He was laying on the cold metal table. He had given up. He fucked up. He should have seen it. Marisol was too quiet, as he told her about the divorce. She took it as well. The alarm bells should have ringed, as she was fine with him having the kids most of the time. But he was too happy to be together with John. SO he ignored every sing. Also, as Marisol got back in business. He was happy to sell her one of his old base. The same base he was in now. Hold captive, strapped to a table. The lights were dimmed and he was alone. The metal straps around his wrists, holding him down. He sighed and a silent tear run down his face. He heard some steps coming closer to him. He opened his eyes and spotted the silhouette of his ex.
"Ohh, my dear", she said and cupped his face, "Why are you crying? We will be together soon. You remember the little helmet I worked on, before the kids came?"
He sobbed.
"Yes"
"Good. You will be happy to hear that it works now perfectly. It won't cook your brain. You will just forget John and every feeling you ever had for him. You will be mine again", she said, and put the helmet on his head.
Some cords were going to a computer from it. Some more tears rolled down his face. She pressed a kiss on his forehead.
"Don't cry. We will be happy soon", she said and walked to the control desk.
She pressed some buttons. And he heard the machine powering up. He took a deep breath and put John's face in his brain. He loves that man. His man. At least she wouldn't hurt him.
Marisol was stepping closer to the metal table, watching, her soon-to-be again husband. The remote to start it in her hand. Maybe she should have gotten therapy to get over him, but now it was too late.
Or not?
A shadow jumped through the open space from the hallway. It was John with a drawn gun and a masked, smaller man, also with a drawn gun.
"Drop the remote!" said John, pointing his gun at her.
The other man did the same, coming closer. She froze. That man really loved her ex-husband. The masked man moved towards her and took the remote from her, she let it happen. The masked man took her to the other end of the room, holding her there.
John rushed immediately to the control panel and turned the machine off. He opened the cuffs and rushed to his husband.
He heard some metallic click, and he felt his arms being freed. He didn't move. He felt someone removing the helmet. He thought he heard John's voice. But that was impossible. He felt someone bowing over him.
"Hey, honey. Everything's alright. I am here", he heard John saying.
John saying? He opened his eyes. He saw John's loving eyes, and smiled. John pulled him up a bit and they hugged.
"John. You came to save me", he said, and pressed his face in his husband's neck.
"Let's get you home. She won't hurt you anymore", said John, and picked up his husband bride-style.
He laid his arms around John's neck.
"You are going to kill her?" he asked, feeling bad.
"No, Sam is having a talk with her. She's good with it. Let's go! The kids will be home before we, otherwise."
He nodded and let himself carried home.
Back home, John examined him and took care of the few bruises Lukas got. Lukas looked at him and clenched on his husband.
"A question to this, Sam. Is it the Sam?"
"Yes. She owed me a thing"
Back at the lair:
Marisol was sitting and was in shock, the masked man had disappeared the moment her ex and his new husband disappeared as well. She was taken out from her state, by some approaching steps. She looked up. It was the masked man, with a kettle and two cups. The man sat down in front of her, crossing his legs. Put down the kettle and cups and served them tea. He pulled down the mouth cover and took some sips.
"Drink", he said, with a feminine voice.
"You sound like a woman"
"That's because I am one. Have a sip Marisol, it's not poisoned. I promised John to not hurt you. Your kids love you. So, tell me, what did you hope for, with this plan?"
She took a sip of the tea. It was herbal tea. Tasted like her favorite. She sighed.
"I miss him. I want him back. I mean, they obviously love each other, but he can't just go and break everything we had up! Did he ever think about me?"
"What John told me, yes. He couldn't bare it anymore. John was just the las5 drop on a filled glass. He told me that, Lukas meant, every love had gone out, and it was just a routine anymore. He did not want to leave you just for John. Also, that you could find happiness again. I met him once. He is not good with words. But he noticed that you weren't happy anymore"
She gulped.
"He noticed? I thought he didn't. I just want that back"
"What exactly do you want back? Him? Or the routine you to had?"
She was quiet for some time, emptying her cup.
"The routine", she said, barely hearable.
"That's progress. Built a new one, get a therapist, and maybe blow something up. But always think about, what you really want. I will leave now. We won't come back. Remember you have the kids this weekend, maybe bring them a little sorry gift. John loves scotch and Lukas needs some diamonds for a laser, what's so ever. Goodbye, Marisol", she said, stood up and was ready to go.
"Will I see you again?" Marisol asked.
"Points out to what you are planning", she said, and disappeared.
Some time later, in another lair of Marisol:
"Who did they send this time? Another idiot to stop me?", laughed Marisol as she entered the cell.
A woman, mostly just some years younger as her, was standing behind the bars.
"Ohh, they send the secretaries now"
"Don't be so sexist. I am the best", the woman said, blandly.
"When you are the best, why are you down here?"
"'Cause the shit will blow up in no time, and this cell is bomb safe. You should evacuate, if you not already did. I know you ain't stupid and take care of your minions"
She froze for a second.
"Good then that I evacuated. So, you did what to my machine?"
"Scrambled the code. Nothing hard. Won't you go?"
"No. How you said. This part his bomb safe and I wanted to meet the one, who is sabotaging my work since I got rid of the last one a year ago. What is your name?"
"Most just call me Sam, Marisol", Sam said.
Just seconds later, an explosion shook through the building. Hitting both women off their feet. A brick of debris hit the outside wall of the cell.
Sam stood up and looked around. Marisol was trapped under a brick of concrete. Not visible hurt, but trapped. So, much to bomb safe.
"You're hurt?"
"No!"
Sam looked up, the ceiling seemingly becoming unstable. She jumped over some other debris to Marisol. She lifted the brick up a bit and Marisol crawled out of it. She packed Marisol, before she could react, and jumped out with her, into the water.
Marisol looked at her irritated, before the rest of the cell block collapsed. She looked shocked at Sam, who was still holding her.
"You got someone coming for you?" Sam asked.
Marisol didn't react. Sam took her and brought them to a hidden jet ski. She lifted Marisol on it and then herself. She laid Marisol's arms around her waist and Marisol clenched to her.
"Are you going to arrest me now?"
"Naaa. You are way too interesting. I'm just gonna drop you off at the shore"
"Thank you, I guess", said Marisol, and lent on Sam's back.
Shortly later, Sam indeed dropped her off at the shore, where some of her minions were getting ready, for searching her. The moment Sam saw that Marisol was safe, she turned around and disappeared.
They met some more times under similar circumstances. But one was especially remarkable.
Sam was escaping Marisol again, after tempering her plans. She was on her way downwards a mountain on a bike. Marisol and her men right behind her. Sam sat on to jump over a laying tree. And failed. She fell off her bike and down the mountain for someway. Marisol rushed up to where she fell and looked down. Sam's body was laying unmoving at a tree. She climbed down and looked at her. Her leg looked broken and she was unconscious. Marisol screamed for a medic. The medics came and took care of the still unconscious Sam. She ordered them to bring her to the next hospital. They called for a helicopter, and they flew Sam to the next hospital.
As Sam woke up, she was surprised to not be in a cell again and to not see a sign of her agency. But what she saw was a card next to her demolished helmet. She bowed to it, and noticed that under her helmet was her gun and a phone. She took three things. She put the gun under her pillow and opened the card. It wrote:
It would not be interesting enough without you
She put it away and turned on the phone. She called her handler to get out of the situation and brought to a safe house.
Back at the safe house, she went through the phone. No sign of Marisol. Just a blank phone with a sim card.
As Sam got back on her feet, the mood at the agency was complicated. To put it mildly. She got another order to stop Marisol. This time it really looked like a suicide mission. More than normal.
She went either way. And it went to shit. Even worse than her accident with the bike. She was strapped to a metal table. Cuffs on her ankles and wrists. No visible threat. Marisol was walking up to her. She looked more beautiful than normal. Like she would go on a date, after she finished Sam. Sam looked at her, not knowing what to do. She couldn't go back to the agency, they knew about her side hustles now. But escaping, she could, but for what? This wonderful woman, she would never have met again. So, she could die as well.
She got ripped out of her thoughts, by Marisol approaching her. Marisol looked at her strangely. Sam couldn't point it. It was something between sadness and hope.
"A last question before I end this: Were you the one giving me the tea after the thing with my husband?"
"Yes."
Marisol nodded and turned around. A metallic noise broke the silence. The cuffs opened. Sam looked down and stood up.
"Go!" said Marisol.
Sam stood. Ignoring the drawn guns.
"Go! Let her go!"
"No. I don't want to go. I don't have really a place to go anymore. Either you finish me or we talk, what ever this is out", said Sam calmly.
Marisol turned around. A tear running down her face. She came closer to Sam and took her wrists inside her hand. Carefully massaging the wound flesh. She nodded and looked at Sam.
"You are Sam, right?"
"Yes"
"Come with me. I'll take care off it", she said, and moved with sam in her office.
She sat Sam down on couch and got a first aid kit. Sam held still the whole time Marisol bandaged her wrists and then her ankles. She gave her a bottle of water.
"What do you mean, you don't have a place to go anymore?"
"The missions containg you are handeld as suicide missions. And the agency found our abour my side hustles. What do you want?" asked Sam, catching Marisol off guard.
She gupled. She took Sam's hand inside her. She sweaped over the rough hands with her thumbs. Sam had really rouogh hands. Mostly from all the physical stuff she did.
"I want you. Since you sat me down back then. It got clearer from meeting to meeting. You listen. You are gentle. You are pasionate. You do not give up. You respect me", said Marisol.
"I like you too. I would even go so far and say, I fallen in love with you" said Sam and moved forward.
Marisol closed the gap and pressed her lips lightly on Sam's. Sam joined the kiss and it intesified. After they broke it, Sam pulled Marisol next to her on the couch and stared massaging her.
"Relax. I won't go anywhere. I won't turn on you. Relax Marisol, there was enough stress on you. I watched everything. You doing great"
"You know about Krill?"
"Yes. He is not just annoying you"
Marisol turned around and looked at Sam. She hugged Sam and pressed her face in her neck. Sam pet her over her back adn sched her.
"Please, don't go. I can't take another loss. Promise"
"Promise. I won't go. I'll stay with you. You are an amazinig woman, Marisol"
Sam looked down, at the bundle of woman in her arms. She sniffed her hair.
"You hair smells amazing. Like you"
"You smell like shit", snorted Marisol.
"I fought the half night, ran around until your men captured me"
"You need a shower. Come, I'll drive us home. You got some stuff laying around?" asked Marisol and stood up.
"Yeah. I left a bag in your parking lot", said Sam and stood up as well.
"You planned this"
"I hoped for it. You impressed me on our first meeting"
Marisol took her and ant lent out to the parking lot. Sam grapped her back and got placed in the passangers seat of Marisol's car. Marisol sat herself in the driver's seat and drove off. They drove to a small outside town house. Marisol leadiing Sam inside and palcing her on the couch. Sam looked around and took in the living room. It was nice. Marisol was nice. It felt good. Something stroke her legs and she looked down. It was a little kitten. She held out her hand for it to smell it. It let herself pet from her.
As Marisol came back with dinner, she saw Sam petting the little kitten, she found the other day. This woman was wonderfull. She sat herself next to Sam and gave her a plate. They ate in silnece.
Afterwards Marisol set the plates aside and picked up the kitten. The kitten jumped down again and walked away. Both women looked at it smiling.
Marisol laid a hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Let's get you showered", she said and helped Sam up.
She lent her to a big fancy masters bathroom. It had a big bathhub and a giant rain shower. She set out some towels for her and disapeared shortly. She came back with Sam'S bag and set it down. Sam was sill standing there not moving. She turrned around and wanted to got.
"I thought, we would take the shower together?" asked Sam.
Marisol turned around and looked at her reliefed.
"I didn't want to push it", said MArisol and closed the door.
Sam took some steps closeer, putting her hands on Marisol's arms. Marisol lent into the touch. She bent forward and kissed Sam.
"You wanna undress me now?" asked Sam, impatiently.
Marisol snorted and started to remove Sam's jacket then her blouse. She stopped and froze. Sam's upper body was decorated with scars. Some lighter then other. They were old. She traced one of them, which streched from her collar bone down to her hips.
"How?" she asked quiet.
"Some are from accidents, other from torture and some few are medical. Don't worry. they don't hurt anymore. I healed from them", said Sam and strated to undress Marisol.
Against herself, Marisol just had some strech marks. They continued to undress them completly. As both were standing naked infront of each other, Sam put Marisol's hand on the one big scar on her collarbone.
"I fell down a tree as a kid. I barely rember it. I just have the scar left from it"
Marisol just now noticed the tattoo on Sam's hip. It was a cat. Sam took Marisol and wetn under the shower. She put the water on warm and the water started to rain down on them. They showered together. Marisol exploring the scars on her new lovers body. Sam letting it happen. They both dried them self with some big fluffy towels. Marisol, blowing her hair dry and Sam just combed her short hair out. As both were dressed for bed, which meant Marisol wore a silk pj and Sam a worn out shirt and boxers, Sam looked at Marisol asking. Marisol took her hand and moved her to the bedroom.
"You can sleep with me, when you like tonight", she said, and laid herself down on the left side of the bed.
She petted the free spot and Sam climbed into it and under the covers.
"Can I spoon you?" asked Sam.
Instead of an answer, Marisol turned her back on Sam, put Sam's arms around her torso and cuddeled herself on her new lover. Sam smiled and wrapped her legs around Marisol. She pressed her face into Marisol's neck and they driffted of to sleep.
The little kitten came by and laid itself next to it's masters.