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"Wake up."
"No."
The quick answer was surprisingly shrill even for Internationale, who was still lying on the cot, if this awfully narrow bench could be called so. Luckily, warm pleid and several hours of sound sleep made it a bit more comfortable, so during the first seconds after awaking Maria didn’t want to move anywhere else. Of course, they both got tired from the latest (and, thanks to the heavens, successful) mission which had been just like never-ending nightmare. They managed to get the card providing access to any safe vault of Corps… while sneaking off from the whole army of guards, looking for some energy for Incognita and trying not to curse aloud like a trooper at the same time. After teleporting back from this Sankaku’s maze Maria swore not to even think about how many people Shalem had killed just to make their way out. She was too exhausted to respond to the voice of conscience and made herself believe (for a while, untill better condition) that it had been done because of great necessity.
That’s why a great wish just to turn to the wall of the jet and fall back to sleep was absolutely essential.
"Very interesting", Shalem said it ironic as never before, glancing at his fellow agent over his shoulder. Despite his sloppy look (what a rare!) and nasty mood he still had power to fly the jet from Cairo to Brisbane, where their temporary office was situated. Strange place to hide, but at least nobody has found them since that well-organized attack of the Corps.
"Then I’ll tell Central you gonna miss the meeting."
These words were enough to get up immediately, move to the empty second pilot’s chair and stare at Shalem, waiting for continuance.
"What meeting?"
"If I only knew", he answered, still looking through the windscreen. "No information directly about the theme, but I suppose she has something really important to say because she gathers all the agents. I mean, all capable agents. "
Of course, it was very interesting. Central usually doesn’t call them personally, bringing news mainly through the Operator. "Hope things aren’t becoming worse", Internationale thought. "We’re already in trouble… "
"I see. What about Decker and Banks? Any signs of them?"
"Decker contacted me nearly an hour ago. They’re fine and now they’re going home, too, but not as fast as we do. Guess we will have some time for a coffee-break after arrival."
Pause. Only the sunlight of early morning was shining at them, the sky was wonderfully clear and blue. No clouds as far as the eye can see. Suddenly Maria understood how long she hadn’t seen anything naturally beautiful. So many changes have happened there, on the Earth, since that damn war… The jet was flying unexpectedly smooth under the Shalem’s control, despite the fact that he wasn’t keen on being pilot. Obviously, he was more tired than he wanted to show, judging by paleness and dark bags under his eyes, but it was too dangerous to rely on automatics.
"Don’t look at me like that", suddenly said Shalem with irritation, and Maria realized with confusion that she had been staring at him for all this time. "I know everything you want to say and I have no wish to start this old dispute from the beginning."
"I was silent!", tossed Internationale, filled of indignation. "And you have already started it yourself! For your record, my opinion hasn’t changed and I still think that you could manage without tolls."
"You know, I begin to doubt, whether you were with me on the field", he smiled wryly. "How? Just remember the situation: you’re in the corner, surrounded by three damn guards who were ready to shoot you without no regard… as opposed to you I was too far to use the disrupter. "
"I wanted to turn on the cloaking rig!"
"It wouldn’t help you anyway. Not enough space for elusion."
"But enough power to break through!"
"And what’s next? Out of one trouble into another? Well, imagine you managed to escape, but then you would hide in the next room because there were no other places to go. After this your invisibility would go out… and you would find yourself right in front of the drone which we couldn’t crack because of lack of Incognita’s power. You would turn around… and see sweet couple of the same guards had been aiming you seconds before. Just amazing, huh?"
For a moment Maria lost for words. It was this rare situation when she really hadn’t nothing to cite against. He was right. Absolutely right. Today it was Maria’s turn to do the main job, to get the card. She made her way to financial director’s apartments, she waited for ages before scanning had ended… and all this time Shalem was covering her, drawing guards attention away. He was alone against ten or even more well-trained mercenaries. He thought about everything and saved both of them in the end.
And what is she doing now? Sitting here after the rest and trying to blame him for rough methods?
"So… you want me to say thanks for the killing?"
This question made her regret already in the next second. It wasn’t known how Internationale lost it, but suddenly her face was tightly fixed between two wide dry palms. Angry shining black eyes were drilling holes in hers.
"Yes, Valdes, I want", Shalem answered quietly, but his tone made Internationale feel creepy all over. "I want the damn gratitude for saving your life, no matter how exactly it was saved. Moreover, I really do believe that someday you will understand that shooting one’s head sometimes can be the only way to solve the problem. So thank me, and we won’t remember about all this stuff anymore."
She didn’t obey at once, no. All her foundations, everything she considers to be right was making a protest… deep inside her, of course. By the way, even tired Shalem was stronger than she. Who knows, how matters can turn…
"S-sorry", finally said Internationale through her teeth. "I’m wrong now. Maybe I’ll be able to pay back later."
Something has changed in his look after her words. Cold and fury slowly disappeared, giving way for new emotions, strange and suspiciously recognizable… then, like a bolt from the blue, he almost intimately ran over her lips with his thumb, plunging Maria into full bewilderment.
"Well… at least you worth rescuing", added Shalem calmly, but with some strange sadness in his voice. The moment has passed, and then he got back to piloting, pretending than nothing had happened at all.
Maybe it wasn’t true, indeed. Maybe just a delusion… but Internationale still could feel this touch along with thousands of questions crowding her mind. She opened mouth to ask them immediately when her inner voice advised her not to do it.
It would be better to start new dialogue later. Provided that they will have enough time for it, of course.