Devil’s in the Details (67 page)

Stacy practically shoved me out of the way to take the offered bag of food, "Will you marry me? Please?" She sniffed the bag with an exaggerated sniff, "I have missed you Victoria."

Victoria laughed, folding her arms across her chest, "You've missed the food I bring." She glanced at me, smiling even as it looked like she was about to cry, the heavy clouds were swirling in her eyes. "Can I snag Alex for a few minutes to have lunch?"

Stacy was already two giant bites into her sandwich, waving us off, "Go, go, the on call room is empty and I changed the sheets this morning. Make sure you lock the door if you're going to indulge in some physical dessert. The new girl is still learning how to knock before entering. Caught Mr. Johnson in his eighty year old birthday suit and a full catheter bag last night. Needless to say, they scared the piss out of each other." She looked up to both Victoria and I scowling at her like embarrassed parents, she waved us off, "I got you covered Alex, I'll get you if I need you."

I could only shake my head, grab the other two bags and motion Victoria to follow me, "I'm sorry." I suddenly felt bashful that I had told Stacy everything without asking Victoria if it was okay to tell anyone what had happened over the last few weeks. "I got carried away catching up with her."

I held open the door to the on call room, letting Victoria walk in first, "How was your meeting?" I wanted to shift subjects, distract both of us from the fact I had been basically gossiping about our relationship for the last three hours.

I barely set the food down on the tiny round table in the room when I was scooped up in Victoria's arms in an all-consuming hug. It startled me, but I soon relaxed into her warmth, hugging her back. "Hi?"

I could feel and hear her heart pound, "Victoria? Are you okay?" She was holding on to me like she hadn't seen me in years. Like I was going to run away and never look back.

She sighed heavily, tucking her head into my shoulder, "Yes, I just missed you. The meeting was very drab and the same garbage it is every year." She squeezed me once more before stepping away and sitting down at the table, reaching for a bag. "Dani was finally promoted. They gave me a raise, but it comes with upgrading my involvement in the Academy recruitment." Victoria was keeping her eyes on the food, not bothering to look at me as she spoke.

"That's a good thing right?" I sat across from her, "Oh shoot, what did you want to drink?" I stood up, moving to the small vending machine tucked in the corner. I furrowed my brow, curious as to why Dani's meeting with a faculty advisor would result in her being promoted. I had remembered when James was promoted to detective. He had to sit in on numerous meetings with supervisors, command staff and eventually the precinct captain. It was strange, but I didn't care too much about Dani to question it.

"A coke is fine." Victoria still wasn't looking at me, "I guess it's a good thing. I’ll travel less, but when I do it will be a longer period of time." She continued unwrapping her sandwich, picking up her pickle and setting on my sandwich, making me smile at how cute she was with her hatred of pickles.

I glanced at Victoria, I could feel she wasn't happy with the good news of her evaluation, "I'm used to you traveling. It's not a big deal especially if you're going to do less of it." I set down a can of coke in front of her before sitting back down. "I can always pick up double shifts when you're gone. Helps make the time go quicker." I smiled at the blonde, biting into the pickle.

Victoria shrugged, slowly eating her chips, "Maybe I've grown so used to being lazy with nothing to do, that it doesn't excite me anymore to go back to work or travel for recruitment fairs." She sighed, opening her coke. "My retirement was discussed."

I nodded and spoke around a huge mouthful of food, "That's great! Are they going to let you retire?" I suddenly got excited about the idea of Victoria being home all the time. Puttering around in the backyard getting dirty and sweaty, or coming to see me on long days at the hospital bringing me lunch, then sneaking away to linen closets to make out. Those thoughts drifted to long term ideas, dogs, long romantic trips, marriage. I swallowed the food down, marriage. Slow it down Alex, you two have only been official for two weeks. I sipped my diet coke trying to refocus on Victoria and not my rampant romantic ideas.

She nodded slowly, "We are going to work on it, no guarantees yet." She smiled tightly before taking a large bite of her food.

There was definitely something bothering Victoria, I hadn't seen her this closed off and distant since the first few months of our friendship when I felt like she was so very tentative and afraid to share. She also looked defeated, like she had fought fifteen rounds gallantly and just gave up in the last few seconds. Letting her opponent beat her down. Before I could ask, she looked up, "So, what did you tell Stacy about us?" She said it with a gentle smirk.

I took the offered change in subject, taking part one of Stacy's advice and not focus on the little things right now. Maybe I would wait until later when I came home and had Victoria under me, writhing and moaning out my name. Then ask questions when her mind was void of much coherent thought to lie to me.

I proceeded to tell her about my gossiping, injecting the dinner date idea Stacy presented and with every word, I saw Victoria relax as she stared at me. Stared at me in a way that she was memorizing this moment. I could see the clouds move away and replaced by the grey eyes filled with more love than I ever thought conceivable.

I loved her so much and deep down I wished the mystery hanging over her like a dark thunderstorm cloud would just piss off and let me live in the bliss with her. But I knew it wasn't going to be possible, I was too smart to let myself be that stupid.

Watching Alex eat and go on about Stacy and her day, melted much of the stress from my conversation with the old man. The way she told nurse jokes that weren't that funny, but made me smile. The way she devoured the pound of food in front of her with elegance, and lastly just the way she looked at me. It slowly brought my world back to a calm and normal rotation.

I almost forgot we were still in the hospital when Stacy popped her head in, "Alex, we’re needed down in the emergency room. Traffic accident on the highway and we are about to get slammed." She smiled softly in my direction to apologize for the intrusion.

Alex snapped into nurse mode, standing up, "I'll be right behind you." She turned to me, reaching for the garbage, "Sorry Victoria."

I shook my head, standing up and holding up a hand to tell her I would clean up, "It's fine, go help some people." I grinned when she grabbed my face for a quick intense kissing, whispering how much she loved me against my lips before running out of the room.

Picking up the remnants of her demolished lunch, I shoved it in the trash can before carefully packing up the half sandwich I had left. Writing her name on it and tucking it in the fridge for her to have later. I scanned the room to make sure it was left exactly as we found it, when my phone rang.

I frowned looking at Dani's name blazing on the screen. Tapping the screen, I closed my eyes, "Don't even say it, I took a cab."

"I wasn't going to say shit, Professor. I don't blame you for bolting out as soon as you could. I ran into the old lady after meeting with the old man. I will never get used to Arthur's nasty way of flirting."

Dani blew out an irritated sigh, "Anyway, where are you? We need to talk." I quickly heard two clicks signifying Dani had secured our line, giving us freedom to speak candidly.

I rubbed the sides of my head, "I'm at the hospital." I paused, "I'm assuming Gaines spoke to you about a few things?"

Dani chuckled, "Boy did she ever! I ‘m impressed by her tech unit out in jolly old England and should have known they'd have a few of my fellow white hat hackers working for them."

"Are you in trouble?" Even though I wanted to run Dani over with my car, I still cared about her and sadly needed her to stay on as my handler until I was out.

"Nope. My shenanigans were the main reason I finally moved up in rank." Dani huffed, "Downside, she presented me with a unique proposition that coincides with your eventual retirement."

I chewed the inside of my lip, "And?"

"We are working on something, something that will move up our timeframe. If this works out, you'll be collecting a pension by the new year." She paused, sucking in a breath, "But it won't be easy, and it certainly won't be pretty. The old man wants to cut ties with the old lady. She has the backing of the tea drinkers and is working on the patriots. Her and I only worked out the information gathering details of this endeavor of hers. I don't know any more than the promises that there will be an exit for you and for me, soon."

Furrowing my brow, I stood up straighter, "I don't like the sound of any of this." I jammed my hand in my pocket, poking my fingers on the envelope from Gaines. I yanked it out looking at it, debating on throwing it out or opening it up and finding out what she had on Scarlett that would chase the detective off my tail permanently.

"The colonel is alive. She showed me photographs of him in Chile' last week." Dani threw the words up like a drunk in an alley. "He's been working with the old lady. That's why your jobs have begun to get more and more tasteless. Vague rumors have it that the two are back in black trying to create their own Voltaire. One that works for the good guys and the bad guys."

The rage spilled over like a popped champagne cork, "No, he died in that explosion…." I began to pace, looking for something to ram my fist through to take the edge off.

"Smoke and mirrors, Victoria. A magic trick he crafted." Dani's voice changed to one that was trying to be comforting. She knew how much I hated that fat man with every bone in my body. "The old man gave me the level one access code to go sniffing about in Voltaire's mainframe."

My fists clenched on their own, the knuckles a pure white as I crumpled the envelope, "I will…kill him."

"Victoria, relax. I'm outside the hospital. Get in the car and I'll take you home." Dani was speaking slower, trying to calm the blurring rage she knew was washing over me. "Leave now before Alex sees you."

I flinched hearing her name, "Fine." I hung up on Dani and left the on call room, rushing past nurses and taking the stairwell down to the lobby. I knew if I spotted Alex in the emergency room I would either grab her and beg her to run away with me or walk away. Tell her to run from me as my past was colliding with my present and the black hooded figure was seeping back in. The killer was sparking back to life in a long forgotten promise I made to myself and Dani when I found out the truth about the Colonel. To kill that fat bastard with my bare hands and make him suffer.

Outside I squinted at the bright sun, heading to the black sedan and getting in without a word. Dani looked at me, pulling the sedan out of the fire lane, "Are you okay?"

I huffed, "I wish people would stop asking me that, including you." I glared at her, holding up the wrinkled envelope, "The old man gave me this at the end of our meeting. She mentioned it would help chase Scarlett off my ass."

Dani glanced at it, "Open it. The car is secure and we can make a side trip to Metro for a quick face to face with Scarlett if need be."

I closed my eyes, tearing open the envelope, "I just want to be free, live a quiet boring life and not this fucked up one. Alex knew something was wrong with me at lunch, but didn't press. I hate lying or avoiding conversation with her." I ripped the two sheets of paper out, unfolding them before opening my eyes to read what the old man had done.

The first page was written in Gaine's delicate hand.

"Chimera,

This floated across my desk last week along with my tech report for Beckham’s activities. I know about the metro station incident. Those men got exactly what they deserved and that case was closed properly by our Metro assets. Case closed as a drug deal gone wrong. Then Jennifer Scarlett's face passed across my desk and I vaguely remembered her.

She was a failed operative candidate of Voltaire's four years ago, never made it through the operative training. She had poor scoring and seemed a bit too adept in adhering to every word and whim of Arthur. When I had her disavowed, Arthur was upset, but easily agreed. I assumed the problem was taken care of.

Until I saw she was a homicide detective without ever passing the necessary tests required.

The woman's real name and personnel file is included. She was an asset of Arthur's and you were her target, a morbid way to expose our operatives to the world in hopes of dissolving Voltaire for Arthur's gain.