Trust issues.
Something didn't feel right. As Michael sat in his hotel room, cleaning the handgun he had used earlier, he just kept going back to the events from earlier in the day over and over. It had all been way too easy, even if the job had been done with six other people, besides himself, who knew what they were doing. Who, it had been obvious, had been trained far better than he had been, even if he was the one who was in charge of the whole thing.
But something didn't feel right. He didn't know what it was, exactly, but he couldn't shake the feeling away.
His thoughts didn't get far, though, because the door to his hotel room suddenly opened, and Alena made her way in with the key that she had with her. Great, he thought with a small sigh, his eyes going back to the handgun as he finished putting it together. "I thought you'd be babysitting that girl we saved earlier. She asleep?"
"Yeah, she has been," she said with a tired sigh as she made her way to his bed, to sit down. "You did a good job today, Michael."
"I didn't do it alone, but thanks I guess." The room stayed silent, Michael not bothering to turn to her completely even when he put the gun on the table that was next to him. His eyes just seemed to wander out towards the window, to look at the brightly lit city in front of him. "We finished too quickly," he suddenly added. "The flight over here took longer than how long we were there for - that was just...way too easy."
Alena, though, didn't sound too concerned. "And that's a bad thing? I thought you'd be glad. If it would have taken you longer we'd probably stay here for a few more days."
"I don't see why you needed me if it was this easy, though. It was just way too simple."
"I wanted you because, like I told you, I trust you. I've known that girl's parents for years, I didn't..." She looked down at the floor for a moment before turning to him again. "I wanted you to do it. And I'm glad you did." Michael just shrugged, which caused her to frown for a moment. "I'm actually more surprised that you almost killed the guy that was holding her captive."
Since he wasn't exactly looking forward to that conversation, Michael stood up and walked over to the minibar to get something to drink. "I thought that was the job description. Make the bastard regret what he did."
"Yeah, but I didn't..." She trailed off for a moment, watching him. "I didn't expect you to actually do it. When I last saw you-"
"People change. I thought I told you that. And apparently you knew about everything I did in the past, didn't you? I've actually killed people before. This isn't my first time."
She nodded. "I know. And I know I shouldn't be so surprised, but just... Now that I see you've changed, it's different." There was a small pause, but it didn't last too long. "I didn't think you'd go through with it. That was one of the reasons why I had six other people working with you."
Michael shook his head, keeping in an annoyed sigh. "Yeah, I figured. But I did what I came to do. I shot the bastard a few times, we're taking the girl home again... Everyone's happy." He didn't look happy, though, and he didn't even feel it. Usually, after successfully finishing a job, he'd be celebrating, but he wasn't. Maybe it was that odd feeling he couldn't shake away that was causing him to be this way, but he couldn't feel...happy. "So should we leave earlier than we had planned? We could leave early in the morning, and be back in New York by tomorrow night."
With a small smile, Alena stood up and walked over to him. "We could," she said quietly, a hand resting against his chest as she leaned up to kiss him. "Or we could just stay here tomorrow, take a day off, and go back tomorrow night. We got upgraded to a good hotel and not just some town in the middle of nowhere; we could enjoy that, you know." Just as her hands moved down to start unbuckling the belt he was wearing, Michael pulled away. Frowning slightly, she stared at him in confusion. "What's wrong?" When he didn't answer, she sighed. "Will you stop overanalyzing everything? Things went according to plan. I know Jack sometimes put you in shitty situations and you always encountered some problem or another, but you've got to trust me."
"I've been in this line of work for over twelve years. Way over twelve years, and nothing has ever been this easy."
"One of the benefits of working with us, Michael."
"Yeah? You better be right." Stepping closer to her, he caressed her cheek for a moment. "Because if I find out you're setting me up in any way," he warned quietly, with a small smile that looked more like a smirk yet the look on his face was as harsh as his tone of voice, "we're going to end up having more problems than we did in the past." Alena stared at him, her expression not changing until she gave him a smile. Whether it was fake or not, though, Michael was unable to tell. "We clear then?"
"Crystal," Alena responded, still smiling. "We're going to have to work on your trust, Michael. Let me fix you a drink, hmm? I think we both need one."
With that, Michael couldn't argue, so he took a step back again after she kissed him. Maybe she was right, maybe he was overreacting. Maybe they had just lucked out. Maybe... With a small sigh, he just shook his head a little. Relax. He needed to relax. So, with a deep breath, he accepted the drink that Alena handed him.
Yeah, he thought as he started to drink; he just needed to relax.
But something didn't feel right. He didn't know what it was, exactly, but he couldn't shake the feeling away.
His thoughts didn't get far, though, because the door to his hotel room suddenly opened, and Alena made her way in with the key that she had with her. Great, he thought with a small sigh, his eyes going back to the handgun as he finished putting it together. "I thought you'd be babysitting that girl we saved earlier. She asleep?"
"Yeah, she has been," she said with a tired sigh as she made her way to his bed, to sit down. "You did a good job today, Michael."
"I didn't do it alone, but thanks I guess." The room stayed silent, Michael not bothering to turn to her completely even when he put the gun on the table that was next to him. His eyes just seemed to wander out towards the window, to look at the brightly lit city in front of him. "We finished too quickly," he suddenly added. "The flight over here took longer than how long we were there for - that was just...way too easy."
Alena, though, didn't sound too concerned. "And that's a bad thing? I thought you'd be glad. If it would have taken you longer we'd probably stay here for a few more days."
"I don't see why you needed me if it was this easy, though. It was just way too simple."
"I wanted you because, like I told you, I trust you. I've known that girl's parents for years, I didn't..." She looked down at the floor for a moment before turning to him again. "I wanted you to do it. And I'm glad you did." Michael just shrugged, which caused her to frown for a moment. "I'm actually more surprised that you almost killed the guy that was holding her captive."
Since he wasn't exactly looking forward to that conversation, Michael stood up and walked over to the minibar to get something to drink. "I thought that was the job description. Make the bastard regret what he did."
"Yeah, but I didn't..." She trailed off for a moment, watching him. "I didn't expect you to actually do it. When I last saw you-"
"People change. I thought I told you that. And apparently you knew about everything I did in the past, didn't you? I've actually killed people before. This isn't my first time."
She nodded. "I know. And I know I shouldn't be so surprised, but just... Now that I see you've changed, it's different." There was a small pause, but it didn't last too long. "I didn't think you'd go through with it. That was one of the reasons why I had six other people working with you."
Michael shook his head, keeping in an annoyed sigh. "Yeah, I figured. But I did what I came to do. I shot the bastard a few times, we're taking the girl home again... Everyone's happy." He didn't look happy, though, and he didn't even feel it. Usually, after successfully finishing a job, he'd be celebrating, but he wasn't. Maybe it was that odd feeling he couldn't shake away that was causing him to be this way, but he couldn't feel...happy. "So should we leave earlier than we had planned? We could leave early in the morning, and be back in New York by tomorrow night."
With a small smile, Alena stood up and walked over to him. "We could," she said quietly, a hand resting against his chest as she leaned up to kiss him. "Or we could just stay here tomorrow, take a day off, and go back tomorrow night. We got upgraded to a good hotel and not just some town in the middle of nowhere; we could enjoy that, you know." Just as her hands moved down to start unbuckling the belt he was wearing, Michael pulled away. Frowning slightly, she stared at him in confusion. "What's wrong?" When he didn't answer, she sighed. "Will you stop overanalyzing everything? Things went according to plan. I know Jack sometimes put you in shitty situations and you always encountered some problem or another, but you've got to trust me."
"I've been in this line of work for over twelve years. Way over twelve years, and nothing has ever been this easy."
"One of the benefits of working with us, Michael."
"Yeah? You better be right." Stepping closer to her, he caressed her cheek for a moment. "Because if I find out you're setting me up in any way," he warned quietly, with a small smile that looked more like a smirk yet the look on his face was as harsh as his tone of voice, "we're going to end up having more problems than we did in the past." Alena stared at him, her expression not changing until she gave him a smile. Whether it was fake or not, though, Michael was unable to tell. "We clear then?"
"Crystal," Alena responded, still smiling. "We're going to have to work on your trust, Michael. Let me fix you a drink, hmm? I think we both need one."
With that, Michael couldn't argue, so he took a step back again after she kissed him. Maybe she was right, maybe he was overreacting. Maybe they had just lucked out. Maybe... With a small sigh, he just shook his head a little. Relax. He needed to relax. So, with a deep breath, he accepted the drink that Alena handed him.
Yeah, he thought as he started to drink; he just needed to relax.