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

[lighteningcount]

"But what can we do with him?" He asked quietly, "Keep him locked up forever?"

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael set his jaw, already making for the door. "Let me worry about that part. I'm pretty good at getting the information I need."

[lighteningcount]

He followed after Michael, one hand resting on the hilt of the dagger. "Michael... Thank you."

[luvs_yogurt]

The dashing, charming thing to do would be to kiss him and tell him it was going to be all right - to be the hero.

Instead, he nods and pulls back the slide on the gun before pushing open the door.

"We're not out of this yet."

[lighteningcount]

No, not yet. But they would be. Zechs had a gut feeling that they would get out of this just fine.

He moved out into the hall, using all the stealth he'd picked up during his years as a thief.

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael, on the other hand, was much less worried about stealth - the guards would know exactly where they were and as soon as they saw that they had their boss strapped to a chair with a gun to his head they'd be a lot more likely to let them pass.

"We've got your boss. Stand down or I'll put two in his skull and still have nine to kill all of you."

[lighteningcount]

Once the guards realized that Michael and Zechs had their boss... they allowed them to leave the house unmolested.

Zechs dumped Elve into the back seat of the car and then slid into the driver's seat after liberating the keys from Michael's person. Hey, a thief's skills never went to waste.

[luvs_yogurt]

Letting Zechs take lead, Michael slid into the backseat beside their captive, watching him closely.

The last thing he wanted was to underestimate him.

"South," he ordered; "keep heading south until you hit the industrial district and I'll take over there."

[lighteningcount]

He was silent as he drove towards the south. "Can we just dump him off and then go back to the loft? I just want to collapse."

Let Elve stew for a bit.

[luvs_yogurt]

He nodded, catching Zechs' eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, I think'll be for the best." He nudged the barrel of the gun against Elve's head. "Make him think we're leaving him to die."

[lighteningcount]

"Sounds like a good plan." He said as he pulled over at the start of the industrial district.

He turned in his seat and looked at Michael. "Do you want to drive?"

[luvs_yogurt]

"Might be best." Michael nodded, slipping out of the backseat and setting the gun on the passenger seat beside him as he slid behind the wheel.

The storage container wasn't too far in, it'd gone into disrepair and was left unattended by pretty much everyone. It made for a great stash spot for a few days.

"There are three video cameras hooked up to a feed I can access online. We'll be able to see and record everything."

[lighteningcount]

Zechs nodded. "Okay. Let him stew for a bit and then interrogate him?" He wasn't sure he wanted to be around Elve any longer.

[luvs_yogurt]

"I'll start on him in the morning, after a while tied to a chair he should be willing to talk a bit."

He wasn't exactly fond of interrogation, but there are worse things - like not knowing what's going on.

"I won't make you go near him."

[lighteningcount]

"Thank you." He whispered before shifting over to the passenger seat.

Zechs stared out the window as Michael drove. He just... He was tired.

[luvs_yogurt]

Getting the captive into the facility wasn't difficult. Michael took care of dragging him in and tying him down to the heavy wooden chair still left behind from the previous situation he'd had to take care of there. Rope and then duct tape on top.

A knotted towel-gag and blindfold.

By morning maybe he'd be willing to say something useful.

[lighteningcount]

Zechs was dozing when Michael got back to the car. He was exhausted and just wanted to curl up and sleep for a week.

This whole few weeks had just been a huge mess. He didn't want to think about things right now.

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael didn't speak, didn't have to. He almost felt evil knowing that Zechs knows what extremes he's going to have to go to in order to get this guy to break.

He slipped behind the wheel and headed back toward the loft silently.

[lighteningcount]

He stirred when they got to the loft. The blonde opened his eyes and then straightened.

"We're already here?"

[luvs_yogurt]

Michael nodded and asked; "You want to go get something to eat? We can walk down to a few places... or I can drop you off and go."

Though he was pretty sure Zechs wouldn't want to be alone again any time soon.

[lighteningcount]

He shook his head. "I don't want to be alone." The blonde whispered, "I don't think I can be alone. I'm... I'm scared."

"But I need to eat. I... I don't remember the last time I did." He'd pushed food around his plate, told Michael he'd eaten if the man had gone out.

[luvs_yogurt]

Unfortunately, Michael understood.

"I won't leave you alone then." He cupped his hand over Zechs', squeezing hard. "I'll call for some takeout and we can go pick it up together, but you have to eat, okay?"

He forced Zechs to look him in the eye before adding; "It's over, we got him - you're safe now."

[lighteningcount]

He nodded. "Thank you." The blonde whispered. Zechs gave him a shaky smile.

He leaned over the console to kiss him gently.

[luvs_yogurt]

When Michael returned the kiss it was tentative, feeling him out as though he might flee at any moment.

"Anything," he whispered, offering a slight smile; "Anything at all."

[lighteningcount]

He settled back in his seat. "Any sort of take-out is fine." He told the older man.

That was his way of saying, 'Yes, I'll be okay. It'll take time, but I will be okay.'