Fic: Hiding in Plain Sight - Part Six

[nikki4noo]

Leonard pulled the collar of his jacket up higher on his neck to protect him from the chill of the morning. He had spent an evening thinking things over, pondering Jim and, more importantly, Vasily Novikov and his games. He woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep, so he got up, showered, dressed, and called Vasily on his private number. That brought him where he was, like some spy in a cheap sixties TV show, waiting for a mysterious Russian in the early hours of dawn in a park.

He stretched his legs out in front of him onto the pavement that was colored dark gray from the layer of fog that the city was famous for. Luckily, throughout most of this spring it had stayed away, allowing the days to be pleasantly not too warm and not too cool. Leonard resolutely disregarded the idea that he was Goldilocks. Waiting for someone in the early hours did have a way of making a man’s mind wander in odd directions.

One thing he had noticed was that he hadn’t been followed by Popov. At least he knew that the man did, at some stage, have a home and his own bed to go to. He heard a car engine slowing down, so he looked over at the side of the park toward the sound. Driving past, at a sedate pace, was a silver Mercedes that he recognised as Vasily’s. It stopped by the path that led toward him and Lebedev got out of the drivers side while the passenger side back door opened and Vasily exited. They had stopped in a spot that Leonard knew was a no parking zone. The local cops knew his car though and had learned to turn a blind eye to where it, or more importantly Lebedev, decided to park it.

Vasily was striding toward him, hands in his pockets and head up, looking straight at Leonard. Lebedev was the one trailing behind and glancing around to see if they were likely to be observed.

“Leonard!” Vasily greeted him as he got close enough. Leonard rose off the bench to stand and wait for Vasily to join him.

Vasily held out his arms as he reached Leonard, he then leaned forward to press a kiss to each cheek in the traditional greeting. Leonard indicated the bench behind him and they both sat down. Lebedev stayed a discrete distance away, scanning the park.

“Now, what has you so upset, dear Leonard?” Vasily asked straight off the bat as he turned to face him. Vasily had his legs crossed over and one hand rested above a knee, the expensive gold of his gaudy rings flashing in the early morning light, in marked contrast to his plump pale fingers and the dark wool of his long coat.

Leonard took a deep breath before speaking. “I did as you asked and met Agent Kirk at his apartment,” Leonard started to say, pausing as he consider how next to word what he wanted to say.

“Agent Kirk sounds so formal. I think you are closer to him now than ‘Agent Kirk’ warrants. I hope you are anyway. Did you call him that all yesterday afternoon?” Vasily asked.

“Jim,” Leonard admitted.

“Now Jim is a much better name,” Vasily proclaimed as he slapped him on the shoulder. “I hope you had a pleasant afternoon?”

“It was alright,” Leonard shrugged as he looked out across the park. “Jim got an interesting phone call though, just after lunch.”

“He did? Did he share the contents of it with you?” Vasily leaned forward slightly to bring himself back into Leonard’s peripheral vision. This was not a man who liked being ignored.

“He did,” Leonard told him, finally glancing back to look at Vasily and see what he could discover on that face. The man had been head of his organization for years and Leonard doubted he would show any hint as to what he was really thinking. Sure enough, that was the case now.

Vasily just waited in silence for Leonard to continue. It was an effective weapon in an interrogation, let the one doing the talking get nervous and start babbling away, trying to come up with whatever they thought the other person wanted to hear. Leonard had training from the Academy though, and started to put in place all that he had learned there as well as the little bit from his previous life as a doctor. Some patients were prone to lie more than tell the truth to their physician.

“First though, I have a question for you,” Leonard said.

“You do?” Vasily asked, a little flicker of his eye line toward Lebedev gave Leonard a clue that this was an unexpected development.

“Why did you rat out those boys?” Leonard asked as he watched Vasily intently.

“Ah, Agent Kirk did indeed talk to you,” Vasily said as he leaned back onto the bench again. “I know you are an honest and plain speaking man, Leonard, and this I very much approve of in you. Sometimes the world is not black and white and sometimes there are different rules. When those rules are stepped out of though, there needs to be consequences. No one is outside of the rules, are they Leonard?” Vasily asked.

“No, sir, they are not,” Leonard agreed. “The world would be anarchy without law.”

“You are a very perceptive man, Leonard,” Vasily told him.

Leonard recognized the observation with a tilt of his head.

“You are also a loyal man, but I did not want you hurt. Sometimes we have to do things that we might not necessarily agree with in our heart of hearts but they must be done. Agent Kirk is just doing his job, very diligently, in keeping an eye on you. I am pleased that you have someone as concerned about your welfare and looking out for you,” Vasily continued.

“Well, they are concerned for the information. They have suggested a wire and I wanted to give you a heads up on it,” Leonard said.

“Thank you, Leonard, that is very considerate. Did you give them an answer?” Vasily asked.

“I said I would like to think on it overnight and would call them today,” Leonard told him.

“Call Agent Kirk today and tell him you agree. If they are clever, they will want you to wear it today to meet with me. Come see me later at the café. Tap your nose twice if you are wearing it when you do so,” Vasily instructed.

“Ok,” Leonard agreed, privately thinking that tapping noses was the height of stupidity and would make him feel like he was in some ridiculous ‘Get Smart’ re-run.

Vasily stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Leonard looked up at him in response.

“You are a good man, Leonard. You are doing very well. Agent Kirk is a handsome man. I am very pleased at the developments.” At that, Vasily patted him goodbye on the shoulder and was then walking swiftly off back to his car, Lebedev ahead of him, anticipating Vasily like always.

***

Jim leaned back on the bed of the motel room while he waited for Bones to arrive. Sometime over the weekend, the man had stopped being Leonard and became Bones to him, fully, in his head. Partly, Jim mused, it was to piss Bones off, but also it might have something to do with this man being different.

Jim crossed his legs at his ankles as he listened to Pavel and Scotty fiddle with the equipment. It was on the small table that had previously housed an old tv set, which was now on the floor, with the free space being occupied with various wires and small boxes.

Sulu was seated on a chair in the far corner by the window. The curtains had been drawn but from where Sulu was, he would be able to observe anyone knocking on the door first. This left Jim to lounge back on the bed and wait for Bones to turn up, shifting slightly every so often as the springs dug into his back and legs through the thin mattress.

They had asked Pike if they were going to let Pavel and Scotty in on the fact that Bones was a Fed. The answer had been a no, they had to maintain the façade that Bones was just an informant. So that left him where he was, lying on a bed in a cheap motel room that had seen better days and was last decorated in the seventies, but at least it was mostly clean.

They remained this way for a while longer. Jim resisted the urge to check his watch, knowing that would make the wait worse. Most people thought that the life of a Fed was excitement and danger, while Jim knew better. It was mostly waiting and watching and listening followed sometimes by a short flurry of action and adrenaline.

At a knock on the door, Jim glanced toward Sulu, who nodded back at him as he got up from the chair to open it. Jim moved across the bed so that he was sitting on the side as he got his first view of Bones waiting outside the motel room.

“Dr. McCoy,” Sulu greeted him as he proceeded to open the door just enough so that Bones could enter.

“Agent Sulu, Kirk,” Bones returned the greeting, taking his cue from Sulu’s behavior.

Jim rose off the bed to step up close to Bones. Sulu had quietly shut the door, enclosing them all in the small room where only the soft glow from the florescent light bulb gave them any illumination to see by.

“Thank you for agreeing to this Dr. McCoy,” Jim said. “These two men will be putting the wire on you as we agreed,” Jim pointed toward Scotty and Pavel.

Bones nodded at him and then started to take his suit jacket off. Jim could feel his breath hitch at the idea of Bones getting slowly undressed in front of him. Yesterday, they had both been quick to get naked and neither of them were inclined to stop and pause to take the time to just look. Jim stepped away from Bones, knowing that it would be best to put some distance and try and remain professional in front of the others. He sat back down on the bed, allowing what little space there was for Scotty and Pavel to get to work. Sulu had retreated back to his chair.

The room became devoid of conversation apart from Scotty and Pavel’s instructions to each other and then occasionally to Bones about where best to hide the wire. Jim watched intently as Bones loosened his tie and pulled his shirt out from his pants. There was a flash of belly, tanned skin, and a hint of fine dark hair.

Jim then decided that it might be best to watch Pavel over by the bench as he fussed with the equipment, instead of Bones slowly undoing his shirt buttons from the bottom up. The room was too small for this to be successful though and short of retreating to the bathroom, he had the vision of Bones stripping and revealing a tanned and nicely muscled stomach. There was something about a slow reveal of flesh that made everything a little more heady.

Sulu started talking to Bones about how he should act, that he should try and stick as close to his normal behavior so as not to trigger any suspicion from Novikov and the others. They had been talking freely in front of him before so all they needed was some recordings to help them with their case in order to prosecute. Bones nodded at each suggestion, occasionally offering back his own questions, completely immersed in his role as a rat. Jim could see why Pike had such faith in Bones; the man was good.

Scotty apologized at where they had to place the tape to hide the mic. Bones was going to lose some hair off his chest, and not in a nice way, when the tape got removed.

Jim tried desperately not to allow his mind to wander to where the cord of the tiny transmitter ran down Bones’ chest and into the top of his pants.

“Right, all done,” Scotty announced as he stood back to admire his handiwork. “Just need to check the receiver in the van.”

Pavel had been packing up the equipment and now stood with his normal eager smile. Jim was surprised that he wasn’t bouncing up and down on his toes.

“I’ll finish debriefing Bones,” Jim said as he rose off the bed.

Bones flicked a glance up at him as he paused in doing up his buttons.

“Bones?” Scotty asked as Jim mentally kicked himself.

“Don’t ask,” Sulu said as he threw an annoyed look Jim’s way. “Just Jim’s need to nickname everything coming through there. Poor Dr. McCoy here hasn’t escaped from it.”

Sulu shepherded the other two out of the room. Once the door was closed and Bones was still doing up his buttons, Jim stepped up and raised a hand to lift up Bones’ chin.

When Bones opened his mouth to say something, Jim placed a finger over his lips to shush him before removing it and quickly leaning forward to press a kiss. He ran his hand down Bones’ chest until he reached the bottom of his shirt and he fingered it out of the way so that he could run his fingers over the warm skin that had been teasing him. Bones reacted to the kiss like he had the day before, with a full body press and a tight grip on Jim.

Jim had only meant a quick kiss, but it turned dirty very fast.

“Jim?” Bones asked confusedly as Jim broke off from the kiss.

Jim lifted his hand back up to cover his lips with one finger again. He shook his head at Bones to attempt to keep him quiet. “Just had to,” Jim whispered.

Bones gave him one of his looks, and this one told Jim that he wasn’t that impressed with his reasoning and that there might be words later. Jim didn’t mind that idea, as most of their arguments so far had ended up in bed with some pretty spectacular sex. Now he had to get his mind back on the job and yeah, so the fault was all his to start off with, but Bones was the one who had partially stripped in front of him.

“We will set up the van a block away from the café,” Jim told him. “When you exit, come back to us. If you think you are being followed at any stage though, keep going past the van and head back to your normal routine. We will find a way to contact you if that occurs, okay?”

“Sure,” Bones drawled.

“Good luck. You’ll be fine,” Jim assured him.

Bones tucked his shirt back in, tightened up his tie, and collected his jacket. Jim was waiting for him by the door to the room before they both exited.

Jim followed Bones down the stairs from the first floor room they had been in. The van was where they had parked it when Scotty had rented the room, and Jim spotted Bones’ car across the road.

Bones was stepping quickly down the stairs, his jacket back on and hiding the wire. At the base of the stairs Bones, without looking back, continued heading toward his car. Jim turned off to the side and headed toward the van. He climbed in the back, where Scotty and Sulu were already seated. Sulu tapped on the divider and Jim heard Pavel start up the van.

They all sat tight and quiet in the back while Pavel drove them toward their pre-arranged set up point. Jim could feel Sulu’s questioning eyes on him but he made sure to just focus on the equipment that Scotty was still fiddling with every so often.

Finally, Pavel got them to their destination and parked. He joined them in the back and put on a set of headphones as he sat on the little stool next to Scotty, who handed Jim and Sulu a set of their own.

Now began one of those long waiting times that was the life of a Federal Agent. They could hear the hum of Leonard’s car through the mic, then the sound of it slowing down and stopping. Jim could visualize what was happening from the sounds that followed. Bones got out of his car, crossed a street and walked along a sidewalk a ways. He then entered what must have been the café, which was filled with the noise of a myriad games played by the old Russian men who regularly filled the front of the establishment. The chatter was loud, but luckily it didn’t last long as there were some clicking sounds and then the voices faded into the background. Bones had obviously entered another room. There was such a change in the noise that it was almost as if it was silence, but as Jim dropped his head down and closed his eyes to better listen in, he could hear quiet noises in the background. A chair scraping along the floor, the click of a glass onto a table and then a door opening.

“Leonard,” they heard a voice greet Bones. “How nice to see you.” The voice got louder as the man spoke so it was obvious that Bones was moving closer to the speaker.

Jim suspected that the voice was Novikov’s but they would need proof on the recording of a name. There was a short pause of silence that had Jim looking worriedly up at Sulu, who had also happened to glance toward him. Then the voice spoke again.

“Thank you, Ilia. You can wait outside, I need to speak to my doctor,” the voice said. As the door opened again and then closed, they waited to hear more.

“Mr. Novikov,” Bones said.

“Please, Leonard, I have told you, call me Vasily. There should be openness between a man and his doctor,” Vasily Novikov said.

Jim mouthed “bingo” toward Sulu who had a smile on his face. They had their first bit of proof, now it was up to Bones to get them some valuable information.

“Vasily,” Bones replied.

“Now, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Novikov asked. “I understand you are a little concerned?”

“I know you value honesty, so I shall get right to it,” Bones stated. “I heard about what happened to Ivanov and Volkov.”

“Ah, yes,” Novikov mused. “As you and I have discussed, there are rules to follow. When people break those rules, there are consequences.”

“Aren’t you concerned about them? I know you are close to their families,” Bones said.

“You, as a doctor, should know very well, Leonard, that drugs are never pleasant. People who get involved in those things should be very careful,” Novikov said.

Jim looked in shock toward Sulu. Novikov was literally admitting on tape deliberately that he ratted out his own minions. Jim could only hope that Bones was carefully maintaining his own expression better than he or Sulu were. Bones had set this up with the full knowledge of Novikov and the man knew that Bones was wired up yet he was happily saying what he had done. Although he was cleverly not implicating himself in anything illegal.

Their amazement continued as Novikov expanded even further on what his minions had been up to and what bad men they were to be involved in the drug system. He dug even deeper holes for some other lower level associates, giving more information for Jim and Sulu to chase down. As Jim suspected, there was a game going on here and he wasn’t sure what the rules were.

Eventually Novikov dismissed Bones and they pulled their headsets off after they heard Bones leave the café and head toward his car. Scotty kept his on as he continued to monitor the recording.

Jim rubbed his hair where the headset had been pressing into his scalp.

“He just gave us a complete goldmine,” Sulu said, the shock in his voice quite evident.

“If the cartel ever finds out it was him that stopped one of their main supply routes, I don’t know what will happen but it won’t be pretty,” Jim said.

“There was about six or seven solid new leads there. We are gonna be busy chasing all that information down,” Sulu mused.

“DEA is going to want to get their hands on that tape,” Jim observed.

“Not until we let Pike hear it,” Sulu pointed out.

“Always,” Jim agreed.

Their little debriefing was interrupted with a knock on the back of the van. Jim got up to look out through the back window and saw Bones standing there. He opened the door and motioned Bones in.

Jim noted the tense lines around Bones’ mouth. The conversation with Novikov had worried him as much as it had worried Jim and Sulu it seemed.

“Did you get what you wanted?” Bones asked.

“I would say we got what we wanted and more,” Sulu replied.

Scotty had finally stopped the tapes from recording and stood up to assist Bones in removing the wire. In a mirror of earlier events, Jim stood back in the small space to allow Scotty to work on Bones. This time Jim made sure to look away from him, although his imagination kept trying to draw him back into the memory of the little flashes of skin and long nimble fingers undoing buttons. There would be no hiding in the van, no way they could be alone.

Once the wire and mic was removed, Sulu stepped forward to offer his hand toward Bones.

“Thank you very much Dr. McCoy. The Federal Bureau of Investigations appreciates the risk you have just taken for us. The information will prove invaluable,” Sulu said as he shook his hand.

“My pleasure and I’m only doing what any concerned citizen would,” Leonard said, laying on his accent thick for his role.

“Well, we do thank you,” Jim said, not wanting to be left out of the little ‘performance’ they were giving.

“I’ll be on my way,” Bones said as he picked up his jacket and finished tucking his shirt back in.

“We will be in contact if we have further need of you. In the meantime you still have my card?” Jim asked.

Bones nodded.

“If you have any need, don’t hesitate to call, at any time. Day or night,” Jim told Bones.

There was a little flicker of something in Bones’ eyes and Jim hoped it was a promise for later.

“I will surely do that,” Bones said before turning back to the door and exiting the van.

Sulu told Pavel to drive them back to headquarters. Jim sat back down to parse all the new information they had received and the more curious conundrum of Bones.

***

It was a whole night and another morning later when Jim decided that enough was enough.

Bones hadn’t been in contact and Jim was a little worried. Sulu might have been shooting him looks as well, while they were slowly going through all the new leads they had received from the recording. Sulu was also possibly at the stage of about to throw something at Jim, so he took proactive action and headed out for lunch. Most of the information had been sorted and devolved off to the right areas. He told Sulu he was heading out and would be back later.

“If you are going to see McCoy-,” Sulu started to say with a hint of warning in his tone.

“What?” Jim responded. “We haven’t heard from him since yesterday. If we don’t do a follow up, the Russians are going to wonder. The whole aim of this, Pike said, was to be visible, so I plan on being visible.”

“Be careful, they probably have him bugged,” Sulu warned. The look on his face told Jim that he wasn’t happy but wasn’t going to say too much while in the middle of the office. Jim knew when and where to pick his battles.

“I know. I will. Call me on the cell if you need me,” Jim said.

This was how he found himself outside the small local practice with Bones’ name on the door. The windows had thin horizontal blinds on them, mostly closed so that in order to see in, you had to peer very closely to the window. People on the inside could see out a bit better though. The paint job on the outside was well worn but at least clean. Jim turned the door handle and walked in.

There was an attractive blonde woman behind the reception desk that Jim knew was Christine Chapel, Bones’ nurse/receptionist. A background check had been run on her, but she had no links to the Russians. She just appeared to be like Bones, someone who had left their home state looking for something new in San Francisco. Maybe a little like his own self, really. She looked up at his entrance. There was a wary expression on her face, so Jim smiled even more brilliantly.

“Hi, is Bones, I mean, Dr. McCoy in?” Jim asked.

“I’m sorry Dr. McCoy got called away on an emergency. We canceled all his appointments for the day,” Christine told him.

There was a little look of mistrust on her face to accompany her discomfort or possibly even a little bit of fear, Jim thought, so he decided to make his presence very obvious. He pushed his jacket back as he placed his hands on his hips. This made his badge, that he had attached to the top of his pants, come into plain sight. He noticed Christine’s eyes flicker straight toward it.

“You know Dr. McCoy how?” Christine asked.

“We’re friends. I was gonna see if he wanted some lunch. I’ll just wait around a bit to see if he comes back, if that’s alright?” Jim smiled at her some more.

“I’m not too sure how long he will be. It might be a considerable time before he comes back,” she warned.

“That’s okay, I’m on my lunch break. I’ve got some time to waste,” Jim said as he walked over to one of the uncomfortable looking chairs by the far corner.

There was a little side table with a box of toys underneath it and a stack of magazines well past their use by date on the top. He picked up one of the less dog eared ones and started to flick through it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Christine fussing around on her desk, throwing an occasional glance his way. Her movements were in line with someone trying to look busy while not actually doing a lot in reality.

“How did you say you know Dr. McCoy?” Christine broke the silence.

“I didn’t, but I’m Jim, Jim Kirk,” he introduced himself.

“Can’t say that he has mentioned you before,” Christine replied.

“Well, I’m just gonna have to have some words with Bones over that,” Jim responded.

“‘Bones’?” she asked with a confused wrinkle of her nose.

“Sorry, just a nickname I call him. You know, Doctor, Sawbones, Bones,” Jim explained. “Suits him better than Leonard.”

“I like Leonard,” Christine told him. “So how did you two meet?”

“Just through the course of some inquiries I had,” Jim said.

“Oh,” Christine pondered that information. “He’s not in trouble is he?” she then asked with a worried look on her face.

“Not that I know of,” Jim replied.

Christine went back to worrying the end of her ballpoint pen with her teeth, showing that she was nervous about something.

“I saw your badge,” she said.

Jim stood up and pulled his badge off as he walked back over toward her. “Special Agent James T. Kirk, Federal Bureau of Investigations, San Francisco Office at your service,” he told her. He opened up his ID to show it to her. She leaned forward to stare at it intently, then look up at him, obviously comparing the picture to him. Jim resisted the urge to put the badge next to his face and grin broadly for her.

Christine nodded, obviously accepting that he was who he said he was.

“You really are friends with Leonard?” she asked.

Jim leaned up against the counter of the reception desk. “Do you think he might be in trouble?” he asked her.

Christine raised worried eyes toward him. “Do you know who Vasily Novikov is?”

“Yes, I do,” Jim replied. “Did the ‘emergency’ involve Mr. Novikov?”

Christine nodded her head. “He came in earlier, talked to Leonard for a couple of minutes in his office and then they left and Leonard told me to cancel all his afternoon appointments.”

“Thank you for telling me, Christine,” Jim said.

She looked up at him in surprise.

“He might not have talked about me, but he has mentioned you,” Jim told her. “I’ll be back. I just want to call my partner, okay?”

Jim started to walk toward the front door, wanting to make the phone call back to the office from outside.

“Agent Kirk,” Christine called after him.

“Yes?” Jim asked.

“He did take his bag with him,” Christine said.

Jim looked at her.

“He took his medical bag. He only takes that when he is off to treat someone,” Christine told him.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Jim reassured her before he opened the door and stepped outside.

He pulled his phone out as he walked a little way down the street. He dialled up Sulu’s extension and waited for his partner to pick up the phone.

“Hikaru Sulu, Federal Bureau of Investigations,” Sulu said as he answered.

“Sulu, Jim here. I’m gonna be a little longer than expected,” Jim said.

“Jim, Pike will kick your ass,” Sulu hissed into the phone.

“No he won’t,” Jim replied. “Look, Bones isn’t here. I just talked to Christine Chapel, his nurse, remember? Novikov came by earlier, talked to Bones and then they left together, with Bones taking his medical bag with him. Miss Chapel appears a little unnerved by the situation so I’m going to stay here for a bit and hopefully Bones will be back soon.”

“Shit,” Sulu said.

“Yeah, my thoughts exactly. There is a game going here without any rules still,” Jim agreed. “Seriously, how can you win when you are playing blindfolded, in the dark and after being spun around a couple of times?”

“I’ll put some feelers out to the locals, they tend to keep a bit of an eye on the Russians, although they smartly keep out of their way. See if anyone has spotted that big Merc of Novikov’s,” Sulu said.

“Thanks, call me if you hear anything. I have to go try and cheer up a lovely blonde. Wish me luck!” Jim replied.

“Jim, if I didn’t know you better I would say that woman is in trouble, but your attention is definitely elsewhere lately,” Sulu said.

“Hey, I’m still Jim Kirk!” Jim protested as he started to walk back to the office.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s you alright. Boldly going where no man or woman has gone before,” Sulu grumbled. “Later.”

Sulu hung up and Jim shook his head at his phone, the dial tone loud even over the noise of the street. He walked back into the office.

“Any news?” Christine asked right off the bat.

“I’ve got my partner asking some questions, but I’m sure it will be all okay,” Jim reassured her. “Look, it’s okay if I wait around here still?”

“Sure,” she agreed. “And thank you for asking around. I just worry about him is all. He has a good heart under his gruff exterior.”

“He does,” Jim nodded. “One of the things I like best about him.”

“Oh shoot,” Christine said as she quickly stood up from her seat.

Jim looked at her and then toward the window where her attention was. Kirill Popov was walking across the street.

Christine rushed over to open up the door to an office that Jim assumed was Bones’. Sure enough when she opened the door it looked like a doctor’s office.

“Can you wait in here? There is a man coming who works for the Russians and I really don’t think it would be a good idea for him to see you,” she said.

“Sure. Just let me know when it’s safe to come out,” Jim agreed as he walked into the office.

She shut the door securely behind him, so Jim wandered over toward Bones’ desk and ran his finger along the cheap gray melamine. He could hear voices outside the office, so he quietly sat down onto Bones’ chair, slowly taking in all the bits and pieces of the room.

As he listened to the voices outside the door, he had to hold in a chuckle as he realized that Christine was giving short and sharpish answers to Popov, who appeared to be flirting with her regardless of her showing that his intentions were not appreciated. Popov was a braver man than he, Jim mused.

He sat back in the surprisingly comfortable chair, prepared for the long haul of a waiting game and the hope that Bones was just called out to treat one of Novikov’s men who had gotten injured somehow. That it wasn’t anything more sinister than that.

***

Leonard waited while the thermometer did its job. He could hear Vasily and the group’s spokesperson talking off to the side. It was Russian as far as he could tell. There was definite animation between the two of them as they spoke. He tried to remember the name of the man, Ay-eel or it might have been Ayel. Vasily appeared a little more respectful than Leonard had ever seen him be while speaking to someone else. He might even have been inclined to think that there could be fear involved, if the idea was not so preposterous.

There was another man in the far shadows. All Leonard saw of him was his piercing eyes and the rough outline of his shape before Ayel approached Vasily and shook his hand. Leonard had been directed over to a small pile of blankets on the ground where there was a man huddled underneath them, shivering.

The man spoke no English, had a very gaunt appearance and was obviously sick but with what, Leonard had no clue. There was lots of conflicting symptoms and he would ideally want to get him to a hospital, but by the look of the group, they were in hiding.

The warehouse was smaller than the others that Vasily owned and ran. The lights had been kept off apart from a single bulb swinging slowly above the kitchen area. Leonard noted a small burner that was placed on the counter and a dirty looking kettle that had seen much better days.

Leonard suspected they had only been here a day or two at the most, and by the look and sound of them, had arrived into the country by not so legal means. Which meant that the infection’s origins were not from this country.

“Mr. Novikov,” Leonard said as he pulled the thermometer out to check the reading. Sure enough the man was running a fever, a very high fever.

“Yes, Leonard?” Vasily asked as he turned away from Ayel.

“I need to know where these people have been,” Leonard said, trying to impart with his tone that it was important information.

“Doctor, Mr. Novikov assured us you were a competent one. Please see to our friend,” Ayel interjected authoritatively.

“I am a competent doctor,” Leonard said as he stood up and walked toward Ayel, bristling at the order he had been given. “This man needs a hospital!”

“You will see to this man, here and now,” Ayel calmly responded. His eyes cool and calm in the face of Leonard’s obvious displeasure.

“I can’t see to this man here and now, and don’t you interrupt me,” Leonard held up a warning finger. “I’m the one with the medical degree and I say this man needs a hospital. I need to run tests and he needs some serious seeing to. But what I really need to know is where he came from as that can help me figure out what in the hell is wrong with him.” Leonard had made it to stand in front of Ayel as he finished his tirade.

“Leonard,” Vasily put a hand on his arm in warning.

“This man is sick with God knows what but I suspect it is a highly contagious virus. He is running with a fever so high that would normally have me sending any of my other patients to a hospital immediately. You want me to do my job; then I need to know all the facts. He can’t tell me anything and those that can, won’t, so I’m doing my best here,” Leonard told him.

There was some words spoken in a quiet but gravelly voice that came from the direction of the shadowed man. Ayel had turned as soon as the voice was heard. He hissed something back, whereupon there was a bark of an instruction in a language Leonard couldn’t understand, but he was sure it was either an “enough” or a “silence”.

“We understand your concerns and appreciate them, but we do not trust your hospitals. We are but visitors here, and My Lord begs you to assist our compatriot,” Ayel replied, obviously under instruction from the shadowed man.

“He begs me,” Leonard muttered toward Vasily, desperately trying not to roll his eyes. “Maybe if your Lord begged for some warmer clothes and better accommodation and I don’t know, medical help, earlier? I might be able to assist you.” Leonard looked over Ayel’s shoulder and toward the man in the shadows. “I need to know where you have been. I suspect it hasn’t been this country and without that information I can only guess at what is wrong. I’m not gonna treat a man with something that might end up killing him!”

There was some more words, this time quieter and in a language that sounded Russian but Vasily appeared as clueless as Leonard. Ayel had only turned his head this time to listen.

“Your doctor is very passionate, Novikov,” the voice said in heavily accented English.

Leonard held his breath as he saw the man rise from where he had been seated and slowly making his way toward them. His form was slowly being revealed, the outline becoming clearer. He was tall and broad, not too heavily muscled like a gym-junkie, but more someone who works on the land. Leonard noted that he appeared to be bald. His suspicions were confirmed when, as if in a dramatic movie, the man moved into plain sight, his face slowly appearing from the dark like a face breaking through water. Nose first, cheek, lips, deep set eyes with slashing eyebrows above and the beginnings of some impressive tattoo markings. Then he stepped clearly out into the light and Leonard tried desperately to hide his shock. That face, that man could only be one person.

Nero.

The miner.

The reason Leonard was working for Novikov.

“He is very passionate, my Lord,” Vasily replied. “He is also very good at what he does. I would not have brought him to you otherwise.”

Nero stepped closer to stand just behind Ayel, resting a hand on the man’s shoulder. Leonard’s eyes were drawn to that place and he noted that the hand had moved some of Ayel’s hair out of the way, displaying tattoo markings similar to his Lord on his neck. Where Ayel appeared to have attempted to blend in, Nero was unique in his dress and appearance.

Nero stared at Leonard. Leonard lifted up his chin and stared right back. Nero finally blinked.

“What do you require, doctor, in the way of information? We will not tell you where we have been. That is beyond us, needless to say I am sure there is other means at your disposal?” Nero asked.

“If you let me take a blood sample from him and maybe a urine one, I can send those off to be tested.” At Ayel’s sharp glance sideways, Leonard continued, “I can ensure that the name provided on the sample will not trace back to you or your group. The man has seen a needle before? He won’t attempt to run from me? I hate when they do that.”

“I do not doubt that you scare many a patient into being wary of you, doctor.”

“Only those that should be so,” Leonard replied. An image of Jim Kirk came to his mind, of their earlier encounter in a warehouse and the conversation about Jim not trusting doctors, well, that he wasn’t that ‘good’ with them.

“Ayel,” Nero said before reverting back into the language they had been using before, that Leonard now suspected was Romanian.

Ayel glared at Leonard before nodding and heading over toward the patient. He knelt down next to him and spoke quietly.

“You can take the blood you need,” Nero said as he walked back to his hiding spot in the darkened corner.

Leonard nodded and walked over to his patient. He started to prepare to take a blood sample. While he prepped his patient, Ayel sat back on his heels, watching closely each of Leonard’s movements.

The man lay still while Leonard took a blood sample. Leonard would have liked a urine one as well, but he appeared dehydrated and in no state to move.

“He needs fluids and he needs a lot of them,” Leonard told Ayel. “That at least you can do for him. I will get this to the lab and be back tomorrow.”

Ayel narrowed his eyes at Leonard. “Mr. Novikov will bring you to us tomorrow.”

“If you remember any information that I may need to know or if his condition changes in the slightest way, Mr. Novikov can contact me,” Leonard told Ayel as he started to pack up his bag.

The one thing he really needed though, was confirmation of Nero’s name. The tattoos were unique and should almost be enough, but if he heard his name it would be the clincher.

He and Vasily were nearly at the doorway where Lebedev had been standing when, clear as a bell, it turned into Leonard’s lucky day. Leonard had glanced back into the warehouse while he waited for Vasily to exit the building first. Ayel was standing back near to Nero, no other members of their small group were close to them, as they were fussing around their sick friend. Ayel addressed him as “Captain Nero.”

Leonard had to hide his excitement as he walked toward the Mercedes.

Lebedev drove them back toward the Avenues in relative silence. As they neared his practice, Vasily spoke to him.

“You will get the results back, when?”

Leonard glanced at his watch. “I should be able to rush this to the lab from the office, but they won’t process it until tomorrow. If they aren’t too backed up maybe lunchtime or later,” Leonard said. “Look, I can’t push anything through quickly without suspicions possibly being raised,” he continued.

“Do not worry, you did good. I know you want more information, but please do what you can to help the man,” Vasily patted him on the knee like a good child.

Lebedev stopped the car directly outside his office. As he exited the car Vasily called after him, “As soon as you have news, you let me know and I shall take you to my friends.”

Leonard ducked his head down so he could see Vasily. “Sure,” he agreed.

He closed the car door and watched as it drove off. He contemplated quickly finding a pay phone to tip Captain Pike off but knew his time was short and he would have to get the blood work sent off today. He tried his office door, checking to see if it was locked. It was not, so he opened the door and entered, knowing that Christine was still in the office.

“Good, you are still here,” he said immediately as he walked in the door and spied her behind her desk. “I need you send this off to pathology straight away. I have jotted down the information on the container.”

He placed it on the top of her desk as he started to head toward his office, head down as he rummaged in his bag. “I have to go out again,” continued.

“Bones, don’t you ever let people just say hello first?” he heard a very familiar voice say.

“Jim!” he exclaimed as he looked in shock at the man who was leaning casually against the door jam of his office.

“I told you he knew me,” Jim smirked toward Christine.

Leonard looked between the pair of them, appearing to be very comfortable in each others presence.

“Boss, I was trying to tell you that you have a visitor,” Christine calmly told him as she pulled out the necessary paperwork.

“Oh, Boss, I like that. I still prefer Bones though,” Jim was smiling a little too happily for Leonard’s liking.

“You would,” Christine muttered.

“Hey!” Jim protested. “Bones, did you know that your nurse flirts with your customers?”

“I did not flirt with you!” Christine stopped to glare at Jim.

“I’m not a patient, but there was that handsome Russian fellow. I could hear the two of you cooing at each other,” Jim teased Christine.

“I did not!” Christine was fully glaring daggers toward Jim now, who just laughed at the expression on her face. “You!” she complained and returned to her work.

“Jim, get in the office!” Leonard ordered him.

“Yes, Boss,” Jim retorted as he stepped backwards into it, holding the door open.

Leonard walked into the office, trying to figure out how to tell Jim about what he had learned and yet mindful that the room was likely bugged by Vasily. He put his bag down on his desk and turned to talk to Jim, to discover that the door was shut and then Jim was pressing him back against the visitors chair placed next to his desk.

Next thing he knew he was being kissed, hard. He groaned into it and wrapped his arms around Jim, all the tension and adrenaline in him draining out as he just relaxed into Jim’s arms.

Jim’s hand found his ass and gripped as he tilted their groins together while he tried to get his tongue to wrap around Leonard’s. Leonard growled and pushed at Jim until he had him seated on the edge of his desk. He felt Jim wrap one leg around his and then Leonard decided it was time for him to take charge.

Leonard slid his arm around Jim in order to attempt to pull him closer than the clothes on his skin when he felt it. The weapon that had him pausing.

It broke the spell and brought Leonard crashing back to the here and now. He dropped his head onto Jim’s shoulder.

“Damn it Jim,” he whispered.

Jim grabbed his face between his hands and forced Leonard to look at him. There was a serious expression on his face.

“I know,” Jim replied to all the unspoken words that Leonard had expressed in those three little words. “Christine was worried about you.”

“Christine now?” Leonard asked.

“Fine looking nurse you have there, Bones,” Jim smirked slightly.

“Jim,” Leonard warned.

“Hey! She can handle me! I heard her dealing with Popov,” Jim explained.

At the mention of his watchdog, Leonard looked warily at Jim.

“She spotted him coming and she sent me in here so he had no idea I was around,” Jim explained. “Mind you, it meant I had to listen to him attempting to woo her. I would have gotten the hint a long time ago.”

Leonard sent a disbelieving look his way.

“Give me some credit,” Jim protested. “Fine. Whatever. Can’t believe you let him keep trying like that.”

“It is amusing to watch him fail regularly,” Leonard replied. “He’s remarkably respectful though and takes all her knock backs pretty well.”

Leonard looked around his office, considering how next to word his request.

He decided for direct.

“Look, you want to get out of here?”

Jim blinked and then smiled that little smile that Leonard was learning to treasure. The smaller the expression on Jim Kirk’s face, the more genuine it was.

“Sure,” he agreed, sliding just that little bit forward off the desk, rubbing his body with Leonard’s as he did so.

Leonard stepped back and went to open his door when he realized something.

“Shit,” he muttered as he turned back and nearly collided with Jim. “Hang on,” he told him.

He stepped around Jim and opened up his bag, searching and finding quickly the used needle and accouterments. He carefully took them out from where he had secured them. He placed them and his used gloves into the sharps bin.

“Done,” he told Jim, who opened the door, and they walked out of his office.

Christine had her head down ‘looking busy’ again which made Leonard blush slightly to consider that she might have heard them. The walls were not the thickest he had ever known and he could often easily hear conversations in the waiting room from his seat in the office.

“Christine, feel free to lock up once they have collected the sample. I’m heading off for the day,” he said.

“Okay,” she agreed watching him with curious eyes. He knew she had questions, but what he liked best was that she didn’t push and ask. Just waited for him to tell her things and he liked to think he offered her the same courtesy.

“It was nice to meet you, Christine,” Jim said as he followed Leonard toward the front door.

“You too, Jim,” Christine smiled at Jim, his teasing from earlier seemingly forgiven.

They walked out of his office together, Jim matching his strides.

“Where we going, Bones?” he asked.

Leonard stopped as he looked around the street. “Did you bring a car?”

“Well I sure didn’t walk here from the office,” Jim replied.

“Good, show me where it is and then we can drive toward your place,” Leonard continued to glance around surreptitiously.

“Toward my place?” Jim queried. At least he wasn’t slow on the uptake to realize that things had just changed.

“Yup, just get in the car and drive,” Leonard told him.

Jim nodded and walked quickly away, with Leonard following swiftly behind.

Part seven this way