Fighting back several urges at once, one of them being to throw herself into his arms, another being to hit him very hard indeed, Ashleigh glared at Alec Trevelyan.
'Don't point that thing at me,' she snarled.
He glanced down at the automatic weapon he was aiming straight at her chest. 'Oh I think I will for a while,' he said with a dark smile in his voice. 'Since we find ourselves in a very awkward situation.'
As if teasing her he leveled the gun and stared down the viewfinder at her, his cold grey eyes unblinking, a mocking smile on his scarred face.
Ashleigh nervously licked her lips, feeling how dry they were. She tried to stand as still as possible, but she nervously rubbed her fingers against the palms of her hands, her eyes darting between the door and his cruel gaze.
'Bang!' he suddenly said, and laughed as Ashleigh jumped back against the wall behind her. Her hands pressed back against it, and her entire body slumped in shock.
'Bastard,' she hissed, and found her voice was cracked, she swallowed and tried again, 'You bastard!'
He seemed determined to sneer at her, and lowering the gun he raised a dark blond eyebrow at her. 'After everything we've been through...' Taking her hand he pulled her closer to him, 'Walk away now. Turn and walk out the door, mention to no one that you saw me, and you'll be safe.'
'How do I know the second I turn my back you're not going to put a bullet in it?'
'Because you're not my intended target.' He had become disinterested in her, instead loading the submachine gun with a new clip.
'No, I'm not because you've already taken out your 'intended target'. He's sitting dead in the Grand Circle with the rest of the audience thinking he's a philistine who sleeps through the ballet!' She spat the words, feeling her voice tinged with hysteria as she suddenly realised what a screwed situation she was in.
Confusion flickered on his face for a moment, gone as quickly as it had been there, and it was this moment of doubt that threw her.
'What?' she asked peering at him through her fringe, 'You did come here to kill Vaskov?'
'Vaskov?' he gave a hollow laugh, relief showing on his face, "You think I would waste my time on a jumped up little prick like Vaskov?'
The blood ran from her face as she saw the sudden flash of fire within his eyes, 'James?' she said in horror, and using all her strength she tried to pull away, to get out of the small confined room and run to find James, to warn him.
He held her tightly, pulling her back to him, crushing her up against him so he could whisper in her ear.
'I'm not here for James, although that would give me great... pleasure,' he lingered on the word, and against her better judgment the feel of his warm breath against her ear, and the strength of his body against her back caused a tingle to spread over her body and she quelled the urge to press back against him, 'I'm here for Deronda.'
She jerked away from him again. 'What do you know about Deronda? Is he here?'
He steadfastly refused to answer, but the way his finger twitched towards the trigger suggested that perhaps he was. It still didn't give Ashleigh the concrete confirmation she needed. 'We've had this conversation before.'
'So we're both after the same man, Caleb Deronda. Shall we say it was him who took out Vaskov?'
'I mean it Kain,' his gaze was like ice once more, and just as penetrating, 'Turn around and walk away. Get out of this while you still can.'
