// Eheheh, oh he said it! He said it, and she doesn't know how to handle it. Typical of our girl Diane! //
London, Mercure Hotel, 8 months ago.
Diane followed Alex during one of his hits. Since they met a little more than a year ago, she was in the habit of following him wherever he went, and he also went with her when she had a hit. Their relationship felt like a whirlwind. On Diane's side, it started with her fascination for him. The Jackal was infamous in the criminal world because of his flawless technique and the fact that he left no evidence behind. Word got out that he had not been paid. At first, his colleagues - more likely rivals- believed it would signal his downfall and were ready to watch like vultures. When he killed his client, in the middle of an international hunt for his head, this elicited respect and fear in the heart of his colleagues. Diane, however, wasn't surprised in the least by Jackal's reaction. She knew that he would never let it slide since reputation was the cornerstone of their job. Instead, it solidified her admiration for his work, and she decided to follow his work more closely.
She was surprised when he found her in Milan. Even more surprised when he clearly admitted to having been a fan of her work. Back then, she couldn't quite figure out if they met by accident or if he actually looked for her. Why would the very aloof Jackal be interested in the work of Ghost? She supposed that it had to do with her targets. She only went after war criminals, mercenaries who went after innocent civilians, and certified monsters. She never hurt innocent people and always managed to protect bystanders and other innocent people to the best of her abilities. That was quite unusual for hitmen to pick and choose asshole targets. Usually, they didn't care and only took the best-paid jobs, but Ghost didn't. He looked at her targets and realized that they all shared something in common. They were all soldiers, and all of them had been stationed in DCR at the same time. This detail was a lead that the Jackal decided to follow. However, he knew it was going to be a vast rabbit hole. He wanted to see her work with his own eyes. He wanted to see what motivated her, which didn't disappoint him. Their meeting was pure luck. He had a job in Milan. A job that took place at a gala event, where his target would be.
They worked together without her fully knowing what was going on. It all went fast. The Jackal shot a single bullet that hit the head of his target, right when she walked into the room with her own target and his bodyguard. She locked the door discreetly and pulled out a pair of twin blades. Alex watched her from afar as she waltzed around with her knives and cut tendons, wrists, and shoulders to immobilize her targets. He was mesmerized by her work, in awe of her grace as she cut through their flesh. She killed them and quickly escaped from the room by jumping out of the window. Quick. Efficient. Mesmerizing. It was what motivated him to meet her again. He never answered her question because he wanted it to be something he kept to himself. She didn't need to know how she caught his eye.
"Are you sure you want to come with me? You might get bored." -He teased her-
"I think I can take the risk. I want to walk in your shoes." -He stopped before her, hands still buttoning his shirt. She rolled her head and looked up to his face- "I mean it, Alex. I want to see you work and I hope you'll see me work too, one day." -She moistened her lips and ran her hand through her braids-
"Fine. You can come with me." -He cupped both cheeks. His large fingers ran into her braids, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She put her hands on his wrists and yanked her head further back so he could kiss her lips- "But I don't want to hear any complaint from you."
"Why would I complain?" -She lifted her brows and puffed her cheeks-
"Diane, have you seen yourself when you're bored? You keep talking and talking and talking because you want some action and you don't have it." -He grinned and she shook her head-
"I'm not that difficult, but I hear you. I will be silent, like a ghost, so I won't bother you. I want to see you at work, so I better not interfere with it." - She calmly said. Her eyes twinkled, and he grinned, his warm hands still on her cheeks- "I promise, baby. Now, let me get ready."
She kept her word that day. Diane didn't make a fuss during the whole seven hours spent waiting for the target to get on his radar. She observed Alex, who was very focused on his job. It was a busy crowd, where everyone wore the same suit (or almost). He had to be focused to isolate the target among his peers and ensure that he would take a single winning shot. She watched as his breathing slowed, almost to the point of him barely breathing. His hand was steady, his gaze unwavering. Diane didn't speak, instead, she simply lay on her side and watched the Jackal. Unlike her, he was like a spider. He was calm, collected, and very precise in his moves. He waited for his target to fall for his trap, and then, only then, would he strike. She thought he was elegant. He had grace and poise when he was putting his gun together. He was beautiful when he was focused, and his patience, oh yes, his patience, felt out of this world. She watched him intensely in the last minutes that led to him pulling the trigger.
It felt as if time was frozen and there was nothing and no one but the two of them. For a brief moment, she thought to herself that he was akin to an angel of death, precise, cold, and calculating. He pulled the trigger, and his target fell on the ground, but all she could see was the coldness in his eyes, both devoid of any emotion, not even the satisfaction of a job well done. He waited exactly 30 seconds, just to make sure that the target was dead, and then started to put away his gun. She quickly sat on the floor and then stood up, realizing that it was time for them to leave the place, and they both went back to their hotel. They both showered, he first, and she followed, and when she entered the room again. She found him with just his towel wrapped around his waist and his wet hair falling flat on his eyes. He glanced at her, calm, waiting for a word from her.
"Why are you looking at me as if you were waiting for a review?" -She joked and smiled at him. He smirked-
"You didn't complain. I am impressed." -He teased her. Diane chuckled and threw her hair towel at him.- "I'm serious. I know you prefer to get your hands dirty when you work a job. This is quite different from what you're used to. I just wanted to know what you thought of it."
"You looked like an angel to me. You were precise, cold, and calculating. You were focused on your mission and nothing... no one could have distracted you from it. I am impressed, actually. I know how much you prepare for it, and you can do things I can't do, Alex."
"An angel? Nobody ever called me that before. Are you sure you weren't under some influence?" He teased her. It was uncomfortable. She associated something so positive with his work, and he didn't know how to react to it.
"Well... That's what I think." -She pressed her lips to his wrist and leaned her forehead against his arm- "I know the business we do. I just think that there is some grace in the way you stay still. There is a beauty in the cold and calculating way you hit your target. You're so patient, so calm...I wonder if you find peace in moments like these."
"Peace? I don't think so. I loathe the moments where I have nothing to do until I take my shot. I'm left with my thoughts and my mind, and it's not a pleasant place to be." He then bent forward to place a kiss on top of her head- "Does it happen to you? Do you remember your past?"
"Every time. All I can see is what I've been through. I can smell the burned bodies of these children. I can hear the screams of my aunt. I can feel the pebbles scratching my back. I can... It only stops when I kill my target. It only stops when I avenge the dead." -She swallowed a lump and closed her eyes- "I became a ghost because I felt that there was nothing left for me... Now that you're here, I don't think it's true anymore." -She looked up at his face and smiled.
"You are far more than you think you are. When I look at you, I don't see a ghost. I see a woman I --"
------
Love. When Alex woke up, he remembered the event of the day before. He remembered the stress he felt when Diane didn't respond to him. He remembered the relief and shock he felt upon seeing her in an ongoing meltdown. He couldn't shake the picture of her bloody fists, the dried tears on her face, the hollowed gaze. He couldn't shake the feeling of powerlessness that washed through him, and he certainly couldn't forget the sight of her, devoid of any will, swallowed whole by her fears and dark past. She was traumatized, and he could recognize it. Hearing the voice of her abuser forced her to relive her trauma, and the result was her being completely unresponsive to him, allowing him to touch her without even flinching. It fueled his rage. He had to kill Dylan Atwater, otherwise, Diane would never be able to move on with her life. She slept throughout the day and only woke up the morning after.
The bed was already empty when he opened his eyes, and he could hear some noise coming from the kitchen. She was awake and already making breakfast for the two of them. Alex sat on the bed, his feet now flat on the floor and his arms against his lap. He was hunched a little bit, his cold gaze focused on his feet as he was still deeply into his thoughts. Once he made sure Diane was sleeping soundly, he quickly opened his laptop and searched for the pictures of the Airbnb tenants. He found the picture of the young boy with his parents, and that made him furrow his brows. They were supposed to be out of town, but if the young boy was with their target, then that meant they never left the country. He knew where their flat was and devised a plan. The boy was alive, and there was a chance that his parents were alive too. He had to tell Diane about his findings, and the two of them had to devise a plan to take. He heard her frantically searching through the drawers and it prompted him to leave the bedroom and join her in the kitchen.
"Hey..."
"Morning, Alex." -Her voice was still tired, a bit hoarse from being used after she lost it the day before-
"How are you feeling?" -He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug. She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Her arms wrapped around his, and she nipped at her bottom lip-
"Like I have been beaten up with a brick." -He planted a kiss on top of her head, and she sighed happily.-
"You won't have to talk too much until tonight. I just want to let you know what I found yesterday. I know what our next step would be." -She lifted her head, and he nodded, acknowledging that she was ready to hear his plan- "Your guess was right. This little boy, Johann, is the son of the Airbnb tenants we thought were out of town. He is holding them hostage. The good thing is that we know where he lives and we can come to him tonight. I have checked our supplies and we have everything we need, from guns to knives and equipment. The bad news is that I don't know how many of them are in this apartment. He could be alone, or there could be a couple of mercenaries with him."
"I can go in there on my own. You could take them down from a distance with your gun?" -She managed to say, but Alex shook his head.- "Alex... You're best in long-distance combat. If you get in there with me, there's a big chance that you could get hurt."
"I am a soldier, Diane. I am as good at close combat as I am as a sniper. I can't let you go inside on your own. He would be there, and I know how terrified of him you are. If I let you go in there, there's a chance he could kill you."
"If so... then so be it." -She whispered, but he cupped her chin and gently made her turn around so they could face each other. His gaze was soft, but stern.
"Never say that again. Your death would bring sorrow. Your death would break my heart. I don't want you to die, Diane. I want you to live. I want you to live with me. I love you."
His words hit her like a truck. She couldn't imagine in a million years that he would have uttered these words. Her heart started to beat faster, tears filled her eyes, and she started to sob uncontrollably. He loved her? He wanted her to live? For so long, she thought that there was nothing left for her in this world, no one could ever love her after her traumatic childhood. No one could ever love her because of the blood she had on her hands. Yet here he was, in love. Here he was, unwilling to let her die. She kept sobbing, and he gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a gentle but tight hug. She rubbed her nose against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt safe. She was safe. She wanted to speak, but could only sob against him. She held onto his shirt so hard that Alex knew she was feeling intensely. He would give her the space she needed to think about his words, but wished she would actually consider not killing herself. He needed her. Oh god, did he need her!
-TBC-
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