Sequel to Good Intentions
Disclaimer: Don’t own them and don’t pretend to. Well sometimes I do but that is entirely besides the point.
Author’s Notes: This is a sequel to Good Intentions which is sort of a sequel to The Informant. Lila also appears in the story Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. (Just in case you were wondering) The game "Undercover Detective" doesn’t exist. I just made it up to further the plot. Thanks to Mog for the Universe and thanks always to Sara but especially for the "that hurts, right here" move. She does it all the time :-)
Ezra Standish moaned when the distinct sound of his alarm permeated his dreamless sleep. He rolled over and smacked the snooze button forcefully. "Just a few more minutes," he muttered as he pulled his down pillow over his head trying to escape the morning sun that was streaming into his window. The alarm continued its incessant ringing only after five more minutes of rest for the undercover agent.
He groaned and buried himself further into his sheets. The evil apparatus kept going off but the tired agent didn’t feel like raising his hand to smack it again. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he had set his alarm for some reason on his day off but he couldn’t quite remember it at the moment. Therefore, he really didn’t care.
He heard the door to his room open and someone walk over to the bedside table on the padded carpet. "Damn it, Ez. If yer not going to get up, then why set the damn thing?" The tired female voice asked him as she turned the alarm off viciously.
He pried open his bloodshot green eyes to look at the young woman who had ceased the aggravating noise. She looked as tired as he felt. He couldn’t blame her. She had gone to bed about the same time and it had been her nightmares that had awoken them both up at some undetermined hour last night.
"Good morning to you, too." He croaked out.
"Whatever. You’re the one that’s getting up. I’m going back to bed." At the remark he fully expected her to go back to the room that she had been occupying for the past few weeks. Instead she crawled into the empty space next to him. She then proceeded to kick him out of bed, literally. Ezra landed on the floor with a thud. The cold air hitting his skin forcing him to semi-consciousness.
"This is the thanks I get," he mumbled his southern drawl thick with sleep.
The only answer he received was a soft snore. She had already drifted back off to sleep, hugging his pillow and curled up on the warm spot he had just left. He smiled. At least she was becoming her old self again.
Now why was he up at this God forsaken hour if he didn’t have to go to work? His stomach rumbled. Oh yes. Food. If the either of them wanted to eat sometime today he would have to go to the grocery store.
Ezra stood and stretched, grimacing when his shoulder made a loud popping noise. He yawned and ran a hand through his hair that was standing up on end. He shot a look back at his bed and scrutinized the figure that lay there. She was definitely looking better but there were still dark circles beneath her eyes.
Every night had been different and yet the same after the incident in the shoe factory. Lila would retire for bed only to be haunted with nightmares. Sometimes, she let loose a scream that would wrench them both from sleep. Other times he could hear her almost hysterical sobbing through the door. At these moments, Ezra would wake the sleeping child, and hold her until she fell back asleep. But even the rare times in which he didn’t have to leave the comfort of his bed and would receive a full night’s sleep, he would wake up in the morning to find her curled at the end of his bed or on the floor beside him.
He had thought that the dreams were lessening their hold on her. That was until last night when a desperate scream tore from her throat. He had shot from the comfort of his bed, trying to disentangle himself from his sheets. Instinct made him grab his gun from inside the night table drawer. Then he sprinted across the hall to her room.
The images from last night unnerved him even now. Lila had her eyes squinted shut, tears streaming from the corners. She was thrashing about in her bed yelling his name. Talking to her and shouting her name didn’t release her from the throes of the dream. He had to physically shake her out of it.
From what he gathered, the dream had changed from its usual appearance. This time, instead of Max Marcum lying dead on the floor of the old shoe factory, it had been someone else. She wouldn’t say who but he guessed from the way she had held onto him with such fierceness that it had been himself.
The undercover agent rubbed his eyes and headed for the shower. Well, right now she was fine and their most immediate need was food. He smiled. He had never gone through so much food in his life. And it wasn’t just because he was now sharing his apartment with a growing teenage girl, it was because his six friends were always over devouring any substance he had in stock.
Ezra didn’t like leaving Lila alone in the apartment. Part of him didn’t want to leave her alone in her current emotional state and the other part of him didn’t want her to run off before she was better. Today, JD would be over while he made the run to the grocery store.
Ezra stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed and somewhat awake. He slipped his flannel pants back on and returned to his room while toweling his hair. From the prominent lump under his comforter he deduced that Lila was still asleep. Well at least one of us is getting much needed rest.
The ATF agent grabbed clean clothes and returned to the bathroom to get dressed. After a few minutes, a knock at his door announced JD. Ezra exited his bathroom dressed casually in khaki pants and a polo shirt and headed to the door.
"Hello, Mr. Dunne."
"Hey, Ez!" JD’s exuberant voice sliced through the silent apartment.
Ezra put a finger to his lips. "Lila is still asleep." JD looked quizzically at Ezra. It was usually Lila who was up before Ez. "Rough night," was the southern response to the younger man’s unspoken question.
JD nodded. He had overheard Ezra talking to Josiah about emotional well being and other things. He had assumed that they had been talking about Lila. She had been pretty shook up over Max Marcum’s death, even though she had just been protecting herself.
JD remembered when he had first killed a man. It wasn’t until he had joined the elite ATF team that he had actually killed someone. It had taken a few weeks for the shock to wear off and even now he still had some dreams about it. Buck had told him that they all did at some time or another and that it was perfectly normal to have such a reaction. But from JD’s vantage point, it was still bound to be hard on both Ez and Lila.
Ezra nodded toward the package in JD’s hand. "New game?"
JD smiled. "Yeah. I figured it would be fun to play."
Ezra shook his head. He didn’t understand their fascination with video games. Sure they were fun for an hour or maybe even two. But the way that JD and Lila played for hours on end, had him baffled. Ezra silently groaned. It must be a sign that he was getting old.
"Please keep the noise to a low roar until she rises from the dead."
"Oh sure, no problem, Ez."
"I should be back within the hour." Ezra stated as he slipped on his jacket and grabbed his wallet and keys from off the coffee table. Ezra was a little wary about leaving Lila with just JD. Usually, it was JD and Buck but the older of the two had been called into work at the last minute. But he trusted JD with his life, and what could happen in one hour? Without a second thought, Ezra walked out the door.
JD plopped down on the leather couch and switched on the TV making sure that he kept the noise down. He pulled the Playstation out of its resting place in the entertainment center. He had lent the game to Ez and Lila. He didn’t mind at all. That just meant he had an excuse to come over to Ez’s apartment. He liked hanging out at the undercover agent’s place.
Ez was a good friend. He treated JD like an equal and not like the ‘kid’ everyone else treated him as. The fact that he even trusted JD to watch over Lila while he was gone was evidence in itself. JD knew that Ez loved Lila like a daughter and was fiercely protective over her. But he always wondered why Ez let her leave and go back to the streets.
He had asked Josiah once. The older man had tried to explain. It had something to do with Ez not having legal rights and Lila not wanting to be a burden. There was other stuff about Lila being on her own for too long and was finding it hard to deal with new friends and people she could trust. It was almost the exact same answer Josiah had given JD when he had asked about why Ez didn’t hang out with them and didn’t ask them for help when he first joined the group.
JD still couldn’t see what the big deal was. Of course they all needed help at some time or another. It was inevitable. And even he had a hard time asking for help, but that’s why you have friends. So they can help you and you can help them. It’s simple. The young agent absently ran a hand through his dark unruly hair and sighed. He’d understand when he was older.
JD pushed the power button on the Playstation and banished the serious thoughts from his head. Now all he was going to concentrate was his new game. He was sure that when Lila woke up, they would be able to defeat the game in a few hours. Besides, he was an ATF agent. How hard could "Undercover Detective" be?
Lila hugged the pillow tightly and tried to snuggle deeper into the comfortable down blanket. She was tired and she wanted to go back to sleep but found it impossible. Damn Standish. Him and that damn alarm. She was usually up before him in the mornings but last night had been rough. She didn’t get much sleep. And she guessed Ezra didn’t get much sleep either. She would have to apologize for kicking him out of the bed this morning.
The
young girl reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock.
She rummaged through the chest of drawers and found her old torn jeans and a well worn sweater. Ez had bought her all new clothes. Actually, he had given one of the secretaries at the office his credit card and told her to go buy clothes that a fourteen year old girl would like. Lila did appreciate it but she still liked her old clothes. He had threatened to burn them but Lila and Ez had eventually reached a compromise. When she was going out she would wear the new clothes but if she just planned to stay inside she was allowed to wear her old ones.
She brushed her long dark hair. Occasionally cursing when she hit a knot. Ez had wanted her to cut it short. She had said no.
Lila left her room and walked down the hall to the living room, her bare feet making no noise on the thick carpet. She saw JD sitting on the couch engrossed in the new game.
"Hey JD."
"Hey Lila," he answered not looking up from the screen.
Lila went into the kitchen and grabbed some orange juice before joining JD on the couch. She sat down beside him and watched him play.
"What’s the game?"
"It’s called Undercover Detective."
"Sounds lame." she answered watching the 3D graphics.
JD shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it does but it’s actually really cool. Your character is an..."
"Let me guess, undercover detective?" Lila noted her voice laced with sarcasm.
JD laughed. "Yeah, you’re right. It does sound lame. But anyway, you run around and collect clues and fight off the henchmen. Then at the end of the level you have to guess where to go to next. If you get it wrong you have to play the level over."
Lila took a sip of her orange juice. "Don’t you do this on a daily basis?"
"Yeah but I don’t get to blow stuff up. Check this out." JD hit a button on the controller and the screen erupted into brilliant hues of orange and red.
"Cool!"
JD smiled. "Grab the other controller. It’s two player. We can both play the level at the same time and help each other out. We can beat it faster that way."
"Sweet!" Lila set her OJ down on the coffee table and picked up the controller. Soon another character popped up on the screen. "Hey can I shoot you?" she asked with humor in her voice.
"Hey!" JD shouted when his character died on the screen. "Fine then, just wait ‘til I come back to life."
"Oh, I’m shaking in my 3D boots."
"You better be! Oh, and you can either shoot your enemies or engage them in hand to hand combat."
"So I can punch you too?"
JD sighed. "You’re worse than Buck."
Lila smiled. "I learned from the best."
"Don’t you mean the worst?"
"That, too."
A few minutes later, Lila and JD were furiously pressing buttons and manipulating their characters on the screen. It had only taken them a few minutes to reach the end of the level. Now they were facing the last few henchmen. JD took a second to push his hair away from his eyes. The action caused his character to get hit by a stray bullet.
"Oh no, I’m dead!" JD cried out.
"Well, rejoin the game!"
"I can’t. Not until this level is done. You’re on your own."
Lila sighed. "Crap! There’s no way I can take all of them."
JD pointed excitedly at the TV. "Watch out behind you. Shoot him!"
"I can’t, I’m out of ammo."
"Watch the guy coming up the stairs."
"Crap!" Lila exclaimed. She turned the 3D persona around and engaged the man coming up the stairs in hand to hand combat. They grappled for a few moments while Lila punched buttons on the control pad. Her character grabbed the other and threw him back down the stairs. The game followed the action and focused in on the dead henchman lying at the bottom of the screen.
Lila watched the thug fall and all of a sudden it wasn’t a game anymore. Visions of the day that she had gotten caught snooping around assaulted her memory. The 3D man turned into Max Marcum. She had killed him again.
"Good job, Lila. You won!" JD turned to face his friend. "Lila?" he asked. She was staring at the screen in shock, her face pale and her hands trembling. JD shifted his gaze back to the TV and realized what was going on. Quickly, he grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.
"Lila?" he asked again and tentatively reached out and touched her arm. At his touch, Lila jumped and dropped the controller.
"What?" she asked harshly as she stood and retreated to the kitchen.
JD rose and followed. "You all right?"
"Fine." She wasn’t about to admit to JD that she had just freaked out. What was her problem? It was just a video game.
"You sure?"
Lila shot him a cool gaze. "You’re almost as bad as Ez."
"I learn from the best." he smiled.
"Don’t you mean the worst?"
"That too."
The two stared at each other for a moment sharing an awkward silence. Lila shifted her gaze to the dirty dishes in the sink. "I really should do these before Ez gets back."
JD shrugged. He wasn’t about to let her change the subject. He could tell that it had shaken her up. He thought back to his own experience. What had helped him? Well, Buck of course. But what else? He remembered having to go back to where it happened to help the clean up crew. That had helped a little. Maybe, it would help Lila.
"Forget them. Let’s go out."
"Where to?" Lila asked suspiciously.
JD shrugged his shoulders again. "Out."
Lila looked around. She had been indoors a lot lately. A little outing won’t hurt. Ez wouldn’t mind. Besides, he’s out. And she would be with JD.
"Let’s go."
The pair grabbed their jackets and Lila slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. Without a second thought, they walked out the door.
Ezra Standish was stuck right in the middle of the worst traffic jam ever. The hour that this excursion was supposed to take and been stretched into two hours and it looked as if it would take even longer. Traffic was at a standstill all because some idiot decided to run a red light. He sighed and relaxed against the leather driver’s seat. It certainly didn’t look like he was going anywhere anytime soon.
Ezra closed his eyes. Maybe, he could catch a little nap. He certainly hadn’t been getting enough sleep since Lila had been staying at his condo. He didn’t blame it on her at all. He blamed it on that damn bust, that insane gunrunner and partly on himself. He could’ve prevented it. He should’ve prevented it. But as Josiah would say, it’s all in the past. He couldn’t change it. He could just try to help.
A honking horn broke him from his reverie. He snapped his eyes open. Amazingly, the traffic had cleared. "That was quick," he muttered. Then he looked at the clock on his radio. "Or not." What he thought was a small catnap had actually been a thirty minute rest. He sighed. As soon as he got home he was heading back to bed.
Ezra knew something was up when he didn’t see JD’s Kawasaki Ninja in the garage. He just didn’t know what. The undercover agent opened the door to his condo while juggling his two bags of groceries. "Lila? JD?" he called as he stepped into the low lit apartment. No answer.
He crossed to the kitchen and set down the paper bags. "Lila? JD?" he called again. Still no answer. Standish searched the kitchen and living room for a note and found none. It was evident the two left in a hurry. The game was still pulled out of the entertainment center and an almost full glass of orange juice still rested on the coffee table. From the way it lay on the coaster, he knew it was Lila’s. She was the only conscientious one of the bunch.
For a moment, fear seized him. God knows what could’ve happened in the two hours he was gone. Ezra’s breath quickened and his palms grew moist as he thought about all the possible scenarios. Kidnapped by old enemies? A serious injury? Did Lila run? He forced himself to be calm. There was a reasonable explanation. Maybe they went to Buck and JD’s, or they could’ve gotten hungry and decided not to wait on him. They could’ve gone out to play basketball or to roller blade. It was himself, in fact, that insisted they not play in the condo. Yes, they were fine. But to be on the safe side, he’d call Buck.
Ezra swiftly walked to the bedroom and picked up the cordless phone. Buck’s number was on speed dial so it only took half a second for the phone to start ringing. After four rings, Buck’s voice mail picked up. Damn! He wasn’t at his desk.
Ezra hit the next memory button on the phone.
"Nathan Jackson."
"Nathan." Ezra started, not worrying about pleasantries. The ex-medic’s ears perked up by the sound of the southern voice and the use of his given name.
"Yeah Ezra?"
"Have you seen JD and Lila?"
A pause. "No, are they missing?"
"Well, I wouldn’t be calling if they were here." Ezra spat. "I mean, yes." He amended.
"Ok, Ez. Calm down." Nathan tried to calm the agitated southerner. "Buck just left. Call his place. They are probably there."
Ezra nodded. Yes, that’s where they were. "Thanks Nathan. If you see those two, tell them to call me."
Nathan smiled. "Should I tell them that they’re in deep shit?"
Ezra half-heartedly smiled. "Don’t warn them."
The green-eyed gambler turned off the phone and began pacing around his apartment. Again, he tried to calm himself. They were just out. Nothing is wrong. Nothing. He sighed.
Since when did he even care about anyone beside himself? Since when did he care about a naive young agent and a smartass street girl? Surely, he hadn’t changed this much. He knew he had changed. That was evident. He had friends that he cared for and cared for him. But when did friendship change into something deeper?
He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. He had been worried before. Worried for his job, worried about a poker game. But this, this was soul wrenching. It was on the same level as worrying about one of his comrades in the hospital. He hated this feeling.
Quickly, he dialed the ‘trash bin.’
"Hello?"
"Buck!"
The mustached agent knew something was up when the southerner used his first name. "Something wrong, Ez?"
"Yes and no. Are our two favorite miscreants over there?
"You mean JD and Lila? No, they’re not here. What they’re not there?" Buck asked his voice laced with worry.
Ezra pitied the man. He must go through this alarmed state all the time. "No, they are not here and they are not at the office."
Buck took a deep breath. "They’re probably out horsing around. Give them an hour or two. If they’re not back. Give me a call."
"I will notify you if they do appear before the allotted time."
"OK Ez. If I see them then I’ll tell them to call you."
"Thanks."
"Bye."
Ezra hung up the phone. Buck was right. He was, as Lila would say, freaking out for nothing. He returned to the kitchen to finish putting the groceries away.
Lila pulled off her helmet, jumped off the bike and gazed at the old, filthy building. A lump appeared in her throat and fear began to take control. She felt her muscles tense and her breath quickened. She shoved it away. This was not the time to freak out. It was just the building. But JD better have a damn good explanation.
"What the hell are we doing here?" She asked trying to keep the waver out of her voice.
JD pulled off his helmet and dismounted from the bike. "Well, I thought it would help."
"Help?" she squeaked. "This is the last place I want to be."
JD ran his fingers through his hair. He sort of knew he would get this reaction. "Look, when I killed someone..."
"I didn’t kill him! Ez said it was a freak accident!"
"I mean..that’s not what I meant.." JD shut his mouth before he dug himself further into the hole. He took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. "It helped me to go back to where it happened."
"First off, I don’t need help. Yours or anyone else’s. And second, I don’t want to be here."
JD approached the distraught teenager and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lila, trust me. All right?"
Lila relaxed. "For a few minutes."
JD smiled reassuringly. He put his arm around her shoulders in a brotherly hug. "Come on." Without a second thought, the two entered the building.
Lila stepped into the building and instantly sneezed. It was still as dusty as it had been a few weeks ago. She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her shirt. The two walked around aimlessly for a few moments. Both occasionally sneezing. They passed a dried blood stain. JD watched Lila’s expression. She seemed unfazed by it. Taking that as a good sign he gently guided her toward the staircase. He could feel her tense but gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze.
Lila looked at the floor. It looked like a perfectly normal factory floor. But Lila could see the outline of Max Marcum’s body in the dust. All of a sudden, the outline became flesh. He was there, staring at her through dead eyes. She could still hear the gunfire, the yells of the ATF team, and the audible snap of his neck. She could still taste the blood that collected in the back of her throat and smell of her sweat mingled with that of Max’s as they tumbled down the stairs. No, it wasn’t real. It was over. It had been over for weeks. Lila gulped several times and took a step back.
JD had been watching her but her face was impassive. She had picked up Ez’s habit of concealing everything. So, he was totally caught off guard when she turned and ran.
She ran. It was the only thing she could do. But no matter how fast she went, how hard she pumped her legs, they were still there. The memories followed. Why couldn’t they leave her alone? Why? She shut her eyes tight but it still didn’t help. And she still ran.
She could hear someone behind her, yelling her name. Oh God, they’re after her. Run! She tripped once over an old box, landing hard on her hands and knees. She panted for air. But she could still hear them behind her. Run! She picked herself up off the floor, not minding the blood on her scratched palms. She took off again, still keeping her eyes closed. Not caring where she was going, only of how fast she could get there.
She heard the person behind her shout out a warning. Lila snapped her eyes open and saw that there was no floor in front of her. Desperately, she tried to stop but her momentum pushed her forward. She went over the edge and fell.
JD ran after the fleeing figure. He shouted her name but it only seemed to spur her on. JD always thought that he could run fast. He could do a mile in under seven minutes but he couldn’t keep up with the fear that was driving the young girl. There was no way he could catch her. But he ran.
What was he thinking? Well, he thought he could help. He should’ve just left it alone. But nothing that Ezra did seemed to help. He had to help. She was his friend. He watched her fall over the empty box. If anything happened to her, Ez was going to kill him.
Fear gripped him when he saw the storage chamber. It was something left over from the factory’s glory days. A small basement built into the floor for storage. That’s where the smugglers must have been keeping the guns. Whoever removed the boxes forgot to put its cover back in place. And Lila was heading right for it.
"Lila! Watch out!"
He saw her try to stop at the last minute but her momentum pushed her over. She fell in and disappeared from his sight.
JD screamed her name as he rushed to the edge. He peered into the black pit. His gut wrenched when he saw her lying on the bottom of the pit, on her side, unmoving. Her long hair covered her face. "Lila!"
JD looked for a way down without killing himself. It was around a 12 foot drop. He could jump but couldn’t risk himself getting hurt. And once in, there was no way out. His eyes spied an old ladder leading into the chamber. It was old, decayed and rickety. But it was better than nothing.
He scrambled over to it and began his descent. The wood creaked and groaned under his weight. JD gulped. That wasn’t a good sign. He stepped on the next rung of the ladder. It gave underneath him. That was the only signal the rest of the ladder needed. It crumbled sending JD to the floor.
He managed to land on his feet. Pain flared in his right ankle but he ignored it for the moment. All he cared about was the crumpled figure on the floor. He made it to her side, afraid to touch her. Nathan had once said to never move someone with a possible neck injury. "Lila?" he asked softly, gentling touching her shoulder. She moved and groaned. "Lila?"
The teenage girl rolled onto her back. She pushed her hair away from her face and touched the gash that ran from her eyebrow to her temple. She felt the stickiness there and the forming lump. She tried to sit up but the dizziness forced her back down.
"You all right?" JD asked. He knew that she had a concussion and he could see the blood flowing down the side of her face. He just wanted to know if she had hurt anything else.
"Well, let me see, I just freaked out, ran, fell into a pit in the middle of the floor. Yeah, I’m fine." she answered back her voice infused with sarcasm. She winced. Even her own voice hurt her head.
"At least you’re fine enough to be sarcastic." He answered.
"Sorry. Are you alright?"
JD shrugged and turned his attention to his ankle. He could feel it swelling and it hurt to move. "I’ve sprained my ankle."
Lila sighed. "Great." She forced herself into a sitting position and leaned against the wall. She looked around the small basement they had fallen into. The only way out had been the ladder but it was now in pieces on the floor. There was also a small crate in the corner. "We’re not getting out of here anytime soon." she sighed. "No one knows where we are. And I’m guessing you don’t have a phone on you?"
JD met her blue gaze. "Sorry."
"Not your fault." She smiled at JD and winked. "Ez is going to kill us."
Ezra Standish sat staring at the wall clock. Two hours. Two hours had passed since he had called Buck. The usually unshakeable undercover agent had spent those two hours watching the clock. He had done other things. Such as unpacking the groceries and doing the dirty dishes in the sink. But that had only taken twenty minutes at most. The other time had been spent watching the second hand.
He didn’t know how to feel. Of course, he was worried. But the reasonable part of him kept reminding him that JD was a grown man capable of taking care of himself and that Lila had always been self reliant. Unfortunately, that part of his consciousness was being muffled by the part that was screaming with heart straining apprehension.
And when he did find those two scoundrels he wouldn’t know whether to be relieved or angry. Yes, part of him was furious. What gave them the right to do this to him? To play with his feelings so recklessly? It had taken him years to let himself to feel again, and they do this? Well, when they show up, he would make sure they were both fine, then he would be stern. Lila would be grounded and JD would not be allowed to visit for a week. Yes, that is exactly what he would do. When they showed up.
A
knock at his door caused the or
"So, they’re still not back."
Ezra blinked then sheepishly turned and headed back into his condo. Buck followed and looked around the apartment. "Geez, Ez. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place look so¼ lived in."
Ezra looked around. It was true. Until recently his apartment had been decorated with packed boxes and nothing else. Now, the boxes were collapsed and stored away in his closet. They were still there just in case he had to make a quick escape, a safety net of sorts. But long ago, he realized that he wouldn’t need them ever again. A few pictures adorned the walls, mostly of Ezra and the other six men, and a few of him and Lila.
"Well, Mr. Wilmington, with the constant visits of yourself and the others and the now temporary residence of one teenage female, I’m actually quite pleased with the state that my condominium has managed to retain."
Buck rolled his eyes. "You know you like it."
Ezra smiled genuinely for the first time that day. "Don’t know how I managed to survive without it."
The youngest agent on the team rested up against the wall of the storage chamber. He tried not to think of the throbbing in his ankle or of the hopeless situation or of the tongue lashing he was going to receive. Instead, he concentrated on the figure that was sitting next to him.
Lila leaned into JD, resting her head on his shoulder. She fought gamely to keep her eyes open but in the end they fluttered closed. JD shook her hard and they snapped back open.
"Come on, Lila. Stay awake." He admonished. Nathan always told him to never let someone with a concussion fall asleep.
"I’m awake." she said drowsily.
"Yeah and I’m the Prince of England." he retorted.
"Nice to meet you, your highness."
JD laughed softly. "At least hitting your head didn’t hurt your sense of humor." No response. He shook her again.
"What? Leave me alone. I’m tired."
"No." JD sighed. Keeping her awake was harder than he thought. He’d just have to keep her talking. "So...What do you want to do when you get older?"
"Sleep." She leaned heavily into JD. He shifted underneath of her, trying to keep both of them comfortable.
"No, really. Do you want to do undercover work like Ez?"
She didn’t answer for a moment and JD was almost scared she had fallen asleep again. But she was only contemplating her answer. "No."
"Why not?"
"Aren’t you mister twenty questions." she snapped at him. "You think that just because Ez and I are friends that I want to be exactly like him. Well, news flash. I can’t be like him. I’ve already proved that."
JD blinked. Where had that come from? "What do you mean?"
Lila put a hand to head trying to stop the marching band that was parading around up there. "I screwed up, JD. Not only could I have gotten Ezra killed but Buck too or any of the others. And then, I take a man’s life to get myself out of that situation. I screwed up, big time. There is no way I could ever be like Ezra, or any of you for that matter." She sighed dejectedly. "I don’t know why Ez even keeps me around."
JD took all the information in. So that was the problem. "Everyone makes mistakes. I mean, look at me. I’ve screwed up. But it’s ok. Just because you mess up doesn’t mean that you’re useless. And I know that dealing with death is hard. Especially if you’re the cause. But you’ll get on with it. I did. Sure, I think about it every now and then but I had to do it. You had to do it. Believe me, we would rather have you around than Max Marcum. I know that you’ve been having nightmares. They’ll go away. You just have to realize that you did what you had to. Ok. Lila?"
When a response wasn’t immediately forthcoming, JD turned and looked at the young girl. Her eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep. He shook her again but she didn’t awaken. He sighed and rested his head against the wall. Great.
Ezra
watched the minute hand on the clock move to the six. "That’s it. It’s
Buck put his hand on Ezra’s shoulder. "You know damn well that you can’t file a missing person’s report until 24 hours have past."
"Fine then. I’m calling the office." Ezra began to pace as he dialed Larabee’s number.
Buck threw up his hands. Of course he was worried but JD was a man. He knew how to take care of himself. And Lila had proved that she wasn’t the average fourteen year old. However, he couldn’t get rid of the sinking feeling he had in his stomach as each hour passed. Buck watched as the undercover agent paced.
Suddenly, Ezra threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall and shattered. Buck shot the undercover agent a look.
"What did that phone ever do to you?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "No one was picking up."
A knock at the door caused both men to jump. Buck opened the door and was greeted by his four friends. "Well, we know why no one picked up the phone."
The four men entered and cast a glance at the pacing distraught agent. "They not back?" Chris asked.
"Unless they’ve drunk a magic concoction that has rendered them invisible, then no."
The other agents exchanged a glance. "He been like this all day?" Nathan whispered to Buck.
The mustached agent grinned. "You should’ve seen what he did to the phone."
Vin ambled over to his friend. "Ez. They’re probably just out having fun. It’s what kids do." he said with a grin. Ezra shot him a look that resembled on of Larabee’s stares. Vin visibly flinched. "If looks could kill."
"Ez think rationally."
"I am past rational, Josiah. All rationale left three hours ago."
"No shit," Buck quipped.
Ezra ignored him and continued pacing.
"What I was trying to say," Josiah continued, throwing a perturbed glance to Buck, "is that Lila has been cooped up for a while. She’s probably out, having a good time with JD. And we’ve already called the hospitals and there have been no motorcycle related injuries today."
"Yeah, Ez. Calm down. They’ll be here. Besides, you’re wearing out the rug and you’re making Buck dizzy." Chris added.
Ezra stopped walking the imaginary line he had drawn. He sighed and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "You’re right. They’re fine."
"Oh, he listens to you." Buck remarked.
"That’s because he knows that we aren’t full of shit." Chris shot his friend a wicked smile.
Ezra took comfort in his friend’s bantering and collapsed wearily on the couch. He absently reached for the remote and pressed the power button. The TV flickered to life and all conversations ceased. The only sound was Ezra’s whispered "Oh dear God."
The game had been left on and the six men were greeted with the site of a dead 3D figure lying at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Everyone held their breath as the implications hit them like a cold wave.
"You were saying gentlemen." Ezra’s voice was cold and emotionless.
"This could be totally unrelated, Ez." Nathan’s voice sounded hollow to his own ears.
Buck closed his eyes and groaned. "Oh shit. I know where they are. Or where they went."
Ezra’s head snapped around and stared at Buck. His green eyes boring into the other agent. "Where?" he asked with a very pronounced southern accent.
Buck squirmed underneath his gaze. "When JD had trouble dealing with killing a man, well, it helped him to go back to where it happened."
Ezra’s eyes widened in horror and disbelief. "He wouldn’t." He caught Buck’s eyes. "He would."
In a flash, all six men had donned their jackets and running out the door.
Lila balanced precariously on the old crate that had been left in the storage chamber. She stood on tip-toes and reached for a piece of the rickety ladder that was still hanging on to the side of the wall. Her fingers barely brushed it. If only she could get a little higher.
JD still sat against the wall and watched the young girl with a mixture of awe and uneasiness. She had woken up a few minutes ago more revived than he had ever seen her. For some reason, she was a bundle of energy. And now she was determined to get them out of there.
"Lila, the last thing you need is another concussion. Please, get down."
"I can almost reach it JD. If I could get a little higher." She reached again. The crate beneath her jostled and JD sucked in a breath. She reluctantly gave up and stepped off the wooden box. "JD, if you gave me a boost then..."
"No."
Lila gave him a quizzical look. "Why not? It will get us out."
"I don’t need you getting hurt."
"Like I’m going to get hurt."
"Well you have a nice gash on your head now."
"That’s nothing."
JD hobbled to his feet. "Lila, I mean it. Sit down."
She sent him an exasperated look. "Who died and made you Hitler." JD threw up his hands in an imitation of Nathan. "Look just give me a boost and we can get out of here."
They were stopped from the foolhardy venture when they heard voices. Very distinct voices in the factory. JD shot Lila a grin. They were found.
They heard rapid footsteps approaching the storage chamber. They both listened for a moment then Lila turned to JD. "Ten bucks says Buck is the first to look in here."
JD thought. "I’ll take that bet. And it’s going to be Ez."
The two youngsters shook hands and waited. It was Chris who first appeared above them and looked into the pit. "You two all right."
"For now," Lila answered. "Mr. Larabee, could you do me a favor?"
Chris raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"Order Ez and Buck to not freak out."
Chris smiled. "I’ll see what I can do." He then straightened from where he had been kneeling on the floor. "Found them!" he yelled to the others.
The five other men came running. Before Buck and Ezra could reach the scene, Chris stopped them both. "I have been requested to order you to not freak out."
Ezra’s eyes widened and Buck frowned. "What’s happened?" They asked in unison.
Chris shook his head. "Don’t rightly know. But from the looks of it, they’re both just banged up a bit."
Ezra and Buck exchanged glances then brushed past their leader. Vin, Nathan and Josiah were already staring down into the storage chamber figuring out a way to get the two scoundrels out.
Ezra watched as Lila flung JD’s arm around her shoulders. JD was trying to keep weight off his right ankle. "How on earth did you two get down there?"
Lila looked up and Ezra gasped audibly at the amount of dried blood on her face. She smiled. "We were exploring. Actually, I was exploring. JD just followed me. The ladder sort of broke and we couldn’t get back out."
JD sent Lila a look. She just told a bold face lie to the one person that could spot a falsehood a mile away. And she was taking the blame.
"Who’s idea was it to come out here in the first place? Without leaving me a note? Or waiting for me to come back?"
Lila squinted her eyes. Her headache had come back with a vengeance. "Can’t the interrogation wait til we get out, at least?"
"Don’t get smart with me, young lady."
"It was my idea." JD fessed up.
"You?!?" Ezra’s voice cracked with anger.
"Geez, JD. I thought I was the only one that could make that vein in his forehead pop out. Good job. I’m impressed."
Both JD and Lila chuckled. It seemed to enrage the undercover agent more. "This is no laughing matter. That’s it! I’m coming down there!" Josiah came up behind Ezra and laid a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Calm down Ezra. Let’s get them out, then you can yell at them all you want."
Lila imperceptibly moved closer to JD and hid part of her body behind his. "Ok, I knew he would be a little upset, but not like this." she whispered.
"Just wait til Buck gets a hold of us."
Lila closed her eyes and moaned. Her headache just got worse. "On second thought JD, this wasn’t the best idea in the world."
"Tell me about it."
A few moments later a rope was thrown down. "You think ya’ll can climb out?" Vin asked in his slow Texan drawl.
Lila looked at JD. "You think you can?"
"Yeah."
Lila swept her hand out to the rope. "Well, then, after you."
"Oh, thanks. Let me go first so I can get my head bit off."
She smiled sweetly. "Actually, I was going to stay down here and make sure you don’t fall."
"Uh huh, right." JD grabbed the rope and slowly began to ascend. Soon, several hands reached down and grabbed handfuls of his shirt and hauled him up onto the floor.
"All right, Lila, your turn." Vin called down.
"I think I’ll just stay down here and avoid the wrath of one..."
The harsh southern accent cut through her weak excuse. "Lila, up here. Now!"
"Must you yell?" She bit back as she scurried up the rope. As she neared the top of the rope, hands reached down and grabbed her forearms. Josiah and Vin pulled her the rest of the way out.
Once out of the storage chamber, she took a look around. JD was already sitting on the floor with Nathan examining his ankle. Buck was silently hovering over him. His face was set with a frown and his arms were crossed. Lila shivered. He looked mad. Ezra was standing beside Buck in an all too familiar pose. His arms were crossed, like Buck’s and he was putting more weight on one leg than the other. He was also watching as Nathan diagnosed the youngest agent. Her vision wavered for a moment and she ran a hand over her eyes wincing when she made contact with the bruise.
"You alright?" Josiah asked.
"When? Before or after Ezra kills me?"
The big agent chuckled. Lila managed a half-hearted smile. At the sound, Ezra lifted his head. His green eyes met her blues ones and he noticeably softened.
"It’s just a minor sprain, JD. Just keep off of it for a while."
JD nodded his head. Nathan looked up and spied Lila backing away from the group. "Oh, no you don’t. Let me look at that cut."
Lila begrudgingly walked over to Nathan and let him examine the gash. He also checked her pupils. "Well, it’s too late for stitches. You’re going to have to settle with a bandage. You also have a minor concussion. Nothing serious but if your vision wavers or you get dizzy, let me know."
"Now that we have established that our two rascals are both fine, I think we all deserve an explanation."
Lila looked down at the floor and shuffled her feet. Then she looked up and caught JD’s hazel gaze. "Well, we were bored. So I suggested we go out. We ended up exploring. I went in first. JD followed and the ladder gave out causing JD to twist his ankle. I got my nice bump from trying to stand on that crate down there and reach out. I fell."
Ezra gave Lila a hard look. "That’s a nice story but I think you owe us the truth."
"We saw the video game," Buck added.
JD sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "She’s just covering for me. It was my idea to come out here. I thought I could help."
Ezra turned his gaze from the teenager to the agent sitting on the floor. "Help? HELP? The only thing you have succeeded in helping is my early departure due to high blood pressure and heart problems. First off, I have told you that I do not want Lila riding around on that two wheeled monstrosity that you like to refer to as a vehicle. What if something had happened to the both of you? I had no clue where you were or if you were hurt. Do you know what that feels like?" JD opened his mouth to respond but Ezra continued. "The next time you decide to ‘help’ why don’t you just leave it to the grown ups."
That was it for Buck. He stepped in between the irate agent and JD. "Whoa there, Ezra. Now you just hang on for one dang burned minute. He was just trying to help her out. No reason to go off on him like that."
Ezra wasn’t one to pick fights with men that were twice his size, but today he would make an exception. "No reason? I have been out of my mind with worry over these two for the past," Ezra dramatically pulled up his sleeve and looked at his watch, "six hours now."
"I have too Ez. But you don’t see me laying into Lila."
"Lila is not the one at fault here."
"Not the one at fault? She’s the one that led JD down in that whole in the ground. She’s the reason he’s hurt."
"Excuse me? Can I interject here?" Lila asked tentatively.
"No!" Ezra and Buck shouted in unison. Lila took a step back from the sound and put a hand to her head, hoping to quell the headache. She looked around at the other four men who were watching with amused smiles. They weren’t going to break up the verbal fight unless it became physical. They had decided that both men needed to relieve some tension.
"Well, they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the brilliance of your protégé!"
"JD wouldn’t have ever thought of the idea if that little no account street kid didn’t screw up in the first place and meddle around where she didn’t belong! Sometimes, I wonder how a stuck up priss like you can put up with the little pain in the..."
Buck stopped when he saw the shattered look on Lila’s face. As soon as it was there, it was gone and was replaced with a poker face.
Lila took a few determined steps forward and looked the taller man right in the eye. "A what?" she countered. "A pain in the ass. Go ahead and say it, Buck. It’s not like I haven’t heard it before."
"No, Lila. That’s not what I meant..."
"Yeah it is! Geez, Lila you’re such a pain in the ass! No wonder you’re parents gave you up. Wow, Lila you’ve fucked up again. Why can’t you be like our real kids, Lila? Maybe a few days in a locked closet will straighten you out. Oh and my personal favorite. Pack your things. You’re going back! I’ve heard it from everyone, Buck! I don’t need it from you too! And I sure as hell don’t need to stay around somewhere I’m not wanted!" She turned away from the astonished Buck and looked at Ezra, trying desperately to keep the world from spinning. "I’m sorry, Ez. I really am sorry for making you worry. So I’ll just leave and it will solve everyone’s problems."
Lila took a few steps toward the door. Her headache had grown exponentially since she raised her voice and her vision began to waver. She lifted a hand to her head and muttered an ‘aw hell’ before her legs crumbled.
Ezra caught her before she hit the ground and laid her gently onto the floor. Nathan was by her side in a split second.
"What happened to minor concussion?" Ezra shot at the ex-medic.
Nathan ignored the southerner until he was done checking her out. "Well all that yelling certainly didn’t help. I don’t know what has gotten into everyone but there better be some apologies to this girl when she comes to. I think the best thing would be to take her back to Ezra’s and let her rest." Nathan turned his attention from Buck and Ezra to Josiah. "Josiah, there are some smelling salts in the first aide kit in my car."
"On my way."
A few minutes later Josiah returned. Nathan waved the salts underneath Lila’s nose. She inhaled once and her eyes immediately fluttered open.
She rolled onto her side and coughed. "What the hell happened?"
"You passed out."
"That explains why I’m on the floor."
Nathan and Ezra lifted the young woman to her feet. She leaned heavily into Ezra. "Come on, let’s get you home."
The ride back to the townhouse was filled with awkward silence. Ezra just concentrated on driving while Lila concentrated on trying not to fidget. Ezra kept shooting glances at her and she tried to ignore the concerned green gaze. Finally the silence became too much for either of them. Ezra leaned over and switched on the radio.
Lila shot him an annoyed glance. Her head still hurt and she didn’t need to be listening to what Ezra considered music. Not that it was bad all the time. But he had strange tastes. Sometimes it was Jimmy Buffett and other times it was Beethoven and still other times it was 80's music. This particular time it was the 80's. She leaned over and switched the radio off.
Ezra didn’t take his eyes off the road but could picture the self satisfied smirk she wore as she settled back down into the black leather seat. Like hell she would get away with it today. He reached down and turned the radio back on.
Oh no, she was not going to listen to bad 80's music while she had a headache. She turned it off.
Ezra took a left and looked into his rear view mirror. The familiar cars of his teammates did not follow. They were giving them space. Good. He reached down and flipped the radio back on.
Lila turned it off. Ezra reached down and turned it back on. The game kept going until finally the inevitable happened.
"Will you cut it out?"
"You! I have a headache."
"You think I don’t? I’ve had a trying day!"
"You’ve had a trying day?!? I’ve spent most of mine in a hole in the floor."
"And I’ve spent most of mine worrying about you!"
"Oh get over it!"
Ezra sighed. "It’s my car."
"You always have to pull that card."
"It’s my ace in the hole." Ezra grinned.
Lila laughed. "Dork."
Ezra put a hand to his chest and put on a face of mock hurt. "Dork? I am a dork? That hurts. Right here Lila."
"Well if you keep hitting yourself, it’s going to hurt."
The two laughed for a minute and Lila reached over intent on turning the radio on. Ezra caught her slender hand and squeezed.
"I care for you, Lila. I just didn’t want you to be hurt. I didn’t mean to yell at you but I felt so helpless. I was scared."
Lila’s mouth fell open at the undercover agent’s revelation. He never really told his feelings. Of course, she could always guess at them. She knew how to read him, somewhat. Lila squeezed his hand back. "Now you know how I feel when you go out and have to bust some crazed gun runners."
Ezra chuckled. "They’re not always crazed." Lila arched a black eyebrow. "Ok, fine. So most of them are less than stable."
"Less than stable?" she squeaked.
"Fine. They are a few beers short of a six pack as Mr. Wilmington would say."
Instead of laughter he was met with silence. Oh shit! Brilliant move Standish, mention the one person that she really doesn’t want to talk about.
Lila managed a short laugh after the long pause. She didn’t want Ez to think anything was wrong but she knew that he already had figured it out.
"He didn’t mean it."
"They never do."
Ezra sighed as he turned into his home’s garage. He turned the engine off and turned in the seat to look at the hurt young woman. He reached out and placed a finger underneath her chin to raise her head. He looked into her eyes. "He didn’t mean it." He reiterated.
"Like I said, Ez. They never do."
She grabbed his keys that were dangling out of the ignition, got out of the car and walked to Ezra’s door, letting herself in. Ezra hung his head and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Damn Buck!
His head snapped up when he heard the honk of a horn. Buck’s beat up truck pulled in beside the Jag. "Speak of the devil," he murmured as Buck got out of the truck and made his way over to Ezra’s car door. The undercover got out of the car and leaned up against it.
"Hey, Ez." Buck said. He looked in the car to see if his favorite hellion was still there. He gave the undercover agent a quizzical look. "She inside?"
Ezra nodded. "She is Mr. Wilmington."
"Do you mind if I go talk to her?"
"Not at all." Buck nodded and turned away from his friend to go inside. "Oh Mr. Wilmington." Buck turned around to face Ezra but instead was met with a fist. The blow was hard and quick. But Buck was half expecting it.
He tasted a trickle of blood from his lip. "I guess I deserved that. Feel better now, Ez?"
"Much."
Buck put an arm brotherly around the smaller agent and the walked to the door. "You know, I should get to hit you because you yelled at JD."
"How about an apology?"
"Sure, he’ll be over with the others in an hour or so anyway."
"Wonderful."
"Oh you know you like it."
"Don’t know how I lived without it."
The two men entered the apartment. Ezra immediately noticed that the playstation had been turned off and put away. The glass of orange juice was off the coffee table and the now sitting in the sink.
"Lila?" he called.
"In the bathroom doing what Nathan told me to." She answered. Ezra nodded. Nathan had told her as soon as she got back to clean out her cut and bandage it. She walked out of the bathroom and froze when she saw Buck was with Ezra.
Buck took a step forward. "Lila, I’m..."
"No need." She said then turned and walked back down the hallway toward the guest room.
Buck shook his head and looked at Ezra. "Like talking to a brick wall."
"Or Mr. Larabee."
Buck snorted and followed her down the hall. Ezra stayed behind and prepared for his imminent guests.
Buck rapped lightly on the open door.
"What
do you want
"To say I’m sorry."
"Ya already did."
Buck stood in the doorway and leaned up against the trim. "Alright, I’ll do it again. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I was worried about you."
"You mean JD." She said as she rolled over and propped herself up on an elbow.
"No, I meant you. I was worried when Ez couldn’t find you. I was worried when I saw you take that swan dive down those stairs. I was worried when you disappeared on us for a while. And when you and Angie called from that warehouse." He sat down on the bed next to her and put a hand on her knee. "Ez ain’t the only one who cares about ya. Hell, you’re the closest thing JD and I have to a little sister. Don’t want nothing to happen to ya."
Lila watched him. Looking for any sign of deception. But much to her surprise. He was sincere. "Didn’t mean to worry ya Buck."
He smiled. "Oh you know Ol’ Buck. I’m over it now that you’re found. Ez, on the other hand, whew, you should’ve seen him."
A grin lit up Lila’s face. "Was he really that bad?"
"Horrible. Didn’t know which way was up. I swear, he was a nervous wreck."
Lila laughed. "He is such a weirdo."
Ezra walked into the room. "Oh so first I’m a dork and now I’m a weirdo."
"And you listen to 80's music!"
"And you’re ugly and your momma dresses you funny," Buck added.
Lila laughed uproariously. Ezra just threw up his hands. He left the room when he heard a knock at the door. Lila shot Buck a look. "The others?"
He shrugged. "Any excuse for a party."
A few hours later, Ezra’s apartment was a mess and Vin, Chris, Josiah and Nathan were saying their goodbyes. Everyone had done their rounds of apologizing. JD stood up to leave but Lila caught his arm and pulled him off to the side.
"What’s up Lila?"
Lila looked around before meeting his hazel eyes. "Thanks JD."
He smiled. "Well, call me in the morning. Let me know."
"Of course."
JD pulled her into a hug and she hugged him back.
"Come on JD! Let’s go!" Buck hollered from across the room.
JD let go of the young girl. "Alright Buck geez."
Ezra wrapped an arm around Lila as they watched the two ‘brothers’ leave. He looked at her and could see how tired she was. "We’ll clean up in the morning." She nodded and turned and gave Ezra a fierce hug. He returned it. "Come on," he gently guided her to her room.
The
sunlight streamed into the window. Lila groggily forced herself awake and
looked at the clock.
She went into the living room and saw Ezra bent over the stove. She smiled. "Morning, Ez."
"Morning," he drawled as he tried not to burn himself.
Her smile widened and she stretched. "Hey Ez?"
"Hmm mmm?"
"What happened to the phone?"
The End