Splintered

Chapter Thirty-Four: Deeper Burrows the Thorn

"Does this look disabled?" Snow tapped the glass with his thumb.

Leo's trachea bobbed. "No, sir."

"Care to explain?"

"I did as you instructed." Leo stumbled over his words. "She must've...I mean, I... I have no excuse, sir."

"I expected more from you, Drayton." Snow sighed, caressing the player's screen, "How did she get this fixed without your knowledge?"

He cleared his throat, "She...pushes boundaries. She is...creative... but stubborn, sir."

"Oh, believe me." With painful slowness, he closed in, stopping mere inches from Leo. Snow reached forward, fingertips brushing an imaginary speck from Leo's shoulder. "I'm intimately aware."

A cautious expression shot across Leo's face as he met Snow's eyes for a millisecond. Snow appeared more than a little pleased with himself as Leo's gaze dropped just as quickly.

Shifting on his feet, fingers tapping against the cup, the peacekeeper asked, "Senator, I don't mean to overstep, but why leave the tape all this time if you aren't going to let her watch it?"

"Did you forget all of my directions? Or does having only one ear make your hearing selective?" Snow fixed him with an icy stare. "I distinctly remember explaining myself when I had you plant it in her room."

Leo nodded, muscles twitching along his jugular. "You said it was a gift she'd appreciate later. Something to keep you cemented in her mind."

"At least that instruction stuck," Snow replied evenly, reclining against the edge of his desk. "A little anticipation can work wonders."

"I don't think she's lacking anticipation where your visits are concerned, sir," Leo murmured, eyes steady on the burnished desk.

Snow's head pitched, gaze dismembering Leo inch by inch. "Then it is working better than I could've hoped." He glanced down at the twin scars along his forearm, thumb brushing the raised skin.

"Pain doesn't have to be loud to be effective. Sometimes, all it takes is something small. Sharp. Persistent. Like a ...splinter if you will. She pretends it doesn't bother her. Pretends it isn't there. But it is always at the back of her thoughts. And it will keep burrowing beneath her skin. She craves relief. That moment of deliverance. And against her better judgment, someday... she'll associate that relief with me."

Leo's inflection dipped. "If I may, sir...what exactly is on the tape?"

Snow pulled another overlong sip. "Something of considerable value."

"What would that be?" Leo blurted too briskly.

Snow's eyes flamed. "Her boldness appears to be contagious."

"Apologies, Senator." Leo's chin plunged nearly to his chest.

"The truth, Private Drayton." Snow's voice was deathly faint.

Leo squinted, confused. "Sir?"

Snow once again circled his scars with his thumb. "That is what lies on that tape. The truth."

Leo stared into the depths of his cup, contemplating the Senator's answer.

Snow tilted his head as he continued, "Speaking of which, there are a few I need from you."

Leo's throat muscles tightened, but his face hardened into a soldier's mask.

"Sir?"

"Are you committed to this job?"

Leo straightened, scar tissue tightening over the empty space where his ear had once been. "I am. I believe I have proven my loyalty, sir."

"Good, because I need your eyes..." Snow gestured with his sloshing cup. "And, well...your ear. Your unwavering dedication. The road ahead is going to be a challenging one. I will need more than you, delivering a tape, a bouquet or a spare suture needle." He let the statement settle before adding, "She seems to trust you. Far more than she does me."