Weekly Obbo Challenge 116(B) cook/envelope/pic prompt
Title: Pushing the Envelope
Author: Merentha13
Pros-Lib / Circuit Archive: Yes
Pairing and / or characters: Doyle/Bodie
Rating: everyone
Word count: ~1200
Warnings: bad puns
Disclaimer: Just borrowing the lads, no copyright infringement intended
Written for the Weekly Obbo 116(B)
“What do you think it means?” Ray looked up from the cook top where the spaghetti Bolognese was simmering.
“Means you’re not free and clear yet, sunshine.” Bodie slid the picture out of its envelope. “That’s why we’re here at the safe-house instead of at home, in bed, where we belong.”
Ray snorted.
“That nutter did like his games. The whole time he had me he kept sayin’ things about games and rules.” Ray tried not to wince as he moved to get plates for their dinner and Bodie pretended not to notice. “But why a chess piece?”
“It’s not just any chess piece, Ray. It’s the king.”
“Okay, but what’s it mean, Mr Karpov?”
“The king is the most important piece on the board, but it is also the most vulnerable. He’s very limited in his movements. He’s dependent on all the other pieces for protection.”
“Like the knights and rooks...” Ray shot Bodie a speculative look.
“I’d rather think of myself as a bishop if you don’t mind, mate!” Bodie’s smile faded quickly as he looked again at the picture, the white king lying in a puddle of red liquid. “No mystery about the meaning of this photograph, though. You’re the one who figured out that Ellis “cooked” the books. Your testimony will pull down the whole organisation - checkmate, so to say.”
Ray groaned, and Bodie smirked.
“Someone wants to make sure you’re taken out of the game before that.”
“But why that?” Ray nodded toward the envelope. “Why give a warning?”
“You said the nutter likes to play games. This is just another move on the board.”
Ray watched as Bodie leaned against the window, staring out into the yard. He smiled softly at the straight, tense back. “Berk is worried about me. Have to admit it feels good.”
“C’mon and eat, sunshine. I may not play games very well, but I can cook. Food’s ready.”
Bodie turned and ruffled the curly head.
“It’s not a game, Ray. A look in the mirror should tell you that,” he enveloped the battered figure in a loose embrace. “But I’m here this time. We’ll end this once and for all.”
The sound of breaking glass split them apart. Bodie moved toward the back bedroom where the noise had originated. Ray grabbed his gun from its place on the table and moved to turn the lights off. He heard Bodie call on the R/T for backup.
Bodie came out of the bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. He braced a chair under the door knob. He walked toward Ray and held out his hand. Ray could just make out a chess piece in Bodie’s grip.
“Another message. This one came with a rock.”
“How did they find us?” Doyle pushed the edge of the curtain back with the barrel of his gun. He didn’t see anyone moving outside.
“Good question, sunshine. Someone’s been talkin’ out of turn.” Bodie opened the trunk behind the settee and pulled out a rifle. He tossed it to Doyle, and then took another for himself. He handed Ray a fist full of ammunition.
“Anson and McCabe?” Ray continued to scan the yard.
“They’re supposed to be on the other side of the block. I couldn’t raise them.” Bodie loaded the long gun.
“And when were you plannin’ on tellin’ me that?”
“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”
“Back-up?”
“Cowley’s sending some more of the squad our way. It’ll be a few minutes before they get here.”
“I hope we’ve got a few minutes. Could be our goose is finally cooked.”
Before Bodie could answer, the front window shattered, spraying glass across the room. Bodie heard Ray cry out. The room was filling with a dark, acrid smoke. He pulled the sleeve of his shirt over his nose and mouth. He heard Ray begin to cough and winced at the thought of what that hacking was doing to Ray’s broken ribs.
“Doyle.”
There was no answer.
“Ray!” Bodie couldn’t see through the enveloping smoke.
He heard another canister hit the floor and then a crash from the kitchen. He moved slowly back toward that room, eyes tearing as the pungent smoke began to take its toll. He tripped over booted feet and realized Ray had fallen through the table and collapsed on the floor. He lay amid the broken dishes and spilled spaghetti.
“Ray!” He reached out to pull Ray out of the mess when he heard several sets of footsteps enter the room. He froze, hoping the smoke would hide them. He heard the unmistakable sound of a gun’s safety being released and the slide being pulled back. He couldn’t tell who the target was, but he threw himself across Ray’s unconscious form. Seconds that seemed like hours passed. He heard scuffling and then familiar voices shouting “Drop the weapons. You’re surrounded.” Jax and Charlie. Back-up had arrived and he and Ray had survived another close call.
Bodie watched as Ray was loaded into the ambulance. He moved to follow and was stopped a sharp voice calling “3.7.”
Cowley surveyed the scene in the safe-house and scowled. “I’ll want this written up in detail, Bodie. On my desk first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Sir.” They both watched the ambulance pull away.
“One good thing to come of this, both those men are talking already.” Cowley smiled grimly. “It looks like Doyle won’t have to testify after all.” He returned his hat to his head and Bodie heard him mumble as he walked away, “I don’t know how the two of you always manage such a botch-up of simple assignments... always pushing the envelope...”
Jax and Charlie showed up at the hospital the next afternoon. Ray was tucked into the bed and tethered to several different IV lines. Bodie sat in the chair next to the bed, an exasperated expression on his face. Everyone at CI5 knew that Ray was a horrible patient. The man was motion incarnate and to confine him to a hospital bed, no matter how much he needed to be there, was torture for both him and his visitor.
“Oi! How’s our patient today?” Charlie asked with a suspicious grin.
“Not so patient,” Bodie sighed.
“Well, we’ve got just what the doctor ordered, “Jax smiled. “ A little something we cooked up to pass the time.”
"A bit of pawnography?" Bodie rubbed his hands together gleefully.
Jax rolled his eyes as he handed a box to Ray, who slowly undid the wrapping. His eyes narrowed and he glared at the two CI5 agents standing at the foot of his bed. He pulled a set of chess pieces out of the box. The king had a small picture of himself attached to it. Removing several other pieces he found Bodie’s face adorning a knight, Jax on a castle and Charlie on the rook.
“Of all the tasteless...” Ray’s tone indicated he wasn’t amused. He pulled the final piece, the queen, out of the package and was faced with Cowley’s dour countenance.
Bodie, choking back on his laughter, finally lost control and laughed out loud at Ray’s indignation.
“Pillock!” Ray hissed and Bodie found himself being bombarded with CI5 chess pieces.
“Temper, temper, Raymond! Is that any way to treat a gift?” Bodie was still laughing.
“Keep laughin’, Bodie, and when I get out of this bed you’ll find yourself between a rook and a hard place.”
Author: Merentha13
Pros-Lib / Circuit Archive: Yes
Pairing and / or characters: Doyle/Bodie
Rating: everyone
Word count: ~1200
Warnings: bad puns
Disclaimer: Just borrowing the lads, no copyright infringement intended
Written for the Weekly Obbo 116(B)
“What do you think it means?” Ray looked up from the cook top where the spaghetti Bolognese was simmering.
“Means you’re not free and clear yet, sunshine.” Bodie slid the picture out of its envelope. “That’s why we’re here at the safe-house instead of at home, in bed, where we belong.”
Ray snorted.
“That nutter did like his games. The whole time he had me he kept sayin’ things about games and rules.” Ray tried not to wince as he moved to get plates for their dinner and Bodie pretended not to notice. “But why a chess piece?”
“It’s not just any chess piece, Ray. It’s the king.”
“Okay, but what’s it mean, Mr Karpov?”
“The king is the most important piece on the board, but it is also the most vulnerable. He’s very limited in his movements. He’s dependent on all the other pieces for protection.”
“Like the knights and rooks...” Ray shot Bodie a speculative look.
“I’d rather think of myself as a bishop if you don’t mind, mate!” Bodie’s smile faded quickly as he looked again at the picture, the white king lying in a puddle of red liquid. “No mystery about the meaning of this photograph, though. You’re the one who figured out that Ellis “cooked” the books. Your testimony will pull down the whole organisation - checkmate, so to say.”
Ray groaned, and Bodie smirked.
“Someone wants to make sure you’re taken out of the game before that.”
“But why that?” Ray nodded toward the envelope. “Why give a warning?”
“You said the nutter likes to play games. This is just another move on the board.”
Ray watched as Bodie leaned against the window, staring out into the yard. He smiled softly at the straight, tense back. “Berk is worried about me. Have to admit it feels good.”
“C’mon and eat, sunshine. I may not play games very well, but I can cook. Food’s ready.”
Bodie turned and ruffled the curly head.
“It’s not a game, Ray. A look in the mirror should tell you that,” he enveloped the battered figure in a loose embrace. “But I’m here this time. We’ll end this once and for all.”
The sound of breaking glass split them apart. Bodie moved toward the back bedroom where the noise had originated. Ray grabbed his gun from its place on the table and moved to turn the lights off. He heard Bodie call on the R/T for backup.
Bodie came out of the bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. He braced a chair under the door knob. He walked toward Ray and held out his hand. Ray could just make out a chess piece in Bodie’s grip.
“Another message. This one came with a rock.”
“How did they find us?” Doyle pushed the edge of the curtain back with the barrel of his gun. He didn’t see anyone moving outside.
“Good question, sunshine. Someone’s been talkin’ out of turn.” Bodie opened the trunk behind the settee and pulled out a rifle. He tossed it to Doyle, and then took another for himself. He handed Ray a fist full of ammunition.
“Anson and McCabe?” Ray continued to scan the yard.
“They’re supposed to be on the other side of the block. I couldn’t raise them.” Bodie loaded the long gun.
“And when were you plannin’ on tellin’ me that?”
“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”
“Back-up?”
“Cowley’s sending some more of the squad our way. It’ll be a few minutes before they get here.”
“I hope we’ve got a few minutes. Could be our goose is finally cooked.”
Before Bodie could answer, the front window shattered, spraying glass across the room. Bodie heard Ray cry out. The room was filling with a dark, acrid smoke. He pulled the sleeve of his shirt over his nose and mouth. He heard Ray begin to cough and winced at the thought of what that hacking was doing to Ray’s broken ribs.
“Doyle.”
There was no answer.
“Ray!” Bodie couldn’t see through the enveloping smoke.
He heard another canister hit the floor and then a crash from the kitchen. He moved slowly back toward that room, eyes tearing as the pungent smoke began to take its toll. He tripped over booted feet and realized Ray had fallen through the table and collapsed on the floor. He lay amid the broken dishes and spilled spaghetti.
“Ray!” He reached out to pull Ray out of the mess when he heard several sets of footsteps enter the room. He froze, hoping the smoke would hide them. He heard the unmistakable sound of a gun’s safety being released and the slide being pulled back. He couldn’t tell who the target was, but he threw himself across Ray’s unconscious form. Seconds that seemed like hours passed. He heard scuffling and then familiar voices shouting “Drop the weapons. You’re surrounded.” Jax and Charlie. Back-up had arrived and he and Ray had survived another close call.
Bodie watched as Ray was loaded into the ambulance. He moved to follow and was stopped a sharp voice calling “3.7.”
Cowley surveyed the scene in the safe-house and scowled. “I’ll want this written up in detail, Bodie. On my desk first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Sir.” They both watched the ambulance pull away.
“One good thing to come of this, both those men are talking already.” Cowley smiled grimly. “It looks like Doyle won’t have to testify after all.” He returned his hat to his head and Bodie heard him mumble as he walked away, “I don’t know how the two of you always manage such a botch-up of simple assignments... always pushing the envelope...”
Jax and Charlie showed up at the hospital the next afternoon. Ray was tucked into the bed and tethered to several different IV lines. Bodie sat in the chair next to the bed, an exasperated expression on his face. Everyone at CI5 knew that Ray was a horrible patient. The man was motion incarnate and to confine him to a hospital bed, no matter how much he needed to be there, was torture for both him and his visitor.
“Oi! How’s our patient today?” Charlie asked with a suspicious grin.
“Not so patient,” Bodie sighed.
“Well, we’ve got just what the doctor ordered, “Jax smiled. “ A little something we cooked up to pass the time.”
"A bit of pawnography?" Bodie rubbed his hands together gleefully.
Jax rolled his eyes as he handed a box to Ray, who slowly undid the wrapping. His eyes narrowed and he glared at the two CI5 agents standing at the foot of his bed. He pulled a set of chess pieces out of the box. The king had a small picture of himself attached to it. Removing several other pieces he found Bodie’s face adorning a knight, Jax on a castle and Charlie on the rook.
“Of all the tasteless...” Ray’s tone indicated he wasn’t amused. He pulled the final piece, the queen, out of the package and was faced with Cowley’s dour countenance.
Bodie, choking back on his laughter, finally lost control and laughed out loud at Ray’s indignation.
“Pillock!” Ray hissed and Bodie found himself being bombarded with CI5 chess pieces.
“Temper, temper, Raymond! Is that any way to treat a gift?” Bodie was still laughing.
“Keep laughin’, Bodie, and when I get out of this bed you’ll find yourself between a rook and a hard place.”