Leather And Lace Part 4

"After the visitor you almost had the other night, I'd say it was a distinct possibility." Raven misinterpreted the expression on Kris' face. "I won't...we won't let anything happen to you or your family." She knelt down in front of her companion.

"No, it's not that. Did you stop him from breaking in?" At Raven's nod, she continued. "You seem to be making a habit of saving me. I would have walked into my room and he would have been waiting there for me. I guess I thought he was after doc.u.ments or something like that, I never thought that he might be after one of us." She placed her palm against Raven's cheek and gently caressed.

Raven felt a tingling sensation spreading through her body. She leaned into the warm, smooth skin of the person that seemed to tame the wild, dark energy that flowed through her veins. She tilted her head and kissed Kris' wrist. At the slight moan, voiced from her companion, she used her tongue to lightly stroke the rapidly beating pulse point.

Kris moaned when lips captured her wrist. She moved her free hand to the bowed head and ran her fingers through the midnight tresses. "I, uh, never knew that, oh my, that my wrist could, um, be so sensual." She was breathing hard.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Oh for the love of Zeus, I'm gonna kill who ever that is." Raven mumbled as she headed for the unsuspecting person. She waited until Kris had entered the bathroom before she opened her door. "What?" She barked out.

"Well, I love you, too." John said as he walked into the room. "I finally got the info about the party. And next time you, my friend can talk to that woman. She hates me or maybe it's just that she hates all men, I'm not sure." He stopped when he saw a blonde head poking from around the bathroom doorframe. "h.e.l.lo, Kris, isn't it?"

"Yes and you must be John, nice to meet you." She said as the rest of her body entered the room. "Ah, should I leave?" She directed the question to Raven.

"Nah, you'd wheedle it out of me later anyway." She grinned at her companion then turned a more serious expression towards her Lieutenant. "So, do we rain on their parade or what?"

"Oh yeah, I think I see storm clouds gathering." He shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say, I'm a metaphoric kinda guy." He grinned sheepishly at Kris before regaining his composure and turning back towards his Captain. "Taking into account the caterers, waitpersons and drivers, there would be about fifty or so people that we haven't cleared, in and out of here this afternoon and tonight if we don't." He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back against the wall, waiting for his Captain to make the final decision. His eyes watched Kris watching Raven. 'Oh boy, I wonder if Raven has realized the young lady has a crush the size of Texas, on her?'

Raven ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "d.a.m.n, we can't chance it." She looked up to find two sets of eyes, Kris' staring at her and John's staring at Kris. "Cancel the party, John."

John returned his gaze to his boss. "Aw shucks, I was looking forward to seeing you in that black number I was told about." He chuckled.

"Wait a minute. You're canceling the party?" Kris looked stunned.

"Have to, it's too big of a risk." Raven explained.

"Oh G.o.d! You'd better call an ambulance before you tell mother, she's gonna have a coronary." Her eyes betrayed her mirth. "n.o.body's ever had the guts to try this before. Mother will have you for breakfast after she recovers." She looked at her companion.

Raven's mouth twisted into a devilish grin. "Not me, John. I'm still undercover." She laughed at the groan that came from her longtime friend. "John, call everyone together in the dining room. And remember you have the authority from the State Department and Foreign Affairs to do this if they question you."

"Lot of good that's going to do me if Mrs. Whitfield's beating me to death." He looked dramatically skyward. "Why me?"

"I'll protect you." Kris promised and patted him on the arm. Raven rolled her eyes.

Raven sobered the room by asking John if he had heard from the contact they had tried to meet with. "Uh, yeah, he turned up dead." He looked apologetically at Kris.

"G.o.dsbed.a.m.ned." Raven mumbled. "I take it that it wasn't from natural causes?" John confirmed her a.s.sessment. "I don't like this one bit. It's like somebody's always one step ahead of us. Contact the base, I want helicopters standing by to evacuate the emba.s.sy on a moments notice."

"Good as done. How much do I tell them when I cancel the party?" John knew that with the death of the informant that more-than-likely the traitor was someone in The Division.

"Anything you have to. Let's just keep me a bystander for right now." She rubbed her neck tiredly. "If there's a leak here, and they haven't discovered me, I might be able to catch them off guard."

John protested. "If it's at our end, they already know about you." This a.s.signment was going from bad to worse. He paced while he rubbed his hand across his bald head. Raven had always teased him about that. She said it looked like he was trying to wake up his brain cells. "You want them to come after you." He voiced his guess out loud, forgetting they weren't alone and cringed when he heard Kris' stunned voice.

"What?" Kris jumped up from the chair she had been observing from. "No, you could get...hurt." She looked at Raven. "Please." She pleaded.

Raven pulled her into a hug and rested her cheek against the top of Kris' head. "I'll be okay." She moved her hands up and down the young woman's back in a soothing motion, which made Kris cling to her tighter. "Hey, you alright?" No answer. "Sagira?"

John's face showed his confused surprise at the contact from his normally stoic Captain. Then his eyes nearly bugged out at the term of endearment. Kris blushed despite her fear. "Sorry, I just...I'm a little scared that something...might happen to you." She looked up to meet a startled expression. 'I'm glad I toned that down. I really would have floored her if I had admitted that the thought of losing her terrifies me.'

Raven gazed into sincere green eyes. "John, go call everyone together. We'll be down in a minute." She heard the door softly close. "I, uh, don't know what to say." She pulled Kris back into a fierce hug. "Thank you, for caring. Other than John, Sharon and Granny, n.o.body's really worried about me in a long time."

'Sharon?' Kris felt a pang of jealousy. "Who are they?" She tried to casually ask.

Raven heard an odd tone in the voice and grinned. "Granny kind of adopted me when I moved into the apartment above her several years ago. She's in her, I don't know, mid-fifties. She took pity on me I guess, when she saw I ate nothing but take-out, she started cooking for me sometimes and we became friends. And Sharon is John's fiancee." She felt Kris let go of the breath she had been holding. "Come on, let's go watch your mother explode."

Kris stopped breathing, waiting for the answer. 'I know she's bound to have past lovers and probably has a current one or two. So why do I feel this way? Because I want her all to myself and I don't know if I can compete with her lovers.' She exhaled. 'At least Sharon's not compet.i.tion.' "Can't cook huh?" She would save her insecurities for another time.

"I didn't say I couldn't, I just don't."

"Touchy. I'd say that means you're one step above boiling water." Kris taunted as they made their way out the door and towards the stairs.

"Hey, I can open a can with the best of 'em." She replied in mock seriousness. She lost her composure when Kris playfully b.u.mped her with her hip on the way down the stairs. "Okay, okay, so it's not a skill I possess." Raven still couldn't believe she felt so comfortable with this young woman in such a short time. It went completely against her normal stoic att.i.tude.

"I'm sure you have many other skills to make up for the lack of that one." Kris couldn't believe she had said that. She tried to get her blush under control as they put a little distance between their bodies before entering the dining room where most of the others were waiting.

"Ms. Whitfield, Ms. Chandler." John acknowledged the two. "We're just waiting on Mr. Lewis and we'll begin."

"I don't know what your problem is Lieutenant, but I have a party to prepare for." Regina huffed. "I don't have time to waste with your games." She stood beside the table with her hands resting on the top, leaning threateningly towards John. She was dressed in a robe and it was obvious that she was in the middle of having her hair done since half of her head held curlers.

"Sorry." Parker strolled into the room. "I had a phone call to make." Clearly by his tone, he wasn't at all concerned that everybody was waiting on him.

John's anger at the insolent aid made him forget that he was nervous. His blunt statement that there wasn't going to be a party caused a t.i.tanic uproar. 'h.e.l.l, you'd think I'd cancelled 'The X-Files'. He let it continue until all but one voice had quieted.

"I don't know who you think you are, but no soldier boy can tell me what I can and can't do." Regina's face had turned a bright scarlet color and she stamped her foot.

"Mrs. Whitfield, calm down. You're going to hyperventilate." Stephanie begged and pulled on the woman's arm, trying to get her back in her chair.

"Amba.s.sador, you and your family are in danger." John went on to inform them of the threats and incidents that had transpired over the last few days. And was very happy to make it known to Mrs. Whitfield, that yes he did have the authority to tell her and anyone else in this building what they can and can't do. He also went on to explain exactly who they were, leaving out his Captain of course, and exactly who it was in Washington that gave them total control of the situation.

"Andrew, this is ridiculous. Everyone wants the Peace Talks to go forward." She waved her hand in John's direction. "Straighten out the 'Lieutenant' so I can get on with my preparations for tonight."

Regina Whitfield's definition of current affairs might be what the latest style in Paris is, but her husband knew his profession well and he also knew of The Division. He had done work in countries that helped support the anti-terrorist group, which meant he knew what they really were. He had continuously turned paler and paler as John had explained and now he was a ghostly white. "General Mitch.e.l.l thinks we're in that much danger, Lieutenant Logan?" He used the name that John had said was one of the principles in contacting The Division. Mitch.e.l.l was a close friend of the Amba.s.sadors and was not one to panic.

"I a.s.sure you, Amba.s.sador, that if he didn't feel that way, we would not be here." John answered the clearly upset man.

"Andrew?" Regina wasn't use to being told no.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but this is serious. We all will need to follow the orders of the Lieutenant." He stood up. "I have phone calls to make." He announced as he left with Mr. Ahmet following.

"It seems as if I also have phone calls and apologies to make. You three." She pointed to her offspring. "Have a bag to pack, according to our jailer, in case we are whisked away in the middle of the night." She walked briskly to the door. "Come Stephanie." She intoned without glancing back.

Vivian looked worried and Martin looked perturbed.

"Yes Stephanie, heel, fetch, roll over, play dead." Kris whispered as she watched the pair leave. Raven overheard and smothered the laugh before it made it's way past her lips.

"Kristen, that's not very lady like, as your mother would say." Parker reprimanded. "Come, I'll escort you to your room to pack, so that disrespectful 'person' won't have any reason to complain."

Raven saw the annoyance spread across her companion's face and she had no desire whatsoever to stop the impending rebuke. She placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand with a slight grin on her face and waited.

"You don't listen to a word I say. I just referred to Stephanie as a trained hound that heels whenever mother snaps her fingers and you, not ten seconds later, treat me the same way." She stood and glared at him with fire in her eyes. "Stuff it, Parker." She stormed off with Raven scrambling to keep up.

"I'll chalk that up to nervousness and not hold it against you, Kristen. I realize you must be scared by all this talk." He called after them, raising his voice so he would be heard, as the two women raced up the stairs.

They made it to Kris' room before they clasped in laughter. "I guess it's better to laugh than cry." Kris said as she wiped her eyes. "It's really sad, though. Mother worries more about that stupid party than the fact that we might be in danger. Parker thinks he has a right to tell me what to say and how to act. And I think Martin's more concerned that n.o.body will see him escorting you tonight."

Raven became subdued as she traced the pattern on the comforter across Kris' bed. "But you're engaged, aren't you? I mean that still doesn't give him the right to boss you around, but maybe he thinks it does." Raven had conveniently forgotten Parker when she and Kris had been together. She had known that the only way to stop her escalating feeling toward the young woman was to stop her heart from beating. So she had pushed any thought of Kris and Parker being a couple, to the furthest recesses of her mind until seeing him downstairs.

'G.o.d, she thinks there's something really between Parker and me.' "Everyone a.s.sumes we're engaged because mother and father want us to be. Father likes him because Parker wants to follow in father's footsteps and be an Amba.s.sador and mother just thinks he's a good catch. Parker wants to marry me because father wants it. Martin thinks I'm lucky to have someone interested in me at all, he thinks I'm boring. Viv thinks I 'need to sample all the delicacies that life has to offer'." Seeing the uncertain expression, she explained. "Viv finally hit p.u.b.erty at seventeen, she's boy crazy and wonders why I'm not chasing anything in pants."

"Ah, I think you should take her advice." She looked Kris in the eye and grinned. "I wear pants, most of the time." She explained to a suddenly worried young woman.

Kris understood and relaxed. "Why, Ms. Chandler, are you asking me to go steady?" She asked in her best southern drawl.

"I, uh, don't know. I've never gone steady with anyone before." It was Raven's turn to be the nervous one.

They were sitting on the bed with their legs folded under them, facing each other and Kris scooted closer, so that their knees were touching. "I'll tell you what." She laced her fingers together behind Raven's neck. "Why don't we forget the chasing and go directly to the catching." It was a statement, not a question. She leaned her forehead forward until it met her companion's.

"I think I would like that very much. If you're sure that's, or I'm, what you want." Raven sat back and placed her fingers over Kris' mouth to stop her from interrupting. "Let me finish." Raven took a minute to compose her thoughts. "Even if you disregard my past and what I do for a living, your parents are not going to be happy, to say the least, about this. I want you to be sure that you're prepared to deal with the consequences if they don't accept your decision."

Kris thought about what her parent's reaction would be. "Happy? No, they wouldn't be happy." 'But would they accept it? She wasn't sure.' She removed her hands from around Raven's neck and grasped both her companion's hands. "I didn't realize how long we've been talking, it's starting to get dark. We better get packed before they call us to dinner." She stood up and pulled the older woman with her. She needed time to get her emotions and her thoughts under control before she threw herself and her problems into the Captain's very capable hands.

"You're a special person, Sagira, you mean a lot to me even though we've just met. I feel very at ease with you, like we've been friends forever." She pulled Kris into a hug. They stood in each other's arms, swaying to an unheard melody for several long minutes. Raven knew Kris needed to think seriously about how her life would change if they went forward. She also knew she would give the young woman all the time she needed and abide by whatever choice Kris made, her heart would let her do no less.

Kris sighed. "I still have to find a nickname for you." She pulled back and looked up. Her eyes began to shine and a devilish grin graced her features.

"Should I start worrying?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kris had spotted the necklace that hung around her companion's neck. "No, nothing to be concerned about...Taz."

Both eyebrows disappeared beneath dark bangs. "Taz?"

"Well, I could call you devil but people might get the wrong idea. Besides I figure you like the character or you wouldn't wear this necklace. And I think you could probably explode into a tornado at the drop of a hat." She explained very reasonably.

"Mmph." Raven decided she like the nickname, she had certainly been called a lot worse. "Our personalities do kinda match." She gave in. "But his appet.i.te reminds me of you." She jumped back before a backhand caught her in the stomach.

Kris waved a finger menacingly at the tall woman and was about to protest, when her appet.i.te told her brain to contact her stomach. A loud complaint grumbled just as she opened her mouth. She blushed and started laughing. "Don't say a word, woman, not one word."

Chapter Six:.

Most of dinner had been spent listening to either long periods of silences or complaints. Which had been voiced mostly by Regina, who was making sure everybody knew what a hardship it had been to personally call all of the invited guests to apologize. Of course Stephanie could have done it, that's what she was there for, but then Regina couldn't have griped about it.

The dishes had been cleared and everyone was sipping coffee or tea, when a loud crash from outside was heard, followed by yelling and a round or two of gunfire. Raven's first reaction was to head toward the commotion but caught herself before she darted for the door. A few minutes later, Sergeant Hardly entered the room. He gave the occupants of the room a goofy grin before addressing the Amba.s.sador explaining what had happened and that Lieutenants Logan and Marks would be here shortly to discuss the issue further.

Seems that a delivery truck, probably the same one that had been parked by the emba.s.sy the night of the attempted break-in, had tried to drive through the main gate, without benefit of it being open. When that failed the occupants exchanged a few shots with the guards before fleeing.

The inhabitants of the dining room were exchanging nervous glances and comments when Logan and Marks arrived. John addressed the group. "None of the guards at the gate were hurt." That said for his Captain's peace of mind. "One perpetrator killed, the others, unfortunately escaped. They must have expected the gate to be open for the arriving party guests. And now that their chance of a simple 'operation' has gone down the drain, I think that they will be attacking in full force." He paused to let the meaning of his words sink in. "I'm not willing to take the chance of them succeeding, so I'm ordering an evacuation of all non-local personnel." Stunned silence, then the eruption he was expecting. He held his hands up and yelled for quiet. "The helicopters will be here in an hour. You will be taken to Izmir Air Station. That's all I can tell you right now. One of the MP's will remain with each of you until you leave the emba.s.sy." He locked eyes with his Captain and got her slight nod of approval.

Raven hung back so she could have a minute of private conversation with him. "Did you track down our other contact?"

"Yes, finally." He handed her a small piece of paper. "These two addresses are the most likely places to find him. You know what he looks like?" At her confirmation he continued. "I don't think it'll be hard to keep your disappearance unnoticed, except by a certain blonde."

"I'll talk to her before I go." Raven a.s.sured him. "Everything else in place?"

"Yes, a boat by the name of 'Ali's Ark' will be waiting to take you across to Yalova. The motorcycle will be waiting at the dock. It's about 200 miles to Izmir, so I'll give you about, say five hours, to get there before I start worrying." Although he was already doing that and he knew that she knew it, too.

She was about to reply when they heard the Amba.s.sador calling for John. "Go see to him. I'll use the commotion of the helicopters to slip out of the emba.s.sy." He nodded and headed in the direction of the Amba.s.sador's voice.

Kris was pacing in her room. She was not at all happy that Raven was not leaving with them. 'You're going out in this city, at night, alone, by yourself, with n.o.body to watch your back?' She had known she was babbling but she couldn't help it. Then when Raven simply answered, 'Yes', Kris had pleaded with her not to go. Raven had a.s.sured her that she would be fine, and left to change into her nighttime 'prowling' attire.

As Kris continued to pace, she noticed the shy and adoring look that was directed at her by her bodyguard. He had not been privileged to the conversation between his boss and his charge. "Sergeant Hardly," She threw a charming smile at him when he turned his big brown puppy dog eyes toward her. "I would really appreciate it if you would be kind enough to get me something to eat from the kitchen."

"Uh, I'm not supposed to leave you alone." He looked down at his shoes trying to avoid getting lost in her green eyes. Kris noticed that he was a rather ordinary looking guy, not bad looking really, except for his weak chin. She felt bad about manipulating him but she was worried about Raven.

"Oh please." She did everything but bat her eyes at him. "When I get nervous, my stomach gets upset and if I don't get something to eat...well, you get the idea."

His eyes flew open. "I, ah, yeah, get the idea. I'll be right back." There was no way he was going to be responsible for the Amba.s.sador's daughter getting sick, especially not in the helicopter. He stopped in the open door. "What should I get?" When she said it didn't matter, he hurried down the stairs.

"Yes." Kris pumped her fist in celebration. 'Now I just need to follow Raven without her knowing it.' She heard the noisy blades beating a rhythm in the air above the building and knew the Captain would be leaving soon. She hurried downstairs and slipped out the back door. She was careful to avoid the spotlights that were flooding the courtyard.

Raven advanced along the side of the building, melding into the shadows. With all the commotion, she failed to notice the figure following behind. She exited the side gate and moved down the wall that protected the emba.s.sy from the outside world as the last helicopter lifted off the roof. She watched as it pa.s.sed overhead and turned southward heading for the base. As she continued her jog eastward she felt more than saw the movement behind her. She turned the corner and waited. She had recognized her 'tail' immediately. 'd.a.m.n, Kris.' She used the few minutes waiting for the girl, to calm herself. She wasn't mad at her for following, but at herself for not realizing that Kris was just stubborn enough to follow her and for it taking this long for her to notice.

Kris saw Raven disappear around the corner of the wall and lengthened her stride. She would have screamed except for the hand that clamped over her mouth. She started to struggle until a familiar voice calmed her.

"Kris, it's me." Raven held her companion off the ground until a heel connected with her shin. "s.h.i.t." She hissed as she dropped the girl back to stand on her on feet. She bent down and rubbed her tender leg.

"Raven, you scared me half to death." She took deep breaths, trying to slow her rapidly beating heart. "Oh G.o.d, sorry." She said when she saw the tall woman hunched over rubbing her leg. Then it dawned on her that she had been caught. "I can explain." She offered as Raven straightened up and glared menacingly at her. "I was worried about you. I thought you might get hurt. I know you can take care of yourself but I wanted to help." She thought about how nice a helicopter ride sounded about right now. She was almost in tears.

"Shh." Raven pulled her in against her body and gently held her. "I'm not mad at you. I just want you to be safe, that's all." She had to decide what to do, take the young woman with her while she tried to track down their contact or head for the boat immediately. She decided that Kris was more important than what she might find out even if she could track the guy down. "Come on, we've got a boat to catch." She brushed a kiss across the bent head.

"We're leaving? What about the information you wanted?" She tilted her head up but kept her arms firmly circled around Raven's waist.

"Change of plans. You matter more to me than the info I might possibly get from him. So, we're outta here." She headed them south toward the Karakoy Pier.

"We're not headed towards the docks, are we?" Kris hesitantly asked.

"Yeah, a boat ride is quicker than going around. Why? Please tell me you don't get seasick."

"No, not on a big boat or the ferries." Kris explained. "If it's a small one, Taz, you better hope the waters calm."