A/ N: Plot thickens, They're getting close to Cesare but they would have to choose between staying together -and choosing between saving the journalist or catching Cesare- or split up and take more risks.
xxx xxx
« I am ready » -Her voice echoed through their motel room- « I just need to drive to the Airport. »
Several weeks after the kiss Max and her shared, Phoenix had fully recovered from her gunshot. They went to San Diego after local news broadcasted information a breakthrough of Deaths among drug users and the existence of the new hit drug called « the Serpent ». When cleaning up the streets of the Serpent traffic, they found leads about Cesare and Kara Morgan whereabouts. Kara announced on a video she sent to a friend of hers that she would appear at Chicago, at the Hepstein Academy awards, a ceremony in memory of Audrey Hepstein, one of the toughest and most acclaimed reporters of the late 80's, Phoenix told Max that she needed to save Kara from Cesare's hands and would attend the ceremony to find and rescue her. Unfortunately, Cesare himself, would not be in Chicago and instead, it was said that he would be at Lawrence, visiting his dying mother. It would be the only opportunity to have him less protected than usual. They decided that it would best if she went after Kara and he went after Cesare so they would have a chance at achieving their goals. The first reaction both had once they verbally agreed on that plan was to regret saying it.
« Are we sure we're doing this? » -Max was concerned and for the first time since they met, he didn't even try to hide it from her.-
« We talked about this, Max. Your main target is Cesare. I don't know what you plan to do with him, but this is your only shot at taking him down. This is the only one I have for Kara. She's my main goal. » She paused and looked at him straight in his chestnut eyes « ... Her rescue is. » She said, chewing on her bottom lip while her fingers fidgeted randomly.
Max glanced at her, with her bag on her shoulders, her leather pants and tight black t-shirt and black boots. You wouldn't believe she was an actual assassin if she didn't show her skills. He was wearing a black t-shirt, a pair of grey pants and his leather jacket. He stood up from the chair he was sitting and walked towards her. Max didn't want to let her go, somehow, he knew that if he let her go it would be the last time they would see each other. She was right however, Cesare was known to be extremely cautious and almost paranoid with his protection. The only reason his security detail was so light was that Beatriz, his mother, didn't like the life of crime he chose for himself. He didn't want to upset the old woman in her final days. Max clenched his jaw and fidgeted with his fingers as he refrained from pulling her into a hug. Phoenix wanted to touch him, ever since he kissed her, it became easier for the two of them to touch one another. It would be the random hand on her knee, the arm wrapped around her shoulders the nights both were frustrated about their fruitless hunt for information. She didn't need to put a pillow in between their bodies when they were sleeping next to one another. Contact became easier but added more water to their windmill. They grew close to one another and they both knew their respective missions could end up with one of them -or both, or neither- dead. Yet, both were frozen on their spot, looking at each other seriously as if nothing else was possible.
« I know. I guess this is when we say goodbye then. » She nodded at him and tucked some honey strands behind her ears.
« I guess so. » Her voice was on the verge of cracking.
Phoenix wasn't as confident as she used to be when she went on a mission. This mission was akin to suicide in her case because of how different from her usual missions this was. Usually, when she entered a room, every person inside was dead. She wouldn't need to worry about keeping anyone alive because her job was to literally kill her targets and their goons. This time, she would have to be stealthy, make sure that no innocent was killed -and there would be an entire room filled with innocent people- and save Kara from her captors. Being shot a couple of weeks ago was enough to shake her confidence up. She only needed to be distracted once, like when they tried to catch Martin Greene. Just one second of distraction, because of an innocent boy happened to be in that car, she nearly died. Max swallowed a lump, holding back words he knew he didn't want to say. 'Be careful ', 'Come back to me' and even that sneaky 'I'll miss you' wanted to come out of his lips but he swallowed those words back and gave her a long nod instead. He couldn't say anything and neither could she. Words were peculiarly difficult to say, his throat betrayed him as it kept the words stuck inside.
« We'll see how well you do in a few days then. » He said moving his head to the tv on his back. « Go make one hell of a show. » He smirked, a genuine gentle smirk she had rarely seen on his face. The assassin eyes seemed bigger than usual, wet from the unshed tears she refused to cry.
« You too. » -Her voice was still broken but this time, he couldn't miss it. Her hazel eyes averted from his face to his hands and she ran her hand through her curly hair before she turned on her heels. « I'll hear from your murder in the streets. I promise I'll clean Chicago streets from 'The serpent' » She said with a slight nod of her face. She shut her eyes tight as if to give herself some strength to leave. « See you around Max. »
« See you around Phoenix. » -He said as he watched her leave the motel room.-
Those last words felt wasted, the moment became a non-moment. Max shrugged it off as nonsense and a waste of time. Feelings had no room in the life he was living. He refused to think of her as more than an ally in his quest for revenge. Sure, they had been working together in several months now, shared several motel rooms, killed goons left and right together and even got rid of one mob boss -only to find him replaced by another more cunning and dangerous crime lord.-. She had been in his mind ever since he noticed her softer side. She had been in his mind ever since they shared that kiss. Max didn't want to think too much about it, about how right it felt to finally feel her lips against his, how good it felt to have her frame against his. She who didn't like to be touched searched for it, demanded it up until he realized he was giving into something he swore not to look at again. Phoenix was extremely competent as well, so Max decided to ignore his fears of losing her. That was ridiculous.
As she entered her car and started the engine, Phoenix herself couldn't shake the feeling of a wasted opportunity to talk to Max one last time. She had the opportunity to watch him over the few months they spent working together and she knew that he couldn't get out of his vengeful loop. He couldn't see past his revenge and she couldn't blame him. After all, Cesare took part in the slaughter of his family. He didn't do it himself per say, but he worked for the people who did. Getting to him was Max' chance to get closer to his goal but she knew that he could take inconsiderate risks. He would die, consumed by his anger like she was by hers. She held tighter on the wheel, reminiscing her own killing-spree in the name of revenge when she set herself free from the BEO. She remembered how empty and lost she felt when she achieved her goal. How could he rebuild himself if he didn't have someone by his side to either guide him or give him the support he needed? Her fingers unclenched and clenched onto the wheel for a minute before she turned the engine on and drove off to the airport. Her ship had sailed, her mission was clear: save Kara Morgan or die trying. It was the most important thing to do for her because Kara embodied the truth, justice and the fight for the voiceless. Saving her would allow Phoenix the redemption she was seeking. Or so she thought.
Or so she thought.
-TBC-
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