Double Agent

Healing

That night found us returning to the Calaway mansion empty handed once again, much to my relief. When we'd set foot in the warehouse which they'd believed Jonas was hiding, we'd found the remnants of an abandoned hideout. Severed cables littered the walls from where computers had been ripped from the walls in a rush, loose ammo laid abandoned on the ground, and tyre tracks led away from the rear of the building, a definite sign of at least three four-by-fours taking off at high speed. By the time that we'd done a full check, I was left in no doubt that we'd discovered the place Jonas had been calling home before moving on to where my team had eyes on him now.

Dash had been simmering with anger since the second that we'd arrived, his chance at revenge having been dangled right before his eyes and then snatched away at the very last second. The fact that we were outnumbered, and underweaponed hadn't concerned him once, his thirst for laying hands on the man who'd taken his wife and child from him, far outweighed the consideration for his own life. But now, with that thirst remaining unquenched, I knew I had run out of time to uphold my end of the bargain, and that he'd be calling in the collection soon. I'd be unable to prolong the weapons shipment that I'd promised any longer, and that meant I'd be out of time to protect him from what would happen as soon as they were handed over. The weapons were the greenlight for my colleagues to take them down, and whether their plan for Hartel was in place or not, they'd take the chance, there would be no more cards for me to play. It wasn't like we could hand over live weapons for a war, nor could we fool them into using faulty ones. These realisations kept me imprisoned in my own head for the entire ride back, so much so, that when the car doors slammed shut all around me, and Dash uttered my name at my side, I jumped in place, my eyes snapping to his in an instant as if I were under threat of attack.

"Huh?" I gasped, my heart thudding in my chest.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at me with concern, his hands still clutching the steering wheel, face half cloaked by the darkness.

"Yeah." I lied, "Just thinking about our next move." I made up, attempting to gloss over my temporary absence.

I moved to release my seatbelt, but before I could push the button, Dash's hand landed on mine, his voice low as he asked:

"Will you come with me somewhere?"

Had it not been for the affectionate way in which he looked at me, I'd have been convinced this was a way of luring me to my death. But I felt under no threat, and so I agreed, settling back in my seat as he steered us back out of the driveway.

We drove in silence, our destination remaining a mystery to me as he followed a route with precision, finally coming to a stop upon the dirt edge to a back road, overlooking the illuminated city below.

"It's beautiful." I breathed as we got out of the car, walking closer to the edge and gazing down at the thousands of glowing lights.

"I came here the night that we first moved to the city. And for a minute, I felt close to Ava and Freddie again." He explained, his gaze sweeping over the scene before him. "I was finally going to get justice for them." He finally looked up at me, and I could see the lights shimmering in the building tears within his eyes. "As stupid as it sounds, I felt like killing Hartel would right the wrong that happened, that I'd get them back if I could just take him out instead."

My heart broke all over again at his agony. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much it took out of him every single day, but I understood the burning wish that he could have been reunited with his stolen loved ones, if he could only achieve justice for their deaths.

"It's not stupid, Dash. It's love." I whispered, placing a consoling hand against his forearm and stepping closer to him. "Love and hope."

"Neither of which can rewind time." He sighed.

"No." I replied sadly. "But sometimes, you just have to move on, time keeps turning and if we don't go with it, we're left to wither away in the past."

"That's why I brought you here." He exhaled. "Because when I was here before, I never thought I would be able to move on, my future held nothing aside from being reunited with my family, no matter what I had to do." He found my hand with his own, holding it and pressing in closer, eyes fixed on my own. "But then I met you, and slowly, you've given me a future. Each night when I go to sleep, I think about the following day laying eyes on you again. I think about the next time I can kiss you, touch you... when you'll smile at me again, or have me make you breakfast whilst you fall asleep at the kitchen island."

"That happened one time!" I said firmly, half laughing at his responding smile.

"The point is, you've helped to show me I can have a reason to live my life. A reason to exist past getting Jonas." His other hand pressed against my jaw, thumb skimming over my cheek. "A reason to let love into my heart again."

I felt like I couldn't breathe as my head and heart went to war between joy and torment at his confession. I wanted to revel in it, to allow his words to delight me and fill me with warmth. But there was too much noise in my head, contradicting the very essence of his confession, and pointing out its unlikelihood should he have known my true self. With his head bowed, and his lips nearing mine, I fought to silence the voices, and allow myself to be happy, even if for just a minute longer. For soon enough, it would all come to an end, and I wasn't ready to admit to myself just what I would be losing in the process.

With the warm, balmy night, we remained on the hill way into the night, talking and watching the sky slowly lightening as the early hours unfolded, bringing in the morning. It was only when I almost fell asleep against his shoulder, that Dash finally got to his feet, pulling me with him and suggesting that we return to the house.

The doors hadn't even closed behind us when I realised that something wasn't right. The house was usually quiet at this hour, everyone still tucked up in their beds fast asleep. But not today. Instead the living room was alive with activity as Sage, Luke, Daya, Eddie and a bunch of the others all bustled around, a newcomer standing in the center of them all, clad in leather with high heeled boots that made her legs look impossibly long, and her long blonde hair twisted into a bun, highlighting her sharp features.

"Rae?" Dash asked in surprise as we walked inside.

Everyone's eyes rounded on us in an instant, and relieved glances shot between several of the others. Rae however didn't look relieved, instead her hazel eyes narrowed on me and she stood her ground, arms crossing over her chest.

"I didn't realise you'd all be so worried," Dash half laughed at the others, watching as they sank into chairs, stowing their phones away and turning their attention to Rae. "I also wasn't expecting you tonight." Dash continued, directing his attention to the woman, and moving forward.

"I made good time." She said cooly, "I have urgent news that can't wait."

"You've found him?" Dash asked, his interest peaked.

She nodded once.

"But that's not why I'm here." She added sternly. "I did some digging, and I came to warn you."

"Warn me? About what?"

She took a measured step to the side, plucking a tumbler of whiskey from the table and taking a sip.

"The Feds are closing in on you Dash. On all of you." There was an instant rumble of muttering among the others, and Dash's face fell, as nausea slammed into me. "They're targeting you." She turned to me and tilted her head to the side, "Isn't that right, Agent Valance?"