Текст книги "Заговор мечей"

Автор книги: Джейн Doy Press

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Текущая страница: 26 (всего у книги 40 страниц)

“Gibt es hier noch jemanden, der es haben konnte?” “Is there anyone else who would have it?”

Keppelmann stopped for a moment, then nodded. “Rolf Wudin.” Keppelmann stopped for a moment, then nodded.“Rolf Wudin.”

“Dann finden wir diesen Herrn Wudin wohl besser.” “Then perhaps we should find Mr. Wudin.”

“Ja, naturlich. Er mu?te unten im Laden sein. Wurden Sie mir bitte folgen?” “Of – of course. He should be in the shop. Will you follow me, please?”

Once again, Teren followed behind Keppelmann, this time through a curtain, and into the first floor antique shop. She raised her eyebrow at the sight of Alex and an older gentleman with their heads bent over a ledger.

“Herr Wudin, haben Sie das Lieferantenbuch?” “Mr. Wudin, do you have the book of suppliers?”

Rolf looked up from his conversation with Alex. “Ja. Hier ist es.” He pulled a thin brown notebook out from under the ledger, and handed it to the younger man. “Ist irgendwas?” Rolf looked up from his conversation with Alex. “Yes, it is here.” He pulled a thin brown notebook out from under the ledger, and handed it to the younger man. “Is there a problem?”

“Nein.” Keppelmann opened the book, then noticed that the ledger was facing Alex, and he glared at Rolf. “Wozu braucht sie das?” “No.“Keppelmann opened the book, then noticed that the ledger was facing Alex, and he glared at Rolf. “What is she doing with that?”

Rolf began to turn red. Alex, who had continued perusing the volume, finally looked up to see Teren standing besides a shorter, thin man with a black mustache. She noticed the paleness of the figure, and wondered if that was his natural color.

“Herr Keppelmann, dies ist meine Mitarbeiterin, Ms. Reed. Sagen Sie doch guten Tag.” “Mr. Keppelmann, this is my partner, Ms. Reed. Say hello.”

Keppelmann glanced at Teren, then looked back at Alex “Guten Tag.”

Teren nudged the man, and Alex noticed that he turned a half shade whiter. “Sie spricht kein Deutsch.” Teren nudged the man, and Alex noticed that he turned a half shade whiter. “She doesn’t speak German.”

Keppelmann looked up at Teren apologetically. “Und ich spreche kein Englisch.” Keppelmann looked up at Teren apologetically. “I’m afraid I don’t speak English.”

Teren shrugged. “So ein Pech aber auch.” Teren shrugged.“Too bad.”

She switched to her native language. “Find something interesting?”

“Possibly. You?”

“Yes. This is Mr. Keppelmann. We’re going in back now, so that he can write down a name and address for me.”

“I see.”

“Should only be a few more minutes. Are you almost finished?”

Alex nodded.

“Good.” Teren fought the urge to wink at the shorter woman. “Back in a minute.”

Teren placed a hand on Keppelmann’s shoulder and guided him back through the curtain. Alex watched them go with a smile on her lips.

“May I ask who that was?”

She glanced up at Rolf. “I’m sorry, Rolf. It’s better if I don’t tell you.”

The man’s eyebrows rose above the frames of his glasses. “Why?”

“Because, even though she’s my friend, she’s hard to explain.”

Rolf nodded. “I see. And her name?”

Alex grinned. “Trouble.”

The two of them stared at one another, then Alex couldn’t hold her chuckles in anymore. After a moment, Rolf joined her laughter.

Teren came out of the curtained back room.

“What are you two laughing about?”

Alex tried hard to stifle her chuckles. Rolf pointed at Teren, and tried to look serious. “So, you are trouble?”

Teren lifted one eyebrow. “I suppose you could call me that.”

Rolf nodded, and glanced at Alex. “You are from the America, yes?”

“Yes.”

“You probably get some very strange looks when you give them your passport, no?”

Alex made the connection, and burst into laughter. Rolf was chuckling so hard he had to take his glasses off and wipe his eyes.

Teren just shook her head.

“I can’t take you anywhere, can I, Alex?”

*******************************************************

They left the Altbusser Galerie at twenty after six. Teren told Alex the basics of her conversation with Keppelmann while she drove to the restaurant. Alex explained what she had discovered from Rolf Wudin.

“It seems someone there does a fair trade in items from the Nazi era. Including items that have been missing since the Nazi’s confiscated them.”

“Like the statue you showed me?”

Alex nodded. “Exactly. That silver cross came from a young man from Munich, who sold it and quite a few other items to the store. I have the list here; Rolf was kind enough to make a copy of it for me, along with the name and address of the seller, and a few other papers.”

“Good. Anything interesting?”

“Your friend Keppelmann signed the voucher accepting the goods. He also appraised several of the items from the lot, including several sabers with Nazi insignias.”

Teren frowned. “Did Rolf give you any idea where the items went?”

“Rolf wasn’t sure about all of them, but he knew that one of them went to the US, because he helped box it up. He couldn’t remember anything other than the country, though, and there was no invoice.”

Teren sighed. “Five bucks says it went to Treville.”

“Think so?”

“Uh-huh.” She was quiet a moment. “I think we’ll need to be cautious the rest of our stay here.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Why? Did something happen?”

Teren shook her head. “No.” She stopped at a red light, letting the car idle in neutral. “I’ve just had this feeling since we left the shop.”

Alex waited, wondering if Teren was playing psychic, or being paranoid. When her partner didn’t answer, she decided it didn’t matter. “Okay. How long are we staying, anyway?”

The dark woman shrugged. “‘Til I get the information I want from Meinhard.”

“And that is?”

“Who owns that fucking bank account.”

Alex nodded. “Right. And after that?”

“After that we hop a plane for Munich. I want to talk to this Odbert guy.”

*******************************************************

Like most European cities, Teren explained to Alex, Zurich really had not grown in size over the last hundred years or so– just in population. Because the city had not grown, in the sense of spreading out, it took only moments to travel from place to place. This made cars mostly unnecessary within the city limits, and most residents either rode a bicycle or took the tram.

“Then why did we rent a car?”

“Because it’s also very cold in Zurich, and I didn’t think you’d want to freeze to the handles of a bike, or wait in the snow for a tram.”

Alex nodded. “Thanks.”

Even after a slow trip through the narrow city streets, Alex and Teren were a few minutes early for dinner. This allowed Teren to wait for a spot close to the front door of the Zunfthaus zur Waag. Alex, whose arm was aching from the cold, was grateful.

They were seated and waiting for Meinhard when he appeared. By Teren’s watch, he was three minutes late.

“Frau Olind?”

Teren stood. “Ja, genau. Setzen Sie sich doch.”

He shook her hand and turned to Alex. “Und Sie sind?”

Alex glanced at Teren.

“Das ist meine Mitarbeiterin, Ms. Reed. Sie spricht kein Deutsch. Sprechen Sie Englisch, Herr Meinhard?”

He bowed slightly. “Yes, I do,” he said. Alex noticed that his accent was obvious, but not pronounced. “It is nice to meet you, Ms. Reed.”

Alex smiled at him. “Same here, Mr. Meinhard. Please, sit.” She indicated the seat between herself and Teren, and Meinhard slid into it.

“Did you order already?”

“No, we were waiting for you,” Alex answered. “Do you have any recommendations?”

He nodded. “The Zueri-Gschnaetzlets is wonderful here.” Alex noticed that his ‘w’s were pronounced with a slight ‘v’ sound. “And, of course, I believe you would love the Kalbsbratwurst in Zweilblesauce.”

Teren glanced at Alex. “I thought I was ordering for you tonight, Andrea.”

“I’m not sure I trust you. You did threaten me with cow tongue.”

Meinhard looked up. “Ah, yes, tongue. Wonderful dish, and they prepare it very well here.”

Alex made a face and Teren laughed. “I don’t think my friend is quite adventurous enough for that. Perhaps something a little less daring?”

They ordered a bottle of wine with dinner, but only Meinhard seemed inclined to drink more than one glass. They talked about Zurich, and recent events in Switzerland and the world. Every once in a while Teren and Herr Meinhard would slip into German, and Alex would clear her throat, reminding them that she couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Finally, after dinner had been cleared away, and the three of them were enjoying some dessert, Teren launched into the topic she had called Meinhard about.

“I have an account that I need information on. It’s very important, and I need it as soon as possible.”

He nodded. “The owner’s name?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know his name. I only know the account number, and when it was originally opened.”

“And when was that?”

“Nineteen forty-five.”

Meinhard had his cup halfway to his mouth, and it froze there for several seconds. Before he put it down.

“Do you know what you’re asking?”

Alex leaned forward. “We’re asking for the name of a man who has an account in your bank.”

Meinhard shook his head. “You are asking about an account from the second World War. It is possibly a lost account that has not been touched in over forty years, and perhaps the money from it has even been transferred out.” He sipped his coffee. “Besides, if this is about the reparations to the Jews, Switzerland has paid the required amount.” He stabbed at his chocolate cake, taking a bite with angry precision.

Alex snorted, and set her fork down sharply. “Required amount. Ten cents on every dollar that was owed.”

The man looked up at her. “That is, what you call it, propaganda. There is no proof that any other money exists.”

Teren put up a hand, forestalling Alex, whose eyes were showing a fury that Teren had never seen in her before.

“Enough. This has nothing to do with the reparations to the Jews, Herr Meinhard. And as far as the account being abandoned, I have proof that transactions have been made from it as recently as six months ago.”

Meinhard swallowed his mouthful of pastry. “You are certain of this?”

“Yes.”

No one spoke for a long moment. Teren finished her strudel and leaned back. Alex seemed to have lost her appetite, and she simply poked at the pastry with her dessert fork, breaking off bits and pieces, but not eating. Meinhard had a contemplative look on his face as he finished his dessert and reached again for his coffee cup.

“You realize what this could mean, don’t you, Ms. Olind?”

“Tell me, Herr Meinhard.”

He sipped from his cup. “It could be that the man is from Odessa.”

She nodded. “Perhaps. Though I thought Odessa was mostly disintegrated now.”

“The network, yes, but their resources?” He shook his head.

“Ich wei? wirklich nicht, ob ich Ihnen helfen kann, Frau Ohlind.” “I do not know if I can help you, Frau Olind.”

Teren stared at him. She switched to German for her response.

“Warum?” “What do you mean? “

Meinhard licked his lips. “Es ist zu gefahrlich. Ich wei? nicht, ob ich Ihnen damit helfen kann.” Meinhard licked his lips. “I mean, this is a dangerous thing. I do not know if I can help. “

“Weil Sie an die Information nicht herankommen, oder weil Sie nicht herankommen wollen?” “Because you can’t get the information, or because you don’t want to find the information? “

Meinhard said nothing. He stared at the table.

Alex, sensing her partner’s anger, stayed silent. As much as she really wanted to know what was happening, she didn’t want to interrupt. Instead, she looked around the room, surreptitiously examining their fellow diners.

Teren leaned forward and dropped her voice.

“Jetzt horen Sie mir mal genau zu, Meinhard. Sie haben die Wahl. Entweder, Sie helfen mir, oder Ihre Vorgesetzten werden alles uber Ihre Kontakte zum Untergrund erfahren, und was sie fur die getan haben.” “You listen to me, Meinhard. You have a choice here, to help me, or to allow your superiors to discover your undercover contacts, and the services you’ve done for them. “

He looked at her in horror. “Das wurden Sie nicht tun.” He looked at her in horror. “You would not. “

“Oh doch. Wenn ich auch nur eine Sekunde lang der Meinung ware, Sie wurden mich hinhalten, wurde ich Sie sofort verraten,” Teren snarled. “I would. Oh, believe me, if I thought you were holding out on me, I’d turn you over in a heartbeat,” Teren snarled.

“Das wurde meinen Tod bedeuten” “It would mean my death.”

“Und es wurde mir um einiges weniger bedeuten als der Tod meines letzten Mitarbeitersoder der zweier Manner vor ein paar Tagen.” She sat back. “Lassen Sie es nicht darauf ankommen. Die Konsequenzen wurden Ihnen mit Sicherheit nicht gefallen.” “Which means less to me than my former partner’s death, and the death of two men just a few days ago.” She sat back. “Don’t test me, Herr Meinhard. You would not like the consequences.”

They sat for several moments, not speaking. Teren sipped her coffee, her gaze steady on Meinhard. He looked only at his plate.

Alex glanced at her friend, trying to get Teren to look at her, but the dark agent just continued to glare at the man between them.

Finally, Meinhard sighed and nodded. “Na gut. Ich werde sehen, was sich machen la?t.”

Teren reached into her side pocket and pulled out a billfold. Speaking in English she said, “Thank you for joining us, Herr Meinhard. Would you care to have lunch tomorrow?”

Meinhard appeared taken aback for a moment, but recovered. “I’m not sure —”

Teren raised an eyebrow, menacingly. Alex decided to step in. “Please, Mr. Meinhard. We’re not going to be in Zurich for that long, and I would really like to sample more of the local cuisine.”

The man glanced at the fair haired woman, and then back at her darker companion. He nodded.

“Oh, great. Is there a special place you could recommend?”

After a moment, Meinhard turned to Alex. “There is a small lunch cafe called Cafe Strieker. They have a wonderful Rueblikuchen.”

“That sounds great.” She looked up at Teren, careful not to say her name. “Is this alright with you?”

“Fine. Herr Meinhard, I insist on paying for dinner.” She slid a bunch of folded bills into the man’s hand.

“It is not necess —” Meinhard broke off as he felt the folded piece of paper hidden within the stack. “It is not necessary, but if you insist.”

“Will you take care of things for us, Herr Meinhard? I would like to finish my coffee.” Teren lifted her cup.

Meinhard nodded. “Of course.” He slipped the note into his vest pocket. “Will you have any problem finding the cafe tomorrow?”

“No, I don’t believe so. Shall we say one o’clock?”

Another nod. “That would be fine.” He stood, then bowed to Alex. “Ms. Reed, a good night to you. I hope you enjoy your stay in Zurich.”

Alex smiled, offering her hand. “Thank you, Mr. Meinhard. I’m already enjoying your fine city.”

Meinhard gently shook her hand, then turned to Teren. “Ms. Olind. I will see you tomorrow.”

She nodded. “You will indeed.” She watched Meinhard leave the restaurant.

Chapter Twenty-five

There was little conversation in the car on the way back to the hotel. Teren seemed very tense, and Alex debated with herself whether or not to confront the older agent.

She had known that Teren could be intimidating. David had been downright scared of the assassin at first. But after spending such a large amount of time with the woman over the last few days, Alex had forgotten just how dark and deadly her friend could be.

The darkness, however, had reared its head in the restaurant. Alex wasn’t sure what had been said after Meinhard and Teren slipped into German, but from the looks Teren had given the man, she had a feeling Herr Meinhard hadn’t enjoyed the talk at all.

Finally, she cleared her throat and jumped in.

“So. What did you and Mr. Meinhard talk about?”

Teren continued to stare through the windshield. “Nothing. I simply convinced him to help us.”

“That’s what I gathered. He didn’t look happy about it.”

There was silence from her companion.

“Do you think this account is part of the Odessa network?”

“Yes.” It was a one word answer.

“And I take it Meinhard was a little unwilling to help?”

Teren nodded. She still hadn’t looked at Alex.

“You convinced him?”

Another nod. Teren didn’t want Alex to ask the question, but had a bad feeling. Alex always asked the question.

“How’d you talk him into it?”

“I told him I’d tell his boss that he was involved in undercover activities for the CIA.”

Alex frowned. “Wouldn’t that be dangerous for him?”

“Yes.”

“He could get fired if you blew his cover.”

He could get killed if I blew his cover. “Yes.”

Teren counted. She got to seven before Alex spoke again.

“If the wrong people got wind of his help to the CIA he could be killed, couldn’t he.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, he would be killed.”

Alex watched the dark woman from across the car, noting the tight features. Teren’s brows were low over her eyes, separated only by a few worry lines. There was a hollowness to her cheeks, and Alex could see, for the first time, the circles under her eyes.

“It’s difficult, isn’t it?”

Teren gave her a quick glance. “What is?”

“Being so very cold.”

Teren didn’t reply.

*******************************************************

When they got to their hotel room, Alex sat down to check their email. There was none. Frustrated, she shut the computer down, and moved over to the couch to relax.

“Nothing from Ken?” Teren’s voice came from behind her.

“No. I sent him a message letting him know we’re still okay.”

Alex turned her head, trying to find her friend in her peripheral vision. “We are still okay, aren’t we?”

“Well, we’re not dead yet. This is a good thing.”

“You’re not being very optimistic, Teren,” Alex sighed.

Teren, with a robe wrapped around her, dropped into the easy chair next to the couch.

“Sorry. I’ll try to be a little more upbeat.”

Alex let her eyes drift down the length of the body in the terrycloth robe. For a moment she indulged in a fantasy about what lay hidden underneath.

Teren shattered it by pulling out her weapon and beginning to clean it.

Groaning, Alex put a hand over her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you ever rest for even twenty minutes?”

Teren shrugged. “No.”

Alex just stared at her. After a moment she got up and pulled out her own firearm. “Can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” she muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

They worked quietly for a several minutes. The only noise came from the click of metallic pieces as they were taken apart and put back together. Alex finished cleaning her sidearm, and carefully reloaded it. She checked the extra clips to make sure they were full. Then the weapon was replaced in her holster.

Teren wasn’t quite finished.

“So, why did you find it necessary to threaten Mr. Meinhard with exposure?” Alex asked.

Teren’s fingers stumbled for a second. She recovered quickly.

“We need the information. He can get it for us. It’s as simple as that.”

“He seemed scared, Teren.”

“He was.”

Alex leaned back to watch Teren’s hands as they moved. “Does he have a reason to be afraid?”

Shrugging, Teren reloaded the clip for her .45. “I suppose. If he’s caught with the file, he could be in trouble.”

“Like, fired trouble, or dead trouble.”

“Like, tortured and killed trouble.” Teren slid the clip into the weapon with a snap. “Why?”

“If he could be in so much danger, why did you insist that he had to do it? Couldn’t we have just found it another way?”

Teren shrugged again. “Maybe. But this way is quicker.”

Alex watched quietly as her friend polished the handgun she held. “And what if he gets caught?” She lowered her voice to ask the question. “What then?”

“Then we find another way.”

The smaller agent sat up. “And if he’s killed?”

Teren paused in her work. Alex could see a haunted look in her eyes. “Then we find another way.”

“Just like that?”

The dark head nodded. “Yes. Just like that.”

For a moment, Alex couldn’t speak. She couldn’t believe that Teren could play with someone’s life so callously. This was the woman who had held her so gently just two nights before?

Alex stood, frustrated. She picked up her weapon and supplies, and headed for her room. At the door, she turned back.

“You know, Teren, sometimes I wonder about you.” Teren went still, but didn’t answer. “I mean, after all, part of why I hate these guys we’re after is because they have no regard for human life.” She waited, but her friend remained silent. “Sometimes I wonder if you do, either.”

Teren heard the door close behind her. She found herself clutching the handle of her weapon, squeezing it so hard her knuckles were cold and white. It took a great deal of effort to release the gun.

“Sometimes, Alex,” she whispered, “I wonder the same thing.”

She sat still for a moment longer. Then with a sigh, she picked up her second gun and began to break it down.

*******************************************************

The muffled scream brought Teren bolt upright, a hand curled around the grip of her .45. She waited a second, not sure if the sound had been real, or if it had been a part of her own nightmares. She was about to dismiss it, when it came again.

Alex. Before she realized what she was doing, Teren was on her feet and moving. She stopped for a moment at the door to Alex’s room. For a moment she held back, then a half-sob reached her ears, and she turned the handle and went in.

The blonde woman was tangled in the covers on the bed. Alex had rolled so much that her arms were caught under the bedsheets, which wrapped around her like a straight jacket. Her eyes were closed, and her head moved back and forth, the golden hair stuck to her sweaty face. As Teren stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do, Alex moaned and called out David’s name.

Teren’s vision blurred slightly, and she blinked to clear them.

Alex screamed Teren’s name and sat up, her eyes wide and staring. She struggled to pull her arms free, and started to panic when she couldn’t. Teren lunged for the bed, tugged the sheets away quickly, and gathered the frightened woman into her arms. Alex began sobbing on Teren’s shoulder.

They stayed like that for several minutes. Alex clung to her dark companion, trying not to see the visions from her dreams. Instead she concentrated on the feeling of Teren’s hands, the scent of her body, and the rapid heartbeat that pounded under her ear.

Teren stroked Alex’s sweat soaked back, whispering nonsense words to her. She rocked the smaller body back and forth, trying to surround Alex with her arms and her voice. Finally the words disappeared, and she simply hummed a soft melody in Alex’s ear as the panicked grasp began to loosen.

Even after Alex had stopped crying, and Teren’s humming ended, they stayed in each other’s arms, rocking. Alex felt as though she had crawled into a tiny space of warmth and comfort, and she was loathe to leave it. Teren had momentarily convinced herself that if she could just keep Alex in her arms, the whole world could know peace.

The soft silence continued until Alex began shivering. The fear induced sweat had dried, cooling her as it did. Reluctantly, she pulled away, reaching for the blanket. Teren helped her straighten it out, and slide beneath it. She gave Alex a tiny smile, and stroked her cheek, then tensed her legs to stand up.

A hand on her knee stopped her. She looked down to find Alex’s green eyes locked on her, a plea shining from them.

“Stay.”

Nothing more was said. Teren slipped beneath the covers, and Alex curled up at her side, sinking back into that place of warmth.

Teren had one arm curled around the blonde, and was stroking the fair hair with the other hand. It wasn’t long before she felt Alex slip back into slumber, and Teren moved her head to kiss her friend’s forehead. Then she closed her eyes and let sleep come.

*******************************************************

There was a scent in the air that Alex couldn’t place. With her eyes still closed, she slowly woke, wanting to stay comfortable for just a few more minutes. She was curled on her side, her head on a pillow that was firmer than she remembered. Her arms were wrapped around an even larger pillow with satiny skin that smelled of —

Skin?

She opened her eyes to find herself wrapped around Teren, who was wearing a tank top and a pair of bikini briefs. Alex could feel her face turn red as she loosened the hold she had on the long body.

“Sorry.”

“No problem. Feeling better?” Teren asked quietly.

“Yeah. Much.”

Teren nodded. Alex, feeling embarrassed, started to move away. She was stopped by a hand on her back.

“Stay still for a few more minutes, okay?”

Alex looked up curiously at the blue eyes so close to hers. She nodded. “Okay.”

The hand on Alex’s back was moving in a circular motion. Through the long t-shirt Alex wore, Teren could feel the heat from her body. She waited patiently for the muscles beneath her hand and arm to release their tension. It took several moments, but Alex finally relaxed back into Teren’s embrace.

“Wanna tell me what brought me in here last night?”

The muscles tensed again, and Teren kept up her gentle rubbing.

“Um. Not sure. You were just suddenly here.”

Teren nodded. “I came in because you screamed.” She turned her head so she could see Alex’s face. “Tell me about the nightmare?”

Alex couldn’t lie still anymore, and she sat up, surprising her friend. “Not really.” She moved to get out from under the covers, but Teren sat up and wrapped both arms around her.

“Alex, you can’t keep doing this. If you don’t talk about it, these dreams are going to drive you crazy.”

“They don’t happen all the time.”

“No, just often enough to rob you of half the sleep you need. Neither of us can afford for the other to be exhausted, and you soon will be if it doesn’t stop.”

“So, I’ll just sleep with you. I don’t have them when we’re together.”

Teren didn’t know what to say to that, and she opened and closed her mouth several times. Finally, she took a deep breath, and spoke into Alex’s ear.

“If I thought that’s all it took, I’d say yes in a heartbeat. But it’s only a short term cure, and we both know that.” She moved around so that she was facing Alex. “Last night, you screamed in your sleep. When I got here, you were calling David’s name, then mine.” Teren swept a lock of blond hair away from Alex’s eyes. “Tell me?”

Alex couldn’t look at her friend’s face.

“It was the ambush. It always is.”

Teren nodded, stroking the soft cheek beneath her hand. “Go on.”

The blonde swallowed. “It started out the same as always, just like it did that night. They’re shooting at us, and we’re behind the cars.” She took a deep breath. “Then the guy comes up from behind, and I turn to shoot him. As I do, he becomes David.”

There were tears on Alex’s cheeks, and Teren gently brushed them away with her thumb. Alex, intent on the images in her mind, didn’t notice.

“He stands there clutching his chest, and asks me why. Then he falls. I hear someone coming, and I turn around. I order them to stop, and they don’t. They raise their gun, and I shoot them.” She finally looked at Teren. “And it’s you.” Her face twisted in a grimace. “I shot you. And you died.” The tears were too heavy to be wiped away. Teren slipped an arm around Alex’s shoulders.

“It’s okay, Alex. I’m here. I’m right here.”

“I shot you. You died, and David died, and Rick died. I was the only one there – and there was so much blood – my hands were covered in it, and it wouldn’t come off …” Her voice faded away as the sobs came full force. Teren pulled her close, and once again just rocked her.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, just holding onto one another. Finally, Alex’s breathing began to slow. When she could take a full breath without gasping, Teren pushed her shoulders gently away.

“Alright. You need to listen. I know it’s going to take time for these wounds to heal, and I know the guilt is going to be there for an awful long time. But you need to really listen, Alex.”

The blonde nodded.

“You did nothing wrong. You could not have prevented the ambush. You could not have saved Rick, or Brogan, or anybody. You did damn good to get out of there with as few casualties as you did.” Teren brushed the hair out of Alex’s eyes again, and, placing her hands on either side of Alex’s head, forced the green eyes to meet her blue ones. “As far as David’s injury, you did not cause it. You probably saved his life by shooting that guy when you did. If you hadn’t, he would have had time to finish David, and probably everyone else. You did what you had to do, and you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Alex looked away, and Teren let her head drop. She leaned forward and kissed the blonde head.

“You never had to shoot anyone before, did you, Alex?”

A shake of the golden head. Teren kissed her again. “That’s one of the reasons you’re having so much trouble.” A nod.

“You had no choice. None. You can feel bad for the way it turned out, but you have to remember that you had no choice. He was going to kill you, your partner, and Ken. The only thing you could do is shoot first.” She paused.

“And I’m damn glad you did.” Teren’s voice had dropped to a whisper.

Alex finally looked up again. She met Teren’s gaze and held it, watching the mix of emotions in the blue eyes. There was concern, and comfort, and a touch of pain. The electric blue was intensified by the tears that threatened to spill over. They didn’t however, and as Alex watched, Teren blinked her eyes rapidly. Each blink seemed to chase another tear away, until the eyes were as clear as ever.

She couldn’t stand it any more. Alex leaned forward and brought her lips to Teren’s. Quickly, the kiss lost it’s aspect of compassion, and became one of desire. Mouths opened, hands reached, skin grew heated.

And the alarm rang.

Teren pulled back, and Alex let her go. Neither of them could look away from the other, though.

“I suppose that means we have to get up, right?”

Teren nodded. “I set it a little later so we could talk.”

Alex grinned. “Want to set it a little later again, so we can do more than talk?”

Her face quickly reddening, Teren shook her head. “We can’t. Things to do, people to see.”

Alex felt the urge to pout, thinking that if she did, she could probably convince Teren to put off the inevitable. But she clamped down on those thoughts, and stood up from the bed.