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Martini and Salsa 1.5: Sent a spy to catch a break

"I always do. But you watch it too just in case, and I'll watch yours." the hairs on the back of his neck were pickling as he checked his weapon. Something was all here. Too many things were beyond his control and were going on that he didn't know about. They didn't leave through the same exit but along a narrow tunnel that seemed to go on forever and sloped downwards. Then met up with a grate in the roof that showed the sky over a spiral staircase that they descended deeper into the ground on and then continued forwards, but the sound of the sea came though the grate and the tunnel got damper. Then they were coming up in a building in what had to be in one of the villages along the coast.

"Where is the boat?"

"No more than a few hundred meters away in a boathouse disguised as a fisherman's hut."

"Then we'll make a break for it. But not running, we'll just look like people looking for shelter before the storm.. hoods up."
 
The wind was now steady as they all pulled up their hoods. Cynthia's however was too large and kept flying off. After the third time she gave up. It was blocking her visibility and the only way to keep it up was to hold it with one hand. If nothing else she really did look like all she wanted to do is get out of the weather.

They reached the boathouse without incident and go aboard the large speed boat. It had to have been over thirty feet and looked like it was built for both luxury and horse power. At least it wasn't going to be cramped. Which was a good thing as Underground started the engine of the boat and started leaving the boat house. While no one saw them as they went in, they were spotted as the boat started to head out to open water. Cynthia kept from cursing as she heard the first high powered shot.
 
It had come from the shore but soon the boat's radio crackled at word got out that they were escaping. "The is something larger than an M14." Martini say holding onto the railing and guiding Cynthia int the cabin. Their guns would be useless with the swells and the range and it they were out of sight they couldn't be picked off as targets.

There was a sharp buzz. It wasn't a series of shots it was a continuous noise. "Thats an M134." Josh said in a similar tone one might use if he had noticed a bird. "NATO rounds 7.62×51, four thousand rounds per minute up to around three thousand feet. Not a weapons I want to be at the wrong end of."

He got up as the sound came again and moved to give the pilot directions to avoid it when the back of the cabin erupted in a spray of splinters and with a sound with a popping watermelon the pilot was thrown against the side. Filled with holes wasn't the term to use. Pulverized was more like it.

"Co to k čertu."

Underground was visibly panicked but Josh stepped out side and inspected the controls finding then still working and took over.

"Where are we heading?"

Theres a ship out at sea, the coordinated are in the GPS.."

"The GPS is in worse shape than your man here now where are we going?"

"Just head out to sea then head north at around 350 degrees. She'll find us."
 
Death was not a familiar thing for Cynthia and in all honesty she had been horribly shaken by the last one she saw. She had barely registered the Cardinal's death because her vision had been filled with that of Lena taking a shot she shouldn't have. That had been personal though.

Cynthia avoided looking at the body of the dead pilot directly. Later, much later she would have to deal with what she had just seen, but right now it was important to keep her head down. As Martini kept the boat going steadily to sea, Cynthia tried to be present to what was going on, and not listen to her racing heart. As long as they got to Underground's ship they were likely going to be fine.

The water was choppy and the air had a heavy quality to it. As they got farther away from the island the first fat drops of rain started to fall. It wasn't even evening yet and the edge of a storm was coming through. Cynthia hoped as they caught sight of a large vessel, possibly the Russian criminal's, that the storm wasn't going to be too rough.
 
They caught sight of the vessel not a moment too soon. the boat was taking on water and already her movements were more sluggish as a small amount of water sloshed on the cabin floor. Martini piloted the boat to the side and a rope ladder was thrown down to them as Underground's men used fenders to stop the swells smashing the boat against the side of the ship. Josh helped Cynthia to the ladder and then Lemkov whose eyes remained in one place as he climbed under Cynthia.

Joining them on deck he took Cynthia below decks immediately and helped her out of her soaked windbreaker. "So the worst is over. Its a pity we had or vacation interrupted."
 
Cynthia was glad to be on a more secure vessel. At least one that could take several rounds without taking on a lot of water. As they went below deck, Cynthia tried to be observant. It seemed to be an older ship, but in very good condition. Underground had this vessel for some time she surmised.

Getting the wet jacket off was a relief as it stuck to her skin. As she took her hair out of the rubber band to retie it she gave Josh a weak grin. "I'm going to be pumped up on adrenalin for a long while still," she admitted. Cynthia wanted to say more, but they were not alone and they really were not safe yet.
 
De boss wuld like to see you."

The crewman's accent was thick but Martini nodded. "He probably wants to know where to take us." he said. "I'm thinking we meet up with the Illustrious and tell them whats going on. But not who we escaped with. We'll then be dropped off wherever we want to go. LA probably." he led the way as they followed the sailor into Underground's cabin as the man smiles wide and greeted them.

"Martini, Salsa, dearest of all my friends. First I want t thank you for helping me out of a sticky situation. I had knows it was coming but I didn't expect it so soon."

Even with a ship rolling in the waves he held a glass in his hands.

"A drink for the nerves? I know you won't have Martin but how about the lady?"

Josh shook his head at Cynthia. "I'm afraid we need to get back. We didn't know that was coming."

There was a swift movement behind Martini before he stumbled forwards then fell to the deck.

You idiot I told you to use a dart not cave his skull in." he slowly drew a weapon and aimed it at Cynthia. "As for you... why was he sent here to spy on me?"
 
Cynthia was about to turn when she saw the gun pointed at her. She felt her hand shake slightly, the adrenalin coursing though her veins made trying to stay calm and in one place. Worse yet the man holding the gun wouldn't hear the truth.

Taking a deep breath, she looked Underground in the eyes and lied.

"You actually think I've been told anything?" she pitched her voice slightly to sound frantic and frustrated. While she was frustrated she was more pissed then anything. "I'm not even an agent yet. Training they call it. I don't know how I'm suppose to learn anything if I'm not told anything though."

He could chose to get rid of both of them still, Cynthia knew he didn't trust Josh, but there had to be a way from keeping the paranoid criminal from dumping Josh's unconscious body overboard. Even conscious with the way the waves were picking up she doubted he could get anywhere before drowning.

"I'd like some answers to, but he's the only one that has them." She only hoped his greed for information was more then his paranoia. At least she knew one thing he didn't have bloodlust. That was something, though not very much.
 
He smiled, a cold expression on his lips. "I knew I liked you." he drained his glass and stood his gun still on Cynthia as he gestured for his man to pick the agent up. "I didn't think they would tell you anything. You probably though it really was a vacation. But think about it. He bring you here, books you into a hotel that is a meeting place for agents just as something big is going down. Coincidence on coincidence."

He put the gun away and nodded to the henchman. "We'll get our answers, get the serum. You.. Salsa.. you can watch and find out what they were keeping from you."

Down the narrow corridor to an empty store room with a chair in the middle. Josh was lowered into the chair and cuffed down as another henchman came in with a syringe of clear liquid. "Now agent.. we learn what you are hiding."
 
Cynthia looked at the gun, then at Lemkov. She let a bit of unhappiness show and tugged at her ponytail. Right about now the show of uncertainty would fall right into place. She had to dance carefully here, he expected her to be easily swayed she was certain, but he still had to seduce her a little first. Right now he knew what he wanted from her it was just a matter if he got the right signs.

Besides he just told her an embarrassing "truth", that she had been played a fool. With everything that had happen he was sure she would see he was correct. He was an idiot, but right now he was the one running the shots. Cynthia had to try to bide her time.

As they went into the storage room Cynthia hugged herself, though it had little to do with being wet. The shiver was pure emotional. She had an inkling of what was going to happen next as the man injected Josh with the syrum. She only hoped this wasn't going to blow up in her face quickly. She doubted it, Josh would be compelled to tell the truth and what ever Underground believed, she hoped it would be he wanted another go at Martini when he was done with other business. She hoped his ego would cloud his reason. She was just going to have to be a better actress if not, hoping wasn't going to save either of them.
 
Lemkov grabbed a fistful of Josh's hair and made him look up at him. "Ébredjen kém." he said before slapping Josh's cheep to wake him up. "Now I'm going to talk like this so that your pawn can understand." he paused so that his question wouldn't be suppressed by his statement in Josh's drugged mind. "Why are you here?"

Josh looked up at him his eyes unable to focus on anything and it was unsure if he saw Cynthia as they slid slowly over her. "Vacation.." Lemkov nodded to the thug she jabbed another dose into Josh's arm. Josh Blinked as the world seemed to fade into the background. There was no way to fight it like in the movies. "How much does your agency know about this incident?"

"Nothing on file. Relax. Heal.. bullet .."

"Wake him up."

The thug who seemed to be acting assistant interrogator picked up a length of pipe but Lemkov stopped him. "The adrenaline. He'll be lucid but compliant." Another syringe pierced Josh's skin, this time in his neck.

One last time.. what are you doing in my territory?"

"On vacation with Cynthia.."

"Well we have progress, he let your name slip. But I have to ask you to leave. He need to apply pressure."

The thug went for the pipe again but was stopped. "I want to do this. Escort her back to my cabin then go and check on the storm."
 
Cynthia felt sick to her stomach as she watched the initial round of interigation. She tried to find ways to distract her mind from the emotions. He wanted her there to observe, and she was going to do that. The thug who only thought with his muscle, was left handed. The windows in the room were small. There were no cameras inside.

The look she gave as Lemkov looked back over at her was guarded, not a surprising reaction for having your name given away, but in truth there was little else she could do and be able to hide her true troubled feelings. Neutral was better then giving away the game. As she was escorted back she kept her head in the game, keeping track of every step, every door, every corner. She then was placed in the cabin.

An oblique place in such a stark ship. It followed the pattern. Cynthia didn't have much time she assumed. As she took down her hair she quickly assessed the room even as she headed for the desk. On the plus side she was skilled at primping and information gathering. It was how she got in all her reading as long as she wasn't doing make up.

"Three minutes," she muttered her self imposed time limit to herself.
 
Lemkov would have liked time to interrogate his prisoner but the weather deteriorated and all hands were needed to secure the stores and those that were not had to go to where they had something to hold on to. Josh was left cuffed to a conduit pipe and was sleeping off some of the drugs in him. He had endured worse integrations and he barely showed there had been any to begin with.

His dreams were wild and disjointed his brain not being able to block any of the fleeting thoughts that sought to shape them. Every memory, every thought permeated his consciousness. Its what the drug was designed to do, break barriers.
 
The boat was rocking a lot more then Cynthia felt comfortable with. She was not overly familiar with ocean travel, but this was the tropics, and it was the beginning of the storm season. She realized this was not going to blow over quickly. The only advantage was the fact that she now knew everyone aboard the ship was distracted. It was her only chance of getting out of here, both of them.

Stealthly she left Underground's cabin and headed back down the hall. There was no one wandering around here, something she was sure would never normally be the case. As she reached the storage room she took but A moment to listen at the door. There was no sound coming from the other side that she could hear. Taking a deep breath she opened the door.

Quickly spotting Josh after carefully closing over the door she crossed the room. He did not look great, but it didn't look as though the criminal got time to do too much damage. That he was handcuffed to a pipe was actually a relief to her since he was unconscious. They didn't trust that he might not wake up and figure a way out. "Time to wake up," she said shaking his shoulder with one hand as she looked at the lock with the handcuff. Thank goodness for simple mechanisms.
 
The great gates if the the citadel yawned before him with cavernous expanse. Spires upon spires that defied imagination stretched upwards towards heaven itself. Joshua gazed upwards the living dragon that had bee asleep for a thousand years visible, doused in the stonework itself so that she might awaken at the end of all things yet even in slumber her magic permeated the stone and kept them safe.

His attention was caught by laughter behind him, his resplendent armor glinting in the sun he turned with a slight rattle of plate on plate and he saw her, her in initiate robes blowing in the wind. She smiled at him and waved beckoning him over but even though he returned her smile he shook his head slowly, gesturing with his thumb to the gates immediately before they boomed with a blast of a horn, opened. His audience was granted.

He turned the gargantuan expanse of the hall of columns coming into view. The red carpet floor and white carpet representing the bloody path and the purity of purpose respectively stretched before him as birds, so far away they appeared as mere dots fluttered around the vaulted ceiling. The stone statures , their heads turned towards him were the only figures waiting for him other that all the way on the other end of the cavernous room, the father of their order.

The heads of the statues followed him as he marched forwards but he did not show them the disrespect of looking back. Every full member of the order had a statue here, himself included, so that they would always be guarding their home in spirit and when one of them died the statue's eyes would shut and it would be taken to to the crypts. Nuns in white robes moved among the statues like ghosts checking them, each one forbidden to speak except to each other so that they could never say what the see when they look onto the eyes of a living statue.

Joshua continued his march his eyes on the white carpet, the path of purity. But it was from that path that he was seeking permission to stray, and take another with him. "Father." he said kneeling before the woman who sat on her throne of honor. "Rise Joshua and speak." He did so, slowly before looking up the the matriarch of the order. "What is it Joshua. I have never known you to be nervous."

"F-father.. You know why I am here, you are not blind."

"Kynthía, the initiate. You would expose her to the risks of courtship before she is even prepared for them. I thought you had more sense than that."

"Father...?

"You understand the risks but does she? You gamble with her life and soul Joshua."

"Her father trained her before she was even..."

The world shook and rocked and several of the columns collapsed.

"Her life is in your hands ever ray you you would act of selfish impulse and risk snuffing it out."

The star-like light of the eyes of the statues all faded one by one in quick succession. "You want her to suffer like you did.. worse than you did when your first trainee died. You cannot understand the death of a mentor Joshua. Not imagine the death of a lover." Father stood and great chunks of the roof began to fall as high above them the dragon roared.
 
The ship rocked violently and Cynthia held on to the pipe with one hand, her other on Josh's shoulder to keep her steady. The storm was getting worse, much worse. There was no time to worry about that however, while the members of this ship's crew might have been too busy. There was still the risk someone might still come in here for some odd reason.

Getting a better footing Cynthia went back to the task at hand, unlocking the handcuff. It was child's play, in the literal sense for Cynthia. She had learned to pick a simple lock by the time she could tie her own shoes. More complexed locks took much longer of course, but cuffs were by nessesity simple by almost any standard. When she felt the click she grinned to herself as she grabbed the wrist that had been restrained a moment before.

"Come on Martini," she said in a louder voice then before, but still softer then conversation tone. After all she was now squating down in front of him so she could look right into his face. Her own face painted with worry. "I need you to wake up. We need to get out of here." She shook his shoulder a second time.
 
The world rocked and Joshua was aware of a great weariness falling over for body. Father simply disappeared her shouts echoing with infinite repetition thought the walls refusing to be drowned out even by the great crashing of stone of the bestial bellows of the arisen serpent. He turned inly one though coming to his mind other than this was it. This was the end of all things. Kynthía.

He caught sight of the statues, many of them shattered and his heart fell. Dark lifeless eyes, every one, even his. Though the colossal rents in the ceiling the tempest in the sky could be seen, green lightning and black sky. Green and black above, red and white below. He clattered down the stairs and scrambled over fallen columns as the floor rocked with the storm.

He fell nearly crushed by a falling stone, the shattered half of a stone head bounding past him and he felt despair well up as the weariness redoubled until his bones ached.

He wouldn't reach her in time.

"I need you to wake up. We need to get out of here."

It was her voice in his ear. "Kynthia, you're not meant to be in there." his voice spoke weakly as he pulled himself up against the rough surface of shattered stone. He could see her now before him. Her red and midnight blue robed torn and her face bloody. "Kynthia..." He struggled hi his feet and then she was no longer before him but next to him his arm over her shoulder and helping him towards the fallen door. "My statue sleeps.. I should be dead."

He looked down and saw the floor though his body, the translucency becoming more and more apparent as she still struggled to help him along a sad look in her eyes. "I never... I wanted to tell you.. I wanted to ask father.. Kynthia." He gathered his strength and pushed away from her his head colliding with the wall with a metallic bong. "No time.. Cynthia. I.." the world was falling apart as parts of the floor began collapsing into the absolute blackness below. "I shouldn't have.. but I've fallen in love with you."

Then there was nothing but weightlessness as the floor face out beneath him and he hit the deck with a thump.
 
Cynthia smiled in relief when Josh started to come to. She had been unsure what to do if she hadn't been able to wake it. In truth she avoided thinking about it because there would have been only one thing to do, abandon him and attempt to get to the Illustrious herself. A daunting task to say the least.

As he pushed away, standing, she thought that perhaps the worse of the drugs was out of his system, but then he said something so unexpected she paused. Cynthia processing what he said, reacted just a bit too slowly as he hit the ground. "Josh!"

Quickly she knelt down, trying to shake him awake again. Meanwhile her brain was rushing around, thoughts and feeling crashing together. She needed to focus and not think about what he said. She tried to tell herself it didn't matter right now, but for a few seconds it was difficult. Cynthia bit her lip had but not enough to draw blood. Focus. "Martini this is no time to sleep, you need to get off this ship," her voice betrayed her worry and anxiety but she didn't care.
 
There was a cut in his forehead from his reunion with the floor but when he woke up there was to abyss or stone fortress before him only cold metal deck. He was numb and his mind drifted more than the deck swayed but he groaned in response to her, then using the wall he got to his feet knees and blinked up at her. He hadn't the mind to talk, only to stand and with one hand on the wall and the other fumbling for her let her lead the way though the pitching corridor and one step at a time, up the stairs.

It took him a while but he realized the implication of what she said. "You're coming..?" he asked looking at her as above then a loose door clanged and the wind could be heard whistling past the ship along with the thumping of the swells against the hull. "Not going without you." his still sounded confused but he was looking at her and he knew he wasn't in a fantasy land but on a ship with her. But the memory of what she said was already fading into the haze of the drug.
 
It was slow going but with the crew preoccupied with the storm the risk was minimal. Still Cynthia was very tense. By the time they made it up the stairs she had something of a plan in mind but she hated it.

Looking at Josh she shook her head. "There's several lifeboats up on deck, but there's crew too. I need you to get in one of them and then get to sea." There was a problem. "Can you find the Illusterious in a storm. Can you find her right now?"

Normally she wouldn't worry about Martini doing anything, but in that senario he would be making the plan right now. One she was sure would get them both off the ship. She didn't have his years of experience though and her first priority was getting Josh to safety. If however he still was too drug hazed, could she risk trying to get them both acrossed the deck? Could she just have him hide on a lifeboat until later? Each idea seemed more and more risky.
 
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