"Do you normally make-out with the people you're hired to kill? It doesn't strike me as very professional."
"Put the gun down," Gabriel panted, not answering her.
"Why on earth would I do that?"
"Because you're not going to shoot me," Gabriel rep...
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Ash woke up in complete darkness. She tried to cry out but found a dry piece of fabric in her mouth blocking the noise. She had been tied up like a mummy, her body covered in rope – Gabriel really wasn't taking chances this time.
Ash tried squirming and using her hands to untie herself, but it didn't work. A sudden wave of panic washed over her. She was stuck. But she was also still exhausted. She fought to stay awake so she could come up with another escape plan, but quickly lost the battle, dragged back into unconsciousness.
***
Ash woke up again, this time finding herself strapped in the passenger seat of a helicopter. She was suddenly overcome with nausea. A hand placed a small paper bag in front of her.
"If you're going to puke, do it in the bag," Gabriel's familiar voice told her.
Too exhausted to talk, Ash brandished her middle finger at him, then promptly hurled into the bag.
"Where are we going?" she asked slowly, slurring her words. She looked out the window but saw nothing. The sky was pitch black.
"Does it matter?" Gabriel asked.
No, it really didn't. It's not like she had a say in it, and it's not like she was going to get away from him twice. She hoped Gabriel was a good pilot. Then again, if he wasn't and they crashed, maybe she would die instantly instead of the painful, prolonged torture she was expecting. She doubted an arrogant assassin would be forgiving of what she had done to him.
Ash clutched her head. It had already been pounding from the first sedative he gave her, but now she was in severe pain.
"Can you stop drugging me?" she asked, annoyed.
"Can you stop running?" he retorted.
Unable to think of a witty comeback, she gave him another middle finger. Gabriel smirked, which only infuriated her further.
"You're a pain in the ass," he told her bluntly.
"Sorry, I don't have the energy to pretend to care what you think about me right now," Ash replied bitterly.
"Go back to sleep."
"Fine. But I'm only doing it so I don't have to see your smarmy face," she snarled at him, closing her eyes. She listened to the beating of the propellers, as the rhythm gently lulled her back to sleep.
***
Ash's eyes fluttered open. She was no longer in the helicopter. Instead, she was in a large, soft bed in a room with no windows and two doors – one open and one closed. On the nightstand next to the bed she found a piece of paper.
Clean up and meet me outside.
Ash looked to the open door, realizing it led to a bathroom. She also realized that she was still wearing her sweaty clothing from earlier. She hadn't noticed at the time, but her shorts had a few tears and some dried blood on it – undoubtedly from their rooftop chase. She couldn't deny that the thought of removing her sweat-drenched clothing was very tempting. But something seemed wrong about taking a bath while an assassin waited outside the door, potentially to kill her.
