Cape Crossed

Chapter Three

"Jake, phone." Hannah's palm dragged down Jake's face, her fingers prodding his scruffy jaw. "Phone," she repeated before rolling away from him. The blankets went with her. Cold seeped into the open space despite the closed and weatherproofed windows. It leeched the heat away quickly.

Jake shivered, pulling his knees to his chest even while he reached for his phone at his bedside. The other hand reached behind him and yanked harshly at the covers. "Share," he demanded groggily. He tugged harder but they didn't budge from her grip. It was as if her muscles had been replaced by steel while she slept. Normally, Jake made sure to keep himself attached to her so that he could at least share her warmth if the covers weren't an option. With the phone pressed to his ear he sat up to look over at her. "Dammit woman, it's cold."

"I'm not sure what you want me to do about that," Surge's confused voice filtered through his sleep clogged brain.

Bit by bit the reality of what was happening shot through his fraying nerves like static pulses. Jake glanced at Hanah again, phone clutched to his chest. He took note of her even breathing and blank face. Her hair fanned out behind her on the green pillow like molten copper.

He muttered a quick plea for patience into the phone, shuffling into the living room and out onto the fire escape. The wind whipped around him relentlessly and ripped the breath from his lungs. Once he was certain no neighbors had stepped out for their morning smoke break, Jake returned the phone to his ear. "Why are you calling me?"

"Oh, are you done with your little domestic dispute or should I call back later to give you another opportunity to finish your botched job?" Surge snapped.

"My botched job?" Jake huffed. "Why don't you redo your end of the job first so I can do my end the way it was intended." He leaned forward against the ice cold railing and looked wistfully at the blanket draped over the back of the couch inside. Memories of nights curled up under the gray blanket seemed mocking in his current predicament.

"Yes, you'll find all the relevant information at the same drop off point as last time later today. The diamond is being moved into deep storage this Saturday and will stay there until next year/ You'll need to get your hands on it before then or I'll have to find someone who can resort to more drastic measures," Surge explained. There was a clatter and the harsh sound of a zipper from her side of the phone.

Jake shook his head and picked at a piece of rust. "I didn't take you for someone willing to take lives, Surge"

She was quiet for so long he thought the call might have dropped. Finally, she took a sharp inhale. "Look, we both have things we want and this is the way to get them. I'd rather not hurt more people than I have but if that's what it takes then that's what it takes. Do your part." The line did go dead that time and Jake slid back inside, closing the window behind him.

Water rushed through the pipes along the kitchen wall, Hannah was in the shower. Warmth prickled over his skin now that he was back inside. She'd be out soon enough looking for a hot breakfast, something he normally threw together if he was up before her. Jake slammed on the water to make coffee and grabbed a mish mash of ingredients for a messy omelet. By the time she came out, there was no evidence of his chilly escapades outside.

"You're up early. I thought you didn't have work today," Hannah pointed out around a mouth full of eggs. Her damp hair was pulled back in a loose bun while she ate but a few smaller pieces had escaped to tickle her cheeks.

"Boss tipped me off on a possible lead to check out, nothing major," he assured her. "I can look into it tomorrow if you're good to stick around for the day." The light trickling in from outside illuminated the hopeful glint in his hazel eyes. Their schedule rarely lined up so fortuitously. Even when they planned months out there was the chance something would shift and throw a deadly wrench into their day.