Page 13 of Atonement

“You forget who you’re talking to, Timothy,” she asserts. “Don’t worry about authorization. Can you access the network if we can get you permission to enter the facility?”

“Absolutely, but...”

“We need you to retrieve satellite information for Beijing and Moscow,” I inform him as I cut off his reply harshly.

“But...,” the fool stammers again.

“We’ll also need information for Shanghai and the Khamovniki District,” I continue. “Is this going to be a problem?”

His eyes flash between Magnolia and mine. Frantic. Indecisive. Afraid to say yes, but more terrified to reply no.

Tightening my grip, I take a single step into his frame and see his indecision waver as he quickly starts to fall over to the right side of his annoyingly slow decision-making.

Good boy, Tim.

“This wasn’t a request,” I hiss. “You’ll do as we ask, or...”

“I... I’ll do it,” he quickly stutters, saving both Magnolia and me from the pleasure of ripping him apart any further. Limb by slimy limb if I had my choice.

“Tomorrow,” Mags demands. “By Midnight.” His eyes grow wide as his brain registers what he just heard her say. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“No,” he insists in a hurry. “No problem.”

I back away from him just as Magnolia takes a step backward as well. His body falls limp to the floor as he grabs his wounded leg and starts to cry. Three men enter the room behind us and rush to attend to his injury. No doubt watching through the two-way mirror across the room and waiting, as per orders from the higher-ups at the FBI. Timmy starts to sob uncontrollably below us, yet, oddly, no noise comes from his pathetic lips as he chokes on his fear. He's finally realizing he just cheated death tonight, only to face a fate far worse tomorrow if our mission fails. Shaking my head, I turn and put his misfortune behind me as I make my way towards the door.

“Russia?” Magnolia whispers between us as we walk out of the room and the medics tend to damage that could’ve been worse if we didn’t get little Timmy’s cooperation. “I thought the only target was China. What the hell are you not telling me, Dec?”

“Since when do we share secrets, Sweetheart?” I hiss, not wanting to share my deepest secret yet, not until I am absolutely sure I won’t fail her again. “Last time I checked, it was the last time I had you in my bed.”

“Sleeping with the enemy has its perks, Ace,” she deadpans. “But that was back when I trusted you, back when I trusted us.”

“That’s your mistake, Mags. Not mine.”

“What?” she demands furiously, forcing me to stare her straight in the eyes. “The sex? Or the trust?”

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those girls?” I tease, provoking her when I damn well know better. “You don’t believe in one without the other. Right, Sweetheart?”

“Love, Dec,” she firmly states. “You can’t have love without trust. Not sex.”

“Then I guess we’re in the clear.” She goes to quickly respond but I cut her off. “Oh, that’s right. You won’t admit to love, will you? At least, not where I’m concerned.”

Her icy stare pins me in place as my heart races, wishing she’d take the bait and tell me off. Better yet, I wish she’d take the bait and admit it. Finally. Once and for all. Because what we had was more than any lucky bastard could ever call love.

“Are you finished?” she finally whispers, but a moment later I swear my sight momentarily forsakes me as I witness a little bit of the constant fight in her eyes leave her body. It’s a crack. A break in her normal bulletproof barrier. Not an admittance by any means, but I’ll take it.

“Never,” my voice cracks as I shake my head in disbelief, amazed that she can think any different. I watch as her eyes begin to fill with heartache and my breath instantly catches in my throat.

What the hell is this?

Sideswiped by the change, my mouth speaks before my brain can tell myself not to and I force myself to ask, “Are you?”

My words stun her for a moment too long. She’s warring with herself, trying to decide how best to respond. A first maybe for Magnolia since the night it happened. She blinks, and just that one gesture makes my heart hopeful. She bites her bottom lip and looks to the floor. When her eyes lift a couple of heartbeats later, tears fill the back of them and every reason I have to fight with her dies as I watch one lone tear drop slowly down her soft cheek.

“Clean up your mess,” she whispers before I can speak; the double meaning behind her words isn’t lost on me. “We’ll regroup at 2100.” I turn, defeated as I make my way back towards my room, needing to put some space between us and process where this is going. Where we’re going. In all this mess. I stop in my tracks when I hear her call out.

“Ace, to answer your question, I believe you’re hiding something from me. Question is, how far are you going to let me play you until I find out what it is?”

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