleep very well for the rest of the night and when Melaike sneaked out of her bed the next morning and tip-toed to the door he watched her and greeted her loudly before she could try to get in the next room. Sneaking out was useless anyway, Angela had been awake for an hour already. He had heard her leave the suite and come back. Hopefully she had gone to get some breakfast.
Indeed, a while later the three of them were having breakfast together. Anthony had noticed that Angela was wearing the same dark circles under her eyes that he was. On the bright side she had ignored Melaike until now. Their charge had been behaving as well and had given no reason to complain. The messy eater of the previous day had disappeared entirely and Melaike was eating her breakfast almost with grace.
They left soon after that. Angela and Melaike had been able to get a change of cloth but Anthony hadn’t packed anything and had to wear his rumpled shirt. When he threw Angela a murdering look she shrugged. “I sent you a text to tell you to pack. Not my fault you didn’t get it.”
Anthony sighed. “I’m going to need cloth though, and a charger for my cell, and a razor.” The best way to do that would be to let Angela with Melaike and go get them, he could catch up with them at the next halt. Or even before if he was quick. But could the two women stand each other for that time? “Do you think you can leave me in town and be on your own for a while?” He asked Angela finally.
She hesitated but nodded firmly. Melaike didn’t look pleased but didn’t say anything. He was holding her arm in an apparently friendly manner, actually it was to keep her from trying to leave. They reached the car without trouble and Angela went in the driver’s seat while Anthony and Melaike shared the rear bench. Very few words were exchanged during the drive to the town centre. Anthony left with the promise that he would see them at the next hotel as son as possible. Angela told him that he was better be quick. “Or else,” she menaced good-humouredly, “I’ll find things for you to do, lots of things.”
Angela might think it was a joke, Anthony took it very seriously. He had been sent to buy frilly panties and bras once, Angela’s idea of friendly payback. Never again.
A surprise was waiting for him at his apartment. Oliver was waiting for him, coffee on the table along with one of Anthony’s bag, looking full.
“Do not forget to brush your teeth every night and to send a postcard.” Said the blond with a wide smile. By watching him you would never guess that he had been biting Anthony’s head off not even two days ago. But it was Oliver for you. He could never hold a grudge for long, because that meant actually remembering the people you were mad at and he had better things to do, didn’t he?
Anthony had lost some of his momentum. “Thank you, for breaking in my apartment and getting my things ready.” He said.
“Do not mention it, it was my pleasure.” Replied Oliver much too politely to be genuine.
Anthony didn’t bother going through the content of the bag. Instead he sat at the table where Oliver joined him and started pouring coffee.
Anthony eyed him warily while wondering what Oliver thought he was doing. The scene had him thinking back on Angela’s own peace offering the night before. “What do you think you are doing?” He finally wondered out loud.
Oliver didn’t answer straight away, instead he took the time to sip his coffee. “Mmh, yummy.” He approved. “You should try it, I made it especially for you.”
Anthony sighed and brought his own cup to his lips. It smelled very good as far as coffee went. He was no specialist and could drink pretty much anything but this one tasted especially nice. Nothing like the cheap stuff he had in his cupboards. Which meant that Oliver had bought it.
“Nice.” Acknowledged Anthony. “So? What is the occasion?”
“I thought that I would leave you a bitter taste of a different nature than the last time we met, since you and I are not going to see each other for some time.”
This declaration was explainable by the current job Anthony was working on but the solemn tone worried him nonetheless. “Is everything alright?" He asked with a false detached air "Are your elders unhappy?”
His question provoked a baffled look, followed by a laugh. A genuine laugh that Had Oliver losing his breath and cling to his ribs. When he spoke next, he was whipping tears from his eyes. “Anthony, Anthony, so caring and so concerned.” His gaze locked with Anthony’s confused face. “What am I going to do with you?” He asked quietly, as if he was talking to himself.
Anthony rolled his eyes to show how unimpressed he was by Oliver’s antic. “So I take it you are going on well with your hierarchy right now?”
Oliver smiled bitterly and nodded with false sheer. “Yeah, lots of fun. Smiles and sunshine everyday. We even have pet names for each other. Mine is Fuck-up right now. Want to join?” Anthony preferred not to answer so Oliver kept going. “Seriously though, you do not have to worry about me. Not when you already have so many reasons to worry about yourself. Speaking of which, you should go. I believe you are making two lovely ladies wait for you, something a gentleman should avoid at all costs.” He added in a more conversational tone.
Anthony recognizes the cue for what it was. Oliver was done with the conversation and wanted Anthony to be on his way. The fact that Oliver knew about Melaike wasn’t a surprise, he always knew plenty, if not too much.
He had no trouble finding the girls at a drive-in that also provided a descent meal. Angela took the wheel after that and it was only when they stopped into the yard of a three stars hotel, that had nothing to do with the rundown thing they were supposed to spend the night in, that Anthony realized that they hadn’t followed the plan. He waited until they were all installed in their room before telling Angela so, away from Melaike's ears.
"Don't worry," she replied with a coy smirk "Everything is under control."
She then spontaneously and loudly volunteered to find them food and made a hasty retreat toward the door with a brief order to "Keep an eye on her" and a wave in Melaike's general direction.
"O…kay." Anthony stood a moment longer while he wondered what she wasn't telling him. Again. Before he decided that he couldn't leave their charge behind to run after Angela and torture her until she spilt the bean. Melaike had already colonized the couch and figured out how to use the TV. He sat next to her. "What are you watching?" He asked though it was obvious that nothing had managed to hold her attention yet. An orange monstrosity with four arms appeared on the screen, fighting things while an old man with an Hawaiian shirt and a little girl with orange hair and purple circle around her hands were being cornered by other… things. One look at his distraught expression and Melaike dropped the remote at her side.
"Cartoons" She stated with a false bored voice and mischief clearly visible in her eyes.
The four-armed alien -who turned out to be a little boy actually- was replaced by a yellow sponge wearing pants, the story still didn't make much sense but his eyes were glued to the screen nonetheless.
When the insanity paused to allow some advertisement, he hastily turned to face Melaike. "How can you watch this?" He asked with horrified fascination.
"I don't." She answered with sadistic glee "But your expression was worth an exception."
"That…" he was about to say that was cruel, but seeing as she was being held against her free will making him suffer was only fair pay-back. He had to say something, though, because Melaike was waiting for his next words. "That is flattering. I guess. What do you usually watch then?" It wasn't a very subtle way to change topic but he wasn't very picky right now and Melaike didn't comment on it.
Discovery channel wasn't much more interesting. But Melaïke wasn't watching him stare at the screen in horror at least. Seriously though, what was so interesting about volcanoes?
The week was spent changing place everyday, waking early driving never more than two hours and getting set in a new place. Angela was keeping her distance and Anthony was looking over Melaike, spending his entire days with nothing to do but watch TV and talk and share little unimportant things. He learnt her favourite colour, her favourite movie, the name of her first pet. Listened to her tell him very seriously that when she was five there was a monster living under her bed whose name was Alphonse. She had funny stories, touching stories, cute stories, disturbing ones even and he listened to all of them, at first because there was nothing else to do and then because Melaike proved to be a good story teller. Through those stories, he found out that the wild cat who had attacked Angela on the first day was actually a ridiculously tame pet. Melaike liked little children, kitten and flowers. She watched clouds and played at guessing shapes. She helped little grannies carry their grocery. She had been raised thinking that a kind angel with fluffy white wings was watching out for her and that everything would always be alright. After so much time spent around Angela, the workaholic adventuress of all extremes, Melaike couldn't have seemed more exotic if she had had green skin.
Exactly seven days after the beginning of this stupid mission, he and Melaike were lounging in another motel room, while Angela had left to get the food. On the TV was a comedian, Anthony had never heard of before, but his jokes were making Melaike laugh. And Anthony found that he liked the sound a lot. It was joyful and carefree, everything such a wonderful person should be. Her smile was warm, her eyes looking kindly at him. He felt better than he had in years, more awake, more alive. And too wise not to recognize the feeling at the source of this well-being. Fuck. He was in love.
"Shit!"
Melaike turned to him "Uh? What did you say?"
He went to his feet so fast his head spun. "I am getting a drink. There is a vending machine in the hall. Do you want something?"
Melaike was surprised. "Aren't you supposed never to leave me alone?" Yhea, there was that as well.
"Are you going to jump out the window?" The girl made a show to look through the glass, down to the ground four floor below. By that point, Anthony was ready to bet she probably wouldn't have left even if the room had been on the firth floor. Still he locked the door behind him, glad that the hotel was old enough that the lock still needed a normal key and Angela had left it to him.
He walked quickly to the machine and then spent ten minutes starring blankly ahead. His mind kept going back to the most awful thing that could have happened to him.
"What a moron." He murmured for himself. "Falling in love. With a human." His mind pointed out that it wasn't any human either, but the girl he was supposed to baby-sit for some gang, no less. What a screwed timing. "What am I going to do?" The question had been asked to no one, so it came as no surprise when he never got an answer.
He was barely calmer when he went back in the room. TV was off and Melaike was obviously waiting for him. Her eyes searched his face. Found something, though he didn't know what. Unease maybe, or fear.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
That made him chuckle. Captive wanting to make captor feel better. Said a lot about what kind of villain he was.
"Thank you, but I believe it is best if I decline this offer." He offered softly. Then he proceeded to spend the following hour in uncomfortable silence, sitting stiffly two meters away from the woman he loved.
When Angela came back from her hiding place, carrying bags from the local fast-food, as if that would explain her absence, Anthony and Melaike were sitting on opposite sides of the room, Melaike watching Anthony with incomprehension and Anthony pretending that he was alone in the room.
Angela had to slam the door for them to notice they weren't alone anymore. "Dinner's ready." She announced, almost not missing a beat. Almost.
Things were shared by Angela. Which didn't uphold any importance, until Melaike started to nod of on her fries. Not only did she nod of, but Anthony had to rescue her from dropping asleep face first on her hamburger. "What!?"
No amount of cold water and soft slaps on her cheeks could wake her and Anthony finally gave up and carried her to her bed. When he came back, glaring angrily at Angela, she mock-innocently raised her eyebrows in question.
"Did you drug her?" He asked archly.
Angela made a noncommittal sound. "Since she's not about to wake up anytime, can we talk? I'd like to have a conversation with you that doesn't involve eavesdroppers."
He frowned "Not that the poor girl has a choice."
"Indeed. Still, now we can talk with our minds at peace. I'll start."
"I've got news from our employers." Her face was too grim as she announced this.
"What's wrong?" Wanted to know Anthony. If they'd asked for Melaike back she would have looked gleeful, same if they were supposed to let the woman go. What could they ask of his boss to make her unhappy?
"You're not going to like this." Started Angela "They asked for the hostage back." She paused but wasn't finished, so Anthony waited. "My contact tells me they didn't give the Spear what they wanted. Only thing it can mean is that the gang plan to make an example of the girl."
Example of the girl… they wanted to kill her. Make it gruesome so that it became memorable. "No!"
His vehemence was a little out of character but Angela merely nodded. "Yhea, I thought so as well." Absentmindedly her eyes went to the door behind which Melaike was waiting. "She deserves a lot of things. Death ain't one of them."
Relief flooded through Anthony. Right now he could have kissed his boss. "What do we do?" he asked instead "What options do we have?"
"We can keep running. Or…" She stopped with a grin that promised doom. Too bad whoever she intended it for would probably end up being him anyway, thought Anthony.
"Or?"
"Or we can take up another friend of mine on his offer."
Anthony rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Hoping the headache he could feel coming would wait a little more "Offer?"
"A very good one. I say we accept it."
Anthony's glare didn't impress her in the least and so he finally broke down and asked. "And what awesome task would we be set up to do?"
Angela beamed. "Why, I thought you would never ask." then her glee turned into a proper evil glee. "There is a contract with an impressive set of zeros on one side, and the disparition of "Spear's current batch of leader on the other just waiting for us in a dusty drawer. So what do you say Partner, should we sign?"
The idea sounded good, which was usually the trick with Angela. "Before I agree with anything, I want to know who we are dealing with." he demanded to know.
She didn't look pleased. "You," She said with her finger pointed at him like a gun "Deal with me." Finger didn't change target, go figure. "And I take care of petty details like where the money come from."
It was Anthony's turn to feel pissed. "My, that conversation reminds me of something" He seethed through clenched teeth. "Should I bring you on a car ride again?"
Angela's frown worsened. "I thought we had dealt with that."
"Yes, by agreeing that you should let me know things. Or was I misled?"
He knew it was on the tip of Angela's tongue to agree that, yes, he had completely misunderstood and she had never promised any such thing. He also knew that if she was working so hard to hide it, he wouldn't like whatever it was she wasn't saying.
"Angela I told you already. I am your partner, not your guard dog. That there is no love lost between us I can understand, but I would certainly hope that we can work together without me having to hate you, which I am coming closer to with each passing day." His voice was a nasty sneering murmur, packed neatly with all the frustration he had gained during the last week or so and especially in the last few hours.
"Hate me?" Angela had palled "Is that what you feel? You hate me?" Indignation, of all things, was slowly making its way in her voice.
"I don't hate you, but I wonder about the other way around. So tell me boss, do you hate me?"
Angela's expression was worth all the kicks and shouts. Disbelief, horror, hurt. All bound neatly and displayed with such abandon that she couldn't not be genuine. "Hate you? How could I hate you?" her voice broke on the last words. Tears escaped the corner of her eyes.
"Oh God, no." Anthony murmured. Of course there was a real hell somewhere, but suddenly he wondered if this wasn't worse. "Angela… Do you…" please let him have got it all wrong. "You don't… I mean… I like you a lot but…"
All of a sudden there was a pair of hands starring him straight in the face. "Stop!" ordered Angela, arms extended in front of her as if she was planning to stop a car or something. "Fuck we are not having this conversation! Certainly not now, in a hotel room with a dosed hostage in the next room." Her hands went to rub her face, not doing anything for the crazy looking eyes "Actually, we're not having it. Ever."
"But…"
"Shut up! I don't want to know!" she snapped. "I'm…" she turned around, looking for something she couldn't find "I…" more tears ran down her face. "I need to do something."
And with that she ran away. Didn't even try and bang the door. Somehow that made Anthony wince worst than if she had.
TBC