J Saint - Collateral Damage

For some reason after it was all over, Lauren felt as if she'd drunk wine. Her head spun and the oddest thoughts kept creeping up.

"You wouldn't have been able to do that to a woman guard," Lauren said after they gone a good distance from the house and were hidden by the heavy cover of thick trees.

"Why is that?"

"A woman would have held it until she was blue in the face before she'd pee in the woods. So all the easy-pee envy is misplaced. Men are more vulnerable."

"Can't argue with you. Dicks are usually at the root of a man's downfall."

"A woman's too," Lauren said. Jack didn't laugh and she bit her lip, trying to stem the rising need to giggle. Her head spun more, her thoughts kept jumping crazily and her hands shook

Jack's butt looked good. He had a great one. Well, he had a great everything too, but his butt was something. Did he know? She opened her mouth to tell him then remembered she was mad at him. He had a stubborn butt too. She decided to keep her mouth shut and doggedly followed him until they reached a barbed-wire fence about five-feet high. Her body tingled but also seemed numb. She felt so weird.

"Don't touch the fence until I disable it," Jack said.

She frowned at the barbed wire. "Do I look like I want to become a pin cushion?" She wavered on her feet. More than her head was spinning now.

"It's electric," Jack said.

"Funny. The door to door salesman said the same thing. Only his angle was you didn't have to worry about batteries. Just plug and go."

"Vacuum cleaners?" Jack asked.

"Vibrators," she said. "Guess he figured he'd corner the Desperate Housewives market. Police nabbed him before he reached the end of the block."

Jack laughed.

"I don't feel so good." Lauren's knees gave out and she pitched forward, right toward the fence.

He leaped between her and disaster and plowed her backward. She landed on the ground, minus her breath with Jack on top.

"Jesus, are you hurt?" he asked.

She gasped for air, unable to speak just yet.

He rolled off her like lightning and began running his hands all over her.

"Are you bleeding? Did you hit your head? Damn it, Lauren, talk to me. Tell me what's happened? I'll never forgive my-"

Lauren shoved her fingers into his mouth. She meant to just press them to his lips, but misjudged.

Jack shut up.

She laughed, still lying on the ground, flat on her back as if she wasn't in the middle of the worst crisis a parent could imagine. Had she lost her mind? "I don't know what's wrong. Ever since we fought that guard, my head keeps spinning. My body is numb and I'm shaking. I can't think. And my thoughts are-"

Jack sucked on her fingers as he pulled them out of his mouth, sending a white hot pulse of pleasure though her. She may have felt it, but she definitely wasn't dead. Not by a long shot. He leaned over her and planted his mouth on hers. He kissed her hard. Mouth to mouth, chest to chest, tongue to tongue.

Before she could assimilate that, he jerked away from her and went digging into his pockets. He came up with a peppermint and a mangled piece of gum.

"Sorry. I couldn't stop myself. Next time you want to discuss dicks and vibrators, don't do it after an adrenaline rush, okay. Eat the mint and chew on the gum until we can get you some food. The adrenaline bottomed out your blood sugar. You haven't eaten since yesterday and you've put nothing but coffee in your system all day."

Jack's kiss had left her heart pounding, her lungs breathless, and her mind doing summersaults. Somehow she couldn't blame all of it on adrenaline. The funny thing about it, she was still angry and pissed over this morning, but none of that seemed to be important at the moment. He was with her and they were escaping and they were going to save her sons. That's all that mattered.

Jack had the taxi drop him and Lauren off a block before Beck's house. He didn't think anyone other than Beck would be here waiting for him, but he wasn't taking any chances. The escape from the NCS hideaway had been just too damn easy. He got the fact that the place had been a last minute thing. He got the fact that he and Lauren weren't hardened criminals, but still. It shouldn't have been that easy.

After he had disabled the electric fence, they followed the tree line to the neighbor's house and had them call a taxi, saying their car broke down on the street. Within fifteen minutes they'd hit a fast food restaurant for food, which was consumed in minutes, and were on their way to Beck's house.

Jack's inner gut was sending him warning signs again. What was he missing with the NCS set up? He finally had to put the puzzle aside, knowing that whatever was off just might come around and bite him in the ass much like what was off at Gardner's nearly put a bullet through his head. He had other things to worry about now.

Like could he still count on Beck?

Jack took Lauren the back way, through the wooded lots to approach Beck's house from the rear. He cleared the trees enough to see the silhouette of Beck's back porch and noted that all of the lights in the house were off. There didn't seem to be a creature stirring anywhere"About time you showed up, DT."

Jack whipped around and grinned to see Beck, gun in hand and ready for battle, a streak of war paint on his cheeks and his long black hair loose. Jack smacked Beck's shoulder. "You aren't human, you SOB. Smoke makes more noise that you do."

"It's been a long afternoon." Beck bear hugged Jack's neck, nearly choking him, making Jack feel really good. Beck was back. Jack could sense it.

"Sorry for the delay." Jack registered the fact that Beck had immediately prepared for an emergency and had been waiting outside for Jack to show since Jack's message earlier. "I hadn't realized it would take as long as it did to escape the NCS's clutches. The interrogation went on and on."

"Escape the Company? Is she?"

"An operative? No. Lauren Collins. Meet Beck Walker, a direct descendent of Ghost Walker, a Native American legendary tracker who moved like a phantom in the night."

Lauren shook Beck's hand. "Descendent or reincarnation?"

"Both." Beck smiled.

"How long have you been behind us?" Jack asked.

"Since you came onto the property. Had to make sure the lady was friendly. It's not like you to bring company."

"Long story you won't believe."

"Can't be too long. You've only been out of Reed three days. I stopped-" Beck motioned for silence and to get down. He pivoted as he crouched, his Beretta in hand.

Jack pulled Lauren down beside him, as he pressed a finger to her lips.

"Someone's coming. Stay here." Beck moved away without a sound. A few minutes later, Jack heard Commander Weston's voice.

"Damn it, Beck. This isn't necessary."

Weston soon appeared, moving their way in the dark, his hands held up. It took Jack a second to realize Beck was moving Weston this way at gunpoint.

"What the hell are you doing, Beck?" Jack demanded.

"Watching your back." Beck shoved Commander Weston forward, the moment became surreal. Beck had Weston at gunpoint? Jesus. Jack had never heard Beck this angry, nor had Weston ever looked so grim.

Weston seemed to have aged a decade in the past few hours, his face appeared drawn and haggard.

"Whatever is going on, the gun isn't necessary. Can it now," Jack said.

"You don't know all of the facts. And I bet he's here to turn you in," Beck said. Still he eased his Beretta back, and moved to Jack's side to face Weston.

Weston lowered his hands. "Rashid called General Dekker. I figured you'd come here."

"So you've led them a merry trail right to him?" Beck interjected.

"Actually, Holly Gear is in my car leading them a merry trail to nowhere. No one followed me here. I made sure of it."