TLH-Verse: Another Job

[luvs_yogurt]

 It's just supposed to be another job, Michael had been working almost a week on putting together his cover and infiltrating a small time gun runner's inner circle all in an effort to get close to their leader - a man named Douglas Moore who was proving to be more elusive than Michael had initially hoped. Of course, the problem with trying to get in with gun runners when you happen to have a history with one runner in particular is that you have to sell it. Without Fiona on his side, he'd had to pull off almost half a dozen shady deals to even get to the people that are allowed to drop Moore's name without getting a rifle stock to the back of the head.

He had one last transaction to make, one more very shady deal and he'd been promised an audience with the man himself.

Michael wasn't expecting to come face to face with the blond he'd parted ways with on somewhat questionable terms in a cheap motel only a week prior. Damn it.

"You aren't the guy I'm supposed to meet!" Michael clenched his jaw, eyes quickly darting from one side to the other - trying to indicate to his lover that he wasn't alone and there were two other heavily armed men waiting for a good reason to put a bullet in him. "I'm not doing this deal with a guy I never met that aint the guy I'm supposed to be meetin'." He affects a deep southern drawl, rubbing his hands over a greasy undershirt, attempting to show he's undercover - not Michael Westen. Just another idiot fresh off the bus in Miami that thinks he can run guns with the 'big boys' in Moore's gang.

Comments

[luvs_yogurt]

Sam's gaze didn't shift, but when he pulled his hand away, he returned it with a beer for the stranger. "Where'd you, meet up?"

"You're not interrogating him, Sam. I told you, I vouch. He's watching my back while I lay low."

"He's doing a hell of a lot more than watching it from the look of things..."

[lighteningcount]

"Excusez-moi." He said quickly before getting up and running into the bathroom. For all he was worth, Zechs was a private person. He hated people prying into his life. It was... Just something that bothered him.

He sat on the edge of the tub, burying his face in his hands. He couldn't go back out there.

[luvs_yogurt]

"Stop, Sam... just..."

"What, I'm not allowed to watch out for you? You got yourself shot, Mike... for all I know he's the reason." Sam frowned; "I just want to know where he comes into the equation here."

Michael sighed and answered; "He's not the reason I got shot, we met a while back and then we hooked up again a few weeks ago. He's on our side."

"You sure about that? Sure as hell wanted to get out of here once he saw me."

"Yeah, Sam... there's this thing called shame, I know you're not familiar with it but some people still have some."

"Right, yeah. Whatever. I've got those files you requested, but they're not much of anything. Whoever's after you is one hell of Spook."

Michael tugged at the bag, opening it to see the stack of files. "It's a start, I'll call you tomorrow after I get a chance to go over these, okay?"

"Sure thing, Mike... just do yourself a favor and be careful who you trust."

[lighteningcount]

Zechs came out of the bathroom at the tail end of the conversation. His long hair was in a loose braid over one shoulder and he didn't look as embaressed anymore. But seriously, he still was.

"I know you're just looking after Michael, but I promise that I mean no harm to him." He said quietly, his accent still thick. It was the embaressment of having someone walking in on him and Michael.

The blonde looked up and nodded to Sam.

[luvs_yogurt]

The older man still clearly didn't believe him, but seemed satisfied with the admission... for the moment. "We'll see about that." He turned his attention back to Michael as he withdrew the stack of manilla folders, "Most of it's from overseas; got hits everywhere from Germany to Cuba on those guys - but nothing sticky. As far as I can tell, they stay away from the feds but have still popped on the radar for suspicious activity."

"Good, good. Thanks, Sam." Michael looked up at him with a subtle smile; "And, uh... thank you for not saying anything about this to Fiona or my mother."

Sam raised his hands; "Hey, far be it for me to spread gossip... you better put that yogurt away before it gets too warm."

Michael nods, watching Sam let himself out. It's a long, awkward moment before he mutters; "I'm sorry you had to meet him like that."

[lighteningcount]

"I don't think he likes me very much." The blonde said as he came over to Michael. He rested his head on the man's good shoulder.

"It didn't help that I ran off either..."

[luvs_yogurt]

Still idly flipping through the first thin file, Michael half-shrugged.

"He doesn't trust you." He sighed, closing the folder before looking at the groceries he'd ignored. "Right now, you have enough information to taken down me and probably him."

[lighteningcount]

Zechs pulled away and moved to put the groceries away. "I still can't figure out who would do this. To you and me." He shook his head.

"How about those omelettes while we look over the files?"

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael had a few ideas, but none that matched up with the files on the gun runners. The dates were wrong, the behavior... whoever it was behind them operated with an unusual agenda that he couldn't make the pattern of with such limited information.

Sighing, he nodded and retrieved his pan. "I think I could handle that."

So much for staying in bed all day.

[lighteningcount]

Zechs sat at the counter and began to poke at the yogurt again. He sighed softly, mind replaying things in his head. Things wre such a mystery right now.

"Michael, mind if I look over the files?"

[luvs_yogurt]

"Knock yourself out," he shook his head, cracking the eggs into a bowl before whipping them with a salad fork.

"I just skimmed over the first two, but I can't find a real pattern emerging yet."

[lighteningcount]

He opened the files and began to skim them over.

About halfway through the first file, Zechs gasped and went very, very pale.

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael didn't fully noticed, he was concentrating on breakfast, but quietly asked; "What's up?" When the gasp registered.

[lighteningcount]

"I have to go. I have to leave. I have to." He was trembling, obvious fear in him.

[luvs_yogurt]

"Hell if you are." Michael turned toward him, disturbed by the unexpected outburst. "You're not going anywhere."

He reached out, catching Zechs by the elbow; "What's going on?"

[lighteningcount]

"I know who's doing this. I know who it is." He shyed away from Michael, curling in on himself.

[luvs_yogurt]

Pulling away only frustrated Michael, he reached out again, with a much more firm grasp.

"What are you talking about? Show me."

[lighteningcount]

He looked up at Michael with wide, scared eyes. "Elve Onegall... The rose signature."

[luvs_yogurt]

"The rose?" Michael raised an eyebrow, the thought of a rose bringing back a familiar tug of something... he doesn't know what. There's something there, though.

"Show me in the file."

[lighteningcount]

Zechs showed him, trying to get away from him. He'd tangled with Elve once before. He'd ended up with a large scar on his back.

[luvs_yogurt]

"Don't try to pull away from me, Zechs. I know what you're doing." Michael cautioned, scanning over the information, trying to put it all together.

"Tell me about him."

[lighteningcount]

Zechs shook his head. "He's tricky. Sneakier than both you and I. And dangerous. The scar on my back... He caused it."

The blonde looked at Michael, eyes wide. "He wants revenge."

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael's seen the scar, learned the shape of it - guessed at the method that made it (probably wrong, but every scar does have a story - his own included).

"We can take him down." It wasn't bravado, just his usual understanding about what needed to be done. Someone was after Zechs and by extension him - they had to go.

[lighteningcount]

He began to calm a little at Michael's words. Zechs swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "We can."

At least... He hoped that they could. Zechs didn't want to get anyone else hurt or killed...

[luvs_yogurt]

Once more gripping tightly at his arm, Michael turned Zechs toward him and kissed him gently.

"Trust me, Zechs. We can do this. Together."